Oh Dear, it's a deer!

After spending some great quality time with family over the Christmas break, we made our usual trek from Statesville to Fuquay Varina.  We were engaged in normal conversation when a rather large buck decided to play a game of tag.  We were about 5 miles east of Siler City on Highway 64 when this huge animal jumped right in front of our car.  We hit him, I hit the brakes, Lisa screamed, Mary's eye grew large...all within three seconds.  Fortunately, the air bags didn't deploy, and no one was hurt or slightly injured.  Except maybe for the car...only $3750 worth of damages, but thank you Allstate for taking care of that.

As you can see, the Buick decal is missing.  I watched it fly over the car the moment after impact, and no doubt it's firmly detailed on the side of the buck.  So if you know of someone in Chatham county, let the know to look out for the buck with the Buick emblem.

I'm most thankful for God's protective care that night.  It could have been much, much worse.  For whatever reason, we endured that episode and are much more cognizant of deer roaming around the roads and highways.

As for the buck, he didn't get knocked down. He merely lost his balance, but quickly regained it and continued to jaunt across the highway into the woods.  Oh well, maybe next time I come across a buck, I will be armed with a gun while seated in a tree stand.  Until then, be careful and watch out for those amazing creatures.

Giving

I believe that God is always teaching us to be “bucket fillers” in life.  Givers and not takers.  This lesson is learned at an early age and then repeated throughout his or her lifetime.  Are you a giver?  Do you seek to use others for your benefit?  Are you concerned with the bottom line?

The following link is for the story of Hattie May Wiatt and her 57 cents that helped build much needed space for Sunday School for a church outside Philadelphia, PA.

http://library.temple.edu/collections/scrc/hattie

Obviously she was a giver.  She sought to give others a chance to hear about Christ and learn more about God.  We often over look small gifts, but when this is placed in the context of 1886, her small gift represent one of great sacrifice.

Whenever a penny came into her possession, she was tempted like most children, to spend it on candy or a small toy.  She could have easily misplaced it.  She could have shared it with someone else.  However, she had a purpose in mind: to help others learn about God.  She saved her precious pennies to make an impact in this world.  Because of her sacrifice, many children came to hear, learn, and know about God’s love expressed through Christ.

May we too learn about such sacrificial giving in 2012 in hopes of being bucket fillers in a world obsessed with taking.  May Christ be glorified in our giving.

Concert of Prayer

Last night I attended the Concert of Prayer for Wake County.  The ground work for this event started over a year ago with monthly prayer gatherings.  Don Rayno was instrumental in being used by God to bring this together.  He met with many pastor prayer groups to bring unity.  The last one was conducted was almost 16 years ago, and this has topped all expectations. 

When we gathered last night in the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, there was a sense of anticipation in what God would accomplish.  Almost 2000 people were present, and over 92 churches were represented.  Across denominational lines.  Across racial lines.  Across political lines.  Across socio-economic lines.  The people of God gathered for the express purpose to seek God in moving in the church and through the church.

The first 30 minutes we worshiped God through music.  Hearing all those voices sing praises to God helped me catch a glimpse of what heaven would be like.  Then several ministers led us in prayer with a focus on oneness in the church, and confession of: pride, arrogance, prayerlessness, lack of first love, not trusting and leaning on God, selfishness, critical spirit, lack of love for the unchurched, worldliness in the church, reproach on Christ, and the need for spiritual awakening.

Then we gathered in prayer huddles in the auditorium to repeat those prayers on a more personal level.

More worship music helped us segue into the second prayer emphasis…God moving through the church.  Prayers offered to God for the church to: go and make disciples; reach our neighbors; reach our youth; reach our schools/education; reach our regions marketplace; reach our urban/inner city; reach our poor, needy, homeless; reach our local government; reach those in jails/prisons; reach our state/nation; reach the nations of the world; reach the unreached peoples.  Then once more we gathered in prayer huddles to repeat those prayers.

Near the end, Don gathered us for a 30 second silent prayer that sent chills through me.  With all those people, there was complete silence.  Amazing.

A wonderful time of prayer, worship, and fellowship.  I am certainly looking forward to God answering these prayers in a way that only He can.  To God be the glory!!

View from our seats



Starting the Journey

I’ve heard that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  I’ve also heard that it is most difficult to take that first step.  I wonder why?  Why do we struggle with taking that first step?  In losing weight, getting physically fit, changing careers, improving relationships, improving faith, starting a journey of faith, or altering our patterns of choice…all are difficult in taking that first step.  Even when we KNOW we ought to, it’s a challenge.  Why?

I would also suggest that the disciples also struggled with taking that first step, but on most occasions, they yielded to God.  In the texts when Jesus calls the men to leave fishing nets, families, jobs, or careers, they respond obediently.  There may have been a moment or two of anxiety, but that did not prevent them from following the Master.

In our culture, my humble opinion, we place too much emphasis on comfort for the individual.  We ask wrong questions…will this make me more uncomfortable?  How much discomfort will this choice make?  How much discomfort can we endure before quitting?  Our starting point is wrong: focus on self.  So naturally the outcome will be fractured.

We should start with God.  Honoring, obeying, glorifying, and exalting His Name.  Next the questions should reflect that…how can this bring glory to God?  How can we exalt Christ through this challenge?  The starting point is correct and thus it will lead to a better conclusion.

Mary as a pirate at Krispy Kreme

Speaking of choices…my princess knows how to work the system.  When she is good and behaving appropriately, she knows to ask for items.  It’s more of a challenge to say “no” to a well behaved child than it is to a misbehaving child.  She struck gold at Busch Gardens recently when we had a weekend get-a-way.

Mary at Yankee Candle Outlet

She is loving the "fake" snow AND seeing Mr. Clause!

Laughter Brings More Laughter

From time to time, I often encounter moments of laughter with thanks from my friends and family members.  As is my custom, I laugh out loud.  Laughter has played a HUGE role in my life.  Laughter is my outlet for frustration, anger, disappointment, success, happiness, and joy.  Thanks to my family, I’ve had many occasions for laughter.  Usually at my own expense, but still laughter.

I love to laugh.  No matter if it’s a story, cartoon, movie, sitcom, or conversation.  Laughter is wonderful.  I love the subtle humor found in movies like:

O Brother Where Art Thou? “What a coincidence, me and Pete just got saved!”

The Outlaw Josie Wales “I ain’t yer Pa!” (I know some of you bewildered, but I LOVE this movie)

Pink Panther (original movies) - all the lines spoken with a terrible accent that most have a difficult time understanding.  Gold.
Home Alone - all scenes after they arrive to break into the house.
Support Your Local Sherriff - this is a classic.  Love it!

Just to name a few, but they all evoke a great memory.  My mom played a great role in helping to define laughter.  She would laugh at the cartoons we watched, regardless if she had seen it once or a thousand times.  She introduced my daughter to Tom and Jerry and still laughed at the appropriate times.  As do I.

Even in the darkest of times, she displayed a sense of humor that brought laughter.  My, how I miss hearing that laugh, but I’ve got it recorded in my brain so I can hear it along with my own.  It’s hard to believe that one year has come and gone since she graduated to God’s kingdom, but my grief is replaced with hope.  My sorrow is replaced with joy knowing that I’m headed to where she is now.  One day, I shall step into the chilly waters of the Jordan River, and see my Savior and Redeemer.  Then I shall see my family.  Hear laughter.  Share hugs.  That, will be a grand reunion…until then, take care.

First pic: Nancy and Dean sharing hug and laugh

Second pic: Nana and Mary getting ready to go

Third pic: Lisa and Mary self pic

Fourth pic: Nana and Mary "silly faces"

Emotions

There are times that I often feel so inadequate.  I feel like a failure as a husband, father, minister, and friend.  Feel.  Ah, there is the explanation: emotions.  Our human emotions cannot rule our hearts and lives.  They are fleeting.  They are incomplete.  They are troublesome.

Remember as a teenager, when we would say, “I love you, forever and ever!”  Then the next week, month, or year, we have moved on to someone else and expressed the same sentiment.  Emotions.  I heard the story of a young couple talking about life during the first year of marriage.  The young man asked, “Would you love me if I cheated on you?”  His new bride replied, “Yes.”  He then asked, “Would you love me if I lost my job?”  “Yes,” she replied.  “One more question,” he asked, “what if I was in a terrible accident and could not walk again, would you still love me?”  She smiled at him, and spoke with great compassion, “I will love you always and forever, because of my obedience to God, not because of your abilities or inabilities.”

She has learned that emotions cannot be trusted, but obedience will always trump emotions.

Don’t let the world sway you; choose obedience to God in seeing you through those terrible days that always leave you questioning your faith or existence.  In the big picture, God is with you desiring to move you out of your comfort zone to strengthen your faith and bring glory to Christ.  Yet, you still have to make the choice to allow God to do that in your life.  Trust me, I’ve constantly experienced the pitfalls of emotions, and the only remedy is obey and trust God.

Carpool. 5 year old. Passion.

This can be dangerous, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately.  Why does carpool take so long?  Why does a 5 year old possess so much power to make or break your day?  Why does free speech bring out passion in folk?  Why do we (and I mean we) neglect God’s Word so much?  Why are we so prone to make poor choices?  Not that I have any answers to these questions, but it’s worth pondering.

There are many things in life that can stir the passion in me, just to name a few: un-sportsmanship behavior, greed, selfishness, ignorance, and disrespect.  However, how about we look at our spiritual well being?  How do we measure our selves in respect to God’s Word and His desire for us to develop and mature in our walk of faith? 

Sadly, too often we have developed a “good enough” posture in the church.  (Let’s donate this to the church since we bought a new one…its good enough for the church.) 

We only want “just enough” of Christ to save us, but not to change us.  (Easy pastor.  I’m not going to serve in the church.  I just want to come once a week and throw a few dollars in the plate, hear some music, preaching, and then go home.  No commitment and no more time.)

No where in scripture do we find such thinking, so then where do we find this?

We have allowed Satan to quiet our passion in following God.  We’ve bought into an entitlement of our spiritual journey.  Looks similar to this:

                        I deserve this because____________.

                        I should be recognized because ____________.

                        I earned this because ___________.

The passion to follow God is not paved with emphasis on “I.”  Rather, it’s paved with self-less attitudes and behavior that bring glory and honor to Him and Him alone.

Just thinking a loud.  Hopefully, you too are now thinking. 

Carpool.  5 year old.  Passion.

Blessings,

Jack