Little Sophia

If you all wouldn't mind adding one more to your prayer list, please keep the family of precious Sophia in your prayers. She lost her battle with brain cancer today. She was only 4 years old and had been fighting cancer for almost two years. While I know her family is going to miss her dearly, I know they are resting in the fact that she has finally been healed by our Heavenly Father.

Father and Son

In a retrospect of the recent Christmas season, I caught myself in a special moment shared with one of my sons.

We were playing with one of their new Christmas toys. I remember the moment for a couple of reasons. The first was that we were sitting on the floor together with him sitting directly in front of me with his back to me and my legs wrapped around him and his play area in a way that almost enveloped his whole world. The second detail was the particular toy that my son was playing with. He had recently received a barnyard playset, complete with animals, barn, and crops.

He was sitting their almost unaware of me while he tended to the duties of his work on the farm. He was busy with his own world and would only turn to me for affirmation of what he was doing or for me to fix something he became frustrated with. Other than that, me tying his shoe, brushing his hair or giving him a kiss on top of the head went unnoticed. And then, this thought came to me...

Am I really much different in my daily life in my relationship with God? I go about, in all seriousness, acting out the duties of my occupation while God surrounds my life and showers me with His love and care. How often do I sit with my back to Him and only turn to face Him when I am frustrated or if I seek approval for my actions? As these thoughts faded from frontal lobe, I gave him another hug that he shrugged off and decided...let's go get some CHEESY PUFFS.

The aforementioned toy

Logan

I saw this video (or heard this audio) on one of my favorite blogs today. I can only aspire to be as wonderfully domestic as this lovely woman is, but that's not the point of my post. That's a whole 'nother topic for a different day.

I know I have heard this before, but it really hit me today. I guess because my boys are getting bigger and really starting to understand what we're saying and what's going on around them. I feel the gravity and responsibility of being their mama more each day. Am I really up for the monumental task of parenting these two little ones? Making sure they are fed and that they get enough sleep is a piece of cake compared to what I'll soon be up against. Whew!! I've been overwhelmed with this the past few months...and in prayer about it quite often. As I listened to this today, I thought first of all that this little boy, or shall I say young man, really has a lot more figured out than most grown adults. My prayer is that my precious boys would someday understand their salvation and the gift our Lord gave us the way Logan does.

The Everybody Project

Since moving in March, our family has been involved in the creation of a new church that is a Strategic Partnership with Andy Stanley’s Northpoint Ministries. In that time, we have really seen the development of welcoming environments and sound Scriptural teachings.

During 2008 the church has been meeting in temporary locations, never being able to call any one of them home. At the beginning of the New Year, our church plans to move into a more permanent facility. Last week , the leaders signed a long-term lease on a new facility that will allow the church to create these safe enviroments in a permanent location. We are hoping to be moved into the new venue by the end of January and are making a push to raise the funds for the cost of construction to renovate the facility to fit the church’s needs.

The Everybody Project was created to invite individuals to assist us in the goal of furthering the work of our church home. Ultimately, Auburn church’s mission, like NPM’s, is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you feel led to join in this mission and help us meet our goal, please read the excerpt below from Auburn Church’s blog, www.auburnchurch.blogspot.com, on ways to give.

The Everybody Project is an opportunity for attenders/members, who make up the body of Christ at Auburn Church, to help raise support to create safe, irresistible environments in our new facility located at 1667 Shug Jordan Parkway. The cost associated with creating these environments is right at $100,000. So here's the plan to reach our goal.

All of us working together to ask 1,000 people to give $100 each over the next 10 days for one life-changing message that's for everybody! This is a great chance for you to share your story of how God has changed your life through His church. Please check back often as we daily update how close we are to reaching our goal at auburnchurchonline.org. To learn more about how to make your $100 donation, click here! The Everybody Project begins Monday, December 15th and ends on Christmas Day.

Thank you for doing your part! Thank you for creating a church that unchurched people want to attend. Thank you for continuing to share the life-changing message of a right standing with God that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ that is for everybody!

THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION

A dose of perspective for us to read, the morning after the election.!!!

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order – (1) the Kingdom of God , (2) America , not vice-versa.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you remember the first?)

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, “Jesus Is Lord” will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control. No matter the outcome, I pray that you will remember who you are and who He is.

John Piper

The excerpt below is from a sermon by John Piper entitled, "Marriage is meant for making children...disciples of Jesus." The audio and text can be found here. I have yet to listen to it, but was reading it today. It really speaks to my heart. I have felt

The most fundamental task of a mother and father is to show God to the children. Children know their parents before they know God. This is a huge responsibility and should cause every parent to be desperate for God-like transformation. The children will have years of exposure to what the universe is like before they know there is a universe. They will experience the kind of authority there is in the universe and the kind of justice there is in the universe and the kind of love there is in the universe before they meet the God of authority and justice and love who created and rules the universe. Children are absorbing from dad his strength and leadership and protection and justice and love; and they are absorbing from mother her care and nurture and warmth and intimacy and justice and love—and, of course, all these overlap.

And all this is happening before the child knows anything about God, but it is profoundly all about God. Will the child be able to recognize God for who he really is in his authority and love and justice because mom and dad have together shown the child what God is like. The chief task of parenting is to know God for who he is in many attributes and then to live in such a way with our children that we help them see and know God. And, of course, that will involve directing them always to the infallible portrait of God in the Bible.

Finally, God has ordained that both mother and father be involved in raising the children because they are husband and wife before they are mother and father. And what they are as husband and wife is where God wants children to be: As husband and wife, they are a drama of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and the church. That is where God wants children to be. His design is that children grow up watching Christ love the church and watching the church delight in following Christ. His design is that the beauty and strength and wisdom of this covenant relationship be absorbed by the children from the time they are born.

HEALER

This is an unbelievable song by Hillsong. I stumbled upon it on the internet and I couldn't help but share it. If you have time, please watch both the story and the song. The song was written by Mike, soon after being diagnosed with a very serious form of cancer.

Redemption

We seem to have been watching a lot of ESPN and baseball this week, mostly due to the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. I've been repeatedly hearing the name Josh Hamilton over and over and eventually heard the story of how this young man was drafted to Minor League Baseball directly out of high school. He didn't stay there very long before he was moved up to the Major League. He was an exceptional young talent, but lost it all due to drug addiction. Below is the story of how he overcame addiction and is once again playing in Major League Baseball. Earlier this week he broke records in the Home Run Derby by hitting 28 home runs in the first round.

This is a beautiful story of redemption and hope!

'I'M PROOF THAT HOPE IS NEVER LOST'

---

By Josh Hamilton (as told to Tim Keown)
ESPN The Magazine

To let you know how far I've come, let me tell you where I've been. Not that long ago, there were nights I went to sleep in strange places praying I wouldn't wake up. After another night of bad decisions, I'd lie down with my heart speeding inside my chest like it was about to burst through the skin. My thinking was clouded, and my talent was one day closer to being totally wasted.

I prayed to be spared another day of guilt and depression and addiction. I couldn't continue living the life of a crack addict, and I couldn't stop, either. It was a horrible downward spiral that I had to pull out of, or die. I lay there -- in a hot and dirty trailer in the North Carolina countryside, in a stranger's house, in the cab of my pickup -- and prayed the Lord would take me away from the nightmare my life had become.

When I think of those terrible times, there's one memory that stands out. I was walking down the double-yellow of a two-lane country highway outside Raleigh when I woke up out of a trance.

I was so out of it I had lost consciousness, but my body had kept going, down the middle of the road, cars whizzing by on either side. I had run out of gas on my way to a drug dealer's house, and from there I left the truck and started walking.

I had taken Klonopin, a prescription antianxiety drug, along with whatever else I was using at the time, and the combination had put me over the edge. It's the perfect example of what I was: a dead man walking. And now, as I stand on the green grass of a major league outfield or walk to the batter's box with people cheering for me, I repeatedly ask myself one simple question: How did I get here from there?

I've been in the big leagues as a member of the Cincinnati Reds for half a season, but I still find myself taking off my cap between pitches and taking a good look around. The uniform, the ballparks, the fans -- it doesn't seem real. How am I here? It makes no sense to anybody, and I feel almost guilty when I have to tell people, over and over, that I can't answer that one simple question.

I go to sleep every night with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Every day, I walk into an immaculate clubhouse with 10 TVs and all the food I can eat, a far cry from the rat-infested hellholes of my user past. I walk to my locker and change into a perfectly clean and pressed uniform that someone else hung up for me. I grab a bat and a glove and walk onto a beautifully manicured field to play a game for a living.

How am I here? I can only shrug and say, "It's a God thing." It's the only possible explanation.

There's a reason my prayers weren't answered during those dark, messed-up nights I spent scared out of my mind. There's a reason I have this blessed and unexpected opportunity to play baseball and tell people my story.

My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I'd be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me. During that time, I did nothing to build my body and everything to destroy it. I'd go five or six months without picking up a ball or swinging a bat. By then, I'd been in rehab five or six times -- on my way to eight -- and failed to get clean. I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn't even on my mind.

And still Katie told me, "You're going to be back playing baseball, because there's a bigger plan for you." I couldn't even look her in the eye. I said something like, "Yeah, yeah, quit talking to me."

She looks pretty smart, doesn't she? I have a mission now. My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger.

Addiction is a humbling experience. Getting it under control is even more humbling. I got better for one reason: I surrendered. Instead of asking to be bailed out, instead of making deals with God by saying, "If you get me out of this mess, I'll stop doing what I'm doing," I asked for help. I wouldn't do that before. I'd been the Devil Rays' No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, supposedly a five-tool prospect. I was a big, strong man, and I was supposed to be able to handle my problems myself. That didn't work out so well.

Every day I'm reminded that my story is bigger than me. It never fails. Every time I go to the ballpark, I talk to people who are either battling addictions themselves or trying to help someone else who is. Who talks to me? Just about everybody. I walked to the plate to lead off an inning in early May, minding my own business, when the catcher jogged out to the mound to talk to his pitcher. As I was digging in, the home plate umpire (I'm intentionally not naming him) took off his mask and walked around the plate to brush it off. He looked up at me and said, "Josh, I'm really pulling for you.

I've fought some battles myself, and I just want you to know I'm rooting for you." A father will tell me about his son while I'm signing autographs. A mother will wait outside the players' parking lot to tell me about her daughter. They know where I've been. They look to me because I'm proof that hope is never lost.

They remind me that this isn't really about baseball. It's amazing that God allowed me to keep my baseball talents after I sat out three years and played only 15 games last season in A-ball. On May 6, I hit two homers against the Rockies at home, and I felt like I did in high school. I felt like I could do anything on the field. I've been called the biggest surprise in baseball this year, and I can't argue with that. If you think about it, how many people have gone from being a crack addict to succeeding at anything, especially something as demanding as major league baseball? If I hadn't been picked up by the Reds after the Rule 5 draft, which opened up a major league roster spot for me, I'd probably still be in A-ball. Instead, I'm hanging around .270 with 13 homers through 60 games with Cincinnati; not bad for a 26-year-old major league rookie. But the way I look at it, I couldn't fail. I've been given this platform to talk about the hell I've been through, so it's almost like I need to do well, like I don't have a choice.

This may sound crazy, but I wouldn't change a thing about my path to the big leagues. I wouldn't even change the 26 tattoos that cover so much of my body, even though they're the most obvious signs of my life temporarily leaving the tracks. You're probably thinking, Bad decisions and addiction almost cost him his life, and he wouldn't change anything? But if I hadn't gone through all the hard times, this whole story would be just about baseball. If I'd made the big leagues at 21 and made my first All-Star team at 23 and done all the things expected of me, I would be a big-time baseball player, and that's it.

Baseball is third in my life right now, behind my relationship with God and my family. Without the first two, baseball isn't even in the picture. Believe me, I know.

***** I'LL NEVER forget Opening Day in Cincinnati. When they called my name during introductions and a sellout crowd stood and cheered, I looked into the stands and saw Katie and our two kids -- Sierra, who's nearly 2, and my 6-year-old stepdaughter, Julia -- and my parents and Katie's parents. I had to swallow hard to keep from breaking down right there. They were all crying, but I had to at least try to keep it together.

I pinch-hit in the eighth inning of that game against the Cubs, and Lou Piniella decided to make a pitching change before I got to the plate. The crowd stood and cheered me for what seemed like forever. It was the best sound I've ever heard. When I got into the box, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett looked up at me from his crouch and said, "You deserve it, Josh. Take it all in, brother. I'm happy for you." I lined out to left, but the following week I got my first start and my first hit -- a home run.

Whether I hit two bombs or strike out three times, like I did in a game against the Pirates, I never forget that I'm living with addiction. It's just part of my life. Johnny Narron, my former manager's brother, is a big part of my recovery. He's the Reds' video coordinator, and he once coached me in fall baseball when I was 15. He looks after me on the road. When they pass out meal money before a trip -- always in cash -- they give mine to Johnny, and he parcels it out to me when I need it.

I see no shame in that; it's just one of the realities of my situation. I don't need to be walking around with $400 in my pocket.

I know I'm different, and my teammates have been very accepting. Being a rookie in the big leagues, there are certain rituals involved, and one of them is carrying beer onto the plane. My teammates gave me that job on one of the first road trips, and I didn't do it. I didn't think it would be a good idea for me to be seen carrying beer onto a plane. They respected my decision.

I get a lot of abuse in visiting cities, but it only bothers me when people are vulgar around kids. The rest I can handle. Some of it is even funny. In St. Louis, I was standing in rightfield when a fan yelled, "My name is Josh Hamilton, and I'm a drug addict!" I turned around and looked at him with my palms raised to the sky. "Tell me something I don't know, dude," I said. The whole section started laughing and cheering, and the heckler turned to them and said, "Did you hear that? He's my new favorite player." They cheered me from that point on.

I live by a simple philosophy: Nobody can insult me as much as I've insulted myself. I've learned that I have to keep doing the right things and not worry about what people think. Fortunately, I have a strong support group with Katie, my family and Johnny. If I ever get in a bad situation, I know I would have to get out of it and give Johnny a call. The key is not getting myself into those situations, but we've talked about having a plan for removing myself just in case. It's all part of understanding the reality of the addiction.

In spring training, when I hit over .400 and made the team, there was a lot of interest in my story. I decided to be open about what happened to me; early on, I was doing long interviews before my first game in every city. It's been amazing how people have responded, and I think being honest helped. I can't avoid my past, so I don't try. It's not always easy, though. I got sick in late May and ended up on the disabled list after going to the hospital with a stomach problem, and I knew I'd have to answer questions about whether I was using again. I can't control what people think, but the years of drug abuse tore up my immune system pretty good. I get tested three times a week, and if it comes back positive, I know I'm done with baseball for life.

Aside from our struggles as a team, this season has been a dream for me. And that's fitting, because in a way I had to learn how to dream all over again. When I was using, I never dreamed. I'd sleep the dead, dreamless sleep of a stalled brain. When I stopped using, I found my dreams returned. They weren't always good dreams; most of the ones I remember were haunting and dark. They stayed with me long after I woke up.

Within my first week of sobriety in October 2005 -- after I showed up at my grandmother's house in Raleigh in the middle of the night, coming off a crack binge -- I had the most haunting dream. I was fighting the devil, an awful-looking thing. I had a stick or a bat or something, and every time I hit the devil, he'd fall and get back up. Over and over I hit him, until I was exhausted and he was still standing.

I woke up in a sweat, as if I'd been truly fighting, and the terror that gripped me makes that dream feel real to this day. I'd been alone for so long, alone with the fears and emotions I worked so hard to kill. I'm not embarrassed to admit that after I woke up that night, I walked down the hall to my grandmother's room and crawled under the covers with her. The devil stayed out of my dreams for seven months after that. I stayed clean and worked hard and tried to put my marriage and my life back together. I got word in June 2006 that I'd been reinstated by Major League Baseball, and a few weeks afterward, the devil reappeared.

It was the same dream, with an important difference. I would hit him and he would bounce back up, the ugliest and most hideous creature you could imagine. This devil seemed unbeatable; I couldn't knock him out. But just when I felt like giving up, I felt a presence by my side. I turned my head and saw Jesus, battling alongside me. We kept fighting, and I was filled with strength. The devil didn't stand a chance.

You can doubt me, but I swear to you I dreamed it. When I woke up, I felt at peace. I wasn't scared. To me, the lesson was obvious: Alone, I couldn't win this battle. With Jesus, I couldn't lose.

***** I GET cravings sometimes, and I see it as the devil trying to catch me in a weak moment. The best thing I can do is get the thought out of my mind as soon as I can, so it doesn't turn into an obsession. When it happens, I talk to him. I talk to the devil and say, "These are just thoughts, and I'm not going to act on them." When I talk like that, when I tell him he's not going to get the best of me, I find the thought goes away sooner.

Believe it or not, talking to the devil is no harder to explain than many other experiences I've had since that day last December when my life changed. I was working for my brother's tree service in Raleigh, sending limbs through a chipper, when I found out I'd been selected by the Cubs and traded to the Reds in the Rule 5 draft.

But there is one story that sticks with me, so much so that I think of it every day. I was driving out of the players' parking lot at Great American Ball Park after a game in May, with Katie and our two girls. There's always a group of fans standing at the curb, hoping to get autographs, and I stop to sign as many as I can.

And on this particular night, a little boy of about 9 or 10, wearing a Reds cap, handed me a pen and something to sign. Nothing unusual there, but as I was writing the boy said, "Josh, you're my savior."

This stopped me. I looked at him and said, "Well, thank you. Do you know who my savior is?"

He thought for a minute. I could see the gears turning. Finally, he smiled and blurted out, "Jesus Christ." He said it like he'd just come up with the answer to a test. "That's exactly right," I said.

You see, I may not know how I got here from there, but every day I get a better understanding of why.

In Christ Alone - Travis Cottrell

I was blessed to attend the Deeper Still conference in Atlanta this past weekend. The speakers were Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer. It was absolutely unbelievable to worship with 20,000 other women! The teaching was life-changing. I cannot possibly list all that I learned this weekend and all the ways I was challenged.

I was able to spend time with my good friend of almost 20 years, JMom, and several friends of hers that I had never met. What a blessing that was in and of itself, especially to hear those women ask about my babies and tell me how they prayed for them during and after my pregnancy. The Body of Christ is truly amazing!

I want to include this song, "He Is," that Priscilla recited Friday night. It was one of the most powerful things I have ever heard!

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's our high priest
In Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Israel’s Guide
Joshua, He’s salvation's choice
Judges, He’s Israel’s Guard
In Ruth, the kinsmen's redeemer
1st and 2nd Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles He is Sovereign
In Ezra, He’s the true and faithful scribe
In Nehemiah, the re-builder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He’s Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms He is our morning song
In Proverbs, He is our wisdom
Ecclesiastes, He's the time and season
In Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream
In Isaiah He is Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, the call from sin
Daniel, the stranger in the fire
Hosea, the forever faithful
Joel, the spirit’s power
Amos, the strong-arms that carry
Obadiah, the Lord our Savior
Jonah, the great missionary
Micah, the promise of peace Nahum, our strength and shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's brings revival
In Haggai He restores that which was lost
IN Zachariah, He’s our fountain
And in Malachi, He's the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings
AND THAT’S JUST THE OLD TESTAMENT

In Matthew Mark Luke and John, He is God and Messiah
In the spirit filled book of Acts, He is the reigning fire from Heaven
In Romans, He is the grace of God
Corinthians, the power of love
Galatians, freedom from the curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
Colossians, He’s God and the trinity
Thessalonians, our calling King
In Timothy, Titus and Philemon, He's our mediator and our faithful pastor
In Hebrews, the everlasting courage
In James, the one who heals the sick
In 1st and 2nd Peter, our faithful shepherd
In John and Jude, He's the lover coming for His bride
AND in the Revelation, in the very end, when it’s all over, said and done, when time is NO MORE.
He is and will always be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, son of Man,
Lamb of God, The Great I am, Alpha and Omega, God and SaviorHe is Jesus Christ the Lord
HE IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED!

And the other thing that absolutely blew me away (other than the teaching of course) was this song that Travis Cottrell and the worship band sang. Here's a video of "In Christ Alone" with the lyrics. Listen and enjoy!

Worth Fighting For...

I feel led to share this evening about a sermon I heard today. The series is entitled Fight Club and the premise, from Northpoint Ministries' website, is "one of the most tragic stories in the Bible is that of David and Absalom. Absalom longed for his father's approval. David longed for the respect of his son. In the end, war came between the two, and one lost his life, while the other lost any chance for reconciliation. This message explores the dynamics of family relationships and why some battles are worth fighting."

My parents were divorced when I was only three. I have no real memories of when my mom and dad were married. What I remember is living with my mom and seeing my dad every other weekend and a month in the Summer. Unfortunately, as I hit adolescence my relationship with my dad began to fall apart and I was hurt by him repeatedly until I finally just gave up and cut all ties with him. It was never a decision I discussed with him, just a decision I made in order to protect myself. After much counsel I was able to work through what God had commanded me to do, and that was forgive my father. My struggle for the next 10 years then became a struggle of whether or not I had to reconcile with him just because I forgave him. I never had the chance for reconciliation. Our story, like King David and Absalom's, has a very tragic ending. My father took his life in October of 2006, just two weeks before I found out I was pregnant with Wyatt and Parks. With hopes of having children of my own soon, I was just beginning to open my heart and mind to the possibility of reconciliation.

Andy Stanley's point was when we are not in relationship with our family members, there is something in all of our hearts, that will tug at us until we are reconciled. These are the relationships worth fighting for. We must fight for them the way God fights for His relationship with us. After all the Lord has done in order to be in relationship with me, how silly of me to really believe that I could just get away with forgiveness, that I wasn't also commanded to pursue reconciliation, regardless of whether I would win or lose. As I listened this morning, to this incredible story it was so odd to not feel the conviction to reconcile with my father, yet so heartbreaking that I will never have that opportunity. Not only for myself, but for my children. So, if you are struggling with familial relationships and feel led or have a few minutes this week, you can listen to it for free here.