Haiti Support- Mattresses for Orphanage

You can have  a great part in helping the future of a child's life by giving a child a mattress to sleep on.  Gerald Bataille, a Haitian pastor I've known a good part of my life, has been doing a powerful work for the people in Haiti the last few decades.  He's impacted thousands and thousands of people, making Haiti a better place.  You can help Pastor Gerald continue to do that.  $60 can be a start to you responding to be apart of something greater than yourself.  I'll be delivering the money for the mattresses personally on Dec. 28th while there in Haiti to one of many orphanages that Pastor Gerald has started.  To be apart, click on the partner tab on the site or you can simply email me with questions and inquiries.  Thank you for your generosity.

www.geraldbatailleministries.org

For a recap of my first trip to Haiti in October of this year and general overview of the state of the nation, read this post:  Haiti Overview - October Trip

A Call To Bridge The Relational Gap

::Gratitude: The Fish On The Hook::

It's thanksgiving tomorrow and it's going to be the first time that Melissa and I have hosted and the first thanksgiving in our new home in Rochester.  Looking forward to having the family in from out of town.  It's gonna be great.   I was thinking about what I could write about for the holiday but unfortunately everything seems so cliche:  Holiday cheer, giving, turkey & ham, family time, lounging around in pajamas.  As I type this I'm actually getting pretty excited about doing those things, but to write about them can seem overdone right? Outside of the things we typically function within during the holidays, I think we're connecting with something greater.  Here's my thoughts.

In Christianity, it's often expressed that it's tremendously difficult to connect with the spiritual realms of God.  The supernatural if you will is something that only the spiritually elite attain and everyone else just suffers with a lesser version or maybe they settle that it just doesn't work for them.  It's thought you must already be a "spiritual person" to connect with God in this way or that maybe those who walk in these paths must have earned this through some level of sacrifice and thus have greater access to God.  While some of these thoughts are apart of the journey with God, they aren't the key to encountering Him in your personal life.  We all have access to the secret place of God, His presence and His power.

Have you ever heard fishermen who've had some success, talk about how to get the "fish on the hook?"  While this might sound like the logical point of fishing to non fishermen, it's a distinct challenge to actually get the "fish on the hook".  It takes some experience to get something on the hook with more significance than a blue gill, if you know what I mean.  This expression now also has a more common meaning, often referring to accomplishing a goal and getting it to last or sales teams acknowledging that they sealed a deal. It's a great statement to make because it states the fact that something that was difficult to obtain was obtained and it's going to have a great outcome.  So how do we get the- encountering the presence and supernatural power of God "fish on the hook"?

 I did a teaching series on crafted prayer recently.  One of the main aspects of effective prayer is getting to a place of no distractions.  It's popular in christian circles to talk about a "prayer closet".  This simply refers to Jesus telling the people of His day to pray in their room with the door shut and that they could find God in this secret place (religious leaders were known for praying loudly on market corners).  While teaching I brought out the fact that we actually have to make the decision to "come into the presence" of God.  It's a place that we enter consciously.  I believe that we can stay in the place all the time, but distractions limit us for sure.  Anyways, the greatest component of coming into the presence of God is referenced in the Psalms over and over.  It's Thanksgiving.  Come into His presence with Thanksgiving or more relevantly: with gratitude.

While being grateful about life doesn't sound like a profound answer to encountering God, I've found that most things about God have been overcomplicated.  This simple answer isn't the one punch ticket, but it's the launch pad for all things that lead to encountering God.  Think of it as good bait on your hook.  It's the right lure.  When we begin to give thanks about all that is in our life, it softens our inner walls of skepticism and inhibition and allows our heart to be open to whatever and however God wants to encounter us.  It destroys that spirit of entitlement that permeates our current society and culture.  I've found being mindful of the this and intentionally looking to receive during moments of gratitude has lifted my expectation and thus my experiences with God are becoming even more dynamic.

So, tomorrow is a big day with lots of food, family and friends.  What about tomorrow could be a beginning to encountering God like you never have?  Be gracious with expectation.  Who knows, in your spirit of gratitude, maybe you'll have the best day with family you've had in years.  Maybe dinner goes a little better than planned rather than the complete nightmare that history holds in it's hand.  Maybe you have a breakthrough to encountering everyday life at a level that you just haven't been able to connect with.  Come into His presence with Thanksgiving.   It can just be about the turkey and the Lions losing to the Patriots or a great new beginning.  Let's get the fish on the hook.

Thank you God for the best thanksgiving we've ever had.

State Of The Church Address: What If?

State Of The Church Address:

Could you imagine if someone each year got up in front of the world and let everyone know where the church was currently and where it was heading? This leads me to a catastrophe of thoughts, but needless to say it's interesting to think about.  Here are a few quotes from two of our most beloved presidents.  In times when Americans needed reminding of who they were and the values they stood for, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy both delivered thoughts that will resonate in us for a lifetime.  If the church had a president, I wonder how close in resemblance to these statements he would come to remind us of who we are and what it is we stand for? (I'm asking for a long leash here, there are obvious thoughts that don't relate, but create context for the  remaining quote, thanks for reading.)

Ronald Reagan, our 40th president.

"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty."

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."

"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."

"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress."

"If the federal government had been around when the Creator was putting His hand to this state, Indiana wouldn't be here. It'd still be waiting for an environmental impact statement."

"If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen."

"Man is not free unless government is limited."

"There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect."

"There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder."

"They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong."

John F. Kennedy, our 35th president.  

"A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth."

"I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose."

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."

"The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds."

"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining."

"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."

  

Man's Design and Women's Dream.

I went to Indianapolis this past weekend for the wedding of my cousin Deborah to a great guy named Jarrod.  It was an awesome celebration of love for the family to be apart of. Congrats again to my wonderful cousins.  I pray continuous blessings over you guys!    It got me thinking about what we are really celebrating at weddings? For the cynics, maybe they are there to celebrate another person choosing to live in the same misery they are, thus growing the membership to "Club Bad Roomate Marriage".  For the hopeless romantic, maybe the reminder that others are still believing in the the beginning of the pursuit of blissful love.  Then there's the people that no one knows that want to grind on the dance floor all night until you literally turn the lights off on them.    No matter what angle you work from... you're still there to celebrate.   In our more modern times,  I think we're celebrating a miracle.   I think it's a powerful miracle that two people would want to share in front of all these witnesses that their love is worth giving up the rest of their life for.  That the companionship with that person is more valuable than anything that could ever be represented by automatic deposit,  going platinum,  32 seconds of fame on Youtube or any other relationship in their lives.  Marriage is the beginning to something extremely exclusive and everything else in your life flows through the filter of that priority.  This is a miracle considering the "me first" mentality that permeates our current times.  Marriage is a big deal.

The commitment of the marriage relationship creates the safety needed to experience the deepest of realms with a person that you otherwise never would.  Not that those realms can't be experienced outside of marriage, there just isn't the safety of lifelong commitment to protect it.  This is another topic, but I wonder why so many people are broken in relationship these day?  They want the benefits of intimacy on all levels, but not the commitment to cover it. These powerful commitments yield the need for great leadership, focus and selflessness... but nonetheless, it's the decision that TWO people make.  The influence they have with one another is like none other (at least it should be).  There's no one else who has the right to speak into our life like our mate does.  They earned that right on the wedding day and the trust to support that right is birthed through life experience.  This is a dynamic facet to healthy marriage.

So we could say that marriage is a miracle of trust that creates the chance to experience healthy intimate companionship like none other.  I love that thought... but even greater I love the opportunity to experience relationship that has no limits or bounds because of where it's authored from. This leads me to my faith and relationship with God.  One of the pictures used to explain the relationship between mankind and the creator is that mankind is a bride and the groom (Christ) is coming to unite with us here on the earth through His return.  While being a husband doesn't qualify me to comment that I know what it's like to be a bride, I can comment on how my bride (Melissa Rae, I love you.) interacts with me.  I believe we culturally have a hard time putting physical attributes to God and our interactions with Him, but the thing we easily forget is that God made us like Him.  We're made in His image and likeness.  We are who we are because God made us from what He knew of Himself.  That said, I have one final thought.

What does it look like for mankind to interact with Christ as a bride does her groom?  I think about how much influence my bride has on my life.  It didn't just happen.  It was a growing thing, but the moment we were engaged, we catapulted into the trust gauntlet, learning how to navigate with one another selflessly.  (we made a lot of mistakes, but our commitment through it has yielded a dynamic relationship)  Remember the old adage "a happy wife is a happy life"? This statement is an old adage because it's inherently true to most marriages.  I wonder what level of influence we have on God to motivate Him on our behalf?  I wonder what level of companionship and deep levels of intimacy are available to all of us that we've never encountered only because we didn't know it was possible?  What if God's greatest desire is to have a companion that will say I Do for the rest of their life?  What if a happy wife is a happy life for God too?  What if we have the right thru covenant to the biggest influence in God's interactions with mankind? What if He longs to bring us happiness and He gets great fulfillment out of our success and joy?  This what it is for me to my wife so why not God to His bride? What if our interaction with the almighty God was everything that we've dreamed about since we were "little girls" and just didn't know it would be God that would fulfill it?  What do you dream about?  What if God is the beginning to the life you always desired to have?  I believe He wants a companion and He's on one knee, asking.  What are we going to say?

My Trip to Haiti Recap...

First of all... words are very limiting. 85% of all communication is non verbal and I think it was God's dirty trick on the technology, but here's a 15% valued effort at some of my experience in Haiti.

DRM and WME were the primary sponsors of the effort and the purpose of the trip was two fold: Medical Relief and Evangelism. Both were accomplished dynamically and beyond that, the personal impact will mark me for life. I've had haitian friends most of my life, so it kinda felt like I had been there before through their stories. My parents had also visited twice on missions trips bringing back haitian art, memento machetes for my brother and I, and of course pictures/video. So I've had lots of exposure to the language, thoughts on culture etc. prior to going. With all this in mind, I was still blown away at what i saw, heard, felt and encountered.

Haiti's current state: Complete anarchy. Whatever governing state is in place is not seen or heard. It's non existent. It's reflected in simple things like their roads and driving conditions. There are no road lines. No stop signs. No traffic signals. It's literally survival at it's greatest. This is a great picture into everyone's mentality. You do whatever it takes to survive and there are no guidelines given to help you along. Majorities rule. Mobs push. Perception of the mob dictates. This boils their lives into either sitting and watching or jumping into the mosh pit of life and hope you don't get trampled under feet while doing so. It's life or death. There's limited thinking at work with the common man as instincts are the greatest tool of motivation. It drives the whole population to be self conscious and as a result it lends them to tearing down the success of others as to keep things socially "fair". It's very sad. Haiti does not need to be given more food and water. They don't need more of our money. They don't need more organizations on the ground (10,000 Registered ORGS are there now and yet Haiti hasn't changed). They need leadership. They're a generation of leadership away from pulling out of what has been years of misery, but that leadership needs to be the haitians themselves. The challenge is finding the strength to not have your spirit broken by the age of 25. I could type years of thoughts here on these specific topics. The need for education, ethics, engineering, family, honor, business are endless. God help Haiti. Send them ONE man who will lead.

Medical Relief:

We had a tremendous medical team with us. Armed with as many medical supplies that we could get on the plane, we had three clinical efforts prepared. These three efforts where each day long free clinics, setup in different places while in Carrefour. The medical team was led by Dr. Karl Bandlien. A talented Physician with a tremendous heart for people. Crowds of people waited each day and the numbers never went away. It seemed like no matter if you had seen 100 people that you hadn't put a dent into it. The hard part was turning those away at the end that we just weren't able to get to. It really breaks your heart. Infection seemed to the number one need. Over 80% of people were dealing with infection.

While the medical team was in place (sidenote: It was amazing meeting the medical team in the midst of our traveling, which was outside of their function and then watching them come to life the moment we hit the grounds of the clinic. It was like they were the medical Autobots transforming. :)) during the day, we had numerous missionary teams setup to work as well. We would rotate between praying over each person in the clinic for healing and also sharing the gospel message with them along with going out into the streets. Out in the streets we were driving people to the clinic who were in need and then as opportunities presented themselves, we would minister the gospel. One person at a time we were able to share the love of God. Numerous times I felt like Peter who when he encountered the cripple man told him that he didn't have any silver or gold to give him (the cripple was begging) but what he did have (the power of Christ!) he would freely give. We also would stop at each school or orphanage and ask if we could come in and connect with the kids. Skits and stories were prepared to offer and the kids responded with so much laughter. I pray that I'll always be able laugh no matter where my life is. Truly inspiring to watch. Many were touched in the streets and encountered the love of God for the first time as we took the message of the kingdom to those that were hurting and broken right to their doorstep.

Larger Format Evangelism:

Crusades were prepared for five nights and the city of Carrefour was literally rocked with the power of God. We setup in a huge field alongside the ocean. Stage. Halogens. BIG speakers for all of Carrefour to hear. The gospel was given each night followed by personal prayer for healings and some of the greatest celebration was seen. They love to sing and dance. They did that with all their heart every night. It's so funny how in America, we have boiled our musical experience in church down to observation. Not what God intended. These people sing and you'd think a host of angels had surrounded you and overwhelmed you with their voices. Nope. It's just the poorest people in the world still declaring the God is faithful, merciful and loving. They do it with great joy. Mindblowing.

Each night of crusades produced stories of God's miraculous power. I personally observed God heal the blind, visibly diseased, the lame, the deaf, and the oppressed. The details of the stories could run forever, but the short of it is this: we laid hands on these people in faith and God instantly was doing things. I remember one mother pushing her way thru the crowd that would have brought shame to Charles Barkley boxing out for a rebound. She was carrying her two year old daughter. This child could not see... until God touched her. I pulled the woman and daughter out of the crowd and numerous staff did series of test with the child. She could see! Praise God! There are so many encounters to share. Some are still soaking and needing perspective gained on, but nonetheless it extremely evident that if you are willing to put yourself in a place to be used of God, simply be willing with faith, there is nothing God can't do. Nothing. With the masses numbering close to 20,000 on the final night, it's undoubtedly known that those people all witnessed the goodness of God to do things no other god could do. Not voodoo, not medicine, not housing relief. Only the one true God. Other opportunities to minister included a women's and pastor's conference along with our team breaking up and speaking at numerous churches during their regular services.

Our efforts may have paled in comparison to the overall need. The first thought I had while driving from the airport and seeing the devastation was: "why are we here? and what can do that will actually have an impact that will last?". Our entire bus full of missionaries were emotionally and spiritually overwhelmed by the heaviness of their oppressive state. I felt like a speck of dust in the sand. How could we truly have an impact on a nation so full of need? We were there to deliver something so simple. Good News. I've had numerous experiences in my life that were acts of God in their timing and the people or circumstances related were never apart of my life again, yet they shifted my path and thinking. The power of what God can do in a minute far exceeds what we could plan to do during our lifetime. I pray the thousands of people who we encountered experienced just that. I know they were that for me. I'll never be the same.

I Got Good News For You!

I have to get this out! If you need encouragement about a life situation, read this and be inspired. :)

#1 Schedules can get changed!

Melissa and I were praying on Wednesday that her schedule could get changed. She's in rotation on her days with a co-worker and with our life adjusting, the current schedule was less preferred. The next day, her boss asked if she would be interested in swapping different days in rotation!

#2 He can provide!

Without asking people, but asking God... My expenses to Haiti are practically covered thru random spirit led givings. And: Melissa had an old laptop that was on it's last leg. 2002 iBook! it finally went bye bye to computer heaven. ( we know this cause even God uses a Mac. PC's are obviously from hell :) We didn't have a general computer for the house and as I begin to travel more, there was need for Melissa to have computer access if I'm not around, especially for us to keep in touch internationally. All I can say is that God placed a brand new $1300 iMac in my lap for $400.00 out of pocket. Best Buy damaged and open item table. (fixed the "broken" feature simply by rebooting operating system) AWESOME!

#3 He can Heal!

I personally prayed over a woman this last week who was suffering with complications from HPV. There was a struggle with her getting pregnant and testing was happening with thought that the disease was worsening and expanding into a more aggressive nature. I just found out that she went back this week after we prayed and not only is it not getting more aggressive, all HPV is GONE!!! Nothing. Not a trace!!!!!! God is GOOD!!!!!!!

:::Risky Excerpts:::

Well, i just feel like i need to share this! I Love My Life.

I didn't plan on writing again until a later time, but this just needs to be penned (or typed for that matter :). If you've read the blog posted previously, you now have a small picture into the season Melissa and I have embarked on. If not, go read: Personal Update-New Beginnings. It's short.

Ok, ready? great. One of my strong desires as a Christ follower is that everyone I encounter in my realm of influence would be begin to walk away from me different than how I found them. In a good way! I believe that when others who've not known the father experience those that do, they should walk away with an immediate POSITIVE introduction to who He is. In deed, thought and action. (we really do have great news for people!) Everyday I'm praying and asking God to use me to touch someone's life in a unique yet powerful way.

Wednesday, Melissa and I were talking about children and whether or not we would want to have more of them. Melissa told me of a name that she loves and thinks it would be great to have a daughter and name her this. The conversation was short, but the name stuck in my head as it was rather unique. Moving on in the day, I ran into someone I've not seen in quite awhile. I've known them from frequenting concerts/events at The District over the years. The person "perked up" rather conspicuously upon making eye contact with me. I noticed it but brushed it off. After finishing my conversation, they pursued me and said they had a dream last night. The short of it was, he felt led to put $100.00 in his pocket and that God would tell him who to "plant the seed" with. Without being familiar with Melissa and I's current situation, he continued to tell me that the moment he saw me, he knew I would be the person! He then handed me $100.00. How cool is God? Perfect timing considering this new walk of faith!

So now I'm all geeked up and feelin' good that God is reminding me that He will make a way throughout this new faith journey. I decided to go to Caribou for some reading/writing/strategizing and some mediocre coffee (sorry bou) when a great opportunity was presented. I ordered the mediocre coffee and found my spot in the front corner, nestled away from the rest of the tables. I sat in one of the arm chairs that was one of a pair, adjacent to each other. It was great. No one else was in the area. Five minutes go by and wouldn't you know that a middle aged woman marches right up to claim her territory and it just so happened to have to be the chair RIGHT NEXT TO ME. We all know how frustrating in our everyday perspectives this can be. We all like personal space. So, I'm a little perturbed and then quickly was reminded of what I've been asking for. What would seem like an inconvenience could be an opportunity to speak life into someone.

She sits down after ordering coffee and gets all settled in. She wasn't going anywhere fast. I had plans on the same, so here we go. I acknowledged her, not with the scowl I impulsively felt to do, but with a smile. I introduced myself. Awkard glances and personal discomfort while talking with strangers is a response that I'm beginning to get quite familiar with lately. Nothing was different here either. Here's where it gets good though, her name was the same name Melissa had just spoke to me earlier in the day for our future potential daughter. Whoa! God has such a sense of humor. I've only personally known one person with this name. Obviously, my senses perked. I'm sure I put my "seed planter" from earlier to shame with perkiness. Ha! We begin to dialogue about life and before you know it we're knee deep in a thought provoking conversation with Christ as the center. There were so many broken places in her life. I was able to share the goodness of the life HE has made possible for us to live. She was immediately responding, soaking it in like a sponge. God was so faithful.

People are desperately seeking for answers and we've got the antidote. I share these stories, not because of my "goodness", but because of the need for us to understand that no matter who we are, we can live inspired/Spirit led lifestyles. It IS possible. We just have to want pursue it! The world is desperate for love and hope for their future. What do you share and/or demonstrate thru your life? Do you have good news for people or do you fall right in line with the message of gloom and doom? God is consumed with life! We should be too and it should show!

\\ Sales Call Revenge //

The phone rings… do I take this call?, we ask ourselves… The phone rings a different time and we immediately answer. From the people we want to hear from, a phone call can be a top ten highlight. How many stories have we all heard that climax to the statement "then the phone rang!". I think our expectation for the phone calls themselves, give so much more excitement to the call. I also think it easily works the other direction. As great as we all know the "then the phone rang" phone calls are, we equally put negative weight on the calls we DON'T want to get. Have you ever changed someone’s name in your contacts as "scary person" or rather "don't answer"? Like you needed to be reminded? Interesting how our mindset plays into how the phone call can go. Well I had one of those phone calls yesterday and it went a little differently than the norm.

We (Melissa and I) live in the dark ages of having a home telephone. It's VOIP and it’s only there for emergencies. We don’t necessarily give the number out as a good way of communication, but none the less- it’s there. The overwhelming pattern is that the only calls coming IN are the ones you don’t want or even greater, you didn’t ask for. Sales calls. While this may not be the “don’t answer” person that you STILL have saved in your contacts, we all do actually get to know our sales call companies. How you ask? Well from my experience, the same companies call over and over... And over and over and over. Honestly speaking, we all know why we hate sales calls. “No, we don’t want your products… for the 10^th time!” Salesmen are relentless.

So we have this company that keeps calling us here at the house on our phone that nobody typically uses to get ahold of us on and they’ve reached the top of Mount Annoymore. The first time I was polite. Typical response was given. I asked to be taken off their call list. Yada yada yada. After two more calls proceeded within the next few days, the conversation changed. “Ma’am, why do you keep calling us? We’ve already said no three times. Please take us off your list!”. Wouldn’t you know a few days later, unspoken company calls again. At this point I decided to laugh. Mustering up my best “aunt mildred, uncle billy bob” voice I had in me (if you know me, I got this down to… well… like I was a bonifide hillbilly) and gave a good ‘ole fashion conversation about life in “the holler” and how Marybeth just wasn’t feelin that good these days since “she done ‘adder denture tooth nubs redrilled.” It was a riot. I’m laughing hysterically at this point and they didn’t stick around for the second round. Let’s call it a draw.

I’ve just let a few of their calls go lately. I guess I didn’t have the moxy to deliver my weak at best Shawn Connery or dig real deep for my hood slang that I learned while doing inner city work in KJ’s neck of the woods. (Newport represent!) But for some reason, yesterday was different. With all that’s in me, I was stopped dead in my tracks while trying to walk away and ignore yet another call… I heard that whisper in my ear… “answer it and see what I want you to do.” Time out. TIME OUT. Seriously? God you talkin’ to me about the annoying sales company? I’ve learned that at these moments you have a quick moment to decide or you miss your opportunity. I’ve decided to ignore this in past situations and the thought of what I missed always proved to be more annoying than dealing with the situation at hand… (we can’t out give God!). So, I answered it.

“Mr. Neal?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, this is Rob from _________, and the reason I’m calling is…”

You know the schpeal from there. Right in the midst of the schpeal, I heard God say to me, “he’s going thru a very difficult situation in His family and you need to pray for him.” Now, I’ve been asking the Lord to give me more opportunity to help people experience the genuine God that I know He is. I believe that any time a person who hasn’t experienced the love of Christ, has that dynamic life changing opportunity every time that they encounter a believer, but as we all know, thinking about opportunity and walking in opportunity are two totally different realms! So I rudely interrupted his schpeal and just threw it out there. “I’m a Christian and the Lord wants me to pray for you. Is there anything that I can pray for in your life?” …. …. …. Awkward pause. …. … … I heard a totally different voice now. Still Rob, but real Rob. With a slight quiver in his voice, he responded with an abbreviated story of the struggle him and his wife are having in getting full custody over their adopted (potentially) daughter. His burden was tremendous and here I am the one God was sending to help meet a need. I asked him if he was a believer, and he responded that he only believed that God was real but didn’t have an active faith as his lifestyle. So, the quick of it is… we prayed. I prayed. He listened in agreement and it was beautiful. The presence of the Lord filled my bedroom and was flowing thru me like a river. Rob was encountering God like he never had before.

How often as Christ Followers, do we miss our opportunity to have a simple, yet profound impact on what we deem as common. I believe supernatural living is seeing what is familiar as unfamiliar. Seeing what is known in it’s ending, to be unknown. Seeing what may be true to the eye, not as what God sees. It’s our time to be sensitive to the “Robs” that are all around us. Rob was so deeply touched. We shared briefly after our time of prayer and I just encouraged him to be open in the next few days and that the Lord was send another person to him to lead him in next steps. Community, teaching, serving, and commitment. I know that God was faithful to follow up. As I experience these, I’m forever changed. The face of God that is seen in the midst of this, brings you to places of humility and revelation of His love like you’ve never seen. I encourage you to take a risk. Trust your instincts… hear that still small voice and respond. You won’t be disappointed. It’s time. Who in your familiar world does God want you to treat like you’re encountering them for the first time? Offer yourself. Say yes to Him and see what great things will be added to you.

Not So Super Size?

So did you ever see the documentary that made you never want to set foot in a fast food restaurant again? I mean seriously, I couldn’t even picture a Big Mac without having that little reflex of acid slide up my throat… ok sorry. The “Super Size Me” documentary took us all on a little journey that left us with a pit in our stomachs. Actually it felt just like well… like what you feel like after you would eat their food believe it or not. Amazingly enough, this gorilla style documentary/reality show brought conversations of reform to all the major chains and seemingly some level of change (as long as the nutrition facts are true :).

I grew up loving McDonalds. What 80’s child didn’t? It was a staple to my childhood entertainment. What could compare to a day trip with Grandma to Kmarts (ya’ll know there was an S on the end of it in some parts, or so the locals had grown to believe) for some new velcro kicks or a blue light special outfit followed by the amazing Micky D’s. Absolute bliss. The happy meal. I mean, wow. Sheryl Crow wrote it in the ‘90s, ”if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad”… right? The cheap toys in the cellophane you could hardly open, Ronald McDonald anything, the Monopoly game that no one has ever won, movie themed collector cups, the “playland” and who can forget Hamburgler? I remember holding my breath when traveling with my parents as we would pull up to a McDonalds. You’d see the big tall freeway golden arches and just couldn’t wait to see if that window-clad structure would be dominating the front of the building.

Funny thing is… in the midst of McDonalds’s marketing and “create an experience” success, they forgot they were a restaurant. They serve food. The whole reason people came there in the first place was to be fed (and food that wouldn't kill you if it was all you ate). Without the need for food, wasn’t Micky D's just a mini amusement park that you would have visited maybe once a year rather than once a week? Even crazier is that it only took one man, a few cheap cameras and a decent amount of spare time to expose that fact that they had forgotten who they were and what they were actually offering. The very foundation of their success, which was to serve the best quality (nutrition and taste) hamburger around, had been abandoned.

I’ve been a Christian all my life. I actually remember in 1983, at the age of four, longing to know who God was and asking God to show Himself to me. God would speak to me as a child and I pursued him with everything I could. I’ve kind of been around the block of Christendom if you will… As a ministry family, we moved a lot. My parents have fathered three start up churches and we visited or rather, “fellowshipped” hundreds of churches over the years. Working in full time ministry and community outreach facilities most of my adult years thus far, I’ve encountered thousands more of believers who represent the attendees all the way to leaders of their respective churches. I’m extremely thankful for these experiences and encounters. I’m thankful because it’s given me a broad exposure to what we’ve created as the church. I love the church with all my heart. I believe in the purpose and I want it to succeed.

To The Employees:

Unfortunately for a lot of people, their experience with the church has been more amusement park and less food. The western church (organization and body) has really done a great job of packaging things like never before so that people would sense the efforts to be “relatvent”. But my question is this: what is it exactly that we’re packaging? So we’ve lifted our excellence in our delivery, but what happens when they receive it? What did they receive? You think the dog that chases cars, actually knows what he’s going to do once he catches the car he chases? What now? Isn’t the point of our spiritual journey, to lead people to experience the creator? What if it’s intended that every time someone encounters a believer that it should be a life changing experience? Anyone who encountered Jesus had exactly that.

Well, I believe we have the world’s attention. We’ve caught the car. They’re coming to see our playland, eat our happy meal etc… I think the times of the world are drawing many people to question and search for purpose and life and what are you (as a believer who has access to the very throne of God) offering? Are you willing to offer something that is undeniably of God or are we so caught up in our “happy meal” toy we’re giving away to the first 50 visitors that we didn’t feed them good food. The world is looking for something life changing. Love motivated. Hope Giving. Something that lasts a lifetime. Let’s not forget who we are as believers and what it is that had gotten us here. We have good news for everyone and they need to hear it then SEE IT, from YOU!

To The Patrons:

I pray you encounter a person who knows God in a way that is undeniable and that the character of who they are would be so impacting, that it draw you to a place of wanting to know more about who He is and the wonderful life that is available thru a relationship with Him.

..:: 4th and Goal ::..

It’s funny how much of a bad rap marriage gets. I guess i can understand when we see how poorly executed it has been by those before us. But our generation isn't on the the golden road either. We are a “commitment-less” generation of people coming up the ranks. Our parents decided to shake it up and make love free in ’69 and for forty years we’ve been walking in the wilderness of selfish me first relationships, bound to have a not so pretty ending. So where’s the love? Ya know, true love? The kind that lasts a lifetime? The kind that satisfies the greatest desire?

Well, I’m a hopeful person. I asked for a Lions Jersey last Christmas and wouldn’t you know that’s one of the few things that landed under the tree with my name on it. (Thx Scooter and Lolo ☺) This was the beginning to a bold declaration that I was no longer going to be a closet Detroit Lions fan, but have a little faith in their future. This little hope that I have doesn’t come from thin air, there’s actually been a radical change in the direction of the organization/players and some of the things they’ve shown have been inspiring to believe that something is different. We might have a future in our relationship as players and fans.

I’m a hopeful person when it comes to love too, but beyond that, I know love works. No new jerseys needed here to show it, although my wife wearing my Calvin Johnson (#81) jersey could have a very happy ending. ☺ sorry… I got distracted for a moment… … jokes aside, I emphatically choose it. Not feel it. Not hope i fall into it. I choose it, cause Love is a choice. Everyday I reinforce my love for her with considering her in all my decisions. What is sacrificed in commitment (let’s be real, relationships are hard work!), is more than gained thru companionship. The need for love is so powerful. It’s in our DNA. God designed us with love as the single most conscious and subconscious need that we have. Some would argue that money or knowledge would be contenders, but isn’t the drive of those things there simply to build the perception of those around us as higher? (we really do care what people think). It still comes back to receiving varying versions of love from those around us healthy or unhealthy aside.

Back to football… Watching the Lions vs. Bears in their week one opener was really inspiring. The bears had pretty much had their way with pushing the ball down field and had arrived at the 1 yard line. After three attempts to get the ball in the endzone and failing, they decided to go for it on fourth down. (if they don’t make it, they lose the ball and it’s a potential game losing decision as well) The OLD lions would have just laid over and let them score. The NEW lions had somethin’ to say. NOT IN THIS HOUSE! The players had a mindset change and stopped them from scoring. While they lost that game anyways, these small victories are paving the way for a winning future. A change from thinking about who they used to be as a losing organization to really focus on who they can become as a team but even beyond that- what if they were thinking about who they were playing for? I think it really resonated with fans because for many years they’ve been in a “football wilderness” so to speak. As a losing franchise, fans have waited for the chance to be proud to wear a jersey, ball cap or maybe even go to a game and cheer them on. That’s a novel idea. Needless to say, these small victories are paving they way that the team really wants to make this relationship with fans work. They need the fans. The fans need them.

Over the last 8 years of my marriage to Melissa, there were times I looked back to the history of learning how to love selflessly and making incomplete decisions with myself in mind more that anyone else, and was discouraged to believe in my future. Honestly speaking… I woke a few mornings and asked myself “What did you get yourself into?!” It’s funny how our emotions can try to intervene and eliminate the foundation of love which is commitment. Commitment affords you the chance to see that love (when supported with selflessness) is still alive! It can always be cultivated, if we choose to do it. Maybe if we chose to do this more, our fans (spouses) would wear our jersey, ball cap, or who knows… maybe actually show up to the game to cheer us on. That’s a novel idea. I need my wife. She needs me.

Watching football as cheesy as it may be, was a great reminder of the NEW choices I’ve made over the last few years and that was to believe in my future because of what it’s intended to be. Marriage or even love in general was intended to be good. That means there is a way that makes it work and have a great ending. It’s God’s way. It starts with thinking differently about our future, and then investing accordingly. Here a little and there a little. In football small victories (like stopping them on 4th and Goal) yield winning attitudes, in love small investments of selflessness yield winning relationships. The bible says the two shall become one flesh. When your spouse wins, you win. If you make them lose, you lose.

It’s 4th and Goal and it takes two to tango right? So why not give your spouse something to cheer about? Be selfless, be committed… be conscious of your companionship, the need you have to be loved and your companions ability to fulfill that need. It’s possible. Who knows… it may even work for the Lions.

Show Me Generation

Kari Jobe wrote and delivered a song entitled "You Are Good" on Gateway's Wake Up album. No, this isn't the Israel Houghton down tempo remix by Ms. Jobe either... (nobody get any ideas either, lol... it's time for NEW songs) This song is either a simple chorus for you to sing, or as it was for me... a revelation and an experience. The first verse says…

Your kindness leads me to repentance

Your goodness draws me to your side

Your mercy calls me to be like you

Your favor is my delight

About the same time I heard it (about 1.5 yrs ago), I was also being exposed to some thought provoking teaching as well. It was the perfect marriage or even collision in some cases. Collision only because it began to really challenge a lot of my thoughts of what and how i perceived God at it's core.

In the amplified bable, uh I mean Bible… it says: “4Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (^[a]to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)?” ROM. 2:4

In the NKJV, it replaces kindness with goodness and I can’t figure out which one is better cause I like both of them! But my thoughts get taken to the fact that simply put, it’s His kindness/goodness that initiates change in our thinking.

We’ve been thinking wrong. The western church’s thoughts toward repentance have always been initiated out of fear, shame and condemnation and yet the word says that none of this exists when we’re in Christ.

I come across so many people who have been shown and taught a very distorted, incomplete version of who God is. Our understanding of what God is like is one of the most important anchors to our relationship with Him. If we don’t believe in the entirety of His character, how will we know how He feels about us in regards to who we are and what out future looks like? And beyond that, what if we just really don’t know who He is?

Kari continues to sing in the bridge of her song:

Your kindness is forever

Your goodness is forever

Your mercy is forever, forever

I want to show others the kindness and goodness of God that lasts forever. Not Judgment. There’s no life in judgment. God is kind, gentle, full of joy and laughter, peace, rest and compassion. If we don’t KNOW this though, how can we walk in it? And better yet, how can we give it away? Our generation is tired of people telling them things. We’re over solicited, over marketed, over sold and completely under delivered. We want to see Him. It’s a show me generation. Unless someone is introduced to God thru what they see, I don’t believe they will respond. You are what they see.

So my final thought is this… What are we showing people? There are people that need the love of God to complete them and as Kari Jobe has reminded us thru the scriptures given by Paul, it’s the kindness of God that will lead them to the place of repentance, to think differently. We are the channel, the video, the movie, the song of kindness that will inspire them to want to know him and believe that their lives can be different. Let’s show them who HE is. Take a risk. Ask God to lead you to those that are ready to be shown and then offer yourself completely. See what He will do thru you.