Bring On The New Year!

I really don’t get into New Year’s resolutions.  If I call it that, it is almost like giving myself permission to do what most often happens with resolutions – QUIT.  However, it seems to be a great time to look back on the past year and to look forward to the new one.  I like fresh starts!  The last day of 2009 was awesome.  We were down in Texas spending time with my wife’s parents, who live next to Lake Brownwood.

On New Year’s Eve, I got up early and spent some great time with God.  In addition to Bible study and praying, I spent some time thinking back on all He had taught me throughout the year and all that had taken place.  I also spent some time praying and reflecting on how I want / need to grow in 2010.  Among these are to read through the Bible again (and not with the goal of getting through the Bible, but getting the Bible through me) and to memorize a verse per week, beginning with Psalm 91, which I have adopted as my theme passage for the year.  I will share one more of my goals for this year with you, and won’t bore you with the rest.  My mentor has the goal each year of making it the best year in his marriage, from his wife’s perspective.  I have adopted this goal for the year, as well.  I want my wife to be able to say that this is the best year of our marriage.  If I can say it, and she can’t, that means I have been selfish.  God has been teaching me that selfishness has no place in marriage (or anywhere else, for that matter), and this will be a great exercise in selflessness.

Later in the morning on New Year’s Eve, my oldest daughter wanted to get out and drive the golf cart, so she drove the other three kids and I down to the Lake.  We spent a good 30 minutes or so skipping rocks across the channel.  We were having a blast.  One of the girls brought me a piece of a clam shell that was sort of pearl colored and shiny, and it was in the shape of a heart.  Just the day before, as I was finishing up my study of Malachi, I had read the verses in Chapter 4 where it says that the prophet Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.  I kept the piece of shell as a reminder.  As God always does when He wants to drive a point home with me, He re-enforced this teaching by leading me to study the book of Luke next.  This morning, I read Chapter 1, verse 17:  “And he (John the Baptist) will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  I got chills when I read this verse.  God is reminding me to not neglect my own children as I minister to others, and I believe it is a confirmation in what I am doing to try to encourage other men in their fathering.  It also encourages me to take advantage of the opportunities God is giving me to help others grow spiritually.  I love when God does this!

After our rock-skipping adventure, my wife and I left the kids with her parents and went on a date.  We saw the movie, “The Blind Side,” and I highly recommend it.  It is based on a true story of how a family took in a fatherless child and made a huge difference in his life.  Those of you who know me know why I like this movie so much.  I have such a heart for those children whose Dad can’t or won’t be a part of their lives.  Anyway, we went for a late lunch after the movie.  We had a great visit over a Schlotsky’s sandwich and soup.  This was one of our favorite places to eat early on in our relationship, and it brought back great memories.  After that, we went shopping and then went back to rescue the grandparents.  Later that evening, the kids opened gifts from my wife’s siblings.  You probably heard the scream clear up here in Kansas when they opened up their Wii.   Anyway, it was a great way to end the year.  We got the Wii hooked up last night, and some of us are a little sore today (yes, even I played… LOL).

I am so excited about what God has in store for 2010.  I want to apply Psalm 91:1 (typing from memory since this is my memory verse for the week): “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

May God bless you as you seek Him in 2010!

Don’t Fence Me In

I’m guessing most people have given up on me, as I haven’t blogged in awhile.  However, this morning, a friend commented on my last post (from over 2 months ago), and it inspired me.  Then, I began to read some of my old posts and realized what all God has been teaching me this year.  Back on May 20, I wrote how I was sensing that “thirty-seven” was going to be a significant year.  God has not disappointed me.  I climbed my first mountain and went on my first overseas mission trip.  In addition, God has taught me so many things along the way.

One thing that is happening from all of this is that the spirit of adventure deep inside me is manifesting itself in big ways.  This is the perfect year for me to be going through Men’s Fraternity – The Great Adventure.  We are almost half way through the course, and I am excited about the second half.  I am trying to process it all.  One thing I’m trying to do is bring my spirit of adventure together with my desire to help people grow spiritually.  For me, being outdoors and doing things like climbing mountains is such a spiritual experience, such an incredible time with God.  One of the things I put on my “Life Compass” (things I want to do before I die – could also be called the “Bucket List”) from Men’s Fraternity is that I want to be a spiritual life coach.  I’m not sure what that looks like, yet, but I hope it involves some trips to the mountains with people who want to grow closer to God.

I only have a certain amount of time on this earth, and I want every minute to count.  I will try to blog more often as God leads me on this adventure called life!

May God bless you as you seek Him first and embark on the great adventure that He has for you!

Mountain Top Experience

I’ve had a hard time writing lately.  I start to write and then it just doesn’t sound right.  Here goes another attempt.  I wish I could just download what’s on my heart.  It all sounds good on the inside until I try to write it out…  Maybe I should just do little bits at a time.  I always end up writing mini-novels.  One thing I learned on this trip is that we climb mountains one step at a time.

I just got back from a trip with a friend to Colorado to ascend Mt. Elbert.  Let me tell you, the view from 14,433′ was spectacular!  Though, it was probably the most taxing thing I’ve ever done physically and mentally, it was also one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I learned a lot about myself and a lot about God on that mountain.  Before I left home, I kept joking about “dying on the mountain”, meaning I wasn’t sure that I was in the physical shape to do it.  Well, I did die on the mountain in a way.  I came back a different person on the inside, having had spent time with God on the mountain.  I kept thinking of how it must have been for Moses on Mt. Sinai as he spent time with God for 40 days and nights.  No wonder the dude was glowing when he came back down.  I think I was almost there after just a few hours.  I desperately want to go back and do it again.  I have always found such peace in my heart when in the mountains.  There is just something about it that frees my heart, and the dreams begin to flow again.  My sense of adventure seems to heighten.  God uses the mountains to bring restoration and renewal to my soul.

Yesterday, I was watching one of the videos to prepare myself to lead Men’s Fraternity 3 – The Great Adventure.  Robert Lewis read a quote from John Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart that really spoke to me: “Adventure with all its requisite danger and wildness is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man.  The masculine heart needs a place where nothing is prefabricated, modular, nonfat, ziplocked, franchised, online, or microwaveable; where there are no deadlines, cell phones, or committee meetings; just simply where there is room for the soul, where finally the geography around us corresponds to the geography of our heart.  Deep in a man’s heart are some fundamental questions that simply cannot be answered at the kitchen table:  “Who am I?”  “What am I made of?”  “What am I destined for?”  It is fear that keeps a man at home, where things are neat and orderly and under his control, but the answers to his deepest questions are not to be found on television or at a ballgame, or in the refrigerator.  These answers require a courageous adventurer whose quest is nothing less than the best of life.”

I hope to share with you over the next days some things that God really taught me during my adventure up the mountain.  I think I’ve written enough for now.

May God bless you as you seek your own adventures!

Spiritual Retreat

It is a beautiful day.  The rain has cleared and the sun is shining.  It was a perfect day for my spiritual retreat.  I rode my bike down the Jim Martinez Sunflower Trail.  I have a couple of favorite spots by the Arkansas River where I stop to spend time with God.  I had some great time of seeking God and listening.

Awhile back, during another spiritual retreat day, I asked God what His vision for my life was.  I believe that answer is becoming more and more clear as I have been spending time seeking Him and listening.  As I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah, I sense an urging to become a repairer of the breach that has taken place in families.  This includes leading men to be better spiritual leaders, husbands and fathers, helping people to grow spiritually and teaching them how to pursue God (after all, His Holy Spirit is our “in-house” Counselor!), helping strengthen marriages and families, and by standing in the gap for single parent families.  I’m not so arrogant as to think I’m perfect and can do all of this myself or in my own strength.  In fact, the whole thought of it kind of overwhelms me.  However, I am available for however God wants to use me.

I believe that all of the ministries that I’m responsible for can be aligned under this key vision of building the wall and repairing the breaches that are happening in families.  God is teaching me a lot about leadership, which will be crucial as I lead teams in making this happen.  He is also leading me toward getting more training in couseling.  My heart is wide open to His wisdom and leading.  Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

May God bless your family!

Nehemiah 3 – The Power of Teamwork

I am enjoying a beautiful morning on the  patio.  I love spending time with God outdoors.  It just does my heart good.  I’ve seen sparrows, orioles, robins, chickadees, a woodpecker, a bluejay, a cardinal, and lots of squirrels.  This is the time of year I enjoy having lots of trees.  When fall comes, though, that’s a different story.

Well, in Nehemiah 3, the construction on the wall begins.  I love it that it starts with the priests.  As the spiritual leaders, they are the ones who are poised to set the example.   They rebuilt the Sheep Gate, where the sheep are washed before being brought to the temple for sacrifice, and they consecrated it.  They also consecrated the walls.  It was the firstfruits of their labor and was dedicated to God.

Then, as we go down the line, we see differing levels of involvement.  Some wouldn’t work while others worked with zeal.  Many were working in an area where they had a vested interest (close to their home or area of work).  It seems like some took multiple assignments.  This was a very diverse group of people who came together for one purpose: to rebuild the wall.  Each may have had different motives for being involved, but it was apparent that no one could do it alone.

I have no doubt that Nehemiah had incredible leadership skills to bring all these people together under one common purpose and vision.  He didn’t try to be some kind of her0 and do the work himself.  He must have cast a compelling vision with a good plan that included clear expectations.  I believe we can take this principle and use it in the church or our places of business.  People will rally around a vision if it is worthy and they can see their part in it.  Everyone has different gifts and talents and they would like to be able to use them if they can see where they could make a difference.  A good leader can cast such a vision.

It is so amazing when people come together and work toward a common goal.  Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.”  When two are working together, it’s amazing how they can get more work done that if they had each worked separately doing the same thing.  When many come together, watch out.  The results will be phenomenal.  Believe me, this is an area where I need a lot of work.  For too long, I’ve had a hard time asking for help and have had the “I’ll just do it myself attitude.”  Like I’ve said, I’m learning a lot and look forward to applying it.

AND, as we will learn next time, men will fight for their cause if they believe in it and have a vested interest.  Stay tuned for tomorrow when Nehemiah shows his “William Wallace” side!

I’m sure I could write much more about the power of teamwork, but I have lots to do to help get ready for a cookout here at the house tonight.  I’m really looking forward to having the families from our Wings of Love ministry over tonight.  We may even have a campfire and roast some marshmallows. Hey, maybe I can teach my kids the value of teamwork by casting a vision and getting them to help us get ready for tonight…

May God bless you as you work together, doing the work He has called you to do!

Nehemiah 2 – God at Work

In continuing my study of Nehemiah, I just want to share briefly what I learned in Chapter 2.

After praying and fasting for 3-4 months, Nehemiah could no longer hide his sadness (burden) from the king.  This could have cost him his life because everyone was supposed to be cheerful in the presence of the king.  However, the king noted that this was sadness of the heart and asked Nehemiah what was wrong.  In fear, Nehemiah stated the problem, and the king responded with the question, “What is it you want?”

At that point, I’m guessing Nehemiah’s heart skipped a few beats.  All of his prayer, fasting, and mental planning and preparing had come down to this moment.  What does he do?  He sends up a flare prayer (you know… one of those, “Oh, Lord be with me” kind of prayers when you’re right in the middle of a situation) and then answers the king.  He had already been praying about it, and obviously he had a plan in his mind prepared for the day the door opened.  So, he told the king exactly what he wanted to do, and not only did the king give him the ”time off”, he made sure he would have safe passage along the way and building materials once he got there.  Then, Nehemiah gave God the credit in the last part of vs. 8: “And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”

Once in Jerusalem, Nehemiah and a few men went by night to inspect the damages.  As a true leader, he didn’t just send someone else to do it, he made the assessment himself.  With a job of this magnitude, he couldn’t rely on second-hand information.  He had to see the damage himself.

Then, he cast the vision to the people of Jerusalem by saying, ”You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”  He presented a problem that was affecting them, then a solution, and lastly told them about the benefit it would be to them to have the problem solved.  Then, he backed it up by telling them all that God had already been doing to lead them to this point (giving a little history for those who were clueless how he had come to the point of knowing this was what God wanted them to do).  In the true spirit of Henry Blackaby’s book, Experiencing God, they saw what God was doing and they joined Him in His work because at the end of vs. 18, they said, “Let us start rebuilding.”  And so they did.

At the end of Chapter 2, I love how Nehemiah answers the opposition, those who were ridiculing and mocking them: “The God of heaven will give us success.  We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”  He knew what God wanted him to do, and he was not swayed by their words.  That’s what happens when we stay close to God  – we know beyond a shadow of a doubt what He wants us to do and we won’t let anything stop us. 

Do we want to know God’s will?  It comes from first knowing God and abiding in Him.  As we are spending time with Him and / or doing His work, He will often lay something on our hearts.  The first reaction is to begin to act on it.  However, if we really want supernatural results, we better spend some time praying and waiting for God’s timing.  During this praying and waiting time, a vision will probably begin to form in our minds and we’ll probably write down what God is teaching us.  Then, when the time is right, He will make things happen beyond our wildest imaginations, and we’ll know it’s from Him because there is no way we could pull off “something like that.”  We’ll cast the vision, share what God has been doing, and people will get onboard!  And through it all, we’ll be in total awe, giving God all the glory.

Like I said yesterday, I’m in the praying mode regarding several things on my heart, including our ministry to single parent families, but not limited to it.  Waiting is not easy, but it is worth it.  I don’t want to step out ahead of God, like I’ve done before.

May you abide in God and build intimacy with Him first and foremost!

Thirty-seven

Something hit me on May 2 when I turned 37.  It’s not usually a number that one would focus on.  It’s not one of the so-called “milestone” years.  However, something deep inside me says that 37  is going to be a significant year.  God has already been teaching me a great deal.  He has reminded me in gentle but firm ways that I need to be pursuing intimacy with Him first and foremost.  I have missed very few early morning hours with God over the past several years.  However, my journaling while spending time with God has dwindled to a few times a week.  Without my journal right there with me, my mind tends to wander, I tend to forget things that I really need to be praying about, and I don’t listen nearly as well.  In addition, I don’t have a way of going back to review what God has been teaching me.  When I use the journaling method that Dean Trune taught me, I am able to stay focused and my time with God is much richer and more meaningful.  Now, please don’t get me wrong.  I know I can pursue God and spend time with him any time of the day, no matter where I am, and whether I journal or not.  However, in order for me to really be focused and listening, I need to spend early morning, uninterrupted time with Him, and have my journal right there with me.  So far, I have journaled all 20 days of my 37th year, and I’m excited about what God is doing in my heart.

It is also helping that I’m going to bed earlier, so I can get up closer to 5:00 and have some time of exercise, too.  I feel so much more energetic when I have my time with God and some good exercise.  This morning, after my quiet time, I spent 15 minutes on the treadmill while watching a John Maxwell leadership video.  I have to do something while treadmilling or I can’t hardly stand it.   Today is the last day of school, so I can get part of my exercise by riding my bike to the office at least a few times a week.  So far, with the exception of the day I found water coming into our basement, I have stayed on course with my exercise plan since turning 37.  That’s huge for me.

Another thing that will make this a significant year is the fact that God is really teaching me some leadership skills right now.  Much of it is coming straight from the book of Nehemiah.  I’m planning to focus on a chapter of Nehemiah each day for the next thirteen days.  I’ll try to share what God is teaching me.  Today, I’ll talk about Chapter 1.

I am so impressed with what an incredible leader Nehemiah was!  I don’t know why I haven’t focused on him before.  He learns of a need that burdens his heart to the point of weeping.  Instead of going out on his own power to find a solution, he spends three or four months in prayer and fasting to God.  Take note:  prayer was his first action, not his last resort.  Oh, what power we would see as leaders if we would learn this.  His recorded prayer is so meaningful and powerful, complete with worship, confession (his sins and those of Israel), and petition, and it came straight from his heart.  One of my favorite parts is where he says “O Lord, let your ears be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.”  What would it look like for us to come together in prayer because we delight in revering God’s name?  Wow!

Another thing that has been brought to my attention is the fact that Nehemiah was very close to the king.  In fact, according to Dr. Howard Hendricks, a Bible professor specializing in Christian leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary, the cupbearer was second-in-command, kind of like the Prime Minister.  He was the only one who had direct access to the king and his own expense account.  In other words, he was living the good life in the palace.  In the world’s eyes, it would have been so easy to ignore the need in Jerusalem in order to continue living in comfort, but servant-leaders don’t do that.  Servant leaders seek God and put the needs of others before their own.

When I read and study the Bible, I always ask the question:  What is God teaching me through this?  How can this be applied in my life?  Well, I, too, have had a burden placed on my heart by God.  It’s not a physical wall that is broken down, but can be compared to that.  It’s the state of marriage and family.  I think the state of many marriages and families are much like the state of Jerusalem:  “in great trouble and disgrace because the walls are broken down and the gates have been burned with fire.”  Success rises and falls on the leadership, and that includes leadership in the family.  I believe that we, as men, are supposed to be spiritual leaders in the home.  We are supposed to be the gatekeepers, providing protection and security by staying close to God.  This includes praying for our families and fighting the spiritual battles through prayer and God’s Word.  I’m not saying that women can’t do this because they can and are usually very capable, but it should be done in addition to what their husbands are doing.  Too often, women find themselves as the spiritual leader because their husbands don’t step up.  I really believe it’s because they aren’t equipped.  Often, without the spiritual leadership of the husband, marriages fall apart, and families find themselves in a place of insecurity because the protective walls are broken down. 

As most of you know, I have a heart for ministry to single parent families.   I have a real burden for helping rebuild the walls, and standing in the gap that has been left most often by the father.  At the same time, I have a heart for counseling families and helping men become better leaders in their homes.  In these ways, maybe we can repair the walls before they disintegrate.  I want to continue to develop my skills in these areas.  My animal science degrees did not prepare me for this, although my mentor in college taught me skills that went far beyond the degree.  Through Nehemiah’s example, I plan to take time this summer in prayer and fasting for God to give me a vision for how best to do this.  I’m afraid I have tried for too long to do this in my own power and without the proper leadership skills being developed.  I’m finally on track. 

This will also be a good preparation for my first overseas mission trip to Thailand to minister to Karen refugees, including a village of mostly single moms and widows.  Yep, 37 is going to be a significant year in the Lord!

For you single moms who read my blog, remember:  Even though the walls may be knocked down, and  you may feel discouraged at times, take courage in Psalm 68:5 – “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.”  The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is your protector and shield.

May God bless you as you spend time seeking Him and His vision for you!

Seeds of Encouragement

I woke up about 4:30 this morning, my wheels started turning and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I laid there listening to the wind howling outside. We are in a blizzard warning until sometime tomorrow, though the snow hasn’t started yet. One of the stations is now saying we could receive up to 16 inches of snow by noon tomorrow. I was hoping to get a call to substitute teach today, but it didn’t happen. God must have something else planned for my day.  I don’t normally post on Friday, and it’s been awhile since I’ve posted three days in a row.  However, God has really been teaching me a lot lately, and I want to pass it along.

Anyway, back to why I couldn’t go back to sleep. I am so excited about a leadership workshop that we are going to present on April 18. Three of our staff have teamed up with three Christian football coaches from the local community college to present what we are calling VIP training. This stands for vision, inspiration, and people. The coach I’m working with loves Jesus and has a lot of energy and excitement, along with some good ideas, which is getting me all fired up. Our portion to teach will be inspiration. We met yesterday and came away with some points that we want to present and expand on. We will be talking about how to inspire, encourage, and build others up. As it usually happens, God is teaching me so much through my studies that I will probably learn more from this than those who come to the workshop.

That gets me back to the fourth question that I asked God the other day: “What does it look like to be a people builder?” I’m not going to share all of my thoughts right now. I want to make sure and get them all in order before we present on April 18th. However, this morning I was thinking about our country and the shape we are in right now. I believe much of it has to do with attitude. We are letting the media and others affect how we view life. We are being bombarded with negativity. Well, if I’m learning one thing from my studies on people building, it’s that negativity spawns negativity and positivity spawns positivity. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit… We reap what we sow.

Folks, the turnaround is not going to begin in Washington, because we have a government for the people, by the people. The government cannot bail us out because we are the government! Therefore, the “bailout” is going to begin on Main Street before it happens on Wall Street. It’s time to pull up our boot straps and get to work. We all have a responsibility for positive action beginning on the grass roots level in our own homes, spreading to our churches, to our neighborhoods, to our cities, to our counties, to our states, to our region, and spreading all across this great country. This nation was not built on negative, sour attitudes, but on the desire for freedom and a better way of life. I’m not talking about the power of positive thinking but the power of positive action! Brave men and women sacrificed their very lives for the freedom we enjoy, but often take for granted. Entitlement and laziness was not in their vocabularies. Our forefathers weren’t thinking of themselves, but of future generations.

We need to live wisely and responsibly, sacrificing where necessary to get this country back on her feet. We need to take personal responsibility for our own lives, and care for those who cannot care for themselves. Notice I said cannot and not will not! It all begins by changing our attitudes. So, let’s turn off the television, from where many of the negative seeds are being cast into the “fields of our hearts”, and let’s open our Bibles, where we can find abounding seeds of positive encouragement. Let’s spend time in the mighty presence of God, Almighty. Do not dismay, but rejoice because this is the day the Lord has made. God’s Word tells us to humble ourselves, repent and cry out to Him, and He will save our land. I believe Him. Do you?

May God plant seeds of encouragement in your hearts that will grow to produce abundant fruit full of more seeds of encouragement for those around you!

Being Intentional

That seems to be the area where God is teaching me right now.  My spiritual mentor mentioned the idea of living intentionally a few weeks ago, and it has come up several times since then.  In fact, it goes right along with my post a few weeks ago, Stay the Course.

As some of you may have read on my blog awhile back, I am totally enamored with dog sledding, especially with the Iditarod, which officially ended yesterday with rookie Timothy Hunt blowing out the “Widow’s Lamp,” signifying that all mushers and their dog teams are safely off the Iditarod Trail.  This took place 15 days, 14 hours, and 6 minutes after the race started.  Lance Mackey won the race several days ago in an incredible 9 days, 21 hours, and 38 minutes.  This year, 52 out of the 67 mushers finished the race.  Unfortunately, my friend and rookie to the Iditarod, Kurt Reich, who I committed to pray for every Friday (and way more often during the race) was not able to make it to the finish line.  I’m anxious to talk to him to learn about his experience.  My guess is that being a Christian, he learned more in his 400 miles on the trail about himself, about his dogs, about life, and most importantly, about God than many of them learned in the full 1150 miles.  I believe just to compete in the Iditarod takes incredible courage and perseverance.  This is not a walk in the park.  It is known as the Last Great Race On Earth for a very good reason.  Here is how it is described on the Iditarod Official Website:

You can’t compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.  From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days.

Doesn’t that just make you want to begin training right away???  Okay, me either.  I would die, no questions asked…  However, there is something about it that just gets my heart to racing. 

Now, I give you this information to preface what I want to say about intentional living.  The mushers who enter the Iditarod know that they must be intentional.  This could mean life or death for them and their teams.  I read a blog entry not long ago that said the mushers who are totally focused on Nome will usually fail because they don’t focus on the day to day details that will get them to Nome.  Yes, they must have a vision for making it to Nome in order to condition themselves and their dogs properly and to prepare for the supplies they would need.  It would be complete foolishness to only take enough supplies to make it to the first checkpoint.  There is a lot that goes into the planning, including making sure the funds are there to see them through to completion, which I’ve been told is over $20,000.  I’m guessing that doesn’t include the cost of feeding and caring for the dogs throughout the year.  However, once the race begins, they must take one day at a time, one checkpoint at a time.  They have to be intentional about when they run and when they rest.  They have to strategize when they will take their mandatory 24 hour layover.  They have to plan how they will feed the dogs and when they give them snacks, etc…  They must plan well, including preparing for things that might happen.

It is much like life.  Our lives are full of checkpoints, and we must live intentionally to make it to each checkpoint in good condition so that we will have a glorious finish to the race.  We must also be intentional in making sure those we are leading make it there in good condition.  For instance, I as a husband and father, must never leave my family out in the cold and unprotected.  We must all make it to each checkpoint safely.  As leaders, we must be prepared for things that might happen along the way, but not live in worry of them.  Each of us will finish the race at different times, but each will finish.  Some will have shorter races than others, but they still must plan because we never know.  I ‘m sure you’re like me, and you want to finish well.  It’s not how we start the race that counts, but how we finish.  We can start living intentionally this very minute.  Again, if Kurt takes with him what he learned in his 400 miles and applies it to the rest of his life, it will all be worth it.  For him, this was just a segment in the great race of life, and I commend him for having the guts to give it a try.

Yesterday, I took my spiritual retreat day to spend time with God and listen to Him.  Since I have sensed God teaching me about intentional living, I decided to ask Him four questions at the beginning of the day.  I’ll share three of them with you here that are relevant to this post.  I’ll share the other one in a different post.

1.  What is Your vision for my life:  for me personally, for our family, and for the ministries you’ve entrusted to me?

2.  How can I live intentionally in order for these visions to become reality?

3.  What do I need to keep doing, start doing, stop doing, or change the way I’m doing?

I’ve heard it said that on every tombstone there is a “date born” and eventually there will be a “date died”.  Every tombstone has a dash in between the two dates, and that is what’s important.  It’s what we do in that “dash” we call life that really counts.  It is in the dash where legacies are formed because the end is too late.

Let me close with this passage to encourage you today:

Hebrews 12:1-3 – Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Much like the Iditarod, life has it’s share of hostility and things we must endure.  However, if we can look past that, there is an incredible beauty that God has given all around us.  Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and run with endurance the race that is before us, and do so intentionally. 

May God richly bless you, as you live intentionally and for His glory!

 

Stay the Course

I had a very interesting experience as a substitute teacher last Friday.  I took the assignment of going to the juvenile detention facility.  Contrary to what you might think, it was one of the easiest days I’ve had yet as a substitute.  I was there along with two other teachers, and we had twelve students.  In addition, there were three guards with us to make sure nothing happened.  With it being a Friday, the students wanted to be on their best behavior so they would have weekend privileges.  In many ways, it was much easier than being in the regular classroom.

I couldn’t help but wander about their stories.  Why were they there?  What was their home-life like?  Do they have dads in their lives who care?  How can I help?  My heart was breaking for them. 

One of the guys told me that between 5 and 10% of the youth who came there listed the father as “unknown.”  He also told me that well over half of them came from single parent families.  I’m guessing that 90% or more of them don’t have a good relationship with their dads, no matter if they are from a single parent or two parent home.  I felt like I was witnessing another consequence of fatherlessness in a very up-close way.  I really believe that most of them would turn things around if they had a good mentor, a father figure… at least someone in their life who cared.

Now, let’s spin the globe to the other side.  This morning, four of us met to talk about the trip to Thailand in October.  I learned more information about the village of Tee Po Kwah.  This is the village I spoke of awhile back that consists mostly of single parent families and widows.  I had assumed that the men were dying at the hands of the Burmese army, couldn’t get out of Burma to be with their families, or were trying to find work somewhere.  Unfortunately, much to my dismay, I learned that a great many of them had abandoned their families to find new wives and had succumbed to many of the same temptations that the men of America have.  It is a grim reminder that fatherlessness is a universal problem.  

I feel like God has placed me here for such a time as this.  I want to be used by God to stand in the gap and help hurting families, and to be on the frontlines of the battle against fatherlessness.  I often marvel at how He has brought me from a career as a meat scientist to being a minister and has giving me my heart’s desire of showing Christ’s love to people.  I have the greatest job on earth, as far as I’m concerned.  I get to carry out my life mission of ministering to single parent families locally, and it looks like I will get the chance to do this in Thailand in October, as well.  At the same time, I have opportunities to help strengthen marriages and minister to men, so maybe there will be fewer single parent families.  Not to mention, I have been given the privilege of leading and helping lead other ministries, such as the Small Group, Outreach and Shepherding ministries.  I pretty much get to minister to people of all ages at one time or another in the church and in the community.

If that wasn’t great enough, God has allowed me a unique way to minister to my own children, as well.  I get to teach chapel two days a week at the school where my daughters attend.  I can walk downstairs three days a week and have lunch with them, and I even get to substitute teach in their classes from time to time.  I know each of their teachers and see them daily when school is in session.  While we often have a busy schedule, I’m still home more than I was when I worked in the meat industry, and I’m at least home most evenings to help put them to bed.  This is so important to me because if I don’t father my own children and take care of my family well, everything else will be for nothing.   

Now, I say all this only to add this:  I’m thrilled where God has me, but I don’t want to just settle here.  I want to continue to grow.  I want to get more education in counseling so I can minister to people more effectively.  I need more ammunition for the battle, and I’m seeking God’s wisdom and guidance in how to do this.

Yesterday morning, in my time with God, this phrase came to my mind, “Moving from rhetoric to reality requires resolve.”  I don’t think I’ve ever heard this phrase before, but it sounds too complex to actually have come from me, so I’ll just give credit to God.  We need to get past fancy and glittery words and move toward actions.  It’s easy to say we will do something, but it takes resolve to make it happen.  We must be purposeful and intentional, and remember it won’t happen overnight.  Of course, it won’t happen at all, if we don’t come up with a game-plan and stick with it.  Just like with my Ten Key Moves.  If I write them down and don’t act on them, they will go down as more useless rhetoric.  Rhetoric doesn’t change lives and make a difference, action does.  With so much to do, I often get distracted from staying the course.  It seems like good things keep popping up that I allow to keep me from the best things.  That’s why it’s so important to put God first and listen to Him constantly.  When the children of Israel listened to God and obeyed, amazing things happened.  When they didn’t, disaster occurred.  I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best, not what I think is the best.  Let’s stay the course…

May God give us all the resolve to stick with the gameplan He has given us!