Philippians 1:21

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."-Philippians 1:21

Though I’ve been a follower of Christ for almost 13 years I’ve never really grappled with that verse. Much like Philippians 4:13 it’s often thrown about without any real thought as to what it means. Unlike the latter though it is highly unlikely you will ever see Philippians 1:21 on the back  of a school sport shirt or something else cliché that misses the point.

To live is Christ, to die is gain. It seems like a simple comment coming from Paul. I believe that it is anything but simple. Coming from the man who said he counts everything as filthy rags compared to knowing Christ I don’t think it can be considered simple. Looking deeper is a necessity.  We’ve got to realize what it is he is actually saying. When we do that the verse makes far more sense and becomes a weighty message not an offhanded comment.

Jesus served the Father and carried out His will during his time on Earth so that we might be redeemed and reconciled to God.  That obedience meant  being beaten and suffering. It ended in a death on a cross and facing the wrath of the Holy God in our place. The beating alone is awful, in America we can’t even handle being mocked for our faith, much less being beaten for professing. But it didn’t stop at a beating so brutal that witnesses weren’t sure if they were looking at an animal or a human when it was finished. He faced the wrath of God in his obedience. He drank the full cup of a punishment we deserve so we wouldn’t have to do so. 

In essence I’m trying to say that Jesus’ life wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a life fit for a King.  He faced every challenge that we do as humans and trumped them all. There is naught that we experience that he didn’t. There is a reason that Hebrews 4:15 says that we have a high priest that has been tempted in every way we are but without sin. It isn’t because Jesus came and lived a cushioned life in which he was waited on hand and foot. He suffered, but he was obedient.  Such is the meaning of ‘to live is Christ’.

It isn’t just a statement it’s a warning and coming from Paul it is heartfelt. On this Earth, as followers of Christ we aren’t promised safety or riches. We are promised security in God but there is not a single place in the Bible that says our lives will be perfect. In fact we are told we will face persecution because Christ himself faced it and we follow him. In America persecution is non-existent. Elsewhere in this world it is a very present situation and yet everywhere it happens the gospel flourishes!  People take this to heart, they believe it and they live it. They realize that while they are here if they are obeying God and carrying out his will they will suffer but it is worth it because to carry out his will you must know Him and that is worth far more than anything this world has to offer.  We are told our lives will be hard, we are sheep amidst wolves and the wolves are hungry and ready to rend flesh and prey on the insecurities within us so we stop doing  the work for which we have been called.

Now to switch gears a little and get into the latter half of the verse. Death is gain. It seems a funny thing to say, dying is good. We usually do everything we can to avoid death. We don’t talk about it and we live safe lives to try and stay alive longer. Bear with me, this isn’t me saying go do something foolish. But to those who follow Christ death is not losing something. It isn’t the end, though Paul compares the Christian life to the race. While death is the end of our life on Earth it is only the beginning of an eternity spent in the presence of God. Death is the beginning of a reward because it allows us to leave behind this world and all its suffering and the pain that comes along with being human. We will be forever in the presence of our God and Maker. We no longer have to keep schedules and fight the chaos of this life as we are locked in a battle with the Devil in spiritual warfare.  We can sit at His feet and praise Him with all those who came before us and those who will come after. So death isn’t a bad thing and shouldn’t be looked on as such. We certainly want to live and serve Christ as long as he has for us to do so, but we can’t treat death as if God is punishing us by putting our bodies to rest and calling our souls home to Him until we are given our new bodies to praise Him on a new Earth. Like Paul said death is gain and it’s time we started seeing it as such.

In my opinion this is a verse that allows people to share the gospel in places where death is highly probable for such public professions. They know if they are living and serving God by doing His will they will suffer, and if death comes because of that obedience then so be it, it is a gain. God has considered them worthy enough to serve Him even unto death for the faith they have in Him.

In short;Living in this fallen world for God means suffering for Him. Dying, means an end to that suffering and the beginning of an eternity spent in His presence. I can think of no better reward than that.

National Adoption Awareness Month

jIt's November 1st. November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Most of you know that adoption is very important to me. I write about it quite often, read about it whenever I get the chance and will talk about it with you if you are willing to listen. So to most it comes as no surprise when I say I plan on adopting. In fact the majority of you have heard me talk about it at some point. While I believe it should be championed daily, because it's nationally recognized in November as awareness month I usually write a post specifically for it in the beginning of each November. This post won't be much different than the years previous really. The words will be different of course but the message will be the same. There are children in our communities and around the world that need families and we need to do something about it.

"Defend the Orphan…." Isaiah 1:17

We've been told to do it. It is as simple as that. Be it advocation, adoption or monetary giving to aid a family or organization, we are called to care for orphans. I realize that not everyone is going to be called to adopt but you've got a voice that you can use to speak up for those who have none. There are many organizations that you can get behind and back with your voice. The Christian Alliance for Orphans (Christianalliancefororphans.org) is a great resource to find a number of God-centered organizations that are working for the fatherless. It is an all actuality a single organization comprised of many with the same goal.

In fact the CAFO puts on Orphan Sunday, the first Sunday of every november. This year it's November 3rd. Two days from today, churches and followers of Christ world-wide will unite to lift up the fatherless to the Father of the Fatherless in their communities and around the world. It is a day that is often used to plant seeds into future adopters and advocates who God burdens with the need. Though all Christians are called to do something, some are called to this cause specifically.

I write this every year in the hopes that it is used to bring awareness. But I also write knowing that every year I get closer to being able to adopt myself. I'm an advocate and a future adopter. That being said here are some great resources you can look into on the subject of Orphan advocation.

Christianalliancefororphans.org        (CAFO)

ShowHope.org    (Show Hope)

OrphanSunday.org   (Orphan Sunday)

If you happen to like to read here are two really great books on the matter.

Orphan Justice :Johnny Carr

Orphanology :Tony Merida & Rick Morton

There are plenty of numbers you can find on the subject of orphans. Most of those numbers are in the millions when they count the total number of children. The problem with those numbers is that people see them and tend to associate them solely with a number. They don't see a need or a face they just see 1 million or 500,000. That is a problem. Because they aren't numbers they are children with needs. Maybe numbers help us gauge how much of an item we need to send somewhere to meet a specific need like a vaccine but beyond that numbers can do more harm than good. Numbers are impersonal and being impersonal is the last thing these children need. They need love and support and families. We've go to see real people with real stories and real needs.

 David Platt hit the nail on the head when he said "They are easier to forget until you know their names. They are easier to forget until you see their faces."


And lastly this November is a little more special. About an hour ago I sent in the first donations to Show Hope and the Tennessee Baptist Children's home raised from royalties from my book The Forgotten. A book written with the purpose of raising awareness of the need for families for waiting children around the world. By God's grace it will be the first of many such donations given to change lives.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Jared-Henegar-ebook/dp/B00EQH3IRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383335936&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Forgotten+Jared+Henegar

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A Not So Nice Anniversary and Corresponding Thoughts

I started thinking today and was wondering if people find it strange that I work with kids as much as I do. If they ever wonder why I'm happy to change diapers and deal with snot and slobber and other gross things. Why I can sit and hold a baby until my arms go numb and be completely happy and content in doing so. Most men aren't that fond of children, not children that aren't theirs or family. But I'm not like most men.  My reasons are both simple and incredibly complicated for others to understand. I've been around kids my entire life. I've been taking care of them ever since I was very young myself. Kids are what I know best. Taking care of them is second nature, it's like breathing. I don't have to think about doing it I just do it. 

And yet for all the simplicity of that answer it runs much deeper. I would love to say that is why I enjoy hanging out with kids and teaching, just because it's easy for me and they are fun to be around and because I've been called to teach. It's not that light-hearted in it's entirety. The hours of MDO and nursery are more than just a paycheck. They are a gift to me. A time to experience things that I will likely not experience myself. While I teach and work with children that will be roughly around the same age as my children, holding and feeding and just laughing at babies as they discover their fingers and toes is a life stage that I will more than likely not experience as a father. I will miss ultrasounds and showing off sonograms and months of no sleep with a newborn. Though the last most people would find a blessing I would gladly trade sleep for even just a single night of waking at 3 a.m. to have the chance at feeding my son or daughter or rocking them back to sleep. 

In just under three weeks I will have been being treated for Kallman's  syndrome for eight years. Eight very long and rough years that seem to be far longer than the span it has actually been. That most strange deficiency inside my brain that has rendered me unable to produce testosterone and LH hormone among other things. It is those two that have altered my life to an extent that I wouldn't have thought possible when I was young. In case you didn't know both hormones are needed for a child to be created. Without them I'm defunct,broken, I cannot do the very thing that a majority of the world's male population don't think twice about, "father" a child. Eight years and that still hurts, it's still as fresh a wound as the day I found out at sixteen. I would absolutely love to say that since I know I'm going to adopt that it doesn't matter anymore but it would be a lie. Because it does matter, it matters every time I hold a baby, there are times it matters when I simply see one. It matters because I know that won't be me. It's not as if I'm just waiting to get married so that can be me. I won't have the chance. And while I find great joy in knowing that God has called me to be daddy to a child that doesn't have one and needs one it's still hard. 

I've said it or rather I've written it several times that the thing that hurts the most is also the thing that helps. What I will miss out on is helped by being able to experience those things, even just briefly through work or with my family. I know that sounds strange. Believe me it doesn't make sense to me at all but that is the way it works. If by some odd chance this does make sense  I ask that you would explain it to me because I don't get it. It's like that Kutless song the Disease and the Cure.

 I don't see any revelation as to why God chose this for me in the near future and it is completely possible that this side of Heaven I might never see the reasons but my faith is in the One who created this life for me. He knows what He's doing, he gave me life both physically and spiritually when it wasn't medically expected much less deserved. 

If for  some reason you see this and you've had a kid at MDO that I've taught  or played with in the nursery I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To completely and effectively convey my gratitude is beyond my ability with words.

It Means Hope:My takeaway from Man of Steel

If you read this in the hopes of getting a movie review I apologize. I will say that I very much enjoyed the movie and hope that Christopher Nolan and Zach Snyder create a sequel that is as well done as this one. It's far more than a superhero movie or an action flick. Look close and you will find a hidden treasure waiting to be unearthed, or perhaps not and I read to much into movies. 

Most people know at least a little about Superman's origins. They know at the very least he is an alien. The beginning of Man of Steel does a good job at filling viewers in on the origin of Kal-El and how he came to be on Earth as Clark. It also starts the first in a poignant set of flashbacks of a young Clark growing up on Kent Farm. Superman in all his strength and glory as the Man of Steel struck chords deep within me because of his origins. He is adopted by the Kent's and that more than anything really and how in depth that part of the story is played out is one of the biggest things that makes me a fan of this movie. You get a couple who has no children who find themselves quite suddenly the parents of an alien baby they know nothing about. They take this baby and they make him a Kent, he becomes their son. This is done knowing that he isn't from Earth and that is going to present a problem with the world at some point down the road. Fortunately or maybe not so fortunately for them Clark isn't your average little green man kind of alien. Clark is Kryptonian and has abilities that go along with his lineage. 

It doesn't go into when Clark's abilities manifest themselves except for his x-ray vision. And in doing that alone it highlights a fairly common situation amongst kids. If you act different other kids are going to notice and you're going to be made fun of. To give away as little as possible but explain myself, Clark asks his mother what is wrong with him and she tells him nothing. Most teenagers wonder this from time to time as puberty hits. When you add in the fact that Clark isn't from Earth, he certainly isn't human, and he's being raised by two humans it creates an interesting but I think true picture of adoption.

 Perhaps not so relevant if you look like your parents but if you've got a trans-racial family people will notice. It's in our nature to spot things that aren't "right" or don't match. We've got sameness wired into our brains and if anything at all deviates from that picture in our head our eyes catch it and our brain's will point it out. Whether or not our mouth's follow is a different story altogether.  Part of me is dreading the day that my kid's are informed of the fact that they don't have the same skin color as I do. Not in the sense of it is a burden but for the fact that it will likely cause hurt and confusion and as a father that is not something I'm going to want my child to feel.

 At the same time I don't want to raise my children to be colorblind. I want them to know that it's completely o.k. that our family doesn't match. I want them to see the differences between themselves and other kids and other families. Humans are fearfully and wonderfully made and I want them to cherish the fact that they were created in the image of their Creator. To teach our kids that they are all special and yet everyone is the exact same seems like an injustice! Because people aren't all the same. It's a little hard to be special if everyone is the same. Yes, we are all people but we are different. Those differences are what make us who we are. God didn't just make a mold and create every human in the world from it. He made us individuals to bring Himself glory. My point being that we are different that is perfectly alright, it is how we were made!

Which leads me to my next point;The next flashback Clark does a few things that attract unwanted attention to himself. It leads into a talk between him and his father. Jonathan tells him that one day he would have to decide whether or not he wanted to show the world who he was or to hide himself. Clark looks up at him and asks 'Can't I just keep pretending I'm your son?' I will admit that right then I almost lost it. Those are words I don't ever want to hear from my kids. But Jonathan Kent's response is perfect. He looks Clark square in the eye and tells him 'You are my son'. It was a very strong moment in the film and hit me quite hard personally. I pray that those words never leave the mouth's of my children and that doubt never creeps into their heart's. Again, the movie hit on what I feel like is a common theme. A child who isn't completely sure where he belongs because he knows that the Kent's aren't the people he shares blood with but they raised him, they are his parents. And then he finds his footing again, secure in the fact that No, Martha didn't give birth to him, but Yes, the Kent's were his parents. They had given him the life his biological parents had hoped for when they sent him to Earth. 

As the movie progresses and he discovers his origins and he gets the famed blue suit and red cape with the 'S' on the chest that symbol is explained. On Krypton it means hope. That is exactly what he was for the Kyrptonian's, he was hope, he was the last in existence. I think beneath it all as he eventually reconciles the two worlds, the one he was born in and the one he was raised in he realizes that both sets of parents loved him and did what they thought best for him. By doing so they gave him his own reason to hope and have faith that he wasn't a little boy no one wanted. He was a child that four people did everything they could for because they loved him. He was a son. He was loved. He had been given the very thing that his biological parents had sent him to Earth seeking, hope.  Hope in who he was and what he could do and assurance that he belonged. 

I want my children to know that they belong and they are mine. No matter the physical differences between us we are a family. Like the Kent's I know that one day they will realize or someone else will do it for them, that they don't look like me or they act different from other kids. But I also know that like the Kent's my kids will have my last name, they will belong if only for a short time to Me and that the fact that they are Henegar's cements their status as my kids and no difference can change that. 

42-More than a simple baseball film

I do not know if you've seen the movie "42" yet or not. If you haven't I would encourage you to do so. Though I would caution it being seen by younger children for the occasional use of language, most of which is the N word. Although on two other accounts that I remember another phrase was used. That aside it is a movie that I honestly believe people should see. In my twenty-three years I've seen my fair share of movies and without a doubt it is one of the best movies I've ever seen. There is a chance that you are like me and think it looks interesting because of Jackie Robinson's legend and the baseball. Maybe you are drawn simply to the historical aspect of the movie or perhaps it just looks good to you. Whatever the reason go and see it. In it's 2 hour and some odd minute running time I laughed, was angry, inspired and wanted to cry in that short span of time. I cannot think of another movie that has struck that many emotions within me, especially because I wasn't expecting it. I went because it looked like a good movie. I expected a good baseball movie combined with the legend of Jackie Robinson. I was not expecting to feel so much and have my head full of thoughts when I left the theater. Usually people go to movies simply to be entertained. 

Jackie Robinson's legend alone is a powerful story. The man changed baseball forever. What he did isn't as inspiring to me as how he did it. Being the first black major league baseball player he made a lot of waves in American culture and he both angered and inspired many people by doing so. Segregation was still prevalent when he made his major league debut and his appearance with white players wasn't always welcomed not only by fans but by fellow players on both the minor and major league levels. When he was offered a spot on the Montreal Royals roster  he was told that if he took the roster spot that he couldn't rise to any threat or slur made against him. In the words of Harrison Ford's Branch Rickey 'he had to like the Savior turn the other cheek'. It didn't matter what was done to him he couldn't respond. This goes against human nature. It is the exact opposite of our innate sense of survival. If we are attacked we respond, defensively at the very least. 

Throughout the movie his resolve is tested. Racial slurs fall like rain from the mouths of players and fans alike as he steps on the field. He is deliberately  hit by pitches and at one point during the movie is told that he holds the league record of hit by pitches. I've seen plenty of professional players take a ball to the arm or hip or some other place, maybe one or two in the head. These players wear helmets. Robinson had no such equipment to protect him from the malicious attacks in the form of pitches. As uncomfortable as it was to see him get drilled by a pitch it wasn't the physical things that struck me the most. The racism within the movie and the attitudes of the people towards Robinson was gut-wrenching. Most of whom treated him like he was some sort of animal, like he was less than human. Within the movie there are specific times that this is really brought to light and I won't go into them but suffice to say the way he was treated had me reeling. I've read about it, segregation is part of  history but to see it with my own eyes, to see reenactments of personal accounts that he went through was harsh. 

Most surprising though it wasn't the movie itself that gave me the biggest wake up call but the audience in the theater with me. I could hear their reactions around me as the movie played. By far the worst was when a young boy sits in a stadium surrounded by men (One of which is his father)  yelling the N word at Robinson as he is taking the field. The boy looks around for a second and you could literally see the confusion flash across his face at the reaction of the crowd of spectators around him as this man takes the field. Then all of the sudden he parrots them and starts yelling right along with them. Though I am not condoning the boys actions it is a perfect example of the damage we can do to the impressionable young people around us. This kid probably has no idea whatsoever what he is actually saying as he is yelling. But from the front of the theater I hear these people laughing as this kid is yelling and it made me sick to know that this was entertaining to them. I fully understand the need for historical accuracy. This is what Robinson went through. What I do not understand is how anyone can find a child doing something so wrong funny. I don't recall hearing anyone laughing as Robinson is nailed by pitches. Yes, I know there is a difference between physical abuse and verbal but my point is both are wrong and while one can have deadly consequences the other is equally as damaging. Especially when this boy could have so easily gone along with these older men in attacking Robinson. (The attack is  hypothetical that didn't happen in the film. Just said to make a point) Such behavior wouldn't have been uncommon in that time.

Would they  have laughed if fans had rushed the field and the boy in an effort to belong or not be left out attacked Robinson as he stood at the plate?

All said it wasn't Robinson's incredible athleticism or even the mark on the game that struck me the most it was how he accomplished it all. Again in the words of Branch Rickey he was picked not because he didn't have the guts to respond back  "He had the guts not to do so" That attitude changed history forever. Robinson didn't just take a step to break the color barrier for sports but completely. The racism bothered me by not just making me angry but making me sad. Real reactions to the racism bothered me. In the end the resolve of Jackie Robinson inspired me. Maybe I could put up with being harassed verbally for awhile but not long, eventually I wouldn't be able to take it. In the end Robinson held tight and won people over with his skill and his attitude.

Racism is wrong not just by most morals  but Biblically. "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;  but Christ is all, and in all. "-Colossians 3:11 As followers of Christ we are not to treat each other differently because of the color of skin. While we have differences we are ONE body in Christ. We cannot function properly without each other and to have low views of fellow believers because they are not of the same race is damaging to the body of Christ. Having been called to live Holy lives like He who called us (1 Peter 1:14-16) to demean or treat another in such a way because they do not look like us is the exact opposite of the example Christ set for us. 

Perhaps what he went through bothers me so much because I feel called to adopt from Africa one day and I cannot imagine my son or daughter going through anything like this, verbally or physically because the color of their skin. 

John Piper lays out Racism in correlation with Christians in his book Bloodlines:Race,Cross, and the Christian far better than I ever could and I highly encourage you to read it. 

On an ending note; Though it isn't heavily mentioned in the movie his faith was one of the biggest reasons Branch Rickey actually drafted Jackie Robinson. All of the actors and Nicole Beharie who portrayed Rachael Robinson did a phenomenal job. But I have to say my hat goes off to Chadwick Bosman and Alan Tudyk for their respective roles as Jackie Robinson and Ben Chapman and the  interaction of the two characters (the yelling scene that is shown in the previews and in fully length in the movie was not rehearsed and done all in a single take for rawness and to give it a real feel).