Life

House full of:

Bottles, bottle warmers, diapers, diaper geni

Toys, bouncer seat, story books, fruit gummies

Pack n Play, strollers, cribs, changing table

Riding toys, action figures/dolls, puppies, uncrustables

Purple dinosaurs, Pokemon, Sesame Street, Toy Story

Tricycles, Legos, dirt, bandaids

Soccer balls, basketballs, baseballs, footballs

Dance shoes, pom poms, uniforms, hair bows 

Swimsuits, tennis raquets, bats, batons

Friends, siblings, relatives, teammates

Bibles, worksheets, spelling words, math tables

Exuberation, heartbreak, table talk, encouragement

Cleats, tennis shoes,Sperrys, Polo

Trampolines, bicycles, airguns, slingshots

Video games, video games, video games, video games

Car keys, textbooks, laundry, girlfriends/boyfriends

Prom attire, friends, hormones, image

College boards, campus visits, acceptance, freshman

Happy tears, sad tears, proud moments, restarts

Big decisions, jobs, gray hair, Aspercream

Prayers, Supplications, Intercessions, Praises!

Where Did the Time Go?

My oldest daughter is about to finish high school and join her brother in the ranks of college students. Last night my all grown up girl won an award for citizenship, was honored as a candidate for Miss EHS and gave a speech as the VP of her class. It seems like yesterday when she was a little toddler full of smiles, stepping in the paint bucket, babbling and chasing big brother in the back yard with a Barbie jeep.  At some point she grew up. Did she ever! She was like a grown up Miss America last night. She inspired and entertained us with her short encouraging speech and graciously and sincerely applauded the Mr and Miss EHS winners (2 wonderful students who are very deserving). She turns 18 today, old enough to smoke (hope she doesn't) and vote (hope she does), but not yet considered an adult in some ways (thank goodness).  Tomorrow she goes to prom. Wow, we were just doing the American Girl doll thing, learning to do backhandsprings, and watching Disney Princesses and Barney non-stop. 

But really isn't this is what it is all about?... growing up our children and launching them to make their own impact on this crazy world. Now is when we have to let go and hope that we have given them all they need to thrive in on this challenging planet. The bad parent anxieties haunt me: Did I teach her the right things? Did I give her some life skills to survive in the hostile world? Did I encourage her faith? Did I give her enough without overindulging her? It is her challenge now. Yes, I always want to be there for her when she needs something, but I want her to learn the skills to do things on her own. That means I have to learn the next part of parenting... parenting an adult (or almost adult).  Lord give me grace and wisdom!

My prayers are that in all my short comings, Christ will be her all in all, her daily Salvation, her Sustainer, Teacher, her Protector. 

Good job daughter! I love you, you're a winner, do your best! You will be just fine! Live, Grow, Keep your Faith, Change the World for Good.  Pray for your Daddy!

God's Plan Is Always Best

When Jesus was asked about the controversial marriage issue of His time He went back to Genesis (2:24) and..."He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.'" (Matthew 19:4-6 ESV) 

Jesus was saying it's best to stick to God's plan from the beginning even though there are great cultural temptations not to do so. Whether the issue is divorce or same sex marriage, God's design for us is always right.  

The Creator loves us and knows what is best for us. He even makes a Way for us to get right again when we miss the mark. I am thankful for His Grace and Mercy, that He cares enough to tell me the boundaries to live within and provides a Way of grace in Jesus Christ to come back when I have crossed them.

I can't argue anything from my own rightness because, except for the righteousness of Christ, I am not right. That is why I have to turn to the Word of God for His instruction and rules and pray for His continued Grace and Mercy as I inevitably mess up. I put myself in an awkward situation however, when I decide that my ways and the ways of the world are better than His ways. 

Can God continue to bless and protect a country that continually makes choices that are contrary to His Word and His Ways? God will eventually give us what we keep asking for, which is a world without the rules He, the Designer, gave us. The consequences will not be good. A world with no moral absolutes turns into a world whose rules are made by those who carry the biggest stick and wield the most power. If I have to trust my God of Grace and Truth and Righteousness or another human's ideas about what is right, I choose God's Word and His Way and ask for His Grace. The Destroyer will lead us all to our own destruction if we choose our plan over God's plan.

Jonah and Ministry While Dying

Some of the most painful hours in ministry for me are those days when I’m called to the hospital to pray with a family and a loved one when the patient is moments away from passing to the next life. I don't take the requests lightly and recognize that it is a great privilege to participate in these sacred moments. I want desperately to help, but I never feel more like Jonah as a reluctant minister than on those days. As I drive to the hospital, I want to turn and escape to the lake for a boat ride (people on boats need ministry too, right?) Instead I proceed on and I am swallowed by the great emotion that drags me to whatever depth it chooses, in spite of my attempts to buoy myself up and keep my head above the swells.

When I arrive the air is often thick with unrest, especially if it is a labored homegoing. There are often livid moments of life followed by almost complete stillness. Each one in the room wants to help their loved one escape the pain and make the journey that can only be made alone. And yet, in a way, each one of us dies a little bit with each arduous in-breath of the person we care about. The horribly descriptive "death rattle" is not a pleasant sound; It just hangs in the air until it mercifully ends. Furrowed brows, muted sobs, and soft sweet words of encouragement usually make up the feng shui of the otherwise sterile room as the patient struggles to both hang on and let go. God usually refreshes us momentarily with emotional daylight and fresh air as we speak prayerful requests and praises to Him. Most of us gulp down the reassurance eagerly, knowing that the sorrow is going to plunge us to the bottom, like a giant catfish on a small Zebco again soon. We are reminded by the medical beeps and whooshes that this journey won’t be cancelled, even if it is postponed temporarily.

The dying experience seems to be different for everyone, but these ministry opportunities don’t seem to ever get any easier for me. It makes me so appreciate the hospital staff, ministers, hospice workers, volunteers, friends, and chaplains who are gifted at helping others through this part of life. These are definitely “take up your cross and deny yourself” moments for me. I want to help people through this difficult time, but I often take on so much of deep sadness of those around me. I sometimes get a hard shell of protective covering or spew mushy emotional talk while I attempt to get a handle again. That is selfish, I know. They need ministry and I have been invited to give it. I guess the reality becomes only Christ in me can do it.

There have been a few notable exceptions to this trail of tears type journey toward the hereafter. I once had the privilege of sharing the final moments of one lady whose Catholic Priest and several of the lady’s family members were present. Each had said “goodbye”, there was a great peace in the room, and there was no struggle. The nurse had disconnected the respirator and the "beep, beep'" of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room. The family gathered and held hands around the bed and the Priest began with the traditional last rites. The "last rites" ceremony was a new experience for me as a lifelong evangelical. The words were comforting and reassuring. As the Priest finished his last words with “Amen”, the monitor immediately went flatline and the beep, beep of the monitor was replaced with an unbroken tone. The nurse turned the monitor off and we all celebrated this woman’s transition to eternal life. At the instant she heard the last goodbye of her faith from this life, she heard the welcoming sounds of the place promised by Jesus. Her loved ones were gathered around her on this side of heaven to say “so long”. And, (according to many of the near death stories I have heard), her loved ones in heaven were gathered to welcome her to her place of comfort and rest. It was a beautiful drama played out in one of the best possible scenarios. A life well lived with few regrets, a passing that was easy and celebrated with loved ones into the welcoming arms of family and a Savior who have gone ahead of her to heaven. This was a wonderful serendipitous trip to the hospital.

Regardless of the amount of duress in dying, the hope that comes from Christ is what ultimately sustains us. Whether it is an easy celebration of a life well lived or a laborious and tragic passing, the result for those who are in Christ is a wonderful place full of love, where tears are wiped away, and sin and death no longer taunt us. The victory is won and we are safe and secure in LIFE; in real, never to be taken again, LIFE.

I request your prayers for this Jonah’s brother and any of the other ministers in your life who may struggle this part of the calling too.

Learning from the Three Amigos!*

An old movie I enjoy is the Three Amigos.  In one of the scenes the three friends are riding their horses across the desert.  They are all parched.  They are hot.  They are obviously in need of water.  So they stop and get out their canteens.  Steve Martin’s character turns his canteen up and one little drop of water comes out.  Martin Short’s character opens his canteen, turns it up and only sand comes out.  Chevy Chase’s character opens his canteen, puts it to his mouth and water gushes out soaking his mouth and clothes.  The other two turn to him hoping he will share just a little with them.  Chase’s character, however, is oblivious to their need and proceeds to not only gulp down the liquid, but spill it out all over himself, swish it around his mouth then spit it out. When he has had all he wants, he throws the canteen to the side and the rest of the water pours out all over the ground.  He then blissfully pulls out some chap-stick and coats his lips.  Finally he notices his friends’ woeful stares and offers them some lip balm… a sad consolation for these two were desperate for some water.   

Sometimes we believers are like that; we have the living water of Jesus. We are refreshed and enjoying His blessings, but we are totally oblivious to those around us who are spiritually parched.  We enjoy worshipping, and studying God’s Word.  We enjoy the Christian fellowship of the body of Christ.  We are refreshed when we serve others in Jesus name.  But  we neglect to share the blessings of salvation with those who are desperate to know Him.

Stop the Negative Pollution and Change the World!

Have you ever been in a great mood, smiling, laughing, and enjoying life when someone with a sour attitude huffs into the room? They can send the mood of everyone in the room into a vortex of yuk. Researchers have discovered that a person with a negative frame of mind can affect others just by walking by. They don’t even have to say anything… not even sigh, gesture, or snarl. Their body language and facial expression alone can communicate their pessimistic point of view, and others in the room will join in without even knowing it.

There are lots of good reasons to avoid the Typhoid Marys of Negativity in your life. The consequences of negativity can be quite destructive. Studies have found that if a person's mood is negative and they are taking a test, they perform more poorly. Parts of our brain actually shut down in the most negative situations. Negativity affects not just the negative person, but it oozes the toxic pollutants into those around them.

The good news is the opposite is also true. One positive person can enter a room and change the whole point of view. She can take the negative to a positive simply by looking for and pointing out the positive aspects of the situation. There is always an upside; we can train our minds to see it and show others.

If you want to perform well, test well, have a good meeting… find a way to get happy and positive. Not surprisingly, researchers have studied the effects of a positive attitude on performance. Shawn Achor, author of the Happiness Advantage says, that time after time studies indicate that a happy, positive outlook improves performance on exams, on productivity, on creativity, even on intelligence. That’s right we are actually smarter when we are positive. Companies like Google have keyed on this truth with their employees and they have come up with lots of innovative ways to keep their workers happy and positive knowing it will ultimately affect their bottom line. Their recruiting literature spells out that they “nurture an invigorating positive environment” and that they want quality employees who have a “great time” doing what they do.

After Jesus taught His disciples how to be happy with the be(happy)attitudes in the beginning of the sermon on mount he told them they were to be light, to go and do positive, good things that would encourage those around them. Like a lamp, they would brighten up the perspective of all those around them and they would in turn bring glory to their Creator. Then those people could shine the light too.

If we are sons and daughters of God, if we have been created in the image of our heavenly Father, then we are children of light and we bring light and positive encouragement to those around us. If, on the other hand, we bring a negative, destructive attitude we act more like the one who is a destroyer.

As I write this, I can hear the preschoolers from the Child Development Center on the playground outside my window. Just one child began crying for some reason, within about 5 seconds there was a chorus of children 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 redirected them toward something more fun and exciting and soon after the playful squeals and laughter returned to normal. I had to snicker out loud a little. I was not laughing at the kid who must have had a legitimate booboo, or even the kids who turned to the teacher and 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 redirecting thoughts back to the positive.

T.M.I.*

Do you remember having to do a major research paper in school? When I was in high school, every student had to do a major research paper. The only thing I disliked more than doing research was writing about the research I had done. However, I set out in earnest to tackle my literary equivalent of Mount Everest at the school library. This was a place I rarely went on purpose, so the trip was something of an adventure. One of the first things I discovered was a group of cute girls who had listened to the in-class lecture on how to use the card catalogue, so I talked with them to get the scoop. My next discovery was the librarian with a demerit pad, quickly scribbling the words “Bill McGinnis, talking in the library.” With a gleam in her squinty eyes, but a frown on her face she ripped the page from the pad and handed it to me. I left the school library with a dearth of information and a Thursday School verdict (the sentence was two hours, after school, on Thursday, in Webb School’s version of Brushy Mountain penitentiary on lockdown… no talking, no air conditioning, with no one who wanted to be there, including {the warden, i.e. the study hall proctor). So, a few days after I paid my debt to society, I went to the public library and found a little more information, but no where near enough information for the kind of paper my teacher was expecting. Then, my teacher told me how I could get a temporary library card at the University of Tennessee Knoxville library…Hallelujah! When I walked in I was amazed at the amount of books stacked higher than I could reach, and lower than I could squat, on each floor of the UTK library. I did all the Dewey decimal system searches, the periodical searches for hundreds of newspapers and magazines on microfilm and microfiche (I think this is why I have to wear glasses today). I searched the scholarly journals. I even learned how to get a quote from a “scholarly fellow.” It took me a whole semester to gather enough information to write my paper, but I passed. 

Things are much different now. My kids could access more information with a couple of mouse clicks, or google searches than I could find in several weeks of searching at UTK library. Between our two generations there has been a tremendous shift in how to gather and handle information. In my school years the problem was, we had no quick and easy way to gather the information we needed. Now, there is way too much information available and it is way too easy to access. We can be inundated with trillions of bits of information at the touch of our fingertips. The biggest challenge is no longer in finding information; it is finding a way to handle too much information. Even with modern search engines that filter and rank information it's still a challenge to pare down the results. 

 In Jesus day, there was a lot of religious information being offered to the people. There were great teachers and leaders who were quick to overload people with religious rules and information. The people didn’t know what to do with all the information they were hearing and definitely couldn’t keep all the rules that were being heaped upon them. So, when some of the rule-keeper-heapers asked Jesus what was most important, he gave them a filter, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV) The people who followed Jesus knew that if they did things that showed that they loved God and loved other people and loved themselves they were living based on the right information. So, when you are snowed under with too much information (or T.M.I.) just go back to loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself, then filter out all the other stuff that doesn’t help you do that. God will be pleased and your life will be much easier than writing a high school research paper.