Let Jesus handle your burdens

by Barrett Vanlandingham

May 2, 2017

         

          There are certain times of year that seem to throw more at us than other times. For my oldest sister, tax season is the most stressful because she is a C.P.A.

For retailers, Black Friday through the Christmas season would likely win hands down. If you’re a high school or college senior who is trying to figure out where to go for your next stage in life, you might be feeling a little anxious right now. For all you parents out there whose daughters go out on dates, I feel your pain! The list goes on and on.

          Before I even got out of bed last Monday morning, I counted in my head how many hours it would take to get everything done for the week, and came to the conclusion it was going to require burning a lot of midnight oil. But when I walked into my office, suddenly a calm came over me after I wrote out a list of things to do, and then thought about Jesus’ words.

          “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

          Those words should offer immediate comfort. But if you’re like me, the next question that comes to mind is, “So, how does this apply to you and me?” Bottom line, if you have a good relationship with Jesus Christ, the world could fall down around you and everything is still going to be alright. So, just stay focused and do the best you can.

          As I wrote this article, I messaged one of my former youth group members turned professional bull rider, Zane Cook. I asked him about stress and bull riding. He said, “I don’t really get stressed riding because I know God’s got my back. And the more stressed I get, the worse I ride. I just try to stay relaxed and enjoy it. You never know when it’s going to be the last time. If you’re grinnin’ you’re winnin’.”

          I agree! The same could be said of any of us.  Have a great week!

Coffee and tea are both blessings to me

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 25, 2017

          Anyone who knows me knows how much I love coffee. I have a coffee bean grinder in my office and one at home. I always have a bag of freshly roasted coffee on the counter at home and one in my office, usually from Wise Owl Coffee Company, one of Fort Gibson’s best local shops.

          But this past Friday morning I tried something new.  I ran across a box of Lipton Tea bags in the church kitchen and decided to put one bag in a medium sized Styrofoam cupful of hot water.  After about five minutes I took a sip.  It was wonderful! I guess it was just what I needed at the time.

          Now, I realize there are people out there who are just as much tea snobs as I am a coffee snob, so I know I probably broke some sort of rule in fine tea sipping.  But on that stormy morning, it just really hit the spot. There are just some situations where one thing works better than another.

          On Wednesday evenings, our new Involvement Minister, Steve Parker, has been teaching a series of lessons on “Discovering You Spiritual Gifts”. We’ve learned to differentiate talents such as singing, playing an instrument, or cooking from spiritual gifts, such as hospitality, teaching, service, leadership, mercy, and discernment.

          These gifts are designed to help the church body function at its best. As Christians, we are all called to be Jesus to a world that is broken. But we don’t all have equal ability in every area of soul saving.  For instance, someone who has the gift of hospitality might not be best suited for leading or shepherding a church. Someone who is really knowledgeable of the Bible might not have the gift of mercy. And even though we are all supposed to give money to the work of the church, someone who has the spiritual gift of giving might not excel in teaching.

          As for last Friday, I still enjoyed a cup of coffee that day. I believe it is one of the God’s most wonderful creations. In fact, it serves me well just about every day. However, sometimes tea is what’s needed to get the job done.

          Have a great week!

Hey Parents! God’s got this!

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 18, 2017

          I always told myself I wouldn’t be one of those parents who cry every time their high school senior completes another “last” event.

          Well, I have almost reached my goal, but I must admit there is at least a little bit of heaviness in my heart, and I can tell that my tear ducts always feel like they’re on standby mode. Graduation day? Let’s don’t think too much about that.  

          We all leave home eventually. I remember my dad and mom telling me from their perspective about the time I left home. It was the morning after high school graduation, and I was starting a summer job playing guitar and singing at Dogpatch USA, a theme park outside of Harrison, Arkansas. Mom said as she and dad and my Grandpa Van watched me through the living room window drive away on our country gravel road at 6:00am, Grandpa began to get teary eyed. When my mom asked why he was so emotional, Grandpa Van said, “It’s never the same after they leave home.  Even when they come back to visit, it’s just not the same.”  If anyone would know, he would since he and Grandma had seven sons and two daughters.

          Most parents don’t want our children to just stay at home forever. We actually dream of the day our children will grow up to be successful. I think what we really fear are threats to our children, or situations they might not know how to handle. Also, we will miss them.

          We may need to be reminded that our children were never ours to begin with. They are God’s. He’s the one who knew our children before they were born (Jeremiah 1:5). He’s the one who has numbered their hair (Matthew 10:30). He’s the one who had plans for them to prosper long before we did (Jeremiah 29:11).

          “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

          This was true for the children of Israel back then, and it’s still true for obedient Christians today.  Have a great week!

Easter season resurrects gratitude of nature and the empty grave

by Barrett Vanlandingham

April 11, 2017

          Springtime brings with it such incredible and much needed beauty, hope, and new beginnings. The scenes of spring are almost like getting to watch the third day of creation take place right before our eyes. What a gift!

          “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the third day” (Genesis 1:11-13).

          As refreshing as spring is to us today, the aromas and colors of the very first growth of vegetation on that third day must have made quite a splash in God’s creation canvass. Remember, until the third day the universe only included light, darkness, sky, land, and seas.

          The creation of sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day must have been an incredible sight. Can you imagine the impact, even from the very beginning, that the creation of the sun had on the grass, flowers, and trees that God had created only 24 hours earlier?  You talk about kicking things into overdrive! All of this would set the stage for day five’s creation of birds and fish, and then the sixth day’s creation of animals and man. Thank You, God, for each part of your deliberate, planned, and thoughtful creativity!

          Any discussion of springtime and “day three” would not be complete without recognizing an even more significant “day three” that Christians think about especially in the spring. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rose from the grave early on the third day following his death. It is the fulfilled prophecies of His death, burial, and resurrection that give proof that He really is the Christ (anointed One), the Son of God, and the Messiah (promised Deliverer)!  This fact that we can believe in Jesus is what supplies our lives with real beauty, hope, and the promise of new beginnings.

          “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

          Happy Easter!