Ridgell's Originals

 Doesn't seem possible, but Saturday our Jules has a birthday.  48.  Doesn't look it and doesn't seem possible but I did the math and it is true.  Here are a few reasons she is amazing.

She is an overcomer.  Bad first marriage.  Lots of abuse.  Trying to protect her kids.  And now she is married to Tim.  Happy.  Her kids are remarkable.  She managed, with the help of God and her family, to raise kids who are kind, smart, and want to follow Jesus.  

She is a good friend, Mom, wife, daughter, and co-worker.  It is always special to have someone brag on your daughter when they know her and find out you are her Dad.  And that happens often.

She is evidently a really good nurse.  In demand.  Makes a good living.  Loves her work.  She does pre-op screening now and a few times when I have been at the hospital I have got to hear her.  She is kind, helpful, personable, and reassuring.

She fights for her faith.  Never gave up on trying to follow Jesus.  Had her share of struggles.  Some her fault, some from others.  But she never quit on Jesus.

Maybe that is why I love her so much.  She is a faith fighter who never gives up.  

Thank you God for our Jules.  Bless her and Tim.  Bless her kids.  And bless her.  Do great things thru her and with her for your Kingdom.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 It is basic advice for every Christian.  It works in lots of life situations, but for Christians it is the basis for how we live in this world.

Live for today.

But to do that, you cannot live in the past.

Your past is past.  Don't live there anymore.  Do not stay shackled to the "good ol days".  They may not not have been as good as you think, but they also rob you of today.  It is hard to enjoy adult children when all you can think about is how great it was when they were little.  Hard to see what God is doing in your community of faith when all you think about is how great church was thirty years ago.  Same principle applies to marriage, your job, and every other area of your life.  Living in the past -- even when it was good -- will rob you of the present.

And if you have a "past", let it go.  Jesus died to forgive your sins.  Your sins were washed away in baptism,  God is faithful to forgive your sins when you confess them.  The blood of Jesus cleanses you.  Live in grace.  Do not be harder on yourself than God is.  Accept forgiveness.  Which means you cannot dwell in your past.  

If Satan cannot get you to repeat your past sins, then he will try to get you to live in the regret, shame, and guilt of that past.  Don't do it.

Get past your past.

So you can live in today.

With an eye on the future.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 My friend Gary recently came back to the Lord and we have shared some of his questions and observations.  He is serious about following Jesus and the other day he asked another question.  

Why are we so afraid to admit -- and say -- that we love Jesus?  I've thought quite a bit about that as we work thru this question.  And I realize that lots of Christians do not talk about loving Jesus.  It is hard for many to even talk about Jesus at all, much less talk about loving him.  We sing it much more than we say it.

So are we afraid?  Here are a few reasons that I think most Christians don't talk about loving Jesus in their every day conversations.  Maybe not fear, but things that make it hard to say.

We do not see it modeled enough to be a regular practice for Christians.  We talk lots about loving Jesus, especially in worship and Bible class.  But I just don't hear it said.

Some people think their religion -- their relationship with Jesus -- is a very private matter.  You just don't talk about it.

Many Christians are not comfortable with emotional Christianity.  So they are not expressive about worship.  They don't cry.  They do not get excited.  Perhaps that is the religious environment they grew up in.  Old habits die hard.  Some are even suspicious and skeptical of those who are more expressive.  

And if you do say to people that you love Jesus, someone may ask why.  Then you have to talk about your faith.

So Gary and I -- and a few others -- are working on learning to talk about how much we love Jesus.  And why we love Jesus.  

So thanks Gary for helping me think about something I hadn't even considered.

And Jesus -- I do love you.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

Do Christians focus so much on the life to come that we do not do appropriate ministry in this life?  Or, do Christians get so involved with working in this world that we forget this world is not our home?  It has even become somewhat trendy to say the church neglected work here because all the emphasis was on getting to heaven.

So a few of my thoughts.

The Bible does not present work here and life there as an either/or.  Scripture is full of admonition to make a difference in this world.  We are to care for each other.  We are to love our neighbor.  We seek the lost sheep to bring them home.  We make disciples and so grow the Kingdom.  We are constantly and continually making a difference in the lives of those around us.

But at the same time, the Bible is clear that this world is not our home.  We are strangers and aliens in this world and there is a better world to come.  

As for me, I very much believe my mission is to tell people about Jesus.  That involves service and helping.  And it involves speaking.  But the ultimate aim of my Christian journey is not to fix the problems of this world.  I can't and that is not my job.  If ending world hunger is the goal, then Jesus would have done that when he was here.  Feed the world.  I can't.  Feed Fred (the hungry guy I may meet in my world).  I absolutely must do that.

But we are just passing thru this world and our treasures really are not in this world.  And I need the hope of heaven.  I realize that every time I am in the presence of death.  I see that hope of a better world when I see all the sin and pain of a fallen world.  But I long for the home where there is no more pain or sorrow.  Where death is no more.  And where God himself will wipe away my tears.

So I am committed to telling a dark world that God sent His Son to bring light.  I can't tell the whole world, but I can tell the people in my world.  I can share the hope of heaven.  And till that day comes, I will do good works and I will commit to doing the ministry of reconciliation between God and sinners.

It is not either/or.  

It is both/and.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Well, Sunday is our 51st anniversary.  It has been a really good marriage.  Not every year.  Some years were great and will be hard to ever match.  Some years were, well not so great.  And don't want to match those.  But I see marriage as a  body of work over five decades.  And I love what God has done in our marriage and I am proud of it.

So here are few of the reasons why.

Lots of good Kingdom work has been done by us.  As a couple.  I think we have helped each other be way better followers of Jesus than we would have been on our own.  Our gifts compliment each other and we have a really good rhythm of ministry.  

We have been a good example for younger couples.  Sometimes the example has been how to weather the storms of life, sin, and trouble.  Sometimes the example has been how to stay in love as you -- and your marriage -- grow old.  Sometimes the example is how to keep growing in your marriage.

We still like hanging out.  We are happy to be at the ranch.  Just us and the animals.  Happy to see all of you when you come visit.  But happy if it is just us.

I am amazed at how God has used our marriage to teach us, our kids, our grands, and others so much about love, forgiveness, grace, joy, and ministry.

It has been a good 51 years.  

Even better, it will another good ... well, however long God gives us.

God, thank you for putting us together.  Thank you for the way we have learned to follow your Son in our marriage.  And keep blessing us to do Kingdom work until we cannot.  Then take us home.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 1 comments

 We are to love our neighbor as ourself.  The second greatest command.  Behind only to love God with all we have.  And as part of loving our neighbor, we define our neighbor as anyone in our world in need.  Those we encounter from day to day.  I do not feel compelled to solve world hunger.  I do feel compelled to feed those I encounter who are hungry.

But I think the person I encounter that has needs is third on my "to help" list. 

First I am obligated to help my family, my relatives.  Whatever time, energy, and resources that God gives me are to be used first on my family.  If I don't take care of them, I am denying my faith and am worse that a non-believer.  Go read I Timothy 5:8.  It is clear about my family responsibility.

Second, I take care of my spiritual family.  I am to help everyone in need, but especially those of the household of faith.  They come before everyone except my blood family.

Then I help everyone else I can.

But the priority seems clear.

Help my relatives when they are in need.

Help those in my faith community when they are in need.

Help anyone else I come across in my world that needs help.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I have been blessed to know lots of great Moms.  My mom, Marsha's mom, Mimi Marsha, the girls.  And I have noticed a few things they all have in common. So if you want to be a better Mom, here are a few things I have seen that good Moms do.

Love unconditionally.  Love your kids.  Always.  No matter what.  You may have to be firm about some things.  You may have to make hard decisions.  Just be sure they are always driven by love.  

Forgive always.  I am amazed how forgiving great Moms are.  They not only forgive, they forget.  Your kids are going to rebel sometimes.  They will be thoughtless.  They will make poor choices.  They will even do things that are against what you taught them.  So forgive them.  Which also means to not bring up the past.  Lay aside your wounds.  Great mothers do this.

Pray lots.  They great moms I know are prayers.  And they never stop praying for their kids.  They just add grand.  And great-grands.  And in-laws.  But they pray for their kids.  For their faith.  For their courage.  For their protection.  For ... well, everything.

Be an encourager.  Great moms are cheerleaders for their kids.  They can be counted on to believe in you.  They will speak words of encouragement.  They are generous in praise.   

Finally, the great moms I know are all Jesus followers.  They follow Jesus first.  And above everything else, they want their kids to follow Jesus.

So thanks to my Mom, to Mimi, to Jules and to Jamie.  And all those other great Moms that we celebrate this coming Sunday.  You have blessed your people more than you will ever know.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead just like the Bible says.  That is the message the world needs to hear.  Jesus.  We have to talk about Jesus.

And almost every church I know -- and almost every Christian I know -- claim that Jesus is at the center of their preaching and their mission.

Except... 

When you listen to sermons and teaching.  When you listen to Christians talk.  

Then it sometimes seems as if we believe other things are the core.  And some of those other things are important, but they are not core. 

A few examples.

Some churches really emphasize the response to Jesus.  Heavy emphasis on the need to be baptized.  Heavy emphasis on the fact that baptism is the way people responded to Jesus in the Bible.  And I believe that to be true.  But sometimes I think I am hearing a little Jesus, and a lot of how to respond.  Just seems like putting the cart before the horse.  I want to be known as a Jesus church and not a baptism church.

Right doctrine.

The main message from these churches are that they understand what God wants in terms of what to believe.  Of course, right doctrine does not save.  And this approach requires you to be right about everything you teach.  And I have never understood how this approach has any appeal in our culture today.  You are mostly competing with other churches. 

Right behavior.  These are churches that make their ministries the focal point of their appeal.  Come help us feed the hungry.  Help the poor.  If these were in the context of Jesus, maybe it would draw interest.  But in and of themselves, this appeal is basically competing with any number of social clubs or service organizations.  And doing good does not save you.  

Let Jesus be the center of everything.  We are competing with Satan for souls.  Faith in Jesus saves.  Not doctrine.  Or the "right" church.  Or even people centered ministry.  These may all point to Jesus and if presented that way -- and clearly second to Jesus -- then they may point to a message our world needs.

So listen to your church messaging.  It must be Jesus.  Always

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I don't even understand the argument.   If I have to choose between obeying a bunch of commands or loving people, I choose people.  Or... if I have to choose between helping people and obeying God, always choose obedience.  

Both of those are so wrong.  I don't believe serving people is ever at odds with obeying Jesus.  And I do not think obeying Jesus will ever put you in conflict with loving people.

Loving people is a command we have to obey.

I think Satan wants us to think that somehow obedience and love are in competition so you have to choose one of the other.  

Except Jesus said loving God is the greatest command (quoted it right from the Old Testament).  He also said that if you love him you will keep his commandments.  Read I John.  If you are not helping people in need it brings into question how much you really love God.

I just don't think it is either/or.  

So if you think there is a way to obey God and not love your neighbor, or somehow obeying God means you don't have to care about people, you are not reading the Bible.

And if you think helping and loving people means you don't have to believe or do what God says, you are not reading the Bible.

Now if you want to pick or choose which commands to believe, that is your choice.  Or if you want to try and justify which people you want to love, that is your choice.  Or just pick and choose who to love.  Or just decide which commands you want to obey.

Just don't tell me that is how God designed the Christian life.

I know there are people that are hard to love and to serve.  But that is a command we must obey.

I know some of the things Jesus expects us to do are hard and unpopular, and our world will tell us how unloving we are.  But loving God is the first and greatest commandment so I'd sure be careful deciding you know how to love people better than God.

Don't believe Satan's lie that it is one or the other.

Love God and do what he says.  Love people and help them.  

Because God really does know best.    

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments