in the wake of "the ordinary"...

In two short and fast weeks I will be in Santa Monica California getting ready to begin an epic and amazing adventure. I have been training, promoting, fund raising and witnessing to people about what this ride is all about. I am riding more frequently and for longer distances. I have been praying and seeking Gods direction and words for this trip. Actually, a word and an image came to me today as I was riding a solo 43 mile ride. God revealed to me that as we ride we will be leaving a wake behind us just as in this photo. I thought about that the entire ride. Our "wake" is what we leave behind as we travel. Our wake is our Christian witness. What will people say after we have come and gone ? How will people remember us ? The more authentic our walk with Jesus, the bigger our wake will be. I am mandated to be a witness for what I have seen and the miraculous transforming power of forgiveness and grace. I want the water to be stirred up as we step out in faith on this bike ride. What impressions will we make as we put our faith and love for Jesus out front ? Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, in Ephesians 6:19-20 says, "and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Our brothers and sisters in Africa deserve our boldness. They are waiting on us...

hello?...hello? can you hear me now??

In John 10:3-4, it says, "To him the dookkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and his sheep will follow him, for they know his voice."
There is comfort in knowing the voice of your shepherd and knowing that your shepherd goes before you. Jesus talked a lot about sheep and sheep were a common metaphor used in the Bible. For many knowing the voice of their shepherd is a hard thing. There are so many distractions in our daily lives today. We are uncomfortable with being quiet. Even in simple conversations, quiet and pauses are annoying and we fill them with idle chatter. Everywhere I go, I see people walking around with earphones connected to Ipods and cellphones plugged into their ears. I am no different than many other people in that I am guilty and at times of being unable to keep quiet. I play the radio in the car almost always and it sometimes is as "muzak" we hear in elevators. I try to be quiet and listen when I pray and when I read the Bible. God does speak to me and I do know my shepherds voice. It is always amazing to me the nature of how God does speak to us. It is always as someone who really loves me and wants the best from me in all things I do and to protect me from danger. But, that is the sole job of the shepherd; to care for the sheep. You see, sheep, as a rule aren't too smart, aren't too fast, easily misled and have a poor sense of direction. Therefore, they are quite vulnerable to be led astray by predators. Predators know if they can separate one from the herd. Then, once separated it's without the protection of the shepherd. Jesus knew this all too well. This is what He meant in Luke 15:4-7, when He said,
" What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance."
What an awesome thing Jesus said when He said " I am the good shepherd...I lay down my life for the sheep." Do you hear the voice of your shepherd ? Or, it your life too noisy and full of the "static" of the world. It is a critical time to seek His voice. Just be still and listen...

I am...I said...

Thre is so much power in the words we speak. We have the power to either wound or heal. Jesus always chose to heal. In Matthew 8:8, the centurion, with an ill servant, said to Jesus "but only speak a word and my servant will be healed." Jesus did and it was done. That quick. That simple. People may not often remember what we do but our words can have a lasting impact. Our words can linger long after we are gone. Our words can set the atmosphere and either fuel discord or be instruments of peace and understanding. I have been guilty, in the past of wielding words as weapons to belittle, intimidate and beat down people who loved me. It took me a long time to realize that these words were spoken in fear. I lacked understanding and thankfully that understanding did eventually come. But, at a price. What I realized was that we have power in our words to bless or curse and it a choice we exercise every day to do either. What will you do ? Bless or curse. I think many times we underestimate the power of what we say. In Isaiah 55:11 it says, "so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." I sometimes think of the amount of words we speak in the course of a day. I have become mindful of this verse from Isaiah and pray every day that my words will be fruitful and bless and prosper in an intentional way. I am an encourager and am amazed how the simplest kind word spoken in love can have a powerful effect, sometimes practically instantaneously. Which will you be ? How will you choose to use your words ?

He's getting my vote...

I just finished reading this book and there are some very profound statements throughout and I found myself re-reading and savoring as I read. The authors have a lot to say and cover much territory from beginning to end. There is significant thinking "outside the box" that many of us call church. My church is no different than many others in that we have yet to grasp the necessity to break down the walls and put ourselves out where the needs are evident. We wax and wane in our desire to be outside the established safety and comfort of our building. Many of us, in the body of Christ, see the challenge to reach out in love as Jesus taught us but we falter. Why ? I simply don't know. But, I'm not giving up.
Anyway, back to this book... I was so struck by the following passage I have thought about it for days. So, here it is : "As Shane's mother says, " Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others." We're scared of apathy and complacency, of detaching ourselves from the suffering. It's hard to see until our 20/20 hindsight hits us, but every time we lock someone out, we lock ourselves in. Just as we are building walls to keep people out of our comfortable insulated existence, we are trapping ourselves in a hell of isolation, loneliness, and fear. We have "gated communities" where rich folks live. We put up picket fences around our suburban homes. We place barbed wire and razor wire around our buildings and churches. We put bars on our windows in the ghettos of fear. We build up walls to keep immigrants from entering our country. We guard our borders with those walls---Berlin, Jerusalem,Jericho. And the more walls and gates and fences we have, the closer we are to hell. We, like the rich man, find ourselves locked into our gated homes and far from the tears of Lazarus outside, far from the tears of God."
Is this really where we are at in our lives ? Everywhere I look it seems to be true but it can change...it has to. Can a presidential candidate change it ? Can a political party full of talk and empty promises change it ? Quite obviously the answer is neither can so why buy the hype and get swept along with those whose real agenda is personal gain ? Jesus spoke to this so many times that it should be ingrained into the fabric of this country, but it is not. CLEARLY, it is not. So, what's the answer ? PRAY with power. STAND and resist what is false and evil. LOVE like your life depends on it...because it does.

a jug of wine, a loaf of bread...

"I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6: 35


"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever..." John 6:51

My grandpa loved bread. White bread. He ate bread at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I shared a LOT of meals with my grandpa and I never once saw him not eat a slice or two of bread with his meal. Sometimes he ate it as an accompaniment to his meal and sometimes he used it as a tool to keep food on his plate or sop up gravy. Occasionally he used home made jelly or jam and always butter. The weird thing is I hardly ever eat bread, especially white bread. A loaf a year would probably do me. I do like all kinds of bread especially home made bread. I am amazed sometimes at how many different kinds of bread there seem to be at the grocery store. We even have an entire store in our town, PANERA BREAD, dedicated to bread. In many cultures of the world, bread plays an important role in both dietary intake and social customs. We have the term " let's break bread" which means to eat together. However, if your bread is sliced and in a plastic bag you're not technically breaking bread.
What does this have to do with Jesus and 'living bread' you might be asking. Plenty. Jesus often spoke very figuratively to the people in terms that were familiar and understandable. And for many eating and drinking was a very understandable concept. The symbol of the bread being Christs body is a powerful one as bread was a central feature in the diets of both rich and poor in those times. Jesus said I am the bread and offered to anyone who will eat the benefit of everlasting life. By taking this bread and eating we partake, by our faith, the benefits of what Jesus did for us on the cross. So, maybe my grandpa was on to something. Perhaps, he knew this little symbolic secret which I missed for so many years. It is clear to me that we need more 'living' bread in our diets and less literal bread. How will we do that ? How will we take this deficiency in our diets and correct the ill effects of a lifetime of starvation ???...

HIV/AIDS in Africa: now you see 'em, now you don't

There is something about good magic that really intrigues us. The eye is fooled so easily that most people, with a little training, can do it. I think that, sometimes, our existence depends on our ability to be fooled. On many current issues, if we knew the reality, we would not be able to live the comfortable and charmed lives many lead. Or maybe we would. This has been brought to my attention as I continue to share with many of my friends and acquaintances the plight of those suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa and how the lack of clean water impacts this disease. Many people seem to have a " well...that's them, you know...over there." outlook. So, it is like a good magician that keeps you focused on the right hand while the "magic" is going on with the left hand. We are so easily distractable and the desire to be entertained in all areas of our life has crept into our sense of compassion and what is morally right. I keep searching for a way to convey the need of these people for love, understanding, care and concern. I keep looking for a way to shake them out of their complacency into action, no matter how small. In the bible in Proverbs 1:32, it says "...the complacency of fools will destroy them ". I am just so amazed at peoples indifference and reluctance to help. For a while I thought the problem was just too big and that it overwhelmed people. But there are so many organizations and opportunities, like the RIDE:WELL bike tour, that everyone can participate even on a small local level. Yet, still people are just not interested even when they personally know someone doing something amazing like riding a bike across the US to raise funds and awareness of this cause. The great thing is that ultimately I know that God is my provider and I have been called to this issue to educate others and then God takes over from there. This is what He calls all those who follow Jesus to do and that is to be witnesses and speak of the healing power of loving and caring for others. This is where the real "magic" comes in. When lives are transformed by how we love.

he ain't heavy...he's my brother

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit ? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:15-17

To the tragedy of the 17 million people who have lost their lives to AIDS in Africa, add the 12 million orphaned children left behind. Traumatized by the death of parents, stigmatized through association with the disease and often thrown into desperate poverty by the loss of bread- winners, this growing army of orphans -- defined as children who have lost one or both parents -- is straining the traditional extended family and overwhelming national health and education systems in the most severely affected countries. The problem is particularly severe in Zambia, where, according to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the number of orphans topped 1.2 million in 2000 -- 1 in every 4 Zambian children. Of these an estimated 930,000 have lost at least one parent to AIDS. Housing, feeding, educating and nurturing these children is both a moral imperative and essential to Africa's development prospects, Mr. Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told Africa Recovery. "There has to be an Herculean effort made for these kids so we don't lose them." Otherwise, he cautioned, "you reap the whirlwind.... You have a society where kids haven't been to school and therefore can't fulfill even basic jobs ... a society where a large proportion can have anti-social instincts because their lives will have been so hard. You have a generation of children who will be more vulnerable to exploitation and to disease because they won't have the same sense of self-worth."
The needs of AIDS orphans are as immediate as their next meal and as extended as access to education, guidance and care until the end of their adolescent years. Speaking to leaders of industrialized countries at the July 2001 Group of Eight meeting in Genoa, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for the resources "to care for all whose lives have been devastated by AIDS, particularly the orphans." The number of AIDS orphans exceeded 13 million globally, he noted, "and their numbers are growing."

And it has grown. That was in 2001 and this is seven years later. Right now, just in sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are over 11.4 MILLION orphaned children ! And, by 2010, that number is expected to climb to 15.7 MILLION. Just in one country, Kenya, there are almost 2 MILLION children living without the love, guidance and protection of a parent. How anyone can sit idly by and watch this unfold is just beyond me. I am fundraising for the Ride:Well Bike Tour and Blood:Water Missions 1000 Wells project and will be riding a bicycle across the US this summer to raise awareness about this disaster. My faith says that God will provide all that is needed. Much is needed, but my faith is as big as the need. What will you do ? How will you help ? One way you can help is to give. If you can't be a goer, be a sender. We need your support for this bike ride. There are many ways to give. Be creative. There are millions waiting on you...