Think about the communications options available.  We can email, tweet, chat, Instant Message (IM), send messages via social networks like FaceBook, use a land line, cell phone, Skype, text, or even send a letter or card by snail mail. I’m missing some, right?

In the article I was reading (online), Chris Pirillo said,

I actually had someone email me recently to ask for my phone number. I replied and received the phone call, only to find that the person was wanting my snail mail address. Seriously, people? You couldn’t have asked that in the original email? Having multiple ways of contacting others has its drawbacks, as well as being a good thing.

It can get crazy, can’t it? Last Friday I was with Cheryl negotiating to get her a car. As I was talking with the salesperson, my Android was buzzing and I was texting two or three different people multiple times about separate but very important issues. Alarms were going off to a couple of different email accounts that I felt obligated to check in case something important and urgent was coming in. In this process I was interrupted a couple of times by old fashioned calls to my cell phone. This is so stupid! It made it difficult to open my mouth to communicate with the human person sitting across the table from me. I’ve got to get this under control.

I know. Leave the cell phone at home. Turn it off. Put it on silent or vibrate and just ignore it until I am ready to deal with all that. Yeah, great advice, and I really don’t have a problem doing that. It’s just that on that particular afternoon I was dealing with a couple of important and urgent issues.

Over the past few years I have struggled to resist the latest methods of communication. I didn’t really start texting until my current assistant turned out to be a texter about the same time both of my daughters turned to texting as their first preference for communicating. Have you noticed that many people have a preferred method of communication? Some are texters, others are emailers and still others only do cell phones. I can do all that, but I just haven’t figured out what to do with people who want to communicate by spoken word while looking into my eyes.

I dodged chatting, until the same assistant used the local office Google chat to run things by me. Here’s how this sometimes works – my little chat box pops up and she asks me a question. I respond by raising my voice a tad and speaking verbally to her at her desk all of about twelve feet away. Then, getting the hang of it, I sometimes notice that she is online while I am in the middle of the Iraqi desert or some weird place and I chat with her for a few minutes to touch base on things. So, I see the good, bad and the ridiculous.

Once I got the hang of chatting, I was careful not to have anyone on my list except my assistant. At least she knows when I am in the office and busy or not. Then, my youngest granddaughter got a netbook with a video cam and send me a request via email to accept her invitation to be on her video chat list. How do you say no to an eleven-year-old granddaughter? At first, it was fun to see her little face on my computer screen. Then, the buzzer would inevitably go off wanting to chat while I was in important meetings, just about the time she was getting home from school. Oh, well!

Several times a week, or even several times a day, I get requests to be put on someone’s list to share photos on some web-based site, or someone’s chat list on one of many different options like Google or Yahoo or MSN or … you name it. Nothing personal, but all those requests go straight into my cyber trash can.

For some time now I have built up a fairly large network on LinkedIn. In a couple of years, I think I have received maybe one message via LinkedIn. I’m not sure what good it does me to be LinkedIn, but I sure am! I think I have figured out that the purpose of LinkedIn is not really to be linked to people in some form of communication, but to put on your website that you have a larger LinkedIn network than the next person.

Checking email in the Asian sector of Istanbul

So, what’s your preferred form of communication? I’m an email guy because that’s easier for me to control. Phone call? Good luck! For the same reason of my crazy schedule, I only Skype on occasions that are important enough to raise the Homeland Security level to red. I can ignore email for a period of time until I have an opening to sit down and try to catch up. Does that sound stuck up, or that I try to keep people at arm’s length? That’s really not really what I am trying to say; I just can’t keep up with all the communication options available to simplify our lives.

Recently, I was at a meeting with one of the pastors on our team. He sat down at the table with me and carefully placed in front of himself, his smartphone, his Ipad and his netbook computer. What???? Yes, all three. I couldn’t tell if he had something else strapped to his ankle or taped under his arm. Is this the simple life of instant communication and total accessibility? I would tell you who this was, but I don’t want to embarrass Tim for anything.

And while we’re at it, what’s really the deal with SPAM? With all the hundreds of thousands and millions of SPAM messages and advertisements, you would think that someone, somewhere is making lots of money off of ignorant people who don’t know what SPAM is. Really? Have you seriously ever personally known someone who, for example, has actually bought Viagra or penis or breast enlargement pills, or a Rolex watch or ANYTHING in response to SPAM? I really want to know this. Has anyone in the history of Planet Earth ever bought something from a SPAMMER? If you ARE that person, I know you wouldn’t want to admit it, so you could just say that you knew someone who had a friend who …

Agabus the Prophet

Long ago in a world far removed from our reality, long before cable TV and the Internet, before FaceBook could spawn revolutions and when only birds could tweet, a prophet named Agabus stood in the power of God’s Spirit to announce that a great famine would grip the Mediterranean basin.  And, it was so.

The famine was especially severe in Jerusalem and the larger area of Judea.  In those days not long after the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah,  the gospel had just arrived in the predominately gentile city of Antioch of Syria. In compassionate response to this humanitarian need, the disciples in Antioch determined that every one of them according to their ability would send relief to their brothers in Judea by the hands of the apostles Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:28-30).

This benevolent offering actually occupies quite a prominent place in Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians. Not only did it meet a very real physical and social need, God used it to bond both gentile and Jewish believers together in a time of considerable tension between them. Think for a minute of the lessons that God taught the Antioch church (and others) through their participation in this gift.

• This offering taught the church that there were needs beyond their own community for which they were responsible. Talk about a challenge to their world view!
• This offering taught the church in Antioch to be a generous church. Giving is merely an act by which God begins to teach us to be generous people by nature.
• The offering taught the Antioch church that the “church” was much greater than their own congregation. They began to appreciate that they had brothers and sisters in other places and totally different cultures.

Japan has been devastated beyond comprehension. The Antioch church did not respond to every need in the world, nor can we. But we can be sensitive to the leadership of God’s Spirit. Just days before the quake, we ordained a young Japanese man named Elisha in the presence of his senior pastor, head deacon and two friends from the Takiyama church in Japan. They traveled all the way from Japan to share this moment with us. Now, it is our turn to stand with them.

Over the past few days we have been in communication with Elisha and others. The Takiyama church members are fine physically, though the entire nation is affected by the tragedy. Food, gasoline, medicine and other basic items are becoming scarce and expensive. We have learned that some church members have family and friends in the areas of greatest need that are missing or affected. Right now they are working to assess needs and opportunities to help.

Today, KCBT began processing an immediate gift of $10,000 to the Takiyama church to use in the relief effort to their family, friends, other churches and other needs as they see fit. We can do this because our people have been faithful to give their tithes and offerings on a regular basis. No special offering is necessary because you have been faithful all along. While anyone can, of course, give above their tithes and offerings to specific missionaries and projects, at KCBT a good portion of the regular giving every week goes beyond ourselves.

What can KCBT learn from this?

• There are needs beyond our local assembly. We are a globally focused church whose outreach begins in our own community and stretches to the most remote places on earth.
• Every member should be generous. No exceptions. We should be generous givers both individually and corporately.
• We also have brothers and sisters all over the planet with whom we are organically related in Christ. As we are diligent to give, we advance the kingdom. Everyone who is a giver at KCBT is part of this relief gift to the Takiyama family of believers.

Still hanging around the back wall? Come! Join with us. Together we have a synergy far beyond what we can do as individuals. A grudging act of giving feels like a heavy obligation; becoming a generous person is liberating and can result in global significance!

“What can we do to help in Japan?”

Great question! I just got an email from a local mission organization asking how our church was responding to the mega-disaster in Japan. It’s a question I ask myself.

First and foremost, we can pray. My past two posts have focused on the need for prayer. In our third service this morning we had a special time of corporate prayer for Japan. Sometimes I think we don’t give prayer its proper due, treating it as an obligation, something we do while gearing up to really DO something.

This morning I sp0ke from Psalm 119 about the power of remembering. Let me call our KCBT community to remember how we began our focus on the K people. We simply prayed, not knowing what else to do. Remember that I told you not to ask when we would go or what we could do. We set aside an entire year to just pray. This is not the space or time to go into this, but we have been amazed at what God has done in these past couple of years. Enough to reconfirm that prayer is the first, not the last resort.

In the first post on Japan early Friday morning Kansas City time, I shared some thoughts about prayer from Colossians 4:2-4 that we used for a guide in last Tuesday’s prayer ministry. There is an aspect of Paul’s instruction there that continues to burn in me. He tells us not only to pray, but to watch in prayer.

Have you noticed how many times this theme of watching in prayer comes up in the scriptures? You find that in both Old and New Testaments. Jesus talked about watching and praying. I find this fascinating and wish that I better understood all that God means.

So, in response to the question, “What can I do,” I respond with a question of my own, “Are you watching?”

To watch in prayer implies a continued effort. This situation in Japan is very fluid and will not be over for a long time to come. Our attention span is short. We should watch in prayer.

To watch in prayer also speaks to me of watching to see what God is doing. I think this is one of the most important facets of our response to the tragedy in Japan. How will God use this event to advance his kingdom?

While watching, are you watching what God is doing in the Middle East and North Africa? How about the continued crisis in Ivory Coast? Not that long ago I was saying that what is happening in North Africa and the Middle East is one of the most significant events of my life time. I still believe that. We are all consumed with compassion for the Japanese, but let’s not stop watching what God is doing in that amazing situation in the Islamic world. In Libya, for example, rebels have been badly beat back these past couple of days. Will God give us an open door for the good news in these situations? Let’s watch!

Having said all this about prayer, we still pray to know what God would have us to do in a tangible way. We have some guiding principles as a church community in circumstances like these. We could easily spend all of our time and resources reacting impulsively to every need that comes along. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of tragedy and natural disaster in this fallen world. Therefore, we choose to reserve our best efforts for those times God opens a very clear door of opportunity to work with fellow believers on the ground.

In Japan, our best contact is the Takiyama church where Elisha ministers alongside Pastor Oki. You can see some of Elisha’s updates in comments on the past two posts. They are outside of the zones of greatest damage and just outside one of the areas evacuated because of the concern for the nuclear power stations. Their members have family and friends in the northeast area that bore the brunt of the devastating tsunami. They are also asking God for wisdom in how they might help. As they determine what practical steps they need to take, perhaps the opportunity to help them in some way might arise. You can be sure I’ll let you know if that does develop.

Meanwhile, if you are led to give, I suggest you stick with a group you know and can trust. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army come immediately to mind because they are well-equipped for immediate response, but there are others. Beware of groups that don’t have a proven track record, even Christian organizations. There are always those who rush to the battle without a clear battle plan, necessary contacts, expertise and experience to make a dent in the task. Japan is one of the most ordered societies on earth and as well-prepared to handle situations like this as any other nation. They don’t need a lot of  ”loose canons” running around and getting in the way of the larger, coordinated efforts at this stage.

Looking for ministry partners in Japan is difficult because the footprint of the church there is very small. There just aren’t that many evangelical believers. We are fortunate to have an ongoing relationship with the Takiyama church, one of the more significant works with which we could possibly team up.

Again, as always, feel free to share your own thoughts and ideas. Above all, we continue to watch and pray.

In the wee hours of yesterday morning, my last post reflected my thoughts as in stunned terror I watched the tsunami live. Included in the post were some thoughts about how we might be praying. I also asked anyone to share whatever information they may have about people we know. Within minutes people began to post and I am very grateful to those of you who did. If you missed that, you might want to read yesterday’s post before finishing this one. Don’t forget to read the comments. Monica’s comment there from earlier this morning is an update on what’s happening with our friend Elisha and his church in Takiyama.

Monica also passed on to me some prayer requests from the friend of a friend, both active with Campus Crusade in Japan where they are grad students. These comments seemed to be particularly informative and also offer great prayer thoughts. Here there are!

… a former teammate just sent me a list of specific prayer requests.  I thought it might help:

I sit here watching the Super Bowl, but must confess that I am not a super fan. Now, if the Chiefs were there I would be watching with much more interest. I guess I would. But, then again, that’s purely theory, right? At least it’s not a blow out but a fairly interesting game.

Here’s what I can’t figure out. It’s this thing the players do whenever they score a touchdown or make a huge play. They do something hip and goofy – like bump each other or dance a little jig. Then, they point to Heaven and/or drop to a knee as though in prayer. Do they actually teach this in training? They all seem to do it – even the ones who live outrageous lives. Is this what makes everything OK? I’m not sure what to make of this. Brett Farve is a recent example of a great football player who doesn’t do real live too well.

Tonight a player fell to the ground in celebration after making a touchdown and was penalized for 15 yards on the following kickoff. So, you can’t fall to the ground or jump into the stands, but you can point to Heaven or drop to a knee in prayer posture. But, God forbid we do a public Nativity display at Christmas time! Oh, excuse me – Winter Holiday. And, if you leave a Bible on your desk at work, you might offend someone. But, an obscenely-paid professional athlete can “give thanks and glory to God” and that’s all fine. Is this a double standard, or no standard, or what?

I have known a number of wonderful, genuine, authentic professional football players through the years. I have nothing but respect for them. I have also known some who were completely messed up, yet never failed to point to Heaven in thanks to God. I’m just wondering. Could there be a more effective way to “witness” for those who truly do love God?

Those of us who aren’t professional athletes, do we have our own patented little ways to “witness” that may have long outlived their shelf life? Do we say and do things that cause people to look at us and think, “what’s up with that?” Are some of our witnessing methods more about what we’ve seen others do, or what makes us feel better, than about what is really effective and brings glory to God. I don’t know. I’m just thinking.

Oh, and Green Bay just won the Super Bowl. Congratulations! Does that mean God love them more, or that they prayed harder in the pre-game chapel service? (I’ve done some pre-game chapels for pro teams and always feel a bit awkward in knowing how to pray. Do I ask God to help them win, or just keep them from killing each other?).

Or, is football just a game that grown men play and some of them from time to time happen to be good Christians? Do those good Christians have to point to Heaven when they score in order to maintain a good testimony? Or, is there another way they might give glory to God? Is there a way for God to win? Or – here’s a radical thought – can we just watch and enjoy the Super Bowl for what it is – a big football game – enjoy the snacks, enjoy the commercials and enjoy our friends and family? Period.

Not me, but this is for those of you who don't know what a snow blower is

The great American blizzard of 2011 lived up to its advance billing. Other than going to pick up some pain pills for Cheryl early Tuesday morning, I can’t remember the last time I just sat at home for an entire day. Sweet! The  office was closed and all activities shut down, so I enjoyed watching the snow mount up and being blown around by the crazy winds. I had my new snow blower in position in the garage all ready to attack at the first opportunity. I knew, though, that it would be futile to do anything until the wind and snow backed off.

So, it’s around midnight and I’m just ready to head to bed. I’m having a hard time pulling away from watching the latest news roll in from Egypt. The crowds in the square are working up into a frenzy, and I am amazed at how vividly the background noises are coming through. Man! I’m sure glad I got that surround sound working!

Listen to that! Those are voices. Is that English? What are they saying? Then, I hear some scraping noise coming from my left. I am so impressed at the separation of sound. Wow! That’s really good!

No! Wait! That really sounds like someone outside. But that can’t be. Who in the world would be out running around at midnight in the middle of a blizzard?

I grab the remote control and hit mute. Sure enough! The noise is still there. There IS someone outside! What!!??

I run to the window and see three or four young men with shovels heading back toward the street after evidently clearing off our front porch. From the street a tractor enters clearing a wide swath of my driveway. A full size tractor! We don’t need no steenking snow blowers!

I never got a clear look at the stealthy snow people. I have some suspects in mind, but whoever you are, if you are reading this, thank you!!! Much appreciated.

You might remember that when the first major snow storm hit I had a hizzy fit when my brand new snow blower refused to start and I discovered it came from the factory with a defective carburetor. My frustration was complicated when the next significant snow storm hit and I was in Costa Rica, leaving my wife at home having just had a total knee replacement. Not much snow to blow in Costa Rica and nothing I could do to help Cheryl.

Yeah, I really DID feel guilty! But, our oldest daughter was at the house when the repair guy came through the falling snow to put on the new carburetor. She had never touched a snow blower before, but learned from the tech guy how to start it and off she went. She figured it the choke, the transmission speeds and how to switch the flow of snow back and forth. She said she even had some fun doing it. I was so proud of her! Obviously she did not get her engineering skill from me!

This morning, I awoke to blue skies, near zero temperatures and the challenge of fresh snow. Thanks to the stealthy snow people, the major part of my drive was done. I just finished up the other half of our half circle drive, did the sidewalks and then headed for my neighbor’s house, a widower who is up in years and well past his snow-blowing prime.

Not me either, but this is how I usually look after blowing snow

By this time our cul-de-sac was a beehive of activity. There are a number of older residents on our street, and those are us who could were out and about and clearing off driveways of those who could not. When I finished I headed to my mother-in-law’s. Sadly, the snow blower is too big to put in my SUV, so this one was with an old-fashioned shovel.

People helping people. What a novel idea! No hidden agenda, no hook, no catch, no bait-and-switch – just being responsible and generous human beings. Why hasn’t someone thought of this before??

Now comes the inevitable theological question. What would Jesus do? Would Jesus blow snow for his neighbors? The  truth is that Jesus probably never had to deal with snow. Could this be the meaning of that mysterious statement by Jesus in John 14:12?

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

OK, maybe not. But, the thought that I may be blazing a new frontier was kind of cool for a minute.

What about Paul? Paul spent time in Turkey, and if you have ever flown over certain parts of Turkey in the winter, you know that they deal with some serious snow!

No matter. The teaching of scripture is pretty clear. No less that eight times in the New Testament do we find the command to love our neighbor as ourself.  Sadly, in the United States today not many people have even met their neighbors or know their names.

At KCBT we are praying for God to give us a spirit of hospitality and to focus our lives outward toward others. I think that’s a good thing to pray about and even biblical. It’s probably just as good an idea to be the answer to our own prayer by practicing being hospitable.

Here’s what I’m thinking. Over the years we (American Christianity) have spent millions upon millions of dollars and countless man hours organizing evangelistic campaigns, passing out untold amounts of Christian literature (both slick and cheesy), cold-calling people by telephone to invite them to church the same way we would sell insurance and even standing on street corners to preach at strangers in the attempt to convince them of the truth of our message – you know, sort of like the folks dressed up like the Statue of Liberty entice people to come and get their taxes figured.

I’m not against any of that,  by the way. (I do wish you would lay off the cheesy Gospel tracts, though. If you’re going to do that try to do it with something Jesus would be proud of). Whatever it takes to get the message of Jesus out is good I suppose.

Here’s my thought. How about a snowblower? Instead of a stadium full of people, or a television broadcast to the multitudes, how about a snowblower? What about actually meeting your neighbor and developing a friendship (OK, maybe even an acquaintanceship) without inviting him or her to church in the same breath?

Alright. How about cookies? Yeah, cookies. You know, take some cookies to your neighbors. You might have to meet them first, otherwise they would be totally creeped out receiving edible food from stranger. Again, hold off on the invitation to church just yet. That would totally freak out most people.

Hi!!! I’m Sally your neighbor from next door. I know we’ve never had a chance to meet even though it’s been eight years since we’ve moved in. We spend a lot of time at church, you know. Well, I just baked you these cookies. And, while I’m here I just wanted to invite you to come to church with me next Sunday for our special “Pack the Pew” contest. If I win, I get a all expense  paid trip to The Jesus in Wonderland Theme Park!”

Snowblowers, cookies, or whatever else you might think of to meet people and show yourself to be friendly. When you get a chance to chat, why not ask them to tell you a bit about themselves. Kids? Job? Hobbies? Dreams? You know, basic human information type stuff. If you can pull it off, it would good for them to think that you really care or are even interested.

Do this, and see what happens. Do this consistently until it becomes part of your nature, who you are, the way you live. If you convince people you really do care about them, they might even listen to you when you get the chance to talk about Jesus. I’m working on this myself. I haven’t been the best model.

By the way, the widower next door – I’ve been cleaning his driveway the past few years. I’ve still not invited him to church. He’s already a Christian, you see, and has been a member of a great local church for many years. So why would I clean off his driveway? He can’t and I can. It’s as simple as that.

Hosni Mubarak

Is it not ironic to you that as we are plowing our way through Exodus in our read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year challenge the world’s attention is riveted on Egypt? Fascinating!

Every time I turn around it seems someone is commenting on what they are seeing in our Bible reading or thanking me for the challenge to read through the Bible. We have approached this task not with legalistic duty mixed with a generous portion of guilt, but full of grace and anticipation. People are looking forward each day to spending time in the Bible.

So, here we are watching history being made in Egypt while we read about God raising up Moses to deliver Israel from oppression in Egypt. I know I’m a Bible geek, but I am utterly consumed listening to the news coming out of Egypt. Consider the following:

The place of Egypt in Scripture

• In the scriptures, Egypt represents the world. Israel was delivered (saved) from the oppression of Egypt, a picture of how God has saved us from slavery to sin in this world.
• As you continue reading through the Bible, you will notice that there is a constant temptation to trust in Egypt’s power, wealth, protection, etc, rather than to trust in God. Today, as believers in Jesus Christ we share the same temptation to trust in the resources of the world around us instead of trusting in God.
• God sent Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus into Egypt for their protection when Herod sought to kill the King of the Jews whom the Magi from the East had come to worship.
• God is not done with Egypt, and Isaiah 19 is an incredible prophecy of the coming conversion of Egypt to become followers of the true God. Read it and stand amazed!
• Few peoples in the Bible have a greater place in scripture than the Egyptians. Time and space do not permit me to drill any deeper here. Just keep your eyes open for Egypt as you read through the Bible.

Meeting with God in the scriptures

• So, here we are cruising through the Bible and end up in Exodus at the very time the history of Egypt (and the world) is changing before our eyes. What does this mean? The Bible is a living book, not a dry, dead one. The question we should be asking our selves is this. What can we learn in the Bible to equip us to understand what is happening today?
• Here’s a start. Our Bible reading today began in Exodus 9 and 10. How does it begin?

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. (Exodus 9:1)

• The king/dictator of Egypt is refusing to let God’s people go. God uses Moses to bring a series of plagues upon the land and the people until Pharaoh turns loose of God’s people. Today, a dictator has held Pharaoh-like power over Egypt for 30 years. The people are rising up; he doesn’t want to let them go. There is more to this drama than meets the eye.
• God still has people in Egypt. Some of God’s people there do not know him yet. They will. Whatever drama is unfolding in Egypt will ultimately lead to the accomplishment of God’s plan to have Egyptians praising him for eternity. When Paul struggled to proclaim the Gospel in Corinth, God encouraged him and reminded him, “for I have much people in this city.” God has his people in Egypt.
• What we see each day in scripture has the potential to direct, guide, instruct, encourage and minister to us as we follow God through this world as his servants.

The power of Kingdom praying

• A biblical understanding of the world around us enables us to pray intelligently, strategically and biblically. In our Tuesday night prayer ministry we have been emphasizing the need to do “kingdom praying,” praying according to God’s plan and not just throwing up random prayers in response to our daily trials and needs.
• Seeing God’s plan for Egypt and the world, coupled with the stream of current events, should channel us toward kingdom praying.
• We should pray that whatever happens in Egypt would be for God’s glory, for the calling out of a people for his name among the Egyptians.
• We should pray for those in Egypt who are already God-followers. They need protection, encouragement, wisdom, guidance. Most of all, pray that they will be emboldened to share their faith as God gives open doors. Pray that their lives will be a witness to Jesus.

Above all, remember that God is in control and that his ways are not necessarily our ways. This is not really about democracy versus dictatorships, or the Muslim Brotherhood versus more progressive elements of society. This is about God’s love for the peoples of the world, Egyptians among them, and his desire to raise up a people for his name among them.

There was a time when missionaries were expelled from China shortly after WWII, and many Chinese Christians were imprisoned or killed. What a tragedy many thought! God, though, was at work and used that pressure cooker to make China the country where more people come to Christ every day than any other place on earth. Chinese Christians are already becoming a powerful force in God’s mission, and in the next few years you will be amazed at what will be happening in China for the Kingdom of God! So don’t pray from an American perspective but from a biblical perspective.

KCBT has a wonderful family of believers in Egypt. Our key man, W___, just happened to be right here at KCBT as all this began to unfold in Egypt. His wife and two college-aged children remain in Cairo. Pray for their protection and encouragement during this time, and to give W___  guidance and comfort of mind. W___ was present in the third service today, and we prayed specifically for him.

Pray  for S__r and A_y, two others of our family who serve much of the time in Egypt. Currently, they are here and safe.

Just about two or three weeks ago I met three young Egyptian men visiting our services on a Sunday morning. I can’t remember their names, and I really don’t know if they share our faith or not. But, I do know that they must be very concerned about the events unfolding in their native land. They obviously have friends and family and they are concerned for them. Pray that God will reveal himself strong to them during this time. We have other Egyptians in our church family who need our love and prayers.

Yeah, I know that pastors, missionaries and other spiritual leaders aren’t supposed to have bad days. We live on a higher spiritual plane – much closer to God. We set the example for others of always seeing the spiritual application in everything.

You know, I used to believe that malarkey. I used to think that I couldn’t show weakness or doubt or struggle. I dunno. I just sort of assumed that was the way it was supposed to work because that’s what I saw in others.

So, to this day I have tried to break the bad habit of automatically responding “Fine!” when someone asks me how I’m doing. Not that you really care that I had a bad day, I just want to learn to be a bit more transparent.

I woke up tired and punky. Cheryl has been a real trooper working out the therapy on her new knee, and I’ve tried to be a good caregiver, but I’m afraid I’m not good at it. She’s worn out from pushing herself. I’m worn out from trying to help.

When I woke up this morning, my head was exploding! Often, when there is a big change in the weather my sinuses let me know more accurately than the weather forecast. Today it was bad enough to make me think I was going to vomit. I would have loved to have gone right back to bed, but I had a patient to attend to and the ice in her polar machine needed changing. I’m getting up at 3:00 am to change it, too.

There was snow on the driveway that I should clear for the therapist who would be coming later. I was actually a bit excited about this because I bought a new snow thrower in July and this would be the first time to use it. Woohoo! But, DANG! the head was killing me.

No matter. I went to the garage and moved out the shiny new, red snow thrower. I had fresh fuel in it and all systems checked out. I had assembled it right out of the box. (That should have been an omen). It looked so pretty! No rust. My former machine was built back in the 50′s or something. No kidding. I nursed it along as long as I could.

I went through my check list – choke on, key in ignition, accelerator full on, prime the fuel pump – check. Since it was new, I thought I would be manly and start it manually. Or was it that I wanted to be manual and start it manly? Whatever. I pulled the cord and anticipated a quick crank. Nothing. I plugged it into the wall and tried the electric start. Nothing.

Those of you who know me, know that I am now at the limit of my technical ability. So I repeated the same thing time after time as though that was going to solve something until I had wasted the time alloted to do the driveway.

It would have to wait until later. The snow was not deep enough yet to make it difficult to get out. I had to go for my first meeting – and beyond.

Who could I get to help me with this stinking machine? Hmmmm. All the people I know who know about such machines are out using them today!

Head pain begins to let up a bit. Back pain from working on snow thrower begins to loosen its grip. Geeze!

The day slides by in a blur -meetings, answering the most urgent of the emails, dealing with one of “those-who-should-know-better-yet-eat-up-your-time” problems. Whoa! So much to do, so little time.

Oasis - Reba has a birthday. Several of us take her to lunch at her favorite plaza eatery that we have totally to ourselves being the only ones crazy enough to brave the elements. Happy Birthday, Reba!

Back to reality. Back to the office. Gotta get home to Cheryl. She’s on her own right now, her sister having stayed back at her mom’s house at my request to avoid the snow. Before going out the door, I find one of those ask the expert sites on the Internet. Dear Mr. Expert, I have a brand new X brand snow thrower that won’t start … I hope that an answer will arrive by the time I get home.

The answer came! Excitedly, I put on my engineering face and head to the garage. I am going to remove the spark plug, put in about 3 tbsp of gasoline, replace the plug and crank manually. I can do this! Then, I will let the expert guy know what happened.

Gas flew out the exhaust. Then, it caught! It sputtered! It’s going to go. Before I can begin to cut back the choke it dies. I crank again. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

OK, Mr. Expert, here’s what happened. Now what? I wait. I wait some more. The sun is fading. I can’t wait. I grab my shovel and hit the driveway. This is what I spent all that money in July to avoid! Shoot! Probably the only significant snow of the year and my snow thrower is a no show. It’s red. Could that have any connection with what happened yesterday at Arrowhead?

I’m just about done clearing a path when Cheryl shouts that my answer arrived. Great! What does he say?

He says a carburetor jet is clogged and it will have to be taken apart and rebuilt. Say what? It’s new! Now I’m adding manic depression to my aching back and head and frustration. Good thing I shoveled the drive.

No time to scream. I have to go to Wal-Mart and pick up some pain medication for Cheryl. Not only will I have to stand in line forever, it’s Wal-Mart. I hold a black belt in karate, but some of the people at Wal-Mart scare me. That’s another story.

Back home, Cheryl has called about our warranty. As I am wondering how I’m going to get that machine into my SUV to take it in, she discovers that we actually bought the home warranty. They will come out to the house tomorrow and fix it! Hallelujah!

I never buy the warranty. I can’t believe we bought the warranty. What was I thinking? Or was I? No, I must have been! God’s Spirit was in control! (See, I told you we find a spiritual application for everything – even warranties).

Yeah, I had a bad day.

But, you know what? Those loved ones and family members of the six people murdered yesterday in Tucson by that mindless sicko – they had a really bad day. Some of the people trying to survive in the hurricane ravaged mountains of Haiti – they had a really bad day. Some desperate prostitute in Kansas City, victimized by the lust and greed of an evil pimp and prisoner to a system that seems to her impossible to escape – she had a really bad day.

I’ll be just fine, thank you.

Two lunches, yesterday and today, remind me of the beauty of simplicity. The end of the year is a great time to think simple.

Yesterday I met up with an old friend I had not seen for quite a while. We met doing karate training together some 20 years ago. He is an officer with a local metro police department. As we enjoyed the wonderful Venezuelan cooking of a mutual friend (El Portón is the place and it is fabulous!), we reminisced about the many long hours of training we endured together studying under a teacher widely respected in the martial arts community.

My friend was already an accomplished marital artist when he started training with our teacher. We both laughed at the type of training we experienced together – basic fundamentals, over and over, hour after hour. There were not a lot of flashy moves like you would see in a movie, just the fundamentals for hours on end until we were exhausted and several pounds lighter from the sweat we left on the floor.

After relishing in the memories of our common suffering, we both came to the same conclusion. What makes our sensei such an amazing teacher is his ability to keep his focus on the simple, basic fundamentals, not because he teaches us secret moves and techniques.

Another day, another lunch. Today, three of us went to America’s first full-service gourmet hot dog restaurant. That’s right, the exotic, gourmet hot dog fad has hit mid-America. And,we have the distinction of America’s first sit-down, full-service gourmet hot dog joint – Novu Dog on Main Street. They started with only outdoor seating and have now gone inside (former location of Souperman). The menu is creative, extensive and tempting. Not wanting to decide, each of us ordered a different dog split three ways so we could all sample three different offerings. Yummy! We couldn’t believe what can be done with a simple hot dog.

Border Dog, Thai Dog, le Poddle Dog

Chowing done on fabulous tasted wrapped around a hot dog, I thought back to yesterday’s lunch conversation. It is truly amazing what one can do if simple is mastered.

So, looking to the New Year, I’m wondering not only what new things I can add to my life, but what old things I can shed (besides a few pounds) to make it simpler. I’m sure that in the year ahead no one is going to discover some hitherto unknown secret or code in the Bible that will unlock the mysteries of the cosmos. No pill will go on the market that will make all problems and trials go away. But, I’m pretty sure that there are some weights I can toss overboard to make life a bit simpler (Hebrews 12:1).

I was just thinking today about some of my favorite books from my childhood and youth. I’m always at a loss when someone asks me for my favorite this or that. But, I can usually come up with a list of several things that are favorites, and books are no exception.

I’ve always loved to read. As a child and adolescent, I made incredibly good use of the library (remember those?) in our small Kansas town. In fact, I exhausted a few categories like electronics, physics and archaeology. I was pretty much a nerd.

But, what about books that stimulate the mind and the imagination? I can remember several books and series of books that entertained me for countless hours. One of my all time favorites was the Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forester. Does anyone else know these books? They are about a seaman in the Royal Navy and trace his entire career. He was a terribly introspective introvert filled with self-doubt. As a midshipman, he becomes fluent in Spanish and serves on a secret mission in Central America. Hmmmm. Wonder if there is any connection here?

Wow! Thinking back on that, I must confess the total lack of fiction in my current reading stack. I probably ought to do something about that.

Cheryl also loves to read. For her birthday I bought her a Kindle. We were at dinner one night and observed a woman dining by herself, reading her Kindle and looking perfectly content. Inspired, I took the plunge and got her one, hoping she would enjoy it. Enjoy it? She loves it!

Really, it’s been fun watching her read her Kindle and discover the many, many books that she can download for free, including many classics. She raves about the ease of use and the readability. She’s no geek by the way. So her love of the Kindle is not because of a love for gadgets.

Here’s a few random thoughts for those of you thinking of a gift.

• It’s Christmas time, so give a gift that shows some creativity and demonstrates you have put some thought into matching the gift to the recipient. Look for clues in conversation and what the person normally reads. Don’t just duplicate what they already read, think of logical extensions that might be just a bit out of the normal that they might never by for themselves, but you know they will enjoy. Some people may never buy a hardcover, but to get one as a gift seems such an extravagant luxury.
• Don’t preach to people by giving them some Christian book that deal with a problem you think they have. Don’t you imagine they can figure that out? You will probably end up offending them instead of helping them. If you see someone has a problem, do something really old fashioned – talk to them about it in love.
• In fact, instead of giving the latest Christian best-seller, why not find something that would truly stimulate the person’s imagination or spark their creativity, or open a new world of thought to them?
• My brother is one of those impossibly difficult people when it comes to gifts buying. A few years ago we discovered Amazon wish lists. He is great to fill out a wish list with literally dozens of items from books, to movies, to music and who knows what all. This is a great blessing because we can give him something he will truly enjoy and yet there are so many items on the list he is always surprised. We also learn so much about him and his interests through this list. In fact, his lists have inspired me to buy certain books, CDs and DVDs for myself!

Well, there you have it. Just a few thoughts to get your mind working as you race to finish your shopping. Or, maybe it’s time to shop for yourself!

Be daring! Venture out of your routine. So many of the books that flood the market are mediocre and forgettable (this includes the great bulk of Christian books, too). Instead of trying to keep up with what everyone else is reading, what are the truly great books that everyone is overlooking or forgetting. What are those books that stick in your mind for a lifetime?

Thinking back on my own life, I can clearly remember the impact of reading some of Winston Churchill’s early writing. Have you even read anything by Hemingway? Thomas Mann? Kafka? How about poetry of Robert Frost. Those are writers whose words still mark my life. There are many others. What are the ones that marked your life?

My poet friend Glenn North was introduced to the poetry of Rudyard Kipling as a child by his grandmother, and it forever set the course of his life. Think about that for a moment. This Christmas you could give a book to a child that has the potential to permanently mold his or her life. But, it might not be the trendy book that everyone wants. What are the books that stand the test of time? There is probably a reason for that.