The Mystery Tour

Spring Break is now over for us and appropriately the beautiful sunshine we experienced all week is giving way to clouds and wind. A good day to sit inside and catch up.

During Spring Break our kids participated in a "Mystery Tour" with our church youth group. They signed up, packed and prepared for a trip to ?????? They had no idea where they were going! Friends would ask what are you doing on Spring Break. They would respond "I don't know" because they didn't know. So at 6:30 a.m., last Wednesday, they boarded vans on faith that this "Mystery Tour" would be worth it. They trusted us as we instructed them what to pack and how much money to bring; they began the journey not knowing where they would end up. The destination revelation, after MANY hours of driving, was Disney World!

I couldn't help but realize that this trip was not only a true adventure at the "Happiest Place on Earth", but it was also an exercise in stepping out in faith. They had to trust their youth leader that the destination would be worth it. They had to trust us that we adequately prepared them in what to bring. The only way they could experience the fullness of the mystery was to board the van and commit.

It is in that thought, that I realize that God has laid before us a great "mystery tour" in life. We often don't know where we are headed, but we must trust the one who has prepared the way for us and tells us that it is worth it. We can't experience it, unless we commit. It can be scary, nerve wracking and sometimes the journey feels like it will never end, but when we arrive at the place God desires for us we realize it was worth it all!

Lost in Translation

Though now living in Houston, I come from San Diego a beautiful place to live. During my years in San Diego, there seemed to always be a controversy about two crosses. One in La Mesa on the top of Mount Helix; the other on Mount Soledad (standing 29 feet high). Both crosses were erected as memorials to lives lost (a beloved mother and Korean War Veterans). Both had been there as long as I could remember, and as long as I can remember there was always a law suit from someone who stated that they were offended by these crosses - I never saw them as offensive, I saw them as memorials and part of the history of our city. Though a Christ follower, I never attributed a great spiritual significance to them, I don't know why.

So it is odd to me to have had the reaction I did to a site here in Houston. As we were driving to Costco the other day, we passed a church that had erected the largest cross I had ever seen in my life right off the freeway. According to their website it is 170 feet high and is to be a symbol of hope to those who pass it. A very noble intention indeed. However I was not struck with a sense of hope, or anything spiritual; my response was a feeling of shock, visual blight, and excess.
In this time of economic downturn, where families are losing their homes and their jobs; in this time in the world when families live with no drinkable water, where there are hungry children, people dying from preventable diseases or AIDS; in this time when those living not far from the shadows of this cross are living in less than desirable conditions, have lost their homes or had them damaged by hurricane, or just struggling to get by - It seems to me to not be a message of hope - but a message of excess.

I don't get it. It troubles me to think of how that money could have quietly and tangibly spread the message hope. Isn't the message of hope to be spread in personal ways? I don't remember Jesus or the disciples erecting monuments of great enormity to spread the message. If the message is to be "Hey look at us and what a huge cross we put up", the message is clear. If it is a message of hope, I think it got lost in translation.

But that's my opinion.

Something to smile about

Blogs by nature are suppose to be updated frequently. Such has NOT been my case recently. My life has been filled with a variety of activities, none of which connect - demanding extra brain cells to keep track of everything. And so enters my age of using Outlook. The task manager has become my friend....or better put, my brain. If I remember something I need to do - I post it as a task thus removing my need to "remember" everything in my brain.

So today as I cross off "update blog", it brought a smile to my face and I began to think of other odd things that have brought a smile in the past few days.

• Leaves falling from a tree so late in the season. Their dance down to earth is a moment to smile and pause.
• A butterfly scurrying aimlessly around my backyard
• Our dog - every morning when he wakes up with more energy and excitement than should be allowed at 6 a.m.
• A packed and overflowing room of couples wanting to a "Couple Checkup" to help their relationship
• A sunny day that is brisk and has no humidity
• The sound of the school bus bringing my kids home
• A suitcase - signifying a trip with my daughter to San Diego to help plan a wedding (another thing to smile about)

It seems to me the news and state of things seems to be causing an exorbitant amount of tension and worry. Maybe we need to take more time to reflect and smile.

What makes you smile?

Going Outside

Since the holidays, I have found myself inside more often than I would like. A rather odd winter has helped attribute itself to this fact. Days that are too cold, days that are dreary and damp, days that are warm and humid (the curse of living in the south). My days have been filled with tasks that were by nature indoors, in the car, or on the computer.

Then today I looked up from my screen and saw it was a beautiful day. I ventured out to find that there wasn't even humidity! And so I went outside, doing some chores (why can I never just sit and enjoy?), walked the dog, and marveled at what a beautiful day I almost missed. I wonder how many other things I miss because I fail to just look up.

So I encourage anyone who is reading this - lift up your head and look up from the screen - look outside - step outside - and if its nice, go for a walk.

Psalm 3:3

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

A Serendipitous Error

Sometimes a mistake is just the thing you need. Our church has been doing "Life Journals" - reading selected scriptures each day and journaling about what they say and how we can apply it to our lives. While the passage to be read was, according to the list, Luke 15 - the online journal listed 2 Peter 1:3-10. This "error" was the perfect passage for me today and I thought I'd share my journalings.

In view of these economic times when we/I tend to focus on what we don't have, or what we have less of, or what we can't afford, the passage in 2 Peter reminds us "God gives us everything we need". Not for our little wants and wishes, not to live a trouble free life of comfort - no God promises to give us everything we need to live a godly life. Everything. He gives us everything! Not some, a portion, a sampling - EVERYTHING.

Later the passage tells us that those who fail to grow (perhaps in the knowledge of this fact)

• are "shortsighted" - not trusting for the future or things we can't see in the distance
• are "blind" - not seeing the blessings right in front of us, He has given us now
• "forget" - we need to remember that we have been cleansed, our sins are forgiven and we need to life our lives as forgiven children blessed by God and not wallow in past mistakes

I am thankful today that a "typo" brought about encouragement. I am more thankful that God has given me everything I need.

Houston Winter Wonderland - video

The final installment of our snow retrospective of 12.10.08. I would like to credit my kids for teaching me Windows Movie Maker which helped in the making of this video. It was fun to relive our wonderful snowy night. (By the way, in the video we show the temperature - the time is wrong as the clock broke long ago). Enjoy!

We interrupt these snow reports.....

Okay I promised that my next blog would be our snow video (that's on today's VERY LONG to-do list), but another really cool thing happened.

Yesterday I get a call from Kristal saying that the shuttle was flying over Clear Lake (as it was heading back from California). I called Robert who had seen it out his window. Unfortunately I couldn't see it and thought it had landed. When the kids got home they told me how it had flown over their school - apparently since the school already had a planned fire drill, the school coordinated it with the flyover so the entire student body could see it fly past. Many families in Clear Lake have a family member who work with the Space Program - they never get to see the actual shuttle since take offs and landings are in Florida (normally). It was a nice treat to look into the sky again for the second time this week and see something that makes you smile. By the way the photograph was taken by someone at Gateway who has an amazing camera!