Filed under: Ordinary Life | Tags: Calvary, faith, Family, friends, Leslie, life
This past Sunday in my LifeGroup, we were discussing chapter 2 of Henri Nouwen’s book “Here and Now” on the topic of joy, especially in the midst of sorrow. It was such a perfect topic for my own life and many in our group. It was also really meaningful with Thanksgiving being this week. I’m so thankful for this group of fellow believers. In the short time we’ve been meeting together, I can feel God at work and can’t wait to see what growth comes from our time spent studying and praying together.
This week at Calvary, we decided to create a little twist to the traditional thanksgiving testimony service we have each year. We had people share a passage of scripture they were thankful for and how that verse has impacted their life. It was incredible this morning to hear the common thread of hope from God’s word woven into the trials and challenges of so many people’s lives. From miraculous healing and God’s faithful provision to conquered addictions and restored relationships – I find myself just thankful that I get to work at a church where God is still moving and lives are being changed.
I feel like for Lesie and I, the past year has been a lot of waiting on God to come through. There’s been a lot of trust, and as we’ve found blessings along the path – there have been just as many trials that have stretched our faith and in turn drawn us closer to each other and to the Lord. I am extraordinarily thankful for my beautiful wife and the fact that I get to share my life with her.
Finally, here’s a pretty obscure passage I found when I was prepping for the LifeGroup time last Sunday. I’m thankful for the promises and hope we find in His word.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
Even when times are hard and there aren’t many signs of good times ahead, we can choose to give thanks and rejoice because of who God is. He provides the firm foundation we need to stand on and He gives us the strength we need to make it.
I hope you can find much to be joyful about this Thanksgiving.
i was tagged by a friend of mine, nicole at gniffke is up to something, to proclaim/confess/reveal 7 “interesting” things about myself.
1. I’m only organized on the surface
Many people, especially after being in my office, think I’ve got it together. They assume that I am an organized and detailed person. They have no idea. Dwelling just below the veneer of my put-togetherness is a mixture of half-done projects and utter chaos. But hey, at least everything looks good. Isn’t that what really matters?
2. I can say the entire alphabet backward in under 5 seconds.
I learned the alphabet backwards when I was a kid for a school musical. I never forgot it. I wish I had memorized more Bible verses when I was a kid. Memorizing back then was so easy compared to now.
3. I’ve always wanted to play guitar.
I’ve always thought playing the guitar would be really cool. I even own a guitar now. But, I still have no clue how to play it. Yes, I get that you hold your fingers in a certain way and strum in a certain way and magical sounds are supposed to burst forth. I think this speaks volumes to both my procrastination and my delusions of grandeur. The closest I ever got to musical proficiency was playing the flute in jr. high – pretty lame, huh?
4. I had a speech impediment when I was little
At least through Kindergarten, I couldn’t pronounce Rs or Vs. This meant for years my name was Twebah. Combine this with a bit of a stutter and I was like a miniature Elmer Fudd (one of the few cartoon characters I can do a pretty good voice of to this day)
5. I was in a touring, singing group as a kid
I was in a group called “The Good News Kids.” We all had red t-shirts with our names on them in big white letter. We performed at churches, malls, fairs, amusement parks. Probably our biggest event was for a presidential campaign rally in 1988 where we went on before “The Jets.” We even shot some music videos. I’m sure they’re floating out there somewhere and will come back to haunt me someday.
6. My first real job was as a daycare counselor
I had the best job ever, from about my sophomore year of high school until my junior year of college I was a daycare counselor at Bethany Christian Academy. Got to play with kids every day. A lot of tetherball, dodge ball, basketball, football, kickball, four square, coloring books, checkers… I have really fond memories of those days. Eventually became the assistant director and mixed in some substitute teaching during my time there.
7. I’m definitely an introvert
I tend to dislike hanging out with big groups of people. If given the choice between going to a party or just hanging out by myself, I would almost always choose the latter. I’m okay with small groups, though. I’m really bad about introducing myself to people I meet. I don’t know if it’s shyness or insecurity or what, but it’s how I’m wired. It can be misread sometimes as though I’m too serious or I’m even unfriendly and intimidating. It’s just hard for me to feel comfortable in getting to know new people. However, I did manage to overcome my introverted ways when I met my wife almost 5 years ago on a blind date. In general, I wish I was just more easily engaging and hospitable and outgoing… still working on that.
So, there’s seven things. Interesting? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Now I get to tag seven more: Jason JLoft, Randy Bunch of Nonsense, Tammy Mom’s Blaagh, Victor The Wonderful Noise, Matt Hour Glass Entries, and Matt Orange County Pastor and Ryan RyanGuard.net
It’s mid November and it feels like the hottest it’s been all year. The heat has helped fuel the devastating fires that have ripped through Southern California. Over the weekend, the ominous smoke was so high and so thick – it blanketed the sky and blocked out the sun. Even today, with the constant, lingering smell of smoke and fluttering remnants of ash littering the ground, there is a constant reminder that the fire is still raging.
Then, I found out yesterday that this week was scheduled for a major air conditioning repair in Calvary’s Worship Center. Normally, mid November would be a perfectly planned time to pull off this type of repair. With the unusual heat, the fact that there will be zero chilled water available to cool the offices during the day has greatly raised my appreciation for the modern-day wonder of AC. This is because, while I am blessed to have a great office with a big window – that window faces South and by 10:30 this morning my office was unbearable. I wound up working from home in the afternoon.
Tonight, Leslie and I headed to the gym around 8pm. It’s usually not crowded this time of night. With all of the heat and smoke still in the air, many people who may normally be out jogging were all in the gym. It was packed with people trying to stay out of the heat and protect their lungs from the smoke.
All of this got me thinking about Hell. Luke 16:19-31 gives us a little insight into what the life after this will hold and how the decisions we make now affect our eternity. In the Bible, Hell is described as a place of darkness, fire, separation and torment. The good news is God has offered a way to stay out of the heat. It’s not through the relief of air conditioning, it’s not through the shift of an off-shore breeze, it’s not even through the courageous efforts of fire fighters. It is through believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, making Him the Lord of our life, that our sins are forgiven and our relationship with God is restored. I am so thankful that God has provided us such an accessible escape route.
Filed under: Finding God in the Ordinary | Tags: basketball, biola, Calvary, church, faith, Family, friends, Leslie, life, politics, prayer, work
Life is happening so fast. I’m struggling to keep up. This should really be seven different posts, but I want to catalog all my thoughts from this week in one place.
Sunday – Struggled as two of my main tech guys were late for sound check. Struggled as a couple of important media elements had to be adjusted at the last second before the first service started. Jumped in to help serve communion after an amazing message by Brent Dedmon during second service. Got to celebrate my brother’s birthday over a great lunch that afternoon.
Monday – Did devotionals for a group at Calvary called God’s Housecare. They are a group of retired guys who get together each week and help clean the Worship Center. After cleaning they gather around coffee and donuts and hear from one of the pastors on staff. I talked about the sovereignty of God in light of the then upcoming elections. It was fun getting into of God and politics with guys older than my dad. They were surprisingly balanced and wise.
Tuesday – Heard from Dr. JP Moreland and Dr Klaus Issler from Talbot School of Theology. They met with Calvary’s pastors and directors to talk about things like modern-day miracles, gifts of the Spirit, prophetic words, the voice of God, demonic activity, spiritual warfare and the power of prayer. How do we avoid the trap of having a rational, limited and contained view of God that fits so neatly within our modern, Western, linear worldview, and instead carry out a faith as “empowered evangelicals” willing to take risks and be open to how God is moving in miraculous ways not just around the world – but also within our own church? Followed that faith-stirring time on a completely different note with an amazing time of Pizza, Wii and Rock Band with the whole staff. Made it home in time for my friend Marty the plumber to fix my leaking toilet. He’s a really good guy. Then, watched history unfold that evening as the results of the election were announced.
Wednesday – Packed up our stuff so our home could be tented for termites. It was strange to wrap up our food in plastic, hand over our keys to strangers, and trust that everything would be okay while they killed the bugs lurking in our walls. Had a really long day at work, full of meetings. But, it was fun to celebrate my good friend Tammy’s birthday with my communications staff during our regular Wednesday meeting. Leslie and I were able to check in to a brand new hotel that night, Worldmark by Wyndham in Anaheim. It’s a timeshare resort that my dad has points for. It’s only been open for a week. Strange to feel like a tourist in your own backyard.
Thursday – Took advantage of hotel living and used the fitness room in the morning. Had the place all to myself for the most part. Had a great time later that night with my sister and parents at Cheesecake Factory, which was right across the street from the hotel. They have a new pumpkin cheesecake – good thing I had worked out that morning.
Friday – Checked out of the hotel and went with Leslie for a surgery she needed to have done. The surgery went well, but as she woke up from the anesthesia she was hit with a massive migraine. Was able to get her home just in time for the gas guy to come by and reconnect our gas. He was able to fix a leak in our furnace and discovered a problem with the ventilation of our dryer that I was able to fix on my own. Two hugely dangerous problems solved. Got to head out that night with my friend Michael to Westwood to watch some hoops with our alma mater, the BIOLA Eagles, take on the Bruins of UCLA. We lost by about 30, but it was still fun to see Biola represent at Pauley Pavillion.
Saturday - Was woken up by a ringing telephone – that’s almost never a good thing. Leslie’s mom was in the emergency room. Turns out she had three heart attacks this week because of a clogged artery, but didn’t realize they were heart attacks. On our way to the hospital in Whittier I was pulled over for speeding and despite the plea of a medical emergency – the officer still took about five minutes and still gave me a ticket. I’m still not over that. Leslie’s mom seems to be doing better now with a couple stints inserted. They’re keeping her there for a couple nights to monitor everything.
That’s the week that was. It feels like with every blessing, comes a trial. It feels like the closer I am to God, the harder life gets. Or, is it the other way around? I can’t tell. I know that He is at work in both the seemingly ordinary and in the obviously extraordinary moments of life. I’ll keep believing and trusting and praising Him through it all. And even as I feel like I’m constantly falling short, I know that God is constantly lifting me up. Life is happening so fast. I hope I can keep up.
