Wonder what God thinks?

As I sit on my porch this evening, I am enjoying a beautiful (cool) August, North Georgia evening. My thoughts have drifted to a question. I wonder what God thinks about our national debate on health care? I cannot speak for God nor know His thoughts. But I wonder if He perhaps is amused by the passion we have on both sides of this issue? God knows the number of our days and He has a plan for each of us. I believe that His children are in His hands and that He is faithful in His promises to each of us that He will never leave us or forsake us.

I personally can see agree with opinions from both sides of the issue and I can also agree that it is a complex problem we face. I think back to my childhood and I wonder if my parents had health insurance? When I was a young boy I can remember the family doctor making house calls. Most of the time his remedy was a shot of penicillin. I don't remember him asking for our insurance card or even discussing payment. He was a model servant working tirelessly to meet the needs of his patients. There was no discussion of whether the insurance company would approve our treatments, etc. It is amazing where we have gone in the health care world. I also feel that we as a community and we as a church have failed in our care and concern for those in need. We as a society have become dependent upon our government to solve all of our problems.

The issues are complex, but I as a simple citizen can see obvious things that are wrong in our society. I'll try to list a few of these things below:

• We need tort reform. Those in the health care community are very concerned about not being served with a lawsuit for malpractice. To the point of doing unnecessary tests to protect their practice.
• We need to be able to purchase health insurance across state lines. It is ridiculous that we do not have the freedom to do this.
• I read where about eleven million folks that earn $75,000 + per year choose not to purchase health insurance.
• I also read that about eleven million illegal aliens are part of the uninsured folks in our country...many of these show up in emergency rooms for care (we pay for this already)
• Many self employed people pay up to $20,000 per year for insurance, that features a deductible of $5,000 or more...this is ridiculous.
• I cannot change jobs today for fear of losing my health insurance or facing a waiting period on the new job before I am eligible.
• If I have a prexisting condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or the worst case cancer, even in remission...I will probably be denied coverage.
• Today, I must get permission from my insurance company for some tests/treatments. Many of these will be denied.
• My doctor or hospital will not be paid anywhere near the charges for treatment.....again the insurance company denies the payment.
• Medicare is broke along with medicaid and social security (government furnished and managed)
• I am spending a fortune on taxes for the above
• My company and I spend a fortune for health insurance and the price increases every year.
• I wonder how many doctors today recognize a calling to their profession or are they seeking only a high income? I can't fault the income part due to the cost of education but feel they should be a group of folks who truly care first and foremost for the patient.
• I notice my doctor rushes through check ups in order to minimize the time spent on each patient (insurance company driven)?
• Finally, I once owned a small business and felt an obligation to provide insurance for my employees. The cost to my business was over $800 per month, per family. This was in 1999-2000. There was no way we could do this and stay in business. The current proposed plan would fine my business if I did not.

In my heart I realize that something must be done. In my heart the last thing I want is for the government to manage any part of health insurance and health care. I think both sides of this debate are sincere in their opinions and feel they have all the answers. I feel that neither side has all if any of the answers. The shouting in the town hall meetings does not provide an answer. I truly enjoy a group of people from all sides of the issue who sit down and honestly discuss the problems and the possible answers. Until we have more clarity I feel we should all move very slowly. There are unintended consequences to all actions and to move with haste will surely produce waste if not catastrophe.

Again I go to the question....what does God think about all of this? I think He may be amused at our uproar over this issue. Again I cannot speak for God but He must wonder about our dependence on answers from our government to this complex issue. Life is truly a short season and He numbers our days and He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. Our hope is in Him alone. In the meantime we will all sit and watch the debate....but it is comforting to know that He is in control.

OBITS

I have always had a fascination with Obituaries posted in newspapers. Not sure why but since I was a young man I have read them with interest. Of course some of it is to make sure my name is not listed but also I try to keep up with those I know personally. Hopefully their names will not appear anytime soon. I confess that I go online everyday to my hometown newspaper...the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas. On many days I recognize one of my old friends or friends of friends or friends of my family. On a few days I have read of the passing of my own family members. It is also interesting that since moving to Georgia some five years ago I know few if any persons that make the obits page. I guess it comes down to living in a place for several decades before you actually know folks who make the page.

Now to what has intrigued me lately in obits from papers locally as well as my hometown newspaper. It is that with the passing of many folks there is no service planned. Most are cremated and they say there will be a service held at a later date. I really wonder if they ever have a service to commemorate the passing of a loved one. I also wonder if it is the economy that has caused this frequent choice of how to handle a deceased loved one? No casket, so service, no plot....just an urn placed on the fireplace or the ashes thrown to the four winds. In any case it makes one stop and think about what we should do when the death of one close to us occurs?

Many of the elderly (I don't count myself as one yet) go to extreme means to plan their funerals. They pick the hymns, what they will wear, who will preach the funeral, the pallbearers, the flowers, etc.... they call this a prudent practice, in that your bereaved loved ones will not have to make all these hard decisions. Having gone through this with my mom I can somewhat agree. I know my dad wants one song played at his funeral "It's party time" I can't quite bring myself to request this song and in fact I am not sure who sings this song.

On a more serious note, I have participated as a speaker at both of my grandmothers funerals as well as the funeral for my mom. It is interesting that I was never asked to speak at the funeral of my grandfathers? I have spoken at the funeral of a dear friend of mine. I am in the camp that feels we should hold a service for the deceased. I am not really sure about the cremation thing....I know that the spirit is not present with the body and that the body is simply an empty shell but I don't find anywhere in my reading of scripture that defines what we are to do. I do know that in the day of Christ that bodies were placed in a tomb and that they were wrapped in burial cloths and fragrances. I am not sure that there is anything at all wrong with cremation as it somewhat gives closure to the loved one we mourn. I know that when my mom died I thought many times about her in a cold grave and it truly bothered me though I know it shouldn't have as I know she was in heaven and the body was truly a shell. Still it bothers you to think about it.

I have noticed here in the south that visitations are huge and that funerals can have as many as four or five pastors to deliver one to the final resting place ( I don't really think of the grave as a resting place). I have also noted that decoration day is huge here in the south. Back home in Arkansas it is a little less elaborate but is still celebrated. There is a lot of grave visiting by my relatives in Arkansas and I too have visited my mom's grave on more than one occasion. I am not sure of the benefit other than to one's own soul.

I'll close here with my thoughts on funerals....many pastors think that this should be a time to present the gospel and scare the "hell" out of people. I believe that it should be a celebration of a life. It should be held to bring comfort to a family and help them remember the good times. It should include joyous music and even some laughter. At the same time it should recall the good things the person who has passed accomplished. It should note the Christian attributes in the persons life as well as the story of how they found God and there is nothing at all wrong with urging those in attendance to find this same peace. It is a sad occasion when the one who passed never knew God and it is difficult to celebrate at this service. It is important that all men come to know the Saviour as we all must face this day at some point. I do feel saddened when I read that no services are planned as I feel the folks involved have nothing to celebrate. I do know the maker of life, the preserver of life, the redeemer of life and while I in no way hasten my death I think I can face it realizing that it is a part of living.

North Point Online

North Point Online hey guys....go to link and view the new upcoming event for our church. We will begin a church on line beginning August 16th. The online church will be from our Buckhead campus and be an actual live worship service beginning at 6:00 PM every Sunday. It will include worship etc...it will be great for anyone including small groups etc.....we invite you to give it a try.

I missed it.....

Almost two weeks in Florida and finally back home and back to my normal routine. I realized this morning while attending church that I had not been in a worship service for two weeks. Little did I know how much I missed it. It is so easy to drift away from our daily walk with God. We get busy with vacations, work and even family activities. As I sat in church this morning I was overwhelmed with emotions as I eased back into communication with my God. He was there with me while I was gone though it seemed I was a million miles away from Him.

I have heard it said by many people that they do not have to attend church to worship God. This may very well be true for some but I am one who needs to be amongst other believers in a place of worship. It is so true for me that if I attend worship my week just seems to go much better. This morning at my church....Browns Bridge Community Church...we had a first. We were linked by satellite to our other churches. Northpoint Community Church, Buckhead Church and Browns Bridge. We saw and heard our sister churches in live worship...they heard us. I am amazed by the technology involved but more amazed by our kindred spirits linked by an eye in the sky. Our worship today led by Corrie Moon was simply a time of blessing. Corrie led us in Laura Story's song.."Indescribable" along with "Breathe on Me". I was back home again and I was drawn closer to the Lord. Emotion was swelling up in my heart...my eyes were filled with tears...it was good to be home.

Andy Stanley as always just simply brought it to us today. He communicated the mission of our church and why we do what we do. On August 16th at 6:00 PM we launch a new ministry...a church online. Our church will begin an online, live worship service from our church in Buckhead. It will include the worship music and the sermon each week. I reflect on the fact that my God has blessed me with the privilege of being a member of this ministry. I could be anywhere but God chose me to be here for such a time as this. Thank you Lord for this blessing. You should be able to connect on the 16th by going to NorthpointTV.org. If this does not work go to Northpoint Church.org and you should be led to the service.

I thank God today that I am back home. I also realized that it had been many weeks since we gathered with our small group and I truly miss this time. The summer has been loaded with activities to the point that we could not meet for our weekly time of fellowship and prayer. This also creates within me a void. By coming together with my brothers and sisters in Christ and sharing our trials and our victories we are drawn closer to the Lord. I do not believe that God ever intended for man to be alone. He has a place for each of us to join with others in worship of Him. I want to say a word to those in my small group....you are loved and you are missed. We must work hard to come together as often as possible as when we are together God is there amongst us. Don't know about you but I am ready for summer to end so that we can get back to our normal routines.

I

The guide to the almost perfect marriage

Finally we are back home in Georgia after 10 days in Florida. Vacations are wonderful but I now need a vacation after the vacation. During my time away I was able to read a new book by two of my favorite people. They are Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey. These two good old boys from Alabama have had a nationally syndicated radio show for years. I first discovered them when I lived in Alabama. They came along after a really challenging time in my life and I was trying to recover from a difficult financial crisis. My wife and I were making a new start at age 50+ and these guys gave me a lot of laughter during these trying times.

They just finished their new book "Rick and Bubba's guide to the almost perfect marriage". Let me first say that I think it is difficult for masters of one media (radio) to sit down and write a quality book. I cannot begin to tell you how many great speakers (pastors) have written books that were far below the quality of their speaking. I think the biggest challenge is that people have enjoyed their humor on radio and to transfer this to a book is not an easy task. In fact with this book you also receive a CD with about twelve episodes from their radio show. The CD is hilarious and worth the price of the book.

Now back to the book. It is laced with humor but at the same time takes a very serious look at marriage and relationships. I think one of the things I gained from the book is that to have a happy marriage you must have a sense of humor and not take yourself too seriously. Also this book focuses on the need for a Christ centered marriage in order to survive the trials one will face in any marriage. These guys are not trained marriage counselors but the simplistic look at our marriages has many valuable lessons we all need to learn. I have been married for forty years and still find that a book such as this will help in my own marriage.

Near the end of the book Rick shares the recent story of the loss of he and Sherry (his wife) of their two year old son in a tragic drowning accident. I heard the story on the radio show as well on national TV (Fox News) and it broke my heart. Rick shares how he and Sherry are overcoming this tragedy and the fact that they did not allow this tragedy to destroy their marriage as often is the case when a couple loses a child. This story is very inspiring to any couple and made me think about how precious my children and grandchildren are. At the same time it is wonderful when one can suffer through a crisis with their mate by their side.

It is easy to recognize that Rick and Bubba are not professional writers...in fact on their radio program they many times destroy the English language but the reader will recognize that these guys understand the value of their marriage and families. They unashamedly put God first in all things, their spouse second, their children third and themselves fourth. The book will make you laugh, make you cry and is an enjoyable read. It is a bestseller on Amazon.com and worth the time you take to read it.

Hopefully now that I am back home again I can get back to serious blogging. Hope you and your family have a wonderful rest of the summer.

The Hole In Our Gospel

I am enjoying a time in South Florida. I was able to complete the reading of the book, A Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, The President of World Vision. I am not going to go into a lot of the details found in the book, but I am going to recommend that everyone read this book. I would say that this book has caused me to pause and reflect on my standing as a Christian. I know after reading this book that I am not doing what I am called to do. In fact I would say that a majority of professing Christians have forgotten a major part of the Gospel.

Mr. Stearns has given us some shocking statistics in this book that woke me up to the dire situation the children and families of our world are in. The most shocking fact is that 25,000 children in our world die everyday due to hunger, unsanitary water and lack of medical care. An ear infection can be a death sentence. Mothers cannot produce enough milk to sustain their newborn infants. So what are we to do? We cannot solve all of the worlds problems and after all Christ told us that there would always be poor people among us. Also most of those suffering are not in our country. I have heard many people say we must take care of our own before we worry about the rest of the world. I do not think that God called us to worry about only those in our neighborhoods or our own country. We have been blessed in the United States and I feel that God expects us to use the resources He has given us to help those in need, no matter where they are located.

What are we to do? How can we solve the problems of the hungry thousands of miles away? There are excellent organizations including World Vision, the Southern Baptist Convention and countless others that can take our funds and maximize the value of these gifts to help the most people. If we help just one or a few we can change countless lives. One person directed by God in the midst of Africa can change lives all around him. It is up to us to give this one person a chance. You might say I am only one person. I am too small to make a difference. A quoted African Saying is "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito."

Another hindrance for many would be that they do not trust some of the organizations that offer aid to those in need. Some of these might include World Vision or the United Nations, etc. The sad thing is that our churches have for the most part dropped the ball in having a burden for the least of these. Again it is not in our backyard so we turn a blind eye. This is not to condemn the efforts of all churches but you would have to agree that many of the mega churches have massive budgets but contribute a small percentage to missions. Should be spend huge amounts on buildings or feed the poor? I would say that I would be slow to condemn any organization or individual who helps the hurting and the dying regardless of their affiliation as the church has failed miserably. It was amazing to me that the amount of money required to eliminate hunger, disease and premature death in our world is a small amount in comparison to the dollars spent on other ministries by churches. I also think about the stimulus money being spent by our country on the most foolish things in the world, such as tunnels for turtles to cross the road in Florida when we have 25,000 children dying everyday in the world.

I can remember the debate surrounding the Aids epidemic. It was not our problem because the people contracting the virus were participating in behaviour that contributed to their illness and death. What about the children born with Aids? Is it their fault? Are we to turn a blind eye to this crisis? If we knew that a home full of children were dying in a fire and we could help them, would we? Of course and we would not have a second thought. Yet we turn our backs on people everyday only because they are not in our neighborhood or our community. We have an obligation from God to feed and care for the poor. I feel He will hold us accountable for ignoring them.

We are not all called to travel to distant lands to lend a hand to the hurting. But we are called to do all we can to support those who can. As you can tell this book has inspired me to open my heart to listen to God and what He would have me to do. I think each of us must ask the question "What would God have me to do?" I personally spend enough money on frivolous things to care for several children who are dying today. I could save lives tomorrow with just a stroke of a pen.

This book was put into my path so that it would cause me to reflect on my calling from God. It is a book that really stirred up within me a burden for those who suffer today. I know that I must spend some time digesting the book and what it is I must do. In some ways I wish I had never picked it up as it made me uncomfortable but it also made me realize that I have neglected a major part of the gospel. Our gospel is about more that getting fire insurance. It is about our obligation to reach the world for Christ. If a child or an adult are suffering we must first alleviate the suffering. The love of God will shine brightly to those we minister to. I invite you to step up to the plate. Read this book and open your heart to the love God has for the least of these and join Him in caring for them.

She'll Grow On You.....

Ellie, my granddaughter from Texas has come to visit with us for a few weeks. I am amazed at the energy of a three-year old. She has had us on the go since arriving last Friday. How children can change your lifestyle. I have little down time and I am learning all about the attention span of a little girl. But oh how wonderful our grandchildren truly are. I am blessed with five granddaughters. Ellie is from Texas and has sisters Mary Caroline now one month old and Anna who is two. In Oklahoma my granddaughters Reagan and Avery age five and four reside.

I reflect on the joy these little girls bring me every time they call me on the phone and say "Hi Papa" and they are not bashful at all. They will tell me how much the love me and they know just how to melt my heart. While I basically give up all quiet time except for the early mornings...I learn so much about them while chasing them around the park or the mall. This past Sunday Ellie and I went to the park and she moved nonstop for two hours with me in close pursuit. At the end of the day on our way home I heard Ellie in the backseat say "Thank you Papa for taking me to the park" I said you are welcome Ellie to which she replied "I love you Papa". Talk about touching your heart. Tears formed in my eyes and I silently thanked God for the precious little girls He blessed Sharon and I with. I also am thankful for their parents and that God chooses to give little ones to young folks. We love for them to stay with us but I am not sure how long we could keep up with them.

As I close this post I say simply "Thank You Ellie, Anna, Mary, Reagan and Avery for loving this old Papa and for always telling me so. Thank you for the hugs and thank you for the honesty from your little hearts.