Jesus Day Spa: Free Pedi's

So this week, I want to speak just a little on and in keeping in the same area of The Bible in  Ephesians where we have been focusing primarily on the different roles of the man and the woman within the church-sanctioned family.

We have established the wide area and breadth of true leadership within the home and how it can come from different sides of both the male and the female spectrum.
One of the things that I find truly telling about couples that Angela & I come across, are those individuals who are physically capable of but circumstantially excluded from  Podiatric  care.

I used to have it wrong…used to walk around saying “Remember when Jesus washed the prostitute’s feet?..... isn’t that cool? What a statement!!”

See the thing is, He never did that…..SHE….washed HIS…. And then in the company of His disciples, in some of His last moments….Jesus…The Teacher….washed His STUDENT’S FEET. Including Judas….who was just lickin’ his chops to get his hands on those thirty coins.

He blessed the prostitute when he was chillin’ at the  Pharisee’s house…just eating a sandwich and minding His own business….nope…turns it into a teachable moment and did indeed bless her after she had washed His feet and cleaned the oils and dirt off of them with her own tears and dirty hair.

Therefore, I think we can resolve here on this thread…that Jesus was no stranger to the care and upkeep of His own feet and other people’s.

….and….as it is written in ^{John 13: 14 “}Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”

 Angela and I, have at our disposal, the ability to literally “Make it rain” for our feet. We can afford specialists to come in from Houston, we could send ourselves to some pretty decent local establishments that are really up-and-comers who try extra in order to make a name for themselves…..make no mistake…the AVAILABILITY is there in our lives and I think for many of our friends who follow us on this scroll and on other social platforms.

Sure it’s AVAILABLE…. You can write it off as a line item or relegate it in your mind to something that is included in the “Upkeep” of your wife’s well being to send her to get he mani/pedi’s routinely. Nothing wrong with that….nothing at all.

However, if YOU PHYSICALLY CAN….IF you are paying for it once a week (or whatever regularity you employ) instead of using your own hands….to do it yourself….    Ask yourself this one question….. WHY WOULD YOU NOT? 

Honestly…..why would you not?

Jesus wasn’t asking…..he was TELLING:

^“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”

…and we’re not going to try to sheepishly get out of it by employing some lame ass excuse about how your wife has a fungal infection or an 11^th toe or that her feet smell like Cheeto’s. Everyone’s feet got problems! Doesn’t matter what your schedule says…or the cost….doing it yourself doesn’t cost a thing!.....that’s the BRILLIANCE in the message from The Lord here!

In order to do some things right….you don’t spend money on them….you come down off of your pedestal and you do them YOURSELF.

 Angela is great……what can I say…she’s my blushing, beautiful bride who I could go on and on about…but she could be TERRIBLE….   She could be on my WORST bad list in a day and I would STILL wash her feet at the end of it…no matter what…because JESUS said so.

Besides….all weird fetishes aside….there is some STRANGE STUFF that goes on when you start rubbing on your ladies feet fellas….let me tell you…must be some sort of chemical that is released or SOMEHTING….  You’ll have a friend for LIFE!! Jesus knew what was up…it’s pretty much the most intimate thing you can do with a person besides sex. He knew that….which is why he let the prostiture wash His in the Pharasees house and went OUT OF HIS WAY to wash the feet of Judas. …you try living with the fact that you sent The Light Of The Earth to be snuffed out just after He gave you a DELIGHTFUL Pedi……for 30 pieces of silver.

In conclusion it all comes down to The Word….

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”

God knows His church is made up of imperfection and those who seek the truth THROUGH Him.  AKA…… Gentlemen….and Ladies….he is WELL AWARE of the “Situation” you got “Goin’ on” in your shows and under those socks. It’s imperfect, it’s gross….or maybe not….I’ve seen me some feet in my day…. He KNOWS about your feet because He MADE THEM.

He has set the example for you…in His actions reflected in the scriptures….

It is up to US as His imperfect children that he loves so very much….. to STOP…..and get down there…..    stop what you are doing….and take some time and just wash the feet of the person whom you are equally yolked with…..’What He hath begun…let no man put asunder.”
Get to work.

 My best,

Mark

In it to win it.The Courtside Pulpit

Our daughter Hayley is a natural athlete.

She has the normal aches and pains that any pubescent teen has but she is really only happy when she is in competition. Whether it’s at home with her brother over how much popcorn they each have during movie night..

 

 

 

 

....or something a little more profound...like which forward she's going to pin to the baseline on the paint.

 

Hayley is always up for some competition with a happy heart.

 

Hayley is a refined leader in all ways...

 

 

She is a beautiful child of God and endeavors every day to make the right choices and to be kind and just....a solid and well put together soul coming straight out of the heartland....

Her mother and I beam with pride.....routinely.

That being said...

Hayley is still in that...awkward...shy in social settings phase where she is mortified by being embarrassed by her parents. We’ve all been there haven’t we? : ) Part of the joys of having children and once being them ourselves.

Here on this scroll, we are in the midst of a series in which I have spoken about the surrendering of human attributes that you hold dear in order to facilitate the forward and continued thriving of your family as a whole under the command and steering of God’s plan.

As I have said earlier and whereas, the idea here being that it should not be your intent to give up those things that define you as a PERSON. Rather, it’s the Idea that, if called upon, you periodically (or permanently if that’s what The Lord puts on your heart) surrender those things for the good of the family and submit to God’s will.

Traditionally, my friends in undergrad, and some of them in the graduate schools I graduated from….have been and currently are, HUGE sports fans. Specifically, NCAA College Football…..There is RARELY a time when e-mails aren’t slinging back and forth from some of the most high-command positions within my organization here at the DOD or a variety of texts & taunts from the boardroom’s of the private sectors that keep us running seamlessly……. All……FILLED with sports gossip or some sort of competitive natured trash talking going on.

It’s with this in my heart…that I approach the FANTASTICALLY competitive arena’s that are the junior high auditoriums of the South Texas Breadbasket.

In the fall, it is common knowledge…and a family agreement that I will be wearing Hayley’s jersey….and singing her praises both before and after the game.

During the game?......that’s where I want to focus.

When it comes to the art of “Soccer Moming and Dadding” or any derivative used to explain the function of being fully immersed within the extracurricular athletic and academic activities of your child, there is just as much opportunity for parents to “Get it wrong” as there are those moments that we nail and henceforth cherish forever.

As a male…I can only speak to the attributes that compose the “Dad” or “Father” …everyone knows Hayley calls me “Mark”….but we will use, for discussion purposes the word ‘Dad’ as it is widely accepted as representing the head of the household, which I am….and remember…as in previous posts….that only means the title….whereas Angela….my wife, “Arranges our house” …and is called “Mom.”   So, as a Dad and provider of the family, I am part of a worldwide fraternity and long tested brotherhood. We are expected to show up, we are expected to make those things seamless which might fall apart if not for the intense attention to detail that only Dad’s can provide.

You carry ALL OF THAT….into the game…ON TOP OF your hopes and dreams for your star athlete….. You carry your past, your titles, your accomplishment, your dignity, your pride and your status……. And people see you…. Here in small-town-America…. it’s not like on the coasts, where the over-populous drowns out even the shiniest of stars….Here in Victoria, when an Aeronautical Engineer and one of the area’s lead and most celebrated educational curriculum designers walk in holding hands …….   Well….   As a humble man of God, let me just say that people LOOK at you…and it is here that you have an OPPORTUNITY to minister and deliver the Word Of The Lord.…..

Trust me…. START OFF holding hands…

.....because Satan is out there in their eyes… and NOTHING in this world craps on his plans…WORSE than a well defined and established family unit that exudes excellence….for the entire event……. Satan/they watch to see how you interact with your surroundings and the people around you…they look to see how you interact with each other….they watch to see pretty much everything right down to how Hayden and I play together during halftime on his ipad  …….. you’ll know you did a good job if the ONLY rumor the next day is that “They let their 9 year old drink carbonated beverages”   (ß-- lol TRUE STORY!!! <3 )

It has taken me YEARS….to understand how to LISTEN to what God is trying to do in my life when it comes to HIS ‘Teachable Moments’ (AKA Ministerial opportunities). I am by no means finished BUT….in THIS CASE…. Listening involves being present and in the moment; ‘In-It-To-Win-It’ if you will.

Years past, Angela and I have…. Been pretty animated when it comes to rooting and cheering on our Hayley and her team… From the opposing coaches….to the referees….even to the young ladies taking a hard baseline just because “That’s Lavaca” or “Goliad SON!” …..we have…. been pretty selfish in making a notorious place courtside. People have traditionally LOVED IT and we have enjoyed interacting with them. Looking back I realize that it was in those moments that I was out to showcase more of what I HAD DONE… or what ANGELA & I HAD DONE…within the life of this young Texas Star….. not what GOD has done.

I think that it takes time and a rare and elusive process that is impossible to define (difficult sell to someone who engineers industrial processes right down to the hundred thousandths of a fraction) that you must move through and emerge victorious over…to truly be able to LISTEN and be IN THE MOMENT…courtside or any place else. I am absolutely loving this season as Angela & I show God's Grace from the stands and in life.

When I hit my knees…and it’s a lot…I am ABSOLUTELY thankful for the opportunity to have be able to minister to others and be quiet and trembling before The Lord as Angela & I LISTEN. I hope that I can continue to always ALWAYS minister to others an allow others to draw as much strength from our marriage as we draw from theirs.

I haven’t always been “In it to win it” …at Hayley’s games or other places…. But I will always endeavor to turn this favor of The Lord into those quiet, stolen and teachable moments 

My Best,

Mark