Encouragement

A couple of days ago I felt the need to send a person a note. I've never met the person and really have never had any kind of conversation with them directly. This individual is working with the family that is buying our home in Marengo. She is a loan officer for a mortgage company and has been going above and beyond to help my buyer secure their loan.

I found out through my real estate agent here in Washington that this woman has been pulling all night work sessions just to get all of us to the closing table. She has been under a great deal of pressure and has been working tirelessly to close on our property. She made a statement to Kim (my agent) that she felt everyone was angry at her because of some delays that were unavoidable. That's when I felt I needed to do something.

For a brief moment, I stopped what I was doing and sent here a short email expressing my appreciation for all her hard work and dedication. It was short and to the point. After I sent it I went on with my day and never gave it much thought.

A few minutes later, she sent me a reply. It knocked my socks off. She took my email and forwarded it to her entire staff in her office. She explain that my email brought tears to her eyes and she wanted every person that worked in her office to know that people really do care in the world. She wanted to encourage them because of how she was encouraged by some else.

I guess you never realize how a brief note of encouragement can make a difference in the lives of so many individuals. I'm so glad I didn't ignore the prompting. Taking a couple of minutes to tell someone that you appreciate them makes the world a better place for all of us. So... take time to tell those people around you how much they mean to you. You may never realize how your words can make a difference in their lives.

My Prayer for You... the Church.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to this power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I read this prayer written by Paul to Ephesian believers to our church this weekend. It is powerful and uplifting. It reminds us that our strength does not come from ourselves, but is given to all of us from God, Himself. Then we can watch God work beyond our imagination to do the impossible. I am so grateful we serve an amazing God. May I never take for granted the full capacity in which God wants to work through me and His church.

House for Sale... in Marengo!

For those of you that haven't heard, we have a house that has been on the market for most of the year. When God brought my family back to Washington, Indiana we had to leave a great house that we loved. This house is practically our dream home and having to leave it is frustrating due to the fact that we are unable to purchase a home in Washington until this one sells.

I'm ashamed to admit this, but my faith has lacked over the past several months because I felt that God wasn't answering my prayers. He is suppose to be leading someone to fall in love with our home and give me a purchase agreement! Why wouldn't they? It's the perfect place to live and it would be bring so much joy for them... and me.

Today, I was reading in the my Bible and a couple of verses literally leaped off the page at me. Acts 17:26, 27 says, "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

Wow! How easily I forget that God has a plan and it's perfect and specific. I worry and fret for no reason. He has me in the exact place at the exact time in order for me to seek, reach out and find him. So... my house is still for sale. Why? I have no idea, but I know that God is aware and I trust his timing. I'm just thankful that he reminds me through the Word that he is in control.

Above All Else...

I recently ran across a clip from Nancy Beach of the Willow Creek Association. She was talking specific to leaders, but her wisdom speaks to all of us.

Proverbs 2:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

It is a relatively short verse, but it is packed with a wealth of wisdom. These words have been walking with me for the past few weeks and I am so thankful. Of all the relationships we value in life, our relationship with God is by far the most significant. It is so easy for us to allow the busyness of our everyday lives to pack our hearts and our minds tight with worldly junk.

I loved what Nancy Beach brought out in this verse. Do the people in your family and those that you work closely with see more of Jesus in you or do they see less of Him? The closer an individual gets to you are they recognizing more of the qualities of Jesus or do they see less qualities of Him than when they didn't know you as well? That is a powerful question.

It's really easy to put up a facade when we keep people at a distance. When people spend time with you they learn the true condition of your heart. Do people see Jesus in us... or not? When we wrestle with questions like this the Holy Spirit is able to bring those qualities in our lives that do not reflect the character of Jesus to our attention. That's when we are faced with the choice to die to those human desires and embrace the Word that transforms us, or ignore the obvious character flaw and carry on as usual.

Over the past few weeks, I have grown to a new level of appreciation and devotion for my Bible. It seems to be giving me the very things I need right now in my life. (...as if I didn't know that it would all along!?!?!) The Word has been powerful and direct. It has revealed qualities in my personal character that need to change. I've been faced with the choice to submit or ignore those revelations. It sounds like a simple decision, but it's not always easy. I fight the struggle with what I know is the right thing to do and what I do without thinking. The foolishness of my first response continues to get me in trouble. That's why I like the first three words of that verse... "Above all else".

There is nothing more important than my ruthless pursuit to guard my heart and my mind. It's a dangerous world we live in and I can't chance any opportunity to let my guard down. The hope I have is that I know I have God in me (His Holy Spirit) that empowers me to choose the right thing. It's a strength above myself. Wow! What a true blessing IT is!

Loving Life

I was reading a blog of another pastor tonight, and I ran across a quote that jumped out at me.  Rob Bell was teaching at a conference in Atlanta this past week and said, "When you obey God you won't want anybody else's life."  

Bell was speaking on the Ten Commandments and the final commandment is not to covet. If you choose to follow the God's commands, you will discover that you will not desire anybody else's life.  You will want to be the person God created you to be.  What a profound understanding.  It's simple. Yet it speaks volumes when you consider how often we don't fully appreciate the life God has chosen for us.  

Over the past few weeks I have experienced many situations that would have been easy to throw up my hands and give up. I have questioned and wrestled with God's purpose for my life and wondered if I was fighting a loosing battle. If I was completely honest with myself, I would have to admit that I felt this way on more than one occasion. The discouragement and fatigue makes it tempting to look around and wish your life could be like someone else.  

A few weeks ago I met with Ron and asked him to keep asking me about my daily reading and spending time alone in God's Word. For several days I'd spent many hours preparing for sermons but little time reading and meditating on Scripture for my personal growth and development. I sensed a deep conviction that I needed to be more disciplined... and I was right. So I stepped up to the plate and made some changes in the days to follow. 

Over the following weeks I was bombarded to the point that without God's Word speaking to me on a daily basis I might not have survived. Each day I would receive exactly what I needed to face criticism, discouragement and stress. The people closest to me offered comfort and support, but it was the Word that gave strength and confidence in my time of greatest need.  

Reading Bell's quote tonight reminds me that even when my life is most difficult. Submitting to His commands and reminding myself that God is in control of all things has given me peace that goes beyond my ability to understand.  That peace in the craziness of my life makes me know that I love what God created me to be and do.  I wouldn't want to trade what I have for anything.  

I have a beautiful wife and a wonderful son.  I am so glad that God created me to be a pastor even though it's something I never dreamed about doing as a career. The church I serve is far from perfect, but I know I wouldn't want to be at any other place on the planet.  So... life is simply a gift when I look at it though God's design. No other life would give me the joy that I have right now.  It's still tough, but that's what motivates me to submit and obey. 

Ancient Franciscan Prayer

"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, hard hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live from deep within your heart where God's Spirit dwells. 

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you my reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. 

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe you can make a difference in this world and in your neighborhood, so that you will courageously try what you don't think you can do, but in Jesus Christ you'll have the strength necessary to do. 

May God bless you so that you remember we are all called to continue God's redemptive work of love and healing in God's place, in and through God's name, in God's Spirit, continually creating and breathing new life and grace into everything and everyone we touch."

God help me to live my life this way with every heartbeat. 

Being Fully Present

I spent last weekend with an amazing group of people. We worshipped together, studied God's Word together, shared life's experiences with each other, and had a wonderful time growing in our awareness of God's love for us.  To watch people come to a deeper knowledge of God's love and grace is always thrilling.  Weekends like these change lives and I am so thankful to be a part of them. 

Even though my weekend was terrific, I still feel like I missed something important. My wife and my son were not able to be with me for those three days and I missed them terribly. I struggle when I can't see them for long periods of time. It feels like a piece of me is missing. Even though I am enjoying myself, a large part of me can not fully appreciate everything because I'm not sharing it with those I love most. 

It is times like these that I am reminded to be fully present with my family.  Time goes by so quickly and before we even realize it years have past us by without our knowledge. We can't afford to ignore the time we have with our families. One day we are holding our child in our arms and the next they starting a family of their own. Being fully present means we make the most of every opportunity with the people we love. 

Our son Noah is seven years old. It seems like yesterday he was sitting on my lap and smiling with his little toothless grin. I already miss those days with him. I can not turn back time, but I can make the most of my time with him today.  My challenge is to live every day with the mindset to be fully present in all situations. I know a day is coming when I will watch Noah start a family of his own. I don't want to look back on that day and have regrets. I bet I will wish I had more time playing catch in the back yard and building spaceships with Legos. I think every parent that loves their kids wants more time, but not every parent has to have regrets. Knowing I was fully present every day with my wife and my son is the best gift I can give them and myself. 

So... I'm off to build the next space ship that will kill Darth Vader. Twenty years from now I bet I won't remember one thing I accomplished at the office, but I bet a young man will remember the day his dad came home early to build the best Lego space ship the universe has every seen.