The Journey

Kayla Mueller

“When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'” Acts 21:12-13

As Scott Pelley said last night on the CBS Evening News: When writing home from a terrorist’s cell, where do you start? Kayla Mueller started tight in the corner of her single, precious page. Her first stroke predicted there would never be enough room to hold her thoughts. Two rows on each line, margin to margin which would have been “well thought out,” she writes but, “I could only but write the letter a paragraph at a time, just the thought of you all sends me into a fit of tears.”

They had all said goodbye when she left college in 2011 to work with the suffering in India. Why the hurry? Another young woman writing in captivity, Anne Frank, answered in her diary: “Nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

From India, Mueller worked with refugees in Israel and Palestine. Back in Arizona she cared for AIDS patients and volunteered, at night, at a women’s shelter. In 2013 she arrived at the Syrian border, the world’s most dangerous place. Why take the risk? Another prisoner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., writing from a cell in 1963 answered: “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. I’m compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home.”

Like Dr. King, Kayla Mueller had the vision to see freedom from a cell. See her letter.

“Even in prison I can be free,” wrote Mueller. “I am grateful. I have come to see there is good in every situation.”

She is the fourth American hostage to die. In journalists, ISIS tried to extinguish truth. With humanitarians, they tried to kill compassion. But light defines the darkness. In these deaths ISIS is revealed and in her words Kayla Mueller captured the long struggle for a better world, “please be patient, give your pain to God.”

Anne Frank’s writings became, “Diary of a Young Girl.” Dr. King called his letter from a Birmingham jail the longest he ever wrote. What would Kayla Mueller have done with more than one page?

As his life and ministry drew to conclusion Paul was determined (like Jesus before him) to go to Jerusalem—even though doing so meant danger and possible death.

Every now and then I meet someone who is intent on going where they feel they must, despite the risks involved. A doctor who goes to the Sudan regularly to perform surgery. A young woman who takes meals to shut-ins in a dangerous part of town. A chaplain who goes week by week into a high-security prison where no one feels safe. A pastor who walks into an angry crowd to listen and to speak. A young bartender from NC State goes to Dufar and risks his life to dig wells for those who have no clean water.

They go, despite warnings, despite danger. They go not just because they want to, but because somehow they must. God is in their journey.

Sometimes we imagine that God’s chief duty and central concern is our comfort and safety. We think that what God cares most about is our happiness and health. Maybe that is true, but then again, maybe not. Maybe what God cares most about isn’t our comfort and safety but about the height and the depth, the range and the reach of our lives.

It occurs to me that the heavenly host (we hear about in creation) may well have counseled God “don’t go there.” “Don’t go to the earth; or if you do go, don’t — for sure — go as one of them, vulnerable to suffering, exposed to evil.” But that is what God did in Jesus. He went there, he came here. And because he did, we can — you can — too.

You can go where it’s hard to go, even where there is some danger. Go and God shall be with you.

Eternal God, you call us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (A prayer of Martin Luther.)

I want to thank all who continue to read the sample chapters of my books and purchase them, and leave a good review on Amazon. If you haven’t done so already just click on any of the book titles in the bottom of the above header and it will take you to the Amazon site where you can read more about the books. Thank you for sharing in this ministry. I hope and pray that these books will help you in some small measure to help those in your care.

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For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. …

Romans 12:4-6a

Do you believe in Superman? Every time I go to Junaluska I find there are a lot of clergy up there who really believe they are supermen. But there are also a lot of laity who really are supermen and superwomen. These super people usually fall under the category of UMM or UMW or even UMYF.

Well, I do believe in Superman. His name is Norman Varga and he lives in Hungary. No, Varga is not faster than a speeding bullet; he is not more powerful than a locomotive, and he most certainly can’t leap a tall building with a single bound. On the other hand, Norman Varga is a superman.

Varga, a former cage fighter, has founded and runs a foundation in Budapest. The purpose of his foundation is designed to help young people develop a healthy lifestyle and format and reach their goals in education, science and art.

That’s not the “superman” part. The superman part is this: to call attention to his foundation, Norman Varga ran 50 marathons in 50 days. That’s right. He ran some 1,240 miles in Slovakia, Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Fifty marathons in 50 days. His last marathon was in London on July 27th, 2012. Click on the YouTube link I have provided to see the lat race. It is not in English but it is clear that he did make it.

Norman Varga

I couldn’t do it. Most of you couldn’t do it either. (Yes, I know. Most of you wouldn’t want to find out, if you could do it.)

This is just one more way we are reminded the Lord gives different gifts to people.

Indeed, He gives those gifts which are necessary for His people to accomplish the goals and purposes for which the church was established. In His wisdom our Heavenly Father knew the church needed people who could plan and those who could make those plans a reality. He needed evangelists to foreign lands and those who would support those evangelists. He needed teachers who could deal with pre-schoolers and those who could reach sophisticated college students. He needed folks who would write songs of praise and those who could sing those songs.

In many and various ways the Lord has told us to share the story of salvation that comes from Jesus’ life, suffering, death and resurrection. Now He has given the gifts to make that sharing a reality.

The only question remaining is this: are we using our God-given gift? Are we giving thanks for our salvation, which is Jesus’ sacrificial gift to us?

If not, stop by the church office and talk with your pastor to see if he/she can help identify and use those gifts. Even more, your pastor needs to know you’re ready to use your gifts,  for your church pines to put you to work.

Dear Lord, You have given all of us gifts by which we can give thanks and share the old, old story in a new, new way. Please help us use those gifts and never shirk them. In and through Jesus. Amen

I hope you have taken the time to read the sample chapters of my books listed in the bottom of the header above. If you do and enjoy what you read, please leave a good review on Amazon. Thanks for joining in this ministry and I pray these books will help as you seek to help others.  Steve

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The basketball world is saddened today to hear of the death of Coach Dean Smith. It is reported that he died at his home in Chapel Hill last night.

I am a 100% Duke man. I’ve pulled for Duke all my life. I graduated from Duke. I am a Dukie. And of course when it comes to coaches I feel our Coach K is the best.

I grew up in the days of the Big Four in the ACC: Duke, UNC, State and Wake. I remember some of the legendary names of coaches in the ACC: Bones McKinney, Vic Bubas, Dean Smith, and Everett Case.

I remember many of the times those Tarheels would beat us. I remember the “Four-Corners” thing that Dean did…. and I joined the rest of the basketball fans (other than Tarheels) in hating those four corners. I think one of the games that changed basketball – which brought in the shot clock – was a game which had a final score in the teens.

One of the things which tells me what kind of a man he was is the time he sat Michael Jordan down because Jordan would not do what Coach Smith wanted him to do. I believe it was a ACC tournament game. They lost that game because of Smith’s move, but it taught his team a lesson. He proved to me that day that character for Smith was more important than winning.

I appreciated his depth of character which was expressed by the words he used, especially in public. Yes, I am a Coach K fan but, at times, I don’t like his language. I must admit that a lot of today’s coach’s let their temper and their language be displayed for all to hear and see. It’s sad that more of our coach’s did not follow Coach Smith’s example. I have always thought that Dean Smith was a man of great character.

The scandal that is going on at UNC about 18 years of academic fraud is very bad for the entire school. I know this goes back into the Dean Smith years as a coach. However, I would be completely dumbfounded to even think that Coach Smith knew or condoned that lack of academic integrity in any way whatsoever. I believe he was a man of honor who would have never been involved in cheating in any way.

We will miss this man, we need more like him… Well done Coach Smith, well done. Thank you for touching our lives in such a special way.

Well folks, I have three books (e-books) on Amazon. They are listed in the bottom of the header above. Click on a title and download it to your iPad, lap top, or Kindle. I hope that it helps you as you seek to draw close to God in your journey of faith. Thanks, Steve.

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“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 is a well known text for those of you who have church backgrounds. In it Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Some of you have the version that says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden.” “Weary” and “labor” are kind of the same word. This is an uncommon invitation. Jesus Christ says, “Hey, if you’re exhausted, if you’re bitter, if you’re lonely, if you’re angry, if you struggle, if you are socially inept, if you have no people skills, if you can’t figure it out, come here.” What an invitation!

Sometimes I have needed this verse because I’ve grown weary. Sometimes I’ve needed this verse because I’ve been tired. I have had seasons where I’ve just grown extremely weary. In those times, I’ve needed this invitation.

But the invitation itself is profound, because what we do in our culture, more often than not, is go, “Look brother, you’ve got some people skills issues. Go to some sort of program, go to some sort of group, go to some sort of place and figure out how to interact on a level that’s acceptable. And then you and I are cool.”

Or there’s, “You’re just a little too bitter for me. You’re always complaining, always pointing out what’s wrong and unable to rejoice in what’s right. Why don’t you go get better at that, and then we can do life.” But that’s not what Jesus is doing here. No, it’s, “Come to Me. Are you a train wreck? Come here. Are you broken? Are you stuck in lust? Are you stuck in anger? Are you stuck in fear? Get over here.”

And then there’s this great exchange occurring. “You come to Me with your weariness, you come to Me with your labor and I will give to you in turn rest. I will give to you peace. You give to Me the struggle, and I’ll give to you rest. Get in here. Come over here.”

You’ve got to hear this invitation as it relates to prayer. Because the invitation isn’t, “Start doing what’s right.” The invitation is, “Come to Me. You’re not doing what’s right.” So the solution to what ails us, what weighs heavy on us and what exhausts us is not us trying harder at overcoming those things, but it’s rather us coming to Jesus, walking with Jesus, being in a relationship with Jesus that overpowers our affection for the struggle.

So I think it’s really important for you to dial in and understand that, when it comes to sin, loneliness and despair, the way we get out from under those things isn’t to work really hard to not be struggling with those things anymore. But we really need to use our energy and vitality to chase after, to know and to see Jesus as more lovely than those things. And then as Jesus becomes more lovely, these things lose their power. As Jesus becomes more spectacular, why would you choose a lesser joy over a greater joy? It becomes a delight issue. “Come to Me,” He says. “Are you busted up? Are you broken? Get in here. Get over here.”

Dear Lord, some times I do get all busted up, all broken down, all overwhelmed with the weight of the world. So many times I try to fix it all on my own just to find that I can’t do it on my own. Thank you for calling me to come to you… to get over there with you, for I now realize that I can only find the needed rest and peace in you and with you. Amen.

Thank you friends for reading my sample chapters or even purchasing one of my three books listed at the bottom of the header. I hope that these chapters have been a blessing and you have found even greater strength to help those who are grieving around you. Thanks, Steve

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“I am with you always… even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Excuse me… but I was just wondering how you are doing with life things? You know life can be rather difficult at times and some times we get a little behind and a little overwhelmed. How are you doing?

Got that surgery coming up. I still hurt. I still need that surgery. But there is the surgery itself, the pain, the rehab and recovery. How long will it really take for me to get back to my normal? I’m not looking forward to all of it… but I know it must be done. How are you really doing with it? Some worry, some anxiety, but hope outweighs the rest. I know God will be with me through it all… so I am really OK cause God is with me.

Got that radiation coming up. I’ve been through the scare and emotion of the diagnosis, the facing of the surgery itself. Now comes the radiation and I hope that will be the end of it all and I can put this behind me. I too, know that God has been with me all the way through this and will be with me all the way through. So, I am really OK cause I know God is here.

Dealing with that dog gone old grief thing. Some times it is old and fading. Other times it is fresh as the morning news. Some times I can handle it very well, while at other times I can’t handle it at all. I remember the preacher saying grief is a roller coaster ride… and it sure is. But I am finding out that as time goes by the turns, dips and twists are not quite as sharp or steep as they were early on. My loved one has visited me to let me know he/she is OK and that has given me a special blessing. So, I am really OK cause I know God is with me giving me comfort and peace every single day.

Our son/daughter, oh how we want him/her to come around to see life on drugs is no life at all… certainly not what life could be for him/her. We have prayed and talked and cried and worried till we are blue in the face. It seems that all our words and love has fallen on deaf ears. Will he/her change… come around to living life without drugs or will he/she stay in the world of delusion? What can I do that I haven’t already done? I now seek strength to turn over my child to God completely and trust that God will take care of him/her and keep him/her safe. Am I OK? I guess I am as OK as I can be in this uncertainty about my child. I do trust God to do His will in the life of my child. I pray that it will be an outcome where my child recovers and makes a good new life. I am OK cause I trust God to always be there.

I got this stage four cancer, been through surgery, and now back on chemotherapy and a new experimental cancer drug. What is out there in the near future for me? What will happen next week, next month, next year? Will I ever get through this alive? All those questions are in the back of my head almost all the time. I am pleased that God has given me this time to live. Am I OK… am I good with all this? I am OK cause God is still with me all the time… and God will see me all the way through.

I had this stroke thing that has left me paralyzed on my left side. I have recovered my speech and clear thinking, but I still can’t walk or use my left hand and arm. I had hoped that by now I would be well on my way to recovery… almost completely back to normal… like before. But that is not the case. I have more time in rehab and I am not sure how long it will take to recover and how fully I will recover. I know that God was with me throughout all of this as he has been with me throughout all my life. I know that God will give me the strength I need for each day of rehab, each moment of doubt, each time I feel discouraged. Am I OK? I am as OK as I can be in this uncertainty knowing that God will see me through. I am OK cause God is with me.

There are many more of our stories that could be mentioned, some more difficult than others. But all serious and personal to those involved. But we can know that we are OK cause God is with us every minute of every day. He will not leave us or forsake us. We are his children and the objects of his love.

Dear Lord, we know that we are OK because we know for sure that you are with us every moment of every day wanting for us to be blessed, fulfilled, whole and faithful disciples who live in such a way that others may also know they too are OK. In and through Jesus. Amen.

A very special thanks to all who have read the sample chapter of any of the three books listed in the heading above. If you enjoyed them, even purchased them, please leave a good review on the Amazon Web page. I hope these books will bring you grace and strength as you serve so faithfully.

Thanks, Steve

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The story is told of a little boy and his father. They were walking along a road when they came across a large stone. The boy looked at the stone and thought about it a little. Then he asked his father, “Do you think if I use all my strength, I can move that rock?”

The father thought for a moment and said, “I think that if you use all your strength, you can do it.”

That was all the little boy needed. He ran over to the rock and began to push on it. He pushed and he pushed, so hard did he try that little beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. But the rock didn’t move — not an inch, not half an inch.

After a while, the little boy sat down on the ground. His face had fallen. His whole body seemed to be just a lump there on the earth. “You were wrong,” he told his dad. “I can’t do it.”

His father walked over to him, knelt beside him, and put his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “You can do it,” he said. “You just didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help.”

The world in which we live tells us that it is all up to us. It tells us that we have to be strong and independent. It tells us we can’t and shouldn’t count on anyone or anything else. And yet, what faith tells us and what Jews and Christians have known forever is that we have a ready resource in God, strength for those who ask.

Dear Lord, we ask you today to reveal yourself to us as you walk with us and remind us that your strength has always been there for us… even when we said we can’t achieve the goal before us. In and through Jesus. Amen.

A very special thanks to all who have read the sample chapter of any of the three books listed in the heading above. If you enjoyed them, even purchased them, please leave a good review on the Amazon Web page. I hope these books will bring you grace and strength as you serve so faithfully. Thanks, Steve

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Groundhog Club handler Ron Ploucha holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 129th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather.

The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said today the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.

I love these superstitions don’t you. It is amazing to me that a groundhog in one spot in Pennsylvania can see its shadow (no matter where else the sun is or is not shinning)  and predict the continuation of winter or beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. My prediction is that spring,  the vernal equinox (which is also called the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere) falls on March 20 at 6:45 P.M. EDT and winter will end about the same time.

Enjoy more equinox facts and folklore. According to folklore, you can stand a raw egg on its end on the equinox. One spring, a few minutes before the vernal equinox, several Almanac editors tried this trick. For a full workday, 17 out of 24 eggs stood standing. Three days later, they tried this trick again and found similar results. Perhaps 3 days after the equinox was still too near. Try this yourself and let me know what happens!

I have a picture of a broom standing up by itself in the office of my eye doctor on groundhog day four years ago. We tried it when we got home and it worked for a little while.

Superstitions are so funny… but people believe them. A person I know was using her “lucky” penny on a scratch off lottery ticket. I asked what makes that a lucky penny? Did you win something with it? No! Has it brought you luck? No! Why is your lucky penny? Cause I found it with heads up.

We do other superstitious stuff like wearing the same socks we were wearing the last time our college team won the big game. Never stepping on the base line in baseball. Sitting in the same place… same chair as the last time we won. Saying the same lucky phrase. Crossing ourselves even though we are not Catholic.

I love the story told of being lucky finding the parking place right outside the lawyers office. It is true. I only had to circle the block seven times (my lucky number) before the space came open.

Do we do that with our faith? Are we superstitious? I have heard that people will allow their Bibles to fall open at any spot, blindly run their finger down the page and consider what is printed where they stop as a sign from God… to go and do likewise. What if you turned to Matthew 8:32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.” It might be better to try to enact in our daily life the theme of what Jesus was trying to get across in the totality of scripture rather than a random sentence which most likely has nothing to do with you or your situation.

But then who can argue with Dr. Seuss. Lucky is when opportunity meets with preparedness.

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