I recently heard a great line from a preacher. He set it up by asking “How many more Beth Moore studies do we need to have, how many more men’s prayer and fellowship meetings do we need to have?” Then he drops the line…

“When are we going to put down the playbooks and start running the plays?”

It’s a great question. I have been guilty of being willing to study what I need to do but not getting on the playing field to do it. I have been guilty of telling myself I need to have it all perfect in my head before I can go execute it and have let that stop me from doing much at all. When will I put down the playbook and start running the plays?

I think I’ve come a long ways in that regard and pray that God continues to lead me onto the field to run his plays. Gear Up! was all about running the plays and a lot of Christians got on the field to play.

I thank God for giving me the playbook so I can prepare (and I certainly need to continue studying the plays) but my prayer today is that God will put me in the game and let me play.

Grace and peace to you.

We had the most exciting day at church on Sunday. Instead of doing a traditional VBS this year, some sharp minds mixed with Jesus’ example of serving others and created “Gear Up!” where our church would offer free backpacks and school supplies to some needy folks in Wise County. We had 400 backpacks ready to go and planned to give 100 rainchecks out if needed. We had 1,000 hot dogs ready, puppets, crafts, singing, free haircuts, dental supplies, a notary and immunizations for school kids and 130 or so volunteers ready to do whatever was needed.

From what I have heard, we gave away all the backpacks and 272 rainchecks. The 1,000 dogs were gone and I don’t think any of the volunteers ate any so it was all people who came for the event. I think there were 5 or 6 hair cutting stations that stayed busy for 3 hours. Anywhere from 800 to 1,200 people passed through. What an afternoon!

I know we helped some people financially. I hope we touched some people spiritually. I’m convinced 130+ volunteers went home thankful to be able to give a little to those in need. I believe God was glorified yesterday and seeds were planted. I pray fruit will be borne, that hearts will be changed and that those of us who served will seek more opportunities to keep serving.

I’m thankful for the people who came up with the great idea. I’m thankful for those in need who came. I’m thankful that God was a part of an incredible time of service.

Grace and peace to you.

I am a Josh Hamilton fan. He has overcome battles many of us would never understand and has returned to the national stage of baseball proclaiming that the love of Jesus is what brought him back from the depths of evil.

This weekend, I started hearing the reports of photos on the Internet of Hamilton doing things he shouldn’t be doing and couldn’t help but wonder if it was true or just someone trying to cause trouble.

Sure enough, he admits it was him and goes on to tell how he notified his wife and his employer as soon as it happened. In my mind, that is the sign of a person who knows what it is to live in the shame of sin and the freedom brought on by knowing his forgiveness from God is secure. Not only that, he is also forgiven and supported by the people who could easily tear him apart. That is God working in the hearts of people.

A brother took what his father gave him and went out into the world to live the worldly life, losing everything. He came back to his father wanting only to be treated like a hired hand but the father threw a feast. We are not told the father set him down and scolded him. We are not told the father made the son earn his trust over time. We are not told the father kept a wary eye on him waiting to catch him do something wrong.

Jesus tells us in Luke that the father ran to him! The father didn’t even wait for the son to come to him, tail between his legs groveling for forgiveness. The father ran to meet him. Wow. How many times have I run to someone who has hurt me when I knew they were sorry for it? But that’s not all, he also threw a feast! Even more, he put a robe on the son’s back, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. (There is symbolism in all those things that make it more special than a casual reading can do justice but I won’t go there now.)

Then there’s the older brother. Disappointed. Chastising. Self-righteous.

When you see someone like Hamilton mess up, do you connect more with the returning brother or the self-righteous brother? Do you understand the shame of sin or do you revel in the fact you haven’t done anything that bad? When someone treats you like Hamilton treated those who trusted him, do you connect more with the father or the self-righteous brother? Do you run to grant them forgiveness then lift them up like royalty or do you stand in the back wondering why they should get so much attention and such mercy? I know who I want to connect with from this day on.

Hamilton messed up (raise your hand if you haven’t), Hamilton hurt people close to him (raise your hand if you haven’t), Hamilton gave in to the evil side of the spiritual battle (raise your hand if you haven’t) but…this is BIG…but the Father is throwing a party that Hamilton came home humbled and saddened by his failing. The Father won’t bring it up again, won’t hold it over his head, won’t make him wait for complete forgiveness and unconditional love.

How will we react to the Josh Hamilton’s in our life?

Interesting sidenote…C. J. Wilson, a pitcher on the team, put this on Twitter…”I’ll only say this once about Josh so listen up- he’s a bigger man than anyone I know. Who else can admit EVERY mistake they’ve ever made?” I don’t know if Wilson is a Christian but do you think Hamilton’s actions are making an impact on him?

Grace and peace to you.

It’s been a long but fruitful week. I have been uplifted by spending time with the church in Aracaju and seeing and hearing their love for the Lord and their passion for reaching the lost. It is something they not only talk about, they do it. It’s incredible to hear them and watch them, to see the way they interact and to hear about the things they are doing to reach others.

One of the small groups there has already baptized 5 people from their neighborhood. One member is converting his farm to a rehabilitation facility for alcohol and drug addictions. There are others who are having Bible studies with people they work with. The next step is helping the church mature. It is filled with young Christians and few people willing to work in leadership roles but it is growing. Two young couples have moved to Aracaju in the past 2 years who have been in the church most of their lives and they are doing some good things to get people involved and growing.

It was a LONG trip back. 24 1/2 hours from the time I woke up Thursday morning until I got home Friday morning. 12 hours sleep in the last 3 days. Not a perfect way to live but I’ve been running on adrenaline. Hopefully I will get to sleep some today (if the roofers aren’t too loud) and begin getting back in the groove tomorrow and working with the missionary in Aracaju to continue building the kingdom there.

I thank God for the opportunity to share in this work and to see the fruit of evangelism. He is SO good.

Grace and peace to you.

There are times when I feel so disconnected from things of life, from people, from tasks, from God. I feel like I am a million miles away, floating, sometimes coming nearer and sometimes drifting further away. It’s not a feeling I enjoy because I want to be connected but something is happening that prevents it. I don’t like the feeling of being a million miles away but it’s not always in my control.

I have felt that disconnect with the people closest to me at times and it takes me through a gamut of emotions but most of all, it is a feeling of sadness and loneliness. I have felt that disconnect with God too and it brings out the same emotions. While it is not a pleasant experience, one thing I do know is that there is always hope of reconnecting, of traveling through time and space, of overcoming obstacles and being with who I had felt separated from. There is always hope.

One of the joys I have experienced this week is sharing time with people who are very connected to God and their connectedness is contagious. Their heart and desire to serve God is evident in their words and their expressions and the joy they bring in telling you some of the great things they are experiencing through their service to God. Some of it brings chills because their excitement gets me excited.

I want to be connected with the people I love and I want to be connected with God – plugged into His plan for me. It’s a wonderful feeling to share hope with loved ones and it’s a wonderful thing to bask in the hope we are given as children of God.

Grace and peace to you.

I recently read a passage in Oswald Chamber’s “My Utmost for His Highest” that rang true for me. Chambers said that we too often get caught up in serving God so much that we fail to seek God’s will for our lives. He goes on to say that one of the greatest dangers in our relationship with God can be our service because we put what we are doing ahead of what God wants done.

Our society is one of getting ahead. We are told it is important to strive to be first team and first chair; to strive to be in the top 10%, the top of the class, to climb the corporate ladder. There are seminars and books and all sorts of efforts to study leadership even going so far that someone wrote a book titled Jesus, CEO. We plan and execute strategy and work to do more and more and more.

Christ didn’t call us to lead, he called us to serve. Maybe we should be studying servanthood instead of leadership. Maybe we should study Mother Teresa instead of Patton; instead of “Jesus, CEO” we should be reading “Jesus, the one who went so far to serve us that He suffered more than we can know because that is what God called Him to do and He came back to life because that is how good God is to those who love Him and do His will.”

God, help me when I try to serve you without seeking you first. Help me remember that the greatest example of who I should be gave His life and went through excruciating pain and agony to make my path better and my future brighter than anything I can do or imagine. Allow me to glorify you even when it’s not easy or convenient or pretty. Allow me to glorify you when I go through pain and turmoil and help me remember that in the times I think you have abandoned me, you are there with me. Use me God. Set me on your path and allow me to do your will.

Grace and peace to you.

I love the book of Philippians.

The Rangers are playing great. The Angels are in another world. Can someone put some sort of voodoo curse on them for a little while?

It’s still pitching that’s getting the job done and Josh Hamilton can’t hit the side of a barn. What’s up with that?

I saw some video yesterday of a wedding where the wedding party is dancing down the aisle. The whole time I’m thinking, “these folks don’t have great rhythm.” It looked like they had fun though.

Just heard an old clip from Seinfeld where George is telling Jerry he wants to get a job in professional baseball. Funny but I wonder how many people have that same conversation thinking they could do some of the jobs better than the people in baseball doing those jobs.

Hosea’s story boggles my mind.

Grace and peace to you.

Last week I mentioned something about being ready for heaven and then heard a song on my iPod over the weekend that got me thinking about it again. The song titled Heaven sung by Los Lonely Boys (it’s a band of 3 brothers and I think one of them wrote the song) speaks to me.

Save me from this prison
Lord help me get away
Cause only you can save me now
From this misery
Cause I’ve been lost in my own place
And I’m getting’ weary
How far is heaven
And I know I need to change
My ways of livin’
How far is heaven, Lord can you tell me

Cause I’ve been locked up way too long
In this crazy world, how far is heaven
I just keep on prayin’ Lord
Just keep on livin’, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven
I just got to know how far, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me

Tu que estas en alto cielo,
Echame tu bendiciòn
[translated from Spanish]
[You that’s in a higher place
Send me down a blessing]

Cause I know there’s a better place
Than this place I’m livin’, how far is heaven
So I just got to show some faith
And just keep on giving, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven
I just wanna know how far, how far is heaven,
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven,
’cause I just gotta know how far,
I just wanna know far

I, too, want to know how far heaven is but it’s not my place to know. In the meantime, my prayer is that God will use me to do His will; that He will use me when I’m strong to reach those who are hurting and that He will use me when I’m weak so I will remember that He is strong. I pray that He will use me to see with His eyes and to serve with His hands. I pray that He will use me to bring hope to those who feel lost and that He will use me to rejoice with those who have found Him.

I look forward to the glory of being with my Lord but wanted to be His instrument until that time.

Grace and peace to you.

It’s been a crazy week with a baseball tournament going on and me coming and going from the office and working late to keep up. Fun, but crazy.

One of the things I cherish is time spent in Aracaju, Brazil with people who truly know the Lord God. It is always uplifting and encouraging to be with them and I will get the opportunity soon. It will be a blessing for me and I hope I can help them grow stronger in their walk with God.

I think I’ve mentioned that I have a copy of My Utmost For His Highest written by Oswald Chambers. It’s an incredible book of thoughts and devotional ideas and, often, I feel like he knows me when he is writing. There are days that I have to read over and over because his words lead me closer to God each time I read them. I had the book for 2-3 years before I picked it up. I probably wasn’t ready to understand the depth of Chamber’s writing or the impact it would have on my relationship with God when I got it but I was led back to it at the right time. Powerful.

I’m working with some staff at work on how we see each other and how we treat each other in the hopes of continually going deeper to work on ourselves in an effort to make others better. It’s incredible to hear the comments and see the changes as people take on responsibility for choosing how they will treat people and I’m thankful I work in an environment where I can invoke Christ as the example. So many places would limit or condemn the use of Christ and I am more than fortunate to be in a place where that is not the case.

I hope today I can be a living, breathing example of Christ-likeness.

Grace and peace to you.

I remember when I used to look forward to Wednesday because the week was half-over. A friend commented the other day that he had hit the “hump day” of life meaning he reached the age he felt like it was half-over. It made me start thinking about what I will do with the latter half.
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I’ve heard a lot of Michael Jackson music lately. It keeps taking me back to images of high school. I remember taking Keith Dixon home from basketball practice. Keith (a black guy) always thought it was funny I (a white guy) was jamming to Michael Jackson with my stereo on steroids in my truck.

I talked to my Mom on the phone the other day and she told me Keith has died recently.
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I’m really not on some morbid, end-of-life kick today. Just a couple of things that popped into my mind.
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Joe Gibbs was just on ESPN and I only heard snippets but he was talking about some Bible scholar he’s talking to who is giving him ideas of what heaven will be like. I don’t know (although Rick did a great job with some sermons on it recently) what it will be like exactly but know this – there won’t be pain but absolute joy. There won’t be hatred or bitterness or anger – just absolute, unconditional love. There won’t be cares and issues with Osama or Obama or Democrats or Republicans, no Baptists or Church of Christ’ers, no yankees or rednecks – there will be God, a majestic and perfect ruler, celebrating with His children who have come home – their only label being “saved by Christ.”

I look forward to that day and hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Grace and peace to you.