Waiting for Something

I mowed the yard at our new house today for the first time. It's a pretty good sized yard and it was the first time I had used our push mower in over a year and a half (we were spoiled at our last house by our delightful neighbors having a zero-turn riding mower.) There is a ditch in the front of the house that is tricky to mow & a slight incline from the street corner all the way to our driveway. It ended up being a serious workout that left me feeling very thirsty for the hour and 45 minutes I mowed.

At one point I found myself wishing that my wife would bring me some cold water to abate my thirst. I could have stopped and come inside to get it myself, but wanted to keep moving to finish up. I actually found myself getting more frustrated as I got hotter and yet no one brought any water out. As I kept pushing on and glancing at the front porch hoping for refreshment, I realized how foolish I was being. I was getting worked up over something that I hadn't even asked anybody to do. I ended up laughing out loud (at myself) as I recognized what I was doing. I was getting upset over my own unexpressed, unmet expectations. Naturally, shortly after I had my front-yard epiphany my wife showed up with cold water for me. She's good to me that way. 

Make sure you communicate what your thoughts are instead of hoping people read them and react the way you want.

Dinner Time

The pace and tension of ministry can often be high. There are difficult decisions to make, crises to respond to, present situations to manage, and the future to prepare for. It can honestly leave you quite exhausted at the end of the day--especially when you look ahead to a very full schedule.

I find a great deal of respite in the simple, yet joyful time spent around the family dinner table. My wife is an excellent cook and lovingly prepares delicious meals for us, but that is not the biggest attraction. It is the laughter of three teenage girls as they share goofy stories and tales of a day spent together. It's the knowing glances across the table with my wife as we share inside jokes and insight. It's the gift of speaking truth into the lives of our three lovelies as we prepare them for their future. I place a high value on these times together and appreciate the fact that they won't last forever. They are good for my soul and I hope they are building a foundation in our girls that carries into their adulthood.

Strong & Passionate

I had lunch with a couple of good friends today as we shared our concerns for our community. We

talked about problems that we see and threw around ideas on how our churches can be part of the solution. As we talked, my fellow pastor shared what he thought were the strengths of his church and what his people were passionate about. He admitted that this is not always an easy thing to determine, but something that he felt was necessary.

I believe this is vital for individuals as well as organizations. We have to take the time to determine what our strengths are and where we are the most passionate. It's in the process of identification and development that we mature and are able to be more effective. It's not always an easy endeavor and is most complete when other (trusted) people are involved.

If we are going to bring change to our community I believe it's an absolutely vital exercise to engage in and one that is part of a continual process of growth. Operating out of the best of what we do and executing it with passion will give us a fighting chance in affecting the greatest change.

Instinct

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God waits to hear from His people & that it builds intimacy and spiritual dependency on His power. I have seen the evidence of prayer in my own life & in the transformation in others. I have witnessed people being healed from addiction and disease and watched as relationships were made whole that I thought would be broken forever. There is no doubt that God desires this intimacy with His people and that He wants to give us the pure desires of our heart as we invest in our journey with Him.

Sadly, even though I know it is the best thing that I can do, I often fail to make prayer my first instinct. It's a sad duality to be a person who firmly believes in something and yet doesn't always turn to it right away. The truth is that I don't like it when I realize this reality, but it spurs me to diligently focus on creating a first instinct of seeking God's wisdom & provision.

I want my legacy to be of a man that goes to God in prayer without hesitation and then acts afterwards instead of the other way around.

New Beginnings

My blog's title represents something that I have found is very important to me--new beginnings. I started this new blog after our departure from Florida amidst my need for a clean slate. It was my

way of recognizing my own need for repentance and the opportunity to begin again. Each time I write I am reminded of how much this phrase is now a part of my DNA. A new beginning is not just about a departure from my old way of life, but it also brings the promise of unexplored territory rife with potential. It represents the newness of each day and my need for God's forgiveness. It is the excitement that I feel when I meditate on the future and the preparation God is doing in my life right now. It marks new steps of faith in my children's lives and the hope I have for their own calling. It's the love affair I have for my wife and the freshness of our relationship after 21 years together.

New beginnings isn't just the name of a place that I write--it's the mantra that I live by as God blesses me each day.

Seeking Peace

We kicked off our new series, "Man Up" this morning with guest speaker David Rocker, the head football coach at Point University. He taught on King David from the Old Testament (our focus all month) and how David was both a warrior for God and a worshiper of God. It was his statement about the big similarity between the two that resonated with me. He said that both types of people are looking for the same thing: peace. Their approach is obviously different, but the goal is identical.

The lack of peace is the root of the disturbance and is an underlying cause of disruption in most of our lives. So much of our energy is focused on finding peace in our homes, entertainment, ideals, relationships, and our aspirations. I would wager that the majority of the people that I come in contact with on a regular basis can't seem to find it in their lives & I will admit that it can be a struggle for me as well.

This peace that we are searching for isn't about a lack of conflict in our lives (although we incorrectly assume that to be the case.) It is instead an unshakable confidence in the sovereign plan of God and a willingness to submit to His direction for each of us. It's a matter of trusting in God's promises enough to maintain our composure in uncertain times. We find it through our willingness to battle adversity and in the purity of our worship. It is available to us all if we would search for it in our Creator and King.

Brotherhood

We had our first Man2Man event at Northridge tonight and were pumped to see 93 guys come out on a Saturday night. We had great hamburgers and spent time with David Rocker-current head football coach at We have to work to provide opportunities for men to develop a brotherhood together.
Point University, former All-American at Auburn and NFL player. Coach Rocker shared several things that challenged us and caused me to think about the role of men in our community and how to bring them together. He made a powerful point about his playing days as he shared that the part he misses the most is the camaraderie with the guys in the locker room. As I thought about my own life I agreed with his assessment. It's not always the experience that we miss, but the people we shared it with that matter most. This speaks directly to our innate need for community and will help guide us as we continue to work to reach guys in our area.