People. Passion. Purpose: August 2008

I dare you to pray this prayer!

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

- A Franciscans Prayer

I wanna be Kawass when I grow up!

It was three years ago, July 11th, my birthday.

I asked my kids where they wanted to eat.. My oldest son Joshua wanted to go to Denny's! (tuesday's are free) We were having a great time and then it was time to go... I paid, the rest of my family went to the restroom and I wandered outside to see hundreds of police cars, motorcycles cops, and SUV's!

My first thought maybe a plane had crashed, we were right next to Mitchel International Airport in Milwaukee. Then quickly, it was obvious someone important was near... I was so excited! "What a great birthday!" I thought to myself. Then, there he was, he rolled down his window and waved at the 15-20 people standing on the side of the road, President George W. Bush! He waved at me (well everyone standing there). I stood there in awe, I saw the President of the United States.

There is a funny word in the Greek, Kawass - The simple translation is "one who prepares the way, one who fills in the holes, makes the path straight." Like all of the motorcycle cops going before the President of the United States.

John the Baptist was the Kawass for Jesus! He prepared the way for Christ!

Today maybe you can be the Kawass for someone who is struggling with life and help prepare the way for them to know and understand Christ! Maybe they have sin ruts, or piles of garbage in their life, roadblocks to keep them from Christ. It is your job to go before to help prepare the way for Christ to work in their life.

Why Women Live Longer

Life is Fun!

Life is fun!

As we watch the news, or hear the grumblings of others we can sometimes get caught up in the negative perceptions in life. But life for the most part is fun and has simple levels of excitement.

I do not consider myself to be great at anything. I am not a skilled techy, or a skilled mechanic, my athletic skills are humorous, I am not a fix-it-man, even in ministry I do not consider myself to be a great speaker, deep thinker, or an academic...

At best I am just average! At best! But I love to have fun. Jesus said that "all of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.. Love God with everything.. Love each other as you love yourself." As I look at the picture in this post... I am just having fun! The kids are having fun! I beleive God is smiling on us and He too is having fun.

Let's make life simple... Love God with all you got, love those around you as you love yourself... Make someone laugh today, say a kind word, be positive - even when it seems "normal" to be negative. Have a great day!

Life is Fun! (if you want it to be)

Waiting & Twisting

I am not a big fan of waiting... Waiting on food or a waiter! Waiting in a waiting room! Waiting for my wife to "put her shoes on!" Waiting for my kids to get get off the computer! Waiting for my birthday or Christmas!

Let's face it, waiting is absolutely not a favorite American pass time.

In Isaiah 40:31 the scripture says, "They that WAIT upon the Lord, will renew their strength."

Is God calling me to be miserable? No, waiting has everything to do with calming our anxious hearts, continuing on our path in obedience, placing our confidence in God.

The word WAIT, can be translated HOPE! "To gather, twist, or bind together, to stretch towards, to long for, to expect" OK, OK, this is one weird definition!

So, look up at the picture... do you see the prayer shawl? That is known a the tallit. Do you see the fringes... the tassels... they are called the tzitit.... They would spend hours working on, mending... hoping, waiting (twisting, binding, stretching) in God's presence making/repairing the tzitzit.. They would twist, bind, worship for their hope and trust was in God.

For you today... Waiting on the Lord is not the same English word as "a waiting room" but God is calling to you wait/worship/praise/hope in his presence. Faith is the substance of things HOPED for.... Spend some time with Him today as you put your HOPE in Christ and He will renew your strength!

Happy Twisting!

6960 is the Strongs # for wait. For further study also look at :
- Psalm 25
- Numbers 15:38-41

Why Women Live Longer

Kids

As I write this blog - my kids are running through my house as if they were on some kind of sugar high. This is my day! My day off! My hopes at this moment are simply to drink coffee and watch Olympic high lights. My hopes and plans are not panning out this morning due to the overwhelming amount of boyish energy in my house. Emily, my only girl - she is serving the family this morning by letting me know everything that her brothers are doing wrong. (What a gift!) As I felt my tempuature rising when I could not see or hear the much awaited Olympic highligts... I stopped and listened, watched them.... The over whelming feeling of "boy, I am so lucky..." came over me. I am so blessed with the children I have running freely though my house, even at the expense of not hearing or seeing something I have been waiting 4 years to see. The next time I see the summer olympics, my kids (for the most part) might not want to run freely through the house, but they will be asking me for money so they can go to the mall with their friends... Serving God and serving my family is the most wonderful experience anyone could ever hope for. My prayer for the day, that I am the example of Christ to them, even when the Olymics are on tv. Enjoy your family today! Kids are great (even when they are loud)! Enjoy whatever stage of life they are in today, for the next Summer Olmpics they will be 4 years older!

WWW.GOODSEARCH.COM

Great news!

You can do a lot of good by just searching on the web. I know this blog is powered by Google (and I love Google) but, goodsearch.com will give money to charitable organizations. So go search something! Try it for a day or two and let me know what you think... Enter MY CHARITY - WEST LAYTON ASSEMBLY OF GOD.

www.goodsearch.com

Nothing's too hard for God

As you woke up today, what was the first thing on your mind? Did you start singing, "Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day...." or truthfully did you pull the pillow over your face as you heard that annoying sound coming from your alarm clock, and try to hide from the reality that it was time to get up and start fresh, a new day!

You are not alone when you dread going to work, school, or just getting up! I want to encourage you that you were made for a purpose, a purpose that is for today! Unless you get out of bed the world will not be blessed by the gift God has given this world through you. To make your dreams come true you have to wake up and get up and look up!

Smile, and remember! With God nothing is too difficult!

"This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Have you ever wondered where you belong in this world?

What is my purpose?

Who am I? or Who is God?

You are not alone - If you are seeking wisdom for your life, look no further than the Creator himself.

Sunday's are great at West Layton Assembly of God! Our theme for the day will be Serving God and Serving Others!

I would like to personally invite you to attend one of our services! Come, just as you are and find some answers for your life... You deserve it!

Sunday at 10am

Lessons in Grammer

Beautiful Feet!

How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good news!

Please pray for this team! They will be hanging out in the Ukraine for the next few days. God is going to use them in such an awesome way! I personally can't wait to see the pictures and hear the great God stories of this trip!

Servant Leadership

There's a clever young guy named Somebody Else,
There's nothing this guy can't do.
He is busy from morning until late at night,
Just substituting for you.
You're asked to do this or you're asked to do that
And what is your reply?
Get Somebody Else to do that job,
He'll do it much better than I.
So much to do in this weary old world
So much and workers so few,
And Somebody Else, all weary and worn,
Is still substituting for you?

Why women live longer

Kids' Theology

A pastor of a church in Milwaukee was busy one afternoon fixing the gutters on his house after a long-hard winter. A neighborhood boy stood by watching for a long time. Finally, the pastor asked the boy, "are you getting a hint on how to be a handy-man?" No, the boy said, "I'm just waiting to hear what a pastor says when he hits his thumb with a hammer."

Not just any 6 year old

To see her, she looks like any normal 6 year old. She loves dresses, pink, ponies and Cinderella. She loves to sing, jump, climb and also she can be a little bit on the "direct" side as she shares her concerns with her 3 brothers. (BTW - one more on the way)

Emily is a miracle in the making. She is busy right now conquering skin cancer. This coming August she will have her first major check up since finishing her treatments last October. To look at her, she seems healthy and active - but since she was 4 she has endured 4 major surgeries, lots of needles, picc lines, pokes, prods, blood draws and a lot of unwanted exposure.

She is doing Great! We are believing this "cancer" will be a thing of the past! I believe God is going to use this for his glory! He created her with a purpose, and she has already proved to be an overcomer.

This blog entry is to encourage you to not give up. Let a 6 year girl's fight with cancer give you the hope you need today to accomplish all God has called you to do.