The “J-Team”

I love to eat! I love a variety of types of food, from Mexican (Tex-Mex actually) to shrimp to burgers to steaks. One of my family’s favorite activities is going out for a bite to eat with our friends after Church…every time…Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday evening and sometimes in-between. Our ritual has grown to quite a number of folks each week with a number of kids from the youth group joining in the revelry. Well, as kids are want to do, they have dubbed our habitual assemblage as “The A-Team”. For this old-timer, this conjures memories of the TV show from the ‘70’s (great show, by the way...and a great forum for Mr. T…“I pity the fool”), but for almost everyone else it invokes connotations of being the “select” – the place to be, the group to join, the “in crowd”, a trend-setter, the right social alliance. It’s all in good fun, and the kids have even appointed some (usually themselves) as the President, VP, CEO, etc.

It feels good to be part of the “elite” – to be different, a cut above, the cream of the crop, an influential leader. But I am not talking about being part of the “A-Team”, but being a member of the “J-Team”. Those of us who follow Jesus are truly privileged to be part of a select few. Many claim to follow Jesus, but few are actually true disciples. Matthew 7:22-23. Jesus tells us that the gate is small and the road is narrow and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14. We become members of our own volition, but not of our own doing. Jesus paved the narrow road with righteousness, sacrifice, blood, sweat, tears, and perfection – and has invited us to join, even though we are imperfect, sin-stained, and unworthy. He has beckoned us to be holy…set apart…to fulfill a higher calling, to be fishers of men. Matthew 4:19. When we are members of the “J-Team”, we are a part of a body (I Corinthians 12); we are a part of Jesus Himself (Romans 6:3-5).

So “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) and celebrate being chosen by your Creator to be a member of his “J-Team”!

Sweet Sixteen

It happens only once in a lifetime. It is such a special age that authors write books about it, lyricists pen songs about it, magazine articles abound with advice, MTV has dedicated a special show to it, and there are professionals hired to plan the perfect parties. It seems to be the second most important (and often expensive) day in a young lady’s life. It is when children “come of age”, when girls become women, and that all important event in life when one can FINALLY get their driver’s license! It is the beginning of independence – a time when kids no longer rely on parents to be the taxi, when they can start a job and earn their own money, and they can even start dating. Today, Lavon Arlene Wheeler has reached this all-important milestone.

While this is an exciting time in Lavon’s life, it is bittersweet for me. As Lavon rushes headlong into all these new challenges, with gritty determination and youthful exuberance, I must resign myself to the fact that she is no longer “daddy’s little girl”. I don’t worry about Lavon, though. She is the most grounded young woman that I know. Sharp as a tack…bright, smart, and brainy…she is truly gifted in all areas of life. With stunning beauty and the voice of angel, it is the graciousness of her soul that shines the brightest. She is never want to lend her talents to the service of others, whether working with children, singing for funerals or weddings, or visiting the retirement homes with the teens. She is the unofficial social director of the youth group, often taking the initiative to organize a lock-in or other function, but always encouraging the kids to be there and to participate – all with the goal of drawing each and every one closer to God and closer to each other. While she wants to dedicate her life to medicine, her primary focus is devoting her life first to God.

So, Lavon, as you embark on this wondrous journey, I pray that God will guide your decisions and your purpose to continually utilize your talents for the benefit of others. I pray that He will guard your heart and protect your soul. I pray that He will provide for you a suitable mate, who will love you more than life itself and who will support you and who will be your partner on your heavenward journey. Most of all I pray that you will continue to grow in the grace and peace and favor of God.

I will miss my “little girl”, but I look forward to my time with the precious woman of God you are.

HAPPY SWEET SIXTEENTH!

From Tween to Teen

Well, it has finally happened. Today, my youngest daughter...my middle child...turned 13. I now have 2 teen-aged daughters! I have watched her grow over the years and her transition from "tween" to teen will be seamlessss.

Lauren is the most beautiful thirteen year old girl in all the world (NO, I am not prejudiced, and YES, she takes after her momma!) She is my cello buddy, with a natural talent for music, both instrumental and vocal (and YES, she gets that from her momma too). A decidedly intelligent child, she loves school, as much for the learning as the chance to be with her friends. A fun-loving, easy-going child, very little seems to shake her. She is idealistic and innocent, with a view of the world as it should be. She is a giver, often willing to sacrifice the things she wants or enjoys for the joy and happiness of others. She mostly enjoys the simple things in life without worrying about brand names or fly-by-night fads.

But what I love most about my daughter is the purity of her heart. Quick to make friends, she is optimistic and encouraging, choosing to see the best in everyone, instead of seeking out the faults of others. She is a modern day Barnabas. Much like Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and vouched for his integrity in Acts 9, Lauren will stand up for her friends and sees them through the eyes of Jesus. Even if she has been wronged or treated unfairly, she has a forgiving heart, holding no grudges, seeking no retribution, and accepting those just as they are, faults and strengths included. I see in Lauren the reflection of the Spirit of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I see in her Jesus' love and grace welling up and overflowing, and showering over all those within her sphere of influence. Her heart of compassion extends to all she touches...especially me.

Thank you, Lauren, for letting me see Jesus each and every day. You are truly a woman after God's own heart.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Infomercials

We’ve all seen them…probably even stayed up till 2:00 a.m. wondering, “How do they do that?” They slice, dice, chop, puree, blend, make dust out of coffee (and sometimes even rocks – why would someone want to chop up rocks in a kitchen appliance?). They make your clothes fresher and wrinkle free. They keep your auto engine running – even without any oil! They make things easier to reach and easier to store and easier to cook. They keep you in shape and give you rock hard abs in just 6 minutes a day. They even make you rich, with no money down, no money up front, and no money in the bank, all while working just a couple hours a week. Yep, we’ve all seen them, and we’ve all bought some of them.

But the ones that amaze, and disappoint, me the most are the ones where their product will clean anything; from grape juice to red Kool-Aid, from grass stains to grease, from oxidation to rust, from hard water stains to years of dirt and grime buildup. I’ve tried several of these products and none of them seem to stand up to the claims they make. I sometimes think that it is just me. Maybe I’m not using it the right way or maybe I’m not using the right amounts or mixtures, but my t-shirts don’t get magically blinding white with just a little oxygen, the stains on the floor don’t just wipe right off with a damp sponge, and the 1993 Plymouth doesn’t look like new with a swipe of a clean rag. Nope. I am always disappointed…and frustrated that I got sucked in yet again.

However, there is one thing that ALWAYS works. It doesn’t just clean stains, it removes them completely. It washes them white as snow, no matter how dark, no matter how long they have set in, no matter what caused them. It’s not the power of oxygen or oranges or bleach that works – it is the power of BLOOD! The blood of Jesus doesn’t just wash our tarnished, dirty, sin-stained souls, it purifies us (1 John 1:7), it sanctifies (Romans 5:9) and justifies us (1 Corinthians 6:11), it makes us holy (Hebrews 13:12) and it brings us near to God (Ephesians 2:13).

Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?

Stop, Drop, and Act

We got a card in the mail with these very words in bold letters across the top. It came from the local community theatre where my wife and kids have acted in several plays and musicals over the past year. But it made me think about our spiritual walk with God.

We rush into life, headlong, often without stopping to contemplate the consequences or the seriousness of our actions. We see something that we think needs to be done, or we are assigned a task, or we are faced with a challenge, or we see something that we really want to do, and so we do the first thing that comes into our heads to try and tackle the situation – often with disastrous results. Instead, we should stop and drop to our knees in prayer, like Daniel did every day, three times a day, in Daniel chapter 6. There are so many situations we cannot, and should not, face alone. Even our Savior, Jesus, often went out alone to pray to gain the strength and wisdom and guidance he needed to accomplish the task set out before him. Paul told the Thessalonians to pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Our challenge is always the same – pray hard. I recently bought my son one of those rubber wrist bands with that slogan on it as a reminder to him and to me that we can never pray enough. We need to constantly stop what we are doing, drop to our knees and petition the Father for aid, comfort, wisdom and direction before we act.

“...in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

I Do (round 2)

Several weeks ago I wrote about a wedding I attended between two of our friends whom we have watched grow up for the past 10 years. Last Friday, I “attended” another wedding between another lawyer I work with and his beloved. I actually had the privilege of officiating at the wedding, the first time I have had the pleasure and responsibility of such an important ceremony. The wedding was laid back – so much so that the groom wore shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. I was moved by how much the groom truly was in love with his new bride, it showed in every action that evening. But the thing that struck me the most was the realization that it wasn’t me who joined these two in marriage, but God. I felt a bit detached – out of place – from the ceremony, and not because I was wearing my suit. It still felt like I was watching the ceremony from a distance while God did all the work.

Our whole lives should feel something like that. If we get out of the way and let God take control, we can sit back and watch His plans unfold. Yes, we will be participants, but we should be instruments of God, blending harmoniously with God’s intricate plans for us and those we come in contact with, much like a cello in God’s orchestra, which blends and supports the music, but rarely takes the spotlight.

Which instrument are you?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.