Wealth Management

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This weekend our church held its yearly “Trash and Treasure” sale. Prices are unbeatable: appliances $3; blankets $2; jewelry $1; dishes 50 cents; books 25 cents; mugs 10 cents. One woman claimed she shopped for all her children’s clothes each year at our event.

Shoppers

It might be a good idea to rename the sale, “Trash to Treasure,” since buyers tote bags full of “cast-offs” out the door wearing broad smiles of triumph. My several bags were filled with toys, children’s books, a clock, a blanket, and games to play with my grandchildren.

Royal mug

I also bought a dark green coffee mug edged in gold that says, “By Appointment to His Majesty The King of Sweden.” Fabulous.

The old adage that one person’s trash is another’s treasure is entirely true, evidenced by the amount of stuff that disappeared from the church tables yesterday. But that statement also applies to intangibles that can’t be pulled from attics, basements, or garages. Consider the valuables of prayer, devotional time, Bible study, discussion of scripture, church services, anticipation of heaven. These, to me, are treasures too, but not everyone would agree. Amazingly, some folks would actually label these “trash”.

I know a man who declares himself an atheist. He has no interest in the Word of God and doesn’t have any use for information about how to be “saved from sin.” Attending worship services is a waste of his time, and thoughts of heaven (or hell) are laughable. Prayer and Bible study? Only for those who aren’t strong enough to manage life without some “religious component” to lean on.

My treasure is his trash.

Advertising

And just as we at the church posted a sign out front advertising the upcoming sale, signs advertising spiritual treasure are all around this man. His choice, though, is to bypass them without checking to see if what they’re advertising might be of some value. Maybe he did investigate earlier in life, but if so, his choice was to place other things ahead of the Father, Son, and Spirit on his list of life-treasures. Actually, he chose to leave them off the list entirely.

But that’s the key: he chose.

All of us get the chance to choose, and as a result, we have to take responsibility for the consequences. If we don’t study the Bible, however, we don’t know what the consequences are. I’m praying for the soul of my atheist acquaintance, because God has said he doesn’t want even one person to miss out on the treasures he offers, which include riches beyond our imagining.

The atheist is right about one thing, though. Oftentimes I am weak as I travel through life’s struggles, and I do need “a religious component” to lean on. His name is Jesus Christ….

….and he’s the greatest Treasure of all.

“Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve.“ (Joshua 24:14-15)

At last!

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Waiting 9 months for the birth of a child doesn’t seem long in the early weeks, since growth can be carefully tracked on pregnancy web sites. We can see a baby’s size go from rice-like to kidney bean to grape to lime! Each week includes major developments as God does his marvelous work in “the secret place” of the womb. (Psalm 139)

But growth slows considerably toward the end of 9 months, and baby is usually “done” several weeks before delivery. That’s when it’s hard to wait patiently.

Katy and Hans have faithfully kept us posted on Baby #4’s progress, letting us know about several episodes of intense contractions that made us hopeful we’d meet this little one early. But the due date came and went, and as of yesterday Katy, along with the rest of us, was still waiting.

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Then the clock ticked into today, and God said, “It’s time!”

Andrew Kenneth Nyman (7 lb 14 oz) greeted his parents at home, just after noon British time, with a full head of dark hair and a gentle smile. Thanks to iPhones, those of us 4000 miles away got to share the joy of the moment almost immediately. We “met” him while he was still wet behind the ears and watched as Andrew’s 3 older siblings greeted him for the first time, witnessing their tender kisses and expressions of amazement.

Four year old Nicholas, had repeatedly asked, “When is the baby coming?” Today, as he looked at his new little brother, all he could think to say was, “Is it real?” Finally able to see the long-invisible, eagerly-anticipated baby, these words were the best he could find to express the extraordinary wonder in his heart.

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The baby has been named well after his American cousin Andrew (and, as Hans added, the first of Jesus’ disciples). While growing up, Hans hung with a “set” of 4: Andrew-Klaus-Jo-Hans. These cousins, close in age, walked through childhood and adolescence together with Andrew in the lead, who today is an excellent example of a young man committed to Christ.

Little Andrew’s middle name comes to him from both sides of the family, Nate’s only sibling and Katy’s grandfather, both named Kenneth. But best of all are the meanings of these names: Andrew = manly, warrior; Kenneth = handsome, fiery. How wonderful to be a manly, handsome warrior with a fiery spirit!

As I talked with the Lord this morning, asking him to set Andrew’s heart on fire for Jesus, the verse he gave me (below) was God’s strong statement of commitment to Andrew Kenneth and a hope that he will be just as committed in return. This young life is already keenly important to all of us, but is even more so to the One who created him to be exactly as he is.IMG_1799 And we are so thankful!

ANDREW KENNETH NYMAN,

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

“I [the Lord] will make an everlasting covenant with [Andrew]: I will never stop doing good for [Andrew]. I will put a desire in [Andrew’s] heart to worship me, and [Andrew] will never leave me.” (Jeremiah 32:40)                   [personalization mine]

 

 

Time to panic?

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Keep calm...Most of us are familiar with the poster, “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.” I first saw it in the home of Hans’ bride, Katy, when our family arrived in England for their wedding. It was 2007, and because of the kingly crown on the poster, I figured it was strictly British. The sentiment applied nicely as busy wedding preparations saw us sometimes becoming un-calm, though we did do well at carrying on.

Apparently that poster was created by the British government at the beginning of World War II. Officials wanted to be ready with inspiration, should mass air attacks occur in major cities. Although 800,000 posters were printed, few were circulated as the war intensified, mostly because authorities thought the message trivialized the gravity of the situation. After that, the posters all but disappeared.

Then in the year 2000, one of the originals was rediscovered in the bottom of a box of books. Today the slogan has grown into an international industry and is printed on everything from mugs and aprons to notebooks and food packaging.

Although the “keep calm” motto has been altered in all kinds of ways (Keep calm and drink wine, Keep spending and carry on shopping, etc.), the original idea is still a pretty good one. It’s even scriptural.

In Isaiah 7, the Almighty was speaking when he said, “Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart.” (v. 4) He was talking to a king in similar circumstances to World War II, telling him not to panic over what appeared to be certain defeat by a powerful army. God reassured him by saying, “Keep calm, because I’m controlling  things.”

But he didn’t just leave him hanging by telling him to stay calm without telling him how. He followed his instructions with letting the king know he’d have to do something, too: “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (v. 9)

The British poster campaign was eventually considered a “misjudgment of the mood of the people.” But maybe that’s because they weren’t told how to stay calm. If mass air attacks in large cities were the order of the day, people couldn’t remain calm for long… unless of course God endowed them with the ability to do so.

He did that in the Isaiah passage and is willing to do it for us today. In Philippians we read, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (2:13) And it pleases him when we stay calm in a crisis, because it proves we’re trusting him for the outcome.

So, when circumstances tempt us to panic, we shouldn’t ask God for relief from the situation but for strength to stand firm in our faith all the way through. After that, keeping calm and carrying on should be no problem.

“You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security.” (Proverbs 3:25-26)