As I stood outside my front door on Monday night, I witnessed an unbelievable scene.
The climatological 'stars' aligned and freezing rain coated every outdoor surface over the northern 1/3 of the state of Arkansas... and a surreal scene unfolded.
The cold rain quickly turned every branch on every tree into an ice brick, and every tree in sight began to groan under the weight... and finally gravity won as the tops of trees began to crack like so many rifle reports across the quiet countryside. Huge trees - many of which had seen two world wars and the great depression and the turn of the century - literally split down the middle and crashed to the earth below.
Never have I seen the sights I saw and heard the sounds I heard on Monday and Tuesday. The scene will remain burned into my memory for the rest of my life, as tree after tree cracked and broke and fell to the ground.
Power lines and telephone cable gave way... some because of the sheer weight of the 2 inches of ice which had collected on them, and others because giant trees crashed down on them.
By Tuesday night, half a million people had lost electricity. As I write this on Friday evening, only about one fourth of us have power...
There are lots of lessons me and my family learned over the last week.
We were blessed indeed. Our power went out at noon Tuesday and returned Thursday about 4 pm... Throughout, we have had a gas log fireplace (which my smart wife told me to 'flip on' before we lost power) and hot water (our water heater is gas-powered) for showers. It is amazing how much 'for granted' we take these small blessings...
Please pray that everyone can be warm and safe, and that power is restored to everyone quickly.
(our local radio station has some terrific pictures of the devastation http://www.ktlo.com/09icestorm.php )
more later...
God Bless
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
He wants your heart
What does God need from us?
nothing.
What does He want from us?
does He want our praise? does He want our time? does He want our '90 minutes a week'? does He want our money? does He want our things?
the answer to theses and a thousand other questions just like them can only be a 'YES' if it is as a part of His wanting our all.
Otherwise, He doesn't want any of it. He certainly doesn't need it.
We read that faith without works is dead in James' letter.
..but in what we like to call the 'love chapter' of the Bible, Paul clearly states that works (and faith, for that matter) without the heart is equally useless.
He wants our heart... period. If He has that, He has everything we have to offer.
Blessings!
nothing.
What does He want from us?
does He want our praise? does He want our time? does He want our '90 minutes a week'? does He want our money? does He want our things?
the answer to theses and a thousand other questions just like them can only be a 'YES' if it is as a part of His wanting our all.
Otherwise, He doesn't want any of it. He certainly doesn't need it.
We read that faith without works is dead in James' letter.
..but in what we like to call the 'love chapter' of the Bible, Paul clearly states that works (and faith, for that matter) without the heart is equally useless.
He wants our heart... period. If He has that, He has everything we have to offer.
Blessings!
Friday, January 23, 2009
settling in or just settling?
I had a football coach once who preached against 'satisfaction'....
"Never be satisfied" was his mantra. And I get it... he wanted us to always be about getting better. He did not want us to rest for a second, even when we beat arch rival Harrison for the third straight year!
And as Christians, I suppose we need a bit of that as well... we should never be satisfied with 'just getting by' or 'the status quo' when we can improve.
I have always thought of it as a sort of healthy tension between satisfaction and complacency.
I know God wants us to have peace. I'm talking about His peace, not our definition: "the lack or opposite of war".
But I confess I struggle with knowing the difference between settling in or just settling...
With regard to churches, many church plants start with grand, God-filled, Spirit-led ideas; then a certain 'settling in' occurs; and I believe that's natural, and probably should not alarm us....
But what if the 'settling in' becomes 'settling for'?
When a church is first starting, there's a lot of chaos and excitement and 'noise'. Not all of the chaos and excitement and noise is good, but it is exhilarating! As a church finds its identity, there are certain natural steps which seem to occur... some are probably positive while others are neutral, and some seem to be not so positive.
Think of the 'life cycle' of most churches you have been involved in. (If you were blessed to be a part at the start, you know what I'm talking about.)
It seems to me that there are several 'pivot points' in this life cycle which set the course for a church... while there are numerous decisions that are made along the way, these pivot points - at least to me - almost inexorably "tie" a church to a specific direction...
and - again, my opinion - it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to return to a previous 'pivot point' and change the decision (that's why I call them pivot points :-))
let me know what you think of these as pivot points:
"Never be satisfied" was his mantra. And I get it... he wanted us to always be about getting better. He did not want us to rest for a second, even when we beat arch rival Harrison for the third straight year!
And as Christians, I suppose we need a bit of that as well... we should never be satisfied with 'just getting by' or 'the status quo' when we can improve.
I have always thought of it as a sort of healthy tension between satisfaction and complacency.
I know God wants us to have peace. I'm talking about His peace, not our definition: "the lack or opposite of war".
But I confess I struggle with knowing the difference between settling in or just settling...
With regard to churches, many church plants start with grand, God-filled, Spirit-led ideas; then a certain 'settling in' occurs; and I believe that's natural, and probably should not alarm us....
But what if the 'settling in' becomes 'settling for'?
When a church is first starting, there's a lot of chaos and excitement and 'noise'. Not all of the chaos and excitement and noise is good, but it is exhilarating! As a church finds its identity, there are certain natural steps which seem to occur... some are probably positive while others are neutral, and some seem to be not so positive.
Think of the 'life cycle' of most churches you have been involved in. (If you were blessed to be a part at the start, you know what I'm talking about.)
It seems to me that there are several 'pivot points' in this life cycle which set the course for a church... while there are numerous decisions that are made along the way, these pivot points - at least to me - almost inexorably "tie" a church to a specific direction...
and - again, my opinion - it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to return to a previous 'pivot point' and change the decision (that's why I call them pivot points :-))
let me know what you think of these as pivot points:
- what is our purpose or mission statement?
- where do we meet? (this one permeates the process several times during the cycle)
- what is the name of our 'gathering of folks'?
- do we hire a preacher or do we handle those duties? (see how presumptuous my mind is? I'm assuming - like most folks do - that our 'church' will behave like every other church with one 'speaker' and many 'listeners'... do you see how our habits and traditions can lead us down a path almost subconsciously?)
- as (or if) we grow, how do we handle that growth? (do we form a committee and see about renting space for our activities - like worship, etc - or do we try to continue to meet in homes... or do we purchase a building... or do we buy land and build a building?)
those are just a few to begin.... can you see how, at each point, the 'direction' is firmly set?
so how do we guard against simply 'doing it' like it's always been done? and is it ok to do it like it's always been done? or do we need to consider that the way it's always been done is not in harmony with God and Jesus and the Biblical example?
just thinking...
Blessings!
Monday, January 19, 2009
the right man in the left seat
150 people boarded flight 1549 last Thursday morning. One man was heading for a fishing trip with his brothers and dad... another was heading to Denver for a presentation... another family was excited to be breaking away for an extended ski weekend.
and none of them expected to be standing on the wings of the A320 Airbus as it sank into the Hudson River 10 minutes later (but I bet all of them were wishing they had paid better attention to the flight attendant as she did her little safety speech..). A scant 3 minutes after takeoff, flight 1549 encountered a flock of geese, several of which were ingested into both engines... and with a pair of brilliant explosions, this 85-ton engineering masterpiece became a very ungainly glider with very little altitude.
It is not terribly uncommon for ducks and geese to disable jet engines... but when they disable both engines on a twin engine aircraft, it gets really serious in a hurry. 27 years ago (almost to the day), Air Florida flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River shortly after takeoff from National Airport in D.C. 78 people died in that crash.
and that's what makes the rest of this story so remarkable!
Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger was at the controls of flight 1549 last Thursday... and everyone survived!
Sullenberger spent practically his whole life preparing for the five-minute crucible that was US Airways Flight 1549.
A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who flew F-4 fighter planes while in the Air Force, he got his pilot's license at 14, flew fighter jets in the Air Force, investigated air disasters, mastered glider flying and even studied the psychology of how cockpit crews behave in a crisis.
Two years ago, Sullenberger started a California consulting firm, Safety Reliability Methods. It advertises itself as offering companies ways to apply the latest safety advances from "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation."
When the ultimate test came on a descent over the Hudson River, he spoke into the intercom only once and gave perhaps the most terrifying instruction a pilot can give — "Brace for impact" — with remarkable calm.
One Airplane expert commented that "while all pilots are highly trained for every eventuality, there are perhaps a half dozen pilots on the planet who are as uniquely qualified as Captain Sullenberger for this specific set of circumstances..." a fighter pilot... a glider pilot (are you kidding me?)... owner of an air traffic safety consulting firm (wow).... a student of how pilots react in a crisis (you're joking, right?!!?)
As passenger after passenger were interviewed after being fished from the Hudson, each had a different take on the crash... but everyone agreed that the pilot saved their lives. and for the families of the all the passengers and crew on flight 1549, I'll bet they agree on one thing:
God placed the right man in the left seat.
and none of them expected to be standing on the wings of the A320 Airbus as it sank into the Hudson River 10 minutes later (but I bet all of them were wishing they had paid better attention to the flight attendant as she did her little safety speech..). A scant 3 minutes after takeoff, flight 1549 encountered a flock of geese, several of which were ingested into both engines... and with a pair of brilliant explosions, this 85-ton engineering masterpiece became a very ungainly glider with very little altitude.
It is not terribly uncommon for ducks and geese to disable jet engines... but when they disable both engines on a twin engine aircraft, it gets really serious in a hurry. 27 years ago (almost to the day), Air Florida flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River shortly after takeoff from National Airport in D.C. 78 people died in that crash.
and that's what makes the rest of this story so remarkable!
Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger was at the controls of flight 1549 last Thursday... and everyone survived!
Sullenberger spent practically his whole life preparing for the five-minute crucible that was US Airways Flight 1549.
A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who flew F-4 fighter planes while in the Air Force, he got his pilot's license at 14, flew fighter jets in the Air Force, investigated air disasters, mastered glider flying and even studied the psychology of how cockpit crews behave in a crisis.
Two years ago, Sullenberger started a California consulting firm, Safety Reliability Methods. It advertises itself as offering companies ways to apply the latest safety advances from "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation."
When the ultimate test came on a descent over the Hudson River, he spoke into the intercom only once and gave perhaps the most terrifying instruction a pilot can give — "Brace for impact" — with remarkable calm.
One Airplane expert commented that "while all pilots are highly trained for every eventuality, there are perhaps a half dozen pilots on the planet who are as uniquely qualified as Captain Sullenberger for this specific set of circumstances..." a fighter pilot... a glider pilot (are you kidding me?)... owner of an air traffic safety consulting firm (wow).... a student of how pilots react in a crisis (you're joking, right?!!?)
As passenger after passenger were interviewed after being fished from the Hudson, each had a different take on the crash... but everyone agreed that the pilot saved their lives. and for the families of the all the passengers and crew on flight 1549, I'll bet they agree on one thing:
God placed the right man in the left seat.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
a nice place to visit...
So I've been in Atlanta this entire week for a sales conference... slightly more exciting than watching grass grow... (no, really pretty interesting...)
haven't taken time to post in a week or so, and I need to assuage my guilt!
so my brain is sorta fried and I got nothing burning in my brain that requires comment here... other than this: as much as I enjoy traveling to new and different places, I am always ready to go home.
and I do want to say how much I appreciate your reading this and commenting.
God Bless!
haven't taken time to post in a week or so, and I need to assuage my guilt!
so my brain is sorta fried and I got nothing burning in my brain that requires comment here... other than this: as much as I enjoy traveling to new and different places, I am always ready to go home.
and I do want to say how much I appreciate your reading this and commenting.
God Bless!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
what are we to be about?
I've been traveling a bit over the past week, and am scheduled to be in Atlanta this week... so that's my lame excuse for not posting since the 2nd! sorry....
anyhow, Lynn and Joy joined us for dinner last night to, well, eat... and to discuss the work in Panama. With emphasis on the upcoming medical mission to Santa Marta....
They bring a wealth of information for which we are eternally grateful. I plan to begin meeting with our Santa Marta team in the coming days to get our plan ironed out and begin our preparations.... I am pumped!
As we talked and dreamed and plotted about the work last night, it occurred to me that these two precious souls are completely sold out to God's work in Panama. I don't mean a little bit... not marginally... not metaphorically... and not part time... Lynn and Joy are IN IT!
They have spent the past several weeks completely liquidating their earthly possessions... giving first dibs to family members and preparing to have this UBER GARAGE SALE next weekend to sell everything else!
When they get on the plane on January 29, they will leave nothing behind... no storage buildings of stuff. no house to come back to. no cars... everything they 'own' will be with them in Panama.
sold out. literally.
what are we to be about? if we take seriously the words of a 12-year-old Godman 2000 years ago in a dusty temple, we gotta answer "my Father's business"
and, to our detriment, we (I) have let a whole host of things (mainly 'things') get between me and that.
I challenge us in 2009 to remove whatever it is that precludes us from being about His business.
God Bless!
anyhow, Lynn and Joy joined us for dinner last night to, well, eat... and to discuss the work in Panama. With emphasis on the upcoming medical mission to Santa Marta....
They bring a wealth of information for which we are eternally grateful. I plan to begin meeting with our Santa Marta team in the coming days to get our plan ironed out and begin our preparations.... I am pumped!
As we talked and dreamed and plotted about the work last night, it occurred to me that these two precious souls are completely sold out to God's work in Panama. I don't mean a little bit... not marginally... not metaphorically... and not part time... Lynn and Joy are IN IT!
They have spent the past several weeks completely liquidating their earthly possessions... giving first dibs to family members and preparing to have this UBER GARAGE SALE next weekend to sell everything else!
When they get on the plane on January 29, they will leave nothing behind... no storage buildings of stuff. no house to come back to. no cars... everything they 'own' will be with them in Panama.
sold out. literally.
what are we to be about? if we take seriously the words of a 12-year-old Godman 2000 years ago in a dusty temple, we gotta answer "my Father's business"
and, to our detriment, we (I) have let a whole host of things (mainly 'things') get between me and that.
I challenge us in 2009 to remove whatever it is that precludes us from being about His business.
God Bless!
Friday, January 2, 2009
I Resolve....
every new year brings with it exciting new challenges and possibilities... a clean slate and a fresh calendar serve as the blank canvas upon which we can each begin a new masterpiece.
and most of us like to (or feel the need to) make promises to ourselves about what we are gonna do better or what we are gonna do less of...
so what are your resolutions?
and, by the way, how'd you do last year?
in 2009, I am bound to save more and spend less... to exercise more and eat less... to be more humble and patient and react less...
this year, I am gonna stress less and smile more. I'm gonna laugh a lot. I'm gonna pray more and worry less.
I'm gonna try very very hard to love my wife even more deeply than I do, which seems almost impossible!
I'm gonna listen more (especially to His Voice) and talk less... (that's a real challenge)
that's a good start, right?
how bout you?
Blessings!
and most of us like to (or feel the need to) make promises to ourselves about what we are gonna do better or what we are gonna do less of...
so what are your resolutions?
and, by the way, how'd you do last year?
in 2009, I am bound to save more and spend less... to exercise more and eat less... to be more humble and patient and react less...
this year, I am gonna stress less and smile more. I'm gonna laugh a lot. I'm gonna pray more and worry less.
I'm gonna try very very hard to love my wife even more deeply than I do, which seems almost impossible!
I'm gonna listen more (especially to His Voice) and talk less... (that's a real challenge)
that's a good start, right?
how bout you?
Blessings!
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