Category Archives: Family

Wedding Bells

The past couple of weeks have been horrendously busy. The next week takes it to a whole new level, but it’s worth it. My oldest son, Joshua, is getting married on October 9. He met his fiance, Lisa, at school in Alabama. Joshua has always been in a hurry, so it’s not much of a surprise to me he’s getting married while still in college. (He also started his own company. He’s also been incredibly busy all his life as well.)

I get to perform the wedding. My hope is I don’t bawl like a baby all the way through. (Just most of it.)

These are great times of celebration and I am incredibly thankful for three amazing sons. (My wife gets all that credit! Honestly.)

There probably won’t be much writing here for awhile. But you’ll know why. :)

Things I Want People to Know About Me

I begin writing this during my sabbatical in August 2010. I will leave it in draft mode until I return to officially blogging in September, and it may never reach the light of day, but I wanted to think about some things I hope people remember about me.

This has come on because I have returned from the funeral of a 35 year old single mom. She died tragically after leaving rehab a few weeks before. It is not known just how she died, but watching two young kids weep over the loss of a mother, and hearing things said about this young life gone, I have wanted to put some things down.

First of all, I don’t want to “open the floor” for people to talk about me at my funeral. 1. I fear there will be dead silence because people can’t think of anything good to say, or 2. they’ll only say stupid things.

That said, I want to reflect on what I really want people to know about me.

First of all, I’m a baseball nut. I have been in love with the game since I can remember anything. I have no idea why. It’s still my favorite sporting event to attend. I had the misfortune of growing up Kansas City, so the Royals are deep inside my bloodstream. I lived the glory years of George Brett, Hal McRae, Freddi Patek, etc. (Frank White is still the best defensive 2nd baseman I’ve ever seen play the game.)

While I’ve worked hard to shed the bad blood of KC, cheering for the Twins (my new hometown for the past 12 years), etc., I confess I still read about the Royals online all the time. I keep hoping beyond all hope that maybe… just maybe…

Along that line of miserable favorite teams, I must mention I grew up in KC, so I’ve always been a Chiefs fan. I’ve also been a lifelong Vikings fan. Neither team has won the Super Bowl or even been to it since I was a kid. My streak continues.

Staying with the theme of sports, KU Basketball is my great love as well. Roy Williams, though he went back to North Carolina, is still one of the great coaches of all time in my book. KU winning it all in 1988 and 2008 is enough. I can’t wait until they win it again in 2028. Hopefully I’ll be able to buy a ticket to the Final Four by then!

I want people to know I love pastoring and teaching. I’ve been in ministry all of my adult life. I’ve known failure and I’ve searched for other things, and thought maybe I was supposed to do other things, but nothing is more deeply satisfying than being a pastor and teacher. They are great joys for me.

I want people to know I am crazy about my family. December 28, 2009 marked my shift into middle age. It was that quick and that stark. And I’ve enjoyed it, quite frankly. That day was Jared’s 15th birthday. He is our youngest. Joshua, my oldest, had just asked his girlfriend to marry him. We went out to a nice restaurant that evening. I sat with my family and was in awe. My oldest son had his fiance. My middle son had his girlfriend. My youngest was 15. My wife looked fabulous. Here we were celebrating life at a restaurant without a playground or video games. We had adult conversations. Life shifted dramatically that night.

I celebrate the lives of my boys. They do amazing things. Through frustrations and all, I have no complaints. I am a grateful man.

I celebrate a time where the boys are gone more and I get more time with my wife. She is an amazing lady and getting more of her makes me happy. Hopefully she’ll get used to me being the only guy around! :)

These are not life changing, earth shattering announcements. These are simply things I’ve reflected on after a funeral. I really want people to know things about me. I don’t want them guessing.

Greatness

I am currently working my way through the Book of John in my preaching. Today focuses on John 3:22-36. John the Baptist’s testimony was that Jesus needed to become greater and he needed to fade into the background.

John the Baptist would just not fit in today. He needed to learn about “market share” and “branding his ministry.”

John’s great joy was getting heaven’s assignment and completing it. Nothing else mattered to him.

I get anxiety in ministry. Performance anxiety. It’s not just for the bedroom anymore. (Sorry. I just couldn’t resist that.)

Pastoral ministry has become so pragmatic and formulaic. Plug in the systems and just watch your church grow! If it’s not growing, something is wrong!

I don’t discount the desire for growing churches. I just get sick of the formulas. What ever happened to exalting the King of kings and Lord of lords and letting him sort this out?

In the spirit of Father’s Day, and greatness, I want to send my love to great men that have never made it on TBN, CBN,or CNN.

My dad, Charles Thompson. Incredible man of God who loves God, his family, and the church. It has been my absolute joy to watch this man continue his passionate pursuit of God even in retirement. He is tireless for the church he attends. He is always learning and growing. Thanks for the incredible example all these years, Dad.

My spiritual mentor, John Skinner. He is pastoring in Louisiana now, but he is the one who saw God’s calling on my life and mentored me in prayer when I was in junior high and high school. I am deeply grateful for his love and vision. Thanks for your passionate love for God, Pastor!

My spiritual mentor, Larry Hale. Pastor Hale was my pastor in college and has served as my ministry mentor ever since. I posted a blog on his retirement, but I want to send him my love again. I will never forget the ministry lessons he demonstrated when I first met him. I still glean from his wisdom and humor. You are loved, Pastor Hale.

These men love God. They have served in their assignments from heaven. They show off the greatness of God.

Passion

Father’s Day is coming up, so I’m going to take a moment and brag. I love being a father. My whole life is shifting in that role as my oldest son is getting married this fall, my middle son prepares for his senior year in high school, and my youngest becomes a sophomore.

I could brag on each son endlessly. Their talents, gifts, personalities, and heart all are incredibly special. Each one brings out a sense of pride and love in me that I can’t even believe at times. While the boys may disagree with me on this, in my heart I truly cannot love one above the other. When my wife and I had our first, we truly wondered, “How can we have so much love for one baby?” Yet, we have had that love multiplied with each son.

As Father’s Day comes upon us, I am filled with intense love for these guys. My oldest is getting married. I love his passion for life. He works hard, loves God,and  has a wonderful fiancé.

My youngest is coming into his own. He picked up swimming for a sport this past school year and actually lettered as a freshman. I was blown away by his love for the sport and look forward to seeing him grow in that discipline. He has a love for music I don’t understand, but his heart is so passionate for God, I know the music he loves has meaning… even if I don’t understand it most of the time!

What has prompted this post at this time, though, is my middle son. He will be a senior in high school and all his high school years have been filled with a growing passion for acting. Last night he received an honorable mention award in a program run in the Twin Cities. The program judges musicals in 39 schools across the metro (along with two out state). He received the honorable mention for his role as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. There was a major awards ceremony at the fabulous Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis last night and he was part of a show tune number. All the lead actors/actresses who gained honorable mention performed “Hair” from the musical “Hair.”

I watched my son sing with passion. Then, as they performed the song with great choreography, I watched him dance and sing all over the stage. His face was lit up. The energy was incredible. He was living out his passion. My heart was so full of love watching him do what he believes he was created to do.

So, this Father’s Day, I brag. I’m proud. I could write post after post on each one, and I’m sure I will from time to time. I am so incredibly grateful to God for this stage in my life watching my boys become incredible young men.

My Great Loves

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I confess my great loves today.

First is my great love for God. I spent this weekend in a “silent” retreat contemplating Ephesians 1-3. I love Ephesians. For the past 15 plus years of my life it has been bedrock to my life. Once again I was blown away by my God’s great love for me. I am IN Christ! What a great Savior! How can I NOT respond in love? I confess I do NOT respond in love far too many times. I confess my foolishness. I confess I chase other “lovers” from time to time. But when I get back to his great love for me… I am in awe.

Next is my great love for my wife. She is absolutely incredible. We are approaching 22 years of marriage and my life is so much RICHER because of her love, her presence, her passion, her friendship. So much of who I am is a result of her love.

My great love for my wife extends to my great love for my boys. One has passed out of the teen years this month and is headed toward marriage. The other two are in high school. When I think of them, I am filled with gratitude and pride. They are great joys in my life.

I must finally confess my great love for the Church. There is something stirring deep within me, something I hope to dig out and actually put into words. To love Christ IS to love his Church. It is his Body. When we insult the Church, we insult Christ. He is the head. When part of our body feels pain, we KNOW it! When I find Christians insulting the Church, I sense the hurt of Christ.

My life is in ministry. I teach and I preach and I pastor. I have tried other things. My realization is this: I have no other marketable skills… and I don’t WANT any other marketable skills. I’m not rich. I won’t be rich. I’m not well-known. I don’t have a lecture circuit or speaking circuit. No one wants to hear from some small time pastor!

But I LOVE the Church of Jesus Christ. I love the expressions. My own expression is Pentecostal. But I have a deep love for Baptists, Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans… and more. I LOVE the expressions of the Body of Christ.

Today, I proudly profess my great loves.

Happy Valentines Day

Heroes — and Post #500

According to WordPress, this is my 500th post. The count is a bit off due to migrating from Blogger, but I’ll take it.

I wanted to write about heroes for this post. (I actually contemplated a post!) On New Year’s Day I was watching some of the Rose Parade. I’d say I watched all of it, but the telecasts are so skimpy these days I didn’t even see Ohio State’s band!

Heroes make me cry. They really do. There were heroes in the Rose Parade. Captain “Sully” Sullenberger was the grand marshal of the parade. Thinking again of his heroism, along with the flight crew, as they had to ditch a plane in the Hudson and make sure everyone got off safely… it still sends chills down my spine. Sullenberger looks so calm all the time. He was trained for those moments and he responded. Lives were saved because of his heroic action.

Then I saw a float carrying the Tuskegee airmen. They were the unit made up of African American pilots in WWII. Here were men who overcame severe prejudice to do their job and defend our nation. The sacrifice of great men just brings a feeling of deep gratitude.

Those two moments caused me to reflect back on the few days I’d spent with my parents in Kansas for Christmas. My dad had contracted a staph infection and the remedy was two trips to the hospital a day for IV treatments. He would get there by 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day to sit for 90 minutes with an IV stuck in his arm. The antibiotics worked. He is doing well.

While we were in Kansas, I decided to go with him. We’d have at least 3-4 hours a day where we could hang out. Much of the time when he was on the IV he napped a little and we talked a little. We always talked on the drive to and from the hospital. On Christmas morning we even stopped on the way back from the hospital to dig a stranded motorist out of snowbank. Kansas got smacked with a tough snowstorm overnight.

Just hanging out for a few hours a day with a man I deeply love and admire was the best Christmas I could think of for me.

He found out one of his sisters was in a senior care treatment wing at the hospital, so we went up to see her on Christmas Eve. Dad is the youngest of 9 kids. I think there are 4 or 5 still living. Each of the siblings have had their “issues” over the years. I can remember times when some sister wasn’t talking to some brother and no one would know why. Yet, in the middle of all the problems, my dad would be the constant. (My Uncle Marshal was the oldest and ironically, he and Dad were probably the closest. I was the closest to Uncle Marshal before he past away. Both of them seemed to be the reconcilers of the family.)

His sister had been in a care facility in St. Joseph, MO, her hometown. Somehow she ended up in this care unit. Dad knew she had been battling some dementia, so we didn’t know if she would recognize him. We went anyway. Dad just needs to make sure people are doing okay.

We entered the care unit and signed in. As we went down the hall looking for her room, we passed a woman in a wheelchair. I hadn’t seen her in over 30 years so I had no idea what she would look like. Dad didn’t see the woman in the wheelchair because he was looking for her room. Dad passed the wheelchair first. The woman in the chair looked up and her eyes lit up. It was his sister. She called out to him.

Dad turned around and knelt there. Her eyes were bright, she knew his name and a smile broke out on her face.

That moment only confirmed again what I’ve known for years. My dad is a hero. He is truly a great man. His love for God and love for people is so genuine that even family members battling dementia can recognize who he is. It is something beyond his physical stature. It is his character. It is the Spirit of Christ working in him.

He talked with her for a few minutes and prayed. We left, but I know he’ll be back on a regular basis to see her as long as she is in that unit. He cares.

Heroes aren’t always about the moment. They are about the journey. My dad has taken a lifelong journey filled with the grace of God. He readily admits it. He knows God has watched out for him all these years and all the blessings he has are only because God has given these to him.

Heroes make me cry. I don’t always cry around my dad, but I sure tear up thinking about how he has impacted so many lives.

Thankful… Our Oldest Son is Engaged

Our oldest son Joshua proposed to Lisa Bailey last night. Lisa had just arrived in Minneapolis for a Christmas visit. Joshua was waiting for her at our home (which we vacated as soon as we dropped off Lisa). He had some wonderful notes for her… and a song he had written just for her. As she walked into the house, there were rose petals all over the floor, along with candles. He had left notes along the way. He then sang his song for her and proposed. It turned out well.

We celebrated their engagement, along with Jared’s birthday, at Erte in Minneapolis.

Needless to say, I am an incredibly thankful man today!

Christmas Eve and Weather Outside IS Frightful!

We made the trek to my family in Kansas a day early (Tuesday as opposed to Wednesday) because we were leery of the travel conditions in Iowa. Now, on Christmas Eve, we were certainly glad we made the choice because weather is horrible every mile of the journey between our home and Kansas. Our hometown of Minneapolis is getting hammered with snow and Iowa is snow and ice. We are thankful for small decisions the Lord helps us make. Now… to see if we can get BACK to Minneapolis!

Family is coming into Kansas and the roads are cooperating so far, so we are thankful! It’s great to be with family at Christmas.

Looking ahead to 2010, one of the resolutions I made earlier was to try the HCSB for the year. As I have wrapped up a semester of teaching, and another year of preaching, I have decided I need to stay with the TNIV, using the NRSV on occasion when I need to consult the Apocrypha. It’s simply this: I have come to truly like the TNIV and will hope that when the 2011 NIV is complete, it will be much more like the TNIV than the old NIV. So, I need to stick with what I’ve used. I teach from it, preach from it, and it is comfortable. No need to switch unless the next revision disappoints me completely.

Carl and Ellie

Disney’s movie, “UP”, is one I cherish. The first time I saw it was in 3D at the movies with my oldest son. Once the movie moved from the early montage to the storyline, we laughed so hard we cried.

Yet, it was that first montage that held me. This was why this movie would mean so much to me. The movie begins with Carl as a young boy. He is shy and awkward. (I have an immediate affinity for this kid.) He adores an adventurer he sees on the movie reels at the theater. (This is set in the early 20th Century to begin.) Carl then meets a young girl who truly loves adventure. The montage tells of their growing old together. It is incredibly touching. You see the joy of getting married, then wanting to save money to make that big adventure to South America, and needing to dip into that savings to take care of things in life.

You also witness the sorrow of their inability to have children, yet their joy in cherishing each other. As a young girl Ellie had started a scrapbook about the adventures she would take. She had left a section blank to document the eventual big trip they would take to South America. In their senior years Carl decides to go all out and buy two plane tickets for South America. Right after that Ellie gets sick. She never makes the trip. Before she dies, she gives Carl the scrapbook.

The real adventure happens when Carl is forced to go to a nursing home, but the morning he is to leave his house, he floats it away with a million helium balloons. He then discovers a stowaway and the fun is on.

It’s a great movie, but watching it again last night I am left with deep emotions over the journey of life. Carl felt he had disappointed Ellie because he never got her to South America. He had never looked at the scrapbook after Ellie had passed away. His love for her was so deep, but he felt he had disappointed her. Her life had not turned out like she wanted. Or, so he thought.

My greatest adventures are with the one God gave me as my spouse. I have disappointed her. When we married, there was a journey we thought we would take together and it has not happened. It may never happen. It’s possible that one day we could visit a place we have dreamed of living in as missionaries, but outside of that, I have not been able to help fulfill that dream. But what I have found as we have journeyed together is the disappointment is with myself. She has taken this journey with me and has filled the pages of that scrapbook with new things. (Carl finds Ellie did the same thing. Her great adventure was the journey with Carl.)

In these 21 years of marriage we have witnessed so many ups and downs. We have lived with laughter and sorrow. But the journey has been together and I cannot imagine life without her. I am the bumbling Carl in many ways. What I want to be all through my life is that Carl that loved deeply. The Lord has so gifted me with a precious wife and this Thanksgiving, I am thankful above all for his great grace that brought her to me.

Contending

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you…” (Col. 2:1).

Paul is referring to a great struggle. This has been brought home more to me this week and I need to wake up even more in my prayer life. There is a generation to contend for in our lives. My two younger sons are in high school. Other friends of mine who have kids the same age are facing struggles. We can call them “normal teenage years” and normal “teenage stuff.” But it’s more than that. This is personal. So, I contend. I struggle in prayer for God to do something magnificent in my boys.

I also contend for others. There are kids I know who are children of promise. Born out in miraculous circumstances. Now, they are in a precarious place in their lives. I need to contend for them in prayer. I don’t let it pass off as “teenage years.” Not now.

There are children yet to be born. Children of promise. This is serious stuff. It’s not “normal pregnancy” stuff. These are the promises of God and I must contend for those promises.

Paul contended for his churches. He struggled in prayer even for believers he had not met. He didn’t chalk up issues to “normal church struggles.” For him, it was war. Prayer was the main weapon. He contended.

I must contend for this next generation. As I teach, as I raise my kids, and I pray, I contend for their lives, their hopes, their place in the Kingdom of God.