February 2016 – Ordinary Treasures

Morning by Morning (2/25)

February 25, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

Our churches support of M as he was baptized last night. The church showed up in great number to support him as begins his Christian life anew.
Phil Rice, a really good man who heart is golden and his passion for caring for others so deep. Phil does so many things for people and uses his resources in such a way that develops relationships and always invited passion for Jesus. I just can’t help but appreciate his humility and willingness to get his hands dirty with others!
The chance to parent with Elana. I appreciate her wisdom and willingness to go all in for our kids.

Tonight at church we got to celebrate in the baptism of a young man who has come a long way. Southwest Central had the blessing of being a small part of the journey of someone who truly is living the call of Jesus.

M, as we shall call him, was into a Hindi family who loves and cares for him. But as he moved to America for school, found a minister to learn about Christianity, and moved towards a new faith, life became more complicated, and yet clearer at the same time. As M moved towards this new faith, roommates who shared his tradition rejected him and left him homeless, and then his family in every showed despisal and anger and abandonment. And yet, he maintained his path on this journey. A journey towards Jesus. His reasons for continuing:

Realizing that God has been on his side even when he wasn’t on Gods side
Seeing the love of God present in people whom he brings together
Realizing the goodness of God and the profound love of God through Jesus
The joy of faith and the sacrifice of love in Christ.

As I watched him confess his faith and and accept Christ’s invite to a lifelong journey of faith, I couldn’t help but feel the presence of Ryan in my arms and share in M celebration and the movement of Gods kingdom, but recognizing that Gods kingdom will continue in the life of Ryan too. This was his first baptism that he was aware for, and I couldn’t help but be mesmerized and ponder the significance of this for him. I wonder what he sees and wonder what he thinks. But this is the future that yearn for for him and Aiden- not a thoughtless baptism or a rote life. I want him, like M, to choose his life with Christ and recognize the power of Christ’s love and the depth of His joy, but also the sheer sacrifice and denial of this world in that choice– but to still choose it with Gods people to walk alongside. I am grateful for M, for his faith, for the church, for the people who have surrounded him and cared for him. And I am grateful for all those people and the way they will shape Ryan and Aiden and shape their response to Gods pursuing love in Christ that surrounds them.

Morning by Morning (2/24)

February 24, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

Lunch with Elana! It was quick and anxious because of much going on at TCH, but it was appreciated.
The planning committee for the Cancer Center Retreat of Renewal. I am looking forward to this weekend but I am so grateful for the social workers and child life specialists who are planning, providing and caring for these families. It will be an honor to serve alongside them!
Mark Brown, president of PCN Advisory Council and a great man of God and friend too. I appreciate his presence in my life and his wisdom on our council so much.
Caprese anything! Love my tomato, mozzarella, and basil.

Morning by Morning (2/23)

February 23, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

Our TCH Bereavement Committee, who are working towards helping families and staff heal in their grief more effectively and lovingly than we do now.
The folks at Half Price books who let me hang around, walk through, and ask a bazillion questions about the books they had last night, albeit for about an hour! They may have been annoyed but were very gracious and fun.
The Texas Medical Center. What a great place to work!
Our minister, secretary and eldership at Southwest Central who do as good a job as they can to lead our church in Christlike ways. They have hearts devoted to God and for that part of their leadership I am grateful.

Morning by Morning (2/22)

February 22, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

Playing disc golf with Ryan yesterday. He did great with a happy attitude and made for a wonderful father son outing. And he got to play with dogs, put discs in baskets, and be at a park. So awesome!
Teaching class with Belinda Guerra yesterday- my mother in law is so good with the teens and so respected by them!
Foster parents. I was really moved by some of the parents at the hospital and in some recent podcasts. Good people and very inspiring.
Really delicious 1835 bourbon. Yes, I drink and when I do I like it to be quality.

Morning by Morning (2/19)

February 19, 2016

I waited to share my daily gratitude today because I just have not felt well, but more because I wanted to see how the day will go. I have been starting the day with gratitude but I also wanted to start thinking about appreciating what has happened during the day. So with that little reflection:

My day off, or sick day at home. It was nice to be at home without kids and other people and to do what I want that I think will make me feel better. I got to get outside a little which almost always helps me feel better when I am really congested and down and had a nice little hang out with my wife at her work to just sit and do nothing. Good sick day!
Bringing lunch to Aiden and seeing his joy being around his friends. You don’t often see that same joy and exuberant at home, but I got a taste!
Kids playing around after school and around here. Their joy is a gift that we all wish we could catch in a bottle!

Morning by Morning (2/18)

February 18, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

An awesome first Wednesday night with the youth at Southwest Central. A friend and I are co leading the youth ministry for a good while as we wait upon a new minister at our church, and we are looking forward to it!
Mikey Weesner, my comrade in this temporary youth ministry venture. I appreciate her Pinterest pinning, her ice breaker planning, personal development passionate self…and on top of it a continually growing faith too!
Patience. I am very appreciative of all the people, staff, and parents who are kindly patient with me as I am sick and slow in my mind and body this week, and definitely not as responsive as Id like to be. It’s easier to go to work when one is not being pressured from every nook and cranny anyway, but especially when I am sick.
Elana, my lovely and beautiful wife (who has also chosen to be sick with me!!)

Morning by Morning (2/17)

February 17, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

The chaplains at TCH who serve all the families there. I really appreciate their unique styles and the multitude of ways they touch our hospital.
The chaplains of the Medical Center. Probably 50-60 in sum and all who do similar work with varying populations- they all do the work of God in journeying with his people, his people from any and every walk of life.
The people who don’t keep quiet on the many deaths of kids, injustices toward black people, and unfairness towards minorities. I am white and passionate about these issues but often more quiet and reserved than is called for. These voices are challenges to me and all those who seek to live in a just world.

Morning by Morning (2/16/16)

February 16, 2016

My daily gratitude for:

The challenge in Lent of paring down excess. Plenty of things for me: going out to eat, buying sodas, eating too much, cleaning excessively, cursing, worrying about our budget, paying attention to weight and looks, using my phone during church or work too much, being downcast and grumpy…
Uninterrupted sleep. Yes, that age old unattainable thing that doesn’t happen when ones kids are small!
Watching my good friends have kids and be parents. It’s way cool to watch the Walters, Gormans, Denhams (Josh and Jacqui), Kanes, Pardees, etc be parents and be awesome and loving. A real blessing!

February 14, 2016

I have little history in the churches of Christ. Even the first CofC I attended had a woman youth minister and had no problem having instruments in the church for non Sunday service things (actually a thing in most conservative CofC deeds!). So I am not quite the person that would otherwise see movement in our tradition as momentous.

But today as my elders at our church disclosed that they want to complete the move that started 12 years ago towards a full set of voices and open preaching and song leading to women, I felt sheer joy and peace being present during the announcement. I noted the importance of that moment and moving towards this incredible goal. Perhaps not a goal, but a vision.

I noticed because it was the moment that our church decided to stand on the vision of the love of one another as the highest form or our community, and even more importantly, our church has decided that God speaks through all and that his Holy Spirit does not move with limits. Their decision is an invitation to God to move and speak and push and pull and whisper and shout to his body of believers at our place.

With this move, we say as a church:

Come Lord Jesus and whisper to us.

Come Lord Jesus and show us your love in ways we could not have seen before.

Come Lord Jesus and let us love beyond disagreements, preferences, opinions, race, and gender.

Come Lord Jesus and let us be an even greater reflection to those who come into our walls and in our buildings.

Come Lord Jesus, and speak afresh to us and don’t stop moving amongst us.

I am somewhat aware of the courage it takes to make these decisions, but I am humbly honored to be there as this change comes. There will be difficulties and struggles, but we have the opportunity to show our little girls as well as all other females in our church that their voice carries meaning- their voice may also now bear the Word and Spirit of God for his people. Amen, and I’m so glad to have been there for that.