Kidologist.com: Karl Bastian’s Personal Site and Blog
Archive for Devotional
June 16, 2010 at 8:24 am · Filed under Devotional, Luke, Parenting
Recently while in a store they had Superman Returns playing on a giant TV to encourage visitors to relax and try out their furniture. While I wasn’t too nuts about the film, my good friend Brent Peak had recent argued with me that the opening airplane sequence was one of the best cinematic scenes ever filmed, so after making sure no one was looking, I re-winded the DVD to that scene and Luke and I kicked back and watched it while mom shopped. Brent was right. Luke loved it and asked to watch it over and over!
Then yesterday, I was wearing a Superman shirt and Luke pointed at me and said, “Look, Dad, you’re a hero!”
Bursting with pride, I put my fists on my sides like the Man of Steel and puffed out my chest, standing as tall and dignified as I could and proclaimed, “Yes, I am Super Dad, flying around saving airplanes in distress!” in reference to the movie clip we’d watched since that’s all he really knows of Superman.
My four year old took one look at me and said, “Well, maybe toy airplanes Dad,” and went back to playing.
I wasn’t too crushed. It was a pretty honest assessment of my abilities and I’m sure I’m still a hero in my boy’s eyes, even if I can’t fly into the sky and save real airplanes.
But I can’t help wondering – how often do we downgrade our own Heavenly Father’s hero status? Do we ever say to God in essence when He offers His help, “Well, You can’t do THAT, but maybe you can do this.” Do we ever underestimate or doubt His abilities? Indeed He IS faster than a speeding problem and able bend any trial with His bare hands. Perhaps we need to trust Him more.
Just something to think about.
May 17, 2010 at 5:27 pm · Filed under Devotional, Life, Luke, Parenting
It’s no secret and, of course, no surprise, that I love my son. My love for him is so intense that I sometimes wonder if I could even love another child should God ever give me another. Of course, I know I could – but having only one, it feels as though I have none to share with another. Perhaps other parents can relate to this feeling.
It’s also no secret that my little boy loves cars. Which, even as I say it, is automatically, an understatement. (Automatically is a pun, by the way!)
His is crazy – nuts – about cars! Instead of a train table like many boys, he has a “car table.” His room is decorated with cars. His favorite movie is Disney’s Cars movie, and any time he gets any present, if it isn’t a car – he is almost disappointed. When I return from a trip, he hopes I will come back with a new car for him.
The Man Cave in Estes Park, Colorado!
So here is the point of my post – there are times Luke nearly breaks my heart. When we are at a place that sells the most incredible cars – amazing cars – incredible cars – awesome cars – and as his loving Daddy I want to buy him one! And he isn’t interested.
There have been times when we have been at a place with the most spectacular cars, expensive even, and I’ve been willing to fork out the dough for one of them, and Luke has only wanted one of the cheap little $1 cars, like we have a zillion of at home. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t convince him to let me buy him one of the really nice ones. Of course, I should be happy at the money I’m saving, but as his dad, I want to bless him with one of the really cool ones knowing that in time, it will mean more to him and is more valuable. But he just politely says, “No thank you, Dad.”
This past weekend at the Mile High Flea Market it happened again. There was a booth with some model cars that are $30-$45 anywhere else for only $12. I tried so hard to convince him to pick one. “No thanks, Dad. I have enough cars.” The irony of that statement, was he was only using that line because that is what I say when he is asking for some cheap car I am explaining why I am saying, “No.” So here he is saying “no” to a car that I know he will enjoy and that would enhance his collection and is worth throwing twenty of his cheap cars in the garbage over.
I wrestled with whether to just buy one and give it to him later – but really couldn’t decide which one, as he is very particular in his choices, and if I picked the wrong one, I’d still be wasting $12 if he didn’t like it. And I decided it would still be better to save the money and help him realize later that choices have consequences should he change his mind. (Since we’ll be going back to that flea market again.)
Even his new bike is a Hot Wheels bike w/ Speedometer!
MY POINT? I wonder how many times I frustrate my Heavenly Father? I wonder how many times God wants to give me things but I settle for less? He certainly loves me as His child and has given me a lot, but he wants to give me more!
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?!” Matthew 7:9-11
Just as I try to give good things to Luke, and he says, “No thank you, Dad” instead of trusting me and saying, “Sure, Daddy” and just letting me bless him – I say to God, “No thank you, God” when I should be saying, “O.K., God, I accept!” I say no by holding on to sin, by not walking in trust, by not taking the risks He presents me with, by not taking chances He places before me where I’ll need His help.
How many times do I frustrate my Father by saying, “No thank you, Daddy?” when I should be saying, “Sure, whatever you say, Daddy!” and just accepting what He wants to give me?
April 18, 2010 at 3:49 pm · Filed under Children's Ministry, Devotional, Life
Loved this story from the sermon this morning, so had to post it:
A man arrives at a little league game late and asks a boy in the dug out what the score is and he says, “Them 18, us zero.” The man says, “You must be discouraged?” The boy answers,
“Why would I be discouraged? We ain’t even been up to bat yet.”
That’s HOPE! Friends, no matter what you are going through, Jesus ain’t even been up to bat yet!
March 11, 2010 at 12:53 pm · Filed under Christianity, Devotional, Spiritual Growth
I’m doing the final editing for the next DiscipleTown unit, “How to Make Good Choices” due out March 15th. Hard to believe I’ve written six of these! (and that I have 18 more to go!) I always marvel how each and every unit convicts me and how each unit seems to be exactly what I needed to review in my own walk with God and how much I enjoy developing a four week spiritual journey for children to explore as so that they can grow closer to Jesus and become better disciples.
Let me share one of my favorite elements from lesson three, it is a routine I use with my puppet, Gus. Of course, in the curriculum Gus’ name gets dropped (Sorry Gus!) so that teacher’s can replace him with their own puppet, I remember this routine fondly for both the humor and yet the poignant impact this routine has made many times on children. It’s a description, not a script, but you’ll get the idea:
Puppet has a black eye, a broken arm, and bandages all over his body. Leader asks what is wrong and says, “I hope you didn’t try to fight sin to the death like you were talking about last week!” Puppet says, “Oh, no. I did this all by myself.” Leader looks shocked, “You did this yourself? Were you in some kind of terrible accident?” Puppet says, “Oh, no. It wasn’t an accident. I did it on purpose.” Leader is even more shocked, “On purpose!? You did this on purpose? But why on earth would you do this on purpose?” Puppet looks sad and solemn. “Because I’m such a bad puppet. I needed to be punished.” Leader looks very concerned, “Punished? Punished for what?” Puppet continues, “Oh, I’m too embarrassed to tell you. But you said last week to turn to God and I’d stop sinning. Well, it didn’t work. I sinned again. And since I know better than to try and fight sin, I decided to beat myself up instead. I wanted to teach myself a lesson. God can’t have bad people on His team, you know. I’ve got to knock some sense into myself—beat myself into submission, you know. I tried to knock myself into the middle of next week. What is today’s date, by the way?” Leader is shocked and sad. “Oh, Puppet, you don’t need to beat yourself up. God will forgive you.” Puppet looks up, “Oh, I know He did, but not again and again.” Leader says, “Yes, again and again, and then again and again and again and again.” Puppet asks, “And then … again and again?” Leader smiles, “And then again and again.” Puppet says, “And then again?” Leader says, “And then again.” Puppet asks, “How many agains?” Leader says, “Until you’ve lost track.” Puppet says, “I already have.” Leader: “Then you still have more agains left over.” Puppet, looking more cheerful: “That’s a lot of agains!” Leader smiles: “As many as you need—that’s how much He loves you.”
Jesus sure has given me a lot of “agains” and I know I have a tendency to beat myself up to. I recently was with a good friend and brought up a sin I had committed in the past and this godly leader cut me off, looked me in the eye and said, “Do you believe in the cross?” I said “Of course,” and this person said, “then don’t ever mention your sin to me again. Just keep moving forward and serving the Lord.” Wow. That’s far as the East is from the West! We need more Christians like that, don’t we? We teach this stuff to our children, but sometimes its so hard to live and believe it for ourselves!
What are you beating yourself up for? What do you keep reminding yourself of?
Jesus has as many “agains” as we have sins. Need another “again?” He’s got one for ya!
February 11, 2010 at 9:40 am · Filed under Devotional, Spiritual Growth, Yosemite
Before I continue my series of posts on my solo sabbatical in Yosemite, I want to follow up on my last post, Giving Up on Knowing God. I think I freaked a few people out by some of the private e-mails I got of concerned people who thought I was denying my faith! I let it hang there for awhile because I put a challenge in there for anyone who knew God to e-mail me and tell me what that looked like. I was seriously hoping someone would. Well, last night while at Chipotle with my son, I got the e-mail from a guy named Kirk saying bluntly “I know God!”, and it made my day. Reprinted with the writer’s permission, here it is:
I know God! Like you, I started by knowing about Him, and then gradually getting to know Him more and more.
Finally, I set my mind to get to know Him “personally.” This itself was the light bulb moment – it was when I DECIDED that I was going to relentlessly pursue this. And then I found Him, just as He promises us.
He’s there in the stories of the bible … the things that make Him smile, the things that really piss Him off, and the things in between. Some things He doesn’t like, but He tolerates … other things make Him so happy He brags about us!
It’s all there in the pages of the bible. I can show you how. It’s the coolest thing ever, because He is SO real. And when He becomes that real, one can write something like the 23rd Psalm (written by another man who knew Him)… or pray prayers like John 17, etc.
[Have you ever imagined what it would feel like to BE David - to be ABLE to write the 23rd Psalm, and have it be true?]
Email me if you want, and we can “talk.”
You’ll love it.
Anyway, please take me up on my offer to show you how to get to KNOW Yahweh.
He wants you to – He really does.
It took a lot of courage for Kirk to write this e-mail. He didn’t know me, he had come to my blog for the first time after someone recommended he look into my ministry as a way to sell a resource he is developing – imagine his surprise when this post was his first introduction to me! Here was my response to him:
Kirk,
Thank you so much for your note. You made my day! I was so much hoping someone would have the courage to respond to my challenge and e-mail me because I DO indeed believe we can know God, Scripture makes that abundantly clear from cover to cover!! And I do know God, as you describe. I was just so humbled as I always am by my smallness when I am in Yosemite and surrounded by the BIGNESS and GREATNESS of God, it is just so humbling and I think we need to never be too flippant or trite about what it means to know God, but yes, that is the Amazing Offer that God extends to know Him, it is the beautiful offer of salvation. I just think we throw that offer around to loosely at times… it is an AWESOME thing to say, “You can know God.” To stick that on a bumper sticker is almost… I don’t know how to say it… is our God not Big enough? Have we made him a size we can handle? I think if we truly understood Him, would we ever sin?
Anyway, I do believe we can know God, Scripture is quite clear on it, and I planned to follow up on my blog:
On one hand God knows us….
1 Corinthians 8:3
But the man who loves God is known by God.
But scripture also talks of us knowing God… (in addition to showing it as you described!)
Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God….
Galatians 4:9
But now that you know God—or rather are known by God…
Ephesians 1:17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
1 John 4:6
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us…
1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
I was so curious to see if anyone would have the boldness to take me up on my challenge and email me and say “I know God!” THANK YOU for doing so! I really thought I’d be challenged more for that post! If no one did, I was really going to be disappointed. Perhaps more struggle with not feeling like they know God. I’m sure it is a struggle, because we do all fall short and feel that gap between where we are and where we want to be!
May I share your email on my blog, with only your first name? And I’d be happy to “talk” more with you – as I have plenty of room to grow and would appreciate any insight you have to share on how I can know God better.
karl
Then he replied:
Whew! I’m so relieved to get this response … I was a bit concerned about being so bold. But then it also occurs to me that’s a shame, too, isn’t it? Isn’t it a shame that we should consider it bold to proclaim that we know our own Father? Wow. Man, I love talking about God, thinking about God, fearing Him and loving Him. HE is everything. Two lines in your note below say SO MUCH (I’m tempted to write a book or two in response, but I won’t because you obviously already “get it”): “Have we made him a size we can handle? I think if we truly understood Him, would we ever sin?” I’m afraid we’re all guilty of making God in our image … sad. (….)
Kirk
I’ve since been enjoying some good conversation with Kirk that I’m sure will continue! In the end, I still stand by my original post – I’m not “taking it back,” the more we get to understand God the smaller we ought to see ourselves, and the greater God becomes and the more impossible it seems that we could ever “know God” my conclusions in that post stand – and YET at the same time, all the more amazing and incredible it is that THIS SAME GOD WANTS US TO KNOW HIM! And invites us to do so despite our sinfulness.
Feast on that!
October 4, 2009 at 9:00 am · Filed under Devotional, Spiritual Growth
If you follow my blog or facebook or twitter (especially recently) it is no secret that I love the mountains! It is one of the reasons I moved to Colorado. But I was reminded by my mentor Oswald Chambers that it is how we live in the valleys that truly matters. Let me encourage you with his words:
The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. We see His glory on the mountain, but we never live for His glory there. It is in the place of humiliation that we find our true worth to God – that is where our faithfulness is revealed. Most of us can do things if we are always at some heroic level of intensity, simply because of the natural selfishness of our own hearts. But God wants us to be at the drab everyday relationship with Him…… when you were on the mountaintop you could believe anything, but what about when you were faced with the facts of valley?
I love going to the mountains, but I know I must live in the valleys. And I’ve been in some pretty deep valleys too. Some were just the natural valleys of life – others I dug myself! But I love having a view of the mountains now as a constant reminder that there is HOPE that I do not need to stay in the valley that there is a God who not only is in the valley with me, but who invites me OUT, and to go to the heights with Him!
You may not have a “mountain view” – just as I lived without the past twenty-three years, but all along, I knew they existed and it made valley dwelling easier. In life, there are valleys, but just knowing that our God is High and Exalted is enough to sustain us in the valleys. So look to the mountains for Hope, but live in the valleys honoring Him no matter what, for that is where your character shows and therefore where it really matters. Praise Him!
October 2, 2009 at 11:54 am · Filed under Adventures, Devotional, Life, PK Cruiser
Yesterday I spent most of the day at the Garden of the God. (I leave the ’s’ off on purpose!)
I went to see the sunrise and to work in my new office: Colorado!
This was my view for my morning staff conference call. Not too shabby! It was a little chilly, so I eventually moved to the Visitor Center across the street where I had a counter, power outlet, free refills and an elevated view:
Next I headed off to Chipotle for lunch and on my way back I noticed a Navigator’s sign right before the turn to Garden of the Gods, and turned in. Soon I was at a Castle Gate being stopped by a Gate Keeper. I wasn’t sure if I would get in, but after speaking a little “Christianese” I was granted a pass and allowed to proceed into the most amazing compound that rivaled the Garden of the Gods next door! Turns out the Gen Eyrie retreat center may be one of the best kept secrets of Christiandome! Not only are there more red rocks….
and over 700 acres with lodges and hiking trails…
there is even a Castle!
But on to the CAVE!
As I was exploring, I noticed a CAVE up on one of the cliffs!
Now, GUYS, why is it when you SEE A CAVE you have this thought… I must go up in that cave! I’m sorry, but I REALLY TRIED not to. I seriously thought, I could get hurt. It might be too much for my heart. There could be a bear or a cougar or something worse! No one who loves me even knows I am here at Glen Eyrie, how long until my car would be found? I signed a release to hike, so they wouldn’t even cover any medical costs if I got hurt. Would my insurance…
but the CAVE WAS CALLING TO ME… so I climbed!
I got closer! I half expected some fierce animal to peek out at me! Would I run? Or would freezing work? What if I found treasure? Bones? I’m sure no one else has ever climbed up here!
Finally, I made it! Here is the view from INSIDE THE CAVE! And there is the PK Cruiser, to prove it is really the same cave! It was about twenty feet deep. No wild animals or bones or treasure. I was actually a little disappointed. (About the treasure and bones that is.)
I put on the fisheye lens to try and show the entire cave from the back!
Just as I was about to head down I was surprised by a great view of the Glen Eyrie Castle from the opening of the cave! Pretty cool, huh? You know, if you don’t get out of your car in life, you miss out on some of the best experiences.
The next time you are driving in life and you see something cool – don’t drive by. STOP, and just do it! I’m way behind on email and a bunch of stuff from moving last week, and I know just as I get caught up when I’m moving in next week, I’ll get behind all over again. I have every reason to work all day and into the night non-stop.
But then, I would have missed out on this neat cave!
WHAT IS CALLING OUT TO YOU TODAY? GO FOR IT!
September 28, 2009 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Devotional, Life, Luke, Parenting
On our two day drive from Chicagoland to Colorado, I anticipated at some point our three year old would have a melt down from being strapped in a car seat for hours on end! And while frequent Rest Stops helped pace the trip, I knew sooner or later, the tears would come. So like any wise parent, I was prepared! I had purchased a huge semi-truck toy and stashed in in the back of the mini-van so when the revolt came, I could reward him for being so good and give him a toy to enjoy for the last leg of the trip.
Well, it finally happened. At our last lunch stop, we were looking at toy trucks at a truck stop and when we said it was time to get back in the car the melt down started, but I was able to kneel down, hug my son, and say, “Luke, you’ve been so good. Please don’t cry. I’m so proud of you and how you’ve done these past two days on our trip. Guess what? I have a surprise for you in the car – a truck! If you can stop crying and make it for one more stretch of driving I’ll give you a cool semi-truck in the car.” It was so precious to watch him whip his tears and follow me to the car and when he saw it to light up and say, “Wow! It’s sooo cool!” And we hit the road again. Soon, as facebook friends saw, he was asleep with his new truck/friend.
In an effort to help his nice cars and trucks last a little longer, I had explained to him that it was an expensive truck and to be very careful with it so that it would not break. Well, when we got to Colorado we were welcomed by some relatives and all went out to dinner. At dinner, while playing, the truck took a nose dive off the table and everyone heard the crash and turned to see what happened. Luke’s response was so cute, and also so representative of our human response when we mess up.
Without even looking to see how the truck was, he immediately ran to me and started hugging me and laying on the love, telling me, “Daddy, I looooove you! You are the best daddy!” and kissing me. Of course, it was very sweet and cute, and yet at the same time, we knew, this sudden expression of love was most likely motivated not by a desire to express love, but by an immediate desire to squelch my anticipated displeasure that the new truck had crashed off the table. However, I accepted his affection and simply asked him to go get the truck, so we could see how it was. Sure enough, one of the tall exhaust pipes had broken off – something easily glued later on. I told him it was O.K., and I knew it was an accident, and I wasn’t upset, but he could be a little more careful. While it isn’t my pattern to get angry or react quickly or get upset in situations like this, I did find it very interesting that he understood right away that I had given him this gift out of love, and he had broken it, and immediately – INSTANTLY, when he thought he had broken it, his response was to express love to me. Perhaps it was defensive love, to soften me up and avoid getting in trouble. Or, perhaps it was perfectly sincere, because he felt badly that my loving gift had been hurt, and so he instantly responded by giving his own gift of love. I could argue it either way.
Ultimately, its irrelevant. Either way, the point is, that when he broke the gift, he turned to his father and tried to make it right by expressing love and his father cared more for his son than for the object and accepted the love and immediately returned love. The ‘thing’ was less important than the relationship.
Why am I blogging about this little incident? Because every day we fail our Heavenly Father. We break, misuse, and break His gifts. And how do we respond toward our Heavenly Father? Our INSTINCT ought to be the same as my little boy! Turn to our Father and simply express love. Whether it is a little defensive to try and and stave off his anger, or whether it is simply to acknowledge we carelessly damaged what He gave us – either way, He will accept us and return our love. For He cares less about the things and objects of our lives and more about His relationship with us, and whether we are willing to embrace Him and say we are sorry.
Have you told your Heavenly Father you love Him today? And that you are sorry for breaking the truck He gave you?
September 26, 2009 at 8:22 pm · Filed under Devotional, Luke, Spiritual Growth
Luke Loves Rest Stops!
As we are driving across the country on our move from Chicago to Colorado we stop at almost every Rest Stop. Not only for the obvious reasons, but also to give our three year old a break from the car seat to run around a bit and play. We run, laugh and play. And while there is a part of me (that logical, practical, productive part I struggle to turn off) that can feel like we are wasting time and losing progress on our journey and delaying our ‘goal’ – the part of me I’m learning to listen to realizes that “getting there” is not always the goal. The quality of the journey is equally important, if not MORE so.
So the Rest Stops are not delays, they are enhancements – bonuses – perks! They are, in fact, the highlights of an otherwise boring trip. When our son begs to stay at a Rest Stop, that tells you something!
Time for Excersize!
We’ve all got goals and objectives in our lives and ministries, but in our eagerness to accomplish them, don’t blow past the Rest Stops. You need them! And not just for the obvious reasons, (prayer and Bible reading), you need regular breaks for other reasons too, just to enjoy life, to rest, play, laugh, learn, listen, read, whatever you enjoy!
And hear me: you don’t need Rest Stops when you ‘have time’ for them, it is when you DON’T have time for them that you need them the most! Just like a Rest Stop on the highway, they don’t have to be long. They can be a short nap, a walk, something entertaining for a good laugh, a phone call to a friend, a trip to Starbucks for a frapathingie or McD’s for a large Coke. You know what it is for you, it’s probably coming to mind right now. An excuse probably is too, why you can’t do do that. Zap that.There is no excuse. Be the boss of your brain. Be the driver of your life, not the stuff on the desk or in your in-box!
Hey, Rest Stop ahead in 2 miles, and you CAN stop!
Playing Samson with Daddy
I have a friend who travels a lot by car and I asked his secret to long drives and he said he has a rule, “Drive 50 minutes, stop 10, no matter what.”
Resting in the Leaves
I think that’s good advice in life and ministry too. Well, we are about to stop at another another Rest Stop, so I’d better stop blogging!
We’ll be arriving in Colorado tonight!
Looking Up to Daddy
On Top of the World with my Boy
August 6, 2009 at 11:12 pm · Filed under Devotional, Life, Photography, Random Observations
There is just something amazing about these images of water captured with a high speed camera…
Every time I come across them, I star at them…
and study every detail…
every ripple and splash…
every color and reflection…
knowing that if not for the camera’s super fast shutter…
I could never enjoy this captured moment…
stolen out of time for me…
to hold in my hand… or in my mind…
a moment… forever…
how sweet it is!
an accident? hardly!
a planned disaster, actually!
a beautiful mess.
an explosion of motion and energy…
caught in the motion of the moment…
the camera catches what we miss every day.
MAKES ME WONDER… what do we miss? What could we capture with the camera of our eye, if we would just focus throughout the day? A sweet smile? A gorgeous cloud? A curious animal? An enlightened moment? An encouraged person?
What are the moments of our day that God creates that we miss? The splashes of his Grace? The colorful moments that He gives us? The green lights when we are in a hurry? The short line at the store? The empty parking spot near the door in a busy parking lot? The familiar face in a crowd that calls your name? An unsolicited “I love you” from your child? Whatever they are, don’t miss them today. Capture them in your in your minds’ eye, and cherish them.
(did you scrool too fast? look at the pictures again! did you drive too fast? walk too fast today? slow down already!)
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