It’s summertime and you know what that means…flies slipping through open doors in your house. I’m certain you know what I am talking about. You come home from a long, hard day at work, sit down in your favorite chair and read the newspaper. About the time you get comfortable, something begins buzzing around your head and distracts you from concentrating on the latest headlines. If you are like me, you make sure the flying insect is not a bee because there is a distinct protocol for handling a fly and a bee. A bee requires clearing everyone from the room and safely removing it without anyone having a heart attack. A fly usually involves everyone staying in the same room while laughing at you swatting dozens of times without any progress. We have already had several flies in our house, mostly because we have two kids who forget to close the door. When they discover an unidentified flying object in the airspace of our home, they always assume it is a bee. I am the official “fly-stalker” in our home. This title requires stealth and the ability to react at a moment’s notice. This past Saturday, I entered our home through the garage door and saw the fly buzzing around in the bathroom. I immediately went into stalking mode by first shutting the fly in the bathroom. Then I quickly located my weapon of choice—a fly swatter. My next step was to enter the bathroom where the fly was trapped and shut myself inside. I did all this without making a mistake. For a few minutes, I stood still in the bathroom so the fly got used to my presence. All the time I had my eye on the fly, just waiting for the right time to make the kill. It landed – big mistake – and I took one swat. Mission accomplished! My methodology for stalking that fly is identical to the way the devil preys on human beings in order to destroy their lives. Peter writes to warn his readers: “Be sober [think clearly], be vigilant [watchful]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He uses an illustration from the animal kingdom to describe how Satan watches and waits for the right time to bring destruction into the path of the unassuming. Although some people think sinning is fun and no big deal, Satan is just waiting for the right time to unleash the severe consequences for disobeying God’s commands. Rather than “throwing your hands up into the air” and giving into Satan’s advances, followers of Christ should remain watchful and understand their responsibility to guard their hearts and minds. Keep yourself from areas of temptation and faithfully pray for God’s help during times of testing (Matthew 5:13).Archives For True Stories
It’s summertime and you know what that means…flies slipping through open doors in your house. I’m certain you know what I am talking about. You come home from a long, hard day at work, sit down in your favorite chair and read the newspaper. About the time you get comfortable, something begins buzzing around your head and distracts you from concentrating on the latest headlines. If you are like me, you make sure the flying insect is not a bee because there is a distinct protocol for handling a fly and a bee. A bee requires clearing everyone from the room and safely removing it without anyone having a heart attack. A fly usually involves everyone staying in the same room while laughing at you swatting dozens of times without any progress. We have already had several flies in our house, mostly because we have two kids who forget to close the door. When they discover an unidentified flying object in the airspace of our home, they always assume it is a bee. I am the official “fly-stalker” in our home. This title requires stealth and the ability to react at a moment’s notice. This past Saturday, I entered our home through the garage door and saw the fly buzzing around in the bathroom. I immediately went into stalking mode by first shutting the fly in the bathroom. Then I quickly located my weapon of choice—a fly swatter. My next step was to enter the bathroom where the fly was trapped and shut myself inside. I did all this without making a mistake. For a few minutes, I stood still in the bathroom so the fly got used to my presence. All the time I had my eye on the fly, just waiting for the right time to make the kill. It landed – big mistake – and I took one swat. Mission accomplished! My methodology for stalking that fly is identical to the way the devil preys on human beings in order to destroy their lives. Peter writes to warn his readers: “Be sober [think clearly], be vigilant [watchful]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He uses an illustration from the animal kingdom to describe how Satan watches and waits for the right time to bring destruction into the path of the unassuming. Although some people think sinning is fun and no big deal, Satan is just waiting for the right time to unleash the severe consequences for disobeying God’s commands. Rather than “throwing your hands up into the air” and giving into Satan’s advances, followers of Christ should remain watchful and understand their responsibility to guard their hearts and minds. Keep yourself from areas of temptation and faithfully pray for God’s help during times of testing (Matthew 5:13).
I have to go home for lunch everyday this week because my family is out of town and our dog, Marley, needs a midday potty break. She is getting old. After a quick bologna sandwich, applesauce, and a little orange sherbet I got in my car and headed back to the office. About halfway back I stopped at a red light. I was the first car in line at the red light and to my left there was another car waiting to go straight. To the left of that car was a turning lane where a line of cars were waiting for their green arrow. Do you need a recap of that scenario? Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the far turning lane got the green arrow to turn but the straight ahead lane still had a red light. Without warning, the car beside me (who had the same red light as I did) started going because she mistook the green arrow for a green light. Most people would realize halfway through the intersection that they were making a mistake. Not this lady. She cruised right through cars at the opposing turn lane without even slowing down. No break lights. No wave of apology for her mistake. No glance in the rearview mirror to see that the rest of us law-abiding citizens were still sitting at the light. Some people are just like that driver when it comes to their life…they are clueless. In case you think I am being mean, please hear me out. Being a driver is a great responsibility and your alertness on the road can affect the well-being of those around you. If you fail to pay attention and follow the traffic laws you risk injury to yourself or someone else. Luckily no one was hurt in this particular incident but the next time things may turn out differently. Much like driving, living life is a huge responsibility and the way you conduct your life can possibly help or hurt others. God has entrusted you with your life and He expects you to use it wisely. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15, “walk circumspectly [with care], not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.” Life is short. Evil is everywhere. Be careful how you live.
This afternoon yielded some free time for me so I decided to cut the grass. Maybe I’m weird, but I actually enjoy time spent listening to the hum of my mower and attempting to make obsessive-compulsive straight lines in the grass. About half way through the front yard something jumped up from the grass which caused me to instinctively kick up my right foot in case it was 1) a snake, 2) a mouse, 3) a massive flying object which may have the potential to sting, or 4) anything which I have not mentioned above but has the potential to take off my right foot. I didn’t shut off the mower immediately in case I had to use it as a weapon, but when I finally looked down to the ground my eye barely made out a rather large toad. Mentally I tried to recall if toads could be poisonous, but thinking through all the episodes of The Crocodile Hunter I honestly could not remember. Then the thought hit me…that thing would have made a huge mess if I had run over it. Then I started asking the deeper questions – where did that toad come from? It literally came out of nowhere. Like I said before, when I am mowing I really keep an eye on what is in front of me to make sure my lines are straight. The problem was that the toad blended in perfectly with its surroundings. In the wild, this is a good thing for a toad since they can disguise themselves from would-be predators; however, a toad is no match for my whirling blade!
So, when does blending in with your surroundings become dangerous? For the follower of Christ, blending in means that you do your best not to be noticed. Furthermore, blending in is a pursuit to adapt the values of the culture so as not to be labeled weird or different. It is dangerous when the church winks at sin and abuses the very grace given by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about the need to be different…the pursuit of new behavior in their daily lives. Ephesians 4 reveals his powerful words. Instead of lying, tell the truth (4:25). Be angry at the right things, but never let it continue until the next day (4:26). Don’t take something which is not yours, but work hard to earn the money to pay for it (4:28). Use your words to build people up instead of using them to destroy (4:29). Learn to obey God’s truth so you do not disappoint Him (4:30). “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour [fighting], and evil speaking, be put away from you” (4:31). “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (4:32). Being a follower of Christ costs us something…our identity. We no longer attempt to blend in with the value system of the world, but our attitudes and actions cause us to be identified with Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
During this time of year, Leah and I seem to be invited to a lot of weddings and every year it brings back memories of our marriage day (no, I don‘t run home and watch the DVD of our wedding). I’m not saying that in a sappy sort of way, but every time I sit through a ceremony it is a reminder of the commitment we made to each other on May 31, 1997 (that is today in case you are wondering). Now, we’ve been married 11 years and have two wonderful kids, are connected with a fantastic church, and my children are a part of a great school district (not that that is all there is to life). I have the opportunity to be on staff at a church where I love going everyday and Leah works for the Apple Online Store, which has been a real blessing. There are so many other things I could list, but in reality we have so much more than we deserve. If you would have asked us over a decade ago what we would be doing, we could have never imagined what God had in store for us. That’s not to say it has always been an easy road, but God has been so faithful every time. Since it is our anniversary I must say a few things about my wife, Leah. I’ve never lived a day in her shoes but I’m certain that being married to a pastor is not always the easiest calling. There are constant demands of my time, schedule changes, emergencies from church members, phone calls at inconvenient times, and the occasional negativity which can be associated with church. There are probably some times when she feels that everyone is watching us (and they probably are), but she never complains. I’m sure she has wanted to at times, but she has always supported our calling. Not only is she a pastor’s wife, but she is also a mother. Moms never get the credit they deserve and there have been many times when I have not been understanding of the tremendous amount of work it takes to be a good mom. Leah is the best mom! Our kids love her so much and you can tell that they genuinely enjoy being with her.Why I am writing this? I believe all of us should be thankful for those who are closest to us. It is possible to take for granted the people whom you really love the most because you know they will love you anyways. Even if it is not your anniversary, take some time to express your love for the person who means the most to you.
There are many things which I consider to be painful, but only a few circumstances in life compare with the anguish I encountered a few weeks ago. I know what you may be thinking – broken bone or a root canal. Although I have had the unfortunate opportunity to experience both of these situations, my distress was not the result of a physical occurrence but rather something you would probably consider normal – a trip to the photographer. Some of you do not understand my feelings of pain because you love having your picture taken, but I think many more of you can identify with my situation. When I arrived at the photographer, I was greeted by a very friendly woman who directed me to a waiting room. This area was not your typical room…it was space with a very large mirror. She told me to make sure I looked my best before being photographed. Now, unless there were surgical tools in the drawers of that room, nothing was going to change my appearance at this point. For the next few minutes, I sat in front of that mirror hoping this would be over soon. What is it about having a picture taken or looking into a mirror which makes us cringe? I am not a psychologist, but I tend to think it has something to do with the fact that many individuals do not like what they see. A mirror or a picture exposes the real you.The writer James compares the Bible to a mirror (James 1:21-27). Rather than reflecting our physical appearance, it accurately reflects our spiritual condition. Instead of revealing physical blemishes and flaws, it manifests every area where we fall short of God’s standard of righteousness. Timothy adds that the Bible is beneficial “for doctrine [what is right], for reproof [what is wrong], for correction [how to adjust wrong behavior], for instruction in righteousness [how to sustain good conduct].” Take some time today to look into God’s mirror, the Bible. Although it will accurately expose the real you, it will also provide direction for living life the way God intended.
I worked as a bag boy at a local grocery store while in high school. If you are not familiar with that term, a bag boy is the person who bags your groceries during checkout. I’m certain that our politically correct society has a more fitting name for that position today…something such as “Grocery Packer Extraordinaire.“ My job was actually very enjoyable as I tend to thrive on being around people. My fellow employees were great to work with and I enjoyed brief, but good conversations with the customers. Now…there were only three things I hated about this job.
First, I could not stand customers who had unreasonable demands about packing their groceries (i.e. double paper bagged, plastic bag inside of paper). I understand not putting the milk in the same bag as the bread and making sure the eggs were put on the top of the other groceries, but come on…bringing your own environmentally friendly bag and expecting me to cram $100 worth of groceries into a single shoulder bag? I don’t think so!
The second thing I hated was gathering carts from the parking lot, especially on rainy days. Thankfully, technology has advanced and now I see these guys with motor-controlled contraptions which push the carts for you. I hate those guys! I came from an era where I would connect as many carts as possible and hope one did not slide off the end and crash into the side of a car. It happens.
The last thing I hated were customers who were too lazy to return their cart to the designated area. You know who you are. Every shopper has three options after placing their groceries in their trunk. First option – leave the cart in front of your car (extreme laziness). Second option – leave the cart far enough away from your car where it does not look like you did it (lazy and sneaky). Final option – put the cart in its proper place (outstanding American citizen). After having been a bag boy for so many years, I always chose the latter option. I know what a pain it is to gather scattered carts from a mammoth parking lot. I feel the pain of the scrawny, acne-faced kid who is losing a game of hide-and-seek with hundreds of carts…not to mention that he looks like a nerd in black shorts, a white button-up shirt, and an awful tie! I know many of you reading this cannot relate to my bitter feelings, but I believe I speak for all the bag boys of the world – put the cart back where it belongs for goodness sake!
In case you are waiting for the spiritual application, here it comes. Sometimes when we have been following Christ for a long period of time, we tend to forget about the hardships, learning process, and mistakes of a person who is just starting out on the Christian journey. Okay, maybe you cannot relate with working in a grocery store but I’m sure you know what it feels like to be new or reliant on the help of others. As a mature follower of Christ, you have an incredible responsibility to help those who are weak in the faith come to full maturity. Sure, they can “gather the carts on their own“, but it will take a lot more time and effort to accomplish the goal. The Christian life is too risky to be lived alone and we need others to come alongside in order to help keep us on the right path. Instead of being lazy and caring only about your personal schedule, be willing to invest your time to help others who need a hand. Are you putting the cart back?
First, I could not stand customers who had unreasonable demands about packing their groceries (i.e. double paper bagged, plastic bag inside of paper). I understand not putting the milk in the same bag as the bread and making sure the eggs were put on the top of the other groceries, but come on…bringing your own environmentally friendly bag and expecting me to cram $100 worth of groceries into a single shoulder bag? I don’t think so!
The second thing I hated was gathering carts from the parking lot, especially on rainy days. Thankfully, technology has advanced and now I see these guys with motor-controlled contraptions which push the carts for you. I hate those guys! I came from an era where I would connect as many carts as possible and hope one did not slide off the end and crash into the side of a car. It happens.
The last thing I hated were customers who were too lazy to return their cart to the designated area. You know who you are. Every shopper has three options after placing their groceries in their trunk. First option – leave the cart in front of your car (extreme laziness). Second option – leave the cart far enough away from your car where it does not look like you did it (lazy and sneaky). Final option – put the cart in its proper place (outstanding American citizen). After having been a bag boy for so many years, I always chose the latter option. I know what a pain it is to gather scattered carts from a mammoth parking lot. I feel the pain of the scrawny, acne-faced kid who is losing a game of hide-and-seek with hundreds of carts…not to mention that he looks like a nerd in black shorts, a white button-up shirt, and an awful tie! I know many of you reading this cannot relate to my bitter feelings, but I believe I speak for all the bag boys of the world – put the cart back where it belongs for goodness sake!
In case you are waiting for the spiritual application, here it comes. Sometimes when we have been following Christ for a long period of time, we tend to forget about the hardships, learning process, and mistakes of a person who is just starting out on the Christian journey. Okay, maybe you cannot relate with working in a grocery store but I’m sure you know what it feels like to be new or reliant on the help of others. As a mature follower of Christ, you have an incredible responsibility to help those who are weak in the faith come to full maturity. Sure, they can “gather the carts on their own“, but it will take a lot more time and effort to accomplish the goal. The Christian life is too risky to be lived alone and we need others to come alongside in order to help keep us on the right path. Instead of being lazy and caring only about your personal schedule, be willing to invest your time to help others who need a hand. Are you putting the cart back?
This morning I went grocery shopping with my daughter, Lexi, at the local Super Wal-Mart. We arrived around 8:30am to a relatively empty parking lot, which is a good sign, and began our journey up and down the long isles. As we were filling our cart with all kinds of healthy goodies (there is no such thing), I kept trying to remember what we already had in the cupboards at home so I didn’t double up on items. It is inevitable that I always buy something we do not need. FYI – we have two bottles of BBQ sauce in the cupboard in addition to the one in the refrigerator. After our leisurely stroll through each isle, we headed to the check-out, paid the cashier, and loaded the groceries into the car. When we arrived home, I quickly unpacked the bags and began the worst part of grocery shopping…putting everything away. While I was placing the recently purchased items in the fridge, I was finding stuff which had expired a few weeks earlier. There was the coffee creamer which was best if used by March 2008 (it is May by the way). I also found some soy milk which had expired three weeks ago ( I hope my son has not been drinking it). What did people do before they labeled products “Best if Used By”? A sure-fire way to test expiration is the old “sense of smell.” If it smells disgusting, throw it out. Milk is the worst, especially when you pour it out and instead of fluid, you get chunks! It is enough to make you gag! Anyway, these expiration dates are very helpful because they allow us to gage the usefulness of a certain product. A thought came to my mid while I was pouring out the mud-like milk…I wish life came with a “Best if Used By” date. Really. Maybe you think I am totally crazy, but I believe you would agree that it would be nice if you knew when your number was up so you could make the most of your life. On the other hand, I think God is wise in not allowing us to know when we will die. At the core of this issue is that He wants us to live everyday as if it was our last. Think back on the last day, the last week, and the last year. Have you spent your time wisely? Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus in regards to the wise use of time:Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
My intention is not to make you think of death, but to think of life. You have been given one shot at it – don’t waste it.
Usually Friday night is “Family Night” in our house, but last week we were able to have “Family Day” because both of my kids had no school. We had a great time together! We went to a few stores in the morning and then to IHOP for lunch. Tyler ate the “Who Cakes” in anticipation of our future visit to the movies to see Horton Hears a Who. From IHOP, I checked the show times from my phone for the Regal Theater (where The Summit will be located) and I thought it said the movie started at 12:35pm, but when we got there we discovered that the next showing was not until 2:30pm. So, we made stops at Target and Wal-Mart to do the shopping we were planning on doing later in the day. A few hours later, we were able to see Horton Hears a Who – it was a pretty good movie.After the movie, we drove around Green exploring the area where our church’s second campus will launch in September 2008. Green is a wonderful, growing community with much to offer. Our final stop of the day was Boettler Park, an awesome, kid-friendly park in Green (we never had parks like this when I was a kid). The park includes a playground which is 30,000 square feet and boasts an award labeling it the “best new recreation facility in Ohio in 2004.” Our kids had so much fun riding the zip line, crawling through the wooden structures, scouring the climbing wall, and sliding down the numerous slides. I got tired just watching them! As were getting ready to leave, some idiot pulled up in his customized truck/van into the parking lot…you might know him as the “ice cream man.” The air was filled with music which makes the hearts of kids think of one thing – ice cream. When I was a kid, I loved the ice cream man strolling through our neighborhood because…well…I love ice cream. Things have changed now and I am a parent who almost NEVER carries cash. This is a combination for disaster – my kids are asking for ice cream but I have no money. All the other kids art sprinting to the ice cream truck with big smiles on their faces while my deprived children are dragging their feet to our car with tears streaming down their faces. All the other parents whose children were lustingly licking their orange push-ups and popsicles were probably looking at Leah and I thinking we were the worst parents in the world. Leah, being the wise parent, reminds the kids of all they have gotten to do that day – going shopping, eating out, seeing a movie, and playing in the park. She was trying to say “we have had so much fun today – don’t dwell on what you don’t have, but what you do have.”Separating myself from that moment, I thought of how many times I do the same thing to God. He has been so good to me, yet I find myself focusing on that which I do not have. I guess it stems from thinking there is something else out there which God has withheld from me. The Psalmist reminds us about the character of God when he writes “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). God has given us everything we need to be content in life. Now before you start listing the “things” you do not have, let me remind you that contentment is not found in a possession, but in a Person…the person of Jesus Christ. This is a promise – God will never hold back good from you when you are seeking to live in obedience to Him. The longer I live, the more I begin to understand that “good” is not defined by the tangible, but rather by the peace, contentment, and joy provided by God in times of good and bad. Are you living your life by the ice cream truck wishing you had more?
Have you checked on the kids? This question is literally asked in our house every night after our kids are asleep. Leah and I check on our kids several times each night – I think this routine is just built into a parent. I always find myself going into their rooms while they are sleeping and placing my hand on their chest or listening for the sound of breathing just to make sure they are okay. I find myself uttering a prayer everytime I leave their room…something like “Lord, please watch over their little life.” Sometimes I find myself sticking around a couple minutes in their room just to watch them breathe and thanking God for blessing me with these wonderful kids. With each breath they take, they look so innocent and peaceful. During these times I am reminded about how much I love them. I wonder if this is the way God views His children – those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior? Every night as we sleep, I wonder if God looks down on us as we sleep and thinks about how much He loves us. I wonder if He watches us breathe and thinks amazing thoughts about us. I think He does. David says “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalm 139:17) Maybe your life is crazy and you look at sleep as the only time you can forget about the problems of the day. Just remember that God is thinking about you and His thoughts toward you are always wonderful.
Most ordinary people do not know (or do not care) there is such a thing as 5 o’clock in the morning. I happen to love mornings, especially since the weather has gotten nicer here in Ohio. Better weather means we can turn down the heat, quit cutting firewood, forget about shoveling snow from the driveway before work, and finally open the windows at night. Spring is a great time! I have to admit that I have enjoyed not waking up to the local classical music station, but rather being jolted out of sleep by noises (coming from my open window) in the back yard. No…we do not live on a farm and our neighbors do not own a rooster. We have a huge natural area covered by trees behind our house and in the early morning these trees are filled with chirping birds. I guess they are God’s natural alarm clock. What is unusual about these sounds is that there is one noise which towers above all others…a woodpecker. This marvelous bird starts around 5:30am and continues for about an hour. If I was not a morning person, that bird would have been dead a few weeks ago but since I am, I enjoy laying in bed and listening. Of course the woodpecker has also peeked my curiosity and I have found myself wandering through the back yard looking for where it lives, but I have never been able to locate it. I know the woodpecker is somewhere because I hear the proof every morning, unless one of my neighbors has an evil obsession with mimicking woodpecker noises at 5:00am. Yes, it is frustrating to not be able to see the woodpecker, but I know he is still there as I listen to his voice every morning. My relationship with God is the same way – I have never seen Him with my eyes, but I enjoy hearing His voice every morning and knowing that He is still there. As you wake up each morning (whatever time that may be), thank Him for the new day and the very breath which is giving you life. “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him“ (Lamentations 3:22-24).