For the Children

Posted by Michelle

Over the course of my lifetime, I have heard various politicians advocate the importance of adopting their policies "for the children". Few things can manipulate a group of American adults into supporting spending for something faster than to threaten the welfare of the children if a program is not adopted. After all, most of us want our children and grandchildren to have better than what we had. They deserve nothing less than the best we can afford to give them.

That is a good point to ponder. Our children deserve nothing less than the best we can afford to give them. Is going into debt to a level that few of us can even mentally comprehend really giving our children the best we can afford? What exactly is a trillion dollars, anyway? Is borrowing exponential sums of money from countries with which we have adversarial relationships such as China really giving our children the best we can afford? Isn't China still a communist country with deplorable practices in regards to human rights?

Watching the reckless budget spending and deficits coming out of our politicians lately has made me question what exactly we are doing "for the children". As a mom, I am concerned that we are bankrupting our children before they even graduate from high school. As a mom, I question whether our children will have enough working years left to work for their own retirement by the time they finish working to support the retirements of their parents and grandparents. As a mom, I wonder if I will have to one day describe to my grandchildren the freedom and opportunity that I took for granted when I was a child.

I am not a politician. I have no candidate's political agenda in mind. I love my country, and I love my children. I would like to see our politicians adopt budgets that actually balance. I understand the choices will not be easy, but I would rather cut programs and benefits today than continue to spend money that our children cannot even earn enough in their lifetimes to cover. I am willing to sacrifice today to ensure that the nation our children inherit from us is at least as financially secure as the one that we inherited. As a mom, this is one of the things that I would like to do "for the children". How about you?

A Suffering Servant

Posted by Mark

I became aware of Matt Chandler’s (a pastor in Texas) suffering shortly after he learned of a mass in his brain discovered due to a seizure he experienced on Thanksgiving Day. Since that time I have followed him on Twitter learning of updates on his condition as he shares them. What it boils down to is this: he has a Category 3 (4 is the most aggressive) tumor caused by brain cancer. He had surgery around the beginning of December and is undergoing an intensive radiation and chemotherapy regimen in an attempt to kill any remaining traces of the cancer.

Under what appears to be dire circumstances, I have been impressed with his demeanor towards the entire situation. I cannot recall any tweets (from Twitter) that proclaimed a “woe is me” attitude which would be easy to have during such a trying time. I cannot help but think of myself when reading his story. Matt is a young man (35) with a wife and 3 children. I will be 35 shortly and also have a wife and children. If a similar scenario occurred in my own life, how would I respond? Would I remain steadfast in my faith and trust that God is in control? I pray that my heart has been prepared to weather such a storm as gracefully as Mr. Chandler.

Today I read an excellent AP article that will be disseminated across the globe that gives additional insight into the suffering that the Chandlers are experiencing. One paragraph in particular jumped off the page for me as it evidenced Matt’s Christ-likeness.

“He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.”

What a testimony! Christ learned obedience through suffering yet many times, we, as American Christians, somehow think that we should be immune to it. We celebrate the joys that God brings our way but reject the suffering as un-Godly. It is for the glory of God that we participate in the sufferings for Christ! I am reminded by Matt Chandler’s testimony that I, as a follower of Christ, have the privilege of experiencing a small taste of what Christ suffered.

This morning Matt tweeted about the AP article and asked that people pray for those all over the world who would be reading his story. I pray that lives would be impacted for the Kingdom and glory of God by the story of His servant, Matt Chandler. Also, from one young man to another, I thank you, Mr. Chandler, for encouraging me with your Christ-like attitude while living as a suffering servant.

Learning to Laugh

Posted by Michelle

In the last few years since becoming a mother, I have had the opportunity to experience many events that were frustrating at the time and hilarious later. I could tell you stories that would make you cry from laughing so hard. As I have lived through each of these trying moments, I have faced a choice to either lose my temper or just laugh. I must admit that I have not always chosen the latter. Here is a story I thought you might find mildly amusing that happened recently in our home.

In order to truly appreciate the story, a little background information is needed. A few weeks ago on Christmas morning, my toddler received a really fun toy. This really fun toy has a big button on the side just perfect for his chubby little hand to push and make play the inordinately loud jingle. He loves this toy and pushes that button several times at random throughout the day. And no, there is no off button. That jingle is never far from my thoughts. Are you beginning to get the picture?

Now, fast-forward to last Friday. As we arrived home from our errands late Friday morning, I happened to glance in my rear-view mirror and noticed that my toddler had fallen asleep in his car seat. My heart sank as I recognized that this little ten minute catnap almost certainly spelled doom for the afternoon nap that I and so many other moms of small children cherish as a priceless treasure. As I opened the van door, his little eyes popped open. There was nothing to be done now, so we continued on with our routine. We put the groceries away, ate lunch, prepared for naps, and read aloud from the children's book we are reading.

I knew I was in trouble as I finished reading the second chapter of the book and looked down into the big eyes of my wide-awake toddler staring back up at me with a grin on his face. Normally, he does not even make it through the first chapter before falling fast asleep. I admitted defeat, tucked the other children in for their naps, and took my toddler out to rock in the living room. I rocked softly. I rocked feverishly. I cuddled him closely. I released him to sit up. Back and forth we danced. He tried to do everything in his power to stay awake, and I tried to do everything in my power to get him to fall asleep. We both knew he was sleepy. I knew how cranky he would be later if the only nap he got that day was the ten-minute nap earlier in the van.

After an hour or so of hard labor, my little cherub finally fell asleep. I rocked him contentedly for another half an hour to ensure a good, deep sleep. As I carried him to bed, I was greeted with the wide-awake faces of his siblings. Of course, by this time it was time for them to get up. You moms out there will recognize that I had missed my window for a break. Oh, well, at least my toddler would not be cranky that evening. I gave each of the older children the go-ahead to get up but shot them warning looks to make a quiet departure and not wake the toddler. The children solemnly shook their heads and began to quietly climb out of their beds. I gave them one last look to ensure they realized certain annihilation awaited the maker of any noise that would wake baby brother before returning my attention to the task at hand.

Some of you are aware of the delicate procedure of trying to place a sleeping toddler in bed without awaking him, and here is where the information that I presented earlier about my toddler's new Christmas toy comes into play. I turned to gently rest my little boy's sleeping form in his bed when I accidentally kicked something hard hidden under his bed. That loud, annoying jingle erupted and shattered the quiet as my foot hit the big button on the side. My toddler's eyes burst open, and he immediately began to scream in terror at being jerked so rudely from a sound sleep. To their credit my older children never made a sound.

I looked down at my wailing toddler and then up at the pale faces of my other children as they froze waiting for my response. Now, I must admit that I was frustrated and that I may have reacted differently a few years and a couple of children ago, but the irony was not lost to me on this day. All I could do was throw my head back and laugh hysterically as I scooped up my toddler to comfort him. My other children gathered around me with relieved faces to join my laughter and offer additional comfort to their baby brother.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I chose to laugh instead of lose my temper. I am not saying that the rest of the evening was a piece of cake. My toddler was whiny and clingy, which I'm sure is everyone's favorite combination for a child to be. He only wanted to be held until it was finally bedtime. He went off to sleep without a fuss. As I gazed down at his peaceful form snuggly asleep in his bed, I smiled contentedly. I am so thankful that I am learning to laugh.

What are some frustrating events that you have learned to laugh at in your life?

Saluting the Secret Service

Posted by Mark

Book Review: In the President’s Secret Service by Ronald Kessler

I just finished reading the book listed above and thought I would give you some insight into the Secret Service as well as honor them for the job they do.

In the past you may have heard some curious discussion regarding the Secret Service as a branch of the Department of the Treasury. Why would the Department of the Treasury contain a unit that protects the President? It harkens from their beginnings, in 1865, as an agency that was tasked with tracking down and arresting counterfeiters. In the late 1800’s Congress authorized the Secret Service to investigate other crimes. In 1894 upon investigation into a plot to assassinate President Grover Cleveland, the Secret Service detailed two men to protect the President from the suspects. Also in 1894 the Secret Service began to supplement the police that were protecting the White House. In 1902 the Secret Service began the official duty of protecting the President. However, it was not until 1913 that Congress authorized permanent protection of the President. Over the past 100 years, members of the Secret Service have taken on many additional responsibilities as the threats that they are to protect against have evolved. In 2003 the Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.

One of the responsibilities of the Secret Service is to protect major Presidential candidates. On May 3, 2007 protection was initiated for Barack Obama. This was the earliest start of protection for any candidate in history. As you may imagine, protection for his inauguration was a massive undertaking for the Secret Service. They coordinated 40,000+ law enforcement officers for the event. The long list of other precautions that were taken to secure the inaugural festivities is detailed quite thoroughly in one chapter of the book.

I quite enjoyed the various stories that Mr. Kessler related concerning most of the Presidents over the past 50 years. I think it was most intriguing to read how various Presidents treated the Secret Service agents charged with protecting them. Mr. Kessler includes stories about the following Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama. Given that these agents are with them 24/7/365, I think that stories about who the Presidents really are when not in front of the cameras is somewhat revealing.

Mr. Kessler attempts to shed light on what he believes is mismanagement of the Secret Service. He gives numerous examples of the agents not receiving continuing training, working too much overtime, and not being properly armed. His hopes for the agency are revealed in the last statement in the book - “My hope is that the problems revealed in the book will lead to reforms that could avert a calamity.” The book was compiled with the cooperation of the Secret Service, and more than one hundred agents were interviewed. Assuming the book is accurate in its representation of the management issues prevalent in the Secret Service, it would not be surprising if a calamity does occur at some point in the future.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about the Secret Service. It was an entertaining, yet sobering, look at the agency that is tasked with one of the most important jobs in our government. The ultimate responsibility of the Secret Service is to maintain the safety of all its protectees. This is quite a job given that every day the Secret Service receives, on average, about 10 threats against any of the people under its guard. To keep our leaders safe, is a daunting task that takes untold man hours and excruciating attention to the smallest of details. I salute the sacrifice that members of the Secret Service make giving of their lives to serve the American people.

Most Likely to Succeed

Posted by Michelle

When I was a senior in high school, my fellow classmates voted to bestow upon me the title of "Most Likely to Succeed." While I knew that this was simply a gesture, it was nice to be recognized by my peers. I spent the next few years working hard and chasing after my definition of success. I was driven as I completed my college degree in three years and used my fourth year to earn a masters degree. Who could say that I was not successful?

My husband and I finished college, and I began my first career. I worked very hard in my first job. I was appreciated by my employers and well-liked by my co-workers. I spent long hours at the office when required. I did what was needed to get the job done. Within my first six months with the company, my employers were discussing the possibility of management with me. I beamed with pride. After all, wasn't I successful?

Through the course of events in my life, God shook things up and I landed with another employer in a smaller company in a little town. I was very happy in this position. I still worked hard when the need arose, but I enjoyed a more relaxed atmosphere. My employer treated me fairly, and we got along well. After several years, I began to entertain the possibility of a partnership somewhere down the road. The opportunity excited me. Could this be the definition of success?

By this time, my "biological clock", as it were, was beginning to kick in. Mark and I were happily married and settled into our own home. We were comfortable in our church and our community. But as Mark and I contemplated the possibility of having a baby, I worried about my job. I began to throw little trial balloons out to my employer to get his impression and was delighted with his positive response. My employer had two small children at the time and maintained a family-friendly atmosphere at work. Another co-worker had just had her second baby and was working part-time. I entertained the option of doing the same, but could I be a success at both?

I will never forget the day that I held my first precious little baby in my arms. He stole my heart as every other responsibility seemed to pale in comparison with taking care of him. I relished my six weeks of maternity leave and even spent the first four months of his life working part-time, some from home. However, the busy season came, and I returned full-time to work. I found myself, again, working hard to get the job done. But this time was different. My heart wasn't in it. I struggled to focus, and I worried that I was not giving my best to either my employer or my baby. Could I succeed in juggling a baby and a career?

This tension dominated my life for the next two months. Finally, I can remember one late night at work sitting in front of my computer as I began to cry. Every ounce of me screamed out to be with my baby. I was struck with the fact that someone else could do my job at the office just as well as I could, but no one else could ever love my little baby as much as his daddy and me. Somewhere in the struggle, I finally came to peace with the fact that I could not achieve my definition of success with both my career and my baby. I completed my obligation to my employer to finish out the busy season and left my job when my baby was eight months old. I will never forget my first day at home after quitting my job. I can remember sitting in my rocker wondering what I should do next. What was required to be successful in my new career?

I found staying at home with my baby to be rewarding but different. It was not long before Mark and I welcomed another little boy into our family. A few years later, we had a little girl. And a few years after that, God blessed us with a third little boy. There are no offers of management or possibilities of partnership in my new career. I must confess that I have struggled with issues of worth and value as I have wiped noses and bottoms. I have wondered at the unexpected turn my life has taken. Could I still possibly be considered successful?

There have been times when I have questioned God as to why I could not be at peace in my heart with both motherhood and a career. The simple fact is that I could not. So, with a change in career has come a change in my definition of success. I still hold big dreams in my heart for the future, but I am totally committed to my career of motherhood for this priceless season of my life. And thanks to my peers in high school for voting me "Most Likely to Succeed." You were absolutely right!

What is your definition of success?

Sowing Good Seed

Posted by Mark
(A friend suggested that we inform you at the TOP of each post who is writing it. What a good suggestion!)

Yesterday began a new chapter in my life. Only time will tell how long this chapter will last. My hope is that this will be an entirely new lifestyle for me and for our whole family. The new chapter begins with a choice to eat more healthily. I desire to be a good steward of the body that God has given to me; therefore, I choose to eat differently. I must admit that this decision did not come lightly. I greatly enjoy many foods that are not particularly healthy and some that are downright unhealthy. I would prefer to eat whatever I want whenever I want it. Unfortunately, my body was not designed to stay fit and trim with that eating plan. My expanding waistline would eventually be the death of me.

I had to wrestle with myself over making a choice that would benefit me over the long run (20-30-40 years) or make the choice that feels good today. Oh, how I would rather live in the moment! That was the state of mind in which I found myself when I heard a challenge on the radio regarding sowing and reaping. The line of thinking was this: if you want to win long term then you have to sow good seed now in order to reap the benefits in the future. It hit me like a ton of bricks! I was immediately drawn to sow good decisions that would yield a harvest that I want in the future.

Even though I was armed with my inspiration to sow good seed, I must admit that I am a complainer. My wife will tell you that if I don’t like something I will complain. There have been many times over the past couple weeks that I have complained sarcastically about this new lifestyle and how it will impact me negatively. One of my running jokes is “If it doesn’t taste good then you can eat all you want of it!” In fact, I think that might be the primary rule for eating now. Of course, I am kidding …well, maybe not completely.

In my struggle to make good decisions regarding healthy eating, I had to confront my own selfish desires to consume food that is unhealthy. To choose a healthy lifestyle seems like such a huge decision now, but in light of the overall health and stewardship of my body it is not all that great a sacrifice. My desire to reap the benefits of a healthy diet have challenged me to live my life in such a way that I am sowing the seeds that will produce the result I want.

Are you sowing seed that will produce the harvest you want to reap?

The Treasure of Friendship

Our family relocated to a different state for my husband's job a little over a year ago. I must confess that I was completely unprepared for how difficult it would be on me emotionally to leave the place that I had come to refer to as home. This was not our family's first relocation. Well, maybe it was in a sense.

Mark and I got married, graduated from college, and moved several states away to begin our new life together. I was so caught up in the excitement of the adventure that it did not occur to me to be homesick. Over the course of the next decade, Mark and I settled down. We bought a home, had four children, and developed friendships that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

When it became clear to us that God was again leading us to leave our home, I had mixed emotions. I was sad to leave, but I really wasn't concerned about the difficulty. After all, hadn't I already done this once before? The answer to this question is a resounding no! You see, I have come to realize that relocating in my early thirties is not the same as relocating in my early twenties.

Change of any kind is always a stretching experience. I did not have the same elasticity with this move as I did when I was younger. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons that God brought this opportunity. I was comfortable where I was. I enjoyed living in a small town. I liked knowing people around me and being known by them as well. I had no desire to leave. Looking back, I can admit that I was becoming complacent. Nothing like a good challenge to kick complacency to the curb!

The greatest challenge I have found in this whole process is forming new friendships. Building relationships takes hard work and patience. Over the last year or so, I have found myself in many unfamiliar locations introducing myself to many friendly, but unfamiliar people. It is frustrating sometimes to patiently sow seeds into the lives of others and wait for the harvest of friendship to come. It is frustrating, but truly worth the effort.

Friendship is a priceless treasure worth the sacrifice to obtain. Who are the friends in your life with whom you share a common history? And what steps can you take today to reach out to someone new who just may end up a cherished lifelong friend?

I Am a ‘Bama Fan

Because I lived the last 10 years in Alabama I was often asked who I cheer for – Alabama or Auburn? The question, when you live in Alabama, is part of what defines you. This was not a question that you received only during college football season – no, football is a way of life in Alabama. Little boys in Alabama grow up dreaming of playing for the Tide. Grown men reminisce about the glory days of Bear Bryant.

Tonight, the Crimson Tide is looking to add a 13th college football National Championship. I am sure that it an awesome responsibility that rests on the shoulders of those young men wearing the crimson and white. I am sure that it is a fulfillment of a lifelong passion for many.

The build-up to this moment has been a long time coming for many Alabama football fans. They had to suffer through several years of unacceptable mediocrity. Now the hopes and dreams of the Alabama nation rest on the swell of a Crimson Tide.

May the best team…no, forget it! Roll Tide!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Last night, my seven-year-old asked me a question that caught me a bit off guard. I am not unaccustomed to his questions. Frequently, he asks me things like, "Mom, what's your favorite movie?" or "Mom, what's your favorite color?" or "Mom, what's your favorite superhero?". This time he asked me, "Mom, what's your favorite thing about life?". I paused for a moment to contemplate my answer. Finally, I told him that I was not sure and would need time to think about that one.

Wow! What a question! So seemingly simple, and yet, so complicated. What is my favorite thing about life? I finally had to admit to myself the impossibility of naming just one thing. I began to compile a list of some of my favorite things about life. When completed, I was amazed at the length of the list and the ease in which I had compiled it. As the old song goes, "these are a few of my favorite things":

• Snuggling into a warm, toasty bed on a cold winter's night
• The gentle rippling of a brook
• The uproarious giggles of my children
• A warm breeze on a spring day
• Sunday-afternoon naps
• Long, quiet evening walks alone with my husband
• A cup of tea and good conversation
• Visiting Florida in the wintertime
• The faintly-sweet smell of my newborn baby's breath
• The drip, drip, drop of refreshing rain showers
• Watching It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve
• Gathering all of my family into a cozy home just before a storm begins to rage outside
• Making my husband laugh
• Mackinac Island, Michigan in August
• Sitting outside with my grandpa on a hot day eating sweet, juicy watermelon on the rind and spitting out the seeds
• Watching my children sleep peacefully and gently kissing them goodnight
• Curling up by a crackling fire with a good book on a cold day
• Marching with the militia in Colonial Williamsburg
• On a scorching summer day, diving into a clear pool and gliding through the cool water
• The "ah-ha" moment when a simple word becomes a life-changing revelation
• My husband's first kiss and every kiss after that
• And finally, my favorite thing about life may just be the privilege of getting to live it.
  

How about you? What are some of your favorite things about life?

The Need for Character in Leadership

I read an article online today about a request that C-SPAN has made that Congress “open all important negotiations…to electronic media coverage.” The CEO of the station is hoping that the public will be allowed to see, with transparency, what is being discussed for the transformation of the health care system. C-SPAN even offered to commit all the necessary resources to covering all such sessions live and in their entirety. Many have predicted that the leaders of Congress WILL NOT open up these discussions for public scrutiny.

There are two things that are curious to me about this. First, why would Congressional leaders not want to give access to the public? And second, why would President Obama not apply pressure by publicly calling for them to do so after saying the following in a January 31, 2008 debate with Hillary Clinton:

“…part of the reason, I think, that they (Congress) have failed is we have not been able to bring Democrats, Republicans together to get it (universal health care) done. That's what I did in Illinois, to provide insurance for people who did not have it. That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are.” LINK TO TRANSCRIPT

My concern is that the leaders of Congress and the President want to keep the public in the dark about health care reform because they have something to hide. Keeping negotiations in secret appears to be their standard operating procedure. President Obama’s commitment, if you will, at the debate was to NOT negotiate behind closed doors and to broadcast the negotiations on C-SPAN (the very network that has made the request!!!) “so that the American people can see what the choices are.” It remains to be seen whether President Obama will stand by this commitment.

The answers to these two questions evidence the issue at hand – the need for character in our leadership. First, all the members of Congress are supposed to be servants of the people. It takes the utmost of character to make decisions on behalf of others, when in a position such as theirs, that may not be in their own best interest. Second, when a leader makes a statement, as President Obama did committing to an action, that leader should be faithful to fulfill that commitment. I believe my parents would have called that being a “man of your word”. It is exceedingly important to measure our words carefully and do what we say we will do.

It is my intense desire to be a man of character, and I realize that each and every day I make decisions that will impact who I am. The little decisions reveal my heart’s condition, and my words establish the commitments to which I must be true. I strive to be a courageous man who will stand for what is right and true regardless of its impact upon me. This is not always easy, but I want to be a leader with character!

Will you stand with me?

Enjoying Exercise

Last night, I went to bed with grand intentions. I planned to get up early to exercise. I set out my exercise clothes and even a bottle of water. I got to bed at a good hour. The children slept through the night without interruption. This morning, I found myself awaking fifteen minutes before I wanted to get up. Did I bounce out of bed with enthusiasm that everything had gone according to my plan? Well, let's just say that twenty minutes later I had finally talked myself out of my nice, warm bed.

Exercise has not always been my favorite word. Over the years, I have tried a number of different activities. I have done step classes, aerobics videos, spin classes, and even water aerobics. I have jogged, walked, and ridden a stationary bike. I have lifted free weights and tried my hand at weight machines. I have done yoga and Pilates. I'm probably forgetting a couple of activities that I have tried.

I have read different sources over the years that recommend different types of exercise regimens as the most effective, but I have found that the most effective types of exercises for me are the ones that I will actually do and keep doing. And I will only do and keep doing exercises that I actually enjoy. One of my favorite exercises is walking outside. On many week-day afternoons, I can be found walking (not strolling) outside of our local gym on beautiful trails listening to my iPod. I find that a good hour-long fast-walk outside in the afternoon helps me to reflect on my day and relax. I also enjoy the movements of yoga and Pilates. My body simply feels better, and my level of stress is noticeably lower when I regularly participate in these exercises.

Perhaps, you are noticing a pattern. I am not what you would call coordinated or athletic. I exercise to relax. I am married to an athletic man. Mark gets up at 5 in the morning several mornings each week to play basketball. In his spare time, he runs. Mark ran a 10k on Thanksgiving morning this last year in weather that I did not even want to stand out in as a spectator. He genuinely enjoys these very physical activities. I do not.

I used to compare myself to Mark and others and try to do the same, but I was challenged recently to listen to my body and discover what exercises work for me. I have come to accept who I am and that I enjoy exercises that relax me. Fortunately, I have also read several studies that discuss the health benefits of exercises like walking, yoga, and Pilates. I now realize that Mark and I are both quite active in our own different ways.

What about you? What exercises do you enjoy?

A Reminder of My Selfishness

Recently Michelle and I have been contemplating a change in lifestyle. Specifically, we are investigating a change in our diet to eat more healthily. In the interest of full disclosure, she has been looking at these options for quite some time now, but I have only recently begun to do so.
My contemplation of this lifestyle change is not because I am particular unhealthy, but mainly because I feel compelled to be a better steward of the body that God has given me. However, just considering this change is killing me. I want to be healthier, but I sure don’t want to have to change to do so. I want to keep eating exactly the way I have been but get a different result – isn’t that the definition of insanity?

The process I have described above has driven me to the realization of how pathetically selfish I am. Every time I turn around, I am confronted with my desire to have my own way and satisfy the lust of my flesh. This is not good! I want to be more self-less, NOT selfish! One of the passages of Scripture that is near to my heart is Philippians 2:3.

Philippians 2:3 (NASB)
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Copyright by The Lockman Foundation. Used with permission. http://www.Lockman.org

I cannot fully explain how it has happened, but over the past 10 years of my walk with the Lord my heart has been radically changed with a desire to serve others. This requires that I act unselfishly. The realization that I described above is merely another layer of living flesh that I must allow to die in order to more closely walk with Christ.

Each time that I am brought to the place of dealing with my own selfishness, I am challenged to consider the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His sacrifice was His life. Whatever sacrifice I must endure pales in comparison. One of the truths by which I live is that NO SACRIFICE IS TOO GREAT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. I look forward to expounding on this as I continue my journey of writing. For now please know that I am selfish, but Christ has given me a new heart. I intend to be more like Him each day going forward.

How about you? In what areas of life has God challenged you?

The Importance of Support

I am very thankful for the support system that God has put into place in my life. There are several key people that play this role for me, but none is closer to me than my husband. He and I are on the "front lines", if you will, with one another. When I am down, he generally hears about it before anyone else. And on the rare occasion that he is having a bad day, I am usually the first to hear about it.

I must confess that I have not always been very good about supporting Mark when he is down without joining him. I tend to be the more pessimistic (I prefer to call it realistic) of the two of us. This is part of the reason that it is good that our support system includes more than just each other. God has provided several people in our lives who know us and love us unconditionally. When we are blinded to the truth, it is comforting to know that we have others who love us enough to set us straight.

In case you haven't noticed, life is not always easy. It doesn't always go as we plan. Sometimes things happen that do not feel good. We may embrace the adventure that is this life one day and want to run screaming away from it the next. Our walk is not always as confident as our talk. This seeming contradiction is not hypocritical. It is simply part of being human, and it is a primary reason that it is not good for any of us to isolate ourselves.

Even King Solomon, arguably one of the wisest people to ever live, recognized the foolishness of trying to go it alone. He wrote in Ecclesiastes chapter four:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan.
All rights reserved. The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

Have you ever picked up a stick and snapped it in two? It breaks pretty easily. Pick up two sticks, and they are more difficult to break. Three sticks are not easily broken when held together. A fistful of sticks together can be impenetrable.

Each of us falls down, and each of us needs those who love us enough to help us back up. Do you have a support system in place in your life? Who can you turn to when the adventure of life seems to overpower you?

I Want to Live the Adventure

Last night I set up to record a basketball game on our DVR. About 45 minutes after the game started, I prepared to start watching the game from the beginning. The game went back and forth resulting in a close game with only a few minutes remaining. Many times in situations like these, Michelle likes to go find out who has already won the game. You may have experienced this before: you record the BIG game and then you have to try to avoid all sources of media in order to shield yourself from seeing the result before you watch it.

I am reminded of a very early episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry recorded a Mets baseball game. As he was sitting down to watch the game his phone rings. He prepares himself and then answers the phone. Rapidly, he says, “If you know what happened in the Mets-game, don't say anything, I taped it, hello.” Then Kramer enters and they start a conversation. Kramer sees that the Mets are on TV and he says “Boy, the Mets blew it tonight, huh?” Jerry is devastated. “Ooohhhh, what are you doing? Kramer, it's a tape! I taped the game, it's one o'clock in the morning! I avoided human contact all night to watch this.” I am Jerry! For me, it destroys the experience of watching the game if I already know the end result. For Michelle, it is completely the opposite. She can’t stand the suspense and, therefore, likes to know the result before beginning to watch.

As I pondered over this difference, I wondered why each of us have different dispositions regarding wanting to know what’s going to happen. I thought about other areas of my life. One example I came up with is reading books. I am not one to read the end of a book first. I would rather enjoy the adventure as it unfolds. As I mulled this over in my mind, I thought of future events in my own life. Do I really want to know what is going to happen to me? I am not sure I know the answer to that question.

Last fall ABC television introduced a series called FlashForward. The show revolves around a global blackout in which everyone (or seemingly everyone) blacked out for two minutes and seventeen seconds. During this time they either had a vision of what they were doing at a precise moment on April 29, 2010, or they saw nothing. The people who saw nothing come to the conclusion that this means they will be dead on April 29th. The other people who saw something are affected in various ways by what they saw. Some are energized by what they saw, and it gives them hope. Some are grief stricken by what they saw, and it troubles them greatly. Either way it starts to affect their behavior.

If we knew the future, I think we would react much the same way. We would constantly be plotting to either try to avoid it or try to make it happen. This would remove the adventure from our lives! Over the past year and a half, we have lived an adventure. I found a new job, we moved across country, we found a new church … I could go on and on. In my wife’s last post, she referenced Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28 (NASB) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Copyright by The Lockman Foundation. Used with permission. http://www.Lockman.org

I find comfort in the fact that God is working all things for our good. I agree with her sentiments.

“What can I possibly find about which to worry or fear when God has promised that He is working all things for my ultimate good? I am not saying it is easy, especially when things happen that do not feel good”.

I am regularly challenged to embrace the adventure that is this life. However, I think knowing the future would only serve to compound the way of thinking about events that occur in my life. I choose daily to place myself into the hands of the God of this universe who, I trust, can lead, guide, and direct me along the right path for my life. The path will not always be easy but it will be an adventure.

Do you want to live the adventure?