Giving God the Honor and Focus and Not Man

According to scripture, as a believer in Jesus Christ and a child of the living God my sole purpose in life to give praise and honor to Him. Man should never get the same honor that is reserved for God and man should never be the sole focus of any believer.

I’ve been raised in a Christian home and have been attending a Baptist church since I was in diapers; I even attended a Baptist college. I know some but little of the Catholic church. One thing I do know is that they hold Peter as their first Pope. I’ve always thought this strange since Peter is known to have been married (Jesus healed his mother-in-law) and no Catholic priest (the Pope being the highest priest) are not allowed to marry. I also know (through reading books and watching movies/TV shows) that when someone has an audience with the Pope or other Catholic officials the custom is to kneel and kiss their office ring. This practice goes against what Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10 (When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”). As a non-Catholic, I find the practice of kneeling before any man and kissing his office ring offensive; especially in light of Acts 10 and the teachings of Jesus Christ where He teaches no one should hold themselves higher in office (or attitude) to others. No one should think of themselves better other any other person. The sad thing is that the Catholic church doesn’t have a monopoly of this type of practice.

We have churches in the Baptist convention that treat their pastors as if they were their Pope. The man can do no wrong and some of these men start believing it. I think it’s great when I see men staying longer than 2 years (that the average tenure of a pastor in the U.S.) at a church, but it seems the longer a man pastor’s a church the likelihood that they could (I say again; could) loss their focus. The focus or job of any pastor of a church is to equip the members of that church to grow in their relationship with God by reading their Bibles and having a healthy prayer life. The Christian should be looking to God for answers by reading their Bibles. Going to a pastor is good for help but a pastor is not the end all and be all. God is the end all and be all.

As a pastor of God’s people, I see myself as someone who should stay out of the way so God can do His work. Jesus Christ is the head of the church; He is the Great Shepherd of His flock. I am merely an under-shepherd; a steward. The focus should never be on me; the focus should always on God and what He wants for His people. I should never aspire to be honored; I should aspire to bring honor to my Savior and my Father. I pray I never loss that focus.

In The Shadow of the Cross

Ripley loves playing with her shadow. I’ve noticed over the last six months or so that when I’m changing her diaper, she is lifting her arms up and looking at the wall where she sees her shadow. She laughs and waves her arms around. This past Sunday, I was walking behind her trying to get her to walk through the garage without stopping to touch everything and she kept looking at the floor. I was right behind her so instead of her seeing her shadow; she saw mine. Since my shadow is bigger; her shadow was lost in the middle of mine. I wondered then and still do if she thought “Wow, my shadow is huge!”

I’m reading through the book of Acts and am seeing the same men who less than a year before who ran for their lives standing with boldness and proclaiming Jesus Christ. It is awe inspiring when I read the accounts. The apostles don’t inspire me; it’s what God did through them that inspires me. What inspires me when I read is what God can do through people who are 100% committed to Him. The apostles did nothing on their own; they were only tools that God used to further His Kingdom. We, as God filled believers, must understand that whatever we accomplish for God on this green ball we call Earth is not us doing it; it’s God Himself who is doing it and we are the tools He has chosen to use.

When I teach and/or preach, I always ask God to have the group see and hear Him and not me. I stand before people in the shadow of the cross. The shadow I see before me is not my shadow but the shadow of the cross. When properly aligned, my shadow (me as a person) is lost in the shadow of the cross so when people see me; they are seeing the cross. That is my desire when I teach and/or preach and that is my desire when I walk through this life. My desire is to be lost in the shadow of the cross so I will never forget who is at work. It’s not my church; it’s not my ministry; it’s not my flock; it’s all God’s. He is the One who develop the plan to redeem me; He is the One who paid the sin debt on the cross by shredding His blood; He is the One who drew me to Himself and is leading me and indwelling me. It’s not me; it’s Him who accomplishes anything of worth in my life.

Ephesians 2:10 breathed new life in my ideal on what I’m doing for Christ. This passage encouraged me 6 or so years ago to walk without fear of failing. Because when I am walking with God and marching to the beat of His drum, I’m right where he wants me. I’ll close with the verse and I pray it encourages you;

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Giving Thanks


Today is “Black Friday” and I’m sitting at my desk thinking about yesterday and what it means to me and how most of the history regarding Thanksgiving’s Day is all about has been rewritten. With Ripley’s birthday falling on Wednesday (Thanksgiving’s Day Eve) this year, I was very mindful how blessed Teresa and I are with a great child. I’ve written at length what a miracle baby she is; being born with malrotation and needing surgery at 10 days old. She is a walking miracle with only a faint line showing where the doctor opened her open (almost two years ago) to do his thing to make her insides right. God has my thanks for that and so much more. As a Christ-follower, I give thanks to God on a daily basis.

Thanksgiving’s Day is so much more than just turkey with the “fixings” (in fact, we had Cornish Game Hens yesterday instead) and spending time with family. It’s more than eating to much and watching footfall. It’s more than a “holiday” before the Christmas season. It’s about God’s people taking time to give thanks to Him for preserving their lives and blessing their colony in Massachusetts.

The day that we celebrate “Thanksgiving’s Day” was when the Pilgrims were giving thanks to God and not the Indians for preserving their lives from the harshness of the past winters and the fruitful harvest they had. It is true that the first winter the colony at Plymouth Rock, Mass, that half the colonists died. The following spring, the Indians did indeed show them how to grow food and hunt for beaver. The Pilgrim saw all this as God providing for His people. Their colony was based on what they read in the Old Testament and New Testament As God bless their endeavors, the Indians started to trade with them and since the trading was so successful, the Pilgrims were about to pay the companies that sponsored their colony back very quickly. The Pilgrims invited the Indian tribe to be part of the feast to show their appreciation for their assistance but at the same time showing them that God used the Indians to preserve them. The first Thanksgiving’s Day feast was a celebration and a witnessing tool; giving thanks to God and showing the Indians that there is a God and he loves His people.

Thanksgiving’s Day should be everyday for God’s people. I am thankful to God for:

Him dying on the cross in my place and drawing me to Himself and saving me at an early age.
Giving Teresa to me to be my wife and helpmate.
Giving Ripley to me to be her father and being able to watch her develop into a really neat little person.
Being raised in a Christian family (with both a Dad and Mom).
Giving me a purpose in my life and developing me into the man He will use to further His Kingdom.
Giving me a well paying job where He has used to supply a house, cars, food, and list can go on and on and on.

Once we start to mediate or think about how truly blessed we are, one day is not enough to offer thanks to our Heavenly Father. What are you thankful for? Tell God thank you.

A Pastor’s Mandate

You never know what will make a thought pop in my head. This post started yesterday (Monday, 11/21) at the dentist’s office. Teresa and I wanted Ripley to see what going to the dentist is all about so she sat on my lap as Teresa had her cleaning done. The dental assistant was in awe that Ripley drinks either milk or water during the day and no pure juice (only half water; half juice and only when she needs help with pooping; sorry if this offenses anyone). The assistant was further surprised when we told her that Ripley only ate a bite or two of her birthday cake wanting a piece of celery instead. Ripley is used to eating fruit and vegetables. I know if I come in the living room eating an apple, Ripley will want some. That’s all she has even known; eating healthy. That’s our job as her parents; making sure she knows eating the right foods will make her feel better and teaching her to feed herself will equip her to live a healthy and productive life.

When it comes to the church; there are too many anemic Christians. Those who want to be spoon fed on Sundays and thinking they are healthy/productive followers of Christ. When a pastor spoon feeds his people milk each week and never equips them to feed on streak there is an issue. Milk is great for babies and is good when added to a balance diet but for adults only drinking milk there is a lack of getting needed vitamins in their bodies. It’s partly on the pastors to get the church members to desire streak and it’s the pastor’s job to equip them to be able to feed themselves. To help me stay focused on the true role of a pastor, I’ve come up with a pastor’s mandate.

The mandate is based on two Bible passages; Ephesians 4:11-12 (And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;) and 2 Timothy 3:16 (All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.). As a pastor, I see part of my job is to teach the church member to be able to grow in their walk with Christ by giving them the tools to read and understand the Bible. I’m to teach them to be able to read the Bible and apply it in their daily lives. The old adage will fit here; give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.

When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will be able to stand on the assurance of what is in the scripture when the storms come (Jesus said when storms come; not if they come). When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, when books like “The De Vinci Code” is published they know it’s only a work of fiction and not based on anything other than a philosophy and that a 6 week sermon series is not needed. When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will have a better understanding where they fit in this thing we called life and what their true purpose is and how they can fulfill that purpose.

I know that not all church members want to read the Bible or want to make it part of their lives. That is the difference between a Christian and a disciple (or learner) of Christ. The word Christian means to be “Like Christ.” I like the term Christ- Follower instead of Christian. When a person is a Christ-Follower, they want to be “Like Christ” in every way. As a pastor, I want to lead like Christ led His Disciples so I read the gospels to see how He led and how He lived His life on Earth and by God’s grace I try to do the same. I fail more than I success, but I’m trying.

If a church member has no desire to grow in their walk with Christ; they could be just that, a church member. Being a church member doesn’t mean you are a Christian or a Christ-Follower. It just means you name is on the role books of a local church. A Christ-Follower’s name is in a church’s role books and in the Book of Life.

It’s been 2 years Already


It’s hard to believe that on Wednesday, 11/23, little Ripley Anne Thomasson (AKA Sunshine) will be 2 years old. The time has flown by. Everyone with children has told us that. What a rollercoaster of enjoy it has been.

I remember the evening before we knew for sure. We were shipping at Wal-Mart and Teresa picked up a testing kit and I looked at her with puzzlement. She told me that she had felt weird for a few days and wanted to see if it was true or not. We’ve stopped preventing pregnancy 4 or 5 years before. We both settled to the fact that we might not be blessed with a child and now there was a chance. I was excited. The following day, I saw the test on the bed with a plus; I ran downstairs and kissed Teresa and wanted to shout it out for the world to know. She asked me to wait a few months before we tell the family to make sure nothing went wrong; Teresa was 43 at the time. After 3 months of waiting, I was given the green light and I told everyone from our family members, church members, and even a few people at the gym.

Things went very well during the 9 months. I sang to Teresa’s stomach and read stories to her stomach. I was getting ready to be a Daddy. A position I longed for but stopped hoping for. When Ripley came out at 4:05pm on Monday, 11/23/2009, I went with the nurses as they cleaned her talking to her. Apparently after months of talking and singing to her, she knew my voice and she settled downed. I was in awe; and I still am.

Ripley gets so excited when I come home from work. I’m still getting used to her dancing around the living room when I come through the door. I love being a Daddy and I know that whatever I do and say to her will affect the way she sees God (the Father). I take that responsibility very seriously. I tell her many times during the day that I love her. I tell her that God loves her and that He died for her. I know she is only 2 years old but I’m planting a seed that I pray God will harvest. I pray that God will draw Ripley to Himself when she is young. I pray that she will come to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and use her life to serve Him all her days. I pray that God will allow me to see her grow and become a lady that will bring Him glory.

I love my little ray of Sunshine.

Unplugged

Last week, my cell phone was stolen from my gym locker. And to answer your question; no, I did not have a lock on it. I have since bought one. A dear friend gave me his older phone (same Blackberry I had but one generation removed). I had my phone number put in this phone but for some reason the website and social media was not working so for 3 days (until I made the time to go to a Sprint store) I was unplugged from e-mail and Facebook when I was away from my computer. My Blackberry is a smart phone so I can do a lot with it so it was weird not having it for those days. It felt kind of freeing to be unplugged.

In his book “Replenish,” Lance Witt writes how important it is to get unplugged. To set a time out of either your week or day to get away from the computer, cell phone, church office, and get alone. I thought it is easy to do; I do it at least three times a week. I leave my cell phone in the locker when I go to the gym. I do not use an I-pod or MP3 player while I run. When I run or swim it’s me time to get lost in my thoughts. We have a rule at our house that we do not answer the house or cell phone while we are eating dinner; it’s family time.

The difference that I found when I unplug willingly and when I was forced to was a sense of losing out on something; information. It was a weird feeling when I first had my smart phone turned back into a smart phone. I sat in my truck and put my Facebook account back on my phone before leaving the parking out. What’s up with that?

In our society, we want information now. Be it real news or trash about Hollywood. We’re a me now society. We think that if we unplug, we’ll loss out on something; anything. Jesus when He was here took time to be away from your disciples. It was His time to be along with his Father. When you read the gospels, He always went away to be alone just before He made big decisions; choosing His disciples, before teaching to bigger crowds, or when He decided to move on to another village. He always made time to spend time with His Father. He got direction, encouragement, and a sense of oneness with His Father.

As a Christ-follower, I am told to be like Christ. The Holy Spirit directs me and God the Father molds me to be like Christ. If Jesus Christ made time to unplug, I should do the same. And not just when I’m working out, but when I can spend real time alone with my Savior. Everything will not fall apart if I take an hour to get unplugged. It’s time to unplug.

Waiting or Hoping on The Lord


I’m a little down today; it started yesterday. I know what it is; its Satan throwing doubts my way. I know that God has given me a desire to pastor/shepherd His people. I read how 1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry and how there are churches looking for pastors but no doors have opened. I know that God will open the door He wants to open in his time. I know that fact, but I’m still down. When I’m like this I remember Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind (The Message).” Some English translations use the word hope instead of wait. Either word works.

This morning as I was thinking through my daily reading of Psalms and thinking about Isaiah 40:31, an older Steven Curtis Chapman song popped in my head. I’ve actually sang this song once or twice in the mid-1990s. The song is taken from Isaiah 40:31 and reading the words leaves me refreshed and encouraged. If you are wondering what God has planned for you or you have a God given desire that you are waiting to be fulfilled, read the words to this song and I pray it leaves you encouraged.

“You wonder when the Lord will renew the strength within you;
You wonder how, how can He use you as you are.
Seems like you’re wasting precious time,
But then a voice comes to remind you (to wait).

CHORUS
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
You will understand in time.
Why you must wait,
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
Yes He hears you,
But for now you must wait on the Lord.

Answers come slowly to your cries of desperation,
But time is His tool, teaching the greatest lessons learned;
So let Him do His work in you,
And watch the miracles come true as you (wait).

(chorus)

And He wants you to know that
They that wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They will rise up with wings as eagles,
They will run, not get weary.
They will walk and not faint;
That’s a promise to us when we (wait).”

Make Believe or Pretending to be Who Your Aren’t

I have a different view of Halloween than some pastors. I know most churches have Harvest Festivals instead of Halloween Festivals but they are the same thing. I know churches try to stay away from the idea of celebrating October 31 but I say use it. The church I’ve been working with have had Trunk-or-Treat events (kids go from car to car in our parking lot asking for candy) on the evening of October 31 for 4 of the 6 years I’ve been with them. We have the parking lot lights on, have hot cider and chocolate, and the last two years a few games and rides. It’s neat to see the different costumes that are worn.

I like to know the history or origins of things and words. Here’s a short history on why costumes are part of Halloween. The first Halloween costumes were rudimentary cloaks and disguises worn so travelers would resemble the wandering spirits of the dead. For this reason, costumes representing ghosts, skeletons and other morbid characters have long been the most standard costumes. In ancient times, people set out food and drinks for the dead souls, so the costumes also served as a means of gathering food from people's doorsteps. In the 19th century, churches in England popularized the baking and distribution of "soul cakes," which were traded in exchange for prayers made on behalf of their departed loved ones. Currant cakes were especially loved by children and, over time, the holiday's focus shifted from a celebration of the dead to a game of children looking for sweets. As the child-friendly version of Halloween spread through English-speaking countries via immigration and literature, costumes grew less morbid and more playful.

I know most people think wearing a costume and pretending to be someone or something else is only for children for one day a year; however, adults do it everyday. People pretend to be happy when they aren’t; they pretend to have it all together when life as they know is crumbling around them; they pretend to be fulfilled when they are in fact looking anyway and everywhere for the “meaning of life.” The whole pretending game isn’t just for the secular world; the church has our own set of pretenders. People come to church with a facade up; couples have been fighting about something on the way to church to only come in with fake smiles on their face. People going through hell during the week saying they are doing great or fine and turn the “How are your doing?” question around to someone else. In our men’s small group, the men know that they are not able to say fine when I ask how they are doing because the word “F.I.N.E.” to me stands for Feels Internalized Not Expressed. No faking it in the men’s small group.

The word that gets thrown around a lot about church goers who pretend to be well when they aren’t is “Hypocrite.” The word hypocrite has it origins in ancient Greek. The meaning of this word is saying a person is acting or being an actor. The actors of this time would wear large paper mache masks that showed different emotions. When an actor needed to show sadness, he wore a mask that shows sadness; when he needed to show happiness, he wore a mask that had a big smile; and so on. The main problem with wearing paper mache masks all the time is that they are made out of paper and start to tear and split. The upkeep on them is too much for people to endure; however, they see it as being better then showing people their true selves out of fear of rejection.

The church is a family and a family accepts their members as they are. The only person who is prefect is Jesus Christ; no one in the church is prefect. Not the pastor, the deacons, the Sunday School teacher, no one is. We are all flawed humans who need a Savior and once saved it takes time to grow in our relationship with our Savior. Being part of a church is to be part of a community of Christ-followers who should love one another and accept each other as they are but also help them grew in their relationship with Christ.

Let’s let the masks stay a Halloween thing and leave them off the other 364 days of the year. God saved you as you were with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. He is molding you into a useable vessel; sometimes that has pain involved. Don’t pretend; be who you are and God’s people will love you regardless. But remember; you have to love your brothers and sisters in Christ for who they are; with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. Church should be a “No Pretending Zone.”

Some Take Aways from “Replenish”

I’ve been reading “Replenish” by Lance Witt. I’m in the middle of the second unit; has four main units and 41 chapters. The book is very good and it makes me rethink how I’ve conducted my life in the ministry to date. Last night I read chapter 14 which is titled “It’s All About The Groom.” I want to highlight some points that made me think and examined how I view my role an Elder/Pastor in the church.

In our modern day, the wedding is all about the bride. The parents of the bride go into debt to make sure their little princess has a fairytale wedding. The dress needs to be prefect; the location must be prefect; everything must be prefect. The bride walks down the main row of seats; the focus is on the bride as she makes her way to the front. It’s her day after-all. The groom is almost an afterthought. The groom wears a rented tux that some other guy will wear the next weekend. He comes in the side entrance and stands waiting for the bride to make her appearance.

The way we do weddings today is quite different from the weddings of the Bible; especially the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The wedding scene we see in Revelation has the focus on the groom (the Lamb; Jesus Christ) and not the bride (the church). All the scripture passages that have a wedding theme always focuses on the groom and not the bride. The bride (the church) belongs to the groom (Jesus Christ). That’s not only a statement about ancient marriage ritual; it’s also a great picture of the relationship between the church and Jesus.

In most churches, the spotlight has shifted from being on the groom to being on the bride. The way some churches conduct their ministries is almost to say, look at us and see what we have to offer instead of look at the Savior and see what He has done for us and what He can do for you. I agree with Lance where he writes, “As a pastor . . . my job is to watch after the bride on behalf of the groom. I am like a spiritual wedding coordinator. The coordinator’s job is to assist and serve the bride and the groom, behind the scenes, in making their wedding day a meaningful event.”

As an Elder/Pastor, I should never do anything that blocks the bride’s view of the Groom’s glory. The challenge for any/all pastors is to get out of the way so the bride will be awestruck by the majesty of her Groom. One of the indicators (according to Lance Witt) of spiritual disease in a church leader is a possessive spirit about the bride. I’ve used words like “my church” or “our church” when talking about Common Ground thinking nothing about it.

Another statement made by Lance stood out when I was reading chapter 14; “It’s helpful for me to remind myself regularly that the church is not “mine.” I am a steward . . . Yes! I am a shepherd . . . Yes! I am a leader . . . Yes! But, I am not the owner, CEO, title-holder, or groom of the church.” The bride belongs to the bridegroom. An Elder/Pastor should see our role as a steward on behalf of the groom, who’s asked us to look after His bride until he comes for her.

The book has made me reexamine on how I see my role as an Elder and pastor. It’s made me see where I have fallen short not according to what man says is productive but what God (in His Word) says. For a church to be healthy, the pastor must be healthy. A healthy church reaches the lost for Christ because they see what they want in us. I need to be less so Christ is more.

John Piper says, “Christ does note exist to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him.”

A Good Read



Last week at the SBCV Power Lunch for pastors, a good was talked about called “Replenish” by Lance Witt. The following day, a PowerPoint presentation was sent to me covering the topics of the book. It wet my apatite a little so I ordered this book. The book arrived yesterday and my plan is to start it today. I’ve read the forward by John Ortberg (I enjoy reading his books) so I’m really looking forward to the read. I’ll talk (or write) more on my thought about the book after I read it. Below is what is in the presentation; areas in which the book covers. If this looks like something that might interest you, check it out.

“When it comes to the church, you can’t separate leadership from the leader. You can’t divorce the message from the messenger. Yet we can become quite adept at projecting an image that does not accurately reflect what’s going on inside of us.

Godly leadership is always inside out. God always has and always will choose to smile on men and women who are healthy, holy and humble.

In our culture we have swallowed hook, line, and sinker the lie that busyness equals importance.

No one is holding a gun to our heads, forcing us to over-commit and over-schedule. As leaders, we must have the guts to start making some changes in our personal lives and church programs.

In ministry we need to recapture the word faithful. It is the nature of our world to be
enamored with what’s big. But in the church we should seek to be enamored with what’s godly.”

The above is just a little of what is in the presentation. I’ve read the first 7 chapters and it is a very good read; painful because it’s hitting me between my eyes. I will put my thoughts of the book as soon as I finish the book.

What A Great Day



I had a very manly and productive weekend. On Saturday, I finally got a physical exam (first one in 13 years) where I also got a flu shot. I’ll find out the lab results either today or tomorrow but everything seems good. Not bad for a 41 year old. I followed the exam up with taking Ripley (my almost 2 year old daughter) to our local library for what they call Two Time (music, story, and play time) so Teresa could go yard saling. After Two Time, Teresa met us at the house where she put Ripley down for her nap. While Ripley was sleeping, I got out my ax and chopped down a brush thing. It was a bush on steroids where half of it had an eight or ten inch trunk and was at least 10 feet tall; so not really a tree but more than a bush. I worked on it for a little over two hours; that’s chopping the thing down and started to dig up the stump and roots. The root base of this thing was three feet round and I had no idea how deep. I was dripping wet so I called it a day. It was great weather for it; mid 60’s. After church on Sunday, I took the shovel, my garden rake, and the ax and went back to work. It took almost 3 hours to dig and chop the root base up but I was victorious. The root base was 2 feet in the ground and kept going so I made sure the bush wouldn’t grow back and hauled the root base along with the pieces to the curb. I back filled the hole with the dirt I dug up plus some I bought. I have to say, I felt great about myself for getting it done. Plus I love the smell of fresh turned dirt.

When my head hit the pillow on Saturday night, my last thought was “What A Great Day.” It’s funny because that is the title of the last song on a TV show we allow Ripley to watch on NickJr called “The Fresh Beat Band.” To me it was a great day because I was able to get a lot done. The more I think about that last thought, the more I keep thinking that as a Christian everyday should be a great day.

As a Christian, we have prefect peace and the assurance of how we will end up after death. As a Christian, we should know that our Heavenly Father watches over us and provides for all our needs (not our wants but our needs). As a Christian, we have a Holy Spirit that gives us guidance and direction as we need it. As a Christian, we have our sin debt paid in full by our Lord Jesus Christ. While living in a world of uncertainty, we know that because of our relationship with God (the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; the three in One) we know that we are safe and secure so how can we not have a great day everyday.

Thank you Heavenly Father for loving me and making me your son; thank you Lord Jesus for paying my sin debt on the cross; and thank you Spirit for drawing me to the Father and giving me eyes to see my need for salvation and giving me ears to hear you calling me. Thank you for making me your man and I ask only that you will allow me to give my life back to you every minute of everyday of every week, month, and year of my life and beyond. I love You!

Uncle Buddy



Yesterday, my mom called and informed me that my dad’s oldest living brother died from cancer. He was fading for the last month; he stopped eating last week. My parents were in Kentucky for my dad’s sister’s husband’s funeral last week; he too died because of cancer. On their way home, my dad was able to spend some time with Uncle Buddy so he was able to say good-bye but according to my sister he is taking it hard. Uncle Buddy is the first to die of my dad’s siblings. The first born (Matthew) died after only a week back in the 1930’s, so there were 12 brothers and sisters; my dad is the 6th of the lot.

NOTE: My dad and his siblings are the photo to the left; Uncle Buddy is in blue in the middle row.

I know very little of my uncle; I never had a conversation with him even though he was present at the family events throughout my life. He was always standoffish to most of the extended family. He was only close to a few of his siblings. I do understand why he was the way he was. As I child, I would sit for hours listening to my uncles and aunts talking about how my grandfather was after Word War 2. Granddad was 36 years old when he was drafted (married with 6 children) and he was an Army medical in the Pacific. While serving, we had his nose broken by a Japanese soldier and during the hand-to-hand combat, he killed this soldier. He never got over it. Upon returning home from the war, he became a drunk. Granddaddy was a mean drunk. Uncle Buddy became the family protector when he was drinking. Evenly granddad became a Christian and stopped drinking all together. He finally found the peace he was seeking in the bottle in the person Christ Jesus.

The stories I heard was almost like something from a movie. Uncle Buddy became a daredevil in his 20‘s. I wonder it was because of him fighting granddad over his teen years. Uncle Buddy retired from being a captain in the local fire department. He raised horses; one almost killed him by kicking him in his back. He has to have surgery and got Hepatitis C through bad blood; it was the 1980’s (before they would screen the blood). The Hepatitis C destroyed his liver and he got a new one. While waiting for a new liver, he accepted Christ as his Savior and like my granddad was never the same. He was always standoffish but he used his days serving his Savior doing mission trips ever year.

I because of the witness of those who know him, I will see him again. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4 gives me this assurance that Uncle Buddy is with his parents; my grandparent in heaven.

God’s Plans For Me



‘”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11”

One of the hermeneutical rules when interpreting the Bible is to know to whom the author of a book to is writing. Not every scripture passage can or should be applied to a 21st century American Christian. The passage in Jeremiah above is clearly written to the children of Israel but I think that we can apply this to our lives. At least it encourages me when I read it. God has plans for me and I can trust Him to fulfill His plans.

God called me to preach His word when I was just 16 years old. He has carried me through some interesting situations over the years. In my late 20’s I tried to walk away from this calling after being burned by a pastor I was working for. The door was opened to work for a Fortune 500 Company so I was content with being a businessman but after a few years of this, God started working on me and He sent people my way to affirm His true calling in my life. I still work for the same Fortune 500 Company (over 12 years now). God has used this job to pay me as I serve as an Executive Pastor in a small church.

Part of my calling (I feel) is to pastor or shepherd God’s people. My passion is to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. I see the job of a pastor as equipping God’s people to grow in their walk with Christ and to be able to spiritually reproduce (sharing the gospel to the lost). I’ve been doing this very thing for the last 6 years as an Executive Pastor. The last year, I’ve started to desire the position of a senior or lead pastor of a church (1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer [pastor], it is a fine work he desires to do.”). I do feel that the Holy Spirit has been working on me and my wife Teresa; laying the foundation that will be a partnership in leading a folk of God’s people.

In the last few months, I’ve talked with 4 different churches (via e-mail and telephone interviews). Nothing has come of these contacts, but I trust in God’s plans for me and my family. I know the door to be a pastor will open in God’s time because I know that is God’s plan for my life. I will continue to be faithful to serve in my current position and will continue to be faithful as He opens the doors.

Along with Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”) encourages me as I follow the path God has put me on.

Trust In Jesus



There is a young lady I have as a “Friend” on FaceBook. I’ve known this young lady since she was 8 or 9 when her mother helped Teresa and me with the youth department way back in the late 1990’s early 2000’s. She was the sweetest little thing. At the time, I had in my church office a print of Bugs Bunny leading music hanging on my wall (I was Music/Youth Pastor) so she gave me a Bugs Bunny coffee cup for Christmas one year and a Bugs Bunny pen for my birthday the next year.

She’s in her early 20’s now and what I read on her postings makes me sad. Her parents left the church shortly before we did and I know they joined another church but that’s all I know what she has been up to from 2004 until now. Whatever it is, she is just not a happy camper these days. Her whole world seems to revolve around some guy and her job. It seems she allows things to get her down. Last week she posted that she wished that she was 21 so she could sit in her room and drink Jack Daniels to wash away her bad day. My sister and a few others wrote comments trying to encourage her and putting whatever the issue was on God and He will help her.

I read her wall this morning and it was the same doom and gloom I’ve been reading from her since we’ve been FaceBook “Friends.” I just want her to know that if she puts her trust in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, she will always be left wanting and/or disappointed.

We have all we will ever need (i.e. love, security, fulfillment, etc.) in Jesus Christ. He is willing and able to carry us through any and every storm that comes our way. Be they self created storms or God created ones; He can and will be with us through them. I think we cannot in our earthly form truly understand the love that Jesus Christ has for us. If we understand just a fraction of what it means to be loved by Christ, we can truly be happy and fulfilled people because our fulfillment is in the person Christ Jesus.

I Survived The Warrior Dash

The past Saturday (Oct 1), I ran in my last race of the season; the Warrior Dash. I’ve run in several trail/obstacle races and this is the toughest I’ve run in to date. Teresa told me that this is the first one she noticed that I showed signs of being tired afterward. It was tough. The t-shirt and metal I have from the race has “I survived the Warrior Dash” and I can say that this is more than a motto.

The race is only 3.5 miles but the obstacles are tough. The race is focused on showing your toughness like a Viking so the names of the obstacles reflect this ideal. The obstacles included Barricade Beakdown which is hurling over 8 4-foot walls with 8 crawling under barbed wire walls; Rubber Forest which is tires hanging and you run through pushing them out of the way; Road Rage which were three cars parked bummer to bummer and you had to climb over them but before and after the cars there were tires you had to run through like football practice; the next obstacle was, Chaotic Cross over which was crawling over tangled nets (the nets were 8 feet over the ground); Deadweight Drifter which was wading through waist to chest deep water and climbing over three huge logs; Teetering Traverse which was balancing up and down 6 inch beams; Deadman’s Drop (the craziest one for me) which was a 12 foot high wall you climbed up easy but on the other side you only had a 2x4 to hang from and drop 3 feet to the ground; Great Warrior Wall which was a 10 foot wall with a rope you had to climb up it (the other side was some slats the climb down); Rio Run which was at least 100 yards of wading through waist deep water of the James River ; Cargo Climb which was 15 foot high climb up and down; Warrior Roast which was leaping over two fire pits (yes fire pits); and lastly crawling through a mud pit. There were total of 12 obstacles that are designed to kill you or challenge you.

All and all it was a fun and tough race. The night before, I got an e-mail saying that Charles City would not issue the race a liquor permit so no beer would be severed. It was no big deal to me because I don’t drink but since the whole race centered on being a warrior beer and turkey wings were to be served. Since no beer was allowed, our parking was free ($10 savings) and I can run the race at another location this year or the 2012 races. We will see.

Below are some photos Teresa took. The photos from the official race will be ready after Oct 7. I’ll post those on Facebook.

The before picture; nice and clean>

Warrior in training.

Warrior hat; check.

Getting my mind ready for the race and trying to think warm thoughts. It was raining at 56 degrees. I warmed up real quick when the fire was releast. See video below.

The start of the Warrio Dash.