Time to play

I finally got around to watching the movie, "We Are Marshall", this past week. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the film, it is a telling of a true event which happened in the early 70’s in West Virginia. In a tragic plane crash, virtually all of Marshall University’s Football Team was lost. The movie is about the rebuilding of the football team and the healing of the school and the town. It is a very moving film and has many thought provoking aspects.

I was particularly interested in a one theme in the film as the coach of the new team realizes that winning isn’t always everything, that it doesn’t even necessarily matter how you play the game, but rather just that you do play and that you do it with your whole heart.

We all face things in life that we don’t want to face and it is easy for us to come up with excuses for not facing up to those things. Part of trusting God is just to do the things that we know to do with our whole heart and leave the results up to Him.

So, maybe God is telling you to do something.

So, maybe you don’t succeed.

So, maybe you didn’t do everything just the way you should have.

What really matters is that you do it from your heart.

So, to borrow a line from the movie--


“It’s game day. Time to play till the whistle blows!”

My Brother, The Hero?

Have you ever been a hero? Have you ever wondered, if given the chance, whether you could do something heroic?

Just yesterday, my brother John was having lunch with someone when the man began choking. John noticed the man in distress and asked him if he was choking. The man nodded his head. John got up, went to the man and did the Heimlich maneuver on him, and was able to dislodge the obstruction and save the man’s life.

Usually, when we think of someone as being a hero, we think of the stories of someone racing into a burning building to save a baby, at great risk to their own life. Or maybe it’s a soldier sacrificing himself by falling on a grenade to save the lives of those around him. But sometimes it only involves taking the risk that your lunch might get cold, or that someone might look at you strangely wondering, “What the heck is he doing to that guy?”

John took very little risk. Did something he already knew how to do. Was probably well able to get back to finishing his lunch before it got cold. But what made him the hero--at least in that man’s eyes, if no others--was that he did it. No one else in the restaurant moved to help. No one called for help. Not one person.

I’m a person that believes in “divine appointments”. I think that God Himself causes us to be in certain places at certain times to show us His great love for us and for others. Now John does have a free will and he didn’t have to be there. He could have missed the appointment. But, I have to believe that God knew that John was going to be there and that John would act on what he already knew how to do. He loved that man so much that He made sure there would be someone there to help. I expect God even tried to warn the man not to order the chicken! Maybe a nice bowl of soup, instead.

So as you go through your day, looking for a burning building to run into, or a live grenade lying around that you can fall on, don’t miss the obviously less sacrificial ways that you can be a hero. God will put someone in your path today just so you can be their hero. The trick is not to miss the chance and to understand that it doesn’t have to look heroic to be so, nonetheless.

The real hero, yesterday, was God--though I am mighty proud of my little brother.

Just Like a Child

The other day, my wife and I were talking about the fact that she has many childlike qualities. The question raised by Nan was whether that was a good thing or a not-so-good thing. So it got me thinking about the qualities that she has which are childlike and whether they serve her well. It didn‘t take long to decide that, without a doubt, they are a big part of what makes her a blessing to so many others.

After spending most of the day, yesterday, around my grandson, Jake, and thinking about my other grandkids and some of their qualities, I jotted down just a few of those qualities that I think all of us should have. So here they are for your consideration.

Enthusiasm: Ever notice how most children rarely just say, “Hello,” when a person they know enters the room. I can still remember how my granddaughter, Elania, used to greet me when I would come home from work with an excited, “Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!” as she launched herself into my arms.

Wonder and Amazement: At three and a half, Jake is so aware of and interested in the world around him, like when he spotted an unusual looking bug on the edge of the swimming pool and paused for a closer look, a quick inventory of its parts, and a little poke to see if it was still alive.

Imagination and Creativity: Jake is into pirates big time right now, so as he was standing on the edge of the swimming pool he said, “Grandpa, you be the ship and I’ll be a cannon . . . wait . . . no, my head will be the cannon ball and my body will be the cannon.” With that he abruptly dove into the water towards me head . . . uh . . . I mean, cannonball first!

Energy and Life: I think most all of my grandkids have just one speed, GO! They have an amazing ability to go full speed through their day and then suddenly shutdown, unable to go another step. I know my grandsons Gydeon and Justin got a double dose of energy that their mom only wishes she could tap into!

Curiosity: It’s not enough for my grandsons to know that something works, they seem driven to know how. Lots of dismantled toys, whenever they are around.

Innocence and Faith: This is a fragile one. And it doesn’t take much to change this in a child, and that is a real shame. I remember this quality in my grandson Shane, and have seen it in my newest grandson, Jack, as well. I can only believe it must be there in my granddaughter, Heaven, the only grandkid that I’ve yet to meet.

Anyway, I think we miss out of a lot of joy from feeling like we have to be so adult all of the time. And while there is a big difference between just having some fun and being foolish, we shouldn’t ever miss the chance to embrace our lives with enthusiasm, wonder, amazement, imagination, creativity, energy, life, curiosity, innocence, and faith.

(What are your thoughts? Please share them, so others can be blessed.)

No Cow Bell Necessary

In the back room of the place I work is a cow bell. It used to hang over the backroom door as an alarm bell of sorts, alerting associates to anyone who entered the backroom without authorization. Eventually, it was taken down by someone who had the good sense to see that it was overly loud, extremely annoying and not really necessary in the first place!

It still sits on a shelf as if someone consciously decided, “We’d better hang on to that--never can tell when we might need it again. And you know how often you need a good cow bell and can’t find one for nothing!” But more likely, it is still there because of the fact that whoever bought this one for the store, spent $18.25 for it, and it seems like a lot of money to spend, just to throw it away. So it will probably be around for a bit longer, gathering dust and more than a few puzzled looks.

I was noticing this particular cow bell at work the other day and was reminded of a time in my life when I was exposed to cow bells as they were intended to be used--on cows. For a short, but significant part of my life as a child, I lived with my family on a very small farm. Our neighbors across the street, an elderly man and his wife, had a much larger spread than we did and had quite a few cattle, so I was used to seeing cow bells.

The woman, on at least one occasion, had suggested to Mom that she and Dad should put cow bells on us kids so they could keep up with the four of us. (We had a lot of freedom to roam the area in that day, and we liberally exercised that freedom.) They never actually did resort to cow bells, but were probably tempted to do so a time or two when we were hard to find after a day full of exploring.

So, it got me thinking how God doesn’t need a cow bell on his children to know exactly where they are, what they are doing, or the challenges that they are facing. He not only knows where we are, He is there with us and He promised He wouldn’t ever leave us. I find great comfort in knowing that no matter where I am, I am never alone. And that if I trust Him, no matter how far I’ve wandered away, He can always get me back home.

I serve a wonderfully loving and caring God, who is mindful of my every need, and forever faithful to watch over me and keep me. All that, and no cow bell necessary! How blessed is that!

To Live Without Regrets

Ever wonder what it would be like to live without regrets? To feel good about every single thing that you did, every word that you spoke, every thought that you pondered. No regrets. No looking back and thinking, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t . . . .”

I’d like to suggest that if that were ever to happen, it would only happen as a result of totally and completely surrendering every thought, word, and action to love . . . to God’s love in us.

I remember my brother telling me something a very long time ago, about the girlfriend he had at the time. He said that he had never heard her say anything bad about someone else. As I listened to her in the weeks and months that followed, I found what he said to be true. And I also noticed that when someone else began to be critical of another person, she was always quick to come to their defense with a possible reason why they had acted the way they did. I was so impressed by her example, that I determined in my heart not to ever speak badly of another person as long as I lived. Five minutes later, after failing terribly, I realized that I had a lot of work ahead of me.

Now, thirty something years later, I’m ashamed to admit that I still have so far to go. And it isn’t even like I don’t know what I need to do to make it happen. I do know.

First, I need to let God love me--accept His love, and take a good look at the way He loves me “in spite of . . . .”

Secondly, I need to love God--and in loving Him, I will want to please Him.

And then, because of my personal relationship with God, I will begin to see others as God sees them--not only as they are now, but also as He intended for them to be.

And finally, I need to bring my thoughts under control--to choose what things I allow to stay in my thoughts, because it’s not so much about not ever having a bad thought, but rather not allowing those thoughts to linger.

Seems simple enough, right? So, next time I’m tempted to say something bad about someone, I’m going to try to give them the benefit of the doubt. I’m going to try to understand that I don’t know everything about their situation. I’m going to try to slow down enough to realize that I don’t know what battles they are fighting. I’m going to try to look for their potential. I’m going to try to realize that they probably just need some love and understanding, and that it isn’t always easy to find it in our world. And I’m not going to later regret what I thought, said, or did.

Well, at least I’m going to try. How about you?

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God . . . .” 1 John 4:7a (NKJ)

Amazing Love

Sometimes I am amazed at a person’s ability to love someone . . .
. . . even when that someone is not likable.

Sometimes I am amazed at a person’s response to being loved . . .
. . . how it can melt away years of hardness or pain.

Sometimes I am amazed by how someone expresses love for me . . .
. . . and it catches me by surprise.

Sometimes I am amazed by how much I feel love for someone else . . .
. . . to the point that I am overwhelmed by it.

Sometimes I am amazed at how God loves me . . .
. . . even as messed up as I am.

Sometimes I am amazed that so many people don’t understand . . .
. . . that love is not necessarily something you feel . . .
. . . but it is always something you do.

Maybe we should all take a moment to thank someone who has loved us.

After all, they didn’t have to do it.

Maybe we should all take a moment to love someone who needs it.

After all, the Bible tells us,

"Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:8 (NKJ)

(I'd love to hear your story about amazing love. Just click on comments and share a little love.)

Life is Hard . . . But God is Good!

My father sometimes tells me that he is inspired by my great faith. Interesting comment, since I feel that the greatest gift my parents ever gave me was their example of faith.

I believe that one of the things that persons of faith hold in common, is that they have established certain things in their hearts. They are able to hold on to certain absolutes, and never let them be shaken out of their heart, regardless of what it looks like, sounds like or seems like. They walk by faith and not by sight.

One thing that I hold forever established in my heart is that God is good all the time. That He is working for me and not against me. Now, just because I believe Him to be good, doesn't mean I get a free pass from troubles and problems. No, the Bible tells me, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19 (NKJ). I like the "delivers him out of them all" part of this verse!

My father has shared with me on more than one occasion, that one of his favorite Bible verses is: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NKJ).

Through my past experience, I know when bad things happen, I can stay at rest, knowing in my heart that God will turn it toward good. When I look back over my life I can see time after time where God has sustained me through a tough situation and brought good out of it in the long run. I think all of us can look back at our lives and say, "You know, if this hadn't happened, then I never would have . . . ."

Last year, my wife and I found ourselves in a situation where we had to sell our home and move. At the time, it was very hard on us, and yet God has turned it to good for us, and we love the place we live now even more than our former home. That's the kind of thing He has always done for me, so I can't help but look forward to seeing what He does with the challenges that are before me now.



(I would like to invite you to share your experiences of witnessing God bringing good out of something that seemed bad at the time. Just click on comments and share your story!)