In honor of that day 20 years ago, we spent the entire day together just having fun. We reflected on the past 20 years. We looked at old pictures, we told stories, we laughed, we questioned why on a few things that have happened in our lives. We shared two fabulous meals. We visited the site of the soon to open world renowned Crystal Bridges Museum.

And then we went to the movies. But this was not just any movie. This was a movie about life. About the very fabric of why we are here. About our marriages, our children, our work, and our faith. About being COURAGEOUS in living with great purpose in each of those arenas of life.

You may be familiar with the organization that also brought us the movies Fireproof and Facing the Giants. These are powerful examples of using media to impact our culture in positive ways.

For men and women, but especially Dad’s, take the time this weekend to see this movie. I find it impossible to believe that your life at home and at work will not be profoundly impacted.

Proverbs 22:6

This is a perspective we may not often take here on this Good Friday.

As I read this scripture this morning, wanting to somehow imagine what Jesus felt 2,000 years ago, the story of this man hanging next to Jesus grabbed my attention. Do you know what was powerful about his story? Even in his sin (like we have), even in his own suffering (like we do at work sometimes)…he had the courage to ask, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

So today, as you do your work on this holy day, maybe in a quiet moment…whisper “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

In 1995, I was interviewing with the CEO of a software company I would subsequently work for. He asked me a question I never  forgot. He said, “If you could sit on the bank of your beloved Buffalo River and talk with any three people, who would they be?” Honestly, I am not sure if I already knew the answer to that question or not. But, I know that I have never forgotten it since. “Jesus (bold in an interview), Sam Walton and Coach John Wooden”, I said.

I lost the last surviving hero to heaven recently as Coach Wooden went to see Jesus and his beloved wife Nell (“the only girl I ever went with”) at the perfect age of 99 years old. John Wooden was incredibly wise and oozed character. If you have a few minutes, check out his Pyramid of Success (http://www.erhoops.org/pdfs/John%20Woodens%20pyramid%20of%20success.pdf) or Google John Wooden quotes. You will be amazed by both.

So, who is your hero? What are you learning from him or her?

…and maybe I should ask, who are you a hero to?

“He who walks with the wise grows wise…”   Proverbs 13:20

Yesterday, we celebrated the life of Carl Carpenter, whose son Rick is a close friend of mine. Rick is the CEO of Central States Manufacturing, the company his father founded. Rick and I have met with several other leaders every two weeks for the last four years in a WorkMatters executive small group. We can all benefit greatly by contemplating some of the powerful lessons from Mr. Carl Carpenter’s life:

• “Carl leveraged his business for Kingdom purposes.” Wow…I could stop right there!
• “My grandfather taught me the lesson of hard work.” From grandson Brock.
• He was a missionary. He was the stimulus behind Honduras and Mexico schools, medical facilities and over 50 churches planted over 25 years.
• He was a “spiritual entrepreneur”. He was passionate about the Word of God, understanding it’s meaning and living it out.
• He loved to laugh and have fun.
• Had had a hobby…fishing…and he “worked it in” to almost everything he did.
• He was a man of action…”just do it” fit him well.
• He was an extremely generous man.
• He lived Matthew 25…he loved God and he loved people.

Jim Hall summarized Mr. Carpenter’s life with “seize the day”! To be intentional; to remember that life is short, but eternity is long; and above all, to remember that what REALLY MATTERS is that we love God and love others.

I know this is an incredibly difficult time for Rick and his family. Let’s honor a life well lived by learning and applying lessons from that very life!

Father, please bring a sense of peace to the Carpenter family. But also Father, use this man’s life to help each of us reading these words to love you and love others more intentionally, especially through our work. Amen

Here is the link to the scripture if you would like to read it… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027&version=NIV

Jesus went through unimaginable pain, sorrow and ridicule for us. He died an excruciating death for us. He died for my sins, your sins, the sins of the entire world.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, marinate in that thought today. If you are not a follower, or maybe you have just pulled away for a period of time, or maybe you are mad at the church, or maybe you look at Christians as hypocritcal…maybe today is a great day to just pray. To think about how Jesus died…so that you and I can live.

This could be one of the most important days of your life…

Father, it’s hard to even fathom how you could send your son Jesus to die in this way. It can only be because your love for us exceeds anything we can possibly imagine. As we work today, in all of our busyness, help us to reflect on the meaning and purpose of this day over 2,000 years ago. Amen

All of the drivers started their buses each morning and awaited a quick safety check before departing. After they all pulled away Friday morning, there was still one remaining. When they went to check it out, they found our friend Rod Rodemich laying on the ground behind the bus. He had suffered a major heart attack and died.

Rod Rodemich was 75 years old and had such a servant’s heart for the Lord! Every Sunday morning, he would arrive early to Central Methodist Church in Fayetteville, AR and pray for the Pastors preaching that day. After his retirement from Tyson Foods, he literally adopted The Joseph Project ministry we began last January. He would attend each week and do whatever he could to encourage men and women who were between jobs. We missed him greatly when his school bus driving job kept him from attending our weekly meetings.

At the memorial service on Monday, this verse was read and it captured for me how I saw Rod Rodemich. And it was a gut check for me, as well.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.   2Timothy 4:7

Jesus, how awesome it would be to finish our lives with this verse. But it’s so hard to do at work. Will you give us the strength TODAY, to fight the good fight? To keep the faith?  Amen

It was held at the church that I am a member of and the church that WorkMatters was launched from…Central Methodist Church in Fayetteville, AR. To my knowledge, there has never been that many people in that building. People lined the walls. One friend told me he watched on video monitors in the lobby. There were probably 1,000 people there.

Here’s why that’s important. For over two hours, 1,000 people witnessed what true faith in Christ looks like. They witnessed the Holy Spirit work in indescribable ways. We all watched in amazement as John and Jane Ray stood on the stage, along with their three other daughters, and told stories about Olivia. Laughing through their unimaginable pain.

Then, they all walked away, leaving John, who has given his life to serve Christ in obscure locations around the world, as well as right here in northwest Arkansas. John shared his heart about the difference between gravity and grace. Gravity, with its natural pull to bring things inward. And Grace, with its divine ability to release. Those were not his exact words. But, his message of grace, in the middle of the most horrific experience in their lives, was beyond words.

In fact, my friend Brad Friess, who leads an awesome nonprofit called AAO – Arkansas Athletes Outreach (http://www.aaoteam.org/), said this to me this morning:

“Words are not adequate for that service. What an example of lives that are surrendered to the loving authority and mission of the Father and under the complete influence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit! Now that is a cause worth striving after and living for!”

What does all of this have to do with bridging the gap between faith and work? Everything! We can’t compartmentalize our lives and our faith. If we truly aspire to grow in our relationship with Christ, we MUST have intentionality to live it in all aspects of our lives…including our work.

John and Jane Ray inspire me. Their faith and trust in God inspire me. Their belief in grace challenges me.

Their desire is not to immortalize their daughter Olivia. But for her life (and death) to challenge us, maybe, to reset our focus and our priorities.

If you would like to learn more about Olivia, her family and how you may be able to help them get through this experience, go to http://www.gracechurchnwa.org/.