It's Not Easy

When I first started to think about having kids I knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy thing.  I knew that diapers weren’t going to be my friend.  I knew that there was going to be the birds and the bees talks as well.  Yet one thing that I didn’t think about was all the time I was going to be investing.  I knew there would be helping with homework and sports (ok I was hoping there, and thankfully it has been realized!). 

My weeks are almost completely run by my children’s schedules.  With three kids and their various events it’s all that Traci and I can do to keep our heads from spinning off.  Almost every night we have at least one kid with a practice or game.  Then you add on their homework and other school events and that is a busy schedule.  Then, as a Christian family we also have church events that we add in there.  Oh, and Traci sells Pampered Chef, I move tables and chairs at our church, and we both try (she more than I) to get workouts in, have meals to make, laundry and housekeeping stuff to do, etc.

That is a pretty busy schedule, one that I never had dreamed of when I first thought about having kids.  People often ask me how we do it all, and I’m extremely honest with everyone.  If it wasn’t for us not only having God in our lives, but having Him first in our lives, none of this could be accomplished.  We might not always make it to church on Sundays but we live the Christian life every day.  To me that is the key.  God has to be #1 for us.  Then my family comes second, then everything else. 

God never promised any of us that life was going to be easy.  He never promised that raising kids was going to be easy.  (Especially in this day of social networks, the internet, cell phones, video games, and the list goes on.)  Yet, through it all I love this task that God has given me.  I can’t predict how my kids will end up as adults.  However, I know that God has His hands all over the three of them, and that with His guidance we’ll get them to where He wants them all to be.  It’s not going to be easy, but living our lives with God is worth it.

Tragedies = Heroes

I have been reflecting on the Boston marathon bombing over the last few days. I have been thinking about how horrific that had to be for anyone who was there. I have also thought about how messed up someone has to be in order to even plan out and execute something like that.

However, the thing that is really getting my attention is the fact that so many heroes come out of events like this. How people stop all that they are doing and are willing to do anything they can to help others.  Some do this by responding with their physical abilities right when they are needed. Others do this by donating time and/or money after the events.

Yet the biggest lesson that I get out of events like the Boston bombing, the recent hurricanes, and even 9/11 is how we as a people come together when we stop dividing ourselves. The people who responded didn't look at someone needing assistance and ask them if they were a Republican or Democrat before responding. They didn't ask people what religion they were. They certainty didn't go help someone else instead of the one person in front of them just because they were a different skin color.

God doesn't want us to be divided in this world. He wants us to be united as one people, His people. He wants to bring us all together to win over the hearts of non-believers for Him. It doesn't matter your political affiliation. It doesn't matter if you are poor or rich. You can be white, black, or green behind the ears. None of that matters.  When we stop dividing ourselves and instead work for a common goal we can truly be a force in this world.

As you reflect on the recent tragedies in the world I hope you see all of the heroes out there and how they all banded together to improve the world around them. When you see this unitedness I hope you get a glimpse of God in everyone working together. And I pray that this will help to energize you further to get out God's message as well as have tolerance toward those around you.

God bless America.

Bungee

Have any of you ever wanted to bungee jump?  I can honestly say that it’s not really something I’m ever going to be interested in.  I’ve seen it done a number of times on TV, and that is more than enough for me personally.

The other weekend I heard a reference to bungee jumping that got my attention, and I thought it might interest you as well:

Quite often as Christians we go about our lives as if we are at the edge of a bridge and about to jump.  But instead of the strong relationship with Christ that we could have that is like a bungee cord, we instead jump into every day with just a piece of string.  Not fully willing to trust in God, we instead act like what we have is strong enough, and when the string breaks we often wonder why.  God then lowers the bungee cord to save us, the cord that was always available if we had just trusted Him.

So this week’s lesson is this:  The stronger your relationship with Christ is, the easier the bounce back will be when we fall.  Let’s be honest, we are all going to fall at some point.  We are all sinners so let’s not act like we’re not.  We need huge amounts of God in our lives that make the bounce back from those sins smaller.  With only a little bit of God in our lives the string will break, and we will fall hard.  I don’t know about you, but I prefer a stronger cord than to fall on my face when I do fall.

Resilient

This weekend I was reminded of a lesson I’d learned years ago that is worth repeating.

You see, this weekend I was at a AAU basketball tournament with my family watching Noah’s 7^th grade team play their games.  On Saturday they went 1-1, playing well in the first game and they laying a complete egg in the second game.  In fact, it was probably the worst they’d played together as a team in two seasons.  On Sunday we had our first game against a team with a pretty good group of kids that were a little taller than us at some positions.  The previous game’s results had no effect on our kids as they came out firing on all cylinders and quickly took the lead that they never relinquished. 

The boys did have to fight in that game, as everything was going against them.  The one ref called everything on our kids, the other team had a ton of fans in the stands, and it was our boys against the world.  Yet they continued to battle, even as the game got close at the end.  They were resilient and withstood everything going against them to pull out the victory.

How often in our lives do we have everything going against us and we just give up?  It seems to me that today’s society sees giving up as an easy alternative to fighting through things.  Couples divorce when life gets rough all the time.  People often quit a job when it gets hard, and students drop out of school or drop classes all the time.  It doesn’t seem like anyone is willing to go the extra mile when the going gets tough, as they get going – in the opposite direction.

This week I want to remind you to be resilient.  Your relationship with Christ will be tested over and over again.  The enemy will continually search out a weakness, and once it’s found he will attack.  It could be your relationships or job.  Instead of just giving up, fight back.  Pray, read your Bible, seek counsel from a pastor or friend.  But, never give up.  Be resilient like this AAU basketball team was this weekend.  A life with Christ is 100% better than one without Him, and it’s worth the fight!

The Underdog

During the NCAA tournament this year I’ve been a fan of the underdog teams.  Sure they killed off a number of my predictions for the tournament, but overall the underdog teams are what make the tournament as much fun as it is to watch. 

Have you ever been considered an underdog in your life?  Maybe you played a sport and your team was an underdog.  Maybe you wouldn't consider yourself the best candidate for a job but somehow got it?  Maybe you beat a disease like cancer where the chances you were given by the doctor were less than on your side?

God loves the underdog.  Take the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel.  David was a small teenage boy when he took on the nine-foot giant Goliath.  Goliath wasn’t afraid of David or his slingshot, but he found a way to beat the giant and took full advantage.  David’s faith in God allowed him to look at Goliath in a way others had not.  To David, Goliath was just another person who had a weakness to be found.

My point today is that if we look at our problems and impossible situations from God's perspective, we realize that God will fight for us and with us. When we put things into proper perspective, we see more clearly and we can fight more effectively.  We can beat things like cancer, or a team that has been overlooked can take out a favored team. When you have faith in God, all things are possible.

Saying Isn't Believing

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

This is one of those sayings that is brought up every Easter in churches, on Facebook, and among family and friends.  It’s a great saying and is very powerful. 

Yet with most things repeated by people I often wonder if those saying the lines really know what the saying means in their lives.  I often feel that people just know the line but don’t feel the story behind it when they speak it. 

He is Risen!  - Jesus rose from the grave not because He had nothing better to do.  No, He did this for each and every one of us.  He knew that we’d all need a way to be with God and He provided the way.   This wasn’t something He had to do, but just like His dying on the cross it’s something Jesus was willing to do for you and me.

He is Risen Indeed! – Not only did Jesus ascend to Heaven for all of us, but He did so in such a way that no one could say that He wasn’t God’s son.  How else can you explain the fact that the tomb was empty without anyone moving the boulder at the entrance?  Only God could make such a thing happen.  This allows all of us to know that belief in Him is true and the only way to Heaven. 

My point today is that reciting such things is great, but truly believing in the words that we speak is the key.  I believe with 100% of my soul that Jesus is the way to Heaven, and I hope you do as well.

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

Nick Hall's Winter Jam Message

This past Friday marked the return of the Winter Jam tour to the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.  This is a yearly concert that travels starting in January and goes through March, doing concerts every Thursday through Sunday all over the country.  The cost is $10 per person, paid at the door, and all seats are first come, first served.  There are usually around 10 performers/groups slated at each location and the audience is given 5-5 ½ hours of entertainment during the evening. 

This has become a yearly outing for my family, this year including my six-year-old daughter as well.  It’s not very often that you can get that much value for the price.  Our family loves the music and really enjoys the variety of artists that are included, which often allows us to see acts that we’ve never seen before.

Every year one of the added elements is a special guest speaker who talks during some of the stage changeovers. This year Nick Hall was the speaker, and he made a huge point.  So, instead of repeating all that he said, I thought I’d suggest you go to this video and watch it yourself on YouTube.  I really think it’s worth watching, even if you have been to Winter Jam this year and heard the message.  This really does affect all of us, and it can be applied to all of our lives.

I hope you enjoy the message and learn from it just as I did at the concert (10 minutes – and the video is NOT from the Cleveland show, but it’s one of the best sound and video wise I could find on YouTube.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26UXt_Pu9Rs