Shallow & Deep

Chuck and Regina have invited me into their lives for years, and have an unusual gift of enhancing our friendship by loading it up with terrific and fascinating friends and family (including their son, Barrett), boating events, cigars, stellar beverages, feasts, and a pet raptor that regularly threatens to remove my nose. (The beast flies wild in their home, but threatens only me, I swear.) They can be shallow as a puddle and deep as a well in about 10 seconds (maybe less), and I am always better after exploring both with them. I love these people.  (On The Encouragement Tour.)

People of Grace

Do you have people in your days with whom you can completely relax because you’re safe and because you know you’re going to be encouraged some how, some way?  That’s Woody and Donna (and the petite Great Dane, Kiwi, climbing on Donna), who after maybe 20 minutes of conversation upon meeting them 5-6 years ago, made me believe I was an honored member of their family.  These are people who fairly gently(!) insist upon authenticity, by convincing you that what you really want is open-hearted, open-life friendships—everybody wins.  And they’re absolutely right.  I can’t get enough time with them, but I’m sure motivated to try.  (On the Encouragement Tour.)

Eastern Encouragement Tour

On this latest version of the Encouragement Tour, I’ve spoken with several large-ish groups, but there ain’t no pictures of us. After a 27-hour trip that should have taken only 5 in order to get to Atlanta, I put down my suitcase and jumped into the middle of a fantastic gathering. I don’t think we failed to talk about everything important, such as Christ’s cross and resurrection and what that means about us, how we might truly encourage and build each other up, and the reckless, seemingly chaotic ways by which life—Christ’s life—leads us toward each other in love, mercy and grace. A couple of hours passed by in, I (almost) swear, like 20 minutes. Jim and Patricia, thank you for putting together a deeply satisfying evening and for hosting me with your usual miraculous gobs of love and generosity. I love you.

Speaking In Georgia

I will be speaking to the church at Grace Life, in Woodstock, Georgia, this Sunday, August 17. I'd sure like to see you. For information and service times, go to: http://www.gracelifeonline.org/

Catch The Pattern

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

One comes to take and to damage thereby; that’s the pattern. The other comes to give and repair; that’s Jesus’ pattern.

I want to remind you today simply that Jesus is not asking you to give Him your heart – He has given you His. Jesus is not asking you to give Him your life – He has given you His. That’s the pattern.

The rest of your days will be about exploring how good He is for you so He can do and give and repair more and more for you. That’s life by Jesus. You like life that comes from Him, right? And He likes giving and repairing. That’s what He’s like. That’s the pattern, and that’s what you’re set up for.

If you’ve been hearing or giving yourself to a contrary pattern, no matter where it comes from, no matter how you hear it, there will be no life in it, and there will, consequently, be no repair. It’s not for you. It’s not from Jesus. One pattern is from this world—take and damage. The other is from Jesus—give and repair. That’s Him.

Catch the pattern. It will help you.

(This is a transcript of the video, “Catch The Pattern,” and is for those who might rather read than watch. To see the video, click http://youtu.be/3af193i6220.)

Catch The Pattern

Do you ever get confused about the theme of God’s life and grace for you? Do your days tangle that up? Take 2 minutes for the remedy.

East Coast Encouragement Tour

Update: my east coast Encouragement Tour begins on Friday, August 8, and winds up on Sunday, August 17, when I will be speaking to the church at Grace Life, in Woodstock, GA (http://www.gracelifeonline.org/). I’d love to meet you! I have a few OPEN DATES on this trip, including Tuesday, August 12, and Thursday through Saturday, August 14-16. If you’ve got a group you’d like me to speak with, or if you’d simply like to meet for an hour or two, message me, and I’ll do my best to get with you. And if you’re way out of the area, I like meeting with people and groups via Skype or iChat—I do it all the time! So message me if that’s something you’re interested in.

One of My Favorite Pastors

On my recent West Coast Encouragement Tour, I had breakfast with Jeremy White, who is one of my favorite pastors. Why? He is a testimony of God’s effective grace, and he doesn’t hide it. His sermons, coaching, fun, family and church related activities reflect what God does for him. That means that anybody can listen or talk with him without fear of being challenged by a super-human, Superman kind of person toward the foolish goal of being the same. With Jeremy, it’s all about Christ and His work for us, in us and through us.

If I lived anywhere near Vacaville, California, I’d be hanging out with him as often as I could. To find out about his excellent book (The Gospel Uncut: Learning to Rest in the Grace of God) and church, click http://www.valleychurch.com/

The Latest In Christian Headgear

I don’t like navigating the people I meet (even through social media) by provocation and prosecution, “identifying” them as fast as I can so I can stick them into my pre-configured templates, then to deal with them. It’s not real, it’s not authentic—it’s presumed. Since I began to know Jesus and found that He’d made a home in me, knowing that He loves and cares perfectly for me has meant (among other things) that I love and care for others; not only those I agree with, but those with whom I do not. The only people I cannot actually have a true conversation with are those who reject me before we get started—those who prefer relationship by template.

There’s a time and a place to prosecute my opinion, to be sure. Many have not yet discovered what God has discovered to me, and because we do not agree, there’s a certain tension in our relationship as we explain our opinions. Sometimes it gets heated because it’s personal and difficult to do that, but why can’t that be okay? I think it can. In my experience, it’s pretty normal.

There are some issues we will divide over, as the apostle Paul did with some people in his day, but I sure don’t like that division thing. I want to be with people and talk with them, so any attempt to portray those who disagree with me as stupid or uneducated as a way of proving the superiority of my opinion is not in keeping with how Jesus treats me. He’s not like that. Not at all. My opinion is based upon Someone I know, Someone who loves and listens to me, not just a book I’ve read, as much as I like the Bible—particularly the New Covenant.

Which is why, I am convinced, the One who lives in me and whose heart I have thinks having really big ears on my head is a good idea.

The Encouragement Tour, San Diego

Joe, a true pastor of people at a local church in San Diego, actually sees people as being well-off with God because of what Jesus did at the cross and resurrection. Every Sunday (and every chance he gets) he even tells them how great they've got it with God and each other -- imagine that. He's a human revival source, and I was better off for having a meal with him.

The Encouragement Tour, San Diego

I had breakfast with Will, who loves his downtown San Diego neighbors in a way I've never seen before. He's become a sort of parish pastor to the area, and it doesn't matter to him what they look like or what they have to offer; he's going to encourage them and love them and live with them -- come what may. Will, I deeply admire you. However, unless I get to see your wife and family next in addition to you, I'm going to do something, um, ah, silly. You don't want that. Right?

The Encouragement Tour, San Diego, California

I am in pretty serious awe of this man, with whom I met at an English pub after landing at the San Diego airport. We first met at a small group event where I was speaking some ten years ago, and we’ve become lifelong friends; I did the marriage ceremony for Michael and Veronica several years ago. They now have three children, two of whom have life-altering diseases, and the weakness, love and strength they share together is my favorite beauty to behold on this trip. Michael, I love you.

The Encouragement Tour, La Jolla, California

So far on the tour, this is my favorite meeting. (Dis)honestly, it had nothing to do with the location—George’s on the Cove, in La Jolla, California. I was ridiculously fortunate to get a major dose of all things beach, including sea lions sunning and barking at each other on the rocks below us, and fresh albacore, a favorite of mine since I began catching them well off the coast with my dad and brothers in the late 60’s. Pictured with me is Paul Hatten a beautiful Aussie man with a family to match, who is starting a church in August in the Escondido area. If I lived anywhere near there (like within 50 miles or so), I’d go. He knows the love and grace of God, and in a deeply intriguing way, that channels and filters into everything he does. If you get the opportunity, listen to this man.

Encouragement Tour, Loomis, California

It’s always fascinating and amazing to meet a group of people amalgamated together by God. Here, some of the group I met last weekend at Loomis, California, poses together in a “here are the ones made holy, righteous, pure, blameless and flawless” moment. Do you think that God might have been just a little bit happy about them?

The Encouragement Tour (Sacramento, California)

It’s a wonder to me when people quickly and easily accept me into their group of friends and want to know about my life, what I’ve discovered about God, and what I think might help them. Why should they do that? It has to be love recognizing love, and their desire to explore God’s love and grace together with me. It happened again last night with a beautiful amalgamated band of people in Loomis, California, and I suspect it will happen all over again tonight at 5:30.