September 11

I was a fourth grader at Willard Elementary School. When I reached the top of the steps of my school, one of my classmates told me of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. All of us who were alive at the time can tell you where you were when it happened. Fast forward to September 11, 2001. This time I was Vice President of Enrollment Managment at York College and my office was in my old elementary school. Now it's called Sack Hall. I had been to a breakfast meeting with our consultant and when I returned, standing at the bottom of the same steps where I heard of the president's death, I heard of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center. Our house was across the street from Sack Hall, so I went home and watched the whole tragedy in horror. My mother said she just fell to her knees. Five years later, we stand as a nation praying that this won't happen again. I know there have been discussions and politics and threats and warnings. The solutions to this threat are complicated. And yet, there is a very simple answer. The lowest common denominator can be found and the solution is there. Whether it can be implemented is another story. But the answer is simple. It's Jesus. I know He said that He came to bring the sword to families. But He is still the answer. He's the Prince of Peace. And He is the answer, the only answer. Say a prayer in remembrance today. And pray that hearts will change and turn to Him. JW

Turning Points

Life has a number of turning points. When one is in the midst of such turning points, he doesn't realize the gravity of the situation. It isn't until years down the road when looking back does one realize the difference a decision, a marriage, or a conversation made in his life. I have talked before of decisions; how one decision can change the direction of one's life.
I think baptism is one of those turning points. I Peter 3:21 says that it isn't the water that saves you in baptism. Of course, we know it's Jesus that saves. But baptism is the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It is a pledge, a decision, a turning point where the believer says, "From this day forward, I'm serving the Lord."
I see a number of turning points in my life. How about you? Have you seen any? Can you identify? That's why the writer says to "teach us to number our days aright." That's why it's important to understand that our lives are just a vapor. Can we go back and change those points? In most cases, we cannot. The event has happened, the change has occurred. But we can pray. We can bless. We can ask God's intervention and His direction. Once we do this, we realize anew that He is in control. Have a great day. JW

Credit Card is Cancelled

If you know me, you know that my mother died a year ago in March. As the keeper of the checkbook, I had been paying whatever bills there were while my eldest brother executed the estate. He did a wonderful job in making sure everything was taken care of. As the keeper of the checkbook, I also had Mom's mail forwarded to me.
Yesterday, and I'm not lying about this, Mom received a letter in the mail from one of her credit card companies. In a little text box at the top it has these words: Important information is noted below regarding your credit card account." Here, in part, is what the letter says:

Dear Evelyn J White: As your credit card company, it is important to us to provide you with timely information regarding your credit card account. After careful consideration, we have elected not to renew your account. The principal reasons for our decision are as follows: Consumer Was Reported As "deceased" At the Credit Bureau.

Now they list that reason three times in the letter. Whew! I'm glad they're are on top of this! Mom will certainly be relieved to have this taken care of. And by the way, who in the world were they sending the letter to? If she was dead, how would she know her credit card has been cancelled? Oh, my. Do you think she's continuing to use it? Thank heavens for this rocket scientists at this credit card company. And we wonder what is wrong in our financial world. Have a great day! JW

Letters from Dad

The weather is cooling off now. In the mornings, the temperature is in the 50s in the morning instead of the 80s. Fall is not far away...and neither is winter.

I'm not much into recommending books because what I like may not appeal to someone else. But if you are a father, I would recommend you read Letters from Dad by Greg Vaughn. It has some great suggestions on how to leave a legacy for your children.

In it, he makes a comment about marriages that I thought was interesting. He said about marriage, "God's plan says, THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE. Satan's plan says, THE ONE SHALL BECOME TWO. Why does Satan hate Christian marriages so much? Because they are a mirror of Christ's relationship with believers." Great comment. I'd really never thought of it that way before. I hope you had a great break (Labor Day). JW

Sabbath

When my kids were younger, I thought it was my responsibility to take them on vacation and to see everything we could in a short period of time. So we would see Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Donald, Snow White, and at least six of the dwarves in 2 days or less. We would "plan" the day as if we were preparing a major operation to get needed supplies to a third world country. We would come home exhausted and ready to get back to work in order to get some rest.
A few years ago, I bought a time share. Couldn't really afford it, but did it anyway. The first time we took advantage of the condo, we walked in, dropped our luggage, sat down and felt guilty for not having an agenda. We woke up early the first morning thinking we had an appointment to go to. After that, I remember sleeping in longer than I had since I was a teenager. Why was that? Because I was physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted. I had allowed myself to get caught up in the success syndrome the world threw at me.
Since that time I have worked at resting. Sometimes people see that as laziness. But I have found that one reason time flies by so quickly is that we have it so scheduled down to the minute that it can't help but do so.
Growing up I thought the Sabbath was Saturday. Jewish people worshiped on that day as did the 7th Day Adventists. But Saturday was a day to play.
I'm learning, however, to slow down a little bit. I'm not very good at it, yet. But God didn't intend for us to be in such a hurry. When you get a cup of chai or tea or (ugh) coffee and just sit, it's amazing what you'll see or smell. You feel the breeze on your cheek. You'll notice how blue the sky really is. You'll hear the birds chirping. And time will slow down.
Why am I writing on this now? I just got back from Mackinac Island where they have no cars. Yep. You either walk, ride a bike, or ride a horse-drawn carriage. Mike Cope wrote a blog about rest. I put on my iPod this morning and heard Amy Grant sing "Lay Down Your Burden." Then after that, Twila Paris sang, "God is in Control." The cool 60 degree weather and the blue sky reminded me anew that God is, indeed, in control and He wants me to slow down and realize it. And so should you. Have a great day. JW

Go Hogs!!

Please indulge my silly blog today. I have cleared my schedule for Saturday's game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the University of Southern California Trojans. I can hope against hope, can't I? I can dream. Although a friend of mine says we might win, I still remember last year's 70-17 thumping. I'm just hoping that it's not that bad. So today, I ask you to call the Hogs, sing the fight song, hum the alma mater, or anything else you want to do to egg on the Hogs. If you won't do it for them, would you do it for me? Have a great day. JW

If I Died Tonight

I had a weird dream last night. This wasn't like others that I have had in the past. (No, I didn't eat pickles and ice cream before going to bed. In fact, I had been at an elders meeting. Wait a minute....) In this dream, I knew I was to die. The exact time and place had been determined. A funeral was held for me and people came. (That was a refreshing thought!) In fact, I remember greeting people coming out of the funeral and thanked them for coming. I searched for and called out for Mom and Dad. I told them that I was going to be fine, not to mourn for me, and that I was going to meet Jesus. But I had a strange feeling of angst. What was it going to be like to die? There was a feeling of excitement and anticipation. It was a strange mix of emotions. Then I woke up.
What if you knew? What if you really knew the moment you would die, what would you do differently? Would your life dramatically change? I started to think seriously about that. What about you? What would you do? Perhaps I'll give you my feelings on another day. Have a good day. JW

Lavished

"See how great a love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are." What an incredible verse from I John 3. Lavish. Put your own definition to it. Whatever that definition is, it isn't enough to describe God's outrageous love for you...for me. Romans 5 says He pours it out. It overflows. Romans 8 says that nothing can separate us from it. And if God is for us, who can be against us? What a wonderful thought! I may have put this in here before, but listen to these words:
"God's love is His holy disposition toward all that He has created that compels Him to express unconditional affection and selective correction to provide the highest quality of existence, both now and forever, for the object of His love." By the way, the object of His love? You. Have a great day! JW See you next week.

Encouraging

I like to encourage people. Sometimes I'm not very good at it, but I like it. People seem to appreciate it and it brings a smile to their faces. Barnabas is one of those guys in the New Testament I'd like to know. In college, we were given nicknames because of certain characteristics or even our names. I was called Whitey (since my last name is White. It's fun to hear my son being called the same thing. I was also called Jim Dandy). We had another guy in our club we called Whitey because he had really blond hair. Others you call Shorty because they are vertically challenged. You get the picture. Barnabas was called Son of Encouragement. It's obvious that he was an encourager because you see it happen with Paul, John Mark, and others. I like Barnabas.
In our conversations with each other, I think we ought to encourage more. Instead we tend to gossip, tell the latest, you know the routine. We could even invoke what Paul said in Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true." That seems to be the criterion for telling something. Whether it's hateful or hurtful, we'll say, "But it's true!" Read on. "...whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Emphasis mine) Let's not stop at true, let's continue with noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. That'strue encouragement. Have a great day. JW

Dumb Rabbit

I saw a rabbit outside of our church building the other day. What was interesting was that he didn't move when I drove up. It wasn't until I got pretty close to him that he limped off. By limping off, I mean, he only had three legs. Something had already gotten one of his legs. I felt bad about calling him a stupid rabbit, but I went on my way.
Today, I saw the same rabbit, this time up closer to the building. I walked right up to him until I was about 5 feet away. He was eating some grass in the yard, so I left him alone. This time, I noticed something else. He was blind in his right eye. His right leg looked as if something had tried to chew it off also. I think his name is "Lucky." It wasn't until I made a loud noise with my keys that he turned his head enough to see me with his good eye.
Call me crazy, but I see a spiritual application to this. How many times do we see someone who is seemingly oblivous to what's going on around him and we just shake our heads and call them stupid? We don't know the circumstances nor the situation. Upon closer examination, we realize the disabilities they might have. Perhaps we should take more time and examine, be more compassionate, more caring, more considerate, more loving. That's what draws me to Jesus. He sees beyond the wounds, the scars, and the hurts...and He loves me for what I am. Have a great day. JW

Keep Silence

I'm amused when we sing certain songs. We don't know the context in which they were written nor the intent of the words. For instance, we sing a song (we don't sing it as often as we used to) called "The Lord is in His Holy Temple." Those of you who know it know it as a song to quiet us down. The auditorium is buzzing with talking and fellowship, there is an excitement to worship, but we want to hush everybody up. (It reminds me of a basketball game I was attending one time. The crowd was screaming because their team had made a tremendous come back. The other team was forced to call a time-out. The cheerleaders rushed onto the floor and quieted the crowd because they wanted to do a cheer.) So anyway, the best song we can think of is "The Lord is in His Holy Temple." In other words, we say that God is in the building. He wasn't before, but He is now. So in hushed tones we sing,

The Lord is in his holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before him.
Keep silence, keep silence,
Keep silence before him.

There! Now we can go ahead and start worship. I was reading Habakkuk the other day and found the text for this song. It's really a conversation between Habakkuk and God. Habakkuk is questioning why God would use a godless nation such as Babylon to punish the Israelites. God answers with a series of "Who do you think you are" questions. Basically, once God has had His fill, He says, "Listen up! Silence. I'm going to speak and you'd better listen."
That's very different isn't it? Don't believe me? Go and read Habakkuk 2. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a very beautiful song. But just remember the context of the words. Shouldn't we all be listening for God to speak? Have a great day. JW

Who Am I?

As I read other blogs I so admire the ability of others to be so deep, so profound in their thoughts. I envy them (in a good way) in their ability to be so thoughtful in what they say. They piece together their words so as to provoke such an emotion in my heart. Today I thought I would do the same, but my words fall far short.
I wanted to say that I believe that God is the Creator of the universe. He is in control and I'm not. He knows all and I don't. He is all-wise and I certainly don't match up to that qualification. So why do I try to take control? It's time to let Him be God and for me to be the created.
I believe that Jesus is His son. That He came to earth, literally, He lived and made an impact on His community, and was killed by a mob who didn't know what they were doing. It wasn't an accident that He died. No, in fact He gave Himself up intentionally so that I might have a chance. So that you might have a chance also.
Why did God send His son, and why did Jesus die so willingly? Because He loves me. We sing that old song, "Why Did My Savior Come to Earth," and we sing the chorus, "He loved me so." I can't sing that. He loves me so. He still does. He'll never stop. Why does He love me? That I'll never understand. I can try to reason it out, I can rationalize just about anything, but I cannot understand why the Creator of the universe, the one in control, the all-wise, all-knowing God would love this little piece of protoplasm that sits at this computer every day and types out something that is so trivial....but He does. And He loves you, too. So rather than fight it, I can only just accept it. I don't know what else to do. Okay, yes I do know what to do. I can revel in it. I can praise God. I can live like it. I can live like a child of the King. And so today, I will worship Him. I will bow down before Him and realize that He is the Lord. He is God and I am His child. Have a great day. JW

Starting School

I used to drop him off at school and say a prayer. Today is his first day of school for this year and he'll drive himself. He just came by my office to tell me he loves me. At least that's what he said. "By the way, do you have any money?"
Oh, well, I'll take what I can get. At least he came to see me. Godspeed to all parents out there who are taking their kids to school this week. Pray God's blessings on all the students and teachers. It's all part of growing up. Tough as it may be, it's natural, it's supposed to happen. So I'll continue to say my prayers. And I pray this will be a good year. Have a great day. JW

Fines

We had a brief scare over the weekend. The high school where my son attends issues all of the students lap-top computers. Of course, we buy insurance for them, but two years ago when he was a freshman) he spilled Mountain Dew on his computer. So when school fired up a year ago, we had to pay a fine (substantial, I might add) for him to get his computer for his sophomore year.
You can imagine my chagrin this year when we received a call from his homeroom teacher saying he owed another fine. Once we checked into it, we found that it was exactly the same as last year's fine. The date was June, 2005. In other words, they didn't take off the fine from last year.
I visited with the personnel at the school and, of course, they would not admit to being wrong, but promised to call when they had the situation under control. "When did you pay the fine?" they queried.
"Last August."
"Where did you pay the fine?"
"Right here where I'm standing right now."
"How did you pay for it?"
"Check."
My argument was they wouldn't have given him his computer had he not paid the fine. Their argument--it shows on the computer you owe the money.
I must say, I have received a call clearing us of all charges. That's the way I felt...that we were being unduly accused of disturbing the peace of the Apple iBook in my son's possession. I never really received a "I sorry we messed up." But nevertheless, I was pleased.
Which brings me to my point today. Why do they call such penalties "fines"? I would call them awfuls or terribles or tragics. But fines? Maybe it came about from such situations as I have described ending in the person finally deciding to pay the bill and saying, "Fine!" If you have any insight, you may let me know. Have a great day! And say a prayer for all of those who are going back to school. JW

Even If He Does Not

There is a passage in Daniel that always amazes me when I read it. It talks of our faith in God. It steers us to what's important. It makes us realize that our ways are not always the ways God takes. The message is still the same--God is in control and He knows best.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are about to be thrown into the furnace for not worshiping the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. After some empty (best very real) threats from the king, he asks them, "...what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Ooooooo. Bad question. It's been my experience not to get into any kind of questioning contest with God, i.e. see the book of Job. The response of the three men? "...we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king." Now that's a great statement! But what blows me away is the rest of the statement. They said, "But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Did you hear that? Even if he does not... When something good happens, our response is, "God is good." What we need to come to grips with is that God is good even if the good doesn't happen. "Even if," they said. They knew. Their faith was right where it should be.
So, how's your day? Going well? God is good. Not going so well? Guess what? God is good. Until we understand that, life may be difficult for us. But hang in there, because we know that He really is good, faithful, full of love, longsuffering (I like that word better than patient), kind, holy.......Have a great day. JW

Answered Prayer

We call them "Heart Groups" at camp. It's just a group of people who talk about the week and their troubles and their hopes and their....We split the boys (wisely) from the girls and we get together in a circle and we just listen. I heard my own son talk of troubled times in his life. By the way, it coincided with difficult times in my life. Moves and friends and changing friends. "By some twist of faith," he said, one of his friends came into his life at just the right time. I stood up and told him it wasn't a twist of faith, it was an answered prayer. You see, everyday as I dropped him off at school, I would say this prayer. "Father, keep him safe today. Bring him close to friends who will bring him close to You. Bring him close to teachers who will do the same. Keep Satan away." These two, sometimes three young men help each other. It's exactly the way I prayed it. God was faithful! There were other testimonies that night. Love for Green Valley Bible Camp. Suicidal thoughts. Old men crying. All in all, we were moved and lifted by hearing these young men proclaim their love for each other and for God.
As we walked down the valley to meet the girls, a rock (not a pebble, but a good sized rock) came tumbling down the hill. It was if one of Satan's legions, not happy with what had just happened, held back by one of God's angels, could only muster this little rock down toward our group. Perhaps an overactive imagination on my part, but humor me. I'm sure Satan was not happy. And that's the way I like to keep him. Have a great day. JW

The Voice of God

We end every night at camp at the steps. No matter what has gone on, no matter what time it is, it's the closure to the night. The steps (kind of a large amphitheater about halfway down the valley. Remember? Green Valley Bible Camp. And you thought people from Arkansas were dum.) :)
This particular evening I was through with my duties and I was walking back to my camper. The darkness of the evening just amplified the sounds in my ears. I could hear all of the chattering of the kids and staff as they were saying their goodnights. As I walked away, the sounds started to fade and it became quieter. The sounds of the talking were replaced by the sounds of the night...the chirping crickets, the locusts. All of a sudden, I felt very much in God's presence. Not that God can't be present among His people, but it was a very private, personal moment. I thought of these words, "Above the noise of selfish strife we heart Thy voice of Son of Man." I also thought of the verse that says, "Be still, and know that I am God." It was as if in all the hubbub of camp, the noise of the day still ringing in my ears, that God was saying to me, "Remember, I'm still here." It was one of those moments I treasure. It wasn't the resounding voice of God that you hear in the movies. It was a quiet moment where I heard His whisper. One of those personal moments where God and I communed. More realistically, He spoke and I listened. Oh, for more moments like that. I pray the same for you. Have a great day. JW

Follower of God

He told me he wanted to "get baptized." So I told him to meet me at TAWG (Time Alone With God) time the next day and we'd talk. I grabbed one of the elders from the church in NW Arkansas and we sat down with this boy the next day. I asked the 12 year old why he wanted to do this. Here's the answer I expected. "To let the blood of Jesus cleanse me from my sin." Not a bad answer, but kind of the pat answer I hear when talking to young people. Here's what he really said. "Because I want to be a follower of God." After talking to him, it was obvious he had been thinking about this for a long time. That evening, I had the privilege to baptize him in the swimming pool at camp.
My elder friend walked out of the canteen (that's where we studied) before I did. And as I came around the corner, I saw him. He had tears in his eyes, which wasn't unusual for him because he has such a tender heart. (By the way, one of the campers said his first reaction to camp was about a bunch of old men crying). "He's one of the campers I was afraid we would have some problems with this year," he said to me, barely audible. He grabbed me and hugged me and said, "God can do such amazing things."
I don't know what the future holds for my little friend. I do know he was reading his Bible often while at camp. Satan has a way of discouraging and tearing down. But God is greater. Please pray for Joseph. And do pray that he will truly be a follower of God. Have a great day. JW

P.S. As you can tell, I'm back from camp! I'll have a few of this tidbits this week. Also, you can now hear me live. I believe our website will have my sermons where you can hear them rather than have to read the summary. Check at www.swestcc.org and go to resources. There you'll find the weekly sermons. Thanks!

Disciples

This will be my last blog for awhile since I leave for camp tomorrow. I thought of writing another piece about anticipation since our level is so high. But then again, I thought everyone (the two of you who read this) might be gettting tired of reading about Green Valley Bible Camp. Sorry, you'll get to hear more about it later when we return.
I'm reading a new book by Dallas Willard called The Great Omission. I haven't read much, but there is a statement early on that intrigues me. He says we have done a pretty good job making Christians. We haven't done a very good job making disciples. This explains a lot. It gives a reason for our country club mentality. It explains why we have so many who come and are content with sitting on the pews and not getting involved. It's like joining the fan club of your favorite football team, but not trying out for the team. Jesus told His apostles to go and make disciples. We heard HIm say go and baptize the world. But before He said that, He said to make disciples. Don't believe me? Go read it in Matthew 28.
Making disicples means living Jesus' life yourself. Making disciples is mentoring. Making disciples is equipping people. Making disciples is trying to become what Jesus was while He was here on earth. That's much different that getting baptismal biceps. Perhaps our call should change to "go into all the world and make disciples."
Well, I'm done for now. See you when we get back. Please keep us in your prayers. Have a great day. JW

Success

Since I'm preparing for camp this week, I have some things on my mind that aren't ususually there. The powers that be gave me a topic for the last session on Friday and something caught my attention. The theme for the work is "Be Strong and Courageous" taken from Joshua. Great topic for kids.
Being the Bible scholar I am (I heard all of the laughs from the world of blogdom out there. I have to admit, I'm chuckling myself.) I opened up Joshua to read. In Joshua 1:6 God says to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers...." This is the Promised Land. This is what they had been looking forward to for so long. This is why they still fight today. So God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.
Joshua 1:7 God says, "Be strong and very courageous." He adds "very" here. This time his simple words to Joshua are to listen up and obey. "Just do what I say," are God's Words to him. Sounds so simple, but so full of meaning. The reason it's taken so long to get where they are is because they haven't obeyed. The reason why Moses isn't there is because he didn't obey. It's so easy, but yet it's so hard. Just obey. Remember the old hymn, "Trust and Obey?" God told him if he did that, He would make him successful.
Joshua 1:9 God says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged...." Why does God tell him that? Because he says He'll be with him.
When my Mom wanted me to get something she would repeat it several times. My dense little brain had a tendency for selective hearing. When a teacher repeated something and said it was a good idea to listen up, it was a good indication that something was going to be on the test. Do you think it's any different with God? Three times he told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Evidently Joshua was a good listener and did what God said because listen what is said in 4:14 of Joshua. "That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses."
Want to be successful? Be strong and courageous. Why be strong and courageous? Because God says. What happens when we do what God says? He (and only He) makes us successful. Have a great day! JW

If These Walls Could Talk

My wife loves the show on HGTV If Walls Could Talk. (I have to admit, it's one of the few shows on HGTV I like.) The premise is someone buys an old house and then begin to find clues in the house as to its former residents.
This week my family is going to Green Valley Bible Camp in Rogers, AR. I know, you're probably saying, "What in the world do these two things have in common?" I first went to GVBC around 1977. Off and on through the years, I've been there or mostly not. But starting in 1991 I began going back as a counselor and eventually as co-director. I think I've missed one, maybe two years since 1991. The camp has changed in many ways, but there are some things that are the same. The mess hall is the original one. The bath house by the pavilion--same one. I remember seeing a little boy go into the bathhouse one evening during the worship time. I followed him in to shoo him out and I found him crying. "What's wrong?" I asked. He told me of his grandfather dying and how much he missed him and how much he loved his grandfather. I told him his grandfather loved him, too. That little boy is married now. His brother will be one of our counselors this week. I'll probably see this "little boy" because he often comes out. But if those bathhouse walls could talk, the stories they could tell.
Or what about the mess hall. Most of the time, people are tired, hot, griping about the food. I try to make it a happy place. I'm usually loud or singing or both. People just look at me and shake their heads. They don't know if I'm crazy or if the heat is gotten to me. The answer again, both. Once again I remember a conversation with a young counselor who's life was in shambles. She divorced her husband. Her parents were struggling with her decision. She didn't know what to do. She's now married a wonderful man who loves her. They have had a child of their own. She's not going to be out at camp, but her husband is. Wow, if those walls could talk. I would love to hear the discussions that have gone on in the cafeteria.
What a God-filled place! My family's eyes light up when Green Valley is mentioned. I've got to admit, so do mine. So at the end of the week, be in prayer for us. I won't be blogging, but I'm sure I'll have blogging material. And remember, if your walls could talk....Have a great day. JW

A Child of Mine

I believe God speaks to us. Maybe not in the way most people think, but I heard Him this morning. I plugged in my ear plugs and headed down the road. I didn't want to hear anything but Christian music this morning, so I kept clicking until I reached the first Christian song on my iPod. (By the way, for those iPodless people in the world, you can shuffle your songs. It's a great feature.) It was God speaking through Mark Schultz that I heard. Basking in my own self-doubts of what I'm doing and how I'm doing, I heard Mark sing, "You are a child of Mine, born of My own desires, and you bear the heart of a lion." As I traveled down the road I glanced to my left to see the sun coming up with beautiful clouds. It was as if God was saying, "Did you really hear that? You are My child. Here's your sunrise today."
Strangely enough the next song that came on was a Beatles song, "From Me to You." Remember the opening words? "If there's anything that you want. If there's anything I can do, just call on me and I'll send it along with love from me to you." What a contrast! I heard God's beautiful promise that I am His child. Then I heard an empty promise--the same promise the world makes. "Just call on me and I'll get you whatever you want." My tears this morning were happy ones. I'll take God's promise, thank you. Have a great day today. JW

iPods and God

Some of you know about my (relatively) new toy. I have an iPod that is the coolest thing. I have hundreds of songs on it and I can play them by artist, by genre, by albums, by playlists, by composers. I also have pictures on it. It has a calendar, stopwatch, and I'm not sure about this because I haven't checked it out--I think it also has a microwave oven. Well, maybe not the latter. All of this in a object 1 and 1/2 by 3 and 1/2 inches. I plug it up everyday and voila! as much power as I need. It even has my name engraved on the back. It's the most awesome little toy. I look at it with great admiration and marvel at the men and women who were able to create such a thing. How smart. How far we've come as the human race.
You know, my brain isn't very big either (no comments from those of you out there who know me!!! Hey! Hey! I heard you over there. That really wasn't very nice.). It contains so much more information than my little iPod which I thought was great. The brain is the command center for the whole body; receiving and sending messages from the nerves constantly. Continually interpreting impulses coming in. Yet it works all the time even when we're asleep. It's only at death the brain stops its work. God didn't stop His creation there. He made the stars, the sun, the moon, the animals, the universe. He keeps tabs on all of it. And the Scripture says "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." (Psalm 147:4) Like my iPod, I hope His name is engraved on me. I know He knows me by name because the New Testament says that He knows the number of hairs on our heads. David says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:14).
So I bow my head in humble reverence realizing that my adoration was horribly misplaced. It's God who is amazing! It is He who created the universe. And, yes, He created those with the knowledge to create something as complex as an iPod.
Lord, forgive me when I lose sight of the One who created the universe. I am awed in Your presence. You are truly Holy, Holy, Holy. You are God Almighty. El-Shaddai. All-Powerful. Have a great day! JW

What's Really Important?

The English language is so bizarre. For instance, my son might say about a girl, "She's hot." Now to me that means she is sweating, perhaps wearing so many clothes that she's heavily perspiring. To my son, that means she's really cute. Or you might say that an item at the store is hot because it's moving so quickly. "That's a hot item right now," we might say. Or we might just use the traditional use of the word, it's really going to be hot in Nebraska today. The temperature is supposed to be around 103-105 with a heat index of 110 over the next two days.
It's the same thing with love. "I love ice cream." "I love the way you look in that outfit." "I love God." Now how can such a profound concept such as loving God become so trivial by reducing it to our feelings about frozen milk and cream? Satan has a way of doing that to us in our lives. He takes the important, the sublime, the things worth living for and makes them into trivial humus. Don't believe me? I saw a son who was struggling with his own life ask his father to come hear him speak at Bible camp. You should have seen the son's disappointment when his father didn't come. People whose lives at one time exemplified Christ, now can barely drag themsevles out of bed for worship. They can make it to the lake early to fish if the fish are biting, but to arrive to worship God is nearly impossible. "It's been a hard week."
"Woe to them who call evil good and good evil. That put darkness for light and light for darkness. That put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Max Lucado tells the story in one of his books of some theives who break into a store and don't steal a thing. They just switch the price tags. When the store opened the next morning it was business as usual. Some people got great bargains, others were fleeced. Satan has done that in our world. He's switched the price tags. Things that are important have to take a back seat to things that should never make it to the plate of importance.
Let's make a check today of what really matters. Paul said it was the cross. Don't believe me? Read I Corinthians 15:3 and see what he said there. Let's continue to bring our burdens, our joys, our friends, our families, our lives daily to the cross of Jesus. It is truly the answer to all the world's problems and it is what truly matters. Have a great day. JW

July 8

July 8th is a special day for me. Since it fell on a Saturday this year, I forgot to mention it in my blog. You see, on that day in 1993, my father passed from this life. He was a good man who had his faults. He loved God dearly and defended His church to his dying day. On July 8, 1994, my daughter came to me and asked to be baptized. Even though at the time we lived in Springdale, AR we were in Searcy that day. In fact, we were at the church building where my dad had served as an elder and where we had his funeral service.
I couldnt' help but see the connection. Two different events, happening exactly one year apart, yet almost identical in scope. My father died to his physical body. Meredith died from her body of sin. Dad was raised into a new realm, a new reality. Meredith was raised as a new creation. Dad has lived ever since in the loving arms of God. So has Meredith. Although the two events were such a contrast, there are so much alike. So I celebrate July 8 every year.
Since that day my Mom has joined Dad. So have two uncles. So have numerous friends. And they are preparing a family reunion that will be wonderful. Have a great day. JW

I Really Miss You Guys

I love these moments because they are few and far between. But they are as precious as they come. My son is counseling at camp this week. Instead of receiving, he is having to give. He gives his time, his sweat (it's been hot in western Nebraska this week), and his counsel. He called to tell us about one particular kid who has given him trouble. He's handled it well. Sunday we were approached by someone who told us what a good job Nate was doing at camp. We haven't been in touch with him at all--only a few pictures on the internet. He called in a break he had Saturday. The moment I loved was when he said, "I really miss you guys." Sixteen-year-olds don't tell their parents they miss them. It just doesn't happen. So I'll take it, knowing that it may not come again for a while. In fact, he'll come back home and start eating my food and spending my money and driving my car. You know what? He won't be here around me much longer. So for now, I'll take, "I really miss you guys." Have a great day. JW

When Bobby Says Pray

You've probably heard me talk about Bobby. He's a true friend, all 6'8" of him. We show up at each other's special events. He and his wife drove four hours to spend about two hours with Martha and me when my Mom died. Martha and I flew down to Pensacola, FL to attend their son's wedding. (I think we got the better end of that deal!) I think you get the picture. He's a great friend.
Bobby periodically e-mails several people, of whom I am fortunate to be one, to pray for people. He calls us his prayer warriors. I have my alarm on my pocket PC to go off at 9:00 every morning to pray for a friend of his. I don't know the person I'm praying for, I just know Bobby wants me to pray for him...and pray I will. I got an e-mail from Bobby a couple of days ago asking us to pray for a lady who had a mass on her liver. She had been treated for cancer; the doctors thought it had spread. So Bobby asked us to pray. I just received word this morning that the doctors said there is no cancer in the liver. The spot is gone. They think it was just a shadow. I think it was God.
God is good, isn't He? He may not always answer the prayers the way I want, but He's sovereign and He knows what is best. I love the passage in Daniel where Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego tell King Nebuchadnezzar to go jump in a lake when he threatens them with the hot seat in the furnace. They say, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." I don't know which one of you guys said that, but "Amen!" God is good! Have a great day. JW

A Cup of Cold Water

For the first time in a long time, I didn't watch any of the All-Star game last night. In fact, I didn't even know who won or how they won until this morning around 8:00 am. Instead, I went to a girl's softball game. Let me explain.
Those three of you who read my blog know about Sarah, a young girl in our youth group who was murdered a little over a year ago. She played on a softball team here in town. That group was extremely devastated by Sarah's death. Sarah was the heart and soul of that team. She was the star player, cheerleader, comedian, you name it she did it. Our youth minister had a great idea. We had some left over bottled water from a previous event. He decided it would be a good idea to provide water and Gatorade for the final games of Sarah's former team. There must have been ten or fifteen of us from church there watching and cheering on the girls. That doesn't seem too significant. But you know what, one day it might. Besides, remember what Jesus said about giving a cup of cold water in His name?
I'm not looking at last night or even in the near future. Some of our people have talked to these young ladies. Sarah's murder forced them to think about things they had never thought of before. But I'm looking way down the line. One day these young ladies will have children of their own. When that child starts asking questions about God or why they exist or...you know what kind of questions children ask. Maybe, just maybe these young ladies will remember of group of people who provided a drink for them years ago at a silly softball game. And in looking for answers for their children may seek out this same group for answers for themselves. We'll never know what influenced them. Makes you think about everything you do or say, doesn't it? So for now, the score of the All-Star game really doesn't matter. What does matter is a little cup of water. I hope your day goes well. JW

Influence

If you haven't seen the series from Focus on the Family called "So That the World May Know," I would highly recommend you get it and watch it. Ray VanderLaan (I think that's how you spell his name??) narrates and leads a series through the Holy Land. He takes people to the places out of the way and makes wonderful lessons out of them.
One we watched Sunday, he talked about a place in Canaan called Tel Gezer. It's on the main north/south road out of Egypt called the Via Maris and the main west/east road to Jericho that links the region to Mesopotamia. It was literally the crossroads of the world at the time. Whoever controlled that crossroads could control the world. God gave the Israelites that area, but they chose to live in the mountains and let the Canaanites to live there at Gezer. God wanted His people to influence the world, but they chose not to. Instead, they ceded that responsiblity to the Canaanites.
Here we live in a land of plenty. We could yield a lot of influence with our communities, with our governments, with our country, but we have chosen to sit back and allow others to have their say. Consequently, God is being written out. Now more than ever, we must work to influence our culture by being salt and light. We cannot cede that responsiblity to anyone. Let's not move into the mountains, but instead be in the marketplace with the good news of Jesus. Have a great day! JW

Is Soccer Worth Watching?

Please don't misunderstand me. I've tried. I tried to watch it yesterday and I fell asleep. (That's not so unusual!) But after playing a game for 90 minutes and to have the score at 1-0 or 1-1 or 0-0. Then you play another 15 minutes (or is it 16 minutes because you really don't play 15, you have some leftover time. I never could quite understand that!) Then you have penalty kicks. Now I like that. Let's start the game with that. Or better yet, let's play a whole game of penalty kicks.
And the flops! Oh, my goodness. One guy sneezes on another and the other falls down and clutches his legs. Now I used to flop some when I was playing basketball, but these guys deserve an academy award. They flop, hold themselves for a minute or two, then hop up as if nothing ever happened.
These guys are incredible athletes. They are in unbelievable shape. To run as they do for as long as they do is just phenomenal. Their ball handling skills are also wonderful. I admire them for that. But I'm sorry, it the game of soccer just doesn't work for me. Give me a good high school or college football game. Let me watch the Razorbacks play basketball.
There will be some who question my sanity because I don't appreciate soccer. But then again, those people don't enjoy watching golf. I say, to each his own, but don't make me watch soccer again. Have a great day. JW

Where Has Time Gone?

It's going too fast. This is July already and school starts next month. Nate's last baseball game was yesterday. He leaves for camp (to counsel!!??!!) on Friday. When he gets back in a couple of weeks, the entire family and two others will go to camp at Green Valley Bible Camp in Arkansas. As soon as we return from that it will be time for school to start. Once school starts, the weather starts to cool down. Once it cools down, it gets cold. Once it gets cold it snows.
Meredith's already been married for a year. Nate will be a junior in high school. I'm not ready for this. Oh, this is what I've been working for all of my life is to work myself out of a job. But time marches on with a vengeance. I've been warned about this. I just wasn't listening.

"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

"Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath..." Job 7:7

"My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey." Job 9:25, 26

Once you hear these verses, you could become depressed. I chose to see the bright side of passing time. Each day I'm one day closer to forever be with those I love. Besides, this is the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24). Can He create anything that isn't good? And Paul tells us that we are being renewed day by day (II Corinthians 4:16). I translate that we are being renewed daily. Each day is a new day, a new challenge, filled with new opportunities. There is a song I love that we used to sing. It's one of those songs that has gone by the wayside. But listen to these beautiful words:

One sweetly solemn thought comes to me o'er and o'er:
Today I'm nearer to my home than e'er I've been before.

Nearer my Father's house where many mansions be;
And nearer to the great white throne, nearer the crystal sea.

Nearer the bound of life where falls my burden down;
Nearer where I leave my cross and where I gain my crown.

Savior confirm my trust, complete my faith in Thee;
And let me feel as if I stood close to eternity.

Feel as if now my feet were slipping o'er the brink;
For I may now be nearer home, much nearer than I think.

Come, Lord Jesus! Have a great day! JW

Ken Lay is Gone

I have been going through my somewhat normal routine today. Even though it's Wednesday and I didn't work Monday or Tuesday. So I'm doing Monday things on Wednesday. Anyway, I cranked up the internet to find that Ken Lay, founder of Enron, died of a heart attack. After all the stuff that went on, all the corporate raiding, the depletion of other's retirements for the filling of the pockets of another, he died. He was a wealthy man...at least from the world's perspective. But I couldn't help but think of the passage, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, yet lose his own soul?" I don't know what Ken Lay's ultimate destiny is. God knows and I trust His judgment. But it did help to think about what is really important in my life. Shall we pursue worldy wealth and treasures or take Jesus at His word? "Don't lay up treasures for yourself here on earth where moths destroy and rust corrodes, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (MOV--My Own Version) Wherever he is, I imagine that none of this world matters to Ken Lay now. Maybe it would be a good lesson for us to learn. Have a great day. JW

Worth Keeping

I'm getting quite a collection. Whenever I go somewhere, I'll try to buy something that reminds me of that trip; then I place it on my credenza. Others will bring me things from trips they have made and I'll place them there, too. Here is a short inventory:
1. A wooden hippo from Africa
2. A crystal eagle--a gift from a Hispanic friend
3. A bust of Abraham Lincoln
4. A piece of the Berlin Wall
5. A rock from the beaches of Normandy
6. A bronze rose given to me from the corner of my mother's casket
7. A wooden piece my grandfather carved
8. A model of the Eiffel Tower
9. A model of the Chicago Water Tower
10. A rock from Green Valley Bible Camp
11. An urn from the Dominican Republic
12. A bracelet given to me by a man I baptized in Russia
13. An rock elephant from Africa
14. A paperweight from a college club reunion

This isn't all. There are a number of other things from various trips and circumstances over the years. Bibles from relatives, pen sets, a variety of old items from my Mom and Dad's house, watches, etc. It doesn't take much for me to reminisce over these items. My mind goes quickly back to the places and circumstances these were given. But they're all objects. One day they will be gone. I imagine that most of these items mean nothing to anyone else but me. But, oh, do they mean a lot to me. But not as much as my friends. You see, you can never destroy my memories with them. You'll never be able to take any of that from me. That's what made Paul's life worthwhile. Read about his friends at the end of Colossians. See who was with him when he wrote the letter to the Romans. Read Romans 16. But his best friend was Jesus. "For me to live is Christ..." he would say. Keep those memories. Make friends who will help you get to heaven. Better yet, take them with you. Have a great day. JW

The Lord is My Shepherd

I call the Holy Spirit the Holy Prompter. For the last several days, I have gotten into my car in the mornings and the song that came to my mind has been "The Lord's My Shepherd." Now why has that song come to mind? I don't know, but I don't think it's an accident. I do believe the Spirit has placed that song in my heart. Especially since I've heard so many songs the last several days. Why would that song come to mind in the mornings unless it had been placed there? Perhaps God is trying to get me to realize His control of all matters. He's in charge, He's sovereign. However:

The Lord's my Shepherd I'll not want,
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green He leadeth me.
In pastures green He lead me
The quiet waters by.

I haven't always been a fan of the Psalms. It's just been in the last several years that I have grown to love them. I don't like Peterson's "translation" from the Message of the Psalms. There are some things that retain their beauty without paraphrasing them. I really can't describe what I mean without an example. Can you imagine translating Robert Frost's Walking By Woods on a Snowy Evening like this?...I think the guy who owns this acreage lives in town. He won't care if I sit here and watch it snow. Rather, "Whose woods these are I think I know, his house is in the village though. He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow."
But back to my original point. Why is that psalm on my heart? I don't know. Any of you have a holy prompting? I prayed that God show me the heart of Jesus today. So far, nothing. But God is faithful. Have a great day. And maybe He'll show me why He's laid that song, that psalm on my heart. JW

Commercialized Jesus

My wife and I were able to spend a quick day and a half in Springfield, IL, home and final resting place of Abraham Lincoln. I would recommend the trip if any of you are interested in Honest Abe. There are truly some remarkable things to see. I, of course, encourage you to see the Lincoln home, the Lincoln Library and museum, and the Lincoln Tomb.
But what was interesting to me was the commercializing of Lincoln. You could buy a Pez type thing with the likeness of Lincoln with a gaping mouth. There were a number of students putting on Lincoln masks and Lincoln top hats and getting their pictures made. There were Lincoln chocolate bars, Lincoln pens and pencils, and you could even get a Lincoln penny pressed with the image of Lincoln on it. (Why in the world would you do that when the penny already has Lincoln's image on it????)
After hearing all of the talks about the Lincolns' foibles, their little idiosyncrasies, and habits, kind of as a side bar the tour guides would say something like this, "But as you leave today, make sure you think about the changes Mr. Lincoln made to the society he lived in." It was more like, "Spend all the money you can--and by the way, he lived an incredible life."
I wonder if we do this to Jesus? We commercialize His life, we try to cash in on the Jesus market, and we do what we can to show the "human" side of Jesus, but we forget what an impact...what an impact He had not only on our lives, but the world. Our very date, June 26, 2006 A.D. Anno Domini--in the year of our Lord. Our lives have been transformed. Yet, so many times we want to commercialize Jesus. The word I have been reading lately has been "transcendence." Christ coming to us. Being involved in our lives. Being a part of who we are, where we are. Not just a passing fancy or movie star, but Immanuel...God with us. May Jesus be personal, real in your life today. Have a great day. JW

A Mother's Grief

It was one of the most moving and remarkable things I have been able to witness...the tranformation of a life. You have heard me talk of a young 16-year-old girl from our congregation who was murdered. That happened one year ago yesterday. That, in and of itself, is amazing to me. The murderer still has not been apprehended, yet life goes on.
Our small group met last night at the grave of this young girl. The polished marble tombstone is like none I've ever seen. There are so many symbols of her life on it. There's a chess piece, her picture, a Scripture from the gospels, an inscription about one of her nicknames. She loved to play softball and so when I arrived three of her teammates were there. Decorating the grave site were three signed softballs, two animal figurines--a turtle and a raccoon, and several flower arrangements. As you look south from the grave there is a beautiful view of the Nebraska rolling hills.
After several contemplative moments, we prayed together, hand in hand, asking for peace and healing. We then proceeded over to her mother's house where we were treated to her testimony. If your child had been murdered and the murderer still loose, what would your reaction be? Frustration? Anger? Joy? What? Did I just say joy? That's what we heard last night. Her mother told us of mistakes in her life. She told us of her selfish ways giving in to God's will. She told us of change in her life, and I have to tell you, I believe it. Because I have seen it. Next month I have been in Omaha for three years. The person I saw giving her testimony in her apartment last night was not the same person whom I met three years ago. I watched on television as the reporter asked about any bitterness. She said, there's just no reason to go there. Wow!
God has taken a tremendous personal tragedy and made something good come out of it. Was the murder of Sarah God's will? Absolutely not! Any notion of this thought is beyond unreasonable. But God has acted and accomplished His will in this horrible circumstance. And so I read these words to the group gathered last night.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, to that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also throug Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, wo also you share in our comfort. II Corinthians 1:2-7

Have a great day...and count your blessings. JW

My Friend

I'm getting a little scared, a good friend of mine is really starting to show it's age. Frayed around the edges, I'm not sure how long the binding will last. I'm not talking about a human, I'm talking about my Bible. I've departed with one before, but there's something special about this one. I was looking at the worn edges of the pages and I could see where I had spent a lot of time studying. There are little notes written all over it and I don't want it to retire. I've even bought another one in anticipation, but I just can't make myself change over.
I've been told I can rebind them. But I just can't bring myself to even be parted with it long enough to have that done, and then, will they do a good job? Will it be better than before? Friends come and go, but a good Bible is for life. At least I hope this one is. Have a good day. JW

God Speaks, Even When I'm Not Listening

God moves in mysterious ways. Yesterday as I was dealing with a particular situation, during a time when I usually try to keep silent and listen to God, I placed my earpieces in and listened to my iPod. The randomly selected song was by Twila Paris--"He Will Never Give Up on You." The song continues, "and neither will I." Maybe I was trying to block God out, but He spoke clearly anyway.
Today, after dealing with a heart-wrenching marriage counseling session last night, I tried the same technique. Perhaps I could block everything out, even God, and just drive to work. With ear pieces firmly in place, the randomly selected song came on..."Healing Rain" by Michael W. Smith. That's what this couple needs right now, some healing.
After arriving at my office, I read this passage from Isaiah, "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head. I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, yhou will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end--Because I am God, your personal God, the Holy of Israel, your Savior...I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you." (Isaiah 43)
Thank you, God, for noticing I needed to hear your voice. Thank you for speaking in spite of me running from you and plugging my ears. Forgive me when I try to hide from you. You are Holy. You are Mighty. And I know You love me. Have a great day. JW

I'm A Little Emotional, Jim

Kendyl was a young lady who worked with me one day on the prayer walk in the 9th Ward in New Orleans. We struck up an immediate conversation because she was from Little Rock, AR, not too far from my home in Searcy. She was a student at LSU in Baton Rouge and had come over with the group from the Christian student center there. My problem was I couldn't remember Kendyl's name at first. "Emily?" I said at first. "Kendyl." Well, then it became a joke. I called her everything from Alice to Betty to Celeste...anything but Kendyl. And she returned the favor.
She was good at the prayer walking. She just had a knack for getting to the heart of the matter so quickly. At the final place, she got onto the van and I looked at her and said, "Well, how's it going, Marge?" She looked at me with a tear in her eye and said, "I'm a little emotional right now, Jim." No jokes. No smile. Just reality. I knew I had crossed the line and it was time to be serious.
As we talked, she told me she absolutely hated the prayer walking. I had already revealed to her that I had wanted to muck houses, but had been assigned this task. She identified. And although she was very good at it, it pulled at her heart deeply. It was Kendyl who visited with the lady I talked about yesterday. Remember? The one who had lost $40,000. Kendyl had the kind of rapport with her that she would tell a perfect stranger her story of how she lost so much money.
I wish I had that kind of heart. I was able to keep emotionally detached. Maybe it's because I'm a guy and I've been taught not to let the feelings show. I think the word is "compassion." When Jesus saw the crowds, that they had no one to follow and they were sick, He had compassion on them. Compassion isn't just a feeling, it's the feeling that motivates to action. That's what I want. I want to have compassion...to feel as Jesus felt.
That's the feeling we're all striving for. Not just a sad heart, but one that moves to action. Kendyl, you just keep caring. I learned a great lesson that day. It's not enough to be touched, we most be motivated to really do something. Have a great day. JW

$40,000 and Ice Cream

I drove up to see a squad of kids holding a little African-American boy. He had to be two or three years old. They were all laughing because they had just bought some ice cream for everybody and in the 90+ degree heat and 100% humidity, the ice cream was dripping like a leaky water faucet. The little boy was taking his hand that was covered with sticky, gooey, ice cream stuff, and rubbing it on the young man who was holding him. They came up to the van and asked if I had a paper towel. I only had Klennex's, but that sufficed.
A few feet in front of them was where the serious conversation was going on. Our worker was kneeling down talking to the mother of the little boy. I didn't know what the conversation was, but the squad had told me that they wanted to talk outside of earshot of the little boy, so I knew it had to be something they didn't want him to hear.
As it turned out, the young, single mother had paid out over $40,000 to a "contractor" who was going to repair her home. The only problem, the money was gone and so were the contractors. No repairs, nothing to go home to. The young mother and her little boy were sleeping on the floor of her beauty parlor. That's the only place they had, which was more than many had in New Orleans. We took her to the Outreach Center where she met Nate Johnson, the man who ran the center. I'm sure he gave her some food, some care, and some hope.
You know what the young mom kept saying to our workers? You think she wanted to retrieve her $40,000? Sure she did. But that wasn't what was at the top of her list. She just kept saying over and over, "I just want to go home." Amen, dear sister! Amen! So do I! Have a great day! JW

The First One

I'm convinced that he was God-placed. You see, I wanted to muck houses, not prayer walk. I wanted to get dirty and get my hands covered with dust. But I received a call from those in charge and they asked me to help with the prayer walking for the week. Knowing that I needed to be where I was needed most, I agreed. So I entered my task with not only some fear, but also with some regret. But the very first man I talked to in Ward 9 was sitting on some steps. He was a Hispanic looking man who was looking as if he were taking a short break from some work.
I walked up to him and told him who I was. I asked him where if he was here during the Storm. Most people didn't call it a hurricane or even Hurricane Katrina, they just referred to it as the Storm. "Yes, I stayed here. I lived down in Chalumette." He went on to tell me about having to go up into the attic of his house because of the rising water. Eventually, he said, he had to cut a hole in his roof where he waited for several days with his two dogs. Finally, someone came with a boat and took him to higher ground. He had lost his job, but he and his brother had started a new business. We prayed together on that spot. There was hope. It wasn't so in most people with whom I visited. I found him, as most people in the area, ready to share his story. As I left, he said to me, "You all be careful out there. This isn't a very good neighborhood." Good advice. I think I'll give the same advice to you. Be careful out there. This world is not a very good neighborhood sometimes. Have a great day. JW

It's Good to be Home!

I sat in my office this morning sipping my chai and enjoying the 58 degree weather of Omaha, Nebraska. I couldn't help but think what a contrast it was from last Monday morning. I was given a map of the 9th ward of New Orleans with a large yellow square. In the middle of the yellow square was an orange square. "This is your area of prayer-walking," I was told. What I've seen and heard and smelled in the last week has been phenomenal. I was asked by my wife, "Do you feel as if you have made a difference or do you feel that you've just chipped off a small piece of a large rock of granite?" The answer is "yes."
I'm back to being comfortable again. My air conditioning works. My bed is soft. I have no threat of my house being bulldozed. I have no threat of robbery. And though I am comfortable here at my desk, there is a nagging, persistent feeling that I can do more. I can do more to show Jesus' love. I can do more to be His eyes, His feet, His Spirit. My thought today is if we can do Jesus In New Orleans (JINO) and drive over 1400 miles to serve, why can't we be Jesus in Omaha? It's right in our backyard. There are needs to be met here.
Over the next several days, I'll relate some of my stories. You will never hear some of the best stories. There were 21 other people who went with me. Half of them teenagers. Their lives were forever changed. We got them out of their comfort zone and into a realm that few of them have entered--that of doing something for someone other than themselves. And their lives have been permanently changed. I love to see their faces light up when they tell their stories. My son hasn't even told me all of his. But I know it has made a difference. Praise God. Because when we serve, we become more like Jesus and we indeed change. It's good to be home. Have a great day! JW

Trip Tomorrow

Today has been a day of buying, packing, washing, preparation. Tomorrow twenty-two of us will begin our journey to New Orleans to work with the Tammany Oaks Church and help with Jesus in New Orleans (JINO). What a story of faithfulness you'll find in this congregation. They have done so much and God continues to bless them. As about 500 of us, young and old alike, converge on this work, please remember us in your prayers. Pray for safety, opportunties, and growth. Pray that New Orleans will truly see Jesus in us.
My experience with this kind of work is we go down to be a blessing. We return by being bless far more than we blessed. I pray that will happen again.
So I'll not be blogging for a little over a week. Check back in on June 12 and I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about. God bless you in what you are doing today and this week. JW

P.S. May I also ask a personal pray for my family while I'm gone? My son is going with me, but please pray for my wife, my daughter and her husband. Thank you more than you'll ever know.

$25.83

We had small group at our house last night and we needed something to eat. My wife was finishing up the last bit of cleaning so she asked me to go to the grocery store to buy something for snacks. I was certainly up for the task because if there is anything I know something about, it's snacks. She did call out that we needed a gallon of milk, but other than that...snacks.
I bought one of those pre-decorated cakes that are at the stores now with icing about an inch thick. We needed some "real" drinks because all we had at home was diet. So, a liter of Coke and a liter of Dr. Pepper. (In the south both of those would have been called "cokes." But up here, it's "pop.") We needed some ice cream to go along with the drinks and cake. So I got a half gallon of low-fat and a half gallon of high fat. It didn't say "high fat," but since it said "low fat," you have to make the assumption. I didn't forget the milk.
So there it was, everything we needed for a feast. I went to check out and the total was $25.83. What's the significance of that? When my wife and I married almost 30 years ago, we had no money. We lived on a shoe string budget. We had $25 a week to get the essentials. It was so tight that we would take a calculator with us to the grocery store and add everything up. If there was a little left over, we could get a "treat." My how times have changed. I spent more on junk last night than we could spend on essentials in one week. I couldn't help but think how good God has been. I know I've written about God's goodness before, but it really came home in a real way last night. Times have changed, I know, but the reality of it is I can afford to do things like that now when I couldn't have 30 years ago. So the question I ask of myself and a question I would like to ask you is, "Am I using what God has given me to His glory?" Praise be to God. Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God. Amen! Have a great day.

Time

Driving to work today, there was a guy in a Lexus behind me at the light coming out of my subdivision. As soon as the light changed, he roared past me. I guess he was in a hurry. Funny, because at the very next light, at the slow speed I was going, I caught up to him. He sped on as soon as the light changed and swerved in and out of traffic and...yep, you guessed it, at the next light I sauntered right in behind him again. We got on the interstate for really less than one mile where we both got off. I have to admit it, he made it through the yellow (really red) light on the street where I was turning. I noticed he got stuck in the traffic at the next light. I didn't catch him this time and I'm sure he made it to his destination, perhaps 10 seconds before I got to mine. But what was his state of mind when he got there? "The traffic was horrible! I couldn't believe how much traffic there was! Everything was moving so slowly!"
After this gentleman had sped on, I came up behind another car. This time it was a real nice convertible. I can't tell you what kind it was, but there was an older lady with bleach blond hair. When she turned her head I could see she had the leopard patterned sun glasses. The top on the car was down, she was in the left lane, and she was driving very slowly. I chuckled to myself as I thought about the other guy in the Lexus. Now here was the way to drive--convertible top down, enjoying the 71 degree weather, and who cares if the wind is blowing your hair!!
The Greeks had a god named Chronos. You can see where we get some of our words from this Greek root. Words such as chronicle, chronic, chronometer. This god was a cannibal. He ate his children. He devoured the things that were most precious to him. Let me ask you a question. Do you devour time or does time devour you?
There's another word for time in the Greek. As best as I can spell it, it's kairos. It's the enjoyment of the time we have. A time and a place for everything. Kind of like the time mentioned in Ecclesiastes.
Enjoy your time. Don't hear the ticking of the seconds going off the clock. Hear the laughter of the moment, the birds in the trees. Be still and know God. Have a great day.

Widespread Panic

I don't usually blog this quickly in the mornings. It's usually read my Bible, catch up on the mail, see what's on the internet, then get to blogging if I'm not too busy. But I just can't pass up today's thoughts.
Recently I purchased (birthday gift) a new iPod nano. I'm sorry, these are the coolest things around. Anyway, I digress. I was listening to my iPod this morning. Glad (Glad: The A Cappella Project) was singing On Christ the Solid Rock. I love the song, I love the tune. The chorus: "On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand." While I'm listening to that marvelous chorus, a car pulls up next to me and on the bumper it says, "Widespread Panic." Now I'm naive and old. So I don't know if that's some rock band or what. But I couldn't help but see the contrast. Christ, the solid Rock. Widespread Panic. Yeah, it is widespread panic without Jesus. I love the passage in Colossians that talks about the supremacy of Jesus, and then Paul says, "He is before all things and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17) See where I'm going? Outside of Him, all things fall apart...widespread panic. The peace promised by God is only found in Jesus Christ. When everything is going wild all around you, there is a place, a solid Rock, a peace that passes understanding...only in Jesus. Have a great day! JW

Found!!

Omaha has been hit with a number of disappearances. Recently, a little girl by the name of Amber Harris was discovered after six months of being missing. She was found in a shallow grave in a park not too far from her house. Another woman was found in the Missouri River. She had not been gone too long, but nonetheless, she had disappeared. There was an article in Sunday's Omaha World Herald about all the missing people from this area. There were literally hundreds. People were stunned. One would think that everything would be done in our power to find these people. Our hope is that they never disappear from our conscience.
However, there are many who have disappeared from our church families. They have slowly, not suddenly in most cases, but slowly vanished. They quit coming. They may receive a phone call. "Oh, I was sick," or "I was working," or "I was out of town." Our minds soothed by the fact that we checked on them. But then they completely disappear. Slowly, they die a spiritual death...and we do nothing to find them. Shame on me! Jesus said it was more important to leave the 99 to find the 1. Contrary to the case of Amber Harris, even if these are found dead, they can be made alive again. Paul said, "As for you, you were dead in your transgression and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is not at work in those who are disobedient...But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when were were dead in transgressions--" (Eph. 1:1,4)
Let's make it a practice to search those who have left. Let's go and find. Let's have the courage and the love for those who have left, those who need to be found. JW

Mixed Up World

I read today where Barbaro, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and broke a leg in the Preakness had surgery to repair the break. In order to ease the pain from the surgery, the horse was lowered into a swimming pool so that there would be no pressure on the back foot. There are news reports about it. I even read where the horse was flirting with other mares.
We protect turtles, owls, and other endangered species, we'll even make sure the horse is not hurt when awakening from surgery, but we won't do what we can do to save a baby from abortion. I've even read where PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) will throw fake blood on those who wear real fur because they protest the killing of these innocent animals. Yet the same people, I'm sure advocate the killing of innocent fetuses. What a crazy world we live in.
Isaiah said, "Woe until them who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Truly it is a crazy world we live in. Excuse me, now while I get off of my soapbox. Have a great day. JW

Marriage

I just read where Paul McCartney and his wife are splitting after four years. Nobody is expressing sadness over the divorce. Instead, what I keep reading is how much money Paul will lose in the settlement. Up to $380 million some predict. As I drove to work today, I saw a small, Honda convertible sports car with a license tag that said "PRENUP" on it. I laughed audibly, but then realized the sadness of the situation.
It seems that marriage is not based on mutual love and relationship anymore, only in mistrust due to how and when the marriage will end. The words "til death do us part" means nothing anymore. Jerry and Lynn Jones were here at our church in the fall and Jerry begins with a session on unselfishness. Other than Jesus, which there is no other foundation that Him, the next principle of marriage must be unselfishness. When we quit with the "what's in it for me" attitude, our marriages will work. And strangely enough, when we do that, our marriage becomes extremely satisfying and there is something for "me."
Sorry. I had to vent. Have a great day. JW

God is so Good!

Everything today has been yelling out, "God is great!" As I got ready for work this morning, the radio was playing, "How Great is Our God." It brought back recent memories of Pepperdine's lectures. We sang it several times there. Then my son and I walked out into the crisp morning air. Brilliant blue sky, sweet smell in the air, wonderful temperature. My prayer with God today was especially meaningful to me as I asked Him to show me what His plan was today.
I'm getting ready to preach another sermon about prayer. Jesus begins with, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." It's all about Him. It's about His kingdom. It's about His will. Once we get our selfish little selves out of the way about everything, we'll live much more peaceful lives. Our worship will be more meaningful. Our lives will be more evident of His grace. The stress of everyday life will disappear. In His kingdom, everything always...always turns out right. He's in control.
Then, with all of these thoughts roaming through my mind, I turned to my Bible reading. Here's what was in my reading today. "Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, alll his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created...Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children." If they can't help but praise His name, neither can I! Praise God!! Have a great day. JW

Kimball

Amytrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. If you're a sports fan, you'll know who Lou Gehrig is. Tom Watson's caddie, Bruce Edwards, also had ALS. This is a disease that's supposed to happen to someone you read about in the news. But yesterday I received a phone call that changed all that.
The first time I remember meeting Kimball Matkins was when I was Vice President for Enrollment Management at York College. President Wayne Baker and I drove over to Des Moines, Iowa to meet him. His young wife had just died of cancer leaving him with two children; one had just graduated from York College, the other just entering. We wanted to hire him because he was older than most college admissions recruiters and also because we felt that we could help him in a difficult time for him.
He came and was a wonderful recruiter. He traveled a lot. He talked to a lot of students. Eventually, he met another lady who had three little boys. They decided to marry. Several times he came into my office asking if he could apply for another job on campus because he didn't want to travel as much now that he had another family to look after. I told him I understood, but selfishly I didn't want him to get another job because he was such a good recruiter. He never did get another job. He spent his tenure working for me. (Recently, they made him the director of financial aid.)
We didn't always agree on everything--theologically or from an admissions perspective. But Kimball was always full of grace, never rude or hard to get along with, or dogmatic. He would smile that Kimball smile and everything seemed fine.
I had heard that he had some nerve damage, but it wasn't fully explained. I saw him in Kansas City and he explained that he felt that his legs, his arms, even his chest, were not as strong. My wife saw him walking and it broke her up. He told me about his upcoming visit to the Mayo Clinic. In fact, our conversation was about a lady who works at the Church of Christ house in Rochester who has known me since I was a baby, probably before. He was going to see her on his pending visit.
Yesterday I received a phone call saying that Kimball has been diagnosed with ALS. He has been given two to five years to live. That's not fair. Had he not remarried, I could have understood it. But now there are three boys and a wife who look to him for guidance. I can't get him off my mind right now. So when you pray today, tonight, whenever you prayer, please keep Kimball in your prayers. Pray for God's will to be done. And thank God for the blessings that you receive everyday. Thank you.

Akeelah and the Bee

I haven't seen the movie yet, but there is a lot of rave reviews for the Akeelah and the Bee. Starbucks have evidently helped to produce this movie because you can't miss their advertising any time you go into one of their stores. What caught my eye recently was a sign.
Now you have to realize that Starbucks want you to buy their products. So they have a little advertisement featuring their "drink of the day." Or sometimes there is a recommendation from one of the baristas. What caught my eye was the advertisement for Akeelah and the Bee and a recommedation from a barista. The recommendation was for a Tripple Soy Latte. Now, I spelled it just like they spelled it. I thought it was funny that they were advertising a movie about a spelling bee and couldn't spell "triple" correctly.
I had a coach several years ago who was trying to teach me how to shoot a basketball. I would try and try to shoot it as he wanted me to. Finally, in frustration he took the ball away from me and said, "Here, like this." And he shot the ball. The ball bounced off the rim. I said, "Just like that, huh Coach?" Dumb, dumb, dumb! You never say things like that if you want to play. His response was telling. He said, "Do as I say, not as I do."
Isn't that the way we often live our lives? We'll tell people what they should do, but we aren't willing to heed our own advice. We advertise tripple lattes and expect perfect spelling. We'll tell people how to shot the ball, but won't make the basket ourselves. We'll inform people how they ought to worship or live their lives, but won't follow Jesus. Let's face it and let's call it what it is. We are hypocrites. But praise God, he loves us anyway!
I think the good advice would be the advice that Paul gave. He said, "Follow me as I follow Christ." He didn't say, "Follow me." He did put the caveat, "...as I follow Christ." Good advice. Good words. Have a great day. JW

Happy Mother's Day

My brother wrote this poem in honor of our mother back several years ago. And although our mother died a little over a year ago, I think this tribute poem expresses our love for all the mothers out there.

THIS DAY

This day, those many years ago,
This day, I did not watch you go
Alone into the vale of death,
Alone, to breath the dark wind's breath.

But I was there, and from the night
Your struggles brought me to the light.
Your pain and tears afforded me
To taste the gift of life: to be.

You'd walked that lonely path before,
You were to tread it two times more;
Four times into the night you went,
And reappeared, your spirit spent.

Four times a son you brought to day;
Each time you gave yourself away.
Each time you set your brick to ground,
To build the wall, to make it sound.

The "heaven-sent" that 12th of May
Was you whose heart was filled with day;
And from your heart I've learned to live,
To sing, to pray, to laugh, to give.

The son who writes these words tonight
Remembers you with sweet delight,
And whispers in his other's ear:
"I LOVE YOU MOM, MY MOTHER DEAR!"

--Charles White

It says it all. Happy Mother's Day! JW

God Does Weird Things

We were sitting on home last night, ready to retire, when my son said to me, "God sure does weird things sometimes." What was going through his mind? What brought that on? Being the astute father I am, I said, "What do you mean?" "I don't know," he said. "He just does weird things sometimes," repeating what he had just said.
I told him that God sees the whole picture and not just the little bit we see everyday...and then the conversation was over.
You know, he's right. God does weird things. He does a lot of things that just don't make sense. If I were God for a day, I'd sure do things differently. You know, if the apostle Paul had been sitting in my living room last night, he might have said the same thing as Nate did. Instead, Paul said, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Translated, "God sure does weird things sometimes."
I'm glad Nate noticed that at the ripe old age of 16. I hope my answer was sufficient to make him think. With 16-year-olds, you take what you can get. I think he heard it. Now if I could just understand it. Have a great day. JW

Seeds and Helicopters

I walked out my front door this morning to a see of those little helicopter seedlings that fall from trees (I'm sorry, I have a bachelor's degree in zoology, not botany. I don't know what kind of tree it is.) Instead of being the usual green, it is almost a yellowish-white because of all the seedlings that have fallen. When I was a kid, I used to pretend they were helicopters and would drop them from height just to see them spin to the ground. Ahh, the good old days.
Now I don't have just one of these trees in the yard, but three. Not just my yard, but the entire neighborhood is infested with these little chances of growing more trees. Now what are the chances of any of these seedlings becoming a tree? Probably not very large. Most will be swept away, mowed away, raked away into oblivion. Knowing that, do the trees stop producing these seedlings? Next year when I come out about this time will the tree be free from these little helicopters? No.
All right, here's the application. Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the gospel. He didn't say to go and baptize the world, but to preach the gospel. We measure success in ministry and in missions by the number of baptisms there are. If our mission is successful, then we've had baptismal biceps. But before can come the results, must come the seed sowing. I think we've forgotten about the latter and push the former. Jesus said the field was "white for harvest." Before the harvest, however, there had to be sowing. Maybe it's time we get the seed bag back out and start sowing seed again. And you know what, let's allow God to determine how successful the harvest is. Have a great day. JW

Pepperdine

Where do I start? Everyone asks, "How were the Pepperdine lectures?" I can't point to any one thing and say, "That was the defining moment or lecture or comment for me." But what I got was spiritual renewal, a time for great visits with great friends, and a time to get away from the madness of the ordinary life.
The singing was beautiful. I do have one complaint. Karen and Brian are laughing as I speak. Here's my gripe. We spent all day walking up and down the hills (mountains?) of the Pepperdine campus attending classes, lectures, receptions, lunch, and praise team concerts. Then we would get into the auditorium for the evening lectures and what did they want us to do?.....Stand up! Stand up for this song. Stand up for this verse. Be seated. Stand up! Sit down! Invitation? You can't sit down for that? By the end of the day the old thighs were hurting along with other strategic parts of my body. Hence, the Scripture was true, "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."
I saw people I hadn't seen for 30 years. I met people that I didn't know, but who knew my brother in France. I met people whom I knew by reputation. And I saw people I don't get to see enough.
The trip home (on my birthday) was uneventful. But I did get into town at 6:34 and had to be at my son's high school for a 7:00 performance. I think I only missed one number. By the time we really got home, it was after midnight. But to be home with family was very good. All in all it was a good trip. If you haven't been, you need to go. I'm still trying to catch up. Maybe by the end of the week. Have a great day. JW

Mixture

Two or three things for today. First, this is my daughter's 23rd birthday. Seems like yesterday she was born. But now she's an old married woman and I still get to take her out to dinner tonight.
Second, this is my last blog for a few days. If you've read David Underwood's blog, you'll know why. It's a tough assignment, but I'll be back in several days to report.
Third, I laugh at the bizarre in life. The other day I saw a guy riding a bicycle down the street. He had a helmet on and was smoking a cigarette. A little irony there.
Have a great week. I'll be back on Monday. JW

Bridges

Sunday my thoughts drifted back to a day over 35 years ago. I was between my sophomore and junior year in high school and I was driving my first Cadillac across the causeway spanning Lake Ponchartrain in Louisiana. Seems that my friend Charles Ganus and his father Dr. Cliff Ganus, president of Harding at the time (I'm not dropping names by the way. Charles is still a friend and Dr. Ganus is one of my heroes.) James Ganus, Charles' uncle, and Robert Ganus, his cousin put a 20 foot boat in the White River near Searcy and floated all the way down the Mississippi to New Orleans. I was asked to go with Mrs. Ganus and drive the Cadillac down with the boat trailer behind. After several days in New Orleans eating at three or four of the Ganus cafeterias, we flew home on the school plane. I was in high cotton. I had never been to Lousiana before, let alone go all the way to New Orleans.
Thirty-five years later, I was driving north on the same causeway crossing Lake Ponchartrain to get some training for a trip we'll take with our church group in June. Indeed there was a lot of water under the bridge! I thought about my life, things that had happened since that day in 1970, and wondered where the time had gone. I finished high school, went to college, married a wonderful woman, had two kids, worked as a youth minister, worked for four Christian colleges, got my master's and doctorate, preached along the way, and now here I was crossing the same bridge years later. So much has changed. I'm heavier, grayer, older, hopefully wiser, slower, on and on ad nauseum. But the one consistent in my life has been my Lord. He has never left me. He has never forsaken me. He will always be there. I know. He promised me. And because of that, even though all else may change, I know that he will be beside me.
One day I'll cross another bridge. This time it will be for good and I can continue my road on eternity's path. And once again, He'll be right there by my side. Praise God!! Have a great day. JW

Hurricane Katrina

Several have asked me how my trip to New Orleans went. If you've read my previous blog, you'll understand kind of what is going through my mind. I told them, "I'm excited, I'm depressed, I'm sad, I'm hopeful, I'm just about every emotion you can think of. The reality of this really hit home.
But I want you to pray for the Tammany Oaks Church of Christ. I want you to pray for all the people of New Orleans. I want you to pray for all the Christians in New Orleans. I want you to pray for all who have worked, who are working, and who will work in New Orleans.
Why did this happen to New Orleans? Some will tell you because of the evil, wicked city that it is. I've just met a long of wonderful people who love God and are doing their best to spread the name of Jesus in the city...and they live there. Why did it happen to them? (We could get into a major discussion of the book of Job here!).
It happened because of warm fronts and cold fronts, merging in such a way and crossing into the warm waters of the gulf. It's the world we live in. It happpens because of atmospheric conditions. It has nothing to do with punishment or anything else other than it's the way the earth works.
But once again it does bring up the importance of using every opportunity--including a hurricane--to show God's love and what He will accomplish. Have a great day. JW

Ward 9

Sorry I haven't been here recently. I just returned from New Orleans. Right now my heart is heavy as I had the opportunity to see just a little of the suffering that has gone on in that city. There is trash everywhere, piled up by the houses, along the interstate, on the street corners. It looks like a third-world country. Two things really brought all of this into something that is very real: 1. Seeing the spray painted X's on the house giving the date when it checked and the numbers indicating the number of bodies or pets found, and 2. Seeing the water marks on the house. Being able to see just how high the water made it up on the houses and buildings.
Ward 9 is a ghost town. You drive through and you see through the houses, empty, some "mucked" all the way down to the studes. We'll be working down there in about six weeks, me and 21 others from Southwest. I don't think we even know what we're about to face.
What I did see down there was hope. There have been over 4000 people who have come to the Tammany Oaks Church of Christ just since Katrina. Many have been members of the church. Some haven't. But all come with the willingness to be salt and light in a community that lives in darkness in so many ways. There are stories of giving, stories of discovery, stories of love and sacrifice. Soon there will be another 500 of us converging on the city for JINO (Jesus in New Orleans). And I hope that's just what it will be.
I'll write more about some thoughts on this trip later. Right now I'm just glad to be home. I hope you've had a great day. JW

April 20, 1920

He would have been 86 years old today had he lived. But God in his mercy took him from us in 1993. I used to call my mother on this day and talk to her and anything she wanted to. Then at the end she would say, "You know what today is, don't you?" To which I replied, "Of course, that's why I called." Now I can call neither.
I have visual reminders of him in my office. There are pictures that are part of my screen saver of him when he was a young preacher. I have another on my credenza of a young Meredith, probably about 2 years old, no hair, with Dad holding her. She's is serious and pointing at something. Dad has his mouth open in a wonderful laugh. Another picture sits on my desk. This time Meredith is about 10 years old and she's hugging Dad as I remember him so well. He's got on a white shirt, a tie, he has his plastic pocket pen holder in his shirt pocket full of pens. On the other side is Nate, a little 3-year-old holding Granddad's hand looking up at this tall man.
I can't help but think a metaphor here. Here's a little boy looking up to this man. And I, even to this day, look up to the man who molded my life. I miss him. But I know that he's enjoying his time with Mom and with Jesus. And even though he doesn't celebrate birthdays anymore, he's celebrating with the King he so faithfully served. Happy Birthday, Dad!
Have a great day. JW

Whatever

I was going through the mass of e-mails that come in everyday. I use a filter, but they still find a way to leak through. So I was looking at each one determining which were valid and readable and which ones weren't. It was a weeding through process.
It got me to thinking, we do the same things with all the stimuli that come into our lives. A temptation comes along, we decide whether we want to deal with it or let it go. Unfortunately, we do the same things with the people who come in. We either visit with them or just ignore them, pretending to be busy.
What causes us to do this? Hopefully, we have trained our conscience to know what is good. But many of us (me included) allow things into our lives that shouldn't be there. We may think this is a modern problem. The introduction of the computer has made us this way.
Paul said centuries ago, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Most of the times, we're lucky if we stop at the first thing. "Well it's true!" we might say when a piece of gossip comes our way. But did we hear the rest of the words? Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable, Excellent, Praiseworthy. If it meets all of these criteria, then we are to think about such things. Wonderful advice from a man who never knew what a computer was. Have a great day! JW