Crossroads Celebration Church

This Sunday, December 14, 2009. I have a small gift that everyone attending Crossroads will receive. I am so excited about this gift. I will give you a hint: It is red. You probably already have one like it. However you may not have the cool design of the one I am giving away. There is a story attached that helps make it a great gift. It has something to do with making the possible out of the impossible. If you are curious, you will just have to come and get one for yourself.

Well, the third morning in a row I was outside for a winter hike. I didn’t play disc golf this morning, but just for a nice hike down to Saylorville Lake. It was peaceful and beautiful. Great exercise. As I was hiking I picked up a hiking stick from the 2008 flood. And it got me to thinking.

Have you ever been to a national park or someplace that has warning signs not to pick up rocks or things and take them with you? I can imagine in some beautiful places it would be tempting and if everyone did it, there wouldn’t be anything left of the beauty.

As I was thinking about my new walking stick and the places I have been that have these warning signs, I was thinking that not matter what we should always take something away. I’m not talking about stealing or disobeying the signs, but at least mentally taking something away. If I didn’t collect a stick or a rock I would take away the experience, the beauty, the refreshment from the walk, the whatever it might be. I think all of us should consider what we take away from a moment or an event. The coach or player, win or loose, can take away pride of the game and accomplishment and team spirit or something they learn from the game or the competitors they were up against. Students, even if they didn’t learn to solve a new math or science problem, could take away relationship building from their peers or teachers. I always ask the students, young and old, what they learned today or this week. Most times I get, “nothing”. But if they think about it, they problem learned about life in the classroom or the hallway or the cafeteria and they have something to take away from the day or the week. Business people often complain, I worked all day, but didn’t accomplish a thing. But perhaps they can take away the frustration and learn from it.

I don’t care if we are stuck in traffic or changing a diaper or watching the paint dry, I think we can always find something to take away from the moment.

This week I have taken away renewed interest in being outdoors in the winter for exercise. I have taken some deep breaths of fresh air. I have taken away some reenergizing moments for myself and hopefully improved my health a little. I have taken away some great icy photo’s of the outdoors. I have learned from my students on the day they took their finals. I have increased my friendships this week. I have a greater hope for tomorrow and faith for today.

What are you taking away from everyday life’s moments?

Are you a list maker? I know Santa’s checking his list by now. I’m pretty sure I am on the naughty list, its hard being good every day.

I was thinking about our other list for the holidays. You know the list of Christmas Spirit. So here it is?

Sung a Christmas Carol? Yes No Baked holiday goodies? Yes No Given a gift? Yes No Given to charity? Yes No Driven by holiday lights? Yes No Decorated your home? Yes No Spread holiday cheer? Yes No Been Scrooged? Yes No Shared at church? Yes No

Sorry, I had to add the scrooged. My neighbors have this awesome outside light display with music and computerized lights. Someone cut their speaker wire the other night. Really it wasn’t that loud. But some Grinch or Scrooge came along to steal Christmas Spirit. [An aside - we had two stretched Hummer limo's drive through last night to look at the lights. Talk about looking at lights in style. Go Bob!]

This is the time to give and share, not steal and spoil. Make sure your list for Christmas Spirit includes lots of ways to love and spread the Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Mankind. See you in worship where we can hear the Great Christmas Story about perfect peace.

It was warmer today. Yesterday was 8 and today it reached a balmy 23 degrees at 8:30 this morning. And yes I enjoyed the winter disc golf so much I had to go again today. I went to the Ankeny Disc Golf course east of I35. And I discovered I am not alone. Someone else had tracked through the snow following the disc basket course.

I hit par on a few of the holes. I was allowing myself on some an extra throw with six layers of clothes on. The ability to toss the disc is a little limited compared to summer attire. I had one squirrel chew me out because I about gave him a haircut with the disc. But he saw I was bigger than him and he scurried off up a tree. Another taunted me from up high in a branch, dropping stuff on my head.

I wonder what it would be like to play tennis on an icy court? Try something new today!

About a month ago I challenged Crossroads Celebration (church) to remember the story Jesus told about the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to go find the one. I encouraged friendliness in the name of Jesus. My challenge was to make friends in the drivers who go through my crossing guard intersection each morning.

I have one who has been friendly since the first day of school. The second, as soon as I mentioned this challenge, she stopped coming through my intersection. I don’t think it was anything I did. The third was a green Camry. She seemed kind of growly. So my first week, I waved every day. For the first three days she seemed to make sure she was always looking away from me when she came at the stop sign. But the fourth day she looked. I waved and with maybe some hesitation she waved back.

That was four weeks ago. With the colder weather hitting, I really didn’t want to get out of the car until I actually saw kids coming my direction. So I missed some opportunities to wave at green Camry driver. This week it was 8 degrees one morning. But even though it was cold and it was 10 to 15 minutes before the children would start being visible, I got out of the car and stood in the cold just to catch, green Camry driver. After the past couple of mornings, Camry driver has been looking in my direction, waving and smiling. I would say, in an odd way, we have become friends.

I will of course keep up on that friendship. I miss Bronco lady, but I have adopted three other drivers now that are regular visitors to the corner. I have begun to wave at dance mom and Hawkeye mom and Lincoln Navigator mom. And a few others. I notice more parents are waving, maybe because they see me wave at the previous car. Or perhaps they see someone standing out in the freezing cold and they have some sympathy for the fool.

Next week, I will put on my Santa hat. I can only imagine there will be some smiles. Hopefully more waves and some dedicated new friends. This is only one of my 99 + 1 Initiative that I am doing. How are you doing at going out and finding the one lost soul and making a new friend for Jesus?

What a beautiful morning! In the last 24 hours we have had rain and snow. This morning it was 8 degrees. And the sun was shining. Since I was bundled up for my crossing guard duty this morning I decided I would go out to Big Creek State Park and get some exercise. I took my camera with me and got some beautiful shots of the ice on the trees and bushes.

I also took my discs for disc golf. I played about 8 holes at 8 degrees with snow and ice crunching beneath my feet. I hadn’t played all summer and I had this wild idea that it would be fun to try winter disc golf. It was fun! I didn’t have to search for my lost disc under shrubs, because all the leaves were gone and when my disc hit the ground in open areas, it would skim a little farther on the ice than it would have on the grass. I got to see the tracks of wildlife in the snow. Oh what a glorious morning!

Have you tried something new like this? Try switching seasons for your sport. Grab your camera and go shoot some pictures. I don’t know what it might be for you, but mix it up a little, make life adventurous. Even if it’s in your back yard.

What a day to enjoy just another of God’s beautiful creations. Be careful on the ice, but make sure you notice how grand it is.