This Little Lady, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

(What My Granddaughter has Taught Me About Discipleship…or maybe just reminded me of what I already knew.)

Four Hundred and Seventy Days ago seems like yesterday. This little lady arrived in the most normal of ways. But since the day she’s arrived, SHE has been the center of attention. Amidst the relearning & the coaching and the reliving of what it means to be a parent, I have had a crash course in re-learning what discipleship really is all about. Now by discipleship I mean the process in which we become devoted followers of Jesus, and I mean the life transformation that takes place over time as we become more like Christ!

My learned professor in discipleship is this little lady who demands & gets almost constant attention. It is always about her. Her every whim is attended to by several large people, typically known as adults.

When I’m charged with her care…I truly feel like a Secret Service agent guarding the President’s daughter. Constant vigilance is required. This little lady doesn’t know much so I’m in charge of knowing things for her. She doesn’t speak our language yet so I must interpret the Gerber-baby glossolalia that pours from her mouth.

“What does this have to do with disciple-making?” You may ask. Well, in a word–everything. True discipleship is a 24/7/365 reality that cannot be relegated to an hour or two on Sunday. It is an around the clock affair. It is a relationship that transcends the easy glad-handing of a Sunday how-do-you-do.

This little lady has done more than steal my heart, she has gained my undivided attention. I focus on her. I pour my life into hers. In a word, I love her. I care about her welfare & her future. I think about what she’ll be like when she’s grown. I imagine her, many years from now when she’ll have grandchildren of her own. I know I won’t be around to see it so I visualize it now. Parenting is exhausting work. So is discipleship. Two steps forward. Then a step or two backwards. Lots of falling down. Crawling. And did I mention the sometimes aroma? And all the while she’s studying us big folk. She’s watching and listening to how our lips move when we talk to her. You can almost see the gears turning in her still-so-young brain.

I watched an iPhone video of this little lady recently as she was reading a book out loud to herself. Her vocal cadence mirrored her mother’s, the rising and falling of her tone was synchronized with the way her mom & dad had read it to her dozens of times before. I thought, “it’s happening.” Discipleship. Pure & Simple. Maybe parenting & discipleship are two sides of the same coin. Both require nurturing.

In 470 days, she has taught much. If you are serious about discipling someone, start by loving them, caring about them, wanting the best for them. Then invest in them. Pour your life into them. Teach them what you know. What you want them to be–be that to them now! Visualize their future, bright & bursting with possibilities. And be ready to pick them up & dust them off when they fall. Because they will fall often. But as time goes by, they will learn to speak the language. They’ll learn to walk and they’ll learn to feed themselves. In time, they will. But it takes time.

It has been 470 days. More pictures than I can count. This little lady has filled my life. And we’re only getting started. There are many more classes ahead. Her little brain is filled with myriad lectures.

For this grandpa, I’m a willing student. I’m smitten with my professor.

And we are both learning, teaching each other.

In time, she’ll learn how to…

Live the Red,

Mark

Backyard Garden, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

How does your garden grow?

As for me and my house…so far so good. I’m only four weeks into the 2012 growing season and this much I know…God wants things to grow.

God graciously supplies the fertile soil, the sunshine, and the rain. Lowe’s/Home Depot/Boulevard Flowers provides the plants…and wallah!  Tomatoes and squash, here we come! In a couple of months or so.

Other ingredients needed for a successful garden include some elbow grease, faith, and lots of patience.  And daily attention.

Growing a garden is very much like growing in faith. It doesn’t just happen. There needs to be planning, hard work, watering…and one more thing–waging war against weeds. Weeds are those wicked little plants that love to choke out the important plants that produce. Let me just say it, weeds are relentless. Give them an inch, and they’ll grow four feet tall.   Their roots will reach to the Earth’s core if you let them.

What is choking out the things in your life that matter?   Weeds can be laziness, fear, prayerlessness, or even pride.  The parable of the wheat & tares seems to suggest that the most dangerous & diabolical weeds are sown by Satan himself.   In the story, the enemy plants “tares” in the midst of a wheat field.   Tares are good-looking fakes!   They appear on the surface to be good when in reality they are sapping the strength from your daily walk with Christ.  Stay close to the Master Gardener.  Just like weeds, the enemy is relentless.

Gardening is indeed a vocation close to the heart of God. When He finished His six days of Creation, God placed man in a garden. And it was good. Jesus used a gardening illustration when He talked about our relationship with Him. “I am the Vine, you are the branches,” Jesus said in John 15:5 “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

The Master Gardener is expecting a bumper crop in your life.  He has planted you in the fertile soil of His coming Kingdom.  He wants you to experience a bountiful harvest that only He can make possible!

In the garden of your life, you can expect more than just sun-ripened tomatoes…the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, & self-control will flourish.  This is the harvest that pleases the Gardener’s heart.

So how does your garden grow?  Tending to your garden today is another way in which you can…

Live the Red

Mark

 

The Migliore Family, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

If you want to understand the direction of God’s heart, look no further than the message contained in James 1:27…”Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

God is at work in our world, and the people of God have a responsibility to join Him in the work that He’s already doing. What is God doing? He is reaching out to those who are the weakest, the neediest, those who are the most vulnerable. God is directing His heart toward the orphans of the world. And the global body of the Christ, the church, are His arms & hands reaching out to the fatherless.

By some accounts, there are over 140 million orphans in the world right now. These children from every tribe, tongue, and nation do not have a mother or father to care for them. In far too many cases, they are completely alone.

As we venture out into the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for and ministering to the orphans of the world is not an option. Woven into the very fabric of the Great Commission is a clear call by our God to seek out and care for the fatherless.

God is actively steering the heart & soul of the faith community we call The Bridge to take a more active role in reaching out to the orphans of our world.

It’s no coincidence that the Lord has brought Jason & Laura Migliore back to Ironbridge for such a time as this. The Migliores were active at The Bridge three years ago while Jason was stationed at Fort Lee. Uncle Sam then sent them to Okinawa for a three-year deployment. Jason has now completed his tour of duty in Japan and has retired from the military. But God did an amazing thing during their time in Japan. He opened their hearts to the plight of orphans. During his free time, Jason discovered and built relationships with a number of orphanages across Japan. He was also instrumental in helping local churches connect with and begin vital ministries in these orphanages. “The amazing thing is,” Jason related, “is that the evangelical churches that I worked with, weren’t even aware that these orphanages existed.”

For Jason and Laura, the last few years of orphan ministry have been an incredible faith journey. Laura commented, “if we’re comfortable [in our Christian life], we’re probably not growing.” As a result of God’s work in their lives, Jason & Laura, already the parents of three daughters of their own, welcomed Zachary into their family through domestic adoption. In God’s timing two years later, Laura gave birth to a son, Jeremiah. Now as a family of seven, Jason & Laura remain open to God’s plan for their lives which might someday include another adoption.

As the Migliore family settles into their new phase of life in central Virginia & The Bridge, it will be exciting to see how the Lord uses them to cast a vision for ophran ministry both locally and globally. I for one, am glad the Lord has sent them our way.

Keep your heart open to what the Lord of the Harvest may have in store for you and your family. And if you get a chance, join us for our next “First Thursday” experience @ The Bridge, on Thursday night, March 1st at 7pm in the main auditorium. The next phase of the journey may pass through this special time of worship and prayer. See you then.

Until then, you know what to do…

Live the Red,

Mark

 

Eric Liddell, originally uploaded by EUAC.

One hundred and ten years ago today, January 16, 1902, a Scottish missionary couple serving in Northern China gave birth to a baby boy. Their second son, they named him Eric Henry Liddell. Eric would grow up and become a world famous athlete, representing Great Britain in the 1924 summer Olympics in Paris.

Eric Liddell competed and won a bronze medal in the 200-meter race and the gold medal in the 400-meter race in the ’24 Olympics. His life and Olympic achievements were forever captured in the 1981 film, Chariots of Fire. This movie was my first introduction into Eric’s heroic life and strong Christian faith. The film won 4 Oscars in 1982 including the Academy Award for Best Picture.

To this day, 32 years later, Chariots of Fire remains one of my all-time favorite movies. I never get tired of watching it. It’s an incredibly inspiring movie because Eric lived such an inspiring life. Because of his strong Christian convictions, Eric refused to run his signature race, the 100 meter dash, because the Finals of the event were scheduled to take place on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. Eric endured public scorn & widespread criticism because of his principled stand. When Eric ran the 400-meter race, he was not expected to win. He was a sprinter and excelled in the shorter distances. Despite the fact that it was not his specialty, Eric won the gold medal in the 400 meters and set a record that stood for many years.

One of my favorite quotes in the movie occurred when Eric’s sister was concerned that his Olympic competition would interfere with his missionary work in China. Trying to explain to his sister why he had to compete, he said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”

Eric’s life and legacy didn’t end with his Olympic success. Eric fulfilled his commitment to return to the land of his birth and served as a missionary for many years before his untimely death in 1945 shortly before the end of World War II.

In the brief 43 years of his physical life on this earth, Eric Henry Liddell was a true spiritual champion. Even these 110 years later, his legacy lives on…on the silver screen of the movies, and in our hearts. God bless you, Eric. Happy Birthday!

Live the Red,

Mark

Old Glory, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

This Sunday is an important day in American History. This Lord’s Day is the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, I’m sure that you are well acquainted with the horrific events of that fateful day. Our language fails us. There are no adequate words to fully and accurately describe what happened on that day, ten years ago.

As our nation’s leaders prepare for the day of remembrance after 10 years, they have made an odd (& I believe dangerous) decision. There will be no prayers at the “official” memorial service. No prayers? Really? Is this a good idea? I think not.

If our nation’s leaders won’t lead, then they are really not leaders, are they? Call them something else, but “leaders” they are not.

Appropriately, it falls to us, the nameless rabble, the great unwashed to lead our nation back from the brink. How do we begin? How do we lead our nation back to the greatness we once enjoyed and cherished? By leading our nation back to God. Without God, the so-called “Great American Experiment” will be just another crumpled, musty page in the great record book of humanity’s varied and sundry epic failures.

So what can every “America-loving” citizen do first to lead our country back from the edge of the abyss? Go to church this Sunday. Even if you haven’t attended for a long time…make the effort to be present & accounted for this particular Sunday.

Just showing up at a place of worship is a powerful statement. It is an early indicator that we remember that we are a part of the creation, but we are certainly not the Creator. This is a polite way of reminding ourselves that WE are not ultimately in charge. God is in charge. This one radical act alone will be a helpful “shot across the bow” of the American psyche. We need to be reminded of this truth on the anniversary of such a painful day.

Going to church this Sunday is a first step in the right direction. If the events of 9/11 have taught us anything, we have learned or should have learned that we live in very perilous times. Extraordinary courage is needed for the living of these days. Without God and without prayer, we as a nation are in the most vulnerable place imaginable.

Let’s recap. What should we all do this Sunday? Go to church. Why? Because we cannot possibly hope to flourish as a nation without God.

Any questions?

I thought not.

See you in church on Sunday!

Come early if you want a place to sit down.

Live the Red.

Will you be attending church this Sunday? Why or why not?

How will you observe the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this weekend?

 

Rain & Sun, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

For those of us living in Central Virginia, the last several weeks have been interesting to say the least. First, we were hit by a 5.8 magnitude Earthquake, the biggest quake on record in this neck of the woods since 1898. Then, just when we got our land legs back, Hurricane Irene came calling. Irene turned out most of our lights for the better part of an entire week. Now we’re getting soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.

I hate to mention it now, but it’s only a matter of time until the next storm hits. We’ve been in metro Richmond for almost 25 years and during that span of a quarter-century, we’ve seen just about every kind of weather event imaginable: Hurricanes, tornadoes, ice-storms, snow storms & tropical storms, flooding, and thunderstorms. We’ve lost electricity more times than I can count. Several events have caused us to lose power for days at a time.

As a veteran of numerous storms & power outages, here are a few things we’ve learned along the way. What we’ve learned can provide you with a few key things that you can do now to prepare for the next major storm and power outage.

1. Buy a generator. It wasn’t until our third or fourth major power outage that we pulled the trigger on securing a generator for our home. Even though it was a significant expense, it has been one of the best purchases we’ve ever made. Take my word for it, go straight to the nearest Home Improvement Store and check out a make and model that is right for you. I would consult with a professional electrician before making the purchase. This is not optional. Make this purchase. You’ll be glad you did. And have an extra gas can available in case you need to run the generator for longer periods of time.

2. Have a modest stash of cash on hand ($200-$500). If the storm knocks out power over a wide area, there’s a good chance that the local ATMs will be out of commission as well. Without power, local stores may not be able to run their computer registers. Only cash will do in those early hours after a power outage.

3. A smartphone is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. During Hurricane Irene, we didn’t lose electricity but we did lose internet and cable for an entire week. Our smartphones kept us connected to the internet until connections were reestablished. If you lose cell coverage, its smart to have an old-fashioned, landline telephone that you can plug directly into the wall phone plug. Remember, if you’ve got a wireless landline, it won’t work with the power gone because “the base” requires electricity. You can pick up an old “slimline” phone at a thrift store for almost nothing. In an emergency, it’s nice to have.

4. Assess the viability of the trees nearest your house. There was a tall maple that was badly diseased in our front yard and posing a moderate risk to our house. Several months before Hurricane season, we had the tree taken down. This saved us a lot of headaches and cleanup during and after the storm.

5. Have a supply of electric candles on hand (at least one per room). These battery-powered candles produce no heat & aren’t a fire hazard. While the purpose of these decorative candles is primarily aesthetic, they can produce enough light to allow you to move through the house without a flashlight.

6. Have some “unplugged” entertainment choices available. This could include a stash of books you’ve be planning to read, some board games, or even a deck of playing cards. When the power’s out for days at a time, it’s a great chance to connect with others and enjoy some family time.

7. Invest in a propane camp stove or grill. This may become your best cooking option when the power is gone. Food stuffs in the refrigerator and freezer may need to be cooked soon or discarded. Once during a Christmas Eve ice storm, we enjoyed steaks grilled to perfection.

8. Use the day or two before the storm arrives to make some critical preparations. Fully fuel your vehicles, charge your cellphones, run that last load of laundry, & make any online bill payments before you lose power.

Sooner or later, the next major storm will hit. Make plans now to be ready when it happens. Be prepared. Get ready. Stay safe.

In the meantime, Live the Red.

What have I missed? What other things would you recommend that we do to get ready for the next storm?

What did you experience during the last storm? How do you cope with extended periods with no electricity?

No Strings Attached, originally uploaded by Praying for Lions.

Happy ending. The mother robin returned to the scene of the crime today and took the piece of string that she so obviously wanted.

I came and helped out a bit. I cut the string loose so she could have it.

I love it when a plan comes together…no strings attached.

Live the Red,

Mark

I know it sounds strange, but I’m rather thrilled with the fact that “The Boys” are now 1 win and 4 losses going into week seven of the 2010 NFL season.

Think of it this way. A team’s that is 1-4 has no place to go but up. Conversely, a team that’s 4-1 is indeed riding the crest of a winning wave, but they have no where to go but down. Just ask the New England Patriots. An unblemished record is not all it’s cracked up to be.

To prove my point, this time last year the Tennessee Titans were 0-6! Incredibly bad, right? Wrong. Since that terrible start last year, the Titans regular season record has been 11-4. If they win tonight, they’ll match the Colts as the team with the best regular season record in the NFL since this time last year. An amazing turnaround.

Is there a spiritual lesson here? I think so. To quote an author that I’m really enjoying right now, Paul Miller, he writes, “We forget that helplessness is how the Christian life works.” He goes on to remind us that, “God reminded Paul of how the gospel works, ‘But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’” “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Are you losing in life right now? Not racking up the victories in the win column with your spouse or with your kids or with your boss? Don’t despair. The gospel of Christ is a beautiful reminder that losing, and losing often and losing much is the way of the cross. Pain is God’s path to real, lasting gain.

Didn’t God say something about the folks losing their life, finding it, and those who die, really living? I’m almost sure He did.

As far as “The Boys” are concerning, they’re just playing a game. It means nothing in light of eternity.

Your losses, however, matter to God. In fact, they might just be a gift from God reminding you of how helpless you really are without Him.

Now that’s a winning game plan.

Live the Red,

Mark