Borrowed Breath

Sometimes it takes heartache for us to realize how much we are loved. Brothers and sisters come out of the woodwork to express how much you mean to them and that you are in their thoughts and prayers.

I’m going to be preaching this Sunday at Providence. And the title of the sermon is “We’re In This Together.” The main premise of the discourse will be, how do we live in community in view of our Lord’s imminent return? And Michelle and I have known firsthand that our little community understands that concept and lives it out.

We are loved.

…even though I feel it should stop for me in my pain.

When we go through something that temporarily cripples us, our world stops. Our present reality is all we know. And we feel locked in that moment.

Yet all around us, those not affected by our loss go about their everyday lives just as they did before our world stopped. At some point, we are involuntarily thrust back into that spinning world. And life goes on…even though I’m not quite ready to go on with it.

Pain and heartache change our reality.
Things are no longer the same.
Frivolity and goofiness in others can be an annoyance.
But we see hurt in others’ eyes that we would have missed before.

Our reality is shaped by our experiences.
Tell someone you love them today.

Father God,
We come to you as your children.
We need you now. We need to know we are loved.
We need to feel your embrace.
We need a sense of your faithfulness and steadfast love, though our experiences defy such a request.
We need your presence here with us now.
We need you.

As we draw near to you today, O Lord, we cling to your promise that you will draw near to us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

This well known phrase was spoken by Job after everything he had, including his children, was taken from him by the accuser and adversary of the children of God.

What would possess a man to vocalize such a statement?
What, besides faith in the God who loves him, could prompt such a declaration?
Nothing.
Only faith in the never-failing love of God, apart from that which He gives and that which He allows to be taken away, could birth such a pronouncement.

Our Lord’s love goes much deeper than things we see with our eyes.
And though it makes no sense to us when something we love dearly is taken from us, and hope seems like the farthest thing from a possibility, we trust the heart of our God.
Trust alone flies in the face of tragedy.
Hope defies despair.

And love wins.

Today we honor our fathers. And for me, that is one of the easiest things to do, for my father has battled and loved and fought and cried and laughed and loved some more to earn this honor.
My dad is one of my heroes. In fact, both of my parents top that list.

Dad, you are a living example of what it means to follow Jesus, heart and soul and mind and strength.
Your love for your Savior overflows and affects your view of everything else.
Your love and sacrifices for your family are worth emulating.
You’ve given so much. And so much has been taken from you. And yet you continue to press on in the face of it all, steadfast, sure, steady.

You have gone through more in your few years on this earth than 10 men should go through in a lifetime.
And you do it with such grace.

If and when the Lord gives Michelle and me a son, he will carry your name, Philip Manthey, as an ongoing, living testimony of a man of God who loves his family and loves others with that same love wherewith he is loved.

I love you, dad.
I am blessed beyond words to be able to call you my father.
Oh, that I would become half the man that you are, for then those around me would know blessing.

Happy Fathers’ Day, dad.

And Happy Fathers’ Day Matt and Ken and Tim.
May I be half the father you are to your families.

One of my current favorite worship songs:

“Everyone needs compassion
Love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour
He can move the mountains
For my God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Saviour
He can move the mountains
For my God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light and
Let the whole world see
We’re singing
For the glory of the risen King
Jesus”

written by Reuben Morgan

Hillsong

To see:

Phenomenal story, well-written, Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro were incredible!
HT: Steve Henricks

Not to see:

Terrible acting, horrible writing, no story…90 minutes of my life I wish I could get back. The only redeeming thing about this film is that we only spent $1 at Red Box.
Actually, I want my dollar back.

Last night, on our way home after doing some running around, we opted to stop in at Arbys to grab a few sandwiches and fries. We definitely capitalized on the 5 for $6.95 deal. The gentleman next to us approached the cash register. The kid asked him if he could help him.

The customer responded, “I’ll take two roast beef sandwiches.”

The young Arbys employee paused, and then fielded the request with, “Regular, medium or large?”

This confused the older gentleman. “I just want two roast beef sandwiches.”

“Okay,” the kid answered patiently, “but they come in different sizes.” Both them paused for few seconds. The kid again asked, “Regular, medium or lar—“

“Regular,” the customer sharply answered.

At first, I found myself critical of the older gentleman for not realizing that requesting “two roast beef sandwiches” at Arbys is like walking into a tire store and saying, “I’ll take four tires,” or walking into a Baskin Robbins and asking for a dish of ice cream.

But then I wondered where the concept of the customer always being right falls in this scenario. Could the employee have realized that this man just wanted two regular roast beef sandwiches after the first exchange? This would have saved the customer undue embarrassment.

So often, we who have walked with Christ for a few years and who are part of the Christian community forget that we have our own dialect that the world does not understand. It’s called “Christianese.” And they come to us and say, “I want Jesus.”

To which we ask, “Calvinism or Arminianism?”

“I just want Jesus.”

“Okay, but are you KJV only?”

“…I think so…”
“1611?”

“I just want Jesus.”
“Are you a, pre, or post?”

“…um, I don’t know.”

“Penal Substitution or Christus Victor?”

“I just want Jesus.”
“Do you like drums in church?
“I guess so…”
“Would you wear shorts and flip-flops to church?”
“Probably…listen, I just want Jesus. You know what? I’m going somewhere else where it’s not as complicated.”

The gospel essentials are very simple.
Jesus said the way is narrow, but I don’t want to make it narrower than He did by my own man-made criteria.

I can’t not post this link.
Really good stuff.

HT: Rick Frueh & CRN

Well, as you can see, I just changed my header.
The one that I’ve had since the birth of this blog was a stock photo that went with the WordPress theme for this site.
In an effort to convince myself and everyone else that I am creative and unique, I’ve taken a painting by my friend and dear sister in Christ, Sarah Tudor, and made that my new header.

Here is the link to her website.