Back in Town with Some Random Thoughts

I am glad to be back in Lancaster! My time in Indiana was VERY productive. Grace College/Seminary are alive and well ... but are facing some challenges given the current recession in which we find ourselves. But with great leadership at the helm and God on His throne - I am optimistic concerning the future of Grace Schools.

Since I am still digging out of the pile of work that accumulated while I was gone, I thought that in lieu of a regular posting - I would post just a few random thoughts that are floating around in my head.

1. Seeing that today in Veterans Day - please take a moment to thank a vet and pray for the men and women in our military. Sharon and I gave a card to our son-in-law, who served in Iraq. We enjoy our freedoms in part due to the sacrifice of our service men and women.

2. Offering hospitality is a great way to demonstrate the love of Jesus (which is why we are commanded to do so - see Romans 12:13 and 1 Peter 4:9). I was on the receiving end of some very gracious hospitality during my time away in Indiana (thanks, Pat, Leslee, Alex and Ed!).

3. Relationships are so precious! I was reminded of this upon arriving in Indiana and spending time with some people I love for the first time in a long time. I was reminded again when I returned home to a hug and kiss from my best friend (a.k.a. my wife!). All of us could enrich our lives by making the relationships in our lives a greater priority (a quick read of the New Testament will affirm the same!).

4. In spite of the turbulent times (or probably better said, "BECAUSE of the turbulent times") - the opportunity to advance the gospel is growing! People are frightened and anxious about tomorrow. What a great time for us to come along and point them to the ONE who holds tomorrow in His hand!!!

I hope to get back to some "regular" spiritual meanderings tomorrow. Until then ...

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

On My Way to Indiana

Today I catch a mid-morning flight to Indianapolis. I am heading out to Indiana to attend the Board of Trustees meetings of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary. The two schools are located in north-central Indiana, in the small resort town of Winona Lake. The Board is made up of about two dozen men and women from across the United States (and one member lives in Germany). We meet twice a year (March and November). Now I take this responsibility very seriously. The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (of which our church is a member) has entrusted the direction and well-being of these two schools to our Board. That is why we are called a Board of Trustees. We have been put in trust for these two schools. I also serve on the Board of Trustees of Hebrew Christian Fellowship. HCF is a board which focuses on reaching Jewish people for Christ. Again, our Board has been entrusted with the oversight of this mission.

In a similar way - every single follower of Jesus Christ has been entrusted with many things. But the most important is the GOSPEL. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4 we read, "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts." So how are you handling this trust? Are your striving to live the gospel? Are you seeking to share the gospel?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

PS - I will do my best to post from Indiana ... but the schedule is quite full so I may not be able to post until I return. I would very much appreciate your prayers for me and my fellow Board members. Thanks!

Today is D-Day!

Today millions of Americans will go to their local polling place to cast their vote (I just got back from voting). That means that more than likely by the time we all wake up tomorrow, we will know who will occupy the oval office for the next four years (We will also be able to say "good-bye - and good riddance! - to all the annoying campaign commercials that have flooded our television screens for the past year plus!). So today is Decision Day!

Now - no matter who wins the election, keep in mind that the ultimate King still rules. That's right. No matter who lives in White House, God remains firmly entrenched on His heavenly throne. And from there He is actively orchestrating the ebb and flow of human history. This is made clear in Daniel 2:21 where we read, "He (God Almighty) changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them." So the bottom line of today's election? Whoever wins - does so by permission of God Himself. God has a plan .... and he is working that plan! And as people of The Book - we have read the final chapter of God's plan which tells us that HE wins!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

November's Here . . .

It might be hard to believe but I just confirmed it by looking a the date on my wrist watch - today is the third of November! And as I look out the window of my home office, I can see a carpet of golden leaves on my back lawn that says, "Ditto - it's November!" Personally, I think November is a great month - for many reasons. The football season is in high gear (football is my favorite sport) and the autumn colors are often spectacular. But the biggest reason that I like November is that it contains one of my favorite holidays - Thanksgiving Day.

As we approach Thanksgiving, you will probably find me posting some thoughts on the topic of gratitude. Giving thanks to God is probably the most underrated spiritual "discipline" in the toolbox of spiritual disciplines. It is simple to do yet profound in its affects. For starters, consider the following quote about the giving of thanks:

"Being thankful is not rocket science. Though the topic of gratitude goes as deep as the grace of God, it does not require tough biblical exegesis or advanced degrees to practice it. It just requires obedience. . . When we really give God thanks in everything, we are acknowledging that He is sovereign and that we trust Him. And we find that it changes us."
(Ellen Vaughn in Radical Gratitude, pp. 43-44)

Am I thankful for YOU?

You know it!

pj

Will the Real Biggest Loser Please Stand Up?

Manuel Uribe set a Guinness Book World Record back in 2006, when he weighed an astonishing 1,230 pounds! Since then, he has shed an amazing 550 pounds - still leaving him with plenty more pounds to lose (and I thought I had it tough with the weight I should lose!). Manuel was in the news recently as he married his long time sweetheart. Since he has not been able to leave his bed in six years, his bride did all the walking and standing during the ceremony - a ceremony which left Manuel in tears. Now that he is married, Manuel has set a goal to become the world's biggest loser. The current Guinness World Records for weight loss are held by and American woman Rosalie Bradford at 907 pounds lost, and a British man Jon Brower Minnoch who lost 924 pounds. So Manuel has a few pounds to go! But concerning his fight against his obesity, Manuel said, "The doctors told me I had a choice. To choose life or to choose death. I chose life."

Now those are good words that reveal the kind of attitude we all should cultivate. Since all of us face difficulties (you may even be facing a HUGE one right now!), we all need to remember that how we face life's difficulties is a CHOICE. Just as Maneul Uribe made the right choice to try and overcome his obesity, we must do the same no matter what our difficult situation might be. So the question we must all answer is this: Will we choose to do our best to meet the challenge while trusting God to work in us and around us? Or will we choose to grumble and complain and adopt a victim mentality ("Oh, woe is me!")? This choice will make all the difference as to whether we will rise above our difficulties or our difficulties will rise above us!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

What Are You Passing On?

You'd better keep your outside lights on tonight! Why? Tonight is what is commonly referred to as "Mischief Night." Most common in the Northeastern U.S., Ireland, England and Canada, it is a night when young people play pranks on their neighbors. These pranks include soaping windows, ringing doorbells and then running away and "T-ping" (taking rolls of toilet paper and draping the TP over trees and houses) - and a list of other things (unfortunately sometimes these pranks can and do get out of hand!). Where and why this practice originated - I do not know (I did a brief scan of Internet info and found it to be somewhat confusing concerning the origin of this practice). So all this to say - keep your outside lights on tonight and it should keep would be pranksters away!

Why do young people get involved in these things? Is it something that is taught in school? No. Rather younger kids hear about it from older kids who heard about it from their parents. In other words, this tradition of "Mischief Night" has been passed down from one generation to the next. And what is true of "Mischief Night" is also true of many things. Values, beliefs, practices -- all get passed on from one generation to another. There is nothing wrong with this ... as long as what is being passed on is good stuff.

So if you are a parent ... let me ask you, "What are you passing on to your children?" I hope you are passing on the things that matter - values, beliefs, standards, and priorities that are based solidly on the teachings of the Bible. Along with your spouse, take some time to answer this question. The welfare of your kids is on the line. Because if they don't get God's way from you - WHO will they get it from?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Call to Prayer!

Just one week from today, Americans will go to their polling places and vote in the next president of our country. With such a monumental decision before us ... I invite all who read this to join me at noon each day leading up to the election. Take a moment to pause and pray for our nation. Consider the following prayer of Billy Graham for our nation:

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj