Just Say “No”



Today at work, the management bought donuts and apple cider for everyone to enjoy. I had to say “No” to this offering of sweet treats. I’m not a big fan of sweets anyway (not even as a kid), but I do appreciate the thought. We have an end of the month birthday celebration with a cake for those whose birthday was during the month; I never partake of the cake but do attend. It may sound weird to some but if I’m going to treat myself with something bad, I rather have pizza and not sweets. Pizza is my weakness.

You may ask why I don’t partake with the sweets. Well 7 years ago, I discovered that I’d allowed myself to weigh 220 pounds. I wore a 36 inch pants but they were getting a little snug. Teresa, my wife, had joined Weight Watchers so I joined her with counting the points. I got to where I could tell you the points of anything (still can). In 5 months, I lost 45 pounds and got down to 175 pounds. I felt great.

Well 4 years ago, I discovered that I gained half of this weight back so I did the WW thing again and went down to 180 pounds. This time I decided to stick to an exercise routine. My track record with exercise has been one of 3 to 4 months on and 2 to 3 months off; I’d done this since my mid-twenties. I wanted to make sure to keep this weight maintained and I knew exercise was the only way.

I started with walking on the treadmill and light free-weights. I had run in my youth and had stopped but I started again after a few months of the treadmill. Running was as fun as I remembered it, and I kept that up until Teresa told me that I was running the length of a 5K race so I signed up for my first race and never looked back. Since that first 5K race, I’ve run in 3 5K races, an 8K Mud Run, two half marathons, and an 8K adventure race (running and biking through mud and over obstacles). Two years ago, I started to go to the YMCA during my lunch break and have been doing that for 2 years straight where I do 2 days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) of heavy weight training with the stationary bike on the other days. I ran (still do) outside after work almost everyday (weather permitting). After a few months of this, I added swimming to my routine. I always enjoyed the water so I thought I’d try it and found I love it the most. It was the toughest of the new things but I stuck to it, and am up to 30 minutes of laps each time (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) equaling swimming for 90 minutes each week.
While doing all this exercise, I’m watching my diet. My diet has had to change from the mindset of a dieter to that of an athlete because I was not eating enough for all the exercising I was doing. Food is fuel, and the right food works better than junk. That’s why I say no to cake and donuts and eat pizza only once and a while.

I started dieting and exercise to stay healthy and not to need to live on pills like my parents. The side affects of this is feeling great and according to Teresa looking sexy (her words; not mind). My personal opinion is that all pastors and ministry people should be role models in how we live. Diet and exercise is part of that along with having a constant Christian walk.

Who Am I?



Last night I had a great reminder of just how blessed by God I am. Last night just before Teresa fell asleep, I held her and baby Ripley while lying in bed (as far as for Ripley, I held Teresa’s stomach). We didn’t say anything; we just laid there. I am so blessed to have Teresa for my wife. Not to sound cheesy, but God has used her to make me the man I am today. I just laid there holding my ladies and just praising God in my head. It makes me think why has God blessed me so? Who am I that I have been blessed so much?

Going back to the beginning, God drew me to Himself at the age of 7. I started serving Him at the age of 14, and He called me to preach at the age of 16. I have had the opportunity to use my youth to serve Him. He gave me good Godly (not perfect) parents and a loving home to grow up in. He gave me good examples (pastor, youth pastor, and music director) to learn from at an early age. My God is so giving.

I can see how He directed my path from childhood to now, and it is amazing. When I wish things went differently while I was younger, I stop and remember I would not be me; the me I am now. God knows what He is doing when we do not. The Bible says that He knows us from before He created everything. David wrote that He knows us in the womb. He knows my baby and is forming her to be what he wants for her. That is just simply wow to me.

The Casting Crowns’ song “Who Am I” bridge puts it best;

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

My purpose in life is to bring glory to God the Father and I will never stop trying to do so. The best part of living my life for Him is that it’s not me doing it; it’s all Him. He is the One who leads; He is the One who directs; and He is the One who loves. I’m simply following His lead. My God is awesome and I am not worthy to be His child. Thank you Father for making me worthy to be yours. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you.

God's Plans



Teresa and I were talking last night about how it’s been a fast year. It’s hard to believe that as of November 8th, it will be a year since Teresa was laid off from QVC. If it was up to Teresa, she would have liked to have a new job by January but God has other plans for her. In human logic, she should have been hired in no time. Teresa has an undergrad and grad degree in Business Management; she served 5 years as an officer in the Army; worked two years in manufacturing; and 13 plus years at QVC. She has the experience and education. This is where God’s plan is best.
Because of this past year, Teresa’s walk with Christ is stronger; our relationship is the best it has ever been because we have been able to spend more time together (Teresa worked 10 to 15 hours a day at QVC); and best of all, we have baby Ripley on the way (5 weeks more and she will be with us). I’ve written this before, we do not know what’s around the corner but God does. He had everything planned out before we were ever born. We need to trust in Him. God’s plan is best for us even when we can’t see it at the moment; that’s where faith comes in.
I’ve written before, if we have enough faith to trust our souls to God why can’t we trust our lives to Him. After all, He does know best. Trust in the Lord with all you might, and lean not on your own understanding. Because God is all knowing, all powerful, and present everywhere, He knows what He is doing.
If you are going through unknowns in your life and you are a Christ-follower, God knows the plans for you. Trust in His plan for you. God’s plan will fit you like a glove, and you will be happier than if you were in your own plans. Trust God.

Justice



On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I fulfilled my civic duty by performing jury duty for Portsmouth, VA. I sat on a murder/attempted robbery trial. The case was basically a 19 yr old man shot and killed another 19 yr old man and shot another 19 yr old man while trying to take a golf cart. The crime was just senseless. There was no verdict because one juror didn’t think the person was guilty; a hung jury.

While we were in the juror room talking over the evidence, one of the men on the jury asked “How have we as a society come to this?” It’s simple, SIN. It goes back to when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate the fruit. Since that time, mankind has been at war with God. Society has changed a lot in my lifetime and I’m only 39 yrs old. I think a crime like takes place simply because we as a society have stopped teaching that everyone is a creation of God and started teaching we are all glorified monkeys. You teach that a person has come from apes long enough, people start to act like their ancestors were intend apes. Society thinking tends to change with the wind, but we as God’s people go by the ultimate standard; God’s Word.

As God’s people, we go by what the Bible says and not go with the flow as society does. Society’s law says that this young man broke their standards and because of that; he must pay. As a jury, we were not of one mind so this man will have another trial. I shared with the other 11 people on the jury that we must take in all the evidence and make a decision. If we say he’s not-guilty and he is there is a final judgment after death. I didn’t say anything after that and no one asked me to explain my statement.

God is the ultimate judge; He will judge us by the ultimate standard. When we breathe our last, we will stand before Him and give an account of our lives. He will ask us one question, “Why should I let you know to heaven?” If we say anything other than Jesus Christ, we will not enter. We are all born guilty of sin but Jesus came to take our place. I have been set free from the guilt of sin. He paid the sin guilt on the cross and I received His gift. Even though I deserve to spend eternity separated from God, He made a way for me to spend it with Him. When God sees me, He sees His Son. I am guiltless because of Jesus’ gift of eternal life. Without Jesus, I am no different than the young man that was on trial. Jesus makes all the difference.

What about you? Do you have the assurance that you will spend eternity with Jesus? You should make sure.

Living Out What Your Believe



I received an e-mail last night from a friend who shared with me how our friends are doing in the ministry. It was nice to hear the good report; the wife published her first book and is beginning a speaking ministry to women, and the husband’s ministry to the youth is growing. It was encouraging. Four years ago this story was completely different. The husband was stationed (through the Navy) outside the country and the family was unable to join him so the time apart gave Satan a foot hold and he thought about ending the marriage. Of course, he had no Biblical reason so I called him out on it. Through e-mails I lovingly held him accountable to what he was thinking of doing. The Holy Spirit used my e-mails and caused him to come to his senses; he and his wife are closer now than ever and their children have a whole family. Satan wanted to destroy this man and his family before they could do what they are doing for God. I don’t think Satan knows what God has planned for us as we serve Him, but he is out to destroy us before we are totally committed to God and his plan for our lives.

All I did was hold a dear brother accountable for his actions and reminded him “What does the Bible say” about divorce and the reasons for it. The Holy Spirit did the real work. If we as Christians totally believe the Bible to be the real words of a living God why are we not living it out for the world to see? Jesus told us that the world will know we are his people by the love we give; why don’t we love more? Our job as Christians is to bring glory to God the Father. If we are living out our love for the world to see, they will wonder why we are different. It will give us opportunities to point people to Christ. Only God can save people; not us, but we are called to share our faith by loving.

1 Corinthians 13 is clear when it tells us that if we have no love for those around us it doesn’t matter what we know or what we can do; it’s empty. We can love only because Christ loved us first. The love we have to give is Christ’s love. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and only through Him we can have eternal life are you living that out in the open for all to see? It’s I received an e-mail last night from a friend who shared with me how our friends are doing in the ministry. It was nice to hear the good report; the wife published her first book and is beginning a speaking ministry to women, and the husband’s ministry to the youth is growing. It was encouraging. Four years ago this story was completely different. The husband was stationed (through the Navy) outside the country and the family was unable to join him so the time apart gave Satan a foot hold and he thought about ending the marriage. Of course, he had no Biblical reason so I called him out on it. Through e-mails I lovingly held him accountable to what he was thinking of doing. The Holy Spirit used my e-mails and caused him to come to his senses; he and his wife are closer now than ever and their children have a whole family. Satan wanted to destroy this man and his family before they could do what they are doing for God. I don’t think Satan knows what God has planned for us as we serve Him, but he is out to destroy us before we are totally committed to God and his plan for our lives.

All I did was hold a dear brother accountable for his actions and reminded him “What does the Bible say” about divorce and the reasons for it. The Holy Spirit did the real work. If we as Christians totally believe the Bible to be the real words of a living God why are we not living it out for the world to see? Jesus told us that the world will know we are his people by the love we give; why don’t we love more? Our job as Christians is to bring glory to God the Father. If we are living out our love for the world to see, they will wonder why we are different. It will give us opportunities to point people to Christ. Only God can save people; not us, but we are called to share our faith by loving.

1 Corinthians 13 is clear when it tells us that if we have no love for those around us it doesn’t matter what we know or what we can do; it’s empty. We can love only because Christ loved us first. The love we have to give is Christ’s love. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and only through Him we can have eternal life are you living that out in the open for all to see? It’s something to think about.

Outlook On Life



By nature, I’m a people watcher. I get this from my parents who enjoy sitting and watching people at the mall. It can be fun trying to put traits on people by just looking at them. One trait of a person that is hard to see by looking at a person is how they see life; at least for me. Some people see circumstances as “the cup is half empty” and some see it as “the cup is half full.” I’ve not made a study of this so I’m assuming the people who view life as “the cup is half empty” tend to be more pessimistic while the “the cup is half full” people tend to be more optimistic. As I said, it’s hard to see by looking at people unless you are a body language expert; which I am not.

The life philosophy of Gene Simmons’ mom (yes the Gene Simmons of KISS) is very interesting to me; she is definitely a “the cup is half full” person. Any day that you are above ground is a good day. Meaning, no matter how bad your day could be going; at least you are still alive. This is a good life philosophy which was created out of being a Nazi holocaust survivor.

I’m not a doom and gloom sort of person so I guess I’m a “the cup is half full” person. There is no need to dwell on the bad because I know the One is has everything in the palm of His hand. If things are going well, I praise His name for the good He has given me, so why would I not do the same in the bad times. Just as the poem “Foot Prints in The Sands” nicely puts it, when good stuff is going on Jesus is walking with us and when bad things happen He carries us through it.

I have a great example of how a Christian man sees himself in the scheme of things. This man has been a pastor for several decades serving his Savior well. I was informed 3 months ago that he was told he has cancer and the outcome seems dire. His reaction was something awesome. Where most people (Christian and lost alike) would ask, “why me?” his reaction was why not me. If my God will heal me of this illness then great; if not, then I’ll see Him soon. That is a mature man of God.

How do you view life; “the cup is half empty” or “the cup is half full?” I guess it really depends on how you live your life and in whom you belong.

Staying Focused




A few years back, I made a decision not to allow politics to have a place in my ministry. It was part due to reading Billy Graham’s quote, “I’m not for the right wing or the left wing; I’m for the whole bird.” It was also part understanding no matter how you lean (liberal Democrat or conservative Republican) you still have a need for a Savior. I remember when I was 14 years old and watching the 1984 Democratic convention and seeing a well known Christian artist performing thinking, “Why is he there with the Democrats instead of with the Republicans?” I was big into Ronald Reagan and still have a lot of respect for him as President. Especially, now I know that he was a Christian who shone his light to others in his way. I thought if you are a Christian, you should be Republican because they have values (I know now that not all Republicans are pure as the driven snow; more like pure as yellow snow). As an independent Baptist, I thought that all our church members should back the GOP. I was wrong in my thinking.

I say that to say this, I think that we have allowed politics to enter too much into our churches. We should not be concerned with who is in office; we are called to pray for our leaders regardless their party. I think that the church got off focus when the church entered politics. If you are called to pastor a church, you are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and equip the saints so they can grow in their walk with Christ. As pastors, I feel we should be apolitical. We should encourage our members to vote their conscience (making sure to check out the facts). Not to push one party over another because both parties have good and bad in them. I do not believe a pastor should ever allow the pulpit to be used to proclaim anything other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instead of backing the “Religious Right,” I think we should point people to Jesus Christ. Instead of lobbying the government to make changes, we should get on our faces before God and ask for change. I think, we don’t ask for change because we are afraid of His response to us; that we must change our hearts and motives. The purpose for Christians in this world is to bring glory to God. We need to stay focused on this and not get sidetracked on petty things that have no eternal value. Countries come and go, but God is forever.

NOTE: The reason for this posting is more to remind myself to not get caught up in the current political situation. Good, bad, or indifferent Barack Obama is the man God has place in the oval office. As President and as a man, I pray for him; for wisdom as he leads the country and for his salvation.