FAMILY NIGHT

One the things that I am most known for (other than my good looks) are my tacos.  "The Graf Tacos" have been one of our favorite meals to serve when we have guests over.  People seem to enjoy them and I enjoy serving them...and eating them.

Well, tonight we had some younger friends of ours over for dinner who love my tacos.  They were really excited when we invited them over for "taco night".  I really enjoyed this past week as they would continuously talk about it every time I would see them.  The excitement was growing.

But with them it has always been much more than "taco night"... they call it "family night".  In fact, the first time they came over, their mother questioned where they were going, to which they replied "family night" and walked out the door.

And that got me thinking...who is your family?  Who are the people with whom you associate?  Do you hang out with people that are like-minded?  Or do you find yourself always defending your faith with your friends and family?  Do you even talk about Jesus with your friends?

Please realize that I am not talking about reaching out and building relationships with people who do not know the Lord.  That is an absolutely necessary thing--we need to be around and witness Jesus' love to those that don't know Him.  But those people should not be your main group of friends.  You need a group of people that are going to support you in your walk with the Lord; you need people to encourage you in your struggles; you need people to hold you accountable in your relationship with the Lord.

I know that these young men have a wonderful family and they mean nothing disrespectful to their mother with their statement about "family night".  I hope that is the case with all of our family relationships, but I also hope that you agree that the relationships with your family--or anyone close to you--come second to your relationship with the Lord.  I love the paraphrase from The Message for the verse below, "Obedience is thicker than blood."

Spend time with the Lord; get together with like-minded friends; have "family night".

"[Jesus'] mother and brothers showed up but couldn't get through to him because of the crowd.  He was given the message, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.'  He replied, 'My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God's Word.  Obedience is thicker than blood.'"  -Luke 8:19-21 (MSG)-

HAVE TO STOP

Braden has been dealing with some horribly chapped lips.  And it isn't just the lips--it's around the lips.  Braden has a tendency to lick his lips and we believe that this is what is causing the problems.


Tonight, we were eating dinner and had some Wheat Thins Stix.  They are really good.  Our favorite flavor is the Fire Roasted Tomato (Heidi even likes them even though she cannot stand tomatoes.  And for some reason, I think they taste like beef jerky).


Anyway, as Braden was eating them he started crying.  We went through our normal questions of "did you bite your lip?" "did you bite your tongue?" and such.  What it ended up being was the seasoning from the Stix was burning his raw lips.  We helped him get it off with water and all seemed to be okay...until I was in the middle of my next bite and he was crying again.  He was eating the Stix again.  I told him that his lips were going to keep hurting if he kept eating them.  He shook his head and said he didn't want to stop.


And that got me thinking...how often do we know we are hurting ourselves with our sins and yet keep sinning?  How often does our loving Heavenly Father look at us hurting and say, "You're going to keep hurting if you keep committing that sin" and we simply shake our heads and say we don't want to stop?


It may not be that blatant with our sins, but sometimes it is.  Sometimes we simply figuratively put up a firm hand to God and say, "I know this is wrong, but I'm going to do it anyway."  Regardless of whether we "play God" and make bad decisions forcefully or whether it is one of those vices that we want to exterminate from our lives but simply can't shake, our Father is watching us struggle.


Sin is such a nasty part of our walks.  Whether it's the world's lure, Satan's schemes, or our flesh fighting the Spirit, it hurts us.  No matter how good it is, we have to stop.  No matter how much we like it, we have to stop.


Braden's lips were burning because he was refusing to stop; if we refuse to stop, more than our lips will be burning.


"If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned."  -John 15:6 (ESV)-

WELL...DUH?

I was walking through the aisles of Meijer this morning and overheard a brief portion of one side of a phone conversation.  This woman was standing in the aisle answering her ringing phone as I walked by.  She was talking rather loudly so it was not hard to hear my material for today's blog.  She said, "Hello."  There was the normal pause you hear when listening to one side of a phone conversation, which was followed with, "I'm at the grocery store."  I obviously couldn't hear the caller but I know what the next question was based on the response.  They asked, "What are you doing there?"  Because the answer was, "Buying groceries."  I chuckled as I walked because of the tone in which she said it.  If she wasn't in her 70s I would have almost expected her to say, "Well...duh?"


What a ridiculous question to ask (at least my assumption of the question).  What else would you be doing at the grocery store?  Of course, you're buying groceries.  Isn't it obvious?  But that got me thinking (not the big one; wait for it) there are many reasons to be at Meijer that have nothing to do with groceries: they have household items, clothing, a pharmacy, etc.  Maybe she wasn't at Meijer for the obvious reason.


And that got me thinking...why do you go to worship on Sunday morning?  Is it for the obvious reason--to worship the Lord?  Most likely.  But for some, maybe not.  For you, it may only be partially the reason.  Some of us go to worship for reasons other than the obvious.  Some go because it's the "right thing to do"; some for the relationships; some to look good; some simply because it's part of their weekly routine and they hate change.


It may seem like I'm being picky about this.  Some may argue with me and say, "at least they are in church."  And yes, that's true.  But for me, there needs to be this desire to worship the Lord.  There needs to be this longing for life-change.  There needs to be a solid reason to gather together in the "Lord's house".


I realize that God can change hearts and do miracles with people.  So even if someone is in church for the "wrong" reasons, God can do something.  I guess this blog is really a call out to make sure that we have our mindsets right.  I want all of you in church and for the right reasons--to worship a Holy God.


Benefits such as fellowship and feeling good and all the others are great advantages, but make sure that the main reason is to worship God for who He is and bring Him glory.  It's not about the music, or the media, or even the pastor.  It's not about your preferences.  In fact, it's not even about you--it's about God.


"My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!"  -Psalm 34:2-3 (ESV)-

NICE AND CLASSY

I got a new belt the other day.  I don't get to wear it too often because most of the time I'm in my uniform and they require a specific belt.  But I wore it all day today.  It's a nice, thick, leather belt.  It was very comfortable.  But let's just say it wasn't very stealthy.

Because it was new leather, it was "squeaking" every time I moved.  I didn't want to move.  I didn't want to greet people at church.  I didn't want to disturb anyone's prayer time.  I didn't want people to be looking at me.  It's not that I was embarrassed by my new belt--it's pretty nice and classy.  I simply didn't want to offend anyone with my "squeaking".


And that got me thinking...are we embarrassed about knowing Jesus?  Do we "keep our distance" in conversation so that we don't offend someone by sharing Jesus?  I think all too often we are embarrassed of our relationship with Jesus--and if we're not, we certainly act like we are.  Or we don't want to offend someone so we don't talk about Him.  Or worse, we don't even act like Him.


It's not that I didn't want people to know that I had a new belt, I didn't want people to be annoyed.  And yet, the "squeaking" would only have caused someone to ask and I could have shown my new belt.  And the same holds true for Jesus.  Don't change who you are depending on who you're around.  Walk like Jesus everywhere; people will SEE you "squeaking" because you are different from the world.  And then you can show them Someone--Someone who is nice and classy.


"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."  -James 1:22-25 (ESV)-

TOPPINGS

I've sold many chicken sandwiches in my time with Chick-fil-A and I've heard many different ways of ordering "the extras".  The Chick-fil-A sandwich comes with two pickles on a buttered bun, but you can add all kinds of "goodies" or "groceries" from lettuce and tomato to bacon and three different cheeses.  People have different preferences of what they like to "top it off" with; different ways to "throw clothes" on their chicken...and they have different ways of saying that they want their chicken "fully loaded".


Along with the phrases above that I've already shared, there are a whole lot more.  But the best one that I heard came from someone down at Camp Atterbury.  They ordered their sandwich and told me to "run it through the garden".  It kind of caught me off guard.  I had never heard it before and wasn't sure that I necessarily heard it correctly.  When I asked him to repeat himself and he did, I smiled.  That is a great way of saying it: "run it through the garden" (sad to say, I pictured a cartoon chicken sandwich running through a garden picking up all the toppings as she ran through).


And that got me thinking...how many of us view our relationship with the Lord like that?  How many of us think that we can "run through" a church and pick up Jesus?  It doesn't work that way. Just like a sandwich needs to be opened up so the toppings can be inserted inside the sandwich, we too need to be opened up and allow Jesus to be placed inside our hearts and lives.


Placing lettuce and tomato on a sandwich is much less time consuming.  It takes time to "load up" with Jesus.  When we're opened up for The Topping, sometimes there is no room because of the other choices we've made for our spiritual sandwich.  We need to rid ourselves of all those other things that are not pleasing to the Lord.


In reality, Jesus is not a "topping" for our spiritual sandwich; He should be the meat.  And His sandwich is so delicious that we don't need to--and shouldn't--add toppings.  Put on Christ.


"For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes."  -Galatians 3:26-27 (NLT)-

DRIVE SAFELY

While driving today, I saw a sight that I don't like to see...red and blue lights.  No, they weren't behind me pulling me over; they were in the middle of the road ahead of me, blocking off an accident.  My side of the road was still open, so I was able to drive by the accident slowly and take a look.


I've always been interested in accident scenes.  I don't enjoy looking at them, but I have always tried to figure out what happened based on where the vehicles are, how they are damaged, direction they are pointing, etc.


But this one had me baffled.  There was one vehicle that was off to the side of the road with it's front bumper hanging down.  It looked like a vehicle that had just rear-ended someone doing 30 miles an hour or so.  There wasn't a whole lot of damage.  But the other vehicle was a huge SUV that was flipped up on it's side in the middle of the road.  I was confused.  How in the world did something that seemed so little create such a mess?


And that got me thinking...how many times in our lives do we ask that very question in regards to a sin?  How many times has a little "fender bender" sin caused us to completely flip and cause major damage?  We think we can commit this little sin with no repercussions, but it ends up hurting us in a substantial way.


The reality is that every sin hurts us.  It may not be apparent to us; it may not always affect us in a way that we can see it, but every sin damages us in some way.  And it may end up blocking another brother or sister in the Lord in their walk.


We don't look at an opportunity to get into an accident as a good option.  Yet we look at opportunities to sin as "not a big deal".  We need to change that mindset and realize that every sin--no matter how "small"--will severely damage our walk with the Lord.


Buckle up against the temptations of the flesh, the world, and Satan...and drive safely.


"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."  -Ephesians 5:3 (NIV)-

THE RIGHT ROLL

Well, I found out that I was "following" my blog again.  At least now I know how to remove myself.  Technology can be so funny.

That was the case today at work.  And this technology isn't even that new.  We have an old cash register at the trailer down at Camp Atterbury.  It doesn't have a touch screen; it doesn't have a credit card swipe; it has the receipt paper coming right out of the register, instead of it's own little receipt printer.

Depending on how busy we are, we change the receipt paper every day or every other day--it's a fairly routine thing.  Today when I changed it, I put an older, larger roll of receipt paper in that I had found in a drawer a few days ago.  I thought it would be great--it was bigger, it would last longer.

However, when I started running the next order, the receipt wasn't printing.  It was feeding just fine, but it wasn't printing.  This wasn't really a big deal because the soldiers usually don't want a receipt.  But it became a big deal when I realized that I wouldn't be able to print up the end-of-day report.  I need that to keep track of our sales for the day and what we sold.

So, I spent the rest of the time trying to figure out why it wasn't printing.  During one of our down times, I even tore apart the register.  I couldn't think of anything else to do.  Eventually, I thought about the fact that I had used that "different" roll of paper.  I truly didn't think that would be it, but I had tried everything else.  I changed the roll to the "normal" roll and it worked.


And that got me thinking...Jesus is the only way to salvation.  Some people don't like that statement, but I'm going to say it boldly.  If you're a Christian who believes what the Bible says, you cannot think differently.


Just as it was with this roll of paper, I thought a different one would work.  It looked similar; it had the same core as the real ones; in fact, it looked BETTER because it had more to offer.  None of that mattered...I needed the right roll.


And the same holds true with faith: it doesn't matter if another religion looks good; it doesn't matter if they believe some of the same things; it doesn't matter if you are living a good life...what matters for salvation is that you have the right roll--and that's Jesus.


"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'"  -John 14:6 (ESV)-

SPIRITUAL BEEPING

I had the privilege of sitting with a dear friend and his wife today during his first round of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.  It was great to spend the time with them and to be there with them as Chad went through his procedures.  He has a long month ahead of him as he travels to Indianapolis every day from his home (about an hour and a half one way).  He has to do this for a month.


(Please make this more than a blog today.  Take a moment from reading this and pray for Chad and his family, making this a worldwide prayer chain.)


There was much to see and observe during the process.  It was fascinating to watch and learn.  At one point during the chemotherapy, the machine that runs the IV drip started flashing a red light and beeping quite loudly.  There was a message running along the face of it: "Air In Line".  A few seconds later, his nurse came over and made the necessary adjustments.


And that got me thinking...wouldn't it be nice to have one of those in our Christian walk?  Think about it; wouldn't it be great--just before you're about to commit a sin, a loud beeping started going off in your head and a red light started flashing.  We could then make the necessary adjustments.


The reality is that we have that alarm if we're a believer...the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit alarms us to the dangers around us.  That little voice inside us; that feeling we get that we shouldn't do something--that's the Holy Spirit.  Sure, the Spirit is not as loud as the beeping I heard from the machine.  I think we all wish that the Spirit was so loud we couldn't miss it or reject it.  But that is on us and our spiritual ears.  We know it's there; we choose not to listen.


There is so much going on around us today--so much to see, so much to hear.  But we need to be listening for the Spirit--the still, small voice of God.  He's there and He's "beeping".  We simply need to listen to the warning and make the necessary adjustments.


"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."  -1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)-

BETTER PREPARED

I decided late last night that I would take the two older boys camping.  Braden and Caleb love camping.  They think it's the greatest thing in the world to be in a tent, to be with Dad, to be doing something different like sleeping outside...even if it is only in the backyard.

I haven't taken them "camping" camping yet.  I'm building them up to it.  But right now, they don't care...they think it's great.  I also think it's great.  Yes, I would rather hike in a few miles and then set up camp, but this will have to do for now.

I love hiking and camping, but haven't been able to find the time to do so.  Braden and I were able to take a 2-mile hike a couple of months ago.  It was great to get out.  I just wish we could have set up camp and used some of my gear.

You see, as I indicated in yesterday's blog, I'm not only an office supply junkie, but I am also fond of all kinds of gear from places like Gander Mountain.  I like having the gear and being prepared to use it on a hike or camping expedition.  Even on a day-hike, I have the preparations and gear for a three-night stay, just in case.  You never know what the woods will bring your way.

So, last night while we were camping in the backyard, I decided that I was going to try out a new piece of gear that I had acquired for my hiking pack.  It was something that I had wanted for awhile because of the size and capabilities.  I usually carry a thermal blanket with me in the car or my in "everyday" bag, but those are only so good and only so big.  This new piece of gear was basically a thermal sleeping bag and I wanted to see if it would do the job it said it would.  Would this keep me warm if I got caught for the night in the woods?

Other than the fact that it was loud when you moved and I felt like I was trying to sleep in a Jiffy Pop Popcorn pan.  It kept me REALLY warm; in fact, I felt like I was too warm at times.  It really did the job it said it would.  And having that experience, I will feel more confident in my gear and better prepared when I go on hikes.

And that got me thinking...are you confident in your spiritual gear?  Do you feel ready to evangelize an unbeliever?  Do you know what verses of scripture to use?  How do you deal with this situation you just found yourself in--whatever that might be?

Granted, I'm aware that you cannot predict every situation and how things will transpire.  I'm also very aware that if we trust in the Lord and hand over the situation to Him, He will guide us and give us the words to say.  However, WE will feel better and more prepared if we know what our "gear" is and how to use it.

Do you practice evangelism with Christian friends?  Do you quiz each other on Scriptures that would be beneficial in times of witnessing?  Do you even hold your Christian friends accountable as to whether they are reading the Word on a regular basis?  Is someone holding you accountable?

Some of you may be wondering what I'm talking about; some of you think I'm wasting my time and breath with something so silly; some of you (those that attend Resurrected Life) are shaking with chills because you know what I'm talking about.

The people of Resurrected Life have a love/hate relationship with this line of questioning.  Every now and then, we spend time role-playing.  We "practice" evangelism with each other.  Now, by doing so, are we going to pick the perfect example of what we'll run into?  I doubt it, but we're getting used to the awkwardness of talking to people about the Lord and then we talk about the issues that we run across.  We are preparing ourselves for those types of situations in the real world when we need those skills.  We also hold each other accountable on a weekly basis on what we've read in the Word throughout the week.

What will the Lord bring our way?  We don't know...but we are better prepared for whatever it is.


"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  -1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)-

ADVERTISING

Time for a confession...I'm an office supply junkie.  I have an addiction.  I cannot keep from walking through the aisles of an office supply store if we are in close proximity to one.  My real weakness is pens.  I'm not necessarily a fan of the REALLY expensive ones, but I always enjoy trying new pens and having different ones around.  Rarely will you ever find me without a pen of some kind on me...if not 15 (I'm just kidding; I'm not that bad).  And in actuality, I'm getting much better with my "need" for new ink sticks.


When we get the Sunday paper, Heidi always pulls MY ads for the office supply places along with Menards and Gander Mountain.  Other than the Bible, there isn't much better than this reading material.  But I'm getting better at just looking at the office supplies and not desiring what the ads contain--Menards and Gander are a different story.


I also get email notifications from Office Depot to keep me up-to-date on the deals.  I received one of those notifications today.  But the subject line intrigued me: "Psst! Private Sale - Remarkable Prices on Ink & Toner".  Wow!  I'm special!  Only certain people will know about this!


And that got me thinking...is that how we treat our relationship with the Lord?  Do we feel like we're in a special club that only certain people can know about?  I'm not sure that we necessarily feel that way, but it sure seems like it in the way we evangelize.  This is a broad generalization, but for the most part, we don't share Jesus.  We don't advertise our relationship with the Lord; we don't announce how special this deal is.  And what a deal it is...free.  The manufacturer is taking the hit on this deal--Jesus gave up everything for us to have this product.


There isn't a limited supply; you don't need to worry about Him selling out.  So why not advertise for the Lord and help Him sell the best product ever.


"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."   
-Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)-

OUT OF ALIGNMENT

I could use your prayers.  I'm starting to have back problems again.  How do I know?  I know because my leg hurts.  Makes sense, huh?  I've had back problems for most of my adult life.  I'm 33-years-old and have already had two major back surgeries.  And each time my back issues started...they started in my leg.


The first time was when I was in college.  I started having these pains in the back of my right knee.  They were annoying at first, but then became unbearable.  I have a fairly high pain tolerance, so I knew that this was something serious.  I went to two or three knee specialists and had all kinds of tests and scans done with no results.  They were baffled so they finally sent me to physical therapy to try to work things out in my knee.


When I got to my first physical therapy appointment and shared what was going on, my physical therapist wouldn't even work with me.  He said, "Don't come back until you have your back looked at."  I thought he was crazy.  How can it be my back when my knee hurts?  He explained the way the body works and nerves and how the back can basically affect everything.


So that's where I am.  My entire right leg feels like it is in a constant leg cramp, but I know it's my back.


And that got me thinking...our life--our spiritual walk--is like the back.  If there is something out of alignment in my back, it affects another part of my body.  If something is out of alignment in our spiritual walk, it will affect other parts of our lives.


If we don't take the time to read God's Word on a daily basis, it will affect our views on life.  If we don't take the time to pray, it will affect our relationship with the Lord.  If we don't serve others and do ministry it will affect...  If we don't....  On and on and on.


By being out of alignment in just one area of your Christian walk, you are affecting other areas of your life.  I'm hoping that you find it unbearable and do something about it.  I'm going to see either a chiropractor or a physical therapist.  If you are struggling, go to the Spiritual Therapist, allow Him give you a good look over, and get yourself back in alignment.


"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  -Matthew 6:33 (ESV)-

CHICKEN FINGERS

I think one of the reasons why I love going to Camp Atterbury each day is because of the different tasks that I need to do.  When I get to the store in the morning, I start prepping for the day--getting the coolers out, plugging in the warmers, getting the cold food, making the chicken sandwiches, etc.


One of my favorite parts of that routine is making the sandwiches...but not this morning.  This morning was a little different.  One of my kitchen guys asks when I come in "how many today?" and he breads and pressure-cooks the chicken for me.  He puts the filets in a bin and brings it over to the counter where I assemble the sandwiches.  These filets have just come up out of the peanut oil and are steaming hot.  Depending on my mood, I will sometimes grab a tongs to grab them out of the bin, but most days I simply grab them with my hand (appropriately washed and wearing a food-prep glove) to make the sandwiches.  It's faster using my hands and usually I can handle the heat by moving quickly and not handling the filet for too long.


This morning however, the bin was set on something that was not quite flat so the bin was tipped a little.  Not a big deal; I don't need the bin to be flat to grab chicken.  But let me tell you what this means--it means that the thin layer of residual oil that sits on the bottom of the bin has now pooled in one corner.  So as a go to grab that last filet, I end up stick my fingers in a pool of 18,000 degree oil.  I yanked my hand out, ripped the glove off and checked to see if my fingers were even there.  My first thought was that this hurt a little bit.  My second thought was how could something like this oil, make something so good, and yet be so bad?


And that got me thinking...how often are sticking ourselves back into the sins of our past?  How many of us keep committing the same sins over and over and over again?  I think we all have this issue.  But the thought that the Lord gave me for this blog was this: How many of us justify our sin because of what we can do for the Lord?


Here's what I mean with that: God is an awesome God who uses everything in our lives to make us who He intends us to be.  He will use the good stuff; He will use the bad stuff.  Romans 8:28 says that God will work all things for good.  Some of my greatest growth moments, some of my greatest learnings for counseling, have come out of my past sins where God has used them.  But simply because God is so good and He can grow me through my bad decisions, does that mean I should stick myself in them again to grow more?  I echo Paul in Romans 6:1-2: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means!"


Just because this oil makes a delicious sandwich does not mean that I should stick my fingers in it; just because the Lord uses my sins to make me a better person does not mean that I should stick myself back in that sin.


Once the chicken is done cooking we throw away the oil left in the bin.  We need to be done with our sins and throw them away...or chance an eternity of cooking.


"What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means!  How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."  -Romans 6:1-4 (ESV)-

SUPERDAD

Tonight, Heidi and I were blessed to be able to go to our homeschool group's gathering.  It was awesome!  We had a guest speaker, Todd Wilson.  Todd is known as "The Familyman".  His website is a phenomenal resource for dads--not just homeschooling dads, but every dad.  He has "bucketloads" of resources and information.

He was hysterical--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.  Todd knows how to do comedy; he makes you laugh at yourself and your own situation.  Everything he was saying was resonating in such a way that it made me feel like he was stalking us.  Yet, as I was listening, laughing, and crying from laughing too hard, I realized that everyone was laughing.  He wasn't just stalking us...he was stalking everyone.  Or...everyone was going through or has gone through the same things he was talking about.

And that got me thinking...we are all going through or, at one time, have gone through the same things in life.  We always think we are the only ones; we always feel so alone in our junk.  But the truth is, there are others out there to help you deal with your struggles; there are others out there to encourage you.  God has placed people in your life at the right time.  And God has given us a wealth of information in the greatest resource around--the Bible.

Todd was an inspiration to me.  He encouraged me; he stirred me up to be a better dad.  He is someone that I will turn to when I find myself in need of direction.  We all have those people and we need to use them as the resources that God intended them to be.  But as much as I see Todd as a SuperDad, God is even moreso.

Turn to your Heavenly Dad when you are struggling; turn to your friends when you need encouragement.  Let your friends stir you up.  God is a SuperDad and has given you every resource you could possibly need.

"And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."  -Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)-

STOP APOLOGIZING

It seems that I owe everyone on my email list an apology--an apology for apologizing too much.  Since my last email blitz indicating that the new blog post was up, I received two emails from a couple of very dear friends of mine.  And I say that because of who they are in my life, but also because they love me enough to "offer one small bit of loving advice".


Here are the emails:


"you don't need to keep apologizing.  just send us the material to read when it's ready!  :)  we all know that computers do funny things, and i don't think that you have an assigned time to get your blog out.  just as long as it happens!  thank you for taking the time out of your day to write them.  it sets a good example for all of us to follow in our personal lives.  and i like reading them!"


"Stop apologizing.  It seems like each email you're sending out, you're apologizing because a blog is late or early or something else.  It's clear to me that you are very open to God's leading and he is working through you to touch others through this.  Don't apologize for that.  Claim it.  Keep up the great and faithful work.  Love you."


I love you both too.  And I thank you for speaking love into my life.


And that got me thinking...are we speaking loving advice into our friends' lives?  Are we stepping out there in faith and bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to those we love the most?  Or are we not wanting to offend someone?


You see, that was the reason for the apologies...I didn't want someone to get offended that the blog was late; I didn't want someone to get offended because I wrote two blogs really close together.  Is that how we walk our walk with the Lord?  Not wanting to offend...so we apologize for it?


Stop apologizing!  We have nothing to apologize for!  With their best interest in mind--with their eternal future in mind--be offensive!  The cross is offensive!  Stop apologizing and offer one HUGE bit of loving advice!


There is so much fluff and Fruity Pebbles out there in the world and in the church.  And that was one thing that I determined would not be a part of the new church and our lives.  I guess this blog is an extension of that.  And for that...I won't apologize.


If you are on my email list and would no longer like to be, please send me an email at jpgraf0813@gmail.com.  If you are not on my email list and would like to be alerted to new blog posts, please email me at the same address above.

ETERNAL BACKSPACE

I've been looking at different computers over the last few months because mine has been on a downward spiral for quite some time.  It started a slow process of committing suicide about a year ago, but has been fairly functional as different parts of the machine breathed their last.  I've been limited in some areas, but most of the major components were still hanging on to life.  That was until this morning.


This morning was the day that my "backspace" key bit the dust.  It simply decided that it had been overused by the amateur typist who can't spell.  I was furious.  How do you use a computer without the "backspace" key?  What happens when you make a mistake?  I was close to assisting in the death process of my computer with a hammer.  You can't make it without a "backspace" key.


And that got me thinking...we can't possibly make it without an Eternal Backspace key.  We constantly make mistakes in our walks with the Lord.  We don't follow the commands of the Lord; we choose easy sin instead of working toward holiness.  We are all sinners who fall short of the perfection God requires.


Praise God we have Jesus as our Eternal Backspace.  When you accept Jesus as your Lord and give Him control over your life--dying to your flesh and letting His Spirit guide every decision--you have access to the ultimate mistake eraser.  With a repentant heart, we can seek forgiveness from the one who gave His life so that we can live without "life-typos".


Now, it didn't take me long to figure out that I simply needed to move my cursor and use the "delete" key; I had another option to fix my typing errors.  We don't have that luxury in the spiritual world; there is no other option.  I need to choose a different computer...you need to choose Jesus as your Eternal Backspace.


"As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us."  -Psalm 103:12 (ESV)-

HIM AND HIS GLORY

I don't know how many of you may have noticed, but I have an area on my blog that shows who is "following" the blog.  I'm not exactly sure what that all entails or what it necessarily means, other than these are people that want to visibly support my blog.  Let me say that it means a lot to me to have people on there.  It's like you're saying, "We really like what you are doing."


If you have noticed the "Followers" area, you may or may not have noticed that it disappeared for a period of time.  The reason for that is quite simple: somehow I became a follower of my own blog.  Now, you may not think that's a big deal, but for me...it was embarrassing.  Of course I follow my own blog...I write it.  But to put myself up there as following it was like giving myself a high five in public.  Do I think what I write is good?  Sure...otherwise I wouldn't put it out there for people to see.  But I didn't like how that felt seeing me as a "follower" and I didn't know how to change my status of being a follower.  So I removed the entire area.


And that got me thinking...how do we view ourselves?  Are we great in our own minds?  Do we do things in life to make ourselves look good, for our own benefit?  Or do we do things simply for the Lord's benefit?  Do I make myself look great for my benefit or for the Lord's benefit?  Why do we do what we do?  For who's glory are we working?


To work solely for the Lord and not for ourselves is so counter-cultural.  We live in a self-promotion, ladder-climbing society.  Yet, for those who follow the Lord, we are called in James 4:10 to "humble [ourselves] before the Lord".  And in time--and for his glory--"He will exalt you."


It's not about us...it's about Him and His glory.  Even when He exalts us...it's not about us.


I ended up figuring out how to remove my status of following myself.  So, please know that if I end up somehow following my blog again, it was not because I was loving my writing.  And for those of you following me, thank you...but know that you are not following me but the Lord working through me so that He may receive the glory.  I do this not for me, but for Him and His glory.


"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."  -Acts 20:24 (ESV)-

A SLIGHT BURN

Braden, our oldest, will be turning six in December.  One issue that we have been battling with him is sucking his thumb.  We've tried all kinds of things to help him stop to no avail.  So, last night we decided to go with painting a Thum Product on his thumbnail that "contains a bitter tasting, but harmless pure vegetable product which acts as an immediate reminder whenever user puts finger in mouth."  The first ingredient in the product is cayenne pepper extract (Braden is holding the product in the picture).


Braden finds great comfort in sucking his thumb and has told us exactly that on many occasions.  In his mind, for us to ask him to stop sucking his thumb is an atrocity.  For him, the idea of putting something on his thumbnail so that he CAN'T suck his thumb is pure torture.  Needless to say, he was not on board with this procedure.


After much crying...I got myself under control, wiped my tears, and came up with an idea.  Instead of moving to the next step and holding him down to apply the clear (yet stinky) nail polish, I offered to put it on my thumb first.  And after seeing that it did not hurt to apply the product, I was able to persuade him to let me put it on him.


Braden went into the bedroom and I got curious.  I'd like to say that I was being a good dad and needed to see what my son was going to endure when he caved in and stuck his thumb in his mouth, but the reality was different...I wanted to see just because I was curious.


I was hesitant and did a quick lick and got nothing.  So, I took a deep breath and stuck it in...still nothing.  There was no bitter taste that they had mentioned.  I stuck my thumb in and started sucking (thinking there may be some physiological reaction to the movement and oxygen flow) and that might have been it because my tongue was starting to tingle.  I removed my thumb and realized that my tongue was feeling that slight burn like I was eating a mild salsa at an authentic Mexican restaurant.  But what good is that...Braden likes salsa.  This stuff was junk.


And that got me thinking...unfortunately when we sin we feel the same kind of reaction.  When we commit the sin, rarely do we get a bitter taste from it.  Sin usually feels, tastes, looks good--otherwise we wouldn't do it.  Rarely do we have that "immediate reminder" that we shouldn't be doing it.  After a little while, we may get that slight burn of guilt and conviction.  I so wish that we would get a horrible bitter taste when we sin.  Actually, it would be better to get that bitter taste BEFORE we sin to keep us from committing the sin.


What we need to do is pull in closer to Jesus; we need to get in His Word.  Every day that we spend time with Him, we will learn how to become more like Him.  We are to be like Jesus and Jesus was sinless.  That is something for which we should strive.  Can we attain it?  I don't know...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.


Get in the Word.  Let the Holy Spirit convict you of your sin when you feel a slight burn.

CONVERSATION POOL

I have fallen into one of the traps they warned us about in seminary.  I don't remember if it was actually in preaching class, or if it was from my church supervisor.  But wherever it came from, it was a stern warning to be careful of this trap.  I sit here tonight at my computer realizing that I have fallen into that very trap with this blog.

The warning was something like this: be careful that you don't fall into the trap of preaching solely on what you are passionate about, interested in, or involved in.  Meaning, if you're in a personal study on "grace" don't preach for 13 weeks on "grace".  Make sure you spread it around and teach on different things.  It also meant not using the same illustration pool.  For instance, every illustration you use should not be about your paper route when you were a little boy (people get sick of hearing about paper boys, I guess).

So, as I'm thinking about my day and glancing over the last few blogs, I realize that the last three started off with things at work.  But, I struggle with the idea of not using things that happen at work for this blog because I'm there for most of time that I'm awake during the day.

And that got me thinking...what are you sharing with people?  What are you finding to be the most important during your day?  Where are you spending your time?  Do you find yourself talking to people about what you read in the Word today?  Or is it more about who was voted off the island last night?

The reality of this blog is that most of my day is at Chick-fil-A or down at the Camp Atterbury trailer.  The reality of your life is that it doesn't matter who is sleeping with who on the latest soap opera; what matters is your relationship with the Lord.  If you're not spending quality time with the Lord, then the TV should not be on.  I'm not necessarily against TV, but the majority of the shows are junk.  What are you choosing as your god instead of being with your God in prayer and in His Word?

This blog could go many different ways today (and I maybe already have), but my experience is that we tend to talk about what we know a lot about; we share what we spend the most time in.  You can tell where someone's priorities are by looking at their calendar and their checkbook.

Where are you spending your time?  What are you talking about?

As I continue writing, I will work on finding a different illustration pool.  But as I do that, try to find yourself a different conversation pool.  Talk about the Lord and what He's doing in your life.

ENCOURAGE THEM

Today was a miserable day at Camp Atterbury.  It was cold; it was raining; it was cold AND raining (just trying to paint the picture for you).  Those conditions are not the greatest for sitting in a small metal trailer, but they are even worse for standing in line outside waiting for a chicken sandwich.  So, Ashley and I were not only wet and cold from unloading the car and sitting in the trailer, but I knew we were not going to sell too many sandwiches.

I will say, that I was surprised by the number of sandwiches we did sell and at one point we had a line of about 15 soldiers standing in the cold rain.  But what surprised me the most was what happened during one of our slow times.

We heard it coming; it sounded like a wedding caravan.  There were multiple vehicles honking their horns.  I was struggling to picture a wedding caravan on a military post, but that was all I could envision.  It was getting closer and closer.  When the caravan passed by, I was almost in tears.

Driving in the cold rain was a line (and when I say "a line", it was not a short line) of motorcycles.  Some of them had flags that said, "We Support Our Troops", some were wearing red, white, and blue.  But all of them were honking and waving to the troops; all of them were soaked to the bone.

And that got me thinking...what are you willing to do to support someone in their walk with the Lord?  What are you willing to risk to stand with someone who has taken a stance?  Are you making choices based on choices others have made for the Lord?

These men and women were willing to risk sickness (for sure, wetness) to thank the soldiers for their service and encourage them.  They could have chosen a drier day; they could have gone when it didn't cost them as much in comfort.  We need to do the same in our lives.  Walk alongside someone who is struggling in their sin; encourage them there is a better way to live.  Stand with someone or a business who has taken a hard stance for the Lord; encourage them in their stance.  Frequent businesses who choose to honor the Lord and close their doors on Sundays so their employees can worship; encourage them in their choice.

It's not about us.  It's not about "staying dry" or working around our comfort.  It's not about choosing what's best for us; it's about serving others.  Encourage them.

TURN IT ON

Oh man...I should have seen this coming.  Yesterday's blog started of with the following sentence: "Today started off like any other."   Let me tell you that today was NOT like any other.  I then finished the first paragraph with, "Other than determining the number of sandwiches to bring, nothing really changes.  Everything usually goes as planned and rarely do we deviate from that plan."


Oh baby, the plans changed today.


Everything seemed to be going as it normally does, but our drive down to Atterbury was horrible.  I'm not sure I made it to even the speed limit but a couple of times.  Everybody was driving so slow.  But the trouble really started when we got to the trailer.  I opened the trailer up and revved up the generator.  As I was turning on the drink station, the generator quit.  "Not a problem" I thought to myself, "I'd rather have it run out of gas now before we start, fill 'er up, and open for business."


So, I got out the gas can, filled the generator and fired her up again.  And within a minute, the generator was off again.  We were in trouble.  That generator runs all of our electricity in the trailer. You can't use the cash register or the credit card machine; the drink station needs electricity so I couldn't even serve a coke.  So our day began with only tea and lemonade, cash-only transactions, a pad of paper, calculator, and a pile of cash on the counter.  Luckily, I would say that I am pretty good at math in my head and changing out money without the aid of a register.


Well, to make a long story short...one of our frequent guests at the trailer said he would look at it.  And within minutes we were up and running again with electricity.  Apparently, the fuel line had somehow been shut off.


And that got me thinking...are we getting the power we need?  Are we connected to the "Power Source"?  Or have we shut off our fuel line from the Lord?


I believe that all too often, we try to "go at it" alone; we try to do it ourselves--which, for the most part, can be done.  We can live this life without the Lord, but it's a lot harder.  I could count the cash by hand and we could keep business going, but we were very limited with what we could do.  It is the same way with the Lord in this life, you can "make it" but it is a lot harder and you are limited.  The analogy of mowing your lawn is the perfect example: If you can use a 60-inch zero-turn radius rider, why would you use a pair of scissors?


That is the choice you are making by not turning on your fuel line from the Lord.  Not only are you making things harder by not receiving the Lord's "fuel", but your life after this one will be even harder.  Trust in the Lord Jesus with your life, connect your fuel line to THE power source, and turn it on.