Priorities

Recently I had a very random thought come to my head, which is far from uncommon for me to tell you the truth. I was sitting in first service a few weeks ago and watched a few kids go past me and then come back a few minutes later. Yes, the fact that someone ran to the bathroom isn't strange during service, but what was strange was it triggered in my head: Why is it that when nature calls people are quick to respond, but when God calls us we are not?

I know there are times when we all feel that God is calling us to do something that either doesn't fit into our personal agenda, or we are even known to put it off because we don't know for sure if it was God calling us in the first place. I've been there and I'm sure most everyone else has as well. What would the world look like if we all stopped what we were doing and answer His call as quickly as we did nature's?

I know that it's not always easy to do what we're called to do right away, but it's not always easy to get ourselves to a restroom either, right? Remember if you have kids the number of times the kids have needed to go and it wasn't a great time? Like when you were next in line at Wal-Mart or going on a trip and being 15 minutes south of Fitchville on 250 going south?

His call isn't always going to be convenient and it's not always going to be easy to achieve. Still, the next time He calls you to do something, think how quickly you'd act if it was nature calling....and maybe you'll get to His priorities a little faster.

Thank You

As I was trying to think of something to write about going into the Thanksgiving weekend, I kept going back in my head to a song that I've known for years. I couldn't think of a better way of celebrating Thanksgiving in this blog than to put the words to that great song in front of you today. Now the song doesn't give direct thanks to God, but it does to someone who was doing His work, and that alone should be motivation to us all. I hope you enjoy.

Thank You for Giving To The Lord
Music & Lyrics by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to Heaven, you were there with me.
We walked upon the streets of gold beside the Crystal Sea.
We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.
You turned and saw this young man, and he was smiling as he came.
He said, "Friend you may not know me now," and then he said, "But wait -
You used to teach my Sunday School, when I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
Then another man stood before you, he said "Remember the time,
A missionary came to your church, His pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money but you gave it anyway.
Jesus took that gift you gave
And that's why I'm in Heaven today"

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
One by one they came, far as your eyes could see.
Each life somehow touched by your generosity.
Little things that you had done, sacrifices that you made,
They were unnoticed on this earth
In Heaven now proclaimed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
And I know up in Heaven you're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord
He said "My child look around you,
Great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave,
I am so glad you gave.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Accomplished

I have a friend who has their youngest child finishing off their high school career this year. Recently this child was awarded a number of awards for sports which really hasn’t been uncommon for the kids in this family. They have truly been blessed with a healthy family that is good both academically and athletically.

When I heard about the recent accomplishments of this child I started to think to my own family. I started to think on the fact that we’re beginning that journey with our kids and the accomplishments they are striving towards, etc. I started to think about how Noah’s team won their division in baseball this year and how I felt that day as he got his trophy. I was so proud of all that he accomplished and how he really stepped up to lead the other kids on that team and teach them to be better players. I began to think of what may be to come for all 3 kids both athletically and academically in the future and how much fun this journey is going to be.

That thought process then took me another step further. I started to think what it’s like as a parent to have those accomplishments displayed in a house. The pride one must feel when they walk by that area dedicated to showcasing all that has been done by one’s children.

Of course, I didn’t stop there….my thought process went towards our Heavenly Father. Can you imagine what His “wall/mantle” looks like with all the accomplishments of His children? The person who lead 20 people to Christ in the past year? How about that trophy for the person who talked about God for 15 years to their neighbor and were able to lead that person to Christ last week? How about that one for the Pastor who faithfully lead his flock for 5 years then went on to another church? Oh, and that great looking certificate for the missionary who has worked for 35 years in another country spreading the gospel – man, that thing is impressive!

What have you done lately for your place on His wall/mantle? He wants to have your accomplishments on display for all to see! He is already a proud Father and loves to have you as one of His children and is so proud of you. Yet, I’m pretty sure that every time He sees that accomplishment that you have done in promoting His kingdom He has a great feeling of pride for being your Father. He knows every time you pray for someone else, every time you read the Bible or do a devotional. He knows when you talk with others about Him. He loves to show all the angels in Heaven what you have accomplished. It’s not hard to be up there with everyone else….all you have to do is accept Christ into your life and promote this same thing to others.

Stuff

I tell you what, we’re coming up on one of my favorite times of the year. I just love Thanksgiving and Christmas time as most people really start to focus on family. There are tons of events to go to and time spent with others. Most people seem to be in a better mood, even here in Ohio where it’s freezing cold most of the time.

With that said, I’m sure you’re starting to wonder why I titled the blog the way I did. Well, with this time of year comes Christmas shopping. It’s the time when we all fight through the crowds and get stuff to show others how much we care about them. Now, I cherish these events so don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way. I love to give gifts to others. I love the look on someone’s face as they get that very thoughtful or desired gift. I also love to get gifts and gain new things. But, let me stop right there for a minute…

You see, I want to remind everyone today that in the long run those gifts are mostly just stuff that fills our lives in one way or another. These are items that we didn’t have before and are probably not really needs but more or less wants. Yes, some gifts do fill a need that you had, or you wouldn’t have asked for it. But, most items are more like the add-ons that you purchase with a vehicle. I mean, do you need power windows and doors? Probably not, but they are nice to have. Same thing with the A/C and cruise control, right? The same thing goes for the stuff that we get at the holidays. Do you need a new set of Japanese steak knives, or did you want them? Do they somehow improve your quality of life (other than when eating steak?)?

As we head into the holidays this year I wanted to put everyone to the test this year. I want to challenge you to look at the stuff in your life that the world says you should need. Look at those things and see if they are helping you get to God, or keeping you apart from Him. Do they eat up the time you could spend with Him or for His Kingdom? If you really wanted to give someone a gift, maybe the best thing you could give them is your time. Maybe that time allows you to get Jesus into their lives or helps them get a better relationship with Him.

I’m not saying that this year you shouldn’t give the fun little gifts that you have a knack for giving. What I want to stress is that this year, if you haven’t already, start to look for gifts that can keep on giving. Give a friend a coupon to baby-sit their kids for a night so they can spend time with their spouse, getting them closer to each other and God at the same time. Give your children your time and attention, playing that game you give them this Christmas. Give your parents the love that your Heavenly Father shows you daily. All of these gifts can multiply themselves and also be paired with that item you find on Black Friday. (I’ll be out there with you other nut cases as I have been for the past 16 years.) Gift the gift of Jesus into the lives of everyone you contact, and this year your gift won’t just be on the shelf with the other stuff you’ve given before.

What a Waste...

Have you ever not given something to someone because you know all they are going to do is ruin what you are giving them? How about a little kid? You know that they aren’t old enough to handle the responsibility of having a Nintendo DS for example. When they ask for it over and over again you tell them that you will give it to them when they get older and are mature. You are afraid that they might waste the opportunity and eventually break the item.

Now, let’s take that another step….Have you ever done that with the Gospel in regard to people around you? Have you ever not gone up to someone because you just know they aren’t going to get it or it’ll just be a waste of your time? What if God did that with you? If he waited until we were all “ready” to be exposed to Christianity how many of us wouldn’t be a part of his Kingdom now?

Just like with the child you aren’t sure of giving the item to, if He wanted us to wait until others were “ready” then many would never be saved. Sometimes the person you approach will waste what you are giving, but I’m guessing that it’s never really a waste of your time and effort. God is just preparing their hearts and the exposure to Him is always good for them. Just like the food that you prepare, sometimes it’s ready the first time when you check on it, but often you have to put it back in after checking because it’s just not ready yet.

One of Those Parents....

Well, I've recently been learning a little about myself. Of course, God is teaching me this lesson through my oldest son Noah. A few weeks ago we were being stupid in the long run and running around the outside of the house in the dark after AWANA. For some reason Noah got a cramp, stumbled a bit, and his foot caught the edge of the driveway and went down, bracing himself with his left hand. Of course, he complained a bit about his arm hurting but we thought it was just the fall that got him. Well, after going to school the next day Traci got a call from the school and he was having problems with pain.

Thankfully, I work for 4 Orthopaedic Surgeons and Dr. Shine was willing to see Noah here in the office that afternoon. After an x-ray it was found that his wrist was broken, which I would have never guessed based on looking at his arm. (Dr. Shine says that is why we have the expensive equipment - which I understand!) So, Noah was casted and sent on his way.

The next week Noah was here for a checkup on the wrist and it was found that the cast alone wasn't enough and he needed surgery the next day. So, we rearranged our schedules and worked it out for family obligations to be taken care of while Noah had the surgery. Thankfully so far things are looking good and we'll find out tomorrow if a second surgery will be needed for pinning, or if it's healing on it's own.

Now, you may be asking what I have learned, other than the expensive x-ray equipment is much better than just looking at someone's arm. Well, I learned what it's like to be a parent of a child who plays sports and is injured. I've been here at Access Ortho 3 1/2 years and I've seen time and time again parents almost forcing the doctors to allow their kids to play their sport for this reason or that. I never understood what it was like to be the parent, always thinking that the long term health of the kid was worth more than that individual game.

Well, now I get the mindset of "those parents". You see, Noah has had a great year when it comes to sports. His team won the championship in baseball for their division, and at the time of the injury his team was tied for first in his soccer division as well. They were tied with the other top team and Noah was scoring a good number of goals and really striving to better himself at every game. He was a leader on his team often positioning other players while on the field and setting up others for goals when he couldn't get there himself. It was so much fun to watch. Then, with one fall all of that stopped for us.

You see, I was watching my oldest son take on a lot of responsibility and want to drive his team to first place. That is addictive, and his desire and enthusiasm was contagious for us as parents. So, when I heard that all of a sudden he can't play any sports for 6-8 weeks I think I was as hurt by that as Noah was/is. It's been hard as now we can't play catch with the football outside or baseball, soccer, etc. He still had the desire to go and root on his team and try to make his teammates better. He wanted to be there because he was a part of the team. Yet, it was hard for me to watch the games knowing that he had to sit on the sidelines. And now I wonder when/if he'll be able to play basketball this year.

So, in conclusion to what I learned, I've learned not to judge others as you don't know their motivations. I was never overly critical of "those parents" but wondered what drove them to the decision they were making. God has taught me through this what it's like to be in that same type of situation and now have the same feelings as those parents. I can't imagine what it would be like if my kids were being scouted by colleges when they were in High School, etc. I've learned that if you are not in someone else's shoes it's really going to be hard to totally relate to what is going on with their lives. I'm sure this lesson will help me to relate in other areas of my life as well.

What is a relationship?

I recently heard a stat that 70% of today’s American youth don’t know how to define what a relationship is! Another staggering stat is that 80% of American church attendees don’t know what it means to have a relationship with Christ. No wonder we can’t spread the importance of this to the masses when some of our own people have no idea what it means to have the relationship that we all should be seeking.

More that ever it is going to be important for us who do have the relationship with Christ to now become examples to the world. We need to show them that there is more to this “thing” we all have than just showing up to church or reading our Bibles every day. They need to not only be shown by our day-to-day walk, but also taught why it’s important and how they can get their piece of the pie. We have to be outgoing and willing to explain ourselves. This has to be more than you and I “playing church” on Sundays. This has to be more than us doing what we do in our homes behind closed doors. We have to be willing to go and make disciples – which really is what we’re called to do!

My question to you is this: Are you ready? It’s not going to be easy and there are going to be lots of hurdles to get past along the way. Do you trust God enough to take the leap of faith and be that example to others about Him? We know you can live for Him and have that relationship, now show others what a relationship with Him can do in their lives