What's Down In The Well...

I was talking to my dad this evening and he said something that he's said countless times throughout the years as we were growing up -  "What's down in the well comes up in the bucket."  Now, I know that's not original to him, but it's one of those phrases that just makes me think of my dad and the wisdom that he has imparted over the years (I'm pretty sure that the older I get the wiser he becomes...).

Anyway, it started me thinking about something else that's become something of a conviction in my life lately.  Last week, during our Thursday morning prayer time, one of the guys brought up the point that we as Christians (and men, specifically) should have Scripture memorized.  Normally I would hear that and agree wholeheartedly and never actually do anything about it because so many times in my life I find myself getting really gung-ho about some issue or conviction but never really being spurred to action.  Fortunately for us, we have a guy in our group who is adamant about us being men of action, men who see needs and rise to meet them, men who feel conviction and move to respond in whatever way God directs.

After further discussion, the decision was made.  We're going to memorize Scripture.  Not just any scripture though, not just random smatterings of verses from all over the Bible.  We're going to memorize Ephesians.

"Ephesians what?" someone asked me after I told him about it.

All of it.

6 chapters.

155 verses.

The whole book.

It seemed a daunting task at first.  Even now, in the midst of memorizing, it seems quite difficult to say the least.  We have a lot going for us, though.  It's something that God wants us as believers to do (Psalm 119:11) and it's something that the Lord gives us strength to do (Phil. 4:13).

It's a vital part of the Christian faith and that brings me back to the phrase I was talking about earlier.  God wants us filling up our lives with His word and His truth because that phrase really is true - whatever we fill our hearts and minds with is what's going to come out in our lives.

So.  What are you putting in your well?

Water

I catch myself all the time saying things that I wish I could take back.  Maybe not even take back, so much as say in a nicer tone or with a better attitude.  It's like right after it comes out of my mouth, my brain catches up and realizes that I would have been better off not saying it at all.  Anybody else out there with a similar problem?


Needless to say, I know exactly what James is talking about in the third chapter of his book.  He compares the tongue to a bridle on a horse or the rudder of a ship.  Such a small little thing can change the course of someone's day, year, or life.  One little word can send someone on a path of destruction that may be irreversible.  It grates on me and bothers me.  I think about it all the time - mainly because I have so much trouble giving up control of my tongue to the Lord - and I try to figure out ways to stop myself the next time I want to say something dumb.  Sometimes I even think, "What if I were silent?  What if I didn't say anything at all?  That would fix it."


Here's the thing I'm coming to realize more and more every day.


It's not my job to try not to say things.  As a Christian I'm not called to do the taming when it comes to my mouth and the things that I say.  Yes, self control plays a part in helping me, but ultimately taming my own tongue is an impossible task.  I'm inherently sinful.  Trying to tame my own tongue would be like using muddy water to wash dishes - pointless.  God's the one who's working in my heart and in my mouth.  He's the one who shapes me every day more and more into the picture of what He wants me to be.


Now, does that mean I'm off the hook?  I can just go say and do anything I want because God's gonna do all the work?  No.  Not by any means.  I finally realized today that while my job is not to try to tame my own tongue, it is to direct my mouth toward the praise of our Father.  Instead of trying not to say something inappropriate I should spend my energy and effort glorifying God and then I will accomplish both, won't I?


I look at it like this:  You know when you drink chocolate milk how there's that little ring of chocolate left at the bottom?  The problem is, you can't pour that out.  No matter how hard you try, that chocolate isn't going to pour because it's too thick.  However, what happens if I run clean water in that cup?  At first it doesn't look like things are getting any cleaner.  BUT, if I wait long enough and keep running clean water into that cup, eventually the water will wash away all the chocolate from the bottom of the cup and leave a nice, clear cup of tap water.  It's the same thing with our mouths (or even our lives).  They're dirty, and no matter how hard we try we can't get rid of that dirt.  But if we fill our mouths with the praises of God, eventually it will rinse clear and there won't be the dirt anymore.  Will we still make mistakes?  Yes.  Perfection doesn't come for us until heaven.  At the end of each day though, we'll have a better witness for it because we spent our time praising the Name of our God who is greater than all other things and Who is so worthy to be praised.


Be a refreshing flow of clean water today.  You'll be amazed at the results.

Strong Tower

This morning it was just me and Isabella eating breakfast and playing (we like to let Mommy sleep in whenever we can, plus it's great daddy/daughter time that I utterly cherish).  Anyway, I took a break from playing to get my second cup of coffee for the day and I noticed that normal play sounds had stopped coming from the living room.  After almost two years with a little girl in the house, the silence was deafening.  And if you don't have kids, then learn from me - silence usually means something bad is going on in the other room!

So I finished pouring my cup of coffee and I went to look around the corner into the living room, fully expecting that I would discover any number of crazy scenarios, and the first thing I saw was Isabella sitting in her little rocking chair with a blanket pulled up close to her.  Now, I know we have a good kid and all, but even for her that was a little out of the ordinary and so I started looking around to find the trouble she was trying to avoid by sitting in the chair.  I know that sounds pessimistic, but kids change your perspective on things.  While I'm glancing around the living room (which she has not messed up at all, by the way) Isabella simply points to the floor in front of her and says, "Bug."  Now I thought she said, "Ball" so I went looking for the tennis ball we had been playing with and when I turn around after finding it, I see movement on the floor.  Sure enough, a little spider was crawling across the floor and Isabella was trying to tell me that it was there and I missed it.

Here's what struck me about the whole situation.  She didn't cry.  She didn't scream.  She didn't come running in to find me and tell me about it.  I would say she wasn't scared, but I don't think that's the case. I think she was scared.  When I came around the corner, I saw concern on her face, worry even.

BUT, she knew I was coming.
She knew I would take care of it.
She knew I would protect her.

And so she waited.  Yes, with a bit of concern and worry for the outcome of the situation.  Yes, with a little bit of fear.  But she waited for me to come because she knew without a doubt that I was coming and I had her safety in mind.

Isn't that how our relationship with God should be?  I know things get us worried and concerned and fearful.  I know things in our lives don't always turn out the way we have envisioned.  I know sometimes the future is uncertain and we don't know exactly what to expect around the next corner.

BUT, I know God is coming.
I know He will take care of it.
I know He will protect me.

The whole scene reminds me of these verses in Psalm 46 (1-3, 7, & 10):

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling...The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress...Be still, and know that I am God."

And so I wait.  Yes, sometimes there is concern or worry or fear for the outcome of a situation.  But I have no doubt in my mind that God is coming - in fact, He never left! - and He has my best interests at heart.  Trust Him.  He knows far better than we ever will.

I gotta run - she's gotten quiet again...

The Measure of a Man

This time, the blog's in video form.  Enjoy.

Earn It

I've been thinking about this idea for about a month and a half or so.  It all started with a spanking.

One day while we were at home doing our Saturday thing, which usually consists of sleeping late and breakfast together.  We had finished eating and were trying to get things cleaned up and put away, so Isabella was down playing around with who knows what.  Obviously my memory is failing me (mainly because it's been a while since this happened), but I remember that she did something wrong...multiple times.  We'd tell her stop, no, don't do that and she would just keep doing it.  Hence the reason for a spanking.

Now, I'm not here to go on and on about correct or incorrect ways to discipline children (that's a choice for you to make), but I do want to explain our process.  Beth and I decided together to give warning enough so that Isabella knows what she's doing is wrong and then resort to spanking when it's obvious that she's rebelling against our authority as parents.  The rule of thumb for us is to sit her down, explain what she did wrong, why it's wrong, and that she is getting a spanking because we love her and only then does the spanking occur.  No spanking out of anger or frustration!  She says she's sorry afterwards and we give her a hug and kiss and tell her again that we love her and we move on to the rest of the day.

Does she understand everything at this age?  I don't know.  I hope so.  I think the important thing right now is that we train ourselves as parents to be consistent in how we punish so that later on when our children actually start questioning and seeking understanding, we will be able to easily explain what we're doing and why.

That said, as I began earlier, it all started with a spanking.  I'm sitting there, in the chair, Isabella in my lap, and I'm explaining to her that she needs to obey us because we're her parents and the Bible says:

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."  Exodus 20:12

I'm telling her about respect for authority and hitting all three of my points and all 7 subpoints of my carefully thought out sermon on the intricacies of parenthood - and let me just be honest - it was good!  Spurgeon would be proud!


No really, it was so simple, but I had this realization (I seem to get a lot of those while parenting lately...)  I know the Bible says for children to honor their parents - I agree wholeheartedly! - but I had this thought while I was talking - two words:


EARN IT.


I was kind of taken aback, even paused in my explanation for a moment, because I wasn't expecting a word from the Lord while disciplining.  The words wouldn't go away.  Echoing in my head, I kept thinking about it, processing, mulling over it...earn it...what does that even mean?  I think I may be stretching things a bit, but this is what I think God was trying to get across to me that day.


Children are supposed to honor their fathers and mothers, I don't discount that at all.  I stand by that today just as strongly, if not more so, as I always have.  But, what if we as parents live in such a way as to make obeying that commandment easier?  I think God's calling us to live in an honorable way so that when we ask our children to obey that command, they are willing to do so because they see that we are worthy of honoring.


I know, not all parents are Christians who seek to glorify God in what they do and how they parent.  I know that there are abusers and cheaters and druggies and alcoholics and the children of those parents probably struggle more with that commandment than any other commandment.  I know also that honoring your father and mother is not a conditional thing - it means you honor your parents regardless of whether or not they are honorable.


BUT.


The Bible indicates pretty clearly that we as parents have just as much duty, if not more so, to our children as they have to us.

"Father's do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4

I take that command from Paul very seriously.  Doesn't that seem like a parent who is leading by example and worthy of the honor their children show them?  Doesn't that seem like a parent who is seeking to glorify God?  Do I get it right every time?  No.  I hope sometimes I do, but more often than not I'll fail because in my own strength I am nothing.  But God is working daily in my life to mold me into His image just as He is working daily in Isabella's life to mold her. It's a two way street so far as I see it - one way leading to a better parent and one way leading to a better child.  All of it glorifies God that much more!


Thought for the day:  what would the world look like if it were full of parents who sought to be worthy of the honor their children are commanded to show?  Live honorably today.  Maybe we can change the world.

Poured Out

I'm actually a day behind in reading the L3 journal, but I have to admit - after today I'm actually glad for it.  This morning I got up, doggedly went through my workout routine (I'm about 4 1/2 weeks into p90x), hurried to get ready for work, and went to the coffee shop down the street for a cup of steaming hot brew and a couple minutes of quiet reading.  To be honest, I was reading in a little bit of a rush, feeling stressed because of work, and I was not really focused on getting the most out of my quiet time.  You ever been there?


Anyway, I get all the way to the end of the selection and this verse just jumps out at me.  And it wasn't one of those things where I said to myself, "Huh, that's cool."  It went straight to the heart and spoke to me exactly where I am right now.  Here's the verse:

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."  Psalm 62:8

It's like God was telling me, "Stop!  You're going and running and stressing and forgetting that I am GOD!  You've tried to rush me along and forgotten that I am the Wonderful Counselor!  Rest in me.  Trust in me.  Seek refuge from the storms of life in me."


I forget the awesome truth that is represented in that verse all too often, if I'm brutally honest.  I don't take the time to pray - truly pray - and tell God all the stuff that's weighing on me.  The Psalm clearly states "pour out your heart before him" and it's SO true.  He wants to hear it.  He wants to help me with whatever is troubling me, or stressing me, or making me feel lost in the shuffle of daily activity and routine.  Sometimes I feel pulled in eighteen different directions and overwhelmed by it all, but this morning is an incredible reminder to me that God is here with me, ready and waiting for me to pour out my heart to him, confide in him, trust in him, and hope in him.


You know, Beth and I talk all the time about pouring out our own lives in ministry and service to others, but I can't do that unless I'm being poured into and ministered to myself by the Unending Source.  So, the take-away for me today is this:  Am I making it a priority to pour out my heart to Him on a daily basis?  Or am I trying to do it all on my own?  Am I turning to God for counsel and refuge?  Or am I counseling myself and hoping for the best?


I think it's time for a change of mindset.
  

A Prayer

I read a passage in Romans the other day that really made me think of one particular overarching theme.  I'll explain what I mean later, but first I want to share that passage with you:

"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be conceited.  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'  To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."        ~ Romans 12:9-21

I know that's a long passage, much longer than most people would quote when trying to get a point across, but I feel led to share this.  When I read this I felt like it was a prayer.  I know it's probably taking too much license with the meaning of the passage - all the Bible scholars out there can just take a breather for a minute - but it just reads to me like a prayer that Paul is praying over the Christians in Rome.

I imagine him writing his letter and talking about the remnant of Israel and being living sacrifices and then, for no reason other that the Lord led him to do so, feeling the need to pray over the people reading his letter.  I imagine him overwhelmed with desire to see these Christians living in such a way that it stands out as different, unique - completely loving above and beyond anything that was ever expected of them.

As I was thinking about all of that, I became more than convicted.  I felt a stirring in my heart that as I shared this passage I would not just limit myself to words I can put together, that I wouldn't be hindered by anything I would try to say.  Rather, I felt the Lord moving in my heart to simply pray this passage over anyone who reads this post and everyone else that I know.  And so, with all the love that is in me, I am doing that.  Even as I type this, I'm praying for you.  I'm praying that you will:

...love genuinely.
...outdo one another in showing honor.
...rejoice in hope.
...be constant in prayer.
...bless your persecutors.
...live in harmony.
...never avenge yourselves.
...take care of your enemies.

Most importantly, I'm praying that you wouldn't see this passage as another list of things to do (and which in your own strength you can never do), but that you would hear the words of Paul and be called to live a lifestyle like he describes.  Imagine what our world would look like if we just did that.

And Yet...

How do you handle difficulties in your life?

Pretend they aren't there?  Paint a smile on your face and continue about your business as if it weren't really happening, wearing a mask to hide the pain from all the people around you who expect you to be and do and say all the right things, all the things they are not and all the things that they hope they can be?

Or maybe you're a controller?  Our pastor was saying this evening that one of the things we all try to do when trials present themselves is control the situation.  We try to fix it.  Are you a fixer?  Do you work and work and work and work in the hopes that maybe, one day, some time you might be able to fix it enough so that it won't hurt anymore?  Maybe one day it might actually go away and not be a problem for you?  In your own strength?  In your own way?

Anybody out there a wallower?  You face the problems of this world and you don't see any need to fix them or control them.  Why even bother trying to pretend they aren't there?  You're a realist!  You know pretending won't make them go away and trying to fix them won't take care of it either!  And so you sit.  You sulk.  You wallow in the misery of your problems and prey on other people to have pity on you, to sit down with you and hear you talk about all of your issues.  You slosh around in the sludge and grime of your tribulations and try to bring as many people down into the depths with you as you can.  Why be sad all alone?  I can bring all my friends too!

I was reading in the Psalms last week and came across a verse I recognized, but from a different portion of the Bible - the New Testament to be exact,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?  Oh my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest."  Psalm 22:1-2

Those are David's words.  He's going through a trial, apparently so difficult that he finds himself feeling as though God had abandoned him.  It's so difficult, and his words so fitting, that Jesus quotes this same Psalm in Matthew as He is hanging from the cross.  Is it wrong to feel that way?  No, I don't think so.  I think it's a natural part of life to have ups and downs.  There are times when we feel we're on top of the world and everything is going great.  There are times when we feel we're in the lowest of valleys and everything is going wrong.  David is expressing emotions here that we all have felt or will feel at some point in our lives.  Here's the difference - David's response is so radically different from what we feel naturally inclined to do.  Check out the following four words:

"Yet you are holy..."  Psalm 22:3a

We flawed, sinful people all go running to our solutions that we hope will make us feel better (I to my fixing), and David responds to a trial (one that makes him feel forsaken entirely) by praising God for His holiness.  On top of that, I feel like David is revealing a deeper understanding that He has of our God and Father.  David understands that trials are temporary - they don't last forever!  He understands that trials are for our benefit - they grow us and stretch us to be in more intimate relationships with the Lord.  More importantly, however, David understands the ultimate purpose of any trials that we may go through - God's glorification.

David's trial is so intense he feels forsaken - yet God is holy.
Jesus is going to the cross and feels the same way David did - yet God is holy.
You're stressed at work, you feel unaccomplished, you feel like a failure - yet God is holy.
Life has you down, situations are escalating, you're depressed about all of it - yet God is holy.
Your future is uncertain and you don't know the next step to take, you're scared - yet God is holy.


Are you noticing a pattern here?  It doesn't matter what life throws at you.  It doesn't matter if you have the best job in the world and you're on top of the highest mountain or if every situation seems to mount against you and you've sunk down into the lowest valley you could ever imagine.

God is holy.  He loves you.  He has your best interest at heart.  He is taking care of you and watching over you and lifting you up and carrying you when you can't walk anymore.  He is saying to you,

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Take joy in that truth.  Find peace in the lightness of His burden.  Experience true rest.

Footsteps

There's this new thing that Isabella has been doing lately.  She really likes to grab our various pairs of shoes and put them on her feet.  Clunking around in shoes far too large for her is a funny thing to behold indeed!  I watch her try to take normal steps and not even be able to lift her feet from the floor.  Then, she changes approaches.  Instead of her usual big steps, she attempts to shuffle along just a few inches forward at a time.  The result is trip-step-shuffle combination that is silly and wonderful all at the same time.

A couple of days ago, however, she was beginning to do this same thing again - the putting on of a pair of my shoes - and something hit me.  Do you ever have things do that to you?  You're watching a completely normal thing, but some deeper meaning suddenly breaks through, capturing your attention and throwing your whole mind in the direction of that idea?  It happens to me pretty frequently, and this day was no exception.

How fitting is it that the child we are trying to raise in a Christ-filled home and Christ-like manner, the child who is figuratively going to follow in our footsteps, is literally wearing our shoes around the house?  It was almost overwhelming the way it became so apparent to me and the persistance with which it stuck to my heart.  I've been thinking about it ever since and the application that it should have on our lives, on my life.  This realization, this epiphany of sorts, started me thinking about my own legacy and what kind of life that I lead.  What footsteps am I taking?  What impressions am I leaving in which our daughter will follow?

Here's the thing - regardless of how I live my life, Isabella will emulate it.  Regardless of how much I sacrifice my minuscule self for my magnificent Christ or how much of my selfless Jesus I sacrifice for my selfish wants and desires, Isabella is going to see that example and shape herself into a pretty accurate reflection of the example she's seen, without even realizing it.  It's being modeled every day in our home, in our car, in our conversations, in our relationships, everywhere.  How could she not?

I suppose the question is, what am I going to do about it?  Ever since I began thinking in this direction, it's made me scared of what I say and afraid to do anything wrong.  Now, God doesn't call us to live in fear.  He doesn't want us living afraid to do or say anything because we might mess up.  He already knows we're sinful.  He already knows we're messed up.  I'm going to say and do things that I'll wish I could take back, things that I can't ever take back and things that I can't ever erase from Isabella's memory.  But this I do know - "...for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

No matter how well I live or how badly I mess up, God will work things for good.  More importantly, God will glorify Himself.  That is His priority above anything else, anyway, so why can't He use my mistakes to teach a lesson or my own life lessons to give encouragement?  He can.  He will.  It's how He works - through His people.

"I may live and I may die, either way You're glorified.  Bless the day I give my life away."

-- Christy Nockels -- 

Prayer

I wonder sometimes if people on the outside think we're crazy.  By 'we' I mean Christians and by 'people on the outside' I mean anyone else.

I mean, from their perspective we all talk to someone nobody can see and eat the flesh and drink the blood of some guy who used to be alive but came out of the grave to walk the earth again.  Sounds like some psycho cannibalistic zombie movie to me...

The amazing, incredible, awesomely-good thing about Christianity is this - IT'S NOT CRAZY AT ALL!  I won't go into every single detail of why Christianity is not a religion full of crazy people, mainly because I would never do it enough justice and would probably hurt the cause for Christ more than I would help it (If you want a good book on the subject, go check out The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel.  He's a converted atheist and he's amazing!).  However, there is one aspect of Christianity that I get the chance to think a little deeper on every so often.  It's a part of my faith that I can never get enough of, don't do nearly as frequently as I should/would like, and yet love almost as much as the fact that I am freed from the burden of sin forever.  It's prayer.

No, we as Christians don't talk to ourselves or some unseen nobody.  We talk to Someone who is much greater than that, and He talks back to us through His inspired Word.  We talk to the God of the universe, the Maker of all things that are seen and unseen, the Alpha and Omega, the One Way, Truth and Life against which everything in life is weighed and measured.

Even better than that - who'd've thunk there could be anything better?! - He listens to us!  He takes the time to hear every prayer that we offer up to Him.  The Bible describes our prayers as 'sweet incense' to the Father.  They are precious to Him just as we are precious to Him.  It pleases God for us to pray to Him and it pleases Him to listen to us.

Here's the part I can never get over.  Even though the Bible says that God answers prayers, people still complain that 'He didn't answer my prayer' or 'My mom still died of cancer even though I prayed for her healing.'  Even though the Bible says that God is just and kind, loving and merciful, full of grace, the great healer, people still complain that God never did anything for them.  Long story short, the fact that you're still alive and breathing is more than He ever had to do for you, and He didn't even have to do that!  The point I'm so laboriously coming to is this - prayer is a great communication tool but it's an even greater learning tool.  I've seen God teach me so much through the discipline of prayer.  I've heard so many stories of what God taught other people through the act of praying.  Consider these questions and their answers:

What is the ultimate purpose of God?  To glorify Himself.

What is the ultimate purpose of man?  To glorify God.

See a cure for cancer anywhere in there?  Do you see God giving you a million dollars anywhere in there?  Do you see promises of anything related to you in there at all?  NO!  And why not?  Because as amazing as it is that God blesses us and offers us grace that we don't deserve, His goal is still to bring glory to His own Name.  So, prayer works the same way.  Prayer is useful for a lot of things, but ultimately it's to bring God all the glory that He is due.

The closer we grow to God, the more He will strip away our desires and replace them with His own.  The closer we grow to God, the more He will tear away our wants and needs and replace them with His wants and needs.  God is slowly teaching me that as self-seeking and sinful as I can be, He wants to be glorified that much more.  And so God continues to teach.

He is showing me that maybe my prayer shouldn't be that cancer be healed but that someone's soul would be healed instead.

He is showing me that maybe my prayer shouldn't be that I have the winning argument, but that I would learn patience when talking to people who believe differently than I do.

He is showing me that maybe my prayer shouldn't be for someone else to come apologize to me, but that I should go and initiate the apology.

Instead of looking at prayer as a 'gift list' today, try looking at it as a classroom. What is God teaching you through prayer?