Thanks to my friend Barb at Tidbits & Treasures I've been awarded this Blogger Reflection Award and a Seed Planters Award! Thanks Barb for thinking of me, you along with many others have made blogging a joy and a requirement of both reading and writing!

Madison

I had lunch with my seven year old daughter Madison today, it was kind of cool! She spent the night last night with her friend "B", came to my office around 10:30, suitcase in hand and ready to go. Her Mother and sister were out and about, so she entertained the office manager and senior pastor, drew a picture, signed it, and now it's hanging on the wall in the office manager's office. Finally, and not too soon, we were off for lunch, Taco Bell her favorite place, was closed for some odd reason so we ended up at AW/Long John Silver...She left looking like a pirate queen. What a kid!

My Newest Addiction

I leave the office early on Fridays and usually come home to vege. The past two weeks I've found myself hooked on TLC's program "What Not To Wear". I'm not a girly person at all, am not into all the latest fashion, but I have to tell this program is hilarious. I watched it yesterday from around 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM, now, I did take a break and go eat, but came right back, my little one went to her room, it wore her out! It's amazing how bad some people dress and feel good about it! Whew, good thing my wife is working on me! I also watched Pastor Jim Raley from Calvary Christian Center in Ormand Beach, FL, he was on TBN, preached the house down! TBN gets on my nerves, there was an hour and a half of singing and then they give this guy 25 minutes to preach. The music was good, but it seems to me that if you bring a guy from Florida to Nashville to minister, you give him time...he came on at 11:35 PM, but it was so good. Check him out at www.calvarychristiancenter.com. This guy is the real deal, has preached for us a couple of times, we love his ministry! Check out Pastor Raley and What Not To Wear!

Monday

You know that Monday is my least favorite day of the week, it should be Monday on Thursday. This Monday has been a great day, things were not hectic at the office, I got to leave at 2:45 and don't have to work tomorrow, it's my 45th birthday, I'm lucky to be able to get out of the bed in the mornings! I'll spend the day with my wife, go to a staff meeting tomorrow night, eat Sonny's BBQ there and enjoy time with my fellow co-workers, and it will be Tuesday...not Monday! I've been busy today preparing for an upcoming trip to Kenya, I'm taking four others from our church and will be gone two weeks the later part of August, it will be awesome! We are hoping to travel south into the land of the Maasai, a wonderful tribe of people that are yet to rise to modern corruption, the only tribe in Kenya that are allowed to bring their spears into city limits, it's going to be great! It's hot here in Florida, but I'd rather be hot now and warm in the winter than warm now and freezing my hiney off this winter. I'm rambling...I know! We had the most awesome service at church yesterday, the Holy Spirit simply breathed upon us and we were refreshed in His presence. I love the Lord!

Becoming New

Have you ever noticed that people who talk about progressing often want to go back in order to go forward? As a revivalist I've often heard pastors and church members talking about how we need to get back to old paths or that what we need is an old fashioned revival, they want to go back to get something that they remember as being good. I realize that we do have to return to our first love, to remember where we've fallen from, and to turn back to God, but I also realize that we can't stay where we were or are, our return is to reconnect and then to move forward. Dee Hock, founder and former ceo of Visa said, "The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get the old ones out!" Isn't that the struggle Jesus had with the Pharisees? They had a learned knowledge of who and what God was all about, and when the visible revelation of God came into their very midst, they couldn't receive Him because their perception was clouded with the past. They had an idea of what it was supposed to be like and couldn't get past what they thought to get to what was! Jesus came to make all things new, I think that is not only at the moment we receive Him, but throughout our entire journey with Him...I want to become new!

I Fear I May Forget

I was channel surfing this afternoon and came across the movie "Stepmom" a great story of a young lady(Julia Roberts) learning to adapt to becoming a stepmother and dealing with the dying mother(Susan Sarandon). In a moving meeting of the minds Julia Roberts tells Susan that her greatest fear is the when the daughter gets married and the stepmother is making over her, wanting this to be a special moment between a mother and daughter, that the daughter will look at her and say, "I wish my Mom was here!", to which the mother replies, "My greatest fear is that she won't!" I'm not normally a crying type person, don't get too emotional about many things, but I have to admit every time I see that movie I tear a tear or two during that part. My father passed away November 1, 1994, he was my friend, I didn't always agree with him, understand him, I'm sure he could have somethings different, but he was my Dad. I hate Father's Day, get depressed as it approaches and am thankful that I don't preach on that day any longer, I miss him and it overwhelms me. What I struggle with the most is that there are days when it seems like yesterday he was calling me, and there are days when I start to pick up the phone to call him, I say to myself I need to tell him about something or ask him a question, and then I catch myself and remember he isn't there. It's the other days that bother me the most, that it's now been almost thirteen years and there are those other days when I don't think of him at all, when it's almost as if he was never there, like I've forgotten and I force myself to remember...I don't want to forget.

When Will This Be That?

It's almost 2:00 AM and I can't sleep. My wife is sound asleep and has to be at work by 7:15, so I need to be nice and not watch television, and laying in the bed tossing and turning is a real bore...So it's time to write. I've created a new myspace, a huge step for me, more of that stretching stuff, it's pretty cool to enter this new world, at least new for me! Being the contemplative person that I am there's a question in my spirit that has to be answered. Read Acts chapter 2 and you find Peter boldly proclaiming that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that in the last days God is going to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. I truly believe that the outpouring of that day was the beginning of something awesome, it birthed a fresh awareness of God and empowered normal men and women to accomplish the ministry of Jesus Christ...it was not an end though, it was a beginning. The question in my mind is simple: "Is this it?" I know I've written about this previously, but the question continues, is this we are presently experiencing all there is or is there more, and if there is more when will we experience it? It seems that we live on the edge of the next great move all the time, yet never quite arrive there. Could it be that the outpouring that began on the Day of Pentecost has never ceased, but that it has shifted, and that only those with eyes to see, and ears to hear, and faith to walk out the revelation that has already been given will partake of what God is doing? Yesterday it rained at our house, I mean it pounded, hail fell from the sky, it was amazing! Yet at the same time, my wife was going to work, less than three miles from our home and it didn't rain one drop. I'm reminded of the servant of Israel's king that heard the prophecy of Elijah that famine was ending and food would arrive on a certain day. The servant said, "If God made windows in heaven, might this thing be?" The prophet said, " You will see it with your eyes but you will not partake of it!" I am convinced that rain is not only coming, it is here, we just have to get in it!

Florida Drivers

We're on our way Saturday from St. Augustine to Orlando when we stopped for lunch at Flagler Beach. Get back on I-95 South and the traffic suddenly goes from 75+ mph to 20 mph, all three lanes and the traffic on the northside is at a standstill. We do this for miles and miles, do you know why I-95 South was backed up for miles and miles? There was a wreck on I-95 North! The problem with that is there are barriers between the two sides and at least 50 feet between the two barriers, so why should the South side be backed up! In Florida people stop and go on the major highways, creating pockets of unnecessary traffic that create cardiac issues in my life. My advice to Florida drivers...Take Your Foot Off The Brake! Today was the last day of our vacation, we spent the night last night in Orlando and the day today at MGM Studios, talk about a crowd! It's been a great week and now it's back to office in the morning! No foot on the brake here!

Vacation

My family and I are enjoying a few days of fun and sun in St. Augustine, Florida. We've been here since Monday, been laying on the beach, by the pool, and discovering the historical section of St. Augustine. It's been good, although being the high strung person that I am it has taken me until today, which is Thursday, to begin to actually relax...don't ask why, but for some reason I live stressed, tight, and it takes days for me to just start enjoying the trip.

Our girls are a hoot, Julie is the best, and we are having a great time. We've slept in, and today watched television until the sky cleared off and are now on our way to work on our tans! Saturday we head to Orlando for the weekend at MGM and then it's back home late Sunday evening and back to work on Monday.

Just thought I would drop by for a minute!

Bubba Gump Shrimp

Yesterday my loving wife took me to Universal Studios in Orlando for Father's Day! A friend from church accompanied us and we had the best time! Rode rides, walked and talked, enjoyed each others company and ended our day at Bubba Gump's Shrimp!

I believe I may have sinned, we started off with a tower of onion rings and then I ate the whole thing, some shrimp meal with four different types of shrimp, fried, chilled, coconut, and shrimp tempura, along with some french fries...it was absolutely phenomenal!

We came home worn out, but happy and full! What an awesome wife I have!

Good Word Pastor...

We are having our annual camp meeting this week, it's basically a revival we do each year at our local church, and it has been phenomenal! Each speaker has brought a word from the Lord, an encouraging word, a digging word, a profound word, a word that cannot be attributed to men, they have all spoken as prophets of God. Service after service I've sat on the edge of my seat, listening intently to what is being said, no note taking this week so I can preach it later, I've been listening with the ears of my heart not just my head. No doubt the words will affect my preaching, but I must say, I would rather be a voice than an echo, I want to say it first, not after someone else has said it. I've developed this habit of saying, "Good Word, Pastor!" When the evangelist says something that I like or that hits home. I want to ask myself what makes a good word a good word? There are probably many answers to the question, but my answer is when it touches my spirit so deeply that I am willing to not only hear the Word, but become and do the Word...it then has become a Word of the Lord in my life! Western Christians have heard so much, church has become a mall where we sort through the stuff, look for the right places, people, and programs, and somewhere in the midst of it all, we may find God. Call me narrow minded, but while I certainly believe we need many things to make church work, it's not about church, it's about relationship and mission, in that order, to know Him, to be known by Him, and for others to know Him through my example...That's a good word!

IS It Just Me?

This whole thing with Paris Hilton is getting old! I'm sorry that she had to go to jail and that she got sent home and then sent back, and yes, I probably think 45 days is too much jail time and that the judge is making an example out of her and trying to make a point...but she's there now, let's talk about someone else! She's on all the news stations, on the Today Show this morning they talked more about her than the deaths in Iraq, CNN Online keeps the stuff up on her that is absolutely old news...Tell us when she gets out and we'll all breath a sigh of relief, but until she gets out....talk about someone else! A lady in Phoenix gave birth to sextuplets this week, let's talk about her!

Shifting...Again

For over a year now the word of the Lord in my spirit has simply been the word...Shifting! I haven't been able to get it out my belly, it lays in the back of my head, and it comes to the forefront of my thoughts quite often...this is a season of shifting, can we survive the shift? I know that I've written about it several times and don't know that I've got much new to add, other than the fact that I truly believe the Body of Christ, both individuals and the corporate body that we recognize as the church, must move with this season of shifting. The word shift or shifting means movement, adjustment, varying. It is connected to the concept of reconciling, the adjusting to a season or a situation. For example, in the Northern United States as the seasons change the people adjust their wardrobes. In the early fall it's long sleeve shirts in the morning or a light jacket in the late afternoon, in early winter it is a light coat followed by a heavier one. Or perhaps the example of a watch fits here, if the clock in your kitchen is the standard you go by, then all other time pieces must be adjusted or shifted to reconcile them to the standard. In the Kingdom of God there is a shifting, a spirit if discomfort, people are sensing the need to move and adjust their lives, yet, they aren't always certain of what to do. If you're anything like me you like structure, you appreciate knowing what is ahead and what you're getting into. But in the Kingdom, we sometimes have to walk out into the darkness before the revelation comes, but light will appear and the path will be made known, if we survive the shift and overcome the obstacles!

Evan Almighty

Our family just returned from a sneak preview of Evan Almighty. I must admit that when I first saw the commercials I was cynical and figured it was going to be a corny movie...I was wrong! We got four free passes for the preview, there were so many people we were among the very last to be allowed in and the four of us sat separate from each other...the movie was great. It was funny, not one curse word, and it drove home a point. A radio personality was there and prayed before the showing, pretty cool! What spoke to me was that we have become so non-prophet minded that if a true prophet arose among us without a word of blessing, we would never believe him. I got something spiritual out of this and am so glad we got to go. The movie opens June 22nd, be sure to go see it!

Today

We had a good day today. Our service was good, the preacher preached well, spoke of divine reversal, how that God is able to bless those others think shouldn't be blessed, and how He is able to turn our lives around even we see it as impossible. Good Stuff, check out Genesis 48 for the story! Following service our young adult group had a fellowship, hamburgers and hot dogs, chips and deserts, great food followed by volleyball in the sand pit. A new couple and their children attended, we had a total of 28 youth between the ages of 18-30, pretty cool huh! The awesome thing about this group is that they want to hear what many adults don't. They ask us to tell them straight, get somber at times and at other times like to discuss, whatever their reaction, they're there week after week and ready to receive the Seed of the Word. Several of them left the volleyball pit at 3:45 to leave at 4:00 to minister at a church in Tampa...sort of speaks to you doesn't it? I'm glad the Lord gave us Today!

White Cloud Toilet Paper

My wife is the most awesome woman in the world, that's a true statement, fact not fiction, reality, not faith speaking, she is great. But when it comes to toilet paper, she's cheap! I don't want her to break the bank buying something that we go through quickly, but couldn't we have some that actually comes off the roll without a struggle? Have you ever tried to pull some off in the middle of the night when you need to sneeze and it just hangs on and when you pull tighter it breaks? Too thin, not soft, but it's $2.68 at Walmart, so it must be a good thing...Wrong! Get me some Charmin or Northern Quilted, if need be, get the cheap stuff for you and the girls, I need comfort and the fast rolling stuff...I sneeze every time that I get up in the middle of the night...Baby I love you, but White Cloud just won't do!

Memorial Day Madness

Last week I decided we needed to go out of town Sunday afternoon for Memorial Day. After spending several hours combing web sites to find a place to go, I decided we would just stay at home. We're leaving on vacation in June, my cheap side kicked in, my family wanted to go to Busch Gardens where we have season passes, I couldn't see spending over a hundred bucks to spend the night twenty minutes from my own bed...what a dilemma? Of course, the only dilemma was within me, they wanted to go to Busch Gardens, no one else cared where we slept! So off we go Monday morning, making a nice stop at the IHOP and then on to the park! The parking lot is packed, but the park isn't bad, we jump on the Montu within fifteen minutes and are flying high, across the park on the skylift and to the world famous Shiekra, now that's a roller coaster! Three girls behind me decided they didn't need to wait with the rest of us, crawled under the bar and cut in line, I considered ratting them out, but my oldest daughter told me that was mean, I was in a bad mood so I didn't want to be mean, but line cutting is a serious offense in my amusement park opinion. We were there from 1:00-6:00 PM and I rode three rides, my baby and I rode the bumper cars together, she's seven and can't ride by herself or drive, but I did let her steer a couple of times and most certainly bumped whoever she told me too! It was a good day, ended by a nice family meal at Pancho Villa's in Zephyrhills...Aaah, what a day!

And The Winner Is.... And You Doubted Me?

Daddy Daughter Dates

School is out tomorrow, as the chancellor of a Christian School I have to say...I can't wait! You can tell it's the end of the school year, it actually feels different after Christmas and Spring Breaks, the countdown begins, the field trips flourish, the nerves rise to the occasion, and both students and teachers are ready for the break. Certainly I'll miss the children, but my favorites are the 3 year olds and many of them stay for our summer program, so I'll have my fill of babies...they are so cute! What I'm really excited about is the Daddy-Daughter dates I'm arranging with my girls! My girls are Momma's girls, they always have been, they take me in a pinch. Lately I've noticed they're friendlier towards me and actually seem to miss me when I'm gone. I'm out of state every month and out of the country at least once, this year it appears I'll be gone at least one more time to Africa and possibly twice, they make think I'm great by years end! Thursday my oldest daughter and I are off to see Pirates of the Caribbean, and we're doing it in style, going to the Imax at Channelside in Tampa...It's going to be great! We're already purchased our tickets and are ready! Friday, the youngest and I will take off to the local theatre to view Shrek 3, not my choice, but it is the choice of my seven year old. I figure we'll also stop by her favorite place to eat...Taco Bell. I can't wait, these are going to be two awesome days, what a way to start our summer!

Vote Jordan!

The Me You Can't See

I recently read a book entitled "God's Generals", it's the story of great men and women of God in the last century that were used of God to bring healing and revival to the world. It's an easy read with nice pictures and interesting facts, stories about men and women like Katherine Kuhlman, John Lake, A.A. Allen, Alexander Dowie, Charles Parnham and others.

The interesting and frightening thing that spoke to me throughout this book was that many of these people had real issues, things that often overshadowed their ministries, things that hindered and almost destroyed their lives. Many of them were able to overcome the rumors or items haunting them, while others lived with the questions and complications the remainder of their lives.

Ever since I finished reading the book I've found myself searching my life, asking God to help me to not allow there to be anything in my life that would be displeasing to Him, nothing that would taint or tarnish His anointing upon me, nothing that would keep me from Him.

It's not the big things that hinder us, nothing is huge when it begins, no, it's not what you see or hear, it's the me that you don't see that can destroy me. I may speak with the tongues of men and angels, have prophetic ability and insight, have great results in my outward life, but if the inside of me is wrong the outside will eventually reflect it. We are called to bear fruit, and that fruit is expected by God to be good, the true life of that fruit is inside, where you can't see what's growing. Perhaps this is why Jesus said to either make the tree good or to cut it down, lay the axe to the root.

I'm not being critical or judgmental of the people in this book, I'm using it as an opportunity to learn, a plumbline to ensure that my life and ministry does not fall into the same trap. I want to hear Him say, "Well Done!", or at least, "You did good son!"

My Wife...Her Cell Phone...My Question?

I am married to the most awesome woman you can ever meet. She is beautiful, loving, serves the Lord with all of her heart, is a great Mom and a hard worker, she's the best! We've been married twenty years and are best friends, we talk about everything, hide nothing, enjoy being together, and look forward to our golden years, this is absolutely the most fantastic person on the face of the earth...but for some reason she cannot seem to keep her cell phone charged! It drives me nuts!

My cell phone is on 24/7, it is almost always within reach and I have a charger in my car, home, and office and do my best to keep a charge on it daily. Julie on the other hand charges hers about once a week or whenever she realizes she has allowed it to run out of charge. Then when you call her she doesn't have it on or can't talk because she has no charge...It drives me nuts!

There's a spiritual side to this, sometimes we're like that phone, we've lived our lives in such a busy manner that we fail to take the time to charge our spiritual batteries. We know we should, need to and mean to, but we've got other things to do and don't take the time to stop and recharge. The problem is when we need power we don't have it because we forgot to charge our batteries and now we don't know what we're going to do.

I'm hoping Julie will start charging her phone and that I will learn to stay connected to the Lord in the way He desires for me!

And Then There Were Two...

Was I surprised last night at the results of American Idol or what? I had imagined that the results would come down to Jordan and Melinda, and though I am a huge Jordan fan, figured Melinda would probably win...and off she goes! Thrilled I am and determined that Jordan should win next week, we'll see, hope and pray for Ms. Sparks! My name is Neil Smith and I am an American Idol addict! I'm off for Chicago this afternoon, going to do a Hungry Pastor's Conference for the Church of God and preach for my friend Rick Sexton this weekend in Bourbonnais at the Church of God Worship Center. Looking forward to being back in my home state and seeing friends.

I Washed My Cell Phone!

My wife noticed that we have some wasp nests forming in the entry way of our home, they're about 20-25 feet high, but nonetheless they are there and of concern to us all. This evening I bought some wasp killer spray, the kind that shoots 22 feet, got them all, but the stuff was falling back down before I could get out of the way. So off to the shower I go and then to the washer my clothes go...and unknown to me, my cell phone! I had placed it in the side pocket of the shorts I was wearing and never gave a thought to it until I was taking the wet clothes out to put in the dryer and there it was in the bottom of the washer! Thankfully we have a spare phone at the office and this is a Nextel, so I simply needed to trade simms cards, but I did lose my pictures, my kids, some friends, and of course, Reverend Al Sharpton that I took when we were at the same terminal in Charlotte, NC. My heart is beating close to normal again, but what a mistake I made this evening, I'll never live this one down at the office! It just powered up but is now stuck in Airplane Mode...Guess I'm still using the spare!

Can Christians Really Survive?

I've just watched the finale of Survivor and am jacked up over this Dreamz guy. Don't misunderstand, I know it's a game, that it involves manipulation and maneuvering, but this guy takes the cake. He tells a guy how bad he needs a truck, the guy asks him to give his word he'll give him his immunity at the final four and then reneges when he arrives at the final four. To top it off, one of the guys calls his Christianity to mind, saying that he believes he is a Christian, but an immature one and that some day he will mature. When they arrive in New York they still can't get a straight answer....it wore me out just watching! I've watched this show from the start, know how it works and what all it involves, but when being a Christian came into view I expected the man to model the One he represented. Guess that's asking too much. This past week I read a statistic that said that between 44-49% of Americans attend church on a regular basis, the percentage of people confessing Christ is closer to 60%, but it tells me we've got a problem and there's much work to do. I realize Survivor is a game, I'll get over this Dreamz guy, but I'm concerned that Christianity is lacking integrity in today's world, that Christ is soon to return, and what is that He is returning for? Soon is a cliche', after all, the Lord's return has been prophesied, preached, and promoted for thousands of years, and it may be thousands more before He returns, but on the other hand, he may return before I can get this posted. Preaching, Teaching, and Programs are not going to make the difference our world needs, they may assist, but changed lives change lives! The reason the early church was so effective was that people saw Jesus in their daily lives and it was obvious that they had been with Christ because it was said that they turned their world upside down. In the letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul said that those early believers had made such an impact that his arrival really wasn't necessary, from them sounded the news of Christ and His impact on their lives. Daily life and little stuff does count. The guy on Survivor didn't need to preach, pray over his food, really his Bible in front of them, or say christianeze all the time, he simply needed to live it out with integrity...what he did was show that the world is right, everybody has a price! I don't want to be for sale!

My Fortune Cookie Says...

I'm learning Chinese by reading Fortune Cookies, at least that's my excuse for frequent trips to local Chinese take outs...I'm actually just eating and getting fat...more diets to soon come! Today I grabbed a Fortune Cookie on my way out the door and got inspired as I read these words: "Goals are just dreams with a deadline!" I love it, God puts a dream in our spirit, we turn it into a goal and determine that we won't just talk about it, we're going to do something about it! Reminds me of Luke 17, 10 lepers come into contact with Jesus, they cry out to Him and as they went they were made whole...they walked out the revelation! I'm going to give my dreams some deadlines!

I'm Moody Today...

Have you ever had one of those days when it was just one of those days? Nothings wrong, but nothings right. You feel like taking a week long nap, will get over it tomorrow, before the week is over, but today you're just tired. That's how I feel today. I came to work before 7:30 AM this morning, which in work standards isn't all that early, took of the daycare and early morning school rush and am not sitting in my office...desperately needing a nap, or to fire someone, either or both. Tomorrow I may be in a great mood and want to hire someone new and give everyone raises, well, I probably won't feel like giving a raise. Human nature, natural feelings, moodiness and all those emotions that comprise our makeup, they either get the best of us or we get the best of them, today I am determined to win over my feelings. Perhaps I need prayer or Prozac, maybe both, prayer will be the best route, but if it doesn't work...

Let The Little Children Come!

I have this every morning habit, the first thing I do when I enter the school at our church is head to the kitchen for a cup of coffee...you know, the best part of waking up is Folger's in your cup! On my way I stop by the three year old class and find out what's happening in their day, and they want me to know! One tells me of a cock a roach in his Dad's car, while another complains because the little boy he gave his snack to actually took it, and another shows me his new toy. My day starts off so awesome, those are my babies and my day would not be the same without them. Today as I was preparing to leave for the day I found out that Nora, a little Russian girl that we've had for three years, is leaving for Russia tomorrow, her grandfather is sick and she's going to visit him. As I hugged her the other little ones gathered around me, so I got to hug a few more, heard some stories, took their picture on my phone and went on my way. I'm not the most huggable person, not a real smoochy type of man, but those babies get my heart and I cannot imagine a day without seeing them. When I was in Kenya for almost two weeks I couldn't wait to see them and hoped they hadn't forgotten me...they didn't! Do you think this is what the Lord was trying to get across when He invited the little children to come to Him and instructed the disciples to not forbid them to come? He said that the Kingdom of God is much like little children, there is something about the relationship between childhood and christianity that speaks volumes to me. After all, children don't have all the baggage that we adults do, they are forgiving and much more resilient than we, and their world though often filled with pain can be improved almost instantly with a hug. There's something else about this I was thinking about, if I can't imagine one day without stopping to talk with my children, how does the Lord feel if I don't stop to talk with Him?

NO AIR

My air conditioning is messed up on my car...we live in Florida and things are heating up! Yesterday my wife and daughter and I went to Sebring, FL to preach, about 2 hours southeast of our home. Going there wasn't bad, windows down, fan blowing, coming back my left leg was frying, the temperature was around 94 degrees...can you say hot? Makes one want to live right! Last week I had it charged and there's something else wrong with it, the cost to fix it is around 750.00, I'm getting a second opinion today...Pray it's something minor and cheaper...especially the cheaper part! The good thing about it is I am assured again today that I don't want to go to hell!

Need I Say More?

Freedom Writers

We have just finished watching the most incredible movie, "Freedom Writers", the story of a young first year teacher in a multi-ethnic Long Beach classroom, filled with gang members and troubled youth. She took this group and made them a family, taught them self respect and imparted life into them. Talk about inspiring and encouraging! Great movie, has some strong language here and there, but overall it is a classic in my eyes!

Stuffed Head

My head feels like it's stuffed full of stuff...Does that make sense? I'm not sick, it's not sinus or a cold...it's just stuff. I want to be light hearted but also want to be heavy. I want to write funny and thoughtless stuff, you know, the kind of fluffy feel good stuff that doesn't say much, just puts words on my blog...I also want to talk about deep things. A part of me wants to talk about politics, world events, spiritual matters, children, marriage, you know, all the important stuff...Another part of me wants to tell people about my new flip flops I bought back in March at Go Fish in St. Augustine, a store that gives a portion of their proceeds to mission works in Bali. There is a part of me that is a reformer, wants to be a world changer, while another part of me says leave people alone, they don't want to change. I want to write things that make you laugh, and I want to write things that make you think, and I want to write things that make tears drip off my chin as I write and off your chin as you read...I desire to touch your heart. I want to preach and prophesy, to speak of the things of the Lord in a impacting way, but I don't want to be religious. I want to be missional in my thinking and actions, but I am charismatic in my worship and the manner in which I minister. I hate being labeled and don't want to label others, but I want to be identified as a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, one that believes and operates in the present day ministry of the Holy Spirit. I want to tell you about my wife and kids and to be a good husband and father. I want to be loyal and faithful to my pastor, church, family and friends, and for them to know how much I love and appreciate them, how much it means to be connected to them...My head is full...can you tell?

So Long Sanjaya

I am an American Idol addict, there is no other way to say it! When the season ends I'm always looking forward to the new season and cannot wait to get back into the Idol swing of things. This season has been boring in my opinion, very little punch, and when it has come to this Sanjaya guy, I've been completely amazed...how in the world did he stay in it so long? When they announced his departure I almost shouted! Don't mean to be mean, I'm sure he's a good person with much desire and a great heart...he just can't sing! So I say, So Long Sanjaya!

Are We As Sheltered As We Think?

I've been watching the tragedy at Virginia Tech and continue to be amazed. Like millions of others, I wonder how this could happen, why it happened, and what the reprecussions will be. This morning on the Today Show, Stone Phillips interviewed a father that after three days has yet to be notified by the school of his daughters death, he heard about the shooting, called his daughter's cell, dorm, and friends, and then traveled down to the campus where an ambulance personal informed him and a police officer confirmed. Obviously the officials of the school are overloaded and overwhelmed, this will not be easily overcome, though I am quite confident that time will bring healing. As the chancellor of a christian school with nearly 200 students I am wondering what I would do if this happened at our school? What if some parent came strolling through on a normal day and suddenly went nuts? How would we respond? What actions would we take? Certainly we are never prepared for such violence, how do you get through these things? The question arises in my mind, in a world that we have endeavored to make safe, a president that has based his entire presidency on ridding the world of terrorist and making our nation a safe haven, are we as safe as we think? We can all say what should have been done, talk about break downs and learn from this crisis, but the truth is that as long as there is evil in the world evil things will take place. I certainly pray this never comes to our town or schools, I pray that our schools and colleges learn and take extra precautions, but what I really pray is that we realize that America's only refuge is the Lord. Notice I didn't say it was going to church, going to church isn't the answer to everything, it's the place christians gather to celebrate and to be instructed, being a christian is about being christ like every day, every where, and allowing the love of Christ to shine through us. This is an opportune time for the church to arise and minister, not to cast out demons and rebuke the devil, no, this is the time to heal and cry, to hold and comfort, to admit that we don't understand or have the answers, but we are here and willing to be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and an arm to reach out and hold the falling. We are safe in Christ, even in a evil and hurting world!

The Process of Progression

My wife bought me an Ipod Shuffle for Christmas. It is a delightful matchbook size gadget that will hold over two hundred songs. I love it, take on trips with me, walk with it, and because of its size it's most convenient. Last month I traveled to Illinois and stuffed it in my suitcase, when I was preparing to leave for Kenya two weeks ago I couldn't find it. Called the hotel I stayed in, searched through my bags and just knew that some maid was listening to my Ipod...so I did the thing that most men do when something is missing, I replaced it! I didn't just replace it, I upgraded to an Ipod Nano, same color as my shuffle only bigger and better! I've loaded songs and podcasts and it is wonderful. This morning my wife was putting my suitcase away, going through it one more time before it headed off to the garage to await my next flight, when suddenly she entered the family room with a smile on her face and my Shuffle in her hand...It was in my suitcase stuffed in a pocket all the time, went all the way to Kenya and back without being damaged or stolen. Our fifteen year old daughter is now the proud owner of an Ipod Shuffle and I am still the happy owner of a new and enlarged Ipod Nano! O the process of progress and how it works for me!

Kenya

We returned from Kenya last night and I am working on getting my American legs back. What a wonderful trip we had, left here March 31st, arrived the 30th, got my luggage on April 4th, wore the same jeans for six days, bought some shirts and drawers, shaving stuff and got by until my luggage arrived. We preached in the villages of Mbanni and Masee on Sunday, then began a pastors school on Monday. For three days we poured ourselves into 18 ministers, they sat for hours as we life and simple, practical truths into their spirits, it was phenomenal. On Thursday we traveled north to Eldoret where we participated in a Impact Conference at Praise Celebration Centre with Bishop George Gichana. My Saturday message was aired on the Christian television station there with a potential audience of 3 million people, the local news also featured a clip on the evening news, I am awestruck by that fact, though I did not see any of that. Easter Sunday we preached to around seven thousand, three of us preach one after another beginning at 9:00 AM. I am glad to be home, but already anticipate my November return. Peter Franz, a german evangelist from Kenya has invited me to travel into the Sudan with him to conduct crusades and pastor's conferences, as well invititations to travel into Tanzania for crusades...Africa is calling!

The Anointing of Insight

This evening we had a men's Bible study on the 2nd chapter of Proverbs, it was quite interesting, men shared their thoughts and insights, I was glad that I attended. The leader of the study said something that peaked my interest, he prayed that God would give us an anointing of insight, the ability to see within a thing and gain revelation on the matter. This really spoke to me, I am convinced that to those whom revelation is given, from them revelation is required, yet, not just the speaking of words, not flattery, but a lifestyle of revelation, that we become the Word of God to the people we have been privileged to connect with. The issue of a dark world is that the light within us must become greater than the darkness around us. If we are to change our world it will not be done by programs and sermons alone, it will be done by ordinary people that have had a true conversion, have a real relationship with Christ, and are walking in the light of Jesus to the point that their very existence expresses Christ wherever they are. I'm reading a book by Jerry Cook on being the Monday morning church. The basic theme of this book is our need to become incarnational, that just as Jesus came in the form of man, we represent Christ to men as men, yet with Christ living in and through us. We are not gods, we are God's, we belong to Him, live by Him, and He lives through us, others see Him and we are given the opportunity to express His life to them and lead them into a relationship with Jesus. We have had many conversions, people confessing Christ, but quickly returning to the homes without a clue as to what has just transpired in their lives. The message of Christ was one of making disciples, of developing learners, of turning confession into true conversion by the turning away from sin and the turning to a new life in Christ...it's a process and a journey, and this must be the mission of the church. It seems at times that we are in a war against evil that cannot be won, and then I remember that the gates of hell cannot defeat the true church, the key is that we remember our war is not with people and other churches, but against a real devil, against a religious mentality that keeps people in bondage. Jesus Christ is able to set people free and keep them free, May He help us to become missional in our thinking and develop people for the Kingdom of God!

Flying, Faith, and the Future

Last Thursday I flew to Indianapolis with two of the most delightful ladies one could ever meet. They were both 84, didn't look a day over 65, both had some health issues, one from Florida and one from Michigan. Usually I don't talk much with the people around me, I read or sleep or both, sometimes engage in a very limited conversation, but most often plug in the Ipod and mind my own business...Last Thursday that was not the case! I'm not sure how we got talking, but we talked from the time we got seated until we landed and were leaving one another. We talked about weather, good places to eat, education, children and grandchildren, health, and how to make a good glass of tea. I cannot tell you the last time I've enjoyed flying that much, the girls were great! As we are talking we began to discuss children and what the future holds, one of the ladies very kindly but confidently said, "We've got work to do, we're not leaving much of a world to our children! We must be more positive, do our very best, and then leave them in the Lord's hands!" How true that is, how desperately our children need to connect with older people, sit at their feet, hear their stories, catch their spirits, and gain their wisdom. Our older people have so much to offer, and if we can see the opportunity before to connect the generations in a positive manner, it could be powerful! I think the Lord has this passing on the baton from the generations in mind when He says that the former and latter rain are being poured out together, there's something for everyone!

Remember The Touch

When I was a child there was a minister that came to our church to preach, I don't remember his sermon, didn't spend any time with him, in fact, I was only five or six years old and spent most of my time playing with my friend in the pew in front of my mother. What I do remember is that when he gave the altar call he asked for everyone in the building to come and my mother made me go. That preacher stepped off the platform, laid his hand on my hand and I began to weep, it was the first time in my life that I was actually aware of the manifest presence of God. It has been forty years since that night, I have never forgotten it and hopefully never will.

Recently I was watching Oprah and her special guest was the actor Denzel Washington, he was talking about the people that made an impact upon his life, his mother, various school teachers, people that saw something in him and were willing to make an investment in his life. One of those tear jerking moments arose when out of the crowd came a former teacher, one Mr. Washington attributes much of his success to, it was powerful!

As I watched that program I commented to my wife that I pray someone will impact my daughters in that way, that a pastor, a teacher, a person that they respect, will arise, see something in them and pour themselves into my children in such ways that when they are old they will remember them. I pray that someone will stand behind my children in the altars at church whispering prayers over them, speaking encouragement into them, hugging them in the hallway, developing a relationship with them that allows them entrance into their lives. I pray that God will allow me to do the same in others, that those things God has placed in my life will not end with me, but will be passed on to someone that grow and go higher in life than I will ever go.

My mind races to Jan Pennell, a lady in our church who passed away this past weekend, what a warrior, what a special gal she was. One day I was visiting with her and she talked about being in the plan, that it doesn't matter what happens in our lives if we know we're in God's plan. That thought has consumed me, I can see her testifying at church, worshiping and wiping tears from her eyes, smiling as we preach. I can hear her northern accent as she shares of the goodness of God, and am reminded of the night our youth visited her in the hospital and she gave them a life related message from the Lord.

I pray that you remember the touch, the touch of God that is upon your life, and the touch of men and women that have impacted you. I pray that you remember it in the dark times so that it will refresh you, and that you will remember it in the good times so that you can pass it on to others. I pray that your prayer will be, God let me touch others as You have touched me!

Leaving Again...

Thursday I'm flying out to Indianapolis where I will then be transported to Danville, IL for a three day revival and then on to Champaign, IL to a church we pastored for seven years. I'm getting in ministry and traveling mode, asking God to give me the words both of these churches and pastors need, to help me be a friend and blessing to the pastors, to allow the weather to be warm so I can wear my new flip-flops, or as the sticker on them said...male thongs...that certainly creates a visual that will sicken anyone that has ever met me! After looking at the weather report, it may be possible to wear my flip-flops, but it will only be a statement of where I now live, because it's going to be cool...Got to take a coat! I'm looking forward to these meetings, have some mixed feelings, I love Champaign the city, the people and the church there, we pastored there a long time, our oldest daughter was three when we moved there and our youngest daughter was born there. I probably grew there in more ways than I realized, so going back is an honor, but it's always hard to go back, for me, I don't want to go back and relive what was but rather I desire to see what is and what is to come, pray for me! When I return next Thursday I'm home for one week and then off to Africa, Pastor James Eason from Leeds, Alabama and myself are going to Kenya for our first Pastor's Conference! Twenty Kenyan pastors are coming into the bush area for four days of teaching and preaching, I'm excited. On Easter Sunday we will minister at Praise Deliverance Church in Eldoret, this is a massive congregation where Bishop George Gichana is the pastor, and then we're headed home on April 8th...racking up the air miles in the next three weeks! Those of you who read my blog, thanks, I appreciate you stopping by, if you don't mind, when you think of me, whisper a prayer for God's protection, wisdom, anointing, and understanding, ask God to give me compassion and favor, and to watch over my family while I'm gone. Thanks!

Is This That?

Everything around us points to the obvious truth that we may be living in the last days, those times leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. We know that these are the last days because they aren't the first days and we as countless thousands before us await the return of the Lord as will generations that follow us if He should return during our lifetime. There is much conversation concerning these times, conversation that speaks of what the church world should be like, what our lives should be like and how we should be living as we await the return of Christ. The scripture indicates that the last days will be filled with warfare, worship, and work, that believers of these times must be on guard, protecting themselves and preparing others. It is a time filled with promise, Jesus taught that the things the He did His followers would do also and greater. He spoke of an empowerment of the Holy Spirit that would enable His followers to defeat the enemy and conqueror the powers of darkness. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came, thousands entered covenant with Christ and His church, a tremendous outpouring followed creating what we now know as the church. The Apostle Peter on that famous day stood declaring that this that which was prophesied, that in the last days the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh. My question is, "Is This That?" Will Christ return for a church that operates in less power and authority than the one He left? Don't misunderstand me, I'm not speaking of emotional manifestations, I'm talking about believers that are living and walking in the anointing and authority of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures! Men and women of God who have encountered Christ for themselves and are able to live victoriously in this present world. As a pastor I often see the same people weeping and struggling with the same issues over and over again, things they've struggled with for years and something in my spirit says there has to be more, is this really that?

20th Anniversary

This Wednesday will be our 20th Wedding Anniversary! It's hard to believe that 20 years have gone by so quickly. I can still remember the night I met Julie, I was preaching a revival in Covington, KY and she came to visit, I tried to get a revival with her Dad and ended up marrying her. In fact, though I preached for him often, I didn't get revival until after we were married...hummmm! Julie is absolutely the most fantastic person I have ever met, the most beautiful person in the world. We have had a good life together, traveled as evangelist, pastored, and our greatest accomplishment is the two daughters God has given us. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years will hold. Thursday we're off to St. Augustine for a couple of days, just the two of us...can't wait!

Thanks For Leading Me To Christ!

Last Tuesday evening I had the honor of leading a young lady to the Lord. She came to me during the altar call, said that she felt the need to give her heart to the Lord, wasn't sure how, and then allowed me to assist her in accepting the Lord into her life. It was an exciting moment for all of us. Wednesday after the final service she came by, hugged me and said, "Thanks for leading me to Christ!" In 28 years of ministry I have never had anyone thank me for leading them to the Lord, but I must admit it felt good. There is nothing like ministering to people and helping lost people become found people. Another thing it did was cause me to remember those people that helped me find Christ, my friend David Taylor who went to a church summer camp, gave his heart to Christ and came back telling me about it, God used him to minister to me, Pastor Jerry Holt, who loved me and preached a true word from God, my Mom who lived it out before me, even when being a christian in our home wasn't easy. There are many people in our lives that have impacted us in more ways than one, we owe them our love and appreciation, but in my thoughts tonight I am most appreciative that some one told me about the Lord, not about church and religious jargon, some body told me that Jesus loved me, would forgive me, and would not hold my sin against me...I really appreciate the Lord and those He uses and am humbled that He and they would love someone like me!

Held Captive By Strange Priorities

I want to be the first to admit that I am not the father of Anna Nicole's baby! I've been faithfully married to my beautiful wife almost 20 years and she is my one and only love! With that said, I am amazed at how consumed our world is with finding out who her baby's father is, where she should be buried, and who's going to get the money...if there is any! Does it strike you strange that this woman's death has elevated her to levels she only dreamed of in her life...Do you ever ask yourself...Why? What is strange to me is that she is in the news, on talk shows, and being discussed by the biggest and the best while thousands of men and women fight a continuing battle in Iraq, children are kidnapped, molested, abused and abandoned on a daily basis, people are dying and going to hell, and we simply want to know who is Anna Nicole's baby's father is! I don't mean to seem without compassion and certainly hope for her sake they find her father, but should our world be held captive during the process? Is this the really important stuff or have we become a spin-off in the reality tv world? Perhaps it's one of those crazy thoughts in my own mind that reminds me how often my priorities can become misplaced and how that I can become consumed with things that are important to me, but not necessarily news for my world, at least not lasting news! I hope they get this mess straightened out, and again, don't mean to sound harsh, but I do believe something is out of whack here...maybe it's just me!

Pressing Through The Crisis

Have you ever had a crisis of faith? A moment when you needed to reevaluate your beliefs and needed to do it now? I have. It's not that you question your beliefs but you question do you really believe what you believe. There are moments when I have found myself asking myself and the Lord why do I believe what I believe, do I really believe it, or is it just something I've heard all of my life. Crisis moments bring us to this place from time to time, does it just work when things are going well or will it work in the darkness? This week I'm in Alabama preaching a meeting at Rock Christian Center with Pastors Kevin and Diane White. We're having an awesome meeting, the Lord is speaking through His Word and needs are being met. What makes this meeting particularly special to me is the Pastor Diane is being treated for cancer, yesterday she took a chemotherapy treatment and arrived at church ready to worship, she is so courageous, a powerful woman of God. As I watch this family walk through this time of crisis in their lives I am amazed at the strength the Lord is giving them. They're not looking for sympathy, or for people to smother them, they believe God is healing Diane, are proclaiming that healing, and are leading their congregation forward into a bright new future. Whenever I think of crisis moments I think of three men in a fiery furnace, a king leaning over the edge asking if their God will deliver them, and their response, "O yes, and if not!" Their confidence was not in the deliverance but the deliverer. I think of Paul in Acts 27, a storm is raging and all hope that they will saved is lost, but Paul stands boldly proclaiming his confidence in God, of his encounter and revelation of a God that is able to walk with us during life's greatest storms. Crisis is the litmus test of our faith, I for one want to pass the test!

American Star

Our school had a talent show today and I was one of the judges. It was awesome, kids from 3rd grade up to 7th, singing, dancing, jumping rope, and doing karate...one little girl tried to break a board but didn't, though I wasn't certain that she wasn't going to break her partner...I wanted to be Simon, but we weren't allowed to voice oral opinions, just work off of prepared score sheets...it was a hoot. The funny thing was there were girls that would do a serious spiritual song and then go into "Free Ride...Take It Easy!" I'm telling you it was phenomenal...I'm happy to be a part of a Christian School! What also happened was we saw little leaders and mini worshipers arise, the Bible speaks of children being arrows, the important thing about arrows is they are powerful only if directed, we get to direct the arrows!

A Word From The Word

I felt like a newlywed today, just like when my wife and I were newly married and just beginning our pastoral ministry...we went to make hospital visits together. Our girls were with friends, one went to the beach and the other went to the mall...so Julie and I went to Tampa to make a hospital visit. On our way we stopped at Home of the Gyro on MLK Blvd. It's a little corner place that has some of the oddest combination meals you've ever seen, gyro's and chicken gizzards, or gizzard's and rice, wings and gizzards...I had the gyro platter, the sandwich was huge, took both hands to hold it and meat fell out of it, very good. While we were ordering I noticed behind the counter the proprietors 3-4 children sitting watching television, one of the boys had a well used Bible in his lap and was holding and reading while watching TV. I asked him what he was reading, the Bible he said, but what are you reading I continued to ask...then I asked him to give me a word from the Word, he didn't quite understand what I was asking, his Mom tried to explain, but it was his sister who go it, and she began to quote and give me scripture reference..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God..." It lit my fire! Last night I watched the video "One Night With The King", the story of Esther. There was a place where Esther was called to read for the King, at first she read from his favorite scrolls, and then she began to tell the story of Jacob and Rachel, quoting the Word of God with such passion. I love the Word, love to hear it quoted and love to hear it read. A few years ago I was attending a Senior Adult Convention and the Happy Goodman's were there, not my style of music, but I was there with senior members of my church. Johnny somebody was one of the singers and he began to quote Revelation 22, it sent chills and thrills through my spirit, the Word is powerful, it will stand alone and work! Years ago I was preaching for Clarence Bear in Stillwater, OK, he told me something that I've never forgotten, he said, sometimes God gives us one thing to say, but we preachers have to add all this other stuff around it, we spend thirty minutes telling them what we've got to say, but God only wanted about ten minutes of it! There's probably truth in that! The Word is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword...and a Word from the Word is welcome in my life at anytime!

Connecting Where It Counts

I am a huge reality television fan. I love Survivor, $40.00 Per Day With Rachel Ray, American Idol, and Nashville Star. Recently I was watching Nashville Star when one the judges shared a golden nugget with a contestant, his advice to this young wannabe star was simple, "Learn to connect with the crowd!" The jest of the message was that it doesn't matter how well you sing or play an instrument, how good you look or if you can dance, all of these things are important and will have a great deal to say as it pertains to your success...but if you don't connect with the crowd, you won't make it! There's a spiritual aspect to that isn't there? Jesus did three things when He was on earth: 1) He met people; 2) He mended people; and 3) He ministered to people. Jesus connected with His crowd, He was genuinely concerned with their lives, He hung out with them, He loved them, and he loved on them. When He spoke to them He identified with where they were, where they had been, and where they needed to go, and He initiated the opportunity for them to get there. The amazing thing about the Lord is that He wasn't religious, He developed relationships and whenever He spoke to people He gave them a relevant answer...He connected with them. I want to connect with people, to be a true communicator, not just a good orator, or a gifted person in a certain area. The world is full of people that speak well, that know the right things to say and the right way to say them...I want to identify with them, see where they are and where they need to be, and to enable them to get where they're going...Pray for me that I will connect with the crowd in the right way at the right time and that God will minister through me to others!

Super Slow Sunday

Our town from April to October is somewhere between 40,000-50,000 people, from November to April we are around 90,000-100,000 people...they come from Ontario, New York, Michigan, Ohio, and everywhere else in between. Today as I was traveling to lunch after church and to make a hospital visit after lunch it seemed like every slow poke in the United States had converged on Zephyrhills! Instead of being Super Bowl Sunday it's Super Slow Sunday in Florida! My wife reminds me that we too will grow older some day, I told her that when these wonderful folks cross the Florida state line they should have to sign an agreement to drive the speed limit...and maybe even 5 miles over! Go Bears!