Author Archives: Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Connection

One summer, my dad and step-mom drove their RV (Recreational Vehicle) from Colorado to West Virginia for a visit.

They stayed at a local campground that my family happened to know very well.

This campground hosts many church events, and we’d been there dozens of times. It’s beautiful and has all the accommodations anyone would need. But it struggles with one modern convenience. The cellphone service is spotty and weak at best. Certain areas of the campground get no service at all.

While visiting with family in the RV, my daughter thought of something she desperately needed to check on her phone. She quietly slipped out of the RV and attempted to connect to the internet. While she was gone, everyone was talking and I took a few pictures.

Later, looking at one of the pictures, I noticed something funny.

In the picture, in between my brother and my niece, but outside the RV, you can see my daughter, reaching her phone towards heaven in an attempt to get connected. It is a great illustration of our societies deep dependency on connection.

She assured me later that she made contact with the World Wide Web and all was well.

The internet is an amazing thing, powerful, invisible, informative, and generally reliable. Our connecting devices, or the local cell towers are what commonly fail us if we can’t log on. We feel vulnerable without a strong connection.

Spiritually speaking, God is similar to, yet infinitely greater than the internet.

Powerful and mysterious beyond explanation. Invisible but evident in everything He created. And, He is the source of wisdom, inspiration, and truth itself.

We are made to connect with Him. He designed our very being, He is available at all times, from all places, but it’s up to us to connect.

Like a cell-phone that’s “roaming”, you may feel disconnected from your Heavenly Father. But, unlike the campground cell-phone coverage, the spiritual signal is always strong, always available, and always dependable.

Make sure you have strong connections with your loved ones. Do your part to encourage and support them. And, rely on those connections to help you through difficult times. We all need those relational connections.

The most important relational connection is between us and our creator.

The Bible calls God a strong tower to illustrate His dependability, strength, and security. I think it’s perfectly fine to think of Him, in modern terms, as the ultimate cell-phone tower.

Always sending His signal out for a secure connection with each of us

Like my daughter that evening, be determined to make the connection

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: People Over Politics

Every so often I get caught up in politics.

I know better, I can’t control it, it just happens.
It creeps up on me, and then it creeps me out.

I turn on the news and start absorbing the drama. Frustration quickly takes over. People from all perspectives quote only the statistics that support their view. At the same time, ignoring blatant facts disproving their own theories.

Finally I pull myself out of the mire and stay clean for months on end, until some current event drives me back to the same old shows, with the same old people, arguing the same old points.

I need help.

There is another thing that bothers me about the political realm. Christianity mixed with politics makes me uncomfortable. I’m not saying they should never overlap, but I’m sure that God’s grace is more powerful than our views. While I love my country, to me discipleship easily outweighs patriotism, and the flag (as much as I love it) ultimately bows to the cross.

I have my political views, you have yours. 
Let’s leave that alone.

But, I ask you to consider these next few thoughts.

Jesus most likely…

Made the conservatives upset because He spent a lot of time with the fringe of society.

Made the liberals uncomfortable because he raised the moral standard for everybody.

Made the libertarians uneasy because he gave up His rights for the good of others.

Made the moderates cringe every time He made a bold and clear stand.

Made the religious people angry because He broke the law and loved the outsiders.

Made the apathetic take notice by powerfully proclaiming His father loved everybody.

Made the powerful people uneasy because He said that love was the highest goal.

But most of all, His words pierced through all of their agendas.

His words will still do that today, if we are honest with ourselves.

Sometimes, we get too comfortable in our own ideas. Possibly, we define ourselves by our views too much. Often, our comfort zone of being right has become a barrier to serving those around us.

If we follow Jesus, we will be called to love, serve, and encourage all types of people from all walks of life, with many different views.

The more I think about it, if Jesus hasn’t made me uncomfortable recently, then I might not be following close enough.

If Jesus hasn’t made you uncomfortable recently, then you might not be following close enough.

If you are a Christ follower, make sure His message is preeminent over any earthly agenda.

Because, people are more important than politics.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Deeper

Last week, while on vacation, my nephew strongly requested a visit to a toy store.

We were shopping at various tourist-centric establishments, but my nephew made sure to let everyone know where he wanted to go.

Once we found a toy store, all of us went inside. My nephew stopped at the very first display. It was an interactive table with lots of motion and bright colors. It was an obvious first stop for a young boy.

We spent quite a bit of time roaming the store, playing with toys and talking. But my nephew never left the first display. While the rest of us were seeing what the store had to offer, my nephew was content to stay near the entrance the entire time.

My nephew will have plenty of time to visit other toy stores. He won’t be concerned with missing a few toys at that particular store. But that day reminded me of what happens to many spiritually curious people.

I understand the temptation to simply hangout near the entrance of faith. It’s enticing to stop and bask in the grace, never moving beyond that wonderful acceptance. But there is so much more to experience. So many more opportunities. So much more God wants to show us.

There is abiding peace, deep security, abundant joy, and an eternal relationship just beyond the entrance.

There are life changing moments, soul transforming experiences, and destiny altering adventures a little further in.

There is wisdom beyond understanding, healing beyond our capabilities, and love beyond our comprehension.

The New Testament illustrates this whole idea by stating that some Christians seem content with a bottle of milk, when there is a feast awaiting us.

Don’t miss all that He has for you. Don’t disregard all that He wants to do in you. Don’t ignore all that He wants to do through you. His blessings will overflow to others if you are close to Him.

Go further, dig deeper, draw closer to God.

His grace will welcome you in, His grace will lead you deeper, and His grace will transform everything along the way.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Stand Tall

I’ve read that the giant Sequoia (Redwood) trees have some interesting characteristics.

Even though they grow to well over three hundred feet, their roots only go down an average of ten feet.

You would think that these enormous trees would lack stability because of the relative shallowness of their roots. But something intriguing happens underground. Something we can draw inspiration from.

These ancient and gargantuan specimens grow their roots out from the center of the trunk up to one hundred feet. And the roots intertwine with other Sequoias close by. The root systems of all the individual trees create a support network that lets each tree reach for the sky.

No tree stands alone, each one depends on the others. They stand tall in the strongest storm because they hold each other up. It’s a group effort.

You and I need other people, some of us don’t like to admit it.

We can accomplish great things alone. But there are certain circumstances in life where we need the encouragement, the experience, and the expertise of others. No matter your personality type, maturity level, or your social acumen, you will eventually need the support of another.

There are times we simply need some help.

But there are also times when we get to be the root system for others. We will have the opportunity to offer support, advice, or reassurance to another. We can help hold them up in their time of need.

Find your support system. Be a segment of a support system for others. Help others rise up.

Stand tall, knowing you are not alone.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Lift Others Up

I discovered a phenomenon the other day.

It started with a picture a friend shared online, then I followed it up with some research.

It seems at rock concerts, people confined to wheelchairs are candidates for an amazing experience. And it appears that the more wild and crazy the music, the more often this type of event takes place. I would love to see it in person.

During the concert somebody gets the idea that a person in a wheelchair should be able to see the stage as well as everyone else. I don’t know if it’s the person in the wheelchair, a friend. or a stranger with the idea. But, the wheelchair is lifted up, and the device with its occupant are suddenly riding on top of a sea of helpful hands.

Some are simply hoisted up to see better, others travel over the crowd, and some make it all the way to the stage. And each picture I’ve seen reveals a huge smile or look of contentment on every face. The videos I’ve watched are inspiring.

It can’t be easy to get this kind of thing started, and the people holding the others up are working hard. But with so many helping, it looks effortless to lift others up.

We may not appreciate the music at many of these concerts, but we can learn from the compassion and teamwork displayed by these joy filled participants. These people who are doing the lifting may never attend a church, but somehow they are tapping in to what ministry is all about. They are demonstrating that humanity can be a beautiful, organic, healing, effective, and inspiring creation when self-centeredness is cast aside.

Who can you lift up?

Who can you encourage?

Who can you provide with a better perspective?

You have unique abilities to lift others up in ways that last longer than a few songs at a rock concert.

You can make contact with a lonely person.
You can sincerely compliment another.
You can provide encouragement.
You can give money or resources.
You can volunteer your time.
You can pray for those in need.

We have the ability to do emotionally and spiritually what I’ve been explaining happens physically at these concerts.

We can lift others up, if we are willing to get out of our comfort zone, and get into our concert zone.

-Tom Wise