Great Things...Small Packages...

I've always heard it said that 'great things come in small packages'. Take dynamite for example...itty-bitty tube, great BIG bang! I learned that incredible lesson in magnificent fashion...just a few short years ago...

Mission trips have always been a fancy of mine. I have been extremely blessed by the many opportunities to go...be...see...and build. Go to places I've never been before...be the Christ-Follower that I really want to be...see the multitude and feel the same compassion that Jesus did...and build relationships with people that I never dreamed possible. From the Mississippi Delta to the Puget Sound, the work of the Kingdom never sleeps. But it was on a special mission trip into the heart of Arlington, Texas that my eyes were opened to something so big...so wonderful...yet soooooo small!

There I was, providing 'tactical support' for a portion of our youth group in one of the many apartment complexes in the metro area. Our goal for the week was to conduct basic Back Yard Bible Studies to the children that lived in the area. The children were swarming like mad bees and the heat that was bearing down on us in that concrete jungle was almost unbearable. (Just for the record I don't do kids...er I mean heat, very well.) I was nearing the melting point, trying so hard to stay on task and my caffeine quota was running extreeeeeemely low. While our youth were busy keeping the children occupied, part of my responsibility was to attempt to make contact with the adults/parents of the children that lived in the apartments. Keep in mind these activities that were taking place was during the daytime and the number of adults around were really small, which gave ample opportunity to spend extra time with those that were there.

As I was making my way around the complex, I noticed two ladies that were sitting on one of the apartment patios. As I approached them to make conversation, I noticed they were drinking a beverage from an extremely tiny cup. Hmmmmm......what in the world...could it be? Attempting to begin to make conversation...that alone was a challenge for both ladies were of Cuban decent...the older of the two couldn't speak any English, and the other one could speak broken English at best...the younger of the ladies invited me to join them on the patio as they were watching the children participate in our BYBC. As the three of us sat there, attempting to stay cool in that blistering Texas heat, I couldn't help but notice that with each sip of their drink, it was always followed by a soothing mmmmmmm. OK...that's it...I had to know what was so good, so satisfying, yet so small.

The ladies, sensing my curiosity, invited me to join them in 'whatever' it was they were drinking. The first thought that ran through my mind, was, that it had to be some sort of Cuban tea...extremely HOT...extremely spicy...and extremely strong. As the younger of the two came back out on the patio with my 'cup'...it actually resembled a plastic tea cup from a little girl's tea set...I had almost prepared my taste buds for the onslaught of flavor that was about to be rushing in, when I noticed the older lady was beginning to snicker. OK...what's so funny? The closer I raised the cup to my lips, the louder the snicker became...and by now, the younger one is also trying to cover up her laughter. What had I just got myself into?

It didn't take long for me to realize that I was in the presence of something seriously incredible...

The aroma alone was enough to send the dial on my caffeine meter screaming in the opposite direction. From the very moment that my lips touched the edge of that tiny cup, I knew in an instant the reasoning for all of the MMMMMMMM's. For inside that cup, known as a demitasse cup, was a beast so ferocious that if it had been poured into a normal size coffee cup, a steel cage couldn't have contained it!

Little did those two ladies know that sitting before them was not only an over-heated, caffeine drained, kid chasing lunatic....but a Jesus loving, coffee drinking madman that makes even the strongest caffeine beasts quiver at the sound of my name.

I took that tiny cup and turned it straight up and immediately asked for a refill. You should have seen the look on those two ladies faces...it was priceless. The young lady took my cup & saucer, turned back to go inside...and through broken English all I could make out between them was "man do biggg coppeee!" The beast had been caged...and another door become open...

"Father, thank you for the Texas sun, screaming children and Cuban espresso. Help me to always be willing to face any obstacle in an effort to share Your love. Bless those two ladies...and help me to continue to walk through new open doors...amen"

I'll never forget that day...and neither will those two Cuban ladies. I had accepted their coffee...they accepted my Jesus...

Diary Of A Killer...

What started out as a typical day, soon changed...

I was almost immune to death. Day in and day out, watching men draw their last breath was part of my job description. It was a part of life...and I had accepted it. I was a career man in the Roman military...termed a centurion for my troop size of one hundred loyal soldiers. I led one of Rome's local forces in the occupied territory of Jerusalem.

One historian had stated that soldiers like me were the backbone of the Roman army, that centurions were not prone to take offense or start fighting on a whim...we are loyal...steadfast...and able, in the midst of adversity. We were willing to die at our posts rather than surrender or retreat.

One of my responsibilities was to oversee punishment for crimes...especially capital punishment. My unit was in charge of all scourgings and crucifixions. Over the years, I had become calloused...so hardened...by seeing so many men die. I knew a lot about men. I observed enough to know what a man was made of...not by the way he lived...but by the way he died.

This day, was different...unlike anything I had ever saw. Our orders were clear...crucify three men. Just another typical day...I thought...

I was pulling a double shift...seems as though one of these three men was somebody special...a king they said...king of the Jews. And my orders were to personally make sure that this so-called king received the 'royal treatment'. And at my command, he did...treatment like no other prisoner had ever received...yet, something about Him was different...

I was there during the last twenty-four hours of His life. I saw what happend...I ordered it...I saw what He endured...I heard what He said. He was different...unlike any man I had ever seen before.

After the long trip up the mountain, trying to maintain the chaos that was taking place with that ridiculous mob of people...and making sure these three men didn't escape...the time had come to put an end to this day...kill them...crucify them all. Then I could go off duty...go home and get some rest.

One by one, we held these three men down, stretched out their arms, and began to drive the spikes through their hands. For years, I had followed my orders...for years I had killed many men...for years, I had looked in their eyes to see anger...bitterness...pain...fear. But not this time. His eyes were not filled with that same anger...I couldn't imagine it...so I looked deeper. And I just could not believe what I saw...in the midst of pain...death...I saw a heart that was breaking...breaking with compassion. As He looked at those around the cross, He said something almost unbelievable...I could not believe my ears. Never had I heard a man...a crucified man say such words. I was accustomed to hearing them curse and swear and scream...but never words like this man spoke...this king...this king of the Jews. When He looked at us and cried out, "Father forgive them, for they don't have any idea what they're doing". What?!...what did He just say?! How could anyone ask for forgiveness for those who had just carried out the most horrible form of capital punishment known to man? I thought to myself, who is this Man...what resides deep inside Him...what's happening?

His words dug their way deep into my heart...but they weren't the only words He spoke during those last six hours that haunted my soul.

He was killed between two other men. At first, both of them yelled at Him...one of them demanded that He get them all down off their crosses. The vileness of that man's life showed in the words he hurled.

Suddenly the other crucified man look at at him and asked that he be remembered...remembered...remembered for what? Then this man, this King looked at him with those same eyes of loving compassion and promised the criminal that he would be with Him very soon...in a place called Paradise.

Then suddenly something happened that stunned the entire land. There it was, 12 Noon, and the entire sky went black. The sun was gone, and darkness prevailed over all the land. Here I was, the leader of this group of soldiers...the strong one...the confident one, yet inside, I was horrified. For deep down, I knew what was taking place. It was in this black hour of judgment that the sins of the entire world was placed upon this man...this man they called Jesus...and He must bear this cross, alone.

As the final minutes were quickly ticking away in this man's life, He was still concerned about others, and offered comfort and a promise of a better tomorrow. I've never seen a man die the way He did. What kind of man cares for others while His life is being drained from His body? I tell you I've seen a lot of men die...but I've never seen a man die like Jesus died.

The hours passed...death was hammering on the anvil of Jesus' life...and as the final minutes were approaching, He managed to raise His head toward the sky. And as He did, I watched His eyes...they seemed to be searching the heavens, almost like a lost child searches the crowd for his father. What was He doing? What was He...maybe, Who was He looking for? Then out of His mouth came words that began to crumble my heart that had turned to stone over the years. Through the blood and through the tears as He continue to search the sky, He cried out with such a lonely, haunting voice, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Little did I know what Jesus was seeing on that heavenly stage...and it was as though for just a brief moment I was allowed a box seat to the Kingdom event of the ages. For there, standing on the edge of heaven was His Father...and slowly His Father was turning away while His Son was drawing His last breaths. And all around His Father were angels, thousands of them...everywhere. And I could see the look on the angels faces...they couldn't believe it either...there they were, gathered on the verge of attack...waiting for the battle cry to come and rescue this King off the cross. And I could see one specific angel, a leader like me, and I could almost hear his voice as he screamed, "come on Jesus, just say the word and we'll rescue You, we'll take those nails out of your hands and feet, and take you off that cross and destroy every single human in sight! Come on Jesus, come on! Please Jesus, let us take care of all this! No...No, Jesus, please don't die! Just one small word is all we need! Just say it...say it please!"

But He never called them...He just lowered His head and looked at us...and He looked at me. It was at that moment that I saw what others were proclaiming. And as He closed His eyes for the last time, I knew I was in the presence of someone very special...someone who changed lives...someone who had just changed mine.

My heart was absolutely melting away as I watched this remarkable man die...under my orders...by my hand. There I was, standing at the foot of the cross...His cross...drenched in His blood...with tears streaming down my face, and I felt as though the weight of the mountain had been lifted off my chest. Something had just happened...He really was who they said He was..."Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Before I walked away, I had look one more time at this man called Jesus. And as I was standing there, I somehow knew that I was standing in the presence of God. I knew I was watching love being poured out on unworthy people...people like my men...people like me. I knew that Jesus' death somehow, was for me.

I've seen a lot of men die...but I've never seen anyone die like Jesus.

I have to close this entry now, rest must wait. For there are others...my friends...my family...my men that need to hear. There are many that I must go tell...

Let's Take A Ride...

Every now and then, a person just has to get out...have a change of scenery...chase a falling star...see life through someone else's eyes. I like to call this... taking a 'road trip'. And of these road trips, there is always one in particular that stands out...you always remember...something happened along the way and life change occured. Well, I have great news...a new road trip is just beginning...and you are all invited!

I'd like to encourage you to take this new trip with my buddy, Dean Cirelli. Dean's on board, and there is room for you in the passenger's seat. Go ahead...jump in the Caddie...and go Ridin' With The King!

The Crowds Are Gathering...

Everywhere He looked, the crowds were gathering and making their way up the mountain...

One of my favorite pastimes is people watching. It's so much fun to be in crowds of people and watch their habits...their actions...hear their statements...and see the truth! There are two days of the year that could be termed the 'holy grail' of people watching...the day AFTER Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. On these two days, the inner self...or should I say inner beast...can always be seen. From the sweetest little grandma to the dirtiest old man, one's true self is always on center stage for these two days.

My annual ritual for these specific days are to be up early to be in a shopping mall...with at least a 5-shot latte in hand and another one brewing...find a safe place, if possible, to be out of the way of all the shoving and snatching, and just observe. It's absolutely amazing what I've seen during these times over the years. And with each year, brings a different twist. Each year, it seems, there is always this "one" item that industry analysts determine to be a 'must have' on everyone's list. And it never fails, there is always a shortage of "the gift"...which in turn, releases the demons.

I have seen fine, up-standing citizens...or so I thought, church deacons...by title only, church leaders...so 'they' thought, and countless others become barbaric in their actions and savages in their speech when faced with the thought of not being able to get one of that specific year's blockbuster items.

This year, thousands will gather outside their favorite stores in hopes that 'waiting till the last minute' will pay off...hours before the turkey has settled from the Thanksgiving meal and hours before Santa has hitched the reindeer up to his sleigh. This year's projected hot item...TMX Elmo...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The much-anticipated top-secret 10th-anniversary Elmo, code-named "T.M.X. Elmo" is finally here - and it's the hysterically laughing, belly-clutching, floor-thumping Elmo. Fisher-Price, a division of No. 1 toymaker Mattel , unveiled the new T.M.X. Elmo to the world Tuesday. Elmo fans could face a shortage of the new T.M.X. Elmo over the holidays. (Price:$39.99)
"T.M.X." stands for 2 things - "Tickle Me extreme" or "Tickle Me 10," representing the toy's 10-year milestone. Elmo fans should grab the new toy while they can because industry analysts are already anticipating a shortage of Elmo T.M.X. over the holiday shopping season. (Read the entire article here)

I can just see it now...a WWF Smackdown is taking place in toy aisle 4, while just one aisle over is an imitation of a Jerry Springer-like production entitled "I'll Give You An Elmo!"...meanwhile over the PA system a nasally female's voice attempts to rise above the ruckus and screams, "would the little ol' lady please put the wig back on the bald guy...and would the lady in the cowboy boots kindly remove her foot from Mrs So-and-So's _______!" Yep, this is going to be a good year...

Even though this scenario will play out in malls across America...and even though as humorous as it will be, this type of foolishness saddens me. We have allowed ourselves to become materialized to the point that we will go hours out of our way to stand in line for hours in order to attempt to purchase an item that probably will be sold out by the time we get to the counter. We march in masses of mortal mayhem attempting to convince ourselves this type of behavior is acceptable. What's wrong with this picture...

Matthew 15:30 tells us of another multitude...a numberless mass of people seeking a Savior...searching...grasping...hoping. Now, it's 2000 years later, and we're involved in a new multitude, and we're still searching...grasping...hoping. The first crowd was in search of a man called Jesus...the Giver of hope...the Giver of grace. I'm afraid that we're involved in a multitude that is quite possibly seeking a giver of giggles, that will only last till the batteries wear out...

"Father, help me to stay focused. Help me to march to a different tune...Your tune. Never let me settle for a present...only Your Presence...amen."

Something Smells Fishy...

There are days that, in all honesty, life just sucks! We think it...we mean it...we might as well say it...sometimes, life sucks. I know that's harsh...I should probably say 'stinks' instead, but I have a problem of 'saying what I think'...so, here it is. There are just simply days that life is not worth getting out of bed for! PLEASE, tell me I'm not alone! I am extremely thankful, however, those days are 'few and far between'. So 'few and far between' that it's easy to forget that while we are living in our crystal palaces, many of us...including our friends and family...are living their lives, trapped if you will, surrounded by proverbial heaps of dead fish. And life to those, stink! Ever been there?

In 1989, I was just completing 10 years of a successful management career in the retail industry. An opening came about in a field that I had longed for, for many years. I opted out of my management career and so began my trek up the corporate ladder. I was in secular heaven...or so I thought. I joined the nation's largest music company...CD's, Cassettes, DVD's, VHS, and for those who remember, 45s and LPs...you get the picture! My journey up that ladder was extremely quick...record setting quick. What started out as a basic salesman position rapidly turned into a corporate executive's dream job. There I was, still relatively new in the industry...winning one corporate award after another...receiving industry accolades that were seemingly deemed untouchable...living my dream. My salary was mind-boggling...and the perks that went with the job, you wouldn't believe me if I actually told you. Life, was great...

In 1993 however, my dream position began to paint a very troubling picture. By this time, my company had required me to live in the Little Rock metropolitan area, to be close to my office. That forced us to have to sell our home in North Arkansas. This was the beginning of the downward spiral. The only housing that we could find was in a two bedroom apartment, that in all honesty, I wouldn't recommend to anyone. These living conditions were a far cry from the three-story house in the up-scale neighborhood that we had just moved from. My sales territory covered nine states and the topic of traveling was no longer an option. My job required me to be away from home for days...and on a few occasions, weeks...at a time. You can imagine my fear as I left my wife, with a toddler, in a drug-infested sea, without a life-preserver in sight. Dead fish were all around. Our peace came on the weekends when I was home, as we traveled back to North Arkansas to go to our church. Yep...you read that correct...go to our church. Three and a half hours drive...in one direction. And it was worth every minute! Our church family, was just that...our family...our life-line. Outside of work, our world revolved around our church. There was something there that we just couldn't pull ourselves away from...and I needed that solitude now, more than ever. I was seriously sinking...

A ray of hope shined down on us one spring afternoon when I was offered a new position that would be the actual spring-board to the ultimate title...THE Prize...Branch Manager...full control of the largest branch in the entertainment's known world. All the muck and mess that we had suffered through was now going to pay off...we thought. We knew that another relocation was involved...just outside metro Dallas...and I thought I couldn't wait to get there. But after much prayer, we turned down the promotion. Call it instinct...gut feeling...whatever...maybe it was because I couldn't find a decent coffee house anywhere, I don't know, but...something wasn't right.

At this point, I was massively confused. The promotion of a lifetime, I just turned down to stay in a place that had become a miserably oppressed nightmare? What was I thinking? Had I actually lost my mind? Oh, and then came the dagger...when I informed my bosses of my decision, they informed me of theirs...I had just been fired! WOW! Where did that come from?! I never saw it coming! The stench of dead fish was everywhere...I had just been swallowed whole...

I've often wondered if the great fish that swallowed me was the same one that gulped down Jonah... Let's face it...at one point, Jonah's life sucked! Can you imagine what it was like for Jonah as he spent three days and nights inside the belly of this fish? Whether it was a whale or a whale shark, this creature was enormous! And inside, was Jonah...floundering around inside what must have felt like a dark (actually black) slimy cavern filled with remnants of the past few day's meals! YUCK! He was literally neck-deep in dead fish parts! Ever wondered what he thought when he just tried to sit down...and everywhere he tried to hold on to for balance, what was he touching...what did it feel like? What was going through his mind...I think I know...do you?

It was a bright, sunny Wednesday afternoon, the day I was terminated. We only knew one thing to do...load the car and head to church...three and a half hours up the road mind you, but we had to do it, we had to go...that was the only place on our minds.

I reflect back often to that day...a day that changed my life forever. It was the day I learned to listen TO God, not just hear His voice...

"Father...it's been a long time since that day, and in hind sight I can see a glimpse of the master plan that You have for me. Thank You for big fish...and how You use them to get our attention. In the darkest of days, Your voice is the clearest...help me to always be listening...amen."

The one thing that I learned through it all...if you're going to spend time in murky waters, have a great cup of coffee, and a big hook...make sure you catch & clean the problems before they swallow you whole...

All That Glitters...

At that moment, silver and gold didn't matter anymore...

I've heard it said that man spends the first half of his life trying to make money...and the last half of his life trying to keep others from taking it. I tend to agree. Money...the concept of money...the mere thought of money...the passion, the desire for money occupies more mind-space in our sometimes mediocre world than ever before. Everyone of us has dreams...fantasies of what it would be like if we were to 'win the lottery' or see Ed McMahon in the Publisher's Clearing House van pull into our drive. We've thought it...we've planned it...we've even gone so far as to compare with others what they would do with the ficticious fortune. Even yesterday, as I stood in line at a convenience store in Louisiana...with a Dr. Pepper and a candy bar in hand (not a decent cup of coffee anywhere!)...a young lady zoomed by to get in front of me for the sole purpose of buying several lottery tickets ...and, yes, my mind immediately raced back to unlock that ever-present dream of 'what would I do if I were to win.' Money...I've chased it for years.

It's this seemingly global obsession with financial fortitude that continually causes me to stand in amazement at a man who defied all logic...all common sense...and walked away from a forever fortune. No, I'm not referring to Bill Gates...or even Warren Buffett. His name...was Matthew...Matthew the Tax Collector.

A brief snapshot of Matthew would look something like this: a tax collector...a traitor to the Jewish nation, making him one of the most despised people in Israel...extorting money from his own people for the Roman government by often using strong-armed tactics...and padding his pockets along the way...basically a scoundrel...a thief. Yet it's the picture of this man that haunts my mind each and every time I'm involved in a discussion...or dream...of mass wealth. It's that moment...that one moment in Matthew's life as he was sitting in the tax collector's office that I can't tear myself away from.

It goes without saying that Matthew knew who Jesus was...He had to be something special...after all, Jesus was the talk of the town. Everyone from the religious elite to the common crook, the topic of Jesus was dominating every conversation. At every dinner table to every street corner, people were talking about this...Jesus. But Matthew didn't know just how special this Jesus really was.

It was in that one moment...when he least expected it...this Jesus that he had heard so much about, came walking in through the tax collector's door. It was in that moment as Matthew sat behind his desk, counting all the gold and silver...dreaming of all the extra pleasures this money was going to buy...living out the reality that many of us can only visualize...that moment, Matthew's life as he knew it, changed...forever. At that moment, Matthew was staring back into the face of this Jesus. At that moment, the coins that bounced on the table and onto the floor became silent...the thought of worldly riches was erased. When Jesus looked into his eyes and into the very depths of Matthew's soul, the passion he had for money was now a figment of his imagination. And in two very simple words from this man called Jesus, "Follow Me" (Matthew 9:9), Matthew immediately walked away...away from the riches that had controlled his every waking moment...and walked into the arms of a life-changing Savior.

At that moment, silver and gold didn't matter anymore...

"Father, help me to survive in this world of fast fortunes. Help me get beyond the jingle of the coins...help me to tune everything out...everything except Your Voice. Help me to have peace, knowing and believing that everything that glitters is not gold...amen."

9.11 Remembered...

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat."

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud "I have a dream!"
and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear..."
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores

A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"

Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must

Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"

So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '45

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.

All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one."

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven.


(A wonderful poem shared from a great friend...Thanks Roy!)

New @ Dad's Place...

In an effort to keep you informed of news and events that are happening at Dad's Place, we've created Dad's Place News. A new blog just for DP. Drop by often for ever-changing news and events.

Loneliness...

The reflection he saw starring back, was not the same as the one he remembered...one year ago...

As the sunlight glistened off the water, the whales danced in the sea...the deer drank from a nearby brook...the birds sang overhead...and the image of the rainbow was still fresh in his mind.

He was surrounded by a symphony of sounds as the animals explored their new home...running...playing...laughing. Nearby, his sons and their wives frolicked in the fields that emerged from what once...just weeks ago...was an endless ocean...stretching over the horizon, as far as the eye could see. Yet, the silence was deafening...

The water was receding...grass was beginning to sprout...the mighty oak and pine were mere seedlings. The mountains were reaching their way toward heaven as if to touch the mighty hand of the One who was reshaping the earth...reshaping mankind...reshaping him.

His mind drifts back...back just one year ago...and he remembers the sounds that echoed throughout the town. Sounds of the blacksmith's hammer against his anvil...the bartering at the marketplace...the smell of fresh baked bread. He understands that what happened, had to happen. He understands that his family was hand picked to re-establish, re-populate the world...a new world. He knows full well that he was chosen as the intregal part of what will be the great biblical 'do-over'. Noah, was God's Man...His chosen man...His only man.

How I can imagine there were days that Noah longed for other adults...other men...trusted friends. I imagine there were days, if not weeks or months that his heart ached for simple conversation with others...someone other than his family. Those first few years after the flood were, quite possibly, the loneliest years of all mankind. However, Noah knew something that saved him from drowning in this sea of loneliness. Noah had a secret...a peace...a comfort that was buried in the very depths of his soul. He knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that whenever, wherever, God was ALWAYS at his side. ALWAYS. From the moment that God had handed him the blueprints for the ark till the moment that he drew his last breath on earth, Noah had a constant companion...a forever friend...Noah walked with God.

I understand loneliness. I understand what it's like to only have your immediate family. I sometimes understand what was going through Noah's mind when he would take long walks by himself...long walks to get away...long walks to be able to scream at the top of his lungs in hopes to escape the pain of loneliness...to take long walks with God. And it was in these moments that, in the darkness of the hour, Noah would once again hear that soft, gentle voice...that voice that says "It's OK, I am here, I am with you, always". It's that same voice that David heard and the same presence he felt as he wrestled with fear and loneliness...'Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.' (Psalm 23:4)

"Father, hear my cry...bathe me in Your presence...calm my sea of fears...be my constant companion...amen."

The world is much different, now, than in the days of Noah...then again, things are still the same. I can still smell fresh bread baking...rich coffee brewing...reflections in the water...and I can still hear that same gentle Voice...

Masks...

Masks...facades...secrets...

One of my favorite places in all the world, would have to be New Orleans. A city that's rich in history and architecture, alive with music and mayhem, not to mention the incredible food that's found 'down in the Quarter'...oh and please, don't forget about that crazy chicory coffee! I can envision myself now, sitting at Cafe DuMond with my Cafe Au' Lait and a serving of Beignets. Each time my vehicle heads south and crosses that Louisiana state line, my senses jump with anticipation. Some of my fondest memories , however, are not the 'side show' antics that draw you in like that from a carnival barker. Instead, it's the mystery...the darkness that seems to shroud the very people who call this bayou wonderland, home. It's the ones who continually hide in the shadows of life...in broad daylight...lurking...laughing...crying. There's just something about the mystery behind the mask...

Day in and day out, the locals masquerade in and out with each and every parade...and there is always a parade...hiding their true identity...their true emotion...behind masks of every shape, size and color. Lavish arrays of beauty cover the faces of countless creatures attempting to go...to do...to see...to say...to live in a pretend world that, if only for a moment, escape the sometimes harshness of life.

Simon had a mask...you remember Simon, the apostle with the foot-shaped mouth...the eager, aggressive, bold and outspoken disciple...the one with a habit of revving up his mouth while his brain remained in neutral. Simon...the one Jesus chose to give another name...Luke 6:14 tells us this way: "Simon, whom He also named Peter..." Notice the 'also. Sometimes known as Simon...sometimes as Peter...also, as Simon Peter.

John 1:42 describes to us the first face-to-face meeting between Jesus and Simon. It was at this very moment that Jesus looked deep into the eyes of the man who, in the very near future, would 'walk where no mortal man had ever walked', (Matthew 14:25-33)...would become a master fisher of men (Luke 5:4-11). It was also, in those same eyes that Jesus saw the pain and the struggles of a seasoned veteran of the seas that one day soon would don his mask to blend into the parade of scoffers that chose to destroy the very One who named him "Cephas...which is translated A Stone"...translated Rock...also, as Peter.

But it was in that moment...that one moment where, for Peter, time stood still. That moment where fantasy met reality...that moment where the mask had begun to crumble. It was in the chill of the night when the masses were marching...the screams were deafening, yet Simon heard that haunting sound...the constant reminder that, he was once again looking into the eyes of God's own Son...the One who he had just turned away from for the third time. It was in that moment, when Simon became Peter...darkness had gave way to light...the mask had crumbled.

We too, have masks...

"Father, I've wore a mask for way too long...remove it...crush it...destroy it. Help me to be what You see...the man behind the mask...amen."


Ummmmmm...I can smell that chicory coffee now...the parade is starting...

Thanks Mark...

Dr. Mark Wegley, Instructor of English and Philosophy at the University of Arkansas-Monticello, has truly penned one of most authentic views of 21st Century segregation that I have ever read. Read it here. Kudos Mark...I'm all for the 'Remember the Titans' homework...

Rain...

There's just something about rain...
For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by the mere concept of water falling from the sky. As I sit here at DP this afternoon, the rain has begun to fall...I believe if we would just simply listen, we could hear the earth cry out in relief. It may only rain for a few short minutes...or it may rain the rest of the evening...either way, the rain falls...

My immediate urge is to grab my favorite coffee cup...I know you have one too...fill it to the rim with a fresh brew, and find a warm, cozy spot close to the window so I can enjoy every drop that falls. It's like I'm drawn into a make-believe world that erases all the pressures and problems that life hands you each day...it's this world that I often find myself craving on a daily basis...you've been there...you know what it's like. Even at night, when I'm trying to go to sleep...needing to sleep, yet this 'floppy-drive' I call a brain refuses to be disengaged...I close my eyes and attempt to drift off to this mystic land...where the rain falls.

I often wonder if this is sorta how Noah felt that day...the day when the ark was finally completed, the animals had been loaded, and the door had been finally sealed. A boat so massive, on the side of a mountain...and not a river or sea for miles and miles...yet Noah obeyed God...obeyed and built this boat to the sound of ridicule and rejection from everyone he knew...everyone, except his family...the day the rain began to fall...

I wonder if he really knew what was actually happening as drop by drop, day by day, the earth was being pelted into submission, giving way to change from the world he once knew...a world full of pain and heartache, changing it's landscape forever? I wonder, as he gazed out the window from the top of the ark and watched as countless rain drops bounced, did Noah truly realize that one day soon, all the issues and situations that once dominated his every waking moment, would be washed away? Did he know that with every splash of water, God was erasing all the pressures and problems that stalked him and his family? Could this have been the first time that God chose to allow us an opportunity to escape a screaming world and enter into a place of tranquility...a place where peace abounds? Could Noah have been taken to this same mystic place that calls out to me each and every time it rains?

"Father, thank you for the rain...thank you for the peace...thank you for the warm blanket that surrounds me each and every time the rain falls. Father, let it rain...You reign...let Your Spirit fall...drench me in Your love...amen"

It's time to go...my cup is full, the coffee is fresh...and the rain still falls...

I'll Have My Usual...

"Good Morning! What can I get for you?"
"I'll have my usual."
"And Good Morning to you Sir, what'll you have today?"
"Oh, just fix my usual."

I get so amused at some of our customers with their 'usuals'. (You know who you are!) The concept of 'my usual' IS great for us as we try to offer great service, because as we see our customers pull in to the parking lot, we automatically begin brewing their specific cup o' coffee. And with time being so valuable today, every little second saved is time spent somewhere else. Every now and then, someone pulls a fast one on me and changes up their 'usual'...not very often.

We are so creatures of habit...admit it...you are too...and so am I. We allow ourselves to fall into the abyss that we call our daily routines. I'll be the first to say that routines are usually good, and I certainly have mine, but when we allow ourselves to be controlled by the 'check off lists' of life, we're missing out on incredible opportunities to experience God on a brand new plateau. Ask yourself these questions: 1) Do I take the same road to work each day? 2) Do I eat my meals at the same time each day? The list could go on & on. You get the picture...we are so accustomed to living by our day planners that many times we allow glimpses of glory pass right by us without even a hint of acknowledgement. I can honestly say that when I have allowed myself to step away from the daily grind that life 'usually' offers, is when I have experienced God in such fresh ways that I never thought possible.

One of my absolute favorite passages of Scripture is found in Luke Chapter 12. And many times I have to drag myself back here to get of shot of reality...God's reality.

22) Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. 23) For life consists of far more than food and clothing. 24) Look at the ravens. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25) Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not! 26) And if worry can't do little things like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?
27) "Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28) And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! 29) And don't worry about food--what to eat and drink. Don't worry whether God will provide it for you. 30) These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. 31) He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

To put it quite simply: "Quit living your life according to the 'regular black coffee' of your day planner...and start experiencing your 'Grande White Chocolate~Caramel Latte' life that God has waiting for you."

"Father, slow me down...slow me down...slow me down. Please don't let me miss those golden nuggets of glory that You have placed on my path...amen."

Time to go...I have another customer coming in the door...

"Hey, Good Morning, what can I fix for you?"

"Oh...I think I'll just have my...wait...I think I feel like trying something different today!"...

Burn Baby, Burn...

I had almost forgotten about it...until this past week. Ever since the dawn of time, man has studied it...and marveled at it...and many times feared it. It was in the heart of the Arizona desert when I first starred in the face of this beast. I had never encountered anything like it before. At first glance it's very deceiving...slowly hypnotizing you as it makes it's way ever so closer. The higher it climbs, the more fire it spews...until...before you realize...the trance is over...and all is consumed...including you.

My Dad spent the last 12 years of his life in Phoenix...'the valley of the sun'...and he worked every day out in the desert heat. As I recall the many conversations we had during that time, he would always make comments on the sun...how it was different 'out there'...and how it seemed to burn everything in it's path. The Southwest has always been known for it's dry heat, but unless you face it yourself, one really doesn't know. I will never forget my first 'true' encounter with this beast, we call the sun. Riding with my Dad, we were always out on the road before sunrise. I could still feel the cool of the night as we began. Then up from the desert floor it appeared. Absolutely gorgeous...totally captivating...yet all the while growing stronger. I was awestruck by it's beauty...yet consumed by it's fire.

Coffee does the same thing...consumes me...captivates me. Sounds weird...sure...but there are many of you, who, if you would just admit it, are also consumed by the rich aroma that abounds when you walk into a room where a fresh pot of coffee is brewing. Countless comments are made @ Dad's Place about 'how good it always smells.' Nothing...absolutely nothing matches the sensations that start to twitch when your nose first detects the possibility of fresh coffee slowly making it's way into a cup that's destined for you. Anticipation...consumed...weird.

I leave you with Third Day's lyrics about The Ultimate Consuming Fire...

"and yes our God, He is a consuming fire

And the flames burn down deep in my soul

Yes our God He is a consuming fire

He reaches inside and He melts down this

cold heart of stone."

"Father, thank you for the beauty of your creation...and how the sun must have looked when you first created it. Thank you for using it as a constant reminder that YOU are the fire that burns within. Today, Lord...captivate me...consume me...amen"

Ahhhh...there's that smell again...another fresh pot is almost ready...

McWhat?!...

OK, who told McDonald's they have great coffee? I'm serious...who told them? Who in their right pallet could honestly say that McNasty has great coffee? It doesn't even register up to good, much less great. It's honestly McGross! Call it either 'black sludge' or 'colored water', but please don't call that excuse of a beverage, coffee! The really sad thing is, there are millions of people that only want this mess (I mean coffee)...and they REALLY like it! Day in and day out, all across our world, gazillions of cups of this McAwful stuff is sold. We settle for so little, when so much more is actually at our fingertips.

Take where I live for example...our coffee shop is just 2 blocks from the local Mickey D's. If the wonderful citizens of this great metropolis (please) would only venture an additional 2 small blocks, they would have a caffeine experience that would totally erase any remaining aftertaste from their past purchases at any fast food disaster. Yet for the most of us, delusions of grandeur are clouded by the false oasis' that exist when we allow ourselves to be tricked into thinking "I have it all, I don't need anything or anyone else, so why bother!"

I remember a story that my Dad used to tell of a young man that fit this exact description. Surrounded by wealth and fame, not realizing it was all a facade. He had to have new everything...X-Box 360, I-pod, newest models of Blackberry's, even if his contract wasn't up for renewal, a new Hummer, and the list actually went on and on. But one day he met this older man who had something the young man had not yet acquired. "How much?", the younger man asked..."Can't really put a price on it" the older man replied. "I'll give you anything, name your price, I must have it...tell me what I must do to get it!" he insisted. Amazed by his determination, the wise man calmly told him "The item you so persistently desire, is priceless, a mere pricetag simply cannot be placed on it. However, if you will sell all, yes I said all, of your belongings and give the money you make to the poor in this city, then I will give this item to you...here it is!" Stunned by offer, the young man couldn't believe his ears. The chance of a lifetime, was so within his reach...the one thing he never had...was his, finally his, for the taking. But it came at a price...a price of sacrifice...a price he was not sure he was willing to make. Slowly the expression on the young man's face changed from anxious & excited to sorrowful & depressed. The sad young man turned and walked away...away from the one thing that would change his life...forever.

Why do we find ourselves in situations where we are 'so close, but yet so far'? You see, my Dad was a great storyteller. I could often find myself lost for days in those stories. And he always had at least one. One for every situation that life handed to us. His way of taking scripture and sharing it in such a way was his trademark preaching style. It was several years later that I realized his story of the rich young man was really the story of Jesus and the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30). The older I get, the more I see this exact situation play out day after day in so many people's lives. Settling for what we have...passing up on what we could have.

"Father, help me to never be satisfied...help me to reach...to see..to be...amen."

Isn't it time to stop being satisfied with the status quo...satisfied with McDisgusting... when Dad's Favorite Blend is just 2 small blocks away...

Running On Empty...

Does it ever fail that when you're in desperate need of a cup of coffee, that the cup you are finally served in, is like the size of a thimble? Or if there is enough to fill up the cup, that the coffee is 17 days old and counting? (What's that floating in that cup anyway?!) I admit, there are days that I feel like I'm part of the "Land of the Dead", scouring the countryside in search of anything that resembles coffee. You know what I mean, you've been there. It's just the caffeine, nothing else, anything will do. A couple of nights ago was one of those nights. I came back up to the shop, to help Andy Guy close up for the night, (yes, his name REALLY is Andy Guy, and...yes, he IS a guy!), and the first thing I headed to was the air-pot on the counter, hopefully, full of coffee, and hopefully, fresh. (What was I really thinking? It was time to close up shop and if there was any coffee at all, it needed to be poured out.) It wasn't. Full anyway. Far from fresh. Just enough to briefly satisfy my urgent sense of need. Isn't it crazy that we give in to the weakest of wants! I understand that after I had went home a few hours earlier, that I had drank enough sweet tea to float a large ship, but there was something else that I need to fulfill that overwhelming craving. Andy was quick to remind me that, this was unusual behavior in me. (Little does he know what unusual in ME looks like!) "I'm supposed to want quality instead of quantity" he said with that silly grin on his face. However, I had a brilliant reply for his comments, "shut up Andy, I just gotta have coffee!" So after I licked my cup clean in an effort to savor every drop, I could think somewhat rational, and helped Andy close down the store. What I wouldn't admit was that if I had only waited just a few minutes...waited...just a few...minutes..I could have had a serious 4-shot latte. Now that's what I'm talking about! But no...I settled for less than the best.

I wonder sometimes if this is the type of craving...thirst...that the writer ment when he wrote Psalm 42? 'As the deer pants for the water brooks. So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.' Man, can you imagine! Don't you wish you knew what he was going through in life? Really makes me wonder! Who knows...maybe he had just lost his job...maybe he was so far behind in paying his bills that bankrupcy seemed to be the only way out...maybe everything he seemed to try, failed...maybe his marriage was crashing...who knows! The bottom line is that this man was WAAAAYYY in over his head...his world was crashing in...and he knew only one thing...a cool, fresh, soul-quencing taste of Holy God! And he knew it was worth the wait.

I've been in way over my head before...close to that right now. It's hard sometimes to really determine what's up or down in this crazy, confused world we live in. There are times that I have just wanted to jump in a hole and pull a rock in over me. Trying to solve problems on my own...knowing that if I had only waited...there's that word again, waited...if I had only waited that God works all things out according to His Will, in His time. The psalmist got his answer...rather quickly. Just a few verses later, in Psalm 46 verses 10 & 11, God tells him to 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.' "Be still" (sound alot like 'wait' to me) and know that I am God. Powerful words of hope to a desperate man...those same powerful words also speak to a desperate world today...powerful words of hope that speaks to me...and you.

"Father, help me to always be desperate...thirsty...thirsty for You, and never settling for day old coffee, hoping that it will quench my craving. Help me to never settle for less than the best...anything less than You will never, never satisfy my needs. There are lots of things in this world that attempt to resemble You...glimpes of You...but NEVER You. Help me to 'be still' and wait..wait on YOU...knowing all things are possible through You. Help me to stay vertical...amen"

The waiting will soon be over...the timer on the coffee brewer is going off...and it's a good thing...my cup is empty.

Beginnings...

It is after much encouragement that I begin this 'blog' life. I've written quips & quotes here, articles there, with songs intertwined throughout the years, yet this type of writing seems so challenging, even though I taught and suggested journaling for years! Who'da thought! And who knows, this just might be the finalizing of this crazy book that I've been trying to complete for years. I hope to be sharing personal thoughts, and lots of other stuff that's the result of too much caffeine (for those of you who know me), as well as news from the workplace. You'll come to know it as Dad's Place Coffee House. I told you 'too much caffeine'!

I do hope that what you find here will be humorous, enlightening, yet most of all encouraging...after all, life's to short for bad coffee! Go ahead, grab a fresh cup... this journey is just beginning...