A Simple Thought

"For a moment, if just a moment in time, lets clear the slate of the influence of past pains and injustices and for just a moment suspend our fleshly thinking and believe totally and only in Him, His love for us, and the presence of His power to do the unbelievable... this will be a moment we may choose to never leave."

Hope and 6th...

I had a wonderful opportunity last night, thank you John. I was given the opportunity to attend the 100th Anniversary Celebration for Biola University (Bible Institute of Los Angeles).

When I was asked if I would like to attend, I did not hesitate. For those of us who are involved with NASCAR, we love a celebration! If you want to celebrate something, give us a call... we will be there. Add the fact that this is a celebration of 100 years of history... 100 years of existence is amazing!

100 years totally dependent on God to meet their needs. 100 years of highs and lows and through it all God has been there for Biola. They survived the depression, financial shortfalls, and changes in leadership. Through it all the school has grown and produced men and women who are leaders in our nation and around the world. How does something survive for so long through so many challenges? What has kept them anchored when the soul of the school, both corprotly and individually, was being tossed too and fro like the waves on the ocean by challenges of all type.

Biola was built on a sight in LA at the corner of Hope Street and 6th Street. Biola was built on Hope... literally... physically and spiritually. Hope in man? Hope in their intellect? Hope in their business and marketing skills? No! Hope in their knowledge of who God is and His plans they had put in their heart. A type of hope that when challenges would come, this hope, based on a real knowledge of God, would turn to Faith. Faith pleases God and over and over you heard the stories of how the faith of those at Biola was rewarded by Him!

The Biola 100th Anniversary event was held at the Biltmore Hotel. This was the location they could hold the event that was as close to the original site, Hope and 6th, as they could get. Last night I visited Hope and 6th and was reminded again that Hope in God is well placed... no pun intended.

Are We Investing Our Attention?

It is the eve of the 50th running of the Daytona 500. I am sitting here in the infield of the track, like many others, waiting for the start of the 'Big Race". There is no question that millions of eyes will be on this track, these drivers and this event tomorrow. The amount of attention this event will get is truthfully hard to quantify. The race will get attention, every move on the track. The drivers will get attention, both on and off the track. NASCAR will get attention, sponsors will get attention and hopefully, most important, the fans will get some attention. A little attention for everyone!

Some of us like attention, others do not. Attention can be a blessings and it can be a trap. Attention in many ways is like money. Money can be a blessing or it can be a trap. It depends on how we manage it. How about you? Do you get attention from time to time? Sure you do! We all do. We all have our times when we are the focus of attention. Could be our birthday, or an anniversary. Maybe we have done something outstanding at work or as part of our local softball team. It could be a random act of kindness that we did not intend for anyone to see but they did and they recognized us for it. Everyone has their moment. Here is the question... are we going to keep the attention for ourself or are we going to spend it on something or someone else?

You see, when the spot light turns our way we have a choice, we can bask in it or we can reach out and turn it towards someone or something else. It is not that we have too, it is just that we can. We can take our "attention" and spend it on something important to us just like we can our money. We can take our attention and use it to bless someone else just like we can our dollars. in fact, consider this, maybe we should give our attention to God with the same consideration we give our tithes and offerings... just consider it. Maybe He gives us attention so we can invest it, share it, shine it back on Him!

Tomorrow about 2:45 pm, before someone says "gentlemen, start your engines, a minister will stand before 200,000 fans and millions more watching by TV and ask God to bless this event, to watch over and protect the competitors and officials. For a 30 second moment Daytona International Speedway will share the attention of the world with God. For a moment they will allow all attention to be just on Him. Some may think that is not enough. All I can say is it is amazing what the Lord can do with just a little of our attention. In the mean time we can look for more ways to give Him a little more... and a little more... and a little more.

Retracing Your Steps.

At some point in life we have all lost something. A set of keys, our wallet, purse, ring, watch you name it. After the initial frustration of it not being where we "know" we left it we begin the process of the hunt.

Now the process often goes like this. Mentally we begin the process of remembering the last time we saw it and if it is not there we begin retracing our steps in hopes of finding whatever it is. Place after place we work our way physically and mentally in hopes of finding that place where we and the object we have lost are reconnected. Retracing our steps is usually the way we find what we have lost.

As i thought about this whole process it downed on me that the same is true when it comes to our faith. It seems in life that there are times, seasons if you will, when we become seperated from our faith. A time in life when we feel we have lost contact with God. It may be due to the fact we simply have drifted away from our relationship to Him allowing sin to create the sense of sepeartion, being lost if you will. It is not something that happens overnight but it is situation where we wake up one day and realize that something is lost, something way more imporatnt than keys, a wallet or a purse. In a moment such as this we need to sit down and go through an honest process of retracing our relational steps with God. In our mind we need to go back to the place and time where we knew we were together. We then need to retrace our steps from that point and see where exactly we began to drift. What happened or what did we begin to do, or not do, that eventually gave us that feeling that we have become lost or seperated from God. As we begin to see where this happened, we simply need to ask God to forgive us. In reality he is never lost, nor are we for long when we turn to Him for help. Do you need to retrace your steps back to a faith in God you have lost?

Sweet Success!

Do you want to succeed in life? Do you want to see others succeed? You are probably thinking one of two things, "why yes!" or "well... it all depends". I am not sure one answer is any more right than the other.

Today I had a neat experience. I slipped away from work (just guessing my Board of Director's will not read this blog) to watch my oldest son play a pick-up game of football. Now football is a sport he is just beginning to learn and like every young man he is having to learn as he goes. As a father I watched from the side line, emotionally linked to every effort he made. When he stumbled, my heart stumbled. When he looked confused, my heart reached out. When he seemed to lack confidence, my heart believed in him. Watching from the sideline I longed to make every play a success for him. I wanted to intervene so he would succeed. I wanted to make everything perfect! He is my Son! I wanted him to Succeed! I felt all this from the deepest places of my heart and soul and as i watched i thought and considered "what can I, what should I, do to help him right now?" "Can I intervene?" Should I intervene?"

I did not intervene and with love and pride I watched my child grow in understanding of a simple game. I watched him as he interacted with others and learned how to handle situations that were a challenge. i watched as he sorted out in his mind what was really important and what was only a game. The relationships, the score, the competition, the real purpose of the day. I stood back and watched my son as he does every day... grow-up.

As i stood there I had another realization. With all the passion I watched my son. With all the love, care and concern I had for him, it was nothing more than what God has for us. I wanted my son to know sweet success on that football field. I also want to balance what i teach him directly with what he learns on his own, both have merit. Today I was reminded, as i watched my son, that i too am a son of my Heavenly Father. He watches me struggle to throw the ball sometimes, or make the tackle. Sometimes he steps in to help me, sometimes he lets me find my own way. He is rooting for us to succeed. He longs for us to succeed. Succeed at what? Even more simple than learning football God wants us to succeed at life. Now you may say "how can succeeding at life be more simple than succeeding at football?" Well it is! Don't believe me... take a look at John 17:3 Remember one thing, I said it was simpler, not necessarily always easier.