What is So Amazing About Grace

I received an email this week that asked me for some thoughts about grace and "Why" its even available. I so love sharing grace with people, mainly because I love having received it and continuing to receive it from a loving God that understands my shortcomings. However, like most people I really struggle with the why sometimes. When I see what a mess we have made of God's love for us I sometimes wonder how long He can put up with it. Without sounding too cliche-ish I guess that is why they call it AMAZING. None of us in our human selfishness and pride would ever come up with the concept and definitely couldn't pull it off. Yet, the creator of the universe says I don't care where you have been or what you have done or who you have done it with I still love you enough to give you my son. After wrestling with the concerns of a parent for a struggling child for the last four years I am even more amazed by a God that would give up a son for people who seemingly don't care on most days. The thought of losing my son is almost paralyzing and I surely can't imagine giving him away without a fight. How did Abraham have the faith and courage to trust God on Mt. Moriah. I haven't been able to completely lay my Isaac down yet, but God is teaching me about faith, and grace and HOPE! Romans 5:8 has become my favorite verse of scripture as God has taken me through the journey of the last few years. "And this is how God showed his love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." That part "while we were still sinners" is what comforts me and perplexes me. We don't have to become perfect and can't become perfect on our own. That's what makes grace so amazing, in fact that's what makes it grace.

Screened In Porches and Cool Summer Nights

It's nearly midnight and I find myself in my personal sanctuary reflecting on the day. It was just a routine Monday, which happens to be my day off. Nothing really special about today, but I have spent quite a bit of time here in my personal sanctuary, working on my sermon for Sunday, writing some articles and beginning the early stages of a couple books and potential business ventures. Now at the end of the day I find myself looking over my schedule and to do list and realizing how peaceful it is in my personal sanctuary.

My personal sanctuary is just a simple screened in porch in back of the house. The couple we bought the house from had it built and even wired it with cable (Thank You Ed). I've made a couple of revisions and added some lighting, but it is nothing that impressive. It will never make it onto HGTV or Cribs or anything like that, but it is my place, my personal sanctuary. It is amazing how calm and quiet it is, even in the middle of the day, but especially at midnight.

So as I sit here in the quiet I found myself thinking about how lucky I am to have it. Life is hectic. Some days seem almost unbearable at times, but then I can go to my sanctuary and most nights it's just me ... oh and God.

I find myself writing or at least developing most of my sermons here during warm weather months. Some of the most intense times of prayer in my life take place in my personal sanctuary. Other times I just sit and think in my personal sanctuary. I sure am glad I have this place.

What about you? Do you have a personal place where you can meet God at the beginning or end of the day? I'd love to hear about it.

John Wooden and Other Legends

As a child I remember watching John Wooden lead UCLA to records in college basketball that will live forever. All I knew was that he was the best basketball coach ever. Later in life I found out about the person John Wooden. He was a great coach, but it is the person John Wooden that will be remembered as the legend.

I had a great trip to California a few years ago to spend some time with Coach Wooden's pastor and some other ministers. Unfortunately there was a personal emergency of someone close that took Coach Wooden out of town at the last minute and prevented him from attending the dinner he was supposed to come to with eight preachers to talk about life. Instead he sent autographed books, that just became more of a treasure. I read one of them on the flight home. When we went to church at Shepherd of the Hills on Sunday, there he was, where he was every week he was in town. I was fascinated listening to Dudley tell stories of the legend. One story I remember was about Dudley walking into a Sunday night youth service full of hundreds of teens and modern worship music and seeing Coach Wooden on the back row. Dudley ask him why he was there and Coach said that he was out of town that morning and he just needed to be in worship. Oh by the way, he was 91 at the time! WOW! I sure wish that I had gotten to meet him.

So this morning I am thinking about life and the end of life and what attributes make someone considered a legend. I would love to hear about some other people that you have met (or almost met) who you would consider to be legends and why you feel that way about them.