"The Hard Is What Makes It Great"

In the movie A League of Their Own, there is a scene near the end in which Jimmy, the manager of a women's baseball team (played by Tom Hanks) discovers his star player Dottie (played by Geena Davis) is leaving the team to go be with her husband Bob, who is just back from World War II.   The following conversation takes place:

Jimmy Dugan: Taking a little day trip? 
Dottie Hinson: No, Bob and I are driving home. To Oregon. 
Jimmy Dugan: [long pause] You know, I really thought you were a ballplayer. 
Dottie Hinson: Well, you were wrong. 
Jimmy Dugan: Was I? 
Dottie Hinson: Yeah. It is only a game, Jimmy. It's only a game, and, and, I don't need this. I have Bob; I don't need this. At all. 
Jimmy Dugan: I, I gave away five years at the end my career to drink. Five years. And now there isn't anything I wouldn't give to get back any one day of it. 
Dottie Hinson: Well, we're different. 
Jimmy Dugan: Sh*t, Dottie, if you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that. 
Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard. 
Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great. 

I have always loved that quote, because I think it applies to many parts of life. "The hard is what makes it great."  We learn from our struggles.  We grow through adversity.  Our faith is tested when things do not go our way and we learn to persevere.  I was taught over and over again as a child things like "when the going get tough, the tough get going."  "Winners win and losers quit." Even Jesus reminded us that those who suffer for his sake will be blessed.  God could have made our lives simple, but in His wisdom chose to present us with obstacles to  go around and challenges to overcome.

Every day I seek to show the love of Christ to those in my life.  I pray for them.  I try to do the right things keep my loved ones safe and happy.  Some days it is so hard not to be selfish and seek to meet my own needs first- but that is not what Jesus would do. Following Jesus is what gets inside me.  It's what lights me up.  But it is not easy.  Some days it is just very hard.  And the hard is what makes it great...

Because of Jesus,

Let the Day's Own Troubles Be Enough For the Day

Many of you know that Sunday afternoons are still difficult for me. From the time I was 12 until the time I was 47 I spent nearly every Sunday afternoon attending, helping with or leading a student ministry.  Just over 6 years ago that portion of my life came to an abrupt end, and I still miss it nearly every week.  So Sundays can be hard on my normally positive attitude in the best of cases.

Yesterday was NOT the best of cases.  I didn't sleep well Saturday night.  The medicine I am taking to help control my diabetes has some nasty side effects, and yesterday they all seemed to be kicking in at once.  Will's prom Saturday night was just another reminder that life flies by, and it is so easy to miss the good stuff.  I was thinking far to much about a difficult personal situation and a future that I desire but most likely cannot have.  And so I sat, listened to music...and worried.  I worried about my health. I worried about future opportunities to be involved in ministry. I worried about a friend who is struggling. And I worried about my own future happiness.  All of that worry pushed me into a dark place; a sad place.  I am considered by many of my friends to be a master of finding the "silver lining."  Yesterday that lining was very hard to find. Very hard indeed...

Then last night I took out the trash.  That may seem like an odd way to find a little peace on a bad day, but as I emptied one of our small trash cans into the big garbage bin I saw something I did not expect so see.  I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that this surprise made me both gasp and laugh.  I was immediately aware that I had just spent the day wallowing in something over which I had no control.  Life...and my future...will be full of surprises and events that surpass my grandest expectations.  Things I once never dreamed possible have already happened. Blessings from God come every day, just like the sun rise.  And suddenly I was reminded of one of my favorite scripture verses:

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

So today I am praying over those words of Jesus.  I want to focus my attention on what God is doing right NOW in my life.  And I want to give the future to God.  Is it still scary?  Yes!  But it is so much less scary to know that my future, my life and my joy are in the hands of the Creator of the universe and Savior of humanity. The old cliche says that I may not know what the future holds, but I know who  holds the future. Old cliches are often right.  "Let the days own troubles be enough for the day."  Words to live by on a Monday morning.  Be blessed, my friends.

Because of Jesus,

My Playlist

Last night I was (as usual) listening to my I-pod while waiting to hear from Will after his prom. If you are not familiar with my particular I-pod, it is a very old, very low memory hand-me-down (like the one pictured).  It only holds about 230 songs.  I have a lot more music than that in my library, so on occasion I rotate songs, moving out tunes I grow weary of and bringing in songs I have not heard in a while. Music moves me.  It can change my mood, lift my spirits, make me sentimental and take me to places I have not visited in a while.  Last night was no exception.   Here's what I heard:

1)  I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore-  REO Speedwagon
2)  Once Upon A Time- Dan Fogelberg
3)  Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Green Day
4)  Famous One- Chris Tomlin
5)  Ocean Boulevard - Yellowcard
6)  You're My Best Friend- Queen
7)  Little Is Much- Downhere
8)  This Night- Billy Joel
9)  Here Is Our King- David Crowder Band
10) The Only Hope For Me Is You- My Chemical Romance

That's what I am listening to. What's on your playlist?

Normal Is Overrated

So many times after tragic or amazing events in our life and in our world, we hear people talk about how nice it will be to "get back to normal."  Today I am overwhelmed with the feeling that "normal" is not all it is cracked up to be.  I tweeted a thought this morning, and as the day has gone along it seems more and more relevant. My past couple of weeks have been filled with amazing events and incredible people.  My often hum-drum existence has been anything but normal. And once again it has become very clear to me that normal is overrated.  I guess it is only right that after a time like this that things get back to the status quo. But it seems to me that once you have experienced the extraordinary, normal sucks. So this morning I lament the norm, and find myself longing for a few more extraordinary moments to come my way.  I pray the same for each of you.  God uses "normal" people to do extraordinary things every day. Here I am, LORD. Choose me.

Because of Jesus,

Flashback Friday: Through the Roof!

Most of you are probably familiar with the story found in Luke 5:18-26 in which 4 friends carry a paralytic to see Jesus.  Unable to get to him through any normal route, they cut a whole in the roof of the house and lower their friend down to Jesus.  The story had many layers, including the divinity of Christ and the Pharisees complete lack of faith and understanding. But primarily this story is about the faith of a man and his 4 friends- and how that faith led to major moment in the Jesus Revolution. Today, as we continue to seek our own personal revolutionary moments, I invite you to spend some time with these two questions:

1. Who brought you into the presence of Christ?  This question is not so much about who preached the sermon or sang the song as it is about who dropped you through the roof to get you there.  For me, it was my best friend from 8th grade on, Steve Semmler.  And just like with the friends in the scripture, there were obstacles to overcome.  He had invited me to go to summer camp with him and to attend his youth group, but I kept coming up with excuses.  And he kept asking.  He finally got through to me when I found out that the right girl would be at a youth group skating party.  The mats our friends use to take us to Jesus can take many forms.  I didn't know that Steve was changing my life forever- and I'm not sure he did either.  But he did.  He brought me into the presence of the Christ who would say to me over and over again in my life, "Get up!  Your sins are forgiven."  And trust me, there are still plenty of Pharisees who scoff at that today.
2. Who is it in your life that you need to lower through the roof?  I was taught a long time ago that it is important to have at least one specific person in your life that you are praying for in the hopes that they will come to know Jesus.  In my youth groups we often spoke of praying for the Empty Chair- lifting up our friends who needed to be there and were not.  And while the praying is important, I think sometimes we let ourselves off the hook too easily.  Sometimes we need to physically bring them to the feet of the Savior.  We need to invite them to church, or to a small group, or a concert, or dinner at our home- someplace where they will encounter the living Christ.  We may need to put them on a mat, or in a car, or on a boat- whatever means necessary- to get them to Jesus.  For the friends in Luke's gospel, it was about having their friend healed.  It is no different for us.  The healing may not be physical.  It may be a relationship.  It may be emotional.  It is certainly spiritual.  They need to see the Great Physician.  They need to experience the Jesus Revolution in their lives.  And it is our task as their friend to make sure they have that opportunity.

Take some time today to be still and think on these questions.  Remember who it was (and it may be many people on more than one occasion) that brought you to see Jesus at a time when you desperately needed Him.  And who is it that God is calling you to bring?  Even if you need to go through the roof...

Because of Jesus,

Amazing Grace

This past weekend I was reminded of what grace looks like when it is practiced as Jesus gave it to us- unconditional and overwhelming love. Thanks so much to those who share that grace with "a wretch like me..."

In all of Christian music, perhaps no song is more traditional and yet as contemporary as Amazing Grace.  Amazing Grace is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807) published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, Amazing Grace is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction.  He joined the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade.  One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion.  This incredible piece of music and theology rose from his personal struggles with sin; struggles that each of experience every day, no matter how strong our faith.

Yet despite being 231 years old and having survived a plethora of changes in church music, this great song has remained very modern.  Over the years the lyrics have been sung to a variety of tunes to help convey the always contemporary message to new generations.  I first remember hearing it sung to the tune of House of the Rising Sun in the early 1970's.  At Quaker Lake we used to do a song called Calypso, which married verses from Jesus Love Me, O For A Thousand Tongues, Amazing Grace and the Doxology with an easy to sing calypso beat.  Andrew Lewis and I (see picture) used to sing the words to the tune of The Theme From Gilligan's Island, once performing it at a talent show at FUMC-K (I will pause now while you sing it to see if that actually works...pretty cool, huh?).  My son Will learned a version to the tune of Sweet Home Alabama ("Sweet home up in Heaven, where the skies are so blue...") while at camp a few years ago.  No matter the tune, it has always been the message that sets Amazing Grace apart.


There are two versions (besides the original, which is still my favorite version) that I am particularly fond of.  One is to the melody of the Eagles' great song Peaceful Easy Feeling.  We used that one a lot at worship in Kissimmee and in Tampa, with the lyric to Amazing Grace as the verses and the original "I've got a peaceful easy feeling, 'cause I know You want let me down..." as the chorus.  In a side note, it was also one of the songs our multiple guitar Guitar Choir played in worship at FUMC-K.  That group, featuring Vic Hill, Darin Miller, Pete Lynes, Nate Hill, Jay Lynes, Ben Thacker, myself and others was a much fun as I ever had making music- it was just a lot of work to keep that many amateur guitarists in tune!  When I led the congregation in this version at Wesley Memorial, it was by far the loudest I ever heard that group of adults sing.


But my favorite remake came in 2006, when Chris Tomlin released his great project See the Morning (#43 on my CCM Countdown).  The final cut on the album was his version of Amazing Grace, which you can hear on the video below.  His added chorus ("My chains are gone, I've been set free...") truly drives home the original message of the song- that God's love is unending, and that through Jesus Christ our sins are erased and forgiven every day.  In a world where so many church leaders mislead us with talk of performance and piety, this amazing song continues to remind us that Christianity is not about what we DO; it is about what Jesus has already done.  That's why we call it the Good News!  God's grace is even enough to cover even a sinner like- and you!  And that, my friends, is pretty amazing!  Enjoy the video, and I will see you tomorrow.

Thank You

Teresa and I Saturday morning,  just before leaving Tampa for the reunion!

Now that the Kissimmee Youth Group Reunion has come and gone, I wanted to just take a moment to say THANK YOU to a few of the people who made it such a great experience for so many old friends.  In no particular order, here we go!

• Thank you, Kelly Jeck Trace, for arranging for us to have the beautiful Osprey Pavilion for our picnic on Saturday. Being that close to the playground was a true blessing for all of the parents. Also thank you for lining up the Broadway Pizza Bar for Saturday night, and for (along with Dwight Oakes) helping to get so much of "our" old music into worship on Sunday morning.  We could not have had this event without you.
• Thank you, Jill Painter Watson, Cindy Martin and Jerry Hanbery for being so encouraging and supportive over the months of planning this event.  Your never failing enthusiasm kept the spirit of the reunion alive and kicking even when we had no idea if anyone else was coming.  The same is true for Todd Willis, even though he couldn't actually make it in for the weekend. You are all loved and appreciated.
• Thank you, Marilyn Jones, for helping with publicity and promotion, for being so supportive, and for chauffeuring me back and forth to Kissimmee- twice!  And to Will Jones for hanging in there with for a very long day on Saturday, during which he made almost everyone in attendance feel old!  I am blessed with a wonderful family!
• Thank you, Jocelyn Sessions Ward, for being the big surprise for me!  I am so sorry it took a family illness to bring you to Florida, but so glad you were able to be a part of the reunion.  It would not have been the same without you!
• Thank you, Lauren Cacciatore, Matthew Teoli and Lisa Kraus Spires for sharing your babies with us, and to so many others for bringing their kids to the picnic.  We are a family, and it felt like it.
• Thank you, Courtney Moon, for taking your lunch break on Friday to try and buy a Chicken Head to bring to the reunion just to make us all laugh!  Who new they are impossible to find in Gainesville?  But the effort was greatly appreciated!
• Thank you, Alumni of the 1994-2000 FUMC-K Student Ministries, for being there this weekend.  The genuine joy on your faces as you connected and re-connected made it all worthwhile.  Hearing you tell stories and relive great moments we shared together brought a huge smile to my face.  And hearing so many of you talk about the trips we took and how they impacted you, as well as how looking back you realize most youth groups never get to experience, made the weekend for me.  We were not normal in so many ways. And we still aren't!
• And finally, thank you to Teresa Reep Tysinger- for so many things.  For pushing the idea of a reunion in the beginning.  For kicking my butt and MAKING me put something together, and for not making me do it alone. For putting together our group Facebook page, which will remain up as a place for us to stay connected.  For coming early and spending a few days with her old youth pastor, making him feel young and special again.  In other words, thank you Teresa for just being who you always have been- a wonderful friend to myself and so many others.

Be sure to offer your word of thanks to all of these special people.  And now that the reunion is history - another incredible memory added to a long list-  only one question remains. When do we do we do it again?  I am open to suggestions...

Because of Jesus,