Today marked the 9-year anniversary of my motorcycle accident. I'd almost forgot, until Ansley reminded me yesterday that it would be. Interestingly, she was delivering a speech in one of her college classes on motorcycle safety today, which I had helped her research over the weekend, when she suddenly realized, "Hey Dad, I'll be making this speech exactly 9 years to the day after your accident!" It seemed so many years ago now, as I recounted the events of that day for her speech.
I had taken today off, due to a busy weekend of visiting hospitals & funeral homes as the weekend on-call pastor. After finishing some morning yardwork, I hopped on the bike and took off for an afternoon of riding. I can think of no better way to commemorate that fateful day 9 years ago, than a good ride on a beautiful day.
I headed southeast toward Bethlehem, then through Statham, then down to Watkinsville. I stopped in at NPR Ducati, gawking at the cool Italian bikes on display. One day, I hope to own a 2nd bike, a Ducati Monster 620 or 695. Lord willing, of course...
It was a peaceful, relaxing ride through the country, down roads largely deserted. I rode and prayed, as I often do, about anything and anyone God brings to my mind. I also spent time reflecting on the accident, 9 years ago today. An inattentive motorist had jumped out into traffic, trying to get across to the opposite lanes, and instead jumped into my path. I'd had precious little time to react, gripping down on both brakes in an effort to reduce as much speed as possible, all in a split second. I'd hit him at his left front headlight, flipped over his hood, and landed about 10 feet beyond, in oncoming traffic. Thankfully, cars stopped fast, and many came to my aid. I suffered a compound fracture of my left femur, a shattered kneecap, bruised wrist and shoulder, and numerous cuts and scrapes. I endured 4 surgeries over 18 months, and 3 months of physical therapy to learn how to walk again.
I had always feared two things from the accident- first, that I would never be able to run and exercise again to the extent I was used to, and second, that I might never ride again. But God is faithful, and He allowed me to recover fully, and I've since been more active than before, and of course, I'm riding again, logging about 10K miles a year on the big Yamaha.
As I rode today, I reflected on these things, and how good God is. That accident not only made me a much safer rider, it also has opened so many doors to identify with and minister to people who suffer physically, esp. folks involved in accidents. God has truly turned my scars into stars, as an old preacher used to say. And I have my share of scars!
I love to ride motorcycles. I love the openness of it, being right out in the elements; I love the feel of a powerful machine under me, under my total control, blasting down the road; I love the wind in my face, the sun on the back of my neck, the sights, the smells, the sounds, the feeling of temperature changes up and down hills, the freedom. But most of all, I love the solitude, and the communion with my Father out on the road. I am thankful He gave me back my health, and thankful for this motorcycle He gave me, to enjoy riding, to enjoy Him, and to share His love with others I meet out there.
I am truly blessed.
"We know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Its funny how we so often work so hard to arrange for our own happiness. And funny how often life happens, and disrupts our "best laid plans of man."
I had planned out my Saturday perfectly- Ansley & Kelsey both had responsibilities all day, so I planned to get up around 9:30am, eat breakfast, then join Lisa in some fun yardwork with flower planting, opening our flower garden fountain, etc. After lunch, I planned to take a good, long solo motorcycle ride, be back for dinner, then settle down to make my final prep for Sunday morning kid's church.
That was my plan- and it didn't take long before it was disrupted. Kelsey had been run off the road in her car by a "hit & run" truck a couple of days before, and along with car body damage, she had blown a tire. After getting a spare on it, yesterday she used Lisa's car to visit a friend, and promptly took a nail puncture in one of those tires! So my Saturday afternoon would be spent at a tire store, replacing two tires for two cars. Not what I had planned...
I was down in the dumps, thinking a perfect day was lost. My plans were ruined. Fortunately, God got my attention. He reminded me that my attempts to arrange for my own happiness was not the point. My life was in His hands, and He would provide for all my needs.
As it turns out, the tires were both fixed quickly and without a huge cost, as they were still under warranty on both cars. I ended up returning home by 5pm, and Lisa said, "Hey, its been a trying day. Go take a ride." So I took off, and had a wonderful, beautiful, relaxing ride as the sun slowly began to set. I rode to Good Hope and back, just letting the road and wind and scenery untangle my mind.
On a back road, by a postcard perfect scene overlooking a sun setting behind a farm on rolling hills, I looked up, and saw a break in the gathering clouds. The hole in the cloud took the shape of a heart, and God spoke into mine- "Just a little reminder of My love for you." I replied, "Thank you Father, I love you too." He had reminded me not only of His love, but also that life's purpose and pleasures were in His hands. I so easily complain about what I don't have, or what doesn't go according to my plans, then I realize I have been blessed with so very much, and I would not have had my life turn out any other way. I among men, am most blessed, more than I deserve.

Some thoughts I pondered as I prepare for Easter-
After reading the 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 passage, I got thinking, "What if Jesus had not raised from the dead? Would there even be a Christianity?" As I thought about it, I believe there would be a Christian religion, but it would be no different than any other religion- a system of rules, rituals, and traditions adhering to the teachings of a dead prophet or teacher. Jesus would not rank any higher than Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, Joseph Smith, etc. A dead religion, of a dead teacher, followed by people still "dead in their trespasses and sins." Who would want to be a part of that?? I certainly would not- no more than I would want to become a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, or any other binding, shackling religious system.
Paul said it best- "If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty in your sins." v.17
But I'm thankful I do not follow the dead teachings of a dead prophet of a dead religion! Jesus Christ IS God, He WAS raised from the dead, and He IS alive, now and forevermore. And because He lives, I know I will live, and I have His life in me right here and now. That's worth proclaiming. The world needs to know.
Christianity at its core is not a religion- it is a relationship with the living God, through His living Son. I'm thankful to know Him, and I'll follow Him in this life and for eternity!

Happy Resurrection Day.

I had my 2nd round of steroid injections in my neck a few days ago. I knew what to expect more this time, so it didn't seem so bad. The thing that drives me crazy is the fact that I'm not supposed to do any exercise whatsoever for at least a month, while my disks and nerves heal. I've been abiding by the doctor's orders, but just sitting around and resting when I'm used to plenty of exercise is maddening. I need to be careful what I eat, and how much, so I won't gain weight. I'm not able to burn it off like I'm used to.
I'm off today and tomorrow, the weather is unusually cold, and I'm stuck inside. I can either sit around and snack, which I don't want to do, or I can redeem the time, spend it catching up on some good reading and some much-needed time with God. I'm reading "In a Pit with a Lion On a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. I'm in a chapter on seeing obstacles as opportunities, and its reminding me of how adversity provides opportunity for greater intimacy with Christ, and greater ministry in His name. I hope to feed my soul in these times I'm recovering, rather than get lazy. But I do look forward to being able to get active again, soon!
"All things work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purposes."

A couple of days ago, I went to a specialist for a set of steroid injections in the base of my neck. This came after more than a year of physical therapy to remedy my neck issues. While PT helped strengthen certain neck & back muscle groups, and really improved my posture and lifting, I still kept having problems.
I've had neck and back pain off and on since high school, seeing many chiropractors over the years. About 5 years ago, in a jiu jitsu class, I got kneed in the side of my head, which apparently torqued my neck in such a way that two disks at the base of neck herniated, bulged, and began to pinch nerves painfully. After chiro and PT of and on for a couple of years, the symptoms mostly disappeared. I resumed my active lifestyle of weight lifting, running, martial arts, etc.
This past February, my neck issues came back with a vengeance, this time by simply sleeping in a guest bed at my parent's lake house. I could barely lift my head level without severe pain for several days. Chiropractic only made it worse this time, so I started active physical therapy again. I was experiencing pain and tingling across both shoulders and down my left arm, at times even into my fingers. Over the past year, I underwent two 4-month sessions of PT, then was recommended for the steroid injections.
My first injections came last Thursday, and were strangely painful. I sat upright, only slouching slightly over a pillow, and the doc injected lidocane to numb the area. That hurt, getting a needle in the base of my neck! Once numb, he stuck a long needle deep into my spinal column. That didn't hurt actually, but I felt the pressure as he pressed it deeper into my spinal disks. As he began to squeeze the steroid medicine into my neck disks, I felt a weird pain, sort of hot and cold, in the center of my spine. I've never felt pain there before! Hard to describe. In fact, the more he injected, the sensations seemed to trickle down my back, and out my right shoulder. In about 5 minutes, it was over. I felt stiff for a few minutes, then as the day went on, I felt odd pains in my head, my elbow, my right knee, all of which the doc had said could happen due to the cortizone travelling not only into my neck, but around my body. Unusual pains, in unusual places.
I'll go back the first week of April for "round 2" of injections, which the doc thinks will be enough to relieve the swelling around the disk and nerves, and hopefully I can begin to get back to normal in about a month. Until then, I guess I'll just take it easy, try not to aggravate anything, so everything will begin to heal.
Its tough getting old...

The other night we were channel-surfing after dinner, and found a special on one of the networks called, "What Would You Do?" hosted by John Quinones. They staged various situations out on the community, to see how people would respond.
One situation they staged was two-fold. First, they had a sharp-dressed woman walking down a busy sidewalk suddenly collapse, seemingly unconscious. With hidden cameras placed around, they recorded how people reacted, and how quickly. Every time, almost immediately, people came to her aid- touching her, talking to her, calling for help. Second, they had a man dressed disheveled, clutching a sack and a beer can, collapse the same way, in the same place. No one stopped, most barely looked at him, even right when he collapsed. After about 50 people passed by on either side, the most unexpected thing happened. A bent-over old black woman, walking with a cane, herself seemingly homeless, hobbled over to him, bent over, and began to touch and talk to him softly. After trying to revive the man with no luck, she stood over him, asking everyone who passed by, "Please, help this man." After another 30 or so people passed by, ignoring both of them, she began to tear up and looked skyward, seeming to cry out to God, "Why??" The woman took the empty beer can from his hand and threw it away, hoping then that someone would stop. She even gave a name to the man, talking to him softly and calling him "Billy." It made the situation somehow more personal, and her more connected to the man.
Finally, a woman stopped, called 911, and stayed for awhile until the crew came out and revealed the experiment. Even as the man got up, showing he really was fine, the black woman still kept calling him Billy, and kept stroking his jacket. She eventually ambled off, like an angel with a walking cane. It was moving.
With the premise of the show being "What Would You Do?", it got me thinking about how I would react. Everyone's first thought is that they would indeed help, but would we? Would I? I went back and read Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, with new eyes. God calls us to be a real "neighbor", and not pass by those we can offer the life & love of Christ to.
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
-Brandon Heath, "Give Me Your Eyes"

I was off yesterday, the weather was finally good, so I took off for a day of riding up in the north Georgia mountains. The further north I went, the higher in elevation I rose, the more the temperature cooled, aided by cloud cover over the mountains. I was glad I brought some layers under my leathers.
I stopped at a gas station outside Clermont, to warm up with a cup of coffee. As I stood in line to pay up, a woman entered with 2 boys, that looked about 15 and 10. I don't know if she was their mother or not, but they went to the back of the store, and came to the front carrying big cases of beer! All three were carrying them- each toted a case up. As they stood in line, I looked at her, the case she carried, then each of the boys, and their cases. I was shocked that this woman was bringing these boys along, and using them for this purpose. Not only that, as they approached the register next to me, the woman said, "Hi, back again! We took the last of your cases." The cashier said, "Looks like a huge party." To which she replied, "Oh yeah, the beer's gonna flow!" The boys were giggling behind her, holding their beer cases.
I couldn't believe all I had just seen and heard. What an absolutely terrible example she was setting with these boys. They were being set up for a life of drinking & drunkenness at an early age, not only by what they apparently see all the time, but forced to get involved in. Pathetic.
I hope and pray my life never leads others astray- intentionally or by accident. The Bible says, "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." Luke 17:2

A children's ministry friend of mine, Roger Fields, sent this creed to me. I find it challenging and inspiring.

I want to be a member of the Real Deal Club.
I want to be authentic on the inside and outside.
I want my actions to match my words.
I want to get out of the center of my own universe.
I want to lay down my agenda in favor of what God is doing.
I want to treat people better than they expect.
I want to get over it fast when someone does me wrong.
I want to be in secret what I am in public.
I want to always remember that it’s not all about me.
I want to accept God’s forgiveness when I mess up.
I want to be able to laugh at myself.
I want to notice when someone else is hurting.
I want to talk to God and listen to what He says.
I want to relax and let God do the stuff I can’t do.
I want to stop occasionally and remember what is important.
I want to stop pushing my opinion on others.
I want to learn new ideas.
I want to enjoy making adjustments from failures.
I want to live like I believe God can do anything.
I want to stop being consumed by success.
I want to stop taking on burdens I can’t carry.
I want to do what is right even when it costs me.
I want to love people I don’t like.
I want to do what I say I will do.
I want to keep appropriate boundaries with the opposite sex.
I want to trust God without telling Him how to do things.
I want to keep from expecting more from people than they can do.
I want to read the Bible like God wrote it for me.
I want to own up quickly to my mistakes.
I want to stop living in the past.
I want to see the big picture.
I want to let go of small irritations.
I want to admit it when I don’t know something.
I want to let others succeed without being jealous.
I want to let others fail without being critical.
I want to be really happy when something good happens to someone else.
I want to try new ideas just for the fun of it.
I want to be secure with who God made me.
I want to be thankful for what God has done for me.
I want to be thankful for what I have.
I want to learn from others without feeling threatened.
I want to be peaceful.
I want to listen more than I talk.
I want to be interested in what interests others.
I want to learn to enjoy my work more.
I want to be a blessing to someone else when I can.
I want to face the future knowing my God has already been there.
I want to be the real deal.

This past weekend I had a rather eye-opening experience, that greatly saddened me.
My brother Rick called me, asking about the last time I ever heard any news about our old youth pastor, from when we were teens (too many years ago..). "Its funny you asked," I said, "I was thinking about him just last week." Rick told me, "I think I found him."
Some background- Johnny (name changed) was an exciting, young, energetic youth pastor that came to our church when I was in 10th grade, and was a new believer. The youth group grew, reached many new kids for Christ, and Johnny was a role model for many of us. They were great years, and I made great memories in that youth group.
But Johnny had a character flaw, that became apparent after I graduated. He was found to have been committing adultery on his wife. He resigned his position, but they got counseling to preserve their marriage. They eventually moved back to Fla., to the church they came from, and he served under his former pastor again, who gave him another chance. We later heard he had another affair on his wife, which destroyed his marriage and his ministry. The last I had ever heard of Johnny, he was back up here in Ga., living in Conyers, running a successful sign-making business. It seemed, finally, all was settling down in his troubled life.
But Rick told me about a "MySpace" page he had found, with a guy that looked remarkably like Johnny. The guy had tons of pics of himself at bars & nightclubs, surrounded by women much younger than him, with wild partying, drinking, etc. going on. He called himself a "celebrity photographer", and it looked like he made a living taking pictures of people living wildly & sinfully. He even had a couple of website links, which also seemed to include a nightclub DJ business, among other things.
I looked at him in all his pictures, and told Rick, "Yeah, that's him- I'd know his eyes and smile anywhere." Here he was, gray-haired, wrinkly, in his mid-50s, living like he was some godless 22 year old.
I was saddened and troubled by all I saw. This guy had once been such a great role model to so many of us when we were teens, and look where the choices in his life have brought him to. Sure, he may appear, may even believe, his life is one big party, but will he have anything to show for it, at life's end one day?
I pondered him much of the weekend, and thanked God my life didn't go the way of Johnny. At the end of life, all he will have in hand as he stands before God will be failed marriages, destroyed ministry, and a life wasted on vanity, sensuality, and selfish ambition. In other words, nothing.
I don't want that to ever be said of my life. I want to stand before my Father one day, and hear Him say, "Well done, son. Welcome home." In fact, if I could write my own epitaph for my tombstone, I hope it will be, "He walked with God, and brought others along." That's what I want my life characterized by. The things that will last.
Jesus said of the last days, "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:12-13.
May I walk with God, bring others with me, and endure to the end.

I'm home sick today, its Monday, an unusually warm February day, and I'm fighting a head/chest infection. No fun.
An old friend of mine sent me this remedy-
"A big bowl of chicken soup, followed by a 60-mile motorcycle ride in the country always makes me feel better. If that doesn't work follow up with 40 pages Brennan Manning, taken along with 6 tracks of Rich Mullins. A guaranteed cure for whatever's got you down." Sounds like a cure to me!!
I was thumbing through some devotional readings I've compiled from John Eldredge and others, and came across one called, "Restoration". It struck a chord in my heart today, I guess due to the combination of my illness, the warm day, and my longings for spring to get here. Here's a few thoughts from it-
"The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, the dead were raised. Wherever humanity was broken, Jesus restored it. He is giving us an illustration here, and there, and there again. The coming of the kingdom of God restores the world he made."
"God has been whispering this secret to us through creation itself, every year, at springtime, ever since we left the Garden... After months and months of winter, I long for the return of summer. Sunshine, warmth, color, and the long days of adventure together. The garden blossoms in all its beauty. The meadows soft and green. Vacation. Holiday. Isn’t this what we most deeply long for? To leave the winter of the world behind, what Shakespeare called 'the winter of our discontent,' and find ourselves suddenly in the open meadows of summer?"
"The restoration of the world played out before us each spring and summer is precisely what God is promising us about our lives. Every miracle Jesus ever did was pointing to this Restoration, the day he makes all things new."
(exerpts from "Epic", by John Eldredge)
Restoration- that is what Jesus' mission was all about, what His crucifixion accomplished, what it means to walk with Christ in this life, and ultimately, what we set our heart and hope on for our eternity. The ultimate restoration of all things. "Behold, I make all things new", says Jesus in Revelation 21:5.
My heart looks for, and longs for, the final restoration.

Dogs.
I'm overrun with dogs. They are consuming my days, taking over my life.
About a month ago, our chihuahua Maddey was diagnosed with canine diabetes. She had been developing cataracts, losing weight, guzzling water daily, and peeing all over the house. It was awful. So now, we give her insulin shots twice daily. A dog, taking insulin shots. Crazy.
Then about two weeks ago, we began seeing a brown female pit bull hanging around, befriended by Dexter, our 3-legged dog that had adopted us a little over a year ago. I found myself running off this dog every day. I even got up one morning, and caught her in the outside doggie bed on the front porch, with him!
Then one early Friday morning, after we had let Dexter out, we heard barking, fighting, and pain-filled howling out back. I turned on the back flood light, and I saw a large black dog on top of Dexter, just biting him up mercilessly. I rushed outside, and that dog was gone in a flash. We saw him around the property several times daily over the weekend, then on Sunday morning, while the girls had let Maddey out to briefly pee, they came in to get their coats, and in an instant, Maddey was viciously attacked by the black dog, this time accompanied by the pit bull. The girls ran off the rogue dogs, and Maddey was bloodied and crippled, unable to walk the rest of the day. We took her & Dexter to the vet on Monday, getting Dexter a rabies shot as precaution, and Maddey was found to have been wounded in her lower back, resulting in nerve and back leg damage. She might never walk right again.
I was furious. We spent the next week guarding our three dogs every time we took them out, under seige in our own yard, and I kept my handguns loaded and cocked, hoping for a chance to kill them both should I get a good shot at them. They stayed elusive, showing up and then disappearing before I could get to them. Turns out, neighbors down the street had seen the mongrels themselves, one even saying they had killed two of his chickens.
Animal Control could not catch them, but several of us were determined we would eventually get them. Finally, this past Sunday, I heard a fusillade of small arms fire, coming from down the street. We have not seen the dogs, either one, since. I hope someone killed these dangerous dogs- after what the black one had done to my dogs, I just wish it could have been me. That sounds bad, I know. I just wanted to avenge Maddey.
Yesterday, we got another surprise. Kelsey and her boyfriend bought a 9-week old teacup Yorkie, for their 2-year anniversary. That's the last thing we needed, was another dog! We told Kelsey, "This is your dog. We are not taking care of another dog. She is solely your responsibility and expense." And now Ansley wants one....
Like I said, I'm overrun with dogs. God certainly made them to be "man's best friend", I just don't need any more 4-legged, furry friends!

As I try to focus my heart more on Christ this new year, and "walk humbly before your God" like Micah 6:8 says, I've asked God to give me His eyes for other people, and grow my compassion for them. I get so hurried in my life, and so focused on my schedule, my agenda, etc., that I can easily pass people by, brush them off, without stopping to invest the love of God in them. I want to change that.
Well, God put me to the test right away, and gave me opportunities to be compassionate. And I failed miserably a couple of times. First, a young man who used to be in our children's ministry came by to visit me in the RockiTown room early Sunday morning, while I was working to get everything set up for the morning worship hours. I was less than glad to see him, and was not as friendly to him as I could have been. After some small talk, while I was still working away, he quietly said goodbye, and slipped out of the room. Then at the end of the morning, as the last of the kids had left for the day, a dad came through, who serves in the Army reserves and got back from Iraq in the past year. He asked for prayer in reconnecting with his 8-year old son, and for wisdom in dealing with some rebellion & respect issues they were beginning to have with him. I was finishing the process of putting everything away, and was tired at the end of a long morning (7am to 12:30pm), and gave him the customary "I'll pray for you", with some words of "every parent deals with these, welcome to parenthood" platitudes.
I was later so convicted over both encounters. I missed two opportunities to show compassion. It bummed me out for a couple of days.
Then today at the gym, I saw this lady that I had seen there before, and recognized from somewhere. She had looked at me before like she recognized me as well. As I saw her again today, I realized she worked at the gym, but instead of hurrying back to the office, and rather than passing by her and just saying, "Hi, how are you, good to see you" like we so often do, I stopped and asked her if we knew each other. Turns out, her family had attended my former church back in the 90's, and her two older kids had come up through my children's ministry there. Wow, that was how we knew each other! I asked her how the family was doing, and she proceeded to confide in me that her marriage fell apart about 8 years ago, she had struggled to provide for her 3 kids over the years, had lost a job in nursing that she had trained for, and only recently began work at the gym. I asked if she was attending that church still, and she said she had not been back since the divorce. She told me that she used to teach in preschool there, was involved in Adult Sunday School ministry, went to visitation every week, and never missed a worship service. Yet when her marriage and family was in crisis, no one ever contacted them to find out what was happening, or to say that they were missed. She relocated her kids up to Dacula, but had not plugged back into any church since.
So here is this woman who I had once ministered to her children, dealing with the pain of a divorce and the pain of neglect from a church she had once faithfully served, coupled with the ongoing struggles of being a single mom. God kept me there listening to her, in the lobby of the gym, while she confided these things in her kids' old children's pastor from years ago. She finally had to get back to work, and only then did I say I'd pray for her and her family, and that we'll talk again sometime.
I left there today praying for her, and asking God, "Give me your eyes for the broken-hearted, and the compassion to not pass them by." Jesus would be in a crowd of people, and notice someone to the side who needed His touch, or someone who needed His attention. He always stopped, always made time, no matter who or what was pressing Him to keep moving.
Father, I want to stop for people more, and give them the love and life they need, from Your heart, through mine, to theirs.
Fill me with compassion.

Its hard to believe 2009 has arrived. I'm sitting here watching football, and reflecting on 2008. Time seems to fly by faster, the older I get. It was a great year in so many ways- reconnecting with old friends, deepening ties to family and current friends, and some big successes in ministry, with VBC, 5th grade Adventure Trip, etc. 2008 was incredible. I grew in Jesus Christ as well, and I hope I've been able to pass on to others what I've gained.
After our annual New Years celebration with the Jimmersons & Brantons, I was reading Scripture and a devotional guide the morning of Jan. 2, asking God, "What do You want me to be about in 2009? What should be my 'New Years Resolutions' for this year?" It just so happened my devo guide referenced Micah 6:8- "...and what does the Lord require of you, but to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God?" I've reflected on that for a couple of days. Such a simple statement of purpose, but so all-encompassing. If I seek to make wise choices, "do the right thing"...if I look for opportunities to show love and compassion... if I humbly focus on knowing, loving, and following Christ- that is what He wants my life to be about, in 2009 and beyond. So often we look for deeper meanings, deeper truths, greater knowledge, when our Father simply wants us to follow Micah 6:8. And yet, when we seek these things of God, everything else will follow.
So what's my New Years Resolution? To look for more opportunities to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God." What else is there?

Its the day after Christmas Day, Dec. 26. I've been unable to log into this blog lately, due to confusing changes they made to it. Oh well, it works now...
We got back today from Christmas with Lisa's side of the family down in Fayetteville, and we're all just winding down & relaxing. Christmas was real special this year, all month long. Its really been a month of giving, more than about just getting. At Hebron, we did "Gift of Hope" projects all month for families and groups around Dacula & Lawrenceville, and we've had so many opportunities to give Christ's love & Christmas cheer to others. We participated in cookie box deliveries to local hospital staffs, collected & delivered Christmas gifts to local needy families through Christmas Wish Fund, and brought gifts to the families of Ga. prison inmates through Angel Tree Ministries. With the economy in the state it is, and people losing jobs, families losing homes, etc., I am thankful to have a job, have a home, and though money is tight, to have at least a little ability to give to others.
Giving.
To me, that's really what Christmas is all about. "In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son..." Galatians 4:4. He gave His Son Jesus Christ, born secretly into this world, ultimately to die publicly for our sin. The supreme gift, the supreme sacrifice. And those of us who name His name are called to give of ourselves in His name. This is what we should be known for- love and giving. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35.
What better time of the year to be reminded of our mission, than at Christmas.

I just finished reading a column by Charles Lowery, a noted speaker and author, about "The Main Event" of Christmas. It was a timely article for me, as I've been thinking about these things myself lately, the closer we get to Christmas.
He tells a story about a young boy who wanted to see the circus that was coming to town, but his poor family couldn't afford the ticket price. His father had told the boy if he could earn half, the father would cover the other half. Over the next couple of weeks, the boy earned his half, and good to his word, the father spotted him the rest.
Elated, the boy purchased his ticket on opening day, then ran down to Main Street in time for the Circus Parade. He was mesmerized by the lions, elephants, acrobats, clowns, etc., as they all pranced down the street. As the last clown danced by, the boy handed him his ticket, then ran back home.
Later, when his dad came home, he asked, "You're home from the circus a lot earlier than I expected. How was it?". The boy excitedly described all the sights, sounds, smells- the whole thrilling spectacle. Then he told about giving his ticket to the last clown. The father sadly picked his son up, set him on his lap, and said, "Son, I have some bad news. Today, you missed the main event, the circus. You only saw the parade."
I think so many people rush around during this season, shopping, eating, attending Christmas parades and spectacles, some maybe even enthusiastically. Yet this is also the time of the year with the most cases of depression and suicide. People are missing the Main Event.
To me, I can see why people can get down this time of year. It seems pointless to do the same thing, year after year- rush, shop, eat, repeat. The same Santa stuff, the same parties, the same gifts, the same tv specials, etc.
What makes Christmas really Christmas is Christ! We commemorate and celebrate the coming of the Savior, the long-awaited hope of mankind, the One who has come to save us from sin, despair, and separation. Its not fairy tale or traditions. He is the Main Event, the reason for the season. Every year, I want to experience, not the fluff of the stuff of "the holidays", but the Christ of Christmas.
This Christmas, I don't want to miss Jesus.

Its been an interesting week. I got sick early in the week, a cold that ran through the family over the weekend, then got me on Monday. It knocked me down most of the week.
While I was home sick, one of my girls got a flat tire. While trying to change it at home, I was cranking up the car jack when the lug wrench popped off and swung up and hit me right below the eye. It hurt like crazy, then bled like crazy. Now, several days later, its really blackened up nice. Plus, where it hit me will most certainly leave a nice scar.
So here I sit, finally over my killer cold, and the pain leaving my face, but my eye seems to be getting darker daily. It might take another week before the color is back to normal, but hey, its been a conversation starter everwhere I go, for sure.
God's good, another 1/3 inch higher and I could have lost my eye.
I've spent a lot of time reading while sick and hurt this week, trying to focus again on knowing and growing in Christ. So I guess its been time well spent. And I have a mark to show for it.

I've been feeling so distracted lately. I can't seem to stay concentrated on one thing for very long. My mind wanders to a dozen different things, constantly. I'll start reading something, only to get a phone call, overhear a conversation, remember something else I needed to do, etc. There are so many things grabbing for our attention these days- hundreds of channels on TV, in every room; music on the radio, on our mp3 players, on our computers, also our TV; cell phones with way more features than we need, constantly going off with calls or messages; more books & magazines than we can possible ever get to; endless surfing that can be done on the Internet, and so on. My attention span feels about as long as a 5 year old!
I recently joined a funny group on Facebook called, "I Have ADD And Wanted To Start A Group So That...Hey! Let's Go Ride Bikes!" for those of us easily distracted. Seemed an appropriate group to join! Does this come with age, have I been ingesting too much caffeine, am I trying to juggle too much in my life, or is something else at work? Maybe all of the above...
I have also felt disconnected spiritually lately, not as in tune with God's Spirit as I like to be. My prayer has become random and scatterbrained, and less frequent. I went for my nightly jog the other night, under the bright moon, and when I finished, I just sat down at the end of the driveway for a while, to try to talk to God some. I asked Him, "Father, what's wrong with me? What does my heart need from you?" Rather quickly, He spoke to my heart, "Focus." Yes, I certainly need that. I asked, "What do I do?" He said, "Stay with Me, linger here." I did linger there, for about another 30 minutes. Nothing majestic happened, the skies didn't open up and angels didn't sing, but I just sat in His presence, enjoyed the beautiful moon-lit night, and felt His presence and pleasure, like sitting in my dad's lap as a kid, just enjoying being outside together.
I need to "FOCUS"- be more intentional about my morning prayer and reading time with Him, and meet Him our here every night I can, to commune with Him. I want Him to again be "My One Thing" like Rich Mullins used to sing about. That way, He'll come back into focus in my life.
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
Rob

I've come back to a story in the Gospels that grips my heart every time I read it. It is the story of the woman caught in adultery, found in John 8. Jesus is teaching in the Temple courtyard, with a large crowd gathered to hear Him. Suddenly, the Pharisees & other religious leaders burst through the crowd, dragging a woman caught in the act of adultery, and throw her down in front of Jesus & everyone. They boldly assert that Moses' law says they can stone her to death right on the spot, but ask Jesus, "What do you say?"
Now, as I try to imagine this whole scene, the shock and drama of it become clear. Wherever & however they found this woman, they must have burst in on her and her lover, caught them in the act (which was a terrible sin, no doubt), dragged her out and down the street with probably little if anything on, kicking & screaming, all the while spitting on her, kicking & hitting her, taunting & verbally abusing her, all the way to the Temple. By the time they arrived with her, I imagine she was bloodied & dirty, sobbing uncontrollably, rightly fearing for her life. Then she was dumped unceremoniously at Jesus' feet.
With the crowd in shocked silence, the self-righteous Pharisees demanding an answer, Jesus mysteriously stooped & wrote in the dust. No one knows what He wrote, but He suddenly stood up, looked these men in the face, and demanded, "All right, but whichever one of you has had no sin in his own life, you throw the first stone!"
He then stooped to write in the dust again, the sobbing woman in a huddled heap beside Him. Whatever He wrote, coupled with what He had just said, one-by-one the accusers all turned to leave. Standing up, Jesus leaned over her and said, "Lady, where are your accusers?" Through her disheveled hair and sob-swollen eyes, she replied, "They're not here, Lord." And I imagine Jesus throwing a robe around her and helping her up as He said, "I don't accuse you either. But now go and leave your life of sin."
What an amazing scene this is! The cold cruelty of the religious leaders, who just wanted to use the occasion to try to trap Jesus in some way- contrasted with the uncompromising compassion of Jesus for this woman, is astounding to me. Many believe this woman was the same one who sometime later burst in on a dinner Jesus was attending, and anointed His head and feet with perfume, out of love and gratitude. Could this be Mary Magdalene, one of the most passionate and devoted followers of Jesus? I know this- Jesus once said, "He who has been forgiven much loves much, and he who has been forgiven little loves little."
May I always love much, realizing I have been loved and forgiven much.
May I always see people through the eyes of Jesus- not excusing their sin, but loving them with His love, which alone has the power to forgive and restore.
Rob

This past week I had the privilege of leading a sacred event I've participated in and helped with many times over the years, but never led. I administered the Lord's Supper to a Bible study group in a home. I've done weddings, funerals, baby dedications, wedding vow renewals, and hundreds of baptisms, but this was a new first for me.
The mother of a young marine killed in Iraq 2 years ago, whose family attends Hebron and I've grown close to, asked if I'd conduct this for their women's study group, as part of a commissioning for a group member traveling to India on a mission trip. I said I'd be honored.
There were about 15 ladies, all seated in the living room. I shared some words from Charles Spurgeon about the sacredness of the Communion, then read the Last Supper account in Matthew 26:26-30. I led it very traditionally- we had a loaf of Jewish challa bread which I broke, prayed over, then brought around to each lady there, who broke off a piece. Then I prayed over a chalice of grape juice, and brought it around as well, with each one dipping their bread in it. We then ate the bread/juice, and spent time in quiet prayer, while Rich Mullin's song, "Peace" played low. We next brought up the lady going on the mission trip, knelt and laid hands on her, and committed her life & work to God. We closed with a hymn, just like Jesus' followers did. We then shared lunch together, which was delicious.
It was a great honor to guide this special event, and we surely felt the presence of God's Spirit there. It really reminded me of how intimate the first Supper was with our Lord & His disciples, and how this not only commemorates the death of Christ for our sins, it also was meant to bind our hearts to each other as His beloved children. I think that is often missed today, in our big, efficient ways of doing things in our churches. We inadvertently diminish the sacredness of moments like this, when we should be sharing them together from the heart, and savoring the time together with our Lord.
Rich once wrote, "I don't know which is more beautiful- the calling of the ancient stars, or the assembling of the saints."

I'm still reading Manning's "Ragamuffin Gospel", and God is using it and His Word to speak to me daily.
I just finished a chapter called, "Grazie, Signore", which means "Thank you, Lord". He begins with a touching story of a young woman who has had to undergo facial surgery to remove a tumor from her cheek. Her mouth is now slightly twisted, due to a tiny nerve that had to be severed to remove the tumor. As the doctor sadly explains the permanence of this side-effect to her, the husband stands by her side, gently stroking her hair & face. The doctor steps back, and watches in humble awe as the young man bends over his love, and whispers, "I like it. Its kind of cute." He then twists his own lips slightly to conform to hers, to show her that their kiss still works.
That story grips my heart for some reason. It almost moves me to tears every time I read it. That kind of love & compassion is truly beautiful, humbling, and of God. In fact, it is a picture of the love of God for us, displayed in Jesus Christ.
"He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Manning concludes the chapter with a heart-felt prayer of praise, which I desire daily to make my own-
"Grazie Signore, for your lips twisted in love to accomodate my sinful self, for judging me not by my shabby good deeds but by your love that is your gift to me, for your unbearable forgiveness and infinite patience with me, for other people who have greater gifts than mine, and for the honesty to acknowledge that I am a ragamuffin. When the final curtain falls and you summon me home, may my last whispered word on earth be the wholehearted cry, 'Grazie Signore.'"
Rob