Connecting With God

Last week I had the opportunity to accompany some young people as they attended a youth conference in Colorado Springs. Its a given that coming from southeast Texas to the mountains of Colorado that the scenery and the climate is an awesome shift. That aside, I have to say that attending meetings with a couple thousand young people who are bombarding heaven with their prayers and with worship do something to you. Having served in youth ministry for 15 plus years and now a senior pastor, I can honestly say that at no other "event" do I receive the spiritual infusion that I do attending these.

Yes, I know that God can speak to us and do things in us where ever we are at any given moment. That being said, I can't help but think there is something truly powerful about an environment saturated by corporate brokeness, desperation, and passion. Within that climate, I just think it is so much easier for us to be sensitive to God's voice. I mean think about it, no television, internet, Ipod, computer, cell phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Distractions are limited to very few things and you spend a few days saturated with little more than God and His Word.

Our culture is one that is characterized by busyness. Our schedules are filled with work, entertainment, chores, work, education, friends, family, more work, social networking, and somewhere, somehow we find a little time to sleep. For me personally, I'm trying to juggle being a husband, dad, son, friend, and pastor and all the responsibilities that come along with that. If you are anything like me, in the middle of all the busyness, God often takes a back seat to it all. I know that God is with us always, and in everything we do, but let's face it, we often use that statement to make us feel good in light of the fact that our personal prayer life and our times of intimacy with God are little more than puny and pathetic. Maybe that doesn't apply to you, but it hits me right between the eyes.

We've fallen for this lie that as long as I do my duty and go to church once a week for an hour or so, read my little promise scriptures, pay my tithe, put a Christian bumper sticker on my car, and listen to Christian music, that I'm good with God. The truth is I'm good with God, because of what Jesus did for me. I just think we are off track as long as we have the kind of mind set that says, "as long as I give God a little token offering of my life then all is well." Is that really the kind of life that He's worthy of?" Think about it for a moment. The purpose of Jesus coming and submitting Himself to death on a cross, was to reconcile you and I back to God. He came to rip down the wall that separated us from our Creator. He came to bring us into relationship with our heavenly Father. God, Himself, put on flesh and blood, and was willing to bleed and die in order to restore our relationship with Him. Can we honestly think that an hour a week and a quick prayer before nodding off to sleep, and our prayers of personal petitions, are worthy of His sacrifice?

If Christ's sacrifice was for the purpose of connecting us to God once again, shouldn't connecting with God be a huge priority on our life? I believe our attempts at fitting God into our schedule are playing right into the hand of the enemy. Our enemy doesn't really mind if we engage in lots of religious activity as long as we lose sight of what Christ died to give us. God longs for relationship with His people. A real authentic relationship is not one that we try to squeeze in somewhere between all of our list of to do's. Real authentic relationships demand time in order to be healthy. While it may be a truth that we are sons and daughters of God, it is equally true that we will never experience the fullness of that relationship if we don't choose to spend time cultivating it.

God longs to connect with us. God longs for us to come to the place where we long to connect with Him. Let's determine to make time for those personal, intimate encounters with our Creator. Let's make a decision to work the rest of our lives around those moments. I grew up with personal Bible study, prayer time, and quiet times being called "spiritual disciplines." The more I think about that, I just kind of think if that's the way we see it, we're missing the point. I'm just crazy enough to believe that we can fall so in love with our God that our heart yearns for those moments of personal connection. After all, God has fallen so in love with us that He was willing to do whatever it took to connect with us. Let's live a life that is worthy of the sacrifice Christ made for us.

My Dad

I've posted this before, but with Father's Day here I can think of nothing better to post this week than this article I wrote about my Dad immediately following his going home to be with the Lord a few years ago. For those who didn't know my Dad, it'll introduce you to him. For those who knew him, it'll remind you of this world's greatest Dad.

Most of you knew Troy Stone as a strong conservative voice in Ellis County. A man who had an opinion about everything and never hesitated to share it. A man who held elected officials accountable, ruffled the feathers that needed ruffling, and rocked every boat that needed rocking. You knew him as a man who loved his country and was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep it the greatest country in the world.

But, let me tell you a little bit about the man I knew as Daddy. He taught me things every young boy needs to know. He taught me how to throw a football, kick a soccer ball, and hit a baseball. Never, once did I ever look to the sideline without seeing my Dad on it. Every single game there he was on the sidelines rooting for me as if I was the best player out there, when in reality, I can assure you, I was not. By the time I made it to high school, my physical stature, yes, I was a runt, steered my away from organized sports and I became involved in marching band. Dad’s level of support never changed. It didn’t matter if it was a home game or an away game. Every week there he was in the stands watching my eight minute half-time performance. Once again, I don’t recall one that he missed. 

That’s the way he was with all of his children. He always supported everything we were involved with. He invested his time, his money, and his energy into each of our lives, our dreams, and our futures. I think I can speak for each of his children in saying that when we were young we thought he was the best. What is an awesome testimony though, is that each of us hold that same opinion here at the end of his life. 

My Dad had five children, but he was “Daddy” to many more. I remember years ago, our family sponsored a young boy who lived in an orphanage in Fairfield, TX. My Dad heard about a track meet this boy was competing in. I don’t remember all the details, but I believe he ran the mile. Although he told my Dad that he wasn’t very good and had never won, my Dad drove to Fairfield to watch him race. When the race started, he took off too fast and my Dad was sure he was going to run out of gas, but he never did. He won the race. I think that the fact that he had a “Daddy” in the stands that day had something to do with it.

I learned more from my Dad by just watching the way he lived his life. He was always willing to help out whenever he saw a need. Like the times he would see a family in need and would buy them groceries, clothes, etc. Or, like the times he would hear of a need at church and would step up to the plate to supply that need. There were even a couple of occasions when he opened his house to young people in need of a place to stay.

Daddy, taught me that the wealth of a man is not found in the size of his bank account but in the depth of his character. He taught me the importance of being a man of integrity and man of your word by living it out before me. For example, one time he had promised to take me to a Ranger’s game. He was out of town working in Laredo at that time and we didn’t think he was going to make it home in time. I was crushed, because he had promised to take me. Then all of a sudden into the driveway pulls my Dad. He runs into the house, changes clothes, kisses Mom and off we go to the game. Pretty incredible for a man who had just driven all the way from Laredo. I don’t remember anything else about the game that night, just that my Dad kept his promise.

I also learned about strength and courage from my Dad. There was no better example of that, than how he lived his life over the past few years. While living with the advanced stages of emphysema, he continued to live his life to the fullest. Even though he became oxygen dependent 24/7, he continued to be involved in the Republican party here in Ellis county. Every election day you could count on seeing him working the polls. Afterwards, he would be exhausted for several days, but that never kept him from doing it again. He never let his disease prevent him from making trips to the Houston area to spend time with his children and grandchildren. On July 4^th, 2004 while hooked up to his portable oxygen machine, he insisted on running his snow-cone machine at an outdoor church function in southeast Texas. We constantly got on to him about over doing it, but the fact is he knew no other way to live his life than full-throttle.

I could write volumes about my Dad and perhaps someday I will. He didn’t leave his family a huge monetary inheritance, but the inheritance he left is worth more than all this world’s riches. It is no doubt that this world is a better place because of his influence here. All that knew him will truly miss him. America will miss his patriotism. Ellis county will miss his strong conservative voice. The Republican Party will miss his leadership. And I’ll miss my Daddy.

There's A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea

"There's a frog, on the knot, on the log, in the hole in the bottom of the sea." Not sure if you've ever heard that song, but it was one my Dad sang way too much when I was growing up. He would start it up at times like when we were on long trips and we had played the ABC game until all of us kids were bored out of our minds. It never mattered how much we protested, the song went on and on and on. And while the song was a bit annoying, I never really thought about the fact that there might be a big hole in the bottom of the sea. Until now that is. Now looking at what is going on in the Gulf of Mexico, that annoying song seems to be playing out in front of us. I'm thinking maybe if we could find a big enough log with a big enough knot and a big enough frog, we could solve a really big problem.

Ok, so maybe the whole log, knot, frog thing isn't going to work, but it appears nothing else is getting the job done either. Now, while I have no idea how to fix the spewing oil in the Gulf, as they didn't offer that course at the school I attended, I'm struggling a bit with the fact that we are pretty intelligent beings but can't plug a hole. I know, I know, its deep underwater and its got a lot of pressure forcing the oil out, and I'm sure the greatest minds are at work trying to fix it. I think there a couple of things that bother me about this whole thing. Number one is that those who lost their lives in this accident have pretty much become a side note. Let's remember that children have been left fatherless, wives have lost husbands, and mom's and dad's have lost sons. Another thing that bothers me is everyone blaming everyone else. BP's under the gun, the government's getting hammered, people are mad at oil companies, and our President is going to kick somebody's... well, we won't go there. I'm thinking lets just get the hole plugged and then worry about all that later.

Anyways, I was just sitting here wondering what God thinks when He sits back and watches mankind do his thing? I mean lets face it, we are really good at making messes. Lets see, there was that Russian nuclear meltdown thing, Exxon Valdez, the unsinkable Titanic that sank, and the madman from Germany to name a few. Throughout the ages we've made one mess after another. Our man-made messes date all the way back to the first man and woman that God created. Remember, there was that whole forbidden fruit thing that really got things headed in the wrong direction. The problem with that mess though was that man's best efforts couldn't fix it. When Adam and Eve blew it in the garden, mankind was presented with a problem that only God, Himself could bail them out of. Fixing this mess would require a hefty price, but thank God, He stepped up to the plate and did what He had to do to save humanity.

What is so special about mankind, that God would stop at nothing to save him? Scripture says it like this, "What is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that You visit him?" The longer I live the more I believe that this is really less about the man and more about God. What I'm trying to say is that this scenario reveals much more about the heart of God than it does about the value of man. Think about it all for a minute. God does an amazing work in His creation of the universe. He spins the planets into motion and adorns the sky with the sun, moon, and stars. He landscapes our planet with mountains, plains, oceans, and thousands upon thousands of different kinds of plant life. Then, He continues this creative wonder by creating sea life, birds of the air, and every kind of "creeping" thing that calls this planet home. And, to top it all off, He creates us and places us right smack in the middle of all He's created and allows us to be stewards of it all. Then "we," the thankful, and gracious recipients of all His goodness did what could only be expected. We did what amounts to spitting in His face by rejecting Him and aligning ourselves with the enemy of God. Crazy isn't it? Can you see the big mess we caused?

What's even crazier is how God responds to our mess. He cleans it up. Wait a minute, let me paint the complete picture. It's like we're in the middle of the ocean surrounded by flesh eating sharks and God doesn't just simply throw out a life saver. No, instead He throws Himself to the sharks in order to rescue us. Our actions put us under a death sentence, but instead of God simply turning a blind eye, He takes our place and condemns Himself to death in the person of Jesus. What's mind boggling is that after all of that, there are those who still reject this God and all His goodness.

While I have no idea how this oil spill in the Gulf is going to play out and how big of a mess it will ultimately be, I know for certain that regardless of how big it is, it will never compare to the mess we created in that garden so many years ago. And while it is certain, this clean-up will probably cost more than any clean up effort in our history, the price that was paid for our salvation eclipses it by a long shot.

Now, let me see where was I? Oh yeah, all together now..."There's a hair, on the wart, on the frog, on the knot, on the log, in the hole in the bottom of the sea...there's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole in the bottom of the sea."

The Price Of Freedom

Freedom...What an awesome concept! I'm not sure if we totally understand just how truly great it is. Living in America, we've not known anything but a life of freedom. Because of that, if we aren't careful we'll take for granted this freedom we've been given. We all know that the freedom we have wasn't free, but how often to really ponder the price that was paid for it? When we speak out without fear of being prosecuted for what we say, do we ever think that some fallen soldier secured our right to do so? When we choose to go to Baptist church or a Methodist church or some other kind of church, do we ever stop to think of the men and women whose blood spilled in order for that choice to be our own? When we choose to be a doctor or mechanic or school teacher, do we truly think about those who died in order to create and preserve a place where young and old alike could pursue their dreams of becoming whatever they want to be?

No greater price can one pay than the giving their own life. And throughout the years, countless numbers of men and women have been willing to pay that price in order for freedom to reign in this country. At the same time moms and dads have lost sons and daughters, sons and daughters have lost moms and dads, and all of us have lost some of the greatest heroes this world has ever known. Yet, so often we live our lives enjoying the freedoms they secured without thought of the price they paid.

This weekend we set aside time to remember those heroes. But like so many "holidays" we have become very good at forgetting the whole meaning behind it all. We get with family and friends, crank up the grill, take a week-end get away, or just enjoy the extra day off. Somehow, I'm thinking our fallen heroes would be totally ok with all of that. For somehow it all speaks of the freedom they gave their lives for. That being said, I'm thinking the price they paid is deserving of so much more. It is true that the debt we owe, we could never repay. However, we can honor them all by taking time out to remember them and the sacrifices they made. In addition, we honor them when we choose to fully embrace the freedom they gave their lives to secure for us all.

So, enjoy your weekend. Chow down on that bar-b-que and take time out for family and friends. But, in the middle of it all take time out to remember those men and women whose sacrifice made your weekend possible. And when this weekend is over, determine to live life to its fullest fully embracing your freedom, always remembering that somebody paid a hefty price in order for you to do so.

In Search Of Honor

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Dallas to take my 4-year old son to a place called Medieval Times for his birthday. This is a place where you eat a meal while taking in a reenactment of Medieval knights jousting, sword fighting, and engaging in other knightly events. I have to admit it was a really enjoyable evening. And while it was only men acting out the role, there was this bit of awe in the crowd as these knights entered the arena. Sure, they appeared to handle their swords and lances with great skill, but the awe factor was more than that. I think it was just because they were knights and the fact that they carried themselves with this sense of honor. Again, I know they were just actors, but its really impossible to play the part of a knight without the honor thing.

I mean, honor is at the core of being a knight. It's part of their code of chivalry. Honor, bravery, honesty, etc. It's what defines them. It's what makes a true knight. It's what makes a good knight. It's what sets them apart from all others. Its the balance between handling a sword well, while at the same time taming the inner man with the same manner of excellence.

As I watched these actors play out this role, I couldn't help but think, "where have those men gone?" I began to take a bit of a snapshot in my head at our society today, and I was left with that thought. Where are they? Where are those men of honor? Where are those men who are determined to do what's right because its right? Where are those men who refuse to allow integrity to fly out the window when pressure is applied to their life or when dollar signs get in their eyes?

Ok, I know that there are honorable people out there, but it sure seems like they are few and far between. I was talking politics with someone recently and we mentioned the void of great statesmen today. Think about it, how many "Give me liberty or give me death," or "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" guys do you know? How many Franklins, or Washingtons, or Lincolns are on the scene today? Where are those men whose greatness was determined by the content of their heart and the measure of their character? No, its not a democratic or republican issue, its a national epidemic.

No area of our society has been spared when it comes to this vacuum of honor. Our politicians are simply a mirror image of the spiritual and moral climate of our nation. From Washington to the classroom, to the church doors, to the business world, there's evidence of this decline in honor everywhere you look.

At first glance it can all look a bit hopeless. Yet, I can't help but think that the search for honor will never come up empty if that man I see in the mirror every morning will simply determine to live an honorable life. If he'll simply make the decision to do what's right because its right and let the chips fall wherever they fall. If he'll choose integrity over compromise. If he'll determine to please God at the expense of pleasing men. If he'll take responsibility for his actions even when its the most difficult road to take. If he'll prefer others at the expense of self. Then every morning in that image I see in the mirror, I'll find honor.

No, honor didn't fade out with era of the knights. And, no it didn't end with the Washingtons or Lincolns. And, it'll be here long after the "Greatest Generation" has left, if each and every one of us will determine to take a hard look in the mirror every morning.

Man, Do They Have A Problem

Think for just a minute about somebody who has some major problems. I’m talking about some major character issues and flaws. People with bad tempers, selfish attitudes, rude behavior, dishonest, etc. Pretty simple task isn’t it? The truth is most of us can think of a huge list of people. The trouble is that in the process of making that list, how many of us put ourselves at the top of it? I’m sure there are those who don’t even include themselves anywhere on that list. Lets face it though, we are all messed up. We are all works in progress. We all have much room still left to grow. It’s just so much easier to see the problems in another person’s life. We often do well at fulfilling the roll of judge and jury when it concerns others while overlooking the faults in our own lives.

I was listening to the radio today when they read an email from a lady who encountered an irritated driver who apparently wasn’t happy with the fact that she was traveling slower than he was but was in the fast lane. He reacted in a way that was inappropriate and made it apparent to her that he was quite angry. Her response? She prayed for him. She didn’t retaliate with anger or malice. She just simply prayed for him.

Although, her response to him was a really good one, I couldn’t help but think that she might be missing something. I’m sure the angry driver didn’t take time out to ask himself, “Why am I so upset,” or “What’s the driving force behind me losing my temper?” While he needs to find the answers to that before his road rage injures him or someone else, I also believe the lady could benefit by asking herself a couple questions. Rather than just pray for the man, the lady needs to ask herself, “Why is this man so upset,” and “Is there something I’m doing that is facilitating his behavior?” No, I’m not excusing his temper tantrum, I’m just adding a perspective I think we often don’t want to examine. It’s true that he’s responsible for his behavior, but its also true that she’s responsible for hers. We are really good at judging the actions of others with a magnifying glass while excusing our own.

While this man could probably benefit from some anger management courses, I’m just wondering if its possible for this lady to benefit from a deeper look at the encounter. I’m thinking that had she been driving in the right hand lane, it would probably be a non-issue. A quick glance in the rear-view mirror to see an approaching car should have prompted her to move over if she was in a position to do so. Perhaps, there was traffic in the right lane and that wasn’t possible, but if the lane was clear its just a respectful gesture to give way to faster moving traffic. Again, I’m not saying its her fault that he flew off the handle. I’m just saying perhaps being more aware of those around her and respecting them, could have prevented this event from ever being played out.

I know that there are people with major issues and regardless of what we do, they’ll still leak those internal issues all over the place. All I’m saying is that, I think it’s extremely healthy for us to examine ourselves and why we do what we do and how those actions affect those around us. Personally, I feel as though while I’m driving I have a responsibility to those driving around me. I’m just constantly aware that there are more people on this planet than just me. When I’m sitting at a red light, I feel a responsibility to the people behind me to watch the light and go once it turns green. In the same way when driving on the freeway I try really hard to make sure if there are cars behind me wanting to drive faster that I move over and allow them to pass. That being said, I’m not always paying attention and while I don’t take kindly to the unseemly behavior of some drivers, I have to admit that I may have added to the problem. Again, I’m not saying that others don’t have problems. I’m just saying that I’m in the same boat and that I need to worry about fixing the holes in my boat and stop trying to figure out who has the most water in their boat.

The truth is, so many times we become totally oblivious to those around us. We are focussed on ourselves, our agenda, and our world. Then, when someone around us acts in a way that is selfish and immature, we step back and think, “Man, do they have a major problem or what?” And while praying for them is great, I just think there is a bigger picture here that includes us. Jesus said it something like this; We walk around with this honkin’ big 2×4 sticking out of our eye and all we are focussed on is some tiny little speck in somebody else’s. Ok, so maybe this temper-tantrum throwing, irate, needs to get off the road driver had something more like a railroad tie sticking out of his eye. The point still remains that if we only focus on his flaws and fail to examine ourselves with that same lens, we’ll miss a huge opportunity for growth. I know from experience that self-examination results in growth while judging others produces nothing positive.

Lets determine to put up that lens we examine others with and take out the high powered microscope to examine ourselves with. Then,….oh, wait a second….I’m having a little trouble seeing….I guess I’m gonna have to run….it appears I’ve got something in my eye.

Moms

Moms...So often in life, so much of what they do goes unnoticed. As a child, I can't ever remember spending too many brain cells trying to figure out how in the world I always had clean clothes, or how the refrigerator was always full of food. It's crazy, but when I was sick, or sad, or upset, it seemed Mom just always had the answer or knew what to do. I never gave it much thought how inconvenient it might have been to drive me to soccer practice, or baseball practice, or band practice. Looking back it seems that Mom had somehow been supernaturally endowed with gifts of nursing, cooking, teaching, counseling, and multitasking, just to mention a few.

As we walk through our childhood, Moms are so good at doing it all without a lot of fanfare. They just do it. Behind the scenes they work most of the time unnoticed and unappreciated. Cleaning this, cooking that, folding this, driving here, driving there, picking up this, putting away that. And then because we are so grateful we set aside one day every year to say thanks.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking even if we had a whole year we called "Mother's Year," it would still fall way short of the honor that's due. I mean, I'm glad we do the whole Mother's Day thing but a card, dinner, and some flowers or some other gift pales in comparison to the sacrifices made in our upbringing. I think what I'm saying is, I really don't believe we can ever pay in full the price Moms have paid for us.

That being said, I think honor is a pretty good down payment. Scripture tells us to give honor to whom honor is due. Honor is simply stepping back and recognizing the value in someone and choosing to acknowledge it. It's treating another more highly than oneself. It's recognizing the position one holds and the grace of God that is on them and choosing to respect them accordingly. It has little to do with what someone does, and has everything to do with who someone is.

This Mother's Day, and in the days, months, and years that follow, let's determine to truly honor our Moms. Let's appreciate the sacrifices they've made through the years, but beyond that let's choose to take a step back and recognize the treasure they are. Then, let's make an effort to communicate that in a way that convinces them we see just how precious and valuable they are. That's honor, and it's more valuable than any gift you could ever buy them.

Oh, yeah Happy Mother's Day Mom. Just wanted to let you know that no deed has ever gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Sure, it may have taken 43 years to recognize them, but recognize them I do. But, your value is far beyond all the sacrifices you made for me or any of your children. You're the best and my life is great, largely because of the mother you've been.