Finder of the Lost

The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)

Today during Kaylene's soccer game at Concussion Park (our name for Selma Layne Park, Wendi asked me to hold on to Kaylene's ring. It was a Black Hills gold ring that we had bought for at Wall Drug last summer in Wall, SD. I put it on my pinkie finger and then refitted it loosely so that it wouldn't stay permanently on. Wendi told me to be careful and not to lose it.

Well, after her game was over at 2:00, we took her to her next game at the indoor soccer complex over by Fresno St. After that game Wendi and I went home to get ready to go to a wedding that started at 5. As we were sitting in the ceremony I realized that I didn't have Kaylene's ring. I hoped that I had left it in the car or taken it off when I had taken a shower before going to the wedding. It wasn't in the car and when we got home at 9 P.M. It was about then that Kaylene asked for her ring. I told her that I might have lost it but had to check a couple of places.

It wasn't in the bathroom and it wasn't in the bag that the folding chairs were in. By now it's after 10 P.M. and Kaylene was pretty bummed and also dealing with another unrelated difficult situation. I changed out of my wedding clothes, got a flashlight and drove to the park to look for the ring. As I drove there a section of scripture that we had studied at our Net Team meeting on Thursday was echoing in my mind - the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10).

In this parable, a woman who has 10 silver coins loses one. She lights a lamp and sweeps the house diligently searching the house until she finds the coin. When she finds it, she calls her friends together to rejoice over the found coin. Jesus says in verse 10, "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Kaylene's Ring

I prayed to God that He would guide me to the coin and I would search diligently like the woman in the parable until I had found the ring. It was dark and with only a flashlight I searched the area where we were sitting in the middle of the park. After 45 minutes, I found the ring!!!

I was amazed and called home right away. If I didn't find the ring I had planned on taking Kaylene out to buy a new one, but it wouldn't be the same as her ring. I know that God knew where the ring was and though He was under no obligation to answer my request, He granted it gracefully.

This may seem like a coincidence to some or just a silly story but to me it illustrates how much God does care about the 'small' things that happen in our lives and that He truly is the finder of the lost - both things and people. "What about that missing sock of mine? Are you saying that God knows where that is?" He does but do you really want it? I suppose if you do, you can always pray, light a lamp and start searching. I think I'd rather go to Costco and buy another bag of 12 pairs.

Birthdays

Yesterday I celebrated the big 5-0. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had - right up there with my 40th. It's hard to top a weekend at a beach house in Cambria with a drive up Highway 1 in a convertible rental car. The highlights of this 50th celebration were:

1. My wife surprised me at work with a party that involved the people from my district office. I'm so clued out that I didn't notice everyone was wearing yellow, my favorite color.
2. I had over 160 birthday wishes on Facebook from friends, family, former students, co-workers, and my church family. Through all of those messages I felt God's unconditional love and blessings. That was probably the best birthday gift of all time!
3. Thursday night we had our first networker dinner and meeting with our three networkers. Again, everyone was wearing yellow and we had All-American Chocolate cake from Costco. It was great to take a short break from the diet (or life-style change) and I didn't feel guilty.

50 or half a century sounds so old. But I really don't feel old at all. It is amazing how fast the time is starting to fly. It seems like only yesterday that I was in college, getting married, having babies. Now they're getting married or approaching college.

My brother-in-law reminded me that I'm closer to Jesus than I was to being born. That's true, but what does it matter when I'm with Him for eternity? 

"So, put another candle on your birthday cake, you're another year old today!"

Fortunately this didn't happen to me, but this is a funny commercial.

iStuff

This past week I got an iPhone at work. My old phone was dying and I needed a new one. Just two weeks before that I got an iPad too. I thought that it was Christmas day with all of this new technology!! There's some benefits as well as pitfalls. I can check my e-mails from anywhere (it can be a plus or a minus). I can text much faster. I can access the Internet and get information from almost anywhere. I can watch movies or listen to Pandora any time.

"Where are the pitfalls?" you ask. For someone that realizes that he can totally lose himself on the 'net, this can be another distraction that keeps me disconnected from people. Facebook and FaceTime(a cool Skype-like feature from Apple) can give one some connection with people, but I believe that this is a poor substitute for real face-to-face interaction. On the other hand I found a great free bible app. that has a bible devotional plan that is keeping me on track to read the bible in one year. There are also lots of free ebooks online.

I'm thankful that I have not dealt with the issue of internet pornography, but I still need to be careful and have people to keep me accountable.

iStuff can be good, but like anything in life I need to keep everything in balance.

A Disciplined Life

Well, it's been a while since I last checked in. I have now lost a total of 26 pounds and have learned quite a few things. The most important thing so far is that discipline is a good thing. By being careful and regimented about what I eat, I'm also finding carry over in other areas. This may sound funny but I'm flossing my teeth a couple of times a week - up from never. I've also started a bible reading program.

Last week I got an iPad at work. I found a bible app and downloaded it so that I could spend time in the Word. It came with many bible reading programs and I found one to help me read the Word every day. I'll let you know how that goes.

I'm not starving, just having a hard time denying myself. I'm not going to kid myself - I do miss things like chocolate, bread, cookies, etc. but I believe that in time I'll be able to have those things in moderation. I need to start exercising but time has been a factor.

The writer of Hebrews wrote, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb. 12:11) Although in the context of the passage, he is referring to the Believer's struggle with sin and God's disciplining us to be more like Him, it could also apply to my situation. 

I've been craving these.

Up until now I have never said "no" to myself and have eaten whatever I wanted whether or not I needed it. In eating for the sheer pleasure of it, I forgot what the purpose of food is. Really? Yes, really! Now I eat because I'm hungry and when I do eat, I enjoy it. My knees aren't sore, my clothes fit better and I feel younger.


Will I ever have a Tru-Blu cookie again? Probably, but as a treat, not to satisfy desire to feel better. In the meantime, I need to continue on with this change in lifestyle.

Day 8 of the 17 Day Diet - 12 pounds and losing

It feels longer than 8 days but the calendar doesn't lie. I slipped once - ate at Chik-Fil-A on Saturday on the way to the airport in Denver. I didn't have this sudden craving nor did a feel like going on a carb binge and eat all kinds of stuff. However I did feel like eating all kinds of stuff when we were shopping for vegetables.

It's been tough at times. Habits and desires for food have been strong at times. I've been hungry around meal times - but shouldn't that be the right time to be hungry? I am already noticing some benefits. My pants and shirts are not so tight. That's pretty cool as I was staring to feel like the Pillsbury Doughboy. In 9 more days the diet changes. I think it won't be so restrictive, in any case, I'll need to stay disciplined and deliberate about what I eat and when I eat. I do know that I don't take food for granted and seem to enjoy what I eat more. At times I've been a real whiner, but it's partly in fun.

Another benefit that I'm noticing that I wake up starving. This not only motivates me to get out of bed quickly, but I haven't been skipping breakfast. Today we had meetings at school and there were snacks everywhere - peanut and chocolate granola bars, bite-size chocolates...my stomach is growling as I type this. The facilitator was passing out chocolate late in the afternoon and asked, "Who wants a Baby Ruth? Who wants a Snickers? Who wants a Butterfinger?" I wanted them all so bad but didn't take a bite.

Temptation is everywhere but as someone pointed out, I'm not on a diet, I'm changing my lifestyle. The next thing I need to do is somehow carve out the time for exercising. As the days grow longer and warmer, the opportunities will increase. It really helps going through this with Wendi. It would be nearly impossible if I were doing this alone. Accountability makes all the difference in the world.

California, Cuba, Colorado?

California's economy has been the pits and it seems that thinks aren't even close to getting any better. Wendi complains that we need to get out of the state and others that have left said they like to visit but they'd never live here again.

A couple of years ago I was on my second mission trip to Cuba. While I was there, I had a chance to e-mail home and I remember telling Wendi that I was ready to move to Cuba. I think the big draw was the church in Cuba. They were close-knit and there was a real sense of community. The political climate had brought persecution to the church and as a result, being a follower of Christ was difficult. Under adversity, one's faith is really strengthened and you are totally dependent on the Lord.

I've been in Denver area for the past 2 days and from what I've seen, I think I could live here. It reminds me of Salt Lake City or Boise. The views are incredible and Denver has every convenience that a big city offers (except for Tommy's). When I called Wendi she reminded me that I said the same thing about Cuba. I had also mentioned that I wanted to move to Maine too and I hadn't even been there. I admit I do like to go to different places and sometimes I imagine what it would be like to live there.

Today in presbytery we examined, ordained and commissioned a young man into the ministry who will be taking his family to the Czech Republic to be a missionary with a local church in the eastern part of the country. They will have a difficult time learning the language and he described the town they would be living in as similar to Pittsburg - an ugly industrial city. He spoke about the sacrifices they would be making to live there and the potential suffering they would experience living there. But he knew God's calling him to that place and it sounds like God has equipped him for this time and place.

He got me thinking about where I was and what I was doing. As much as we complain about where we live, I have a faith community to which I belong, a job with a definite sense of calling and know that for now this is where I belong. So, the answer to this question is Fresno. That's where I'll stay - as least for now.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." - James 4:13-15

Testing 1..2..3

Well, my short trip to Denver has been good. I managed to eat closely to my plan. I drank plenty of water and avoided all bread. I did eat at Chik-Fil-A in Parker before heading to the airport. I'm not going to beat myself over this as I avoided the temptation to dessert last night, not to mention the snacks during break at presbytery.

We'll see what the scale says when I get home tonight.