The Heavens Part and the Angels Sing

My youngest son Kyle decided last week that he would like to try out for the Central Oregon Junior Golf Association. It is really a wonderful opportunity to get to play once a week with other golfers his age and of similar skill level. There's just one problem though - he's only played one round of golf in his life.

That was one long day...

We were on vacation last summer in the Klamath Falls area and went to a small par three course. My boys and I went out and hit. Kyle actually was beating his brother through six holes of the nine hole adventure when the older one "shifted" his younger brother's psyche with taunts and other "brotherly methods" to get both of his feet firmly planted between his ears. Yup, down four strokes Zach came back and beat Kyle by two over the last three holes.

The best part was all the laughter that comes with a dad and his boys out having a good time...

Both swing the clubs like baseball bats. Instead of getting their hands up on either end of the swing, their trained muscles consistently revert back to the game that they've both played for years. That is what has made this past week so interesting with Kyle as we've spent several nights out at the driving range and practice putting green. Every bad shot he hits is a baseball swing, every good one a golf swing. Fortunately he's starting to make more golf swings now, but it takes him a minimum three practice whiffs before getting into the right spot to address and hit the ball. But that is so much like life. If we have the luxury of a few practice whiffs against the air before we hit, things can be a bit simpler. I wish practice could guarantee success every time, but it doesn't. Kyle still takes those practice swings and then can switch back into "baseball mode" in a split second. But he's getting better at it. Of course yesterday was a banner day. Near the end of his bucket of balls he hit a hybrid two iron about 250 yards. He just stood there and watched it with a bit of amazement to which I grinned because I knew he was hooked. It was as if "the heavens parted and the angels were singing."

All it takes is one good shot to bring you back to this difficult game for life...

Take your cuts in life. Eventually you'll hit the sweet shot that makes things worth while. Remember that this life is a journey - that's why I call my walk with God the Faith Journey Adventure, because IT IS. I wish that I did everything perfectly, but I don't because my flesh gets in the way. But I take my swings and eventually "the heavens part and the angels sing."

Oh what a feeling!

As for Kyle, I want him to make the cut at this weekend's evaluation tournament. But even if he doesn't, I think I've found a golfing buddy for life. That IS the best part of this chapter of my Faith Journey Adventure...

Memories that Last

It's a baseball weekend for us at the Johnson household. There is a huge tournament that happens every year all over Central Oregon. Literally hundreds of youth baseball teams will converge here, boosting the economy and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Our oldest won't be playing for the third year in a row - he'll be umpiring two handfuls of games. This will be his last go-round on this annual event as next year he'll be a soon-to-be-graduating senior. Our youngest on the other hand, will be playing for the last time as next year he'll be umpiring like his older brother.

We will remember these days the rest of our lives.

We remember landmark events in our lives. I remember playing soccer when I was five, playing football in Junior High and nearly everything I want to remember about High School. I also remember growing up in church, all the retreats, events and church services that stand out. They formed the spiritual foundation for my present life as a minister of the gospel.

My kids don't have to be pastors. But wow, do I pray for such memories in their lives...

Life's Little Adventures

Couldn't sleep last night. Well, actually not true. I slept soundly from 10 PM 'til midnight, then saw every half hour marked on the clock until getting up at 6 AM, and tossing some clothes on to go to my men's breakfast (Pastor's Posse).

No, the 'Posse' wasn't impressed by my appearance, but were very pleased that I wore clothing...

I wore a University of California hat the entire time to cover up "bed hair." I have no allegiance to Cal-Berkley, except that this cap is in a long line of what I affectionately refer to as "vacation hats." That means I find a hat I normally wouldn't wear at a truck stop for five bucks while on a trip, and wear it to throw away later. The truth is "later" never comes. I think my favorite is a Washington Redskin's hat I bought 15 years ago. Paisley bill on that cap. COMPLETELY ugly. I think that's why I like it the best...and my wife hates it the most...which of course makes it even more appealing to me.

Got to keep her on her toes...unfortunately it's my gift to her that keeps on giving...!

After the meeting I went home, hit the elliptical machine (20 minutes on '6') and then showered. As I write it's 9:30 PM and I'm desperately trying to stay up until 10 PM; just a little longer to go. I have to drive to Salem tomorrow for a denominational meeting and I want to be sharp for the drive over the pass and back. If needed I can always sleep through the board meeting. Speaking of that scenario have you ever mastered the ability to sleep with your eyes open? Sometimes I think I see is on Sunday mornings during church, but then again most of our folks who sleep through service have no pride - they just lean their head back and go for it. Sure wish there were more flies and little gnats in church on Sunday mornings... Okay, I digress. Besides, these bi-monthly board meetings are actually pretty good.

Insomnia, vacation hats and long drives aside, life keeps coming at us; sometimes quickly and other times over a long slow season. There is so much to laugh about and find joy in the little things (as a general rule, a mirror is a great place to start). I'm so glad that God provides these little joys in His Creation. Otherwise we'd just have to come up with those things on our own. It just makes more sense to lean on the Designer of it all...

A Cataclysmic Spiritual Cacophony of Revitalization

These are definitely some kind of days we're living in right now...

I was reading in Revelation this morning about the seven churches of Asia Minor. While they were several decades removed from the death and resurrection of Christ, by today's standards they were still within a generation of the event that continues to gather Christians around the world to church each Sunday. As one reads you are gripped by the complacency of most of these churches in some form or another. Churches that had once thrived were now veering from their original path. There was a demand by Christ Himself for a return to a vibrancy of faith. We know from history that these churches eventually fell for the most part, into ruin and death.

Sociologists tell us that we live in a post-Christian culture. It means that we've moved well past the moorings of the churches of Revelation at the time of that writing. Frankly it doesn't speak well of us. We live in a time where "each man does what is right in his own eyes." We blame others for our compromise and make the church our scapegoat. It's all about "me" and my feelings and a whole lot less about what is ultimately true, regardless of what you or I think. That's why I'm believing for a revival - a cataclysmic spiritual cacophony of revitalization of Christian faith in our churches, communities, states and nation. Instead of "post-Christian" can we dare to begin to think "pre-Christian?"

Yes.

As depressing as things seem right now in the midst of a difficult economy, compromise among Christians and a severe decline in our nation of Biblical morality, there is great hope. All things are possible with God and according to the Revelation, the overcomer wins.

Sign me up!

I am grateful that God's economy is different than that of this world. I pray I grasp that more and more each day.

May we all quickly come come to the end of ourselves...before we come to the end.

Heads Lifted and Hope Rekindled

Yesterday was a marvelous Sunday at Faith! Worship was intense, marked by a strong sense of God's presence. I spoke for a short period of time about positioning ourselves for God's blessing in our lives. And then we invited the people (any who wanted) to come forward for prayer.

That was when heaven came down...

The overwhelming majority of the congregation participated, coming down the center aisle to the front, through a gauntlet of about 18 of our leaders. They were prayed over to receive God's favor and blessing for their lives. After passing through this prayer line, they had the option of moving to a member of our prayer team who were positioned across the front of the church to pray for individual needs.

Our main focuses were jobs, our workplaces, relationships, healing and finances. Deschutes County where we live is in the throws of 19% unemployment. Many in the church have been affected in some form or another. And so we prayed...

During this season the worship team continued to sing, interspersed with prayer for specific businesses in the community and for those who were jobless. It was powerful.

We need times like this in our lives, moments where the heavens seem to literally part and you can hear the heavenly host singing. It was emotional with many tears shed, heads lifted and hope rekindled. God is bigger than all of our circumstances and in the way that seems best to Him, meets all of our needs.

I'm so glad that the biggest problems I have can be given over to Him.

New Post at our Weight Loss Blog

For those who are interested, there is a new post over at our weight loss blog, "The Biggest Winner." You can access the site by clicking here, or by clicking the link in the right column.

Communication Gap

This is a strange blogging cycle for me. I wrote one yesterday that I didn't post because after reviewing it six times, I didn't want to do that to anyone...

It was hilarious - for me and me alone. It was all about foul language, movies and what I thought about that. And then today I listened to an acquaintance of mine talk about the Person of my livelihood in the form of a noun...over and over again...like the elevator never came to the top that I could possibly think anything about that.

Nope, his elevator didn't make it to the second floor...

You need to know that I'm smiling right now. It's not that wry, sarcastic one that I've been working on getting rid of. You see, the fellow is my friend, though not a good one. He's quite well-known in our community and I'm thinking that I'm going to start praying for him. I would love to see this guy be radically transformed by the power of God's love.

Now I'm smiling and nodding my head...in irony.

I'm on the road tomorrow, on my way to the East side of Oregon to a little burg called Vail. Our sister church is there in need of repair and we have a team of folks over there working on it. I'll do whatever on Thursday and on Friday drive to Hermiston in Northeast Oregon for three high school baseball games (oldest son playing).

This afternoon I was concluding three very frustrating phone calls with Kenya Airways. They speak English on the other end of the line, but it's not the variety that those of us living in the Pacific Northwest can understand very well. But these folks are ever patient and put impatient Americans like me to shame. That's why after each call that in the end left me a little beside myself, the end of the last one was sooooo sweet. The gal on the other end of the line figured out exactly what we needed to get done and made it happen by going the extra mile. It cost me a little more money, but wow, worth every cent.

Life is like that sometimes; you know what needs to get done but can't because of a communication gap. I've recently stepped into the middle of two other situations like that, trying to translate for these parties. I still believe that two of the folks think I'm speaking a foreign language.

The Bible tells us that Christ died for all of us. In our preoccupation with ourselves we to often think He is only referring to a race, location or nationality. It's just our nature to have the orbit of a grape (seedless please). But when I step back and think about those airline agents from Kenya Airways, they must think that the white fellow from Central Oregon sure talks strange and doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

At times, they're absolutely correct!

One thing I do get right is this; God is so good, even when I am not.

Vocabulary

Saw a newly released movie last week. It is in a genre that I really enjoy and I always try to see such films the first day that they arrive in our area.

'Just something I like to do.

The film was amazing! The special effects were nearly mind-blowing! It is incredible what they can do with computer graphics. It made you feel like it was all actually happening!

Love stuff like that and it's good to have a mental and emotional getaway from time to time.

I must admit that I did have a struggle though. What's up with the language these days in film? In this movie there were several inappropriate words throughout. I recognize that I don't use those words in my vocabulary on my job or in my home. I understand that some who are reading this think me prudish on some level. The reality for me (and others like me) is that when I hear these things, my whole body reacts. It is demeaning to hear and I struggle with my thinking concerning the one who is saying such things.

Yes, I know, it's not going away anytime soon.

Friends, it's not an issue of "what's allowable" from my lips. It really is all about morality, civility and for me, my relationship with Christ. I know many in our community who are not Christian who don't use words like that - because they don't have to.

Of humor, the movie was set centuries ahead into the future. I guess we lack such creativity and civility that the same foul words spoken today will be same ones we'll speak four to five hundred years from now?

I guess what I'm saying is that we don't have to be Christians in order to control our vocabulary. It helps, but there are way too many out there who get it...and don't talk that way.

Sometimes We Don't Realize...

I'm getting ready to go back to Burundi, the small war-torn country located in Central Africa. I'll be doing a couple pastor's conferences. One of the things that I vividly remember were the green and clear crystals sticking out from the side of the mountain on a long drive. I mean they were just sticking out for anyone to take. But no one was touching the formation. I guess they were so used to the stuff that it wasn't valuable to them.

Sometimes we don't realize what we have...

I thoroughly enjoy my early Wednesday morning meeting with some great men from Faith. For the most part it is a 'mature-in-Christ' group. And yet I'm reminded that even being the lead pastor of the church does not mean that I don't learn something when I'm out trying to sharpen those around me. I've found that if I pay attention, the Holy Spirit teaches me through the lives of these great guys.

I've come to know something about the Holy Spirit in this regard. As we go through this life with an ear inclined toward the heart of God we'll find that He is always speaking by way of the Spirit. If we're willing to listen we'll find that He speaks to us through a variety of vessels - mostly human I might add. I listen to my friends talk on Wednesday mornings and often thing out loud, "I'm going to use that one Sunday!" No, those windows of wisdom and insight don't always make it to the pulpit on Sunday - but nearly always they lead to some wonderful, glorious-God-perspective that opens up a window of heaven.

I wish I could take credit for that stuff but desiring to maintain integrity, admit that I cannot. The humor is that for the most part the guys don't even realize the great wealth that I'm mining from their lives. I find myself exceedingly wealthy as a result.

When we position our ear toward heaven, we grow in ways we never realized were possible...from places that we might never expect. I'm guessing that my friends don't even realize the jewels they are...sticking out the side of the mountain...of God.

Sometimes we don't realize what we have...

New Weight Loss Blog Entry

For those who are interested there is a new post at our weight loss blog ("The Biggest Winner") titled, "Habits & Patterns: Motivational Thought for the Week." You can access it by clicking here or by clicking the link in the right column.

Joint Account

I heard about some family the other day. My relative is in her retirement years. Between her and her husband they accumulated a measurable amount of wealth to provide for their retirement years. Sadly, her husband died of cancer when they were making the transition into retirement. She had a friend who had also lost his spouse. About a year later, they married. This fellow also had a good amount saved up for retirement. Now they have three accounts; his, hers and theirs. It makes sense in our culture. Upon their respective deaths their direct family members will receive an inheritance. The joint account is for what the couple does together.

Thinking about this I’m wondering about my account with God. Do I have one that is mine and one that is ours? Wow – I hope not. A joint account with God not only features an eternal inheritance but one that I can enjoy the riches of God’s favor, now.

How many “accounts” do we have in our relationship with the Ruler of the Universe? Be wise and close all others, leaving one “joint” account.