One Month to Live..

The series, "One Month To Live" has been an earthquake for our church. Alot of things have come together to make it a high impact series.

* For sure, this is a God thing. He is moving. People feel some permission to ask some hard questions. They are thinking beyond the sermon time . They are taking it home, talking with friends and family. The challenge - "If you were given 30 days to to live, what would you change?" is powerful. God takes these kinds of thoughts and uses them.

* Our Worship Teams have done a great job of connecting all aspects of the service. Tim and his teams do more than just sing 4 or 5 songs on Sunday. He has other people that helped with the lighting, the staging, the sound, and the "marketing" of the topic within our building. People drive on to the property and they are confronted with topics. The "yard signs" are preparing people as they come in...

* The mood around this topic is upbeat and positive. This could be a sad , even dark series. But we have approached it with a very positive attitude. This is about living, not dying. People respond to that.

* The stories that are coming to me are amazing. What a joy to see and hear people talk about God and life in such revealing ways.

* The fall is usually really strong attendance wise. But this fall has been the best ever. Why? I think it is a convergence of many factors, not the least of which is that people are inviting friends. (hmmmmm..... Know, love , serve and SHARE...)


I am so looking forward to next week and seeing what God does when it comes to "Learning Humbly."

Wow!!!!

Birthdays... they come around once a year. This year's birthday was great fun. The Facebook friends came through big. Lots of greetings and good wishes. I was in meeting all day, but they were invigorating, encouraging, and hopeful.

Ate Lunch with James, Dinner with Pam, both of which were nice.

then tonight had another meeting. Cant say alot about it right now,but God is up to something in our church. I can feel it. and so can others. There are some amazing opportunities for us to reach people for Christ...some of which are beyond our imagination.

I have a feeling that the only thing that will hold us back is how big our vision ends up being. I don't want to be the limitation to accomplish the vision God has for FCC , our community and even the world.

So pray for our, our leadership teams, Mike, matt and myself. We all want to be led by God in all of these things.

One Month To Live is off and running. The responses have been amazing... Look for some more in the coming days.

TURN

Yesterday one of young moms was diagnosed with cancer. Pretty devestating to her, her husband, and kids.

What do you do when you find that out? You TURN....

TURN TO GOD. God cares...and God is there. He does not promise that we will not have valleys...but he does promise to walk through those valleys with us.

TURN TO FAMILY... I know they huddled together. They also have leaned on family

TURN TO YOUR SMALL GROUP. 24 hrs after the news... They were gathered in our church with thier small group, praying, crying, hugging, laughing and saying in every way possible, "We will go through this together."

Do you want to know why we are pushing groups and classes? Do you want to know why it is such big deal that you engage with a smaller group of people. Do you want to know why a class, a group or a ministry group is so important? Do you want to know why it is so important that you go beyond the 500-600 people in your service on Sunday???

Because you get cancer. Because your mom dies. Because your children rebel. Because your house burns down. Because you lose your job. Because you have a baby. Because you wonder if anyone cares. Because you need reassurance. Because you need to give hope, give love, and give reassurance. Because you need someone to share good news with...someone to laugh with...someone to share life with.

Because you need to give grace and receive grace. The best way to do that is to be a part of a group.

This couple did that. It has changed their lives. They have been part of helping change the lives of others... and now, they will go through another life changing experience.

Something tells me that this will turn out well. They have a great God, good family and a super small group.

Prayer for Tonya and David, Dalton and Andrea...

FCC ELDERS

When I was a young kid, we lived in a mobile home that made noises at night. Occassionally, it would get windy and when it got windy the trailer would shake. I would lie in the dark thinking, "I hope that is just the wind." It always was the wind. But in the back of my mind I would comfort myself by remembering that my dad was in the house and if anything bad were to happen , he would take care of it. But I was always glad it was the wind.

This morning I asked all of our current Elders, the Elders from the past year and two new Elders to come on the stage. It is our custom to "ordain" new elders with prayer. We have moved this to the morning services, in part because we want to involve as much of the church family as possible. God told Moses to lay his hand on Joshua in front of the whole assembly...as a sign of his blessing and committment to Joshua's new leadership.

It occured to me that while these Elders are my friends, my leaders, as well as leaders for thier families and church, they also provide a certain measure of "comfort" because they are our protectors, overseers, and shepherds.

Things seem to happen pretty fast around FCC. We are growing and reaching people like never before. It seems like there are times I want to say, "Stop the craziness." But then I remember that God is in this... and that the efforts to reach out and connect people to God and in relationship with each other is what God called us to do. I love it!

Then I remember, when I want to jump off... that we have Elders in the house. They slow me down, prod me, love me, encourage me, support, sometimes warn me, other times they say yes and no. They teach , they lead groups, they help the other staff members, they pray for me, staff and church members all the time.

They are there. They find strength in our past, find power in the present, and share in our very hopeful future. They rely on the truth of scripture, the person of Christ, the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer.

There are there... even when it get's a little windy....

Thanks guys!

One of your best leadership moves....

"If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you will be right." Steve Jobs, 2005 Commencement speech at Stanford. He's right.

This week, we addressed a subject that no one wants to talk about. In Numbers 27, Moses and God talk "transitions." That is always a hard talk to have, especially when you are a leader. God started it by reminding Moses that he would not be leading the people into the Promised Land. Moses said, "Appoint a man... so that the people will not be like a sheep without a shepherd." This is a statement that reveals Moses' character. He was not bitter or angry about the fact that he did not get to go in the promise land. He was thinking about the people he led. They needed a leader. God knew that and immediately he said, "Take Joshua."

No matter who you lead, there are questions that need to be asked and answered.

1. Do you have a plan for when you are not here? Probably need to talk about it with your spouse, children, business associates. Even at church, there needs to be regular discussion about the next generation of leadership on all levels.

2. Are you mentoring others to carry on into the future with your values? Fathers... have you passed on the important values to your children? In a marriage, if one of you does all the financial stuff, does the other one know enough to carry on if you are not here one day? Simple things like when you pay bills, passwords and usernames for online accounts.... a will goes along way toward helping people left behind in transitions. If you lead in a church ministry, who will come up behind you? After all, life goes on, and so does the ministry of God

There are many more questions. They do not all need to be answered today, but they will be answered...hopefully by you as you exercise leadership

After all, the people you lead (in any walk of life) should not be left like "sheep without a shepherd."

Gracie in the house

We are starting an adventuresome week with Gracie in the house. Lizzie, Nathaniel, Lydia and James are on thier way to Florida.

So far??? Well it has only been 7 hours. A few thoughts.

She is a doll ( I am not biased)

She is so happy,

Pam and I are older than the first time around

We will have lots of fun with her.

What I need

Here is a prayer you won't hear on prosperity TV shows...

" Two things I ask of you, O Lord, do not refuse me before I die; keep faslehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of the Lord." Proverbs 30:7-9

What a novel idea...praying for only what you need.... Let's see....Jesus said, "Give us this day our daily bread..."

That sounds so revolutionary.... and so simple.

A visit from Gracie

BIG NEWS!!!! Two days till Gracie comes to stay a week with us...

Wow...what will it be like to have a 1 year old in our house for 8 days?

I think we will be tired...

I am glad it is possible for Gracie.

Pam is Gracie-proofing everything what. We will see what we forgot.

Fun times

Church was awesome!

Church today was awesome! I am not a objective observer... I liked the sermon... alot. But then again I have really liked all of the Moses sermons this summer. I feel like I have really gotten to know the guy.

What makes a church service awesome?

Worship that draws passion for God out of people. ( Not talking volume, pace or anything like that.) I sensed passion in both services...

Stories of God working. The guy who told me that God has changed his life over the past two weeks. He had no idea that God could use him like he did. Or the guy who was just overwhelmed by the help a small group and the church gave him his family after their house burned down. There were tears of appreciation.

Having some trouble getting through the Gathering area after church. Why? People were hanging around, talking, laughing and connecting. Gotta love that .

Talking to some people in 101. Some great stories of how God is leading new people to the church. Lots of new people checking things out.

Seeing a Dad baptize his son into Christ... and seeing Jacob's face as he came out the water. Something happend there... too cool.

Joy... even from a lady who is fighting cancer, a husband who is dealing with severe marriage threats, parents of new babies.

Looking at small groups meeting in gathering area... praying, laughing, open bibles on the table... all the main ingredients of a great small group and class ministry.

Meeting a couple who reasearched communities in Oklahoma and decided that Owasso was their choice. they moved here from Orlando Fl. ... they love it.... they think they might have found a church.

Messages which hit us where we live. We all need a good dose of the truth, "God is God and I am not."

Walking out of the building exhausted, but exhilliarated at the same time.

Working with a great staff... we are back in town and it feels good!

Peace, strength and hope

Tonight, I slipped away for a while and visited a dear lady who wasn't feeling well. She's been a part of our church for a long time. But in the last year, her days have been complicated by a succession of health problems. It's not been easy for her.

She wasn't entirely coherant...but when I told her that I wanted to pray with her and her daughter...she perked up. So we prayed for peace, for strength and for hope in the coming days.

Peace, strength and hope. I have another friend that I pray for those same things each day. He is young. He is a Iraqi War veteran. He's been injured and hurt...seen things that most will never see. He has lots of tough days. I pray each day that he will have peace, strength and hope. I pray the same prayer for his sweet wife. She is by his side and is the picture of what marriage is all about to me. I used to teach her things as her youth minister. Now she teaches me... about Peace, strength and hope.

Peace, strength and hope. I pray that prayer for a young couple in our church. They lost a child a year ago or so. She is in her third tri-mester... things are going well... excitement is building. I see it in both of them. But I still lift up prayers for peace, strength and hope for them

Peace , strength and hope... this past Sunday in 2nd service, I just asked anyone who needed prayer to stand up. No explanations, no microphones... just an act of faith by standing. I was surprised by how many stood... and who stood... I prayed for peace, and strength and hope for them. It was a cool moment...and I felt there was an extra dose of Peace, strength and hope brought from heaven that day.

Might be a good prayer for someone you know...

28,000 days?????

Day by day, moment by moment, we live life thinking that we will have "another one." Its an an assumption that we all make . After all , if we live an average life , we will live 28,105 days. ( 365x77).

But the Bible says "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." ( James 4:14). "Each mans life is but a breath." ( Psalm 39:5).

10 days ago the father of one of our members died in an traffic accident caused by a heart attack. It was totally unexpected. Then , on the day of the funeral an aunt died of a blood clot that struck her heart. Totally unexpected. It has been a blurry two weeks for them...first one funeral, then travel, and another funeral.

Last night our Children's Minister's ( Aaron Rathbone) father had a heart attack and died. Just like that. He was 63. ( By my calculations, if he lived an average life span he still would have had 6000 days left.) Mike Rathbone was a faithful minister of the Lord's church. He was a good father, good husband, an encourager of other people. He was the guy that was at the hospital when other people died, some earlier than expected, some not. He was the guy that comforted people in funerals, told people in hospitals that God would be with them before the surgery. He was the guy who spoke of the love of God, the neccesity of faith in Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.

He never would get to have his name in lights... never get alot of accolades. But he was a shepherd. He was a teacher. He was a kind man. No pretense about him at all. He was a man who was faithful unto death. And last night, He went home to his reward. Heaven.

I often find myself saying about someone who is a believer and has died, "Good for them, bad for us." I know that Aaron and his siblings were not ready for this. It was totally unexpected. But it turned out to be "the day." Thier comfort comes in knowing that He is with Jesus.

Aaron and his family will press on... because it is what Mike would have done. As hard as it is, they still have some days to live... full days... many happy days.... and some days filled with sorrow. Some days will be really hard, other days ...not so much. Mike will be missed by his wife, his children and his grandchildren and the church he served.

No one knows if they get the full allotment of days ( 28,000 plus). Some get more... one lady in oklahoma just celebrated her 109th birthday ( that is nearly 40,000 days). Some don't get to the average. Thier lives are in a sense cut short.

So the Psalmist says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

No matter what tomorrow brings or doesn't bring, what is most important is whether or not you and I are ready to meet the Lord. Are you ready to face judgement? Am I ready? Yeah, I am . I am confident Mike was too. How do I know? We share a common bond... Jesus. He makes the way to God possible through His blood and sacrifice on the Cross.

For that I am thankful.

Your prayers for Aaron and his family are appreciated...

Charlie

Routine

Its late on Sunday night... I am up alone... Pam has gone to bed, but I felt poorly... I think it was becuase I did not get a good amount of rest all week..and especially today. I have a routine that basically means getting up early on Sunday, go preach, come home and rest for 30 minutes, go back and preach, then do lunch, take a 2 -3 hour nap and then get up, do some things. maybe go to evening church...or just lay low.

Today, I did not get the long nap...and progressively I felt worse. I went to bed, but laid their with this sick feeling in my head... I HATE feeling that way. It just shuts me down. I cant really explain it...I know it happened because I did not rest like I should... After 3 years, you would think I would have figured this out...its not going to get better...

So I need to stick to the routine. I am hoping I can settle into some sleep soon...

Losers who Win

I am convinced that we learn more from our losses than we do our wins. We celebrate wins. We learn from losses.

If you are into athletics, that is no surprise. How many times did you hear a coach say, " We need to learn from this loss?"

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who lost. That is one thing that I love about the Bible. It is full of losers who learned. It is full of people who tried, failed and then tried again. Sometimes they broke through and had a win. Sometimes they did not.

It seems to me that we don't try things unless we have a reasonable shot at winning. Yet, if all we do is win, it could mean that we are not stretching, not challenging others, and not neccesarily following Christ. He was a risk taker. The Apostles were risk takers. Sometimes they won, sometimes they did not. But there was one thing that was true about them... they tried things.

I think that is called faith... no matter if you win or lose.

Take a risk today. Stretch your faith. Win or lose, you will be better for it.

WHAT IF....

I try not to rant in this blog....but I am going to rant.... I am not sorry for what I am about to say.

In the past two weeks, we have watched the media and society in general take what was the death of a pop music superstar turn into a circus. I have heard that MJ's ( not the basketball player) memorial will be unlike any the WORLD has ever seen. Now alot of that is hype. There is no doubt. It is about ratings and it is about $.

Representative Peter King of New York is being smashed by the same media because he said that the media coverage of Michael Jackson's death and memorial is an "orgy of glorification." He has called for America ( and especially the media ) to honor our American troops who are sacrificing thier lives for our freedom. That is not a 4th of July message... that is everyday! King will be villified by most media outlets as insensitive, cruel and abusive in his portrayal of Jackson.

Well, that is one situation. The other is almost as disturbing. Somehwere in the south, there is a woman and 4 kids who are grieving the death of their NFL Superstar husband and dad. I said HUSBAND AND DAD and apparently BOYFRIEND to a girl 16 years his younger, whom police say was laying at his feet, with one gun shot in her head. No disputes thier death. And apparently, no one disputes their relationship.

So, read the media outlets.... Steve McNair was a pillar of the community, known for his charity work in Nashville. He was considered a mentor for NFL athletes. He has been called in the last couple days, " One of the classiest guys in Nashville." There is some concession that there was a different side to McNair that none of us knew...but that should not skew our view of what a classy guy this was and how this "episode" should not taint his legacy whatsover.

GIVE ME A BREAK!!! WOW!!!

Well, I got to tell you.... WE LIVE IN AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD. That is not my idea. There are songs written about how messed up our world is... There are books about it. And there is one book that tells us that from the beginning of time, man ( and woman) did not get it right. It is a book that tells a story of how messeed we all are, and yet how there is a GOD OF TRUTH who LOVES people and wants to guide them into RIGHT SIDE UP living.

But before that can happen, we all have to be able to confront the TRUTH about ourselves, our athletes, musicians, politicians. The fact is that the TRUTH will come out here, or at judgment.

I am in the middle of a series on Moses from Exodus and Numbers. Great guy, certainly not perfect. ( In the Bible, we learn that outside of Jesus, we all have a bumpy past.) He blew it several times. But somehow, after 120 years, the Bible says, "His eyesight was clear and he was as strong as ever." His legacy was strong at the end. Numbers 11 tells us that "Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth."

It occurs to me as millions line up for a glimpse at the Staples center in LA tomorrow , and as people gather in a football stadium in Nashville, that maybe just a few minutes everyday, looking at the life of a guy like Moses might give us a better clue as to how to live in an upside down world.

He will never get the attention that Michael Jackson got ( in life and death), or that Steve McNair go ( in Life or Death), but this week in my heart, and in person, I will honor the life of a good man named Don Klahr. Don loved his church. He loved the Lord. He loved His wife of 30 years, Dickey. He loved his children. He loved me. He fought health problems for the last year, but when I saw him, he told me that he was ready...and he knew it was in God's hands. He was just a good guy who had his prorities in order and who lived and died the way God would want for us. He's the kind of guy that churches are built on... faith, strength, honor, and love.

For me, I will honor Don Klahr... and others that come to mind who did not need to be on Enterntainment tonight, or be the lead story on Sportscenter. All Don and many others that I know did was "Love God with all his heart, mind , soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. ( Mt. 22).

Give me 1000 Don Klahrs... I won't waste my time with Pop Superstars and NFL stars. They get enough applause and accolades at their concerts and ballgames...

Let's spread it around alittle bit. Do you know someone who is a Don Klahr kind of guy? Go tell him.... let him know that hes the real hero ...a hero in the right way. He probably will dismiss or deny it, but the truth is that guys like Don... they deserve a little slap on the back. Don would tell you , "God deserves the slap on the back. He changed me."

End of Rant... The Gospel group TRUTH had a song 20 plus years ago that was quite popular. It is entitled "Living life upside down." It tells a story of exactly where we are today.

John has a new way of looking at life
He’s tired of his job, his kids and his wife
He says the secret to his successWas in leaving and finding himself
Now he’s someone to somebody else.
And you say we’ve risen to a new age of truthY
ou’re calling it a spiritual Godly pursuit
But I say, I say,

(chorus)What if we’ve fallen to the bottom of a well
Thinking we’ve risen to the top of a mountain
What if we’re knocking at the gates of hell
Thinking we’re heaven bound
What if we spend our lives thinking of ourselves
When we should have been thinking of each other
What if we reach up and touch the ground
To find we’re living life upside down.

We’ve got a program for saving the earth
While unborn children are denied their right to birth
One baby’s blessed, another cursed
Have we made this world better or worse
Now that the life of a tree comes first.

You say we’ve risen to a new age of light
You’re telling me what used to be wrong is now right

But I say, I say,
What if we’re living,
what if we’re living,
What if we’re living life upside down.

WHAT IF....

OLD(ER)

We are getting old(er). Pop stars that we grew up with are dying. I have watched some of the coverage...and have read some of the thoughts of my friends on Facebook. Michael Jackson's passing this afternoon has struck a nerve....

Why? Because we are getting old(er).

Many of us who grew up in the 70's remember the Jackson Five. We remember the ever- changing music landscape and how it really reflected the cultural changes of the day. And for those of us born in 1958, we remember MJ being a superstar young adult, who got really wiered after he became famous. His was a troubled life. He had the talent, the fame, and the money. And the heartache ( no pun intended .) The last 25 years were bizzare at best.

I listened to a Doctor who was asked, "Isn't 50 really young to suffer a cardiac arrest?" The Doctor said, " No, it's not, it's actually pretty common."

Hmmmmnnnnnnn.... We are getting old(er). 50 doesn't seem that old...and in many ways it's not... Honestly, I like 50. But I am seeing the things my parents have seen for years. Contemporaries of thiers have been dying for years. Now, contemporaries of mine are dying too. Guess that is called getting Old(er).

So this begs the question for all of us.... Are we ready to leave this world and get on with the next? Psalm 90:12 says, "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

We ought to figure this out. After all.......

We are getting old(er).

THE END OF THE BREAK....GOOD TIMES

It's been a good vacation. Lots of sun, water, time with Pam and Abigail. It will have been 14 days when we get back. Pam and I believe that is the longest vacation we have taken...

Some observations....

ANYOMINITY is a nice thing... at least for a while... Here I am just another dude walking around with his shirt off (not a great visual I suppose). I need that from time to time.

Because of TECHNOLOGY, it is hard to completely get away. I checked my email WAY too much, was on Facebook more than I wanted to be... and along the way asked a few more questions about church than I should have. And guess what???? The church does quite well without me. (You would think I would have that figured out.) Maybe that is the biggest "learning" from a vacation for me.

I have done alot of WALKING , which has been hard because of heat and humidity. But I persevered and kept after it.

The hardest parts of vacation are the three days before and the three days after you get back. Most of us have jobs that have deadlines that accomodate vacations, but do not give into them. We work hard to get ahead before we go, and then we have to work hard to catch up when we get back. Just the way it is.

I appreciate vacation because there is an start and end. I also appreciate the fact that I get vacation, because it means that I have a job. In 2009, that is a big deal.

I have appreciated this vacation because we really had no schedule....so I read alot.

VACATION READING LIST
- The Essential Church- Ranier
- Beyond Megachurch Myths- Thumma
- The Three big questions for a Frantic Family- Lencioni
- Pistol ( Biography of Pistol Pete Maravich)- Kriegel
- God Built- Steve Farrar
- Bible- (just parts of it)

It has been alot of reading...Most of it work related... but pretty good stuff...What did I enjoy the most? PISTOL was really good.. I am a basketball freak...so reading this book was fun and interesting.

One other observation... Life goes on, even when you are on vacation. Rock and TV stars die...and so do many others. Church members get difficult diagnosis from doctors, politicians confess thier affairs, governments under go revolutions, the stock market goes up and down, and LIFE GOES ON.

When I get back, I will jump back into writing, preaching messages, working on vision and the exciting future of First Christian Church, loving my wife, kids and granddaughter, and working harder to establish relationships with people outside of the Kingdom...And along the way, I want to build a stronger relationship with God... ALL PART OF LIFE...

It has been a very much needed break...God blessed us...

STRONGER....

Charlie

Vacation report

Technology confuses me until it blesses me. Today I got to e-chat with Abigail who was in Phnom Penh Cambodia. It was a nice surprise. She arrives back in the states Sunday Night. I think it has been an incredible experience for her.

Joel has arrived in Portland Maine. On to sports Camp tomorrow. I know that he is so excited to have something to do, after being unemployed for the last 7 months. I was grateful to God for saftey in travels ( about 3400 miles). And I don;t believe they stayed a night in a hotel. They had lots of friends strategically placed.

So, here I am in Panama City. Someone asked "why two weeks?" It takes me a week to decompress...to relax... and to enjoy things. I feel that after 5 days, it is happening... no real schedule, no demands to speak of... lots of reading... time on the beach, or in the new Pier Park which is really cool.

We watche Paul Blart, Mall Cop tonight... pretty funny.

I say a vacation is a something where you can do what you want to do, when you want to do, how you want to do it. I can be pretty anonymous here in Florida, which is really nice...Sometimes, living in a smaller town, and pastoring a larger church, makes it harder to go out to stores, or restruants and not be stopped. Don't get me wrong...I like connecting to people...but there are times when I feel like being anonymous is something that is refreshing.

So it is going goood.... reall good...

Two much?

I have become quite conflicted over all this communication technology. I have a cell phone, that allows me to access my office email account at almost any time I want. I have a lap top computer, which has WiFi capability, thus making me accessible to almost anything I want. I have developed the ability to Text on my phone. That is handy...it is almost always to our kids, or to Pam, and a couple friends. Then I got on Facebook. Mostly to spy on church members..but I post on there every so often. It is amazing that people I know not know want to be my friends on Facebook. Hmmmmmnnnnnn... I used to think you needed to know someone before they became your friends. Now, I am also on Twitter. Although I have not figure it out... It just seems to me to be a "sound-bite" kind of deal where you tell people what you are doing ( some are much more transparent that I ever would be), what you are thinking... and what others are telling you. You only have 142 characters to use in this, so it has to be brief.

All of this is okay...some of it is interesting... I enjoy getting a glimpse into people's lives...but the flip side...not so much. I am too much of a control freak. And gues what? On My vacation I have my computer, phone, texting, facebook, and twitter.. That's a problem.

On a happier note... I am far away from O-Town... on a white Sandy Beach for the next 12 days. What will we do? Pam and I will walk, read, lay around on the beach, check out some of the cool things in Panama City... not answer the phone unless it is one of our kids... and in general, just veg. But I also look forward to some quiet time where maybe God can work on some things in my life. So lots of bible reading, prayer, and some solitude.

The last time we were here was 3 years ago... just a couple months after the stroke. I feel alot better this time around. I still hit the wall... and when that happens, my speech slows down...I labor for words.

I am not near as verbally conversant now. Pam has had to live with someone that she could never shut up to living with someone who might only utter 10 sentences in a 15 hour drive. Lots of quiet...( I really am content to listen to music, or Pam talk). She misses the old charlie... and so do I. But it is what it is...

More from Pamana City later this week.

PRayers

Tomorrow morning, Abigail gets on a plane and heads to Cambodia for two weeks.

Pretty amazing... first that she would go....Second ...that i would let her.

But I saw God's hand in this from the first time Abigail told me last fall... I saw his hand in her fund-raising... and I saw it in her eyes as she worked this spring with a group of girls at College Heights Christian Church. She has a passion to help young women.

I always thought she would be the star athlete....basketball especially. And she was good. But she was better at Volleyball. Played in High School, and then played in College ( Made 2nd team all-region). But all along, it became clear that ministry was where she was headed. So this year, along with working two jobs, carrying 16-17 hours of school at a really good GPA, she also helped in the ministry at College Heights.

She packs more activity into less time than most. She is disciplined, loving and caring. She loves God, loves Mom and Dad, Loves her guy ( tyler), and her brother and sisters. And she will love her new team and the people they serve across the world.

Pray for her...For protection, strengthen, peace, and a hope-filled time sharing the love of Christ.

Pray for Pam and I. Abigail is a long ways away. Joel is driving from Portland Oregon to Portland Maine... And we are traveling for most of the next three weeks.

I am thankful that God can keep up with all of us, including Lydia, James, Elizabeth, Nathaniel and Gracie.

Thanks for the prayers

WIPEOUT

I once heard Wayne Smith, then the Senior Minister of Southland Christian Church in Lexington Ky. talk about his Sundays. After preaching multiple services on Sunday Monring and then again Sunday night, he would come home and his wife would want to watch "In Touch" with Dr. Charles Stanley. He did not think that was all that great, although Stanley was his wife's "favorite" preacher. He told us that when he comes home after a long day, he did not want to see Stanley, but preferred seeing Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, say, "Go ahead, make my day."

So today has been long... the whole week has been long... Many meetings...some counseling, lots of thinking and dreaming about the future, and writing a sermon, thinking about future sermons... then two sermons this morning,,, visiting a Life group this afternoon and then off to FIGHT NIGHT tonight. All of it was good... but it drained me more than usual.

This is all a pace of a day I think that i can handle until I actually do it... and then I get a sick feeling... the "wall" is fast approaching and I crash... It was too much. I have crashed... I have this feeling of being closed in...words slow down, and some words do not make it from my brain to my mouth. Sentences are harder to complete. It is all a sign that I have gone too far. This week felt alot like some of the weeks before strokes three years ago... you know the kind where you don;t feel like you have control over much, you are reacting to lots of crisis and the energy is flowing out of you...

So I get home, through on some shorts... start thinking about my next week...decided to watch some TV...nothing on ( basketball finals begins Thursday). Oh , there is Hockey... now that looks like a treat! NOT!

So we finish off the TNT movie ( TWISTER). and then hit the DVR button... What is left to watch from the previous week?

Well, it is highly spiritual. It is uplifting... No, it is not Charles Stanley, or Dr. David Jeremiah... ( I like them both) No, on this night its not Dirty Harry..."

The winner is.... WIPEOUT.(ABC).. That is no conincidence since I am totally wipeout. That is about as mindless as you can get at the end of the day. And it will help me shut it down. Sometimes that is what I need.

I am shutting it down this week , hibernating, writing sermons, study guides from Moses and basically going to get two weeks work done in one...so that I can be gone for 3 1/2 weeks. One week in Chicago... 2 plust weeks on the North Florida Coast.

But for tonight, it is about watching people make total fools of themselves by trying to navigate a obstacle course that is impossible to conquer. Now that is entertainment.

Got to Go.... they have the slippery course coming up...looks cool.

Charlie

GRACIE'S BABY DEDICATION

This weekend we celebrate Mother's day. Always a fun day. But this year it is a little extra special. We will be leaving in a little bit to go to Fayetteville. Tomorrow, Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Grace will participate in a Baby Dedication at Fellowship Bible Church.

Baby Dedications are really special. At FCC we used to do them once a year. We would bring a boatload of babies, moms and dads up on the stage, ask a couple questions, and pray. But three years ago we started doing them individually. This is a special moment for the family and the church.

Either way, this is important. There are three committments in a baby dedication. One is the committment of the child to God. Every child conceived is a gift from God. ( Psalm 139). Every child is special, and holds special promise for joy and happiness . But, I believe that God puts us on the earth for a purpose. And the discovery of that purpose begins with parents saying, "God we know this child comes from you, and that he/she is YOURS."

Second, there is a committment of the parents to God. This dedication is a public step of committment to raise the child to love God and love others ( Mt. 22:37). When parents stand before God, family and congregation, they are saying, "we dedicate ourselves to be examples of Godly living, to raise our child to know God and His Son Christ, and to follow His commands."( Deut. 6)

There is a third committment. It is often overlooked in many instances. It is the committment ot the Church family to assist and support mom, dad and child in this monumental task of raising children. So in our dedications, there is a part where the church family is asked to committ as well. We take it seriously.

When we began to have children, 26 years ago, we prayed that each one of them would love God and love others. All four of ours do. Now, there is another generation. And our prayer is the same.

We could not be more thankful that Gracie's parents love God and love others... and we know that with their committment, the committment of their church family, the committment of their extended family and the blessing of God will result in a wonderful young lady being used by God to "make up there come down here."

A COOL DAY....

Over the past three weeks , we challenged our church to bring food to stock our Community Care Food Pantry. We have been giving out alot of food over the past 12 months. There is a big need for people who are finding themselves squeezed by economic realities. So today was the day, and the front of the stage was just FULL. I loved seeing people bring their food sacks in. From Senior Adults, to very young kids, they brought the food in and put it on the stage.

Why was this important?

1. It is the responsibility of the church to reach out and feed those who need food. The church can do a great job with this, if we take it seriously. There are lots of other things that our small groups and classes do for people. But this is something everyone can get involved in.

2. I love the idea of getting the church involved in this. We could go buy food, but that does not give us "buy in" with the congregation. We could go door to door in the neighborhoods and collect food. That's not a bad idea, but why not just ask the church to bring it? We did and they did.

3. We need to give people of all ages opportunities to GIVE. It's not just about money in the offering plate. We want to expand this aspect of stewardship to show people there are lots of ways to give. Food, time, encouragement, prayers, love, and so much more!

4. We needed a "tangible" way to show people that we have resources that we want to share. God has blessed us, and in turn, we believe that we are to be a blessing. We want to bless our church family and our community. This was just one way we could do this...

I thought our church family responded in a fantastic way. And I know that we will continue to do so.

One other side note... today at the end of services, we prayed for 7 people that will be part of our FCC "GO" Teams for this summer. We will have people in China, Thailand, Honduras, and Cambodia this summer ( there may be more!). Again, this is a way to give to the work of the Kingdom of God. Some great stories there.... stay tuned.

Hmmmmmnnnnnn.....

Is it a pandemic?

Is it Swine flu or N1H1 virus?

Do we have enough medicine to fight it off?

Should we go to Mexico?

It may be serious. It certainly bears watching. We should pray for those that are sick, and do what we need to be healthy. ( Like wash our hands.)

But the best line I heard was from my friend Vince.

" The problem with 24 hour news channels is that they have to manufacture news 24 hours a day, and there isn't that much news."

I think I like his thinking.... What would happen in the world if we only had a newspaper to read in the morning? Wait a minute... it used to be that way.

Feedback

Changing times... I was thinking about how Facebook provides some immediate feedback on a sermon, paper, article, or just a subject that a person writes about..

It is the day of immediate feedback....Is that always good? Do we get feedback that requires little thought? Do we actually mull over things, let them incubate in our soul, or do we just react? And when we are looking for feedback on Facebook, or in a blog, do we consider what is going on someone's life when they give feedback? It is pretty hard to read facial expression, or hear tone of voice....

By the way, I am growing to like technology...We used SKYPE to talk to Gracie and her parents. That's cool...

Back to the feedback.... what do you think?

Your ATTITUDE makes a difference...

Rick Rusaw leads a dynamic church in Longmont Colorado. He recently wrote the following to his church... I thought it was really good.

"Hi, how are you? Welcome to the men's restroom." These were the words that the small crowd of guys heading into a restroom heard. "Thanks for coming to the restroom." This was in a busy public place, and I can tell you by the response from most, it was not what you expected. This gentleman was the greeter of the Charlotte International Airport men's restroom. His job for the airport was to greet you as you used the restroom. I'm pretty confident it was also his job to keep the place clean. There is an unspoken rule among guys, and that is, you don't speak in the restroom-not to anyone. Except, when you are answering questions from the only other guy in the place, only to discover he was on his phone and not talking to you-that's another story.

In this restroom everyone was talking because everyone was caught off guard. Our greeter had changed the atmosphere. Michael was exuberant, he was smiling, he was proud of his work. He even offered breath mints or mouthwash as you were leaving. The rule is, never turn down a breath mint-but that's another story. I thanked him for thanking me for coming, and he said in return, "Thank you for thanking me-for thanking you for using the restroom."

He liked his job. His bright smile and great attitude almost made me want to go back again before I got out of the airport, which as I get older is becoming more the norm-but that's another story. You can change your place and your environment, with one tool-attitude. Your smile, your greeting, and your attitude can make the stinkiest of places different in a moment. Whose world needs to be brightened a bit? What place needs you to make a difference? I can tell you one place that doesn't-but you would have to go to Charlotte to find it. By the way, if you find greeters this week at the restroom doors, you'll know where I got the idea!

I like the his statement in the last paragraph. "You can change your place and your environment, with one tool- attitude. Your smile, your greeting, and your attitude can mke the stinkiest of places different in a moment."

As you go to church tomorrow, or to work on Monday, or as you hang out in the house, or as you wander out to the soccer or baseball field for what seems like the tenth time in a week, you bring something with you EVERY time.... your attitude. Check it out , make sure your attitude is the same as that of Christ Jesus ( Phil 2).

Matt's Most Excellent Idea

Wednesday nights have changed ... It used to be I taught or preached each Wednesday night. Sometimes it would just be Bible Study. Other seasons it would be more of a worship service and then a sermon.

But this last fall we shifted to a strategy that included small groups on Wednesday nights, ( along with home groups on almost every day of the week) and small groups and classes on Sunday mornings.

Maybe one of the toughest things for me was answering the question, "What would I do on Wednesday nights?" Its taken a while, but I think I am figuring it out. I hang out and talk to people. Doesn't seem like alot... and at first, I thought it was not productive.

But lately, it has begun to fit a little better. For instance tonight... I talked with a lady I had never met before, whose two sons come to Glimpse. Good conversation. I talked with a family who attends FCC with their two daughters. They are really cool people, and I think we are friends. I talked with a guy that I like alot...just touching base on how his life is going and what God is doing.

I talked to 4 skateboarders in the parking lot, gently ( yes I was nice and gentle) about how I don't have anything against them or their skateboards, but they really can not do it in the parking lot in and out of cars. Why? Because they would get run over and I would have to be the one to go tell their parents that their son was killed in a church parking lot. ( I thought I had gotten through to them...but as I headed to my car they were climbing on the PODS at the end of the parking lot...I presume it was to make a jump.... I yelled- loud ... sorry guys)

I talked to a small group of 3 couples.. Chris, Morgan, Eric , Lacey, Bobbie and Liz are some of the coolest people around. All in their 20's they study the Bible, support each other, are masters at reaching out to other young couples, and have some of the most mature attitudes I know. They are servants in the church...totally engaged in the life of the church. They are teachers, computer dudes, electricians, moms, dads, and just really good members of the church. I left that conversation feeling really really good about our church and its future. Thank you God!

I talked to a friend of 15 years who has been blessed by God in his business. He and his wife are super parents, great committed members of the church, servants, and people who take thier roles as parents of a bunch of kids very seriously...loved just talking life with him.

I talked to a two couples who are older than me by alot. But they are some of the "youngest" people I know...and they love the church and all the youth there on Wednesday nights.

I also got to sit in on Glimpse. The place was packed, the worship was great...and it was really good to see all the adults in there who are investing their lives in these teenagers. COOL!

I loved doing that. It is especially good because on Sunday Mornings, I hardly get to talk to anyone. So Wednesday nights have become very productive for me... It allows me to connect to lots of different people in a relaxed manner...

THANKS MATT....Great idea

Hero's

Listen to the news, read the newspapers, click on the internet... in 2009 it all seems like bad news.

So some good news is always welcome. Hero's are pretty welcome sights during this "tough time." Three hero's came to my mind today... just kind of popped in there.

One is Captain Chelsey Sullenberger of US Airways. On the plane that landed in the Hudson, this man of few words simply said to the passengers, "brace for impact." They impacted allright... and everyone lived. Along the way, the Captain was the last one off the plane...checking to make sure that everyone else was off the sinking plane.

HERO LESSON: Be the best at preparation, pay attention to the tedious instruction at work, and you never know when it might all come into play in one "defining moment." Do your job, and do it well. Hey, if you are on that plane, aren't you glad he and the rest of plane's crew were paying attention in pilot school? Heroic actions come at the interesection of preparation and confidence.

Two is Captain Richard Phillips . He's the captain of the ship that was taken captive by Somali Pirates. He traded his own life for that of his crew, spent days in a life boat, often with a gun pointed at him. Navy Seals rescued him and he was eventually brought home to a Hero's welcome. But honestly, he wanted nothing to do with it. He said, "the millitary are the real hero's, next time you see a soldier thank them. " Then he took his wife's and said, "We want to go home and spend time as a family."

HERO LESSON: Courage is cultivated in the quiet times when your soul is shaped by what you believe about yourself, and those you serve. It seems to me that in one "defining moment" Captain Phillips thought the best deal was "you take me, turn them (the crew) loose" and we will figure this out. " That's courage that he did not summon up in one moment... it was a character decision forged in much quieter times.

The third one is Susan Boyle. She is the 47 year old English Spinster that competed in Britain's edition of Idol... Britain's Got Talent. It was a long day for the audience and the judges. They were tired, and had seen some terrible acts. Out comes Susan and she tells them that she wants to be a singer. People in the crowd snicker, judges writing her off before a note is sung..."let's get through this one"... Well, she sung her socks off...and got unanimous support from the jugdes, and an apology from Simon Cowell of all people, for dismissing her before she even sang... And over the weekend, other recordings of her songs have appeared... if everything is on the up and up, she is no one hit wonder. You will be hearing from her.

HERO LESSONS- If you don't believe in yourself, no one will. Follow your dreams. Be ready when the call comes and you find yourself on the stage of your dreams. And then after it is over and the so-called experts act all astonished about what they just heard... let them know you knew you had it in you... you just had to get someone to look past the outside to what was waiting to burst out from the inside. And keep saying that all the attention won't change you!

All three of these people, from different walks of life, remind me of something very important. There is a little bit of hero in all of us. A kind word, a prayer, a annonymous gift, a smile, or an email that just says, "you are worth it.".... all of those make hero's out of us. We don't do those to become known as a hero, but we ought to set out each day, to lift someone up...

There is alot of bad news in the world...but thank God for some hero's who teach us what it means to spread a little news along the way. Be a hero to someone today. You have it in you!

Easter...

EASTER REFLECTIONS....

-Rainy Day....but our First Touch Team was awesome.
-Record #'s of people- but evenly distrubted services (3 of them)
-Really great worship time- great mix of upbeat, special songs and some quality reflection time
-Repsonse from people who came- very positive.

Lots of people worked really hard to make it happen. From those who spent hours at the property on Saturday, to Worship Teams who were there for 6 plus hours, to First Touch, Children's and EC people- all of them invested heavily in the day. I love our people.

I think that Jesus was good with it all... The focus was on Him.

The day after- tired. So its a day off...doing little things around the house, lunch appointment and class tonight. It will take a couple days to feel normal again. (Whatever normal is.)

The Monday after ressurection day 2,000 years ago???? What a day for the disciples of Jesus! Wow.

WWJD on Easter?

QUESTION: If Jesus lived in 2009, what would he be doing on Easter Sunday?

Just a question... At staff mtg. today I asked that question... I have been thinking about it this week. I figure that he would celebrate His Ressurection... I guess. But maybe he would do more than just go to church.

Someone said to me this week, "Well, you are getting ready for the biggest Sunday of your year, right?"

From an attendance standpoint... Yes.

From an opportunity standpoint... ( to reach new people), its a big deal.

But I cringe when I hear that... Every Sunday is a big day to us.

Can I confess something? It's pretty easy for all of us on staff at our church to miss Easter. Many of our staff are so busy planning, putting teams together, developing services, writing messages, and anticipating potential problems (weather, check-in, enough communion, plenty of bulletins, timing of services, parking, visitors, and so much more) ... that it is very possible to miss what Easter is all about. We are not bad Christians. We are not spiritual midgets. We care about all the people that will come... and do come every week. But honestly, we could learn alot from Jesus about crowd "control", messages, and what is really important on a day like Easter.

So thinking about what things Jesus might do on that day...keeps me on track.

By the way... I love our staff... their heart and dedication to the Kingdom is unmatched in my mind. And I think through it all, each of them will find a way to really celebrate Easter.

Anniversary's

Last night, ( April 3) Pam and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. The actual anniversary is April 5, but just like 28 years ago, that falls on a Sunday... and we are pretty busy on Sundays.

So, we went out last night. Before we left the house, Pam gave me my "present." It is a CD of favorite songs of ours. She told me that she had been working on compiling the songs for years. Abigial helped her get it on a CD. What a great gift... a treasure for sure.

So we jumped into our car and went to Tulsa. We had reservations at PF Changs. ( not exactly Taco Bell - that was our first anniversary ), but it was good. It was one of the many prom nights in Tulsa, so the place was packed full of high schoolers in formal attire. Before we ate, we explored Utica Square, sat and talked on a bench... it was all so simple and nice. A GREAT night.

It would be hard to let April 3rd pass by without considering another "anniversary." Three years ago, I had a stroke. Not such a good feeling... its been a long road back, two steps forward and one step back. But there have been constant people in my life that have made it alot easier.

Pam has been wonderful. Can't say enough about the burden a "care-giving" spouse has to bear. She did not sign up for this... but then again I guess 28 years ago, she did. There are exciting things ahead for her in life...we both know it and can't wait to see how God unfolds it all.

Our kids have been incredible. Lizzie, Joel and Lydia were gone, off to college or on with thier lives. But they have been so supportive and understanding. Abigail was in High School, so she saw the day to day. It was scary for her. So what a blessing last night when I got a text from her celebrating the fact that I was alive... I think the whole thing was such a surprise to all of us. Three years later, our lives have moved on. There are husbands, a boyfriend, new places of residence and a granddaughter. And no matter what, they let me know how much they love me.

First Christian Church... what can I say? They have treated me the way a million other pastors would wish their church treated them. Patience, understanding, space... I get to preach, lead and kind of pick my spots... alll with no fear of what others will say. The Elders have been amazing to me. I could not be in a better spot.

Friends. Whether they just are people I can talk to, or staff members, or buddies who just want me to keep plugging away... they are there. I have needed several of the over the past three years.

God has been great to me. Three years ago, I was not in a healthy place on several fronts. Its still a battle on some, but I am better. Occassionally, there are reminders that I am human and I need to take care of myself.

Getting back to health has been a priority over the past three years. But where would I be, if 28 years ago, I had not stood in front of family, college friends, and a church in Superior Nebraska and pledged my love and life to Pam? From that day on we have been faithful to each other and faithful to God. He has given us every blessing we deserved ( do we really deserve any?), and a ton that we don't.

And even if there are days like April 3, 2006 in my future, I am still way better off than I could imagine... because on April 5, 1981 two lives became one.

I look forward to the "next day." I hope it ends up being another 10,220 days. But even if it is only 1 more day, I have had an incredible life, with an incredible woman...

Thanks be to God.

Moses- Leader with Faith and Humility

I have started a study of the life of Moses for the Summer of 09. I like character studies,becuase they remind us that God uses all kinds of people, in his own way and time, to accomplish his purposes.

Moses was the Deliverer... but he was so much more. He was a humble man. He was scared at times. He did not believe in his ability to convinice Pharoah, to let the peoeple go. He felt inadequate as manager of large groups of people. He had an anger problem at times. His leadership was constantly criticized. He disobeyed God and it cost him something very precious. (the honor of going into the promise land.") He got to spend time face to face with God, and then go down the mountain and confront the sin of the impatient people. I have read through his life... don;t see alot of down time once he turned 80. That was a hard run into the last 40 year segment.

If I were going to study 5 hero's from the Bible I would study, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David and Jesus. Those are the top five in my book.

Right now I am outlining the books of Exodus and Numbers...along with some refrences in Hebrews 11. All in preparation for 10-11 sermons and 12 study guides for the summer.

You learn alot about God by watching how He works through other people.

I am thankful for a church leadership and staff who gives me the time to study for a series like this...

Real Life meeting faith...it works

Being from Oklahoma has somewhat insulated us from the harshest realities of the economic downturn. Here in the heartland we are not seeing the wide-spread layoffs that are hitting the Northeast, West, Southwest and Upper Midwest. It may get worse, but for now it is more like a trickle, instead of a flood.

But we are seeing people in our church who are being laid off. It doesn't matter whether it is you, or a 100 people, it is still scary to get the paperwork. When Joel was laid off last November, he said that he was so surprised and shocked... They were putting papers in front of him and telling him to sign them. He was numb.

Imagine what it is like for someone who is married and has children. Joel is single and in pretty good shape as far as obligations. But lots of people are not. It's scary.

I saw an email that one guy in our church wrote to his small group this week. He talked about how he would be laid off today. It was kind of scary, but he knew that God would take of him and his family (including a baby on the way.)

So what did he do? He emailed his small group. The email is one overflowing with faith. But it is also a signal that they have a group to call on if they need help. He ended his email with a quote from 2 Cor 4:8-9 and these words, "I will praise Him in the hard times!"

We will help where we can, along side of the groups. We are being blessed now as a church for times such as these. If you have lost your job, let us know... we want to help.

This is where real life meets faith. And it works!

On another note, Pam and I went to an open house for Pregnancy Resource Center. It is really growing influence in our community. There is a strong vision, great leadership and a desire to care for people. They have expanded thier facilities and they are making a difference.

It is another place where real life meets faith. And it works!

A member of our church lost his brother suddenly this week. His small group was on it, before I even knew about it ( And I knew within about 2 1/2 hrs). There is a group of people who will minister better to him and his family than I can. I will do my part...but the group is where the consistent support and love will come.

It is another place where real life meets faith. And it works!

We want to be a real life kind of place, full of grace and love, support, honoring the truth of God's Word and using those things to build faith into the lives of people. Sounds exactly like what the church should be doing.

THREE THINGS...

MARCH MADNESS- going very well for me... see previous post... Proud of the OSU Cowboys!

NAIA-Steve Mowery and I went to KC for the NAIA Championships ( 24 games in 3 days). Love it! And we got an added bonus... we took a chance and went to the Sprint Center, bought two tickets and got to see OU-Morgan State. ( Yes, I saw the flip...It was just as bad in real life as on TV.) Great time with a great friend.

CHURCH- The BAGGAGE series has been awesome. It has also been the most draining series of sermons I have done in a long time. People have so much to deal with... and preaching about Anger, bitterness and guilt surfaces alot of things. I think I most pleased with the fact that people look to God to help them with these kinds of things. I have said the same thing every week...."If you allow bitterness, anger, or guilt to take up residence in your life, it makes you tired and weary. And even worse, after a while, you begin to think how you feel is normal and how it will be for the rest of your life."

Galatians 5:1- "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Good Stuff...

March Madness

Here it is... the predictor of March Madness. I am not an expert in Basketball, but I know a little about it. And it sure beats talking about the economy....

Round 1 Upsets- Not too many limbs to climb on in this round...
- Sienna (9) over Ohio State (8)
-USC (10) over Boston College ( 7)
-Texas AM ( 9) over BYU (8)
-Maryland ( 10) over Cal (7)
- Mississippi State (13) over Washington ( 4)
-VCU (11) over UCLA(6)
-Butler ( 9) over LSU (8)
- Western Kentucky ( 12) over Illinois ( 5)
- Michigan ( 10) over Clemson (7)

Round 2 Upsets
- Fla. State ( 5 ) over Xavier ( 4)

Round 3 upsets
Gonzaga (4) over UNC (1)
Kansas (3) over Michigan State ( 2)
Wake Forests ( 4) over Louisville ( 1)

Round 4
Pitt Vs. Duke- Pitt
Gonzaga Vs. OU- OU
Uconn Vs. Memphis - Memphis
Kansas vs. Wake - Kansas

Final four

Pitt Vs. OU- Pitt
Kansas Vs. Memphis ( rematch of 08 national championship)- Memphis

Title Game
Pitt Vs. Memphis- MEMPHIS

there you have it... Should be interesting...

Oh boy.....

I am going to wade into "deep yogurt" here. I am no expert... but have a thought or two.

It's this AIG thing. I understand that the government bailed them out last fall because they were "too big to fail." I understand that salaries and bonuses are hot buttons today and get people all riled up. I have watched for the last 2 months or so at how the "government " has been outraged at what has been happening in some of these banks and insurance companies. Today, I listened for a bit as Congreessmen and Senators, and even the President said, "We will figure out a way to get that money back, even if we have to tax them (those that got the bonuses) at 90%.

WOW.... here is my problem. Several ( I am being generous here) of the administrations top financial people , along with tax legislation writing congressmen have been accused of dodging personal income taxes over the past few years. Only when they were nominated to the cabinet, or called on the carpet by regulators did they come clean and pay up. Hmnnnn..... and now they are screaming bloody murder about AIG bonuses?

Don't get me wrong... I am not a big fan of 1 million dollar bonuses. ( I never have received one.) This is not the time to be doing that... bad PR.... I think that there would be some better uses of the money.

But , if they are contractual in nature, and have been agreed upon before this current crisis hit ( and that seems to be the case), then what is the big deal about? A year ago, the climate was different. I kind of doubt that someone at AIG woke up in mid-feb and said, "Hey I think I will shell out 165 million dollars of the tax payers money, to a bunch of my buddies at work, some of whom do not work there any more."

What bothers me more is the idea that Congressional members are trying to write laws that would TAX 90% of that money to recoup it. If they will do that, then where will it stop? Talk about "trickle down economics." Pretty soon we will taxes go up on everything , even for the middle income kind of guy...all in the name of "making things right." That is code for "wealth re-distribution." And no matter what anyone says, when the wealth get re-distributed someone gets rich. Its generally the guy who did not work for it.

This gets personal if the government decides to take their new found power to "make things right" and tells me that I can not preach on passages in the Bible that stand against homosexuality ( and if it begins there, it will never stop until Biblical Christianity is legislated out of existence in this country.)

I see this desire to use "power in legislation" to re-shape our country. It is scary.

I am not all that political in nature... I generally try to stay out of these kinds of things... I rarely if ever, write about it. But this Sunday I preached about "Dealing with Bitterness". At the end I talked with people who were dealing with bitterness toward family members, toward employers, even toward God. But one guy really caught my attention. I respect this guy so much and have grown to love him. He told me how good the messages in this "Baggage" series have been, and then he told me he had a problem with bitterness... toward the people that are running this country into the ground right before our eyes.

I thought it was a very transparent and sincere thing to say. He really wants to guard his heart.

There are days like today when I think, "He could be right... and we could be watching it all happen right before our eyes."

I am not smart enough to know whether that is exactly true or not. But I do know that if our government can write legislation in the name of "making things right" that will tax anyone any amount they deem "right", allowing them to dip into our wallets, and to leigslate our own moral beliefs, then this is really not the United States of America any more.

Our hope???? Turn to God...Put our faith and trust in Him. For in the end, all of this will be hay and stubble, and all that will remain is our faith in God and trust in His Son. I believe God is in control and in the end, he will use anyone, anytime to draw people's hearts and mind back to Him.

Charlie

PS . MARCH MADNESS HAS BEGUN.

I will post my final predictions tonight.

Something to think about...

Interesting little battle going on in California. Last fall, voters supported Proposition 8, which basically stated that marriage was a union between a man and a woman. 52-48%. So those who held an opposing view, that marriage is a civil right for all people, including same sex "couples", went to court. The issue finds itself before the California Supreme Court this week.

Pundits don't know what to do with this. Beyond the obvious question, there is one that I think goes to the heart of the battle.

Here it is...

If the majority of the people say that marriage should be between a man and a woman, what do the proponents of same sex marriage do next? In other words, if they don't the answer they want from the people, they go "above their heads" to get what they want.

So they go the the courts. And they put their trust in their belief that the justices on the state supreme court know better than 52% of the people. This is not a constituional thing. Those who supported Prop 8 followed the letter of the law and constitution in California. They took it to the people... and the people have spoken. But that is not good enough.

( It is an age old problem..remember when you were a kid??? You would ask your Dad, and when he said, "no", did that stop you? No way... you figured out how to spin the question a little different, avoid having to answer the question, "Did you ask your father?" and then get a different answer from your unsuspecting mom. Don't deny it... we all did it)

Now, while I agree with this "form" of referendum politics... and think it has a place in our culture, It does not have a place in this arguement.

California politicans ( not just them, but many politicians in all locales) have made one fatal mistake. The people are not the final word when it comes to moral issues such as same sex marriage. The judges are not the final word either.

In our country, it is all about "majority" rules. That is our country. And in many cases it works. But not in these kinds of cases. There is a higher rule of authority here... And the problem is that sometimes the majority is wrong...

Ultimately the final word is the Scriptures. Bottom line, God has always said that marriage is a union between man and woman. He has consitently condemened homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle, something that people choose to do.

Leaving moral decisions like this to votes or to judges is bad leadership. You have to go beyond what a group of people feel. Because they may feel different next week. Circumstances change... emotions change...and the next thing you know, your perspective changes. Then the rules change... and you are well on your way to chaos.

Going to judges is no better, in large part because they are humans. They are susceptible to changing views, emotions and circumstances.

It is a kind of viscious circle that our founding forefathers could not have anticipated. Don't like something? Vote on it. Is the new law unconsittutional? Ask a judge. Do we need to have a new law? Let the legislature write a new law Don't like the solution? Ask a judge.

It all might work today if we had the same standard of truth that they had back then. The Holy Scriptures. But we don't... so we vote, ask, rewrite, find someone that agrees with me, and then say, "They are the final word..." But they aren't the final word, or someone else will find their own "final word."

We need a standard of truth that sets us straight on how to live in a way that is honoring of our Creator and good for us. That is the Bible... I put my trust in what Scriptures say about all things. I think scripture is pretty clear...

Today....

Today...

I preached two services about the Samaritan Woman (John 4)....

I talked to a woman whose son suddenly died two months ago. I did not know about it... she said it was the first time she had been in church since it happened. She said it was hard to come...but the message of hope helped her....My heart broke for her...

I talked with a guy whose mom is in the hospital...He just lost his Dad last fall... she is going to be OK.

I talked with another woman who has been diagnosed with cancer in the last two weeks. She encouraged me, not the other way around...They stayed all morning to serve in the Welcome Center. Here they are dealing with this...and they are telling me how exciting it is to see the new families and to help them get to the places they are supposed to go....

I talked with some people visiting who have been wounded at their church. They just need a place to kind of hide and heal....I said we would be that for them...I doubt they are leaving their church, they just need some space....I hate it when any church has to go through this kind of stuff.... We have been there...I know what it is like...

I talked with a woman who is bringing her neighbors, even though she has been coming just a few weeks. She has a burden for her friends who are going through rough times right now... she believes she has found a place for them to get help....

I met with a room full of new people checking us out in Discovery class. 15 faces I had really never seen before. But they are coming, wanting to know about this church, about our ministry and how they can engage. Cool stuff....

I talked with a guy that said our staff is awesome. ( He is right.) We have a staff that is really "jelling" right now. We are not perfect, make lots of mistakes, but we love God and each other.

He is sharing with people about his church...but he was quick to say that it is his relatively new relationship with God that has changed his life. He has it right....

I was hugged by alot of people...

I was told by someone, "I really get alot out of the messages..." It's good to hear....

I got a new picture of Baby Grace. She melts my heart.

In the middle of all of this I am reminded that people have so much to deal with...health, broken relationships, economy, kids, grandkids, doubt, parents, co-workers, pregnancy, there is just so much....

I am thankful I get to do what I do...but I wonder "why me?" What do I have to offer these people? Then I remember my message... It is never my words that save people. It is never my efforts that really make the difference. It is Christ. It is His Spirit. It is His Word. People hang on to what is solid. Today, you can't trust others, government, the economy or any of that stuff... It gets to the point where our faith in God is what we really have. And it is the message we have to share. It is a lasting hope.

That was a big part of my message today... actually if I had been the only one to hear it today, it was a message I needed to hear... I needed to preach it to myself....

.

Take heart....

"IN THIS WORLD, YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE." John 16:33

Those seven words are so true.

They tell the truth about life. You know it and I know it. The reality of living life is that there are moments where trouble is present. Trouble comes in all shapes and sizes. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender or economic status. Trouble is real. It can be a nusiance or it can be devestating. It can be short-lived, or it can be life-long. Just read the newspaper. There is so much trouble. Read our prayer list. People we know and love have alot to deal with. They are good people. They love God. But there is still trouble. Think about your life. Often we learn best through trouble. Often we trust God more when we have troubles.

"BUT TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."

Those eight words are awesome!

Aren't you glad that John 16:33 does end with the first sentence? I am. Yes, trouble lurks in life. You and I, we can't get away from it. We can not manipulate life so that we have no trouble.. We can not totally avoid trouble. We can not lead a "trouble free "life." No one does.

These words remind us that there is someone who can deal with our troubles. Jesus can. In John 14, Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, trust also in me." ( 14:1)
One of my co-workers often talks about how belief is really connected to trust. Do I really trust God and Jesus in times of trouble? I admire the way, and many others do "trust" God. It is more than just intellectual ascent... it is a rock solid trust in God, believing that what Jesus said in John 16:33 is true. That is what it means to "believe" in Him. There are times when trouble descends upon them ( and me), and our trust in Him deepens. That is how it works.

So, I am thinking.... I have troubles... but they are nothing compared to alot of other people's troubles. I will have troubles in the future... but there are alot of others who have deeper troubles than I do.

Either way, Jesus did not distinguish between those who had "big" troubles, and those who have "little" troubles. He just said, " But take heart! I have overcome the world." That is a message for all of us.

Tension- Sweet Spot

Here are some ramblings. I know it is has been a while...

Tension.... Life is lived in tension.  Relationships have tension. When you "commit" to someone, there is a constant sense of tension. It is not all bad. Frankly, tension is what brings about trust, it brings about a sense of connection. It brings about a sense of accomplishment when you take two different people, set a goal, and then work together to accomplish it. 

I love my wife. We are very different.  But we are a really good team. There is this tension between us that draws us together and to God. We have to lean on each other, and on Him. I love her. I love what we do. I love the things we do together. 

I love my kids.  Again, there is a sort of tension, especially as we see them leave home and build lives.  Each one of our kids has a "core" in them that is good. They love God, and they try to live that out. But each one of them has gone about it a different way. That is the fun of life. They do not always do the things I would do, and isn't that wonderful? 

I love the staff of our church. We are all very different. This last week, I was in for a few days. I was walking around just looking at how different all of them are.  Some are loud and busy. Some are very quiet and studious.  Some are older, some are younger.  Some have lots of experience, some do not. All of US make mistakes... but we have a goal and that goal is to glorify God and to help others know, love, serve and share Him. ( Christ)."

Lately I have been gone alot. It is by design. I have not thought much about the church, but have focused on some space between me and the church, which has cleared my head... It has made me think more about strategic planning... getting out from under the urgent and into the important. I have needed some time to think, some time to rest and some time to spend with kids and Pam. 

There is a tension there. I want to know what is going on at the church. I like knowing...  I want to make decision, I want to see the flow of how things are going. But I have had to turn loose of alot to be gone and let it kind of all happen.  I noticed it these last two weeks, because the emails and the phone calls have been very few. At first that bothered me...."Why don't they call me?"  "Why are they not emailing me?"  Well, because I told them not to. Because it is best that when I am away, I am really away.  What a challenge to do that when you have been trained to believe that you are always on call, 24/7/365.  One of the benefits of being a pastor in a larger church is that you can get away. 

Here is what I have learned...

1. Strategic planning and thinking way ahead of the game is something someone has to do. If you do not have someone doing that you will spend all your time reacting. Most bad decisions are made in a hurry and react kind of mode. 

2. We have very gifted staff that can do a very good job of "managing" the day to day things in the church. I feel a need to develop more "strategic planners" that will see the church grow and develop over the next 10-20 years. They are all leaders... who love God, love their families, love their church and love me. I need to be better at this, and reproduce that in others... lots of work to do there.

3. I love spending time with Pam. She is my best friend. We have a gift in the time that we are given to be together. The next 30 years will be fun.(I would love to live to 80, with her...)

4. Tension is not a bad thing. Too much time away from the pressures and stress kind of becomes a "withdrawl" kind of thing too. It takes me a couple days to decompress...But  I think the tension I am talking about is kind of like the sweet spot on a bat.  When you hit the ball on the sweet spot, there is a different sound. And the ball flys...  I like that sound.  At the church, I think we are hitting more and more of the "sweet spot". It does not mean that there are not some broken bats, some strikes, and even an occasional strike out... but we seem to be able to hit the ball out of the park once in a while now.  The sweet spot for me is to be able to leave, learn from others, rest and recuperate and then come back stronger than ever. 

5. I need the rest. I am finding that rest of all kinds ( emotional, physical and spiritual) are completely inter-related.  I have not done a good job of resting the last 8 months or so.  I am working on it... I can feel it when I am winding down... 

Lots to think about.... Who knows maybe I will be able to get back to blogging more, rather than just storing it up for a big one like this.

later...

Thinking "outloud"....

I think humans are chronic complainers. 

Reading through a chunk of Exodus this week has convinced me that we no matter what miracle God does, there are always going to be people that will say, "It is not enough."

Think about it... Israel cries out to God and says, "Get us out of Egypt."  God does. He does it in a miracle filled way.  Over and over, God showed his power. He showed His love. He showed the people that he had a plan.  God executed the plan.

On the way out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the land that was promised, it was one complaint after another. There were lots of miracles, lots of very clear examples that if the people would follow God, he would not only take care of them, but bless them. 

But they wanted more...

Today we are in a very challenging time economically.  There is no doubt about that. But we still are the richest country on earth.  We are blessed by God. I heard yesterday that people in Afghanistan average 350 dollars a year in income.  I make alot more than that in a week.  Alot more.  I know it is much worse in other parts of the world.

Bottom line, it is not about not making money. It is not about giving away what people work hard to make. 

It is about complaining when things get tight or when we have to cut back on "necessities" like Cable, DVR, Cellphones, vehicles, eating out, internet and soooooo much more. Is a vacation a necessity? Is it a necessity to be able to have computers, flat screen TV's in every room...

I am not against those things. I am someone who "has" most of those things. But when we become complainers about those kinds of things and some of the "cut-backs" we may need to make, maybe it signal  that we do not "have those things, those things "have" us. 

Be thankful. Be intelligent.  Don't complain. We have alot. Most of us can "give up" many things, if necessary.  Most of us still have a whole lot more than the rest of the world.

Elkins Elks continue to win...

 Last night we watched the Elkins Elks win their game against rival Greenland.  Nathaniel Smith is the coach.  He happens to be my son-in-law. ( I have two phenomenal son-in-laws.). 

I watched the Elks last year.  They were decent, but overmatched most of the time. I only saw a couple games, but it was not pretty.   This year, they have a personality. It is the personality of their coach.  Work hard...take good shots, effort, and consistency. They have learned to win. That goes along way.

They got behind last night...but there was no panic on the players faces... and none from the coach.  It was like, "Do what you do best, and we will be fine."  They were... they won by 12 or so.  That makes them 5-0 in conference.

I told Nathaniel after the game, "Now that you have won that game, the real coaching begins." It is one thing to learn how to win when you are losing.  It is another thing to learn to continue to win when you are winning.   He is up to it.  I like their team alot. They have a nice blend of shooting, inside game.  They defend.  They are not big, but they scrap and play hard. 

On another note...last week I went to Portland. Spent the afternoon with Joel.  It is interesting.  He is a guy who moved across the country with a company from Tulsa. They laid 1/3 of the company off six week later. I would be mad....really mad.  ( I was to be honest with you.)

But not Joel. He is figuring out how to live on alot less...looking for work, doing things to earn money, keeping his apartment, building new friends, working out, and trying to do somethings while he can. He does not have alot of financial commitments, so he just keeps on doing what he does. 

It was good for me to see him. He is fine. I admire what he is doing, because he has not let adversity derail him. That is a good life quality to have.

God is providing for him.

God is providing for my dad.  Although the surgery did not go well, he has a good attitude.  Mom and Dad keep plugging away.

Well, its just Pam and I at home.  Guess what... We are watching figure skating. ( I know girls, you are wondering "where that was when you were at home".)  

Go figure.....Dad watching Figure skating...Hmmmmmm.....

Stuff

This and that....

- Got to see Gracie this weekend...  Sooooo fun! She is recognize Pam and me, and giggling... 

- Watched Nathaniel's team win a big ballgame this Friday.  The Elkins Elks are 5-7 and on the rise....  

- Church was incredible today.  So many new people....full parking lots.... people could not find seats... I saw one guy who brought his basketball team to church- they had to sit on the front row.Matt Proctor, President of Ozark Christian College preached... He hit a home run...

- We are in a series called "the truth, laying the foundations of our faith".  Where do preaching ideas come from?  God lays them on our hearts, sometimes they are collaborative efforts with other staff... and sometimes they are tucked in a conversation. This one came from Rib Crib... lunch with Bill Odom... who just shared his heart about people needing to know what we believe and why.  Thanks Bill....

- I love our building...but I am wondering if we built too small. ( Okay I just said it... I know some of you are thinking it.)  Thanks to Eric B... who stopped me and said, "Look at this, it is full!"  It was not what he said, it was his eyes... so excited as he sees God working.  What do we do about it?  Pray, strategically plan , pray some more and remember that God knows exactly what we have, and what we need to accomplish His mission for us. 

- I am heading to Oregon this week... Dad is having eye surgery this week. ( prayers are always appreciated.)  I love his optimistic attitude. I can learn alot from Him.  And my mom...she is amazing...inspite of her own health issues, she is right there for him! 

- Also looking forward to seeing Joel in Portland for a few hours....  He is still looking for work ( prayers please....).  I admire him because he is managing a difficult situation with alot of strength...

- I will be back in the pulpit Sunday ( Jan 18th). It's "the truth about Jesus Christ." 

- On a cultural note- there is a huge battle going on in our culture right now. On the one side are the people who say,  "Pay off your debts and save your money."  The other side says, "the way out of this economic trouble is for all of you to spend the money that you have."  I wonder who will win? There is alot at stake here.

- 8 Days to Inauguration.  I will talk about it later this week.

- 

"A bit terrified..."

Today, we ( FCC) began a year long quest to go "DEEPER" with God. It come from Luke 5 where Jesus told Peter to "Put out into deep water and let your nets down for a catch."

"Going deeper" can be pretty subjective for most people. For our purposes today we concentrated on "going deeper in the Word, "  and "going deep in our mission as a church." I believe that if we do those two things, all the measurements, goals etc that a new year brings will take care itself.

I was reading a blog by a preacher in Ohio...one I read regularly. He made a statement that got my attention.  Here it is...

"I am excited, and a bit terrified to deepen my walk with God." 

That is a very honest statement...one I can identify with.   I relate to it because I know, at least in part, that growth comes from perseverance through hard times.  Is that a prayer that I want to pray? Hmnnnn.... I do want to grow deeper...

Maybe my problem is that I want to "grow deeper" on my own terms...If that is my priority, my life is not totally surrendered.

Do you want to grow "deeper?"  If so, is there anything that terrifies you about deepening your relationship with God? 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: Study guides for the previous weeks sermons are online at www.fccowasso.com.  Could be a good too for you to "go deeper."

Three Words

Three words that give me hope for the future. 

Take a peak at Genesis 1.   The three words are 

"AND IT HAPPENED"   NCV

Over and over again, you read the words, "And it happened."   

I thought about this in light of something I heard a long time a go...

"God said it and that settles it." 

No matter what happens in the future, remember that from the beginning of time, God has kept His Word.  There is nothing to suggest that the future will be any different.

NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS AND POSSIBILITIES

 I am one who looks forward to a New Year.  I know it is just a calendar page and all that...but a new year does a  couple things for me. 

One, it causes me to reflect on the previous year.

Two, it raises my thinking about the possibilities of the coming year. 

Since I have only had 50 or so of these "new years", I feel a little bit like a novice.  Both of the aforementioned items can happen any time, and should not be limited to the end of December or first of January...

Sooooo.... reflections...

* Another year of life...I am 50! ( I already mentioned that )

* A new life in my life- Baby Grace ( See pictures from earlier blogs)

* A year of improving health ( Its slow but progressing)

* A year of massive change at the church ( Relocation was just the tip of the iceberg)

* FCC finished Phase I, and finished Phase II in the same year. ( Way to go church, building 

    team , staff and Mike)

* Joel moved to Portland (kind of ironic when you think about it)

* Lydia and James moved back to Owasso (nice......very nice)

* Abigail grew up .... and has an awesome boyfriend ( She blows me away)

* Elizabeth became a mom...  ( She and Nathaniel are great parents)

* Pam is a natural grandmother...so good to her kids and so loving to me. 

* Broadcasting OHS basketball on the radio with my friend Steve.

* Pam and I went to Israel in May- Amazing trip!

* We ( FCC) gained four new staff members ( Jared, James, Teri and Nancy)

* We (FCC)  lost ( we know where she is...) a wonderful Early Childhood Director ( Cathy).  8 

   years in that position is almost unheard of....

*  We ( FCC) added lots and lots of new people.... some wonderful people who God has touched.

* On a personal note  2008 also saw my parents move from out into the country to the city.  I 

   am proud of them for making a "hard" move...

Soooo.... Possibilities.....

* Preaching messages that move people DEEPER  ( Luke 5:11) - With God's amazing help

* Traveling more in 09 to churches  to learn about vision, processes and leadership

*  Spending more time with Pam....pursuing some of her dreams for the future. 

* Taking the Perspectives class

* Broadcasting OHS basketball ( Blaine's Sr. Year...)

*  Better health... more efficient exercise... learning to eat better, and staying out of bad 

   lifestyle habits (Those closest to me know what they are).

* Watching Gracie grow... ( a secret... she is spending a week with us next summer...woo hoo!) 

* Visiting Joel and my parents in Oregon

* Writing study guides for each sermon in 09. ( I am enjoying this... 10 down, 42 to go!)

* Influencing my neighbors for Christ. ( There are real opportunities there)

* Watching God work in the lives of people I have not even met yet. ( Every year, there are new 

    people....)

* Going to Florida with Pam for two weeks.

* More love from God.... everyday...

It's shaping up to be a great year...