Happy 30th Birthday, Christine!

 Today is my wife's 30th birthday!

She is spending today pregnant with my child and navigating "hold me" requests from my other two children and hanging out with her parents.  She is the wonderful mother of my children.  She is my best friend and lover.  She is a gift from God to me.

I have been blessed to have spent most of her 20's loving her.  

I first laid eyes on Christine in January of her 20th year.  She sat in the front pew as I spoke to a group about Ephesians chapter 6.  It was not love at first.

 Later that Summer I began to notice her character and personality and started to become interested.  By the Fall I had taken her out on our first date and I quickly fell in love.  

In January of her 21st year I proposed to her.  We were married in August of her 22nd year.  I hit a home run.

In years 22, 23, 24 and 25 I loved her deeply as my beautiful wife.  In May of her 26th year I began to love my Christine as the mother of my child.  In November of her 28th year I loved her as my beautiful partner in foster parenting  In February of her 28th year I loved her as the mother of my children.

On her 29th birthday I began to love her as my lovely quarantine partner.  Year 29 of Christine's life was, to say the least, an odd one and yet a wonderful one.  I'm so glad to have been madly in love with the woman I've spent so much time with.

Christine, loving you during your 20's has been a privilege.  The love we've had, shared and made during this span of your life has meant so much to me.   My only regret is I didn't love you at first sight that January morning.

Christine, a toast to a more normal year in your 30th year, for all of us.  And a toast to this new decade of me loving you being even more deep, rich, rewarding, satisfying and fun than the last decade. 

Thank you for letting me love you today.

My Phone: Good and Evil

 My wife was out getting a few things and I was outside playing with my kids as the warm sun hung overhead.  I grabbed my phone to check the time and without a thought pushed that blue square.  I had a notification.  That red number one had to be eliminated, so I clicked.  It was an invite to a page that a woman I went to high school with had invited me to join.

I shouldn't have clicked on that.  I didn't notice that page was an "only fans page".  Upon clicking there was the woman that was three years behind me in high school wearing a few pieces of floss.  I didn't need to see that and I declined the invite.  I got out but noticed the invite was still quickly accessible, so I thought I could swipe it to delete the request and avoid the temptation to see a nearly naked woman.  Whoops.  The swipe took me back to it and I had to back out again.

Meanwhile my kids continued to play.  I should have just kept playing.  I didn't do anything wrong by seeing the photo that was sprung at me, but I could have avoided the entire situation by remaining present with my kids.  

Our phones have the ability to access deeply sinful things.  I'm keenly aware of the pornographic power my phone has, and it terrifies me to think about my son having one some day.  I'm keenly aware when I'm on social media how tempted I am to be a jerk (you might not be surprised how quickly I think jerkish things and have to try not to type them).

Our phones can be boon and bane.  They can lead us into temptation, but they can also be used for great good.  

There are many ways in which my phone helps me.  I have less frustration and therefore my wife and I have fewer arguments thanks to GPS.  I'm better at my job thanks to instant information available from my pocket.  I'm able to talk to my sister in Australia face-to-face for free.  There are ways upon ways I can use my phone for good, but I want to highlight one easy good use for the phone.

My church has committed to spend 24 hours collectively in prayer on the first weekend of each month.  We sign up for times and we spend that time praying.  I've made my monthly prayer (so far) a time of prayer with my phone in my hand and I want to encourage you to try this some time.

I take the church directory and begin typing out my prayer for the person on that page in a text to them.  It's not anything extravagant, but just a paragraph or so of my prayer to God for them.  Then I send it.  That's it.  I don't try to make it through the directory, in fact I never get that far.  I set my timer on my phone for 30 minutes and have been surprised each time how short 30 minutes of this kind of prayer can be.  

Our phones are boon and bane.  I invite you to try my suggestion, or find another way, to use our phones to encourage and build up those we love.  

Try praying with your phone in your hand today.

The Power of Pumping Blood

 I hope you spend a lot of time thinking about the death of Jesus.  I hope you ponder the awesome sacrifice of Christ for us.  Some of you have taken communion recently and some haven't since the pandemic began, but this Christian rite is designed to help us remember the body broken for us and the blood shed for us.

But how much time do you spend thinking about the ascension of Jesus the Christ?  Probably not a lot.  I'm sure you spend ample time thinking about the resurrection of Jesus, as you should.  But Jesus did more than die and rise again.  He ascended.

We spend a lot of time drawing hope from the spilled blood of Jesus while largely ignoring the pumping blood of Jesus.

Jesus is a man with a heart pumping blood right now.  Jesus is still 100% God and 100% man.  His body is perfected, but He still is very much "God with skin on" today.  Remember, Jesus didn't disappear and vanish into Heaven; no, He ascended as a man up into Heaven and the angels declared to His disciples that He would come back the same way, and they didn't simply mean through the sky. (Acts 1:9-11)

So what?

1) Our Hope is Living.

"Praise be the the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade... kept in Heaven for you..." 1 Peter 1:3-4

Our hope is not chiefly living for ever in Heaven (it is that).  Our hope is the person Jesus.  Jesus lives.  When we believe the Gospel we get Jesus and therefore get the entire God-head.  Our hope is not dead and gone but is living and kept in Heaven for us.

2) His Ascension Proves Ours.

When we die our souls will go to the present Heaven while our bodies stay on the present earth.  On that day when the Gospel is completely culminated we will be like Jesus is now.  We will be fully human.  100% pure spirit with 100% pure body, just as Jesus is right now.  One of the great truths of the Bible, that we rehearse in immersive baptism, is that we get Christ's death, burial and bodily resurrection.

3) He's "God with Skin On" Interceding for us Right Now.

Jesus, the man, is our Great High Priest.  He represents us to God daily.  He speaks on our behalf as our praying lawyer every day.  He has this role as a perfect, eternal man.

"Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.  Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them." Hebrews 7:23-25 

4) His Reign as Our Savior King is Now.

I admit that sometimes it doesn't feel as though Jesus is reigning as King, but he certainly is.  Notice the tense in the passage below.  

"...Jesus Christ, who has gone into Heaven and is at God's right hand... with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him." 1 Peter 3:21b-22

I'm not encouraging you to think of the spilled blood of Jesus any less.  I don't know a single person that spends too much time dwelling on that.  What I encourage you to do is to think about how Jesus the ascended man lives today and how He is for you.  

Let that be your living hope today.

4 Adjectives to Reach the World

 Beyond the dictionary definition, how would those outside the Church describe Christians?  How do they describe Christians?  What adjectives might they use?

Some describe Christians as a voting block.  Others as those who go to church on Sunday.  Others may say goody two shoes.  Some may say judgmental.  These are just a few ways I have seen Christians described.

Would the adjectives of joyful, hopeful, peaceful and glad be used the describe Christians?  Could they be used to describe you?

These four words should be hallmarks of the Christian's attitude.  We should not be sorrowful all the time, though we will have times of sorrow and are commanded to be always sorrowful and always joyful (2 Corinthians 6:10).  We should not be hopeless, we have the world's greatest hope.  We should not be dour, we are to be glad people.  We should not be anxious, we have sure promises for our well being.

A Christian is one who is saved by God and one who has a great future guaranteed and one who has constant guidance and assurance guaranteed in writing.  We should be hope filled, joyful, peaceful, glad individuals.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

"On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare

a feast of rich food for all peoples,

a banquet of aged wine

the best of meats and the finest of wines.

On this mountain He will destroy

the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations;

He will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

He will remove the disgrace of His people

from all the earth.

                                                                                                  The LORD has spoken.
In that day they will say,

Surely this is our God;

We trusted in Him, and He saved us.

This is the LORD, we have trusted in Him;

let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." 

Isaiah 25:6-9

God has promised to fill us with hope.  He has given us the peace that passes all understanding.  He has given us all sorts of reasons to be joyful and glad.  This doesn't mean we can't have emotional valleys.  This doesn't mean we live lives that ignore the pain around us.  But, Christians, what might happen to our witness if these four words became adjectives the unbelieving world associated strongly with us?

Be glad, peaceful, joyful, hopeful people, because of Christ, today.

My Beautiful, Smart, Nice, Brave Daughter's Birthday

 Just over a year ago Kobe Bryant, his daughter and their friends were killed in a helicopter crash.  Kobe accomplished a lot in his career.  He was one of the greatest basketball players ever: he won five NBA Finals, two Olympic gold medals and several individual awards.  He won an Oscar, had his own shoe and was known instantly without his last name being needed.

But Kobe's greatest legacy is that after his tragic death the #GirlDad movement began.  Across the globe men showed off their pride of being the father of daughters.  Across continents men were inspired to be great fathers for their daughters.  Many people imagine the political movements that can make a grand difference in this world, but the grassroots change made by fathers loving their daughters can be immense.

I am a proud #GirlDad.  

Two years ago on Groundhog's Day a little girl named Anna Kathleen first exited my wife's womb and entered my arms.  My love for Anna has grown so much since she hurried into our lives that Saturday morning.

I like to do some call and responses with my kids.  Anna's call and response with me is my blessing over her.

If you read the Old Testament you find the blessings given were often prophetic.  I don't claim to be a prophet, but I do want my daughter to know what I think she is now and what I know she can become.

"Anna are you beautiful? Yes.  

Are you smart? Yes.  

Are you nice? Yes.  

Are you brave? Yes."

I want Anna to know she's beautiful.  I want her to know she was knitted together in her mother's womb by God.  I don't want her to go through life questioning her physical loveliness.  I want her to be a girl and a woman that exudes inner and outer beauty with confidence.

I want Anna to know she can be an intelligent woman.  I don't want her to grow up with the false belief that men want dumb girls.  Perhaps boys might be intimidated by smart girls, but men aren't.  I want her to know that there's great reward in gaining wisdom and knowledge.

Love is kind and I want my little girl to be kind.  I say 'nice' now because she understands it, but I really want her to strive to be kind.  I hope Anna is a person with strong, well thought out beliefs that can be kind to those who agree with her and those who disagree with her.  I want her to be a refuge for the weak and disheartened.

I want my Anna to be brave.  I pray that Anna will be a woman of courage.  To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, courage is not a virtue in and of itself; courage is the virtues at the testing point.  I believe Anna can be brave enough to love, brave enough to be kind, brave enough to be right, brave enough to stand her ground, brave enough to be an outstanding woman that makes this world a better place.

Anna, you are beautiful, smart, nice and brave and I believe you will grow even more so and I implore you to invest in those qualities.

I wish I wasn't in self-isolation for your birthday.  I wish I could give you kisses.  But most of all, my wish is to get the honor in playing a role in the person God is still making you into today.

 

 

Ending Your Unsocial Media

 Would an analysis of your online activity prove you a loving person?

I have used this quote in the past and will use it again: "Love... is Christian maturity in action." (Maturity by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 12).  In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul says in verse 12 that he moved from childish ways to the ways of a man.  Love is how he did this.

So, I will ask again: would an analysis of your online activity prove you a loving person?  Would an analysis of your social media prove you to be mature or childish?

My dad recently said something to me.  He said, "I think people think I'm mean online when I don't intend to be."  My dad, and many of you, did not grow up online and this is all new. Sarcasm does't translate well.  There's a learning curve for many of us when it comes to being social online.  But some of you are childish and unloving and you mean to do it.  The bottom line is that we all know that we all need to be better in this arena.

So, let's look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and see what it has to teach us about being online.  Paul had no idea his words would instruct Facebook users, but God certainly did.

Love is Patient.

The King James Version says, "love sufereth long".  Do you suffer long online?  How long does it take you before you can't feel an ounce of love for someone because of what they post or don't post?  Love suffers long, it puts up with things patiently.

Love is Kind:

Are you kind online?  If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  Mom was right.  Unfortunately, many of the mom's and dad's who said this have a hard time doing it... and the world sees it.

Love does not Envy:

Perhaps you don't say anything bad, but you have that green eyed monster on your shoulder as you look at vacation photos.  Perhaps when the Instagram lives don't match your real life the jealousy festers.  Maybe no one knows it, but you secretly want their wife, their stuff, their job, their life.

Love does not Boast:

Look at me, look at me, look at me.  That's social media in a nutshell.  I'm not saying you should Vaguebook all your problems, but can you have success without posting it?

Love is not Proud:

When you've acted unloving online was it because your pride was hurt?  That's usually what makes me most unloving; the glory of Matt being defamed in front of others.  Can you admit when you're wrong and ask for forgiveness?

Love is not Rude:

Do you have manners online?  Are you snarky or are you polite?  Do you defer to others?  Are you a gentleman or a brute, regardless of whether the person you're replying to is right or wrong?

Love is not Self-Seeking:

When you post something do you feel the urge to check how many likes it gets? (sadly, as soon as I post this I will feel that urge). Is your online presence curated in a way to make much of you?  Do you spend time encouraging others with this amazing tool?

Love is not Easily Angered:

How quick are you to be angry online?  Do you feel every good fight is your fight?  This one is hard because much of the content is designed to engage us through anger.  Angry people stay online longer.  The Twitter mob is on longer than those who are smiling.  Politics is fueled these days by anger and right now much of social media is politics.  How can we be not easily angered online?

Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs:

The internet reminds us of the positives and the negatives.  Many of our "friends'" social media remind us daily of the things that we feel wrong us.  

Love does not Delight in Evil but Rejoices with the Truth:

Are you entertained online by what Jesus would be entertained by?  Or are you entertained and occupied with crap?  Do you delight in seeing what you want to see and reading what you want to hear regardless of whether or not it is true?  How much time do you spend checking on the veracity of what you read and share online?

Love Always Protects:

Do you protect or do you destroy?  The KJV says, "beareth all things".  The Greek word used here means to "cover up" or to "pass over".  Do you pass over the annoyances you see in your fellow church members or do you feel the need to always react?

Love Always Trusts:

Do you assume the worst in others online?  Sadly, we do a book's worth of judging on a paragraph's worth of evidence.  Some people are like I said my dad felt, not as callous as they accidentally come off as online.  Some of us throw away a lifetime's worth of evidence of good when we see a blip of perceived bad online.

Love Always Hopes:

Does your online presence reflect Who is the source of your hope?  Or does it show your hope is in politics?

Love Always Perseveres:

If an audit was done on your online activity would it show an enduring love or a love that snapped?  We must love with courage!  Courage is that place where the virtues are carried over their testing point, to amend a C. S. Lewis quote.  Are you living and broadcasting a courageous, enduring love or a wimpy, temporal, earthly love?

This is not easy.  Love is hard.  We need help to do this.  "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  We can't love like 1 Corinthians 13 instructs without help and we'll never do it without engaging wisdom online and in-person.

May your online (and real life) interactions prove you a loving person today.

Count the Cost

I'm a person that prefers dogs over cats, but I was hesitant to get a dog.  My wife had never owned a dog, but had always wanted one.  We have two cats, Charlie and Waldo.  Cats are not as good as dogs, but they are far easier.

So, I said no to getting a dog for years.

It's not that I don't like a dog, but dogs are far more work than cats and I wanted to make sure my wife understood that fact.  Loving a dog isn't enough.  Dogs take commitment.

Several months ago I told my wife, after much persuading, that if a dog needed adopting from Retrieving Freedom I would consider that strongly. Such a dog would be mostly trained but still would be work, and since the kids would really enjoy a dog I would be open to that.  Well, months later a 19 month old yellow lab named Reece became available.  She didn't quite cut it as a service dog but seemed like a wonderful addition to our home.  After meeting her and having a trial stay with us, we adopted Reece.

We love Reece but taking a dog without considering the cost is foolish.

Following Jesus is a little like adopting a dog.  A little.  See, following Jesus requires loving Him and loving Him requires a deep commitment.  'Love' without commitment is simply 'like'.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters... yes, even his own life... he cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.  In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he cannot be my disciple."  Luke 14:26-33

There is a cost to having a dog and there is a cost to being a disciple of Christ.

On my two mile loop I walk with Reece I like to walk through the campus of my alma mater, Wartburg College.  As I walk through that campus I am often flooded with memories.  It's strange how buildings just blocks away can take me back in time.

Recently as I walked through Wartburg with a frozen face I considered all God has done in me since I was a student there.  It was roughly half a lifetime ago that I was there as a student.  In that half a lifetime God has grown me.  I'm more confident in some areas and less arrogant in many others.  I've been blessed with a career that was different from the one I was so sure I'd have when I walked that campus as a mere boy.  I have a beautiful, caring, devoted wife at home.  I am the father of three children that spark so much joy.  I'm more committed to my God.  I'm less a fool.  

God has been faithful to do what He's promised to do and more.  Every cost I have paid is mere chump change when compared to what God has done and will do for and in me.

There is a cost to owning a dog, and there are great benefits.  There are costs to following Jesus, and His benefits are boundless.

Count the cost.  Count the benefits.  Do the math and choose to follow Jesus today.