Grandad Mac Showing Off His Girl!

Grandchildren make you smile! Thank you Father for the gift of heaven, Nolynn. We are so grateful to you for her. And yes, to her Mom and Dad too!

A Faith Hero

This is Charlie Summey a cancer warrior and my friend! He is battling stage 4, glioblastoma, brain cancer. To say he's a faith hero of mine would be an understatement. He is such an encouragement to me.

I can't tell you what an inspiration he is to me. He underwent brain surgery at Duke in January and has started chemo and radiation here in Greenville.

Charlie is a fellow pastor, but more than that he's my friend. While I was going through treatment for lymphoma, Charlie was there for me. I don't know what else to say in that regard except that during my baldness, chemo and radiation he was there for me. The care, compassion, empathy, humor, grace, dignity and love he bestowed upon me during my treatment was one of the greatest sources of comfort. He probably had no idea at the time what his words and friendship meant to me. He does now!

Little did either of us know that while he was encouraging me a tumor was growing in his head that wouldn't surface until right before New Year's. He is a fighter. He is authentic as they come. All over Greenville there are bumper stickers and armbands that say, "Running with Charlie". I'm so proud to call him my friend.

He is reminding me about the depth of God's grace, dignity and the power of faith. Would you please pray for my friend? He is fully human, but so utterly drenched in heaven's grace. He makes me laugh, cry and smile a lot.

I know the NFL, NBA, and college athletics produce a lot of heroes. However, those of us who are cancer warriors know that the real heroes are ordinary people, like you and me who are facing the fierce battles of life on the front lines every day. No press, no media, no Tweets. Just regular Joe's and Jill's doing battle with a fierce opponent. They are sitting in infusion centers, awaiting radiation, and facing the fiercest of all battles with dignity, humor and grace.

Charlie, God is smiling on you! You are running an incredible race and we are cheering for you friend. Godspeed my brother. I love you and I know you are in the relentless grip of God's grace!

So We Begin

The Lenten journey has begun. Now the work of self-examination and preparation begins. The words of Lent:

Hoping

Waiting

Humbling

Renewing

Confessing

Repenting

Fasting

Yearning

Kneeling

Leaning

Praying

Crying

Seeking

Journeying

Facing

Longing

The Lenten Journey

Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday (2/22). These 40 days of preparation are designed to help Christ followers focus on the righteous work of Christ on our behalf and ultimately draw us closer to God.

Someone has said that Lent is like giving up chocolate in dessert, which leaves you with a desert. Lent is a meant to be a season in the desert much like our Lord's period of spiritual preparation of fasting and prayer, and testing when He faced Satan in the desert wilderness. The 40 days of Lent ( based on Christ's 40 days in the desert.

Lent has been observed by faithful Christians since the 3rd century. Ancient Christians wanted to prepare themselves for Holy Week in a way that would honor Christ's redemptive work that ultimately wrestled the destiny of the human soul from the clutches of Satan through His crucifixion and resurrection. Imagine how much more meaningful Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday become when we have practiced intentional spiritual preparation for 40 days!

It's more than a "Catholic" thing. It's more than a ritual. It's a season to take stock of our relationship with God in Christ. It's a season of repentance, reflection, confession, and renewal. It's more than giving up chocolate, or sweets. Although, self-denial is at the heart of Lent. Fasting is the tangible expression of self-denial. But it's not about what we give up. We give up to focus on God. We become empty so God can fill us. We take the focus off ourselves and put it on God. Every day during these 40 days we should lose a little more of ourselves and gain a little more of Christ. We decrease and He increases.

The ashes placed on the forehead during Ash Wednesday worship remind us that we came from dust and to dust we shall return. We are nothing but dust without God. When we recognize that we are nothing without God we are ready to begin the Lenten journey. And so it begins.

Another Person Living Out Love

As a cancer patient this short video reminds me of all the heroic men and women who touched my life during chemo and radiation! If you ever get the chance to volunteer through your hospital, church, civic club, or athletic team jump on it! You won't regret it for one moment. Dan in the story has figured out that giving really is better than receiving! And yes, it just happens to involve Starbucks :)

An Open Letter to Nolynn

Dear Nolynn,

Tonight you brought the breath of heaven to our world at GHS hospital in Greenville, SC. We waited all day for you! You were born on your Dad's and your great paternal grandmother's (Gran Ann) birthday's! God smiled at that one.

Your Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital after seeing your Mom's doctor this morning. They started an epidural and broke your Mom's water late this morning. Right at 8pm you brought a piece of heaven to earth. You came at 8lbs., 3 oz.! You are one healthy girl. We are so grateful to God for creating you (Psalm 139).

Judy, Gigi, Aunt Cassie, Uncle Dan, Aunt Kelly, Jake and I were all in the waiting room when you were born! Your Grandpa Don got to see you from Florida via Face Time on Judy's iPhone! He talked to you over the phone and we all cried. He will be here Thursday to hold you. He's such a humble and wonderful man. Your grandmother Judy is the best! She's a hoot and one day I'll explain what that means. Aunt Cassie just cried when she saw your Mom holding you. Gigi was so excited to see you because she was afraid you wouldn't get here before she had to fly to Indiana for her brother's funeral. God knew best. Your Aunt Sarah saw your picture as soon as you were born when your Dad texted your picture from the delivery room. She kept saying how beautiful you are.

Nolynn, we gathered around your Mom's bed, held hands as Mommy held you and we prayed giving thanks to God for the gift of you, your health, Mommy's health, your Daddy, and for the days ahead. We praised God for your birth and acknowledged that all of this happened because of Him and His great grace!

Nolynn, so many people have been praying for you. I have so much to ask you. How was heaven? What is God like? How big are His hands? Does He have deep belly laughs? Is His smile as confident as I imagine it is through His Word? What did He whisper to you as He gently let you out of heaven and into this world? Did He tell you He would see you again because of His Son's great love for all of us? Did He tell you that His son, Jesus once entered the world exactly as you did, as a baby? And that He sent Him for you, me and all who will believe in Him and call Him Lord?

Oh my precious granddaughter, we have so many books to read. I'll Love You Forever, Goodnight Moon, Muskrat Muskrat Eat Your Peas, I Love You This Much, the poetry of Shel Silverstein, and much more. But of all the stories I want to read to you in the coming months and years ahead, the most important is from Luke 2 and the story of Jesus' birth. I can't wait to pray with you.

Don and I want to teach you how to fish. Gigi and Judy want to cover you in dresses and outfits. Aunt Cassie, Uncle Derek, and Aunt Sarah want to spoil you rotten. By the way, your Dad, like Don and me, married up! I'll explain that some day.

Here's just a few things I can't wait to help and watch you experience: the feel of green grass on your bare feet; the cool water of the ocean; bubbles that touch your nose and explode; sour patch candy that makes your mouth twist; warm cuddles; meeting Nanny, Gran Ann, Gran Dad and Gram and Grampa Mills; Jack and Leeza's dog kisses; playing peak-a-boo and tasting ice cream for the first time.

You have a wonderful Mommy and Daddy. I can't tell you how much care Mommy took to eat right, rest, exercise and prepare for your birth. Your Daddy is going to be a great father. I can tell you have already stolen his heart. I know a little bit about how a Daddy's girl can captivate a father's attention and love. It wasn't that long ago, or so it seems that I held your Aunt Sarah in Norton's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky when she was born. Oh yeah, I can't wait to show you Kentucky! Lush Bluegrass, horse farms, rolling hills and of course, Kentucky basketball! Don will introduce you to Gator football and Judy is going to make sure you see Texas. Texans are very proud people. Our nation owes a great debt to the people of Texas and their independent spirit. Gigi is from Indiana, where your Dad was born and they are going to have to explain to you about Hoosiers. One day you will come to appreciate all the good things the states that are part of your formative DNA have to offer. Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas are all part of your story. But you my little peach are a bona fide Carolina Girl!

Nolynn I pray God's protection over your little life and body. I pray Mommy will recover and gain her strength. I pray Daddy will always have a hug for you like he did when I peaked in on you before I left the hospital tonight. I pray as your parents continue to search for a church home that is exactly where God wants the three of you to grow in your faith and worship Him. I pray you will grow in the strength, admonition and steadfast love of the Lord. I love you granddaughter and again, I can't tell God enough how grateful I am for you. You my lovely are a gift from God and every day you and I breathe is ALL gift! I will write again soon.

Much Love, Mac (that's short for MC, my initials)

Everybody's Got a Load!

Every person we meet is carrying a load. Their wagon may not be as full as your wagon, but it's still a load to them. Look around. Our wagons are full. Some are carrying financial stress, job loss, dysfunctional family members, divorce, an overbearing boss, impossible deadlines, health concerns, the death of a loved one, addiction, depression, education challenges, economic uncertainty, a broken friendship, shame, pride, the challenges of parenting a special needs child, a dark past, housing issues, a car on it's last leg, euthanasia of a beloved pet, and much more. Yes, I understand that many of these loads are self-inflicted from poor decisions, behavior, and lifestyles. That said, it doesn't make all these overloaded wagons around us go away.

When we regularly disregard, or dismiss the pain of others we begin a dangerous and often irreversible slide into self. Suddenly, everyone else's pain, problems and heartaches are measured against our own. We reason that while their pain is big, it's not what we are facing. It amazes me how self-absorbed we can be.

One thing I learned from cancer is that there is always someone carrying a heavier load than me. I met some incredibly brave people in chemo and radiation that were battling far more serious forms of cancer and several of them had very bleak medical futures. Despite it they forged ahead and many of them were often trying to help others carry their baggage while struggling under the weight of their own!

I understand that life gets, well busy. And the pace is flying so fast that we can easily get so caught up in the race that we fail to notice those around us who are simply trying to tread water to keep from drowning. But that's still no excuse for ignoring our neighbor. It's easy to get so overwhelmed by our own junk that we start to close off the world around us and simply focus on nothing but our particular hurt, pain or problem. It's still no excuse to ignore our neighbor. Call me cynical, but a great deal of our culture is selfish and the care of neighbor is becoming a rare commodity. "I want...." "I think...." "I know...." These are some of the phrases that mark those consumed with their own load. "We...." "You can....." "Let me...." "I'm here..." are the phrases of a burden bearer.

One of the most powerful images for me in the gospels is Jesus, on the last week with "skin on" carrying the enormous weight of His agonizing death for something He did not do, weeping over His people. He wept over their baggage (sin) and the loads they were carrying. I wish I could say with certainty that if I was facing death I would be thinking about others, but I can't say that emphatically. I would like to think I would, and I hope I do when the time comes. But I can't imagine facing what Jesus knew was before Him and having the presence of mind to keep an open heart for those around Him. That is the ultimate in compassion, mercy, and grace. Imagine having a heart so full for the very people who were responsible for your impending capital punishment that you would weep over them? Mind-blowing, culture-defying grace!

Neighbor is one of the most basic fundamentals of Scripture. To treat our neighbor as ourself is the ultimate demonstration of God's love. It is the tangible expression of the "royal law of love" James mentions. And remember, Jesus told a parable in Luke about the Good Samaritan that taught us that our neighbor is anyone we meet, not just those in our social circle.

The next time you are in a public place look around. Their are heavy hearts all around us. Be a source of light. Be an encourager. Be a joy-bringer. Be a burden-bearer. I can tell you from personal experience that when you help lighten someone else's load your own wagon gets lighter, or perhaps it stays the same, but your perspective changes. And that is a grace-filled moment!

IMPORTANT POSTSCRIPT! Some people have really high mercy gifts and they have no problem carrying the loads of others. In fact they tend to take on way too much and ignore their own wagon. They can't say no. Their health, family, relationships, job and personal welfare suffer as a result. There is an emotional weight limit to the loads we can carry beside our own. Take care of yourself. You can't give so much to others that you ignore your own physical, mental, emotional health and soul care! Minister's, healthcare providers, care-givers, and social workers are some of the greatest offenders in this regard. Take time for yourself and don't feel guilty about it. Jesus regularly withdrew to recharge and renew His spirit. What makes you think you can do without it, if Jesus didn't? The only way you can carry the burdens of others is if you are in shape for the journey. Otherwise you are going to burn out. Take time for your own wagon, but don't make it an idol of self pity. There is a fine line between helping and enabling. Wise are those who seek a healthy balance and don't cross that line. By the way this is a very small portion of the population, but for those who do, STOP!

VW Commercial-The Dog Strikes Back!

This is my pick for best Superbowl ad. You gotta love the Star Wars bit at the end referring to last year's viral Jetta commercial with the kid playing Darth Vadar!