My oldest grandchild is entering high school next fall. There is a mixture of real excitement and a bit of anxiety as he moves into that level. I wanted to share some things I wish I had known when I began that journey. Here are a few insights from your Papa often learned the hard way. 1. I wish I had known that my high school years did not define me for life. My teen years were a mixed bag of memorable highs and lows. Now I realize that I am grateful for what I once considered some of the difficult moments of my life. In many of those spiritual valleys you could not have begun to convince me that God was molding me or that those experiences could ever be of value. Had I been the coolest guy or the best athlete I likely would not have developed a sensitive spirit to others. With the benefit of hindsight I can promise you that I
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If my Mom was born in today’s world I have no doubt she would have flourished with her strong, independent, and intelligent personality. But life for women in the 40’s and 50’s was limiting and I would guess a bit frustrating at times. I loved my Mom but our relationship was often challenging. She was raised in a family where love was not openly expressed. She could be negative and her comments often impacted me. I knew that she loved me fiercely but I will admit that I grieved for a more gracious expression of her love. As her health declined I prayed that her relationship with God would be clear to her and to her family. In the summer of 2006 I journeyed to Ohio to visit her. A group of Christian friends in Texas told me they would pray that I could discuss salvation with my Mom. I thanked them for their concern but in my heart I
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I write a lot about where our hope truly lies and how we need to be a positive light in a negative world. I came upon this wise advice for social media posters from the Gospel of John. “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. (John 6:43) I laughed when I read that and thought this might become my new life verse for this very negative political season. The verse follows a section where Jesus talks about how He is the bread of life and has come from Heaven. This was just too much for the locals who knew Him as the kid raised by Mary and Joseph down at the carpenter shop. But the message is timeless. I need to stop grumbling and start living out of who God says I am as His child. Maybe that is why God calls me His child because I sure can be childish at times. The grumbling verse reminded me of one of
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This has been a tough season of life for many people I care deeply about. My heart feels heavy as I remember the words of Jesus. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) I wrote about this passage in my book Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace. What did Jesus mean by that statement, “My yoke is easy”? Clearly, the burdens of life are heavy. There is nothing easy about heartache, pain, and loss. I reread Jesus’ inviting words: “Come to me.” No one needs to go through life’s difficulties alone, but the truth is that Jesus will not force Himself on
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Recently I saw a T-shirt with this message: Even if the voices in my head aren’t real they do have some good ideas. I got an initial chuckle out of that one. But then I thought, “Wait! The voices in my head often have terrible ideas”. I suspect that is true for some of you as well. Some of the bad voices in our heads are formidable foes that come from emotional and spiritual baggage. If I may lean on my sports background here, Satan calls the all-out blitz when people of faith go through seasons of trial and doubt. He delights in accusing and trying to rock the very foundation of your faith. Satan is, always has been, and always will be a liar. You have learned to never trust a liar at work or in other relationships. How much more should we pray to recognize and reject the lies that Satan attacks us with during adversity? There is another
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There is much written about Good Friday. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross is incomprehensible to my puny human intellect. There is much written about Easter Sunday. Christians around the world rejoice and proclaim that “He is risen!”. But there is not nearly as much written about one of the saddest and most confusing days in history. The Saturday between the Friday horror of Jesus on the Cross and the Sunday mystery of the resurrection. Some churches do observe Holy Saturday but it was never a tradition in my faith upbringing. I have been thinking about what that day must have been like for those who dropped everything to follow Jesus. How crushing those events had to be. I imagine the fear they felt that they would also be killed. And for what? On Saturday they feared they had given their careers and their very souls for a false hope. I think in particular of Peter. I identify
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I think of Keith Green every Easter week because he recorded my favorite song about the power of the resurrection. What I loved most about Keith Green was his passion for Christ. Like many who came to faith during the Jesus movement Green was sold out to the Gospel. Every Easter week I listen to his recording of the Easter Song. Hear the bells ringingThey’re singing that you can be born againHear the bells ringingThey’re singing Christ is risen from the dead The angel up on the tombstoneSaid He has risen, just as He saidQuickly now, go tell his disciplesThat Jesus Christ is no longer dead Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujahHe’s risen, hallelujahHe’s risen, hallelujah He is risen indeed. Keith Green experienced the resurrection power of Christ when he died in 1982. I sometimes wonder how his music might have changed as he matured in his faith. His journey just before his death offers a clue. After striving for years to measure
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