Disappointment or APPOINTMENT?

I’ve given it few days since CNN's headline: Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, pull off epic Super Bowl comeback”. Whether you are a 49ers or Chiefs fan or not a football fan at all, if you tuned into the Super Bowl game last Sunday night and watched it all the way to the end, you were amazed at such an incredible comeback by the 49ers. I was at my kids’ home and, when the 49ers were leading by ten points at the end of the 3rd quarter, I headed home. I wasn’t necessarily a quitter because I turned on the game as soon as I made it home and watched the final exciting comeback -- all cozy at home in my jammies!

I’ll admit, I was cheering for the Chiefs. I have lots of family that live in Kansas City, MO, so I was thrilled when they won. The 49ers had DISAPPOINTMENT written all over their faces when they couldn’t pull off the win. I was so inspired to hear about the players (on both teams) say they have leaned on their faith to help them with their careers and keep everything in perspective. After the victory, Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said, "I want to thank the Lord for blessing us with all these incredible people to bring this trophy home."

Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named MVP, carrying the ball into the end zone on his own for one of the Chiefs' crucial touchdowns. He says his faith in God is the source of his success. "Doing what I do every single day, and then knowing that as long I'm doing everything the right way, the way that He'd want me to do it, then I can walk off the field with my head held high and be able to be the man that I'm supposed to be. It's given me a lot of blessings in my life and I'm trying to maximize and glorify Him in everything I do," said Mahomes.

While one team and their stunned fans were disappointed, the other team and their fans saw their win as a divine appointment. I love when I hear anyone speaking about the goodness of God. They are helping to make HIM famous.

Maybe you don't care one way or the other about a Super Bowl game, but maybe some-ONE or some-THING has brought you tremendous disappointment. We can't stop disappointment, but we can stop staying stuck in it. I know how easy it is to dwell on something or someone that hurt me. Wallowing there gets us nowhere. I remember times of great disappointment. As long as I stayed sad, the more miserable I became. When I would refuse to stay in that place and go to my Peace-Giver, I would snap out of the doldrums and find a place of joy, gladness, comfort and peace. Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

God has incredible plans for us and the enemy of our souls would like to keep us from ever experiencing those plans and just stay "put" in misery. God's purpose for us goes beyond times of disappointment. In fact, that disappointment today may just be the set up for HIS APPOINTMENT where hope is found and a major comeback is on its way that produces successes and joy. There are many future God-appointments on the other side of whatever disappointment we may be encountering today. God has your name on His appointment schedule. He'll be right on time. Don't be a minute late!

Would You Be Impeached if You Were President?

Could You Be Impeaced if You Were President?
I'd like to take the credit for this blog today -- meaning, that God had given me this insight. It rang so true for me and I wish I had seen it a couple of days ago when I was defending my President with what he has done for our Country and someone challenged me about him -- in fact, calling him "Satan in the flesh". But, this speaks so much louder to who and whose we are. This is a post from a powerful godly woman, Janet Denison. I hope you get out of it as much as I did:

"I remember seeing the video of President Nixon entering the helicopter and waving at the cameras with his famous two-handed peace sign. It was 1974 and I was a sophomore in high school. I remember when the impeachment proceedings were initiated against President Clinton. It was 1998 and I was trying to steer my two sons away from the ugly descriptions in the television news. My boys were both in elementary school. Last week, I couldn’t help but wonder what my grandkids were hearing. I wondered if my oldest were asking, “Dad, what is impeach?” How would you answer that question?

Impeach is a verb and means “call into question the integrity or validity of (a practice).” The word is used most often in America to “charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct.” From my limited knowledge of politics, I would ask this question: Who in Washington D.C. isn’t impeachable?

In my memory, integrity has not really been a standard we use to measure our leaders. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have slanderous campaign ads that flood the airwaves and that continue once they are in office—and especially once they campaign for office again. Would we have the problems in Washington today if we had voted for leaders who believed that integrity was a high standard for their campaigns? Can a person of high integrity ever win? Is winning more important than maintaining personal integrity?

It doesn’t matter which teams you root for in this world. Integrity should be a standard we value more than winning. We look for integrity in our preachers, teachers, and medical professionals. We would appreciate integrity in our lawyers, but we demand integrity from the lawyers on the other side of the table. We want integrity in our bankers, but do we require it of our tax accountants? We want the service industries to help us with integrity, but what about the realtor negotiating the sale of our home?

We are angry with the baseball teams that cheat their way to the top. How would we feel if it were our team that had won the trophy? I remember when Tom Brady was suspended for several games after “deflategate.” He won the Super Bowl that year and another two years later. It’s possible, even probable, that deflategate cost his team a title the year Brady was suspended for four games. But, did Brady’s suspension change his sport or just the way footballs are checked on snowy days?

I loved a letter to the Astros franchise that a friend posted on Facebook. He is an avid fan who is greatly disappointed in his team. But, he will still be a fan—if they clean up their standards for winning and return to a place of integrity in their sport. His Facebook post prompted this blog post. Washington DC didn’t change because of Watergate and Brady’s suspension didn’t cause everyone in sports to stop cheating.

If winning matters most, then people will continue to compromise their integrity to win. If God matters most, then people will continue to aim at integrity. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Lost people will always act lost. The real point of this blog post is to ask us: Will Christians act saved? We need to choose to love God most and be called to his purpose, especially this week. Like it or not, Christians are the light in this culture. We tend to get angry at lost people who act lost more than saved people who act lost. We have grace for the saved because, after all, that’s our team.

Americans are all part of the fallen human race and therefore we are all flawed. But there are a lot of us who are also part of God’s eternal family. When King Solomon was commissioning God’s children, he spoke for God, saying, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

King Solomon was a faithful, strong, and flawed leader. Maybe that’s why God chose him to deliver some of the most important words in Scripture. The key to 2 Chronicles 7:14 is found in the first three words of the verse: “If my people . . . .” The integrity of our culture is not the fault of, nor the responsibility of, the lost. God’s people are supposed to be “the light of the world.” We are supposed to humble ourselves, turn from our mistakes, and pray and seek God’s face.

God’s promise of blessing was not contingent upon the lost people doing the right things; it was contingent upon God’s people doing the right things. Whatever “team” you are on in politics, remember that you are there to love God and serve his purpose. Romans 8:28 is the responsibility of every Christian so that God can redeem all things to his great and perfect purpose.

Will we humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face? We are God’s people, and 2 Chronicles 7:14 explains that his blessings are a direct response to our obedience. Christians are the light of the world because the light of the world indwells us. Don’t let the world shove your light under a basket. This is an important time to shine. Humble yourself, seek God’s face, and turn from the wrong words and ways that will be easy to slip into this week. Please God if you want to win.

God can and will redeem anything for his good, if his people are called to his ways. That is our role in the impeachment proceeding.

When Everyone Plays, We All Win

This photo on the bottom left is one of my favorites. It was taken four years ago in Suncadia, WA when my two youngest grandsons, Bryson and Brennan, were ages 8 and 10. Here we are in Austin, TX four years later and they granted my wishes for a “nana” photo opportunity before heading out to church yesterday morning.

I treasure the rare "brotherly love" moments in both locations. Not rare in the sense that they really love each other, but they are, after all, two normal boys that can easily get on each other's nerves if their buttons are pushed just right! But when push comes to shove, these two would be there for each other. No question. We all need each other – REALLY NEED each other for pats-on-the-back, high 5’s, accountability, encouragement, and especially praying for each other.

An X-Box commercial aired in December and was played last night as a Super Bowl ad. The true story is about two 9-year-old Texas boys who met in kindergarten and have been best friends ever since. Their friendship was captured in the Microsoft commercial where Owen, who has a rare genetic disorder called Escobar Syndrome that causes him to have tight joints and muscles plays with an adaptive controller. Owen has had 33 corrective surgeries to correct his ankles and knees and a lot more on his spine. Microsoft heard about the boys and put out the commercial that shows Owen's friend and other children from the neighborhood coming together to rally behind Owen as he plays a video game with the adaptive controller. He wins and the kids cheer for him as he stands up from his wheelchair to dance with his friends. We deemed it our favorite Super Bowl commercial last night. “Rejoice with those who rejoice.” (Romans 12:15)

Bottom line, each of us can be better because of someone else's influence. God purposefully created each of us with special gifts and insights. He made each of us with a need for each other. Despite our many differences, we have so much in common:
Each of us is God's child, made in His image.
Each of us wants to love and be loved.
Each of us has hopes and dreams.
Each of us has talents and gifts.
Each of us has joys and sorrows.
Each of us is a work in progress. (Please be patient with me -- God's not finished with me yet!)
Ecclesiastes 5:9-10 "Two are better than one...if one falls down, his friend can help him up."

God intended us to be “better together” -- caring for each other, reaching out to those in need and loving them — with our words, our time, and our resources. We are not meant to be alone. Truly, we are better together.

Dear God, Is it OK for Us to Pray for our Team to Win?

This is Super Bowl Sunday and if you're not a Rams or Patriots fan, you may not be inclined to feel "passionate" about today's game. You probably don't care one way or the other who wins. But if you are one of those team's fans, you may be as passionate about your team, as I would have been if my Dallas Cowboys had made it the distance.

I heard my son and his buddy talking about the game yesterday. Ryan was giving his support for the Patriots: “Why wouldn’t we want to see the Patriots set records and win again? They have proven themselves to be champions. They have arguably the greatest quarterback of all time and Bill Belicheck is the greatest NFL coach of all time. They’ve created one of the most dominant sports dynasties in American sports history.” Then his buddy declared his case for the Rams: "Sean McVay is the youngest coach in history and Jared Goff is the youngest quarterback at 24 to go to the Super Bowl since Brady won his first Super Bowl at age 24. It’s time to give others a chance to prove themselves!” I was amused at their bantering.

I was also amused by a Fox News story of a pastor who was asking: “Is it OK for us to pray for our team to win the Super Bowl?” I was so taken with his article that I make it part of my post today. Here are some excerpts: “I grew up in New England so you can guess who I am rooting for to win the Super Bowl. I was an athlete and my two boys played college football, so I’ve always prayed for a win.

The majority of people don’t believe you should pray for God’s help. I’m sure most of them think God has better things to do than concern himself with whether the Patriots win their sixth Super Bowl. But the Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.” Everything includes sports. If you care about your team you can pray for them. Of course, there will also be people praying for the other team. We can pray for success because God wants us to be successful. He wants us to live life to the fullest. My definition of success is fully living out your life’s purpose. God equips us with talents, gifts, passions, and opportunities. And He expects us to fulfill our potential. When we do, we are a success.

Genesis 39:23 tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did.” We can certainly pray for God to make us successful too. For the players in Sunday’s game, success means doing their very best with the gifts, talents, and opportunities God gave them. They can certainly pray for that and we can pray that for them as well.

Go ahead and pray for your team on Sunday. Pray that every player on the team plays to his fullest potential. It’s likely that the ones who don’t on either team will decide the outcome of the game. And if by some chance all the players perform to their fullest ability, then the Super Bowl champions will of course be…the Patriots!" -- Pastor Rick McDaniel

I loved the “take away” from this pastor’s post. Pray about everything. That’s our call to action. Pray about our country. Pray about our families. Pray about our neighbors and our friends who need prayer. In the end, God will still be the ultimate, great and sovereign Umpire Who calls the plays and gives penalties OR rewards. That’s what God asks for – to perform to the greatest of our ability and keep praying. We are on the winning team, God’s team and we always win! Just check out the end of His play-BOOK!

APPOINTMENT or DISAPPOINTMENT

CBS News Headline this morning is this: "Super Bowl 2018: Eagles pull off stunning win over Patriots". Whether you are a Patriots or an Eagles fan or not a football fan at all, if you tuned into the Super Bowl game last night and watched it for any period of time, you would agree that it was a good one to watch! Lots of drama and surprises! Along the way you may have had some feelings for which team you’d like to win. I’ll admit, I was cheering for the Eagles, so I was thrilled when they won. Tom Brady had DISAPPOINTMENT written all over his face when he couldn’t pull off his #6 Super Bowl win. I was so inspired when Nick Foles, the Eagles back-up quarterback, Doug Pederson, the Eagles coach, and several other Eagles’ players, when interviewed at the end of the game said, “First and foremost, I give all the glory to my Lord Jesus Christ.” While one team and their stunned fans were DISAPPOINTED, the other team and their fans saw their win as a Divine APPOINTMENT. I love when I hear anyone speaking about God and His goodness. They are helping to make HIM famous.

My word(s) for today are: APPOINTMENT -- a meeting set for a specific time, and,
DISAPPOINTMENT -- the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

Maybe you don't care one way or the other about a Super Bowl game, but maybe some-ONE or some-THING has brought you tremendous DISAPPOINTMENT. We can't stop disappointment, but we can stop staying stuck in it. I know how easy it is to dwell on something or someone that hurt me. But, wallowing in disappointment gets us nowhere. I remember times of great disappointment and as long as I remained in sadness and regret, the more miserable I would get. But, when I would refuse to stay in that place and go to my Peace-Giver, I would snap out of the doldrums and find that place of joy, gladness, comfort and peace. Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Isn’t it interesting that the word "APPOINTMENT" comes from within the word DISAPPOINTMENT? I’ve seen again and again how disappointments take something FROM us: a dream, a piece of our hearts – maybe whole chunks of it. But disappointment also GIVES us something too: a gift, an opportunity, the possibility of creating change.

God has incredible plans for us and the enemy of our souls would like to keep us from ever experiencing those plans and just stay "put" in woe and distress. God's purpose for us goes way beyond times of disappointment. In fact, that disappointment today may just be the set up for HIS APPOINTMENT where hope is found and a major comeback is on its way that produces successes and joy. That's what happened to me. My days are filled with purpose and I know that I'm walking in my destiny, getting to bring others with me on this road.

Let's remember God is in the "set-up" and APPOINTMENT business. There are many future God-appointments on the other side of whatever disappointment we may be encountering today.
God has got your name on His appointment schedule. He'll be right on time. Don't you be a minute late!

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! We Win – No Matter What!

My word(s) of the day is/are SUPER BOWL -- the National Football League’s championship game, played annually in the United States between the two best professional football teams: the National and the American Football Conferences.

I’m one of those “fair weather” football fans. If one of MY teams are playing (Dallas Cowboys or Seattle Seahawks), I’m watching the game. If they’re not or they're out, then I’m only watching the big finale – the SUPER BOWL.

I was on a fact finding mission as I created today’s blog post. Today, February 4, 2018, Super Bowl 52 will be played at 5:30 pm at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN with the two BEST teams competing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy made by Tiffany & Co. that cost $50,000.

The prize for Super Bowl players isn't shabby. It’s worth it for each player to give their all for a few hours to be paid $107,000 on the winning team and $53,000 each on the losing team. For most of the top players, this bonus is more about bragging rights because because they already have lucrative professional contracts with their respective teams. New England Patriots average squad salary is around $2.3 million a year which goes to show the Super Bowl bonus is peanuts for them.

To see the big game in person, as of yesterday, the average price of a ticket was $4,000. You can get a bargain 50-yard ticket, 3rd row for $16,887 and an end zone seat at $5,557.

The Patriots are favored to win, but there are those who are declaring the Eagles will crush the Patriots. I understand how the Patriots are favored because Tom Brady has led the Patriots in winning five Super Bowls in his career with them. If winning, Tom Brady will become the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl (40 years, 186 days). Philadelphia Eagles have never won a Super Bowl and haven’t been to one since 2005.

Will Tom Brady prevail again or will backup quarterback Nick Foles lead the Eagles to Philadelphia's first Super Bowl win? In either case, let's hope for a game that's at least as entertaining as the commercials (currently at $5 million for 30-seconds). Super Bowl Sunday is a legend and I’ll be watching for the best team to win.

No matter what....whether you are a SUPER BOWL fan or not…..this day will be just another day in things that matter most. This day will pass away, and in the light of eternity -- it won't matter. BUT, being on the WINNING TEAM is really what matters. I'm not talking about football, baseball or dominoes. Patrick Henry, a REAL Patriot during the American Revolution said, "United, we stand. Divided, we fall." It won't be just Tom Brady or Nick Noles that will win in this game today. It is being united with their team that will seal the deal. United is what we pray for those of us who desire strength and unity in our homes, our country and our faith.

Isn't it time for OUR team to be the one that says "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?" (Joshua 24:15). The winning team is God's team of fully devoted followers. I've read the Play Book (the Bible) and I’ve read the back of the book.....and this TEAM that REALLY matters -- the one that will defeat the enemy once and for all.....WINS big time. In fact, we’ve already won!

Psalm 108:13 “With God on our side we will win; he will defeat our enemies.”

Servant Leadership is Spelled L-O-V-E

Day 8 of the LOVE MONTH -- Servant Leadership is spelled L-O-V-E
I'm on the Host Team at Life.Church on Sunday nights. Since it was Super Bowl weekend, instead of our usual Host Team shirts, we could wear our favorite sports team shirt. Of course, I pulled out my1992 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl shirt (with #8 Troy Aikman on the front). Yes, I know my shirt was older than most of those who attended service this weekend. LOL! The Cowboys have had my heart since they first became a franchise -- back in the day when my husband would be on the roof of our home in Dallas, spinning the huge attenna trying to pull in the game. Back in those days, if it was a home game, they wouldn't show it locally, so we had to rig our attenna to make magic happen. LOL!

MY team wasn't playing the big game but the Broncos and Panthers were. I really wanted to see Peyton Manning pull this one off. And, indeed he and the Broncos did. I couldn't resist sharing this article by Dr. Jim Denison that I read yesterday. Lots of records made, but Peyton Manning's servant leadership reveals he is a role model and leader worth following.
BRONCOS WIN SUPER BOWL 50: WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW
Last night the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50. Here are some facts about the teams and the game that you might not know:
• Peyton Manning became the oldest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl.
• He is the first quarterback to reach the game with two different teams.
• For the first time, two quarterbacks who were number-one picks in the NFL draft, competed against each other in a Super Bowl.
• The age gap between Manning (39) and Carolina quarterback Cam Newton (26) was the largest in Super Bowl history.
• John Elway, Denver's general manager, became the first to win a championship as a player and as a GM.
• Over the last 15 championship games, the favorites won only three times.
• A thirty-second Super Bowl ad cost at least $5 million.
• Around 170 million people worldwide watched the game from 180 different countries.
I admire the way Peyton Manning prepared for the game and handled victory afterwards. In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, he consistently deferred attention from himself and focused on his team. After last night's win, he refused to answer questions about his possible retirement, lest his story overshadow his team's victory.

Max DePree, a former CEO and bestselling author, defines leadership this way: "The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor."

Oswald Sanders, in his now-classic Spiritual Leadership, claims that "true greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you." To discover if you're truly a servant, see how you respond the next time someone treats you like one.

In our consumer-centric, self-promotional culture, selfless humility makes a lasting impression. Jesus "came not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Now he invites us to follow his example. The world will not always remember who won Super Bowl 50, but the next person you serve will not forget your sacrificial compassion.

Nor will your Lord.

What Are You Passionate About?

Day 34 of Photo Inspirations -- What are YOU passionate about?
This is Super Bowl Sunday and if you're not a Seahawks or Patriots fan, you may not be inclined to feel "passionate" about today's game.  You probably don't care one way or the other who wins.  But if you are one of those teams' fans, you may be as passionate about the Seahawks as my Seattle family is. 

Not only do they have season tickets for the Seahawks, but their cars and homes bear Seahawks flags, they are decked out in full Seahawks apparel, they paint their faces, cut their hair (i.e., my youngest grandson's new "12th man" style), they promote it on social media and other public forums, and they have "watch" parties where you'd think they were at the live game.  I've been to a few Seattle Seahawks games, and it's true -- the "12th Man" are the loudest fans I've ever heard. 

And, to take it a step further, my son and his buddies rented one of the "Ride the Ducks", loaded it with Seahawks flags and banners, and rode through the City and Lake Washington screaming and hollering about their Seahawks.  Honestly, in my lifetime, they are the most relentless, passionate sports fans I've ever seen. 

Quite frankly, just about everything our family does -- whether it's a favorite football team, a business we believe in, a heart for missions, celebrating a birthday and/or a special event, remembering the sweet things about our past, and mostly, our faith --our heart for God and His Word.

What are you passionate about?  What gets you out of bed every morning?  When motivational speakers and vocational counselors ask this question, they're not looking for answers like "The baby was crying" or "My alarm rang."  They want to help you identify your "passion" -- something you love to be doing with your life, the purpose that fires you with energy.  Bottom line -- a personal encounter with God can be the X-Factor in your life.  Having Him at the center, causes life-at-large to become your passion.  Having Him as your greatest passion, will cause just about everything else in your life -- your job, your family, your hobby, your favorite team or favorite outreach to become your "Wake-Up-With-Passion" each and everyday!