Learning From Others

I'm a huge fan of the Cleveland Indians. Through the ups and and downs, I've stuck by the Tribe. The writer of Proverbs must have had Tribe fans in mind when he wrote, "Unrelenting disappointment can make you heartsick" (13:12, MSG). Both World Series they've played in within the last 15 years were heartbreaking. Those two Fall Classics could make me very bitter against the players and managers of the opposing teams. As I get older, I grow less bitter, and more respectful of those men. Greg Maddux was magical. Jim Leyland was, and is, an amazing manager. Chipper Jones has had an amazing career, as did Bobbly Bonilla and John Smoltz.
When I think of the players for the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins in 1995 and 1997, I think of the church. I think of all the great men who weren't Methodists that I have learned so much from. I learned to laugh at myself from a Presbyterian named Steve Brown. Another Presbyterian, Scotty Smith, helped me learn how God absolutely delights in me. A Baptist pastor from Minnesota named John Piper taught me that I was created to enjoy Jehovah, and a Reformed theologian named R.C. Sproul taught me how God demands and deserves my worship. A church of Christ minister, Max Lucado, taught me the importance of God's mercy, while Jonathan Edwards reminded me to never forget God is just. One Anglican, C.S. Lewis, reminded me that Jesus is either who he says He is, or he's a liar, or a madman. Another Anglican, J.I. Packer, taught be the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing Him. I learned the relevance of Scripture from a dispensationalist named Chuck Swindoll, and the sufficiency of Scripture from another dispensationalist, John MacAthur. From James Kennedy, I learned that evangelism is close to the heart of God, and Charles Colson reminded me that impacting the culture is equally pleasing to God.
A friend of mine once said he would never read anything that was written by someone from a different theological camp. I'm so glad I didn't follow his advice.

After God's Own Heart?

You know what gets me about King David? It's not how he committed adultery with Bathsheba, or even that he put a hit out on her husband to cover up the resulting pregnancy. It's not he seemed to just ditty-bop along as Absalom took his women, his army, and almost his kingdom. It's not that David defied God and counted his army. It's not that David had more wives than you could shake a stick at. What really gets me about David is that after all the crap he had pulled, he's described as a man who " had lived an exemplary life before God all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God's clear directions (except for that time with Uriah the Hittite)(1 Ki 15:5, MSG). HELLO? What about nearly killing Nabal? What about all the stuff I've already mentioned?
But then, I look at my own life. I call myself a Christian. Have I obeyed perfectly? Have I loved God with every fiber of my being, and loved my neighbor as myself? Man, it is so easy to be self-righteous. It is so easy to look at David, at all his failures and shortcomings, and then puff myself up with pride. But then, when I get that way, I have to remind myself to look to the cross. Jesus took the sin of David, just as he took my sin. I fail. I fall short. I miss the mark on a daily basis. But God dealt with my sin at Golgotha, and I, too, can be called a man after God's own heart.

Where Are the Leaders?

This past Thursday, I was privileged to take my three sons to a tea party rally featuring conservative Michael Reagan, son of our 40th President Ronald Reagan. Michael had mentioned something that I've been mulling over since then. He had mentioned many people have said to him, even liberal Alec Baldwin, that they wished they had his Dad back. In a larger sense, I believe we in the conservative camp want to know where our leaders are. On the right we have many wonderful authors, such as Ann Coulter and Dick Morris. We also have amazing show hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. But aside from our celebrities, leadership seems to be missing. Aside from possibly Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich, conservatives are severly lacking in leadership. We often bemoan the fact that we do not have a Ronald Reagan.
Michael then gestured to the crowd and reminded us that we are the leaders. We are the future of the conservative movement. Future governers, Senators, Congressmen, and Presidents are coming out of this movement.
To answer the question I titles this entry with, the leaders of tomorrow may be looking back at you in the mirror.

A Time for Celebration!

Happy Easter! Today, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Today we celebrate the fact that God accepted the sacrifice of His only Son. Today we celebrate Christ's triumph over death.
This is what life is all about. In this blog, I talk about the key to life is in goal-setting and living with passion. Among other things, I've talked about overcoming debt, doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals, and maintaining your focus. All these can be seen in Easter.
In his death and Resurrection, Christ paid off you sin-debt to God. Our sin, among other examples, can be seen as a debt. A debt we have absolutely no chance to ever pay. Jesus, in laying down His life for us, paid that debt. In fact the Greek term that has been translated, "It is finished," was a phrase used in commerce, and could be better rendered, "Paid in full."
God's ultimate goal was to redeem for Himself a people. God is holy above all things. All of humanity is completely sinful. God told us many times that in order to be aligned with Him, perfect obedience is required. If God were only just, He would simply destroy us all in one swipe. But God is also infinitely gracious. The problem is how to show grace to a rebellious humanity without violating His perfect justice. The crucifixion of a perfect substitute, His Beloved Son, was the only way it could be done. the Resurrection of that sacrifice showed that God accepted the substitute.
In the redemption story, Jesus maintained His focus. I didn't say never wavered. At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed so fervently that he began sweating blood. He plead with His Father three times that night to find another way. Ultimately, the Nazarene knew this was they only way, and once the garden was a memory, so were all objections.
Easter is a time for celebration. The access to God, which had been denied to humanity for so long, was now open to all. The vast chasm of sin that separated us from Yahweh is now bridged by a bloody cross. We have every reason to celebrate!

Dealing With A Grudge

Ever had a grudge with someone? Can you feel your blood pressure rise at the very sight of that person? Haven't we all? Did you know that the Bible speaks to this very issue?
In Matthew 18, Jesus instructs his disciples:
If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love(15-17, MSG).
Unfortunately, we have a habit if mixing it around. Someone ticks us off. The first thing we do is go tell our friends. Or we spiritualize our gossip and "share" it among our small group so we can "pray" for this individual. Before long it is well-known throughout the congregation.After this, we finally go to the individual and deal with the issue.
How many relationships could be restored if we just dealt with disagrements as Jesus instructed? How many divided congregations could be united by behaving biblically? How many church splits could be avoided by humility?
The most troubling part about a grudge is the one we harbor the grudge against probably doesn't even care! They are not obsessed with this apparent wrongdoing. In many cases, they are completely unaware of it.
Again, if we were to deal with this biblically, and go to them first, then they would be aware of it.
The best strategy for conflict resolution? Go to to the person first, and possibly avoid the pain of gossip, and the humiliation of being ostracized.

The Necessity of Rest

There are times when you just need to relax. There needs to be times when you need to set aside time to just rest. Goals are important. We need to work to achieve them. But we also need to have the strength to strive for them. This is where rest comes in. Relaxation is possibly the most important aspect of achieving goals. You cannot achieve your goals if you do not have the strength to run for the finish line.
As I'm working on my degree, I have to keep reminding myself that spending 8 straight hours studying for a final or hammering out a term paper is much less productive than punctuating that study or writing with times away from your work. Taking time to play a video game with my kids. Going fishing. Enjoying some time alone with my wife. Getting together to have some coffee with an old friend.
My wife is a stay-at-home mom who homeschools our children. There are times when she just wants to be alone in our room to watch Dr. Phil or take a nap. That's how she recharges her batteries
It does not really matter how you relax. Some people get recharged by spending time with others, while others require times of solitude. What matters is you take time away and just relax.

Do or Die

Have you had it? Have you had that moment during the process of achieving your goal when you're just not sure you can do it? I know I have. You are trying to attain a goal you knew from the start would not be easy. At a certain point in striving towards that goal, you have that twinge of doubt. "Maybe I'm not cut out for school." "Is it even realistic to live debt-free?" "Is this marriage even worth the effort anymore?"
Look, we all face it. I call it a "Do or Die" point. We all come to a point where we either give up, or we grit our teeth, square our jaw, and continue to progress toward the goal we have set out. This is the point where we have the mentality of not being denied our goal.
Some of you may be there right now. I know I was last week. If you are, let me encourage you to tell your doubts "NO!" This is not the time to quit. This is the time to bear down and do it! To quote Dave Ramsey, now is the time to act as if "nothing's moved unless it's shoved!"
You have come too far and worked to hard to give up now! You can do this! Finish that degree! Pay off that debt! Fight for your marriage and family as if your life depended on it!
Some of you may be wavering, thinking you don't have the strength. You may thinking you don't have what it takes to win. Trust me: YOU HAVE GOT WHAT IT TAKES! All you have to do is do it!

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

I often wonder about this quote. I first came across it in reading a book by Dave Busby over 15 years ago. I can't explain why I'm thinking about it now, but it gets me to thinking. It makes me ask myself, "What is my main thing?" Is it finishing college? Is it having a great marriage? Is it having positive kids in a negative world? Is it having good friendships? What is it that makes me tick? Why do I exist? What is, "the main thing?"
This question was answered about 2000 years ago by Jesus of Nazareth. According to his pal Matthew, Jesus told his followers to "[s]teep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met" (Mt. 6:33, MSG). That's it! That's the main thing! Focus on Jesus to start with, and everything else will fall into place!
Now, before your start laughing too hard, I also want to remind you that Jesus was no ivory tower philosopher. Shortly before His unjust murder, He reminded his friends that "[i]n this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world" (Jn 16:33, MSG). Jesus wants us to remember that even though life can get really hard, He is still really good, and He really loves you, a lot.
So, when that term paper becomes almost unbearable, or you woke up with one nerve left, and your spouse is getting on it, or it seems no use to raise your kids according to principles rather than pragmatism, you too can take heart. Jesus is the mighty conquerer of this world.

First Real Snow

Last night, we had our first "real" snow of the year, the kind where the snow hits the ground and decides to stick around. As I was driving home from work this morning, I knew that the speed limit was not even an option. Going the speed limit could mean ending up in a ditch, so I took it a bit slower. It took me a bit longer to get home, but I made it. After waking up, my oldest son was chomping at the bit about the snow. He was looking forward to showing me the "snow alien" he had built and wondering where the sled was. Now granted, it was not a lot of snow, but it was enough for children to get excited. In fact, looking out the window now, the snow is lightly falling again.
Listening to Damien, it got me to thinking about the difference between children and grown-ups. Why was my response to the snow so different than his? Why was I dreading the snow, while he was delighting in it? At what point did I begin to see snow as more of a burden than a blessing? Of course the same could be said of most of this world. Wooly bears. Giraffes. Trees budding in the spring and turning brilliant colors in the fall. In the words of author John Eldredge, "At what point did [I] lose [my] wonder at it all?"
These questions led to others. Does wanting to be a responsible adult automatically eliminate being in awe of the surrounding world? Fortunately, that is an emphatic no! Next time I'm driving home on a snow covered road, I'll still be driving slowly. But I'll be seeing it, not as a way of getting home safely, but as an opportunity to soak in the wonder and the beauty of all that surrounds us.

Do the dirty work!

Life takes work! The old cliche says that life is what you make it. For the majority of my life, I spent it just "ditty-bopping along," not really heading anywhere, or having any sense of goals. I had no target I was aiming at. And, as Zig Ziglar says, "when you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."
This entry deals with the concept that you have to set goals, and you have to do whatever it takes to achieve those goals. If you want to achieve some sense of financial stability, you have to make out a budget. It will not come by being suckered by some pitchman on late night TV saying that wealth is guaranteed if you buy his system. It will not come by wasting money on gambling. It will not come by wishful thinking, and complaining about your circumstances.It comes by systematically giving, saving, and investing.
If you want to experience a healthy relationship with God, you have to do the dirty work. Now, let me be clear. I am not in any way, shape, or form suggesting that you work hard to make yourself acceptable to God. Paul said that if you confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe in your heart that He raised Jesus from the dead, you are already accepted by God. What I am suggesting is that in order to cultivate that relationship, you need to spend time listening to God through His Word, by talking to God in prayer, and by spending time with others to be strengthened in your faith. It may involve waking up early to spend some time alone in the presence of God. It may involve helping out someone in need, and not pointing to yourself as a model of spirituality. It may involve delaying immediate pleasure for the sake of bringing others to Christ through giving to the work of Christ's kingdom, instead of that new bass boat.
If you want a healthy marriage, then it will DEFINITELY take work. It will mean turning off the tube, and tuning into your spouse. It will mean budgeting in date night, at least once a month, if not more often. It may mean a weekend marriage retreat to reconnect with your spouse, instead of a weekend fishing trip with the guys (or weekend shopping trip with the girls).
In each of these examples, there is the thread of sacrifice. We may have to give something, possibly something that is good, in order to get something better. We may have to give up the brand new car, and drive around an old paid-for beater, so we can get out of debt. It may involve going to bed earlier, and missing Letterman or Conan, so we can get up earlier to spend time with God. It may involve missing the big game to take our wives out to dinner. But, when it's all said and done, the life we have will be far superior to any that our plans might have resulted in. As a conclusion, I would like to quote Dave Ramsey, one of my favorite authors. He often says, "if you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." What this means is short-term sacrifices can lead to huge long-term dividends.

Freedom Through Restraint

At first glance the title from this entry seems almost contradictory. Freedom through restraint? Isn't that like "airline service" or "government efficiency"? I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but both my wife and I have found this to be true as we are working on fine-tuning our household budget. We have found that as we live on an agreed-upon plan, that is in writing, we have found so much more freedom to save and give.
Several weeks ago, Stacy and I started attending Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class. During the third session, we learned that in order to achive the financial goals we have set, such as saving for a down payment for a house, and getting debt-free, we need to have a plan. We need a roadmap. We need a blueprint. A written budget/spending plan/cash flow plan is that blueprint.
Our budget is allowing us the not feel guilty about spending money, and also reduces the panic when it comes to paying bills. Each dollar has a predetermined destination. Instead of wondering where all the money went, we are leading it to its destination. We are, as John Maxwell says, "telling our money where to go instead of wondering where it went."
I'm not going to spend a lot of time here explaining all of the nuts and bolts of budgeting, mainly beacause I am still learning myself. But I can say that if you are wanting to have some real peace in your finances, I highly reccomend finding somewhere where Dave Ramsey's class is being held in your area. If not this class, then find a method where you can budget, and start directing the destination of your money, and stop wondering where all you money is going.

Wisdom of a Wizard

One of my favorite film franchises is Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy. One scene that makes me think is the scene when Gandalf and Frodo are sitting together in Moria. Frodo confesses his doubts to carry out his quest to Gandalf. Gandalf responds by saying that "all we have to decide is what to do with the times that is given to us." This is not just a line from a movie or a book. This is about priorities. It could be posed as the question, "what are you going to do while you breathe?" We need to establish priorities. Lately I have been kind of getting away from the topic of passions. But priorities flow from your passions. If you are passionate about maintaining integrity in your marriage, then you will prioritize what websites you visit accordingly. If you are passionate about Jesus and his people, then church and being a part of a small group will be a priority. If you are passionate about getting and staying debt-free, you will prioritze how you spend and save money. Our priorities will flow from our passions. If you ever wonder what you are truly passionate about, look at your priorities. If you want to know how to prioritize your life, then look to your passions.

Mindless mob?

Well, as many of you know, the Democrats have been saying that anyone who disagrees with Pres. Obama and his vision of universal healthcare have been tagged as un-American and a bunch of Nazis. Wow! Isn't this the same group who believed dissenting against the policies of George W. Bush wasn't only a right, but an obligation? Isn't it interesting how you don't see the likes of Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon fighting for freedom of speech of those showing up at town meetings, and attending Tea Parties?
I guess free speech only is a right afforded to those who make a habit of bashing what makes America great. If you protest a crucifix submerged in urine, you are accused of censorship, and noarrow-minded bigotry. If you protest for the saving of innocent human life at an abortion clinic, you are villified as being uncompassionate towards women. However, if you protest the passage of a constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage, like Prop 8 in California, then you are be socially minded. If you picket for the founder of a deadly gang who was sentenced to death, like Tookie Williams, then you are showing compassion to the underprivileged.
Something is very wrong. To paraphrase Daniel Patrick Moynihan, we have made good evil. and evil good. We see abnormal behavior as exemplary, and traditional, biblical values as oppressive. It's time, folks. It's time to stand up up and proclaim truth as unchanging, not fluid. It's time to promote biblical standards for life, family, and government. It's time that we stop bowing to political parties, and proclaim that it is the governed, and not the government, who make this nation great.
A mindless mob? Sorry, but that is just not the case. We are not a mindless mob. We are a determined bloc of Americans, exercising our First Amendment Freedom of Speech.

Rescuing Beauty

OK, so I've mentioned adventure and battle. Am I really going to wade into the deep weeds of rescuing the women in our lives? Yep. So, fully protected by a kevlar vest to lessen the damage of any potshots, here we go.
Women, no matter how tough the exterior, still want to know that someone is willing to fight for them. They need to know the men in in their lives have the necessary strength to ward off various dangers. These may be physical, such as a mugger. They may be emotional, such as low self-esteem. Some may be psychological, such as previous abuse of any kind.
As men we need to have the strength to combat these dangers. Of the longings of the masculine heart, this is the most vital. Go back to the stories you love. How many involved a beauty needing rescued. Indiana Jones rescued Marion from the clutches of the Nazis and the Soviets. Jack rescued Rose from the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Prince Phillip rescued Briar Rose from Maleficent's spell. Notice that the risk and adventure all had the focus of rescuing the beauty.
As men, we need to see our wives, not as enemy combatants, but rather as damsels in distress. Our wives have dangers they must face. Are we going to allow them to face them alone? What are we willing to risk to rescue our Beauty. What battles are we willing to wage to rescue Beauty? Whatever it takes to rescue, you definitely have what it takes.

"This Day We Fight!"

One of my favorite scenes from the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy comes near the end of The Reurn Of The King. A small contingent of soldiers from Rohan & Gondor are getting ready to face off against Sauron's army of orcs, uruk-hai, and other less than savory creatures. Aragorn, last of the bloodline of the kings of old, stands before the soldiers of men. He encourages the men that this is not a day to cut and run, or give up in their battle againt the forces of evil. He cries out, "This day, we fight!"
I think the reason this scene is one of my favorites, because it reminds me that there are still battles to fight. There are still times that standing firm is essential. There still times that backing down is not an option. There is still a need for soldiers to battle against evil.
Even though the battles of today do not involve orcs and horsemen, they are no less urgent. There are still strongholds to be overthrown, in the form of addictions, abuse, and ignorance. There are still victories to be won, like victories over temptation, despair, and apathy. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul reminds us that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities. against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age" (NKJV). Notice that this is in the present tense. It not someting that was happiening, but is happening now. We need to be fighting against the forces of darkness, and stop letting the Enemy of our souls gain any more ground in our country, in our cities, and in our homes. Let this be the day we let the forces of Lucifer know that, to paraphrase Gandalf earlier in the film, "Remeber we are soldiers of Yahweh!"