The inevitable passing of time

Life seems to move quickly.  As Barry Allen alias the Flash (the CW version, played brilliantly by Grant Gustin) once put it: “This world can race by far too fast; hard to see when it’s all flying past.”  Blink a few times, and all of the sudden, my niece is turning 15 years old here in a few weeks, my younger brother is turning 40 later on this year, and my dad’s passing was almost 9 years ago now.  Time inevitably marches on.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to watch the film “American Underdog” starring Zachary Levi as Kurt Warner.  This is a story that tells the life and times of Kurt Warner, and his amazing rise to star NFL quarterback.  I thought it was really well done.  And I have to admit that it’s an odd feeling to watch movies that capture an event that I lived though.  I was watching Kurt Warner and his magical 1999 season with the St. Louis Rams in real time.  Time marches on. 

I got to thinking: what I would say to a younger version of myself?  This is a question that could take many angles.  But for today, I want to present a few answers.  I would tell him what a Chick-fil-A operator once said – a line that I have subsequently used many times since I first heard it; he said, “Life is chapters.”  It’s true.  The other day, I realized a beloved video game “Donkey Kong Country” on the Super Nintendo was released in 1994.  My brother and I played this iconic game like crazy when we were younger.  This video game is a rare gem, a masterpiece – and its celebrating its 30-year anniversary!  

“Donkey Kong Country” has beautiful graphics, including one of my favorite levels called “Snow Barrel Blast” that has varying degrees of falling snow.  I know the game so well, my mind instinctively knows that a particularly memorable level is coming.  Because of this, I have unintentionally missed the beauty of the level in my walkthrough of the game, just by focusing on the next one.  I would tell my younger self that I’ve been guilty of the same thing in my real life. Just as I could easily miss the beauty of a stage by focusing on an upcoming stage, sadly, I have missed the beauty of a season of life by focusing on the next season. 

Finally, I started today with a quote from Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen/the Flash.  I want to end by speaking about another version of the superhero.  I recently saw “The Flash” (2023) film starring Ezra Miller.  I could write a whole blog on this topic, but for today, I would submit that this film is an example of how not to end a superhero film.  The first two-thirds of the film is decent enough (Michael Keaton in the Batman suit again is certainly a big highlight!), but it falls flat on its face in the 3rd and final act.  The ending is disjointed and perplexing.  I now use this film to encourage myself: “Kevin, don’t be like “The Flash” film; finish well!”

Don’t misunderstand me when I speak of finishing well.  No one knows the exact years of a lifetime; my Grandma just celebrated her 95th birthday!  I’m about to celebrate my 43rd birthday myself, and I’m excited about where I am at this current season of my life.  I have absolutely no intentions of going anywhere.  But, as James states, “You don’t even know what will happen tomorrow” (4:13).  I trust God with my life, and my tomorrows.  I just echo the words of the Psalmist, when he says to the Lord, “my times are in Your hands” (Psalm 31:15).  But all that said, I still want to endeavor to finish well.  Knowing that one day, whenever that may be, my race will be over.  And I want to cross that finish line well – all to the glory of God alone.

God bless,

Kevin 

Reflections on the Christian life

Last time, I spoke about beginning a relationship with the Lord Jesus.  It’s my fervent desire that what I wrote had an impact on you.  I’m hopeful that my words inspired you to give your life to Christ (or perhaps you’ve already started your relationship with the Lord, but maybe you realized that you’ve drifted away, and you need to return to Him).  I can imagine, instead of a blog, sitting down with you over coffee, swapping stories of what God has done in our lives.  If that were the case, at some point, I would share some thoughts on the Christian life that I’ve picked up on over the years. 

I would begin with how, many years ago now, I heard a pastor named Rick Ferguson (who passed away back in 2002) make a statement that is so important to know.  He said, “When you became a Christian you inherited a new set of enemies.”  He was right.  The older I get, the more I see firsthand how the Christian life is a vigorous fight waged against the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Got questions.org has a helpful article on this topic.  I would encourage you to check out the whole article, the link can be found here.  But to give you a sample:

“Being is a Christian is difficult because, once we are saved, we are suddenly swimming upstream, against the current of the world around us. Though our appetites change, our sanctification can be a difficult process. Friends no longer understand us; our families question our new involvements and associations. Those we love often feel rejected, angry, and defensive. They don’t see why we no longer continue in our old ways.”

The Christian life is not a life that is free of pain, heartache, and suffering.  For one thing, as my mother pointed out not long ago, suffering is universal for both the Christian and the non-Christian alike.  After all, the Bible says, “It rains on the just and the unjust.”  But also, in John 15, as Jesus is trying to get in His final words to His disciples, hours before His crucifixion, He told them to expect opposition, hatred, and persecution, just as a result of their affiliation with Him (verses 18-25).  In John 16:33, He promised them, “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” 

Now, there’s an ironic twist.  In God’s economy, even though what has been stated to this point is absolutely true, what is also equally true is this: living life with the Lord is the greatest, most joyous life imaginable – troubles notwithstanding.  Just today, as I was preparing this blog, I heard a sermon where the pastor quoted Psalm 16:11 (“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence are pleasures forevermore”), and he commented that the believer has pleasure in God’s presence, and we don’t even have to wake up the next day with a hangover!

That previously cited got questions.org article went on to state these fortifying words: “Yes, being a Christian is difficult in many ways. But that’s only half the story. The difficulties believers face are not tackled alone.  Every challenge is met through the through power of Christ who lives within us (Philippians 4:13). The faithful follower of Christ is never completely overwhelmed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). 

There are definite, eternal rewards for following Christ (Luke 18:29-30). We learn by experience that God’s ways are better, safer, and more reliable than the world’s ways. Our trusting obedience to God becomes the pathway to a transformed and abundant life (John 10:10).” An “amen” belongs here!

God bless,

Kevin

Reflecting on Jesus - the Good Shepherd

A few weeks ago, I almost got in a car accident on the Interstate.  I swerved at the last second to avoid a collision, but my emotions were frayed.  And then later on that same day, I learned that Mandisa had passed away at age 47.  After all of this, a kernel of today’s blog began to form in my mind; I began pondering this question: what would I say if I knew I only had one last chance to convey something to you?  Now, just to be clear: I don’t have any intention of going anywhere anytime soon.  Every day is a gift, and I plan to continue to relish this gift for a long, long time.  Regardless, I still want to go down this road with you.  

If I had one last chance to speak to you, I would ask you to read some verses in John 10 with me. This chapter begins with Jesus speaking of sheep, strangers, and shepherds; the text says in verse 6, “but they did not understand what He was saying to them.”  So He clarifies in verse 7, “I am the door of the sheep.”  Verse 9: “I am the door, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find pasture.” 

These are very important, life-changing words from the Lord.  Not only is Jesus is saying that He is the way of salvation (“if anyone enters by me, he will be saved”), but He is also saying that in Him, and through Him, is rest and safety (“he will go in and out and find pasture”).  Psalm 23:2 has similar terminology: it states that the Lord, the Shepherd, “makes me to lie down in green pastures.”  One of the life lessons I’ve learned is that rest and satisfaction ultimately comes from the gracious hand of the Lord.

Verse 10 is a familiar, but powerful verse: “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”  I’m going to have to reel it in a bit, because I’m passionate about this, but the fact is, John 10:10 has been taught that Jesus is only speaking of material prosperity here.  This is simply not the case.  I like the way the NIV translates it, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  Psalm 23:5, in the old King James version, reads, “my cup runneth over”.  I like that word picture, and I can resonate with it; not only do I have life with Jesus, but He makes my life full, to overflowing, certainly fuller than it ever would have been without Him.

Jesus goes on in John 10 to say, “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (verse 11).  This speaks of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.  And it is of such vital importance that Jesus reiterates this phrase again in verses 15 and 17.  In verse 17, He states, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.”  Verse 18 is incredible: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”  Jesus basically is predicting a self-sacrificial death, but also that He would rise from the dead after this.  Who else could make such a claim?  No wonder verse 19 states that there was a division among the Jews regarding these words.  But it all happened just as He said it would!

So, what would I say to you, if I knew I had one last chance to convey something?  I would say that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.  Out of selfless love for you and me, He gave His life on the cross; He subsequently arose from the dead.  His work bridged the gap between sinful man and holy God, but it demands a response.  I would urge you to do as Jesus said in John 10:9: to enter the door of salvation, through Jesus Himself, and be saved.  Experience the rest, hope, and fulfillment in Him.  Now, I’m not insinuating that there will never be any pain, heartache or anguish after becoming a Christ-follower (I’ll speak about that more next time, God willing).  But that said, not only can I attest to a new heart and life in Christ, but millions could tell their own stories of transformation in Him as well.

God bless,

Kevin

The woman behind the man - Mother's Day, 2024

Amazingly, it was 20 years ago that the film “Spider-Man 2” was released.  To this day, it is one of my favorite movies.  When my pastor was speaking of the self-sacrifice of mothers today at church, my mind went to a wonderful scene from this film.  The context of this scene is Peter Parker, Spider-Man, was fed up with being the costumed hero.  If you’ve seen the film recently, you remember why; essentially everything goes wrong for Peter.  It eventually gets so frustrating for him that he chucks his Spidey costume in the trash. 

It was a boy named Henry who was helping his Aunt May move, who brought up Spider-Man in the memorable scene.  May comments that Henry wants to be Spider-Man.  When Peter asks why, she says, “Because he knows a hero when he sees one.  Too few characters out there, flying around like that saving old girls like me.  And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero – courageous, self-sacrificing people setting examples for all of us...I believe there’s a hero in all of us…even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most, even our dreams.”

Peter Parker’s birth parents are barely mentioned in the Tobey Maguire-led Spider-Man movie series.  Instead, it was the loving example of his aunt (and uncle) that helped shape him into the noble man presented to us in the trilogy.  She was the woman behind the man.  As for this storyline in “Spider-Man 2”, I love the thought that it was his aunt, his mother figure, who spoke into his life when he was at a crossroads in his life; she inspired him to live out his heroic identity, as Spider-Man.

As I mentioned, today my pastor was speaking of how mothers are self-sacrificing.  In fact, he went on to declare that their self-sacrificial nature is a picture of the selfness nature of Jesus Christ Himself.  He was right.  Very often, mothers are, to quote Aunt May again, “self-sacrificing people setting examples for all of us.”  Of course, no mother – and no father for that matter – is perfect.  But the way a mother selflessly gives, nurtures, and loves their children shapes them, it inspires them, to be a productive, noble man or woman.  The older I get, the clearer I see the self-sacrificial lifestyle that my own mother, Rose Mary, lived in my formative years, and that she still models to this very day.

In conclusion, I get that Mother’s Day can be a difficult day.  Perhaps your mother has died, or you have a strained relationship with her, or she was anything but self-sacrificing toward you.  Or whatever various scenarios may have occurred.  I’m not ignorant to the pain that may be present for you, right now, on Mother’s Day of 2024.  And, in no way whatsoever am I minimizing this reality.  Nevertheless, I still hope you take some time to express appreciation to your mother, or the woman who was a motherly figure in your life.  The years go by so fast; don’t miss out on the opportunity to bless your mother, while you can.

God bless,

Kevin  

Remembering Mandisa

I was shocked when I recently heard the news that Christian singer, Mandisa, passed away a few weeks ago now.  She was only 47.  Mandisa was such an immense talent, one that she freely chose to use for the Lord.  I found myself heart achingly sick upon hearing this news.  Because I know all too well what it’s like to lose someone you love unexpectedly.  I know the deep grief that has been thrust on her family and friends who love her.

As I was processing this news, I came across a story from CBN.com (the link will be below) about a run-in Mandisa once had with Simon Cowell on “American Idol”.  Tre Goins-Phillips reports that after Mandisa’s audition, Cowell called it “terrific”, but added, “Could we have a bigger stage this year?”  A jab on her size.  Then fellow judge Paula Abdul compared her to a previous contestant Frenchie Davis, Cowell replied, “Forget Frenchie; she’s like France.”  Mandisa had already left the stage, but later saw the unkind remarks.  Mandisa’s reply speaks volumes on her character and Christian witness.  She stated,

“Simon, a lot of people want me to say a lot of things to you.  But this is what I want to say to you. …Yes, you hurt me, and I cried.  And it was painful – it really was.  But I want you to know that I’ve forgiven you, and that you don’t need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody.  And I figure, if Jesus could die so that all my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend the same grace to you.”

Cowell was likely not used to such a classy, grace-based response, and he did apologize.  In fact, as the author of this piece, Tre Goins-Phillips, wrote, “Ryan Seacrest, the longtime of host of “American Idol,” called Mandisa “the woman who did the possible,” saying, “She made Simon apologize on national television, and we loved it.”” (From CBN.com link found here)

It’s bittersweet whenever a believer passes away.  Family, friends, and fans will miss Mandisa, but we also realize that we mourn more for ourselves than her, as she is in the presence of Jesus in Heaven.  2 Corinthians 5 says, for the believer in Christ, it is “absent from the body” but “present with the Lord.”  I love Jesus’ description of Heaven; He called it “paradise” (Luke 23:43).  We grieve the unexpected passing of this woman of God.  But, for Mandisa, she finished her race; or as she sang in her famous song “Overcomer”, she “stay[ed] in the fight ‘til the final round.”  Maybe she and my dad have even had a conversation about Christian music!

God bless,

Kevin