The Power of Confession

The other day I had an awesome exerience in an accountability group! Check out this story.

Why be baptized?

God is so good!

Last summer we started out with a bang! Actually, it was a couple of bangs. Many of you remember Mikala and my children were in a car accident last June. At that time I expected that I knew all the occupants of the vehicle Mikala was driving. Over that next couple of months we found ourselves celebrating Mikala's third pregnancy!


This was met with great rejoicing that soon turned to questions as to the well being of this child that had been trhough the accident and we now knew to be in the womb of my bride. Rejoicing turned to fear and anxiety levels continually were elevated as we wondered how this would turn out. Because of our travel schedule in the summers we were unable get to the doctor as quickly as we would like so we spent time worrying until it was obvious we were in sin with our anxiety and then would turn those worries over to the completely capable hands of our Lord. The more we gave Him, the more we wanted to give Him! He has been such a faithful companion. Now as we have been to the doctor a couple of times and heard the precious little heartbeat it seems that all our anxiety was energy completely misplaced.

I wish that were the end of what God has been teaching me through this. The truth is that is just phase one of the lesson. Phase two came in the form of a spiritual questions from God to me, "Do you believe that the 'anxiety was energy completely misplaced' because you feel like you got what you wanted or was it because I am enough; . . . even if you don't get what you want?" WOW! How intensely personal! Do I have to answer that honestly? It is here that I find myself handing over even more of my concerns. Concerns like my dreams and aspirations for this child, my expectations and definitions of what is and isn't considered healthy in a child, my thoughts on how much energy I think it will involve to raise another child. All of these thoughts are based on my own assumptions not necessarily God's plan for my life or my family's life. So today I let go of all I know how to let go of. I'm sure God will show me more as a walk with Him. What I know is that He does life better than I do. He holds things more firmly than I ever can and He loves more thoroughly than I can imagine. I would rather my family be in His hands than mine. I am just honored that He holds me and helps me point them to Him.

Today Lord help me trust you to do your will in my life rather than trust you to do my own will in this life. Help me trust that you are better and your will is better even when it might conflict with me and my own agenda. In light of our celebration of this child you have blessed us with I pray that this child will always be dedicated to you and your will. Prepare me to be the Father I need to be to play the role you require of me as I usher this blessing through their young life.

Raigan Goes to Kindergarten

What a day! Raigan goes to Kindergarten for the first time. God sure had to confirm this for us, because we hated it, but we also celebrate it. Listen and see how God used that experience to challenge me.

Quick Shot of Data for those concerned

Mikala and the kids were in a wreck two weeks ago today.
The next day Isaac pulled a cabinet down on his sister's leg. The x-ray did not confirm a break at that point so we thought that it was sore but surely she would be up and running soon. After two weeks and still no running we went back to the doctor for the third time. We were sent for a second x-ray that this time it did confirm a break that had been missed the first time. Today we go to the orthopedic specialist to determine how this broken tibia can heal.
That's the medium story. The short story is as follows; I praise God that everyone is alive and that the problems are diagnosed so we can move forward.
Thank you to all that have been concerned and shared in our prayers.

Another Perspective

Recently I was talking to some dear friends who had lost their son unexpectedly. I was overwhelmed at the depth of their faith. They are remarkable people. As we were talking I asked them what had helped them recover. Though they were quick to say that there is no recovery from something as awful as this there is something like finding a "new normal." The gentleman went on to describe that though the lose was awful and seemed horrific to them he wondered what it was that God had protected their son from. I thought that maybe I had misunderstood what he was talking about so I had him explain. The explanation was beautiful! He described that because he trusts in God he knew that God knows what is best for him as well as his son. Although the experience was excruciating he also trusted that it was the best case scenario for all those concerned. The father relayed that though their experience was tough he just knew that God had protected them from something even worse.

Wow! What a perspective. God help me trust you with everything that I am and everything that I hold dear! Give me the faith to know that your hand is always at work and that I can trust your hand regardless of how I sometimes feel. You are good!

Tough Week

So I haven’t written yet this week because I usually try to keep things positive and this has not been a great week. What dominates my thoughts today is a series of questions. What does God teach us through our struggles? Could I learn the lessons another way? If I learn the lessons quickly will the struggles go away?
I so badly want to have the right attitude and the proper response, but it seems like when the tough times come I get so frustrated that I just want to cry out. What am I supposed to learn? Like a child that cares nothing of the actual lessons and only wants to go back to what they were doing before they got in trouble I find myself asking what should I get from this. I want to know what I should learn not because I want to grow but so I can go back to whatever I was doing before. I have my agenda and don’t really want to be bothered. I have my will for what should happen and I know my motives and am really somewhat frustrated that anything has the audacity to stand in the way.
As I confess the defiance from my soul I hear, as I am sure you did the source of my struggles. Could it be that there is a will superior to my own? Could it be that there is an agenda for my life that takes precedence over my own agenda?
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Father, thank you that your agenda trumps my plans. Help me find myself more and more submissive to you and your will.

The Real Golf Experience

I showed up early, had lunch, made sure I had time to hit the driving range before we ventured onto the course. While I was on the driving range I was solid. Seriously I was hitting some of the best shoots of my life. I was so excited! I went and hit some putts on the practice green and did well. I was ready.

With all the confidence in the world I step up for my first drive and hit the ball just onto the left side of the fairway where it bounces a couple of times and then lands in some thick rough. It was long, but couldn't be played. It couldn't be found for that matter. We were in a four man scramble format which is an official way of saying everyone hits from wherever the best shot landed. I think on all 14 holes we used 6 of my shots.

So here are a few things I learned. I'm not a great golfer, but I so enjoyed being out there with some guys that I love to hang out with. If I had been forced to always hit from where my ball had previously landed I would have survived, but it would have been much less fun. My final lesson was that it really matters who the guys are in your scramble.

I applied these lessons to my life by 1, recognizing that I am messed up in my own nature. Just like I'm not a great golfer, neither am I able to live a life that is good. It seems like what I intend doesn’t get accomplished and my actions always fall short of expectations (Romans 3:23, Mark 10:18).

Then lesson 2, I would have really struggled if I had been forced to hit from where I had originally hit my ball. Instead I got to hit from where the best shot had been hit. Though I deserved to play from a really bad situation I almost always got to play from a position that was much better than I had earned. Just like in Romans 6:23 where scripture tells me what I earned for not being good was death, but God provides life through the gift of Christ. Christ really is the best player. In fact He is perfect. To draw out the illustration He always hits the best ball. He always buts us in a place to where we can do the very best that can be done. He through His grace empowers us to live better than we could ever imagine on our own.

Lesson three was also a great lesson. Obviously you need Christ as part of your scramble if you hope to do well in life, but you also want to make sure that the rest of you group is healthy to be with. That is not to say that you ignore or are hateful to other teams. It is only to say that you should surround yourself with people that will help you grow and mature in your game.

The game of life is critical make good decisions. Decide to humble yourself and recognize that this game wasn't intended to be won on your own. Decide to ask Christ to carry you and your team. Decided to surround yourself with good team mates. Finally decide to have fun and enjoy the beauty. When you walk with Christ you are sure to find plenty of amazing sights.

Real?

So yesterday I was a little long winded about the whole future hope, other world ideas from scripture. Today I am feeling much more down to earth. Here's the deal. I have a friend that dominates me at all sorts of competition. If you know me well you would know that this doesn't settle well with me. I like to win! My wife and I have a hard time driving separate cars to the same location because without either one of saying a word it is automatically a race. I know, I know, I'm not here to argue the merits of such ventures I'm only saying that I am competitive and enjoy winning. Well this friend I have that beats me at anything he sets his mind to wins at everything except one huge earth changing competition . . . Wii Golf. Every week we do our accountability questions and plan ministry events we do together while we play Wii golf. I almost always come out on top in the golf game and walk away feeling good.
Tomorrow is a different story! I was asked to put a foursome together for a golf tournament fund raiser for FCA an organization that supports and encourages Christianity on school campuses. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and am quite excited. The only problem is that I asked my friend to play with us and he is awesome at real golf and I can just here him for the next eight years when I beat him at Wii golf, "Yeah but on the real course . . . .” So I find myself totally psyching myself out for tomorrow. The question becomes how I can translate my Wii game into real life. How do I translate my hopes into everyday life? This has been the stewing question of today.
Remembering yesterday's blog this question takes on even more weight. How do I take my faith and hopes and apply them in real life situations. Even as I write this I am led to remember our Lord's command in John 13:34-35,"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
To love people like Christ loved them is His plan to identify Himself in us. That doesn't seem that difficult. Now if only Golf were that simple!

My Avatar Experience

So I don't know how you feel about Avatar, but I want to share some insights that have been refreshing to me. When I first saw the Avatar I was one of eight people in our group. I was a bit perplexed, found it hard to relate to, distracted by the blue people. My wife loved it! The others in our party didn't really care much for it at all. When the movie was recently released on DVD my wife purchased it the first day. Since then I have watched the movie, at least partially, several times and have grown fond of the message.

In particular I really appreciate how broken the main hero, Jake Sully is! Consider him on the physical level his legs are wrecked as a result of an injury that seems completely unfair. He is a hero in everyday life. As a military man he has served his country. What does he get in return . . . the loss of the use of his legs? Doesn't that just seem like someone who does what is right and pays a heavy, even seemingly unfair price? We haven't all suffered unfairly to this extent, but we certainly do understand what it is to sacrifice and sometimes feel like it wasn't worth it in the end.

Consider Jake Sully's self-esteem . . . doesn't it seem like he is just trying to swap lives. Here he is returning from service nowhere really to go. In his mind nothing really to contribute. Someone offers him an incredibly difficult assignment that had been intended for his much more brilliant and intellectually focused brother. The smart move for Jake would be to say “I don't think that is for me,” but he he jumps at the opportunity. How bad must you think your life is to jump at the opportunity for something different even if what is different is so difficult and even seems to be something you are not able to do? You must think you current existence has no value.

You know Jake Sully's emotions were rocked to the core. He had just lost a twin brother. That kind of loss carries hurt and scars that can't be whisked away by anything short of a miracle. Again most have never endured such pain but all are familiar with at least some measure of loss and can at least relate to the pain.

Once I saw the hurt in the character Jake Sully rather than just a blue giant I was overwhelmed with the beauty He experienced. No wonder he ran as soon as he had legs. No wonder he was willing to risk everything for the chance to experience the avatar existence!

Since this story has circulated so frequently through my home it has now served as an illustration for me in my own walk with Christ. I am broken just like Jake Sully. He carried it better than I do, but we are broken. No wonder I so readily reach out for a new way. No wonder I trust that I will be completely healed. Regardless of the struggles we can trust that we will be and even are already being restored physically, emotionally, psychologically and every other struggle we encounter.

2 Corinthians 5
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

It is the acknowledgement that Christ makes us a new creation that fulfills my wildest hope. Though we don’t sore on dragon backs, we are children of God able to withstand and even defeat anything that comes against us (Romans 8:28-39). The brokenness is forsaken and the abundant life is my experience in Christ! The brokenness I once felt so immersed in is no longer my home (Psalms 40:2-4)! God has revealed that my home is different, better (Hebrews 11:13-16). It is to that home that I look forward to (Revelation 21:1-4). It is to that home that I look for motivation. It is that place with Christ that helps me make each decision while here. Praise God for that home! So if you haven’t had a chance to jump in your avatar give it some thought. Christ has prepared a way for you to take flight!