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Update on My Mom, May 2017

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You might be aware (especially if you’re from Crestview) that my mother was visiting me this past week.  She was having consistent chest pain and ended up going to same day care to get checked out before returning home.  They ended up doing lots of tests, including a heart cath to make sure she didn’t have blockage.  That was this morning.  All the tests came out well.  We’re still not sure about what caused the chest pain but we’re certain it’s not a heart issue.  My sister flew in and will help drive my mom home later this week.

Thank you to the people who visited, brought us a meal, brought us chocolate :), prayed, and encouraged us these past 24 hours.  We’re grateful to be surrounded by so many loving friends and family.

My Christmas Heritage

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Remembered a story I had heard at my Grandpa Lemay’s funeral visiting with family and got permission to post it here.  It was written up for our family’s newsletter and called Christmas In Tonica.  The Gpa Lemay in this story is my great grandfather…

Grandpa Lemay accepted a job to run a farm implement store up North and moved his wife, six children and Grandpa Denny to the little village of Tonica, IL. Three weeks after arriving there the farm store burned to the ground. Grandpa picked up whatever odd jobs he could and looked for other work. Eventually the railroad decided to re-open the depot in Tonica and Grandpa was hired to run it. They all worked at the depot for weeks cutting down the tall grass, pulling weeds, scrubbing the inside, doing repairs, etc. Two days before it was scheduled to re-open, Grandpa received a telegram saying that they had changed their mind and decided not to re-open the depot after all. Grandpa was back to picking up odd jobs and the family struggled to make ends meet and put food on the table thru that fall and into the winter.

Christmas came and Grandpa Denny walked the children to church for the Christmas Eve service. Mom said that there was the most beautiful tree in the church and she sat there and just drank it in so that she could remember it when so got home, because there was not going to be any tree at their house. She had been hearing her friends talk about what they were going to get for Christmas and she knew that she and her brothers and sisters were not going to get anything. So, she sat there trying to listen to the service, but feeling sad and gloomy about the Christmas that wasn’t coming to their house. And then, she would feel guilty because that wasn’t what Christmas was about – it was about the birth of Jesus and she should be feeling happy and joyous about the birth of her Savior. It was a long, hard service for that little nine year old girl.

After church they began their trek home. The snow was falling softly and the world seemed quiet and peaceful. Grandpa Denny started them singing Christmas Carols to pass the time as they walked. Their house was up on a hill and shortly before you got to it, there was a creek with a wooden bridge across it. When they got to the bridge, Grandpa Denny exclaimed in his booming Irish baritone, “Raise your voices, children. How is the Lord going to hear you praising Him when you are singing like that? Raise your voices and praise the Lord, now.” Of course, they had no way of knowing that they were not just praising the Lord – they were also signaling the people gathered in their house.

Mom said that all of a sudden there were tiny little lights that looked like fireflies in their parlor. But, that couldn’t possibly be because the parlor was always closed off and no one ever went in there! But as they got closer the lights began to look like little flames – candle flames! Could it possibly be! Her heart was filled with such excitement as they all dashed into the house. And there, in the parlor, was a Christmas tree decorated with beautiful ornaments and covered with tiny lighted candles. While they were gone the neighbors had brought in the tree and decorated it. And they had brought one present for each of the children and food and candy and all sorts of goodies. The neighbors stayed and everyone visited and ate and laughed and wished one another, “Merry Christmas.”

And it was indeed the very Merriest Christmas. Mom lived to be 90 and she always said that was the best Christmas she ever had. As I was cleaning out her dresser after she passed away, I found one little silver Christmas tree candle holder carefully wrapped in tissue paper at the bottom of a drawer. It wasn’t from that night as it looked relatively new. I don’t know where she had found it, but I certainly know the memory that it held for her.

Weekend Recap – At Home and Abroad

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At the request of the Elders of Crestview, I was encouraged to get some time away with Meghan without children (although we brought Micah with us since he’s nursing) and we were gone this weekend.  We went to Grand Lake, OK and had some great time relaxing, laughing, living unhurried and talking through our current life situation.  It was refreshing, even though it was a short window.

There are numerous people who helped back home.  Grandparents watched the boys, a family in the church watched Lauren, people covered my duties at church and Mickey Zimmerman filled the pulpit for me, preaching Ephesians 2:1-10 on one of his favorite passages.  The audio of the sermon, which I entitled My Favorite Passage for him, is online.  He had some great applications at the end on how the Gospel of grace silences and moves us to action.

We’re coming off a great weekend, then.  I hope it was encouraging for you.

The Queen Mother (Happy Birthday, Mommy)

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As some of you may know, I’m at my Mom’s house in Southern Illinois this week to celebrate my Mom’s birthday (Today, July 3rd).  I’ve posted a couple of times a tribute I wrote to my Mom on Mother’s Day, posting a picture of her being a queen (2007 & 2011).  There’s lots that could be said about my Mom and what she means to me and my siblings.  Here’s a couple of things…

1) Her Strength – when my father passed away tragically in 1998, I remember walking into my Mom’s house after driving all night and having her collapse in my arms.  Those days of planning the funeral made me a man who had to be strong for my family, but I learned so much from my Mom’s strength in those days.  Then, this year, after my Mom’s tireless service to her own father and his passing, I was reminded of her strength again.  We know in many of our families that Mom holds much together.  It is certainly true for us.  Thanks, Mom, for being so strong.

2) Her Love – Never have I doubted my Mom’s love for me.  Everything from being hard on me as a teenager to make right choices to calling me a few weeks ago to confess a way she might have wronged me when I was 14, my mother constantly showers me with love through her selfless life.  She gives herself so much for our family and it’s hard for me to imagine life without her.

3) Her Faith – Growing up with both my grandfathers being pastors and then having a father who was a pastor, I have quite a heritage, but this also exists in my Mom’s life.  When a SS teacher was needed, she learned how to teach in the youth department.  When an organist was needed, she used her piano skills to learn how to play organ.  She continues to live what she believes and this was even highlighted again as I interacted with Mom’s co-workers.  Her faith continues to inspire me.

So, today, July 3, my Mom turns 65 years on this planet.  These 65 years are a gift from God so that through her strength, love and faith, I might be pointed back to the God who blessed me with such a mother.  Love you, Mom, and I’m praising God for you today.

Professor Or Example?

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I love reading the prayers found in the Valley of Vision.  Yesterday, in a prayer “Living For Jesus” I read this line and was struck:

Make me…to be not only a professor but an example of the Gospel…
displaying in every relation, office, and condition its excellency, loveliness, and advantages.

Now, many of us (who profess Christ) have no problem doing this on Sundays. We gather with other believers and come to church, putting on a rather good show as to how spiritually impressive we really are.

But, are we examples of the Gospel in our lives?  Surely this is the true evidence of whether or not we have been gripped by the Gospel.  For instance, in your marriage, are you an example of the Gospel?  No matter what difficulty you face, no matter how hard things are with the kids, no matter what things pull at you, does the Gospel get a hearing in your life together?  Or are you a mere professor?  Think of this: is the Gospel on display in your life in every relation (spouse, children, coworkers, In-Laws!), in every office (every responsibility you have), every condition (this about covers the rest of it)?  Do each of these places allow you to show the excellency, loveliness and advantage of the Gospel?

The convicting thought I had in reading this was that often I am a mere professor and not an example.  Oh, for grace from God to be one who not only believes the Gospel, but lives it out.

Family Decline…Are you helping?

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I was challenged by a recent post on the Resurgence entitled The Decline of the Nuclear Family.  Among other things, this post highlighted how the demographics of families have changed and how the church should respond.  The point:

Perhaps the most loving, most prophetic thing the church can do is to call men in their 20s to love Jesus, read their Bibles, get a job, to leave their parent’s house, and to love one woman—according to the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and the New York Times, no one is doing that.

Creating a culture of manhood is, evidently, not that hard. Let’s call men to this high standard and watch the fruit it produces.

Thoughts on Affirmation in Marriage…

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…from Sam Crabtree, ala the Biblical Counseling Coalition blog:

BCC: “What does affirmation practically look like in a marriage? Parenting?”

SC: “Spot any aspect of Christlikeness in your family member—honesty, patience, diligence, creativity, endurance, faithfulness (there are easily dozens of such commendable qualities)—and then say something like, ‘God is developing the beautiful quality of (hospitality, generosity, orderliness, etc.) in you. I want to be like you as you are becoming like God in that way.’ It’s that simple. But such brief conversations inject immeasurable freshness and encouragement into relationships, while God gets praised for being the Source of such good things.”

So…are you using your words to draw attention to Christ in your family? Good thought, indeed.

Acts 29 Pastors Retreat…

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I love the vision that Acts 29 has for church planting. But, this week, many of their pastors are gathered in Vail, CO for a pastors/wives retreat. This is an amazing emphasis. They realize (rightly!) that for a pastor to be effective in the local church, this must begin in the home. How a pastor serves his wife and family is just as important, in terms of Biblical qualifications, as his theological stances and beliefs (aren’t those two really tied together anyway?).

As the A29 people are modeling this for us this week, what priority does your relationship with your spouse and children get in your life? I know for me, ministry is often busy and I need those regular times to get with my wife on a date and to spend time ‘wrasling with my boys. We have to prioritize these relationships or they will quickly lose their priority. Today, then, find an intentional way to serve your family…

Weekend Recap – Future & The Family…

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Enjoyed a great Lord’s Day yesterday:

In the AM, my sermon was from Hebrews 2:5-9 and entitled Already, Not Yet. The sermon had to do with not being too preoccupied with the future, but being consumed what who we do see now: namely Jesus.

In the PM, my sermon was from Luke 18:9-14 and entitled Gospel Foundations for Families. Thinking about this parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector helped us see how many of us tie our righteousness to the success of the parenting event. In the introduction, we met 2 ladies: Farah C and Fay Lure.

At any rate, hope you enjoyed a great Lord’s Day as well.

Weekend Recap – Great Christ and Great Task…

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A full day is complete at Crestview…

In the AM, I preached on Greater Than Prophets from Hebrews 1:2b-3. In that sermon, I sought to show how supreme and great Jesus Christ is compared to so much stuff of this world. For me, it truly was an amazing moment to watch God exalt Himself through His Word.

In the PM, the sermon On Children was from Psalm 127:3-5. God has shown His providential care for families by giving children to parents, calling them to the parenting task and blessing their pursuit of it.

I’m full from all of these blessings. Hope your Lord’s day was rich and blessed as well.