I'm Just Burned Out!

"I'm just burned out!" is a phrase I hear way too often. I have felt it myself. What does it really mean? I'm tired. I'm bummed. I'm not getting my way. I'm bored. I'm not committed. I'm not in agreement. I don't know, but it seems to me the list could go on and on.

What happens after someone tells us that "I'm just burned out!" What that means, most generally, in big flaming bright lights is "I'm leaving the church." Yes, "I'm just burned out!" is code language for "I'm leaving the church." In almost every case that I have been told this, leaving the church comes next.

I believe that Jesus talked about being 'burned out' in Matthew 24. In vs 8, he says, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." He has already stated certain things that will happen in the world around us such as wars, earthquakes and famine. After saying the birth pains verse, he goes on to say in vs 10, "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other." In vs 12 he says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold," and in vs 13 he says, "but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Paul writes in II Thessalonians 2:3, "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed...". The KJV of this same text says, "that day will not come until there is a falling away first."

So what do you do when you get burned out? Leaving the church isn't the answer. I suggest that you get on your knees and have a real heart to heart talk with God Almighty. Most of being "burned out" does not come from the outside, but the inside (remember Paul calls it rebellion). Ask God to show you your heart, the very inside of you. Ask God what to do to get past the "burned out" (rebellion) feeling. Read Revelation 2 & 3 and notice how many times Jesus says, "To him who overcomes, I will...." A time is coming when we will say, "I am just burned out!" That can be good. John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:11, "He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." We are at a time when we all need to get "burned out" in the right way. Let's ask God to burn the bad stuff out of us and make more room for the good stuff. Let's makes more room for the Holy Spirit to live within us! Think about it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

We have been having way too much rain in this part of the country for this time of the year. Rain is supposed to be helpful and not harmful. But, it has gotten to the point that it is making a big difference for the farmers trying to get their crops in. (I mentioned that yesterday!)

On the weather forcast this morning, they said the sun is coming out at 10:00 AM and the fog, created by the temperature and the moisture in the air, would lift at that time. I had a dentist appointment this morning at 9:00 AM and it was just 10:00 AM when I came walking out of the building to my car. The fog was still here.

By the time I drove a few blocks, I noticed the sun was out. Within a mile the fog was actually lifting out of the fields. I have always thought it burns off with the sunlight, but his fog was rising into the air and disappearing from sight. By the time I drove the three miles to the church, the fog was gone. Right now it is beautiful outside.

We are supposed to have a little more rain tonight. Then two days of sunny weather and then on Friday we are forecast for heavy rain. Like we need anymore! Rain, rain, go away.

Blogging

Blogging is simply sharing what is on your mind at the moment. Sometimes it might have some significance and other times it might be ranting or raving or something insignificant. For the last week I have not blogged anything, and I wonder if that means I haven't had anything on my mind?

Every morning I have gone to my blog site, sat there for a few moments and decided I had nothing important to share. That doesn't mean I haven't had some things on my mind. I could go on about the inconsideration of some people. I could write about all the red lights I hit on my way to a hospital visit this morning. I could could complain about worms on the parking lot. (That doesn't sound very interesting but did you know that worms get on the parking lot when it rains. We have had worms on our parking lot for most of the month of October because it has rained almost every day in October. Worms do not belong on our parking lot, since they belong in the dirt. But since worms are on our parking lot and not in the dirt, the farmers can't get in the dirt either and the crops aren't getting harvested like they are supposed to. Now do you see why worms on our parking lot bother me? Worms on the parking lot are just one more thing working against a stable economy and food on our tables!) But I am not going to say anything about these subjects.

So, since I don't have anything to say again this morning, I am simply going to sign off and check my e-mail. Sorry that I can't share anything enlightening with you today.

Forty-One Years

Yesterday was Glenda and my forty-first wedding anniversary. It was a glorious day for the two of us. My aunt's funeral was yesterday, about two hours drive time away. It was at 10:00 AM. I left the house at 6:30 AM, went to the office for a few minutes and then picked Mom up at 7:30. It was nearly 4:30 by the time I got back home for the day. Glenda had to work last night. She got home about 9:30 PM. All total, we saw each other for less than an hour for the entire day.

For those who don't know, I met Glenda while I was on leave in the Army. I can't say it was love at first site, but two days later we were talking about getting married. My problem was I didn't know where I was going. "Overseas somewhere and with a summer issue of clothing, probably Viet Nam!" is what everyone told me. I was smart enough to know that I wasn't going to marry a woman I had just met at a breakfast picnic and then leave her to go to war! We both agreed that if what we had was love, it would wait a year until I got home.

Five days before I was supposed to report to Oakland Army Base to ship out overseas, I met a Staff sergent that I had not met before. I asked him if he knew where APO 96331 was? "Fort Buckner, Okinawa. Are you married," he asked? "No! Why?" I asked back. "Because if you were, you could take your wife along with you and she could live there while you do your tour of duty." I thanked him for the information and went to Glenda and told her we were getting married before I left. She called her folks and told them. We told the people at the college she was going to. We called relatives and told them. Everyone thought we were nuts! The both of us thought we were a little nuts, too.

But, it is now 41 years later, and we are still as much in love with each other as we were from the start. Probably more. Both of us have never once doubted that God gave us the gift of each other. I think I got the better gift!

Great Pies

I've been talking about the apple pies for the last two mornings. Yesterday morning the post came before the pies, and today the post is after pies. The ladies all showed up. Each one remembered what they were supposed to bring and they all worked together for the common good of the body. They baked a bunch of great apple pies and a lot of people benefited from their effort.

That is how the church is supposed to work--everyone doing their part for the good of the body. The body is benefited by this action. On Wednesday night we host the mid-week Bible study at our home. We have a soup and sandwich type of meal before we get into our study. Glenda and I supply the meal and then if someone feels like bringing a dessert, they do so. Yesterday, one of the ladies worked in the afternoon to bake two pies for the Bible study. When she went to put them into the oven to bake them, the oven was not working. It didn't get hot!

She came to Bible study feeling bad that we didn't have something for dessert. I told her the ladies from the morning had baked us two pies and that we did have something. She was relieved that the body was blessed and her problem had not caused a problem for the body. What a humble attitude.

Anyhow, all in all, the whole day yesterday was a great day! I hope our day today will be just as good. Each of us needs to ask ourselves, "What can I do to bless someone in the body today?" Think about it!

Baking Pies

Our Wednesday morning Bible study group came together last week and one of the ladies had an idea. "Let's stay after Bible study and bake up a bunch of apple pies!" So everyone made a list of what they were supposed to bring. I said I would buy the apples and did so yesterday morning at 6:00 AM at Walmart. Strange time to go to Walmart but it is a long story. Suffice it to say, I did my part and the apples are here at the church.

What happens from here should be interesting. First of all, there may be too many chiefs and we will have to establish a pecking order before going on. Second of all, with a week gone by, someone may forget that we are even baking pies this morning and show up without anything they were supposed to bring. Third of all, Jesus might come before the Bible study begins and we will never get to the pies.

The truth of the matter, even as much as I like fresh baked apple pie, I am opting for Jesus to come before the Bible study. Think about it!

Oooohhh! My Head!

I feel like I have a hangover today! I can't say that I have never had one, but it has been many years since. Sorry to say, I recognize the feeling. Last night I had two parties going on on either side of my bedroom. Fortunately, they were the quiet kind of party until people started leaving at 2:00 AM. I laid there in bed and listened to one car leave from in front of the house and then one leave from behind the house. I finally got up and looked out the windows and that is when I discovered two parties.

At 2:00 AM, these party goers came out of the house and yelled back and forth, slammed car doors and started their engines, which of course meant they started their radios, too. Boooooom, Boooooom! Bammmmm! Boooooom! Bammmmm! Then for thirty minutes they stood beside the car and talk with each other like they were in the parking lot of Walmart. Revenge raced through my mind, but I know, "Revenge is mine says the Lord!" Well, I hope you got them this morning when they were trying to sleep! Gently of course and with lots of grace! But get 'em, Lord!

Anyhow, by 3:00 AM I was able to roll over and go back to sleep. The party was over. "Chirp!"
"What was that? I must have dreamed it. I didn't think I had gone that deep into sleep." "Chirp!" "There it was again. What is that?" "Chirppppppp!" "Okay! So it's not my imagination. Now what is it?" "Chirpppppppppppppp!" "Give me a break! Now what's going on?" I unplugged my cell phone- that wasn't it. "Chirpppppppppppp!" "I'm coming, what ever this is!" I got up and went out into the living room. Quiet! More quiet! And then finally, "Chirppppppppppppppppppp!" "I gotch ya!" The batteries in my carbon monoxide detector were going dead and had to pick that moment in all of history to do it. Back to bed-- look at the clock---3:45AM. I thought, "I don't have anything to do in the morning, I can sleep in a little laterrrrrrrrrrrr! Good night!"

Not yet! At 4:00 AM the second wave of party goers decided to go home, and we went through the same thing all over again. Slamming doors, yelling, loud radios, and inconsiderate people! "God, you got to love them cause I can't right now!" There must have been fewer of them, because the noise didn't last as long this time and soon I was sound asleep--until the 6:00 AM when I normally wake up.

So any how, I have a head ache this morning. It will pass and later this afternoon I'll sneak in a nap. Life will go on and the next time I'm out at 2:00 AM, I'll be very quiet. How about you? Think about it!

I Love Mornings???

I have traditionally been a morning guy. As a kid I used to get up and watch my Dad shave at 5:00 AM. My mom always loved that:)! She told me once that she hoped I would have a kid that did the same thing. I guess Dad and I must have talked a lot and that would wake her up.

I have always found that my mind works better at 5:00 AM than at 5:00 PM. I can get more work done earlier in the morning and I enjoy doing it at that time. This morning I am at the church waiting for some men to arrive for a 6:00 AM Bible study and prayer time. Our numbers are not all that great, but those who attend are quite faithful. Each Friday morning we pray for our families, each other and the congregation of the church.

This morning, when I left for the church just before 5:00 AM, it was raining. But in the three minute drive from the house it stopped. When I parked my car, I took a minute and stood in the parking lot drinking a cup of coffee that I had brought from home. It was peaceful and quite and the air was crisp. But, I noticed I was not alone. On the highway in front of the church were literally hundreds of men and women going to work or already at work (truck drivers). I figured they must like the morning, too.

God has created all of us different and yet in many ways we have a lot of similarities. Alike or different, we must love one another. My getting up in the early morning as a kid drove my mom nuts, but she still loved me. Sometimes people who are different drive me nuts. But then again, sometimes people that are similar can drive me nuts. What I have learned in dealing with people is the more nuttier I get when around them, the more I have to extend God's love to them. What about you? Do you hate the people that drive you nuts or love them? Think about it!

Beef Tips And Noodles

I cook for the Wednesday night Bible study that we have at our house. Most of the time because of time, it is just a salad and sandwiches of some kind. Last night we had beef tips and noodles--more like beef tips and mush! I bought a store brand noodle and when the water came to a boil I dumped them in the pot. Immediately they began to break up and in three minutes looked like they were done. They were supposed to boil for 7 to 9 minutes. I called Glenda into the kitchen and asked what she thought. She confired, by tasting a noodle, they were done.

We drained them, put the gravy and beef on them and then put them into a roaster pan to serve them. By the time our guests arrived, they were in long strings like spheggetti. I have never seen noodles break up like that before and it was somewhat embarrassing to me. Fortunately they tasted good and every one ate till they were full. Everything turned out in the end but they looked terrible.

Sometimes life is like that. Your best plans go terrible wrong, not because of what you have done but just because we are in an imperfect world. What should we do when that happens? If sin is involved, ask for forgiveness, accept the perfect forgiveness that Jesus gives (I John 1:9) and put your best foot forward and move on. If you should sin again, do it over until you get past the sin. If it is something without sin but beyond your control, understand that "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) When things go bad for those who are following God's purpose for their lives, God makes lemonade out of lemons. Think about it!

Ministry And/Or Missions

God is truly working in my life. As a kid, I aways said I wanted to be a minister or a missionary. I never dreamed about being both. When the time came to make a career choice, I decided to go in a different direction. I didn't feel God calling me into either position. That all changed when I turned forty years old. For the first time in my life, I felt a tap on my shoulder and heard God say to me, "Now I want you go into ministry for me!" I was blessed to be able to go back to school and finish my studies in Theology and ministry. I entered into full time ministry with four kids, a wife and a mortgage. God has been good and graciously provided all the way through my twenty+ years of ministry.

Two years ago, twenty years after the call into ministry, I was driving down the road one day and I clearly heard God say, "I want you to go to Peru..." Immediately the thought "I don't want to go to Peru!" shot through my mind. But I did and at age 62 I have made the nearly 10,000 mile round trip in and out of the Amazon Jungle twice. It has changed my perspective on life!

What about you? Do you feel God is calling you into ministry? If you have felt that same tap on the shoulder or heard God speak directly to you, you need to do something about it. Humble yourself before the Lord. Ask for wisdom and direction. Seek advice from others who have gone through what you are about to face. But most of all, answer God's call on your life! Think about it!

I Like Milk!

Yesterday I was talking with my six year old grandson, Levi. We talked about the Bears and peanut butter and jelly and his baby sister. He said she was getting "chunky" because she drinks a lot of milk. I said, "I like milk. Do you suppose that is why Grandpa is getting chunky?" That was all it took.

Immediately Levi said, "Grandpa, do you know what is fun?" I answered "No!" Grandpas apparently don't have a lot of fun-- not like Levi was about to propose. Levi went on to say, "Pour yourself a big glass of milk and then go get a straw. Put the straw in the glass and blow bubbles in your milk. Then you can eat the bubbles off the top of the glass!" "Wow!" I said. "That sounds like a lot of work for a glass of milk." "Yah, but its fun Papa!" I said, "If I was going to go to all that work with a glass of milk, I would get some Oreo cookies and spend the effort dipping them in the milk." Levi's response to that was, "That would be fun, too. I gotta go!" I must have taken the conversation over the edge for his young mind! Apparently a six year old and a sixty-two year old think differently about what to do with our milk.

I think Christianity is the same for a lot of people. It has a specific purpose for our lives but we are simply blowing bubbles in it and eating it from the top. It adds a whole new meaning to what the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 5:12-14. Look it up! Think about it!

It's Not Over Till The Skinny Lady Sings!

I just watched a video on the internet about a high school football game that went back and forth with the lead changing several times. In the end, one team needed to score with moments on the clock to win the game. The field goal kicker tried his best, (remember this is high school football) and woefully missed the attempt. As the final seconds clicked off, the kick went up, missed the uprights and was caught by the opposing team. In their celebration of his missing the field goal, they ran out of the end zone (which meant the ball was still alive) onto the playing field and spiked the ball in victory celebration. The opposing team picked up the loose ball and ran it into the endzone for a touch down as the clock ticked down to 0 seconds. One team celebrated their victory too soon and the other team ended up with the victory!

I think this is going to happen in Christianity! Too many people are fighting a long hard fight with the opposition, but in the end they may celebrate their victory too soon, and may lose out all together. Jesus speaks in Matthew 24:10 that in the end many will be offended and walk away from their faith. Paul writes in I Timothy 4:1 that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits. In II Timothy 3:1-5 Paul writes that there will be form of godliness but a denying of its power. This is all taking place by people who give up at the end and celebrate their rights over God's goodness.

Stand firm to the end. The losing team above didn't stand firm to the end. They got sloppy as they thought about how good they were. They celebrated their goodness just a moment too early. Before you go around and tell people how good you are, or how much more spiritual you are than others around you, consider Romans 12:3-"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought..." Think about it!