We all have places in life that mark the end of one phase and the beginning of the next.

First steps and first words
Can ride my bike (!)
Kindergarten
Eighth grade graduation (if you’re from a country school as I was, or a middle school
Driver’s License ( !! )
High School Graduation
College Graduation
Stepping out on your own

This weekend we celebrate a couple of the above for our youngest - the last two - and one more for us.

Empty nest.

I’m writing this this morning in what was, until yesterday, our son’s bedroom. His things are all in the trailer and by nightfall we’ll be in Grand Rapids, Michigan for tomorrow’s graduation from Cornerstone University and moving him into his apartment. Jared’s working there this summer, preparing for another milestone in August - his wedding.

This is what life is supposed to look like.

We loved the new arrival and newborn oohs and ahhs.

I loved making my kids laugh and giggle. Playing. Being goofy. Reading bedtime stories. Helping with homework. Encouraging and guiding as they made increasingly mature decisions. Teaching them how to drive. “Ummm Jared? Do you plan on stopping for that light?”

This weekend I’ll enjoy watching him walk the aisle, that silly mortarboard atop his head. (Mortarboards mean WORK, did you know that?)  My heart will swell as I watch and hear him lead the crowd that has gathered, in  “Benediction” - the conclusion of Commencement Exercises and his undergraduate studies.

I’ll enjoy and later reflect on the fact that his maternal grandparents, his mom and I, his sister and her husband will be there to help him move in and get settled hours after graduation.

Monday morning when I look in on his now-empty room, part of me will wish for the times he used to sit on his futon and play the same three dang guitar chords over and over and over.  Part of me will tear up a little (like now) that it really will be “just to visit” from now on. But the bigger part of me will feel the pride and honor that is ours to know both of our kids have grown up to love and honor God. Both bring excellence to the table in whatever they do. Both have faced adversity of various sizes and colors - and called on God for His solution and strength. There’s more life to come. But they’re off to a good start. Both of them.

Babies grow up and become adults. So have mine. I’m a thankful man this morning.

Thank you, Lord, for entrusting these two to their mother and me. We intend to rejoice in what you do through them as future milestones approach and then whiz past. Thank you for the health and safety you’ve granted so we can all enjoy this weekend, we look forward to Your continued faithfulness -and ours in response- in the days and years to come.

Amen -

When was the last time something happened to you that first surprised and disheartened you -
- but quickly turned to resolve and determination?

Yesterday? This morning? Last week?

It happens all the time on the basketball court: An opponent steals the ball or swipes a rebound and in an instant everything changes. Turnover.

It happens at work too. At church. At home. With City Hall (seems to be especially acute when a church is planning to build or expand, for some reason).

Something happens that surprises you.
A turnover.
Your heart falls.

Then almost miraculously, you catch sight of the Savior and remember that none of this is taking HIM by surprise. You remind yourself to look at all this through HIS eyes. Right-this-instant defers to His greater purposes, and before you know it, the surprise mixed with fear and anger you were feeling turns to determination; God-fearing, Christ-centered determination.

I saw it happen again this week. Maybe helped it happen; I hope so.
And I tell you it’s sweet when that happens. Doesn’t make life any easier, necessarily, but there’s sure a lot more hope when Christ is playing point guard and calling the plays

I’m so glad I’m on HIS team, wearing His colors!

Phil

… another post from my sister, Jonell

I often hear a song on our Christian Radio Station, and then check it out on-line to see if there is a link that will let me listen to that song on my computer whenever I want. The song, How Many Kings? by Downhere is a beautiful story of how God sent His Son for us. Who else would give up their Son to save a world in sin? Jesus came and died for us all because of His great love for us!

“How many kings step down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts

to romance a world that has told all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me!

All for me! All for you!”

I’ve been thinking and wondering lately about some of the exclusive things we think and say, even pray:

That was the best gift ever!
Lord, meet with us as never before.
That was the best Christmas program I’ve ever seen!
It was the best we’ve ever experienced.
That’s the best I’ve ever heard you!

Those are positive words. We need more positive words in our world. They’re high compliments. It’s an honorable prayer. But I wonder if we truly mean what we say, of if we should stop to consider what we’re saying at the time.

Exclusive phrases such as “best-ever” and “as never before” can inadvertently have a negative effect.

Several years ago my team of musicians and technical artists began the practice of praying intentionally for the Sunday services. Half an hour before the first service of the morning we stopped our level checks, rehearsing and anything else we were doing - to pray. The pastoral team, ushers, music & tech teams, and Sunday School teachers huddled at the front of the sanctuary to pray for that morning’s ministry. We prayed for the activities of the morning in the worship center and classrooms, in the foyer, corridors and aisles. We knew we wanted God to work among us and through us, and we knew prayer was the first resource we needed to draw upon. So we prayed. Every week. Gathering to pray for the day was top priority. God worked in our congregation, and we were thrilled! Before long we were asking Him to work as never before!

One morning the thought crossed my mind as my neighbor was praying along those lines, “As never before? God has a lot of history. More than anyone. Isn’t it a be presumptuous to pray that way? I mean the Almighty did some remarkable things for Moses and Gideon, David and Naaman, Solomon and Elisha, Mary and Joseph.” My mind began to wander, I admit, but … He brought three thousand people to Himself with one of Peter’s sermons. We wouldn’t know what to do first if He worked “as never before” in our town! Do we really think that God might do something for us or with us He hadn’t done elsewhere? The Welsh revival was pretty remarkable. D.L. Moody, Jonathan Edwards, the Wesleys, Spurgeon, Martin Luther, J. S. Bach, J. Hudson Taylor, Eric Liddel had noteworthy ministries. I decided that week I should ask God to move in mighty ways in our ministries but stop short of “as never before”.

I’m of the opinion that when we ask for or refer to that exclusive “best-ever”, we risk setting ourselves up for disappointment.

If that was the best gift ever, what does it say about all the Christmases and birthdays before?

If Sunday was the best-ever, if God worked last week as never before, what does that say about Mt. Sinai? Or Pentecost?

“That musical was the best we’ve ever done! Ever!” I know we mean well, but what are we saying about the 10, 25, 150 years prior?

I know we mean well, but wonder if hyperbole in compliments really say what we want to say?

Today’s post isn’t the best I’ve ever written -I hope not- but that doesn’t mean God can’t use it to spark some reflection, some thought about how we say the things we do, our hopes, our expectations.

In a few weeks we’ll learn who wins this year’s American Idol contest. Will that artist be the best ever? Probably not. Excellent, yes. Remarkable? Absolutely. I know who I’m pulling for, we’ll see if I’m right. The winner will be deserving of every accolade. We’ll look forward to seeing and hearing what they do as their musical career is catapulted into the spotlight. While it’s hard to imagine, perhaps, we’re probably not watching the best-ever.

If you don’t mind, let this one follow you around a couple hours, would you? Let it peek into today’s conversation. See if you hear exclusive language at work. You’ll probably see it a few times in commercials, if nowhere else. See how many times you use exclusive terms. Are they what you really mean?

Is “excellent” compliment enough? I hold that it is. It’s part of “let your yay be yay and your nay be nay” in away. Yes is yes, no is no. Good is good. God can do some remarkable things without it having to be “like never before”.

Something to think about -

Are you comfortable, PJ?

I caught this snapshot of our dogs looking out into their world this morning.

I guess if you want to see, if the sun is warm, the breeze is fresh on your face, and you remember how long the winter was, a little discomfort ain’t nothin’ to worry ’bout.

I liked Math in school. It wasn’t my favorite -music was- but I did OK.
I think story problems were the best.

“OK, what am I supposed to figure out here?
and if this is that, then I can solve what…. no..
how about if …. yeah, that’s it… OK… here goes.”

I hated when the teacher said “Show your work”. It meant I couldn’t hurry through - which I loved to do. It meant my numbers had to be legible. (My 8’s looked like 4’s until Mechanical Drawing taught me a new way to make them both). I just wanted to solve the riddle, right or wrong, and get on to the next one.

Then came Mr. Knudson, who loved teaching High School Algebra and Advanced Math. He was also a ski patrolman, and had great stories for us on Monday mornings. But he said “Show your work. (‘m thinking “oh-great”) That way I can see your thinking and your reasoning, check your accuracy.” (What IS this?) But he went on. “If you’re using the right approach and miss for something small, I can give you credit for what you’re doing right. You can get the wrong final answer and still get credit for 3/4 or 7/8 of the problem - IF I can see how you got there. So show your work.” (OK, Mr. K. I’m in!)

I’ve come to be the same way, only about life, not Math. When I hear an opinion that differs from mine, I’ve heard myself ask “How’d you come to that conclusion?” (Show your work). It happens professionally all the time. “What’s the rationale behind this decision?” More than a nice way of asking “why?” it asks for the reasoning, the thought process, and logic behind a decision that affects a department, maybe even the whole organization. I’ve been known to ask my wife or my kids “What are you thinking?” as they approach a decision. I want to see their work. Since it’s all upstairs, I have to ask them to tell me - show me. It helps me accept a choice different than I’d have made.

What I really like, is that I can look in my Savior’s direction and ask “Would you guide me through this problem?” and know He will. When the story problem is part of my life and “it’s just too hard!” I can ask Him “Would You do this one for me? I wanna watch how You do it.” and frequently He does. Other times He smiles and says “Let me do it with you.” and I get help with my homework. It’s reassuring to know He sees my work, and He sees my heart.

God doesn’t have to say “Show me your work.”
Never has.
He sees it all - including motive
But He will.

So when the day comes that I stand before Him and turn in my life, and He says “Ok, Phil, show me your work.” I won’t have to squirm or shudder, afraid of what’s coming. I won’t have reason to be nervous. After all, He’s been there from life’s beginning and He knows it all anyway. Much of what He’s about to see He will have helped me with. Why should I wonder if He’s going to find something that’s going to surprise Him? Make Him angry? Disappoint Him? No, the reason He wants to see my work is to give credit for the things done well - which He’s helped me with anyway.

Standing there while God pages through my life probably won’t be my favorite part of Heaven. Standing next to Knudson while he looked for where things started to go wrong wasn’t really “fun” either. But he cared his classes and about our getting things right. Mistakes were learn-points for him. God loves me -us- more than I even dare to imagine. Smartest thing I can do is ask for His help with … well, with EVERYTHING. Learn as I go, use what I know, so my life draws attention to Him.

When that’s true, I fully expect He’ll look up from my work, my life, and say “Nice!” knowing He’s helped me with it. All of it.

Selah ~

One of the songs I learned in college, preparing for my Senior recital was a classic arts song setting of Psalm 84. It became one of my favorite Psalms for Sunday morning contemplation.

The above setting in Calligraphy is by Timothy R. Botts.

Consider the words of the psalmist
and tune your heart to sing His praise with this Psalm.
He is worthy of our all - our best.

Do you ever have moments when you look at everything going on around you and wonder if the world, maybe our country, or your family - even you - are going to survive all this? You’re not alone if you do.

Fear is one of the strongest emotions we know. It can paralyze. It can spark anger. It can evoke heroism. It can make you wish you could just take a 20 year nap like Rip VanWinkle, wake up and find it’s all gone away. When fear teams up with “I’m all alone in this”, confidence and hope find themselves pushed aside, replaced by anxiety, panic, even despair. Life itself becomes frightening!

We have to remind ourselves of the hope when the skies look ominous, don’t we? That’s what this post is about.

If you’ve received Christ (see John 1.9-14) you’re not “some kid across town” or the boy/girl next door - you’re His son! - His child. A song popular in Christian circles a while back said it this way: He didn’t bring us this far to leave us. He didn’t lift us up to let us down.

God told his people (Israel) so in Deuteronomy 31.6-8. Moses addressed his successor, Joshua, with the entire nation looking on and said “He will not fail you or forsake you.” That’s on about page 180 in my Bible, pretty near the front. He says it again near the end (about page 1050 in my copy).  “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said “I will never desert, you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” (Hebrews 13.5-6)

I doubt Moses or the author of Hebrews were either one thinking about rising gas prices, soaring healthcare costs, constantly-climbing insurance rates, college tuition, being laid-off, a volatile economy or a crumbling marriage when they said and penned those words, but we sure think about it. Wow, is it good to know that none of this is a surprise to God!

The picture Christ, Our Pilot by artist Warner Sallman has been around for a long time. I remember seeing it as a young boy, usually in inexpensive frames at the Bible Book Shop in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where my folks -Dad especially- liked to shop. I always paused to look at it while my parents shopped or visited with Beth, a close friend of the family who worked there. But I don’t remember ever having it in my room or anything. I mean, how many storms had I weathered at the age of nine? Not many. There are children who have endured remarkable storms, or face them every day. My heart goes out to them.

In the Fall of 2002 this picture surfaced again for me and came front and center. When my dad went home to Glory in August of 2002 it was a privilege to plan and lead his memorial service. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the highest honors ever extended me.

In October, two months later, I received a phone call that my uncle, Dad’s younger brother Jerry, had suddenly taken ill and was in the hospital in Madison about an hour away. I was packing to go to New Mexico and help divide and ship Dad’s library and other things. But Jerry and I had enjoyed a long heart-to-heart talk in New Mexico, more man to man than uncle to nephew, so I quick ran to Madison to visit him in the hospital and then to the airport to fly to help Mom. I was in New Mexico when the call came that Jerry had also gone home to Glory, and that he had asked if I would have his service.

One of the things I learned in preparing what I would say is that Christ Our Pilot was Jerry’s favorite picture. His laugh was contagious, his sense of humor bright and buoyant, but Jerry, as all of us, faced storms and trials in life. This picture reminded him of the truth that we are never alone, there is never reason for despair. Christ is our pilot. What’s more, He has the ability to say “Peace. Be still.” and the storm will calm. He doesn’t always, however. Sometimes he leans down and whispers “Peace. Trust me.”

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I hear “Peace. Trust me.” and wish He’d said the other one. When I look at those clouds, the size of those waves, when I feel the wheel in my hands threatening to spin out of control I can cave in to fear <snap> just like that.

I have a choice, though.

I can focus on his hand on my shoulder if I choose to. I can look where HE is looking, and refuse to look to the left or right. I can hold on tight and use His power. The fear in my eyes can turn to determination. “I’m with You. You are my pilot.” It’s makes a huge difference, even if the storm roars on. Maybe your storm is showing no sign of letting up anytime soon. Trust Him. He’ll never leave you.

I hope these words encourage you today.

Oh - one more thing. If the storm gets really harsh and severe?
The waves and the spray make it impossible to see or know where you are?
Lean back on Him. He’ll take the wheel and you can ride it out in that safe zone between his arms.

He’s up to it.
You will not be His first failure.
You can count on that.

Years ago I had the privilege of hearing creationist and apologetics scholar Ken Ham speak at a conference I attended. Racial and ethnic tensions were frequently in national headlines, much as they are today. I remember Ham making the point that God created man, including the fairest of the fair-haired, some lighter than others. He created the Native American Indian who we for some reason used to refer to as “red” men, some “redder” than others. He created those from South America, from China, Japan and Indonesia, from the islands and from the Arctic, from Latin America, from Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He even made people from Australia (he’s from there - love his accent).

“It would not be difficult,” I remember him saying, “in a crowd this size to find enough people to form across this stage a line of 50 to 100 people, a viual spectrum of skin color including the red, brown, yellow, black and white we sing about in Sunday School.” He went on to say that once on the stage side by side, it would be difficult, if not impossible to tell exactly where one color ends and the next begins. Helping us picture it in our mind’s eye he slowly walked from stage right to stage left, describing the even sweep of the spectrum from the darkest skin color through the lightest and palest we could imagine.

Then turning and looking us in they eye -if you can look hundreds people in the eye all at once- he said, and I’ll never forget it:

“God sees no lines when He looks at those He created, those He loves. When you look at mankind and see a line of racial and ethnic distinction, remember. A person drew that line - not God.”

I came to the conclusion not long after, that I would do well to apply that same insight to other areas of life and ministry. It wasn’t easy at first, I have strong views and convictions and I’d like to think they’re based on serious study and a prayerful attitude. Disctinctions, categories, even labels help us sort through things. Most of the lines, though, are drawn by men.

• What denomination do you prefer, if any?
• What music do you appreciate on Sunday mornings?
• What version of the Bible to you prefer?
• What are you? D ? I ? S ? C ?
• What temperament are you? What temperament is that person that drives you nuts?
• Was Calvin 100% right? 80% ? 60% ? Less?
• What organizational structure serves your church best?
• What do you think will happen next in God’s Master-plan?

The lines we see when we look at the world around us and the things that make discussion over coffee potentially divisive are frequently man-drawn lines of demarcation. It’s not that they’re unimportant, they are, it’s just that we need to remember: What God wants to know is “Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?“

It’s good to know what you believe - and why.

It’s good to discuss what you’re learning with others - just don’t argue or let the discussion turn petty.

If categories and systems and pigeon-holes help you make sense of this complicated thing we call “life” feel free. Just remember, you’re the one drawing the lines.

There is neither jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neiher male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ. [ Galatians 3.28 ]

it’s likely you’ll see and hear quite a bit today in discussions at work, on the news, at the gym, on campus.

Just keep asking yourself, “Who drew the line?”

Selah -

Yesterday’s message encouraged me. (Did you know “encourage” means “press strength into”? When I first heard that explanation a picture came to mind of someone coming alongside a friend or brother and gently puuuuushing into that one strength needed for what’s coming.) So I’m continuing to think on faithfulness. Can I have my devotions from the dictionary? Just once? If these portraits are portraits of faithfulness maybe another round of meditation on the word would be in order.

The word “faithful” is an adjective, and as such describes something. I may as well get personal right away, it’s supposed to describe me! As I think on the word I’m taking note - how’m I doing?

Faithful

• thorough in performance of a duty
• true to one’s word or promises, vows, etc.
• steady in allegiance or affection. Loyal.
• reliable, trusted, believed
• adhering true to a fact, a standard, (ex: a faithful account, a faithful copy) In this context, true to the Word

It’s what God wants (I Corinthians 4.2)
It’s what I want to offer Him (Matthew 25.22)
It’s one of the things I want to be said of me - of my life”
“He was faithful to God” Not perfect, mercy no. But when viewed over time - faithful to the Savior.
I want to hear from my Savior, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25.23)

So I’m thinking about “Faithful” this week. I’m adopting Paul’s words as my reason for doing so:

Finally, brethren, we request and exhort ou in the Lord Jesus that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk) that you may excel still more. (emphasis mine ) I Thessalonians 4.1

Father God, I want to honor you with a life of excellence, part of which is my faithfulness to you in response to Your unfailing faithfulness.
Jesus, thank you for showing us all what faithfulness looks like!!
Spirit, I welcome your work and influence in my life