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Category: Spiritual Growth

Yosemite Here I Come!

As mentioned in the video for the First Things First Kidology online training session, my pastor challenged us to consider what “re-creates” us, and to intentionally PLAN it into our lives. Up until that time I wrongly considered recreation to be equal to play and often said my recreation and my occupation were the same: children’s ministry. How wrong I was! While I DO enjoy children’s ministry, it isn’t what re-creates me, it drains and uses me up! So I took the challenge to consider what truly RE-creates me, and for me it is time AWAY from ministry, out in nature with my Bible and camera. (and perhaps an iPod with worship or classical music playing.) As I prayed about what God would have me do to make RE-creation a regular part of my life, a dream began to form that slowly transformed into Yosemite Summit. God has answered my prayers by filling up this retreat with 8 more men seeking the same. So now I’ve been working on planning the hikes and figuring out what to bring (and not bring). I am so looking forward to this time AWAY from life as “normal” to spend with eight other guys…

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Could YODA Be Wrong?!?

Our small group tonight started a study of the book of James, our primary topic this evening was on suffering – not necessary the major life altering sufferings – but the daily struggles and trials that upset our plans and frustrate us, but that God is trying to use to form our character. It isn’t just the “big” sufferings that God uses, He used the little daily “stuff” too. In fact, at times, the major battles are easier as they are obvious, but we can easily miss the small battles that actually have a huge impact on our spiritual growth. Below is a piece I wrote awhile back that was published elsewhere, but I wanted to post to my blog for my small group and to archive it here for future reference.   Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. One of Yoda’s most famous quotes, from the second half of the Star Wars saga, is his ominous warning to the young Anakin, “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suf-fer-ing.” (Did you read those words with the appropriate Yoda inflection?) I certainly don’t doubt that fear leads to anger, or…

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I am free.

I AM FREE I woke up in the middle of the night recently with these words forming in my mind. I have learned via the trials and tribulations of life that everything that ever worries me, concerns me, bothers me, irritates me, hurts me, saddens me, angers me, depresses me, or holds me back from victorious fellowship with Jesus have one little word in common: me. I heard Jesus whisper in my ear, yet again, “Let go of ‘me’ and you will be free.” The words below flowed in those early morning hours as my heart aches to be free of me. (click for full size) (This is now my daily prayer to keep me focused on Him, not me)

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My Long Lost Brother (in the Lord)

A few weeks ago my family got to travel to Waterford, MI to minister to kids as part of a revival week at Williams Lake Church of the Nazarene. The children’s pastor is a part of Kidology’s CP Team and happens to be the first student in Kidology’s Coaching program.We are so alike! As we swapped stories of children’s ministry – it was like we’d done so many of the same (crazy) things. Once, as I said I needed to go use the restroom before the program began, I called him over and whispered, “why don’t you have all the kids hide while I’m out, like they are playing a joke on me?” and he said, “I was just going to do that!” It was like finding my long lost brother separated at birth. But my mother was spared having two of me around! I was pleased to see Eric had in his office his Coaching Notebook, Kidology Online Training Notebook, and Kidology Handbook Notebook! He truly has a servants heart and a teachable spirit! We asked me to feel free to tell him what I thought he could do better, but I honestly was very impressed with his ministry.…

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Making An Impact, or Not!

A Jelly Fish for God? Read on! Not too long ago, the most important thing to me was my personal contribution to the Kingdom of God. I’ve literally been “in ministry” since I was a young boy. To me, as the son of a preacher man and a mother who served in the local church with creativity and a keen sense of leadership – serving God was what it meant to be a Christian. By the time I was a teen-ager was I traveling to minister in churches besides my own and by my mid-twenties I’d been to over ten countries on mission trips ministering to children and equipping leaders. From the time I got up in the morning until I collapsed in bed at night, I lived to serve God. As I look back, I still am so thankful for all the amazing opportunities that God brought into my life, but I also feel the burden of stress and the deep exhaustion that was my daily experience. And the loneliness. I have learned the hard way that “Impact” is not the purpose of my faith. It is a result of following and serving God, but it is not why…

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