Rodney Pavie

Starting the Year by Giving Thanks!

2012-01-02T10:36:00.002-05:00

As we begin a new year, I wanted to take a moment and jot down some thoughts and as I started to write I became overwhelmed with a feeling of the need to give thanks. I know Thanksgiving as a holiday occurred a little over 6 weeks ago but it truly should be a lifestyle and not just a day. I want my life to be a shining example of one who does not take for granted the blessings in his life but rather looks for opportunity to express the feelings that flow out of a life that has been touched by so many. Over the last few years, as a family, we have faced many things, some tragedies of my own making and others that are just a part of life. Through it all, I have found the blessings of God through the kindness of others and that has made a permanent impact on my life.

Yesterday, we began our year in church and I was so thankful to do so. We are blessed to be a part of a GREAT church and to be ministered to by a GREAT Pastor. I am so thankful for the legacy of love and salvation that has been placed in my life as a result of being a part of this GREAT congregation. I am honored and humbled to be a part of Life Church and to call Buddy Thompson my Pastor. He and his precious wife Robin, and their wonderful daughters, Lauren & Lindsey are truly as close as family to me and are some of my dearest friends. Also in regards to our church, I am so appreciative of the men and women who over the years have sacrificed time and treasure to make Life Church what it is. Some people who are still there and others who have moved on gave tirelessly and sacrificially, many times emptying bank accounts to give us an amazing facility but more importantly to create a lasting landmark to truth in our community that my children are blessed to know and love. Today I am TRULY so very thankful.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of praying for a lady in the altar who is now past the age of 90. She is a lady who I have known since I was six years old. Her name is Esther Carter and as a young boy she was my Sunday School Teacher. She instilled in me a love for God's Word that supersedes and in many cases defines my life. No matter the twists and turns of the road of my life, my love for the Bible is a constant that I can not escape and she assisted in putting that in me. 34 years later, she shuffles down the aisle behind her walker, every Sunday, and gets on her knees before God and continues to seek His face. Thank you Sis. Esther for being a shining example of a Christian, a prayer warrior, a teacher and most importantly a lover of the things that God loves, particularly children. You impacted my life!

I also want to take a moment and thank God for so many of the members of Life Church. Over the last year, you have poured oil on hurting wounds and provided whatever was needed to nurse my family back to spiritual health. Some of you, when you didn't know why, instinctively or lead by the spirit, you gave hugs and spoke words that have carried me when I've needed it most. Some of you have given me motherly hugs that I've desperately needed now that my mother is gone. You've sought first to restore and to love and I'm so thankful to call you my church family.

There have been so many people who have been a part of my life over the last few years for whom I am thankful. Many who were quick to forgive, slow to condemn, looked beyond faults, recognized needs, spoke kindly, loved freely, rejoiced with me, cried with me, believed in me, encouraged me, and lifted me from some of my lowest points. No one deserves more appreciation for those things than my AMAZING wife, Davina. I don't know how I'd have ever endured any of life's trial without you by my side. You deserve so much more than I can ever express or say, but I'm truly thankful that you still believe in me. Everyday, I count as a blessing from God, extended to me, that I get to spend with you. For this I am thankful.

To my children, who give me moments of great joy, and as all kids do, temporary moments of tension filled agony, I am so grateful to call you mine. Jordan and Abigail, you have been so gracious and kind and stood by your mom and dad like troopers. I am so proud of the man and woman you are becoming and I am confident that you are going to do amazing things for Jesus Christ. To my Dad, I say Thank You. Your kindness and goodness overwhelm me and I have learned so much about being a Christian from observing you and Mom. Thanks for loving my Mom and teaching me how to love my wife and my kids. You are a GREAT man and I'm honored to call you Dad.

Finally - Jesus - You are truly AWESOME! There is NONE like You! Just when I think your mercies must be exhausted, they are renewed with a new day. When I am overwhelmed by the flood of the enemies attack, You raise up a standard against them. When I am fearful and afraid you cover me with the wings of your mercy, as a hen would cover her chicks. When the storm rages, you protect me in the cleft of Your Rock. When attacks come on the battlefield, you are my shield. When I want to retreat, you are my refuge and my fortress, my hiding place, my strong tower. When I worry about tomorrow, you reassure me by showing me the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. When I feel alone, You remind me that You are my comforter, my peace that passes understanding, my strength, my joy, my friend who sticks closer than a brother, my God who will never leave me nor turn against me. I thank you today for knowing me and still loving me, for having plans and designs for my life even when I stand in confusion and frustration, and for believing in me, and inspiring my hope in You. You are my reason for living. You are the love of my life. Jesus you are my everything - the center of all that I am and ever hope to be. Thank you for loving me!

Perception is the key. . .

2011-06-27T16:48:00.002-04:00

For the majority of my life I have never been concerned about my eyesight. I have had better than 20/20 vision for the better part of 40 years. I have been told constantly by those who are older than I that the moment I turn 40, it's all down hill, but as of yet I still have no problems with my sight. My wife and son, on the other hand, are different stories.

Both Davina & Jordan have been forced to wear corrective lenses (either glasses or contacts) for as long as either of them can remember. I never even stopped to think about the qualifications of the eye doctor making decisions about my families sight. We went to the eye doctor, he said they needed glasses, he determined the proper prescription of the lens necessary to correct their sight, and we took the green slip of paper to a retailer who then shaped lenses to fit that prescription. From that process my wife and my son gained a different perception based upon the eye doctor's prescription. If you've ever seen an eyeglass prescription you know that a numeric value preceded by a positive (+) or negative (-) sign determines how the lenses are shaped, assisting with ones ability to see properly, correcting either farsightedness or nearsightedness. None of this was of particular concern for me until today.

My son went for his eye doctor's appointment today. After his examination, the doctor told my wife and son that he was never to put those particular glasses on again. Apparently when they were made, they were made to the wrong prescription. The doctor who wrote the prescription misplaced the sign. In other words, my son who is far-sighted has been wearing glasses made for someone who was near-sighted for over a year and a half. He's had headaches, his eyes have hurt and this past baseball season, although he took his glasses off when he played, because of the prolonged usage of inappropriate eyewear, his depth perception was inhibited and he struggled to hit the ball with any consistency. His perception was determined by simply a positive OR negative denotation on a prescription.

Now once my blood stopped boiling and we determined where the fault lies and restitution is in the process of being made, I began to thinking how much our perception is determined by a positive OR negative outlook on life. If you are someone who is constantly dwelling on the negative things in life then your perception on every event, every action, every relationship is going to be tainted toward the negative. But if you tend to see things in a positive light, your perception improves. The negative view causes you to be near-sighted in life, focusing on all the minutia, becoming critical of everyone and everything around you. But when you have a positive perception, you are able to see the big picture. You can see God's hand at work, preparing you for things that lie ahead, even when up close things may not always appear that way. Our perception is the key.

So - are you viewing life from a myopic near-sighted perspective, only seeing the problems and issues that you are facing right now. OR are you looking through positive eyes, faith-filled eyes, where you are dreaming of a future that God is preparing the way for you to inhabit. It may be time for an eye-check. You may need a new prescription and if so, make sure that you don't ever put the old one back on. Let God's perception of your life become your perception and it won't be long before you will be walking in the favor and faith of a greater future than what you can see right now.

God bless you as you look ahead to a great future that God has planned just for you! -- RP

The Delicate Balance of Spring

2011-03-15T13:15:00.000-04:00

This morning as I rode into work, I noticed the beautiful signs of spring. The buds of new life breaking forth from the crust of winter on the trees. The fresh sprigs of green grass breaking through the hard surface of the ground. Dandelions and tulips breaking forth from bulbs buried deep under the ground. The fresh white blooms of pears and dogwoods dotting the landscapes, perfectly pushing past the wintry gray of a season soon to end.

For many spring represents new birth, rejuvenation, new life. We are surrounded on all sides by fresh and new. It seems to bring hope and renewal and with it, many find that their spirits are lifted and they feel a sense of encouragement that has been missing all winter. AND YET, as encouraging as all of the new life seems to be, there are many who dread the beginning of spring, because with it comes stuffed heads, runny noses, headaches, scratchy throats and itchy runny eyes. At my home, I love the spring, but my family suffers all around me with the pain of spring. Allergies affect so many people as pollen begins to blanket the world, many suffer from reactions to the necessities of growth all around them. It is certainly a delicate balance between the joy and pain of spring.

The same is true in our spiritual lives. As we go through seasons of growth and new life in the kingdom of God, we struggle with the pain of the growth. With every struggle comes strength and so just as the dandelion must break through the crusty ground to beautify the landscape, so we must struggle to break through the old man, our sinful nature, or even our old way of thinking. As we struggle to break forth, there is pain in the struggle but the joy of spring lies just beyond. As a baby struggles to be born, it causes pain to the mother, but once having received that new baby in her arms, she would never regret the pain of the moment. We are the same. Once you experience God's best for you, the pain of getting there will pale in comparison to the glory of His reality in your life.

I once heard it said that "Pain is inevitable. . . Growth is optional." We're all going to struggle. We're all going to go through painful circumstances. But we choose whether we grow from them. I choose to embrace the new life of His presence and spring forward into God's best for me. "If any man is in Christ, He's a NEW creation. Old things are passed away and all things become new."

Enjoy the warmth of the coming days. Notice God's handiwork all around. Enjoy the growth that is taking place. Recognize that some of us may be suffering through (with red noses and watery eyes) but soon we'll all be basking in the sunshine of His greatness as His best in played out all around us. God best to each of you! -- RP

Restoration - Rebuilding on the Broken Pieces of Yesterday

2011-03-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Why is it that we have such a hard time believing that God is capable of restoring or bringing back what once was? Why do we have such a tough time believing that God is able to take the broken pieces of yesterday and rebuild something even greater than what once stood on the heap of ruin?

In the 30th chapter of Jeremiah, the prophet, as he watches his once proud and great nation be led into captivity and the once great inpenetrable walls of his great city, Jerusalem, torn down and destroyed, begans to speak the words of the Lord to His people. He tells them that because of their failure, their sin, they will experience pain and punishment, but it will only last so long. The day would come when he would bring back out of captivity this great nation and he would restore health to them and he would heal all their wounds, and because she had been an outcast, God would bring her back. Then in verse 18, he says ". . .The city shall be built upon its own mound. . ."

Years later, Nehemiah is a cup bearer in the palace of a Persian king. The king notices that Nehemiah is not his normal happy self. Rather, he seems disturbed, discouraged, downcast, beaten up. The king calls him in and asks, why Nehemiah is so low in spirit. Nehemiah explains to the king that the capital city of his homeland lies in ruins and has no walls to protect it. With the blessing of the king, Nehemiah returns and begins an amazing restoration project, that Jeremiah had prophesied would come to pass years before. Nehemiah goes and he rebuilds the walls of the city in an amazing feat, but what fascinates me is the fact that he used the broken down burned out pieces of the previous wall to rebuild the wall that stands to this day.

Isn't it just like God to take the discarded pieces of a broken life and allow it to become a blessing that touches future generations? When he chooses to restore, he doesn't do it halfway. Rather He takes the pieces of our greatest failures and disappointments and builds again on what was destroyed. Have you ever considered that Peter, God's man with the kingdom keys, when he fell into sin and returned to his fisherman's lifestyle, was found by Jesus? And when He found him, he doesn't punish Peter but rather reassures his love for Peter and puts him back on the job. From Jesus-denier to Pentecost preacher within 50 days. But what I love most, is the fact that God allows Peter a second chance to proclaim his knowledge of Christ. Where he once denied he even knew the man, 50 days later, he proclaims him both Lord and Christ and when others felt the same conviction that he felt 50 days earlier, he knew exactly what they needed to do to find exactly what he had found - the restoring hand of Jesus Christ.

Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth, says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." I've often wondered why it seems that I bump into people all the time who have struggled or are fighting battles that I've already fought. I believe that Jesus rebuilds with the broken pieces of our life so that when he, having put us back together, brings broken people to us, we are then able to follow His lead and offer the same restoration and comfort and healing that he once gave to us.

Nehemiah never forgot what it was like to rebuild walls out of broken pieces that lasted. Peter never forgot what it was like to be restored as a fisher of men. And I don't ever want to forget what it feels like to experience the forgiveness of God and find His hand of restoration taking the broken pieces of yesterday's failures and building a future that will, in faith, touch the lives of others to come.

May God bless you all! I hope to not be so long between postings. It's time for me to get started doing what God's gifted me to do more often and I hope that it will be a blessing to each of your lives.

Let it Snow!

2010-12-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

As I sit today, looking out of this window, observing once again the majestic handiwork of our Amazing God, the wonderful snow that is falling brought to remembrance some promises from God's Word for me. When I consider my own handiwork, and all the mistakes I've made in life, I could find myself battling through fits of depression and worthlessness. After all, left to my own devices, I am, AT BEST, an utter and complete failure. Paul even says in 1 Corintihians 15, that if our hope is only in this life, then we are of all men most miserable. The best that I have to offer is somehow inadequate. The Bible tells us that there is none good but God AND yet we are expected to go on to perfection. If, on my own, I can not even measure up to the standard of "good", how can perfection be expected out of me? Well, here's the hope - wait for it - you aren't expected to do it on your own - HE provides the help.

We bring to Him our stained, wretched, refuse of a life and He puts together the perfect recipe to make something beautiful out of it. Have you ever watched someone make a cake? Not one pretty ingredient out of the bunch - flour, eggs, vanilla, milk, cocoa, sugar (ok I'll give you that sugar can be pretty but I think it's only because we filter it through our sweet sensor). Nothing pretty in the bunch. And yet the amazing compilation a master baker can create will simply stupify our minds.

Jesus says "Come to me, all who labor and are heavily burdened down and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me - for my yoke is easy - my burden is light."

God says - "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Maybe you were perfect, never carried a heavy load, never had need of the cleansing power of God. But I have and I did. There's something amazing about the presence of God that allows us to go from scarlet to snow. Our ability to be made white as snow comes from his willingness at Calvary to be made red like crimson. Oh the blood of Jesus - Oh the blood of Jesus - Oh the blood of Jesus - that washes white as snow. If you've never needed redemption, then you may not understand but for those who've lived imperfect lives -- you know -- there's nothing like turning it all over to Jesus and allowing the master to make something beautiful out of it.

And so when I see the snow, as I do right now, it serves as a reminder - that though I once was stained so deep, His blood has washed me clean and when He sees me, He sees what I see out my front window a blanket of white, where sins stains once were. So --- I guess I need the reminder this morning - and maybe you do too - so I say "LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!"

There's a song I love that's out right now, by a group called Pocket Full of Rocks (if you can believe that) that says "You can come as you are - with all your broken pieces - all your shameful scars - the pain you hold in your heart - Give it all to Jesus - for you can come as you are. . ." If you are looking for redemption, if you are looking for peace of mind - you can come just like you are and find a Savior whose arms are open wide waiting to heal your brokenness and to give you a clean slate.

After all - that's why He came - why He was born - why He died - why He rose again - He knew that our best efforts weren't good enough ............... but His best effort was!

God bless you all - love all of you - just in case I don't write again before then - MERRY CHRISTMAS! Celebrate the JOY of knowing HIM this season and all year through! ---- RP

Breaking Forth

2010-10-22T17:22:00.000-04:00

Today - I began to think about the amazing presence of God. Have you ever considered how truly amazing it is that the same God who created the universe, who spoke the world into existence, who called light out of darkness, who brought order out of chaos, who took nothing and made everything - that very same God comes to take up residence within the life of every believer? This is absolutely amazing to me considering the amazing power of God and the frailty of humanity. How are we able to contain the awesomeness of the presence of God?

Ironically enough, God was concerned about the same thing. As Moses was about to go the top of Mount Sinai, God and he had a conversation. He told Moses that he should set a boundary, a stopping point at the base of the mountain because should the people break through and ascend the mountain, the presence of God would break forth and the people would die. After Moses descended the mountain with the law of God, to protect the people, God chose to house His amazing presence inside the tabernacle behind a thick curtain or veil allowing only one person, the high priest, access to His awesome power. Hundreds of years go by and God's presence remained hidden, veiled, limited to only a few and yet man longed for intimacy with God, and God desired relationship with man. Man did everything he could to get good enough, to somehow become holy enough to be worthy of God's presence, inventing laws and modifications of God's laws to insure that man remained "holy" in an effort to deserve the presence of God. Religious groups were formed; Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and those were just the ones in Israel. And no matter how hard they tried, they could not attain intimacy on their own - and God's presence remained veiled.

Then something amazing happened. . . this guy, an amazing sinless guy, one who had not been contaminated by the sin of this world, one who had actually come to the earth in the form of sinful man and had remained sinless, died on an awful instrument of torture - the cross. And as he died, as he breathed his last breath, the veil, the 12 inch thick curtain, that had hidden the presence of God for so long was torn from top to bottom. We were brought nigh unto God by the blood of Christ, thus allowing all of us access to the presence of God, the very thing that God warned Moses would kill those who broke through to God and allowed His presence to break forth in their lives.

So why was I thinking about this today? I think it just hit me - that my best attempts to be good enough, to be holy enough for God is an exercise in futility. Although, I'm endeavoring to please God with my life and honestly desiring to make him happy, God's presence at work in my life is not contingent upon my ability to be good. When He saved me from the clutches of sin, He supplied me with His Spirit, something so powerful that it gives me the ability to live a pleasing life for Him. He proved that once and for all man's best attempts to get to Him were insufficient, but when the fulness of time had come, nothing could stop Him from breaking forth to us. There was nothing we could do to get to Him, so He pursued us. He came breaking thru every barrier to give you what you need to overcome every obstacle you face.

So today, I encourage you to allow the presence of God to break forth in your life and discover the greatness of a relationship, a relationship that He desires to have with you so much, that nothing, including religious tradition, could keep him from having with you. God bless you - let's discover the nature of His amazing presence working in our life!

Hanging on to the Dream

2010-08-19T11:57:00.001-04:00

Imagine you are one of 12 sons and a few daughters thrown in for good measure. A big family with a great heritage, and a few really strange happenings as well. Your family has big plans for the future and since birth you seem to have your Dad's favor. When everyone else got K-Mart, you got Armani. When your brothers ate Happy Meals, you got Steak. While others worked the fields, you lay protected at home. And your brothers grow angrier and angrier. Now imagine that you've been sleeping, while they've been tending cattle and you walk into the kitchen, stretch your lanky arms out and with a big yawn say, "What ya'll been doing?" Well with grunts and groans they inform you of what they think of your question and as they prepare to get back to work, you pipe up with, "Hey guys - I have a dream."

That's pretty much the story from the Bible of a man named Joseph. Joseph shares his dream with his brothers (which probably wasn't the smartest thing he ever did), and explained how in his dream they were all going to be bowing down to him someday. Well if they weren't angry enough, they certainly were boiling now. Your dreams and your clothes and your preferred status put you in position few would want to be - in the crosshairs of 10 angry men. They place him in a pit, fake his death, sell him into slavery aboard a transport to Egypt and are done with his dreams. . . or so they thought.

Joseph always amazed me - if anyone could have been fed up with God's dream in his life it was him. Sold into slavery wasn't bad enough. He digs out of the pit only to end up in prison accused of attempted rape. Forgotten in prison, he still held on to the dream. Finally the call from Pharoah comes and all of Joseph's dreaming and waiting pays off. He is elevated to second in command of all Egypt and when famine hits, his brothers come and bow before him, fulfilling the dream he'd had so long ago as just a young teenager.

God is great in that He births dreams within us, plans that He has for us that He gives us a glimpse of as we live our life for Him. The only problem is that most of the time He doesn't reveal His schedule and how it relates to the dream. He also doesn't share with us what it will take to bring that dream to reality. He knows that if He showed us the complete picture, many would drop out of the dream fulfillment process and take an easier road BUT they would never fulfill the GREAT destiny that God had planned for them. I wonder if Joseph would have so readily embraced the dream if he knew the price. Nevertheless, if he does not embrace the dream of God, Israel as a nation probably dies of starvation before they ever become more than a single family.

Habakkuk 2:3 says - "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that God has forgotten or you had a bad pizza. It just means that the dream He's working on your behalf is not quite ready. Like an amazing recipe, with all the ingredients, if one is missing, the completed product won't be as good. So let the dream come to pass. Don't give up, Don't give in. Even if the path of the dream takes you through the pits and even into prison - it won't last forever - it is for an appointed time - God did not lie - wait for it - it will surely come!

I know it's been awhile. I've been in a bit of desert place but I'm confident that He is bringing me out and through it all, the report of the Lord remains GREAT. God bless you all - my wife keeps singing this song and so I close with its words - "Dream a dream if you dare to, dream a dream if you care to, dream a dream and prepare to see what the Father will do for you to make your dream come true. . ." Today I encourage you to hold on to your dream - the fulfillment is on the way! Love you all!

The High Cost of Freedom

2010-07-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

Today, I am profoundly afraid that many of my generation and those younger than I have lost touch with the true cost of Freedom. Freedom has been drilled into us as our birthright, our God-given right to live within the confines of Freedom. We take for granted the freedoms that we enjoy and we forget that their are so many who are not so fortunate. We walk through life assuming that so much of what we enjoy will always remain, even as each day those same freedoms are infringed on more and more. We no longer are truly appreciative nor respectful of the freedom that we have come to know and love. And when a generation loses touch with the value of it's freedom, can it truly be said that they still value it's cost.

Freedom is not, was not, and never will be FREE. It carries a steep price. I know that is cliche and yet because we have not for the most part been forced to step up to the check-out stand and foot the bill, we lessen it's true cost. Oh, we read about it in our history books, even as the intellectuals of our day, question their validity. Yes, we see books about it in our bookstores, alongside liberal interpretations of hatred spun at our men and women who are forced into impossible situations but serve the cause of freedom none-the-less. You see, my fear is that in our desire as a nation to remain politically correct and to promote freedom in every corner of our globe, there are some who use those freedoms to denigrate the price it took to purchase them. I fear that the country that we have become is a far cry from the beacon of liberty that our forefathers envisioned when they sat down and wrote the now famous words, "We the people of the United States. . .". We must now remind the next generation, our children, our children's children of the true cost of freedom, less they have a country that has returned to the shackles of servitude that our forefathers fought to free us from.

I'm reminded of the Children of Israel, having been delivered from the shackles of Egypt. They had a paid a great price in Egypt and yet, had grown to be a great nation. Upon leaving Egypt, with quite a display of the power of God, Moses insisted that they build memorials, altars really made of stone, as constant reminders to generations that would follow of what it took for them to be free of Egypt. Moses went on to say in Deuteronomy, referring to the laws of God and the history of the people of Israel, that parents were to constantly keep these things before their children's eyes. They should talk about them when they were in the street and when they got up in the morning and when they went to bed at night - less they forgot the Lord and His hand that had delivered them.

We are a nation of memorials. We have statues and buildings and sculptures in honor of the price that men and women paid for freedom. And unfortunately many times, because we've seen them so often, our familiarity breeds apathy and we fail to recognize or promote the true cost of freedom. Let this serve as a clarion call, a reminder to all of my generation, that when we see a memorial - that we stop and remember the cost of our fellow citizens to purchase the freedom that we so gladly and readily enjoy.

And as great as our political and personal freedom is - it pales in comparison to our spiritual freedom. Spiritually the Bible tells us that we were all dead in our sin. It tells that the just reward of our sin was death. It tells us that all of us are sinners and so therefore no matter who we are, we were shackled and enslaved to our sinful nature - and yet there was one who willing to pay the price of freedom - to set you and I free from spiritual death and eternal hell. It was a price that all of us were responsible for and yet He paid it on our behalf. When the cry that shook heaven and Earth from the top of Golgotha came from the soul of Jesus Christ, "IT IS FINISHED", the transaction was complete, the bill paid. He took upon himself the sin of humanity and was willing to do it because your freedom and my freedom was worth the price. Today, you can be free. You can live free from the sin of this world. Not because you have the power to do so, but simply because He paid the price for your freedom. That's why Paul could write, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new." Thank God that He was willing to pay the price for you & I.

I close once again with the words of a Gaither Vocal Band song, titled "Let Freedom Ring":

Deep within the heart has always known that there was freedom
Somehow breathed into the very soul alive
The prisoner, the powerless, the saved have always known it
There’s something that keeps reaching for the sky

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom
And songs we love to sing have freedom’s theme
Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom
And some faced hell itself for freedom’s dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free and we can sing --- let freedom ring

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul

I’ll sing it out with every breath, I’ll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring

You can be free and you can sing --- let freedom ring --- let freedom ring

This Independence Day, take the time to remember the price of freedom. Thank God for men and women who have laid down their very life for our Independence. But more importantly breath a prayer of thanks, that there was a man who carried on His shoulders a cross that was weighed down by the sin of an entire race of people and He was willing to do it to break the chains of the curse of sin ONCE AND FOR ALL. . . If you haven't done so, find your Freedom in Christ Jesus today - and if you have, celebrate the fact that Jesus paid the price that you might be free.

Love everyone - Happy Independence Day - pass it on to your kids that freedom is not free - thank someone who paid the price - and pray everyday that God will continue to bless America! -- RP
(Re-published from July 2009)

Thanking God for an AMAZING Dad!

2010-06-14T18:28:00.003-04:00

Last year, at about this time, I wrote my first blog entry. (Feel free to take a look back if you'd like.) The subject of my first entry was my hero, My Dad. Over the last year, my opinion of my hero has been supersized. My Dad is now a SUPERHero!

Superheroes don't come along everyday. They aren't a dime-a-dozen. They can't be found on every street corner. The essence of heroism is an undefined quality that is not present in every person you see. Few, when given opportunity to pay the price of heroism, do so. It's a costly road - but my Dad is now a Superhero.

When I was growing up, there was nobody bigger than my Dad. No one was stronger than my Dad. No one was faster than my Dad.  No one was able to leap tall buildings with a single bound like my Dad. But as great as my Dad was when I was a boy, he has risen to a stature in my eyes that few have ever gotten too. That's right - Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Tony Stark and Clyde Pavie.

Over the last year I've watched my Dad go from being a mild-mannered mechanic who loved his family and gave His best to God, to possessing a strength that supersedes muscular capabilities.  Over the last year, my Dad has watched his beloved wife be crippled by an insidious disease and when he could have been angry, frustrated, even mad at God, He has remained ever faithful. When he's received news that would have rocked the core of nearly every other person I know, He has stood with tear-filled eyes and a faith-filled heart and in the face of the negative, remained a force for the positive. As my mom's physical faculties continue to fail and as she's gone from being a strong independent woman to completely dependent for every moment, my Dad has become the care-giver, the bath-giver, the body-lifter, the nurse, the doctor, the whatever-my-wife-needs-to-sustain-her-life-for-the-next-moment provider. When he needs a break, he won't take one. When he should get away, he remains a constant at his post. When others would walk away, he remains as faithful as the ticks of a clock.

While my mom has walked through this horrible time with this horrible disease, there have been three constants. 1) Jesus Christ who is always with us. 2)  3 Sons who love her and have done the best we can for her. 3) Clyde Pavie, an amazing husband, a wonderful father, and newly introduced SUPERHERO who continues to amaze me. Dad - I was always proud of the way you provided for our family. But now, your strength and your courage have left me humbled and completely in awe. You are my SUPERHERO - the most Jesus-like man I've ever met. I love you and I'm thankful to not only call you my hero - I'm thankful to call you MY DAD! ~ RP

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T09:35:00.008-04:00

If you are blessed, as I am, to have an amazing Mom, you should take some time, not just at Mother's Day, but every day to be thankful for the tremendous gift you have been given. Life is fleeting. It is here today and gone tomorrow and the moments to learn and to grow from being in the presence of your Mother are not promised to last forever. I've learned so much over the last few months, watching my mom deal with cancer and struggle through what has been emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting times. She stays true to herself and to God who has given her so much joy over the years. Finding her smiling and laughing when there's so little to laugh about has been one of my biggest joys. To hear her say, "You might as well laugh as cry," makes my day. Because I've realized through her example that you work on the things that you can do something about, and the ones you can't, you have to release to God and trust Him to make the difference.

Children learn so much from their mothers. We rarely recognize the impact when we are learning the lessons, but their fingerprints on our life leave undeniable marks. In honor of my mom, and all the things that she has taught me, I've decided to share a few of the many lessons she has taught me over the years:

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me THE POWER OF PRAYER. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You are going to sit there until all that meatloaf is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
15. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until your Dad gets home."
16. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"
17. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
18. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
19. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
20. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
21. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
22. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
23. My mother taught me about PAIN. "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you."
24. My mother taught me about IMPOSSIBLE TASKS. "You sit there and shut your mouth. Do you hear what I am saying to you? Answer me!"
25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

So thanks Mom for all the wonderful lessons - some less painful than others. The scary part is I find myself saying the same things to my kids from time to time. So, if you've said any of these things, don't feel bad. Someday your kids will grow up and share with the world in a blog about all the wonderful things you taught them.

In all seriousness, my mom is a true beacon of hope and inspiration that I draw strength from daily. Throughout all of my life, I've learned to appreciate the good things, learn from the bad, trust God with all and to be thankful for the amazing family that God has surrounded me with. Thank you Mom! I love you with all my heart!

Living To Please God

2010-04-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever recognized, in your life, the need to be liked? The drive to make everybody happy? The seemingly unquenching desire to make sure that everyone is always pleased with you? In the midst of that desire - have you come to the conclusion yet that no matter how hard you try, you can't please everybody? You can't. So many times we are consumed by what others think of us. And the truth is that when we obsess about what others think about us, we can insure that we will forget what God thinks about us.

One of the things that I believe has been my greatest struggle in life is overcoming my need to please. I want everyone to always be happy with me. I don't ever want to disappoint. I don't ever want to let anyone down. I am driven at times by a desire to make others happy with me. Many times, if I'm being completely honest, I think that I'm more concerned about what others think of me than I am of what God thinks of me. Maybe you are too.

At some point, we must come to the realization that no matter how hard we try, we can't please everyone. But there is ONE who we can please. I want to live me life in pursuit of the applause of heaven and no longer be concerned with the applause of men. I want to know that the life I'm living in pleasing to God and HIM ALONE. If you like me or you don't is of little value. But if Jesus is pleased with me holds eternal consequence. I want to live for an audience of ONE. And at the end of the day, if I receive His applause, everyone else's will come or won't matter.

And so today - I want to encourage you. Don't get caught in the traps laid before us, clammoring for man's approval and desirous of others applause. Concern yourself with putting Jesus in His proper place in your life and live to please Him. In so doing, you will insure that your relationship with Him becomes deeper and more fulfilling as you recognize the power of knowing what God truly thinks about You.

I know it's been a while since I've posted (almost a month). Just a few updates for you: Please continue to pray for my mom - she's been undergoing treatements for cancer that was pretty wide spread. I've been spending a lot of time with her and I can honestly say that everyday I'm encouraged by her wisdom, her strength and her undying love for Jesus Christ. We serve a God who's able and we stand on His Word and seek His favor. Thanks again for standing with us in faith. God bless you - love all of you - let's aim to please Jesus and watch our life blossom and grow for Him! Pray for Him today to regenerate your mind and allow you to have your mind transformed into His image. . . "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

I'm living for the applause of God - if I receive a little of man's applause along the way, I guess that is just a byproduct of aiming to please Him!

Fact OR Truth?

2010-03-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

I have always been a fan of courtroom drama. I have read countless numbers of novels and books about our legal system. I have even had the opportunity on occasion to sit in court and watch the drama that is carried out every day. My favorite television shows usually center around some part of the system of justice. Our legal system in courtrooms across America has one aim and that is to present facts throughout the course of a trial in order that they might discover the truth. But if you’ve observed for very long you will know that fact does not always equal truth. Throughout every day in the courtroom there are men and women who will in all honesty present facts and then promptly turn those facts not into truth but into lies. It never ceases to amaze me that two different people can have the same set of facts and come up with several different “truths”. Why? Because fact does not equate to truth.

Facts are simply the exact happenings of events that have taken place. What can be scientifically proven to have occurred is a fact. But a truth is so much more. It is what has actually occurred despite the facts. Once a truth has been realized there can be no doubt no matter what the facts say. Let me show you what I mean:

Fact: Lazarus is dead.
Fact: He has been buried for 4 days.
Fact: By now he stinks.
Truth: Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Fact: Jesus died at Calvary
Fact: He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Fact: The stone was sealed with the governor’s seal to insure that grave robbers would not come and steal the body.
Truth: On the third day, early on Easter morning, the tomb is empty and today we serve a risen savior.

The fact of the matter is that every indication points to the fact that we are worthless, without hope, deserve judgment, and have no right to even approach the throne of God. And yet the truth is we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, called out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

You see something happens when the facts come in contact with the word of God. The facts no matter how grim or confusing can not stand under the weight of the truth. Why? Because “thy word is truth. . .”

Fact: You may be sick in your body.
Truth: By his stripes you are already healed.

Fact: You may be racked with guilt over the mistakes of your past.
Truth: He has cast my iniquity into the sea and remembers it no more.

Fact: You may be lonely without a friend in the world.
Truth: There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother and he will never leave you nor fosake you.

Fact: You may be facing obstacles that you can’t overcome.
Truth: I serve a God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all I can ask or think and I can do all things through Him.

Fact: You may be bound up, can’t move, can’t worship, can’t hardly make it.
Truth: The word says that the Truth will make you free. ---

The Fact is that that there are many different paths that people are on today. The Fact is that there are many different roads that lead to various places. But the truth is this morning there is only one way to get to where you need to go. There is only one path. There is only one road. Jesus said in John 14:6: “. . ."I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Today, regardless of how bad the facts may say the situation is, regardless of what the reports may say, regardless of the conditions or the circumstances, you can count on God's truth to be greater than the facts.

To all of those who faithfully read, I say, once again, Thanks! I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you all. Please take a moment and say a prayer for my mom. The facts say some pretty dreadful things. . . but the truth is, God is able. I'm choosing to place my trust in the truth. I hope you will too! God bless you all - RP

How Great is our God!

2010-03-09T12:26:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning with alot of things running through my mind. Worries, frustrations, fears, family situations, financial struggles, decisions that need to be made, on and on my mind running rampant. So I decided to spend some time in prayer. And as I began to pray, I kept hearing one thought over and over in my mind. "How Great Is Your God!" "How Great Is Your God!"

The Heavens are His throne. The Earth is His footstool. He has storehouses for rain, snow, hail, even the waters of the deep. His mercy is inexhaustable, it's renewed every morning. His love never fails. He hangs planets and stars on nothing. He holds everything together by the words of His mouth. His grace is Amazing. His power knows no limits. He knows everythings. There's no place that He is not. If we go to the heighest heights, He's there. If we descend to the deepest depths, He's there. Everything that exists, exists within Him. He is not slack concerning His promises. He cares for every bird, every flower and maintains knowledge of every single hair on our heads. Nothing is too hard for Him. How truly and amazingly great is our wonderful God!

In light of His greatness - I'm just gonna trust Him with my cares, my worries, my fears, and my struggles. After all, if He can't handle it, then I have no hope. But today my hope is in Christ! I hope yours is as well! Until next time - God Bless - Love you all! - RP

Through the Storm

2010-02-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

Into every life a little rain must fall. Every one faces storms. Even Winnie the Pooh had a blustery day. Stuff happens to all of us. Just. Unjust. Really doesn't matter which end of the spectrum you fall on, rain will fall on you. Most of the time, as Christians, we pray for God to deliver us from the storm. We sit on the bow of the ship of life and we wait for Jesus to step from the hull where He has obviously fallen asleep and scream with His divine vocal chords, "PEACE BE STILL." And then our storm will turn and retreat from whence it came. Isn't that what most of us expect? But the truth falls somewhere short.

I only find a few times in scripture where Jesus delivered people from the storm. Rarely do I find him saying, "Wind stop blowing, Lightning stop striking, Thunder be quiet, Rain - that's enough out of you as well." More often than not, I find a Jesus who says, "I'll never leave you nor forsake you. . . I'm forever faithful . . . My grace is sufficient for you." David - unfortunately I can't calm this storm. Your child is sick and will die . . . but I'll be with you through the storm. Jonah - this storm is bad and unfortunately you are going to be swallowed by a big fish - but I'll be with you in it's belly. Paul - yes - the storm you are in is really bad and unfortuately this ship is going to fall apart. BUT if you will hold on to a piece of wood, I'll be with you and deliver the whole crew. Most of the time, we just have to go through the storm.

The Bible describes the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, as a Comforter. If we never have to go through anything, why would we need a Comforter. The Greek word for the Holy Spirit is "Paraclete" and it literally means "one who comes alongside to help." I need His help more often than not, and I'm thankful that He is an abiding faithful friend who never turns His back.

I would love it if He bailed out out of every storm. I would love to see Him step up and say "Peace Be Still" everytime I faced something that was bigger than me. But instead, I find that He gently reminds me that He is with me and that His grace will help me to make it through. The Apostle Paul begged on numerous occasions that God would remove from him "a thorn in the flesh". Whatever that thorn was, God's answer was "My grace is sufficient." And then I really like what He tells Paul next, "for My strength is made perfect in weakness." I have lots of weaknesses and so I've come to the conclusion that His grace is enough and He's got a lot off opportunity to perfect His strength in my life.

Until next time - thanks for continuing to read. I love all of you - always remember that He may not pull you out but He will see you through! -- RP

You Belong. . .

2010-02-11T15:42:00.003-05:00

To belong. . . isn't that what we all really want? We want to know where we fit. We want to know what our place is. We want to be accepted and loved for who we are - no strings attached, no questions asked. We want to belong. Countless millions all over our world join groups, become members of organizations, join in activities and attempt to make friends all in an effort to BELONG. We want to belong. This morning I woke up with a thought and it has stewed around in my brain all day. Everyone of us want to belong - particularly we want to belong, to be a part of a family.

At birth, I was adopted into the Pavie family. My parents were told they could not have children and so in early 1971 they began making plans to adopt a child and in July, I was born and left the hospital as a Pavie. I've never met my biological parents, don't even know who they are, but I'm thankful that I belong in the Pavie Family. I was welcomed in and loved and cared for and that's where I belong. Two years later, my wonderful parents adopted a second boy, also at birth and three months later what doctors was impossible happened. My Mom became pregnant with her third son. Notice I said her third son. While it was her first biologically, we never knew any different because we were Pavie's - that's where we belonged. Adopted or born. . . it didn't matter - we were a part of the family.

When we come to know Jesus Christ - the same thing occurs. We were born into a family - a family of sin. We're a member there and that's who we are. But then a father steps on the scene. He loves us with an amazing love. His love is so perfect and so unconditional. Romans 5:8 tells us that ". . . God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." I thought today - before I was ever born, while technically I still was attached to another family, my Mom & Dad began to make preparations for me to be their son. They prepared a room. They bought baby clothes. They bought a crib. They bought diapers and bottles and all the things that they knew that I would need. They paid doctor's bills and lawyer's bills all in an effort so that I would belong to them. Jesus Christ came and while we were still attached to that other family - that sinful lifestyle - that old way of living - He died for us. He paid the necessary price to purchase us from that sinful lifestyle. He made the necessary preparations so that if we wanted, we could become a part of His family.

At some point, my Mom and Dad had to sign documentation to let all know that I had been granted the right of adoption, so that I was no longer a member of my biological family, but now I was a member of the Pavie family. That I had been endued and empowered as a member of the Pavie family and that bond went beyond the blood that flowed in my veins. Their love was not contingent upon my pedigree or my birth. Their love was a choice that they made. They choose to allow me to belong.

Romans 8:15 says, ". . . you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba Father'." I love that verse. It's for me indicative of my physical life, but more importantly my spiritual life. You see, because of my background, my pedigree, my lifestyle choices, I really did not belong in the family of God. . . and neither did you. His family is pure and holy and righteous -- all the things that I am not. BUT He grants me an adoption. He says, "I love you, even though you don't deserve it. I love you even though I don't have to. I love you even though you don't live up to my standards. I love you even though you are not my blood relation. And because I love you, I'm adopting you into the family of God. I'm granting all rights and privileges of an heir in my family. You are My own. And because you are, you have the right to cry out to me as My child - like you would your Daddy - and as a child would climb upon the lap of His father - you are welcome in My family."

I realized one day that my Mom & Dad did not have to love me. They had no biological, paternal or maternal obligation to me. They were not required by some sense of loyalty or patronage to show love toward me. They simply chose to love me, to care for me and to make me their own. They did for me what someone else could not. They chose to allow me to belong. . . and Jesus did as well. He chose to love us when we had done nothing to deserve it. He loved us, not because He had to but because He wanted to. Oh, how thankful I am to BELONG to the body of Christ!

And so - having been twice adopted - I feel especially loved and blessed today. I have a wonderful MOM & DAD who CHOSE to love me and I have an even more WONDERFUL GOD who died for me to show His love when I deserved nothing -- and He did the same for you! Oh how He loves you and me! Love all of you - thanks again for reading - It's great to know that we BELONG to such a wonderful family - the family of GOD!

Passion

2010-02-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

Passion - it's used to describe everything. Passionate Romance - Passionate Desire - Passionate Hunger - even in some states there are laws that give leniency in sentencing for murder that is committed in the heat of passion. Passion drives us. Passion moves us. It motivates us to take action. As the children of God, we ought to be striving to be the most bright, most hot, most passionate people on planet Earth for the cause of Christ. God would rather have 1 man, utterly abandoned to passion for Him than 1000 great speakers or great leaders who are not sold out to His cause. The men who left their mark on the word are those who expanded God's kingdom and God's influence through their passionate pursuit of excellence in the kingdom of God.

What are you passionate about? What are you hungry for? What is the thing that you have an intense desire for? What is the thing that drives your to sacrifice? Passion to me is the fuel that ignites the fire of meaningfulness in my life. It is the force that drives my soul. It is the reason that I exist - the reason that I live. Passion should drive your life . . . it should drive you every day. What drives you? What moves you? What is it that gives your life purpose?

Passion has always been the difference between good and great. Today many will join and watch Peyton Manning and Drew Brees lead their teams into the Super Bowl. The reason these two gentleman are successful quarterbacks is more than their athletic ability, rather it is their passionate pursuit of preparation and execution and excellence. Ferdinand Foch, commander of the Allied Forces in World War II made the following statement: "The most powerful weapon on planet Earth is the human soul when it catches on fire." Stronger than any bomb, stronger than any tank - give me one man or woman who's driven, who's soul has caught a burning passion - and I'll show you a force that can't be stopped. D.L. Moody when asked why people showed up in parks and in out of the way places to hear him preach, he simply said, "I set myself on fire and people show up to watch me burn." Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision which has fed hungry children around the world since 1950 said, "My heart will be broken for the things that break the heart of God." What is it that motivates you to act? What is it that will force you to move beyond your comfort zone and respond to what needs to be done with passion and desire?

When I study the life of Christ, I hear the words of Jesus saying things like: "I seek not my own but the will of Him that sent me." "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." A complete loss of self, He must increase, I must decrease. Jesus was driven by such a passion to fulfill His purpose, an earthly kingdom couldn't dissuade Him. His disciples couldn't deter Him. Other's plans couldn't turn Him around. He was passionately pursuing His ONE purpose, to redeem mankind by dying for their sin. When the disciples heard Him pray, He prayed with such passion. His passion drove Him to touch lepers, to heal blinded eyes, to stop funerals, and to raise paralytics. His passion was always causing Him to love those who needed loving, healing those who were hurting and ultimately reconciling those who were separated from Him by sin.

I want to passionately pursue the things that God has put in my life to accomplish. God's purpose for me is bigger than I can dream for myself and so I must passionately pursue to accomplish His greatest dreams for me.

I'm sorry if this is long today - but one last thing I'd like to share with you. I have carried this in my Bible for nearly 15 years. It is a statement from a missionary who had lost his entire family in a foreign land for trying to impact that world for the cause of Christ. It is simply called "My Commitment as a Christian." It states:

"I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit Power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me -- My banner will be clear!"

What is the source of your passion? Find it, get in the middle of it, and use it to drive you to accomplish great things for God. It's time to make an impact for His kingdom - let's pursue the things of God with reckless abandon and burning passion. Until next time - God Bless - love you all! -- RP

I'm A Worshipper, No Matter The Weather

2010-02-05T19:18:00.003-05:00

Today, I sit in my living room, looking out the window as we yet another snow storm has blown into the area - this one predicted to bring record amounts of snow to our area. Amazingly, in my lifetime I don't remember so much snow over a two month period in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I'm sure there is some weather historian out there who can prove me wrong but certainly if there has been, I don't remember it. Watching the snow pour down, the inches beginning to pile up, and coming to the realization that we will not be able to have services again this week at our church, I began to think how thankful I am that my ability to worship Jesus Christ is not contingent upon the weather.

Many people are worshippers only when they attend a church service, but when I came to know Jesus Christ, I made a lifestyle decision to be a worshipper - regardless of where I am or what day of the week it is. Coming to that decision, it gives me great joy because I experience the presence of God, not just on Sunday, but whenever I give verbalization to the decision of my heart - by extending praise and worship to the one whom I've decided to live my life for. Thus my worship is not hemmed in by a building, by a church service, and certainly not by the weather. I can choose to worship the creator of the universe, regardless of my circumstances.

One of my favorite songs that we sing at our church is called "Blessed Be Your Name." The bridge of the song refers to the words of Job when it says, "You give and take away, You give and take away - Still my heart will choose to say, Blessed be Your Name." I love this part of the song because I truly believe that my worship of Jesus is not contingent upon my circumstances but rather on my decision to LOVE HIM, regardless of the weather in my life. Another song that I love is by Clint Brown, the chorus of which says, "Lord, I praise you. Lord, I glorify your name. Lord, I praise you. Lord, I glorify your name. And if the sun says I won't rise and dark clouds fill my skies - Lord, just know that I will always give you praise. And if troubles on the way, I will always say, no matter, come what may, I'll always give you praise." I truly want that to be the cry of my heart. No matter what comes into my life - I will worship Jesus Christ FOR He alone is worthy of my honor, my praise, my thanksgiving and my devotion.

So don't let the weather get you down. Don't allow the conditions that surround us to influence how we worship the God who lives within us. Choose to be a worshipper, no matter the weather!
Until next time - I'm so thankful for all of you who read - God bless and love you all!

Jump Start. . . Your Connection To God

2010-01-22T22:51:00.004-05:00

Have you ever gone to your car, opened the door, put your key into the ignition, turned the key and. . . NehNehNehNehNehNothing. You try again . . . and . . . Nothing. It had plenty of power the last time you drove it. It didn't even hesitate the last time you turned the key. But now for some reason, some failed level of maintenance, has now placed your power source in a faulty position. What do you do? You pull out cables and you connect those cables to a different power source, usually the battery of a different vehicle, and you JUMP START your car.

Sometimes our connection with God seems to be disconnected. Sometimes it seems that we have no power source in our relationship. Why is that? Just as in your car, more than likely a disconnect takes place when some necessary maintenance has been neglected. Jesus says that His burden is light and His yoke is easy and yet many times it doesn't seem that way. The reason is because we're trying to live our Christian lives without the source of power. Relationship with Christ has always been about vertical connection. We've got to connect to Jesus Christ, the source of power in our life, if we are to be a strong, fulfilled, growing, effective Christian. Otherwise at best, we're simply turning the ignition and there's nothing happening. The car looks good on the outside. The engine has the ability to run. But without the source of power, it's nothing more than a beautiful machine in the driveway. BUT You were created to thrive. So it's time for a JUMP START. It's time to reconnect to the source of power.

How do we connect to God? I mean He's God! What possible way can we be connected to Him? I am convinced that there is really only one way to connect with God and that is through communication with Him.

Communication with God all begins with prayer. Do you take time to talk with God every day? When you do, do you just recite your needs to Him OR do you actually give Him a chance to have a conversation? If, when you spend time in prayer, you give Him a chance to talk back, He will. Maybe it's through His Word. Maybe it's through His Spirit. Maybe it's through a prompting of things to do. Whatever it is, if you will talk to Him and let Him talk back you will suddenly discover your relationship with Him has gone to a whole new level.

Another way that we connect with God is through praise and worship. They are not equivalent but they are dependant upon one another. Worship is a lifestyle. It's a decision to show forth the value of Jesus Christ in my life. And because worship Him, not for what He's done but because of who He is, it causes me to have outward expressions of praise and thanksgiving to God. When we sing wonderful songs of praise to Him, I feel compelled to lift my hands in worship to God. Sometimes I feel compelled to express my joy with tears. Sometimes I've even compelled to dance before the Lord. I don't do any of those things to bring recognition to me but rather to show forth the praises of HIM who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Amazingly when my connection is right with God and I am linked to the source of spiritual power, Jesus Christ, my relationships around me seem to work better as well. Similarly to your car, when the battery is not functioning properly none of the electrical system seems to work as well. Lights, Radio, dash board gauges, everything just seems to be in crisis mode. BUT when the power source is properly connected, everything works like it's supposed to. The same is true in my life. When I am vertically connected (between me and God), my horizontal connections (between me and others) all seem to work properly. But when I'm in need of a JUMP START, I usually find deficiencies in my relationships with others as well.

Take the challenge today - it's time to JUMP START your relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe you should make a goal of spending 15 minutes a day trying to share with God and allowing Him to share with you in a time of prayer. Also - the next time you are in a Church Service, don't be afraid to express yourself in worship. Do something you wouldn't normally do to let God know that He is more valuable to you than anything else - including what others might think. You'd be surprise at the surge of power you will receive AND I'm convinced that it won't be long before you're no longer just a pretty machine on the showroom floor. Instead you are in the fast lane with your pedal to the floor MOVING FORWARD into the great things that HE has prepared for you.

Until Next Time - God bless you as you JUMP START your relationship with Him! -- RP

Light Your World!

2010-01-19T18:47:00.006-05:00

A few years back, we were having one of those spring thunderstorms that rattles the windows of your house and makes your walls feel like they are about to come down. You know the ones where the thunder crashes and the lightening strikes and the dogs and cats go running under the couch or the bed. I remember we went to bed, tucked our son in and turned off all the lights. But at about 2 am, we lost electricity at our home. We discovered at that moment that there is a major difference between turning off the lights and being in the dark. Without the electricity, there was no night lights, no digital readouts on the alarm clocks, no flashing lights on the answering machine. . . it was completely dark. And then to top it off, my son lets out a blood curdling scream that to this day, just thinking about it, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYY -- it's dark in here." "No kidding, you're supposed to be asleep." But of course as every dad would do in that situation, after discovering that the flashlights are all just dead battery cases, I struck a match, lit a candle and like a knight on a white horse, I strode into my son's bedroom and with one solitary flame, I fought off the evil darkness. But of course 10 minutes later the light came back on and I was no longer needed --- all you parents out there can appreciate that.

Isn't it amazing at how bright one solitary flame can be in the midst of the darkness? Our world is filled with darkness right now. Moral failure by leaders - darkness. Economic collapse - darkness. Constant threat of terrorist attack - darkness. Divorce rate at an all time high - darkness. Stress and fear driving people to heart attacks and suicide - darkness. And yet we know from scripture that Jesus prophesied that all these things must come before He would return -- "As it was in the days of Noah. . ." and "As it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah . . . so shall it be. . ." when the Son of Man returns. And so we it sit at a time of unprecedented darkness AND YET we sit at a time of unprecedented opportunity. Because Jesus also said that we "are the light of the world." When it's at its darkest, the light is most effective. You may feel insignificant. You may feel that it's too dark to matter. But when it's darkest, your little candle, your little light, can force back the darkness and bring hope to our world.

And so today - my simple encouragement is this - Go light your world. Yes, I know it's dark. There are people everywhere with greater needs than ever before. It's up to you and eye to bring hope to the hopeless, the bring healing to the hurting, to bring help to the helpless, to bring liberty to those who are bound, and yes to bring light to those who are in the dark. The darkness is EVERYWHERE --- and we who know Jesus Christ, need to step out into the darkness and bring the light.

There's an old Sunday School song - maybe you know it. It says, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." One verse says, "Hide it under a bushel - OH NO - I'm gonna let it shine." Another says, "Won't let Satan blow it out - I'm gonna let it shine." One thing I know - it only takes a small spark to begin a great blaze. Why don't we make up our mind to let our light shine, to not hide it, and if we'll do our part to shine in the darkness, Satan or nobody else will be able to ever put out the blaze that will have begun. It's time to SHINE!

Until next time - make a difference in your world by letting your simple light to shine. You don't have to do anything supernatural - you just need to be who God created you to be and His love and His light will shine through! God bless you all - thank for reading. I'm ready to fight off the darkness - How about you? --- RP

Connected -- Are you really plugged into God?

2010-01-16T19:20:00.004-05:00

Today, as I looked at my Facebook page, I realized that I am "connected" to a lot of people. I have nearly 800 "friends" and almost 240 blog followers . . . and yet there are a lot of times that I feel completely alone. Do you find it ironic that we are more "connected" as a society than we've ever been and yet many would admit that they struggle with feelings of loneliness? I mean we have e-mail, cell phones, home phones, work phones, e-mail on the phone, social networking sites, ichat, instant messaging, text messaging, blogs, video chats, etc. I've been amazed recently by my son's new Xbox system. He can play games on his system which is wirelessly connected to our internet service against people from all over the country. Not only can he play with them, but he now has a head set that the internet connection allows him to talk with his friends who he's playing with over the internet. I walk in and he's playing a game while talking with his friends who are playing the same game and are being represented by characters on my television screen. We are truly living in a connected world. Why then do we feel alone?

As connected as we are, we still need intimate interactions with others to feel complete. It's not enough to just get emails and text messages to feel like we belong. Rather, we need to be involved in the lives of others to shun the feelings of isolation. God created man and He understood our needs for connections - after all, His observation of Adam caused Him to realize that "It is not good that man is alone. . ." And thus He created woman, and all the men are so glad that He did.

Spiritually we are desperate for connection as well. Some people go through learning about God, hearing good messages, knowing all the stories, reading good books, listening to songs about God, even telling others about God. But at the end of the day, spiritual completeness occurs only when we are connected to God. We need intimate connection with God to discover how great He wants to be in our lives. The Bible tells us that He "will never leave us nor forsake us", so we know that God is always there. And yet there are moments that we wonder where He is. Where does the break down occur? It occurs, not because He's not there, but rather because we are not tuned in and are not aware of His presence.

Whenever I feel disconnected from God, I don't have to look very far to discover where the break down has occurred. Without fail, my lack of connection can always be rectified by working on my communication with God. When I focus on my prayer life, enjoy my time in praise and lose myself in worship, I soon will discover that the severed connection is fixed. That's why it's so important that we spend time in prayer everyday. That why our lives must be lived in worship of Jesus Christ. That why, with every opportunity, we must express ourselves in praise to our Great God. There's nothing like being connected to God.

We can have every possible connecting device but if we aren't intimately connected to those closest to us, we feel alone. Similarly we can know everything there is to know about Jesus, but if we don't maintain intimate connection with Jesus Christ, spiritually we will feel isolated, and we will not experience growth. It's time to place our focus on those things that matter most - maintaining our connection to God through prayer, praise and worship. Let's live a life of connection -- with God and with our fellow man -- and we will experience spritual growth and we will feel socially complete. Until next time - let's get connected! -- Love all of you -- RP

Moving Forward into 2010

2010-01-07T12:11:00.007-05:00

I'm writing this blog prior to the Dallas Cowboys/Philadelphia Eagles playoff game. Admittedly I'm a Dallas Cowboy fan but that should not change this thought. As I was watching the pre-game shows today, getting ready to watch this game, a thought came to me and I felt the need to share it with you.

Aren't you glad that God does not define my today nor my tomorrow by my yesterday? It seems that every analyst, writer, reporter or pundit wants to remind Wade Phillips, Tony Romo and any other player that has a star on his helmet or clothing that Dallas has not won a playoff game since 1996. Every commercial seems to show a 1st year quarterback named Tony Romo fumbling a field goal attempt in the playoffs in 2006. While I know that's the job of the reporters and networks, as I fan I get frustrated. And then I thought - Wow - My 2009 was pretty rough. By these comments and their standards I have no hope for 2010. And yet I serve a God who does not hold my future hostage to my mistakes of yesterday. Rather, He forgives my mistakes, redeems my past, and pushes me FORWARD into the destiny that He has for me.

So many times we allow others to constantly remind us of yesterday and allow our past to haunt us, condemn us, and keep us under it's thumb. But today I'm Moving Forward. No I haven't forgotten yesterday. I just refuse to allow it to define my tomorrow. God is bigger than my past and greater than my failures and He knows my best days are ahead.

And so, I'll close with this thought. Win or lose today, I'm still a fan and my hope for my team will spring forward eternally. And win or lose in life - struggle or soar - tragedy or triumph - God's plan for me is eternally settled. His desire and love for me reaches farther than my yesterday and dreams farther than my tomorrow. And I will not allow my today to be defined by my yesterday - I'm MOVING FORWARD . . . and you should too!

Until next time - love all of you - thanks for dreaming with me! God's plan for our future is GREAT and we can accomplish all things through HIM! Talk to you again soon! -- RP

Internal Investigation

2010-01-02T11:13:00.005-05:00

I don't watch a lot of television shows but when I do, they tend to be shows that show criminal activity being thwarted by the good guys. You know I enjoy shows like 24, all the CSIs, and Law & Order. One of the trends I've noticed of late, is that there is a blurring of the lines between the good guys and the bad guys as law enforcement is forced to go beyond preconceived acceptable norms to solve crimes. As criminals have gotten smarter and terrorists have become more brazen, the good guys, just as in real life, are forced to go to greater lengths, pushing the envelope and blurring the line between what is right and what is wrong. A group of men and women in the law enforcement community who are presented in a negative light are those who police the police officers - Internal Affairs. They are presented as, in many cases, worse than the criminals because they are seen as the ones who stand for the rule of law, no matter what and that seems to fly in the face of today's law enforcement community. And so they are reviled because they force internal introspection and review of procedure to insure at the end of the day, that those who enforce the law obey the law themselves.

True in law enforcement, also true in life. No one likes introspection, especially the kind that points out faults and examines our motives. It's so much easier to point out the mistakes of others and enforce the necessary penalty. But when it comes to internal investigation that forces us to turn inward and examine our own shortcomings - we'd just rather not. This morning, I received a reminder from the word of God. A friend of mine posted on Facebook that he believed every Christian should read Matthew 7:1-5 everyday. It just so happens that verse is one of my favorites and I thought it appropriate at the beginning of a year when we are all in a reflective mode to share it with you.

Matthew 7:1-5, The Message

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."

Maybe you are more familiar with it from the King James Version - it's the passage during Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that begins "Judge not, lest you be judged. . ." I love this passage because it points the responsibility of sin investigation not outward but inward. Jesus did not call us to judge others, rather to reach others. He did not call us to condemn others but to offer mercy and forgiveness. So many times though it is easier to play the role of "God's Cop" and police everyone else. But Jesus reminds us that when it comes to Christian Affairs, we need an Internal Investigation.

So at the start of this year - Why not commit to stop being judgmental? No more condemnation coming from our lips. Let's commit to love our neighbor but not criticizing him. Let's commit to less pointing out of faults and more of helping others to overcome. Today begin this process by turning inward. Jesus, help me today, to no longer examine the splinters in my brother's eye but rather help me to remove the log that is my own. Help me to not only clean the outside of my cup but let my insides be even more clean than my outer. Let me have your mind and convey your words, when you said "The Son of Man came not into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved." Let me not be afraid of looking inward but rather let me embrace as an opportunity to be more effective as your servant to my world.

Let's have a great 2010. I'm thankful that 2009 is gone but I am believing for God's VERY VERY VERY Best for me and for you in 2010. Love all of you - looking forward to an amazing new year! -- RP

Let the Light Shine!

2009-12-22T13:23:00.007-05:00

Christmas is certainly a season of lights. One of my families favorite Christmas traditions is riding around and looking at many of the homes who have decided to purchase stock in the local power company by creating landing strips for Santa. Lights are just a part of this amazing season. Fittingly it always has been. Shepherds were bathed in light on the hillside as the angels announced the birth of Christ. Wise Men followed a well lit and well placed star to discover the place where the baby lay. And amazingly enough, this baby that was born is throughout scripture described as "the light of the world". Jesus Christ, the reason for this amazing season, is synonymous with light.

Every year as we prepare to decorate, I am always stuck on light duty. Before you can put the lights on the tree or hang them outside, you always have to uncoil them and plug them in to check to make sure that they are working. It never fails, that as I begin to check them, there is always a strand or a section that is not burning. Unwilling or unable to just throw them away, I begin the process of painstakingly checking each bulb to find the reason for the section to be unlit. It only takes one severed connection, one burned out bulb, one bulb that is not set correctly, one small piece of copper filament out of alignment to cause a strand of bulbs to not let the light shine.

As our Savior was the light of the world, we are also called to bring light into the darkness. And yet sometimes, we don't shine as brightly as we are able. It's not a problem with the power source. It's not a problem even with our ability. More often then not, it's just something very small in our life that is causing our connection to the power source to be severed. As we count down the days to a new year maybe it's time for a little introspection to discover the source of the light outage. Because our world is certainly in need of people who are willing to let their light shine.

In an effort to improve my light outflow, I'm striving to be more thankful this year. I tend to be a very thankful and appreciative person but of late, I've noticed that I'm at times dwelling on the negative or the limitations or the areas of lack in my life. Instead, I want to begin taking a look at the multitude of blessings that are in my life. Just a few:

1) I'm so thankful for an amazing wife, Davina, who inspires me to want to be a better man. She gives wings to my dreams and she adds so much fun. I can't imagine living a moment without her kindness and caring love for me.

2) I'm so thankful that God has blessed me with two amazing children, Jordan & Abigail. They are each unique in their gifting and their talents and yet both are going to be wonderfully used by God. Each day, watching them as they mature, I'm so overwhelmed with my desire as a father to be a strong example of Christ that they can follow. Lord don't ever let my feet go where they can not follow.

3) I'm so appreciative of my parents, without whom this year we would not have survived. They have been an anchor in stormy seas and a constant source of love and support. With all my heart, I'm truly amazed by them!

4) I'm thankful for my brothers, their wives and their children. Family is truly a blessing from God and I'm thankful that each of them are striving to be pleasing to God and are examples of His kindness each day.

5) I'm thankful for my 14+ years at Life Church in Mechanicsville, VA. They prepared me to be able to endure when everything around me seemed to be sinking sand. Thanks to Pastor Buddy Thompson who allowed me to grow in my ministry and developed me as a leader. His ability to develop people is something I'm so thankful to have observed and hopefully learned. Thanks so much to the wonderful saints of Life Church who I miss every day, who made my time there valuable and showed love and kindness to my family. I pray God's blessings will continue to flow in the midst of this wonderful assembly.

6) I'm so grateful for Pastor Mark & Chantel McLeod and the wonderful saints of Church on the Move. You were, for me and my family, an oasis in a very dry place in my life. You restored to me my desire, drive and determination to effectively change this world for the cause of Jesus Christ. The future is so bright at COTM - I can't wait to see as God does what He does best, change the lives of hungry and willing hearts.

7) I'm so thankful to all of you, the folks who choose to read my mindless drivel and many who even take the time to encourage me to keep going. I'm so thankful to have reconncected with so many of you through Facebook or connected with you for the first time through this blog. It's amazing the people that God has brought into my life through this social networking medium.

8) I'm humbled and awed most of all by the amazing kindness and love of Jesus Christ. The fact that He looks beyond all of my faults and continues to love me in spite of them is so humbling. When He could, and probably should, give up on me, He remains an ever constant, abiding, faithful friend. While I have so many questions and probably annoy the fire out of Him sometimes, I know that He ultimately knows what is best for me. I have so many needs AND YET, He knows them before I ask (sometimes I wish He'd just answer a little quicker - I'm sure we all feel that way at times). . . Thank you Lord for loving me, teaching me and guiding me even when I don't deserve it, don't seem to learn it and sure can't figure it all out! You know me better than I know myself and I'm honored that you call me Friend. "No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."

And so I'd like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas - I pray God's greatest blessing on your life for the New Year that is to come. Let's together make an impact on our world as we Let the Light of Jesus Christ Shine through us into every dark corner and let's make a difference in the lives of those around us! God bless - love all of you - RP

Make Room For Jesus

2009-12-15T17:50:00.006-05:00

Just over 2000 years ago, there was a husband and wife who had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be taxed. She was nearing her due date and he was tired from the journey and worried about his wife. They arrive to find that there are travellers everywhere and of course they forgot to make reservations. No Vacancy is all they could hear. Finally one inn keeper offers the finest accommodations available . . . for donkeys. And of course, they take it and she goes into labor and their son is born amidst the mooooooing and bahhhhhing. And it was in such conditions that Jesus Christ was born into the world. It's the Christmas story, the reason for the season. Perhaps you've all heard of it before.

Many times, I think we've heard the story so many times that we no longer allow it to impact us. We miss the amazing nuances and powerful lessons hidden among the shepherds and the wise men. We forget the selfless sacrifice of a teenage mother and a confused husband to be. We take for granted the angels singing and the innkeepers inability to find a room. The story becomes "old hat" and we fail to allow Christmas to impact us the way that it should. Because we unfortunately don't make room for Jesus Christ in our Christmas.

Oh - we've got all the decorations. We've got the wonderful food, the office holiday parties and the Christmas Cards, the secret Santas and the sparkling lights. But do we forget Jesus in all of our festivities? If we fail to recognize His significance, Christmas is just another retail shopping trap designed to get you to spend more money than you can afford on gifts that won't be appreciated because they are given to people who don't really need them. So be careful to not forget the real reason for the season.

Growing up my mom and dad fought hard to insure that we always kept Jesus at the focal point of the holidays. Of course we had our Nativity scenes positioned in their optimum place and we went to multiple church services and we usually attended a Christmas play or a living Nativity scene each year. But the one thing that I've never forgotten was the emphasis they placed on insuring that we never forgot this great story. Every year on Christmas Eve while others opened gifts and had big meals, we gathered together in our living room and we prayed together as a family for those who were in need and had less than we did. And then together we all opened our Bibles and we read the passages from Matthew and Luke that reveal the treasure of the birth of Christ.

I'm all grown up now. I have two children of my own. But every Christmas Eve, if you happened to drop by my house, you'd see Rodney & Davina, Jordan & Abigail, Nanny & Papa, and anyone else that we can have stop by gathered together in our living room for a time of prayer and thanksgiving and then for a careful read of this amazing story. About 4 years ago, I passed on the reading responsibility to my son and this year for the first time he's going to share it with his sister. And I'll tell you, there's something so refreshing about passing on a tradition of such value to your children and watching them embrace it and look forward to it.

So this year - don't forget to make room for Jesus. Don't get to busy with all of the hustle and bustle that you forget the humility of a savior being birthed in a stable. Don't forget the power of shepherds having angels reveal to them a Messiah's birth. Don't forget the joy of wise men who chose to follow a star until it revealed a king. Don't forget the willing vessel Mary or sacrifice of Joseph. Don't forget the innkeeper who while he had no room, he gave what he had. Don't forget the animals who got a front row view of God stepping out of eternity and into a robe of flesh. Don't forget to give Jesus room in your Christmas and make this a year that your family will remember .... not for the lights or the presents or the parties. Rather, they'll remember because they rediscovered the true reason why we celebrate. Merry Christmas! Love you all! -- RP

Dealing With Disappointment

2009-12-10T16:01:00.004-05:00

Have you ever heard the statement, "Into every life a little rain must fall"? Personally I expect a little rain. We all need a little rain. Rain is good. It brings nourishment. It brings refreshing. But what do you do when the "little rain" turns into a hurricane, tornado, monsoon, typhoon, blinding blizzard, and an earthquake thrown in for good measure. Well - I wish I could change the monumental forces of nature that may be blowing into your life right now but I can't. What I can tell you is that we all go through life and suffer disappointments and the difference between living a healthy overcoming life and wallowing in despair is how you respond to the weather that's blowing right now.

Disappointment is tough because by definition in order for us to suffer it, we have to have things happen to us that are the exact opposite of what we expected. None of us want to experience and therefore we are rarely skilled at dealing with it. And unfortunately the only way to learn to deal with it is to be disappointed. Do you see why this is so tough?

So what do you when you suffer disappointment? What do you do when the things that you expect to occur just don't? What do you do when you expected sunshine and all you see are storm clouds? What do you do when everyone else is feasting on the pleasure of life, all you seem to have is indigestion? You deal with it and you move forward.

Joseph has a plan. He's going to be a successful furniture shop owner. He's a carpenter and he's reputable and he works hard and he produces a good product. He's got a great fiance and he's building a beautiful home and his life is going great. Then his fiance stops by with some news. He's thinking that she's gonna tell him about the curtains she's picked out or maybe a new pattern of China that she found at the local Nazara-Mart. Instead Mary drops this extremely disappointing news . . . "Honey, I'm pregnant AND we both know it can't be yours AND just so you know it's by the Spirit of God. Oh and by the way, your family has still not RSVPd for the wedding." (Now I know I've used creative license there but I'm confident that Joseph's level of disappointment was about through the roof.)

So how does he deal with it? Joseph decides that his solution will be to send his fiance away to privately have the child and begins to reconsider the whole life that he's planned out. Just like you or I, when the disappointment storm rolled in, Joseph begins to reconsider every dream, plan or ambition he's ever had. But as he begins to wallow in self-doubt and disappointment, he discovers that God's plan for His life is bigger, MUCH BIGGER, than the life plan that Joseph had put together following his bar mitzvah. And to me that's why Joseph is the forgotten hero of the Christmas story - instead of allowing disappointment to derail him - he allowed God to reveal an ever greater plan that he could be a part of provided he didn't allow disappointment to control him.

So today - although disappointment affects us all, when it comes - and it will - don't allow it to derail and completely dissuade you from moving forward. Rather, allow your disappointment to make you more aware of the voice of God - because he just may you wake you up in the middle of the night and reveal your role in bringing Jesus to the world. It may not be the plan you had. It may not be the agenda you had in mind. But God loved you so much to send storms and tornadoes and hurricanes and monsoons into your life to make you aware that His plan was bigger than yours. So go ahead and listen and let your disappointment fuel the plan of God for your life.

Well until next time - let God lead you in your disappointing moments - discover His plan and follow it and eventually you'll see that the rain was necessary to prepare you for the moment when God's greatest plan will be revealed! God bless - love you all! -- RP

The Pain of Being Stretched

2009-12-07T14:25:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday, we celebrated my son's 13th birthday. I'm amazed at how quickly the time has passed. It seemed like just yesterday that I watched him being born and now he's a teenager and I'm extremely proud of the young man that he is becoming. As a part of our celebration, we went to an indoor sports facility with some of his friends and played football. I realized very quickly how old and out of shape I'd become.

I used to be pretty athletic. I'd played sports most of my life but as I've gotten older, I've become less active and it has taken a toll. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't inept. I actually made a pretty good showing of myself. I didn't even embaress my teenage son. I threw a bunch of touchdown passes for our team. . . I looked good throwing the ball. But then a 14 year old kid who is fast as the wind, who runs all the time, decided to blitz me as the quarterback and suddenly my limited activity showed. I tried to run away and I almost slipped by him and then it happened. My foot slipped and down I went - someone watching said that I resembled Shamu crashing into the deep pool at Seaworld. I got up and kept playing and truthfully didn't feel too bad. . . until I stopped moving and it was time to come home. I started discovering pain in places I didn't even know had the ability to hurt. Every muscle, every tendon, every joint - everything was tight and it hurt to even move. And my first thought was - "I am too old to do this. I'm not gonna do that again."

Then I got to thinking. . . it was not playing football that had caused me to hurt so much. It was not running and throwing and diving and catching that was causing me to experience pain but rather the muscles in my body that had not been used in the fashion that they were created for were suddenly being stretched . And there is pain in being stretched.

Being stretched is never fun. It means that we're being pulled sometimes into positions or places that are uncomfortable. But for growth to occur, for us to become what we were intended, sometimes we've got to endure the pain of being stretched. Because as we're stretched we're given opportunity to grow. If I will remember the pain that I have experienced over the last few days and allow it to push me into getting in shape, I may not have to endure it again. Because I will have grown from the experience.

Do you feel as if you are being pulled in several directions? Do you feel like you are being stretched in directions you've never been before? Are you experiencing pain from being stretched? If so, consider the growth potentials that may be available in the midst of the pain. Let the muscles scream. Let the joints pop. Let the tendons ache. God may just have you where He wants you - being stretched into your destiny where His best can come to pass in your life.

Well - for now, I'm going to apply some Icy Hot to a sore thigh muscle . . . but hopefully the next time I won't need the old man creme. Maybe, just maybe, I will have grown from this experience and be closer to being in shape. Looking forward to talking to you again soon! God bless -- RP

Waiting In The Hall

2009-11-23T15:04:00.009-05:00

It has been said, by many I'm sure, that when God closes a door, He opens another. While I'm confident of the truth contained in that statement, it is the period of time between the slam of one door and the whine of the hinge of the new one that requires the most patience and can create the most frustration. It is the period of time when you are waiting in the hall that will truly prepare you for the new opportunities that lie just on the other side of the soon to be opening door.

I've been thinking this week about the life of Joseph. An amazing man with an even more amazing story. God had an amazing plan in store for his life but in order to bring it to pass, he had to go through various steps of preparation along the way. Joseph knew he was destined for greatness. He knew that God had leadership in his future. He knew that he was intended to rule and reign but he didn't know when and he didn't know where. Joseph was so convinced of his future that he began to share his destiny with his brothers - only they didn't want to hear about it. Armed with a dream and a belief in his future, Joseph promptly finds himself thrown into a pit, sold into slavery and his obituary written and delivered to his father. SLAM! The door shuts.

Joseph arrives in a foreign land, forced to learn a language he has never spoken, but when he hears the squeak of the hinge of a new door beginning to open, he seems to understand that his time in the hallway has been well worth it. Joseph goes to work for Potiphar, the head of the Egyptian Secret Service and he thinks that he has arrived at his God-given destiny. Only the same deceptive spirit that he found amongst his brothers is still working in Egypt as he is falsely accused and unfairly imprisoned in an Egyptian jail. SLAM! The door shuts!

After spending a long time in solitary confinement, Joseph gets some new cell mates. A butler and a baker are brought to the prison to spend some time and Joseph can hear the door starting to open. These men are from the palace. They serve the Pharaoh. Surely these men will be able to not only hear his story but provide him with an audience with someone who has enough authority to overturn his conviction. Joseph interprets their dreams for them - one is destined for a return to his job and the other is gonna be executed . . . but Joseph will surely get out of prison after helping his new found friends. Only they forget about him. SLAM! The door shuts yet again.

Finally - God gives Pharaoh a dream that no one can interpret. His former cell mate remembers a time when he'd had a dream and Joseph had provided him an interpretation. He shares this information with Pharaoh and suddenly a new door begins to creak open - the door of destiny that Joseph had dreamed about so many years earlier. Joseph rises to second in command of all Egypt and he provides a economic and agricultural solution in the midst of famine. And the door swings WIDE open and Joseph realizes God's dream for his life.

As great as Joseph's destiny was - I would say it was the lessons learned in the pit and in the prison that truly prepared him for the palace. So many of us want God to open the door to the palace straight away but He knows ultimately what is best. He knows that we aren't prepared for the palace and so He leaves us out in the hall to teach us and to prove us and to prepare us for the pinnacle of our destiny. Sometimes, we have to be betrayed and placed in the pit. Sometimes, we may even be lied about and sent to prison. Sometimes, we may think we are prepared and yet we discover we've been forgotten about and left to remain in the hall a little longer. Don't let the frustration of the hall destroy you. Rather, just understand that the hall is designed to prepare you for the moment when the new door opens.

As you wait in the hall, what is God trying to teach you today? Is he teaching you patience. Maybe He's defining your character. Maybe He's purifying your heart. Perhaps He's perfecting your skills or enhancing your sensitivity to His spirit. Maybe he's just trying to make you more thankful. Whatever it is - don't allow the hall to become your coffin. Understand that you are only there for a time - and if you will just be patient, God's best is yet to come. He didn't birth a dream in you to allow it die in the pit or in the prison. He's got a place in the palace designed for you.

God bless each of you - during this week of Thanksgiving - take the time to count your blessings and be thankful for for His hand being at work in your life. God's best is just ahead and His doors are about to open. I hear the creak of the hinge and the turn of the knob. Just be patient - amazing things are in store. Love you all --- RP

What's In Your Heart?

2009-11-16T17:40:00.007-05:00

I read a recent comment from a friend on Facebook that got me thinking. She mentioned that she had been doing some really in depth cleaning and she didn't realize how much unseen dirt was there simply because it lay hidden. Isn't that the truth? How many times have you discovered where all the dust bunnies hide, when you decide it's time to move to a new home. We do our best to vacuum all the places that are visible but what lies hidden many times gets skipped over, not because we don't want it clean but simply out of neglect of the things that are not seen.

True of our homes, even truer of our lives. So many times we allow things to creep into our lives and we excuse them because they are unseen. We know the big stuff that's wrong, that would be visible if we participated in, so we steer clear of those things. But it's the little things in the hidden corners of our lives that cause us to not be clean before God. Oh - don't get me wrong. No one knows of our issues. No one is aware that we've got some cobwebs in the corner. No one knows of the dust bunnies that are reproducing rapidly under our bed and because they don't we go through life with a false sense of righteousness - a righteousness that we portray on the outside but is only skin deep. If we are ever going to be truly righteous - we've got to open the windows of our heart, let the light in and expose all the hidden places to the truth of God's word.

You see we have no problem condemning murder and adultery, fornication and drug use, lying and stealing, perversion and lust. But just as condemned in God's Word are things like pride, gossip, judgment, and condemnation. We have private sins that we allow ourselves because they're not readily visible to the outside world. . . and yet we are open books before our great God who knows and sees all.

I love Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - and one of my favorite passages states "Judge not, lest you be judged. Condemn not, lest you be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given back to you, press down, shaken together . . ." Anyone who's ever been to a church service where an offering was taken has probably heard the second half of that passage. Imagine with great gusto and an evangelistic persuasion as Bro. Offering Taker says "GIVE and IT'LL BE GIVEN BACK TO YOU - PRESSED DOWN SHAKEN TOGETHER RUNNING OVER SHALL MEN HEAP UNTO YOUR BOSOMS - FOR WITH THE SAME MEASURE THAT YOU GIVE IT OUT IT WILL BE RETURNED UNTO YOU! -- GLORY TO GOD, HALLELUJAH, AMEN!" Now don't get me wrong, I believe God's Word. But many times we forget the first half of that passage which reveals that if we judge, if we condemn, and if we harbor unforgiveness, the same measure that we use to mete that out, will be used to judge us, condemn us, and withhold forgiveness from us. I mention that scripture because many times we are quick to point out the flaws and sin in the lives of others but meanwhile we have major flaws in our own life, hidden away and just because they're under the bed, doesn't mean they aren't there.

I've been studying the life of David recently and the more I study the more I'm fascinated. I've known all of the stories all my life but I'm trying to look deeper to get an understanding of the true shepherd boy who became king. I marvel at his humility when in the midst of having his sin exposed, his murderous adulterous affair brought to light by God's prophet Nathan, he does not respond in self-righteous indignation but rather finds a place of repentance. And on his face before God in repentance, we hear the words, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. . ." So many times, we just need to learn to ask God to create within us a clean heart and to remove that heart that is dirty and filthy with all sorts of ungodly attitudes and actions, that although hidden still remain. Stop vacuuming around the obvious. Stop cleaning just that things that people can see but allow our hearts to be exposed to a God who lovingly and willingly will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So - what's in your heart today? Are there things there that you've been hiding from the world and trying to hide from God. If so - throw back the curtains, open up the windows and invite God to come and truly cleanse you - not just of the things that are seen but of the things that are hidden as well. Stop pointing out the faults of others and allow God to make you to be more like Him. In so doing, we will be cleansed ourselves and then better able to help our brother or sister when they are struggling - not from a self-righteous perch - but by going to where they are and in a spirit of love help to restore those that have fallen. I want my heart to be an authentic match to the heart of my Creator - today oh God - create in me a clean heart!

Love all of you - hope you're having a wonderful start to the week - let's learn to love others with the kind of love, shared with us by Jesus Christ Himself, unselfish, always forgiving, merciful and kind . . . God bless - until next time - RP

In Everything Give Thanks

2009-11-12T16:46:00.008-05:00

Amazingly, 2009 is quickly coming to a close. If I'm completely honest, part of me is determined to stay up until 12:01 am on January 1, 2010 to make sure that 2009 actually leaves. Yeah - it's been that kind of year. But in the midst of all of the things that we've lived through that we'd never want to go through again, I felt the Lord today remind me of the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Thessalonica - ". . .in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV) Now I'm no English scholar (or Greek for that matter) but when Paul wrote "everything" I think he meant "everything". And to me, "everything" is a standard that is really tough to live up to.

I know - all my super-spiritual readers out there - you've lost all respect for me. But if I'm being completely honest, there have been moments over the last year that I have not felt thankful. I have not wanted to be thankful. In point of fact, I think there have been times that I've wondered how a thankful spirit was even possible. And yet - Paul says that in everything, give thanks. As a matter of fact, he says that thanksgiving is the will of God for our lives. So how, in the midst of situations that are painful and hurtful and at times unfair can we still find a way to fulfill the will of God and the command of the Apostle Paul - to be thankful in EVERYTHING? Well - I haven't got this completely licked yet but more and more I'm discovering the joy of living a life of thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is not just a period in the month of November - thanksgiving is a lifestyle that we chose to live. And if it is indeed a lifestyle choice then their must be some things I can do to become more grateful, regardless of the circumstances that blow through my life. I want to live a life that fulfills the will of God and therefore I must be thankful in everything - so how do I do it?
I'm confident that there is probably a 5o point sermon out there that someone could recommend but I'm gonna share with you three things that I'm trying to do that is helping me to discover a life of thanks!

1) Trust in the Power of God's Word - Did you know that when the Bible says that ". . . all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. . ." (Romans 8:28 NKJV) it really means it? It doesn't say that everything in my life will be good - it just lets me know that everything will work together for my good. In other words, while in the midst of the storm, I can't see how my ship being tossed to and fro and being shoved of course can possibly be good. But if I trust in the one who controls the storm and the ship, my wind blown ship being forced into a different port actually puts me in the place where God intends for me to be. When God tells me from His word that I'm healed, I'm forgiven, I'm His child, I have a purpose, that He has a plan for me and that my eternity is secure in Him - I can bank on it because I can trust in His word. Regardless of what my circumstances may say at the moment - I can be thankful because I know that I can trust His word and it will not lie.

2) Trust in the Power of God's Hand - When life seems to be going wrong all around you and everything that you once counted on has gone topsy-turvy - you can still trust and know that God has the power to move on your behalf. Imagine you are in Babylon and you are one of 3 young Jewish boys who have somehow found themselves in a position of power in the administration of King Nebuchadnezzar. Everything is going great until the king makes a golden image and he expects everybody to bow down to it -- only you know there is no other god except Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the great God of Israel. So you don't bow. And you discover that the king won't give in either and therefore you are destined to received the prescribed punishment, a very hot furnace of fire designed to burn everything within it's path. You are bound with ropes and the fire is stoked up seven times hotter than it was before due to the kings wrath - a fire so hot that it killed the soldiers who were given the responsibility of putting you in. It's a pretty bad situation. It certainly does not seem fair. It certainly seems that life has suddenly taken a pretty drastic turn for the worse. But I love your attitude in this story . . . We know that our God is able to deliver us - but even if He does not we will still not bow and we will still remain faithful to our God. And so, amazingly and without a consideration of failure, God shows up in the midst of the fire and the only thing that burned were the things that were binding you up. Sometimes in those moments when we think our circumstances can't get worse, those are the times that God is up to His best work - so in the midst of all that, if we can remain thankful and faithful - He will not only show up but those things that are restricting us will be destroyed as He brings us through the fire once more.

3) Trust in the Power of God's Heart - When you consider that Jesus loved you so much, He moved heaven and earth to purchase you from the clutches of sin - when you consider that He would rather leave His eternal home than live there without you - when you consider that there is nothing that can ever separate us from that love, we can truly trust in the power of His heart toward us. Even at those moments when we can't even imagine how God's hand is in the midst of our situation, we can forever trust that His heart is toward us. As a good parent loves his or her children, imagine how much more our Creator loves us. The very same God who created mankind and then died to reconcile mankind to Himself and from sin can't help but be in love with His creation. Oh how He loves us! And because of that love, I can without hesitation say that I am thankful.

The Apostle Paul also wrote - that in whatever state he was in, he had learned to be content. Knowing that God is in control regardless of my current circumstances certainly causes me to discover a level of thankfulness that I never thought possible. This Thanksgiving - don't just celebrate a day off to eat turkey and watch football. Instead commit to a lifestyle of Thanksgiving - by trusting in God's Word, His Heart and His Hand and know that we've all got so much to be thankful for. Good stuff - Absolutely! Bad Stuff - you better believe it. In everything give thanks - for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!

Until next time - GIVE THANKS! Love all of you! -- RP

Consider The Eagles

2009-10-29T20:35:00.004-04:00

During Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He gives some amazing illustrations as to His ability to provide for you and I, when he says, "Consider the lillies of the field. . ." and "Consider the birds of the air. . ." And so this morning, I awoke considering one of those birds indeed. And not that I'm Jesus, although I'm striving to be like Him, I'd like to share with you some thoughts and I'd like to begin similar to the way Jesus did. . . Consider the Eagles!

Eagles have always fascinated me. They are amazing birds. Their abilities to soar higher than others can, see things that others can't, move faster through the air than others . . . truly the eagle is really peerless when it comes to all other birds. But I also know that their tremendous strength is not automatic, it doesn't just happen. They are not just born with these amazing abilities - they are birthed in the midst of struggle. If the life of the eagle proves anything is that strength is truly born in the midst of struggle.

Before they are ever born, the struggle begins. As with all birds, the eagle gains necessary strength by being forced to fight their way through the shell of an egg. If it intends to live, if it intends to survive it must fight through the resistence created by what to you and I may seem fragile, but to that infant fledgling eaglet, it seems like a mountain in it's path. I've been told, that if the mother bird were to simply remove the shell for the baby bird, the strength that is needed to survive would not be gained and ultimately the eaglet would either die or be severely handicapped. How many times have we begged God to remove our struggle, our dilemna from our life when God knows that we are gaining necessary strength. Others may look at us and think that our stuggle seems trivial but to us it is monumental. So while others may lessen our struggle, it's our struggle and it is designed to give us the necessary strength to help us be prepared for the flight to come.

As the eagle grows and he matures, there comes a time when the necessary strength has been gained and Momma Eagle knows that if her eaglet is going to survive, be able to eat on its own, be able to provide for itself, be able to function as it was intended, she must make life uncomfortable. She will begin to tear apart the once comfortable nest made for young babies. The things that she placed in there to make it soft and comfortable, she now rips out and she allows the barbs and the sticks and the rough patches come through to make the now maturing eagle extremely uncomfortable. It will begin to desire to move outside of it's comfort zone and begin to climb and move around looking for a place that will provide the comforts that it once enjoyed. Many times, we get so comfortable. We're happy with our place in God what we're doing and where we are and meanwhile, God wants us to move to new places in Him. And if we're unwilling to go on our own, He has to begin to make us uncomfortable. Like the momma eagle, He begins to tear apart our nest because He knows, that if we will get out of our comfort zone, there will be new places that we can achieve in Him.

Finally, there comes a time when the eagles wings have fully developed. His feathers are full and complete and it's time to fly. The mother eagle knows that there would be nothing worse than having a full grown, mature, powerful bird who was created to soar above storms and to rise about winds who never learned to fly. Having made the nest uncomfortable she now forces her offspring out of the nest. It may seem cruel, but under her watchful eye she kicks him out. She may even drop him from high distances all in an effort to force him to use those powerful wings. It is only when forced to learn, sometimes even the hard way, that the eagle begins to realize the fulfillment of what it's capable of. Sometimes, God does the same thing. He knows what we are capable of. He knows what He created us to accomplish. And sometimes, even thought it's uncomfortable for us and it may even seem cruel, but God pushes us to places where those things that we count on are removed and we are forced to test those fully developed wings and finally begin to soar.

So when Isaiah says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings like eagles. . ." Mounting up is never an easy process. It requires us to struggle through some things. It requires us to get out of places of comfort. It may even require God to push us out over the edge. But if we will continue forward toward growth and maturity, in the midst of the worst storms of our life, we will be able to "mount up", rise above our adversity. We will discover that the thing that we thought had come to destroy us, is actually the force that is pushing us even higher than we've ever been before.

So . . . Consider the eagles . . . there are more lessons to learn but today just remember that growth is a process and whereever you are on the maturity time line, be aware that the struggles of today provide the necessary strength of tomorrow. And eventually, you must come to the realization that you were created to soar. It's time to stop hanging on the ground with the chickens and the turkeys - you were created for more - you were created for more. It's time to soar!

God bless - thankful to be amongst eagles! Let's rise to the heights that God intended! Until next time -- RP

2009-10-23T12:07:00.007-04:00

Today, as I look out the windows in our home, I am absolutely amazed at the brilliant and diverse colors that God has painted across the Virginia landscape. Having lived in Virginia all my life, I think sometimes I've taken for granted just how amazing God's artistry is and certainly how breathtakingly colorful He can be at this time of the year. If you've never seen a Virginia landscape in the autumn, you owe it to yourself to take a ride through Shenandoah National Park during October. It is truly a sight that will make anyone stop and in awe remember how truly amazing our great God is.

True of the autumn leaves and the Virginia landscape, even moreso in the lives of His most amazing handiwork - you and I. As I've taken some time over the last few weeks to reflect on my own life, I've discovered that the old poem is true. During those moments in my life when I can observe only one set of footprints on the sandy shore, while the toughest moments in my life, it was truly the hands of God who were upholding me and carrying me through them. His amazing handiwork is truly evident in every corner of my life.

From the moment I was born, His artistic brushstrokes have been at work in an effort to produce His masterpiece in my life. The parents that I have, the childhood I grew up experiencing, the pastors & youth pastors who prayed over me and cared for me, those moments and experiences around altars in His presence, my baseball coaches, acceptances and rejections, successes and failures, friends made in my High School years that remain to this day, college experiences, meeting my future wife, our first date, our wedding two years later, seeing our two amazing children be born, experiencing 15 years of a wonderful marriage together, discovering the older I get, the wiser my parents are, God showing Himself to be ever faithful . . . brushstrokes. Ministry opportunities, moments of accomplishment, times I'm thankful for - even some moments that I'd rather not relive. Beautiful, colorful, amazing brushstrokes.

But no masterpiece is complete without those dark undertones that add depth and create perception. Lost jobs, hurt feelings, lost relationships, broken dreams, failed ideas. . . wounds, hurts, moments that I scratched my head and wondered what God was even up to - thinking that maybe He'd walked away from the canvas and decided to discard the artistic piece He'd begun. Dark places where at times confusion and frustration were the feelings of the day and questions reigned foremost in my mind. While I wandered in disillusionment and wondered what God's plan was, He never wavered. God's plan for the canvas was fixed in His mind and the dark colors were simply being added to provide depth of character and allow the bright colors to have more significance.

In the 3rd verse of Job 28, Job declares, "He setteth an end to darkness. . ." During those moments when it feels dark - there seems to be nothing else to look at. It seems to be at every turn, on every corner of our lives. But I take comfort in knowing that in the midst of Job's darkest days, He could say, "God sets an end to the darkness. . ." At some point the dark hues have been applied and the pigments are attached to the canvas and the depth of character has occurred and God's dark color application has come to an end. . .

What are you facing right now? Do you feel as if there are some dark places that you are in right now? Do you wonder if it will ever end? Well - it's all a part of God's handiwork. His masterpiece for your life is just being worked on. Brushstroke after brushstroke - color after color - a true artistic explosion where God is creating some of His most amazing work in your life. You may not realize it right now but it's simply because your standing too close to the artwork. Take a step back and look at the masterpiece as a whole, realize that God's may not be finished yet - allow the Master Artist to continue to apply brushstroke after brushstroke - submit yourself to the Master - and allow Him to complete the Good work that He began in you.

Loving God - appreciating His handiwork - enjoying His artistic explosion - and thankful to share with all of you again. Until next time - allow God to apply all of His colors onto the canvas of your life and watch His Masterpiece begin to come to life! - RP

Connected - Can You Hear Me Now?

2009-09-15T10:28:00.002-04:00

A little over a week ago, I moved from a suburban area just outside the city of Richmond, Virginia to Stafford, Virginia which is a booming area just south of the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C. I thought that I was moving into an area that would have been near the pinnacle of technological advancement and would certainly have no problem remaining connected to the outside world. After all, I had gotten pretty technologically savvy – I received my email and my internet from a wireless router that was connected to a cable modem from which I received phone calls, faxes and access to the web. On the web I was connected to people through email, Facebook and through this blog. I also have a Blackberry from which I can receive mobile phone calls, my email and Facebook updates throughout my day. Then I arrived at my new home in Stafford, Virginia. It’s a beautiful place with wonderful scenery. I can sit in my office and watch deer come through my yard. I can see, even now, two rabbits chasing each other just outside my window. The squirrels are darting back and forth enjoying all that God’s great planet has to offer. But apparently, no matter how picturesque my little piece of Stafford County, Virginia is, there are many who do not come here. Comcast does not come here. Verizon will come but they will only bring their old vehicles. No Fios. No DSL. Just good old land line dial up if you want it. Did I also mention that if I want to connect with someone through mobile means, ie a CELL PHONE – I have to stand on one foot with my elbow cocked at an unnatural angle and hold it there and only then if I leave the house and stand on the front porch. After a week and a half I feel DISCONNECTED. Yesterday at church someone asked if ‘everything was ok.’ They told me that I seemed “down”. And the truth was I felt “down” – I felt depressed and then it dawned on my – I felt DISCONNECTED.

Over the last few months I had really been connecting to a lot of folks and after a week and a half I started to really miss those opportunities to touch base, to get involved in the lives of those that I care about. And unfortunately, no matter how many trips to Panera Bread I make – I always feel like somebody is looking at me going, “Just leave and give up that table. Besides you’ve got the plug that I want.”

I think that as humans we have a natural inclination to be connected with other people. We have a need for it and unfortunately when it does not exist, we feel isolated, alone, and depressed. I was praying this morning and I thought how terrible it must be to live life disconnected. I always laugh at people who say they want to get away and leave their cell phone and their email and their internet behind and just not be bothered. It sounds like a great idea, until they actually have to do it and then they are constantly wondering what’s going on back at home. We need to be connected.

Depression is in our world at an all time high. Anti-depressants are the most prescribed medications on the market today. I am afraid that much of this stems from people choosing to lock themselves into their homes, perched in front of their televisions, camped in front of their computers and not connecting effectively to other people. Churches spend millions of dollars, going to thousands of conferences, reading hundreds of books put out by numerous authors and seminar speakers all in an effort to do one thing – connect people to one another. Churches have tried small groups – they’ve tried large groups – they’ve tried picnics – they’ve tried family activities. We try to force people to connect because we know that it will help them. But for the most part a forced connection is like shoving a round peg in a square hole. It very well may fit but it’s not a natural connection and the fit is never as good as it could be. So then – how do we get people to connect?

I don’t have a solution – but I do have a suggestion. We are created in the image of our Creator. Our Creator loves being connected with His Creation. If then, we are like HIM, doesn’t it stand to reason that we too will want to be connected to other members of His Creation. So in my line of thinking – to get truly be connected to others – I must first be connected to God. If we can somehow get ourselves connected to God, we will naturally connect to others that are around us. We will be drawn to others like a moth to a flame. I wonder how many people are mired down, living lives at a level less than God wanted for them, struggling with depression and frustration when at the end of the day, they just need to connect with God and watch God renew their mind and their heart and give them a passion about connecting with others.

Connecting with God is more than just showing up at church and sitting through the preaching. I hate to say it but it’s more than shouting and jumping and leaping in expressions of praise. Connecting with God is what happens in your life when nobody’s watching and nobody’s listening. Is your life truly connected to him? The last few weeks, I’ve felt like I was a Verizon Wireless commercial in reverse. “Can you hear me now?” “No!” “How about now?” “No!” -- “Hold on, I’m running to the front porch!” But then I thought that in the midst of that time of disconnection – how many times has God said – “Rodney, can you hear me now? – I’m trying to connect with you. I’ve got some stuff I want to talk to you about. Are you listening? If you will just stay connected to me, then you’ll be connected to my body – other believers – and then you’ll connect to my mission, my plan for your life.”

I think the mission statement for the church should be – “Connecting people: To Jesus Christ, To Others, and To Their God-given Mission.” What a difference our lives would make if we’d just do it in that order. Get & Stay connected to God – Get & Stay connected to each other – and Get Connected to the thing that God equipped you to do and use to touch the lives of those around you. Connection is so important and you don’t realize it until you don’t have it . . . so take it from me – STAY CONNECTED!!!

Until next time – or at least the next time I can get connected J --- RP

Finding My Place

2009-08-26T09:19:00.007-04:00

Have you ever spent hours and hours putting together all of the pieces to a really large puzzle and just as you are finally finishing you realize that. . . there's a piece missing? How frustrating . . . aggravating. . . disappointing . . . agonizing. That feeling that you get when you realize that all the time, energy, effort - it was all in vain because the picture that you were trying to complete can not be finished. The work that you were trying to do cannot be done because one piece was out of place. And isn't it true, that if there is a single piece missing - we don't notice the picture. We don't notice the WHOLE - instead we notice the HOLE. One missing piece makes a huge difference.

True in puzzles - even truer in the kingdom of God. God has placed within each of us abilities and gifts and amazing talents that were designed to be utilized within the kingdom. But many times for various reasons there are HOLES within the fabric of the kingdom of God. Maybe it's because we don't know what our gifting and our talents are. Maybe it's because we don't see what we bring to the table as needed or wanted. Maybe it's because we've never been asked or maybe it's because we don't see ourselves as worthy of a piece of the puzzle. For others, it's because we see ourselves as too busy or too fearful or too unprepared. Whatever the case is, there are Christians throughout the kingdom of God who are living lives that are unproductive and unfulfilled because they've yet to discover their place, their spot on the puzzle.

Paul described the kingdom as a body. Christ is the head but we are individual members of the body fitly joined together so that every joint, every bone, every muscle, every organ is needed and supplies for the needs of all the others. Therefore, when we see ourselves as part of the body, we understand that our function is necessary and needed whether it is small or great. Because the elbow can't say to the bicep muscle, I have no need of you. The femur bone can't say to the big toe, I have no need of you. The nose can't say to the ear - your function is not important. Nor can the mouth say to the hand - of what purpose do you serve? We are one body joined together for HIS purpose and we desperately need every part. Oh, we can survive without certain members of the body. . . you can live with some missing parts. BUT the body will never be what it could be until every piece is in its proper place.

The key to finding your place in the kingdom is to first recognize and realize that YOU are a vital and important piece of the puzzle. Without you, God's kingdom would be less that it could be with you serving in it. There is no small role nor large role - only opportunities to make Jesus look great. When we serve in the kingdom, we do so by utilizing those things that God has placed in our life. And so - you are an important piece of the kingdom. Determining your place is not always simple. Sometimes we're not quite sure how to be most effective in the kingdom. To truly determine your place, you just have to get started. Sometimes when you're putting together a puzzle, some pieces get tried in numerous places. You twist it and turn it and attempt to position in various places. Sometimes it's just a little bit off. Sometimes it may even fit but the pattern doesn't fit that section of the puzzle. Sometimes it doesn't fit at all and you move on to the next spot. But eventually, if you're willing to try, you discover the tailor-made spot for the puzzle piece that is in your hand.

There's a man in the book of Acts - his name is John Mark. When Paul left on one of his early missionary journeys, Barnabas and John Mark were traveling together with the great Apostle. At some point on the journey, there arose a disagreement between Paul and John Mark. Apparently John Mark was homesick and really wanted to return to Jerusalem and Paul great angry and frustrated with him. So Barnabas took John Mark and Paul found a man by the name of Silas and they parted ways. Years go by - Barnabas and John Mark, with anointing on their life had discovered all sorts of areas of ministry for them to thrive in. And well, Paul & Silas had some wild stories to tell themselves. All had discovered their place in the kingdom although the original places they tried didn't quite seem to fit. Late in life, the Apostle Paul sends a letter and in his letter, he says, "Tell John Mark to come to me because I have need of him." The man that the Apostle Paul had sent away in shame - suddenly was in need. Sometimes, we don't understand why things happen the way they do. Sometimes we don't understand why hurts come into our life or experiences happen that don't make any sense. Maybe you tried to accomplish a ministry - you tried to serve in the kingdom and it just didn't work out the way you thought it would. Recognize that, just like John Mark, your ministry is of value - your place is needed. It just may be that the experience that you are having to go through right now, is designed to place things in your character that will make you better able to serve and to a blessing in the future.

Why do we have hurts? Why does pain come? Why does bad things happen to us? Sometimes we wonder, if we are supposed to be a part of the body of Christ, why do we have to face struggle. There's no easy answer to that question. But I do know, that struggle always bring strength and your ability to touch the lives of others is improved by your opportunity to share your experiences. God never wastes a hurt. If it happened to you, you can rest assure that at some point, you will have a chance to assist in the healing process of someone else who in the future will go through the pain you experience today --- if you're willing to find your place and get right in the middle of it.

If God has called you and brought you into His Kingdom - He intends to utilize those things that He has placed in your life. Spiritual Gifts, Abilities, Personality Traits, Experiences, the things that you love to do - they are all placed in your life by GOD - and He will utilize them to minister and to touch the lives of others - if you're willing to find your place.

The most unfulfilled Christian is an unserving Christian. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure it's possible to be an "unserving Christian". To be like Christ means to serve - and I want to find the fulfillment of serving in the body of Christ. Find your place in the puzzle - get plugged in and discover the joy of serving and living your life in such a manner that you impact all those around you. What is it God is asking you to do? What is it that you would do for the kingdom of God if you knew that you couldn't fail? Today - begin looking for those opportunities to plug your piece into the puzzle. . . Find your place and get right in the middle of it - and discover the joy that only Jesus can bring.

Love all of you - pray for Davina and I - we will be moving over the next few weeks and we are so excited to soon be on location with our wonderful church family at Church on the Move. We are endeavoring with all that we have to find our place and hopefully help others find their place as well in the kingdom of God. Until next time - even if it's through trial and error - look for ways to serve in the kingdom and to impact our world! -- God bless - RP

Amazing Love

2009-08-20T13:03:00.010-04:00

Today, I've just had on my mind how truly amazing the love of God is to all of us. I've been replaying this wonderful Chris Tomlin song over and over, some of the lyrics of which are:

"Amazing love, How can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love,I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You, In all I do, I honor You.

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again."

Truly what amazing love we've all experienced from Jesus Christ. The 8th chapter of Romans, Paul shows us just how amazing the love of Christ is as he begins to show the inability of anything to separate you & I from the Love of God. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing that you and I go through, struggle with, allow to even at times over take us, none of those things have the ability to separate us from this amazing love of Jesus Christ.

You know - there are not a whole lot of people that I'd willingly lay down my life for. If you'd be honest, you would say the same thing. As a matter of fact the Bible, in the 5th chapter of Romans says, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Love of God is so rich and pure and unassuming and undeserving and unconditional in that WE who were bound in sin, locked in misery, chained in calamity and hell-bent on destruction were still recipients of such great love.

Many I believe struggle with the idea of the Love of God. Because many feel as if they don't deserve God's love, therefore they have a tough time accepting the fact that God loves them. In part, this faulty concept is due to the fact that we believe God loves in the same manner that we love. As humans, our love is a performance based love. If you do those things that I like and if you perform well, then I will love you. BUT if you don't comply to my wishes OR you act in a manner that is in anyway contrary to my desires for you, than I will withhold my love. Isn't that really how we as humans love? BUT not God - while we were still sinners, God's love was demonstrated to us by His willingness to die in our place. God's love is pure. You can't do enough to earn it. You can't perform well enough to deserve it. It's already been extended when you were at your lowest point - dead in your trespasses. And so if extended then, how can I accomplish enough to earn what has already been given.

Many have suffered at times through the love of family that was conditional. Dare I say, many have been presented love from a church that was conditional. If you do these list of rules or this list of accomplishments, then you will feel love from the Pastor and the saints of this congregation. What a shame, that so many in Christianity have been forced to live in captivity in an effort to perform in such a manner as to acquire love. We were made to love and to be loved. If there is anything that we can learn simply by observing the generation of teenagers that is alive and well today, is that people will do just about anything to earn acceptance and love --- even those things that make no sense whatsoever. What a shame it is when those in power and authority within the church, utilize those same methods to dispense and withhold love and acceptance in the kingdom of God.

At the end of the day, God's love is unconditional. It is never wavering. He can't love you anymore than He already does. Regardless of your mistakes and regardless of what others think, the love of Christ has been shared with all who are willing to be loved by Him. His death at Calvary was the most amazing act of love ever known - and it cannot be earned because it's already been given, it cannot be acquired by certain actions, because it was offered while we were certainly unworthy of it. So today - accept the Love of Christ. Not based on the works that you've accomplished - not based on the approval of man - but simply because you are His creation, you are His child and there is nobody He wants to share His love with more than You.

One last thought - it is a statement that has gotten me through some of the darkest days of my life, when I questioned everything I'd ever done and wondered if God's plan for me had been scrapped because of what others thought and what others were saying. "I am not who others say I am. I am who God says I am. In Christ, I am forgiven. In Christ, I am secure. And In Christ, I am free." Today, you can be free - because if Jesus says, "You're Free", you are truly Free. And His love will never be able to be separated from the object of His affection - namely YOU!

Until next time - May God bless you as you explore the depths of HIS AMAZING LOVE - Be all that Christ wants you to be and never be defined by the box that others would shove you into - Dream Big - Roam Free - and Love others the way He loves you!!!! ---- RP

I Will Bless The Lord at All Times

2009-08-12T16:09:00.008-04:00

David writes in Psalm 34 "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. . ." In order for David to have written such a verse, he must have been having a whale of a day. He must have had life by the tail and everything must have been going his way. He must have just killed Goliath, been married to the king's daughter, and heard all the ladies in town singing about his military prowess as being even greater than that of King Saul. He must have been having a great day. Because surely, if he had been having a day like many of us have had at one time or another, there is no way possible he could have written, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. . ." RIGHT? Actually - WRONG!

David, what are you doing? I'm pretending as if I've gone mad. What? Why would you do such a thing? I mean you're frothing at the mouth and beating your head against a wall and talking to yourself. You are the next king of Israel - and you're appearing before King Achish, the monarch at Gath. Why would you do such a thing? (Time for Evangelist Creativity - or story-telling if you like) Well, David must have said - Let me tell you a story. You see, I was sent to deliver some cheese and some bread to my brothers who were serving in the kings army. When I got there - I discovered that the army was afraid and the king was terrified and nobody was standing up for the name of our great God. So I did - I killed a giant of a man named Goliath. I cut his head off and I killed his brothers too. My celebrity status as a military giant gave me credibility with the people and power with the king -- BUT they meant nothing to God - He already knew my name and knew that the King's time was short. It wasn't long until the King who had applauded me was now trying to kill me. And after barely escaping the edge of his javelin throw for the umpteenth time, I figured it'd be safer on the road -- until at which time God chose to call me back home. So we've been living in caves, out in the middle of fields, whereever we could find cover and shelter. We've been hunted, sought for, chased, and surely would have died were it not for the protecting hand of our great God. One day we were so hungry, that we stopped by the temple and the priest gave me bread from the table inside the holy place and allowed my men to have food. Realizing we were in trouble, I led my men quickly to this town called Gath. But King Achish wants to kill me because he sees me as a threat - so rather than die at his hand and my destiny be squashed - I think it might be necessary for me to act like I have rabies - so I think that's what I'll do. And so even though it's been pretty lousy of late - I remember a time not so long ago when I killed a bear and I killed a lion. I remember a time not so long ago when the prophet Samuel came to my house and poured oil on my head and told my Daddy that I was going to be the next king of Israel. It may seem like a pipe dream considering all we've been through but I remember. Although, things are rough right now, I've never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed beggin for bread so, while you may think I've lost my mind - and King Achish is going to send me away rather than kill me because he thinks that there is something wrong with me - forgive me, but I think I need to write a song. . .

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears." (Now go read the rest of Psalm 34 for your self - it's a cool song when you know the background.)

So is it possible to, as David says, bless the Lord at all times? Can His praise CONTINUALLY be in our mouth? In good times? In bad times? In glad times? In sad times? In good weather? In the midst of the storm? When life has treated you great? When all hell has broken loose in your home? Can we say, as Job said, standing in the face of all the evil that had befallen him on his fateful day, "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away, Naked I came into this world and Naked I'm gonna go -- Blessed be the name of the Lord." Can you say as David did - "I will bless the LORD at all times. . ."

It's easy to bless and to praise God in the midst of a sunshiney day. But boy, when the wind starts to blow, the thunder rolls, the lightning strikes, the rain beats all around us, it certainly is much tougher to stand and say - Blessed be the name of the Lord. I met a new friend a little over a month ago. We were looking for a new home and he was the agent showing one to us. As we met, we began to talk and share things, we discovered that we had something in common. We both are absolutely crazy about Jesus Christ. I am confident that I met my new friend, Chad, by divine appointment. For you see 15 minutes before we met, he had received a phone call from his wife who was letting him know that she had just been diagnosed with cancer. After he showed me the house, we exchanged information and he sent me an email. He told me that he could feel the presence of the Lord around my family and God had told him to have me pray. He shared with me his families dilemna and His confidence that God was able. A month later, we've continued to pray and believe God for His very best in the life of Chad and Terry. We've asked God to heal Terry and we believe that He is going to do something amazing there. Today, I received an email and to be honest in my flesh I wanted to be down. The doctor has set up a chemo and radiation plan and it doesn't seem at this point that God has done what we asked. But as I read the report and I read his wife's response, my whole attitude changed. Chad and Terry, in faith, said, we don't understand but we know that it will work together for the good and that if nothing else good had come from this, there were some people who had started coming to church to be with Terry during this ordeal. They chose to Bless God no matter what. They chose to take on the spirit of David - and have praise continually in their mouth. You see, they've come to the conclusion that whether he answers with a "YAY" or a "NAY" - He is still God and His name is worthy to be praised.

And so - I will bless the LORD at ALL TIMES - His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth. Am I in a storm? Yep! Has everything worked out the way I thought it would or should? Nope! But regardless of how things are - I'm gonna bless the LORD. God is good - God is great - God is worthy - God is love - God gives me hope - God protects my family - God is ABLE - God knows my end from my beginning - He knows the plans He has for me - He knew what I would face today LONG BEFORE I got to this place and He who began a good work in me WILL see it through to the day of it's completion.

Are you facing a battle right now? It's ok to admit it. But in the midst of the battle, why don't you take a moment and give credit to the one who gives you strength to fight on? Why don't you take a moment and honor the one who clothed you in spiritual armor so that you could withstand the fight of the enemy? Why don't you, right now, offer thanksgiving and praise to the one who gives you the ability to stand when everything around is sinking sand? Why don't you just take a moment and give some worship to the one who is worthy of all? In case you're confused - His name is Jesus - there is none like Him. He can build a highway in the dessert, walk on top of crashing waves, ride on the wind, breath life into those things that are dead - and today He is able to do more in your situation in a moment than you could do by investing a lifetime. Why not take David at his word - and say - "I will bless the LORD at all times."

Love all of you - thanks for continuing to read with me on this journey - God bless - Until next time - RP

God's Perfect Design

2009-08-07T17:53:00.007-04:00

About 9 years ago Davina & I sat down with a realtor for a new subdivision in our area and picked out a set of plans. We had several different floor plans to choose from. Each set had their own pros and cons. Finally we settled on one but to make it perfect for us, we requested some changes to the plans which they were willing to make. Add a bay window here, delete a door way there, a closet here, a storage area there and finally our design was perfect. Or we thought it was perfect 9 years ago when they began construction. But after 8 1/2 years of residence in our perfect design, we've discovered a lot of things that if we had opportunity to do it all over again, we'd do it differently. Nothing major - but my wife would have preferred a pantry, maybe an island in the kitchen, bigger bathrooms, a walk-in closet. If I'd had it do again, I would have spent the extra money to build the garage instead of just trying to get by with what we had. Like I said, nothing major, just the realization that what we thought was once a perfect design, over time has become, shall we say, flawed, imperfect, less than what we thought it was going to be.

It's not that we are easily dissatisfied or even hard-to-please - it's just that we have the same issue as all the rest of humanity. Because we are flawed, we are incapable of creating perfection. We are incapable of discovering on our own a perfect pattern. But God never makes mistakes. His pattern is flawless. His plans are incapable of error. He creates a perfect design. Unlike us, He has the advantage of seeing how it is all going to turn out. And so He knows that we'll need a closet here or a larger bathroom there or a large front porch or a patio out back. According to scripture, He knows what we have need of before we even ask and so when He lays out the pattern for us, He builds what is necessary for us into our life, EVEN when we don't know why it's been drawn on the pattern in that particular spot.

God has always been into patterns. Patterns are important and they are found throughout the Bible. In Genesis, God used a pattern to create the universe. He set in the sky a sun that controlled the day and a moon that controlled the night. These two large objects still remain in the sky operating according to the same pattern that God designed in the very beginning. It is a perfect pattern that controls seasons, weather, sunrises, sunsets, wave patterns, animal migrations, etc. God set a pattern in order and it is fool proof - everyday the sun rises, the sun sets, the earth rotates on its axis creating a perfect 24 hour day.

When God got fed up with His creation, He gave Noah a pattern - a perfect pattern to navigate the stormy waters and save not only his family but an entire zoo of animals. When Israel found themselves trapped in Egypt, God gave a pattern to Moses that became known as Passover. He was exact in His instructions as to the preparation of the Passover meal, how it was to be prepared and eaten and how the blood was to be applied. If the pattern was followed exactly, deliverance would come to those households that obeyed. It was a perfect pattern for deliverance. After delivering an entire nation out of the clutches of an Egyptian Pharaoh, he gave Moses a pattern for a tabernacle in the wilderness. This pattern for the tabernacle in the wilderness was a flawless design that went from a physical pattern in the Old Testament to a spiritual pattern in the New Testament, ultimately providing for our salvation and access to the very presence and power of Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the exact pattern of the passover lamb. His death, burial and resurrection, becomes an exact pattern which when we follow, through repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the infilling of His Spirit, gives us access to the amazing gift of salvation. God operates in patterns.

If patterns are this important to God, doesn't it stand to reason that God has a pattern for the lives of every individual in His kingdom. I am convinced that Jesus drew up a blue print for my life and for your life and the life that He is constructing is a flawless design. His design is perfect - it has everything that I will ever need built into the plan. He knows every trial I'll face. He knows every obstacle I'll need to clear. He knows every mountain I'll need to climb. He knows every river and every valley I'll need to cross. He is very much aware of every struggle and every pain that will come into my life, long before I ever had to face it. And because He did, He compensated for EVERY hurdle with a part of the design. Those items that you thought must have been flaws, must have been mistakes, are simply God's way of preparing us for those things that we'll face later in life. He has prepared for every thing that we will face - He included it in HIS design.

So today - are you facing things? Probably. Are you going through some stuff? More than likely. It's not because God has made a mistake. It's not because God's plan is flawed. It's not because His pattern is imperfect. It's simply that He's seen a little farther down the road than you have. What feels like pain right now is just a design on the blue print that is going to give you victory tomorrow. What feels like a hurdle today, is simply a spot on the plan that calls for some extra reinforcement for the JOY that you will need tomorrow. After all he promised that the weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Or as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, ". . . For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a for more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. . ." So don't judge God's plan now - know that His design is flawless and therefore this affliction is just for a moment - it's actually working for us, giving us an exceeding and eternal treasure. It's only a little while before we see the completed project. We can't see it right now - because as Paul described it, it's look like looking through a darkened piece of glass - but eventually we'll look our Designer in the face and when we see HIM our perfect design will be complete. And we'll understand it all - better by and by.

Keep your chin up - the plan is perfect - the design is flawless and the life God is building in you will be perfected in HIS timing. Until next time, keep working God's pattern in your life and let Him get glory out of you - God bless - Love you all - RP

What Do You See?

2009-08-04T11:53:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday - we took my son to the eye doctor. Jordan had been wearing glasses since he was five years old. About 14 months ago, his eye doctor felt that his vision had improved to the point that glasses were no longer necessary. Well over the last few months we noticed that Jordan had started to suffer with a lot of headaches and he was complaining more and more about his eyes. So we scheduled an appointment. And as it turns out - he has one eye that's perfect and one eye that isn't and so he's now wearing glasses again. I suggested we just get a pirates eye patch or a Mr. Peanut monocle but he didn't find those suggestions to be very amusing. Well while we were in Lenscrafters picking out a pair of glasses, my daughter, Abigail, and I started goofing off. We started picking up glasses that I couldn't believe were for sale and putting them on. I mean some of these glasses had to have been donated back to the store when someone got an upgrade and then because of the economy, the store decided instead of giving them to a third world country that they would sell them as if they were a new style. They were bad. Well we were having a good time and so I put on one particularly pair of horrible glasses and we started taking pictures. . . which we uploaded to Facebook . . . which was followed by some of the most funny comments I've ever heard. Some of the folks who commented, I think they honestly believed that I had stepped out of a time warp and was actually going to wear these glasses. Based on some of the comments, I was thankful to have perfect vision, lest I be tempted to purchase the ones that were creating such a stir. So in case any of you were confused. . . NO - I don't wear glasses . . . and NO - if I did, they would not look like the ones in the picture :-).

But having explained that, the experience did get me thinking. What must it be like for many who suffer with vision problems or even blindness? To live life in need of something to supply the ability to see, the ability so many of us take for granted. I wake up each day, I open my eyes, I look out of my bedroom window and I never stop to think how it is possible for these to holes in my head to be able to visualize all that is before me. Sight is an amazing sense. Of our five basic senses, it is the one that I would least like to be without. I can't imagine living life in darkness or seeing shadows or in a blur. And yet as bad as that seems, Helen Keller, a woman born blind and deaf, said "There is something worse than living life without sight, and that is to live life without vision." Proverbs 29:18 says that "Where there is no vision, the people perish. . ." It screams of the importance of having vision.

You see vision goes beyond our ability to see. Vision is what you can see that is beyond what your eyes can perceive. Vision looks over a blank canvas and sees the finished masterpiece. Vision looks at a vacant lot and already sees the dream home. Vision looks at a blank screen and can already see the best seller. Vision looks at one Bible Study and can already see an entire church worshipping and serving Jesus Christ. Vision gives legs to our dreams, provides hope in those moments of anxiety and fear, and gives meaning when life seems to have none. Vision drives us to keep going, even when all sanity says quit. Vision pushes us to explore, to pursue, to search, to wonder, and to do what others think is impossible. Vision fuels our passions and expands our faith. Vision will make us reach for more while others give up on the journey.

Last night, I went with several of the members of Church on the Move and we cleaned up some litter and debris from around our retention pond on our new church property. Once we were done, we walked through the building that is being constructed on our property. The building is starting to take shape. The metal studs are up, the rooms have been framed and you can begin to get an idea of what everything is going to look like. I watched as Pastor Mark and Chantel walked through the building and you could see in their eyes the vision of what we are trying to accomplish. I watched as you could see that Chantel can already see where the mirrors are going to hang in the bathroom and where the cabinets are going to go for the teachers to store their supplies. The dreams and plans of years gone by are coming to the surface and they are materializing before her very eyes. But without their vision - we never would have gotten to this stage of the process. Marshall Wainright, another of our Associate Pastors, and I walked upstairs and out on to a catwalk which will eventually house our lighting control and possibly our cameras. We stood there and looked out over our Sanctuary and while to our naked eye, we could just see concrete and steel - we begin to dream and began to see people standing in the presence of God worshipping and growing and becoming what God intended for them to be.

There's something powerful about vision. Vision helps us to see, even when we can't see. Vision brings color to a black and white world. Vision gives hope to the hopeless. Vision breathes breath into those things that are lifeless. God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel and showed him a valley filled with dry bones. It was more than likely a battlefield littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers, having died in combat and left to rot in the desert sun. Imagine being Ezekiel and seeing such a horrific sight and being asked if indeed these bones could live. Ezekiel responded simply, "O Lord God, you know." God then told Ezekiel is this amazing vision found in the 37th chapter of his book to begin to preach to the bones and to tell the bones that they were going to come together - they were going to form skeletons - muscles and flesh was going to be placed back on the bones - and that breath was going to come from the four corners of the earth and fill those reformed bodies. What was once dead and dry and dusty was going to be an army once again. And because Ezekiel had the vision - because he could see what others could not - because he was willing to look where others would not - because he was willing to yield his heart and his mind to a God who's vision is greater than our own - God showed him an ever greater vision than bones coming to life. He painted for Ezekiel the picture of an entire nation, having being discarded on the trash heap of life, left for dead, but now restored, brought out of captivity and resurrected in their own land.

You see when we begin to look with vision, God can then show us just how great HIS vision can be. Do you have faith to believe for more than what you have right now? Can you see God doing more with your life than what's been done so far? Are you willing to look for the masterpiece although right now it looks like finger paint? Are you willing to visualize the best seller, even though right now, it seems like a few ramblings in a blog :-) ? Are you willing to reach for God's best, even though you feel like you've just been getting the leftovers? Right now, it may seem like a bunch of dry bones - but I'm seeing an army marching out of captivity into a prepared land of it's own. Right now, my life may seem broke, busted and disgusted but I'm seeing God's very best lived out in me, regardless of what others may see or think. What do you see? What do you really see?

So for now, I'm not in need of glasses. My son, he got a really cool pair. We left the ones that could have served as sand blasting goggles in the store. But today, I'm inviting you to put on, not the glasses from Lenscrafters, rather the ones from the MasterCrafter - see with GodVision - look for what He has and what He can do and allow your faith to rise - and dream the impossible dream - have faith for what others doubt - explore where others say is impossible. Walk in faith and not fear - trust in the vision that God has for you.

Until next time - I love each of you and am believing God to expand my vision and yours too - RP

Trust - Even When It Doesn't Make Sense

2009-07-31T10:46:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, my daughter Abigail and I were driving on the western side of Caroline County, Virginia. Along a rural country road, we travelled between what felt like mile after mile of corn fields. Beautiful corn stalks, blowing in the breeze, field after field after field. I pointed out the window and said - "Abigail, look at all that corn." Her reply, "Did somebody have to bend over and plant all of that?" I said, "No, baby, they have all kinds of great machinery now that make it easier for the farmer to be able to plant his fields." She then said - "But how does he water it all." My response, "Baby - farming is really an act of faith. He plows the ground and then he plants the seed - but he has to trust God for the rain."

It's awesome the things that we can learn by just observing the day to day events in our lives. Farmers are amazing to me. They invest in a field that promises them nothing. They believe in a product that lies dormant beneath the ground. They prepare for a harvest that they can not guarantee. They faithfully go out and work fields, even when the return is unknown. They do everything that they can to insure that they will have sufficient in the end. And yet, their are variables that they cannot control. No amount of work on their part can insure sufficient rain, sufficient sunshine, lack of storm damage or destruction by flood. They really don't know about the fluctuating changes that could occur. No - they just do their part and they have to trust God for the rest.

How many times have I screamed at the heavens - "God this just doesn't make any sense. What are you trying to do? What is your plan?" You probably have to. I mean, we plowed the field. We planted the seed. We seemed to do everything right. We followed the Farmer's Almanac. We planted at the right time. We've done all we know to do - and now Lord - where's the rain. Where's the growth. I don't seen any green sprouts bursting through the surface out in my field. Did I misplant? Did I do something wrong? Am I not the farmer I thought I was?

Of late, in midst of all my questions, I've been hearing a voice coming back to me. It's sweet and gentle - not harsh or rude. I haven't gotten the "How dare you question me?" routine that sometimes I've probably deserved. Instead, I've heard the words of an old Sunday School lesson which are really the words of Jesus from His Sermon on the Mount. "Consider the lilies of the field - they don't labor - they don't make clothing and yet have you ever seen anything arrayed as beautifully as them. Consider the birds of the air - they don't sow - they don't reap - they don't have a barn or a bank account and yet God feeds them. Aren't you more to God than birds and lilies."

Trust is such a tough lesson to learn. In our modern world, we're taught that if we are going to make it - if we are going to survive, it is going to be based on our own abilities, our own merit. I am not an advocate of the welfare system. We have too many who are constantly waiting and believing that someone should bail them out and God should be their sugar-daddy in the sky. We have too many preachers preaching a prosperity gospel that is no more biblical than pigs are aeronautical engineers. BUT - Jesus did tell us that we should not be so consumed with day-to-day concerns that we miss the big picture. Don't get so caught up in what you will eat, what you will drink, what will you wear, where will you live because He knows what you have need up before you even ask.

And so today, I'd like to propose a modern day parable. Consider the corn farmer - he plows his field - he insures that the land is prepared with necessary fertilizers and nutrients. He goes to the grain supply house and he purchases sufficient seed to plant his field. He sends out the tractor, pulling the seed spreader and he drives in the late spring sun throughout his field spreading the seed. He has done his part. There's really nothing else that He can do. He returns his equipment to the barn and he simply is forced to trust. Will the rain come? I trust God. Will too much rain come? I trust God. Will the sun shine enough or will there be a drought? I don't know but I trust God. Would if a tornado destroys my field? I don't know but I trust God. Does farming make sense? I don't know but people are counting on the grain that I provide. Somewhere someone is preparing a pot to boil the ears of corn that I will produce. Somewhere someone is pulling out the butter and the black pepper and the salt and their about to get that greasy corn on the cob face that looks gross but tastes so good. And so I'm not sure if it makes sense or not - but I trust God - even when it doesn't make sense.

Some of you as you read this are going through things that just don't make sense. I wish I could tell you all the answers that you're seeking because the truth is, I need some too. But since I don't have the answers, I am left to return to the one who knows the end from the beginning, the one in whom all truth originates and in whom there is no shadow of turning. In Christ I place my trust - and in Him today you can lean and trust even when it makes no sense to do so!

Love all of you - hope you have a great weekend - until next time - I TRUST GOD! --- RP

Strength Through Struggle

2009-07-28T12:22:00.007-04:00

Have you ever noticed those guys at the gym? You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones who all seem to gather together in a corner of the gym. They have muscles on top of their muscles and they push each other to do one more rep, one more set, a few more pounds. They push their bodies to tremendous levels , through tremendous resistance, not necessarily because they enjoy it but because of the strength that is gained through the struggle. True of a weight lifters struggle -- even more true in life.

For many, the thought of struggle, the thought of pain is something that we shun. Who wants to go through trouble? Who invites pain? I've yet to meet anyone who walks out their front door in the morning, takes a stand on the front porch, looks out into the world and says, "Come on world, give me your worst. I'm looking forward to gaining strength because of the resistance that I am going to face. I'm looking forward to the struggle. Bring it on!" No - we'd rather be pampered, catered to, and treated with kit gloves in the lap of luxury rather than have to face the struggle. And yet many of us are living lives in a horrible state of weakness, not because God is not strong and not because we're incapable of strength. Rather we are weak because we resist God's allowance of us to go through the struggles in life that are not sent to kill us but to strengthen us. Strength is always gained through struggle.

It is the struggles of labor that gives us the great miracle of child birth. It is the struggles of cracking and breaking through the outer shell of the egg that causes the baby bird to have enough strength to survive. It is the effort of the crushing of the grapes that produces the wine. It is the crushing of the olives that gives us the chef's best friend, olive oil. It is the pressure of the earth that turns coal to diamonds. It is the struggle to remove the grain of sand from the mouth of the oyster that creates the pearl. It is the struggle that brings strength.

Babe Ruth is considered to be one of the greatest baseball hitters of all time. Most fail to realize that he is also one of the most prolific strike out producers to have ever played the game. Most think of Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of our generation, if not of all time. Certainly he was a prolific scorer and when you consider his championships and his scoring titles and his ability to play defense, the word great seems to fit. No one ever complains about how many shots he missed. Until John Elway won his first Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers in January of 1998, he was considered just good enough to win games but not good enough to win the big one. As a matter of fact, he had lost 3 Super Bowls. As with every great athlete, it is not their victories that define them but rather their response to their failure. The main difference between the good and the great is the desire to get up and keep going despite their failure. Those that keep going, accepting the struggle and gaining the strength.

Why must we struggle? Why couldn't God just give us all the strength we need? Why must we go through tough times to become what God wants us to be? The Bible describes Job as a man who was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job seems to be a man who spiritually had it all together. Until one day God decides to allow the life of Job to face some amazing struggle. And yes, it got pretty tough. His struggle was something that no one would ever want to have to go through. And yet, because he endured the struggle and lived through the shame of perceived failure - the Bible says that the latter days of Job were more blessed than the beginning. Strength birthed in struggle.

So why does God allow us to face adversity? Paul gives us, in my opinion, the greatest explanation as to His purpose for our struggles, our hurt. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." God allows our struggle and then when He comforts us, it is not because He feels sorry for us. He comforts us because He knows the strength that we gain through the struggle gives us the ability to now comfort others in the same way that Christ has comforted us. Know that when you are facing horrible struggles that seem completely out of control, it is not designed to kill you but rather God intends to use those moments of hurt to allow you to be able to bring peace and comfort to someone else who's also going through a time of hurt that is about to overwhelm them.

I talked to a friend this morning. She and her husband went through a horrible event in their life. Their entire home was destroyed by fire and they lost everything - their furniture, their pictures, their clothing, their memories, everything. When it happened, they went through a horrible period of depression and frustration, couldn't understand why they were facing such a horrible event. A few years later, they received a call from a friend who's neighbor had just lost a home by fire. As the ashes were still smoldering, fire department was still on the scene, my friend showed up and walked up to this lady and said, "I once lost my home in a fire. . .". In that moment, she realized the joy of knowing that her hurt could now be a help to someone else. She realized that God's comfort to her was now being shown to someone else. Her struggle had birthed a strength in her that God was now using.

So why do we face struggle? So why do we go through pain and even failure? God is using them to give us strength and out of our weakness He is made even stronger in our lives. Jesus never wastes a hurt, He never waste our pain. He gives us the strength to overcome and we can then be a blessing to someone else. I pray God's best in your life - Love each of you - In the midst of your struggle, you are gaining strength - and the strength you gain will help you overcome every obstacle that you face. And having overcome, begin to look for opportunities because God will bring someone to your path who needs the comfort you received from God.

Until next time - God bless - RP

Through The Fire

2009-07-22T15:01:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite groups of male singers has never cut an album. As a group their not really known outside of their local church. Collectively, Buddy Thompson, Eddie Wilber and Matt Evans were only known as the Men's Trio. Though they didn't sing as a group often, when they did, the harmonies were in my opinion of a similar quality to any Southern Gospel trio or quartet in the music industry today. One of my favorite songs that they ever sang was written by a man named Gerald Crabb and it is called "Through The Fire." While I know that it has been recorded by many and was made famous by the authors children, particularly Jason Crabb, it was the Men's Trio of Life Church where I first heard the song, the words of which have ministered to me over and over again. Allow me to share:

So many times I've questioned certain circumstances
Or things I could not understand
Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
And my frustration gets so out of hand
Its then I am reminded I've never been forsaken
I've never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories
The spirit rises up in me
And its through the fire my weakness is made strong

He never promised that the cross would not get heavy
And the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered our victories without fighting
But He said help would always come in time
Just remember when your standing in the valley of decision
And the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up
And He will take you through the fire again

I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He'll shield the flames again.

You know in our world today, there are plenty of preachers misleading new babes in Christ by convincing them that if they will give their life to Christ all their problems will instantly and magically go away. If they praise hard enough, if they have enough faith, they can live life on easy street and have no worries, no problems ever again. Well - I'm all for faith and I love to praise Jesus, but the truth is that when we propagate that type of message we give people false hope and we set them up to believe that somehow they aren't living for God correctly because "life" happens to them. As this song says, and anyone whose lived the Christian life knows, Jesus never promised that the cross would not get heavy OR that the hill would not be hard to climb. He never offered our victories without fighting . . . He simply promised that he'd never leave us nor forsake us. In the midst of our trials, He gave us a comfort in knowing that whatever we face, He will be by our side.

The title of the song is "Through The Fire". There's something powerful about the word "THROUGH". That word gives me an assurance. Jesus doesn't bring us to the fire. He doesn't leave us in the fire. He doesn't show up after we make it out of the fire. He promises to bring us THROUGH the fire. Think about a great story from the book of Daniel. There are 3 Jewish boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (or Rack, Shack, & Benny if you are a fan of Veggietales), who received as a punishment, for their unwillingness to bow to a large statue, a trip into a large furnace of fire. God shows Himself strong in the midst of the fire and brings these three fellows THROUGH the fire.

David wrote in the 23rd Psalm, "Yeah though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. . ." He doesn't take us into the place of our greatest trials, our worst fears and sometimes our biggest failures and leave us. Nope - that's not my God. No - instead He reassures us that in those times when life has taken us and shown us its worst that He is an ever present help in our times of trouble. He is there to take us THROUGH.

Andre Crouch sang a song called "Through it All". Maybe you've heard it - "Through it all - Through it all - I've learned to trust in Jesus - I've learned to trust in God - Through it all - Through it all - I've learned to depend upon His word." We all will face struggles and we will all go through "life" but the fire that we have to go through has a purpose. It cleanses us, it refines us, it purifies us, it teaches us to trust in Jesus. Through it all - through the fire - through the valley of the shadow of death - Jesus is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.

I pray today that you, no matter how hot the fire may seem right now, that you would realize and discover the ever-abiding presence of our wonderful Savior - who's with you in the fire, not to show that He's fireproof but rather to prove to you that His love will not allow Him to ever leave you - even in those moments when the fire is the hottest. You can depend on Him to carry you THROUGH.

Love you all - until next time, realize that together, with Jesus - we will make it THROUGH! -- RP

The Climb

2009-07-20T12:34:00.005-04:00

My daughter, Abigail, is a huge fan of a young lady who is quickly becoming an international superstar, named Miley Cyrus. Who would have known that the daughter of the master of the "Achy Breaky Heart" would someday become blog material for me? Nevertheless, she has a song out right now called "The Climb". It is a song that has challenged me greatly. It has encouraged me to realize that the challenges of life are really not about arriving at a destination, nor is it about accomplishing the challenge of the peak. The things we go through in life are really about the journey - it's really about the climb. God works on our character, makes improvements to our life, helps us to become more like Him as we journey up the steep passages to higher altitudes.

There are so many different analogies we can use to describe the process. It has been referred to among others as the refiner's fire, the potter's wheel, and the pruner's sheer. Whatever you want to call the process, isn't it great to know that Jesus isn't finished with us yet. There was a song that we used to sing when I was a kid, "He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be, It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars, How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me." (Thanks Joel Hemphill.) Patiently God's works on us helping us to become more like Him and thus fulfill His plan for our life. Sometimes the process of becoming like Him causes us to arrive at the base of a mountain - what feels like something in our life that's so big we'll never reach the peak. But the purpose the mountain for you and I has less to do with the top than it does with every foothold and handhold along the way. It really is about the climb. Every inch gained, every cleared pass, every foot hold secured, every steep ascent are all just moments of God's strength gained in our life. They are simply proving points where our character fades to the background and the character of Christ comes to the surface. We become more like Him.

I know I've talked a lot about songs today but another song that I heard recently, I haven't been able to stop singing. I heard Jason Crabb sing a song recently called "That's No Mountain". The lyrics are as follows:

I looked at that mountain that stood in my way
Would this be my last climb, would this be my fate?
How my heart beat so fearful, what challenge awaits
But, strength rose up in me, God's power and grace

That's no mountain for a climber
I know what awaits at the peak
Jesus is there watching over,
to see if his help I will need
He makes sure that his dear precious children
Don't fall by the trial so steep
That's no mountain for a climber
When the maker of the mountain is standing by me

I beheld all the footprints that had been there before
Up through the cliffs and the rocks til' I could see them no more
And, I wondered what brave ones would challenge such feat
God said "It's the saints, child, that's gone on before thee

I'm so thankful to know that the mountains that are in the path that God has chosen for me were created by Him. His intention is for me to make it through every trial I face and so He has prepared what is needed for me to make it to the peak of this mountain. As a matter of fact, when I look back over my life and I see the size of the mountains I've already scaled, I've gained the necessary climbing skills to make it through this one as well. This is no mountain for a climber. My gear is prepared. I've got the necessary tools. Jesus has prepared and laid out the path I'm to take. He has planned the journey. My ropes are tied off. It's time to climb!

Until next time - love all of you - thank for reading! God bless all of the climbers! Regardless of where you are on the mountain - remember it really is about the climb! -- RP

Moving Forward

2009-07-16T13:24:00.006-04:00

When Paul wrote his now famous words in the 3rd chapter of the book of Philippians, ". . .forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal. . .", I doubt that he knew the impact those words would be making in my life in the year 2009. No in fact, I'm confident that Paul in a letter sent to one of his favorite churches in the City of Philippi was trying to encourage them and to share with them the reason for his hope and his joy. And so he tells them - I'm not perfect, I have not attained all that God has for me, but I'm not gonna continue to spend my life looking backwards with regret - yes, I killed Christians and yes, I held the coats of executioners with big rocks who stoned Stephen - BUT I'm forgetting those things which are behind me and I'm MOVING FORWARD.

I believe that God has placed within each of us amazing dreams, awesome opportunities and unbelievable hope and yet because of the mistakes of yesterday, the condemnation of the past and the reminders of others, we many times disqualify ourselves from God's best and we are satisfied with mediocrity because that's what we determine we are deserving based on yesterday. We think that somehow a mistake we made in a moment of weakness OR maybe even a bunch of moments of weakness somehow places us outside of the mercies and grace of our great God. As if the mistakes of our past are somehow bigger than the ones Jesus died for. As if His grace is somehow nullified because our memory won't allow us to forget.

Today, I'm MOVING FORWARD. Yesterday, I can't change. You can't either. The only thing I can control is my response to yesterday. I could wallow in self-pity begging for each breath as the waves of doubt and disillusionment crash in on me threatening to rob me of the very life that God created for me. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could continue to look backward reminding myself over and over of my mistakes and live an existence of condemnation and misery. OR I can MOVE FORWARD. I could question my existence, wonder if I'm even worthy and listen to the naysayers who say I'm not. OR I can MOVE FORWARD.

Paul's words have brought me such comfort and they should you as well. "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. . ." Think about those words for a moment. Releasing the past into the hands of God, Paul says he reaches forward. Paul lets us know that regardless of the damage of his past, regardless of how bad it may have been, regardless of what others were saying about him - Paul says that God had placed before him a goal, a prize, a future that was worthwhile that he was reaching forward to obtain. He hadn't reached it yet but he was not going to allow the past to rob him of his future . . . and you shouldn't either.

I'm not who others say I am. I'm not who my past says I am. I'm not who my enemies think I am. I'm not who my friends think I am. I'm not who the devil thinks I am. I am simply who God thinks I am. Because of his death at Calvary and His subsequent resurrection from the grave - I am Forgiven. I am His child. I am filled with His Spirit. My present in His hands. My future is secure. I am in Christ - and if any man is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away and all things have become new. In Christ, I am forgiven. In Christ, I am secure. In Christ, I am free. Free from the past - free from the condemnation of others - free from the clutches of sin. I am free. And you can be too.

What dreams has God placed in you that you have allowed mistakes of yesterday convince you will never come to pass? What goals have you given up on because you thought your mistakes disqualified you from your future? What promises do you think God has chosen not to fulfill because you have made too many mistakes? It's time to forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead and press toward the goal. It's time to dream again. It's time to believe again. It's time to trust in God's promises again! It's time to MOVE FORWARD!

Let's together follow the example of the Apostle Paul - let's forget and let's MOVE FORWARD. God's plan and the future He has for each of us are bigger than the mistakes of yesterday. If we've confessed our mistakes, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's time to forget yesterday and move forward into the future God has for you!

Until next time, I'm MOVING FORWARD - God bless each of you - I love you all! --- RP

God Speaks

2009-07-13T14:17:00.007-04:00

Wouldn't it be cool if every time you needed to hear something from God, an audible voice would boom out of heaven and tell you everything you needed to know? Wouldn't it be cool if in our moments of frustration or even our moments of celebration we could hear with our ears the voice of God directing us and talking to us and letting us know His thoughts on the matters at hand? Wouldn't it be cool if the voice of God was clear and loud and there was never any question about His will or His plan or His thinking on the things that we are facing in life? While many times we would love to hear with our ears the voice of God, it is usually another part of our anatomy that needs to be in tune when God speaks. Our minds and our hearts need to be in alignment with the thinking of our Creator if we are ever going to truly acknowledge and follow His voice in those moments when He speaks.

Probably because of our humanity, we think of God's ability to speak to us based on the way that we speak to others. Obviously our most important mechanism of speech comes from our mouth. Our vocal chords all harmonize together to produce a sound that crosses our tongue and our lips and we form words to say what we are thinking. Another important mechanism of speech is our face - facial expressions convey mood and demeanor and many times the true intention of the words that are flowing from the mouth. Finally body language is keenly important in comprehending speech between two parties - some people aren't as good at reading body language but it speaks volumes when observed. Ironically enough, it is humanities ability to communicate that sometimes hinders our ability to hear the voice of God but that does not change the fact that God still speaks.

God is a spirit - and from my abilities of observation I have yet to see the face, body or mouth of a spirit. And for most what we can't observe with our eyes, we have a hard time comprehending with our heart. And yet God still speaks. It may not be what you are used to. It may not be the way you thought it would be. It may not occur in the format or fashion that you prescribed it and it may not fit in the box that you created for it BUT the voice of God will still speak into your life if you have a heart to listen.

Throughout scripture there are numerous occurrences of the phrase, "He that hath an hear to hear, let him hear. . ." As a kid, I used to think, "Well that's kind of a silly statement. There can't be that many deaf people in the world - everybody should have an ear that can hear." In my naivete, I missed the point that it's not really about having ears that hear, but it's really about having a heart that is listening. My daughter, Abigail, who is an amazing young lady, absolutely beautiful, is quite a talker. There are times, being the horrible father that I am :-), that I tune her out. It doesn't mean I'm suddenly deaf, it just means I'm not listening. Sometimes I fear that we do the same to God.

God speaks in so many ways. The vastness of the volumes of the words that He has spoken would leave us staggering under its weight. Everyday He speaks. Whether it's through the birth of a new child, or the death of a loved one, He speaks. Whether it's the waves that crash on the sea shore or the wind that moves the leaves on the trees, He speaks. Through sunrises and sunsets, He speaks. Through little reminders that He's thinking of you OR major moments of the miraculous, He speaks. Whether through great men of God OR stubborn eye-opened donkeys, He speaks. It's not a matter of whether He's talking or not - the question is, ARE YOU LISTENING? Really Listening?

There have been recent moments in my life when I've felt like Job, when it seemed that everything that could go wrong did. And like Job, I threw myself pity parties and screamed at the heavens and griped at God because of the depth of my tribulation. And like Job, I've had my moments where God finally had enough and spoke back and asked me who exactly I thought I was. (Read the book of Job and look for the part where God says, "Well Job - Where were you. . .?" Beginning at about Job 38) Now unlike Job, I haven't heard the voice of God - but I've been reminded of His greatness so many times. I've been reminded that He knows the path that I take and that He'll never leave me or forsake me and that in the time of trouble He will hide me and that when my enemies would come in like a flood, that He would raise up a standard against them and that when I fall, I shall arise, not by my own power or strength but rather by His ability to lift me up and to set my feet and establish my goings. The Word of God is filled with monumental, life changing, words directly from the heart of God and if you have the heart to hear, if you are really willing to listen, everyday in countless ways, He is screaming of His love toward you!

May God bless - love you all - until next time, keep listening, because He's speaking! - RP

What? No Tartar Sauce. . .

2009-07-09T20:39:00.005-04:00

I've been reflecting a lot over the last couple of days on one of Jesus' most amazing miracles. I'm honestly just amazed at it and the magnitude of it is hard for me to get my mind around. There's so many unique angles about this story and then with the way my mind works, I've been looking at all the subplots within the story itself. Have you ever stopped to really think about all the people that were in the crowd that day? I mean there was 5,000 men, plus women and children. There's a lot of folks to consider, to keep track of and to think about. So I've thought a lot about them. And I came up with a few additional questions I'd like to ask. For instance:

With 5,000 men, plus women and children, how did the disciples find the one boy with enough foresight to pack a lunch?
Out of 5,000 men, plus women and children, you can't possibly tell me that only one boy had some food? Somebody was holding out. There was at least a chicken nugget happy meal somewhere in the crowd.
5,000 men, plus women and children - there had to be at least one wife who said, "We should have stopped at the last exit and got some food."
When the disciples wanted to send the 5,000 men, plus women and children away so they could get their own food, where were they going to send them all? Golden Corral?
If this miracle had happened today, with 5,000 men, plus women and children, there would have been at least one ungrateful, miserable wretch of a hungry person who said, "What? You give me a fish sandwich and no tartar sauce?"

Seriously though - this story has always fascinated me for so many reasons. And it speaks to me, no matter how many times I've read it. Imagine sitting on the ground with 5,000 of your closest buddies, plus their wives and kids and watching Jesus pull off piece after piece of bread and piece after piece of fish and it never running out. Imagine eating all you could handle, everybody around you doing the same, and then the disciples come around for the leftovers and what was once 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread is now 12 baskets of remnants. Imagine how amazed that kid must have been - to have seen this small lunch feed so many. Could he have ever questioned the power of God again? I think not. . .

Isn't Jesus truly amazing? He specializes in taking little and creating much. I am confident that when I am fresh out of resources, tapped out of finances, completely void of supply, that is when Jesus is finally freed up to do His best work. He doesn't need much to make a lot. It is when I have little that He opens His greatest opportunities. I'm so thankful that when we are in lack, He is full of supply and when trusted in and called upon, He never wonders where the answer will come from. No - He simply takes what little we've brought - blesses it and begins to break it - and as He does, it begins to multiply in His hands.

I really think that there is something about the "breaking." I have found that I rarely see God using my life to be multiplied and a blessing to others as long as I'm not broken. "A broken and a contrite spirit, Oh God you will not despise. . ." When we are broken in the hands of God, He then is able to multiply us, make us usable and give us the opportunity to feed the hungry that are around us everyday. Proud people don't give up their lunch. Prideful people don't share with others - they hoard it all for themselves. It is the humble and the broken that's willing to be a blessing because they know what it's like to need to be fixed. That young boy knew what it was like to go out and be hungry so he'd packed a lunch. And when Jesus asked it for, he gladly turned over to the hands of the master.

I'm also amazed at the leftovers. Where there was once lack, there's abundant supply. Not just enough - not barely enough to feed everybody, but rather enough to have sandwiches tomorrow. I love Thanksgiving. I love the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, all the trimmings, the vegetables cooked just right, the desserts galore. I love it all. But do you know what my favorite part is? Believe it or not, it's typically about 7 pm on Thanksgiving night as the late football game is about to be completed, when I go to the fridge and I find the platter of leftover turkey meat and I pull out the mayo and the black pepper and the bread and I make myself my leftover turkey sandwich. I don't know why I like it so much. I don't know why it's so appealing to me. But for some reason, I love eating my leftover sandwich. It reminds me of how good the day has been, the joy of sitting around the table just a few hours earlier. All the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving are wrapped up in my sandwich made from leftovers. Now imagine, when they cracked open those baskets, later that day - there was 12 of them, 1 for each disciple - as each disciple pulled out his bread and his fish fragments, can you imagine how much they thought about what Jesus had done. Can you imagine the stories? "Man, I saw Jesus pull off a hunk of bread and it immediately grew back." "Dude, one time I saw him tear the tail off the fish, and it immediately came back - how does that happen?" I don't know what they said, but what a cool reminder of the miraculous power of provision that was in the hands of the Master. I'm not sure what they said - I'm not sure what they thought - but after seeing such a great and amazing miracle - I'm confident that there was enough faith in the crowd to ask for tartar sauce and expect it to show up.

Until next time - God bless - love you all and I'm believing God with you for the blessing, the breaking and the fish sandwich multiplication in my life and yours - RP

The Force of Forgiveness

2009-07-06T13:48:00.000-04:00

Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes people act the way they do? What makes a philanthropist give or a murderer kill? What drives some to stand up for the weak and others to bully them? What causes one to seek for retribution when wronged and another to trust in God and grant mercy? Whatever the reason, each of us go through life with options as to how we will respond to any given situation. There will be times for all of us when we will be wronged. Things will not always work out the way we think that it should. There will always be times when, whether intentional or not, things will happen in our life that will cause us pain. It is how we respond in these moments that truly determine whether we will live our lives bound in bitterness or free in the liberty of Christ.

Bitterness can be such an imposing force in the lives of those who are bound by it. So many live their lives, unable to get beyond wrongs that have been committed against them and they suffer in prisons that they create for themselves, never truly able to live the life of freedom God designed for them. Instead they live their life always lashing out attempting to gain revenge for wrongs, sometimes real, sometime perceived, committed against them. Ironically enough, Paul tell us that vengeance belongs to God and when we attempt to exact our revenge on those who have caused us pain, we're really trying to act in the place of God. Terry Shock in a message he preached recently said that bitterness is a poison pill that we take hoping someone else will die. What an accurate description. So many Christians are literally swallowing the pill wishing ill will on others, meanwhile the poisonous bile of bitterness is creating havoc on their spiritual man, their biological systems and ultimately their eternal soul. Max Lucado describes bitterness as a cancer that ravages the soul and truly if we allow it, bitterness will indeed destroy the very life that Jesus died for.

I believe, that our world today in the year 2009, is being ravaged by bitterness brought on by an unwillingness to forgive. We are taught that when we are wronged, someone must pay the price. We are taught that for every crime there must be a penalty; for every bad deed, there must be a resulting punishment. This is drilled into us from our earliest days and when it comes to wrongs committed against us, we have a tendency to want retribution, we want punishment and we want it now. The Bible tells us that Jesus paid our penalty, made our retribution, took our punishment and in the process we all were given access to the force of the forgiveness of Christ. This forgiveness, we will gladly accept for ourselves but when it comes to extending it to others, we have a tendency to withhold. Forgiveness when withheld places us in a position and seat of judgment that we were never meant to be in .

In Luke 6, Jesus makes such a profound statement that I'm truly humbled by its simplicity and yet amazed by the force of its implication: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." All my life I've heard preachers, pastors, and offering takers use the latter half of that passage in an effort to instill the principal of the importance of giving (and who knows, sometimes in an effort to get a few more dollars in the plate :-). For the longest time, I never associated the first half of the passage with the second half of the passage. But Jesus tells us that the same level of judgment and condemnation that we dish out, it will come back to us. It also tells us that the measurement of our forgiveness of others is also the measurement with which we'll be forgiven. God gives us a tremendous tool of blessing or cursing - it's really up to us. You can live bound by bitterness, condemnation, judgment and unforgiveness OR you can choose to forgive. When we choose to forgive we open a window of forgiveness in our own life. We can then live free from the guilt of the mistakes of our past - because we've learned to forgive others, we can then experience the force of forgiveness in our own lives. I don't know about you but judgment and condemnation were not the character traits that God wanted in me. And when it comes to forgiveness and giving, I want Jesus to be able to back up the truck and dump it out in my life - so I've got to first be able to forgive liberally, willingly and without regret. The true key to forgiveness is understanding that I'm not saying that the wrong that was done to me is actually right. True forgiveness is saying, I'm leaving the past buried in the past, I'm entrusting it to the hands of God because I know that at the end of the day, he will do what is right. And so today, if you've wronged me, you are forgiven. Life is too short for me to be bitter. AND if I've wronged you, I'm so sorry, please forgive me - let's together pledge to live a life FREE from judgment and condemnation and trust in the forgiveness of our great SAVIOR.

Love all of you - let's have a great week in Jesus! -- RP

Freedom's Price

2009-07-02T10:39:00.000-04:00

Today, I am profoundly afraid that many of my generation and those younger than I have lost touch with the true cost of Freedom. Freedom has been drilled into us as our birthright, our God-given right to live within the confines of Freedom. We take for granted the freedoms that we enjoy and we forget that their are so many who are not so fortunate. We walk through life assuming that so much of what we enjoy will always remain, even as each day those same freedoms are infringed on more and more. We no longer are truly appreciative nor respectful of the freedom that we have come to know and love. And when a generation loses touch with the value of it's freedom, can it truly be said that they still value it's cost.

Freedom is not, was not, and never will be FREE. It carries a steep price. I know that is cliche and yet because we have not for the most part been forced to step up to the check-out stand and foot the bill, we lessen it's true cost. Oh, we read about it in our history books, even as the intellectuals of our day, question their validity. Yes, we see books about it in our bookstores, alongside liberal interpretations of hatred spun at our men and women who are forced into impossible situations but serve the cause of freedom none-the-less. You see, my fear is that in our desire as a nation to remain politically correct and to promote freedom in every corner of our globe, there are some who use those freedoms to denigrate the price it took to purchase them. I fear that the country that we have become is a far cry from the beacon of liberty that our forefathers envisioned when they sat down and wrote the now famous words, "We the people of the United States. . .". We must now remind the next generation, our children, our children's children of the true cost of freedom, less they have a country that has returned to the shackles of servitude that our forefathers fought to free us from.

I'm reminded of the Children of Israel, having been delivered from the shackles of Egypt. They had a paid a great price in Egypt and yet, had grown to be a great nation. Upon leaving Egypt, with quite a display of the power of God, Moses insisted that they build memorials, altars really made of stone, as constant reminders to generations that would follow of what it took for them to be free of Egypt. Moses went on to say in Deuteronomy, referring to the laws of God and the history of the people of Israel, that parents were to constantly keep these things before their children's eyes. They should talk about them when they were in the street and when they got up in the morning and when they went to bed at night - less they forgot the Lord and His hand that had delivered them.

We are a nation of memorials. We have statues and buildings and sculptures in honor of the price that men and women paid for freedom. And unfortunately many times, because we've seen them so often, our familiarity breeds apathy and we fail to recognize or promote the true cost of freedom. Let this serve as a clarion call, a reminder to all of my generation, that when we see a memorial - that we stop and remember the cost of our fellow citizens to purchase the freedom that we so gladly and readily enjoy.

And as great as our political and personal freedom is - it pales in comparison to our spiritual freedom. Spiritually the Bible tells us that we were all dead in our sin. It tells that the just reward of our sin was death. It tells us that all of us are sinners and so therefore no matter who we are, we were shackled and enslaved to our sinful nature - and yet there was one who willing to pay the price of freedom - to set you and I free from spiritual death and eternal hell. It was a price that all of us were responsible for and yet He paid it on our behalf. When the cry that shook heaven and Earth from the top of Golgotha came from the soul of Jesus Christ, "IT IS FINISHED", the transaction was complete, the bill paid. He took upon himself the sin of humanity and was willing to do it because your freedom and my freedom was worth the price. Today, you can be free. You can live free from the sin of this world. Not because you have the power to do so, but simply because He paid the price for your freedom. That's why Paul could write, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new." Thank God that He was willing to pay the price for you & I.

I close once again with the words of a Gaither Vocal Band song, titled "Let Freedom Ring":

Deep within the heart has always known that there was freedom
Somehow breathed into the very soul alive
The prisoner, the powerless, the saved have always known it
There’s something that keeps reaching for the sky

Even life begins because a baby fights for freedom
And songs we love to sing have freedom’s theme
Some have walked through fire and flood to find a place of freedom
And some faced hell itself for freedom’s dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free and we can sing --- let freedom ring

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
When my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redemption
His cross stamped pardon on my very soul

I’ll sing it out with every breath, I’ll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free and you can sing let freedom ring
You can be free and you can sing --- let freedom ring --- let freedom ring

This Independence Day, take the time to remember the price of freedom. Thank God for men and women who have laid down their very life for our Independence. But more importantly breath a prayer of thanks, that there was a man who carried on His shoulders a cross that was weighed down by the sin of an entire race of people and He was willing to do it to break the chains of the curse of sin ONCE AND FOR ALL. . . If you haven't done so, find your Freedom in Christ Jesus today - and if you have, celebrate the fact that Jesus paid the price that you might be free.

Love everyone - Happy Independence Day - pass it on to your kids that freedom is not free - thank someone who paid the price - and pray everyday that God will continue to bless America! -- RP

God's Handiwork - AMAZING!

2009-06-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of going with U-Turn, the great youth group of Church on the Move. Pastor Chris did an excellent job of leading our young people and their families on an amazing hike in Great Falls National Park along the Potomac River. We hiked over large rocks along natural trails and along the way was able to observe some of God's finest handiwork.

So many times, we are given amazing treats. Amazing opportunities to view some of God's finest work. If we go to an art gallery, we notice the amazing paintings and sculptures and we offer commendation to the artist for a job well done. If we observe a beautiful building, we give credit to the architect and the design firm who brought it all together. If we observe an athletic competition and someone makes a great play, we will acknowledge the Sportscenter moment at a minimum with a "Nice Play" or as my son's baseball teammates, a vocalized rendition of the Sportscenter theme music, "Duh, na, nant, Duh, na, nant." And yet we see God's amazing handiwork all around us and rarely do we take notice of the beauty that God surrounds us with.

George Straight sings an amazing song called "I Saw God Today." He discusses with amazing clarity the importance of observing God's handiwork that is all around us. Whether it's found in the cry of a newborn baby or in the grin of a toothless old man, in a nest filled with newborn robins or in the perfect formation of which a flock of geese will fly, in a statuesque mountain range or a repeated splash of wave after wave on the sea shore, if we will just take notice, God's handiwork is absolutely amazing and breathtaking at every turn.

What would happen if we would learn to take notice of the hand of God all around us. I would venture to say, that if our minds were focused on all that God is doing around us, we wouldn't be so stressed, so frustrated or so agitated. I would also venture to guess, that if we were constantly aware of God's workmanship all around us, we would be more inclined to share our faith with the people we bump into along the way. God is always with us, working all around us, operating amongst us, holding all that we perceive and know in the palm of His hand, and we must learn to take notice because then we are treated to an amazing show - God's hand at work!

Thanks Pastor Chris for leading a trip through the handiwork of God. My aim is to start taking notice everyday of all that God has been up to and is accomplishing around me. Maybe then, I won't be so sore from trying to take it all in at once time :-)!

Love all of you - Look around and see what God is up to today in your life! --- RP

The Simple Jesus

2009-06-26T15:19:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm thinking of just how revolutionary Jesus was. 2000 or so years ago when he showed up the religious world was a chaotic mess. He walked into a religious melting pot of Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, Scribes, Priests, Levites, followers of various Rabbis and even followers of John the Baptist. Out of this large bowl of religious soup, Jesus shows up and begins to blow peoples minds with statements like, "Love your enemy. . . do good to those who use you with spite. . . don't judge others . . . don't condemn. . . forgive. . . turn the other cheek. . . go the extra mile. . ." He makes statements that don't exactly line up to any particular groups thinking of the day. As a matter of fact, He almost seems to be in direct opposition to the prevailing thoughts of the day and His ideas were catching on. So much so that one day a group of Pharisees were trying to trap him and they asked of all the law, what was the greatest. This was not an easy question in the mind of the Pharisee because they had 613 laws - so to randomly pick one as being most important was not some flippant task. But Jesus says - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind . . . and the second greatest is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. . . oh and by the way, you can hang all the law and the prophets on those two statements." Beautiful simplicity.

Why do we make Jesus so complicated? Why do we make Christianity filled with so much religious rhetoric and so hard to understand? Jesus meant for discipleship in His kingdom to be simple. Love God . . . love your neighbor . . . simple. Treat others the way you'd want to be treated . . . simple. Love one another as I love you. . . simple. Jesus went so far as to invite us to "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me . . . for my yoke is EASY and my burden is LIGHT." SIMPLE.

Many Christians that I know in some ways, have become modern-day Pharisees. We spend all our time fighting amongst ourselves over whose right and whose not. We strain at gnats and swallow camels. We clean the outside of the cup with little regard for the inside. We make sure the cemetery has all the grass cut and the flowers put out with little regard for what lies below the surface. We are more concerned that others consider us spiritual or godly or dare I say holy, than we are that God sees us as godly or holy. At the end of the day, how you see me is of little importance - BUT how God sees me is of ETERNAL importance.

So instead of spending our time trying to make discipleship in the kingdom so complicated - what if we returned to our example, Jesus Christ, who made it simple. Jesus looked at future disciples and said "Follow Me". . . simple. Jesus said, "Go and tell others". . . simple. Jesus said that his disciples would be known SIMPLY by their love for one another. It's time that we get back to being Disciples of Jesus Christ - It's time that we make living for Jesus the way He designed it - SIMPLE!

Love everyone - Have SIMPLY a great weekend! ---- RP

Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?

2009-06-24T10:40:00.000-04:00

Imagine, if you can, 5 days into a journey where all you've been told to do is get in your car and begin to drive. Just get in the car - don't worry about gas, I'll provide. Don't worry about food - I'll provide. Just drive. No hints as to a destination. GPS is of no consequence on this journey. Just pack your bags and go. I'm not sure how I'd respond to such a request from the Lord, but Abraham went. Now, the Bible doesn't give us any of those side conversations between Abraham and God but Abraham was human after all, so you know there had to be a few along the way.

"God - where are we going?"

"God - when are we going to get there?"

"God - how will I know when we've arrived."

"But God - that hotel looked nice. It even had a pool. . ."

"Oh C'mon - that was the fifth McDonald's and still you won't stop. I'm hungry down here. . ."

"But I've got to go to the bathroom - and I'm tired of holding it. . ."

Now maybe your travels don't sound that way - but with my kids I've heard it all - and so something tells me that Abraham, being God's child and all, had a few juvenile moments on his journey.

Juvenile moments. Spiritually we have them, don't we. Those moments where we forget who's in charge and we forget how powerful He is and we forget that we are here only because of His benevolent merciful nature which sees us for who we are and loves us anyway. Those moments where we forget that with Jesus, it's really not about a destination. Yes - he wants to take you to heaven and hopefully we're all going to arrive there someday. But with Christ, my becoming like Him is not about a destination, it's all about the journey.

Over the last several months, I've had to remind myself of this fact many times. When life as you know it and thought it was supposed to be falls completely apart and everything that you'd hoped for, believed in, counted on, and dreamed of is suddenly a pile of burning ashes, you stop and wonder, "Where are you going?" God - what is the purpose in all of this? What is the destination where you are trying to take me? Does it have to be this complicated? Am I such a bad guy that you have to whip me so hard? Isn't there a McDonald's on this trip? :-)

One thing is certain. Isaiah was right when he said that God's ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are certainly different than ours. His plans are not always the ones we have for ourselves but are certainly the ones that are most beneficial. With Him, the destination is a foregone conclusion. He knows the end from the beginning. Jesus has seen it already and He knows the plans He has for you and I. The destination is not in question. The only ones wondering where we're headed is you and me. God knows. And IF I have declared Him to be Lord of my life and IF I've placed my very being in His hands then I've got to trust that wherever He leads me will be good for me and so . . . I'm going to follow.

You see, lately I'm starting to appreciate, not the destination, but the Journey. The destination is never a question. I will arrive at what God has prescribed and planned for me. It's the journey that determines: 1) my arrival time, and 2) what I learn along the way. Wouldn't life be great if we woke up one day, God said let's go on a journey and we arrived 10 minutes later. Imagine how much we'd feel that we accomplished. "Look at me - by the age of 21 I have accomplished everything that God had planned." It's like those people who are born with silver spoons and receive everything handed to them. And then they spend their lives in some type of trouble or another because they can't find value nor appreciation in their destination. But the man who had to work hard, who had to claw and scratch and fight for every inch, knows the value of where he's arrived because he remembers where he's been. He remembers every foot hole, he remembers every pit stop. He remembers every time he didn't think he would make it through and somehow by God's grace he did. He draws strength from every inch of every valley that he was forced to cross. He finds peace in knowing that with every step of the climb, he learned to appreciate how far he's come and where he's made it to.

When I graduated from college in 1994, I thought that surely by the age of 38, I would have done some pretty amazing things. I would have arrived at some pretty amazing destinations. And truthfully there are moments when I look at where I am and I question whether I've accomplished anything at all. But then, I'm reminded that God is still leading me; that God is still positioning me and working in me, so while I've not arrived at my destination yet, I am going somewhere. I am on a journey to a place that God has designed for me and therefore that makes me somebody special to God.

In those moments when I feel low and I began to question my lack of accomplishments, I also find myself looking back on where I've been. You see sometimes our sense of failure comes from looking ahead at the daunting task and realizing our frailty in comparison to the size of the mountain that is before us. It is in those moments when we must learn to look backward at where we've been - not with desire to return - but to increase our faith because of the successes we've had along the journey.

As we've struggled through some things over the last few months, there were moments where I thought my life had no meaning and that all I had done was of no value to anyone. And then I'd get a card in the mail, or an email from a friend; a phone call from someone unexpected or even a financial blessing when you least expected it but needed it the most. I've come to realize that there is a beauty beyond compare along the route of the journey if you'll learn to appreciate those that you come in contact with. I can't stand being around people who have "destination disease." They are always looking for the next destination - looking for the next arrival point. They're driven and that's great. They're motivated and I'm happy for them. But the problem is that they're always looking past those on the journey that God brings in their path because they're trying to get a glimpse of the elevator operator who can express them to the next floor. God, help me to never look past where I am on the journey because you have brought to this place to learn something, to appreciate something and to be a blessing to someone.

So today - as I've rambled on - I hope that wherever you are and wherever you are headed, you will take time to appreciate the beauty of where you've been. In the heart of Virginia if you're traveling west on I-64 you will cross a range of mountains called Shenandoah. Really to go from one side of the state to the other, you don't have much choice but to cross this mountain range. In my travels around the state, I've had many destinations that forced me to travel across those mountains and many times I've seen it as a nuisance. But about 5 years ago, I noticed a place that when I get to the top of this one peak and my car crosses the ridge, I can look down and see one of the most beautiful sights. It is a valley that is dotted with homes and farms right in between these two mountains. For me, it is a breathtaking sight that I failed to appreciate for many years. BUT now, on my journey it is the sight I look forward to. No matter where God takes you, no matter what journey he has planned - look for the beauty that lies on your path and appreciate the lessons He is teaching - because they will be what you need to survive upon your arrival at your destination.

Until next time - God bless - Love you all ----- RP

Thanking God for a Great Dad!

2009-06-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

Having just celebrated Father's Day, I've taken some time to consider the wonderful man who for nearly 38 years, I've called Dad. When I consider my own children and my attempts at being a good father, I realize with each passing day, that fatherhood is not easy. Most of the dads I know do their very best to be supportive, responsible, and even engaged in their kids lives and yet we live in a world where movies and television portrays husbands and fathers to be bumbling, stumbling, good for nothing idiots. When I was growing up, television portrayed dads with the images of Ward Cleaver, Charles Ingalls, Sheriff Andy Taylor, and John Walton. As I moved to my teenage years the image of the wholesome, responsible, disciplined father-figure shifted to men like Dr. Cliff Huxtable, Tony Micelli, and Dr. Jason Seaver. While these men offered structure and discipline the husband and father figure they portrayed were many times seen as funny and at times made laughable by their antics. As I grew into my 20s these men were replaced by Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, and the worst portrayal of all Homer Simpson. Now days, the role of husband and father is portrayed in such a way that rarely does society show us a man who loves his wife, strives to raise his children and does it all in a manner that is responsbile, respectful, humble and honorable. If you are waiting for the media to teach your children how a father should really be, there is truly no example out there. So you better learn to be the man. . .

That's why today I'm so thankful. For all 38 years of my life, I've been so greatly blessed to have a wonderful example of how to be a great husband and a Godly father. I grew up in a home where I didn't have to rely on the prevailing society norms to tell me how to be a good dad or good husband. I didn't have to rely on Homer Simpson to show me how a man ought to treat his wife and kids. I wasn't forced to observe the tactics of Peter Griffin to know how to be a "Family Guy". No, I had the pleasure of observing Clyde Pavie, hard worker, good provider, lover of my mom, honest, truthful, a man of integrity, a man who loved others and was willing to help those that were in need. Most of all, he was a man who loved God and he taught me and my brothers to love Jesus Christ as well. My dad would work sometimes up to 3 jobs to take care of our family and yet he made sure he never missed my baseball games. He always managed to be home and eat dinner with us, even if it meant he drove 30 miles home before he returned to a second job. No matter how busy he was he always made sure that he took us to church on Sundays, Wednesdays and any other time the doors were open. In the process of all of that, my dad taught us to serve. He taught us to serve in the kingdom of God, not for notoriety, not for applause, but because there was a need and there were people who had yet to discover the joy of serving Jesus Christ.

I'm all grown now - I've got a wonderful wife and two kids of my own - thankfully I'm not stuck looking for an example. My dad continues to pour into me even now. He has continued to be a man of mercy and kindness. Whenever I'm in need of advice, a listening ear or someone to call a friend, my dad is always there. I've been so greatly blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. Don't get me wrong - I know he's not perfect. What I love most about him is that he's not afraid to share his frailties and admit his imperfections. Qualities that I've had to utilize myself of late. I'm thankful I've had a great example in that as well. Learning of God's mercy from my wonderful Father has made me appreciate the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ even more.

So now we live in the 21st century - the year 2009 and society portrays husbands and fathers as bumbling, stumbling, oafs who are laughed at because they are shown to be spineless, unfaithful, lazy buffoons. I pray that more children will find role models like my father - men who are worthy of the title Dad.

In closing - I'm reminded of a Gaither Vocal Band Song - it's always been one of my favorites. Notice the words:

What this dying world could use is a willing Man of God
Who dares to go against the grain and works without applause;
A man who'll raise the shield of Faith, protecting what is pure;
Whose love is tough and gentle; a man whose word is sure.

God doesn't need an Orator who knows what just to say;
He doesn't need authorities to reason Him away;
He doesn't need an army to guarantee a win;
He just needs a Few Good Men.

Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men.

He calls the broken derelict whose life has been renewed;
He calls the one who has the strength to stand up for the Truth.
Enlistment lines are open and He wants you to come in-
He just needs a Few Good Men.

Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men.

Let this blog serve as a call to every man - it's time to take a stand and be what God has called us to be - men of honor, men of integrity, men of respect. Let's be men, not as prescribed by Hollywood, but as lived out by those who have gone before - like my Dad. I love you POP - you are a great man and a great example and I pray that my son at the age of 38 would be able to say the same about me. - RP