Am I Really Wasting My Life?

Our discipleship group at church is studying the book Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. It's a book that I commend to everyone. In it, Piper systematically explains his view of a life well-lived in God's eyes. He speaks of fulfillment--not our own, but God's. He outlines purpose--not our own purpose, but God's desire for our lives.

We are in the midst of a powerful chapter, titled Living to Prove He Is More Precious Than Life. This chapter really drills down to the misconceptions about a good life and Piper is quite frank about topics like money, sacrifice, avoidance, and the great neutralizer, television. It is a convicting chapter in a powerfully challenging book.

In the chapter, Piper talks of the "weightlessness of God" and attributes the term to David Wells. In his book God In the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams, Wells says, "Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God's existence may nonetheless consider him less interesting than television, his commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, his judgement no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and his truth less compelling than the advertisers' sweet fog of flattery and lies...Weightlessness tells us nothing about God but everything about ourselves, about our condition, about our psychological disposition to exclude God from our reality."

This startling and true reality makes me examine my own ways of minimalizing God. It makes me ask, "How am I honoring Him in my life?" Piper speaks in detail about how just living a good life, spending time with the wife and kids, and not getting into big trouble is wasting a life. When I was dead in sin, I thought that was enough. In fact, it was the example of the good husband and Dad. But as I understand more about God's desires for me, it doesn't seem satisfying at all.

What must we do to live a life well lived in God's eyes? How do we avoid a wasted life? I honestly don't know. But I wait (sometimes patiently) for God to offer me the answers.

A Return to Home for the First Time

My sister, Mae, got married this weekend. It was a wonderful, joyous occasion and it all happened in our hometown of Raymond, Miss. Sadly, I don't get back to Raymond much despite the fact that it's only about 30 minutes away. But in returning home to participate in this celebration, I got to experience one of my places of home again for the first time.

From about the time I was nine or ten, we worshipped at the Raymond United Methodist Church downtown. I was drawn by the kids programs and the Sunday School and my family soon followed. We worshipped there consistently until I went away to college. It was a church filled with Godly people delivering the Gospel from the pulpit, pews, classrooms, and choir loft. I spent many a Sunday in the choir singing about the Grace of God and His unending love.

The only problem was I wasn't hearing it. Through my own sinful nature and my understanding of the world around me, I grew up with the belief that if I was good and faithful, God would love me enough to preserve my soul forever. I can remember many moments of anxiety walking into that sanctuary and thinking, "After what I did last night, how can I show my face in God's house this morning?" or "How can I be sitting at the front of this church when God knows what I'm thinking in my heart?"

It took me a long time to realize that I didn't understand the Gospel at all. I had it backward. I was a grown man with kids of my own before I realized that God loves me where I am and as I am. His Grace allows me to grow in faith and become the best that I can be. I had one thing right in my youth, I would never be good enough to earn salvation. Thankfully, my salvation isn't mine to earn. It was a gift given to me 2000 years before I was born.

So that brings me to Saturday. When Mae decided to get married at Raymond United Methodist Church, I was excited to see my old "stomping grounds" but I had no idea how I would be impacted by being in that place. As we sat at rehearsal Friday night and during the service on Saturday, I thought back to those moments of doubt and thanked God for my journey. It was so pleasing to return home as a man in love with God and living in His embrace. It was so good to be asking the God of Love and Grace to bless the marriage of my little sister and her husband. It was such a powerful experience to be worshipping in such a familiar place and, for the first time, doing it with the knowledge that Jesus is my Savior and the architect of my salvation.

It was so good to go home, even for a few precious hours.

Mississippi State Fair 2010

The Mississippi State Fair has come and gone. It looks to be a record-breaking year with very little rain and BIG crowds. (Of course, the only day it rained was the day we chose to go.)

The highlight of the year had to be the gruesome discovery of the Krispy Kreme Burger. If you've never seen it, it's quite possibly the most unhealthy burger in history.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/03/broadcasts/main1680067.shtml

What is the Gospel?

Last Sunday, our minister, Dr. Derek Thomas, began a series on the Gospel. During his sermon, he gave those of us listening a bit of homework. -- "Tell me the Gospel in 50 words or less."

This was not an easy task. My first attempt was 200 words. Each word seemed so essential to the whole of the description! It took me about four attempts to really boil it down to precisely what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.

I encourage you to take a moment and try this exercise. Not only did it make me focus on the Gospel (which I think was Derek's intention to begin with) but it made me strip away all the "fluff" and speak to the basics of the Good News.

Here are my thoughts on the Gospel, in 50 words or less:

I am a sinner, unable to redeem myself. As my Creator, God wants an intimate relationship with me. He sent Jesus to live and die for me. Jesus suffered God’s wrath as punishment for my sins, though He never sinned. It was the only way that I could be redeemed.

I'd love to read your versions of the Gospel in 50 words or less. Send them to me.

A Time Capsule

My Uncle Will is one of the most kind people I know. I see him rarely but when he happens to touch my life, it's always in a profound and blessed way. Earlier this week, I received a package from him out of the blue. When I opened it, I discovered that this great guy had opened up a little time capsule for my sister, Mae, and I. It's one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in a long time.

Uncle Will went to the tedious task of copying all his home movies on to DVD and sending them to all the members of the family. Not only that, he individualized the packages to include only those films that relate to each member of the family. My pack of DVDs included old home movies from the 1950's and an extensive interview between my great grandmother, Mamaw, and two of my great-aunts. Both discs were filled with funny and sweet moments.

Aunt Bunt:  Mama, what did y'all call that cow?
Mamaw:  Well, I reckon we called it a cow!

As special as those two DVDs were, the most charished gift was on the third disc. In the last couple of years before my mother died, she hosted several family reunions at her home in Raymond. Deep in her heart, I think she knew that she wasn't going to be with us much longer and she wanted to surround herself with her family as often as she could. It energized her to be around her family and it gave her purpose to have a project like a family reunion. The third DVD was a copy of my little sister, Mae, and my cousin, William, putting on their documentarian hats and giving us a glimpse of one of those reunions.

It was great to see all the family. It's been years since I've seen many of the folks that made an appearance on the tape. But the highlight of the reel was the last five minutes or so. It was my sister, Mae, and my Mom just being the best buddies that they were. I cried as I watched it for the first time a couple of nights ago and I'm tearing up as I remember it right now.

Mom radiated on the screen as Mae did one of the dance routines she learned marching with the band. It was so great to hear Mom's laugh when Mae cracked one of her silly jokes. They even sang for the camera! Mom often had a joyful song in her heart but it didn't always come out great when she shared it. That was OK. As she reminded us, we were suppose to make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord. He didn't say anything about it being perfectly on key.

My sister was the coolest kid I've ever experienced and she's still just as cool today. And my Mom was so proud of her and loved her with every fiber of her existence. I have no doubt that Mom lived about five years longer than she should have simply out of love for Mae. It wasn't easy on Mae and she learned some lessons at 10 years of age that most of us don't get in a lifetime. But I don't think Mae would have it any other way and I know that Mom would say the same thing.

Uncle Will, thanks for the gift. I'll get around to writing you a thank you note. I've never been great at that, despite the fact that I'm Retta Porter's son. Mae, thanks for being my sister. You are, without doubt, the best and I can't wait for the big day. You keep living with the heart you were given and y'all are going to have many great days ahead. And Mom... It's been awhile since my eyes have seen you and my ears have heard you but my heart still feels you every day. I miss you.

Operation Spring Fling is April 16!

Operation Shoestring is hosting our annual Operation Spring Fling at the Mississippi Museum of Art on Friday, April 16. This fund-raising party is a wonderful way to support the very important and successful growth going in the Bailey Avenue area neighborhoods. It's also a great night of music and merriment!

By Teaching Children and Inspiring Families,

Operation Shoestring Ensures We All Rise Together.

You should check out Operation Shoestring and our Operation Spring Fling today!

The true uniqueness of “Ole Miss”

As I was coming back from lunch today, I was listening to a national sports talk show and they were discussing tonight’s hoops games. Several times, the hosts referred to “the Cuse” in reference to Syracuse. It got me thinking… How unique is the University of Mississippi’s “Ole Miss”!

There are colleges and universities all over this country that are looking for a one-of-a-kind moniker. There is great benefit in being so easily and instantly recognizable. While many have tried, there are very few that have succeeded. Granted, some of the most prominent schools don’t need them – Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale and Duke come to mind. They are their own brands but they benefit from either a short, non-geographic name or the fact that they’ve existed for hundreds of years.

Others have been successful in the process. I think “FSU”, “UVA” and “LSU” are universal. So is “Bama”. “UGA” is easily recognizable, although it is not often spoken. Miami is now commonly referred to as “The U” but that was more of a marketing/branding scheme.

“Big Blue Nation” is actually a clever nickname but it refers more to Kentucky’s fans than it does to the school. Texas is “UT”, although Tennessee tries to claim it too. Southern California is “SC” and California-Los Angeles is “UCLA”. Both have their challengers, though. South Carolina tries to lay claim to “SC” and there are several variations of “UC”, such as “UC-Santa Barbara”, “UC-Santa Clara” and “UC-Berkley” with which to contend.

Many, try as they might, can’t seem to get it right. “The Cuse” is clunky and awkward. So are “Zona”, “Va Tech” and K State”. In fact, there are so many “State” schools in the country – Mississippi, Michigan, Iowa, Washington, Arizona, etc. – that none of them really stand out as “State”. “A&M” has stood the test of time but only because all the other “A&M” schools have changed their names.

And then there’s “Ole Miss”… For generations, this has been the identity. It was selected as the name of the yearbook many years ago but it quickly became the name most often used to identify Mississippi’s flagship university.

It was never created for a pure marketing purpose. It wasn’t created to sound good on ESPN or anywhere else. It wasn’t invented to fit easy on a bumper sticker. It was organic in its creation and adoption and it has flourished over time. It serves as a nickname but it is also so much more. It has grown to be somewhat of a feeling. It is almost a fondness or a frame of mind.

In a very real sense, “Ole Miss” is the achievement that so many other schools strive for in their pursuit of a nickname or a unique identity. It’s one of the many reasons why it is great to be an OLE MISS Rebel!

"Counterfeit Gods" by Tim Keller

We worship at First Presbyterian Church of Jackson and one of the many great ministries that the church offers is the Discipleship Groups that meet on Wednesday nights. (The supper that they offer on Wednesday night's is pretty dang good too!)

Typically, we pick a book to read and study in our Dicipleship Group. The church does a great job of recommending different reading materials and they've never steered us wrong. We've read and studied several Tim Keller books and I'd recommend any and all of them for you to read.

This semester, we started on Keller's "Counterfeit Gods" and it's REALLY compelling! Essentially, he goes over the way that mankind creates idols out of very real and legitimate parts of our lives. Many times, folks think of little golden statues when the subject of idols is discussed. But, really, anything that we love more than God is an idol for us. It becomes a "conterfeit god" and we worship it in many ways -- with time, money, energy, devotion, etc.

I've not finished it yet but what I've read so far has really drilled down into my soul and spoken to me about my own idols. I recognize that, throughout my life, I've had any number of idols stand in the way of my relationship with God. In my youth, it was acceptance by friends, popularity, girls, athletic success, etc. In my young adulthood, it was partying, status, money, women, my work, or my pleasures. In recent years, it's been my wife, my marriage, my children, my job, or my security.

Keller says that things are all "good" and positive until they become more important than my God. As it is so often for us humans, we can turn a good thing into a bad thing with the turn of a head or a heart. We can take a God-created, God-given beauty and make it the center of our universe, thus making it destructive instead of awe-inspiring.

As I read this book, I hope to discover ways to turn my heart away from my own idols and toward God's beauty and joy. I want these wonderful things in my life, but not at the cost of my relationship with my Creator and Savior. I know I can have them and cherish them but only if I see them through the prism of God and his saving, redeeming Grace. I can only imagine how beautiful they will be when I begin to see them fully in His light.

If you want to hear a bit about the book from the author, check out this link: "Counterfeit Gods" on YouTube.

Mississippi Blues Marathon

Tomorrow is the third running of the Mississippi Blues Marathon, an urban full and half marathon through the streets of Jackson and Flowood. It has been my pleasure to lend a hand in this race every year. This year, the start/finish area will be practically on the front steps of our beautiful Old Capitol Museum in downtown Jackson.

I am so proud to play a tiny little part in a really great downtown Jackson event. I want this downtown area to re-emerge and become the vibrant urban place that it should be. It's going to take events like this and visionaries like this team of race organizers to accomplish it. It is such a worthy cause!

Please take the opportunity to find a music spot on the route and enjoy the festivities. Yes, it's going to be cold but good blues music and the act of cheering on dedicated athletes is sure to warm your heart and your body.

Come out and enjoy!

 Mississippi Blues Marathon