Here is a place where stress is absent.

Where the phone never rings, and babies never cry.

Here is a place where neatness, order, and predictability reign.

A safe place, where seldom is heard a discouraging word.

Here is a place where the “ground is level.”

Where there is no prejudice or pride.

Here is a place that remains unimpacted by the news or political scene.

Where nobody cares if you’re liberal, conservative, or anarchist.

Here is a place where there is no life.

Anywhere else, it can get pretty messy.

But God – and life – are often in the mess.

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It all started with a meeting by our Creative Team at the church.  The conversation was about what to do this holiday season.  What’s on people’s minds?  What are they thinking/planning for the holidays, especially Christmas?

As the conversation flowed, it followed themes such as people who were giving in to discouragement, fear, and despair because of the e-word.  Also, one couple talked about giving out to charity instead of buying family a bunch of stuff they didn’t particularly want or need.

We talked about how Christmas has become jacked up because of the demands and expectations we place on it – how it’s supposed to magically solve all our problems or bring some sort of enchantment to our otherwise unhappy lives.

We talked about the pressure to make Christmas tricked up – raising the materialistic bar year in and year out.  We’ve been keeping up with the Joneses, only to discover that we are the Joneses.

We talked about how, biblically, God one-upped Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist.  God always seems to be able to out-give, out-serve, out-surprise the greatest acts of our service or obedience.

And we talked about the ultimate Gift – offered up by God to a world too busy to care.

So, our theme for Christmas is, Give It Up!  Before you give in or give out, give up!  That’s exactly what God did with His Son.  Now He awaits your response.

But why wait for Christmas Day?  Why not start now, in the Thanksgiving season, to offer up our lives, first to God, then to others?  For many of us, this will be an opportunity, albeit unwelcome, to really discover that it’s not about the toys and trinkets as much as it is about the love, the joy, the life, and the service we offer up.  So in that spirit, I thought I’d share ten ways you can give to others in life-affirming ways for little or no money.  I would encourage you to do some or all of these things, regardless of your financial status.

1.  Give the Gift of Words - Write a handwritten note
Todd Thompson recently reminded me of the power of encouragement, especially in the form of handwritten notes.  Yes, I know emails are faster and more convenient.  I know face-to-face has dynamics all their own, with possibilities of a hug or other nonverbal communication.  But there is real power in your written words, minus the technology.

A few years ago my friend Kevin Rhoads designed a simple, elegant way for us to give the gift of words during the holidays.  You can see it here.  It’s designed to fit inside a standard business-sized envelope.  If you have the technology, print this off and use it, if you’d like.  Or design or use something else.  Hey, a Post-it note works, if it’s from the heart.

2.  Make Thanksgiving resolutions
New Year’s Day is the recognition that we’re starting something in our lives with a clean slate.  We’re resetting the clocks to zero, and that provides us the opportunity to think about how our lives can be different.  Nothing wrong with that.  (Nothing done about them in most cases, either.)

This year, try Thanksgiving resolutions.  It’s the same idea, but a different springboard.  Rather than thinking about your new opportunity to start over, think about the ways God has been incredibly good to you.  How should you respond to that goodness over the coming year?  It’s easy enough to go around the table when you’re full of turkey and trimmings and say what you’re grateful for.  But take it further.  Thanksgiving resolutions are a gift you offer the Lord.  Here’s the way the psalmist put it:

What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me? (Psalm 116:12)

3.  Give the gift of honor.
“Honor to whom honor is due,” Paul says (Romans 13:7).  But that’s in a formal sense.  Who has earned your respect?  How about your parents?  How about other family members?  How about members of the military?  Or God’s “military,” missionaries?  Start with people you know, but don’t confine it to that.  If you see someone in uniform or someone in public service find ways to express your respects to them.

So how do you give this gift?  Cards.  Notes.  Something as simple as “Thank you for your service to our country.”  Picking up somebody’s tab at lunch or dinner (I just saw somebody do that for four men in uniform at a Pizza Hut.)

4.  Give some of your time.
We don’t all have equal amounts of money, but we’re all on the same clock.  And often we fail to realize that the people who love and need us most need our time more than what our bucks can buy.  That’s why Kevin also designed a “Time Ticket” coupon that’s the size of a business card.  You can see it here.  You fill it out and give it to someone as a gift, redeemable whenever.

5.  Tell your story or teach your life lessons to somebody.  Mentor!
One of the most consistent cries I’m hearing these days is for people to share their wisdom and experience with others.  You have experiences, life lessons, and God lessons that can add incredible value to other people.  Share!  Pick an age, and somebody needs wisdom, or an experienced listening ear.  You don’t have to be an “expert,” (whatever that is).  You just need to have lived a bit longer, made a few mistakes, and learned a few things.

6.  Send Thanksgiving cards.
I have received thousands of Christmas cards over the years, and there is a reason.  It’s a time-honored tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus and of saying to friends, customers, and family that we’re thinking of them.

Over that same period of time, I have received three Thanksgiving cards, and I remember all three.  Two of them came from our banker.  One from a university.  Regardless of the source, what’s striking is the way they’re remembered. Want to stand out?  Tell somebody you’re thankful for them.  Here’s one place where you can order them. And here’s another.

7.  Make “ability coupons” and give them away.
What are you good at?  Can you swing a hammer, edit a paper, cook a meal, massage a shoulder, read out loud, tutor math, tell a joke, write a song, or any of a myriad of other abilities?  Make a set of coupons offering a “unit” of those abilities and give them to people you care about.  If they haven’t redeemed them after a month, send a cheery reminder note to let them know you meant it.

8.  Find a way to say thank you to the people who serve you in your “traffic patterns.”
A few years ago, on Christmas Eve, I got up way before the family and made a quick trip to the local supermarket.  They were selling cases of 24 scented gel candles for a dollar a candle.  Nice, simple, elegant.  I picked up a case, and printed up some labels that said, “Thank you for the ways you light up our lives.  Merry Christmas,  The Wood Family.”

I had each family member pick out people they routinely ran into or did business with, and we went passing out candles.  We gave one to the mail carrier, a bank teller, the lady at the dry cleaners, a youth pastor, and a host of other every-day people.  I can’t describe the impact it made on them, but more so, on the family.  They still talk about it.

9.  Give something you own away.
If you live in the United States, you probably have too much stuff, sold to you by somebody whose job it was to convince you that those “wants” were actually “needs.”  Get rid of it if it isn’t vital.

Obviously, I don’t mean your sweaty ball cap or permanently-stained cookie sheet.  But nearly all of us have something that’s in great condition or even unused.  Pass it along.  Hey, you could even start a new family tradition – everybody gives somebody at least one unpurchased gift.

10.  Honor those in leadership or authority over you.
On November 5, Barak Obama emerged as the second most hated man in the world.  Right now the number one job belongs to somebody else.  Here’s a thought:  why not find a way to express your respects and honor to people in authority?  Could be your boss, your mayor, your pastor, or yes, even your president.  Regardless of what you think of his policies, George W. Bush is still a human, and one in authority.  Here’s where you can write him:

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

My son just recently wrote the president-elect.  You may reach him at this address:

Barack H. Obama
President-Elect
PO Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680-8102

What ideas do you have for giving without spending?  I’d love to hear them.

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With all the gloom, doom, and sleepless nights about the economy, I thought maybe we could use a little financial inspiration.

Couldn’t find any, so this is what you get instead…

One of the fundamental truths of the New Testament is that money is “coined personality.”  That is, people can see the “real you” in the ways you respond to and handle money.  If you’re generous with your finances, you’ll be generous with other parts of your life as well.  Same is true if you’re careless, stingy, unorganized, etc.  This raises some interesting questions about some or organizations.  If money is coined personality, we may have a few problems!

A couple of years ago, I walked into a local bank, started writing a check, and told the teller in my best deadpan voice that I needed $30 worth of Federal Reserve notes.  He actually asked another teller, “Do we have Federal Reserve notes here?”  “Ya mean, money?” she asked.

Last month a man in Warren, Michigan figured the best way to get a little extra cash for the holidays was to strong arm somebody and steal theirs. Unfortunately, the victim turned out to be stronger than the thief.  When all was said and done, the victim got his money back, plus $30 of the perp’s cash as he fled the scene.

A police chief in the U.K. was suspended recently after his $9 million investigation into a murder revealed that, in fact, there was no murder.

A woman in Florida has sued her fortune teller for a refund of $13,200 that she spent over a period of weeks to have the palm reader place a curse on the man who killed her son.  In her defense, the fortune teller stated that she told the woman she didn’t do that sort of thing; if she wanted a curse, she should go to Haiti.

Have your health insurance rates gone up lately?  A West Virginia man recently was awarded $40.00 from his medical insurer – you read that right:  forty dollars – in a five-year-long case that made it all the way to the fourth U. S. Court of Appeals in Richmond.  Aetna has yet to send him the check, which he says he’ll frame and hang on his wall.  Probably too broke from paying their attorneys.

In Kennesaw, Ga., a man tried to rob a bank, apparently unaware it was still under construction and had no money yet.

An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts.

Police in St. Bernard Parish, La., charged a man with grave desecration.  Seems he went to a cemetery and dug up his cousin’s grave after hearing he had been buried with his money and bag of marijuana.

A man was signing the receipt for his credit card purchase when the clerk noticed he had never signed his name on the back of the credit card. She informed him that she could not complete the transaction unless the card was signed. When he asked why, she explained that it was necessary to compare the signature he had just signed on the receipt. So he signed the credit card in front of her. She carefully compared the signature to the one he had just signed on the receipt. Lo and behold, they matched!

In Modesto, California, a man was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun. Unfortunately, he forgot to keep his hand in his pocket.

Throughout the United States (and probably elsewhere), people and organizations shelled out over one billion-with-a-“b” dollars to get their favorite candidate elected to the White House.

There’s more, but I’ve gotta go.  I’m watching an infomercial about a secret system for making over a million dollars with no risk and little effort.  It’s a sure-fire thing!

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In case you missed it, here’s a video montage of her career, including the face plant in Pittsburgh:

Tatiana suffered a concussion but amazingly was back on the ice 12 days later.

“How hard was it for you to get back on the ice just 12 days after that?” Oprah asked her.

“Well, it was very hard,” Tatiana replied. “In the hospital when I woke up, I just realized how serious it was because all my life and career could be over… I wanted to get back on the ice right away because I have been skating since 4 years old. It’s my life.”

Amazing story, but when I heard that last statement, I must confess, I kicked into “preacher mode.”

“Sister,” I huffed to myself, “you need to find something more to live for.”

“What about you?” the Lord asked.  “What is your life?”

“I want so much to say it’s You,” I whispered in my heart.  “I want to say that Jesus is my life.  And beyond that, that I live to be a husband, a dad, a pastor/teacher.  But how can I really know?”

“Go back to the ice, and learn a few things.”

Here was a woman who skated when skating wasn’t, uh, cool.  Who practiced for hour after hour so that she and her partner could compete on an international level. Who was willing to risk losing, failure, even public humiliation for what she loved.  Who endured great B even permanent B physical injury to skate. And who, once her unspeakable silent fear actually came to pass, did whatever it took to return to the ice.

“It’s my life.”

What’s yours?  What (or who) do you love enough to become a lifelong student of?  What (or who) are you so passionate about that you are willing to risk failure or public humiliation for?  What (or who) are you so committed to that when you crash face-first, and it hurts, and you want to disappear or die or quit or whine or yell or blame or scream or pout or cuss, instead you do what it takes to return to that first love?

Jesus had two face-crashers on the scale of public spectacle.  One fell on his face, wept bitterly, got up, and led the first-century church.  The other crashed even more spectacularly, but wound up killing himself.

Take it from somebody who has made face-crashing into something of an art form:  The depth of your love - for Jesus, for people, for anything - is not measured just by how natural you look on the medal stand.  It’s how you respond when you face your greatest unspeakable fear or painful failure.  What do you live for?

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Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

What do you do when you’ve done everything you know to do?  What do you do when your tried-and-true system, which has worked before, doesn’t work this time?  How do you respond when God makes a promise and you’ve seen it fulfilled – but this time it doesn’t seem to be “working?”

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

They’ll laugh when they read this, but I sometimes call Kaye and Mark, whom I love very much, Barbie and Ken.  From a distance, they have a storybook life that looks like an 8×10 glossy.  Kaye was a Baylor Beauty; Mark was a quarterback/safety for Frank Broyles’ University of Arkansas football teams. They married, settled in Little Rock, and had four beautiful children.

Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Mark and Kaye weren’t just church wallflowers.  They are committed followers of Jesus.  Each with a rich spiritual heritage, through the years, each has risen to places of spiritual influence and leadership, both in their church and in the Kingdom.  Added to that a great career, great respect in multiple communities, and an unflappable demeanor, and they were, to me, poster children for how God blesses his people who serve and obey Him.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

When I married Kaye’s sister in 1983, they had two beautiful little girls.  Mark’s brother helped me get our engagement ring.  I’ve often wished we lived closer.  As our families grew, they added two more – a boy and a girl – as we had our three.

As is often the case in families, parents who love the Lord seek to raise their children consistently, faithfully, and with unconditional love.  And, as is often the case, sometimes one or more of those children struggle with that.

Julie, whom I met when she was still a baby, had a series of life challenges over the last 25 years.  And they seemed to come from everywhere.  She would tell you today that some of those struggles were of her own making.  Others came from some medical needs that went undetected for a time, but are wonderfully treatable today.  Still others appeared as an attack from the world in various ways throughout her life.

Life was mean – mean – at times to Julie.  Was it God?  Was it Satan?  Was it other people?  Was it Julie?

Yes.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

The climax of all that came four years ago, when Julie became a single mom.  She moved back home, and gave birth to a precious little boy, Mason, who has some special developmental needs.

What would you do if, to your knowledge, you had done everything you knew to do as a parent to raise, protect, inspire, and instill values into your children, and bad things kept happening?  My temptation would have been to fret, to get angry, or to go over the top to try and “fix” everything.  Or, I would have been tempted to question my own faith in God.

Mark and Kaye just kept loving their daughter.  They never compromised their convictions, or gave up on God themselves.  In fact, they did just the opposite.  They leaned in.  They waited patiently.

They gave God time to fulfill His promise.

Did they do it perfectly?  Heck no – would you?  But they loved and waited nonetheless.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret — it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Over time, due in no small part to the love of her family, Julie came to see that God still loved her and that she could still be loved and love herself.

Meanwhile, there was a guy.  Julie met him at church.  He was a bit older, established in his career.  He was a friend.  But he kept reaching out.  He understood her.  He loved her, and he won her heart.  And oh, how he loved that little boy!

This past Saturday, I had the honor of standing next to this guy at the front of a great church in Little Rock, and watching that little boy walk to the front of it.  We wondered if he’d ever get there; this kid’s world revolves around monster trucks and loving people.  And he seemed to want to stop and smile at every one he passed.

Then the door flew open again, and standing there with Mark was one of the most radiant brides I’ve ever seen.  And as more than 500 people stood in her honor, the Holy Spirit whispered something to me I’ll never forget:

This is a love that redeems.

When Mark said, “Her mother and I,” never have those words carried more meaning.  It was a sacred honor to be a part of that.

Oh, and care to guess what the groom’s name is?

His name is, “Christian.”

Twila Paris’ song, “How Beautiful” about the body of Christ says this:

How beautiful, the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom, with His light in her eyes.

I know I’m getting mushy as I age, and that I’ve long ago made peace with weddings (a rant I’ll save for another time).  But this one was special.  It was all about redeeming love.

Redeemed by parents who didn’t quit.  Who continued to do the good they knew to do, to trust God for what they had yet to see, and to give Him time to finish what he had started.

Redeemed by a little boy with special needs who loves monster trucks and people - in that order.  But first and foremost, loves his new daddy and mom.

Redeemed by a man named “Christian” who understands his new wife and loves her completely.

Ultimately redeemed by a Savior who keeps a different kind of score – and thank God He does.

(Scripture from Psalm 37, NIV)

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From a sign in Chicago.

I’m fairly certain more people turn right looking for North Avenue than they stay straight or turn left.

Why?

Because the mind can’t focus on the opposite of an idea.

People tend to go in the direction of your arrows (your example), not the direction of your words.

They gravitate toward what you tell them to avoid, unless you actually point them in a better direction.

They become what you criticize or fear or hate or warn against or dread.

What you say is communication;  that’s important.

Where you point is leadership.  That is vital.

(Photo by Andy Sernovitz)

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Isn’t it bliss?
Don’t you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can’t move.
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.
-from “Send in the Clowns”

No, that’s not the theme song to the next installment of the U.S. Congress.  Then again…

Yesterday I introduced you to a group of Christ followers who were living in a world of mirrors.  The good people of Laodicea were living with the bling, but God had a different estimate of their true wealth.  And in His correction, He revealed some things about a completely different economy that is in operation all around us.  For review, here are the principles we looked at yesterday:

Principle #1:  The root nature of sin is a declaration of independence from God.

Principle #2:  God has a system of economy unlike the world’s system.

Principle #3:  “Economy” is the exchange of all the commodities of life.

Principle #4:  Money has a unique place in the commodities of life.

Principle #5:  It is possible to be rich in the world’s economy and bankrupt in God’s.

So here the scenery changes, and God has some encouraging things to say to His loveable losers:

Principle #6:  God wants us to be wealthy, according to His system of economy.
Lest you think that God is a cosmic killjoy, take another look at his heart toward these people:

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich.” (Revelation 3:18)

I’ll give you two chances to misread this.  First, you can get that gleam in your eye and fall back into the assumption this just means money.

Second, you can say in your best spiritual voice, “Yes, the Lord wants us to have spiritual riches in heaven.”  I’m sure he does.  But I’m not sure that’s what he’s saying here.  If “economy” is the exchange of all the commodities of life, then maybe God wants us to experience it all!  Not just toys and trinkets.  Not just invisible spiritual wealth.  All of it.

Principle #7:  We can only be wealthy in God’s eyes when God is the source of our wealth.
The focus of the Laodiceans was on themselves.  After a cold little wake-up call, God responds, “Let Me be your source.”

Jesus is echoing the sentiment of Solomon:  “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22).  It’s more important that you’re blessed than that you’re financially prosperous.  I honestly don’t think God is nearly as concerned with how much money you have as he is how much of you that money has.

Principle #8:  God uses needs to teach us to trust in Him.
He has promised to meet all your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ (Philippians 4:19).  In Psalm 50, God tells his people, “I don’t need your stuff.  I own the cattle on a thousand hills.”  He then invites us to call on him in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:10, 15).

Your need is evidence of God’s available provision.  Yes, it requires you to let go of your pride and self-sufficiency.  But all that ever got that bunch in Laodecia was an ugly encounter with a spiritual mirror.

Principle #9:  The way to receive God’s provision is to buy from God.
“I counsel you,” Jesus says, “to buy from me.”

Does that not strike you as odd?  How do people who are penniless buy anything from God?

Let me illustrate.  Suppose I want a gallon of milk.  I go to the grocery store, grab the goods and start to leave.  But before I can (legally) get out the door, I have to trade what I have (money) for what I want.  So what did these people have?

Their nothingness.

And that’s all God wanted.  He wanted them to exchange their nothingness for His provision, at their point of need.  Your declaration of need, combined with faith, brings all the resources of heaven to your situation.

Principle #10:  The practical way to buy from God is to give at your point of need.
Receiving in God’s economy is the result of giving. If you need money, give money.  If you need love or friendship, give love or friendship.  If you need more energy, you’ll get more by exercising (giving) than by sleeping it off.

There they are – the rules of God’s economy.  It sure is good to know we aren’t left to guess where the real wealth comes from.

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How would you like to get a personal letter from Jesus Christ, where the first thing he said was, “I know what you’ve been doing”?  That can be a little unnerving!  But that’s exactly what Jesus said to the First Church of Coolville, alias Laodicea.  He had a few other things to say as well.  Let’s peek at their mail:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see (Revelation 3:15-18).

Looks like the guys and dolls in Lala Land had a few things to learn about wealth.

So do we.

They thought they were loaded; Jesus said otherwise.  Remember, though, that in spite of its scathing message, this was a love letter.  And in his love, Jesus gave them, and LifeVestors everywhere, a few pointers on His economy.

Principle #1:  The root nature of sin is a declaration of independence from God.
Yes, I know this isn’t technically about economy, but it feeds everything to do with it.  This principle was true in the Garden of Eden.  It’s true today.  It was frighteningly true in Laodicea, even among a group of believers.  They had reached the point where they were so blessed, they assumed they needed nothing.

Not even God?

Apparently not.  Oh, I’m sure they knew the platitudes.  But somewhere, somehow, their gratitude had turned to smugness, and Jesus was on the outside, knocking on the door of his own church.

Principle #2:  God has a system of economy unlike the world’s system.
How do I know that?  Because the world attested to the believers there that they, indeed, had made it.  God, however, had a different take on all this:

“You say you’re rich; I say you’re broke.”

And when God says you’re busted, guess what?  You’re busted!  It doesn’t matter how the world keeps score.  God obviously has a different standard of measurement that is more anchored to the truth.

Principle #3:  “Economy” is the exchange of all the commodities of life.
I am indebted to Jack Taylor for this definition.  When we hear the word “economy,” we usually assume someone is talking about cash and coins.  But the idea of economy has to do with how everything – tangible and intangible – is given and received, bought and sold.  The same principles that apply to money management speak also to your physical energy, love, service, forgiveness, and a host of other “accounts” we carry. That’s why a lady of modest means could tell me straight-faced she was rich.  She was “loaded” when it came to the love of her friends and family.

Principle #4:  Money has a unique place in the commodities of life.
Jesus said that money was at the bottom of the ladder, inferior to every other resource

It’s also a false god; Jesus said categorically that you cannot serve God and money.  It’s interesting that neither Jesus nor Paul said this about any other commodity than money.

Your use of money also reveals the contents of your heart.  “Where your treasure is,” Jesus said, “there you heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).  Want to know what you value?  Check out your checkbook.

Principle #5:  It is possible to be rich in the world’s economy and bankrupt in God’s.
I don’t want to beat this to death.  But it’s staggering how blinding this can be.  This church didn’t have a care in the world, and their wealth was the reason why.  They had wallowed out a comfort zone that enabled them to continue “doing church,” all the while being exposed in the spiritual realm as “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  It wasn’t their wealth itself that was the problem, but their attitude toward it.  Their complacency had marginalized their need for God.

Check in tomorrow; the scenery changes.  I’ll finish this up with five more, including how God counseled these “bankrupt wealthy” people to find the real deal.  But for today, I dare you to take a look at your own attitudes toward money and “the stuff.”

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I don’t think I could have possibly conjured up a better celebration and memory maker – provided by my family, my awesome team at TPCC back home, and some help from people with names like Harrell, Crabtree, and Edwards.

It all started with the confidence that I could leave home and work for the weekend, knowing that the church was in very capable hands.  I am so grateful for the staff and leadership at Turning Point.  So when Chad, our youth pastor, calls me on Friday to ask it if was OK to title his message on forgiveness, “The F-Word,” I didn’t think twice about it.

We went to Cassie’s house in Euless and had the official family celebration Friday night.  (If you know Carrie, you’ll have to ask her what kind of birthday cake they served up.  I couldn’t mention it unless you paid me lots of money.)  It was there that they presented me the surprise they’d been teasing and hinting about for weeks – two tickets to the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.  As big a NASCAR nut as I am, I’d never been to a race in person.  Needless to say, I was very excited.

Saturday we drove to Canton, Texas – home of the (literally) world’s largest flea market.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  There had to be more than 150,000 people there, and this is a monthly occurrence.  One entire section – about the size of most flea markets – is devoted almost exclusively to pets and livestock.  Hundreds of puppies, along with miniature goats, long-haired rabbits, half-sized calves, llamas, donkeys, exotic birds, and even baby pigs.  We came home with Gracie – a seven-week-old Maltese.

Saturday night I shouted myself hoarse watching Texas Tech shock Texas.  From the Longhorns first play from scrimmage (a safety) to Tech’s last (an incredible touchdown), I was blown away.

Who would have ever thought that, nine games into the season, the top 5 BCS teams would look like this?

Alabama is #1 for the first time in the regular season since 1980 (Roll Tide!).  And my wife’s alma mater is close behind.  Incredible.

The race was a true spectacle.  TV does a good job of presenting it, but there is no way to compare the 3D effect of actually being there, along with 171,000 other people.  And it was pretty cool that we pick up a couple of Carl Edwards #99 caps, and he proceeds to win the race.  The view was incredible, the weather perfect.  And for all uncultured folks that think NASCAR fans are a bunch of beer-throwing rednecks, let me just say these were some of the friendliest, most gracious and sportsmanlike fans possible.  Even, the Earnhardt fans.

Of course, through it all, the most fun part was sharing it with family.  It was the first time to see all seven of them together in a long time, and we totally enjoyed that.  We also hadn’t seen Laura Kate in a good while, so we were glad to have some time with her.

My eardrums have returned to normal, and my voice is nearly back.  The kids have all gone back to home and work.  Carrie, Cassie and Joel did such a wonderful job of helping me celebrate.  Robin and I are back home – ready to start the third quarter.

I do so want to finish strong.

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From the genius of David Hayward comes this funny/sad characterization of a lot of people I have known (and one or two I have been).

No coincidence that David posted this on the same day I made this statement:  There is not enough of you available to live all your life.  You’re a fool to try…

Ever see a sequoia tree?  Fantastic piece of God’s creation.  An awesome living structure that can reach as high as 300 feet.

Ever see a sequoia tree standing by itself?

Chances are, you won’t.  Strange thing, this tree - to be so tall, it has a very shallow root system.  If it stood alone, it couldn’t make it; when the wind grew strong, it wouldn’t take it.  So the sequoias build a network of root systems and together they flourish, side by side.

You and I were designed to function like the sequoia tree. United we stand; divided we fall.  Our “roots” never anchor us deep enough to make it by ourselves.  That’s why God placed us in families, in churches, in communities.  That’s why He keeps most of us here long after we’re ready to see heaven.  We need each other!  And to the degree that we are connected with one another, side by side, we can reach for the stars.

Some people choose to live their lives back to back. To these loners, other people are too complicated, too demanding, too inconvenient.  Of course, many loners do well enough for a season.  But one day the wind will blow a little too hard.  The storm will be a little too strong.  The pressure will be a little too great.  And the loner will reach out for those complicated, demanding, inconvenient people, and most of them won’t be there.  After all, they went where they were needed.  God help the loner who has discovered he’s lonely!  The haunting words of Proverbs 18:1 tell his story:  “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire.  He rages against all wise judgment.”

Other people live their lives face to face.  In YO face!  In my face.  They live from conflict to conflict, from complaint to complaint.  Life for them is a problem to be solved, an issue to be addressed, a wrong to be righted.  You never hear from this bird unless something is wrong, but when it is, look out!  They’re sure to let you know.  Two remarkable things about this character:  It’s amazing how much we crave their approval.  And it’s baffling how loving (and sometimes godly) they consider themselves to be.

“Two are better than one,” Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 4:9).  He was right.  For work and for weakness, for warmth and for warfare, the greatest gift God has given us on this planet is one another.  And I can’t reach up like I could until I have reached out like I should.

Alone, we can chase an enemy.  Side by side, we can rout an army.  I can’t live your life for you.  I can’t win my battles without you.  Side by side, we can do exploits for the glory of God.

Living side by side takes patience, time, and a whole lot of love and encouragement.  It takes responsibility and teamwork.  Make no mistake about it - networking is a lot of trouble.  But it’s worth the trouble.  And the benefits are out of this world.

The next time a Christian comes crashing, look carefully for his roots.  Who was he connected to?  Who was holding on to him?  Where were you?  And the next time you’re tempted to isolate or assassinate the brother next to you, remember the sequoia.  No matter how tall or strong you think you are, you won’t make it by yourself.  Yes, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.  What makes you think you’re any different?

“Side by side,” the song says, “we’ll overcome it all.  We’ll answer when He calls.  And stand with Him in awe, side by side.”  So reach out, and hold on, and embrace the challenge of living side by side.  You’ll be so amazed how far you can reach.

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