Put my money where my eternity is.

A friend commented yesterday on his many years of working in the mortuary field . Among some pretty cool and disgusting stories he made a statement that, as a believer, made my insides hurt. He said that of all the different religions that he encountered "Christians and catholics handle it (the death of a loved one) the worst!" ...Ouch!... How can this be? What about...? What gives someone the right to...? I know that many may be quick to cry out "Yeah, but...!" In this case I can assure you that this friend is quite kind and understanding to all who believe in whatever. I respect that! He is not ungrounded and critical around me, which makes the comment, in my opinion, all the more potent.


I must confess that death has been increasingly in my thoughts due to some family members dying over the past few months. It has been GREAT! I have never longed for heaven, looked forward to time with my Lord and those who have died before me, and ached for people to experience God like in these past months.


At the funeral for my wife's grandfather I started thinking about 1 Thess. 4:13-18. We are not to mourn like those who have no hope. That's just plain good ol' direction. The church that Paul was addressing was going through some persecution and was in need of hope as they were dealing with death both actual and immanent. In light of persecution, Paul told them to encourage each other with these words, think about death accurately.


Ezekiel was a different set of circumstances (Ezk. 24:15-18). He was told that death was going to happen to someone he loved. He was told to show almost no emotions. Why? How?... WHO? I might have come unglued with these questions. It makes one think. Is this simply God being harsh or is it God giving a man a bit of hard, accurate perspective on death?



I apologise if you are looking for a inspiring conclusion here. Tonight I don't have the desire to do much more than express my sadness over the fact in my friends observation. (Sorry if the title seems a bit misleading after reading this.)

And then there were 4...

There are so many ways that I could wax eloquent about the recent happenings in my life, but I don't want to do that right now.

My wife is now pregnant with our 2nd child!!

We found out almost 2 years to the day after learning of our first pregnancy. Needless to say, we are thrilled.

Whatever Happened to...?

I have never been accused of not having a random thought. In fact I definitly am far too random at times. I have to admit that when it comes to questions that totally distract me, the "Whatever happened to...(fill in the blank)" questions top them all.

Here are my top 5.

What ever happened to...
...Quicksand? - As an child I would occasionally practice what to do because I was sure that was the way I was going to go.

...The pogo ball? - No one ever enjoyed that as much as the kids on that commercial.

...The jet pack? - I was supposed to have one by now, that or rocket shoes!

...That cartoon portable "hole"? - You know, the one you just stick on and peel off. I could just imagine tossing one of those like a Frisbee in front of someone and watch them fall into it.

...The freedom to be intolerant? - "because some things are just stupid." -Dobson

Who's on your Mount Rushmore?

A question was asked on a radio program recently that Caught my attention. The speaker asked who the listeners would put on their personal Mt. Rushmores. The question sent my mind soaring off into some great memories. I must say that I was surprised with the speed and certainty that I came to my 4 guys. These men were used by God to alter the course and quality of my life.

Left To right (no real significance):

My dad, Rob Thomas Sr.
What a debt of honor I owe my dad for pursuing a relationship with me when I thought that time and opportunity were gone for closeness. This man has modeled a willingness to change and conform to God's grace and design that infects all around him. If ever I learned forgiveness through watching someone walk it out day to day, it was through watching my dad.


Rick Via
If you have ever looked at a picture that profoundly impacted you, you might get a sense of what Rick's momentary interactions with me were like. Never have I spent so little time around someone and been so influenced. Rick is the father of 2 of my close friends from college. The testimony that his sons passed on about him was more than glowing. I remember a morning when he took me to breakfast and poured out insight and encouragement into a very thirsty heart. I have drawn on the stories from his sons and those words of encouragement ever since.

Gayle Erwin

Can you imagine childhood without stories? I can't. I'm often surprised at the admitted loss of the desire to read or engage the imagination by many adults. Gayle has lost none of the joy in engaging others in a good story. His book "The Jesus Style" drew me into the accurate and colorful story of the Lord. I had the privilege of hearing Gayle speak twice in the past 3 years. When this simple and joy-spilling-over christian speaks, people listen.

Aaron Keyes
Aaron models what a relationship with God can do to a man in a way that I long experience. He has always been in a position of a one-step-ahead leader to me. In fact, through the years, I have almost litterally followed in his footprints. I watched his testimony playing hockey in the older guys league, I saw his heart for worship and service take off in a neighboring university, and celebrated his transition into marriage, parenting, and full time ministry as my church's worship leader/pastor. Aaron set a great example in openly celebrating the Lord. He is the only person I've heard speak about not "feeling like worshiping today," then going on to exalt God's worthiness despite our feelings.

One Million words!?!

I was recently at a pastors retreat in Appleton, WI. and was given a bit of unusual advice. I asked a man I greatly admire (Gayle Erwin) about his approach to writing books. After reading his book "The Jesus Style" my life was changed spiritually and literarily. He told me, "I was told once, that before I wrote a book, to write a million words."
Ever since I received Gayle's advice, I wondered what a million words would look like. I found pictures of a million pennies (see illustration). One million words is over double the words in the Bible yet only about one third of the words in Tolkien's Lord of the rings trillogy. So much, and yet so little, could be expressed in that amount of writing. I think that blogging may give me a good start on the journey to writing and getting published one day, but if I never make it to a million, I pray that God will be glorified in all that I say.