Rick Nier...Woo!

Let's take driving, for example. I'm in the process of teaching my son how to drive. He's the second child I'm teaching, so I feel like I've got a good handle on what needs to happen.  It's not like the first time I took my oldest out driving, started her at a stop sign in our quiet neighborhood and assumed she would know how to turn the steering wheel. Man, if street signs could talk, they would tell you about the day a crazy, tiny ginger played chicken with them. We're only a few lessons in with my son, but so far, so good. One of the things I'm teaching him is that you have to pay attention when you're driving. This would seem obvious, but my experiences with so many other drivers tells me it isn't.  via GIPHY Nowhere is this more painful than at four-way stops. It may seem confusing, but only if you don't understand how a clock works. (You see, the driver to the left yields to the driver on the right, and then it works around the...

As a parent of teenagers, I wonder what it must have been like to have the sort of relationship God had with Noah. God talked and Noah obeyed. Build a boat, God said. Noah built a boat. Put your family and pairs of animals on the boat. Noah put his family and pairs of animals on the boat. Ride out this storm for a year. Noah rode out the storm. Get off the boat, plant a vineyard, and get really drunk. Ok, nobody's perfect. Parenting my teenagers is nothing like any of that. Clean your room, I said. I didn't hear you, they respond. Do your chores. Do I have to? Are you even listening to me? What did you just say? via GIPHY On a positive note, none of them have planted a vineyard. People often express a desire for the kind of close relationships heroes from the Bible had with God. Noah, for the most part is a good example. Genesis 6:9 says " he walked in close fellowship with God." How many of us are willing to walk in close fellowship with God...

via GIPHY I don't know about you, but I have a lot of questions when I read the Bible. Even from the very beginning. I'm four chapters in and there is a lot happening. Adam and Eve have become the scapegoats for all of us to blame. Cain became the first in a long line of cases of sibling rivalry. Then we read about some of Cain's descendants. Then some interesting commentary happens. Adam and Eve have another boy. Seth grows up and he has a boy. And check this out; "When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the   Lord   by name." ~Genesis 4:26 Excuse me?!? This is when people first began to worship the Lord by name. Really? How is that even possible? I'm one of those guys that accepts we don't know how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. How much time passed between Genesis, chapter two, and Genesis, chapter three? It could've been weeks, coul...

via GIPHY We often ask why Adam and Eve, after having eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, did not eat from the tree of life. After all, surely they knew what was to be gained from doing so. God seems to indicate that He needed to evict them from the garden before they did so in order to keep them from gaining eternal life in a manner that was not intended.  One might, with evil intent, wonder why eating from the tree of life was not their very next move. Again, God admitted they had elevated their nature in knowing good and evil.  I think I found the answer. "At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." ~Genesis 3:7 They were too busy covering their shame. It makes me wonder... How often do we miss out on life because we are dealing with the consequences of our sin?

Do you know what a whipping boy is? I looked it up. It's  a person who is blamed or punished for the faults or incompetence of others.  The problem with a whipping boy is that he is whipped so often people begin to assume he deserves it. Or the boy just accepts his fate and acts into the very nature of who people believe he is.  But who is defending the whipping boy? Who is taking a second look and asking if the boy really deserves all of the ire he is receiving? Today, it’s me.    via GIPHY Social Media is the Whipping Boy  Social media is just entering its adolescent years, and like many adolescents, it is acting in some strange and unconventional ways that make people question what is going on.  Many words have been written about the dangers of social media, none the least of which would be the supposed separation from real life interactions. But it doesn’t take a highly educated look to put some things together and no...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A person asks for something and then immediately complains when they get it. It’s not exactly what we meant or precisely what we thought it would look like.  We won’t necessarily return it, but we’re not going to celebrate it. It’s a common party trick and it doesn’t just happen with toddlers.  It’s Going To Look Like I’m Changing The Subject I was included recently in a discussion about worship music. The conversation was on social media, because that’s where most people are level-headed and reasonable.  The author of the article was waxing eloquent about which worship music songs could be sung in church with a clean conscience. Whereas I would normally assume songs are selected by how repeatable the bridge is, this author was breaking down the worthiness of songs based on who had authored them. Sure, he was paying attention to lyrics, but if he believed lyrics could be taken one of two ways, and one of those ways...

If I'm being honest, there are times I wish I could have written Psalm 13. Check out the boldness with which it starts.  "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?" ~Psalm 13:1 If we're thinking through what it takes to write these words down, we realize it comes with a lot of courage...or maybe stupidity. Listen, if this guy believes God exists, he has to believe that God is bigger and more powerful than us humans.*  Even if you think God has forgotten you, I'm not sure calling Him out in this way is what you want to do.  via GIPHY Especially if your argument for favor from God is going to be based on your good behavior, is that really the kind of attention you want? God knows all. God sees all. It seems like a risk to get God's attention just because you feel life is treating you unfairly at the moment.  "How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?...

In the beginning there was an idea. It wasn't our idea. The idea stemmed from the Creator of all things. Being relational, God let His idea come to fruition. This idea, to create people who would love their Creator, was a good idea. It is a good idea. But it was not the only idea.  Some may have assumed the idea's next part. Because we were made in the image of One who loves, we were also intended to love one another. This idea was also good . And it makes sense. If we love our Creator and understand that He meets all our needs, we are then set loose to freely give of the love born in us.  via GIPHY In theory, these ideas can work together seamlessly, with the creation crying out to the Creator. This alone should fill us up. At the same time, we can express unique qualities given to us by a very imaginative Creator. After all, we are better off when each part of the body does as intended. "This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members car...

Certainly someone somewhere has spoken up against travesties in these trying times. It is the great crisis of our day, where innocent people are hurt, and bullies are allowed to continue their abuse.  I am, of course, talking about people who pass off gluten-free options as if they were real food.  via GIPHY Nope! I'm sure there are more qualified people than me to address this situation. (Gordon Ramsey comes to mind.) But until I am assured that our top people are working on a solution, I'm going to operate under the same rules we have for keeping our schools safe; see something, say something. If you can bear to read on, here's my own harrowing story of survival.  It was a night at home like any other, which is to say it was the one night all week without any meetings or high school sports. Plus, it was taco night. That's right! This was going to be a good night. Who doesn't love shoving yummy ingredients into a warm taco shell and allowi...

My kids are all teenagers now, but I can still recall the bedtime routines we had when they were younger. It was pretty much the same routines you have likely had. Brushing of the teeth, reading of books, last hugs and kisses, and mooing like cattle from the living room to the bedroom. via GIPHY What, you never did that last one? Hmmm, ok. I guess that’s a story for another post.  Now that my kids are 18, 16, and 13, the routines have changed. For instance, on nights without school, I’m the first to go to bed. But I digress. One routine has remained. And it happens because of my youngest child asking for it every night before she goes to bed.  Will You Pray With Me? It’s prayer. Every night she asks us to pray with her. Now I’m not saying she’s more spiritual than her siblings. She would say that, but I’m not saying that.  In fact, the manner in which she sometimes asks us to pray reveals it. Feels more like her ticket to sleep than an actual desire ...

Have you ever come across someone who was really bold, but not necessarily in the good way? It's the person you agreed to give a ride to, and along the way they ask you if they can make a second stop. It's someone asking for money and then you watch them spend it on something they didn't need. It could be the child who comes to the dinner table and announces why they don't like what you cooked. Maybe it is the people who refuse to help, yet criticize the work being done.  The nerve of some people, right? It's the guy being crucified next to God. This guy being crucified for being a thief. Yeah, the guy who, according to Roman rule, deserved to be there. We're given no indication that this guy, this thief, had anyone there who was about to miss him. That guy. He turns to Jesus and asks if he can get into Heaven.  Can you believe that? via GIPHY The only thing more incredible than his request is the answer he receives from Jesus.  Yes. Ye...

I’m almost an adult.  I’m sure I’m not the first parent in history who is sick of hearing that phrase. For those who may not have experienced such a thrill, it happens when your child is seventeen and decides the rules and limitations you have placed on them should no longer apply.  Because, after all, they are almost an adult. What’s So Special About Eighteen? Ah, eighteen, that magical age when you suddenly become capable of making every decision for yourself. Why? Because the government, that institution we trust with so many important decisions, declares you to be an adult. After all, you’re able to die for your country. You’re qualified to help decide the next leader of our nation. And you can smoke.  Welcome to the club! You’re an adult! Woohoo! You’re now free and independent, with no authority left to rule over you and give you any restrictions. No authority except for landlords, bosses, police officers, and the aforementioned government o...

Here is how some conversations with myself go.  Me: I should post a new article on my blog a couple of times each week. Also me: You haven’t posted an article in over a month! Me: This time could be different. I could be more focused. Sarcastic me: Yep, because that’s how life works.  Really Sarcastic Me: Please hurry because dozens of people are waiting on pins and needles to hear your thoughts.  The really sarcastic me can often be quite mean. And, to be honest, some conversations with myself are way worse than this one.  The truth is, I have no promises to myself, nor guarantees to you, on how often I am going to post. An honest review of my posts reveals too many that start with “Wow, it’s been a while since I posted...remember when I said I wanted to write?”  Here is what I am telling myself, while pushing the mean and sarcastic voices down. I have something to say. I have something to offer. Encouragement, hope, insight. S...

As parents, we've all been there. We tell our child to do something and they ask why. Everyone knows what words are about to come out of the parent's mouth.  Because I said so .  We can debate forever if that reasoning should be sufficient or not. The fact is we say it. I say it, and then I preach to my kids about respect and obedience and when I was a perfect child.  So why do the kids ask for a reason? Why do the teenagers bore us with their litany of reasons of how we're old, our ideas are outdated, we're short and not that good at basketball? Yeah, my teenagers have found some specific talking points in their arguments to try and get me to let them have their way.  Why do they think they're so smart? Actually, I'm trying to get my children to write a book. (Cue sarcastic music so you know I'm about to spew a heavy dose.) If they would give me time to grab a pen and some paper, I could jot down some of their pearls of wisdom. They mak...

I’m not a big fan of birds. It’s not that I dislike them. I just don’t get thrilled at bird-watching. Unless you’re showing me a video of some giant bird on a National Geographic show that is about to do something in keeping with their place in the food chain. I’ll watch that. Or Big Bird, from Sesame Street. He was always pretty cool.  But bird-watching? I’m not about naming or classifying, or really even caring about birds. A few summers ago my wife bought a bird feeder and placed it near our big picture window. Apparently she wanted to help feed the neighborhood chipmunks and squirrels. She also likes to see the different kinds of birds that would come along.  I should mention something else. My wife keeps the big window clean, so several times a month we’ll hear a bird run into the window. It’s like a Windex commercial. Sometimes they shake their heads and fly away. A few times we’ve seen birds fly in so fast that I get to remind my kids of that Bible verse where ...

Jonathan McKee writes about teens, he writes for teens and he does a fantastic job writing to teens. There are countless resources out there for youth ministry and for teens in general.  And if ever there was a bracket challenge to decide who has written the greatest resources for teens, McKee would be the Duke of teen resources. Unless Duke surprisingly got beat. Then he'd be one of the other top teams you'd expect to see in a Final Four.  Wow, that illustration got away from me quick, but here's the point. Jonathan has done his research and he knows how to write and speak so teens, youth leaders, and parents of teens will listen. And you should be listening, because he brings his best every single time. His latest book, The Guy's Guide to Four Battle Every young Man Must Face: A Manual to Overcoming Life's Common Distractions, is another winner.  This one is written directly at teen guys about, you guessed it, four battles every young man (and old ...

In Luke 7, we read about Jesus having dinner with a Pharisee. There's a lesson to be had there, because I rarely eat with those whom I disagree, but that may be part of the problem we see in our politically divided country today. But I digress.  On this occasion, dinner was interrupted by a woman, known to be sinful, coming in and anointing Jesus  with perfume and then crying all over His feet. What's telling is what Luke wants us to remember about this story, because he focuses on the subsequent conversation between the Pharisee and Jesus and not the awkwardness of a woman interrupting dinner to wash the feet of a dinner guest with her tears and her hair. But the bigger problem is that I imagine most of us read this story and say something like, I need to love God more. While this is true, what we really need is to understand how depraved we really are. I'm convinced if we understood the depth of our depravity, we would be moved to chase after God more than we ar...

I've said that I'm ok with being unknown, or insignificant, in the eyes of the world around me. The truth is probably closer to me dealing with the fact that I am relatively unknown and then using that reality to spiritualize it. Ah, what a twisted web we weave, rarely comprehending that the one we deceive is ourselves.  Nevertheless, reading the stories of the Bible and attempting to learn from the mistakes of others is helpful. Recently I was reading from Luke 19. Luke says the people referred to Zack as a notorious sinner. 1 Notorious. Zack wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill sinner. He was famous for sinning. Yeah, you and I might sin, but Zack sinned with flair. It was almost like an anti-spiritual gift, he was so famous for it. The people grumbled that Jesus would choose to go and dine with Zack. After all, who we choose to spend our time with says something about us, right? My mom used to tell me that I was most like the people I like the most. I’m not t...