Religion

Some where along the way in the last 2 years, I have changed and changed in a good way. Things that I could once watch and listen to on the radio can spark an emotion in me that I have never experienced.

For years I have listened to the music of Christian artist Mark Schultz and he has three songs that just get me every time that I hear them.  Tonight though, I want to focus on He’s My Son. Here is the story behind the song and I think that you’ll understand why it gets me:

Mark Schultz wrote this song about a family dealing with their son’s cancer when he was a youth minister at a church in Nashville, Tennessee. It was inspired by the grieving of a couple in his church, whose son had been diagnosed with leukemia. Shultz observed the struggles of the mother and father. He explained in CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs In Christian Music: “Louise often stayed up with (Martin) until he fell asleep. She would rub his back and try to comfort him, but she felt helpless. Some nights, John would wake up and walk down the hall to Martin’s room and watch him sleep. As he stood there, he would try to imagine what life would be like without his son.”
Schultz added that he “tried for several months to write a song for John and Louise, but nothing seemed to capture what they were going through. I couldn’t begin to understand the depth of pain John and Louise faced every day – but God did.” He then went on to explain that eventually “the only thing I had to do with this song is that I just happened to be there when God sat it in my lap.” – Source: Song Facts

You see, my wife and I have been blessed beyond belief.  We have two very healthy and active boys. No matter how my day goes, I can walk into the room and they can change the course of my day.  I can do something that not all parents can do, I can hug my sons and kiss them goodnight.  I can lay in the floor and let them crawl all on me. I can chase them around the room or let them chase me. And I can do all of these things, every single day. And there are father’s that are out there that would give anything to do those things.

And as I watch Mark’s song, He’s My Son, it just hits me even harder how lucky we are, because I don’t know what I would do if I got the news that my son had Leukemia or some other disease?  I cringe at the thought. I cry for those that do have to deal with this realness every day.  And I hope that if I am every faced with something like this, that I can remember this song, because at the end of the day, He’s My Son and I would love my child and pray every day for them to be healed. I would pray that I could take their illness on instead of them. And I would remind myself, that as a Christian, I’m Still HIS Son and that

Please take a moment to watch He’s My Son by Mark Schultz, it is life changing for parents.

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Today as I read the news about the Connecticut school shooting, I am incredibly sadden and hurt for all of those involved. The students and faculty that were innocently murdered by a someone. As a parent, I am terrified that one day, I will be sending my children to school and that this could happen where they attend.  So, as I read the news, a few thoughts came to mind:

To the parents of the school kids, there are no words. There is no comfort that can be given. There is no way to change today. I only hope and pray that in time, the pain will subside a little. No parent ever thinks that they are sending their children to school to enter harms way. School should be a safe harbor, a place to learn and grow and be a kid.

And to the parents of the shooter, they will forever live with this pain and sorrow, knowing that their son did this. A pain that no parent should ever burden.

Today, we as a country mourn the Connecticut school shooting and we pray that together a community, that you will overcome this tragedy.  I leave you with these verses that maybe, at some point, that some sense can be made out of this senseless and selfish act.

Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

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This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
– View more here.

That is how we opened each worship service at church out in Texas and it still stays with me each and everyday. This is the day, is one of the first things that pops into my head each morning, because it is a reminder. It reminds me that today, is today that God made, and that no matter what happens, that I should enjoy it and be grateful.

So today, be grateful. Be Humble. Remember your faith. And remember that we are not promised tomorrow. So tomorrow, remember, that This is the day that the Lord has made, so rejoice and be glad in it.

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My wife had attended the same church for almost 30 years, minus the years that she was away at college. And when we started dating, we went to the same church that she grew up in. But for the last 2 years, I had been struggling. I needed more. I wanted more. You see, when I lived in Texas, I went to an amazing church. I went to a church that I was a big part of and wanted to do even more. I was there all the time. But the church that my wife and I had been attending, I just could not get that attached to. And I don’t know why?

But something happened 2 weeks ago. My wife looked at me and said, I think that I am ready for us to look at a going to a new church. Man, I was floored, excited, relieved, and a little nervous. I wasn’t sure if my wife was just saying this or if she really wanted more? Would there be a falling out if we went to a new church?

Well, we went to a new church yesterday. Still a United Methodist church, which we both wanted. But a new church none the less. We walked in, we were greeted immediately. We walked the boys down to the nursery and they walk in and start playing. The service was good. We figured that since we were trying something new, why not try the contemporary service, which was really more of a blend of the traditional and contemporary services, the biggest difference being that they had a praise and worship band.  After church, the day kind of got away from us and after we put the boys down and my wife and I were eating dinner, she asked what I thought about the service that we went to? And we just talked.

We talked about not only the church and how we felt, but why it took my wife so long to get to the point of being ready to look at going to a new church. We lead into more of a conversation about how important the church is to both of us and yet, how we had allowed other things to prevent us from going over the last year. I think that our lives are getting ready to really shift and take on a new meaning and dynamics. And it started with the new church.

 

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Today is all to familiar reminder of Hurricane Katrina. As I watch the news about Hurricane Isaac, I am reminded of living in Houston and preparing to drive to New Orleans, not realizing that a hurricane was heading straight for the city. It was a rare week, because I had not watched the news and seen what one of the greatest cities in the US was heading for. But today, as I sit on the east coast, I am reminded of meeting people that had been evacuated and transported to where I lived in Houston and as they shared what they had seen, their possessions that they had lost, but how grateful that they were that they had made it out alive with their families.

You see, faith, it is an amazing thing. A person’s faith can define them forever. It can change the way that they view the world. And it can change the way that they view others. Those families that I met, had a lot of faith and I am sure that today, as many of them had return to the city of New Orleans, their faith is being tested by Hurricane Isaac. According to Answers.com, the word faith, is used 365 times in the bible, is it any wonder?

So today, as Hurricane Isaac is heading towards the great people of New Orleans, my prayer is simple, I pray today that those that are in harms way, are safe and protected. And that those families that have damage to their homes and to their belongs, that they have faith and hope, so that they can rebuild and grow stronger.

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Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken biscuit

 

In case that you have lived under a rock for the last two weeks, you might have heard that the CEO, Dan Cathy,
made comments recently about the “support of the traditional family”, i.e. the marriage between a man and a woman.

Today I was asked by a friend what I thought of all this, because 1) I would have an opinion, 2) I watch the news on a daily basis and I keep up with going on and 3) I am a Christian.  So here is a summary of my response.

  • The CEO of a private of company made a public comment
  • What if McDonald’s or a company founded or run by an atheist, would they be the same standard?
  • Did they know realize that Chick-Fil-A was founded on Christian principles?
  • Aren’t we all humans and why can’t we enjoy some waffle fries?

So to expand on these a little more, here is what I was trying to get at.

The CEO of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy, made a comment about his personal views about the company. His comment was in regards to the “support of the traditional family”.  At no time did he mention that Chick-Fil-A was refusing a gay person or their significant other a meal? Did he mention that Chick-Fil-A would not franchise out a new store to a gay couple? No.

But let’s take it a step further. What if McDonald’s had made the same statement? Would there be the same outcry?  And what if the owner of a private McDonald’s franchise was an atheist, would they receive the same negative press? I don’t have an answer to that question.

But who doesn’t know that Chick-Fil-A isn’t owned and for the most part, operated by Christians that own franchises? For goodness sake, they are closed on Sundays. Seriously? What more do you want to know? Do a few Google searches and you  will quickly realize where the founding principles of the company come from. But, take a step back and ask yourself again, if an atheist owned a company, would you have the same response? Would people/the public/the news be so quick to jump to the same conclusions and statements? Here is just 1 article that I found from Forbes.com.

So for my disclaimer, I do not know Dan Cathy or for that matter, anyone that works at Chick-Fil-A. However, I do love their food. The spicy chicken sandwich and waffles fries are off the hook. That being said, here are my personal views. I don’t care that Dan Cathy made these comments, because, he as a business owner, made a statement about his company. A statement, that should not have shocked anyone. I truly believe that if you were to poll 10 people, they would almost all agree that Chick-Fil-A is a Christian company.  But to go 1 final step, a private citizen, who made a comment, but did not discriminate against anyone entering into one of their stores. The Muppets have been dropped by Chick-Fil-A, the Mayor of Boston tells Chick-Fil-A to stay out of Boston, and now Governor Huckabee is launching a Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day.

Where does it all end? I just want a Spicy Grilled Chicken and some waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A and call it a day.

 

 

 

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CrossWhen I was in Texas, the small group that I was a part of that meet every Sunday morning would start each class with a simple question: “Seen God this week?” And it was a simple question, but one that was really powerful for me.  It really made me more aware of what was going on during the week, to stop and look around for how God was working not only in my life but others. And when I started really focusing on this, I saw things differently.

Years later, I move to the east coast. I still attend church, just not as involved as I was out in Texas. This is for my reasons, but it dawned on my a few weeks ago how much I missed answering that question every week. So it got me thinking, have I seen God this week? And it was a simple yes! I saw him when I woke up this morning and got to see my sons smiling at me. I will see him again tonight when I go home from work and my boys start jumping up and down waiting for me to play with them.

And every night, before I go to sleep, I thank God for having another day with my little boys and hope that he gives me tomorrow with them as well.  But now that I am more aware of this need/desire, it has renewed my energy about God. I might not be involved with my current church as I was with the church in Texas and that is for many reasons, but I will be reading the bible more. I just purchased two books by Adam Hamilton “24 Hours That Changed The World” & “Final Words at the Cross ” and hope to start reading them this weekend. I hope that these book continue to help me seek a deeper relationship with God, which will ultimately make me a better father.

So, as you go about your week and daily activities, stop and ask yourself if you have seen God this week?

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Every night, before I lay the boys down, I say a little prayer over them. It is simple and basic, but goes something like this:

Dear God,
Thank you for today and thank you for these boys. Please watch over them tonight and protect them from harms way. Please help my wife and I be better parents and love these boy more every day.
Amen.

I think that it is important to get the boys use to praying now, as it is a part of our lives.  A book that I’ve read a few times now, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?, by Philip Yancey, has really had a powerful part into not only the importance of prayer, but how to pray.

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I think that I was 13 or 14 before I realized that not everyone went to church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. My wife was born and raised in the Methodist church and I was raised in the Baptist church, but switched over to the Methodist church when I was about 20. So for my wife and I, church is not an option for our children. The church is an important part of our lives and we take it very seriously.

For my wife and I, we have decided to attend the Methodist church that she grew up in. That being said, there might come a time that we find another Methodist church closer to our house. But for us, it is important for us to worship (I am excluding the religious part here on purpose, as I believe that religious beliefs are an individual thing) in a place that is inviting to all, that promotes helping others – especially those in need, and that has a strong children’s program.

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. – (Matthew 18:2-6 ESV)

We have already had our boys christened in the church as a profession of our faith that we will raise our sons in a Christian home, but also to begin their journey with God as well. I found this on the United Methodist Church website as it pertains to the need to baptize babies:

Why Baptize Babies?
From the earliest times, children and infants were baptized and included in the church. As scriptural authority for this ancient tradition, some scholars cite Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me…for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Mark 10:14). However, a more consistent argument is that baptism, as a means of grace, signifies God’s initiative in the process of salvation. John Wesley preached “prevenient grace,” the grace that works in our lives before we are aware of it, bringing us to faith. The baptism of children and their inclusion in the church before they can respond with their own confirmation of faith is a vivid and compelling witness to prevenient grace. – Read More on baptizing children.

We also have started getting the boys from the church nursery and taking them with us as we partake in communion. I want the boys to learn and make decisions on their own, but I also want to get them involved in the church as earlier as I can, to help mold and shape their views.

 

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My wife and I had been married for 3 years when we found out that we were expecting our little boys. Now going on year 4 of our marriage, we have two little boys, how is our life going to change? What new traditions will we start together as a family of 4 now?

So here is what we have started thus far for our new traditions:
1) Saturday morning breakfast – every Saturday morning, the boys and I get up at 6am, I feed them a bottle and we come downstairs and watch the news together.
2) At our church, which is a Methodist church, we observe communion once a month. Even though we take the boys to the nursery during the service, we do get them and take them to the front of the church for communion. For my wife and I, communion is a very sacred thing and we want our boys to experience that with us, as a family. The boys are too young obviously to partake in communion, but the ministers pray over them as we proceed to take communion.
3) My wife and I alternate the feedings with the boys. Most week nights, we both feed the boys at 6am and at 7pm and then obviously on the weekends, we have them all day, but we alternate feeding the boys each night, so tonight I get one and then the next night, I would feed the other baby. And whoever we feed, we put down to sleep that night.

My wife and I have tried to combine some of the traditions that we had already established and now we are creating new traditions with the boys.

What traditions have you started?

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