As we celebrate Abby's 10th birthday this weekend, we've gotta remember that we're cheering a LIFE that could've easily ended 15 months in, as she was in the back seat 8 1/2 years ago...
So when people hear about the accident and nicely say how God must have saved my life for a purpose; I always say - "Abby's too!"
"Abigail" in Hebrew means "source of joy," or "father's joy." And Scripture says, "The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10). If you wanna keep reading, you'll see a piece from my soon coming BOOK showing how Abby was a source of joy to her father giving me much needed strength to carry on:
One afternoon, before her bedtime, I reached for a pill, to take my pain medicine.
Abby was three or four years old and she noted, "Daddy's taking his medicine."
I replied, "Yep, from when I hurt my head and neck in the car accident."
Abby then said, "I know, I remember."
I thought, "Sure, you remember."
Abby was only 15 months old the day of the accident and no one had ever told her
what happened that day. She had bare bone details to give her an understanding of why I
went through all I did.
So I decided to dig a little deeper. "What do you remember, kiddo?" I asked.
She answered, "They took you away for a while in a copler, and I was sad" (in
Abby-terms at that age, "a copler" meant a helicopter).
To that response, I nearly collapsed. When I gathered my thoughts and emotions,
I faintly replied, "Do you remember anything else, Abby?"
"Yes," she said. "They brought you back after a while, and I was happy."
At this, I cried. I smiled. I hugged her, and I thanked God for her sweet child's
heart and for giving us that brief but poignant interaction.
This past weekend, our family road tripped down to the Ozarks to visit Kanakuk Kamps and Kids Across America (You Know!) where I worked for a bunch of years. We had so much fun seeing old friends and doing fun activities (including tubing behind a boat!)... but what I enjoyed the most was just being together as a family in everything.
I've heard it said that "To a child, love is spelled T-I-M-E." If that is true, we got a great dose of that this weekend. Since my last blog was about FATHERHOOD, and how God is also our Father, I just thought I'd do this brief follow-up on this same subject.
Check out this short video; my eyes watered as I watched it alone:
We had a birthday party for our toddler son, Josiah, last weekend... Yep, JoJo turned 3, and my wife planned this amazing "Backyardigans" birthday party for him at this very cool park that had fishing, horses, and a super-cool playground. I simply grilled hot dogs and made the balloon animals for him and his little friends.
Thinking about how much I love JoJo and Abby, our 9 year old daughter, it occurred to me that everyone referred to God as only that - God... until Jesus called Him "Father." Think about it... calling the Holy One, the Creator, the LORD Himself... "Dad"?!
Yep, at one point Jesus actually did use the "Dad" term ("Abba" in Aramaic - Mark 14:36).
This really changes the way I think about God when I think about how much as a DAD I love my children and they love me.
Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. Romans 8:15b
One of my seminary professors was just down in Haiti, and spoke about a man he met whose house was destroyed in a recent hurricane. This man would be forced now to live in a church with 150 others. I thought of all that man had lost and would now be forced to deal with, not to mention his loss of privacy, and having to wait in line just to simply use the restroom!
My friend asked the man, "HOW LONG will this problem last?" The Haitian man replied, "I don't know. But God does. And He can be trusted."
Wow.
My eyes got wet as I heard these words... I couldn't help but question myself and my own (lack of) faith. I just don't easily trust God in the midst of such obvious trials. I've heard Proverbs 3:5-6 for a lot of my Christian life, but have such a hard time really applying it to the way I think and feel. I was both encouraged and challenged by this man who had hope in spite of the hurricane.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Living in St. Louis, where the summer heat index is usually about 105 degrees, I have to admit that I recently Googled, "how to make yourself less thirsty." You might laugh out loud at what was listed in the first hit...
1. Suck on a button or other small object. Hard candy works okay. 2. Cool off. You're body loses moisture when you sweat. So keep yourself from sweating. 3. Use your mind. Thinking of the Sahara Desert might help, but then again, thinking of a waterfall may work for you. 4. Imagine the taste of something really sour like Warhead candies. There's a good chance you'll start salivating. 5. Think of your favorite food if sour candy doesn't work for you. 6. Don't get dehydrated to begin with. You don't start feeling thirsty until your body is well on the way to dehydration.
But then I came across a statement by Jesus that made me more than curious:
"He who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35, 4:14).
I was glad to know that while a little Gatorade might solve my liquid hydration dilemma, the Son of God was offering a more permanent thirst-aid for all of my needs.
You may have heard before that one of our world's greatest leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, once said,
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
When I first heard this several years ago, I was appalled. But the more I thought about it honestly, and the longer I've lived, the more I have to admit that this extremely wise and discerning leader might have hit a certain nail painfully on the head.
See, I realized that hypocrisy within God's church has been undercutting the message that Jesus started 2000 years ago... that he intended for His people to purely continue... with full faith and humility, leaning on Him the whole way.
So I, for one, am "all in" on this one... depending on God's daily grace, and committed to making Ghandi's words a "goof"!
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6
Last weekend I graduated from Covenant Seminary, and many people have since asked me how it feels... to which I generally respond in a way that makes them laugh - "Great relief!" I say, recalling the countless hours of Greek vocabulary words and verb tenses I had to memorize, not to mention the books I read and papers I wrote. I am also thrilled that now my evenings are usually fully spent focused on time with my wife and children!
But I wanna be more specific about the journey of completing a graduate degree, and compare it to life's journey... obviously with its share of challenges and struggles, but also joys and accomplishments, all leading to the final completion.
Actually, in many ways, this achievement, which God graced, reminded me of some marathons I had run for the aforementioned reasons. But particularly, when my dad physically joined me at mile 20 of the Chicago Marathon and ran with me for its remainder. You see, my folks had cheered for me every 5 miles or so throughout the marathon, but Dad actually ran with me for the last 6 miles. I was reminded of how in life, our Father, God, is "an ever present help in times of trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
I sometimes call my toddler son a JUMPING BEAN, because he seems to be an endless supply of energy.I mean, we found him this very accurate t-shirt that says, “I Have No ‘Off’ Button.” I bring this up because I realize that in many ways, I am just like him, less because of my desire, and more because of what I feel are my responsibilities.
In other words, I don’t easily take breaks or rest because my culture tells me I have to keep on going and accomplish certain tasks… I even have a handy time saving device (my Blackberry) to help me stay on my hurried schedule.
But the first followers of Jesus were just like us, working hard with the brains they were given, and yes, they misunderstood the Master plan from time to time. The more they walked, the more He taught… and the day came that He left them in charge of His earthly ministry. Why? Because they finally learned all there was to know? No! Because, in my opinion, they knew enough to be patient and wait ("Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” Acts 1:4, emphasis mine).
Be like those who have faith and are patient. They will receive what God promised. Hebrews 6:12b (NIrV)
The NFL Draft just happened, and, being a St. Louisan, I was thrilled that the Rams got to choose first!! On top of that, given that I lived in Oklahoma for 4 years (and became an OU Sooners fan), I was extra excited that they drafted Sam Bradford, OU's star quarterback. Evidently, Sam is an awesome, accurate football passer. But this month, I want to ask a few questions about that:
Can any of you throw a football (pretty straight) about 30 yards?
How about 40 yards?
50 yards?
Longer?
What is it that enables you to throw a football long and straight...
Is it the football's SHAPE?
Is it the MATERIAL that the football is MADE OF?
Is it your (the quarterback's) arm STRENGTH?
Is it your TECHNIQUE (i.e. the SPIRAL) that you throw?
What is it???
At this point, I want you to pretend that I toss you a FLAT football, and ask you the initial questions again... Can you still throw it long and straight even 15 yards?
You see, I've learned that what matters most in helping a football fly long and straight is also what matters most in helping us people fly long and straight in life.
It's what is on the INSIDE that matters the most.
In the case of footballs, they need to be inflated with enough air. For people, we can thankfully just turn to God, and He fills us with Himself, namely the "Holy Spirit."
Jesus reassures us with this promise:
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:26-27
Sounds like our long, straight flights are good to go!
Now that Spring is fully upon us... so are its fresh color changes! I mean, not only is lots of stuff newly green, but surrounding our yard are various colors of flowers, with all sorts of butterflies regularly visiting them... not to mention the trees, which invite different varieties of spring birds, etc.
So I was especially interested in something I recently read with Abby (my little 9 year old daughter) in her Bible devotional book... (I was seriously impressed with how profound and meaningful its truth was, especially for a kids book – Keys for Kids, April 14, 2010.) I hope it encourages you as much as it did me!
***
We know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God.
Romans 8:28
"What color should I do next?" Sally wondered aloud as she and her brother Ben worked together on a paint-by-number picture.
"Why don't you work on the black or the brown sections?" Ben suggested.
Sally made a face. "The blacks and browns are so boring. Let's skip them."
"But we need them for the bears," objected Ben.
"There are white bears, too," said Sally. "I'm going to paint the flowers-some red and some yellow. You can paint the bears if you want them colored." Ben shrugged and decided to work on the green trees and bushes instead.
Sally and Ben continued painting until all the colors were filled in except the blacks and browns. Sitting back to look at their picture, they both frowned. "It looks, well, it looks . . . weird, doesn't it?" Ben finally said.
"Yeah," Sally agreed. "I guess the picture needs the blacks and browns just as much as the other colors to make it look really good."
Mom, who had walked into the room, looked at the picture. "You know, kids, life is like this picture," she said.
Sally and Ben looked back and forth from the picture to their mother. "What do you mean, Mom?" Ben asked.
"Well, remember how sad we were last year when Grandpa died? That was like one of those black parts of the picture," Mom explained. "And earlier this spring, Ben, you were so disappointed that we couldn't afford to send you to baseball camp. That was another dark time for you."
Ben nodded. "Yes, but not as dark as when Grandpa died," he said, "so I guess that would be like the brown areas."
"Right," Mom agreed. "We'd like to have all fun times and happy times, like the bright colors of your painting. But God sees the complete picture of our lives. He knows that the dark and difficult times are needed as much as the bright and happier times. God uses all of them for our good."
As Sally picked up a brush and reached for the black paint, Ben took the brown. "Let's make this painting the best it can be," he said.
"And let's be content to let God paint our lives however He wants," said Mom. "Let's allow Him to make us the best we can be, too."
"If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth." Eccles. 11:3 (NIV)
I am so happy that Spring is upon us... the Cardinals have begun playing baseball, my daughter is riding her bike, my son runs outside to greet me each day, and my wife's favorite tulips are in bloom! However, I think we all dread dark clouds that tend to frequent the April sky. True, they hide the sun for a while, but we also know that they are filled with RAIN... and sometimes plentiful showers! Oh no!
This month, I want us to consider a fresh perspective along with the weather change... Our troubles, like rain clouds, seem to always bring us blessings, like dark chariots of bright grace. Just as the clouds empty themselves, making tender herbs and seeds gladder for the shower, our God may drench us with grief for a season, but He will certainly refresh us with grace and mercy and blessings. "Our Lord's love-letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes" (Streams in the Desert, February). So we shouldn't worry about the clouds, since May flowers are brought to us by the April clouds and showers!
"Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the sping rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:3 (ESV)
It's noteworthy too that these rains, according to this Scripture in Hosea, are a reminder of God's FAITHFULNESS! So next time it rains, I'm gonna try and think about God's promises to me, and that He will most certainly come for His people, just as surely as it rains each time this Spring!
Many years ago, a man named Moses was on a walk one day when he came across a bush that was on fire but didn't burn up. To make matters even more peculiar, this fiery shrub actually began to talk... speaking words directly to Moses! Turns out, this bush was quite articulate, and Moses soon came to realize that it was, in fact, God Himself somehow inside of this burning bush (Exodus 3).
To Moses that day, the LORD said,
"I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:7:8a, NIV).
There is remarkable significance in...
What the LORD would say to Moses in this occurrence (this personal compassion and grace alongside of His power and might that it would trigger),
What powerful events would ensue next (the plagues),
Finishing with the 10th Plague, in which “the destroyer” would come and kill all of the firstborn sons in Egypt, but would pass over the Israelite living quarters, which were clearly marked on their front doors with the blood of a perfect lamb
So many years later, John the Baptist would see his cousin, Jesus, approaching and he would declare, “"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) And later, Paul would tell the Corinthian church that Jesus Christ was, in fact, the “Passover Lamb,” sacrificed for all of mankind's sins as a once and for all payment (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Passover in 2010 will start on Tuesday, the 30th of March and will continue for 7 days until Monday, the 5th of April. (Note that in the Jewish calendar, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Passover on the sunset of Monday, the 29th of March.)
Of all of JoJo's VeggieTales videos, one of his very favorites is the story of Esther. This gave me extra motivation to arrange for our family to attend a special celebration of what is called “Purim” today (see footnote for name explanation)... a festival which honors the time when the Jewish people were living in Persia and were saved from extermination, the story which is told in the Biblical book of Esther.
The heroes of the story are Esther, a beautiful young Jewish woman living in Persia, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as if she were his daughter. Esther was taken to the house of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, to become part of his harem. King Ahasuerus loved Esther more than his other women and made Esther queen, but the king did not know that Esther was a Jew, because Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.
The villain of the story is Haman, an arrogant, egotistical advisor to the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted to destroy the Jewish people. In a speech that is all too familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm. Their laws are different from those of every other people's, and they do not observe the king's laws; therefore it is not befitting the king to tolerate them." Esther 3:8. The king gave the fate of the Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased to them. Haman planned to exterminate all of the Jews.
Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself, then went into the king. He welcomed her. Later, she told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.
The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God. Mordecai makes a vague reference to the fact that the Jews will be saved by someone else, if not by Esther, but that is the closest the book comes to mentioning God. Thus, one important message that can be gained from the story is that God often works in ways that are not apparent, in ways that appear to be chance, coincidence or ordinary good luck.
(The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date for the massacre.)
February is upon us, and, as Valentine’s Day fast approaches (oh, I am sure excited to romance my bride), I had a brief perspective shift…
The Christian band, "Third Day" has long been one of my favorites, and their "Love Song" does a fine job of summing up what I was thinking (see video link below):
[Verse 1]
I’ve heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves.
How many times has he broken that promise
It has never been done.
I’ve never climbed the highest mountain,
But I walked the hill of Calvary.
[Chorus]
Just to be with you, I will do anything
There’s no price I would not pay no
Just to be with you, I would give anything
I would give my life away.
[Verse 2]
I’ve heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
