An oldy... I'll let you decide if it's a goody.

I first started a blog on my old MySpace account (remember MySpace?) and I had a few that were worth bringing forward to this blog, so here goes. This is from March 26, 2006. Enjoy, or not.

Protective Cups

I was cleaning out my office the other day when my wife walked into the room with a bothered look on her face. This usually means that one of the children has lodged a something in an orifice that they cannot dislodge or that we are out of Miracle Whip. (Dear God, please don't let it be the Miracle Whip.!) On this day however she proceeded to tell me that our neighbor boy was in our back yard adjusting a protective cup in front of our girls. My initial reaction, as it often is, was to think of ways to adjust him so he would no longer need the protective cup because he was doing that in front of my girls; however after careful consideration of facts such as our neighbor boy is young and not meaning anything harmful by his actions and that it is not nearly worth the effort to run the boy down, I decided to let this infraction slide by. The next day, when I was talking to our neighbor, the mother of the boy, she told me about the situation and the discussion they had to have with their son about adjusting the protection plan in front of the girls. She also told me that apparently the local little league has just begun to issue protective cups to all the boys who play summer baseball. Apparently the protection was handed out at the first practice and the first "drill" was to have the boys put them on, run around and get used to wearing them.

The sights and sounds of that practice had to be something like this:

(Coach calls the boys around him over by the home team on deck circle.)

Coach: OK boys, settle down. I have something that I need to hand out to all of you. Now everyone gets one, so don't knock each other over trying to get to these like you did with the ice cream sandwiches. I still have a blood stain from Kevin's nose on my favorite "Git R Done" t-shirt. My wife has washed it 3 times and it will never be same, so let's try to be a little more civil with this one. Before I pass them out, I need to explain a little about this piece.., (Coach snickers).., er, piece of equipment. You see boys this is a very special thing that will protect some very special things. Well boys there's no use beating around the .., uh.., I'll get right to the point. The county little league commission felt that everyone who plays Little League this year has to wear one of these. (Pulls out protective cup like he is David Blaine).

(Kids gasp at the sight until a little boy in the middle of the ball-capped mass raises his hand)

Coach: Yes Kevin.

Kevin: Why do we have to wear a plastic turtle shell when we play? I thought we were the Devil Rays this year.

Coach: Kevin, we are the Devil Rays and it's not a plastic turtle shell. It's a protective cup.

(Kevin raises his hand again.)

Coach (with resigned frustration): Yes, Kevin.

Kevin: Coach, why do we need that special kind of cup when we have the ones that say "Shoney's on them? Besides, that one had holes in it. Won't the Gatorade run out?

Coach: Kevin, it's not that kind of cup. It is for protection, not drinking. This goes down your pants and fits in the front part of your underwear. (Pause as boys giggle) Do you see. It protects.., you. It will keep you from getting too hurt if a ball pops up and hit's you between the legs.

(Giggling subsides as boys and men alike cringe in imaginary pain)

(Hands automatically raise everywhere)

Coach: OK boys. One at a time, yes Tim. (Passes box around for boys to get cup)

Tim: So your saying that when we put these on we won't be able to feel when we get hit in the wee-wee?

Coach: That's right you won't feel it regardless of whether you get hit in the wee-wee or the paw-paws. You should be OK. That's the point.

(Kids begin squirming and standing, soon yelling ensues)

Various kids screaming:

(As one kicks the other in the crotch) Hey it is true! I hardly felt that! Let me try! (Kicks the other kid) Wow! I'm never taking this off! I can go into my big sister's room anytime I want now!

(As one kid chases Kevin with a bat) Come on Kevin stay still. You heard them say it's not gonna hurt. Let me hit you in the crotch with the bat. Quite running you big sissy.

(Coach stand waving his arms and yelling.)Coach: Boys! Boys! Sit down! Calm down! Boys quite throwing baseballs at your crotches. Here, give me all the baseballs. OH!! (Coach doubles over in pain) (In high pitched voice) Boys, they don't make the coaches wear them, so please don't throw things at Coaches' crotch. (Coach clears throat and stands up. Looks over the still squirming boys and motions to the one bowlegged boy still standing up.)

Coach: Hey Dale, can you help Jimmy get that cup turned around. I think he has it on upside down.

Jimmy: Coach how do you know it is on upside down?

Coach: Well Jimmy, you look like you just got off Secretariat. That's how.

I'm guessing the first "drill" went something like that. Listen, I played baseball and I was a boy. I guess I missed the Johns Hopkins study on baseball injuries to the "pawpaw" region. It's not that I had a problem with this, but I felt I had to pretend that I didn't even know where my "pawpaw" region was until my honeymoon night. I cannot imagine as a Little Leaguer having to deal with such pressure. I mean isn't it enough to carry your father's hopes of success, fame and fortune on your 8 year old shoulders. Now to put on top of that the pressure to measure, manipulate and execute the use of the protective cup properly? It is almost too much to handle. Oh well, at least we're not women. Can you imagine a coach trying to explain those issues? I know. It makes my head hurt as well.

Charismatics & bored people

I grew up in a really conservative church, oh who am I kidding; Jerry Falwell was too liberal for the church I grew up in. Even though the were ultra conservative, they enjoyed being scared by a good demon story. Especially if the result of that good demon story was that those being told the story would tithe more, go on "visitation" or wash the buses used in the bus ministry. One particular demon tale was actually "captured" on tape by the infamous radio show host, Bob Larson. Being bored with being told we were going to hell, my buddies & I from church decided to listen to the tape and scare ourselves. (Think of it as a horror movie for the fundamental Christian kids.)

So I grew up and Christ opened my eyes to His grace, mercy & love as free gifts of life, not golden eggs for good little kids who look for them. He loved me first and my heart responded.

However, because spiritual warfare was addressed in my past life, I had not given much thought to it or it's affects. Maybe the fact that I never thought about it or simply pigeon holed it as past times for "charismatics" & "bored people", was in fact a weapon in spiritual warfare. I really am not sure.

But, since moving to MA, I have seen and experienced genuine spiritual warfare. It is all around us. People all over our church and on our staff are finding themselves in the harshest circumstances & in some of the most devastating anguish of their lives. False accusations from outside, false accusations from inside, misunderstandings, depression, crisis of belief, attacks on marriages, unexplained drops of support, blatant sin & inconsistent submission have been the norm for MERCYhouse since October. I don't think this blog would afford me the space to tell each of these stories. Needless to say, however, they all are real and there is very little explanation than an attack of the enemy.

I have been asking "Why this? Why now?" The only thing I can sense is that the closer you get to the front lines, the more fire you take on. Last year, as I prayed that prayer and asked God what he created me for, I sensed Him showing me that church planting and specifically in an area like New England. So we began to pursue that. Sense we have arrived it has been very evident that we were created for such a time and place as this.

A wonderful man of God, Rich Malone, once told me years ago, "There will be a time and place where you will be able to spread the wings God has given you and fly high for His glory." That meant a lot then and I feel like I have found that time. However, I am also seeing that we are flying high near the front lines and the enemy is not happy. Peoples lives are changing and God is using our lives to model what His love and grace looks like and the joy in life that He gives.

John 10 shows us that the enemy has come to steal, kill & destroy. I believe that is what the enemy is trying to do now.

No, I have not turned charismatic and I am far from bored right now. My ears are just wringing from the enemy mortar fire right now and I am aware of our need for prayer cover .
Please pray for MERCYhouse.

Pray for our staff and especially our Pastor Robert Krumrey and his family.

Please pray for the pastor of our new church plant, MERCYhouse Nights, Nate Cartel, his family and Kristen Brumbaugh, who is coordinating many MH Nights details.


Pray for our staff member, Lois Grandmaison, who is ministering on the Smith College campus as well as to many, many women of MERCYhouse.

















Please pray for our Worship & Arts director, Cindy Pollsen, who leads us in worship, both on Sunday Morning and in our Tuesday Night House Church.



Finally, please pray for us. Pray for our girls, Maddie, Mackenzie & Mikiah. Pray for their hearts to be guarded and drawn to Christ daily.

















Pray for Christie & I. Pray that we would love Jesus, love one another & love others.

Thank you all!

Is he serious?... April 1, 2009

Thoughts, insights & musings from the great mind of rmack32... If the Oklahoma Basketball team had played the game it played against Syracuse, against North Carolina and the game it played against North Carolina, against Syracuse, OU would be in the Final Four... I think we are pregnant with child number 4... Theology is a much needed thing, but something that distracts as well... Just kidding about the child # 4 thing... So far, I'm really impressed with Barack Obama... I watched a movie last Friday called "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas". It is English and very serious. When it was over, I wanted to rip the flesh from arms and coat them in anti-bacterial gel to help me take my mind off of this torture that was that movie... No really, we are having child #4... Just kidding about the Barack Obama thing... Any movie that talks about a boy in pajamas, by general rule, should be left alone probably... I texted the greatest quote ever in the history of texting last night. It said, "The Spaghetti Monster is fun to think about, just not worship as god."... Now that is theology I can get... We really are having child #4, yes, Christie is pregnant... Is there a medication people take to be able to actually sit through American Idol and it's evil twin Dancing with the Stars? That would be the only explanation possible for being able to do so... George Bush's first 100 days were much more productive than Barack Obama's; however, neither of them can hold a candle to Millard Fillmore... Just kidding about the pregnancy thing... My attention to baseball, angry irish rock bands & all things organic has increased since moving to New England... My attention to the Civil War, race relations & Sonic has decreased since moving from Richmond... Wireless internet has ruined my TV viewing habits. I only watch what I want, when I want it now... Seriously, Christie and I are going to be parents again, due sometime in January... Just kidding about the Millard Fillmore thing... That was a fun sentence. I guarantee you that I have never uttered that sentence before today. Welcome to history... I'm beginning to question the value of wishing someone "Happy Birthday" on Facebook. Are we sending the wrong message in a drive by "Happy Birthday"?... OK, Christie and I are not really pregnant and it hurt my head trying to count 9 months forward from last month... I was told there would be no math... Is this a wast of blog space? Time? Effort?... Yes, Possibly, No... We really are pregnant... Are Yoda & Kermit the Frog related?... My oldest daughter has turned into a super model overnight... We're not pregnant... Happy April 1 day...

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I live in the Northeast now and things like St. Patrick's Day & Columbus Day are now really important holidays. It is a cultural shift from living in Oklahoma, where "Cow Tipping" Day, and Virginia, where "Nicorette Day" were really big holidays. Now, in the Northeast, we celebrate holidays that actually have meaning. However, looking at how St. Patrick's Day should be celebrated now, it makes past celebrations look paltry in comparison. On Sunday, there will be a huge parade that will mosey down the streets of nearby Holyoke, MA. As one of the members of our House Church told me, "The parade is not that big a deal. It is basically a dog in the back of a hay truck. The real party happens on the side of the street, where everyone begins drinking beer at 8 AM & stays drunk all day. That's the Irish way."

Who knew? All these years, I have wasted my time with green cardboard leprechaun hats & shamrocks pinned to my nose. I mourn my ignorance.

Oh well, it's not that bad. At least I haven't celebrated like they do in Alabama by smoking crack and being interviewed by the local news.




Now that looks like fun. Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone!

Yes.

Yes.



Now how do I do this?

Looking Back...

So Youtube serves many functions. Time waster. Ministry help. Pulse of the Culture.

Last night, it became a time machine to my past. It actually had done this many times before, but last night really was off the charts. Christie was watching Criminal Minds or Law & Order or Death & Destruction or Mame your Mother or whatever Crime Drama was on last night. I have had my fill of them and God has provided me with wireless internet, so I found my way to Youtube and searched one of my favorite memories from my past. To my utter surprise, I found not only a remnant of my past, but I found the full monty of my past. Check it out:



I didn't say that the slice from my past was life changing, but it was certainly a formative part of my life. This was 1986. I was in the 6th grade and local professional wrestling on Sunday Afternoon on Channel 23 out of Tulsa was a highlight of my week. I was able to watch my favorite, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams take on the villains from Bad Street, USA, The Freebirds. This particular match was the match after Dr. Death returned from being put in the hospital by a pile driver on the concrete from Terry Gordy, the enforcer of the Freebirds. Dr. Death was my favorite for many reasons. 1. He was an All America wrestler at OU. 2. He played football for Barry Switzer at OU. 3. He could spell "OU", possibly. I was 11 years old, that made it good enough for me.

I could go on about the stark contrast of this wrestling versus today's wrestling, or how there are spiritual implications about overcoming the pile drivers onto concrete that Satan gives us and coming back from being robbed from the things in life that you feel you deserve, but alas, I won't. 1. That is all a crock of crap, we don't deserve anything. 2. Who cares. It pales in comparison to the unadulterated nostalgia of the past. Enjoy. (PS, the entire match in on Youtube if you are interested.)

Sheepish Grins Pt. 2

I Shall Not be in Want…

So, since the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. The word “want” here has a greater meaning than just physical need. We see here that the Shepherd takes such good care of the sheep that their needs are taken care of and they are utterly content. Again, they delight in being the sheep of the good shepherd.

In fact, they are so satisfied in being this Shepherds sheep that their desires for other things shrink because they know how good the Shepherd really is. They could not fathom needing anything else. They have all they need and they trust the Shepherd with the things they don’t have. It really is that simple.

We often times wrongly believe that following Christ makes things perfect or that following Christ will mean material prosperity. In fact, whole theologies are wrongly structured on the idea that following Christ will make you materially wealthy and rich. In fact, the Bible shows the complete opposite sometimes and there were rich people, poor people and middle class people, biblically who followed, served, and glorified Christ with their lives.

Adversity was and is always part of life. The point here is that these people, the sheep, are content with whatever adversity comes. We see over and over that following Christ, loving and knowing the Good Shepherd, means that whatever winds may blow or storms may come, our needs are met and we can be content to know He is with us and will never forsake us.

So how do we demonstrate this contentment in the adversity? The sheepish grins on our faces of course. Seriously, have you ever been in a situation that is overwhelming you and you just know that somehow, there is a Good Shepherd loving you through this?

We felt this since last April. It was then that we knew that God was calling us away from Richmond and to here. We began doing work on our house to get it ready to sell when suddenly the bottom fell out of the economy and the housing market. There literally was not a worse time to put a house up for sale in the last 20 years. When things began going south in April, we began to pray about this being the right thing to do and we sensed God confirming this calling. I walked away content and confident that despite what would come, God would work. April turned to May and May turned to June and so on. As money ran out and got tighter and tighter, especially as we moved here and had to pay rent and a mortgage, God always blessed. We continued to pray and trust God in His calling us to this ministry. Each month, some money that we were not expecting would come in and we would be able to make a mortgage payment. Finally in November, no extra money came in and I had to have some serious discussions with our mortgage company. We entered December and did not see anything else moving or happening and faced the new year 3 month behind on mortgage payments. Through each part of this process, people would call and want to know what was happening with the house and I would always simply tell them that nothing had happened, but also convey the content that I felt in knowing that God was at work. Usually these conversations would happen with a sheepish grin on my face as I realized the coinciding craziness and faith in that statement. Two weeks ago, we got a call from our realtor in Virginia and he said he had a call from someone interested in renting the house with a possibility of them buying it later. On Christmas Eve, he called and told us that the agreement was a done deal. The rent that we are charging for the house is about $100 less than the mortgage payment. We were very happy to be this close, but we still didn’t have the extra $100. In looking at some of our donor income, however, we began to see one donor who upped their donation by $100.

You see, it is the contentment in knowing whether we sell the house in April, December or the thing goes in total foreclosure, we are His sheep and He is good. I was confident that God was moving and working and there would be an amazing story to tell that would echo His Amazing Grace.

“He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures…”

Sheep are a strange animal. They are very sensitive and the slightest hint of fear or intimidation sets them off and the shepherd must know how to best take care of the sheep. There are 4 requirements that must be met for sheep to lie down:

1. Freedom from fear

2. Freedom from friction with other sheep

3. Freedom from internal parasites or external pests such as flies

4. Freedom from hunger

Shepherds go to great lengths to meet all of these requirements and often the sacrifice of time, energy and money is nearly overwhelming. The work of a shepherd is so the sheep can live fully and ultimately to his glory as he sells them.

We are no different. We suffer from the same fear, friction, pests and hungers that keep us from true rest. Only in the presence of the Shepherd can we find relief and true comfort.

Fear rocks sheep like nothing else. Ewes, heavy in lamb, will abort their baby if the slightest hint of harm or harassment happens. Shepherds must watch over not only the flocks, but the areas around the flocks for any possible predators such as cougars, wolves or dogs. Once a predator has been found or even a clue hinting that predator is in the area, the Good Shepherd hunts down the predator and destroys it.

It is the same with Jesus. As His sheep, He knows the wiles of Satan and the affect of sin in our life. He will not allow it to destroy us. He pursues us and convicts us of that sin. Remember when He cleared the temple? It was to clear the House of His Father from the distractions and predators that stood in the way of genuine worship of His Father. He hunted and destroyed for the sake of genuine worship.

Sheep will often times engage in turf wars with one another and could even kill one another over patches of land. They do various things to intimidate one another and send signals of aggression. If these conflicts exist, it can affect the sheep greatly and keep them from resting. Do you know what the remedy for this conflict is? The simple presence of the Shepherd.

The analogy is clear that sheep are those who follow the Good Shepherd, Christians. Christians are no different than sheep. We claim our territories and attach unnecessary feelings and emotions to things of little importance and then we will fight to maintain that importance with other Christians. These disagreements and conflicts often times distract and destroy us and keep us from true rest and peace with Jesus. Like sheep, we respond to the presence of the Good Shepherd. When we put ourselves aside and worship Him (He must increase and I must decrease), we truly are set free to rest and live.

Flies and internal parasites absolutely drive sheep literally crazy. When these things are bothering sheep, the sheep are disoriented, annoyed and restless. A good shepherd “anoints the sheep’s head with oil” to keep the flies and parasites from pest. However, the shepherd can only do this if the sheep allow Him to examine them. The sheep develop a pattern of daily or every other day making it a point to “check in” with the shepherd to ease their own mind and the shepherd takes the opportunity to examine them for these bothersome pests.

We all have affects of our past or present and maybe even fear of our future that we live with. These internal fears haunt and intimidate us and paralyze us from true joy in Christ if we do not allow the Good Shepherd to examine us and begin to help heal us from these things. David again wrote what we now can model in Psalm 139 when he begins the Psalms by saying:

“You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” (Psa 139:2-6)

So David shows that God already knows everything there is to know about him, but still at the end of Psalm 139 he says:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psa 139:23-24)”

David is aware that God knows everything already, but by the end of the Psalms, he delivers himself once again to the Good Shepherd in submission to His examination and knows that it is for his best that he is examined in this way.

Finally, sheep must be free of hunger. Notice that the shepherd makes the sheep lie down in green pasture. In the Middle East where this was written, green pastures are not as common as we expect. In fact, for a pasture to be green and suitable for sheep grazing, much work and effort on the shepherd’s part had to be done to prepare the field. Often these pastures are in remote areas and not easy to get to. However, the shepherd makes the effort and the sheep, once free from the other annoyances, can lie down and have their hunger met.

Meeting our hunger needs is no different. It cost Jesus a lot to be our Shepherd and to prepare a proper place for us to rest. Christ works hard to prepare the soil of our faith to yield His fruit. He delights in preparing us to enjoy Him, but He will not settle for sharing us with someone or something else. He is a jealous God, because He is the only Creator. Everything else is created and not worthy of such worship and consumption.