From Tennessee - Fulmer's Final Mistake

I don't know a lot about David Clawson. His resume is impressive. I know he seemed successful at Richmond and Fordham. I was caught up in all the hype of a hot, new West Coast offense six months ago. Evidently so was Phil. I know he would say he made a lot of mistakes as head coach at University of Tennessee. No question, David Clawson as offensive coordinator was his last.

David is young, he will land on his feet and learn from it. But no matter, the story behind the story, is that life got too complicated for the offense.

When you look at reality, last season was a Houdini act by Phil. How such an average team could end up in the SEC championship game and a few plays from the BCS amazes me. Others must have noticed. The VOLS were on their way to one of the most impressive recruiting classes in years under Fulmer. But things got complicated on offense. Way too complicated.

I am sad. An old familiar face will be gone from the Big Orange. I am looking for something to learn here for all of us. Simple is in. Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger is great for the church world. Real Simple magazine is fun and important for those of us looking for tips around the house. In a complicated era, simple has never matter more.

Life gets foggy at times. For Phil, for me, and for David Clawson, simple might be better. Simple might have saved the jobs of Clawson and Phil.

How do you need to simplify in your life? Have you overcomplicated faith? family? work? Vince Lombardi allegedly started each summer football camp with, "Gentlemen, this is a football." That, I understand. I am with you Vince. I am going to dumb it down a bit.

From Tennessee - The Over Supply

To me, holiday themes can be so shallow. We go 364 discontent, moaning, groaning, and ignoring the good stuff of life days. Suddenly we wake up today and flip the switch. We spend a day counting our blessings and watching the Detroit Lions play football. By midnight tonight we will likely relapse.

Same thing with Christmas. We will get a tear in our eye as we sing Silent Night, Holy Night and gaze at the baby on the stage at the church program. Sorry if I seem a bit jaded. I guess the stretch mark I long for here is to gain some God momentum from these important times.

Could the holidays reverse a period of ungratefulness that might last? How? Could my lack of amazement over who Jesus is be brought back to the reality of His greatness this Christmas? How? Take over from here -- our "hows" will be different.

The food on my table today will likely bring all the things that much of the world does not have. The food will taste good, there will be plenty, and in most cases will look good. Just like the entire year of care from God my life, He will do more than supply my needs. He will over supply.

From Tennesssee - Perspective

My father-in-law, Charlie and mother-in-law, Faye are interesting people. Charlie is a retired biology professor and a farmer. Faye is a retired financial assistant. Talk about your lifelong learners, the world still seems to amaze them. They read, they travel, they socialize . . .

So, when I visit there I always find reading material from places I normally do not fish for reading material. Kind of out of my league, if you know what I mean. I read football websites for my personal growth.

However, I found something at their house that caught my eye. Unfortunately, as with me, they are University of Tennessee football fans.

Fired and outgoing Head Football Coach Phil Fulmer's comment was reported by today's edition of the Bristol Herald Courier:

. . . bitterness or resentment is like taking poison and expecting someone else to die . . . I'm not going to live that way. I just chose not to.

I don't know how spiritual Coach Fulmer is, but his perspective is of value either way, don't you think?

Not Quite Solved

How is the prayer of a dying man different? WWJP -- What would Jesus pray? The Gospel of John, chapter 17, in the Bible -- gives a lot to consider. Also, his last hours in the garden and on the cross is place to research. In fact, under the broad heading, all the prayers of Jesus were the prayers of a dying man.

Sir Isaac Newton provided a helpful hammer:

I can take my telescope and look millions and millions of miles into space, but I can lay it aside and go into my room, shut the door, get down on my knees in earnest prayer, and see more of heaven and get closer to God that I can assisted by all the telescopes and material agencies on earth.

Thanks, I needed that. How about you? How might that insight make a difference for you today?

Underpraying - 30 DaysTo Live

Urgency -- Panic -- Desparation -- Prayer . . . I wonder why the human cycle is that way. If I were going to die in thirty days I would pray with a different soul connection to heaven.

In 1987 I went to El Salvador with one of my all time favorite missionaries. Leo Humphrey, who is in heaven as we speak, was a mentor and friend. Another man on that trip, Dean, had been given the news from his doctor. Dean had only a few months to live. He led our team in prayer once. Leo came beside me right after the prayer was finished and said, I love to hear a dying man pray.

Does a dying man pray differently than one who "thinks" he is not? Why? How would I pray differently if I really believed I was soon to die? How about you? I am not completely sure what that looks like. Let's practice. Pray today like you only have 30 days to live. Give me feedback. I will do the same.

30 Days To Live - The Last Sermon

Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon Professor knew he was going to die when he presented his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007. Really. No special bracelet or sermon series inspired him. Doctors and medical tests had informed Randy.

This Sunday at The Ridge I have been challenged to present The Last Sermon. Not exactly the same as what Randy faced, although Dr. Raham would agree that I face a similar fate. The statistics, Steve Brown said, are one out of one. I am not sure where The Last Sermon is going yet, although I have thought about it for over six weeks now.

One of my favorite quotes on death comes from a preacher, D.L. Moody:

Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of Northfield is dead. Don't believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone higher, that is all - out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that sin cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned into His glorious body. I was born in the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of flesh may die; that which is born of the Spirit will live forever.

Wow, talk about finishing strong -- and with confidence. Is it possible? How? Will you?

30 Days - The Afterlife

Feel good experiences might be on the list if we had a short time left. I seriously doubt the "feel goods" would be on the top. The most important question I posed in the series at WRC was, "If I am going to die in 30 days, where will I be on day 31?" If you believe in the Afterlife, where are you going to spend it? How do you know? Can you know? How about your friends and family?

Ernest from The Ridge said it well:

" . . . everyone talks about taking trips or going some where they have not been 'that seems selfish.' If I only had 30 days to live the top of my list would be to make sure my family and friends knew JESUS and when they died they were going to heaven so I could see them. The only other thing I would do is be with my family and let them know how much I love them and that I would see them soon."

Regardless of what you believe about life after death, there is no way you can argue. The question is important for someone who has 30 days to live. What did Jesus say? What does the Bible teach? So, where do the conversations need to start? Let's talk about it.

30 Days To Live - Yuk!

I resisted one part of 30 Days to Live. I guess part of the reason is a man thang. Part if it is a desire for the deep. I have resisted the warm, squeezy, feely part.

I remember seeing a wall poster in the 70's. You may have seen these if you were alive back then, or old enough to read. The poster was a part of the Love is . . . series. The poster said, Love is . . . A Green Field on a Warm Day. Yuk! At that time for me, love was cruising. With my best girl. Marsha. Down Broad Street. In my light blue Volkswagen Super Beetle. On Friday night!

The big picture is important if we have 30 days to live. But there must be a greater appreciation for the moment. Why? Because the now is one thing you have left. Appreciating the smaller experiences, that we often take for granted takes a front seat.

I like the way Lee, from Willow Ridge, said it to me in an email:

We obviously are going to continue to spend wisely and save accordingly, but with 30 days left to live, finances take a back seat. It certainly makes you want to enjoy one more time: sunsets, swimming, sitting in a deer stand, running over the Cooper River Bridge with your wife, having a cup of coffee with your father on his back porch. It also makes you think about the things you NEED to do: have THAT conversation with your extremely lost brother, put down on paper LIFE type things for your son, feed everyone you can that cant feed themselves, tell your wife EXACTLY what she means to you.

If you only have 30 days to live, love really may become a green field on a warm day. Whatever, in the moment, that you take for granted. Gifts from God that we are too important or busy to enjoy. Have one today!

Thirty Days to Live - Thud!

We have been thinking at The Ridge . . . along with a lot of other churches right now . . . What would do if we had only 30 days to live? If you really engage the question -- three meals a day at Ryan's buffet does not make a lot of sense. I mean, is that really important to you?

I am getting great feedback. I played the old, Ask the Audience card last week. Wow! I could not be more impressed with the insights, etc.

Mark and Danielle Proctor already turned the tables. I have been pondering on the deep implications of me (you know, all about ME, me), facing the next 30 days, as if they would be my last.

Mark and Danielle's young son, Hunter had a serious hunting accident a couple of years ago. Their family spend days not sure if he would live. They said the experience changed their perspective. Now they think, what if people around us had only 30 days to live. How would I treat them differently?

Here is what Danielle said: Something that keeps sounding in my mind is thinking that others only have 30 days to live! I think the thought of knowing only has a certain amount of time has gotten me more motivated in trying to share the love of Jesus. Even if it only means taking time in the check out line at the store and acknowledging the person serving you at the moment and letting them know you care. I know an easy concept but this keeps playing in my mind that it is not only me that might have 30 days to live, but maybe my neighbor or the cashier may only have 30 days to live. This thought has made a big impact on my daily life.

In my business, we call that a hammer. Something that makes a loud thud when you hear it. A loud thud in your heart . . . Thanks Mark and Danielle and others, who are engaging this issue.