toddcast

Last month about 40 members and friends of our church went to Mexico on a mission trip.   Our assignment was to serve an orphanage in Chihuahua by helping with some building projects and general upkeep of the facility that serves about 50 children.     But more than that, we were called to spend time with those children to remind them that someone cares and help reinforce the mission of the orphanage to assure them that there is a Father who ultimately cares for them.   So, while much of our time was dedicated to cleaning, and painting, and drywall, we spent an equal amount of time just hanging out with the kids.   A good portion of that time was on the playground. I can still hold my own by throwing, hitting, or kicking a ball, but there’s no way I could possibly keep up with the stamina of 8 to 15-year-olds.   I needed breaks and often found myself taking a seat while the younger members of our mission team kept up the pace.   But even as I sat,...

Last month Jordan Spieth captured his third major golf championship as he outlasted Matt Kuchar at the British Open.   It was an amazing finish for the 23-year-old Texan, but the very beginning of the tournament had an interesting twist as well – not for Spieth, but for former champion Rory McIlroy. McIlroy came into the British Open on somewhat of a slump, performing poorly in four of his last five tournaments, and it looked like that trend would continue.   He bogeyed four of the first five holes creating serious doubts that he would be in contention for a second Open title.  But what happened on the sixth tee may have helped turn things around.   His caddie said, “You’re Rory McIlroy, what are you doing?”      He reminded him that he was a four-time major champion.   He reminded him that he was a former #1 ranked golfer in the world.   It was time for him to start playing like it.   And McIlroy did.   He started acting like...

Boon Island as seen from the shore. Summer is the time for vacations.   Growing up in Massachusetts one of my family’s favorite vacation spots was York Beach, Maine.   How many wonderful memories I have of that quaint seaside town.   Summer vacation always included a little bit of reading, and one summer I remember reading the story of a small island just 6 miles off the coast of Maine – Boon Island. It’s really just a big rock out there in the Atlantic measuring only 300 by 700 feet.   On a clear day, you can see the island from the beach. You can especially make out the lighthouse, the tallest in Maine, rising from the barren rock.   But the story I read that summer took place before there was a lighthouse. In December of 1710, a British merchant ship carrying 14 crewmen crashed into the island.   Of those, 10 ended up surviving the harsh winter weather with no food and no fire until their rescue 24 days later. The book tells the story of those ha...

As Memorial Day approaches we sense the value of remembering those who have gone on before us.   We take note of their lives and the influence they have had on us.   But Memorial Day also makes me wonder how memorable a life I am living?   I want to be remembered.   I want people to look back on my life and be inspired by the contributions that I have made.   I want my life to matter.   But how can I do that?   How can I live a memorable life? The gospels, in Mark 14 , tells a wonderful story of a woman who left a memorable mark in the life of Jesus, so much so that Jesus said that what she did would be told whenever the gospel is preached! Jesus was at the home of a friend shortly before his crucifixion.   While they were eating, this woman comes in and breaks a jar of very expensive perfume and pours it over Jesus' head.    Some of the believers gathered there are critical of the woman saying that the perfume could have b...

I was introduced to a new term recently – The Holiday Halo Effect .   Apparently, research has determined that not only is going on a vacation good for you, but simply booking a vacation creates feelings of positivity.   Just knowing a vacation is coming seems to bring people joy. Furthermore, those expecting a vacation report that they feel more motivated at work. Seems to make sense to me.   Having something fun and exciting to look forward to can make even a mundane life more bearable.   Knowing that there is something pleasurable waiting for us in the future can make the days leading up to that vacation pleasant.   A wise friend once gave this advice to someone who was wondering if they could hold up just a few more weeks until retirement – “You can stand on your head for three weeks if you have to!” Knowing that there’s a beachside bungalow or a mountainside cabin waiting for us empowers us to make it through even dark days. I appreciate the research ...

I have never been much of a cook, but recently I have learned perhaps the best advice a novice like me can learn -   trust the recipe and follow the directions. My wife and I recently subscribed to one of those mail order meal providers.   You choose what you want and a box arrives on your doorstep with all the ingredients.   Included, of course, is a step by step recipe. I’ve never been much for recipes.   My mom was old-school.   She had it all in her head.   She whipped a meal together all the while taste-testing and adjusting as she went. It worked for her and I figured it would work for me.   It didn’t.   I figured I was just a bad cook until I learned the lesson – trust the recipe and follow the directions. So, one day I decided to take the plunge and see if this recipe thing was all it was cooked up to be.   While my wife does the majority of the cooking, I offered to give her a break.   On that day’s menu was chicken and ...

This past Tuesday math nerds around the world celebrated Pi day. Pi is the Greek letter used in math to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. The value of Pi to the hundredths place is 3.14, therefore March 14, otherwise known as 3/14, is celebrated as Pi day. The real interesting thing about Pi is that it's value does not stop at the hundredths place.   In fact, the decimal goes on unending.  In other words, you can get close to writing Pi but you'll never be able to get it exactly.  Pi is a real number but is considered irrational. In my high school math classes our teacher challenged us to memorize Pi to as many decimal places as we could.  I can still do it - 3.14159265. I was pretty proud but was reminded that even though I knew Pi six more decimal places than those who knew him only as 3.14 I still was infinitely away from knowing him completely. For a long time I've felt some spiritual connection with Pi.  A real num...

My name is Todd, and I don’t like The Shack ! And somehow, I am being made to feel like less than a true believer by voicing my concerns.  That’s my problem and no one else’s, but that’s how I feel. I didn’t have the same heart-rending reaction that many Christians had after reading the book.  I wondered why.  Is there something wrong with me?  Am I cold-hearted and insensitive to human pain?  Do I not want God to be forgiving and merciful? Am I not forgiving and merciful? Why don’t I love The Shack ? But then I found relief when I read of others who likewise felt uneasy about the portrayal of God in The Shack . I feel that the concern has been misinterpreted or perhaps it has been miscommunicated, so please indulge these confessions of a Shack dissident. I’m thinking The Shack may be like a song or a painting.  Some people love songs that I don’t, and I love some songs that others don’t.  Some paintings speak to some but fall mute to ...

Whoever you voted for this past November, you must admit there’s been hardly a dull moment with the new administration.  Recently there have been allegations of wiretapping - a serious intrusion of one’s privacy. Who wants words that are intended to stay private made public for all to hear? A few years back I had phone conversation with someone and later found out that person had recorded our conversation without my permission.  I felt violated.  I was angry.  Although I was confident I didn’t say anything that could be used against me, the whole idea of the possibility of others hearing a conversation that was intended to be private was maddening. We usually assume and prefer that our words are to be kept private. I’m teaching a men’s class on Wednesday evenings at our church and we’re going through a study by Tony Evans called “Watch Your Mouth.”  Last week he referenced Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12:36–37 : “But I tell you that men will h...

The NBA had their annual All-Star game this last Sunday. It was originally scheduled to be played in North Carolina but it was moved because there is a law in the Tarheel State that requires people with male parts to use a certain bathroom and people with female parts use another bathroom. I seem to recall that we used to call these people men and women, but I’m not sure if that’s right anymore. Anyway, the NBA declared this bathroom rule was inconsistent with the values espoused by their association and therefore had a moral obligation to move the game.   So, it was played in New Orleans. Apparently, New Orleans, being the bastion of morality and values, was a better match with the values the NBA espouses.   I guess Mardi Gras is more in line with the what the NBA thinks the nation should be like.   Who's really to blame them?  They certainly wouldn't host an event in Sodom, would they?  Of course not.  They'd just move it to Gomorrah. I’m sure glad we...

I was driving on the highway the other day and   found myself behind a pickup truck hauling furniture in its bed.   It looked like someone was moving a few pieces. Not an unusual site, but this cargo caught my attention.   There was this bookcase in the back of the truck, one of those you put together yourself.   It was standing upright with a strap over its top, but I noticed that the strap had been put on so tight that the top of the bookcase was giving way.   It appeared like an accident waiting to happen and, not wanting to be in the wake of a flailing bookshelf, I changed lanes.   Shortly after I merged to the left, the strap let loose and the bookcase came flying out of the pickup crashing onto the highway exploding into pieces! Relieved that I had managed to avoid the carnage, I realized how important it is to be careful who you follow. Living on the information highway that is the 21 st century, there are so many lanes we can choose. ...

In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “love chapter.” Someone has created a special Christmas version (author unknown) of this chapter. I share it here, as it provides practical insight into how we can love, specifically at Christmastime. If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny ornaments, but do not show love to my family, I’m just a decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. If I trim the tree with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on my love for family, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug...

I’ve been in a small group Bible study the last few months and we’ve been reading through and discussing the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.   I’ll tell you this, it’s not a pick-me-up read.   In fact, when you read through it you may be surprised that this stuff is even in the Bible.   Ecclesiastes has a very pessimistic approach to life as characterized by a couple of repetitive phrases found throughout the book. “Vanity of vanities,” is one of those phrases.   The word “vanity” is found over 35 times!   That’s a lot given the length of the text.   Vanity is not a word we use all that often, so some translations have chosen other encouraging synonyms like, “meaningless”, or “useless” or one of my favorites, “nothing but smoke”.   To add to that, another popular phrase the author uses to describe life is “chasing after the wind.”   Have you ever tried to chase the wind?   Take my word for it, you’ll never catch it. One verse tha...

Repo Man Helps Pay Off Bill for Elderly Couple's Repossessed Car (ABC News) I’ve never had anything repossessed but I imagine it must be quite a dispiriting event.  For whatever reason, an elderly couple in Illinois, Stan and Pat Kippling, recently had their car repossessed by Illini Asset Recovery co-owner Jim Ford.  I’ve never had to repossess anything either, and that is not a job I envy.  The repo-man is not the man you want to see knocking on your door.  But this repo-man added a surprising twist to what usually is a sad story. After repossessing the car, Mr. Ford decided to call the bank to see if he could somehow pay off the couple’s debt.  What tug at his heart-strings was that the elderly couple reminded him of his late grandparents.  He knew their financial struggles with their increasing medical expenses and a fixed income, and assumed that this sweet couple was handed the same fate.  Repo-man set up an online fundraiser and in less ...

I’m not a Cubs fan but I am a baseball fan and watching the Cubs finally win it all was quite a site!   The celebration on the field after the final out of the final game is priceless.   Watching the celebration in the clubhouse as the trophy emblematic of the World Series Championship is presented to the team is remarkable.   But perhaps what’s most moving to me is seeing all the fans, young and old, celebrate in the streets of that great city.   It’s the defintition of pure joy.   Cubs win! Cubs win!   Cubs win! And I love the “Fly the ‘W’” mantra.   After each Cubs win a white flag with a bold “W” is hoisted above the old and venerable playing field called Wrigley.   It serves as a reminder that the beloved Cubbies are winners and this time the “W” will fly with even more meaning.   Fly the ‘W’ Cubs fans and fly it with joy! I’m not a Cubs fan but I am Christan and seeing the “W” fly reminds me of the victory we have in J...

Years ago as a ministry student in college a friend and I had a semester-long internship at a church about an hour away from campus.   Each Sunday we would make the scenic drive from the suburbs of Philadelphia northwest to the more rural Pennsylvania city of Allentown. Art, my friend and cohort, had the car, so he would drive his blue Ford Maverick and I would navigate. I have many fond memories of our Sunday drives and our time spent up in Allentown, but I will never forget one particular Sunday morning trip. We were coasting along one beautiful Fall Sunday morning, and as navigator I instructed Art to make the next left turn.   But instead of turning, he just sailed by.   As we missed our turn I asked Art what the problem was and his reply went something like this - "My brakes aren't working well."    Not exactly what I wanted to hear!   Panic shot through my soul.   I'm no mechanic but even I know that brakes are fairly important!   So...

I recently went to see the movie Sully and really liked it.   Perhaps, because of his ties to Denison, I am biased as are most of us who live in Texoma.   Putting that aside, I think I would have liked the movie anyway.   Sully comes across as a prepared, honest, hard-working, honorable character, and the story is just a feel-good tale of how people worked together to turn what could have been a disastrous tragedy into an inspiring story of preparedness and heroism. I particularly noted that whenever the event was referred to as a "crash", Sully would offer correction calling the event a "controlled water landing."   Two very different perspectives on the same event.   One perspective seeing the event as only an accident destined to end badly.   The other perspective seeing it as a heroic response to an unforeseeable and unfortunate turn of events. Sully's response reminded me that perspective matters. I suppose that none of us will ever ...