Kevin's Birthday blog - 2020 edition

As I commemorate another birthday, I earnestly desire to point to the greatness of God.  So for today, I want to briefly list four aspects of God’s work in my life; they all start with the letter A.  By the way, just to state this for the record: I could write a much more detailed blog on each of these sections – in fact, at one point, I toyed with the idea of writing several blog installments leading up to my birthday.  Ultimately, I decided to go with this “cliff notes” version.

#1: “Altered course”

When I was a boy, I gave my life to Christ, and it forever altered the course of my life.  I’ve often spoken of Pastor Rick Ferguson; in 2002, he went home to be the Lord at just 46 years of age.  Like me, he was saved as a young boy.  Rick often said that God saved him not only from what he was, He saved him for what he would have become.  I second that for myself.  There is no doubt that my life would look drastically different if not for God transforming me into a Christian – a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) all those years ago. 

#2: Awe-inspiring God

One definition for “awe-inspiring” is “arousing awe through being impressive, formidable or magnificent.”  The God that I serve is truly “awe-inspiring”.  He snatched me from death as a baby; He healed me from seizures, blood in urine, and (probably most miraculously of all) He also pardoned my sin and granted me salvation.  Psalm 77:12 says, “I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.”  He is the magnificent God who does jaw-dropping things when He chooses to do so.  At other times, He is the One who helps us endure, and walks with us through the fiery trials of life.

#3: Angelic help

There have been episodes where my life was spared because of God’s supernatural deliverance through angels.  When I was boy, for example, I should have drowned, but because of angelic help, I survived.  But there has also been angelic protection simply driving from Point A to Point B (there are probably many more instances of this than I know).  Plus, I’m reminded of how I have gotten in a few minor fender benders, but they happened in such a way where I didn’t get hurt, except for some post-traumatic stress.

#4: Arranged by God

I say “arranged” because I needed another word that start with the letter A!  But what I’m getting at here is that I have been created and designed by God.  In his fine book “The Way I was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life” Chris Tomlin has some words that I want to conclude with.  I hope they encourage you, as they did me.  Tomlin writes:

“God didn’t make a mistake when He made you.  He didn’t set out to make another Einstein or Mother Teresa or Michael Jordan or Michael W. [Smith] only to get interrupted…and – Oops!  Lookey here.  It’s Billy.  How disappointing.  It’s not like that at all.  He’s not wishing – not for a moment – that you could just get it together enough to be someone else…He made you just the way you are for an extraordinary purpose, an unusual life, one that only you can live for Him.”

Kevin

Trusting God when life doesn't make sense

Of all the various adaptations of Batman, for many, the definitive version for the Caped Crusader is the exceptional TV show “Batman: the Animated Series”.  I know it's true for me.  There are so many great episodes from this series, but one of my favorites is an episode called “Perchance to Dream”.  

In the episode, Bruce Wayne awakens to find his life is completely different.  His parents are alive; he is engaged to be married; and someone else is Batman.  He soon suspects that he has been imprisoned in a fantasy world.  But to leave it, as a villain once said to Superman in a similar story-line, would be like tearing off one of his arms.  Ultimately, Bruce escapes the reverie (and he does so because of a stroke of genius that few but Bruce would ever think up).  For him to choose this sacrifice is noble and heroic.

This episode is so powerful because it makes the viewer contemplate their own life.  It makes them stop and ask themselves: could I do what Bruce Wayne did?  I have been asking myself that question.  If I were in that situation, would I choose the reality – one that has pain and sorrow in it – rather than stay inside a world of beautiful mirages?  My answer is yes, I would choose my real life, even with all of the challenges, because I trust in God and His plan.

As I was writing this, I became burdened at the sad notion that someone reading this is facing the worst pain you have ever felt in your life.  You wish you could awaken to an entirely different reality because nothing makes sense in your life right now.  It might be that you received a cancer diagnosis.  Maybe you are dealing with the betrayal of your spouse; he (or she) left you for someone else, and now you face an empty house.  Or in the chaotic situation we find ourselves, it could be that you lost that job you never thought you’d lose.  Whatever the reasons, when I speak of trusting God, you wince and you inwardly question my decision.

First of all, please know I’m not denying the pain of life that can be agonizing at times.  I may not have endured the same intense suffering you are facing, but I have felt heartache in my own life.  As my 39th birthday approaches, I face stress from the covid-19 outbreak, continued physical pain, broken dreams, and a broken heart - from a death that occurred almost 5 years ago now.  So when I say that I trust God, I’m not saying that it’s always easy.  Sometimes when I raise my hands to God in surrender I do so with tears in my eyes.

But with all of that said, I hope you will hear my heart on this.  There are a million reasons to trust God, as the Christian worship song by Passion entitled “Follow You Anywhere” puts it.  One of the reasons is because we human beings have very limited vision.  Our vantage point is small; we only see a page at a time, while God sees all of the events of the whole book.  Jeff Dunn and Adam Palmer, in their work “The Soul of Spider-Man” write this on the subject:

“God is so much bigger than us.  And he has such bigger plans for us than we have for ourselves.  Think of it like this: Oftentimes we look at our lives as if surveying our surrounding by the light of a candle.  In a concrete bunker…Maybe you could move around to try to glimpse some definition, but by and large, you’d be hard pressed to take a specific survey of the room with that one candle.  This is how we look at our lives.  Our view is dim, so our overall vision is lacking.”

One of my favorite preachers is Alistair Begg; a pastor in Cleveland, Ohio.  He recently spoke of trusting God, even in the midst of unanswered questions.  At one point, he quoted an old hymn titled “God Holds the Key of all Unknown” that has this line in it: “The very dimness of my sight makes me secure, for groping in my misty way I feel His hand.  I hear Him say, ‘My help assured.’”  Amen to that!  “Today,” Alistair went on to say, “Take hold of His hand, and trust Him.”

Kevin

"Everybody loves a hero" - Father's Day, 2020

I recently began watching the Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire again.  First of all, I can’t believe that the first film was back in 2002 (it makes me feel rather old).  While I appreciate the work of both Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland in the role, no one will ever top Tobey Maguire’s portrayal.  This Peter Parker had nobility, selflessness, and valor that seemed to emanate from his heart straight to the audience.

In 2014, I wrote a Memorial Day blog on heroism.  It almost goes without saying that I stand by what I said about the amazing heroes who gave their lives on the battlefield for this country.  I reiterate my appreciation every Memorial Day, and I do so again today.  But it struck me that the words that I wrote in 2014 are also equally applicable to my father, Jerry.  His example, unselfishness, and honor inspire me to this day.  Therefore, I want to share that blog again here with Dad in mind.  The title of that blog from 2014 and today are the same: “Everybody loves a hero.”

“There’s a marvelous scene from the movie “Spider-Man 2” that recently came to my mind.  I was recalling a touching moment between Aunt May and Peter as she eloquently speaks to Peter about the virtue of heroism.  This is a topic that everyone should be thinking about on this special day that we honor the memory of our fallen heroes. 

Let me give you the context of the scene of the film.  Peter Parker is fed up with being Spider-Man.  He sees it as a thankless chore.  He announces: “I’m Spider-Man no more” and throws his Spider-Man suit into a dumpster.  It’s not clearly stated how much time has passed, but crime begins to go up in New York in Spider-Man’s absence.  Peter feels torn between his responsibility and his desire to live a normal life. 

Peter decides to visit his Aunt May.  He discovers that May is moving and that Henry, a young boy from across the street, is helping her move.  In the course of their conversation, Aunt May says that Henry misses Spider-Man; and that he eventually wants to be Spider-Man himself.  Peter asks her why.  Here are her words in reply:

“He knows a hero when he sees one.  [There are] too few characters out there flying around like that saving old girls like me.  Lord knows kids like Henry need a hero.  Courageous, self-sacrificing people, setting examples for all of us.  Everybody loves a hero.  People line up for them, cheer them, scream their name, and years later they’ll tell how their stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to “hold on” a second longer.  I believe there’s a hero in all of us; that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.”

In the 2014 blog, I ended the quote there, but that’s not actually where her heartfelt words ended.  I want to conclude today with the remainder of that sentiment.  She went on to state, “Even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most, even our dreams.”  Aunt May’s words inspire Peter to resume his calling as Spider-Man.  In fact, he quotes her notion about giving up a dream, almost verbatim, to break through to try to Otto Octavius’ humanity in the climax of the film.  Her words inspire me as well.  I want to be “courageous” and “self-sacrificing”.  

Once again, this reminds me of my father, and his unselfish example.  The Bible says to honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12).  I publicly declare my respect for my dad.  He is in Heaven now, but the older I get, the more I see the responsibilities he carried.  He made it look easy.  I want to honor Dad by striving to live with the same altruistic spirit as him.

Kevin 

A milestone in a pandemic

Barry Allen (A.K.A. the superhero “The Flash”) once said, “Everyone secretly thinks they have figured out what their life is going to be like.  But what no one ever considers is that life has its own plans for you, whether you like them or not.  And so you’re left with a choice: you can either embrace the change and move forward, or fight it and be left behind.”

I start with that because, one week ago, I celebrated an anniversary: on 6/7/19, I launched my other blog.  I debated whether I should mention that in this blog.  The reason I decided to do so is because I want to use it as an example.  When that other blog was successfully launched, obviously I had no idea that we would subsequently endure the craziest days we have endured in history.  The coronavirus outbreak has turned everyone’s world upside-down; I have certainly felt the insanity of this pandemic in my own life.

There are actually teachers today who assert that if you are a Christian, you are assured a life of health, wealth, and prosperity, devoid of suffering.  These teachers are charlatans.  The Bible indicates the exact opposite.  Jesus said in John 16: “In this world, you will have tribulation.”  2 Corinthians 4 says, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (verses 7-8).  

Arthur Ashe is helpful here.  In his book “God on the Streets of Gotham” he writes, “Our faith doesn’t keep us from suffering.  It doesn’t save us from the anguish of losing a parent or child, the pain of losing a job or failing a class… “Finding God does not mean building a house in a land of no storms,” an anonymous believer once said, “but building a house that no storm can destroy.” ”

2 Corinthians 1:8 reads: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”  Can you relate?  Is it hard to just get out bed in the morning?  Check out the next verse: “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.”

   

Many years ago, I was in a church service where a guest preacher spoke; at one point, he made a tremendous statement.  He said, “When God’s will crosses my will, I am presented with this idea: [God says to me] ‘My ways aren’t your ways, but you can trust Me, because I am good.’”  I love that sentence!  Since God is good, we can trust Him.  Has 2020 rocked your world?  Of course it has.  I don’t even have to ask!  But in my own life, God is asking me to renew my trust in Him.  To make it grow deeper.  I’m going to do that, and I want to invite you to do the same. 

Kevin

Five sports stories (2015-2020)

My dad loved sports.  He enjoyed viewing it, playing it back in the day, and he even had a segment of sharing the sports for his vocation as radio announcer.  So in honor of this, I thought I would share five sports stories that have occurred since his “home-going” in 2015.  I’m aware that there are even more stories that I could have cited, but these are the cream of the crop, as I see it.

#1: I recently spoke about Super Bowl 48, which saw the Denver Broncos get pummeled by the Seattle Seahawks.  Well, two years later in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos returned and Denver won its first world championship in nearly 20 years.  In a game that featured a dazzling defense performance the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10.  Von Miller was the MVP.  Like John Elway before him, Peyton Manning got to ride off into the sunset as a world champion.

#2: The Chicago Cubs had one of those unenviable streaks: they had not won a World Series since 1908.  But that changed in 2016; the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a memorable winner-take-all Game 7.  One of the interesting facts of this series was the Cubs were down 3 games to 1 at one point.  But they continued to fight and ultimately, win it all.  How wild.  Or, to quote the title of Al Michaels biography, “You can’t make this up”.

One last note: in the film “Back to the Future: Part 2” Marty time traveled from the year 1985 to 2015.  He sees the announcement that the Cubs had just won the World Series.  It was intended to be an unlikely sports achievement to develop the plot of the movie, and it certainly works in that respect.  Yet in real life, this feat actually happened only it was in 2016.

#3: So be honest: if you were watching a Super Bowl and your team was ahead 28-3 midway through the 3rd quarter, wouldn’t you be tempted to think that the game was over?  That was where the Atlanta Falcons fans found themselves in Super Bowl 51.  But the New England Patriots mounted the most improbable comeback, and won the game in overtime 34-28.  In my mind, there has never been a crazier, more unpredictable, or unlikely Super Bowl than this one.  I know my dad would have had a lot to say about this game.

#4: Almost a year ago today (6/13/19), the Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-110 to secure the first championship in their history.  Amazingly, Golden State was seeking to win their third championship in a row.  The Golden State Warriors have certainly had a lot of success in the postseason of late, but the Raptors showed us, yet again, that the underdog can win it all.

#5: The Kansas City Chiefs were sort of like the Chicago Cubs of football.  They had won a Super Bowl, but it was way back in the 1960’s.  That is, until this last NFL season.  Super Bowl 54 featured the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 31-20.  Behind the play of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, and a resilient Kansas City team, the Chiefs drought finally ended.  Interestingly, the Chiefs faced double-digit deficits in all three of their postseason games, but the Chiefs were unflappable and simply would not be denied.

Kevin

"Fall into the arms that won't let go"

Not long ago, I saw a TV show where a wife had lost her husband unexpectedly to death.  In her grief and agony, she yelled at God, and essentially did what Job’s wife had counseled her husband to do (in Job 2:9) she cursed God.  While it was fictional, her pain touched me.  And it occurred to me that while you didn’t go as far as this woman did in her response, perhaps you (or someone you love) are dealing with the shock and trauma of a death.

If so, let me speak a few words from my heart.  First of all, if anyone gets that there can be intense pain, unbearable heartache and visceral loss in this life, it’s me.  I have been there.  Therefore, with love and empathy in my heart, I want to direct you to a wonderful verse in the book of Psalms.  Psalm 56:8 reads, “You keep track of my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT).  You are in a room in your house all alone, and you have been crying your eyes out.  It’s easy to think that no one saw those tears, but the Bible says that God did!

Not only does God see all the tears, He hurts right along with you.  In John 11, the Bible describes Jesus’ attitude in the face of a death.  John 11:33 says, “When Jesus saw her [that is, Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled."  Upon seeing Lazarus’ body, the text says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  Jesus, God in human flesh, cried.  In fact, some believe that one of the reasons that Jesus cried is because He was grieved that mankind had to face death in the first place.  That's possible.  In the beginning, death wasn't on the table, until mankind chose their own way and sin and death was introduced (Genesis 2:17).  

I want to commend a beautiful song, by Al Denson, to you.  It is titled "The Arms that won't let go."  This excerpt from the song is fortifying: “If you need a pillow for your sorrow; if you need a blanket for the soul; if you need a place your broken heart can be made whole, He’ll be your strength to face tomorrow.  And when the night seems dark and cold, fall into the arms that won’t let go, fall into the arms that won’t let go.  Don’t have all the answers facing tragedy.  It seems as if the tears will never end.  But through the dark, you’ll see Him, the one you can believe in.  He’s offering you rest and a place to lay your head.”  

In conclusion, when we face the agony of death, it forces us to make a choice: we can either be like the woman I described earlier from the TV show: a person who shuns God altogether; or we can turn to Him for help and healing.  I pray it’s the latter for you.  I pray you will "fall into the arms that won't let go" because that's the best place you can possibly be.

Kevin

"Father knows best"

God’s way is always the best way.  That’s a truth that, quite frankly, I have built my life upon.   But knowing this doesn't mean that life is going to be easy.  Life with God is incredible, but it is usually bumpy and turbulent.  Let me give some examples from my life right now:

There’s the grief that has been hitting me as the five-year anniversary of my dad’s passing away looms on the horizon.  Further, time off from work has been usurped by surprises like a clogged sink that took my brother and me hours to fix.  I have also experienced acute shoulder pain, sleep issues, and chiropractor visits.  But even though all of this is happening, I rest in the truth that God’s way is always the best way.

Decades ago, I tried my hand at writing fiction.  I wrote probably a dozen Batman stories.  None of them were very good (although I did write a standalone Catwoman story that was better than the Catwoman movie starring Halle Barry.  But, I digress).  Suppose that Batman and Robin were able to converse with each other, like the toys could in the “Toy Story” film series.  Pretend that there have been a string of disappoints and setbacks for the Dynamic Duo in one of my stories.  After a particularly bleak chapter, Batman and Robin are frustrated.  With that in mind, let’s listen in to their conversation:

“Can you believe this writer?”  Robin asks.  “Can you believe what he has been doing to us?  The direction this guy is taking us in is wrong.  It’s so sad; it’s pathetic.”  “Yes,” Batman replies.  “It’s quite clear that he has no idea what he is doing.  He doesn’t understand what is good for us, or for Gotham City.”  “I almost feel like I should write the story myself,” Robin continues.  “I would do a much better job than he ever could.”  At this point, Alfred speaks up.  He says, “If I may, ponder this: the writer cares for you both.  Trust him.  He knows what he is doing. I’m sure he will make things right.”

From our vantage point, we humans won’t understand why God allowed some things to occur, but God is worthy – not just of our praise and worship, but also our trust.  I love Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”  In every Batman story I ever wrote, justice, righteousness, and good ultimately prevailed; similarly, God knows what He is doing.  And, to quote the beloved TV show title, “Father knows best.”

Let me conclude with this.  Next month, Pastor Rick Ferguson will have been in Heaven for 18 years now.  In July of 2002, he passed away at age 46 in a car accident.  My parents and I had the privilege of sitting under his teachings for several years.  He often said from the pulpit that God could run his life a whole lot better than he ever could.  Further, he said that if it were left to up to him to run his life on his own, the result would just be a train wreck.  I echo the same thought for myself.  These have not been easy days.  Even so, I trust in God, no matter what.

 

Kevin

My dad's best of collection - #3 of 3

God, in His providence, arranged it so that I would see a movie that correlates with the blog I want to share today.  The film is called “American Gospel: Christ alone” and I heartily recommend it to you.  It was released in 2018, but I wasn’t aware of it until I recently watched it on Netflix.  The film covers a lot of territory, but essentially, it seeks to answer this two-fold question: what is the gospel of Jesus Christ?  And is it possible that we, in America today, have made it much more complicated than the way the Bible presents it?  This film answers these questions brilliantly.

As I said, this movie recommendation lines up with what I wanted to write about.  Today I want to talk about John 3:16.  On March the 16th in 2014, I attempted to present the beauty of John 3:16 in a blog that I titled “3:16 day”.  

A few years back, a radio DJ team wished their listeners a happy “3:16 day.” This was a reference to the fact that when it is 3/16 on the calendar it’s also a reminder of John 3:16.  This is a powerful verse from the Bible; it reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  This verse is so familiar that it’s easy to gloss over these life-changing words.  But that would be a great tragedy.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son…” 

This is an interesting question to contemplate: in the beginning, Adam and Eve chose sin when they disobeyed God’s word in the Garden of Eden.  So, at that point, why didn’t God give up on humanity altogether and wipe them out right then and there?  The answer is because God loves humanity.  In fact, He loves us so deeply and fervently that He did what He didn’t have to do: He sent Jesus Christ to Earth.  

Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life that no one else could live.  Jesus was the only one with the necessary credentials to die on a cross to pay the price of humanity’s sin.  1 John 2:2 says that Jesus is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him…”

This is a glorious thought.  Some people are aware of Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sins, but they are unwilling to take it because they think they’ve lived too sinful of a life.  It dawned on me that someone may stumble onto this blog and read my words.  And if you were to tell me your life story I would be shocked at the brazen sinful lifestyle you’ve led.  

But John 3:16 says that doesn’t matter.  John 3:16 says anyone is free to come to Christ and receive His pardon from your sinful past.  The Bible says, “Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).  The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  “Though your sins are like scarlet,” God says in Isaiah 1:18, “They shall be as white as snow.”  Come to Jesus today.  He will forgive you, cleanse you, and accept you with open arms!

You say, “How do I do that?”  You do as John 3:16 says, you believe in Jesus.  This means you place your full confidence, trust, and faith in Him alone.  It means you stop trusting in your own righteousness, works, and merits to deliver you from your sin and you begin to trust that Jesus’ righteousness, work, and merit is sufficient for salvation from your sin.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” 

In a prayer shortly before His vicarious death, Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).  This has the connotation of having a personal relationship with God.  For example, I have a great respect for Billy Graham, but I don’t know Mr. Graham personally.  Conversely, I have a great respect for the pastor of my church, and I do know him.  That is, I commenced a personal relationship with my pastor.  We have a friendship and a fellowship with each other.  

Jesus said that everlasting life is knowing God and Jesus; not having simple head knowledge about Him, but having started a personal relationship with Him.  If you’ve never done that, it’s no accident that you are reading these words.  God is wooing you and drawing you.  Say yes to Him today.

Happy 3:16 day!

Kevin

My dad's best of collection - #2

This second blog from my dad’s selection was written in December of 2013.  In it, I reference the 2013 Denver Broncos.  2013 was a fun year for Broncos fans.  It was the high-powered Broncos offense that got all the headlines.  The team racked up a staggering 606 points (which is an NFL record); quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns (both are NFL records); Peyton secured the MVP of the league that year; on and on we could go with that offense’s greatness.

  

(Statistics from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2840871-ranking-the-top-10-offenses-in-nfl-history)

But, for all of the record-breaking achievements Denver had that year, no one could have known, at the time I wrote this blog, the Broncos were going to be steamrolled and humiliated by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 48.  The final score was 43-8.  This historical context only further emphasizes my main point of the blog that day.  Here now is a blog I wrote called “Where is your hope?”

One of the definitions that dictionary.com gives for the word hope is “a person or thing in which expectations are centered.”  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that you can inadvertently put your hope in the wrong thing.  I think this is a common occurrence; it is certainly something that I struggle with from time to time in my life.

Let me give an example: I’ve gotten so swept up in the success that the Denver Broncos are having that I’ve had visions of Denver going all the way to the Super Bowl and winning.  But what happens if they don’t?  What happens if the defense is not strong enough to win a championship (particularly now that Von Miller is out for the rest of the year)?  It’s easy for fans to put their hope in postseason success for an NFL team, but that is much too unpredictable a source.

Around this time of year, I think it’s easy to put your hope in the fact that you will get the perfect Christmas gift.  Well, it may result in disappointment.  You’ve asked for the hottest newest trend or gadget, but instead you may get something that is a complete disappointment and it will ruin your Christmas, if that’s where you put your hope.  Christmas gifts are great, but this is not where one should put their hope, either.  They should only be the cherry on top, as it were.

As a single man, I naturally gravitate toward putting all my hope in the fact that one day I will get married.  So I have another Christmas without a wife this year, what does that do to me emotionally?  It does a lot if I’ve inadvertently put my hope exclusively in having a spouse.  To be sure, a husband or a wife is a gift from God, but a finite human being cannot be your source of hope.  The reason for this is because a spouse, no matter how wonderful, is not perfect and will let you down.

So where, then, should we put our hope?  Most of you can see where I’m going with this, can’t you?  The Bible gives us the answer in Psalm 42.  The Psalmist is pouring out his angst to God.  Perhaps he too put his hope where it shouldn’t be.  But then in verse 5, we read, “Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”  Where should we put our hope?  We should put our hope in the God of the universe.  Anyone or anything else is completely inadequate.

Kevin

My dad's best of collection - #1

It is June now.  We are coming up on some significant – and bittersweet – events.  The first is Father’s Day, and the second is the fifth anniversary of my father’s unexpected passing away.  So for the next two months, I plan to look back at some memorable blogs that honor my dad.  The Bible says to honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12), and that’s what I want to do.  But I also desire to honor my Heavenly Father in this “best of” blog content as well.

For today, I want to begin sharing some blogs that my dad actually picked out.  In 2014, he chose three blogs that, in his mind, were highlights of this blog.  This first one was written back in 2013.  It was titled “Chivalry is not dead.”

One of the creeds that I live by is this short phrase: ladies first.  I make it my habit to open the door for ladies, let them walk ahead of me, and offer to help them if they are carrying a heavy object.  Chivalry isn’t quite dead yet!

By the way, I have to say this: when I open the door for women or carry something heavy for them, I’m not in any way implying that they are incapable of doing these activities on their own.  Women are more than capable.  I once heard a youth pastor explain that when he opens the door for his wife, he is not doing so because she is unable to open a simple door; he does so to honor her.  I agree.  I’m attempting to honor women, not demean them.

A part of the reason I’m bringing this up today is because, not too long ago, I saw a segment on chivalry on “The Steve Harvey Show.”  He was attempting to train a group of young men to be gentlemen.  At one point, he mentioned something that I had never previously considered.  He said always open the car door for a woman and let her enter the vehicle first, only then you should enter your side of the car…That way, she is protected and safe in the car if anything dangerous happens.  Great thought, Mr. Harvey, thanks.

A few months later, I mentioned this particular blog again.  It was in a blog installment that, for some reason, I deleted.  (Sometimes I lose my presence of mind, what more can I say?)  So let me post that one again here.  For the sake of brevity, I won’t include the part where I mention the just cited blog, but I do say this in a blog I had titled “Ladies first.”

I recently heard a teenage girl call in to a radio talk show and essentially state that chivalry is dead.  She said she is in college and she can’t find a man who will open the door for her at her campus.  Notice she wants to experience male chivalry and apparently she doesn’t.  As a man who wants to be known as being gallant and thoughtful, I found this girl’s observations very distressing... I don’t want to hear a teenage girl comment that no man will open a door for her.  So, gentlemen, what do you say we show the women in our lives how much we love and appreciate them by performing a fundamental act of simple politeness?  Let’s resolve to open the door for a woman.

Kevin