A River of Life....

Life is a voyage, a voyage full of moments which lead to a plethora of decisions. Because of this we encounter countless circumstances that mandate a decision on our part. From the moment we wake up till the time we fall asleep, opportunities arise where decisions must be made. Think about it:

• You decided to press the snooze button more then once this morning (three times if you are like me).
• You decided what to wear.
• You decided what to have for breakfast (or what not to have it all).
• You decided what lane to drive on road on your way to work.
• You decided what to listen to on the radio, CD player, or mp3 player.
• You decided....

I think you get the point. You will notice that the decisions mentioned above are rather easy and mundane, you know the kind we make without thinking. Not all decisions are that way are they? The fact is that we routinely face the task of tackling the "difficult" decisions in life. I refer to them as "difficult" because it is our tendency to elevate them to such a status. We lose sleep over the "difficult" decisions of life. We wrestle back and forth, teeter-tottering on which way to go. Eventually, we end up over spiritualizing the decisions that we must make. As a result, we miss the moments. The moments of opportunities; opportunities to love, serve, share, grow, teach, and on and on. You see, these moments and opportunities that we are talking about combine to make so much more. As I mentioned earlier, our life is full of moments. So, when we fail to make a decision - we miss a moment - we miss a life.

Keep reading and let me share an analogy that might be helpful in regards to life, decisions, God, and the Holy Spirit. Think of it this way, we are a river. As water we are free to flow and meander where ever we desire - as long as we stay within the confines of the river bank. God, is the river bank. He is the channel, He is the guide. He knows where we are going and He knows where we will end up. We on the other hand, cannot see around the river bed. We only see what is right in front of us. But there is more, a river by definition is a moving body of water; one that flows. In each river there is a current that causes the river to flow. This current, is the Spirit. It leads us, moves us, drives us, directs us, and accelerates us to the desired destination.

How does this all fit together with the decisions we make? For one thing, it grants us freedom. Some see the banks as a hindrance, something that is restricting. I on the other hand, see the river as a wide open body of water where I flow freely as I am guided by the Spirit. This my friends, is a river of life where we do not have to lose sleep over the decisions we are faced with. It is a river of life full of moments ready to be seized. A river of life full of opportunities to love, serve, share, grow, teach, and what ever else your heart desires.

Not so Random Thoughts on Life and Death

Like every other Thursday Heather picked up Maya from school to bring her home and as usual they talked about her day on the home. Maya told Heather about a conversation she had with one of her friends, Lilly. Lilly asked, "Maya, who is picking you up today? Is it you daddy, your mommy, or how about your papa?" Maya replied, "My papa is in heaven." After telling Heather about her conversation with Lilly she went on and informed Heather about her recent conversation with God. "God said that papa was going to come back." To which Heather gently replied, "no honey, I'm sorry papa is in heaven for good." Maya boldly informed Heather that, "no he's not he is with nan right now."

Did I forget to tell you that yesterday was my parents anniversary. The story makes more sense now doesn't it?

I called my mom to tell her of the conversation and she simply replied, "how does she know, how can she sense those things?"

It's amazing the comfort and joy that memories bring. You would think they would be enough, but there not. What's more amazing is the comfort and joy that we receive knowing that our loved ones are in the presence of our Lord and Savior. It is because of Christ's death and Resurrection that we can find comfort and joy in times of trouble. Positive memories will only last so long, eventually they fade away. What's the one thing that will never fade? God's love.


I believe it was the Tuesday in between my father's death and his memorial service that I was sitting in chapel at Seminary dreading the fact that I had to be there when I didn't want to be. A message was given that chapel by one of my professor's (Dr. Terveen) who suffered a traumatic loss of his daughter years ago. I came across a pod cast of the same message given a few weeks ago at a local church. The message is entitled God's Voice of Comfort and all you have to do is click on the podcast player to listen to it.



Listen to it!

Coaching

One might say that life is a race, a game, or a voyage. Nowadays more then ever it seems that athletes, teams, and crews that are taking all the glory and acknowledgement for themselves. They maintain the attitude that they alone can accomplish the task. It seems to me that they have forgotten one critical component, the coach. Joe Gibbs an excellent coach and winner believes that:

Whether the sport is football, swimming, golf, or NASCAR auto racing, to truly
be successful, you must have a top-notch coach… Without a coach, the players all want to do their own thing and go their own way, so they end up bumping into each other, causing unnecessary wrecks and wasting a lot of time, money, energy, and resources. Somebody must be in charge! Of course, the best coach is somebody who knows you and knows the best way to maximize your effort within the system. (Emphasis mine)

Some of the most influential people in my life were my coaches. They were men who believed in me, inspired me, and empowered me. It might surprise you that not all were coaches on the field or court. Some of them were coaches on life. A coach does not have to be limited to the court or field; they can function in life and in the Church. The greatest coaches that I had knew who I was and understood how to draw from me all that I could give so that the goal could be accomplished, whether it was on the court, in the office, or at church.

As I take stock of my life and envision the future I see a life of coaching. A recent quote by Steve Young at the Memorial Service for Bill Walsh illustrates exactly what I have been pondering lately in regards to life and ministry. "Somehow we could take inventory of what you were today and see what you could become in the future...What more could anyone ask than to have a coach who could foretell how high you could fly, and then gave you the wings?"

As I look at Jesus there is no doubt that he saw the best in everyone. I think of Peter and his boldness and willingness to stand up for Christ at all times only to deny him and sink to the lowest point possible. What did Christ do? How did he respond to Peter? He responded by positively reminding Peter of the good that was to come. Jesus gave Peter his wings to fly and set him on a course which has transformed history and if Christ is in you He has done the same for you.

Reflect on your own life about the men and women you have been involved as they served you as a leader, mentor or coach. How did they handle themselves? Now think about the relationships that you are in where you are the one mentoring, leading, or coaching - how are you going to handle yourself?

Here is something to ponder: Who are you preparing for flight?

FATHER'S DAY REFLECTION

I woke up yesterday morning (Father's Day morning) to Maya climbing in bed with Heather and I. She was silent for a moment lying between us. She eventually starting talking with Heather, about what I do not know (I was still waking up). However when she said, "Mommy, I talked to Jesus" I was awake. Heather simply replied, "what did you talk about?" To which Maya said, "Jesus told me not to be afraid.... He told me that he was going to protect me from the serpent... He told me that I am going to be a big sister some day and to wait for mommy to have another baby in her tummy." This past week one of the greatest sources of comfort for me has come from the words and touch of my daughter. She has been amazing, her child like faith has revealed itself in numerous ways to Heather and I as we move through this time of healing and restoration after Heather's miscarriage.

Now back to yesterday... It's was great to relax and watch golf all day! Heather made me a scrumptious breakfast and I barbecued fresh hamburgers from scratch for dinner. Heather and I played boccie ball after dinner while Maya played at the park. It was a great day!

Intertwined with it all were thoughts and emotions centered on the death of my father nine months ago and Heather's miscarriage earlier this week. Life is fragile! The one thing that I focus on is the hope that I have in seeing both of them some day. I have no question that my father is holding my child in heaven as I am writing this and as you are reading it. It's the type of hope which is guaranteed, a sure thing. My favorite verse on hope is found in Romans.

Romans 5:3-5 reads:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Questions to ponder:

1. Is this hope that the Apostle Paul writes about alive and well in you?
2. How does hope, "not disappoint"?