Rescue is never delayed

Psalm 6 reminds me of the heart of my Father. I am reminded, first, of all those moments we are worn out from crying. I am reminded that when life places me in painful moments when I am worn down under the weight of it all, my God not only hears my cries, he heals me and pours over me his grace and overwhelming love and kindness. More specifically, I see that my God rescues my soul and saves me (vs 4). It stuck out to me that he rescues my SOUL. It does not say God rescues me from the situation physically as though he removes me or takes away the situation.

I am reminded of a God who sees the heart and knows the heart comes to me in moments of pain and rescues my heart. He comes to rescue my soul because when everything originates in the heart and soul, that is where the rescue must take place.

We can endure so much more as long as our heart stays safe, secure, and protected. It is when the soul is broken that we cannot withstand even the lightest trouble.

My God is mighty to save...my soul and rescue my soul.

My God, he will not delay My refuge and strength I will not fear, His promise is true My God will come through, always

Reading Between the Lines: a power sentence for [almost] every year of my life

Hidden in these sentences are the likes of divorce, adoption, and diabetes. Also there will be found marriage, birth, and milestones alongside brokenness, addictive numbing, and wounds. Good luck discovering those things between the lines as these lines are much thicker than the revealing space between. (I gave up trying to think of things for a few years I just don't really remember much about.)

*This was an idea I received here.

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1980 - Naked into this world I came. 1981 - Some of the best memories are those you don't remember. 1982 - It was never your divorce, but ours. 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - Two families converge 'forever' with adoption??? 1989 - There is now more than corn in Indiana. 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - Time to be a man, boy! 1993 - 1994 - Wade out a little bit deeper. 1995 - Commit to your life's largest choice. 1996 - 1997 - Search for future while you relish tonight. 1998 - Release! 1999 - A bold use of poetry will get you married some day. 2000 - The end is further than we ever think. 2001 - The death of naive safety will never be forgotten. 2002 - Never take for granted a gift of grace. 2003 - A degree does not qualified make you. 2004 - Marriage slays any selfishness to which I thought I held. 2005 - Two converged families fracture with only a letter. 2006 - Shedding the man you used to be is a temporary joy. 2007 - Bodies stop producing insulin and emotions at the same rate. 2008 - Stir in a little Mexican, lots of insulin, and a charge of passion. 2009 - What.is.happening 2010 - My heart exploded with more love than I ever knew I was capable of. 2011 - New life is on the horizon.

You're Welcome: Future Me

I have a reoccurring post idea here called: “You’re Welcome”.

Every once in a while you come across a website that just steals your attention right from under you. You may not even know why, but you find yourself just mindlessly clicking through because you just have to see one…more…post.

These will be things I find to share with you; things before you thank me for showing, I’ll just say, “You’re welcome!”

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Have you ever wanted to write a letter to yourself? Sure you have. Have you ever wanted to write a letter to yourself you would read later...way later? Of course, right?

That is the simple premise of Future Me. It is such a great idea. It is simple to use as well. You write a letter to yourself in the future, set a date, and it will email to you on that date.

I set me letter to be sent to me a year from now. I wrote out some goals and hopes I have for myself by that point as a husband, a father, and a pastor.

You can also allow for it to be shared anonymously on the site. Take some time to read other letters people of have sent to themselves. Really interesting and inspirational...sometimes!

You're welcome!

In Abba's Embrace

"The hand of God does not hold the man nearer, clasped in its grip, but sets him free, and its creative power becomes the longing love of the Creator for the creature." - Bonhoeffer This Bonhoeffer quote is a great image for my heart to see today.  I am reminded that God is not a vindictive dictator manipulating my every move so that I remain near to him and his model for my life.  That would not be love!  If, in his phenomenal power, God manipulated my every move that I had no option but to love him back, I would not have loved him anyway.  But as a phenomenal Creator, he has given me life and asked that I be close to him and yet allowing me to live that life as I choose.

I am reminded of one of many fears I had of becoming a father.  If I raise a child with great love, I cannot imagine the pain of a time when my own daughter lives her own life without a desire to be near me and the love I have given her.  I imagine I would stay back, wanting her to go and become a woman; for her to grow into a strong woman; all along waiting back for her to desire time, connection, and nearness to me, her father.

This image has served me well today in my connection with the heart of God.

My Father has given me life to live, but how close have I desired to be?  He waits for me to be near while he also enjoys seeing me go and grow and mature.  I long to be near my Abba who has given me life and brought me this far into the person I am.

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Persecution: don't flatter yourself

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Many Christians will say the Bible tells us people will hate us for being followers of Christ.  They will use the words of Jesus telling us we will be persecuted because of his name.  People use this part of scripture to attempt a validation of THEIR actions.  When their actions anger people, they all but shrug their shoulders and say, "Well the Bible tells us people will hate us when we speak the gospel in Jesus' name." I am not entirely sure people today are angry with the gospel OR Jesus.  I am not convinced that people are angry because we have really represented Christ to these people or our culture.  In fact, I think most people are great with Jesus but angered by his followers' actions.

I am not sure people hate the gospel as much as they do the Christians.  I am not convinced that our culture is frustrated with the gospel, Jesus, Christianity or its message as much as they are with the the followers' actions in the name of the gospel, Jesus, and Christianity.

There WILL be persecution for those who are followers of Christ (that much is promised) but there is a fine difference between persecution and deserved disappointment and frustration with poor examples of Christ, the gospel, and love.

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The Evangelist in You

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I have been asked what my evangelistic style is, and while I am not one to stand on the street corners preaching the word of God from the rooftops, that may be partly because I think there are better ways in which to preach the gospel (more effective ways). It may also be due to my understanding of evangelism as more relational than a force-fed rant or learned intellectual pathway or "road" written on a restaurant napkin. Now I am a firm believer that some people have the spiritual gift of evangelism, and those people should absolutely teach and preach the gospel at all costs.  But where there are some of us with this gift of evangelism, we are ALL called to relational evangelism.  If you are a Christian; a disciple of Christ, you absolutely must evangelize.

There is a common misunderstanding among Christians today that says, "Well I'm not really into evangelism as much as I am discipleship."  As if they are exclusive of each other!  You cannot be a disciple and not have a desire to evangelize.  Disciples, followers of Christ are called to GO and make disciples of all nations.  Evangelism is a part of discipleship.

Though you may not be one of those who have the gift of evangelism as a teacher or preacher, you are absolutely and inescapably called to relational evangelism.

As relational evangelists, our job is to treasure and cherish relationships with other people.  As relational evangelists, we have to be mindful of these treasures at all times and everywhere we go.  Relational evangelists realize that building sincere relationships with people means simply being involved in people's lives...intentionally.

As these relationships are built, you are always devoted to your growth in your most important relationship, with God, and as that primary relationship bleeds out into all others, you begin to break down all the destructive stereotypes people have of Christians, and thus, Jesus.

We know that Jesus is diametrically different from the stereotypes our culture has of him and his followers, and that if HE is really seen through an authentic relationship, even the most resistant people are drawn by authentic and sincere love.

As disciples and followers of Jesus, we are all called to be evangelists, and though you may not have the gift of teaching and preaching evangelism, no Christian is exempt of the call to relational evangelism.

Blameless; not faultless

Consistently thorughout scripture is reference to people being blameless before God. A few years ago I read an Oswald Chambers footnote that changed the way I read that word from then on. It simply said "blameless; not faultless". This is humbling on one hand and encouraging on the other.

It is humbling to know that you are still not without fault. It is humbling to remember that you still live on earth short of perfection. It is good to have this humble reminder once you have been called 'blameless'.

It is encouraging to know because of Jesus and as you consistently walk with God, you are blameless before Christ even though your life is still not without faults.

It is encouraging to know even though your life is bent toward destructive choices (faults) you can still be seen as blameless if you will be entangled with Christ and walk with God.

May I learn to live blameless though not always faultless.

Killer leaders

"like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a foolish person or any passerby." Proverbs 26:10 How do you choose your leadership team? Just someone who has been in your ministry for a long time? Just someone who is well-liked and popular?

Do you have an application process? A selection process?

How intentional are you in your selection of leaders for your ministry?

Double-dip: book review and letter to my daughter

Zondervan gave me an opportunity to read and review The Heart of the Story by Randy Frazee. I am certainly glad they gave me this opportunity.  Have you ever read scripture with a bit of driving coma? You know that way you arrive somewhere and suddenly realize, "I really was not aware of any moments driving here just now"? I often wish I had no understanding of scripture at all; I wish I did not know the ending of some of the stories. I wish I could read scripture through a different lens than I have grown accustom.

If you feel the same way The Heart of the Story will serve you well. Frazee sets the tone with the difference between the Upper Story (God's story above our here and now) and the Lower Story (the story we see unfold day after day in front of us). Randy writes in his introduction, "As a pastor, I have the privilege and responsibility to help people to understand the Bible...One of my greatest joys, however, is to see that 'aha!' moment when they learn that God's Upper Story in the Bible connects with their own Lower Story of going to work, caring for their families, and trying to live decent, honorable lives."

I am beginning a slow walk thru what will be my daughter's Bible adding commentary written to her. Below is what I intend to write on the inside flap, and I think it also serves as a great review for Frazee's book.

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Bryleigh,

This is the story of a Father who has always anxiously awaited every opportunity to be with and near his children. It is the story of a Father who promises and protects his children even when they do not understand; even when they outright abandon him. It is a story of an outrageous love that will do crazy and drastic things. This love of a Father will do things you never thought possible or even necessary at times, but make no mistake, this Father's love is real. It is not a fairy tale or piece of nice fiction.

It is a Father's love that could not wait for his children to be created. It is a Father's love that was pained when his children turned away from him. It is a Father's love that always protected and shielded when it could. This is a Father's love that offers the greatest gift ever given to anyone.

My hope for you is that you will always know this Father to be near you. I hope you will know a love for you that is so tangible you could taste it. I hope you will always remember this love through your life as the one truest love that cannot be debated or shadowed. I hope you know this love and trust it even when it is hard to understand.

This hope of mine  will require of you trust and risk; risking enough to trust in such an outrageous love.

This is a love for you nobody on earth will ever be able to match, including me, and I love you more than you will ever understand.

This is a large and long (eternal) story, but each piece will make a bit more sense if you remember the Upper story of a Father's outrageous love for you.