Think you've had a bad day...

I found this story online today. It serves as a great reminder that whenever you are having a bad day...someone else is having a day like this man.

Man crashes at driveway, sees home catch fire, gets ticket
The Associated Press

Rock Island, Tenn. — A Rock Island man whose car was hit as he tried to make a left turn into his driveway saw his home going up in flames as he was airlifted to the hospital. Tennessee Highway Patrol officer Monte Terry said Justin Hill, 42, was hit by an oncoming car when he pulled into its path on Tuesday evening.

Hill's wife heard the crash and ran outside, leaving the kitchen stove, where she had been cooking, unattended.

Within minutes, the trailer was on fire, and firefighters who had responded to the accident found themselves fighting the blaze.

The home had extensive damage. Hill was treated and released from the hospital, but he was cited in the accident for failure to yield.

OK...I can admit it!

Yes, I am a fan of Hannah Montanna.

I know...as a grown man with no kids that is sad.

My wife and I find ourselves watching her show on Disney all the time (followed by The Suite Life of Zach and Cody...but that should be another post).

While on Foxnews.com today, I found an article about Miss Miley Cyrus (who is Hannah Montanna if you didn't know...and, yes, she is the daughter of that Cyrus). I really appreciated this part.

LOS ANGELES — At just 15, Miley Cyrus is a multi-millionaire mogul not just for her music but for her film, fashion and entrepreneurial endeavors; however, the pop princess has managed to stay sane (and sensible) amid her very adult-like life and credits Christianity for her good behavior.

"I think it’s my faith that keeps me grounded, especially because I’m a Christ follower for sure," Cyrus told us. "Live like Christ and he’ll live in you, and that’s what I want to do." Click here for rest of article.

I love that part "...especially because I'm a Christ follower for sure."

Can you say that the way you act and behave is evidence that you are a Christ follower for sure?

Not too profound

I wish I had a real profound way to put this that would make everyone amazed by my use of words and ideas to express this fundamental concept.

Here it is: I am learning to trust God even more.

Powerful, isn't it.

I was recently at a Panera restaurant in Orlando, FL after a conference with other executive pastors from across the country. Being in Orlando and close to the tourist areas, there were people all around me speaking different languages. I literally counted 6 different languages in just a few minutes.

Have you ever been to a country where you didn't speak the language? In Honduras I had some experiences of feeling uncomfortable because I didn't know the language.

I am learning that trusting God sometimes feels like that. I don't always understand what is going on around me, but I am going to go enjoy the adventure. It sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable because I am not in control.

So what is a guy to do?

I choose to trust. Yes, it is a choice. What do you decide?

When things begin to go crazy around you what do you decide?

When you feel overwhelmed, but you know you are in the place God wants you, what do you decide?

When your head is spinning and you're frustrated because you see a glimpse of how things could be but are not, what do you decide?

Make a choice! I choose to trust God. Not always the easiest choice, but always the most rewarding.

I Love My Church!

Any time you get a group of imperfect people together you will have moments in which you struggle. That is a fact of interpersonal dynamics.

Ideas will clash. Personalities won't match. There will be too many leaders sometimes and no leaders at other times.

Sometimes it feels like the "squeaky wheel" gets the attention while the "flat tire" works hard by itself to just keep rolling.

We have all experienced situations like that. If you haven't, then it is time to get out of your house!

What makes some groups thrive and others wither is how they handle those times.

I love the staff I serve with at Christ's Church. We are not a perfect group, but a passionate group with a God size desire to see people come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with him.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. That reminder came for me last week as we all put our programs, schedules, and to do list's aside to serve a family in our community of believers in a real and tangible way.

It has been called "Extreme Home Makeover: Christ's Church Edition!" Our staff took Thursday to gut out their home...which was in great need of some TLC...and then fix it up. Several of us went back on Friday and others went on Saturday. Basically we have had staff at this home everyday for the last week working on it to make sure it all gets done!

Here is a video we showed our church on Sunday morning about this event. We are doing a series called "Faith In Action."




Take a look at the video from my friend Daniel Decker. It is a "behind the scenes" look at our work on Thursday.

Expectations

I have been thinking about this word a lot lately. Expectations.

A couple of weeks ago my sister (Angel) called me to share that she is 'expecting' her third child.

Yesterday, my brother (Jimmy) called me to share that his wife (Sarah) is 'expecting' their second child.

Expectations can be exciting! I am so happy for Jimmy & Sarah and Angel & David for their expectation of a new child in their life. They are great parents who love God and their family. They deserve all the best God has for them.

One the other hand, expectations can also bring disappointment. Carrie and I want to be 'expecting' a child of our own.

WARNING: This makes me vulnerable. Please handle with care!

Let's face it...we don't always get what we want. Some times it is that we don't ever get it and other times it just doesn't happen on our timeline.

After a couple of intentional years of trying to have a child, Carrie (who I love more today than I ever have!) and I have had some of our expectations vanish. I'm 33 and I 'expected' to be a dad by now.

So what do we do with that type of reality in our life. The kind that we don't want anyone to know about or even acknowledge. After all, I don't know anyone, Christian or not, that doesn't face that type of reality at some point in their life. We all have expectations that are taken away or not revealed when we want them to be.

When I get wrapped up in thinking about it, I can get down. It upsets me. I realize how weak I am. I sometimes get frustrated and disappointed at the same time.

Here are the standard phrases I have used with others going through their tough 'reality' in the past. "Hang in there." "Keep praying about it." "Praise God anyway." "God is in control." "This will only make you stronger."

Sometimes these can sound so shallow. They are not meant that way, but they can come across that way.

Here is the question that helps me get perspective again. It is what was going through my mind yesterday when I was running on the treadmill at the YMCA.

Do I still love God no matter what?

Yes...and I know he loves me and Carrie no matter what as well. Sometimes that is the only thing you can accept...and that is OK. I may never be able to explain all that is going on around me, but I love God...no matter what.

By the way, we are not giving up on having children. Don't take this that we are in dire circumstances. It is just taking longer than we would like.

And we are extremely excited about my brother and sister. We can't wait to see you guys at Thanksgiving!

Self-Evaluation

Have you heard the saying "you are your worst critic?"

Taking an honest look at how we perform certain tasks or the quality we are able to produce is important in our growth process...not easy...but important.

I started this blog with the verse in mind,

"So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step."

1 Corinthians 9:26

What is the purpose of doing such an evaluation?

• to grow in your profession
• to grow spiritually
• to grasp where you honestly are in relation to your goals
• honest analysis

If you walk away from a self-evaluation feeling beat up, you have missed the purpose. Yes, we need to be 'brutally honest' with where we are, but that is for the purpose of charting the next step in your growth process. Too many people get stuck in the 'brutally honest' stage and live there without taking the next step of change.

Remember...to continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results is the definition of insanity!

Why this post? I video taped our service at Camden County the last Sunday. The church is a great place to be right now. There is excitement and growth, but I wanted to get an honest look at how our services run. I also wanted to hear my sermon.

I have to admit parts of it were rough to see (especially a few spots in my sermon...I didn't know I used my hands so much!) I printed out a few snapshots from the video and showed it to the leadership team. This is a group of leaders that want to grow. They saw the pictures and said what can we do to make this a more comfortable place to worship God. We took it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and take action. It has turned into a great experience!

This One Is Tough...Part 2

Last week I shared about Brad Meester's injury in the Jacksonville Jaguars spring training. I left that post with the question of what we do when we pray for something and God answer's it differently than the way we wanted.

We have all been there. It can be a confusing and frustrating time.

Beth Harkins (pictured standing in red shirt giving her testimony after a soccer game in Paraguay this summer) is one of my new friends. She plays in our adult coed flag football and attends our Sunday night service (The Well). Beth is also and assistant coach for Mandarin High School ladies soccer.

This summer she was able to participate in a trip with Athletes in Action. She went to Paraguay to play in a soccer tournament, do soccer clinics, and share God's love with the locals using soccer to build relationships.

In her words, here is a story that shares how God can work...even when we don't understand what he is doing.

“From the beginning in Canada, we experienced some trials that tested our trust in God. The day we were leaving for Paraguay, we had a training session in the morning. With about a minute left our keeper, Jamie, dove left and her knee stayed right. The doctor told Jamie she would not be able to play and that sitting on a plane for 10 hours would not be very comfortable. So Jamie flew home; the rest of us flew to Paraguay unsure of why this happened now and who was going to be our keeper.

On the seventh night is when we began to understand why Jamie, our original goalkeeper, was not on our trip with us. Two of my teammates had shared their testimonies. Then Anna, our goalkeeper from Paraguay, began to tell us through our translator about her story. That night Anna prayed to accept Jesus Christ as her Savior! This was such an amazing night for all of us. It reminded me of the verse in Genesis that says "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

I pray that in every circumstance you will allow God to work in your life. You never know who's life will be changed because of what God is doing in you!

A Child's Prayer

Last night in our youth soccer (Which has been going great! I love indoor soccer in July!), I asked the K-1 grade players if any of them wanted to pray for us before we played the game. A couple of hands went up, and I chose a young girl to step up and pray while I held the microphone.

"Dear God, thank you for letting us be able to play soccer today. Help everyone have fun. Please don't let my mom and dad be separated anymore. Let us have fun. Amen."

I have to admit...I was at a loss for words. I don't know that child's particular situation...and if I did I would not write about it here.

All I know is that there is some situation that caused this young girl to pray for her family.

Coming from a home that was rocked by divorce, I understand that child's prayer. It just served to remind me that in our sports we are "more than just a game." We are a community that can come together and pray for and with one another.

Will you say a prayer for that child today? God knows exactly who she is and what her situation needs.

Haunted by Pink Flamingos!

So...I was standing in line for lunch today when a couple of kids came up behind me and started singing this "Pink Flamingo" chant/song/cheer/thingy.

If you were at Bible Boot Camp last month, or had kids go, you have probably heard about the 'pink flamingo' cheer. One of the cabins called themselves that and came up with the cheer. By the end of the camp everyone else was singing the cheer.

I was a bit surprised to have the kids standing behind me today singing it. They saw me come in, got up from their table, and came over and started singing it.

After going to my table, I had another boy walk up to me with his Christ's Church flag football shirt on. We talked for a few minutes about the season.

This lunch served as a reminder that we are to be authentic and real everywhere we go. You never know who is watching and what they will learn from your actions.

Milestones

This week I hit a couple milestones in golf...well, I didn't really 'hit' them. I just acheived something. I will admit these may not seem like much, but to me they represent growth.

On Thursday I beat our senior pastor, Dennis, on one hole. I made par and he made a bogey. Don't get me wrong...he beat me in the round, but I did something I have never done.

This is one of those small moments in life (especially my golfing life) that I needed to celebrate. Don't get me wrong...I didn't come close to beating him in the round. Actually no one on staff has ever beat him in a round of golf.

Well, today (Saturday) I beat my friend Bob Pan (you've been blogged!) on one hole. Again, he did much better than me on the round, but I beat him on that one par 5.

Why are these milestones big to me? They show that I have the potential to play golf at the level of people like Dennis and Bob. They show that I have improved in golf over the last couple of years. And they show that I still have a long way to go.

I believe it is important to find people who are better than I am in areas and spend as much time with them as possible in that area. Having the opportunity to 'measure up' against individuals like that is even more valuable to me. Those are the 'milestones' like I experienced in golf this week.

Milestones are only as good as what you do with them. They may be big things or small. The key is to use them as a measuring tool that motivates you to further action.

Check out this story about a waitress in Indiana who recieved a $10,000 tip to go to college on. Talking about a huge milestone!!

My Prayer Life Challenged

I read this passage today in Colossians.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan - that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Colossians 4:2-4 (New Living Translation)

When I first read this I started asking myself if I prayed with an alert mind and thankful heart. I quickly decided that I did, for the most part, and started moving on to the next verses...and then it hit me! I am very greedy when I pray!

Did you catch what Paul said here. "...I am here in chains." He was literally chained up! Paul wrote this from jail in Rome, yet his request was not to pray for his quick release. Instead he asks the church in Colosse to pray that God "will give us many opportunities to preach...".

If I was in jail writing a letter to a church, I would probably make it about me and what all I have gone through and blah, blah, blah. But Paul said to pray for him that he has a chance to minister to others. Actually, in the next 2 verses he says,

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let you conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

This whole passage has really challenged my self-centered nature when I pray. I have always struggled with the "God, expand my territories" prayers, but in other ways I put the emphasis on me and not on praying "Father, not my will, but yours be done."

The Drum Major Instinct

This morning was the funeral of JD Hall. It was a celebration of a man who understood his role in life was to make others better.

It was a very diverse crowd in attendance. The crowd of about 2500 (according to the Florida Times Union) heard both moving and humorous stories about Coach Hall. Everyone reflected on his character and integrity and how his desire was to instill those values in his players and all he was in relationship with.

His uncle was one of those who paid tribute to him. His method for doing so was to recite portions of The Drum Major Instinct, a sermon delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. (I highly recommend taking time to read it...click here for the text.)

King says the Drum Major Instinct is that desire in each person to want to be out front and receive praise. Here is a portion of what was read today. It is powerful.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. ...

¨ I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.

¨ I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.

¨ I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

¨ I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.

¨ And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

¨ I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.

¨ I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. …

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.

I was honored have a small role in this funeral. It was incredible to sit on the stage and watch the crowd respond to that which was being said.

It's Not That Hard

Each Sunday our ministry staff gather at 7:45am to have a time of prayer before the services. Each week someone shares a verse and prayer.

This week it was our senior pastor's turn. Dennis shared from Micah 6, a passage I that continues to challenge me.

In verses 6 & 7 the people of Israel ask what they can do to restore their relationship with Christ. "Should we offer him thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of olive oil? ...Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of ours souls?"

The response of the prophet Micah is remarkable.

"No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

I needed to hear that yesterday and be reminded of what it is God wants me to do.

Golf Should Be A Team Sport

I played in a golf tournament yesterday and have decided that golf is much more fun as a team sport!

Our group did pretty good. We finished at 7-under par. There is no way any of us could have done that on our own...especially me!

Think about the benefits if golf was always a team sport:

• It would increase the chance of success.
• You could learn from each other's shots and swings.
• You would always have someone to keep you encouraged when you hit a bad shot.
• It would help you laugh more on the golf course.
• You could get honest critical feedback.
• Someone would be there to challenge you if your actions started getting out of line.
• You would have someone to help you loosen up and have fun with the game.
• You would have someone to validate your success story. (I made a 20 foot putt for an eagle!)

While these are all great reasons golf should be a team sport, they are also reasons why life was not meant to be lived alone. God designed us for community. As Christians we need good Christian friends who will provide us with all of those things listed above.

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

Is your life one you are trying to living out all alone or do you have a team helping you out? I am very glad I had a team on the golf course yesterday. It made a world of difference!

Our Camden County Campus

This weekend I had the privilege of preaching at our Camden County campus. It was a great experience. I love the people there. They are passionate about what they are doing and have totally invested themselves into their ministry. I look forward to being with them several more times throughout the summer.

In my preparation for the sermon on discipleship (they are going through the 40 Days of Purpose series), I ran across a great little story.

Several years back during a Monday Night Football Game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers said that Walter Payton had rushed the ball for over 9 miles in his career. The other announcer replied, "That is a huge distance...especially considering he has been knocked down every 4.6 yards of that 9 miles!"

That reminds me of our lives as Christians. We are here growing and learning to be more like Christ, but the devil is doing everything he can to knock us down at every opportunity. While it sounds so simplistic, the key is getting back up each time.

By getting back up every time he was knocked down, Walter Payton went on to be one of the best running backs ever in the NFL. What will they say about you?

All I know is I want to here, "Well done my good and faithfull servant." That comes from getting back up when the devil knocks you down.

Reality Check

I have been studying the fruit of the Spirit lately, as mention in Galatians 5:22-23. In doing so, I have really been challenged to examine my life and the "fruit" I put forth. It has been a real growth experience.

For a couple of weeks I have read and re-read these two verses. Then, as if for the first time, I continued to read the rest of the chapters...all remaining 3 verses of it!

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

These are the verses I needed to hear. I have been very concerned lately by the notion of Christians feeling it OK to compete in unChrist-like ways. I have been challenged, both by the way I live my life and what I see in others who proclaim Christ as their Saviour, that we have become lazy in our "following the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."

It is so easy to compartmentalize our life into our Christian times and our personal time or our sports and recreation time or our work time or our.......you complete the sentence. We feel that it is OK to act a certain way because of the people we are around or because of the expectations of the event we are at.

Christ was Christ wherever he went. We are to be Christ wherever we go.

Christ was Christ no matter who was around. We are to be Christ no matter who is around.

After all, as Christians we are to grow to be like Christ. It is not always easy, but has a great reward!

Baptism Service

Last Sunday afternoon we had a service in which 45 people were baptized!!

It is awesome to see families baptized together...husbands and wives....mom and kids....or the whole family! One particular story that got to me was a father baptizing his three sons. The incredible part was the sons are 17, 24, and 28!

God is doing great things at Christ's Church. I'm excited to be a part of it.

Take a Sabbath Rest

I didn't realize how busy I have been lately.

My dad called last week and asked what was wrong because I sounded sick.

One of the high school girls at flag football (my groovy friend Lindsey Marks) asked me Saturday what was up because I wasn't myself.

A co-worker asked if I was upset Sunday morning because I wasn't smiling.

Another teen, Michael Alvarez, asked if I was OK because I didn't look like normal self.

The funny thing is I felt just fine and thought I was being myself all along. It caused me to step back and take an inventory Monday morning of what all I had going on. Come to find out, I have been too busy.

It was all good stuff I was doing, don't get me wrong. Working in the church means Sundays are normally busy days. With the sports we have going on, Saturdays are normally busy also. That makes taking the typical "Sabbath" rest difficult.

The principle of the Sabbath is one each of us need to put in our life. The Hebrew word for sabbath is shabbat, which literally means "stop" or "cease". It means we must intentionally stop "doing" and take a break on a regular basis.

While I couldn't take a whole day off the beginning of this week, it is amazing what taking a few hours away for the purpose of just stopping can do for your energy level. When is the last time you had a sabbath rest?

God takes care of everything...

As I was working on the e-sports page we send out each week about our church sports program, I calculated the number of people who are participating in sports at our church this week.

The number amazes me. Over 600 people will participate this week alone in Christ's Church sports!

What amazes me even more is how God has provided all of the volunteers, equipment, time, and everything else that is needed to run a program with that many participants.

I had lunch today with a great guy who is going to coach our women's softball team. This time last week I was praying for God to send someone to take on this role.

God is truly amazing. Sometimes we let the little things slip by without telling hiim 'thanks!. This is my way of doing just that.

Thanks, God!!

An Experience I Will Never Forget!

As I left a lunch meeting at Bono's today, I pulled on to Philips Hwy and quickly realized I was going the wrong direction...at least I thought I was.

I forgot I needed to go pick-up some softballs from Sports Authority. Since I was going the other way, however, I decided to go to Dick's Sporting Goods to get them even though it was a little out of the way.

As I entered the store I noticed there were a lot of staff at the door. One guy had a radio he was talking on, but I didn't think much of it. As I stood in front of their softball options I heard a women walking towards me crying and yelling the name 'Katie'. I asked her if she was OK and she shared she had lost her daughter.

She quickly walked off sobbing and yelling out her daughter's name. At that point I realized why the staff were guarding all the exits. That is protocol for stores when a child is missing. They don't let anyone with kids leave. I could not help but join in the hunt for Katie. The Jacksonville Sheriffs office showed up a minute or two later to join the search.

As I stood there I was amazed at the what was going on. For one thing, some people just continued to shop...almost like all the yelling for this young girl was annoying them. I also watched the young store manager try to calm down this frantic mother.

As the manager walked away and this mom was standing there all alone sobbing I knew God wanted me to go pray with her. I almost didn't, but I knew God really wanted me to.

I approached her and shared I was a minister at a local church and asked if I could pray with her. She said 'please'. I simply asked God to give her strength to stay focused, to protect her daughter, and to guide us to her.

After praying I shared that I would keep looking for Katie. I turned and walked down the aisle. About 20 feet later I noticed something brown between a wall and the t-shirts that were hung on it. I kept walking....then I thought it could have been the girls hair. I went back and there she was.

As I pulled the t-shirts back (there were shorts hung below the shirts that went to the ground so she was very well hidden) I noticed she was crying as well. Tears were flowing down her face and she looked panicked. I motioned for the mom to come over and she literally fell to the ground on her side when she saw Katie. I pulled the girl out from the clothes and placed her on her mom's lap.

It was an incredible moment as people began to come over, yet God was not through working on me. I stood for a moment waiting to get the 'pat on the back' from people and then God told me that was wrong. It was almost like he said, 'just go get the softballs you came for and leave...it's not about you.'

That is what I did. I went to the car and thought back over the last 30 minutes, actually shed a tear, prayed, and called Carrie to share the experience with her.

All along, God knew where I needed to go. I thought I was going the wrong direction...little did I know God had other plans for me this afternoon.