Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Meet Needs & Satisfy Desires Business

In early December, our van was totaled by a rogue reindeer. Insurane paid for a car rental for about a week but then we needed to go to Arkansas for three days and on to several other out of town commitments so we had to rent a car on our own dime. We turned the car back in to the rental agency at 9:00am Christmas Eve and at 2:30pm that afternoon, we were given a 1990 Dodge station wagon! "The Lord has done great things for us,and we are filled with joy!" (Psalm 126:3)

Only our God is in the "meet needs and satisfy desires" business! People are always helping us and God is always touching their heart to do so. We are so grateful for the goodness shown to us and we are delighted!

Philippians4:19 sez "And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus."

Psalm 103:2-5 lists God's benefit plan....better than any 401k matching plan around! No recession in God's economy! "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Christmas Eve Eve

No I'm not stuttering! It's Christmas Eve Eve...the day before the day before.

Well anyway it was a wonderful day! We got to visit Margaret in Overland Park, Kansas and although she is confined to a wheelchair for the moment due to an accident, we do believe 2009 is going to see her up and around. She has a smile, an energy and a personality that just can't be kept down! She does have one twisted quirk though...she keeps an almost unnaturally clean desk. As soon as she gets up and around, we're going to ask her to help find my desk!

Today was also the first day The Innkeeper of Bethlehem was aired on radio through Horizon Radio Network. It will air again on Christmas Eve at noon & 6:00pm (Central Time). The KSRD production staff did a great job of making us sound good and they are absolutley the best to work with! It was amazing to hear something that you wrote, perform and recorded on the air. It is heard anywhere there is a computer (just google KSRD) and it is also being broadcast through radio stations around the country. Lucy and I cried when it came on. To be used by God to touch people we have never met is almost too much to bear. We both miss our parents. They have gone home to be with the Lord. I guess anytime you do something good or worthwhile, you want Mom and Dad to see or hear it. That never changes no matter how old you get.

We also got a chance to share the Innkeeper and have dinner with a group of developmentally delayed adults. We so admire the people who care for these folks. Lucy and I were talking on the way home about how they...the cared for AND the caretakers...are the forgotten of our culture.

It was a wonderful day of blessing people, being blessed and watching people love each other


Friday, December 12, 2008

Oh, Deer!

It was early Monday morning and we were traveling back from Kimberling City, MO and needed to be in Lee's Summit to speak at a Christian school at 8:30am and we would have made it too...if it hadn't been for Olive.

You don't hear much about Olive this time of year. Rudolph usually gets all the attention. Perhaps that's why she did it. She just needed the recognition.

I had just settled in for my winter's nap and Lucy was behind the wheel of our van when Olive and her two friends leaped out of the woods with malice aforethought and crashed into our van with a thundering BAM!

I'm sad to report she did not survive. May she rest in peace...not Olive...the van!

So you better watch out.

This Christmas...yes ...yes... you can sing to Rudolph

But watch out for .....Olive the other reindeer!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Just After The Holiday...We Hear The Word

Here in Kansas City it made the headlines. They treated it like it was news. "It's official," it read, "we're in RECESSION!"

Now tell me what possible good that that piece of information did for us? It's not something we didn't know, so it's not educational. It didn't inspire us to be a better nation of people, so it's not motivational. It didn't improve our physical or mental health, so it's not medicinal. All it did was promote fear and that's just evil.

Now I'm not one for sticking my head in the sand when things start going bad. Denial never helps any situation but promoting negativity and fear is certainly not the answer!

Here's a suggestion: let's you and I begin to market and promote HOPE. Now that's a four letter word you can shout from the rooftops and never offend a soul regardless of their race, creed, culture, age, gender, ethnic or economical background.

What is HOPE you ask? Well the best definition I have ever heard is:

HOPE is the confident expectation that something good is about to happen

Now you and I will never change the media and the way it views the world or what it spews forth on television and in the newspapers BUT (Behold Underlying Truth) together we can offer HOPE.

Let's begin to expect good things to happen. Let's encourage others that for every valley of darkness, there is also a mountaintop of light.

Let's watch our language and speak the things we want, not the things we fear. In Proverbs 18:21 Solomon wrote that the power of life and death is in the tongue. I think old Solly had the right idea. Let's give it a try.

Friday, November 28, 2008

What a Great Holiday!

Thanksgiving has got to be the best American holiday! People of all nationalities and religions gathering to give thanks to God for the many blessings we have.

Let's go back in history and read the words of our first president as he gave the first formal proclamation of Thanksgiving in America. The year was 1789, the place was New York City

“ Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

George Washington

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Contagious!

There is a great line from Og Mandino's classic book The Greatest Salesman In The World. It is in the third scroll on page 64 and simply says this... "I hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious."

The truth is, our attitude and speech, positively or negatively expressed, is contagious! Scripture tells us in Proverbs 13:3 that when we guard our lips we guard our life. I suggest we take it even one step further, when we guard our lips we guard our nation's life!

Politicians, business people and leaders across the country are speaking gloom, despair and economic agony. I don't believe that is helpful to our national attitude. If I am sick, I don't need people standing around telling me how I'm on the brink of death!

Americans don't hang their heads when faced with a problem, we seek and speak solutions. We don't talk about out bad it is but how good it's going to be. Positive action and positive outlook is what built this country and what will continue to build it.

If we are going to be infected by contagious talk, let it be a contagious hope, a contagious confidence and a contagious belief that America may be down but not out, struck down but not destroyed!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Finding The Good

If we'll look around this country we'll begin to see some wonderful people with values.

Last weekend we were in Tempe, AZ and we took time Sunday morning to worship at the First Baptist Church. The service centered on honoring our soldiers and thanking our God for liberty we have. We sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America and My Country Tis of Thee and then we pledged allegiance to the Unites States of America. It was encouraging! It was refreshing and Lucy & I were overwhelmed with emotion as we realized that this was happening all over our country.

Soldiers past and present were asked to stand and be recognized. Pictures, new and dated, were shown on the overhead. Every person within that church, male and female, who served their country through the military was recognized and appreciated. Soldiers addressed the congregation and real community was built and felt....this all happened five days ago....the reverberations are still plucking our heartstrings!

Values are not just reserved for holidays. Workweeks have them too! This morning I took our van into Mike's Auto Repair in Kansas for some minor adjusting. Mike wears a headband and rides a Harley and...starts everyday with prayer with the employees of his shop!

These kind of things are so commonplace in America that they aren't considered "news" but if you'll take a moment to look around, you'll see people with values. Oops! Did you see that? That little girl and her daddy just said grace before they had their burger and fries. Keep your eyes open and you're sure to find good all over America.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Not My Candidate But...He's My President!

The election of the 44th president of the United States is finally past and my guy lost!

Now I sit, as do over 55 million voters who supported John McCain, with a decision to make. Do we whine, complain and argue for the next four years or do we support our president-elect Barack Obama and get this country back on its feet?

Paul reminds us in Titus 3:1 to be subject to our rulers and authorities, to be obedient and to be ready to do whatever is good. We don't have to jettison our values, we can continue to stand for adoption and life and work to see that marriage is defined as a spiritual and civil union between a man and a woman. We are not, however, to rebel for rebellion sake.

It is our duty as citizens of America and as children of God to support our newly elected leaders as best we can and do good when we can. If your blood pressure is still too high because of post electionitis to actively support them right now, then quietly pray for them and for their families.

As we try our best to work with them, to listen to them, to understand them...we become a light and they begin to see our point of view and a bridge is built and unity is established.

We had a choice at the polls. We have a choice now...unity or discord, Gods' love at work or ugly divisiveness. There's only one road to travel for Americans...the high road! In God We Trust, United We Stand!

Monday, November 3, 2008

It's Happening All Over America

Election coverage is going to be frantic over these next two days but there is one thing you may NOT hear reported. People are praying for our country like never before...they're not praying for the Democrats and they're not praying for the Republicans...they are praying for America!

I went to the International House of Prayer this morning and found everyone praying for the candidates...all of them...and their families! John & Sara, Joe & Barack. It was the first time I noticed people treating the candidates like people and the first time I heard people putting values above policies. Then it dawned on me that this is not an exceptional case. There are houses of prayer springing up all over our nation as our people are turning back to God.

You may not hear about it on television nor read about it in the newspaper but a great tsunami of prayer is beginning to roll over our country. Values are being re-established and America is returning to God!

Friday, October 31, 2008

There Is Goodness In People

Lucyah and I try to get to the community center gym 4 to 5 times a week when we're in town. This morning we ran into a friend from IHOP (house of prayer...not pancakes!). Paula is an extremely talented singer and musician as well as a lovely woman of God.

She was sharing how she was looking forward to her mother-in-law moving in with her and her husband. She spent about ten minutes or so telling us about how she wanted to honor "Mom" by caring for her and doing things with her....like going to the community center, taking her to the prayer room and just being with her.

As we listened to Paula, we were struck by her sincerity. When I joked that most folks don't look forward to an in-law moving in, she looked at me quizzically and said, "Really?" As I tried to recover from my poor attempt at humor, she said, "Scripture tells us to honor our parents."

It was then that I remembered a t-shirt I saw the other day. It said "I'm losing faith in humanity one person at a time." How sad for him! No doubt he gets his views from the 6 o'clock news.

When you stop and talk with people and take the time to listen to them, you will see that our country is full of people like Paula. These are people overflowing with goodness and just too busy loving people to have time to whine and complain.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Three Weeks On The Road

America is a wonderful nation and we enjoy our opportunities to serve the Lord as we visit different corners of the country. These last three weeks we had the opportunity to share the story of Zacchaeus at Yorba Linda United Methodist Church and then head up to Big Big Bear UMC to share The Boy, the Loaves & the Fishes.

So many good people happened to us along the way....yes, I said people, not things! The American people are so good and gracious and yet we always end up talking about what they do instead of appreciating the individual for who they are.

Before, after and in between presentations, people gave us their greatest gift...time! The hospitality extended to us was overwhelming. People love to give. It was so good to talk with folks about their lives; learning about the challenges they face, the dreams they pursue, and what's going on right now! Despite the recent talk of gloom and doom across America, we found people pressing forward as best they could and trusting their God.

There were some tearful times. Long time missionary Chris Wright went Home to be with the Lord shortly after we left Kansas and when we arrived in California, a beautiful young man named Jeff Baskerville also was called Home unexpectedly. As difficult as it is to say good-bye, as Christians, we are consoled that there will be a time when we will say hello again.

As a part of our travels, we took part in the Glorieta Christian Writers' Conference put on by C.L.A.S.S. We were privileged to lead Friday's morning devotional time. Do yourself a favor and put this annual October event on your calendar if you want to improve communicating with people on any level. You get one on one access to agents, writers, ghostwriters, publishers, editors, marketing professionals, web and blogging experts and all at a very reasonable cost.

An interesting thing happened in Glorieta, New Mexico...Lucy received a call at about 1:45am from a person wrestling with a problem. We went on a ministry trip to Texas back in April and six months later this young lady needed a friend to talk with. Now of all the people in her circle of influence (family, friends, neighbors, schoolmates) to call, she chose Lucy. It is at times like this that we feel highly honored by God. We seek to love and encourage people and sometimes wonder if we make a positive difference and then we get a call that shows us that God is using us.

God is using you too! You may not know how important you are in another's life but your words matter, your hugs matter, your listening matters. Love and encourage as best you can and don't worry if you don't see any immediate results. When you plant a seed, it takes time for the flower to blossom....Scripture says one person plants, another waters and God gives the increase.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Glad You Joined Us!

We're excited!

There's only 5 months and 6 days to go and we're getting ready to begin our third 3,300 mile walk across America for CHRIST! We'd like you to join us for a mile or two. We'll be praying for America, talking to people about Jesus and encouraging Christians to use their gifts.

You can visit us at christwalk to find out a little bit more about us and our route for this upcoming journey for Jesus.