Michael Kelley's Blog, page 239

A Prayer for the Release Day of "Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal"

Father -

Thank you. I look at this book – these 264 pages – and I am incredibly thankful. It's true, I'm thankful for the opportunity to pen down the story of our family. I'm thankful to be in a relationship with others who believe in the story. I'm thankful for the chance to speak into other people's lives in some small way.

But I'm mainly thankful this morning for what the book represents. I remember, some 5 years ago, feeling like the world was falling apart as we sat at the children's hospital and heard the cancer diagnosis of our little boy. And this morning, I sat across the breakfast table from the same little boy, his cowlick shooting straight up into the air from sleep as he concentrated over his waffles and told me about the chapter he read in his book last night.

What amazing manner of grace is this.

I think today back over years of chemotherapy, sadness, dashed dreams and lost time, and I do not hear a promise from You that those things will ever come back. They are gone, blown to the wind. Nor do I hear from You a trite explanation of "why" for Joshua's cancer. You've never told us why, and I doubt You ever will. Surely not because of this book.

But today, our hope after these years is not in knowing answers, for You know that answers are not the soothing balm to pain that we think they ought to be. In the end, the answers matter little. But You matter much. And I thank You, that in Your wisdom, You give us Yourself rather than the answers we so crave.

You, and you alone, have sustained us through these years. On that day, 5 years ago, I wondered if You would. And yet You did.

I ask You, Father, to take these paltry words on these 264 pages – our Ebeneezer – and use it in a great way. I pray that the downtrodden would be lifted up. I pray that the hurting would be encouraged. I pray that all those who have sat in hospital waiting rooms might look in these pages and find a testimony not of a strong family, but of an immensely strong God who upholds the weak and is near to those who are crushed in spirit.

That is what You have been to us.

And for those who might not have sat in such a situation but will… For those as yet untouched by disease but will be… For those who are compelled to read these words out of curiosity rather than need… I pray they would find a God described here that they can absolutely trust.

This is the story You have seen fit to give us. I pray for the grace to steward it well.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Thank You, Endoresers (Part 5)

If you've been following along, you know that for the past 5 weeks on Wednesday I've been posting the endorsements of my book Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God. This is the final installment of the endorsements as the book officially releases tomorrow. Today I'm grateful to highlight the words of Russell Moore, JD Greear, Michael Card, and Jen Hatmaker.

Dr. Russell Moore is a man who has mentored me from a distance. Dr. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also an extremely gifted writer. There are lots of guys who can espouse theology, but Dr. Moore brings a beauty and grace to doing so that is seldom found. I'm so thankful that a writer of his caliber would write these words about my book:

Most parents fear, often from the very first breath of a baby, that they will someday find themselves in a cancer ward with their beloved child. At first, I resisted reading this book, afraid that it would be emotionally draining and gut-wrenching. I was wrong. This book will drive you to hope, joy, and trust in God's purposes, even if you find yourself where you always feared you might be.

Then there is JD Greear. JD is a pastor of The Summit Church, and is busy taking his congregation to a deeper and more full love and understanding of the gospel. And he's doing it all the time. He has a love and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and has an extremely gifted way at articulating it. I'm grateful for his friendship and for his endorsement of the book (especially when he says I'm like a modern day Spurgeon. That's what his endorsement says, right??):

C.H. Spurgeon used to say that doubt was a foot poised to go forwards or backwards in faith. This book is an uncomfortably honest one that raises the foot. But throughout the story, Michael points back to a God that is deeper than the pain and doubts, and guides us beyond Christian platitudes to genuine rest in the arms of our heavenly Father. I look forward to recommending this book to people in our church who can't seem to gen an answer to the "why."

Jen Hatmaker is a good friend and a prophetic voice in the church today. She is always funny, challenging, and above all, real. Jen writes as a woman who is seeking the Lord in the real world, without pretense, and is more concerned about living according to God's Word than most anyone I know. I'm so very thankful for her endorsement:

I sat down to skim this and instead read every word start to finish. Reader, please listen to me: If you have ever suffered, struggled, doubted, wrestled with a God who allows hunger and disease and two-year-old boys to get cancer, if you have attempted to believe God in the midst of devastation or fear, please devour this book like the gift it is. Thank you, Michael, for not only honestly sharing your story with us but drawing us deeper into the true, rich, genuine love of Jesus who cries with us, stays by us, and redeems us.

Finally, there is Michael Card. I first met Mike over lunch at a little restaurant he frequents in Franklin, TN, and I'll admit – it was a little intimidating. I mean, it's Michael Card – musician, writer, and motorcycle writer. But that intimidation only lasted for about 4 seconds because who I met was a genuinely kind man. I can't imagine someone more down to earth and unimpressed with himself. It means so much to me that he took the time to read the book and write about it:

There are countless wildernesses; from depression to divorce, from brokenness to bankruptcy. For too many of us, cancer is our wilderness. Michael Kelley wandered that particular wilderness with his wife, Jana as they watched and waited as their son Joshua wrestle with leukemia. I am sorry for their suffering. I am sorry for the time they lost that they will never get back. But I am deeply thankful that they did not waste their sorrow and I am deeply thankful that Michael wrote this book.

Tomorrow is the release date, friends. You can get your copy of Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal on sale at Amazon here.

The Creativity of God – A Mile Underground

This is Plutomurus ortobalaganensis, and according to the New Scientist, it's:

The deepest-dwelling land animal in the world has been found almost 2 kilometres underground. Fittingly, its home is Krubera-Voronja, the world's deepest cave, whose bottommost point is 2191 metres below its mouth.The cave is located near the Black Sea in Abkhazia, a breakaway republic of Georgia.

The arthropod, known as Plutomurus ortobalaganensis, was discovered 1980 metres below the surface, where it feeds off fungi and other decaying matter.

Astounding. Marvel at the depth and reach of the creativity of God. The Divine Artist constructed this little thing and planted it more than a mile below the ground and was content, in and of Himself and His creativity, to let it sit there in a cave.

Now, having been discovered, we are reminded again today of the great extremities of the creative capacity of God.

(HT: 22 Words)

A Surprising Side Effect of Playing with Your Kids

This past Saturday afternoon was a pretty lazy one for our family. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned; our children think a bit differently, though. It only took about 7 minutes of me sitting on the couch, drinking an afternoon cup of coffee, for the calls to start:

"I'm bored."

"There's nothing to do."

"Daddy, play with me."

I'll admit – I did NOT in fact want to play with the children. I did not want to be the policeman who ties up the bad guys with a jump rope. Nor did I want to be the fire-breathing dragon who was vanquished by being pelted with frisbees. Even less did I want to be an evil mad scientist who had to face down Anakin Skywalker and Princess Leah (let's not get too involved with the correct Star Wars genealogy here).

I wanted to sit on the couch, watch the sports documentary that was a poor substitution for a football game, and drink a cup of coffee. And that's what I did for the next 5 minutes.

But then, seeing it to be a fruitless endeavor, I relinquished my hold on the lazy Saturday, and went outside with the kids. I went begrudgingly. I slung open the door harder than I should and stomped into the backyard, fit with an attitude that would rival any method actor who was set to channel his inner fire-breathing dragon. And I played.

We had light saber fights with sticks.

I caught the bad guys and imprisoned them in the playhouse.

We built a fire in the fire pit and threw different stuff on top to see what kind of smoke it made.

My attitude only improved slightly, until I suddenly had the striking thought that I really think was from the Lord:

I have never once felt this way when you have wanted to spend time with me.

And it stopped me dead in my tracks. I paused and confessed my sin of selfishness, my overwhelming commitment to my own person, in light of the great generosity of God. And then, while we were hosing down the children an hour later, wiping down the grime and rinsing off the smoke from the fire, I had another thought:

Playing with the kids was the best thing I did all day.

Not original, I know, but I realized that the benefit was not only for them; it was also for me. The corollary to the thought above was in these terms:

Who would have ever thought that the main way to mortify my flesh today was playing with my kids?

There was a two fold effect, by God's grace. I play with my kids, and hopefully then have a small notion of the great willingness and desire of God to be with His people. And as for me, playing with them – really playing with them – is another means by which God uses to pry my white-knuckled fingers off my idol of self.

So, dads, can I encourage you with this today? Play with your kids – not only for their sake, but also for yours.

Be the dragon they want at the expense of your TV show.

Build the Lego structure they want at the expense of your nap.

Dance with the dolls at the expense of your adult conversation.

Do these things, and watch how God uses this simple action their lives and in yours.

Fridays Are For One Question

The video below is a promo for what's coming on the Mac this summer. The developments are meant, I think, to bring the same experience you have on an iPhone or iPad to a desktop or laptop. Pretty amazing stuff:

So today's question is for all you Mac users out there (whether in an iPhone or a computer or an iPad or whatever):

"What's one feature you wish Apple would roll out this summer?"

Kids Feel What Parents Expressively Feel

Loved this little video from Piper. Beautiful:

Kids Feel What Parents Expressively Feel from John Piper on Vimeo.

Thank You, Endorsers (Part 4)

This is the fourth week I've had the privilege of posting a thank you to some of the endorsers for Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God.

First up this week is Pete Wilson. I wish I knew Pete better, but I live under the illusion that I do because of his blog. Pete is the pastor of Cross Point Church, one of the fastest growing congregations in the Nashville area, and the book Plan B. One of the things that sets him apart is, I think, the openness of his blog, which is disarming enough so that he can punch you between the eyes with good truth. Here's what he had to say about the book:

Get ready to go on a remarkable journey of what it looks like to watch your world shatter before your very eyes and be forced into a wrestling match with the fears and doubts that inevitably accompany us in our darkest times. Faith is more than a gift we're given; it's a tool we must exercise and use in order to experience its supernatural power. Michael Kelley poignantly illustrates the process of turning faith from a noun to a verb and how it can transform and shape our ability to persevere. Everyone needs to read this book.

Next is Jon Acuff, the genius mind behind the hugely read blog Stuff Christians Like. Jon is, quite simply, one of the funniest people I've ever met. But his humor has a bigger purpose. Jon has the ability not only to write creatively, but to do so in a way that points you to something deeper. Always. I'm honored by his endorsement:

In the midst of a battle no wants to face, Michael wrestled issues about God and faith and the difficulty of life that most of us will in some way. Honest, heart breaking but beating loudly with hope, Wednesdays were pretty normal is a beautiful book.

I'm privileged to also have the endorsement of Mark Batterson. Mark is a prolific writer, speaker, and pastor from Washington, DC. One of the things I love about him is his constant effort to encourage others to chase hard after God and His great desires in their lives. Countless people have been influenced through his ministry, and I'm so thankful for these words he wrote about the book:

The Christian lives life between earth and heaven, with one foot in each. Michael Kelley captures this dynamic well, taking the reader between sorrow and triumph, pain and joy. I feel very strongly that this story is one that must be shared again and again. You'll find yourself seeing faith, hope, and ultimately, God, in a much more intimate way than you have before.

Finally is Margaret Feinberg. Margaret is a good friend, a great mind, and an all around fun person. Her whimsical way of writing takes deep, theological concepts and brings them down to understandable and applicable points. If you've read much of what she's written, you find yourself turning the last page and immediately going back to Amazon to see what else you can find that she's written. I'm grateful for her support of the book:

Anyone who has ever had a sick child will find much needed words of comfort, encouragement, and a powerful reminder that you're not alone. Whether for yourself or your friends, you'll discover divine solace in these pages.

I'm excited next Wednesday to share endorsements from Dr. Russell Moore, JD Greear, Michael Card, and Jen Hatmaker.

You can pre-order Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God here.

Does Love Win at the Cross?

Yes.

And no.

If you mean that love wins, because God is love, and at the cross, sinners are showed the insurmountable, unachievable, and irrevocable love of God in Christ, then love wins.

But if you mean that love wins at the expense of something else, then the answer might be no.

See, if there is a "winner," there must also be a "loser." That's the something that didn't win at the cross. So if you want to say that love wins, that's fine, but it's also worth asking the question:

What lost at the cross?

No doubt there are losers there, too. Sin. Death. The great enemy. These are the losers.

But what most definitely did not lose is justice. Or wrath. Because justice and wrath also won at Calvary. Paul put it like this in Romans 3:23-26:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

Sometimes we think that though we deserved punishment, God, in His great love, made a great exception. He offers us forgiveness and welcomes us into His family though we do not deserve. It's a nice sentiment, but it dramatically diminishes the cross of Jesus. For in as much as the cross demonstrates the great love of God, it also demonstrates the ferocious justice of God.

The cross reminds us that God does not make exceptions. He didn't withhold the just punishment for our sins. He poured it out on Jesus. There is a great cost to our disobedience and rebellion – it's a cost that Jesus willingly absorbed on Himself. At the cross, God proved His love. He also proved His justice. Amazingly, God did not compromise a single shred of His perfect character by granting forgiveness to sinners.

So it's okay to say that love wins. It's probably better to say that God wins.

Friday Night Lights is the American Downton Abbey

This post is mainly for my wife, as she is an avid fan of both Friday Night Lights and Downton Abbey. The fact that she can be emotionally invested in small town Texas high school football and the complex lives of the British aristocracy adds to her wonder. But here, my friend Erin brilliantly likens the two shows together:

Both plots are based essentially around keeping an empire from falling apart.  On Downton, it's maintaining the Abbey and the Grantham fortune.  On FNL, it's maintaining the Panthers/Lions.  But let's look at a breakdown of characters, because that's really where the money is.  Oh yeah, this has spoilers, so if you're not caught up and you keep reading, I don't know how to help you.

She goes on to do a parallel of the characters on the shows. This is really funny stuff if you've spent time in Dillon and at Downton:

Coach Taylor // Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham

Tami Taylor // Violet, Dowager Countess

Julie Taylor // Lady Mary Crawley

Jason Street // John Bates

Matt Saracen // Matthew Crawley

Buddy Garrity // Isobel Crawley

Tim Riggins // Lady Sybil Crawley

Landry // Lady Edith Crawley

Tyra // O'Brien

Becky // Daisy

Lyla Garrity // Lavinia Swire

Read her explanations of the pairings here.

Fridays Are For One Question

This is a picture of the family Von Trapp then, when The Sound of Music was made, and now, some 45 years later. Pretty cool:

 

It also makes me wonder what reunions of other classic TV shows or movies might look like. So for today's question, use your imagination:

"What reunion of a classic cast would you most like to see?"