What would you do for … ? (Prayer Devotional for the week of July 27, 2014)

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Do you remember the jingle from the Klondike® commercials, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” with people doing silly antics to earn one? What if the stakes were higher than just a square chunk of chocolate-coated ice cream?

What would you do for $100? $1,000? $1,000,000? Would you eat bugs? Would you violate your moral convictions? Would you put your life at risk?

In this age of reality TV, it’s obvious that many people will do just about anything for attention: live in the wilderness for months, subject themselves to public scrutiny and berating, face grueling physical challenges, even marry a virtual stranger. What if the stakes were higher than just a few minutes of television fame or a prize jackpot?

What if the stakes were eternity?

The Amplified Bible translates Psalm 125:3 as: “For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the [uncompromisingly] righteous, lest the righteous (God’s people) stretch forth their hands to iniquity and apostasy.” Uncompromisingly righteous … that seems to mean that people who otherwise live righteously still make unrighteous choices sometimes. We compromise. We give into lesser stakes—but for what? For fame? For glory? For something that feels like love? For a sense of self-worth? For spite?

The Psalm goes on to say, in verse 5, that our “crooked ways” boil down to our indifference toward God. When we compromise, we say to the Lord that we don’t care what he thinks. The Bible is clear that God does not want anyone to perish (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9), but when we turn our backs on him, sometimes he lets us keep walking. Psalm 125 ends with a sobering image of God’s people walking off with evildoers. Is any amount of worldly gain worth separation from God?

Originally posted July 31, 2011

Second half of 2014 goals

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I don’t usually make New Year resolutions, and besides, the main thing on my mind eight months ago was finishing my dissertation so that I could graduate. That goal is in the books — hallelujah! — so now, in my abundance of free time (<<that’s sarcasm, in case you missed it), I’ve decided that I have no more excuses to get my body back in shape.

Inspired by Amy at FitMommas and Andrea at I’mperfect Life, I have set 10 personal fitness goals for the second half of 2014:

  1. Plank for 40 secs (I have not done a baseline test to see how long I can do this right now, but I picked 40 seconds because of my milestone birthday coming up this fall.)
  2. 10 pushups (I make the boys do pushups for various infractions at home, so I figured I should be able to do a minimum amount, at least!)
  3. Walk a 5K (I participated in an event a few months after my knee surgery, and it was brutal. Some of the half-marathon runners finished their race before I finished walking 3 miles! Overachievers.)
  4. Swim 400yds (This should be the easiest goal to reach, and I wanted to include one that would motivate me positively.)
  5. 20 squats (I had to do these during physical therapy for my knee, ugh. I can do about 5 in a row right now (maybe 10 with a rest), so this will be a challenge.)
  6. Walk another 5K (If I don’t find an event to attend, then I’ll just aim for 3+ miles.)
  7. Bike 4 mi (My knees hate cycling, but I think I can work up to 4mi on a stationary bike, at least.)
  8. Walk stairs at work 30x by October 31 (I report to my new office on the 4th floor on Monday, Aug. 18, which gives me 11 weeks to reach this goal. That’s only 2-3 times per week to take the stairs, so I think I can make myself do it.)
  9. Walk around the block 50x by Thanksgiving (There are four months until Thanksgiving, so if I walk around the block 3-4 times a week, then the goal is achievable.)
  10. 10 burpees (This goal is a stretch, because I cannot even do ONE right now.  I have difficulty kicking my feet back (have to walk back one foot at a time) and then jumping back into a squatting position (though I could do it in two little pounces). I like the way this guy showed how to do them … not so much pressure on the knees.)

So, there you have it. I’m writing the goals down here for accountability’s sake. In addition to being more active, I know that I need to eat better. I think my new schedule (i.e., not having to be at my desk from 8-5 everyday) will be more conducive to eating prepared meals from home (rather than eating out at breakfast or lunch) and planning for my own meals throughout the day, instead of just thinking about what to fix for dinner. Not to mention, it will save money!

You want me to give what? (Prayer Devotional for the week of July 20, 2014)

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I recall plenty of sermons on stewardship over the years, but I couldn’t tell you of a lightbulb moment when it dawned on me that my personal giving mattered. Giving—and tithing, in particular—is just something that I grew up doing. It never seemed odd to me; it was just what you did. I didn’t realize how weird I was.

The Bible focuses a lot (more than we’d probably like to admit) on finances and giving. In 1 Chronicles 29, King David announced to the assembly of Israelites that he had committed an extraordinary sum to building the Lord’s temple. Following his example, the leaders and community members gave generously (and joyfully!), as well. David offered a prayer of thanks and told God, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v. 14). He went on to ask the Lord to bless the givers and “keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you” (v. 18).

Don’t get me wrong; Americans tend to be pretty generous. Young adults in “Generation Y” give an average of $341/year, according to a 2010 survey by Convio. Gen Xers and Baby Boomers give incrementally more, while The Great Generation gives the most, on average, at $1,066/year. The numbers vary from source to source, but a common estimate is that Americans give about 3% of their earnings to charity, on average. That certainly isn’t chump change, and it adds up to billions of philanthropic dollars each year. Yet, do we give from the same attitude of selfless abandon that King David did, when he offered “personal treasures of gold and silver … over and above everything [that David had already] provided” (v. 3)? Do we give because there is joy in it, or because we feel obligated … or do we not bother to give at all? God calls us to be weird for him in many ways, and one of those ways should be our generosity.

Originally posted August 28, 2011 (revised)