I wanted to write and apologized for not writing for quite some time.  The past few months have been crazy for our family, from business trips to buying a house and moving into it.  The Lord has blessed us tremendously, and I hope to tell you more about how amazing He has been to us, but the process has been exhausting and time consuming.  Thank you for your patience and prayers through our journey and the silence on our blog.

We love you all!  Blessings!

Brian, Treshia, Abbie & Zach

Opening Day is here again!!!!

Today I will continue my 10+ year tradition of taking the day off and watching baseball games all day.  So, to celebrate the opening of the greatest sport in the world, here are my predictions for this upcoming season.  Whatcha think?

AL East Division winner: New York Yankees (last year’s ludicrous line-up gets more powerful with Curtis Granderson from MY Tigers…it hurts to even say that)

AL Central Division winner: Minnesota Twins (I cannot ethically choose the White Sox and the Tigers will be better but the Twins pull it out, as they always seem to do)

AL West Division winner: Seattle Mariners (I love the look of this team – great additions and a fantastic 1-2 starting pitcher combo)

AL Wild Card winner: Boston Red Sox (Great pitching staff and they will give the Yankees a run for the AL East)

NL East Division winner: Philadelphia Phillies (An uber-lineup with Roy Halladay as their ace – one more run for the World Series)

NL Central Division winner: St Louis Cardinals (Pujols and Holliday in the middle of the line-up is terrifying and two aces starting makes them very powerful)

NL West Division winner: Colorado Rockies (Youth, experience, hitting, fielding, pitching….they have it all on paper and I think they finally put it all together this year.  Toughest call for me to make because this division is THE toughest in baseball – Giants, Dodgers and D-Backs will all be very tough!)

NL Wild Card winner: Atlanta Braves (An almost perfect mix of talented youth & experienced veterans makes manager Bobby Cox’s last season a fun one)

AL Playoffs, 1st Round winners: Yankees beat Mariners (3-0), Red Sox beat Twins (3-1)

NL Playoffs, 1st round winners: Phillies beat Rockies (3-1), Cardinals beat Braves (3-2)

AL Championship winner: Yankees beat Red Sox (4-3)

NL Championship winner: Phillies beat Cardinals (4-2)

World Series winner: Yankees beat Phillies again (4-2)

AL Surprise Team: Chicago White Sox (It hurts me to even say their name, but their pitching staff will be awesome)

NL Surprise Team(s): Cincinnati Reds (This team is very talented, even if relatively unknown) & Washington Nationals (yes, the Nats! They are going to be MUCH better than people think)

AL Rookie of the Year: Wade Davis (Pitcher)-Tampa Bay Rays

NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward (Outfielder)-Atlanta Braves

AL Manager of the Year: Don Wakamatsu-Seattle Mariners

NL Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy-Colorado Rockies

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira-New York Yankees (Barely beats out Minnesota’s Joe Mauer, who will deserve it more but won’t get the press that Mark enjoys)

NL MVP: Matt Holliday-St. Louis Cardinals (Matt will LOVE a whole season hitting behind Albert Pujols!)

One of the most powerful things that I have discovered in my life happened to me on one of my walks. I sang. I wrote about it in one of my earlier posts here, but it really opened my eyes (and ears) to something amazing: worshiping outside. It may sound silly, but I have found that something is different for me when I worship the Lord outside. My voice does not get better (just ask the poor birds who have to listen to me as I walk!), the words do not change, but my heart seems to come alive when I sing in nature. The words “How Great Thou Art” seem to come alive when I sing them looking at Pikes Peak, or feel a crisp breeze come off the mountains.

Most of the times that I worship, I am at church or in my car. From the projection screens to the walls themselves, from the sound of the road noise to the crazy people driving on the same road, these venues just seem to dull my worship. But when I get outside, into God’s amazing cathedral, I cannot focus on things that are man-made. The evidence of His power and majesty seem to jump out and scream at me. The air seems fresher. The sounds of nature seem to be more alive. Even the colors seem more vibrant.

I know it sounds completely crazy, but TRY IT.

Take just a little time, go to a park or some place away in nature and sing to Him. It may not change your life, and it may not be as powerful for you, but I challenge you to get outside sometime and sing to God. You don’t have to impress anyone, but simply sing to Him in the midst of His creation. If you cannot decide which song to sing, here’s my favorite (brings tears to my eyes every time):

The splendor of a King,
clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
all the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
and darkness tries to hide
it trembles at his voice,
trembles at his voice

How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great
How great is our God

And age to age He stands
and time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
the Lion and the Lamb,
the Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great,
How great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
how great is our God
Name above all names
you are worthy of all praise
and my heart will sing
how great is our God

When a boy at school made a mean face at Abbie, my five year-old, I told her, “Be nice to him.  You don’t know what he’s going through.”  When someone wouldn’t play with her, I told her, “You have fifteen people in your class.  I’m sure you can find someone else to play with.”

And sometimes, Abbie has her own wisdom.  We were driving down a busy stretch of road.  At a stop light, I looked back at Abbie and asked her what she was doing.  She said, “I am smiling at people in their cars.  Some of them smile back.  Some of them don’t.  Why is that, Mommy?”  My response, “Well, some people are so busy caught up in their own thoughts they probably don’t notice.”  “Some of them are probably happy now because you smiled at them.  A smile is like grace.  You give it, even when it’s not deserved.”  (or returned)

These are not profound principles.  Although, it is tempting to write a book about them, but it’s been done.  Most of this stuff is in the Bible.  Anyway, I have enough on my plate.

Sincerely,

Treshia

Projection during the Opening Ceremonies (anyone who endured the first half of the Opening Ceremonies was rewarded with a projection show beyond description)

Gold Medal for Making the Most of Your 15 Minutes:

Bill Schuffenhauer (From the being a homeless child of a drug-addict to a bob sledder for the US at the Olympics.)

Gold Medal for Most Overrated Performer:

Apolo Anton Ohno (Eight medals is amazing, but Bonnie Blair had FIVE golds to your TWO.  Sorry, she’s still the queen.)

Gold Medal for Best Merchandise of Hate:

Apolo Ohno toilet paper sold in Korea (yeah, they hate him that much!)

Gold Medal for Best Merchandise Push:

US skier Hannah Kearney’s bid for a personal flavor of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream (coffee ice cream with Oreos – Ben & Jerry’s, please DO IT!!!)

Gold Medal for Best Return to the Olympics:

The Zamboni! (After foolishly choosing an electric Olympic ice resurfacer over the bullet-proof Zamboni, the Vancouver Committee paid for their decision when the Olympics broke down and caused a 70-minute delay.  The next day, the Zamboni made its triumphant return to the games and has not missed a spot.  Long live the Zamboni!)

Gold Medal for Biggest Surprise:

Steve Mesler and his Four-Man Bobsled Team (For breaking a 62-years drought by winning the Gold Medal, beating the highly favored Germans)

Silver Medal for Biggest Surprise:

Russia & Sweden Men’s Hockey Teams (For being easily ousted by Canada and Slovakia)

Bronze Medal for Biggest Surprise:

‘USA2′ Women’s Bobsled Team (For winning the bronze medal in 2-man bobsled)

Denmark skip Madeleine Dupont & Germany skip Andrea Schoepp (for complaining about TOO MUCH cheering from the Canadian fans!!  Seriously?)

Silver Medal for Most Whiny Athlete:

Russian Yevgeny Plushenko (for whining after getting beat by US skater Evan Lysacek)

Bronze Medal for Most Whiny Athlete:

American Julia Mancuso (the woman who the Boston Herald called the Jan Brady to Lindsey Vonn’s Marsha Brady, for whining about the larger media coverage of teammate and rival Vonn)

Gold Medal for Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing:

Johnny Weir (for his over-the-top flamboyance, resulting in a 6th place finish)

Gold Medal for Bravest Performance:

Canada’s Joannie Rochette (for winning a bronze medal after losing her mother earlier in the week.  Truly heroic.)

Silver Medal for Bravest Performance:

Slovenia’s Petra Majdic (for winning the bronze medal in cross country sprint with four broken ribs and a punctured lung, from a crash earlier in the day)

Bronze Medal for Bravest Performance:

Lindsey Vonn (for winning gold in women’s downhill with a severely bruised leg)

Gold Medal for Best Game:

United States defeating Canada 5-3 in men’s hockey

Silver Medal for Best Game:

Canada defeating the United States 3-2 for the Gold Medal

Bronze Medal for Best Game:

Canada pounding Russia 7-3 in hockey quarterfinals

Gold Medal for Biggest Disappointment:

US curling skips John Shuster and Debbie McCormick (personally losing three games EACH by failing to make easy throws in the final end)

Gold Medal for Best Hair:

US Skier Shannon Bahrke & British Curler Eve Muirhead

Silver Medal for Best Hair:

US Figure Skater Charlie White (can you say, Greatest American Hero?)

Bronze Medal for Best Hair:

US snowboarder Shaun White

Gold Medal for It’s All About Me:

Shani Davis (For withdrawing from the 500-meter event, robbing another American of a chance to race, and for refusing to help the US win team gold by participating in the relay)

Gold Medal for Did He Just Say That?:

Shaun White’s coach (being overheard dropping a f-bomb and a s-bomb on national television after Shaun won the gold medal in halfpipe)

Gold Medal for Best Commercial: P&G’s “To Their Moms, They’ll Always Be Kids”

Silver Medal for Best Commercial: P&G’s “Never Walk Alone”

Gold Medal for Best TV Personality:

Bob Costas (for telling us what to think, watch and say for two weeks, all with perfect, immovable hair – my wife says it’s a piece, I say Bob is too cool for a rug)

Silver Medal for Best TV Personality:

Jimmy Roberts (for sporting the 1980’s style straight tie that looks like his wife hand knitted it before he came to Vancouver)

Bronze Medal for Best TV Personality:

Mary Carillo (for giving us those heart-warming stories that we all love, even if we deny it)

If you have any Olympic Gold Medals to my platform, PLEASE let me know!  I would love to hear them!

When one visits the great city of London, they are overwhelmed with so many historic sites to visit. Big Ben, Parliament, Piccadilly Circus…so many places to see. But one of the most popular, and most beautiful, is St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In such a great cavern, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the stained glass, the incredible arches and the lavishly decorated ceilings. But if you look around, you will eventually find the following plaque:

On it as inscribed these words, “Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice.”

Those words are engraved above the tomb of Christopher Wren, the cathedral’s architect. Written by his son to be his father’s eternal memorial, they translate “Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.” Rather than trying to eulogize his father with words, Wren’s son knew his father’s masterpiece was the greatest evidence of his impact on London and the world. Everyone that knew Wren are now long dead, as well as their memories of him. His voice was never recorded, no videos were taken, and to the common visitor of St. Paul’s, he is unknown. But, while his name may not be remembered, his work is clearly there to see.

At this point, it would be easy for me to write about how I need to DO something to be remembered, to accomplish something great to “leave our mark on this world.” But, I think that only buys into the shallow philosophy of this world, not God’s desire for our lives. Our focus should not be on accomplishing things, or “building an empire” here on earth, but should be focused on our impact on OTHERS. That should be our monument. Who have I blessed today? Have I shown patience? Have I displayed the kindness of Christ? If I were to die today, would my memorial be a building, a huge stash of personal possessions, or would it be a line of people whose lives have been changed by my impact with them?

What have you left behind for others to see from you? Will you be remembered by a plaque, or by people?  

Luke 18:9-14 – Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee who judges himself to be much holier and justified than the hated tax collector.
John 7:47 – The Pharisees felt the crowds were mindless rabble, because they “did not know the law“, and felt they then had the authority to curse them.
Matthew 23 – Here we see Jesus’ powerful condemnation of the Pharisees’ arrogance.

The Pharisees excelled in self-righteousness, feeling their superior works and piousness gave them the authority to judge others and even to add rules and regulations to the Scriptures, all in the name of ”righteousness.“ Their legalistic laws elevated them in society, made life difficult for others and virtually eliminated God from everyday life. With their guidance, the Lord’s people unwittingly became Satan’s slaves.

Approximately 1500 years later, Martin Luther described how this Pharisitical way of life really saw works as a way for people to construct a ladder to heaven and thus grow closer to God. In reality, it was Christ who built the ladder TO US, allowing us to connect with the Father! But, even today, we cannot accept this truth of grace and instinctively add rules and regulations to our walk with the Lord. If we only do a little more, God would see how hard we work, be so proud of us and love us just a little more. We may not admit this in our conversations, but our everyday actions and judgments paint a very different picture. A picture very similar to one drawn over 2000 years ago….

In Matthew 25:31-39, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and is speaking of when He will come back in glory and judge the people of the world. We see that some will be given a Godly inheritance, but it is Christ’s comments that is very interesting here. He says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then, in verse 40, Christ told them, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

What struck me about this passage was how I ignore the last part of Christ’s comments. I understand reaching out and loving those who are starving and thirsty, sheltering those who are homeless and unclothed, and even caring for those who are sick. These are people who have done nothing wrong but have come on hard times and I must love them “with the love of Christ.” NO PROBLEM.

But, I have never stopped to look at those last ten words, “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Why? Maybe it is because I want to JUDGE those who have done wrong, not love and minister to them. “They deserve to be in prison! They do not deserve to be ministered to because they have done wrong! This is their deserved punishment! They deserve to be shunned and left alone! When they DO something to earn it, then I will love them!” But clearly in this verse, Christ tells me that ministering to those in prison is ministering to Him! In my effort to “build a ladder to God”, like my Pharisee brothers, I am actually building a ladder AWAY from Him! He is the easiest person to minister to because He is right in front of me! And yet, He also is the person that I want to judge the most!

Do you struggle with this too? Who is the person you do not want to reach out to? Maybe he or she is the very person Christ wants YOU to touch first. It is hard, yes, but maybe we can reach out together?

But these fruits are GIFTS from the Holy Spirit, not standards of holiness! In Luke 11:13, we are reminded that all we have to do is ASK the Father and He will bless us beyond measure with His gifts. He promises to give us the Holy Spirit and to work through us in unbelievable ways, if we simply stop trying to EARN it and ASK for it.

He promises to speak through us (Mark 13:11)
He promises to teach us and remind us (John 14:26)
He promises to give us power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8)
He promises to help us overcome sin (Romans 8:13)
He promises to give us the assurance that He is our Father (Romans 8:15-16)
He promises to make us overflow with hope (Romans 15:13)
He promises to give us gifts to bless others (1 Cor. 12:7)
He promises to GIVE us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23)

If these things are gifts, then that means they are things that I do not have. And if I do not possess those things, how can I expect myself to produce them on-demand? That is impossible. Instead, I must stop trying to create those things and instead start ASKING for them. That’s what God’s grace is all about: giving us what we do not deserve and cannot produce on our own. Maybe then I can truly sing,

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart to stay!