Blue is beautiful...

Today's front page headline sums it up pretty well. 96.5 inches of snowfall so far this winter. 96 1/2 inches! Do the math. That's just over eight feet of snow!  Eight FEET!

Frigid temps. Record lows. Continual snow. Activity cancellations. School closings.

I handle those things pretty well. In fact; shh, I actually enjoy this weather! I relish the old-fashioned feeling which accompanies the brutality of this winter's weather. Getting stuck in the thick, dense snow at an intersection. Slipping. Sliding. The heart racing exercise of shoveling snow.

What I struggle with is this: the lack of sunshine. I long for the stunning beauty of the cobalt blue sky. I yearn for the spreading warmth from the intense rays of a winter's sun. I desire the dazzling beauty of glistening white ground cover.

I'm not alone in my need. In fact, physicians even have a name for this need. It's called SAD. Yep, SAD. That stands for seasonal affective disorder. The lack of sunshine causes sadness, moodiness and depression. The long and short of it is that we humans need sunshine.

Unfortunately, in Michigan, we can go for weeks without a glimpse of the sun. And this winter has been no exception.

That is, until yesterday.

Yesterday the sun emerged victorious. It warmed our souls from sunup 'til sundown. We were gifted with an entire day to see shadows, squint and share happy spirits.

People were downright giddy. A trip to Meijer after work confirmed my suspicions. People were downright joyful. It was obvious. There were the two guys struggling to push their cart through the snow-covered parking lot who laughed, joked and waved at me. There was the encounter with the husband who thought he needed to help me pick out my bunch of bananas.  Add to that the smiles and chatter of children with their moms. My trip ended with the cheerful cashier who chatted while scanning my groceries.

The sun had an incredible impact on humanity.

Amazing how our need for the sun mirrors our need for the Son. The Son of God. Jesus. We humans need Jesus.

So...is it apparent to folks? Can they see that we're bathed in the light of the Son? Is it obvious? Are we downright giddy and joy-filled? Do they see the difference it makes for the Son to be victorious in our lives?

My prayer is this: "Jesus, please help me shine your light. Today. Tomorrow. Every day. Thank you, Jesus! Amen."

I pray this same prayer for you as well.

From Matthew 5:

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Men in the Zebra Suits

I'm a basketball fan. I guess this addiction started years ago - and we're talkin' many years ago - in high school. Back then, my high school didn't have a football team, so basketball was THE sport. Several years later, early in our married life, my husband and I were avid followers of the Detroit Pistons "Bad Boys." The world hated Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman, but basketball fans in Michigan loved them! Fast forward to just a few short years ago when our son, Barry, played high school basketball, and we were faithful West Ottawa supporters for four years.

Currently my fix comes in the form of Hope College men's basketball.

Working at the college has its advantages. We are able to sit in the faculty/staff bleacher section, and our favorite spot is the very front row. We are mere feet off the court and close to the excitement of the game. We hear, see and sometimes even become part of the action when a stray ball or player flies into our laps.

Although our focus is on the players and the contest at hand, during most games our attention gets diverted. In fact,three people capture an uncanny amount of scrutiny. These folks don't get a break. In fact, they are the objects of spewed nasty comments and constant criticism. These are the men in the zebra suits. The officials.

A missed call. A bad call. A fair call. No call at all. All these actions can result in raucous boos, shouted insults and player angst. Now let's be real. Officials go through training. They know the rules of the game. Officials are doing the best job they can during a fast paced sport. It's usually the spectators that get their panties in a bunch.

Fair or not, officials take a beating.

In much the same way, Christians today fall under the same intense scrutiny. Sure, we've been trained through our reading of Scripture. We know the rules by following Jesus' example. And in this game called Life, people are watching. Our kids. Our coworkers. Our neighbors. The media.

We are doing the best job we can, but we don't always get it right. Sometimes we slip up. We make a bad call. Maybe it's gossip. Or cutting a driver off in traffic. We miss a call. Not volunteering to teach a Sunday School class. Keeping a tithe for ourselves. It's in these times we need to understand we're human. God uses common, ordinary people, sinners even (!), to accomplish his purposes.

But then we find, even when we make the right call, we get hammered. We remain true to our beliefs and often go against the ways of our world. We defend marriage. We honor life. We honor conservative values. It's in these time we need to persevere. We need to withstand spewed insults and vicious criticism. We need to stand firm in our faith.

Find encouragement in 2 Timothy 4:

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

And our master, Jesus, encourages us with his words in Matthew 5:

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

So go out there. Blow your whistle and make the call. Jesus is in the stands, cheering you on.

Head vs Heart

I'm at odds over reconciling a couple of things.

I'm a relationship person. For me, getting to know someone doesn't necessarily mean being able to list off a bunch of things about that person. While knowing things about a person is usually the first step in a relationship, actually knowing a person is key.

Does that make sense? I'll try to explain.

Let's use my husband, Randy, as an example. Randy is a business owner. He is a church member, high school Sunday School teacher and special needs tutor. He is a "says it like it is" father. He smokes cigars, wears a baseball hat 24/7 and wears jeans to church.

"Hmm, interesting character," you might say.

Yep, those are things about my hubby. But now, let me try to help you get to know Randy.

Randy's customers are loyal. They've found him to be a fair, diligent and painstakingly neat perfectionist who gets to know them and their families personally. Our Sunday School highschoolers love him because he is genuine, goofy and cares deeply about each and every one of them. He wears a gruff exterior like armor, but inside has a teddy bear heart that is fiercely protective of his kids, the elderly, and of me.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I hope it helps you see the difference between knowing about a person and getting to know a person.

Hence, my struggle with those Christians who know about Jesus and preach this above knowing Jesus. To be fair, I truly believe Jesus wants us to know about him. I also believe that Jesus wants us to continue learning more about him. But ultimately, Jesus wants us to have an intimate relationship with him, which involves really knowing him, and not just knowing about him.

I call this the Religion vs Relationship teeter totter. Religious folks can get hung up on knowing about, but not really knowing. You see, Biblical head knowledge and heart relationship should go hand in hand. More and more, I've noticed that when the teeter totter is heavy with head knowledge, it's very judgmental. So whether you agree with me or not, here's my take on it:

Religion wants to be in control.
Relationship trusts God’s control.

Religion worries about what others think.
Relationship only cares what God thinks.

Religion shackles us with a list of rules and regulations.
Relationship sets us free.

Religion condemns.
Relationship forgives.

Religion carries the arrogance of knowledge.
Relationship carries the humility of service.

Religion continually strives for more knowledge, leaving us unfulfilled.
Relationship fills our hearts with acceptance and overflowing joy.

Religion guilts us into works.
Relationship serves with joy.

Jesus had harsh words about those who spouted their Biblical head knowledge and taught it, but didn't live it out in their relationships. He has lots to say to them in Matthew 23. But before he chastises them, he tells us how to live our lives in verses 9-12, here from The Message:

 “You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

11-12 “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty."