Three Daffodils Blooming

Hey everyone!

Hope you're having the most encouraging day ever! Which I am because I saw something today I wasn't expecting!

Not that I wasn't expecting this, but I wasn't thinking it be so soon. I mean, I knew that eventually I would see this thing but I don't think I was really even  thinking about it, so when I saw them…

Hold on. I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be.

I'm just gonna say it.

Today, I saw three daffodils blooming! And, Yes! It was so encouraging! Soooo good to know that warm, spring days ARE on the way!

Three little blossoms and your whole day's better!

Speaking of three…

The other day, I heard three little words that I didn't expect to hear but they just filled my heart with joy and sent me on my way singing! Three little words that made my whole day…and maybe my life…better!!

"What?!  It was just Valentine's Day and we all know that girl of yours says those three words to you all the time anyway! How could THOSE three words be unexpected?"

Wait! I didn't mean Tina!  And I wasn't talking about THOSE three little words.It was three totally different words and I had no idea how awesome it would be to hear them!

Three little words and I'm still reelin'!

I've been interested in  how we might be able to reach out to students who have disabilities. I had heard of a ministry of Young Life, called "Capernaum". It's just like regular Young Life except it's for kids with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities. They had a big meeting…they call it "Young Life Club"…for "Capernaum kids" the other night in Knoxville and someone suggested that I come check it out. Gotta admit I was a little nervous. "Would I know what to say?…Would I be awkward?…Would I say anything dumb?…Would they like me?…Would I feel like an outsider?…How do you start conversations?…Could I ever do this?" I felt like it was my first day of middle school.

There were probably 70 to 80 leaders and kids from all over Knox County! They were having soooo much fun! Those leaders, mostly college kids, love those kids and care about them in the most amazing way! They offer to kids whom many overlook…or look away from… love, respect, friendship, and Jesus!

Nothing cooler ever!

I met a young man named Charlie. We sat in back and talked and laughed and shared. We listened together with all the kids and leaders to the sweetest talk about Jesus. Then we laughed at crazy games. In the end, the whole thing turns into a dance party! The most fun they ever have! Busting out all their moves to Katy Perry and Taylor Swift! Kids in wheelchairs out there with their hands in the air! Even me!

As I got ready to head out, so thankful I had come and gotten past my hesitations, and filled with hope that we could reach out to kids like this in OR someday, Charlie came up to me and hugged me. And he said three words.

"Thanks for coming!"

What?! I was nervous about going…Didn't know if I'd fit…And a new friend was thankful I came!

Wow! Three words…and just the ones I needed to hear!

Daffadils and beautiful words can come in  threes...

"You're the best"
"Let's get together!"
"I'll be there!"
"See you then"
"I've missed you!"
"Have some time?"
"Can we talk?"
"I love you"
"Please forgive me."
"Praying for you!"
"Thinking of you"
"Thankful for you"

I remember a song we loved from waaaay back in the day. It was one of Steven Curtis Chapman's classics.

There's a girl who's waiting day after day
To hear her daddy say "I love you,"
Now the days have turned to years.
There's a wall that silence has turned to stone
Between a man and woman,
She's holding back the tears
And he's holding on to his fear.

But while it's still called today,
Won't somebody make it right
Before the day slips into night
and the moments waste away?
While it is still called today,
We've got to say the words
That are longing to be heard
'cause tomorrow may be too late
Go on and say what you need to say
While it is still called today.

'Cause there's a time when the sun goes down
And the flowers are laid on the grave
Will the tears that fall to the ground
Be the tears of regret for the words someone didn't say?

While it is still called today, we've got to say the words
That are longing to be heard 'cause tomorrow may be too late
Go on and say what you need to say while it is still called today

Got anything you need to say to someone?

Womens Ice Hockey

Hey everyone

Wow! With all the thunder boomin' thru our East Tennessee valleys and hills last night, you might have thought that you were hearing the fireworks they'll fer sure set off at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Russia!

But today? After the storms have passed thru…it's gonna be awesome!!!  Showers should clear the area after 7 a.m…Expect clearing skies and breezy winds with cooler temperatures returning. Sunny with highs in the middle 50s!!"

If weather were a sport in the Olympics, today would be wearing the gold medal!

Speaking of…

We spent our day-off watching the women's hockey match between the USA and Canada. Wow!! And…dang!! We were tearful right along with those girls! How did our "Neighbors to the North" score two goals to tie it up with less than four minutes left!? That's not how you treat your neighbors! And then to win it and beat us in over-time! I mean, I think Canada's national anthem is cool, but it's not the one we wanted to hear!

After the match ended and the sniffles stopped, I reflected. "Y'know, there are lots of lessons that you learn from sports that you can apply to the life you lead."

Such as…

Here are some lessons I learned upon reflection after the ice was cleared of players and the Zamboni started around the rink…

Lesson #1)
Women hockey players (wonder why they call it "womens ice hockey" but "ladies figure skating"?…) wind up less often on their rear ends than the figure skaters do, even tho' the hockey girls have folks bashing and smashing into them, and even tho' the figure skaters are deliberately trying to NOT end up "up-ended"; their cans…

Lesson #2)
The commentators commentated that the American girls lost because, with a 2-0 lead, they were trying to "not lose" instead of trying to win…

Lesson #3)
I'd noticed that in this Olympics, loads of people have seemed to be elated with winning a silver or bronze medal but all the American players cried when they looked down their noses at the silver that was about to go over their heads and around their necks. One of the announcers (who had a silver medal in women's hockey in her drawer at home) explained that the reason its so heart-breaking to win the silver in hockey is that, unlike other sports, you have to lose to get it.

So, what do these sports lessons teach us and how can we apply them to our Christian life?

I have no idea.

I did read a very cool verse the other day, tho'!

It's in 1 John…Check it…"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3.1)

I know what to learn from that! We are God's very own kids! HE calls us that! And that makes it true! Even if you come is second! Or third! Or last! Last every time! It doesn't matter 'cause He loves me that much! Coming in second or third is nothing to cry about when He's my very own Dad!

In fact. Peter wrote that to make us His own, it took way more than silver or even gold! "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ!" (1 Peter 1. 18-19)

So, girls, you played awesomely and you made us proud, but if you love Jesus, hockey's only a team! You're in His family! So, dry those tears, ladies!

Opps! I mean, dry those tears, women!

That's it for weather and sports…

Olympic Skis and Snowboards

Hey, everyone!

Wow! What an awesome day! Here's your Valentine's Day forecast! "Breezy and warmer with a high near 48 degrees. Expect increasing clouds with rain showers sliding in by late afternoon and early evening…But next week, spring-like! ... with highs going from the 50s into the 60s later in the week!"

Spring'll be bustin' out soon! Sounds so awesome, especially after the last couple of days! (We've had more snow then they did at the Winter Olympics!!) If next week's weather was an Olympic event, it’d be “golden”, as they say in the Sochi!  (I think that means it’d win the gold medal…)

As the Winter Olympics are rocking', can I share with y’all a few things I've noticed?

Snow boarders are not nervous at all before they bust out their craziness on the slopes and half-pipes…

(Ice skaters, on the other hand…)

The medals are very neat-looking this time…

Curling is way harder…and cooler… than it looks.

Some Winter Olympic sports are only “sport-ish”. They don’t really seem like sports. You wonder how they got in the “Games”…What I mean is…

Some sports in the Olympics are totally…WOW! Snowboard cross…four dudes screaming down a course…jumping, turning, speeding, bumping each other, flying through the air, wiping out upside-down at 30 feet above the frozen ground! It’s an unbelievably cool sport! Why did it take so long to get in the Olympics?!

Other “sports” are…well…they don’t really seem like sports. Tough to know what you’d call ‘em. But they just don’t seem to belong with hockey or the Super G. Like ice dancing. It’s really difficult I bet, but…they’re dancing! They’re not flipping, racing, or smacking a slap shot at the goal…

They’re dancing.

How do you beat someone at dancing? Unless you completely wind up on yer rear…how do they know who wins?

Some things just don’t seem like they make a good competition. It’s not about winning or losing. Like love, for example. We just supposed to love folks. It’s not a race. It’s not about who does it more, better, or with the best style. There aren’t gold, silver, and bronze for love. We’re all supposed to do it! Like Paul said, “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.” (1 Thesselonians 4.9-10)

Love. It’s not a sport, a race, or a contest, but…

Here's an email that jumped into my inbox the other day. It's from the US coordinator of Victor Nandigam's mission in India…

"Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness to International Christian Partners and the work that God is doing in India. We are amazed and grateful for your graciousness and sacrifice as you give to the ministry in India. It never fails that when we announce a need you respond generously.

I want to thank Pastor Tom Job and Christ Community Church who took on a special need over the Christmas holidays. There are 352 widows in the churches where our missionaries are working. These widows are faithful to pray and to serve. Pastor Job’s church placed tags on a Christmas tree for these ladies and each one was adopted. The money donated was sent to purchase the saris, as well as money to purchase each of the orphans a set of clothes for the New Year. Each year this is a need and hopefully it is one that can be shared by several churches this next Christmas…"

We threw that need out there and to tell the truth, I was a little…ah…"stretched" in my faith! "Will it happen?"

BAM!

I think something like $4900 came in for the widows and Victor's orphans! Victor wrote us and said that so many of the widows were wearing the saris we bought for them last year when they came to receive the ones you gave them this year! And that they will pray for us and our work here! Widows in poverty, in India, in love with Jesus because of love shown to them, pray for you!

I know it’s not a race or a sport, but…

When it comes to loving people with the love of Jesus, the people of Triple C get the gold medal! Y’all are “golden”!!

Olympic Figure Skaters

Hey, everyone!

Hope your heart is warm with praise to the Lord of all the earth…even though your toes might be a little chilly and wet, walking around in His world these days!

We're so pumped! Can you hear it? "bum BUM ba-bum bum Bum bum…bum buddity bum…babum bum bum buddi-Bum bum bum…buddi-bum bum…!"

(Oh, sorry. That was the Olympic theme song.)

We love the Olympics 'round our house! Y’know, the Winter Olympics have a whole other suspense than the Summer ones do. In the Summer Games, you’re wondering, “Who’s going to cross the line first?...Who’s going to touch the wall first?...Who’s going to go higher?...” In the wintry sports, it seems that so much of it is about just one question....

 “Will he fall on his can?”

“Will she land on her behind?”

“Are they all going to wind up on their b#tts?”

From the speed skating to the snow boarding cross to the half-pipe, it’s all about doing what you do best on the slickest, slidy-est, slippery-est places they can find, with most of the world watching,  and trying to finish without a soakin' wet rear end…or worse, a black ‘n blue one!

And those figure skaters! They so graceful…until they’re not! Wham!! They hit it harder than anyone! They look like gliding swans until they slip, do the back-side-first landing and try to get up, looking like a duckling just hatched from the egg! When TV shows it in slow motion, and you can watch the moment of “rear end impact” start the “wave” through their whole person…well, I have to take some Advil just from seeing it!

Last night, the American guy Jeremy Abbott was just starting to do his skating thing. This was BEFORE the Opening Ceremonies. In other words, the Olympics he'd been preparing four years for, hadn't even started! 17 seconds into his thing…swoosh…swoosh…oops!…WHAAAAMMMM!! He hit so hard I thought his rear was going to break thru the ice and wind up in the water! (I guess there isn't water under the ice, is there?)

What if you had to do your job with everyone watching and wondering the same thing…”You gonna crash onto your behind?”

I’m so thankful Jesus isn’t like me when I watch those Games! When we fall…when we flop…when we splat on our can, He lets us get up every time! He lets me start over. He doesn’t remember it even happened! 

Paul says, “Forgetting what is behind, I press on to the prize…!”

And because He always lets us start over and stays with us no matter what, Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!”

“Forgetting what’s behind…”

“I can do all things through Him…”

That’s a “behind”… a “can”…I can gladly and happily fall on every day!

Enjoy the Games, folks! 

(Let it go, Jeremy.)