The Anchor Holds

Years ago, a Christian artist recorded a song titled The Anchor Holds. It was a brilliant articulation of the idea that, Christ is the only reliable anchor in the midst of life's raging storms. It also served as a poignant reminder that the storms of life are an inevitable part of living. I am amazed at how many of us, though we know this fact in theory, are taken by surprise when hit with tragedy or difficulty. In recent weeks we have read of tragedies across the world that have left families devastated and searching for answers. The collapsed mine in Utah, in which trapped miners including a young father of three young children, lost their lives, readily springs to mind, as does the raging hurricane, Dean, which has reportedly already taken twelve lives in the Carribean, and is currently threatening the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico as a category five storm (the worst and deadliest hurricane there is).

Sometimes, what is missed in all the pain of the tragedy is the amazing heroism of ordinary people, living ordinary lives, but who end up doing extraordinary feats. The young father of three apparently threw himself over another miner who was alongside him attempting to rescue the original six miners that had been trapped in a preceding cave-in, saving the life of his fellow rescuer while sacrificing his own. I think the Church could learn a thing or two from stories like this. Supreme sacrifice is actually the measure of real Christianity! It is the story of the Cross. We have made it about "supreme success" with little said about sacrifice. In essence, we have begun preaching "another gospel." That is largely because the message of sacrifice is not a palatable message in todays Church. In our "motivational" world of success strategies, where success is measured largely by accomplishments, sacrifice is kicked to the kerb in favor of the "What's in it for me?" culture.

Let me quote a friend on why sacrifice is a "four-letter" word in today's Christian vocabulary.

"You won't turn on television and hear many preachers declaring such a message [a message about sacrifice over success] nor will you visit many churches and hear it either. The reason is it will not attract a crowd. But it will attract God, and He attracts a crowd. The Gospel is not a story of success but rather one of sacrifice. Yes, it creates success, but success that is born of sacrifice not of greed and self-centeredness. The message of success without sacrifice begets cowards not heroes. It gives birth to those who put themselves above all others; who desert in the heat of battle, and who abandon ship when it begins to take on a little water."

It behooves us to remember that the salvation we so freely enjoy was not free; it came at the greatest price. The ultimate supreme sacrifice was made. The intersection of God's love and the Cross of Christ is where we experience the greatest demonstration of sacrifice that breeds success. As we pray for our own needs today, let's make it a point to say a heartfelt prayer for the bereaved and beleaugered families of the recent global tragedies (beyond just Utah and Mexico), knowing that they have paid a high price in reminding us of our mortality in the midst of life's raging storms. If you are a Christian, then you can draw comfort from knowing that "The Anchor Holds."

Cocoon

Wow! I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from being away from blogging for so long. I haven't had access to the internet for a while, as my life has been a whirlwind of activity over the last week-and-a-half. We have had to pack up our "lives" and move house, only to unpack all the stuff we'd just packed up a few days before. Moving can be a real drag. I discovered that moving actually reveals who your real friends are, (they are the only ones willing to move heavy washers and dryers, refrigerators and other large pieces of furniture which don't belong to them).

It didn't help that Orlando weather has attempted to simulate hell over the last week and a half, with temperatures running into the high nineties and the humidity creating havoc, with a heat index of 110 degrees. It made me wish that I could have jumped into an ice box to cool off. Interestingly enough, we had recently participated in a wonderful event for the city of Longwood, dubbed, National Night Out. It spotlighted local area businesses and ministries, and we were invited to participate by the city. The event was held at a base ball park and we had the privilege of being located on home plate. As we sweltered in the heat, I couldn't help but think about what it must be like to be cocooned in the arms of God, safe and secure from all harm. "It must feel like being in the airconditioning on a meltingly hot day," I thought to myself.

Then Laini, one of our associate pastor's daughters, demonstrated just what it was I had been thinking. She found one of the coolers that had been used to cool the water we were handing out to people, and promptly plonked herself down in it and shut the lid over her head. Right then I saw the sermon illustration! I wish adults were as uninhibited as kids, and much less pretentious than we are. If I'm being honest, we probably all wish we could have jumped into the cooler with Laini and cocooned ourselves in the cool, comfortable, and secure atmosphere that it offered. This is what is required of us as we are called to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding. Sometimes it requires that we look "foolish" and jump into the cooler where we are cocooned in the safety of His everlasting arms while the "heat" of our circumstances swelters around us. I'm thinking about jumping into a cooler (if I can find one I will fit into), will you join me? Enjoy these pictures of National Night Out while you sit in your cooler.

The Long and Winding Road

"That was a pretty long contemplative period," I hear you say. I guess the more time I spent away from my routine, the more I realized how much I needed to get a new perspective on a number of things. Let me share with you one of the things that has crystalized in my heart over this "contemplative" season. Life does not guarantee, or even promise you constants. You are not guaranteed that things will turn out exactly as you've planned. You are not even guaranteed that your making all the "right" choices will assure the expected outcome. There is only one thing that is guaranteed (and I'm not talking about death and taxes), and that is the fact that God is always faithful.

As I've stated on a number of occasions, it may seem difficult to wrap your mind around the concept of God's faithfulness in the midst of heartache and difficulty, but that is simply a matter of perspective. A mountain may seem somewhat small and undaunting from a great distance, but your perspective changes once you begin the climb. Our perspective on our circumstances cannot be motivated solely by those circumstances, but by the promises of God in the Scriptures. As His purpose unfolds in our lives, our perspective changes as we begin to understand a little better why we went through certain circumstances. One way to guarantee a change in your perspective, is by developing a personal relationship with Jesus. A personal relationship with Jesus will put a new perspective on your values, it will redirect the daily investing of your gifts and your purpose, and the lessons learned along the way will become invaluable stepping stones to help and encourage others, instead of just being hard experiences. Why is this so important you ask? Too many people aim at nothing with their lives, and instead live randomly from one experience to another. Living like this assures you a schizophrenic lifestyle. Happy one moment, depressed the next, depending on your circumstances. Since our lives are made up of cumulative seconds, that become minutes, that become hours, that become weeks, and... you know the rest, each moment and decision that we make, has a profound effect on the totality of our lives.

To understand this, and successfully scale the mountains of life, you must have a proper perspective of your "mountain." My father-in-law is 'famous' for his profound cliche's. One of my favorite ones was when he would say, "The great big road of I-don't-care, leads to the wonderful majestic city of Oh-had-I-known." In other words, if we live our lives as if nothing else matters but our happiness, we are likely to miss God's purpose for our lives. The reason for this is the faulty premise which suggests that the most important thing to God regarding you is your happiness. In reality, the most important thing to God concerning you is your obedience and the molding of His character in you. Ask Joseph, he would probably tell you that his stint in prison wasn't necessarily the "happiest" season of his life, but he continued to be obedient because of God's promise. He ultimately became Prime Minister of a foreign nation. Ask Moses, and he is more likely to tell you that a life as Prince of Egypt would have certainly been more accommodating than life as a goat herder (he went from dining with Heads of State, to counting the heads of sheep). He ultimately delivered God's people from a 420 year "hiatus" in Egypt.

Prison prepared Joseph to rule with sensitivity, understanding, and compassion. Hibernating on the back side of the wilderness for forty years prepared Moses to lead millions of Jews through that same barren landscape for another forty years. Here's a profound truth about life: The road may often seem long and winding and at times inavigable. But whatever road you're on, and whatever the difficulties of navigating that road may be, make sure it isn't the "great big road of I-don't-care," so that you don't end up at the "wonderful, majestic city of Oh-had-I-known."

The art of contemplation

I'm in a rather contemplative mood right now. I've been this way for a few days as I process through God's plan and purpose for my life. Why do I seem obsessed with the will of God and His plan for me? The short answer to that question is, simply because life has no real meaning or purpose outside of His will. As a pastor, I deal with people on a daily basis who think that the world is caving in around them. In some cases it is actually true (figuratively speaking of course), but the reason they are unable to cope with the pressures is because they are hard pressed to believe that God actually has a plan for their lives. They believe the circumstances over the promise of God.

It's hard not to focus on the negatives when there seem to be comparatively so few positives, but ultimately faith is the capacity to trust that there is a master plan. We are a City whose builder and maker is God. We are not the architects of our own destiny yet we insist on trying to design and orchestrate the course of our lives. The sad part of all that is the fact that we generally don't do such a good job of charting our own course. Contemplation helps me slow down long enough to "Let go, and let God take over." I need that in my life every so often, especially since I am so driven to produce. I need the serenity of contemplation, the quiet solitude of listening for His voice, in order to re-orient myself on the course He charted out in the first place.

It's the end of July. Seven months seem to have flown by, and the year is more than half way through. I need some clarity and perspective over the last few months of the year, so these last few days I've been contemplative. Care to join me?

Stretching the bow

Have you ever felt as if you're swimming upstream? Have you ever felt as if you're doing everything right and yet going backwards instead of forwards? Well I have good news for you if you've answered these questions in the affirmative. We had a guest speaker in church today, a good friend of mine who pastors a church in San Benito, TX. He preached a really great message and I am in no doubt that, judging by people's responses at the end of the service, it really hit home for many of us.

What struck a cord with me the most was his analogy of a bow being pulled back in preparation for release to strike the target. He likened this to what God often does in the lives of people that He is preparing for great works. In the midst of our greatest pain and struggle, when we feel like we are doing everything that we know God has called us to do and yet making no apparent progress, it is in those moments that He is simply "pulling us back" like the proverbial bow, preparing to release us toward the target that He has appointed for us. My friend further reminded us that the way to the throne is through the giant. David had been anointed king of Israel long before he ever had to face Goliath. This knowlege gave him the reassurance that he could not die in battle against the giant because the promise of God had not yet been fulfilled in his life. His battle against Goliath was a necessary step towards ascending the throne of Israel.

This should bring you great comfort, knowing that God has anointed you for great works and has planted a vision in your heart that is yet to be fulfilled. These "temporary and light afflictions" are merely your preparation for launching. In the process of preparation though, God molds character in you, removing the things that would be a hindrance to your purpose, and placing in you all the things necessary to your success. So take heart. Know that you are not walking this road alone and that the end of the journey holds nothing but great testimonies about God's faithfulness. As you endure being "pulled back" prepare to enjoy the ride as you are released from the bow towards your destiny.

Of Hands and Feet

As a christian leader how do you define success? I was recently asked this question by someone in our congregation, and it gave me pause to think. In our results-based culture, where success is generally measured by how big, how much, how often, amongst all the other "hows", it's easy to get busy "laboring and working for the Lord," trying to accomplish the vision we've been given. The inherent danger of that "busyness" is that we often forget to slow down and enjoy the "fruit" of our labor: savoring the relationships that have grown out of our effective ministry in the lives of people.

I call this the "Martha Syndrome". Martha was so in love with serving and helping others, that when Jesus came over for a visit she complained to Him that Mary, rather than sit at His feet as He talked to them, needed to be in the kitchen helping her prepare the meal. Surprisingly, rather than scold Mary and send her scurrying off to the kitchen to assist busy Martha, Jesus chided Martha saying, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10: 41 - 42). I guess the lesson is that sometimes we need to still our busy hands from all the serving and laboring and just sit at His feet.

Ministry can sometimes appear difficult and even thankless. Until you look a little deeper. If the "hows" are all that you look for, you might have a tendency to miss the real fruit of your ministry. I've often said that the journey is sometimes the objective, and not the destination. While this doesn't hold true for every circumstance, there are many instances in which it does. Taking a moment out of the 100-mile-an-hour dash to the destination, to stop and savor the fruit, might give you a whole new perspective on your effectiveness. As I have wrestled with my own definition of succes in ministry, I have continued to have my perspective reshaped by some of the incredible people I've met along the way. Consider the following letter I received from a couple that had attended our church for a season, found a personal relationship with the Lord, and then relocated out of state. While I have removed their names to protect their privacy, nothing else in the letter is changed.

It brings me great sorrow to think that I will no longer be able to participate actively in the growth of "The Well". I came to The Well initially, expecting that it wouldn't be long before I became disinterested. Little did I know that The Well would be my salvation. Not only have I discovered my inate love for God, but I have also been able to contribute for the better of humanity and our community. It is because of your devotion to show what God's love can do, that we can all live in harmony with ourselves. The promise of our life beyond is the prize that we can all look forward to. You have shown me that, and for that I am eternally grateful. It pains me that I will no longer be on the receiving end of pastor Joseph's meaningful sermons. They are truly inspiring and moving. I pray that you will continue doing what you do, knowing, I am sure that you will help to save countless souls.

...You both have been an inspiration and blessings in our lives. You brought a close family even closer, and in the faith. I can never thank you enough. You will always be in our thoughts and prayers.

Wow! This is why we do it. Like the quote for the day says, "Transformation gets people's attention. There's no better method of evangelism than a changed life... it takes a process of discipleship to fully transform lives from darkness into light." Anyone want to sit at the Master's feet with me today?

A good time was had by all

Sadly this is the last instalment of our South Padre Island Chronicles. Today I am posting a pot pourri of photographs for reflection. I am truly grateful for my wife and kids. If I had been given the chance to have hand picked my family, I couldn't have done any better. As I reflect on the week of our vacation, and nostalgically revisit all the pictures we took, I am reminded that there is nothing better than family.

All the money in the world could not have made this vacation any more enjoyable. Playing racquet ball with my son each day, building sandcastles with my daughters, walking on the beach with my wife, chowing down on "cabrito" in Mexico, fishing in the gulf, and all the other incredibly fun things we did, could not have been any more enjoyable. These things were fun because of the people I shared them with. I am one of the wealthiest men in the world! I make that declaration boldly as I recall a conversation I had just this evening with a dear friend. He reminded me that I am blessed and fortunate because I have a wife and kids who love me, as well as friends, a lead team, and a church that values and prays for me. How could anyone be wealthier than that?

I hope you enjoy these last few photos of our South Padre Island vacation. I know I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing them with you. Drop me a line sometime about your vacation.

Gone Fishing

Believe it or not, last weeks trip to Texas was the first time I've ever gone fishing. On a previous trip to Mercedes, TX, I had gone on an overnight "fishing trip" on a relatively small boat. While the company was wonderful, we spent much of the night bobbing up and down in the water, trying to fall asleep under the stars. As I recall, there was no fishing done whatsoever, and if the truth be told, I was particularly excited to get back to dry land the next day.

Not so this trip. My son and I went out with a couple of avid "professional" fishermen on a really nice boat, and they had more fishing rods between them than I would care to count. After they'd explained the rudimentary details of fishing, we started our first practicum by throwing a net out to catch our own bait, and then we headed out into the gulf a few miles to catch some prized red fish. It was an incredible experience, and by the time I had wrestled my fish into the boat, I'd begun to have dreams of winning some sport fishing competition (not so fast my friend, I'm just kidding). The amazing thing is that only my son and I caught anything before we had to head back to shore (0ur boat developed a little engine trouble). We both caught 27 inch red fish and the experience of reeling them in and wrestling them into the boat was heady.

I must admit that it was one of the highlights of our trip (at least for me) and I really am seriously considering taking up fishing as a hobby (with all that spare time I have). That evening we had fish for dinner, and I admit, I had fish for breakfast the next morning too. There was so much meat that my family could only eat one of the fish (all five of us) over two meals. We gave one of the fish to our friend Efrain, who had been so gracious to take time off from his busy work schedule and hang out with us while we were on vacation. I am attaching a photo of my son and I proudly displaying our catch (and for good measure I am tossing in a photo of Efrain trying to fish with his mouth while tubing). The photo of us holding our prize catch is a little grainy as it was taken on a camera phone. In case you're wondering which one I am, I'm the good looking one on the left, or is it the right?

Anyway, the sense of accomplishment in knowing that I'd actually caught and cleaned my own dinner, made the fish taste better than any I have ever had. I guess it's sort of like 'fishing' for men. Jesus called His disciples to walk with Him, promising to make them "fishers of men." The comparison is drawn from the fact that there is no greater feeling of euphoria than sharing the truths of the scriptures with someone, and then sharing in the privilege of leading them into a personal relationship with Jesus. The satisfaction I derive from "fishing" for men is incomparable to anything else I have ever experienced. It's a joy and a privilege to go "fishing". Maybe you should try it sometime!

Matamoros

One of my most favorite things to do when I visit south Texas, is to visit Mexico. It's a little less than 30 minutes drive from Harlingen through the International Bridge in Brownsville, to a town called Matamoros. A large group of us crossed the border in three cars, on an express mission to get some world famous goat meat. I absolutely love goat meat! In Mexico it is referred to as "Cabrito" and is served roasted and tender, with tortillas and all the "fixins." It was my family's first trip to Mexico, and my wife even found time to visit twice, going to another town called Nuevo Progresso. I am posting some of the photos of our foray into Mexico. In case you're wondering what the spiritual principle for today is, I figured you'd be too preoccuppied with the tantalizing photos of cabrito to worry about that. But just in case you need a little something extra, remember that you'll never really know how good something tastes until you try it, so don't knock goat meat until you've tried it. I'm not sure what that translates into in a spiritual context but I'm pretty sure you'll come up with something. Cabrito anyone?

Walking on Water (okay, in water)

The day we arrived on South Padre Island, we met up with Chad Roy, a friend of a friend, who owns a brand-spanking-new boat. He took us out on the gulf about a mile or so from shore, where we got to see the wild dolphins feeding up close. As they pranced and danced around the boat, sometimes they would come within ten feet of us (it felt as if you could lean out of the boat and touch them). It was an amazing sight and feeling.

Initially the older of my two daughters, who happens to be less adventurous, had her face buried in the crook of her arm, not wanting to see where we were going as we "floated" across the water. As you will see in one of the photographs, that lasted about, oh, all of two seconds before she was in the water prancing and dancing like the dolphins. This was because of her initial perception of the waters of the gulf. Being a mile out from shore, we somehow got the impression that we were out in really deep waters, especially because we were only a few yards away from where the dolphins were feeding (and we had been informed that they only feed in deep water and it was around 20 feet where they were feeding).

When my friend and my son decided to go tubing, we discovered that we were only in about two and a half feet of water. Because the water is rather dark and murky, it was impossible to tell that it was that shallow since we couldn't see the ocean floor. This is how it is in our relationship with God sometimes. He asks us to step out of the boat and trust him to walk on water, but we think "there's no way on earth I can do that, the water's too deep!" Perception isn't always reality though. Our notion that the water where we were was deep, however scary to my daughter, was false. Once she realized that it was actually really shallow, she was willing to step out of the boat and walk on, I mean in water!

It was shallow enough at some points that we got stuck on a sandbar and literally had to pile out of the boat, and dig the bow free so that we could push it into deeper water. Today I am posting pictures of our water escapades. Enjoy!

Green might be the new black

Last week we went on our first family vacation (all expenses paid by someone other than me) since moving to Orlando to start The Well. It was a really relaxing time for me, and I actually rediscovered the joys of hanging out on the beach, wading out into the water and being buffeted by the waves, and just plain doing nothing! I'm back home now. Back to the real world. While I truly enjoyed my time away, I couldn't wait to get back to what I love doing so much: Investing in people's lives and serving our community through The Well.

Anyway, just as I promised last week, I will devote this week to posting photos and stories about the trip so that you can live vicariously through me (This might be just the vacation you've needed yourself). We were meant to have stayed at the condo of a really generous friend of mine. However, when we arrived in Harlingen (the airport you fly into to get to South Padre Island) he informed me that his condo only had one bedroom, a pull-out sofa bed in the sitting room, and no maid service. Since there are five of us in my family, and we were commited to personally not straightening one sheet this week, this would have posed a bit of a problem. He'd already thought of all that ahead of our arrival and had decided to book us into the Radisson for the entire week, on his own dime. Wow! we had a two bed/ two bath condo on the 10th floor overlooking the pool and the beach. What an incredible view to wake up to every morning (I could really get used to that kind of lifestyle).

We cooked much of the time, ate out some of the time and generally blew our disciplined eating lifestyle for the entire week. Fortunately for us we were reliably informed that once you cross the bridge from Port Isabel onto South Padre Island, calories don't count. Phew! What a relief to know since I probably set a new Guiness world record for number of calories consumed in a day. They were right about the calories not counting. My son and I played raquet ball every day and the scales actually indicated that I was losing and not gaining weight (no I didn't adjust the scales, why would you even think that?). Now that's the way to live. To be able to eat whatever you want and not gain a pound. Don't quote me on that though if it doesn't work for you.

Today I will post a few pictures of the view from our room. Is that green I detect on your face? Don't worry, envy is easily taken care of through the deliverance ministry, just call my assistant and set up an appointment!

By the way, today is my precious wife's birthday. It's one of those really special ones with a zero after the first digit, and it isn't thirty. If you know her, drop her a line and wish her a fantastic day.

Reach out and touch someone

Airports are interesting places to people watch. You'd be amazed at how much you can learn about people by just observing them at the airport. We have a really awkward connection going back to Orlando, which includes a really looooong layover at Houston's International Airport. I have been people watching!

We are relational creatures. Everywhere I look, people are on cell phones "reaching out and touching" someone else. Others are fighting a losing battle trying to keep their kids occupied while they wait for their flights (the kids would much rather climb on precarious barriers set up for crowd control in the endless lines). I notice couples talking, kissing, holding hands and doing whatever it is that couples can do (in public). I see grossly overweight people stuffing their faces with fast food and guzzling down massive cups of soda that cost almost $8.00 each. Then there are the "techies" typing away at their keyboards as they attempt to stay in touch with the rest of the world.

It's amazing how relational we are. The only apparently miserable people I've seen are sitting alone (and evidently have no one to call). We need people in our lives that make us feel wanted and loved. We need to feel that our lives matter to others. As I write this, we are seated in this massive, security-conscious building, all waiting to get on a metal tube that will zip us through the sky at over 600 miles an hour, just so that we can get to the people we love and connect with. If we are so relational, such that we cannot do without connecting with each other, I wonder what God must feel like when we neglect spending time with Him, especially since we are made to be relational just like Him. Have you connected with Him today? If not, why don't you take a moment right now and make that happen. You don't even need a phone or a laptop and so there are no expensive roaming charges or server fees. Come on and join in the fun. Even though you might not be at an airport, you can reach out and touch too!

Can you handle the journey?

I am an avid fan of the Tour de France. The month of July every year finds me glued to "Versus", a channel I watch at no other time of the year. The Tour de France is arguably the most gruelling, most exacting sporting event in the world. I am somewhat of an amateur bike rider myself, riding an average of 80 - 100 miles a week. I know, I know, what possesses an over 250 pound man to become a road biker, I hear you ask? I guess it's the thrill of the downhill. when everyone else is rolling at 30mph and I am zipping by them at the colossal speed of 40mph. My weight serves me well on the downhill, it just doesn't do as much for me when I'm laboring uphill and my heart rate is spiking at 178bpm.

These professional bike riders on the other hand, average around 140 pounds and most of that weight is in their massive legs. They have tree-trunk-thighs and massive calves that pump like pistons as they maintain an average road speed - on the flats not the downhills - of over 35mph. The Tour de France lasts all of 23 days and covers a distance of over 2000 miles through some of the most unforgiving terrain anywhere on earth. They ride through mountains that have been known to humiliate some of the finest athletes on earth. In some cases, some of the riders have simply stopped, gotten off their bikes, and quit the race. The mental strength required to finish this race is limited to so few, that significantly less than 60% of the riders who begin the race each year actually finish it.

Why do they do it? Why are they willing to punish their bodies and stretch themselves beyond human limits just to stand on a podium on the Champs Elysees? I think it's because, what differentiates us from animals is the fact that we have an innate sense of purpose that drives us to conquer and achieve the seemingly impossible. Sir Edmund Hilary, when asked why he would attempt to climb Everest (before it had ever been done) replied, "Because it is there!" The riders of the Tour have been asked to sign a commitment letter demonstrating their commitment to compete at the highest levels without the use of performance enhancing drugs. All the participants in this years tour have signed that letter. What appeals to me most though, is the fact that the organizers of the race are aware that ink on paper is no demonstration of true commitment and so they came out with the following statement:

Commitment isn't something you can just sign your name to. It's something you train for your whole life. It's something in your genes. You either have it, or you don't. You won't find proof of it in the ink on some dotted line, but you will find it in the mountains of France...let's ride.

This reminds me of Craig Groeschel's statement at the ARC conference earlier this year. In making a comparison between the pastor whose church doesn't grow and the pastor of a mega congregation, he suggested that one of the primary differences between them was the amount of pain they were willing to endure. Anything that is worthwhile, valuable, and positively impacts people's lives, is bound to require sacrifice, and will more than likely exact a painful price before final success is achieved. This can be said of the Christian experience.

Many Christians have been sold a bill of goods, in being made to believe that Christianity takes all your problems away and makes life easy. The real truth is that Christianity is like a pearl of inestimable value, a jewel of great price. We must be willing to sacrifice everything in order to live the full experience. Like the riders of the Tour de France, what we say about what we believe, carries significantly less weight than what we do. The mountains of life will determine our commitment levels.

Today it will be overcast, partly cloudy and...

I'm in South Texas. South Padre Island to be precise. This is actually the first vacation my family has been on since we moved to Orlando to plant The Well back in November of 2005. It's incredibly beautiful here and I will make sure that I post a number of photos and stories about the trip all next week. Today however, I wanted to write about something a little more somber that happened.

We stopped off at the Walmart Superstore just outside of the Island (grocery store prices on the Island require a mortgage) to do some grocery shopping for the week, and while we were waiting for an attendant at the Deli, I noticed a young woman also waiting to be attended to. She was attractive and looked like she might be a tourist too. These weren't the things that struck me most though. What caught my attention was the fact that she was crying. When she caught my eye, she wiped her tears and attempted to look as if everything was okay, but her red cheeks, puffy eyes and down-turned lips made it a losing effort.

In this sea of festive humanity, the majority of whom appeared to be enjoying some kind of vacation, it seemed rather incongruous to find someone looking so dejected and unhappy. I walked up to her and asked her if everything was okay. At first she said she was fine, but again the uncooperative tears betrayed her as they freely poured down her red cheeks. I gently insisted that she tell me what was going on, and she finally said, "I'm just really sad." When I prodded for more information she told me that her husband had decided to file for a divorce, and their two little daughters (two and a half and five years old) were with him this week. She further intimated that she didn't want the divorce but was at a loss for how to stop it.

Then I did something "stupid"! I asked her if I could pray for her. Imagine her response. Instead of deciding that I was some sort of kooky weirdo, she actually began to sob even harder, and thanked me for being willing to pray with her when I didn't even know her. I called my wife over and quickly explained what was going on, and right there in church...I mean in Walmart, we prayed with this precious lady and asked God to do a miracle in her marriage and in her husbands heart. We prayed for her two daughters, and we prayed for God's peace to overwhelm and comfort her. She was utterly amazed that two complete strangers would be that interested in her. My wife gave her a big hug and we gave her our contact information so that she could call and share the good news with us when it all works out well.

Too many of us think that our Christian witness is worn only on Sundays, in a "church" setting, and only with people that we know. I don't know what the final story will be of her impending divorce. I do however know this; she found out yesterday (if she had ever wondered in the past), that beyond a shadow of doubt, God loves her deeply. She discovered that His love for her runs deep enough that He was willing to send two perfect strangers all the way to South Padre Island, to encourage and comfort her in the midst of what might possibly be her darkest storm yet. What's the weather like in your neighborhood? Is there someone that needs a little sunshine in their lives that you might be a God-sent answer for? By the way, what's that glow radiating out of you, could it be the calm for someone elses storm?

Spacious skies, purple mountains, amber waves of grain and other beautiful sights

It is truly amazing to observe what Katherine Lee Bates did from the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado, as she penned the now famous words to America the Beautiful. I have had the privilege of seeing this view on numerous occasions while living in Colorado Springs, and it truly is breathtaking.

It struck me recently, as we celebrated our Independence day, that, to observe the natural beauty she did, and interpret it the way she did, necessarily required complete freedom. Freedom from the kinds of burdens that would have served as a distraction from all the natural beauty around her. By my reckoning freedom is at best a nebulous term, since many people define it differently. For the man incarcerated, who spends the majority of his life behind bars, but yet has found peace and contentment in a personal relationship with Christ, freedom holds a completely different meaning than it would to, say, the man who spends his life using drugs while backpacking and hitchhiking from one town to another, living off the goodwill of people and sometines doing the occasional odd job to pay his way, while enjoying his freedom to live as he pleases.

I call to mind the incredible and awesome natural beauty in places like my birth country, Nigeria. The endless stretch of incredible, virgin-white beaches, the warm and turbulent atlantic waters with their waves breaking on the empty beaches, stretching for miles along the coast of Lagos (undoubtedly an undiscovered surfers paradise), the majestic, tall palm trees swaying in the wind, as if in rythm to a song only they are privy to. All of these amount to... nothing! In a nation where survival and three square meals a day aren't a guarantee, these natural wonders are completely wasted on the average person who passes by, oblivious to the veritable tourist gold mine upon which we sit. Had these natural wonders been found in a country that is truly free, where the focus is on enhancing lifestyle and not just survival, they may well have become among the most traveled tourist spots on earth.

America has worked hard for her freedom. The old cliche rings true, that freedom is not free. I read an internet article (don't quote me on its veracity) recently that stated that a large majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence met with hardship, poverty and death. Some spent much of their lives as fugitives from an oppressive British government that was bent on staving off the American fight for freedom and independence. Whether these assertions about their struggles are true or not, the point is well made that freedom always comes at a high price. If you doubt that fact, you need look no further than the war in Iraq and the casualties that have been claimed by the fight for a democratic world. Whatever your political position on the efficacy of the war, you cannot argue the fact that a high price has been paid to preserve the freedom of the Iraqi people as well as the rest of the Middle East, that have sufferred at the hands of tyrants like Saddam Hussein.

America is great because she is free! As Americans, we are free to choose what, where and when we will eat. We are free to choose where we work and what we are willing to accept as fair compensation for our labor. We are free to choose what we will wear, what we listen to, what we watch, we are even free to choose Coke or Pepsi. The greatest freedom we have though, is the freedom to choose, who, what and when to worship. Herein lies the paradox. Our freedom, if we choose to worship the wrong thing, will lead us back down a path of bondage. This in turn will cause us to miss the beauty that is all around us (a drug addict that "worships at the altar of meth" will more than likely not concern himself with appreciating the view from Pikes Peak the way Katherine Lee Bates did), a beauty that is so quintessentially American. I for one am proud to be an American, and I am gratified to know that my freedom is greater exemplified by the freedom to worship Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I urge all Americans (as well as non-Americans) to take advantage of this freedom which we sometimes take for granted, and seek for a personal relationship with the One who paid the greatest price of all for the most valuable freedom that could ever be purchased. Freedom from eternal estrangement from our maker. The price? The "blood of God" shed upon a cross for you and for me. A more horrific yet beautiful sight as Christ freely choosing to hang from a cross, has never been seen before or since, not even from the top of Pikes Peak!