Fine China or Paper Plate?

I don't know if you are like us, but around our house we use paper plates for just about every meal. Dinner time I usually bring out the "everyday china" but it's very rare for me to go to the trouble of pulling out the "good stuff".

In 2009 I had the privilege of speaking at a Pine Cove Mother/Daughter Conference. The theme scripture for the weekend was 2 Timothy 2:20-21, "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things (sin), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."

I love these verses because they compare us to items of gold and silver (like fine china); they tell us we were made for a special purpose; and in order to be used for that purpose we must be pure.

I have 'vessels' in my house of fine china, handed down to me from my grandmother. I have other 'vessels' in my house of generic brand paper plates. Can you imagine me serving my 10-year-old son and his friends snacks on my grandmother's fine china? No way! I keep the china in a safe place so it cannot get broken. That doesn't mean I can't use it often. It just means I use it for specific and special purposes.

Sometimes in life we make choices to do things or say things that are not part of God's special purpose for us. Kind of like using fine china to serve chile cheese dogs to a pack of boys. The words we say, the attitude in our heart, and our actions determine what type of vessel we are...fine china or a cheap paper plate.

God didn't create me in His image to be harsh or judgemental any more than a toilet brush was made to double as a toothbrush. Nevertheless, sometimes I find myself being 'used' for something I know God never intended. Do you know what I mean? Can you relate? How I long to get rid of the things in my life that would make it difficult for God to fulfill his special purpose for me.

What are some noble purposes God might have for you? Are you in a place where God can use you for His glory? If you've been living more like the paper plate, ask God to cleanse you and restore you to the fine china vessel He created you to be and get on with the noble plans He has in store.

My Afternoon in Heaven

Recently, I signed up through the school district to be a substitute in the front office at my children’s school. I went through the appropriate training then emailed the school secretary to let her know I was ready for action. When she called me to sub, I immediately said ‘yes’. I couldn’t wait to work up front helping visitors get signed in, delivering forgotten lunches and chatting with the office ladies (they’re awesome).

Imagine my surprise when I was told I wouldn’t be working in the front office, I’d be working in one of the special needs areas called “YCAP”. I don’t know what YCAP actually stands for but as it applied to me, it should have meant “You Can’t Assist worth Poop!” I wasn’t trained for helping children with special needs! How could I possibly walk in here and know what to do? What if this experience was too overwhelming for me? What could I possibly have to offer these kids?

I warily agreed to take the scary assignment. Praying as I made my way to the YCAP room, I nervously opened the door, anxious about what I would see. You’ll never guess what I beheld in that classroom. Much to my wondering eyes, there sat before me nine angels!

I had never seen angels before, though I’ve read about them. Angels are servants of God who deliver His message of hope. Sometimes angels appear as celestial beings. Sometimes they come as mighty warriors. Sometimes they’re disguised as strangers. We don’t know a lot about angels but you can be sure you never know when or where they’ll show up.

I never expected to see angels in an elementary school, but there they were. Six of them were disguised as ten-year-old boys with autism. The other three were dressed as teachers. They invited me to sit down for quiet time. Seeing the fear on my face, one of the boy angels quickly came over and sat on my lap with a hug as if to say, “Do not be afraid.” (Angels say that, you know.)

While none of the boy angels could speak, they could communicate unconditional acceptance without saying a word. The angels disguised as teachers, I soon discovered, were strong, compassionate and fun. Who knew angels had a sense of humor?

I spent the next four hours learning all kinds of things from these heavenly creatures. I learned children with autism love potato chips just like regular kids. I learned children with autism don’t really like doing sit-ups any more than regular kids. And I learned that even in a world where innocent children are helplessly stricken with challenges like autism, there is still room for hope and joy and laughter.

I learned that teachers who commit themselves to serving these special angels are themselves very angelic. They are brave as warriors going into battle. They are tender as mother lions with their cubs. And they’re as determined as a starving man in front of a free buffet. These teachers will fight for these kids, they’ll love these kids and they’ll do whatever it takes to develop the very best in these kids.

Next time you are asked to do something kind of scary, go for it. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet. I expected to go help some needy kids in a classroom but instead, I found myself surrounded by angels who, as it turned out, helped me. (Angels do that, you know.)

Oh, and I found out what YCAP really means: Yes, Children with Autism are Priceless!

The Captain's Chair - by Chris Archinal

I basically fly on a plane for a living. Meaning, my job requires me to travel to see my customers. I average around 75,000 air miles per year. I’m pretty sure I've seen it all - delays, turbulence, missed flights, and some of the most interesting people you'd ever encounter. Planes have taken me to Little Rock and London Heathrow; Amarillo and Amsterdam; San Francisco and Singapore; Dallas and Denmark. Okay, you get the point. This ain't my first rodeo.

But today, January 18, 2011 was no ordinary flight. I was flying with a colleague from Dallas to New Orleans for a quick trip to take some clients to dinner. The first bit of bad news was the announcement of a delay. The delay was not a biggie, but, it was for a reason I hadn't heard before. Apparently the captain's chair was broken and had to be replaced. Fortunately, we were still departing in time to make our dinner. So an hour later, off we go.

Just before take off I always say a prayer. It's basically the same prayer each time, but said each time with great sincerity and complete abandonment. It goes like this, "Father God, you know my heart and you know desires. You know my love for you and for my family. My desire, God, is to be the husband to Lisa and the father to Mary Cate, Jack and Ellie for a long time. But, God, if your Kingdom work can be accomplished more quickly or radically as a result my death on this flight I just say to You, 'not my will, but Yours be done, oh God.'"

Kinda morbid, huh?! I don't think I've shared that prayer outside of this blog entry with anyone other than Lisa and maybe a close friend until now. But it's an important, intimate part of my walk that is very serious to me. I honestly mean that prayer each time I say it.

Upon our initial decent into the NOLA airport we began to experience slight turbulence. Now, with the landing gear down, and somewhere in the neighborhood of about a thousand feet from the ground, the light turbulence turned moderate then quickly into extreme. It was the worst turbulence I had ever experienced. People were vomiting, gasping for air and even crying out at times. It was bad.

As bad as it got, I was at peace, that is, until the pilot suddenly "pulled up". With the landing gear down, a 737, at such low altitude, does not ‘turn on a dime’ . I could hear the massive engines straining as the big hunk of metal fought against gravity. I could feel the force of the storm pushing the plane to the ground. Periodic bursts of lightning and heavy rain made the experience even more intense. (I later learned this extreme weather was called a "micro-burst").

Looking to the flight attendants for reassurance was a poor choice. I found them locking arms as they cried and prayed together. The plane struggled to gain altitude and the turbulence increased. I, too, found myself praying. I confess that, though I am prepared for death, I'm not quite ready to go. My thoughts turned to Lisa and the kids.

Visions of who would attend my funeral began to pop in my head...it was crazy. I thought of my friend and co-worker, John, with whom I had just shared Christ the night before. Would my death make him see God's love? And then, in that moment, I thought about the Captain's chair. I thought it interesting that this entire flight was initially delayed because the pilot's chair was broken and had to be replaced in order to fly. I doubt very seriously that our pilot's ability to navigate through the storm would have been impacted based on a broken chair. Nevertheless, it made me think.

I thought, perhaps, the Captain's chair has been broken in my life...or maybe empty. It made me realize that I have been flying this ‘plane’ called life on my own of late, and, while I seem to have been navigating some storms on my own I'm not really prepared to do life flying solo. The Captain's chair of my life has been occupied by me, and that my friend is a broken chair!

I don't want to oversell this story. While I do think this was as close of a ‘near death’ experience as I have ever encountered, it wasn't filled with prayers like, "God if you save me I promise to...." I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. I didn't see a white light or loved ones who have gone before me. But let me tell you what I did see. I saw a massive plane wreck. I saw my family weeping over my demise. I saw a long road ahead for my friends and family as they cope with life without me. (I mean, I am pretty special. It might take hours or even days to get over me). I saw my life as it is today and wasn't particularly happy with it.

When you see yourself in the Captain's chair it should, quite bluntly, scare the hell out of you. It should cause you to reevaluate just who's in charge. It did me. Truthfully, I didn't like what I saw. With me in the Captain's chair of my life, I am destined to experience as massive wreck. A wreck that could, quite possibly, devastate my family and friends.

So today, I evacuated the Captain's chair. I hope I have the discipline and courage to do it tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. Yes, I hope I have the discipline and courage, because le’me tell ya something. I'm a pretty good guy but there are a few things you wouldn't want me to do: perform surgery, defend you in court...or fly a plane. I am not capable.

So, today, I relinquish control and ask God to once again take over the Captain's chair in my life. Will you do the same? Don't wait for your own hard lesson. Learn from mine.

See you in the skies!

The Great Pizza Crisis

It was a rainy Sunday night. My sister was over and we were watching the Golden Globes on TV. There are two sacred nights at my house each year. One is Golden Globes night; the other is The Oscars. On these two nights, my husband and children know how it works:

* My sister comes over early to watch the pre-show, red carpet events.
* We then settle in for the actual awards ceremony.
* We are not to be disturbed with questions about anything outside of the awards show (ie. statements like, "Where are my shoes?" or "Mom, blood is gushing from my head." are not allowed. Only questions pertaining to dresses, shoes or jewelry are permitted.)
* We order pizza.

This is pretty simple and straightforward. Everyone is on the same page and understands the proper protocol for awards show night. There was no indication that this particular night would be any different. Husbands and children were all in line. Everyone was following policy until...

It was time to order the pizza. Pizza orders at my house are placed with Papa Johns. The same Papa Johns that we have ordered from for six years. When ordering online, I simply type a "p" in the web address bar and my computer automatically pulls up the Papa Johns website. My user name and password come up (I am a valued customer, after all) and with a simple "click", "click" of the mouse, I'm done! So easy. So peaceful. Pizza on the way. Awards show in progress. Beautiful dresses. Life is good. Until...

On this particular night, a night that would later become known as The Great Pizza Crisis, I went to the website to order our delicious, succulent, thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms and black olives. There I was on the website, like I'd been a thousand times before, when all of a sudden I'm told they do not deliver to my address! What's this?! What are you saying?! Somewhat confused and taken aback, I retyped the information (there must be a mistake). The same message reappeared.

We now went to Def con 4. I picked up the phone and dialed the memorized number of our particular P.J.'s location. On the other end of the line, I hear the dreaded, "I'm sorry, you have reached a number that is no longer in service." My breath cut short. We were now at Def con 5.

I called some other location only to be told the store that had once delivered our wonderful thin crust pizza, was now closed. What?! How could this be?! Why was I not called? What was I to do now? It's Golden Globes night! Didn't they know this? It's breaking with protocol!

Always good in a crisis, my sister reminded me of a Palio's just outside our neighborhood. I nervously called the unfamiliar phone number. The attendant on the other end took our order, assured us it would be delivered shortly and there was no need to worry. Just as he said, roughly 30 minutes later, the blessed doorbell rang. There he was, the strapping young pizza delivery boy with our treasured feast.

With the crisis resolved, we now went back to Def con 1. The rest of the rainy awards night went without a hitch. Whew! That was a close call.

What's the point of this ridiculous story?

Sometimes in life we face crisis. Whether it's pizza or near plane crashes (that's another story). We go to Def con 5 and put out the all-points bulletin. How do we address the turmoil? Philippians 4:19 is a good place to start, "My God shall supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

I love when scripture is practical. We all face times in our lives where circumstances are beyond our control. Don't panic! Don't give up hope! This is when God wants to demonstrate His unlimited resources to meet our need as only He can. Is God able to take care of your finances? Your health? Your children? Your aging parents? Friend, you'll never face any trial in which God cannot provide.

God never shrugs His shoulders and says, "Don't look at me!" God wants you to look exactly to Him. Where are you looking during the crisis? Do you believe Him? Would the people around you affirm that God is where you turn first? Are you demonstrating an unwavering faith that God will do what He said?

I was in a panic about my awards show pizza. Personally, I think God had a laugh over that one. But the truth is, when I'm in a pinch, I know He's there. He's waiting for me to get off the computer, hang up the phone, and call on the One who can truly give me peace (and in some cases, pizza).

Ten Commandments of a Blameless Life

Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? I love that story because it's easy to see who to root for. The Turtle is slow but he's humble, he's a hard worker, he's an all-around good guy. The Rabbit, on the other hand, is so arrogant! He thinks he can sick back and nap while the Turtle makes his way, slow step by slow step, around the course of the race. Immediately, you cheer for that slow but true Turtle. You just hope to get a chance, when the race is over, to point a finger at the Hare, and say, "Told you so! That's what you get for thinking you didn't need to work at it"!

The moral of that simple children's story is clear: Pride and laziness lead to ruin. That's a pretty good life lesson, no matter how old you are.

In the wake of moral failure on the part of a pastoral staff member, our wonderful Head Pastor gave a list of Ten Commandments to live by which will help us cross life's finish line in victory. Whether you are a vocational minister or new to Christian faith, wisdom and accountability are essential. We have to work at this Christian faith. We have to humble ourselves and realize we're all capable of screwing up.

It's a steep and slippery slope to complete annihilation of our Christian witness, should we "fall asleep" and think it could never happen to us.

Are you living by the List?
1. Thou shalt never be alone with the opposive gender (except your spouse). Thou shalt never ride in the car alone with the opposite gender.
2. Thou shalt not develop an emotional relationship or friendship with a person of the opposite gender (except spouse). Thou shalt not engage in non-business related email/texting/facebook with a person of the opposite gender.
3. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite gender. Men minister to men, women minister to women. Though shalt not discuss your marriage or sexual problems with a person of the opposite gender.
4. Thou shalt have regular, transparent accountability in your life. Thou shalt have an acct. partner that you disclose all of your weaknesses to, ask prayer from and, give regular reports to. Thou shalt use www.covenanteyes.com.
5. Thou shalt live a life characterized by "glass everywhere." Thou shalt have nothing hidden in your life. No secrets.
6. Thou shalt not go to the "liquor store." Thou shalt remove yourself from temptations and remove temptations from you. (If you struggle with internet - GET RID OF THE COMPUTER!)
7. Thou shalt seek healing for unresolved issues in your life. Thou shalt invest in Christian counseling in order to get whole.
8. Thou shalt attend to the care of your soul. Thou shalt spend daily time with the Lord. Thou shalt allow the Lord to fill you more than the world drains you.
9. Thou shalt watch each other's backs. Pray for one another. Confront one another in love when you see warning signs and questionable behavior. Rescue one another from potentially dangerous people.
10. Thou shalt walk with the Lord, surrender to Him, and be filled with His Spirit through a yielded life. Invite Christ's Spirit to sit in the driver's seat of your life. Love God first, family second, everything else third.

If we think we can live our lives free from these Ten Commandments, we're much like the Hare. If we think we can make it without boundaries and accountability, we're prideful and lazy. 2 Timothy 2:22, "Flee the evil desires of youth, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Is that clear enough? If not, try 1 Tim. 3:2, "Be above reproach."

God wants to use us to be a witness of His love and grace. We can only be a part of His plan if we're willing to use wisdom to help us stay pure. Let's be like the Tortoise - slow but steady. That's the way to make it all the way to the end of life's race and have victory. God is rooting for us. Are you ready? On your mark, get set, GO!

Guard the Goal

This week Chris and I received some heartbreaking news about someone we love and respected. A man who was anointed by God succumbed to the lies of the enemy. He is a fallen soldier and the repercussions of his actions are far reaching.

While processing this scandal, I've felt many different emotions - shock, disappointment, sympathy, anger, discouragement, sorrow. Anytime one of our own falls it's hard to accept. Sadly, this happens more often than I care to think.

When a 'hero of the faith' fails, two things immediately come to mind:
First, it reminds me to pray diligently for our spiritual leaders. They are under constant attack by the devil. While satan wants to see all Christians destroyed, I believe spiritual leaders, in particular, walk around with a target on their back. They need our fervent prayers of protection and blessing.

Second, we must keep our guard up against the enemy in our own lives. My son, Jack, is playing basketball. He's a great defensive player. He sticks to his man like flies on butter. He guards that basketball goal with his whole being. Nothing's getting in that basket on his watch!

We should be intentionally focused on guarding our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 is red flag warning for us. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Our hearts are everything! We must choose carefully what goes in if we want good things to come out. We must protect and defend the health of our hearts as a good soldier protects his post!

Vicki Courtney once told the story of a young girl who failed to guard her heart. Several years ago, Vicki received a CD of a young female worship leader. The accompanying note introduced this girl as a gifted, up and coming, worship leader and would Vicki consider using her for an event. As you can imagine, Vicki gets many requests like this. She agreed the girl was talented but never had the chance to use her. A few years later, she heard this young lady on the radio, singing, "I kissed a girl, and I liked it". The young worship leader was Katy Perry.

Somewhere along the way, one decision at a time, this young worship leader let her guard down. She stopped protecting her most important asset. The repercussions of her choices are far reaching. (When I start to hear one of her songs, I pray for her and imagine the amazing testimony she can have when she comes back to Jesus.)

Friends, hear me clearly, God's grace is so far reaching. I pray earnestly for my friend to fall back into the arms of the Savior to receive forgiveness and healing. We're all in need of His mercy.

How much better it is though if we can heed the warning, guard our hearts with great determination, and stay out of satan's lair! Oh Lord, grant us grace to guard the goal.