Just Some Stuff

I've got a lot of stuff going on right now, our lives are taking some new turns, we have stepped into a sudden season and things are moving quickly. I continue to be amazed at the goodness and the faithfulness of the Lord and am so thankful that I belong to Him! My sleep is all messed up, for some reason I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep. Think we need a new mattress, or at least a egg shell or mattress pad, it's killing me. We cleaned out the garage this week, I know the trash guys hated us this morning. I am blessed with a gorgeous wife and two beautiful daughters. This week I went with our oldest to get a new cell phone...she just had to have a Voyager from Verizon...I like my Env2! We upgraded to unlimited text on all three lines...Julie is funny, texting is completely foreign to her...should receive some interesting stuff! Survived shopping yesterday...though I started to wonder for a minute while Old Navy! Thank goodness for Starbucks!

It doesn't get any better than this! I got up this morning because of these two, I will walk through hell itself for these two, and my life, my future will continue because of these two. Julie and I are the most blessed people in the world. Kaitlin, our 16 year old is carrying a 4.1 weighted and 4.0 unweighted gpa, while also working and taking college courses, plus church and social activites. Madison, our 9 year old is an A and B, mostly A, student, a cheerleader, a praise team member in children's church...both are social butterflies. Everyday when I look at them I visualize the many nights when they were babies, I would enter their rooms and pray over them, thank God for them, and ask Him to protect them, provide for them, and help them to love Him with their whole hearts...He has answered our prayers...I am thankful!

Turkey & Fries

That's what we're having for Thanksgiving, turkey and french fries! I know it's quite different from the traditional Thanksgiving meal, most have mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing...but our little one decided mashed potatoes are yucky and requested french fries instead...they can be the frozen kind, just as long as they're fries and on the table at 2:00! Amazing how we create our own traditions, how we view things and do things differently, and that in our own uniqness we become who we are. I'm kind of looking forward to it...after all, I get to eat turkey and hang out with my girls, you can't ask for more than that can you! Happy Thanksgiving!

If Others See Jesus Through Our Eyes...What Do They See?

I've been reading some comments from people who have recently read the number one best seller "The Shack". It's a fictional story of a man whose daughter was abducted and killed, who would later be drawn to the cabin where her attacker had killed her, while there he encounters God in three dimensions, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a unique book, one that I would certainly recommend, but also remind the reader that it is fiction. Many of the comments I've read are negative or insinuate that this book has a subtle message, I'm Ok with people not liking the book, I've read things that I don't like that others rave over...but here's the thought that floods my mind. Where many people struggle is the image of God that is depicted in the book, that God may not look like we think He looks, that His persona is not what we imagine Him to be, the truth be told, we all have a perception of God that creates the way that we view Him. I wonder if how we depict God is how we respond to Him, then is it also true that as ambassadors and representatives of Jesus Christ we are to reflect His image so others can see Him through us. And if others are seeing Jesus through us, then what are they seeing when they look through our eyes? The Bible says we are His epistles known and read of all men, so if we are the only Bible some people ever read, what do they read when they read our lives? Do others see Jesus as a loving, forgiving, and accepting Savior, do they see Him as a healer and the Holy Spirit as the comforter? Do they see grace and mercy, do they hear the voice of a tender shepherd? Or do they see One who will kick them out the door and roll them under the bus if they displease Him? Does my life reflect who and what Jesus really is enough that others will want to follow Him? Will I be like those in the Book of John who came saying, "Sirs, we would see Jesus?" If others see Jesus through me...what will they see?

In Pursuit of Pizza

There is no spiritual side to my thought today, I am in a state of confusion! Julie and I have been out of town this weekend, came home last night and our girls were craving pizza...me too! Kaitlin takes a college class on Monday evening so she leaves with the promise that there will be pizza when she gets back...Julie, Madison and I pack into the car and head for Capri's...absolutely one of the best pizza places in town, actually, anywhere for that matter...pull up in front of the plaza and it's closed. So we head for Sergio's, fantastic pizza, my favorite in town...it's closed...what's up with that? Julie thinks Monday must be an Italian holiday or something...so after being sorely disappointed, we ended up ordering Dominoes...pizza, not the game...Sunday is the day of rest, Monday is the day feasting...we're in hot pursuit of pizza...open up the pizza place!

Squash the Dream...Squash the Dreamer

If I could do what I wanted and make a living I would be a writer and preach somewhere every weekend. I'm not saying I'm a good writer or that anyone would buy my books, I'm just saying that's what I would love to do. Perhaps when I'm old and retired that's how Julie and I will live:) This week our nine year informed us that she wants to be a writer, she's preparing to write a book, I was elated...her Mother, while supportive, is afraid that she'll starve to death, writer's she says don't make much money...I quickly related the names of some quite popular and wealthy writers and she relented...but there was a spiritual side to this for me...are you surprised? We have told our children that they can do and become anything they desire, that within them is potential, promise, and destiny. They are children of God, they have a destination inside of them, they simply have to dream, prepare themselves for the dream, and walk out what is in their hearts. The prophet Jeremiah said that the prophet who has a dream should tell it, He said to be boldly proclaim what is inside of their spirits...that's what I say about our children, let them dream, let them speak boldly what is in their hearts, and walk toward that thing that lies so deeply within them. Chances are our little may desire to become several things in her future before it really hits, but what if this is it? What if God has called her for this purpose? If you squash the dream you will also squash the dreamer! To tell them they can do and be anything and to not allow them to go for it will cause them to stop dreaming...Julie and I both want our girls to dream and to dream big, to go for it, to never fear failure...they are and they will be something...and it will be great! Keep dreaming...don't let anyone squash your dream!

Soles for Souls

"Hey everyone! Today launched the 50k in 50 days campaign. A great charity in Nashville is trying to get money to buy 50,000 pairs of shoes raised in 50 days... The cool thing is only $5 buys 2 pairs of shoes!! It takes under 2 minutes to donate and only three clicks – super easy! So if you think this is something you can do...five bucks, three clicks, two minutes = two pairs of shoes to someone in need, just visit http://www.50000shoes.com. More importantly, this can only happen if we spread the word...so please forward this on to anyone you know...the people you work with, your mom, whoever!! Oh, and one person who donated will win a trip to Mexico to hand deliver the shoes they bought to someone who has never owned shoes before. Could you imagine giving someone their very first pair of shoes? All donations are tax deductible of course. Thanks for your support!

Mentors and Mentoring

Recently I was honored to be asked to serve on the Personal Board of Directors of a pastor and friend, a young minister that I have known for several years who felt the need to involve other ministers in a mentoring process in his life. Throughout the years I have been blessed to have the advice, the input, and the mentoring of several awesome men and women in my life, some of them continue until this day to speak into my life, while others are not as dominate in my life as they once were. As I age I have come to realize two simple truths: 1) I will always need mentors, people who speak into my life, give advise and direction, that listen to me, and who regardless of the circumstances love me enough to tell me what I need to hear...even if it hurts! 2) I need to always be mentoring someone, the things God has deposited into my life, the things we have experienced and gone through are not just for me, they are to equip, instruct, provide, and protect a future generation. Years ago I heard the story of a man who was crossing through a grave yard late at night, in the midst of the darkness he heard a twig crack, slowly he turned only to see his young son following after him...The little boy looked and said, "Daddy, I'm following right in your twacks!" I think the truth is there is someone following us, the question is what are we giving them to follow?

Taking A Happy Day Off!

I've got a lot on my mind today, trying to figure somethings out, so I've decided not to be happy today. Nothing is wrong, I'm not really depressed, just contemplating and deep in thought...I'll be happy again tomorrow!

Call Me A Dreamer

I read the blogs, web sites, and writings of a wonderful friend named Bill Isaacs, he is the Administrative Bishop for the Church of God in Northern Ohio, an author, and has a phenomenal web site called Forward Leadership, (www.forwardleadership.org). Today I received a note from him that both spoke and challenged my spirit, he talked about being willing to dream bigger, and that doing so requires surrounding yourself with people who dream big, and allowing yourself to dream larger than you presently live...sometimes that's hard to do. Recently I was with a minister friend who appears to be intimidated by ministers or pastors of larger ministries, while I was speaking in a large conference last year, a conference that had the resources to stretch him, he chose to go minister to a small congregation and meet our team later. I'm not being critical, he had the opportunity to bless or be blessed, but I also think he missed a great moment to receive some powerful instruction and impartation, partly because he may have been intimidated! Great men and women dream, they see into the darkness and find light, they stare at the impossible and see the possible, they believe they can when everyone and everything around them says they can't...they run when all around them are walking, and they live when they should have died. Dreaming is the inner sanctim of the soul, that place that creates a reachable reality, the place where miracles and ministries are born...some dreams happen and some don't, but we must never stop dreaming and most assuredly can never stop telling our dream to others! The words of Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech continue to shape American and World history, the words of prophets like Jeremiah who said, "Let the prophet that has a dream...tell it!", or Habakkuk, who wrote, "Write the vision and make it plain, that they who read it may run..." Our dream is that thing that happens when you close your natural eyes and allow your spiritual, inner eyes to glimpse beyond where you are presently. You see into the future, beyond the lines of humanity, of financial bondage, of traditions, and you see through God's eyes, hear His thoughts, and allow Him to transform your thinking...when you open your eyes you may be in the same place, facing the same things, but you see them differently because you yourself can no longer be the same...I have a dream...how about you?