Lindsey's Book

My wife, Lindsey, is in the process of writing a children's book. The content and focus of the book will be to help kids overcome the fear of going to the dentist by utilizing a funny cartoon flare. She has already met a couple of cartoonists and other folks that can help her out. Please pray for her as she carries out all that God has placed in her heart. We will try to keep you updated on the process.

Stretched

I am currently experiencing a season of life that has far surpassed any previous on the subject of stretching. I have preached it, taught it, and even lived it on smaller scales, but it has gone to a new level since we embraced the call to church planting. I know it is for the best, but it sure hurts when you are in the midst of it.

It is easy to lose focus in the midst of the fog of the "stretching process," but I have found that I must keep my eye on the prize or I will perish. When you are severely stretched it is easy to focus so much on the stretching process that the vision gets dimmer and dimmer, and this creates a "fog" so to speak that attempts to rob the initial vision from us. But the vision is sometimes all we have to hang onto, and when we keep our eyes focused on the vision amidst all the question and strain, we show that we truly trust God, and I am beginning to learn that "trust," or in other words "faith," is truly the reason for our stretching in the first place. God stretches us through difficult situations so that our faith is big enough to handle the next portion of our destiny.

I guess the most encouraging concept about my stretching is the fact that I am not being stretched for me alone, but for all of those who will be edified by a stronger leader down the road. Hang in there, God has bigger plans for us. We just have to be stretched to fit into it.

Making the Most of It

What I am about to say is not a leadership lesson or an attempt to try to give the latest greatest blog entry...it is just a voice from the depths of my soul. I am with Seth on this one, it is definitely a time of deep soul searching for me too. Tonight, I found myself out on my balcony just weeping like I haven't wept in awhile as memories from my past dominated my thoughts. I have changed a lot in the past 6 or 7 years, the old country boy isn't just the little old country boy anymore. It seems that life has gotten a little more complicated than just hunting and fishing...bull riding and baseball...family and friends. Lots of things have changed drastically, and in the midst of rapid change you can sometimes lose yourself, and also begin to assess relationships superficially as well. It is easy to just skip through life when we should be delving deep and making the most out of every moment. Before we know it those moments are gone...forever.
I think back to the hundreds and thousands of relationships, connections, and memories that I have made in the past and how many of those moments I just passed off as irrelevant to "the now,"...I wish I had some of them back. The harsh reality is that they are gone along with many of the people...never to be seen or experienced again. The family, the friends, the colleagues, and the acquaintances...most of which I took for granted at one time or another.
My prayer is that God would truly teach me how to make the most out of every opportunity, God only knows how many more of them I have. To truly love my wife and son, to truly value every person and relationship in my life. To make conversations a true connection instead of a shallow gesture. To love God and people unconditionally, and to recognize the value of every moment.

Kick Out the Nest

I have had these birds, doves namely, hanging out and making babies on my balcony for the past few weeks. The female (I am guessing) just perched up on her nest for the duration of the incubation period, and then last week...they arrived, two little baby doves! I watched them as they just sat there for a couple of days, but something crazy happened after those first couple of vulnerable days. One morning as I looked out onto my balcony, I noticed something. Not only was my balcony covered in dove fecal matter :), but the doves nest had been destroyed and spread out everywhere! I looked up, and there they sat clinging to the edge of a high ledge probably trying to figure out who was going to jump first! The parent doves hung out for a little while to ensure the safety of the baby doves, and then they checked out. So the little ones were left with no home, no parents, and forced to leave the only source of comfort and protection they had ever known.

I am sorry, but I can't help but apply it to leadership. The momma dove had a pretty good handle on what it took to see these little ones spread their wings and do what God had created them to do...kick out the nest! I am sure the baby birds were freaking out at first, but thankful later. When raising up leaders, kick the nest out and put them into situations where they have to "jump and fly."

Get Yourself a "Fat Head"

I have been fighting the "big head" syndrome since the Rangers signed me!

Frustrations

I have a couple of frustrations at the moment.

#1 would be the fact that we were supposed to close on our house YESTERDAY and now we are not sure when we are going to close because the people writing off on our loan think that they own the world and can move at their own pace!

#2 Seth is teething and we are trying to break the "passie" habit as well, so...well, you get the picture!

But this too shall pass, I have a couple seasons of "24" to watch and I am gearing up for a fun weekend at the lake so that gives me some hope for joy in the near future!

Random Stuff

• God continues to open huge doors for The Crossing. We finally secured most of our equipment and it looks like we are about to secure our location (which has been a major miracle...believe me!) I will elaborate on details in a later blog. Also, our website is up! Follow the link above.
• I just passed another Berean test with a 98%! On my way to ordination soon!
• Seth just had his eighth tooth come in.
• The only place I can connect with the wireless Internet from the club house right now is on the counter right next to the stove and refrigerator. It is pretty convenient though, I don't even have to get up to get anything to eat!
• We finally get to close on our house next Tuesday!

Nothing is Impossible

During this whole church planting adventure we have found ourselves in numerous "impossible" situations. Many people have looked from the fleshly eye and have questioned and criticised the move we took individually and as a team. But ever since we embraced God on this challenging journey we have witnessed miracle after miracle. Way too many miracles with way too many intricate details to mention in this short blog. It is pretty cool to be on the edge of what God is doing rather than just swapping old victory stories from the past. Lindsey and I are excited and humbled to be a part of something so awesome. God still works miracles through His love, and it is pretty awesome to watch Him do His thing. It is a Power that just can't adequately be described with words.

As I was strolling through my blog roll this morning, I came across one of Gary Lamb's latest blogs. In it he put the links to this song and the story behind it. I have heard this song many times before but it seems like it is just one of those songs that sticks with you over time. The story behind it is a great story of mercy and miracle. I think the bridge of the song has definitely become my motto. Check it out! The first link is the song, and the second one is the story.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4xsWldmqAo&eurl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_ny8hMgRY&feature=related