Wintery, blustery gusts of wind; salty ocean water spray tingling our faces; gray and white clouds moving swiftly over choppy, turbulent storm swells. Jaden on his red "Firestorm" 2-wheeler (with training wheels); me with the while Styrofoam glider, complete with bright orange and red stickers hand-stuck by Jaden himself.
Saturday morning between the storms (so it seems!). We live just down the street from "The Cove"--or Sunny Cove, as some call it. This is the beach I spent a LOT of my summers (and the rest of the year) on when I was in High School. Great spot. I love it!
Jaden got off his bike and I parked it next to a massive Cypress tree, using the partially exposed roots as a bike stand. Off with the shiny black "Hot Wheels" bicycle (actually skateboard) helmet and on our way down the still rain-soaked, terra-cotta colored cliff to the sand below. Winter beach! In other words, not much beach to speak of.
Jaden puts his finger to the side of the cliff, touching the tiny streams of water gravity insists on pulling down to the cool, wet sand below. The wind isn't as strong down here...but enough to give some serious lift to the glider--and cause it to do some pretty sweets loops. I climb up on the cliff to give the glider an even better chance at gaining altitude. I pull back my arm, then launch it forward, and RELEASE! The light-weight plane takes off and begins its first of two maneuvers: the loop and the sharp right-hand turn. It's a great moment...until it lands in the surf below. "Oh no, Daddy; my plane's in da watuh!!!" "It's ok! I'll get it, Jaden!"
Of course, it's winter and I'm not dressed for the surf. So, off with the shoes and socks, up with the legs of my jeans, and into the water! I managed to get the fuselage without too much difficulty...but where are the wings? They come out too easily. "Over there!" Some folks in a Volkswagen Westfalia on the cliff have spotted one of the wings. A couple more attempts and a soaked left pant-leg and I've got 'em! Both wings are in my grasp. My friends on the cliff cheer. I give them a thumbs up and shout "THANKS!"
I'm a superhero...for a moment. (At least in my own mind; Jaden didn't actually say anything but I did rescue his plane. Never mind that I was the one who launched it into the water in the first place!)
Then I had a thought. My friends on the cliff--they could see something I couldn't see. Perspective. They had a view I didn't have. From the beach, the white foam wings didn't stand out much from the the white foam-capped water in which they floated (at least they floated!) God's got great perspective for our lives. That's one of the reasons He's so good at helping us. Friends have a unique perspective, as well. They, too, can see things in us we can't see. That's what I want for my life: A God and friends who can see what I can't...and who lovingly draw my attention to it. That's what I want to be for my sons, too. A dad who will help them to see what they don't see. That's superhero stuff in my mind. We don't have to rescue someone from a burning building. We just need to be available for God to use us to help someone see what they can't see on their own. You never know; it could mean the difference between being lost...and found.
That's Kingdom.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A New Chair
A friend of mine bought a new car. He did something I've always dreamed of. He won an auction on Ebay for a car in Texas and drove it home. That's a two-fold blessing: a new car and a road trip. But wait... There's MORE! I think it might be a four-fold blessing... New car, road trip, winning the auction (c'mon, that's exhilarating!)...AND bringing his son with him. Dad and son, new car, Texas BBQ, road trip--dude! Does that sound fun, or what?!
As my friend told me this story, my heart stirred at the thought of doing something like this with my own son someday (he's 4--or, as he says, "foh-anna-haf"). Then I remembered I did! Just the day before, actually! (How quickly we forget these things.)
On Tuesday, Jaden and I drove over to San Jose in my van to pick up a really nice leather chair Jessie and I bought the night before. We didn't plan on buying a piece of furniture that day; but we had been looking. (By the way, we got a smokin' deal on a floor model--WAY discounted and already broken in!) So, we didn't have a vehicle to bring it home with us that night. As we talked about how we were going to get it, I quickly became excited about the thought having a daddy-son moment the next day.
Getting a new piece of furniture is fun...but spending time with my boy on a mission--that's a memory in the making. These are precious moments to me--and to him as well. And just think: this is how God feels about us. He loves spending time with us. When's the last time your went on a road trip with your Daddy? He's just waitin' for you to hop in His ride.
As my friend told me this story, my heart stirred at the thought of doing something like this with my own son someday (he's 4--or, as he says, "foh-anna-haf"). Then I remembered I did! Just the day before, actually! (How quickly we forget these things.)
On Tuesday, Jaden and I drove over to San Jose in my van to pick up a really nice leather chair Jessie and I bought the night before. We didn't plan on buying a piece of furniture that day; but we had been looking. (By the way, we got a smokin' deal on a floor model--WAY discounted and already broken in!) So, we didn't have a vehicle to bring it home with us that night. As we talked about how we were going to get it, I quickly became excited about the thought having a daddy-son moment the next day.
Getting a new piece of furniture is fun...but spending time with my boy on a mission--that's a memory in the making. These are precious moments to me--and to him as well. And just think: this is how God feels about us. He loves spending time with us. When's the last time your went on a road trip with your Daddy? He's just waitin' for you to hop in His ride.
Bugged
"You just gotta have faith!"
This statement really bugs me.
There's a rampant misconception in the world that if we just had more faith, things would work out the way we want them to. This saddens and frustrates me at the same time because it can make people feel disqualified or unworthy if they don't have "enough" faith. I have two problems with the "faith" statement above. One, I think this misconception comes from a misunderstanding about what faith is. Two, how we want things to work out isn't always what God has in mind.
I just finished teaching Intern Class. We're wrapping up a study/discussion about the dreams and desires God puts in our hearts. We talked about some of the great examples of faith in the Old Testament: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph, Moses... All of these were people who had strong desires and dreams for specific things to happen to them and through them. What great examples for us to follow! If we forget the details about their lives (or don't read them carefully), however, we can foolishly think that these people were extra-special. People who were uniquely equipped with extra measures of faith. They were actually just like you and me.
Paul says of Abraham in Romans 4 that he was unwavering in his faith. I disagree. Well, not really... I just feel the need to elaborate on that statement. The overall story of Abraham's life tells us that he was indeed a man of faith. He did have his moments of doubting, though. He and Sarah had a hard time believing they would have son together; he lied to a foreign king that Sarah was his sister--because he was afraid... I'm sure Joseph had his moments, too--in jail, wondering how in the world would his dream come true. And Moses... Well, Moses protested and argued with God that he was the right one for the job God called him to do.
Here's the point. Faith isn't about never having doubt. It's not (only) about believing something in our mind. It's about putting one leg in front of the other and walking--as though we knew which direction to go to reach the promised "land." It's active; it's scary; it's messy; it's broken... and it's imperfect because we are. Faith moves--even when it doesn't intellectually "believe." It's moving towards something we can't see but believe (read: act like, live like) is already there (Hebrews 11:1).
What's your dream? Is there something God put in your heart that you've lost hope for? That you can't believe could actually happen? It doesn't have to be a "big" thing--like becoming the next Billy Graham. It could be something very day-to-day--like something being healed or made right in a relationship you have; or getting to know a neighbor who you want to share the Lord with; or growing closer to God; or...?
Do you feel intimidated by all the great men and women of faith in the Bible...and around you? Well, guess what? You've got the same DNA. You're from the same family. That's the wonderful revelation in Galatians 3. When we put our faith in Jesus, we're in God's family and become children of Abraham. It's not a pipe dream; it's the truth--and it's yours to claim.
This statement really bugs me.
There's a rampant misconception in the world that if we just had more faith, things would work out the way we want them to. This saddens and frustrates me at the same time because it can make people feel disqualified or unworthy if they don't have "enough" faith. I have two problems with the "faith" statement above. One, I think this misconception comes from a misunderstanding about what faith is. Two, how we want things to work out isn't always what God has in mind.
I just finished teaching Intern Class. We're wrapping up a study/discussion about the dreams and desires God puts in our hearts. We talked about some of the great examples of faith in the Old Testament: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph, Moses... All of these were people who had strong desires and dreams for specific things to happen to them and through them. What great examples for us to follow! If we forget the details about their lives (or don't read them carefully), however, we can foolishly think that these people were extra-special. People who were uniquely equipped with extra measures of faith. They were actually just like you and me.
Paul says of Abraham in Romans 4 that he was unwavering in his faith. I disagree. Well, not really... I just feel the need to elaborate on that statement. The overall story of Abraham's life tells us that he was indeed a man of faith. He did have his moments of doubting, though. He and Sarah had a hard time believing they would have son together; he lied to a foreign king that Sarah was his sister--because he was afraid... I'm sure Joseph had his moments, too--in jail, wondering how in the world would his dream come true. And Moses... Well, Moses protested and argued with God that he was the right one for the job God called him to do.
Here's the point. Faith isn't about never having doubt. It's not (only) about believing something in our mind. It's about putting one leg in front of the other and walking--as though we knew which direction to go to reach the promised "land." It's active; it's scary; it's messy; it's broken... and it's imperfect because we are. Faith moves--even when it doesn't intellectually "believe." It's moving towards something we can't see but believe (read: act like, live like) is already there (Hebrews 11:1).
What's your dream? Is there something God put in your heart that you've lost hope for? That you can't believe could actually happen? It doesn't have to be a "big" thing--like becoming the next Billy Graham. It could be something very day-to-day--like something being healed or made right in a relationship you have; or getting to know a neighbor who you want to share the Lord with; or growing closer to God; or...?
Do you feel intimidated by all the great men and women of faith in the Bible...and around you? Well, guess what? You've got the same DNA. You're from the same family. That's the wonderful revelation in Galatians 3. When we put our faith in Jesus, we're in God's family and become children of Abraham. It's not a pipe dream; it's the truth--and it's yours to claim.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Hope Postponed
Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Here's Josh E's expanded translation: When your hope for something gets drawn out and dragged through the dirt, your desire, passions and courage get tired, sore, and weak. BUT... When the longings of your heart are fulfilled, you are renewed, revived and sustained; the fulfillment makes you like a fruitful tree: strong, steadfast and alive!
I was reading in Genesis 25 this morning. It's the story of Isaac and Rebekah, and their desire to have children. Isaac pleads with God that his wife would give birth. The word used to describe Rebekah is "barren." Along with "infertile," the word "barren" is still employed to describe the state of not being able to have children. It's a cold, sad, and lifeless word. It's also used to paint a picture of the bleakness and lifelessness of a landscape. It's a hopeless word. It's a word that we use to describe ourselves, our situations and our world. But it's not a word God uses to describe us.
God answered Isaac's prayer. 20 years later, Rebekah gave birth to twins. Twenty years later. That's a long time to wait, isn't it? It's similar to Isaac's father and mother's story. Abraham and Sarah waited many years for the fulfillment of their desire to have children. It finally happened for them at an age when most people are already dead.
This isn't just about having kids; it's about the life God wants give birth to--in and through you. I can relate to this. Can you?
What's grown barren in your life? Have those dead places begun to encroach upon neighboring areas in your heart? God wants to revitalize your hope. While you and I will not experience the fulfillment of every desire we have in this life, God wants to and will satisfy many of longings in our hearts. Hope isn't about what's already in our grasp. This is a critical understanding. It's very important that certain things remain out of reach because hope is meant to keep us going and trusting in our Provider for what we don't yet have. But God isn't stingy, either; and He doesn't dangle carrots in front of us without actually letting us enjoy eating them from time to time.
Is there a desire in your heart that has become tired? Has your hope grown dim and your longings become weak? Are you grieving the death of something God wants to resurrect? Go to Him again. Ask Him again to fulfill that thing. Know that He intends to draw you closer to Him as you wait. AND ask Him to show you other desires that He has placed in you as well. He won't gloss over your pain. He will bring refreshment into the dry and weary places in your heart.
Here's Josh E's expanded translation: When your hope for something gets drawn out and dragged through the dirt, your desire, passions and courage get tired, sore, and weak. BUT... When the longings of your heart are fulfilled, you are renewed, revived and sustained; the fulfillment makes you like a fruitful tree: strong, steadfast and alive!
I was reading in Genesis 25 this morning. It's the story of Isaac and Rebekah, and their desire to have children. Isaac pleads with God that his wife would give birth. The word used to describe Rebekah is "barren." Along with "infertile," the word "barren" is still employed to describe the state of not being able to have children. It's a cold, sad, and lifeless word. It's also used to paint a picture of the bleakness and lifelessness of a landscape. It's a hopeless word. It's a word that we use to describe ourselves, our situations and our world. But it's not a word God uses to describe us.
God answered Isaac's prayer. 20 years later, Rebekah gave birth to twins. Twenty years later. That's a long time to wait, isn't it? It's similar to Isaac's father and mother's story. Abraham and Sarah waited many years for the fulfillment of their desire to have children. It finally happened for them at an age when most people are already dead.
This isn't just about having kids; it's about the life God wants give birth to--in and through you. I can relate to this. Can you?
What's grown barren in your life? Have those dead places begun to encroach upon neighboring areas in your heart? God wants to revitalize your hope. While you and I will not experience the fulfillment of every desire we have in this life, God wants to and will satisfy many of longings in our hearts. Hope isn't about what's already in our grasp. This is a critical understanding. It's very important that certain things remain out of reach because hope is meant to keep us going and trusting in our Provider for what we don't yet have. But God isn't stingy, either; and He doesn't dangle carrots in front of us without actually letting us enjoy eating them from time to time.
Is there a desire in your heart that has become tired? Has your hope grown dim and your longings become weak? Are you grieving the death of something God wants to resurrect? Go to Him again. Ask Him again to fulfill that thing. Know that He intends to draw you closer to Him as you wait. AND ask Him to show you other desires that He has placed in you as well. He won't gloss over your pain. He will bring refreshment into the dry and weary places in your heart.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Time For Something New
This is your life. Are you who you want to be?
These words are from the song, "This is Your Life," by Switchfoot. I got to see them play live a couple of nights ago at the Foursquare Next Gen "Imagine" summit in Anaheim.
Of course, this conference wasn't just bands playing music. There were numerous speakers from inside and outside Foursquare, including Pastor Jack and Glen Burris. The conference was all about investing in and raising up the next generation of spiritual leaders.
So, why the reference to the Switchfoot lyrics? Well, honestly, it's a pretty catchy song and the chorus keeps repeating in my mind. Still, there's more to it than that. (I'll get to that in a moment.)
It's a new year. The time of year when more people purpose to make change and do new things than any other time of the year.
I wonder what God thinks of New Year's resolutions... My hunch is, God wants us to live every day like it was New Year's. After all, He makes it clear in His word that He loves to do new things. Reflecting on what was, looking forward with expectation to what will come, and committing ourselves to a life of continued change is a life pattern we do well to follow. Daily.
Imagine was a God thing. And I'm not overspiritualizing it. Godly men and women planned this conference...and God directed how it went. One of the recurring themes of the conference ran like a thread throughout the 3 days. Desire. Dreams. Ambition. Possibility... Numerous and very different speakers ended up touching on these and other related themes. Created in the image of a creative and passionate God, we are people designed to dream big and relentlessly pursue becoming and doing all God has in mind for us to become and do. Every speaker challenged us on this point.
"This is Your Life" is one of Switchfoot's more well-known songs. I'm guessing that's why they played it... And I also can imagine God smiling as He gazed upon His kids this past weekend, and enjoyed His divine orchestration of things. This is your life. Are you who you want to be? These lyrics could have been the subtitle for the Summit. Can seem like a small thing but I believe God intended for all these things to weave together to paint a wonderfully colorful prophetic tapestry--with varied parts that spoke to the hearts and stirred the imaginations of the thousands attending.
It's New Year's; it's your life. Are you who you want to be? Don't settle for second best. God has so much more for us than that. Let's reach out and chase after it...and not let go of our dreams.
These words are from the song, "This is Your Life," by Switchfoot. I got to see them play live a couple of nights ago at the Foursquare Next Gen "Imagine" summit in Anaheim.
Of course, this conference wasn't just bands playing music. There were numerous speakers from inside and outside Foursquare, including Pastor Jack and Glen Burris. The conference was all about investing in and raising up the next generation of spiritual leaders.
So, why the reference to the Switchfoot lyrics? Well, honestly, it's a pretty catchy song and the chorus keeps repeating in my mind. Still, there's more to it than that. (I'll get to that in a moment.)
It's a new year. The time of year when more people purpose to make change and do new things than any other time of the year.
I wonder what God thinks of New Year's resolutions... My hunch is, God wants us to live every day like it was New Year's. After all, He makes it clear in His word that He loves to do new things. Reflecting on what was, looking forward with expectation to what will come, and committing ourselves to a life of continued change is a life pattern we do well to follow. Daily.
Imagine was a God thing. And I'm not overspiritualizing it. Godly men and women planned this conference...and God directed how it went. One of the recurring themes of the conference ran like a thread throughout the 3 days. Desire. Dreams. Ambition. Possibility... Numerous and very different speakers ended up touching on these and other related themes. Created in the image of a creative and passionate God, we are people designed to dream big and relentlessly pursue becoming and doing all God has in mind for us to become and do. Every speaker challenged us on this point.
"This is Your Life" is one of Switchfoot's more well-known songs. I'm guessing that's why they played it... And I also can imagine God smiling as He gazed upon His kids this past weekend, and enjoyed His divine orchestration of things. This is your life. Are you who you want to be? These lyrics could have been the subtitle for the Summit. Can seem like a small thing but I believe God intended for all these things to weave together to paint a wonderfully colorful prophetic tapestry--with varied parts that spoke to the hearts and stirred the imaginations of the thousands attending.
It's New Year's; it's your life. Are you who you want to be? Don't settle for second best. God has so much more for us than that. Let's reach out and chase after it...and not let go of our dreams.
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