Here, Look In On The Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony At Our House

Well, the Christmas tree is up!  We had the annual Christmas tree ceremony at our house tonight. 

Come on, sing with me…

“O, Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

Thy amber waves of grain!!!”

Hmm, I think I may have gotten my lyrics confused, there. Anyhow, the ceremony involves me laying on the floor under the tree for 10 minutes, or so, trying to get the Christmas tree stand properly set.

Once the stand is set and the tree is in place, we begin decorating the tree until it falls over. At that point, I get back on the floor and monkey around with the stand again, for another 5 minutes, or so, and then we continue decorating the tree.

Generally, the tree falls over two or three more times before I get the duct tape out and fix the situation for once and for all. Seriously, if no one told you, you would never even notice the strands of tape connecting the tree to the nearby wall.

It’s not falling over now! In fact, Brian Urlacher couldn’t knock it over now. (Is he injured or is he playing? I don’t know. That may be a lame reference. If it is, feel free to insert the name of any big strong guy you know.)

Anyhow, the tree looks lovely (see the photo accompanying this post).

Jasper (our dog) is fairly new to our house and he’s fairly new to the Christmas decorating process and, so, he is fascinated by it all. And his apparent confusion is understandable. On the other hand, I can’t imagine that a Christmas tree ornament either smells very good or tastes very good, so, even though he’s new to our Christmas traditions, eating the ornaments still doesn’t make sense.

Jasper is sitting very quietly and meekly by my feet right now, because he knows that Rachel is upset at him for eating ornaments. He’s very sensitive. He can tell when she’s angry. Alright, I guess he’s not THAT smart, the jumping up and down and yelling are a pretty obvious tip off.

At any rate, as the jumping up and down and yelling gradually begin to subside and a spirit of peace and calm, almost descends on our house, I wanted to take this moment to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Y… oh, wait… it’s still November, isn’t it? Okay, I’m a little early, I’ll get back to you on the Christmas greetings.  In the meantime, Happy November 30^th!!!

Words DO Matter

From a book on the “Internet” I’m reading: “Be smart, be very self-aware, and always think about the content you are creating and putting out there as a lasting record of yourself.” From a book on “life” I’m reading: “But I tell you that people will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”—Matt. 12:36 [Jesus]. The consensus is: our words matter.

The LONG, LONG Drive To Anderson Indiana

It’s Sunday night, the Sunday night at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And, once again, I’m writing from a hotel room. We took Taylor back to Anderson University tonight. And guess what? So did everyone else. I don’t mean everyone was driving Taylor around—although that WOULD be quite a treat, huh?—what I mean is: everyone else was taking their kid back to college tonight; or everyone else was coming from home grandma’s house; or, apparently some people just got in their cars and went out driving around for the sole purpose of clogging up all the highways.

What a mess! A drive that would normally take 3 ½ to 4 hours took over 5 ½ hours. You read that correctly, five and a half hours!

In the process, I also discovered that the backseat of a Chevy Malibu is a very uncomfortable place after about 4 ½ hours. Yeah, I’d love to tell you that I have feeling in my lower torso, but I don’t. There’s no point is leading you on, I have no feeling in my legs.

But the good news is that we made the drive safe and sound, despite really crummy weather and terrible traffic. We passed by several wrecks and…hey…wait a minute. Hold everything!…Could that be?.... Yes…yes…it is! The feeling is beginning to return to my legs. Awesome! It looks like I’ll be able to walk again. Hallelujah! It’s a good evening, after all.

From Anderson, Indiana…good night.

Having Jesus' Long Term Perspective

If we had Jesus’ perspective of life some things which we see as a “big deal” would be revealed to be small and inconsequential. And, some things which we see as “minor” would be recognized as more important than we had thought. With Jesus’ perspective, rather than “short-term” and “temporary”, we would see all that happens in this life with “eternity” in mind.

"The Strike Pot" subtitled: "Things Seem To Work Out For Rachel, Pt.2"

Eric, a young man in our bowling league, stepped onto the alley and readied himself to throw. He had one shot—only one—to get a strike. If he got the strike, he would win $379.00. That’s how the “strike pot” works. The strike pot is a little side competition in our bowling league. People buy tickets and the tickets are entered intro a drawing. One ticket is drawn and whoever has that ticket gets to throw one shot for a strike.

A group of people stood watching quietly as Eric made his approach and threw his shot. As soon as his ball hit the pins, right in the sweet spot—it’s called the “pocket”—it was clear that he had his strike and he won the $379.00! A cheer went up and Eric thrust his fist into the air with a big smile on his face.

It’s a pretty nice way to win $379 bucks.

The guy who runs our league will usually select a random person from the league to perform the actual drawing for the strike pot, from a small container filled with tickets. Tonight, the person who pulled the ticket—Eric’s ticket—was my daughter Rachel.

Several minutes after Eric won the strike pot, he came over to our table and asked, “Was it someone from this table who pulled my ticket?”

We said, “yes” and we pointed to Rachel.

Eric said, “Thank you, Rachel.”  And he handed her some money. Rachel loves getting money—and she loves spending money, too, but that’s another story. She had a smile on her face that, I think, might have been a little bigger and a little happier than Eric’s was when he got his strike. But it’s hard to tell for sure because they were both smiling a lot.

Rachel counted her money—actually, she counted her money about four or five times, it’s the kind of issue upon which she likes to have a high degree of certainty—and reported to us that Eric had given her nine dollars. Hey, think about it, she merely reached her hand into a container and pulled out a ticket. It was an action that took less than 5 seconds and it netted her nine dollars.

It’s a pretty nice way to win nine bucks.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Things seem to work out for Rachel.

Yep...We Definitely Need God

At the meeting of a group called the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, in 1991, Dr. L.D. Rue, proposed an interesting idea to his fellow scientists. Dr. Rue does not believe in God, he believes that the universe is a product of evolution—you could say, a product of lots and lots of time plus random chance.  And Dr. Rue understands the true implications of that belief. He realizes that without God the universe has no real objective value and, therefore, we have no real, lasting, meaningful purpose.

So, what Dr. Rue advised the audience that day is that we tell ourselves the universe really has value even though we all know that it doesn’t. You may need to go back and re-read that sentence—but try to do so without getting a massive headache. He’s saying that we TELL OURSELVES something that we know isn’t true.  Dr. Rue advocates that we TRY to believe what he calls a “Noble Lie”, in order to experience some hope and some sense of meaning. [Are you thinking that it’s a good thing Dr. Rue is a “scientist” and not a personal “counselor”? Yeah, me too.]

Dr. William Lane Craig wrote about this address by Dr. Rue to the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. Here is how he put it, “confronted with the predicament of modern man, [Dr. Rue] boldly advocated that we deceive ourselves by means of some ‘Noble Lie’ into thinking that we and the universe still have value.”  [Reasonable Faith, Craig, Pg. 71]

Think about it; brilliant scientists, confronting their belief that there is no God and therefore the universe really has no objective value offer us this: Deceive yourself into believing that there is some purpose or meaning for living, try to convince yourself of what isn’t true by believing the “Noble Lie”.

It makes you think that these guys need to get out of the lab a little more frequently, doesn’t it?

I wonder: Does the idea of a Noble Lie seem like it would work pretty well for giving you a true sense that your life has meaning and purpose?  Would it be helpful for you to build your ultimate meaning and purpose in life on what you know to be a Noble Lie?

This is why Dr. Craig, who is both a brilliant and respected philosopher AND a Christian uses this phrase: “The Absurdity of Life Without God”.

There is only “something more” to this life if there is an infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, loving, personal God.  There is only something lasting, something that goes beyond, if there is a God.  And we will only experience genuine hope and meaning and purpose in this life in connection to that eternal, transcendent God.

And so, Solomon writes this at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes:  “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his command, for this is everyone’s duty.” Ecclesiastes 12:13. In other words, we need something more than a Noble Lie.  We need to connect to God, and live for Him and His kingdom. We need to do what He says because He is the source of our meaning and He is the foundation of our meaning.

Just Let God Be God

“We do God no favors by creating him in our own image.”—Roger E. Olson. Sometimes, in well-meaning attempts to “protect” God’s public image, Christians try to make God more tame & respectable & understandable. But God is God & He doesn’t fit into any of our “boxes”. God is loving AND totally truthful. He is gracious AND just. He is forgiving AND capable of righteous wrath. It’s best if we let God be God.

The Renewing Of Our Minds

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Rom.12:2. When our mind is being renewed by God’s Holy Spirit what happens is our minds are increasingly, led, impressed upon, & spoken to, by God. In a sense, our minds are increasingly controlled by God’s Spirit. Key Questions: Are we willing to obey God? Are we willing to surrender to God?

Spread The Word Around...Guess Who's Back In Town

Dear E-Flash Friends;

 

It’s Thanksgiving Day, about 10:50pm and I’m so excited about this Sunday that I had to sit down and send out this quick E-Flash.

 

You say, “Dan, what are you so excited about?”

 

I’m glad you asked….Last spring we had a Sunday where the “guys” from the worship team led the service.  It really seemed to go well and we received a lot of positive feedback.  In fact, following the service, many people said, “That was…um…well, let’s see…how can I put this?…um…that was really something.”

 

You can’t get a much more glowing endorsement than that!  You know what I mean?

 

So, a little while ago we (the guys) told Roxanne that we’d like to have another service led by the “guys”.  (Roxanne creates the schedule of the various singers and musicians for the services.) Roxanne said, “That would be…um…well, let’s see…how can I put this?…um…that would be really something.”

 

We’re talking MOMENTUM, now!  You know what I mean?

 

I mention all that to tell you that it’s happening!  And, in all seriousness, it’s going to be fun, exciting, and encouraging!  We (the guys) really want to give praise and glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ—He deserves it!  And we feel really compelled to bring a big dose of encouragement and joy to our church family.  So, I hope you will plan to be here this Sunday, Nov. 29^th, 9am or 11am.

 

Some of you who have been around for a while, like me, might remember a song by a group called Thin Lizzy, back in the 70’s, titled:  “The Boys Are Back In Town”.  Part of the lyric of the song says, “Spread the word around…guess who’s back in town.”  Well, for this Sunday, “Spread the word around…guess who’s back in church.”

 

Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving Day.  And hope to see you Sunday!

 

 

Dan

 

 

P.S.  You never know, we might hear a special version of “The Guys Are Back In Church” on Sunday.  (I’m just saying:  it’s possible.)

 

Is Life After Death A Trivial Matter Or Is It Important? I Think You Know My Take On It.

Review of the book: Life After Death, Dinesh D'Souza

I have read a number of Dinesh D’Souza’s books and I like his writing style, he always seems to present his ideas in ways that I find interesting.  Also, his reasoning is clear and coherent.  There’s even a little bit of playful humor here and there—I appreciate that.

In “Life After Death”, D’Souza asks the reader to sit in judgment while he presents a case for the truth and reality of life after death.  Although D’Souza is a Christian, he does not argue his case from the standpoint of biblical revelation, he presents his case for life after death from three areas: neuroscience; philosophy; and morality.  He says about his presentation, “If we think of this as a courtroom trial, I do not claim to have met the criminal standard; I will not prove life after death beyond a reasonable doubt.  I do, however, claim to have met the civil standard, and proven my case by a preponderance of the evidence.”

His tone is: Read carefully, think about it, and then, you decide. It’s very similar to the attitude that I adopt when I’m reading a Taco Bell menu.

One of issues that is addressed in the book is whether or not the subject of life after death is even important, or not.  It’s hard for me to imagine that anyone would not understand that this issue is of supreme importance.  How can this NOT be important?  But I realize that, apparently, for some people it is not.

I think reading this book would be helpful to the convinced and the unconvinced.  But I think a particularly worthwhile benefit is that it might help an unconvinced person understand why this issue is worthy of his/her time, thought, and careful consideration.

Dan Marler

Oak Lawn, IL

Much To Be Thankful For

True gratitude is a mark of spiritual maturity. Spiritually immature people tend to see very little to be thankful about. They’re often busy being grumpy. On the other hand, the spiritually mature, look around and see MUCH to be thankful about, even when the circumstances of life are extremely difficult. Do you see “little” or “much”? Peace, joy, love, and Happy Thanksgiving to you!

I Am Blessed...I Hope You Are, Too!

Well, I have eaten very little today in preparation for lots of eating tomorrow, Thanksgiving.

You say, “Dan, are you going to make it? Are you going to survive? You look weak!”

Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Although a few minutes ago I was gnawing on the corner of my computer…..It tastes like chicken. [rim shot]

Oh, I know, this little program of mine probably sounds silly, but it’s a way of helping me not to feel so bad about eating a big dinner tomorrow. But I want to tell you that there’s been an interesting unintended benefit to my little tradition (the “tradition” that I’ve done one other time). This didn’t happen the last time I did this “Thanksgiving prep” so I wasn’t expecting it. For some reason, the process of eating very little today has had the effect of reminding me how blessed I am. It seems that “not having” all the typical meals has impressed upon my mind how much I really “do have”. I’m remembering today that…

I am wonderfully blessed;

…undeservedly blessed;

…generously blessed;

…surprisingly blessed.

Hmm, maybe I should do this more often.

I trust you can see and understand the ways that you are blessed, too. I don’t know everyone’s circumstances, but I suspect that in many ways, you are very blessed. I hope that’s true. And as we remember that God has been good to us, it is a great time to allow those blessings to be formed into expressions of our thankfulness to God.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

for he is our God

and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care.

   Psalm 95:1-3 & 6-7 (NIV)

Have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow…filled with love, joy, peace and true gratitude.  And remember to WHOM we are thankful!

The Point Is: God Wants Us To Humbly Serve Others

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. The leader, the teacher, the Master, takes on the role of the lowliest servant boy. The constant “leadership” example of Jesus is: serving others in humility. So, leadership experts try to analyze this “footwashing thing” to find the hidden success principles. But I don’t think it contains hidden success principles. I think the point is to serve others in humility.

Special Physical Prep For Thanksgiving

Here’s my plan: I’m going to eat very light today (Tuesday). And then I’m going to eat almost nothing at all tomorrow (Wednesday). THEN….THEN…I can eat with reckless abandon on Thanksgiving Day—“consuming mass quantities” as the Coneheads would say—and not feel guilty about all those calories.

You ask, “Dan, where did you get such a crazy idea, this time?”

Actually, this is a tradition with me (and by “tradition” I mean I did this one other time) and it works pretty well. So, I’m going to keep the tradition alive this year.

You say, “Dan, is this a special program that you have to “pay a fee” to be a part of?”

….Um…yes…yes…as a matter of fact it is…That’s right…yes…a…um…special program [looks quickly from side to side] …Sure, send your checks to….

No, I’m playing around, anyone can do this.

Here’s what you do: If you’ve already eaten today, that’s it. No more. You’re done for today. And tomorrow, it has to be very light. One baby carrot; a half of a handful of peanuts; and chew a very small amount of bark off of a nearby tree. And that’s it.

You might be thinking, “Wow, this is amazing! I’m impressed with this guy’s discipline and will power and his tremendous resolve. It’s really inspirational.”

What’s that? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you, I was unwrapping a Kit Kat bar.

…..Just kidding!!! It’s Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 5:02pm, as I write this note and, so far, the “Prep-For-Thanksgiving” Tradition (a one-year old tradition) is still alive!

I’ll let you know how it’s going tomorrow.

[“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr”…pay no attention, that’s just my stomach growling.]

It Must Be God!

Here’s a great question: “Is anything happening in your life that could only be explained by the working of the Holy Spirit?” It’s a question about the evidence of God in our lives. Can we look at something…anything in our lives and say: “Wow, I don’t have the brains or the power or the connections or the resources to pull that off! So, how is that happening? Hmm, it must be God.”

Some Folks Seem To Be "Ticked Off" About Facebook

“Those people are NOT all your friends!” someone said to me recently.

I responded, “You’re right, they’re not all close personal ‘friends’ in the most literal sense, that’s just a word that is used on a social networking site like Facebook, because they have to use some word to designate the people that we connect with.”

“Well, they shouldn’t use the word ‘friend’ it’s not true,” came the response. And he knocked me down and took my lunch money. I thought I was done with those old school-yard bully tactics back when I was taking Bible classes in college. I guess not.

I’ve noticed that some of the people I’ve talked with, who are not interested in embracing social networking technology, seem to have VERY potent NEGATIVE feelings about it. It’s not just that they don’t like it, there’s more to it than that. They don’t like it AND they’re angry about the whole situation, too. Have you come across this attitude, as well, or is it just me?

After telling one woman about my adventures on Facebook, she, too, knocked me to the ground and took my lunch money. Before she let me up she said, “I don’t like that techno-garbage and you shouldn’t either.” (For a woman pastor, she sure seems to be painfully unaware of Jesus’ ideas like: “turn the other cheek”. After knocking me down and yelling at me, she quietly resumed her personal Bible study.)

I think most of the people whom I know on Facebook are very aware of the fact that true relationships are MORE than seeing comments and pictures on a page. The folks I know understand—I believe—that we need to still nurture those person-to-person, face-to-face connections that are part of really relating in a meaningful way with someone.

This is “sort of” preaching to the choir—considering where I’m posting this—but have you found that certain technological tools are quite remarkable at helping us connect with others—or STAY connected with others—even if those connections aren’t necessarily ideal? I sure have. And since relationships are so central to our lives, that’s a good thing.

I know that there is a potential to utilize internet technology for shallow, insignificant ways of relating with people. But I’m also excited about the potential that exists for using it in positive, helpful ways. Do you believe that these technological tools can be used in ways that glorify God and communicate good, positive, encouraging, interesting, beneficial truths? I do. And I’d like to try to do that.

And I want to spread a little laughter, too. Few things in life help create a bond between people like shared laughter.

It's The "Categorical Imperative", But It's Actually Very Simple

Kant’s “Categorical Imperative” is a pretty compelling idea: “Act as if the principle from which you act were to become through your will a universal law of nature.” Think of it like this, what if your behavior became the standard by which everybody behaved? A somewhat similar idea is expressed in the Bible: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is practical wisdom for our lives.

The Difference Between 2 Hours of Marriage and 30-Something Years of Marriage

What’s the difference between two hours of marriage and 30-something years of marriage? Well, maybe my experience this weekend can help us understand.

My niece Erin was married to Michael this weekend in a ceremony that was beautiful and touching and—in a positive way—one of the most creative wedding ceremonies I have ever attended. Even now, as I think about my brother, Cam’s, words to Erin and Michael in the ceremony, I get a lump in my throat. Oh…wait a minute…nevermind, that “lump” was the jawbreaker I was eating. But, still, it truly was a lovely and tender wedding.

Two hours after they were pronounced husband and wife, Erin and Michael, would look at each other from time to time, during the course of the reception, with a tenderness and compassion that could melt cold steel. You could tell that from Michael’s standpoint, Erin is the most beautiful, wonderful and magnificent creature God has ever created. Likewise, you could tell from Erin’s expression that every beat of her heart was quietly saying, “Michael….I love you.”

Picture the most romantic scene you could ever imagine. Got it? Okay, now understand that Michael and Erin’s glances at each other during the reception were twice as romantic.

That’s “two hours” of marriage for you. Pretty nice, huh?

Now, consider the airline flight of a couple…oh, let’s see…we’ll call them Mark and Lori, (especially since those are their names). Mark and Lori have been married for close to 30 years, or more. (I’m not sure the exact number, but it’s been a while.) On their way into town from the East Coast, to attend Erin and Michael’s wedding, Mark and Lori’s jet was hit by lightning. Really. They saw a bright light, almost like a strobe light, and as the passengers were curiously discussing what happened, the pilot informed them that the plane had, in fact, been hit by lightning and they would be turning around to return to their point of departure.

“Don’t panic, folks,” the pilot told them, “this kind of thing happens from time to time and the survival rate is relatively high. But if you believe in prayer, ask God to keep us all from dying.”*

This type of event can be frightening and unsettling. And Lori, with an understandable mixture of fear and concern began to cry. Mark (remember, somewhere around 30 years of marriage) said to his wife, “Oh, Lori, for crying out loud, get a grip!”

So, there it is. There’s the difference.

Two hours of marriage: Tender looks of compassion every 10 or 15 seconds that are almost unparalleled in their loving intensity.

Close to 30 years of marriage: “Oh, Lori, it’s just a little lightning while we’re racing through the air at 700 miles per hour, perhaps close to an imminent crash that will end our lives in a fiery explosion…get a grip!”

It’s interesting what a difference twenty-nine years, 364 days, and 22 hours can make.

[*NOTE: The pilot didn’t really say this, but in my imagination the story is better with this detail.]

** Posting from the Fairfield Inn, Anderson, Indiana

It Works Better When We Really LISTEN

Insightful comment from a writer named Graham Johnston:  “It is one of the greatest frustrations of the communications process that if you attack someone else’s point of view, the most likely outcome is that you will reinforce the very view you wanted to change.” When we really LISTEN to a person and then respond with respect & humility & kindness & truth we communicate more effectively.

Our Faith In Christ Is About Every Area Of Our Lives

It would be a mistake to be a follower of Christ and to think that certain areas of life are OFF LIMITS or “of no interest” to Jesus. There is no area of our lives, nothing we do, nothing we think, no attitude that we manifest that Jesus is not interested in. Christianity is about living ALL OF LIFE with Christ. Is Jesus welcome in EVERY aspect of our lives today?

Jasper On The Mend

We had to leave Jasper today because we drove to Dayton, Ohio for my niece Erin’s wedding.  I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Dayton. Don’t worry, we taught Jasper how to operate the microwave, and we left him a case of bottled water, so he should be okay for a few days.

I felt so bad leaving him, for two reasons…

First of all, when we left, he sat staring out the window at us with the saddest look on his face. Dog’s are very bright animals and they know when their master’s are going away. And it bothers them.

But the second reason I felt bad is that Jasper recently injured one of the claws on his paw and the vet had to wrap it with bandages after treating him. When a dog has bandages they have to wear one of those large cone collars—it almost looks like some type of crude satellite set up—to prevent them from chewing off the bandages.

You should see him. Poor Jasper! (Actually, I’ve included a picture, you CAN see him.)

This evening when Jasper’s “dog sitter” showed up, she walked in the house and discovered that he chewed off the bandages anyhow! The special protective satellite collar didn’t work. Although, on the positive side, he is picking up HBO.

PHOTO Caption:  If Jasper turns slightly toward the northeast he can pick up Showtime.

Jasper:  "Sure, yuk it up, Funnyboy, but this isn't amusing to me."

Our Lives Have Influence

A sobering truth to confront is that we often have more influence on certain people in our lives than we realize. In other words, there are people who are watching us, they’re watching our lives and learning. Think about it: They are actually learning things from WATCHING us! What are we teaching them? There’s no such thing as: “My life is only about me.” All of our lives reach beyond ourselves.

The Check Out Line

I had four check out lanes to choose from. But I never seem to get this right.

I looked at the number of people already waiting in each line. The lines were all about the same. Then I looked at the amount of stuff that the people in line had in their shopping carts. One of the lines appeared likely to be quicker so I made my selection and took my place.

I never seem to get this right.

What I did not look at was: the check out person. My check out person was a young man. He looked like he might have been in his teen years. He appeared to be healthy and I could tell from careful observation that he was, in fact, breathing.

But apparently, sometime during the course of his shift he had lapsed into a coma. It was an unusual kind of coma where you remain standing and you can swipe items over a scanner and push buttons on a cash register, but you do it all at around the same speed that a person who is in a traditional coma would do it.

So, there I stood shaking my head in bewilderment as a steady stream of people in the lines to my left and right had their items tallied, paid for their purchases, and continued on their way out the store talking and laughing and enjoying full, rich, harmonious lives. In the meantime my check out guy stood looking for the bar codes on a can of corn with glassy eyes.

You say, “Dan, how long did it take you to finally check out?”

I don’t know. I’m still here! I’m submitting this post from the check out line with my mobile phone. I think I’ve been here since late Wednesday evening, but I’m not sure anymore. It’s all a blur to me. I’ve eaten a number of items that were in my cart—including a greeting card—just to stay alive.

Someone, please, help me! There’s still one other person in front of me and my check out guy is calling for a price check on a yogurt six-pack although he’s actually holding a box of baby wipes in his hand.

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and PATIENCE.” Colossians 3:13

 

Patience.

Did I mention that I never seem to get this right?

[Submitted via mobile phone. Battery low.]

Significant Relationships Require Grace

In order for us to have relationships with the kind of closeness and intimacy and honesty that we truly long for there must be generous, grace given & received. We can’t—we won’t—open up and reveal who we really are and relate with each other transparently & authentically & courageously unless we know that it’s “safe” to do so. The “safety” is found when we extend God’s loving grace to each other.

It's Time To Consider The Theological Implications of Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was sitting in my office last night and I heard a knock on the door, one of the women from our church was standing there and said, “Here, I’ve been reading Ephesians again.”

And she held out a container with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I’m holding them up to the screen, right now. If you put your nose up to the screen you might be able to smell them—online blogs have gotten tremendously sophisticated in their communication abilities. Smells good, doesn’t it?

A big smile lit up my face, and I said, “Oh my goodness, thank you.”

We both laughed. It’s a little joke that we share based on a silly remark that I made in a sermon, one time, about making chocolate chip cookies for the pastor of the church. I said something about “getting into heaven” by making cookies for the pastor and I mentioned that the scriptural proof could be found in the New Testament book of Ephesians.

The next week, sure enough, she brought me some chocolate chip cookies. (It turns out she was the only who was awake when I made that comment. But, if you think about it, helping people get some much needed sleep is a helpful service in our fast-paced culture. I’m just glad I can be of service.)

Obviously, I’m just kidding around about the cookie thing. You all know the “cookie” remark is just my silly sense of humor and Mary—the nice woman who gave me the chocolate cookies—knows it, too.  We know that salvation is not a matter of any kind of works, it is entirely a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Thank God for his wonderful grace. Baking cookies for the pastor WILL NOT get anyone into heaven!

However, this important theological point, is worth pondering:  Is it possible that fresh cookies for the pastor would determine the particular REWARDS a person might get in heaven? Certain passages in the book of Ephesians seem to point to this possibility (the exact chapter and verse of these passages eludes me right at this moment).

I don’t know. But it’s worth thinking about. I know that as I’m eating these chocolate chip cookies, I’m thinking deeply about it. Yes, yes….I’m eating a cookie and I’m thinking with great focus and concentration, right now.

This "Anthropic Principle" Could Really Work To My Advantage

The conditions of our universe are “just right” for the existence of man. In fact, it appears that the universe has been specially designed to accommodate the existence of human beings. The extent to which our universe is perfectly fine tuned to permit human life is extraordinary. This concept is known as the Anthropic Principle and, frankly, it’s a little bit embarrassing to many scientists and other thinkers who do not like the possibility of “God” sneaking into their nice, neat materialistic world. You see, all this fine-tuning smacks of a “Tuner”.

So, they posit the theory that there are multiple universes—perhaps even an infinite number of universes. With all these extra universes, it becomes more statistically probable that one of them is a life-permitting universe, like ours. It’s important to note that there is no evidence for these multiple universes. However, this theory is the only way they have come up with, so far, to explain the inescapable reality of what looks like “design”. (Remember, design requires a DESIGNER, just like “tuning” requires a “Tuner”.)

I have to admit that I’m a little bit inclined toward this kind of scientific reasoning, myself. Sure. Why wouldn’t I be? Based on this kind of thinking, somewhere out there, in another one of those infinite universes is another me who is brilliant, and good-looking and an absolute joy to be with every moment of the day….oh yeah, and this “me” has never made a mistake of any kind. In fact, I, hereby, defer all future questions regarding any of my ill-advised behaviors to this “other me”. Yeah, you know what? The more I think about it, the more I like this multi-universe theory.

*Photo on bottom right: The more perfect me, in one of those other universes, has flawless willpower and, so, he never caves in to the temptation of a Kit Kat bar. I love this other me, he's so cool.

Leave The Results With God, It's A Lot Less Pressure

“Our priority in [sharing the gospel] is not to make the nonbeliever listen to us, but to help the person be ready to listen to God and be taught by him.”--Joe Boot. Hmm, there’s a thought, huh? Help them listen to GOD, not to us. Do we believe that we are responsible for the results of our efforts to bring the good news of Christ to others or do we believe we can trust God? Trusting God takes the pressure off of us.

Lucky? No, That Doesn't Explain It. I Must Be Blessed!

People look at me and say, “How in the world did THIS GUY ever end up with a beautiful, wonderful, godly woman like Nadia? It seems so unlikely that he could ever be that lucky! Come on, the odds are incomprehensible!” And then they walk around in circles for two or three hours looking down and shaking their heads.

Actually, several years ago, a team of the world’s leading mathematicians at Cal Tech set to work calculating the odds that I would wind up with Nadia. They worked diligently, behind closed doors day and night, but it was no use. The odds were so astronomical against it that when a security team finally went in to find the mathematicians, they discovered them all laying on the floor clutching their calculators and muttering, “It’s not right, no one should be that lucky. The odds are totally against it.” Many of them had slide rules and pocket protectors hanging out of their mouths. It was a ghastly scene.

Of course, the simple answer is that they’re right. There’s no way I could be lucky enough to have such a wonderful wife. In fact, it has nothing to do with luck. It’s a “God thing”. I have been abundantly blessed by God. It seems that God just likes me so much that He said, “Alright, you don’t deserve it, but I’m really gracious, so…whatever…I’m going to wire her up to love you, you Knucklehead!” [This is a loose paraphrase.]

So, all I can say is: “Blessings and much love to my wife of 25 years. Nadia, I love you!”

P.S.  When God calls me “Knucklehead” it’s a term of endearment.

P.P.S.  Nadia, don’t pay any attention to those mathematicians at Cal Tech, what do they know, huh?

*About the picture on the bottom right:  When we told Rachel about our big, exciting day today, this was her response.

"Harshness" Isn't Necessarily "Truth-Telling"

A mark of immaturity is when people confuse “harshness” with “truth-telling.” Some people think their harshness toward others is a mark of their willingness to dish out difficult truths. Often this harshness is just an indication that they are angry and immature and hurt. Mature truth-tellers always strive to tell the whole truth without compromise and yet always doing so lovingly and gently and graciously.

The On-Going Saga Of Jasper And The Squirrels

The squirrels in our backyard love to tease our dog, Jasper. He chases them and they run back and forth along the top of the fence. It seems so dangerous, sometimes they look like they’re about to slip and fall off the fence. I can’t understand why a squirrel would play around like that. Why take that risk unless you’re really enjoying it? So, I really think they’re teasing him.

You can almost see a smile on the squirrel’s face. If you listen closely, you can almost hear faint, high-pitched squirrel laughter. They’re having a ball.

You say, “Dan, for crying out loud, do you really think a squirrel intentionally teases a dog?  Gee whiz, do you believe those squirrels know what they’re doing?”

Well, I might have been skeptical about the squirrels teasing Jasper, until I spotted their latest tactic. You can see it in the picture. The squirrels in our backyard have started wearing masks. (One of the squirrels even has a tiny Darth Vader costume that he wears. I couldn’t get a picture of him, he darted inside a small mock-up of the “Death Star”.)

To those who think it’s unlikely that a squirrel could tease a dog, I ask you: If a squirrel is smart enough to wear a mask to try to confuse Jasper, isn’t it likely that they’re smart enough to understand that they’re teasing him by running along the top of the fence?

Needless to say, with this un-doctored photo as evidence, I believe I can rest my case.

Sing Praise Today!

I know that some of my friends who will read this are having difficulties and hurting these days. I don’t mean to be insensitive to that. However, isn’t also true that, if you think about it, there are ways in which you are blessed despite the trouble? Aren’t there at least some reasons for us to be cheerful today? I hope so. The Bible says this: “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” I hope you can sing praise today!

When The Chips Are Down Everyone Is Open To Prayer

I did something today that I’ve done a number of times in the past.  I ended up praying with a complete stranger while I was visiting someone else I know, in the hospital.

I was visiting my friend Teresa in the hospital, this evening—the world famous Helene happened to be there visiting Teresa, too—and while we were talking, the woman in the bed next to Teresa’s joined in on some of the conversation with us and told us some of her story. It would be fair to say that she’s had a tough year.

[ *Some of you may be wondering: Who is the “world famous Helene?”  Helene is a woman in our church who seems to know someone everywhere she goes, friends, relatives, politicians, celebrities, Paris Hilton, Stallone, she knows them all. Therefore, I think she must be world famous. If you are reading this and you don’t know Helene then you need to subscribe to “PEOPLE” magazine and you’ve got to promise yourself that you’re going to start getting out more.]

Anyhow, back to the hospital room….

When it was time to go, I went to Teresa’s bedside and held her hand to pray with her. And I reached across to the other bed and held the hand of Teresa’s roommate and prayed for her, as well. And that’s the point I’m getting at. I’ve never offered to pray with someone at the hospital—even people I don’t know—and been turned down. It seems that, when the chips are down, as a patient in the hospital, everyone gets a little more open to the idea of prayer.

Oh, I know it could happen. At some point, someone could say, “No thanks, don’t pray for me, Bub! Leave me alone, I’m eating my delicious hospital food!”

I know everyone doesn’t believe in prayer. But, so far, I haven’t run into the person who’s not open to prayer….at least, while they’re laying in a hospital bed. Maybe it’s one of those responses where even if they don’t really believe in prayer they figure, “What the heck, it can’t hurt.”

So, like I said earlier, I’ve done it before and I did it again tonight. I held hands with a complete stranger and prayed with her.

And when I finished the prayer and said “Amen” I felt her gently squeeze my hand. It was a tender moment. And then I looked over and smiled at her and that’s when I noticed that with the other hand she was busily gobbling down hospital food.

Hey, at least she didn’t say, “Leave me alone, Bub!”

Can You "Connect" #1 And #2?

In a long conversation, a friend told me recently that: 1) he no longer buys into the “God story” [his words]; and 2) he is—in so many words—restless, cynical and disillusioned with life. It’s interesting to me that he didn’t seem to see a connection between #1 and #2.  I did.  Do you?

Things Seem To Work Out For Rachel

Things seem to work out for Rachel.

Rachel and I were heading to the check out counter and I said, “What are you holding in your hand?”

She showed me the CD she intended to buy. The sticker on the label indicated that the price was $18.99. I said, “Do you have that much money?”

She said, “Yes.” But when I asked her to show me, she opened her wallet and produced one ten dollar bill.

I said, “You don’t have enough money. That will cost over $19 dollars with tax and you only have ten dollars.” But she continued walking to the check-out counter with me. I repeated myself, “You don’t have enough money for that CD, Rachel.”

When we got to the check out counter Rachel handed her CD to the clerk.  (Alright, I admit, I was going to chip in the extra money she needed for her purchase.) The clerk looked at the CD and said, “Oh, this is on sale.”

I said, “What?”

She said, “Yeah, there’s a discount version of this same CD, it’s on that rack over there. Hold on a second, I’ll go get it for you.”…..When she came back, she rang up the CD and said, “That will be nine dollars and eighty-seven cents.”

 

Rachel handed the clerk her ten dollar bill and received 13 cents in change.

As we got in the car to leave Rachel said, “That was nice.”

I said, “Yes, it was.”

See what I mean? Things seem to work out for Rachel.

We Want To Choose Our Words Wisely

Words are powerful. We can crush people with words. We can wound and hurt and condemn and belittle and deceive. But, of course, it works the other way, too. We can lovingly speak grace and truth and encouragement and healing and thanks and peace and hope into the lives of others, as well. I pray that, today, we choose our words wisely.

Impersonations At Church...A Timeless Art

“Hello, daaaahling!”

That’s my imitation of one of the people in our church back when I was a kid. Yeah, it would be okay to say “punk kid”, since that would be a relatively accurate description.

(Note: If you attended the COG in Oak Lawn back in the 60’s and 70’s, you know who I’m talking about….God bless her.)

My brother and I (he’ll deny this if you ask him, but he was in on it…) along with some of our other buddies in the youth group had imitations of various people in the church. I guess, to be honest, there was a little bit of disrespect in it all, but mainly it was just good-natured joking around. It was just having a little fun. It was the kind of thing young people do.

Well, it’s been over 3 decades since my teen years and, sure enough, the tables have turned. Now my son and his buddies have impressions of me and other people in the church. I’ve seen and heard some of them and they’re pretty amusing. It’s inevitable. I figure, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Right? “What comes around goes around.”

There are probably some other sayings that apply but I can’t think of them.

They try to do their impersonations on the sly, but sometimes, I catch them in the act. That’s always fun. One day a hilarious impersonation of one of our singers was occurring at my house. The young person* doing the impersonation didn’t know I was home. He was literally strutting around the house belting out his impersonation in a loud, boisterous voice.

When he came around the corner and saw me standing at the top of the stairs, he immediately stopped singing and with a sheepish look on his face said, “Oh, I didn’t know you were home.”

After an awkward pause, he ran down the stairs while all the other guys cackled with delight at this “gotcha!” moment. Ahhh, memories.

Time will roll on and, yes, the tables will turn. And, someday--not too long from now, in the big scheme of things--a group of teenagers will be doing impersonations of my son and his buddies. I sure do hope I’m around for that. It’s so comforting to know that some things never change.

P.S. The impersonation of me, as far as I know, consists of one word. The trick is that it has to be spoke with just the right vocal inflection: “Really...?”

* “Young person”: he’s in the photo. Yep, he's in there alright.

What About Resources To Help Me With My Bible Questions?

At our church, we continue to emphasize having some type of personal devotional time as an important part of growing in the Christian faith.  A “personal devotional time” has been identified by many recent studies as one of the primary catalysts of spiritual growth.  Actually, we don’t need a lot of studies, though, any mature Christian will verify the truth of that reality.

Reading and studying the Bible (along with prayer) would be a significant part of a personal devotional time.  Because folks in our church are spending more time reading the Bible—a fact that I’m thrilled about—I’m getting a few more inquiries about resources to help with the questions that people encounter as they read the Bible.

Here is a response that I have provided to a couple of folks about the matter of finding answers to Bible questions/issues.

Bible commentaries are resource tools that provide “comments” on the scriptural text.  While this is not a sure-fire source of answers to all Bible questions, it’s a helpful tool.  There are many Bible commentaries available.  Some Bibles have commentaries included with the Biblical text.  For example the “Life Application Bible” (Tyndale publishers).  These are sometimes titled “Study” Bibles.

Some commentaries are stand alone books.  Many different kinds of Bible commentaries could be found at a Christian book store or on-line at Amazon.com and other on-line booksellers.  Also, there are Bible commentaries that are directly accessible on-line, for example, at BibleGateway.com

One of the problems that can arise with commentaries is that generally they don’t deal with every single verse in the Bible and so, sometimes, they don’t address the specific questions that you may have about a particular verse.  But they are a good, helpful resource that are usually the result of credible scholarship and there are many different commentaries available.

Also, there are Bible resource books that deal specifically with difficult issues or questions from the Bible.  For example:

“Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses” by Ron Rhodes;

“Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties” by Gleason Archer;

“Hard Sayings of the Bible” by Kaiser, Davids, Bruce, and Brauch. 

And there are others that can be found by searching on-line.  Again, what you might encounter with these types of resources is that they may or may not deal with the specific question that you have.  But they are a good place to start a search and they often provide interesting and helpful responses to Bible questions.

Speaking of “on line”, another possibility regarding the questions we have—and I know most of you have already thought of this—is to type the question into a search engine like Google and see what comes up.  I want to be quick to say that I realize the answers that come up from this type of search may not represent mature wisdom or careful and accurate Christian thinking, but sometimes they do.  At any rate it is another avenue of research and investigation.  The caution is simply this: as you expose yourself to the results of such a search, be sure to carefully consider the source of the answers you’re getting.

I feel like this idea is also worth mentioning: Sometimes when we encounter questions as we read a passage of Scripture, it’s okay to continue on without getting an immediate answer to that particular question.  I’m not suggesting that we intentionally avoid difficult questions.  And I’m not certainly not suggesting, for a moment, that God cannot stand up to scrutiny.  Believe me, he can!  But I am suggesting that this is possible:  Sometimes we’re not ready for an answer to the particular question.  Or, sometimes the answer to that question is going to come as we continue reading and studying and discussing the matter with others, but it’s not going to come RIGHT NOW.  Or, sometimes the question represents one of the great mysteries that we’re never going to understand on this side of eternity.  I know that can sound like a cop-out and I don’t mean to cop out.  I believe it’s fair and legitimate and reasonable to pursue answers to our questions.  In fact, I think it’s good and healthy to pursue answers to our questions.  But there’s a reality about our existence in the here and now that is painfully true and the reality is this: We do not and we will not ever know all the answers.  Again, this is not an attempt to dodge the tough issues, it’s an attempt to face the reality of our finite abilities.

So, I encourage you to keep reading His word.  It can be challenging.  But stick with it. Ultimately, it is a source of help and growth.  And, it is a way that God reveals Himself to us.  And as we know Him better, the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more and more like Him!

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”  2 Cor. 3:18 [NLT]

Putting On The New Nature

How about saying this today?  “God, you’re right. God, where my way diverges from yours….please change me in such a way that I come into alignment with YOU. God, I surrender control of my thoughts, my behaviors, my words to you.” This—done in concert with God’s Holy Spirit—is part of what the Bible calls putting on “the new nature.”

People: A Pain AND A Joy

“People” are both the cause of our greatest pain in life and the cause of our greatest joy. If we CARE about people, somewhere along the way, we will get hurt.  I’m sorry, but that’s the truth. However, in order to engage fully with life and in order to be who God created us to be, we must care about people anyhow. This is part of the reason why “real living” involves courage, selfless love & much grace.

Do You REALLY Believe That God Loves You?

What I have found in many conversations with people is that even though we know the words about God’s love for us & we agree intellectually that He loves us unconditionally, there’s a sense in which we have a hard time REALLY BELIEVING it. God knows YOU completely—every detail—and yet He loves you FULLY. “Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God…” Rom. 8:39

Luther Keeps The Doctor Guessing

Last Sunday I told a story about my dad’s recent visit with a doctor. (You can hear the story at www.VisitUsOnline.org if you’re interested, 11/8/09 msg.) After I told the story about the doctor being caught off guard by my dad’s sense of humor, Nadia reminded me that I should have mentioned the other time, during their meeting, when the doctor didn’t immediately catch my dad’s humor at play. So, here it is…

The doctor was telling my dad that the test which had been performed revealed that there is a mass in one of his lungs. The mass shows up as a dark area on the charts that the doctor examined. The doctor held up his fingers to indicate the approximate size of the mass. The doctor continued with his explanation of the matter, but my dad interrupted him.

“Could that be the bullet?” my dad asked with a curious look of wonder on his face.

The doctor knew from a prior conversation that my dad was a World War II veteran who saw a good bit of action and so he launched into an explanation about the size and shape of the image on the CAT scan indicating that it couldn’t be “the bullet”.

As the doctor continued faithfully addressing the question of “the bullet”, I had to hold up a hand and tell him, “Doctor, my dad wasn’t shot in the chest during the war, he’s just kidding with you.”

The doctor looked at me—to see if I was the one who was now kidding, or not—then he looked at my dad, who was smiling at him.  And he started laughing.

The doctor was seriously attempting to tell my dad that there is a mass of some type in his lungs that will need to be investigated.  It’s a matter of concern because of the possibility that obviously comes to mind: could it be a malignant tumor? That’s a question to which we still do not know the answer. The doctor—who is a very nice man with a wonderful, caring “bedside manner”—was being appropriately professional about a serious health issue.  My dad was joking with him.

Before our visit was over the doctor said to my dad, “Mr. Marler, you are a remarkable man.”

The doctor is right, but if he only knew the half of it….

See How Much We Need Each Other?

How fundamentally important and necessary are other people to us? Here’s an interesting example: On 9/11, people who were trapped in the flames at the World Trade Center made a decision to jump to their deaths rather than endure the torture of burning to death. Our inherent need for help & support from others is revealed by the fact that many of these people jumped while holding hands with someone else.

Take A Good Look At The Man In This Photo

The man in the picture accompanying this article is known to be on a diet and currently working with a personal trainer.  And yet, as can be plainly seen from the photo, he is holding a triple-thick chocolate shake which, many witnesses confirm, he consumed IN ITS ENTIRETY.

All of this occurred at a local restaurant which is known to serve foods which are high in both calories, carbohydrates and thick cheeses.

The identity of the man shall not be disclosed in this article because this is, obviously, a forum in which we strenuously refrain from “gossip” and all forms of “small talk”.

But look at the photo.  Look at it!  Do you see the look of joy on his face?  Do you see the smile?  Is it possible that he’s flaunting his general disregard for the rules and boundaries of the diet? It makes a person ponder what other rules of the program might be at risk. Is he counting his push-ups properly? You have to wonder.

Witnesses at the scene claim to have overheard this exchange between the man and his caring wife…

Wife:  Is THAT on your diet?

Man:  The diet doesn’t start until tomorrow.

It was the old “the-diet-starts-tomorrow” routine! Yep, we’ve all heard THAT ONE a million times, haven‘t we?

One of the basic lessons of this story is this: There are people with cameras, now, everywhere.  We can’t hide.  All of our actions are “out there!”  It’s something to keep in mind.

 

This man’s trainer is known to be a tough and demanding disciplinarian; a man who has quickly reduced powerful athletes to sad heaps, laying on the floor in tears. One can only hope that the trainer might be made aware of this incident, for the man’s own good…strictly for HIS OWN GOOD. 

Look again at the photo, take a good look….it is clearly a cry for help!