Focus

 For many years, February has been one of my least favorite months. It has a kind of sad, somber tone to it. I have always been glad to get through it. The strangest part is that for a long time I was not really sure why. It wasn’t until I broke it down into good/bad lists that I understood my feelings.

For me, it contains some of the worst days of the year. It’s traditionally the coldest month of winter.  It’s the month I usually sit down and figure out how much taxes are gonna cost me this time. It’s the shortest month. And it’s the month in which my father passed away.
Oddly enough, it also contains some of the best days of the year. There are two, four day weeks, a special treat for school teachers. Valentine’s Day is the anniversary of our first date.
Two of my precious grandchildren and my youngest son were born in February. The days are starting to get longer, and I’m starting to plant indoors in anticipation of spring. In Arizona, spring training is in full swing. All in all, February is a decent month. So what gives? Why do I sometimes feel it’s a bummer?

I think the key is focus. When we are using microscopes in my Biology class, we often like to use “deep well” slides. They are slides with a slight dished-out area in it. They allow you to see things that are a bit bigger without squishing them flat. The problem is, because of the depth of field it gives, you have to know where to focus. You can focus on the top of things, on the bottom, or somewhere in-between. One part will look perfectly clear. The other parts will be blurry or even nonexistent.

 Focus in life, is all about what I spend my time thinking about. If I continually dwell on the negative, it will drag me down. If I focus on the cold, loss, and taxes, I will trudge through the month head-down, hoping for it to end. But if I look to all the great things I’ve been given in February, I can gratefully smile my way into spring. Now that I think about it, February is not all that bad. No butterflies yet, but they will be here soon. Yes, I choose to focus on the best of February. Time to put on some warm socks and go to some birthday parties!

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV

Do Something Good!

 

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, a time of love and adoration. But why only one day? The Bible tell use to “love one another” and love your neighbor as yourself”. Surely that means daily, every day, the whole year through? Doing something good for someone else for no reciprocal reason is the ultimate expression of selflessness and love. It’s what we are called to.

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”.

The Strong's Concordence says this about that word works: 2041 érgon (from ergō, "to work, accomplish") – a work or worker who accomplishes something. érgon("work") is a deed (action) that carries out (completes) an inner desire (intension, purpose). Think about that. God already has a list of good things he wants us to do. All we have to do is join him. So how do I find out which “good works” are on my list? Well, some are obvious. Obey His commands. Trust in God. I’ve already mentioned, “Love one another” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  That should keep us busy most of the day. Then when we have extra time, we can look for projects that are suited to our talents.

For my wife and me, God has lead us into helping the poor, homeless, and otherwise needy. In summer months, we make “goody bags” with water, snacks, some kind of clothing item like socks, a New Testament, and a card we made with the Gospel message. When we can afford it, she likes to put $5 Dollar Tree gift cards in. In the winter months it may contain a scarf or hand warmers. I know that the common thinking is that all homeless are just drug addicted bums, but we have found this to be a great oversimplification. Although this is not uncommon, there is also a large element of mental illness involved. Some are homeless or addicted because they are mentally ill; others are mentally ill or addicted because homelessness has taken a great toll. In any case they are still someone’s son, daughter, and family.

So this Valentine’s Day, by all means let that special person know they are loved. But take some time to look around. Is there someone in need who’s all alone? Be their valentine also. A hot meal, a warm coat, or a gift card with a note of encouragement can go a long way.

Years ago my daughters loved to listen to a group called Avalon. I leave you with one of their songs that has grown on me over time, and often brought me to tears. The chorus says,

For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love

I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough

With every breath I take, I will give thanks to God above

For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love

 

Songwriters: Henk Pool / Robert T. Riekerk / Ralph Van Manen / Paul Field

Testify To Love lyrics © Universal/mca Music Holland B.v., Emi Music Publishing (wp) Ltd

 

Mistakes Happen!

 

Mistake are a fact of life. No matter how we try to avoid them, they happen. Sometimes we get so worried about making mistake that we may make the situation even worse. How we react to those mistakes is what shows our character.

Many years ago when I was a beginning teacher in the Escondido, CA area, the salary was not enough to carry us through the summer. I had to work other jobs to help meet the needs. One summer, I worked for a man named Al Keiffer. He and his son John ran an electrical contracting business. They we both exceptionally talented and were well known in the area. I’m sure I made them laugh more than once when I fried screw drivers, dropped things, and generally slowed them down. They both trained me patiently, although John did enjoys sending me up ladders as often as he could get away with it. I do not enjoy ladders, but that is another story.

One job I will never forget is wiring a set of gas pumps at a station that was being renovated. It was technical & challenging because there were very rigid specifications for the way things were to be done. One day Al ask me to cut off a pipe that was sticking down in the way. He reminded me that it was right above the fiberglass pipes that transport the fuel and admonished me to be slow and careful. I grabbed a hacksaw and carefully started cutting. I even positioned my foot under the pipe as a cushion. Because of the pipes position I had to adjust my angle to finish the cut. I moved my foot. With a last draw of the blade the pie was free and gracefully slid out of the grasp of my glove, dropping squarely onto the pipe. I can’t say my life passed before my eyes (I mean I was only 24 at the time) but it was one of those slow motion moments that one does not forget. There on the pipe was a cloudy spot that was the tell-tale sign of a crack. I looked around. There was no one in sight. I’m ashamed to admit that the temptation to just cover it up with pea gravel and forget about it was a viable option at that moment. Knowing what I should do, I went to Al and told him that I may have just spent my whole day’s wages. He looked at it and said that he would ask the foreman of the pipe fitters. A few minutes later he came back with a slight smirk on his face and told me, “You have no idea what you have done.” It turned out it was a vent pipe. They can be easily patched. If it had been a delivery pipe it would have needed replacing. Basically, no harm, no foul. But what the foreman said next was telling. “Where do you find employees like that? Even my one men would have just covered it up and we would have had to go searching for the pressure leak. Al got to tell him that we were Christians, and that God requires honesty. He just walked away shaking his head. Al smiled and said “Thank you. You know who he will call for the next job.” Mistakes happen. Face them, tell the truth, it’s the right way – its God’s way.

The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;

whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.    Psalm 15:2-5

 

This Is My Testimony

 Since part of the motivation for my blog is to leave a legacy to my children & grandchildren, I thought I would share some history this week. This post is about my father, I will share mine at a later time. Many of us grew up in churches that had the occasional “testimony time”, usually in an evening service. Unfortunately, most people don’t really know what a personal testimony is. I’m not talking about the type one gives in court, but a personal testimony of their relationship with Christ. The Christian site Cru.org gives a definition as good as any. They say a testimony is “The story about how God has changed your life through a personal relationship with Him — that is your Christian testimony.”  When I was a trainer for Evangelism Explosion, we would tell people its’s three easy steps.

1. This is how I was. (spiritual condition)

2. Here’s what happened. (conversion experience)

3. Here’s how I’ve changed. (new creature in Christ)

 Some people have dramatic stories. Others have a much simpler one. My father, Maynard Cross, once told me his.

He said he had started attending church (mostly because he had met the girl that would soon be my mother) and had made friends with the Pastor. They even went fishing together. He liked to share his passion of fishing. One morning Pastor Adam Lutzweiler ask my father to travel to the Chicago Gospel Rescue Mission for a taping of the radio program “Unshackled”. Pastors Lutzweiler story was being featured, that day.

 Here is an excerpt from the poetry collection & writings of James Lutzweiler, his son. (MS615_Lutzweiler_James (3).pdf  p37)

 Before my father's own conversion after a theatre performance on the night of 1 August 1925 on the 10th floor of the Paul Revere Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, he had been a jazz-mad marimbist in Vaudeville, where he went by the far more euphonic name of Lew Adams and helped to make the Twenties roar. His life story was broadcast on the serialized program "Unshackled" in 1953 by Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission. Upon his conversion, my father abandoned Vaudeville for the Christian ministry, and he returned to Philadelphia where he eventually enrolled in the Philadelphia College of the Bible, a school founded by C. I. Scofield.

 My father said when pastor Lutzweiler had finished, he went forward and handed him something. It was a package of cigarettes! “What am I supposed to do with these?” the pastor asked.  “I don’t know, but I’m not going to need them”, quipped my father.  On that day he quite a 2 pack a day smoking habit cold-turkey, and never looked back. He had given his life to Christ. My mother and father were baptized in the same church shortly after, and throughout the years always strove to raise their family in accordance with the scriptures. They are great examples of what God can do. 

Thank you, I miss you dad.

 

This is my testimony

From death to life

'Cause grace rewrote my story

I'll testify

By Jesus Christ, the righteous

I'm justified

This is my testimony

This is my testimony

 “My Testimony”

Writers: Brandon Lake, Christopher Joel Brown, Steven Furtick, Tiffany Hammer

Copyright: Lyrics © ESSENTIAL MUSIC PUBLISHING, BETHEL MUSIC PUBLISHING