Posted by: Garrick | January 22, 2010

Doubly grateful

This has been a week of birthdays in our house. My daughter turned four on Tuesday, and my son is celebrating nine years today.

January 22 will always be a significant date to me . . . but not just because of my son’s birthday. While the joy my children have brought me is impossible to fully describe in words, this date is juxtaposed with a great deal of pain as well.

At 36 years of age, I stand very aware that, given other circumstances, these words might never have been written . . . or even thought. That’s because on this date 37 years ago, the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision that would drastically alter the social and political landscape of this great nation for generations.

In a 7-2 vote, the justices decided that a pregnant woman could terminate her pregnancy for any reason up until “the point the fetus becomes ‘viable.’”

Now 37 years and some 50 million abortions later, that decision continues to generate controversy, stir emotions, and pit family members, friends, and church congregants against one another.

So today, as I live my life, I will recognize it as the gift that it is. As I watch my children run and play, as I listen to them giggle with those carefree sounds only children make, I will give thanks to God for these indescribable blessings.

And as my heart is flooded with gratitude, it also is filled with grief and anguish over those millions of children who never got to see the light of day — all because seven justices arrogantly decided that they knew better than God.

Although ground was broken this week in Houston, TX on what will be the largest abortion clinic in our country, my voice will not be silenced nor my spirit dampened. I will continue to be a voice for life, an advocate for adoption, and a cheerleader for brave women who, despite circumstances, choose life.

In the center of my bible, marking the place of Psalm 139, are photos of my children. I’m so glad they had their own birth days. And I’m glad my wife and I did as well. I guess you could say that I’m doubly grateful.

For those of you who have been misled into thinking life begins months into a pregnancy, I would urge you to remember a simple scientific fact: dead things don’t grow. Abortion is an issue of life or death. Don’t allow the years of history to trick you into thinking killing babies is in any way right, natural, or normal.

Abortion stops a beating heart.

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Posted by: Garrick | December 31, 2009

The process of becoming

As I sit here writing at the end of 2009, I do so in a different house . . . a different city . . . a different state than I started the year. Surrounded by different people. Serving a different church. Indeed this year has brought a great deal of ‘different’ into my life. But there’s at least one good thing that remains the same.

I’m in the process of becoming what Christ wants me to be.

Rather than spending a lot of time focusing on what I want to do in the year ahead (even though I have a few things in mind), I think my energy would be better served seeking what God wants to do through me.

This world is such a chaotic place, and as I’ve alluded to a number of times before, sometimes that gets me down. I’ve learned through the years that there’s no shame in expressing emotions. There’s no shame in being real, authentic, transparent. There are risks involved with all those things — but I find that the joys far outweigh the vulnerabilities — and the opportunities for heart-to-heart ministry are found most readily at the intersections of our weaknesses. Even the psalmist dealt with emotional highs and lows, as evidenced in his writings. And I seriously doubt that he’d care much about playing the role of ‘perfect Christian’ that our culture seems so eager to cast — all for the sake of tearing down later in the theatre of public opinion. Read More…

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Posted by: Garrick | December 24, 2009

My grown-up Christmas list

Christmas Eve seems a perfect time to reflect on what it is I most wish for as a grown-up. And yes, I use that term loosely, because who among us ever completely feels grown-up? I sometimes find myself longing for the innocence of childhood.

I remember very well marking items in the Sears and JCPenney catalogs as I created a ‘wish list’ in my younger days.  I often find myself sitting in our living room, looking at our tree (at right) and thinking about what I most wish for now. Most of us, I believe, still have ‘wish lists,’ but we rarely write them down in our hurried lives. It’s true that the best things in life can’t be wrapped in pretty paper and finished off with a bow.

Here’s my grown-up Christmas list — in no particular order:

  • I wish for more people to know Christ personally.
  • I wish for a cure for cancer, a disease that has taken its toll on my family through the years — and that currently threatens the lives of many.
  • I wish for a few new deep friendships where I can be free to be me.
  • I wish for more quiet time with God, to know Him better.
  • I wish for more quality time with my wife. Our waking moments together are so busy.
  • I wish for more children in this world to have the blessing of godly parents.
  • I wish for protection for our troops, wherever they may serve.
  • I wish for peace in a world full of chaos.
  • I wish for time to stand still for those few moments when I hold my children in my arms.
  • I wish for godly spouses for my children when they grow up.

And yes, I will always wish for a white Christmas — and am hopeful that one day that one really will come true!

There are so many more things that I wish for — and pray for. I encourage you to take a moment to jot down your own grown-up Christmas list.

I pray that you will always remember that Jesus is the reason for this wonderful season of the year.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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Posted by: Garrick | December 20, 2009

Can I be real with you?

In our American culture, it’s how many of us live our lives. “All about me” — as if no one else really matters.

It’s true of people in your family. It’s true of people in your workplace. It’s even true of people in your church. Think about it. Even within the context of worship, we each tend to think the music should be what we want, the preaching should be what we want, and even the decor should be what we want. And why not? After all, the first song most of us learn in church is “Jesus Loves ME.” It’s sad that many people never move beyond that fact to see how He wants to love through them as well.

Such egocentric thinking dates back to the Garden of Eden. Yes, from the very beginning of time, human beings have done a great job of being all about themselves.

There are plenty of people out there who contend that those of us who blog are merely self-promoters. And there are plenty of blogs out there which would lead one to that conclusion. However, being the transparent person that I try to be, I think after this particular post, you’ll come to see that there is very little self-promotion going on here. Read More…

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Posted by: Garrick | December 18, 2009

“Do your best!”

As a kid growing up in Mississippi, I have many memories of my parents giving me a hug on the way out the door for school. On test days I would always hear the words, “Do your best” as I scurried off.

In that context, “Do your best” had certain connotations. And those words really covered more than just test days. “Do your best” meant:

  • Pay attention in class
  • Do your homework thoroughly
  • Take your time and don’t make careless mistakes
  • Ask questions for clarification

I guess that in spite of short-comings that all parents have, mine did a pretty good job of instilling that principle. While I deeply appreciate that fact, it sure makes it difficult to be tolerant of those who don’t do their best work.

Take customer service, for example. When I worked in retail sales, the reigning mentality was “the customer is always right.” I would submit to you there are very few businesses who operate by that principle today. Now, granted, we know that the customer is not always right. But I think the main point of that mantra is that as a business person, it is important to always treat even the most difficult customer with a measure of dignity and respect. Through the years I’ve come to think of it differently — more along the lines of “I’d rather be paid than be right.”

It pains me to see that today’s fast-paced productivity-minded culture encourages quantity over quality. So many people simply do not seem to care to do their best.

In ministry, doing our best means many things. It means taking the time to listen; following through on what you say you’ll do; being intentional about changes and transitions; hurting with people in need; being diligent in preparation, no matter how large or small the crowd may be. The church is a place where good principles of ’customer service’ can be readily applied. I still think of myself as a salesman of sorts. Of course, the main difference is that I have the most important thing to offer — and I’m giving it away!

Because I represent Jesus Christ, it is essential that I do my best. That means lots of attention to not just the big picture but also to the details — those little things that are extremely time-consuming but that make all the difference in the world.

Colossians 3:23 says this:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

As you go through your routine today, I hope you will give life your best — every aspect of it. Give your family your best. Give your employer your best. Give your friends your best.

I’m frequently reminded that God gave His best for us; we owe Him nothing less.

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