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Concussions are not a lot of fun!

One of the problems with being tall (and clumsy) is I hit my head a lot. Yesterday I hit it a little harder than normal.

I was bending down to plug in the overhead exam light, so I could see better to examine a patient’s skin lesion, when I hit my on the mounting arm for the light. The blow almost knocked me off my feet and left me with a 2 cm cut on my head.

After one of my colleagues Steri-stripped the laceration, I went back to work. However, as the morning progressed, I started feeling woozy, unsteady and nauseous. I was having trouble concentrating and tasks that are normally routine I was having to really think through. Finally, after almost falling when I closed my eyes, I decided it was time to go to the ER to get checked out.

Thankfully, a head CT was normal, and I was released with a mild concussion and instructions to take it easy the rest of the day. No problem with that, because I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon away.

This morning I’m back to normal (or at least as normal as I get), but I’ll be a little more careful and watch where I’m going better in the future, especially when I’m in the tiny exam rooms at our clinic. Some lessons hurt more than others.

Often, like happened to me yesterday, life knocks us down unexpectedly. We can be going along just fine, when – “Bam!”- something knocks us off our feet, sending our world spinning out of control. It could be a job loss, a broken relationship, an unexpected illness. Often, like in my case, it’s just pure carelessness on our part. Whatever the cause, we’re left reeling and in pain.

The good news is, even in times like these, God never leaves us. As it says in Micah 7:8, “…though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light.”

No matter how many times life knocks us down, God will always be there to lift us back up. Even when it’s our fault, His hand remains outstretched to help. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up…” (James 4:10 NLT)

This week, when life knocks you down, don’t waste time laying there feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, when you fall, reach up! Take hold of the Father’s hand and “rise again.”

God bless and have a wonderful week!

We live on a very winding road in a beautiful mountain valley. In fact, there are 36 curves between the highway and our house. You don’t want to be prone to car sickness when you come to visit us.

We’ve lived here for about 11 years now, so I know this road pretty well. No matter the weather I feel confident I can get from the top to the bottom without incident. It does get a little hairy when an oncoming driver decides to cut into your lane on a blind corner, but most of the time it’s a pretty smooth ride.

In spite of driving this road for a lot of years and feeling like I know it pretty well, I would never try to navigate it at night without my headlights on. That would be pretty foolish! No, I keep my lights on, watching for deer or other hazards, making sure to stay in my lane (most of the time), and looking for the signs that tell me what lies ahead.

While I wouldn’t even consider driving at night with my lights, even on this road I know so well, I too often blunder through life in the dark, when there is glorious light available to light my way. What do I mean? Let me explain.

Psalm 119:105 tells us God’s Word is “a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” And the Bible is not just any light. It is the greatest light of all!

We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

We don’t need to stumble through life running into obstacles, unsure which way to turn. God has already lit the way through His Word, telling us not only the way we should go, but, through His prophets, what lies around the next corner.

If you want to find your way safely home then remember to follow the example of the Thessalonians who “searched the Scriptures day after day….” (Acts 17:11 NLT).

Every morning open God’s Word and let Him give you directions for your day. As you travel through the darkness of this world let His promises light your way. And when you lay your head down at night, let His Word be the last thing you see before you fall asleep. If you do this you will never lose your way.

This world can be a pretty dark place, but, if we let it, God’s Word will light our way. So remember, before you head out on the road today – Turn on the Light!

I haven’t written anything in a couple weeks. There’s lots of reasons for this – the heat, my schedule, plain laziness – but mainly it’s because we’ve just been super busy. Between going to visit our kids, gardening, remodeling the house, and a hundred other things, life’s been a little crazy.

One of the things that’s added to the busyness is we’ve finally gotten serious about dejunking our home. Over 38 years of marriage we’ve collected an awful lot of stuff, most of which we probably don’t need. We’ve still got unopened boxes from our move to Washington State in 2001! We just keep throwing them in the truck and taking them to the next place. Well, that’s all starting to change.

We’ve spent our free time in the last week going through some of those boxes. We’ve laughed when I pulled out a pair of slacks and discovered that, for some strange reason, I couldn’t button them up anymore. We’ve remembered good times when the kids were little as we went through a box of baby clothes. And we felt nostalgic when we discovered pictures of friends we haven’t seen in years (miss you guys!).

For the most part, however, most of the stuff we’ve found we don’t need or want anymore. It’s just been taking up space and wasting our time moving it around. These things we’re hauling to a friend’s yard sale, so some other poor soul can stack them in their attic or garage for awhile.

Just like occasionally cleaning out the attics and closets of our homes is a good idea, cleaning up the garbage cluttering our souls regularly is also essential. Those hurt feelings, cherished resentments, guilty pleasures, and harmful habits take up precious space in our minds, waste our time and hold us back from the abundant life Jesus wants for us (see John 10:10).

In Hebrews 12:1 Paul calls on us to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up”, so we can “run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

If we keep all this junk we’ve accumulated in our house, our next move will be more difficult and expensive than it needs to be. In the same way, if you hold on to the past, to your old habits, hurt feelings, and cherished sins, moving to your heavenly home will be impossible.

So, what weight is slowing you down? What sin is tripping you up? What old hurt is holding you back? It’s time to let it go. Just give it to Jesus. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

These things are just holding you back, weighing you down. Let them go! Give them to Jesus and let Him show you the way to a better (and lighter) tomorrow!

An old friend dropped in yesterday – literally!

Mark is a paraglider and yesterday afternoon, as Ana and I were just getting back from a drive up into the mountains to celebrate our 38th anniversary, he landed in our backyard.

Having paragliders land in our field is a pretty common occurrence, since they often launch off the mountain above our house, but it’d been a while since we’d seen Mark, so it was great to catch up.

As Mark folded up his paraglider we chatted about family, friends, work, politics, and even God. Later, when I drove him down to meet the other paragliders he’d launched with, our conversation continued, touching on recent events in the news and our reactions to them.

The crazy thing is, Mark and I agree on hardly anything. Whether it’s politics, religion, or something as simple as what to eat for dinner, Mark and I are usually on different sides of the issue. In spite of that, we get along great! Why? As Aretha Franklin sang, it’s a little thing called R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

A little respect goes a long way. I may not agree with Mark’s opinion very often, but I respect his right to have that opinion. At the same time he respects me for the stands I take. And just because we don’t always agree, doesn’t mean we can’t get along and enjoy each other’s company.

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to “Respect everyone.” In this world, where everyone seems to be taking things to extremes and where there’s more yelling than listening going on, Christians need to follow this advice more often. Even when it comes to sharing our faith Peter tells us to “do this in a gentle and respectful way.” (verse 16).

Proverbs 15:1 warns, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” This week when you come across someone you disagree with (and you will), take a deep breath, tone down the rhetoric, and show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. You’ll be amazed what a difference it’ll make in both your attitudes.

Showing each other a little respect may not change the world, but it sure could brighten your little corner of it.

God bless and have a wonderful week!

My wife, Ana, recently bought a small pool for our dog’s yard. The weather is finally warming up, after a really cool spring, and the pool helps our puppies deal with the heat.

Ana used a hose to fill the pool with fresh cool water and Bella and Lilly had a wonderful time splashing in it all day. The next morning, however, Ana was surprised to find the pool totally empty. It didn’t seem possible the dogs could have splashed all that water out in such a short time, but she reconnected the hose and filled the pool again, much to the dog’s delight.

This morning, when Ana went to feed the dogs, she was surprised to find the pool empty again. We checked it for leaks, but it seemed fine. Feeling stumped as to what could be wrong, Ana started filling the pool again. That’s when it hit her!

She had been leaving one end of the hose in the pool after it was full and then disconnecting the other end, which was down the hill from the dog yard. The water was being siphoned off by the hose through the night. Mystery solved!

Do you ever feel like that pool? Every morning you get up and start the day with a refreshing drink from God’s Word. After drinking deeply from the “fresh, bubbling spring” Jesus spoke about in John 4 you go out filled with “living water”, ready to face the day.

Then life hits! Everything that can go wrong goes wrong! The car won’t start. The boss is a jerk. Bills need to be paid. The toilet overflows. Pretty soon, like the hose in the dog’s pool, the cares and frustrations of your everyday life have siphoned away the joy and hope you started the day with, leaving you dry and empty and ready to give up.

So, what’s the solution? Ana fixed the problem with the dog’s pool by pulling out the hose. However, that won’t work in our everyday lives. Bills will still need to be paid. Cars will still break down and toilets will overflow. Removing the hose is not an option, unless you decide to run off and be a hermit.

The only answer is to keep the hose connected to the Source. Filling up with “living water” in the morning is not enough. We need to stay connected to Jesus every moment of the day by lifting our hearts to Him in prayer, claiming His promises, and looking for His hand at work in the everyday things of life. If we do this we will never run dry and never thirst again.

This week, don’t let life siphon away your happiness, leaving you drained and empty. Instead, stay connected to Jesus. Drink deeply of the living water He provides and let it become in you “a fresh, bubbling spring within” flowing out in blessing on everyone you meet.

One of the things I love doing in the summer is “a lotta front porch sittin’”. Feet propped up on the table (don’t tell my wife), glass of lemonade in my hand, and a good book to while away the time. It doesn’t get much better than that!

In this busy world we live in, downtime is a precious commodity. We’re always rushing someplace, as Alan Jackson puts it, “tryin’ to make a livin’”. We’re so busy being busy we hardly have time for the things that really matter, like our families, our friends, our God. In working so hard to make sure we don’t miss out on the good things of life we run the risk of missing out on the best things in life.

Jesus understood this. That’s why one day He said to His disciples, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31 NLT). The Bible goes on to explain that “He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” Sound familiar?

Jesus knew that his disciples, even though they were doing God’s work, were in danger of burning out. They needed to get away from the hustle and bustle to recharge and refocus. The same holds true for us over 2000 years later. We all could use more “front porch sittin’”.

Even God Himself rested. Genesis 2:2 tells us, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” Then He went one step further and “blessed the seventh day and declared it holy,” forever setting it aside as a special day for us to “rest awhile.”

If the Son of God felt the need for a little downtime, don’t you think it might be good for you too? And since our Heavenly Father set aside a day for us to get that rest we need so much, shouldn’t we take advantage of it? 

The Sabbath is a day to step away from our busy lives and for 24 wonderful hours just Stop, Look, and Listen – stop our rushing to and fro, look around us at the beauties God has made, and listen for our Father’s voice. There’s so much He wants to say to us.

So, this week, when the Sabbath rolls around, why not accept Jesus’ invitation to “go off…to a quiet place and rest awhile”? You don’t have to go far. Any quiet place will do. As for me, I’ll be right here with my feet up, ice-cold lemonade in one hand and a good book in the other, doing my favorite thing in the whole world, “a lotta front porch sittin’”.

Wanna join me? Come on down!

I love being a father!

My children and their mother are the most precious things in my life. I love to brag about my kids, about how they are making a real difference in the world. I talk about them all the time to my friends, telling about something they did that made me proud or made me laugh, or about how much fun we have on those rare occasions we all get together.

I’m so proud of Rishana and the real difference she’s making in her patient’s lives; of Andrew for his leadership at his work and in his home and for the wonderful husband and father he’s become; and of Alex for his efforts to provide young people with a healthy outlet for their time, by leading out in developing an Ultimate Frisbee league.

I could go on and on about my kids and how proud I am to be their father, but I think you get the jist. They are such amazing people and I love talking about them and spending time with them every chance I get. They are my delight and I love them with all my heart.

That is how God feels about you and I. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “He will take delight in you with gladness…He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” And Psalm 103:13, tells us, “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”

Our Heavenly Father loves you “with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He’s crazy about you! He delights in you! You are constantly on His mind and what affects you affects Him. In fact He says, ““anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.” (Zechariah 2:8). Have you ever gotten poked in the eye? It hurts! That’s how much God cares for you. He hurts when you hurt.

My children are not perfect. Sometimes they make choices that I wish they wouldn’t, choices I know will cause them harm. When this happens it hurts, like someone poked me in the eye, but I don’t stop loving them. They are still my most precious possession.

It’s the same with God. When you mess up He doesn’t throw up His hands and walk away. No, instead, He “with unfailing love” draws you to himself. (Jeremiah 31:3b). Like the prodigal son’s father, your Heavenly Father is constantly watching for you. If you will just turn towards Him He will run to you, throw His arms around you and wrap you in the robe of righteousness paid for with His son’s own blood. That’s how much He loves you.

This morning, if you’ve wandered away, come home to the Father. Don’t be afraid. The Father loves you and promises that “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).You are His delight. Come to Him today. Let Him “calm all your fears” and “rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Come to Father today and then listen to Him sing!

Happy Father’s Day!

62 years old!

Wow! How can I be that old, when I feel so young?

God has been so good to me! I’ve been blessed with a wonderful wife, amazing children, loving parents, great siblings, and terrific friends (who’ve been filling my Facebook timeline with birthday wishes all day). I’ve got good health, a great job working with people I love and admire, and a beautiful home in the country.

I could go on and on, but the greatest blessing in my life, by far, is the reason for all the other blessings – Jesus Christ! He made all these other blessings possible when He gave His life for me on the cross. And His work didn’t end there for “He lives forever to intercede with God on our behalf.” (Hebrews 7:26 NIV).

Having Jesus as my best friend and my Savior, makes all those other blessings even better. It gives me a reason for getting up each morning and brings purpose and meaning to my life. It makes friendships more precious, my days brighter, and even birthday cake taste sweeter.

My life has had plenty of ups and downs over the last 62 years. I’ve lost count of the mistakes I’ve made and the ways I’ve messed up. I look back with shame at some of the things I’ve done, the bad decisions I’ve made, and, most of all, the people I’ve hurt.

But Jesus died so I could be forgiven and rise above all that. With Him in my life I can learn from the mistakes of my past and, by faith, step into a better tomorrow. Because of what Jesus did I can, like Paul, forget the past, look forward to what lies ahead, and “press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14).

Jesus can do the same for you, my friends. In 1 John 1:9 He promises “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” You can start over. You can have a new beginning, because “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Today is my birthday, but I’d love to share it with you. Make it your birthday too. Just accept Jesus as your Savior today. Give Him your heart and accept the wonderful gift He bought for you with His blood – a new beginning! Then hang on for the ride, because the best is yet to come!

For the last couple months Ana has been spending every spare moment planting seeds, repotting seedlings, and preparing the soil of our garden. Now planting time is almost over. Now comes the hardest time of all – waiting for the plants to grow.

Things are pretty much out of Ana’s hands at this point. As much as she’d like to, Ana can’t control the weather. She can’t send the rain or set the temperature. She has no say in how fast a plant grows or how much fruit it produces. For the most part she just has to sit back and wait, hope and pray.

Having children is a lot like planting a garden. We try to give our children a good start, provide a caring home environment, and make sure their needs are met. We invest in their education, surround them with love, and prepare them for the future the best we can. There comes a time, however, when there’s not much else we can do. Things are pretty much out of our hands and we just have to wait to see how they turn out.

Sometimes things go well, but at other times our kids can get a little off course. Those are the tough times for a parent. It hurts so much when these children we love so much make poor decisions, choosing a path we know will only bring them harm. We only want the best for them, but that’s not always in our control.

In times like these, when our children are growing in directions we’d prefer they didn’t take, God’s promise in Proverbs 22:6 can mean so much. God says there, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV)

This doesn’t mean they won’t wander at times, sending off an errant shoot in a direction you didn’t want them to go. We all sometimes get off track, but just like Ana redirects a wandering vine back on the trellis where it belongs, so God will do all He can to lead our children back to the way they should go.

Remember, God loves our children even more than we do and He will pull out all the stops to save them and help them grow in their walk with Him. So don’t be discouraged. God’s not done with them yet. The same God who “began the good work in [them], will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

Gardens take time to grow and so do children (even after they’ve grown up). Sometimes the waiting time can be hard, but, remember, you gave your children a good start. Now let God do the rest. The Master Gardener’s still at work. Put your children in His hands today. There’s no safer place for them to be.

It was with horror, but also with a terrible sense of deja vu, I followed the events which played out this last week in Uvalde, TX. Another senseless shooting, this time leaving 19 children and 2 adults dead.

These events are becoming so commonplace it’s hard to not become callused and just turn the page or flip the channel. Yet, when children are involved like this, even the most hardened of us get a gut check. In despair, we cry out, “Why did God let this happen?”

That’s the wrong question, however. What we should be asking is, “Why did we let this happen?”

As my friend, Mark Sullivan, pointed out in a Facebook post last week, “The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity.” (Psalm 115:16 NLT). God put us in charge, “putting all things under [our] authority.” (Psalm 8:6).

This is our mess, our fault, not God’s. What happened in Texas, in Buffalo, what’s happening in Ukraine, and all the unnumbered senseless tragedies which have occurred throughout Earth’s chaotic history, are a direct result of humanity’s rejection of God’s authority and mercy.

What happened in Texas was not an act of judgment by God. It was an evil act by a terribly disturbed young man, a product of our messed up society.

So, what should be our response to such senseless acts?

Yes, we need to pass laws that will make something like this less likely to occur, but no law will prevent every act of violence, not so long as humanity remains in open rebellion against God and His law.

So what is our responsibility? Jesus gives us the answer in John 13:34, where He commands us to “Love each other.”

I know that seems simplistic, but sometimes the simple things are the only things that work. We must love each other, love our children, love our elderly parents, love the immigrant, love the person struggling with mental health problems, love even our enemies. And we must “not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18 NIV).

Events like what occurred in Texas this last week should be a call to action for us, a call for us to share God’s love with all those we meet, so they too can find hope at the foot of the Cross. Although laws can help curb the violence, it is only God’s love lived out in our lives which can bring it to an end.

Blaming God when tragedy strikes is a waste of time. We did this! Let’s take responsibility, confess our guilt, and then get out there and do what God put us on this earth to do – Love each other!