The following is the memorial speech I gave at my Papa’s funeral.

Certainly, God gave the world a gift on Oct 25, 1929 for that was the birthday of my grandfather Kenneth Chappell. To his parents, he was a gift. To his siblings, he was a gift. To all of his family and friends, he was a gift. A few years later, God gave my grandmother, LaNell Chappell, a wonderful gift when He brought such a loving husband to her. Shortly after they were married, God gave them a daughter and a son – and these children received an immeasurable gift when being raised by such a good father. And now, all of us, who are his grandchildren and great grandchildren, have been given a gift to have such GRAND and GREAT PaPa. He was the spiritual patriarch of our family, and our family has been given a great GREAT heritage. So today, when we mourn our loss and celebrate his life, we learn that even today is a gift… because today there is much joy in honoring and remembering my grandfather.

Now, if PaPa was here right now, he would probably be a little uncomfortable because he never liked being in the spotlight. Whenever I needed to be corrected as a child, he would look at me and say “hey boy… hey boy” in that deep voice of his. And today, he would be saying it again because he was a humble man… who never wanted a lot of attention on himself… and today I think he would say “Hey boy… hey boy… everything good about me in only because of the Lord.” I think Papa would want us to talk more about Jesus than about him.

So here’s what we’re going to do - We will remember some specific things about our Papaw… I will share some thoughts on behalf of Papa’s grandchildren… my uncle Val will share thoughts on behalf of PaPa’s children… we will sing a few of my PaPa’s favorite songs… Pastor McLaughlin will bring a message… but our end goal is to see that the life lived by my PaPa is like a big mirror that reflects the beauty, and majesty, and love, and grace, and glory of his Lord Jesus… and as we remember PaPa, we remember Jesus… Ok?

So what are some things we grandchildren will miss about our PaPa?

1.We will miss the good old days at the old house in Clio. We will miss long walks in the back woods… where PaPa carved our initials in the tree bark… and told us to look for Indian Joe… and taught how to shoot slingshots and BB guns… and made us feel like we were strong enough to push over trees.

2.We will miss the way he gave us nicknames – like Rock, and Catfish, and Blakers, and Clayford, and Sweetheart…

3.We will miss him at family holidays and get togethers. We will miss him reading the Christmas story before we open presents… we’ll miss him sitting at his spot at the table during family meals… and the way he would always fall asleep in his big chair with his head tilted to the side… and snore so loud that it would hurt our ears.

4.We will miss the way he loved to take us fishing… and somehow he would always catch bigger fish and more fish than us… whether in the little ponds in Clio or Saginaw, or at the AuSable, or Virginia, or down south at family reunions, we loved to fish with him.… we’ll especially remember how he laughed at Blake when he asked Papaw if hushpuppies came from the ocean… fishing with PaPa was always so fun!

5.We will miss the way he showed us affection. We will miss the way he held us in his big strong hands… and his handshakes that wiggled our hands back and forth… and how he would hug us from the side and squeeze us in really close… and how he would sometimes tug on our hair for no reason and rub our head.

6.We will miss the way he played games with us. We will miss his skill at Dominos and Hand and Foot… and how he would help Paige look for keys to the small play houses… and how he would sometimes hit the wrong colored ball when we played pool because he was colorblind…

7.We will miss many other random things – like the way he laughed so hard during Dennis the Menace that we’d have to shut the movie off… and how he made the best popcorn with the perfect amount of butter and salt… and how he would help us tie our shoes… and how he would put coffee in our sippy cups… and how nice it was to see him in the morning drinking a cup of coffee and just looking out the window.

Last night, the grandkids were hanging out, and some things were said that speak volumes about his life:

1. Blake said it so well when he said “I wanted everyone that I know to know him”… what a compliment it is for grandson to want all his friends to know his grandfather.

2. Clayton said “I loved how he was so fun and we were always laughing with him”… surely there was joy whenever PaPa was near.

3. Paige said “I love how much he loved MeMaw, and how he always called her ‘Shug’”… oh that all men could learn to love their wives like PaPa loved his.

4. And Kendon said “the fact that so many people would come to his funeral says how influential his life was”… wouldn’t it be great if we all could live a life with such impact.

Now, it is certainly true that PaPa was a good man… the best I’ve known alongside of my father. The fact that all of you are here today is a testimony to that. But we all must be very clear about one thing when we remember him – THE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT HIM ARE A RESULT OF GOD’S WORK IN HIS LIFE… AND THE GREATNESS OF HIS CHARACTER IS A RESULT OF HIS PERSONAL DESIRE TO LIVE LIKE JESUS…

So as we reflect on PaPa, we magnify the greatness of the Lord and Savior of his life – Jesus Christ! So here are some ways that PaPa was like Jesus:

1. Just like Jesus, Papa loved to pray. Over and over in the Gospels we read about Jesus withdrawing from the crowds in order to pray. In Luke chapter 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray… In the same way, PaPa has taught many of us what it means to be a man of prayer.

2.Just like Jesus, Papa lived a holy life. It’s weird to say this, but none of us the grand-children can actually remember a time when PaPa sinned. Now surely, PaPa was not a sinless man like our Lord Jesus… I’m sure MeMaw could tell us a few good ones… but the point is that he lived is such a way where he turned away from sin, and toward the ways of God. He pursued holiness.

3.Just like Jesus, Papa loved little children. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus says “let the little children come to me.” Now, we all know grouchy old men who avoid children at all costs. Papa was the opposite. He loved children and welcomed them just like Jesus.

4.Just like Jesus, Papa made strangers feel loved. We read stories in the gospels like the woman at the well… where Jesus met a woman and immediately she felt loved and known by him. For many of you in this room, PaPa was the first man to greet you when you first came to this church… You immediately felt loved and known by him. That’s because he was welcoming you just like Jesus would.

5.Just like Jesus, Papa was a servant. Matt 20:28 says that “the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We all know that PaPa was the epitome of what it meant to be a servant. Many of us would say that he was the most humble man we’ve ever known. He continually put the needs of others before his own… and in doing so, he was acting like Jesus.

6.Finally, just like Jesus, Papa loved his bride. Over and over in the New Testament, the people of God are referred to as the Bride of Christ. Simply stated Christians are the bride, and Christ is the groom. In Ephesians 5 we read these words about grooms and brides – “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself up for it.” So we see that the one of the primary roles of a husband is to give himself up for his bride just like Jesus did… to sacrifice for her. PaPa was a man who would sacrifice anything for his bride. He loved his wife, served his wife, and would do anything for her well being. As my Papa loved his bride this way, He was reflecting the love of His Savior – Jesus – who sacrificed his very life for his Bride by dying on the cross 2,000 years ago.

If we remember anything about PaPa today let’s remember what he would want us to remember - that all of his greatness came as a result of his great desire to live like Jesus lived… and love like Jesus loved. Praise be to God for the life he gave to my PaPa, Kenneth R. Chappell.

YES… IT’S TRUE!!!

We are welcoming Shane Claiborne, author of the Irresistable Revolution, to speak at APEX - Mon, Feb 11 at 7:30. Shane is a radical follower of Jesus who believes we should turn off our TV’s, pick up our Bibles, and rethink the way we live. He has ministered among the homeless in the inner city of Philedelphia… among the lepers in Calcutta with Mother Theresa… and even in the suburbs of Chicago with Willow Creek Community Church. He is passionate about inviting churches across the US to live in a way that displays the love of Jesus…

This event is open to all of APEX and to the general public. Admission is free, however, an offering will be taken to benefit local community organizations. Shane will give a presentation followed by a time of prayer and Q&A.

YOU NEED TO BE THERE!!!

Is she the world’s cutest baby girl or what???

This is my favorite moment of 2007

The “Good News” that we’ve forgotten:
Here is the gospel of Jesus… as I understand it at this moment… and this is GOOD NEWS…

1. The world is a messed up place… (think zits, hip replacement surgery, Chernobyl, weeds in your lawn, etc…) we are imperfect people living in an imperfect place… However, that’s not how things started out to be… Man was created to be in perfect relationship with God & His creation…
2. Somewhere along the way, something went wrong… That something was Adam’s disobedience to God… The result was imperfect humanity and a break in the relationship of God and man…
3. To be united with God demands perfection - Holiness… This is why God gave his people the Law… and demanded they live by it… If they could not do so, death would be the result…
4. No person could live it out perfectly… Until Jesus came on the scene!!!
5. As the GOD-man – infinite in holiness, completely sinless, & perfectly righteous… Jesus lived perfection on behalf of all humanity… satisfying God’s demand for human perfection… for all people of all time…
6. As the GOD-man - Jesus absorbed all the sin of humanity … died on the cross while bearing it… satisfying the demand of God for death as a result of sin… for all people of all time…
7. As the GOD-man – Jesus overcame the ultimate result of sin – DEATH… He did this by rising from the grave 3 days after his crucifixion… This resurrection is the defining moment of Christianity… Believing this takes faith – since it’s not like people rise from the dead everyday… If the resurrection did not happen then all of Christianity is completely in vain – THE BIGGEST HOAX EVER!!!
8. During Jesus’ time on earth… and even after his ascention into heaven… people have been invited to be a part of His Kingdom… His kingdom on earth – The church… and His future kingdom – Heaven…
9. To be a part of the Kingdom (both present and future), we must acknowledge that our imperfection separates from a perfect God…
10. We must trust that the infinite nature of Jesus’ goodness and holiness was able to absorb the imperfection of all humanity of all time… He did this by dying on the cross…
11. We must repent from sin… and imitate the death of Jesus… How??? By dying to our human nature, fleshly desires, and sinful tendencies…
12. We must commit to living like Jesus…

AND, it’s GOOD NEWS to live like Jesus lived!!!
Don’t you agree??? Isn’t it the best possible way to live???

Jesus is way better than Barney…
Because living like Jesus means no longer being able to act like Barney… We cannot cover our eyes and ignore reality…. The gospel is loving our neighbors… The gospel is loving our enemies… The gospel is helping the sick and the poor… The gospel is sharing the message of the Kingdom…

THEOLOGY MUST BECOME ETHICS!!!
After all, James himself says – “Faith without works is dead”

Getting Very Specific:
Specifically, it got me thinking about Justice… or the lack thereof… For instance:
1. How is it that we can watch a late night infomercial about starving kids in Africa and not really care???
2. Or how can we ignore the hundreds of thousands of orphans in Africa because their parents die early due to AIDS…
3. Or how is it that I can walk by a homeless guy downtown immediately judging him as an alcoholic… meanwhile protecting the $20 in our pockets???
4. Or how is it that there are 4000 babies dying today from abortion and we just accept it as women’s rights???
5. Or how is it that a teenage girl in Uganda can be sold to a man for a few bucks as a sex slave and we just ignore and say we need to “fix things at home” first…
6. Or how is it that groups of young African boys can be abducted around age 12 and be forced to kill their friends… and we don’t even know about it…

The Point:
As Christians, we sometimes act as foolish as Barney… we must admit that we often ignore the reality of the above situations… How??? By simply avoiding them…

- Have you ever changed the channel because you didn’t want to feel guilty?
- Have you walked on the other side of the street to ignore the beggar?
- Have you ever been embarrassed of the protesters?
- Have you felt compelled to give to a mission organization, but then didn’t?
- Have you felt compelled to participate on a mission trip, but then didn’t?

Especially if we live in America, we ignore reality in order to feel OK…

But we’re not OK… I believe American Christianity owes the world a huge apology… Why??? Because we call ourselves Christians, (which means “little Christ”), and then intentionally ignore the basic messages of Jesus…

To be concluded tomorrow…

People Become Barney:
Consider this scenario – You have a baby boy… Like a good parent, you believe in feeding your child, so you do so… Now imagine being that little baby boy… You see mommy/daddy presenting you with your food day after day… The tasty daily delicacies always comes by means of this little shiny object – a spoon… So you grow to love seeing the spoon…

Now we have all watched little kids laugh hilariously when mom or dad do that little thing where they put the spoon in front of their kid’s face, then remove it quickly… Kind of teasing their child in a joking way… Hopefully you know what I’m describing…

The reason a little child laughs so hard is because they really believe that the spoon is appearing and disappearing… Their mental capacity actually makes them think that the spoon exists when they can see it… but when they can’t see it, they no longer believe it exists… Kind of like Barney…

Mental Maturity/Immaturity allows you to discern truth from lies…

Getting a Little more Personal:

In the book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the author goes to great lengths to talk about the basics of making money… It’s a great read… very helpful to me while I was in my early 20’s… One thing I’ll always remember is one little section that talked about how people will start to believe HUGE lies in the hopes of making lots of $$$… This is why people often fall for scams and such… because of the HOPE of making lots of $$$…

They start to revert back to mental immaturity in hopes of getting something they really want!!!

Or stated another way – we ignore reality in order to better ourselves…

Tying It All In:All this talk of Barney, spoons, and money scams got me thinking…

It got me thinking that I am Barney…
I am the kid who thought the spoon disappeared…
I am the adult who got suckered into a money scam…

I AM THE ONE WHO HAS IMMATURELY IGNORED REALITY

More to come tomorrow…

Barney Want a Numma???

Facts:
Barney = my friend Tom Jones’ dog… not the purple kiddy dinasaur
Numma = doggy treat

Quick Background:
When I was growing up, my best friend was Tom Jones… He was middle class… loved sports… involved in my church… etc… and we had a lot in common… But one of the coolest things about Tom Jones was his dog named Barney… sometimes we actually called the dog “Barndles” because like all things you grow fond of, you tend to give it a nickname… and since Tom’s family was from the South, we chose the nickname “Barndles” for the dog… Sounds fairly Southern, right???

Barndles was a Beagle… fat and old… and pretty much moved slow all the time… EXCEPT when offered food… So, my best friend Tom coined this little phrase “Barney want a Numma???”… It was like magic… all you needed to do was say those words, and the old dog starting sprinting like Jackie Joyner Kearsey toward whoever was offering him the tasty treat… Perfect for getting the dog to come indoors when nothing else would bring in the rebellious runaway…

We loved Barney!!!

Disclaimer:
The only purpose of the above information was to introduce you to Barney – who’s doggy antics will be used to introduce my real point… and to add a little bit of humor to your day…

Barney Becomes Invisible:
One thing about Barney that always made me laugh was this – whenever he did something bad - like poop on the floor, or puke on the carpet, or chew on the couch end – Tom and his family members would verbally scold him… OK, it wasn’t the scolding that made me laugh… or the chewing, or puking or pooping (although they were slightly funny)… Rather it was Barney’s reaction to the scolding… He would always retreat to his little doggy bed… lie down… and intentionally cover his eyes with his paws… Tom told me that Barney had a reason for habitually doing this – it was because Barney believed that if he couldn’t see you, then you couldn’t see him… and that was his way of avoiding the issue at hand…

More to come tomorrow…

until my bride walks down the aisle… I cannot wait!!!

Check out our new website - www.jachel.com. It is a wedding gift from our good friends Abs - Thanks man!!!

Written on Dec 31… 2005

I was text messaging back and forth with my fiancé… and, as couples who are in love tend to do, we started sharing our hearts with one another… not our daily schedule or our to-do lists, but our deep feelings and emotions about each others personality and character and the other things that draw us into an intimate relationship… The last text I received from her did something to me… I don’t really know how to explain it or put it into a precise formula, but it did something big… My eyes kind of teared up a little, and there was this feeling in my chest as if someone had just punched me in that spot where your rib cage comes together… but it wasn’t a painful feeling, really, it was more like my heart expanded inside to the point that it felt like it could burst out of my chest… and while it was swollen like this, it beat really hard for a few seconds… and it was like this feeling was something that seemed to strike the deepest part of my humanity… as if this feeling was what being alive was all about… I got so overwhelmed by this unexpected moment that I pulled out my laptop and had to type this out… I think this is going somewhere…

So why did these simple typed out words on my cell phone mean so much to me… Maybe it’s because I have some sort of insecurity problem about loneliness and not being loved, or feeling less than everyone else, or growing old and having lived an average life… I don’t know… that might be some of it – my need for affirmation… but if these words meant so much to me simply because they stroked my ego, then why haven’t the compliments I’ve received from other people throughout my life meant as much as this one??? I’ve had other girlfriends who have said nice things… and I have many friends and aquaintances that have acknowledged my talents… or wanted to have dinner with me… or have complimented my character… So what made this text message so significant???

Maybe it was because it was natural…not forced… not the result of some major incident that occurred… I was just sitting at a coffee shop reading, and my fiance was just waking up on a lazy Saturday morning… We weren’t side by side, gazing into each others eyes, in some sort of romantic euphoria… In fact we were like 30 miles apart… We simply started sending each other text messages and suddenly this beautiful expression of feelings and emotions found it’s way out of her heart, and onto my cell phone screen…

Maybe it was because it was unexpected… You know how sometimes you have these moments where it’s almost a formality to express some sort of nice or romantic feelings for someone else… Like after a date has ended and you have to bring closure to the night… or in a birthday card… or after a big fight… After some time, you almost have an expectation for your loved ones to share something significant with you at these times… However, sitting in this coffee shop, I had no expectation… These words truly surprised me… sort of… which brings me to my conclusion…

I say that her words “sort of” surprised me because, as much as I didn’t expect to read them, I already knew that she felt this way… It’s like there was this perfect collision of what I knew in my head and what I felt with my heart… I knew her words were true, and honest, and authentic… and there was this deep appreciation for the time she took to carefully and deliberately and creatively express the feelings I already knew existed…

Sometimes, I wonder if this is the way God feels when we have those moments of honest relationship with Him… I’ve had a few of these moments… like the first time I prayed an honest prayer (where my exact words were “God, I’m really pissed off at you right now”… but that’s another story for another blog entry…) or like this first time I shed tears because I realized that the fullness of my sin was absorbed on the cross… or the night that I layed on a picnic table staring into outer-space verbalizing the fact that God is bigger than I can comprehend and that He will always be mysterious…

I wonder if He has moments where His heart pounds because someone He loves shares an honest, unexpected and natural moment with Him… where true feelings are expressed in vulnerable ways… Maybe this feeling I felt after receiving this text message from the one I love and desire and pursue comes from the core of being human… and maybe the very core of our humanity says something about the core nature of God… after all we are created in His image… whatever that means is still a mystery to me… and by no means am I saying that I am God… but maybe, just maybe, He gives us moments where we can catch a glimpse of His heart’s desire for intimacy with us… and if you could ever feel the way I felt about my fiance’ today, then you would want to be in a relationship with a God who feels that way about you…