JRMITCH85 Faith, Hope, Ramblings

Thankfulness

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

Many people like to refer to this day as “Black Friday”, because of all the shopping that goes on, and stores go into “the black” for the year, but I really wish we would just focus on the things that we have to be thankful for this year.

I am thankful for my family, for the friends that are so close that they are family, and for the people that have impacted my life in special ways. I am thankful for a job, and a roof over my head. I am thankful for all sorts of provision that has guided and guarded me in the past year. I am thankful that I live in this country, and I am free to speak my mind, and free to move, and free from many of the world’s vulnerabilities. Most of all, I am thankful that I have a relationship with a loving God that loves me more than I will ever know.

I appreciate Advent as we enter after thanksgiving. Let us prepare for the arrival of the King of Kings, by being thankful that the Lord of Lords has given us so much for which to be thankful. Let us think about those things as we enter into this season.

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Happy Birthday

Three years ago, I became a father to a little boy, therefore I want to wish him a very happy birthday! As I woke up this morning I listened to him singing, “Happy Birthday”, and I was overjoyed, as I joined in. I asked him about his birthday, and what he was going to do, and he responded with “party” and “presents”.

Today there is a party, as today we celebrate and mark the passage of a year, and we remember that we all have been blessed by his life. We celebrate also by giving gifts, where we further are blessed by watching the exuberant joy that he exudes by the prospect of all of the fun he is going to have with his new toys.

I am blessed, and on this day as we mark another year, and we give presents, I am reminded that the one, triune God, gives us greater gifts. My son is a wonderful blessing that reminds me on a daily basis that God loved me enough to give me life, and he loved me enough to grant me the responsibility of being a parent. Thank you, I will try and worship you through this day, seeking to glorify You by being the best dad I can through the power of the Holy Spirit!

JRMITCH85 Ramblings

Big Game Friday!

The overcast weather reminds me of living in Berkeley, chilly, but not cold. It’s shorts and sweatshirt weather! I love it! It couldn’t happen on a better day either, it is Big Game Friday! (Is he talking about sports?) Yes it is a football game, but on the UC Berkeley and stanfurd campuses, this is more than just a game. This game embodies the rivalry between the two prestigious institutions of higher learning. Every year the two teams compete for “The Axe”.

I can’t speak about the mood on “the farm”, but the Berkeley campus is buzzing during the week, as many of the Fall Athletic teams schedule their games with stanfurd during Big Game week and they have their own nicknames, Big Spike, Big Splash, Big (fill-in-the-blank). With so many of the teams they measure the success or failure of their season based on the results from these games.

Similarly, as academic institutions, the programs care about where they are ranked overall, but they especially care about where they are ranked with respect to one another. The competition drives each other to achieve more and become better than they were. The competition helps each side from falling into complacent behaviors. Thus in that way, rivalry helps make each other than we might have been.

There  are unhealthy aspects to rivalry as well. I admit I have been involved in a few situations where property damage occurred, and I have not always been the greatest witness to the transforming power of Christ during times when the Bears were facing off against the cardinal. In such instances, rivalry brings us down to our lowest level and we spew the ugliest parts of ourselves to bring the other down.

Hopefully, we can accentuate the best parts of rivalry, and minimize the effects of worst parts.

I am excited that I get to go up to Berkeley this weekend and watch the Big Game this year. I will root on the Mighty Golden Bears to pull off an upset. Go Bears!

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Is he still talking about sports?

I realize that much of the time, when I look for a sermon illustration, my default is usually in the world of sports. This is probably because most of my free time is spent following or watching some form of athletic endeavor. This isn’t understood by everyone, nor is it even remotely a universal experience. In fact I remember many times when I was younger my grandmother would ask me why I was always sitting watching basketball or football or SportsCenter, and I could only respond, “I like sports!”

However, there is a lot more to life than sports, and especially in a group of diverse interests, going to the sports well again and again is ill advised. In order to reach the largest number of people, a more accessible illustration is probably the better option. It’s not that I will never use “the sports”, but I know I will work hard to find an alternative connection point. I think that is what God requires of me. Teach the Word, and teach it in the most accessible manner possible!

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No Electricity

It is hard to imagine what it would be like with no electricity. Shortly after I woke up this morning, the power company shut off the power to make upgrades, replace hardware, something…

I never realized how much in my morning routine is dependent on electricity. If only I could ensure that I was as reliant upon God in the morning, I am sure that I would be better off each day. We take so many things for granted that can be taken away, but God doesn’t leave us or forsake us.

Maybe I should have plugged into the Almighty rather than find a Starbucks for its wifi so I can send this blog.

JRMITCH85 Ramblings

Picture Day

Today was picture day. My son went in very dashing with his hair styled, thanks to mom. This is a moment that gets captured in time,  a moment that we can look back and see him forever just as he was a week before he turns three. It is a time of excitement, because it is another picture, which serves as a reminder that God is blessing my life. As I walk down the hall, this new picture will serve as an important reminder that God is good!

My earliest memory of picture day was sometime in elementary school, probably 3rd or 4th Grade, and I was simply excited to get the comb they handed out to everyone to make sure our hair was alright. Other than the comb, there wasn’t really any excitement behind the day. However, now as I look back at the pictures on my parents’ wall I am reminded that I am important, I am loved, and I come from somewhere. This is a reminder that God’s provision for me is not only in the immediate past and future, but I have a history that I can look back upon to see that God has loved me through my family.

Similarly, in the Old Testament, we hear of the building of altars. These were their pictures, reminders that God watched over them, helped them out, and/or saved them from trouble. They could go back and look at these sites and recall how God helped them out. No matter what, GOD loved them! God loves you too!

JRMITCH85 Character, Ramblings

Happy Veterans’ Day 2010

I am proud to thank all of those who have put so much on the line. I am thankful that men and women have willingly signed up for our armed forces. I am thankful for generations past, that have laid their lives on the line so that we can walk in freedom. I am thankful for so many who have sought the greater gain of society above their own personal gain. To all men and women who have answered the call of service, I freely grant you my sincerest gratitude.

I pray for the day when these brave souls no longer have to put their lives in danger. I pray for their safety today. I pray a blessing upon all of their families, and I thank them for their sacrifices as well. Let us all take a moment to pray for those who have given us so much, and those who continue to give.

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Ramblings

Illness Ignored

I am just getting over an illness that I could not understand, nor could I kick it until I decided that I needed to change the way I was living to allow my body to fight it properly. I went about my day, working and playing as if nothing was wrong, staying up late, eating whatever sounded good to me at the time, and not paying any mind that my stomach was upset, and living in this manner aggravated the symptoms, and I felt worse. Eventually, I got tired of feeling sick, and realized that if I wanted to get better, I would have to alter the way I was living, and maybe even go see a doctor. (Strangely enough, even at 31 years of age, I still have an uneasy feeling about going to see the doctor.) Eventually, I stopped eating whatever, and went on a diet of foods that were easy on the stomach, I went to bed earlier, I rested when I could, and I gave my body a fighting chance against whatever the bug that was attacking my system. Now, I feel better, and am taking it easy, sort of.

I missed the opportunity to truly enjoy spending time with my son, because I wanted to be able to just fight through this sickness. Because I fought taking a step back, I ended up going through the motions in our play and not fully engaging in the way I want to engage him. If I just would have taken a day to allow my body to rest, I’m not saying it would have been better immediately, but I wouldn’t have just been “blah” in the precious time he and I had together.

Many things in life are like this illness. Whether it is our habits, routines, addictions, lust, sloth, our current emotional state, mental health, physical health, any number of vices, or our lack of spiritual well-being, all of these can contribute to our illness. This illness affects the type of person we are with our loved ones, it affects our ability to work, and eventually it breaks down our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies, until we are defined by our illness. It starts with something manageable, with something that doesn’t rule us, but because we convince ourselves that we can control it, we lose control without ever knowing when we have reached that tipping point.

So many things get in the way of being the best us! Whether it is something that happens to us, or something we do to ourselves or others, we are susceptible to contracting this illness. When it eventually hits us, and it will hit us, what is our response going to be? Are we going to try to just live our lives as if we are in control of the symptoms? This is our pride surfacing. Most All of the time, we have an out. We need a doctor to guide us through the maze, to help protect us from ourselves. We are not able to do this on our own. A change needs to happen, and Jesus is here for us, so let’s not ignore the fact that He chose to dine with us, not the scribes and pharisees. (Mark 2:16-17, Matthew 9:11-13)

We are all sick, don’t ignore it, dine with the Physician tonight.

JRMITCH85 Decisions

With One Hand Tied

Yesterday, as I was playing with my son at the park, he insisted that we bring his football along. With this I clearly had no issue, and pride bubbled over in my heart. He carried his ball around with him throwing it around and yelling, “Touchdown!” The only problem came when he decided he wanted to play on the equipment, climbing the stairs, and going down the slides, he wanted to take his ball. While he has a high level of coordination, many of the playground elements require two hands. I implored him to drop the ball so he could use both hands, but he refused because he wanted to keep the ball with him on the slide.

I think many of us go through life like this. We want to multi-task and carry so many things with us no matter what we are doing. At times we walk through life with one hand tied behind our backs, or in the case of my son, one hand carrying a football. While we continue about our lives and daily tasks, we may not realize how much these things slow us down. Things, thoughts, worries, emotions all can slow us down, if we let any of them master us.

I am thankful that I don’t have to carry these things with me, but am frustrated that I willfully often carry more than I need or should. Let us resolve not to be mastered by the things of this world, but cling to the Almighty God, and give them over in prayer.