Always sharing with her father...

Right now, in my office sits and chats a lovely 4 year old little girl.  I'm absolutely grateful to call her my daughter and i believe she is happy to call me "daddy."  What amazes me is her constant love for me.  Now I'm not bragging or getting on an ego trip.  But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loves me.  I can see this by her constant talk of what she is feeling, what she wants, and the random thoughts that she is bouncing back and forth.  She actually only stops talking in between bites of a granola bar (which she made sure she shared with me), sips of her water, and yawns.  I guess my office is not exactly a 4-year olds dreamland.  But between the talking, the sharing of sacred granola, and the bouncing energy...i get the climb up in daddy's lap hug and "I love you."  I love how secure she is in sharing with me.

It probably will not be long at all before she isn't.  In fact, the other night i remember her tears and sorrow for thinking she was on "the naughty list" after watching Dora's Christmas Carol.  She made sure she knew that she was sorry for those things she had done to hurt her brother's feelings and such.  Broke my heart a little seeing her in sorrow.  But it reminded me of the honesty I need with my God.

I know that their are many times in my life that my relationship with my Father in heaven is not "like the faith of a child."  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing constantly what is on my heart (1 Thessalonians 5:16), giving of what has been given to me (Luke 21:3-4), and both embracing & reciprocating (giving back) the love he has for me...His adoptive son (Luke 15:11-32 / Romans 8:15).

He loves you like crazy, so...don't forget to always share the love of & with your Father

Am I Lukewarm...like room temperature coffee?

I heard Vodie Baucham teach one time that our view of the "lukewarm" passage in Revelation 3 is often skewed in American/Western Culture churches.  He taught the crowd about how the idea of this idiom is not "straddling the fence" as we have come to know it...where you are either for God or against Him.  He taught that looking at the church of Laodicea (which the particular passage was addressing), they had everything accessible to them imagined as a trade city.  Except for a natural source of freshwater that had to be aquaducted to their location.  In other words, they had to find alternate ways to connect to a source of useful water.  Hot water for cleaning, healing, and such.  Cold water for refreshment.  When it was lukewarm water...it meant there was the problem with a connection to the source.

In other words, hot and cold had their uses, the lukewarm was not straddling the fence as we have coined the phrase, but was truly an unconnected person, either by unbelief, or by issues in their relationship with God.  I have never wanted to be lukewarm...but I have been so recently challenged in my personal walk with God.

I've been reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  He has written in such a way about the Crazy, Overwhelming love of God in such a way that my heart is so refreshed, and now so...examined.  Now all of us have sinned and messed up in our lives at many points, but as believers are we passionately in pursuit of loving God, or just what God gives us?  (F. Chan paraphrase, not mine)

I think that it was a reminder of how complacent I can be at times, and i don't want that.  God knows i try to teach against such things.  But I found myself there.  I found myself...settling.  I found myself...selfish.  I found myself...needing Christ even more desperately than i could imagine in the beginning of my relationship with Him.  I need that connection that not only brings me closer to Him, but allows Him to use me in ways that benefit others.  

I don't want to be room temperature coffee that is left on my desk after a visit in my favorite java stop.  I want to be something bold from my Maker not just because it sounds good, but because I know...He really, boldly loves me.

New Vision

So over the past few days, i have began to se things more clearly.  Literally!  I went to the eye doctor (lazy man way of saying optamologist) the other day to get some new contacts and glasses.  I was out of contacts already and my glasses had this stress crack for months.  So, now i have beem looking through my new pair of specs or these things suctioned to my eyeballs.  It amazes me how much clearer things are.

I'm also reading this book called "Confessions of a Pastor" by Craig Groeschel.  Don't worry, it is not as racey as it sounds.  It is just about being real and not putting on the fake mask for people to think you are someone you are not.  It also challenges me to not try to just see where others need correcting but to pray about what I need to do to be genuine and intimate with Jesus Christ.  I think Christ refered to this as removing the plank from your own eye instead of trying to remove the speck from your brother's first.  What a challenge and you know what happens, life has more hope and clarity.

I had gotten used to my cracked up lense on my specs.  I even put them on again to mow the lawn with my old glasses.  I don't even want to go back there.  New examination, genuine intimacy, new-clear vision.  Think about it.

Weeds

Hey guys,

I was asked to preach a message for this past Sunday morning's service and the area was dealing with the message of evangelism.  Well, the main point that I felt needed driven home was that the Message of Jesus matters.  I was praying about what God would give me to show an illustration to this.  He did...

Over the past few weeks, i have noticed that my lawn was in severe need of attention.  Yes, people have lawns in Arizona.  Mine is not tall with grass but weeds have begun spreading all over my yard.  Over and over again i have said i needed to take care of those, but i've been pretty content to jst go in my comfortable house and procrastinate.  Well, Saturday i began working and was not able to get done with it.  It was dirty, back aching hard labor, but it made an impact.  

God spoke telling me this, if i stay in the house, i am saying the yard matters more to the weeds than it does to us.  The same goes for the message of Christ and the cross.  If we don't move beyond the walls of our church home, we are saying deep down, the world matters more to the weeds than it does to us.  If we really love Jesus Christ, we'll love what He loved.  People matter to Him, so people matter.

Woke Up By God?

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if you have ever been woke up by God?  Last night, I had to deal with th usual ups and downs of sleep and semi-awakeness because I have two kids, one of which is 1-year old.  In between my boughts of making milk bottles and changing diapers, i got this surge of restlessness, that didn't give me that (you're still sleepy) feeling.  And I felt like God was talking to me.  It seemed to be an intimate conversation that dealt with how I am to lead in my family and in my church with strength, wisdom, and integrity.  Now believe me, I'm no saint, but I wish I were.  There have been times when my integrity was not something I could say I was proud of.  But there in the dark, God reminded me of light and grace.  There, he reminded me, that "what he whispers... I'm to declare from rooftops."  There he reminded me that as I sleep, He is still awake and watching over the heavens and the earth, yet He concerns Himself with a person such as me.  I am reminded of the story of Samuel, from Scriptures.  As still a boy, God spoke to Him truth and wisdom.  The only thing was for Samuel to be open to listening.  "He spoke, 'speak for Your servant is listening." I tried to fight this restless whisper for a moment, thinking, maybe just my head is busy and swarming with things on my mind.  But after taking a moment of prayer, just to say "I am willing to listen to You God." He let me know, that He is the one that still wants to do great things in the lives of us who are willing to yeild to His teaching.

Truth & Trust

It amazes me to watch my children on my days off.  They follow me around wherever i go in the house, (even when you want just a little privacy).  They bring me gifts (toys or other objects that interest them) as if to say "look what i have discovered,"  "or aren't you happy with what I'm doing."  They also go directly to you when they are desiring to have a need met.. "Daddy, I'm thirsty;  Daddy, I'm hungry; Daddy, I need to go potty; well you get it.  And they are so honest (usually) about what they have done or what they need.  I blows my mind their faith in me.  Then my little girl has just started learning to pray all on her own.  She is so simple and beautiful when she begins talking to this person she knows as Jesus.  And i stop and think, she doesn't know all the ends and outs, she simply trusts...much like she trusts her parents.  I wish my faith, trust, and honesty was like that when it comes to my Father, God.  "Jesus, help me believe and live in faith and integrity.  I hope to trust you, simply with a yes."