Parents, I Wouldn't Touch You With a Six Foot Pole! Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, I wouldn’t touch you with a six foot pole. On our houseboat we had a docking stick it was designed to assist when docking a boat or helping another boat tie up to yours. You could push the boat away if it was getting too close and it had a hook to pull the boat closer until you could tie it with a rope. You could even use it to keep an annoying sibling at bay, hypothetically of course. This stick was also called a “barge pole.” A barge pole was about 10 feet long, though ours was a bit shorter. There was an expression that supposedly originated during an epidemic many years ago. If someone appeared to be sick, people would say, “I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole” or a “10 foot pole.” There was a college close to mine that had a strict “6 inch rule” for men and women on campus. I was amused that you could be “written up” for sitting or walking closer than 6 inches to someone of the opposite sex. Reportedly, school officials would actually come with a ruler to measure and make sure you were far enough apart. Who knew even six inches would be five and a half feet too close to those around you during this pandemic. Apparently now we no longer have poles and rulers to keep us apart, just signs, tape and stickers on the ground to keep a 6 foot perimeter and directional signs in the grocery store to keep us from infecting one another. If someone without a mask comes down the same shopping aisle and gets too close, my plan is to loudly clear my throat, to send a warning shot over the bow. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go straight to the big guns and break out into a full fledged fake coughing fit… my guess is they will clear right out. I get it, we all need boundaries, and personal space. However, we are social beings and we are desperate for belonging and connection. For health and safety we need enough space to stay safe from an airborne virus, for which we have no immunity, but socially we need the interaction. Digital connection, driveway connections, and distance socializing seem to be the only safe ways to connect right now.

The writer of Hebrews says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) Because we love each other and try to protect each other from possible infection, we have had to get in the habit of “not meeting together” in person, and it means we will have to be more diligent in encouraging one another from a distance. This belonging and connection part of our faith is too important to neglect while we are physically apart. There will be a time, at some point, when we can get back together, but for now it looks like we may be meeting together with a six foot pole. Who knew that the words, “I wouldn’t touch you with a six foot pole” would actually be terms of endearment. We will have to continue to find creative ways to safely “encourage one another” today. Call, facetime, Zoom, send delivery, or like Mrs. Doubtfire do a “driveby fruiting” or drop off some flowers, ring the bell and run away. Love and encourage creatively people! Like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, “Happy trails to you, until we meet again... keep smilin’ until then.”

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Don't Succumb to Ennui! Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, don’t succumb to ennui. We McGinnises can be quite effusive. So, one time when my father-in-law was asking our kids to be quiet, my youngest daughter said, “quiet is my worst enemy,” she couldn’t stand the thought of nothing going on. Unfortunately, child number 4 had never really known quiet. Her first years of life were spent in a car seat taking siblings to school, soccer, dance, or a friend’s house. Even her naps happened in that same car seat with all kinds of chaos going on around her. She still falls asleep easily when riding in the car, her sister-in-law who does the same, calls it “carcolepsy.” She didn’t know what to do when things would finally get quiet. For her, to be alive was to be going somewhere, doing something, listening to the conversations. Anita made it a point to read to the kids every night at bedtime and when the youngest finally went to first grade, a teacher helped her discover her own joy of reading. Everyday this teacher would read to her class and Annabelle was taken on a new adventure. She loved to read. We couldn’t get her to the library quickly enough to keep her in a new book, she loved a great story. As she got older, she would sometimes read an entire large book in one night, the school librarian would keep her informed when a new book or series was available. She had found that the quiet, who had been her worst enemy, was now her friend, and she would escape toward it, to go on her next adventure in a book.

Our God has written an exciting story for us all. He is a creative God… He’s the God of all creation. Since before time began He wrote an exciting story of rescue, reconciliation, and redemption. Out of the quiet nothingness, He created something, life… everything. But even before that, He wrote our story… Paul says, “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” 2 Timothy 1:9 (CSBBible) Paul also says, “,we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT2) So, there is no room for ennui… we are a masterpiece that He wrote before time began. This pandemic is not a surprise to Him. He knew we would be here now in the middle of this, and He has a story to write with how we handle this… what we do with this struggle, this hardship to be overcome. So, don’t succumb to boredom, continue to discover what story you are writing with your life in the lives of those around you. Your story fits inside His great story, He has invited you to join Him in it. Remind your kids that God is writing their story right now too.

Hang in there People! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, I Like to Move It, Move It! Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, I like to move it, move it! If sitting is the new smoking... I’m up to about 2 packs a day during this “stay at home” time. My watch reminds me every hour, “Time to Stand.” It also reminds me when I am not exercising or moving enough. It will tell me at 11:30 at night, “you can still do it, you can close your move ring. Just take a brisk 45 minute walk.” It’s difficult to get 10k steps in when you are staying at home, especially if it’s a rainy day, when it’s more of a challenge to get out and take a walk. My mind has been busier than I ever anticipated when this thing started, but physically, especially when the gym closed, it was harder to stay active. When I was a kid, my mother didn’t put up with any sitting around whining about being bored or having nothing to do… we were shooed outside to play until dinner or given yard work tasks to do. She always made sure we were involved in something: she had us in classes at the children’s museum to learn how to run television cameras, guitar classes, sailing classes, swim classes, ski lessons, tennis lessons… She was always active in the community and in the church and had us active too.

One of the biggest challenges of this time for me is not being able to “do” something. At times, I have been accused of being a “human doing,” rather than a human being. Sometimes it's hard for me to just “be.” These stay at home orders challenge the way we do life, even the way we do faith. Many in my church love to serve other people… right now we are limited in the ways we can do that. Our mission pastor has figured out ways to help a local food pantry that is experiencing a lot of strain. Our deacons have discovered novel ways of ministering to those in need at home. Interestingly though, serving within the church buildings has been shut down or changed dramatically… there is no need for ushers, or door greeters or meal preparers, or large choirs and orchestra, or preschool caregivers. Teaching, preaching, student ministry and children’s ministry has changed from being physically together, to being together virtually. There are times when God’s Word tells His people to “be still!” Sometimes we have to be content to just be still and belong to Him. This seems to be one of them. (with some exceptions, like my friends in Chattanooga who have been tirelessly helping tornado survivors)

The apostle Paul told one of the young pastors he was coaching, that during the situation at that time, the church needed to be quiet and pray, The purpose was so that people would see the truth about God’s great desire to be in relationship with them. This may be one of those times in our history… Paul tells Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV) There may be a time soon when God will call us to go and “DO” again, but right now it He seems to be saying to me, get quiet, get in my Word, pray and “be” My people, so that those who may not be following God will seek Him.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We're Now In An Ultra-Marathon! Words From COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, we’re now in an ultra-marathon. Fifteen or so years ago, when I served a church in Nashville, Anita Grossmann McGinnis decided she wanted to run the Country Music Half Marathon, now called the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. We have a friend, Dennis Freeman, who is a distance runner, who generously set up a plan to help her train for this 13.1 mile run. Anita diligently trained whenever the schedule said to train and she rested whenever it said rest. Some days when she trained, I would put the kids, who were aged 4-8 in the truck and drive in front of her for a few blocks so they could cheer her on. Many days though, it was just her and the road. Finally the day came for her to run… She and about 10,000 runners, including my sister, Angela Wampler, went to the starting line before the sun was up… I took the kids a little later, so we could see them and join the amazing crowds there to cheer the runners on. The race route also had live bands playing at certain points, who gave even more encouragement to the runners. Anita completed the run with a good time and received a medal to commemorate the accomplishment. We were all so proud of her hard work and we celebrated her finish. The friend who had helped Anita, was an ultra-marathoner. Anything over 26.2 miles is considered an ultra-marathon… He would sometimes run more than 80 miles. They say that Ultras don’t usually have large crowds to cheer them on, not as many runners, it’s a lonelier race… you and the road or sometimes the trail. Much respect to you runner people… I now only run if I have to.

This pandemic is beginning to seem more like an Ultra-marathon, a lot longer, potentially more lonely, and seems like it may never end. There will be a temptation to lose hope, to lose our way, to lose our faith, to compromise who we are in Jesus. One of the things that stuck with me as my kids and I watched and waited for Anita to run past us, was that the runners were cheering each other on too, not just the organizers, volunteers, friends and family, and musicians along the route. At this point, though none of us signed up for this ultra-marathon, it seems we are ALL doing this thing together… We have to cheer each other on... but wearing a mask and staying six feet apart.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that there is a “great cloud of witnesses,” who have endured the hardships of this world and kept the Faith, who are watching and cheering us on toward Jesus through our hardships. He says, “With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NJB) Anita says that she never realized how much of a boost of adrenaline she would get from the cheers of the spectators who were urging her to finish well when she was beginning to tire. Remember, there is a cloud of witnesses who have been there... and are now here, even if not seen, who are cheering us on. So, keep running, keep encouraging others around you. Jesus is not only celebrating with us at the finish line, He and those who follow Him cheer us all along the way... They are running right along with us, but much closer than six feet.

Hang in there People! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We're Gonna Haveta Keep Listening! Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, we're gonna haveta keep listening. In highschool, I had a really great swim coach, who was also a great person. Not only was he great at helping our team win by placing people in the right races to achieve the most points, but he was also a good technical coach and encourager. One swim meet against our rivals, the points were close and he said he needed me to swim a race that I had never swum well. There were some really great swimmers on my team who went on to swim in college, but they were already swimming in all the events they possibly could. I enjoyed the sport, but I was no Michael Phelps. Coach needed me to swim the individual medley, or “IM” as the cool kids used to say. It was a combination of all the strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. As I expressed my concern about the race, he assured me that I would do well if I kept my strokes long and strong, reached for the end of the pool, didn’t look at the swimmers beside me, and kept my breathing steady. After finishing the first stroke, butterfly, I was already fatigued and short of breath and I began to fall behind. I started listening to myself, reminding myself, “you’ve never done well in this race, it’s too hard, and look at the kid next to you, he is really good.” But then, on the backstroke, my coach, on the side of the pool, caught my eye and reminded me to stretch out my strokes, reach for the end of the pool, quit looking around and control my breathing. Whenever the fatigue began to tell me that I couldn’t do this race, my coach’s voice would ring in my head reminding me to “stretch out your stroke, reach for the end of the pool and control your breathing.” I ended up finishing well enough to get the points we needed. My finish depended on whom I was listening to in my head during the race. Kinda sounds like a cheesy Disney Special doesn’t it? Maybe a little, but the point is this, who we listen to makes a difference in the outcome.

There have been some times during this pandemic that I start hearing, “you can’t do this, this is too much to deal with, it's too hard, just drop out of the race and take care of yourself, look out for those people who are going to take advantage of you.” But my Head Coach tells me, keep listening to Me, don’t look around at the circumstances, keep reaching out to encourage other people, keep breathing… remember it’s all about relationships… your relationship with Me and your relationships with those around you. The Prophet Isaiah tells us that times like these can make us ready to listen to our Coach. Isaiah says, “The Lord will give you meager bread and water during oppression, but your Teacher will not hide any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: "This is the way. Walk in it." Isaiah 30:20-21 (CSBBible)

Listen to Christ who is the Head Coach… get out of your own head, let Him and His Word speak to you. He will tell you the way to go.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Keep on the Sunny Side: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents… and anyone else who may happen to see this, Keep on the sunnyside. As the sun streams through my window this morning, I was reminded of an article I had written several years ago… It seems appropriate to dust it off a little and share the thoughts with you now. Maybe you have seen the classic movie from 2000 called “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” (It is a humorous interpretation of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", set in the deep south during the Great Depression). In that movie a group of Nashville area Baptist minister’s daughters called the Peasall sisters, who were elementary age at the time, sang some songs on the sound track called “In the Highways” and “Angel Band.” A couple of years after the movie, I had the privilege of hearing these talented sisters play live at a luncheon for area pastors in Nashville, where I was serving a church at the time. Among the songs they sang that day was a bluegrass song (actually sung by someone else on the movie soundtrack) called “Keep on the Sunny Side” written by June Carter Cash. The sweet voices of these Grammy award winners and the encouraging words of this classic song helped change my focus that day and still keep reminding me years later to “keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side” and to “trust in the Saviour always, To keep us, every one, in His care.” Here are the words to encourage you in case you hit a “dark and a troubled side of life” during this pandemic and its effects on our world.

Keep on the Sunny Side
by June Carter Cash
(Chorus)
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life.

Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life.
There's a bright and a sunny side too.
But if you meet with the darkness and strife,
The sunny side we also may view.

Oh, the storm and its fury broke today,
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear.
Clouds and storms will in time pass away.
The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Let us greet with a song of hope each day.
Though the moments be cloudy or fair.
Let us trust in our Saviour always,
To keep us, every one, in His care.

If you are not familiar with the tune you can hear the Peasall sisters sing it online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgZzQOWnvg0&NR=1

There are always two sides to every situation…a positive and a negative. We need to look for and focus on the positives in each situation, and don’t let the negatives devastate us. Jesus told His disciples, “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” John 16:20b (NIV) So, Keep on the Sunny Side.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We Need Some Oxytocin: Words From COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, We need some Oxytocin. I have been known to say to Anita Grossmann McGinnis, “I need some oxytocin.” What I really mean is, “I need a hug.” Oxytocin is called the “cuddle hormone.” It apparently reduces stress and increases joy and happiness, but it also gives us that sense of significant attachment that we all need. (I have also discovered that the synthetic form of this hormone is called “Pitocin.” If that sounds familiar, it's what doctors use to induce labor. On second thought, maybe I don’t need oxytocin!!! I think 4 adult kids may be enough!) Our body produces this hormone when we hug someone, that’s one of the reasons relationship experts say we need at least 12 hugs a day to thrive. So, if loved ones are near you, give them a hug, attach and connect, let them know you love them no matter what. If loved ones are not near, the gift of oxytocin can also come from petting an animal, holding a baby, or taking care of someone’s or something's needs. This can be an especially hard time for those who are single or isolated for health reasons to get some oxytocin from other people, pets or peds. Hugs are extremely risky and kids, pets, and serving other people may not be a safe option either. I hurt for those who feel disconnected and unattached at this time.

The good news is God gives us all this gift of oxytocin, even if there is no other creature close enough to connect with. The Creator Himself gives us a satisfying dose of the attachment hormone when we connect with Him in a meaningful way through Songs, Prayer, reading His Word, Communion, and other forms of Worship. In Jesus’ longest recorded prayer, He prays for, among other things, our attachment with Him, an attachment so close we are actually IN Him, IN The Heavenly Father and IN attachment with each other. He says, "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:22-23 (NASB) This connection is so real to us spiritually that it translates to our whole being. When it happens… you guessed it… we get an oxytocin bath that relieves our stress, brings us joy, and gives us that sense of connection that we all need... which we, in turn can reflect back to Him and those around us. And “if two or more are gathered IN His Name” even virtually, it can help connect us to Him and our Christian brothers and sisters even if they are too far away for a hug.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, How Do You Like my New Hair Don't? Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, how do you like my new Hair Don’t? Nothin’ like a bad haircut to humble me of my vanity and narcissism. I used to cut my own hair all the time. Pull out the Wahl clippers, a mirror and some scissors and I’m ready. It gets a little tricky trying to cut a straight line on the back of my neck. One time I let one of the kids help me… it only took a couple of weeks of wearing a hat to recover. Anita rejoices when I actually go to a professional. There is quite a noticeable difference. I love my haircutters and they are all worth more than I pay for the cut, but I’m kind of a cheapskate and I think about how much I could be saving by cutting it myself. I don’t think my son had a haircut from anyone but me until college… sorry son… hope there aren’t too many emotional scars, although in my own humble opinion it looked just fine. I have also been known to color Anita's hair. I know this is shocking, most of you think it’s all natural. I have heard it said that some people get their blonde from their mother’s side, and some from their father’s side, but most get it from the peroxide. She says I take a little too much pleasure pulling her hair through the little holes in the color cap… it is kinda fun… if you’re bored. She has some really great beauticians and she’s missing them a lot. Since the quarantine started I have pulled out the clippers a couple of times for myself and others in our quarateam… don’t worry It’ll grow back. Those of you who are follically challenged are to be envied. You just marble your head with a razor and you are ready to go. As you guys remind me, they don’t put marble countertops in cheap kitchens. My home state of Tennessee will be one of the first states to open hair salons on Monday… I understand that everyone within a day’s drive is filling up with cheap gas, making happy face masks, and donning gloves to race to the Volunteer State for this hair marathon event.

I wish this Coronavirus was like a bad haircut, I wish we could outgrow it quickly… we are already at least two bad haircuts into this thing. They say for a teenager in puppy love, the pain of breakup only lasts as long as a bad haircut. Some of the heartbreaks we are experiencing though, will be remembered for a while… I hurt for those who have lost loved ones, lost their health, lost their job, lost their retirement, lost a graduation, lost a wedding date, lost a final sports season, lost a final school musical/play… the list goes on. Hang in there... there will come a day that we can rejoice like David in Psalm 30:1-5 “I will exalt you, LORD, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me. LORD, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit. Sing to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.(CSBBible)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Are You Ready to Zoom Out?* Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, are you ready to Zoom out? I think I have screen fatigue from all the video meetings as I sit in my civilian, stay at home, fatigues (a.k.a. my sweatsuit). I took Military Science class in College, mainly because I needed another college credit and a couple of friends were in ROTC and they needed soldiers to lead as they trained for service. Both of these men served our country well… thanks and kudos to them and all those who solemnly swore “to support and protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic…” The class came with a lab,which was actually field training. We put on Army issued fatigues and boots, we marched, carried stoppered weapons, learned to ford a raging creek with a rope, repel and do push ups… I am thankful for the small taste of the training our service people go through, it makes me appreciate them even more. We took an overnight FTX, a Field Training Exercise, somewhere in the NC/SC mountains. It was dark and we hiked toward our target. With weapons and a 30 pound pack… and we hiked, and we hiked, we got lost, and for hours we hiked. We finally made it to our target point, then we engaged the “enemy.” For a while adrenaline perked us up from the all night hike. We dove into ditches to dodge grenade simulators and enemy “fire” and took over a small “fort.” When the battle was over my M16 was traded for a much heavier M60 from the guy who had to leave for a wedding (a privilege of not real enlisted soldiers)... with which I again got to hike through the mountains. Then my pack was traded for a heavier military communications pack, that again, you guessed it, I had the privilege of hiking through the mountains.  When the FTX was over, after we disassembled, cleaned and reassembled our weapons, and ate some MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) breakfast,  the cadre of officers rewarded everyone with a surprise for their hard work. Normally, I would have been really excited to rapel down Grandfather Mountain, in NC, but because I was so fatigued in my fatigues, I couldn’t enjoy it. My mind was foggy and my body was exhausted, I wasn’t even sure I had secured my harness well. I wasn’t present enough to relish the experience with my friends and colleagues.  I made it down the mountain, but not with the exhilaration it should have brought. I was just too tired. 

As I communicate with some of you, I hear that you are tired. You are tired of the screen time and the monotony.  As one of you said, you are “Zoomed Out.” Some of you are Zooming for work and Zooming for your kid’s school and Zooming for church and Bible Study and Zooming with family.  The things you would normally enjoy are not as enjoyable because you are just tired.  The time with family that,  a couple of months ago, we were craving more of, can now feel like overload to some. This hike through the coronavirus mountains is getting tiring. The weights piled on your shoulders seem to be increasing.  Don’t forget to rest. Don’t forget to refresh. Take a screen timeout. Find some time to come away from all the stress. Rest, then do something fun. Then you can reconnect and be present with the ones who bring you joy. Get a dose of God’s joy and return to share it with those around you. 

Listen to Isaiah’s reminder to those who follow God:“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:28-31 (CSBBible) 

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all.

Parents, It's Good to Know What's "Not Okay!"* Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, it’s good to know what’s “not okay.” When I was an intern at a church in Texas, I enjoyed some really great mentors. One of them had a huge youth camp at a college in the middle of beautiful Texas prairie country, not in the mountains, not on the lake, not at the beach… So as one who had always gone to the beach for student camp, I wondered how Jerome got so many kids to come. I didn’t wonder long. The speaker was great (it just happened to be Louie Giglio), the small group Bible Studies were impactful and well thought out, the last night of camp was super and it was structured to be a memorable capstone to the week, and THE GAMES! The team games that he came up with were so creative, fun and each had a teachable aspect to them. The kids couldn’t wait to play the games. Kids were grouped together for the week and competed against other teams. There was one game, one year, that sounded like great fun. It had no rules, only a beginning and an end and one objective... to get a medicine ball in the opposing team’s tractor tire, while preventing the other team from putting the ball in your tire. It was on a huge field, there were no boundary lines and there were no other rules. Everything was okay to do in this game and there was nothing that was out of bounds or “not okay.” The game was fun for about one minute, until it degenerated into a destructive survival of the fittest scenario where the kids’ competitive spirit and desire to win overwhelmed their respect and value for each other. Those teams who were slower or smaller or not quite as creative, were just annihilated and the strongest of the teams just sat on the tire, dropping the medicine ball into the tire repeatedly until the game was over. It was not pretty! Kids got hurt, kids ran off the field with the ball and never returned, some just gave up. Everyone was complaining how awful this game was. It was painful to watch. After the first day, many kids had scabs and bruises, and some walked with a limp. Friendships were strained, others were broken. The second day, kids refused to play it, they begged for some rules or tried to make up their own rules, some just sat down and cried while others strutted around chanting that they were the champions. Jerome was brilliant, he had just shown us what it would be like in a world without love. Love values people by setting boundaries and respecting them.

In the Old Testament, God loves and values us by giving us a set of behavioral boundaries called the Ten Commandments which tell us what’s “not okay.” In the New Testament, Jesus gives us a new command that would not only uphold these boundaries, but would also supersede them with the positive relational command to love God and His Children.

When we share a planet, a country, or a quarantined household, we have to have some “it’s not okay”s, some boundaries to protect each other. We also need to remember that all the other commands are all summed up and superseded by Jesus' command to love. The apostle Paul reminds us of the things it’s “not okay” for love to do and also the things that love does in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a and he says, “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (CSBBible)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all.

Parents, Everything's All Catawampus:* Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, everything’s all catawampus. I had the great privilege, right out of seminary, of being a student minister to a group of smart, faithful and creative young Jesus followers, who were led by a wonderful group of student leaders.These groups stretched my faith and helped me grow in many ways. One of the students had a cat named… you guessed it, "Cattywampus." It may have been a sibling to "Kittycorner," but I don’t remember. There was usually a funny story about how Cattywampus had brought something disgusting to the door or had scratched something or someone. Everytime I hear the word “catawampus,” my mind goes back to that group of people and I am grateful.

Several days ago, someone left a bike in front of my house. When no one came to pick it up, I pumped up the tires and put it in front of my fence. The next day it was gone. So, I assumed the owner came back for it, or perhaps someone stole it. Some days later, my kids were walking one of the four dogs at my house and found this bike abandoned again in the Library parking lot. So, we brought it home. What is the old adage? If you let something go and it comes back to you it's yours to keep, if not it was never yours anyway...so we hold this wayward velocipede with open hands. This two wheeler was not a bad older bike, but it was all catawampus: the handle bars were all jacked up and loose, the brakes hadn’t been adjusted so it didn’t stop well, one of the tires had since been popped and it had sat out in the storms for several days so the seat was soaking wet. It also had a unique automatic shifter that changed gears when the pedal speed reached a certain RPM.  I brought it inside the house and began fixing it up. I straightened and tightened the handle bars, adjusted the brakes, replaced the popped tube and wiped it all down. When I tried riding it around the cul de sac, it seemed to be just fine. It just needed a little TLC. I think I’ll name this bike… "Cattywampus," in honor of those wonderful people in GA.

When we get all catawampus and out of sorts from this pandemic, we need to return to Joy (Warner and Wilder). Joy is a much better motivator than anything else. You can see this in humans from the time we are infants. Just watch a baby when their mother begins to hold them up, look into their eyes and talk or sing to them. Their little eyes light up and their little legs begin to kick and they may even laugh, giggle or coo. They have to calm down a minute by looking away and then they want to be recharged again. Their parent looks into their eyes, shows them how glad they are to be with them and then laughs and talks to them excitedly. This fills them up with joy again. This energizes them to take on the tremendous task of growing up and living on this planet. At some point when the joy wanes, we humans have to find a source of joy, One that is not too busy or runs out of time or energy or runs out of joy themselves. The good news is we have a Heavenly Father who is always glad to be with His children… He never gets tired or runs out of joy or energy. So, when we are all cattywampus, we need to spend some time in God’s Word, talk to Him, listen to Him, seek Him, maybe sing to Him. We need a joy recharge so we can bring some joy to other people who need some energy to continue to take on the tremendous task of living on this planet.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us to make sure we take time with God on a regular basis and he says, “then you will find your JOY in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.Isaiah 58:14 (NIV)

So, I will take some time with God, ride this bike named "Cattywampus" on the heights, and be filled with joy as I remember how my Heavenly Father is glad to be with me, and maybe I'll have enough energy to recharge someone else.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Yep, I Really Need that Mulligan Right Now: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, yep, I really need that mulligan right now. It was a good day, productive day cleaning the house from the quarantine Easter celebration with 4 dogs and 4 young adult humans. We had time for some restful quietness, enjoyed a walk… It was a good day relationally, until, well, you know … Then it came. Fear snuck up on me as I opened the mail reminding me that the consequences of this pandemic are real. Fear jumped me and choked out the real me...the one Jesus has made into a new creation, and that “me” just sat unresponsively and watched it all happen. The fearful, old fleshly me, began to see everyone and everything as a threat, the rational, thoughtful and relational parts of my brain had shut down. The executive in the executive part of my brain had been knocked out and my limbic, lizard brain went into fight, flight or freeze mode...and this time it was fight mode and it came wielding hurtful undeserved words. Fear could have caused me to run away or stonewall, but this time it was rash angry words. The only person close was the same one with whom I had enjoyed a wonderful day. At the moment, the unwitting victim, the one who wasn’t threatening at all, didn’t know that the joy of the day had been replaced by fear and the person with whom she had just cleaned the house, enjoyed the walk, enjoyed a delicious home made soup, and joked and laughed was gone, numb, passed out. And in his place was Mr. Hyde. It wasn’t until the tears came that the new creation felt some compassion and woke up, heartbroken that his special one was hurt, but Mr. Knucklehead had already said the words, the toothpaste was out of the tube and they couldn’t be retrieved or put back. Apology was an inadequate salve for the hurtful words recklessly spewed regardless of how quickly it was offered. Now, the one who always quickly gives grace, was in protective mode, because I had caused hurt. Yep, I need that mulligan right now. Boy do I need that “do over!” I need that grace from God, because I had stopped trusting Him and said hurtful words to one of His precious children. I need that grace from the one I had said devaluing words to. No excuses… I have to own it. Just because fear bullied me and kicked my butt, doesn’t give me permission to forget who I really am in Christ and be mean to anyone else. That’s just not what God’s people do. I lost sight of the fact that God has been and is good and faithful all the time. There was nothing in that mail that He didn’t know about and hasn’t already made provision for.

Thankfully Jesus knows we can all be knuckleheads (that’s why He died for our sins), but hurting someone else is not acceptable. When we are out of relationship with another person, it affects our relationship with Him in a vital way. Jesus reminds us that when we follow Him, we belong to a community that doesn’t hurt other people, we value them. He doesn’t let us off the hook when we mess up, far from it, but he does tell us what His followers do to make things right. He says, "You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, 'You fool!?' will be subject to hellfire. So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:21-24 (CSBBible) So, before I continue enjoying my quiet time with God, writing this post to my friends and attending live online Bible Study and worship with my church, I’ve got some reconciliation to do…

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We Are Typhoid Mary: Words From COVID 19 quaratine

Parents, we are Typhoid Mary! Officials are telling us to assume we have been infected by the coronavirus so that we can protect other people from getting what we may have. Some reports say that the true infection rate may actually be much higher because many people have it, or have had it and don’t realize it. We can also assume that we are contagious with our attitudes. We need to protect people from our negative attitudes, but we should infect everyone we can with the positive.

A few years ago, I had a ministry office window that opened to the Church’s Child Development Center playground. Just one child began crying for some reason, within about 5 seconds there was a chorus of children all crying in unison. I am certain many of them didn’t even know why they were all crying, but they joined in the mournful drone of half-hearted lamentations anyway. The wise teacher scooped up the hurting child, dried her tears, and redirected all the other children toward something more fun, positive and exciting... and soon after, the playful squeals and laughter returned to normal, even for the one who was hurt. I had to snicker out loud a little. I was not laughing at the poor kid who had a legitimate reason to cry, or even the kids who joined in the dirge, but at myself, knowing that my nature is just the same. I am prone to joining in the whining and complaints of those around me instead of being like the wise teacher, who helps redirect attitudes back to the positive.

Jesus tells us, "You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine? before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (CSBBible)

If you are hurting, sit in the Teacher’s lap a moment and talk to Him(Jesus), and don’t tap that first domino of negativity with the people around you. Let Him redirect you, dry your tears if necessary, and get you back to being the light that you are. Don’t join the chorus of doom. Jesus tells us..."I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life. John 8:12 (NJB)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Celebrate the Value of Good Friends: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, celebrate the value of good friends. In college, there was a group of people who taught me about friendship, though sometimes I was a slow learner. They were the men and women from my cheer squad. We were like family, loyal, caring, and sometimes even a bit jealous with each other’s friends who were not a part of our group. We were together almost everyday and sometimes all weekend with long van rides to games. We had two-a-day practices and camp in the Summer. We were all united together by a common goal, but it was more than that. There was a camaraderie that is not easily matched. We cared about each other. We hurt when someone got hurt physically or emotionally. We looked out for each other. When one of us was acting like a narcissistic knucklehead, we may have called each other out on it, but we never abandoned. We were like any dysfunctional family, we each had our own quirks, but we were family. When we went to the National Championships it was as much for each other as it was for anything else. We were like the 1980’s small private school version of the Netflix show called Cheer. As I watched this show, my mind raced back to the wonderful memories with this group of friends. We have now all gone our separate ways, 35ish years removed, but it is always a thrill to hear from a team member to catch up. We are now teachers, CEO’s, world class tri-athletes, non-profit CEO’s, pastors, principals, housewives, cheer coaches, real estate agents, salespeople, flight attendants, moms, dads, doctors and other things… but back then we were… Friends. One of those guys called me the other night and we lost track of time reminiscing and catching up. The friendship picked right back up.

Good friends are a real treasure. Anita Grossmann McGinnis and I are fortunate to have good friends from all around the country. We have friends who really know us and haven’t run away and we are grateful. They are people who are also not afraid for us to know them. We all have a need to know that we belong. We need people who celebrate when we celebrate, cry when we cry, encourage when we need a boost. We social animals are all desperate for community, belonging, connection. We all want friends who know us well, share our common struggles and love us anyway. There’s a little glimpse of heaven in this picture. God always loves no matter what and when we follow Him closely we do the same thing.

God’s Word tells, in Proverbs 17:17a,“A friend loves at all times…” And it gives us an example of a true friendship in 1 Samuel 18:1saying,“When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan was bound to David in close friendship, and loved him as much as he loved himself.” And Jesus tells us in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” (CSBBible)

Value, cherish, and love your friends well, especially in this time we are so distanced from each other. Your kids will see this and do the same.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Don't Get Caught in the Negative Spiral: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, don't get caught in the negative spiral. When I was in South Africa several years ago, I learned that the country was beautiful, diverse and rich with natural resources. The people we met and the wildlife we saw were amazing. The country, however, was going through a difficult time and there were no easy solutions. Humans had to be valued and the country had to be stabilized. Something else I noticed in the southern hemisphere, was that the toilet water spins the opposite direction. This fascinated me for some reason. One of the things I realized was that regardless of the spin, the water all ended up in the sewer. The spin of the water becomes a vortex that sucks everything down the drain.

Most of us are prone toward one spin or another on certain topics, but regardless of the way we spin, we can end up getting sucked into a downward spiral toward the negative and unproductive. I love and enjoy my friends regardless of which way they are prone to spin. I can appreciate where each comes from and I can usually understand how each arrived at their current leaning. I love that we live in a country where we can express our ideas freely. What I don’t love is when we use our freedoms to devalue and dismiss and disrespect each other. Especially during this pandemic, we’re gonna haveta value each other, learn from each other, team up together, and share the positives so we can get through this thing together. This is not an us versus them senario… we’re all US! It is so easy for me to lash out at those I disagree with or don’t understand, especially when those I love and I are feeling threatened by all that is happening around us.

There were two ladies who were feeling threatened for some reason and they were devaluing each other and it was tearing up the community. Euodia, whose name meant “prosperity and success,” and Syntyche, whose name meant “happiness together” or “happy event” had worked side by side together for the best Cause ever, the Gospel, but they had somehow gotten sucked into a negative spiral. The Apostle Paul tells them and the community the way to pull out of the spin that threatened to destroy the "US" that they had become. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable...if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy...dwell on these things. Philippians 4:4-8 (CSBBible)

So, if you are starting to get sucked into the downward spiral of us vs.them... rejoice, be gracious, don’t worry, pray, think about the good, true, and honorable things. Let’s come together and defeat this enemy that threatens US, rather than harm each other while the enemy continues to destroy us.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Want to Make Your Kids a Blessing? Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, want to make your children a blessing? In the BC era of my life, Before Children, I used to snow ski. I was not a great skier, but I really enjoyed doing it. One day I ended up on a slope that was really steep. I had lost my map, there was no visible sign and this was before technology told you how difficult the slope is. I was a pretty conservative skier, so most of my falls were manageable, I could usually get back to my feet fairly quickly and continue skiing. But that day, on the steep slope, I took a headlong tumble that seemed like it would never end...like one of those nightmares where you are continuously falling except this one included avalanches of snow and pain. When I finally stopped falling and my head stopped spinning. I looked up the hill to find my equipment. The side of the mountain looked like a neighborhood yard sale, skis, poles, hat, and anything else that was not securely attached was strewn all the way up the mountain. I began the 50 yard hike up, gathering equipment along the way. Fortunately I found it all and nothing was broken (bones or equipment) I stopped for some hot chocolate to thaw out and recover after I skied to the lodge.

With this world crisis, it seems like everything continues to tumble. If we watch the news there seems to be a new “worst day ever” for corona virus, markets, unemployment, businesses, the toilet paper supply chain… It feels like one of those nightmares where you are continuously falling. We can look back at the calendar and see this is where we lost being able to send our kids to school, this is where we lost the privilege to gather at church, this is where we lost the leisure to leave the house when we want, this is where I lost my 401K, this is where people I know lost their job, this is when someone I know got sick… it looks like a yard sale with little bits of what used to be our life strewn all the way back to March. But the good news is, we have kept some of the most important things and at some point it all has to stop falling. There will be a time to regroup, begin rebuilding, reestablishing life. Hopefully, nothing of great value has been permanently broken, your faith and family and relationships are still intact and maybe even strengthened by this tumble.

Today we hear encouragement from “a man after God’s own heart” and one of the greatest kings to ever live. King David says,“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing.” Psalm 37:23-26 (NASB)

Want your kids and their kids to be a blessing? Don’t let this thing hurl you headlong, continue to hang on to the hand of God, continue to be gracious, keep being a blessing to other people. You may lose some things, but who you really are in Jesus will be unbroken... even strengthened.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, I Have A New Scorecard: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, I have a new scorecard. When I was in college, I decided to try out to be a cheerleader. I was hyper, loud, liked to encourage people and liked to hang out with pretty girls…I thought “those are my people!” When I started out, I was terrible, I dropped my poor cheer partner, I couldn’t tumble and really had no idea what I was doing. The next year, by the industry of one of the other cheerleaders, we got a coach. He was one of the best coaches I ever had in all the sports I had tried. He trained us well. We went from an okay squad to a squad that competed in the Ford College Cheerleading Championships my senior year. It was a great story of growth and development… There were some talented cheerleaders with great hearts for cheerleading, but we really didn’t have a lot of skills or direction. Then our coach came and gave us a new scorecard, we understood what we were supposed to be doing and why we were doing it and based on the scorecard, we knew when we were doing it well. It drove us to train hard, grow and become better cheerleaders.

A few years ago, I read a book that gave me a new scorecard. It helped me better understand the most important book, the Bible. It helped me more firmly grasp what we live for and why we do what we do as believers. I had grown up in church, heard all the sermons, and read the Bible. I had even been to seminary, but didn’t always have a clear vision of what is most important. This book spoke in plain terms that gave me an even clearer scorecard for life. Something practical “clicked” for me as far as living out my faith. The book was RARE Leadership by Warner and Wilder. It reminded me that relationships are THE most important, because we were created for relationships from the beginning. Sure, there are things God wants us to KNOW and DO, but His biggest concern is that we LOVE Him and other people well. R.A.R.E. reminds us to: Remain relational, Act like yourself, Return to Joy, and Endure hardship well. So, the scorecard for me became:

Am I Remaining relational or have other things, thoughts, tasks become more important to me?
Am I Acting like the new creation Jesus made me, or am I acting like my old self?
Am I Returning to Joy and glad to be with people or am I operating out of fear?
Am I Enduring hardship well or am I passing my suffering on to others?

If I don’t use this scorecard, I can quickly lose sight of the fact that I am not living relationally at all. Fear brings my selfish, self-protective, self-serving, self-seeking self to the top and that self is anti-relationship, it destroys relationships. The scorecard helps me remember who Jesus has made His people to be, that He is always relational, that He is always glad to be with us, and that He always suffered well for us.

“Jesus (said), “The most important (commandment) is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”Mark 12:29-31 (ESV)

I encourage you to love well, act like your new self, be glad to be with people, and when things get hard, suffer well.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We've Got Peace: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, we’ve got peace. In the midst of the quarantined chaos of up to six young adults and four large dogs, in between the canine scuffles and the sibling and spousal barbs and laughter occasionally exchanged, there is still a strange peace. Though this pandemic has shaken the whole world, there is still somehow an overwhelming assurance that everything is going to be okay. As our family gathers at the table or on the Zoom meeting together, we speak of His Easter Blessings. There are some plumbing problems and a broken garage door lift that may not be repaired until the stay at home order is lifted, but there is still a strange peace of God’s presence. There are three of us who are furloughed, laid off, or let go, and some of the investments made are not worth much right now, but there is still a peaceful assurance of God’s provision.

Before Jesus was crucified He tells us in John 14:27 , “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don't let your heart be troubled or fearful.”(CSBBible) He knew what was coming and wanted to prepare us to be aware of a promised peace that He gives to those who follow Him. He spoke of great trouble in the world, but also assured us that He has overcome the world.

I have never experienced an Easter season like this one. I have never seen a Holy Week displayed on TV with empty churches, empty cathedrals, and an empty St. Peter’s Square… but then again it was an empty tomb… However the emptiness has been replaced with innumerable expressions of worship on social media, from our public offices, and from my own family table…

These short articles that I have shared with you for the last three weeks or so, have been given to me each morning when I wake up. His mercies are new every morning and his word to me comes with the sunrise each day. At night, I sometimes want to get a head start on the next day’s message but He tells me do not worry about tomorrow, it will have a message of its own. So, this morning as I awoke, I was a bit surprised to discover that His Easter message to me is “Peace!” I shouldn’t be surprised though; His incarnation announcement tells us, “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth PEACE among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:13-14 (NASB) Why wouldn’t His resurrection also mean even more peace for us. There is definitely the joy and power we have with a risen Savior, but right now the assurance of His Peace is what seems to be needed most. It’s going to be okay, He is alive and with us. He has been given authority in heaven and on earth. If the chaos gets overwhelming, take a minute, get quiet, breathe, look for and listen for His peace. Step outside, listen for the calm cooing of a dove or smell the spring flowers or fresh rain, pet a dog or cat, or hug someone that you’re quarantined with, or some other assurance of His peace. Sing a hymn or a praise song that brings you peace (mine is Blessed Assurance).

Hang in there People! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, What Now? : Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, now what? We’re a month into this stay at home order. We’ve celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. What now? I have seen you creatively celebrate birthdays with car parades, with balloons, streamers, and well wishing signs. I have seen you stay connected doing Zoom with family and friends. I have heard how you are figuring out the work-at-home, school-at-home, life-at-home senario. I have seen you get really creative with your play at home… board games, family song videos, fun forts built out of blankets, tents, and tarps, beautiful music, fun music, lots of yummy cooking, creating new memes, GIFs, and playing video games with friends around the world. You are amazing! You are figuring out how to live your faith too: online sermons through FaceBook Live, Youtube, Vimeo, Zoom, … the list goes on. Small groups continue to meet, study the Bible, pray for and encourage each other. I have heard wonderful worship through voice and instruments. I have seen really creative kids worship and Bible study. Prayer meetings and ministry sessions are being done by phone, social media, email, smartphone apps and text. I have seen you minister to senior adults through glass windows and gigabytes. You are sharing huge amounts encouraging scripture with the world. (We’re praying right now for our friends in Chattanooga and all those impacted by last night's Tornado.)

So, I guess we keep doing what we are doing and staying creative about living this stay at home life… at least for now. I understand China is having another spike of infection after the quarantine was lifted, it could mean another shut down. With this nasty virus, it looks like we may have more opportunities to creatively continue with life. We are designed for life, love, joy, and connection, but we’re threatened by death, depression, fear and loneliness.

Eugene Peterson was a minister, creative poet, author, and theologian. His dynamic Message version of the apostle Paul’s words to us says, “Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Romans 12:9-15 (MSG)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, Have You Lost Your Rhythm of Rest: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, have you lost your rhythm of rest? My life rhythms are way off, like songs of unrelieved dys-syncopation. I envy those with natural rhythm… I have just enough to embarrass myself when I step out of my baptist roots and try to dance. I get really excited, like bass drummer, Lou Russ in Mr. Holland’s Opus, when he actually finds the beat. With schedules all topsy turvy, life rhythms are not right, I’m having trouble remembering what day of the week it is and when I look at the clock, I’m often surprised when my guess is off by hours. At noon, I realize I’m still unshowered, unshaven, and in my pajamas and at night I’m still awake at Midnight.

Someone reminded me recently, that the Hebrew day begins and ends at sundown, so the day actually starts with rest. Rest is as important as activity. Rest can also feel like a reward for the sufficiency of our daily efforts. But, rest comes hard when we don’t believe our efforts are sufficient. It may be one of the reasons we exhaust ourselves and our children in so many activities. Hoping that, somehow, all that we have engaged in makes us okay. Our sufficiency comes from how much our all sufficient God loves us, not from our own efforts.

God gives us resting rhythms not only each day but each week. His efforts in creation were perfectly sufficient. Genesis 2:1-3 (CSBBible) says, “So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.”

These words from the creation story foreshadow God’s sufficient work of redemption. Today is the 7th Day of Holy Week, when we remember that the body of Christ is in the Tomb. On the 6th day, Jesus proclaimed from the cross “it is finished” or “paid in full.” His work of death on the cross was sufficient to pay the price for the sins of the World. On the 7th day Christ rested from His work of redemption. He had accomplished God’s forgiveness and validation for all who would believe. He had paid the price for sin. Sunday was coming, the 8th Day or 1st day of the week, the Resurrection was coming, making all things new… Bringing new life to the whole world, but today, the 7th Day there was rest, a reward from Christ’s all sufficient work to save us.

We will all have to fight against the life-dysrhythmia that this pandemic brings… but it's a good opportunity for us to find a healthy rhythm of rest when life gets back to a new normal. We need to remember that God’s work in us is sufficient and we can rest when it is time to rest, so we can emerge from rest with new energy, joy, and life for the new days ahead.

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all.

Parents, "Your Killin' Me Smalls": Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, “You’re killin’ me Smalls!” I don’t know if you have used this classic pop culture expression of exasperation from the 90’s movie, The Sandlot during this “stay at home” time, but maybe you have wanted to. Gen Z’s this movie was before your time, but is worth the watch, if not just for this and other classic lines from the film, there are some teachable moments we can all learn from it. It is PG, so maybe wait a few years with the younger kids. The movie blurb says, “When Scottie Smalls moves to a new neighborhood, he manages to make friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures.” In the final adventure, a valuable signed baseball that Smalls “borrowed” from his stepdad gets hit over a fence. It's a team effort to help him get the ball back, each kid making huge sacrifices to help out their buddy.

Today is Thursday of Holy Week. It is known as Maundy Thursday. Maundy is a fancy word derived from a Latin word that means commandment. Jesus would tell his closest friends several times that Thursday that real love for each other is about enduring hardship for each other; to follow Him means loving people sacrificially. He says, "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 (CSBBible) Like the kids in The Sandlot, real friendship is willing to endure hardship for the benefit of others; to take away some of their suffering, to lessen the hurt they are experiencing. Maturity says, "if anyone has to suffer, let it be me," let me take the hurt you are experiencing. (Wilder)

The opposite of this command is to say, “if anyone has to suffer, it's not going to be me” and we make sure everyone else hurts instead of us. It says things like the idiom, ‘you’ve made your bed, now lie in it;” you have to take the unpleasant consequences from your choices on your own. I’m so glad Jesus has so much grace for us that He lays down His life for us.

As we are #homealonetogether this Maundy Thursday, maybe we will have the opportunity to live sacrificially for those we love, to take some of their hurt on ourselves.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (CSBBible)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We Go Where We Look: Words from COVID 19 quarantine

Parents, we go where we look. We now have a whole new life race before us, the world situation has changed dramatically and we will need to make some adjustments. I kinda feel like a cow staring at a new gate. As we emerge from the initial shock, we have to begin thinking about where we are headed, how we want to finish, and where we need to be looking to get there.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to try a new sport. I had a friend who was a really good water skier (Linda N Mike Messer). He would go on to become a nationally ranked jumper, who flew gracefully in the air before landing on the water more than a half a football field from the ramp. One day he was coaching me over the jump. I went off the ramp and looked straight down, I let go of the rope and began flailing until my body splatted awkwardly on the water. I must have looked like a disoriented flying squirrel shot from a potato gun. From that height and speed, the surface of the water feels like concrete. (Mind you, I was travelling nowhere near the height or speed he traveled in the air when he jumped.) Fortunately I was wearing a brain bucket and life jacket, but it still hurt. When my friend drove the boat around to pick me up. I said, “what did I do wrong?” He said, “You go where you look... and you were looking down. Keep your head and eyes up and your body will follow.” As I grew older, I discovered that his coaching advice is true in life as well as ski jumping. While I didn’t do a lot more ski jumping, I still had more life to do. I was frequently reminded “you go where you look.”

As we weather and emerge from this world-wide crisis, there are a lot of places we can be looking. We can look back at the way things were and the things we lost (this didn’t go well for Lot’s wife, she was a little salty about her new situation and what she was losing). While it may be healthy to grieve what could have been, we don’t want to get stuck in a spiral of saying “If only,” or “I don’t wanna go,” or “I woulda, shoulda, coulda.” We can look at the situations of people around us, this can be a mistake too, because we are always prone to compare ourselves with others…feeling prideful if we perceive we are in a better spot than someone else… or feeling less-than because there is always someone in a better place. We can look down and get depressed about where this situation has left us. We can choose to “look out for number 1,” thinking only of ourselves, always looking for the next deal we can win, the next way to get ahead, the next situation we can take advantage of. We can look around us in fear, always scanning the horizon for what else could happen to us.

So where do we look in this new situation that we have been thrust into by this global pandemic? What will help us finish well in this brand new life course that we find ourselves in? The writer of Hebrews tells us exactly where to look, regardless of what is happening in our world. He had just told us the reason all the believers before us had finished well and he then tells us, “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.” Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all!

Parents, We're Gonna' Haveta' Keep Leaning In To These Hard Situations: Words from COVID 19 qurantine

Parents, we're gonna’ haveta’ keep leaning into these hard situations and process them in healthy ways. As the adrenaline rush of the global crisis begins to subside and we move into processing these mid-crisis days, we need to check on ourselves and each other to see how we are handling these stresses (health, finances, cabin fever, family conflict, how to shop and stay safe, and isolation:our own and those that we care about). Because most of us don’t have to deal with these kinds of crises everyday, we may not have a lot of tools in our coping closet at our disposal.

Oh, I have lots of unhealthy ways to “check out” and occupy my mind when I’m stressed… I have already binge eaten so much that it feels like I have gained “the COVID 19,” its kinda like the freshman 15 some of us gained in college. I can also addictively binge consume social media, looking for that deceptive little dopamine shot that comes when someone likes or responds to something I have posted; we love the momentary validation, but never really satisfies our needs. As people formerly known as reporters/anchors with broadcast news degrees, Anita and I can binge watch the news for hours at a time, hoping for some new bit of information, as if someone will suddenly report something new that will solve all of our problems. Back in the day, I could binge workout a few times a day seeking an endorphin brain bath, eh, not so much anymore, takes too much energy. I could also sleep and nap for hours at a time just to escape from the world and its problems. We can try to cope by working more and harder and longer… We can begin projecting all our hurt and stress on those around us, and from personal experience, this does not end well! There are also much darker and more destructive escapes that we think help us, but they drive us deeper and further away from God and the relationships that can really help us process this whole thing. Brene’ Brown gives a nod to our lack of healthy coping skills when she says, “We are the most in-debt, obese, addicted and medicated adult cohort in U.S. history."

So what are the healthy ways we navigate this thing? The Apostle Paul has a good word for us, he says to start by remembering Who we belong to, tells us not to “check out” and reminds us of how much God loves us. Then He tells us to keep loving and helping each other.

He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11, “You belong to the light and live in the day. We don't live in the night or belong to the dark. Others may sleep, but we should stay awake and be alert. People sleep during the night, and some even get drunk. But we belong to the day. So we must stay sober and let our faith and love be like a suit of armor. Our firm hope that we will be saved is our helmet. God doesn't intend to punish us, but wants us to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ died for us, so that we could live with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. That's why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.”(CEV)

Hang in there people! God is with us! I’m praying for you all.