Mr. Miyagi

Joe Paterno's name seems to echo everywhere this week.  Maybe it's because I'm on a college campus in the South where football is a big deal.  Maybe it's because the news likes to bring up old dirt when someone dies.  Regardless, his name seems to be in the air.


For those of you who don't know, Joe Paterno was the former head football coach at Penn State.  This past year, there was question about his character when the "Penn State sex abuse scandal" hit the news.  I will let you read the articles on that and let you make the decision for yourself as to who is to blame.  Dirt aside, one friend described him to me as "someone who took young boys and made them into men--men who are great fathers and husbands in America because of the influence he had on their lives."  Paterno didn't just teach football; he taught the guys valuable life lessons, such as "Do the little things right.  Don't cut corners" (Maisel).  Paterno was a mentor--a life coach--not someone who just coached football.


This story reminded me of one that is closer to me.  A close friend of mine, one who God has drawn very close to my heart, introduced me to his mentor, Andrew, in October.  Immediately, I could see that the Lord had a very strong hold of Andrew.  There was joy, not just happiness, in his life.  There was a sparkle in his eye that wasn't based on the fact that his situation was great.  Even his laugh seemed to point to the fact that he had cast all of his cares upon the Lord and had a peace that passed all understanding.  As the Lord continued to draw my friend closer and closer to my heart, I learned of his friendship with Andrew.  He looks up to Andrew so much; he learned how to love the way God loves us, without biases, through Andrew.  He learned what it means to run the race with perseverance, even if that means that all the people on your hall think you're a "Jesus freak."  He learned what it means to seek the Lord in all that he does through Andrew's mentoring.  Even though I may have only spent half a dozen times with Andrew, I feel that I know him so well in hearing my friend's stories about how Andrew has touched his life.  I will forever be grateful to Andrew for allowing God to use him in my friend's life.  I truly believe that the man who God has drawn close to my heart is who he is today because the Lord used Andrew in his life.


Mentors are very important in life.  Don't believe me?  Take a look.
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."
Proverbs 13:20 "Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble."
Proverbs 12:15 "Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others."
Proverbs 11:14 "Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers."
1 Samuel 3--Samuel learns how to have a personal relationship with God because of Eli's instructions.
Still not convinced?  Try this one--Luke 5:1-11.  Jesus calls Simon Peter to be his disciple, a.k.a. Jesus will be his mentor.


Just like my friend's life has been changed and impacted by Andrew, so were the lives of the disciples altered by Jesus's influence in their life.  Who is impacting your life in a positive way?  Who can you go and talk with about things the Lord is doing in your life?  Whose life is the Lord using you in to draw them closer to Himself?  Are you so close to God that people can tell by the sparkle in your eye, the joy in your life and even your laugh?


If you don't have someone, seek them out.  Because who wants to be dull, called a fool, and fail as a nation because there is a lack of leadership?






P.S.  Andrew has recently graduated and leaves soon to go Ecuador for a few months.  He will be teaching English as a second language and looks forward to the opportunity to share the Gospel with the people there.  Will you pray for him with me as he follows the Lord to a foreign country?


Maisel, Ivan.  "Joe Paterno's football family pays tribute" http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/44410/joe-paternos-football-family-pays-tribut

Counselor, Something's Wrong with Me....

In walking back to my apartment from class today, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two girls behind me.  One girl said to the other, "Something's wrong with me, I just really hope that these counseling sessions help."  Her friend responded, "What's wrong, are you sick?"  "No," the girl replied, "Something's just wrong with me and I'm not sure what.  I just don't seem to like myself, ya know?"  Luckily, I was in front of the girls, so they couldn't see me as a grin spread across my face when I thought to myself, "I wonder if she knows the Counselor.  I wonder if the reason that she doesn't seem to be acting like herself and that something seems missing because the biggest thing in her life is missing.  I wonder if she's missing a relationship with her Creator."  Paul writes in Romans, "For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 5:10-11).  He has made us His friends!  Can you imagine having a friend who knows all the answers?  I know that whenever I have a weather concern, I go to one of my close friends who is a weather man.  I know that he'll be able to read all the charts better than any of my other friends.  Why look to an engineer for weather advice when you've got a friend who is a weather man?  Maybe, just maybe the hole that she's stumbled across in her life is Christ-shaped.  Granted, this is all speculation, but I'm sure you've heard similar conversations.

Take hope today because Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit.  He tells his disciples in John 16:7, "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come.  If I do go away, then I will send him to you."  My Bible has a note next to "Advocate" that says it can be translated to Comforter, Encourager, or, wait for it, Counselor.  What problems do you have today?  What about you feels off?  What gives you concern about the fact that you "don't feel like yourself"?  Bring them to the couch, or better yet, the altar.  Unload them all and when it's time for you to leave the counselor's office and go back to the real world, don't pick them back up on your way out the door.  Jesus promises that His burden is easy and His yoke is light, all we have to do is come to Him and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28-30).  He's got all the answers to your problems and He promises to be with you every step of the way.  Can you honestly say you know another counselor that is the same way?

All I do is win...

Tonight, MSU played Ole Miss in basketball.  Ole Miss is our rival school, and the fact that I've now said Ole Miss three times now would shock many State fans.  Often times our rival is called TSUN, or the school up north.  As I sat and watched the basketball game on ESPN 3, talked to the players like they could hear me, groaned against the cheering crowd, and whispered hopeful wishes that we would win, the Lord reminded me of something.  He never loses.  Never.  There's never a close game for Him; He doesn't know what it's like to worry, sweat and hold His breath over the fact that we might not win this game.  It's not like He's playing the worst team, either.  Every day the Lord goes to war with the one who stalks his prey like a lion.  The Devil learns his opponents weaknesses and tries to take them out--he seeks to kill and destroy.  But, provided you're on the right team, you're always going to win.  Always.  In Isaiah, the Lord speaks to the people through the prophet Isaiah and says, "I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.  The people will declare, 'The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.' And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed" (Isaiah 45:23-24).  Why will He always win?  Because He says so, and He never breaks His promises.  Why will we win?  Because He is the source of our righteousness and strength.  Look somewhere else for that righteousness and strength and you might as well be eating nothing but Sour Patch Kids before a big game--the first three minutes of the game will be great, but you'd be worthless for the rest.  True strength comes from true nourishment.


Our Heavenly Father never complains about having Thursday and Saturday games like Vanderbilt's coach, Kevin Stallings.  He's on the court every single day and He never grows weary.  Again, Isaiah tells the Israelites, "Have you never heard?  Have you never understood?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.  He never grows weak or weary.  No one can measure the depths of his understanding" (Isaiah 40:28).  Sore muscles from a rough game the day before?  No such thing.  Having to buy insane amounts of Gatorade to rehydrate?  Nope.  He is the Living Water.  Cramps in His legs, so coach has to pull Him out of the game?  Nada.


I'm so thankful that the Lord repeats in His letter to us time and time again the power that He will give to us; He always knows that we need to hear things at least a couple of times.  The passage in Isaiah 40 continues and says, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 29-31).  New strength.  We always fight for the new stuff.  Steroids?  Who needs them when you've got new strength?


So, are you still eating Sour Patch Kids and expecting to last the full game, or are you looking to the Bread of Life and Living Water for new strength?  Really, when you look at the comparisons between the two, the biggest question is, what do you have to lose by switching to a new diet?  He never loses and never fails.  Remember?

Kaleidoscope

Ladies, do you ever have those days where you're just in a funk and can't seem to shake it?  Those days where all you want to do is lay on the couch, eat ice cream and watch chick flicks all day long?  I had one of those days yesterday.  After spending about an hour and a half talking with a friend and practically walking all over campus, something hit me.  The reason I was in such a depressed, hopeless mood was because I was viewing things through the world's lenses.  Then, I got to thinking--looking at something through a kaleidoscope can be very pretty and intriguing.  It's fun to twist the kaleidoscope and see all the colors as they whirl around in a circle.  But, look through one for too long and it can quickly become confusing.  I was looking at my situation through a kaleidoscope, wondering why things weren't looking like "they should" instead of viewing them as God does.  The Lord never looks at things, situations, or people through a kaleidoscope.  He sees them clearly as they are, broken, flawed, wandering, confused, and chooses to love them anyway.  He doesn't get sidetracked by all the pretty colors that seem to blend together the longer you look through the magical lens.  He has a plan, one that cannot be confused or blurred.  When our patience is growing thin, when we are tired of waiting on the Lord and His perfect timing and plan, we must remember that we are doing a great work by seeking to please Him in all that we do.  We cannot allow the world to put the kaleidoscope up to our eyes and discourage us from what He has called us to do--to be patient and trust in Him alone.  So, shake off the funk, and ask the Lord to restore His eyes to your life.  Soon, I believe, you'll be back to seeing all the amazing things God has blessed you with, instead of how your life isn't measuring up to the world's standards.