Twenty

Though the years have skipped joyfully along in no time, twenty years ago seems like another lifetime. We weren't exactly kids on June 7, 1997, but my, how we have grown.

Today is our twentieth wedding anniversary. 

In honor of Melanie, and our twenty years together, may I present these thoughts about her.

1. First glance. Quick poll: What do you notice first about Melanie? First by far would be her smile. A quick, ready, electric light up your room kind of smile.
2. Sweetest sound. Her laugher is Infectious. It may be varied due to the circumstance, but it always catches on with others. And, to my ears, it's the sweetest sound this side of Heaven.
3. Baby blues. Blue more brilliant the waves at Knysna, South Africa. Blue more captivating than Alaskan glaciers. Blue that stole my heart within minutes of our first meeting. Her eyes are indeed a window to her soul. 
4. Cornbread. Cornbread with sugar is cake. Cornbread comes from a well-seasoned, iron skillet. 
5. Tea. On the contrary, must be sweet.
6. You can be right. As newlyweds, when we'd disagree and I'd always want the last word, she'd offer those words just to shut me up. She was wise, but it didn't always work. This is me she was talking to.
7. Nursing is caring. Why is she a nurse? To care for people. An extension of her being. Sometimes she cares so much it hurts. As an RN since 1994 and a nurse practitioner since 2000, she has cared for countless thousands.
8. Ebenezer. God provided us a baby grand piano when we least expected he could. I call him Ebenezer—read the Bible story. She doesn't like that name, but she always wanted a house filled with music. And by God's grace and her talent, it is.
9. Fiery. Now, don't think that a lady who cares so deeply and loves so thoroughly is a pushover. She is passionate. There's a fire within her. Every so often those blue eyes burn. And you just thought my hair was thinning due to age; burned right off from her looking right through me.
10. Whatchamacallit. The candy bar. Some days—you know the ones that suck out your soul and leave you crashing on the couch before bedtime—you just need a Whatchamacallit.
11. Wonder Woman. Although she has no shield, sword, or lasso, mine does have super powers. You should see how easily she can soften a child's heart or bend a grown man's will. Wonder Woman indeed.
12. Shelly. You always know when she is on the phone with her sister. If the rolling waves of laughter don't give it away, the way she slips so easily back into her sweet, Southern drawl does. She will deny this, but it is true. Ask our kids.
13. Faithful friendship. Her sister is her best friend, but if you know her, you are her friend too. And befriended by Melanie is friendship that makes you better. Friendship is a gift; hers is priceless. 
14. Mama. Yes, she is. Seth, Mary Elizabeth, and John Mark will testify that she is the center of our home. How do we know? When she is out of town everything just seems lopsided. She's the balance and the heart of our home. We are daily blessed by her.
15. Joyous giving. She loves giving so much to so many that we've got a line item in our budget for us, and the ladies at Hallmark know her by name. I name drop when I'm there without her just to hear them say sweet things.
16. Snow White. Beware when on Disney property even without the dress or dwarfs. More than one person has mistaken her. Dark hair, porcelain skin, majestic neck. She's a princess for sure.
17. Pastor's wife. Who has the most difficult position in a local church? The pastor's wife. Expectations abound while genuine relationships may not. Yet who carries herself masterfully in that role? This pastor's wife.
18. Otherish love. I have witnessed no one love others so much like Jesus as Melanie. Her love is God powered, other focused, and self sacrificing. It will have you both undone and joyous at the same moment.
19. Grace incarnate. When someone asks me about God’s grace, I am quick to tell them about God’s love for them and his offer of eternal life through Jesus. When it is appropriate, I add something like this too, “And another way I know God’s grace is real: My wife.”
20. Smitten. Smitten is both the most amazing ice cream place we enjoyed together in San Francisco and the way I feel about her. More today than twenty years ago. And especially when she uses her cheesy grin. 

Among all the memories of the past and dreams of the future that race within me, two realities reoccur: I can be a better man because she deserves better; she is an amazing lady whose love is grace beyond what I deserve. 

Here's to twenty years, my dear. Prayers for decades more.

Now that you've read this and said, "How sweet," or something of the sort, let me share a bonus: Editor. After reading this gift I've composed about her she kindly said, "You've got a few typos in here. You want me to tell you." Why, yes, I do... She's the best editor a guy can have.

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Always

It’s just you reading this, so we can be honest—me writing, you reading. Even at our most gracious, most giving, and most caring—our best behavior—we have to own the truth about ourselves. We are not always at our best. We are not always blameless. We don’t always choose to do right thing. Yes, we regularly fall short—even according to our own, biased moral standard.

In plain terms, we are not always good.

In biblical terms, we are not always righteous

Always—though such an innocent sounding word—can be perfectly terrible and horribly eternal. Always is forever.

The Bible agrees with us about the imperfect state of our personal unrighteousness. The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned breaking God’s laws (Romans 3:23), and that our sin earns us eternal death. The Bible teaches that our sin separates us from God (Romans 6:23), but that God does offer a saving response. The Bible teaches that all of us were God’s enemies (Romans 5:8), and for that reason, Jesus died for us. The Bible teaches that even all our good works will not save us (Ephesians 2:8-9), but that God’s grace does for us what we can not do for ourselves. 

God is always righteous, always holy, and always perfect. Therefore, He always despises the unrighteousness of sin. It is destructive; it separates humanity from a loving relationship with Him. And that is why the eternal, sovereign God of the whole universe enacted a gracious plan. He sent his one and only son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and restore us to a love relationship with Him. Consider the following Scripture.

“Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. ”

— Hebrews 7:25 HCSB

God is always able—at any time and for all time. God is always able—no matter your past, no matter your sin. God is always able to save us through His Son, Jesus.

If you have never committed your life to follow Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you can do that right now. A simple prayer confessing your personal sinfulness, asking God's forgiveness, and committing yourself to follow Him is the first step to new, eternal life with Him.

If you would like to learn more, then talk to a Christian friend or contact me directly. Please share this post using the options below and subscribe for updates.

Many

Can you count the grains of sand on those adorable baby feet? Could you count the grains of sand on a beach? On all the beaches? In all the deserts? On our entire planet?

No.

The first question—the baby’s feet—would be more than most of us would have patience for. And, frankly, why would you even bother? Those chubby footsies help us make the point that there is a lot of sand on Earth. Scientists estimate that 65 million square miles of our planet is covered by sand—and that’s just surface area. 

The word “many” in the following scripture might make you think of sand.

“And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”

— Romans 5:16, ESV

The “free gift” mentioned is eternal salvation. By grace you are saved through faith. God offers the free gift of salvation to all who confess their faith in His son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior.

People need God’s free gift because of our “many trespasses"—The Understatement of the Ages. Trespasses is another way to say “sins.” This scripture is contrasting God's one free gift with all human sin of all time. Humans beings are sin machines. We can not help but to break God’s law. We naturally do things our own way. Seven billion people inhabit our planet now. An estimated 108,000,000,0000— one hundred and eight billion!—have called Earth home throughout its existence.

The understated "many” doesn’t come close when counting all those sins. The actual number of all human sins of all times might be better described as countless or innumerable.

Yet no matter how many people, no matter how many sins, God offers salvation to ALL who ask.

How many times will we be awed by His free gift?

How many times will we be humbled by His infinite grace?

If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior or would like to know more, then click here or contact me. And please share this post, comment, and subscribe.

Listening

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.”

— Psalm 81:11-12, ESV

"Agh! How could I do it again? That ugly, old habit. That slip of the tongue. That selfish impatience. That voice raised in anger. Why do I do that?"

Ever wish your life was like a recording artist in the studio? You'd have a producer listening closely, ready to instruct you how to sound better. And, of course, give you a chance for another take. Life would be easier if we got multiple takes.

"Sorry, the real me came out right there. I didn't want you to hear that. I'm not that mean. At least I don't think so. Or want you to think so. Take 2!" And you play it all over again with the nicer, edited you.

It's our preferences. Our expectations. Our pride. Our fear. Our selfishness. Even, let's be honest, our sinfulness that leads us into those ugly moments we wish we could edit out.

Psalm 81 tells us one reason we get ourselves in such trouble. When we are taken aback by the stubbornness of our hearts—that ugly, unbending self-will. When we taste the bile of our own foolish—those untrusting thoughts of God or the intentions of others. When we have those moments, Psalm 81 pins our shortcomings not on our circumstances, or the other guy, or Satan, but on us.

It is when we do not listen to God. It is when we are proud before God. When we do our own thing. When we disobey Him. This is when we get ourselves into trouble.

If only we would listen to Him. The Sovereign God of all who loves each of us as if there was only one of us. In Psalm 81, God recalls the good He has done for His people, He announces the blessings He will give even then to His people, if... If they will only listen and obey.

Maybe we need to turn off the distractions—social media, TV, the radio, smart phones. We need to open God's Word, humble ourselves, confess our sins, ask His forgiveness, and seek His will.

Imagine yourself putting on the headphones. Nothing but you and God. Hear Him. Obey Him.

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That You May Have Life

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

— John 20:30-31 ESV

As a pastor, I mention these two verses on a regular basis from the pulpit and interpersonally. Why?

First, Jesus said and did a whole lot more in his years of ministry than Bible writers could ever recorded. That’s important. The teachings and stories we do have show us his pattern of living and provide the framework for our doctrine. 

Next, Jesus’ life is recorded in the Bible for one over-arching purpose as seen here, "that you may believe." God’s purpose in writing the Bible in entirety and sharing stories of Jesus in part is that we—created in His image—might believe Jesus is the absolute Savior of humanity from our own sinfulness. We can not save ourselves. The Bible has a lot to say about that. Our own failures, even according to our own, biased view of morality further emphasize our fallenness. We need a Savior. He is Jesus.

Finally, the result of our belief in Jesus as our Savior is "life in his name." Not just any, old life, but life in Jesus name. Life alone sounds exciting. But life in Jesus' name takes on a whole new depth. In the Bible that phrase, "in his name," means "according to his will or purpose," and by extension, "through his power." That is both the where and the how of the life of the Christ follower.

Yet, what happens to us? We get saved, trusting Jesus to save us for eternity, and we seek to follow him in a daily relationship. Then somewhere along the way we take back control, we stop spending time with him through the Bible, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines, and what happens? Our life doesn’t seem so lifelike anymore. When we are not living IN Jesus it won't. It can’t. Our life is “in his name” not on our own.

We get that true life back through regular, if not daily, time spent with Jesus as we would a loved one here. When we do, we are connected to the only source of genuine life.

Make time. Find a place. Read your Bible. Write. Think. Pray. About everything. Then, and only then, will you find the life your soul longs for.

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