Walk With The (Sean) Wise

This month is Pastor's Appreciation Month. There have been many pastors who have had a tremendous impact on my life, and I am grateful for each and every one of them. However, there is one man amongst them all who stands far out above the rest. Salvation Army Major Donald Salsbury was officially my Corps Officer for the first nine years of my life, and was an active part of many milestones in my spiritual development. - He did my dedication service in Holland, MI shortly after I was born. - He was with me in the inner city of Indianapolis when I gave my life to Christ at age 5. -When I was 7, he enrolled me as a Junior Soldier at the Indianapolis Fountain Square Corps. - Despite being retired, he enrolled me as a Senior Soldier in Holland, MI when I was 14. - On August 30, 2008, he performed my wedding ceremony at the Grand Rapids Fulton Heights Citadel Corps. - He performed the dedication ceremonies for both of my children, one in Fargo, ND and one in Rochester, MN. Abov...

The definition of sclerosis comes down to one concept - hardening. It is typically a hardening of body tissue or other parts of the anatomy. Sclerosis is also a word that I've become too familiar with recently, and the more I know about it, the more I hate it. One side of my family is hereditarily affected by amyotrophyc lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the other side has recently become affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). As with any disease, it is understandable for developments of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness to arise in the hearts of those diagnosed and among their friends and family. It's something I've seen and experienced personally. The problem with these reactions is that, when they come to full fruition, they conceive a different "sclerosis" - a hardening of the heart. I'm blessed to belong to a family who has put their faith in God. Time and time again, when times have seemed their darkest, we have been able to trust. When everything seemed hope...

Verse : Left to my own devices, I'm just a crisis Waiting for a chance to Destroy myself, I'll put me on the shelf And turn myself over to You Chorus: You've got to, you've got to Take a hold of me Make me who I'm meant to be Before I self-destruct Before I self-destruct Take a hold of me Make me more than I can be Before I self-destruct And I'm completely out of luck Verse 2: Bound by my pride and passions, I'm taking action And I won't go back now The past is done And I'm trusting the One Who picked me up off of the ground (Chorus) Bridge: A ticking time bomb is not what You see When You look at this mess of me You see potential when ashes remain Restore my life though I am slain (Chorus)

I've spent most of my life pretty well sheltered from personal loss.  While I had my fair share of mourning with others who had lost loved ones, I hadn't dealt with a lot of the passing away of anyone who was close to me.  That all changed within the past five months, in which time I lost not only one close friend, but five Salvation Army officers who had a tremendous impact on my life. While I did spend some time in mourning over each of them, it wasn't until the most recent Promotion to Glory that this thought came into my mind - "I don't want to live in a world without Steve in it."  What struck me as strange about that thought was that Steve wasn't any more or less a part of my life than the other four, but for a few reasons, his passing affected me more than the others. My friends Dorothy, George, Bob, and Irene were all in what's expected to be the later stages of life and had dealt for many years with several forms of illness.  Steve, howeve...

Now Peter, with Spirit like flame, Said, "Brothers, please let me explain - These men aren't drunk with wine; The clock's barely struck nine!" Then Joel's prophecy he made plain. - Acts 2:14-21

I've spent this week at music camp, stretching my horizons. I co-directed the top choir successfully, after never directing a solid musical group before. I joined the praise band elective and played bass guitar, an instrument I had very little experience with. I've loved my time here, seeing how much these kids have developed in maturity, attitude, and musicianship in just eight days. This has been a good week, but because of the length of the days, it has been tiring as well. I didn't quite realize how tired I was until the top band was playing in the concert tonight. They played a piece that contained the melody, "Days of Elijah," a song that I'm very familiar with. So, like any good singing bandsman would do, I decided to sing the words over the melody. I had the great majority of the song down perfectly until I got to the last line of the chorus. These are the words that came out of my mouth: "And out of Brian's hill salvation comes!" So,...

This weekend is a celebration surrounding the commissioning and ordination of the Disciples of the Cross session. This is a special group of people to me as I spent a year at the Training College with them. They are small in number, but they are strong in The Lord. This is a message to them. Disciples, I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you this weekend. Unfortunately, I was unable to make that happen. But even though there is a distance between us, I am still celebrating you and the work God has done and is doing in your lives. Though I haven't known most of you very long, I am pleased to call you my friends. I trust that you are excited for tomorrow especially and the coming opportunities you will have to continue on in God's calling for your lives. I may have one year on you in terms of Officership, but I want you to know that each of you inspire me and challenge me to continue to grow in my faith and calling. I am excited to hear which appointments you will be...

My mom got me this shirt for Christmas. I love the reactions I get from people when I wear it. I, myself, laugh at what it suggests. As I'm sure Boromir would put it, "One does not simply play the trombone calmly." On this point, son of Denethor, we agree. The trombone is truly the king of the instruments. The slide makes allowance for amazing feats of musicality that valves just can't handle. On the trombone, the fortes are louder, the fortissimos are explosive, and the pianos are... Wait, what are those? And so, my friends, I give you a choice. You can keep calm, you can play the trombone, or you can do neither. If you're truly daring, you can try to do both. But I don't see that lasting too long.

My friend Jeff has been rather prolific about writing limericks based on Scripture. I've been inspired to do likewise as a jumpstart to my own creativity. Here is my first entirely self-written attempt. Enjoy. My love, kissing you is divine, Like tasting the sweetest of wines! And your fragrances, too - The young girls adore you! Let's rush to your room and recline. (Song of Solomon 1:2-4)

My wife led the staff devotions at Divisional Headquarters yesterday, and she asked me to lead the song "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" at the end of our time.  I was elated to be asked, because this is among my absolute favorite songs in the Salvation Army Song Book.  Don't get me wrong here.  There is and always will be a special place in my heart for the entirety of "The Salvation Soldier" section.  But there is definitely something to be said about song #991. As a Soldier of the Holland, MI corps, I enjoyed seeing this song fairly often in the bulletin.  I'm not sure what attracted me to it then.  I just knew that I liked it.  Upon re-reading it recently, though, I think I've figured it out.  So much of its relevance for me comes in just the first verse. "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know: 'Thus saith the Lord.'" - Louisa M.R. Stead While the repetit...

Our sin may be the death of us, But it is atoned for. The cross may be what we deserve, But it's taken for us. Death is the debt that we all pay, But it is defeated. The grave, our body's resting place, But it is vacated. Resurrection's impossible, But it is accomplished. Eternal life is out of reach, But It's purchased for us.

We finally made it. Post 40. The end of the daily Lenten challenge. It feels so good to have stuck with this, pushing through to the end. I knew I wasn't wrong when I called this a challenge. I even expressed at times when writing a post didn't come as naturally as I would have liked. But through it all, you stuck it out with me. Your encouragement was my encouragement in many ways. In this season, I have shared many things here - creativity, frustrations, life events, philosophy, theology, emotions, and more. Above all else, though, as I look back over the other 39 posts, I've really been sharing myself. These posts are very much a part of me, and having you along for the journey has helped me to be a better, more confident me. For those who have said that you hope I'll keep writing after Lent, know that I fully intend to. I don't know what the frequency will be, but, as I said in the first post of this challenge, I made this blog to use it. The completion of this ...

Tonight, a split-second decision has me hanging out at the movie theater with the boys. There doesn't seem to be much better to bring men together than a good superhero movie. Coming off of a fantastic Good Friday service, I certainly count this among the best Friday nights ever. So in lieu of a lengthy blog post tonight, I leave you with this awesomely blurry, selfie-style picture of my crew this evening as we wait an hour for our movie. The showing we wanted was sold out, so for our patience, we upgraded to Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 3D. Here's to the good times. You can't tell from this pic, but I'm wearing a Star Wars shirt to a Marvel movie. I figure I can get away with it since they're both Disney now.

Here's a big shocker - I don't necessarily like everybody.  There are some people I like some of the time, some people I like all the time, and some people I just don't like.  It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone there.  Sometimes my like or dislike of someone is situational, and sometimes it's selfish.  My biggest problem there is, I want to like and be liked by everybody.  It's just a desire that I have.  And of course, I have my own thoughts on how that can and should work. Sometimes in my prayer life, I find myself asking God to change the people and/or situations I don't like.  It's an easy thing to do.  When I get into an argument, it's, "God, change their viewpoint so that they can know that I'm right!"  When I want something, but having it is dependent on someone else's actions, it's, "God, make them do this or that so that what I want can happen for me!"...

My daughter asked me today if I had ever been to the Promised Land. I had to fight the urge to say, "well I grew up in Indiana!" So I told her that I have not been there, but maybe someday. I hope to experience the Biblical Education Tour offered by The Salvation Army when I become eligible to go. Seeing the land of Israel is a life-changing experience if I am to believe my family and friends who have taken the trip. But ultimately, I am bound for a different Promised Land - I'm Heaven-bound. Many people are looking forward to Heaven either when they die or when Jesus comes back, whichever comes first. If that hope is able to keep them going, then God bless them. For me, knowing of the riches of Heaven drives me to want to bring its reality closer to the here and now. If you turn on the news or even get to know your next door neighbor, it doesn't take too long to realize that Hell is quite real, and not just as a small town in Michigan. Though I do believe in a litera...

I have a habit of bursting out into song at the most random times. No, there's not a story there. I'm just sharing. I hope I don't offend. When I start, you can tell me to stop. Especially if I'm exhausted and unbearably off-key. Trust me, even then I wouldn't stop myself. I've got a song in my heart, and it must be heard! Besides, isn't there something in Scripture about making a joyful noise?

I've made several albums, And they all bear my name. There's just one small problem - All my songs sound the same. Yes, I use different chords Different words, different lines, But the dead give-away Is the simplistic rhymes. Though it isn't just me. No, it's many of them. It's a problem that lies In so much CCM. But the music still sells. Guess it's not so wrong then. You all know who I am - My name is ...oh, never mind.

There is a terrible disease that will only serve to destroy those who contract it. That disease is jealousy. It keeps us from being satisfied with what we have. It makes us bitter against those who we think have more or are in a more favorable position than us.  Jealousy is closely related to another equally deadly disease - pride. Pride is the notion that we are better or more deserving than others. Pride causes us to exalt ourselves, to think more highly of ourselves than we should. We become the star of our own show, and think, "no one can compare to me!" Jealousy uses our pride to see others with what we think we should have. We begin to harbor bitterness to them. We may even begin to say belittling things about them to build ourselves up by tearing them down. In effect, pride will ultimately destroy you, but jealousy has adverse effects on all parties involved. Jealousy strains relationships. The strongest, longest lasting friendships can crumble in mere moments when jea...

Life is short. Its end is unpredictable.  Make amends now. Seek reconciliation n ow.  Don't spend years wondering what went wrong. Do what you can to make things right.  We aren't guaranteed tomorrow. To truly love and be loved is the only way to make the most of today. A godless life is temporary and meaningless. A life with God is eternal and full of purpose. Walk with the wise and become wise. Walk with the Sean Wise and, well, who knows?

This question recently came up in a group I'm a part of.  "Why is it that we so easily put our trust into people we don't even know that well (i.e. pilots, daycare providers, etc.), and yet we find it so hard to put our trust in God?"  What an insanely valid point.  I'm no expert on these things, but as one who has been too quick to trust people and not quick enough to trust God, allow me a moment to go through some of my ponderings on this. I think we have a tendency to lump God in with people.  Because we trust too quickly sometimes, people change their behavior, sometimes shattering our thought of who they really are.  Sometimes we can deal with the same person day in and day out, but almost every time we have to interact with that same person, we don't even know which personality to expect!  Comedian Taylor Mason explains in a routine that every morning when he wakes up, his wife plays a game with him entitled, "Guess which mood I'm going to be ...

When you know something is coming to an end, it's just that much harder to keep at it. This post is the first of the final ten in my challenge, and I've hit a point where I want to give up. I hear logic telling me, "you're so close! Don't give up now!" Ultimately, that's exclactly what I'm going off of. Pushing through to the end is worth it. I know that. I'm already better for having taken this challenge on, and I really don't want the growth to stop. But still, as is often the case when the end is in sight, it's hard not to think about the desire for the end to just be here so that something new can start. Many of my friends have expressed a desire for me to keep going on this blog after this challenge is over. I very well might, but I don't know what that will look like. However, I'm very excited to find out. These next few days and posts will be like packing for a trip with an unknown destination. To those who have been on this ...

A couple weeks ago, I posted how I wanted to do some blog posts weekly involving questions to and from my readers. I set up an inbox for that particular purpose and gave out the email address so that anyone who wanted to participate could. Since that time, that box has looked like this: It doesn't quite seem to be going how I planned. So perhaps I'll keep doing posts the way I have been, and if the questions ever do come, I suppose I'll handle them then. Since no one has been the first yet, the odds are very much in your favor. Send your questions to walkwiththeseanwise@gmail.com to get involved with the Wise Questions segment! Until then, I press on. 30 down. 10 to go.

Sometimes, I spend a lot of time thinking through topics and phrasing, trying to write the post that someone else would want to read. It's never worked out too well. Honestly, I can't be writing on here trying to keep everyone happy with what I write. If this blog is going to serve any effective purpose long-term, it needs to match two criteria: 1. It must be pleasing to God. 2. I must be satisfied with having my name on it. So really, writing here should be the same as everything else I do - filling those two requirements should be the baseline for every word, action, and thought that I have. Anything less than that is nothing more than worthless dirt. When I'm gone, I can't take anything I do with me, and all I can leave behind long-term is a legacy. This is the foundation from here on out of what is written, said, and done. I'm sorry if you don't like this, but as much as having the readers is nice and necessary, I'm not writing for you. I write for me, a...

I mentioned yesterday that I'm at a camp with 1000 different guys. Being here, I've witnessed firsthand just how different we all are. Of course there are external factors like skin color, clothing style, and language, but even more striking is the many different life circumstances we find ourselves in. One of my favorite things about The Salvation Army is the fact that everyone is welcome. At any given time, this inexperienced Lieutenant was mingling with Colonels and Commissioners. Recovering drug and alcohol addicts have been sitting among long-term saints of the church. Anyone who walked in on our meetings wouldn't even have been able to tell who was who, because for this weekend, we are of one accord. A friend of mine once warned me of judging anyone, whether they were in prison, rehab, or other situation of that kind. He explained with great clarity that the difference between me and them is just one choice. I've made many less-than-perfect choices in this life, s...

Over 1000 men have gathered in Carlinville, IL to be blessed by spiritual ministry. I am among them, and after several hundred miles traveling with a three-vehicle caravan from Minneapolis, I can't wait to see what this weekend will bring. The delegation has representatives from all eleven states in The Salvation Army's United States Central Territory. Can you imagine the power God can display through 1000 men across the Midwest whose hearts have been changed and whose lives have been fired up by the Holy Spirit? There is tremendous power that comes when men of God make a bold stand for Him! I often try to use my posts to give my insights out to my audience. This time, however, can I make a request? Will you lift up this conference in prayer? Will you offer up prayers for the speakers, leaders, and delegates? Will you petition God to send down fires of revival on the men of the Central Territory gathered here, fires that will spread like wildfire as we return home at the end of...

It's interesting how much of a difference there can be between what we hear and what is actually said. My kids, like several million others, thoroughly enjoy the movie "Frozen." When they were already trying to sing the songs after just seeing it once at the theater, it seemed like a good idea for me to buy the soundtrack. They both rarely ever want to listen to anything else, and they have essentially memorized all the lyrics to the singing songs. Right before everyone's favorite Elsa song, my daughter asks me, "Daddy, do you want to hear me sing the next song?" "Of course I do!" I reply. She doesn't need any more encouragement and begins to belt out "Let It Go" as if she were Adele Dazeem herself. I listen in fascination as my four-year-old matches pitches and words perfectly, but then, in the second verse, she changes the words. One line in the song says, "To test the limits and break through!" My daughter, without lackin...

I was twelve years old when I first felt called into ministry as a Salvation Army officer. Three months later, 9/11 happened. All I wanted to do in the following weeks was to find some way to go to New York and do something to make everything better. When my parents split up and eventually divorced, I felt the need to be strong for my family. I just wanted to do whatever I could to make everything better. Through the years, I have seen people hurting in very minor and very major circumstances. I've been serving as an officer for almost ten months now, and I've learned something very important. I can't make everything better. But the drive to do so hasn't left me yet. Sometimes it's frustrating knowing how much I want to fix all the problems around me, knowing that I really can't. Sometimes I want to call God out on it. "Why would you give me a desire for something I can't fulfill?" But then I remember, I'm not called to make everything better. ...

I wanted to write a totally believable, yet completely false story today, but ultimately, I couldn't bring myself to it. All I kept thinking of to write would be my love of the New England Patriots, winter, and olives. But alas, none of these topics would be believable. I used to be good at April Fool's Day. Jokes and pranks used to flow naturally. But then I developed an external conscience. I'm a terrible liar. Even in "just kidding" circumstances, my face gives me away. And somehow, even if I thought of a true enough sounding work of fiction, I'm sure my attempted deceit would manifest itself in my writing style. So for this year, I am throwing in the towel on this whole day of pranksters. I think instead, I will just sit back and relax to the tunes of my favorite band, Air Supply. APRIL FOOLS! (I really don't even know who that is...)

I have a letter jacket from high school. On it are the various patches representing my high school music career. My name is also featured, as well as the numbers "07," my graduation year. Recently, I had started contemplating having the jacket cleaned and preserved, possibly to be put on display with other memorabilia in my home. I hadn't given much thought to wearing it again.  I was taking my kids out this evening, but before I could put on my Colts jacket, my daughter came to me and said, "here, Daddy! Wear this one!" In her little arms, she held my letter jacket. Now, I'm no softy, but I couldn't turn that girl down tonight. It makes me wonder - what's the shelf life of memories? Should we really put away things like that with so much connection to the good times? Yes, I know it's just a jacket, but that jacket reminds me of good times with good friends. It reminds me of my musically obsessed roots. It also reminds me of the early days of dat...

I enjoy spoilers. When I'm catching up on a TV show or am about to watch a new movie, I like knowing as many of the plot details as possible. For me, this does the exact opposite of spoiling the story. It makes it all the more interesting for me to see how it will be played out. A lot of my friends and family aren't as into the spoiler scene as I am. In fact, my brother goes to great lengths to ensure that I disbelieve the spoilers I've already read. It doesn't work out so well for him, though. Sometimes, I wish life came with  spoiler reports. It would be nice to know what tomorrow has in store so I could be better prepared for it. Then again, I'd probably try really hard to prevent some of those plot twists. I think that's a common thought.  How many sci-fi shows are out there involving time travel and a character's desire to redo the past? The end result comes out with them changing what they wanted to change but despising the other changes to life's ...

In preparation for the future of Wise Question Wednesdays, I decided to seek out and complete a "Getting To Know You" questionnaire. Please enjoy! Remember to send your questions to walkwiththeseanwise@gmail.com to have them featured on the blog! 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sean Connery. 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I cry a lot these days. 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? As long as no one else tries to read it, yes. 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I'd rather just skip to dinner meat, but roast beef is pretty good. 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, two of them. 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? It depends on which person I would be, I guess, but I tend to get along with most everyone, so I suppose. 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? No... (He said sarcastically.) 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, though I was supposed to get them out about 20 years ago. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If someone else pays. 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? M...

I decided to do a bit of a social experiment on Facebook tonight. At about 9:30 Central, I posted a status with a single word just to see what kind of response I get. That word was carefully chosen, as it's one that can have many different reactions depending on the circumstances. That word was "Baby." At 9:45, I measured the results of my experiment. I had, with one word, received one "like" and convinced three commenters that my wife was pregnant. I also had one Bieber reference. Now, I will never say never, and I know you love me, but I am not a Belieber. And also, my wife is, in fact, not pregnant. Now for some apologies. First, to my wife, I'm sorry for making people think you were pregnant. Also, to those of you who went along with thinking she was, I'm sorry for the apparent deception. And finally, to the Bieber commenter, I'm sorry for calling you out as totally wrong. I do, however, believe my experiment was quite successful. I wanted to pro...

I like answering questions. Sometimes it's as challenging to me as thinking of something to blog about. So in preparation of keeping a regular blog presence after Lent, I would like to make Wednesday a regular "Wise Question" day. Here's how it will work - I'll put a question on here for my readers. Then if you want to answer that question, you can comment on this blog or on Facebook or Twitter. You can also send a question for me to walkwiththeseanwise@gmail.com. I'll pick a certain number of questions to answer directly the following Wednesday, while others will serve to help my mental process of what to blog about. Please include some code name I could use to identify the askers of my questions. Here's this week's question - what is your favorite current-running TV show and why? I hope this will be fun and informative! Let's get to know each other.

Alexithymia - the inability to use words to express emotions - is a topic that intrigues me. I had never even heard of the word until listening to a song with that name as its title by a band called Anberlin. Emotions and words are powerful things, and we all have both. I know from experience that sometimes the two are hard to put together. This can be quite the struggle, and not just for the one who can't put words to their emotions. I used to talk a lot - sometimes far more than necessary. That's a trait I've noticed that has changed as I've gotten older. Unfortunately, the pendulum sometimes swings too far the other way. On occasion, I don't even say enough. This frustrates me, and I've noticed that it also frustrates those close to me. I'm not trying to be frustrating, and I know they're not trying to be frustrated. But honestly, sometimes, I just don't know what to say. I know what I'm thinking and feeling, but I don't necessarily know h...

I hate ladders. My body gets shaky any time I have to climb one. However, for anything higher than seven feet tall, I find ladders to be a necessary evil. In my kitchen at home, there is a vaulted ceiling.  I don't even know how high it is.  There's a light fixture at the highest point of the ceiling with three light bulbs.  Until last night, two of those three bulbs were burned out.  As you may have guessed, I used a ladder to reach them. After coming down, I went to the couch to rest for a bit.  Not long afterwards, my wife startled me out of my rest to tell me that my two-year-old son was trying to climb the ladder.  I quickly went back into the kitchen and said, "Get down, son! You could get hurt!"  His body froze immediately in fear on the second rung, and my wife shot me the look. It then hit me that if she had wanted him down off the ladder, she would have taken him down herself. My mind and heart for the situation changed. Knowing my son ...

I've covered a lot of ground the past few days - some of it familiar, other pieces, not familiar at all. But at the end of it all, the one place that feels best to be is home. If you've known me long at all (or even if you've read some of the previous posts on this blog), you know that I consider Indianapolis to be my hometown. Some of you are probably getting tired of me talking about it, and I can understand that. My Indy will always hold a special place in my heart. But I've had many homes, and the friends I've made and situations I've gone through in each of them have shaped me into the man I am today. Holland, Grand Rapids, Allendale, Fargo, Rochester, and Chicago are all places that influenced me for at least a year, and I'm proud to call each one "home" for the time it served in that capacity. Now, New Brighton holds that title for the time being. By virtue of Salvation Army Officership, I'm almost guaranteed many other homes before God ...

Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons. Sunshine and warmth are valuable commodities, especially in the North. On the calendar, spring started yesterday.  As I spent the day in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio, I was able to enjoy what I consider a nice Spring day - highs in the 60s, nearly cloudless sky - near perfection. I'm heading back to Minnesota in the next couple days. The forecast calls for temperatures between 10 and the 20s with wind and the chance of snow. Compared to the bitter cold of this past winter, though, even that screams Spring to me now. In my 25 years, I've lived in 5 different states, all in the Midwest. The weather in each place, even with being in the same general region, has been completely different. In the same way as no two states have the same weather, no two people have the exact same personality. We can prepare fairly easily for weather changes. We have boots and flip flops, snow pants and shorts, insulated coats and t-shirts, face masks a...

The whole of creation, God's grandest design, Spoken into being mere moments in time, But the crown of it all was man and his wife - God bent down to Eden and breathed to them life. The man and the woman in Eden did stay, And fellowshipped freely with God in that day. They both were quite naked, but they felt no shame, In innocence they walked - no guilt and no blame. God said that the fruit of the garden was sweet, It's yours for the taking, just pick it and eat, But of the middle tree, don't take it. Here's why: The moment you eat it, you surely will die. One day on a walk, the woman heard a voice, That called her to make a consequential choice. A serpent who questioned God's unchanging word Caused the woman to doubt what she truly heard. The serpent was crafty, deceiving, and sly, He said to the woman, "you won't surely die! Your eyes will be open, you really will see The good from the evil. Like God, you'll be free!" The woman picked some, and ...

As the father of two young children, I get to watch a lot of preschool TV. Disney Junior and Sprout have become two of my favorite channels, and I know my kids won't complain about me saying that. One of the shows that was on tonight featured two young bunny-like characters. When something would go wrong on the episode, they would shout, "Catastrophe!" in unison. My wife asked the kids if they knew what that word meant, and they both, predictably, said, "No!" This isn't a word we've often used at home, so I certainly didn't expect them to know it. My wife tried using context clues from the show to help the kids learn the meaning of the word. This may be a stretch, but I wonder if sometimes God allows us to be in circumstances we don't understand so we can eventually learn to deal with them and help others do the same. It is said that hardships build perseverance. I also believe that hardships can build sensitivity to other's situations. If yo...

When I was a kid, I never understood the joy my mom and grandparents got from going to Burlington, Iowa. They would use words like "memories" and "nostalgia," and I would use words like "boring" and "boringer." (Ok, so "boringer" isn't a real word, but I was a kid, so it works.) Now that I'm grown up (HA!), one thing I always wanted to do was bring my kids to my childhood home. We have spent the past couple days here in Indianapolis. Yesterday, I even made some new discoveries, but today was almost exclusively a nostalgia day. We started out going to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the largest children's museum in the world. Growing up, it was one of my favorite places to go as often as possible. I would even wake my parents up early on Saturdays after digging our membership cards out of my father's wallet. Today, I was blessed to share this place with my wife and children. What a joy to see them enjoying all ...

There's something about this town That just will not let me go, Even though I moved away Almost sixteen years ago. I'm still following the Colts And the Pacers when I can. Though I can't get to the games, I am still a die-hard fan. I don't know my way around. (I left here when I was nine), But I just can't shake the thought That this city is still is mine. Conseco's now Banker's Life, Bank One Tower now is Chase, The RCA Dome is gone, But there's still home in this place. It has changed, and so have I, So the answer still is this When you ask me where I'm from, It's Indianapolis.

I've started this post at least three different times in different styles with different themes.  It's not flowing today as it has been in the past.  Though I must say, I'm enjoying this journey. It is a challenge always having something to say.  As many of my friends know, I'm naturally quiet much of the time (Ok, some of you can stop laughing now...).  My wife even recently noticed that I've been opening up more in conversations with her, going on for several minutes, especially at times that I typically wouldn't have a word to say. I believe that keeping up on this challenge has played a big part in that.  I feel like I'm communicating more effectively in all of my important relationships, and that other areas of those relationships are also growing into better versions of what they should be because of it. For those of you who have joined me as an encourager on this journey, thank you so much.  The benefits are tremendous, and I don't thin...

My friend Chad and I were practically inseparable throughout middle school.  We didn't like each other at first, but living in the same trailer park and walking to the same bus stop every morning in a sense forced us to get to know each other.  It wasn't long before we truly connected.  Chad would invite me over to his house.  I invited Chad to church.  Before long, we were going everywhere together.  My mom even joked on occasion that Chad was her "adopted son," and sometimes, I would wish that it were true. Chad and I shared a passion for music.  We had some tastes in artists that were quite different, but for the most part, we found some common ground.  Among our mutual favorite bands were Skillet, Switchfoot, Relient K, P.O.D., Audio Adrenaline, and SONICFLOOd.  Taking inspiration from these and other bands, we both developed a talent and passion for writing song lyrics.  Chad had one talent that I couldn't quite match, even though...

I am of the firm belief that everyone is a theologian. We all have some of our own ideas about God, whether we claim to believe in Him or not. Nothing has convinced me more of this fact than some recent conversations with my two children. A couple weeks ago, I was putting my four-year-old daughter to bed. Having just finished devotions and still in that frame of mind, she asked, "Daddy, did Jesus die on the cross?" "Yes, baby, He died on the cross to take our sins away," I replied. To which she said, "Yeah, so we can be less sinny!" I absolutely loved her take on that. Not to be outdone, my two-year-old son has paid close attention to how and when I say things. Referring to one of my greatest exclamations of excitement, he asked me tonight, "Daddy, does 'glory hallelujah' make you not sad?" I loved that question so much that I couldn't even find words to answer. These experiences and others like them are very humbling to me. I am remi...

I cried today. Many who knew me as a teenager would know that it's a big deal when I cry.  There was a long while in my life when, for whatever reason, I couldn't cry.  Now, though, it seems as though I cry at just about any given opportunity.  Usually, I try to find ways to laugh so hard that I cry.  On many occasions, my kids make me so proud of them that I cry tears of joy.  Today, however, was different.  Today, I cried because I lost a friend. Major Dorothy Hopps, a retired Salvation Army officer who was a faithful soldier of the Noble Worship Center where I am appointed, was promoted to Glory this morning.  I had only known her since this past June when I moved here, but it was long enough that she was able to have a lasting impact on me. If I could say one thing about her, it would be that no matter what she believed, she believed in it with all her heart and left no room for doubt.  It is truly a blessing to know that her greatest be...

Would anyone notice? Would anyone care If it was tomorrow but I wasn't there? If the world kept moving, but I was just gone, Would anyone wonder, "What happened to Sean?" That's what I once wondered, that's what I once feared, If I were to vanish, it wouldn't be weird. Today there are others who still feel this way. If we knew their feelings, what then would we say? We all have the power to save someone's life, To lead them to wholeness and out of the strife. To God, we've a value that cannot be told. The world says, "you're worthless;" you're worth more than gold. So let's take a moment to pray for a friend Who thinks it'd be better if their life would end. Let's fight for the future of faith, hope, and love And seek for God's goodness to reign from above.

This is the kind of day that prompted me to take this challenge - a day that I don't know what to write. It would have been easy for me to just forget about it and wait to pick it up again tomorrow. However, I know from experience that putting something off a day leads to putting it off indefinitely. Often, the things worth doing are the easiest things not to do. My challenge is this - find something challenging and worthwhile, and do whatever it takes to keep going, no matter what obstacles come your way. I hope and pray you find the joy that comes with perseverance.

The blogosphere is full of folks Who like to share deep thoughts and jokes. Some share poems, and some share prose, And others, pictures of their nose. For politics and religion, Comments there should be forbidden; But I don't write for the replies - Feel free to walk with the (Sean) Wise.

When my grandparents were in their last four years as active Salvation Army officers before retirement, they served as the Social Services chaplains for the Western Michigan/Northern Indiana Division.  This particular appointment gave them a variety of ministries to take part in, including a women's and children's shelter, a living center for teen mothers, and my personal favorite, the Grand Rapids Turning Point. The Salvation Army Turning Point programs are designed for those coming off of various forms of chemical dependency.  Even as a ten-year-old kid, I loved going to the chapel services my grandparents led there.  The people had such an authenticity to their worship of Jesus as their savior.  I didn't understand it at the time, but I have come to realize that the realness of their worship came from the reality of their vulnerability. Turning Point and other programs like them have the unique characteristic of causing people to expose their problems and shor...

The Salvation Army has a program for school-age boys called Adventure Corps.  At my church, we have two sections of the Adventure Corps program - the Explorers, grades 1-5, and the Rangers, grades 6-12.  I am blessed with the privilege to teach the older group of boys for our youth nights. We resumed our youth nights in January after taking November and December off (a necessary evil to meet the logistical demands of the Christmas Kettle fundraising season).  As is my custom in the class, I had the boys vote through the eight categories of Ranger badges bracket style to determine what our next set of activities would include.  After the voting had been finalized, the boys decided to tackle a badge in the "outdoors" category. Outdoors.  In Minnesota.  In January. And so, I decided to do instruction from that category on the Orienteering badge, using as many class periods as I could doing activities that could be done indoors (studying maps, learning ab...

When I started this blog, I did so with the intention of actually using it.  Looking at the length of time I've had it and the small amount of posts compared to that timeframe, I'd say I'm not doing so well.  I think it's time to change that.  But to you, my readers, I am going to need your help. Today is the beginning of the season of Lent, a time where many people of faith will give up something, usually something they like or enjoy a great deal, as a means of self-denial in preparation for celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus.  I have taken part in this historically, giving up Coca-Cola, pizza, barbecue sauce, internet, and other things of that nature.  But this year, I'm going to take a different approach. Starting with this post, I am committing to spend the Lenten season doing at least one complete blog post a day from now until Resurrection day, excluding Sundays.  I'm calling on you, my readers and friends, to hold me to this challeng...