Memorizing the Gospel of John - The beginning

I have recently finished memorizing Romans chapter 12. But, before I get into talking about where I'm going, let me take a few lines to recap where I've been...

Around the middle of 2017, our pastor was talking about discipleship and how to better get into God's Word in our daily walk. Generally speaking the 4 parts are Read, Study, Memorize, & Meditate.  During the talk, he brought up how Jewish children would commit the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, to memory by the time they reached their mid-teen years.

I found it astounding and it got me considering the possibilities to committing that much text to memory and gaining a deeper understanding of God and His purposes.  It was then God urge me to memorize the 12th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans, with a promise of a rich reward and a deeper revelation of Him. 

So, in my swift obedience, I started working on it about 3 weeks ago, more than a year after I was told to get started.  Looking back, I can't even imagine where I would be if I would have just listened.  He certainly kept his promise, which I plan to chronicle in another writing.

At any rate, I just finished that up yesterday and have been instrcted to commit the Gospel of John to memory.  This time, I will get started immediately.  Writing down my journey through this process will capture what I can about what God reveals.

If you...
- want to understand more about God & His purposes
- need to know why
- have a desire to deepen you faith
- want to improve your walk...

... then see the action point below!

Action point (or pleading; whichever way you'd like to take it): Start memorizing a chunk of scripture.  And, by a chunk of scripture, I mean more than just a few lines.  It takes a good handful of paragraphs to really start to get to a point where you are digging in to the character and purpose of the writer.

Don't wait to get started!

Accountability isn't just for bankers!

I wrote a post a couple days ago about, how, many times we needlessly spend a great deal of our lives in solitude, dealing with the things that life throws at us.  Through the turbulence, most of us (un)happily endure it alone, not wanting to unload our burdens on anybody else.  But, as God tells us, "two are better than one...and...a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

So, what does that look like?  How does this accountability happen?  Vulnerability & trust.  No one can have accountability in their lives without these two ingredients.

Because of how I am hardwired, I have a difficult time developing deep, brotherly relationships with other men.  Okay, maybe that is just most men.  Nevertheless, I recently renewed something that I had in my life many years ago... asking for accountability from some trusted men in my life.  When I mustered the courage to make that move, I realized that I was not the only one that craved & needed this.  It opened up the opportunity to help other men, help myself along the way, and grow our community stronger.

I find that I have to force myself to be open & honest.  I trust these men and can let down my defenses with them to increase my vulnerability.  They have to be able to get in to see who I really am, with all my faults, to strengthen the cord of resistance to the enemy's plans.  They, in turn, have accepted me and asked for my accountability in return.  We have endeavored to meet once each week for a face-to-face update, with check-ins by phone or text throughout the week.

One thing you will also find is that this vital behavior is also practiced by any number of hugely successful people in sports, business, and just about any other pursuit you can think.  Success in life requires building community toward a purpose and allowing others to sharpen us toward our goal.

This is by NO means comfortable for any of us.  But, we realize how absolutely vital these behaviors are to living as healthy Christian men.  As I said in my previous post, the enemy tries to isolate us to pick off the weak in the pack.  If he can get us discouraged and distracted from our God-given purpose, he has kept us from reaching somebody else for Christ and showing them God's love.  That is the greatest danger to our happiness.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

I... You... We are not alone

As I was purposelessly scrolling through an online social media outlet tonight, I stumbled across a video with a powerful message.  (http://www.hefty.co/love-your-body/)  The overt message about women being comfortable with themselves and not letting the inner discouragement affect their self esteem, while powerful, is not the most powerful message encased in this video.  In order to understand why esteem issues effect people to the extent that they do, we must understand that these women were essentially suffering in isolated silence.  But, they are not alone... and neither are you.

Since I am writing this blog, I plan to circle it back to me and tell somewhat of a story.  You see, to the untrained eye, I appear as a smart, middle-aged, professional man that has a pretty firm grasp on my world.  What you do not see is the vast ocean of insecurity lying beneath, almost like the immense amount of water, teeming with life below the Arctic Ice Shelf.  Having navigated this far through life, it fortunately does not incapacitate me the way it does for some.  I have merely learned to live with it and dismiss the nagging side effects in the back of my brain.

Over the last few weeks, I have "enlisted" the help of a handful of my friends to assist me in accountability to maintain discipline in a few areas of my life.  I did not realize when I asked for their assistance that I would also be asked to provide accountability for them, too.  What an odd concept!  These men that I envisioned had everything together admitted to having parts of themselves crumbling on the inside without a brother to walk alongside them and help them build it back up.

Through this season, I began to more clearly realize something that I had only guessed at before: we are all falling apart on the inside and need to become more effective as a community.  Or, as a friend of mine likes to put it, #weareallbettertogether.  That's right, we ARE all better together, just the way God planned it.  We are all one body, made to work in connection with each other.  Just like a finger can't work without the hand, so we do not function properly without each other.

We must realize that the more we struggle alone, the more the enemy wins.  As Taryn put it in the video "I thought I was alone..."   That is exactly where we are at our weakest.  On the field of battle, the best way to defeat an enemy is to isolate them and then take them out.  But, when we band together, as brothers and sister, realizing that we are loved, we are special, we are forgiven... we no longer have to live in lonely isolation.  We must pull together and call on each other to help us hold each other up.  We must not lose sight of who & whose we are and not let others lose sight of that either!  WE ARE NOT ALONE!

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love on another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Matthew 18:20  For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.

A lesson I learned from my 4-year old son...

Proverbs 20:11 - Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

It started one morning last spring when my kids were awake before I left for work.  The were normally not awake before I left for work since they were both in pre-school at the time.  Ages three and four, they did not need to rise terribly early to make it in before their "lessons" started.  That morning, my wife brought them out of the house and they just could not let me get in the car without an extensive number of kisses & hugs.  But, that was not the part that left me with tears in my eyes half way to work that morning.

As I pulled out of the drive way, they did not cry at all.  They watched me ease my car out into the street and even came up to the edge of the road to shout into my car window how much they love me.  As I started to ease my car forward and began to accelerate, my son began to cheer me on as I headed down the street, my daughter joining in rather quickly.  Dressed in my uniform, my throat started to choke up and tears welled up in my eyes as their cheers, led by my son, rang in my ears. "Go Daddy! Go Daddy! Go Daddy!"

They had no idea what I had to do that day nor what awaited me when I got to the office.  They did not care, though.  They had all the confidence in the world that I could tackle whatever came my way.  And they wanted to make sure I knew that they were sending me off with their blessing.  Every time they are awake when I or my wife leaves the house without them, they insist on cheering us down the street, at the end of the driveway until our vehicle turns out of sight at the end of the street, regardless of the temperature or time of day.

You probably think that is awful sweet they do that for their parents, and it is!  But, what you  may not realize, and we did not either until we had guests over to the house for dinner one night, they insist on doing that for everybody that comes over to the house.  I DO mean everybody.  Friends of the family, guests, sales people, contractors, service providers, and even the mailman.  Each of those people who come to the McQueen house while the kids are home and awake, get treated to two kids cheering them on their way.

The kids are quite indiscriminate in their exhibit.  They do not care about a person's background, color, beliefs, or even mood.  The kids just want whoever it is to know that they are special and whatever they are heading off to do next, the kids believe in them.  And, if the person gets away without being cheered for, the kids will absolutely melt down, most times to the point we might even have to call them back to the house.  (Although, I do not think we have gotten to that place yet.)

The lesson in all that came last week when I had him my son in the care, and  we were headed out together to go somewhere.  He would not let me drive away from the house until he said his goodbyes & blew his kisses to mom.  He began to scream and cry, and no matter how I tried to explain that we would only be away for a few minutes... It. Could. Not. Wait!  So, I put the car in reverse and began pulling back to the house where his mom and sister were still in the driveway. (Mom has been called back out of the house on previous trips, so she knows better than to go inside too soon.)

What he taught me at that moment was that I should never wait to show my love for somebody, anybody, everybody.  Loving people does not have boundaries, to include time.  I should never pass up an opportunity to make sure somebody knows how much they mean to me.  My kids have started a revolution in my heart, and they do not even realize what they have done.  I know I may not do it right all the time.  But, watching them, I sure have something to strive for.  And, I know that anybody who watches them for even just a short amount of time, will catch the same fire ... a fire to love the world.

Oh, and if you want my kids to cheer for you, feel free to come over for a visit!

John 3:16 (ESV) - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Matthew 18:2-3 (ESV) - And he called a child to himself and set himself before them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Luke 18:17-18 (ESV) - But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

The Living Eulogy: Don't wait until he's DEAD!!!

1 Thessalonians 5:11

One of the traditions engendered by the military culture is the art of the "Going-away Luncheon".  This ritual centers around the fact that military members usually get re-assigned to a different duty station every 3-5 years.  Over the last 20+ years of my military career I have attended quite a few and even been the recipient of a handful myself.  It is at these events that a number of friends and co-workers congregate at the venue of the honoree's choosing, most usually the favorite dining place, to send them off to their next duty assignment and wish them well on their future endeavors.  Family members are almost always invited to show how important the family unit is to the servicemember's sacrifice and how much their sacrifice is also appreciated.

The event begins with the masses descending on the eatery of choice, hopefully after making arrangements with the management to bring in that many at one time.  Invites have typically gone out to the week or two prior to the event and, depending on the size of the operation, there are often 20-50 people in attendance.  In my time, I have seen an entire restaurant taken over for the sole purpose of one of these events.

As folks arrive, they will make their way over to the honoree to shake hands and provide well wishes.  They move on to find their seats and put in their orders for food.  Even if they are not fans of the eating venue, they will still attend and find at least something on the menu to partake in just to attend the event.  And, although people usually sit amongst the small groups they feel most comfortable, all those different groups have been touched in one way or another by the honoree.

At the events winding down, either the person's office supervisor or commander will stand up to start part of the event to honor the person departing.  They will typically say some words about how much that person has meant to them and the group they are speaking for.  And, as others get up to do the same, they will typically proffer a gift or memento of some sort to remind them of their time served.

One thing I noticed through all the events I have attended is that for the honoree it was almost always the first time they had heard these accolades being said about them.  Much like at somebody's funeral, people who are familiar with this person relay stories, friendly jabs, quirks, accolades, send offs & appreciated qualities.

While it is great to reflect on these things at the end of a person's tenure or at the end of their life, should we not be filling their ears and their hearts with these things while they can gain the benefit of those spoken words?  Too many times we wait until someone has left, or is leaving, to share with them how appreciated they or their efforts are to us.

We should take little bits of time out of our day to appreciate those around us.  It does not have to be a constant state of praise.  But, just little bits of "thank you" and "I am grateful for you because..." will help to build up those we come into contact with every day.  This encouragement will reflect the love of God in their lives and reinforce what they do that makes them special to the world around them.

So, please take some time in your day-to-day life to recognize what is special about the people around you, particularly the people closest to you like your spouse and/or your children.  Do not wait until you are at the end of your time with that person.  It will surprise you what a difference it will make in your life and the lives of others.  Who knows you may be able to bring the only ray of sunshine to a dark corner of the world and be the only light of God that a person sees!

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Jude 1:20-21  But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Cut that OUT! The value of Pruning & Growth

Cut that OUT! The value of Pruning & Growth

John 15:2  

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Today, I took the day off work to get some things done for my real estate clients and get caught up (somewhat) at home.  As I was standing at the back door, I was gazing out at the small gardens that we had helped the kids plant earlier in the season.  They were really excited about about the prospect of taking care of plants until about the third week into it.  Then it became mostly my project.  That is another blog post.

What struck me, though, as I stood and contemplated how little fruit we had harvested from the garden, was how little we had pruned any of the plants in the garden.  Although I am an amateur gardener, at best, I still realize the value of pruning.  Once a garden plant is established and it has enough area to produce fruit, the plant requires pruning of some of its branches which will not produce as much fruit so that the more productive branches will maximize their fruitfulness.

It is the gardener's job to know which branches to cut and which ones to leave.  And, even in the branches left to fruit, the gardener still must keep new shoots at a minimum.  All this will allow the plant to focus its energy, not on expanding its area of growth, but on growing fruit in the areas it has already developed.

Even though the kids were excited to see their gardens grow six feet tall and at least that many feet wide, they would have been even more excited to actually have a decent harvest from their plants.  I had just failed to lead the kids through the practice of pruning their plants to maximize fruitfulness.  Thus, we only realized a small amount of produce from their plants.

What does this have to do with me?  I am not a gardener.

In our lives, we grow in different areas.  If we do not allow God to prune our growth and just let ourselves grow wild, we will stretch ourselves too thin and not produce fruit in the areas where we could maximize our produce.  We may produce some fruit.  But, it will be nowhere near the harvest had we focused our energy on the areas where we are called to be fruitful.

Although we may have a decent understanding of our own lives, with God's wisdom and pruning shears we truly narrow down to the areas where we will be most effective in our pursuits (Heb 12:6).  If we spread too thin and too wide, we lack the energy to devote to being truly fruitful (Isa 18:5).  But, when we submit to the hand of the Father, he helps us focus our energy on bearing fruit in the branches which he would have us cultivate.

Perfection can never be perfect

I have been procrastinating on posting a blog for about a week and a half  now.  I keep getting ideas from God about things to write.  But, I have a standard of writing that I would like to keep up before I post anything.  I do not appreciate shoddy writing, things spouted off without appropriate sourcing, or even poor grammar & mechanics.  Sound familiar.  Working on my Master's thesis had to be one of the most painful experiences imaginable, and I even ENJOYED the subject matter.  I am, what you might call, a perfectionist in sheep's clothing.  I act laid back about a great many things, even though I expect my work to be better than average.

At the same time that I write this, I have about ten, half-started posts sitting in my drafts folder, waiting for me to get some time to write them.  This post, however, is going out without the normal rigmarole that usually happens with my compositions.  I have a feeling there are a great many people out there that can relate to this mentality, which is why I feel so strongly about getting this done, without the perfection.  I am putting this through one draft, with minor corrections, and that is it.

As you can see, this is an issue I have struggled with for quite some time, and not just in my writing, but throughout many aspects of my life.  I want my parenting to be perfect, my husbandry, my work, my friendship, my speaking, my studies, my ministry, and even my Christian walk.  Being the sinful person that I am, the perfection will never happen.  Deep down I understand the concept.  It is just difficult to realize that and make it part of my daily thought process.

By no means am I promoting mediocrity.  On the contrary, we should live for God in everything we do; "Do everything as if unto the Lord." Col 3:23-24  Our work should reflect a level of excellence that exhibits our love for God and how it pours through us out into the world.  But, we must realize that in our human form, apart from heaven, nothing we do will ever meet an expectation of perfection.  As imperfect creatures, we should realize that the power of Christ shows through our weaknesses (2 Cor 12:9).  And, regardless of our failings we need to continue pressing ahead to accomplish the ministry and plans that God has laid out for us (Phil 3:12-14) for it is not through our holiness, but our surrendered lives that the Spirit of God can work in the lives of others.

Just remember that although we have done things which separate us from our heavenly Father, he has sent his Son to cover up those imperfections and bring us into communion with him (Isa 59:2; 53:6).