Even though he died in 1926, I still know who Harry Houdini was. The reason I know is because he was one of the most famous escape artists to ever live.

To try to confine Houdini, people would bind him in chains, bury him, and they would even sew him up in canvas bags and throw him in a river. It was said that Houdini “could escape from anything except your memory.” In the end though, not even Houdini could escape death.

Tomorrow is Easter, and it is a day that we remember the One who is greater than Houdini. It is a day of celebration as we commemorate His resurrection.

It is this triumphant act over death and the grave that gives us hope.

Have a happy Easter!

Wednesday morning I gave Mom a big hug. I told her how much I loved her, and I told her that she has been a great mother.

The sad thing about my comments is that Mom was cognizant of them for just a few brief minutes. My fleeting hug was overpowered by the forceful grip of Alzheimers. Whatever the moment is, Mom can be happy, sad, or angry–but just for a momet. Then, well then, it is another thought or the same one repeated again and again, and a moment later, again.

Even though I knew she would not remember, we reminisced. We talked about about the good times, family, and how much I look like her dad (People say her dad was a handsome man).

Mom has been a much better mother to me than I have ever been a son to her. In my personal life, I spell 911 with three letters: M-O-M. She has always been “there” for me when I needed her. She never gave up on me, and that is how I made it through a certain period of my life: I always knew Mom would love me and be “there” for me.

In my spiritual life, I spell 911 with a different set of letters: G-O-D. Thankfully, He has never given up on me. Even though there have been times that I have forgotten Him, He has always remembered me.

I see this pattern time and again in the bible. Even though Joseph’s brothers dropped him into a pit and forgot him, God remembered him and blessed him.

When Moses was telling God to forget him and send Aaron in his place, God didn’t give up on Moses, and He used Moses to lead Israel out of bondage.

God has never given up on me, but He did give up His son. He gave up Jesus to die on the cross for us: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to die that we might live (John 3:16).

How do you spell 911? Is it D-A-D, M-O-M, G-O-D, or S-O-N of God?

Even though I think anything above 90 degrees is too hot, I do enjoy the four seasons that Kansas offers her people. The recent snow is a case in point.

In a matter of hours we went from far too dry and a little too dusty to a winter wonderland. Whenever I heard someone complain about the snow, I reminded them that we needed moisture regardless of the form or fashion in which it fell.

Mother Nature used the tree, in the picture above, as a canvas on which she could paint a smiling face. This reminds of what someone said about the storms of life: “Adversity does not build character, but it does reveal it.”

Abraham Lincoln presided over a difficult and stormy period of our nation’s history, and he once said that almost “any man can stand adversity, but if you really want to test his character, give him power.”

With the sequestration standing at the threshold, I’ve been thinking about the relationship that exists between adversity, character, and the quest for power. This relationship was summarized by Lord Acton when he said: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

When I look at the political shenanigans of the Democrats and Republicans and their self-serving rhetoric, it is easy to see a congress full of characters; however, it’s much more difficult to see genuine character within the congress.

I attended a workshop in Newton several years ago. As an ice breaker, the presenter asked: “Please reveal something about yourself that will be a surprise to the rest of the class.” When my turn came, I said: “I am probably the only one here who has been taken to the edge of town by the Newton police and told to never come back, so please don’t tell them I am here.”

I think of that incidence and others when I read Psalm 25:7: Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord are good.”

The surprising thing about this verse is not the possibility of feeling God’s hand of judgment. What I find to be so amazing is the wonder of God’s grace and mercy. In His grace, he gives me what I do not deserve–salvation. In His mercy, he does not give me what I do deserve–judgment.

The grace and mercy of God are the extravagant dimensions of God’s love. When the Apostle Paul contemplated this, he encouraged the Ephesians to: “Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God (The Message, Ephesians 3:14-19).”

So, what is your concept of God? Is he just a God who points a guilty finger at you, or is He the God who wraps you up in his arms of amazing grace?

Hope this thought warms you on this cold February day.

One day during the worship service a little boy leaned over to his mother and whispered in a loud voice: “I hate lettuce!” The mother was perplexed by the off the cuff comment for just a moment and then she realized her son had heard but misinterpreted what the preacher had said. Her son heard “lettuce,” but the preacher had said “let us.”

In Hebrews 10, Paul uses “let us” three times:
1. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
2. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering
3. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works

The verses above are from the old King James Version which can be interesting because it uses the English of 1611. Notice the word “provoke” in #3 above. The usage of this word in 1611 was different than it is in 2013. Today we generally think of provoke as something negative; however, the way it used in this verse is positive. It is the idea of encouraging another person to do what is right.

How do you provoke people? Are you a porcupine who keeps people at a distance or needles them until you get your way? This is the approach that many people take in their relationships.

The preferred means of provoking is more of a golden retriever approach. This is a warm, fuzzy, and affirming relationship that builds people up and encourages them.

Think about it–How do you provoke people?

I have a bit of an infatuation with bungee cords, ropes, and ratchets. When I go into a hardware store, I will usually look to see if there is some new gadget to help secure whatever I have bouncing around in the bed of my truck. I look for that special something that is not too long but not too short; high load strength; and, ease of use is critical.

I think I am in good company because even Solomon, who was declared to be the wisest man, said: a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Solomon knew that a single string was not as strong as three strings that are intertwined and woven together. This is a good life principle—don’t let your life hang by a single thread.

Let me share a couple of threads to consider weaving into your life. The first of these is the bible. Paul warned that we should not allow anyone to cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ (Col 2:8-9). Instead, we should embrace biblical principles: the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).

The second thread is authenticity. People who are real and authentic stand in stark contrast with what we usually see in the media today. Reality TV is anything but real—it is staged. When Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians, he said: there was never a time that we tried to deceive you with the use of flattering words, nor a cloak for covetousness. Paul was effective because he was authentic.

A third thread for your consideration is the concept of grace. A quote out of The Message from Colossians 3 explains this well: chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Give these three threads some thought. Weave them together and find the strength to hangout and hang on.

As I watched the news last night, I heard the disturbing story of a dead baby that was discovered in a dumpster at the Eastgate Shopping Mall in Wichita. This story reminded me of an incident in October of 2010 when a live baby was found in a dumpster in Emporia.

How should society react to events such as these? Has there been a violation or transgression of some standard, moral, or ethic?

It seems that whenever morals and ethics are called into question, people today call for tolerance. My questions is this: How can we determine the how, when, what, and where of tolerance?

In his book True Tolerance, University of Texas professor, Jay Budziszewski helps to define the issue: The specific virtue of true tolerance has to do with the fact that sometimes we put up with things we rightly consider mistaken, wrong, harmful, offensive, or in some other way not worth approval.

The Free Online dictionary defines tolerance as: The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others; Leeway for variation from a standard; The permissible deviation from a specified value of a structural dimension, often expressed as a percent.

Notice this portion of the definition: The permissible deviation from a specified value. When a machinist makes something, he has the standard and the allowable tolerance. Anything that deviates too much from the specified standard will not function properly or will breakdown too quickly.

How do we apply this to the present social context in which we live? How do we know that a mother is wrong when she leaves her baby in a dumpster? Most of us would agree that an act such as this is morally irrehensible.

To say that some things are wrong and that some things are right is to say that there is some standard to which we can appeal. Does society define its standards or do individuals determine the rightness or wrongness of their choices.

Once again: How can we determine the how, when, what, and where of tolerance? I know how I approach this, and I would be interesting to read your comments.