We're not young anymore.

I saw a little child the other night - a child that couldn't be more than two or three years old - playing a hand-held video game, possibly on a cellphone. We're not talking about some "pictures on a screen pop up and you touch when you see them" game; this was a moving-type of game that resulted in different levels, and each level required the little child to press the "start" button, just as you or I would.
What happened to the days when a little child would be entertained with a crayon and coloring book?

In order to play computer games, my brother and I would have to type the "basic" program into our TRS-80 computer ("basic" was the name of the programming). After making sure that EVERY keystroke was perfect, and cursing at each "?SN" that would pop on the screen, we could then play our game of searching for some lost treasure through a lost forest - by reading clues... no pictures, art, videos- nothing but "You're in a jungle. There is a jungle in front of you, a jungle to your left, a jungle to your right, a castle behind you".
Now kids just grab something that size of a watch and away they go.

Even travel is so much different. Today we have XM & Sirius, Cellphones, and GPS. Way back when, we had "it's another city, turn the dial", "there's a payphone over there" (a payphone is a phone that set outside that we would put a coin in and make our call, never thinking twice about germs or cooties), and "make sure to fold the map up right" (which we know can NEVER happen).

But even us "old folks" have forgotten what it was like to have "nothing" 30 or 40 years ago. To prove my point, shut down your Facebook for a week, or get rid of your cellphone for a couple of days, or tell Tom-Tom and Garmin "bye bye" for a month. And when we're all found drooling in a corner somewhere, make sure there is a note pinned to our collars that reads "Technology - simple and slowly over the next 12 hours"

Cleaning things up

It's Spring. Or so everyone says so.
The weather was warmer, but now it's cool again. The days are getting longer, but it's hard to tell through the abundance of clouds that have produced cold rain or snow in the past couple of days.

This is the kind of weather that I'd be making pots of soup. I like to make a meaty 7-can soup, or a "cowboy stew" from a recipe that I got years ago. And by pots, I mean at least a couple of batches in a huge pot. I usually enjoy a few bowls for my effort, and then I freeze the rest for those lazy days or moments when I get home and don't know what to cook in a limited amount of time.

But alas, it is still Spring, and I can't escape it. The colorful bunny posters are decorating Shop windows and ads for lawn care and new clothing invades our favorite primetime programs. So maybe I'll take to cleaning house.

When cleaning things, I found stuff that, honestly, I had put out of my mind except for the momentary "I wonder where that went" (until something else invaded my brain). I found things that I thought was lost forever. I found things that I thought was tossed in the trash (no, not rotting stuff - yuk! just old papers and worthless notes).

During my venture, I read a friend's blog about "dirt". She spoke of how we will toss things in a closet when we know that someone is coming to the house in order to make things "nice and clean", only to have our messes still tucked away.
Click here to read her blog...
(Blair is one of those preachers that can speaker directly to you... she seems to write directly to your life)

When I went through some of those "tucked away finds" while cleaning", some emotions were stirred. Some sadness, some anger, some lost, some elation. All in tune with "facing reality". As my friend, Blair, talks about in her blog, the stuff is covered in dust, the dust flies, but the sun is shining. We get dirty as we do our cleaning, but the warmth of the sun is going to keep on coming.
Yeah, the emotions get stirred up, but I'll survive. Sometimes a good scream or tear or laugh can break through an old crusty cover that hardens the heart. So if you see me with a silly smile, or a little watery-eyed, or overly-focused on something over the next few weeks, don't sweat it. It's Lent as well as Spring, and I'll be "Spring cleaning" my soul while Spring cleaning my home.

Blessings to all!

God DOES laugh

Today is suppose to be the last full day of winter, and after paying much more to heat my house, I'm ready for it. And according to the weather folks, Spring will come in quite nice - 60 degrees. I'll take it. But then the reality sets in, and the temperatures will drop again through the weekend.
Yeah, welcome to 2014, Spring. Now get to work.

I've tried to walk more, whether it's more laps around the grocery story or a few extra times up and down the stairs at one of my churches. My hope this past winter was to simply go to the Mall and walk laps there, but it has even been too cold to drive the 35 miles for that.

I had a goal to be down so many pounds by this time, again. If I owned a soccer team with these many goals, I'd be wearing a jersey every where I went.

... But none of this is going to get me down. None of this is going to drag on me. I'm better than that. Shoot, I'm going to be 50 this year (ok, maybe that will drag a little bit when I make that "special" doctor's appointment) and I'm going to celebrate it in *style*. (No, I don't know what "style" is yet - with nearing 50 also comes "taking things slow")

But just within the past couple of weeks, I've taken care of some hurdles - I got a sermon recorded for evaluation (and I *hate* hearing & seeing myself on recordings), and thanks to my son, I got the recording reformatted and sent to my colleagues for a class that I'm in. I've embarked on a new "mental journey", sort of like a new exercise for the mind. And I'm making solid plans for the vacation that I can take this year.
I think God laughs when we make those attempts to do things "that particular way", but God probably smiles even more when we do things a little more simpler.

So let's laugh at ourselves and smile a little more too.

All about the little ones

Some Sundays are "another day at the office" (not that leading Worship is great... sometimes it "is what it is"), and some will stick in my mind because of the joy it brings. Today was one of those "awesome joy" days.

I have two churches in two cities... an agriculture community and a bedroom community. Recently, the bedroom community church made a big-splash dive to be more "in the community" and "part of the community". As a result, I've probably done more baptisms there in the last year than in my nearly ten years as a pastor. I've also recently filled my calendar with more "community" dinners, kids programs, and vacation bible school plans in the past month than my pen could keep up on. And I've got more kids showing up for the Kids' Message during Worship, which is always a great thing until I "lose my mind" and ask a question (as a group of kids a question, and only God knows what will come out of those tiny but ever-busy brains).

But kids also can show people a love that adults too often forget.

• My dog, Dingo, was recently ill. One of the kids in this church, who usually doesn't like to talk to many people (unless there is something to say about her or against her little brother), opened up when she talked about keeping Dingo in her prayers. (She really is a sweet person)
• After Worship this morning, a little boy was standing with his dad as we talked about the weather and such. The little boy then looked up at me and said "I love you to the moon and back". (That was a 'high five' moment!)
• Later on, I was talked to a young lady and her mom about the Girl Scout cookies I recently bought (Nah, not to eat the cookies... I was, um, uh, supporting the Girl Scouts -yeah, that's what it was). The little sister, five years old, then came around my desk and gave me a hug (it should be mentioned that when I say "Good Morning" at the start of the Worship or Kids' Message, this same little girl will, without reservation, yell "Good morning" back at me, *wherever* she is sitting in the church). The little sister then told me that she was going to marry me. When her mom reminded her that she told her dad that she'd marry him, I guess I'm in a close running with her dad, except that when I gave her big sister, the Girl Scout, the money for the cookies I bought last month, the little sister quickly took my money - maybe she's getting ready to take the hubby's money.

Jesus says that the kingdom is all about the kids... we have to humble ourselves like a child, we can't hold them back or cause them to stumble, so on and so on.

 

What would life look like if we spent more time laughing, loving, caring, and enjoying things and less time trying so hard to be "the perfect adult"?

What would life look like with that much joy in our lives?

What can we learn from kids?
(Just watch this video and find out--- and a little footnote, there is a cute little boy in this same church that is like the young man in this video, so maybe you'll understand my "dilemma" about posing questions during the Kids' Message.) 

 

 

Prayers

While at a class earlier this week, one of the instructors gave a Message about temptation (preaching to us preachers from the scripture that many of us just preached on last weekend).

In her Message, this instructor offered a thought that, I have to admit, hit close to home for me. She mentioned how many people don't have time for prayer because we're so busy with other things. We will delay the opportunity for prayer time - the simple 15 minutes a day - because the phone rings or we're running late or we have a guest or the interesting news story comes on or we're bogged down with extra work that day or we've got a few more things on our to-do list... (you can add your own excuses).
The instructor also talked about what happens when we skip prayer - anxiety, forgetting, worry, anger, forgetting, sleeplessness, (did I mention forgetting?)... (you can add your own here too).

Isn't it amazing how easily the tempter can get to us through the "every day things in life"?

How many times have we thought "I've got this one little thing to do...I'll get to my prayers later", only to put it off for a day, and another day, and so on?
How many rimes have you allowed the rush of the world to take over that simple 15 minutes to prayer for yourself, your family, your church, your community, your neighbors, the kids in the school... (again, add to the list as you see fit)?

Protestant Reformist Martin Luther said "Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." He also said "The less I pray, the harder it gets; the more I pray, the better it goes."
So why not?

Oh, a footnote - the God-moment came when the instructor talked about the need, but simple task, of taking the 15 minutes for prayer each day. As she was talking, the bell tower chimed outside (as it seemed to do every time she spoke through the sessions). This time, after the tower chimed the time, it player music. The first song was "Sweet Hour of Prayer".

A Lenten focus

As a pastor, I try to model certain behaviors, such as a Lenten discipline. I have to admit that I haven't figured out what discipline, though, to take on for Lent.
Until now.

I just came to a realization of something that has haunted me for days and years. Something that has been inside of me for months and decades. It has been something that I've had to swallow for so long that I've been forced to be silent.
Until now.

For those who don't know me, I'm not a small-framed person. I'm also not one that is too soft spoken at times. Sure, I can be as polite as I need to be, but my size and my tone has scared some people. And I'm going to change that. Now that I can pinpoint the cause and effect of what has been eating me up for so long, and allowing me to be ill recently, I can now start towards a "completion" of what needs to be.

So even though this realization is painful right now, it's also nice to know that I have a focus - a standard - to measure my life and how to proceed.

Sometimes the best start does begin with a pain, a "choking feeling", like getting that pill down, but eventually, "all shall be well".

May you all find your Lenten disciplines as well.

Life in the hood-ie.

I've grown accustom to wearing hoodies in cooler weather. Don't know why. I think it's because I can toss up the hood when the unexpected snow or rain occurs or toss something in the handie-dandie pocket, which also doubles to warm my hands or make me look relaxed if I'm standing around.


In the middle of February, a hoodie can be very comfortable. I can pull the hood closer to my neck to keep the draft off or pull my hands into the sleeves to stay warm (a habit that I may start to have, yet question the "fashion statement" when I see younger people doing the same thing - I'm a confused person).


But the other day was a little different. Mid-February, driving across Nebraska, and I'm starting to feel too warm in my hoodie. Maybe the fact that it was in the 60s the entire way. Maybe it was the warmth that I felt as I watch the birds flying around. Maybe it was the joy as the wind pushed me along partway, giving me more than 35 miles per gallon for an hour or two.
Maybe I'm just a confused person - but we've already come to that conclusion.

But all of these also signaled the start of a frequent outdoor exercising, a start to fresh air laps around town and scenic walks around the lakes.
The advantage is that less people look at me funny if I'm walking at a fast pace around the lake then at the Mall. Otherwise, I've found that if I'm wearing a hoodie that says something such as "Firefighter", a few people will follow to see what the big deal is. But that can be fun too, as I just keep walking in circles, and am too lazy to switch hoodies.

And now I'm waking to snow, and not a "ooh, how romantic like a Hallmark movie" kind of snow - this is a "yeah, it's still February, the roads are messy, and it's cold. Ha!" kind of snow. It's the kind of snow that I would even question driving to the Mall just because of the roads that lead out of my town don't get plowed too well.

I've resolved this "cold" or "safety" issue by moving an exercise bike into my living room. The tough part is that it's not the "best", meaning I'm accustom to adjustable seats, backs, pedals, everything. Whatever it took to make it comfortable, I could do it, and I remember sitting in a fitness center on a bike watching television for 45 minutes (watching tv kept my mind occupied). This bike is satisfactory, requiring a little more effort to make some adjustments (hey - that's a form or exercise!), and a pillow or block in a small of my back to "fit" in it. And biking uses different muscles in different ways, so while I can trot out trot out two miles, pedaling is a different story.
I made the decision to move it to my living room because my home is my escape. It's where I go to "get away from it all", although there are other issues lingering there, yet I can turn on the television to keep my mind occupied.
The first day, I was able to complete a couple of 10 minutes sessions, having to adjust the bike each time. Day two (yesterday) was a little better, able to complete 20 minutes while watching the Dayton 500.

While I may not be able to wear my hoodie while sitting on the stationary bike (it does get a little warm for me after a few minutes), I can adjust for many things.
Pulling the hood up for the precipitation
Easily tossing it aside, as opposed to my heavy coat
Having varieties
... to name a few.

If like was like a hoodie, how could we adjust?