Articles by Rick Brown at Heartlight

Family Unique: Stops along the Way

rabrown0@gmail.com (Rick Brown) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

From toddlers to teens to travel-weary parents, the question is inevitable. "When are we going to stop?" Depending on the driver the answer differs dramatically.

Some commandeer the driver's seat like a general taking his troops to their target. There is only one objective and that is "to get there." Nothing will stop them. Woe be to the small child with an equally small bladder who asks the question.

Other drivers are more gracious. They know the destination to be reached lies ahead on the horizon. But they also appreciate the need for pit stops along the way. Blessed is the child whose parent has adopted this mode of journeying. She asks the question with utmost confidence.

Jesus was more like the gracious driver. He knew the value of stopping, of pulling aside for some moments of rest, reflection and renewal. It was a value instilled in his life from his ancestors.

In the Old Testament we find a variety of times the Israelites would stop. Much like historical markers are placed along our roads, stones were erected as monuments to their faith journey and placed at the point significant experiences occurred. In other instances festivals were used to pause and celebrate and remember important events in their history.

But perhaps the most important "stop" Jesus adopted was Sabbath: A weekly rest from work and worries. The Hebrew word for "Sabbath" means "stop." Were there road signs in the Israel of Jesus' day, the word "Sabbath" would be placed on a red one telling travelers to not move any further. It would mean to look around and observe where they were and when it was safe to travel on.

Sabbath was intended for something similar. It is a weekly "pit stop" along life's journey to reflect on where you are in view of where you are going.

Might you and your family use a pit stop right now? Like the "got to get there at all costs" driver, we move along from one point to the next without stopping and stretching or just taking a break. That kind of traveling takes its toll on all passengers.

That kind of life takes its toll on a family. Wise are the parents who plot their family's journey with vision, values, and a strategy that includes stops along the way. Stops to measure how they are doing and what mid-course corrections might be needed from time to time.

Who knows? You may be the one ready to ask the question: "When are we going to stop?"

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31 TNIV).

Rick Brown is the preaching minister for ChristBridge Fellowship in Tomball, Texas. He loves his wife Karen and two sons Kris and Taylor, but most of all he loves God. Read more at onelife2love.wordpress.com

Family Unique: GPS

rabrown0@gmail.com (Rick Brown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Until John Harrison came along, navigation of ships was a guesstimate at best. Egyptian sailors never ventured far from the land. Geographic landmarks guided them. Phoenician sailors shifted their eyes from the land to the skies and plotted their course by the North Star. In 1100 CE the Chinese created the first magnetized needle compass.

However, John Harrison solved one of the biggest maritime problems in history. In 1714 the British government established the Board of Longitude and offered a reward of 20,000 pounds -- about $6 million today -- to anyone who could create a device that would provide longitude within a half-degree, or two minutes of time.

Some of the greatest minds in Europe accepted the challenge, but it took Harrison, a self-educated clockmaker, to create the marine chronometer. The marine chronometer became a standard "stowaway" on ships, enabling men on the Seven Seas to find their way home without having to stop and ask for directions.

Today, the marine chronometer is seldom used, althought it is required on most vessels. What bumped it? The GPS -- The Global Positioning System, something more and more of us in routinely in our own personal travels.

If only a modern day John Harrison would invent a GPS for the family -- a Genealogical Planning Strategy. Something that would give families a strategy for packing up their values and taking them with them from one location to another and passing those values on to coming generations. This would be something that could impact the coming generations for years to come.

Jesus had a GPS. Yes, the Lord had a strategy for instilling various values in his disciples. For example:

Multiplication:
Jesus chose and trained twelve and commissioned them to repeat the process.

Dealing with Conflict:
The Lord led them straight into conflict and taught them how to handle it.

Faith over Sight:
Jesus put the disciples in a boat, in the middle of a storm, so they would turn to Him.

Simplicity:
The Lord sent them out with nothing for their mission. And they not only survived, they changed the world!

Do you value family time and passing on your spiritiaul heritage? Then plan it into your schedule.

Do you want your children and their children to handle conflict well? Then model and demand honesty, loving confrontation, and forgiveness.

Do you value faith? Then plan a mission experience where your family is outside its comfort zone helping others and sharing the Lord.

Do you valued generosity? Then give away presents at Christmas. (This will go well until one of your kids says, "What are you going to give away?" And he's looking straight at your Nike Sasquatch Sumo 5000 Driver.)

We have to use our spiritaul GPS for it to be valuable to us and our families.

Jesus created His GPS long before Harrison created his marine chronometer. The marine chronometer is seldom used today. In fact, Harrison's original is in a museum, tucked away where you can look at it, but it is not functional. Nearly 2000 years later, Jesus' GPS is still ticking.

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just ... (Genesis 18:19 TNIV).

Family Unique: Fuel in the Family Tank

rabrown0@gmail.com (Rick Brown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The drive from Jackson, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama was nothing spectacular. Three and a half hours. Two hundred miles. Just a jog in our journey from Abilene, Texas to Tampa, Florida where Mom's home cooking beckoned us over the miles. But to get from I-20 to I-10 you had to make the drive between Jackson and Mobile.

The long drive got longer once we hit that stretch in the middle of the night. We made the turn south at Jackson with half a tank of gas. So while others were sleeping, I tried not to. I was driving. Scott was snoring. And I kept a sleepy eye on the fuel gauge. (Why is it the needle takes so long to get to the half tank mark then drops like the stock market to the empty mark?)

About 50 miles outside of Mobile we were nearing the red zone on the fuel gauge. Scott woke up. I said, "Smell that?" "Smell what?" he asked. "The fumes!" "What fumes?" "The fumes we're driving on."

Next moment we were fuming at each other, envisioning what it would be like for two young guys to be pushing a '78 Camaro through the Alabama outback in the dark.

Your family's tank can run low too. The signs are similar. You drag through your days. You sputter at each other when you speak. Tension increases as pressure mounts. The life journey becomes rough and the ride bumpy.

Whereas vision gives your family direction, values fuel the family tank. Values are what you most want to be known for as a family. Values are your "to die for" principles.

Jesus had them. He valued prayer enough to rise early, go to a deserted place, and pray. He valued lost people enough to not care what others thought about who he hung out with. He valued unity enough to die for it.

Have any values you hold that strongly to? You need some. Try writing down four or five that you want your family to be known for. Make them easy to remember. And then start living them out.

By the way, we made the turn onto I-10, gasping and choking right into a truck stop. We pumped 15.97 gallons into a 16 gallon tank. I vowed that day that whenever my gas tank reached 1/4 of a tank I would stop and fill up.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:13-14 TNIV).

Family Unique: The Big Question

rabrown0@gmail.com (Rick Brown) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Last day of school. Clocking out at work. Locking up the store. The only thing on your plate is summer vacation and you're ready to devour it. The big question is: "Where are we going?" Because until you answer that question, you can't answer the rest:

What clothes should I pack? A jacket for the Rockies or board shorts for the Bahamas?

What sights should I see? The Golden Gate Bridge or the Eiffel Tower?

How much money do I need? A few bucks for a nearby beach or a "break the bank" budget for a lifetime adventure?

The way you answer those questions depends on how you answer the first.

The same is true for your family. The destination you plot for your family will determine the answers to the smaller questions along your life journey. Just as every family's vacation plans are unique, so is your family unique. And for the best journey possible, you must begin by answering the question, "Where are we going?"

Joshua did. He uttered these famous words as his family settled in the Promised Land: "... choose this day whom you will serve ... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:14-15 NIV).

Joshua was not only a leader of a nation: He was the leader of a family. "Serving the Lord" would be his family direction that would guide them in everything they did.

Can you say the same? Or are you just winging it the best you can? Interestingly enough, we often put more planning into the family vacation than we do into the family vocation. A vacation is the time you take a break from something, namely work. A vocation is the special function of an individual or group. It's who you are, no matter where you are.

How do you discover your "family unique"? Here are three suggestions from Joshua.

Gather your family together.
If you're single ... less scheduling. If you're married, plan a date night. If the kids are old enough, include them.

Discuss the options.
Joshua mentioned other "gods" that could be followed. You may want to discuss different things that are important to your family. Just like deciding vacation destinations, laying out the life options will help in this decision too.

Declare your decision.
Finish the statement, "As for me and my house, we will ..." However you finish it, declare it.

You may be thinking, "It's too late for me." "My kids are grown" or "We are too far off course." It's never too late. Did you hear what Joshua said? "... choose this day ..." Now is the time to decide. "Choose this day."

When you do, you can begin packing your bags.

7 Days of Love Challenge

rabrown0@gmail.com (Rick Brown) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

We're used to outrageous Super Bowl ads. But one aired in Texas that went over the top. A couple was celebrating their anniversary at a nice restaurant. The husband blows his nose, answers his cell phone, and leaves during dessert. On his way out he says, "Happy Anniversary, honey."

A voice-over asks women, "Isn't it time for AshleyMadison.com?" Thinking this might be a lead on something to get my wife for Valentine's Day, I checked it out.

Imagine my surprise when the website greeted me with this tagline: "Life is short. Have an affair." For $249 you can sign up and be guaranteed one within three months. I decided it was not time for Ashley Madison. It's bad advice. Problems in your marriage? These people say run away from each other.

Others say run towards each other. One church issued a "seven days of sex" challenge to their married couples. Kind of "Challenge Lite" compared to another church who issued the same appeal, but for thirty days. One pastor explained that they wanted people to move from "whining about the economy to whoopee."

Misunderstanding his intent, I ran a search and found Whoopi Goldberg, who on The View noted that it was a "man who offered the challenge." Then she asked why the challenge wasn't to "Go out. Be friends. Get to know each other. Go for a walk."

I wouldn't normally turn to Goldberg for advice, but I think she is on track. I searched to see if Jesus issued a love challenge, and sure enough, he did:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind ... Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).

The love Jesus spoke of is agape love. It's an intimate love that seeks what is best for the other person.

Imagine a world where everyone actually did that. Husbands would do their best to meet the needs of their wives. Wives would do the same for their husbands. Those unmarried would trust God and love others by remaining celibate. They would also learn self-control and what true friendship means.

And, by the way, aren't those two qualities that actually enhance the marriage relationship?

So I think it is time to offer a "7 Days of Love Challenge." For the next seven days, trust God and love the others in your life in the way he coaches you to.

Your friendships will improve.

And for the married out there, see if the results aren't "outrageous" in the best of ways!