Go ye into all the urinals...

This weekend was one of the most interesting weekends I have faced in a while. My office gave us our bonuses on Friday which meant I had to brave the Christmas crowds to finish some shopping for my boys. On top of that I felt absolutely horrible, because I was sick and when I mean sick it was bad. So it is late now, I have to use the restroom and look on the urinal and what do I see??? A Tract. I blurred out the name, address, and Pastor because that is not relevant but in my half asleep, medicated, and frustrated state mind I begin to laugh as I am using the restroom. I started thinking of my Christian life and said to myself, “Man if I had a dollar for every time I heard of a guy who got saved because of a tract left on the urinal!” Okay if you can’t sense the sarcasm in that statement let me just say it was there.

Being a Baptist and especially growing up in the Circles that I grew up in, Soul-winning is a huge thing. Soul-winning—that term just—never mind that is another blog. When I think of Evangelizing the World, as Christ told us to do, I wonder is this what he really meant? Go ye into all the restrooms and leave a piece of paper that has the scripture on it. In reality I have heard certain Pastors saying that any time you put a tract on the dinner table at a restaurant, front door of a house, or even a urinal, you are leaving the “Gospel” and fulfilling the great commission. Wow! Here’s the pitch, swung on and a miss!

In my mind there are two major issues with the tract on the urinal. First, the person that left that tract most likely felt as if they were placing the check mark by the box that says, “Did you do any evangelizing today?” This is such a dilemma in our Church today is the infamous Check Box. What do I mean? The reality of a person going through the motions of Christianity, instead of experiencing a genuine relationship with Christ and then through that relationship having the overwhelming desire to do the things Christ has commanded. Secondly, why would you leave a tract on a urinal? Where is our Church falling to when we think that genuine evangelizing is leaving a tract on a urinal? I am all about showing a lost and dying world the Gospel, but leaving a tract on a urinal is not going to cut it.

We as a Church need to get back to the very thing that seems to missing in the modern Church. Commitment, Community, Communication. We need to be committed to our relationship to Christ, learn to build our community with Family, Church, and with the lost world to see them come to Christ, and then please, please, please, learn to communicate.

So this is Christmas…

…and what have you done? First line to the John Lennon “Happy Christmas” song, but man how much that thought is running through my mind this morning. Christmas time means so much to so many people, but normally it is so little to do with the real reason for Christmas which is Christ. As I sit here and I think of all the things that come to mind when I think of Christmas…Family (Well immediate since most of ours is in El Paso, TX), Christmas Dinner, Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights, Carols, Decorations, Charlie Brown Christmas, Fruit Cake (Yeah, I know I am weird, but like them), Christmas Cookies, Making Cookies, Christmas songs on WCIC until Jan 2^nd, and so much more. With all of that you would think that the Christmas spirit would just be pouring out of people including myself, then why isn't it?

I think a lot of that is based on the fact that we forget the reason for Christmas, which is Jesus Christ. All of the things above are a reality of Christmas and some wonderful things, but I realize this morning that Christmas is so much more. To stop and think that the creator of the universe loved you and me so much that he would allow himself to be born as a baby, subjecting himself to all the feelings that you and I have to face, so that you and I might be redeemed. I sit and think what it would be like for the God who knew no hunger, no pain, not knowing the physical understanding of Cold to now be in this world and experience hunger, experience pain, experience the physical things you and I face every day. It is amazing to think what love he has for us.

Going back on that John Lennon song, which is really kind of depressing when you read the lyrics, there is a line that says, “A very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.” You know what John, I think I will have a Good one. I have a life not lived in fear for I fear not the eternity I face, for I face an eternity with the Father. It is going to be a Great Christmas and a Great Year…Merry Christmas!!!

Side Note:
If you like the artwork visit Digital Blasphemy's website. I highly recommend this guys artwork. It is some of the most impressive artwork that I have seen and he also has links to other fantastic artists.

You might live in Illinois if...

…any time you worry about having to drive in snow or ice people make fun, speak condescending, or make you feel like less of a person because you don’t feel comfortable going out in it. Ok, not a great joke, but a reality living in Illinois. The past couple of days we had another ice storm go through our surrounding areas, and while where the town I work in didn’t get hit very hard, we got hit pretty good. As you can see from the pictures we not only had ice on the trees but slush on the streets. Growing up in El Paso we hardly ever had snow and with that in mind, my comfort levels of driving in it are very low. On top of that my wife had an accident several years ago that left us in a sobering reality, if I have to err on the side of caution, I will do so. So what’s my point?

Over the past few days I have been the bearer of teasing because I really don’t feel comfortable driving in the mess seen in the pictures and wonder why people make you feel so horrible just because you don’t feel safe in that type of weather. Then a bigger thought hit me, is this the way the body of Christ is teaching others? Oh stupid Christian, you shouldn’t be scared of the weather, just go out in it like we do. Yep, unfortunately we are. We take a believer and never equip them or teach them how to “drive” in the “bad weather” and instead of helping we just make fun of them. Guess I figured out two things: One, I want to help believers grow in their faith and help them be equipped to drive in the “bad weather” of life. Two, I don’t care how much people make you feel like garbage with their teasing or ridicule, if the weather is bad outside, I have days off, and just don’t feel comfortable in it I am staying at home. At least my wife and children will be glad I did.

Well said Mike…well said.

Well, unless you have been living in another place like, oh…Jupiter, or maybe under a rock you have seen that the presidential campaigns are in full swing. I don’t remember it being this involved this early, but I could be wrong. I haven’t put my full backing behind anybody yet, like my backing is the turning point in that persons election or non-election, but I have seen some who I wouldn’t vote for. Without getting into details, I will say it won’t be a Democrat, but that isn’t just because I am a republican, but it is based on their political views. With that said, onto my reason for this…the debates!

This Wednesday there were the YouTube/CNN debates and it was quite a show. There was some good statements, some bad, some good positions, some bad, some harsh words, some good, but all in all it was very interesting. Who won the debate? I really don’t know but there was one statement that was made that I really enjoyed. Mike Huckabee, who is also a Baptist Minister :), was asked “On the Death Penalty, what would Jesus do?” His response is below, I could summarize it, but I would butcher it bad, so I just posted it.

With all of that said it reminded me that this coming year’s presidential election as the elections in 2004, as the elections in 2000, as in the elections in the entire history of our Country, the leader has already been chosen, and all I have to do is keep close to the Lord and allow him to lead. Praise the Lord for his sovereignty and omnipotence!

Word is of the devil?!?!?

It has been a while since I have posted a blog, but for good reason. We have been busy with the Church lately and…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know the routine. But there really has been a lot going on, which leads to the reason for this post. We are putting together an event at our Church for Halloween night as an outreach for our community. No it is not glorifying the holiday, but it is trying to make use of a night where people are out anyway and reintroduce them to our Church. With that in mind we are putting together candy bags and we wanted to put a tract of sorts inside.

While I was writing the text for the bags I decide to make use of one of my favorite features in Microsoft Word…F7. What does that do? It spell checks the document. Praise the Lord for spell check. For us that graduated from college with a passing grade in English, which I did twice (U.T.E.P. and C.I.B.C), and still have problems it is a live saver. What you may not know is that it also checks grammar for you as well as misspellings.

Well much to my surprise this came up when I ran the spell/grammar checker. You will notice that it suggest replacing the word Treat with the word Threat. I tell you, Microsoft is part of the Illuminati and are planning to take over the world!!! That was for you conspiracy theory buffs. All humor aside, how true that statement is in our world today. Jesus is seen as a threat in our Schools, Jesus is seen as a threat to our health care, Jesus is just seen as a threat to our society, etc. etc. How sad!

I heard a friend who works at a salon in Wal-mart that said her district manager told her that they couldn’t listen to Christian music at their work because it was an offense. She said, “Keep Jesus in your heart, don’t bring him to work.” How ridiculous of a statement, but maybe Microsoft Word is telling us a reality of how our society sees Jesus. Where as one time our society saw him for who he was, A Saviour and King, now many see him as a threat. Oh to know that he is not a threat, but as I wrote a great gift. Praise the Lord for our Great Saviour and King…boo on Microsoft Word's Grammar Checker.

Oh and yes, I typed this up and Microsoft Word and still used the spell checker. It’s easier then learning how to spell.

We are.......Christians!!!

So it has been a while since I have posted, not because I am lacking thoughts to ponder, but more lacking the time to write them down (a.k.a typing them in Word.) This week a thought was there and I had to make sure it got written out. My wife and I watched the 2006 movie called, “We are Marshall.” If you don’t know the story behind this movie let me give you a brief synopsis.

This movie is about the Marshall University Football team. Their plane goes down on their return from a game and kills all on the plane. Through this tragedy the school chooses to press on with the football program to honor those who were killed in the tragic accident. Okay, there is a few details missing but that is the gist of it.

I will totally admit that I am a huge fan of movies like this. Triumph coming from tragedy, pressing through the conflict so they can have the blessing on the other side. But in this there is a chant that starts when they talk about the team. They say, “We are” a brief pause, then the person responds. All the grief is now getting ready to explode through their next word. The overwhelming pride they have in their School, their Town, and their fellow students is now ready to be said. What do they say? “Marshall” That is it, “We are?” “Marshall” Over and over again.

I thought about this and of course the overly analytical person that I am begins to think what pride, what heart, what about the Christians out there? Granted we don’t go around looking at our Brothers and Sisters in Christ and say, “We are” expecting to hear the person or persons say, “Christians” but wouldn’t it be nice to have that type of love for the Lord. Loving the Lord so much that when somebody says “Who are you” you can boldly, proudly, and joyfully say…a Christian. In my mind I am hearing the crowd.

We are…Christians! We are…Christians! We are…Christians!

Six Flags Great America…Kind of Okay America…Oh who am I kidding.

Every year for the past several years I have tried to take whatever youth group I am working with to some sort of large activity before the beginning of the school year. This year the youth group decided to go to Six Flags Great America. Oh man, how just the sound of that would have thrilled me several years ago, but now…not so much.

It is not that there is anything wrong with Six Flags, but with me…that is another story. I guess I will just blame it on age. We went on a few rides before the teen boys said “Let’s go to the Screaming Eagle!” I am telling myself, “Oh joy, the great big wooden roller coaster.” A few facts here, this thing is big, loud, and lots of wood. Which I know means that it will be Loud, Long, and definitely bumpy. The narrative in my mind continues.

As we approach the front of the line I ask myself, “Why do you do this to yourself? You know that you really don’t like it when you hit that first drop and you get that strange sensation of your stomach and throat getting together for some sort of strange how do you do. And as I ponder this thought I realize I am boarding the train. We take off to the sound of some teenage boy who is trying to pump up the crowd before we leave, and by trying I mean with the vigor of a boy who is making minimum wage and is looking forward more to clocking out than getting us pumped up. The train climbs with the infamous click clack of the track and then we are there, the top of the peak and then it’s, “Hey Mr. Throat how are ya! Fine Mr. Stomach, haven’t seen you in a while. Oh look, its Mr. nauseous come to the party to, great to see you!”

After we get off the ride I realize something. Several years ago, not telling so don’t ask, I had the ambition to be a pilot. By ambition I really mean more of a fascination, but it was my dream. I wanted to fly America’s fastest machines and be a Top Gun, but two things happened. First, God allowed my eyes to go bad so that I need glasses, or contact lenses, and that is not allowed in fighters. Two, I met the Lord. Sounds like a strange second reason but let me explain; while my dream of becoming a fighter pilot may not have been achieved I have a greater dream now…it is serving the Lord in full time ministry.

I praise God that he allows me to work in the ministry I work in. I love the teenagers we work with and see that God has great plans for them. But my love was just heightened for them today, why you may ask, (Even if you didn’t your getting an answer) because their one of the reasons I believe God allowed me to not be a fighter pilot, and one of the reasons Mr. Stomach and Mr. Throat only meet once in a while.

And we are off…

Tomorrow afternoon we head to Camp Joy located in Whitewater WI. I look forward to what God is going to do in our lives and in the lives of our teenagers. Camp is always a great time where our teens can grow because of the lack of distractions the daily life can cause. I look forward to the drive up to Camp and the memories that will be built. I look forward to the long days and what seem to be really short nights. I look forward to the games, the fun, and the food (which I am told at Camp Joy is really really good.) Most of all I look forward to the outdoors.

In Psalm 19: 1 God says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” I love to see the mornings in the wilderness where there is the glisten of the sun on the fresh morning dew. The silence and peace speaks of the beauty and majesty our Creator gave to this world. Oh how I look forward to how God will bless during this camp year.

Please pray for this week as we look forward to what God will do.

It is "Very" good!

Today I began reading the Pentateuch, which we know is the first five books of the Old Testament. Today I began with Genesis. I like reading Genesis. Reading about the creation, the fall, the promised redeemer, the flood, the…oh read it you will love it to! Today, however, I read a line in Genesis 1: 31 that reminded me of how Great our God is. It reads, “And God say every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…”

When I stop to think of this world that my God created I sometimes forget of the beauty it possesses. The stars, the moon, the planets, the sun, the green on the earth, the blue in the ocean, the white of the snow, the…you get the point. Our God didn’t say it was good, He said it was “Very” good!

When I stop to think that our God says our World is very Good and realize that we, humans, are a greater creation what are we? Very very Good? I don’t know, but I do know this our God loves us so much that he created us such an awesome place to live in, and if this worlds beauty is “Very” good, can you imagine what heaven will be like? I am encouraged to know that our God is such a great creator.

God is “Very” Good…No, He is Awesome!

Slip and Slide? No…Slip and Suffer!

This weekend was a very hot weekend. Not as hot as it was growing up in El Paso TX, however it was hot, humid, and our air conditioning is not working right. Every year we normally by a little wading pool for the boys, because we can’t afford to get a bigger one, but this year we decided to go a different direction. Suddenly the thought enters into my mind about the ever famous "Slip N' Slide."

Oh man, instantly I am back in my childhood. We also didn’t have money for a pool in our yard and I didn’t really know anybody that owned a pool for us to swim in. One year my childhood friend that lived across the street introduced me to his summertime purchase. It was called a “Slip ‘N Slide.” What you do is run as fast as you can, which for me isn’t terribly fast then and now, dive onto this plastic tarp like device that is has water constantly sprinkled on it by an internal watering the slip and slide device thingy.

What a concept! Water, slipping, Water, sliding, Water…Did I mention water? In El Paso where it has several days, sometimes consecutive, over 110 degrees this was a brilliant idea. I had nothing but fond memories of our slip and slide adventures, so purchasing one for my kids seemed like a great idea. No, it was BRILLIANT!

We get home on Saturday and I get it set up. Oh man, I can smell the plastic smell that immediately transports me to my ten year old days. I am so excited for my kids. I get set up our “Double Wave Rider” and my boys take off. Then I realize why these things are cool, but dangerous. My oldest boy gets up with a scrape on his stomach, because this thin piece of plastic allows any sharp object (Rocks, twigs, a bug with a bad attitude) to still do some damage. So the next day, Father’s Day, I put down a whole bunch of card board under the tarp and make it a little safer. In my mind I begin to think, “I need to give this a test run to make sure it is safe for the kids.” Here is where I should have taken the directions “For ages 5-12” a little more serious.

I jumped on to the slip and slide and took off…total distance traveled: 2 feet. I think I can do better than this. So I start doing more. The kids and I are having a great time. I almost forgot that I had to cook lunch on the grill, but then I started to feel this pain in my stomach. Pain as in I am out of shape and my abs are reminding me of this fact. Slip and slide now became slip and suffer. My abs began to remind me that they are almost thirty years old and that we are not 12 anymore. Oh man what a great day, but what a great pain. I must say that Slip and Slides have not lost their luster at all. I highly recommend them to kids, but to those out of shape thirty year old and ups I offer this piece of advice. Remember that the great and awe inspiring “Slip N’ Slide” is produced by the company “Wham-O.” That should be the first clue.

That Grace...it's Amazing!!!

So today I was looking through some You Tube channels I subscribe to and I ran across this. I had seen this before but it blew me away again. I don’t think I will ever get over His Grace. Praise the Lord for Amazing Grace!

What does Christ mean to you?

This week I preached a message on Sunday morning out of Matthew 16: 13-19 asking the question who do you say that Christ is? And today this thought is burning on my heart. As I look at the lives that we lead the question continues in my mind as to how we answer the question, who is Jesus Christ to Me. I know for the two of you that read this (Hi my Wife, Hey Mike) it is like preaching to the choir, but the thought bears typing.

In the scripture I mentioned above the disciples are asked who do men say that Jesus is, then it becomes personal as to who do they say that Jesus Christ is. This is where I wonder what people would answer? Most would say that “right” words, but to be quite honest it would not be the “Honest” words. The more I grow for the Lord the more I realize that Jesus Christ becomes more of a moment in time instead of a shepherd of our lives. Jesus becomes more of our God in time of need, instead of our God every moment of my life. What would you answer if Jesus looked at you and asked who do you “Really” say that I am?

We should want him to be every moment, every minute, and every day of our lives. We should want to really know Him. But then I realize that so many have made Him an appointment, not an everyday God. How many have said to Jesus that I want you, but not that much. How many have said I want to worship you, but only Sundays, maybe a Wednesday, but other than that leave me be because I have stuff I have to do. How many receive the blessings of God and never acknowledge the one who gave them. Oh who do we really say that Jesus Christ is?

I know we have busy lives, but I remember this statement I heard years ago, because it touched my heart then and still does now. “A Man too busy to pray is a man to busy for God.” We have so many things going on, Family, Friends, Relaxation, Graduation, Family Trips, etc. Which none of these things are bad things, not at all, but when they take precedence over Jesus what are we telling Him who we call our Saviour? Who do we really say that Jesus Christ is?

I know this is not my normal humorous satirical kind of blog, but my heart hurts because I know that there is a God, who is my Saviour, and He is so forgotten. Not by the lost world, but by those that claim him as their Saviour. Oh that we would not just “say” He is my Saviour, but “Live” like He is our Saviour. Who do you say that Jesus Christ is?

Movie Review: Spiderman 3

Yesterday we were sitting around and wondering what we wanted to do. In the metropolis of Galesburg IL [major sarcasm added] there are the movies, Wal-mart, or watch the grass grow. Since we needed to cut the grass this week anyway, and we didn’t need anything from Wal-mart, we decided on the movies. We decided to go see Spiderman 3.

I had read the review provided by the Christian Spotlight and figured it might be okay, however I was a little leery of the venom character. Not because of the part he would play, but because it did look a little evil and I didn’t want my boys to wake up in the middle of the night screaming that Venom is coming to get them. On to the review!

In the world of movie sequels it is normally a curse to do another movie after you have a successful first. Outside of Star Wars, which was really one movie over several versions, and

maybe the Godfather trilogy, there is not one I can think of that was just a smashing success. But could the Spiderman people do it? Yes they can.

The introduction of Sandman, Venom, and the new Goblin where wonderfully done. The relationship between Peter and Harry takes a twist that I was not expecting. The depth of the evil that undertakes Peter Parker is something that was also unexpected. All in all I would give this one four out of five stars. There are some predictable parts, however the CGI and the plot is handled well enough to make these predictable moments small speed bumps.

I really like the end of the movie when Peter forgives the Sandman for his role in his Uncles death, but the death of Harry was sad and unwanted. Not that it wasn’t well done in the movie; I just didn’t want him to die right after he resolves his friendship with his “Best Friend”, as Peter states it. The only downside that I can state has nothing to do with the movie it is all to do with the previews. You never know what the previews will hold, and these really stunk.

They showed the preview to the new Fantastic Four movie, which was great, the preview to the new Harry Potter, which looks as evil and satanic as ever, and then something that looked almost like borderline soft core porn. Most of my preview time was spent covering up my kids eyes. I wish that they would put better previews with the movie…oh yeah movie review. Sorry.

Spiderman 3 had good action, good CGI, good plot, and all together just a good movie. I was so pleased it left me wanting to see another one, but I know they may not make anymore. But for know our Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman is still here.

The Play-Doh Did It!

So last night we had teen group and I was preaching out of Ephesians chapter 2, specifically verses 8-10. Most Christians are familiar with verses 8-9 for it speaks of the saving Grace that we have done nothing to earn nor anything to keep. Thank God for his Grace! But the next verse caught my attention and that was the focus of our teen group last night. Verse 10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” When I thought about this I started to answer one of the age old questions, what are we here for? For the Christian we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS. So we spent some time there. Where does the play-doh come in? Well let me explain my brilliant, yet failed and I will never do it again, idea.

I thought of using play-doh as a way for the kids to “Create” something using their imaginations. Whatever it was, however good or bad, it would be their creation but whatever it was it would be nothing more than play-doh and would not do anything. I wanted to demonstrate our creativeness, but the idea that God’s surpasses ours and the fact that his creation is for a purpose. At this point it sounds like a really good idea, or at least it did to me. It sounded even better when I thought how well it would work for the kids to express their creativity. Well that is where it stopped.

So I passed out the play-doh, gave them about five minutes to sculpt something, which went really well, but that is where it stopped. I could not get most of their attentions back when I tried to regroup and teach the lesson application. Stupid Play-doh! The message fell to the intoxicating smell of gooey play-doh. The sounds of my voice were overshadowed by the pliability of the dough in their hands…Stupid Play-doh. In all honesty I can say that our teen group is a great group and listens so well to the messages given, but we found our kryptonite, Play-doh is its name! Oh sure, somebody could say that I was a flop and didn’t present the message well or that our kids attentions were on other things, but that somebody is probably drunk on play-doh!

Does this have a point? Um…no except I realize that sometimes something as simple as play-doh can distract us from the Lord and his message. We are created by God to do his works, but sometimes play-doh gets in the way. I guess we just need to move on, send an email saying boycott buying play-doh on Tuesday to stick it to the manufacturers, and just say “Stupid Play-doh!”

May Already?

I remember growing up people used to say that as you get older time seems to fly by you even faster. I never really understood that then, but now…Wow! This year is almost half over and I was seriously talking to somebody yesterday about Christmas plans at Church. So what has been going on in the McCoy’s life? Oh man, I will sum it up with two words and I quote Strongbad when I say, “Labor Daybor.” It seems like time just flies by but even more when you are busy. So let me give you the ESPN highlight reel about what has been happening over the past few weeks.

We are working diligently to raise money for our teens so that they can attend camp at Camp Joy this year. Now I have worked in youth ministry for over five or six years and I can say that each youth group I have worked with has been very unique and this group is no different. What I really love about our teen group is their spirit. They have such a great spirit for the Lord and have such a great desire to do work for him. I will never forget the night when some of the teens said they wanted to volunteer their time to work for a place that deals with the mentally handicapped. Why? Because the wanted their summer to mean something for the Lord and felt that they could serve the Lord there. Wow?!?! But, at our current moment we are focused on Camp, Fundraisers, and our activities.

In our home we have been really excited about what the Lord is doing. We have been going through II Peter 1: 5-8, which we just finished yesterday. It speaks of adding to our faith: virtue; then knowledge; then temperance, then patience; godliness; brotherly kindness; finally charity or love. Why because Peter says that “if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now what Christian wouldn’t want that? What a great promise! We will neither be barren of unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it takes work.

Add to my faith. I truly believe that if we had nothing to do in this world then the day of our Salvation we would be ushered straight to heaven to live, but God wants a little more. I have said for so long that the Christian life is really easy to understand but it is sometimes hard to live. This leads to this principle, adding to our faith. We so often get to the point where we accept our faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour but then forget that we need to add to our faith. How revealing this truth is about where I am at and where I need to go…What a wonderful Saviour!

Bow the Knee…

This past week we attended the 44^th Annual Pastors School hosted by First Baptist Church of Hammond IN. The years I have attended the conference I have not only left blessed, but it also challenges me about what God wants to do in my life. This year the conference topic was “With Christ in the School of Prayer” and I can truly say that the speakers chosen to speak not only brought great messages but God spoke to my heart about prayer in a great way. We can all look at our prayer life and say that we do not spend enough time talking to the God of our Salvation, but this year I realized not only do I need to spend more time with him, but moreover spend "Real" time with him. I want to have the power of God in my life and know that the only way to do that is to get on board with the Lord and go where he is going.

Over the past few weeks I have been reading a book called “Following Christ” which has been teaching me the principal of following after God. The Bible teaches “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23. My desire is to be with God but notice he says “Follow Me.” God is teaching that if we want to be with him the we need to Follow. He is leading the way for us and our job is to simply follow! Easier said then done, but the principle is still true. I heard a great illustration on Monday night that spoke of the reward and I want to share it with you.

On Monday night, Pastor Schaap preached on prayer and getting close to God and he used the following illustration. He spoke of his Grandfather who used to go to the dump to drop off his trash. Of course, I remember what the dump was like. I can remember the smell and the nastiness of a dump, but in this illustration, Bro. Schaap said he did not go one time and his Grandfather took his friend instead. Normally this would not be a big deal except his friend returned with some ice cream. When Bro. Schaap asked his Grandpa why he didn’t tell him that he was going to get ice cream afterward, his Grandpa said he didn’t realize he would but decided to, in the end. Here is the principal; Bro. Schaap decided that wherever his Grandpa went from that point he would go with him, because the reward (Ice Cream, Hot Dogs, etc.) was worth it.

It was a good illustration, but let me add something to it that I believe was added but I may have missed. God is faithful to reward us and bless us, three is no doubt there, but we do not follow him simply because he does. My heart was challenged this week to want to be with him. Not because of the blessings, even though his word teaches he will, but because my God is so awesome. I want to be with Him. What is even greater in my mind is that God wants me to follow him down this journey of life. Side by side with the Saviour every day, that is where I want to be. So as Ron Hamilton sang during the conference, I will bow the knee before my God and say..."Hear I am Lord, where we going today?"

We are back on the air...

It has been a few weeks since I have last posted and many things have happened. So much so that I probably could write for days and still not list all the exciting things going on. Let me start by working backwards in this timeline and finish with a great praise.

This weekend shaped up to be a weekend like any other, but something happened that I/We were not prepared for: The worst ice storm I have every faced. This year we had two ice storms, with a possible third coming tomorrow, but the latter was much worse than the earlier one. We had tree branches cracking and falling everywhere. Most of Galesburg lost their power. We were one of the fortunate ones to keep their power, which was a great answer to prayer. About 12:00 on Saturday, I went in to our Boys room and told them, “Boys, I don’t want you to be afraid or even worried, but this storm is looking to be a pretty big one. I want you to start praying now that we don’t lose power. If we do we will be fine, but let’s pray that we don’t.” So we started praying, all of us, and we lost no power. What a tremendous answer to prayer as well as a great way to show our boys how much prayer really works. Some may say it is a coincidence, but I say it is a great God answer the prayers of our family!

A few weeks before this, we sat down with our Pastor and shared our heart for the ministry. I have no doubt in my mind that I will Pastor a Church one day, but God has not set that passion in my heart…not yet. I still have a strong passion for our young people today more specifically teens. After sharing this with our Pastor and my wife pretty much echoing the same he asked if we would consider accepting the position as youth pastor of our Church. What an answer to prayer. We did not anticipate this happening, but we do praise God for the opportunity to serve him again, but what we did know is that we have a strong desire to minister to the teenagers of the Galesburg area. We may have lost our previous job, but never lost our passion and now God is allowing us the opportunity to see that Passion visualized.

As I write this, I think of what we will be training our teens in and the thought weeks ago came to my mind. I remember the phrase growing up that was used so often to tell a person to stop acting fake and be sincere. It was a simple phrase, two words actually, just simply stated, “Get Real!” Then the thought hit me…this is what our Churches need, a sense of reality. Most Churches are ritualized, not sincere. Most go through the motions but have not thought as to the heart. With that thought in mind, I want to help our teens “Get Real” but more specifically become “Real Teens.” I will give more on my thoughts on this later, but for now, I think it is time to “Get Real.” We have real problems, we live in the real world, but we have a real God who solves real problems in the real world. It is time to get to know him more and see what he has in store for us. Let’s get real!

It's so cold the penguins need a jacket!!!

Okay...I have had the opportunity to experience cold outside, but yesterday and today…oh my! It is so cold outside I think the snowmen need a jacket! Okay, bad jokes aside, it is cold! I took my kids to Wal-mart with me this weekend to pick up some paint for our kitchen makeover project, and Jacob go so cold he started crying. It is cold. We went to Lowes next and I dropped them off at the door so they wouldn’t freeze which turned out to be great since there is a heater right by the entryway. Dylan asked if we could stay there and warm up before we went inside. It is cold. As I sit here and type this in my warm office, I realize there are men and women working out there in the elements and my heart goes out to them. But then a thought comes across my mind…

I stopped to think of the cold and the pains that come with the exposure to it and think am I unique in this experience. Well of course not, but think this through with me. It is not unique to you or me, but it is not unique to Jesus Christ either. We think so often of the wonderful miracles of Christ, the great speaking of Christ, the hunger, the agony on the Cross of Calvary, but do you ever stop to think about the day-to-day experiences my Lord faced as well? God loved you and me so much to face the list above, even more, but think for a minute about the cold. Ever stop to think of Jesus Christ got cold?

One of the greatest things about our Saviour is the fact that he came from perfection, Heaven, and faced the imperfections of this world so that we might be free from our Sin. He knew the hungers he would face, he knew the pains he would experience, he knew there would be days where he was going to be cold. You ever go to sleep when it is cold only to sleep miserable and wake up the next day feeling miserable and then not really wanting to “act” or maybe “live” like a Christian? Ever think God did? He faced the same cold pains we faced and still woke up in the morning and continued to be what he was…not only the Christ, but the example for our lives. What a great thing to think, my God loved us so much to face all these things so I can live with him in that perfect place when he calls me home. Praise the Lord!

When somebody is on your heart, pray for them, and then maybe you will have a visit from the RedHeadRev!

So today was an interesting day. My wife and I were talking and both she and I felt like there was someone or something that we should be praying for. We didn’t know who, or what, but we knew it was time to pray. I know in Romans 8:26 it says “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” and this seemed one of those days. I felt like I needed to pray and had no words, but in my weakness in my “Infirmity”, I found that God was faithful. I began to call people that the Lord put on my heart, dropping notes of encouragement, then much to my surprise, in walks the RedHeadRev (a.k.a Mike). What a great reunion! I haven’t seen him since our friend Benjamin’s wedding, which is where this picture comes from.

It was great to see him and hear of his hope and vision for the Church he Pastor’s. I have heard this man's dreams and his heart and also shared with him my dreams and my heart and not only count him as a brother, but a fellow visionary. I look forward to the Lord’s blessing in his life for the labor he has called him to, but today my blessing started with a groaning. I am reminded also of I Thessalonians 5, which says, “In every thing give thanks…” I am so thankful for a day where my groanings were heard not just by the Lord, but also by my own heart. Moreover, thankful I got to see the every exclusive but never elusive RedHeadRev! I love you brother. You are my ambassador of Bob and all things Veggie.

So ice is the word we were worried about this weekend…not snow but ice. Being a Texan born and raised there are many things that I am not used to about living in Illinois. One of the many things is this cool white stuff that falls from the sky the Yankees call snow. All kidding aside, the worst snow storm we saw in El Paso TX was back in 1986 (I believe) where we had over 12 inches and it shut down the town for days. Here twelve inches is a walk in the park. But Saturday and Sunday this week was a different type of snow…it was nicknamed ice.

As you can see by the many pictures there was a bunch of ice hanging on the trees, and the road was literally a sheet of ice. So much so that when our neighbor tried to pull out of his driveway he slid out and when he tried to get traction his tires just spun and spun and spun until he finally got down the road. Wow was the only word that came to my mind. It has been followed by bitter cold temperatures and snow flurries over the past couple of days. But through all this I got to see something beautiful yesterday. When the sun was out it glistened on the ice frozen trees and snow making one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Isn’t it amazing how God can make something look so beautiful?

Man...I really miss the people.

Well it has been a while since I have blogged and a lot has been going on. Well, not really. We have celebrated another Christmas, we have celebrated a new year, and soon I will celebrate my ninth wedding anniversary. All is good, but is it?

I remember once being asked what the hardest thing about the ministry was. As I pondered the question the first thing that came to mind was “the people.” But then I was asked, what is the greatest blessing of the ministry? My answer…The People. This has been on my mind and my heart over the past few weeks.

I have been “out of the ministry” since September of last year. I can honestly say this is one of the lowest times I have faced in my spiritual life. Let me preface the rest the rest of my comments by saying that my “out of the ministry” statement is not to say that God doesn’t have work to do, but for the past five years I have been working for a Church in some capacity. For the last three years I have been an Assistant Pastor and part of that was being a Youth Pastor for a great group of kids. But now…well I am sitting in a pew and it is driving me nuts!!!

I have to admit what had happened in my life with my former employer was not only shocking but left some pretty deep wounds, but now I am at the point where to wounds don’t hurt as bad, but I miss the people. I love ministering to people. I used to wake up some mornings just so excited and looking forward to sharing with them what God had told me to say. I know we had some rocky times, but even the rocky times are great.

Now I find myself waking up in the morning and going to work, coming home, going to church…shake and repeat. The best way I can express my emotion is to borrow a phrase from a movie I enjoy called “Blackhawk Down.” This is not the greatest of movies but I like one scene in particular because of its significance to the solider.

Let me set it up: the soldiers have invaded a town in Somalia and faced heavy opposition. They have spent countless hours fighting, seeing the fellow soldiers get hit and fall, others get mortally wounded. In this scene a group of soldiers have finally made their way back to base camp and are safe, but as some are rejoicing in their safety, others who just made their way back are preparing themselves to go back out into the fight…why you ask? Queue “Hoot”, one of the soldiers who was out in the fight for the countless hours and is now preparing himself to go back out into the fight...

"Hoot": When I get home people’ll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? Why? You some war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is.

I find the ministry very similar. I want to help people because they are men and women of Christ, children of God, they are my brothers and sisters and my vision, my dreams, and my talents were given because of them. Some may not understand that, but I am not a war junkie…it is just about the ones next to me. I want to be back doing something so bad I could almost explode, but for now I will sit. I know the Lord has his timing and that in years to come I will look back and see the reasoning for this time, but for right now I have a pinned up desire to serve the Lord and no ministry to see in the near future. Man, I miss the people.