Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I'm No Different

I read the account of Jesus' trial in Matthew 27 this morning and some thoughts occurred to me. Judas had remorse; do I? It's easy for us to think we would have stood with Jesus; We would not have run; We would not have yelled, "Crucify!"; But we did. Jesus, Creator of all that is, endured rejection, humiliation, pain, and separation from God for the first time in eternity because of me. He died for me so I could live. I was Judas, the High Priests, The Governor, the crowd, the soldier; no different in my flesh than these. God created us and died for us so we could spend eternity with Him. What a gift. With all the excitement Easter brings in the home, let me encourage you to remind your family that it is about the sacrifice of the Suffering Servant. We are who we are because of what Jesus did.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

21 Steps



We had the privilege to spend the last week in Washington D.C. It is an amazing place. We were there to receive our new granddaughter. She is a dandy. Debi and I look forward to see how God will use her for His Kingdom’s work. While we were there we had a chance to see much of the city. One of the most impressive things we observed was the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, these special men pay honor to those who have given their lives for our freedom by standing watch over this tomb. Each guard takes 21 steps, turns and faces the tomb for 21 seconds, turns and shoulders his weapon away from the tomb for 21 seconds then takes 21 steps to the other side and repeats the process. These guardsare ever vigilant, always watching, never resting.
This is what we do with our children. We stand guard over their hearts, ever vigilant, always watching, never resting. They need us to do this. They need a guard to help them maneuver the pitfalls of life. They need a guard who will help them when they fail to discover failure is not the end, but usually the beginning of a good thing. They need a guard who will never rest when it comes to them knowing who God is and the plan He has for their lives. That guard is you. 21 steps, turn, wait, turn, 21 steps and repeat the process. Your children are depending on your vigilance. Be their guard.

Monday, March 15, 2010

In just a few days, our family will be welcoming a new member. Her name is EllaGrace, a three year old beauty. When she was two-and-a-half, she was abandoned in a large city in Ethiopia. Through the miracle of grace, she was found and taken to an orphanage. Over a year ago, our daughter and son-in-law started the process to adopt an orphan from Ethiopia. In three days, this little cast out will be given to a family who will love her deeply and share the opportunity of life. Grace and love in action.
Isn't this the way Jesus accepted us? We were orphaned, without hope, with no family. We were taken in, saved from our life of flesh, and given a new home and family; a family that loves us deeply and has given us the gift of life. Grace and love in action.
The family is God's plan for sharing His love and plan for all people. The new family of EllaGrace will pas this on to her. Let me encourage you to pass this on to your children, not only in word, but in how you live life.