Last weekend was the 15th birthday weekend for my youngest daughter. Melanie and I like to do what our kids want to do on their birthdays. We make them their favorite foods, give them a gift or two off their lists, and generally try to make it a special day for them.
One of the things Siara decided to do was to play tennis as a family – all five of us. Now I should share that I made my high school team (Highland Park High School in the hotbed of tennis, Topeka, KS) and also played on my college team for a couple of years (at Concordia teachers College in the hotbed of tennis of tennis, Seward, NE). I remember myself as being pretty good.
On Friday in anticipation of the big match, I humbly told my family that I was the best in the family, and they should all expect to lose the next day. This was greatly debated, but since I am the patriarch of the family, it was quickly dismissed – by me.
On Saturday, I went out and bought a new racket – I hadn’t been playing very well recently, and I was sure it was the faulty inferior equipment. I also purchased a few cans of new tennis balls, because we who play at a high level can tell if we are using inferior equipment.
I hit for a couple of minutes with my wife, and then the infamous words were shared – “let’s get this over with old man” - from my son.
Old Man – who is an old man – 50 is the new 30 – old my foot – I’ll show this cocky new college grad a new definition of old.
The game started out 0-1 – Good for him I thought, I won’t skunk him. Then it quickly went 0-2, 0-3, 0-4 before I took the game that should’ve turned the whole match around. Then it was 1-5. A few minutes later, a few words that I regret saying, and a humiliating score of 1-6, 1-1, I knew the end had arrived. I picked up myself, called it quits and went to sit on the sidelines, very frustrated.
My wife asked me why I was upset – and I stated, “I hate to lose.” I realized though that hitting great shots in my mind and actually hitting the shots in a live game were two very different things at this point in my life.
Forward to the next day. Sunday morning I wake up, and it’s Father’s Day. I sat at the table and began my daily reading of God’s Word. I was in 1 Kings and the words God presented for me that day were these…
1 Kings 20:11, “The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.' "”
In other words, don’t be talking big before you actually can deliver on your words.
Thanks God – As I go through life keep me humble in my daily walk. I apologized on Sunday, went out and played some more tennis with the family in the afternoon – just hitting – and thanking God that all my guys were home to share in the special day.
His Word is like that – convicting – sobering – and yet empowering and freeing.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
A New Normal
I shared the following message in our last chapel of the 2008-2009 today.
We started this year focused on a theme – For His Glory
" Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" "
1 Corinthians 10:31
A lot has happened since we first gathered in here on August 25.
We’ve had celebrations and sorrows
Good memories that will last a lifetime and things we are happy to leave far behind
The pages of our lives get filled everyday with something.
The yearbook is really good this year – thank you Ms. Young and the Yearbook staff!
When the year started, it was many blank pages, but the events of the year filled them along the way.
When you think back on our theme, how did we do?
Whatever we did, was it all for the glory of God?
There are things that come to all of our minds that remind us no, we did fall short many times.
That is why it is important to be in a place like OLu.
Here we are reminded that our God knew we would fall short – we would fail. But He loved us so much He wanted to pay the price for our sins – through His death and resurrection we don’t get what we deserve.
There are those moments during the year and in life that we wish we would never have to face. Some of you went through those times and I wish you wouldn’t have had to. It is in those times though that we rely on who God is and trust Him in those circumstances we cannot understand.
One of those times happened a few weeks ago when we experienced the death of Coach Matson. I had the chance, along with Coach Kunau when he was the Athletic Director to interview and eventually hire Coach Matson 10 years ago. He always had high school sports in a proper perspective. He was such a competitor and was always prepared, but also made time for his family and friends.
He had so many friends who were strong Christian men. I think that is important for all of us to note. In our lives, we need to be surrounded by people that point us to Jesus. At his memorial service, it was powerful to hear the words of so many people talking about the strength of his relationship with Christ.
I was thankful to know Coach Matson and valued his friendship.
His wife Heidi shared a comment in the newspaper that I thought was very interesting. She said, “"Our family must learn to live with indescribable ache of Tony's absence as we try to find a new normal, I ask you not to forget us.”
That new normal is what many of you are getting ready to face. For seniors coming to this place for the past four years, this week begins the transition to a new normal. For juniors, it is a new normal to be the leaders in the school. For some of our faculty and staff who are not returning, it is a new normal.
As believers in Christ we live in a new normal as well. When sin came into the world, Satan thought he had established a new normal. Our God though had other plans. And His plan was completed through Jesus and his resurrection. It was nothing that we deserved, but it was a gift for an eternity.
At Azusa Pacific University a few weeks ago, there was a reception before graduation. Three students were invited to meet with the board and special guests to celebrate the fact that they were going to spend their next two years in under resourced areas – the poorest of the poor – helping people improve their way of life.
After each student was recognized, and their plans were shared – the President of the university shared that an anonymous donor was also very touched with their story and he wanted to do something for each student so he gave a gift to the university in each students’ name.
He called up the first student and said that he was forgiven his debt he had accumulated at the school – a tuition bill of $105K!
Then the next student – he did the same thing - $70K and then the last student $130K. Completely forgiven – no more debt.
People that watched what happened said the students did not know what to do – they were shocked that someone would do that for them. They cried – they were ambushed by this man’s grace.
Somebody has given a gift for each of you too. That gift comes from Jesus God’s Son. That same gift is done for you and me when Christ died on the cross. Our debt – death because of our sin – was paid in full – because of His death and resurrection.
There is brokenness that comes into this world that this world cannot fix – but God can redeem each of us through a blood stained cross and an empty tomb. Only He can. And he wants us to bring our brokenness to him.
We don’t always live like this is real though do we?
It is true and we can rejoice and be thankful.
The guy at the university couldn’t do it for everybody. His resources were limited. But Christ did with His unlimited resources. Don’t you think the students would have left the office telling everyone if it would have been for everyone? Our message of Christ’s love is for everyone!
The message is so important – it is only comfort we truly have – knowing that death does not defeat us – but we have a God who saves!
We started this year focused on a theme – For His Glory
" Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" "
1 Corinthians 10:31
A lot has happened since we first gathered in here on August 25.
We’ve had celebrations and sorrows
Good memories that will last a lifetime and things we are happy to leave far behind
The pages of our lives get filled everyday with something.
The yearbook is really good this year – thank you Ms. Young and the Yearbook staff!
When the year started, it was many blank pages, but the events of the year filled them along the way.
When you think back on our theme, how did we do?
Whatever we did, was it all for the glory of God?
There are things that come to all of our minds that remind us no, we did fall short many times.
That is why it is important to be in a place like OLu.
Here we are reminded that our God knew we would fall short – we would fail. But He loved us so much He wanted to pay the price for our sins – through His death and resurrection we don’t get what we deserve.
There are those moments during the year and in life that we wish we would never have to face. Some of you went through those times and I wish you wouldn’t have had to. It is in those times though that we rely on who God is and trust Him in those circumstances we cannot understand.
One of those times happened a few weeks ago when we experienced the death of Coach Matson. I had the chance, along with Coach Kunau when he was the Athletic Director to interview and eventually hire Coach Matson 10 years ago. He always had high school sports in a proper perspective. He was such a competitor and was always prepared, but also made time for his family and friends.
He had so many friends who were strong Christian men. I think that is important for all of us to note. In our lives, we need to be surrounded by people that point us to Jesus. At his memorial service, it was powerful to hear the words of so many people talking about the strength of his relationship with Christ.
I was thankful to know Coach Matson and valued his friendship.
His wife Heidi shared a comment in the newspaper that I thought was very interesting. She said, “"Our family must learn to live with indescribable ache of Tony's absence as we try to find a new normal, I ask you not to forget us.”
That new normal is what many of you are getting ready to face. For seniors coming to this place for the past four years, this week begins the transition to a new normal. For juniors, it is a new normal to be the leaders in the school. For some of our faculty and staff who are not returning, it is a new normal.
As believers in Christ we live in a new normal as well. When sin came into the world, Satan thought he had established a new normal. Our God though had other plans. And His plan was completed through Jesus and his resurrection. It was nothing that we deserved, but it was a gift for an eternity.
At Azusa Pacific University a few weeks ago, there was a reception before graduation. Three students were invited to meet with the board and special guests to celebrate the fact that they were going to spend their next two years in under resourced areas – the poorest of the poor – helping people improve their way of life.
After each student was recognized, and their plans were shared – the President of the university shared that an anonymous donor was also very touched with their story and he wanted to do something for each student so he gave a gift to the university in each students’ name.
He called up the first student and said that he was forgiven his debt he had accumulated at the school – a tuition bill of $105K!
Then the next student – he did the same thing - $70K and then the last student $130K. Completely forgiven – no more debt.
People that watched what happened said the students did not know what to do – they were shocked that someone would do that for them. They cried – they were ambushed by this man’s grace.
Somebody has given a gift for each of you too. That gift comes from Jesus God’s Son. That same gift is done for you and me when Christ died on the cross. Our debt – death because of our sin – was paid in full – because of His death and resurrection.
There is brokenness that comes into this world that this world cannot fix – but God can redeem each of us through a blood stained cross and an empty tomb. Only He can. And he wants us to bring our brokenness to him.
We don’t always live like this is real though do we?
It is true and we can rejoice and be thankful.
The guy at the university couldn’t do it for everybody. His resources were limited. But Christ did with His unlimited resources. Don’t you think the students would have left the office telling everyone if it would have been for everyone? Our message of Christ’s love is for everyone!
The message is so important – it is only comfort we truly have – knowing that death does not defeat us – but we have a God who saves!