You just sneezed into my mouth.

My family is just now recovering from nearly a month of nasty flu yuckiness (feel free to look it up on WebMD).  We have been through more boxes of Kleenex's in the last month than we should have to use in a year. 

Feeling sick is never good, but having sick kids is way worse.  You would do anything to make these little ones feel better, but there's not much you can do.  So, when they stumble into your room at 3am and ask if they can snuggle in your bed - you feel morally obligated to say "of course!"  This happened to Alissa and me about a week ago.  Elleyana gets pulled up into the bed between us, I close my eyes, and what happens?  She sneezes directly into my face.

Now, I'm a very loving dad.  Did I scold my daughter for sneezing in my face?  Of course not - I wiped my face of, like a man, and closed my eyes again without saying a word. 

Then, she sneezed in my face again. I opened my mouth to say something - and she immediately sneezed into my mouth.

Elle sneezed right into my mouth. It happened.  Having sufficiently learned my lesson, I turned and faced the other direction.

I was trying to comfort my sick little girl, and she sneezed her sickness all over me.

Will this keep me from helping Elle the next time she is sick? Absolutely not - but I might be more careful about where her germ sprayer is pointed.

As Christians I believe that we should always be looking for people who are in need of our help and comfort.  However, with that in mind, we also need to be responsible and cautious.



In Galatians 6:1 it says:  "Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted."


People are contagious.  We pick up the habits, phrases, and sometimes even the colds of people that we spend a lot of time with.  The love of God that we share will hopefully be seen in us and sought after by them.  However, this does not mean that because we began the relationship with good and holy intentions that they aren't contagious as well.  Guard your heart, guard your mind, and guard your face - you never know when they will sneeze right in your mouth.

Why we had a party on the devil's holiday.

For the record, Alissa and I aren't halloween enthusiasts.  I grew up in pastor's home and I knew better than to enjoy the evil celebration that people in church called: "The devil's holiday."  So we, kind of, felt like failures as parent's when Elleyana decided that halloween was her favorite holiday.  "Isn't Easter better Elle... what about Christmas?"  All Elle knows is that she gets to play dress up with the whole world, and get's tons of candy - what more would a little girl ask for?

So... why did we have games, and decorate our cars, and give a way candy on this particular holiday?  

Because I'm tired of not knowing my neighbors.   Sick of it really.

When I grew up I loved going to others people houses, and when people came to ours for dinner, or games, or roasting marshmallows, or whatever.  Being a part of community that has fun, and spends time together, and REALLY knows each other is wonderful.

I'm not talking about the kind of community where everyone is nice, and waves, and occasionally talks about the weather.   I'm talking about a community where people actually know each other, and what is happening in each other's lives.  Where, if someone needs a hand they know and trust each other well enough to be able to ask for help without it feeling weird.

It seems like the families in our communities are growing more isolated and competitive.  Instead of looking out for our neighbors, we spend too much time comparing our houses, and cars, and kids.   We are growing more competitive and less cooperative; and I'm tired of it.

Families all around us are hurting, but they don't have anyone to really turn to, because they don't have a deep enough relationship with anyone.  They don't want to ask for help, because then they have to admit that things aren't
perfect.   WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS!

So what did I decide to do?  I decided that at the first opportunity we would do something fun to bless our neighbors.  It just so happened that the first opportunity is a day in October were people dress funny and pass out candy.

 As the church, we are supposed to be the light of the world; a light in dark places.  Do I feel guilty about having fun on "the devil's holiday?"  NO!   I will use any and every excuse I can to share Christ's love with everyone I can - and at the same time we can build community where we have fun and get to really know our neighbors.

Feel free to join in.

The Problem with a Silent Struggle

As a pastor, very few things break my heart more than finding out that someone has been silenty struggling and are ready to give up on life, or God, or any number of things.  For some reason, many of us don't think we should bother other people with our pain or problems.  We might be too embarassed or proud, we might think no one cares, or  we might not know how to ask. 

And as delicate as I want to be with the subject of pain and hurt, this is my advice...

GET OVER IT, AND JUST ASK FOR HELP!

It is FOR YOU (and me) that God designed the church.  It isn't a building; it's a support system of people who can rely on each other, and need to help each other with any need that arises.

It isn't (or at least shouldn't be) an incovenience to help people it need, it's actually our obligation!

Let me share this obligation with all of you...

Romans 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. ² Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

If you are weak today... ask for help.  We love you, we are here for you.
If you are strong today... help those around you.  Take some of their burden.  Ask: How are you really doing?  Then listen.  And if you can and should, respond.

The work in the willow

We have three huge willow trees in our back yard.  They're weird trees.  In fact, they're a bit annoying.  Their branches hang down so low to the ground that when I mow the lawn it feels like I'm walking through a hippie's beaded doorway.  They grow new branches faster than I can grow hair (which I guess doesn't say much), and they lose just as many branches as they grow; so we are constantly raking them up and getting rid of them.  They are constant work - and yet, they are really beautiful.  Really.  The effort of their upkeep is worth it, because they are beautiful.

People are like that too.  Sometimes they are a pain, sometimes they are annoying, sometimes they need a lot of work - but they are worth it because they are beautiful.  We might not always see it, but their beauty is there even if it's hidden or has been temporarily lost.

That person who makes your life miserable; underneath everything - God has made them beautiful.

And you.  You are beautiful too. 

All of us need work, all of us need people who invest in us and help to bring our beauty out.  Let's be the kind of people who help invest in others as well.  Seriously, let's really do it. 


Romans 15: 1-2 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.

Why You Just Got Unfriended

In the past couple of weeks I have seen and heard more people talking about quitting Facebook or "unfriending" people than all the years I have been on it, and I'm guessing you know why.

Instead of being a medium to keep family and friends in communication with each other - over the past year(s)  facebook has become a couple of new things...

1.  The most annoying game server of all time.
2.  A place for people in a fit of  passive-aggressiveness to yell at people without looking them in the eye.

Last week was a very near breaking point for me as I read the posts that went across my news feed. Instead of reading messages about the love, grace, and compassion of Jesus, there was A LOT of political bickering and hostility. 

I know that we all have opinions, and that the subjects that were discussed are important and shouldn't be ignored.  BUT WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

I mean... it was Easter.

Yes, there are things happening in the world that I am concerned about.  But... isn't my God bigger than anything in this world?   Wouldn't my time be better spent showing Jesus' love to others?  It's more compelling than any argument I can come up with anyway.

1 John 3:16 -18 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him?  Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

Priorities

Hey guys,

This is just a quick note to say I am, indeed, still alive.  I started school back up in August and am now in the process of writing my Master's Thesis - so auxiliary writing is just not happening, but I thought I would send out a quick "Big Question" for you.  Here you go...

What is the one thing that you tell yourself is a priority, but you are not motivated enough to actually do it?

Big Questions - Time Machine

This is maybe my favorite big question yet. Thanks to my wife and Back to the Future for the inspiration.  Remember to answer honestly!

If you had a time machine that could go either back in time or into the future, but you could only choose one way, which would you choose and why?