Parades and Promotions

I have thanksgiving traditions. Turkey in excess…cornbread stuffing…football. I usually avoid TV parades. This year, I sat down and actually watched a little of the parade and God spoke to me. How does God speak during a parade?


I was drawn to consider the balloons.


I thought that in the last part of his life, Paul the Apostle was like a parade balloon.


Look at Philippians 1:22-24 ,”If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”


Paul wrote this letter while chained between two Roman soldiers. He was awaiting his certain execution, or he might call it his promotion day. Yet the joy and anticipation in this passage shines like the noonday sun.


Paul was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for Spirit is translated “wind or breath”. That reminded me of the hot air to inflate a parade balloon.


Paul was so full of the life of God he was having a hard time staying here. But, just as the parade balloons are held to the earth by the ropes for dozens of people, Paul was tethered by the needs of believers he was teaching and training.


In hospice care there is something special that takes place. Often the patient lingers in unconscious state until they are released by loved ones. It’s like they stay tethered until their loved ones give permission to leave.


When the call came to me 11 years ago that my Mother was at the end, we hurried to Houston to be by her side. We got there at 2 in the morning and spent hours by her side as she struggled. She finally slept peacefully when she heard my brother’s voice by cell phone.


The next morning, we got back to her room at 9, held her hand, prayed and told her it was OK to go. She did. In 25 years of ministry, the first person I had ever been with at the end was my own Mom.


Like Paul, she got her promotion.

The Golden Rule Pays Off

I spoke in Venezuela in 1991 during Christmas break. My flight plan was leave Houston for Miami, change planes and get to Caracas, Venezuela. Seemed simple, right?


The plane in Houston was delayed 6 hours so they could change the windshield wiper motor on the pilot’s side of the plane. The grumbling started in the first hour and grew into a chorus of whining the likes of which I had never heard. The poor gate agent faced a line of 30 people yelling, cursing and griping.


I decided to join the line as well.


After waiting in line an hour, my turn came. With a forced smile the exasperated agent said “What can I do for you?”


I replied, “Take a break…relax…tell me about your family and how your Christmas was. I know none of this is your fault and I have watched you show patience with the passengers. Close your eyes and imagine being out of here and these people are gone. I just want to say THANK YOU.”


She was stunned. She asked for my ticket and then did that fast paced keying in to her computer they always do. Then she returned my ticket said to check in at the gate on the rest of my flights to and from Venezuela.


She also booked me on a flight 3 gates away leaving for Miami in 10 minutes, had my bags moved and bumped me to First Class! I asked why. She said it’s like God had sent me to give her hope and she made a note on the computer telling other agents what I had done. She asked them to bump me First Class whenever they could!


All together, I made 5 connecting flights down and back and only sat in coach for one time!


During the holiday madness of shopping and travelling, remember to be kind to those who serve you.


Key concept: do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Simple Gift Request

Once, I was the lead teacher for a 7^th grade Sunday school class.


One holiday season, we asked the students what they wanted for Christmas.


As we worked around the room, the usual choices were prominent. TV in my room, a portable phone in my room ( years before cell phones came out), a Sony Walkman tape player (kids ask your parents)or the old standard…cash. “Oh, yeah and me too” echoed in the room as cool gifts were named.


Then, God showed up and humbled us all in the midst of our selfish anticipation.


You know, God speaks through gentle voices and whispers as often as thunder and shouting.


God spoke through a shy, wallflower little boy. We knew this boy rode the bus to church and came from a tough home. We guessed he would ask for something like new shoes, clothes etc.


This little boy stood up, choking on the lump lodged in his throat and in barely audible words simply said, “the one thing that would be my best gift ever is …a friend.”


Stop. Read that line again. Let it cut…sting…convict like we all felt over 30 years go


In our world of instant communication with Facebook, Twitter, texting, cell phone and email…someone in our life wants a friend. Someone who cares. Someone who knows their name and needs. Someone to talk to.


Students, you know who the campus rejects are. 


Adults, we all have neighbors we do not know. 


Will you be Jesus to them and reach them where they are or be too cool to care?


 Everyone on the face of God’s earth is here by His creative, life giving power. They are worth knowing…loving…accepting.


Jesus calls us His body. We are his hands to help the poor...His arms to hug the lonely…His eyes to notice the lonely around us.


Will you bring Jesus to them?

How God increases your worth

 Notice any signs saying WE BUY GOLD on the streets lately? The signs are saturating the city. Gold still retains purchasing power an actually goes up in value.


Do you know how gold used to be refined?


A goldsmith would have a furnace that he could put the gold in a little pot through a hole in the top of the furnace. He would continually stoke the fire from beneath.


As the heat rose, the dross would rise to the top. As the impurities came up he would use an instrument to skim off the junk and debris. This process would continue until he knew the gold had reached it’s most pure level.


How did he know when this was reached?


As he peered into the furnace, he could see a faint reflection of his image in the gold. The more heat and time applied the more the gold would be purified. When the image was clear, focused and exact…the gold was ready.


Troubled by fiery trials? Confused or disappointed with life or with yourself? Bordering on hopelessness?


The sufferings of Job are well documented in the book that bears his name. God allowed the evil one to test him and was he ever tested. His fortune and family were wiped out in a few moments. He did not have much of a future to look forward to either.


In Job 23:10, he reveals a depth of wisdom that age him patience and perspective. “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”


The Refiner, God is still working in you as He works on you.


Be patient. He is working to have you reflect His love…life…liberty. 


Rejoice that you are being treated like a child of the King.

Count or Write Your Blessings

The last 2 months of every year fly by the fastest. The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a blur. Now is a time to pause, reflect and rejoice in thanksgiving.


We used to drive to Houston from Slidell 3-4 times every year when our children were all much younger. It is nearly impossible to get together now. The last time was Katrina evacuation. The trip from our house to grandparents’ was 365 miles. Before Gameboy, Iphone, Ipod or any electronic babysitters came out, we had to either play cassette tapes (kids ask your parents what those are) or try to pickup both radio stations between Baton Rouge and Beaumont. These stations played both kinds of music…country and western.


The challenge was how to keep the children from being bored.


Know what one of our favorite games was? The I Thank God game. It goes like this.


The first person says, “I thank God for…” and then fills in the blank. Now keep in mind the ages of our kids ranged from 2 to 10 during some of those trips. They thanked God for the seat belts, the drive through at McDonalds, puppies etc. Regardless, it was cute and from the heart


One time as a family goal, my wife wrote down what everyone said to see if we could reach a hundred. We made it in short time.


Childish? You know it! But Jesus said if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a little child we will not enter it (Luke 18:17). I look back on those times and realize we were as near the heart of God as a family as we have ever been. We were in kingdom time.


This Thanksgiving, put a note on the fridge with a magnet and a pencil and number the page 1-100. As family or friends walk by, have them fill in the blanks. You will be thankful you did!