Finding the right words...

One of the hard things about ministry is looking into the eyes of the hurting/ suffering/ struggling people who just want an answer and you know there isn't a good one.  I know there are answers.  But I'm not up to offering church talk, religious jargon, or trite slaps on the back that promise it will all be alright. 
I met one of those people today.  He was hurting, angry, desperate, searching, frustrated, and tired.  Looking into his eyes I saw the struggle I have seen so many times before.  People are looking for hope and help.  The person I met today fits that well.  I was reminded again that ministry is a sacred trust where we participate in God's work in the lives of his people. 
It is not up to me to fix or say the perfect thing.  It is my calling to be there, be present, be compassionate and help them see that they are not alone. 
My calling is the same as your calling.  We aren't called to defend God or try and figure him out.  Our challenge is let God's work be evident in our life so others can see his work in their own.  His work may be different from life to life, but it is all generated from his deep and profound love for us.  Let God's love speak for itself.  God is really good at saying what needs to be said.

when will it end....

Hurt... Hurting people hurt people.... Life hurts... relationships in trouble hurt... there are hurts everywhere... faith is developed amid hurts... Genuine faith is formed in the crucible of adversity... When will it end?   I hear that question more than I can count.  Somehow, God takes hurts and hurting people and moves them into a place where their story and healing impact others in remarkable ways.
It is allowing heaven on earth when faith holds us through our hurts.  God is reconciling all things to himself... I am grateful for his redeeming work in the midst of the pain.  I am grateful for those whose faith light a path for others to follow as they seek a way through their pain.

When will it end?... for now we are in the season of not yet, but soon.   I love the words to Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons.... "The sun comes up 
Its a new day dawning
 Its time to sing your song again
 What ever may pass and whatever lies before me 
Let me be singing when the evening comes"...

Whatever may pass and whatever lies ahead... one thing for certain, there will be a measure of pain involved...  But in all that has happened and will happen, there is the God who loves unconditionally and redeems all things...  God is doing profound healing work in a hurting world... so until it ends, we sing His song, bless His name, and trust in His goodness.....

We are almost finished with the moving process.  That statement is loaded, pun intended!  Moving is exhausting, overwhelming, and far more than I could describe in a single post.  But it is also humbling.  To have people come and pack, load, unload, clean, organize, cook, lift, serve, build, fix, take apart, put together, wash, make up, and a million other things is just humbling.  I have heard it said that friends help friends move.  We have been blessed with so many friends in the course of our life and ministry.  I love this journey.  Seeing where God takes us, relationships we get to experience, learning from others as we help others.
In worship today I was reminded how much I have.  Scripture, song, seeing people worship and express themselves, hearing stories of God's work, praying with others and having others pray over me, and on and on it goes...  I was and still am exhausted from the moving process this morning.  I gained energy by just being with others this morning. 
We closed this morning with this thought, "Contentment is not the achievement of all that we want, its the realization of all that we already have".   

I am reflecting on that thought.  I know this.  I have too much stuff but never enough friends.

I had one of those moments today.  You know those moments you aren't expecting but it just overwhelms you?  I was honored to spend time up at Camp Alta serving as a "Coach" for their I-FIT Camp.  I taught basic football skills and observed the kids competing in games.  The moment came this morning before my first coaching session.

I went to participate in their morning worship time and hear their speaker share the scripture.  Worship was led by a group of college age students from a Korean Church in Davis CA.  As the worship was really focusing on pleading with God to speak and stir our hearts, my friend called my attention to the young lady playing keyboard.  She was totally absorbed with drawing near to Christ and adoring Him... Tears just streaming down her face... It was, one of those moments!  One of those incredible, soul stirring, heart pounding moments.  To be part of the worship was a blessing in and of itself, but to sit and witness her passion and heart for God was...overwhelming!

For her to sing about not remaining silent and making much of God, realizing in her home country that is against the law and cause for being shunned, was sacred.  I found out later she is leaving for Korea next month to serve three years as a missionary/ English teacher.  It explained a lot about what she is preparing her heart for.

Isn't that just like God.  Send me up to camp thinking I'm going to do some coaching and then just crush my heart through the passion of a Korean Worship Band?  I love those moments when God turns the world upside down and makes things as they should.  I love those moments when we see our own heart through the hearts of others and realize we are all in desperate need of HIM.  I love when God gives us those moments to see Him.  I love when I'm reminded that God is huge and always at work.  I love when God uses those moments to draw me to Himself and reveal His glory.  Have you had one of those moments lately?  Tell me about it.........

I took a two week vacation from posting while I was on vacation. I did my best to be present with my family and not too present with multi-media. Now that I am back from vacation I am also back to posting. We had a great time seeing both sets of parents, daughters and grand baby, as well as friends back in Alabama and Tennessee. It was a whirlwind trip that allowed a time away, but I am excited to be back home. Speaking of home... we are moving... from one part of Auburn to another. We have been blessed to live on this property for almost seventeen months. This move will give us a break in what we spend for living space as well as increased acreage for the boys to run. The church seems to be doing well. I don't know how you really know. I see more and more people ministering to more and more people. I am hearing stories of the impact GCC people are having as we love our neighbors. Lives are being transformed and the lonely are being placed in family so I guess you would say we are on the right track. I have grown leery of modern day measures of success... ie... the number of butts and how big is your budget. I am more focused on conversations we are having with others, opportunities to serve and care for people, introducing more and more to Jesus as opposed to another dose of religion that takes the life out of people. Yesterday morning around 6:30 I get a text from a friend. "You awake".. yes I respond... my phone rings and I hear, "here's what I'm thinking. Our neighbor is moving back from Colorado after being gone a year. How about we put together a flash mob to unload their moving truck"? I'm in, lets do it... We did... In 34 minutes a twenty four foot moving truck was emptied and a lady overwhelmed was on her lawn with tears. No sales pitch, no expectations, just a group of people loving on a neighbor. I love what we are doing here in Northern California! I love the people we are doing it with! I am looking forward to making more and more friends! I am excited that we get to put in a good word for Jesus and usually we don't have to say too much!

Back in Bama

The whole family made the cross country trek from California to Alabama. There were no injuries, beatings, fights or ejections from an airplane. We made it safe and sound, but probably not sane. The past three days we have been blessed to be with Gann family. They are incredible friends and blessings to our lives. We have made the trip to be part of the wedding for Bryan Lobue and Deborah Gray. What a great story of God's grace and redemption being lived out in humble love. God reminding each that He is the source of life and love as they have grown more into HIS life and will. Tomorrow will be a great celebration of what God truly has brought together. We are looking forward to being with our families after this weekend. For now, it is great to be together and enjoy the celebration of Bryan and Deborah's marriage.

Tonight we celebrated the first High School Graduating class of Gold Country Church. I am so amazed at how things have progressed in the past fourteen months since we have been in Auburn. We celebrated the graduation of fourteen students tonight. These are all incredible young people who have so much to offer the world around them. As a church community it was amazing to be able to invest in the celebration of these young men and women. Our message is simple: You will always have a place that cares for you! Thank you to our Shepherding couples for loving these young people and providing for tonight. Thank you to those who gave their energy of serving tonight so families could enjoy a great meal. Thank you to the parents for allowing us to love on your teens. I love my church! God is doing incredible things!