Movie time with my beauty queen

Take the Blanket off!

I can remember when I was a little kid I shared a room with my older brother. So my sleep time was pretty stress free until my parents hooked me up with my own room. On the outside and in the daylight this was an awesome deal. I had my own room and so did Chris. But on the inside of me and when the lights went out it wasn’t that great of an idea. I would get scared when I heard sounds, saw shadows or started thinking about things I had scene on TV. And my only defense to these extremely scary situations was to pull the blanket over my head and think the bad guys couldn’t see me. The reality was there was nothing there and if there was the blanket was not any protection at all.
I still do the blanket thing today. I just do it in a different way. We live in a scary world. A world full of poverty, natural disasters, sickness, starvation and much more. A world that looks much better under our blanket. Because under my blanket I can control my little world. I can ignore all the “bad” stuff going on outside. I can live like those situations don’t exist. But what does God ask of us? In Micah 6:8 we are told, “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires(God) of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” So how can we hide under our blankets? How can we hide in our own little world that is working just the way we want it to?
Ask yourself these questions today and everyday:
1. Am I doing what is right? In my life, in the life of my family, in my community, and in my world?
2. Do I love mercy? Does my heart break for those in need and what am I doing about it? It’s not enough to be moved inside with compassion and no action on the outside.
3. Am I humble? Do I see life as a gift from God? Do I understand that apart from Christ I can do nothing worth doing?
How do I see myself compared to others?

Honestly, this world will always have needs. Every time we take the blanket off our heads we will see the severity of this life. We may not be able to change the life of all the starving children in Africa, Haiti, or the United States. You may not be able to rebuild the city of Joplin, MO or the country of Japan. But what we can do is take the blanket off our heads, open our eyes to the needs and help one person at a time. Today, make a difference in the life of one person. Offer a smile, a meal, a hug, a prayer, pay a bill, buy their gas, send them clothes, donate money or whatever. But whatever it is, don’t pass up a chance to impact a life today. Take your blanket off your head and join the real world and lets see what we can do “one life at a time.”

Attitude Protection

It is amazing how quickly Christmas has come around again. I literally feels like last month I was taking down the lights on the house and putting the tree up in the attic.
There is no doubt Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. My kids love it too. They love the fact they get out of school and have lots of fun things to do with school and church activities. But those same activities they love can add another level of busyness on our already crazy schedule. From Christmas shopping to school activities we stay pretty busy. With that busy schedule my attitude can get a little on edge. One of my constant challenges is found in Philippians 2:5. This verse reads, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” This is my goal in life, but it is a goal I often fall short of.

Recently I was reading a book called “Refuel” by Doug Fields that gave me a great heads up on how to protect my attitude. You see my attitude can go south at the drop of a ornament from the Christmas tree. I can change channels so quick I don’t even realize I did. The main culprit of my attitude can always be traced back to an empty spiritual tank. You see I tend to get so busy I miss out on that time with God and allowing him to just fill me with His attitude, patience and love for people. Fields points out several warning signs for us to keep our eye out for during this Christmas season to make sure we stay spiritually full so we enjoy this season and not dread it.

Here is a short list of just a few warning signs you can look for in your life:
- I’m more selfish with my time
- I’m impatient
- I lack compassion for those hurting
- I’m more vulnerable to temptation
- I begin to act like I deserve certain things
- I’m short with people
- I’m disobedient
- I feel distant from God
- I’m cynical
- I find it more difficult to make good decisions
- My insecurities are more prevalent
- I begin to look to others to fill voids that I know only God can fill
- I’m critical-in speech as well as thought

Chances are as you are looking at this list there are several that you see as prominent signs of your spiritual tank being empty. My two are being cynical and critical. When I notice myself being more cynical and critical I realize I need some Jesus time. I need to focus on time with Him in order to protect my attitude during a hectic time of the year. But honestly this is a year around warning for me.

So how can you protect your attitude this season? I know for me it is filling my spiritual tank with as much of Jesus as possible. So today why don’t we make sure we don’t miss out on filling up that tank. Let’s make sure our attitude is the same as Jesus’. Find time to fill your tank today. It will make life more enjoyable for you and for those around you.

How to be a better parent?

As parents, my wife and I often get sidetracked from one of our most important ministries-our family!
We often get so busy being parents that we don’t get to be parents! Yes, I just said that! Sounds crazy doesn’t it. What I mean by this statement is we get so busy doing laundry, driving to soccer practice, working on homework, making school lunches, and everything else that comes with being a typical parent that we miss out on the best part and our greatest calling.
The best part and our greatest calling is our intentional investment in our kids lives. There is nothing wrong with all the above activities. They are a part of life, but they cannot be our life.
So how can we invest in our kids? Here are a few suggestions.
1. Spend time face to face talking and listening; mostly asking questions and listening to answers. Let them talk. We talk enough already.
2. Take them out one on one. This goes for your kids and for your spouse. Everyone needs one on one time that seems special not just because you have an extra 10 minutes to fill.
3. Share your mistakes and laugh about them. Let your kids know how you messed up and what you learned from it. It will teach them how to learn from their mistakes too.
4. Share what God is teaching you. Tell them the neat stuff God is doing in your life; what he is teaching you and how he is using you.
5. Talk about ministry opportunities you took advantage of. Did you help someone in the office? Did you mow your neighbors yard? Did you meet a new friend? What door did you walk through that gave you a chance to make a difference in someone’s life?
6. Bless them! Pray over them! Pray with them! Quote Numbers 6:24-26 to them daily. Eventually they will remind you if you forget.

These are some interesting suggestions. Suggestions I need to be more consistent with in my life as well. It is not easy, but in the long run worth it!
Don’t miss out on being a parent because you are too busy being a parent!

“In My Face”

This last week I had the chance to be challenged as a Christ-follower as it relates to me as a husband and as a father. I went to a Family Ministry conference that had its moments of greatness and also its moments of “someone please give me a 5 hour energy.” But at this conference God reminded me of some very practical and specific areas that I need to be leading the way in and not talking about how important they are to others.
Here goes! You ready?
1. I need to make my family a priority. Do they get the best of me or the left overs. Do I squeeze the time in with them or do I set it as important?
2. I need to bless my family which includes my wife and each of my children. Do I verbally encourage and build up my family individually? Or do I just assume they already know and leave it at that? I want to pray Numbers 6:24-26 over my kids and my wife daily.
3. I need to take the lead in helping my family grow in Christ. I need to make sure I’m the primary person in their life helping them grow in their relationship with Christ. It is not BJ’s, Scott’s or Jeremy’s job. I can’t do this unless I am growing in my relationship with God.
4. I need to date my wife. I need to treat her like I am still trying to win her affection. Do I open the door for her? Do I take her to dinner? Do I talk to her about her dreams? Do I listen? Do I listen while I am not watching TV? Do I talk about how great she is? Does she know that she she has rocked my world since I first saw her in 1991?
5. I need to date my daughters. Anna Beth and Parker need to be shown how a man should treat a lady. They need to see it with me and their mom and they need to experience it with me. Do I show them they are special? Do I treat them like a princess? Do they know that they should not settle? I need to listen more and talk less.
6. I need to make sure our house is fun. Do we play and laugh on purpose? Do I go out of my way to make sure my house is a great place to be. I want it to be a place they will always want to come back to when they move away.

None of these things are earth shattering. In fact, the majority of these things I have talked about as a Family Pastor at one point or another. But now it is time to stop talking and start doing. God got in my face and said “enough is enough! Time to get real!” We always can be better and do better. Be a better dad and a better husband today. Baby steps are always easier than giant leaps. I am still on baby steps but at least I am moving.

To Think Is Not Optional

One of my favorite activities in the world is what I call “no brain activity.”  A lot of times I will come home from work and all I want to do is sit down and think about nothing.  Most of the time this happens with a remote control in my hand, my feet propped up on the coffee table and the mighty TV on a sporting event.  You see I like to come home and just veg.  Everyday is not rough but sometimes those days just happen.  Maybe it is not a bad day but just busy.  We all have them.  But as much as I like to sit and not think about anything I still do.  I think about how stupid of a play that was they just ran.  I think about how bad a call the referee just made.  Sometimes it is not about the TV at all but about what needs to be done around the house or whatever.

Our brain never stops. We are constantly thinking whether we want to or not.  Oh there have been many times I have heard my parents say (often in a sarcastic manner), “What were you thinking?” or “Did you even think before you did that?”  In Romans 8 it sheds light on our thought processes when it comes to our options.  Just like there is no option on thinking there is only two options on how this is handled.

Romans 8:5-6 – Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.  But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

My thoughts can only go in one of two directions.  My choices in life and the way I live my life comes back to the way I think about things.  My thoughts drive me.  It all begins in my head.  My thoughts lead to actions.  So the questions is what am I thinking about?  That scares me.  Too often my mind resembles a battle ground.  The more I think about sinful things the more sinful I am. When I dwell on things of God then my actions reflect that thought journey.  So what do you think about?  Better yet, what do you feed your thoughts?  If you struggle with choices, if you battle with constantly doing things that don’t please God, or maybe you just are purposeless then your thoughts are defining you.  What you think about you become.

Thinking is not an option.  What you think about is.  So what are you thinking about now.  This is why in 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul challenges us to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.  Our struggle with sin begins in the mind.  How we think and what we think about sets the stage for our life actions.  So what are your thoughts?

We are in the Race

This year has been eventful. My oldest daughter is 12 years old and enjoying her 7th grade year. For years I watched parents of the students and their crazy lifestyle and thought “Why are you so busy?”  Now I know. Between volleyball, soccer, homework, friends, family and Grace Fellowship we meet ourselves coming and going. It has been interesting. He have managed and there is a system in place (kind of) but it is still nuts. The biggest issue is how do we stay parents, keep our marriage, keep our family and our sanity.

Here is what I have learned -
I have to manage my time so it won’t manage me.
I have to manage my schedule so it won’t manage me.
I have to manage my children so they don’t manage me.
I have to manage my life so it won’t manage me.

It ultimately boils down to my vision of my life.  Where do I want to be next year?  Where do I want to be in 5 years?  What is my life all about?

Jesus says in Matthew, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33)

My purpose and goal in life is to seek the Kingdom of God.  When this happens my whole life is put into perspective. It no longer is all about me and what I can get out of life.  It is even not about my kid being the best little league soccer player or football player in the area.  It is about me and my family seeking God and His purpose first and foremost.  So the next time I load up the chairs and head off to the soccer field I will ask myself is this Kingdom driven.  The next time you head off in all kinds of direction ask yourself this question – “Who’s kingdom am I trying to build?”

Too Grounded

Kristie and I have been married for 17 years this last August. It has been a total blast. 0ne of the things about our marriage we often joke about is how many different places we have lived. Let me take you on this short journey. We lived in a small rent house in Ruston, moved to an apartment in Fort Worth, then to the missionary house in Rockwall, to an apartment in Garland, then to another apartment in Garland, then an apartment in Deer Park, to a house, to an apartment in Ruston, to a house in Ruston, to an apartment in Lewisville, to an apartment in Flower Mound, to a house in Nacogdoches, to an apartment in then to a rent house, then to a rent house in Decatur and now we live in a house in Rhome. Did you enjoy that trip? I wish we could say we did but it has been quite interesting. So in the midst of this fun 17 years we have longed for stability and a place to stop. But is that always the best thing?
This morning I was reading in Numbers(9:15-23) where God had blessed His chosen people with a fiery cloud that lead them toward the promise land. It would rest on the tabernacle and when it moved the people moved. They had to be ready at any point in time to take up their household and follow the Lord. The Israelites could be at one location for a day or months. They simply were ready to “go!” They were ready to go wherever and whenever the fiery cloud led them. That was their life. But is it our life!
Too many of us have too deep of roots, whether they are financial holes we have dug, fear of the unknown or family roots deeper than an Oak tree. In the midst of trying to establish roots we limit ourselves to being completely open to go and do exactly what God ask. I know it would be hard for me to take up my tent and go; I have a job, a house payment, two car payments, a two year contract with Dish Network and I have to manage my Fantasy Football Team every week.
Not saying we need to live in tents but maybe we need to work toward having less things strapping us down and more free to go where God wants us to go and do what God wants us to do. Just a thought! Not easy but maybe worth thinking about in the middle of some challenging times.

Life is more than just living

I am a routine guy. I like things to always go the same way. I like to wake up at the same time, do the same thing, and whatever you do please do not jack with my schedule. It just kind of messes everything up. But the downside of this way of living is I just begin to go through the motions. I get done what needs to get done but I that is just about it. You see my life just becomes about survival. It has no purpose or direction. I am just living!
Then I read this week in Acts 20 some words written by Paul. He wrote “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”(Acts 20:24) Here is the challenge that hit me as I read that one verse; what is my life worth. I can accomplish my “to do” list for the day. I can make sure all he bills are paid. I can clean up the kitchen after dinner tonight but unless I am finishing the task given to me by Jesus Christ my life is worthless. It is not about success, it is not about getting the job done-it is about making sure that people all around me see and understand who Jesus Christ is. That is where live becomes more than just living. That is where life and purpose intersect. Life is too short to be worthless. I want my life to be worth more than just a bank account, a house or a car. People are worth it! I want to live a life that is worth living!

Never Good Timing

When is a good time to help people?
If we feel nice we would answer anytime they need help. But honestly, it is never a good time. The majority of the time we are presented with the chance to help others we are busy doing something else. Some times it is just the regular living of life. It is work. It is school. It is lunch break. It is soccer practice.  Whatever it may be we tend to miss the chance.

Monday is the day I usually take off during the week.  This last Monday I had several things on my list to get done.  One of those items was my wife’s car needed the oil changed and tires rotated.  Then I was going to head into the office for a couple of things and then back to the house.  Like normal I was running behind schedule and was in a little bit of a hurry to make up some time.  As I pulled out of my neighborhood I saw a car going the wrong direction on the other side of the road in the grassy median.  As I drove past the car I noticed someone was still in it.  So I pulled off, backed up and got out of my car.  As I ran across Hwy 114 and the grass I realized it was a young person and she was noticeably shaken up.  I opened the door and saw her shaking and tears coming down her face.  The accident had just happened and she was real upset.  She was fine and I really could do very little other than talk with her till someone she had called could get there.  So I did just that.  In 20 minutes I was back on my way later than ever.  But that young lady had calmed down enough to at least talk.

Was me stopping convenient?  Was it part of my schedule?  Did I have that 20 minutes blocked off on my calendar?  No!  But compassion is never convenient.  In Matthew 14 Jesus hears about the murder of his cousin John the Baptist.  Immediately he leaves and heads off to be by himself.  But as soon as he gets to a quiet place the masses surround him again.  In verse 14 is where I find my challenge.  It says, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”  

There is never a good time for compassion.  It almost always is inconvenient.  It almost always comes at a time when life is too busy.  But the people needed compassion.  The young lady in the car needed compassion. Somebody today in my life and in yours will need compassion.  Will we miss it because it is not a good time? I hope I don’t.