I'm honored and excited to be speaking for the Bridgeway Church Men's Retreat!  Great setting at Camp Alta with great men seeking God... I am hopeful God speaks through me and even more instead of me...

Casey Frye leading worship and the canopy of the ages above us!

I am blessed!

There are difficulties in any relationship.  As humans, if we are involved there will be bad decisions, mistakes, misunderstandings, and some extraordinarily good times.  It just seems to work that way.  There are ways to improve our relationships and I believe the church needs to be a primary resource for the community.  It's not that we have all the answers, but rather that we live in honesty with reality and seek to grow and improve our relationships at every opportunity. 

We are working to bring my friend Joe Beam to Northern California in early December.  Joe has been a Pastor, motivational speaker, redeemed son of God, father, grandfather, as well as a guy who has given his life to helping couples find life in their marriage.  I am excited to have him come here and share with this community. 

Joe's ministry, Beam Research Center, provides an intensive weekend encounter for couples who are in trouble.  Their success rate is phenomenal.  It isn't magic, but solid, practical, Spirit led, researched, and well delivered help.  As a Pastor, I have sent over a dozen couples to his intensive weekend and they were all positively impacted. 

Joe has been featured on programs like; the Today Show, Good Morning America, Dave Ramsey, and many regional radio shows.  I feel blessed to have a close relationship with Joe and his family and be able to host him here in the Sierras.  I will be posting more information as the schedule firms up.  If you are within driving distance, this will be well worth your time on the road.  Mark your calendar for Saturday December 8.  http://www.JoeBeam.com.

Two years ago yesterday, God spoke two words that at the time I didn't understand, but within twenty four hours would be crystal clear.  While praying from "Iron Point" as I looked down over the Foothills, I distinctly and clearly heard, "Welcome Home".  Unsure what that meant, I kept those words to myself.  The very next day, Jennifer had the burden of planting a church in Northern California laid upon her heart.

Two years later, Jennifer is on the same campground, with the same amazing lady (Alice Higginbotham) by her side, praying for the movement of God in the lives of women.  I shouldn't be surprised that God would put those two back together on the same campground, serving along side each other, on the same weekend two years later.  

I took my five boys up on the mountain yesterday and we praised God for His creation and work in our life as a family.  I am so grateful to talk about God stories with my boys.  We celebrated His work in our life.  So amazing to hear my kids on a mountain thanking God for people and things in their lives.  Two years... can't believe it has been that long, but it doesn't seem that long. 

Yesterday was a "fellowship" day at GCC.  Great worship set, delicious food, people willing to invest in others, and the sweet aroma of friendship made for a fun morning.  We try and do these "fellowship" days often enough to build a safe place for people to connect and not too often so as to lose it's effectiveness. 

I love watching people get to know others and see how their different stories impact each other.  There is a difficulty in being a relationally driven church, but I wouldn't trade it for a program driven church.  Authenticity and care for others are strands of healthy DNA for a church.  Our fellowship days are great reminders that it is about the relationships. 

Countdown

We are on the countdown.  That could be any number of countdowns, but one main one that has us all consumed.  One more sleep until mom flies home from Tennessee!!!!!  Yes, I am way more excited than the kids.  No, I'm not ready to dump the kids and run.  I am ready to see my wife.  She is my co-minister, co-parent, co-counselor.  She is the part of my heart and life that God gave and knew I needed so desperately.  She is the reminder of grace in my life.  She is the beauty in beauty and the beast.

The kids are so excited because she is mommy.  She is nurturer, nurse, and homework guru extraordinaire.  She gives great kisses and hugs and picks out outfits that match.  She snuggles them, cuddles them, and understands them.  No they haven't been neglected, abandoned or abused while with me.  Rather, they have been loved on, protected, well fed, and held.  But, they know they need and want their mommy. 

As matter fact, no matter what age you are, mom is always mom.  Dad should always be dad.  We should have an affectionate place for the parents who gave us life.  Not all of those are biological.  Many, like us, are adoptive parents.  No matter.  Love for a child is love for a child and we most definitely love our children.... all seven of them! 

So we are on the countdown.  Mom is coming, mom is coming.  We're ready!

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind.  I served with some of the best people in the Kingdom of God at Tres Dias#27 and then returned to speak at a men's retreat for Agape Bible Church in Willits California.  Both weekends were terrific encounters of meeting new people, seeing friends, and watching God do great things in the lives of men.

I am continuously blessed by the work of God in my life.  There are so many challenges it seems overwhelming, but God continues to move in faithful ways.  The human struggle against temptation, despair, bitterness, and countless other "enemies" seems to come like a torrent.  The enemy baits us with gimmicks and distractions so as to refocus our heart on quick fixes.  Don't let your heart fool you.  Stay tuned in to God's work in your life.

Quick fixes usually take us further from real solutions and add another layer of problems to what can already be difficult times.  The enemy is good at cloaking his tactics in the fabric of what we need/ want/ have to have or it makes me feel better.  These past two weeks are just another reminder to let God sort through the deceptions while remaining submissive to His will.

Ah, there is nothing like a good whirlwind...

Thinking through material I will present in 2013 at a Lecture.  I will be addressing the fine line of loving kids through the difficulty of destructive choices while not walking away from who we believe we are in Christ.  We all make unwise and destructive choices.  We all hurt those we love.  We all need the grace of God to hold us together and redeem us.  Parents feel that hurt towards their children in a profound way. 
If you have stories, or insights in loving through these difficult seasons, please share them or if you feel safer, send me an email:  ckelley@goldcountrychurch.org 

I would love to hear your heart on this matter of the heart!