No Easy Answers

I believe we all lost a lot of emotional energy this week following the tragedy of the bombing in Boston.  I wish I had some new revelation that would help me understand how a child of God could be so sick as to want to do something like this.  I wish I understood what I could do to explain how someone could do this.  I wish I knew what I could do that would comfort or acknowledge the loss of those families that were affected.  I have never had anything like this happen to someone that I know personally.  The closest thing that I can relate to is the death of my dad to cancer, and he had lived a long and happy life before his death.  I can only hope that a love like the love that I felt during the death of my dad was available to every person that was affected by the bombing.  That love came from my Savior, Jesus, and from my friends and family that know him, too.

What's in a name?

This week, Caroline and I had the pleasure of meeting with our good friends, Stephen and Christina Byerly.  Stephen has been working with the Wesley Foundation at UGA for the past several years and has recently accepted a position with Café 1040.  Café 1040 isn’t the latest hip coffee joint.  1040 refers to the window of the world between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude.  That region contains the largest proportion of people that have never heard the good news that Jesus brought to the earth 2000 years ago.  Café 1040’s mission is to change that by equipping young people for full time work in that region.   (I still don’t know where the “Café” came from, but it DOES sound pretty hip.)  Caroline and I are currently going through a 4 month study on missions at our church, and while we have not felt the call to go overseas yet, it gives us great pleasure to support our good friends who have.  Click here for more on Café 1040 or feel free to contact me directly.

Nothing Really HAS To Be Done

Caroline and I spent the weekend with our good friends, Greg and Mary, at their cabin in North Carolina.  Getting ready to leave town for some time off is always interesting to me.  I look at my to-do list and when you get down to the day before you leave, each item begs this question “is this something that HAS to happen before I leave or can it wait till I return?”  The lesson I learned is that nothing really HAS to be done, it’s more about what I like to do or what I want to do.  Then when I get on the road, I take a deep breath and try to rest in the fact that everything else can wait.  It is very hard for me, because I love my work and I love for my clients to be happy.  But the  truth of the matter is, it can wait.  We had an amazing weekend.  I felt refreshed by the mountains, the weather, the food and my friends.  I hope that it allows me to be better for my family, friends and clients when I return.  (I have to confess that I was delighted that the accommodations included cell and internet service.  I wasn’t able to completely disconnect while I was there.  Oh well, maybe next time.)

Google celebrates Easter

I had never heard or Cesar Chevez before this week.  Apparently, Mr. Chevez died in 1993, but before he died, he was the most prominent activist supporting the rights of migratory farm workers from Latin America.  As I read his biography, it sounds like he did some amazing things.  Cesar’s birthday happened to fall on Easter this year, and Google decided to feature him in their home page logo that day.  In my research, I was also interested to learn that Mr. Chevez was raised Roman Catholic, and he probably recognized and celebrated that something else very important happened on Easter.  Maybe next Easter, Google will incorporate a cross into their logo, or at least an Easter Bunny.

Unfolding Miracle

One of our close friends, Cheryl, has been battling cancer for a while.  She had a recent set-back when she lost the use of her legs.  She has been admitted to Shepherd Spinal Center where she is learning how to live from a wheel chair.  Caroline and I went to visit with her last night.  It was my first chance to be inside Shepherd.  We had dinner in the cafeteria, and Cheryl toured us through the facility.  They have a large indoor pool, gymnasium and multiple health and rehab facilities.  I was amazed by the facilities, but Cheryl told us that the real strength of the facility is the staff.  She said that each person she deals with is extremely helpful and encouraging.  I was delighted to hear that they were taking good care of her, but the inspiration for me was all Cheryl.  She has the most amazing attitude towards the disease that has attacked her body.  She gives all credit for her strength to her faith in Jesus and the plans that He has for her.   We are praying for the miracle of complete healing, but for me, the miracle is already unfolding in her life and the spirit of God within her.

That looks fun - Let me in!

I had fun on Sunday.  My niece and nephew who live in Roswell were having their baby, Maddox, baptized at Peachtree Presbyterian.  After attending contemporary worship services at my churches for the last 20 years or so, I loved watching the organist dancing on the pedals and feeling my pew vibrate from the deep rich tones of the pipe organ instead of my folding chair buzz from the bass guitar connected to the subwoofer under  the stage.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love contemporary worship, but there was something very settling about the structured service and the traditional music.  It took me back to First Presbyterian in Columbus where I was first introduced to Jesus.  Four baby boys were baptized  on Sunday.   The minister did an amazing job of personalizing each baptism with a short explanation of the origins of their given names.  “Maddox is a visionary and it is likely that he will be leading many people.”  Infant baptism is something I haven’t seen in a while.  My recent Baptist and non-denominational churches all prefer full immersion of adults that are making their own decisions to follow Jesus.  The infant baptism is beautiful in that the infants are as close to sinless as they will ever be.  The baptism is a chance for parents, family and the church to express their hope and support for the child as opposed to the  child declaring anything for himself.  It was great to see almost all of my family sitting together and expressing their pledge to support and encourage Maddox.  I love this picture of Maddox because it captures the feeling I had when I was at the baptism.  Maddox kept staring at the water in the baptismal font as if he was thinking, “That looks fun.  Let me in!”  I, for one, am praying he has that chance and hope to be near when he makes his own decision.

Half Marathon in Seaside, FL

Several months ago, my daughter Lizzy announced that she was running in a half marathon (13.1 miles) in Seaside, FL.  Apparently some of the people in her small group from church had done it before and were encouraging others in the group to join them.  I haven’t ever run further than 6 miles and Lizzy has never been an avid runner.  She put together a training schedule and worked her way up to 11 miles prior to the race.  Caroline and I were so excited for her that we decided to drive down and surprise her.  We tracked her down amidst the 3000 runners prior to the race with the help of her husband, Trey, and snuck up behind her and surprised her.  The look on her face was worth every bit of the 6 hour drive down and seeing her cross the finish line under her goal time was almost as good.  No revolutionary message here, but I believe it is true that a lot of good things can start in church and the joy of loving a child has to be one of the best feelings in the world.  Oh, and the race raised about $300,000 for the Seaside Elementary School.