Denver, CO

I flew to Denver this morning to meet with some friends from Bear Valley Church where Frank Tillapaugh pastored many years ago. My friend, Jim Walters, is pastoring there now. Tillapaugh wrote Unleashing the Church while he was pastor here at Bear Valley. Later in the day I meet up with my college buddy, Tim Coan and his family and maybe even get to see my old college roommate, Brad Clark who happens to be in Denver right now too. Hope it works out.

Tomorrow I am meeting with some of the staff of Cherry Creek Community Church. A great church who is interested in doing a comprehensive strategy of development for people from birth to heaven. Looking forward to my time with them.

Enjoying seeing the Rocky Mountains too and love seeing the snow on top. Pretty warm down here below but love seeing those mountains.

Should be home again tomorrow night. Yea!

(This was meant to be posted on Sat. but no internet access while in MO)

I guess I find myself feeling pretty sentimental today. There are many things sort of colliding today and this weekend especially. Traveling and being gone from home and family for almost two weeks may have a lot to do with it. I love my job. I love being able to listen to, encourage, teach and train adults who work with students in their churches. It is a great joy. I am still overwhelmed that God allows me to do what I get to do in the Kingdom. I can hear my mom saying, “I just can’t get over the fact that a boy that grew up in a small town in Missouri gets to travel the world and encourage believers. I am with her on that one for sure.

Today is mom and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary, only mom is not here to celebrate it. She departed this “old, evil world” (her words not long before she died) in December 2007. Forty-eight and a half years of marriage to the greatest dad who ever lived (my father). I know that today is a tough day for my dad and so after I get off of this plane from Dallas to Nashville, I will board another one four hours later to go spend the rest of the weekend with my dad. What an amazing man.

Sondra will be spending her first Father’s Day without her dad. I have to admit that I have no clue how that must feel. I know that daddy’s and daughters have a special bond, because I have that kind of bond with Shelbi and Morgan. I will never forget looking at out Sondra during my time honoring her father in his celebration of his life service and thinking, “there sits the love of my life, who is a little girl who just lost her daddy.” I have intentionally tried to help ease some of her pain over these past few months, but know that God is the only One who can really do that for her. I sure do love that girl. She really does complete me. And, I have missed her terribly this past two weeks. It has been great to hear her voice each day, but there is nothing like being able to just be around her, to capture her smell, and to sit up close and just enjoy being in her presence. I am a blessed man.

Being dad to the most incredible daughters is another huge blessing that pretty much blows my mind. Each of our daughters has their own unique temperament and personality. Sondra and I have been committed together in helping our girls “love their Lord their God with all their heart, mind and strength.” In spite of my knuckle-headedness they have grown into beautiful, young women. I am not sure where the time has gone but the reality of having a sophomore in college and a senior in high school has hit me full force. I know it was only yesterday that we were chasing one another around the backyard; throwing balls way up in the air and learning to catch pop-flys; learning to read; learning to drive Ole Blackie; and laughing during family devotions while the crazy dog had to jump up in a lap and participate in prayer time. So many incredible memories and affirmation that God is Who He says He is.

So, in A Moment Like This, thank You God seems so inadequate, so incomplete. But, it is the cry of my heart. What a blessed guy I am. I have a loving, heavenly Father; a godly, earthly father; an amazingly, wonderful wife; two beautiful daughters who reflect Christ in their lives; and a crazy dog who loves me (I think) but only really likes me when I have a tennis ball or a leash in my hand. I am grateful. I am blessed. I am overwhelmed by His goodness. Lord, do not ever let me forget or forsake You: Not for what You have done for me, but because of Who You are.

Father's Day

This is going to be a different Father's Day in many ways for us. I head to KC late tomorrow afternoon to be with my dad for Father's Day this year. That is pretty odd in latter years for me. Another reason I am headed to see him tomorrow is because tomorrow (Sat., June 20) would have been my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. With mom passing in Dec. 07, they were married roughly 48.5 years. That is a long time for sure but I know that Dad sure wishes they could have made it to 50.


Sondra's dad passed last Sept. so this is the first year she will observe a Father's Day without her Dad. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling. I know that I love her and know that she will have a tough day without her dad.

I am also Dad to two incredible girls. I am not sure how God thought I deserved to be Dad of these two, but I sure am thankful. It will be a quick visit with them tomorrow before heading to KC. I am blessed to be in a lineage of many great dads.

Glorieta FUGE Week 2

Here it is already Thursday and I am wondering where the week has gone. I have to admit that I am ready to see Sondra. It is amazing to me how I miss her more now than when I was away from her early on in our marriage. She completes me.

The week of ministry here this week has been pretty tough. We have dealt with many issues including talk of suicide and the death of a father of a camper. I will say that God has shown up big time and walked us through some difficult trails. He is so good.

One more day of training and I have to say that these adults have been incredible. I have been challenged, heard some heart-wrenching stories, and have been diligent to encourage and spur on these folks. What a great opportunity that God has given me. I pray that I have been completely obedient.

I fly home early Sat. and then head to MO to be with dad for a little while. He and mom's 50th wedding anniversary would have been Sat. Just think it is a good thing to spend some time with him. I come back on Mon. and then head to Denver on Tues. to meet with a church who is trying to get a handle on helping parents teach their children "to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, and strength." Looking forward to reacquainting with some good friends from college and also a couple we ministered with in Dallas when we lived there.

Morgan attended her last basketball summer camp this week and I am not so sure she was too terribly saddened by that. Shelbi is having a good week of camp this week and got to do some special ministry with a young girl who had a prosthetic leg. Sondra just continues to be her incredible self and thankfully did not get blown away by a storm that hit our town. She promises me that she will pay more attention to the news and weather.

Thankful for family and ministry. Praying that I keep them in that order during this busy season.

Glorieta FUGE Week 1 - In the Books

It has been a great week at FUGE here in Glorieta. I am reminded once again that God has allowed us to be involved in Kingdom work and am always amazed He allows me to be a part of it. I am out here training adults who work with students and getting to hang out with youth ministers. I love my job. I am also reminded that there are many folks in ministry who love the Lord and love kids and doing a great job of helping them become like Christ. Many of these youth leaders are dealing with their own life issues and ministry issues. I got the privilege to listen to, encourage and pray for so many leaders. Just like Col. 1:29, Paul says ministry is a struggle and today it is no different.

I also met a pastor and his wife who brought students from Arizona and they were just a real blessing. I love smaller church pastors. I know I am biased because I grew up in one of those smaller church pastor's home.

Sondra and the girls are doing well. Morgan is in another basketball camp with DCA girls' team down at MTSU and Shelbi is starting week 2 at Deer Run Retreat. This week is a day camp so the students are only there from 8-4. I know she will enjoy that a little more and give all the team a little break.

Week 2 of FUGE Glorieta starts tomorrow. I will make a run to the airport in Albuguerque and pick up my good friend, Allen Jackson from NOBTS who will be camp pastor this week. Looking forward to what God has in store for everyone.

Glorieta FUGE

This last week has been a whirlwind to say the least. Shelbi came home for a few hours on Fri and Sat and it was good to have her back home for a short time. Morgan had basketball camp last week and this week and next week too. She is a balling girl for sure along with the fun sinus infection she is trying to kick.

Sondra has been enjoying a little time off from any kind of work (outside the home) and has hit the pool for a few days. She is finally remembering to put some sunscreen on her chest too so it is not cooking as badly as before.

I boarded a plane on Sunday to fly to Albuquerque to spend a couple of weeks at Glorieta doing training at FUGE camps. We have about 900 students and adults here and so far it has been great. Landon Dowden, a pastor from Baton Rouge, LA and Addison Road are leading in worship. They do a great job.

I am here another week and then fly to KC to spend some time with dad on Father's Day and then back home for about a day and then out to Denver.

Pray for Dad. He and mom's 50th wedding anniversary would have been on June 20th. I know he would appreciate your prayers.

Legacies

Yesterday was June 2 as most of you know, and it was also a special day in the life of my wife's family. It was the 53rd wedding anniversary of her parents. Many of you know that Sondra's dad passed away last September 9. He had fought a valiant battle against cancer numerous times, but slipped into eternity where I know he heard, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Bernard was really one of a kind.

I will never forget the early times in our relationship when I had begun hanging around his daughter and he was in the midst of marrying off his other daughter, Bronwyn. (By the way, Phil and Bronwyn celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last month, which is way too cool and very awesome.) Bernard was pretty skeptical of this tall, skinny kid who had begun hanging around the house. Bernard had a great love for Dodger baseball and Cowboys football and me being a sports nut, it gave us some common ground. I was careful never to take any of his college classes thinking that would be way too awkward for me and probably would have been a non-event for him.

I found myself reflecting quite a bit yesterday and thinking about one side of the legacy that Sondra and I have been blessed to have in our marriage and family. Sondra's mom seems to be doing pretty well. I know that she must have some tough days, but she seems to adjusting to life without Bernard. Earlier this week she packed up many clothes of Bernards' and sent them to the disabled vets. I only hope that she kept the Russian hats that Ben and I modeled at Christmastime.

Legacies are an amazing thing. Sondra and I have been granted wonderful legacies from both sets of our parents and we are committed to helping our girls "love the LORD their GOD with all their heart, soul and mind." Though we are not perfect (yes Sondra, I admit I am not perfect), God has blessed us and our family in amazing ways. Pray that God will continue to use us to not only encourage our own daughters but to encourage others to love God with all that they are.

Happy June 1

Wow, I have been extremely negligent updating this blog and for that I am ashamed and sorry. Enough of that guilt based living. The past couple of weeks have been very enjoyable for sure. We got Shelbi home for a week before she headed out for training to work at Deer Run Retreat. It was good to have her back home and for about three days the house was filled with her and Morgan's laughter. Saturday a week ago, Morgan headed to MTSU for Girls' State and so the house was back to just one child again. We enjoyed our time with Shelbi before she left on Weds. Morgan got home after a long week of Girl's State and towards the end of her experience she started enjoying it more. She met many new friends and learned about how government works. She also said that Gov. Bredesen was a very good speaker and she enjoyed listening to him.

Our pastor's oldest daughter was married on Sat. night and we housed a couple both Friday and Saturday night who were in the wedding. Chris and Karen are DTS students and were a delight to have around. Saturday night after the wedding, Sondra and I drove to Owensboro, KY and I preached at FBC, Owensboro yesterday morning. They have two am services and we found the people to be very receptive to the message of "accepting one another and forgiving one another" out of Colossians 3. I enjoy preaching every now and then. Thankful for the opportunity to share with those dear folks. Enjoyed a good meal with Wes and Julie after the service as well. Wes is the recreation minister at the church and Julie is an elementary teacher.

If you get to Owensboro, KY you need to stay at the Helton House Bed and Breakfast. Great place with wonderful owners. Don and Grace Conley are wonderful people. The accommodations were wonderful and the breakfast was amazing.

This is my last week in the office for a few weeks. Headed out to Glorieta for a couple of weeks of FUGE training and then to the Myrtle Beach area for a week of vacation. Should be good times.

Will do a better job of updating.