Success -or- Significance

Maybe this is not an either/or proposition. What if it's more like both/and?

Done. It is finished. My son Andrew's high school career. He graduated last night with an honors diploma and as a member of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica ( Spanish National Honor Society). Thank you God! It was a happy sad night.

Time marches on.

And as it does he becomes less and less my son and more and more God's. Andrew can get along fine without me now, but not without God. Jesus, I am asking you to give him a wild, dangerous, wonderful encounter with you. One that makes him pursue you and significance for your kingdom over success (at least as the world defines it).

As the superintendent of Jackson Schools spoke last night she cited a study of 1,500 college graduates. They were put into 2 categories: group A said they were pursuing wealth first and would do something they loved later in life (this group had 1,245 in it). Group B (255 strong) were going for their passions right off the bat. At the end of 20 years there were 101 millionaires.........................and only one of them came from group A!

Isn't that incredible?!?

Not really. Over 2,000 years ago a man gave the same advice. It was even put in a book for us to read. It's a way that is upside-down, inside-out, inverted, backward, upturned, chaotic and confusing:

• find life by losing yours
• live by dying

Andrew my son, my prayer for you is that you continue to follow Jesus of Nazareth and find "life that is truly life."

born banished

I love the Old Testament. It's so full of rich history and amazing stories. I love how these stories reveal God's plan to redeem us through his son Jesus.

King David's son Absalom kills David's other son Amnon and Absalom flees. Over time David gets over mourning Amnon's death and begins to mourn Absalom's absence. David's friend and army commander Joab realizes this and devises a plan to bring Absalom back. He gets a woman (a wise woman from Tekoa according to 2 Samuel 14) to go to David and claim she has the same type of story (one son has killed the other). And the story is important because in those days someone accused of murder could be struck down on the spot by a dude with the job title of "Avenger of Blood". To stay away from this guy until you get a trial you had to run and make it to a city of refuge. You were banished.

So David finally realizes Joab put her up to this and agrees to let Joab go get Absalom and provide him safe passage back to Jerusalem. Check out this wise woman's words in 2 Samuel 14: ".......But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." So way back then (and way before that) the plan was in place. God was revealing his nature of giving us safe passage back to him.

We are born banished from a kingdom. But the King is looking to adopt. And not just take us into a family. But to also make us heirs of the kingdom. Incredible.

The cross Jesus hung on is "so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him."

Are you ready for your inheritance?

Truth

Myanmar is seizing the very aid sent to help its people after the recent cyclone. Today I heard a report that a plane carry aid and search & rescue workers was turned away because there were also reporters on board. Apparently the government has something to hide?

I know a movie isin't truth but the latest Rambo movie is based on the premise of sneaking missionaries into this very country, formerly known as Burma. It's a real blood and guts guy movie. I recommend it. If there's any fact at all in that movie this county definitely has something to hide.

And that's the thing about truth. If you tell it and live it you don't have to remember what you say or do.