Get a Room

A Truly 'Amazing Race'

I'm a race horse fan for three races a year. The first just happened a few days ago and it was a dooozy! The Kentucky Derby has been run for around 135 years now and the winner on May 2 - Mine That Bird - was the second longest odds in its history. Get this - FIFTY TO ONE!

There was a horse in the Derby this year that was purchased for over $3 million. Mine That Bird was bought for $9600. WOW! This horse's claim to fame was that in a race in New Mexico (it was not a certified race by those who sanction races - it was not that big of a race in New Mexico), Mine That Bird finished FOURTH.

I could go on and on but you get the amazing picture.

The reason I like the three races is that as a kid May only held two major sporting events: the Derby and the Indy 500. The Derby is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The second is The Preakness in Baltimore held next Saturday. The third is The Belmont Stakes run in New York 3 weeks later. The winner of all three is winner of the fabled Triple Crown.

We haven't had a triple crown winner since 1978.

And Selma and I saw that triple crown winner run, in person, at The Kentucky Derby in 1978. (Our 32-year old marriage was not yet two then!)  His name was Affirmed and he was a special horse for sure. I was just about to graduate from seminary in Louisville and we decided to go to this spectacle at Churchill Downs. (Selma has followed me to so many sporting events through the years. God bless her. Her own crown in heaven will need to have many, many stars in it!) The only place we could afford to go was to the infield and to get a view from the fence we had to get there early.

About 9 hours early.

Anyway, we got there, staked our "fence claim" and settled in for as more "life education" as I had in two years of seminary. It was like we were at a rock festival, so they tell me. Music everywhere, frisbees, and oh yes, quite a few mint juleps. We didn't partake, but as I said, we saw a lot that day.

And Affirmed, Selma's horse, beat my horse, Alydar. In fact, they finished one-two in all three triple crown races - the only time that's ever happened. What a rivalry.

So many times through the years we have hoped to see a new triple crown winner crowned, but alas, it hasn't happened yet. And it probably won't this year, but we can hope. It would be just like Mine That Bird, however, to make that happen.

After all, he has clearly established that he is quite capable of beating long odds.

The day after this year's Derby, May 3, Pat, our pastor, spoke at our church, LifePoint, on how Gideon and his army of 300 slew 1000's. Those odds make Mine That Bird look like a heavy favorite! Please take a moment to listen to this message found at our LifePoint website. It is not boring. Rather, it is a unique story from God's Word with a typical Pat Hood application. (He is adamant about making whatever he says relevant to his audience.)

Take a look. I don't know about in horse-racing, but sometimes long odds make for a clear statement from the Lord that He is in control. It was true for Gideon and it could be true for you, too. Check out the message, you'll see.

And let's all pull for Mine That Bird in the Preakness this Saturday!

Finding 'Pasture' for our lives ... from a Shepherd

Just a simple thought today. I am reading in the book of John, chapter 10 precisely. What a comfort, what a joy that He says He is "the Good Shepherd"?

One of the tremendous benefits that come from the Good Shepherd is found in John 10:9. Jesus tells us that we can go out and in (make our own choices, live our own lives, i.e. we are not robots) if we do so, as He says, "by Me". Everything done according to His will, by obeying His loving commands, we can "find pasture".

Just what is this 'pasture' Jesus is talking about?

It is everything. It is the abundant life He came to give us in that He mentioned in the very next verse.

It is self esteem in a world that seeks to destroy our self worth.

Finding pasture is security in a crazy/worry-filled/unpredictable/rain-falls-on-the-just-and-the-unjust world.

Pasture is also peace of mind in a world of hate and war.

Most of all, I think pasture is, for followers of Christ, is an awareness that the Lord will never leave nor forsake us.

You get the picture yet? Pasture is something we want. Not just a cute metaphor that Jesus threw out as He ran out of sermon material one day. No, it coincides nicely with this abundant life concept. It fits just right with the unconditional love He extends to us. It is consistent with the I John verse that says "God is love".

Spring is in the air and my lawn needs mowing. I will give it another week or so and try not to cut it too short at the first of the cutting season. I heard somewhere that it helps the roots. Actually, the deeper grass reminds me of the Shepherd story in John 10.

I challenge you to find rest, find peace, find the Lord this spring in the pasture He offers us.

A Couple of More Points from 'John'

Here are a couple of more thoughts I've seen in my walking through John lately that I wanted you to see:

From chapter 4 and the very familiar story of the woman at the well, I found a phrase I don't think I've thought before pondered. In verse 14 Jesus says that whoever drinks of the water that He offers will never thirst again.

Just what exactly does that mean? Have you ever thought about it? I mean I call myself a follower of Christ. I have drunk of His water so to speak. And then the rain falls on me just like a non-believer. Bad things happen to me. Life can be difficult for me at times. (See my postings from last year with the ordeal with my Dad, for example.) So just what does "never thirst again" mean?

Here is my "non-theologian's theological view": never thirsting tells me that my relationship with Him is secure, through whatever I experience in this life. The security of knowing that He will never leave me nor forsake (Hebrews 13:5) me keeps me from "thirsting" and questioning if He stills loves me or if He has walked out on me in my time of difficulty.

At a difficult point, some might question, "Because of what is happening to me, am I still one of His?" Drinking from His living water (believing in and following Him) makes you one of his sheep. And John 10 (which we'll probably cover later) assures us that no one can pluck His sheep out of His hand. I don't have to worry, question or "thirst" for that confidence.

In the midst of all that I, my family, and especially my Dad went through before His homegoing last May there was never a doubt that God was there. Did I understand it all at the time? Of course not, and I still don't. Yet I didn't thirst for His presence. It was always there.

It's a simple thought, I know. If you believe in Him, rest in Him. And whatever happens today and the days ahead, know that you have received His living water and you will never need to thirst for it again.

Walking Through 'John' This Winter

It is indeed a fresh new year and with it I have found a "new" area of the Word to look at. It's been a while since I've studied in the gospel of John so I began the year there. Here is some of what I've found so far.

First, a disclaimer ... or an "explainer": I think, write, and "devotion" in simple terms. For example, many have mentioned to us that the book Selma and I have recently written, The Parent Adventure, had simple concepts in it. I always say "thank-you" to that comment as I never want to write "beyond my audience" (as if I could!). Anyway, this little glimpse into John 1 assumes a similar simplicity. It's the way I see things and the way that I share them. Below is just a devotional thought as I begin this walk through a very unique gospel. So if you need depth, go to something like Ed Stetzer's blog. (I get out of breath just looking at his speaking schedule.)

So here goes ...

John has much to say about the Lord. He is sooooo right when he says that God has been made known by His word (1:18). Here are some ways He has made Himself known to me just by reading through part of the first chapter. Kyle Goen and others have shared this basic formula with me and it works good in quiet time-type study. Ask yourself two questions:

1) What is this scripture saying?

2) What does this scripture mean in terms of my life today? (application)

Here is an example of that approach taken from John 1:

        WHAT GOD IS                              APPLICATION    

(verse) 1 - The Word                       Cherish it ... and listen!

1 - God                                          Regard Him as God through the whole day

2 - eternal                                     Trust His bigger/eternal picture

3 - Creator                                     Know His love for us was so great that He 

                                                    made us!

4 - life source                                 Be grateful ... for life itself

4 - light of men                               Help others to see that light

5 - light that conquers darkness         Trust in His strength

12 - right-giver                               Never take lightly the right to become His child

13 - life-giver                                 The wonder of it all. Be filled with that wonder

14 - resident of this world                 He's been here, done that. Study His example

14 - full of glory                              Continuously praise Him

14 - only Son of God                        Worship Him as Son

16 - grace-giver                              Value and cherish this grace ... truly amazing!

17 - grace and truth conduit              Again, value the grace. Seek the truth.

18 - Now resides at the Father's side   Treat Him/address Him with awe and respect

18 - Revealer of God                           Study the Revelation consistenty

All that from the first 18 verses.

As you can see, John gets going rather quickly, as opposed to a couple of other gospel writers. In his chapter 2, Luke has Jesus in a manger with shepherds, etc. And in his chapter 2, Matthew has the magi visiting the child Jesus. In his chapter 2, John has already got Jesus turning water into wine!

It is truly a unique angle of the gospel that I am looking forward to going through once again. I will probably share some more insights as my journey continues.

And as always, please feel free to comment on what I've shared or simply share your own thoughts. I always like to here from you.

God is good to allow us access to His precious, precious Word. I hope you go there in your own way, gathering your own insights at your own pace of consistency.

Blessings as you do.

 

A SPECIAL PSALM ON A SPECIAL DAY

Heads up. Yes, it's another Dad application. Hey, what can I say? It's where I am right now.

I am reading Psalms for my quiet time these days. It was the 9th day so I read the 9th Psalm. (Don't ask me what I'll do when I get to day 32 - April 1. I don't know. It's not a clean as Proverbs with 31 of those!) Anyway, it's Sunday morning and I'm having my quiet time. (Inicdentally, please have your quiet time on Sunday before church. Pat is always telling us not to come to church to worship. Rather, we need to come to church worshiping. I challenge you to already have the spirit of worship coming from your QT before the actual worship service. Those of you who have little kids to get ready for church, God bless you. I've been there. It's okay to have your QT the night before!)

Sorry for the digression, but you keep interuptting me - ha!

In Psalms 9:13b and 14a it says this: Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises.

The writer is asking to be spared from death. And if he is, he will live his life praising the One who spared him. I read that and several applications came all at once. (He does that sometimes.) As He spares us from the gates of death - in other words - as He gives us life - we need to live in praise to Him. It's why we are here- to glorify Him. Then, I saw my Dad's situation. Feeding tube. Not able to talk. Doctors tell us every week: "This is a very sick man". As long as the Lord keeps him from the gates of death, God is expecting to gain glory from Dad, his family and the overall situation.

That Sunday afternoon, the 9th, Mom was by his side as she has been for these months now. Not quite as often but she gets there when she is able. No one was in the room but the two of them. Mom was talking away to him. Then she prayed for and with him. Then she sang worship songs in front of him. And more prayer and singing, etc. Unbeknownst to Mom, a nurse was behind her for much of the time. The nursed was touched. It really spoke to her of Mom's unconditional love for Dad. And her love for the One who taught her about unconditional love. A strong witness in times of unimaginable crisis.

One Sunday morning lesson from Psalm 9 for me: the Lord told me that Dad hasn't gone through the door of death yet because God is still getting praise for Himself through his life. Dad lives on. God gets the glory.

A wise son may bring  joy to his parents, but what a joy to know that as long as Dad (and Mom) are spared from the gates of death, He will be glorified. You have made me proud, you two. I want you to know that even though neither of you will ever read this blog. I know you know.

As Promised, Thoughts from Proverbs

I am in a Bible-reading-blogging mode. I read the Bible - like many other people do - from where I am in my life at the time. It is amazing how God can speak to you if you take the time and "ask for the eyes" to see what He has for you.

TWO LESSONS FROM PROVERBS...

ONE: In Proverbs, for example, it seems about every other verse says something about a wise son making his father proud. I see it almost everywhere! That's where I am right now - in an on going conversation with my Father about my father. So that stands out to me. It is the most pronounced lesson I have learned out of Proverbs, reading it through this time around.

It is true that there is an incredible connection between our conduct and character and how it affects our family relationships. That goes I am sure whether those famly relationships are living under the same roof or around the world. Consider our pastor, Pat Hood, and his son, Seth. Seth is serving the Lord in southeast Asia now and his father couldn't be prouder of him. That's not always been the case. While Pat has always loved him, Seth's behavior has had a lot to do with how they get along.

Consider these verses (and if you are a woman, you can make the appropriate application - readers of my blog are intelligent and can easily do that!):

* 4:1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

* 29:3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father ...

* 23:22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (bingo!)

* 23:24 The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.

And the converse ...

* A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

Several verses could be added but you get the point. Your conduct and lifestyle most definitely affect the relationships around you. Especially the close ones.

TWO: Proverbs simply flows with wisdom! Duh! I know but as a counselor it rings clear to me. I am praying daily for wisdom. I simply cannot "fake it". Without the wisdom of the Lord I would look like the dumbest, simplest, most ignorant imposter in the world. (Those of you whom I have counseled, don't touch that line!) The bottom line is this: counseling is tough. Wisdom is required for it to be anywhere near effective and helpful for those who seek it. People and couples don't come to you with issues they can resolve by themselves.

But we all need His wisdom. The lesson is simple but as profound as you can get: get wisdom. Buy it, trade for it. It comes from God and is a good, good thing. In a world of ambiguity and pluralism, we need it. When black is made to look white, we need it. In this world of "spin" and hair-splitting, we need the clarity, insight and wisdom from Him and His word.

R&R Update and 'Coming Soon'

I don't really have time to scratch my nose right now with Romance and Roses coming this Friday, but on the other side of it, I've got some simple thoughts from Proverbs I'd like to share with you.

Speaking of R&R, you have been overwhelmingly responsive once again! Thank-you for your enthusiasm about this marriage event. It's going to be great again I am sure, mainly because of the Lord's blessings. But also, there are soooooooo many people working on it.

We are sold out for dinner, but you can still purchase a ticket at a reduced rate for the program.

Please pray as we come down to the last harrowing details and I'll see you "on the other side"!

Joe's Epilogue

(Reading the previous post will help make some sense out of this one.)

Just one more thought before we leave 'Joe':

From Genesis 50, Pat Hood mentioned, in his sermon yesterday, that Joe (the Joseph of Genesis) finished strong. Not because he had wealth or power, but because he was pursuing God, staying close to Him in his last days.

Two points:

1) My Dad is finishing strong. He loves the Lord and is close to Him in what looks to be his last days on this earth;

2) My Dad's name is Joseph.

Help from "Joe"

As you can tell by the postings dates, it's been a while since I began my unexpected "blog sabbatical". A lot has happened to take me out of commission, but it's good to be back. Here is where my heart has been lately:

About 11 years ago, my dad had a stroke. Right out of the blue. A few weeks before that he and I had run 5 miles like we had done a hundred times before. Since then, he was still able to function - walked w/a  cane, talk (with slurred speech), etc. Took mom out to dinner as usual just a few weeks ago. Called me and we talked about the Braves missing the playoffs again. Until a month ago.

Recently another stroke put him in a nursing facility. A couple of other strokes have rendered him unable to move or speak. This is where my heart has been. Hospitals, nursing homes, doctors, feeding tubes, Medicare, paying bills for parents, caring for mom and a thousand other things that take time, energy and emotion.

All that to ask that you to please remember mom and dad and our family in the coming days.

Now here's the cool part. (Yes, there is a cool part.) Pat Hood, our senior pastor at FBC Smyrna, TN, has been speaking on a series called "Life Lessons from a Man Named Joe". It is the story of Joseph from Genesis.

I cannot think of a more "universally applicable" series than this one. For each of us has unfair stuff that happens to us. All of us go through times of confusion. Everyone has experiences when life hurls its curve balls (unexpected things) at us that rattle our cage.

So did Joe. This man was sold into slavery by his brothers. He spent undeserved time in prison. Was falsely accused of things - yet he became essentially the vice-president of Egypt!

In Genesis 50, Joe basically said "What you meant for evil, God meant for good." It is the Old Testament counterpart to Romans 8:28 (God works in all things for good for those who love Him...).

So what's going on in your life that is rattling your cage right now? Got a marriage that's stuck? A mate that's seems like an idiot? (Don't answer that, Selma!) Do you have a past that's horribly painful to even think of? The point of Joe's story is to trust God and believe that - like He had for Joe - He has a plan for you and is working that plan - whether we understand it or not. It's called faith and it sometimes is hard to do. But the life of Joe can be encouraging in our struggle to believe.

I know I have never been imprisoned - falsely or otherwise.  My older brother (whose name is Joe by the way!) and I fought when I was a kid but he never sold me into slavery. (Probably never thought of it - the Lord does provide!)

But the Genesis Joe went through all that and more. And he kept his eye on the Lord. And he trusted that God had a plan for his life. And God came through like crazy. And don't you think that is encouraging to me in the ordeal with my dad right now? How comforting to know that God is in control. He does have a plan. For dad. For mom. For all of us. I don't understand. And that's okay.

Whatever your life looks like, you probably have got some challenges in it. Trust in the Lord. He knows what's going on in your life whether it feels like it or not. He loves you whether you feel it or not.

Get the sermon series from our website: www.fbcsmyrna.org. It is free. Just listen to the first one - you'll probably want the rest.

Coming in 'Get a Room' ...

* A special dog with a special story. I promise you have never a story quite like this one!

* Marital getaway of a life time. (Including a technological breakthrough for this blog: pictures!)

One More 'Mary' Thought

Another response to the Lord from that precious resurrection morning:

It was so special that you showed Yourself to Mary first. You made her special in doing that. Mary was all of us:

-- sins well-documented

-- self-esteem challenged to say the least

-- terribly confused

Isn't that a lot like us?

-- sins well-documented (at least in our own hearts)

-- self-esteem not the strongest. (Don't we all wrestle with that?)

-- confused? (Yeah, we've all been there.)

Then, with one word - her name - you changed all of that. You stated that you knew her, gave her hope and a joy that she'd never lose.

As we read of your first appearing to Mary, calling her by name, the rest of us know that if you care for a Mary, you care for the rest of us - who have sin in our lives, who struggle with self esteem issues and sometimes think we are scum of the earth. Your appearance to Mary gives us a confidence that you love even us. WOW.

I apologize if this seems like I am preaching. But this part of the story of our Lord is something to preach about.

Please go often to the death and resurrection of our Lord in your quiet time. You'll never stop learning something new from them.

Last weekend, Selma and I attended a Student Leadership Conference in Pigeon Forge. Big Daddy Weave was there leading the worship. They led us in a song we've done at our church many times, but it "clicked" with me in a different way as I was reading through John's account of the death and resurrection:

How deep,

How wide,

How great,

Is the love of Christ.

Lord, we are truly amazed.