Under the Covers

As has been my practice of late I woke up in the middle of the night and found it next to impossible to get back to sleep. I feel positive that I am the only one who has ever experienced this phenomena!

My body temperature felt a little on the warm side so I just laid there on top of the covers for over 45 minutes. First on my left side, then I tussled over to my right, then I wiggled over to my back and then I wrestled myself back to my left. Nothing seemed to work.

Finally, I resorted to get back under the covers and within minutes I drifted off into Mr. Sandman's soothing slumber...

My iWitness...

I have been especially moved to tears by a variety of songs lately. The latest being a song by Christy Nockels titled "Grace Flows Down"

Amazing Grace
How sweet the sound
Amazing Love
Now flowing down
From hands and feet
That were nailed to the tree
As Grace flows down and covers me

It covers me
It covers me
It covers me
And covers me

Has life been a little on the rattling side lately?
Do you find yourself tussling, wiggling and wrestling with life lately?
Have you exhausted yourself by trying every avenue you know available to get life under control?
Me too...

Might I make a suggestion?
Get under the covers...

The covers of God's love, mercy and grace.
Let the weight of God's amazing grace slowly flow down and cover you, soothe you, calm you.
I do believe in no time you will fall into the relaxing, rejuvenating, restoring and restful arms of God.

I'm getting under the covers!
How bout you?

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions (wings)
and under his wings you will find refuge:
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler." (Psalm 91. 1-4)

Broken

I keep hearing the same song over and over again on XM  radio channel 63 - The Message...
The title of the song is "Keep Making Me" by the Sidewalk Prophets.

I hear the first line and my mind goes off into a thousand different directions and I never hear the rest of the song.
The opening line is... "Make me broken..."

My iWitness...

Why would anyone ask for that?
Pardon me, upon further reflection the phrase "Make me broken" is not a question.
It's a request...
It's a plea...
It's a desire...
It's a hope and a wish and a command all wrapped up into one bizarre bundle.

Why not start the song with...
Make me whole...
Make me funny...
Make me popular...
Make me powerful...
Make me wealthy...
Make me good looking...
Make me ripped with six pack abs like Zac Efron!

I guess there's a reason that the song starts off with "Make me broken..."
Because we have a God who does His best work with
broken pieces
broken hearts
broken dreams
broken lives

God is the master artist at putting the pieces back together again into a majestic mosaic that is made up of just that...broken pieces.

I heard the song "Keep Making Me" by the Sidewalk Prophets just yesterday and I heard the completion of the opening line for the first time...

"Make me broken...
So I can be healed."

I am broken!
How about you?

Let the healing begin.
I can't wait to see what God pieces together this time.

Maybe God will use some of my broken pieces to help heal you and just maybe God will use some of your broken pieces to heal me.
And together the Master will make us into a beautiful collage of interwoven broken pieces...
Maybe that's why they call us a Masterpiece!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"God, pick up the pieces.
     Put me back together again." (Jeremiah 17. 14 The Message)

Plastic Surgery

I went to see the movie "Heaven is For Real" the other day. I settled into my seat as the "previews" were streaming on the big screen.
These were not "movie trailers".
These were advertisements for local businesses.
A pastor and his wife appeared and invited everyone to come experience the love of God at their church.
Another pastor from another church showed up on the screen saying, "No... come to My church and experience the love of God."
And then...came the soothing "voiceover" offering the services of a local plastic surgeon. Scenes from the warm, comfortable doctor's office appeared with the doctor talking with a patient in a very caring manner. A very pretty bleached blonde woman (Actual Patient) began sharing with the audience her wonderful experience with this surgeon. As she talked a list was presented on the left side of the screen of the work the plastic surgeon had performed on her.
Rhinoplasty
Tummy Tuck
Breast Augmentation
Brazilian Butt Lift
The list continued for four or five more items...

The lady's interview, along with the advertisement closed with her saying,
"Dr. Smith (not his real name) makes you look the way God made you..."

My iWitness...

My mind raced in a thousand different directions when I heard the above quote.

How did God make you?
Are you pleased with the way God knitted you together in your mother's womb?
If you could change a few things about how God made you, what would you change?

More importantly, what would you expect to happen if the changes were made?
If some physical changes were made to your body, would it ultimately change you?

King David implores God to do some surgery on himself.
Not plastic surgery...
Not even angioplasty or a bypass surgery.
King David screams out:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51. 10)

Basically, David is praying..."I need a heart transplant!"
The verb "create" that David uses means to "create out of nothing."
David is not asking for God to fix his heart, mend his heart, or even give me someone else's heart.
David is pleading for a "brand new" heart created out of nothing by God's creative and imaginative hand.

And guess what?
God does!
David is known as a man after God's own heart! (Acts 13)

I have had the privilege of seeing the incredible results of many people receiving a new heart whose lives have completely changed.
On this day may King David's prayer to the Divine Physician be our prayer...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

ps - Heaven is for real!!

Deep Waters

Sunday morning arrived this past week, as it always does and for the first time in many years, I had no idea as to where I would go to church.

I'm in a new town... Houston, Texas.

I'm without my family... They are still in Dubuque, Iowa (1116 miles away)
I have a new job... Assistant Tennis Pro at the Carlton Woods Country Club, thanks to one of my best friends. 

I'm without my traditional pillars that provide buoyancy to my life that keep me from sinking:
Security, comfort, family, church, house, neighborhood, neighbors, friends, space and routine.

To put it bluntly...

I'm in Deep Waters...

On Sunday I decided to go to a Mega-church where I knew that I would know no one except for God alone. I took my seat, texted "Welcome" to the number on the big screen and received an immediate text saying, "Welcome to our church!"

The opening song began and my mind and heart were critical and closed.
The second song began and I simply melted into a well of deep tears that only added to the volume of deep waters that surround me.

I'm familiar with this song but had never seen the lyrics written down. As they were projected on the big screen before me this song took on a deeper meaning.

Let me offer these lyrics to you... 

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

My iWitness...

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

I don't know about you but I love the SHALLOW END of the pool!!!

I can touch the bottom.

When the water gets rough I can touch the side.

When I need to, I can get out.

I am in control...

The DEEP WATERS do not offer such luxuries...

but rather incredible necessities...

Trust
and
Trust

and more
Trust

So, here is my mantra for the days ahead...

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

What I have discovered in the last couple of days is that there are many of us in the deep waters...
O Lord...

"Keep my eyes above the waves...
Keep my eyes above the waves...

My soul will rest in your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine."

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

Superman

Tim Amuchastegui

Faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

"Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERMAN!"

Yes, it's Superman, strange visitor from another planet, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.
Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way!

You have probably figured out by now that the man in the picture above is not the Superman of the Television series.

It's just my friend Tim.
Mild mannered builder/architect from Klamath Falls, Oregon.

He's not very fast. He might post a 13 second run in the 40 yard dash.
He's not very strong. Probably weighs in at less than 150 these days.
At best, his vertical leap is around 8 inches.

I love this photo of him wearing a Superman Shirt.

At the time this photo was taken he was about two hours away from having life threatening pancreatic cancer surgery. 

He's in his hotel room surrounded by family.
This photo showed up on my phone a week ago today.
His incredible wife Cec texted it to me at 5:00 in the morning. 

As I gazed at my friend, my brother in Christ and looked at that "S" on his shirt, I wondered what that "S" might stand for:
"Strong?"
"Scared?"
"Scared S***less?"
"Silly?"

My phone rang 20 minutes after this photo was taken.
It was "The Incredible Wife Cec"!
Her voice was upbeat... "Now David, we have everyone in the hotel room here (family that is). And we are going to put the phone down right in the middle of all of us and we are going to circle up around the phone and hold hands and oh, by the way you are on speaker phone and we want you to pray for us before we go to the hospital. Ok David, are you ready? We are ready for your prayer..."

And so I prayed and I prayed and my voice was strong and then it was weak and then it quivered and then I cried as I invoked upon the name of the Lord God almighty to do a "super" miraculous healing work on a most "super man" who is a brother, a husband, a dad, a father-in-law, a grandfather and a friend.

And then I said, "And everyone said, (And together we said) "Amen!"
There was a moment of silence as we all collected ourselves and then Tim's deep, slow, melodic voice came over the speaker..."David, thank you..." 

And then, "The Incredible Wife Cec" came on and offered her thanks and her love and we hung up.
And they were off to the hospital, for surgery, to remove a cancer that has taken the life away from so many other people...

My iWitness...

I've gazed upon this picture of Tim from time to time all week...

My eyes always turn first to the light that seems to be coming out of his left armpit right near his heart.

The backdrop of a hotel room looks ever so familiar to me as I spent six years living in hotels from week to week.
The two clinched fists speak volumes of the inner strength that Tim has found through our Lord and God.

His face evokes confidence and calmness in the midst of life's greatest storm.

And then there is the "S"...
What does that "S" stand for?

Here's my take...
Surrounded by a loving family...
Secure in the loving knowledge that he is in the hollow of God's hand and God never lets go!

Saved by the blood of Jesus Christ who loves Tim more than Tim will ever know.
Serene - Jesus is able to give us a sense of peace that passes all understanding.

Strong - When we are weak, God makes us strong. I know that that is an oxymoron and rather paradoxical, but all I can say at the moment is that Tim is at his strongest right now.

Last but not least...
Superman!

Tim is a super man because of a Super Man who came into this world about 2,000 years ago with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. A man who changed the course of history, bent the most bent out of shape people back into shape, loved the unlovable, spared the condemned and fights a never ending battle for the way, the truth and the life so that we may enjoy life and life eternal.

I don't know about you, but I think that is Super!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

ps - A week out of from the above photo there are two more words that come to mind when I look at the letter "S"...

"Surgery...Successful!!!!"

But he (Jesus) said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12. 9-10)

Running the Race

A year after the terrible act of terror that took place at the Boston Marathon, thousands of runners stood ready to run the race. And run they did. With security high and thousands of onlookers who became instant cheerleaders, the runners did what they do best...they ran!

The length of a marathon is 26.2 miles long. It is a grueling distance and perhaps what is even more grueling is the training that takes place in the months and years that lead up to marathon. I trained for a marathon in the winter of 2011. Running in temperatures that never exceeded 32 degrees Fahrenheit was a real test of my resolve. Had it not been for my running partners Marty Ledgerwood and John Mick, I am not sure I would have been able to complete the training.

Had it not been for my biggest cheerleader, my wife Julie being at the race on March 6, 2011, I am not sure I would have been able to cross the finish line in 4 hours 26 minutes and 13 seconds.

Yesterday, at the Boston Marathon one such runner made it to the 26 mile marker and then collapsed. He only had two tenths of a mile to go and yet his legs, his feet, his knees, his hips, his body said in emphatic fashion... "No more!" And there he lay...1,000 feet from the finish line.

My iWitness...
If we hear nothing else from this post today, please hear this...

"We run this race not alone!"

This runner who had collapsed was quickly helped to his feet by another runner. They didn't make it very far before his legs gave out. Then another runner came alongside and the two runners put the collapsed runner's arms around their shoulders and they carried him for a little bit. They didn't make it very far before two more runners came alongside and each one picked up this collapsed man by the feet.

What a sight! Four runners, each one carrying one of the man's four limbs, walking, then jogging and then running across the finish line... together!!

Tell me...
What was more important?
The finish line? Or how these five runners got to the finish line?

Tell me one more thing today...
How are you doing today?
Are you running strong?
Or are you collapsed on the track on life? Is your body and soul screaming out, "No more!"?

Let me offer this...
If you are running strong, be on the lookout for someone who is collapsed on your path and offer a hand.
If you are collapsed on the track of life and cannot move one more step, be patient, wait... someone will be along soon to offer you a hand.

We run this race not alone!
For those fellow runners who picked me up when I lay collapsed on the road of life, I offer my deepest of gratitude!
For those fellow runners that I have had the privilege of carrying for a mile or two, I offer my deepest of gratitude!
I'll see you out on the course!
Let's continue on running the race of life...together!

And oh, what a glorious sight it will be at the finish line!!!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. ³ And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? ⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” ¹² And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2. 1-12)

30 Years Ago

30 Years Ago on Easter Sunday in 1984 my grandfather, the Reverend Dr. Marshall C. Dendy (the grandchildren called him "Dendy") and I sat in the third pew from the front at the First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida (The Church that my grandfather had served as the pastor from 1942-1952).

Just two weeks earlier "Dendy's" wife, Nan (the grandchildren called her Nana) had passed away after suffering a stroke. Easter weekend 1984 would be Dendy's first Easter weekend without Nana in over 58 years. I was a junior at Davidson College in North Carolina and decided to make the trip down to keep "Dendy" company.

The Reverend Dr. Howard Edington preached a powerful sermon that Easter day entitled "King of Kings." During the service it came time to sing my all time favorite hymn:
"Jesus Christ is Risen Today."

Here are the lyrics:

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!
But the pain which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation hath procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!
Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!
Praise Him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

Dendy and I wrapped our arms around each other and began to sing this glorious hymn.
Nothing came out of our mouths.
No sound emitted.
Our vocal chords were silent.
All that could be heard were the tears streaming down our collective cheeks.

We got home from church and Dendy sat down at the piano and said, "David, we didn't get much of a chance to sing 'Jesus Christ is Risen Today' at church, how about we sing it right now. What key would you like to sing it in?"

"Let's sing it in the key of C", I responded.

And so we did. We proclaimed at the top of our lungs the magnificent mantra that Jesus Christ is Risen today! Alleluia!
It would be the last song we would ever sing together.
Dendy died three weeks later on the Wednesday after Mother's Day.

That was 30 years ago...

My iWitness...

Thirty years later on Easter Sunday 2014 the opening hymn was "Jesus Christ is Risen Today."

For thirty years I have never been able to make it all the way through that hymn without tears streaming down my cheeks.

Yesterday was no different.
My voice muted.
My face contorted.
My cheeks wet from tears.
My heart full of praise for the greatest and most profound message of all time...

"Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia"

I have the privilege of proclaiming it!
Nana and Dendy have the joy of living it in the heavenly kingdom for the past 30 years.

I have a feeling that next Easter I won't be able to make it all the way through the hymn without weeping.
I find it to be a wonderful tradition that started 30 Years Ago...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen...(Matthew 28. 5-6)