Love Worth Having



I’m reading “A Love Worth Giving” by Max Lucado. The book is a study of 1 Corinthians 13 or the “Love Chapter” as I call it. I always enjoy reading Max Lucado books. They are full of good information wrapped around great stories. It amazes me that Max has written as many books and leads a church. He must have good asst. pastors assisting him.

I originally bought the book to just read but as I’ve made my way through this book, I want to develop a sermon series. The insights Max offers are good stuff. I’m sure with the information in this book plus my own study, a study of 1 Corinthians would benefit our church members.

Yesterday, in the chapter that covers verse 7 ([love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.) I thought about what Christ has done for me. Christ saved me from my sins but beyond that continues to grow me and pick me up when I fail Him. I have a saying, “its tough being human but someone has to do it, and I do it so well.” Being a Christian doesn’t make a person perfect; it makes us forgiven (of our sins) and a child of God. Since we are a child of God, He loves us and wants the best for us. Agape is the Greek word used in 1 Corinthians. Agape is the word that describes how God feels for His people and for those He died for on the cross.

How can I not try to do the best I can for the One who took all my sins on Himself on the cross? In myself, I will always fail my God. The great thing is that it’s not me but Him. I can’t be perfect but He can make me perfect. As I walk with Him (daily) through my Bible reading and prayer, He molds me into the man he wants me to be; knowing that He loves me with the agape love blows my mind. Without Jesus in my life, I am nothing. It is only because of what Christ did makes me worthy. I pray that I never forget this.

Broken People



Last night I was part of something I’ve never been part of. I was part of a spiritual intervention. One of the men of our church have been telling half truths and lies, and last night his mother-in-law had me (as an Elder and his teacher) and the Sr. Pastor come to her house so we could be witnesses. I’ve met with this man several times and had been lied to about what has been going on in his house with his wife and family. I felt sad for him but knew this was needed. He has hit bottom and knows that the leadership knows of his deceit. The Sr. Pastor basically called him out and told him that he is defaulting back to his old ways when he lies, and the Pastor is completely correct. I’ve talked with Joe (not his name) today and told him that I forgive him of the lies he told me and how he mislead me. I’ve learned to trust my 6th sense or discernment; I’ve felt for sometime something wasn’t right but wasn’t sure. He has a ways to go (as we all do) but if he continues to trust that God can help him become the man he should be he will be fine.

Sometimes it takes God breaking people for them to stop playing church and be real. Palm 23 shows us that God is our shepherd. The second half of verse 4 says, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The rod and staff of a shepherd are used to keep the sheep safe and on track. If a sheep doesn’t heed the shepherd’s leading and does its own thing, the shepherd will break the sheep’s front two legs. The shepherd then carries that sheep on his shoulders until the legs are healed. Most of the time, after this happens the sheep keeps close to the shepherd but if that same sheep starts on the same path the shepherd has no choice but to kill it to keep the other sheep from following the bad behavior.

This is similar to some Christians. They think once they are saved they can continue in their old ways. Our Master wants the best for us. He (through the Holy Spirit) leads us in the way we should go. If a Christian keeps doing their own thing, God breaks them. It could be in the form of losing their jobs or poor health. I know when I see a Christian going through trials, that’s when they tend to grow the most. God doesn’t always have to break people to get them to change. The shepherd knows when to use his staff to lead the sheep and when to use the rod to break a sheep’s legs. Breaking is always as the last resort. God only breaks people after he gives them changes.

Being broken will hurt; I know from experience but in the long run it’s for our benefit. God loves us so much He died for us. What we think is best isn’t even close to true best. The true best is only found in obeying and honoring God.

Dedication and Focus



My sister-in-law’s (Beth) boyfriend is a gym owner and a bodybuilder. Randy has won some bodybuilding contests and is training for one that will be held in Florence KY in March. Being a bodybuilder takes a lot of dedication and focus. Since Randy is training, he can’t have any carbs or sugar and a week before the contest he will need to limit his water intake to maximize his muscle definition. In my mind, there are bodybuilders and muscleheads. A bodybuilder is an athlete who has to balance diet and weight training along with aerobic workouts (i.e. jogging, biking, and/or swimming). A musclehead just works out with the weights with no or little thought of diet and cross training. I have a lot of respect for bodybuilders.

I wish I had the dedication and focus to be one. My M.O. over the years have been working out for 3 to 4 months and stopping for 2 months and starting back. The last year I have stopped this M.O. and have been going to the gym 5 times a week. My body is starting to look better and my lifts have improved. I’m more interested in a well rounded health and exercise program so I do more aerobic then lifting. I lift weights on Tuesdays and Thursdays (doing a full body program) with swimming and stationary biking on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and jogging on Saturdays and Sundays. I’m going up on my bench but right now I’m lifting around 210 pounds. I’m up around 110 pounds in my arm curls. I’m doing better because I’ve worked out straight now since last March and have been swimming constantly since June (I’m up to 30 minutes straight in the pool doing laps) and have run in multiple running races. I feel good.

I say all this to say that being a bodybuilder takes dedication and focus in the same way a Christian should have dedication and focus in their walk with Christ. There are Christians who have a walk (Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance) the same way I used to exercise. They are hit or miss and they haven’t grown in their Christian maturity. They are like a guy who is still bench pressing 50 pounds after exercising for years. Their M.O. could be reading their Bible for a solid 3 months and then something distracts them and they go several months without reading; could be getting up early for praying time for several months with one morning they decide to sleep in and before they know it months go by; and/or could have good church attendance until summer comes and they stop attending church. All these items are needed for a person to grow in their faith in Christ. Leaving any of these items out is like a guy who looks like he’s in a great shape (looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime) but can’t jog more than a mile before needing to stop for air. You look good and sound good but when trials come your way, you are derailed.

I mean not to come off judgmental but the Bible calls us to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable. We have way too many Christians who are effete. They fall for the same sins time and again. In order that we constantly grow in our walk with Christ we must take note of the dedication and focus of a bodybuilder. We must train (read our Bible, pray, and attend church regularly) daily. We must avoid the spiritly carbs and sugars that will rob us of our hard work. Spiritly carbs and sugars can be allowing your eyes (and mind) to wonder where they shouldn’t, being part of things a Christian should have no business being part of, and the like.

Just as bodybuilders have workout partners, we as Christians should have partners. Another word for workout partners is accountability partners. An accountability partner will help us keep focused on the things that are well pleasing to God. An accountability partner will ask the hard questions; how’s your daily Bible reading going, are you praying, and how are your relationships? This is set up not to make you feel bad or like a loser but to help you and encourage you to get to the next level. This is like a workout partner helping their buddy go from bench pressing 300 pounds to bench pressing 400 pounds; by encouraging and giving them a hand when needed.

We (me included) need to be better at being dedicated and focused on our growth as Christians. God left us here for a reason; to further His kingdom. Let’s be a spiritual bodybuilder and grow lean spiritual muscles that we can flex for God and bring Him the glory.

Forgiving Others



In our world where payback is the norm and almost demanded, we called to forgive others in Luke 17:1-4.

Luke 17: 1-4

1He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!
2"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4"And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

I must admit, I do struggle with this on the road. Especially if a person is driving in the left lane slower than me and they aren’t moving to the right lane (which should have slower traffic). The word moron either is thought or said out loud. I do get over it in a few minutes, but that does get on my nerves.

There are benefits for forgiving others their debts against us. According to the current psychology, when we forgive others we have less health issues. When we forgive it releases something in our body that relieves tension. But it’s still hard to let it go when people do you wrong. I had an experience in 2002 that taught me a lot about forgiving others.

On Mother’s Day of 2002, my sister’s then husband of 12 years left her a voice message telling her that he is leaving her for another woman. That threw my sister for a loop. What followed were weeks of staying with her (either over night or until she went to bed). I was so bad at Joe (not his real name) that I wanted to hunt him down and beat the mess out of him. That’s when the Holy Spirit told me to chill out. It was revealed to me that it’s only by God’s grace that I wasn’t like Joe. It was God’s job to work in Joe and not me. After a while I have come to forgive Joe for what he did to my sister to the point of shaking his hand and wishing him the best the last time I saw him.

We have to remember that it’s only because of what Christ has done for us on the cross and that God has drawn us to Himself that we are new creatures. We grow in our walk with Him but it’s because of his grace we are forgiven. If it wasn’t for the regeneration of grace, we would be just like the people who need our forgiveness. And if the person who offends you is a believer, let God deal with them. There is a plan laid out for that in scripture. It’s up to you to forgive.

Loving This World



Andy Warhol is one of America’s best-known pop artists. He readily admitted that his world revolved around pop culture with its shallowness, fleeting pleasures, and “fifteen minutes of fame,”. He once summed it up like this: “I am a deeply superficial person…If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, there I am. There’s nothing behind it.” Contrast that with the apostle John’s perspective of 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” When the Bible says, “Do not love this world,” it does not mean we are not to admire and appreciate the beauty and blessings of this life. But rather, the world in the sense that John was speaking about is our world system and things that are opposed to Christ and all that He stands for. When our primary desire is for pleasure, possessions and popularity things aren’t right. We call that sin and sin destroys. Loving the world tears down our relationship with God, it denies our faith in God, and discounts our future with God. Let’s live our life for the Lord and walk with Him in fellowship sweet.

Following God's Lead



A friend sent me the below poem about the word "Guidance." It speaks volumes.

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,

I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one person

and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

and to guide you through each season of your life.

Biblical Leadership



Pastors are like everyone else who confess Jesus as Lord. The men who have been called to lead a body of believers are just that, men with the same temperament, faults, fears, and strengths. Granted, a man who feels the calling to pastor people must meet all the requirements listed in First Timothy chapter 3. Since it is God who calls a man to pastor His people, He is the One who makes a man worthy to be a pastor. As a natural man, a pastor has nothing to offer God. It is because of God’s gift in the person Christ Jesus, we are made worthy.

As a man who has the calling to lead a body of believers, I know that my calling is to copy Christ. To do what He showed in the New Testament. Not to direct my agenda, but to follow the agenda God gives me.

Reading through “Summer Church Pre-Launch” training material by Dr. John Worcester, I came across the below list on how a pastor should lead his people.

1. Lead like a shepherd not like a cowboy

2. Build a trust based relationship not FEAR BASED relationship

3. Persuade them do not THREATEN THEM

4. Go before and set the example rather than STAY BEHIND and crack the whip

5. Care for and love them. Don’t USE AND ABUSE THEM

6. Lead them don’t DRIVE THEM.

7. Develop followers through delegation and doing ministry together

8. Delegate to those with the right attitudes and develop skills on the job

9. Look for leader types who will also follow

10. Negotiate everything up front and make authority boundaries clear

11. Keep all your promises

Being a pastor in an established church or church planter, the man of God must be a servant first. People will be willing to follow a person they feel cares for them.

I'm Happy!



I just got a call from the computer shop that has had my laptop for a week now. It’s nice and clean of all spy ware and ready for pick up. Teresa will go by and pick it up today. I can’t believe how happy that makes me. For almost 3 weeks, we haven’t had a computer at the house after having one for 10 years. The family computer stopped allowing us access to the internet 3 weeks ago so we knew something was up. It’s older (4 years old; ancient for computers) so after the shop told us the amount of money it would cost to remove all the spy ware and viruses, we decided to buy Teresa her own laptop. My laptop is only 1 year old so we had the shop clean it up.

Teresa is more technical than I so she has used the library computer to research how to prevent this from happening. We have a new WiFi server we are hoping will help. My laptop was hijacked because (we think) we’ve been using our neighbor’s WiFi and didn’t have a filter. We now know better.

It will be nice to have all my stuff back (pictures, videos, and other saved stuff). It has been weird not having what I need at my figure tips. Weird but this has made my day.

Slow But Learning

I’ve been in the ministry since I was 16 years old (age I was called to full-time ministry). I’ve worked as stuff member and as a lay-leader at 4 churches during these years. Over these years I would have to say God has taught me a lot (through His Word and through action). I remember when I was in my early 20’s I read a lot on birth order and personality make-up (both through secular and Christian authors). I remember one book told you your personality make-up and the Bible person that was the same as you. I remember reading that Simon Peter and I have the same personality. When you’re twenty-something that’s cool, but as you grow older it tends to bite you in the rear. Always removing my foot from my mouth got old. I’ve learned to be slow to speak and long in the thinking before opening my mouth. Teresa (my wife) has been a great help.

The last 3 years, we have been working at Common Ground Community Church and been planning to start a new church but God has redirected us the last few months. Now, we are looking at taking a smaller church and grow it. I’ve talked with a couple of churches here in VA and no doors have opened. It’s all good because I know we are on God’s timetable and he will open the door in His time.

Earlier this month, I had a church call me from MO. It was weird to have a church call me. This is a small country church that wants a bi-vocational pastor. I don’t mind doing bi-vocational (done it most of my ministry career). There is on big problem; I’m not a country preacher. I grew up in the suburbs. I sent them my resume and Teresa and I prayed. They asked to hear me preach and I gave them the web address of Common Ground website (there is a recorded sermon I preach in December). I never thought they would call me back but one of the search committee members called yesterday. They want to hear another sermon and asked if I can mail one to them; small church couldn’t afford airfare to fly us out. I told them OK but I had a weird feeling. I know I didn’t want to go and I could tell Teresa isn’t interested in moving. I told myself that if I send it and if it’s God’s will the door will open and then we will go and if not nothing will come of it. It sounded all nice and spiritual. At 3 am this morning, I woke up. I couldn’t get back to sleep. I knew what I had to do so after talking with Teresa, I e-mailed the point of contact and said thank you but no thank you (put nicer than that).

I had come to my senses. I want to pastor a church. I want to equip a body of Chris-followers to grow and reach out to their community. I was willing to try and kick in a door where I know that we (Teresa and I) would not fit. Teresa and I had this conversation last week when we were driving around where Teresa spoke to my heart. God used Teresa to say just the right think to me about looking for a church. Her words still ring in my ears; “God will open the right door at the right time. We just need to wait for Him to open it.” Now that will preach. I can be slow but I do learn. We are waiting on God. We are at the best place we can be.

Facebook

Last week, Teresa and I had to put out computer and my laptop in the shop. We have some virus issues. We are using the local library to check e-mail and other things (I’m use it’s computer for this posting). This morning I was able to talk with my cousin in HI via Facebook and a friend here locally. It’s cool to be able to get connected with people that live so far away and also keep in touch with people near you.
My time is so busy with work and ministry so when I can connect face to face I do that. I love meeting friends over coffee at Java Café (better coffee than Starbucks). But with my schedule, I can’t meet everyone. Facebook has been a great tool to help me keep connected with friends who attend other churches. Facebook has been great staying in touch with my family who live in almost every state in the union.
If you are on Facebook, send me an invite and I’ll make you my friend. I can always use more friends.

Power of the Resurrection

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. (Matthew 28:6)”

I never get used to reading about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I cry every time I read the gospels. I pray I never get over it. The passage I put above just jumped out at me today. “for He is risen, just as He said” made me rejoice in the Lord.

The crucifixion was the fulfillment of the agreement God made with Israel. It was a conclusion of the Law. Jesus didn’t just die in our place as a payment for our sin, He set us free from sin itself. Because Jesus was raised from the grave, we have the victory. The power of the resurrection is that we can overcome the sin that once held us down. Because of what Christ did, we can be more than conquers over sin and death. Jesus took the keys of death and hell from Satan when He was raised from the grave.

When you feel that you just can’t win or be delivered from any sin, remember that Jesus is seating on the right hand of God the Father and being our attorney and pleading your case. If you do know Jesus Christ as Savior, you are a new person. The Bible says that all things are new. God only sees two colors; white and red. Red is our sin and white is what purity looks like. When Jesus saves us, He seals us forever in His blood so when God the Father sees us He sees us through His Son’s blood which makes us appear white. That’s the power of the resurrection.

Feedback

The man I see as being my first and main mentor (the main person God used in my early ministry life) sent me his feedback regarding the list of questions I will ask when a church asks to talk with me about being their pastor. His feedback was:

“If you intend to turn an older church around you will want to look and listen for some humility among the leadership and people. If they are proud God will resist them and let them die. You don’t want to do palliative care for a dying congregation.”

I see this as very sound advice. I do not want to waste God’s time in pastoring a church not willing to change in order to reach the lost. I feel there is a time God sets up a church to exist to reach the people He wants the body to reach, and there is a time that God is finished using a particular body and allows it to die off. I do not want to wastes God’s time so I see the list of questions as a great tool. Of course, God can always move and change the hearts of a body to want to go from being self-centered to community/lost centered or being inward focused to being outward focused.. After all, it is really about honoring and serving God and not any tradition a church has had for any amount of time.

That’s why I intend to walk slowing with my Father and follow His lead so when He opens the door to lead His bride, I will know it’s Him leading me and not me.

Questions



I’ve been thinking and praying more these days on what God truly wants from me. In what way does He want to use me? In the last 3 years, God has taken me on a journey that I could not have imagined just a year before it started. I have a desire (I feel it’s a God given desire) to pastor a church. I want to lead a body of believers to grow beyond their limitations and start seeing the world as God sees it. I want to equip them to “get over themselves” and reach out to their community; to show love to the loveless as Christ did.

I know that with any calling, God equips the person to accomplish the task He has called them. With that said, I feel the journey I have been on the last 3 years has been one of learning and being stretched. The different people God has put in my path and the different tests of my faith have changed the man I was just 3 years ago. The start of this journey was something only God could have orchestrated. I can see His fingerprints throughout. The next step (I feel) will be an open door to lead a church. I know that as I’ve talked with several churches I need to develop questions to ask them to see if the door is opening for Teresa and me. Through reading the books “The Interventionist” and “Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can, Too” I see the importance of creating a list of questions in order to see if God is opening a door. Below is a list of questions I intend to ask any church who has asked Teresa and me to visit with them. I’m sure as I pray and read more and talk with fellow church leaders, this list will grow.

1.In the church’s history, how many pastors have you had and what is the average tenure of a pastor?
2.What do you think the duty (based on scripture) of the pastor is?
3.What functions do you want me to lead, and what areas do you think I should be hands-off?
4.What do you think the duty (based on scripture) of the deacons is?
5.What do you think the function (based on scripture) of the church is?
6.What do you think the responsibility of the church member is to the function of the church?
7.What are you willing to change (i.e. style of worship, décor, etc) to reach the lost?
8.What aren’t you willing to change?

Godly View of Trials

There are some people that God has put in my path that I feel it's an honor for me to work with or have worked with. Ron is one of these people. I got to know Ron pretty well while I worked in the Point Harbor Community Church's men's ministry. Since Teresa and I felt Point Harbor Community Church to work with Common Ground, I've seen Ron twice but we send e-mails all the time. Below is an e-mail from Ron that leaves me thinking that Ron knows the One who is in control of our lives. I my opinion, this is the correct way to view trials and tribulations.

I hope your family is well. Zee and I are still on the battle field for our Lord. I had rotator cup surgery on Dec. 22nd., my sister went home to be with the Lord Jan. 11th., her father is in the last stages of cancer as well as a cousin.

We have been studying the book/letter to the Phiippians. Just reading about Paul's many circumstances gives you a new prospective on your own. One thing that jumps out at you in the pages is the love, concern for the people of God that Paul had inspite of all other things going on in his life that made him personaly uncomfortable.

"These are the times that try men's souls". Isn't that so true? These are the times that a God who is in control of it all has allowed to be. I see why our Lord put such a low value on complaining and being unthankful. I see why it's not good to think one is entitled to only the best in life. I see how we can become so consumer minded, even in the church, to have the audacity to pick who we want to minister to. Even in the toughest times God continues to call us to the side of others in need. He continues to supply our needs according to His riches in Christ.

Isn't it blessed and wonderful that He does not put more on us than we can handle. We can do that to ourselves quit well. It's true that we should pray and wait for an answer so that we could be in the center of His will..but we don't always because we are mere humans, YET HE REMAINS FAITHFUL!! Pray for us on Saturday.17th. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m.

In Him

Ron

My Testimony

I was looking through my Microsoft Word documents and came across the below. I wanted to share this with you. If interested, read on.

On a Sunday morning in 1977, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior at the age of 7 years old. In 1984, my family joined Fellowship Baptist Church (now Point Harbor Community Church) in Chesapeake, Virginia. In that same year, I surrendered my life to God to do with as He wanted. I made myself available every time the church needed help. Every summer, I spent time at the church building helping with cleaning, maintenance, visitation, and washing the buses. No task was too small, because I was ministering. I carried a New Testament in my back packet everywhere I went so I would be ready to witness.

In 1986, I sensed God’s call on my life for full time ministry. With a new sense of purpose, I began to share the love of God with my classmates. I carried a Bible on top of my schoolbooks so that people would ask why. This gave me witnessing opportunities. I helped the Youth Pastor with anything and everything with the intent to learn and a sincere desire to minister with him and to the youth of our church.

In 1989, upon graduating from high school, I enter Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri to pursue a degree in Missions/Bible. After 3 years of study, I left college and return to Virginia to reassess and seek specific direction concerning God’s calling in my life.

From that time on, God has taught me much about waiting on His timing and trusting in His guidance. I have utilized this time in my life to deepen my faith-walk and actively serve in various ministries at three dynamic churches, both vocationally and as a lay leader. Currently, God has sent me Common Ground Community Church (a Southern Baptist Church Plant), where I’m partnering with the pastoral staff in the areas of Small Groups and Discipleship.

Doubt

I’m reading through the book of Matthew in my personal study and I came across the passage of Matthew 14 where Peter walked with Jesus on the water. After Peter became afraid because of the storm and began to sink, Jesus asked why he doubted. I heard a theory about this passage in that Jesus was asking Peter why he was doubting himself and not doubting Jesus’ power. This makes sense to me because Peter had enough faith to believe he could walk to Jesus on the water. The problem was when reality set in (seeing the wind and waves around him) he started to doubt his own abilities.

When Jesus calls out a person for a special task; be it to preach His word, move to a foreign country, or to just walk across the street to your neighbor He equips us for this task. I think when people freak out about the task God gives them to do it’s more about doubting ourselves and not God. But when you doubt our own abilities, you doubt God’s power. After all, God is the One who made us who we are (good, bad, or indifferent). Our S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experience) was created and developed by God to being glory to Himself.

I think in order to be fully committed to what God has laid on our heart to do for Him, we have to forget about all the fears we may have and keep our eyes solely on the One who called us to the task. According to Ephesians, God has already completed the tasks He has called us to do for Him. God knows all things and created all things. He knows what is in our path and will protect us and/or carry us through it. As long as we keep our eyes on God and do His work, we should not doubt ourselves. God has made sure we were ready before He called us to the task He is doing through us.

Read Matthew 14 and see.

Changing Our World



I just received a newsletter from a friend who is starting a new church in Westpoint, VA (just north of Williamsburg). He had some sound words for this this new year and I wanted to share it with you.

"As we turn the page into the new year we wonder, “What does the world hold for us in 2009?” We can look forward to many blessings in the next year. But also in our world there is much trouble and many challenges. We may see it in the news or experience it in our personal lives...War. Poverty. Disease. Political unrest. Moral decline. Ever wonder, “Is there anything I can do?” You might be feeling powerless to change the world, but you and I possess the power to change the world one heart at a time. Acts 1:8 tells us, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Want to do something that matters for eternity in 2009? Be a witness of the Gospel. Share your faith with individuals who are searching in darkness for the Light. As we stand at the beginning of a new year, my prayer is that I will reach out to more and more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be a part of the solution to the problems facing our world."

Think about it.

Mind over Matter

I’m sure most of you if not all of you know the phrase “Mind Over Matter.” It’s basically pushing through difficulties to achieve a goal. I remember as a teenager seeing the Clint Eastwood move “Heartbreak Ridge” the phrase being used in a way that I think of every time I use the term. In the movie Clint Eastwood plays a Marine gunnery sergeant trying getting a motley crew of Marines (Forest Recon) back into sharp. In a scene where a big muscle bound guy comes up to him and tells him that the group no longer has to mind or obey his orders because he no longer matters. It’s a great scene.

I had a “mind over matter” moment today at the gym. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I do 25 minutes on a stationary bike and 20 to 30 minutes swimming laps in the pool. Today, after 5 minutes my body was telling me to just swim 15 minutes because I over worked my shoulders and back yesterday doing free weights. I told myself to just get to 15 minutes and then we will see. After pushing through 15 minutes in the pool, I pushed on and did a full 30 minutes of laps. I pushed through the pain and achieved my goal of swimming 30 minutes. I have to say that I’m tired right now but this too will soon pass.

Technology



I’ve been thinking how great technology is over the weekend. I just finished reading a series of novels based in a medieval period and how long it took the characters to communicate long distances. They would travel for weeks to move just 50 to 100 miles. I think we take the technology we have now for granted. I had my truck serviced and the state inspection done on Saturday and while waiting I pulled out my Palm cell phone and surfed the web and answered e-mails. It wasn’t until I was done waiting that it hit me how great we have these days.

I normally don’t think about how easy we have it with our cell phones today. Two weeks back, Teresa and I were getting the house ready for the family (for Christmas) and we came across our first cell phones; bought them in 1999. They were heavy compared to what we have now and they were just phones. They didn’t have a camera, camcorder, web-access, or anything else we take as being normal on our cell phones today. I drive at least 38 miles round trip to work everyday (which is roughly 50 minutes in the truck) and just a hundred years ago this trip would have taken most of the day. In Biblical times most people only traveled maybe 15 to 20 miles from the home; most people lived most of their lives only traveling 10 to 15 miles from their home. Our technology is growing fast; yesterday Teresa saw the cell phones we have for only $50 and I think we paid $150 just 6 months ago. The same can be said about computers.

The reason why this struck me as interesting is that the people in ministry have great tools at our figure tips. We can be in contact with the office without needing to be in the office. With cell phones and laptops, we can stay out in the “field” and still stay in touch. God called us to be about our Father’s work but most are locked up in their offices doing administration stuff. I love being bi-vocational so I can be out and about shining God’s light on the field I have been entrusted with. When God opens the door for me to be a Senior Pastor of my own church (actual it is God’s church) I would be not in the office as much as some pastors. I will be in the coffeehouses and other place getting to know the community. Technology has given us the tools to do so much more than our forefathers. We should use it to the max to reach our world for Christ.

Awesome!

Last week, we played host to my parents, my sister (Wendi), her husband (Scott), and my nephew (Justin) for Christmas. We had a great time with them all but I would have to say that the highlight was my 8 year old nephew Justin. Everything was “Awesome!” for him; his Christmas gifts, our trip to Jamestown Settlement on Friday, and me. It got to the point that he would make me laugh every time he said, “Awesome!” I told Wendi that his “Awesome!” was “Awesome.”

Teresa and I really didn’t know what to expect with Justin this time around. It has been almost 2 years since we saw him last. I would have to say that Wendi and Scott are doing an awesome (I had to say it) job raising this little man. The last time they visited, he was 6 and he and I watched cartoons together in the morning because we were the only ones up and I didn’t mind him watching them. This time around, we watched a little bit of cartoons but we got to spend time together having more fun.

I really enjoy running so after we opened our Christmas gift, I suited up for a 6 mile run (we had 55 degree weather in VA on Christmas day). Justin saw we put my running shoes on and wanted to come with me. Wendi told him no because she knew I was going for 6 miles. He frowned but didn’t make a scene. I was coming back around my running route and saw Teresa and my mom doing Teresa’s normal 3.5 mile walk. I saw that little man (AKA Justin) was with them. I met up with them about a mile from the house. Teresa told me that Justin wanted to run with me so I slowed my pace and he ran with me. He kept up with me. When we got back to the house that’s all he talked about; the he ran with Uncle Tom. I would have to say it was “Awesome.”

I told Justin that on Saturday, I was planning to do a shorter run of 3 miles if he wanted to come with me. That’s all he talked about on Friday night. He told me before going upstairs for bed that he was going to sleep so he’ll be ready to run with me in the morning. I slept in a little on Saturday; woke up at 7:30am. Justin was waiting downstairs with his clothes on ready to go. I told him that we will run around 9am to allow the temperature to rise a little. At around 9am, we headed out for our 3 mile run. I told Wendi later that the run was all about Justin. I didn’t care about our pace. Justin did a good job. He ran 2.5 mile before I had to carry him on my back. I carried him about quarter of a mile and he was ready to go. He ran the last quarter and fell out on our loveseat. It was funny. Wendi took him upstairs for a bath. After the bath, he was ready to go again.

Justin shared with Teresa and me on Sunday morning that he didn’t sleep well Saturday. He said he didn’t want to leave. Justin is an awesome kid who I can’t wait to see how God will use him. He’s very sharp. I’m hoping we can get together in July. All in all, the week was “Awesome!”