no idea where....

I have absolutely no idea what the future looks like, I can tell you this "bring it on!" In a time that seems to be tumultuously tossing me up, down, left, right like one of those spinning rides at an amusement park. See the ride has an end, that's where my faith bears witness. Step in and the ride is in control of the circumstance and event, I know however it is only temporary. Ultimately this is only a moment in time, my faith who I am is only tossed about for that time. He is ultimately in control, I step in, the ride tries to control what is happening but my belief does not change, I believe there is an end. So though I am powerless about where this rides goes in the end He will calm the seas, my responsibility is to continue to bear witness to the provisions of Him in whom I believe.

If I had my way....."my roots take hold and grow stronger, dig deeper into the living waters that I may be the man He intends me to be."

not just touched.....changed!

What just happened touched my heart and filled me with great joy. I went into my "nectar of the God's" location this morning later than my normal opening visit. After all this is where God finds many of His people! As I walked in I saw a friend from church. He replied "you're running late, what are you doing?" I said I just am in no hurry to get to work, what I found out was He was orchestrating this meeting.
We got our coffees, we sat down and he pulled out his Bible. I asked what he was studying today, we started to talk about Daniel. Then he just opened up, tears in his eyes said, "Chris, I just can not believe His faithfulness. He keeps using this church to impact my life in such a timely manner." Here's what I know from serving alongside of him for the last 9 months. This is a man who no longer wanted to be married, chains of bondage tore at him and they're in financial distress. He struggles with self-worth and image.
He serves with the vision of doing so allows others to experience life change like he is seeing in his life. He embodies the very culture of this church. He told me they started coming to church during "Break-Out" which hit him with truth of his bondage. VLDS series offered them an opportunity to begin to really dig into their marriage, he said his priorities have shifted placing his wife in far greater importance. He said he had just asked someone for help budgeting, and what's the next series "Real Change Campaign." Week after week he is being filled with God's truth, a direction in Him and practical applications for real change. This seems a mirror to me! I thank God for the fact that getting by will never be acceptable again!
So here are 2 grown men with tears in their eyes at our local Starbucks sharing about how our lives have been changed by the ministry of this church! I can not help feeling grateful for the pruning taking place in my life, the standards to the measure of success are weighed by these kinds of impacting moments, not financial, not worldly but of what we are witnessing Him doing all around us. "That people far from God will be filled with life in Christ." My praise to Him who allows me to be transformed, to witness calm seas in the midst of the storm!

things to remember....

"The teacher is always silent during the test..."

"God's past performance always predicates His future ability..."

"Is my integrity worth suffering for?"

Psalm 23. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil... In classic style Pastor highlighted that we are walking through the valley. We might be in the valley today, but God's intention is to take us through it. If it's because of sin or disobedience then repent. If not, then Receive, Remember and Respond and know that no matter how deep your dip is the same God that lead you into it has every intention of leading you through it and on the back side of any valley is always another mountain top!

Hey, John thanks for the perspectives......

I've got to change....

I am so used to comfort, that often I am scared to fail, it is almost frightening to think I am not willing to leverage everything for Him. The truth is I am in my box, I am comfortable inside that box. Now it is time to develop other skills that exist inside my box and allow them to be called out. I have to start pushing the walls from the inside to expand the area of my box. We live within the reality of our "box." The inspiring part of "thinking inside the box," it is all about the new horizon of my reality. Let me set this up, this was stated to me just yesterday "when life is spoken into someone, God's vision will not fit into the framework of that person." It is in there, so mine is not to focus on the fact that I do not do something well, but how do I do this well? This does not mean I will be gifted at everything I do, nor will I be good at all things, it means I am willing to be what He wants me to be, challenged to disregard my comfort zone. It means my capacity will grow when I push past the point of failure!
Then I read this "The key is learning to peel the onion, stripping away the layers of thinking that don't really add anything." I think it is a perception deal all this time I am focused on what I believe my skills set is, not what He is developing within me.

growing older takes new meanings.....

When I was young no sooner could a teacher get the word "recess" out and I was ready no matter what I was doing. I loved recess, there was reason to get excited and bolt from my seat....
Now as I have grown older "recess" has added a couple extra pounds of burden. I just could not get my butt out of the seat before I heard "recess...ion!" If I had only been quicker! That stinks, not this again! Makes me wish I had my fingers in my ears, saying "na, na I can't hear you!" Could be a good number of these at a parking lot near you, remember the days this may have been an adventure?.....not a reality.

Painful pruning....

It seems the painful pruning continues in my life, what's most interesting to me is that in busy times or slow I am finding those little thorns in my side are still there. The busy times it is easier to overlook those shortcomings, saying I am busy and can not possibly worry about that now. What you end up with, in the slow times I am left alone to stare directly into the belly of the beast.....Makes me think what if I had only addressed that stuff before, it may have been easier. At the very least more manageable in size and scale, dealing with what needs to be changed. What ends up happening, the opportunity is presented that you can not refuse because you have been swallowed by the beast, you now have to fight the whole way out.
Here's an analogy I heard years ago. See there's this dented, dirty trashcan. You take it and pop the dents out, Clean it, polish it, but notice it stinks so you place it back outside. As you lift it the bottom falls out, you are left with this huge mess, that stinks! I am better off dented and dirty, but cleaned on the inside, the only way to change for me is life in Christ.

Seems I am making excuses for not being the first into the pool when the water is stirred.....as clearly articulated when asked by Jesus, "Do you want to be healed?'
Let us try this one, Pastor Steven referenced Nehemiah 2:17-18 God lifts big burdens when we take small steps, start by rebuilding the walls.
Seems I am primed and ready for the "Real Change Campaign...."
Sandra, I love you, you prove what the covenant of marriage really means. Thanks for believing in me. most of all thanks for praying for me!

These guys bring it....

Ok, check out these 2 guys and some incredible percussionists, like Elevation's very own Ge-off. Swift Johnson from "Revolution" and our very own Chris Brown. For you older readers this is Kanye West music, not pronounced Ki-ann (like the pepper) but Con-ye'! Thanks to Swift & Chris for not laughing at me when I said that! Sometimes I show my age way too often, however I would like to share tidbit of information, Kanye had a CD titled "College Dropout." Immediately I could identify with him, but who gets the cred him or me?!?!

Extreme Makeover - lesson learned!

What do you get when you await the premiere of something you've poured heart and soul tirelessly? Rally vendors together with the opportunity to get involved, donate to making it possible? To find they all rise to the occasion, give without expectations or complaint. Asking no questions other than "what else do you need?" Excitement is all around you as family & friends generate energy and vibe. A crescendo of publicity takes great interest in the story, behind the scenes and the process of involvement. You eagerly serve, anticipating reward of recognition. Thoughts begin to be for my praise not His.....
"Your heart beat is for truth, glory and praise to the Lord."
What do you get?....... An opportunity to be reminded of that truth!
Reminded of that very fact it is not for the King family, it is for the KING and His family. To be able to step back and see you have served Him in a mighty way, becoming a connector to the Power. I was reminded of why I do, why I serve and in whom I serve.....
I never expected to be shown on TV, somehow had expected more for what we had done. The lesson here is that I serve the Lord with my time, talent and treasure. He is in charge of how it is used to Glorify Him. Reminds me of LB's post "Addicted to being the hero...."
Lord, I thank you for reminding me of the Master I lovingly serve....in Him I have new life.

Home improvement.....

What gets me most is the web of twine binding it all together, seems to be holding tight, must have been a boyscout! Clearly distracted by the amount of work that needed to be done. This is too much like a Gary Larson cartoon, in real life, what irony! Everyone knows one of life's rules, "know someone with a truck!" Reminds me of the old saying "hire a teenager while they still know everything!" The truth is I have faced many things, situations in life when all I had to do was ask for help. Hindsight, seeing this I laughed and I cried! So what came first the chicken or the egg?

Date night...

Well it's date night, there are few things I look forward to more than a night out with Sandra. I'm looking forward to getting through the day, my day could not have been set up any better. Meeting with LB this morning, then lunch with a Visionary, it will not be long after that I 'll be out with my bride. I would like to thank Elevation , as every married couple received a coupon for dinner at their choice of 12 restaurants, an extremely generous gift. What an opportunity along with reimbursement for childcare, no excuses.
We do this really well and should be doing this more often. In this season of life we find it more difficult to do, many activities and obstacles. This is something we have always enjoyed, we really like to be out together, enjoy the same things and have similar interests. For us, dinner out is some time well spent! This is one of our favorite activities "eating" we do not need anything else to pass the time, it's simple.
In light of this sermon series "VLDS," I thought I would post this picture to offer a little romance in preparation of tonight! You talk about fun, this guy looks like quite a romantic and provider! Clearly he's a man's man, being a Jr. fan and dressed for success. The only thing missing is the "business on top, party in the back" mullet. This guy is truly packing "six pack abs" and the "boyscout type"always prepared carring a "spare tire!" Probably under the fitness regiment of Buck. Can you hear Barry White laying a track in the background? Like "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby!" or do you hear Jerry Jeff Walker's "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother!"