Good News/Bad News

Marilyn, Lisa, Will & Michelle. My Ohana.

You know the old thing where someone comes to you and says, "I've got good news and bad news- which do you want first?" Well I always choose good news first, so that is where I will start today. Eventually...

If you have read this blog at all over the past few years then you know of my dear friend Lisa Jewett. She has been a part of our family for quite a while now, and we love her. You may also recall that last August she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and began a long uphill battle against that horrible disease. She did not face the struggle alone. She has had wonderful support from family and friends, and many prayer warriors who have held her in Light of Christ over these past 10 months. She also had consistent love and support from my family. Lisa lived with us from late September through the end of January as she went through chemo treatments and surgery, and Marilyn gave of herself, her home, our finances and her time to help take care of her. Will gave her his room and took the guest room when he would come home from college, and he and Michelle called often to check on Lisa and visited whenever they could. In the toughest days of her recovery from all that had to be done, our home was her home. And we would have had it no other way.

But to be truthful (and perhaps a bit selfish) the last 10 months were a journey that Lisa shared primarily with me. Back at the beginning, when all was so scary and unknown, I quoted a little Bon Jovi to her- "take my hand and we'll make it, I swear!" And together we did just that. My life circumstances have given me the gift of free time, which often feels like a burden. For theses past 10 months it has been a tremendous blessing. Lisa trusted me to be her caregiver, and I was honored to take on the job. We laughed together, cried together, were afraid together and rejoiced together. I held her hand through every minute of 8 long chemo sessions. After her cancer surgery her room became my home away from home for 10 days and nights. There were countless trips to the doctors, numerous lab appointments and even a few emergency room trips that led to more nights at the hospital. During many of the most difficult days she just gave me her phone and I became the communications link to her family and friends- making some new friends myself along the way (You know that thing that everyone has to do after surgery before the hospital lets you leave? I texted about pooping with people I had never met before!). At one point after the cancer surgery, I had to give her a shot every morning for 2 weeks. Lisa hates needles (not to mention the location of the shots) so every day was a new moment of trust. Just when all of the chemo was done and we awaited good news on her cancer cell count, her gallbladder went south and there was more surgery and recovery. But we got through it together. In the process not only did our friendship grow much deeper, but I learned some very important things about myself and my own life.

When I look back over the hours and hours we have spent together during these 10 months, there is one thing that stands out in my mind- LUNCH! From the moment she had to stop working right up through a surprise visit yesterday, there have been very few days over the past 10 months when we did not eat lunch together, most often at my house. I made her a lot of sandwiches (peanut butter and banana, turkey and cheese, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff) and the occasional baked potato. In the beginning there were lots of Ruffles Sour Cream & Cheddar potato chips and pickle spears; more recently lots of fresh fruit replaced those things. We ate a lot of ice cream and pie early on, again replaced by Snackwells and popsicles as time passed. And she drank gallons of unsweetened tea- with just a little sweet added for flavor. I often felt like a bartender! We watched hours of TV together in the afternoons and spent hours talking. Lunch was our time. And that time is now, for the most part, over. Between her trips and ours, yesterday marked the end of the lunch bunch. She can get back to family, back to work and back to her life. I know how important it is to her to feel normal again

The good news I promised you is this- Lisa has come out the other side of cancer treatments and gallbladder surgery and is feeling great!!! Her cell count is good, her hair is coming back and the doctors are happy. She is back to eating what she wants and is once again full of energy. She can play full-tilt with her grandkids, go to Disney World with Marilyn, Will & Michelle and do most anything she chooses to do. She will resume teaching again at the beginning of August and she doesn't have to see her oncologist again until after school begins. She left last night on a big 10 day family trip to NC where she will get glorious time with all 4 of her grandchildren, and later this summer the same bunch will do a Disney weekend together. It's always too soon to say someone has beaten cancer- the war will continue. But to this point, Lisa has won ALL the battles! Her courage, faithfulness and perseverance have astonished me at times and have been nothing short of heroic. She is back to living life, and living it abundantly. And there is no better news that that...

The bad news? Honestly, there is no bad news for anyone but me. The bad news is I am REALLY gonna' miss my lunch buddy- even if she never lets me win any of the games we play! It has been a long hard struggle for Lisa, but somehow we have found some joy in the journey. And now it's time to celebrate! I'm praying that she has an amazing time in NC and a spectacular rest of the summer. Join me, won't you?

Because of Jesus,

Saturday (Almost!) Shout Outs!

Whoop whoop! Welcome to another edition of the Saturday Shout Outs! Yes- I know it's Sunday, but that is a detail you will just have to get over! My name is Carl, and for the next 9 bullet points I will be your guide through exciting adventures, prayer requests and random ramblings on this lovely Sunday morning. So strap in and hold on tight- and let's get this show on the road!!!

• Marilyn & I had to bid a fond farewell this week to the computer that had been the home of this blog since August of 2009. The new model is all loaded up and ready to rumble. And it is so stinking fast!!! We also have a new washing machine which seems really slow. The ups and downs of new technology, huh?
• My dear friend Teresa Reep Tysinger has not been feeling well and the doctors are still trying to determine the "why?" Please keep her in your prayers. And if you know Teresa, please let her know that Matilda is a fine name for her new car!
• To all of my friends in faith who insist on using Old Testament scripture to proof-text your own beliefs, here are a couple of things to remember. First of all, if you are going to hold to OT law then you need to give up shellfish and pork, straighten the tassels on your robes and find some unsuspecting lamb to sacrifice. Either Jesus changed everything or he did not change anything. Scripture is not a collection of short stories, it is a continuous narrative. The revelations of the living God did not end with the canon of scripture; God is alive and working today. And if Jesus didn't change everything, if we are under law and not grace, then there is no Good News. Thus endeth today's sermon.
• My friends Jun & Jennifer (Bob) Kuramochi have been living through a rough week over which they have no control. Keep them and their church in your prayers.
• Lisa Kraus Spires and Sara Thacker Reiter celebrated birthdays yesterday, and I hope both had a marvelous day! Insert your own "Craft Nazis" joke here!
• Last weekend the sadly misguided folks from Westboro Baptist Church came to Orlando to protest the funerals of some of the people murdered in the Orlando shootings. You may have seen on the news that they were met with a peaceful intervention by a group of citizens dressed an angels who stayed between the WBC group and the families of the victims. It was an incredible display of meeting hatred with love. What you may not know is that one of the organizing angels was Colleen Martin Hooks, a member of my Youth Group Hall of Fame. She (and her mom Cindy) was already one of my favorite people. Now she is my hero. Thank you Colleen for reminding us all that we can make a difference.
• Max Rees, who was Senior Pastor during the years I served Springfield Friends Meeting, would have been 88 years old yesterday. I think of him often, and of his children and grandchildren even more frequently. It was an honor to spend 8 years as a part of that amazing family.
• Will & Michelle rode both the new version of Soarin' and the new Frozen Ever After attractions at EPCOT on Friday. They give them both 4 thumbs way up- and that is saying something, because Will REALLY wanted to hate that Frozen ride!!!
• We hope you all are having a great summer! If you are among the bazillions coming to central Florida in the next couple of months, let us know. We'd love to see you!

That seems like a good place to quit. By the way- there are gators in Florida. Our state university mascot is the Gator. We have a road called Alligator Alley. We have a theme park called Gatorland. This is not new information. My mom and dad used to have gators who would sun themselves on their driveway. Respect the gator, but don't let recent events scare you. They have always been here. It was their state first! Take care, be excellent to each other, and let's get together again soon!

Because of Jesus,

Grief & Anger

For the past few days I have struggled with writing this post. It did not seem enough to express my emotions about the massacre in Orlando; I needed to say more, to say things that are on my heart and that need to be said. The shootings hit very close to home for me. Living in Tampa, and having lived in Kissimmee for 6 years, I know the area. Will was born in the hospital where many victims were taken, and one of his co-workers at the Olive Garden near UCF was there and survived, but lost three friends that night. I have friends who live only blocks from Pulse. The friend of a dear friend lost a niece that night. One of my former youth, a gay man now living in Arizona, had spent many nights in the club and did not know for many hours if he had lost friends. Pain is everywhere. And it is from that pain that I write today. You may not like or agree with the things I say here, and normally I am the first to tell you that "it is entirely possible that I may be wrong." I also freely admit that many of my statements are generalizations, and that there are many wonderful people and sincere churches out there who do get what it means to love like Christ. But today, I seek to write uncomfortable truths. Do with them (and me) as you will. If anything I say rings true, then you will understand that we can disagree and still be friends. We just can't hate. So here are 7 things that are on my heart this week...

• This was a Hate Crime- to call it anything else is an attempt to make the crime more political and less personal. The shooter had terrorists ties, and his warped philosophy may have come from ISIS (not Islam- ISIS!). But he targeted this specific club because he wanted to see gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people die. This story is being spun by people who believe that USAmerica belongs to them, and who, like the Lt. Governor of Texas, believe that these helpless victims "reaped what they sowed." The sooner we (especially those of us who claim to follow Jesus) confess that the shooter was not the only one with hate in his heart, the sooner we can begin to deal with the root of our problem.
• The framers of the constitution meant for the 2nd Amendment to protect your rights to own an assault rifle just as much as they wanted to protect the rights of the local fireworks tent to sell nuclear bombs. In colonial times guns were tools in the hands of the public and weapons in the hands of the militia. You needed guns to put food on the table and to protect your livestock from wild animals. No one- not one living person on planet earth- needs an assault rifle for anything but killing people. Ban them now!
• Most of you know that I am a Christian, and spent 28 years of my life working in churches. So this is hard for me. But the #PrayForOrlando memes have made me a little sick to my stomach. We are telling a community of people- the LGBT community- for whom we have done little (except to marginalize and dehumanize) for many years that suddenly we feel their pain. We are telling people that our institution has told over and over again will "burn in Hell" that we now love them. Churches are now saying that LGBT lives matter- just so long as they don't wish to get married, be clergy, adopt children, chaperone youth group trips or do anything else that matters inside of our walls. We have taught people to hate the sin- and so those who see the LGBT community as sinners have hated who they are while claiming not to hate the sinner. It doesn't work that way. If you hate the fact that I am a glutton, and I am indeed a glutton, then you hate who I am- and therefore hate me. The Orlando shootings, just like the bombings of abortion clinics, are what hating the sin looks like when taken to a extreme conclusion. Jesus taught that everyone is our neighbor. Too many of our churches teach that everyone like ME is my neighbor. And then say, "But I'm praying for you..."  I have seen the church chew up and spit out pastors and members who came out of the closet. I myself was questioned about my sexual orientation because I had a gay youth pastor friend- and I would have been immediately fired if my answer to the question "Are you gay?" had been yes.The gospels say to love all, judge none and reach out to those we don't understand. Many USAmerican Christians have become far more likely to judge all, love some and hang out with with the people who are just like us. There are many exceptions- but they are still the minority. It is time for the Church Universal to assume its role as a catalyst for positive social change. Christianity is not some moral improvement plan through which we can fix people, it's about building loving relationships and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through them. Too many of us have forgotten that.
• I am not sure I can live in a nation where a man can say things as vile and abhorrent as the pure sewage that Donald Trump has been spewing since Sunday morning and actually become more popular. No doubt, radical Islam can be a terrible thing. So can radical Christianity when it leads to groups like the KKK and events like the Crusades. The Church propped up slavery and ignored women for many years. The LGBT community has been our most recent victim. Every religion has failings and skeletons in the closet. God have mercy on us. Ignorance is a dangerous thing, and Trump is counting on the ignorance of voters and the fear it can create to get himself elected. That is not a partisan statement- if he were running as a Democrat he would still be the worst possible candidate I can imagine. And oh by the way- the oncologist who over the past year has done so much to save the life of someone I love? A Muslim immigrant...
• There was something interesting on Twitter earlier in the week. A bisexual man wrote that one of the reasons that clubs like Pulse came into being in the first place was that many times LGBT people did not feel safe in public places, so they created their own space. The tweet ended with this: "Now we don't feel safe anywhere." How horrific is that? Our African-American friends have known that fear for many yeas, as have many women and other ethnic groups. So why...WHY?????...is the Church of Jesus Christ not a place where all feel safe?
• Hundreds of people posted memes on Facebook this week that said guns aren't the problem, people are. "After all, Cain killed Abel with a rock." True- but Cain couldn't have killed 49 people with that rock. People's hearts are indeed the problem, but giving such troubled people such weapons is begging for the culture we now live in- one where guns are taking out groups of people nearly everyday. Led by the NRA, people are forever saying gun control will never work. In 1996, there was a mass shooting in Australia where 35 people were killed. The politicians sucked it up and said never again. They enacted tough gun control laws, bought back hundreds of thousands of guns and set about changing the culture. In the past 20 years there have been exactly ZERO mass shootings (more than 4 dead) in that country. In the USA we have had 7 in the past 10 days. Canada has had 8 in 20 years. We have had 7 in the past 10 days. Something must change. And it must change now.
• For Christians, the stakes have never been higher than they are right now. Who do we trust- the powerful, corrupt and greedy who seek to lead us or the One who died so that we may truly live? Will we put our hope in Jesus or in the right to own an AK-15? Will we follow the Prince of Peace and actively work to change a culture of violence? Will we follow the Giver of Grace and lovingly reach out to those who may appear to be different from us, understanding that in God we are one family? Will we listen to the voice that throughout scripture, whenever things get scary, reminds us to "FEAR NOT?" Or will we listen to a culture that proclaims violence as the answer, judgment as the rule and fear as our only option? My friend Eric wrote in a comment on Facebook the other day the following challenge, aimed at Christians like me who have been too silent for too long: "Jesus would be upending tables and screaming about this. It's time for you guys to suit up and do the same." I could not agree more.

So please continue to pray for the victims of this tragedy and their families. Pray for the politicians who proceed so blindly with the status quo. And pray for our churches, which are filled with people who can make a difference if they choose to do so. And then we (starting with ME!) need to get off of our knees and DO SOMETHING! We can help put a stop to the madness, to prejudice and gun violence and so much more. Jesus taught that if we want to follow him we must put ourselves aside and love others as he loves us. It's not safety first, or theology first or politics first- it's love first, last and always. Let us find a better way...

Because of Jesus,

Flashback Friday: Spanish Wells, 1997

Our 1997 Spanish Wells Mission Team

Jennifer did not appreciate the snacks, apparently! 

Lately I have found myself daydreaming about a nearly 20 year old mission trip we took from Kissimmeee, FL to the Bahamian island of Spanish Wells. It is a place that is indeed worthy of daydreams- and worthy of a Flashback Friday post! That 1997 Mission Trip (July 21-27) was special, and here are 7 things I remember about that amazing week...

1)  The previous summer another church had brought their youth group to S.W. to do VBS (Vacation Bible School) for all four churches on the island, just like we had done in 1995 and were ready to do again.  The church that came in-between our trips brought way too many youth, which put a serious strain on the hospitality of the locals. Rev. Bill Higgs, pastor of Spanish Wells Methodist Church, asked me to limit our group to 15 or 16 people. Since we had abut 50 kids who wanted to be part of a trip to the Bahamas, we made our students fill out applications and do interviews before we selected the team. It made for some tough decisions, but we ended up with a mature, talented and dedicated group (that's us all dressed up at the top) that understood our mission was to serve.

Jerry and I in...action?

2)  To leave as many spots as possible for our youth, the only adults who went that week were Jerry Hanbery and myself.  And we did absolutely nothing! The youth were divided into teams working on various areas of VBS such as crafts, music, recreation and Bible study. The preparation all had to be done before the trip, because we had to take everything we needed. There is no Wal-Mart (or much of anything else) in Spanish Wells. They did the preparation, they did the setting up, and they did the teaching. Jerry and I simply set back and basked in the glory...

3)  In addition to the Craft Nazis (Lisa Kraus and Sara Thacker) running roughshod over small children, forcing them to do crafts while Erin Bay, Caron Cook and Kristin Landry cowered in fear!) I particularly remember the guys doing music. Jacob Luper was on piano, Jamie Parker on ukulele and Jay Lynes and Ben Thompson were leading singing. Having that sanctuary full of children every morning and watching them have so much fun praising Jesus was a blast. Plus Jacob would break into Les Miz music during breaks!

One of our many boat rides between islands!

4)  The hospitality of the people of Spanish Wells was overwhelming.  We stayed in their homes, where we were treated as visiting royalty. I know we certainly ate like kings! Fresh conch, fresh lobster, fresh mango...well, you get the picture. They took us out on their boats and took us to hidden beaches for picnics and some fabulous swimming.  The folks that Jerry and I were staying with took us (along with Teresa and Jennifer Minnigan) by boat to Harbour Island, home of the famous "pink sand." We ate lunch there and I had the most amazing grouper sandwich in history! I always felt a little guilty that we were the only ones who got to go- but not that guilty! It sure made for a very special day and some great memories! There were special events planned for us almost every afternoon after VBS, including some cliff jumping and a unique battle featuring Ben and Jamie throwing jellyfish at each other. We ate a great meal at one of the two restaurants on the island. The only downside to the friendliness of the locals was that some of their guys were getting a little too attached to some of our girls. This was a serious issue because on the island the girls already outnumbered the guy by a 3-1 ratio. New females who might steal the young men were not encouraged to do so. But somehow we escaped without marrying off any of our folks...

5)  One of the families of the church had a little boy named Ferris who had a serious medical condition. The entire church family showered love on Ferris, and we joined right in. On every occasion that week when the church family was together (and that was often) the number one question coming from our group was, "Where's Ferris?" We all fell in love with that little boy.

Jill Souther was in every picture...  :)

6)  It was quite warm in the Bahamas in July (surprise!) and special recognition should go to Catie Cook, Jill Souther, Matthew Teoli (all pictured at right) and everyone else who pitched in with the recreation area. It was entirely outdoors, and was at times just a miserable place to be.  

7)  Do you want to know how strong the connections were we made that week? After we returned, we had one of our SHO-Time dinners at the local Cracker Barrel in Kissimmee. Many of the folks who gathered that night had been on the trip. At the time Cracker Barrel served drinks in replicas of old Mason jars. When the waitress brought our beverages, Jill Souther and Erin Bay looked at their glasses, then suddenly sobbed, "Ohhhhh...Mason jars. There was a boy named Mason in Spanish Wells..."  As is often the case in mission work, the people of Spanish Wells had a greater impact on us than we did on them.

My 6 years at FUMC-K provided me with more great memories than I could ever list, but this trip to the Bahamas ranks right at the top. Did I mention that there was lobster in the coleslaw?  And fresh mango and "Johnny Cakes" every morning for breakfast?Serving Jesus through serving the people of Spanish Wells was one of the great privileges I ever had in youth ministry. If you have memories of that trip, please feel free to share them. Marilyn and I are having lunch today in downtown Tampa with Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi. Sure do wish you all could join us...

Because of Jesus,

Stars

The music of the late Dan Fogelberg has had a profound influence on my life. A classic 1970's singer/songwriter, Dan's music spoke to my heart from the very first moment I encountered it, when Paula Teague and friends used his brilliant song To the Morning in the first Quaker Lake Camp slide show in 1976 or '77. His music became a staple around camp- especially the Crafts Hut- and was used numerous times for devotions and in slide shows over the next 8 years or so. I purchased all of his albums and saw him in concert 3 times before his death from prostate cancer in 2007. His song Along the Road was featured in the first post on this blog; his lyrics have been used in many other posts along the way. But more than that, Dan's lyrics reside deep in my heart, and on many occasions I find myself turning to his words for consolation, comfort, encouragement and peace. That is still true today.

Dan's music is seldom heard anymore on radio or in movies. His mellow style and comforting voice once caused one of my 1990's Kissimmee students to refer to him as "Dan Fogelfart." Even if you are an old-timer like me, you may not know many of his songs. Songs like Same Old Lang Syne, Part of the Plan, Leader of the Band, Place In the World For A Gambler, Missing You, Language of Love and Power of Love were hits in their day, but few remember them. His great love song Longer is still a favorite at weddings. But for me, the true greatness of Fogelberg is found in listening to entire albums, not singles. Great hidden gems like Wishing On the Moon, Morning Sky, Souvenirs/The Long Way, Once Upon A Time, Stolen Moments, Scarecrow's Dream, Ghosts and Lessons Learned are deep cuts that are among my favorite songs from any artist. And then there is Stars.

The second cut on his 1972 debut album Home Free (right after To the Morning), Stars is a love song- but it is anything but typical. The lyrics capture those moments so many of us have felt in the reality of romance, somewhere between "She loves me yeah, yeah,yeah" and "She ripped my heart out and stomped that sucker flat!" The reality that everything you feel is honest and true and seems to be the most important thing in your life, and yet the other person just does not feel that way...at all. It is a song about how love can be both "true" and unrequited all at the same time. Love can be one-sided and still be authentic and overwhelming. Which, as Dan notes, makes it almost impossible to give up on. How can that kind of love not be shared, not be mutual? It is a question most young people get to ask over and over again in life. Stars is about that kind of love, about that kind of obsession. And for me, it is simply haunting. Sure, it's been a few years since anyone could spend a dime to make a phone call. But many of us know the feeling of trying catch a falling star with some grand romantic gesture...and having that star fall right on top of us. The lyrics hold up so well. Read them. Listen to the song once or twice. And then try to get it out of your head. I dare ya...

Stood out in the rain

Let it soak me down

Before I called you, I called you

Didn't see me there

Hidden by the rain

Beneath your window, but I saw you

Putting on your face

Before the mirror on the wall

Dreaming that the looking glass was me

Catching your fondest gazes

Living through your fickle phases

I love you

And it's getting easier each day

To weep about you

Harder every night to sleep without you

How many years must I be driven

By this dream of love with you?

Spend my dimes on phones

Trying just to talk

But you don't answer, you let it ring

Spend my nights alone

Catching falling stars to give to you love

They're just for you

For stars fall every time

A lover has to face the truth

And far too many stars have fell on me

And as they trail the skies

And burn their paths upon my eyes

I cry

And it's getting easier each day

To weep about you

Harder every night to sleep without you

How many years must I be driven

By this dream of love with you?

With you

With you

Thanks Dan, for writing songs that make the things we feel seem normal- even when they are not. Most love songs strive to make us wish upon a star. You remind us, to quote another of your songs, that sometimes we have to "Wish upon the moon tonight; there's not a lucky star in sight..."  

Happy Hump Day, my friends!

Tropical Storm Colin Playlist

Today is expected to be a messy day in Tampa Bay as tropical storm Colin brushes the west coast of Florida on its way north. Those of us who live here are used to such storms this time of year, and to be honest our biggest concern is usually that it makes the horrible Central Florida traffic even worse! Today is going to be an indoor day for sure, so to help pass the time I've picked out 10 songs from my trusty i-Pod sure to keep my spirits afloat- and hope that will be the only thing floating! So here's what I'm listening to this morning:

• Hasten Down the Wind-  Warren Zevon
• Africa-  Toto
• Summer Breeze-  Seals & Crofts
• Escape (The Pina Colada Song)-  Rupert Holmes
• Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season-  Jimmy Buffett
• Pray For Rain-  PFR
• Slip Slidin' Away-  Paul Simon
• Summertime-  My Chemical Romance
• Leaving This Town-  The Beach Boys
• Times Like These-  Dan Fogelberg

Honorable mention goes to The Beach Boys for Let the Wind Blow and to Eric Clapton for Let It Rain. We have to keep our senses of humor, people! Have a wonderful Monday, stay dry and remember this small bit of wisdom- nothing can keep you afloat quite the love of your friends.  See you soon!

Follow Jesus- I Dare Ya!

Today I invite you take a look at why following Jesus is ALWAYS a little bit dangerous...

A scene from the 1989 movie, Parenthood:
Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing.  I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it...

Among the life-altering things I remember reading in Leonard Sweet's 1999 classic SoulTsunami, was a section about what it is like to really follow Jesus. There is nothing risk-free about following the Christ. Yet so many pastors (especially those appearing on TV) seem to teach that the quickest path to the "good life" is becoming a Christian. They make it all sound so predetermined and orderly. Follow Jesus and you will quit sinning. Quit sinning and God will bless you. When God blesses you, life will be full of rainbows and unicorns. It's as simple as that! Well, no...it's not. There is nothing orderly about following Jesus, because in fact, the Good News is chaotic!

I have checked the gospels pretty thoroughly, and I can say with some confidence that Jesus never said any of the following:

"Come follow me, and I will give you perfect health."
"Come follow me and that girl will FINALLY love you!"

"Come follow me and I will give you power and wealth."

"Come follow me and I will put a steak on your grill and a Jacuzzi in your backyard.  OH- and a beach volleyball court!  Everyone loves beach volleyball!"

What he did say was to leave everything behind, take up your cross, and follow Him. The notion that your life will be all peaches and cream once you follow Jesus is just total BS. If you follow the living God, you will be tested. There will be risk. Just think about some of our biblical heroes and what they went through. Jonah was tested with a vacation in a fish. Noah had to build an ark ("What's a cubit?") while his neighbors laughed at him. Joshua marched around Jericho (Thank you, VeggieTales, for always making me think of French Peas pouring slurpees on them as they march...) for no apparent reason. Joseph was ambushed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of hitting on Potiphar's wife and thrown in prison (not to mention losing a technicolor dreamcoat in the process) just to prepare him for what God actually had in mind for him. John the Baptist lost his head for Jesus- literally! Saul was blinded and went through a name change before he was ready to serve. Easy street? Low risk? I don't think so...

Jesus often taught that in order to make things right, we must first turn them upside down. He wants us to transform the first into the last, the weak into the powerful, the lost into the found. But all of that starts with the things we do with our own lives. If we really want to follow Jesus, we are going to have to get a little WILD! Psalm 115:3 reminds us that "our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." We sing "our God is an awesome God" and then proceed to try to confine God with our own limitations. His creativity and unpredictability are beyond our comprehension. Remember Isaiah walking through town naked (Isaiah 20:2-3)? That was God's idea. Remember the Angels appearing to shepherds in the fields and singing them a good Christmas song? God again. Sacrificing his only Son so that we might live in community with Him? Only God. 

All of this leads me to wonder about my own life. I have always prayed for safety, comfort and low-risk opportunities to serve my Savior. In fact, to be a Jesus Freak is to pray for the opposite. It is to pray that God would turn my life upside down and lead me to risk everything in the name of the One who saved me. It is to welcome the trials that God will send my way. I believe more and more that the invitation to follow Jesus comes with an "I dare ya!" They are dares because when we truly follow His example, the people around us will look at us like the boy at lunch who used to eat bugs on a dare. Jesus dares us to love the way he loved. He dares to us share meals with the most offensive people around us. He dares us to believe that all things are possible with Him by our side. He dares us to love our enemies. He dares us to let love flow from our hearts even when we don't understand it. And Jesus dares us to follow -really follow- by taking up our crosses and following Him where He leads instead of constantly begging Him to join us where we are.

Many of us do not hesitate to get on a roller coaster that travels 90 mph down an 85 degree slope and flips us upside down and corkscrews all around. We love it. It excites us. And once we've experienced it, the merry-go-round does seem pretty lame. Thus it is with becoming a radical follower of Jesus Christ. Get risky and try it- I promise you'll never want to be just a "church member" ever again. Get DANGEROUS with Jesus...I dare ya!

Because of Jesus,