We all face days of adversity,
Moments of hostility,
Nights of weeping, uncertainty, regret.
But sometimes those days extend into weeks,
The moments into seasons,
The nights into a relentless deluge with no break in sight.
We all carry a plan for that rainy day,
But what do you do when the storms are raging? [click to continue…]
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You’re already thinking about somebody, aren’t you? As soon as you saw this title, his or her weaselly little mug appeared on your mental screen.
Maybe it’s that man in business who always seems to end up on the upside of a deal, regardless of who loses or what the consequences are.
Maybe it’s the committee of “concerned leaders” who just ambushed the latest pastor, much like they did the previous two or three, and sent him packing.
Maybe it’s the golden throat, pretty boy preacher who’s heaven to listen to, but hell to work for or deal with.
Maybe it’s the malicious gossip, who can destroy somebody’s life before sundown and never miss a night’s sleep.
Maybe it’s the boss who never has a good word to say about your performance, but takes the credit for all your hard work.
Maybe it’s the politician, who turned “public service” into private self-service.
Maybe it’s a lawyer.
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Please don’t sue me.)
Regardless of who you’re thinking of, we’ve all known them. They’re mean, self-centered, manipulative bullies. They’re conmen who, if they can’t take your money, can take your health by driving you batty or to the point of exhaustion. They’re never wrong – at least in their own eyes – and would crawl across England on broken glass to win an argument. And let’s be honest – in all likelihood, they’re probably more powerful than you, more popular than you, and more outwardly successful than you.
Grrrr! The scoundrels!
Let me press my luck and hazard another guess. [click to continue…]
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Did a face plant a couple of weeks ago. On concrete. It was ugly, and so was I for a few days.
The irony of the situation was that I was bolting from one meeting to another, with a cross-town drive in-between. And the place I was in a hurry to?
A radio interview about the mental health of people in the ministry.
I wasn’t exactly expecting to have my own tested in the process. But that’s the price you pay when you’re trying to move at the speed of light on a sidewalk designed for the speed of pedestrians.
For just a minute I thought I was seeing the light of eternity. Turns out I was just seeing stars.
Aside from the wounds to my forehead, knees, hands and pride, I did learn a few things, such as what an “orbital nerve” is. Oh, and that there is more than one kind of black eye.
But the most important thing I was reminded of is that my ability to maintain my rhythm and step in this world of the falling is no comparison to God’s ability to hold me, heal me, and shepherd me home. Regardless of how I may stumble in a temporal world, in the one that matters most, He won’t let me fall. [click to continue…]
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A little parable, a little third-grade science…
Walking home from my in-laws night before last, between the row of houses that separate us… The houses were dark, but who needs a flashlight when we have our trusty smart phones?
Yet I remember thinking, “To be so dark, it sure is bright.”
Yeah, I know, but in my mind it made perfect sense.
I looked up to see that the moon in a very clear West Texas sky was exceptionally bright. I also noticed that the moon had a dancing partner – a star that appeared unusually close and bright. If that was Venus, the “evening star,” it appeared too close and too late. Certainly out of position. I had no idea what it was, and got distracted by four yapping, jumping fools when I opened the front door.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I discovered that what I was witnessing was a Jupiter moon – an unusual pass-by of the massive, gaseous planet in line with our moon – easily the brightest lights in the night sky. This convergence won’t happen again for another 13 years.
Turns out that the brightest stars in the galaxy that night weren’t stars at all. One was another planet, the other our moon. Both of these “lesser lights” lit up our night sky because of the light they reflect from our own sun.
There’s the science. Here’s the parable. [click to continue…]
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Here’s a thought question for you. Did Jesus have a best friend? If so, who was it?
Aunt Ruth, who was neither my aunt nor was she named “Ruth,” used to say it was Judas. “Only a friend can betray a friend,” she would say. I told her she was nuts.
You could obviously make the case for Peter, James and John collectively. He took them places the other disciples didn’t go, and let them see parts of Him the others didn’t necessarily see. He also gave each of them nicknames – something guys like to do with their friends.
Individually, Peter and John seemed to have this ongoing competition for who was going to be the closest to Christ. John even referred to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” But Jesus said more to Peter directly than any other disciple. Of course, Peter was also saying more to Him apparently.
I have another suggestion for who his dearest friend was…
…and it was a girl. [click to continue…]
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The more you love someone, even God, the more you’d better get used to the World of Never Enough. Some days that’s a peaceful and practical place to be. At other times it’s mind-numbingly frustrating.
As we’ve been repeatedly told over the last decade, everybody has a “love language” by which they both measure and naturally express love. Doesn’t matter. Whatever language you speak or listen for, at the end of the day you’re still inadequate to communicate all that’s in your heart or all that those who depend most on you for love need.
Take words, for example – one of my most trusted tools. There’s a lazy streak in me that wishes I could just find the magic words and loop them over and over, without having to think of any more ways to say it. The problem is that words, despite their power, are gloriously limited.
That’s when you action folks take the stage. “Love is something you do,” you opine.
Amen!
So do it. And when you’ve done all you can do today, guess what? There’ll still be more to do tomorrow – especially for those you love most.
Now. You have two choices when it comes to the World of Never Enough. [click to continue…]
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On this cold December night, when life, relationships and future hope seem more complicated than ever, I pray that that the Father of lights would give you the joy of His presence and the gift of simple happiness throughout the coming year, with the light of every new sunrise.
I pray that he would remind you often of how deeply you are loved, unforgettably engraved in the palm of His hand, steadfastly held by His grace day and night.
I pray that in an age where nothing seems to last, that the One who promised us a home with Him forever would keep the language and love of forever dancing in your heart and mine as long as you and I have breath. [click to continue…]
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Remember what it was like as a kid to go to sleep on Christmas Eve?
Stockings hung with care, note and snack left near the tree…
Listening with both ears for any sound that resembled, well, anything…
Sneaking a peek out the window to see if you could see, you-know-who…
Trying to go to sleep cause you-know-who can’t you-know-what until you’re fast asleep.
[Cue the choir…]
Then came the morning! Wow! Where to start? All that stuff!
And then… [click to continue…]
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This just in, in case you missed it. Christmas is less than a month away.
True confession: Yesterday I snarled in my journal, “I’ll just be glad when it’s over.”
But today, in honor of the late Zig Ziglar, who passed away yesterday, I’m “doing a checkup from the neck up.”
Every year, we have the same choice when it comes to the enchantment and the challenges of the holidays. Do we hunker down, sit tight, and hope for the best? Or do we seek to flourish? To make the most of our relationships, our worship, and even our painful experiences?
Survive or Thrive? It’s up to you. It’s up to me.
When it comes to being a thriver, here are five suggestions, for how you can come out of the bunker and actually have a season of delight:
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Sort-of-random thoughts from going over the river and through those woods for Thanksgiving…
When the weather report is rain-free and the only wind that is blowing is in your face as you’re roaming through the pasture on a hayless hay ride, that’s a sign you’re having a good week.
I wonder what would happen if there was a new global holiday and the whole world got to swing as high as they could on a swing that is big enough to hold lots of different people. Maybe people would be less on your case and more at your side. It works for little kids – why not big ones?
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