April 2010 - Margaret Feinberg

Archives For April 2010

My Poker-Playing, Cigar-Smoking, Jesus-Loving Grandpa

Margaret — April 9, 2010 — 1 Comment

Some grandfathers shuffle around in cute button up sweaters. My grandpa preferred a white polyester suit and cowboy hat. They called him “Cactus Jack” at the local Utah casino. But he didn’t start out there.

My grandfather was a native Floridian. If you’ve spent much time in Florida, then you know there aren’t many of them. Twelve to be exact.

He and grandma raised my mom and her siblings in a fishing resort on the coast. Mom spent her childhood fishing, shrimping and shelling along the beaches in between entertaining the seasonal guests. While Grandma kept many things running including the resort and the household, Grandpa sold real estate, managed the resort, and pursued his hobby of speed boat racing. Because several of classes of competition were eliminated, he technically still holds a few world records today.

Years later Grandma and Grandpa retired from the fishing resort, purchased a motorhome, and drove around the country visiting every imaginable town and tourist stop. They settled in St. George, Utah.

Grandpa visited the local casino to pursue one of his passions: playing cards. He became more than a regular, he became part of the establishment. Everyone knew him by name. He counted the card dealers as friends and shared his faith on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, Grandma sat at the slots and as one person described, “Lead more people to Jesus that anyone she knew.” The casino comped Cactus Jack’s meals, his RV-hook-up, even a portion of his casino chips. Though he spent 20- to 40-hours a week in the casino, he wasn’t a gambler. Grandpa was a professional poker player, a human calculator of sorts, using his modest winnings to supplement his social security check.

The first time my husband, Leif, met my grandfather pulled out a deck of cards and spread out a handful of cards face up. Then he tapped the top of deck and asked Leif, “What are the odds of the next card being a Jack or higher?”

Leif stared at him blankly. Grandpa began gently explaining the cumbersome math equations needed to calculate the odds of the top card. Not bad for an 84-year-old.

Grandpa was not only gentle with Leif, he was gentle with everyone, a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He held doors open and took off his hat when he met someone new. He believed that his faith should affect the way he treated others, so he looked for opportunities to bestow dignity—especially on grandmother when she died a few years ago.

Early in my writing career when I was still writing news stories, I interviewed John Hagee. Grandpa thought I won the jackpot. He must have asked me to share the details of that interview a dozen times. I never understood my grandfather’s enthusiasm for Hagee, but I was grateful for it. Why? Because that passion revealed my grandpa’s greater love, namely, Jesus.

I have no doubt that my grandpa is with Jesus today. And that makes me smile.

Make no mistake, my grandpa wasn’t perfect. He refused to give up his pet addictions of tobacco and casino chips, he was infamous for his lead foot behind the wheel, and he watched far too much television. But who am I to judge?

I consider myself lucky to have such a grandfather.

In Dive Deeper Family

Tuesdays with Tozer

Margaret — April 6, 2010 — 1 Comment

The newborn Christian is a migrant; he has come into the kingdom of God from his old home in the kingdom of man and he must get set for the violent changes that will inevitably follow.

One of the first changes will be a shift of interest from earth to heaven, from men to God, from time to eternity, from earthly gain to Christ and His eternal kingdom. Suddenly, or slowly but surely, he will develop a new pattern of life. Old things will pass away and behold, all things will become new, first inwardly and then outwardly; for the change within him will soon begin to express itself by corresponding changes in his manner of living.

–A.W. Tozer (The Dwelling Place of God, pg 62)

I’ve been thinking a lot about spiritual transformation–what really changes us? What makes us more into the image of Christ? Tozer makes it clear that spiritual transformation is ongoing. When we choose to follow Jesus, the old self falls off like the sloughing of skin. Yet what role do we play in the change? I don’t think spiritual transformation happens to us as much God works through us and we are invited to be participants through discipline, perseverance, and practice. I believe reading the scripture, prayer, and spiritual community are essential to spiritual transformation.

What leads to spiritual transformation in your own life? Is there a particular discipline or practice that ushers in the God’s transformative presence in your life?

God, Change me. Don’t stop changing me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In Dive Deeper A.W. Tozer, Tuesdays with Tozer

Embracing a Debt Free Lifestyle

Margaret — April 5, 2010 — Leave a comment

Depending on your financial situation, you may not need to get anything out of debt. You just might be made in the shade with pink lemonade. But for the rest of us, it’s a different story. Whether you have a toe in the debt pool or you’re drowning in it, debt is not your friend. It’s not fun. And no matter what anyone says, promises, or tries to tell you, debt will not make your life better.

This is particularly true for what has been called the grab-it-now-pay-it-later generation known as Generation Y. According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) only about 58% percent of Gen Yers pay their bills on time. And it’s no wonder! It’s hard to pay your bills on time when you can’t find a job. About 37% of 18- to 29- year-olds have been underemployed or out of work during the recession (Pew Research Center). As a result, 60% of workers 20- to 29- year-olds cashed out their 401(k) plans despite the penalties.

Not good signs. Add in that the average millennial is graduating from college with $23,200 in student loan debt and 20% of twentysomethings carry more than $10,000 in credit card debt (USA Today, April 23, 2010).

If you’re feeling the pinch of debt, you’re not alone-no matter what your age, stage, or generation.

But here’s the good news. You can get out of debt. You may have to take a job you don’t like. You may have to master the art of cooking and preparing a $3 meal (which can be surprisingly tasty). You may have to make some crazy concessions, but if you are committed to getting out of debt, you can do it.

How do I know? Because I’ve seen people do it time and time again–often more quickly than they imagined when they get serious about it.

One of the most profound examples of this is my husband, Leif. When we first met he had just under $17,000 in student loan debt which he made minimum payments on for over 5 years. After he asked me to marry him, I said yes, but on one condition: by our wedding day, he had to have the loan paid in full. If he still owed money, I would not say “I do.” That may sound harsh or cold, but I’d read one too many studies that showed finances are a major contributor to marital stress and divorce.

Leif demonstrated how much he cared about me and our relationship. He moved back in with his parents. He changed jobs from Alaska Airlines to a much higher paying job with the Transportation Security Administration (yes, the bleep bleep you hear at the airport). He made a lot of sacrifices including pizza-less Saturday nights and riding a bike to work. But at the end of the year, he was completely debt-free. He even paid for a small used truck, and my wedding ring. We married with nothing. But in today’s world, zero is huge.

Since then, we’ve worked hard to keep our BLEEPS out of the debt pool and we work hard to get out whenever we slip back in. We still have so much to learn when it comes to finances, but we’re convinced that debt-free is a great way to live. We have a circle of friends who share similar stories and we keep encouraging and celebrating together when a credit card or loan or mortgage is paid off.

We invite you to join in and develop a passion for debt-free living.

*Photo courtesy of here

In Resources Debt-free

What Does it Look Like to Be a Church’s Artist-in-Residence? An Interview with Scott Erickson

Margaret — April 1, 2010 — Leave a comment

Our churches are enriched when we embrace the artsand creative expressions of worship. One church who is thinking outside the box is Ecclesia in Houston, Texas, who has a friend, Scott Erickson, as an artist-in-residence.

I asked Scott to share what it’s like to be a resident artist and he shared some of the challenges and wonders of the journey:

Word on the street is that you’re an artist in residence at a church. What does that mean exactly?

When I was invited to come and be a part of Ecclesia, Chris Seay, the lead pastor, asked me to come and be their artist. I asked, “what would I do?” He said, “Just come and do what you are doing, but do it with us”. I have the peculiar ability to paint very fast and in front of people. I’ve been developing this skill over the last 6 years and I’ve been able to turn it into a business. I partner with churches, non-profits, musicians, and speakers in creating a unique piece of art that visualizes the themes that are expressed to the audience.

What do you love about your role? What’s the most challenging?

I love that I’ve been given the unique opportunity to really see what it looks like for an artist to be in the midst of a church creating. It used to happen a lot you know. The church was the major patron of the arts hundreds of years ago. Guys like me helped make the places of worship, the destinations of pilgrimages.

Most challenging – no models. I don’t know any artists who have been the artists-in-residence at a church. I have no models to go on. No measure of success. In some ways this is a good thing because all I have is the Lord to ask and pray what he wants. It’s good that it keeps me close and obedient. Difficult because it’s like building an invisible castle.

What’s the biggest misperception people have on a daily basis about what you do?

That I’m just going to paint Christian imagery for Christians in their Christian churches. I’m interested in the larger discussion that’s happening in the world of art—a discussion from lots of perspectives, beliefs, and different subjects. My goal here isn’t to make Christian worship pieces, although that may happen. My goal is to create out of the stories we find ourselves in. Stories of redemption, forgiveness, cheating, murder, hope, love, poverty, suffering, doubt, sex, abuse, care, joy, and pain.

We cheapen the amazingness of the gospel when we are not honest about our human condition. This is the condition that Christ came into and lived among. What does it look like to see Christ in the midst of all these stories presently? That’s what I hope to create—whether it’s pretty or ugly, safe or dangerous, hopeful or hopeless. The best thing I can do as an artist is to be honest.

If another church wanted to start an artist in residence program, what tips would you offer?

What artists need most is three types of space:
1. A space to create—mentally, emotionally, timely
2. A space to work—a studio, room, etc
3. A space to show—gallery, walls, etc

Creating costs a great sacrifice of time, relationships, and finances. If you can help an artist with these things, you will help them in their journey to do what God has asked them to do.

How can we learn more about all you’re doing and see some of your work?

My website is www.thetranspireproject.com.

You can also view my blog at www.createvisualculture.wordpress.com

twitter.com/scottthepainter
facebook.com/scottthepainter

Thanks, Scott for all your insights. You are inspiration to us all and we are grateful for you and the community at Ecclesia for embracing the artistic expression of our God.

In Leadership Scott Erickson