Orphae

Back in college I had this friend Bruce, I had never met anyone like him, he was his own man in so many ways. This was back in the late 70's and Bruce and I couldn't have been more different, which was cool. He was a singer, artistic, a craftsman, passionate and a bit of a rebel. I was a jock, insecure and not good at the things he was. He introduced me to Mocha when virtually no one had even heard of it yet. We loved antiques and would turn old pieces of junk into someone else's treasure. We have gone our separate ways, each of us having moved several times across the country, raising children, and struggled through many things personally.

One of the things Bruce shared with me back in college was this word Orphae. What is Orphae you might ask. It is this feeling, a euphoria if you will that can happen anytime. You know it when you are experiencing it, like yesterday. My wife Karyn and I were taking a walk in a State Park, the place was practically empty except for a couple guys out fishing on the lake and some guy taking photo's of a fashion girl with high heels, a bright yellow dress and as out of place as you can imagine. Anyway, Karyn and I were walking with the loud sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet and geese making their honking sounds, Fall colors were still bursting, a slight breeze would refresh us and then all of a sudden this incredible aroma. It was sensory overload!! We couldn't quite make the smell out, was it clove? We didn't know but it was amazing and we could find it only in this one area. As we walked, sometimes talked, held hands, sat in the sun, took pictures or identified trees, we marveled at God's creation and just knew we were experiencing Orphae.

It isn't quite explainable, it could be watching someone experiencing joy, a taste of a dessert or special meal, it could be music that moves you or words on a page. Whatever it is, you can't create it nor hang onto it. I hope you have, or get to experience it!! Maybe you even have a different name for it. What a cool thing after all of these years to remember my friend Bruce tell me about Orphae, I kept a journal of Orphae experiences for a long time. I will post a picture of a recent time I experienced it, but it may not help you because you weren't there at the time. Orphae is a wonderful thing. Thanks Bruce!

Mary and Martha

There is this unique and very short story found in Luke 11:38-42 of Jesus in the home of Martha and her sister Mary, that's a pretty big deal, having Jesus and his disciples visit in your home. But notice the completely different responses of these two sisters. Martha gets all worked up and starts preparing food while Mary chooses instead to sit and listen to Jesus as he speaks. This becomes pretty irritating to Martha and it's not long before she gets resentful enough to speak pretty boldly to Jesus about it. Talk about awkward! How would you feel if you were Mary? How would you feel if you were Martha? How would you feel if you were Jesus?
What happens next is amazing. Jesus calls Martha out, "You are worried and upset about MANY THINGS" in other words, this is how you live Martha! You can't sit still, be quiet, or chill, Martha was most likely a control freak or a Type A personality, at the very least she was a doer. You know the type, you may even be one, the kind that says there is always something to do and someone has to do it so it might as well be me. Jesus says that Mary is doing the most right thing. Psalm 46:10 says "be still and know that I am God..." Being still seems so un-productive and ....lazy! But is it? Jesus says that Mary chose the better option, the only right option. Many people read this and try and heed this but then have no clue how to do this. Seriously, it amazes me that most people cannot shut off their minds for any significant time. Prayer is not just talking but also about listening, many people try to sit in silence and than go crazy. I have done some silent retreats before and I come away from those so full of peace and serenity and slowed down. I have scheduled time away from phones, computers and people and though it takes me awhile to "dial down", when it's time to go back to the "noise" I wish I didn't have to.
Here is my challenge for each of us...be still, worship Jesus, listen for Him, be quiet. According to Him it's the most right choice from time to time. We are commanded to proclaim God to others and serve Him by serving others, be lights shining in the darkness but just as Jesus took time to pray and be alone (see Mark 1:35) so must we. If we do not practice the presence of God in our lives we will end up becoming resentful, busy and lacking peace. Do a quick inventory of your life right now, are you resentful over something or someone? Look at your calendar, is it filled (maybe even with necessary items) but God has been crowded out? Which is the most common theme of your heart - peace or chaos? This short story shows us a very important lesson, be still and take time to sit at Jesus' feet to listen and worship, it's the most right thing!!! Remember we are called human beings, not human doings!

Waiting on God is Always Worth it!

I've been married all of 12 days, and it's been nothing but fulfilling and more than Karyn and I thought it could be. I know, your'e out there in cyber world saying, "wait, it's just the honeymoon phase, then you'll see." I DOUBT IT! We didn't really even get a honeymoon, in fact just the opposite. We packed and loaded a moving truck by ourselves just a day and a half after we got married, we quickly said goodbye to warm weather and the beach, drove to Charlotte in separate vehicles, we un-loaded the truck (can you say fatigue?), Karyn un-packed everything she had packed so carefully and has been setting up our home while I worked. Doesn't sound like a honeymoon does it? Well think again, because even in the midst of that we just stare at each other like a couple 16 year old's and hug each other all of the time and thank God that this is what He had in mind while we walked in obedience on His timing.
We are realistic and know that our personal and professional lives will be tested, our health and of those we love will change, but that's what makes a marriage strong - testing!!! I want to tell you that the waiting part was so difficult (testing). Many lonely nights apart not knowing if we would ever be together. I would cry out to God as my Deliverer and wonder if He was hearing me, I would pray and believe only to hear silence most of the time. Sometimes when I would do my sunrise run along the beach I would see Karyn out on her walks and we would stop and talk and basically have our hearts ache over the waiting on God. We would hang out together but know God had not fully opened the door and friendship was the best we could have at the time. We both wanted to honor God by waiting on His timing and part of that was letting go completely of each other. All we have is from Him and is not ours to keep!
Here's a major thought out of all of this. In the Old and New Testament's none of the people who were written about knew that their stories would be chronicled, that they would become a part of the best selling book of all time!! A book written by God, full of stories of people who were basically losers whom God showed love, mercy, grace and patience with time and again. What if your life or my life were being chronicled? What if all the things we say and do each day ended up in a best selling book? Would you and I be found to be living the kind of lives that pointed others to the same God written about in the Bible? Would we be described as radical followers, patient people who wait on God, obedient and full of faith? I believe with all my heart that Karyn knows that our waiting on God and not running ahead of Him, nor lagging behind Him was worth it. We fought by praying, trusting and waiting because we are worth it. Obedience is always best, and many times it will cost us great amounts of something or everything, but I know, and have known that God is faithful and trustworthy. Don't run ahead or lag behind, walk in step with the Spirit and in the midst "delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart."

He Makes All Things New!

Okay so some of you have been waiting for this news, I promised I would share it but it had to be the right time. I am about to be married! Karyn Joy is going to be my bride and I get to be her husband!!! I realize that we are not young in age by numbers but don't tell us, because you would think we are about 30 years younger than we are! We are joyful people for sure, but when God delivered this immense blessing/miracle in our lives well, we are humbled and full of great thanksgiving.

Here is the scoop for those of you who do not know our story. We both have been married before and they did not end how either of us wanted. We met about 6 years ago and fell pretty much head over heels for each other! However, God is more concerned with making us holy than happy and we must have needed some extra doses of suffering to make that happen because over the course of these 6 years there have been job changes, career changes, financial hardships, health issues, and on again off again times with each other, but never a green light from God. I can honestly say that God spoke to me to not let go of two things. One was full time ministry and the other being Karyn. Neither of these were idols, and I can tell you there were some pretty raw and honest discussions, intense prayers sessions, times of fasting and digging deeply into God's word and holding on for dear life. We certainly made it our goal not to run ahead of God (dangerous)and not to lag behind Him (just as dangerous) but to walk in step with Him. Sometimes that means Him taking much away from us to truly get our un-divided attention and He did.

A passage from Psalm 71:20-21 describes my last 7 years or so..."Though you have made me see trials, many and bitter, you will restore my life again, you will bring me up from the depths and restore me to a place of honor once again." If you un-pack those verses they can be pretty hard to swallow but if you trust in Him and His deliverance than when you receive His promises well let's just say CELEBRATION!!!! "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above!" We can't wait to be one, we can't wait to help each other know God better, serve Him, and help others discover God and His offer of salvation through Jesus. We can say for sure that the years of suffering were worth it for they truly brought us to many places of surrender. I can also say these years were worth it because Karyn is worth fighting for and because I believed God even when it looked like I should have given up and moved on. He clearly makes all things new!

I am now serving in a church I LOVE and I have the woman I would do anything for! Thank you God for discipline, faithfulness, just enough mercy for each day and grace in abundance!!

Staying in Shape or Getting in Shape

Confession time!! Got your interest didn't I? I was a highly competitive athlete for many years, wrestling from 4th grade all the way to the college level, I was a fairly good runner afterward and I have always stayed in pretty good shape. I laughed at those who said age would do funny things (bad) to you. Then it happened! I got way out of shape. There are reasons I can give but honestly they would be weak excuses and sad alibis. I moved from Florida and missed my favorite running and biking routes, I had no ocean nearby to swim in, and here in North Carolina there seems to be a law against shoulders on the sides of roads, so running and biking seems very dangerous. A day of lost exercise slipped to the next, I worked lots of hours at my new job and justified sitting in front of the TV after a long day. Then what to my wondering eyes appeared on my body but belly fat, atrophied muscles, sore joints and a core section that reeked of middle age!! For the first time in my life I can say I am overweight and out of shape. So what do I do with this new found, and much hated state I find myself in?

Spiritually speaking many can find themselves out of shape so to speak. It's not hard since we know that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities and principalities of this dark and evil world." Ephesians 6:12. How do followers get out of spiritual strength/shape? Probably just as easy as I did physically. We get lazy, distracted, even bored, we stop looking for opportunities to share our faith with those we come in contact with, we stop being hungry for reading and applying the Word of God, and we end up "praying without ceasing" (a rather poor excuse we use) rather than making time for our "prayer closets" to have uninterrupted, passionate and intimate prayer time. Before you know it, it's been a long time since you last "met" with God and you have atrophied spiritually. You find your way into non-public sin and your soul has gone un-noticed and un-attended. But here is the great news!!!!

No one is beyond the outstretched arms of God. He is always there for you and I. It takes one step on our part, (surrender/repentance). Then it takes iron sharpening (see Proverbs 27:17) and before you know it the fire is burning strong and steady in your soul and it flows out of you to those around you.

I am doing the grunt work to get back in shape physically and it will take effort, consistency and others to encourage me, but I am determined to get there AND STAY THERE!! Spiritually speaking, you can do the same thing. It will take effort on your part, consistency and others to encourage you, but with the power and help of the Holy Spirit you can do it and you can STAY THERE!

Believe me, I know first-hand that it's a lot easier to stay in shape than to get there!!!

Mile Markers and Water Marks

Last week I was driving home from South Florida (more on that in my next blog I promise), I decided to take a detour off of I-95 about an hour North of Jacksonville to St. Simon's Island, Georgia. The summer before my Senior year of college I lived there learning ministry skills, hard core discipleship training and sharing the great news of Jesus Christ and His incredible offer of forgiveness and an abundant/meaningful life. It had been a long time since that summer (I won't tell you how long, but it's a long time). So when I crossed the bridge to the Island I got excited, I reflected on many of the friends I gained, the lessons I learned and still use today, and the things God spoke and did in my life. It was a very significant summer for me. I was a fairly new believer and I was surrounded by spiritual giants, they proved to be so encouraging to me and a great example for life and ministry. I believe God started to really write on my heart that full time ministry was what He was calling me to, and as I look back I see how much He used the St. Simons experience.

But as I drove around nothing looked the same, I got lost, the Island had sprouted buildings, businesses, vacation homes and properties everywhere. It didn't look or feel the same! I found the old Lighthouse, a great reference point and today it is open to tour and climb (I did). I found the Pier, but that was re-built and didn't look the same nor did the downtown area. I couldn't find the original buildings we did our meetings and outreaches in, nor the houses we all shared. There were 30 of us college students plus the staff who led it, and some great lay people who supported and worked alongside us. I know God used that summer as a mile marker/water mark for my life and see that He marked me there. And another really cool thing was that all these years later that ministry lives on, much bigger than the one we started. Today, over 1,000 students meet at "The Gathering Place", where students gather to worship and find true life through Jesus Christ. Churches that were once territorial now run this and many, many lives have been transformed through it. I wonder how many of us that participated that summer are still impacting others for God's Kingdom? My guess is that it's probably 100%.

Thank you God for the people who showed patience and grace to me and taught me so much about being passionate, focused, reaching and pouring into seekers who become believers so they fall so deeply in love with you that they turned around and did the same for others!

Finding a great fit!

Blue jeans, love them! But not all jeans fit the same. Levi's are cut one way, than there are jean styles, slim fit, straight leg, low rise, loose fit, boot cut, you name it there is a style out there. It used to be you had to break them in yourself, and by the time they fit so comfortably, they started to rip. Today, you can actually buy them ripped, and it costs more!

You have to wear them for them to fit the best, and when it comes to people in Life Groups, the same is true, they come in all styles, age oriented, singles, divorced, married only, men's, women's, parents of teens, recovery groups, groups for spiritual seekers, Bible Study, book study, topical, sermon based, neighborhood, and the list only grows. The reality is that groups take time to "fit" right, you can't start a group that is broken in! That would be nice, rare for sure, it takes time to bond, get real, get honest and then get real honest. Sometimes it takes a trial in a group member's life to bond people, but time it does take.

If you are in a group, is it all that you hope it to be? Probably not, but I ask you, "are you being the best group member you can be?" As we look in the Acts 2:42-47 we see that these people were fully devoted to one another, not sort of devoted. They ate together in homes daily, they shared communion, studied and were taught the word of God, they prayed together, they shared with whomever had need (do you even know the material needs of those in your group?). These early believers had a radical group life, and the result was they had glad and sincere hearts, they even had the favor of un-believers and nearly everyday people were converting to Christianity because of the message of Christ, and the group life of those believers. Getting along and loving others takes time, grace, love and effort, but you can't do it just by attending a worship service, serving others or even tithing. We need each other, I need you and you need me! Isolation and cocooning is not Biblical nor wise! Jump in and start a group or join one and remember it takes time,grace, love, effort, honesty and you being the best member there is!