Today, Karlyn and I celebrate the 13th year the Lord has given us together. She commented, “We have now been married as long as it took us to go through school” – K to 12. Let me tell you, these 13 years have flown by much quicker than those schools years. Being married to Karlyn is far better than school ever was (and I think I’ve learned a lot more)!
We’ve had our ups and downs, for sure, but having the Rock as our foundation has been our strength and stability. It’s been fun getting to know each other and some of the oddities we have. For Karlyn, one oddity of mine she’s put up with is that I sing Christmas carols all year long! Like this morning, for instance.
You can’t blame me, it is spring and yet snowing outside. It causes you to burst out into song…
Well, the Weather outside is frightful, But, it really should be delightful There are lots of plants that need to grow Stop the snow, stop the snow, stop the snow!As the tune was still emanating from my mouth, Lydia chimed in, “Dad, maybe if you stopped singing Christmas carols the snow would stop!” Karlyn gave a hearty “Amen!”
Lydia continued, “You should be singing Easter songs.” And, as if on cue, Gabe began,
God’s Not Dead, He’s surely alive, He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.Never a dull moment in the Geiger home. I don’t think I ever expected God to bless me so greatly with such an amazing, fun family.
“Thank you, Lord, for drawing Karlyn and me together and establishing this family 13 years ago. Thank you for the 3 children you have blessed us with. Use us how you see fit to shine your light, all for your Glory. Amen.”
I got published! For the 5 of you who actually follow my blog, you’re thinking, “Seriously? You haven’t even written anything in a long time.”
Well, it’s not formally published, just a story on the cover of our church’s weekly bulletin. Today ends a 3 week time of fasting and prayer our church has done. As the series, “How to Heal a City” kicked off, God spoke deeply to my heart in the first sermon, “Let Your Heart be Broken.”
I emailed our pastor, and shared a story of how God was at work in my life. That story then got published in “The Weekly”…
No Expectations! It isn’t simply the title to my blog. It is a reminder for me. A reminder that because Jesus met all of God’s expectations in His perfect life, I don’t have to! I’m free.
It has been some time since I last wrote, and honestly that’s because I have let expectations ooze in. After blogging for a year – albeit rather sporadically – I had some crazy idea I needed to do it more regularly and write more captivating. The result: I didn’t blog at all, worried I wouldn’t meet my self-imposed expectation.
It wasn’t for a lack of ideas. I have a long list of things I experienced, my kids did and observations that have jumped out in His Word. Nope, my lack of blogging was because I was scared. Scared I wouldn’t do it well enough. Lately I realized my silly habit of imposing expectations on myself means missed opportunities. Missed opportunities to rest in God’s finished work and missed opportunities to share and record what God is teaching me and doing in my family.
Well, I went back to my first post, An Attempt at a blog … with No Expectations, and reminded myself of what I wrote. “I have not arrived at living a life with no expectations. My hope for this blog is to share what Jesus is teaching me in how to live without expectations … It will probably be more of a blog of my failures…thinking I need to live to meet some expectation, then remembering once again that in Jesus there are no expectations…therefore I am free!”
So yes, this is a confession of my failure. A failure to believe the truth that because Jesus met every requirement of God, I am free to simply bask in His love. As I seek to believe bigger, I re-visited a quote that helped clear the jam of expectations last year….
New Year’s eve, 2011 was the first time all the 2012 DiscipleMakers‘ Campus Interns were together. They all converged at our house for a New Year’s celebration, but even more to start the journey that would change their lives more than they imagined.
After an abundant amount of chili was consumed, we sat in the living room where I would share the vision for the internship and a few of the details. I started the time quoting from a one of our kid’s Bible’s – The Jesus Story Book Bible.
I didn’t realize at the time how much that quote – that description of the gospel – would shape the work God was going to do in the interns. In fact, it wasn’t until yesterday (two days after it ended) that I connected the dots. Our newly formed media department did many interviews and took hours of footage to capture some aspect of the internship. What aspect? They didn’t know until reviewing all the interviews. A theme came out – in their weakness, God’s power was made perfect and was on display for the campus to see. Because they realized how much they needed Jesus, Jesus was free to use them in a big way.
I invite you to watch this five minute video to see how God’s power was made perfect in weakness on Penn State’s campus this summer.
Karlyn & I, along with the kids (yes, it really was a whole family affair), just completed leading an eight week internship for DiscipleMakers. I had planned on blogging regularly through the eight weeks about all that was going on. The problem was there was so much going on I didn’t get to sit down and write about it.
As we wrapped up this past Friday, I closed our teaching in Colossians. Like most of Paul’s letters, Colossians ends with a final greetings to people in the church. It’s one of those passages you just tend to skim over. Yet, there is so much in it.
The theme as we studied through Colossians was, “How big is Jesus?” We saw how Jesus is big enough to create a community like nothing the world has experienced. It is quite the community God put together in Colosse.
God did an incredible work this summer in bringing an amazing community of new students together here at Penn State. I reminded them, it wasn’t because there is anything special about them or there was anything to the interns. Nope. It was because it was a gospel centered community. And a community with Jesus in the center is what the world longs for, but will never find apart from him.
This summer many student were drawn to Jesus. It is an amazing thing to get a front row seat to see God bring life to dead souls. A highlight for me was when we partnered with a couple local churches and had a Baptism Bash for some of the students. We shared a brief highlight video to the students reminding them what God did in bringing the community together this summer and how Jesus is big enough to make them alive…
…Thanks to my brother for the song!
November is when the news first broke. I wrote how it shook Happy Valley to the core, but I never imagined how long the shaking would continue.
Penn State hired former FBI director Freeh to investigate how this scandal could have happened. His report shook the community to the point Joe Paterno’s statue has fallen.
It is interesting being a part of this from within the community. I have grown up being a part Penn State football and admiring Joe Paterno as a coach, so I know my perspective is not objective. I’ve held off writing, not knowing exactly what to say. Through it all I have been trying to view it through the gospel lens.
In the days leading up to the removal of the Joe Paterno Statue, I had a text exchange with Andy Cimbala about it. We wrote back and forth about why things have unfolded the way they did. A few key words came up in our text exchanged: Justice, Atonement & Righteousness. These words shaped a blog post Andy wrote, and instead of me writing more I would encourage you to check out The Relentless Fight: Taking Down the Paterno Statue is about Atonement.
Through it all, I’m reminded we are longing for more than a statue. Whether that longing is for the statue to come down or stay up. We long for true righteous. We long for true justice. We long for atonement. We all long for Jesus.
I loved “writing” words in the air with sparklers as a little kid. I didn’t know it was possible to actually capture the words with a camera until I saw the DiscipleMakers Interns put their sparkler skills to work.
Jesus is the Light! Amazing how sparklers can be used to hammer home a lesson God has been teaching me: It is all about Jesus. What is? Everything! This life is not primarily about us – it is all about Jesus. The Bible isn’t primarily about us and what we should do. It is about Jesus, and what He has done.
After Jesus’ resurrection, he took a stroll with a couple disciples on the way to Emmaus. Luke records the discussion in 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” One of my first questions when I get to heaven is to ask Jesus exactly what he said on that walk.
On one of my bike rides to campus I was Listening to a sermon by Tim Keller. He gave me a little insight into what Jesus might have explained as he quoted from an obscure leaflet Sinclair Ferguson had written…
Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”
Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.
Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.
Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.
A twitter post by Tullian Tchividjian captures the essence of what we all must learn: “Though we are loved, we aren’t the point!” For me, as I go through each day, joy comes when it is all about Him and I simply bask in His light.
When looking for the transcript of the sermon, I found a Youtube video some made with it…
I remember it like yesterday. The first night we had Lydia home from the hospital. It was the middle of the night (the time most notable events with new borns happen). Karlyn finished feeding her and I changed her diaper. She was packaged neatly in her blanket, all ready to go back to sleep.
The scream she left out wasn’t the new born, “I’m not comfortable, please fix _________!” Nope, the scream was more like, “How dare you put me down! I wasn’t ready to be put in my cradle. Pick me up until I’m ready to fall asleep!”
From that moment until now, I realize how much our personality is established from the day we are born. Don’t get me wrong, Lydia’s personality is amazing. I love her! (Don’t tell Karlyn, but I think she has me wrapped around her finger ;-). While still under one-year, a neighbor nick named Lydia, ATL – “All Terrain Lydia!” It causes friction between Mom, myself and her brothers. But, it also means when she makes up her mind she follows through. This is such a blessing in the house. When she decides to do something, she follows through. Like the time I came home from my steroid injection. She brought me my slippers, got me water, and kept asking if I need anything else. She was a super servant.
And, up until about four-and-a-half-years, she sucked her thumb. Karlyn was more concerned than me – at first. But, as the thumb sucking created sores on her thumb, I was wondering how we would help her kick this habit. Knowing many kids suck their thumbs until 10 or later and knowing it can cause teeth issues, I was prepared for the long road. We talked to her about it, but hadn’t required too much of her…yet. Simply asking her to not do it when she wasn’t in bed. After all, it seemed she needed it most when falling asleep.
One day she declared she was going to stop and asked if we we could have a party if she stopped. She did and never sucked that thumb again.
Last June during the week of VBS at our church we were talking about her and Tate accepting Jesus. “I don’t want to accept Jesus now.” With an attitude like that, we didn’t push it. After all, saying “Yes” to Jesus is all about our hearts realizing we need him and wanting to fall in love with him. Two months later she was decided to say “Yes.”
Karlyn knows the story better than I do, but not long after she also was determined to get baptized. She wanted the world to know she loved Jesus. The same personality that cried at me from the cradle and kicked the thumb sucking, was determined to let the world know her decision. The day our church had a baptism back in February, she asked Karlyn if she would be baptized too. It was then we realized how much she really wanted this.
This past Sunday, April 29, she was baptized along with 21 others. It was an amazing thing to see my six-year old make this decision. She is ultimately the Lord’s and I pray every day she chooses to say “Yes” to Jesus, but I know that when her heart makes up it’s mind she means it!
“Lord, Lydia, along with all my kids, are in your hands. Keep their hearts close and always open to yours.”
My Bible reading plan had me in John 6 this morning. A crowd – not just an average crowd, but probably 10 – 20 thousand people crowd – were gathering around Jesus and His disciples. Jesus asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Seriously!? Bread to feed 10 – 20 thousand people!? Philip suggests it could cost over $30,000 (and if you do the math, that’s only a buck fifty a person)! Behind Philip’s response he must have been thinking, “You’re crazy, this is impossible.” Philip didn’t even try to think how to make it a reality. He only saw the insurmountable wall infront of him.
Then comes a small boy with his lunchable. He doesn’t even try thinking rationally. It hasn’t much to offer, but he gave it nonetheless. And that is when Jesus likes to do His work.
Jesus took that small offering and did the impossible. He did the God-possible work. John tells us that the mega crowd all had enough to eat. Simply by one boy, who didn’t have much, but was willing to give it completely to God.
Learning From Kids
How I need to learn from this boy. How I need to learn from my kids too. Jesus tells us that we need child-like faith. So often we approach life with an attitude we can do some pretty amazing things – once we can rationalize in our mind how WE can do it. That was Philip’s problem. He couldn’t see any possible means to feed that many people. The boy didn’t rationalize, he believed.
The crowds were amazed – so much so they wanted to make Jesus king by force. When they finally did find Him again Jesus tells them “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” The crowds respond with a fair question, “What must be we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus gives the most radical, counter-intuitive answer. It is so simple and so hard. It is exactly what Philip didn’t do, but what the boy did do.
The Hardest Work: Believing
“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” The work of God isn’t to “do” but to “believe.” Believe that Jesus can and has done everything we need. If we do this work of God – believing bigger – then it doesn’t matter what we have to offer. All that matters is we believe in the One we offer it to.
Every day I understand a little more of what “child-like faith” is. My kids are always willing to try new things, believing they can do it – believing God wants to help them. If you read Fishing With No Expectations, you noted how the kids weren’t catching fish immediately. They prayed, “God you control the fish. Can you make one bight my worm?” Within in minutes they had a fish on the line.
Flapjack-Flipping-Tate
And, like the boy feeding the crowd, Tate wanted to offer his services to feed our family yesterday. I was making pancakes. Wasn’t too excited to have him “help.” It usually means more work as I clean up the mess. God prodded my heart, “Teach your boy, he wants to learn from you.” It was a great morning of pancake making with him. He made a great breakfast for us all. I was particularly impressed with his pancake flipping abilities. And, as you can see from his smile, he was thrilled he could do it too.
“Why are you waking me up at 6:30, Dad?” Tate’s groggy voice had a hard time getting the question out. I hadn’t told him the plan. It was a 6:30am wake up for Tate & Gabe to hit the road for a Trout Fishing Rodeo. To be honest I didn’t even know it was called a “rodeo” until I got there, and I’m still not sure what a “fishing rodeo” is. But, it was a great time that ended in an unexpected trophy.
I was invited by a friend a couple months back to join him and his two boys. I hadn’t taken Tate fishing in two years and hearing that it was a well stocked pond for just kids, it seemed like a great opportunity. Karlyn suggested bringing Gabe the day before, and I’m glad we did.
He wasn’t too happy when I first got him up and the tree allergies created quite the puffy eyes. Tate had jumped up as soon as he heard we were fishing, and it didn’t take long to for Gabe to catch up with the expectation of what the day my hold. We only had to wait about 30 min before we could start enticing the the trout with the bait (thanks to Rick for waking up at 5:30 with his boys and saving a spot for us).
While that 30 minutes ticked away, we talked about how the pond had just been stocked with over 1,000 trout and in previous years you would barely get the worm in the water before you were reeling. It never did hit that speed, but eventually they started biting. Tate quickly remembered how to reel in a fish, but was still a little squeamish in holding the cold, slimy trout. Gabe looked at me like I had two heads when my excited voice directed him to start reeling. The look in his eyes spoke to me, “I have no idea what you are asking me, Dad!”
Gabe caught on quickly, and by the his second fish he fought well as he pulled in a 13″ trout.
On arrival we were handed rules of the “rodeo.” I could cast, but the kids had to reel the fish to shore. It also described how win of the trophies that lined judges tabel. First fish caught, biggest over-all fish caught as well as opportunities for different ages groups. We didn’t come to win, just to fish. I hadn’t thought much of it.
But, when we checked Gabe in for his 13″ fish, I noticed there wasn’t anyone else noted in the 1-4 category. I thought maybe…but didn’t think much of it. We kept fishing until we hit the limit of 5.
As we hung around for the awards ceremony, again I thought Gabe might when biggest fish. They said a name that started with “G”, but it wasn’t Gabe. “Oh well, they didn’t expect to win anything, just to fish.” As this the thought was still in my mind, Gabe’s name was called! He won for “Total Inches.”
They weren’t too thrilled with Dad waking them to start the day. It ended with Gabe not wanting to put down his trophy, as well as enjoying a nice dinner of Trout (well, at least I liked it, everyone else settled for one bite).
They did take a picture of all the winners for the paper. Gabe kept talking about how he would be in the Paper. I’m not sure what Paper the Tyrone Area Community Organization 2012 Fishing Rodeo is in, but I found all the pictures on the TACO Facebook page.
To see more pictures I took, you can check out my Facebook Album “Daddy & Boys Trout Fishing Adventure.”
No Expectations 