Stretching

Sometimes, stretching feels good. Sometimes it hurts. When stretching hurts it's usually a good hurt. Lately, I've been being stretched, and it hurts, but it's a good hurt! In the past couple of weeks I have run the range of emotions from some very low lows, to some very fun highs. Here's some things I have felt, learned, and some areas I've been stretched in along the way.

1. God is good, all the time! No matter how I feel, I know that He loves me and has a much better plan for my life.

2. I love my church. Yes, I know it's God's, but I am a part of it, and taking ownership means that I have a stake in what happens. PAlm Valley Church is unlike any church I have ever been a part of, in any capacity, and I love that God has placed us here at this time in our lives and in the life of this church.

3. I still need to learn to trust people more, especially my friends and co-workers. I can't go into details here, but some changes were made in my job that I really had to struggle through. It's all good, and I'm growing through it. It means that I get the opportunity to narrow my focus and expand the vision that I believe that God has given to me for ministering to new believers. It means that I can dream big and watch what God is going to do in this unique ministry.

4. I need to build close friendships. I tend to guard my deepest thoughts and emotions from all but Paige. I need to allow and cultivate friendships with a couple of other men that I can hang with, and hang my head with. I really noticed it these past couple of weeks. Fortunately I was able to share thoughts with a couple of friends, but I need to do a better job of telling the whole story of my thoughts. I need to include my fears along with my frustrations. I miss my best friend in Cali. It isn't possible to maintain the same closeness long distance. It will need to be an intentional goal in the coming months to foster and nurture true friendship with someone, or someones here.

5. I need to trust God's voice. We thought we had determined a God sized number for the STM campaign. It was huge, many times more than we had ever given to anything. A few days ago I heard a voice with a different amount. After the fact, I thought it through and know that it was God. First, I certainly wouldn't have picked this number on my own. Its crazy! We can't sacrifice enough to reach this number, God will have to show up big time! Second, Satan wouldn't give us this number, he wants us to fail, not succeed. If anything, he would tell us to lower the amount, that we can't possibly do it, and that God wants us to be more practical.

6. I love my wife more each day. It amazes me that after 23 years of marriage, we are still discovering things about each other, and are still growing closer. As we prayed together about our commitment to the STM campaign, I told her about the voice I heard. First, she said that she doesn't hear voices. It was so funny, we both had a good laugh. While God speaks to me in whispers (sometimes shouts), and usually in the shower (it's usually the only time I'm quiet enough to hear Him), God speaks to Paige in her dreams. How cool is that! God speaks to each of us in different ways. Even cooler than that, we both have relationships that include our willingness to listen to God's voice.

7. For the New Believer's ministry to increase, I must decrease. I know that's kind of a play on words of a passage of Scripture, but it is so true. I need to intentionaly focus my attention on raising up leaders and passing off things that I love. Particularly, I love teaching, but I know that to a great extent, I need to equip others to teach (2Tim. 2:2). I need to let go of "having" to teach the Fresh Start Class, and "having" to lead the New Believer's Growth Group. For us to multiply these ministries, others must begin teaching and leading. The curriculum is written, and has been effectively used a number of times, so what am I afraid of? I am afraid that others won't do it well. We're talking babes in Christ here! If we mess this up, it may stunt their growth at best, or drive them away from Christ. Oh, Ye of little faith! How arrogant! The new believer's are God's! he is responsible as are they for their growth. We need to provide opportunity, and do it with excellence, but I am a piece of that equation, not the answer.

8. I'm on the table. If you weren't in service at PVC this weekend, Greg stood on a table to show that God not only wants us to sacrifice our stuff, He wants us to put ourselves on the table of offering. In the midst of confusion, frustration, hurt, success, and joy, I remained focused on Christ, His love for me, and my willingness to do whatever He asked of me. That doesn't mean I don't often hang a leg off, or put a foot down, but I'm doing my best to live as a sacrifice to Jesus.

9. I need to be stretched. It's how I grow. It's how I am able to spiritually breathe so that I can minister to others. I may not like it sometimes, and the pain may seem unbearable, but I know that it's for my own good.

10. I need to physically stretch. Because of the physical challenges that I have, even moderate physical activity can exacerbate the pain levels. Stress does it too. I have had some days lately when the pain has been all but unbearable. I know that I need to push on the best I can. I know that I need to continue to try to lose weight, and to stretch, to help my body as much as I can. Often, I can't excercise, but on good days, I need to take advantage of it and work out on those days.

I hope that God is stretching you too!

New House Pics

Fireplace with place for 42" Plasma above it in the master bedroom.
This shot looks from the living room across the entryway into the dining room. The arch leads to the kitchen and family room, along with the "East Wing"
This is the back patio.













Here's a view from the front. Hard to see much in a pic this size, but that's the main garage on the left, the front porch in the middle, then the living room on the right. The porch is bigger than we visualized, almost 20' wide. We aren't going to do the walk that wide! Now we have more landscaping to figure out.


We didn't get to put paint samples on the walls yet, they were still texturing. We stopped by a couple more flooring places. I'm still working on quotes on lighting fixtures. For example, we need 21, 4' X 4 bulb flourescent fixtures, and 31 can light bulbs!

I can't wait to throw a huge party when we move in, and Michael, you can always bring the Barros!

House Update

Paige and I went out to the house today. The scratch coat (first layer of stucco) is on the outside. The drywall is up. They should be doing the texturing tomorrow. We have paint samples for the interior, so as soon as we can, we'll paint some sections to see which one we like.

We found the light for the dining room table on ebay. It's great to save money. We've been shopping for lighting. We did great on getting our ceiling fans at a good price. We haven't found the chandelier for the entry way yet, or the ceiling lights for in the master bathroom.

It's really starting to look like a house! We're still trying to finalize the flooring and tile.

Decisions, decisions.

Saying Goodbye Again

We lost another friend today. Another faithful servant and a member of the Fresh Start Team. Dean Goddard went home to be with Jesus Christ today. For him it means no more pain and I am sure a warm welcome into the Savior's arms. Dean was full of faith and hope for tomorrow. He found joy in serving the new believers that God would send our way. Paige and I had just talked about how we wanted to get to know he and his wife Mary better. They had been married a month short of 44 years. His wisdom, faith, gentleness and graciousness will be sorely missed!

What A Baby!

I admit it. I don't do sick well! I'm a big baby and I like to be cared for when I don't feel well. Right now I'm sick. Stay home from work sick (I really hate that!). Paige had to work today so there was no one here to care for me. I had to take care of myself (at least she made me breakfast before she left). I love it when she rubs my neck and shoulders and head. Today I was left to suffer. Yes, I know it's not very manly, but I'm sick and don't care about manly right now!

I went to see the Dr. first thing this morning. The soonest they could get me in was 9:30, so I went back home and went back when it was time. I still waited for an hour. I hate waiting for anything, especially to see the Dr. when I'm sick. I just needed meds so that I could get some relief and some sleep. Shouldn't there be an express lane for people who are really sick? Not very spiritual I know. I should be patient and wait for God's timing. I'm working on that, but it's especially hard when your sick and haven't slept in a few days.

Finally, I have some medications that are helping. Unfortunately, they contain codein, which is a great drug, but I'm higher than a kite when I'm on it. Not only should I not operate heavy machinery when I'm on it, I shouldn't operate anything! I know from past experience that when I'm on codein I don't drive, I just try to get as much sleep as possible. That's a good thing right now because I really need sleep. Unless theres miraculous healing (which would be nice), I'll be home again tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be less of a baby, and I'll be more patient.

I know I'm just rambling. LIke I said, when I'm on this stuff, I shouldn't operate any machinery, not even a computer. Time to try to get some sleep!

Playing Hurt

I hadn't thought about it until Greg said it to me today. As I was leaving to go home early from church, he thanked me for playing hurt. I hadn't thought about it that way, but I really was playing hurt. I am sick. I'm sicker than I've been in a while.

It started hitting me on Friday, and Satuday I had a full blown cold. I pushed as hard and as far as I can push, but I can't push through it. I'm down for the count. I can't stop coughing and my throat is killing me. I heaven't slept in a couple of days. At best I have napped in my chair at night. I had to leave service Saturday night because of a coughing attack. I should have taken the hint, but things needed to done, and things are pretty exciting right now and I love seeing the results. We had one person express that he gave his life to Christ, and that makes it all worth while. Today I felt even worse. I was even a bit woozy standing on top of a tall ladder adjusting lights. I starting thinking that it really wouldn't be a good idea to fall! I was supposed to teach a Fresh Start Class today but no one came (I'll blog about that this week). I think God knew that I was too sick to teach, and so did I, but I had already put into God's hands and knew that He would speak through me. As I sit here at the peak of the accumulated effect of all the stuff I'm taking (which doesn't last nearly long enough), here are some thoughts about playing hurt:

1. Sometimes we should play hurt. The apostle Paul was nagged by a "thorn in the flesh). He played hurt. There are injuries and illnesses that we get that God wants to use to strengthen our faith. I know, I have one. I have dealt with physical challenges for several years now. I have prayed for God to remove it, but so far He has simply said that "My strength is sufficient for you". I play on! God has a plan for me, and I'll continue to play hurt if that's what He has called me to.

Certainly, I need down time, and if you deal with things, you need down time too. Work it into your schedule. Because of my challenges, I need a nap every day. I actually plan it into my day. Some days it just isn't possible. On those days, I know I'll pay the price, but sometimes it's simply necessary, and worth it.

2. Sometimes we shouldn't play hurt. In some cases it is detrimental to you and the team to play hurt. I knew I had reached that point today. I couldn't shake hands, and I couldn't think clearly. It was definitely time to shut it down and take care of myself. If I were to get everyone sick around me, that would certainly be a very bad thing!

I think of a certain NFL guarterback who played with an injured thumb on his throwning hand. He threw more interceptions and his team continued to lose until he came out so that his hand could heal. We had some get togethers planned for today and I knew that it would be a hindrance not a help for me to be there, so as much as I wanted to go, I stayed home.

3. Though not what I'm facing now, I was thinking that playing hurt could include physical, emotional, or spiritual issues. There are still times when you play hurt and when you don't regardless of the hurt. Either way, you need to put it into God's hands. If it's something that God has "blessed" you with, you need to determine what God wants you to do with it. If it is something that needs to be dealt with, then deal with it! Get the help you need so that you can minimize the damage and downtime. For me, if I'm not feeling much better tomorrow, I'll be going to see the Dr.

The bottom line is, if you're playing hurt, are you helping or hurting? If you are hurting your team you are being selfish and sinful.

Teamwork Works!

Praise God it's Easter! For me today, it means more than it ever has before. I am not talking about the resurrection of Christ. There is no way to ever quantify the meaning of this day in spiritual terms. The reason it meant so much is that it ended what was perhaps the most difficult week I have had in twenty years of ministry. So many tough things happened this week that I would get a writer's cramp detailing them all. Each time something happened, I could only think that Easter would soon be here. It was a goal, and it was a survival strategy. I knew that if I could hold it together until Sunday, everthing would be alright.

Now I know I could get all theological and spiritual and say that yes, I know I had the same strength from God available to me each day and each moment this week, and trust me when I say that I prayed a lot and truly relied on God's strength to carry me. I looked forward to Easter precisely because I knew that I could call on God's power each and every moment. What Jesus did on Easter provided the opportunity to rely on Him. I looked forward to Easter as I do every year because it's a day to focus an entire day on what God has done for us.

So, today, was a special day. It means God carried me through the week. I thought often through the week of the line from something I saw that T.D. Jakes did. In it, he says, "It's Friday (the day filled with horrible events culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus), but Sunday's comin.'"

So why is this titled "Teamwork Works"? It is because God used teamwork to carry me through the week. Every time something happened this week, people stepped-up, stepped-in, and stepped-out in action. This week for me was a powerful testimony of God's body, the church, at work. I saw it exemplified in our amazing staff over and over. I saw it in volunteers who went far beyond expectation. I saw it in strangers in the body of Christ (who aren't really strangers, I just didn't know them before), who took care of things and offered kind words of encouragement at just the right times.

Humanly speaking, I was overwhelmed this week. In Mark's blog he said it best that in one situation this week that he and I shared, we had nothing to offer. We could only mourn with a hurting family. The week was like that seemingly every day. By the time I went to bed last night (early), I was so physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted I could barely function, and I knew that Sunday with three services and tear down it would be just as exhausting. But, it would be Easter, and I can accomplish anything through Christ who strengthens me! I tried to take a nap this afternoon, but I couldn't sleep. It was a combination of being too tired and excited.

I was excited because today was everything that I had hoped it would be. The services were off the hook! Greg's message was great, the sound was great, the videos were great, the worship was great, everything looked and worked great, and the results? After the 10:00 service alone (which was standing room only), we handed out 9 Fresh Start packets! That's changed lives! That's why Easter matters! After all the tough stuff this week, today just flat out ROCKED!

Here's my tak-a-ways from the weekend:
1. Teamwork works! I need to trust and rely on the various teams around me more fully. This is huge for me because I am a "just do it and get it done because I know what I want" type of Guy. That is so foolish! This week showed me so clearly that if I simply let go and trust, things work out so much better.

2. Some weeks are like that! This week was so tough. It contained some things that no one including pastors should ever have to take part in. While it included frustrations, I never wanted to give up, I was truly able to focus on the prize, which for me was celebrating Easter.

3. We need to carry each other's burdens. Especially in marriage. This week was tough for me, and it showed in Paige. Paige went through some tough things, and they impacted me. We were able to be strength for each other. Fortunately, it wasn't just us, there were others who carried our burdens and strengthened us so that we could overcome the trials of the week.

4. God is awesome! I already knew that, but I love it when He shows me that again. It isn't fourth in priority because it's actually in all of the above.

Hard Things - but Sunday's Coming!

We have learned to expect tough things to happen Easter week. This week has been no exception. Monday afternoon Stephanie Brown unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 25. Mark and I were there as her mother (two months after saying goodbye to her husband) said goodbye to her daughter. We were also there as she told Stephanie's sister what had happened. I can't imagine a harder thing than to see and share in the grief of this family.

Stephanie loved God and loved kids. She was planning to leave for Africa to serve when her father died. After a break, she was still planning to go. God had other plans. He called her home. Stephanie was a joyous person. I loved her smile.

This morning Ryan is doing a funeral for a family who unexpectedly lost a mom and grandma.

I got a call Monday night that another servant in our church was in the hospital. Another is going in Thursday for a procedure on his heart.

I am thankful that the builder on our house is a strong servant leader in our church and also a prayer warrior, because the house isn't even on the radar of priorities this week, and he gets that.

Today at lunch the staff is gathering to eat together and to watch videos that people have done sharing their Palm Valley Church stories. It will be such an encouragement, I am so looking forward to it.

All of this is happening during passion week. Sunday is Easter and I can't wait! Last year we watched a great video from TD Jakes about easter that I'll not soon forget. Through all that life throws at us, we need to remember that Sunday's coming. This week it isn't just any Sunday, it's Easter Sunday. This is the day we celebrate the magnitude of God's love for us. We celebrate that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Not only did He die, He was buried, and on that very first Easter, He rose from the dead, conquering sin for all time so that our sins can be forgiven. We are invited to have a relationship with God, and all we need to do to enter that relationship is to accept what Christ did on the cross. Accepting that gift means that we give up our selfish desires, dying to our own lives, to live for God and through His power.

It is weeks like this that I see and rely on the strength and power of God the most. My hope and prayer is that I, we, you, will continue to strive to live in that strength and power every moment of every day, until we see Him face to face. Stephanie is with Him now, and I am sure that she has a bigger smile on her face than we ever saw.

House Update

We just picked up the sound system for the family room. Here's what we got to go with the TV (Mitsubishi 73"DLP):
Yamaha HTR-6090 7.1 Channel Receiver
Klipsch RF-62 2-Way Floor Standing Speakers - 2
Klipsch RC-52 2-Way Center Channel
Klipsch RPW-10 10” Powered Subwoofer
Klipsch CDT-5650-C In-ceiling Speakers – 4

We got a fantastic deal, so if you look up what this stuff costs, we paid a lot less!

We are now looking for the in-ceiling speakers for throughout the house.

This week the low voltage wiring will go in, and the insulation will start going in.

We need to order the garage doors and interior doors this week and choose trim.

Hopefully we'll have new pictures soon, but a roll got lost at the developer. Yes I still use 35mm film. I put off getting the digital camera I want because of higher priorities.

Blogging

It's pretty obvious that I've cut back on my blogging. Actually, I think everyone on staff at PVC has cut back on their blogging. I don't think it's intentional, it's just that everyone's been busy preparing for the launch of the Seiz the Moment campagn which is a 50 day spiritual journey that includes our building campaign. In addition to the campaign, we are preparing to add another service. There's a lot going on (though there is always change around here) so it's hard to stay up with optional, or recreational, activities such as blogging. So, for at least a little while, my blogs will continue to be a bit sporadic. I will, however, continue to blog about New Believers and the new house, and anything else I find time for.