On Butterflies and Courage

Warm Springs- Yes the pools at Warm Springs, GA- Talk about a misnamed place- Warm- Are you kidding me-

When I first stepped in that water I about froze my patooties off-

Please don't ask me what a patooty is.

Maybe it just seemed cold- Maybe because it was a cool morning- Maybe it was the stiff breeze blowing through the tree tops- Whatever it was- I did begin to adjust to the temperature as I lay back in the water- Determined to try my hand at simply floating for a while. As I lay back looking up into the deep blue sky- Something caught my eye- Some movement flitting about- High up in the strong air currents.

Have you ever noticed a Butterfly on a windy day?

This exquisite wonder of God's creation- Normally beautifully graceful in flight- This black and golden marvel- Moved with all the grace of a drunken sailor- Drunken, but in fast motion. The power of the elements first tossed my poor friend to the left- Then to the right- Then into some kind of awkward erratic corkscrew motion- Then up- Then down-

It was madness I tell you-

Simply madness in motion.

But wait- As I lay in what truly was becoming Warm Springs- After following this poor creature's path with my eyes a bit- I began to notice something-

Progress!

Amazing-

What once looked like a pitiful lightweight-

At the mercy of the elements-

Had now become a fighter!

This creature had a destination in mind- Maybe a flower to to gain nourishment from- Maybe just a search for calmer air- This wonder of creation was courageously moving forward- Refusing to surrender to the elements- Even in the craziness.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified;

do not be discouraged,

for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Father in Heaven-

I know that You are with me.

Help me to take hold of Your Love and Strength today-

Even as the elements beat against me.

Please move in me for Courage and Determination-

Courage and Dtermination and Love-

To live the life You have for me.

Amen

On Beauty, Grace and Splendor

I love Saturday mornings with my friends. I love being on the bicycle- Riding with a partner- There is such community in it-

Much Grace is given and much Grace is received.

There is the time we spend at Bojangles- Sharing Hope over a warm Bo-Berry biscuit- Meeting new folks like Mr Cummings and Joe Jackson- Two elderly black men who love Jesus- Men who bring a whole different set of life experiences to the table. Men who even with all they have been through- Growing up in the South in the 40's and 50's- Can sit at the table with a bunch of white guys- Sharing breakfast and the Love of Jesus.

God extends much Grace at that table-

Through these men's Grace towards us.

Ah, and then there is the sheer beauty of a fall morning on the river- The crystal blue sky- The water rushing over the rocks- Deer grazing as we ride the trail by the river. Seeing the families as they are out with their children for a morning walk- Even the dogs being walked seem to be smiling!

What is it about beauty that so captures us?

Is it some beckoning back to Eden-

Some longing for what we had so long ago-

A calling out from creation to the life of Jesus in us.

I met a young man on my ride this past Saturday- An Artist- I could not help but notice as he sat quietly at the Canal Headgate- His baby daughter asleep at his side- Todd Cass sat capturing the beauty of the Gatehouse- Capturing splendor with charcoal and a pad. The Artist was immersed in his work- Clearly captivated by the beauty- The beauty he was capturing on his pad.

I think that might be how it is with the beauty of God-

Maybe it's nature is such that we can't truly take hold of it-

Capture it for ourselves-

Until we are first captivated by it.

Job 37:14 and 22-24 Excerpts "Listen to this, Job-

Stop and consider God's wonders........

Out of the north He comes in golden splendor-

God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power...... Therefore, men revere Him

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Spirit of the Living God-

Slow me down a bit today-

Open the eyes of my heart to see-

To see Your Golden Splendor-

To see Your Grace toward me in all the gifts of the beauty of Your Creation.

Amen

By the by- the young artist Tood Cass did some amazing work even in the short time I visited with him. If any of you out there have any need for an original drawing or painting or Carpentry work, I got the feeling he could use the support with a young baby and a wife in the military. I have his contact info if any of you are interested let me know!

Mosh Pits and Community (Part 2)

"Dad-
The best thing about a hard core show-
(A particular musical and dance style-
That is shall we say.......a bit dangerous-
Dangerous-
In the sense that there are some pretty wild movements-
Movements that can lead to collisions on the dance floor)

Uh..... let me start over-

"Dad-

The best thing about a Hard Core show-

Is that you don't have to worry about hurting anyone-

About starting a fight................

It's sort of expected that people will crash into one another"

There are so many different directions I could run with that statement-
Many predictable-
I think I will run with the less predictable.

It is amazing to me how much Grace my son seems to

find in something as crazy as a Mosh Pit.

A question-
Do you have a place you can go where you can totally be yourself-
Where you can let down all the facades-
Where you can be honest-
About your fears-
Your doubts-
Your temptations-
Your............... sin?

Do you have a place where you can flail about wildly-
Sometimes rythmically-
Sometimes not so rythmically-
A place where you can collide with other Christians-
Without having to worry about offending-
Without having to worry about starting a fight?

Do you have a place where much Grace is given-
A place where much Grace is received?

We live in a dangerous world.
It seems we always have to be on gaurd-
On the defensive.

I don't know about you but,

I need a safe place.

A place where I know am loved........

No matter what.

I need a place where I can set aside theology-
A place where I confess the good and the bad-
A place where I don't have to work so hard.........
To look good.

I need a place where I can feel the arms of Jesus wrapped around me.
I need people who won't judge me.......
but will still challenge me.

I need a place where I feel Love of God........
Through the Love of His people.

Acts 4:32-33
All the believers were one in heart and mind.

No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,

but they shared everything they had.

With great power the apostles continued to testify

to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,

and much Grace was upon them all.

Heavenly Father-

Thank You for my close friends-

Thank You for how You use them in my life to show Your Great Love for me.

Father,
Help me more and more to come into Community with my brothers and sisters.
Help me to be an instrument of Your Grace to all those You bring my way.
Make us all into safe havens for one another-
Even as we collide in the Mosh Pit of this Life.

Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit-

Take even the pain of the collisions

and use them to spur us on to Love and good works.

Amen

Mosh Pits and Christianity

My son Matthew loves hard core dancing-
If you are not familiar with that style-
I think it essentially involves something called a mosh pit-
A mass of humanity strewn together-
Arms and legs flailing about wildly-
Some rythmically and some not so rythmically-
In such close proximity to one another-
There can not help but be some contact.....errr...collisions.
Matt came home from a hard core show (concert) recently and said to me,

"Dad,

I got kicked in the leg,

hit in the face,

a busted lip and

almost knocked out"

"It was great!"

Alrighty then........
More and more I am agreeing with the statement, "Youth is wasted on the young" :)
At any rate-
When Matt said this-
There was such a smile on his face-
Such a brightness about his eyes-
I couldn't help but think-

My son just gave the perfect description of the Christian Life-

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy,

my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds

Pure Joy-

Now that's bold in the face of trials.
Yet.........

What is it about a mosh pit that can inspire pure joy-
In the face of a busted lip and almost being knocked out?

I might be wrong-
But somehow I think in the case of the mosh pit-

(I have never experienced one)

There must be a sort of joy.......
In being lost in the moment.

There must be some sense........
That the pain fades into nothingness-
As the dancer is lost in his freedom of expression.

I wonder............

Can we get there in the Christian Life?

Can we get to a point where the trials fade into nothingness?

Can we get to a point where we are so consumed with Christ-

So lost in the expressions of the Glory of God in our lives-

So confident in His Grace towards us-

His Love for us...........

That we can live the life of freedom-

The life He has won for us-

The Life of abandon and boldness in Love?

No one would ever venture into a mosh pit out of a sense of duty-

No-
They go to dance-

They go for the freedom-

They go for the Life!

Father God,

Bring me into the Joy of Life today-

Your Life in me.

In the midst of the trials-

Rise up in us to be the expression of Your Glory-

To be the expression of Your Love.

Fill us Holy Spirit

to all these good ends.

Praise, Honor and Glory be to You.

Amen

My Beloved

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!! Today marks mine and Julie's 31st Anniversary and I thought maybe another attempt at poetry might be in order. Please bear with me, but this one is for my wife!

My Beloved

My beloved comes near

Smiling wistfully

Beautiful smiles

Smiles that drive away

All that I could ever fear

Oh Father in Heaven,

What is this You have done

To give me such a gift

The gift of my beloved one

My beloved , I am captured

Captured by your eyes

Eyes so deep and brown

I am lost in wonder and surprise

Oh Father in Heaven,

What is this You have done

To give me such a gift

The gift of my beloved one.

Mark 10:7-9 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be united to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh.'

So they are no longer two, but one.

Therefore what God has joined together,

let man not separate."

All Praise, Honor and Glory be to the One who has joined me to Julie.

Amen

Jesus? Who is that?

Quick- When you hear the name Jesus- What comes to mind? Savior? Teacher? King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Nice Man? Healer? Miracle Worker? Baby in a manger? Peacemaker? Sucker Outer of all fun? Hero? Good Shepherd? Bread of Life? Wise man? Dreamer? Holy man? Lunatic? Avenger? A man on a cross......... Friend? What picture comes to mind? What do you feel when you hear the name? Whatever it is- I venture to guess it is rooted in some deep personal experiences. Maybe in Church- Maybe in a relationship- Maybe in some tragedy- Maybe in some beauty. Whatever we feel, think of or picture when we hear that name- I will also venture to guess- Is incomplete- A very good, but only partial truth. Maybe all the truth we can handle just now.

1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God,

and what we will be has not yet been made known.

But we know that when He appears,

we shall be like Him,

for we shall see Him as He is.

Isn't that really what a lot of this life is all about-

Coming more and more to see Him as He is-

In all His fullness-

And as we do-

Being drawn up into Him-

To be united to Him-

Spirit, Soul and Body-

Heart, Mind and Will.

Faith grows and becomes stronger by being challenged-

Is our view of Jesus-

Of God-

Being challenged just now?

It is a good thing- A great blessing- Let's lean into the challenge- He will appear- He will show Himself- He is Faithful like that. Let's look for Him in ways we may not be accustomed to. Let's take hold of all God is revealing about Himself - Even as our pictures of Him are challenged.

Lord Jesus,

Open the eyes of my heart-

Open the essence of my spirit-

To see you in all Your Glory-

And as I see You-

To be transformed more and more into Your Likeness.

Amen

I am still hopeful that part 3 of the Jet Ski adventure will happen sometime next week!

On Jet Skis and Strange Joy (Part 2)

As we eased around the last bend in the cove- Bill called out over the sound of the boat motor- "Charles, it's getting too shallow to go much farther". Just then, a sudden loud grinding sound caught my attention followed by immediate silence. "We just broke the prop on a tree stump" Bill said with more than a hint of concern in his voice.

"Reeebecccccaaaa" I called out over and over again.

It had been more than 15 minutes now since I had last seen my baby zoom off on the Jet-Ski into the long deep cove and dissappear. Now, at last I could see the end of the narrowing, tree stump infested cove- Still no Rebecca. The last words I had called to her now played over and over in my mind-

"Faster, Faster"

I yelled as she had sped away from the dock-

"If you slow down the Jet-Ski will fall over and you'll be stuck."

What had I done?

There were houses on one side of the steep bank of the cove-

On the opposite side only woods-

Thick woods on a bank that was not quite so steep.

Daaaaaaaad-

Over here!

My baby girl- I heard her-

I know I heard her.

But where was she?

Was it really her?

Could it have just been some haunting, hopeful echo in my mind?

No, It had to be her-

But where was she?

Daaaaaaad-

I heard her again!

But it made no sense-

The sound was coming from............

Well as hard as it was to grasp-

It was coming from the Woods.

She had been on a Jet- Ski-

In the Lake-

How could she be in the woods?

Just then I saw some movement on the bank-

Could it be-

Yesssssssssss!

She was there-

Making her way down through the trees and brush toward the shore line.

Thank You Jesus!

Joy shows up in the strangest places-

A little girl walking down out of the woods-

A little girl I expected to find on a Jet-Ski in the lake.

Matthew 4:18-19 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "And I will make you fishers of men"

Joy shows up in the strangest places-

A man walking along beside a lake-

A man who calls out, "Come, Follow Me"-

Follow Me into the Life you were meant to Live.

Where will our invitation to Joy come from today?

Lord Jesus-

Open the eyes of our hearts today so that we do not miss Your invitations to Joy. Invitations that come from strange, unexpected places.

Kisses blown to us from heaven-

The smile of a friend-

The feel of a breeze on my face.

Lord Jesus in this hard, hard world-

Lead us into Joy-

Lead us into You!

Amen

Part 3 coming soon- I think- maybe.