Zacharias went to burn the incense, as he had for years as a priest, simply because it was his turn, and he did what he was supposed to do. It had been years since he and Elizabeth had put away their dream of having children, and just gone about the business of their days, faithfully living the best way they could.
Mary went about her daily chores, performing the lowly tasks women in her culture were assigned to do, not resenting, but working to be a girl who would please God. It really wasn’t a big deal.
Joseph worked in his shop, building carts and chairs and mending tables, day by day following the holy law to the best of his ability. Even as he absorbed the news that his fiancé was pregnant, knowing that he was not the father, he put aside his disappointment, and tried to figure out what would be the right thing to do.
The shepherds were sitting in a cold, dark field, huddled around a fire, making sure the sheep were not attacked by animals or stolen by thieves, the same as they did night after night, year after year. It was a job without much challenge, without much pay, with little or no respect from the community. But it was their job, and they were doing it.
Anna and Simeon were in the temple, each praying and hoping as they had every day for years…So long, in fact, that the first fire of inspiration that had motivated them long ago had dwindled to ashes, and each one’s attendance there had become habit motivated simply by the desire to faithfully do what they believed was right.
It had been over 2,000 years since God had spoken to His people through the prophets. Their land was occupied by a foreign power, and life was hard. God’s promises didn’t seem to have much to do with what their lives were like. But they were faithful, and spent their days doing the things they knew to be right.
And then!
God interrupted routines, beginning by sending Gabriel to give incredible news to Mary, to Elizabeth, to Zacharias, to Joseph, to the shepherds.
In one night, the world was turned upside down, and a Redeemer was born who would restore intimacy between God and man, and who Himself would be the answer to every longing of the hearts of men and women for all time.
There are believers this Christmas season who have been living in the place where nothing much seems to be happening. Like Mary and Joseph, like Zacharias and Elizabeth and the shepherds, we are going about our days, motivated by faith to do the right thing, though circumstances are not what we had dreamed of.
For us, this is a good time to remember that faith, faithfulness, is the substance of things hoped for! Whatever it is that we are longing for God to do, it is our faith, and our faithfulness in the place that He has us right now, that will allow Him to bring about His plans for us.
My prayer this Christmas season is that we all will find ourselves, like Simeon and Anna, faithfully in the place where He has called us to be, so that, like them, our eyes can behold His coming.
I pray that this year, the routine will be interrupted by the glorious. This year, may you suddenly find Christmas happening in your heart!
Emmanuel!
Martha
Dear Josiah,
Happy first birthday to the best grandson in the whole world! That’s not just bragging. That’s a fact. I always knew being a grandpa would be great, but I never dreamed how amazing my grandson would be. Has there ever been another one-year-old who would crawl up in his grandpa’s lap just to watch a football game on television? It was just too good to be true that your first words were “hut-hut’.
So, I’m pretty thrilled about how this first year has turned out, even though it started out filled with fear for your whole family. You looked so perfectly healthy when you came into this world, then the doctors said you were going to need serious surgery immediately. You were the trooper you always have been. They literally reached inside you and took everything out and laid it on a table to fix what was broken. For one whole month you had tubes all over you and were isolated from us in that intensive care room. But you were so tough. You made it through.
Then, they told us you had cystic fibrosis. I didn’t know exactly what that was, but it sounded scary. And, it was even scarier when I started reading about it. There is no cure for it and the prognosis is pretty discouraging. But, thank God for all the doctors and medications that have kept you very healthy and very happy during your first year.
One thing that I never expected when I became a grandpa, was how much you were going to teach me. But God has used you to teach this old dog plenty of new ways of looking at things.
You’ve taught me, once again, how pure real love is. It’s something that we all need to be reminded of, and your crinkled-up face when you give me your biggest smile does that for me. Like your Uncle Matt said, we needed you to keep us all from becoming “bitter intellectuals”.
You’ve taught me what great people your Mommy and Daddy are. I thought I knew that already but I really didn’t. I knew that I loved them and that they were fun and smart, and that I was glad they were part of my family. But I had never seen the real beauty of the grace and peace that is within them. Day by day, they walk through the whole ordeal of your illness. They don’t complain about the hours and hours that breathing treatments and therapies and doctors appointments require of them. They don’t fret over the huge expenses of special medications and specialists’ fees. They work diligently to find the balance of keeping you healthy and yet, not overprotecting you. They’re joyful, knowing that difficult times might be ahead. All the while, they do above and beyond what’s expected of them as they reach out to teach and love teenagers in their work. You are blessed that you belong to them, and I’m blessed that they are my daughter and son-in-law.
Most importantly, Josiah, you’ve taught me how God wants me to live my life. I was so frightened when the doctor spoke those words, “cystic fibrosis”. Every negative thought immediately flooded my mind. But then God stepped in and spoke so calmly to me, “You’ll live through this day by day.” It’s true that we don’t have any promise that tomorrow you’ll be with us. But God reminded me that that’s not just true about you, but everyone. We’re all just day-to-day here on this earth, so we love God and each other as if this day is our last.
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:33-34 The Message)
I live this day believing that God will bring healing to your life – praying for the doctors and scientists that are searching for a cure, and depending on the miraculous power of God to touch you. But I live it knowing that with you and with everyone else, every moment I must love wholeheartedly, without expectations or keeping score. I can’t allow worry or concern about what the future might hold to crowd out “right now”.
So I love every single moment that I get to spend with you, Little Man. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for you and how much I love you. So let’s celebrate this first year as big as we can – with football and loud music and funny faces and monkeys and Veggie Tales and everything else you love. Happy birthday to the greatest grandson that’s ever lived!
I love you so much!
G-Diddy
Here’s a save-the-date for you! We received a note from Family Life Today that our “Setting Up Stones” interview will be broadcast in two parts, Monday and Tuesday, December 7 and 8. FamilyLife Today is hosted by Dr. Dennis Rainey, President of FamilyLife and Bob Lepine. It airs on over 900 stations all over the world.
You may have seen Dr. Rainey on Fox News last week, talking about the ministry that FamilyLife has for military families. You can see that online at
http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.5601869/k.6089/Dennis_Rainey__Fox_News.htm?from=hpvideobox
To find out the time and station in your area for our interview, go to
http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3469313/k.93D4/Find_a_station.htm
Please pray that our thoughts and words on the broadcasts will make an impact on families all over the world.
I would have expected a phone call last evening. But, I knew it wouldn’t be coming, so I just shut my phone off so I could deal with the emotion the events of the day had brought my way.
I lost a good friend yesterday, very unexpectedly, and much too early. Bill passed away on the basketball court, doing something he loved to do, with the person he most enjoyed sharing it with – his son Zach. Bill and I shared the same passions, and that’s why it didn’t take too long for us to begin to connect after we first met. He loved God intensely, and extravagantly poured out the overflow of that love on his family. He loved to laugh, boisterously, with friends. And, he loved sports. What I enjoyed most about Bill was the way all those passions kind of sloshed together. There was a seamless flow in our conversations together that usually included bits and pieces of all those things. The extent of the family and marriage counsel he sought from me was how a dad could watch his kids compete and succeed in sports without becoming too proud or too pushy. He wondered what things I had done to make Martha more interested in sports so he could share them with Deborah, too.
Bill had a real gift. I suppose it was what made him so successful in sales. I’ve never been friends with anyone who asked so many questions about me, what my thoughts were, what made me tick. And, after he figured me out, he was diligent about sharing those passions with me. The first time we were really engaged in more than cursory conversation, he managed to find out that our son Matt was attending Baylor University, so, we were a family of Baylor sports fans. That’s all it took. He pledged to me that he was going to be a Bear Backer, too, except, of course, when they faced his beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders.
And that’s when the phone calls started. I could count on hearing from him every time Baylor was on TV, or when the paper ran a story about them. The sport didn’t make any difference – football, basketball, baseball, track, men’s teams or women’s teams. The phone would ring, and he wouldn’t have to identify himself, he just led off with, “What did you think of the game?” So, when Baylor bowed out of the NCAA baseball tournament yesterday, the phone should have rung, Bill should have been on the other end to console me, and he would have ended the conversation with, “Oh well, football season starts in another month, and I’m expecting Robert Griffin to make big noise for the Bears this year. Hey! We love you guys!” But the phone was quiet.
I always felt that Bill was thinking about me. He made me feel that he valued my opinion and appreciated my company. After all, that’s just exactly what real friends do. I saw him at church yesterday morning, the first time our paths had crossed in about a month. He threw his arms around me and said, loudly, of course, “Man, we’ve missed you guys! When can we get together?” Next time we get together Bill, time won’t constrain us and busyness won’t deter us. We’ll talk and laugh as long as we want to.
So, I’ve been reminded the past twenty-four hours how important it is to shake off the tyranny of the urgent, those things that cry out for attention and fill our time, but are of no eternal value. Those people God has placed in my life really mean something. Lord, help me to be aware of my time, cautious of my attention and lavish with my love.
WBCL Radio Network in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, interviewed us on Monday, May 18. It’s a six-station network that covers Indiana and parts of Ohio and Michigan. Lynne Ford is the host of the weekly morning program, “Author, Author” that features interviews with several authors each week. Here it is! Our interview begins about 20 minutes into the program.
Setting Up Stones on WBCL
This past weekend, Martha drug out some of the old family photo albums, and coerced me to look through them with her. As we reminisced about some great times, I also happened to run across a few pictures that I would just as soon incinerate. They were scary, but I got up enough guts to post one of the least brutal ones here. No snickering allowed, because I’m sure you have some that would rival it.
Now, there’s a way, though, to embrace the embarrassment that families have for so long kept hidden. This morning, I found an “interesting” website, awkwardfamilyphotos.com. People post those strange photos right out of their family albums there for the whole world to see, and, surprisingly, don’t seem to be at all uncomfortable about doing it. Apparently, it’s the hottest new thing to arrive on the internet, according to ABC News and Fox News reports. In the last 30 days, the site has drawn over 20 million visitors. If you decide to visit it, just know it’s not completely family-friendly.
"It's tapping into something universal," said the site’s co-founder Mike Bender. "Everybody has experienced not only the awkwardness ... [but] I think there's something almost cathartic for people to share their awkwardness. That was always the hope."
It just might be a movement whose time has come.
Trying to be perfect can get really tiresome. Somewhere, we got the idea that it was really important for our families to look good. But, in doing that, we’ve burdened the ones we love most with the millstone, “whatever you do, don’t embarrass us.” That means that many of the struggles that we go through have to be swept under the rug. Even within the walls of our own home, that atmosphere demands that we “put on a good face” and bury the difficulties we’re dealing with. Being real is rare, but it can be the most healthy thing that our families can embrace.
Fear blocks that free flow of authenticity. Almost everyone has a fear of vulnerability, that, somehow, if we show that we’re less-than-perfect, there will most assuredly be a disastrous outcome. What if I’m not accepted any longer? Will they think less of me? Will I relinquish some kind of control? As we grow in our honest communication within our family, those questions and fears begin to crumble.
Being genuine creates an atmosphere at home that cultivates many of the attitudes that a family should find very attractive. It breaks down walls that block communication. With the awareness that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, it encourages teamwork. And, it lays a foundation of honesty, that affects each family member's relationship with each other and with God.
Walking with God, knowing and loving and serving Him, is a process, not a formula. It’s exciting and fulfilling and messy and challenging. If we honestly allow our family to observe us as we participate, we will allow them to see the reality of the God we love and serve, and they will be drawn to Him.
Then, when others see our family, they're not impressed about how perfect we are. They see, instead, a picture of God's grace.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
This is not "our day" - a time to flaunt our identity, celebrate our significance, or chastise those who choose not to acknowledge it. This is our solemn call to humility and repentance, seeking God's mercy and grace.
I don’t claim to be a technology expert. In fact, education consultant Marc Prensky would label me a “digital immigrant.” That’s because I’m old enough to remember when computers were massive monoliths that we never dreamed would someday be such an important part of our lives. I do know enough about technology, though, to know when I see something that provides some good answers to some of the cyberspace problems that we all hear about. I’m especially interested when parents are given a technological tool that allows them to keep their kids safe while encouraging them to experience the enrichment that the internet has to offer. So, I was particularly eager share some things that I recently discovered. Now there’s a chance that this stuff might be old news to some of you, and, if it is, simply file it away as a doddering digital immigrant’s discovery of the world around him. But, if you’ve never seen this before, and it ends up working for you, your undying gratitude is sufficient!
KIDO’Z v 1.0
www.kidoz.net
KIDO’Z v 1.0 is a safe internet browser for kids ages 3-11. It was developed by a small Israeli company, and gives kids a great introduction to the internet in a protected environment. Here’s how they describe their product:
“The KIDO'Z Kid's Web Environment is the safe, easy and fun way for young kids to surf their favorite sites, watch videos and play games. Each kid is unique, with different likes, dislikes, and different cultural and language backgrounds. And so, we created KIDO'Z with that in mind. Tons of top kids' content is loaded into KIDO'Z by the KIDO'Z team. But what makes KIDO'Z special is the content added by you, the parents. You can personalize KIDO'Z for your kids by uploading new content, selecting user interface and content languages, enhancing security settings, allowing/blocking any content...and more!”
YourSphere
www.yoursphere.com
Online social networking is huge among preteens and teens, but, they can not only be a distraction, they can be dangerous, too. A California mom of five kids developed YourSphere as an alternative for MySpace, Facebook, and other sites like them. YourSphere claims to be a completely safe online environment, but there are some reviewers that suggest that might be impossible. Certainly, though, the measures taken to keep the site free of harmful activity is far beyond most others of the networking genre. YourSphere also offers some interesting perks like social hubs that link your kids with others that have similar interests, and a rewards program where members can earn prizes. There is also a network strictly for the members’ parents, and a parents’ blog led by Mary Kay Hoal, the site’s founder.
Check out KIDO’Z and YourSphere and see if they might be a technology solution at your house. I’d like to hear your opinion about these sites, and your reviews if you choose to use them.
San Antonio knows how to celebrate. Fiesta is happening right now - twelve days of parades, music, fun and food at events all over town, all day and all night long. I’ve lived here my whole life, and it still amazes me how the entire city is always looking for a reason to party. During the Rodeo in February, everyone digs out their boots and hats and becomes cowboys and cowgirls for a couple of weeks. During Christmas, lights fill all the trees along the Riverwalk, and thousands of worshippers, singing Christmas carols, travel through downtown with La Posada, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search through Bethlehem for a place for Jesus to be born. We host the nation’s largest Martin Luther King Day festivities, and you can’t begin to imagine the spontaneous revelry when our San Antonio Spurs win an NBA championship.
After being enslaved for centuries, Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry ground, and the Egyptians were swallowed up when God caused the sea to close in on them. That was a reason for a real celebration. They were free! Exuberant singing and dancing filled the Hebrews’ camp. And God enjoyed every minute of it.
The scriptures are filled with scenes of unbridled joy. Some of it was just spontaneous response to God’s goodness and faithfulness, like when David danced before the Lord. But much of the celebration was planned and intentional. Throughout the Old Testament God’s people were called to celebrate.
And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.
Nehemiah 8:11-12 (NLT)
All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover for seven days, celebrated exuberantly. The Levites and priests praised God day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass. Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of God. When the feast and festival—that glorious seven days of worship, the making of offerings, and the praising of God, the God of their ancestors—were over, the tables cleared and the floors swept, they all decided to keep going for another seven days! So they just kept on celebrating, and as joyfully as they began.
II Chronicles 30:21-23 (The Message)
Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano! Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare.
Psalm 33:1-3 (The Message)
It all sounds pretty lively doesn’t it?
In the New Testament, Jesus told about the celebrations of the “good and faithful servant” and the father after the prodigal son came home. In Thessalonians 5:16, Paul put it pretty simply – “rejoice evermore.”
I particularly enjoy the image in Zephaniah, when God actually joins in the celebration with His people.
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,
“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NLT)
Maybe we just don’t celebrate enough. Or maybe we just need to refocus our rejoicing. God knows that celebrations are important when they’re directed to Him. He knows that our family’s faith is enriched when our homes are filled with praise. Kids don’t forget special times, fun and exciting times that are focused on the goodness of God. And, for that matter, adults don’t either.
I’ve realized how important it is to set aside specific moments to engage my family and friends in celebrating who God is. I want to acknowledge God’s working in our lives through even the little things. I want to make the seemingly insignificant things God does really significant. I think I’m going to throw more parties.
This is a great time of the year to be a man. It's one of those special times when sports converge and testosterone reigns. The NBA playoffs are underway, baseball season has begun, and the NFL will have its annual draft of college players next Saturday.
It's one time of the year when I really feel comfortable, because I can discuss any of these topics intelligently and incessantly. I'm in my zone, like Michael Jordan used to be when the Bulls were trailing in Game 7, or when John Elway was quarterbacking the Broncos with two minutes left and 80 yards for a win. Just give me half a chance and you're certain to be mesmerized.
I'm just like most men. When I'm operating in my arena I have all the confidence in the world. But, please don't put me in a place that I'm not very sure of myself. Don't insist that I navigate treacherous waters where I might go under. Don't set me up to fail, and above all, don't make me look bad. That's when I just might crawl back into my shell and whimper a little bit. Believe me, a whining man is not a pretty sight.
If I may, let me offer some wisdom to all the wives out there. Your husband doesn't particularly like to be called “artistic” or “creative.” There's something just a little dainty about those words. They conjure up images that are way too colorful, that smell too sweet, and that inevitably include lace and flowers. It reminds me of a time when Matt, our son, was about 10 years old, and somehow, he and I got duped into accompanying Martha into the craft store. About 15 minutes into the journey, he looked at me and said, “Dad, if hell is anything like this place, I really don't want to go there.” I understood completely.
The unfamiliar is not an easy place to be. The time comes, though, when the comfortable ways just don't work any more. I remember realizing that communicating God's truth to my kids was going to require more than sitting them down in front of me and reading a devotional book to them. If I wanted them to know a God who is alive and involved, I was going to have to portray Him to them in that way. I needed to be creative in order to demonstrate the Creator. And, that, sounded very scary to me.
McNair Wilson, was, at one time, Senior Imagineer for the Walt Disney Corporation. He was the guy who came up with ideas for all the rides and attractions at the theme parks and made them come to life. He created all the Disney things that not only captured kids' attention, but adults', as well. McNair now teaches companies and organizations not to be afraid of that word “creativity,” but, instead, use it to effectively communicate their message.
That starts with redefining it. McNair admits that the mystique of the word scares many people away. “I can talk about creativity for hours and never mention art supplies,” he said. Instead, he explains it as “rearranging the old to appear new.” That sounds much more within my element.
McNair talks about being creative in terms of “challenging assumptions” and “taking risks.” That's certainly something that guys can identify with. It makes you want to strap on the pads and get out on the field.
So, it requires courage to challenge those assumptions. We have to be bold about it, and keep taking risks even when we fail miserably. Creativity is a very manly thing.
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)
I was feeling pretty smug about what I had decided to teach in our Sunday School class. We’re spending the next couple of months discussing “churchspeak” – those words we hear so much but we might not really know their relevance in our family, our work and in all our day-to-day living. I figured I knew most of the definitions and applications of these words since I, too, had heard them all my life. I was confident I had it all covered.
The first word I chose was “grace.” It’s a good word, even though it’s a bit difficult to fully understand. But, I already knew all the offerings from Vine’s Expository Dictionary, all the technical explanations of “grace,” so I was off to a flying start. As He as often done before, though, God had another idea that He wanted to share with me. Although I knew the meaning of “grace,” I needed to be reminded of the reality of it.
It took something very unexpected to bring “grace” from my head to my heart. As I often do, I was discussing with my son, Matt, where I was headed in my writing and teaching. He asked if I had ever heard U2’s song “Grace”. I was vaguely familiar with it, but only for my musical enjoyment and not my theology. I re-listened to it, though, and found myself confronted by grace as it’s supposed to appear in real life. It seemed that Bono had taught me what I was planning to teach my Sunday School class. Imagine that!
As I began to read the “grace” settings in Scripture in a new fresh way, I was overwhelmed at the power contained within that word.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14-17 (NIV)
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)
Then, I began to see what grace means to me, personally.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
But, probably the greatest impact of all was when I was reminded of my responsibility as a recipient of God’s grace. Thank God, His grace is free. It has no limits, and the very nature of grace is that there’s nothing that I can do to earn it. But, I am obligated to give back the same measure of grace that God gives me. And that’s where I’m humbled and convicted.
Just this week, a friend was treated unfairly on his job, and I wanted so much for that supervisor to suffer for it. On another occasion, I shut down when I should have responded to help someone who was in need. I confronted my own family members, whom I love so much, with a nasty “there-you-go-again” attitude. Those things aren’t graceful, and they certainly don’t reflect in the least God’s grace that has been extended to me.
What would “grace” look like in my relationships, or in my reactions to situations with which I’m confronted? How can I bring “grace” into settings around me that are ugly and Godless? How can I make “grace” more than just a word?
For a book that we’re writing, Martha and I had a chance to interview Lindsay, a young middle school teacher in the Bronx. Most of her students, because of the conditions they live in, are hopeless. Often, they react to their situations in very destructive and hurtful ways. But Lindsay understands that God has called her to love them anyway. She knows she must bring grace into those kids’ lives.
“On the first day of school,” she said, “the first thing I tell them is ‘I’ve been thinking about you all summer. I love you already. You may not believe this, but you can’t earn my love. You can make straight A’s and have perfect behavior all year, or you can get detention three times a week, and I’m going to love you the same.’ And then I spend all year trying to prove it.”
That is grace extended. That’s what the word really means.
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
I Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)
No matter our political affiliation, God has called us to pray for our leaders. We have a great opportunity today, on Presidents’ Day, to gather the family together and do just that – pray for President Obama. Talk about what to pray – for protection, for wisdom, for his relationship with God. Then, pray that as Christians, we have the freedom and the heart to live out our faith and make a difference in our world.
Here are some more ideas about how your family can celebrate this Presidents’ Day:
Learn more about the American Presidents. The National Park Service has a section on their website,http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/pres/trivia.htm , entitled “Just For Fun: Presidential Trivia”. You’ll find some interesting facts about every U. S. President there.
A Presidential Project. If you have elementary school children and older, give each member of you family a project for this week. Let them choose an American president , research his life and put together a presentation about him. Then, next weekend, have a time when each family member makes his presentation.
If I was President... Let each family member take their turn as “president”. Hold a press conference and allow all the other members of the family, the “White House press corps”, ask questions about the “president’s” policies and ideas about the future. This one might be worth putting on video for posting at http://www.youtube.com , or http://www.tangle.com, the “family-friendly Christian social network.”
Here's an idea that could change the way you do Valentine's Day forever. Call you family together tomorrow for your usual celebration, then, afterwards, discuss something that you all could do together as a “Valentine for Jesus” – a special offering, an outreach or a service project in which everyone participates. Make this day a time to give love too!
I love you. No, I really mean it. I do. At least, that’s what I’m working on these days.
I’m not sure who’s reading this right now, but, you might be someone who’s a part of that small inner circle of people that I love desperately. I’ll take a moment in the next few days, as Valentine’s Day approaches, to let you know how much I love you. Martha, you’re so easy to love. I can say without any hesitation that my love for you is limitless. You’ve been the love of my life for 30 years, and I long for at least 30 more. Anne and Matt, I could have never imagined the amazing people you’ve become. You’ve been such a joy! I’ve always loved you so much, and I always will. Robbie, I’m thankful for the man that you are, and that Anne picked you to be a part of our family. You’re not only my son-in-law, you’re my friend. And then there’s Josiah. How can anybody work their way so deep in my heart in just a few months? You’re G-Diddy’s little man. To my Mom, and all my other family members, I’m so blessed to have you in my life. All my close friends, you know who you are, are a source of encouragement and strength and a whole lot of good times. These are all the folks that I have no problem loving. Even during those challenging times, I can’t let go of them.
But we have a higher calling. If we want to love like Jesus loved, we’re not allowed to write anyone off – not the unknown and, definitely not the unlovable. We can’t hold them at arm’s length, and we can’t walk away, because that’s the way He loves. And I’m really glad about that. Because, you see, I’m one of the unlovable ones. Because of my failures and frailties, He could have given up on me. If I were God, I’d have probably already turned my back, out of sight, out of mind. But He loves me so much that He gave, and keeps on giving and giving. Thank God.
I’m challenged to love like Jesus loves. Not just on Valentine’s Day, when loving is the thing to do. But all the time, no matter the situation, no matter the circumstances.
When clouds veil sun, and disaster comes
Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul!
When waters rise, and hope takes flight
Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul!
Ever faithful, ever true, You I know
You never let go. You never let go.
You never let go. You never let go,
When clouds brought rain, and disaster came.
Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul!
When waters rose, and hope had flown
Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul!
Oh, my soul overflows.
Oh, what love, oh, what love.
Oh, my soul fills with hope,
Perfect love that never lets go.
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain, in sun and rain
You’re the same. Oh, You never let go.
“You Never Let Go”
Written by David Crowder, Mike Hogan & Mike Dodson
It's almost here! One of my favorite days of the year – Super Bowl Sunday! It really doesn’t matter that neither the Arizona Cardinals nor the Pittsburgh Steelers are among my favorite teams, the days leading up to the Big Game really get me fired up. All the hype, the prognostications, and the analysis is often more exciting than the game itself.
A couple of Super Bowls ago, one of the pre-game interviews completely captured my attention. Within the professional sports culture, we hear so many tales of boys behaving badly, so when I heard Samkon Gado’s story, I was amazed.
When Martha and I began writing our second book, I knew that we needed to include Samkon’s story. We spent over an hour on the phone with him, and it was refreshing and inspiring. He’s walking by faith, trusting God to move him day-by day to the place that he can serve Him and others most effectively. “I don’t want to presume about where the Lord will have me serve,” he said. “I’ll just wait and let God unfold it for me one piece at a time. I’m praying, ‘God, just send me wherever I can be the most useful.’”
His NFL career has been a roller coaster ride. The year after this video appeared, Samkon was released by the Houston Texans and signed for a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins. Then, when the Dolphins didn't renew his contract this year, he began preparations to enter medical school. But before he could complete the entrance requirements, the St. Louis Rams called on him to finish the season with them. Just this week, Samkon signed a new contract with the Rams for the upcoming 2009 season.
In the interview with us, Samkon, the son of African missionaries, told us that he knew that God had called Him to someday return to his native Nigeria as a medical missionary. Until that door opens, God has burned a picture into Samkon’s heart. He sees it when he closes his eyes at night, when the cheering crowd is quiet and the stadium’s lights are dark. “I see an image of people living in absolute misery, with no hope, and no future. God wants me to bring hope and healing to those people. He wants me to show them Jesus.”
This post started simply enough. It was just going to provide a link for you to hear an interview that we did on WCTS radio in Minnesota. And, here it is...
http://www.box.net/shared/h6evftms1e
Then, in the midst of a bit of personal reminiscence and some inspired illumination, my very basic post began to evolve. I thought it would be nice to close my initial entry with a “shout out” to Alex. He’s our “technical guru” who set up the download of the interview from the WCTS website. What I was struggling with, he made very easy. It didn’t cost me anything other than the expected ribbing from Alex, that it was such a simple task that I should have been able to figure it out for myself. He enjoys doing that whenever he gets the chance.
Alex and his wife Sara are a part of our Sunday School class for families. We love having them in there every week! They’re newlyweds and bring a unique perspective to our class. But our history goes much further back than that. Alex has been in SOME class that we were teaching since he was in middle school. Through his teen years, and now into adulthood, we’ve watched him become a man, and he has become my friend. But, wait, it gets even better. Alex’s mother, Jackie is a part of our Sunday morning class, too. We first became acquainted with her just a few years back (thirty-something?!), when we were her youth pastors and she was just in high school. You can always depend on Alex’s Aunt Mae, another of our youth ministry alumnae, and Uncle Roger in that Sunday School classroom. They have become among our very dearest friends. And, then, in the morning worship service, Martha and I find a seat next to Alex’s grandmother, Lula, who greets us with a big smile and a hug.
So I started thinking about how unusual that probably is, in today’s culture and in a big city with a large transient military population. But, then I realized that, though it’s noteworthy now, it’s probably what church was always intended to be - people sharing life and faith, encouragement and accountability. Church offers lifetime relationships that serve as a springboard for each of us to be about our mission. It’s not about a building, or even a Sunday School class or a morning worship service, even though those things are important. Church is about people and our connection to each other. The book of Acts calls it “koinonia.” I’m thankful that God thought it was so important that he placed people like Alex and his family in my life.
God interrupted routines, beginning by sending Gabriel to give incredible news to Mary, to Elizabeth, to Zacharias, to Joseph, to the shepherds. 
