Kiss and Make Up

I am supposed to be cleaning our office right now. For some reason I really enjoy seeing the pile of bills that have been paid over the past year on our computer desk, but my wife is not so impressed. While I was sitting here I was caught up by our screen saver on our computer. It basically gives a slideshow of all of the pictures on our computer in a random order. This is like a stroll down memory lane. A brief snapshot to remind you of something that took place in the last few years. In my case, most of the pictures, are candid shots of our two little girls. I often get a little teary-eyed looking at the pictures. They look so happy and it seems like they are growing way too fast. But it is the look in their eyes that really gets me. It is a look that, most of the time, is unharnessed by the trivial things of life that get most of us adults bogged down. Their eyes are saying, I am loving every minute of what I am doing and I can't wait to see what happens next. They are filled with innocence and joy. They bear no grudge.

I must confess that I have a serious grudge that I bear. OK, other than with Best Buy. I have one other grudge that I just cannot let go. As I first started in college, I was not so interested in developing my study skills. I was very much interested in experiencing a life of independence with new things to do and new people to do them with. Some of the classes I took did not get the attention they deserved. One of these classes was the ever-so-dreaded Music Theory. I really did not like Music Theory. I had to take Music Theory in order to keep my scholarship. So each semester I would struggle through, always being placed in the dumb-kids group. The group with the tenth year seniors, tuba players, blonde vocalists and drummers. Well, each year I managed to make it through with just enough points to pass the class. I had finally made it to my last semester and my teacher (a grad student) was not truly inspirational to put it bluntly. But that did not matter, I had to persevere and pass the class so I could finally be done with theory. About 3/4's of the way through the semester, my teacher met with each person in the class to discuss our current grade situation. She told us where we were at and told us specifically what needed to be done to pass the class. This was very important to me so I was very attentive while she spoke. I now new what had to be done. And I did it. I turned in all of the assignments with passing grades. I completed all of my sight-singing sessions and I got the grade I needed on the final exam to pass the class. However, there was a problem. When grades came out over the summer, I did not get a passing grade. I immediately called my theory teacher to find out what happened. She did not return my calls. I finally called the head theory professor and he said that my teacher had gone back to North Carolina for the summer and by looking at the grades she turned in I did not have enough points to pass the class. I was furious. How could this have happened? I did just what she told me to do. Finally, my teacher was contacted. But there was another problem. She could not locate her grade book. My guess was that she rolled it up page by page and smoked it in North Carolina. I pleaded continually with the professor. She told me what to do, I did it and now she says I didn't have enough points. I finally petitioned the dean of the school of music, notice I have not capitalized "DEAN," because my grudge extends to him as well. I provided him with a 7 page (I know hard to believe I could right that much) petition explaining detail by detail what happened. I also pointed out that the teacher was terribly irresponsible to lose her grade book and that alone merited my grade being changed. As far as I was concerned, every student in the class who was unhappy with their grade should have petitioned the dean. SHE LOST HER GRADE BOOK. So I had the final showdown. It was me on one side of the table with my theory teacher, the head professor and the dean of the school of music on the other side. The evidence for my case was insurmountable. I did what she said to do, I got the grade I needed on the exam, she lost her grade book. But the dean just kept saying, "I really don't see any reason to change the grade at this time. I really don't see any reason to change the grade at this time. I really don't see any reason to change the grade at this time. I really don't see any reason to change the grade at this time. I really don't see any reason to change the grade at this time." As you can imagine, I hear that in my head to this day. It wasn't so much having to take the class over again or paying for the class again (well my parents had to pay for it, but I felt their pain). The worst part was knowing that I was right and they were wrong, but I had to be punished for it.

As always, every time in life we think we are getting the short end of the stick and think (even know) that we have been wronged, it really doesn't amount to much when you consider what Jesus did for us. Hey, Jesus went to class and studied really hard (metaphorically speaking) and he died for you and me. I see these shows on TV about grudges that people hold for many years and think, those people really have a problem. Now I am starting to realize that I too have a problem. The three people who wronged me can't even remember my name and I have wasted hours of my life telling this story over and over and getting angrier and angrier. Who really cares? You probably don't care.

Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV) says this, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Mark11:24-25 (NLT) says Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

Lord, please allow me to see this world through eyes like my two little girls. Eyes that are full of wonder, hope and joy. Help me to forgive my music theory teacher. Lord, while you are at it, please help me to forgive the Best Buy guy, too. Thank you for the sacrifice you made for me.

I know I can't expect the whole world to lift their grudges today. I am going to have to pray really hard on this one myself, but I am going to let it go. I have to. Don't you?

"You Suck"

A few years ago, my wife and I were preparing for my oldest daughter's 1st birthday party. We had planned a small get-together with our new church friends, my wife's family and some neighbors. The morning of the party and my little girl's birthday, something tragic happened. The monitor on our computer died. This was not the first time we had problems with our computer purchased at Best Buy. The computer and maybe even the monitor had actually been worked on before. This was the worst possible day for the monitor to die. We had to download pictures off of our camera so it would have plenty of room for all of the pictures that would be taken at the party. We would have to be able to check our email in case ...well, in case we received an email. How could we possibly get by without the internet on, of all days, my daughter's 1st birthday.

So we made the trek across town to Best Buy. Now, I should probably explain somethings about myself: 1) I DO NOT like to pay for something and get bad service or quality in return; and 2) I WILL NOT BACK DOWN, IF I KNOW I AM RIGHT. The stage was now set for a showdown like no other. I would be forced to convince Best Buy that my monitor was broken beyond repair, and they must replace it now. When we bought the computer, we did something we rarely do, we bought the extended Best Buy warranty. The salesman who sold us the computer told us specifically that if something was broken, all we had to do was bring it in and they would tell us to go pick out another one. In fact, two different guys came up while we were paying for our computer with broken computer equipment. Each time the salesman would say, go ahead and pick out a new one and then he would say to us, see this is how it works. What a novel idea. A warranty that actually made sense.

Unfortunately my friendly salesperson was no longer with Best Buy and neither was his wonderful concept of the Best Buy warranty. I went through a salesperson, a computer technician, an 800-number customer service person that they connected me to in the store and finally the smug sales manager, who I had asked to see originally. Everyone had the same story, the monitor must go back to the manufacturer to see if they can repair it, if it can't be repaired we will replace it with a new one in 4-6 weeks. Do you know anyone who can go 4-6 weeks without their computer? Much less not have their computer for their first born's 1st birthday. Oh, yes, of course, it was my daughter's 1st birthday, as my wife reminded me just as the store manager was approaching. Well, I gave it all I had. I explained to him over and over about the guy kept saying, See this is how it works. Bring it in and pick out a new one. And the manager kept saying. I'm sorry that is not how it works and we will have to send the monitor off to be repaired.

By this time, I was seeing how ridiculous things were getting. It is my daughter's 1st birthday and I am coming close to making a complete idiot out of myself. I am now a little fuzzy on what happened next. I think my wife took my daughter, the birthday girl, out to the car, so that her first memory would not be her father getting carried away by the police at Best Buy. I knew this was stupid, but I just had to give it one more shot. OK pal, let's go over this one more time. I explained again, how it happened when I bought the computer, I stressed how many appliances my family had purchased at Best Buy, I reiterated how poor the customer service was that they were providing, I pointed out how the salesperson blatantly lied to me when I bought the warranty. Sorry, I can't help you. The monitor has to be shipped out to be repaired. Then came the most brilliant strategy that I could muster at this point. I looked at the sales manager and said, "You suck." I think I did shock him a bit, but still his zeal to turn me down shown through. He would not be defeated and I felt like an idiot. In essence, I sucked.

So I went down the street to Circuit City and bought a new monitor. And we went home to have a birthday. But even at the birthday party, I could not stop talking about the incident at Best Buy. I knew I should just shut up, but I kept on talking. By trying to make sure that we had a monitor to use with the camera for the party, I missed a lot of the fun I could have had just enjoying my daughter's birthday party. I missed an experience that will never happen again. (Sorry Emma)

As I tried this week to get some Christmas shopping done, I was continually reminded of the Best Buy fiasco. All of this effort to try and make things as good as possible for our kids, our spouses, family members, co-workers and little if any thought put towards the actual purpose for celebrating Christmas. At Christmas we celebrate the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. Not only was the manner in which he was conceived miraculous, but the circumstances surrounding his birth were incredible; the presence of angels, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the birth of a child who would become the most important and influential individual of all time.

According to the commentary in my Bible, Christ himself let us know that we should not get lost in the details of service so that we are totally devoid of devotion to God.

Luke 10: 38-42 (NIV) As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into their home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it-and I won't take it away from her."

Even while typing this blog, I acted like an idiot because my wife needed me to do something I preferred not to do at the moment. (Sorry Amy) I suppose I will never get too far away from being an idiot, but it helps to be reminded that a person should focus their thoughts and attention on what is truly important, whether it be celebrating the 1st Birthday for my sweet little girl, or celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Lord, forgive me for my selfish ways and self-centered motives. Allow me to focus on the gift that you gave to me and give me the courage to share it with everyone I meet.

Touchdowns for Jesus

LOVE - The ultimate expression of God's loyalty, purity, and mercy extended toward his people - to be reflected in human relationships of brotherly concern, marital fidelity, and adoration of God.

You know, we go to church and study the Bible and talk about how we need to grow spiritually and then we go to work, come home, go shopping, come home, watch TV, type a blog and go to bed. yeah.

My job allows me the opportunity to speak with customers who are professional football players in the NFL from time to time. The other day I got to talk with a guy who is a wide receiver for a team that had a night game in New York this week. Apparently it was extremely cold outside and he did not play much during the game. He said he spent the whole game on the sideline trying to stay warmed up and wishing the clock would tick faster so he could go inside. He is in excellent physical condition, he plays well, he just wasn't in the game that night.

Sometimes I feel like I am living my life like that. I am working to be in excellent spiritual condition, I am building daily bible study habits, I am trying to pray regularly and doing my best to have God-centered thoughts in my head. I want to be ready for the opportunity to witness to someone or do something really special for someone in need. But I am not in the game most of the time.

I suspect many people who are Christians are going through the same thing. Fortunately for us all, we have been blessed with the holiday season. There are endless opportunities to do something special for the homeless or the sick or the poor. We can all join up in groups and go out and serve lunch at a homeless shelter, take Christmas presents to a needy family, sing Christmas carols in nursing homes. It is a great feeling to be able to give someone a smile and make their day a little brighter. I suppose the holiday season is similar to pre-season for NFL players. Everyone has a chance to be in the game and get their jerseys dirtied up. Everyone gets a shot to line up on the field and give their best.

But what is going to happen in January. Just about the time our New Years Resolutions fade away, so will our gumption to show love to our neighbors. I don't want to sit on the bench this year. I want to be out there scoring touchdowns for Jesus.

Do yourself a favor, take full advantage of the opportunities available to you to lend a hand to someone in need. Take time to buy the homeless guy something to eat. Hey you might even want to sit down with him and break bread together. Find a needy family that needs help in April just as much as December. Get out of your comfort zone.

Pray that you and I will both feel led to show love to our neighbors this Christmas and continue showing that love forever.

John 13:34-35 - (This is Jesus speaking to the disciples just after Judas left the upper room) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

Martha Stewart Towel Folding Technique

My friend tells me that he also sheds a tear during moments that you may not expect. That makes me feel better. I don't suppose, however, that he has mastered the art of towel folding as taught by Martha Stewart. Back in the Martha heyday, when she was hip with Oprah and Rosie and before the fashionable prison time and ankle bracelets, I happened to be watching an episode of the Martha Stewart Show with my wife. The topic while I was watching was the appropriate method for folding your towels. My towel folding method was handed down to me from my parents and I never dreamt that there could be an art to folding your towels. I now am learning that there are two widely accepted techniques: the Martha Stewart Method and the Military Method. I suppose I should have guessed as much. They both are dedicated to obtaining perfection and efficiency in all that they do.

Well, I am not ashamed to say that I latched on to the Martha Stewart Method. I mean, it didn't cost me anything to fold my towels like Martha Stewart and it did seem to free up a little shelf space in our tiny apartment linen closet. So I embraced the method. I fold towels, washcloths, dish rags, pillow cases, and cleaning rags in the same manner. It has been 5 to 6 years since I first saw that towel folding episode and I still habitually fold my towels properly, at least according to Martha.

Now, though, I am starting to be a bit concerned. Without even thinking, I abandoned my life long procedure for folding towels simply at the suggestion of a popular iconic figure in our society. On top of that I was faithful to learning and sticking by the new method. Why can't I do that with things in my life that actually matter. Things like studying the Bible on a regular basis. Daily pouring myself into the word of God. Perhaps I might even be able to change my thoughts and actions by continually and methodically being exposed to the Godly things. This sort of life would be described as a life in piety, which is a whole life lived in a relationship with a loving God.

This is one thing that I found from John Wesley concerning trying to live your life in accordance with God:
We not only allow, but earnestly contend, that there is no perfection in this life, which implies any dispensation from attending all the ordinances of God, or from doing good unto all men while we have time, though 'especially unto the household of faith.' We believe, that not only the babes in Christ, who have newly found redemption in his blood, but those also who are 'grown up into perfect men,' are indispensably obliged, as often as they have opportunity, 'to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Him,' and to 'search the Scriptures;' by fasting, as well as temperance, to 'keep their bodies under, and bring them into subjection;' and, above all, to pour out their souls in prayer, both secretly, and in the great congregation.

I suppose what he is saying is that though we will never be perfect we should always strive to live our lives as Jesus did.

Mark 12:28b-31 "..Of all the commandments which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

I have recently been trying to develop my pietous methods. It really is helpful to surround yourself with Godly things; the music you listen to, the things you read, the shows you watch, the people with whom you spend your time. And possibly, the way you fold your towels.

Real Men Cry

I have spent a good deal of my life being plagued with what I would like to call a phenomenon. Although sometimes I really don't know what to think of it. I am compelled to tears very easily. No not because someone told me that I was fat, although, that really is not very nice to say to someone. I often have tears well up in my eyes for the strangest reasons. I am deeply affected by musical moments. Not just any musical moments. I can't really explain why it happens but certain musical things that happen really move me. For instance, in Beethoven's 5th Symphony there is a passage that has a beautiful chord change that brings resolution to a piece that is very suspenseful. Puccini's La Boheme, which is an opera, really gets me going. There is a scene at the end as Mimi finally passes away that causes tears to just pour down my face. In other songs, I am moved to tears when there is a wonderful chorus of voices singing in harmony. I can listen to the same song over and over and each time my eyes tear up at the same spot. Other times, I am moved by exceptional singers who sing soulfully and powerfully.

I know that I am not the only person who does this, but I also know that it probably happens to me with a greater frequency than most people. I feel certain that it is linked to some bad behavior on my part when I was a child. There was a woman at my church as a child, who sang in the choir. She was crying most every time I can remember her singing. No matter what song, she was crying at some point during the song. Now as a young adolescent boy who wouldn't dream of crying in public, I often found myself ridiculing this woman for her lack of emotional control. And so the curse began. At least for most of my life I have considered it a curse. It is really not cool to be riding in your car to work with tears rolling down your face while you listen to opera music. I suppose many would contend that it is not cool to be listening to opera music in my car.

Lately, I have experienced the crying thing when I listen to Christian music. In particular, songs that speak of Jesus dying on the cross. The ultimate sacrifice in the name of love always causes me to cry.

But let's think for a moment. Have you ever really thought about how miraculous it is to cry. For the most part, if something comes out of your body there is a physical reason. But crying is emotional. There are actually chemical reactions taking place in your body that cause your eyes to tear up when you are highly emotional.

To me crying is a sign of love. So this is my real reason for posting tonight. As a young child, I only remember my dad crying two times; the death of my grandfather and the death of my grandmother. I am sure he may have cried other times, but I only remember those two times. I was obviously crying, a little boy who is trying to understand what is happening and why his grandma or grandpa is not going to be around anymore. But when I saw my dad cry it really tore me up. These events had truly cracked him. His shoulders where dropped, his head bowed, his hands in his face. This was not the posture of my dad. I get the feeling that before a very significant event that occurred later in life for my dad, showing emotion other than laughter or anger, was not going to happen. I remember many times being told that "I tease you because I love you," and "teasing is how I show you that I love you." But quite honestly it wasn't doing much for me. Of course, I knew that my dad loved me. He was good to me, I had "plenty" to eat, clothes to wear, he was concerned about my well-being, praised me for good grades and accomplishments at school and in sports. All of the right things were happening. I knew that I was loved, but the teasing thing really did not sit well with me.

Then I was off to college. For the most part on my own, unless you count weekend visits to have my laundry done by my mom, groceries bought for me and money handed over. That was the main thing. Of course, my mom would pull on my neck and tell me how much she missed me and loved me and my dad would ask how my car was running. But then one day I got a call from my mom, something had happened. I suppose the stress of me costing my parents a fortune while I went to college, my brother having whatever issues he was having and my dad struggling with issues at work had finally taken its toll. I don't know exactly what caused it or what went on even, but I do know that my dad had been changed forever. My mom would tell me that my dad would go to the front of their church during prayer time and just cry. I couldn't imagine what in the world could have caused this to happen. I did not know what to think. I vividly remember a time, when I had blown my rent money. All of it was gone and it was time to pay the rent. I called my dad to tell him and he, as would be expected, yelled at me for being irresponsible, he told me he would try to figure out what he would have to do to fix it and then we hung up. The most incredible thing happened next. I was sitting there all upset and mad and feeling stupid and the phone rings. It is my dad and he is crying. He told me he was sorry for yelling at me and told me THAT HE LOVED ME. He said we would figure something out and it would be OK. This was the first time in my life that I knew and believed in my heart that my dad truly loved me. It meant so much to me and it continues to mean the world to me as I sit here crying, of course. From that day on, my dad always tells me he loves me. He always gives me a big hug when I leave or he leaves. He always tells me he loves me. It means so much to me.

I don't want you to think that I was unhappy with my relationship with my dad as a child. I just want you to know that I am incredibly happy with my relationship with my dad now. I have learned so much through this experience and I want more than anything to have this same loving relationship with my wife and my two girls.

If for some reason you are reading this and you have a hard time expressing love for your family. Maybe you think that providing them with whatever they need materially, or joking around with them or making sure they are growing up they way they should, is enough. Let me just tell you that stopping to take the time to say I LOVE YOU and giving them a hug is more valuable than anything you could ever give them. And if you get a little teary-eyed telling them how much you love them, go ahead and let those tears roll down your face. Don't be embarrassed. JC cried plenty of times and he was definitely a real man.

John 11:35 (NIV) Then Jesus wept.

That pretty much says it all doesn't it.

New England Patriots, BCS, Free WII's, and Gas Prices.

Just testing out the site meter and search engine settings on my blog.

What in the world would I do without Google? I Google anything I can. I use it to find things, to remember the names of famous people, to get definitions for things, to prove a point to a friend who swears that something isn't true. Most search engines will probably get you what you need, but I prefer Google. I have heard that people have tried to insert the information available on Google into their brains. I suppose I should Google that to find out if it is possible.

Should things really be this easy? Quite often I find that I take things for granted. I can easily remember slaving over a word processor at the library when I was in college. Now I have a computer in my house that my 4 year old daughter can operate. She really enjoys the Disney website. I sometimes even have trouble imagining life without computers. I honestly have no idea what my job would be like without computers and I really don't want to know. I like the speedy access to information. I like having a million fonts to choose from when I write a letter. I like to be able to check up on my football team. I suppose it is an OK thing.

But sometimes we take things for granted and it is not OK. This past Sunday our church observed communion as it usually does on the first Sunday of each month. For the longest time I looked at communion as a time to pray really hard and really quick. I would try to summarize what I was sorry for in my life and reflected on the things that I needed to improve and then I would decide how I would stop doing those things and turn things around to make God happy. All of this had to be done, before it was my turn to take communion. Don't get me wrong, I understood what was going on during communion. Basically a reinactment of the Last Supper in which Jesus urged the disciples to remember the sacrifice he was about to make. But I only recently gained a perspective of what communion meant to me.

About 3-4 years ago, I saw the movie, Passion of the Christ. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. As I watched this movie, I first began to realize exactly what it meant to be persecuted, to be flogged with a cat-o-nine-tails, to be spit upon and riduculed, to have a crown of sharp thorns pressed onto my head. I also began to see what it was like to have to see this happen to someone you loved and adored and yes, even, brought into this world. My oldest daughter was just a year old around that time and I viewed the Passion from a new perspective, as a father.

I believe watching that movie prepared my heart for what happened to me a few months ago. I was at a men's spiritual leadership retreat and one of the speakers was discussing communion. As the guy talked through his presentation, one of the support staff brought around a small communion cup to all of the men at the retreat. As the speaker was nearing the end of his talk, he asked that we all take communion. Everyone in the room picked up their cup and in unison took a drink of what we soon learned was vinegar. The impact was shocking to me. Try it if you want to. Pour a few ounces of vinegar into a cup and swallow it down. After we all recovered from our bitter drink experience, the speaker reminded us that the last thing Jesus had to drink as he hung on the cross was vinegar.

How humbling. Christ was perfect. He committed no sin. Yet out of love for you and me he endured an unimaginable death. He was betrayed by a close friend for a small amount of money. He was beaten and tortured like you and I could never imagine. Lashes from whips, shards of bone digging into his flesh and then ripped out. Being forced to drag a heavy cross to the place where he would be crucified. Nails pounded into his hands and feet. And then raised up to allow gravity to pull on his body and eventually put him to death. And all I can think about is my dumb hangups and stupid behavior and how I can try to make things better.

I can't even imagine what the first communion must have been like after Christ had gone back to Heaven. But I am going to try to the next time I have communion.

Luke 22:14-20 (NIV) - When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

Fish Love Shiny Things

Do I fish? No. I have in the past and I would like to, but I am really not very good at it. There are so many things that you have to know about fishing to be able to really enjoy it and be good at it. Where to go, when to go, how to find the perfect spot to sit and wait for the fish to come to you. Despite not knowing any of those things, I do know one thing. FISH LOVE SHINY THINGS. Why? I don't know. But every description of fishing lures I have seen has the word "shiny" in it. "Shiny lures, the paint is shiny, over-priced shiny lures, the shiniest of them all." All of these terms were found on fishing web sites. I don't know what it is, but shiny is the way to go.

So, what does that have to do with me and my walk in life.
Mark 16-18 (NIV) says "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

John 8:12 (NIV) says, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) says (this is Jesus speaking) "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl. Instead they put in on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) And we, who with unveiled faces all REFLECT the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

FISH LOVE SHINY THINGS. It sounds easy doesn't it. Reflect the light of the Lord's glory on all who you come into contact and there will be no limit to how many fish you can catch for the Lord. Unfortunately, there is one problem. I (and most likely you) am human and I am not always polished. I am not always pointing to the light of the Lord. And quite honestly, sometimes I am totally in the dark.

I really love Third Day music. If you are not familiar with Third Day, they are a Christian rock band who has been around for a good number of years. Their sounds are inspired by groups like U2, REM, among others. Their lyrics are inspired by God. I love their music because 1) it is well done and 2) their lyrics speak right to my heart. I typically am not confused about what they are trying to say. Third Day sings a song called (are you ready for this), KEEP ON SHININ. The whole song is great, but the second verse really gets me choked up.

Having faith in the long run is easier said than done
It’s hard to live out in the light of day
You’re bruised and you’re battered,
your dreams have been shattered
Your best laid plans scattered over the place
Despite all your tendencies, God sees it differently
Your struggle’s a time to grow And you,
you’re a miracle, anything but typical
It’s time for the whole wide world to know

Keep on, keep on shinin’ Wherever you may be
Keep on, keep on shinin’ For all the world to see

Fish, shiny things, reflect light, Third Day. Where is all of this going?

We just moved a year and half ago. It was really hard to leave a church that we loved and people we had grown close to and quite frankly, I wasn't real excited about trying to make new friends here. But, by the grace of God, I did make a new friend about a year ago. And darnit my friend had to go and get diagnosed with advanced stage, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and make me and everyone he knows get really, really scared. I guess he and his family was probably a little scared too. Well, my friend kept his head up. He grew in his faith in the Lord. He meditated daily on the Word and continued to encourage his friends. My friend was reflecting the light of the Lord so bright that my eyes hurt. His head is now shaved. He has lost a lot of weight and still he continues to show concern for me and what is going on in my life. This week, my friend's doctor told him that his latest tests showed that his cancer was now in remission. He is only halfway through his chemo, but all of the cancer is gone.

Now my problems are way more serious than my friends. The car doesn't run great. My football team is not playing for the national championship. My pants are too tight. I mean I have problems. But, thinking about my friend's great attitude, remembering that I am a miracle created by God for a purpose and that God loves me; all help me to get all bright and shiny with the Glory of God.

If you don't mind, say a prayer for my friend. He needs the courage and patience to get through 3-4 more months of chemo. Prayer has given him peace already.

You can DO IT!

A few weeks ago my boss came in to my office and said, "Hey type in this website on the internet, BODYALIVE.com." I asked if he was trying to get me fired and he said just do it. He was serious. So I typed in the address and Tony Little, the exercise infomercial guy that sells the Gazelle with long hair, baseball cap and who obviously works out all of the time, pops up on my screen and says, "You can DO IT!" My boss had directed me to a website advertising a new network marketing scheme similar to AmWay or some other name he said where you sign up to the program, agree to spend a specified amount of money each month and then try to sign up more people. Other than his wife, I was my bosses first real attempt at signing someone up. Obviously I was hesitant, but I really didn't know what to say. He said if you get in early you can make tons of money and still only spend $50 a month on fitness/exercise/nutrition stuff. He described it as joining onto to a leg of people. The closer you are to the leg and the more people you get to add on the more money you make. So I would sign up ten people and each of those people would sign up ten people and so on and so forth. I really did not know what to say and for that I am saddened.

First of all I knew that if I tried to go home and explain to my wife that I wanted to spend $50 a month on fitness literature, equipment and supplements; she would suggest that I take it out of whatever I had left from the child support and alimony payments that I would start making in the coming weeks (not really, that would just be a joke with a stern face). My wife can sniff out an ill-conceived plan better than anyone I know. If she says, "I don't think that sounds like a good idea," she is right 95% of the time. I suppose she has honed her skills from living with me for so many years.

Second of all, the plan sounded strangely familiar to something else. Oh right, spreading the Good News and winning souls for the Lord. How could I forget? What I should have said to my boss was "You know rather than spend $50 a month on exercise equipment that would go to waste, I could give it away to my church or to charity or to random people who need a little lift. And instead of trying to gather in "$50 Believers" who could earn $100,000 a year, I should be gathering in Eternal Believers who can know and accept the love of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and have eternal life.

As usual, I felt pretty bad for not speaking up. I have been learning that it is my responsibility to be a disciple for the Lord and that I should live my life for the Glory of God in all that I do.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - 11:1 (NIV) says:
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

If you have a chance and are willing, please say a prayer for me so that I can be courageous and lead my life for the glory of God.

A Psalm of Me

It wasn't until the last few months that I have come to better appreciate the Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs in the Bible. For most of my life, Psalms was the strange really long book of the Bible that was the location of the ever so popular 23rd Psalm. I remember as a small child in Children's Church having to memorize Psalms 23. I got a neat little wooden wall hanging with a painted sheep on it and the words, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

Beyond that Psalms was just a bunch of really short chapters that I guess were once sung by David with a harp. And Proverbs, the times I remember hearing something from Proverbs, someone was trying to make THEIR point with a bit of wisdom from Solomon as their crutch. Proverbs to me as a child was the location of every little bit of common sense that you alway heard your parents saying. "Better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Don't run with scissors. Wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming." Obviously those things are not written in Proverbs, but to the random reader of the Bible (or at least me) that was the content of the Book. I actually attended a sunday school class that was using a book about Proverbs for its lesson book for a few months. The author of the book was trying to convince others that by conducting yourself in the ways described in Proverbs, you could be very successful. I think the word "GOD" was mentioned maybe 5-10 times in the whole book. That's sad.

So why this talk of Psalms and Proverbs. Well, this past year I have started reading the Bible on a two-year plan. It is a really cool Bible with daily devotionals by Max Lucado and several other religious authors. For the first time, I have actually stuck to reading the Bible without straying too far off of the path. Well, I am almost halfway done and Psalms and Proverbs are about halfway through the Bible. By reading each Psalm carefully and then reading a brief commentary on the reading, I began to understand that the Psalms could have been written by someone like you or me. Many of the Psalms seem to be confessions of a person who is scared of what is about to happen to them in their life. I personally am not to concerned about being slayed by a Giant, but I think you get the picture. Psalms are about telling God how great He is, and yes I believe you could probably sing along with some of them. I definitely have a better appreciation for this book.

As I was reading, my devotional for that day said that I should write a Psalm about myself. So here goes:

A Psalm of John (Johnny) - Sung to the tune of Finlandia (just kidding)

You brought me into this world,
into open loving arms.
You raised me up under your wings,
though my eyes were not yet opened.
I stumbled aimlessly for many years,
yet you watched over me and kept me on the path.
You blessed me with an earthly guide and companion
with whom I could walk and love and be loved.
You blessed me with a loving church
and softened my heart.
You blessed me with a child
and opened my eyes as a father.
You blessed me with another child
and opened my heart as a loving father.
You continue to bless me and my family.
You are so good to me.
GOD is Good!

But first a moment from our sponsor

Acts 4:18 (KJV)
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

It really is amazing how we are often so concerned about how our words will impact others. It has become the norm to suppress your true emotions and beliefs in order to avoid making someone feel uncomfortable. I suppose as a somewhat timid person this has not been a real issue for me in my life. However, as I grow in my Christian faith and move along on my walk with God, I am beginning to wonder if a brief period of awkwardness or making someone feel uncomfortable is a small price to pay for the reward of knowing the love of the Lord.

I enjoy watching TV. Life is a lot like a TV program, both get their support and beginnings from your sponsors. Quite often a TV program begins with a brief reminder of how it came to be that the producers of your TV program could afford to put together 60 minutes of riveting contests of real life contestants battling each other to win the title of survivor, biggest loser, amazing racers?? and of course a nominal cash prize. But throughout the programs that we enjoy so much, we must pay homage to the sponsors throughout the time slot or break to go to the fridge/bathroom. We are constantly reminded how the program was made possible.

Life is so similar. Our parents in most cases do most of our sponsoring. I know that in my case, not much would have been possible for me, without the support of my sponsors. But for me, it goes much deeper. My life, our country, this world, would be nonexistent without the sponsor of our Lord. I feel that I have reached a point where I must make it known who my sponsor is in this world. I am still working on a way that will grab someone's attention and not have them trotting off to the bathroom as soon as I begin. But I have to imagine that by possibly risking an awkward or uncomfortable moment, I will be enlightening someone about the greatest love that was ever known.

Acts 4:29-31 (KJV)
And now, Lord behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of the holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.