Beyond The Visible

I Don't Want To Be The Rich Man

2009-07-10T23:18:00.002-05:00

In my quiet time today I read Luke 16. While I didn't connect with the first part of the chapter, v.16-31 spoke to me in a whole different way today. It is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in e purple and fine linen and f who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate g was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with h what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by i the angels j to Abraham's side. [2] The rich man also died and was buried,23 and in k Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and l saw Abraham far off and Lazarus j at his side. 24 And he called out, m ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and n cool my tongue, for o I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that p you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers [3]—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have q Moses and the Prophets; r let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, s father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear q Moses and the Prophets, t neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (ESV)

What made me think today is not of being the rich man in terms of money but in how it can be easy to become hard hearted to those around us while spiritually indulging in Christian music, various Bible translations, and attending church while there are those who are spiritually poor living or working in "at our gates" The difficult part is that we take little or no notice of them. We are tempted to pass judgement on them in our minds because of their lifestyle or actions when we should be heavy hearted because they don't live a life connected to Christ.

I don't want to be the rich man living my life ignoring the spiritual or physical needs of those around me. Even if it is nothing more than showing kindness and praying for them on a regular basis. Maybe God will open the door so that I can simply say "I believe God places people in our paths that we can pray for, is there anything you would like me to pray about?

Life Lessons

2009-03-24T15:08:00.002-05:00

Again time has slipped by as I intend to write more than I have recently. I like to attribute this to the fact that my mental fucntions are greatly reduced by the time I am home from work however I am sure some would argue about the existence of my mental functions in the first place.

The last two years have been really tough on our family. I would have to say it has been the roughest period that we have gone through in our 18 years of marriage. It is not our marriage itself, that is stronger than ever but the loss of a ministry position and the cancer fight my mother-in law is battling has put us in a position of complete vulnerability where we have had no choice but to rely on God. I think the most difficult thing for me is the unknowns and lets face it, when you are in a position of only being able to trust God it can be a big unknown. Walking by faith not by sight takes the control out of our hands and places it with the Creator and that is never fun or easy. Between my wife and I we like to know and be in control it feels safe and more secure. Jesus exemplifies this when he appeals to the his father while praying in the garden. He asks that if it be possible that this cup may be removed from him yet he is firm in is trust, yielding to God's will and not his own.

Personally, the hardest part about God's will is when you are not sure what the next step of the journey will be. We have gone through phases where we accepted the idea of moving to take a ministry only to have the door shut. Then coming full circle to not being sure we are supposed to move from Crawfordsville or not. Sometimes trusting in him and seeking only his will is not a matter of a revelation of his will but a series of roadblocks that or merely there to re-direct us on the journey. It is not an easy journey when you are in a two year lesson on learning to trust.

Jesus In The Flesh

2009-01-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

We have finished up all the holidays and put the decorations away. As I have thought back to December and the accounts of the birth of Jesus, one of the things that keeps coming back to my mind is the idea of God in the flesh. I think a lot of people kind of gloss over the human part of Jesus as if he was some kind of super-human. He was God and he did have the spirit dwelling in him but he also felt the same human things we feel. It makes me wonder if he struggled with confidence like I do. I know he felt hunger the same as I would if I fasted in the wilderness for 40 days. It just seems as if we glorify the human side of Jesus to be less human... almost more of a superman who can leap buildings with a single bound. Luke notes after Jesus was tempted Satan left him until an opportune time. Just like us, Jesus was tempted at other times even though they are not necessarily recorded. It makes me think that Jesus felt many of the same things that I do.

The Slippery Slope to Liberalism

2008-12-21T17:28:00.002-05:00

I have started a new book called Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna. It is a look at many of the traditions that today's church upholds and the history of how they came to be. Many of them have come from non-christian or non-biblical backgrounds. Today I remembered a remark that was told to me in a previous ministry when we felt the need to remove the pulpit and move the communion table to alleviate congestion on the stage. I was told that we were heading down the slippery slope to liberalism by moving these two "religious icons". The ironic thing is that neither item appears in the New Testament and they were not fixtures in the in the first century church. Communion tables are derivatives from the alter that was put in place around the fourth century when Christianity became the official religion of Rome. John Calvin took the alter and made it a communion table in the mid 1500's. He is also the one that instituted the concept of serving communion to the people as they were seated in the pews. It strikes me as funny that I would be considered liberal and yet moving the pulpit and communion table really made us a little closer to the first century church. Wouldn't that make me more conservative?

Looking to Jesus

2008-12-14T17:43:00.002-05:00

Perhaps it is due to the "holiday" season or just where my brain matter happens to be focused these last few days but I have decided to take a look at the life of Christ again. One of the thoughts that has spurred this is the idea of becoming a better Jesus follower and I can't think of a better way to do it than to take a closer look at who Jesus was when he walked this earth in flesh and blood. (I think that was a pretty good run on sentence but it is my blog so I can do that!) :)

From the get go in chapter two there is the image of the "king of the Jews" being called the shepherd of his people. The imagery depicts the king, the highest and most powerful person in the land in the role of the lowest profession, a shepherd. As I think about the prophetic verses in Matthew 2 quoted from Micah 5 "for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel." The implications of this is a kind and gentle person who cares for and looks after those he is entrusted to. There is a toughness that lies underneath as one who protects his own when danger approaches.

How does this apply to me? To be kind and gentle to those I come in contact with. To protect, teach, and at times correct those who are entrusted to me whether my family or those I minister to. Sometimes this is easy and other times it is much more difficult. I think this shepherd concept of Jesus is really summed up in the fruits of the spirit particularly love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control.

Lessons Learned

2008-12-02T17:58:00.003-05:00

I found this blog post by Chris Bell, pastor at Woolridge Road Church. I wish that more leaders and pastors would follow this advice. It would save a lot of time and energy not to mention massive amounts of discouragements. Here are some lessons Chris has learned as a lead pastor.

1. Don’t assume the few numb skulls who are unreasonably giving you grief represent the masses… they don’t! People who are negative, critical, or attacking always act and talk like they represent the majority… they don’t… or you would be hearing from the majority. Most of the silent masses gets your vision and are headed that way. Don’t give unearned weight and credit to the numb skulls!

2. Remember God called YOU - specifically - to where you are for this season. He didn’t call them to pastor your church. Make mistakes, own up to them, and move on… and don’t let anyone make you focus all your time, energy, or emotions on their agenda. Even the worst pastor does more right than wrong - don’t get that turned around!

3. Remember who you work for!!! Who goes into ministry for the pay? The prestige? We go into this work because God makes it impossible for us to do anything else. That means HE is the one whom you have to impress, please, and work for… no one else!

4. DO NOT feel like you have to respond, fix, or reply to every nasty comment, snide remark, or “critique”. Do you chase down the guy who flips you the bird on the highway and feel compelled to make sure he likes you? Is ok with you? NO!!! So why feel unsettled if some in the church do not like you - often that means that your vision/strategy is clear. Some folks will not like you - ministry is not for people pleasers!!!

A Matter of the Heart

2008-11-06T21:27:00.003-05:00

I have really grown to love the book of Amos. It is such an obscure little book located in the latter books of the Old Testament. As I read through chapter 5, in the midst of all the warnings comes a promise. Simply stated in verse 4, "Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel, 'Come back to me and live!' " The following verses command Israel to give up various named idols and return to the Lord who created the stars and draws up the water from the oceans and pours it out as rain. As I continued on in the chapter we come to verse 21 where the Lord says "I hate all your show and pretense--the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies... away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears."

When I read this (and I have many times) I begin to understand that God wants our desires and affections to be about him. It is no accident that the early part of the chapter is urging Israel away from worshiping idols. God wants us to want him... the phrase still echoes "Come back to me and live!" I have wondered many times God has hated our show and pretense in our worship of him. When our thoughts, desires, focus, or our very hearts are elsewhere in our "solemn assemblies" of Sunday church is he saying this to each one of us?

In my past worship ministry, a comment was made to me by the senior minister about "being in a position to have the best music in town". It should have greatly concerned me at the time but didn't because it was clearly desirable to my former employer that we could be in that position. As I think back I wonder if God was dissatisfied because the desire was for more than just him. Being in his presence and worshiping wasn't enough. It had to be good, maybe the best, certainly perfect and definitely mistake free when all God is asking for is just us, just me, and just you. No show or pretense, no arrogance or ego, just me giving my all, heart, soul, mind, and strength in worship of him. Nothing else. In Amos 5 the idols of the day are specifically mentioned. What are our idols that takes away our hearts. What is it that makes our "worship" merely show and pretense? It certainly comes down to a matter of the heart when all God wants is for us to turn away from our idols and come back to him.

Seeking The God Moments... Being a True Seeker

2008-09-13T06:23:00.005-05:00

In the last few years there have been numerous writings published on the concept of "Seekers". We have churches that have completely geared themselves towards those who are outside of the traditional walls and ideals of the church. This week I had read a section from the writings of Brother Lawrence in The Practice of the Presence of God. Here is a bit of the passage that caught my attention:

"I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work. I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God."

It hit me this morning that we have our terminology all wrong. We call those who are outside of Christ "seekers" but we don't refer to those who are solidly in Christ as seekers. Maybe because as a seasoned believer in Christ we think that we have already "made it" and so we don't seek his presence nearly as often as we should.

Three hundred years ago Brother Lawrence was an uneducated lay cook in a French Monastery and yet he discovered a way to enjoy a profound if not continuous awareness of God. He never stopped seeking and his desire was to think about and to be aware of God's presence at all times.

"Can we keep that contact with God all the time? All the time awake, fall asleep in his arms, and awaken in his presence? Can we attain that? Can we do his will all the time? Can I bring the Lord back into my mind-flow every few seconds so that God shall always be in my mind? I choose to make the rest of my life an experiment in answering that question" Frank Laubach

In stead of referring to the unchurched as seekers, as a Jesus follower I should endeavor to be called a seeker and pray to have an unquenchable hunger for God's presence.

More Than Lip Service

2008-07-03T09:09:00.004-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted so I really felt the need to get back at it. There are a lot of things that we deal with in the course of life. In our area of Indiana there have been a lot of lost jobs recently. We may struggle with health issues and are besieged with bad news in the media. One only has to look at the gas prices down the street to feel down and trapped. The one thing that I have had to rely on is God. It has moved from saying God is taking care of us to actually needing... having to rely on Him. That is not as easy in action as it is to say... and that is what really gets us hung up. Trusting God in a way that we have never had to do is messy. For me it has been some uncharted territory that is not the most comfortable thing in the world to do. But we continue on, praying and believing in God's good and perfect will. Really placing our trust in God has to be more than just lip service.

More From Life On The Vine

2008-05-16T19:32:00.003-05:00

Love... such an over used word that describes the object of our affections, our spouses, favorite foods, favorite music, relationship with Christ, and on it can go. On the one hand I say I love Starbucks Coffee yet use the same word to proclaim my love for God and Jesus Christ. While the word is used in so many situations we often don't take the time to consider what it really signifies.

To really understand it and get back to its central meaning we really have to take a good look at love as it is displayed by God himself. Scriptures reveal several characteristics of God's love. The first one as described by Kenneson in his book (see previous post) is God's love for us is completely unmerited, and undeserved. It is played out in God's reaching down to us by sending Jesus Christ to die for us despite our rebellious hearts. Romans 5:8 "God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us."

The second thing seen in God's love is that it is steadfast. Because it is undeserved there is nothing we can do to keep God from loving us. Even in our rebellion, should we ultimately reject him and be separated for all eternity there is no reason to think God would stop loving us.

Thirdly, God's love is a suffering love... meaning he is not a distant God but one who is woven into the very joys and sorrows of our lives.

All of this said, I have to wonder how things would change around us if we took God's design for love and used it in all of our relationships that are around us. I am not just referring to spouses and our innermost circle of friends but stretching it out to even casual contact such as we we experience with a waitress at a restaurant or a cashier at the local gas station. I we would take these characteristics and live them out in our churches, how fast would we grow? If we became a people who displayed an undeserved, steadfast, and suffering love to each other I have to believe people would be breaking down the doors to be a part of our churches. We must ask ourselves... is love, as a fruit of the spirit, clearly evident in our life and in the very nature of the church we attend? If not, why? Paul himself said three things remain, faith, hope, and love but the greatest is love.

Life On The Vine

2008-05-14T12:21:00.003-05:00

I started this week "Life On The Vine". Actually I have had it on my shelf for quite a while. If memory serves correctly, my friend Wally gave it to me while I was still in Jackson, MI so I have had it at least five years and have just now decided to read it. The author is Philip D. Kenneson and is one of Wally's favorite authors. Here is a sample from the introduction that really lays it all out there:

"What the following chapters suggest is that it is quite possible for the church to be both growing and yet not bearing the fruit of the Spirit. What is happening in many cases is that the church is simply cultivating at the center of its life the seeds that the dominant culture has sown in its midst. As a result, the seeds that the Spirit has sown are all but being choked out, and the fruit that is being brought to harvest has little or no likeness to the Spirit's fruit."

So far I have found the book to be thought provoking and I think it will be a good read but a slower read than some I have read. Stay tuned for more thoughts. My thanks to Wally even though it has sat on my shelf for a while.

Back To Blogging

2008-04-26T21:14:00.003-05:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted here. The Coffee Shop is no longer in existence so I will be back to blogging here for the time being. So first off, I am certain that God is leading us back into ministry of some sort. My passion still lies in worship but so far there hasn't been much open up in central to north Indiana or southern Michigan. The last several months have been a roller coaster ride of emotion since leaving Woodland Heights. We have had days were we felt we really trusted God then turn around and have days where we are yelling at Him, wondering when something is finally going to go our way. In the end, God is God and I am not. He still knows what is best and still wants to give us his perfect gifts, we just need to follow his path, his will.

So in the end, if you know of any ministries that are open, feel free to let me know either by email or by leaving a comment!

The Coffee Shop

2008-03-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

I do frequently update my blog "The Coffee Shop". Feel free to stop by as it gets updated a little more than this one.

Following Jesus

2008-02-07T10:08:00.000-05:00

Inconvience

Being a Jesus follower is never easy. My wife and I watched the movie Amazing Grace about the abolition of slave trade in the British Empire. The main force driving the abolition is William Wilberforce. He makes a statement to his servant about acting weird because of God. Wiblerforce is asked "you found God" and he replies "no, God found me... it is such an inconvienence". He really sums it up well, following Jesus is not easy and certainly is not always conveient. Often it means doing the things that are the exact opposite of conventional worldly wisdom.

God chose the foolish things to confuse the wise. The cross seems to be foolishness to the world. The death of the Messiah brings life and wins a spiritual war instead of the worldly war against the Romans that the Jewish nation though would take place when Messiah came.

Usually following God's path will not make sense in the face of social rhetoric. Much the same as William Wilberforce pushing for the abolition of slavery to a British Empire that was built on the profitable slave trade.

Learning One Step At A TIme

2008-01-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Most of my posts have been on my typepad blog titled The Coffee Shop so it has been awhile since I have updated this blog but here I am again. Over the last few months I have been learning a lot about trusting God and being content in the circumstance I am in. This has not been an easy task as it took losing my position as a worship minister in order to get knocked down a notch or two. This isn't to say that I was arrogant or cocky, but I had really begun to identify myself as the "Minister of Worship and Arts" instead of a Jesus follower. I hadn't lost my relationship with Jesus but I allowed my position to take over who I was and I let it define me in a way that was not spiritually healthy. Now that I have been removed from this position I have been able to see things much clearer. It actually took sitting in the congregation (of a different church) and learning to worship without being in charge, without assessing or analyzing the service to understand what I had allowed to take place.

While I can't blame anyone else but myself, I also realized how much those who were my leaders wanted things to be a slick and showy production that was perfect in every way. That is where the crisis point came as I have always believed God was more concerned with the heart of the worshiper than a perfect production that had to have more and more creativity in order to please people. While I do not relish having to find employment and determine where God is leading us next, I am better for leaving this ministry than I would have been had I been able to stay.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

2007-12-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

If memory serves this was a quote from the first spider man movie when Peter Parker first realizes the incredible power that he has. This came to mind this morning and now I sit and think of how the bible says the same thing. Those who are ministers, teachers and preachers of the word are held to a higher accountability or responsibility if you wish to call it that. For each of us there is a responsibility to speak the truth and to live our lives as an offering of worship, taking on the responsibility to live according to the examples set down in the bible. We all have a responsibility to minister whenever we recognize the opportunity and to seek to become more Christ like in our actions and our faith.

We have been given a great power... all of us who believe in Jesus Christ have been given access to the power of the holy spirit, access to the very throne of God. Sometimes we act as if we have a superior power and knowledge that is of our own abilities and we wield it without responsibility or fear of consequences. Maybe the opposite is true, that we shy away from things because we believe we have no great power and we fear failure because we carry no confidence in the power of God or the abilities that he has given.

With power comes the responsibility to use it as God has intended not as man has intended.

Comfort and Joy

2007-11-27T11:42:00.000-05:00

Out of great struggle comes great character. God tests our character as described in James chapter 1 where he says to consider it pure joy when we encounter trials, knowing that the testing of faith develops perseverance and that perseverance, when it is finished brings about maturity and completeness.

Waiting on God, trusting in him is the hardest thing to do when you actually are in a position where you have no other choice. It is easy to say when life is grand and everything is the way you would want it but when life is the opposite and you feel hard pressed on every side then trusting God is so much harder to do. I do take comfort in knowing that I am under God's watchful eye but the joy is a bit harder to come by at times. When those times happen, I take the time to be thankful for the little joys in life, most of which center around my family, friends, and a warm home.

2007-11-09T10:39:00.001-05:00

Yet once again I find that I am a bit behind in my posting on this site. Maybe I should just cut back to one but now that I like my design on this I don't want to delete it.

Life has begun to get interesting. I have done a bit of writing about trusting God and now find myself in a position where I must live out the words that I wrote and I am not always enjoying it. For any of the readers that may find there way to this site, please pray for our family and the job stress that we are finding ourselves in at the moment.

On a happier note, I am looking forward to thanksgiving this year. It has been a tumultuous year (ooh! big word for me there) and I am going to be grateful for the reprieve that we will spend with family and friends. Take some time to focus on the things we do have to be thankful for instead of some of the junk that infects our lives.

The above picture is our Abby (left) with her best friend from school. That is one thing that we are thankful for, Jennifer is a wonderful friend and we couldn't have hand picked anyone better!

Video Post "Indescribable"

2007-10-24T17:17:00.001-05:00

We shall see if this works the way I want it to. Hopefully you can see a video I created. Most of the pictures are one's Jill took either in Maui or here in central Indiana.

Family and Fatherhood

2007-10-04T09:09:00.000-05:00

You know, I think I lied because I said I would update more. The problem is that I have to be in the right mindset to write anything that is semi-intelligent. Anyhow, thoughts for the post come from thoughts on being a father. Hopefully that won't turn anybody off who doesn't have kids because a majority of these thoughts come from God as our Father.

I am a huge fan of Criminal Minds that airs on Wednesday evenings. If fact so bad that we record it so we can go to sleep and usually watch it the next day...just as we did this morning. Over the course of the show, one of the things I have noticed is that the psychopath criminals are more often than not the result of a broken or horrendous home life. Now I know this is just tv but it makes me wonder why that seems to be the case and if the writers actually reference real life cases for their scripts. The more I think about this the more I realize how many people really struggle with life, situations, circumstances, you name it because they are the product of a horrible home life.

This is not meant to be an excuse but more of a call to attention. Everybody should still be held accountable for their actions. But what would happen if the church as a whole started paying attention and started mentoring young couples and young families as they are starting out. Not everybody has parents that have passed on warnings and wisdom about the pitfalls of life. How to save money and be content with what you have instead of spending every dime you make. What it means for a husband and wife to truly place the other's needs and wants ahead of your own and that it only works if both spouses are in it together. What to do when you are trying to by a house and how to know if you can really aford it. How to keep calm and in control when your newborn is screaming and you are at your wits end. There are so many who don't have people to turn to and some who are not willing to listen.

As a father I want the best for my kids... and sometimes that means having to discipline, sometimes it means letting them figure things out on their own, sometimes it means doing something for them just because it will bring them joy. I do know one thing though, my responsibility to my children is to pass on the things that I know and to pass on by belief and faith in God. I say this becasue he is my Father and he disciplines me, he loves to see me joyful, and sometimes he lets me try to figure things out on my own so that I will grow.

The ones who are in our churches and have never had people in there lives need the people in the church to step up and mentor them. To show love, to teach, to guide, and to graciously give of their wisdom when it is appropriate. If not, how will they know how to be a Godly spouse or a Godly parent?

When Sight Fails

2007-09-20T07:19:00.000-05:00

It is so easy to get caught up in the temporary situations around us. It can be losing a job, being miserable in a current job, struggling with church, other kids, neighbors or any number of things and situations. I take great courage in knowing "that which is seen is only temporary." (2nd Corinthians 4:16-18) I am eternally grateful that things are only temporary and that God's glory is so much better than anything around me. I must trust in this...I have to trust in this. If I don't then my heart will fail and I will be overcome by life's trials and become bitter and frustrated. That is the trouble with living by sight...the things we see around us begin to dictate our life and if it is good then we are in a good place but when things go bad we end up in a bad/dark place. When we live by seeing the unseen then the heart is constantly renewed and we are free from the restrictions of sight and the things in the physical world around us. It opens our hearts to see beneath the surface...things begin to touch us more, we are more concerned and aware of the things of the heart. And we begin to change from the inside out. This all stems from trusting in the unseen things that are of God and in God himself.

God's Goodness

2007-09-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

Today I am reminded of the goodness of God. In times of adversity it is a difficult thing to remember that God is the ultimate of goodness. The Bible is very clear that there is no sin, no evil in Him. When I consider the lilies of the field, the birds of the air, I know that God has taken care of them and that he loves and cares for me even more. There is evidence enough that he sent Jesus to die on the cross to save everyone from the clutches of Satan and the sentence of permanant pain and suffering through the cross.

That being said, it doesn't take away the fact that there is evil that seeks to devour and take as many souls with him as he can and it is Satan's desire to do just that. He is there, we can't deny it or pretend it doesn't exist. Anytime you want to question God's goodness, remember that there is an opposing force that want's to destroy all that God has created.

My prayer is today is a prayer of thanks for the richness of my life because I know that the bad things of life are not of God.

Giving Till It Hurts??

2007-09-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

I was at a wedding today where I was asked to run the sound equipment. Normally things at weddings don't give me much of a pause to think since I am there to do a job however today was a bit different. The grandfather of the bride was to read scripture and have some opening remarks and he made a statement about couples giving until it hurts. That made me stop and think because I don't think it is accurate. If done in the right heart...giving should never hurt. If two people love and care for each other so much then giving doesn't hurt because so much more is received in a good relationship. Giving only seems to hurt when it is done grudgingly, when one weighs the cost of the sacrifice. When it is done with the right heart and motive then there is no thought to how much this will hurt or cost. It all comes back to focus and motive. "Giving till it hurts" is a cliche that I will try to delete from my vocabulary...not that I use it much anyway but it seems to be a pointless phrase that carries negative connotation.

Time For A Change

2007-09-05T08:14:00.000-05:00

It is time for a change. This blog has been silent for awhile but I think it is time it is resurrected with a new purpose. My goal is to post regularly on this and on my other blog since the winds of change are beginning to blow. At this time, I do not know God's specific leading but I believe that he has been preparing Jill and I for something yet exactly what that is I do not know. My renewed prayer is that God will enable me to see beyond the physical world and learn to see with my heart and soul.

Plants, Seedlings, Spiritual Growth

2007-05-14T14:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to see my mother in-law for mothers day and had a wonderful afternoon being out on the farm. The girls love being able to be out and run around the 5 plus acres of barn yard and garden. One of the things we did yesterday was to thin out a little bit of the plants around the property. We dug up several lilacs, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, hibiscus, and something else that I can't remember and probably couldn't spell. The interesting thing about digging up plants to thin out and move is that it doesn't take very long after they are separated from the water and nutrients in the soil before they start to wilt. In fact if laying out in the sun, they can wilt in less than 30 minutes. In order for the plants to perk back up they need to be put in a bucket of water or put in the ground with a little fertilizer and water.

Our spiritual lives can be like that too. When we allow ourselves to become disconnected with God it doesn't take very long before we see negative effects. Prayer, worship, bible study, acts of service, spiritual reading, uplifting music are all things that help our soul to stay connected to the nutrients much like a plant that is dug out of the ground and moved. I have several things to plant tonight because if I don't, they may not survive. Our spiritual self can get pretty messed up too. We have to keep a connection with God, that is the only way to grow and survive.

I Love Mondays

2007-05-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

Most people hate Mondays. I love them, it is the only night of the week until Friday that all four of us are home. Abby is 8 this year and in her 4th year of ballet. Here is a picture of her before last years recital.

Please Pray for My Mother In-law

2007-05-07T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today my wife's mom undergoes a bone biopsy to help determine the extent of the lymphoma. If you would pray that the bone biopsy comes back good I know my mother in-law, my wife, and our family as a whole would appreciate it, Thanks.

When Church Works

2007-04-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it is hard to know if a church is a good church to be a part of or not. One of the key factors in a church can be seen in the hearts and actions of its people. Yesterday on of our own 8 year old youth was baptized. That in itself would be a cool thing but to an even greater testimony was that the whole family, mom, dad and older sister were in with him while he was baptized by his dad. It was a special time, first because they are some of our best friends here in C-ville. Second, because the growth that I see in this family is a testimony to our church. It takes many people to help raise and teach people and seeing this done as a family unit speaks volumes because it takes the family...and the church family to help the spiritual growth of even one individual. This is something that we should take much more serious than we do. I have tried to minister in churches where everything was so shallow. Everyone had a wall and it was so hard to get beyond and the few of us who tried to be real managed to get burned. But not here and not now. If we have the love of Jesus in us then we must love people just as he did. It is that love that can reach and heal especially when words have no effect. One cannot possibly have the love of Jesus if there is no love found in there hearts.

Cranium Dump, and Tatooes

2007-04-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

My mind is whirling tonight so I thought I should blog so I can go to bed. I have been doing a huge amount of reading and thinking. I have come to the conclusion that the church as a whole (not just my church) has really gotten off target. Two of my best friends here in C-ville were sitting at our church's wednesday meal with another lady, (I won't mention any names). The conversation got around to tatooes and this lady was talking about how awful they were and that people with tatooes had to be low life people who drank and used drugs etc. The funny part is that my friends have a few tatooes and in the course of this "speech" my friend Brian slowly pushed up his sleeve to reveal one. Her immediate response was something like shock and horror as she said Oh, I wasn't talking about you! It is funny but it is sad the more I think about things like that. Are we so high up on our high horse that we can't love the way Jesus loved? He forgave the adulterous woman and told her to sin no more. We claim to want to reach the lost souls but sometimes what that means is getting them into church so we can change the way they believe. It is not that we want to introduce them to Jesus so that they can love him and accept his love. We want them to believe the stuff we believe even if it isn't a bibllical based idea.

Okay, I think I can relax a little. Sometimes I feel as if I know so little of God and how he works, and how much he loves us.

The Example of North Coast Church

2007-04-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

Here is an excerpt from a post I read to get more details, follow the link. This fits perfectly with my previous post. I don't hear of many churches doing this...in fact I can think of people who are "Christians" that would be upset about not having their Sunday church fix.

The seats at North Coast Church in Vista will be empty the weekend of April 29, but members won't exactly have the day off. The church, which attracts about 6,500 people on weekends, is planning the largest community-service event in its history, with participants painting, landscaping, washing and rolling up their sleeves for various jobs at 54 sites throughout North County on April 28 and 29...

In all, congregants will tackle 92 major projects, including painting and landscaping Washington Middle School in Vista and Claire Burgener Academy in Oceanside, with up to 200 people working at each site.

“Jesus said the Commandments can be summed up in two things,” said senior pastor Larry Osborne. That message: Love God, and love your neighbor.

The Word "Christian"

2007-04-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

Think about the word Christian. What it means to me is a follower of Christ. I struggle with this particular word only because my definition is not what comes to mind to society in general. Christian has come to mean, right wing fanatic, Republican, supporter of the rich and upper class. It lacks compassion, concern for the poor and the hungry. It is defined as unloving and intolerant, narrow minded bigots.

The sad fact is that is not what a follower of Christ is supposed to be. While Jesus Christ hated sin, he loved the sinner. He provided food for the hungry, he healed the sick, showed love and compassion to the hurt and the poor, he invited the children into his very presence. People who claim they don't want to be a Christian usually do so because of the negative connotations that exist with this word. So instead of the word Christian, I want to be known as a Jesus follower. I am self absorbed, and self centered at times but that is not who I want to be. All sin comes down to exerting personal will, wants, and desires over God's will. There is 90% of me that wants to do what God wants but the other 10% says I want to do this on my own. It may be buying a car, or a tv, or any other decision but I don't ask God because I don't want to get a no. I would like to have a macbook pro from apple. It would be very beneficial to my ministry in terms of all the music and media opportunities and the pc that I have just isn't cutting the mustard but the bottom line is I can't do this so God will have to be the provider even though my selfish side says I need it so I should just go buy it. The problems that exist in the world are here because humans are selfish people. But if all the "Christians" were truly Jesus followers and had the same love and compassion our world would be a lot different. The problem is that we try to convert people to the "Christian" way of thinking instead of just showing them the real Jesus.

When was the last time we took care of the poor, the lonely, and the hurting. How about sitting down to listen to someone pour out their soul because they are so mired in sin and struggles that they can't see the way out? Want to know how much of a Jesus follower someone is? Look at their actions, not their words.

Update On Our Friends the Nischan's

2007-04-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on our friends from Kentucky. Their son has been battling brain tumors and they had thought that another one had shown up earlier this year. Here is an excerpt from their website.

OUR LATEST BLESSING!!!!!!

Early in March of this year, Nick's monthly MRI showed a spot in the middle of his brain that appeared to be a new tumor. Our lives were again turned upside down. St. Jude's, along with Dr. Kosnik, felt that this spot was not a tumor. On March 27th, Nick had another MRI and the spot is becoming smaller and fainter!!

WE CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS OUR JOY!!

If you would continue to lift up our friends in prayer the family would certainly appreciate it!

Monday Afternoons with Red Moon and Chris Sligh

2007-04-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

I just finished Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts. It is an excellent read with many storys of how 24-7 prayer is redefining who God is to many people around the world. Within its pages are ways the God through the power of the Holy Spirit has crafted a prayer movement by bringing together key people who have had the guts to step out and put faith to the test in the direction they have felt God leading them. This is a challenging read as it stretches the typical idea of prayer and the workings the Holy Spirit.

I visited the website for Chris Sligh's band Half Past Forever.
I really like the cd, it is not downloadable from itunes but the bands website can take you to a download area where the cd can be purchased. I can honestly say it is really well done and is suited well to my music tastes! But then again, I was a big Chris Sligh fan on AI. Chris was back home again at his church in North Carolina and was interviewed as part of the sermon for Easter services. The following Sunday he sang one of his songs at church...very cool!

Don Imus---CBS

2007-04-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

It seems as if the moral and spiritual fiber in society is deteriorating at an incredible pace and everyone just wants to point fingers and be upset without really getting to the real issues. Don Imus was fired from CBS because of his remarks regarding the Rutgers Women's Basketball team. These remarks were horrible to say about another person. It was rude and disrespectful but should he have been fired? I ask this because there is a huge consistency about what is acceptible and what isn't in our culture. All one has to do is turn on MTV or BET and hear the same remarks rattled off in a variety of music/rap songs yet no one is making an issue about that so why do we focus on the white guy? It makes my heart heavy to hear such language come from anybody because it shows a serious level of disrespect towards fellow humans. This shouldn't be tolerated in any genre or arena yet pornography, violent and sexual song lyrics are considered freedom of speech.

If that all isn't bad enough, I have heard all kinds of foul and horrible language spoken about President George W. Bush by some of the same people who shouted for Don Imus to be fired. If Don Imus would've called the President a nappy headed, war ho, would he have been fired? I seriously doubt it and even Oprah and some of the one's who found his remarks offensive would've even laughed. How can a guy get fired for crossing the line when society is guilty of blurring the line so badly by allowing this kind of thing in one place as freedom of speech but standing against in another place.

It all breaks my heart because either way it shows a disrespect towards other people. This is not the way Jesus taught people to live. Jesus showed compassion to the down and out people around him, it broke his heart to see the pain they lived in. When we walked through Samaria he asked for a drink from a woman who was getting water in the middle of the day. As a Jewish Rabbi, he should not have even spoken to her, let alone asked her for a drink. The Jewish culture of the day considered Samaritan women to be unclean so for her to handle a drink for a Rabbi would have been unthinkable. Jewish people did not associate with Samaritans yet Jesus chose to break that barrier and treat her with compassion and respect. That is the pattern that Jesus left for us. He died for us all, without giving heed to "race". We are all people, Jesus doesn't see black, white, olive, or any other skin tone he sees people who need to know his saving grace or people who have already come to know his saving grace.

Friday Mind Dump

2007-04-13T17:09:00.000-05:00

Here is my Friday mind dump. Lot's of things running around in it from the book I'm reading Red Moon Rising to the firing of Don Imus.

Red Moon Rising is an excellent read on prayer that covers the idea of 24-7 prayer and how that has taken off in prayer rooms around the world. The idea came from the 100 years of constant prayer by a group of Moravians around Dresden Germany.

I don't think I should post my thoughts on Don Imus yet because I am not in a spot to present my thoughts. What he said was a really wrong thing to do and I am glad he apologised but...and I will end it there for now.

Not Getting It Done

2007-04-10T08:51:00.000-05:00

Arroyo didn't have a great night but still had a 2-2 tie with the d-backs when he left the game after the 7th inning. I had recorded the game and watched most of it this morning (fast forwarding through the commercials is a wonderful thing). When I shut it off last night Cincy was up 2-0 so I was hoping they could put up more runs but they just didn't get the key hits last night even having walked 6 times. They lost the lead in the 8th inning and couldn't tie it in the 9th. They had a chance to put up runs in the top of the 8th with bases loaded and 2 outs but ended up with a zero. Arroyo got a no decision last night but still looked decent, he walked a couple of batters but the strike zone seemed a lit ambiguous to me for both teams. Still tied for the division lead with the Pirates.

The Passion Of Christ

2007-04-04T07:45:00.000-05:00

I have spent the last several minutes watching the ending to Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. We are using an excerpt of it to lead into a drama for Easter Sunday but I can't pull myself to watch the movie again knowing that the pain and suffering Christ went through is still only a fraction of his actual pain and suffering. As I sit and write this, I am thankful that I do not have to pay that price for my sins because I am covered in Christ's blood.

Baseball 2007

2007-04-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

Today is a fine day for baseball. Cincinnati opens up against the Cubs at the Great American Ballpark today at 2:00 and for the second season consecutive season, Aaron Harang will be Cincy's opening day pitcher against Carlos Zambrano. Quite honestly my expectations are a little bit higher than last years as they have two quality starters in Harang and Arroyo and were it not for the late slide, could've been in position for the playoffs. Last night the season officially started with the Mets and Cardinals, and for any Reds fan, it was good to see the Cards lose, that is always a good thing in the central division! Harang led the National League last year in strikeouts (216), complete games (six) and tied for the lead in victories. The right-hander also threw a career best 234 1/3 innings and tied for the league lead with 35 starts for Cincinnati. In two starts vs. the Cubs last season, Harang was 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA. That included a 16-7 Opening Day loss to Chicago in 2006, when he allowed nine runs (six earned) and nine hits in five innings. Go Redlegs!

Cincinnati Reds Baseball Season Almost Here!

2007-03-28T09:58:00.000-05:00

Go Redlegs! For all of the Cincinnati Reds fans especially Mike E. and Sarah K. you have to see this throw by Josh Hamilton yesterday this link should take you to YouTube to see it, just an incredible throw!

Six Weird Things About Me

2007-03-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

I got tagged today from a blogger who I have read recently and so the fun of this is I am supposed to post 6 weird things about me and then tag three of my friends to do the same. In the post the following rule must be included:

People who get tagged need to write a blog entry of their own 6 weird things as well as stating this rule clearly! Three people need to be tagged and their names listed. Finally a comment needs to be left on each tagged person’s blog…

So here goes,
1. I like to eat peas and cottage cheese together. This is a family thing that I have successfully handed down to my wife and daughters, effectively corrupting them.

2. I like a wide variety of music from classical (including opera), classic rock, Gospel/Christian or whatever you want to call it, jazz, blues and even Hawaiian music.

3. I love coffee but hate coffee ice cream.

4. I still have some old Christmas vinyl records that I still listen to and I like to listen to Christmas music beginning as early as November.

5. I eat peanut butter out of the jar.

6. I am willing to grill out even on the coldest of winter days just to get the flavor that you can't get any other way on a steak or a burger.

So today I am tagging my wife, Sarah Kouts, and my friend Wally.

Time to Fasten the Seat Belts Because Here We Go!

2007-03-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, we have some awesome and exciting stuff going on at Woodland Heights Christian Church. I couldn't relay what that stuff was until we made that information available to the congregation. This past fall the leadership at WHCC had asked for prayer as we have been seriously short on space for some time. The Elders and Staff met in November and came to a conclusion as to where we thought God was directing us. We spent some time in prayer and then two weeks ago went to the Deacons, Trustees, and new Elders that are coming on and they came to the same decision, independently of the staff and Elders. We took it this week to the orginal remaining members and now to the whole congregation. After having looked at a number of possibilities and options we believe that the best option to continue reaching the lost in our area is to sell the church and existing property and relocate. We are so land locked in our current location that the only possibility is to build elsewhere on the property. The big problem is maintaing two buildings with a road running through the property that separates the current building from the parking lot. Plus we would still be facing the possibility of outgrowing the location and then having to sell property and two buildings. There is also a safety factor of the kids using the old building for a youth center and crossing back and forth across Woodland Heights Drive. So we believe the best option with the most potential is to sell and buld a new building in the community. There you have it...the big announcement. We do ask for your prayers. Fifteen or twenty years ago land was purchased with the intent of starting a sister church and the end result was a church split when they decided not to pursue it and sold the land so there are some "tentative" feelings. The charter members are excited...one in particular told me that she helped build the first building, it's my turn to help build this one...how cool was that?

Finding God Everywhere

2007-03-24T18:28:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day in west central Indiana. The sun was out most of the day with the exception of a couple of thunderstorms this morning and this evening. Temps were in the mid 70's and it was truly a shorts day today. My pasty white legs finally got to be out in the sun. Today I saw God in the smallest of things. As we worked to clear the leaves and dead junk out of the flowerbeds, I was reminded of God as the creator of everything.

God is always present and the trick is to be able to see him in all the good things, the little purple crocuses, the small, green bits of mums just breaking through the surface of the ground and finding that they had spread out just a bit further. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. Take some time to think about the good things in life, then feel free to comment back and let me know what those good things are.

John Reuben Concert

2007-03-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

John Reuben will be here at Woodland Heights Christian Church on Sunday evening Mar 25th at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $10.00 at the door and $8.00 in advance. Call our church office at 765-362-5284 for more information. This is going to be a fun concert. This cd can be found at itunes, check it out!

I Am Still Amazed

2007-03-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, things happen that really blow me away. I can't go into all the details but we had a meeting last night with all the Ministry Staff (myself included), Elders, and the remaining charter members of our church. We laid out some key information, we are the second largest church in our community at an average attendance of 536. We have a traditional and a contemporary service and are completely out of room. We can't start new bible classes on campus, because we have no place for a new ones to meet. The elders and staff came to a decision in November that we have prayed about after looking at a number of different options. We took the new elders, deacons, and trustees through the same process last week and without telling them where we think God is leading they came to the same conclusion. Last night we brought it to the remaining original members of Woodland Heights Christian Church and they are in support of this decision. This Sunday it goes before the whole congregation. These are exciting times and as soon as I can give more details I will.

The coolest part is that these older members showed a spark of the excitement that they had when they started this church 40 plus years ago. I was really shocked by the reception we got, I had prayed and prayed about last night and God was faithful. I guess it shouldn't have suprised me but it did. I will post more about this on Sunday after our morning services.

GodTube

2007-03-21T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hey found a new thing today called GodTube, obviously a play off of YouTube. Go Check it out!

My Story Part I

2007-03-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of people that know me but not that many that really know me. So here it is, a bit of an inside look of who I really am. I was born in early June although I was not supposed to arrive into this world until August of 1968. Back then, being two months premature was a really bad thing. I actually stayed in the hospital for a whole month and finally came home on July 5. My father was a minister at a small church in northern Indiana (he still preaches on occasion) and my mom taught school for early elementary ages. We lived in a 4 bedroom house by the church, dad, mom, my two brothers and two sisters, I am the youngest and by far the best looking. (we'll see if any of my family actually reads my blog:) I was a pretty regular fixture around the church since my mom, brothers and sisters were at school.

I can remember going on hospital visits with dad so it would've been at an early age. I even remember visiting, Mrs. Kimes one of our elderly members in a nursing home, she always would save the little toys that came out of the cereal boxes for me. One of them was a little submarine that was supposed to rise and sink if you put baking powder in it. That might of come out of a captain crunch box or a honeycomb box but that was a long time ago. Dad is a talker so these visits could take quite awhile. The biggest thing I remember was getting a lot of time with my dad, mom too because she had summers off. But with dad, we always ran errands up town to the hardware store or the local grocery store where I would usually come home with a little sack of tootsie rolls and bazooka bubble gum.

I had a happy childhood growing up in this little town of Etna Green. I was oblivious to the struggles my dad faced in a small church where a few select families thought it was their church and not God's. I look back and smile, even though my dad didn't get paid more than peanuts, I didn't lack for love, food, or clothes. Even the toys I had were of special memories to me. I still have (and occasionally play with) the Lionel train that passed from my brothers to me. Although I wish I had room for a permanent train layout, I have actually added to the meager collection for my own personal enjoyment, and the enjoyment of my daughters. I have to admit, I was one of the fortunate kids who had the kind of childhood a kid is supposed to have. Riding bikes, playing in the sandbox (that my dad built), building things out of wood with a tool kit (mom and dad bought the hand tools and dad built the tool box). All of these things I gladly remember as I try to pass on happy memories to my children. Part II shall come soon!

Thoughts from Velvet Elvis

2007-03-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, I would highly recommend it. It has challegend me in some areas and really affirmed my thoughts in others. Here is a quote.

"I was playing in a punk band a few years ago, and were playing clubs and bars and festivals. People would regularly ask us if we were a Christian band when they found out I was a pastor. I always found the question a bit odd. Whn you meet a plumber, do you ask her if she is a Christian plumber? I realize now why I chafed against the question."

Everyone takes the idea that a paid ministry is a sacred position but don't really think that a secular job is sacred. Paul says in Colossians: "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus." The basic thought is we are taught to live as Christians and then whatever we do will be sacred, holy work. Obviously anything can be corrupted and desecrated and not used in the way God had wanted. But under this line of thinking as a Christian, there is no "secular" job, if you follow Jesus and are doing a job and doing it in His name then it is not a secular job, it now is sacred. Just something to think about today.

Biblical Freedom

2007-03-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

I have been challenged in my thinking today by a post I have read, based on a post from Steven Furtick. What I have determined is that there are different schools of thought that stem from interpretation of the Bible.

One thought is --if the Sacred Scriptures doesn't allow it then it shouldn't be done.
The other is "if the Scriptures are silent we are silent". The difference is huge. One requires specific scripture to grant permission, the second says if the Scriptures don't condemn it or speak against it then it is permissible. The first is very much restrictive while the second gives freedom. Now it is important to note that if a specific act is condemned in Scripture then there is no freedom.

Now, in terms of worship, this gives us a lot of room to be creative and follow God's leading as to the specifics in a Sunday service. There are things that the Bible says must be a part of our gatherings, teaching, prayer, the breaking of bread. In addition we are encouraged to give our tithes and offerings. But from there the Bible is silent on musical content, the use of drama and video clips, the use of instruments, and even liturgical dance. I believe that we have the Biblical freedom to craft things in accordance to our local culture. Jesus was a person who was very much in tune with the Jewish culture...He was Jewish. He adhered to Jewish customs, knew the ins and outs of the Religious leaders of the day. He worshiped in the temple.

If Jesus had chosen to come as the Messiah in 2007 instead of 33 B.C. I believe he would have been much different because the culture would have been different. Not everything we do has to be given up to be culturally relevant, we can't ignore it or the church will continue to become irrelevant.

Kids and Parenting

2007-03-13T13:11:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting discussion with a friend today about kids and parenting. I have realized how truly blessed I am that both Jill and I were taught how to respect our parents. Showing disrespect or talking back was never even an option in our families. As a result we have tried to teach our two daughters the same things. We don't allow them to be disrespectful to us or to each other.

Another thing that really irritates me is when they would whine to get their way. I worry sometimes that we are too hard on the girls but they have learned (for the most part) that if we say no and they whine or cry then that is a guarantee that we won't change our minds. Even if there was a slim or slightest chance of a yes, it is a no if there is any whining or crying. It all comes down to respect and discipline.

When our oldest daughter was maybe 1 yr old, a friend gave my wife permission to be a mean mommy. It may not sound like much but it changed our whole perspective. We are parents and it is our right and biblical responsibility to discipline when behavior or attitudes do not honor God or us as parents. Don't get me wrong, we love our girls but we want them to love and honor God even more than to love and honor us.

I am truly blessed to have wonderful children and when I get home today I need to really give them huge hugs. I really miss them when I am at the office.

March Mania is in High Gear

2007-03-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

Once again I am surprised at some of the teams that are in and out of the NCAA Tournament. It will be interesting I am sure, we have a tradition at our church where we set up a free pick pool at USA Today. Last year I didn't do so we'll see how this year turns out. In our NFL season pool I finished in the top 5, the basketball tournament remains to be seen! My Final Four picks are Florida, Ohio State, UCLA, and Vanderbilt.

Sunday's are Beautiful

2007-03-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today was another great day to worship together. Despite those sudden "hey my bass isn't working" things, God still takes the best we have, feeble as it may be, for His glory. I find it refreshing that my voice is not needed to be strong for our church to worship. I have been fighting this allergy/cold yuck thing and really couldn't sing well. I had no power or strength yet God provided just enough for me to lead yet without being a big, booming presence. There are so many times that all I can see are the things that didn't go well, yet when I sit still and listen, knowing I gave my best, God is still present and is worshiped.

Bridge to Terabithia

2007-03-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

Saturday we took Abby and Emmy to see Bridge to Terabithia. It is an excellent movie that really opened up some conversation about God and the sacrifice of Jesus. It was a really cool moment in the movie! The girls enjoyed the movie and Abby (8yrs) really got wrapped up in it. This is another must see movie and quite a contrast to Wild Hogs that we saw last week. I think this is a record for us, two movies, two weekends in a row. That hasn't happended much since we had kids. Next on the list for the girls is Meet the Robinsons, it looks to be pretty funny!

It was an awesome day to spend with the girls. Especially since we made sure to stop at Starbucks just before the movie so that we all had our favorite drinks. How sad is it that even our 8 and 5 year old daughters have a Starbucks habit?

American Idol, America...What Are You Thinking???

2007-03-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, here goes my soapbox rant. I gotta ask what was America thinking voting off Sundance from American Idol? The guy can sing and is at least one of the top 4 male voices. I am a musician with a music degree and know talent when I hear it. Sanjaya has an okay sound, he is on pitch but he is only 17. His voice has not matured and he has no power to his voice. It just blows my mind that he made it to the final 12, it should've been Sundance! Maybe the judges should get to select the final twelve. That's all I have to say about that one!

The Blogging Church

2007-03-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

This is a must read if for anyone who is using a blog as a ministry tool. I can't say enough about the book. It is practical for any size church who is trying to make a cultural shift into the digital age of internet, blogging or podcasting. Brian Bailey and Terry Storch have nailed this subject on the head. It has opened my eyes to the possibilities that lay ahead. My personal thank you for the knowledge and wisdom that you have shared. Take a moment, check out the book and the website. As a worship minister this has given me another level to connect with people.

Just to add a side note, if you haven't started blogging but are thinking about it, I would read the book first. There are a few things I would do different with mine but I already had this blog up and running. I did make several adjustments but if you can read the book then start from scratch I think it is better.

Lay It Out There

2007-03-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

I gotta say that the most recent post from Steven Furtick really lays it out on the line. It's a must read today. I get so irritated as a worship minister when people make worship a shallow, all about me moment. You will see in his post that he is not afraid to call people out on it! I won't say any more on it so you can read it for yourself.

How about those Cincinnati Reds? The jury is still out on how the season will go but they are winning in preseason baseball. Not that it means anything. We are just about to the part of spring that I love. The weather will warm up a bit more, baseball season will officially start and things that seemed to be dead will start to come alive. All the more reason to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. He died for my sins...all of them. He willing went through horrible pain and torture so that I have life, even though I deserve death. That is the simple message of Christ. He loved me so he died for me and I want my life to be a life of worship to him.

Back in the Drivers Seat

2007-03-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

I am back at it today. Yesterday was spent in Carmel, IN at a church conference. Lot's of valuable information some that can be applied fairly quickly. One thing I picked up was that our current speaker configuration in the Family Life Center is not set up for an even spread. Our goal should be to have no more than a 3 decibel variance between any to points in the room. That is something I will need to work on. I will post more later.

Special Prayer Request

2007-03-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

I would like you all to pray for some friends of mine. I met the Nischan family while earning my music degree from Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, KY. Tim Nischan is the department chair for the School of Business. Tim, Tammy, Nick and their family could use extra prayer, here is a bit of their story:

"Nick Nischan is our 11-year old son. When he was 7, we discovered he had a brain tumor in the lower back part of his brain. Surgery was successful in removing the entire tumor, and Nick went through 6 weeks of daily radiation and weekly chemo. Four years of perfect MRIs passed by wonderfully! This past August, however, during a normal eye exam, our optometrist noticed that Nick's optic nerves were extremely swollen. Nick was rushed to Ashland by Tim, and we found out that Nick had another brain tumor, now in the front, right part of his brain. Another successful surgery removed this entire tumor! Daily radiation was again given for 6 weeks with weekly chemo. Nick then had to undergo a second major surgery on his upper spine to remove a small nodule. He is now undergoing four months of aggressive chemo. Thank you for lifting Nick to His Heavenly Father."

Within the last week I received word that an MRI revealed a possible 6 mm tumor. There is the slight possibility that it is a pocket of infection or residual buildup from the chemo or radiation. Please lift up a multitude of prayer for Nick and his family. Click on this link to Nick's website for more information.

Odds and Ends

2007-03-04T20:40:00.000-05:00

Lazy nights and boring tv. The girls are in bed and it is only 8:30, it's kind of nice and definitely quiet. I love my girls, they are absolutely adorable but it is nice to have the down time.

Today wasn't without it's bumps though. Services went pretty well. we had two families join the church today so that was cool. However, we lost the sub-woofers for our comtemporary service. I think the unit that splits the bass from the mains is shot. We had some bass but it was coming through the mains and it wasn't supposed to so this week should be fun trying to get that ironed out.

We did do a cool song today though. It is a hidden track on Offerings: A Worship Album, about six and a half minutes into "Love Song". My band played it as special number with my friend Mike singing the lead on it. Mike and two of the band members where on a mission trip to Lousiana a few weeks ago to help rebuild houses and they did this song for church down there. I think the actual name of the song is "Don't Let Me Go".

Wild Hogs

2007-03-03T08:38:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is a review of the movie Wild Hogs. This was absolutely the funniest movie I have seen in a long time. William H. Macy was an excellent pick for his role. I had wondered going in how the chemistry would be between Tim Allen, John Travolta, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence but it was off the charts. An excellent movie that I would highly recommend but not for kids. There is a lot of language if that kind of thing bothers you but for me this will rank as one of my favorites. Be forewarned...the scariest part of this movie is having to see William H. Macy's bare butt, not pretty.

Lovely Spring Weather and Wild Hogs

2007-03-02T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is lovely weather we are having, 53 degrees yesterday and 34 today with high winds. Probably the reason I have a bit of a headache. I am sad for all those who were hit with the storms down south. It has to be hard to lose everything, then to lose family members or friends too.

Today is my day of rest hopefully I can get a nap in. We are supposed to see the movie Wild Hogs tonight if we can get someone to watch the girls. It looks to be really funny so I will post my review if we actually get there! I've always wanted a motorcycle but probably not until the girls are grown so it will be awhile.

I think I am going to take a nap now while I have a nice hot fire in the fireplace and the girls are relatively quiet.

When Choosing Friends...Choose Wisely

2007-03-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

Today I sat down to read from 1st Corinthians and was blindsided by what I read. You gotta love it when God smacks you with a 2 by 4 up side the head. Paul writes to the church in Corinth "When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or who are greedy or are swindlers or idol worshipers. You would have to leave this world to do that. What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or a swindler. Don't even eat with such people."

There have been people we have been friends with and then found out they were not who they portrayed. People who claimed to be Christians but were so messed up and deliberately chose to continue what they are were doing. I guess this section had not really struck me before. There is a difference in being friends with and ministering to people and seeing a life change vs. being friends with, and ministering to people who know better and still choose to deliberately sin.

This just really struck me today that I was really wrong in staying in a friendship as long as I did even though they were on a path of self destruction and really didn't care.

Protect the Priceless

2007-02-28T13:20:00.000-05:00

One of the blogs I have been reading over the last few days is by Pastor Steven Furtick.
Look for the post "Guard Your Heart". He wrote about Proverbs 4:23 which reads "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." I had never thought about it before but there are areas that I don't guard against.

When I was in high school and college I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in myself or my abilities. When I would publicly sing I would be scared, nervous, and sound horrible at that time I couldn't even play a guitar. The last thing I was capable of was being a worship minister yet that is where God had led me. I went back to college at the age of 26 and obtained my music degree, got some much needed vocal training and slowly started to build confidence. God placed an internship at one of the largest churches in Indiana and then moved to my first full ministry position in MI. Going from a 3800 member church to a 200 member church is difficult and I began to doubt myself. I ended up here in Crawfordsville, IN at a larger church and am realizing that I am the one that let the doubt and insecurity creep in. I still occasionally think that I am not a good worship leader or a good guitar player but that is exactly what I have to guard against (I am not looking for affirmation, this is what goes through my head at times). As I sit back I am amazed that God took a scared, untalented guy who loved music and brought me to where I am.

The kicker...if I am not careful, doubt and insecurity still try to sneak in. I am aware of the need to guard against lust and other big things but haven't really applied this verse to doubt, insecurity and a whole host of other things that can poison the heart. Check out Steven's blog, he says it better than I can.

Discipline??

2007-02-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

As I have been reading in 1 Corinthians 5 I see something that is not normal in many churches...discipline. Chapter 5 opens with Paul addressing the church at Corinth about a man whose sexual sins are so evil that the "pagans" don't do it. Paul is angry that the church let's the sin continue. He condemns them for being proud of themselves instead of removing the man from the fellowship.

My wife used to work in a lab that prepared vaccines for duck farmers. The thing about duck farms is that ducks are highly susceptible to disease. If one duck is sick and not treated then the whole flock could be sick too in just a few hours. Paul says to remove this man from the fellowship because soon all will be affected.

Sin, misconceptions, or waves of unfounded criticism if left unchecked can spread rapidly but sadly to many times we are more afraid of people getting upset and leaving our churches.

It's Monday...Kicking Off Another Week

2007-02-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

I am not sure that I am capable of coherent thoughts today. I am fighting something so I am loaded up with sinus medicine and ibuprofen. If my thoughts are "out there" today you now know so be forewarned.

The one word on my mind today is identity. The church as a whole can get so hung up on who they are and what should be done that they often forget the most important thing. Who does God say they are and what does He want done? To be point blank, as a worship minister my first priority is still to worship God myself and then help to foster an atmosphere where I can lead others to do the same. At every turn and direction I still need to seek God's will and direction...not mine or any other person. My identity is found in Him.

People get hung up in the church when things start to change and they dig in and resist. Change is always uncomfortable, it is against human nature. The problem is most people want their own way and don't even take time to think "is this change something God is directing?" Things usually get ugly when people don't want to change but if it is God's leading who are we to stand in the way of God Almighty?

Never Long Enough

2007-02-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

This week was the sentencing for the step-dad who took the life of Gabriel Cole Preheim. Cole is the grandson of Brian and Anita, two of our closest friends and members of our church. The following link will take you to the story from the local newspaper. Life is never long enough and when a life is taken there is no punishment that will be enough. When it is the life of the happiest little boy I have ever met it is magnified even more. Cole was my little buddy. He would laugh and smile when he saw me, he bounced up and down as soon as I started playing my guitar for Sunday worship. When I think of Cole, I think of pure joy. I am sure someone will ask my friends if they are glad it is over. It just wouldn't suprise me. Although the sentencing took place it is never going to be really over and Cole will not be forgotten. http://www.journalreview.com/articles/2007/02/21/news/01toscano.txt

Sometimes it's the Smallest Things

2007-02-22T11:44:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's the smallest things that can make or break anything but yet they are usually the hardest things to see and remember. Today, Emily my 5 yr. old daughter, called me on my cell phone just because she wanted to talk to Daddy and say "I love you". Those little things are so easy to forget. There are people around me who think "as long as I provide for you and buy you anything you want you'll know I love you". Love is not found in the big and obvious but in remembering the smallest. Emily made my day, aside from my wife, it's not often I get calls at the office just because "I love you."

Back Home

2007-02-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

We are back home from Indianapolis. Abby had an appointment at Riley Children's Hospital. She had to have a CT Scan of her stomach to see how things look. She seems to be doing well lately now that we know she has irritable bowel syndrome going on. The bad thing is she is off dairy, chocolate, and caffeine. How sad is it that an 8 yr old has a coffee habit? She can have decaf but she is going to miss the mocha drinks at Starbucks.

I had to work on the brakes on the van after we got back. That kind of stuff really makes me want to cuss sometimes but I think it is fixed now. We will find out...Jill went to go get groceries. I am looking forward to baseball season now that the Colts are done for the season, I guess in the meantime I will watch NASCAR. I was really disappointed for Mark Martin last night at Daytona. I still think he should've won but that is just my opinion. At any rate, it was an incredible end to the race.

Just to include another random thought here, I came across a blog by a guy named Evan Erwin. On his post http://www.misterorange.com/ he had a letter clipped from a newspaper written by a "Christian" who thought we should ship all atheists out of the country. Since the USA was founded on prayer and Christian principles she thought they should all leave the country. Is it any wonder that the church and Christians in general get such a bad rap with attitudes like this? I don't really think that is the way Jesus taught us to live. I could be wrong though, maybe I have missed something in the Bible, pardon my sarcasm.

Is Our Music Too Loud?

2007-02-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

I have heard frequently in the past year or so that our contmeporary service is too loud. We had tried to help resolve this by going to electronic drums and by switching the room configuration, (we are in a Family Life Center). The struggle is trying to work things so that all the instruments, vocals, and myself as the worship leader can all hear the things we need to hear. We are not in an ideal setup so it gets really frustrating. My immediate response wants to be..."so don't sit so close to the front." Keeping in mind that we have a sound system that needs updating and the main speakers are on speaker stands in the front corners. This weekend was a lot better since we had the room re-EQ'ed this last week, there was much more clarity in the sound with less volumn. We still need to update our soundboard and purchase a new power amp. Anyone got any ideas on which soundboards have been the best for you? We are probably looking for a 24 channel.

My Top Ten Movies/Collections

2007-02-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

Here are my top ten favorite movies
1. The Lord of the Rings (#3, #1, #2)
2. Gods and Generals
3. Gettysburg
4. Star Wars Episodes #4 #5 #6 #3 (the others are okay but not my favorite)
5. The Santa Clause
6. The Village
7. National Treasure
8. White Christmas
9. The Mummy
10. Sleepy Hollow

Sound Equalizers and BIble Study

2007-02-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

We have been having a sound struggle over the last few months so finally we were able to spend the money to have a professional tech from Indianapolis come in and reset everything to fit the family life center. The sound has never been better or clearer both on the stage and in the congregation. Everything was crisp and clear. Our problem is that our system is portable so it had been moved around quite a bit and nothing was locked up to prevent people from messing with things. So hopefully we can keep hands and fingers off of it until I can get it locked up.
If you have never had your sanctuary, or worship center checked by a paid professional I would suggest it be done.

Today is the start of Nascar at Daytona and since I have no more Indy Colts football to watch it is time to enjoy racing until baseball starts on April 2. It is another chilly day in west central Indiana and I am enjoying my time beside a fire in our fireplace.

In my readings from Velvet Elvis this week I have been doing a lot of thinking. We are always keyed up on personal bible study and "spending time with God" but as I think and read I am beginning to think that intense study of Scripture is better done in a small group. Not that personal study is bad but if we take time to really think about it, when Jesus walked the earth he would've gone to temple to hear from the word because it wasn't something each person had. It would've been read and discussed as a group not just as a single individual. The benefit to studying as a group is that if one person interprets something way off base, there is accountability from the rest of the group to reign him in. Just a thought that is wandering through my mind.

The Blogging Church

2007-02-13T02:30:00.000-05:00

Today is Monday and I am at home in front of the fire, typing away on my laptop. We are supposed to get 8 to 16 inches of snow beginning after midnight and continuing through Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning. They have actually cancelled school already for North Montgomery Schools so Abby has the day off tomorrow. She doesn't know it yet as they did not cancel it until after she went to bed as she would on a normal school night. I am looking forward to a good snow.

I am reading the book Velvet Elvis but I have also started a new book called "The Blogging Church" by Brian Bailey and Terry Storch. It looks to be a good read and may have some ideas that I can use is my ministry.

I am going to enjoy tomorrow at home they way it is looking. I have been in the mood for a good snow day. Hope you all have a wonderful evening.

2007-02-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

You ever have one of those days when it starts it is a great day (alhough stinkin' cold) and it ends not as a horrible bad day but as a disappointing day? With out going into huge detail, I lost an incredible guitar player who feels the need to step away from playing for awhile. It is a bit of a blow to my ministry as he brings a lot of talent to the table. It is nothing that he has done but a bit of frustration over things I don't think can be helped at the moment. None the less, it is a downer for me today.

Waking Up

2007-02-01T08:06:00.000-05:00

I am not much of a morning person but I love mornings when Emmy get's up. She is always content to hop in my lap and take a few minutes to wake up. That is by far the best part of my mornings.

Unknown Moments

2007-01-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting stop at the BP Station today. Just as I finished putting gas in my truck, an older lady approached me and asked me if I would check the oil in her car for a couple of dollars. I responded and said that I would be happy to check the oil without the couple of dollars. As she popped the hood open she told me her husband had died (I don't know when) and he usually took care of it. The oil was fine and as she got back in her car she made a comment about there being a few good people left in the world. I am not saying I am a "good people" but all it took was a couple of extra minutes just to help someone out, especially after the people inside the gas station had refused to do it. I hope that the small amount of kindness brightens her day. I probably will never know if this made a difference to her or not...but you never know how the most incedental contact with a person can change a life:)

Knowing the mind of God

2007-01-23T13:36:00.000-05:00

How many times have I said I wanted to know more of God...what he wants, what he thinks, etc. As I have been reading 1 Corinthians I have centered my thoughts on chapter 2:10-11 "For to us god revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." There it is spelled out in black and white. Do I want to know God? Then I need to be connected to him in my prayers, bible studies, and a reliance upon the Holy Spirit to reveal God's thoughts to me so that I may know him just as I know my own thoughts.

Today is a beautifuly cold day in west central Indiana. The sun is shining bright and there is a small bit of white stuff still on the ground. Before the Colts game Sunday, I was able to be outside with the girls. They built a snowman and after they were done I started pelting them with snow balls...big fun:) I helped out with the youth worship Sunday evening then went home and watched the Colts play. What a game, my blood pressure had to be skyrocketing and I am usually pretty calm. I haven't been this into watching the Super Bowl since the 85 Bears pulverized the Patriots. I am still a Bears fan but always a Colts fan first. (The Bears haven't been the same since the days of Walter Payton.) Make today a great day.

The Home Life

2007-01-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

I am amazed at the number of people who would rather stay busy running all the time than to actually spend time at home. A minister friend of mine expressed the same view on his blog as his wife is getting ready to go to grad school at Xavier. Sadly Mike and I are not the norm even in the midst of the church. I am eagerly anticipating another night at home (minus a short trip to take Emmy to ballet) in front of the fire watching another round of horrible American Idol auditions with my family and some close friends. Yet the sad truth is that so many people will choose not to be home tonight and for a variety of reasons...some good, some bad. Sometimes it is a product of years of problems that seem to always center on love and respect. If two people love and respect each other then that will spill over into the training of their children. The needs of others will become an important factor in everyday living. If personal selfishness and disrespect are visible then that also will be what trains the children and there will be a pattern that shows little concern or compassion for others. I like what is waiting for me, home is my favorite place.

Are we listening?

2007-01-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about God's will and direction and how it gets jumbled in with my will and desires. One pervading thought is that sometimes we want to know God's direction but haven't been in a close enough relationship with him to know what he has been trying to tell us. This has to come through much thought, study, and prayer. We have to prepare hearts to listen and sometimes that takes time. The problem is we get so caught up in our lives and schedules that God gets left out and in the 5 or 10 minutes we do give him, we expect answers. I don't believe we should expect a great revelation of God's will if we place him as a second, third or fourth afterthought. Just a little bit of my musings to think about.

It has been too long!

2007-01-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted here. My thoughts are such a jumbled mess right now that I am not sure what exactly is going to come out but in an attempt to journal tonight...here goes! Ministry is such an intricate thing. Not a paid vocational ministry but the kind that takes place when you make yourself available to those around you. The problem is that the more I "minister" to those around me the more aware of my own un-Christ like self I become and I find it ugly. Sometimes it creeps out in my attitude, sometimes it hides in my thoughts but it is there. I realize that I am not perfect and never will be until the time that I am made whole, when I shall know in full and be face to face with my God and my Jesus. I don't always feel worthy to be the person that I am but by the grace and mercy of God I continue on openly worshiping him. As I think back on the holidays I am reminded of the joy that comes when a gift is received. My daughters were overjoyed by the presents they received for Christmas and I am called to remember that joy as I have been given much from my Father. More than my sinful self ever deserves but yet I am filled with happiness even as I continue to write, knowing that God loves me even more than I can love and revel in the joy of my own daughters.

Connections

2006-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

You never know how a connection or interaction with a person, no matter how brief, will have an impact later in life. Today our youth minister and I went to lunch with a representative from Mission Indy. A it turns out, she was a KCC as a freshmen when I finished my last year of course work. In working with Mission Indy, she met my sister and brother in-law 2 years ago when they brought a group down from South Bend. There was a girl in the Mission Indy broucheur that Kris, our youth minister knew because she was a friend of his sisters. Sometimes it is a very small world in which we live. You never know how God is going to use the connections that you make with those around you.

What I Am Thankful For

2006-11-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things I am thankful to God for this week. We have had a wonderful time with both sides of my family (Jill's side and my side) and we are truly blessed to have families that get along well together and genuinely enjoy each others company. I know many families do not have this when they get together. At this moment, Jill is still out with her mom, aunt, and cousins shopping. They left about 7;30 this morning and have been gone now for 13 hours. I made an attempt to get to Best Buy. I got up at 3:00 AM and was at the store by 3:20. It didn't open until 5:00 and there were 300 people lined up already so I went back to my sisters and went to bed. I am sure there were people lined up at 10:00 or 11:00 the night before. Crazy stuff, I really didn't want the 32 inch LCD flat panel that bad. My time is worth more than that! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I know I did.

Made to Worship

2006-10-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

This past week I introduced the song Made To Worship to the congregation. It is a new song by Chris Tomlin, it has been on the radio for a few months but just came out on cd in September titled "See the Morning". The words to the chorus go like this: You and I are made to worship, you and I are called to love, you and I are forgiven and free. When you and I embrace surrender, when you and I choose to believe, then you and I will see who we were meant to be."

Such simple words that can bring so much freedom. If we actually lived by those words there would be an explosion in the church that would be beyond anything concievable. Have a glorious and blessed day!

Living the Faith

2006-09-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

Being called to live a life of faith is not an easy thing to do. It calls me to live beyond what I can see, hear, touch, and even comprehend.

From 1 Timothy 1:3-6 "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk."

By Faith, Not By Sight

2006-09-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

The video clip that we used last Sunday showed a high school football coach teaching his team not to quit. It opens up with the team doing the death crawl and an ensuing discussion of how tough the team is they will face in the next game. Based on the attitude that the team leaders already had given in to defeat he asked a lineman to do the death crawl again with one of the players on his back, asking for his absolute best. The coach then blinfolded the lineman and asked him to go as far as he could. The player thought he could only go 20 or 30 yards and kept asking if he had made it but the coach kept at him, telling him he could do more. Finaly after the coach had kept at him..." come on, come on, 30 more, come on 20 more, come on, come on..." the player runs out of strength. The coach pulls of the blindfold to show him he was in the endzone...100 yards. The point is that had the lineman not been blindfolded his he would've given up much sooner than his absolute best. Sometimes our sight gets in the way and limits what we can do and what God can do through us. Over the years as I have worked with vocalists, nearly 100% of them can sing higher than they think. Usually I have to turn them away from the keyboard so they can't see and then run scales. If I don't they will usually shy away from the high notes, convinced they can not reach them. In the end they are usually suprised at the extra notes they could sing when they couldn't see where I was playing on the keyboard. Walking by faith and not by sight may mean stepping out when you can't see clearly because then it becomes God's power and ability...not our own. Walk by faith and not by sight.

Looking Forward

2006-09-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

Time away can be a marvelous thing. This past weekend Jill and I were fortunate to be able to take a little vacation and go camping with family and friends. Over the weekend I have been thinking about life and heaven and all sorts of other things. As we sat aroung the campfire we thought over the past few months and the journey that we have been on. Sometimes the years in our life read like a comedy, sometimes a tragedy. I have friends who are struggling through different things. One thing that struck me is how God wants us to put our faith in him. We like to know the journey we are on from point A to point Z but that really wouldn't require much in the way of faith. We don't always understand why good things happen to bad people and why bad things happen to good people. Sometimes the journey doesn't even make sense but that is why we have to go on faith. God operates on a need to know basis and he will guide and direct us to the next point on the journey. The story of Job comes to mind. He was a very righteous man who lost everything, homes, livestock, and members of his family. He questioned God because he didn't understand just as many of us question God today. Here is part of God's answer: "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? (Job 38)
In one respect it reads as if God is saying
"Who are you to question me, The Creator of the Universe. I have clothed the lilies of the field, will I not take care of you, my children?" He wants us to put our faith and trust in him, he will see us through the hard times even when we do not understand. The hard times will come because we make mistakes and because there are bad people in the world but He knows. He laughs when we find things hysterical, he weeps when our heart and soul has been so crushed that we barely get through the day but we are not alone. Jesus died on the cross so that we can be with our heavenly father so that one glorious day when the heavens and the earth are made new, we will see glory, peace, joy, and comfort that makes all the wonderful and beautiful places we have known on earth pale in comparison.

What's The Story?

2006-08-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

In the movie Forest Gump there is the famous line, "my momma always said life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get". Life is really more like a story. It comes to us the way a story does, scene by scene, you wake up but what comes next? You jump into the journey, it may be sunny out, it may be a blizzard, your friends may call, you may even lose your job.

Each year of our life unfolds like a chapter in a novel. Sometimes it is a comedy, sometimes an epic drama but it does unfold. Everything that happens has a story. I am a big Reds fan. The reason why has a story to it. My brothers went to Cincinnati Bible College in the mid to late 70's. Even though I lived in Cubs country (Northern Indiana), I grew up on the stories of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Dave Parker, Dave Concepcion, Sparky Anderson, and later players like Tom Seaver and Mario Soto. Back then we didn't have internet and they didn't broadcast much beyond the Cubs and White Sox. But those early memories stuck as the late 80's ended and 1990 rolled around I began to diligently follow the Reds as they were in 1st place from the beginning to the end of the season. I became a fan of Barry Larkin and Chris Sabo. Then on October 20th of 1990, Jill and I were married and the Reds won the World Series by sweeping the Oakland A's in four straight games. The fact that I am a solid Reds fan has a good bit of history behind it. That is the way our lives unfold.

As I have thought about this I progressed into thinking about the concept of community in our church and have come to the conclusion that community happens when we take the time to learn and listen to the things in each other's " story" (life) and open ourselves up so our story is shared. When we shut ourselves off and are to busy to enter into the story of other's around us the general feeling of community starts to wither and die. It comes down to being involved in the lives of those around us, loving and caring for one another. I learned this week that one of my drummers is a baseball fan. He had tickets to the Indianapolis Indians game (AA minor league) and invite me to bring Abby and Emmy since Jill was taking pictures for a wedding. It was valuable time and a whole lot of fun with someone I have not really hung out with except at worship rehearsals and church functions.

That's what is on my mind today. There will be more on the game itself posted on my Xanga blog... www.xanga.com/tomwhcc

Pla doh!

2006-08-09T11:26:00.000-05:00

Pla-doh, some people love the stuff other people can't stand it. Personally I think it is messy when my girls play with it but I love the smell of it. Abby went to camp this week with her cousin and a friend. Because Emmy stayed at Grandma's Jill decided to get her a little treat so she bought a big pack of pla doh that had cutters, a roller, and some other cool tools with it. They got home monday evening about 9:30 so it was to late to open it. Tuesday morning rolls around and the first thing Emmy asks is to go and play with her pla doh on the little picnic table out on the porch. Jill said she could so off she goes. What struck me as I heard the exchange take place was the excitement in Emmy's voice and the sparkle in her eyes. She couldn't have hidden it if she wanted too. Pla-doh is such a little thing and it doesn't cost much yet for Emmy it was as good as gold. There are a lot of parallels that you can make but for me it is a kick in the seat to continually find the joy and excitement in the little things in life that God so graciously has given me. That is something I think we all miss at different times. When was the last time we actually sat down and enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee, not just to wake up but to relax and thank God for another day. How about the last time we stopped to really look at or smell a flower. I even need to be thankful and find the joy in the little rabbits that seem to be camping out in my garden. (I have taken to chasing them off and am not usually thankful for them at the time but the girls think they are adorable.) Jut some thoughts to think about, make this a joyful day!
Tom

Anticipation

2006-07-30T07:46:00.000-05:00

Today I am looking forward to our worship services, more than normal. I say that because I have been thinking about Jesus telling the crowds to become like little children. The word that comes to mind is anticipation. If you have kids then you know what happens if you tell them "we are going swimming this afternoon." All morning you hear, 'is it time yet?" While it can be nerve racking at times, it is only because they are children and are eagerly anticipating what is to come in the afternoon.

Today I am eagerly anticipating worship because I know I will be in the presence of God and this is my opportunity to publicly display my love and adoration of my Father. I don't know the extent that Jesus meant for us to be childlike but I do know he want's us to eagerly anticipate spending time with him.

Desire

2006-07-26T12:28:00.001-05:00

Psalm 42:1-2
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

Desire...God puts in us a desire that runs so deep it is in the very essence of our life, it is what drives our soul. The struggle comes when we ignore it and push it away or cover it over by staying busy and filling our lives with things that will never satisfy. At some unconscious level we know there is something we are missing. We have all had those moments when we have thought or felt that "this is how life is supposed to be lived." Usually it comes when something has touched our inner most desire. God is the designer of desire and I believe he put it deep in us so that we would seek after him. When we are seeking his will, deliberately living life as he intended us to live then we are opening ourselves up to a joy and peace that is everlasting.
That is not to say there won't be bumps and struggles along the way but the joy and peace will eventually win the battle.

The danger is that we often mistake the life God wants us to live for a list of prescribed things I shouldn't do and a list of things I can or should do. ( Usually the don't do list is much longer than the do list). Jesus came and brought the good news of life...He denounced the pharisees for creating so many rules and regulations that they were breaking the backs of the people (paraphrase Luke 11:46). Please understand that this is not a license to sin because the goal is still seeking after God's will and desire. I do believe that a life diligently seeking after God and loving him will be a life worth living.

Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of god. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Better Is One Day

2006-07-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

Psalm 84:1-2
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty
My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

Today I challenge myself, and anyone reading, to want to be in God's presence so bad, to want to worship him so hard that it saps my strength and energy. There are a lot of things I like to do, and some things I don't like, that I am willing to use all my energy to accomplish. But do I always seek God's presence with the same passion and tenacity? Today...yes, I am not afraid to lay out my desire to worship God freely and passionately. But today was my thing, my realm so to speak of being in church and leading worship. My time to struggle is not on Sunday mornings but during the week where I find day to day tasks keep me from passionately seeking God's presence. My prayer is that I will not be afraid to proclaim worship of God...including my personal worship of God as the most important thing I do. Everything else pales in comparison to Him.

Worshiping Him,
Tom

Reflections On A Bad Dream

2006-07-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last night was not a good night for sleep in the Neyhart house. Shortly before midnight Abby was trying to get to the bathroom and couldn't find it. By the time I got up and directed her through the right door, Emmy starts crying because she has to go so bad it hurt. I took her to the bathroom connected to our bedroom just in time to hear a thud and realize Abby hurt herself in the front bathroom. Finally everyone is back in bed but the night drags on. Emmy is not sleeping well and kept waking up and when she did sleep she had a bad dream and came into our room around 4:30 in the morning. The dream itself would not be scary to an adult but to a four year old, dreaming that a ground hog is trying to drag you into his hole is not fun. Really the bottom line is that while I could be grouchy because I am tired and did not sleep well, I realize how much the girls need their parent in times of confusion, uncertainty, and for a place of safety. After the bad dream I held Emmy for maybe a minute or two...long enough for the fear to diminish, gave her a kiss and sent her back to bed where she slept until a reasonable hour. We have that same kind of comfort and safety available from our on Father in heaven. He wants us to come to him with all of our hurts, pains, joys, laughter and tears the same way my girls come to me with the silly jokes and the "hey daddy guess what!!", the bad dreams about ground hogs and the moments they have to pee and can't find the bathroom.

Hope you have a great day...don't forget to take time with God, even if it is just to tell him about your day.

Where is the Community?

2006-07-18T10:38:00.000-05:00

My friend Megan had this to say about the idea of community in church.
"A friend of mine said that insecurities were killing the community of the church. Insecurities are what draws us away from risk-taking, which is necessary to relationships. If I don't put myself out there, I can't be hurt or rejected, right? Well, you also can't experience love. What boggles me is that we tend to be so passive in this area that we injure ourselves even more. We fall into the mindset that no one cares because they are not reaching out to us. However, we fail to recognize the most effective way to grasp community - actually going to people instead of waiting for them to come to you. When you are sick, you go to the doctor; you don't sit at home hoping he'll somehow figure out that you need to be healed. A major part of being a Christian is having the humility to admit that you need help and encouragement. Loneliness, anger, pride, and grudges if unchecked will become an infection in the body. We need to practice prevention."
By placing value on others and seeking to reach out instead of waiting we become less self centered. Christ serves as the ultimate example because he was here to do his Father's buisness and not his own. I do not trust as easliy as I used too because I have been burned by church people. When the relationships crumble or cause large amounts of pain it is usually because of selfish desires, personal agendas or some faction of self-centeredness. This casts aside concern for the well being of others and says "I am more important than you." When I am on the recieving end of someone's selfishness it builds more mistrust and walls up with in me as it would do when I hurt others through my selfishness. I think if everyone focused on the needs of others then there would be a lot less conflict. Just some thoughts on community.

Post From Rock Lake

2006-07-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

We are at Rock Lake Christian Assembly (high school week of camp) and it has just downpoured like you can't believe. It is interesting to watch people run for cover and wait for the bulk of the rain to move out of the area. The rain was strong enough to wash quite a bit of stuff from the air, trees and anything else it touches. Some times when we encounter God in a way that cleanses us or starts to draw emotion we run for cover, we don't want to be face to face with our sinful self so it is easier to run and hide.