Thankful for 2010

I always seem to start late and never get caught up. Such is the story of my life. But this year I'm only 3 days behind - So here we go...

I am thankful and pray I will always be:

1. for my God who is patient and loving and forgiving and kind (I'll only count that as one but reserve the right to repeat any of those as God shows Himself in my life) Ultimately EVERYTHING listed here is out of gratitude to Him. He is the source of ALL that I cherish. James 1:16-17 "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
2. for my wife who shares so many of the same qualities toward me (Keep an eye out for this recurring thought)
3. for my daughters, all grown and gone, (also responsible and loving God) who make me proud every time I think of them (again-look for this recurring thought)
4. for my son who is growing into a responsible young man and who will one day move out of my house as well
5. for my brothers and sisters who miss me enough to ask me when I will move back to PA but understand that there is no better place to be than where God wants you to be.
6. for my mother who taught us well and who gave us all the peaceful assurance that although we miss her she is REALLY happy right now!
7. for my church family here in Greybull who have opened their hearts to my family and me and walk the trail with us as we follow our God (what a crazy trail!)
8. for my church family spread out all over the place! The memories and recent contacts in those relationships are sweet and serve as an encouragement and blessing to me more than they know.
9. for the world that God has placed me in. Almost daily I am reminded that all of His Creation declares HIS glory and He has put me in a beautiful place. May that meditation always please Him. (Psalm 19)
10. for my life. Each breath, whether gasped hiking in the mountains or enjoyed at ease, is a priceless gift  that I too often take for granted. Not today!

So there we go - a start - as I look back over the list it seems like really BIG stuff. I suppose it is.  But they need to be voiced and will be repeating themes as the list grows because they are foundational to all I am thankful for. Most likely the mood will lighten and the list may seem more trivial but I pray the gratitude will only grow deeper until it floods over me every moment of every day.

I'm Not Dead Yet

WOW, I couldn't believe that I haven't blogged anything all summer!  Where did the time go?  Well, although it may disappoint some, I'm not dead yet!

I was reading a week or so ago about personal tragedy and came across this line that really stuck with me.

"We are not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying, but we are in the land of the dying going to the land of the living."

There was no indication of the author, but I wish I knew so I could thank him/her.  This is perhaps the best description of what my life focus should be that I have seen.  1 Peter 3:14-15 reminds us not to be frightened by the threats of this world but instead recognize Christ is the Lord of your life and be ready to explain to others why we have such hope in this dark world. Our relationship with Christ is the basis for the hope that there is more to life than this world. We will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

John Bunyan wrote of the pilgrimage, others have sung that this world is not my home, but the living of the truth is so very difficult.  I am right here in the middle of all this "stuff" and it is so "real" and tangible that it easily distracts me from what is really real.  I am in the land of the dying. From the moment I was born I began to die and I am another moment closer to that time than just a bit ago.  It's like Woody describing Buzz in Toy Story, "that's not flying, its falling - with style."  I'm not really living, I'm dying - slowly.  Real life awaits me with my God in heaven.  These days, months, years are just the journey to get there. That changes how I look at things significantly. 

A favorite quote of mine is from C.S. Lewis when he says, "If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable; think of it as a place of training and correction and its not so bad."  My view of this world changes how I engage and interact with the people, places and things along the way.

God gave me this time to enjoy, to cherish and I need to see things clearly here.  The only things from this world that will last forever are God's Word and people.  I need to be investing my time and efforts on the things that last.

Lord, give me Your view of reality and Your compassion for people and a passion for your Truth.

Father's Day

Father’s Day is probably one of the most conflicted holidays for me.  I have four incredible children, which bring me great pride and joy.  I haven’t been the best father in the world and have failed them many times and in many different ways.  That is not a pleasant thought for me.  Still, I look at their lives and see responsible young adults who love the Lord and, for at least the first three, moved out of my house.  Abi has also added to my bliss twice by making me a grandfather to Claire and Nick.  When I think about it all, I am nothing short of amazed at how blessed I truly am.

On the other hand, every Father’s Day I think of my father.  He is the man who literally taught me everything I knew about God in the first 12 years of my life and for that I am very grateful.  He was sure that our family was in church and that we knew the Bible at home.  He always had an issue with his temper and in the end his passions were his undoing.  He left my mother, sisters and me for another woman and thereafter did not support us in any way really.  Our contact with him was infrequent and rarely if ever initiated by him.  In more recent years I realize that he does not know who I have become and certainly has no idea who my children are.  That is his great loss and a huge sadness to me.  I mourn for him.  It also makes getting "just the right" Father's Day card very difficult.  So often i don't get one at all.  Then when I am reading the ones I get from my children (don't forget to mail early!) I end up feeling guilty along with the joy.  See what I mean about conflicted feelings?

But still, through it all, I am overwhelmed by my Heavenly Father who has proved Himself to be more than enough to meet all my needs; physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I love that song! "All of You, is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with your love and all I have in You is more than enough."  So I have positives and negatives that clamor for my focus for Father’s Day.  Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I focus on the wrong things and please help me to focus on You and my children this Father’s Day.

Fishing in WY

This past week I had the opportunity to go on "visitation" as my friend called it.  He wanted me to come with him and another friend and visit the fish at Buffalo Bill Lake in Cody.  We liked it so much we brought many of the fish we visited home!  That evening we had fresh fried fish for supper from the rainbow, brown, cutthroat and lake trout we had met earlier. Yesterday I got a few smoked trout and my dear wife promises to make her smoked trout dip this weekend.  I am looking forward to that!  Anyway, I just wanted to say that God has been very good to me.  Here is the scenery I had to put up with while visiting the fish...
I suppose I will have to go again before too long!

Welcome Spring!

Welcome to Spring in WY!  This was April 30, 2010.  I had hoped to do some work outside, shoveling wasn't it.  But still I love WY weather - it is so true that if you don't like the weather here - just wait a little bit and it will change! Saturday, May 1st, there was no snow to be seen out my door but we had hurricane force winds (maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much) and I was on the roof trying to tack down loose shingles before they blew away.  Sunday it changed again to dark skies and rain.  I am still waiting for the change to sunny and warm.

Are You Ready for a WEDDING!!!

OK I just got the official NFL schedule for the 2010-11 season.  It is usually an exciting time of planning for the days when the Steelers will be on TV and not be during a church service.  We have to stock up on velvetta cheese and tortilla chips for nachos.  We have to plan what games will be party games.

But now we have to also plan WEDDING GAMES!  My third beautiful daughter is getting married in October to, of all things, a Raven's fan.  I have come to terms with that already and am prepared to be gracious and kind in light of such heretical alliegances.  But in order to secure a date and location for the wedding, they made thier plans BEFORE the NFL announced their schedules.  SO...

You guessed it - October 3rd, Steelers v. Ravens.  Wedding colors, Gold and Purple.  No longer friend of the bride or friend of the groom.  No body paint allowed.  This should be interesting!

Tax Day

OK, I know that was days ago now, but that is just how slow my mind works sometimes!  Anyway, I was reading in Psalm 130 and it made me think of Tax Day.

It started with the first verse, "Lord, I cry out to you because I'm suffering so deeply." That's fairly accurate for Tax Day wouldn't you say?  But that wasn't the end of it.  In verses 3 & 4 David writes,

"Lord, suppose you kept a record of sins.  

Lord, who then wouldn't be found guilty?
But you forgive.
So people have respect for you."

 Doesn't that just sound like the IRS?  They keep records of your income, your family, your charitable giving, your investments, and other stuff (plus your health care before too long.)  They know a lot about you!  I have always known that if I ever do anything wrong I will get caught.  That is exactly what my wife and I have prayed for our kids, too. "God if they do anything wrong be sure they get caught."  So if I were to do anything shady with my income taxes, I would get caught.

Then I think, if the IRS keeps that kind of records, imagine God's!  If God kept a record of sins; ooohhh, that's not a pleasant thought!  You know nothing is going to get lost in the filing.  He knows EVERYTHING.  That is a double edge sword; its a relief that God knows every good thing I have done.  Sometimes other people don't seem to notice that. But its a bit scary to think that He also knows all the other stuff I've done or thought in secret.  He knows all the stuff I should have done but didn't.  That is not a pretty image in my mind.

Some people think that our salvation will be determined by God stacking up all the good stuff we have done and all the bad stuff and then seeing which pile is bigger.  I for one am THRILLED that is not true!  None of us, and certainly not me, would have a "good" stack that could even come close to the pile of sin we have accumulated!

So I love verse 4; "But You forgive!" ( I added the exclamation point cause that is HUGE!)  God forgives!  (insert raucous cheers and shouts of hooray) (throw confetti and bang a drum)  (do something that shows how excited you are because this is bigger than anything you will ever celebrate in your life!)

In His grace, God chooses to forgive every sin I confess to Him.  I don't have to file any papers in triplicate, I don't have to drive to an office hundreds of miles away to explain myself.  The penalty for all my sin has been paid by Jesus.  My debt is stamped, PAID IN FULL.

The more I reflect on that, the better my day gets!  And it works for you, too! Amazing!

Not My Thoughts

These are not my thoughts but God's, they just really jumped off the page at me this morning.

Psalm 128 (TEV)

Happy are those who have reverence for the Lord,
Who live by His commands.
Your work will provide for your needs;
You will be happy and prosperous.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in your home,
And your sons will be like young olive trees around your table.
A man who obeys the Lord will surely be blessed like this.
May the Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see Jerusalem prosper all the days of your life!
May you live to see your grandchildren!
Peace be with Israel!

As I read this all I could think of is that God is so good to me in so many ways.  Thank you God for all your blessings. Like David I say, "I will praise the Lord, I won't forget anything He does for me." (Ps. 103:2)

Going Fishing

My good fishing friend is just about finished preparing his boat and he told me the other day that the lakes would be clear soon and that means put the ice fishing gear away and get ready to chase some fish around the lake!

Easter is past and so we can pretty much put Winter behind us and focus on Spring. (I know that WY weather is never that simple, but I still like to think that way!) But before the resurrection story fades from your mind completely take a moment to finish off a few jelly beans and think about the fishing trip that took place shortly after Jesus rose from the dead. In John 21 you can read about what took place.

Jesus had appeared to the disciples to let them know that He had risen from the dead and had sent them to Galilee (Matt. 28:10) and while they were there, Peter thought it would be a good time to fish a little bit. He had a really bad experience in Jerusalem, not only losing his Lord, but also denying that he knew Him three times. No doubt he felt as if he were a much better fisherman than a disciple at that point.

So he and six other disciples took off to wet their nets a bit. They fished all night and didn’t catch a thing. (I can certainly relate to that!) They noticed a man on the shore calling out to them, “Got any fish?” Don’t you hate that question after being skunked?

“NO!” they shouted back and the man called out to them, “Try the other side of the boat!” And probably in a might-as-well sort of effort they cast the nets one more time. Suddenly they had more fish than they could handle! The disciples flashed back to another time they had a catch like that and realized it must be Jesus on shore. Peter, the impulsive one, jumped in and swam while the others brought the boats and the catch to shore.

Jesus had a fire going and some fish and bread cooking for them all. What an amazing reunion that must have been! But for Peter the best was still to come. Jesus pulled him aside and asked him “Peter, do you love me?” Jesus asked him three times – the same number of times Peter had denied he even knew Jesus. And when Peter answered, “Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus gave Peter a job to do, “Take care of my sheep.” referring to His followers. It was a “guy thing” – a way to let Peter know that Jesus had forgiven him and trusted him to be a disciple. The Bible never really says, but I wonder if that was the last time Peter ever went fishing? Jesus let him know that he was as good a disciple as he had ever been a fisherman.

This fishing trip reminds me that failing doesn’t make us failures it just makes us experienced. Especially when we take our failures to Jesus. He is anxious to forgive and restore us and use us for His glory. Don’t think that you have to give up following Jesus when you fail. If you confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Where Did I Put That...?

A wise man once said, “You will always find what you are looking for in the last place you look.” Of course looking in the right place makes that process much shorter. When Brenda is looking for something that I have put away she will often say something like, “I just have to think like you think so I know where to look.”  Otherwise she will be looking in the “wrong” places. (or at least different places than I thought of)

I was thinking of that when I read Luke 24:5-6.  "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

Of course, in defense of the women, the grave is exactly where they left Jesus just days before, so their behavior is perfectly understandable. But they hadn’t considered the possibility of Jesus leaving on His own.  Looking back we may think they should have since He told them,“The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” (v.7) But still, after experiencing the trial and crucifixion, I can understand how the thought of rising again might seem a bit far fetched.

But the truth of Easter is exactly what the angel said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” JESUS IS ALIVE!

And that makes all the difference in the world to you and me every day.  We don't pray to a Jesus who is dead, He is alive and He hears our prayers and answers them.  We don't follow an "ideal" or "philosophy" that Jesus left behind.  We follow a living Savior who walks with us and guides us through this journey of life.

I suppose that is what I like about the old hymn "He Lives!" It is the hope and strength of every believer.

"I serve a living Savior, He's in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer. And just the time I need Him, He's always near.  

In all the world around me I see His loving care. And though my heart grows weary I never will despair. I know that He is leading through all the stormy blasts. The day of His appearing will come at last.

He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."

I for one am VERY glad!

I'm Leavin' In a Green Van...

Not quite the same as the 60's song and it's Jet Plane since I DO know when I'll be back again.  But this Saturday morning I will leave with one good friend from the church and one transient who wants a ride south in a 15 passenger Forest Service green van for Rio Chico, Mexico.

Another good church buddy gave me pictures from the time he went on a missions trip there so that I would know a little of what to expect.  I of course being a veteran of missions trips know full well that you can NEVER know what to expect on a missions trip.  But I appreciate the thought and am anxious to live the Rio Chico experience - complete with side trip to Copper Canyon of which I have heard many vague but awe inspiring descriptions. (I am hoping the hiking uphill both ways descriptions were exaggerated!)

So I will be working on a water system there, or something else, until we return ON A JET PLANE on the 23rd.  Pray for us please.

PS - I have NO idea what this is a picture of yet but I assume it has something to do with where we will be working.  But I expect NOTHING.

Imagine

While considering God testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, (Gen. 22) I came upon an interesting thought in my reading.  If we wanted to devise a test that would be comparable to Abraham’s test we could ask ourselves, “Are you willing to give up eternity in heaven for God?” That is a more accurate portrayal of the test than asking if we would be willing to give up our hormonally challenged, mood swinging, emotional basket case of a teenager.  That would be a tough thing for us most days, but its not the same as the test Abraham faced.

Abraham was being asked to sacrifice the promises God had made to him.  Isaac WAS the promise of descendants as numerous as the sands of the sea. Isaac WAS the promise of all the nations of the earth being blessed through Abraham. All of God's promises to Abraham were wrapped up in this boy.

Join me in the “Way-Back” machine for a moment and remember the lyrics to John Lennon’s song, “Imagine”.

“Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today…”

Although Lennon was coming at this from a totally different worldview; he saw heaven and hell as fantasies that keep us from living in the “real” world; still these are valid questions for us to consider.  What would my faith look like without the hope of heaven or the threat of hell?  Would I give God my life if He gave nothing back but Himself?  Would I love God and live in relationship with Him if I were simply, “living for today?”

Abraham answered YES in his test with Isaac who was the embodiment of all of God’s promises to him.  My answer…your answer…something to think about.

(Thank you John Walton for the thought provoking concept)

Getting into the Olympic Spirit

I love Pig...

Bible Reading for Lent...and beyond!

Our family has agreed to read through the Bible during Lent this year.  The concept is to simply read the Bible like we would read any other book.  You pick it up and start reading - and if its really good you don't stop til you're done.  That's the concept for us and I got my start today getting up to Gen 12 this morning with more to follow later. (that's my plan anyway)  I have chosen to read the Message since I have never read through that completely before.  I like it!

Also, I found (thank you Brenda) the following reading plan online from Mark Batterson and the National Community Church.

http://fromgardentocity.com/home/

It looks like a good way to spend more time in God's Word. (always a good idea)  So if you want to - you can sign up to read along (I did) and just spend a little computer time in the Bible each day.  They put the day's reading right there on the website for you!

Anyway, for the one or two who read this, I strongly encourage you to read the Bible.  Whether you use of of these two plans or come up with something all on your own, do something.  It's always good to have a plan! And it is imperative to start.  You can never finish if you never start.

So DO IT!  NOW! And as a very wise man once said, "If you do it now, it will be done."

A Loving Memory

“Mem’ries, light the corners of my mind. Misty, water colored mem’ries of the way we were…”

Be glad, be very glad, that this is in print and you don’t have to hear me sing love songs like Barbra Streisand.

In February the big red heart decorations start showing up which remind us of Valentine’s Day which causes us to think about LOVE. And love makes us remember old songs sometimes that cause us to think about when we were once young and in love.  But the problem is that often our memory isn’t all that good.  I’m not talking about me forgetting to do whatever chore I promised Brenda I would do either.  I’m talking about memories that light the corners of my mind – it must be very dimly lit.  I (and you can feel free to include yourself in this as well) often have; what’s the nice way to say it; a distorted view of the past.  What I remember may not necessarily be exactly how things occurred.

For instance, I can honestly say that I have no memory of my children flagrantly, defiantly disobeying me.  Did that ever happen?  I feel certain it has, and if I tried real hard, i might could come up with something. But iIdon't want to. Once they move out of my house and are well on their way to being responsible young adults who love the Lord, my memories of them get more and more pleasant.  It may be senility, but I think it’s more like what the Psalmist wrote. "Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are good." Psalm 25:7  I love them SO MUCH!

David was asking God not to remember all the times he screwed up or all the times he willfully disregarded Him and His directions. Instead, “according to Your LOVE remember me…” is David’s prayer.

I DO have pretty clear memories of the sins of my youth, and my young adulthood, and middle age, last year and last week.  It seems those memories are way too clear for me.  You don’t have to argue with me to convince me that I have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  I know that full well. And God knows that even better than I do.  But how nice is it that God is a loving parent! Jesus, the dearly loved Son, took my sins and died to remove my sins as far as the east is from the west. Because I’m with Jesus, God remembers me according to His LOVE. You, Lord are GOOD!

Happy Groundhog Day

Tomorrow (Feb. 2nd) is Ground Hog Day and I realized that there are no ground hogs - Marmota monax - in Wyoming. (see map)

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where crowds as high as 40,000 gather in the early morning darkness (they start to show up at 3 AM!) to get a look at Punxsutawney Phil! If you are not familiar with the legend, it works like this. Basically if Phil sees his shadow he will return to the burrow and there will be another six weeks of winter. If he does NOT see his shadow, he comes out to play because there will be an early Spring.

So what will happen here with no ground hogs? I predict at least six more weeks of winter! Just because winter never ends in WY until May!

Hope all your ground hogs are happy!

Glory, Grace & Truth

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

I have been thinking about this verse since before Christmas.  That last phrase keeps running through my mind. (probably because there is so much room to roam there) The description of Jesus with obvious glory and full of grace and truth. The glory is easy to understand - He is GOD after all.  But full of grace AND truth?  Aren't those two often seen as opposites?  Truth is absolute, grace is more subjective. One focuses on the law and the other on love.

Jesus said Himself that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.(Mat. 5:17)  so being full of truth fits. Jesus represented the absolute truth of God's Law. But He also lived His life expressing the mercy and love that is grace. (think, eating with tax collectors and sinners, associating with prostitutes and pagans) He was full of both grace and truth, which is exactly what man needed.

Sometimes people lob bombs at each other - "You're liberal!" or "You're legalistic!" In the Church we fight over how to deal with people which is, in general, a very messy business indeed. But add sin into the mix along with the dispute of whether it should be met with truth or grace and it can get downright gory!

So it is VERY good news that Jesus was full of both grace and truth! It's a balance man and the Church in particular has struggled with all through history. Understanding how to LIVE that balance is what we really need. Just talking about the balance of grace and truth, love and law, hasn’t really worked for us. Is it any wonder that God sent Jesus to SHOW us how it looks? To show us how HE (God) looks?

The answer is, and has always been, less about our religion and more about our relationship with our God. Getting to know Him and a desire to become more like Him is what we need to focus on. The relationship begins (salvation in Jesus) and ends (Heaven!) the same for us all but the journey will look different for each individual - that's what makes it really fun!

So this year I will be exploring with my church family the glory, grace and truth of our God that we find in scripture in an effort to get to know Him better so we can become more like Him in our relationships with one another.  This should be great!

For Dixie