Fog

Driving in the fog is never fun and at times can be an adventure.  A few days ago as I left for work early in the morning the fog was especially thick.  I’m sure you have heard the old expression, “the fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife”, well this was one of those occasions.  There were times when I could not see the front end of my hood as I was driving.

Foggy conditions present challenges to driving and as you know a person can get into trouble before they know it if they are not paying attention.  As matter of fact you can get into trouble in a thick, heavy fog even if you are paying attention.  The key seems to be to not drive faster than what you can see and don’t drive into what you can’t see.

Driving in the fog got me to thinking about the need to be aware of those things right in front of you.  On a normal day as you drive you tend to look down the road a bit and you try to be aware of what is coming up ahead so you can be ready for it before it happens.  Good drivers will look from side to side, front and back and they have a constant awareness of what is going on around them so decisions can be made faster and safer as changes occur.  But when you are driving in the fog all you have to look at is what is just in front of you.  Sometimes you have a few feet of vision and other times you might have a block or two, but for the most part you have to concentrate on those things that are just in front or beside you. 

In life sometimes we need to have a time for a “fog” type experience in other areas of our life besides driving the car.  Sometimes it is good for you and I to take a look at the life we have in an up close way.  Taking the time to look closely at the relationships you have in your life is important to making sure all the truly important aspects of your relationships are healthy and functioning in a proper way.  Too many times we are so distracted by those things around us that we fail to take care of the most important people in our lives.

One of the things I notice a lot these days are moms and dads driving around town with their children in the car with them and mom and/or dad are on the cell phone talking to someone other than their children.  If I could tell them just one thing it would be “get off the phone”. Have a “fog” type moment by paying attention to those things that are nearer and dearer to you. Those children in your car will only be with you for just a short time, get off the phone and talk to them.  First of all, you have them trapped.  Your children are in a moving, locked car and you have all the control.  You can talk to them about anything you want and there is nothing they can do about it.  This opportunity does not last forever, so take advantage of it while it last.  Secondly, by staying off the phone and talking to your children you show them that they are important to you and you value spending time with them and you enjoy spending time with them as well.  Thirdly, by staying off the phone you will be paying attention to those things that are truly important and right in front of you.  It will be a “fog” moment that may just help you have a strong lasting relationship with your children for a lifetime.  Fourth, remember what goes around comes around.  There will be a time when your child is on the phone and they will ignore you and guess what… you won’t like it.

For that matter, cell phones may be the central cause of why so many families are having trouble staying connected these days.  Isn’t that ironic?  A device built to help us stay in contact is in part responsible for people being less connected than ever before in history.

I would encourage you to have “fog” type moments often.  Take a closer look at your faith and your relationship with God.  Spend time in solitude allowing the Holy Spirit to work on those things in your life that are truly important.  In life it is good to have a “big picture”, but it is also important to spend time looking closely at those things that are designed to last a lifetime.  Faith, Family, and Friendships.

Love God.  Go Love Others.

New Cars

Just the other day, as I was leaving Market Street with a few items for dinner I noticed out of the corner of my eye a really sweet looking Corvette.  I have always loved Corvettes for as long as I can remember.  There was something special about this Corvette; it was not like any other Corvette I had ever seen.  As it came closer I discovered why it was so unique.  It turned out to be a Ferrari.  As it drove passed me I also noticed that it was a new Ferrari that still had the Buyer Tags. 

I had two thoughts about this car; one why would you come shopping in a Ferrari and two where is he going to park that car?  I watched for a minute or so as the driver drove up and down the rows of parking places looking for the one spot on the parking lot where his new car would not be touched or damaged.  I do give him credit for shopping at Market Street where the Sackers carry out your groceries and push the carts back and forth.  As far as being in danger of a runaway shopping cart he had chosen wisely.  Just as I expected, the driver did the same thing that I do when I am parking a new car in a parking lot.  He parked as far away from other cars as possible.  The chances of anyone parking that far away were pretty remote. 

I know that I and the Ferrari owner are not the only two people who do that type of thing with new cars.  As a matter of fact, most of us seem to take care of our new possessions.  You and I go to great lengths to make sure that those things that are important to us are protected.  I can remember when I was in grade school I would get a new pair of tennis shoes and they would be all nice and white.  (For the younger crowd you need to know that there was once a time when all athletic shoes were either white or black and they came in two styles; low cut or high tops.)  Anyway, I can remember trying to protect my new shoes and for the most part I was successful until I arrived at my school where I would be greeted by my friends who would then proceed to place their shoe on top of mine and in an instant my shoes were broken in and I could be off the races.

It is similar with our “new cars”  most of us seem to go to great lengths to protect our cars until the “new” wears off and then we will once again look for those parking places which are closest to the front door of the store.   One ding on a door and you are good to park anywhere you want.

This causes me to wonder about how careful we are in life with the truly important things of life.  How careful are you with your marriages?  Do you protect your marriage from danger? Or are you careless with your relationships by putting yourself in circumstances that could cause great harm or damage to your most precious relationship.  How careful are you with children?  Sometimes we go to great lengths to keep them physically safe and then we are careless with video games, movies, music and friendships. How careful are you with …you?  Do you take care of yourself spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally?  Do you do things to help you grow in those areas? 

Life is precious and it is short.  You and I need to do our best to keep those things that are truly valuable safe.  For those who are wondering where to start the process of improving your safety, let me suggest starting with Jesus.  The safest place I know is in the arms of Jesus.

Love God.  Go Love Others.

Scars

A few months ago my niece had an accident that resulted in her having an injury to her neck.  Her parents took her to a local emergency room where they did the normal types of tests.  At first they did not seem to think much of anything was wrong, but they did one more test, a CT scan.  The results came back from the scan and they were not good.  She had a broken neck.  The ER immediately transferred her to Children’s Hospital in Dallas.  The doctors and medical team installed a Halo on her head to keep it in place. 

Now when I say they installed a Halo that really doesn’t communicate everything involved in that process.  The “installation” includes being put under anesthesia and having a ‘metal cage’ looking devise screwed into her skull.  These screws are bigger than you might think they would need to be and when I say that they were screwed into her skull that is exactly what they did.  This is not a simple process.  Precision is critical and the doctors mean for the Halo to stay in place for three months.  That’s right, three long months.  Needless to say, the whole ordeal was painful.  Through the painstaking procedure, my niece was a real trooper.  She did more than survive she grew as a person and grew in her faith.  She faced each step of the process and each obstacle with amazing poise and grace. 

The good news is the Halo was removed the other day and she is well on her way to having her broken neck healed.  Three months of pain and discomfort is over.  Even though the halo is removed there are reminders of this experience on both sides of her forehead.  Those screws that were key to the success of the process have created two round scars.  Those scars will be on her head for the rest of her life.

When I saw the pictures of her following the removal of the screws, my first thought about the scars was “beautiful”!   Some of you may think that is a strange thought to have about scars. A beautiful teenage girl will have those scars for the rest of her life, but I love those scars.  Over time the scars will fade some and the magic of makeup will cause them be unnoticeable, but they will be there for life. 

Those scars on each side of her forehead are indeed beautiful.  Not for how they look, but for what they did for my niece.  Because of those scars she will be able to take drivers training in a few months, graduate on time from high school, go to college, have that “first dance” at her wedding (let’s put that off for awhile), and she will get to have a family of her own.  In short, those scars mean that she gets to live her life and live out her dreams. 

Scars are reminders of the events of our life.  I have a scar on my left forefinger that I got in 1973 at a junior high band contest in Ennis, Texas.  I was playing with my pocketknife that I was not supposed to have and I accidentally cut my finger.  I was taken to the school nurse who wrapped it up.  Lessons learned.  To this day I can see that scar and remember that event as if it happened yesterday.  I can still hear my band director lecturing me and taking away my pocketknife until the end of the school year.  I still have the knife and the scar. 

Scars cause you to remember the events in your life that are significant and life changing.  Some of you have a scar that runs down the middle of your chest that is a result of you having an open-heart surgery that changed your life forever and most likely saved your life.  Scars that come as a result of an event which save your life are indeed beautiful scars.

Over 2000 years ago our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross and crucified.  He was the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.  That event changed the relationship you and I have with God forever.  The crucifixion saved the life of all those who choose to obey God and live their life for him.  The scars on the hands and feet of Jesus are beautiful scars.  They are not beautiful for the physical appearance, but rather the beauty is seen in what those scars represent.  Those scars are reminders to you and I that God loved us so much that he sent his one and only son to die for our sins so that we might live with him forever.

As for my niece, the scars on her forehead mean she has a full life now and the scars on the hands of her Savior mean she has a full and abundant life now and forever.

Scars. 

Lessons.

Life.

Love.

Thankful.

Love God.  Go Love Others.

Looking for Answers

As the world knows by now, our nation has suffered yet another tragic shooting at an elementary school.  And the world is looking for answers. We have questions. Why did this happen?  What type of person does something like this?  Could anything have been done to prevent it from happening?  Can we do anything to prevent it from happening again?  Where is God?  Why does God let stuff like this happen?  The questions just keep on coming…..

We try to find answers.  We turn to school officials.  We turn to the police and other law enforcement officials. We turn to gun laws.   We turn to psychologist.  We turn to anyone and everyone who might have an answer.  To most people the questions and the answers are difficult to deal with and understand.   I am not sure that I have a firm grasp of the answers and I’m sure that I don’t even know all the questions, but let me give it my best effort.

Over the past four decades there has been an organized effort in our culture to eliminate God from the fabric of our nation.  When I was a child I can remember having a morning prayer everyday in our Public School.  We had prayers before PTA meetings and before school assemblies and sporting events.  Prayers were led by students, teachers and administrators.  Ministers, Pastors and Rabbis were invited into our schools on a regular basis to talk with students or present a message from God’s word.  Christmas was Christmas and the Christ story was central to any play or concert.  It was a different time. 

Now God is all but gone from our schools.  He is all but gone from our courthouses, city halls, State and Federal buildings.   God is made fun of in our entertainment.  Those who believe in God are mocked and pushed aside as a radical. 

During this 40 year span of time as we have slowly pushed God out of our culture we have also devalued life.  The majority of our nation does not think twice about killing an unborn child.  More and more of our society believes it is a good idea to euthanize anyone who may no longer have “quality” of life.

In short, God has been evicted from our hearts and our homes.

But when tragedy strikes the people call out the name of God and the name of Jesus and we as a nation want God to “fix” everything and everyone.  We have the nerve to ask God where he was during all of this and why in His name do you let this happen.    My friends, God does not dwell in hearts or homes where he is not welcome.   No one wants to live near a Fire House, but everyone wants the Fireman to come quickly when there is a fire. 

Darkness is the absence of light.  The Light of the World has been asked to leave our schools, leave our communities, and leave our states and our nation’s capital.  Well, the Light is gone and nothing remains, but darkness and evil lurks at every corner.  Evil is seeking a way into our schools, communities, state houses and capital buildings.  Evil only has one objective and that is death. 

Evil is the answer to the question, “Why did this happen?”  Jesus is the answer to the question, “what can we do about it?”  In a world of darkness there is only one answer – Light!  Jesus is the Light of the World.  I suggest we let him back into our culture.  It will take some time to turn the light on, but it can be done.  It must be done.  One heart, one home and one community at a time. 

So to the Nation I say,

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.”   - Helen H. Lemmel

Love God.  Go Love Others.

Restoration Area - Stay Off

Hiking in the mountains within the Rocky Mountain National Park is truly one of the great opportunities in life.  The park service does everything possible to make your experience enjoyable as well as inspiring.  I am sure that taking care of such a huge land mass as its challenges.  As you go along the way you periodically come to a sign that reads, “Restoration Area – Stay Off” .  Some of the time there is only the sign to keep you out of an area or off of a particular path.  Other times you will see the sign and a fence constructed from trees limbs and other natural resources.  When you come to one of these restoration areas the communication is clear and direct.

For whatever reason the park service has chosen to close off different areas of the park to allow nature to recover for a period of time.  The hope is keep humans from entering an area so the grass, flowers, and other resources can return back to their normal natural state.  I’m not sure how long these areas are closed off from humans.  It could be for a few weeks or months or it could be for years.  I know that the sand dunes along the beaches of the gulf coast have been mostly closed off for decades in an attempt to rebuild the natural barrier that helps hold back the high tides and storm surges.  Restoration of a nature takes time.

That’s the way life is.  People, for various reasons grow tired and wear out.  Could it be that you and I need to erect signs all around us that say, “Restoration Area – Stay Off”.  I believe that most of us need time to get away from the daily grind and the daily pressures of life to allow God to restore our spirits. 

Think about your life just for a moment.  Do you have a moment?  Most of us are so busy with life that just finding a moment to consider the need to stop and rejuvenate is not even possible (or so we think).  Our culture seems to thrive on the idea of being busy.  We have even determined in our culture that “busy people get things done” so let’s give them even more to do.   We really have lost our minds when it comes to our daily schedules.  The other day I overheard a four year old tell her friend that she would have to check her schedule …. Really?!  

You and I just go, go, go until we can’t go anymore and our life begins to break down and suffer. Relationships suffer, priorities suffer, and our spiritual journey gets derailed.  Could it be that more than anything in your life right now you need to stop, rest, and allow God to restore you life.  God says,  “Be still and know that I am God”.   Be still.  Seems hard to do.  I know people who have their quite time on the way to work as they drive down the freeway.  I’m not sure that’s what God had in mind.  Be still.

“The Lord is in His holy temple: Let all the earth keep silence before Him;  Keep silence, Keep silence, Keep silence before Him.”   That is as much for your benefit as it is His.

Be Still my friends and allow God to Restore your soul.

Love God.  Go Love Others.