Tebow is Out; Jesus is Still In

It is January 16 and the temps in Southwest Missouri hit an unseasonable 68 degrees today (that's 20C for my non-American friends)! Of course, it is January and it is Missouri so the forecasted 19F (-7C) for tomorrow night should be no surprise.

I had a great weekend. I hope that all of you did, as well. Some big surprises in the football world; and also some not so surprising results. Green Bay and New Orleans are both out of the Superbowl running. So is Denver and Tim Tebow. Since I'm not a big football fan, I really don't care. What I do care about is that it is one weekend closer to MLB's spring training! I wasn't even sure of the rest of the NFL schedule. I had to check with my dad to be see if there is one more weekend of play-offs and then a two week break before the big game. That takes us right into baseball season.

The now former Cardinal Albert Pujols was always pretty quick with the "thanks to Jesus" thing but never really took much criticism for it until he left the team. I don't recall players from the opposing teams mocking him -- maybe that has more to do with Albert being one of the best and Tim being an average NFL quarterback. On the Cardinals' team, there are others that are stepping up and being vocal about their faith in Jesus. It will be interesting to see how things play out over the coming years. I'm sure that we haven't heard the last from Tim Tebow -- or the last about Tim Tebow.

For now, it appears that Tebow has the Bronco's starting job and it is his to flourish in or lose. And even if he never stepped on the field again, Jesus would continue in His role as King of kings and Lord of lords.

From ESPN writer Rick Reilly, here's something that you may not have known about Tim Tebow:

"Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured," Reilly wrote. "He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts."

You can read the BP article here.

John <><

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Riding the Tim Tebow Bandwagon

I'm not a big NFL fan.
Back in the day, I was a Minnesota Viking fan. Now "back in the day" was the day of the Purple People Eaters. That was  a long time ago and I can't say that I've followed the game much since. I hadn't even seen the famed Tim Tebow play (except for a few ESPN highlight clips) until last weekend.

Oh, I've heard the hype and know the story of his exceptional college career. I've heard the haters hate and the Christians proclaim him as a modern day prophet. Most people have heard of Tim Tebow. His name is brought up in conversations that have nothing to do with sports. "Tebowing" is becoming a verb in the culture of the day. NFL Playoff chatter is full of Tebow opinions.

Today, most people could tell you that he is the son of missionaries. A few may even be able to tell you his healthy birth is a minor miracle. Because of his mother contracting a parasitic infection while pregnant, she was encouraged by doctors to have an abortion or risk serious birth defects or a stillborn child. Wikipedia can give you that information if you want to check it out.

In any case, I'm not a Bronco's fan and really don't care if they win or lose. And I can't really say that I'm a Tim Tebow fan. But I am an admirer of a guy that lives his life and pursues his career in a way that gives glory to God. I wish him well.
If you follow me on Facebook, you may have already read this article.  If you haven't and can take one more rant on whether or not God cares if Tebow wins, check it out.

Does God favor Tim Tebow?
Yeah, I think so. Why? I have no idea.

Sometimes it comes down to God gets to be God and doesn't have to explain why some have it easy and some have to suffer. Truthfully, I've always figured that God has show favor towards me. I have an incredible family, a career that few get to experience with an income that is rare for somebody without a degree. I am able to travel a little, eat out too often, live well and have few wants. My needs are met. I have a few good friends and a home in a grand country. Though I am not famous nor wealthy, I am happy and comfortable. I have not been called on to suffer for God and hope that I never will be. However, should that day come, I hope that I can remember the God that has shown me favor in this life and has promised me a home in the next and serve Him well in my suffering.

Perhaps the lesson to be learned from Tim Tebow is that we should serve God well in our comfort, too!

John <><

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The Windy City

Blogging this morning from the kitchen table of my son's place in Chicago IL.

It's cold (it's mid January in Chicago) and Chicago is shoveling out from its first significant snowfall this winter. I am so glad that we were here to experience it -- NOT!

We're enjoying a short visit with the kids. We keep them out late and then they get up for work in the morning and we sleep in. Paybacks are sweet!

Last night we had dinner at Scoozi's and then enjoyed an evening at the iO Chicago Theater. The improve was good entertainment and we all laughed a lot. Between dinner and the improv, we killed some time (and got out of the cold) at a 24hr Starbucks. It was packed with others that were also getting out of the cold--an interesting gathering of people.
Tonight is supposed to be much colder and we may just stay in, fix dinner at home and enjoy visiting. Why bother staying out late when tomorrow is Saturday and they can sleep in? Saturday night I'm looking forward to a UFC Fight Night and some wings that Aaron has promised are the hottest that he's ever had. I'm sure that we'll be out late again, only then it will be our turn to get up early to catch our early morning train to go home.

Again, I'm reminded of how differently our kids live than we do. We took cabs, buses, trains or walked to get where we needed to go. Although the grocery store was about the same distance from their place as a store is from our house -- we walked. I'm pretty sure that we would have skipped the cab last night if it wasn't so cold and windy and the hour as late as it was.

I'm a little bit disappointed that we don't get to go to church with them on Sunday. I like their church community. But a later train home would have cost almost three times as much as the early one, so we opted for the cheap ride. We missed the snow in Missouri and it looks as though it will be gone and the roads nice for our drive from St. Louis to Ozark. It's all about timing!

Enjoy Friday the 13th!

John <><

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What Goes Back in the Box After Christmas?

I imagine that most of the decorations are down and packed away for next year's Christmas celebration. As I read the posts and statuses of packing away Christmas I can almost feel the relief from Christians and non-Christians alike, that Christ can get packed away for the next 11 months.

It seems that for the month of December, we get all huffy about proclaiming the Christ of Christmas and then go back to living Christ-less lives until next year. I'm not saying that we completely forget about the Christ of Christmas; I'm just saying that we're perfectly content to let everybody else forget about the Christ of Christmas. And let's be honest, there are a lot of December Christians that actually do put Jesus back in a box and (other than a brief display at Easter) wait until next December to start spewing their "I'm saying 'Merry Christmas' not 'Happy Holidays' " or "it's Christmas, not Xmas" crap all over Facebook and anywhere they can get a mob to agree with them.

So the question is: Now that Christmas is over and the decorations are put away, what do you do with Jesus?

Do you pack up the Nativity scene and put Baby Jesus in a box?
Or do you live with the realization that Immanuel (or Emmanuel) -- God with us, is still with us?

The fulfillment of the prophesies that took place on that first Christmas are as much for us today as they were 2000+ years ago. And if God is with us, don't we have the obligation to share that with those around us -- all year long?

Generally speaking, the Epiphany (Jan. 6) marks the end to the Christmas holiday. For my Christian readers, let's make sure that Jesus doesn't get packed up and put on a shelf until next year. Let's make sure that we never take the "Christ" out of our Christianity.

John <><

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Christmas Re-run

Last year, in the 12 days preceding Christmas, I posted a series of links to different Christmas stories. I thought of doing that again this year, but then never really took the time to do it. Now Christmas is just a week away and I thought that I would share a couple of my favorites from last year. If you're not into re-runs, you can skip these two stories. They are posts about the power of Christmas. I posted the story first and then the song that was inspired by the story.

It all happened nearly a hundred years ago -- Christmas 1914.
The Power of Christmas (part 1)
The Power of Christmas (part 2)

Merry Christmas,
John <><

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Albert Pujols

The end of an era in the history of St. Louis Cardinal Baseball.
Albert has moved on, accepting an offer from the Angels.

I think that says it all as far as baseball is concerned.

Okay, not really. In the coming hours and days there will be a lot more that is said about it. Already there have been fans that are turning on their now former hero and bidding him good riddance. Some fans are in mourning as if the Cardinals just closed the franchise down and will not be playing ball in 2012. Some feel betrayed that Albert would take the offer that best takes care of him for the rest of his career and in his life beyond baseball.

...And yes, there is life beyond baseball.

For most of us, it's just a game.  It's not our career. It's not our business. We have no stake in who wins or loses other than bragging rights among our friends. We pour our time, our money, our emotions into an escape from the worries of life...but most of life happens well beyond baseball. For Albert (and the elite few that make it to 'The Show'), baseball takes on a different perspective--one that I won't pretend to understand. So let me offer another perspective--one that many of you may not understand.

Over the past decade, Albert Pujols has brought a spiritual aspect to the Cardinal clubhouse. Certainly, there have been positive Christian role models in the organization prior to Albert, but because of his stardom, his has been much more visible. Evangelical Christians have greatly enjoyed his openness about his personal relationship with Jesus. His openness has encouraged other players (and fans) to be more vocal about their relationships with Jesus. The Cardinal clubhouse is full of guys that profess Jesus as Savior and Lord...and Albert has been a big part of that.

What if in the grand scheme of things, it's time to spread the gospel and encourage that kind of open testimony to another team? What if Albert really wanted to stay in St. Louis and prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making this career decision? What if he is not following the money, but is really following the leading of God?

Something tells me that God is not a big fan of the games that we play. I really don't believe that He cares if the Cardinal win another World Series in 2012 or the years beyond. (We already know that He doesn't care if the Cubs or Royals ever win another one!  Okay, that was mean--but a little bit funny, too.) IT'S JUST A GAME, FOLKS!

What isn't a game is that there are millions of souls that need to hear about God's love and His wonderful plan of salvation through His Son, Jesus. Albert has led teammates to know Jesus. He has given other Christian leaders and laymen opportunities to share Jesus in many different circles. Young athletes have learned that it's okay to be an athlete and take a Christian stand when it comes to using or not using steroids. Could it be that God feels that there are others to carry on with that message in the Midwest and it's time to move His superstar witness to the West Coast? Maybe this move doesn't have anything to do with baseball and has everything to do with a servant humbly obeying his Master.

Whether I am right about this or way out in left-field (pardon the analogy), each of us that professes Jesus as Savior ought to examine how we testify about our relationship in the career fields that we are engaged in. If we are to be obedient to the command that Jesus gave to us at the end of Matthew's gospel, then our work places are our mission fields. Our neighborhoods are our mission fields. If we have truly trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then our lives are not our own; they have been bought with a great price and we owe it to our Lord to serve Him where He desires, not where we prefer to serve.

If you are a Cardinal fan, I am sorry for the loss to our team.
If you are an Albert fan (and I am), then wish him the best and cover him with prayers in his new mission field.
If you are a Jesus fan, then trust Him in all of the areas of life and realize that eternity is no game.
If you are too busy playing games to get serious about life and about eternity, I would encourage you to consider what awaits you if there is no tomorrow.

John<><
less that 3 months to spring training!

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Life and Death; Living and Dying; Immortality and Mortality

It's been a very interesting (for lack of a better word) last couple of weeks. It has been a time that keeps bringing to mind the fragility of life, the certainty of death and the question of "What happens next?"

Here's the rundown:

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my dad's heart stopped. The pacemaker/defibrillator did its thing and brought him back around after zapping his heart with a jolt of energy. There were some pretty tense moments but the hospital checked everything out, made some adjustments to his meds and sent him on his way with some fears of why the heart stopped and some confidence that the defibrillator would do its thing if needed.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the mother of one of my co-workers passed away.
On the following Sunday, a friend called with news that his girlfriend's dad had passed away on Thanksgiving Day and wanted to know if I could do the funeral (that was Friday).
Following Saturday, the dad of one of Aaron's classmates had a very bad heart attack. He has been kept unconscious by meds and lowering of his body temperature and they will start to warm him and revive him in the next few hours.
Also on Saturday, one of our high school students from church was in a bad auto accident. He was okay (other than bump and bruises), but his truck was totaled and there was a fatality in the other vehicle.

It seems as though there has been a lot of death and near death not too far from me in the past two weeks. The Bible says that life is like a vapor; here for a moment and then gone. We never want to think of it as being that uncertain. We make our plans as if we have forever ahead of us and live without any urgency to share our faith, our time, or our love with the people that we encounter daily. We hold our grudges and withhold our forgiveness and never think about carrying those grudges into eternity or having the person pass away before we take the time to say we're sorry or express our forgiveness to them.

I really don't know about two of the three people that have died in the past days. The family of one of them told me that their dad had made a profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. I know that there are some of my readers that don't believe in life after death. There are others that may believe in life after death but have done nothing to prepare for it. Not wanting to think about death won't keep it from happening. Life has a 100% fatality rate. Death is no respecter of age, wealth or social status. It overcomes all ages, all races, all cultures, all beliefs, all peoples--we all die.

I would encourage each of my readers to consider:
What happens next?
Is there an afterlife?
Is there a heaven?
Is there a hell?
How do I prepare for for this afterlife?

And whether or not you believe in an afterlife:
What has been left unsaid that needs to be said?
What has been unforgiven that needs to be forgiven?
What kindness needs to be done?
What encouragement needs to be shared?
What smile needs to shown?
and How many 'I love yous' need to be told to the people that we love?

If yesterday would have been your last day to live, would you be able to say that you ended life well? Would the people that you love know that they are loved? Would you have been ready to face God and stand in His Judgment?

Yesterday is history.
How will you end today?

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." --Jesus (Jn 14:6)

John <><

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