Eyes To See

In middle school a friend and I couldn't see the chalk board from our seats in Mrs. Merideth's math class. She recommended that we get our eyes checked. The next week, we both had glasses. 

I can tell you the same story that millions have told about putting on glasses for the first time and realizing that trees have leaves. 

I have been given that same experience in one simple question that Donald Miller shares in Creating Your Life Plan.  As part of his daily scheduling process, he leads with this powerful question to be asked BEFORE you live your day:

If I could live today over again, what would I do differently?  

There is incredible power in this pre-evaluation of the day.  My first list:

-Leave work on time

-Pick my daughter up from gym

-Laugh with my son

-Kiss my wife in the kitchen while helping her get supper ready

-Make something beautiful

-Post this blog 

"The trees have leaves!"

Humbly,

Q

Uncomfortable Comfort

By Lucas 

In this day and age we are surrounded by things that increase our comfort level. We have cars that allow us to get from one place to the next without walking, and in those cars we have air conditioning, the seats are soft and in some cases cooled or heated to keep us comfortable. We wear comfortable clothes. We fill our houses with things that make us feel good. Listen to music that makes us feel good, and save up money in case we need it for something that could happen down the road. None of these things are bad or wrong by any means. As humans we have an inherent need for things that make us feel comfortable because, let's face it, none of us like to be uncomfortable. It's just, well, uncomfortable. But as a Christian the one thing we should learn to expect is to be uncomfortable. Why? Why would The Lord want his children to be uncomfortable? The answer to this is quite simple, The Lord does not want us to be comfortable because He wants us to rely solely on Him for our comfort. The Israelites found this out many times throughout the Old Testament, and the people of Israel said to Him, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:3 ESV) 

This verse paints the picture of Gods people finding comfort in their slavery and not in the promises of God. God had brought them out of slavery, parted the Red Sea and was bringing them into his promised land, but because they were hungry they started complaining and longed to be back where they had become comfortable, by the meat pots in slavery. We can become so attached to things that make us feel comfortable we would choose those momentary conveniences over what God has to offer us. 

What happens when we become too comfortable? Well, God will put you through uncomfortable situations. Why does He do this? Because His desire is for us to find our comfort in Him and nothing else. He should be what we pine for. 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV) 

The Lord knows you, He knows your needs and He knows the condition of your heart. When you are too comfortable, He will bring along a trial or testing of some kind to not only draw you back to Him but to strengthen your faith in Him. 

On the flip side of being uncomfortable is being comforted, there is no better source of comfort in this life than that of our Savior. He is the good shepherd and a strong and mighty fortress (Psalm 9:9, Nahum 1:7). 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

In everything we go through in this life we have His promise...

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV) 

So Lost And So Far Gone

By Quentin 

We were driving along 
And I'd always wondered
Where that road went to

So we turned around
And took ourselves 
A little detour

And a mile turned into twenty,
Then to fifty
Soon we were so lost 
And so far gone 
That any way we turned 
Would have to be on the way back home

We stopped at a bar in Valentine
And Johnny met a girl with a Mexican name
And I never saw Johnny again

And a mile turned into twenty,
Then to fifty 
Soon we were so lost 
And so far gone 
That any way we turned 
Would have to be on the way back home

There are probably sadder stories that I could tell
But I'm afraid this one
Might just end in hell

So I stopped to ask directions
At a small church 
near Las Cruces, New Mexico

The preacher, 
he pointed back east and said
The Way of the Cross leads Home

And a mile turned into twenty
Then to fifty
And soon I was close 
And so far along 
That I could see the lights
On my way back Home. 

4 Things That Make Soccer Fans Better Christians

By Jordan Sauceda

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

I have greatly enjoyed watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I played soccer (or futbol for you non-Americans) in my younger days and have been anticipating this World Cup, which is being held in Brazil (Futbol Heaven). This year has not disappointed. Reigning champs, Spain, lost twice. The USA did well with advancing to the round of 16. Brazil got stomped by Germany 7-1. Some teams have made their fellow countrymen soar with pride (Costa Rica over Italy). Others have felt like their hearts were ripped out of their chest (Netherlands over Mexico). There is something special about the game that brings the world together, something almost sacred. 

So here is my stretch-of-a-claim that soccer fans make better Christians. Be prepared for pure opinion:

#1 Global Awareness

You can find soccer fans/players just about everywhere in the world. Soccer fans will know (or at least heard of) more nations than the non-soccer fans on average. When a Christ-centered believer is learns about other nations it can lead to good things happening. Mission trips, donations, dedicated prayer, etc. They grow in global awareness.  

#2 Faithfulness and Patience

It may take a long time for your team to score a goal. Like a really,really long time...sometimes you have to wait several games until your team scores a goal. Goals in life can take awhile. Christ-centered believers will understand the fruit of staying faithful and having patience. 

#3 Passionate, Joyful Noise Makers

Kids of all ages will shout and scream an unadulterated cry of the heart when their underdog team wins. When an average team wins an unlikely championship new, joyful sounds can be heard filling stadiums in what seems to be a religious experience. The Psalmist writes Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Christ-centered believers that enjoy soccer will not only be willing to "shout joyfully to the LORD"; I'm convinced that soccer fans are leading the chant and pushing the limits of the human voice.

#4 Steadfast Spirit

Soccer is non-stop. The clock doesn't stop. There are no timeouts. Often after all 90 minutes have been played, the match still doesn't stop. Then there is extra time. The players have to be conditioned to run, and then kick, and run some more. Sometimes players are glad when an injury occurs so they can at least take a knee and breathe. Yikes! As a believer, we know that we can't just take days off. Everyday is a day that the Lord has made and should be used wisely for His glory. As we "press on toward the goal" we do so with a steadfast spirit that tries and longs to win the prize. 

If I'm right about any of this, then let's try to be better soccer fans. 

It is the sport that the world plays. 

Let's keep watching and just maybe we'll know how to learn, wait, shout joyfully, and stay strong.

Keep Kicking,

Jordan

No Matter What (No Secret to Success)

By Vince Gilbert

This is a story about a young man and his decisions in life.  

When this young man was a senior in high school, he decided (for reasons not yet told) to quit school.  He remembers the day like it was yesterday – December of 1975.  The decision made, he walked into the principal’s office and announced he was there to quit school.  

He was asked one question, “Does your Dad know?”  Yes.  It was sort of the truth.

The principal handed him a sheet of paper. “Get your teachers to sign it, and bring it back.”  
The principal said matter-of-factly.   

As he did what he was told, he contemplated staying in school.  One teacher after the other simply signed the form and marked with a check that he turned his book in and didn’t owe any money.  

This young man attended a very small school.  There were 17 seniors that year.  Everyone knew everyone very well.  He wondered why the teachers didn’t say anything while they checked the boxes on the form.  He knew he had made the right decision after a few teachers had checked their boxes.  None of them cared.  

He did think, though, that he would like to say goodbye to a particular jr. high teacher – even though he was a senior, she was still his favorite teacher.  He walked into her class and found her leaning up against the windowed wall reading a book.  

“I am quitting school and wanted to tell you goodbye.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Really?”  She responded.

“Yes.”  There was an awkward silence for a short time, and he continued, “Just wanted to say goodbye.”

“OK.  Good luck in whatever you do.” She said simply.  

He walked out of the chilled room, went back to the principal’s office, and gave him the paper.  

He glanced at it and said, “That should do it.”

He remembers how he felt that day, the day it seemed no one cared whether he quit or not.  Not that it would have changed anything if any one of them would have told him that he was making a huge mistake, or if they had asked him why he was quitting school.  He probably wouldn’t have told them, but to be asked might have changed his story.  He remembers how low he felt and how lonely it was walking out of that school for the last time.  He then knew what being a loser felt like.

Over several years, he went from job to job, tried college – quit, married/kid/divorced, more jobs, married/kid/divorced, more jobs, began following Christ in his daily life, married/kid.  Fifteen years passed. All the while the knowledge of being a failure hovered over him like a dark cloud.  He knew he owed it to his family to do better – they deserved more. He prayed all the time for guidance.  

Quietly, he became determined to rectify the bad decisions in his life with the help of Jesus Christ.  He applied to college once again and was accepted under “conditions.”  His dream was to become a teacher.  He wanted to become a teacher and do his best to help young people make better decisions than he made.  He wanted to become a teacher, so when a kid brought him the paper to mark, he could say, “What are you doing?  You are making a huge mistake.  How can I help you stay in school?” and whatever else the kid may need to hear in order to NOT make a huge mistake.  He felt that teaching was his calling.

They had another child, and he decided not to go to college.  In his mind, he couldn’t afford it with four kids.  A year passed.  He couldn’t get it out of his mind that God would pave the way and teaching is what he was meant to do.  He again applied to the college and was accepted under “conditions.”  He was determined to beat this and become a success.  He made a promise to God, his family, and himself to follow through to the end – and not quit NO-MATTER-WHAT!

He went to college.  He worked, went to all of his kids’ functions, and didn’t miss class.  God helped him financially and spiritually through it all.  Then…at the end of his first semester, his wife told him she was pregnant.  Without skipping a beat, he was excited and more

determined to finish school.  

Longer story short, it has been 24 years since he made, and stuck to, the decision that, NO-MATTER-WHAT, he would finish and, with the help of his family and God, become a teacher.  

He was ordained as a Baptist preacher in 1993 and became a teacher of the word, too.  He kept to his promise, made better decisions, and completed what he started.

The most important part of that story is often over-looked. In the part where the failures are listed, it discretely mentions, “began following Christ in his daily life.” A life of prayer began, and with much support from family, friends, and God, he was able to complete the first step of his dream and every step since then.  

NO MATTER WHAT decisions we have made in our past, NO MATTER how we have failed, NO MATTER how far down we believe we are, NO MATTER how hopeless we consider ourselves, a decision to take it all and lay it at the feet of Jesus will rejuvenate our spirit, NO-MATTER-WHAT.  Jesus is the Light in the darkness.  His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he watches me…NO MATTER WHAT! There is NO secret to success - Jesus is the Way.

So, whatever became of the young man?  He has five grown children he loves dearly, a fantastic wife he loves dearly (she stuck by him through all of this), and, with the help of Jesus Christ, is now a superintendent of schools at a small school in Central Texas, hopefully, making a difference.

There is NO secret to success - Jesus is the Way.

Beautifully Hideous

By Stacy Hildebrand

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. Romans 7:18-19 NLT

The Gungor song “Beautiful Things” remains one of my favorite worship songs.  It is unapologetic in its message that God’s hand is in all things beautiful, and that nothing with beauty exists except where He has acted. 

All this pain..
I wonder if I'll ever find my way.
I wonder if my life could really change, at all.
All this earth..
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground, at all?

I love that.  I’m not a person who looks into the mirror and generally comes away feeling enthralled by what I’ve just seen.  God clearly wants us to trust him to make us a “new creation”.  He wants it to be apparent to us that we are not the architects of our own accomplishments, nor can we insinuate ourselves into what He has planned for us – save where we are invited by Him.

Of course, the problem with this theology is that there will always be those who take from it that we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want, with whomever we want.  God does the good, so the bad doesn’t matter.  Paul attacks this energetically in Romans chapter 6.  The fact is, anyone who would even say something like that has totally missed God.

But let’s back up for just a moment and explore the true nature of humanity.

I’m something of a cynic.  That’s bad.  I know that it is.  I’m working on it.  But suffice it to say, I don’t have a lot of confidence in the "good" of mankind.  I see so much evil and sorrow around me, some of which I am the author.  It seems like every glimmer of good that comes from man is tainted by a self-serving motive, sometimes expressed, often hidden.  Try as we may, we can’t get US out of the way in our actions.  It is the hideousness of humanity.  Joe does something nice for Jim, not because he’s good for the sake of good, but because he sees some benefit for himself.  Yes, there is always a good-will intent involved as well, but often it can seem very much secondary.  Hideous.  I am my own case study.  I find that even when I long to do something good and kind for someone else that I’m never fully able to divorce myself from my ego or my self-seeking desires.

That’s where I get to read from Romans chapter 8 that our God does not leave us in this sad condition.

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 8:1-2 HCSB

God takes that which would be hideous on its own and makes something beautiful.  

So what does that make me?  What does that make you?  Well, I wish I could say that knowing what God is doing makes me feel appealing and attractive.  However, I still see all my ugliness.  I still see the unworthiness.  It’s one of the great mysteries of this life that we, as Christ-followers, are called to be beautifully hideous.  We are called to surrender to God for His good and mighty work and at the same time acknowledge our fallen-NESS.  It is part of our witness.  Not to embrace our brokenness, but to admit it is still there and unfortunately has influence over our daily decisions.  However, our eternal destiny is controlled by One who is undeterred by our screw-ups.  Those things are small.  They are but flies that God easily swats away.  

What does your witness say today to those who are watching?  It is undoubtedly a confusing story of faithfulness and apostasy.  Maybe we should all take a moment in the midst of our apologies to the world who would call us hypocrites to explain why we are that way, AND why we are still able to hold our heads up at the end of every painful self-evaluation.

Our God makes beautiful things out of the dust of our own hideousness every day!  He specializes in it.

Father, You are good and I am not.  But I pray that You will not allow this knowledge to become an excuse for not living a life of obedient surrender. I pray that You will draw me into closer union with Your will.  I want to go where You go, and do the things that You have designed.  I want to be beautiful to You and to the world that should increasingly see You instead of me when they glance my direction.  Thank You for working on me.  In my Savior’s name I pray, Amen.

Creation's Confession (A Response to Worship Last Night)

by Quentin Clark


The majesty of creation:

The Grand Canyon.

The Tetons.

The Redwoods.

Niagara Falls.

The work of a Master Craftsman.

The testimony of the inanimate.

The glory of the Lord.

I imagine the wounds carved into Jesus' flesh when I consider the Grand Canyon. The gash where the spear entered His side.  The savage look of the nail holes in his feet and hands. The distance between Father and Son as my sin was piled on the Son. As wrath was poured out. And how my sin was left on one side but how I walked across that vast gulf on the Cross to reach the open arms of God.

I consider the Grand Tetons and the impassable mountains He has moved in my life. The crippling effects of sin and pathetic decisions. The climb I cannot climb. The Hand that has lifted me over or annihilated obstacles into oblivion like a volcanic blast.  Or, more often, the Father who walks beside me as I climb and shows me the impassable is passable with Him.

I consider the ancient growth of the redwood and the growth in my life. The collection of believers that is rooted together in Christ: the Church.  The Redeemed who have experienced forgiveness and are free to grow into the heavens together.

But the image left burning in my heart from last night is the cleansing power of Christ's death and resurrection. The cleansing blast that is more powerful than the waters of Niagara Falls. I imagine my sinful self standing at the bottom of the falls in all my failure and arrogance. And I imagine the full impact of the water hitting me as my Father cups me in His hand holding me in its power, saving me from the trauma somehow but allowing the intense flow to blast the muck from my heart. And how He allows the flow to carry me away in worship. And how I can't help but praise Him.

The earth speaks His glory to me:

WORTHY!

[Not Niagara Falls]