This week has been a roller coaster. Had good services Sunday, plus got to see old friends. Most of you know we have been burdened with our house not selling. We got a call on Wednesday telling us what we needed to get in order to sell the house. An hour later we received an offer for much more than we needed. As excited as we were, the next morning started with a call telling us the heat was out at the house and the pipes were frozen. On my way there, I got in touch with several friends, and many were able to help me out with saving the house. Not happy about the $650 or so the day cost me, but very happy the house was not destroyed. More of that perspective stuff. The day got better when we found out there was another offer coming in on the house, and their might be a bit of bidding to go on. I spoke Wednesday on patience from the book of James. It is easy for us to look back at the prophets and Job and see the blessing, but they didn't get the blessing until they endured the hardship with patience and perseverance. I know I need patience, I just don't like having to learn it!
Oh, and I forgot to mention I left my sweet wife sick in bed with two kids while I was gone all day. She puts up with a lot, but she married me.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
There's No Optimism and There's Snow Optimism
Outlook has a lot to do with life. I could spend all day explaining the background for this, but to shorten things I'll say this... I had to drive the truck which is horrible in snow out to Word Of Life yesterday to help take some teens out there, Jess can't drive it because the seat doesn't move so I left her the car.
We arrived early, the teens had to wait a little while before they could check in. I figured I'd head back early to beat the night and snow storm that was hitting home. I left and headed back earlier than I had planned. I got past Speculator just in time to hit a whiteout and lots of ice on Rt. 8. The truck was not doing great, and I was doing 25-30 mph instead of 55. The truck lost traction going up a hill and promptly shot across the road into a snow bank. I tried backing up in 4x4, but that was definitely not happening. I forgot to mention I had left my coat and gloves at the church, so I was really prepared for a cold night in the mountains outside the truck. Of coarse there was no cell coverage, so I got out of the passenger side of the truck (the driver's door was barricaded in snow) and began to walk up the hill. After a while a pick-up came by and I waved them down, they were not fully with it, but were willing to drive me to where I could call AAA. After about 15 miles, I realized that people didn't believe cellphones were necessary up in the mountains. As we passed one of the other wrecks along the side of the road, we stopped and asked a wrecker if he did AAA, he did and offered to take me to town (another 15 miles in the wrong direction). Along the way, we passed another wrecker going back up 8, and I transferred over to his truck. After about 30 minutes, we were back at my truck, which had been plowed over during my 2 hour trek. He was able to pull it right out after sliding down the hill trying to stop, and I followed him to Remsen where I could phone AAA and get on with my day. I was cold.
I called Jess, who was obviously worried because I was 2 hours late, and finished my trip home. Looking back I realized how wonderful of a day I had experienced. Had we not left the church so early, our caravan full of teens would have been hit by the storm I ran into. Had I not headed back so early, I would have not met the guys in the truck that gave me the ride (I only saw one other vehicle during the next hour). Had they not picked me up, I would have missed the wrecker (it was just finished with loading up from the accident and heading back). Had they not worked with AAA I would have been poor. Had I been going over about 25 mph, the truck would have been in the forest, not the snow bank (making a tow much more difficult). Needless to say, though it was rough, God continually took care of everything. The youth were there on time, my toes have regained feeling, and I didn't have to sleep in the Blazer (forcing Carl to preach on Sunday morning :-) ). Sure, I could be a pessimist and look at all that went wrong, but it is much more productive to appreciate God's help and protection throughout the entire day. Perspective is more valuable in life than happiness.
We arrived early, the teens had to wait a little while before they could check in. I figured I'd head back early to beat the night and snow storm that was hitting home. I left and headed back earlier than I had planned. I got past Speculator just in time to hit a whiteout and lots of ice on Rt. 8. The truck was not doing great, and I was doing 25-30 mph instead of 55. The truck lost traction going up a hill and promptly shot across the road into a snow bank. I tried backing up in 4x4, but that was definitely not happening. I forgot to mention I had left my coat and gloves at the church, so I was really prepared for a cold night in the mountains outside the truck. Of coarse there was no cell coverage, so I got out of the passenger side of the truck (the driver's door was barricaded in snow) and began to walk up the hill. After a while a pick-up came by and I waved them down, they were not fully with it, but were willing to drive me to where I could call AAA. After about 15 miles, I realized that people didn't believe cellphones were necessary up in the mountains. As we passed one of the other wrecks along the side of the road, we stopped and asked a wrecker if he did AAA, he did and offered to take me to town (another 15 miles in the wrong direction). Along the way, we passed another wrecker going back up 8, and I transferred over to his truck. After about 30 minutes, we were back at my truck, which had been plowed over during my 2 hour trek. He was able to pull it right out after sliding down the hill trying to stop, and I followed him to Remsen where I could phone AAA and get on with my day. I was cold.
I called Jess, who was obviously worried because I was 2 hours late, and finished my trip home. Looking back I realized how wonderful of a day I had experienced. Had we not left the church so early, our caravan full of teens would have been hit by the storm I ran into. Had I not headed back so early, I would have not met the guys in the truck that gave me the ride (I only saw one other vehicle during the next hour). Had they not picked me up, I would have missed the wrecker (it was just finished with loading up from the accident and heading back). Had they not worked with AAA I would have been poor. Had I been going over about 25 mph, the truck would have been in the forest, not the snow bank (making a tow much more difficult). Needless to say, though it was rough, God continually took care of everything. The youth were there on time, my toes have regained feeling, and I didn't have to sleep in the Blazer (forcing Carl to preach on Sunday morning :-) ). Sure, I could be a pessimist and look at all that went wrong, but it is much more productive to appreciate God's help and protection throughout the entire day. Perspective is more valuable in life than happiness.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Aged wisdom
I spent most of my day with our local director of missions. One thing I've learned as I've grown older is that I should pay more attention to the wisdom of those who are still older than me. There is so much we can glean by simply listening and learning. I often wish I could have spent time really talking to my grandfather. He passed away when I was around 12 or so. I didn't know how much I could have learned from him until I was in my twenties. Luckily, there are still plenty of people who have experienced so much more than me. It would be idiotic of me now to not take advantage of the wealth of knowledge they possess. Why should I have to learn from the same mistakes that others learned from long ago? Maybe humility grows along with wisdom as we grow older. Maybe I just keep realizing how much wisdom I really lack. Hopefully that is the key to gaining wisdom, simply realizing you lack it in the first place.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Updates coming!
I am determined to update this more often now. I actually even have internet at home, so I am without excuse. Things are going well for us. We are moved in, most of the boxes are unpacked, I even have my desk in my office! Jayden lost his first tooth, he was pretty excited because he has been waiting for a couple years now to lose one. JW is as crazy as ever, but he is really starting to grow up. We definitely miss all of our friends back around Schenectady, but we don't miss their weather. We have already begun forming some relationships here that are growing. I can honestly say we fell in love with our people here immediately. They aren't perfect, but neither are we. In fact, much of them are probably more perfect than us, but they will catch up.
One of the things I am determined to do is to continue to focus on my own spiritual maturity. The responsibility of being called "Pastor" is humbling and frightening. I don't see how anyone could possibly ever even try to take on this responsibility without constantly being before God on their knees. I know many are still wondering how they can help us. I want to personally begin by asking for prayer. As for what to pray, I digress (just for you Ian) to allowing someone else to speak for me...Paul.
Ephesians 6:19
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
One of the things I am determined to do is to continue to focus on my own spiritual maturity. The responsibility of being called "Pastor" is humbling and frightening. I don't see how anyone could possibly ever even try to take on this responsibility without constantly being before God on their knees. I know many are still wondering how they can help us. I want to personally begin by asking for prayer. As for what to pray, I digress (just for you Ian) to allowing someone else to speak for me...Paul.
Ephesians 6:19
19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Monday, April 5, 2010
Spiritual Growth
It has been a VERY long time since I have posted. It's hard to keep up with when I am already writing so much for my classes. I also don't like posting unless I have something to say. Seeing as we just celebrated Easter, perhaps more than ever the person of Christ is on my mind. I have been digging more into what it means to be Christlike. The obvious answers are to be a moral person who prays and reads the Word, but He was much more than that. I recently dealt with the WWJD craze on a Wednesday night, stating that we can't do what He would do if we aren't living the way He lived. His life was one of discipline and attention to the spiritual things that surround this world. He focused on spending quality time with His Father, He took times of solitude to honestly reflect on what His purpose was, He fasted, He humbled Himself to serve others, He developed deep relationships with men who He had a special bond with, and above all, He lived a life of worship.
Obviously, we can never be as Jesus was (God), but we can mimic Him as much as possible with our lives. If we do that, than we won't have to ask WWJD, because it will be our natural reaction. Recently I heard that most new converts drop out of church after about four years. There are all sorts of reasons for this to be true, but I have to think maybe it is just because they never grow. You can only be a baby for so long. The lack of spiritual maturity in the Body of Christ may be the reason for the fall out. John 15:1-8 is a passage where Christ refers to Himself as the vine, with the believers being the branches. Parts of this passage are used for many illustrations. I encourage you to read it thinking about what it actually means to "abide in Christ". If we abide in Him we will bear fruit, we will get what we desire, and we will be known as His disciples. I have set my life's goal to becoming a better imitator of Christ. There is no higher calling.
Obviously, we can never be as Jesus was (God), but we can mimic Him as much as possible with our lives. If we do that, than we won't have to ask WWJD, because it will be our natural reaction. Recently I heard that most new converts drop out of church after about four years. There are all sorts of reasons for this to be true, but I have to think maybe it is just because they never grow. You can only be a baby for so long. The lack of spiritual maturity in the Body of Christ may be the reason for the fall out. John 15:1-8 is a passage where Christ refers to Himself as the vine, with the believers being the branches. Parts of this passage are used for many illustrations. I encourage you to read it thinking about what it actually means to "abide in Christ". If we abide in Him we will bear fruit, we will get what we desire, and we will be known as His disciples. I have set my life's goal to becoming a better imitator of Christ. There is no higher calling.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Comfortably Uncomfortable
I haven't blogged in a long time. It's amazing how sick of writing you get when you have to do it for classes. I should finish up my Masters in Religion and Pastoral Counseling this year, that is my goal anyway. So far I have a 4.0, which I haven't had since well, nevermind.
The biggest event in my life since I last blogged was Jayden accepting Christ as his personal savior. The question of how much a child understands, and how early is too early is always difficult, but I know Jayden gets it. There is a good article on child evangelism at this site... http://www.frontlinemin.org/childevangelism.asp I would recommend anybody with kids, or that works with kids to read it. As parents our number one ministry is to our family, and there is nothing more important than explaining salvation to our kids so they can make their choice. Maybe one day I'll put together a post just on sharing your faith with your own children.
Celebrate Recovery has become a large part of my life. I have grown over the last few months in ways I never thought I needed to grow. Some of the healing I have experienced just by being with a group of guys that struggle with some of the same issues while we support each other has opened my understanding Christian fellowship to a whole new level. It is my prayer that more can surrender to God's will and direction for their lives in the same way, whether with CR or not.
I would describe my current life as comfortably uncomfortable. I have learned to accept and appreciate that I can be happy while remaining uncomfortable. This is a good thing, because I believe we must be uncomfortable if we want to achieve anything. I know their are some people that get by off others' sacrifices, but I don't consider that success. I believe God will always challenge us if we let Him. If we aren't being challenged, we aren't growing. If we aren't uncomfortable, than we aren't doing anything. I have accepted that I actually need to be uncomfortable if I am going to serve God in any capacity. I am ok with that. I can deal with life in that way. I'm comfortable with the whole idea. I am comfortably uncomfortable.
The biggest event in my life since I last blogged was Jayden accepting Christ as his personal savior. The question of how much a child understands, and how early is too early is always difficult, but I know Jayden gets it. There is a good article on child evangelism at this site... http://www.frontlinemin.org/childevangelism.asp I would recommend anybody with kids, or that works with kids to read it. As parents our number one ministry is to our family, and there is nothing more important than explaining salvation to our kids so they can make their choice. Maybe one day I'll put together a post just on sharing your faith with your own children.
Celebrate Recovery has become a large part of my life. I have grown over the last few months in ways I never thought I needed to grow. Some of the healing I have experienced just by being with a group of guys that struggle with some of the same issues while we support each other has opened my understanding Christian fellowship to a whole new level. It is my prayer that more can surrender to God's will and direction for their lives in the same way, whether with CR or not.
I would describe my current life as comfortably uncomfortable. I have learned to accept and appreciate that I can be happy while remaining uncomfortable. This is a good thing, because I believe we must be uncomfortable if we want to achieve anything. I know their are some people that get by off others' sacrifices, but I don't consider that success. I believe God will always challenge us if we let Him. If we aren't being challenged, we aren't growing. If we aren't uncomfortable, than we aren't doing anything. I have accepted that I actually need to be uncomfortable if I am going to serve God in any capacity. I am ok with that. I can deal with life in that way. I'm comfortable with the whole idea. I am comfortably uncomfortable.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Love Speak
So much of our lives revolve around communication. The way we engage each other, the way we teach and learn from one another, even the way we feel about ourselves is directly influenced by communication. Most communication we deal with is non-verbal, and sometimes in contrast to what is said verbally. We may say, "Yeah honey, you look great in that Moo Moo!" but the look of disgust on our faces tells the obvious truth. Christ tells us to love others, and to show love we must communicate.
What is it we are communicating to those who are difficult to love? Are we telling them we love them as we look for an exit? Are we verbally telling out spouse we forgive them, yet letting our body language say we will hold a grudge?
If we are believers, we have no choice but to love, but it shouldn't be viewed as a requirement. We love others because the love we have received. We shouldn't do it out of guilt, and we should never fake it for vain obedience.
Take the time to tell people you love them, with more than words (insert song if you like).
What is it we are communicating to those who are difficult to love? Are we telling them we love them as we look for an exit? Are we verbally telling out spouse we forgive them, yet letting our body language say we will hold a grudge?
If we are believers, we have no choice but to love, but it shouldn't be viewed as a requirement. We love others because the love we have received. We shouldn't do it out of guilt, and we should never fake it for vain obedience.
Take the time to tell people you love them, with more than words (insert song if you like).
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