Jump In - The Water is Fine!

One of my favorite stories from the Bible occurs in the book of Acts chapter 8.  In that passage, the apostle Phillip meets a man, an Ethiopian eunuch who worked directly for the queen of Ethiopia.  He is travelling through the dessert catching up on some light reading from the scrolls of the prophet Isaiah when he meets Phillip on his journey.  The eunuch had one problem.  He didn't understand what he was reading, and so Phillip begins to help him by explaining the writings of Isaiah.  As Phillip shared the meaning of these Old Testament prophecies, all the lights came on for the Eunuch, and he realized that Jesus was the fulfillment of those prophecies.  As they rode on, they came upon a body of water, and the Eunuch immediately says, "Here is water; what hinders me from being baptized?"  So Phillip immediately took him to the water and baptized him.

So many times we put off important decisions, don't we?  The Bible says in the gospel of Mark, that he who believes and is baptized will be saved.  There something critical about the combination of belief and action.  Without a doubt baptism declares publicly that I'm choosing to live for Jesus Christ, but it also spiritually gives us an experience that washes our sin, frees us from our past, and allows us to rise to a new life in Christ.  So when someone calls me and says, "Will you baptize me, and will you do it today?" I'm thankful that as a church we are always prepared for those moments when people decide that now is the time, today is the day, I'm ready to see Jesus do something in my life.

Maybe it's not baptism for you.  You've done that, you've had your experience with Christ.  But perhaps Jesus is calling you to something more, something deeper, perhaps a higher level of commitment.  And as of now you've held Him at an arms length procrastinating your decision to pursue something more.  My questions to you is the same as the Eunuch's, "Here's water, what hinders you?"  Here is the well spring of opportunity, what hinders you from jumping in with both feet.  The time is now.  Write that book.  Start that ministry.  Begin serving others each week.  Join a Dream Team.  Teach a Bible Study.  Lead a Small Group.  Share your testimony.  Send that message.  Pray for someone who's hurting.  Don't hesitate.  Become all that God wants you to be and pursue God's best for you today.  If God has called you to it, He has also equipped you to accomplish it.  Now's the time.

Whatever occurred to bring you to the crossroads you stand at right now, God allowed it to bring you to a place of decision.  Consider this an opportunity to move forward and become the best version of yourself - the one that God had planned for you from the very beginning.  Go ahead, step into the water.  You never know the ripple effect of one decision, and how many will be touched because you chose to acknowledge that here is water, there are no more excuses, let's do this NOW.

Your Story Matters

Our lives are amazingly intricate.  They are filled with twists and turns, mountains and valleys, moments of abject failures and soaring triumph. 

And then there's the living: the daily grind of going through our day-to-day.  Sometimes we feel as if our lives don't matter or make little difference, especially during our seasons of normalcy.

The reality is all that we are is wrapped up in the roller coaster that we call life.  Hair-pin turns, towering climbs, death defying drops, hills small and great.  And yet, my favorite part of my favorite roller coaster is the moment when you've crested the last little hill and everything smooths out and for a moment you get a little break in the action, a momentary respite for your heart to recover, and then you race down the gangplank to rush around to the entrance, to do it all over again.

I am convinced that most of us, if we're honest we think that our story is of little value. Who wants to hear from me?  Who needs what I have to offer?  And yet, I believe it is our day-to-day existence, our times of strength and struggle, OUR STORY that God uses most.  The revelation of who we are, of our seasons of the mundane and the monstrous, the tragic and the triumphant, the normal and the nearly- impossible-to-believe - God uses those seasons, those moments, when shared, to bring hope to someone who's hurting, to bring peace to someone who's in chaos, to bring a ray of sunshine in the midst of a thunderstorm, a rainbow in the clouds, stability in the midst of an earthquake.

You see Paul describes this amazing process of comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 RPV - He says (RPV? - that's the Rodney Pavie Version - look for it in a blog near you😁), "Blessed be the God of all comfort - who takes care to provide comfort to us when our world is turned upside down, so that when ours hits the sweet spot of normalcy again, we can share our story with those whose world is being turned upside down and provide comfort to them in the same way that God comforted us. . ."  It's like riding that roller coaster with someone who has been on it before, who can let you know that everything is about to smooth out and over the next hill you should find a season of peace, comfort, safety.

In other words - your story matters.  How God helped you through whatever chaos or struggle or failure or turmoil or tribulation you've been through - NO MATTER how large or how small, has a purpose.  Because when you make yourself vulnerable enough to share, ultimately you are helping other to know they are not alone.  They too can make it BECAUSE with God's help you did!  Your Story Matters!  If you're really spiritual, you can call it your testimony.  It's really just an eyewitness account of the roller coaster ride we call life.  AND IT MATTERS! 

Mastermind - A Look Back

Back in June, I had the privilege of sharing a three-part series entitled "Mastermind", with the overarching theme, "Change your thinking, change your life."  This morning I was revisiting that series in my mind, and I began to think just how much it impacted me and the way I think.  

In the past, I have been quick to many times judge a situation based on my current circumstances.  If life is going good, its easy for me to think positive thoughts, dream big dreams, and explore grand possiblities of the future to come.  But when things are tough, when money is tight, when life is handing out lemons instead of birthday presents, I have generally pursue a more negative line of thinking.  But since the Mastermind Series, I have really been striving to reframe my thinking.  To see the good in all situations, even if the good is something that I'm learning never to do again.  

I'm not naive.  This approach to life is hard.  It counters every line of thinking that we've been taught.  Yet as hard as it is, it is God's approach to our life.  Whatsoever things are good, lovely, praiseworthy, etc., think on these things.  As a man thinks in his heart so is he.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  All things work together for the good to them that love God and called according to his purpose.  So as we face life, how we respond is directly related to how we think, and if we are striving to shape our thinking positively, positive things should flow out of us.

I haven't got it licked yet.  Do you?  Everyday is not perfect, but I'm better today than I was and each day I'm striving to be better.  As a way of reminder, I encourage you to make declarations over your life.  Declare God's Word and God's plan for you.  This is what I declare each day as I begin my day.  If you don't have any personal declarations, feel free to use this one OR edit and make it your own:

• Jesus is first in my life.
• I exist to serve and glorify Him.
• I love my wife and I will lay down my life to serve her.
• I love my children and I will do everything I can to show them how to love God and to serve him with their whole hearts.
• I will nurture, equip, train and empower them to do more for the Kingdom than they thought possible.
• I am a recipient of God's amazing grace.  My past is redeemed and I walk in renewed mercies everyday.  As a result I will extend grace and mercy to others.
• I love people and I believe the best about them.
• I am disciplined.  Christ in me is stronger that the wrong desires in me.
• I am growing closer to Jesus everyday.
• Because of Christ, my family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my leadership is sharper.
• I am creative, innovative, driven, focused and blessed because the Spirit of God dwells within me.
• I develop leaders.  That not something I do; it's who I am.
• Pain in my friend.  I rejoice in suffering because Jesus suffered for me.
• I bring my best and then some.  It's what I bring after I bring my best that makes the difference and I declare, the world will be different and better because I SERVED JESUS TODAY.

I hope you have a great day, and continuing striving to MASTER YOUR MIND.

Starting the Year by Giving Thanks!

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!