Whatever Wednesday Writings - I Love My Loser

This is an UPDATE from last week's post.

Time Magazine was laying out at our office and it caught my eye…the top 100 most influential people…singers, entrepreneurs, engineers, professional athletes, fashion designers....who design jeans that people will pay $2,000 for? Seriously? Okay, I am finished looking at the list. Obviously, the things that land you on that list and what God sees as influential are not the same thing. News flash, I know.

It is true God’s ways are not our ways and when we begin to truly follow His word it will always make people take note. They will either call you foolish or they will praise God to see Christlikeness exhibited.

God’s word says to gain your life, you must first lose it. To be great, you must first be a servant. To live, you must die. When we lose, it is actually a gain and that is what happened.

This past Wednesday, Mike and Darryl spend the day with their baseball team playing in the Class 5A Regionals, they got smashed both games, thus ending their 2013-14 season. After the first game was over the announcer came up to Mike and Darryl and said he has been announcing these regional games for fifteen years and had never witnessed what he witnessed that day.

Which was a team that played with all their heart despite the beat down they were taking.

They lost 15 to 0. 

The announcer, which is also the golf pro at Heritage Hills Golf Course, asked the fans to give the coaches and team “a round of applause because of the hustle, the never give up, and the class, which they showed in defeat.” Next, he came over to them and asked if he could purchase the entire team’s lunch for the day!

If you know anything about inner city schools, they don’t get a large budget, actually they don’t get a budget, so that was a huge blessing to Mike, Darryl and the boys…this was nothing but God’s favor on them! The neat thing was when the concession stand heard what was going on they did not allow the announcer to pay for their meals because they wanted to be a part of the blessing to our guys.

God’s favor did not stop there though; next, a lady came up and put 200 dollars in their hands so they all could eat on the way home that night.

Then one of the boys on the other team said the name of Jesus Christ in a non-glorifying way, he said it as a curse word. After the game Mike addressed the young man about it and explained why it was offensive to Mike because of what that name meant to him. Then later in the week Mike received an email from this boy’s dad who wanted to know if he could donate money to help the team out! Crazy. I know. That is just the God we serve, showing His faithfulness to His sons.

Finally, all these people sent emails to the Capitol Hill High School principal and the email from the local golf pro/announcer said that Mike and “his assistant” :) left a positive reflection on Claremore and the fans at the game. He went on to say in the email, “Mike Hinckley has become my favorite of all time. He gives love, praise, and himself to kids who are having fun, doing their best, making some good plays, cheerleading, but most importantly, teaching young men to respect themselves and the game that he must truly love.”

TV News 9 did a story on them last year and this year The Daily Oklahoman did a story.

I can tell you that it isn’t the game that Mike and Darryl truly love, but it is the Lord Jesus Christ who they truly love…and because of that love they can love on those boys and teach them character even through losing.

Their 1st season (2012-2013)

The cross is for losers. It’s true. Christ did not come to save the righteous but sinners. We are all losers, rather we recognize it or not, Jesus came to destroy self-righteousness. Nevertheless, because of the cross we are truly winners, because it is not our righteous, goodness, talents or abilities but Jesus Christ IN US that is the hope of glory.

"Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord."

Jeremiah 9:23-24

 "In God we boast all day long, and Praise Your Name forever." Psalm 44:8

Whatever Wednesday Writings - Rewired - My Man of Influence

A couple of weeks ago my main squeeze went to Oklahoma’s Baptist General Convention Men’s Retreat called “Rewired”. He told me they spoke about “being a man of influence” and what that is and what it means. Speaking from my perspective, my man, while he might not be tall in stature is certainly tall in influence. I don’t brag often enough on him (I don’t want him to get the big head), and I know he would tell you that he still has lots of flaws, but as his wife who sees him day in and out, I can testify he truly is a man of Godly influence.

In fact, every man is a man of influence, where the rubber meets the road is what kind of influence are you? At one point, my husband, was a man of bad influence heading down the wrong road with DUIs (driving under the influence) and being controlled by what he wanted in life, but praise be to God, he no longer is a man of bad influence. You can read here, how that radical change came about in his life.

Today, he is one of the most selfless, scripture driven people I know and he is mine! He is most definitely not just a hearer, but a doer. He is a man that loves Jesus first, then his family and others, always putting their needs before his own. I have watched countless men come to him for biblical counseling over our almost 18 years of marriage. He provides them wise, biblical counsel and prays with/for them and they come back often.

He also invests in student lives. First as the student pastor at our church, those male students who are seeking more always flock to hang out with him because of the truth of scripture that he speaks out in to their daily life; not to mention he is just a humorous guy and a big kid himself, which helps too! This past Friday night he took two of our male students to an outdoor concert with Christ honoring music. I’ve learned not to call it Christian music; if you are interested in why, ask and I’ll tell you. They spent about six hours together and he didn’t come home dragging and complaining that it took too long, the music was too loud, or any other type of complaint. It was the opposite, he came home excited about the relationships the students were building together and how he was a part of the work God is doing in their lives.

 

He also devotes time to shepherd students on the baseball field. That still just seems too crazy to even type the word baseball anywhere near my husband’s name. That is how I know all the things the Lord has done in our spiritual is a God thing, because Darryl and baseball just don’t go together, but they do now and only God could make this awkward match. I really need to take the time and capture how God orchestrated this craziness in our lives. It's always fun to go back and see how God takes you through valleys, because what we learned was that God wasn't trying to take something from us but He was leading us to something.

In this News 4 video, the head coach, Mike Hinckley talks about what he and Darryl (as he refers to 'his coach' lol) are working to instill in these young men through the game of baseball. You might not catch my husband in the video because he is in the background and he is close to the same height and skin color of the guys they coach, but he is the one with the solid maroon pullover on. Again, when the students ask, he is there to give Godly guidance, teaching them positive life skills can be learned through playing a game and that life is much more.

But even more, he is our spiritual leader in our home; he spends hours digging in the Word, pouring prayers over our lives and seeking God on behalf of our family. His faithfulness to our triune God has certainly influenced me to seek God more in my life. He will probably hate that I wrote all this about him, but I am one blessed wife! He certainly loves me as Christ loves the church, or at least I feel like he does. He irons my uniform every day for work (we are both looking forward to our retirement). He makes my coffee, starts my car, and loads it every morning before I go to work. He makes sure the oil is changed, my tires are good and that I have gas in my car. He does our laundry every week. He takes care of our home inside and out. I am sure at the point he got his last DUI that landed him in jail he never dreamed that God could use him or the mess of his life, but God specializes in transformation. Now as my husband stood before our church congregation this past Sunday, the Lord enlightened him that he is still “DUI” but this time it is much better, because he is now a “Disciple Under Influence”, which that influence being the Holy Spirit. My main squeeze is most unquestionably a man of influence and I am blessed to call him mine.

 “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” Eph 5:18

Whatever Wednesday Writings...at Your Word I will!

“But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net.’” Luke 5:5

It’s that time again in Oklahoma, and I am not talking fishing. “That time” being severe weather and Moore, Oklahoma where I live is known as “Tornado Alley”. Born and raised an Okie I have been through many severe storms, the baseball size hail, winds that carry trampolines and small puppies away, flooding that makes you want to invest in a kayak, but F5 – mile wide – long tracking tornadoes…uhm…no thanks. I have seen one too many of these monsters.

The last tornado that hit us on May 20, 2013, shattered our community.

Period.

It was a devastating time watching parents bury their small children.

It was a frustrating time watching friends not receiving any assistance from the “so-called” disaster relief organizations.

It was an exhausting time as we worked to salvage personal belongings...BUT it was also a time the Lord taught me about His sovereignty and my need to trust Him in EVERY aspect of my life. 

These environmental storms make it hard to understand and grasp how His goodness could be displayed through such destruction and despair; but I HAVE to trust that He is still faithful, that His love never ends and with each sunrise we have new mercies. I HAVE to remember these truths, His Word, especially when tragedy happens and I don’t understand. I HAVE to remember that we live in a sin-cursed world and until Jesus returns and the new heaven and earth come, heart-wrenching tragedy will exist. I don’t like that.

My family loves a good thunderstorm. My family loves the adrenaline of watching a tornado (as long as it isn’t taking life and property). The incredible display of power is amazing, but this past week with all the predictions of the worst tornado outbreak in our area since 2011 had me more on edge than I ever would have expected. I don’t know if it was because we were so close to it last year with my husband and daughter bunkering down in a school that was only partially hit, or if it was seeing all the destruction day in and day out for months, or if it was watching friends rebuild their lives, or if it was just old age and wisdom knowing and understanding the magnitude and cost of the aftermath. 

Whatever it was I HAD to take those concerns to God and lay them at His feet. Remembering He is good all the time and that my family and my life are His. Remembering that He has ALL authority in heaven and on earth and that our steps are preordained by Him. I HAD to remember that He did not give me a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a SOUND MIND. I HAD to remember that perfect love casts out all fear and I HAD to rejoice knowing that I am perfectly loved.

I don’t understand why bad things happen to good people, I am not God, but I know we live in a sin-cursed world. I do know that God is in control and I will trust Him. I must remember to see the universe through the lens of His Lordship and know when tragedy strikes He is still there, He still loves, gives strength and comfort, laughter, peace and joy…and I love and trust Him, even in and through the storms of this life. Just as Job lost everything and suffered much, he states, “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21b) Job goes on to ask “shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10b)

So this week as I read in Luke 5, I learned a simple lesson. Just as Jesus’ future disciples had toiled all night to catch fish for their livelihood and finished with an empty net. All of my toiling and sweating over if the predictions would come to pass left me with an empty net of worry. I know, worrying does me NO good, Matthew 6:27, asks, “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" Not me. That is why I have this ring to remind me God values me and I am being taken care of by a King. I can't tell you how many times since I put this ring on that I have gazed down and reminded myself, "Am I not more value than the birds?" (Matt 6:26)

Back to Luke 5! At Jesus’ command, Peter responded in faith and was rewarded with a catch so big that the nets tore and the boat almost sank! While this scripture is used to illustrate the evangelistic impact the disciples would have, His Word which is alive can speak differently to us in our own life situations. That word for me - is being a doer and don’t just speak it, but believe it – live it. Luke 5 alludes that Peter doubted because he said, (my paraphrase) “Lord, we have been trying all night to catch fish , we are tired and they just ain’t bitten, in fact I think they are all gone! BUT “at Your Word I will”.

Lord, help me to take you AT YOUR WORD and to do as You say. Help me to remember You are trustworthy, You are sovereign and You love me more than the sparrows and yet you take care of them. Lord help me to keep my mind steadfast on you and as I do You will give me perfect peace through all the storms (environmental or otherwise)...  at Your Word I will, let it be!

“The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. “

Psalm 29:10-11

All those predictions for this last storm system may have missed our area, but there are others in Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi and Alabama who were in the direct path. I am confident they would covet our prayers as their long road of healing and rebuilding begins.

Whatever Wednesday Writings - I'm Done with the Mud Pies

Failure. I started 2014 with the hopes of writing one post a week and posting it on Wednesday. I should have known picking Wednesdays would be dangerous, but since I don’t watch action films I had to bring in some type of action-oriented adventure like struggling against incredible odds of writing and posting on a work/church day. However, I did make it to March 12^th, but then Spring Break happened, then I quit drinking all forms of soda pop, then migraines happened, then my daughter got her driving permit, so you can see I have been highly involved in frantic chases during Spring Break, physical feats with overcoming soda pop, and finally stunts and special effects with driving training, but this week I am back, at least I am going to try.

This past weekend as I mentioned in my previous post I attended a ladies retreat where God had some very specific things to say to me about forgiveness, humility, surrender and finishing well and I hope I don’t get spiritual amnesia any time soon.

I will share one thing that spoke to me this weekend and hopefully over the coming Wednesdays I can share more, because there was so MUCH good stuff I really need to camp out on a few of them.

I will start with what Cody Dunbar the Worship Leader for the weekend said before we started the Friday night worship time, and that is “God’s glory remains. How much do I want to jump in on?” God’s glory is not depended on me or us, it’s always there. It remains despite anything or anyone, the question for me is am I going to take part in His glory or sit on the side of the road with my iPhone? Christianity is too often a label we wear and not a lifestyle we live out.

One of the speakers shared this C.S. Lewis quote, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily entertained.”

I want MORE than mud pies.

Too easily entertained, too distracted with work, too troubled with the things of this world…before the retreat, I had fallen prey to being too easily entertained and distracted by worshiping the idols of social media and the DVR. I don’t have issues as C.S. Lewis says “with drink and sex and ambition” or even with playing games those things don’t steal my time and affection and I am not becoming a nun, but I spend too much time on social media and entertaining myself in front of the TV, don’t we all? Spiritual strength, just like any other kind of strength, does not come natural or easy; so, I have to make an active and intentional choice to stop giving my time and praise of seeking false gods because time is fleeting. I want to be like Mary, Martha’s sister, and I want to choose the ONE thing that will fulfill my soul, the good part that will not be taken away from me. (Luke 10:41-42) I don’t want work to work me or life to consume me, or get upset when my team doesn’t win, because there is only ONE thing necessary.

I need accountability. I’ve told my family and close friends to ask me if I am giving my best and most to the One who died for me. So far, I am on track. No, I am not quitting social media and the DVR (yet), but those momentary things are certainly getting the last of my day. Since this past weekend, those necessary things (time with my Savior in prayer, my “Expect MORE” bible study, payer time with my prayer partner, and my daily bible reading) have been moved to the top of the list. What I have found is  after the necessary things are complete, I have work, time with my family, shopping/cooking, sleeping and the amount of time I spend going into a room looking for something, forgetting what I was in there for, leaving and then returning because I remembered…then my day is gone and I haven’t even missed those momentary things.

When I told Jay that I am switching my priorities in life, he said “Then do you want me to tell you who wins the Amazing Race?” I said, “Sure, tell me.” He said, “Wow, you are serious. You are getting too spiritual, you are going to turn into a monk” I hope so, the spiritual part, not the monk part (not that being a monk is bad, it’s just not for this married woman). I am tired of living in the slums and making mud pies, I want MORE, I want MORE of His glory, I want that holiday at the sea and I don’t want to be easily entertained, so if I miss something on social media that I need to know, please know that it isn’t because I don’t care, it is probably because social media is getting much less of me and Jesus is getting MORE of me, because I am choosing MORE of Him. Does this resonate with anyone other than me?

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9