The Prayer at Starbucks

It's my own little sanctuary....and it's not always at the same place. This morning it happened to be at the Starbucks across the street from our church building. As I settled in with my venti no-water chai, I propped my feet up in the chair beside me and I began to pray. Now, I'm normally a person who needs quiet for this to occur. But for some reason this works for me. Busy patrons were bustling in to get their morning fixes of coffee. They would come screaming up in their cars slamming on their breaks, jumping out and hurrying in and then out and then off to work. A work crew was destroying the parking lot and loading the chunks of concrete onto a dump truck. The drive through was just a few feet from where I was sitting, but no one paid attention to me. One of the busiest streets in Omaha was to the north of my seated position and there were hundreds, yea thousands, of cars streaming to work. The bank next to me had employees and patrons hustling to conduct the business of the day. But no one saw me as I prayed. Oh, I didn't bow my head nor face to the east while on my knees. No, I kept my eyes open and prayed to the One in control. I prayed for my family, I prayed for my church, I prayed for my friends, I prayed for the world, I prayed for just about everything. I told God how grateful I was for His spectacular goodness. I asked His forgiveness for my foolhardyness. (Is that a word?) And nobody noticed....except the Father. And I think He was pleased. I know it began my day with a beautiful sense of peace that passes understanding. And my day will be better for it. You should give it a try. I hope your day is a good one. JW

Sam and Sarah's Tree

It sits right outside my door. I walk past it everyday. Now there are green leaves and beautiful yellow and red tulips and daffodils around them. My thoughts and memories go back to two young people every time I see this beautiful scene.
You've read about, if you've kept up with this blog, the two teenagers we have lost over the last several years. Sarah was murdered in cold blood and to this day the perpetrator has not been apprehended. The other was a young Boy Scout named Sam who died at Little Sioux Scout Camp nearly two years ago when a tornado destroyed the camp. I have missed seeing them grow up. I missed seeing them grow from adolescence to adulthood. Sarah would have been in college by now, Sam would have been a sophomore in high school. We would have kidded him about driving. We would have kidded her about what she was majoring in....or something else. I miss these kids, but I love the gentle reminder I get every day. A reminder that says that we should make sure we take each day as it comes. Enjoy those who are around us. Love more deeply. Make each moment count. We have no guarantees of tomorrow...only the eternity God promises, so make it count today. JW

God Understands

I'm sorry I don't write more on my blog. It always amazes that people such as Terry Rush and others can write so much and have so much to say. It takes so much out of me to write something that I feel comfortable printing. And, I've been trying to send my son what we call a VOD (Verse of the Day) to encourage him while he's away at college. So my creative juices are pretty low. But I write when I've got something to say, so please bear with me.
Recently, I had an incident that shook me to the core. A man came up to me on our parking lot asking for help. It is pretty much our policy not to just hand out money to anyone who comes by, but we do have a food pantry to help those who need something to eat. This gentleman wanted money and if I have some money, I generally will give it out. On this day I had $8 in my pocket. Turns out the man wanted money for two nights in a hotel. Now, I've told him about three times that we don't do money. He then asks me for one night in a motel. I kind of chuckled and said we don't do money. That set him off. I was laughing at him. Me and my fancy car (I drive a Honda Element) and my fancy brief case (I've had this computer case for several years; it's literally falling apart); I live like a king. He called me every name in the book and told me that I ought to read the Bible. That if I lived his life for five minutes, I wouldn't have any faith.
It didn't stop at that. He left me a phone message telling me that I had spit in his face, not literally, but figuratively. He also left a message on our main phone telling the elders what a horrible person I was and how I had humiliated him. That he was on disability for mental illness and that he was suicidal. I had left it all die down when we received another phone call telling the same thing.
I've prayed for him a number of times. I wish it hadn't ended that way. I've questioned myself about whether I had handled the situation in the right way. It's helped me to see what a sinful, full-of-fault man I am.
Needless to say, this really has hit me hard. It's helped me to realize that what Jesus went through was hundreds, thousands of times worse. That people don't really think that anybody understands them. But our God is a God who can handle everything. He is El-Shaddai, All-Sufficient, Almighty God.
I hope your day is a good one. JW

Sovereign Lord,
As I gazed at the snow you sent, I see how the wind has blown the individual flakes into so many shapes, so many forms. They go where they are told to go. Some are smooth with glistening parts that shine almost looking like diamonds. Others are piled into other interesting, nearly comical shapes as they are blown against some barrier.
I also know,Lord, that you shape us and mold us, not unlike the snow. The wind of your Holy Spirit makes us into what You want us to be. Father, I pray that when you mold me it doesn't hurt too much. I pray I will be pliable and easy to mold. I pray that I will be made into what You want me to be.

Have Thine own way, Lord.
Have Thine own way.
Thou art the Potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me,
After Thy will.
While I am waiting,
Yielded and still.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Footprints

We have a pre-school here at our building and the kids are fun to see. They are so full of excitement and they want to learn so much. Their energy is enviable and their smiles are contagious. I love when they come around the office with their Halloween outfits--princesses and football players, Power Rangers and Cinderellas, it is so much fun to have a brief conversation with them from time to time. And brief is what it usually is because they have an agenda to keep, someone to play with, another place to go.
This morning as I walked into the office, I caught of glimpse of something that struck my heart. Of course, living in Nebraska, we have our share of snow. And even though we haven't had as much as the East Coast this year, we've had our share of snow since December and haven't seen the ground since the early part of that month. On the sidewalk were hundreds of little footprints. I saw those precious feet as kids being led to all kinds of places. They were taken home by their parents or grandparents. Perhaps they were excited about lunch at Chuckie Cheese or Taco Bell. But they were being led. They didn't get into their own cars and drive themselves. That will come later. But the footprints struck me.
What if that parent were to lead their child somewhere that would harm them? Metaphorically, I thought about my path and where I had led others, precioius children full of trust, just holding my hand and going where I took them.
That's the kind of influence we have. Others with child-like faith may be looking to us. Wanting to know where we will lead them. As Jesus called His apostles, He said, "Follow me." Later, Paul says, "Follow me, as I follow Christ." That's what I truly want to do. Take these and lead them into the way of knowing how good and precious and full of grace our Lord is.
I thought of the song:

Sweetly, Lord have we heard Thee calling,
"Come follow me!"
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.
Footprints of Jesus, that make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus,
Where'er they go.

Indeed, let us lead in the paths and footprints of Jesus. I hope your day is a good one. JW

"...and He healed them."

Happy new year! I realize it's nearly the middle of January, but I haven't blogged since before Christmas. I haven't been too inspired to write anything substantial, so I haven't written. My deepest apologies.
I have taken it upon myself to read the New Testament through slowly and with purpose. I know that sounds strange coming from a minister, but I think you understand. The Scriptures are so familiar to all of us that we tend to skim over them just to get our reading in for the day. It is my desire to slow down and catch what I've never caught before...and it's working.
One of my favorite hymns we used to sing at College Church in Searcy was the song with these words:

At even, when the sun was set,
The sick, O Lord around Thee lay;
O in what divers pains they met!
O with what joy they went away!

Once more 'tis eventide, and we,
Oppressed with various ills, draw near;
What if Thy form we cannot see,
We know and feel that Thou art here.

Thy touch has still its ancient pow'r;
No word from Thee can fruitless fall;
Hear, in this solemn evening hour,
And in Thy mercy heal us all.

What beautiful words! In my mind's eye I can see all of those who have an ailment, a sickness getting to Jesus however they can just to have Him touch them and heal them. I've read the story of Jesus clearing the temple many times, but I saw something in Matthew that I hadn't seen before. (See? This slowing down and being purposeful is working!) Jesus throws out those who are selling and making money and says to them, "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you're turning it into a gathering place for thieves." What caught my eye was the next verse. It says, "Blind and lame people came to him in the temple courtyard, and he healed them." Could it have been that there was no room for those who really needed Jesus? It was so full of those who were looking to satisfy self and make a profit that there was no place for the ones who truly were seeking God. And once Jesus made way for them, now there was a place for those who really wanted healing.
Is that what happens in our assemblies today? Do we gather to get our fix and occupy the place in the sanctuary only to crowd out those who really need to hear the gospel? When we complain, "I just didn't get anything out of that service!", are we hindering those who are doing everything they can to receive healing? Perhaps we've done the same thing as they did in Jesus' time. Are we "selling our souls" in our assemblies only to forget there is a whole world crying out to see the Lamb of God, but there's no room. Shame on us. Maybe our gatherings need to be more of revealing our weaknesses and faults, of seeing that we all struggle, rather than covering up our sins and acting holy. Our churches should be refuges, indeed sanctuaries, places of safety rather than arenas of self-inflicted battles. We should have halls of grace and mercy, not catecombs of correctness and attitude. Yes, they should be places of healing. What a difference we could make in this world if we could all just get this. Let's make room. Let's open our hearts to those (and it may be and probably is us) who need the wonderful healing power of our Lord. Have a great day! JW

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas. And for those of you whose Christmas may not be what it has been because of the loss of a loved one or the fact that you may not get to be with your loved ones this year, let me place for you a poem sent to us by my dear Mother who died in March of 2005. I don't know where she got it, but here it is:

I may not get there Christmas eve,
But I would have you folks believe
That my heart will be there with you
With all my love and I'd renew
The family ties that bind us fast
With memories of Christmas past.

I'll close my eyes and see your faces
And all those sweet remembered places
About our home that I shall miss.
And on that day, remember this:
I'm thankful God has given me
So wonderful a family.

With tears in my eyes filled with gratitude and sadness--a strange mix, I know--I wish you all a Merry Christmas! JW

Peg Keelan-White

I received the dreadful call about 8:30 last night. It was from my brother, Don. Five years ago, his wife Peg was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through all the treatments, the questions, the hair falling out. She struggled with the "Why's?". But she emerged from the fight victorious. Just this fall, she passed the five year, cancer free mark.
In the fall, she just didn't feel as if she had any energy. A simple blood test determined that she had acute leukemia...a result of the chemotherapy (more than likely) from her last battle with cancer. After a number of rounds of treatment, a visit to the Mayo Clinic, more treatments, many of the same results as the last time, i.e hair falling out, etc., she kept fighting. I admired her pluck, her will to live, her detmermination to press on and not let down.
But let me allow my brother's words to explain what happened. This was his last post concerning Peg:

"Beautiful."

That was the last message I received from Peg this morning after she read the "Winter Sonnets" I had written for her last night.

Tonight, it breaks my heart to have to tell you that we lost Peg today. I received a phone call this morning that she had fallen in the bathroom at the hospital. As it turns out, she had had a stroke and it was the stroke which caused her to fall.

Apparently, blood had hemorrhaged into her brain. With her blood pressure soaring and with her platelets not helping out, the combination of the two are apparently what caused the blood on her brain and the subsequent stroke.

All of us were there with her when she died, just before 5:00 tonight.

The only comfort I am able to draw on right now is knowing that all of you are heartbroken, too, and that you, who have so faithfully follwed us on this journey, share our anguish.

For now, all I can say is that she was...beautiful.

I asked Don what I could do for him. His response? "Oh, I don't know. Just keep on being Jim."

This morning, as I walked into Starbucks, I was greeted with my usual enthusiastic cheer. "Jim! How are you doing?" "Fine," was my response. But I thought, these people don't care about the fact that my sister-in-law died. My brother's heart is crushed and those who don't know will carry on the same surface level conversations. I hope I'll remember this. That just because people smile and express their "fineness" that I'll look beyond the eyes and see the hearts of pain and suffering that are inevitably going on in the world.
Peg was a one-of-a-kind. She cried at the Walton's. She had a wonderful laugh. She kept Don in line. She was a rennaisence woman in many ways with many interests, many talents. And the fact that she worked with special needs kids showed that she cared. She cared for those who needed someone to stand up for them.
When I came around, Peg always had a big hug and would say something like, "Please come over more often." The last time I saw Peg was in the hospital. Martha and I went in and spent about an hour and a half with her and we talked about everything...just as we always did. She was Peg. The same Peg that would sit in her home and shoot the breeze with us. The same Peg who I called Betty. My last conversation with her was on the phone just before Thanksgiving. I had called to check on Don and was surprised when she picked up the phone. Little did I know that would be our last conversation. She talked of the holidays and wanting to get all the Christmas decorations out before she had to go back to Lincoln, back to the hospital.
Once again, I'm reminded...reminded of just how short life is and how we have no guarantees. James says, "What is your life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears." Oh, yes, she was here. And she had quite an impact on the community of York. I don't know how to end this blog except to ask for prayers. Pray for my brother Don and his boys, Ben and Evan. Pray for our family. God is good. JW

In All Circumstances

My daughter fussed at me because I haven't written a new post recently. I suppose it's time since I haven't written since Veteran's Day. This comes from the girl (actually, she's a 26 year old married young woman) who yells at houses decorated with Christmas lights before Thanksgiving, "It's not Thanksgiving yet!" I love it. She understands. She gets it.
In our marketing world, we want to make sure we get the jump on the competiton. I'm surprised we haven't started the "lose weight" commercials yet capitalizing on the first of the year resolutions. Perhaps the next thing we'll see is a fireworks stand getting ready for the 4th of July. She wants things to slow down and remember to be thankful. I think it's a prerequisite to being one of God's children. "...give thanks in all circumstances..." the apostle Paul says. He's right. And my daughter is right. Let's not rush this. Besides, I think this whole season of the year is a period of Thanksgiving. Thank you for the bounty we enjoy. Thank you for our families. Thank you for Your Son. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! This season of thanksgiving goes from January 1 to December 31. Okay, now we don't have to yell at the houses as we go by, Meredith. Have a great day.

Veteran's Day

On my credenza in my office is a smooth, triangular rock that's about two inches across. I picked it up from the beach in 2004 when my family and I ventured to the beaches of Normandy. The 10 minute hike down the path from the upper promontory where the Germans had all of their guns and soldiers was well worth the trip. As I turned and looked up, I noticed we stood in a bowl surrounded on three sides by the hills of Northern France. The trees have grown up on the hillside, whereas in 1944 Rommel had burned all of the vegetation. I'm not military strategist, but it was obvious that our troops were sitting ducks. Down in a valley, surrounded on three sides, with all the wrath of the German military bearing down on them. The only way we were able to overcome was by sheer numbers. They couldn't kill our soldiers fast enough. Many of America's sons left their blood and their lives on that beach on June 6, 1944. Many never came home as attested by the cemetery at the top of the hill with all the crosses and stars of David standing at attention. Those brave men were not allowed to see their children, their wives, their families ever again in this life....and they did it so that I could live in a country where I can speak freely. Where I am not worried about stating my political views. Where I can preach every Sunday without the police storming our assembly and telling me to stop. I can go where I want. Do what I want to do. Say what I want to say.
Freedom. What a wonderful word. I enjoy freedom because there were men and women who sacrificed their lives on foreign soil so that I could be free. That is something to never forget. I think it's appropriate that Veteran's Day is in the same month we celebrate another American holiday, Thanksgiving. These two go hand in hand as we think back on the blessings of liberty and posterity. Thank you to our veterans and soldiers who have given us this precious gift of freedom. And thank you God, for giving us your Son so that we can enjoy Your gift of freedom.
This rock will sit on my desk today in plain sight reminding me of these wonderful people in our military. Thank you! JW

Two Questions

I was asked a question the other day that I've never been asked before. It was almost a rhetorical question; one that really has no answer. Let me explain. We decided to have a "Sack Sunday" at our congregation where everyone would fill up sacks of canned goods and we would take this food to the Open Door Mission, a shelter for the homeless. All of you preachers probably know this, but when you say "canned goods," everyone brings canned goods, and all other kinds of foodstuffs. Our church collected 1,133 pounds of food. This included 622 cans, 50 pounds of sugar, oil, boxes of oatmeal, cake mixes, and many other items. We filled up a pickup truck full of food.
When we arrived the chaplain came out and asked "the" question. Now, let's see how you would answer this. He asked, "Do you have any idea how much of a blessing this is?" That question has haunted me now for a week. No, I don't know. Because God can do such awesome things. In the grand scheme of things, that's really not that much food, but God can make something of it. What I thrill it was for me to be able to say, "Take this food with no strings attached. Give it away or use it to cook meals. Just use it to God's glory."
I've received several thank yous and even a thank you note for this. But think about this, we gave from our abundance. I doubt many, if any, missed any meals because they gave it to the mission. I don't think anyone will be short any money because they spent it on food to give. Now, here's another question. If God can take and bless others when we give out of our abundance, what could He do if we gave sacrificially, truly sacrificially? Wow! Hard to imagine. Have a great day. JW

The Pleasant Surprise

I'm not a big fan of weddings. Don't get me wrong, I believe in them, they are beautiful occasions. But if people put as much money into their marriages as they did their weddings, we'd be much better off. But, I digress.
Recently, I was at a wedding rehearsal and the usual controlled chaos was going on. Where do people stand? When do you bring in the parents? How many grandparents will be here? What order are we walking in? What time are pictures tomorrow? When is the most important part? The rehearsal dinnner? You get the picture.
We were rehearsing the processional and this precious, 5-year old, blue-eyed, blond headed flower girl came down the aisle. She'll be a killer bride herself one day. What caught my heart was what she was doing. She was giggling and smiling from ear to ear....all the way down the aisle. She was relishing the moment, so much so that I told her I wanted her to do that tomorrow as she came down the aisle in the real wedding. I've left out one important detail. This beautiful, precious little girl had to walk down the aisle with a walker. Her legs were bent, she couldn't walk really straight, but that smile, that giggle. "I've got a pretty dress," she giggled as I talked to her. "It's got flowers in it." She said nothing about her disability. She wasn't complaining about her condition. She laughed. How precious.
I thought of Paul and my favorite passage that I quote often in this blog. It's found in II Corinthians 4. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen. For what is seen is temporary. What is unseen is eternal." Caitlyn chose to see the bright side of things. And Paul points us in the same direction. Not on the troubles. Not on the disabilities. But on the joys of the moment. Like Caitlyn, let's not stop smiling. Let's overlook our hurdles and look beyond to what is waiting. Have a great day! JW

And Be Thankful

Martha and I got quite a surprise. Franklin, our youth minister, asked us if he and his wife could take us to dinner. Why sure! I'm never one to turn things down like that. But then we started thinking. Why are they doing this? Is there something they want to tell us? Are they struggling with something? When we got to the restaurant, they teens were there with a welcome "Surprise!" It's Pastor Appreciation Month and they were thanking Martha and me for being at Southwest. We were truly blessed by their "thanksgiving." I am thankful for them and for their love.
Paul tells the church in Collosse to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, cince as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Those last three words ring in my ears all the time. "And be thankful." Thanksgiving is the gateway to praise. It is the gasoline on the fire of a good and faithful life. The good thing is, we may not all have the talents to preach a gospel sermon or to be a missionary to a foreign country or to lead a worship service, but we can all be thankful. And that I am. Thanks for remembering us! Have a great day! JW

The Sign is Wrong

The bank sign said it was 74 degrees this morning. Now to my friends below the Mason-Dixon line, that's great. Only problem is, it's 54 degrees. I noticed this sign the other day when the temperature was really starting to change. I believe one morning it said 78 when it was really 58. I hadn't gotten used to the cool mornings yet and I marvelled at how warm it really was....after all, the bank sign said 78. What really tipped me off on the bank sign was when it read 90 degrees the other day. Now I know what 90 degrees feels like. So I was on to that sign now.
You're probably thinking at this point, "What is Jim trying to get at? I mean, he's talking about a bank sign for crying out loud!" This same phenomenon happens in our churches. Someone starts saying something that is untrue, shady, or an opinion that one has that may or may not be accurate. And we just take it at face value. For instance. "The singing just wasn't really that good this morning, was it?" (The bank sign says 90) Or, "That preacher isn't really doing what he should be doing, is he?" (It's really 58 degrees, not 78 degrees) Or, one I read about recently, "Things just aren't going well at church, are they?" Pretty soon we start believing the lie. And the church falls apart. Satan is good at what he does.
Recently, I was talking to a young preacher and he was talking to a chaplain from a hospital. He mentioned he worked at a Church of Christ and the response was typical. "You're the guys that don't use any instruments." I told him he should have said, "Yeah, and you should come hear it. It's beautiful!" I believe this can work the other way. Let's take the positive tack on this and start talking about our churches in a positive light. Let's invite! Let's encourage! Let's say how good it is! I'm not saying we should close our eyes to any problems. But my experience is we have a whole lot more to be excited and blessed about than we do problems. Let's focus on the positive and not the negative and let's turn this thing around. Didn't Paul said, "Do everything without complaining."? Let's try it. Have a great day! JW

P.S. And come visit us this Sunday! Great things are happening!

Satan's been after me lately. I don't know why. Perhaps he's sensed a weakness, a "more opportune time." But as I get older, the question keeps coming back to me, "What have I done of any importance?" "What have I accomplished that will last?" When I see that, I wonder if I've had an impact at all. Now, this is not the place where you say, "Oh, Jim, don't think like that. I love you and you've meant so much to me. etc., etc. etc. That's not the purpose of this blog. I'm just telling you some heart feelings.
Then I realize, I've asked the wrong questions. It's not, "What have you done?" It's, "How have I let Jesus rule in my life?" Then my life takes on a whole 'nother meaning. It's leaves the "it's all about me.." to "it's all about Him.." He can handle it. He can take care of it. And He can accomplish things that I wiil never see. Perhaps a kind word here that meant little to me may turn up years later as encouragement to someone who remembers that moment and praises God. Or perhaps it will show up in my children. Perhaps they will touch lives, some of whom haven't even been born yet. But it doesn't matter. This isn't about what I want to accomplish. It's about how He will use me. So I'll have to remember that I'm God's poem, just waiting to be read. God's creation. God's man. And I pray that He will be glorified in my life.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Have a great day. JW

Family Reunion

My wife and I just returned from a family reunion in Ohio. My first (he doesn't want me to say oldest) brother and his wife were also there so we made the visit to old churches, old homes, three cemeteries, and the like. We laughed and laughed with cousins and other relatives. We ate together at the Olde Dutch Restaurant in Logan, OH. It may not have quite been like the family reunions of old, but it was fun. We reminisced, looked at old pictures, met new members of the family, marvelled at how old some looked, and how young others looked.
As I pondered, I thought how this weekend was representative of my entire life. We visited the old Bearwallow Church of Christ on Bearwallow Ridge. We found the Lancaster Street Church of Christ that my dad helped to literally build...I mean bricks and mortar and everything. We saw where they used to meet there in Athens, just a little square brick house. And we attended church on Sunday at the Blackburn Road Church of Christ there in Athens. I took my brother to the Old Bedford church; at least to where it used to stand. A split from the old Bedford Chruch formed the Bearwallow Church. How appropriate that our entire lives were built around church. With my dad being a preacher and then later a college professor, we spent our time at church, always. If there was a meeting somewhere, we were there. Many times, it was dad preaching the meetings. When the doors opened, we were there. Our lives then and now center around church.
We visited with aunts and uncles, cousins and other in-laws. We laughed and laughed. I'm not talking just a chuckle. I'm talking about the kind of laughter that always occurred at family reunions. Gentle ribbing, old stories, pranks played, and sometimes we just laughed because we were together. My aunt left the room and she claimed it got quiet. She claimed that when I walked back in the room it got loud again. Once again, that has been my life. Utter joy around family. Even when the times weren't so good, we could still find a reason for some laughter. A good joke or just the sheer fun of being together made our time so precious.
And three cemeteries. Burlingham where my great-great grandfather and his wife are buried. He's the one who started it all there in Ohio. He left Virginia after the Civil War to begin a new life. He was long gone before I came along, but his influence continues on to this day. Cherry Ridge where many more relatives are buried including my great grandfather and family, my grandfather and his family. Hallowed ground. As the gentle breeze blew across the field I could see our family gather in difficult times weeping and mourning the loss of another family member who had gone on to their reward. Yet, there was always hope. Hope that we would all, I mean all, would see each other again. That's what we were taught, that's what we believe. The Old Bedford cemetery didn't have any relatives that I know of. But the church that stood there was the place where my great-great grandfather worshiped God.
Church, Joy, Death. All vital parts of my life. Some may say that those three are a strange combination. I think they are what life is all about. We find God in our relationships with God's people. And God's people are our relatives if they are physically related to us or spiritually related. The joy we share is priceless. And when we die, we know that it's just the beginning. I forget who said this, but I remember someone describing death as putting out the candle because the sun was coming up. What a great description.
What a great trip we had. It was a reminder to let me know just how fortunate I am to have the loving family that I have. Have a great day. JW

Please Pray

I can recite the answers. And usually can believe them. But when it happens close to you, it's still easy to ask, "Why?" Let me explain.
The other evening I received an e-mail from one of my brothers. You must understand, he's an agnostic at best. Was once a believer. Something has happened, I can't explain what. But he is now bitter, angry, fierce, (I think you get it) when it comes to anything spiritual. He'd just as soon curse at you if you bring up the subject. I have two other brothers. One is a minister, the other a missionary. Difficult things have happened in their lives and their trust and faith in God remains strong. Anyway, back to the e-mail. He wanted to pass on a request for his wife that we pray for her. It was blatantly obvious that he wasn't asking for prayers, but that SHE was asking for prayers.
You see, over five years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through all the chemotherapy, the hair loss, the nausea, everything associated with cancer treatments. Recently, she had passed the famed "five-year" mark. Cancer-free. She hadn't been feeling well lately; in fact, a little sluggish. She visited her doctor and he told her it was probably just allergies. No blood test. Not long after that, she saw her brother who, by the way, is a physician. He noticed something wrong. To make a long story short. Blood tests, lab work, etc., she's been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Seems it's a side effect of the treatment she had for breast cancer.
Now do you see? We visited her last night. They are literally destroying her immune system in order to attempt to bring it back again. She'll be in the hospital for two, maybe three weeks, maybe laonger. She requests prayers. He remains interestingly silent. But I'm asking for prayers. You may not know them, but God does. Please let them see His face in the middle of all this. God is so good. JW

Planning

You know what? Planning isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Now don't get me wrong. I don't think one should go into life helter skelter with nothing planned or anything like that. I've taken all the courses in graduate school. I remember one of my professors saying that twenty minutes of planning saves an hour of time (I think that's what he said. Maybe I didn't get that in my notes well enough, referenced, and catalogued correctly. I wasn't planning to use that illustration here!).
Although I'm not what many would call a big planner, there's a side of me that's kind of organized. Is that possible? Kind of organized? Anyway, I keep several calendars. I keep one at my desk. I keep one on my computer. I downlowad the one from the computer onto my iPod and my Blackberry. Sometimes I make up a third one.
But do you know what happens? Life. Life isn't on a schedule. Many times it isn't planned and it doesn't go exactly the way you had it mapped out. Let me give you an example.
Last week was my scheduled time for Green Valley Bible Camp. It's a week I look forward to all year long. It's on the calendar and unless the Lord comes again, it is set in concrete as deep as we can put it. This year was different. About an hour and a half on my journey down to camp I received a phone call telling me of the passing of one of dear members. It wasn't unexpected. In fact, I knew it would. Sometimes, and those of you who have dealt with those in hospice know, it isn't always imminent. Instead of spending the entire week at camp, I left Tuesday around noon to make the six and a half hour drive back home. The funeral was Wednesday and I returned after the graveside arriving back at camp at 10:30 Wednesday night.
Did I resent having to do that? No way! It was an honor to come back and preach his service. Did I begrudge having to drive an extra 13 hours? Absolutely not! I got to see my family which was an unexpected serendipity. Am I special for doing that? No, no, no way. Why would I be called special just for living life? That's just the way it is.
The same thing happened to Jesus. He was on His way to heal the ruler's daughter when a woman came up behind Him to touch the edge of His robe. When she was healed, Jesus stopped and said, "Who touched me?" The apostles were incredulous. "All of these people surrounding you and you ask, 'Who touched me?'" He commended the woman for her faith. He didn't deride her for keeping Him from His task. He took a moment and praised her. Now if Jesus can be flexible, why can't we?
Things don't always go the way we want. That's all right. Just continue to remember that it's His agenda and not yours. Have a great day! JW

Parking Close at the Gym

You probably know by now that I belong to a health club. Not that it's making a great difference in my girth, but at least I feel healthy. Anyway, I try to work out for about an hour about four times a week. As I drive into the parking lot, I'm always looking for a good parking place. You know, one close to the front door...where I don't have to walk too far... Usually, when I leave, someone waits for me to vacate my spot so they can park close, too. Now think about this for just a moment. I'm going to the health club to exercise. Exercise means walking fast and riding a bike hard. Getting the old heart beating and sweating like a crazy man. Heaven forbid that I have to walk any distance to get to the door. How crazy is that?
We do it at church all the time. Oh, it's not getting the best parking spot, but the principle is still the same. Our appearance at the church building is to make people think that we are holy. We show up, make an appearance, sing a few songs, pray a little, and we are holy. We seem to forget that it's not how we act inside the four walls of the church building, church is where we go every day. It's how we act. It's how we think. It's who we are. If, however, we can be there and look holy, amen the preacher once in a while (as long as he doesn't go too long), and beat the Baptists to the restaurants, then we're Christian. Oh, my goodness, no. Jesus said, "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." Kind of like leaving it at the gym and not taking it with us. Let's not be that way. Let's remember who we are and whose we are. Let's not look for the easy way. I hope your day is a great one. JW

Stunned by Scripture

I am stunned by Scripture. I mean that. Things that I have read hundreds of times jut leap out at me and just stun and amaze. We heard of "shock and awe" during the war with Iraq. It doesn't even hold a candle to God's Word.
Now I have to admit, I have read it enough that sometimes I get lacksidasical and often skim over the reading because I have read it before. That's why I like reading different translations because they give me a new insight into what God is saying. It also slows me down when I read. I have been using "The Message" as my personal Bible study. I was reading in I Kings about Solomon and him asking God for wisdom instead of riches and long life. Listen to how Peterson words Solomon's request. God asks Solomon, "What can I give you?" Here is his response.

Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil.

Wow! A God-listening heart. That's what I want. I want a God listening heart. I listen so much to what the television is saying, what the people say about my sermons, what everybody else is saying. What I need is a God listening heart.
Dear God, help me to turn out all of the voices who try to drown out your message and your word and your will and help me to hear only You. Help me to, as the Psalmist says, "Be still and know that you are God." Help me to hear only You. For I want a God listening heart. In our Savior's name. Amen. Have a great day. JW