The Virtue of Patience

i am not sure what is harder to do... to wait for the light to turn green or waiting for the phone to ring when you are in high school or waiting for the cake to finish or for the mail to come on Saturday or for a baby to walk or for football season to start or even for the first frost of the fall... each are times when we want instant gratification... i think our culture's desire for the quick fix makes it hard for us to wait for anything...

the wise one Solomon tells us that to be patient is better than to be prideful... the apostle Paul encourages us to be patient as well, but the waiting is hard... the ache of losing a loved one does not pass quickly... to walk through the pain of suffering is a challenge... i want it to be over quickly... i want to move on with my life & marriage...
to wait for the birth of child is a challenge... patience is hard when you long for a child... to want something and not be able to have it in our time is another lesson in the divine art patience... for God is the most patient... WoW! How can he be so patient with His creation- but thanks be to God for willingness to be patient with us all...

God is teaching me patience... patience is fierce and is the battle cry of the redeemed...
healing is out of my hands. i think that all i can do is put my life in the hands of the Lord and the grace of our Creator to mold at this time in ways that only He can...
i long for the day of peace to reside again in my soul... to feel the cool breeze of the Spirit flowing in me...
i read an interesting line the other day..."I am not a Christian yet, but I have seen them". now i am a Christian, but i must say that i am not where i need to be or where i want to be yet, but i am on my way...
by His grace go i...

More Rumblings

It has been raining on and off today. I generally like the rain. I seem to like it more when the temperature is down a bit... say around the mid 40's. But today it has been kind of muggy so every thing feels soggy. This is kind of how I feel at times. I saw a friend in his 70's walking with his wife just the other day and made me think about how Dad walked with mom to the pond to fee the fish or to see the garden. It was the first time I had cried sense I have been back in Statesboro. I know that it will take time to really move on. I will never stop feeling the loss, but the pain will subside over time. The reality of it all is so permanent. I can hardly believe that this is happening. I wish that it was a dream, but this not a dream. No, we are not insulated from tragedy, pain, and suffering, but God does redeem. Yes, God is redeeming. I believe that God does His greatest work during times of great pain.
1 Peter 5:10 speaks of suffering for a little while... suffering for the believer is never the final word. I love that God will restore us in time. I believe that he can and does restore now, but at the end of time all things will be set right... RESTORED. I long for this. Scripture says that creation longs for this. This will be a glorious day.
Until later... keep the Faith... pursue Peace... and Love without reservation!

Rumblings

The past two weeks have been a blurr. Two weeks ago today, my dad had stroke and massive brain hemorrhage that ultimately took his life. I have had so many thoughts and so many emotions over the past week. Dad was healthy and active right up until his death. It is so crazy to consider him being gone, but the reality is continuing to set in. I still want to call him when something neat happens in the ministry. I know that I will want to call him during the MLB playoffs...as the Red Sox go deep. We loved to talk about sports and hunting. I saw dad as he loved my mom with an amazing love. He was a pastor for over 45 years and loved to see people embrace Christ. He got to meet Jesus face to face after proclaiming Him for a lifetime. I wonder what that must have been like? I am kind of jealous...
Over the next few posts I will reflect on my father's sudden death, and all that God seems to be speaking into my life. I pray that you will be enriched and strengthened as I speak out my grief and loss.

Apple Cores

I read a great line in book the other day. I am reading about "confessional prayer". It is in a book written by Calvin Miller on Celtic Prayer. I have been reading along for a little over a month. I used to work through a book quickly til I was challenge to pace myself and take a slower time digesting the information.
Here is the line: "The path behind us is strewn with the cast-off apple cores of our indulgence." Miller is speaking of our inability to deal with temptation and ourselves eating from the very tree that is forbidden.
St. Patrick started his prayers very simply, "I am Patrick, a sinner..." My prayer is that I too can humble myself daily to agree with God on my state and let Him raise me up to walk in His mercies that are new every morning.

Wild Ride

It has been a wild ride that last few days. I have been completely swamped with ministry and I feel that I may have ministryitus. I get this when I have been completely unfaithful in my resting. I overbook my schedule...which leads me to waste the time I do have...and all this be completely avoiding the necessary space God provides me to reflect and listen. When this point happens I get stressed, irritable and pushy with others. Right now i yearn for the "rustling of sandal-feet" in my presence.
I don't like this... I get so frustrated that this happens. I am not sure why I allow this to happen. Why can't I slow down and allow the Lord to speak peace into my life? I truly wish that I was able to pull away even for just a few hours to listen to God. Why is so hard for me? I am addicted to activity. God help me intentionally pause... long enough to hear the voice of Jesus as breaths life into me.
Lord, give us your rhythms of grace...

756

Last night Barry Bonds hit the record breaking home run. This is the most cherished of all sports records and last night it was broken. Barry hit the homerun in front of his home crowd, which is where he is most loved. There is no doubt that Barry has a lot of talent, but there are still many unanswered questions about his alleged steroid use. So we will have to see.
Hank Aaron hit #755 during a different era and during a time of much turmoil. Racism was very evident in our country and he gave people a chance to see that all people can excel. Hank Aaron's home run stood for more than just a record and this to me is why I still place more value on Aaron's record than on the Bond's homerun. I can appreciate a record being broken, but at the end of the day I respect the larger meaning of Aaron's homerun record and his life far more.
This challenges me to live my life in a way that is not just totalling numbers, but is a part of the larger picture that is being painted. I want to be a part of something that touches eternity. I am thankful that God enables us to move beyond ourselves and live for the common good of humanity. Jesus calls us not to be self-serving but to serve others with the Love of God.

Football is Coming

I a little over a month we will have football to focus on... I am most excited about the upcoming season. It is so much fun to be around the game... the tailgating...and the large crowds of people. Eagle Nation will see it's third coach in three years. Be easy on the guys it is their 3rd defense and 3rd offense in three years too. I expect that we will have marked improvement over last year and will contend in the SoCon. I look for Foster to have a great year and for him to leave an even greater mark on his time here in Statesboro.
It's about time for Saturdays in the South, where Football rules and grills are the standard cookware. It will be fun as the Eagles soar once again over The Best Little Stadium in America. So get your game face on...take a dip in Eagle Creek...and lets get ready for some FOOTBALL.