Casandra Martin

Dear Son,

I know that it seems odd to write you a Father’s Day letter. You are still in your teens and a long way from taking on the responsibilities of a family. But the more I thought about it, the wiser it seemed to speak these words into your heart now. We are, after all, doing more than raising a man. We are raising a future husband and father, and we want you to be a great one.

What you do today will have an impact on the father that you will be some day. Today’s choices will be the stories that you tell your children in the future. We want them to be stories of courage, standing up for what’s right, helping someone in need, and being willing to say ‘no’ when necessary. We long for you to be so immersed in service, study, prayer, and surrender that these things will be a part of the regular rhythm of your life for decades to come. These daily habits will be a gift to the family that will take shape as the years pass by. Holding on to your purity and integrity today refines the strength of character that you will need to be an honorable husband and a faithful father. Committing yourself today to living in His purpose, exercising His gifts, and soaking in His grace will shape your soul to reflect Jesus in those precious future moments with your children.

Some dads focus on money, power, possessions, or leaving their stamp on the world. Son, the best mark that you can make in this life is the one you leave on the hearts of your children. In the end, there is only one question that matters – did your children see Jesus in you? What you choose today will help you answer that question tomorrow.

My Jesus Resolution today is to help you become a great dad. I am not going to underestimate the importance that my time with you today will have on the parent you will be some day. Today I get to point you to Jesus. Today I get to help you sing, count blessings, worship, learn, forgive, and pray. I want your stories to be filled with grace. I want your memories to be a road map into joy. I want to teach you that humility, surrender, and dependence are the signs of a true man. I want your childhood to be so filled with the cross that when you are a dad, you will lift it up boldly before your children.

Baggage is an interesting word. It can refer to the suitcases that we carry on a trip or it can paint a picture of the things that weigh us down, hold us back, and keep us from walking with joy.

Reading through 1 Samuel, I came across a baggage story. I had read it before, but in the Bible’s unique way, it spoke to me anew. In 1 Samuel 10, the people of Israel are gathered before Samuel, God’s prophet, in Mizpah. The people have come to Samuel asking for a king so that they can be like the other nations. God tells Samuel to give them what they want, and directs him to anoint Saul as leader of His people. Having drawn lots to reveal God’s will, Saul, the son of Kish, is chosen as the new king. The problem is that they can’t find him. He is hiding in the baggage.

That picture of Saul trying to hide in the baggage looked more like a mirror than I had expected. Saul was chosen, anointed, and empowered by God to fulfill His purpose. In response, Saul hides himself in the baggage. This isn’t a move of humility, but of fear, and it looks very familiar. How many times do I duck away from God’s call on my life and hide among my baggage? How many times do I let my fear, guilt, uncertainty, and doubt stop me from being who God is calling me to be?

Here is the truth. We all have baggage. Baggage comes in different shapes and sizes, but the result is the same. Our baggage keeps us from walking in the freedom of God’s purpose for our hearts.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1

My Jesus Resolution today is to stop hiding in my baggage. God knows my weaknesses and the weights that drag on my soul. He whispers to my heart that He will carry my load. He calls me to trust His power, depend on His grace, and move in His purpose. Baggage can pile on our souls from many different sources, but the solution is always, only found in one place. Jesus is a baggage handler. All I have to do is stop hiding, let go, and discover the freedom that flows from hiding in Him.

Driving down the road, I have to admit to being a little grumpy. One of those days. You know the drill. I was mentally complaining, feeling less than appreciated, and a little thrown by an unexpected circumstance. Looking out the window, the sign by the side of the road held a message that was written just for me – “Your thoughts control your actions.”

The words on the sign hit my heart hard. I didn’t want to be grumpy or filled with grumbling. I wanted to be joyous, content, and able to see God’s fingerprints on my day. I realized that the way I was thinking was impacting the whole direction I was heading. My thoughts were controlling my actions, reactions, perspective, and interactions. If I wanted a different outcome, I needed to start by changing my thinking.

Our thoughts are the ignition for our attitudes and actions. This is the reason that Paul encourages us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) When our thoughts are focused on Jesus, it not only changes how we think, it changes the way we move through our days.

My Jesus Resolution today is to change my mind. My mind needs to be transformed. My thoughts are infected by the sin and brokenness of the world. Fear, guilt, shame, and discontent pull my mind into a prison. When I take every thought and bring it to Christ, I allow Him to reshape my mind and reform my perceptions. When my thoughts are held captive by Jesus, my actions, attitudes, and behavior follow and He transforms the whole direction of my life.

The beginning of June marks more than the beginning of summer on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is also the official start to hurricane season. From now until November, we will keep a watchful eye on the Atlantic Ocean and the rhythm of its waters. There is more to hurricane season, however, than watching the weather. With the onset of hurricane season, the constant and consistent message is to be prepared.

Storm preparation is drilled into the heads of residents along the Gulf Coast. This time of year finds us stocking up on batteries and bottled water. We are encouraged to stay current with medications, keep lists of emergency numbers, and have an escape plan if we need to leave the area. We never know when a hurricane might hit. Better to be prepared.

Passing by yet another sign reminding us to be prepared because it is hurricane season, I realized that there is a spiritual truth embedded in those words. No matter where you live, storms will rage against our souls. Our hearts will be battered and bruised by tempests of uncertainty, gales of grief, and the ferocious winds of fear. We can’t stop the storms from coming, but we can be prepared to help our hearts weather the worst of what they unleash.

My Jesus Resolution today is to prepare. I don’t know when the next storm is going to hit. I am certain that it is coming. Grounding myself in prayer, study, and spiritual friendships will provide the buffer that I need to weather the next storm. Being prepared doesn’t mean that the storm won’t come, but waiting until I am in the middle of the storm is often too late to gather the tools I need to stay afloat during the worst of its impact. Better to be prepared.

The beginning of June marks more than the beginning of summer on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is also the official start to hurricane season. From now until November, we will keep a watchful eye on the Atlantic Ocean and the rhythm of its waters. There is more to hurricane season, however, than watching the weather. With the onset of hurricane season, the constant and consistent message is to be prepared.

Storm preparation is drilled into the heads of residents along the Gulf Coast. This time of year finds us stocking up on batteries and bottled water. We are encouraged to stay current with medications, keep lists of emergency numbers, and have an escape plan if we need to leave the area. We never know when a hurricane might hit. Better to be prepared.

Passing by yet another sign reminding us to be prepared because it is hurricane season, I realized that there is a spiritual truth embedded in those words. No matter where you live, storms will rage against our souls. Our hearts will be battered and bruised by tempests of uncertainty, gales of grief, and the ferocious winds of fear. We can’t stop the storms from coming, but we can be prepared to help our hearts weather the worst of what they unleash.

My Jesus Resolution today is to prepare. I don’t know when the next storm is going to hit. I am certain that it is coming. Grounding myself in prayer, study, and spiritual friendships will provide the buffer that I need to weather the next storm. Being prepared doesn’t mean that the storm won’t come, but waiting until I am in the middle of the storm is often too late to gather the tools I need to stay afloat during the worst of its impact. Better to be prepared.

He stopped in the middle of the song. The words to the song by Fred Fillmore still resonated in the air as the crowd paused as he tried to get everyone’s attention,

I know, I know that my Redeemer lives,

I know, I know eternal life He gives;

I know, I know that my Redeemer lives.

“This song is good news,” he said. “Jesus lives! Surely that is a reason to smile and celebrate.” The singing started again, but this time with more intensity. The words sank into my heart a little more deeply, the truth of it rang a little more clearly as I sang. I know my Redeemer lives. That one fact makes all the difference.

The words for this song come from the heart of Job. Faced with unspeakable suffering, he hung his hope on the truth that he knew that his redeemer lives. Knowing this gave him peace, ignited joy, inspired worship, and was a catalyst for courage. Knowing this truth should do the same for me.

No matter what the day brings, how dark the night becomes, how deep the pit is, or how high the mountain we face, knowing that our Redeemer lives should change how we face the moment. In the end, victory is ours. It is finished, assured, and guaranteed by God Himself. Jesus has defeated death, crushed sin, and broken the stranglehold of Satan. The empty tomb proclaims again and again that He has the power, the love, and the resolve to hold me safely by His side.

My Jesus Resolution today is to celebrate the good news that my Redeemer lives. What we sing on Sunday should teach us how to live differently during the week. I don’t have to let life’s circumstances color my vision or cast deep shadows on my heart. Hard things come our way, but they are not the end of the story. Jesus lives! Because I know the One who has conquered death, I don’t have to be defeated by life.

We have become a nation of trash talkers. Sports, politics, businesses, and entertainment venues are filled with people who trash talk the people around them. It doesn’t matter if they are on the other side of the field, the aisle, the conference table, or the red carpet, trash talking is used to define our space, defend our position, or demonstrate our legitimacy. We seem to have absorbed the idea in our culture that trash talking is an appropriate outgrowth of the one-upmanship that characterizes the American can-do spirit.

Historians tell us that the phrase “trash talking” originated in the mid 1980’s in America, but trash talking has been around for centuries. It is at the root of war cries, the foundation for gossip, and the cornerstone of pride. The dictionary defines trash talking as “the use of disparaging or boastful language intended to demoralize, intimidate, or humiliate someone.”

We don’t have to turn to the national stage to hear trash talking. Go to any neighborhood playground, sit in a coffee shop, walk through a busy store, or plug into Facebook and Twitter and listen for five minutes. Someone somewhere is using words to bully, boast, discourage, or defeat someone else. Kids trash talk other kids. Parents trash talk to their children. People trash talk about their spouses. We will even trash talk about the person we don’t know who got in our way, cut us off, inconvenienced us, or just didn’t look “right.”

As Christians, we are called to live and speak in a different way. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29

My Jesus Resolution today is to be aware of my words. Words have power. Even words said in jest. Even words said in passing. Words have the power to break down or build up. They have the power to cement a relationship or destroy it. They have the power to ignite joy or incinerate hope. I want to teach my children to be treasure finders, rather than trash talkers. I want them to be able to find the good in others, rather than being quick to point out their faults. Jesus never trash talked anybody. He used words to open a door into His Father’s presence. I want to be just like Him.

I was doing some research about the history of a famous children’s song when I came across the following story. It touches my heart and challenges my faith.

“When Mao Tse Tung founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Christian church was severely persecuted, with little information coming to the outside world. In 1972 some Americans received an unusual message from China–that the “This I know” people were well! The Chinese authorities thought the message nonsensical, so they let it through. The Americans clearly understood the reference to Anna Warner’s simple hymn—‘Jesus Loves Me.’” (D. Severance, Ph.D., christianity.com)

Jesus Loves Me is a staple in children’s Bible classes, but its message is ageless and timeless. It speaks a truth that is always fresh, relevant, and answers our hearts deepest need.

Sing with me:

Jesus loves me, this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong.

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be a This I Know person. More than knowing the song, however, I want to learn how to live as a This I Know person. The world will do its best to poke holes in this one single truth. Yet knowing, really knowing, that Jesus loves me is the one thing that will help me stand up against anything life throws my way. I want Christ’s love to be so real, so defining, and so foundational in my life that it radiates out for everyone to see. I want people to look at me and know that I know Jesus.

The rain poured down in sheets. Thunder cracked and lightning peeled across the sky. Everything was wet. Puddles were rapidly spreading out into ponds. The steel grey sky still carried the weight of many raindrops. The thunderstorm wasn’t ending any time soon.

I took a deep breath and pulled up the hood on my raincoat. With my hands full, an umbrella was a luxury I couldn’t manage. Getting wet seemed inevitable as I looked at my supplies and measured the distance from the car to the door.

Facing into the car in order to gather my belongings, I didn’t see her. I turned around and there she stood, umbrella in hand. Covering me, she walked with me from the car to the door. After giving me a hug, she whispered a word of encouragement and ran back to her car.

Her act of kindness did more than protect me from the rain. It sheltered my soul. She made me feel noticed, cared for, and valuable. It was a simple act of grace that left me drenched in the love of Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to offer someone an umbrella. It doesn’t have to be raining to cover someone with kindness. A gentle word, a warm smile, a helping hand, a listening ear, or a moment of my time can all be umbrellas that help someone get through the day. We all face storms. I might never know how the umbrella that I extend over someone’s heart might just be the thing that they need to weather the day, rediscover their balance, and catch a glimpse of Jesus.

I’m in the Lord’s army.

I’m in the Lord’s army.

I may never march in the infantry,

Ride in the cavalry,

Shoot the artillery.

I may never fly o’er the enemy,

But I’m in the Lord’s army.

This children’s song finds little ones marching, flying, and saluting. It teaches them that while we are grateful for the service men and women who carry weapons and protect our freedoms, we are called as Christians to serve the Lord in an army of grace. Faith, righteousness, and hope are the tools that we carry into the everyday battles that wear at our souls.

Is there someone you know who has faithfully served in the Lord’s army? Has their encouragement, willingness to speak light into the darkness, or ability to love impacted your heart? Those who teach, serve, give, pray, hug, and sacrifice stand every day on the front line of freedom. Little actions open doors that invite others to step out of the conflict that rages around us and into the peace that comes from above. Everybody faces battles. Those in the Lord’s army are commissioned to bring light and hope into the darkness of the battleground.

Today, we remember with thankful hearts those who valued freedom more than their own lives. As we do, let’s also be grateful for those who faithfully serve in the Lord’s army. Salute someone who lives their life in surrender so that we might see how to walk with Him in victory.

My Jesus Resolution today is to give honor to those to whom honor is due. A salute is an action which expresses respect and recognition. Today I salute those men and women, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and children and friends who sacrifice daily for our national freedoms. I also want to salute those godly men and women who have stood long and fought faithfully that I might know Him better, follow Him closer, and live with Him forever.