Right And Wrong Is Black And White -- or Gray?

Let me be honest ... I am totally stealing this from a friend of mine who sent it out via e-mail. My friend does not have a blog, so I'm taking liberty to add it to mine. But my friend gets all the credit. However, since my friend refers to a "client" I do not want to reveal my friend's identity.

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I was just reading an excerpt from a client's "core values" statement, which is probably fairly similar to many of corporate America's value statements. Under integrity, it says "There are no gray areas between right and wrong."

And I got to thinking - (I don't have a blog so this is my version) - that statement is totally contradictory to many Americans' personal views. But somehow when you bring the concept of right and wrong into the workplace, there's a different standard than when it refers to your personal life. But the workplace is obviously made up of these individuals who apply the gray concept to many personal moral issues - so how can the 2 coexist??

Interesting.

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Check out this screen capture from the NBC Olympics website.

I think it's safe to say that NBC and Coca-Cola are more than just a little biased toward the good ol' US of A when it comes to coverage of the Olympics.

I mean ... wow.

Support Dee

Many of you know Susan Mayoli -- a wonderful Christian sister here in the singles ministry at Houston's First Baptist Church. One of Susan's sisters in Kenya -- Dee -- is battling breast cancer.

We've set up a special blog containing e-mail updates from Dee sent over the past few months. What an incredible spirit this woman has! Not all of the e-mails have been posted yet (it's a work in progress). And now, Dee and Susan have been given access to the blog so they may be posting their own posts soon.

The blog is simply called Support Dee. I've put a link to it over there in the right margin under "My other blogs ..." so you can easily get to it at anytime.

Please keep Dee in your prayers, and be sure to post any encouraging words you may have for her on the blog!

Open For Business

For those of you who frequent the halls of Houston's First Baptist Church, you are welcome to drop by my office now anytime! I am located on the 2nd floor in the Education Suite right in the middle of the "Hall Of Pastors" -- between B. F. Riley and Joseph Leonard Gross. If you know where the Connection Center is on the 1st floor, we are basically right above that.

Being a sucker for history and heritage, I did some quick googling on the two men mentioned above. I've come up short on information about Dr. Gross. However, the caption under his picture here in the hallway says that the idea for the Star of Hope mission began during a prayer meeting in his office. He was also active in the founding of the Baptist Hospital, which later became the Memorial Hospital System and is now the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.

My googling was more productive for B. F. Riley. Here's an excerpt from an article in the Baptist Standard commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1900 hurricane in Galveston:

The building of First Baptist Church of Houston was destroyed. Pastor B.F. Riley had come to the church only a week earlier. At the time, the church had a membership of about 575 and a building valued at $37,000.

In the Sept. 13 Baptist Standard, Riley reported that wind and rain battered Houston and his church for 10 to 12 hours.

"Houses are demolished, and the streets are barricaded with beams, bricks and stones, trees, telegraph poles and wires," he wrote. "Among the wrecked buildings is the Baptist church. The steeple in falling carried away the whole south end of the building. The remainder is practically useless for service. Our people have suffered severely. ... I have never seen more universal desolation."

At the time, First Baptist Church of Houston was the largest in Union Baptist Association, which then listed 27 churches and covered a vast area, including Galveston.

An Extraordinary Life

I wanted to share a few moments from Marge Caldwell's memorial service today. These are some of the highlights that really stuck out to me:

• Dr. John Bisagno, HFBC Pastor Emeritus, led the Welcome and Remembrances. He said that when Marge got to heaven, they tried to give her some wings to reward her for her years of service -- but she turned those down and asked, "Could I have those gold eyelashes instead?"
  
  He reminded us that Marge served on two Pastor Search Committees at HFBC -- the one that brought us Bro. John and the one that brought us Pastor Gregg. When Marge showed up in heaven, he said, her daughter probably greeted her and asked, "What now, Mom? Looking for another pastor?"
  
  Bro. John pointed out that while everybody referred to her as Marge, Chuck called her Margie. Then, he led us all in singing the song, "Margie" written over 60 years ago:
  
  Margie, I'm always thinking of you, Margie
  I'll tell the world I love you
  Don't forget your promise to me
  I have thought of home and ring and everything.
  
  For Margie, you've been my inspiration
  Days are never blue
  After all is said and done there is really only one
  And Margie, Margie it's you.
  
  Finally, Bro. John was joined on stage by his wife, Uldine, and they sang a duet for Chuck -- "Walkin' along, singin' a song, side by side!"
  
  
• Jeannette Clift George, founder of A. D. Players, spoke about "An Extraordinary Friend." She shared how Marge was instrumental in bringing her back into the Christian life and how for so long she tried to be just like Marge. At one conference, Jeannette said she caught herself telling people about her beloved husband, Chuck! Jeannette encouraged us to have a "Marge day" -- to live out Hebrews 13:3 and "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today."
  
  
• Beth Moore, Bible teacher and author, spoke about "An Extraordinary Mentor." Marge was the person who first invited Beth to speak at a women's retreat, and encouraged her -- many times -- to pursue teaching and speaking. She pointed out that she had not lived one day of her ministry without Marge being in her life -- until now.
  
  Toward the end of the service, when the slide show was playing, Beth went down and sat with Chuck on the front steps of the Worship Center so he could see the show up close on the monitor. I could see them whispering things to each other as each new picture came up -- and laughing more than a few times, too.
  
  
• Gregg Matte, HFBC Pastor, delivered the message. He pointed out that there were many funerals going on throughout the city today, and most of them would focus on the "who" -- who the person was. Marge's memorial service helped us understand the "why" behind "who" she was -- her relationship with Jesus Christ.
  
  Gregg said that when he first began to think about this service, he was drawn to Psalm 116:15, which says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." But as he prepared, he turned the page of his Bible and saw Psalm 118:13-14:
  
  I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.
  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
  
  Gregg shared how Marge had been "pushed back" so many times in her life -- including the final weeks of her life. But just as she had helped so many people, the LORD helped her -- and she knew it.
  
  Finally, Gregg shared that in recent weeks, the HFBC Counseling Center staff met and talked about what they were looking forward to in 2006. Marge, a member of the staff, shared that she wanted to become more like Jesus. Referring to how much Marge already looked so much like Christ, Gregg asked us, "What could Marge possibly share in an accountability group?" When Marge told her husband Chuck her goal for 2006, he wisely advised her that that would mean she would have to endure more suffering. Shortly after that, they were in the car wreck.
  
  So not only did he talk about the "why" behind the "who," but he explained the "how" as well, presenting the Gospel message and inviting people to come and talk with any of the folks on the stage after the service.
  
  
• Following a slide show set to Mark Schultz's "Remember Me", Bro. John closed us in prayer and then had everybody to reach across the aisles and hold hands as we sang, "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" -- a former tradition at the end of each service at HFBC:
  
  There's a sweet sweet spirit in this place
  And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord
  
  There are sweet expressions on each face
  And I know that it's the presence of the Lord
  
  Sweet Holy Spirit
  Sweet heavenly dove
  Stay right here with us
  Filling us with your love
  
  And for these blessings
  We lift our hearts in praise
  Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived
  When we shall leave this place

If anybody else reading this attended the service, feel free to share the moments that you remember! I know there were many, many more!

Kiefer Sutherland Will Not Die

Watching 24 on Fox is a ride like none other on TV. Even though I have only seen the first season (on DVD), I can attest to the (literally) minute-by-minute roller-coaster of a ride that the show is. Plot twists. Double agents. Accidents. Bad guys behind every corner. You never know what is going to happen next.

But there is one thing that you do know. Kiefer Sutherland will not die.

Kiefer plays Jack Bauer, the star of the show. Each season, for 24 hours, we follow him through the minute-by-minute action of one horrific scenario. Presidential assassinations. Nuclear bombs. Terrorists threats. He has dealt with all of them (and more).

But Kiefer Sutherland will not die.

Why? Because he is the star of the show. As I watched the show on DVD with some friends, you could feel the tension in the room each time Kiefer was in a sticky situation. Chalk it up to great writing and production -- we were on the edge of our seats.

But Kiefer Sutherland will not die.

I guess the same could be said about James Bond films ... or anything starrring Harrison Ford. We know 007 isn't gonna get knocked off, and Harrison's whole career is based on being the tough guy who comes out on top. There is great freedom in knowing that. Your focus switches from being worried about the star to being thrilled by the story.

That's what the Christian life is like, too.

We know how the story ends. While we will actually die a physical death, as believers we know where we are going. There is nothing to fear! We will not truly die! Our focus switches (or should switch) from being worried about our lives to being thrilled by the story -- the eternal story unfolding around us each day, minute-by-minute. Talk about freedom!

The next time your find yourself dwelling on your self, remember this -- Kiefer Sutherland will not die!

Tribute to Marge

The HFBC Counseling Center has posted a great tribute to Marge on the HFBC website. Be sure to check it out!

Services for Marge

The Caldwell family will be having a private family burial for Marge at some point this week.

The visitation is on Thursday at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home (13001 Katy Freeway) from 5-9 pm. The memorial service will be in the HFBC Worship Center on Friday at 12 noon. The memorial service is open to the public.

Her obituary can be found in the Houston Chronicle, along with a Guest Book where people have already begun to post comments about what Marge meant to them -- as well as messages for Chuck.

I Can Only Imagine!

My first day on staff at Houston's First Baptist Church was Marge Caldwell's last day on Earth.

There is something poetic in that for me.

As a freshman at Baylor University, I was introduced to Marge when she spoke during Welcome Week as the keynote speaker for the "Social" general session.

(For those not familiar with Welcome Week, it was based on the concept of the whole person with the theme verse of Luke 2:42 -- "Jesus grew in wisdom (intellectual) and stature (physical), and in favor with God (spiritual) and men (social).")

For the next three years, I always looked forward to Marge returning to Waco to tell us about her love for Chuck, how they met, and the importance of relationships in our lives. That an elderly woman could have 2,500+ freshmen wrapped around her little finger simply amazed me.

My senior year, I served on the Welcome Week Steering Committee and had the privilege of taking Marge and Chuck to dinner before her general session. What an amazing couple! My parents were there and they still remember that dinner -- the one and only time my folks ever met the Caldwells.

Marge's joy and love for Christ encouraged me each time I heard her speak during my years at Baylor, and again each time I heard her speak during my years here at HFBC. Since I was always skeptical of large churches -- and even the Baptist denomination -- I was reluctant to ever come to HFBC. The fact that someone like Marge Caldwell called this place home made it more inviting to me. Something must be real at HFBC, I thought, if someone like her could call it home.

As I type this, Mercy Me's hit song "I Can Only Imagine" is on the radio. What is Marge doing right now? Dancing? Being still? Standing? Falling? Singing? Silent?

I can only imagine ... but if I were a betting man, my money would be on dancing ... and laughing!

My First Day

My first day at Houston's First Baptist Church was February 6. Thanks for your prayers as I've walked through the process of starting this new job -- rather, this new ministry. It's great to work at a place where you are prayed over three times before noon on your first day!

I am in a temporary office with a temporary laptop and do not have too much work to do just yet other than getting to know my team and how things work -- which is plenty of work in and of itself! After 8 years at HFBC, I know a good number of the staff members already. Learning how we all work together and what my role is in the mix -- that's another story.

When I logged on to my church e-mail account today for the first time, I had 128 items in my inbox. Since today is just my second day, I was leary of e-mail traffic that rivaled both of my last two jobs -- combined! But, as it turns out, my e-mail was added to the church staff distribution list weeks ago so those 128 e-mails were 3 weeks' worth of traffic. Not bad.

For those of you who attend HFBC, let me say this ... even in just the two days that I've been here, I have been tremendously blessed by the warmth of the other staff members, the excitement and passion they have about their jobs, and the desire they have to make improvements where needed (especially as it relates to communications). As a lay member, I've always had great respect for our church staff. Now, from a "behind the scenes" viewpoint, it's great to see just how well-deserved that respect truly is!

My Last Day

My last day of making cancer history at M. D. Anderson was January 27. Thanks to all of you who prayed for me that day so I wouldn't "lose it" like I thought I would. No tears were shed on my part, but there were a few from my co-workers. And I have to admit that I choked up as I walked out of the building for the last time. M. D. Anderson is a phenomenal place and I had the privilege or working with a talented and fun team.

For my "farewell" party, co-workers really went all out. In the background, there was a slide show of pictures from throughout the past few years, accompanied by well-selected music. My co-workers had picked up on things I had said in the last few weeks and built a "soundtrack" for the occasion with songs I liked or that had special meaning -- such as "Hail To The Chief" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and "We Got The FUnk" and more.

For food, there were two bowls of punch -- one gold and one green (Sic 'Em Bears!). The cake was red, white and blue and was set up in front of the "SWM 2008" poster from my surprise birthday party in 2003 (which I had kept in my office ever since).

For a memento, they had people sign a book or send in stories or well wishes that they compiled into a scrapbook for me. Not knowing they were going to do that, I brough my white labcoat for people to sign -- the labcoat that I kept in my office and threatened to put on any time I needed respect or authority. (That's a "hospital thing" if you don't get the joke.)

So ... my last day was a good day. Until the last 10 minutes.

As I was finishing up the mass-deletion of files and programs off my laptop, I accidentally deleted several important folders -- not just files, but folders filled with files. It was about 6:00 pm on a Friday when this happened, so everybody else had already left for the weekend. So, on Monday, as I was on the road to my "pre-sabbatical" in the Hill Country, I called the tech guy and asked if we had a backup of the files. We did. Thank God. My reputation was spared!

Doodle #1

Here's a doodle from Monica Roberts.

Great Things

My head hangs low today, my friends, in shame and disgrace.

January 20, 2006, has come and gone and I forgot to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ronald Wilson Reagan's inauguration.

Can you forgive me?

While we're on the subject of Reagan, let me share one of my favorite quotes of his. He spoke these words in his final address to the nation from the Oval Office on January 11, 1989:

"I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things."

I take those words to heart as I begin my new role at HFBC. God is doing great things in our church. I think all of us who go there can attest to that! What a joy it will be to have "great things" to communicate -- to have "great things" that almost speak for themselves!

Doodle Time!

If you were like me as a child, you used to pass time away in church by doodling on the bulletin. And now, if you are like me as a grown up, you are actually interested in hearing the message each Sunday and are focused on trying to write down each thought and nugget of truth.

Therefore, you have no time for doodling on Sundays.

Well, now's your chance. If you attended HFBC this past Sunday and did not get a chance to doodle, simply right click on the picture above, copy it, paste it into Microsoft PowerPoint or Photo Editor, print it out, and doodle your heart out. Glasses, hats, warts -- the sky's the limit. Consider it my gift to you.

When you're done, e-mail your doodlings back to me so I can share 'em with others.

And for those you who like to know "the rest of the story," here's the original picture taken with Dinah (and Dave) at Dustin and Megan's wedding reception.

"The End of The Spear"

A friend forwarded the following e-mail to me and asked me to put it on my blog. I am flattered to think that my blog came to mind as a way to help reach 100,000 people! ;-)

But before you read the e-mail or see the movie, I wanted to bring up another point that may go unnoticed by most media. The actor cast as Nate Saint (martyred in the movie) and Steve Saint (his son who maintains a ministry with the Waodani tribe) is Chad Allen, an openly homosexual activist.

Now, I am not bringing this up in an attempt to turn people against the film -- not at all. Rather, I think it offers an interesting item for discussion for believers. What impact, if any, will his involvement in the film have on its message? For an editorial on this topic, refer to this article I found by doing a simple Google search.

OK ... so, here's the e-mail:

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A major film, called End Of The Spear, opens today, January 20. It depicts the effects of the Grace of God in very powerful and spectacular ways.

The story begins in 1956, when five Christian missionaries (Jim Elliot was among them) gave their lives in an Ecuadorian jungle, attempting to bring the gospel to the Waodani stone-age people. At that time they were the most violent tribe on Earth – and yet they became the most loving and peaceful!

The missionaries made friendly contact, but something went terribly wrong. The Waodani speared them to death. A tragedy? Yes, but God turns everything to good, for the blessing of many and for His glory, and this was no exception. God used this tragedy to motivate more people to become missionaries than any other event in modern history – perhaps ever. He also used two women to complete the work of the five martyred missionaries, bringing the Waodani to himself.

So the deaths of those five men did more to advance the kingdom of God than their lives ever could.

It is a major motion picture (production cost $12 million) that tells the story of God's Grace from the perspective of the Waodoni. Beginning today, End Of The Spear will be shown in theaters across the United States. If it does well it will be accepted by many other theaters, but it must do well right from the start. We can help make the film do well. We can work together to get at least 100,000 people to see the film on January 20th.

How? Very simple. This e-mail is going to hundreds of addresses, many in America. Our connections are endless! So, if each of us were to pass this e-mail on to just 10 others (some can share it with hundreds!), and each of them did the same, our goal of getting 100,000 people to see the film on January 20 would be reached easily -- and likely greatly surpassed!

Just forward this e-mail to 10 caring friends. Let's make End Of The Spear a great success! To learn more about the film visit: http://www.daretomakecontact.com/

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Extreme Makeover: H-Town Edition

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is in H-Town this week building a much-needed home for a much-deserving family.

The picture here shows the Kubena family -- John and Monica (on the left) and their identical twins, Sara and Tara. Both girls are battling Leukemia and are being treated at H-Town's own Texas Children's Hospital.

Unfortunately, all of the volunteer slots are taken. But there are still ways to help out if you're interested -- especially financially. The goal is to raise $150,000 to help cover the family's medical bills.

(OK, so East Bernard ain't exactly H-Town and is located outside more loops than I care to count. But it's closer to H-Town than Dallas, so we win.)

Flingin' My Green And Gold Afar

At HFBC on January 15, Pastor Gregg pointed out that the First Edition was printed in burnt orange in honor of the Longhorns' national championship. Being the devout Aggie that he is, he pointed out that he had nothing to do with the color choice. As pastor of the church, he does not micromanage down to the color of ink used in our weekly newsletter -- and rightfully so.

This week's First Edition is in maroon ink. It features an announcement about three new HFBC staff members -- myself included. With pictures, no less.

Me in maroon. Yes, I went to A&M for graduate school, but to this day I still have no idea where my diploma is. I remember seeing it last at my parents' house at some point rolled up in the tube it came in. A&M is a great school (yes, I said it), but my loyalties lie up the road about 90 miles at dear ol' Baylor.

So, beginning February 6, you can expect to see the First Edition in green. A lot. Sic 'em!

Do You Get It?

Some people categorize their friends like they categorize clothes. I have my good weather dress shoes and my rainy weather dress shoes. I have my normal pants and, um, -- let's just say my "new normal" pants.

For the most part, I have used late-night TV to categorize my friends. I have those who prefer Leno and those who prefer Letterman. Of course, I'm not sure which host all of my friends actually prefer. But when the truth comes to light, I file away that nugget of information for future use.

Now I have a new method of categorization: those who get "The Office" and those who do not.

I understand that there is a difference between liking it and getting it. I know people who get it, but do not like it. I am OK being seen with these people in public, even though they make me sad. But I also know people who do not like it because they do not get it. I am not OK with these folks. They trouble me.

I have heard rumors of people who do not get it but who actually like it. Do they know that they do not get it, but continue to watch it in hopes of figuring it out? Or do they not even know that they do not get it and are simply attracted to the show for reasons other than the humor? If you happen to be one of these people, let me know. I want to study you.

If you are a friend of mine and are reading this, let me reassure you -- I do not use these categorizations to judge your value as a person. They simply give me guidance on how best to communicate with you.

For example, I can interact with those who prefer Letterman and who get "The Office" much like a husband and wife who have been married for 47 years. A simple glance and a well-timed "uh-huh" can convey more meaning than an hour's worth of dialogue. When talking with someone who prefers Leno and who does not get "The Office", I try to speak slowly, use small words and keep my jokes on the 2nd grade level.

It would help me out a great deal if you could let me know how best to categorize you. Regarding "The Office" on NBC, which of the following best describes you?

(A) Get it / Like it
(B) Get it / Don't like it
(C) Don't get it / Like it
(D) Don't get it / Don't like it

Marathon Sunday

The list of spiritual lessons to be learned from running a marathon is long and well-known. God showed me many of them when I ran the Houston marathon several years ago, and they have remained with me ever since. Run the race marked out for you. Keep your eyes on the prize. You've heard 'em all before.

Well, I ran in the marathon again yesterday.

Notice, I did not say that I ran the marathon. I ran in the marathon. In fact, I ran in it three times -- once with Ross Culbertson, once with Lincoln Goodwin and once with Julie Abrahams as they each passed by mile marker 22 near my house.

And again, God used the moment for spiritual lessons and illustrations. But these were new ones for me since I saw the marathon from a different point of view.

I ran with Ross for about a quarter mile at the most. As I was running with him, I was encouraging him and asking him how he was feeling. He was doing great. Then, he asked me how I was doing and told me that I was looking good! Me -- the guy who had only been running for 2 minutes. After about 3 minutes, I wished him well and bowed out of the race.

When Lincoln came along, I jumped back into the race to run with him. I played the role of "encouraging friend" again as we went along for a little over a quarter mile (now that I was warmed up, I could go farther). Like Ross, he gave me feedback on how I was doing in my 4 minute contribution to his 4+ hour journey.

Then came Julie. We had received word from a friend that she was not having a good run, but when she reached our cheering section she was in good spirits. Several of us jumped in to run with her and to do our best to encourage her. We followed her lead -- running when she ran, walking when she walked. Having run a marathon before, I understand how well-intentioned friends may be toward the end of the race when they do their best to get you to pick up the pace. And I know how annoying that can be. With Julie, we just followed her pace.

So what did this illustrate to me? What lessons were learned or reinforced? I'm glad you asked.

(1) We have to prepare to run the race -- even the little ones. If you add it all up, I still ran less than one mile. But come Monday morning (heck, even Sunday night), I was more sore than I had been in years. Muscles that I forgot I had were killing me (in fact, they still are). That's what I get for jumping in and pushing my body beyond what it was ready to do. No stretching. No warming up. No water. A belly full of coffee and coffee cake. Even in little "races" such as my stint in the marathon, we have to be prepared. As we go about our lives and come across the deceptively easy "races" we take on, we have to be ready for what it will take. Are we prayed up? Are we biblically grounded? Are we seeking God's direction? Training comes before the race -- not during the race.

(2) We need to encourage others running the race. Ross and Lincoln had 22 miles under their belt by the time I joined them. Clearly, they had a big goal that day -- one that they had been training for for months. The end was in sight, just 4.2 miles away. But they asked me how I was doing -- the guy who was new to the race, who hadn't trained at all. That's how mature believers need to be with newer ones. We need to take time out to turn our attention toward newer believers -- or believers who are struggling -- and ask about their journeys. Even in the midst of our greatest challenges, we can find ways to encourage those around us.

(3) We need to meet people where they are. That's what we did with Julie. We met her where she was and encouraged her in the progress she was making. She had already covered 22 miles! We were well-rested and ready to go. She was well-worn and ready to go home (her words, not mine). Our task was to come alongside her and show our support -- not to push her beyond her limits or to a pace she wasn't ready to run. That's how it is with other believers, too. Meet them where they are in their relationship with the Lord and walk with them -- or run if they're on fire and hungry for more! Don't slow them down -- and don't push them past what they can handle.


Hmmmm ... maybe I need to train for the 2007 race?

Change Of Plans

Things have changed since I told you about my new job.

As it turns out, my last day at M. D. Anderson will be Friday, January 27 -- one week later than originally planned. My first day at HFBC will be Monday, February 6. We just needed more time to transition things at M. D. Anderson.

And, of course, this allows more time for my team members to plan my farewell party. Good times!