Grandview Fellowship

Finally Found What I was Looking For

2010-04-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in the ministry for over 20 years. For many of those years of serving God and the church, something huge was missing. No more! What is this “thing” that I was lacking?

The answer lies within the story of two of my friends. They have the same “thing” that I had longed for. The problem, I couldn’t find it. At least, not the way I was searching for it.

One friend, is the lead pastor of an awesome church near Houston. We were visiting a few weeks ago and I noticed he had this “thing” that I did not. I’ve known this guy for over 15 years. Truth is, he has always had it, but I had only recently realized that what he had was something that I really wanted.

My other friend is also a minister. He was a passionate pastor and evangelist but had suffered some pretty bad spiritual abuse from pastors and other church leaders. He was a former college football player and the ultimate competitor. He is now confined to a bed with late stages of MS. We spent a few hours together and I noticed that he too had the “thing” that I don’t see in many people. Especially pastors like me.

Both of these guys have what I have always wanted in my ministry. Am I coveting? No. I don’t want their “thing”, I want my own.

As I said, I have been in the ministry for a pretty long time. I have worked hard at it, and God has blessed greatly. I am thankful for my many experiences and life lessons. I am grateful for learning that God deserves our best. I love the many opportunities and the thousands of people God has placed in my path. But even in all of these great things, that “thing” was still missing.

Working hard has never been a problem for me. Long hours, week after week without a day off was routine. When I needed a break, I disappeared for a few days to recharge, then I’d get back to it with full force. My life has been filled with “striving”. Striving to achieve. Striving to please. Striving to be successful. I love to compete. I have run on the performance treadmill for many years. But in all of that busyness for God, I missed something critical for my life. Here is that thing. It’s called REST. Rest with God. How did I finally find it? Actually, it found me.

In starting a church a couple of years ago, I have never worked harder in my life. But something’s different now. And it happened only recently. For the first year and a half of church planting, I did what I knew best: Work hard. Push. Strive. Compete. Perform. It almost killed me. But even in the craziness, of the pace, God heard my prayer and blessed me with my heart’s desire. Yes. Finally. My heart is at rest with God. Doesn’t mean that my days aren’t busy. Many of them are. But now, my heart is at REST with God. It is so totally awesome. It’s so fulfilling to work hard, play hard, and rest in the fact that God is pleased with my day. I don’t have to perform in order to be accepted by Him. I am not in competition with any other pastor or any other church. As long as I am faithful to what God has called me to do today, then my day is successful. He alone is responsible for the fruit of my ministry. I simply need to be faithful to Him.

It is hard to fully describe the joy of resting in Christ! Whew. What a relief. God is pleased with me!

Are you tired of striving? Then Rest. Even in the middle of a busy day, you can find rest in Christ. If you are exhausted in your serving, then you are not resting. If your service for God is burning you out, then you are NOT resting.

Psalm 46:10 - “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

If God is in charge, then I can rest. If He is not in charge, then I’d better get busy performing!

Jesus invited us to come and find rest for our souls. Need rest? Stop trying to please God with your performance and let Him “perform” great things through you as you rest in Him.

I pray that you will find rest for your soul, in the presence of our Amazing Father God!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2010-02-04T13:08:00.001-08:00

Thursday, February 4, 2010

So I am taking my daughter Madison to school and as we pull into the carpool line we hear a siren. We couldn't see what it was or where it was , so we started looking around. As I glanced back at my little First Grader, I heard her praying, "Jesus, we pray for you to help whoever is hurt that they will be ok. Be with them and keep them safe. Amen." I told her that it was so nice to do that. She says that mommy does it every time they hear a siren.

Kristi had never "told" Madison to pray when they heard a siren. Instead, she simply did it, and Madison was watching...learning. So when Madison heard a siren, she didn't need mommy to pray, she had learned to do it herself. It became her natural response to a siren. So awesome!

Made me wonder what I am modeling in front of my kids. Maybe some of the things we see in our kids are a direct reflection of us. We can blame this challenging world we live in. We can blame our churches for not doing enough. But the reality is, for the most part, our kids reflect us, parents. And what I "say" counts for little when compared with what I "do". That is a fact.

Lord God, help me to model for my children, a life dependent on You. Help me to show my kids how to treat others with love and grace. The same love and grace I desire from others.

Dealing with Rejection

2010-01-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 14, 2010

I’ve been studying for my sermon this weekend and needed a break. The topic is pretty sensitive to me and I’m sure to many others as well. Rejection. We’ve all experienced it at some level. Even Jesus experienced rejection from some really close friends. You can read it for yourself in John 13.

Depending on the relationship and the circumstances, rejection can be pretty devastating. I’ve lost some really good friends over the past couple of years. I’ve called them. Left messages. Sent word with mutual friends. Nothing. Not even a “tell Doug hi”. Of all those who can hurt you, it’s those closest to you who have the greatest potential to inflict the most pain.

So how can we deal with rejection? We’ll, we can choose to take revenge. You know, say bad things about them or do things to smear their reputation. That might feel good for a little while, but it will only make matters worse. Or, we could respond to rejection by building a wall around our heart to block the offender out. Problem is, that wall around your heart might keep other’s out as well. That can be a pretty lonely existence!

Fact is, how we deal with rejection impacts so much of our life. So how should I respond to rejection? We need to look no further than the life of Jesus to get the answer: Choose to forgive. To forgive means to “release someone from debt”. That means the person who offended you no longer “owes” you anything.

In some cases forgiveness can come pretty easily. I have chosen to forgive my “lost friends” of the last couple of years. If they called today, I’d be so excited to visit with them. There are other friends I’ve loaned money to who have never paid me back or even said “thank you”. I’ve chosen to forgive them as well. When I was 14 years old, I was “in love” with an older woman who was 16 years old. She said she didn’t “love me the same way”. Ouch! But I have forgiven her, too.

In other cases, forgiveness seems to take a little more time. I’ve had those experiences as well. (Sorry, I’m not going to name names.) But I have chosen, over time, to forgive them. Some situations seem to have taken me a little more time and a lot more grace.

Is there someone you need to forgive? You may be thinking that there is no way you can do it. God says He is willing to give us all the grace we need to do it!

2 Corinthians 9:8 assures us:

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Cry out to Our God, “Lord, give me the grace to forgive ______________________ .” Pray it over and again until He blesses you with the grace you need. And when He does, choose to forgive!

Trust God's Heart

2009-12-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Been a while since I last blogged. Since my last blog...a pastor in our area committed suicide in front of his wife. They have 3 children. My neighbor was a member of the man’s church and is really upset and confused about it. Doesn’t make sense. Two days ago, I got a call from a friend who said his sister and niece were murdered by the niece's husband... in front of their four young children! He is still running from the police as I’m typing this. Then yesterday, I spoke to a young man who was hooking up my internet at home. He shared how his wife had an affair with a leader in their church out on the west coast. He’s pretty mad at God about it.

I am reminded that there is a lot of pain out there...incomprehensible hurt. I read Lamentations from The Bible. Hadn’t read Lamentations in a while. The writer, Jeremiah was grieving over the devastation of God’s land and especially God’s people. Times were brutal. But in chapter three he writes,

²¹This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

²²The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
²³They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

²⁴"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
²⁵The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the LORD.

³²For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.

Jeremiah’s heart was crushed, but he held on to His God. The lyrics of this old song recorded by Newsong say it well:

God is too wise to be mistaken.

God is too good to be unkind.

So when you don’t understand

When you don’t see His plan

When you can’t trace His hand

Trust His heart.

Our God is Good. He is Faithful. Don't understand? Trust His Heart!

God is Always on Time

2009-12-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 4, 2009

I wrote as my Facebook status, “Doug believes that God is always on time”. I absolutely believe it! It MUST be true. I am holding on to that truth right now. I have been waiting on a lot of people and a lot of things lately.

Time pressure is crippling. Think about it. From our vantage point “timing is everything”. Problem is, our timing is not always in line with God’s sovereign timing. The result? We worry. We fret. We get upset. We get angry at those who are making us wait. Bottom line, we at times might question God’s intentions, because it seems that He is running a little (or a lot) late.

But for God to be God, He MUST be perfect in His timing of all things. I remember hoping that I would get married by the time I was 25. I hoped. I prayed. I dated a lot. Nothing! For twelve long years I “waited” for God. But in His awesome timing, I met Kristi, God’s gift to me. In hindsight, I see His perfect timing, though at the time of waiting, I experienced some very difficult days. Good things come to those who wait.

So here I am waiting on God, again. Waiting for His clear direction for our church. New location? New worship time? I’m also waiting for His clear direction in my personal life. So when will God make things clear? In His perfect timing. My job is to keep on seeking Him, do what I know He wants me to do, and do not lose heart (Galatians 6:9).

2000 years ago, God’s people were in a time of crisis, a time of despair. And in God’s perfect timing He sent Jesus to the rescue.

God’s Word says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Christmas is proof that God not only loves us, but is always right on time.

Waiting on God? Me, too. But personal experience and more importantly, His Word, assures me that God is always right on time.

Just Breathe

2009-11-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

November 13, 2009

My son, Matthew was looking at something about rocket ships and asked me why there was no air in space. I told him that “air” is oxygen and the farther we go up, the thinner the oxygen. Since we need oxygen to live, we must take it with us into space.

Then I started thinking...Air is invisible, yet God supplies it for us every day, even though we don’t even think about it and I would guess that we rarely thank Him for it. Yet, He keeps supplying it. Do you ever wonder where your next breath will comes from? I don’t (except when I’m hiking in the mountains). Why? A lifetime of experience has proven to me that all I need to do is breathe and the oxygen will be there. So, if God is constantly supplying this vital resource for life, why would He not provide everything else that we need?

You and I may not be able to see the future or understand our “present”, but we can rest assured that our Almighty and Loving God is working to supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). We can trust Him who gave us that promise.

So breathe in and thank God for providing “air” AND so much more for all who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)

Which "Dwarf" are You Today?

2009-11-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 2, 2009

I think I am going to write a book titled, “Things I have learned while taking my 1st Grader to School”. It seems like there is always something that hits me in that short, 7-minute ride with Madison that gets me to thinking.

This morning, Madison was a little grouchy. We usually sing songs and make up silly stories on the way to school, but today she was unusually quiet and would only answer my questions with that “leave me alone” look.

So I said, “Madison, we wake up every morning with a choice to be grumpy or happy.” Then trying to be fun, I said, “In fact, we can choose to be any one of the 7 dwarfs”. Then I started naming them, “Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc”. Neither of us could remember Bashful.

She simply listened, with little response to my attempt at humor. So I prayed with her and dropped her off at school.

On my way back home, I remembered that my day started as “Sleepy”, then turned to “Grumpy”, before I finally landed on “Happy”.

Seriously, we all have tough days. I’ve had my share of them. But life is too short to stay in a pit. OK, so you woke up “grumpy”. Choose instead to be “happy”. How?

Philippians 4:4-8: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Today, I choose “Happy”. Tomorrow, I’ll have another opportunity to choose, and then the next day and the next...

Bragging Rights

2009-10-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 10-27-09

My daughter, Madison is a 1st grader. She loves school. She loves her teacher. She loves her friends and her friends love her.

They tested for reading levels a few weeks ago. We knew she was a great reader, but was unsure how the testing would go. She ended up testing very well. After they had gotten their scores back, several of the girls were talking about it. Even though she knew, Madison never would say her score.

I visited lunch last week and the subject came up again, One friend said, “I got a 16 ”. By the way, that’s pretty good for a 1st grader. Another girl said, “My mom said I am the best reader in the whole class.” My father’s pride kicked in and everything in me wanted to brag that Madison was, in fact, the best reader in the class and that she scored a 20 which is incredible for a 1st grader. I didn’t say anything. One of the girls again asked, “Madison, what was your score?” Madison knew. We had told her about the “20” and that we were very proud of her. But she wouldn’t say it. She simply looked at me. So I said, “Madison’s a great reader”.

Madison is cute, sweet, smart, AND humble. She could have bragged, but she didn’t. She had ample opportunity to let them all know that SHE is the best reader. But instead, she showed love to her friends. Love? Yes, love. 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not brag and is not arrogant”.

That’s what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t go around screaming, “I am the King of Kings. I’m the best. I’m number one. Bow down to me.” No, instead he demonstrated his love through humility...all the way to death on a cross.

Bragging does nothing but belittle others and make the braggart look silly. Humility is a character quality that God blesses greatly (James 4:6).

Just something to think about.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Who is your God? I don’t mean Allah or Yahweh or Jesus or the Spirit in the Sky. I mean, is your God good or bad? Kind or harsh? Encouraging or judgmental? Loving or looking for an opportunity to beat you up?

Jesus tells us that we can call God our “Father”. He even uses the word “Abba”, which means Daddy. That may seem strange to some, but it reveals the personal nature of God. Yes, we must honor Him as Holy and Almighty and Glorious, but we can also see him as “Daddy”. He is indeed powerful, but also “Daddy”.

The most powerful man on the planet is President Obama. He is also a dad. I remember reading some advice Jenna and Barbara Bush, daughters of President George W. Bush, gave to President Obama’s daughters:

“Our dad, like yours, is a man of great integrity and love; a man who always put us first. We still see him now as we did when we were seven: as our loving daddy. Our Dad, who read to us nightly, taught us how to score tedious baseball games. He is our father, not the sketch in a paper or part of a skit on TV. Many people will think they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters. So here is our most important piece of advice: remember who your dad really is.”

(The Wall Street Journal, January 22, 2009)

What great advice. Great words for us to remember about our God and Who He really is: He is The Almighty God who loves us and is proud that we are His children. He delights in the little things in our lives, and He wants us to call Him “Daddy” because He doesn’t want us to lose that intimacy with Him.

I encourage you to reacquaint yourself with God, our Almighty and Loving Father.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

2009-10-01T09:33:00.001-07:00

I could hear my daughter Madison calling out, “Mommy. Mommy”. Kristi was busy bathing the boys so I decided to help out. “Yes, Honey”, I answered. “No, Daddy. I’m calling Mommy, not you, because she knows the answer”. WELL, then...

If you had a question and you knew the person with the answer, wouldn’t it be foolish to go to a different person? Who would do that? I mean, I think I would want to go to the person with the answer. Isn’t that right or am I crazy? It sure makes sense to my 6-year old.

I believe God has the answers to all the questions life presents us. Do we really believe that? Of course. So why then would we not go to Him first, even before we gather the opinions of others? I am glad to have good friends who offer me wise counsel, but before that, I need time with God, asking, listening, and obeying.

Something God is teaching me in a big way right now is how to wait on Him. I can get in such a hurry to hear answers to my questions, that I, at times by-pass the very One who has the answer.

Here’s my challenge for you (and me). When you have a decision to make, direct your attention to God through prayer and His Bible first, then wait for His counsel. After that, seek the counsel and affirmation of others. God has the answers. Doesn’t He?

Need answers? Go FIRST to the One who has the answer. It makes since whether you are 6 or 46 (that’s me). God help me to wait on You!

Friday, September 25, 2009

2009-09-28T07:42:00.001-07:00

A while back, I had some friends over to watch a college football game on my new HDTV. The game featured the Ohio State Buckeyes. My friend Jeff was there and he is a big Buckeyes fan. As the game kicked off, Jeff got the best seat in the house, nearest to the TV. Several others of us were not quite as interested, so we just stood around talking and munching on chips and stuff.

A few minutes into the game, Jeff positioned himself even closer to the game, where he leaned in toward the TV so he could hear above our distracting chatter. Finally, he asked if we could talk more quietly. How rude! No. How passionate he was to see and hear the game.

You know, we say we are passionate about hearing from God, but how many of us are passionate enough to get ourselves into “position” to hear from Him? I wonder how many times we make half-hearted attempts at really seeking His will.

In Jeremiah 29:13, the LORD says. “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”.

If I really want to hear and do His will, I must first, quiet the distractions. My main distractions seem to be my selfish agenda and my desire to please other people. I must quiet the voices in my head. That means entire surrender of my agenda, my life, my failures, my future, my whole heart.

After that, simply lean in toward the LORD. Develop that spiritual sensitivity to His voice. Surrender brings rest.

He will be true to the promise: Seek Me and you will find Me. It’s time we stop making “half-hearted “ attempts and begin surrendering our whole heart to Him!

Monday, September 14, 2009

2009-09-28T07:41:00.002-07:00

I was at a wedding this past Saturday. One of my good friend’s oldest son was getting married. It was an outdoor wedding at a beautiful place north of Austin. Our drive to Austin on Saturday was met with rain, a lot of rain.

When we got to the Wedding that evening, the rain was pouring and there was no sign of letting up. Thankfully, there was a tent intended for the ceremony. Before the ceremony, I prayed with the groom, then found my seat with Kristi and several old friends. The rain continued. The ground was totally saturated.

It was time for the wedding to begin. The parents were seated in their respectful places. The bridesmaids were ushered into place. It was time for the bride to make her appearance.

As the music announced her arrival, we all turned back to see this beautiful young lady escorted by her dad through the rain. What I saw next was truly amazing. The clouds suddenly parted and the rain stopped! Not really, but that’s what we would have hoped for. Get rid of the storm. Right? Well, instead I saw the joyful smile of a beautiful bride excited about her wedding day. You see, a little storm could not extinguish the JOY of her wedding day. She didn’t fret. She didn’t complain. For the joy of the celebration, she endured the storm.

I saw Philippians 4:4 with my own eyes, “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Yes, rejoice...even if it rains on your wedding day!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

2009-09-28T07:41:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha from the Bible? Jesus came to their house for a visit. While Martha was busy around the house, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened. When Martha asked Jesus to get Mary to help her out, Jesus said that Mary was doing the one thing that is necessary (Luke 10:42). What is that thing? Sitting down to listen? Does that mean then that serving is not necessary? Of course not. A closer look into the story reveals the answer.

Martha did what came naturally, she was serving. Mary was sitting down near Jesus, listening. Both are doing good things. Martha’s problem was NOT that she was serving when she should have been listening. The problem was that Martha was distracted (Luke 10:40). Jesus saw that in her serving, she was worried and bothered ( vs 41).

So here is is: Mary was listening, while Martha was distracted and worried and bothered that Mary wasn’t helping out. So what Jesus teaches us is simply: whatever we are doing, whether serving or sitting, we need to listen and not get distracted.

While you serve (or sit) or whatever you do today, do not get distracted from that fact that God is speaking and He wants us to listen.

Lord, help me to quiet the distractions and help me to listen.

Friday, August 28, 2009

2009-09-28T07:40:00.002-07:00

On the way to school this morning, Madison said that she wished we could choose our own class at school. She likes choices. Don’t we all? But for 1st graders, the school dictates the class assignment. She has a great class with some friends from her Kindergarten last year, and her teacher is perfect for her. Still, I think she just wants choices.

Even though we’ve only had a week of school so far, I know that Madison’s class is perfect for her. How do I know? Did I select the teacher by paying off the principal? No. I did better than that. Kristi and I prayed for months that God would give Madison the perfect class for her. And Since God is in charge, we feel really good about His choice.

So I told Madison this morning, “You have the perfect class. Did you know the Bible says that God makes all things work together for good for those who love Him? Madison, do you love God?” “Yes” she said. I continued, “Then you can be confident that God works out all things for good, because He loves you and called you to great things”.

I think the answer satisfied her, but more than that, it reminded me of this truth. Whatever the situation, God is still in charge and He is at work for GOOD for me...because I do love Him. How about you?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

2009-09-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

My morning yesterday: Heard my youngest calling at 6:22 am. I had been awake since six, but I wasn’t quite ready to get out of bed. I got up anyway, got Michael downstairs and on the couch, then took our puppy out for her morning business. After giving ample time for her to do what she needed to do, I brought her back into the house to attended to my 2-year old on the couch. Within a minute, the dog had “done her business” throughout the front room and Michael was in “great need” of attention. So what do you think I did next? What would YOU have done in this moment of crisis? My next step was simple: I called for back-up. I woke up Kristi and she patiently helped me get our home back in order. “Hooray for Mommy!” is a constant refrain in our house.

Calling for Back up. Back up quarterbacks. Back up police officers. Back up “boyfriends/girlfriends”. When do we need “back up”? When we are in a bind. When we know we can’t handle things by ourselves. When we feel overwhelmed. We all need back up from time to time.

A few nights ago, I was stirred from a sound sleep to hear my almost 5-year old, Matthew, calling for me. When I went up to check on him he said, “Daddy. We have a real emergency here.” “OK son” I said, “what’s the emergency?” “I had a bad dream”. “Do you want to talk about it?” “No”, then he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. He simply needed “back up” for his “emergency”.

I am thankful for the many people God has placed in my life over the years to help me through difficult times. I’m sure you can think of people who have helped you in times of crisis: a friend, spouse, parent, pastor, priest, counselor, etc.

I challenge you to think of those people, then give at least one of them a call. Don’t e-mail or text. That’s too impersonal. Let them hear your voice. Tell them thank you.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

2009-09-28T07:39:00.002-07:00

My quiet time ended yesterday with the prayer, “Lord, what are You waiting on me to do?” I left it at that and went to meet a friend for coffee. This friend told me that he had been burdened from the Holy Spirit for several days to give me a message. This is a trusted friend who I know to have the gift of discernment and is in tune with God. Needless to say, the message he brought was right on target! I shared with him what I had written in my journal that morning and how God obviously gave him the answer to pass on to me. It was awesome to see God orchestrate this event.

God speaks in a lot of different ways: 1. directly to our spirit/heart/soul, 2. through other people, 3. through His Word in written form, the Bible. I know of a couple of people who say they actually heard God’s voice with their ears, but I’ve not experienced that personally. However God speaks to you or anyone else, it must always be consistent with the Bible. God will never contradict Himself.

I’ve been working hard lately on my listening skills. I want to hear what God has to say and I would guess that many of you do also. I ask questions, listen for answers, then write them down in my journal. Pretty simple, but it’s fun to look back at what God has said.

By the way, I did obey the message God sent through his messenger, and the result was incredible!

So this morning I prayed, “Lord, now what?” I ended up having a fantastic conversation with a new Christ Follower from China. She had many questions about her new found faith. How cool!

Dare you ask, “God, what are You waiting on me to do?” It’s worth it to ask the question and listen for the answer.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

2009-09-28T07:39:00.001-07:00

“Ding-Dong the witch is dead. Which old witch? The Wicked Witch. Ding-Dong the Wicked Witch is dead.”

At 4:15 this morning, this song was zig zagging through my brain. Why? My daughter, Madison is attending a Wizard of Oz Camp this week and she is trying out for a part today. She chose the “Ding-Dong” song for her vocal try out, and she sounds great. She memorized all the words in less than 24 hours (oh, to be young again). She is excited and confident. This is my first experience as a “stage mom”. Madison is the youngest of twenty or so kids who range in age from 6 to 11, so I’m somewhat confident she won’t get the coveted part of “Dorothy”. She’s realistic about it but she would still love to be “Dorothy”. If fact, she already has the dress.

So how do I prepare her for this day? I want her to be confident and courageous, but also prepared for the potential disappointment. I mean, she could get the part she wants, but there is that chance...

So here are some ways to avoid disappointment:

Avoid disappointment by not wanting anything. I believe that if you shoot for “nothing” you will hit your target (nothing) every time. Sure you won’t be disappointed, but you also rob yourself of really living.
Keep your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed. That stinks! That would be like me settling for left over pizza when there’s potential for a steak dinner at The Taste of Texas. How many people live life settling for less than the best? No passion. No adventure. No life! I don’t want that and I don’t want my daughter to settle for that either.
Go for it, with courage and confidence, and should you miss it, remember that your failures are not fatal.People who reach out for something ambitious and adventurous fail at times, but who cares? The reward is worth the risk. Failure is not the end of the world (especially at six years old).

So how did I counsel my sweet, innocent six year old? Go for it! Give it your all. Should you not get the part you want, we will still be there to cheer you on.

It would be good for all of us to remember that failure is not the end, it is simply the beginning of the next adventure!

Can’t wait to hear if she got “the part” and how she responds to the news.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

2009-09-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun teaching my oldest two children, Madison and Matthew how to body surf yesterday. We are on family vacation in Alabama. The weather is absolutely amazing. Thank you Lord for a “cool” front and low humidity.

Last night we went to a really cool local restaurant. I heard that Jimmy Buffet’s sister is the owner. Anyway, we had a two hour wait so we hung out, listened to the live band, and played in the sand. Fun times. After dinner, we had sno-cones and headed back to get ready for bed. Madison, my six year old said, “Dad, this is a very fun vacation. I like vacation because on vacation, all of the things you usually say ‘no’ to at home, you say ‘yes’ to”. Interesting perspective. It’s true. We’re staying up past nine o’clock, dancing in the sand after dark, and eating “late-night” sno-cones, We are living life on the edge!

I once read that a sabbath rest (mini-vacation) is when you do the things you WANT to do instead of the things you HAVE to do. Of course, there are SOME boundaries...there always are, but vacation is an opportunity to just let go and do things you really enjoy.

Need a vacation? God taught that we all need a weekly break from the daily grind. It’s called a Sabbath. We need a day to get off schedule and enjoy God and the life he has given us. God has given YOU permission to take a break. So do it. Go crazy. Dance in the sand after dark and get a sno-cone.

“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest...” Hebrews 4:9-11

Friday, July 17, 2009

2009-09-16T13:57:00.001-07:00

I got up at my usual time this morning, but it so happened that my 4 year old, Matthew got up early. Yesterday, he had gotten a stuffed monkey at the zoo and he wanted to play. He handed me a stuffed elephant and we started role playing. We traveled to see the rhinos. We were swinging on vines through the jungle. We even headed to “the bathroom area” for a pit stop. He told me there was an area where some mean and grumpy elephants lived. He said that we didn’t want to go there...but we did.

Now at the “mean elephant area” he advised that I was now one of them. Matthew fed me my lines: “Say, ’I am a grumpy elephant and I told you not to come here’”. I said my lines exactly as he had instructed. Matthew said, “O.K.” then started to move backwards. I decided to ad lib, “Could help me not to be so grumpy?”, I asked. “Yes”, He said and now I am quoting Matthew:

“There are five rules you must do to not be so grumpy: 1. hug, 2. kiss, 3. turn blue (Blue is his favorite color. I guess this would help me feel better to “be” my favorite color), 4. Turn around and sit down (be playful?), and 5. Just be nice.”

I promise, I did not coach him at all. Those were his “rules” to follow, in that order. I think these might work. So the next time I wake up grumpy or someone or something puts me into a bad mood, I am going to try these five “rules” to help me not to be so grumpy.

Will you take the “Matthew’s Rules for not being so Grumpy” challenge? It is worth a try.

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just and God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

Friday, July 10, 2009

2009-09-16T13:56:00.002-07:00

How is it that Elijah, after an incredible victory on Mount Carmel, quickly runs away like a coward when he hears that the wicked queen is after him? I mean, God had just displayed His mighty power for all to see. Literally, fire fell down from heaven. How awesome it would have been to see that. I stood on Mount Carmel several years ago and thought about this story. I looked up and imagined the sight of fire falling from the sky. How totally cool...and humbling. Check out the story in 1 Kings 18 and 19.

So Elijah sees God move in a mighty way, then immediately trouble comes to Elijah and instead of confronting the enemy, he is afraid and runs away. Interesting.

Have you ever experienced an incredible spiritual victory and soon after feel spiritually deflated? I sure have. I’ve had times of courage and coward all in the same day. What’s wrong with me? My emotions can sway from victor to victim very quickly. What was going on in Elijah’s mind? “Seriously, Lord. You just moved mightily. I prayed a crazy prayer and you came through for all to see. I have obeyed you and now, I am running for my life. What’s up with that?” I’ve prayed similar prayers before.

So The Lord rebuked Elijah for being such a baby...NOPE. The Lord Himself spoke to Elijah and put him back to work. I love that. This is so important to remember: Our enemy wants us on the shelf. He wants us to run away and believe the LIE that God cannot use us anymore. But God can and does use us even after we run and hide.

So get into the game. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Christ- Follower, God wants to use you again. If He didn’t, why would He leave you here on earth? You and I have an incredible job to do. Let’s do it. Stop believing the LIE that God is finished with you. Let’s stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get to work!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

2009-09-16T13:56:00.001-07:00

Last week, I was the KId’s Camp Pastor for Houston’s First Baptist Church. My first ever Camp Pastor role was 1991 with Second Baptist, Houston. I guess I continued to be the Camp Pastor for the next ten years or so. Don’t feel sorry for me. For those of you who worked along side of me know how much I LOVED it! Camp was always an exciting highlight of my years as Children’s Pastor. But it had been a while since I had played the part, so I was a little nervous about speaking primarily to pre-teens again.

I put on my Facebook status that I was headed to Kid’s Camp for the first time in many years and I received encouragement from a couple of dozen former workers and campers. I even received a comment from one of my first campers who is now 30 years old. Yikes!

At camp, I was watching some of the kids playing on the zip line and I realized that in a few short years, my daughter could be at this camp, or one just like it. And so, I thought... I am to speak six times over four days. I am the primary source of teaching for these children. I prayed, “Lord, what do You want these kids to hear?” God spoke, “What would you want your daughter to hear?” O.K. I get it!

Each time I spoke over the next four days, I thought of my little girl. What would I want her to hear? I wouldn’t want someone to feed my little girl the ever popular “Jesus Lite”. I would want her to hear the truth: Jesus is the Way to experience real life, now and in Heaven. The Bible has the answers for how to live this amazing, joyful life He has planned for us. He requires our whole heart in return. No half-hearted commitment. A real decision to follow Jesus.

So that’s what I taught these kids.

Camp was amazing. Many kids came to Christ and many others made firm commitments to follow Christ with an undivided heart. Can’t wait for my daughter to experience Kid’s Camp.

Thank you Pastor Gregg, Cindy Pitts and the HFBC family for trusting me with this task. I had a blast!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

2009-09-16T13:55:00.003-07:00

I spent the last few days out of town with my family. Each morning I would get up early and sit on the deck outside the hotel lobby. On Friday morning, I just sat quietly in the rocking chair and enjoyed the sunrise, the chirping birds, and celebrated the glory of God’s creation. I got a little philosophical (I won’t bore you with those details) and God rekindled in me the wonder of His creation. Yes, God is Holy and Loving and Sovereign, but He is also extremely Creative!

I rested my mind on Psalm 8 and prayed along with King David, “O Lord, Our Lord, How majestic is Your Name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that you take care of him?” (Psalm 8:1,3-4). Your creativity is without peer!

On Saturday morning: same spot; same beauty, peace and rest as the previous day.

On Sunday morning, I woke up a little earlier than usual, got some coffee and headed out to my spot. As I exited to the lobby doors leading to the deck, the place was covered with garbage. Beer cans. Coke cans. Half full jars of salsa. Empty chip bags. What a total mess! I wondered what kind of person would trash up such a beautiful place. What a contrast from the first two mornings.

I thought of how God has made so many fantastic things for us to enjoy, and we “humans” carelessly mess things up. I wonder what awesome things God would do if we would simply stay out of His way?

Lord, You are so creative. Help me to work with you instead of getting into Your way. Help me to walk with You and not ahead of You. Amen.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

2009-09-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

Please follow the link to watch this brief video. It will describe, better than I can with words, one of the reasons I love the journey God has given me. This was recorded this past Sunday afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=483WEfisWlI

How does God measure success? One person at a time.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

2009-09-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

We have 41 people in Mexico for a mission trip and they called in during our Worship Service this past Sunday so we could hear how things were going. They are involved in medical care for the locals, encouragement for the church there, and other fun activities.

Just like a parent who gets a call from their kids, I listened to the excitement of a group on mission for the Cause of Christ. I was so proud of those who were willing to sacrifice comfort, money, and even vacation time to follow Christ’s command to “go”. We have bankers and doctors and CPAs and students and builders and all kinds of people involved in this mission. We missed them in our congregation on Sunday, but it was so refreshing to think of our church in two different places, yet unified in spirit. Yes, we were one church in two locations today! Truth is, we (all of us Christians) are one church in millions of locations. I felt like a real part of that local church in Bahia de Kino, Mexico and they a part of us at Grandview. is a word from our team in Bahia De Kino:

Greetings from Bahia De Kino!

“What an exciting week it has been here in Bahia De Kino! God is at work in this community and it has been a joy to be a part of it. In addition to building a house for an amazing man of God in this community, the construction team is installing two bathrooms for families here in Bahia De Kino.

Our medical team is hard at work seeing women and children in the clinic. Pray for Judy Moyes as she works with our nurses to treat and diagnose patients with limited supplies or medical history.

The most amazing thing we have seen this week is how our youth and children have connected with the locals here. As adults we see a language or cultural difference as a barrier in ministry, however our students and children have embraced the time we have here with an enthusiasm and maturity that has impacted not only the locals but also the adults.

Continue to pray and praise God for what He is doing here in Bahia De Kino. Thank you for your support as we, Grandview Fellowship, seek to serve from the overflow or our heart in Sugar Land and all throughout the world.”

I am proud of this group of Christ Followers who followed His call to “go”.

Monday, June 1, 2009

2009-09-16T13:52:00.002-07:00

Every June 1st, I am reminded of a story. Years ago, I knew a teenager who was faithful to church, sang in the youth choir, was president of the church youth group, and attended Christian camp every summer. He was even baptized in a Baptist church. He was the model Christian teenager in front of most people. But I knew better. I was able to see the truth about him. He was a teenager in conflict. He was living a double life.

He was introduced to drugs at age 13 and over the next few years he met older teenagers who would buy him beer and alcohol. He was running quickly down a path toward pain and heartache. He struggled to “keep face” in front of family and church people while all the time, finding a way to indulge in things he knew was killing him. At church he was all into Jesus, but outside those doors, he lived absolutely for himself.

That brings me to June 1, 1980. At the end of his junior year in high school, he attended church on this fateful Sunday. Something was different on this day. As the pastor was preaching along, this teenager was shown that he was living a lie and he wanted to make things right with God. He struggled with letting go. How hard it can be to give control of your life over to someone else...even God. But he did. That day, this young man surrendered his entire life to Jesus Christ. On June 1, 1980, he received from God what his soul had always longed for: peace, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

I don’t recognize this guy any more even though I see him everyday in the mirror. The fact is, I have never been the same since yielding my life to follow Jesus. Am I perfect? No way. But I have Jesus who guides me and is patient and forgiving with me. Jesus has literally saved my life and I have celebrated this day for the last 29 years!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

2009-09-16T13:52:00.001-07:00

Had lunch with a great friend today. We are going through similar seasons of life. Over the past year, we both changed jobs offering less pay and less security. We both caused close friends and associates to question our sanity in doing so. And, we both felt absolutely sure God was leading us to launch out into these unfamiliar waters.

We exchanged “war stories” and recalled fond and funny memories of our “previous life”. We looked back and concluded, once again, that our God is faithful to provide all of our needs. We talked about how much we have learned during this new adventure. One thing for sure, we are learning an even greater dependence on Christ. Suffering and struggle and uncertainty puts our faith to the test.

I told him of something I heard years ago from pastor Charles Stanley of FBC Atlanta. He said the problem with young pastors today is, they get handed churches of 1000 or 1500 people and they don’t know how it feels to struggle. What was Dr. Stanley saying? The same thing the Apostle Paul says. And it’s something I don’t like to hear. We like things to come easily, but struggle is necessary for building Christ-like character. Challenges cause us to be less dependent on ourselves and more dependent on God. But the good news is these troubles bring forth proven (tested) character (Romans 5:3-5). Challenges and struggles can keep me from cracking under “real” pressure. That’s a good thing.

So I can rejoice in the challenges of life. Why? Because God’s Word tells me that the result of these challenges can produce “proven character...and hope; and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:4-5).

Struggle. Challenge. Conflict. Uncertainty. Perhaps God wants to build His character in us so that we will surrender and become absolutely dependent on Him.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

2009-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

We are coming up on Memorial Day weekend. I hope we will all pause to remember those courageous Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

I like visiting cemeteries. It’s fun to imagine what was going on during the time of a certain person’s death. I like to stand near the head stone and imagine myself being in the moment. Is that weird? I have visited some old graves in the Northeast United States, but compared to some grave sites I’ve visited in Israel, the cemeteries in the U.S. are very young.

I’ve seen tombstones of war veterans, teenagers, infants. Fancy markers and some very simple. Some tombstones declare a loyalty to a certain organization (Masons, Loggers Association, for example) and others have a simple caption “loving mother.” I once saw a tombstone in Bandara,TX made out of a skateboard! For me, a cemetery is an interesting place. Now you know I am weird!

My 97 year old grandmother already has her grave marker in place. My grandfather died in 1973 so his name, birth- and death-dates are already on his side of the tombstone. On grandma’s side, it has her name, birth-date and a “dash.” Grandma is still living in the “dash.”

Here is reality, we have very little control over most of the information on our tombstone. Someone else chooses our name and God chooses our birth- and death-dates. So all we can do is determine what we do with the “dash” in between.

In Revelation 2:10, Jesus says to each of us, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

I want my “dash” to count for Christ. How about you? I take the Apostle Paul’s challenge: I want to make the most of my time here on earth (Ephesians 5:16).

I heard an old quote by someone, I have no clue who it was...”One life to live and soon it will pass. Only the things done for God will last.”

Lord, make my “dash” count for you!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

2009-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of weeks, a mommy bird has been building a nest on a shelf in our backyard. A few days ago we noticed three little blueish eggs.

SInce the kids spent the night at MomMa and Pa’s house, I went to the back porch this morning to enjoy some quiet time with God. As I went out the door, the mommy bird flew away, leaving the nest unguarded...or did she? As I sat down I noticed the bird had come back and was perched not far away on the swing set. She was watching. I sat as still as I could, but she would not return to the nest. I wish she knew that I was good with her having a nest in my back yard and that she didn’t have to be afraid. After a few moments, she flew back to her nest and settled in with the blue eggs.

I don’t know a lot about birds. And I am just guessing that the bird on the nest was the mommy. What I do know is that those little birds developing in those eggs are being well cared for even though they don’t realize it. Even birds have an instinct from our Creator to care for and protect the little ones. Even the unborn ones.

Thank you to the many mom’s who have influenced my life over the years. My paternal grandmother was the true matriarch of our faith on the Page side. My maternal grandmother is still going at 97 years old. Every time I see her she tells me how proud she is of me and that nothing is more important than God and my family. My mom, Christine, is an amazing, Godly woman of prayer. She loved and cared for me even through those challenging years. I am still a challenge at times.

My wife has a similar heritage. Her paternal grandmother is the most kind and gentle person you can ever meet. Her maternal grandmother is in Heaven today, but she was a woman of deep love and commitment to her family. She loved to give. Kristi’s mom, Ragina, loves and encourages me as her own child. Then, of course, there’s the mommy of my children, Kristi. She is beautiful inside and out. She has a deep faith in Christ and is willing to go and do whatever God says regardless of what others might say. She is a blessing to me and my little ones.

To all these mom’s in my life: Thank you. Thank you for being “you” and loving me just because I’m “me”. Happy Mother’s Day!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

2009-09-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Suffering. What is Your perspective? Have you have heard of Dr. Viktor Frankl? During World War II, Dr. Frankl was in 4 different concentration camps, including Auschwitz. He was a psychiatrist who witnessed the slaughter of both of his parents, his brother, and his pregnant wife. He knew suffering first hand. He wrote a book that has sold over 12 million copies called, Man’s Search for Meaning. In that book he explains what he calls a “tragic triad”. He states there are three things every one of us are going to face: pain, guilt, and death. Those three things, he says, are unavoidable. But how do we find meaning in the midst of all of these things? That’s the challenge! When there’s pain, how do we allow this pain to cause us to look upward and trust our Sovereign God? How can we take guilt and allow that to be a springboard to change our lives so that we may live to glorify God? How can we look toward death as a reminder that every day is important, because we’re all headed that direction! Dr. Frankl says we must find “tragic optimism”: finding the best in every situation.

Since we will all face tough times in our lives, the key is how we respond to them. James 1:2-4 reminds us to have the attitude of joy when we go through tough times. Frankl continues, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

There’s a young man named Jerry Long, who was 17 years old when he was in a diving accident and became a quadriplegic. Instead of just giving up on life, this incredibly strong, 17 year old man went on to finish his education and his doctorate, and became a writer. Now understand, here’s a 17 year old guy, who at one moment was enjoying life with all of its freedoms; then the next moment, he can’t even move. Here’s what Jerry said: “I view my life as being abundant with meaning and purpose. The attitude I adopted on that fateful day has become my personal credo for life. I broke my neck, but it didn’t break me!” Again in the Bible, James says, “let endurance have its perfect work.”

Are you going through a tough time? Allow God to help you find meaning within the difficulty. Trust that our Father God is still in control and choose to let these trials build character.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

2009-09-16T13:48:00.001-07:00

On the way to taking my daughter to school we were talking about our plans for Family Fun Night that evening. I asked her to think about what she would like to do and we would talk about it after school.

I was hoping to go to Swirls, a really cool frozen yogurt place. We've gone there before and we all loved it. At Swirls, you get a cup, choose from about a dozen yogurt flavors, then select from over 50 toppings. Everything from fresh fruit to Captain Crunch cereal can be added to your creation. You are charged “by weight” so keep piling it on as long as you are willing to pay for it. For all the first time customers, they give you two small “sampling” cups so you can decide on your yogurt flavor. On return visits, you are on your own to decide. No sample cups.

Before arriving at the school I asked if she would like to go to that frozen yogurt place where you add your own toppings. She thought about it and asked with the innocence of a kindergartner if we could tell them it was our first time so we could get those little cups. TEACHING MOMENT. I said, “Madison, we have been there before so saying that would be dishonest. And we know that God says we should always tell the truth”. She just shook her head like, “OK, dad”.

What's the big deal? I mean, what would be the harm? Those little cups with only a dab of frozen yogurt can’t cost them more than two cents! It IS a big deal, because I want my daughtert to know that God desires honesty even in the little things.

By the way, we did go to Swirls and they did ask if it was our first time. We said, "No". But then I asked if we could have sample cups for the kids. "Of course".

It felt so good to be honest AND get sample cups, too!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

2009-09-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am heading off on a mission trip to Latvia in a few days. This trip has been planned for over a year. As the day of our departure has drawn closer, I’ve experienced all kinds of emotions. There is so much going on around here, do I really have time to get away for several days? And, to make it worse, I will be returning the day after my daughter Madison’s birthday. I’ve been really bummed out about that. Even though I will not miss her birthday party, I hate that I will be gone on her actual birthday. (This will never happen again if I can help it.)

While I was taking her to kindergarten this morning the topic of her birthday came up. Her party is tomorrow. “Now dad, don’t bring cupcakes to school tomorrow because tomorrow is not my REAL Birthday, just my birthday party after school”. Makes sense. Then she went on, “My REAL Birthday is next week but you won’t be here. You will be in Latvia.” Ouch. I already feel horrible about that. I said, “Do you know why I am going to Latvia?” I continued, “There are people over there who don’t know about Jesus like we do, so I’m going to tell them about Jesus”. To which she replied, “So they won’t go to hell?” I didn’t expect that response from her. Grace. Love. Forgiveness. Heaven. Any of those topics would not have startled me quite as much. But Hell? What should I say in response to that? THE TRUTH! “That’s right Madison, I am going to tell them that Jesus loves them and that he does not want them to go to hell!” “O.K.”, she said. “I’m glad you are going then.” Somehow, she understood the urgency of this trip. It reminded me of the urgency of this trip.

God, thank you for this little conversation with Madison. I will take the memory of my little girl’s innocent yet candid remarks with me to Latvia. She understands why I am going. I understand why I am going: To share the amazing story of God’s love and mercy. To tell them that because of Jesus, we can have assurance of life with Him in heaven. Even though I will miss Madison’s REAL birthday, I have the joy knowing that she really understands.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

2009-09-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. I have made some pretty good ones and some that were pretty lame. Pardon the baseball terminology, but I wish I could bat 1.000 in decision making. It just doesn’t work that way. Even for Christians. Yes, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, but sometimes I just don’t hear very well. How about you?

I pray, “God, I really want to follow you and make better decisions, but how can I accomplish that?” I woke up early this morning thinking about it. As I prayed, I wondered what advice I would give someone who is wanting to hear from God. Here are my thoughts, and they are all linked to Words from the Bible. Here goes:

Seek. Confess. Be Willing. Wait. Seek the Lord and He will let us find Him. He is not hiding (Matthew 7:7). Confess any known sin to God. Don’t make up things. Be real. Is there anything between you and God? Then, agree with God that it is sin and confess that specific sin to Him. He promises to forgive us (Isaiah 59:1-2; 1 John 1:9). Be willing. If I am going to do whatever I want to do regardless, then what difference does it make if He tells me His will? (James 4:13-15). Sometimes I pray, “Lord, I am willing, and if not, I am willing to be willing.” Might sound lame, but sometimes I don’t know how else to say it. Wait. I love Isaiah 64:4: “For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him”. God promises to “do His thing” if we can wait on Him. I love, love, love that!

So here is Doug’s advice to Doug straight from the Bible: Jesus says, Seek ME. Confess your sin to ME. Be willing to obey ME, and wait on ME.

I am choosing to follow these promises all the way to God’s Throne of Grace today.

Do you need a Word from God concerning a decision? Seek Him. Confess to Him. Choose to obey Him. Then, wait on Him (this one is the most difficult for me). Remember, Our God is a God like no other. He acts on behalf of those who wait on Him.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

2009-09-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

I just witnessed the "hand off". I had a different blog written for this week, but the "hand off" changed my course.

So I'm sitting at my favorite coffee shop this morning having a quiet time when a couple shows up with a preteen girl. They literally sat down right next to me. The girl in one chair and the step mom sitting in dad's lap in another chair. I could not help but hear their conversation. I quickly realized that I am right in the middle of the "hand off" zone.

I have seen the "hand off" from a distance, but never up close. Apparently the step dad is coming at 8:30 to pick her up. The couple is glad that the mom is not coming. While waiting for the step dad to arrive, the conversation was pleasant. I could not help but wonder what happened to this family? I have a good guess based on the things I saw and heard, but I'll leave that alone. I couldn't help but wonder how this innocent little girl was feeling. How her young little world had been rocked by someone else's decision.

Finally, the step dad shows up, obviously late. I could sense the tension in the room. Oh, there were pleasant smiles and hand shakes. Nervous laughter and the such. But the little girl? She was visibly uncomfortable. It was time for the "hand off".

She had to wait while the step dad and "real" dad had a conversation. Apparently, the step dad invited them to the Easter service at their church. They won't make it. I'd bet on it. Even though he didn't come right out and say it, it was clear to me that this little girl will not have mom and dad (and others) together at Easter services.

I have no idea if this was the little girl's first "hand off" or if this was one of many over the years. Whichever, it appears to not be getting any easier for her.

Here is the simple point. I am thankful that my mom and dad hung in there. They have been married now for over 50 years. They didn't give up even though they had tough times. How could you not have tough times with five children at home? They held on to their covenant with each other and their God. They simply would not quit. And because of that, I never had to experience the "hand off".

So, mom and dad, thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for celebrating the good times and enduring the tough times. Thank you that I never had to experience the "hand off".

Lord, I pray for the "hand off" kids and especially the little girl I saw today. May they know your love and commitment to them.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

2009-09-16T13:44:00.002-07:00

I just returned home from a time of planning with our church staff. We stayed at a friend's place just outside of Brenham, TX. Brenham is best known as the home of Blue Bell Ice Cream. How did I miss eating some Blue Bell while there?

Anyway, I was sitting on the front porch early yesterday morning. The rain had stirred me to consciousness even though I was starting to wake up on my own. So I got dressed, grabbed my coffee and headed to the porch. I love sitting on the porch during a rainstorm. Over the course of an hour, I witnessed the rain slow to a halt, then a cool breeze awaken my senses. I watched as the rain clouds were swept away and replaced by Mr. Sunshine (as my kids would call it). The rain clouds were pushed further and further away. So awesome! I thought about how quickly things can change.

In the middle of crisis or uncertainty, doesn't it seem like the "rain" will never stop? Where is God when I need him? Doesn't He see my situation? Didn't He promise to never leave nor forsake me?

There is something called object permanence which means that just because you can't see something doesn't mean it no longer exists. The sun is still there even though the rain clouds are obstructing our view.

God is ever present and ever attentive to our needs even when we can't "see" Him. Sometimes the rain clouds hang around a little longer than we want, but we can be assured that our incredibly merciful and gracious God cares deeply for us and soon, the "sun" will shine on our faces again.

If today, all you see are rain clouds, I pray you will embrace the reality that GOD IS THERE and He cares for you.

Psalm 46 is an amazing reminder that our Lord is with us, even when circumstances seem to convince us otherwise. Read Psalm 46 and let His Word bring encouragement.

Wednesday, March 26, 2009

2009-09-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we had church, as always, then a lunch meeting kicking off our Mexico mission trip. Later that afternoon several of us Grandview people went to Carter's Kids to eat ice cream and hang out with the kids there. Carter's Kids is a home for boys who are wards of the state. They are too "bad" to be in foster care but not "bad" enough for prison. We brought gallons of Blue Bell and so many toppings their eyes lit up. No little cup of ice cream with a wooden spoon for these guys. They piled it high and even went back for seconds (and thirds). It was so fun to watch!

The director of the organization told me this story as we were watching the kids play basketball with our Grandview crew...

She said three of the boys came up to her at different times and asked who we were and why we were there. They asked if we were "charity people" (Apparently "charity people" are folks the staff can call to visit with the boys from time to time.) She said, "No. They are not charity people. We did not call them to come by today." "Where are the from?" "A church",she said. One boy replied, "You mean they WANTED to come hang out with us today?" "Yes." These boys had trouble understanding that someone would CHOOSE to simply hang out with them.

Many of these kids have lived in numerous foster homes over the past few years. Made me wonder how often they feel discarded instead of wanted.

Doesn't the Bible say that we should offer a bowl of ice cream in Jesus' name? I guess it really says a cup of water (Matthew 10:42). But if Jesus were on the earth today, it just might be ice cream that He is offering. It's amazing that God can use such simple things as ice cream and just a little bit of our time to touch a life with His grace.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2009-09-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

I am in beautiful San Diego with my family. Why do beaches in southern California look so different than the ones in southeast Texas? That question is for another day.

Yesterday was exciting and busy. The adventure started at the famous San Diego Zoo. I've seen none better. After a quick break we went swimming at the hotel, then we packed up for Coronado. We ran around on the beach (the water was freezing) and the kids played in the sand. After walking around Coronado for a while we had a great dinner then headed back to the hotel. Needless to say, we all crashed pretty hard after a fun-filled and adventurous day. In fact, I'm still the only one up and around this morning!

A good and wise friend told me a couple of years ago NOT to get stuck in the ordinary. Instead, he said, live your life as an adventure with God. His words, along with the Word of God, inspired me to "live my life to the full" (John 10:10) and not settle for comfort of compromise. Because for a person to know the will of God and not to do it, not only is it sin (James 4:17), but in the long run, it's not very fun.

God has called us to follow Him on an adventure. Isn't there something (or someone) deep within calling you out to REALLY LIVE? God calls us to live an extraordinary life. Believe me, following Christ is NOT boring nor ordinary. It is an exciting and sometimes a little scary adventure. But I'll tell you, its the only way to find real life.

Back to San Diego. After a long day of adventure, we were tired, but we had joy because we made the most of our day. I would not have changed a thing.

God tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to understand the will of God and to make the most of our days.

I challenge you not to settle for ordinary. Choose to find the will of God for your life, and go for it. It may be a little scary, but in the will of God you will find REAL LIFE.

Monday, March 9, 2009

2009-09-16T13:42:00.002-07:00

I was talking with my daughter Madison who is all grown up at five years old. Somehow we got off on the topic of marriage. She told me she plans to get married one day. I said, "Honey, that's great with me." I continued, "You can just live here with mommy and daddy until you do, say in about 30 years?" With full confidence in her voice she quickly replied, "Daddy, I'll get married when Jesus says its time for me to get married!" GAME OVER. All I could say was, "OK. Can't argue with that."

As parents, we have all kinds of ideas about our kid's future. We've made plans. Good plans. Here are Daddy's plans for Madison:

1. Graduate from High School (first, graduate from Kindergarten)

2. Graduate from College

3. Take a year to intern overseas (No, I'm not a Mormon. Yes, I'll miss her, but what an experience)

4. Marry an incredible, yet undeserving Christian young man

5. Get me some grandkids before I am too old to enjoy them

Great plans. But maybe, God has even better plans.

I will continue to teach and encourage and love Madison toward some awesome goals, but I am also aware that my job is not to try and orchestrate her future, but to prayerfully guide her toward the will of God for her life.

God reminds us that His thoughts and His ways are not like ours. His ways are so much better (Isaiah 55:8-9). Put those words with the words of the prophet Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11), and I understand that God's plans for Madison are so much better than mine. In fact, His plans are perfect for her! The phrase, "Daddy knows best" does not apply here. My plans may not line up exactly with God's plans. However, God knows best and He wants to bring His will to pass in her life. As much as I love Madison, God loves her more.

I pray that Madison will be true to her words about getting married "when Jesus says its time." I also pray it will be a pattern for EVERY decision in her life and ... in MY life!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

2009-09-16T13:42:00.001-07:00

I had a long overdue conversation with a friend this morning. I could tell things weren't exactly right between us. Things were o.k., but just not where they should be. So we happened to be in the same place at the same time and God opened up an opportunity for us to talk. By the end of our conversation, we were both glad we were able to lay things out there and bring resolve to things which were bugging us. I love it when that happens! So does God.

I understand again what Jesus was talking about when He said that if there is an issue between you and someone else, go to them in love and talk it out. He said, if when we are worshipping Him we realize an "offense" with another Christ-follower, we are to stop and make things right; THEN come and worship Him (Matthew 5:23-24).

Why do we hesitate in doing this? We know Jesus knows best, but out of fear or self protection we hesitate. I have found over the years that every time I make things right with someone, God gives me real joy deep within my spirit.

Has God nudged your spirit about a long overdue phone call or text or e-mail that you need to make? You know who you are! Hesitate no longer. Get things right... then worship Christ Jesus, who is the Master of Forgiveness. Who knows? You just might experience real joy deep within!

Monday, February 23, 2009

2009-09-16T13:41:00.001-07:00

Last Week I was preparing a talk on Hinduism, I visited with a young lady named, Lalita. She was raised a Hindu, with all it's teachings. She worshipped many gods and had a daily ritual which she hoped would accomplish good karma and eventually a "release" from the wheel-of-life (reincarnation). For the past few years she attended a Christian church and felt somewhat comfortable. See, Hindus worship god and even many gods. At last count there are over 300 million gods in Hinduism. Anyway, worshipping god was a good and natural thing for her. But something happened...

Whenever a song mentioned worshipping JESUS, she would simply not sing. You see, that's different. Worshipping "god" is one thing, but JESUS?

Made me think about how comfortable we can make people feel in our churches. So comfortable that there is little conversion taking place. If we only mention "god" in generic terms, most people from most any religion can feel comfortable. In the name of seeker sensitive, we can water down and even delete the name of Jesus from our worship. Sure, we can gather a lot of people, but what has been accomplished? Not much except a big church for people to come and worship the "god" of their choice. What's the point?

I heard a pastor say, "It's all about the weekend, stupid", meaning that all we do must point people to the weekend worship. Allow me to change the phrase, "It's all about Jesus". Sound narrow? Is this old school? Yep, so old it's been around since the first century AD. Was it the Apostle Paul who said, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:1)? Don't get me wrong, we should cover all kinds of topics in church like sex, pop culture, parenting, etc... but we must always, EVERY WEEKEND, bring it to Jesus as our God.

Holy Spirit, help me to always be about pointing people to Jesus. Not just on the weekend, but every day.

To hear Lalita's testimony, click "podcasts" and download the talk from Feb 22.

Monday, February 16, 2009

2009-09-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I got up early this morning, wrote the date on the top of my journal and was shocked---It's February 16! It seems like yesterday was Christmas. Where does the time go? I began to wonder if time has always passed so quickly or did I just begin to notice it. I know something about myself. I'm a dreamer. I love to look ahead and see what things can be. I love to strategize about how to make the dream/vision a reality. There were times when my dreams were stifled because of certain circumstances. It was frustrating. But now God has given me the opportunity to see these visions become reality. I feel fully alive!

I think those closest to me will agree that I love to look ahead. Having dreams about the future is so important. Watching those dreams become reality is so exciting. But, MY problem (one of my problems) is that sometimes I look so far ahead that I miss TODAY. A lot of really cool things are going on right now. I am part of an awesome, vibrant, growing church family. My children are growing up quickly and getting to that really fun age where they are a little independent, but still want me around. Madison lost her first tooth yesterday. Matthew continues to be the kindest little kid you'd ever meet. And Michael is beginning to speak so many new words...some of which only Kristi and I can understand. Life is FUN.

Going after a God-given dream has many twists and turns. Many victories and challenges. But we can remember that if God gives the dream, HE takes the initiative to bring it to pass. God's Word says that it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). God's vision WILL (and is) happening! God is making it a reality. He has a 1.000 batting average. That takes the pressure off of me. God simply needs me to be obedient to Him, day-by-day. Dream about tomorrow and enjoy His activity in the day-to-day.

For dreamers like me, we must be diligent not to miss the joys of today. So what about the journey? If God is taking care of the vision and WILL bring it to pass, I can relax and enjoy the journey along the way. Lord God, help me not to focus so much on the future that I miss the joys of today.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

2009-09-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning and prepared for my "time alone with God". I grabbed my Bible and my journal. My coffee cup was filled and I was ready to go...until. UNTIL is a great word. It's a moment, a turning point word. UNTIL can be good or bad. For example, I was a lonely single UNTIL I met my wife, Kristi. That's awesome. Another example, Life was great UNTIL my friend turned his back on me. That stinks big time! Sometimes, UNTIL might seem bad at the time, but it turns out to be great. Bottom line, UNTILS are pauses. Interruptions.

Within seconds of grabbing my coffee and settling in with my thoughts and prayers, all three of my kids were awake. So much for my scheduled time ALONE with God. Many mornings I would get them settled UNTIL I could get back to my alone time. But this morning all three wanted to snuggle. Not near me, or next to me but ON TOP of me. I gave in. We snuggled for awhile and I quickly realized that this interruption was special.

I push so hard at times. Even to do good things. I have my agenda and my way of getting things done. God's way is so much better. My meeting with Him was scheduled, on time and on my terms, but He had a better way. My UNTIL this morning turned out looking something like this: I had my agenda, my good intentions, my way of fellowship with God UNTIL God dropped three snuggly children into my lap. God's interruption of my schedule turned into a time of rest and joy. I realized again this morning that it won't be long UNTIL my kids are grown and gone. I'm not quite ready for that.

My intention was to meet with God, and I did, but I would have missed His rest and His joy had I brushed aside this moment and forced MY agenda into play.

Lord, thanks again for the UNTIL this morning

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

2009-09-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

So my wife, Kristi, goes out of town last Friday for a weekend scrap booking retreat. I am responsible for the kids until Saturday when I ship them off to the grandparent's house. I will have the house to myself for 24 wonderful hours. I have big plans! Movies to watch, stuff to be done, or I can just do nothing. Well, I get home and Bella, our yellow lab puppy, is sick. I mean the "smell up the entire house" kind of sick. For fear that something was desperately wrong, I took her to the vet. Bottom line, she is fine but my restful day was filled with interruptions.

At the beginning of this year, I prayed that God would help me to see interruptions as opportunities. This vow was being put to the test. How can cleaning up dog poop and spending the afternoon at the vet be an opportunity for anything good?

Sometimes we can't immediately understand the reason for the stuff that interrupts our plans. I know I sure can't. But if God really holds our future in His hands, we can trust that He sees and knows and cares about every challenge we face. Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him and He will do it."

Lord, help me to trust you with ALL of my days. Even those days that are filled with dog poop!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

2009-09-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

So I drove to my old neighborhood yesterday. I grew up on the north side of Houston. The streets seemed a little larger when I was eight. Anyway, I drove through the old 'hood and recalled many fun memories. So and so lived there. Wow, they built houses in the "pasture" we used to play in. This is so different than I remembered. I went to the church where I grew up, Bauman Road Baptist Church. I saw the pastor there so I asked if I could walk around. He walked along with me as I told him of many cool things that had happened in this church. I led him to a room behind the sanctuary. It was the "old ladies" Bible study class room. As I entered I saw the little closet where my friend Jerry and I would hide our "treasures" so that we could buy candy to eat during church. I also recalled the faces of those dear old ladies who loved me and put up with my high energy level (that's saying it nicely). Thinking about these things put a smile in my spirit.

As I stood in that "old ladies" classroom, Adam, the pastor, stood with me and listened patiently to my stories. Then I told him the real reason I wanted to enter that room. For THIS is the place God spoke to me. In this very room, He called me to give over my life and my future to Him. I remember looking out the stained glass window with the sun shining through when I heard God's voice. You can interpret that however you want to. I was already a believer, but in this room, all alone, just me and God, He wrapped His Spirit around me called me to follow Him. I didn't argue. I simply thought when a person chooses to follow Christ that means you do whatever He asks. I didn't "fight" it. I wanted to serve the One who loved me and forgave me of ALL my sins!

As I told the story to my new pastor friend, He smiled and said, "this church building holds a lot of memories for a lot of people". I couldn't agree more.

Someone told me that blogs don't have to make a point, so this blog is one of those "pointless blogs", except to say...God has spoken in times past and is still speaking. I want to be a better listener. Shhhhhhh! Ok, God. I'm listening.

January 14,2009

2009-09-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Missions Trip

I just got home from a quick but long trip overseas...14,000 miles in 96 hours. Not real smart, huh? I visited our missions team in Riga, Latvia then cruised over to Lisbon, Portugal to see our missionaries on the field. Thank you, Lord for those who have answered Your call to serve far, far away from home. Truth is, our world has become very small and we all can play a part in world-wide missions from almost anywhere. I'm not talking about simply taking a trip so you can have a "stirring sound bite" for your church. See, it's about connecting with others and sharing the message of Jesus, not just slide shows set to music to show your congregation.

On my flight from Amsterdam to Lisbon, Portugal, I met a certain school teacher from Norway. He wasn't a Christ-follower, but agreed that there must be an Intelligent Designer out there. So I took the opportunity to cram Jesus down His throat...not really. Over the next few hours I was able to share the hope of Christ with Him. I may never see him again, but who knows how God will use that Divine encounter to spread His message overseas. I was in the right place at the right time, I guess.

Doesn't it really come this, simply being available to God where ever we are...at home, overseas, or somewhere in between (on an airplane)? What do you think? Let me know info@gview.org