Quiet weekend...

It has been a quiet few days around our house.  Friday the boys went to my parents place for a few days so Tracy and I had just ourselves to keep us company.  3 days without kids!  What were we going to do?!?  I was certainly looking forward to some time off from chasing the rugrats around.  We spent some time shopping and Tracy had the quote of the weekend.  We were in Target and she was just aimlessly wondering up and down the aisles and I asked her what she was doing.  Her reply, "I'm just looking.  I never get a chance to just look around."  I laughed.  She was right.  When you're toting around two boys you don't really have the luxury to just look around. 
As I said earlier I was looking forward to the peace and quiet, but honestly that lasted to about Saturday morning.  I already missed the little buggers jumping into bed and waking me up.  I even missed watching Mickey Mouse Club House and fixing the little guys break fast.  Funny how you think you are so looking forward to the time off , and then when it finally arrives you find yourself missing the noise and energy.  It wasn't nearly as fun waking up this morning without Alex climbing on the bed and making sure I was going to open his fruit snack and turn the TV on.  That's right...they get fruit snacks in the morning...its dad's little treat.
Contemplating this I was reminded of the saying that you really don't know what you've got until it's gone.  The sermon yesterday was on the 10th commandment which tells us not to covet stuff we don't have.  I talked about learning to be content with what you have and to count the blessings you already have without being consumed and preoccupied with stuff you want and think you need to be happy.  I know I take for granted my life and all the blessings I have.  How can I be thankful enough for a wonderful and healthy family, a church that I love to serve, a community we love to live in and rallies around one of its own, and the freedom to do what we want?  Is it possible to be thankful enough for all of that and not take it for granted?  I don't think so, but I'm going to try.  I do my best to thank God every day for all that I have, and I try to not take for granted the opportunities I and my family have.  While the hooligans were gone I was reminded how much I love them and how I can't take for granted the time we get to spend together.
I think the challenge for me is to be reminded in the daily grind how blessed I am.  I think that is a challenge for all of us.  I know some are struggling, but I bet if we thought about it we all could find something to be thankful for.  Let's take some time to thank God right now for all the blessings in our life.  Even if this might be a tough time in your life...think of the blessings you do have.  They are there, and you don't want to miss them!

Sweet Vacations

Aren't vacations wonderful?!  Although I don't think they ever last long enough.  And, wouldn't it be nice if we could ease back into the work week?  Maybe work 1/4 day the first day, 1/2 day the next, then 3/4 of a day and finally a full day on the week we return to work.  I think I'm going to talk to the boss and see if I can make that a policy here at church!  Seriously though...adjusting back into the real world after taking some time off can be jarring.  I believe vacations, time away from the rat race, are a vital part of our lives.  And maybe because starting that rat race up again when we return from vacation is so hard it is a sign that we need to get away.

Taking time off has almost become a four letter word.  We feel we have to put in the extra hour or 4 and maybe come in on Saturdays and Sundays because if we don't get the work done then they'll find someone who will.  I understand that there are times when you need to work extra hours, but we need to be aware when those extra hours start to hurt our productivity at work and our productivity at home.  I know I don't work as hard or efficiently when I feel like all I've been doing is working.  We need to find time to get away and relax and recharge. 

Relaxing and recharging is different for everyone.  And everyone has different schedules and demands in their lives and at work.  But the Lord created the Sabbath for a reason, and I believe that reason is because we need to get away from the daily grind to remind us there's more to life then the 8 to 5.  There is more to life then the pursuit of the that next promotion and raise.  Providing for the family is more than bringing home a paycheck.  Providing also means being there as a spouse and parent.  If I've said it once I've said it a million times...we need to find time to reconnect and recharge.  Reconnect and recharge with God, with our families, with our friends, and with our selves.  If we don't do that then we risk becoming over worked and stressed out.  I don't know about you but I am no fun to be around when I'm over worked and stressed out...ask my wife!  Find some time to take a walk with the family, take some of that vacation time you've been saving up and take a trip.  You'd be amazed at what just a little time away can do to one's well being.

Growing your faith

I don't usually do this on my blog, but I felt this passage from the book was too powerful to ignore.  This also comes out in our newsletter, but I think we could all read it more than once!  The italic portion is from John Ortberg's book  If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.  Enjoy!

Again a thought from our continuing look at the book: If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.  Want the secret to more faith?  Read on.

            I believe an important reason why God so often asks us to take a first step has to do with the nature of faith and how it grows.  Most people I know wish, at least at certain points in their lives, that they had more faith.  I know of people who torment themselves over having too little of it.  They are certain that their lack of faith is the reason for an unanswered prayer, for spiritual weakness, or for a sense of distance from God.

           

            Martin Luther knew all about doubt: “In Torgau a wretched little woman once came to me and said, ‘Ah, dear Doctor, I have the idea that I’m lost and can’t be saved because I can’t believe.’  Then I replied, ‘Do you believe, dear lady, that what you pray in the Creed is true?’  She answered with clasped hands, ‘Oh yes, I believe it; it’s most certainly true!’  To which I replied, ‘Then go in God’s name, dear lady.  You believe more and better than I.’”

            “It’s the devil who puts such ideas into people’s heads and says, ‘Ah, you must believe better.  You must believe more.  Your faith is not very strong and is insufficient.’  In this way he drives them to despair.”

           

            When people wrestle with doubt, they may tell themselves that they will try harder to have more faith. But faith is not the sort of thing that can be acquired by trying harder.  Imagine if someone were to say to you, “I find myself doubting Old Faithful.  I’m just not sure it can be trusted.”  What would your advice be?  Not “Try harder to believe!”  The best advice for such a person would be, “Just hang around Old Faithful.  Get to know Old Faithful better.”  And because Old Faithful is faithful, the better you know it, the more you will trust it.

            It is the same with God.  Never try to have more faith-just get to know God better.  And because God is faithful, the better you know him the more you will trust him.  The way to get to know his trustworthiness is to risk obeying him.  Ole Hallesby writes about the father who comes to Jesus to ask him to help him “if you can.”

            “‘If?’ Jesus says.  ‘All things are possible to him who believes.’

            ‘I do believe,’ the man says, ‘help my unbelief.’  Like most of us, he was a mixture of trust and doubt.  How much faith did he have?

            ‘Enough to come to Jesus,’ Hallesby writes.  ‘And that was enough.’”

        How much faith do I need?  Not a feeling of certainty.  Just enough faith to take a step.

           

            I can’t add anything else to this.  I felt it was very powerful and certainly spoke to the way I feel a lot of the time.  Read it again…cut it out…pull it out when you’re feeling like your faith is lacking and you feel spiritually inadequate.  God is faithful!  Amen.

Uff Da!!

I knew that rain dance that Tracy was doing yesterday afternoon would work!  I had to convince the boys she wasn't having a seizure..."No Isaac and Alex ,that's just how mommy dances waiving her hands like that and moving around."  I haven't heard the rainfall amounts, but it was a substantial rain and the moisture was sorely needed!  I know we've been talking about the need for rain too much when in the middle of the shower Isaac tells grandma and grandpa on the phone, "It is raining, so the farmers should be happy now."  Well, the farmers will be happy for awhile at least! 
How refreshing it was to have a nice rain shower.  Everything always seems cleaner after a rain.  The anxiety of a failed crop is abated for awhile, and all can seem well with the world again.  It would be an easy transition here to talk about the forgiveness of God cleansing us like a much needed rain.  In order to keep you guessing I'm going to take a different track.  My sermon this past Sunday was on the 6th commandment, "Thou shalt not murder."  And while that is most definitely a commandment against murder Jesus expands it to the killing of each other with words.  What we say has immense power.  Sometimes we can't take back when we say something mean spirited, and no amount of washing and refreshing rain can completely wipe away the negative affects of hurtful speech.
Throughout the day Sunday after the sermon I found myself reflecting on times when my sarcasm and my words came across as mean spirited.  I found myself thinking about the times my words cut someone down, hurt someone, or even when someone else's words hurt me.  Many times each incident wasn't intentional and usually a result of miscommunication, but the damage was done.  I was reminded all day that words have tremendous power and we need to be reminded of that from time to time.  I also found myself wishing all the past mistakes could just be washed away like Tracy's car was cleaned off in that rain shower.
Take a minute and think before you speak.  You see, all we really needed to know about life we really did learn in kindergarten!  Also, in today's world take a minute and think before you type and hit "send."  Would you want that said about you?  What message is that going to send?  Is there a way you can reach out to that person instead of cutting them down with words?  Be mindful of the power that our words have to build up and to tear down.  We might be hurting someone and not even be aware of it.

Junk Weekend

This past weekend we had a "Clean Up Day" for Minden.  There were some dumpsters where residents could bring appliances, metal, and household junk they had been accumulating.  From the looks of the piles I'd say there was a lot of stuff that had been accumulating around town.  From the looks of the overflowing dumpsters this was something that Minden had been needing to do for the residents, and hopefully it will become a yearly occurrence.  I spoke to a number of people who cleaned up their yard and brought stuff down.  Stuff that had been sitting in their house or yard for years because there was no real practical place for it to go. 

As I finally cleaned up from the construction of the sandbox, the spring storms, and various other little projects around the house I was reflecting on how good it felt to have the backyard all organized and cleaned up again.  I got quite a sense of accomplishment and pride looking at the sandbox and then at the yard that was finally clear of dirt and branches and stray pieces of wood.  Then I glanced in the front yard and saw more pieces of wood where the boys were "building" a door on the play house.  Oh well, I'm resigned to the fact that it is okay for some toys to be left out and some stray pieces of wood to be around as long as the boys are living at home.

Back to my reflecting...it feels good to clean something up doesn't it?  Whether it is a yard, a house, a room, a closet or a car.  Once the job is done it feels good.  Now imagine if we could take a day where we throw all of our mental, emotional and spiritual garbage away.  Wouldn't it be nice if clearing out our own lives was as easy as picking up some stray sticks and organizing a closet?  We are very good at holding on to "garbage" in our lives aren't we?  Past mistakes, grudges, feelings of inadequacy, past hurts...the list is endless.  The trouble is all that stuff builds up in our lives and we become like an unkempt yard or dirty closet...we need some cleaning out.  We need to let go of grudges, forgive the people in our lives that need forgiven, forgive ourselves for past mistakes, and realize again that we are all beloved children of God.  The cool part is we don't need to wait for a special time of the year, or for a dumpster to arrive, in order to begin cleaning up our "garbage."  We can start right now.  Ask God for guidance/wisdom in showing us what we need to get rid of, asking the Spirit for strength in doing so, and then to allow ourselves to be begin the process of clearing out our mental, emotional, and spiritual closets.  I guarantee you it will feel better than a freshly cleaned house!

Tough Week

I was going to spend this blog whining about how busy I'm going to be this week.  I have 3 different sermons to write: baccalaureate, wedding and Sunday sermon.  The events happen in that order, so if you come to church on Sunday I'll either have a fantastic sermon because it will be my third try for a good one, or it'll be terrible because I've already used up my good one for the week.  So, instead of working one day this week I'm going to have to work 3!

I said I was going to complain, but I thought better of it...I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who like to complain about how tough their job is.  Two thoughts run through my head: at least your employed, and if you don't like it find a different job.  I know, I know those aren't very pastoral responses, and I know sometimes jobs really are horrible and changing them isn't a real viable option at the moment, but does whining about them help? 

Ok, that rant is off my chest.  As I was typing a thought occurred to me...is it easier to whine about our lot in life then do something about it?  Do we get some sort of enjoyment out of comparing our perceived troubles to others and coming out ahead?  How do you think God feels when we constantly complain to Him about our situation in life and just expect it to be fixed?  Whining doesn't get us anywhere with people or with God.  God will listen patiently, infinitely more patiently then family and friends, but God isn't going to just wave his hand and fix our trouble.  God never promised us an easy path through life.  God never promised us easy fixes to our problems.  What God did promise was to be with us always.  God is with us through the ups and the downs.  And, God works the best through us, and in order for that to happen we need to stop the pity party and look for ways God might be leading us.  So, no complaining about my horribly busy/exhausting week, just asking God for help and strength to get through.

Stop Monkeying Around

Went to see the movie "Chimpanzee" yesterday with the family.  After the sticker shock of matinee prices and getting some pop and popcorn we settled in for the movie.  Thank goodness for a gift card.  Now I know why the Phoenix in Neola is such a community treasure!  But, I'm not here to rail on about the prices of movies.

Did you know that chimpanzee's eat other monkeys?  Did you know they fashion tools to crack nuts, eat ants, and get bugs out of logs and trees?  Did you know they pass this knowledge on to successive generations?  The chimps eating other monkeys surprised me for sure.  If you haven't heard about the premise if the movie a family of chimps is followed for a number of months and a surprising thing happens.  After a young chimp's mother is killed he is adopted by the alpha male of the family group.  Maybe this doesn't sound to surprising to you, but I guess it is HIGHLY unlikely to happen.  Most of the time the orphaned chimp would have died because the other females in the group have kids of their own to take care of.  In this case the alpha male stepped outside of his comfort zone, and defined role, to fulfill a need for the family group.  Because of his sacrifice, the the orphaned chimp began to thrive, as did the group.  It really is a good movie to see.

What got me thinking was the alpha male's willingness to step outside of his normal "role" to fulfill a need in the family group.  He risked a lot.  His attention given to the young chimp took away from his normal duties as the group's leader, and I imagine he risked some ridicule from the family for him taking on a female's role.  I don't know if chimps pick on each other, but I imagine there had to be some head scratching.  How often are we willing to step outside our little comfort zone to fulfill a need?  How often are we willing to risk some sideways glances in order to fulfill a role that maybe isn't the "norm" for us? 

There are many opportunities to help friends, neighbors, your church, family, and even people we dont' like so much that I think we miss because we are too afraid to step up and step outside the little comfort zone we've created.  We might be worried that we're unqualified, we might be worried we won't like it, but if you're like me the usual culprit is laziness.  I know I get comfortable with the normal routine and when an opportunity arises that might challenge me or cause me to step outside of the routine I've created my default response is "no."  If we only respond to opportunities we are "comfortable" with then we're going to miss a lot of chances to have God use us and do amazing things with us. 

Forget the qualified part...God is supremely qualified and able to shape/mold you to do the job.  We just need to get off our butts and say yes!  I try hard to keep my eyes open to opportunities for God to use me, and when I see one then I have to try even harder to overcome the default setting of "no."  I don't always succeed, but I'm getting better.  There are going to be numerous opportunities for you to get involved in our church life, in our community life, and I imagine in family and friend's lives, but you might be required to get off your butt and step outside your comfort zone a little.  The question is do you trust God enough to say yes?  Are you willing to let God use you and be an image of the Creator?  Our church is growing in exciting ways, but that growth can only be sustained with help from the church family.  Be ready for some challenges coming up, and please be willing to allow the Spirit to move in your heart and help out.