Dr. Visit Gone Wrong

Last week I went to the doctor for my annual physical and went through all the testing.   All the results came back good except for one test.  The doctor explained that the equipment used to do the test was not the best, and because I showed an abnormality in the test he wanted to do the same test on the more advanced equipment.  We set up the appointment and I went home not really thinking any more about it.

The day came for the test and I was taken back into the testing room with the technician.  He had me lay on the table and started the aorta scan on me.  Now, I’m normally the type that likes to have small talk while in a confined situation.  Tami will get on me for talking to people in elevators or to cab drivers and even smiling and saying hi to those kiosk salespeople in the malls.  I prefer talking over just having silence.  I remembered this technician from a previous test and we had a nice discussion, so I figured it would go the same way this time.  Instead, there was a lot of silence and it was totally different.  I was laying on the table and he was running the test and never said a word.  In that silence, my mind began wondering what he was seeing.  He was moving his wand all over my abdomen area and kept taking pictures.  After about 15 minutes of silence and pictures, I thought that he was surely going to reassure me by saying that everything looked fine but the doctor would contact me once they had the final results.  Instead he told me that I could get dressed and that the office would call me in a week with the results.

So I left the office that day wondering if there was something wrong.  What would have been so hard about giving a word of affirmation or encouragement?  I know that the technician has to be careful what he says, but at least throw me a bone.  The Bible teaches that we’re not supposed to worry, but there are days when that is much easier said than done.  I know I’m fine but it brought to my memory the many times I’ve had to pray with individuals because of the uncertainty that was happening in life.  There are things that will happen in my life that are beyond my control because my body is going to change and as I get older it will develop problems.  But in the spiritual realm I should be getting stronger.  No matter what I have to go through, I am encouraged to know that God has spiritually provided a way for me to handle it.  With the Holy Spirit living inside of me to bring God’s comfort, peace, refreshment, and whatever else I need to get through this life, I don’t have to worry about those moments of silence.  Many times those moments of silence are going to lead me to my greatest moments of victory in Christ—moments I can share with others to encourage them. 

It's Not My Fault!

I ended up in trouble with Tami last week because of not paying attention, and it made me wonder how often the same happens to each of us. One of my weekly tasks at the office is to send out Enews. Every Wednesday morning, I put together the items that are going to be promoted for that week along with a link to my blog. One of the spots is reserved for what’s happening that evening at the church so that people know how to plan.
 
Wednesday was the kickoff for Evolve and Empower, which are groups for women who attend ALC. Tami is over the women’s ministry and emailed me a reminder that they were having their Fall kickoff. I really liked what I read and decided to use it as a blurb in Enews. That’s where the problem occurred, because I didn’t read the whole thing. After she explained what was happening, she gave detailed instructions on what tasks needed to be done to prepare the rooms for the night. Those instructions were meant for the staff, not all of the church. 

I simply cut and pasted the whole paragraph in Enews. I finished getting it ready and proudly hit the “Send” button, and off it went out to the more than 300 families that receive our weekly mailing. Fewer than five minutes later, I received an email from Tami with the words, “You put the email that I sent you in the MAILCHIMP!!!!!!” I can hear her screaming those words even now as I’m writing.

My first thought was, Yes, I did. I thought it sounded really nice. But I knew I had missed something so I quickly went to my email trash folder because I had already deleted her email. I read the whole email that time. Once finished, I laughed and thought, What’s the big deal? This will be a true test to see who really reads Enews and who just glances at it. After calming Tami down – through email because I didn’t think it was the best time to talk in person – I told her that it was going to be fine and not to stress out about it.

A short time later, she received a text from someone asking if she needed to get to church early to turn on the coffee and air conditioning for the ladies, as had been mentioned in the not-for-the-church portion of the item. After I emailed Tami off the ledge a second time, she forgave me and I was able to go home to a loving wife.
 
The lesson is that if sending out an email to 300-plus people, either delete your wife from the recipients or make sure everything is proper. Tami had a good laugh and made sure all the ladies heard about it that evening.
 

The 10-Second Challenge: Are You Up To It?

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” – Romans 10:14 (ESV)

Over the past several months, thousands of individuals have risen up to accept the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS and other great causes. While I’ve done the challenge and, in fact, have been challenged to do it again, I struggle with a problem that churches battle and want to put out the 10-Second Challenge. It is based on the question, “Would you like to come to church with me?”

That’s a question that can be asked in less than 10 seconds but is very seldom asked by Christians. I believe every Christian would agree that the question needs to be asked of those in our community. We might even agree that inviting people to church is a key part of evangelism and central to the mission of any church body. Research has shown that most people actually want to be invited to church, with nine out of 10 unchurched people saying they would come to church if invited.

The problem is that we rarely ask the question. The reality is only about one in five churchgoers invite anybody to church over the course of a year. We might have someone who could be totally up for it right in front of us, practically begging us to invite them, and instead we hesitate and don’t even get the words out of our mouths.

People want to be invited to church, and they would come if we would just invite them. But we’re not doing it. There’s only one probable explanation: fear. Fear of what they’ll think of us for going, fear of what they’ll think of our church, fear of what they’ll think of us if they come and don’t like it. Truth be told, some of those fears might become reality, but that’s not a valid reason for us to deny an opportunity to share Jesus with someone.

Pastor Matt Rogers offers these eight tips for getting around the fear that has stood in your way:

1. Pray you’d have God’s heart for the lost
2. Pray for courage
3.  Pray for specific people
4. Remember your own calling
5.  Remember the Gospel
6. Trust in the power of the Gospel to save
7. Know that sharing the hope of eternity is loving
8. Know that it’s not about you

 

Don't Ignore Algae

Sunday evening I went outside to fill up our pool and noticed a layer of algae covering the walls. I was a little shocked because it had only been a few days since I’d been out to check on the pool. So I took about 20 minutes and set out to brush down all the walls and put shock into the water to kill the algae. After those 20 minutes, the walls were clean and the pool looked normal. I went out Monday evening and was pleased to see that there was no sign of any algae and the water was crystal clear!

What happened to the pool got me thinking about my life. There are those days where everything appears to be moving along perfectly. Work is good, family is good, friendships are great, and all I have to do is maintain. I can get lazy and not think anything of it. The easiest place to get lazy is with Tami because we both work and at the end of the day just want to get dinner then rest. Even though everything appears to be normal and I don’t sense any changes, it doesn’t take long and Tami notices the difference. She will start asking questions that let me know I’m getting lazy and not working at our relationship. Just as our pool seemed to be fine and a few days of neglect led to algae starting to grow, our relationship can appear to be fine but a few days of neglect will begin to affect us.

When those times happen in life, it’s important that I quickly go into action to correct the problem. Had I neglected the pool, not only would it not have gotten better, but the problem would have quickly deteriorated and grown much worse. In my relationship with Tami, my job, and with friends, the same principal applies. When there is a problem and I choose to ignore or neglect it, the problem will not just get better. The longer I ignore the situation, the worse it will get. It may take more than 20 minutes to correct, but it will be corrected much quicker by dealing with it today over ignoring it and creating a bigger mess. If you are like me, it’s not easy taking that first step to correct problems in life, but you will be happy you did when the problem is resolved.

The same thing can be said about your relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit will convict us when we are letting things creep into our lives that shouldn’t be there. Don’t ignore where God is working in your life, but respond and experience the joy that comes from being in God’s perfect will. All of us will have times where algae can creep in, but that’s just a reminder that we can’t live on cruise control.

The Gender Is???

Yesterday was a big day in the Bullard home because we were able to hear the wonderful news about the new baby that will be entering our lives next March. The “reveal” has become a big part of the pregnancy and is a very special memory for the family. It allows the entire family to voice their opinions on what they think the gender of the new baby is going to be. I have to admit, I got it wrong because I thought for sure that we would be welcoming a baby boy into the family. Truth be told, the thing that matters most is that our precious new granddaughter is born strong and healthy.

I really like the idea of families being able to celebrate the joyous times of life. When you think about all the pressure and stresses that we face each day, it’s fun to just put them aside for a few moments and celebrate the good things that happen. The “reveal” is one of those moments when we get to see how wonderful life is for us. Tami and I are blessed to have a family where there is a lot of love and support. But it doesn’t stop there for us because we get to experience that same love and support every week with the amazing church family that we have in our lives.

While experiencing such great joy I’m totally aware of those families going through difficult times. It may be a physical need, financial need, relationship need, or some other need causing a very challenging time in life. As important as it is to celebrate the good things that are happening in life, we also need to be there for those who are going through the difficult times. There have been so many occasions in life when my church family stood in the gap for me during my time of need. They prayed with me, listened to me, and just loved me. Life is not always fair, but I serve a God who is always there and who has brought an amazing family into my life. Don’t try to make it on your own but instead find encouragement in your family, at home, and at church. Reach out to those in need and show them the love of Jesus by letting them see Jesus in you.