Good Morning Jesus

 

I was 19 years old when Joan Lunden joined Dave Hartman as the host of Good Morning America.  It was 4 years later when I married Caroline that I started watching GMA regularly.  GMA became a part of my morning routine.  Joan and Dave are now long gone.  I like some of the current hosts more than others, but I continue to watch.  It's a habit - a 40-year habit.  I am going to try something new for the next 40 days.  No television with two exceptions.  I can watch while I exercise.  I don't need any new excuses not to exercise.  Also, Caroline and I have been wanting to watch The Chosen.  So, we are allowing that as the one other exception.  I am two days deep into this, and I can't tell you how many times I have reached for the remote control.  I hope to replace the TV habit, with the habit of thinking of Jesus.  So far, it is working.  Who knows, maybe 40 days will turn into 40 years.

Control Freak

Our ConnectGroup from church gathered at our house for our first meeting of the semester last night.  We are reading "The Cost of Control" by Sharon Hodde Miller.  In the first chapter, Sharon explains that our desire for control is so strong, that if we don't have control in a situation, we have a tendency to create an illusion of control.  That illusion may help to reduce anxiety in the short term, but if the illusion is not based in truth, the damage can be severe.  One of the most graphic examples of this happened leading up to May 21st 2011.  You may remember that as the day that the world was going to end - according to Harold Camping and his followers.  Luckily for us, Harold's illusion did not come to fruition, and our world is still intact.   There are at least two things unsettling about this.  The first is that Harold had already been wrong once when he predicted the world would end in 1994.   Apparently, people's memory was short.  The second is that the Bible clearly states that we will not know when the world will end, so people making a claim that they know are misinformed.  There were people who burned through their life savings expecting the world to end, and others that committed suicide when the story didn't unfold as Harold had predicted.  Sharon promises to deliver solid advice on what we can do to manage our desire for control more effectively.  I look forward to learning more.

The Fitz

 

We got some sad news this week.  Richard Fitzgerald, one of my closest friends passed away.  I have known Richard, his wife, Kris, and much of their family for 35 years.  We first met them when we moved into our home in South Gwinnett in 1987.  We played on the same ALTA tennis team for many years and attended the same church.  Richard was a deacon at the church, always holding leadership roles, and has taught Sunday School most of his adult life.  Richard and Kris bought a second home at Lake Hartwell and then moved there full-time when they both retired.  We have experienced our kids getting married, grandkids being born and grandkids learning to ski and love the lake.  Richard was diagnosed with Cancer and has been going through treatment for the last few years.  At times it seemed the Cancer was under control,  but it continued to reappear.   Richard endured the treatment with an amazing attitude and unbelievable faith.  Richard will be remembered by many as a great husband, and a proud father and grandfather.  But I will remember Richard as one of the most faith-full friends a person could ever ask for.  I am glad that Richard is now fully healed with his Father in heaven, but I will miss him dearly every day. 

Washed Away

 

Our lives are filled with milestones: team sports championships, graduations, new jobs, marriage, kids, kid's marriages and grandkids, just to name a few.  These moments we will never forget.  But the biggest milestone for my life was accepting Jesus.  Years later, I was baptized along with my wife, Caroline, and my two kids, Michael and Lizzy.  This past week, we had the privilege of seeing Michael's  oldest son, Evan, be baptized at his church in Athens, while friends and family celebrated his decision.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for Evan as he grows in his faith.  Praise God for His faithfulness.

The Day After

 

He didn't think like other people thought, and he wasn't scared to let them know.  His presence was large and growing larger.   Some ignored him.  Others disagreed with him.  Many hated him.  On Wednesday, he had spoken to a crowd, warning them that hard times were ahead.  His life had been threatened.  

On Thursday, James made his way towards town with the explicit purpose to kill.  His target was not random.   It was specific.   He completed his mission to kill Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4th, 1969.

Dr. King's speech the day before would come to be known as one of the most famous speeches in our nation's history. Near the end, he states: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I'm not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God's will.  And he has allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I've looked over - and I've seen the promised land...Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

Click here to witness his passion.  Praise God for Dr. King's leadership and his ultimate sacrifice.

The Other Brother

 

Jeymes Samuel may not be a name that you have heard of, but perhaps you have heard of his older brother, Seal, who has released massive hits like Kiss From a Rose.  Seal's little brother, Jeymes, is quickly making a name for himself.  He not only produced "The Book of Clarence" which opens in theaters tomorrow, he also wrote the script and the full score, and sings in all of the original songs.  He also directed the film.  I obviously haven't seen this one yet, but expectations are high.  The story centers on a twin brother to the apostle, Thomas, who doesn't believe the claims of Jesus, and seeks to discover his own divine path.  I'm not sure what tone the film will take, but I did read that Jeymes' mom was a devout Christian, so I am hopeful that some of that rubbed off on Jeymes.  I'm quite sure there will be spirited discussion between people who appreciate the film and those who don't like the liberties he took with such a sacred story.  My biggest hope is that there are people that might not have considered Jesus before,

 that make a decision to do that based on Jeymes' work.

Christmas Rules

I am really glad that Jesus was born.  Celebrating Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, because it pretty much guarantees that all of my family will gather for several days.  The immediate family includes Caroline, our two kids and their spouses, 7 grandkids and 3 extra dogs.  While I have to admit that having that many people/canines is not always relaxing or easy, I can tell you that there is no group of people I would rather spend time with.  Caroline and I are fortunate that our family is near enough that we can meet and that meeting is something we all still want to do.   I hope the same for you.  Thank you Jesus for being born and thank you for the family you have blessed us with.