This is the stuff….

I had to chew on three of the guys who work for me yesterday.  It seems like any time I make it a point to have a “talk” with someone, it turns into an all day affair.  It drives me nuts!  I have stuff to do and all these guys want to do is NOT what they are supposed to do.  It happens. 

My grandfather went in to get a biopsy done on what they believe to be lung cancer on Monday.  I called them my folks for the first time since they found out he probably does have cancer it and will need radiation to treat it.  I tried to be tough, asking my Grandma if he wanted to get better, when I realized how my tone sounded, I just broke down.  It was so crass…who DOESN’T want to get over cancer, and here I am, making accusations that he might not.  She said he really does.  I could hear such empathy and love just dripping off her words, she truly does love him.  She said he’s so small that you can just count his ribs in his “little ole’ body.”  I can’t imagine him that way, he’s always acted so tough, sometimes to the point I just get angry with him…he’s so stubborn!  But now, instead of trying to be tough, I just cry because I want him to get better too, I want HIM to want to get better…so I pray harder for him then I have in a long time, weeping, sobbing, and griping the whole time.  It’s funny though, I think the Lord probably hears those prayers better than any He ever has heard from me.  Those are the times I bear my soul…not hypocritical, not memorized, not all eloquently jazzed up for Him…just me and my unbridled, unhidden feelings about those I love and how I love them and want them better.  I expect Grandpa will get better with time and I expect I won’t be so hard in my heart towards him.

Work…it takes work to love people, to love my Grandpa, to love my enemies, to love my coworkers, it takes work…this is the stuff that drives me crazy…but to God be the glory – His will be done, not mine.

Lookin’ to vote in November

  I’ve been listening to NPR (National Public Radio) and politics is ALL they talk about when they aren’t covering world catastrophies.   So it got me to thinking…who’s running for Senate in Oklahoma?  No big surprise it’s Tom Coburn.  Ethically, morally, conservatively and fiscally, he’s got everything I want to see as a representative for Oklahoma.  One concern though…he’s way against deficit spending…which I like too, but that means all he’s really doing is blocking everything that Obama and the dems throw down.  So while he plays goalee in the White house, is anything else getting done?  If Republicans take Congress this upcoming election, will anything change?  Or will the Democrats simply block everything the Republicans do?  I guess what I mean…is Congress really doing ANYTHING and will another election with a new party even really help?  I have to admit, I’m just starting to dip my toes into the confusing, political, and what appears to be idiocy in Washington.  I’m wondering if my voice being heard is going to do anything but drown into millions of other voices.  Voices that are saying “what other choice is there?”  God help us…

The Screams of Heroes

Those who know me, know that I am a Trekkie/Comic book nerd.  Today as I was driving home from work, I thought of two miserable images I remember seeing from two of my favorite movies.  The images I remembered reflect the mood I’ve been in lately.  If you could take a snapshot of my emotions over the past week or two, you may see the two images attached and the blood curdling screams both men shout in anger.  For those of you who are fellow nerds, you will recognize both Christopher Reeves from Superman and William Shatner from Star Trek: The wrath of Khan.  Both guys are pretty much legends for the roles they play and any time we think of our favorite heroes (not that Superman and James T. Kirk really exist) these two men may come to mind.  I pondered, why do these images bother me so much?  Were they scary to me as a kid?  Do they reflect human emotion in a way that some of us really would like to display?  Maybe I just felt it because these guys have the character of men we see as noble, courageous, and iron-willed, yet the anger they display in these scenes portrays a weakness that maybe they will give up.  Who knows?  Bottom line is, at the end, they take situations that are impossible to escape or do anything about and conquer with wit, luck, or superhuman feats.  I guess the thing about real life is, it doesn’t matter how much you scream sometimes, it’s not going to get any better.  There have been times I’ve screamed at the top of my lungs because I am so frustrated with life and at the end, all I had was a head ache and a sore throat.

There is one other scream that comes to my mind, even as Spongebob and Patrick are screaming at eachother on the television as I type this, I’m rolling my eyes too.  And that would have to be the scream of pain that Jesus Christ made as he died on the cross.  Jesus, the man who could do no wrong, was placed in a hopeless situation of being a sacrifice for the world’s sins and faced his pain obediently and patiently.  He did not rail at the will that God had for Him.  The fact that Jesus gave one final scream as he died, and rose from the dead to conquer the sin that placed him on a cruel cross, means that I don’t have to rage against whatever forces the world has placed against me either.  Christ conquered, He is king and I can patiently endure whatever trials life throws my way.

God is good!  He is patient!  He is noble!  He is a warrior!  He is my King!  God has placed Jesus enemies as His footstool and I shall worship him at His throne!

Rollin with my Homie Steve in India, the rides…

One of the many highlights of the trips we often take to India is the transportation we often get to embark upon.  Somehow it is never just a plane, or a car, there is always something different just for us Americans.   I love our Indian friends, they always try to honor us to the highest degree they can, and sometimes it ends up in some unusual forms of transportation. 

When we arrived at our hostel, there was a procession of Banjara folks armed with flower petals and leis, ready to pummel and shower us with color as we passed by on something that looked a lot like this ox cart.  It was a first, and a trip.  This wasn’t THE one we got to ride, somehow my camera was in my pocket while we were  trying to avoid making the bulls angry, and praying all the other people didn’t spook them (they nearly did).

This is one of my favorites.  Though we haven’t quite experienced this fun (15 people crammed into a three wheeled taxi), we have had the pleasure of riding in one to market.  A lot more roomy than what these guys were experiencing I’m sure, so it was good times.

Then of course, there’s always the bicycle.  Steve’s preferred method of travel sometimes, but also the main transportation of the many pastors we have come to know and love.

There are also the mighty SUVs (compared to all other vehicles) that we usually hire, but didn’t have to hire this time, thanks to the Lord.  He mightily provides for our every need.  Here we have our friends’ most recent purchase with the prayers and support of all who love them.  Of course the traffic in India is enough to scare anyone to death, and I can only say about it is you have to experience to know what I’m talking about.  First, you are on the wrong side of the road (the left) and second, everyone honks, and third, everyone passes!  Traffic lights and cops are a suggestion apparently, and there was a woman with dimensia there that did a better job of directing a 20 lane intersection than the traffic police were doing. 

On the first leg of our flight home, we were blessed with an “upgrade” when we arrived at the airport at 4 AM in the morning.  First class for the next 9 hours.  Let me tell ya, if you’ve never experienced first class, it’s GREAT, everyone should experience it at least once.  Upgrade was an understatement!  Full reclining seats, so much leg room you could get up and dance if you got the mind to, and enough waiting staff to see to your every whim.  Steve and I were exhausted, but neither one wanted to sleep just because of the experience of the mythological first class seating.  I won’t lie, it felt good to be one of the “jerks” people snarl at as they walk by on their way to coach or economy plus.  No pictures of that seat unfortunately, but it was a blessing as it was a tiring journey.  God is good ALL the time!

In India…

It’s good to be home after a week in India.  For those of you reading for any details of how the trip went; I will unfortunately have to convey those details personally as not to put in jeopardy those goals that have been worked for so long now.

This and future posts regarding my trip will merely be my own personal reflections and spiritual nuggets that have been dug from the Word of God and men and women who have given their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ.  I will say those we work with and have come to know and love are doing well and are just as faithful as they have ever been.

There were of course the strange and curious things of India that struck me as odd that are just foibles of a different society that I may write about as well.

It did my heart good to be away from work for a week, I needed a break from it; not to mention other distractions such as television, radio, face book, movies, eating out and all of the other things I find myself doing rather than focusing on the Lord.  During this time I was able to focus on the words of Christ from Matthew 5, 6 and 7; otherwise known as “The Sermon on the Mount.”  I was able to watch my good friend and pastor deal with people as he often does with grace and humility, and deal with himself as he was often sick, he is doing better I believe, but he and I share the same stomach issues.  I was also able to fellowship with he and other brothers and sisters in Christ who have an affectionate love for each other in the Lord; I pray that soon, I learn these qualities of love in all places I am, because I know Christ is there also.

As for my health, well, I have managed to come back sick once more, although not as bad as in previous times.  I’m still having some stomach issues, but it is to be expected after eating things like chicken curry, bryahni, rice and boiled eggs all week long.  I’m tired, but I left myself a couple of days before going back to work so I should be well rested before returning.  For those who prayed, thank you for all your intercession, it was needed and we are now indeed at home safe and sound.

Moving closer to work….

To those of you who keep up with this little blog….

I haven’t forgotten about it…but right now my family and I are fixing to be in a BIG transition of life….MOVING!  Yahoooo!  We’re all excited about it.

By the way today just happens to be Father’s Day, and with this new situation we’ve come into, it’s caused me to reflect some on God as our Father and my relationship with Him as a son through Jesus Christ.  Butthat probably won’t be until next week or even after before I can write about it.

Anyway…pray for us!  We’re going to need it!

 

 

 

Worship – Who Has the Time?

Wake up late, fix pot of coffee, go pray, get coffee, read bible,  take a shower, get dressed, shave – no, there’s no more time, and I could probably go one more day anyway, eat bran flakes, brush my teeth, grab the rest of the coffee, grab Bible, journal and book (just in case there’s more time later) and head out the door to drop the kids off by 8:10 am so I can be at work by 8:25, my truck time, not the time clock time, because it’s usually 3 minutes fast.  “Whew,” made it.  So far this hasn’t been a bad day, the only thing that would’ve made it a little better would have been waking up earlier so I could pray and read the bible longer.  Scarcely would I think anything to be missing in this fine morning (this type of morning which happens A LOT).

For anyone who has seen the movie “One Night with the King,” you would probably be interested in the book “Finding Favor with the King” by Tommy Tenney, also author of the “God Chasers” series which I heard was great, though not necessarily my style.  Like the movie, this book is based on the biblical scripture of Esther, a story of a young Jewish girl who was taken and forced into a beauty pageant of sorts for the hand of King Xerxes of Babylon (and Queen of his kingdom).  She took a bad situation that she wasn’t able to escape and made the best of it, winning Xerxes heart and eventually becoming the salvation of the Jewish race.  Tommy breaks this story down into detailed principles and gives lessons which ultimately teach us how we should worship the King of Kings as Esther worshiped her would be husband and King.

I never knew there were so many lessons in the book of Esther.  Though many very good principles, which could be preconceived opinions of the author rather than biblical fact, the basic premise is that we must worship the King for who He is.  The King of Kings is looking for those who love HIM; rather than His royalty, His riches and His blessing. 

I think so many times we get so busy that we do things just because we’ve always done them.  Even “church stuff” like reading our bibles, attending Sunday worship services, praying, singing with raised hands are often for us to satisfy OUR spiritual taste buds for the week, check off our church checklist and move on to whatever is next on the agenda.  Very seldom do we consider that God has this crazy idea that church is for HIM.  We are for HIM.  Mission work is for HIM.  Reading our bibles is for HIM.  It is He who is glorified when we start to do things just because we love Him.  

In the Bible we see the church as Christ’s bride.  I love my bride.  She is my wife, my love, my beloved.  I love to do things for her just because of that love I have for her.  I also love when she does things for me just because too.  In fact, I love her most when she honors me with her actions, it could be anything (cleaning my truck, rubbing my back, saving her money to buy the best grill she could find, etc) I would give her the world when she seemingly does nothing except for the sheer fact that she loves me.  So too should we do just because we love our Lord.  On the other hand, if my wife comes in and showers me with kisses every time she sees me just to grab some money from my wallet so she can go blow it on whatever (kind of like we do when we do our daily bible reading and pray just so we can hopefully cash in on His blessings) I would be deeply disappointed, and probably even feel a bit used.  Now I’m sure my wife would never admit to using me in this way (would we admit it to God?), but facts are still facts, especially if it happens on a consistent basis. 

How many times do we run to God when we get ourselves into trouble or need some kind of boost in confidence?  When was the last time we loved God just because He is who He is?  He is the church’s husband, maybe the church should start acting like a good wife instead of an adulteress who only comes home when she wants something.  Maybe we should give God something of our time like devotions FOR Him, instead of doing our devotions for getting FROM Him?  Think about it.