Finding God in the Storms

Tornadoes, strong winds, and extreme amounts of rain have reeked havoc on the Oklahoma City Metro over the past two weeks.  Approximately 30+ lives, 15,000+ homes, and multiple businesses, schools, and churches all lost in the past two weeks.  Nothing like Oklahoma Weather during tornado season.

Although I have not personally heard anyone ask this question, I'm sure a lot of people are wondering how a good God could allow such devastating and tragic events to happen.  Some may even add, especially to the Bible belt of all places.

Radical extremists argue that we are experiencing God's wrath because of our sins.  One group even blamed OKC Thunder player Kevin Durant because he said he would still love and support a basketball player that recently announced that he was a homosexual.  Please don't listen to these people.  Their distorted view of the Bible is a poor representation of Christianity.

The fact of the matter is devastating events like Tornadoes happen due to a mixture of hot and cold air colliding.  The flat landscape of Oklahoma, Kansas, and surrounding areas is a perfect breeding ground of this to happen.  Its nature.  It's science.  I don't think it has to do with God's wrath on a people or especially on one particular person's choice to extend grace to someone.

So where is God in all this distaster and devastation?

God shows up in disaster relief teams.  He is in the teachers that lay on top of students.  He is in the Salvation Army & Red Cross.  He is in the relief teams both organized and unorganized.  He is in the churches, businesses, and hospitals that have set up shelters.  He is in the celebrities and major corporations that have donated millions of dollars and in concerts and events that raised millions more.

God showed up as First Responders, Firemen, Policemen, Nurses, Doctors, Teachers, Principals and the President.  He showed up as storm chasers, meteorologists  and news casters keeping folks informed.  He showed up as friends and family members in piles of rubble.  God showed up as strangers lending a hand.  He showed up as college dorms allowing workers to stay.  He showed up as truckloads of water, diapers, clothes, and food.  And He showed up as a single gift card, dollar bill in the offering plate, and the small contents of a child's piggy bank.

You ask where is God during times of devastation and disaster?  I ask you where is He not?

May God bless Oklahoma and may we be thankful for His presence in our state, cities, communities and families.

God With Us

Sometimes God shows up in different forms and locations.  Today we celebrate the moment when God showed up as a new born baby over 2000 years ago. Today he also showed up on the side of a major highway, in 26 degree weather with freezing rain.

On the way back home to OKC we got a flat tire.  I pulled off to the side of the road and got all of the luggage and presents out of the trunk in order to get to the spare tire.  It wasn't long before I realized that I didn't have a tire iron needed to change the tire!  Not a good feeling on Christmas day on the side of the road with freezing rain and a 5 month old in the car.  The next thing I know a big truck from the Department of Transportation pulled over to see if we needed help.  They hooked me up with their tire iron and helped me take the wheel off.  As I began to jack up the car I realized that the tire iron was actually hidden in the jack.  The guys saw that I had what I needed and were on their merry way.  

A minute or two later another truck pulled over to see if I needed any help.  It was just a man named Jesse and his son Gavin wanting to help someone on Christmas day.  They walked up and took over.  Maybe they could tell that I wasn't confident in my abilities or perhaps they just wanted to be a blessing.  They certainly were!

You can call it coincidence, good fortune, or luck.  But luck and fortune rarely show up when you're on the side of the road on Christmas day in inclement weather.  God speaks and moves and works all the time in many different ways.  What I realized today is that I rarely notice how much God speaks and moves until I'm in a bind.  And it doesn't matter to God if the need is big or small.  God is with us.

To finish up our story, the roads were getting slick and we didn't want to risk driving with a donut.  No tire places were open as it was Christmas so we decided we would play it safe and check into a hotel.  

So here we are at the Hampton Inn in Shawnee, OK.  No car to unload.  No laundry to do.  No house to clean.  No meals to cook.  No dishes to wash.  No projects.  No to-do list.  Just secluded in a hotel room with my wife and sweet baby boy.  Napping, watching a Christmas Story, eating at the IHOP next door, and making a wonderful Christmas memory as a family.

Perhaps a flat tire in the freezing rain and staying in a hotel room on Christmas Day could be just what I needed as a reminder that God is with me.  It is also a reminder that God answers prayers, but not always how we think He should.  Katy prayed for a safe trip as we left home.  Despite the extreme inconvenience of a flat tire in inclement weather, we are safe and never felt like we were in any danger.  God is constantly with us!

Merry Christmas to you!

May you be reminded of the many ways that God is with you and may you be changed because of it!

Tough Times

My three month old son had a rough night last night.  We are very fortunate that he is a happy baby, but he sure wasn't very happy last night while he was screaming his lungs out.  We aren't exactly sure what caused these piercing screams but most likely it was some sort of gas bubble or other tummy troubles.  Needless to say he was definitely in pain.

As his Father, I wanted so bad to help him as he was crying for help but there was nothing I could do in that moment to make things better.  His three month old mind may have even wondered how I could have let this happen to him and been mad at me for not making it go away. All I could do was hold him in my arms and say, "It's okay Beau.  Daddy's got you.  You're going to make it."  while he got through the pain.

Sometimes I think that's how God feels.  We all deal with our own version of pain and as His children I would have to imagine that He hates to see us crying out during difficult times.  And as much as we think He can or should do something about it I think God is there saying, "It's okay Brett.  I've got you.  You're going to make it."

People often wonder why bad things happen to good/innocent people and I don't have the answer.  What I do know is that God never promised that we would not face tough times.  He promised that we would never face tough times alone!  

Whatever it is you're going through, remember that you're not alone.  Cry it out in God's arms.  You're going to make it!

Insanity

As you may know I have accepted the INSANITY challenge.  Insanity is an extreme workout program that is 60 days of MAX Interval Training.  The workouts are 30-45 minutes consisting of 3 minutes of non-stop cardio with a 30 second break, 6 days a week.  After just one exercise the best way to describe each workout is certainly insane.  Fitness guru Shaun T. is always encouraging you to take a quick break, dig deeper, and get back in it.

I have completed the first week and I am already seeing and feeling results.  My clothes fit better.  I have more energy.  I feel a greater sense of accomplishment.  The guy in the mirror looks a little different.  It's definitely a good experience.  Six days a week is a lot but you simply can't get the same results by only working out 1 or 2 days a week.

I was thinking today at Church, what would it be like if worked out my spiritual body the same way?  What if I spiritually exercised for 30-45 minutes each day by reading, studying, praying, journaling, serving, loving, and worshiping, 6 days a week.  For a lot of us, this type of spiritually activity certainly sounds insane. 

Although I haven't started an official program, I have been reading, praying, worshiping, studying, journaling, and serving more than I ever have before.  It has been more like 15-20 minutes a day and I am definitely seeing results.  I have more joy.  I have more patience and peace.  I'm more thankful and gracious.  I'm leading my family better.  There has been unexplainable guidance in my life.  I feel a greater sense of accomplishment.  The guy in the mirror looks a little different.  It's definitely been a good experience.   Six days a week is a lot but you simply can't get the same results by only spiritually working out 1 or 2 days a week.

I invite you to accept the INSANITY CHRISTIANITY challenge.  I know the name sounds lame but it rhymes and I just made it up.  60 days of reading and studying God's word, praying, listening, journaling, serving, loving, and worshiping, 6 days a week.  Results guaranteed or your money back.  :)




So c'mon y'all!!  Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! (INSANITY inside joke)

Food For Thought

There is a well known story in the Bible about Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at the well.  You can find the entire story in the 4th chapter of John's Gospel.

Basically, Jesus and his disciples were traveling through Samaria and they needed to stop and rest.  The disciples went into town to grab some McDonald's while Jesus stayed near the well chatting with the locals.  The disciples came back from grabbing some food to see a strange scene of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman.  Though they thought it was odd, they didn't say anything about it.  The disciples encouraged him to eat something, because obviously his judgement was starting to slip, talking to a dirty Samaritan woman.

Then Jesus replied with, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  This confused his disciples since they were the ones who went to get food so they ask "Could someone have brought him food?"  Jesus continues, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work."

The purpose of eating food is to provide energy, strength, and nourishment for the body.  Jesus is saying, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."  In other words, "I'm not worried about eating food, but rather living my life in such a way that I bring Glory to God by loving and serving others."

Another way Jesus could have said it is, "What gives me energy and strength is doing what God has created me to do." 

Are you hungry?  Are you sure it's for food?  I must say, this "food you know nothing about" doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless you've experienced it.  If you read on, Jesus doesn't really even bother trying to explain it.  In a way it's like trying to describe a taste.  What does coffee taste like?  What does peanut butter taste like?  Even if you were the best linguist in the world, you still would have to taste it to truly know.


My prayer for you (and for myself) is that your hunger to bring glory to God by doing what he has created you to do is greater than your hunger for actual food. 

Opening Doors

I heard an analogy in church today that I had to share. 

Knowing and doing the will of God is much like shopping at Target.  At Target, and most other stores for that matter, they have sliding doors with the motion sensor.  Once someone begins walking towards the door and gets within a certain distance, the doors open.  The doors do not open on verbal command and they do not work from a distance.  The only way you get the doors to open is by walking toward them and having faith that they will open.

Expecting God to just tell us His will (direction, purpose) for our lives is a lot like sitting in the parking lot and waiting for the doors to open before getting out of the car and walking in.  We often wait for a sign because we want to make sure it is the right thing to do, when we should be walking toward and seeking God.  It is when we seek God, we will learn his will, direction, plan, and purpose for our life, not the other way around. 

God is not obligated to open doors for immovable objects.  Opportunities are granted to those who seek them. 

(Paraphrased from Dr. Terry Toler...he said it better)

The Best Way to Improve Your Marriage

What is the best way to improve your marriage?  

A friend of mine recently asked me this question.  First of all, I was flattered that he thought I would even know the answer to that question.  Thankfully, it is a question I have asked many men that I admire as husbands.  I have read books and blogs on marriage, heard sermons and lectures on marriage, and studied the marriages of couples that I admire and respect.  Combining all of that wonderful information, there is one answer that stands out above all the others.  There is one thing that I have seen work in the lives of others and have personally experienced in my own life.  Do you want to know what it is?

Before I tell you, I must say when I first heard the answer I didn't like it.  The answer seems frustrating and impractical.  It seemed totally Sunday School.  However, I can only speak from my experience and say that the answer could not be more true.

The best way to improve your marriage is to improve your relationship with God.  It's a frustrating answer.  I told you it would be.  I mean how can you improve on something by working on something else?  It just doesn't seem logical.  I thought it would be something practical like spend more time together, do nice things for each other, or even something spiritual like pray together.  Nope.  All of those things are good and I highly recommend them but they are all byproducts of pursuing God.

God is Love.  God created Love.  We wouldn't know what Love looked like if it wasn't for God's demonstrations of Love.  Therefore, the more we seek the Creator of Love, the more we will be able to understand what it means to Love and the better we will be able to Love our spouse and improve our marriage.

Want a better relationship with your spouse?  Seek a deeper relationship with God.  I wish I could explain more but you'll just have to experience it for yourself.  I wasn't a believer until my pursuit of God became greater than the pursuit of my wife.  Here are 3 things that strengthened my pursuit of God:

Pray daily that God would fill you with the desire to seek Him.  Although I wanted it, I didn't naturally have the desire to consistently seek God.  I got tired of trying to be disciplined enough and tired of trying to make myself seek God.  After many bouts of frustration I gave up trying to be disciplined and asked God to fill me with the desire to seek Him. 

Read His word consistently.  The Bible is full of Divine Wisdom and the book of Proverbs is a good place to start.  Commit to read a Chapter of Proverbs everyday for a month.  Also, the Bible App youversion.com is available on all smart phones as well as the internet.  There are dozens of plans to help you get started.  Check it out the free Bible app here.

Find your Purpose.  There is an abundance of joy, passion, and peace when you are doing what you are created to do.  Books like The Purpose Driven Life and Chazown are great tools to help discover a greater purpose for your life.  In fact, you can even go through the Chazown Experience online, in a class, or with your small group.  It is a great tool to help discover your purpose.

It is amazing how my relationship with my wife has developed as my relationship with God has developed.  My prayer is that you will have the same experience.

What is the best thing that has improved your marriage?

Right Things...Wrong Reasons

I don't know about you but sometimes I do good things for the wrong reasons. Take this blog for example. The purpose of this blog was to (1) practice writing skills to better write a book in the future and (2) share things with others that have personally helped me.

In the midst of this I have become concerned with the amount of readers, comments, page views, etc. In other words, what began as a tool to help others turned into an avenue to get MY name known.  I began to see how many people were reading my blog from multiple countries on different continents and I pretended that I was famous. I began to write to get more readers, comments, and page views instead of writing to share with others the ideas, itemsthings that have helped me.

1 Corinthians 13:3 says "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not Love, I gain nothing." Giving all we have to others in need is a good thing, but apparently not if we do it for the wrong reasons.

Giving our lives for a cause or a person is a good thing, unless we do it for the wrong reasons. Writing a blog, serving others, giving to charity, and helping someone in need are all wonderful things, but if we do them without love in our hearts it will be for nothing.

My challenge to myself is to check the status of my heart before checking my head. Check my intentions before checking my results. For this blog it means writing for the sake of writing and hopefully making a small difference along the way, not writing for mere page views and comments. Good stats, data, and facts are good but all for nothing if we have not Love.

What things do you do for the sake of Love? In what areas do you need to check your intentions?

Give It Up

What are you giving up for Lent? 

Have you heard someone ask that?  Did you wonder what in the world they were talking about?

Lent is a Christian tradition in which believers pray, fast, give, or sacrifice something for the 40 days before Easter.  Lent officially begins Ash Wednesday, which is this week.  You may even see people who have a cross on their forehead on Wednesday night.  You can learn more about Lent and Ash Wednesday here.

Why participate in Lent?  It is a great way to prepare our hearts, minds, and bodies for the greatest day of the Christian calendar, Easter.

Lent is not about simply giving something up like a New Year's Resolution.  Lent is about doing (or not doing) something that interrupts your daily life that will cause you to pray, remember what God has done, and grow closer to God.

Here are a few things that people may choose to give up during Lent:

- Give up caffeine to remember that God is the source of all strength and energy.
- Give up complaining or negative comments  and ask God to show you the best in all people and situations.
- Give up listening to music in the car and take the time to have conversations with loved ones or with God.
- Give up television or video games and read the Bible or a daily devotional instead.


Katy and I will be giving up TV during the 40 days of Lent.  Instead we plan to read, listen to positive music and podcasts, talk, play games, and learn to enjoy the silence.

Here are a few things that people may choose to do during Lent:

- Read the Bible and/or pray every day.  
- Write 40 encouraging notes to people who have made a difference in your life.
- Run or walk everyday.  Less about physical exercise and more about time alone with God.
- Give something away everyday.
- This church is doing something different each day of the week.  

I am going to send positive and encouraging messages via facebook, twitter, and text message every day during the 40 days of Lent.

These are just a few ideas.  You know what would work best in your life.  What you do or don't do is not important.  Please understand, participating in Lent will not make God love you more or less.  Participating in Lent will develop and strengthen your relationship with God as you catch a small glimpse of the sacrifice and giving God has done for you.