Seeing God in the details

Each new day is a gift from God. It’s up to us to determine how we will use the gift. Today was one of those days that caused me to realize just how blessed I am to be where I am and to be doing what I am doing.

I’m currently in a very unique stage of life right now. Last month marked the first time I’ve lived at my parent’s home for an extended period of time since I finished high school and became involved in a Christian ministry nine years ago. I had a lot of responsibilities and felt my involvement was making a difference, the friends I had there were great, and I formed many happy memories there. In fact, I’d say this past year was the best year of my life, hands down. However, I chose to move on from all that and come home, not knowing exactly what I would be doing next but knowing that God wanted to bring our family together again.

While I’ve been home, I’ve been able to connect with my parents on a level that hasn’t been there when I just popped in for a few weeks over seasonal breaks and holidays. Dad and I have had time to be together, just the two of us going out for ice cream or going out to a ball game. The other day, we dug out one of his old storage trunks and started going through his childhood coin collections that his dad got him started on. Mom has been busy with teaching, but we’ve still had time for bonding through special outings like bike rides or even the simple things like helping out in the kitchen. One of the things we’ve done together is sing in the church choir. We got there early for practice one time, and as we were conversing with one of the other choir members, he found out I am still looking for employment. The next day he called me up and asked if I would like to work with him and his assistant on some home-improvement projects he had lined up for the week. Out of the blue God provided work for me to do, and it came because I was willing to honor my parents!

Working for a professional handy-man, I’ve picked up on a lot of techniques and skills that should serve me well down the road. Attention to detail is key! At this point, he’s had work for me to do every day since first asking me to join him a few weeks ago, with the exception for today (the forecast called for rain, so his outdoor projects were put on hold). However, this gave me time at home to fix a few things around the house and time during business hours to take my résumé and go do some PR for myself around town. Dad went with me to the various places and even treated me to an ice cream cone while we were downtown Midland. I don’t know what will come of these job-search efforts, but it is encouraging to know that God has a plan for my life, and it is a good plan—one that even I could not dream up.

That brings be back to today. The forecast (like I mentioned earlier) called for rain, and the rain started to fall shortly after we were done with dinner. It was so beautiful out, though, with the setting sun dropping behind the clouds, we decided that our family bike ride was not going to be rained out this evening! On our ride, the sky lit up with the orange glow of the sunset, the clouds reflected a warm, pink glow, and God painted a huge rainbow overhead. As I was crossing over a pedestrian bridge in the park where the creek meets the river, a beautiful blue heron was taking flight above the water, and just down the way, two fat blue jays happily hopped about after a nice meal. After the bike ride, we all gathered on the porch and had a time for family devotions, learning from Dr. Guthrie’s lessons on sheep. The day wasn’t over though until I had played the hymns on the piano that have been on my heart lately. Dad sat and listened for a while as I played, and in the middle of the music, Mom paid me the highest compliment ever just for being me. I am so grateful to be living these days at home with my family and having a chance to support each other in various ways that can’t easily be done from a distance. God knows.

A Place Called Blessing

I'll admit, I'm not one who heads straight to the fiction section in the library, but after reading the latest novel by Dr. John Trent, I just might frequent that section more often. When I picked up A Place Called Blessing, I could hardly put it down. In the book, the narrator retells his story of growing up in a foster care system, being separated from his brothers, being able to reconnect with them for a while only to blow it a little while later and get all of them sent off to a children's home still at a young age. Our friend Josh coped by learning to trust no one after going through feelings of rejection and living with the label of being undesirable. His story is one of overcoming loneliness and a past filled with hurt as two individuals invest into his life and show him that there is more to life than living for oneself.

Through the models of the characters portrayed in this little novel, I’ve been blessed by all the ways of encouragement, wisdom, and generosity each person exemplified to one another and motivated to do similarly to others. This is a wonderful book and deserves to be on everybody’s reading list.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of A Place Called Blessing through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Washington: A Legacy of Leadership

A few weeks ago we celebrated the 235th anniversary of our country's independence. In our nation’s existence, perhaps no one particular man has had such a vital part in shaping our country than George Washington. He is referred to as the “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Having recently traveled out to the state bearing his name, I decided it best to brush up on some George Washington history. The book I decided to read is titled, Washington: A Legacy of Leadership, from the new series on the American Generals.

As a volume focusing on his military career, this book started with his first military missions and focused on his key part in shaping the country through heading up the Continental Army and the path that brought him to the point of leading the new nation as her first President. I learned a lot about what went into the rigors of warfare at the time—much hardship and sacrifice definitely were required of all men. Through it all, Washington's integrity and resolve made him the man for each of the responsibilities given him. Even while a young soldier, Washington was a man of principle and self-control and one who trusted in the providence of God. He was a flawed man, but due to his willingness to be used by God, he fulfilled his purpose in life and set the foundation for a strong nation. Through the stories and accounts the author was able to bring to the table of Washington and his men, I have a greater appreciation not just for the man but also for my country.


Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Washington: A Legacy of Leadership through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Facing Your Giants

I recently came across a study on courage by Max Lucado. Taken from David’s example of meeting Goliath head-on (or head-off, as the case may be), the title of the work is “Facing Your Giants.” In this study, Lucado identifies practical ways that we too can go out and face our giants.

As a precursor to the whole situation, young David was willing to be used of God, even if it was to be out in the fields tending the sheep—a job none of his older brothers wanted to do. While there, the groundwork was laid for David to be courageous by protecting the flock from lions, bears, and other predators. When it came time for action on the big stage, David already had the perspective which views God as bigger than anything else that is out to get him—whether it be a hungry bear or a blasphemous giant. The theme that Lucado brings out is “focus on God, giants tumble…focus on giants, you stumble.”

This book served as a good reminder to me that no matter the struggle I may be facing, like David I ought to look to the past an recount God's faithfulness, make prayer a priority, and be persistent with the passions God has given me. There have been situations recently that seem impossible—and no doubt there will be more around the corner—but these principles of godly courage hold true. I would highly recommend this book (or audiobook) to anyone who has a giant or two standing in the path before him—go face your giant!

Duty. Honor. Country.

The annals of history have much to teach us if we are only willing to stop a moment and study the pages that contain stories of battles valiantly fought, lessons vividly learned , and lives victoriously lived.  One exceptionally vibrant portion in these chronicles takes us through the turn of the century (19^th-20^th, that is), through World Wars I & II, and into the post-war recovery. We’d be hard-pressed to find a man as influential as Douglas MacArthur was in the events all across the globe that took place during this pivotal time in our world. Here is a man who took his US Military Academy motto seriously and gave it wings, “Duty. Honor. Country.”

I just finished reading a biography on his life by Mitchell Yockelson entitled, MacArthur: America’s General, part of a new series on America’s generals. This book drew me right in as I found out about his childhood being raised in a military family (his father, Arthur MacArthur rose to the rank of general and also earned the Army’s highest recognition, the Medal of Honor), his dealing with the deaths of both his brothers at relatively young ages, going through West Point, his love for sports (and involvement in the 1928 US Olympic Committee), and his foreign deployments in the Pacific as a commissioned Army officer. The author was able to bring in a few quotes of the general’s to give authenticity to the stories and descriptions of life as it was for Douglas. I would have enjoyed reading even more quotations or excerpts from his speeches, as he was a prolific communicator.

One adage that shaped Douglas’s outlook on life was passed down to him from his grandfather: “You must also be a gentleman and scholar, and above all else, honorable.” This Douglas took to heart and earned top honors in Military Academy and graduated first in his class at West Point. He was rewarded with many key positions throughout his lifetime, many of which had never come to anyone younger. He was called upon to lead troops into battle, strategize tactical maneuvers for the entire Pacific fleet, bring social and political reform to broken and needy countries in the Far East, and advise many Presidents on military affairs. MacArthur was not afraid to stand his ground against anybody—even when his direct authority, the President, gave specific orders. This eventually led to his being relieved of military duty after 52 years in the service. He came home to a hero’s welcome.

Statue of General Douglas MacArthur in front of the MacArthur Memorial.

This week my travels brought me to the Norfolk, Virginia area where the city has a huge memorial dedicated to the general’s lifetime of service to his country. I had the privilege of spending an afternoon there seeing the memorabilia firsthand, reading further about life during the wars for him and his men, and hearing clips from many of his famous speeches. It was a moving experience to see how one life lived with passion for his duty, conviction to be honorable, and love for Country was able to affect the course of history—even my history.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of MacArthur: America’s General through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Hitting the Mark

I had the opportunity to join the Class of 2011 in their senior retreat to the Harvest Home Farm up north in Wisconsin last weekend. What an incredible time to commune with God in the beautiful hills and woods and pastures of the farm and to fellowship with close friends in a much different setting than our campus.

There were many life lessons learned there, but one that stands out is that of hitting the mark. Dr. Guthrie pulled out his bows and arrows the first day and set up a nice shooting range for us by the pavilion. On subsequent days we shot rifles, pistols, and shotguns. Each type of weapon had a particular type of target to shoot at—3D animal targets for the bows, old bowling pins for the rifles, metal spinning bullseyes for the pistols, and clay pigeons for the shotguns. Each target was very different than the other, but they all have one thing in common—in order to hit the target, one must properly take aim! The real thrill came when I lined things up, fired my shots, and visibly hit the mark. There were a few times when I thought I might just “wing it” on my own—not taking careful aim, or perhaps deviating a little from the form I was taught to use. More often than not, those were the times my shots missed the target completely. I believe this principle is true in my daily living as well—in order to accomplish my intended purpose and obtain fullness of joy, I must align myself with the instructions of God’s Word and respond to the Master’s will so my impact will be on line with His plans and purposes. Attempts to bypass the God-ordained principles result in missed opportunities and could inflict harm on those around me.

Perhaps I will write later on some other lessons from the farm and the adventures of the trip. It was a blast—a wonderful way to wrap up the school year. I praise God for the senior class, and it is my prayer that each one of the graduates will hit the mark as they launch into the next chapter of their lives.

Verity 2011 Senior Trip group picture at the Harvest Home Farm

Discovering Beauty

Lately I’ve been enjoying borrowing a friend’s bicycle after work or on the weekends to explore the area in a several-mile radius of the Verity campus. I, perhaps more than most people, felt that I had a good feel of the area around here due to my long-distance runs over the past five years, but after just a few bike rides I realized how much had gone unnoticed. The first day I rode only a mile down Brookville Road to a neighborhood development I’ve passed numerous times on my way into New Palestine. As I wound my way through the curving streets crossing over the creek, I eventually popped out on the other side of the development overlooking a vast green expanse. Next to this community of beautiful homes and mature landscaping was a huge park with soccer fields, a walking trail complete with mile markers, and a nine-hole disc golf course! The next day I rode north into Cumberland and found another park with basketball and tennis courts, a baseball diamond, sand volleyball, a shelter…the works! On the return to campus, I hopped on a rails-to-trails system that goes for miles in either direction. It’s obviously been there a long time, but I’ve always just passed by without so much as a second thought what it might be or where it goes.

Being on a disc golf kick last week, I got on my laptop and looked up other courses in the Indianapolis area. Finding two of them in close proximity of each other approaching the downtown districts, I decided to check them both out, again making a bike excursion out of the opportunity. (George Washington Park and Brookside Park aren’t as close as I originally thought, turning my ride into a 35-mile excursion.) I must say it’s been really fun to “disc”over these disc golf courses and other parks near to where I’ve been living the last five years; places both in the country and in very urban sections of town. Each area has something different to offer and is beautiful in its own way.

Through these recent experiences, the lesson God is teaching me is to look for the beauty that He has placed all around me. It’s there—I just have to go appreciate it. Then once I have found the beauty, I shouldn’t hold it back for myself—share the joy with others. This past week one of my highlights has definitely been in sharing the enthusiasm for disc golf and these newly-discovered parks with my friends. It’s been a blessing for me to take guys out—some in a group and others one-on-one—to these places and form bonds with them. It doesn’t really matter if somebody who’s never played disc golf in his life goes out and beats me by two shots (way to go, Stevie D!) or if I make a couple eagles and a bunch of birdies on the course—we’re out there enjoying each other’s fellowship and the beauty that God has created. It is my goal to live my life each day seeking for and finding the beauty God has created and sharing it with others.