Let's Make A Deal

Have you ever watched “Let’s Make A Deal” and witnessed the apprehension and anxiety involved as the contestants select their “prize?” The reason for the dilemma? The participants know that the wrong choice lands them with a ridiculous gag gift rather than a fabulous prize. It is important to select well, but there is absolutely no way of knowing how to do that. And the crowd cheers wildly, as if they know the best choice.

This time of year brings a plethora of Facebook photos of kids on their first day of school with comments from parents about how quickly their little one has grown up. In the blink of an eye they are teenagers, standing on the stage of life, trying to choose their “prize” while listening to a host of voices telling them what to choose. Except in this game the stakes are high and their decisions can change the course of their lives. But there is good news… in this game there is a handbook that gives the information they need to select wisely.

As parents and people of influence in the lives of our children, we must come to the place where we stop hoping for the best as our kids grow into adulthood and start putting every effort into showing them the source of all wisdom. Taking them to church is good. Buying them a Bible is good. Teaching good moral values is good. Teaching them to be respectful and responsible… good. But someday they will be onstage and there will be voices shouting from the audience and trying to convince them to choose what is behind the “wrong” curtain. We have to give them a foundation of truth to stand on. That Truth is found in one place. The Word of God.

How do you make God’s Word an integral part of their life? You can start by making it an integral part of your life. Get into the Word. Discover the truth and the grace that is woven throughout the pages. Eventually it will begin to live within you and you will find yourself speaking the truth that you are learning. It will begin to direct your conversations, your decisions, your attitudes. You will begin to understand what once seemed foreign. You will begin to seek answers to the things that you don’t understand. You will be shaped by what you find in the pages of scripture and it will be apparent to your children that there is something transformative about the Word of God.

When the world is screaming all kinds of options at your kids, I pray that you will have demonstrated for them where to go to find the wisdom they need to make the right decisions. I have never met anyone who found the discipline of Bible Study easy or fun in the beginning. But I have met plenty who wish they would have started sooner because they now see the extreme value in hiding God’s Word in their heart.

Let’s make a deal… pick up your Bible every day and begin reading Matthew. As you read, write down questions and observations. When you finish the book of Matthew, go to Mark, then Luke and John. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up, just get back at it. When you finish the Gospels… those first four books of the New Testament, let me know. There will be a prize…for real! It may take some of you a few weeks and others a few months. Maybe longer. Just do it! Your kids need to see you treating God’s Word like it matters to you if you expect it to ever matter to them. 

Being the CHURCH at Home

08192015 Bringing it home

Imagine spending three years following Jesus and then being charged with the task of keeping the good work going, guiding people to be followers of Jesus in his absence. Throw in all the different personalities and cultural backgrounds and family history and you have the recipe for a disaster! And there you have a fairly accurate picture of the first century church. A lot of rules, a lot of bosses, a lot of reason to avoid becoming a part of  “the Way.”

I love how they came to their senses, and listened to the Holy Spirit whispering to their spirit (Acts 15:28). His message was no different than that of their Lord. With all the differing opinions of how to be the church, the followers, the leaders that Jesus wanted them to be, the focus needed to narrow to what was most important… basically… don’t be immoral and don’t be rude, offending others (Acts 15:29).  That aligns directly with what Jesus said was most important… love God; love each other. 

Now, let’s bring that home. If you were to compare the environment in your home to the instructed atmosphere prescribed for the early church, would your family fit that model? What do your children learn from you about not offending or being rude?

Do you work hard to explain with love rather than lose your cool and yell?

Do you expect your children to know things and model behaviors that you have possibly failed to teach them?

Do you lead them with patience so they feel valued?

Do you explain the correct way to say something so that it isn’t rude or just tell them they are being rude?

Do you allow unkind words and actions or are there consequences for them?

Do you use unkind words or actions at home?

How about the immorality issue? Do you even think about comparing what you claim as right and wrong with morality as defined in scripture? Maybe you don’t know what the Bible has to say about moral values. Maybe it is time to read and learn. I believe that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is true; that

“God has breathed life into all of scripture.

It is useful for teaching us what is true.

It is useful for correcting our mistakes,

It is useful for making our lives whole again.

It is useful for training us to do what is right.

By using Scripture, a man of God can be

completely prepared to do every good thing.”

If we allow society to be the moral compass that directs us in raising our children and making decisions for our families, we have chosen the wrong source of information disguised as “truth.” If you think the Bible is outdated and you can choose your values without it, you may well be in the majority, however, you will discover at some point that the Truth of God’s Word is a most precious gift. It is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path and without it there will be much wandering in the wilderness looking for what is good and right and healthy for our families.

Maybe we need to work harder at learning to follow God's morality and start being kind and considerate to others so that our kids will learn the prescription given by God's Spirit, for those who would lead others to the heart of God. Are you on-board? You will never regret it!

A Healthy Heart

Last week was a sweet, precious, relaxing time with my husband. Every day we found time to just “be.” We sat by the lake and enjoyed the sun reflecting off the water and witnessed the rare sighting of a bald eagle swooping down to secure his afternoon snack. We experienced a continual peace that comes from knowing that your life and your future is literally in the hands of a good and faithful God, who apparently has a plan.

The week prior, a heart catheterization revealed that my husband, Dana, had 90%  blockage in one major artery and 100% in the other two, yet he never suffered a heart attack and passed his stress test with flying colors. Doctors and nurses alike told us that he should not be alive with that kind of blockage. Their only explanation, “God isn’t finished with you yet.” They sent him home to rest and prepare for a quadruple bypass the following week. So we went home filled with gratitude to God for sparing his life. And we rested quietly, praising God for his mercy, and thoroughly enjoying our time together.

I suppose knowing God had spared his life on multiple occasions helped us to feel at ease about the upcoming surgery. The prayers of many wonderful, caring people held us up as we waited and even the day of surgery, there was an inexplicable peace, but as I waited with family and friends, I felt an extreme need to find a quiet place to sit in awe at the feet of the One who was truly in charge of the way our day would end.

During this time of meditation, I envisioned the heart of my husband in the hands of the surgeon and the surgeon in the hands of my Savior. Medical science is a wonderful thing, but without God’s decision to spare Dana’s life, none of that mattered. What’s more, the skill of the surgeon to “re-plumb” and save Dana’s heart…a miracle beyond my comprehension… so that we could have more time together this side of eternity was insignificant compared the importance of the Great Physician, who has the ability to “re-shape” our hearts in preparation for life with Him here now AND throughout eternity.

I also pondered how our hearts often seem healthy on the outside because we are “passing the tests” just like Dana did at the cardiologist office. We can do a lot of things right and feel we are passing the test for heaven, but a godly heart isn’t a heart that is always doing things right. It is a heart through which the Spirit of God can freely flow. When Dana allowed the cardiologist to look inside of his heart, the blockages were discovered that could have taken his life on multiple occasions. We must become vulnerable enough to allow God to examine us deeply and see what might be stopping the flow of God’s Spirit and threatening our spiritual life. By allowing Him to re-plumb our heart so that the Holy Spirit has the freedom to guard, protect and guide us, we will never need to fear, because we will walk into eternity with Him when He calls us home.

I am sure that, 5 days post op, Dana would tell you that a heart renovation is no walk in the park. Many adjustments to normal life must be made. You don’t just hop up and start where you left off, but you rest and listen and obey the instructions you are given. From the beginning, consent forms were being signed, one after another, stating that you understand the changes that are coming. But these changes mean LIFE. No changes are made without your consent. The Great Physician waits for your permission to enter your heart and your life. Are you ready to open your heart to be re-shaped to house the Spirit of God? Are you ready to allow him free flow through your thoughts and attitudes and pass-times and expenditures? If you are, you can expect LIFE to be abundant and free, without the fear of death. New life will emerge and you will not regret it!

“Look! I am knocking at the door.

If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in

And we will enjoy a meal together as friends.”

Revelation 3:20

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:10

The Good Shepherd

Summer camp was amazing! The kids were active and attentive, loud and listening, giggling and growing, energetic and exhausted… everything you could want to see in a healthy child. What a blessing it was to have some concentrated time with them. Precious memories!

Our theme was the Australian Walkabout… journeying toward the path of the Good Shepherd and we learned from Psalm 23. Six simple verses that can change the trajectory of your life.

“The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need…”  He doesn’t withhold the good things because if I am truly following, he will lead me to a place where I can rest and feast on what will sustain my life…. “He lets me rest in fields of green grass.” And He doesn’t lead me toward the danger of over-extending myself…  of temptation… of confusion. If I am walking toward these things, I have obviously taken a detour from his path,  because… “He leads me beside QUIET waters.”

“He gives me new strength…” Not to DO more, but to BE more… and that can only happen if … “He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name…” So we must say “NO!” to temptation to do or say anything that will bring shame to the word Christian because if we don’t reflect His goodness and love, how can we hope to cause the world to long for a relationship with Him?

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,” and that valley looks different to each one of us… “I will not be afraid.” Because I know that … “You are with me. Your shepherd’s rod and staff comfort me.” I must not wander toward the enemy of my soul. You will fight for me and rescue me because you created me to be with you forever. I need to understand that your “NO” is for my good, as is your “YES” because You see the blessings and the dangers lurking on the path ahead of me and it doesn’t scare you a bit because you know that I will be safe as long as I allow you to be in control. Then, in spite of the way the situation looks to me, I am safe with you as… “You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies. You pour oil on my head….” Like a miraculous bug spray that actually keeps those nasty camp mosquitos at bay, you protect me from pesky thoughts that cause my words and attitudes to swell, distract and irritate. I know that my life is blessed and I have so much more than I need because, if I will only look I can see that… “My cup runs over. I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever...”  Just as you planned from the day you envisioned who I would become so that I could fulfill the plan that You made for me.

Keeping those lessons alive in my heart as I proceed through a valley that I had not anticipated. I came home from camp to discover that my husband of 39 years is in need of quadruple bypass surgery. Maybe the lessons I prepared for the kids at camp was really for me, because my heart is at peace, knowing that the Good Shepherd is in control and is guiding our lives down the right path to bring honor to His name. It’s not about me. It’s not about Dana. It’s about Jesus, and may He be honored in all that happens in the valley and on the other side of it.