Living and Loss

My cousin, Sandy Frampton, died on January 7. Sandy was only 49. She died after a return of cancer to her body. I was greatly encouraged at her funeral in Reynoldsville, PA, when the pastor of her home church related her conversion story, her baptism, and her unselfish service over the years both there as well as the church she attended near her work in Johnstown, PA. While her passing was untimely, at least from my perspective, her life was full of family and service for Christ.

For me, the loss was bitter sweet. I knew Sandy, but I'm afraid I didn't know her well enough. You see, over the years I've allowed my busy schedule to interfere with spending time with extended family. At the funeral I found myself being re-introduced to family members I hadn't seen in years - anywhere from 15 to 35 to be exact! For that, there was a profound sense of loss. My children have missed out on knowing much of their family due to neglect.

Let me encourage you to spend time with family. Go see your parents, your grandparents, your aunts, uncles, and cousins. Don't wait for a funeral to see them again. And if the miles are too great to see them in person, pick up the phone, write a letter, or even Skype. But don't let the years go by without connecting.

Vacancy

When you are traveling and in need of lodging, those "no vacancy" signs in front of a hotel or motel are annoying. But when you think about it, a vacancy isn't necessarily a good thing. There may be a reason why that particular establishment isn't full. That reason may not be a good one!

Our nation is definitely lacking in authentic leadership - there indeed is a vacancy in this area. The recent events in Arizona bear this out. The tragedy of a gunman killing and wounding several people, including the injuries suffered by Congresswoman Giffords, is morally reprehensible. But to see people trying to politicize the incident is heartbreaking. Has our nation really descended this deep into the abyss of the absence of decency? Where is the compassion for those who have lost loved ones and those who are trying to cope and heal from this awful tragedy?

Paul's words to the church in Philippi are applicable here. In trying to help the early church work through conflict, he wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." (2:3).

We need leaders who will put others first. There is a vacancy in leadership in America. Where have all the leaders gone?

Who's in Your Circle?

I love to read autobiographies and biographies of leaders. It's a habit I started many years ago. I am currently reading George W. Bush's Decision Points. It's a great read! I consider Bush to have been a good leader. He led from the heart, not from public opinion polls. He wasn't always right, but I respected Bush's leadership. Enough said.

In his chapter on personnel, Bush writes, "The people you choose to surround you determine the quality of advice you receive and the way your goals are implemented." Anyone in leadership understands this to be true when it comes to hiring staff, selecting confidants, or developing a team.

In Acts 6 the apostles needed to select men to care for the widows in the early church. Some would have looked upon this as a minor issue. But even in something like food distribution, the apostles selected men who were known to be "full of the Spirit and wisdom" (6:3).

Surround yourself with leaders who are truly spiritual. We live in a time where we cannot compromise on this. Raise the bar and expectations.

Looking Forward to Christmas

I guess I'm still a kid at heart especially when it comes to Christmas! I find my greatest joy at Christmas when I watch my children open their gifts and shriek with joy. Even as they have gotten older, they are still a blast to watch. But I think I want to look back a few years.

Sarah and her Barbie's and Barbie clothes - now that was a riot! Her excitement level was off the charts! I remember the doll house I built for her when she was 6 or 7. She played with it for a long time. I'm sure this year her joy will be in watching Micah tear wrapping paper as he is having his first Christmas. (Adam and Sarah, we wish we could be there!) Jonathan was addicted to Legos. I remember one Christmas when he got five major kits and we put them all together in one day! The last few years he's been getting tools and loves every one of them. He gets a gleam in his eye thinking how he might use each one. He still comes home for Christmas morning and wears a Santa hat just like when he was little (sorry Jon - I spilled the beans). Bekah has been into electronic gizmos - but she seems to get excited about anything in wrapping paper. She's been counting the days till Christmas for weeks now! And I've never seen her not be thankful for what she receives. Unfortunately she wants Ohio State "stuff" this year. :(

Of course, our greatest Christmas gift is the Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you Heavenly Father for giving us Your Heart both then and now. We don't deserve your gift. Thank you for loving us unconditionally and passionately. May we all be more excited about Your Gift than any other gift we may receive this Christmas.

Staying On Top

I'm sitting at home this afternoon, waiting for the furnace repair man to arrive. Our furnace went out this morning. I was at a meeting when Stevie called telling me that a burning smell was coming through the heating ducts and that the furnace was making loud noises. I'm guessing that it's seized bearing in the blower motor. The fact is that I've heard a minor noises from the blower the past few days. I had planned on calling the furnace guy this morning anyway, just to check things out.

I'm somewhat frustrated by this. We just had the furnace serviced three weeks ago. There apparently was no noticeable sounds at that time. So now we're going to have to deal with another service call and the costs associated with replacing the motor.

What's the point? It's important to stay on top of things. This is true when it comes to simple home maintenance. It is also true in our spiritual lives. We stay on top of things by staying in God's Word; prayer; fellowship; building accountability; focus on mission.

So many people today wait until a crisis to get things right with God. Once the crisis is over, they go right back to the same level of living that got them in trouble in the first place. Let's commit ourselves to staying on top of things in all areas of our lives.

Finding Joy

In the movie The Bucket List, the two main characters played by Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are sitting on top of a pyramid. Their discussion leads to two questions. The first is, "Have you found joy in your life?" The second is, "Have you brought joy to someone else?" The answers to these questions were believed by the ancient Egyptians to pave the way to heaven.

What brings you joy? For me, it's seeing my children find success in their pursuits. I'm so proud of all three of my children. I hope that Sarah, Jonathan and Rebekah will someday truly understand the depth of joy they have brought me. Oh, don't get me wrong - there have been more than a few challenges along the way. But none of those can even begin to diminish the joy they have brought me. And now we add our grandson Micah to the mix - even thinking about him as I write causes me to pause, reflect, and rejoice.

The second question is harder for me to answer. I don't write this expecting anyone to tell me that I have brought them joy. That's not the point. Am I the only one who looks back at his life and questions whether or not he has brought joy to others? Laughter, yes. Happiness, possibly. But joy? I think this is something I have to work at.

Have you found joy? Have you brought others joy? It's something to think about...

Spiritual Drift

I am growing increasingly concerned about the spiritual drift I am seeing in men and women of faith. This drift is the subtle yet deadly slide away from what I will refer to as being spiritual dead-center. It's a cooling of our passion for Christ. It's the increasing ease with which we justify sin. It's the lack of compassion for those who do not yet know Christ.

I call it spiritual drift because it happens slowly, almost imperceptibly. I liken it to the times I've been swimming in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Coronado Island. The waves slowly pull you out to sea, especially when there is a rip tide. You don't notice it at first, but before you know it, you are farther from shore than you intended. And the danger with a rip tide is that even a strong swimmer has difficulty breaking free of its grasp.

How do we avoid spiritual drift?
1. Realize that it exists. Don't pretend you can't be drawn away from your spiritual center.
2. Reaffirm your commitment to Christ. Is He truly the Leader of your life?
3. Replenish yourself daily. Don't neglect the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, fasting, solitude, giving, meditation, etc.
4. Remain accountable. There is no substitute for accountability. Have someone who is ahead of spiritually to look up to. Have someone you are mentoring to look up to you. Stay in relationship.
5. Repent. The moment you sense you have sinned, confess it for what it is and seek forgiveness.

These are just a few ideas. What do you do to avoid spiritual drift?