She opens her mouth with wisdom. The teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of those in her house, and does not eat the bread of doing nothing.  Her children rise up and honor her. Her husband does also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done well, but you have done better than all of them.”  Pleasing ways lie and beauty comes to nothing, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.  Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.                                                                          Proverbs 31:26-31

Today is Mother’s Day. I have jokingly told my wife (maybe not so jokingly) that if it were up to men to deliver babies into this world, the world would long ago have been depopulated. Mothers have the courage and stamina to withstand childbirth, and most are attuned to the needs of their children, to one degree or another, for the rest of their lives.

We, of course, literally owe our lives to our mothers. But more than that, we are indebted to moms for what they teach us. They cared for our physical needs when we were young, but beyond that, they taught us life lessons.

I recall quite vividly my mother teaching me the Lord’s Prayer when I was about 5 or 6 years old. She would have me repeat it after her countless times until I knew it by heart. I can picture her encouraging me time after time when I would make a mistake. I would stand before the mirror in my parents’ room and recite it by myself. Finally, when I had it perfect, I couldn’t wait to go downstairs and say it to my mom.

She was crucial in my spiritual development, and she was also a great model of discipline and character development. Of course, dad too was a model for me, but his long work hours running the family bakery called him away from home for a long and daunting work schedule. Indeed, his work ethic prevails in me to this day.

I am also aware that some of my readers would dearly love to be mothers, but for one reason or another, are unable to live out that mission. Indeed, there are also special blessings for adoptive mothers, who have provided life to others, not through childbirth but through love and a sense of calling.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all my readers who are mothers. We appreciate you more than you can know.

Prayer: Lord, we are so grateful for the calling of motherhood, and the blessing that they are, Amen

I am traveling as of this writing, so my blog will be short today. I sit in Chicago with my family enjoying time together with them. Yesterday, I sat in Chicago traffic, which was decidedly not so much fun, but worth the end result. Cherish the time with family. Make intentional time to be with them, to hang out together.

As we get older, time becomes more precious- more precious than money, or any possessions. Enjoying the present is sometimes hard as we tend to look back, or look forward. Being present in the moment with the ones we love is a great gift. I trust that you will find a way to connect with loved ones today, and tomorrow, Mother’s Day. That is another great family opportunity. My mother passed away almost 30 years ago, but we still honor her with stories and memories.

Such is the gift of family…

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of family! Amen

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you.                             John 15:11-14 (The Message)

Courage (def.): Feeling fear yet choosing to act…

(Dungate & Armstrong- “Six Types of Courage”)

I have always been drawn to the virtue of courage, probably because I wish I had more of it. Courage, of course, is not the absence of fear, but rather it is feeling fear, yet choosing to act.

Bravery, in my opinion, is an act of courage, often a singular event, which is beyond how most people might respond in the same situation. Courage is an on-going decision to act rightly despite current fears. There are many professions which require exercises of courage every day. My two kids- a trauma surgeon and a police officer- face life and death situations all the time. They face fear regularly, and they act to serve their constituents every day- community members who rely on them to do their duty to heal and protect despite any fears they may feel.

Typical of the professionals that they are, they may not see that they exhibit courage every single day. Indeed, they say that they are “just doing our job”. Yes, they are. Indeed, other people in their similar roles are wont to say the same thing also.  “Just doing our job” they say.

Yet those of us looking in from the outside see the courage it takes to do those jobs. Courage, exercised regularly, becomes somewhat of a lifestyle folded into daily routine so seamlessly that it is hardly noticed by the individual doing it. It becomes “what we do”.

I am grateful for how my kids courageously serve others, and I am so very proud of them!   

Prayer: Lord, protect those who serve us so courageously and selflessly, Amen.

 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.                   Psalm 24:5

Psalm 24 starts by reminding the reader of the truth of who owns the creation- the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. (Psalm 24:1)
The world and all its people belong to him. It was God’s plan and handiwork which brought about life, and all life is his. People argue about the mechanics of how the universe began, and it is a distraction from the miracle of creation. God has chosen to bless his creation, and the largest blessing is the fact that he has redeemed us from sin. Verse 5, stated above, tells us this very thing. God is identified as our Savior in this verse. Is there any more amazing revelation than that the creator of the universe is also its redeemer? This must change the way we see the character and nature of God.

Were he just the distant creator who simply wanted to be fascinated with his work, he would not be involved in our well-being. Were he simply a curious being who created this amazing universe to see how his creation would respond to it, he would also be distant and removed, like a scientist with an experiment.

But God created this universe as a loving being who wants us to ultimately spend eternity with him. Therefore, He has total and loving involvement, even to the point of providing the remedy for our sins. That is the miracle of creation.

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving us, and creating the worlds, not for your pleasure, but for our good. That is a love we cannot fathom, Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.                  Psalm 24:5

Psalm 24 starts by reminding the reader of the truth of who owns the creation- the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. (Psalm 24:1)
The world and all its people belong to him. It was God’s plan and handiwork which brought about life, and all life is his. People argue about the mechanics of how the universe began, and it is a distraction from the miracle of creation. God has chosen to bless his creation, and the largest blessing is the fact that he has redeemed us from sin. Verse 5, stated above, tells us this very thing. God is identified as our Savior in this verse. Is there any more amazing revelation than that the creator of the universe is also its redeemer? This must change the way we see the character and nature of God.

Were he just the distant creator who simply wanted to be fascinated with his work, he would not be involved in our well-being. Were he simply a curious being who created this amazing universe to see how his creation would respond to it, he would also be distant and removed, like a scientist with an experiment.

But God created this universe as a loving being who wants us to ultimately spend eternity with him. Therefore, He has total and loving involvement, even to the point of providing the remedy for our sins. That is the miracle of creation.

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving us, and creating the worlds, not for your pleasure, but for our good. That is a love we cannot fathom, Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                

“Many people have been inoculated with a weak form of Christianity, so that when they encounter the real gospel, they are immune to it.”

Reverend Dr. Michael Slaughter

I am reminded of this quote from my friend and mentor, Rev. Michael Slaughter. Forgive me Mike if I did not quote it perfectly, but it is a profound statement and it has stuck with me for over 30 years. The quote is “Many people have been inoculated with a weak form of Christianity, so that when they encounter the real gospel, they are immune to it.”

This is a bit of a follow up on yesterday’s blog, where Jesus gave a warning to people who make sure that they observe the tiniest laws and regulations, but miss out on the real message. The meaning of the above quote is just that. If you have been concentrating on the weak form of Christianity, that is, looking closely at the rules, but not considering that loving behavior triumphs over all, you have missed the message altogether. Christians are to be known by their love, not their morally superior behaviors.

Yes, striving for a moral life is pleasing to God and his creation, but we must never miss the larger message of God’s provision for this world through his people. Sometimes the world may only see the Christians who seem to be judging the world rather than loving it.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be the light bearers you would have us to be, Amen

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.           Luke 11:42

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God                                                                                                    Micah 6:8

It seems Jesus got pretty upset when people were meticulous about observing the very tiniest letter of the law, but missed the bigger picture. I am thinking that in the above passage, Jesus came down pretty hard on the leaders who observed the tithing laws more than the concept of treating oppressed and marginalized people with justice.

For many people, it is much easier to give a tithe out of their abundance than to adjust their lifestyle and daily decisions to benefit others. The gift of time, for example, can be much more costly than money. The idea of changing a lifestyle so that we can have more means to benefit others is also a significant sacrifice.

We all must look into our hearts to decide how we can best truly meet the commands of a loving God, who, through Jesus, gave us the example to follow.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see the ways that we can truly please you, Amen  

When I consider Your heavens,
    the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which You have established,
 what is man that You are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that You attend to him?                                                                                         Psalm 8:3-4 (Modern English Version)

As I write this blog, it is Star Wars Day. Yes, you know, May the fourth…                                  Do you remember when you first saw the first move in the franchise? It started, of course with Episode IV, something that we really did not understand as we sat in the theater watching that amazing scroll heading off into space. We were mesmerized by the graphics which, in 1977 were beyond amazing.

The movie unfolded, and we were struck with the levels of meaning that the writers, or we the audience, ascribed to it. Lots of action, heroes, villains, special effects, spiritual meaning, gripping plot line- I mean what else can you cram into a film? We just couldn’t wait until Episode V rolled out- three years later for heaven’s sake!

I think the franchise has been wildly successful for many reasons. It has gained world-wide acceptance and has been a fixed part of popular culture for generations. Part of the reason, I think, is that it reaches people at places where they want to be reached. People search for spiritual meaning in life, and Star Wars delivers in the way it portrays good vs. evil, and the faith level it takes for Luke to truly embrace The Force.

Our search for meaning even extends into our entertainment choices. I think this just reinforces that at every level, we are looking for something a little deeper. That is the amazing thing about how we are made, and our Maker too.

Prayer: Lord, you would have us seek you among everything in your creation. What a marvelous plan, Amen

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’                                                    Matthew 25:45 (The Message)

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”                                                                                               Matthew 18:18-20 (The Message)

I heard a story from a client recently whom I had challenged to attend an AA meeting. He knows that he is an alcoholic- at least now he does. It took a trip to the hospital Intensive Care Unit to convince him, but he knows that he is an alcoholic.

However, it was not solely my recommendation to attend AA that convinced him to attend a meeting. It was the behavior of another man in recovery who won him to the AA community. This man offered to talk with my client day or night, whenever he needed to call. He offered to drive from his home (not geographically close), if necessary, to help my client whenever he might need it.

Such behaviors are those of people who care about and understand the needs of others. They become interested in the needs of fellow travelers on this journey which often includes some rough detours.

The Church is where we find it. It is not one denomination, nor a building, nor a system of religious practices and worship. Church happens where need meets loving compassion in the name of our Creator.

Church is at an AA meeting; a support group; a funeral home; a Hospice Center- it is wherever loving compassion is shown by sacrificial service.

That’s where church is.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the plan to love you by loving others, Amen

While I’m far away from you, my baby
Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby
(Yeah) Because it’s hard for me, my baby
And the darkest hour is just before dawn

If there’s one thing I want you to do
Especially for me
Then it’s something
That everybody needs

A little wisdom from the Mamas and Papas quoted above. For those not of a certain age, the Mamas and Papas was a band from the 1960’s that was a blockbuster group. I loved them. The above lyrics were excerpted from the song “Dedicated to the One I Love”. There is great wisdom in those lyrics. Whispering a prayer for those we love just before we go to sleep does wonders for our soul and our sleep.

I have noted in past blogs about the idea of planting good, positive thoughts right before we sleep. I have talked about Intentional Positive Self-Talk just before sleep as we recount a few really good decisions or behaviors that we did during the day. It is a great capstone of the day.

So, I suggest that we also heed the wisdom from the Mamas and Papas. Whisper a little prayer for the ones you love- it’s something that everybody needs…

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for intercessory prayer, Amen