Freedom and Hidden Treasure

I could tell something was wrong from the look in her eyes. Ashley had just rushed into the kitchen and was standing before me pleading for help. “Wow”, I thought to myself, “This isn’t good.”

She went on to explain that a bird was stuck in our garage. After breathing a sigh of relief, I put on my man-face and confidently strutted to the garage assuring her I would take care of it.

I spent the next twenty minutes chasing this bird from one side of the garage to the next, trying to help the flustered creature find freedom.  Every time I got remotely close, it would take to flight again only to smash into the opposite wall and plummet back to the ground. It was frustrating to watch it desperately flee from the very thing trying to help. The bird’s lack of trust in me only prolonged its captivity.

By now, Ashley was standing on the stairs watching and ducking for cover anytime the bird flew within ten feet of her. I eventually convinced her to pick up a rake and help, and she actually led/scared the bird to freedom--but, not without a few screams of her own!

At one point during my futile attempts, I even tried talking to the bird: “It will be a lot less painful if you simply trust me to help you. I want to set you free.” Those words sounded familiar.  Ten years ago, I sensed God saying something quite similar to me as I was broken, hurting, and lost. Even in the midst of my pain, I didn’t give God the time of day. I bolted from the one who offered help, and it surely prolonged my captivity.

As I look back on those years, I shake my head in disbelief that I could be so ignorant. I had no idea how good God is. His kindness is immeasurable. I had no clue how rich of a life Christ offers those who come to him. His heart oozes love, and he truly wants the best for us.

I’ve come a long way in trusting his goodness, but I certainly haven’t arrived. There are still times when I think I know what’s best. God smiles and patiently waits for me to realize the truth, and I soon return asking for his forgiveness. As challenging as it can be to trust, I never tire of discovering the hidden goodness in God’s plans. Sometimes the greatest treasure is buried beneath something that seems nearly impossible to do or give up.

It's part of what makes life wildly exciting...and maybe a little scary.

Happy digging.



Lesson Learned

I should know better. Why do I still make bets with Ashley?

We have a tradition during any major horse race to each pick a horse that we think is going to win. In the event of today’s Preakness, I chose “Bodemeister” and Ashley chose “I’ll Have Another”. The deal was that the winner would receive a twenty minute backrub and the loser would have to deep clean the shower. The stakes were high!

The bell rang, the gates opened, and Bodemeister charged to the front of the pack. He led at the quarter mark, half-way point, and was in a great position as they rounded the final turn and headed for the home stretch. I was perched about two feet from the television, feeling confident, and yelling encouragement at my horse.  I was all but ready to turn to Ashley and hand her the scrubbing brush when I noticed her horse make a move to the outside. “I’ll Have Another” showed that the race wasn’t over as he began to close the gap. By now, it was a two horse race as they approached the finish. Ashley and I were both on our feet, jumping up and down, and yelling quite loudly. Then, it happened….again. Ashley won another bet as her horse won by a nose. I fell to the ground in utter disbelief as Ashley began to high step around our living room in joyous celebration.

Watching Ashley celebrate her victory reminded me of all of the other times I’ve seen her do the same victory dance. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve had to watch her celebrate victory over me several times. She beat me—quite badly—in tennis a few weeks ago. Then, there were the two previous put-put golf match ups where she won both times in miraculous fashion, including about a forty foot hole in one that never would have found the cup without Divine intervention.

I used to think she was lucky, but I’m convinced there’s more to it than that. I believe she’s favored. In fact, I think she is one of God’s favorites.  She always shrugs it off and laughs at me when I tell her that she must be God’s favorite child.

All joking aside, it is powerful to remember who I am married to. I really did marry God’s daughter, and he is crazy about her. We didn’t meet by accident, but rather God brought us together and entrusted me to love and care for something so precious to him. As Dr. Doug Weiss states, “God is not just your Father…He’s your Father-In-Law!”

I paused recently to ask God a simple question: “How am I doing at loving your daughter?” I think it’s a question he likes. I believe he'll quickly answer anyone who dares to ask. Ultimately, the way I treat his daughter is the way I’m treating him.

That’s something I must not forget…Along with the consequences of making any kind of bet with one of God's favorite daughters. 

Chipotle in Heaven?

Taste and see that the LORD (and Chipotle) is good. Psalm 37:4

This was a big week for Sophie. She's turning one in seven days, so we thought it was time for her to officially receive her license--her Chipotle eating license. I think she was initially intimidated by the sheer size of the mammoth burrito, but it didn't take long for her to figure out what the craze is all about!

Further evidence that we are big Chipotle fans...Below is a letter Avery submitted to Chipotle's cup story contest. Look for it on future Chipotle cups everywhere!

I'm all of THREE years old, and I can tell you what my favorite restaurant is: CHIPOTLE! Mom and Dad started taking me when I was still in the womb. Tasting the savory flavors left me kickin' for more. After I was born, I was treated HORRIBLY--they wouldn't feed me Chipotle for a whole year (some nonsense about not having teeth). It was the worst year of my life! It was especially harsh being that they still took their weekly trips to Chipotle, and they had the nerve to tell me how delicious it was. They thought I was drooling because that's what babies do at 6 months. How naive! My tummy was screaming to experience the unforgettable flavors of food with integrity. How did I know that? Mom and dad talked about that, too. My first birthday was a glorious celebration! Not because I face planted into a cake while everyone took pictures, but because that was when I received my official Chipotle eating license. I didn't want a stinkin' cake or lame toys, I wanted a taste of heaven wrapped in foil--and maybe a little help lifting it to my mouth. Now, my friends, I'm a Chipotle eating machine, and I'm loving life! My next task is to get mom and dad to keep their mitsy paws off my leftovers.

Signed,Your youngest, most passionate fan--Avery



Captivating Smile

I'm typically not captivated by a smile that contains very few teeth; however, in the case of my youngest daughter, Sophie, my heart melts every time I see it.  As most parents have experienced, babies usually smile when they are smiled at. When I flash Sophie a big smile, her response is usually to give me an even bigger smile. It’s a game that I can play for hours.

As I’ve drawn near to God, I’ve discovered that he smiles more than I ever imagined.  He is more delighted in me than I am in Sophie, and he’s more delighted in you than you have ever been with your children or anyone else. He is the perfect Father, and when he smiles at us, it’s nearly impossible not to smile in return.

I went through a season a while ago where I was stressed out, burdened, and downcast. It was not a fun place to be, but God taught me something valuable that has made a big impact on my life. When we face challenges and when we feel downcast, it’s easy to fix our attention on the things that are causing distress. We don’t have to work hard to be reminded of the things that are a source of stress—they seem to be more than willing to parade themselves before us on a moment to moment basis. The result of dwelling on the negatives and challenges is a feeling that we’re all probably familiar with. There is a better way to live, and the Scriptures give us insight into how to get different results.


Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. (Psalm 42:5 NKJV)

The author of this psalm is intentionally choosing to praise God in the midst of troubling circumstances. Read the last portion of the verse again. Did you see it? The very countenance of God is a source of help. Now let’s look at verse 11 of the same chapter:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11 NKJV)

God’s countenance is designed to change our countenance. The smile on his face creates a smile on ours. In the same way that my smile is reflected to me on Sophie’s face, God’s countenance is contagious and will soon appear upon us.
  

“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.”’ (Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV)

I like it.

A Creative Creator

God is creative. His creation is saturated with the expression of his creativity. Whether it’s the stars in the sky, the mountains, the oceans, the animals, or the complexity and detail of the human body, you can’t escape the reality that the creator is creative—and I would be willing to bet that we’ve only scratched the surface with what has been discovered.

In the book of Colossians we see that all things have been created by Jesus (Col. 1:16), that the fullness of the deity lives in Christ (Col. 1:19), and that Christ lives in us (Col. 1:27).

Let that sink in.

The same mind that thought of the stars and the same power that breathed them into existence is residing within you. He has given you full access to know him, and he wants you to give him full access to express himself through you. It’s a beautiful partnership.

How vastly different our world would look right now if believers in Christ would allow the creativity of heaven to flow through us. After all, God is not limited to work within the boundaries of what we see with our natural eyes. He wants to create a new reality, and his plan has always been to use us to do it.

I read a story recently about how George Washington Carver used to take long walks in the woods as he talked to God. At the time, he was a young inventor who had convinced some farmers to use their valuable land to plant peanuts instead of cotton. It wasn’t long before the farmers came to him in distress as they realized there wasn’t a market for their peanuts, and that the peanuts were rotting in the fields. Feeling the pressure, Carver turned to God and asked, “Mr. Creator, why did you create the peanut?” God answered and went on to show Carver over 200 different uses for a simple peanut.

It all started with a question. A persistent and available man tapped into the creativity of God and experienced astounding results. It’s exciting to think that the same invitation has been set before us today. May we be as curious, persistent, and available.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Lift Your Eyes...

When was the last time you felt overwhelmed? Do you ever have those mornings where you wake up early, lay in bed staring at the ceiling, and wonder how you are going to get everything done? I know the feeling. I have experienced far too many days where I offer but a passing glance at God in the morning, hit the ground running, and leave him in the dust. Those are the days where I typically end up frustrated, confused, or disappointed with the results.

I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have learned that there is a better way to live. God has consistently challenged me in the area of living day to day and moment to moment with more of an awareness of him. Stop and think about how amazing it is that the God who paints the sunset in the western sky is with you—even better, within you.

It’s so easy to forget this simple truth. How quickly I am tempted to treat God as if he’s really sleeping on the job. I act as if I am a cave in which he hibernates rather than a temple in which he lives. And because he is alive—within us as believers of Christ—isn’t it foolish to ignore him or to neglect to seek his counsel with the details of life? 

It’s been humorous lately to see how many times I’ve “randomly” opened my Bible to the exact same page, 341. In my Bible, page 341 is the home of Psalm 121, a beautiful and comforting promise of God.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

We can get buried in the pressures of life if we’re not careful. At the same time, God is encouraging us to lift our eyes and shift our attention to him. In doing so, we’ll open the door for the most powerful being in the Universe to act on our behalf. He will take up our cause and prove himself capable and faithful.

I have the privilege of living in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, Colorado Springs. We’re planted at the base of Pikes Peak with the Rocky Mountains in our backyard. Shortly after moving to Colorado, I took advantage of the geographic blessing by going for a hike at Garden of the Gods. I eventually ended up perched on a rock with a stunning view of the sun setting behind Pikes Peak. It was unlike anything I had seen before (we didn’t have views like this in Western Kansas). A few minutes later, a pesky little fly started to buzz around my head. I started paying attention to this fly, and as it landed next to me, the Lord spoke something that I still think about often, “This is what you do, son. You take your eyes off the amazing view I’m giving you and you focus on things that don’t really matter.” He nailed me. It was true. Not only was I missing the sunset over the mountains because I was watching a fly sit on a rock, but I was doing this in life as well. I was giving my attention to the wrong things—caught up in anxiety and worry, thus missing everything God wanted to show me. It was his way of saying, “Lift your eyes to the mountains.” Literally. 

The view has been much better.

Minivans, Chipotle Napkins, and God's Goodness

I am a minivan owner.

That still sounds weird, although I’ve been told it will grow on me. Ashley has been working diligently for several months to soften me to the idea, and I finally gave in two weeks ago—under one condition: That she participate in the bartering process.

The last time we bought a vehicle, I began working the salesman to have the price lowered when Ashley became incredibly embarrassed. To say she didn’t like that part of the process is an understatement. She actually ducked out and hid in the car. She later apologized, and agreed to stand by me the next time I began to negotiate the price of a vehicle.

As excited as she was about getting a new van, I could tell she was nervous about the back and forth price negotiation that was inevitably coming. At the same time, she realized that she didn’t really have a choice. If she wanted this van, she had to stick it out and watch me engage in this important but painful process.

As we pulled up to the dealership, I offered some last minute coaching, “Ash, these people are not our friends. They are going to play the nice card, but don’t let them soften us. We have to be firm on our price.” She hesitantly agreed, took a deep breath, and followed me inside. It didn’t take long for a man with a seemingly genuine smile to approach us and offer a handshake. I gave him a reserved greeting and communicated what we were looking for. He did his job well, found the right van, and after some negotiation accepted our offer. It was actually pretty painless. Ashley looked giddy that the bartering was over and the van was about to be turned over to us.

I walked with the salesman to his office in order to fill out some paperwork when the conversation took an interesting turn. It turns out that this man and his wife had recently moved to Colorado from the east coast to attend a local Bible college. They moved here without jobs, friends, or anything else—except the confidence that God was leading them.

He sat back in his chair, dropped his pen, and his eyes filled with tears as he recounted God’s faithfulness. Story after story spilled out of him as he explained that God has provided for them in every way.

“That sounds just like God,” I said with a smile as I looked across the table at my new friend. “He is so good like that.”

We signed the papers, said our goodbyes, and loaded up in the minivan. I was still thinking about his stories as we arrived home, so I went to the kitchen to locate some old Chipotle napkins that we had written on from a few years prior. As odd as it may seem, Ashley and I have occasional Chipotle dates where we dream, set goals, and write out prayer requests to God on Chipotle napkins. I found the napkins, read the prayer requests, and smiled as I realized God had faithfully granted each one. In fact, he had gone above and beyond and gave us more than we asked for. It was good to be reminded.

Sensing I was on a roll, I flipped one over and had Ashley agree to one more thing:

Amen. Let it be.