Ridgell's Originals

I don't know why I get asked that question. 

Maybe it is because I look like I am 10 years past my retirement age.  Or maybe it is because my 50th High School reunion is coming up and most of my classmates have retired.  Most of my friends my age are retired.  Maybe they think I should join them.

So am I ever going to retire?

No. 

And not because we need the money.  God has always taken care of us and he always will.  Don't believe He would stop now.  Of course we would have to make financial adjustments.  But we have way more than I ever imagined, so...

And not because there are other things I want to do.  I pretty much get to do exactly what I want to do every day.  What I was made to do.  Talk about Jesus.  And why would I ever stop doing that?

The only question is whether or not I get paid to do it, and that really doesn't matter.

Right now I work for Herald of Truth, a non-profit organization that pays me to talk about Jesus and equip other Christians to do the same.  But they are a non-profit so they may not always be around.  Or they may decide they can't -- or don't want to -- pay me. 

So maybe I would go to work for a local church doing the same thing.  Talking about Jesus.  But it may be no church could pay me.  Or for various reasons, would not want to. 

Maybe I would get some other kind of job and just keeping talking about Jesus.  I've done that before.

Or maybe no one would pay me and we will do financial retirement.  And I would just keep doing what I do now.

Right now I still have the mind, the energy, and the drive to fill my days sharing Jesus.  It is what God made me to do and what He expects me to do. 

Maybe some day I won't have the energy, talent, or mind to do what I do.  So I'll do as much as I can.  Till I can't. 

But I would hope I never retire from what I do.

I would hope my that with my last breath I will be telling someone that Jesus saves.  Or telling my family to keep sharing their faith.

So retire?  Never.

After all, what else would I do?

College graduation is a big deal.  So is High School graduation.  And this is the season for both.  We have lots of friends celebrating kids and grandkids achieving these milestones.  And just this Spring, we have had our own grandkids having graduation/award ceremonies in 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades.

Lots of academic awards in our family.  All A's, A/B Honor Roll, Academic excellence awards, and individual subject awards.  I would expect that to continue thru High School and I imagine they will all go to college.  Wouldn't be surprised if some of them ended up with multiple degrees.

But here's the thing about grades.  By the time you get to be 25 or so you have figured out no one cares anymore about your grade point.  Academic success may open a few doors early in life, but in the real world it does not matter very much. 

The grands racked up the athletic awards this Spring.  MVP awards, US Regional medals, All Stars, select teams, playing up.  They are really good athletes.  I think most will letter multiple times in High School if they want to keep playing.  There is a chance some will even play in college, maybe on scholarship.  But here is the thing about athletics.  By the time you are 25 or so you will realize that you and 99% of the teammates you ever had do not play anymore.  Athletic success just does not continue.

One of my grands even has their own You Tube channel and hit 23,000 subscribers this Spring.  23,000.  But that is a field that is incredibly difficult to stay relevant in.  By the time they are 25, You Tube will probably be obsolete.

But there were also a lot of outstanding citizen awards, and class officers, and teacher comments.  Lots of talk about how funny and entertaining.  But lots more about caring about classmates, checking up on people, helping others, and being like Jesus. 

And by the time they are 25, they will have figured out that those are the things that matter.  Character.  Being like Jesus.  Loving God and loving others.  Making a difference in this world for the kingdom that lasts forever.  Making disciples.

So as a grandparent, I love watching the sports and the videos.  Proud of the academics.  But what really fills my heart are the comments and awards that reflect who they are. 

Jesus people.

And that will matter forever.

It has been a tough three months.  Three men I served with as an elder have gone home to the Lord.  Honor to whom honor is due, so here are few thoughts on each of my brothers.

Richard Melton.  Richard really loved people.  Really loved people.  He cried with them, visited them in the hospital, and urged them to be everything God wanted them to be.  And Richard loved Scripture.  He read his Bible, studied his Bible.  As elders should, Richard taught a Bible class for as long as I knew him.  He believed in the power of prayer.  Expected God to answer.  Great faith.  I also needed to hear Richard.  He always believed the best about everyone.  It was easy to become jaded, to cease trusting people.  Not Richard.  I served about 15 years with Richard.

Tom South.  I served with Tom for a decade as an elder.  We had a member who struggled with alcohol.  He was on his way to losing his family and his faith.  But he agreed to meet with a group of us once a week and talk, study, and pray.  Tom would speak lovingly but firmly.  Cut thru the excuses but never gave up.  And it didn't hurt that he usually bought the coffee.  That member is a faithful husband and Dad today.  And he is sober.  The other thing I remember about Tom is the Sunday after I resigned as an elder.  He and his wife Jan came over to Marsha and I.  He told us they knew exactly what we were feeling.  He prayed a blessing over us.  He was no longer an elder either, but he sure was a shepherd.

Mike Schweikhard.  Mike and I served for about five years together.  My most vivid memory of shepherding with Mike was a difficult conversation we had to have with someone about a situation with new converts from a refugee group.  Mike was a quiet man, and I am... well, not quiet.  So I did most of the talking.  The meeting went very well.  We accomplished what was needed.  But it was not because of my verbal skills.  It went well because of the power of Mike's character and credibility.  The member listened to me because I was there with Mike.  Great lesson. Mike sure was a supporter of missions.  Wanted our world to hear about Jesus.  Supported missions, prayed, and pushed us to support more people in the field.

Richard, Tom, and Mike.

They each loved God with all their heart.  They led their families with faith.  And they shepherded their flock.

And now they have shown us how to go home.

Well done brothers. 

Well done.

Most of you know that Marsha and I just celebrated 46 years of marriage.  And yes, we were kids when we got married.  21 and 20 (barely).  We talk to a lot of couples about marriage and often get asked what it takes to stay married that long.

So here are a few things I have learned over the years.

Love God more.  We love each other lots.  She loves God more than me.  Me too. 

Pick well.  Best thing I ever did was choose wisely. 

Stick it out.  Lots of times when you could quit.  Easiest thing to do sometimes.  Don't.

Hold hands.  Touch matters.  Your hands reflect your heart.  I started out preaching when the thing to do was sit on the front row or up on the stage.  I was in that group of young preachers that would rather sit with our wives (and kids) till time to preach.  It was a good change. 

Kiss lots.  Still. 

Say I love you lots.  Lots.  Lots.  And yes, I say it so often that I am one of those idiots who has occasionally told the office staff I love them when I am hanging up.  They know it is force of habit from talking to Marsha.  It's a good habit.

Say I'm sorry.  As often as you need to.  And mean it.  Then do something about it.

Worship together.  Pray together.  Read Scripture together.

Keep dating. 

Love God the most but love your mate more than your kids and your job.  Or anything else.

So Mimi -- and yes Marsha went from Honey to Mom to Mimi -- thanks for picking me.  Thanks for sticking with me.  Thanks for the wife, Mom, and Mimi you are.

I'm sorry.  OK.  That was a just in case I missed anything.

And I love you.

In addition to my work with Herald of Truth doing United States campaigns, I also conduct seminars for local congregations on how to share your faith with your family and friends.

One of those seminars is Followers Making Followers. 

It is designed to convict, motivate, inspire, and equip Christians to live as followers who make followers.  It is about having a Great Commission lifestyle.  Making disciples is not a program, it is not just for the professionals, and it is not optional.  The only way to grow our family is by new births. 

So here are the four topics we cover.

What is the Great Commission?  Going into your world to make disciples by your life, your service, and your words.  Going.

So how do I go?  You go into your world living forgiven.  Our life is testimony that the Jesus way works. 

Where do I go?  Everywhere I can serve someone in the name of Jesus.  Our service in his name is a witness to the actual love of Jesus in action.  It is to see his hands and feet.

What do I do when I get there?  Speak boldly the love of Jesus.  It is not enough just to transform our lives. Not enough to help someone.  We must tell them why. 

These seminars are usually offered on a Saturday morning with class and sermon on Sunday.  Occasionally I will do the seminar as a Sunday event.  Class, sermon, afternoon sessions.

I do these as part of our Hope for Life campaigns but also as stand alone events for local congregations.  Often, congregations in an area will work together to host one of these.

So if you are interested, message me and I will be delighted to talk about doing one of these for your congregation.

So it is Nurse's Week where we give honor and recognition to all the nurses.  Hospitals, Dr. offices, Rehab centers, home health, pregnancy centers, and on and on.  And I do love and appreciate nurses.  I am that guy that stops at the desk on the way out of hospitals to thank them for the way they care for patients. 

But there is another reason I love nurses.  My family is full of them.  Both our girls, Julie and Jamie, are nurses.  So is a sister-in-law, a couple of nieces, a cousin that might as well be a sister, and her daughter.  Our family reunions have to be the healthiest gatherings around. 

So I love nurses.  But here is what makes this group so special. 

They are living out their faith.  Nursing is a natural extension of who they are.  Loving, caring, serving, healing.  You know... like Jesus. 

They sometimes pray with their patients.  I have been stopped by people who went out of their way to tell me how one of these made all the difference in their sickest moments.  Some have burst into tears when they recognized their nurse was someone they go to church with.  They have stayed late just to be with someone in need. 

Nursing is exhausting.  Long hours and often not even time to eat.  They pray, cry, clean up, hold hands, and touch hearts.  They ask tough questions, give shots and meds, answer questions.  They care for babies, moms to be, kids, adults, and old people. 

And they are all women of faith.  They have their own battles and struggles.  They put all these aside to extend care.  And they are wives, moms, sisters, aunts, friends, and daughters.

They are the ones we all call when sick or in the ER.  And they show up. 

They see people at their worst and give them their best.

Because that is who they are. 

Because of Jesus.

So I am blessed to know them.  Nurses ... or ministers.  Maybe angels.

Hands and feet of Jesus.  To look in their eyes is to see him.

So honor to whom honor is due.

I love my family of nurses.

And they will all tell you it is because of Jesus.

And they are right.
 

Here are a few things I believe about Bible study.

Reading is study.  I sometimes hear people say we need to do more than read the Bible, we need to study it.  I appreciate good scholarship but for most people, including preachers and elders, it would be amazing if we all just read our Bible every day.  You would be pleased at how much you would learn.

You can understand the Bible.  The Bible really is a simple story.  The important things are clear.  I know there are obscure things mentioned that are not explained anywhere and that seem to only come up once.  I don't worry about those.  I have enough trouble with the things that are clear.  And God does make the big things clear.

Read it for yourself.  It is unsettling to hear someone say the Bible teaches something and when asked to show you where, they have to explain how it really means what it does not say.  I think God and the Holy Spirit were clearer than that. 

It is dangerous when someone tries to explain the Bible does not mean what it does say.  None of us can have a clearer understanding of what God meant than the Holy Spirit did.

The Bible was written by certain men at a certain time to a certain audience.  But they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and God certainly knew about the culture and times that every one would live in.

When giving spiritual advice and counsel, use Scripture.  It is right and true.  And if someone does not like the advice, they can argue with God.  Keeps it from being personal.

I believe that elders have to know Scripture and they are the ones primarily responsible for what the flock is taught.

Do not confuse talking about Scripture with Scripture itself.  Not the same.

Be careful trusting your preacher talking about the Bible more than you trust the Bible. 

If you are going to engage in religious disputes, be sure you are armed with your sword -- the Bible.  I am amazed how many "vigerous discussions" rarely go to the source.  Even among church leaders. 

You need to be responsible for what you believe. 

So start reading your Bible.