It seems that now there is
an app for anything you need. Need insurance? There’s an app for that. Need a
discount coupon? There’s an app for that too. My phone is filled with little apps
to do all the little things I want to do. From email to Big Box stores, theme
parks to current weather, there’s an app for that.
I remember when the Harry Potter books came out. Everyone was talking about them. People ordered them months ahead or stood in line for hours to get one. I casually ignored it, like water off a duck’s back. Then the first movie came out and I did find it interesting. I think I liked the creatures best. One of my 7th grade students, Sarah, was a huge fan so we often talked about it at break or other times. Her father was a good friend and our school IT guy so even we sometimes talked about it. She said that the movies missed so much, as movies often do. I was encouraged to read the books. I laughed and told her that I had no intention of buying a whole set of children’s books. The kind, young student that she was, she offered to loan me the books so I could read them. I read the first book in about a week and a half. Slow by her standards, but not bad for a science teacher who had to shuffle around time slots to read and still grade papers. Then I read the second and the third. By the time Christmas rolled around, I found myself in that terrible book limbo world dreaded by all book aficionados. I had to wait for the last book to be written! Yet I found myself craving more. I realized this was the first time since college that I had read a book for sheer pleasure. All my reading had become texts, books, and journals related to my teaching. So I looked for more. I read a trilogy about Nicholas Flamel and a series called The Dragon Keeper Chronicles (again, courtesy of Sarah). I started searching through my wife’s collection. I read the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, all in one summer. I even started Moby Dick before I had to come up for air. (Moby Dick is a great read, but not one to take lightly!)
Nowadays I do mostly Audible
books because reading has become more tedious with trifocals. I have also
decided to not start a series until all the books are written. A few years ago
my son-in-law got me excited about a series of books that he had read. It wasn’t
until after I had finished the first book that he decided to tell me that the
author had written 10 books and then died before finishing the last one. Fortunately
his widow found another author who compiled his notes and finished the series. It
turned out all fine and good in the end, but, never again. I’m sticking to one
shot wonders now. (Ok, maybe a trilogy, but no more than that.)
So when was the last time
you read something for fun? I encourage you to find you genre, and whether by
old style book or modern mp3, make a goal to read at least one book before
Christmas. You can thank me later.
(Oh, and thank you Sarah.)
One day when I was a new teacher the principal came into our Wednesday chapel waving a $5 bill. Now it may not sound like much, but back in the 80’s that was actually worth something. He said he had left a candy wrapper on the ground as an experiment. Almost everyone walked right by it. There was one jr. high student who didn’t. The principal called him up the front, shook his hand and handed him the fiver. The young man was both ecstatic and embarrassed at the same time. He didn’t pick it up because he thought he was going to be rewarded; he did it because it was the right thing to do.
It left an impression on me. As I walk around our high school campus I try to do the same thing. I figure if it’s in front of me, it’s part of God’s good work for me to do today. (See Ephesians 2:10.) Sometimes kids say, “Ew, that’s gross!” I just smile, and tell them hands wash, and you’re not supposed to put your fingers in your mouth anyway.
I’m glad my mom and dad taught me to always work like someone is watching, because, well, God is always watching. But more importantly, you never know who else might be watching. You can be an example to those around you. I’ve noticed that if you start cleaning up, people will often stop what they are doing and help. Maybe it’s out of guilt, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m not doing it for them anyway. Noticed or not, let’s just keep doing the right thing day by day. Eventually, it will start to make a difference.
Blessings!
Being yourself. What does
that really mean? Is it even a good thing? It brings up many questions. We live
in a world of many masks. Ask someone, How’s it going? The answer is almost
always, “good”. Even if the world is falling apart, most people will not admit
it. On the other hand, most people who ask that question really don’t want to
know the truth. They are just using it as a greeting. Finding a person who is truly
“what you see is what you get” is a rare thing. We often think we have to “be”
something else for other people. I think it’s a good thing that we can
encourage one another to “be yourself” and stop faking or hiding. There would
surely be less mental illness. When we let the masks drop, we are able to forge
deeper lasting relationships. We not only find out who others are, but we find
out who we really are. We will become stronger, wiser, and more stable. We will
form bonds greater than we could imagine. Hey, my wife has seen me at my worst
and still loves me. That’s gotta mean something.
Unfortunately, some use “just
be yourself” as a reason to not grow or better themselves. Yes, there are too
many boxes we are expected to check. Yes, many times people want us to do
things their way. As a teacher I have to always be conscious of the fact that
there are students who don’t process things like the rest of us. I recently had
a chemistry student from another country get excited that I would let them show
their work in several different ways. I their country, they said it was usually
“my way or the highway”.
Yet, as a Christ follower, I
need to yield who I am and give in to God’s plan. I may have to change some
things. I may have to add or leave something behind. All the while I can be
sure that I am not giving up my authenticity, but instead creating a new and
better “self”. Today, spend a little time to refresh “who you are” for
yourself. Be authentic, just like God created you!
A glove is really a good example of our lives. Each of us
have different talents that we use throughout our lives as we relate to those
around us. Gloves are nice and all, but they can’t really do anything on their own.
They need a force on the inside guiding it. And just like the glove, we are of
no use unless we are, well, also being used. The glove is best used when it is
correctly fitted to the user.
The important thing is who is doing the controlling. Put a
baseball glove in my hand, and it becomes amateur night. Put the glove on Paul Goldschmidt,
and first base is covered. (He was one of my favorites when he played for the
D-Backs.) We all have at least one strength. Some of us may even represent
multiple gloves. We can try to do it all ourselves (and fail miserably) or we
can allow God to fill us and direct our lives.
Ephesians 2:10 says, For
we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do. Each of us are created with talents
(gloves) for the projects God has for us. He already has them waiting for us. He
know the plan. He knows the curves and blind spots. He will guide and empower
us.
Grandpa Kerley was my step grandpa, but he’s the only one I
remember. My mom’s real father died of tuberculosis when my mom was young.
Grandpa was also a pretty good musician. He played guitar and piano. He loved
to do duel “Boggie Woogie” sessions with me. I can’t say I loved it, most likely
tolerated it. Hey, it made him happy.
In his later years through the influence of my dad, he gave
his life to Christ. I vividly remember him telling me that he went through the “Battle
of the Bulge” mostly in WW2 foxhole. He said, “They say there are no atheists
in foxholes, but I never really thought about it. I just tried to stay alive”.
Now it was different. He started playing in the worship band at the Sothern
Baptist Church. Just a guitar a drummer and a piano. Still, he loved it. He
started helping other “older“ people. He said it kept him young. When he
invited me to join him on Saturdays to help sing (by that time I knew most of
the old hymns by heart) I joined him. I really didn’t want to be there, but it
meant a lot to him, so I went. Looking back, it is one of my fondest memories
of him.
This week at H St, a homeless and under-resourced ministry we volunteer at, we sang one of the old songs by CeCe Winans, Come Jesus Come. It sounded just like the music he used to play. Memories came flooding in and I had to smile. We helped people in the nursing home have those memories too. Grangpa died at age 87 as I remember. Still, his music, his voice, and his care for the elderly are still with me. Thanks Grandpa.
Come Jesus Come
CeCe Winans
Sometimes I fall to my knees and
pray
Come, Jesus, come
Let today be the day
Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna
break
But I'm holding on
To a hope that won't fade
There'll be no war
And there'll be no chains
When Jesus comes
Let today be the day
He'll come for the weak
And the strong just the same
And all will believe in the power
of His name
One day He'll come
And we'll stand face to face
Come and lay it all down
'Cause it might be today
The time is right now
There's no need to wait
Your past will be washed by rivers
of grace
Chorus
Come, Jesus, come
We've been waiting so long
For the day You return
To heal every hurt and right
every wrong
We need You right now
(Come and turn this around) turn
this around
Deep down I know this world isn't
home
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come
Come, Jesus, come
