The Way

I learned some things this week/weekend. 1. Boise, Idaho is a long way from Nashville. 2. There are some really crazy Boise State Broncos fans. 3. The blue football field at BSU is unique and birds mistake it for water and many end their lives crashing into "water" that is really turf. 4. Training for 6 hours makes for a long, rewarding day. I spent a day with 12 youth leaders from AZ, NM, UT, ID, ND, SD, and AK. (I hope I didn't miss a state.) TeamWest 5. People think I have an accent. I do. Everyone has some kind of accent. 6. My wife is an amazing woman. (Not something I just learned but was reminded.) 7. God is incredibly good. He does an awesome job of making a big deal of Himself. 8. The Delta Airlines free upgrade from Seattle to Atlanta was a nice gift. 9. I don't really need much snow in the winter. Got a little snow in Boise but it was nothing like my hometown of Independence that got 10+ inches this week (with more forecast this next week). 10. Y...

So many times I realize that I can be such an arrogant jerk. You might be thinking that sounds like I am being too hard on myself (or in full agreement), but I have a window on my heart that is usually closed off to others. As I write this, I am on a regional jet flying to Salt Lake City. I am crammed into an exit row seat sitting next to a guy who is taking his seat and about a third of my seat. He's nice enough but HE'S TAKING MY SPACE. And my arrogance and "rights" rise to the front of my brain. "I am being cheated out of what is rightfully mine" is playing over and over in my mind. And here comes the flight attendant who is serving us, a bunch of travelers, who "deserve to be respected and served with the utmost service because we paid for those peanuts and soft drinks." And then I open the presentation I am doing this weekend that talks about serving and honoring others because that is not only what Jesus talked about/taught, but what H...

This past weekend, Sondra and I headed to the "mountains" of Georgia to lead a youth leaders' retreat for a local GA church. It was good that Sondra was with me. Lots of travel lately so spending time in the car together was awesome. The more I am around her just helps me to realize how blessed I am to be married to her. One of the major tasks of the weekend for the youth leaders was to make sure they understood their purpose and to make sure they were pulling toward the same goal. It was a great time and they are a really strong team of volunteers. Their youth minister is doing a great job of leading them. It was fun to help them evaluate and affirm much of what they are doing. They arrived at a couple of things that they do, which are good things, but things that can be strengthened with a few tweaks. They were willing to question methods, evaluate and make changes. It was healthy and fun and I was honored to be a part of the process. It reminded me the importanc...

Happy Valentine's Day and especially to my beautiful wife, Sondra. I believe this is #29 for us although my math gets a little fuzzy. I know we have been married 27 years (28 in May) and we sort of had our eye on one another for awhile before that so it is either 28 or 29. Doesn't really matter in the long run. She has captured my heart forever, so there. Reflecting on my love for Sondra has caused me to think about my love for Christ. I have to admit that the majority of my life I have placed way too much emphasis on the teachings of Christ and not the person of Christ. It is easier for me to read scripture, study it and teach it like it is a textbook or like I have a position of authority in others' life, but that is not reality. Reality is that Christ came, lived and died so that I could have a personal relationship with him, a person, rather than just a keen understanding and an "upper hand" in spiritual matters with others. Christ desires that I lo...

Thank God for Leon Sandcastle! Now the Chiefs have a chance. Finally some positive light for us longsuffering Chiefs fans. ;-)

When I think of seasons, there are many images that come to mind. The natural, physical weather seasons definitely can paint a picture whether it be Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. Most of you who know me, know that warmer seasons are too my liking. As I get older, people talk about seasons of life. Sondra and I are now out of the child-rearing season for the most part and definitely out of the child-bearing season unless God decides to play a practical joke. Sports have their seasons as well and I know many of my friends are huge college football fans, but college basketball is my favorite season. I like football. I love basketball. It is a good season right now for me. Go MIZZOU! Ministry has seasons too it seems. And, at times, those seasons are not clearly marked like the seasons in a year or the seasons of life. These ministry seasons can get a little murky at times and actually confusing if one is prone to focus on the situations/circumstances rather than the One who c...

Here we are at 2013 and how amazingly quick 2012 was in so many ways. A year ago today, Shelbi and I were in San Francisco "on one last trip before you get married"excursion. She was not even engaged yet, but this dad knew, that by year's end, Shelbi would add a new last name. We had a great time out there and in April, Mark popped the question and in August, well, if you follow this blog at all, you know that we enjoyed a glorious day at Mark and Shelbi's wedding . 2012 brought on some new adventures for us as a family too. We said so long to Evelyn in May (the Chinese student who spent the school year with us) and said Hello to Alysha Cook . She has been with us since July and we are thankful that God put us all together. She has picked up a new name while here so if you see her, just call her Lily. I took on a new role at work and am excited to see what God allows us to be a part of in making a difference in cities. Actually, I get back at it Jan 2. It is a f...