Play with your kids before you get cancer

When I was growing up we had a neigbor kid that lived a few houses down from us named, Chris. We never could remember his last name so we always called him, "Chris Down the Street."

Now as an adult with two kids of my own we have a neighbor two doors down named, Chris. He is the dad of two boys. My kids do not remember his last name and so we affectionately call him, "Chris Down the Street." It's amazing how life repeats itself. I have always admired our Chris Down the Street. During the 6+ years we have lived here there is not one moment I can recall seeing Chris outside without his kids. They are always playing hard with each other. This takes on many forms such as, racing bikes, repairing motors on dirt bikes, chasing each other, or preparing for a day at the lake on their boat. Chris is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. They have always seemed to honor a commitment to church on Sundays but choose the 8 am service in order to have the rest of the day as a family.

Unfortunately, Chris was diagnosed several weeks ago with a form of liver and small intestine cancer that has a 50% chance of treatment. As always, Chris maintains a positive and hopeful outlook but was honest about his odds. I have learned so much about life from Chris just by observing his commitment to his family. You never know when your life may be cut short by cancer news. I hope I always play hard with my kids, not because of fear, but because they deserve a father who loves them enough to play hard with them every day.

Chris has another scan on June 30th which will determine his ultimate prognosis. Pray for Chris Down the Street.

Famine

Anyone hungry? Dr. Walter Kaiser may help us understand why from his book, Revive Us Again.

"Too often the Bible is little more than a book of epigrammatic sayings or a springboard that gives us a rallying point around which to base our editorials. But where did we get the audacious idea that God would bless our opinions or judgments? Who wants to hear another point of view as an excuse for a Bible study or a message from the Word of God? Who said God would bless our stories, our programs for the church, or our ramblings on the general area announced by the text? Surely this is a major reason why the famine of the Word continues in massive proportions in most places in North America. Surely this is why the hunger for the teaching and the proclamation of God’s Word continues to grow year after year. Men and women cannot live by ideas alone, no matter how eloquently they are stated or argued, but solely by a patient reading and explanation of all Scripture, line after line, paragraph after paragraph, chapter after chapter, and book after book. Where are such interpreters to be found, and where are their teachers? "

Six Steps...& I'm Still Alive

I was reminded again today how often I fail to praise God for the gift and mercy of life. Often times my thanksgiving is offered to Him as a result of a tedious task accomplished or a narrow miss of a side-swiping accident on I-65.

The children of Israel lived periods of their existence during the Old Testament completely separated from the presence of God. Most of the time this absence ensued as a result of rebellion. However, in the midst of hellish consequences (separation from God's presence), God's mercy and grace reached down and invaded their dark space. So grateful were the Israelites in 2 Samuel 6:13 they stopped every 6 paces and offered a worship sacrifice, thanking God they remained alive after carrying the Ark of God. They worshipped for two reasons:

1. God's mercy and grace alone allowed them to experience His presence again
2. Their earthly life was still in existence after 6 steps.

I do not slow down enough in life (even after 6,000 steps) to offer thanksgiving and praise to God for His breath in my lungs on a daily basis. What about you?