His Eyes Are On Me

My friend Vivian is fighting for her life.

Just a few weeks ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she has undergone two surgeries and is now bracing for round one of chemo.

Vivian loves Jesus, and I have been so inspired by her walk of faith through this dark time in her life. She has been chronicling her journey on a CaringBridge site.

I was especially moved by her latest post, so I asked her if I could reprint it here. May it draw your heart to the Father as it did mine.

"Last night before I went to sleep, a memory was brought to mind and with it came encouragement and I fell asleep smiling...Just over eight months ago I remember walking into the quad area at La Paz Intermediate school. The place was packed with wall to wall people. Over 600 empty chairs were set up in the center of the quad and the June sun was heating the place up at an alarming rate even though it was still morning. We moved three or four times looking for shade and a good view and finally sat on the edge of a planter box.

All eyes were fixed on the left side of the stage area when the music began and then, for what seemed like 20 minutes, a steady flow of eighth graders walked in single file and started filling in row after row of those aluminum fold out chairs. My eyes never left that stage until I spotted him. Tall, lean, wearing a black button down Quik Silver shirt that matched his on-the-longer-side black hair. "There he is! There he is!" We pointed and called out. "Jonathan! Jonathan!!" Julia started jumping up and down. We cheered and waved to him, but he didn't see us in the crowd. He briefly looked in our direction which caused us to cheer even louder. He didn't see us but he knew that we were there. After he sat down, my eyes continued to look his way all through the promotion ceremony.

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (2 Chronicles 16:9a)

Last night I remembered the longing and anticipation and finally the relief of seeing my son in the crowds of eighth graders. No one else mattered to me as much as my son. The same is true when I see a group picture from a field trip that one of the kids goes on. My eyes scan the photo until I find my child.

Last night I was reminded that His eyes are on me because I belong to Him. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12) Now that I am adopted into the family of God, I am looked for in the same way I look for my own kids. His eyes move to and fro and His eyes are on me...fully aware of where I go, how I feel, what I struggle with and the victories along the way. I don't see Him, but I know He is there. He sees me....and He knows exactly the encouragement I need and is able to prompt...others to pray at just the right time, write just the right words or pick out just the right thing to remind me that He is near and that His love is unending..."

The Life and Death of John Locke

I love LOST. I think it is the BEST. TV. SHOW. EVER. Every week I am blown away by the brilliance of the storytelling. The plot intricacy. The religious, sci-fi, and literary allusions. The universal themes and epic struggles. The characters who break my heart because I actually feel what they are feeling.

Throughout the series I have identified with the several of the main characters, particularly in their pain. But one character I have never wanted to identify with is John Locke.

No one wants to identify with Locke. Men want to be Jack the Hero, or Sawyer the Anti-Hero, or Desmond the Romantic. They may even want to be Hurley the Comic Relief. But no one wants to be Locke. And watching this week’s show, “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”, I finally put my finger on why.

We’ve known that Locke was being set up as a type of Christ this season. Richard told Locke he would have to die to save his people. Christian told him, “That’s why it’s called a sacrifice.” Although driven by “destiny”, Locke moves toward his own death willingly. Of course there are more subtle clues, too, like the letters on the side of the van Locke’s body was driven in being an anagram for the word “reincarnation”.

And then there was this week’s show. The episode opened with Locke’s Resurrection and ended with his Crucifixion.* Watch carefully when Ben (who I think is the Devil, the Father of Lies himself, with his bug eyes, twisted mouth, and black suit) is talking Locke down from the table. By the end of the scene Locke, in white, has his arms stretched out, one at a time, in the shape of a cross, while Ben literally kneels before him.

But the remainder of the show is filled in with Locke’s Passion. His body is broken and bloodied. People are plotting to kill him. And worst of all, his former companions abandon him in his time of need.

With each of Locke’s successive visits to the Oceanic survivors, their responses to his request to return to the Island become increasingly brutal. Beginning with Sayid who, questioning why it’s so important to Locke to return to the Island, asks, “Is it just because you have nowhere else to go?”

And ending with Jack, who plunges the verbal dagger into Locke’s heart and then twists it angrily: “Have you ever stopped to think that these delusions that you’re special aren’t real? That maybe there’s nothing important about you at all. Maybe you are just a lonely old man that crashed on an island.”

Now I am assuming that Jack is wrong and Locke is right, at least in the broad scope of things. But this is what came to mind as I watched the Man of Science and the Man of Faith go at it again:

“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe… Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are…” (1 Corinthians 1:21, 26-28)

The “god” of LOST (whoever he/she is) picked Locke to be the Chosen One. Not Jack: the handsome, wealthy, athletic doctor. But Locke: the orphaned, disabled, friendless doormat of a cubicle-dweller.

I wonder if Jesus of Nazareth was more of a Locke than I’d like to think. I wonder if I’m more of a Locke than I’d like to think.

I don’t know. What do you think?

*Coincidence that it aired on Ash Wednesday?

Queso Quote: What Money Can't Do

"Money has never yet made anyone rich."

—Seneca

How Much The Lord Has Done

This morning I was reading the story of Jesus’ healing a demon-possessed man, from the Gospel of Mark. After being freed from control of the evil spirits, the man asks if he can please come along with Jesus as He travels the region ministering to people. But Jesus didn’t let him. Instead, He said:

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)

It reminded me of a wonderful short film I had the chance to see earlier this week. It’s called, “La Liberte de l'Interieur”.



Click here to watch if the video doesn’t show up in your browser.

If you’d like to download the film yourself, it’s available for only $1.99 from the Global Short Film Network.

A Higher Calling

Evangelism—sharing with others the good news of the cross of Jesus Christ—has certainly fallen out of fashion in the American church these days. It’s tough: with relativism the rule in our culture, anyone who claims to know The Truth is viewed by others as narrow-minded and uneducated. Or worst of all: Intolerant.

Tolerance. Now there’s a word that has undergone quite a transformation in my lifetime. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “tolerate” as:
1. To endure or resist the action of
2. To allow to be done
3. To put up with
And this is what tolerance meant during my formative years; I might think someone’s actions or beliefs were wrong, but I endured them, I allowed them, I put up with them.

But now “tolerance” has come to mean something completely beyond that. To be tolerant today means I can’t believe that someone else is wrong. I don’t have to simply endure or allow or put up with someone’s actions or beliefs; I have to agree with them, to validate them. Or else be considered intolerant.

I would go so far as to say that “tolerance”, in this latest incarnation, has become the highest value in our American culture. In its own way, “tolerance” has become the only Truth that must be applied to everyone. (Which is quite “intolerant”, by the way. I digress.)

But I believe that as followers of Jesus we have a higher calling: Love.

Again from Merriam-Webster, I mean this kind of love:
1. unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another

Your friend is riding a bike with you along a trail, and he chooses to dismiss the warning sign that says the bridge across the upcoming canyon is out. Do you tolerate his beliefs, his actions? Or in love do you do everything you can, at first verbally and then even physically, to stop him from continuing? What if he says, “Your interpretation of that sign is too narrow.” Or, “The words on the sign may work for you, but they’re not for me.” Or, “I know the people who wrote the sign, and they are a bunch of misogynistic, bigoted hypocrites.”

You know where I am going with this.

To my fellow Christ-followers: The first question we have to answer is, “Do we really believe that unless someone places their faith in the Christ of the cross, they will spend eternity separated from God in hell?” We may think we believe this…but do we? Really? I’m not sure I do most days.

But if we do, then: Are we doing everything in our power to winsomely, effectively, persuade those around us to consider the Truth of the gospel? Are we willing to be misunderstood, and possibly even hated, as we are viewed and judged through the tolerance lens of our culture, as we bring our message to others? Are we willing to answer the high call of Love? Too often I find myself giving in to fear of rejection by others, or worse yet, apathy, instead of manifesting “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.”

Listen to what Penn Jillette, of the famous Las Vegas duo “Penn and Teller”, has to say about this issue:
(Click here if the video doesn't show up in your browser)



Thanks to Mary Beth for forwarding me the link!

Songsmith Smackdown

I am having so much fun with this:

Microsoft has recently released music software called Songsmith. What Songsmith does is create a musical accompaniment track for a person’s previously-recorded vocals. Users can influence the outcome by adjusting mood and tempo settings.

What people have begun doing, however, is isolating the lead vocal tracks from popular songs and running them through the software. Then the creators post their “new” songs on YouTube, often entitled, “Songsmith vs. [title of original song or artist here]”. Because of the incredibly high cheese factor of the software, the results are often hilarious.

Below are my Top 3 Favorites. (If the videos do not show up on your browser, just click on the links provided.)

Shout out to my friend Travis, who was the first to alert me to the fun!



Songsmith vs. The Eagles’ “Hotel California”




Songsmith vs. Queen’s “We Will Rock You”




Songsmith vs. The Police’s “Roxanne”

The InfiniteQueso Manifesto (25 Of My Core Beliefs)

This is a take on the Facebook game “25 Random Things About Me”. Created by my friend Scott Crocker, and inspired by The Internet Monk, it is entitled “25 of My Core Beliefs.” Not so much habits, preferences or likes/dislikes, this list contains those things that define who you are at your core. These are my 25...feel free to post your own!

I believe that:

1. I am far more sinful than I think I am.

2. There is no more exciting, fulfilling life than one lived in full submission to Jesus Christ.

3. Heaven and hell are both real.

4. Living a “moral” lifestyle will not draw others to Christ. Living a life of sacrifice and true humility, might.

5. Every pleasure has a price.

6. Grace and mercy are always the right answers.

7. The “call” of a pastor or a missionary is not higher or more holy than the call of a farmer or a doctor. EVERY Christian has been called by God into service in His Kingdom.

8. Loving lavishly will sometimes break your heart. But it will always be worth it.

9. I’ve never regretted a decision to invest my money in eternal things. I have often regretted the money I have wasted on things that moth and rust destroy.

10. It is impossible to become sanctified in isolation. No matter how many Bible verses you know, you will not become more holy until you are involved in intimate relationships with others.

11. Prayer is the real work of the Kingdom.

12. Jesus Christ was not a “good moral teacher”. He said a lot of crazy stuff like, “I am God” and, “The only way to get to heaven is to believe I am God.” Truly following Jesus’ teachings will not “make you a better person.” It will turn your life completely upside down.

13. Everybody struggles with the sin of racism. If you think you don’t, it’s because you’ve never been immersed in a culture outside your own.

14. God designed men and women differently. I don’t understand everything this means, but I do know that even though the God of the Bible is a “He”, both man and woman are needed to fully reflect His image.

15. It is possible that Christianity is not true. But it is not possible that Christianity and any other religion can be true at the same time.

16. The increasing influence of secularism in the public square will help sanctify the American church.

17. There are some questions that simply can’t be answered. At least not in this life.

18. Sexual intimacy was designed by God to be a beautiful interaction between one man and one woman in the context of marriage. Experiencing sexual intimacy outside of that context will always scar our souls, and often our bodies as well.

19. It’s risky to sing lyrics like, “I’m going you follow you, Lord, all the days of my life.” It’s a lot safer to sing about the glories of God’s grace and leave it at that.

20. Nothing in life happens outside of God’s will, and He wastes nothing.

21. Struggling with grief and/or depression does not mean you are unspiritual. As a matter of fact, it is a normal part of an intimate walk with God.

22. The aroma of Christ most sweetly fills the air when one person’s life is broken and sacrificed for another’s.

23. You do not need to have “blind faith” to become a Christian. Deciding to follow Christ can be a very reasonable, rational thing to do, given the options.

24. White American Christians—myself included—take the issue of authority entirely too lightly.

25. If God had not reached down into my life, rescued me and drawn me to Himself, I would be really messed up. He sacrificed His only Son to make our relationship possible. I owe Him everything.

Grown Woman Adopted

While reading the Austin-American Statesman this morning, my husband came across an article he knew I would love. He handed it to me over the breakfast table, and I’m still sitting here with tears in my eyes.

It’s the story of a lady named Alice who grew up in the American foster care system and at age 36, has finally been adopted.

It was her lifelong dream.

Read Alice’s story here.

Tips on Love (From Those Who Know)

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I bring you...

Tips On Love (From Those Who Know)

WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE TO GET MARRIED?

"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife." (Tom, age 5)

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." (Mike, 9)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

"I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns." (Craig, 9)

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

"Never kiss in front of other people. It's a big embarrassing thing if anybody sees you. But if nobody sees you, I might be willing to try it with a handsome boy, but just for a few hours." (Kally, 9)

"The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that." (Curt, 7)

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." (Roger, 9)

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." (Leo, 7)

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." (Alonzo, 9)

ON THE ROLE OF GOOD LOOKS IN LOVE

It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything, and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." (Gary, 7)

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS EATING DINNER AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE?

"It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on fire. They like to order those because it's just like how their hearts are on fire." (Christine, 9)

WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE THINKING WHEN THEY SAY "I LOVE YOU"

"The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day." (Michelle, 9)

HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." (Randy, 8)

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY?

"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming." (Alan, 10)

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck." (Ricky, 10)

THE GREAT DEBATE: IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED??

"I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out." (Theodore, 8)

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." (Kenny, 7)

GENERAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' is on." (Anita, 6)

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me."(Bobby, 8)

To my friends on the mission field: Don't lose heart

Gary Runn once shared that traditionally November and February were the toughest months of ministry, from a motivation standpoint. For various reasons (feel free to discuss), we are easily discouraged this time of year. If you are full of hope and vision and energy right now, feel free to skip the rest of this post. But if you find your faith flagging, I pray the following words would bring you strength and courage.

I find comfort in the fact that our Father “remembers that we are dust”…He is not caught off guard by our spiritual and emotional flakiness. As a matter of fact He anticipated it, and left us words of comfort for those days when we’re not sure we can, or even want to, move forward in our mission:

“Now [Jesus] was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, “Give me legal protection from my opponent.” For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, “Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out."’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?” (Luke 18:1-7)

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry [proclaiming the good news of the new covenant], we do not lose heart…For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed...Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 - 4:1,6-9,16-18)

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:7-9)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

(Hebrews 12:1-5)

Queso Quote: What Counts

“What counts always costs.”

—Stephen Olford