The World Stopped!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 NIV84)

Do you ever get tired of doing good? I'm not talking about wanting to do something evil. I'm talking about being tired of all the work it takes to be a servant. If you're a devoted follower of Christ, you know the feeling. Serving at church and serving in other ministries along with a job and family can really wear you out. Sometimes it's not the physical labor, but the emotional and spiritual stress that wears you out.

Today, was an emotional day, again. On memorial day weekend, I participated in a motorcycle ride to honor fallen soldier, Jabraun Knox. Honoring someone who made the ultimate sacrifice with his life wears you out. Yesterday, I did it again. This one was even more difficult. I personally knew Army SPC Nick Taylor when I was Athletic Director at South Adams High School. My grandson is best friends with Nick's brother and went to the prom with his sister. Traveling the 40+ miles was an extremely emotional experience.

Leaving the Air National Guard Base in Ft. Wayne and traveling at a respectful 20-30mph was an endurance test for everyone. I am so proud of our communities and this wonderful country. To see the display of patriotisism, and sincere heartfelt respect for Nick was incredible. Every intersection, every home, and every roadside on the route was filled with supporters. This occurred as a crescendo, until its climax in Nick's home town of Berne. Along the way, people who didnt know Nick were weeping. The Amish, who are adamantly anti-war, lined the rural roads to pay respect. Cross County Rival Adams Cenral had their Football team, in uniform along the road. Fast food businesses closed down and the employees lined the streets. The world stopped for a day to show respect for Nick and his family.

I had the great honor to personally witness the arrival of Nick at the base and participated in the flag line for him and his family. I will never forget the day. I will never forget Nick's sacrifice. I was worn  out from the experience, but it's nothing like what this family is going through. Many people had to endure the heat, the slow traffic, and the inconvenience of rerouted traffic. Nick's family would give anything not to have to endure this pain. The leader of the Patriot Guard thanked all the riders who came. He said he hoped he never had to see us again for this purpose.

I agree.

I had to give a special hug and kiss to my grand kids yesterday. It is because of Nick and others like him that my grandkids are guaranteed the freedom to pursue their dreams. I had to say a special prayer for Nicks family. Thank you Jesus for people like Nick and others who sacrifice for us. Please Lord Comfort his family. Help them to cherish his memories and the love they shared.

Thank you Jesus for paying that same price for me!

Turning the Light Switch ON!

 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV84) 

Do you realize how limited we are as teachers? We like to think we can motivate kids to learn. We want to take kids that don't care and make them care. This is noble and really is a worthwhile goal. How realistic is it? Do we have it within ourselves to save a student?

No, not really! At least it's not COMPLETELY up to us. We can plant seeds, we can try many different methods, and we can be persistent. But, we can't force a kid to learn when he/she doesn't want to. The desire to learn has to come from within. Once that desire is present, THEN great things can happen. I have seen students where the "Light" switched ON and they just took off. You couldn't hold them back, even if you wanted to. That switch exists within each of us. The power is always available, but the switch has to  be flipped to ON.

The Spirit of the Lord is the same way. We have to switch the light to ON in order o access the power of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are like teachers. There is only so much we can do. We can live by example, we can be there to comfort in loss, to support during difficult times, and love unconditionally. When it comes down to it, each person has to turn that switch on for themselves. Once we do and we allow the POWER of the Spirit to live within us, magnificent things will happen. We will no longer be slaves to sin, but we will be free. That Freedom is not like anything else you can experience.

YOU have to turn the switch ON!

I'm with you!

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:3-6 NIV84)


E-mails, posts, tweets, texts, blogs, and phone calls are all great ways to stay in touch with friends, family, co-workers, and your PLN (professional learning network). I am as connected as anyone on the planet. I still prefer face-to-face. It is one thing to tell someone you are with them in spirit. It is completely another to actually be with them.

When I tell someone "I'm with you.", it helps to REALLY be with them. When I tell someone I'm with them in spirit, who does it help? More likely it helps me more than the person needing my support. It's not always possible to be with someone during a crisis. I know that. There may be a small level of relief to know someone is thinking about you, even if they can't be there. Still, there's nothing better than walking shoulder to shoulder with someone going through a crisis. You can really tell your key supporters if they STAND with you.

That's why Christ sent us the Holy Spirit. It's nice to know that "Jesus Loves Me". Jesus knew that we needed more. So, he sent his Spirit to live within us. Now, this concept seems foreign to non-believers. The Spirit of Christ is not the same as telling someone you will be with them. When I tell someone I am with them, I can not physically affect them during each step of the crisis. The Holy Spirit of Christ never leaves us and directly impacts how we feel and react during a crisis.

Those of us who have committed our lives to Christ, know of the presence of the Spirit in our lives. We have personally felt the affect of the Spirit actually comforting, guiding, and influencing us when we need it the most. If you haven't felt that kind of presence, you don't know what you're missing. You can feel that presence, you just have to ask. You just have to turn everything over to Christ and he will send that Spirit directly into each moment of your life. Truly, he is WITH US!

Are we there yet?

Revelation 1

New International Version (NIV)

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

It's the middle of July and family vacations are in full swing. Like most people, I love vacation time. Now that all my kids are grown, it's just Stephanie and I. We have a great time. Our vacations are full of adventure, but are still very relaxing. The most important part of vacation is that I get to spend time with my best friend, ever. Our typical schedule is filled with school, school events, grandkids, family events, and serving others. We just don't have very much time for each other. That's what vacation is all about. We just got back from vacation to the UP of Michigan. It was wonderful. We traveled over 1300 miles on the Harley, camped in our pull behind camper, rode in the rain, ate "Pasties", saw a wonderful wedding, and got to spend time with each other. I'll say it again, I LOVE VACATION!

During family vacations, the kids always ask the infamous question, "Are we there yet?" Stephanie never asks that and I'm thankful. Young kids don't have a very good concept of time. Have you ever tried to explain to a preschooler how long it will take to travel to Florida? It's not easy. The excitement of vacation brings and abundance of Impatience from our kids. Eventually, we get to the destination. But, that only happens after hearing "the question" an infinite number of times. 

God looks at his children the same way. We don't have a very good concept of time when it comes to God's plan. I don't know about you, but I'm not very patient when it comes to waiting on God. When he says "soon" it could be today, tomorrow, next month, next year, or several years. We don't know God's timeline. That's really what faith is all about. Just like Children on vacation, we need to just accept our Father IS in charge and knows the path. He knows the destination, how to get us there and how long it will take. He knows the excitement and adventure we will face along the path. We just have to trust him and leave the trip to him. I can look back on my life and see God's amazing plan unfold in great and wonderful ways. Why should I doubt him when it comes to the future? I need to trust him and hold on for the adventure.  I need to stop asking "Am I there yet?" God doesn't reveal the trip so we will rely on him. If we knew the plan, we would leave him at the start. 

Thank You Lord for this wonderful adventure you have given me. I praise you for vacations, work, and play. Thank You Lord for guiding me and being patient with my childlike attitudes. I love you and look forward to more adventures!

Perfect!

So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God's presence in heaven itself.(Hebrews 7:26 MSG) Nobody's perfect. Teachers aren't perfect, mom's aren't, dads aren't, policemen aren't, grandparents aren't and pastors aren't either. We are all sinners and make mistakes. Some people think they're prefect. It is so hard for people to think of themselves as less than perfect. Oh, it's easy to point out someone else's faults with the "plank" firmly in front of our own eyes. It's ok, to not be perfect. God doesn't expect us to be. I love it when a pastor admits his own faults, his weaknesses, and even his sins. It makes them seem so real. As a teacher, it's important for me to also face up to my mistakes, especially to my students. It's also important for us to give our students permission to make mistakes. They are learning, for goodness sakes, they are going to make mistakes along the way. We reward perfection with A+'s. We give them special recognition and place them on pedestals. What about the kid that gets a C+? Frankly, I prefer a kid who knows how to fail, than one who doesn't. Life is going to be full of failures. Everyone needs to kow how to cope and rise above failure. Jesus was perfect. The only way he experienced failure was when he took on our sin at the cross. He made himself out to be a sinner, when he wasn't. He died for us so that in our faults and sinfulness, we could live like we were perfect. We can experience his perfection when we accept his sacrifice. Praise God for his perfection and his acceptance of me, an imperfect sinner.