Basketball and God

This weekend was my daughters first basketball game. If you have never watched a group of eight year old girls playing basketball then you have missed something great in life. If you go to watch great strategies, high scoring games, and incredible ball handling skills then you will be a little disappointed. But if you have come to see a picture of God's love then you have come to the right place. Let me paint the picture for you, the sidelines are filled to capacity with moms, dads, aunts, uncles and siblings. There are more cameras than a paparazzi convention. Everyone is on the edge of their seat waiting for their child to step out onto the court. As they do the family members begin to cheer and applaud. Even before the kids touch the ball the families are cheering. Then the game begins, for the better part of 30 minutes, girls run up and down the court dribbling, tripping, kicking and occasionally shooting the ball. If you were to close your eyes for a moment you would think you are at the state championship of girls basketball. However when you open your eyes you notice that parents are cheering with extraordinary enthusiasm for or ordinary events. In fact, it wouldn't matter what the girls did, they would still get the thunderous applause and cheers of love struck onlookers. Even when one of the girls ran, not dribbled, to the wrong goal everyone cheered. As I was thinking about the game, I realized I had just had a glimpse into the kingdom of God. I believe God views each of us like those parents viewed their children. God is not as much concerned about who is winning or losing, who has the most points or who looks best out on the court. But instead, he is waiting on the sideline to just cheer your presence. You don't have to do anything for Him to stand and cheer you on. God is for you, He is your biggest van and most vocal cheerleader. No matter what happens out on the court of life God is cheering. Most of us think they we are not worth cheering for unless we accomplish some great task. But the truth of the matter is no matter how much good you do, how many times you succeed, or how many times you fail God's love for you never changes. The Bible talks about God's unfailing love. It tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. NOTHING!!!!! So if you are reading this today and you, like me, have had your share of missed plays, going in the wrong direction, or falling on your face please remember the basketball game and know that God is standing on your side and he is so madly in love with you that he can't help to stand and cheer at the glimpse of your presence. Think of about it.

Peace,
Ralph

The Power of Love

I have been processing where I am this year compared to this time last year. I know that today I am in a place where I continue to grow in my love and journey with God and with those around me. As I thought about this, I started thinking what's the difference? What has changed between today and 12 months ago. The difference and the reason I am still on the journey and looking forward is the power of love. 12 months ago I was in a place that I was questioning everything about my life. Where was my life going, what was I doing and what did I really believe about God. Now I know that it's not very "churchy" to say this, but I was even wondering if I wanted to continue this journey with God. The power of love has transformed my life and renewed my desire to pursue this journey with great passion and desire. I have been so blessed to find myself in a place where I know the unconditional, extravagant love that God designed his kingdom to reflect. For so long I believed that love was never unconditional. There was always a catch to receiving that kind of love. "I will love you when....." "I will love you if...." or "I will love you after....". But what I have discovered with my friends at DC, Awakening Community Church, Olathe Life Fellowship, and some amazing friends is that I am valued, loved, and accepted just as I am. They didn't offer me guilt, shame, and condemnation but instead offered me a love that can only come from God. They have brought the kingdom of God in my life. The power of love is something that we can never underestimate. It is a power that transforms life's and empowers us to continue in our journey. The power of love is what God gives to us and in turn asks us to give to others. It is this kind of love that scripture says is the true mark of a Christ follower. To quote a line from an old hymn "love lifted me, love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me..." So I ask you today, what are you doing with the lavish love that has been given to you. Are you squandering it on things that don't have any long lasting impact or are you giving it away to others who are lost, alone, desperate, and searching? For me, I am sick and tired of playing it safe and holding my love close to the vest. I want to be a vessel of God's love ready to pour out on dry and thirsty hearts. Look around you today, allow your eyes to see things how God sees them. As you do, you will see broken hearts all around you. People who are just longing for a kind word, a loving touch, a listening ear. I know that there are so many other things calling to us to be done. But in the scope of eternity, is that thing so important that you can not touch others with the power of love? Can I let you in on a little secret? When you share that love with others, you will be transformed as well. Love is contagious, once you start giving it away you will find it hard to stop. There is a world of people that you pass every day that could care less about your church's latest program or how much you think you know. They are longing for the good news of God's unconditional, extravagant love. So what are you waiting for????? Begin to practice the power of love.

Peace
Ralph

Who Stole 2007

Is it just me or did 2007 fly by? I don't know about you, but for me 2007 was a whole lot of ups, downs, celebrations, sorrows, and challenges. As I look back over the year I have to ask myself whether I am where I had hoped and prepared to be? Was I able to reach all of the goals that I set for myself professionally, personally and spiritually. Now I wish I could tell you that I hit every one of my goals and I am right on track going int? 2008. But the fact of the matter is I can not say that. There have been several areas that I was able to hit with God's help. For one, I have been able to make progress on this road of healing and useful service. I continue to find trusted people in my life (Mike, Galen, Brad, Timmy, all my BT friends) and groups like DC and OLF to keep me challenged for God and continuing to explore His unconditional love. Another great target hit in 2007 was my job situation. I started a great new job in September that I completely love. If you would have asked me to paint a picture of the perfect job for me this would be it. I love working at Tallgrass Creek, it is one of the best things I have ever been a part of. It was truly a gift from God. Of course I have also been serving at Olathe Life Fellowship since October. What a great place! I love Timmy's heart and his message of radical love for the people of Olathe. It is an extreme challenge and reward to work with a church that is expressing God's love in some non-traditional ways. It has both stretched and challenged me in great ways. On the down side, I am still wrestling with some hard personal issues in my life. It has been a great challenge for me to try to stand back and let God make the changes for me. I am still trying to fix everything and let God know about it. However, at this point in my life there are things that I have no control over and there is nothing I can do to fix it. This has made for a very difficult year for me in so many ways. However I know that God is still on the throne and he has surrounded me with trusted advisers that I can lean on. I have no idea what God has in store for 2008 but I know that with His wisdom and direction we will continue the journey together. I want to thank all of you who have been an encouragement to me in 2007. Words can never express my gratitude toward you. There have been times that I needed your arms to hold me up and you were faithful to do so. You have cried with me, laughed with me, listened to me but never once did you judge me. Your unconditional love and support is what makes being part of this community all worth it. I look forward to the coming year.

Peace
Ralph

Christmas Wish

As a child I used to love Christmas with all my being. I counted down the days until that glorious event took place. However as I find myself getting older I must say the luster of the holidays has tarnished. Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-Christmas, not at all. In fact I wholly celebrate the underlying reason for Christmas. The celebration of the gift of a saviour is beyond compare. I want to go on record as saying I love the idea of Christmas just not the way it is celebrated. I made the mistake of doing a little Christmas shopping the other day. I turned the radio to Christmas song, put on my happy face and headed toward my local retail chain. What I found was nothing short of chaos. People grumbling, shoving, swearing, and in general hating the shopping experience. They all seemed to be on the hunt for a gift that might satisfy the need of the family, loved one or co-worker they were buying for. There was no peace on earth or good will to men to be found. Now before you label me a Grinch, or a scrooge hear me out. What would happen in your world if instead of buying gifts that have little or no significance attached to it you gave a gift with meaning. Now I didn't say a gift that cost a lot of money. I said give a gift of significance. A gift that builds relationships and community. I attend a study/discussion/community group called DC. One of the challenges we discussed was the idea of giving a gift that cost nothing but means everything. So instead of getting caught up in the "whose gift is bigger, better, more expensive" game, what if we gave a gift that made a difference. Some of the suggestions that came out of DC was; sign up for a volunteer opportunity together, give a gift to the poor and needy in the name of a loved one, create an experience that celebrates that friend or loved one, write a letter of love and appreciation,.....the list is limitless. If you think about it, these are the kind of gifts that most celebrate the idea of Christmas. Christmas is the celebration that God loves us so desperately that he became flesh and left the confines of heaven. So any gift that is give should be a gift the reflects unselfish, self sacrificing love. Now it may be too late to take all those gifts back and change your whole gift giving strategy but take this idea to heart. Let me know what you think.

Peace
Ralph

Fear

I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Paul Fitzgerald this week. The topic of his discussion was fear. He asked the question "What would it feel like to live a day without fear". As I thought about that question my response was it will feel like freedom. Now many others in the group had different thoughts on fear but for me, it seems like fear often effects what I do, think, or feel. I know that it shouldn't and I know that scripture says perfect love casts out all fear but many of my actions or lack of action are motivated by fear. It was interesting as Dr. Paul drilled down deeper and kept asking clarifying questions regarding what the root of the fear was. As he asked the questions and as I answered, in my head, the root seemed to boil down to the fact that my fears were rooted in the fear that I would find myself alone and unloved for the rest of my life. And so my actions and fears were all tied to that one thought. The thought that if I did, or did not do certain things I would be alone. I think that is a fear that haunts many of us. The thought that we will die isolated and alone. For me I know it stems from the old tapes that I have allowed to play in my mind. The tapes that say you will never make it, you will never be loved, you will never be enough. Now I know that sounds pretty pathetic, but I think this fear is at the heart of all of our fears. It is this truth, or should I say the lie, that keeps all of us from connecting with one another. It keeps us from creating community. It keeps us from intimacy. It causes us to lie and to hide. It keeps us paralyzed. Now I know that I am more than enough. I now that I am loved by God and there is nothing or no one who can stop God's love for me. I understand the truth that God is head over heels in love with me. But if I were honest, there are times that, by my thoughts and actions, communicate that I want more. This fear drives me, and all of us, to a place that communicates that God's love is not enough. I am trying to wrestle with this fear through sharing my heart and jumping in community. If you are reading this and are wrestling with fear I challenge you to share you heart and put yourself in a place where you can be real. Let's process and journey together.

Peace

Are You Thankful

Thanksgiving is almost here. I have been thinking on things that I am thankful for in my life. The problem is, that I have experienced so many things this year that I am not thankful for. Things that brought heart ache and pain. Things that have brought fear and doubt. In the midst of the pain it seemed impossible to find happiness and joy. There was no way I could be thankful for what was happening. I struggled to figure out how to be thankful. One day, the question came to me during a time of prayer, the question drilled down deep into my soul. The question was very simple; "what would it take for me to be happy". It seemed like an easy enough question, but in reality it was a question that I had never wrestled with. As I thought about and prayed about the answer I was shocked by what began to form. The answer that kept coming to me was "nothing" there was nothing that I could do or nothing I could change that would bring me happiness. So the next logical question that came to mind was then why couldn't I be happy. What was keeping me from being happy or being thankful. Of course the answer was myself. I was the only one that could control whether I experienced joy, happiness and being thankful. There will always be situations or individuals in my life that will bring pain, sadness, and disappointment. However I must decide whether I am going to allow outside influences to dictate my happiness or am I going to rest in God knowing that He is the reason I can be at peace and find joy. God alone is my reason. So as we celebrate Thanksgiving today ask yourself that same question. What is keeping you for being happy?

Peace

Community

I have been thinking about my new role at Olathe Life Fellowship. As I dig into things and the many volunteer needs I begin to wonder about community. For years, I approached the volunteer needs from a vantage point of guilt and shame. I was very adept at casting a great vision that was based upon shaming people into serving. Unfortunately I found that this method was very successful but when the guilt and shame began to fade so did all of the volunteers. As I have began to understand the amazing love of God I have had to re-evaluate my methodology and my whole premise toward ministry. A premise that wasn't concerned about community as much as it was concerned with filling needs. Now I have come to a place that I believe is more healthy and balanced. I have stopped taking on the responsibility of making everything work. While as a leader I want to see things grow and flourish but I have to ask myself what is my motivation for seeing this take place. I have come to a place of understanding community and the role the community must play in owning the journey. God has created each of us for community. We were not created to live in isolation. It is in community that we begin to share our life, our gifts and our hope. It is also in community that we contribute ourselves to accomplish things that benefit the community and it's needs. As I challenge myself and my community, Olathe Life Fellowship, we must understand that if we want to see great things happen we must, as a community, give of our self for a greater purpose.

I continue to ramble so I need to let you go. But please remember, you were created for community.