Aldersgate Men

Thoughts and Prayers for a Friend...

2006-11-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of you have enjoyed Michael's blog in the past. I read it today and could not believe what I saw. He tried to save a young man who was shot in a gang-related act of violence. My thoughts and prayers go out to him, and to the family and friends of the young man. Details are still unfolding, but you can READ ABOUT IT HERE.

Child of God

2006-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me to post Randy's eulogy for his three-year-old son, Drew Michael Taylor, so here it is. Thank you so much for your prayers for Randy and his family. They are very much appreciated. You can also find out more about the Drew Michael Taylor Foundation by visiting the website.

Drew Michael Taylor, son of Randy and Marcie Taylor, was killed June 13, 2006 when a logging truck crashed into the van in which he rode with his family while on vacation in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. He was 3 ½ years old. His father gave this eulogy at his funeral.

During the past 19 days, I have been asked two types of questions. One has to do with health: how is Marcie, how is your back, are you guys okay? The second has to do with help: is there anything I can do for you, is there anything you need? Last Sunday, as I was standing in her dining room, Susan Berrier asked me these questions: “Randy, what have you learned from this tragedy and what lessons can you share with me?” For the past week I’ve been thinking about her questions. I’m a teacher and a coach. This is my most valuable lesson. This is what I’ve learned.

I am reminded that I have a wonderful extended family. The Taylors. The McClures. The Ditzlers. The Walters. The Bentivoglios. The Podas. They’re good, solid people. Thank you for your love and support. I think it was 30 years ago this summer that my Aunt Betty took me to Florida on vacation with her family. You treated me like I was your own son. You really took care of me and thirty years later you still are.

I’ve only seen my cousin, Jon Taylor, who now lives with his wonderful family in San Diego three times in 15 years, but when he learned of this tragedy he dropped everything to help me out. Thank you, Jon.

We call John Bentivoglio Marcie’s cousin, but he is actually Marcie’s mom’s cousin. John is an attorney in Washington D.C. He has been so great to us that I almost regret all of those lawyer jokes. John, you moved us along in the right direction so that we weren’t trampled by the ambulance chasers. I don’t know how I can ever repay you. Especially since you charge $500 an hour.

This tragedy reminded me of all of reasons why Marcie and I decided to raise our family in a small town. The car washes, the pool parties, the birthday party for my daughter, Lauren, the local EMT’s, the donations, the food, the flowers, the pictures, the videos, the cards, the visits, the phone calls, the lawn mowing, the dog sitting, the building of ramps, the e-mails, the prayers, and The Randy and Marcie Taylor Fund at Orrstown Bank. This community’s outpouring of love and support has been overwhelming. Thank you.

This tragedy reminded me why we decided to join Messiah United Methodist Church. God’s people worship here. To Pastor Troy Howell, all I can say is thank you, I love you, and I will be forever grateful for the things that you have done for my family.

Another very important lesson that I learned is that there are great people out there who are willing to give so much of themselves to help total strangers. Like the hero who was the first person to arrive at the accident and said, “I’m an EMT from Butler, Pennsylvania. I’m here to help.” The fire fighter who gave me a blue towel to clean myself up and to wipe away the tears. The flight nurse who stayed with me hours after his shift was over to hug me and tell me how sorry he was for my loss. Marcie’s nurse, who gave us her cell phone the night of the accident and said, “keep it. I’ll come back for it in a day or two.” The members of Colonial Heights United Church of Christ in Norfolk, who learned about us via e-mail from a church secretary in Indiana.

Members of their congregation visited with us every day. Total strangers. They prayed with us, cried with us, and gave us communion. They were absolutely amazing.

I’ll never forget the Chaplains at Norfolk hospital: Gina, Michael, and Bennie.

Every Sunday Pastor Troy prays for the Chaplains. Now I understand why. Put yourself in their position: It’s a beautiful Tuesday morning around 11:00 a.m. A call comes in that a three-year-old boy is arriving shortly in critical condition. His father is with him. You see the helicopter land. The father gets out first. He has on one flip-flop, a pair of swimming trunks, a Scotland Basketball shirt, and a pair of sunglasses resting on his head. The father kisses his son on the cheek and says, “I love you” as the 3 year old is brought into the ER. You then take the father to a conference room.

What do you say?

To be honest, I don’t remember what Gina said, but I thank God for her. She was so comforting. I remember we did a lot of praying. We spoke many times in the hospital while we waited for Marcie to recover from her injuries. Gina told me that when I ran into the ER with Drew that she could tell that I was a doer. So she kept asking me what I needed to do. Who did I need to call? After about an hour with Gina, another Chaplin named Michael, spent about two hours with me. He took me to the trauma floor to wait for Drew to come out of surgery. He gave me a Gideon’s Bible. Once again, I don’t remember what we talked about. I just kept walking from one end of the small conference room to the other. Michael was sitting on a chair not saying much. But there really wasn’t anything to say. His presence was very reassuring.

After surgery, Drew was taken to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. It was there that I met Bennie, a tall black man in his 50’s with a soothing voice. Bennie is the chaplain for the Children’s Hospital and it was Bennie who asked me if Drew had been baptized. For ten hours, I hugged, cried, and prayed with those three Chaplains. They received the full flood of my emotions. Me. Randy Taylor. A total stranger. They do, what Jesus did. They sacrifice themselves for others.

I learned that even though I’ve spent 19 days in Hell. I need to be thankful.

I have an incredible wife, a beautiful seven-year-old girl. And I had Drew. After Drew passed away at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Marcie and I were taken back to the ER. I showered, changed my clothes, and began to receive treatment for the broken bones in my back. After an hour or so, Lauren arrived with Shirley, Carrie, and Tim. Lauren asked me where Drew was and if he was okay. I told her that I would take her to where Drew was. We were then taken back to the Children’s Hospital so that Shirley and Carrie could see Drew. Lauren went with Tim and some counselors to a children’s play room. I spoke to a couple of counselors about how to tell Lauren about Drew. They told me that she would take her cue from me. She’ll react based upon how I act. So I went to a bathroom and threw water on my face and prayed to God for strength. I told God that this was the most important moment of my life and please don’t let me screw it up. I walked to the playroom and asked everyone to leave me alone with Lauren. I felt a calm come over me as I began to talk to her. I told Lauren that Drew had been hurt really bad in the accident and that the doctors and nurses had done all that they could to save him, but Drew was now in Heaven. His body was still here on earth, but his soul was with the angels. Lauren began to cry. We hugged. Then she asked me, “ Can we get another one?” We talked for a while. Then she drew this picture. [Randy holds up a picture of a dog getting blamed for the cat peeing, explaining that the family had just gotten its first dog and it frequently had “accidents.”

The day after the accident I watched Lauren closely to see how she was doing. At some point in the morning, she came up to me and said that she wanted to call Mrs. Behrenshausen, her first grade teacher. When I asked her why she wanted to call Mrs. Behrenshausen, she said that she wanted to tell her about Drew. She wanted to tell her so that Mrs. Behrenshausen wouldn’t find out on the first day of school and cry in front of her new students.

Anyone who knows Marcie knows that a great word to describe her would be selfless. She is always thinking about others before herself, whether it’s organizing a variety show to benefit the Tim and Sue Cook Scholarship at Chambersburg or organizing a concert to help Justin Wolford’s family as he has a stem cell transplant. I’d like to tell you a story about the most selfless act I have ever witnessed. As I was waiting for Drew to come out of surgery I had been given word that Marcie was being airlifted to Norfolk Hospital. When I was told that Drew was not going to make it, I asked the doctors if they would be able to keep Drew alive until Marcie arrived. I told them that her kids were her life, and that she wouldn’t be able to cope if she could not see Drew before he died. The doctors assured me that they could keep Drew alive until Marcie arrived. As they wheeled Marcie in on a stretcher I could see that she was in a lot of pain. She could see in my face that things had not gone well for Drew. The doctor told her the same thing that he had told me: Drew had suffered catastrophic brain damage and there was nothing they could do for him. At that point, all of the oxygen seemed to leave Marcie’s body. It was as if she had been punched in the stomach.

She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Exhaled.

Then Marcie asked the doctors if they could donate any of Drew’s organs. They told her that because of the severity of Drew’s injuries that it was doubtful that they could use his organs. Marcie asked a second time. She said that Drew had to be able to help somebody else. That it would be the only way that she could make sense of this tragedy. It was the most courageous thing I have ever seen in my life. Even though Marcie was walking in the valley of the shadow of death, she was thinking about helping others. The doctors told us that they could keep Drew alive with machines if we wanted. Marcie and I both said no, let him go peacefully, naturally, in our arms. So they unhooked Drew from the machines. They gave Drew to me, and I placed Drew on Marcie’s bed between the two of us. Pastor Troy called, they put him on speaker and we prayed. After he finished, everyone left the room but the three of us. We cried, prayed, and sang songs for Drew. After about twenty minutes, Drew went to be with his savior.

One of my favorite memories of Drew was his Baptism in May 2004. Pastor Troy does a great job with Baptisms, but Drew’s was really special. During the service, Troy began to walk around the sanctuary with Drew in his arms. He walked down the aisle and walked out the door to introduce Drew to the world. Troy was wearing a microphone so we could hear what he was saying. While outside, Troy and Drew encountered a man walking his dog. Troy introduced Drew to the man and said, “This is Drew Michael Taylor, a child of God. Drew was just baptized and I’m introducing him to the world.” The man, who Troy had never seen before the service or since, said “that’s great.” It was such a special ceremony. You could feel God at work that morning. I knew that God had a special plan for Drew.

Most of you probably never spoke to Drew. He was a shy kid, a mama’s boy. In fact, for about a year we were not able leave Drew in the nursery during worship service because he just cried and cried, wanting his mommy. Eventually, Drew grew to love coming to church. He loved playing with puzzles, and especially loved singing songs with Mrs. Holtry. In May of this year, our family was greeters at church. At first, Drew really didn’t like the job much. But as the month wore on, Drew loved shaking everyone’s hand and saying “Good Morning.”

Drew was really looking forward to going to the Outer Banks. For about a week leading up to our vacation Drew would ask, “Are we going to the beach today?” “I want to go to the beach.” “Go to the beach now.” At 5:30 AM on the morning of Sunday June 11, I was in my bathroom shaving, when Drew opened the door and asked, “Are we going to the beach today?” I said, “Yes Drew.” Drew replied, “Hoorah!”

We were on the road by 6AM.

It was just the two of us. Marcie, Lauren, Shirley, and our new puppy Trey were leaving after church. Drew slept from just south of Washington D.C. to North Carolina. When he woke up he asked, “Are we at the beach yet?” We arrived at our condo, and I wanted to unpack, but Drew wanted to go to the beach, so we took a trolley to the ocean. We played football in the ocean for an hour or two. I would throw the ball into the ocean. The waves would bring it back. Drew would get it and throw it back to me…over and over again.

Monday June 12 was overcast and dreary, so most of our activities were close to the condo. Drew and Lauren took a bubble bath together. Drew stood up in the tub, covered with bubbles, and said, “I look like a snow man.” We got in the hot tub as a family and had our picture taken for the last time. On Tuesday June 13 Drew woke us up at 5:30. He slept between Marcie and me and he was anxious to play. We had the condo to ourselves, just the three of us. Drew helped Marcie make an omelet and incredibly, Drew cracked four eggs using just one hand. He was his mother’s little Renaissance man. Drew and I then played dominoes as Marcie took Trey outside for a walk. She saw a beautiful sunrise and took a picture. Drew and I went outside. Our condo was beside a golf course, and there were people playing so Drew decided he wanted to play too. I went to the car to get my golf clubs and for the next hour we hit golf balls around the yard, played with Trey, and enjoyed each other’s company. I left to play basketball, and when I returned a couple of hours later everyone was anxious to get to the beach. The five of us waited for a trolley to take us to the ocean. The first trolley came by, but it was full. The driver said another one would be coming by in a few minutes. So we waited. Another trolley came by, but it was full as well. As we waited and waited for another trolley, a jogger and a cyclist passed by. Both said, “Good Morning.” We, of course, responded by saying, “Good Morning.” Drew said, “Hey, just like in church.”

Those were his last words.

When the third trolley never came, we decided to drive to the beach. After the logging truck hit us, I crawled in the backseat of the van with Drew, where I helped the EMT’s and paramedics. Drew was taken from the accident in an ambulance. I followed in a sheriff’s car. We went to a firehouse where we waited for the helicopter to arrive. I was loaded into the helicopter first and then Drew was loaded. We flew to Norfolk Hospital, where Drew was first treated in the emergency room, then the Trauma floor, where his surgery took place. We then went to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. It was there that the surgeons told me that the surgery had not gone well. There were a lot of internal injuries and bleeding. They had removed his spleen and his small intestines. They were breathing for Drew. They told me to wait in the conference room until the pediatric surgeon arrived. I think I waited for about 15 or 20 minutes. The pediatric surgeon entered the room with a bad poker face. I knew what he was going to say. Drew had suffered catastrophic brain damage and there was really no hope of recovery. He asked me if I wanted to see Drew.

I entered a crowded room and there was my son. I cried and cried. Someone, I think it was either Gina or Bennie told me to talk to Drew. So for a couple of minutes I said, “I love you.” Over and over again. “I love you, Drew.” “I love you, Drew.” I read the 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer from the Gideon’s Bible that Michael had given me. I sang Amazing Grace. Then I began to sing Mrs. Holtry’s children’s songs, but I think I was screwing up the lyrics, so I just rested my head on Drew’s. I cried. Finally, I looked up at the medical people in the room and I began to introduce them to my son. I said, “This is Drew Michael Taylor, a child of God.” “This is Drew Michael Taylor, a child of God.”

Thousands, if not millions of people have reached out to my family during this tragedy. I understand from my cousin John that we are on prayer chains in India and Russia. Candles have been lit for my family in churches in Europe. Many people have asked if there is anything that they can do for my family. The answer is yes. There are three things that everyone can do for my family. First, please continue to pray for my family. We will never stop mourning for Drew. Not in a week, a month, a year, a decade or in a lifetime. We will have broken hearts until the day that we die. However, like Coach Pitino said, we will remain positive and live life to its fullest because we have to. Second, please pray for the driver of the truck who hit us. At some point, when I was in the van with Drew and all of this chaos was going on around me, I saw a face that didn’t belong. It was a man crying and saying over and over again “I’m so sorry.” “I’m so sorry.” I’m sure that was the driver of the lumber truck. Please pray for him. Third, you can support the Drew Michael Taylor Foundation. Like Marcie said at the Children’s Hospital, the only way that we can make sense of this tragedy is to know that Drew died in order to help others. I have never been more committed to anything in my life. We will honor Drew’s memory. We will create a foundation in his name, to help kids.

To answer Susan Berrier’s questions: “What have I learned?” and “What lessons can I share?” I’ve learned a lot. But the greatest lesson I learned is discovering the meaning of life. These thoughts are not my own. I learned them from Troy during a sermon a few months ago. To paraphrase Troy: we live in a high tech, fast-paced, complicated world. But when it comes right down to it, life is about three things, and three things only: The people you love…the people who love you…what you do for God. The people you love…the people who love you…what you do for God.

Luke 18:27

2006-11-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom repeatedly has recommended that the U.S. Department of State list North Korea as among its "countries of particular concern" for its "egregious and systematic human rights violations" including policies that disallow any Christian faith.

So one can imagine how startled a Christian couple was when a commander from a detention camp set up for those who cannot eliminate their faith in Christ appeared in front of their house and knocked on their door.

The report of the startling transformation of the guard, from tyrant and torturer to tearful repentant, comes from The Voice of the Martyrs, a worldwide ministry that directs its aid to members of the persecuted Christian church.

Although accurate reports are difficult to obtain, often because no witnesses to atrocities are left alive to tell, officials believe tens of thousands of Christians currently are suffering in North Korean prison camps for the offense of having a Christian faith.

The events developed shortly after a Christian teen died in a prison camp after being deprived of food but unwilling to recant his belief in Christ, the VOM report said.
A Christian couple found themselves sentenced to the same camp, with the same prospects for extended lives as the faithful Christian teen who died before his 20th birthday. However, "they were there only a few days when the camp's top officer, 'Rhee,' ordered their release," VOM reported.

A few days later, they heard the knocking at their door. "It was Rhee. He wanted to talk to them further. 'I have tortured and killed many people,' he told them, 'but since the death of this young man I have been troubled,'" said the VOM report, written by P. Todd Nettleton. Rhee also told them the story of the teen's courage and cheerful attitude, even as his body was failing.

They told the prison warden why the teen, code-named "Pencil" before he was dispatched into North Korea to spread the Gospel of Jesus, was different. They introduced him to Jesus.
"When they finished sharing and praying together, Rhee invited them to come home with him," the report said. "Inside Rhee's large home, eight family members were gathered as well as several other soldiers who worked at the camp and their families."

The report said the families listened as the couple presented the story of Jesus, his death on the cross and his resurrection. "Rhee was shocked when his own mother stepped forward and said for 50 years she had been a secret Christian. 'I am no longer ashamed of my faith,' she said, then turned to the rest of the people gathered in the room. 'Who wants to have Jesus in their heart?'" the report said.

All hands were raised and a baptismal service followed immediately, VOM reported.
VOM is a non-profit, interdenominational ministry working worldwide to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith, and to educate the world about that persecution. Its headquarters are in Bartlesville, Okla., and it has 30 affiliated international offices.

It was launched by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who started smuggling Russian Gospels into Russia in 1947, just months before Richard was abducted and imprisoned in Romania where he was tortured for his refusal to recant Christianity.

He eventually was released in 1964 and the next year he testified about the persecution of Christians before the U.S. Senate's Internal Security Subcommittee, stripping to the waist to show the deep torture wound scars on his body.

The group that later was renamed The Voice of the Martyrs was organized in 1967, when his book, "Tortured for Christ," was released.

Caution: Tread with Mercy!

2006-11-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

I normally am content to remain silent and appear wise, rather than open my mouth and dispell all appearance, but this issue--if not dealt with--will (not may, but will) cause serious harm to the Christian Worldview we are compelled to live. Take special note of paragraph 4, if you would, to see what will happen to those who preach and teach that there are immutable universal moral imperatives.

Please read, pray, pray some more, talk to you family, pray some more and if compelled, carry out the discipline to contact your State and Federal Legislative representatives, asking them to take appropriate actions so Pennsylvania will not become another citation to justify Judical Activism in yet another state.

Upgrade Your Hybrid-Powered Vehicle

2006-10-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

“Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
- Beaver, Narnia

Hybrid vehicles are the rage while gas prices dance between $2 and $3 dollars. The ability to switch from gas-powered to electric-powered can save money and even the environment.

Our Christian walk is too often a ‘hybrid vehicle’, switching back and forth between ‘powered by Jesus’ and ‘powered by Me’. Our faith walk looks like a drive through the mountains: uphill, switch to ‘JESUS’; downhill, switch back to ‘ME’. Need to pass somebody: ME; idling at a stop-light: JESUS.

The imperfection of these human bodies means that we will always be tempted with ME power – Only Jesus perfected driving this human body on JESUS power. We strive to continually reduce the amount of ME power used.

The great irony is that we struggle to hold onto our ME power while the journeys we take on JESUS power are more satisfying, not only from an eternity perspective, but often from a here-and-now perspective as well.

And many have learned that running on JESUS power is like racing a jet against a scooter. We think we know the limitations of this world – Jesus’ time on earth showed us that we have no clue. We can continue to ride our safe scooter, slow and close to the ground. Or, we can choose His jet with Him as pilot. As the Beaver in Narnia tells us, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

Choose this day to switch your power to JESUS, and strap in. You will learn to hate those scooter rides.

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”
- Luke 16:13

An Alternative Lifestyle

2006-10-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

Religion is based, I think, primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly, as I have said, the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. […] A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men.
—Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects

Why do so many men fail to grab the prize of a life of ABUNDANCE that is promised us if we take-up our cross and follow Christ? I suspect the reason is that most of the men who sit dutifully in the pews on most Sundays - adhere to Mr. Russells thoughts but go to church out of habit or worse - just in case God is keeping score.

This is a great tragedy

Why should I ? What's in it for me? These are the questions they (we) ask. If men - who by the grace of God have found a Christ centered life to be an ABUNDANT one - fail to share how He has transformed their life of quiet desperation into a life of ABUNDANCE then they condemn the others to live outside of the blessing they have found.

What is this ABUNDANCE you speak of? One may ask. If I become a "Jesus Freak" wont my life become miserable in exchange for some mythical reward in the afterlife - if one does exist?

In what aspects of life (family, finances, work, leisure time, health etc) does the Christ centered life provide more ABUNDANCE than one centered somewhere else?

........They are waiting to hear from YOU !

Caves & Rainbows

2006-10-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

I jumped on my bike today thinking about my friend Rob who hasn't been able to ride much lately due to cancer and getting hit by a truck. My Sunday School verse accompanied me:

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who
promised is faithful."

As I made the turn at my halfway point, it started to downpour. While parts of me thought "How can I get home fastest", the rest of me was amazed that I was not only feeling the chill of the rain, but also the warmth of the sun, with bright rays shining on my side. Rather than dread a soggy ride home, I took it all in.

My 3rd-grader will tell you that when you have sun and rain, you have the ingredients for one of our earthly wonders: a rainbow. When I glanced left, sure enough there was a huge rainbow.

For the rest of my ride my mind processed everything that was going on: Rob, my verse, the rainbow.

While occasionally people think about the cleansing nature of rain, it is most often compared to bad things that happen. Few people want to 'be in the rain' (my U8 soccer team is an exception). The struggles that we encounter - like cancer, trucks, and many other things - are the downpours in our life.

As earthly men, we are taught by books like "Mars is for Men" that when men have problems, they head into their cave to solve their problems. This may get men out of the rain, but it is more often running away from the issues.

As Christian men, we know there will be struggles. Instead of heading into our caves, spurning our friends and family to solve our world's problems, we need to learn to 'hold unswervingly to the hope'. Is our faith just a hedge bet in case Heaven is real, or are we embracing the abundance He promises, regardless of the floods we might endure?

For me and my house, we will follow the example that my friend Rob has recently lived out: stand tall in the rain, with Christ's love and strength supporting us, shining bright through the rain. When we do that we become for others one of God's wonders on earth.

When we see someone wet and cold from the rain, yet smiling because of their hope in Christ's promises, they become a rainbow: a reminder of the promise, a reminder that with Christ we can stand in any downpour.

Thanks Rob for showing us the rainbow!

Encroachment: 5 Yard Penalty

2006-09-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

The first time a football fan hears 'encroachment' they think, "they couldn't come up with a better word?". In football, the defense is allowed to cross over the line of scrimmage and go back before the snap as long as they don't touch the offense. They touch: 5-yard penalty for encroachment.

In Christian life, we are SUPPOSED TO encroach. Proverbs 27:17, "as iron sharpens iron".. We should embrace encroachment by another brother, just as we should be quick to encroach, especially when we see a brother in need or in peril. When we see a brother doing something that Christ probably wouldn't do, whether to us or to others, we should be encroaching on that activity. At the same time we should be prepared for a brother to 'get up in our grill' at times, even times we don't even realize we are out of line, times when we aren't out of line.

That does not mean we are going to enjoy the short-term pain it may cause, but we should be excited in the long-term strength it brings. Like lifting weights, right now, even tomorrow it hurts, but in two days we know there is greater strength.

I struggle with this, both as encroacher and encroachee. I need to stay focused on the long-term gain. I often shy away from the short-term pain, for myself, for my brother. If Christ avoided the short-term pain, we'd probably all be terrorists of some kind, forcing our way on others, or stepping on people to get our own way. Thankfully He did not, He took the short-term pain, focused on the long-term gain. His choice should embolden us to make the same choice.

So if you are on offense, embrace the encroachment, earned or not. Your brother's 'got your back', and the ball will be moved closer to the goal. If you are on defense and you think you see a violation on the offense, cause the encroachment, because in the end we're on the same team. Help your brother move that ball further down the field.

The Power of Prayer...

2006-09-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am reading a book now called Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, about a hostage takeover of a birthday party in South America.

According to Amazon:

In Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honour of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air-conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favourite soap opera--and thus, from the beginning, things go awry.
Among the hostages are not only Hosokawa and Roxanne Coss, the American soprano, but an assortment of Russian, Italian and French diplomats. A Swiss Red Cross negotiator named Joachim Messner is roped into service while on holiday. He comes and goes, wrangling over terms and demands, and the days stretch into weeks, the weeks into months.

One of the characters is a priest, and when his parish finds out he is among the hostages, they begin to say the mass in his name. One of the things that he says, as he begins to consider this, is how amazing it is that his name is being lifted up from so many people, and that these people are lifting his name up to the very ear of God. I had never considered your prayers in quite that way until I read this passage. Now that I have, I will never be able to think of it otherwise.

World Trade Center: The Movie

2006-08-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday my sister would have turned 46. I celebrated her and her influence on me by going to see World Trade Center. I'm at the beach so I got a private viewing of the movie in a 200-seat theatre (guess 9/11 movies aren't a big attraction when on vacation).

Needless to say the movie was emotional. Watching bodies fall 100 stories, reliving those days, weeks, months was difficult.

As a family member of a victim, I applaud Mr. Stone and Mr. Cage in their performances. I was braced for the usual political commentary that Hollywood is so willing to bestow on me, but it never came. What I saw was a great story of the courage of the people - the heroes that day. The face on Mr. McLoughlin/Cage as he went into towers was not a 'rambo-let's go get him' face, but rather a 'I'm scared as heck but this is the right thing to do' face.

The stories told while they were stuck in the rubble were the stories that every one of us lived those days, some of us closer than others. It seemed time moved in super-slow motion during the weeks after 9/11. Not just for people who had family there but for the whole country.

When time moves that slow, it is easier to see those God has put in our lives. Our country lives in a 'need for speed' mode that makes us often miss those directly around us.

Viewing that movie helped me remember. No one wants to live the tragedy of 9/11 over again. But all of us should try to live the simpler, slower lifestyle that immediately followed that tragedy. Put the crackberry down, say no to over-commitment so that you can say yes to those surrounding you.

His speed..

G

My Belarusian Adventure...

2006-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you wanting to follow along, I've been posting my experiences on MY BLOG.

You can find the specific entries here:

Installment One: New York to Warsaw
Installment Two: Warsaw Poland

Again, I invite you to leave comments at the bottom of entries that move you, inspire you or leave you asking questions. All the best, my brothers.

A three legged stool...

2006-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

I sometimes post at a fitness bulletin board, and I reached a milestone post--3,000. I thought you might be interested to read this, so I'm posting it here for your consumption/questions/consideration.

I want to write, at this point, about balance. I am seeking to build a three-legged stool. Those three legs will be my body, mind and soul.

Body
Almost ten years ago, I set out to change my lifestyle. I was, at that time, a pack-a-day smoker who found getting up in the morning to be a difficult task. On January 1, 1997 I gave up cigarettes (there’s going to be one heckuva celebration this year, boys and girls). As with most people, I substituted eating for the ciggies, took a more sedentary job and managed to gain quite a bit of weight. I ballooned up to 220+ on my six-foot frame.

A story that’s familiar to many: One morning I was shaving at the mirror and my wife looked over at me and asks, “Why are you sticking your belly out like that?” I wasn’t. OUCH! I made a decision that day that I needed to Fish or Cut Bait, and my moniker was born. I picked up my first copy of Men’s Health (thank you Lou Schuler, for then and for now) that day, about 4 years ago. I started working out, and gradually lost the weight. In those ten years, I’ve quit cigarettes, gained and lost weight (I now hang around 195), had a beautiful daughter (love you Katie Rose) who gets to hang out with her healthy dad, learned how to eat clean (thanks Karocka), lifted small and lifted big, logged countless miles running and riding (thanks Harrisburg Bicycle Club), competed in two triathlons (Got the Nerve?) and managed, along the way, to even inspire a couple of other people to live healthier (including my incredible wife, Joan, who also gave up smoking).

Mind
I have learned and continue to learn so much from the members of this board, their intelligence and their wisdom. It's not just fitness either, and those of you who have been around know what I am talking about. I’ve learned about plants (Gardener), kids (JP and Erika), outdoor fun (ODB), how to cook up a salmon and a clean cheesecake (Johnka), baseball (Lefty and Lou), and the likelihood of winning an argument if you’re a married man (it ain’t good…thanks Brad/Q). I‘ve discovered new ways of dealing with people in the gym who are rude or nasty (thanks Danny) and that humor (that’s humour to my international friends) is a great way to deal with many situations (Ninja) and that self-deprecating humor/humour is oftentimes the funniest, and is a sign of a humble spirit (for my money, no one here does it better than Bond, though JavaJunkie deserves a shout). I’ve learned that men and women can coexist in a "locker room" and it doesn’t need to devolve into a mindless morass of stupid-sex-talk, that intelligent, funny discussion can be the order of the day (thanks OT Forum self-policing, and especially JP for giving us a place and carte blanche to do so).

I’ve gained a deeper understanding and respect for people with different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. I’ve always had this, as my mom came from Ireland and having a parent of foreign birth gives you a naturally broader perspective. Still, I’ve grown so much in this area from people here, (thank you so much, Kaiser and Ruma).

I’ve learned that you can build friendships and even a community online, and that you can, with a modicum of effort, take those relationships farther (thanks Mahler, Lefty, Lou, Q….I know I’m forgetting others—My apolgies). I’ve learned that the borders and barriers between these friendships are of our own creation, and their dismantling is equally of our own choice. Mostly, I’ve learned that no matter how you say “about” there’s still only one way to spell it, and this little lesson shows us that we should focus on the things that bring us together, while acknowledging and celebrating the things that make us unique. It’s how we develop, broaden and sharpen our minds.

Soul
In seeking the last leg of my stool, I found it in my church. About four years ago, my wife and I walked into Aldersgate United Methodist Church. It felt like home. It's the kind of place that meets you spiritually where you are, but doesn't let you stay there. Pastor Mark Webb does an amazing job, never shying away from tough topics or difficult ideas. I like watching the way he deals with people, and I’ve learned from his gentle approach (those of you who know me know that “gentle” is not generally in my nature). He takes the time. We also had a woman Pastor, Natalya Cherry who just moved on to a new church. I already miss her decidedly feminine approach to the gospel, her wit and wisdom, her love for God and how she expressed it by loving other people.

I have grown and continue to grow, deepening my relationship with God by improving my relationships with people around me, my "neighbors". The brothers and sisters I have met, the friendships I have grown at Aldersgate show me what a caring community of Christ is all about. I’ve become very active with the men’s group, and I am constantly amazed at how this group of men helps each other, other members of the church, and even members of the local community (they are currently involved in restoring and cleaning up a woman’s house in time for her husband’s return from Iraq.

I offer this, not as an attempt at braggadocio, but as shining examples of how I want to live my life: gently, boldly, helping others with the Spirit as my guide and my helper.

The Three Legged Stool
One of my favorite (favourite to Vern) things to watch is boxing. I am enthralled by the ability of the human body to take the punishment it does, round after round. I remember Ali, Sugar Ray, Foreman, Frazier, Lewis, and other great fighters like Roy Jones Jr., Spinks, lace>Hopkinslace>, and de la Hoya, and the incredible story of Cinderella Man Jim Braddock. All of these fighters, these survivors of incredible battering and beating, these champions who weathered the odds, the naysayers and the critics, have one thing in common. In between the beatings, the pummelings, the booing, the smashing, the cheering, and the disappointing rounds, they all sat down on a well balanced, properly designed three legged stool. They collected their thoughts, rethought strategies, evaluated opponents, rested their weary bodies, and waited for the bell to ring. And when it rang, they rose off that perfect, balanced three legged stool and went out to face their foe knowing they could not be beaten, could not be defeated, no matter what anyone did or said. They were born to be victorious.

Conclusion
Last year, many of you know, I went on a mission trip to work with the kids in an orphanage in Belarus. I went back this year to see them again. I offer this 3,000th post not as a full explanation, nor as a finishing point, but as the beginning of a deeper exploration of what it means to be a disciple, to build and strengthen the third leg of my stool, and what it means to get up off my stool and go out with confidence to face my foe, rising as a child/man/warrior of God, born to be victorious.

You can follow along at my blog, as many of you already do: http://fishrcutb8.blogspot.com/ At the bottom of each post is a "comment" area. If you see something that you like, or something you question, or if you're just curious about whether I read the comments (I do) and respond (ditto), feel free to leave your thoughts. You can even do it anonymously.

Now go forth and conquer, like the champions you were born to be.

Back from Belarus...

2006-07-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Aldersgate Mission Trip to Belarus. Reports from the trip, including people, places, miracles (large and small) will follow. I wanted to let you know, dear readers, that all went well. Stay tuned, and thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers that saw us through this trip...

Child of God

2006-07-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

I went to my friend Randy's funeral for his 3 year old son. It was hands-down the hardest thing I have ever sat through. It was also one of the most powerful testaments to the power of God I have seen. Randy's brother said a few words about how he didn't know Drew personally, only through videos and cards and letters and phone conversation. It made me feel like I was in the same place--not really knowing him, but knowing him by association. He showed a video he had of Drew as "The Heavyweight Champion of the World" with a Rocky theme which Drew used to love watching with his dad.

It was heartbreaking, yet amazing in capturing the joy and innocence of a child. Running, playing, doing cartwheels, just being a kid. I have the same videos of my daughter...if you're a parent, you probably have those pictures or videos, too.

Then Randy spoke. I honestly don't know how he found the strength to do it. Since I knew him, he has grown to know God in a similar vein as I have. It was amazing to see this man I had known as a carefree, easy going guy, now expressing his own relationship with God. He talked about many things, but these are the things I came away with. He talked about the day of the accident, and all of the amazing people he met, who helped him, his family and who tried to save his son. He talked about the people at the hospital, strangers who came in to pray with him.

The EMTs and ER doctors kept Drew alive while his mom was being flown in to the Emergency Room. Randy asked them to keep him alive so Marcie could say goodbye. While he was waiting with his son, Randy remembered the day of his son's baptism, how his Pastor, Troy, had taken him around to the congregation and even outside the church, and introduced Drew to the world: This is Drew Michael Taylor: A Child of God. And so, as the doctors, nurses, EMTs and others came to speak with Randy, he introduced them: "This is my son, Drew Michael Taylor, a child of God."

Finally, Marcie did arrive and she was told the news. In another display of strength, she asked the doctors if his organs could be donated. The docs said no, there was too much damage. She asked again, saying, please, there must be some way Drew can help one more person. Again, it took a strength and a courage I cannot even imagine, to even think of this at a time like this.

Randy and Marcie went in to say goodbye to Drew. And then he was gone.

Then Randy had to tell his eight-year-old daughter, Lauren, that her brother was gone. I don't know how I would have handled it. This is how Randy handled it. He got down on his knees and prayed. He asked God to give him the strength and wisdom he needed, because he recognized that this was going to be the most important moment in his life, the moment that defined him as a father. When he told his Lauren, he did it with the strength, the wisdom, the grace and the love of the Holy Spirit.

In the days that followed, people asked the questions one asks, the same ones I did: "How are you and the family holding up?" "Is there anything I can do to help?" One of his friends asked, "What have you learned from this?" At first, I thought it a harsh question. I don't know if Randy did or will experience the rage and disappointment I felt with God when I heard. I suspect it's impossible not to. The thing that struck me was his response to the question. What he learned is the meaning of life. Randy said it all boils down to three things:
The people you love
The people who love you
What can you do for God

...and with that, he left the pulpit, sat down with his family, waited to hear the preachers words, and went out to send Drew Michael Taylor, Child of God, home to Heaven.

Many things have occurred to me since then. I don't think that I take a lot of things for granted, and I have a good grasp on how much God has blessed me. Still, it gave me pause and made me consider how I could spend my time here loving my family and friends more, and better. The other thing that I saw was how God never allowed Randy to be alone. I think at times like this, the worst part is when we are alone in the midst of it. Randy didn't have that. The EMTs, the doctors, the chaplain at the hospital, a local congregation that showed up to help and pray with his family as they recovered from the wreck, the local community, the schools where Randy and Marcie teach, and especially his own church. In all of these people, God made His presence not just known, but felt.

The Lords Prayer - per Amos & Andy

2006-06-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

In a Christmas segment from the "Amos 'n' Andy" radio program, Amos' daughter Arbadella lies in her bed on Christmas Eve, her father tenderly explains the meaning of the Lord's Prayer to her:

ARABDELLA: I've been saying the Lord's Prayer with Mommie. What does the Lord's Prayer mean, Daddy?

AMOS: The Lord's Prayer? Well, darlin', I'll 'splain it to you. It means an awful lot, and with the world like it is today, it seems to have bigger meaning than ever before.

ARABDELLA: But what does the Lord's Prayer really mean, Daddy?

AMOS: Now, you lay down, and you listen. The first line of the Lord's Prayer is this: "Our Father which art in Heaven" — that means Father of all that is good — where no wrong can dwell. Then it says — "Hallow'd be Thy name" — that means, darlin', that we should love an' respect all that is good. Then it says — "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven" — that means, darlin', as we clean our hearts with love, the good, the true, and the beautiful, then Earth where we are now will be like Heaven.

ARABDELLA: That would be wonderful, Daddy.

AMOS: Then it says — "Give us this day our daily bread" — that means to feed our hearts an' minds with kindness, with love an' courage, which will make us strong for our daily task. Then after that, the line of the Lord's Prayer is — "An' forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" — you 'member the Golden Rule?

ARABDELLA: Yes, Daddy.

AMOS: Well, that means we mus' keep the Golden Rule and do unto others as we would want them to do unto us. And then it says — "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" — that means, my darlin', to ask God to help us do, an' see, an' think right, so that we will neither be led nor tempted by anything that is bad. "For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen." That means, darlin', that all the world an' everything that's in it, belongs to God's kingdom — everything — Mommie, your Daddy, your little brother and sister, your gran'ma — you an' everybody — and, as we know that, an' act as if we know it, that, my darlin' daughter, is the real spirit of Christmas.

Mission: Possible

2006-06-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mission Statement: Possible
The new VP of Sales at my company decreed each of his employees should come up with a personal mission statement. My friend and colleague Mike found this site, which is absolutely perfect.

My first spin: Our business is dedicated to improving the full range of our dynamic metamorphisis by performance and added value second to none.

The scary part? It was better than what I had at that point. Still, developing a mission statement is a surprisingly good exercise. As many of you know, I am a fan of self-improvement and learning new things. Quite frankly, I have been surprised by how this process is focusing me.

If you would like to do it, too, there are a couple of good sites I'd recommend. Here is one. Here is another.

Here is my Personal Mission Sattement:
I will act as a Renaissance man of God, fusing integrity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning in all of my endeavors. I will be known, respected, and sought out for excellence in all aspects of my personal and professional life.

Tri to Gain Glory...

2006-05-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been following my efforts as I prepare for my triathlon. I've posted quite a bit on my blog. In my quiet times last night and today, I tried to focus on the analogy that Paul gives us of a race in Hebrews 12: 1-3:

1Therefore, 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 (B)run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing 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 (G)sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

It got me to thinking about how often we....errrr...I...lose focus on divine things, on God, and struggle with the things of this world. One of the things I recognize is the importance of that focus, how critical it is to maintain at all times if we are to finish the race that is set before us. Our training, the things we consume, the way we prepare, the hardship and adversity we overcome..all of these things prepare us for the race toward glory.

Imagine, too, the glory of winning that race!!! If I were to win on Saturday, I would recieve a medal that would tarnish, rust, and eventually turn to dust. How much more vigilant and focused then, should our training and focus be as we race toward eternity?

Mark 2:17

2006-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Few places on earth deserve the title of "sin city" as much as Amsterdam. With a myriad of innovative ways to sell sex, and a liberal attitude towards drugs - Holland's capital draws a host of people lured by the relaxed attitudes and "easy money" it provides. The sea-port city in the heart of Europe is perhaps the most multicultural place in the entire world - no city in the world is inhabited by as many different people from other countries and cultures as Amsterdam. When i visit - i often feel like i'm at the Mos Eisley spaceport from Star Wars.

The infamous Red Light District is a place unlike any other in the world - "coffee houses" are really dope houses with the smell of reefer wafting outside, strung-out drug addicts wander around aimlessly. It's very clean and the old buildings, the cobblestone streets and the canal are absolutely beautiful sites to behold - just like most of the city. Aesthetically - the RLD is top shelf! That said, the most notable aspect of the RLD is the prostitution - here, women stand in windows, presenting themselves like merchandise. Live porno shops abound, as do drug and sex paraphernalia shops. It's all wrapped-up in a very festive type atmosphere. I wont even get into the "Gay Pride" thing...The city tour guides even promote the RLD as a place to "enjoy yourself in the festive atmosphere".

An old friend of mine from High School - Steve Ashworth actually lives in Amsterdam. Steve was our class valedictorian, he graduated from Baylor University with an Accounting degree, went to work for Arthur Andersen and was off to highly successful career as CPA - I'm sure he had "Partner" written all over him! While getting ready to start his MBA program he "got a call from upstairs"...

Today Steve is a Director with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Amsterdam. He is in charge of the training center and handles the YWAM finances and administrative duties in Amsterdam. During my last visit there I had the pleasure of meeting with Steve for the first time in 24 years as I sat-in on an orientation session he conducted for his new incoming staff.

{Steve - Addressing his troups and preparing them for what lies ahead. He is sharing how they need to view the people of their mission field NOT as what they are, but how God sees them - as His children whom he loves, and in whom He will do great works and miracles}

YWAM owns several buildings in Amsterdam - one is the De Poort training center where Steve lives and works with his wife Rhonda and their 3 children. The training center reminds me of a small technical college - it has classrooms, dorm rooms, a large commercial kitchen, a dining hall, a recreation center etc. Another building owned by YWAM is a large building in the very center of Amsterdam - across from the train station. This building is easily recognizable as the building with the "Jesus Loves You" sign at the top. YWAM receives rent income from the apartments. Among the buisiness tenants is an awesome Christian coffee house/art cafe' and a Christian book store.

The third building is a work in progress called De Cleft. De Cleft is in the heart of the RLD, a couple of doors down from what was the Church of satan (I'm not kidding), live pornography shops...the works. The Cleft serves as a ministry/outreach center to the RLD with teams of women sharing the love of Christ to the women behind the windows and other teams reaching out to the homeless and broken who congregate in this neighborhood.

Right next to The Cleft is another building that YWAM is now renovating called The Tabernacle of the Nations. It is a work in progress, but the vision is that, when complete, it will serve as a 24/7 house of prayer and worship that will be open to all.

The funding for renovationations on De Cleft is running very low and Steve was forced to tell the staff they need to slow-down a bit until more funding comes-in. It will be completed.

I was blessed during my visit by the enthusiasm and positive attitude of all of Steve's staff and volunteers. They work in one of the more overwhelming mission fields in the world - but they see it as a plentifultifull harvest! It seems like all of them (who, by the way have made many sacrifices to be there) are full of The Spirit and they are happy to be working in His vineyard - there is no place they would rather be than among the least, the last and the lost....sorta like Jesus huh? It was a blessing to me just to be around them - what a testimony! There are some incredible stories of His awesome healing power and grace that abounds in this community. These people have "gotten out of their boats" and they trust in Him to be faithful - and accordingly He continues to bless them and their work, which is why they are so bold and enthusiastic.

Lets keep them and those whom they minister to in our prayers.....

Whodat?

2006-05-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

"A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. He has no formal education. He owns no property of any kind. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside. Walking from place to place preaching all the while even though he is in no way an ordained minister he never gets farther than an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, propertyless young man who preached on street corners for only three years who left no written word has for 2000 years had a greater effect on the entire world than all the rulers, kings and emperors, all the conquerors, the generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who ever lived -- all put together. How do we explain that? ...Unless he really was what he said he was."

--Ronald Reagan

Romans 8:28 (Part II)

2006-05-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Investigation of the accident has left many unanswered questions. What went so terribly wrong that day to cause this accident? The aircraft was well maintained. The pilot is an experienced flight instructor with many hours in this aircraft. The weather was good. The plane had barely lifted off the runway when Andy realized the engine was losing power and that he had a serious problem. He did what pilots are trained to do in such situations. He attempted to land the plane as best he could straight ahead. If this meant crashing into buildings or other structures (mobile homes in this case), so be it. The chances of survival would be far better than attempting a turn and spiraling into the ground. In a controlled crash such as this, we can expect the airplane to be bent, twisted and badly damaged, but not destroyed. Survival of the passengers, though not assured, is a real possibility. The unfortunate outcome in this instance was an intense fire fueled by a propane tank in one of the mobile homes that exploded shortly after the crash.

The prospects of the National Transportation Safety Board investigators ever being able to conclusively determine the cause of the accident are slim since the aircraft was almost totally consumed in the intense fire. While it would be nice to know the cause of the accident, having an answer will not accomplish much more than satisfying our curiosity.

There is however another unanswered question that is much more interesting. How did Andy manage to exit the airplane and avoid the same fate as Diane, Allison and Amy? Typical of most light planes, there was only one door for passengers and crew to enter and exit and it was on the co-pilot or Diane’s side. The only recollection that Andy or the local resident who pulled him to safety away from the fire have is Andy standing outside on the wing frantically trying to open the latched door to get Diane and the girls out of the burning airplane. There has been much speculation as to how Andy was able to exit the airplane. However, none of it stands up to critical scrutiny. Therein lies a great mystery. According to the dictionary an event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature and so held to be supernatural in origin is called a miracle. Thus we have the Miracle of 235 Golf. Yes, a miracle in the midst of a terrible tragedy. Andy, though badly burned, is with us, Diane and the girls are gone.

Whether or not you believe God still works miracles, you’ll have to agree that Andy is the recipient of God’s grace. We don’t know why the events of June 25 played out as they did, but it seems God has a plan for Andy and chose to spare him from death’s grasp on that day. Andy is a witness among us to God’s grace. Lest you view this argument as just trying to put a happy face on a sad event, consider the good that occurred so far, all of it a direct result of the events of June 25.

For starters, an incredible amount of authentic Christian action has surrounded Andy since the accident. It is on a scale unprecedented in the recent memory of Forest Hills in terms of the number of people involved, the extent of the labors undertaken, and the duration of these selfless acts. Immediately and without hesitation, Andy’s church family, as well as others in the community, went to work to care for his needs. No need was off limits. From caring for the house, locating and caring for Whitney, the family dog, cutting the grass, finding and relocating Andy’s cars, locating important papers, sending him cards and letters, to visiting him in the hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania. These many acts of agape love have been an awakening to others. So powerful are these works that some former members have returned to Forest Hills to once again be a part of this loving, caring community of faith. It is often said that an important strength of Forest Hills is its church family. The tragedy of June 25 put that claim to the test, and the verdict is clear. The family Forest Hills is indeed very strong.

A scholarship fund has been established for underprivileged high school seniors in memory of Diane, Allison and Amy. In just three months the fund has reached $92,000 and is well on its way to a goal of $1,000,000. Before long needy high school seniors will begin receiving grants from the fund, a direct result of the tragedy of June 25. Lives have been changed. People on the fringe of this tragedy and its aftermath have come to realize that there really are authentic Christians among us – lots of them – and that it not only right to engage in these selfless acts of agape love, but it’s okay too.

Such acts of love and caring have not been only the work of Andy’s Forest Hills family. During the two months Andy was in intensive care at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, he was the beneficiary of countless acts of support by local Christians that he did not know and that did not know him. The body of Christ in Allentown embraced Andy during his stay and, while the doctors and nurses worked to restore his physical health, two pastors and church members tended to his spiritual and other needs. They were there for him.

The exposure Forest Hills has received in the community through the television and news media has been phenomenal. Coverage went on for weeks. In addition, hits on the church website, which normally run 100-200 a day, jumped to 1000-2000 a day. Forest Hills has become much more widely known in the community.

The tragic events of June 25 have changed lives – many for the better as they have encountered God’s grace in action. We have been touched in ways we never expected and reminded once again that God is with us even in the midst of tragedy and that we are both the recipients and the instruments of his grace. As we go forward and the pain of the tragedy recedes, the Miracle of 235 Golf will live on. As Andy gets on with his life and tells his story of the events of the summer of 2005, as scholarships are given out by the JubiLee fund, more and more people will be exposed to God’s grace and have their lives changed for the better.

The Miracle of 235 Golf like the miracles of the Bible get our attention because they are so extraordinary. Now that God has our attention with this miracle, we can see the ordinary taking place powered by God grace. By opening hearts and minds to God’s grace, lives will be forever changed and the world will have more Christians walking the talk and fueling a hunger for a way of life that is better than they have ever known.

Andy Lee's message

Romans 8:28 Part I

2006-05-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose........

Three dead, one injured after plane crashes into trailer park
By MARTHA RAFFAELE
The Associated Press

NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. - A small plane crashed into a York County trailer park and caught fire Saturday, killing three people, injuring the pilot and destroying three trailers.
The single-engine Piper Cherokee, which had taken off from nearby Capital City Airport, crashed at about 12:45 p.m. in the trailer park near Old York and Lewisberry roads in Fairview Township across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg.

"It appears the plane made it about 1,000 yards from the runway when it had some kind of malfunction. He did report he was having a problem," county spokesman John Bruetsch said.
Three passengers, a woman and two girls, died in the crash, Bruetsch said. The pilot, a man, was taken to Hershey Medical Center and later airlifted to Lehigh Valley Burn Center, Bruetsch said.
"It appears to be a family," Bruetsch said. The names and ages of the victims were not immediately available.

The plane crashed into one trailer head-on and destroyed a total of three trailers in the 28-trailer park, but there were no injuries on the ground, said Bruetsch, a public information officer for Cumberland County who was assisting York County.

"One trailer was empty, one family was on vacation and one family was away," he said.
Jeff Twiddy, 26, of New Cumberland, Pa., said he was driving about 100 yards from the airport when he saw the small red-and-white plane taking off.

"I saw that the airplane was real low coming off the runway. It looked low. ... I saw it was in danger." The plane went down about 30 seconds later, he said. Ben Kirkpatrick, 21, said he was sitting in his trailer when he heard the plane pass overhead and then heard an explosion. He went outside and felt a blast of heat, and didn't think anyone could have survived.

"Two seconds later, I see somebody climb through the trailer halfway on fire," he said. The man turned back and appeared to be trying to go back in, and Kirkpatrick and another man ran toward the victim to restrain him. "The next thing I know, the propane tank exploded and it knocked me clear across the driveway," said Kirkpatrick, his hands still bandaged from severe scrapes that required a trip to the hospital.

Robert Gretz, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters that he did not know where the plane was going or whether a flight plan had been filed. He said investigators were meeting with representatives of the airport, the maker of the plane and the manufacturer of the engine. They also planned to look at the pilot's experience and the maintenance of the aircraft, which was registered in Hendersonville, Tenn.
___________________________________________________________________
Update: Piper Cherokee, N235G, piloted by Andy Lee, and carrying his wife and their two children crashed on takeoff from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Capital City Airport. Diane, Allison, and Amy perished in the ensuing fire. Andy survived with third degree burns to 50 per cent of his body......

"Hav'n Church"

2006-05-07T20:01:00.001-07:00

If you have ever known church goin, Bible believ'n black folks then you will be familiar with the phrase "hav'n church". "Hav'n church" should never be confused with just going to a church service.

"Hav'n church" is when your church service becomes a "Holy Ghost" party - a jubilant celebration of all His blessings - no matter what you may be going through at the time. It's a pure form of worship. If you want to really experience such worship - you need to be willing to invite the Holy Spirit and you need to forget about all that you left behind when you darkened the door of the church with your sorry self! You must put aside all the things that bind you, all the stumbling blocks such as pride, worry, insecurity, fear and most of all - your schedule.

Back in the day - in high school - i used to skip the regimented,stuffy, gilded, and stoic church of my parents and on occasion i would attend Ebenezer Full-Gospel Baptist church. It was a humble little church in a bad neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks. But, being an athlete in racially mixed school - i had many good friends in "that" community. One such friend was Daryl Frazier who's father, Rev Piphious Frazier III would bring-it strong...and we would "have church". After church, (which was over when it was over - maybe noon, maybe 2:00pm) we usually had a big pot-luck dinner. I was always treated as a special guest - all the deaconess' of the church would make sure that i got extra ribs, potato salad, baked beans....whatever - i even discovered that i liked collard greens and chitterlings! I would get home around 4 or 5pm with a full spirit and a full belly too! I remember being a bit uncomfortable over how these people - who were so very poor, always gave me so much and asked nothing in return - they always seemed so glad that i was there worshiping with them! I could never quite figure-it-out...it din't make any sence... all i knew was that i felt the love of Christ more amongst them, than i ever did with the people in my own church. It always struck me how the most precious thing in their lives was the church - not the church building mind-you, but THE church. (not unlike our brothers and sisters in Krichev i might add) Ahh good times...good times indeed! Those were the days....

Fast forward 16 years - my son Lance needs to visit the church service another denomination to fulfill his confirmation requirement. I decide to introduce Lance to the same experience i had when i was just a little older than him.

A member of my staff, and a lady whom i consider a very close friend and a sister-in-Christ is a member of church in downtown Harrisburg - similar to the one i frequented of my youth. She sings in the choir and is active in the church and she has invited me several times - so i used this opportunity to take her-up on her offer.

I tried to warn Lance what he was "in for". I told him as we went-in around 10:30 that he wouldnt necesarilly be out within an hour...noon or 12:30 maybe??? He didnt like the sound of that at all. He was also more than a little nervous about being one of two white folks in the church. He was peppering me with a zillion questions as we walked-in. Not knowing for sure what was in store - i told him it would be "different".

To make a long story short - as we were leaving the church....at 1:45 i asked Lance what he thought about it. He said it was "totally awesome" and he wanted to know when we could go back! I'm stunned - but happy.

I'm not sure what point i'm trying to make here...except perhaps we should take the choke collar of a set schedule off of our pastor and let him have free reign to move as The Spirit moves. Perhaps we are afraid to let-go...you never know, things just might get wierd! What will "people" say?

I wasn't there but i am pretty sure the early church preachers didnt have to keep their message to under 20 minutes...or else!? We can't allow that can we? No way man - we have places to go and people to see and schedules to keep!! So - if God wants to speak to us through our Pastor - he better darn well figure-out how to get it done within our schedule! Amen? Also - he better not say anything that convicts us...makes us feel uncomfortable or makes us feel like we need to repent of anything...dont bring-up Satan either, thats just "out there".

Maybe we need to stop going to church and start "hav'n church" instead - it's good for your soul.

Man's Testimony About Man

2006-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

In John 2:24-25, John notes that Jesus did not need man's testimony about man:

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

One of the most powerful things we can do as men is share our testimony with another man. I believe it is that life-on-life ministry that drives the power of Christ's church on this earth.

But I'll be honest too often my testimony is about man, not about Him and His Spirit. Also in today's reading:

The Spirit links Himself with us in our praying and pours His supplication into our own. We may master the technique of prayer and understand its philosophy; we may have unlimited confidence in the veracity and validity of the promises concerning prayer. We may plead them earnestly. But if we ignore the part played by the Holy Spirit, we have failed to use the master key.
--J. Oswald Sanders

Guilty as charged. Again. From now on my testimony will focus on Him and His Spirit, but mostly I will take time today to pray, and to make sure I'm not ignoring His Spirit:

The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; not those who can explain about prayer, but I mean those people who take time and pray. They have not the time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important- very important and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer.

--S.D. Gordon

Thank goodness He knows my weaknesses, my failures, my faults.. and most importantly my desire to follow Him.

A Little Levity...

2006-05-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

A young boy had just gotten his driver's permit and enquired of his father, if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said, "I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, get your hair cut and we'll talk about the car."

Well, the boy thought about that for a moment, settled for the offer, and they agreed on it. After about six weeks they went in to the study, where his father said, "Son, I've been real proud. You've brought your grades up, and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, and participating a lot more in the Bible study groups. But, I'm real disappointed, since you haven't gotten your hair cut."

The young man paused a moment, and then said, "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair and there's even a strong argument that Jesus had long hair also."

To this his father replied, "Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went?"

Prophet for the Times

2006-04-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

After reading last week the post about Judas as prophet for the times.. my quiet time today was in Micah 2:

11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!

10 years ago HE was the prophet I was looking for. Everything in our society - the one controlled by The Liar/Deceiver - points us in that direction.

One lesson I am trying to teach my children is that running a hard race may seem less enjoyable than watching it on a couch, but there is no comparison between the joy felt at the end: having done it versus having watched it done.

The wine and beer of our society, whether it is alcohol-based or some other intoxicant (my preference is chocolate) turns us into watchers not doers. It's not the wine and beer that are bad, but the results they bring on.

Choose this day to do it. Not watch it. Now the only question that remains: How do you define 'it'?! I prefer my definition to given in 'daily bread' doses, anchored by the Book of all books, and on this other Micah 2 character:

12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people. 13 One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the LORD at their head.

Another Unlikely Follower...

2006-04-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

"Just think about the situation Christ's disciples were in after He left them. Here was a group of peasants, powerless, up against the most powerful empire in the world. Possible prison time was the very least of their worries. They knew that torture and execution could be in their future if they refused to stop preaching the name of Jesus Christ. But they couldn't stop. To a man, they kept talking about Christ's life, death, and resurrection to anyone who would listen. None of them would deny or retract their story. Eventually, just as the authorities had threatened, most of them were executed for it. But still, all of them maintained to the very end that Jesus had risen from the dead—that they had seen Him, touched Him, talked with Him. What would inspire men to suffer and die for a belief? Only one thing—the absolute certainty that their belief was true... Which leads me inescapably to one conclusion: Jesus' resurrection was not a lie. These apostles would have turned state's evidence in a heartbeat, copped a plea, unless they had seen the risen Christ in the flesh... Their
courage, their steadfastness, proves that their story is the truth. And that makes it a truth worth living—and dying—for."

—Chuck Colson

Alice Cooper

2006-04-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier. He is often referred to as the founder of shock rock. Alice Cooper was originally the name of Furnier's band. Furnier officially changed his own name to Alice Cooper for a successful solo career.

The stage show, which had a gothic horror theme, featured numerous special effects. The highlight of the show was Cooper's "death" onstage, either by beheading or by hanging. The guillotine, trick noose and other stage effects were designed for the band by stage magician. Cooper's stage antics influenced later bands like Kiss and Blue Oyster Cult. Following two less acclaimed studio albums Alice Cooper Goes to Hell and Lace and Whiskey, along with the 1977 live album The Alice Cooper Show (recorded in Las Vegas), it was clear that Alice Cooper lacked some of the cutting edge of the creative 1971-1975 period, and in 1977 Cooper was hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for alcoholism.....

In a recent interview, Cooper said the following: "I was a totally functional alcoholic, probably the most functional alcoholic ever. I never missed a show. I never stumbled. I never slurred a word. I mean I was the Dean Martin of rock 'n' roll." Cooper said divine intervention is what broke his drinking habit in the mid-1980s. "I honestly think I was simply and completely healed," he said. "I guess you can call it a miracle. It's the only way I can explain it. It was absolutely eliminated from my life."

"We have to make a choice. And everybody, at some point in their lives, has to make that choice. When people say, 'How do you believe this? Why do you believe this?' I just say nothing else speaks to my heart. This doesn't speak to my intellect, it doesn't speak to my logic -- it speaks right to my heart and right to my soul, deeper than anything I've ever thought of. And I totally believe it. That being said, I'm not a very good Christian. I mean, none of us are ever 'good' Christians. That's not the point. When you're a Christian, it doesn't mean you're going to be good; it means you've got a harder road to pull."

"I'm the first one to rock as loud as I can, but when it comes to what I believe, I'm the first one to defend it too," he said. "It has also gotten me in trouble with the staunch Christians who believe that in order to be a Christian you have to be on your knees 24 hours a day in a closet somewhere. Hey, maybe some people can live like that, but I don't think that's the way God expected us to live. When Christ came back, He hung out with the whores, the drunks and miscreants because they were people that needed Him. Christ never spent His time with the Pharisees."

"I've had a couple of people that were friends of mine that I've talked to that have vocally said they have [accepted Christ]. I have talked to some big stars about this, some really horrific characters ... and you'd be surprised. The ones that you would think are the furthest gone are the ones that are more apt to listen..."
"I used to celebrate moral decay, the decadence of it," he admitted in the KNAC.com interview. "I can look back on what I did then and what I'm doing now and they're two different things. But at the time I was the poster boy for moral decay, you know. So yeah, I've got a lot to be forgiven for ... out of ignorance, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was totally in agreement that every guy should sleep with every girl and drink as much as they can. I don't believe that now. I don't believe in it, because I see how destructive it is."

"Being a Christian is something you just progress in. You learn. You go to your Bible studies....and you pray. It's really easy to focus on Alice Cooper and not on Christ. I'm a rock singer. I'm nothing more than that. I'm not a philosopher. I consider myself low on the totem pole of knowledgeable Christians. So, don't look for answers from me."

"It's obvious humanity is craving for answers directly born of awareness," he said. "That's the healthiest thing I've seen in a long time because there is something better and everybody's got to find it in their own way. People aren't feeling fulfilled by how many cars they own or the size of their stock portfolio.

"Even the addicts are saying, 'It doesn't matter how many drugs I take, I'm not fulfilled. This isn't satisfying.' There's a spiritual hunger going on. Everybody feels it. If you don't feel it now, you will. Trust me. You will."

"I was one thing at one time...and now I'm something new. I'm a new creature now. Don't judge me by what he used to be. Praise God for what I am now."

.....just as He did when walked among us 2 thousand years ago, He continues to make His disciples out of even the most unlikely among us! I find this very comforting. I know i need to always remember that His ways are not my ways; that He chooses the "foolish" things of the world to confound the "wise". I must always be prepared to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit through the people like Vincent Furnier - because it is often through people like him that God chooses to reveal himself instead of the so called "good church-goin folk". Hallelujah!! Yes ??

Brad

A plan to set us free!

2006-04-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

All right here’s the other one I found.

On the lighter side.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I was thinking how to free myself from myself to better serve the Lord. I thought maybe I could let myself go if I had someone to interpret (an interpreter) my excitement, my love of Jesus and His glorious love for me into standard, appropriate, proper reverent church speak. I too could be so transparent and open to share the Word in a meaningful way and not suffer from or worry about the giggles or "looks”.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hallalooja--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ME as a Pastor Mike type.------------------------- Interpreter as a Me type or is it you?-------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friends!!! --------------------------------------------- those in attendance

I wish to tell you God’s story about me! --in the bulletin you will find an anonymous letter concerning a witness account
I love God! I love Jesus! I believe in the---I attend church regularly
Holy Spirit!

He uses me to do His work------------------------I volunteer if someone asks me

to bring His love to others!-----------------------I enjoy being in the choir

I love you!!!------------------------------------------I am popular here

And I have to share this glorious passion---I hand out pamphlets discreetly
for Christ.

To build you up and encourage you------------I lead a couple of classes
in His name.

It has to come out!!---------------------------------If you’ve got a minute will you read this? I don’t think it will offend anyone,
or make him or her feel nervous or uncomfortable.
I hope not.
Oh p-lease give it back, I’d like to check it again.----

I really think the diversion of an interpreter could set us free!
You get the idea. Please edit, add to, comment or suggest. I might send the results on to the drama team for consideration. Just have your attorney check and ok it first.
try again YBIC

Ok I think I got it

2006-04-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this document when attempting to clean up an overburdened hard drive. It had been submitted to the original AMBS Blog (which was promptly cyberspaced, or black holed by a certain unnamed matador) during the week following our visit from Pastor Mike of Belarus. I was going to delete it because I didn’t think it timely anymore, but I read it first. I realized again, I don’t want to lose that fire, that first love I used to have and was stoked to the sky by that man. I’m going to print it out, keep it and read it once in awhile to stir up the feelings he gave me and remember to stay hot! God bless him.Maybe you could print it out to stoke a fire too.Gentleman, the Spaniard asked me to share. He thinks the blog is dead! It’s walking across the street without shoes! It’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds. (It’s an age thing.) I think not. It just needs to meet Pastor Mike! On Monday I sent an email to our brother about how I woke up thinking about Pastor Mike and even though for only seeing him two days I was sad because I wouldn’t see him today! I couldn’t even begin to express how moved I was by this man chosen by God. I wanted to thank him for his part in bringing Pastor Mike here (I’m sure you will too) and that now I truly knew what he was talking about when he spoke of him. I also wrote I didn’t think I would ever be the same because of meeting him. I still believe that! I didn’t know a word this man said (but for ameen and hallelooja) yet knew everything he meant. The handicap of a translator did not slow him down or ease the urgency of his message. When I say not the same I mean that Pastor Mike’s enthusiasm for sharing the love of Jesus was indescribable! Shocking! Humbling! Spine tingling! Raised the hair on the back of your neck exciting. Convicting! Comforting! And personally, shaming. He said, “What is in me has to come out”. As you well witnessed, it does and he lets it out with such transparency, so totally filled to overflowing and he didn’t care who was there or what he looked like, sounded like or what others might think or perceive him to be. Actually I’m sure he did care who was there as I’m also sure he wished it had been everyone. The whole world!It had to come out. I feel like that. But I let my feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness wall it in or get in the way too many times. I wouldn’t want people to think I’m stupid or silly. I’d be hanging out there, set up for rejection or marked as different. (you know, “one of them” that everyone’s so afraid of). This man sets himself aside completely to help God’s children. He’s suffered persecution for His and for his love. (sound familiar?) Meanwhile I worry about the observations and opinions of earthly people. My feelings. What a pity. How can I live this way? Why aren’t we all telling the news this way? We know God’s love, cry for it and cry because of it. I don’t understand how some people can have no outlet, no way to fully enjoy this love by expressing it. It must be shared Pastor Mike tells us. It has to come out! Like it’s a matter of life or death to him! Or to us. Isn’t it?I think if I didn’t at least have as an outlet the words and music of Godly people to sing (and hide behind in the safety of a church building?) I might explode too. But I’ve been feeling it’s not enough since Pastor Mike. Maybe I should stop for a while and listen and see where He leads. I mean really listen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m continually blessed by singing, but it’s just what I do to give thanks to Him for his presence in my life and for His glory. You try yelling as loud as you can “Jesus Loves Me” or “Go Tell it on the Mountain” repeatedly and see if His joy doesn’t come to you and maybe even splashes on someone else. It sets you free! I mean it. Try it. It really works.This is what Pastor Mike does, but he carries it out in the open amongst everyone and anyone. For all to see and feel. And he grieves for those who are blind and for those who can’t hear. It’s like a giant fountain on a windy day with this guy. Everyone within earshot gets wet. It’s what I need to do. God maybe won’t ever ask me to be a Pastor Mike, but I could sing on a street corner every once in awhile. Until He calls.You know, “Let It Out".YBIC

95%

2006-04-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

One aspect of 9/11 lost on most of the population is the ongoing efforts (yes, 4.5 years later) to identify all the remains found at Ground Zero. On Monday we buried what is believed to be Maria's upper torso, bringing, according to funeral home estimates, the total of her buried to about 95%, and what most believe will be the final tally.

I don't often let myself think about that day, it is too painful, but here are some out loud thoughts:
- It appears that my sister's body was in two major pieces, or one piece and many other pieces.
- I believed that day, and continue to believe, that she did not survive the incredible smoke, as she was on the next to top floor. That means that she had already died when the towers crashed, which caused the official 'blunt force trauma' listed on her death certificate.
- I continue to focus on the 41 years we had together rather than the 4 apart. She is missed by everyone in this family.
- I am reminded constantly of how fleeting this life is, and to cherish each moment with the loved ones around us.
- You often hear from 'the 9/11 victim's families', but I can tell you that they rarely solicit my family's feedback on those conversations. There are organized families fighting for different causes and I applaud many of them, and some I do not.
- My preference is that Ground Zero remain a big hole in the ground. There is no greater memorial than that, building anything on that ground just doesn't seem right. I know, you didn't ask...

The Badspel of Judas Revisited 2

2006-04-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

Another perspective on Judas (hat tip Instapundit)
http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/006301.php

walk into the pain

2006-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Before we suffer, suffering is our worst nightmare.

Becoming a parent, I lived in fear of what I'd do if I were to have a special needs kid.
I feared being betrayed.
As a wealthy man, I looked at those who struggled for food and shuddered, and immediately thought of all the reasons that they were the way they were, and why I would never be that way.
As an attractive man, I looked at those who were not so attractive and deep inside, knew that I'd dodged the bullet on that one... only to be reminded occasionally, with an unsettling feeling, as I walked through the burn unit and looked at those whose faces had macabre holes where a nose used to be, and scar tissue rather than features... that in an instant I could be one of them, not one of us.

And then God gave me Kaitlin. I learned to accept that she was not going to be "normal"... and I grieved the loss... and then I embraced the gift that she is... if you were to ask me today if I'd like God to erase her "differentness", I just couldn't do it. She is the beautiful girl God created, who has conversations in the back seat while I'm driving... "Jesus, you goofball, you made FLOWERS! What's Your favorite color?"

And God gave me eyes to see the betrayal of those I trusted most. And He showed my that HE had not betrayed me.

And God took everything I owned... my house, my NEXT house, my cars, my Harley, my job, my career, my ability to hold it all together... then my family. And HE reformed it all, and gave SOME of it back. And then He gave me new gifts... gifts only received through suffering. He made it possible, after the cars were repo'd, for me to swap IT work for a car rental place for the use of a rental car. So there I was, driving a Ford Taurus with 12 miles on the odometer, YELLING at God... "God, I DON"T EVEN HAVE A CAR!"... ... .... .... "Uhhh, except for the one I'm DRIVING!"... God showed me ownership is not important, and that I shouldn't pray for a car, but that I should pray for transportation. Let Him provide what he will. The rent car, besides being hot off the assembly line, came with insurance... I didn't even need insurance... and I had the gall to be unsatisfied! God taught me EXACTLY what it's like to stand in line at the food bank... and not be able to explain WHY things are the way they are, yet need the help none the less.

And then God took my teeth... and I started to look like more like a homeless guy than an executive. And I learned the unspoken cruelty our society has for those who are not physically beautiful. And I learned to actively love, particularly those who are less lovable by our society's standards.

And EVERYTHING in my life that is worth ANYTHING, came as a direct result of suffering.

And I learned to live to survive the next five minutes. I learned to find contentment in THIS moment. I learned to embrace the process without regard for the result.

And I am almost fearless... because true Love casts out all fear... yet He doesn't specify HOW He casts it out. His methods vary, and not all of them are painless.

I know. I didn't enjoy it, yet I do recommend it.

Walk into the pain.

-vern-

'Kingdom of Loathing'

2006-04-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

Kevin Ray Underwood slipped through the cracks. He is an example of what "the world" of today will do to a person who is left alone to deal with it. I suspect somewhere, somehow the Gospel was offered to him and for whatever reasons - he rejected it. Or, maybe no one bothered with him...he was probably "wierd" and he probably wouldn't "fit in" with most of the "church people"....

On his blog, an online diary that he had kept since September 2002, Underwood described himself as "single, bored, and lonely, but other than that, pretty happy."

He mentions cannibalism, asking "If you were a cannibal, what would you wear to dinner?" and responding: "The skin of last night's main course."

In an entry dated February 4, 2006, Underwood wrote that he struggled with depression and social interaction.

"Pretty much the only time I believe in God is when I blame him for something," he said. "Or, when I'm really depressed, to cry and beg him to make me better, to make whatever is wrong in my brain go away, so that I can live like a normal person.

"That's all I want in life, is to be able to live like a normal person."

He wrote that he rarely left his apartment for long stretches, except to go to work and to buy food. "I just sit here at the computer every minute of the day, when I'm not at work. A week or so ago, I spent my day off sitting here at the computer, barely moving from the chair, for 14 hours."

He said one of his main interests was the online role-playing game "Kingdom of Loathing," in which stick figures battle one another.

In September 2004, he wrote that his depression deepened after several months without taking the medication Lexapro, an antidepressant also used in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

"For example, my fantasies are just getting weirder and weirder. Dangerously weird," he wrote. "If people knew the kinds of things I think about anymore, I'd probably be locked away. No probably about it, I know I would be."

Mother: 'He was always a wonderful boy'

"Regarding a potential motive," Purcell Police Chief David Tompkins said Saturday, "this appears to have been part of a plan to kidnap a person, rape them, torture them, kill them, cut off their head, drain the body of blood, rape the corpse, eat the corpse then dispose of the organs and bones."

"Integrity"

2006-04-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Christian men are called to be men of integrity, although that term often slips by me sometimes. The simplest definition that I cling to is this:

"Do what you say, say what you do."

That goes beyond the 'lying' aspect. It is a given that we should not lie. It also means that we keep commitments, that what people see on the outside is also what is on the inside. That our word is our bond, our honor.

Perhaps the biggest commitment a man can make is to his spouse. The vows of marriage have been cheapened by society's acceptance of a spouse running when times get tough.

Everyone knows the 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger' quote. That applies to marriage as well. The couple that sticks through the tough times, and makes an honest attempt at coming out together, becomes stronger. That is as true the first year of marriage as it is the 35th year.

The advantage that Christians have in that area is that Christians know 2 things:
- They are called by Christ to love. There is no one more 'neighborly' than our spouse. And Christ demonstrated repeatedly what He meant by love, and it never looked like the love of Hugh Hefner. It was service, healing, lifting up the subjects of His love.
- They can rely on the strength of Christ. When you give up chasing your own desires and let Christ drive the car, you benefit from divine strength. You may feel like you are in such a bad place there is no way to love another, even or especially your spouse. With Christ you have strength to love no matter where you are at.

A Christian loves their spouse during and out of the bad times. They muster the strength to do that by relying on Christ. They do not rely on their spouse to lift them up, because there is no guarantee that will happen. Often both in the relationship are worn down, and the relationship needs to be bootstrapped like a computer, with Christ providing the BIOS. One of the partners needs to insert that Christ BIOS diskette and press CTRL-ALT-DEL.

If you are in the middle of a mediocre to bad relationship or marriage, my prescription is to try another relationship, one that will NOT make you give up the first: a true relationship with Jesus. If you're reading this you probably already have an acquitance-level relationship with Him ("I say Hi to Him when I see Him or on Sunday"). It's time to ratchet it up, time to upgrade your BIOS.

When you accept Him as Savior and Lord, your life will change like you never imagined. Your assignment today: Read The Great Divorce, paying close attention to the man with the lizard. There are amazing things waiting for you, if only you'll take that step.

Be a man of integrity, make promises and vows. And keep them.

chicken little

2006-04-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Just watched chicken little.

For fathers who are afraid they've missed the hearts of their children, and for children of all ages whose fathers missed THEIR hearts... this film depicts the process. It shows dad missing the point, wounding his son, both by action and by omission.

And then the redeption... the healing of wounds and the reconcilliation of hearts. If it actually mentioned the healing of Christ, I might call it the best father/son movie of all time.

Sadly, many of us will never find reconcilliation with Dad, and from a humanistic perspective this might be depressing.

But Jesus says He came to bind up the broken hearted and free the captives... even those held captive by poor parenting and abuse.

So when you watch chicken little, remember that some of us will have to be re-fathered by Jesus, and that being mentored and fathered by Jesus isn't second best.

And remember that many in our world are starving for the emotional fulfillment of a bear hug... and that to many, we will be the first glimpse of Jesus. Yeah, that's the ticket.. a Jesus sized bear hug. I'll try not to tickle your face with my wiskers in the process.

-vern-

More on Judas...

2006-04-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/1388856.html

Brokeback Revisited

2006-04-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

I have several close friends who are gay or have wrestled with being gay.

As a result, I have spent time looking into what issues our Lord has with this. He is relatively silent on this issue, though he clearly says that a man joins with a woman to become one. Paul is more vocal, calling it an abhoration. Then there is Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. There are many websites that will give you differing opinions on the issue.

For me it comes down to this:

- Each of us is a sinner, and has desires of this world that are not of His world.

- We are called to love others, who are also sinners.

- Jesus is the judge, and our primary mission includes loving God, loving others, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus

- Our scriptures do not cast a good light on homosexuality. This can easily become a wedge that the Enemy uses

- As a Christian sinner, I pray for the Lord to remove the wedges between Him and me. Like the Alcoholics Anonymous saying: "One is too many, a million is not enough". There are times I must simply RUN AWAY (in my best Monty Python british accent) from the temptations.

The enemy wants us focused on the controversy, rather than doing God's work. I think that is Vern's point. We need to do God's work, which is loving others, regardless of the sin.

The enemy also wants to marginalize sin. Make it seem normal, like everyone is doing it, and that it is ok. Regardless of the sin - we are all sinners - it is NOT ok, as it separates us from our Lord. Brokeback may not be an agenda piece on its own, but the celebration of this movie - from what I've heard average plot/acting with great scenery - is the enemy's agenda.

If Brokeback and homosexuality caused people to flock in droves to the Lord, I'd say great. But I believe that our scriptures - not us as Christians or the 'culture war' - keep homosexuals away.

brokeback and Jesus' love

2006-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Brokeback Mountain just came out on video, and I picked up a copy at Walmart.

God has been teaching me how to love, and teaching me that loving others requires coming alongside them.... and coming alongside requires me to understand. To pretend that I understand what the world looks like to a gay man is delusional... and to pretend while trying to walk beside someone is insulting, or worse, patronizing.

So I picked up Brokeback because I wanted a better frame of reference... a jumping off point in conversation, and common point of reference... but I expected to be viewing an "agenda" piece that shows an attractive part of the story, but fails to portray a comprehensive view. MANY movies I watch have this in common... showing singles out partying and the thrill of the chase, but not the next morning, talking to Ralph on the Big White Telephone, and waking up next to a stranger the next morning without the benefit of the Beer Goggles.

IMHO, Brokeback is no agenda piece.

There are scenes of homosexual sex, and male to male kissing, and with this in mind, I can fully understand why some would choose not to see this movie. Personally, I am LESS inclined to engage in homosexual sex after viewing it than before, but for me this has never been a struggle. For those who struggle mightily with this, it might well be good advice not to view it.

But for those who have an opinion about homosexuality, but have never really ever met anyone who struggles with it, (you have, they just don't trust you to tell you)... this movie shows the gamut. It is valuable in understanding others, and how the world looks to them.

No single movie is going to take a homophobic Christian from homophobia to effective, but this would be a REALLY good starting point for some.

There is a really good overview of the family of origin of some who act out homosexually... and it portrays the difference between sexual addiction and predatory sex versus passive sex that is an attempt to fill the void of intimacy. The story of Ennis, and a view of his parents provides an accurate picture of the result of growing up in a home where intimacy is almost as foreign as communication. Ennis is a starving man.

And Jack, bounced between foster homes as a kid after the death of his parents, seems to be acting out the predatory practices rampant in the side rails they park kids who don't belong anywhere.

It tells the story of living one's life in fear, and self loathing, and pain... with no hope or thought of redemption. More than a lifetime's worth of pain... with ripples that emanate in all directions... back to parents, across to spouses and lovers, and down through children.

God calls us to love others... and right now the US is engaged in culture war over homosexuality. War is never pretty, but culture war always has as it's victims those who were hurting before the war... the GENERALS never get shot. If Generals got shot in wars, there'd be less wars.

The antidote to culture war is love. We have a culture war of homosexuality in the US largely due to the failure of the Church to love. We have remained silent while young gay men have been beaten and tied naked to fence posts to freeze. We have attempted to love from a distance, which never works. We have refused to engage and learn, for various reasons, none of them valid. We don't love well because we're too ignorant to love well. And when a movie comes along that MIGHT help combat the veil of ignorance; we protest it without ever watching it. This is not love, it is fear. True love casts out all fear.

I believe that many Christians, having watched Brokeback, would have a refined sense of gay issues, and potentially have the perception necessary to recognize those at risk, those young men and women who, due to the circumstances of their lives are likely to turn to a less wild lover. Who turn to each other because there is no one else.

I recommend that all mature Christians check this movie out. There's no danger that you'll turn gay over having watched it... but there IS a high likelihood that you'll see others whom Jesus loves in pain that tears at the fabric of their lives. And it's my hope that it awaken a compassion, that it open the door to conversation, and that it convinces us as Christians to lay down our guns in a cultural war in favor of the love of Jesus.

-vern-

...Rather Than God's Work

2006-04-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

Too often we are provoked by articles, most recently Mr. Judas biography caused some excitement. This in my quiet time today, 1 Tim 3-5:

...not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless geneaologies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith. The goal of this command is love...

The enemy would do anything to keep us from executing this command, from doing God's work. This is the true battle we are in, and later Paul challenges Tim to, 1 Tim 18: "...fight the good fight".

I am going to stay focused on doing God's work.

The Gospel According to WHOM?????

2006-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Just introduced THIS amazing, and I'm certain, controversial find.

More cool Bible Facts from Red...

2006-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of you really enjoyed the Bible facts presented by RedLefty at Megaloi (Great Things). He's just come out with Part Two for your consideration.

Wondering about 'prayer' today?

2006-03-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

This was funny..
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2229

My Evidence

2006-03-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

Many of us require 'evidence' before we are convinced. Two books that serve as the foundation of evidence for my position as a 'believer in Christ' are:
- Mere Christianity, CS Lewis
- Evidence that Demands a Verdict

There are others great ones (e.g. "Case for Christ"), but these two are my favorites.

Piled on top of that foundation are hundreds if not thousands of big and small events and coincidences (I prefer 'God-incidence') that further seal that faith.

Two more to add this week:

1) My small group is studying "Growing Strong in God's Family", a Navigator's study. I consider this study one of the most powerful studies I've ever done, what I learned in this study remains at the heart of my daily walk with Christ. I had not heard from the person who led me through that study in several years.

This week, while leading the small group through this study - and in turn revitalizing my own walk and my daily discipline - I get a card of encouragement from him. No doubt in my mind that was divine confirmation that I was on the right path.

2) I was listening to one of my favorite tapes (yes, my car has a tape player!) on the way home from basketball. I had listened to most of the 50-minute tape over a few days of intermittent driving, which included at one point having to press the PROG button to get to side B (better than 8-track, not as good as CD).

Somewhere on side A Mr. Hybels introduced a working definition of Love (see post below). I could not remember it but knew it was somewhere on side A. I pressed PROG expecting to have to fast forward or rewind until I found it. The first thing I heard when I pressed the button: "Seeking the well-being of others". It was like God was saying, "here, I'll get that for you". More divine confirmation..

3) I'll throw a bonus one in here (3 for the price of 2: your lucky day!). The morning is the best time for me to connect with my Lord. This week in spite of being up late several nights, I have awakened every day at 5am (4:59 today) WITHOUT ALARMS AND WIDE AWAKE!

Not only have I been able to do my quiet time, but also take a quick nap on my couch before my daughter comes down at 6am to get ready for school. That just does not happen - not in my life - without some other force. He is alive, and a great alarm clock!

I pray this at night: "Lord, wake me up early so that I can spend quiet time with you in the morning." Try it, you'll like it.

"Seeking the well-being of others"

2006-03-31T02:13:00.000-08:00

Bill Hybels uses this as his definition for love:

Seeking the well-being of others.

We are so often tempted to use the world's love definition. Think about what 'love' means to you? I'm sure each of us has many connotations surrounding that word given to us by a life of worldly influences, some good, some bad.

But in Christ's most vivid example of 'loving neighbors', the Good Samaritan was 'seeking the well-being" of the injured man.

So next time you're wondering if you've loved, of how to love, or when to love, or why to love.. replace the word love with 'seeking the well-being' and try those questions again.

The ___ Samaritan

2006-03-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Good Samaritan is Christ's most powerful parable on love (IMHO).. While Christ taught what the Samaritan did, there are a few things not in the story that are worth noting. While most often called 'good', I wonder if these other labels might have applied:

The Active Samaritan
Mr. Samaritan (Mr. S) was not sitting at home playing game cube or watching the tube. He was out and about. With spring on us, I'm making a point to GET OUT!!

The Undercommitted Samaritan
Mr. S had time to stop to help the injured man. Too often I am maxed out, my calendar booked top to bottom, or just simply in a rush to complete the many 'urgent' things in my life. Do I have time to stop for someone who needs my aid? Undercommit, overdeliver...

The Observant Samaritan
Mr. S was not so caught up in his own little world, with its challenges and issues, that he did not notice the man in the ditch. How often my head is full to the brim with the things going on in MY LIFE that I completely MISS that man in the ditch.

The Git-R-Done Samaritan
Mr. S did not go back and diagram the perfect rescue operation. He used what was at his disposal and got the man some help. Call it analysis paralysis, form over function... We need less thinking, more action.

The Flexible Samaritan
Mr. S did not go for a walk looking for someone to rescue. Often I'm most open to serving when I want to serve, but less open when I have my sights on other things. Sure, I'll serve Sunday morning, but don't take my Saturday afternoon from me. Not sure if God keeps stats on these things, but I'm willing to bet that He most often needs my help when I'm NOT in 'serve mode'. Like Mr. S, I'll also bet that God drops the people He wants me to love in my path..

The Short-Order Samaritan
Mr. S did not adopt the injured man and take care of him the rest of his life. He did what he needed to do and moved on. While there are clearly a few life-long love assignments, I believe that most of the 'aid' He wants us to give is in short doses: "...fix him up, get him to shelter...". Each day we should be on the lookout for the short dose of love God needs from us.

I thought this was interesting...

2006-03-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Some cool Bible facts, from an aquaintance of mine...I especially found the left-handed slingers information intriguing.

Guilty?

2006-03-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

One of the things I gladly left behind when I joined Aldersgate was the guilt of my previous faith. I was raised with guilt: a stick, not a carrot.

People tell me that they 'feel guilty' at Aldersgate. It has nothing to do with the church you are at, or the people you are with.

It is all about strategic vision for your life. "First things first" is one of Covey's 7 habits, but to put first things first, you need to know what is first. To know what is first, you need to have a life strategy. Once you claim a goal, you become focused on that goal, and the prize associated with that goal. You may temporarily get knocked off course, but when the goal is worth it, you will get back on course.

The best part about being focused on the prize is that you stop feeling guilty about all the OTHER things the world throws at you, even things that seem good. Charity calling for money? You know you tithed at church and gave to others. Ministries at church asking you to do more? You know that you are spending time on the important things.

Get strategic. Find a goal, focus on the prize. The only guilt you should feel is when you purposely take your eyes off that prize.

The Prize I have chosen - Jesus Christ:
- promises me peace, strength, joy
- promises me new life here, and life eternal
- realizes that I'm not perfect, that I will stumble
- forgives me when I repent

Wandering & the Power of God

2006-03-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

Often when I'm reading my Bible my mind wanders off. I'm never sure if it is the Enemy distracting me, or God leading me somewhere.

Today while wandering - and still reading - my pen underlined Colossians 2:12:

...through your faith in the power of God...

I snapped back and realized I had wandered, then read what I underlined without even knowing it. That has been the theme of my quiet time this week: the power of God, and my faith in it.

While I can never give you an algorithm to prove the existence of God (we are called 'believers'), it is an overwhelming collection of these moments that has convinced me beyond any doubt of His existence. While these moments were sporadic before, since I've incorporated quiet time into my life - as often as possible - these moments come fast and furious.

As a human I can do nothing but underestimate God. I cannot comprehend His power. But I take it further. I underestimate Him even in places where I have evidence of His work.

Even when I recognize His work, or I can imagine His power, I do not live by faith in that power.

Those who know me know that I struggle with my weight. After a lifetime of chubby/obese, diet after diet, I prayed to God: "I can't do it, I'm going to rely on you." At the time several close to me thought I was quitting. Hardly, I was having faith in His power.

Two days later a Christian friend shared with me a Christian diet. Coincidence? God-incidence. I lost 50 pounds following that diet. It was simple and God-centered: Pray before you eat. Trust God's work in the human body (ie listen for signs of hunger, signs of being full). Eat slowly. Food is not bad, it is your attitude towards food that is bad. Turn to God - not food - when you are stressed, bored, need rewarded, etc.

I've seen His power, and I had faith in it. The results blew me away.

Since then I've gone back to running on my power. 40 of the 50 are back, and counting. Lately I feel like God is just pounding that message into my head: "Have faith in MY power". So that is what I shall do.. again..

I am so glad He expects me to slip and stumble... yet always welcomes me back!

Conversion: The Penalty Phase

2006-03-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

I've been watching THIS STORY for two days now. Abdul Rahman has converted from Islam to Christianity. The problem for him is that he lives in Afghanistan...where the penalty for apostasy is death.

Some things that made me think, in reading the article. First, they are trying to find a way to get him "off the hook" and be spared.

One state prosecutor, Sarinwal Zamari, said: "We think he could be mad. He is not a normal person. He doesn't talk like a normal person.

No, he probably doesn't talk like a "sane" person. I think that's part of it. Called by Him, we are asked to be different. In the world, but differentiated from it as not part of the world. It begins with our speech.

Mr Rahman reportedly lived in Germany for nine years before returning to his war-scarred homeland. Mr Rahman was arrested just over two weeks ago when his parents told police about his conversion.

His parents told the police? I don't even know where to go with this one.

He told a judge last week he became a Christian while working for an aid group helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Again, I see that call to serve. How important it is, and how others will come to know Jesus: by our love.

So, Abdul is facing the death penalty for his conversion. What's the worst thing I face? What's the worst thing you face. And how far would you go?

When you pray....

2006-03-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

...say a word for the people of Belarus. They have begun a revolution, of sorts, and there is no telling how or when it will end. After fixed elections (old-school Soviet style) the people have begun taking to the streets.

It is a frigid, risky vigil, given the Belarussian weather and the government's history of reflexive brutality against those who dare to stand and call for better lives than Mr. Lukashenko's island of Soviet nostalgia and corruption has been able, or willing, to provide.

This story gives a good overview of the situation. Many of you know about the people I met during my stay there. You can read more about my trip HERE.

A resume for your consideration

2006-03-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

The Resume of Jesus Christ

Address: Ephesians 1:20
Phone: Romans 10:13
Website: The Bible
Keywords: Christ, Lord, Savior and Jesus.

Hello. My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.

Qualifications:
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19)
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through me, (See Galatians 3:14)
Occupational Background:
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49).
I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or disrespectful.
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15-17)

Skills Work Experiences:
Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives free, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6). People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil, (See Proverbs 1:33).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)

Educational Background:
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto your feet and a lamp unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms 44:21).

Major Accomplishments:
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all times, (See Genesis 1:26).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15).
I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them openly, (See Colossians 2:15).
I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!
There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here. You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the BIBLE. You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my website.

References :
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings, salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural guidance

In Summation:
Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your heart. In summation, I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47). When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15).
Send this resume to everyone you know, you never know who may have an opening! Thanks for your help and may God bless you!

Test Post

2006-03-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Good day,

Just trying this out, first time blogger. Wife and I were out of town for last men's study, missed it and all who participate. Always learning things... great group of guys we have here.

Frank

Struggling? With whose energy?

2006-03-21T09:29:00.001-08:00

Today in quiet time, Colossians 1:29: "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."

First, are you struggling? Before you answer, consider our friends in Belarus, or members of the persecuted church in China or the Middle East? We are SO comfortable here in the US, where 'struggle' means that our boss gave us an assignment we don't like, or the kids have too many activities going on. (cue tiny violin playing in background)

I too often enjoy the peace I'm promised being a disciple, but forget about the struggle.

Now, if we're struggling, or we now know that we SHOULD be struggling, whose energy are we relying on? Before you answer that, consider that His energy created the world, healed hundreds while on earth, established a church body of billions, has influenced hundreds of generations.

Think of the most energetic human you know, other than Christ. What have they done? Doesn't seem like a fair fight.

So, whose energy are YOU relying on? Did you sell that 1,000,000th gadget? Did you break 80? Did you make 8 3-pointers? Ho hum..

Did you lift up your wife today, not physically (though not bad), but spiritually? Did you build up your children with love and a foundation that will enable them to build others up now and when they grow up? Did you make room in your calendar for the person in the cube next door?

The downstream effects of these acts - acts of love - dwarf that gadget, that scorecard. But they often require strength that we struggle to muster.

...unless we are relying on Him.

St. Patrick's Lorica (Morning Prayer)

2006-03-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Lorica of Saint Patrick
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

Men of Words, Men of Action

2006-03-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

We are uniquely called to be men of words and action. We rely, daily, on the word of God for our strength, our courage and our solace. But, having heard and believed the words of our Lord, we also believe that we are called to act upon those words, His commands to us:
--Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
--Matthew (yes, I know, Matthew!) 22:39 That we Love our Neighbors as we love ourselves

And so my brothers, we recreate this place to give words of love, encouragement and strength to one another.

Do not be afraid. He is with us, even unto the end of the age.