This life is just the warmup act for followers of Jesus. A classic tune from the Righteous Brothers reflects my hope. If you believe in forever,Then life is just a one-night stand. Those lyrics reminded me that even if you hit triple digits on the age odometer this journey is still an eternal blink of the eye. Your significance is not how long but how well you live your life. Not how much fame or money you gain but what you do with time you are given. This weekend a song popped up on satellite radio called “We’re Only Here for a Little While”. Billy Dean is singing about leaving a funeral and recognizing his need to slow down and enjoy the everyday blessings of life. He decides to become intentional about doing the things that matter instead of worrying and tweeting about things that don’t amount to a hill of beans in eternity. Gonna hold who needs holdin’Mend what needs mendin’Walk what needs
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One of my favorite lessons from Stay came while rescued Lab Maggie and I traversed the usual path. She sniffed and I listened to a podcast as we paced briskly through a Texas morning. She spotted something and moved toward the curb. My eye caught something at the same time, and I jerked violently on her leash to pull her toward me. She looked surprised, puzzled at what she had done wrong for such a harsh correction from me. The truth was that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Some knucklehead had shattered a beer bottle and a jagged piece was right in her path. She could have been seriously cut by the razor-sharp glass. I was thankful I had spotted it, but I could see that my action confused Maggie. I needed to assure her that my unexpected reaction was not punitive but entirely out of concern for her. I immediately dropped down to my knee, scratched Maggie’s ears, and
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This journey is not easy. Never will be. Everyone of us will suffer heartaches and sadness. King David wrote these words while traveling a difficult valley. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 There are so many brokenhearted people who simply need a caring heart. But the most important thing they need to understand is that Jesus understands your pain and He never leaves you alone. My pastor and friend Jeff Denton has been going through a difficult season after receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis. I have observed first hand as Jeff has shown me what it looks like to live out faith through the darkest valley. Jeff began writing about his journey and now has released those powerful insights in a must read book titled God is Bigger that the Valley. I love the subtitle of Jeff’s book. A 30 Day Encouragement Guide Through Cancer Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t
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I miss my Dad. It was over nineteen years ago that he passed into eternity with Jesus. I still find myself wishing I could share good news with him. I wish he could have seen how his grandsons in Texas have grown up to be godly and good men. I wish he could have seen how his daughter-in-law trusted God as she faced down cancer. I wish he could have seen how his son finally began to understand how to live in the amazing grace of Jesus. I wish I could have told him that his example gave me a foundation for how the grace of God is possible. If my flawed earthly father could love me that much and without condemnation, then I can begin to understand how my merciful Heavenly Father can love me despite my junk and flaws. Not every man can say that about his earthly father and I am grateful that I can. I often think
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This floor sticker was amusing but not particularly helpful. It did make me remember how long I stumbled around trying to figure out where I was on my spiritual journey. Was I going to Heaven? Was I a good, bad, or indifferent Christian? Was I loved by God? Was I significant? The question of where I was as a follower of Christ and who I was as a person consumed and confused me. The always present Enemy answered the questions above on a regular basis. Maybe not going to Heaven. Definitely a bad Christian. Not really loved or bad things wouldn’t happen to you. Totally insignificant. The following is a little excerpt on this topic from my book Waking Up Slowly. For too many years I believed the accusations, without considering the question that Philip Yancey asks. Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you
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I recently recalled a comment one of my colleagues made during a meeting. I was joking about my age and remarked that I was no doubt well into the fourth quarter of my life. He said with a smile “you may be in sudden death overtime! I laughed and agreed. Later I thought about how accurate that exchange could be. One big change in my reaction to that possibility is I no longer dread the prospect of my time ending. One of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn, gets right to the heart of the matter. “Many Christians dread the thought of leaving this world. Why? Because so many have stored up their treasures on earth, not in heaven. Each day brings us closer to death. If your treasures are on earth, that means each day brings you closer to losing your treasures.” I believe so many of my treasures are in heaven. My dad, my mom, my nephew Dean, and
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Every year they rudely awaken Punxsutawney Phil long enough for the reluctant rodent to let us know if six more weeks of winter awaits. Phil always looks as happy as I do when when I am disturbed in the morning. Twenty-eight years ago a funny and underappreciated movie came on the scene. Groundhog Day told the story of a self-absorbed news reporter (redundancy alert?) that finds himself stuck in an endless repeat of the same day. Bill Murray is perfect in the role of reporter Phil Connors. The premise of the movie is that Phil Connors is doomed to live the same day over and over and over. For Connors, Groundhog Day begins each morning at 6:00 A.M as Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” blares out from his alarm clock radio. The twist is that his (and only his) memories of the “previous” day remain intact, trapped in a seemingly endless “time loop” to repeat the same day endlessly. I
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