Last week I had a really cool opportunity.  The local middle school had an assembly planned and a few days before the event, the speaker they had booked hit a snag and couldn’t come so I got to swoop in as backup.  It was the best afternoon because the kids and staff at PW are great and because the topic was so important.   The theme of the assembly was kindness, empathy and being amazing humans.  As I planned for the event it occurred to me that October is the month the church sets aside to “respect life”.  We are reminded during this beautiful month to think about life in all its ages and stages and realize each of us is a precious child of God. Many of us are very passionate about protecting the unborn and we will fight like mama bears if we find out someone is mistreating the elderly.  Those are causes we pray and fight for in many ways but what about respecting the life we are surrounded by every day.  How are we at respecting our neighbors and co-workers and those folks who annoy us?  October is a call to think about the way we respect ALL life.   The lessons last Friday were for middle school students in a public school and they received it well  but today I thought I’d offer each of you a similar lesson rooted in the Gospel.

Each of us was created in the Image and Likeness of God.  I used to teach the first graders that meant when God made us, he put a little piece of himself in our heart, so he was always a part of us.  If we realize God is a part of everyone we meet, and all his children are precious, we realize when we disrespect or hurt someone, we are also offending the Creator.  Most would agree that is a very bad idea! Here are four things we can do to respect each other.
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K - Know that each and every person was created and is precious to the Creator.  Saying or doing hurtful things to others hurts the Creator.

I - Invite and include others.  We love to get invited to parties and weddings and celebrations but   inviting others to sit with us, eat with us, pray with us or spend time with us makes them feel noticed and valued.

N - Notice the people around you.  Notice if someone is sad or lonely or hurting. We weren’t made to be alone in this world, we were made for community, and we all need to know we matter, so be on the lookout for the people who need a little friendship.

D - Decide to show everyone the mercy and love Jesus did.  We decide dozens of things every morning why not add this important decision to the list.

When we put all four of these actions in motion, our hearts will change.  We were created for life and good.  When we hurt or disrespect others we aren’t choosing life.  Life is full of enough difficulties and frustrations; we should be about the business of making life a little easier for those we share our days with. The lesson is simple but powerful, perhaps you can add a simple thing to your days.

A Seed To Plan:  Pick one of the four ideas and put it in motion today.​

Blessings on your day!

​Ugh…it’s election season and it’s getting so close it’s hard to stay out of the way of the slinging mud!  I think this season bothers me so much because much of the conversation is about the mistakes, shortfalls and perceived weaknesses of another person.  I get it, I really do…it’s about convincing and quite honestly, the bad stuff gets peoples attention.  For as much as I hate all the negative, the arguing and the difficulty actually sifting out the truth, there is one good thing about this season; it forces me to ponder and pray about what I really believe.  

Our morals and our beliefs absolutely come into play during an election season and it’s often something people twist and attack.  Christianity just isn’t “cool” according to some and it is brushed away and trivialized like the stuff fairy tales are made of.  I can get a little huffy when faith is dismissed as a part of the leadership equation because it’s hinged to everything.  When I read these words from the late Justice Scalia, I realized it was ok to be offended and suffer as so many dismiss Jesus and his teaching.  It made me realize I put too much stock in what the world thinks and it’s ok if the world thinks I’m foolish for believing the way I do. I guess being a fool for Christ is the best kind of foolish there is.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with that “hell in a hand basket” feeling as the election draws closer and recently I had a some conversations with some folks who were definitely overwhelmed.  In his great timing, someone shared this quote and as I passed it along; we all felt some peace and balance. One presidential candidate  isn’t going to fix  America.  People are.  Read to your kids.  Show them how to find joy in work.  Teach them what respect and kindness is.  No politician will ever do that.  It’s not the government’s job to teach people how to be happy.  I wish I could re-write it and add Pray with your kids. Believe in and trust the one who is the author of happiness and the one who is greatness Himself.  America will be great when we remember to live the Gospel.

I suppose the other thing that really bugs me about this season is my intense dislike for conflict!  Christians are often under attack during this season and accused of being old-fashioned, narrow minded and judgmental.  Those words are hard to hear but maybe they’re true.  If keeping up with the times means ditching the Gospel than I think I’ll be old-fashioned.  I can’t count the times in the last couple of weeks I’ve heard someone say, “You need to be more open-minded.”  It was usually in the context of accepting something contrary to Christian beliefs and again, just because God communicates in crazy ways, I saw a quote from G.K. Chesterton that said, “Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”  It made me laugh because it just put things in perspective.  

As God’s children we can use this season for good.  We can use it as a chance to ponder what we believe and how our actions back those beliefs.  We can use this time to pray for those who are running for office and those who are doing the voting.  We can also use this time to realize that God is the winner…the power…the authority…the everything, and make sure we’re hitched to his wagon!

A Seed To Plant:  Just for one day, every time you see a campaign sign or hear a political ad, say a prayer for God’s blessing on our country.  For extra credit, do it for a week!

Blessings on your day.

October is so full of changes and new things.  Everything from the temperature to the color to the things we eat and wear and do changes!  October is the month we watched the Detroit Tigers surprise us as they changed from a struggling team to the one that fought their way to the Post Season and then we changed our focus to the Detroit Lions who after decades of struggle have become such a powerful and fun team to watch.  October reminds me that things are supposed to evolve and change and march forward including our walk with the Lord.  We are reminded that our mission on earth is heaven and that requires growing in holiness.

Holiness doesn’t mean perfection, that’s for God alone and we aren’t him.  Holiness doesn’t mean we don’t sin and never turn away from the Father’s love.  Holiness means moving forward…toward God’s perfect plan for our life.  We don’t have to save a country, feed a village or build an orphanage to be holy, we have to seek God, love God and trust God a little more today than we did yesterday.  Here is a little list of things we can do to help us grow in holiness each day.

*Before you even get out of bed, tell God thank you for something.
*Look people in the eye…really see them in such a way they know they’ve been seen, and they matter.  As you look at them, ask Jesus to help you see them with his eyes.
*Listen more than you talk.
*Don’t be afraid to say great, powerful things like; I don’t know and I’m sorry, please forgive me and how can I pray for you.
*When you wake up, ask God for the plan of the day before you map it all out yourself.
*Say a prayer for every person, event and circumstance that bugs you and then tell God thank you for it. Do these two things before you speak or respond so mercy and gratitude have a chance to swoop into your heart and take the place of criticism or negative responses.
*Don’t brag or point things out that will shine the light on you and the things you’ve done.  When we are humble God brings the acknowledgement and appreciation that truly touches our heart in the way no human praise can.
*Show love and respect to at least one person each day you find difficult to love or to someone who can offer nothing in return. Doing it anonymously adds a fun twist.
*At the end of the day chat with God about the days blessings, sorrows and point out to him at least one place you saw him working in your life.
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Doing even a few of these things will create a beautiful change in us.  It might not be as evident at first as the changes we saw as the Lions beat the Cowboys last Sunday but the change is so much more profound and essential than the silly things we focus on from day to day.  Go ahead…change some of this stuff and watch your holiness grow.
 
A Seed To Plant:  Pray with the list and pick a couple to focus on in the days and weeks ahead.  When you’ve mastered one, add another because growing in holiness requires a constant change and forward motion.

Blessings on your day!
 
 
 

​October is absolutely my very favorite month of the year.  I love the change in temperatures, colors, foods and clothes.  We celebrate some of my favorite events in October but what I love most are the trees.  Some trees are so intense with yellows, oranges and reds they look like they’re plugged in.  As I was driving a couple hours to a speaking job last weekend it was sunny and warm and I just soaked in all the color and beauty.  Once I got home, it occurred to me that I take trees for granted the other eleven months out of the year.  That thought hovered with me for a few days and I’ve heard three cool tree stories in the past couple of days so I figured that means a message for all of us.

Lesson 1: Trees change, the color changes, the shape changes, the size changes; everything about them changes from season to season.  None of those changes are permanent.  Some stages are a whole lot more appealing than others for sure.  I suppose life is like that.  There are times when our lives are bright and brilliant and others when things seem dull and unattractive.  Each of the stages come and go, one follows the other and the old makes way for the new.  I’m sure the tree doesn’t pout when its beautiful colored leaves fall to the ground for us to tromp on; it’s just the ebb and flow.  Each stage and each change offer something new and different. Just like the leaves that don’t stay but for a season, our highs aren’t meant to stay forever and neither are our lows.  God is right there in both teaching, loving and then moving us along.

Lesson 2:  Storms deepens the roots.  Trees have a way of adapting to conditions.  Storms of life will come and go so being firmly anchored is a means of survival.  Tree roots sink deeper into the ground for life-giving nutrients and we need to anchor deeply in our faith and trust in the Lord so we can be nourished by his life-giving grace and mercy.  Being rooted in our faith is what allows us to survive the storms and tough spots in life. Strong roots make us steady as the world around us changes.

Lesson 3:  Destruction often ushers in new life.  The cones on some pine trees are only opened by the flash heat of a forest fire.  The intense heat causes the cone to open up and spill it’s seeds so new life can be spread by gravity and wind.  We often look at destruction as life damaging and not as life giving.  Sometimes being completely disappointed or devastated is what it takes for us to surrender our own plans and let the love of God guide us to new life.

I guess October trees aren’t just beautiful to look at, they have lessons to offer as well.  The next time I’m smack dab in the middle of something stormy and hard I’ll remind myself that I’m working on my roots.  The next time I watch my well thought out plans go up in smoke, I’ll remind myself to watch for the seeds of new life around me and I will certainly be reminded that sometimes my life might look like a bunch of bare branches but something good will pop out soon.  Thank you, God, for some beautiful trees and some great lessons.

A Seed To Plant:  Pick one of the lessons and ask God to show you how he might be inviting you to apply it to your life this season.​

Blessings on your day!

​Do you ever feel like you are at war with yourself?  You try to do the right things and live up to the expectations but some days it just feels like you fall short…I hope that’s not just me!  I had a lousy day; one of those look under every rock of your life and not really like what you see kind of days.  I suppose it’s good to take an honest inventory of your life from time to time but sometimes it’s painful to be honest with yourself.  What I came to discover is that I’m probably like everybody else with some good qualities and some not so stellar ones too.  As I was thinking about this “battle with self”, I remembered a Gospel story about two sisters who had a battle right in front of Jesus.  I could relate so perfectly to this story and the constant struggle to do the right thing for the right reason.  As I re-read this Gospel I realized that I can be both sisters; Martha and Mary.

This epic sister conflict reveals the perfect model for our lives as faithful servants!  It’s easy to read this Gospel and take sides, but the truth of the matter is we all have an inner Martha and an inner Mary.  It’s also easy to read this Gospel and make Martha out to be the “bad guy” sister.  Really, can you imagine having the guts to whine to Jesus about cooking and serving!  In Martha’s defense, the most important guest of all time was in the living room and there sat the chief helper star struck, completely shirking all sense of responsibility and duty, I’m not gonna lie, I think I would have been a bit irritated myself.

As a Disciple of Christ our vocation includes the Martha stuff like cooking, cleaning and serving.  It also includes the Mary stuff like devotion, attentiveness and focus on the better part.  This Gospel should inspire us to be a balance of both sisters.  We need to realize that when the cooking and serving are done as a prayerful offering to God, it is a powerful form of prayer and devotion.  We also need to realize our Mary moments of complete and uninterrupted prayer have to be carved into our daily schedule.   I need to read this Gospel several times and balance my Mary and Martha! I need to read this Gospel several times to realize my battle is normal and as long as I keep plugging along trying to do the right thing and keep it all in balance, God will notice, and thank goodness he rewards us for attempts and not just perfection!

A Seed To Plant:  How can I make my Martha tasks like cooking and serving more of a prayerful offering instead of complaining about it and feeling unappreciated? How can I be more attentive and focused on Jesus like Mary? How can I find balance and have patience with myself?

Blessings on your day!