I hope there is enough signal down here to upload this...Here goes!
This is the last morning at the campsite. Lucas is still asleep and I find myself in the company of a campfire and God's Word. It has been an incredible week filled with both wonderful memories and tragedy. Most things I wouldn't trade for the world, one thing I wish we're not reality.
Landen and Heath retired early to Grandma & Pa's leaving Lucas and myself alone for one last night in nature. It was a blessing because I was able to have some deep and timeless conversation with my son about manhood and being a man.
My boys are growing up to be men and I don't want to waste any time. Landen and Heath are still learning the fine art of trout fishing. Lucas is close to grasping the intricate details. Lucas got his first knife this week and learned the pleasures of whittling by the campfire. Landen and Heath are still a bit young for a razor sharpened blade, but their time will soon come....all be it to soon.
My children are growing up and this week was a reminder of that through both the memory of a camping trip and the tragic loss of a friend.
Yesterday morning the world lost a shining light in Sarah Roberts Hart. While it has been many years since I last spoke with her, I dare say she was still that same caring and loving person she always had been. As evident by the outpouring of praise for her on Facebook, I feel confident she was still a difference maker through her heart and kindness.
Her life was taken from her by someone else. Random and reasonless I can only think, but her murder certainly causes one to think.
Life is short. It can end at any moment. For some it may come in the end stages of life. For others it may be lost in illness or accident. Still for others, life can be snuffed out due to evil. Regardless, the fact remains that we are not guaranteed one moment.
With that thought in mind, we all should consider a commitment to make every waking second count. The world owes us nothing, but for those of us in Christ, we owe it the responsibility to make a difference.
That difference should be made in the hearts of every man, but even more so in the lives of our children. Sarah leaves behind a husband and three beautiful children. No doubt she imparted to them her heart in the short time she was with them, but let the living never forget to make the most of the time we have with them.
My yearly camping trips with my boys (and my dad) are always a blessing. But this year, the trip went from a blessing to high yielding investment. I am reminded how important times like these are in the lives of my children. More than that, I am reminded of the importance of the mundane.
Our investment can not be made a few times a year. It must be made in the daily adventure of life. I am not guaranteed one more moment with them, therefore I should make the most of every moment with them.
Prayers of thanksgiving for Sarah's life are going up right now along with prayers of peace and strength for her family.
Deut. 6:4-9
Thoughts on life, ministry, and non-sense on occasion.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Through The Eyes Of A Guest
I recently began reading a book by Gary McIntosh called "The Exodus Principle" in which he discusses the idea of creating a servant hearted culture in a church family. It is quite possible I could have written 15 blogs about its content and I am not even half way through. This morning however an excerpt caught my eye that I felt led to share with our church and anyone else who cares for that matter. Listen to the experience of a first time guest to a church.
"when we entered the church, people were standing in small circles talking with their friends. Nobody paid any attention to us.
As we stood in the middle of the room, I caught the eye of a man my age, but he was too engrossed in conversation to reach out to someone he didn't know. At last an older woman came and introduced herself, brought us coffee, and introduced us to her husband and then another couple.
When the group broke up, we followed upstairs to the chapel, which was nearly full. Someone gave us a bulletin, but no one showed us where to sit. The only vacant seats were down in front, and we were afraid they might be saved.
We stood there, feeling awkward for what seemed like a long time, but we were again rescued by the woman who had brought us coffee. She ushered us down the aisle and asked some people to move over to make room for us.
One person made a significant difference. It has been months since we visited that church. I remember the pastor was evangelical, but I don't remember anything he said. I do remember the people who didn't have time for us and the one woman and her husband who did. That experience made me appreciate ushers and greeters and people in churches who make an extraordinary effort to tea g out and welcome newcomers."
How often do we find our selves engrossed in our circle of friends that we are oblivious to the new person that is seeking. Does our indifference to them make a difference? It certainly does.
But I thank God for those people who really understand why we exist as a church. As Aubry Malphurs once said, "The church is the only organization in the world that exists solely for those who do not belong to it."
BAM! That is why we exist and we need to make a difference...a BiG difference in that area.
May I challenge each of us (myself included) to put up our antennae for new faces in the crowd. May we step out of our comfort zones for just a moment and focus on the people God has called us to reach.
Outreach doesn't stop in some community event. Outreach continues when they walk through the door. Outreach is not a means to simply get people to come to church. It is a vehicle through which we welcome them in to our family.
So when a guests walks through our door, let us take hold of an incredible opportunity to complete the outreach process and WELCOME them, not to church, but to the family. That's being a difference maker.
"when we entered the church, people were standing in small circles talking with their friends. Nobody paid any attention to us.
As we stood in the middle of the room, I caught the eye of a man my age, but he was too engrossed in conversation to reach out to someone he didn't know. At last an older woman came and introduced herself, brought us coffee, and introduced us to her husband and then another couple.
When the group broke up, we followed upstairs to the chapel, which was nearly full. Someone gave us a bulletin, but no one showed us where to sit. The only vacant seats were down in front, and we were afraid they might be saved.
We stood there, feeling awkward for what seemed like a long time, but we were again rescued by the woman who had brought us coffee. She ushered us down the aisle and asked some people to move over to make room for us.
One person made a significant difference. It has been months since we visited that church. I remember the pastor was evangelical, but I don't remember anything he said. I do remember the people who didn't have time for us and the one woman and her husband who did. That experience made me appreciate ushers and greeters and people in churches who make an extraordinary effort to tea g out and welcome newcomers."
How often do we find our selves engrossed in our circle of friends that we are oblivious to the new person that is seeking. Does our indifference to them make a difference? It certainly does.
But I thank God for those people who really understand why we exist as a church. As Aubry Malphurs once said, "The church is the only organization in the world that exists solely for those who do not belong to it."
BAM! That is why we exist and we need to make a difference...a BiG difference in that area.
May I challenge each of us (myself included) to put up our antennae for new faces in the crowd. May we step out of our comfort zones for just a moment and focus on the people God has called us to reach.
Outreach doesn't stop in some community event. Outreach continues when they walk through the door. Outreach is not a means to simply get people to come to church. It is a vehicle through which we welcome them in to our family.
So when a guests walks through our door, let us take hold of an incredible opportunity to complete the outreach process and WELCOME them, not to church, but to the family. That's being a difference maker.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The National Day Of Prayer
Today is the National Day of Prayer. For me, it is a day much like that of Valentine's Day. It is a day set aside for doing something we should be doing each and every day. Sadly, prayer is one of those spiritual disciplines that often gets neglected on a daily basis. It is a piece of our relationship with God that we do not take nearly as seriously or practice as intimately as we should. (Note: I can be guilty of this as much as the next person at times).
Often we throw around a cliche about Christianity that says, "It's not a religion, it's a relationship." Relationships require time together, they require investment, and they require commitment. May we as a people embody those three things in our relationship with Christ. May we, as the church, take time each and every day to spend time talking to God (and listening to God for that matter). May we prioritize that time as an investment in our relationship with God, our relationship with our families, and the direction or our country and world. May we be so committed that prayer becomes a non-negotiable part of our daily life.
All of that said...let us observe this National Day of Prayer with passion. While prayer should most certainly be part of our daily walk, it is refreshing to know that there is a moment where people around our great country will join together to seek the Father.
As you participate in the National Day of Prayer, may I challenge you to pray specifically for three things. Pray for the churches of the United Stats, that we would stand strong on our faith, our rights, and most importantly our responsibility to reach out to the broken. Pray for our families, that they would build a foundation in Christ. Finally, pray for the leaders of our country that their hearts would seek God in every decision and they He would impart wisdom upon them.
Our present, our future, and our eternity all rest upon the power of prayer. Let us begin a journey to unleash that power today.
Often we throw around a cliche about Christianity that says, "It's not a religion, it's a relationship." Relationships require time together, they require investment, and they require commitment. May we as a people embody those three things in our relationship with Christ. May we, as the church, take time each and every day to spend time talking to God (and listening to God for that matter). May we prioritize that time as an investment in our relationship with God, our relationship with our families, and the direction or our country and world. May we be so committed that prayer becomes a non-negotiable part of our daily life.
All of that said...let us observe this National Day of Prayer with passion. While prayer should most certainly be part of our daily walk, it is refreshing to know that there is a moment where people around our great country will join together to seek the Father.
As you participate in the National Day of Prayer, may I challenge you to pray specifically for three things. Pray for the churches of the United Stats, that we would stand strong on our faith, our rights, and most importantly our responsibility to reach out to the broken. Pray for our families, that they would build a foundation in Christ. Finally, pray for the leaders of our country that their hearts would seek God in every decision and they He would impart wisdom upon them.
Our present, our future, and our eternity all rest upon the power of prayer. Let us begin a journey to unleash that power today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)