Tag: Life Stories

Today’s Word Is BURDENS

Wed-Jul-15-2020

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

Another version says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”

The heaviest burden many people carry is the load of expectations placed on them by others. Trying to live up to an image of who others think we should be can become a weight too great to sustain.

One of the reasons people flocked to hear Jesus was because he talked more about a God who cared, than one whose heavy hand wanted to control them and punish them for not being good enough or for breaking too many rules. I wonder if a single rabbi (teacher) had ever in their lives invited them to come follow so they could rest!

But Jesus was doing just that, which essentially was an invitation to live a life of trust in the goodness of God. Those who felt hopeless, oppressed, and tired of trying and failing were intrigued by these words … “Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

Now, this was not an invitation to stop trying, nor to escape responsibility, but to receive an internal shift from dependence on the approval of others to dependence on the grace of God. Worldly living says, “I will love you if” … and then there comes the expectation.

Kingdom living (God’s Kingdom, that is), says that you are loved by your Creator and your Savior for who you are, not for what you accomplish. The first step of Kingdom living is to get rid of the baggage, the load of expectations, the fear that you might not prove to be worthy, … and in exchange receive the following reality … You are accepted because God made you and loved unconditionally because that’s who God is and what he does.

After that, there are lots of things we do to accomplish Kingdom purposes, but they are not done to prove we are acceptable, they are done out of thanks that we were “declared” to be acceptable as God’s primary gift. (We call this salvation or conversion.) We are no longer laboring and heavy laden under a load of disapproval, but rather there is rest from it.

Welcome to the Jesus life. Now, I need to complete the picture. In the beginning, I only gave you one of three verses to describe the Jesus invitation. Here’s the “rest of the story”:

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

You may notice that after Jesus offered rest, he told us to take his yoke upon us, which is the equipment placed on the shoulders of oxen and other work animals, for the purpose of carrying or pulling loads. How about that! … Invited to rest and put to work! But that’s it! Rest, work, rest, work. Not work, work, work, work.

In the Pharisees’ world, the “working” at proving ourselves to be religious and obedient was primary. In Jesus’ world, the “resting” is primary. The Sabbath is the holy day when God rested. For God, six days was “enough” to complete creation. Get it? This faith we practice has works of righteousness involved, but not to prove our worth and not to the extent that they become a burden we can’t carry. The most important day of the week is Sabbath, meaning the most important aspect of the Kingdom life is rest.

Is this making sense? Jesus invited us to turn around, to stop thinking of religious performance as the basis of life, but rather to let rest and assurance be the focus of life, with an attitude towards works of faith that sees it as a joy, not a burden, and certainly not the way to prove anything to God.

The result is rest for our souls, because the yoke (workload) is easy, and it burdens us only lightly, because it was given to us by a Savior who is both gentle and humble.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

By the way … this has been my favorite passage of Scripture for 40+ years. When I was a young pastor, I had read this passage many times, but the first time I used it as a sermon text, I began preparing and spontaneously became overwhelmed with tears at Jesus’ invitation to come to him and get rid of my burdens in exchange for his rest and a yoke that was much easier than the burdens I had been carrying for such a long time.

I say this because when we are first saved, we understand our salvation as we experienced it at that point. But later on, more revelations of the nature and glory of this new life in Christ will touch us in deeper and richer ways. This passage became my best symbolism for the illustration of salvation … to give him what I have, and in return get what he has. That’s the best bargain anyone in the world will ever get!

Today’s Word Is INTIMIDATION

Tue-Jul-7-2020

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – The Apostle Paul (2nd Timothy 1:7)

Sometimes fear serves a useful purpose, right? For instance, … Fear could keep you away from the edge of a dangerous cliff. … or … Fear could cause you to keep your distance from a poisonous snake. … or … Fear could cause you to run out of a burning building.

Those, of course, are things God designed into our nature to protect us. What we are not supposed to have is the type of fear that debilitates us, keeps us in misery, or prevents us from being the person that God calls us to be.

The normal Greek word for fear is “phobia,” which is used 150 times in the New Testament. Another New Testament word for fear is “deilia,” used only once by Paul in this passage, and once by Jesus (Matthew 8:26 and Mark 4:40), on the occasion where a frightening storm came up while the disciples were in a boat with Jesus. “But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

This use of the word fear can also be translated as “intimidation.” Why would Paul tell Timothy not to be intimidated? Interestingly, the name Timothy comes from the same root word, as if describing someone who is easily intimidated. Timothy was a young man with great potential in ministry, but how easy it is to let yourself be intimidated, being a young person teaching people older than yourself, and often much wiser. I know. I pastored my first church at age 19.

Also notice that Paul didn’t say, “we are not given fear.” He said, “We are not given a SPIRIT of fear.” This is a spiritual issue. There are evil spirits that have certain characteristics or tactics, and yes, there is a spirit of fear, whose strategy is to intimidate you out of your destiny.

In the 6th grade my first male teacher, Mr. Webb, was a combination of caring, wise, and tough. We would go to the playground and the whole class of 30 kids played softball. He divided the class in half, and we scattered all over the field to play, lots of infielders and outfielders. Mr. Webb was the pitcher.

One day I hit a ball past the outfielders, a “for sure” home run, rare for me. I rounded first, second, third and looked back over my shoulder as I was halfway to home. And, oh no, Mr. Webb was standing in a throwing position with his arm back over his shoulder, ready to throw the ball. I stopped and froze in disbelief! How could they have retrieved the ball so quickly!? As I stood there staring, waiting for him to throw me out, the ball came bounding in from the outfield and stopped at his feet. He smiled, leaned over, and with his empty hand, scooped up the ball, and threw me out. He had bluffed me … intimidated me … out of a home run. I was so focused on Mr. Webb that I didn’t see where the ball really was. I could have had a home run! I will never forget that lesson.

Think about it … this is what your “enemy” wants to do to you … bluff you into thinking you’re not good enough, smart enough, innovative enough, persistent enough, or enough of whatever you may need to succeed. He has no weapon to harm you, so he intimidates you into giving up. I thought Mr. Webb had the ball in his hand … nope. I was not robbed by the power of the enemy, but by being intimidated out of claiming what was mine.

If you have a spirit of fear, God didn’t give it to you. I repeat … If you have a spirit of fear, God didn’t give it to you! And he wants to replace it with power, love, and a sound mind. Suppose you just “spoke” to this spirit of fear you’ve been burdened with and served it an eviction notice! I will no longer be intimidated out of my blessings! Then ask God for his three replacement gifts … power, love, and discipline.

Power – that’s like the engine of a car. The Holy Spirit will give you his kind of power.

Love – that’s the proper fuel. It will help you to do things with right motives. If you are fueled by anger, for instance, things will often not turn out so well.

A Sound Mind (or Discipline) – that’s the steering wheel. It means guiding how you apply the love and use the power God has given you. Not too fast or slow, staying on track, waiting sometimes, proceeding at others.

The experience of ridding myself of the spirit of intimidation, with God’s help, created a quantum leap forward in my faith. I still get intimidated occasionally, but I am quicker to rebuke it now.

Blessed to be a blessing,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is FREEDOM

Thu-Jul-2-2020

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”  ― Mahatma Gandhi

“Those who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it for themselves.” ― Abraham Lincoln

Freedom as an external condition is something we must fight to preserve in our country. To some degree, it is an issue in every nation on earth. We continue to pray for those people and nations where personal freedoms are denied or repressed. In America, some of our immigrants have come from countries who are notorious for suppressing the people, denying freedoms, and even mass murdering their own citizens.

I believe we should be proud to offer a better environment in our nation. Yet even in America, there are strides that need to be made as we seek to rid our society of prejudice. Although we are based on freedom, nevertheless, it is not always available as it should be. The words of Nelson Mandela above are a reminder that desiring freedom for oneself cannot be a valid pursuit without also demanding freedom for all. Lord, please help us achieve freedom for all.

There is, however, another experience of freedom that surpasses the notion of political freedom as described in our constitution. That is the inner experience of freedom, which is a gift from God. This type of freedom can be had whether we live in a free country or not.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl describes his experience in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Many times, he and others were marched around, tortured, stripped naked, and degraded. During one of these moments he had a revelation that there was one thing that could not be taken away from him … his thoughts.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

This is the freedom of which Jesus spoke, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) It is available to all, regardless of their race, culture, national origin, or political system under which they live. Freedom through Christ cannot be taken from us, as it is planted in us by the Holy Spirit through salvation.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” – Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:1)

What does this mean … “for freedom Christ set us free”? Well, it is possible to be free, but not feel free. I have heard that a baby elephant is tamed by being put on a rope leash attached to a stake in the ground. It learns immediately that it cannot escape because the stake is strong enough to hold it back from running loose. However, as the elephant grows it retains this feeling of captivity when it is staked to the ground as an adult, even though the elephant is eventually strong enough to pull the stake out of the ground easily. It doesn’t even try, because in its mind, it believes it is a captive.

But for us, it must be different. We must believe that Christ has truly set us free. Paul says this in Romans 8:1 … Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

And in John 8:36 we read … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I am thankful for our freedom as a nation. I pray that this freedom will be applied to all. And I am especially thankful for my freedom in Christ. Unlike the freedoms of this world, my freedom in Christ can never be taken from me.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is COURAGEOUS

Mon-Jun-22-2020

((If you haven’t already, you should watch the movie Soul Surfer.))

On October 31, 2003, Bethany Hamilton, age 13 at the time, went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, with her best friend Alana Blanchard, Alana’s father Holt, and brother Byron, when a 14-foot-long tiger shark attacked her, severing her left arm just below the shoulder. The Blanchards helped paddle her back to shore, then Alana’s father fashioned a tourniquet out of a rash guard (protective swim clothing) and wrapped it around the stump of her arm. She was rushed to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. By the time she arrived there she had lost over 60% of her blood and was in hypovolemic shock. Her father was already at the hospital to have knee surgery that day. Instead, his surgery was cancelled, and Bethany took his place in that operating room, where her wound was closed.

Despite the trauma of the incident, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing, and one month after the attack, she returned to her board. Initially, she adopted a custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker than standard and had a handle for her right arm, making it easier to paddle, and she learned to kick more to make up for the loss of her left arm. After teaching herself to surf with one arm, on January 10, 2004, just 10 weeks after her accident, she entered a major competition.

Since the attack, she has appeared as a guest on numerous television shows, as she was transformed from shark attack victim to inspirational role model. The television shows she has appeared on include The Biggest Loser, 20/20, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, The Tonight Show and Dude Perfect, as well as in magazines People, Time, and American Girl. Additionally, she was the cover story in the premier issue of niNe magazine.

In 2004, she won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and also received the Courage Teen Choice Award. Also that year, MTV Books published Hamilton’s book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, which describes her ordeal. Her story is also told in the 2007 short subject documentary film Heart of a Soul Surfer. Described as a “faith-based documentary,” the film addresses her devout Christianity and her courage and faith in Jesus Christ in the aftermath of the shark attack and follows her quest for spiritual meaning.

Thank you, Lord, for courageous, inspirational people! Give us courage as well. Help us to believe in your healing and restorative power.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is SWIM

Mon-Jun-15-2020

The prophet Ezekiel lived in Jerusalem in 590 BC, as one of the Jews who had not been taken into captivity and carted off to Babylon. And he had a prophetic vision (Chapter 47) of a stream flowing out from the Temple, which was a message of hope for those being held in exile. The river in his vision flowed eastward for about 1,500 feet and was ankle-deep. As the Lord took him further, the water became knee-deep for another 1,500 feet, and then waist-deep for another 1,500 feet. (That’s a little over a mile so far. Then …

He [the Lord] measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. He said, “Son of man, have you had a good look?” (Ezekiel 47:5-6)

Have you ever been in “over your head”? That’s where the Lord was taking Ezekiel. This is the Christian life of faith. This is when we truly begin to trust in the Lord with all we have, in a state of total dependence.

Here are some things we learn from this. First, the Lord is gracious – He starts us out in ankle-deep water. If not, we might chicken out! And it keeps us going, because there is more. I do think, however, that some of us are still in that ankle-deep water. Some of us kept getting deeper and deeper into faith, until our feet didn’t touch. Some of us have succumbed to fear and stopped moving forward in order to stay where our feet can touch the bottom.

It is interesting that while we are in the shallower water, it is easier to see what’s under there! Sometimes, that’s why we don’t go deeper. Fears can arise when we are unsure of what might happen next or how we would handle difficult moments. However, we should know that God knows everything that is under there, and he will not let us sink — or be eaten alive — or suffer mortal wounds. Being unsure of ourselves might just be a sign that we are also unsure of God’s faithfulness. Trusting in God creates courage and confidence.

This vision teaches us that God wants us in those deep waters – he wants us to swim! After all, that is where we really learn to trust! And the waters of God are fresh water. They are healing waters. The Lord told Ezekiel, “Where the river flows everything will live.” (v. 9)

If you are nervous reading this because you are someone who fears swimming, remember that this passage is about your spirit swimming in and with the Holy Spirit. It is a life of adventure and trust. In a sense, we are out of control, because the current of a river is too strong for us to go wherever we want to. God wants us to go with the flow – not to swim upstream trying to get back to some false feeling of safety. Going with the flow means following the Spirit. We don’t necessarily go where other people are going, or even where they think we should go – we go where God goes!

Have you ever been whitewater canoeing? I did a lot of that in my younger years. There are three types of experience that stand out to me. First, there are “floats.” The river moves quietly and steadily along. You can paddle and make good time, or if you like you can rest and let God carry you. Then there are “pools.” These are places where the water is deeper and calmer. You can get out of the boat and not get carried away by a strong current. It is a time to stop and play! You can empty the boat of any water you took on. And while you have the boat flipped over, you can swim underneath as you laugh and play. You can also sit on the shore and relax.

But the other experience is when those “rapids” come. There are dangers, hard work, crashes, and disasters. You may get stuck or fall out. But to a canoeist, this is the best part of the trip. Who wants to go canoeing if there are no rapids!? The hard part is also the most fulfilling part of the adventure.

Regarding the river of your life … do you spend your time trying to avoid the rapids? Do you decline the difficult things? People need us, and it isn’t easy going. And furthermore, do you fail to stop and play when God provides the opportunity? Stop struggling in the river and relax. Be ready for the rapids when they come, don’t fight them, use them.

Are you ready to head for deeper water… meaning a deeper life? Are your feet still touching the bottom? Are you all in for Jesus enough that you will go where the Holy Spirit takes you and enjoy the great adventure that he has for you?

A final thought … the Israelites in captivity were surely wondering if God had abandoned them. They were no longer in their homeland. They were enslaved with little hope of being free. And the Temple that housed the presence of the Holy Spirit of God was far away. But Ezekiel’s vision was a clear message that God leaves the Temple to come to his people. Babylon was east of Jerusalem, and the waters in the vision flowed east out of the Temple. God was reaching out to his people, heading their direction, bringing his river of love to engulf them, support them, and carry them.

You are not alone or abandoned. You are not without help. God is with you and he wants you to swim in the waters of the Spirit that he brings to you. Trust him. Enjoy him. Enjoy the adventure. Go with God’s flow. Play in the pools. Battle the rapids. Together we will make it. The river of life is a great place to be.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is STILL

Mon-Jun-8-2020

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

That’s a tall order … be still. Have you ever tried to fix a child’s boo-boo by cleaning a wound and applying a bandage … all the while trying to keep them still and calm? “Be still,” we say. “It’s hard to help you if you can’t be still for a minute!”

Of course, adults have their own struggles with being still. Maybe it’s not about a bandage on a wound. It would be more like something has gone wrong and I need to fix it right now. Or some problem has come up, and my mind is going through all the consequences this is going to create. Oh no, what am I going to do now?

I am sure King David, who wrote this Psalm, had plenty of tragedies and problems enough to panic or worry about the destruction or terror that could result. He must have learned that one of God’s best responses to our troubles was to say, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It helps us to put things in perspective. Our spirit can declare within us, “Yes, you are God. You love me. I can trust you. I need not worry. Your promises are great and true.”

How great is God? Well, I am usually operating on the “me-level” while God is simultaneously operating on everything from the universe – earth – nation level, all the way down to my level and yours. I don’t always think about the big picture. God thinks about every picture, every angle … big and small. He is the Exalted One … at every level … trustworthy, good, faithful … our strength and shield.

When I was twelve years old, our family went to Connecticut because my dad had to visit a seminary student. Once we were in New York City, Dad took the car on his business, while my mom, myself, and two younger sisters finished the journey to her family in Connecticut by train.

My mom took good care of us and the trip worked out fine. But not having Dad around in a strange place was a little unsettling. Mom was our caregiver, managing daily life for us, while Dad was sort of like the stabilizer. We had been on many trips and vacations and were used to Dad always knowing directions, finding places to eat and to spend the night, and getting us to our destination, while Mom kept track of what we were doing and especially took care of the needs of the smallest ones.

So here we were with Mom in Grand Central Station, New York City. It was h-u-g-e!! We walked down corridors, climbed stairs, and stood in lines, all the while hanging onto Mom. We were surrounded by noise, movement, and confusion. There were moments I wished Dad were there to lead us through this strange place. Mom loved us, but Dad was the leader.

There is plenty going on around us right now … COVID virus, racial tensions, and political controversy. Surely, we know that there are people on this journey with us who love us, but in unsettling circumstances, we need stability within our spirits and guidance through the turmoil. It is an excellent time to “be still and know that God is God!” Will we make it through this strange time? Yes, if we let the God who is “exalted among the nations and in the earth” lead us through.

Pray for peace and be at peace. “Be still and know.”

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is UNCONDITIONAL

Tue-May-12-2020

Having God’s unconditional love does not mean you have God’s unconditional approval. – Pastor Miles McPherson, former NFL player

While attending seminary I found a stray puppy one day and decided to rescue her. She was brown and black and fuzzy, possibly part German Shepherd. I took her home and fed her. Then I put her in the sink and cleaned off a lot of fleas and dried blood. Next, I took her to the vet to get rid of parasites from her bloated stomach and to give her immunizations to protect her future health. I named her Ginger, and eventually had a friend come forward who wanted to adopt her and give her a permanent home.

Here’s my way of saying what Pastor McPherson is trying to get at: ”God loves you just the way you are. But he loves you too much to leave you the way you are.”

Some folks interpret God’s unconditional love as requiring nothing in the way of change or improvement. They would contend that if God loves me the way I am, he’s not going to make me change or do anything. I am what I am. What you see is what you get.

But think of this … Suppose I take in this stray puppy but do nothing to “fix it up.” I tell my friends about my new puppy, and that she is really cute and lovable. So, they come by to see this little rascal but are astonished at her sickly appearance. Obviously, they would think that I didn’t care very much about its well-being. They would, in fact, think that I was cruel to take it in and then let it suffer through fleas, worms, sores, and malnutrition. If I really loved this puppy, then taking it in is not enough.

In terms of the love of God for us, being “saved” is only the beginning. When I took in Ginger the puppy, unconditional love was at work. I gave her a home when she was lost, unclaimed, and belonged to no one. That was her “salvation.” But that unconditional love also led me to nurse her back to health by fixing what was wrong.

God loves you unconditionally, which means he wants you to come home to him, but because he loves you unconditionally, he also wants to work on what is not healthy in you. Those of us who are looking for change and transformation can be encouraged today that it is available. God will meet us where we are and take us where we need to be. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

In the case of this helpless puppy, I took charge and worked on her problems. However, in our case, when God takes us in, and by his grace and our confession and faith, we receive salvation, God is not going to force us into change. We are not animals, but humans with a will and a choice.

So, yes, “God loves us as we are, but he loves us too much to ignore us and leave us like we are.” He lets his desires be made known, offering to lead us into health and well-being. He does not demand that we change or force us into it. He waits for us to want it and to seek it and to seek him. This is the way to life as we are intended to live it.

God in his unconditional love saves us and then leads us through the changes we must make to become the person we are intended to be. This is a life-long process. We may need to remind certain people what the unconditional love of God is really like – He loves us like we are, but he loves us too much to leave us like we are.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

(If you’re interested) … The Miles McPherson Story: The man behind the Pastor

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in March 1960, the second oldest of five children, Miles McPherson was raised on Long Island in a strong family. After excelling in football throughout high school, he attended the University of New Haven, where he majored in engineering. McPherson was the university’s first player to achieve All-American honors in football and be drafted into the NFL. Strong athletics run in the McPherson family; Miles’ brother, Don McPherson, was a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1987.

Miles played four years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers from 1982-1985. It was during this time that he developed a cocaine addiction that found the NFL star in a tailspin as he began feeding his habit.

After his second season in the NFL and after a weekend-long drug binge, he called out to Jesus Christ, accepted Him and stopped doing drugs in one day. This turnaround put him on the road to becoming a pastor.

Today’s Word Is MOTHERHOOD

Thu-May-7-2020

Several years ago, my wife Jean and I attended Willow Creek Church in Chicago, which averages 18,000 attendance at their multiple weekend services. We were getting acquainted with the lady seated beside us and learned that she worked on the church staff as a drama/skit writer. In the beginning, she had just come as a visitor one Sunday, and ended up staying. So, I asked her, “What made you come back the second time?”

Her answer startled us and touched us deeply. She said she was struggling with life and relationships and felt led that she needed to be in church. She wanted some peace and hope, and Willow Creek Church had been recommended. However, if she made her first visit that next Sunday, it was going to be Mother’s Day, and for that reason, she almost decided to wait a week. “Why was that?” I asked.

She explained that she had an awfully bad relationship with her mother. They were not on speaking terms and there was a lot of hurt and bad memories. But she went to church anyway, she was desperate for change in her life.

What she experienced at church that day was that they didn’t “glorify” mothers as if they were all perfect. They were honest about good and bad relationships, but they did honor mothers in a very nice way. It made her feel like this was a place where she could grow and be blessed. It was affirming to her that they talked straight forward about family difficulties, because she was fully prepared for the pastor to preach that anyone who can’t get along their mother must be a bad person and should be ashamed. Instead she felt accepted and forgiven.

Motherhood, after all, is not that easy. And sometimes, things get complicated. For instance, my siblings and I had a good mother who loved us and did pretty good considering there were five of us to raise, a pastor for a husband, living in the South while all her family was in Connecticut, plus moving to a new town every few years, and tragically losing one of my sisters in a car wreck at age 17. Ten years prior to that, Mom had been dealing with rough patches that we were too young to realize were mental health issues, but she made it … yes, she did! And that’s the way most families are, I suspect. There are lots of ups and downs, and somehow, we make it.

This coming Sunday is the annual celebration of Mother’s Day. I think it is worth it to remember and discuss some of the awesome memories, the joy and laughter, as well as the difficulties, heartache, and tears. These things have made us who we are.

There are many people to pray for and affirm on Mother’s Day. There are women like my Mom who lost a child along the way. It seems like the most unfair thing there is. And then there are women who have wanted children but for some reason could not. This is true of someone close to me, and she is a ray of sunshine to all of us. There are women who have had miscarriages. I call this conceived on earth but born in heaven.

There are mothers who have suffered abuse, and others who seem to hurt everyone around them. There are mothers who were simply hard to understand, but we tried to love them the best we could. There are mothers we didn’t get along with because of our rebellion. There are mothers that we didn’t like in our teenage years, and now they are our best friend. And there are mothers who knew just how and when to do the right thing and the best thing for us.

There are also women that I call “other mothers.” I spent almost as much time in high school at the home of my best friend as I did at my own house, and his mother was my “other mother.” The Apostle Paul said, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother–a mother to me also.” (Romans 16:13)

There are single mothers who work and raise children, being mom and dad both. And let us not forget our many step-families, in which we may say “our children” and “our mother” without reference to whether they are “yours” or “mine.” Many of us have been blessed by having a mother and a stepmother. Some have struggled with this while others have blossomed. But we can affirm that God walked it with us.

Some of us can also truly say that our mother was influential in our spiritual life, perhaps our profession of faith, and our growth in the Lord. Paul also wrote this to Timothy: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2nd Timothy 1:5) Isn’t that a great testimony to the influence that many women of strong faith can pass on to us!

Let us give thanks to the Lord for the blessing of motherhood, with all its ups and downs. May we remember that Mother’s Day is not a time to glorify mothers. It is a time to glorify God, who gave us mothers to bless us in a variety of ways. I am thankful that there are no perfect mothers – that they each have their particular strengths and weaknesses. I believe that regardless of how well each mother did, we can thank her for the good, forgive her for the bad, forgive ourselves for our part, and celebrate the blessings that came along the way, and remain with us to this day.

Happy Early Mother’s Day!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s True Story … TRUCK EXCHANGE

Fri-May-1-2020
It’s Humor Day!

A certain preacher named Pastor Bungle was a bit “humor impaired,” but he really wanted to learn how to successfully tell a joke that came out right and everyone laughed. All his attempts had turned out poorly, as he would tell things in the wrong order or mess up the punch line.

He decided to attend a conference where pastors could learn better communication skills and public speaking tips. One speaker’s topic was “Using Humor Effectively.” Pastor Bungle paid close attention. The speaker began his talk with some humor to get the crowd’s attention. He opened by saying, “The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman that wasn’t my wife!” The crowd was shocked! He followed up by saying, “And that woman was my mother!” – The crowd burst into laughter and the speaker then delivered the rest of his talk, which went over quite well.

The next week, Pastor Bungle decided he would give this humor thing a try, by starting out with the same attention-getting joke he had heard at the conference. Before the service he kept rehearsing the joke in his head. He was nervous.

Stepping up to the microphone he began confidently, “The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman that wasn’t my wife!” The congregation inhaled half the air in the room! Pastor Bungle was so shaken up by their reaction that he stood there frozen in silence for several seconds, trying to recall the second half of the joke.

He started over. “Yes friends, the best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman that wasn’t my wife!” … Long pause … “And for the life of me, I can’t remember who she was!”

Oops!

Today’s True Story … A new feature about the many people I have met, events I have witnessed, and stories I have heard.

In 2009, I became the host of a national radio program called “The Healing Touch,” which aired on XM & Sirius Satellite Radio, from midnight to 2:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. For the next few years, I spent over 1,000 hours on the air, chatting with people about growing in faith and praying with them about life’s problems. People in our world are so hungry for help from someone who will listen and give them wise biblical answers. The following is a true story from listeners who called in to the live talk show.

TRUCK EXCHANGE

Bubba and Alma received a word from the Lord to find a new trucking job. They were owner-drivers making long hauls. They were told that turning in their truck at the company office would cost them a lot of money, because there was presently no one to take it over. According to their contract, they would have to pay it off in full. But they felt the Lord’s hand in this, as they would get to mentor several people in their hometown, hold a home Bible study, and be a more regular part of their church.

After some prayer and assurance, they went to the office and turned in their keys. They were told to wait for information in the mail about how to pay off their truck. On their way out of the office they met a man coming in who asked if they were the ones with the truck outside. He wanted it! Thank you, Lord. Perfect timing. The company had told them they could lose a lot of money. But God sent the seller and the buyer on the same day at the same time and sold their truck for them before they got out the door! Interestingly, about the man they signed the truck over to … guess his name … hmmm … it was Bubba.

Have a good weekend, including rest, family, and worship,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s True Story … TEMPORARY SHOES

Fri-Apr-24-2020

A wealthy tycoon made arrangements with his attorney that at his death, all his fortune would be converted to gold bars and buried with him so he could take it to heaven.

Eventually the day came, and he arrived at the Pearly Gates with a huge moving truck. St. Peter said, “OK. This is unusual. What’s in the truck?”

The doors to the truck were swung open revealing thousands of gold bars, and St. Peter exclaimed, “Pavement! Thank you!”

Just a reminder that there are lots of “things” we accumulate in this life that have no eternal value. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Today’s True Story … a new feature about the many people I have met, events I have witnessed, and stories I have heard.

In 2009, I became the host of a national radio program called “The Healing Touch,” which aired on XM & Sirius Satellite Radio, from midnight to 2:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. Using six incoming 800 lines, I chatted with people across North America about growing in faith and prayed with them about life’s problems. The following is a true story from listeners who called in to the live talk show.

TEMPORARY SHOES

Billie went shopping with her husband David, and they found a close-out bin with a pair of great shoes that fit David perfectly. He didn’t come shopping for shoes, and really didn’t need another pair, but they couldn’t pass up the deal. The next day, he went to work and wore them all day … best feeling shoes in a long time, name brand, first class, what a bargain. Then there was the man walking down the road as David drove home from work … a man wearing only one shoe. David stopped and the man explained his other shoe fell apart. David took his off and they fit the man perfectly. It made the man cry, and David drove away, the former owner of a temporary pair of bargain shoes. A God-designed encounter.

Have a safe and healthy weekend,

Chaplain Mark