Scared but Sent

Well, I finally did it. I went into one of the male dorms on campus today and made myself available for some kingdom-business. But I know I could not have done this if my brother, Chris Cox, had not come with me. Chris took me up on an offer I made a few weeks ago in our Sunday morning class. We talked about being sent by God to the campus and we ended up talking about how I wanted to get into the dorms. And Chris was ready to answer the call to commitment. We were able to visit almost 50 dorm rooms and leave a card at each room. I now understand better why Jesus sent his disciples out in small teams. It was pretty scary for me to do this with someone. I don't think I could have done it at all had Chris not joined me in the mission. Thankfully, the power of the good news and knowing that we are called to be sent pushed us out of our comfort zones and led us to people who need Jesus just as much as we do.

Chris and I will be back. We might go back later this week, but we will for sure go back in the Spring semester. I hope more will join us! Chris, thank you. I praise God for your courage and desire to share good news.

Joy in the Journey

One of my favorite Christian musicians is Michael Card. He wrote a song entitled "Joy in the Journey." It is a very beautiful song. The second verse is particularly poignant and makes me reflect a lot on life and the journey we are taking.

"To all who've been born of the Spirit
And who share incarnation with Him,
Who belong to eternity stranded in time
And weary of struggling with sin--
Forget not the hope that's before you,
and never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness when you were lost."

The only way we will make it through the weariness and the strandedness is if we forget not our hope! This is why hope is so important in 1 Peter!

By the way, have you heard the phrase "The Amazing Race" is using right now? Their line is, "It's not the destination but what happens along the way" that makes the journey so exciting. Certainly our destination is greater than their reward, but for now, it really is about what happens along the way. I hope you find joy in the journey.

A thankful list

Just a few things that I've seen or heard or thought about that make me thankful.

1. The trees here are amazing. Yellow seems to be the most prevalent and brilliant color this year. It is a beautiful death in creation.
2. Family and family-in-law are 100% supportive of Tracey and I.
3. Our home is a wonderful refuge to come home to in the evening.
4. We have enough money to pay the bills.
5. We always have enough food.
6. I love my ministry and have an ever-deepening relationship with students, elders, and church family.
7. I have so much support for the campus ministry. So many people are ready to help and do.
8. There is unity in our church.
9. My wife is in good health overall.
10. My wife is so loving and adoring. I have never doubted her love and faithfulness.
11. On my best day, God cannot love me more. On my worst day, God cannot love me less.
12. My glimpse of Jesus is closer than it has ever been!

Pews and Old Age

I'm sure you are wondering what the connection is between these two. Well, I'll tell you--they are both barriers. I'm sure the folks who created the pew were well-intentioned and probably meant for them to provide added comfort and accommodate a lot of people (What is this--an SUV?) But they end up providing us with a routine that prevents us from reaching out to others at the end of OUR pew. And it's almost impossible to break down the wall between OUR pew and somebody else's pew.

Old age is kind of the same way for young people. Older skin and a slower step seem to push us away rather than invite us. We're not being superficial here are we? Surely God has given us the power to see beyond skin and speed and look rather at the heart! It is a barrier for us but it certainly goes both ways. Older generations surely struggle as well with how to communicate with us.

This past Sunday night, my wife led us to tear down both these barriers. On another pew, on the other end, sat an older lady all by herself (Zane). As our minister encouraged us to break into small groups for discussion, I figured that Tracey and I would discuss the verse together. But she had this elderly lady in mind. She encouraged us to include her. So we moved down, crossed a pew, and discussed the verse with her. We smiled at her, touched her arm and shoulder, asked her how she was doing, etc. We had an opportunity to care for her that probably would not have come about when church was officially "over." A huge thanks to my wife for helping us cross pews and connect two generations that may not have a lot in common, but we do have Christ in common...and that has made all the difference.

Generations will reap what I sow

A huge thanks to a friend who helped me discover Sarah Groves. She has some wonderful lyrics in her Christian music. Enjoy this quote below from her song, "Generations."

Remind me of this with every decision
generations will reap what I sow.
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
to those I will never know.

When I think about the impact of my decisions now and how they will affect the great great grandson I will never see, I am humbled and moved by the power of my choices. What an awesome God we have who loves us enough to let us choose him in return! And what a blessing to choose his will and know that it will bless others I will never know.

God works at football games

For all the reasons one might go to a football game, having an opportunity to talk with someone about God usually does not make the list. But last week two people shared with me how God was at work even during the all-important football game. One connection was made between an elder of our church and the webmaster for the Auburn campus ministry, Tigers for Christ (they were sitting right by each other and the elder only came to the game at the last minute). It was a great moment when two strangers suddenly found they had Christ in common and had a chance to talk about campus ministry. The other connection was made when some of our campus ministry students overheard another student near them say something like, "If we win this game, I promise to go to church the rest of my life." At least two of our students had the opportunity that night to invite him to our church since he sat near our group and since our students were ready to be used by God...even during a football game.

It's times like this when I become so full of awe for what God is doing in our lives. He surprises me with the meetings he sets up for us to talk with others about our hope in Jesus. It gives me chills to catch just a glimpse of God's activity. And it fills me with joy to know that he is always at work...even during a football game!

Inner Beauty

We have been talking in our 1 Peter class about the emphasis Peter places on inner beauty rather than external beauty. Guys, I urge you with all my might to focus on the inner beauty of women and not their outer beauty. If it's your wife, tell her where you see the hidden beauty of God inside of her. If it's a girl you are dating, tell her too and write them down for yourself so your relationship stays pure. All guys, pray that God would help you uncover this hidden beauty just waiting to be discovered. Even if you just have good friends that are girls, let them know where you see evidence of God in their lives. Discover the inner beauty in your mom. Let kids and little children know that you see the beauty of God in them too. We are in danger of creating a generation of human beings who only know themselves as pretty or cute or beautiful on the outside. This is hard work but we must give the human soul the depth of beauty it deserves.

Guys, this is so hard. But so many women feel so much pressure to give every free moment to outer beauty. Let's take this pressure off and show them the beauty inside themselves that never fades!

Fear, LST, and Voting

Sorry it has been so long since I wrote. There has been plenty to write about but I just haven't made the time. I felt the pressure to write last week because I know some people are looking for more to read, but alas, I did not give in to the pressure. :) I just feel guilty now for not writing sooner.

I came to grips with fear for the first time in a long time while Tracey and I flew back from Dallas two Sundays ago. I have been in some serious turbulence before so any time it cranks up again, I get very scared. Coming back from Ireland with the Razorback band, we hit some air pockets over the Atlantic. I did not know that you could survive such things so I thought we were going to die as we dropped for hundreds of feet only to have the pilot pull us back up every time.
Fear is such a powerful force and it paralyzes me when I let it get the best of me. There is so much I cannot control in life and yet I convince myself that I have just enough control to not have to walk around in fear. I want so much to live by faith and not fear. Lord, be patient. Lord, see my faith.

That trip to Dallas was for the purpose of training a Let's Start Talking team. This is a mission team that goes out into the world teaching English using the Bible and letting God's Word be planted so that some might come to know Jesus. Amidst everything that was said, one family had the most impact on me. I must share their stories.
Brian is the husband. He shared how, as a 1st grader, his Bible school teacher told him constantly, "You are going to be a missionary." I wonder how many more of our kids would serve God in similar ways if we made missionaries our heroes rather than athletes?
Holly is the wife. She was responsible for preparing a suitcase of food for a team going to a place where there was no guarantee they would be able to buy food when they got there. So she had to pack as much as possible in this one suitcase. She was able to pack in one suitcase enough food for 6 weeks. And it only cost $250! It almost sounds like Jesus feeding the 5000 doesn't it?
Alexus is their little girl, now age 5. Alexus has gone on 4 MISSION TRIPS with her family. That means she started going when she was ONE! Brian shared how God used Alexus in a powerful way as well. Brian said that Alexus was responsible for their cabdriver wanting to come to church with them even though there was a language barrier. He later learned that the cabdriver saw how Brian and Alexus interacted and how precious she was to him and that was enough for him. Jesus was present and it attracted the cabdriver. Praise God for his work in this family.

Today is the day to vote. What direction will our country take in the next four years? One thing I know for sure--no matter who is in the White House, I know who is on the throne. The Lord of lords is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Come, Lord Jesus.