One of Those Days

Ever have one of those days where you fall into bed, but feel good about it? Yesterday was that for me. I don't think I was in my office more than an hour yesterday, but what was accomplished wouldn't and couldn't get done sitting behind my desk.

That's a bit of my quirkiness. I have to work, sometimes, to get out from behind my desk. And, at times, I need days like yesterday to do just that. The cool thing was that I didn't do them alone. I got to hang out with Lance, Rick, Roger, Dale, Debbie, Kerry & Jim, Tim & Kim, Dan, and Dave. I got to meet two young men who are not only football players, but leaders. I got to see Chris in action, and hear how his players love and respect him. I got to hear a brother in Christ's story of how, through a series of unbelievable events, his children were taken from him, the hear the the pain in his heart and had an opportunity to pray for him. I met a man who has a great attitude and a 2010 Harley Davidson Soft-Tail (ok, admittedly I was a little envious). I got to laugh with people who are just stinkin' funny.

Today, on the other hand, is resting and hanging out day with Cindy day. Can't wait to see what God has in store for us today!


Mike

All You Need is Love

Got a notice this morning that on December 7, Starbucks is hosting a worldwide sing-a-long to continue to raise awareness and funds for (RED) - a movement started to help fight AIDS in Africa. They will be singing the song All You Need is Love. And you and I could join them.


I was thinking about that song this morning, sort of singing it in my best Beatles-esque. Okay, so it didn't sound so much like the Beatles, but it did get me to thinking. . .what kind of love is all we need? Is it the others-focused kind of love that doesn't require or expect anything in return? Because, to be honest, that doesn't seem to be humanity's forte. How does a world do that when it's not our nature to express that kind of love?

Now stay with me. . .

On Tuesday I woke up with the story of the Good Samaritan on mind. Don't know why, but I did. And I, like a lot of teachers of this passage, focused on the story what it means to love your neighbor. But this morning I started thinking about the initial encounter between the lawyer and Jesus.

The man asks a great question, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After further prodding by Jesus he even answers correctly when he replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself." Great answer!! But he didn't stop there. He messed up when he tried to trick the Son of God - by the way, that's never a good idea. The lawyer went on to ask, "but who is my neighbor?"

Here's where I've been trying to get to (and thanks for hanging with me this long). The man would have never had to asked the neighbor thing if he had an inkling of understanding of God's meaning of love. It wouldn't have mattered who his neighbor was if he really had the slightest grasp of what loving God and loving others really meant. All he would need is love. . .God's love!

And a lot of sickness could be prevented, poverty possibly wiped out, and children would have clothes to wear and food to eat if we, as a society, really had God's love in our hearts. All we would need is love.

And people could see and encounter the face of Jesus as we, the church - the bride of Jesus - loved our God and our neighbor. . .if we truly understood the meaning of loving God and loving our neighbor as God intended. And our neighbor's life - next door, down the street, next door to our church, across town, across this nation, and across the globe - could and would be changed.

Yes, all we need is love. . .God's love.

Love on,
Mike

The Gospel is NOT a Secret

Reading Ephesians 3:6 this morning

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

and the thought kept coming to me that, as in Paul's day, the gospel wasn't meant for just a specific group of people. It was meant to be shared with everyone. For Paul that was anyone else who was not a Jew, in other words. . .Gentiles. And anyone and everyone that accepted Christ became heirs of God's riches and blessings. . .they, too, were members of one body - the Body of Christ. . .and shared together in the promise of Jesus.

Now stay with me. . .this means that the people in Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Damascus, Happy Valley and all of the surrounding areas share in this mystery of the Messiah. Not that they already share in the heir-ship, but there's nothing keeping them from it except their unwillingness to accept Christ as Lord and Savior.

But here's the rub - come in a little closer. . .closer. . .now listen very carefully. . .someone needs to tell them about the mystery of Jesus. IT'S NOT A SECRET!

That ought to take the pressure off of you and me. If you're bad at keeping secrets, you're off the hook. Tell somebody! It's OK. If you like secrets, pass it on to someone who's bad at keeping secrets.

And if you don't live in the northwest, it applies to your area as well.

It's not a secret!!
Mike

Making Time

Hey couples! Looking for a reason, or two, to get away without the kids? Or just to get away? Tim Stevens, executive pastor at Granger Community Church, has posted about it here.

Looks like he's hit the nail on the head of several excuses we use not to get a way just to ourselves.

Thanks Tim.

Mike

Looking Back

It's quiet in the house this morning. It's Friday, my day off, and as usual I got up grabbed a mug of joe, and spent some time with God . . .and Lucy (the tailless cat). Then I checked out some blogs I like to read, replied to some email, and surfed the net.

This morning I found myself looking back at another blog I used to write called In the Midst of the Valley. It's about two year's worth of lessons, confessions, discoveries, and travails in my own life. God used this time to remind me of some of those lessons. Some of which I still remember to this day. Others that I have long forgotten, but no less valuable at the time. He showed me how He led me through some of the darkest valley times of my life.

Don't know about you, but I'm kinda like that Boston song Don't Look Back. I don't look back very often. It's one of my quirky flaws. I deal with something, learn something, try something, then move on. I like looking forwards and at what's ahead. Rarely do I stop to look at where I've been. It's not that I don't do it, it's just not something I do on a regular basis or very easily. Then again, those who know me know that I'm also a self-daignosed A.D.D.-er

I'm learning to slow down, maybe even stop, and look back. . .to enjoy special moments, to re-learn forgotten lessons, to be reminded of God's hand on my life. I'm glancing back in my journal more at past prayer requests and seeing how God has or has not answered them and at truths He has revealed to me.

Maybe I'm just getting old. OK, that's a given (no comments from the peanut gallery). But maybe I'm learning to appreciate my past more than I used to. What about you? Are you a move-ahead person or a stop-and-look-back person. Whether you're one or the other, let me encourage you to take some time every now and then to look back at what God's been teaching you and where He's been leading you. You may be pleasantly surprised at how far you've come in your walk with God.

Looking back. . .
Mike

What if . . .?

I was thinking this morning - I know, that's a very dangerous thing. But I was thinking, what if we all came or went to church this morning ready to . . .

• ready to worship and get excited about worship,
  
• ready to encourage someone else,
  
• ready to pray for each other and for God's will to be done,
  
• ready to study God's Word and respond to it in a way that pleases Him,
  
• ready to fellowship (real koinonia kind of stuff, not the talking football over bad coffee and donuts fellowship),
  
• ready to see the Spirit of God to drown us with His presence,
  
• ready to see God transform lives, marriages, families, and communities
• ready for revival to break out - this would scare most of us since most of us have rarely experienced true revival
• ready to serve and meet the needs of those around us - in the church and in our communities,
  
• ready for God to do SOMETHING?!

My heart breaks for churches who have never asked the question, "What if. . .?" They don't know what they are missing.

What if. . .?

Mike

Same Song, Fourth Verse

Mornings for me this week haven't gone as well as I would want. I'm sleeping good. That's not the problem, it's been the waking up and getting going. And this morning isn't any different than previous mornings this week. Because of my hypothyroidism, I'm having trouble getting up and going in the mornings. . .or at least that's what I'm blaming it on.

Throughout the day I have short bursts of energy after which I feel like going back to bed. Last week at our church-wide family camp out Cindy, me, and some friends hiked to the beach (it was only about a 1/2 mile trek). Afterward, when we sat down to eat lunch I didn't have the energy to hold my sandwich to eat it.

Can't tell you how frustrating it is for me. I'm the guy who used to stay up until mid-night or 1:00 am reading and working or getting up at 4:00 am to work all day and catch dinner and a movie with some friends. I just can't do it anymore. At least until the meds kick in. . .and they haven't.

Poor Cindy, she gets the worn out, no energy left Mike at the end of the day. While she's ready to go and do with her hubby, her hubby just wants to crash. . .well, better yet recoup from crashing.

So this morning didn't start out any different. Couldn't get out of bed when the alarm went off. Don't have the energy to focus and get moving. But another day awaits. And it will go on with or without me. Got to meet the fire sprinkler guy to test the sprinkler system at the church, then it's off to lunch with Bryce, and this afternoon another meeting with Ron & Kathleen. Actually, I'm really looking forward to hanging out with Bryce and Ron & Kathleen. That's going to be fun!

Lord, may the Joy of the Lord be my strength today!
Mike

It's the Small Things

The other day I found one of those fold-over calendars with a daily devotional thought on it in my box at the church. In it was a note from Ron, a new friend and brother in Christ. Ron and I met a couple of months ago, but have really been getting to know one another in the last couple of weeks.

Ron and I share some similar life experiences. Ron's super smart, he was a nurse until his health caused him to step down. Ron is the nth degree of me. I know that sounds funny, and for some probably pretty scary, but as much as I talk and chase rabbits, Ron is on a whole nother level. Regardless, I love to sit and hear is heart. I love to hear about his life. I love to watch him talk about the Lord with more joy than I've heard in church in a long time.

Ron sees himself as many of us should. . .broken by sin and selfishness, but made new because of the mercy and grace of God. I think this makes him very aware of his short-comings as he mentions them often; not bragging, but in humility and shame.

Maybe we church folk could learn something from Ron. Maybe we could learn about God's mercy and grace and be more appreciative of them. Maybe we could speak of God with more joy than we do of the Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, or the Texas Longhorns. Maybe we could learn to approach God and, better yet, each other, with humility and love. Wouldn't that make for a church that would impact the world!!

Ron, thanks for the gift. It may not mean much to anyone else, but it means a great deal to me. It sits on my desk next to my ever-waiting coffee cup. Every time I look at it I remember your genuine love for God. Thanks for the gentle and powerful reminder.

Mike

Coffe Shops and Lap Tops

It appears that some coffee shops are discouraging lap top usage in their shops. An article in the Wall Street Journal today states that coffee shops in New York and California are "pulling the plug" on lap top usage. One of the reasons owners state is that people are coming and nursing a cup of coffee for the free Wi-Fi, making it difficult for customers who want to eat and spend more money to find a place to sit. I have to admit, I've been this guy before. I have a knack for really nursing a cup of coffee.

Some have simply restricted use during high-traffic times like lunch time. Others are covering outlets to save money. It's does seem a bit ironic, doesn't it. . .coffee shop and lap tops just seem to go together.

What do you think? Should coffee shops discourage the use of lap tops during high-traffic times, at all, any time? Are you one of those dragin' out a cup of coffee for the free Wi-Fi?

Mike