Month: October 2012

Yesterday my dad was supposed to arrive at 11am. Thanks to the beauty of air travel he arrived this morning at 1:30am. We got to bed around 3am, and this morning were on our way about 9:30am. After a few stops we hit the road at 11:15am and drove 4 hours to my Aunt Cindy’s house in Surprise, Arizona. We visited with her, my Uncle Tom, and cousin Morgan, then this evening we went over to my cousin Susan’s house and were joined by my cousins Heather and Erin and their families for dinner and a lot of fun. Glad we were able to connect. I hadn’t seen my cousin Erin in almost 17 years, and it was the first time to meet Heather’s husband and kids. Fun times!

Today my Dad and I are beginning the journey east. I am looking forward to spending quality time with Pops. The plan is to drive together to Chicago where I will drop him off and see my mom, then continue one the final 2 days to New York. Other than spending several days with my dad, I wish our we could make it in 4-minutes like this … (lol!)

Next time I see that truck it’ll probably look more like this …

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

– Mother Teresa

Adriana and my daughters left me yesterday. They boarded a plane bound for the chilly fall weather New York. I was left here in the desert heat and sunshine.

Before you start freaking out … no, Adriana and I are not separating. Not permanently, anyways. We will be reunited again in two weeks. In two weeks I plan to be pulling into New York with our dogs, bird, and, hopefully, with a moving truck not far behind.

WHAT?!!!

Yep, it’s true. We’ve been covertly planning our move for about 3 weeks. We went off the Facebook grid to avoid any leak of the news to our New York friends. So, here’s the scoop …

A month ago, with mixed emotions, I resigned my position as middle school pastor at Southwest Community Church. Several months ago I was contacted by some good friends on Long Island and asked to interview for a youth pastor position. After much agonizing in prayer, conversations, and counsel we decided it was in the best interest of our family to accept the invitation to join the staff of Shelter Rock Church on Long Island.

We were very blessed to be working at Southwest and were greatly encouraged by the momentum and growth the middle school ministry was experiencing. We saw so many students come to know Christ in the past year-and-a-half, and I had the joy of baptizing almost 60 middle school students! Families were loving what we were doing, and we were really experiencing the favor of the Lord. So why leave?

In the end it came down to the realization that New York was home. For years we had been considering the idea of going west, and God afforded us that opportunity at Southwest and allowed us to make some wonderful friends and have some great experiences. Being in the desert, however really clarified for us that God has indeed wired us and given us a love and burden for Long Island. While we are sad to leave such an exciting church and friends, we are thrilled for the journey that lies ahead – in particular, the joy of reuniting with old friends and making new ones.

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “. . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God–and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood . . .” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.

– Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, December 8th

Just finished reading A Hobbit Journey by Matthew Dickerson. This is a fabulous, fascinating inductive study of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. I absolutely enjoyed the read and my understanding of Tolkien’s literary works as well as the man himself was profoundly deepened. If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Silmarillion, or any of Tolkien’s writings, this is a must read!