My dear North Carolina friend has encouraged me to start blogging.....so here goes nothing! We just got back from visiting with the Megilligans last week and we all had a blast. Everyone pairs up when we're together and it's so much fun. The rest of July is full of fun and looking forward to letting you all know what's going on! Next week Emma goes to an overnight camp for the first time and she's so excited. That's all for now....ta ta!

What Church is Not

(the church has left the building)

The gathering together of believers for teaching, prayer and worship has been happening since the beginning of the church. They have gathered in homes, schools, public places, YMCAs, and church buildings. They have gathered in public and in private; in open celebration and in secret. The time of day or day of the week doesn’t really matter. The dress of the people, the kind of music played, the brand of coffee served are just details. The important thing is that people are gathering and the name of the Lord is being praised!

It’s important to also think about what church is not. It should not be the only place that we worship the Lord, the only place His name is praised. For we can praise Him in so many ways, by sharing the joys in our life with others, by remaining steadfast in the face of obstacles.

Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

Church should not be the only place we cast our burdens on the Lord in prayer. We can pray at bedtime, before meals, when we get up in the morning and when we drive to and from work (eyes open please.)

Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.”

Even more importantly, church should not be the only place we find our friends. We should be interacting with all kinds of people, in all kinds of circumstances. We are called to be salt and light to the world.

Matthew 5:16 “… let you light shine before men, that they may see your good works and praise your father in heaven”

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing

(on the 8th day God created the Hammond organ)

I’ve been a piano/keyboard player most of my life and I’ve played one of those instruments at church for as long as I can remember. At the last church I served we had a great piece of equipment that emulated the legendary Hammond B3 organ, (that sound you hear in so much of the music of the 60’s from groups like The Allman Brothers and the Spencer Davis Group.) I enjoyed that digital rendering and the color it added to the music.

But this past week I reached the pinnacle of keyboarding. Our new church in Toledo has a genuine Hammond B3, rescued from a garage in Oberlin, Ohio. And it was my first Sunday in the band. The digital sound I thought was so outstanding paled in comparison to playing with the Leslie speaker spinning in the cabinet a few feet away. There ain’t nothin’ like the real thing!

The children of Israel came to this same conclusion time after time after time in the Old Testament. God had miraculously brought them out of bondage in Egypt, taken them across the Red Sea, given them manna and quail, and led them to victory over their enemies. But they fell into the trap of chasing after cheap imitations; idols made of gold and wood and stone. When things finally reached the breaking point they would remember the one true God, the God of their fathers, and cry out in repentance. The love and protection would envelope them once again.
Remember, then and now…There ain’t nothin’ like the real thing!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Starting Over

(preseason, postseason..... we count the same in God's family)

The baseball playoffs have begun and fans across the country are root, root, rooting for their home team. The teams play 162 games over parts of 6 months to earn their spot in the postseason. But all the records and statistics don’t count for a thing once the playoffs start. Everyone has to start over. Everyone gets to start over. A clean slate, everyone’s equal, all the stuff from the past doesn’t matter anymore. Whether you started fast and finished slow or vice versa, it doesn’t matter how you got there; it just matters that you did.

There are plenty of times where a writer of a New Testament book, or Jesus himself, will quote verses from the Old Testament. It’s a sure sign that the verse is very important. Hebrews 8:12 and Jeremiah 31:34 is one example: “For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.”

You see, God has a “playoff” attitude towards our faith. Some people find it as children. Some people don’t get there until their deathbed. But it doesn’t matter how long it takes us to find our faith, it just matters that we do. And just like the playoffs, we all get to start over. Nothing held against us, all the records don’t count for a thing.

It’s still not too late to get on God’s postseason roster!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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On the Outside Looking in

(soooooo close... it's just not our year in Ohio)

I just happened to be in Cleveland today as the Indians are attempting to clinch a spot in the 2007 World Series. I walked the four blocks from the hotel to the ballpark and stood outside the fence peering wistfully into the game. I could see one of the small scoreboards, hear the radio play by play being piped in and see replays reflected on the glass of the left field restaurant. The roar of the crowd was deafening as I hung out on the street with several thousand of my closest friends!

But I’m sure it would have been better to actually be at the game, in a seat (or standing) and cheering for the home team. I could have been inside; the concierge at the hotel said he could get bleacher seats for “only” $185. I had the desire to be inside and I knew how to get there. The price was just too high.

The rejoicing in heaven will make that ballgame look funereal. Thank the Lord we don’t have to be on the outside looking in when that day comes. The way is very clear: “for God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” John 3:16. The price is too high for us to pay alone, but our friend has picked up the tab!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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You have been Selected

(flying just isn't easy anymore)

I traveled this week to not one, but two conferences. They both related to the Christian Mission of the YMCA, which made the back-to-back nature tolerable, but little else was the same. Two cities, two time zones, two sponsors, two dress codes, you name it. Even two plane tickets; and there in lies the story.

Because my wife was to drive and meet me for the second event, my journey did not end where it started. Instead, I bought two one-way tickets; which earned me the opportunity to hear “you have been selected for security screening” at the Denver airport. The process turned out to be pretty simple; merely providing photo identification and having an airline representative enter a bunch of extra information into the computer prior to receiving my boarding pass.

It hadn’t occurred to me that one-way tickets would set off some kind of minor alarm, but in the times we live, I shouldn’t be surprised. I actually take comfort in the security that’s present in our airports. Sure you have to arrive earlier and the lines get long, but the payoff in peace of mind is worth it.

The end of life on earth is a one way ticket; either eternity with God or eternity without. But He provides a way for peace of mind and the process is pretty simple. Faith in Christ as our once and forever Savior is all we need.

And there aren’t any long lines!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Forget the Box

(boxes shmoxes... believers need to think outside something else)

Imagine you were in a small boat on Lake Erie with your friends traveling to one of the islands. When the weather’s clear it’s a fun ride, but if a storm kicked up it would be a different story. Wind blowing, waves crashing, rain falling. Scary stuff. The best place to be in a storm is in the boat. I would be right there in the middle, hunkered down with a tarp over my head.

The disciples found themselves in a similar situation on the Sea of Galilee in John 6. The storm was raging all around and they were frightened. But then Jesus came to them walking on the water. In that instant the safest place was no longer in the boat. Rather it was out on the water, with the One who could tame the wind and the waves. It was counter intuitive, but true.

We’ve probably all heard the phrase “think outside the box.” I submit that in ministry and Christian organizations like the YMCA we need to forget the box. We need to think outside the boat. That’s where Jesus was; calling the disciples to come and join him. That’s where we, too, can meet him and do the amazingly powerful work he desires from us.

Throw off the tarp, look and listen and get ready to JUMP!


Brian

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The Perfect Environment

(what about those fish? on the ark? not on the ark?)

A few months ago I was reading a book about Noah’s Ark to my daughters. We covered the pages about Noah and his family being righteous and Noah building the ark while the other people made fun of him. There were pictures of tigers and elephants and alligators filing up the ramp, the torrential rain falling and the ark floating along with giraffes poking their heads through the roof. It was great fun, but something caught my eye. There, underneath the ark, were an assortment of fish and other sea creatures just floating blissfully along. I wondered, “Why aren’t they in the ark?”

The answer, of course, is that they didn’t need to be! They would have been perfectly fine in the water; they were already in their perfect environment. The account of the Great Flood in the book of Genesis mentions only that: “two of all birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark”. So it seems plausible that fish and aquatic life might have ridden out the storm unaware of and unharmed by the destruction and turmoil happening right above them.

We can have our own perfect environment, our own place to ride out the storms that life brings. Trusting in the care and provision of God, surrounding ourselves with caring, loving friends, and continuing to seek answers and guidance from the Bible can keep us from harm too!

Brian

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Rejoice

(I grew up with Woody Hayes and "that team up North".. I'm a big Buckeyes fan so yes I was rooting for UM to lose on opening day)

Rejoice…

I had the chance to attend the opening game of the Ohio State University football season this year. The Youngstown State Penguins never really had a chance of course, but they played with enthusiasm. The alumni band was there providing the bodies needed for not one, but four simultaneous Script Ohio’s. It was a beautiful day, the company was great and we won! What could be better?

Well an interesting thing happened that day. Not only did the 105,000 people have the chance to rejoice in the victory of their beloved team, but they found themselves rooting for their arch rival to lose. Every time an update was posted to the scoreboard the crowd would roar. And lose that rival did, in surprising fashion. After the game it was hard to tell which event was more pleasing to the departing crowds!

Now I know that even though this is the biggest rivalry in college football, it was just a couple of football games. And I now rooting against your rival doesn’t make you a bad person. But taking that kind of an attitude out into the rest of your life is clearly not the thing to do. In his letter to the Romans, Paul encourages us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice: mourn with those who mourn.” In other words, show empathy, show respect for other’s feelings, and show that you want to succeed because of your own merits, not because of other’s failures.

Yes, maybe even on Saturday afternoons.


Brian

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Abundant Life

(the world want's us to seek after stuff, but true happiness comes from somewhere else)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

What is an abundant life? If you follow the model of the modern media, it has a lot to do with how we look and what we own. It is based on being famous for being famous, for having a dog that fits in your purse, for the clothes you wear and who you parents are. It’s also about being wealthy, wrecking cars and going to rehab, with plenty of people paid to clean up the messes you make in your life.

What is an abundant life? If you follow the Biblical model it’s quite a bit different. It’s a life lived with a pure spirit that endeavors to make good decisions based on the solid information contained in scripture. It’s a life lived free from guilt, secure in the knowledge that a bad decision need not be followed by another and another, that we can stop the cycle and move in a different direction at any time.

An abundant life is filled with the knowledge that we have taken responsibility for the consequences of our decisions, that we didn’t run away and hide. It’s a life filled with hope, secure in the grace and mercy available through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The scars of the past can be healed.


Brian

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Things my BlackBerry taught me

(we can be too connected to the world of technology, but we can never be too connected to God)

Things my Blackberry taught me

There was a cartoon in the paper last week with this quote in the first panel: “My blackberry is lost! What if people are calling me and I don’t know they’re calling? What if people are texting me and I don’t know they’re texting? I’m cut off from my whole world!” I jokingly sent this to some friends under the heading “my worst nightmare” and I received a variety of funny comments back. Unfortunately I have become accustomed to having instant access to the world; and for the world to have instant access to me. Emails, text messages, phone calls, weather and traffic bulletins and news headlines are all magically sent to that little black box. It’s convenient, but at the same time very controlling!

For all the power of technology, it pales in comparison to the power of prayer. We have the opportunity for instant access to the creator of the universe! We can ask questions, express gratitude, seek guidance with life decisions, and find a way around roadblocks and stormy weather in our lives. It’s two-way wireless communication of the most important kind. Never subject to battery chargers, power outages or dropped calls! The only time it doesn’t work is when we don’t take the time.

“My prayer life is lost! What if the Lord is calling me and I don’t know he’s calling? I’m cut off from my whole world!”

That’s my real worst nightmare!


Brian

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Widows and Orphans

(Biblical truth doesn't change...society changes... we just need to find new and different ways to apply the truth!)


The Bible talks many times about widows and orphans and how their families and God’s people ought to look after and care for them. Life expectancy was low and Israel was often at war; men died young as a matter of course. In the context of Bible times, their plight would be extreme. Without the right to own property or in many cases the means to earn a living, the call for care was practical as well as spiritual.

Life expectancies are much longer now and we are not so often at war. Women are no longer treated as second class and children receive an education courtesy of the local taxpayers. I can’t think of any orphans that I actually know and only a few widows. So does the exhortation of James 1:7 to “look after orphans and widows in their distress” still apply?

Consider this. Let’s shift our paradigm just slightly and think of the all the single parents we know, especially women who have been left behind for a variety of reasons. Think also of all the children who don’t have a father in the home, and perhaps never knew their father at all. Suddenly, we see a whole new group of modern “widows and orphans” many of whom desperately need help; many of whom live right next door.

So follow James and do what you can. Make a meal. Cut the grass. Become a mentor to a teenager you know. Pray for them. Let them know you care.


Thanks for all you do.

Brian

Ex Indians

I was watching baseball highlights the other night and got to thinking about all the guys who used to play for the Tribe that have moved on to greener pastures... sometimes the lure is money like Jim (she's my rock) Thome...sometimes it's just a chance to play everyday like John (Omar without the salsa and paintings) McDonald... sometimes it's the the GM listening too much to the manager like Brandon (thank you Eric Wedge) Phillips...

without spending hours and hours I came up with this team of former Indians... I had a hard time finding a third baseman as you can see.. catcher was rough too.. I thought Sandy Alomar was still in the league but couldn't find him on a roster... Would you rather have these guys? Can you think of anyone better?

• 1B - Richie Sexson AVG .208 HR 19 RBI 58 OBP .299 SLG .405
• 2B - Brandon Phillips AVG .274 HR 21 RBI 66 OBP .320 SLG .464
• SS - John McDonald AVG .259 HR 1 RBI 22 OBP .283 SLG .344
• 3B – Russell Branyan AVG .202 HR 8 RBI 21 OBP .324 SLG .452
• C – Josh Bard AVG .267 HR 3 RBI 33 OBP .349 SLG .382
• RF – Brian Giles AVG .297 HR 7 RBI 31 OBP .387 SLG .422
• CF - Coco Crisp AVG .274 HR 5 RBI 44 OBP .339 SLG .393
• LF - Manny Ramirez AVG .291 HR 19 RBI 79 OBP .381 SLG .498
• DH – Jim Thome AVG .261 HR 18 RBI 59 OBP .412 SLG .492

Why we do what we do

(why do you do what you do? what is the passion that drives your ministry?)

If you’ve ever watched a Veggie Tales episode you may have noticed a short vignette near the beginning. A little child plays over top the caption, “why we do what we do”. It’s a wonderful visual to parents about the good intentions of the animators. And I suppose a reminder to the makers of why started creating those goofy videos in the first place.

Last week I visited the Lucas County Youth Treatment Center with my friend Josh who does spiritual mentoring work there each week. On this particular day the residents were putting on a dramatic performance they had written, directed, starred in, wrote music for and created a documentary of. It was clearly something that took them out of their comfort zone and got them to express feelings about the poor choices that had landed them at the Center.

The kids seemed pretty much like any other groups of kids. Except that the court system has separated them from the rest of society for a time. When the program ended that day, they had three minutes to spend with their parents. That’s it, three minutes. Then the separation, not just from society, but from the ones they love would continue.

That’s “why we do what we do” at the YMCA. To help kids like these see a different side of life and get back in the mainstream when they are released. To help young teens have a positive after-school experience and avoid trouble in first place. To give young kids a safe, loving place to get the skills they need to get ready for kindergarten.

That and so much more!

Brian

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Theological Neutrality

(the Y is not the only institution that fits this way of thought, crisis pregnancy centers, rescue missions are two that come to mind, but they usually lack the "heft" of the Y)

I was talking with my friend Brian this weekend about the culture at his YMCA versus mine. We talked mostly about the spirit side of the Y triangle, visible reflections like scripture on the walls, attitudinal reflections like loving and serving the members, and about connections to the larger Christian community. I’m always glad to share how blessed we are that so many churches, with varying opinions on baptism, spiritual gifts, styles of worship and other things, can come together through the vehicle of the YMCA to do great things for our community and for the Kingdom. My friend called it “theological neutrality” and I love the term.

We aren’t looking for people to be neutral in a way that makes their faith lukewarm or compromises what they believe. Rather we want people to avoid “majoring on the minors”, and focus on the commonality of their faith instead of the things that separate them. It works and the results can be amazing.

The Bible is filled with exhortations to be in one accord and to live in harmony with one another. Probably because people have always had a hard time doing it! But things that are against our nature can sometimes be the most important. Why not apply this principle to all aspects of your life? Find the commonality with your neighbors, coworkers and your family members. Find a spot of neutrality and work together to do bigger things than you could ever do alone.


Thanks for all you do.

Brian

A Friend Like Andy

(I wrote this one without consciously realizing I was going to North Carolina the next week...We stopped in Mount Airy, Andy Griffith's hometown, on the way down! )

One of my favorite channels is TV Land. So many of the fun shows I watched when I was young are still running there. And no show gets my attention more than the Andy Griffith Show. The simple life in Mayberry, the interesting people, the fix-it shop and the respectful children harkens back to a time of three channels of black and white television and no remote control. But the aspect of the show that keeps coming to my mind is the relationship between Sheriff Andy Taylor and his bumbling, but well-meaning, Deputy Barney Fife. Andy always looked out for Barney. He found chances for Barney to succeed, to receive accolades. He turned down plenty of opportunities when Barney wasn’t going to be included. Andy valued the friend and the friendship more than his personal accomplishment.

I wonder if you’ve ever had a friend like Andy. I suppose you might never know. You see Andy never let Barney in on the whole story; leaving him blissfully unaware of the good being done for him. I wonder if you’ve ever been a friend like Andy. Philippians 2:3-4 says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others”.

Andy wasn’t just making good television; he was modeling true Biblical friendship. Why not give it a try yourself? See you at the fishing hole!


Brian

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No one too lost. No one too low.

On July 1st the YMCA co-sponsored a Freedom Celebration in conjunction with a local township and one of our church partners. It was a great family-friendly event and as we walked around thanking people for being there I heard much positive feedback. The high point of the evening was a free concert by Sanctus Real, a local Toledo band that has made it to the top of the Christian music scene. Since that night I’ve not been able to stop thinking about the last two lines of their current hit: “No one too lost for me to love. No one too low for me to serve.”

I think those sixteen words convey the essential fabric of the Christian life; loving and serving. Everyone is included, no one is excluded. We are called to love our neighbor and love our enemies. We are called to serve those in authority over us and to be servant leaders to those we oversee.

I don’t work with the sick and dying in Calcutta like Mother Theresa did or try to save the lives and souls of the poor in Honduras like Great Commission Latin America. But working for a mission-driven, Christian organization gives me the chance to live out “no one too lost; no one too low” in a public way every day. Whatever you do, wherever you are, seize the opportunity that you have to love and serve.

Brian

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We have met the enemy

We live in Perrysburg, Ohio, named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Perry was the first to ever defeat an entire British naval squadron and capture every boat as a prize. The victory was a major turning point in that conflict. In reporting to General William Henry Harrison, Perry wrote the words for which he is remembered; “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”

There are days when I feel like my motto is; “I have met the enemy and he’s winning.” The Apostle Peter wrote, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I guess that means it’s not just me. Everyone faces the same kinds of trials at times. It can take the form of discouragement, of depression, of doubts, fears and loneliness, you name it.

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2

We can always find rest in God. We can always count on him to be the fortress that protects us from the enemy. In Him we can find the courage to turn and face the enemy, to rush headlong into battle and to win like Perry did.

We have met the enemy and, with God’s help, we will be victorious!

Brian

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Deity Savings Time

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

Time

Most of the United States switched to Standard Time this past weekend. The extra hour of sleep was great on Sunday, although our one year-old did not get the memo that 7:00 a.m. was now 6:00 a.m. I imagine most everyone remembered to change their clocks, what with messages to “fall back”, “turn the clocks back” and “gain an hour” displayed at every turn. Of course, we know time doesn’t really change in the spring and fall; we merely adjust our place in the time continuum. “Time and tide waits for no man”, wrote John Skot in Everyman. Time is a constant.

God is a constant. The creator of time is unconcerned with its passage. The apostle Peter quoted the Psalms when he said “With the Lord a thousand years are like a day”. Eternally existent, God’s love for us does not change. His concern for us does not change. His truth does not change. His plan for our life does not change.

So why then do we sometimes feel far from God? Because we have adjusted our place in His continuum. We’ve put ourselves on Deity Savings Time; moving the Lord around to suit our own needs and agendas; letting the light of His love shine at times that are convenient for us.

If you’re in a far from God place right now, “fall back”. I think you’ll find Him right where you left Him.

Brian

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A Modern Parable

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

A Modern Parable

Sometimes when I read the parables in the New Testament I think, “I don’t have any gold coins or sheep or mustard seeds. How can I better relate this story to my life today?” Maybe like this, (with my apologies to Luke.)

“Jesus was getting plenty of grief for hanging out with sinners and tax collectors. So he told them this parable: "Suppose one of you is visiting a far away city and has rented a car. And as you are getting ready to leave you realize you’ve lost the keys. Unless you found the keys you will miss your plane and incur a large expense to have a new key made. Wouldn’t you leave the office and the people you are working with to go out to the parking lot and look high and low until you found the keys? And when you found them, I know you would joyfully stash the keys in a safe place! Then you would call your friends together and say, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost keys!' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over all the righteous persons who do not need to repent.””

I do have a friend who lost his keys on a trip and was elated to find them after an exhaustive search. I can definitely understand that kind of joy more than finding a sheep. The point is that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He didn’t come just so we could spend the rest of lives hanging out with people just like us. Let’s try to seek and save the lost in spirit, mind or body like he did.

And there will be rejoicing in heaven!

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Approachability

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

Approachability

Last Friday the YMCA of Greater Toledo held an all-staff retreat. It was great to get together with 100 fellow employees and talk about the important work of our organization. The morning was devoted to business discussions but the afternoon featured a very interesting topic. Scott Ginsburg spoke to our group about the power of approachability. About how being outgoing, friendly, and taking the first step with people, can yield unexpected (and positive) results. He closed by quoting Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so; some have entertained angels, with out knowing it.” What a great tie in!

I believe one of the essential themes of the New Testament is approachability. The priests of the Old Testament approached the Holy of Holies but once a year; and then in a very precise and measured way. But in a “new and living way” Hebrews 14:16 says we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” God is perfect and holy. I am imperfect and sinful. The two cannot coexist absent the grace found through faith in Christ.

We can be approachable to people by smiling, asking questions, or even by wearing a name tag 24/7. God is approachable to people by their faith. Nothing more and nothing less.

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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Spider Webs and Mustard Seeds

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

Spider Webs and Mustard Seeds

The area where we live in Northern Ohio is sometimes called the Fun Coast, the North Coast or even the Roller Coast. I think it should be called the Spider Coast. I have never in my life seen so many spiders, or such large spiders. Their web making is prodigious. I can park my car in the drive after work, and by the time I come out in the morning a huge web will extend from the lamp post to my side mirror. Yuck! I suppose the plentiful water and large population of mayflies, midges and mosquitoes keep the spiders fat and happy.

The other day I was spraying some webs off the house and just couldn’t get this one tiny strand to give way. I shot a solid stream from the hose. I sent a wide spray. I swung the hose from side to side and top to bottom. It was no use. I couldn’t believe how something so small could be so strong. It reminded me of what Jesus taught about the mustard seed, the smallest seed in the garden. He told his disciples in Matthew 17:20 “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

It’s not how large your faith appears to those around you. It’s not how loud you shout “Amen!”. It’s not about carrying a Bible case everywhere you go. No, the key is how strong your faith is, how tightly wound the strands are, like the spider web. It’s about the power inside, the potential for big things, like the mustard seed.

Be strong. Be powerful. Be faithful.

Thanks for all you do.

Brian

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My Story

I consider it a great privilege that I was able to share my testimony with both campuses of The Chapel a couple years ago. For years, I was unwilling to discuss the events mentioned below to anyone, even my ever-patient wife, Pam. But I felt very led to share this story in public during a segment in the service called "My Story".... Because of the size of the church, I estimate between 7500-8500 people heard me speak.

I found that it touched many people who had experienced personal tragedy and gave hope to them... I also found that it freed me from my inability to talk about it. This was a benefit that I had not ever envisioned.



My Story

A scream split the night. An horrific sound of pure anguish and despair that haunts me still. Loud footsteps, shouting, doors closing. And as I lay cowering in my bed, spoken phrases caught, “Brother”, “shot”,” hurry”, “help your Mother”.

Life as I knew it was over… we had gone to bed the classic happy suburban family, but in an instant, my 19 year-old brother, a wonderful man, an extraordinarily talented musician and my hero in every sense of the word, was gone. And my life would never be the same.
Kevin was murdered while working as a desk clerk at our family’s motel on the Ohio Turnpike, a victim of a robbery gone bad, shot once in the back, and left to die alone.

Many families in this situation fall apart. Mine, praise God, did not, and for this I am forever grateful. The fact remains, though, that my life is divided into two parts. The family I knew after was not the same as before. Gone were the laughter, and the carefree days of youth. Present was a sadness and reserve that remains to this day.

As a young person, I saw my parent’s faith in God’s ultimate purpose displayed in their actions. This faith kept us together and kept us moving slowly forward in spite of the pain. But I still blamed…. I blamed God for allowing this to happen, I blamed my parents for ever buying the business in the first place, I blamed my grandmother for taking a vacation and not being the one who was there, I blamed my brother for answering the door bell in the middle of the night when the explicit instruction was not to. I blamed everyone, even myself. If not for a last minute change of plans, I would have been there that night also. Could I have done something to prevent it? Or would I have died too? Would that have been easier than living with the loss?

A few years later, while watching a Christmas TV special featuring a local evangelist, hoping to catch a glimpse of my father who had played in the orchestra for the taping, I heard the gospel message clearly preached for the first time in my life. I heard that God loved me and had a plan for my life. I heard that He sent His son to pay the price for my sins. I heard that if I would believe in Him I would have eternal life?

I knelt by my bed that night, alone in my room and prayed to accept Christ as my savior.
That simple act, with no fanfare, no witnesses and no long drawn out process laid the foundation for my blame to begin to shift to hope. A hope in the promise of heaven, a hope that Jesus will come again, a hope that God’s love endures forever, and a hope that I will see my brother again and worship the Lamb alongside him. Hope has enabled me to be effected by the tragedy in my life, but no longer consumed by it. The pain 30 years later remains, but with each year I gain more victory and more hope in Christ.

When people ask why God allows evil in the world, I have no simple answer. I continue to ask myself that question from time to time. What good came of Kevin’s death? What good comes from any tragedy? Romans 8:28 teaches us “all things work together for good for those that love the Lord.” yet, the whole earth groans, and I groan with it.

The greatest verses of hope for me lie in Rev. 21 3-4 “Gods’ home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. HE will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.”

The image of my savior, the creator of the universe caring enough for me to wipe away my tears, (and there have been plenty), is the very image of hope for me………

September Musings

The last five days have been so special. First because I had four of them off work. Second because now that Lilly can walk she is often outside in the back playing with Emma and Abby.. It is such a treat for dear old Dad to see the three little girls all playing together like that. It's like we are a family again in a strange way... When there is a little one who isn't up on two feet yet, outside family adventures are usually undertaken just when the baby is sleeping, or they don't involve one of the parents..But now we can get up teams and play soccer or Pam and I can work on the (enormous) flower beds in the back yard, trim the (numerous) trees and haul (voluminous) loads of weeds to the back edge of the yard...Tractor rides are mandatory of course for all three girls..

Last evening we were treated to a live concert of Southern Rock covers from a band at the Harley dealer a couple miles down the road. Fortunately I like Southern Rock and fortunately the band was pretty good. Life in our neck of the woods slows down a bit now that Cedar Point is not open everyday... You can get a seat in a restaurant again and the line at Cold Stone Creamery is no longer out the door....

Baby Steps

From The Mountaintop to the Valley

Baby Steps

Our youngest daughter has learned to walk. She’s a couple weeks past her first birthday and just loves to stand up in the middle of the room and take off. Yes, time flies and no, I can’t believe she is already this big. But, there she is, walking the length of the living room to present me with gifts; a toy broom and a toy mop. How proud she is! How proud I am too!

There is more to “walking” than just the process of moving across the floor. Deuteronomy 10:12 says, “what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord , to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul.” Now that is a real responsibility, helping someone to walk in “all of God’s ways”.
As parents, my wife and I need to see that we are just as diligent in teaching this spiritual walking as we were with the physical. And since everyone knows that actions speak louder than words, what do my actions say? The answer is likely not one that I relish hearing. But it’s never too late to start walking in God’s ways for the first time. It’s never too late to get back to walking in God’s ways if you’ve had your attention diverted. Start with baby steps. Bring the gift of yourself. How proud He will be!

Brian <><

I Do Not Run

From the Mountaintop to the Valley

I Do Not Run

I just started back running after taking some time off to heal a foot injury. Funny how you can miss something more than you thought you would. Watching the calorie counter go higher and higher on the treadmill was always a treat. And spending time alone with my thoughts and prayers was a real blessing. I sure hope it works out this time.

A couple years ago I ran in a marathon relay with four friends. We had shirts with this Biblical excerpt on the back, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly”, (1 Corinthians 9:26). Now that verse can surely provide some comic relief out on the road! We may not have been aimless, but I certainly felt like we were staggering at times, even with that big blue line painted down the center of the road.

To get the real meaning of what Paul was saying we need to look at the verses that precede verse 26, “Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Paul is encouraging us to live and work with a purpose; to set goals for our life and move towards them. Don’t just look busy. Don’t just keep busy. Don’t just run around aimlessly. Be focused. Be intentional. Take care of your spirit, mind and body. Run for the prize.

Brian

<><

Is summer almost over?

I know the calendar says we have another full month of summer, but it sure seems like it's about over. Emma started 1st grade yesterday at the Keel one room schoolhouse. (we now have one room that is dedicated to school, I converted what was gun storage room for the prior owner to a brighter, happier purpose). Abby will start preschool stuff at home today as well as two mornings a week at a local preschool next week. LILLY IS WALKING, which means she is not a "baby" baby anymore.....

Where did all the time go? Once again the list of places to visit was bigger than we could get through.

Oh well..... at least there is another month of summer on the calendar!