Chicken and Waffles

There are two extremes when it comes to a food diet...starving and excess.  Last week was my vacation week and I should probably use this time to repent!  What on earth is a guy to do when his condo has three kinds of brownies, ice cream, and a key lime pie?  That would be like putting a boy in the dirt and telling him not to get dirty!  I was even tricked by someone in Satan's army into eating chicken and waffles with some sort of butter sauce!  But I am very pleased to say that after a week at home on a normal diet and week one of training for my first half marathon...the bloated and sluggish feeling is gone.

All that to say that there is a similar diet that we are in great need of maintaining.  Many of us are dying of starvation, our lives are weak and we do not even know why.  The answer is found when Jesus tells us that we are to live not only on steak and potatoes but also the Word of God (Matt. 4:4).  I am learning more and more every day that to take in the instruction and encouragement of Holy Scripture is exactly what it takes to strengthen my weakest areas in life.  Whether it be relationships which suffer, emotional struggles, or a lack of hope in life...taking in the God breathed words of Scripture never fail to fill the void of life.

The flip side of this conversation is the chicken and waffles, three kinds of brownies, ice cream, and key lime pie.  Just because I eat does not mean I am nourished or able to push through the day.  In my creativity I could justify the dairy and fruit of this diet...this is two of the major groups!  But it is the excess combined with idleness that does me in (surely I am not the only one to overdo a pie to the necessity of loosing the belt because it has fruit in the name!).  In John 4, the disciples were concerned about their rabbi as he had neglected his diet.  In a very odd response to a request for him to eat, Jesus tells them that he is quite satisfied by a food they don't know about.  What Jesus did here is take Matt 4:4, put the Word of God to action, and claim that this is the most strengthening his body could experience.   “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." (John 4:34).  Calories without activity makes you sluggish, we are to put God's Word into action so the instruction does not sour in our stomach.

Over the past few weeks I have experienced a great fulfilling of this statement in my life.  It is my prayer that you too would engage in the Word of God, receive the promise of life, and have your feeble knees strengthened by the voice of our God which strikes with flashes of lightning!  (Heb 12:12, Psalm 29:7)

If you are in need of assistance in your daily diet of God's Word...contact me here or through facebook.

THE ART OF FILMS AND JOSHUA

The art of movies is able to rise up in a viewer a wide range of emotions.  As a good boyfriend does, I recall watching the notebook with my soon to be bride as she wept and sighed over people she never knew, and that weren't real for that matter.  Can you remember the outrageous laughter of a young teen who is enthralled with Monty Python's "Search for the Holy Grail" during the first of many viewings?  Whatever the film, the big screen has the capability of digging in deep to pull out a heart felt response as unique as the viewer itself.

The action packed, romantic drama that is recorded for us in the writings of Joshua have been increasingly tugging at something deep within myself...in a way that few storylines have been able to.  For your encouragement as well as my own, I will share with you what I've experienced as the storyline plays out...

Leading God's People.  Part 1.  Joshua 1:1-6
Many of us in leadership know the all too often used "everything rises and falls on leadership" quote from John Maxwell.  Well as Joshua's life unfolds through the pages of Scripture we see just how relevant leadership is in the life of God's people.  Joshua was a leader of leaders and had a list a mile long to speak of his reputation and qualifications...

Joshua's leadership began as "encourager" despite "discourgaers."  (read Numbers 14:5-10)
  -  Discouragers create doubt through why and why nots
  -  Encouragers generate courage to fulfill God sized visions
There are enough discouragers in this world telling you why God's vision for your life won't work.  I don't know if my 7th grade basketball coach was a Christian or not, but he knew what Joshua knew when he told us, "Excuses are like a rear end, everybody's got one and they all stink." (phrase cleaned up for the purpose of my readers)
God's people are living full of fear while they should be the boldest and most courageous in all the world...let us be generaters of courage through our words.

Reasons for courage:
  -  When God's people pursue God's purpose, they enjoy God's provisions (Joshua 1:3)
  -  God's promises are not if...they are when (Deut. 7:9, Romans 8:28)
     ...every place your foot WILL TREAD upon I HAVE GIVEN to you...
          I'm not English major, but it appears as if God put the cart before the horse...
          victory was won before the battle started according to His promise!
  -  God visions are not limited by man's ability (Romans 8:31)

I'll keep you in the loop as the plot thickens and the story unfolds.

Free Fall III...Shouts of Enthusiasm

When I was about 12 years old, I can remember my brother and I climbing the stairs of a look-out tower in Eureka Springs.  This was by no means a marvel of the modern engineering world...more like a big tree house.  But for two brothers who are gravely afraid of heights, you'd have thought we were climbing the sears tower with no harness.  A whopping 20 feet off the ground in this rickety stair case that seemed to sway 15 foot each way with the most gentle breeze, my 16 year old brother and myself are on bended knee...glued to the floor of this tower.  At the rate of about 30 seconds per stair, we carefully descended back to earth until we were safe and sound on solid ground.  With a deep breath and a sigh, we were free to give shouts of enthusiasm.

With two children and all that goes with raising a family, Shelli proceeded to give up the job which God has used to support our family and ministry for nearly five years.  Believing that God had spoken, we had no other option...literally, at that point we had no other options!  If we had mistaken something lesser like feelings or emotions for the greater call of God, it would show itself for what it was...at our expense.

So the free fall began...

Options began to line up for how we might support our finances and family.  With all my know how and  creativity, we began to imagine how I as "head of household" might be able to pull this off.  I came up with a great option that combined all current aspects of life together into a plan that worked financially (on paper) only to realize that as God provided the means for my wife to be at home with the kiddos, I had committed myself to work endless hours away from them.  This is where Phil 4:6-7, Prov 2:8, and Eph 3:20 were repeatedly read and prayed back to God on an hourly basis (by Shelli and myself) so that "I" didn't take down our family with human wisdom and reasoning (1 Corinthians 3:19, Prov 16:9).

I understand now why most videos of cliff jumpers is a silent film until the parachute opens or they are safely on ground...fear shuts mouths.  I am thrilled to say that the fear of gravity did not win but that God is BIGGER than my uncertainty.  One week after Shelli's career change, I received a random call from Sharon Baptist Church in Benton.  After much prayer and a thorough interview process, I  am thrilled to say that I will be the next student pastor for this wonderful church family.  God has not only granted my wife the desires of her heart to be with our children, but has done the same for me by allowing me to give my life to disciple students and young families in Christ.

Allow me to give shouts of enthusiasm for my God!  He is the Solid Rock we desire in times we feel like we are falling.  Before I leave you, allow me to remind us of a couple things God's Word tells us...

God is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than what we could dream!  Ephesians 3:20.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he WILL give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4

Free Fall...A Fear of Gravity

Heights is not the reason that I don't base jump or sky dive...gravity is.  "Gravity is an attractive force between two objects."  We've all heard that the bigger they are the harder they fall...that's not exactly right, it's not size that affects gravity but weight.  I don't jump off cliffs because I weigh enough that it would kill me to fall!   


So in life and God calling my family to make a radical change that involves jumping without a back up chute, it would be no big deal if not for the WEIGHT of the calling.  This is our family, finances, and existence we are giving up and if we FALL we FAIL.  
     
After gazing over the cliff for a few days, knowing we had to move, Shelli and I believed God had spoken and took the leap.  With no security and no plan, our family once again experiences the sensation of free falling because of a leap of faith.  I've come to the conclusion that if we desire to experience the exhilarating thrill of landing, we must overcome the fearful sensation of the free fall.  As one who knows the thrill of standing on Solid Rock, I refuse to let a fear of gravity keep me out of the game.


We've all seen those action movie scenes where sky divers are frantically working at their chutes or grabbing for the guy next to them...typically messing up everyone else's chance for survival as well.  This is me!  When I jump for God, I jump BIG!  But then I become so anxious on in the 28 second free fall, that I grasp for everything around me.  Maybe I didn't know it would take so long to find solid ground or felt like I was falling to fast?  Whatever the case...here are some verses that kept me from taking down my family and friends while Shelli resigned from her job and my career's future was unknown to say the least.


Philippians 4:4-7, Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Ephesians 3:20, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory...throughout all generations.


Proverbs 2:8, ...for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.


Men...we MUST lead our families into these leaps of faith based only on Scripture.  If you can't support it Biblically, you can't lead Biblically.


Families...the free fall sensation cannot be experienced alone.  Both of you WILL need the strength and wisdom of the other at any given time...it's nearly impossible to regain composure mid air once you're upside down, turned around, and falling fast without help.


To be continued...

Free Fall

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go9uekKOcKM

28 seconds of free fall!  You notice that no one gave a shout of enthusiasm until the chute was completely open and the feel of the fall was over.  There is something about jumping off the edge and giving up all control...but it's not worthy of celebration until you've been safely brought back to ground.  For a while you are silenced by fear...but this is followed by shouts of enthusiasm.

I've purposely not posted a blog in the past couple of months because my family and myself have be in the midst of the free fall...it is only now that God has planted our feet on ground and we will rejoice with shouts of enthusiasm.  Allow me to shout for my God!

It was about two months ago, when Shelli was on maternity leave (after having Brandt) and about to head back to work, that she received a call that would require our family to take the first step off the cliff.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the past five years of our life and ministry, God has used the stability of Shelli's career to allow me to pursue an education as well as serve in ministry roles that haven't always gone very far when paying the bills.  In fact, it was an act of God that provided her job through a miraculous answered prayer (different story, different day).  But now, one week prior to returning to work, Shelli received a call from her employer asking if she would make a decision to work more hours or resign to allow for a person who could work more.  As was the scene in the video, where the camera looks over the edge and you got dizzy just thinking about it...that was us.

My wife knew already in her heart that God had not called her to be the career woman, but that her greater role at this stage in life was to focus on our family.  The problem lied in the fact that my income was minimal and there was no sight of that changing in the near future.  Basically, the cliff was high and our chute was small.

To be continued...

from God to me.

Occasionally there are seasons of life that completely show how small my faith just is...this is that season.  After searching God's will for the answer to my question I still found myself anxious and without the peace that Paul promises me in Jesus (Phil 4:6-7).  So here's the message from God, to me.

You know how you spend a summer day working outside and for some reason you neglected to bring a water cooler?  Yeah, that's how I felt the other day when I was going through a great search for God's will in my life and didn't bother to read His Word all day.  Dying of thirst, I finally dove into my Bible at 8:30 that evening and I was lapping up the words like my dog in the water bowl after a long summer walk.  This sounds great and all but for those of you who have children, you know that babies never let you be productive for long without interrupting.  It was just getting good when my two month old, Brandt, broke into song (crying).  Despite my usually calm and patient manner (sarcasm intended here), I grew frustrated that my son wouldn't allow me the peace and quiet to do the very thing I should have done hours ago.  In the midst of frustration I boldly asked Brandt, "Life's not that hard!  Can't you just be content and sit still for a minute?!"

Like an overwhelming thirst quenching flood, God gave me the word I so desperately needed.  "Life's not that hard...be content and sit still for a minute while I do what I've got to do."