Relax

I have started to play golf again in recent weeks. It has been a solid 4 years since I have played and this time is very different – I am actually keeping score! When I played several years ago, I always kept score by how many balls I lost and how many I found. If I finished a round with more balls than I started with, then I won. If I finished with less, then it was not a good round. So this time I am keeping score on the score card.

I have often heard people say the golf is relaxing. I have also heard just as many people say that this game adds more stress into their lives. The other day when I started, I was stressed out. It did add more anxiety into my life. I was thinking, “Why in the word am I doing this?” Also, “why am I paying somebody to add this much stress?” I could not hit the ball if my life depended on it. I even lost a ball on the first tee! Then I learned something about this game. I needed to relax! I need to force myself to relax! I needed to have patience. The funny thing is when I forced myself to relax; I started to hit the ball further and straighter. I started to have fun. The amazing thing is that others around me started to have fun too. My stress of the game effected others who I was golfing with not to have as much fun.

In the bible Jesus asks the question, “Can anybody add one moment to his life-span by worrying?” (Matthew 6: 27 HCSB). This passage goes on to say that seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness then He will provide for our needs. If we stop worrying and relax, seeking the Master, then we can start to hit the balls of life straighter and further. Then, we can really start to have fun and enjoy this journey of life that the Lord has placed us.

Settling Down

Well, it has been too long. Life has been good though. Life is starting to settle down a bit, still busy, but settling down. We are now in our new house and still have several boxes to unpack. We are more focused on Kingdom work now more than ever. We still have stress, but is in unlike the stress of having rent and a house payment.

Looking back, I have a new found appreciation for people who do anything to make ends meet and to supply the needs for their families. I am also coming to the conclusion that life is meant to live as an adventure with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Getting back into the groove of life, lessons will continue to be learned, Jesus is still on the throne, all while things are settling down. Till next time…

Faithfulness

In August of 2007 I was let go from my previous ministry position due to financial strain on the budget. This really sent Kelly, the kids, and I into a real tailspin of a ride since then. We moved back to Michigan in October and lived with Kelly’s brother for a month. Then we moved into a house owned by some people who were on a short term mission trip in Mississippi for a month. Then, you guessed it, we moved again and this time into a rental house. This was going to be somewhat temporary because we still needed to sell a house in Virginia. Through this whole ordeal, several people were Jesus with skin on toward us during this difficult time; my wife’s brother and family who opened their home to us and our dog (that made 4 adults, 5 children under the age of 6, and 2 dogs under the same roof), complete strangers to us allowed us to stay in their home while they were away, and the people of Cadillac Christian Reformed Church who came along side us and helped pay some of rent to relieve some financial pressure.

We did sell our house in Virginia in January of 2008. Things looked up for us, so we thought. Around every corner, there was a challenge to get this house closed and also some financial pressures we were feeling here as we were still paying a mortgage and rent. So after almost 2 months of challenges that led right up until closing, we finally closed on our house.

During this time, my wife and I were asking God – WHY? As the bills mounted and the bank account dwindling – why? As the challenges of selling a house were magnified – why? As our 3 ½ year old son was asking for a toy we could not get him – why? Why? Because during this time it forced us to focus on the blessings in life, to be thankful for what we do have and to be joyous because we have people in our life that love us very much. God never allowed our children and us to go hungry, we always had shelter and food.

Now in the last week, we really experienced the blessings of God. We got back money from our house in Virginia that we never anticipated getting back. The faithfulness of God in this was that is was enough to cover any debt we accumulated in the last 7 months during this ordeal. We did close on a house here in Michigan yesterday and we thought we would need to bring a significant amount of money to closing. Well, that never materialized and we ended up getting money back from that closing too.

As we come out the other end of a difficult time in our life (the most difficult time I have ever had to go through), there are some lessons we are taking. One is that the Lord uses situations like this to develop character. Now, I am a real character J. Seriously, we have more faith in Christ and know that He is going to be with us no matter what in life. Second is that we came to realize what we really need to focus on in this life, the people around us. I am amazed that God took away money to help us focus on relationships. Third, during this ordeal someone that was helping us told me that they did not want any type of payback, that we are now responsible to pay it forward to somebody else that may need any type of help. My wife and I can honestly say that our hearts are enlarged by this generosity and have determined to be better stewards of what God has given us. Lastly, I would say that I have learned that there are many opportunities to serve Christ in the world. Doors seem to open for us in ways that I could not have imagined a year ago. Only time will tell to see how God is going to us these in the future.

The future is exciting for us! As we celebrate Holy Week this year, Christ’s sacrifice, grace, and love have given us a renewed hope. Easter 2008 will forever hold a special place in our hearts as we get settled into our new home here in Cadillac Michigan and into a new church family. We will anticipate in faith more amazing wonders from the Creator of the Universe!

SOLD!!

It only took 6 months , but we have an offer on our house in VA. Our expected closing date is February 15, 2008. WOW, what a ride! We are sooooo thankful that we can now move on in our lives. The Virginia chapter can be closed for good in just a few short weeks.

This was a huge test of faith for us. At times we were very angry with God and had so many question of why this is happening to us. A lot of people said that the Lord will show up in time, He is never late. I knew this to be true, but one look at our checkbook – wellllllllll we thought He was late. Looking at this from another vantage point and still being in the middle of it, we can say that He did show up in time that He was not late.

As we look back at this whole situation surrounding the sale of our house and why we had to sell it, we know that there is going to be lessons that will peer out for years to come. It was painful going through a situation where our friends (for the lack of better terms – they were leaders of a faith community and did not treat us as friends) lacked the faith to trust God with their finances and placed me and my family in a tough situation. Now the positive, which completely outweighs what has been done to us because it is what He has done for us; we are in a healthier situation, our faith grew, we are closer to family, and we have more of a solid direction for the future. Praise God for how He works no matter how it plays out!

They Like Jesus

I was very reluctant to read this book. The reason being is that Kimball’s other tow books left me with more disagreements than agreements. I was so surprised by this book. It is a book that I will be referring to in years to come. I loved how Kimball challenged the leaders to be missionaries, something that has been on my heart for years now. The amazing thing is that I can know pick up his other two books and probably find more agreements. “They Like Jesus” really communicates Kimball’s heart and so you can take his other books and process them clearly and with a more open heart. Maybe it is that I have grown a little too since the time I read his other books.

Anyway, I believe that the hot topic that this book addresses and the church, in general, will need to address is women in leadership. I believe that this presidential election will have the deep ramifications on the church. I have a feeling that the next president will be a Democrat. I also believe that Hilary Clinton has a strong chance at it. Now I say this not knowing who I will vote for yet. I still have to complete my own research on the candidates. But, if Clinton does win the presidency, this will force the church to re-think the issue of women in leadership. If the church, in general, remains dogmatic about not having women in key leadership roles, then those churches will dye a slow death (my opinion). I am not saying that the pastors are men and then women can be “directors” of ministries. This is a side step of the issue that people outside the church can see right through. If a woman can run the country, why can’t a woman be a leader of a church? That will be a question that many outside the church will ask the church. Now, I understand that there are churches that have women pastors and elders. I am not thinking about these churches. I am talking about the churches who are still passionate and dogmatic about this issue.

This issue just stood out to me the most of all the issues Kimball wrote about. All the other issues are valid and the church needs to think, pray, and have tough conversations to become more effective in ministry. I would say that this is a must read for any church leader who is serious about being used by Christ.

True forgiveness

We have all had people in our life that has beat us down, placed unrealistic expectations on us, and have sinned against us. But what do we do with that? It has been a hard journey for me but I have learned the true meaning of forgiveness. Sure I can say that I forgive people and still harbor resentment, bitterness, anger, and even rage. The true measure of forgiveness is found in what Christ did for us and remembering what we were forgiven from. I can look at my life and say that I was really forgiven much and I am truly grateful for that. The secret in true forgiveness is remembering what we were forgiven from and what Christ did for us and then project that to others who have sinned against us. I have learned when I do this simple thing; anger is dislodged from my heart, bitterness is subsided, resentment retreats, and resentment melts away. In a way I will always remember what others have done to me, but then I remember what Christ did for me. I can tell you from experience that thinking this way and remembering my salvation is freeing and I am starting to see the effects of this freedom is the relationships that are closest to me. I am truly thankful for forgiveness.

Ephesians 4: 32 “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”

Why Can I Not Follow You Now?

I read this this morning and it really spoke to me. It comes from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

"Peter said to Him, 'Lord why can i not follow you now?'" John 13: 37

There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification— to be set apart from sin and made holy— or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt— wait.
At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.
Peter did not wait for God. He predicted in his own mind where the test would come, and it came where he did not expect it. "I will lay down my life for Your sake." Peter’s statement was honest but ignorant. "Jesus answered him, ’ . . . the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’ " (John 13:38). This was said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of himself. He could not follow Jesus because he did not know himself or his own capabilities well enough. Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly follow Him.