El Señor

I love being corrected by my kids.  (Not really.)  In my sermon this morning, I noted that in Spanish, "El Señor" can refer to God.  In the same way, in the days of Jesus, the word for "Lord" can also mean "sir."

My daughter corrected me.  El Señor does not mean "God," she informed me.  It means "Lord."  OK, I stand corrected.  But that works even better with my illustration.

Can I be wrong and be even more right than I thought I was?

Real Giving

I love Thanksgiving.  And it's not because of all the great food.  I plenty of great food all through the year.  I like Thanksgiving because it is not polluted by all the busyness of other holidays.  OK, by "other holidays" I mean Christmas. 

Today I got a Thanksgiving card.  I like the idea of sending Thanksgiving cards.  In fact, I think that our culture should move the gift-giving tradition to Thanksgiving, too.  That way we could really focus on Jesus at Christmas, and on our blessings at Thanksgiving.  Giving stuff seems more appropriate at Thanksgiving.  "Giving" is even part of the holiday's name!

Well, I haven't done any Thanksgiving shopping, so I guess I won't be making that transition this year.  But I do want to do my Christmas giving with the kingdom of God in mind.  I am asking Jesus to guide me as I give.  It's really all about him.

My Third Grade

A Facebook friend recently posted a photo of our third grade class at Joyner Elementary School in Greensboro.  This post generated a long list of comments from classmates and others at Joyner, 1970-1971.  Suddenly we are all eager for a reunion!  (That's me on the far right wearing the Cub Scout uniform.)

I have always looked back at third grade with a profound fondness.  When this picture showed up on fb, I realized a few things.  First, I never realized that so many of my memories from elementary school were all connected with the same class.  Second, I discovered that lots of my classmates feel the same way I do.  Finally, I am surprised at the wealth of positive emotions I find associated with that chapter of my life -- it is a stark contrast with the feelings of insecurity associated with my high school years.

The person who set the culture for our class was our teacher, Mrs. Pearl Durham.  From an adult's perspective, I can really appreciate all her innovative, creative teaching methods.  She gave us one of the greatest gifts:  freedom.  Anyone could go to the restroom without asking permission:  she had two textile spools, about 8 inches long, one for the boys and one for the girls, placed in the chalkboard tray.  When a boy needed to use the restroom, he would take the boys' spool with him down the hall, and return it to the tray when he came back.  No tugging on Mrs. Durham's skirt -- we handled the responsibility ourselves, waiting for the spool to return, if necessary.  Man, she was smart.

I remember a lot of free time in class when we could work independently on assignments.  There was a card file box with several sections in which we could find ideas for creative writing; I loved going to the box to find just the right idea for a fun story. 

More than once she had ice cream brought to the class, in those little tubs with wooden spoons.  Clearly that's the way to a third grader's heart.

She arranged for our class to go to a recording session at a radio station, and later we heard our class on air! 

We took a train ride from Greensboro to High Point, where we ate breakfast at (what seemed to be) a fancy restaurant.  A caravan of moms met us there and brought us home.

We put on a play based on the first book in the "The Little House on the Prairie" series.  I only had one line, but I still remember it.

All this was packed into one year of school.  Wow!  I thank God for Mrs. Durham.  I want to be like her when I grow up.

Dirty Tricks

There are some dirty tricks out there.  The commercials tell us that there are only "easy" payments.  Ever heard about the "gut-wrenching" payments?  Ever made one?  Or a hundred of them?  The idea that it's better to have it now and pay for it later is, I believe, a dirty trick.

Then there are the ridiculous email phishing schemes:  "I'm a poor widow in [some foreign country], and I'll give you $10,000 if you'll just give me your bank account number."  It's a dirty trick.

Then there is the ubiquitous lie that stuff will make you happy.  It's a dirty trick.

We do have an enemy who is seeking to deceive us all the time.  He will put thoughts into our heads.  "That person doesn't like you."  "All you need is a little bit more."  "You are not ever going to succeed."  "God is holding out on you." 

And then there's my favorite:  "It's too late.  You can't make up for lost time.  You may as well give up."  I say it's my favorite, not because I like it, but because I constantly fall for it.  But I'm getting better at recognizing the enemy's tactics.  I can see how he's trying to deceive me.

What about you?  Do you see his dirty tricks?

He is seeking to wreck your life.  Or at least neutralize you.  He wants to wreck your relationships.  He wants to destroy your courage.  He wants nothing good for you. 

We need to be aware that our enemy is always on the prowl.  Don't fall for his dirty tricks.

Prayers I never prayed

I know that every kid has frustrating habits.  Mine do.  Today I just jumped on my daughter for such a transgression.  (Yes, I have such habits as well, but that's another subject.)

Then it occurred to me:  I should pray about that.  I should ask God to work in her life.  Why has that not occurred to me before?  I must be stupid.  No, faithless is more like it.

Now I'm wondering what else I have never prayed for.  Jesus said that we should ask.  I'm just not asking enough.  He wants to make a difference in my life, and in the lives of those I love.

I can pray for the car to work right, for my grass to grow (it needs help), for my habits to become more like Christ's, for all those annoying habits in others, for my finances, for my vacation, for ... well the list is truly endless. 

It is shocking to me how much of my life seems to be outside the realm of prayer.  How many prayers have I never prayed?

Lord, please show me what to pray for.  Forgive me for not believing that all of life belongs to you.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Reading in Matthew 7 today I came across the familar passage in which Jesus says, "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened to you..." 

I wonder if these three commands indicate a progression.  First we ask God for something.  We just ask.  Then we seek it out.  We get going, looking, pursuing.  And when we find it, we knock, expecting it to open.  We begin passively and get more aggressive at each step. 

Of the three commands, only one can be fulfilled through our own effort.  We can seek and find on our own. The first and last commands require someone else to act.  We can ask, but someone must respond if we are to receive.  We can knock, but someone else must open the door.

The process begins with God's gracious answer and ends with God providing opportunity. 

I need to start asking.  I need to seek what he wants me to find.  I need to knock at the right doors.  God eagerly desires to pour out his blessings.  I need to ask, seek and knock.

Thanks to God

I had a big surprise on Sunday.  We were celebrating our Tenth Anniversary as a church, appropriately at 10:00 on 10-10-10.  We saw slides of our journey together and all ten of our meeting places.

Ten people shared their stories about God working their lives through Crossroads.  Tears were shed, lives were touched.

Then I was surprised when the church presented me with a gift, a card and a check.  Whoa!  I did not see that coming.  The card was signed by nearly everyone in the church.  I really like the gift -- a Bible bound in beautiful fine leather.  My old NIV was falling apart at the binding.  It would have lasted another 3 months before falling apart.  The new one is well bound and should last for decades. 

More than the gift, I am touched by the thought, the love, the joy.

I am humbled to serve such a loving God who would allow me to serve such gracious people.  They are more than gracious.  They are fun, kind, and excited about Jesus.  "I thank my God every time I remember you..." 

To God I am eternally grateful.