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30 Years

Thirty years ago, Jan and I set out on a journey together. Through those years the path has had many twists and turns. We have gone through jobs lost and found, leaving old friends and getting to know new ones, saying goodbye to parents, and seeing our children grow up and go out on their own. Of course, we have also gone through many of the adjustments that married couples make as they get to know each other.

We both had wonderful examples of marriage from our parents, so as we started out, we determined from the start that divorce was not going to be an option. That commitment, along with the grace of God, has helped make our marriage strong. Of course, it’s easy to want to stay with someone who you’ve never fallen out of love with.

God has truly blessed me with a woman like Jan. She has a wonderful sense of humor, which is a requirement for living with someone like me. Her love for Christ is evident in her demeanor and the way she approaches life. Through the years, as I have watched her teach Josh and Jennie and her school students, I have clearly seen her love for others. Her quiet and gentle spirit has been a calming influence for me many times, as well as her ability to cut through the fog and bring clarity to my sometimes muddled mind.

Proverbs 31:10 says that a noble wife is worth far more than rubies. I know that to be true. In Jan, I have found a noble wife whose worth exceeds not only rubies, but all other things as well. I know that I am truly blessed, and I am awed by the love that the Father shows me through her. I cannot imagine what life would be like without her.

Happy 30th anniversary, Jan. May God grant us many more. I love you more than yesterday, and less than tomorrow.

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TGIF

After a warmer than usual June here in the sunny South, July’s temperatures have started out going in the opposite direction. We may see record low temperatures the next couple of nights. Of course, that makes the days and nights much more comfortable.

I know that all of you missed TGIF terribly last week, so we’ll get right to the links:

Ministering money the New Testament way.
The power of love.
Surprise!
This should be interesting.
This should be great!

Tough question.
Just in case you’re looking for a new way for your church to celebrate the 4th. Just be careful what you worship.
Christian porn.
Funny.

Great price for a “fixer-upper” of sorts. (HT: Scot McKnight)
Maybe some people have too much time on their hands.
Knit together by grace.
Discipleship and a lawn mower.

Have a great weekend! If you set off fireworks, please don’t blow yourself up.

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Home Improvement

A church near us has a sign that reads, “For home improvement, bring the family to church.” When I first saw the sign, a number of thoughts ran through my mind. I was able to catch some of them before they ran away.

The first thought was how much I have come to disagree with the idea of “going to church.” It may a bit nit-picky, but I believe that the modern mindset that church is somewhere we go or an event we attend is a large part of the problem with evangelicalism. When “church” is a place or an event, then it becomes just a part of our lives, much like a club or other organization. We attend church, like we attend a play or a concert, and many times the result is the same. We invite people to events at church, hoping that they will like what they see enough to come back. This mindset can also bring about a spirit of competition between congregations. The dirty secret among many churches is that much “church growth” comes from folks moving from one church to another.

Another thought is that the sign reveals a mindset that “church” is the source of all the answers. If you just bring your family to church, everything will be fine. Along with this comes the moaning about all the kids who grow up in church and leave as soon as they get away home. Does anyone else see the contradiction? If taking your family to church was as effective as the sign seems to suggest, young people would be staying in church. A few years ago I heard a pastor of a prominent mega-church state that the hope of the world is the local church. This is the same view that the organization called church is what the world needs. The church is the “pillar and ground of the truth,” but that truth is Christ. It is only when the church is wrapped up in Christ that it can provide any hope.

The third thought that came to mind is that the key to home improvement is found in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” What would our homes be like if husbands actually began doing that?

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World Vision Wednesday

For those of you who, like me, have heard of “blood diamonds” and the atrocities they have financed, here is a story of something that those of us who use electronic devices need to be aware of.

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TGIF

I am spending most of this weekend coaching basketball at a team camp, so TGIF is taking a break this week.

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Church as Family

This past Sunday in our gathering, we were talking about gathering together as a church, and what it means to be a church. One of the points that was made was that we aren’t the church because we gather together, but that we gather together because we are the church, and we gather together as the church because we are family. We are children of our heavenly Father, therefore we are brothers and sisters. As Sister Sledge sang back in the day, we are family.

Now the term family conjures up different pictures for different people, some good and some bad. For me, regardless of the picture presented in many TV shows, the idea of church as family means several things. First, it means that we carry the same spiritual DNA. We have the Spirit of God within us, and we are God’s children. We are one because we have the same Father. The second thing family means is loyalty. The saying “blood is thicker than water” can be applicable here. People will do almost anything for those in their family, sometimes going to outrageous lengths. As I was growing up, my sister and I would tease each other and get into arguments from time to time, but woe to anyone outside our family who would try to hurt the other. Jan and I have also stressed that attitude of loyalty with Josh and Jennie.

Another aspect of family is the idea that certain responsibilities come with being a family member. Certain things are expected simply because of who you are. Of course, we all fail at different times, so one of those responsibilities is forgiving and restoring the erring family member. That is sometimes hard to do, but we do it because we are family. A fourth thing that family means is a willingness to give help when it is needed, and to receive help when we need it. This a two-sided coin. On the one hand we are ready to give to family when it is necessary. The flip side of that is being willing to ask for help. It’s easy sometimes to help others, but it can be a difficult thing to ask for help. Difficult, but necessary.

The final and most important thing I see in family is love. Love makes all the other things possible, and it is because of God’s love that we are family. Love can be difficult, even in families. Love opens us up and leaves us vulnerable, and sometimes family members hurt us. Sometimes we may be very good at extending love to others, but have a hard time receiving it from others. Both are needed in a family. Love, given and received, is the oil that makes a family run smoothly.

May God help us to be fully functional family.

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Fathers’ Day

Today is a day when fathers are remembered. It is a day of feelings, some good, and some bad. There are many who have loving Fathers, and today is a day of celebration. Others have absent or abusive fathers, and today is a day of hurt feelings. Still others have fathers who have passed on, and today is a day of remembrance. For me, this fourth Father’s Day since Dad passed away has been such a day.

Along with remembering my own father, I have been thinking today of the great privilege it is to be a father. This is my twenty-eighth Fathers’ Day, and I can say that I have been blessed beyond measure with my son and daughter. Those years have had their ups and downs, but I wouldn’t give them up for anything.

They say that having a child come into your life changes things, and that is certainly true. Not only does it change your lifestyle, it also causes you to become a student again. The lessons are not presented in a classroom, but are taught right in the middle of life. Sometimes the lessons are simple, and only need to be learned once. Other times the lessons are hard, and need to be repeated. The classroom is also a place of danger, for unlike an algebra or science lesson, failure to learn can have negative life-changing results. On the flip side, successful learning can have results that can be amazing.

*WARNING!* BRAGGING ALERT!

My heavenly Father has been gracious to me. Through the years of teaching and learning, Josh and Jennie have grown into young adults who are a source of great pride to Jan and me. They successfully navigated the teenage years, and have done well in the world of higher education. Josh has earned an undergraduate degree in mass communications, and a Master’s in architecture (anyone know of any firms that are hiring? 🙂 ). Jennie earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and photography, and created the marketing department at a visual effects studio in Los Angeles (look up Stargate Studios on youtube). I am confident that both of them will be successful in what their careers.

The thing that brings me more joy than their academic and career success is the knowledge that both of them have grown into responsible, caring individuals who are not afraid to walk a different path. They both have a heart for helping those less fortunate, and seeing God’s justice carried out in this world. If you are fortunate to have one of them as your friend, you have a friend that is loyal.

They are not afraid to ask questions, and are not satisfied with stock answers. Their relationship with Jesus has not followed what some would say is standard path, but their love for him is evident. The Father has had his hand on each of them from birth, and he is forming them into the image of Jesus. The Kingdom will benefit from the grace and glory of God shining through them.

As you may have guessed by now, I am extremely proud of my children and grateful to God for allowing me the awesome privilege of being their father. Josh and Jennie, I love you beyond words, and I am thankful for you.

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TGIF

This past week has been busy. I am driving a shuttle bus for a local camp. In the mornings I pick campers up in Charlotte, and in the evening I take them back. In the time in between I have been coaching my junior varsity girls basketball team in summer league. Tuesday night we got together with my friends at St. Thomas, and Thursday night we had dinner with other members of the camp staff. Along with that, Josh and I have been able to spend some time together watching World Cup matches. Good times.

Here is the good stuff:

Donald Miller has a message for Fathers’ Day.
Sometimes it’s just plain hard. (Tissue warning)
Put this guy on television.
Knowledge vs. knowing.
Longing for Paradise.

Wooden Gold.
A different way of seeing guardian angels.
Using the Bible to avoid God.
Eagles and hummingbirds.
Rethinking the “still small voice.”

Have a great weekend. Sunday is Fathers’ Day, so all you dads out there, have a good one.