Take Time To Reflect

Last night, our Guatemala missions team got together at our house for a reunion. It was fun to have “Guatemalan” cuisine, to watch some of the video footage from our trip, and to hang out with these teenagers who changed my life just over a month ago.

I think it was appropriate for our team to have five or six weeks to gain perspective on our trip. And I think it was important that we reunited for an opportunity to reflect and reminisce on the nine days we spent together in a foreign land this summer.

Since returning home, I have definitely fallen back into the rat race of “normal” life at home with a job, two active kids, two dogs, and a generally non-stop schedule. I get to reflect a little each day through my blog – which is certainly a place to start. Yet it often feels like I have little time to stop and think. It’s so important that we take time to reflect.

Eastern University professor and notes sociologist, Tony Campolo, did a study several years ago. The study asked several elderly people a question like this: If you could live your life differently knowing what you know now, what would it look like? Nearly all of them responded the same way. They would risk more, and they would reflect more.

This is something I want to learn from. I’m certainly not a big risk taker. I’m very methodical in how I approach most of my life. Maybe the first risky move for me is to learn to take a risk. Taking a leap of faith is part of this, and my trip to Guatemala was certainly a leap of faith for me.

The other part of this answer involves reflection. Part of me posting over and over again about my trip to Guatemala is an exercise in reflection. I don’t want to forget the things God showed me through this experience. I certainly don’t want to stop living, but I think it’s a good practice to stop long enough to reflect.

So where does one start? I think there are a few places to begin the process of reflection.

1. Keep a journal. Keep it by your bed at night and with you during the day. Write down thoughts that come to mind as you go throughout your day or as you struggle to sleep.
2. Start a blog. Blogging provides another platform for sharing your reflections. For me, I get to share my stretch marks right here for e world to read.
3. Schedule time to get away from the busyness of life. This could be an afternoon in the park or a weekend camping. Make it a point to remove distractions.
4. Get away from the electronic toys and gadgets. I’ll admit that this can be a struggle for me at times, but I have found freedom and refreshment from times of detox from the digital world.
5. Meet up with a friend or two on a regular basis. Share with each other. Expressing in words the life going on around us can be a major part of processing – of reflection. This morning, I’m excited to meet up with two friends of mine for breakfast. This will give us a great opportunity to reflect on how God has blessed us with great friendships and on life since we last met together.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Philippians 4:8

What would you add to this list? How do you foster reflection in your own life?

Don’t Take It For Granted

On Saturday, I spent quite a bit of time cleaning our oven and stove top.  I cleaned the oven using the self-clean function on the stove.  This meant that I simply had to wipe out the oven after the cleaning cycle was complete.  The stove top took a little more elbow grease. I used Easy-Off first to loosen up the built up grease and baked in food deposits.  Then I scrubbed and polished until the stove top sparkled.  When it was all done, it looked great.

During my summer missions trip to Guatemala, our team installed 40 stoves in the homes of widows in the town of Xenacoj.  The materials for these stoves was donated through a grant from Rotary International.  Each stove weighed 450 pounds and cost $125 US.  The stoves are made with 11 cinder blocks, 5 prefabricated cement pieces, 7 clay brick pieces, a few sheet metal pieces, pummus stone, and two flat metal squares.  Once we got the hang of it, we could put a stove together in under an hour.  This included leveling out the ground under the stove, installing all the stove pieces, and cutting a hole in the roof.

This stove was not just another appliance in the house. By far, this was the most expensive material item that the widow had in her home.  The stoves burn at least 10% wood than their normal methods of cooking over an open fire.  The stoves also provide significant opportunity for health improvement by exhaust the smoke from the fire outside of the house instead of letting it linger inside the house and in the lungs of its inhabitants.

I didn’t think about these stove until long after I was finished cleaning up our oven and stoves at our house.  But when I did think about it, I realized that I don’t want to take it for granted that I have so much.  Not only do I not have to worry about breathing in the smoke of the cooking fire, I don’t have to work to gather enough wood to cook, and I don’t have to tend the fire to make sure it stays lit and gets hot enough to cook.  I simply turn a knob and maybe press a button or two and my stove top is on or my oven is baking to the desired temperature.  These are certainly luxuries compared to what I saw in Guatemala.

I’m not looking at taking out our cooking equipment to sell just so I feel better although the thought has crossed my mind that we could prune down our belongings quite a bit.  I guess it’s just a reminder to me that I shouldn’t take for granted things like cooking equipment, other home appliances, working bathroom, running water that is safe to drink, vehicles, and other things.

While I was in Guatemala, I learned a new song.  The song still goes through my head from time to time.  I don’t know the name of the song or the chords, but it goes something like this:

There’s no place I’d rather be;

No Place I’d rather be;

No place I’d rather be;

Then here in Your love;

Here in Your love.  (Repeat)

Set a fire down in my soul

That I can’t contain

That I can’t control.

I want more of You, God.

I want more of You, God.  (Repeat)

As the song goes through my mind today, it’s a reminder that whether I’m serving in a small town in Guatemala, spending time with my family in a small town in Pennsylvania, or working at my job, I don’t want to take things for granted.  And I especially don’t want to take God for granted.  God is there right where I am, and that is where I want to be – right there in His love.

Perhaps, it’s a stretch to go from cleaning a stove to realizing the desire to have God in my life, but sometimes life works that way.  I’m thankful for the chance to clean the kitchen on Saturday.  I’m thankful for the chance to install stoves in Guatemala.  And I’m thankful for a fire in my soul that wants more of God.

What are you taking for granted today?  How’s your spiritual temperature these days?

More Than Words

It seems like God is hitting me over the head with a message recently.  Following Christ and sharing His love is so much more than words – knowing words, memorizing words, and studying words.

While I think it’s important to read, study, and understand the Bible, I think it’s so much more important to put these teachings into action – into following Christ with our hands and feet.  This message has been hammered home in a few different but obvious mediums.

First, I was catching up on my blog reading on Saturday morning when I came across this video in a blog post by Ryan Tate at Discipulus.  In the video, Francis Chan shares some simple but obvious thoughts about discipleship – what it is and what it is not.

Next, I was finishing up Love Does by Bob Goff on Sunday morning (I shared about this book on my blog yesterday).  Towards the end of the book, Bob offers his thoughts on Bible study:

What’s up with equating “Bible study” with knowing God anyway?  Wouldn’t it be a horrible thing if we studies the ones we loved instead of bonding in deeper ways by doing things with them?  I’d never want to get married to a girl no matter how much I studied her.  I’d rather take her sailing or fishing or eat cotton candy with her on a Ferris wheel.  I don’t think knowing what her name means in Greek is going to help me love her more.  In fact, they have a name for guys who just study things about a person they like but don’t do anything about it – they’re called bachelors.

So I started getting together with the same guys each week and instead of calling it a Bible study, we call it a “Bible doing.”  We’ve been at it for fifteen years now, and I’ve found there’s a big difference between the two.  At our Bible doing, we read what God has to say and then focus all of our attention on what we are going to do about it.  Just agreeing isn’t enough.  I can’t think of a single time where Jesus asked His friends to just agree with Him.

Finally, I was in church on Sunday morning when our guest pastor, Paul Williams, asked the question in his sermon – “What if we loved our neighbor as ourselves?”  In Paul’s sermon, he used the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to point out that anyone and everyone is our neighbor.  Then he used the story of the Rich Young Man (Matthew 19:16-30) to remind us that we’re to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and part of this is learning to love ourselves.  Finally, Paul turned to Matthew 22:15-40.  In this passage, the Pharisees and Sadducees are having a conversation with Jesus.  (These men were known to have the Bible (The Old Testament) memorized knowing every single law that was supposed to be followed.  At the end of this passage, Jesus answers questions thrown out with a famous passage, “‘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.”  It’s that simple.  It doesn’t matter how much we know about the Bible if we’re not loving God and loving others with all we’ve got.

Bam!  Bam!  Bam!

Three times nailed over the head in a matter of 24 hours.  Do you think God was trying to tell me something?

The truth is I grew up in a pastor’s family.  I was known as the Bible geek in my freshman English class for knowing all the answers to the Bible questions.  I’ve even prided myself on the knowledge I’ve gained and retained along the way.  Knowledge is okay (and is important for maintaining a sound doctrine and for reminding us of Biblical truths and standards), but action is even more important.  James states it well:

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  James 2:17

I get so tired of all the political back and forth at this time of the year.  One side is trying to find the candidate who is the most Christian.  The other side is trying to find a government who will fix everything and create programs for our neighbors.  Wouldn’t it be a different world if Christians actually stepped up and loved their neighbors with action and not just words.  I think this is a challenge for all of us – including me.  And that’s how I’m being stretched right now!  I want my faith to be more than words.

How about you?  How are you loving your neighbor?  Is your faith and love for others based on words or based on action?

Always Be Prepared – Lessons From A Smoke Alarm (Part 2)

Yesterday, I explained how a smoke detector alarm in my home reminded me of some valuable truths related to my preparation for sharing the reason for my hope (I Peter 3:15,16).  Today’s post is a follow up to my story as well as an addition to my preparation list.

After getting up at 3:45AM to the sound of the first alarm, going to the grocery store at 4AM to purchase 9 volt batteries, and replacing the batteries in all the smoke detectors in our house, the smoke alarm was still going off periodically.  Needless to say, I was beside myself.  What else could I do to resolve this annoying and disruptive noise that was filling our house at random times.

I did some research, and I discovered that it’s recommended that the smoke detectors are cleaned with compressed air or a vacuum.  Apparently, dust can get into the detector over time and cause false alarms.  Leanne and Isaac attempted to vacuum out the detector in question once everyone was awake, but the alarm still continued.  Ugh!

Finally, reading further in the instructions, it says that the detector may need to be replaced.  So at lunch yesterday, I ran over to the local hardware store and picked up a copy of smoke detectors that were compatible with our system.  When I arrived home after work, Isaac and I replaced the detector.  And I’m happy to report that we haven’t had an alarm since!

And so I’ve learned a couple more things about being prepared to give an answer for my hope:

• Research.  Besides reading the Bible (which should be the starting point and foundation for sharing your faith), there are other resources out there that might be helpful.  A couple that come to mind are Out of the Saltshaker and into the Earth (Evangelism as a Way of Life) by Rebecca Pippert, The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman, and Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels.  Research also includes understanding the interests, beliefs, and perspectives of others.  There are plenty of books, blogs, and websites that can help with this task.
• Replace defective parts.  As you grow and learn, replace the things in your life that don’t work in representing Christ well.  When we become Christians, we become new creations.  The old is gone.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come^: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

What other tips to you have for being prepared to share our hope?  What have you had to research lately?  What resources do you recommend to help others prepare to share their faith?  What is something you’ve had to replace in your life recently?

Always Be Prepared – Lessons From A Smoke Alarm

I’ve been awake since 3:45 this morning.  I get up early each morning, but not this early normally.  I was in a pretty deep sleep when the smoke detectors in our house went into alarm.  They are all hooked together, so if one goes off, they all go into alarm.  I instantly hopped out of bed.  Was there a fire in my house?  I knew I needed to check things out.  I walked through the house, but I couldn’t find any smoke or fire (which is obviously good).  The alarm stopped, and I returned to bed.

Within a few minutes, I was back out of bed as the alarm went off again.  As I guessed, the battery in one of the detectors must have been losing its power.  Typically when this happens, the detector sends out a beep every minute or two.  However, in some cases, it will simply send the whole house into alarm.

With this in mind, I began to search the house for a fresh 9-Volt battery.  I looked in our battery bin.  Nothing.  I thought for a minute about where else I might have another newer battery.  The only place I could come up with was Isaac’s model rocket launcher.  I found the controller and pulled the battery.  When I took it to the detector I thought was the culprit, I discovered that the battery from Isaac’s rocket launcher was also low on power.

So what else could I do?  You guessed it.  I grabbed my wallet and car keys, threw on my shoes, and drove to our local grocery store to pick up 9-Volt batteries – at four in the morning!  When I returned home at 4:20AM, I began replacing all the smoke detector batteries in the house.  I purchased enough batteries for the whole house along with having a few spares.  Next time, I’ll be sure to replace the smoke detector batteries on a regular basis (like they recommend), and I’ll be sure to be prepared with a few extra 9-Volt batteries in the house.

As I was driving to and from the grocery store at 4ish in the morning, I couldn’t help but think how this early morning wake-up call was a good reminder the follow the teaching found in I Peter 3.  In this chapter, Peter proclaims that we should always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we profess.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  

I Peter 3:15,16

Being prepared to give an answer to everyone regarding the hope I have seems pretty challenging, but I think there’s a few simple things we can do to help us prepare for this opportunity.  Here are a few of my ideas:

• Remember God’s Word.  We don’t all have to be Bible scholars, but it helps to know what the Bible says.  In God’s Word, there is truth and hope that we can share with others.
• Recharge and refresh your spiritual battery.  On a daily basis, spend time with God.  On a weekly basis, spend time with other believers at your local church.  Once or twice a year, get away for a spiritual retreat.  This could be yourself, on a missions trip, or at a conference.  Each of these activities when regularly exercised will help to keep you charged up and ready to share the hope you have with others.
• Relax.  Yes, giving an answer for the hope we possess is an important responsibility, and it’s easy to become intimidated when an opportunity to share our faith arises.  But I think that God will help us when we take the time to prepare and recharge.  Sharing your faith isn’t just about words, it’s just as much about living it out through your actions on a daily basis.

And yet again, I learn from the lessons of my life.  In some strange way, I’m thankful for a smoke detector alarm that woke me up in the early hours of the morning.  And next time, I’ll be better prepared!

When was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night to something alarming?  What other suggestions do you have for being better prepared to give a reason for your hope?

Breaking the Cycle – Sometimes It’s Healthy to Get Out of Your Routine

I know that this post goes against my nature and against things I may have posted in the past. I still stand by my comfort level in having a dependable routine, and I still believe that routines are important for establishing healthy patterns that need to be repeated. Routines can also help to put an end to bad habits.

But sometimes the reverse is true. Sometimes it’s healthy to get out of your routine.

My recent trip to Guatemala was certainly a change from my typical schedule and way of doing things. This was good in opening my eyes, ears, and heart to the new things that God had to show me.

This week my routine is once again compromised while our kids are away at “Camp Grammy and Pappap”. This has meant taking the dogs out and taking them for walks instead of heading out for my morning run. It’s meant taking the trash down to the street and other chores that the kids have picked up over the past few years. But it’s also been a welcome change in the evenings as it has provided for one-on-one time with my wife. We’ve gone on a picnic, played tennis, and enjoyed dinner together.  In this case, the change in routine has been great for our marriage, and I think it will ultimately benefit our parenting when our kids return later this week.

I hate change, but sometimes it is so worth it!  Here are a few suggestions for playing with your routine this week:

1. Drive a different way to or from work this week.  If you’re like me, you could drive to work with your eyes closed (if it weren’t for the other cars and the traffic lights).  Taking a different path could show you something new and different.
2. Eat something new.  I don’t like tomatoes despite the fact that we grow them in our garden.  Last night, I actually tried a couple of pieces of tomato that my wife had prepared with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.  It wasn’t my favorite, but it also wasn’t as bad as I expected.
3. Spend time with God in a new location.  For those of us who have regular “quiet times” with God, we often go to the same location and have the same routine.  This isn’t necessarily bad, but sometimes it can be refreshing to get with God somewhere new and to try a new routine.  Perhaps this means going to a park and sitting by a lake or stream.  Maybe it means exploring a new section of the Bible or praying in a different way.  Whatever you decide to do, consider taking your journal along with you.  Write down your thoughts on how God spoke to you through this change in routine.

Change isn’t always bad.  Sometimes it can be a good thing to break the cycle of our routine.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

What other suggestions to you have for getting out of your routine?  How have you broken the cycle of your own routines?  Was that a good experience or not?  Why?

Repost: For Such A Time As This

While I’m in Guatemala, I have several guest bloggers to share and a couple of posts from the archives.  Here’s a post I wrote last year about my placement at my job at just the right time.  Here you go…

I like my job.  I get the opportunity to help other people succeed.  I get the chance to support other people.  And I have the privilege of setting a tone and example for others to follow.  I confess that I don’t always get it right.  But I do pride myself on living with integrity and making decisions that represent Godly values and character.

Being in a management role, I have the honor of walking alongside team members as they celebrate the joys of life, but I sometimes have to provide support through their tough times as well.  Yesterday, I received some tough news from one of my team members.  He and his family are facing a very challenging time.  My heart was heavy yesterday when I got the news.  My thoughts and prayers have been with this family yesterday and today.

I don’t know what role I will have in the whole process.  But I do know that I will have a chance to provide workplace support to this individual as he focuses on what really matters at home right now.  Perhaps, I was put in my position a few years ago for just this time.  I pray that for them, and I also pray that I can lead in a way that draws others close to God.

As I’ve been processing this news over the past twenty-four hours, I was reminded of the story of Esther.  Esther was given a chance to be queen at a time when her people (the Jews) were facing persecution.  As a Jew herself, Esther had the opportunity to speak to the king and to sway him to protect the Jewish people.  The story is much more detailed than my explanation, but the gist of the story is that Esther was made queen at just the right time.  This verse from Esther 4:14 echoes this thought:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Obviously, my position in management at my company is not quite the same as Esther’s position of queen, but I’m reminded that God can use us where we are at home, at work, in school, in the community.  Are we open to being used by God for His glory?

Where does God have you right now?  How do you sense that God may be using your current position in life to bring Him glory?

Repost: Plans For Me

This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!

Today’s post was originally posted in October 2010.  September and October of 2010 was a life changing and challenging time for our family.  It’s interesting to look back and see how God was shaping me in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Today is the final day of reposts as we are returning from vacation.  I’d love to hear what you’ve thought of this week of reposts.  Thanks for allowing me the chance to take a break.

I feel like I have recently been in a mental wrestling match with myself about my plans, the future, and trying to live one day at a time. I like to have a plan for things. I like it when I can map things out and know where I’m headed. I have a quote hanging in my office, “If you fail to plan, you should plan to fail.” I think it’s important to have a plan, but I’m also learning that it’s important to be flexible and to trust. Trusting God for my future sounds easy and maybe it should be easy, but I must have the brain of a mule (stubborn). I still get hung up on the “what ifs” of tomorrow, next month, next year, etc.

As I’ve been processing this and meditating on the word ‘plans,’ Jeremiah 29:11-13 came to my mind:

¹¹ “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

These verses point very clearly to that fact that God has plans for me that include hope for the future. He simply asks me to come to Him, to seek Him with all I’ve got, and to be open to His plan. I’m learning, and I’m thankful today for this reminder. With this in mind, I can let go of my anxiety and my personal wrestling match.

One day at a time…

What are you wrestling with these days?  How have you seen God work wonders in the midst of your plans, uncertainties, and challenges?

Repost: The Prodigal Son – The Older Son

This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!

Today’s post was originally posted in April 2011.  The story of the prodigal son can be powerful.  Here’s my take from my perspective.

The painting above by Rembrandt depicts the story of The Prodigal Son. In the forefront, you see the lost son being embraced by the loving father. And I’m guessing that the middle figure in the back behind the father is the older son. Here are some of my thoughts about this story.

A couple of weeks ago at my men’s group, we were discussing different parables that we liked and disliked. We talked about different ones and what they meant. One of the parables we talked about more extensively was The Parable of the Lost Son (or The Prodigal Son). This story told by Jesus in Luke 15 is an amazing story about a runaway son who finds redemption, about a loving father who grants forgiveness, and about an older son who is conflicted by the happenings surrounding his brother and his father.

I love this story and I dislike the story all at the same time. I love that we all are offered forgiveness and grace. We have all screwed up, and our Father runs to us with open arms as we return to Him. I identify with the older son who seems to have done everything correctly, but who sometimes feels lost in the shadows as those around me celebrate the stories of people who have “returned home” following a path of drunkenness, debauchery, and destruction. I know this sounds selfish and shortsighted, and it is. But it’s also an honest response. I am so thankful for my upbringing, my early found faith, and my journey. And I really don’t want any turmoil or trouble in my life that could come as a result of straying from God. But there are times where I feel overlooked or undervalued because I don’t have a more colorful story of how I was lost but found Christ.

Just a window into my thoughts – enough whining! Whether you relate to the younger son or the older son, we can all be thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness. We can all experience redemption. And I think this is why I ultimately love this story. It convicts me of my own selfishness and jealousy, and it offers a clear hope for me. You see, I believe the Father would do anything for both of the sons. He loves both of them lavishly and completely. God, my Father, loves me despite my junk.

Do you believe that? How do you relate to this story?

Repost: This Is Home – Now I’m Finally Where I Belong

This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!

Today’s post was originally posted in October 2009.  The post was simple thoughts following a visit to Grove City College.  The thoughts still apply.  I’m glad to be home!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Grove City College for my 15th Year Reunion and for Homecoming. It was so great to be back on campus. It brought back memories of fun times with friends, times of personal growth, challenging times of learning, and especially of meeting the love of my life. It was amazing to see how the campus continues to get even better with new building and added features. I was also inspired by how the focus of the campus and it’s leadership seems to be in the right place.

As I spoke with a good friend, Dave Johnson, it was fun to recount specific stories of the good times and rivalries that existed between our housing groups. We really had a blast while we were at “The Grove.” As our conversation moved towards our families, jobs, and church involvement, we both commented that we wouldn’t trade our present circumstances to go back in time to our Grove City days. God has truly blessed us.

On the ride home last night, I was listening to Switchfoot. I was struck by their song “This Is Home.” I’m so thankful for the memories. But I don’t want to go back. I’m finally where I belong. I’m so thankful for my wife, my family, my church, my job, and exactly where I’m at right now.

Here’s the first verse and chorus from the song:

I’ve got my memories
Always inside of me
But I can’t go back
Back to how it was
I believe you now
I’ve come too far
No I can’t go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I’ve never known

Chorus:
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

How about you? Are you home? Do you realize that your where you’re supposed to be for right now?