Our first annual Cousins Camp

One of the great privileges of being a pastor’s wife is that my life has always been connected to people from several generations. Over the years, I’ve gathered some great ideas from people I have admired and respected. 

The young people in my life have taught me how to use a computer and accomplish all kinds of things in just a moment that used to take hours! At the same time, I now spend hours on a computer. 

Friends from an older generation have been an example to me of what to plan for, prepare for, and make time for. Experience creates wisdom, and I’ve been blessed by what they have taught me over the years. 

I learned the idea of a Cousins Camp from a wonderful couple in our church. They took all their grandkids for several days and did fun things with them—and they did it every year. Even though they lived in different cities, the cousins grew up very close to one another. 

I loved the idea and decided, “I’m going to do that someday.” 

That day is here. 

Our picture frame

My oldest son’s family bought us one of those electronic picture frames for Christmas. Jim and I call it our favorite TV show! Our kids can load their photos directly to this frame. It plays glimpses of their lives all day long and we love it. 

I was looking at it the other day and a picture rolled by that I’d taken of our granddaughter shortly after her birth. I had her propped up on my legs so she could sit up, and I shot the photo just as she was giving me one of those adorable baby smiles. That picture rolled past and then a current photo popped up, showing me her eight-year-old smile. 

I realized how fast the years go by. 

I’m looking forward to the chance to spend time with all four of my grandkids’ smiles! 

Time spent and time invested

Another piece of wisdom I learned from an older friend is that all of our time can be measured in two ways. Most of our time is spent so it’s important to make an effort to invest some time in the things that matter most. 

Time is like money. We are all spending more on things these days, so there is less to invest. Isn’t that true of our time as well? 

I’m old enough to remember our first microwave. We were actually a bit afraid of it, even as we were amazed by what it could do! People talked about how much more free time we would have because of this new invention. 

People said the same about computers and cell phones. 

Have you noticed how much more free time you have? 

Or, if you are like me, we just filled our free time with other things. I’m not sure free time even exists. I think all time comes at a cost of some kind. 

The money we invest provides greater returns than the money we spend. We can apply that same truth to our time. 

Every moment is either spent or invested. 

We should make sure we are investing enough time in our future. 

What will matter most at the end of our lives is what matters most today

I’ve had the great privilege of being with people who have reached their final years, even their final moments. These saints, on the edge of heaven, would often take my hand and want to share some wisdom. 

None of them ever said, “Make sure you don’t miss this television show or movie.” 

Not one ever said, “Can you look this up for me on the internet?” 

No one ever said, “Can I check my Facebook page right now?” 

Seasons of life change, but, as far as I can tell, our priorities consistently flow through all of them. 

At the end of our lives, it will be the time we invested that will bring our greatest returns. 

Cousins Camp 2022

Our grandkids’ ages range from three to eight, so Cousins Camp should be a crazy time. I hope it will be full of joy and laughter. I hope we will begin to create memories that will be woven into the fabric of our family. I hope that my grandkids will be an important part of one another’s lives. 

Jim and I will invest our time in them for the next several days. I’m certain that I will invest some time in utter peace and quiet after they go home too! But, I hope when the pictures of Cousins Camp roll past on my electronic frame, I will find joy in the ever-changing seasons of their lives. 

I have one main priority as a grandparent: I want to help my grandkids know they are loved—by us and by God. 

One day I will be in my last weeks, days, or moments of life, and I hope I can take their hands, knowing I invested time with them while I spent time around them. 

I hope they will know what matters most in that moment will be what matters most in life. I can’t help but smile when I consider Cousins Camp 2030. 

My granddaughter smiles at me from the electronic frame with her toothless baby grin. Today, she smiles at me missing a couple of her front teeth. I can only imagine what that smile will look like when she is sixteen. 

These kids change so quickly. So will I. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I’m grateful for the chance to invest some time in these precious lives. I’ll spend time next week getting back to work! 

And I hope my picture frame will hold thousands of good memories in the years to come. “For everything there is a season.” 

Let’s invest some quality time in every one of them. 

And, one day, time will cease and eternity will begin. 

Time invested could matter eternally. 

How does that thought change your plans today? 

His most important book

My husband, Jim, and I were on our daily walk last summer when he told me he thought he had written his most important book. I asked him why.

The title of his book, The Coming Tsunami, surprised me, and we started there. 

I’m usually the one in our relationship who gets the most “worked up” over the evening news. There are days Jim walks in the back door and I warn him, “Caution . . . I’ve been watching Fox News for two hours.” (Yes, I confess, FOX is my network of choice these days.) 

Jim is the most objective Christian “thinker” I know. That’s why the title of his book surprised me. 

Why does Jim think there is a coming cultural tsunami? 

Who is the tsunami headed for? 

What is a cultural tsunami?

A tsunami is a massive wave caused by earthquakes far beneath the ocean floor. You probably remember the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean that occurred on December 26, 2004. 

The underwater earthquake registered an estimated magnitude of 9.1 and created waves more than one hundred feet high. Those waves reached the shores of more than fourteen countries, killing an estimated 227,898 people. That tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. 

Why does Jim believe we should expect a cultural tsunami in America?

He believes some significant happenings are going unnoticed or unreported that will create waves our culture is unprepared to escape. 

I asked Jim, “Do you think you might be acting a bit dramatic?” 

His answer: “Sadly, no.” 

He had my attention

I wanted to know what Jim believed was going to cause the incoming waves. He has prepared a press kit for those who will interview him about his book. This is how Jim summarizes the four earthquakes and the coming impact of the cultural tsunami: 

Caused by four cultural “earthquakes,” the cultural acceptance of four specific ideologies has seismically shifted our world. With the rise of a “post-truth” culture, the expansion of the sexual revolution, the attraction of Critical Theory, and the advance of secular religion, Christians are increasingly labeled as intolerant, irrelevant, oppressive, and dangerous—the antithesis of the life Jesus calls Christians to live. These tidal waves are threatening to submerge Christians in America and the biblical morality they proclaim. And the ultimate repercussions of these issues—the coming tsunami—have yet to be fully experienced.

What is our Christian response?

Jim gives those answers in his book. My point today is this: Are we, the body of Christ, ready for this? 

The most common question we have received from Spring 2020 until now is this: “Is the virus a sign of the end times, the last days? 

If you have read my blog for a while, you know I don’t spend much time speculating on the things Scripture has made clear already. Jesus told his disciples, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). The only people I’m certain are wrong about the timing of Christ’s return are the people who think they know when it will be. The point Jesus was making was to live “awake” to the reality it will happen. 

A lot of talk is going around about who and what is “woke” in our culture today. They are borrowing an idea from Jesus at that point, but not usually borrowing his message. 

I can honestly say, “Christians should be the most woke people in our culture, but not in the way that term is commonly defined.”  

A passage to ponder today

Paul, knowing he would soon die, sent Timothy a letter. He wanted his young protégé to be prepared. Paul’s words to Timothy should be God’s word to us today. 

He said, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).  

The sobering truth of those words is that Paul wrote them about the false teachers in the church. 

False teaching was impacting the early Christians and threatened the advance of the truth of Christ, the gospel message. False teaching has always been the greatest threat, and it still is. 

If we don’t stand firm in the truth, the waves in the culture will knock us down and destroy our witness. 

How “woke” are you today?

Jesus’ words to his disciples hit home today. We own God’s word, his perfect direction, and you can probably glance at a copy from where you are sitting. You are reading a blog post that teaches God’s word. You obviously want to live “awake” to what God is doing and allowing in our culture. 

Is Jesus’ return imminent? 

Quite possibly. 

And my grandma, my great-grandma, and my great-great-grandma could have said the same. That really isn’t the point. The point is: 

  • Are we ready?
  • Are those we love ready?
  • Have we done all we can to help people get ready?

How “woke” are we, according to Jesus’ message? 

A book worth reading

Jim writes a LOT of books. I will be straight-up honest and tell you I have read a lot of what my husband has written. (I only wish right now I could have said “all.”) 

I’ve known since that walk last summer that I will read The Coming Tsunami. Jim has never before said, “I think this is my most important book.” Jim and I have been married forty-one years and I know that if he said that, he means it. 

You can pre-order the book here, or on Amazon, if you want to read it as well. Also, if you provide evidence of your pre-order at TheComingTsunami.com, you’ll be invited to Jim’s live digital book launch event on January 25 at 7 p.m. where he’ll discuss one of our culture’s hot topics: Is CRT biblical?

For all of us, let’s stay awake to all that God is doing and allowing in our culture so that we can do our part in this world. The last request Jesus made of his disciples before his ascension was to “go and make disciples” of others.  

To live a “woke” life as a Christian is to live aware of God’s presence in your life so that you are able to live your kingdom purpose in this world. The waves are coming, and some are already here. Let’s stay awake and stay prepared.  

We should be “about the Father’s business” until Jesus returns.

One Moment Changes More

Sometimes one moment will change many more. 

With news of the coronavirus, it could be the moment of the next handshake or the choice of a seat at the theatre. 

We trust traffic lights to control all of those who are driving, but last week I saw someone run a red light and narrowly miss two cars as a result. 

That moment could have become life-changing—or life-ending—for several people.

An important moment thirty-four years ago today 

What has been your most significant moment thus far? 

Happily, mine occurred thirty-four years ago today when the nurse placed my oldest son, Ryan, in my arms. I became a parent that day, and that one moment has changed almost every moment since.  

Parenting is a lifelong relationship, but not all of our children belong to our immediate families. Some of our children are older than we are. Most are probably close in age, and some might be much younger. 

We might be parents naturally, and we are likely working hard to lead our kids to faith in Christ. 

But all of us who are Christians have been called to become spiritual parents to spiritual children as well. 

Who were your spiritual parents? 

Who helped raise you spiritually? 

If you are like me, it’s a long list. Those people were my teachers, my examples, my accountability partners, and my friends. Just this morning I was blessed to read an article a friend had written about her increased passion for quiet time with the Lord each day. 

I’m coming out of an extremely busy three weeks and was reminded of my own need to seek quiet time with God for the sake of my soul rather than for the sake of a blog post or Bible lesson. I needed to be “parented” this morning and I’m grateful for her teaching.  

Every Christian who has matured in the Lord will parent others in the faith. That is how God intended evangelism to work.  

Who are your spiritual children? 

I was teaching a passage in 2 Corinthians last week that Paul wrote to Christians saying, “ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.  In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also” (2 Corinthians 6:11–13). 

Paul told the ancient church in Corinth that he thought of himself as a parent to them, and he loved them like a father loves his kids. He asked them to love him as they would love a parent.  

Paul loved the young, growing Christians in Corinth despite their ongoing attraction to the wrong influences in their lives. He told the church that it was time to mature in their faith and separate themselves from unholy things.  

A spiritual parent wants the best for their children in the faith. Whom do you feel that way about today? Whom has God called you to parent spiritually? 

What is spiritual parenting? 

Evangelism 

Quite often, your spiritual children are people the Lord has brought to your life who need to be born again. 

Commitment

There is no way we can invest our time and energy into everyone we meet. But there are some people we are called to make a greater commitment to than others. 

You will sense that God has given them to you to mentor, not just befriend. 

Who is watching you as an example for Christian living today?

Discipline

Every good parent disciplines their kids, for their sake. We want our kids to be strong in the world, know how to behave, and know how to relate well to others. 

Spiritual parents want their kids to be strong in the Lord. They need to know how God wants them to behave in the world and how to relate as a Christian to others. 

Discipline is about exchanging wrong or weak behaviors for better ones. Disciplining kids is one of the toughest jobs for any parent, and the same will be true for those God has given us to parent spiritually as well.

Unconditional love

There is literally nothing that either of my sons could do that could cause me not to love them with a deep and unconditional love. That is the love God gives naturally to every mom and dad. 

One of the best ways to recognize your spiritual children is to sense a heightened concern or compassion for the person. We can’t mentor everyone, but we are called to mentor some. 

Whom has the Lord caused you to think and care about at a greater level? 

The difference between work and chores 

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus about the gifting of the Holy Spirit. He said, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11–13). 

A “saint” is a person who has received Jesus as their Lord and become a child of God. 

The “work of the ministry” is the work that causes others to know, love, and walk through this life as an obedient child of God. 

We are called to live like our Lord lived, “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” 

The spiritual teaching and nurturing we give our “birth-kids” are the chores we have been given. Chores are the work we do around our house.  

Work is what we do when we leave our homes. 

Which people has God called you to invest your time and Christian influence in who are not in your home? 

Consider that the “work” of your ministry. You have spiritual children the Lord wants you to teach and nurture as well. 

Evangelism is simply growing your family 

There is a spiritual gift of evangelism, but all of us are lifestyle evangelists. Your life is the most influential sermon you preach. You witness to people all day, every day. 

Has your sermon caused some people to know Jesus? 

Does your lifestyle preaching help others walk with Jesus and live “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”? 

All of us should have a growing family, forever. 

One moment changed many more 

The nurse placed Ryan into my arms and I became a parent. I will be a parent for the rest of my life. And it is my great joy to see Ryan parenting my grandkids to know and love the Lord. 

We were tucking Ryan’s kids into bed this past weekend when my granddaughter said, “We need to sing our songs.” 

I listened while she and her three-year-old brother sang the verses to “Amazing Grace.” 

This morning, one of my Bible students became my spiritual leader. 

“Kids” grow up to have children of their own. That’s how God intended it to be—naturally and spiritually. 

I hope all of us, including God, will enjoy a growing family for the rest of our lives.