Kingdom Hearts

Well, the eventful weekend was great.  I am going to spend the day recuperating.  I’m exhausted.  After spending Wednesday and Thursday in Longview, taking care of business and preparing for our move (renting storage, getting a post office box, opening bank account, etc), on Friday we went to Dallas to meet the family.  We stayed at a beautiful facility called Willowood Ranch in Bells, TX, which is right outside of Sherman.  You can see more pictures of the facility here. It is the perfect place for a weekend full of wedding events. There is a ranch house, where we stayed.  There is also a chapel and reception hall where the wedding and reception took place.  It was so much fun to spend the weekend out there with family and friends that I haven’t seen in so many years.  And then on Sunday we came back to Longview and spent all day Monday continuing to get things done in preparation for our move, which will be in about 2 short weeks from now.  I had forgotten how much work it is to move.  I am looking forward to getting all of this done.  We haven’t even started packing the house here in La Grange yet.

So that was our weekend in a nutshell.  It was extremely busy and hectic, but a lot of fun.  So, back to the main event of the weekend–Megan’s wedding.

Megan was stunning!  It was as beautiful and happy as I have ever seen my little sister.  And I am so proud of her and couldn’t be happier with her choice as a soul mate.  Matt is a great man who I know will love, cherish, and take care of Megan and I am looking forward to enjoying him as my brother-in-law.  It was a lot of fun (not to mention an honor) to get to officiate her wedding.

It was so good getting to spend the weekend with some friends of the family that I have not spent a lot of time with in recent years.  I had forgotten how much I missed them and enjoyed being around them, but at the same time was also reminded how awesome it will be to one day be reunited in Heaven with my loved ones.

Another thing that struck me through all of this was how happy Matt and Megan were.  They were absolutely “giddy,” almost to the point of being cheesy.  Even when doing their vows, Megan was so stoked she got tickled a couple of times, which really was great.  Of course, stumbling over one of the lines of the vows was classic Megan…and provided a great laugh for everyone.  Megan being Megan is part of what made the wedding so great and I think every one knew that at some point she would manage to put a “touch of Megan” on her wedding.  It really was great.  And I am glad she is who she is.

So looking at Matt and Megan and their happiness, I can’t help but wonder, “what happens to that?”  I mean, what is it about a marriage that causes that happiness and excitement and “giddyness” to fade away?  Is it time?  It is it the monotony of every day life?  Is it age?  Is it that we just begin at some point to take each other for granted?  I don’t know, really.   I suppose it can be a combination of all of these and more.  I remember how excited Cody and I were when we got married.  Sometimes we still enjoy that excitement, sometimes I think we get too caught up in the rigorous circumstances of life that we forget how blessed we are. 

My sister and her husband taught me something this weekend.  When I told them during the ceremony to remember how they feel right now and try to never lose it, I think I also presented a challenge to myself, and to everyone of us who were present and married.  When Paul discussed Christ’s relationship to the church in Ephesians 5, the effects of Jesus’ love for the church are continuous.  He continues to this day to love, cherish, and protect His church.  And hopefully the church continues to love and honor Him.  May it never stop!  And may the happiness and love in our marriages never cease.  May the desire to renew our commitments often to one another be steadfast.

So once again, I congratulate you Matt & Megan, and I thank you for your realness, love for eachother, and example set forth.  Keep on doing it! Don’t change a thing

I love you both!

Hank, my 7-year old rotweiller, is actually a pretty laid back dog. Cody and I have kept him socialized with kids ever since he was a puppy, and as a result, he has no clue as to his potential. I realize I am at least somewhat biased but he is one of the sweetest and most gentle dogs I have known. Another wonderful trait about Hank that I absolutely love is his loyalty. I will give you an example. As is the case with most dogs I suppose, Hank loves to eat. I usually feed him in the mornings before I go to work. If I am running late, he slides his pan on the patio concrete to remind me that he wants to eat. And when I do get out there with his food, he goes nuts. It is one of the most exciting times of the day for him.

Well, last Friday morning morning I was outside working on my lawn mower, trying to get it to start (another completely different story altogether). Usually when I am outside Hank is right there with me. But before I went to my lawn mower, I fed him. He was his usual excited self, of course. And then I got curious. As I was by my lawn mower, I called for him while he was eating. And he immediately came. His food no longer mattered. I petted him and played with him a little. And of course, he was enjoying my attention. He would periodically look back at his food he left behind, but there was absolutely no way he was going back to his food pan. When I started back to working on my lawn mower, he sat there by me. As much as he loves to eat, Hank was much more interested in what I was able to give him emotionally. That makes him much happier.

Now, I don’t want to necessarily compare us to dogs, but what a tremendous lesson on commitment and loyalty. We too have a Master. He gives us spiritual food, which is much more important than physical nourishment (Matthew 4:4). Jesus tells us that when our loyalty is to Him and His kingdom, then our needs will be met (Matthew 6:33). Do we live in such a way that demonstrates this kind of faith? Hank trusted that he would eat. He knew I was going to take care of Him. He has faith in me as his master that his needs are going to be taken care of. And that is exactly why he would much rather spend his time with me. He is committed to me. And it makes me feel good, just as it pleases God when He comes first in our lives. Hank is not perfect. But he is loyal and faithful. Do we see the connection? There is no doubt in my mind that I take priority over anything else in his life. Can God claim the same of us?

I think the words of the psalmist are appropriate here:

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act” (Psalm 37:3-5).

Have a good weekend and for all of the mothers out there, I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

New Years is always a fun time for me. One, because it marks the end of the holiday season, and by this time, I am usually ready for it to be over. Two, because it means my birthday is only one day away. Although I have to admit, I am looking less and less forward to this one as the years go by. ha! And three, it marks the beginning of a fresh start. A new beginning, so to speak.

There are many traditions that have become a custom for us to participate in throughout our lives; perhaps none bigger than the ones that often take place at New Years. It is not so much that we are a superstitious people as much as that they are simply a part of our culture. Sometimes they are fun; sometimes we take them very seriously. Perhaps one we take the most serious is “New Year Resolutions.” Yes, we have all done it. The lists are practically endless of things we resolve to do each year. And if you are anything like me sometimes, all you can do is hope that the motivation to carry them out will last more than a couple of months.

The Bible certainly has a lot to say about commitment, both explictly and implicitly. So I thought I would end the year by giving some thought to what I am resolved to do for the upcoming new year, which begins tomorrow. This is not desgined to tell anyone what their “New Year Resolutions” should be. That is between you, God, and whomever you choose to share them with. I am choosing to share mine with you (1) to hold myself accountable; and (2) to provide encouragement concerning some things that should be taken seriously by all of us as Jesus’ followers.

My New Year Resolutions:

1. “I gotta lose some weight and take better care of myself, physically.” I know, I know. Probably the most talked about resolution of all. The difference for me however, is that before, it was usually for the wrong reason. Whether it was to look better or because someone else wanted me to, the reasons were vain. For me it has now become a matter of two things: (1) health and (2) discipline. I do not feel healthy right now. Yet, I want nothing more than to serve in God’s kingdom and be fruitful in everything I do. Everything about Jesus while living on earth was to effect man’s salvation. Jesus tells me to do the same. I want more energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. I can start with shedding this excess weight that makes me tired, lethargic, lazy, and depressed. And I think discipline has to be a factor as well. To serve God and walk with Christ in this world, we need to be a disciplined people. I have always had some discipline in my life. But I have not in the area of food choices and exercise. That needs to change. If I can’t discipline myself in the taking care of my physical body, then how can I do so in my spiritual life, which should be far more important? God has blessed me with a physical body and I have enjoyed tremendous health up to this point in my life. I want to be a better steward with what God has given me. I don’t FEEL like I have at this point. I covet your prayers in this regard.
2. “I want to pray more regularly and fervently.” The Bible reminds us that the fervent prayer of the righteous is a good thing and that we should do it. Fervent implies great passion and zeal that is boiling over. Jesus, while living on earth, came across every problem that we encounter. He was stressed. He was rejected and ridiculed. He was persecuted. He was lonely. He was tempted. He was sad. These encounters were met with prayer. Of all the reasons we could mention as to why we should pray, that Jesus did it, is perhaps the greatest. My hope is that by spending more time with my Heavenly Father in prayer this year, I will be better reminded of His presence in my life.
3. “I want to do more for those commonly unaccepted in society.” The more I see the homeless, the poor, the sick and diseased, the less-fortunate children, and even those deeply embedded in sin, in my community, the more my heart goes out to them. And while it is easy for me to think to myself, “well they have no one to blame but themselves,” it becomes necessary for me to remember that this was never Jesus’ atttitude. Certainly, there are those who are less fortunate who probably could do more for themselves. I won’t deny that. But my purpose as a disciple of Christ is to introduce God’s kingdom to people. And the greatest example of one promoting the kingdom is Christ Himself. Who did He reach out to? Who did He spend the majority of His time with, besides His apostles? It was the ordinary people in His society that most thought had nothing to offer. It was those who the religious elistist looked upon as sinners who were to be shunned. May my good fortune in life always be a reminder to me that it was God who blessed me with what I have. And may it forever be a reminder to me that I have no right to be arrogant or puffed up about it, and every obligation to share it so I can have a good influence on others.
4. “I want to be more focused on how to fix ME and be less judgmental of others.” I believe my relationship with God in recent times has been greatly hindered by my judgmental attitude. I pray for forgiveness over my arrogance. This past year has been one of the greatest years of my life. I think I have grown as a Christian and in my relationship with God more so this year than in other years, combined. And it all started with putting down my gavel and remembering that God did not create me to be His helper as Judge. My title is “Christan,” not “Assistant vice-president of God’s judging committee.” I pray that I will never exude the kind of arrogance I once did. I hope that my motivation to be a Jesus follower will be driven by my humility and remembrance that I am still in just as much need of God’s grace and mercy as the one on the street who has never known God. I am not saved by my faith, works, theology, or wisdom alone any more than I am by another person’s. I am saved by the grace of God who has sent His Son to shed His blood for me. And while there is no doubt that I must do what God says in order to contact that blood (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 22:16), this is not THE SOURCE of my salvation. The source is God and His love and mercy for mankind.
5. “I want to always keep in mind how much my kids need me.” I don’t know if there is more we can do to deprive our children than to not spend time with them. My 2 boys are precious to me and I hope that I will always remember that there is more to raising them than discipline. That is important. But so is the value of giving them my time, my ear, my affection, and my fun. Research suggests that my boys (and all children) need these things, especially from their dads, for their sense of security and well-being. May God be with me as I strive daily to bring them up in the admontion and training of the Lord!

So there you have it; things in which I have resolved to do a better job this upcoming 2009 year. I have been praying about them for quite some time now, and am confident with Christ walking by my side, I can succeed. I hope you will pray for me. I continue to pray for you as my loved ones daily. Please feel free to share what some of your resolutions for the new year are. I would love to hear them and if you have something to share that can be helpful to me and others, to God be the glory!

Have a wonferful New Year and please, be careful if you are doing anything tonight…