LISTS 2013

In 2008 I started what is a fun, annual post for me. I suspect these annual "LISTS" posts will mean even more in 40 years when I want to take a trip down memory lane....

Here are my "Top Five" lists from 2013.

Top Five Movies I Saw (key words are “I saw.” I watched maybe 10 movies all year.):

1. Now You See Me (What you see isn’t always what is there)

2. Rush (Two clear, contrasting ways to live. And fodder for hours of post-movie discussion)

3. Flight (An unforgettable movie about the horrors of alcohol abuse)

4. Hunger Games: Catching Fire (I love the passion and courage and longing of justice)

5. Tangled (on video, sitting next to my daughter by the fireplace and eating popcorn!) and Escape Plan (at the theater with my son; nothing like a good break-out-of-jail flick)

Top Five Websites/Apps I Visited/Used:
1. AJC.com / CNN.com  (And their apps)
2. Pandora.com / Pandora App – LOVE IT!
3. CBSsports.com
4. ESPN.com / Sports Center App /Watch ESPN App

5. Words With Friends App

Top Seven Books I Read:

1. Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill

2. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

3. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

4. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

5. Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

6. How God Became King by N.T. Wright

7. The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson

Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:
(in order of frequency)

1. Starbucks (four times/week on average)
2. McAlister’s Deli

3. Taco Mac (still for the football and friendships, not the food)

4. Sid’s Pizza (for pick-up, not dine-in)

5. Cheesecake Factory

Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:

1. Growing my relationship with my children

2. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings, and Wednesday/Thursday nights!
3. Volunteering at Esther Jackson Elementary School and helping to fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa.
4. Spending time with new friends.   

5. Reading.

Eleven Great Memories

1. Going to movies and eating out and talking with my son. He is truly awesome!!

2. Tucking my daughter in at night and driving her to school every morning, Mon-Fri, and helping her with her homework, and seeing her worship God on Sunday mornings, and listening to her sing anytime, anywhere!

3. Our annual summer vacation in Hilton Head.  Great again for the 30-something-eth year.

4. Old friendships going deeper – SteveW, George/Dianne, Kristal/Warren, JC, Susie/Eddie

5. New friendships – So many!  Especially Starbucks friends and Jeff King, Nizekick! 

6. Talking on the phone with my parents, and times my parents visited us in ATL.

7. Sunday nights at Taco Mac with friends.

8. My high school friends at church – Jack, Jake, John, Chase, Hanna, Xander.

9. Christmas brunch with my church family at Altobeli’s on December 8.  Christmas Communion on December 22.

10. Thanksgiving with my family in North Carolina—SNOW on the ground and a bon-fire in the back yard.

11. The Fourth of July party and the New Year’s Eve party at my house! 

Heretics and Heroes

For years I have enjoyed reading Thomas Cahill's "Hinges of History" books.  I remember when I first read "How the Irish Saved Civilization" and "The Gifts of the Jews."  They were worldview-changing books for me.

And so this October I pre-ordered the first book I have ever pre-ordered in my life.  It was Cahill's sixth book in the series, titled "Heretics And Heroes: How Renaissance Artists And Reformation Priests Created Our World."

It's a brilliant book from cover to cover.

There are dozens and dozens of fascinating stories, insights and perspectives on how the Renaissance and Reformation have truly shaped us today.

I will summarize three:

   

The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church might have re-unified the entire Christian church if not for the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, which began when a few men decided they'd had enough of French occupation. (When I read about this I was reminded of Rosa Parks. What if that one day hadn't happened in Montgomery, Alabama, 1955? What if she had stood up instead of staying seated? Just by sitting down she incited a revolution.) Seemingly small acts CHANGE the entire course of history.

The Reformation may have happened, but would have looked entirely different had Erasmus of Rotterdam's parents not died in The Plague (they did) and his legal guardians had wanted to raise him (they didn't)....... Tragedy, while awful and sad, has the power to shape and refine and change and focus and refocus an individual in ways nothing else can.

Michelangelo is a greater genius than we'll ever fully appreciate. As Cahill remarks, "If any Renaissance artist--or, for that matter, any artist in history--is worthy of being approached on one's knees, that artist is Michelangelo."  But what we do appreciate we owe, in part, and sadly, to the absolute corruption of the church.  Go figure.  Jesus would have had harsher words for the Renaissance and Reformation-era church than for the Pharisees of his day, I think.

One Question and the BETTER Answer

Sometimes people will ask me, “What denomination is your church?  What’s your affiliation?” 

And I usually say some version of this:

We are a non-denominational or an interdenominational church.  That means if every person at our church lined up against a wall and, then, one-by-one, stepped forward and said his/her faith tradition, some of us would say “Catholic”, some “Methodist”, some “Presbyterian”, some “Baptist”, some “Seventh-day Adventist”, some “No denomination,” and even some, “agnostic.”

But I got to thinking the other day…..That isn’t the most clear or accurate answer to the question of affiliation.  Our affiliation is not really a label (or at least it shouldn’t be). 

Our affiliation is more clearly articulated this way:

We are affiliated with the Roswell Firehouse every quarter when we serve them a massive and tasty lunch.  Our affiliation is with Esther Jackson Elementary School.  Over the years we have tutored hundreds of students and been able to help students and families with thousands of dollars of needed resources. Our affiliation is with the men, women and children in Ethiopia, whom we have had the privilege of helping fund 15 water projects!

Our affiliation is with the servers and staff at Starbucks and Taco Mac and McAlisters Deli.  Our affiliation is with the ushers at Turner Field each summer when we buy tickets for our entire congregation.  Our affiliation is with the owner and staff of Altobeli’s restaurant, where we enjoy our Christmas brunch each December. 

Our affiliation is with the Bible, and to following Jesus wherever he leads.  Our affiliation is with living out three realities: Everybody’s Welcome, Nobody’s Perfect, and Transformation’s Possible.

If you want to know what kind of church we are….look around, ask around, get to know the people here.  See how we care for the poor and the lonely and the hurting.  See how we grieve at funerals and celebrate at births and anniversaries. See how we throw a party (a Pumpkin Festival, a Trivia Night, a Kids Party). Hang out with us in small groups. See how we love and serve and accept and pray and give and forgive and lift up and build up and give up everything we can to the God who gave up everything for us!

That’s a better answer to the question!

Lists 2012

In 2008 I started what is a fun, annual post for me.

Here are my top five lists from 2012.

Top Five Movies I Saw:

1. Argo (Human courage and creativity at its best)

2. Life of Pi (Which story do you prefer?)

3. Lost (the entire TV series on Netflix…amazing character development)

4. Battlestar Galactica (the entire TV series on Netflix….William Adama is a hero!)

5. The Town (a few years old, but hadn’t seen it…very good)

Top Five Websites I Visited:
1. AJC.com / CNN.com / USATODAY.com
2. Pandora.com
3. CBSsports.com
4. ESPN.com

5. Ted.com

Top Seven Books I Read:

1. All Is Grace by Brennan Manning

2. The Triumph of Christianity by Rodney Stark

3. Choose Love Not Power by Tony Campolo

4. The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely

5. Humilitas by John Dickson

6. The Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner

7. The Last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford

Top Six Restaurants I Ate At:
(in order of frequency)

1. Starbucks (four times/week on average)
2. Subway

3. Sid’s Pizza (for pick-up, not dine-in)

4. Taco Mac (still for the football and friendships, not the food)

5. McAlister’s Deli
6. Cheesecake Factory

Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:

1. Growing my relationship with my family.

2. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.
3. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School, helping to fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa, and officiating at weddings at Kimball Hall.
4. Spending time with new friends.

5. Reading.

Fourteen Great Memories

1. Going to movies and going on walks with my son.

2. Tucking my daughter in at night and driving her to school every morning, Mon-Fri, and helping her with her homework, and going into the church early with her each Sunday morning, and letting her vote with me in the Presidential election, and seeing her laugh and roller skate and play games.

3. Our annual summer vacation in Hilton Head.  Great again for the 30-something-eth year.

4. Old friendships going deeper – SteveW, George/Dianne, ChrisG, CharlieT, CarlosB, Susie/Eddie, EricI, AnnM, Kristal/Warren, Steve/Shelley, TimS, EricF, PatrickS.

5. New friendships – JC, Chuck/Angela, JeffK, JustinB, LaurenC, BenT, JoelF. 

6. Talking on the phone with my parents.

7. Sunday nights at Taco Mac with friends.

8. My high school friends at church – Jack, Naum, Thomas, Jake, Alex, John, Hanna, Evan, Brandon, Xander, Luke.

9. Weddings at Kimball Hall.   

10. Christmas brunch with my church family at Altobelli’s on the 9^th followed by the best Christmas church service in the history of Christmas church services on the 16^th. Thanks Phil, it was your idea!

11. The Cowboys-Falcons game at the Georgia Dome.
12. My dad, my nephew Isaac, and I saw it live and in person at Turner Field....Chipper's walk off homer on September 2 against the Phillies.

13. Christmas Morning with my family.  A horse and a car will make this an unforgettable Christmas.

 

Taking Tennis Lessons from John McEnroe

If I could take tennis lessons from Rafa Nadal, John McEnroe or Serena Williams I would do it. And if either told me to stand "here," to hit my backhand like "that" or toss the ball "in this way," I would devote myself to doing what they said. What an opportunity!

If I could have lunch with and get business tips from Jim Collins or Herb Kelleher I would not only pay for their lunch. I would also take notes and do my best to implement what they told me. What an opportunity!

If Dave Ramsey or Clark Howard would sit down with me, examine my finances and set me on an optimal financial course, I would do my best to follow the exact plan they outlined.

If I wanted to strengthen my physical body - well, I don't really need improvement here. (And I lie sometimes, too.)

Over the past several weeks I've been re-reading Jesus' "Sermon on the Mountain" found in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. And he says things like "settle matters quickly," "don't take revenge," "love your enemies," "give to the needy," "pray," "fast," "prioritize God with the way you spend your money," "don't judge," and more.

And it leads me to this question for you and for me: If you could take LIFE lessons from the master of life and he said "settle matters quickly like this" or "forgive like that" or "pray here," would you do it? Would you view it as an opportunity of a lifetime? 

Does Jesus know as much about how to live life well as McEnroe does about tennis, Collins about business, and Ramsey about money?  If so, then, what would be appropriate response from you and from me?

105

Research tells us that we now spend almost half our waking hours online—laptops, desktops, TV, I-phones, I-pads, I-pods, and similar technology.  The average adult is awake for 15 hours and 45 minutes every day and over 7 hours of that time is spent using the proliferation of technology.

The average Xbox user is online for 84 hours a month!

Last Sunday, I taught about how all this technology (which is a very good thing used wisely) demands something from our eyes, namely our fixed attention on a screen.

And often, because of this, we miss out on seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and connecting with the things of God.

The author of Hebrews (12:2) writes, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” 

Fixing our eyes on things of God is something that is harder to do while fixing our eyes on a screen.

And so each day this week I challenged, and took the challenge of, consciously taking time to see Jesus by making the following three lists: 1) Five blessings; 2) Five things of beauty; 3) Five people who give us a chance to experience God.

If you take this challenge, at the end of day seven, you’ll have 105 reminders of how God is present, at work and lovingly interested in our well-being.

Here are a few items from my list so far.  

BLESSINGS: Water, fingers, knees, hugs, soap, scrambled eggs, fourteen cents I found in a nearby parking lot, toothpaste, table games, flushing toilets, great jokes, shade.

BEAUTY: My daughter’s eyes, a baseball field just before first pitch, Monet’s “Water Lilies”, the color blue, the music of Rachmaninoff, the lyrics to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” a perfect golf shot, a new idea, a tree gently swaying in the wind, the beach.

PEOPLE: Emily, manager of nearby Starbucks; Carlos, backgammon genius; Rafa Nadal, tennis great; Craig Kimbrall, Braves closer; JC, a friend of a friend who is a great conversationalist; Shelley, a woman who lives out her faith with both seriousness and joy; Akshay, 8-year old piano student who gets so excited he drools;  Tim Hooper, Terminix account manager; My family; George, a man of God and a friend in the truest sense of the word.

Eating With Firemen

Real firemen. But not Firehouse #4. I didn't bring my camera.

 

I just got back from serving lunch to the men and women of the Roswell Fire department.

Well, actually, I just got back from eating lunch with them.  My friend, Rick, and his team, did the work of preparing, delivering and serving the meal.  Chicken, stuffing, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes with gravy, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls and tossed salad.  For dessert, apple pie and raspberry Danishes.  And to drink, an assortment of iced teas and fresh lemonade.

I’m full. We all are.

Four times each year, our church serves lunch at Roswell Firehouse #4.  It is one way we can say “thank you,” for the safety and security they provide our community every day of every week of every month of every year.  And it is always fun to hang out for an hour with firemen who are filled with stories of rescue and sacrifice, and always ready to give our children a tour of the fire trucks.  Today we even got to hear the sirens!

“Thank you” again men and women of Roswell Firehouse #4 for a great lunch and for your faithful service to our community.  

I Said "Good-bye"

I said "goodbye" to Francisco, Brandon, and Diego Tuesday. They are the three boys I had the privilege of tutoring this year at Esther Jackson Elementary, our church's partner school. And I was as proud as ever of them as we reviewed all they had learned this year and talked about what their plans were for this summer.

I've done a lot of things over the last nine months. But devoting an hour each Tuesday to helping these boys read and write will stand among the best things I've done.
 
I figure I made the short trip to Esther Jackson about twenty-five times. On twenty-five days I paused to put my agenda on the back-burner in order to put the future of our humanity on the front burner. For twenty-five of my last 6,000 hours, I invested in the academic and social growth of a struggling student who will never "pay me back." (Doesn't seem like a lot of time does it?....Makes me wonder why so few in our country carve out time for something as invaluable as this.)
 
Why do I, why does my church, invest in Esther Jackson in this way? It's not for the money. We don't get paid. It's not for the fame. There is none. It's not to convince others of our worldview or religious convictions. It's not so that one day we'll reap some tangible reward.
 
It's simply to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. It's because there is no greater investment than the investment of love. It's because investing in the growth of another is investing in what lies at the heart of Jesus himself. 
 
I am thankful for the opportunity I had to tutor this school year.  I'm thankful for many reasons, but partly because as I was saying "goodbye" to Francisco, Brandon and Diego, I realized again how right Jesus is when he says, "It's more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20)" and "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Matthew 19)."
 
Those two sentences of Jesus summarize my tutoring experience this year.  Each Tuesday as I met with Francisco, Diego and Brandon over some spelling words, some reading books and some lively conversation, I was mega-blessed, and I sensed I was connecting with the heart of what matters to God.

Have you ever thought about investing your time and heart into something like this? 

Rain

I walk to Starbucks more often than I drive now that my church is two blocks away from the grand shrine to coffee, conversations and wi-fi. This morning as I was walking back, (tall, mild coffee with cream and plentiful sugar in hand), it started to rain. But instead of running or jogging back, I decided to just enjoy getting wet. In other words I figured I'd focus on the "walk" part and not the "getting wet" part.

It reminded me of the days growing up when I and others would look forward to rain because we would play in it. It reminded me of the days as an adult when I have played in the rain with my wife, son and daughter.

Rain is energizing, healing and life-bringing for our earth, and a very present help to allergy sufferers. Whether it is a human body, a tree, a frog, or a flower, rain brings refreshment and renewal.

And I was reminded today that I need to be regularly refreshed, by the word of God, by friendships, by forgiveness, by God's Holy Spirit and by His amazing grace.

The Psalmist reminds us that "God causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses (Psalm 135:7)."

There's a famous quote that's been around for a while and I'm not sure who said it first. It goes something like this: "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

I like that. I like that because there are two responses to rain: running from it or dancing in it.

And so today, as the rain continues to fall outside my window at the church, I wonder, will you embrace the God of the rain and walk with Him through it, to a place of refreshment, hope and new life?

Being Kind

The biblical prophet Micah famously records three things that the Lord requires of us: to do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

I was thinking about that middle quality, kindness, today.

Proverbs 11:17 reminds us that “a man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”

And Paul urges his friends in Ephesus to simply “be kind to one another” (Eph. 4:32).

Genuine kindness is a wonderful human quality. We live in a world of violence and competitiveness. Violent words and actions. Competitive feelings and dealings. Kindness is hardly the most frequently experienced gesture.

But when we receive a word or act of genuine kindness, we are truly blessed and encouraged, and our spirits are lifted.

Every person on this planet deserves to be treated with kindness. Friend or enemy. Whatever their color, age, nationality, religion or gender. I am reminded of that especially as we enter the final week before Easter, and I reflect on how Jesus treated EVERY PERSON he encountered.

So here is my challenge and yours: Will you be genuinely kind today? Everyday?

The Priority of Peace

In Colossians 3:15, Paul writes, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds the church that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As Jesus was ending his earthly ministry he told his followers, “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 4:27).

Peace. It takes great priority in the scriptures. And so I want to remind you today that whatever you do, whether in word or deed, keep the peace of Jesus in your heart. Pray for it. Think about it. Dwell on it. Live in it.

Because the peace of Jesus is the hope for troubled families. It’s the solution for disgruntled citizens. It’s the remedy for rage and revenge. It’s the source of strength in the midst of sorrow.

When Jesus sent his disciples out to share the good news of life with Jesus, he said “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Matthew 10:11-13).”

Jesus, here, is counseling us to resist the temptation to let other people take away our peace. Don’t let what someone else says or does allow us to be consumed with anger, bitterness, spitefulness or vengefulness. Instead prioritize peace. For the peace of God “will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

Successfulness versus Fruitfulness

I was reading from the writings of Henri Nouwen yesterday and came across a rather remarkable paragraph. It was so good and challenging and right, that I want to share it with you (with a few of my own thoughts interjected, for better or worse). I pray that God would speak to you and into your exact life situation this week as you reflect on Nouwen's words.

"There is a difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control and respectability. A successful person has the energy [and skill] to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame.

“Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability [and trials and problems and perseverance--see James chapter 1 in the New Testament]….Community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness."

Lists 2011

In 2008 I started what is a fun, annual post for me.

Here are my top five lists from 2011.

Top Five Movies I Saw:

1. The Help

2. The King’s Speech

3. The Next Three Days

4. The Adjustment Bureau

5. The Lincoln Lawyer

Top Five Websites I Visited:

1. Ted.com

2. AJC.com / CNN.com / USATODAY.com

3. Pandora.com

4. CBSsports.com

5. FastCompany.com

Top Five Books I Read:

1. Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman

2. Great By Choice by Jim Collins

3. Jesus through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture by Jaroslav Pelikan

4. The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman

5. Signature in the Cell by Stephen C. Meyer

Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:

1. Subway

2. Sid’s Pizza (for pick-up, not dine-in)

3. California Pizza Kitchen

4. Taco Mac (more for the football than the food)

5. Starbucks (still not a restaurant, but I frequented no eating establishment more often. And my beverage of choice switched from hot chocolate to coffee and/or steam apple juice.)

Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:

1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children.

2. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.

3. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School, helping to fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa, and officiating at weddings at Kimball Hall.

4. Spending time with friends.

5. Reading.

Fifteen Great Memories

1. Attending my son’s basketball games and a little father-son, one-on-one game in a full court gym on Thanksgiving Day in North Carolina. Just the two of us in the entire gym. (And one not-so-great memory: spending time with him at two hospitals for surgery on his broken tibia and fibula in mid-December.)

2. Tucking my daughter in at night and driving her to school every morning, Mon-Fri.

3. Baptizing my daughter in the waters of Lake Lanier on October 22. The water was cold! The day was unforgettably wonderful!

4. The best six months in all the years of my marriage.

5. Our annual summer vacation in Hilton Head. Great again.

6. The Braves game with SteveW (about 250 phone conversations, too), tennis with Chris, Wednesday lunches over backgammon with Carlos, conversations with George and Dianne, and deepening friendships with Susie and Eddie.

7. Talking on the phone with my parents.

8. My 40^th birthday celebration(s).

9. Sunday nights at Taco Mac with friends.

10. Phone conversations with my great Aunt Gracie, who passed away in the Fall at the age of 94…still quick-witted and sharp of mind.

11. Weddings at Kimball Hall.

12. A wonderful, warm and perfect Christmas brunch with my church family at Altobelli’s

13. One new cat, Iris, that unexpectedly resulted in two kittens, three weeks after we got her (we kept one of the two kittens, who Emma named “Snowball.”)

14. Rafting the Ocoee River with McKenzie, Jack, Naum and Ethan.

15. Christmas Morning with my family. The most relaxed and fun I can remember.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

On behalf of Mike Nelson and the Hornheads (a man and a group I know almost nothing about—but you gotta admit that that name says a lot), I’d like to recommend their Jingle Bell JAZZ Holiday CD, which includes 20 holiday favorites arranged in classic jazz style.

I recommend it because my daughter Emma and I have been playing it and singing to it each morning on our way to her school since the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

Yesterday we turned up the volume in my car almost as loud as it would go and, we shout-sang together, “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.”

Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and ev’rywhere

Go tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born!

By the time it was over, we were laughing and high-fiving (at the stop light), and Emma was exclaiming, “Let’s sing it again, Dad!”

Later it struck me, that to “go tell it on the mountain” would require a decent amount of work. I mean if I wanted to go tell it on Stone Mountain I’d have to drive a good forty-five minutes and then climb the 1686 feet to the summit. If I wanted to go tell it on Brasstown Bald Mountain (the highest point in GA) I’d have to drive to the NC-GA state line and climb 4,784 feet. If I wanted to go tell it on Mount Everest…..well, you get the idea.

But then I recognized that there are many kinds of “mountains” or “platforms” in which we can “go tell it.” And there are many kinds of ways we can “tell it,” too.

The “platforms” we have to tell it from include places liked our children’s bedside at bedtime, the front door of our neighbor’s house, the classroom at a nearby school, the parking lot of a church, and a community center in need of volunteers. We can “go tell it” in phone conversations, emails, written letters, text-messages, and over a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop.

And the ways we can “go tell it” are even greater. Some of the best ways don’t even involve our mouths (although “a word aptly chosen”—and ‘aptly’ is the key—“is like apples of gold in setting of silver. Pr. 25:11). We can use our hands, our feet, our ears, our money, our time, and our talents. We can tell it with a handshake, a “thank-you,” a hug, a small gift, and a listening ear. We can shout it through acts of kindness, and working hard, and doing things with excellence, and demonstrating unconditional love.

The list, of course, is endless. But the question is a singular one: Will you “Go Tell it on the Mountain” this moment, this day, this season?

“You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “HERE IS YOUR GOD!” -Isaiah 40:9

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER

Saturday, October 22, I had the most amazing privilege of baptizing my daughter in the cold waters of Lake Lanier. Joined by my immediate family, grandparents, cousins and friends, Emma and I waded into the water until it surrounded her from toe to mid-chest.

Then, after a few private words between Emma and me, I raised my hand into the air and said, “Emma, because you love Jesus and want to follow him forever, and be his friend forever, and live in his grace forever, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

No words can describe the feeling of gratefulness I had standing next to her. No sentence can capture the joy and pride that we all felt. No paragraph will ever recount fully the emotion of the day.

And I can only imagine the Heavenly Father’s gratefulness, joy, pride and emotion!

Emma was baptized “in the name of her Heavenly Father.” And in doing so she symbolized publically what has already taken place privately inside of her—a decision to be part of God’s family and to live now and forever in the loving care and leadership of a Father who loves her unconditionally, celebrates her radically, offers her wisdom impartially, and is with her completely.

Emma came up out of the water, smiling ear-to-ear, to shouts and cheers and hugs and prayers of thanksgiving! It was a day I pray she will always remember.

I wonder, if you have been baptized, do you remember that day or that era in your life when you made the decision to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized? And if so, as you remember it, would you re-dedicate your life to following Jesus, in whom we stake our greatest hope?

If you have not been baptized, do you know why? Be honest. Because if you are not sure you want to embrace God’s grace, and if you are not sure you would like Him to guide your life, then it’s helpful to be clear on that.

But if you would like to embrace God's grace and dedicate your life to following Him, then it's helpful to be clear on that too.

Emma spoke clearly about her desire to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ a few Saturdays ago, when she happily and excitedly stepped into the chilly, Fall waters of Lake Lanier to be baptized in the presence of family, friends and the beloved Creator of all things. He loves her so much. And she would want you to know that He loves you and me so much, too!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!” -1 John 3:1

Knock Knock

I was talking to a friend recently who lives in Seattle. And he said something so funny that I laughed out loud—for minutes—longer and harder than I had laughed in months.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld was recently interviewed on CNN. He recounted the day when he was eight-years old and told a joke that made his friend spit up his milk and cookies. “I felt the milk, and I saw it all coming at me, and I said, ‘I would like to do this professionally.’”

Laughter. It reminds me of Solomon’s words recorded in Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Now there is a lot more to a cheerful heart than just laughter. But PART of a cheerful heart is laughter.

And science has shown us that laughter is good medicine. I read this week about researchers at the University of Maryland who found that when twenty healthy volunteers smiled and laughed out loud while watching a comedic movie, their blood flow increased by twenty-two percent, about the same increase caused by aerobic exercise. But when volunteers watched tension-filled scenes from a drama, their blood flow decreased thirty-five percent.

The researchers went on to say that “a healthy lifestyle would include thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, and fifteen minutes of hearty laughter each day."

Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, has written about this. He writes:

I know this one lady, she hadn't slept well in years and years. She was constantly taking tranquilizers. She had taken them so long it hardly even affected her anymore. She had tried everything, different diets, different doctors, different medicines. Nothing seemed to work. But this one doctor gave her a very unusual prescription. He said, "Every night before you go to bed, you need to watch something funny – a funny movie, a funny video, a funny drama – something that makes you laugh." She started doing that night after night. Month after month she got better and better. Today she is totally off her medications. She can sleep like a baby.

Much of the sickness in our world exists simply because we don't live with the joy that God created us to experience. When we live anxious and uptight lives, it leads to headaches, digestive problems, an inability to focus, short tempers, lack of energy, lack of good sleep and, I believe, fewer close friends (After all, who wants to hang out and get close to a short-tempered, frequently distracted, stressed out person?!).

Now, I’m not a medical doctor, but I believe many of these symptoms would go away if we would simply learn how to enjoy the God-given gift of laughter. So I am going to give you the following spiritual prescription this week: Every day find something funny that makes you laugh. Not an inside laugh. Not a muted chuckle. A take-your-time, life-is-good, laugh-out-loud, hooting, snorting, cackling laugh!

And when you find it, share it!

Knock, knock….

Broccoli, The Beatles and Other Superior Things

Some things are superior to others.

For the last three weeks, on my way to and from work, I have been listening and re-listening and listening again to Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto in C# minor, performed by my favorite classical pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy (at the expense of my usual sports talk radio). This concerto has been among my very favorites since I was first introduced to it in college. And, without much argument, it is considered among the best piano concertos ever written, if not the best. Listen to it and you’ll understand why. It is simply superior to others, and listening to it elevates both mind and soul.

Here is a very short list of other “superior” things:

The music of the Beatles is superior to the music of Milli Vanilli and 95% of other pop artists.

Pop music of the 80s is superior to pop music of the 2000s (IMHO).

Broccoli is superior to Waffle House hash browns (scattered, smothered, covered and deadly) for your physical health.

Exercise is superior to lethargy.

Drinking clean water is superior to drinking dirty water.

Authentically complimenting your spouse or a friend is superior to a sarcastic dig.

Doing whatever you do with excellence, with all your heart, mind and strength, is superior to doing your job half-way.

Sitting on a porch or park bench and viewing the tress, flowers, birds and sky is superior to viewing hours and hours of TV or internet junk.

Generosity is superior to selfishness.

You get the idea. And it’s not being harsh or judgmental to make these observations about many things in life.

So today (and this week, this month, this life) are you engaging in, thinking about, and embracing the superior things?

Paul reminds us of this in his New Testament letter to the Philippians. And I want remind you of his words today:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things” (Phil 4:8).

Ruthless Trust

I believe these two short paragraphs in Brennan Manning's book, Ruthless Trust, are worth thinking about and dwelling on and wrestling with and being comforted by and committing to memory and being deeply felt for a long time.

The words of the fifteenth-century theologian Angelus Silesius, "If God stopped thinking of me, he would cease to exist," are thoroughly orthodox. Silesius merely paraphrases the message of Jesus: "Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God's sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid, you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7.)

God, by definition, is thinking of me.