Give Happiness to Yourself!

Like many, I am back on the treadmill. The combination of my see-f00d diet (I see it and eat it) and not enough exercise has taken its toil on me. I have to tell you I really do not like the treadmill--no matter what else I add to it. I have tried the television, the ipod, reading. It does not change the fact that I am on the treadmill. One cardiologist that I visited regularly to do the treadmill had a beautiful picture of the beach right in front of the treadmill. It did nothing for me either.

I learned something interesting today. Did you know that Sir William Cubitt invented the treadmill in 1817 as a tool to reform prisoners? Seems the idea of going nowhere for a long time using energy you wished you could save was thought to change behaviors. Maybe they figured that tired people do less wrong.

It took modern man a while (1952) to realize that tools for punishment had other redeeming values. Dr. Robert Bruce and Wayne Quinton, of the University of Washington, began using the treadmill for evaluating the severity of heart and lung disease. Their introduction of this into the field of medicine has saved many--including me!

I think the treadmill of life is what scares me. It is the day by day, week by week grind that seems to move ever so slowly or just go nowhere. All of us experience it at one time or another. It leads us to boredom or worst--burnout. I do not think anyone finds happiness staying on the treadmill.

This can happen in all areas of life. You find it most of the time in work and relationships. Most of the time, it is self imposed. We like to think that it is something that is external to us. But it really is within us. You see happiness and meaning is something you give yourself. Others do not make you happy. You choose happiness.

Martha Washington, wife of George, has an interesting perspective about staying off the treadmill of unhappiness. "I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have also learnt from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our disposition, and not upon our circumstances, we carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us, in our minds, wherever we go." (George Washington's Sacred Fire)

I think Jesus avoided the treadmills of life by using his time apart for prayer and resting. Yes, I think sometimes when Jesus went to lonely places it was just to rest. He knew too well the tug and pull of life. Jesus knew the stabbings of critics, the unending pressure for more, and the inner struggles of life were overwhelming.

So I will get on the treadmill when I cannot do something else. But it only for a short while and only to exercise and combat the urge to consume more. But in the rest of life, I run from the treadmill for it takes the life out of me.

Like Jesus, I need to find a place to just be--be with God and be at rest. Then I am ready to meet life with all the life I have to give. I choose to give happiness starting with myself.

The Gift of Caring

The two women on the cruise did not realize the can of worms they were about to open. They watched this handsome middle age man care for the feeble woman as though she was royalty. He pampered her with great care and tenderness. Finally one of the women said, "Isn't it a shame for such a handsome and able man to have to spend so much time taking care of a invalid?" She thought the conversation was not heard by the man. She thought the conversation was over. She was wrong on both accounts.

The gentleman continued to give great attention to the woman. Finally he carefully wheeled her wheelchair out of the area and disappeared. It wasn't long until he returned. He walked up to the two women and said, "Excuse me. But I heard what you said about me and my wife. I need you to know that one of the greatest honors in my life is to care for her in her illness. You see she has given me more in life than I can ever give back to her. And this I will do until either one of two things happen--either I die or she dies."

Taking care of loved ones can be an overwhelming task. It may be a child whose health is frail. It may be a father or mother who now requires more care than one can find. Or maybe it is a spouse that suffers from emotional or physical illness. In the best of worlds, there is a team of family and friends that join together to make sure things are done. In most worlds, it seems to be done by only one or two persons. But it gets done. It overwhelms many in life.

In another country and another culture, there is actually a business venture that has evolved over the care of aging parents. You can actually hire actors to visit aging parents. The actors learn their roles, dress the part, and for a fee visit the parents. Now the parents know that these are actors and not their children. When surveyed, the aging parents actually enjoy the visit of the actors MORE than their real children. What a shame on both levels!

If you are the caregiver in whatever situation, let me assure you of one thing. You are not alone. God hears your worries. God hears your cries. God knows the decisions that have to be made are not easy. You are not alone.

If you have neglected your role in caring, maybe today God is inviting you to change. Maybe it is time for you to share the task of caring for loved ones. Maybe today guilt or anger can be replaced by compassion and care. Maybe you know a friend that needs help.

A young child was complaining to his mother about having to go visit his grandmother in the nursing home. "I do not see why I have to go. She never even knows who I am. It doesn't make sense." The mother responded, "I know. I feel that sad when she does not know who I am. However, she may not know who we are, but we know who she is. She is my mother whom I love. She is my mother who gave me life in many ways." And with that the child said nothing else.

At the core of life

What is the core value of your life?

The core is the center of your being which gives life to the rest of your life. What is the value that you will not compromise?

It is interesting to honestly examine the cores of life. Some try to maintain that one has the core value of honesty but the truth in the heart of hearts reveals how relative that can be. You mean I have to be honest everywhere? Does mostly honest count? It is like being a little pregnant.

Another person will hold the core value of marriage highly. But then when examining the use of time reveals that there is not much quality time spent there. Work and other things in life squeeze out the time necessary for a core value. Too often marriage is just seen ans just another task to be done after a hard day of work. There just is not enough time or energy.

Kids--Parenting is a core value of life--surely. Or is it? How much intentional time is spent parenting your child, teaching the important things in life? We entertain our children well. But intentional instruction in life--that is what parenting is all about. They will have other people in life to entertain them.

Jesus of Nazareth came to this world to reveal the core value of the Creator God. It is summed up in one word--love. The life and teachings of Jesus reveal to us that in life whatever we do, make sure that we love. We love our God. We love our neighbors. We love our enemies! We even love ourselves.

At the end of each day, the faith calls us to inquire of ourselves simply one question around the core value of faith. The question is: Have I given the world all the love that God has given to me today?

And your answer is.....

Grace is Better Than Law

Another football season is here. It is called Bowl games in college. In the NFL it is the postseason. Only certain teams get invited to play at this time. Only the teams that have outperformed the others. It is a part of our world--performance evaluation.

We find it at work as well. Each year you are graded on your performance. If you out perform others, you get the big bucks. If you fail your evaluation the job is at stake. You are sent to training so that you can perform better.

We even confront this in our relationships. If you are not performing well as a spouse, you will find out about it. Hopefully you will find out before it is too late. Society looks at your kids and their behavior as an analysis of how you are performing as a parent and family. If your three year old throws a performance (temper tantrum) in a public place, you are instantly graded by those around. It doesn't matter if there are other factors in play.

As a youngster in the church, I thought that God had a performance evaluation as well. I was judged as worthy of being in heaven or acceptable with regard to how well I was living as a Christian. Needless to say, most of my life was categorized an unacceptable and under performing.

Then in college, my New Testament professor Webb Pomeroy set me free from the law. He said, "Jack, the grace of God extended to you has nothing to do with your performance. God loves you the same all the time--at your worse or at your best." Talk about changing my world. The day I believed that to be true set me free.

You see the motive for doing what God would have me do and being what God would have me be changed from law to grace. The motive moved from fear to love. I want to be what God would want me to be and do what God would have me do because I do not want to disappoint someone who loves me so much. I began to understand what it means to live in God's unconditional love.

It is not cheap grace (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). It is costly grace. It cost Jesus his life. So now in response to this grace, I am free to live like I never ever dreamed of living. It is love that has changed me.

Love wrapped in the gift of grace brings out the best in us.

Resolution Means "I Will!"

Life is filled with so much unfinished business.

One of my former bishops was visiting a church I served as we celebrated our 100th year of ministry. He asked me, "Jack, if you had to sum up the guiding points of your ministry practice what would you say." Now notice that he was not asking about theology. He was asking about practice.

I answered him, "I am on time. I pray hard. I work hard and I play hard." He was amused at the first item. The bishop chuckled and said, "You are ahead of more clergy than you realize just by showing up on time!"

My father worked in radio and television all of his life. Most folks do not realize how much this industry is run by time. Every minute and sometimes seconds are set in a log. The producers of the show have a menu of items to be run, played, and started on a time cue. Loss of time means loss of revenue and content. When my father visits my church (to this day) he will tell me if I started on time, ended on time, and how long the sermon was. He has taught me the economy of my most precious possession--time.

As the New Year begins, we look at our time. Some of us look back and see how time has passed us by. Some of have found that during this year, time seemed to stand still. Resignation has replaced resolution. Fewer of us will look forward to the gift of time before us!

In his book, Drew Brees reveals that the mantra that made the Saints successful in their journey to the Super Bowl last year was "Finish Strong!" The team and its leaders realized that winning was about using the will and the ability to complete the game. Maybe that is why we continue to see the Saints win many games this year in the fourth quarter.

The men from the East showed up despite all that would keep them back. They resolved to find the Christ child. Their wisdom led them to turn life's "I could'..s" or "I should...s" into "I will..." Isn't it interested how much of life that we choose to do that is not really high on the meaning scale?

The question that all of us face as we begin this year is what will we do with the year ahead of us? A theological way of saying this is to ask the question, "What will you do with the news that Christ is born?" Will you begin the journey that God has invited you to make? Will you finish the unfinished business of life that really matters? Or will resignation win out over resolution?

It all begins with the will......you make the call.

Make Room for Christ

The Christmas play was the big event of the year for the children. Each child had been given a part and appropriately dressed. However, there seemed to be one character in the drama that was having trouble with his lines--the innkeeper. All the little boy had to do was appear as if opening a door, look at Mary and Joseph, and say in a harsh tone, "There Are No Rooms!" You see, Mary and Joseph would go to several doors until finally finding a place to stay. Knowing that Mary and Joseph were the parents of Jesus, the little boy just could not do it.

Finally the time came. He was convinced to do his part. They had told him that he was not a "bad" boy for saying his lines. So Mary and Joseph came to the place. The little boy innkeeper looked at them and with all of his might said, "There Are No Rooms!" You could hear the sigh of the director of the play. But he wasn't finished. As Mary and Joseph turned to go away in another direction, the innkeeper shouted, "But you would be welcomed to come have a cup of coffee!"

Is there room in your life for a Savior to be born?

Many of us have filled our days going hither and yonder, over the hill and over the dale to grandma's house and back. At the end of the day we have fallen into the bed totally exhausted while thinking of still more things to be done. We have our calendar jam packed with every occasion. There is no space or place for Jesus to be born.

I remind myself often that space and time in my life is finite. The only way that I can increase my capacity for love is to remove the hatred that occupies the space. The amount of love in my life is in proportion to the removal of hatred and all that goes with it. I have to make room for the love of Christ to be born.

Time is also finite. Each of us has twenty four hours a day with an allotted time for our life span. I wonder if we are able to look back at our life that we will have spent time in things that matter. I have to tell myself to guard certain areas of my schedule--my reading, prayer, family time, and habits of health. I have to make space in my life schedule for God to do what God can do.

We are like that little boy innkeeper. We know who Mary and Joseph are. We know that Christ was born. The question now is can Christ be born again in our lives? Will we make room for the Christ?

Today Christ is born. May Christ be born in your life!

God Colors Outside the Lines

She was an ordinary teenage girl with ordinary dreams. It was supposed to be one of the happiest times of her life. Although the man she was going to married was older than she was, it was a part of their world. And then it happened.

There is no record of earlier conversations with God. The angel just appeared. God has a way of doing that in life--just appearing. She was chosen. She had found favor. She was what--going to have a baby? She was going to bear the Son of God? All of this was overwhelming to her. Then it happened. God made love to Mary.

She knew that it was a reality as her body began to change quickly. She was fearful of what was going to happen. Would Joseph believe such a story? Would he leave her? What would her friends and family say? Where would she go?

All of these questions while being in the forefront of her mind, were nevertheless nothing to compare to the love she felt inside of her. She would make it. Every time she was about to be overwhelmed, the child would move and it would calm her fears.

Mary learned that being chosen and favored in the eyes of God is very different that what one expects. God colors outside the lines of life.

The lines of life are about power and being right in the eyes of the world. It is about doing things to be seen or doing things that are expected but for the wrong reason. The lines of the world invite us to look after only ourselves.

The birth of the baby that Mary carried was God inviting us to get out of the lines of this world and into the picture of another world. This baby invited the poor to the banquet, touched the untouchables, and offered good news of great joy to those whom the world had forgotten. That is what happens when one experiences the love of God.

The love of God was born to an unwed mother at a time when there were no comforts of home--in a cave as they journeyed. As you experience the miracle of Jesus' birth, remember. God tends to color outside the lines of life!