Dee-luxe Occomoda-shuns!

My family and I had the blessing of a few days off. While we were gallivanting around North Dallas, we had the privilege of staying at the illustrious Chateau Shaw. This fine establishment pictured here boasts fine sleeping and exquisite dining. the proprietors take pride in their establishment and maintain a high level of excellence in ambiance and service.

Should you ever have opportunity to be a guest Chateau Shaw, you will no doubt enjoy your stay. I would post the number for reservations, however it is a private establishment and open only by invitations.

Thanks again Steve and Judy for your hospitality! We had a great time!

Slowing Down, Catching Up

Wow, it has been weeks since I have blogged. I feel like I haven't talked with an old friend. For some of you that read my blog, you are old friends. Blogging for me, in many ways, is spiritually therapeutic. I sit in a chair nursing a cup of java and pour out my thoughts on a keyboard to an unknown number of people in often times undisclosed places. However, it feels like I am sitting and talking with a long time friend (a friend with spell check mind you). So, in a wierd cyberway, I have missed you.

We are on vacation. A long awaited time of respite, and yet it hasn't been especially restful. We are visiting family. Enough said. This afternoon, however, Jill & I are going on a marriage retreat in Corpus Christi, and my sisters are going to watch the girls for a couple days. It will be the first chance we've had alone together for more than a few hours in years. I am looking forward to the uninterrupted time together.

The past few weeks, especially has been draining physically and emotionally. Nerves are frazzled and it is just time to break off and renew. You wouldn't think it was that big of a deal, I mean I spend most of my time talking to people or preparing worship services, but it really does empty me. If I did not have my morning times alone with the Lord, I would not be able to keep it up. I don't know how people do it without Him! This is getting long, so I need to shut up. I will start a new post that isn't so much rambling.

Peeking into the Windows of the Soul - pt. 2

Shortly, before noon on Wednesday, I got the news. One of our church members had stopped by the office asking, "Did they call you yet?" I inquired of who, and then he told me. The brother of a very well known Christian author and pastor lived in our little town, and he had died suddenly. He then said that "he" would mostly likely be doing the service and they were asking about doing the service at our church. I had read a number of "his" books. As a matter of fact, I first really heard about the Grace of God from "his" books. I owe a debt of gratitude to this man, as he had played a key role in my early spiritual growth.

Now I have met and been around a number of "famous" ministers, so this was not that different. The main exception was that I would be ministering to he and his family which I consider an honor. I didn't get on the phone an call all my friends, a few happen to call yesterday and asked what I was up to and I told them. Notoriety has not often meant much to me, especially those in the ministry. The widow called me later that afternoon and set up an appointment to come see me about arranging to use our church, and if I could help provide music.

When we met on Thursday, her eyes were still red from having been weeping off and on that morning. We walked through some of the details, and I spent the bulk of the afternoon beginning preparations for the service. I had other preparation that I needed to take care for Sunday and studying for bible studies I was teaching next week, but I put all that on hold to minister to this family.

As the day grew closer, this service, like many I have done in the past, consumed much of my time as I made myself available to this family. Serving a family during a time of crisis comes very easy for for me having experienced loss of loved ones several times myself. So, even though this man was not a member of our church, and even though this man was related to someone famous, I counted it a privilege to love on his family. These are the rare opportunities that we get to minister to folks we don't know, so putting my normal schedule on hold and laying aside my personal agenda really wasn't that hard. Both "he" and this family were gracious and appreciated our hospitality.

Friday morning before the funeral, as I have been reading a couple articles in Leadership Journal, it occurred to me that the Lord had a very important lesson for me to learn. He called to my memory the recent visit by the weary traveler, and how overly concerned I was with making my meeting that I didn't take much time to get to know and minister to this special visitor. I couldn't tell you where he was from or to where he was headed. It will be a long time before I forget look in his eyes.

It shamed me, and I began to weep as I realized that I was guilty of the sin of showing kind of preference spoken of in James 2:1-7. Do I feel that I was wrong in ministering to the grieving family, absolutely not. But I was not willing to even put my meeting on hold to minister to this visitor. This visitor, is one of those that Christ refers to as "the least of these." Too often we place a high value on those that are "normal" people or "famous" people at the cost of the least of these.

The truth is, the entire Bible speaks VERY clearly that one test of the authenticity of our faith shows it self in how we treat those who are true widows, orphans, the poor, those in prison. In one article I read, Brad Jersak makes an interesting statement, "I'd suggest that those we often regard as insignificant are not to be regarded as mere target groups of Christian charity, but rather, our mentors in the kingdom. They are guides to understanding God." I am not suggesting that we should open our homes and let anyone sleep there, nor would I say we should enable those who will not work by supporting their chemical addition. I am saying that we should seriously consider what our attitude is toward the least of these. I know I oftentimes lump them together, and thereby neglect an act of service that demonstrates how real my faith is. It is easy to judge people from afar, and throw money at the problem. It is another to get to know some of these and find out why they are where they are.

My challenge to you is simple. When God gives you opportunity, take time to peer into the windows of some one's soul. You never know, you could be entertaining an angel or you could get a glimpse in the kingdom of God.

Peeking into the Windows of the Soul - pt. 1

Being on church staff, it is not uncommon to have people stop by the office looking for money handouts. We have a procedure. We direct them to a local multi-faith agency that keeps our benevolence centralized and helps screen out abusers. This week, I had a different experience with one of these folks.

On Tuesday, I had a meeting scheduled first thing in the morning with a couple of other ministers from the area. A transient man stopped by the office right as the two ministers arrived. He had a need. It was very cold outside, and he was headed west into the wind. He said he was a missionary and asked if we could give him some hot water for the instant coffee he had with him. I invited him into the office kitchen area where we were each getting coffee for ourselves. It was obvious there was no need for him to make his own coffee since we had some perked and hot and ready to drink. He dug his travel mug out of his large duffel bag. I took the cup which smelled of instant soup. I washed it out as I considered the man's appearance and more importantly his eyes. He was a large man wearing dirty clothes and had a weathered face. But his eyes. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul. The eyes that twinkled behind his cracked glasses were kind.

I filled His mug with fresh coffee, and he asked if there were some place where he could sit down out of the wind. We were headed into our meeting, so I directed him to a place in our church foyer where there were soft chairs to sit on and within ear shot of where we were having our meeting. A few minutes later, he poked his head around the corner and asked if we had any extra gospel tracts he could have. I went to our supply cabinet grabbed a few packets and handed them to him. He was gracious, thanked me, and sat down again. He finished his coffee, and slipped out the front door back on his journey west.

I sat preoccupied with the man's eyes all throughout the meeting. While he was there, I kept an ear open since our secretary was alone in the other room. Yet, I really didn't fear this man. After he left, my thoughts sojourned west with him. Earlier, he had asked if there were a cafe or restaurant in the direction he was headed. Our church building is three miles west of town and there was nothing between us and the next town 10 miles away. I thought of him knowing it was hours before he would reach the next town and a meal. I know that had we kept food at the church office I would have offered him what we had, but there wasn't anything. Perhaps there was some leftovers from our previous Wednesday night meal, but I wasn't thinking of that, I was thinking about my meeting. After all, we had important things to discuss.

This traveler has been gone for days from our church, and yet he has lingered in my mind. I still remember his eyes. There was another visitor the Lord would bring across my path later this week. And with him, would come a stinging rebuke. I will finish this story tomorrow. There still much to be said. Although you did not see him, peer with me into this man's eyes and consider what the Lord will say to you.

Kickin' Back...

Today, I begin the first week long vacation I have had in years. All vacation time I have experienced in recent years has been a day here two days there. That is okay, but I have to admit I found myself coveting that time that friends of mine that have taken one and two week vacations. Reading their blogs of fly-fishing in the Gotacatchabigun River or sailing across the glassy Lake Lazyday have only served to heighten my awareness of a desperate need to rest and recuperate physically, emotionally and spiritually.

This morning, I began my vacation time with a fine dining experience at Cafe Antoine. It was a hearty breakfast prepared by Chef Antoine himself! I had to wake the girls up in time for this breakfast catering because they were all sleeping later than normal. I then enjoyed a spa-like shower sensation, and am now settling in for some creative expression.

Okay, so, I am feeling a little delusional. In short, I made breakfast for my oversleeping girls, stood in my own shower for an extra five minutes, and now sit at a cluttered desk blogging. But I have savored every bit of it. I thoroughly enjoy cooking-- especially for others, lingering in the shower and not having to rush out the door away from my girls, and finally getting to be still long enough to record some of my thoughts on my blog. I imagine there will be much gibberish on here the next day or so as there is much pent up inside me that needs to come out. I will however try not to make you feel like you have experienced literary vomit.

In the next couple of days, we will be traveling to spend a couple days with my oldest sister in South Texas, where we will enjoy a long time family tradition of playing board or card games trying to make her wet herself from laughing so hard! I pray that you will enjoy some time away from the unimportant rush to nowhere that you too will drink deeply the life God has blessed you with. In the midst of the gluttony of food, sporting events, and bargain hunting, may you be able to be still and know that God is God.

Psalm 46:10a records this familiar verse. The NIV states it like this, "Be still, and know that I am God;" and that is powerful. But sometimes, I need to hear it like the NASB translates it, which as I understand is a more accurate rendering, "Cease striving and know that I am God." Ceasing striving means to not fighting against me. The Psalms are so therapeutic and refreshing. Listen to how Eugene Petersen describes this verse in the message, "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." That is what I am going to attempt to do this week. Take a step out of my high traffic life and know that God is God.

I hope to blog much in the next few days, perhaps multiple postings in a day. Or maybe not. There are few things I must do, and I will take my time in doing those. The rest I will take a wait and see attitude.

Peace, Be Still

Thomas Kelly wrote, "People nowadays take time far more seriously than eternity." As I reflect on the conversations I have with people, it seems the pace of life seems to increase almost daily. Now, I do not live in the metroplex, and so much of the hurried-ness I experience pales in comparison to that which those who live there subject themselves.

Over the past few decades with the advances in technology, we have seen an increase in what John Ortberg, in his book The Life You've Always Wanted, calls "Hurry Sickness." It is funny to me, because I still remember hearing ads about how certain gizmos would increase your time, but in fact, it has just opened up slots of time in order to fill them with more things. The result is families and societies that are falling apart.

This not only affects our world, but it begins with our spiriutal lives. Ortberg states, "The great danger is not that we will renounce our faith, but settle for a mediocre version of it." Perhaps this is why the Father tells us to "be still and know that I am God."(Psalm 46). Jesus who was always in step with His Father's will, knew that was a result of getting away. "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16).

If Jesus in His vast ministry felt it necessary to withdraw, why do we think we can do it more efficiently without it. I know when I do not withdraw, my life just seems to collapse on itself, because the foundation is no longer there. So, we must take time to be still. Ortberg suggests that we adopt the practice of "slowing." He even suggests that we can do some practical things to begin training ourselves in that discipline. This includes things like intentionally getting in the longest line at the grocery store or driving in the slowest lane in traffic. Try it, if it is a real stretch for you, you may really need to do more research into this discipline.

So, stop reading this blog, and get by yourself and be still. It will be difficult slowing down your brain for a period of time. It is for me anyway, but try, and it can refresh your soul. The tyranny of the urgent will be there when you get back.

Musings . . . In The Beginning . . .

Thus it begins, this is my attempt at becoming one of the elite. I have found myself lagging behind long enough and therefore, in the words of the great philosopher Rafiki, "It is time!" I enter the ranks of those who BLOG. I welcome you who crave deeper waters, or those of you who have a dead moment in time and have nothing better to do than to see what Tony's thinking about lately! I am humbled that you would take a moment to consider what I have to say. In many regards, it may be much ado about nothing; however, since I, on occasion, I will endeavor to form articulate tho'ts in the hopes that as I attempt the discipline of journaling, for whomever to read. For those of you who desire truly desire tho'ts of true depth, I would defer to my co-laborer in Christ's musings, "The Life Interior."

My offering is not based on merits of a man who has it all together, but rather, nuggets that I have touched my life and I pray it may do the same for you. Greater men than I have set ink to paper. As I run across these, I will pass them along. It has been said that "experience is the best teacher" and someone completed that same tho't, "especially, if it someone else's." All that to say, if you can piggy back on my dumb experiences, God bless you! I would hate to think that all my stupidity was in vain!

Sometimes I may have much to say, sometimes I will allow the much wiser to speak in my stead. Nevertheless, my ultimate ambition is to encourage you toward knowing the Savior, Jesus Christ, in an intimate way which has been my only redemptive quality. To quote the Apostle Paul, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. "

Many start well, but few finish well. May God strengthen us all to that endeavor.