Not a care in the world.
I looked at my new nephew lying under a heat lamp (it was a lot more complicated than just a bulb). His birth occurring just a couple of hours before.
New life, a blank slate, a life filled with opportunity and hope for the future.
This reminds me of the new life that each of us have in Christ.
We celebrate Easter because it is in His rising from the grave, defeating death do we have new life.
Like little Drew, our new lives are filled with promise, hope for the future, but it also a life of skinned knees and broken hearts.
As much as Mom and Dad will do everything to prevent Drew from hurting, it will happen. And like most kids we Christians sometimes will stick our fingers in the electric outlet, finding out what happens to us when we ignore God's warnings about straying too far from Him.
But when the hurt happens Mom will be there, my Mom was there for me when I skinned myself up (shoot my sister was there for me in my 20's when I would come home skinned up from sliding into bases playing softball).
Like Mom, God has been there when I hurt, when I messed up or when my heart was broke. As I look back at my life God has always been there. I didn't always see it then, but I do now.
Perhaps we should look at our new life in a way that would honor our Father in heaven. Maybe we could see our new life as a clean slate, letting God draw something beautiful upon it. The only thing that holds us back is ourselves.
So this Easter as we think about the price that God gave to purchase us, the wonderful gift of new life, may we become what God wants our life to be.
That would be a life pleasing to Him.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Haiti Question
Why help?
Paul Shirley, ex NBA basketball player asks that very question. He sees Haiti in the same way he looks at a homeless man. Paul reasons that Haiti, just like a homeless man would not handle the gift he would give with any responsibility. He wouldn't really change; he would just spend the money on booze or something so why help at all?
And if I may be cynical for a moment, I’m sure as with most countries when millions flood into the country somebody is probably filling their pockets.
It’s an old game. We don’t have to look at Haiti to see that, we have that going on in our government, our places of employment, and sometimes it happens in churches.
Grab what you can get and if somebody else suffers, to bad for them.
What is really convenient for those who refuse to help because they see a wasted dollar spent really can ease their conscience. They will just waste it anyway.
And to be honest, I’ve past beggars by. Many that I see are young and healthy looking, at least healthy enough to have a job. Would they buy drugs or booze with my cash?
But in Haiti we are talking about something different. Contrary to what my brother Pat Robertson has said, the people of Haiti didn’t ask for this earthquake. If being bad or doing a stupid thing caused earthquakes, our entire nation wouldn’t stop shaking.
Yes they are a poor nation, yes perhaps corruption has led to them to ruin, and yes maybe they will never get it right. Jesus told us the poor will always be with us.
But that didn’t stop Jesus from helping.
In fact, let’s take it deeper. Imagine Jesus and God having a discussion.
God: I want you to leave your nice home here, become a man that will feel all the pain and misery a man will experience, have friends that will doubt you and finally be beaten and die for the very same people that are hurting you.
Jesus: Do what?!?
God: You heard me, I know it makes no sense, but I love my creation that much.
Jesus: Okay, a gift of eternal life. You’re going to give that gift away to people who will reject it, abuse it and ignore it. They are going to deny who I am and curse you. Surely you can find something better to do with a gift like that. They will just waste it! They will spend some much time worried about themselves that they will never follow you wholeheartedly.
God: I know, but I’m crazy in love with my creation.
This discussion is fictional of course, because Jesus knew all of these things and yet still suffered and died for us.
I’m glad God didn’t see us like Paul Shirley sees Haiti, a waste of time and money.
Many churches are on the ground in Haiti, but they have been there before the earthquake and they will be there long after the quake situation is over.
Because that is the example God has shown us,
And that is what He has called us to do.
Paul Shirley, ex NBA basketball player asks that very question. He sees Haiti in the same way he looks at a homeless man. Paul reasons that Haiti, just like a homeless man would not handle the gift he would give with any responsibility. He wouldn't really change; he would just spend the money on booze or something so why help at all?
And if I may be cynical for a moment, I’m sure as with most countries when millions flood into the country somebody is probably filling their pockets.
It’s an old game. We don’t have to look at Haiti to see that, we have that going on in our government, our places of employment, and sometimes it happens in churches.
Grab what you can get and if somebody else suffers, to bad for them.
What is really convenient for those who refuse to help because they see a wasted dollar spent really can ease their conscience. They will just waste it anyway.
And to be honest, I’ve past beggars by. Many that I see are young and healthy looking, at least healthy enough to have a job. Would they buy drugs or booze with my cash?
But in Haiti we are talking about something different. Contrary to what my brother Pat Robertson has said, the people of Haiti didn’t ask for this earthquake. If being bad or doing a stupid thing caused earthquakes, our entire nation wouldn’t stop shaking.
Yes they are a poor nation, yes perhaps corruption has led to them to ruin, and yes maybe they will never get it right. Jesus told us the poor will always be with us.
But that didn’t stop Jesus from helping.
In fact, let’s take it deeper. Imagine Jesus and God having a discussion.
God: I want you to leave your nice home here, become a man that will feel all the pain and misery a man will experience, have friends that will doubt you and finally be beaten and die for the very same people that are hurting you.
Jesus: Do what?!?
God: You heard me, I know it makes no sense, but I love my creation that much.
Jesus: Okay, a gift of eternal life. You’re going to give that gift away to people who will reject it, abuse it and ignore it. They are going to deny who I am and curse you. Surely you can find something better to do with a gift like that. They will just waste it! They will spend some much time worried about themselves that they will never follow you wholeheartedly.
God: I know, but I’m crazy in love with my creation.
This discussion is fictional of course, because Jesus knew all of these things and yet still suffered and died for us.
I’m glad God didn’t see us like Paul Shirley sees Haiti, a waste of time and money.
Many churches are on the ground in Haiti, but they have been there before the earthquake and they will be there long after the quake situation is over.
Because that is the example God has shown us,
And that is what He has called us to do.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
You Go Tim!
I've had it.
I try very hard to avoid political and sometimes cultural controversies, mainly because I want to focus on more positive subjects. Sometimes all of the arguing just isn't worth it.
It started with my wife telling that Tim Tebow was going to do a pro-life Super Bowl ad. No problem, I thought, it would be better than some of the ads I've seen.
But I forgot how politically correct we have become.
Now first I want to say that I respect Tim Tebow. I'm not a Florida fan, and frankly I just got tired of them winning all the time (especially since Illinois couldn't win this year).
But as a man, Tim is tough, he played in the toughest football conference in the nation and he has never backed away from his beliefs.
It would have been easier for him just to keep his Christianity on the down low (hip sounding aren't I) and nobody would have known.
But he didn't, he wasn't afraid of LSU linebackers and he's not afraid to state what he believes.
And what does Tim believe?
That his mom was courageous for continuing her pregnancy even when doctors advised her, because of an illness she had during a mission trip, to abort her fifth child...Tim Tebow.
Tim will talk about the cause "Celebrate family, Celebrate life" which comes from the Focus on the Family group.
Wow just think, a wholesome, encouraging, positive, uplifting Super Bowl ad!
Ohhh but hold on a minute.
The fine girls at the National Organization for Women have cried foul.
They want CBS to cancel this ad, why would CBS air such filth?!?
And to CBS's credit (which one can rarely say these days) they just don't see what the big deal is. Hey, Focus on the Family's 2.5 million is just as good as Coor's 2.5 million right?
The ladies are worried that the ad is simply to divisive, and contains a message that simply isn't respectful of others.
Hmmm.
You know if these gals were really worried about women, (and I don't really believe they are) maybe they would protest beer ads that portray women as sex objects, or all the other ads that show women that way.
But alas not a peep.
Just whining that a strong, courageous, and respected man saying simple and true facts might upset some poor gal.
This is where we are, but as I looked at some of the comments of this story (I saw this on Fox sports) I found that most people don't see the add nearly as dangerous or divisive as the ladies at NOW do.
Perhaps there is hope.
I try very hard to avoid political and sometimes cultural controversies, mainly because I want to focus on more positive subjects. Sometimes all of the arguing just isn't worth it.
It started with my wife telling that Tim Tebow was going to do a pro-life Super Bowl ad. No problem, I thought, it would be better than some of the ads I've seen.
But I forgot how politically correct we have become.
Now first I want to say that I respect Tim Tebow. I'm not a Florida fan, and frankly I just got tired of them winning all the time (especially since Illinois couldn't win this year).
But as a man, Tim is tough, he played in the toughest football conference in the nation and he has never backed away from his beliefs.
It would have been easier for him just to keep his Christianity on the down low (hip sounding aren't I) and nobody would have known.
But he didn't, he wasn't afraid of LSU linebackers and he's not afraid to state what he believes.
And what does Tim believe?
That his mom was courageous for continuing her pregnancy even when doctors advised her, because of an illness she had during a mission trip, to abort her fifth child...Tim Tebow.
Tim will talk about the cause "Celebrate family, Celebrate life" which comes from the Focus on the Family group.
Wow just think, a wholesome, encouraging, positive, uplifting Super Bowl ad!
Ohhh but hold on a minute.
The fine girls at the National Organization for Women have cried foul.
They want CBS to cancel this ad, why would CBS air such filth?!?
And to CBS's credit (which one can rarely say these days) they just don't see what the big deal is. Hey, Focus on the Family's 2.5 million is just as good as Coor's 2.5 million right?
The ladies are worried that the ad is simply to divisive, and contains a message that simply isn't respectful of others.
Hmmm.
You know if these gals were really worried about women, (and I don't really believe they are) maybe they would protest beer ads that portray women as sex objects, or all the other ads that show women that way.
But alas not a peep.
Just whining that a strong, courageous, and respected man saying simple and true facts might upset some poor gal.
This is where we are, but as I looked at some of the comments of this story (I saw this on Fox sports) I found that most people don't see the add nearly as dangerous or divisive as the ladies at NOW do.
Perhaps there is hope.
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