Reflection

I've been sitting in front of this computer now for 45 minutes wondering what I was gonna write about for my blog. Just so you know, this will be my 3rd blog I've ever written. I guess I could say that I am proud of myself. From building log cabins, custom furniture, custom doors and playing music all my life. I never once thought I'd have an office job where I would have to write a blog about something. I remember asking my wife,"What the heck is a blog?" She smiled and said , "you write about stuff, kind of like a journal."Then my brain went into overload thinking, what do I write about and how do I start.

What does the Great I Am have in store for me in my journey? Honestly, I don't want to know. As soon as I hit adulthood I had a plan. Become a rockstar, a professional angler, rich or inventing something that would change the world. Well that didn't happen. I'm laughing inside and thinking, wow! What happened? A lot to be honest with you. When you have a dream, you focus directly on what you have to do to accomplish it. What I'm realizing is that God has listened to my plans I have made in my life and he knows what the right thing is for me. He has given me the dreams that I've wanted, but in a different way. The Rockstar thing? I am a Rockstar, to my family, friends and to the people in my community. I believe that if I was known by everyone in the world I would probably fall to the wrongs of fame. So he guided me down a road where I got what I wanted, but on a smaller scale. And you know what? He was right. Thanks be to God. I think now that if I had become a professional angler I wouldn't be fishing as much as I do now. The politics, the "you have to do this and do that" kind of stuff would just suck the love of the sport right out of me. So why not just give me the "I can go fishing where and whenever I want" type of life. He did and I still and will always have the passion. Yes! Thanks be to God. Oh man! The "I wanna be rich" plan. I think that it is safe to say that everyone has had that on their list of plans in life. I love to help people out when they are in need. There were a couple times in my life where I was blessed with a lot of money. Amazing how people come out of the woodworks who are supposedly your best friend wanting a piece of that action. It would make me literally sick to my stomach. You know what? I am so rich right now that the world's biggest bank wouldn't be able to hold what I possess. My beautiful wife, my kids, and I still have my mom and dad. That makes me a billionaire. He has granted my wishes of becoming rich through family. I can pay my bills, feed my family, and take them on vacations. Satisfied? Yes sir! I sure am. Thanks be to God. So the invention thing? That totally went out the window about 20 years ago. With technology today it's hard to keep up. You come up with an idea and someone shoots it down by saying, "it's already been done". After hearing that a few times you tend to get over it and move on. As years pass I realize I never moved on. I have invented a few things that would change peoples lives. The gift to be able to write and compose music. I sure hope that it has helped someone for the good in their lives. Thanks be to God.

I guess what I am saying is that dreams do come true. It's how you look at it. It took me years to realize that all I have wanted in my life has been given to me, just in a whole different way. God has a way of answering and giving your wishes. He does it in a way He knows is right for you. I love that guy. Don't ever give up on your dreams. Stop and think of what you have accomplished in your life and try to put the pieces together and when you do, you will realize that you have been given what you've wanted all your life. I believe that is how God works. It may not be exactly the way you wanted it, but He had a reason why he sent you down a different path. Like roads, there are always alternatives to get you to your destination. When you get there it may not look the way you expected it to look. But hey, you love and appreciate what you have and that puts your mind and heart at ease. Thanks be to God.

Okay, back to what I was gonna write about in my blog. Hmmm, having a hard time coming up with something friends. When I do, I'll start writing it and I'll share it with all of you.

Love and God bless.

Ready, set, decorate!

We are now entering one of the busiest times of year for everyone, and the thrift store is no exception. The store is abuzz with seasonal and holiday items for sale, and our customers are having so much fun shopping and sharing with us their holiday plans. Volunteers are putting out items to sell throughout the day. Our ministry is an amazingly busy place 7 days a week. And I am honestly awed and humbled to watch it all take place.

In preparation for our annual volunteer appreciation Christmas party, I have counted the number of volunteers who make this all possible. Our ministry has over 110 active volunteers. This includes the ladies in the pantry who organize, sort, plan and pack non-perishable food to be passed out to individuals and families in need. This also includes the volunteers who "man the fort" in the We Care office, answering phone calls and meeting with individuals who need assistance. This includes the volunteers who work in the back of the store sorting items to be sold, the volunteers who take electrical items home to test and repair, and the volunteers who price items to be sold. And then there are the volunteers who work in the front of the store displaying items, helping customers, and working at the checkout counter. We also have students from high school earning hours toward graduation, and students with their job coaches learning job and social skills.

Everyone has areas of interest and expertise, and somehow this all comes together in an awesome way to make our ministry operate and continue to grow. The ministry grows in the number of clients that we serve, the extent that we are able to financially help, the number of organizations that we are able to contribute to, the number of volunteers that come to work, the number of goods sold and the net dollar amount of income. These numbers can be measured. This does not take into account what can not be measured. The friendships that are formed between volunteers, the friendships made with our customers, and the feeling of love and acceptance that radiates at our ministry. A customer found a sign that she requested to be hung behind our register, and not to be sold. It has remained in the same spot for almost a year now, and reads "This Is My Happy Place". It is a privilege not only to display it, but also to be able to live it daily. Many customers are known by our volunteers by their first name. We know what is happening in eachothers lives, families, and health struggles. We share, laugh, celebrate and grieve together. Customers tell us that they don't feel that their day is complete without seeing us, and need to get their daily dose of laughter in at our store. What a privilege it is to be able to spend the day at such a happy place.

As we get out holiday decorations and prepare for festivities, to look around and see the people who bring us happiness is such a blessing.

Now ready, set, and decorate!

A Matter Of Focus

We are at the beginning of November with the holiday season upon us. The weather is finally starting to cool a little, football season and Fall Festivals are underway, and mid-term elections will take place next week. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like our already full calendars continue to add more and more activities to them, the to-do lists grow, and the days are racing by at some hypersonic speed leaving many of us exhausted and overwhelmed.   

Especially for those of us who tend to follow an “I need to be in control” approach to dealing with all this busyness, I sometimes feel like I’m pedaling as fast as I can and yet going nowhere or even backward. I recognize I am furiously working on many things but am I accomplishing anything truly important or worthwhile in the “big picture”? I can quickly identify with Martha when our Lord says to her in Luke 10:41-42, “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”    In short, do I easily get lost in all the busyness and distractions, or do I seek and try to focus on the main thing? And what is that “main thing”?

I feel like many of Alan McBride’s recent messages are speaking directly to me in that he is reminding us of the true and important mission of the church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.   Furthermore, Pastor Alan’s message last Sunday asked if our efforts and actions reflect the fruit of the Spirit (as shared in Galatians 5:22-23 – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control …). Do others see His Holy Spirit working in and through me? Or do they see me looking out for me and handling these busy and challenging times “my selfish way”?

Some of you may recall an earlier blog where I joked about being caught smiling again on the platform when the praise band is leading worship. I shared I find joy when I join the band and our church family in praising our mighty God. I am finding out that I must continually focus on seeking the Lord first and foremost and ask His Holy Spirit to guide me if I truly want to have the peace, kindness and other “fruits” I seek as I navigate these crazy busy days with all its static and distractions.  

Yes, things can seem overwhelming at times. But when I seek to put the Lord first on my to-do list and remind myself that with His guidance, I can do all things through Christ because HE gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). Important things then take on a sharper focus, and I can trust Him to show me the way.

When the family moved to Ft. Walton Beach many years ago – we started attending the little base chapel on Hurlburt. One of my favorite chaplains at that time would always close the service with the following benediction:

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the years: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

 And he replied:

 “Go, go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be for you better than a light and safer than a known way.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine on you and be gracious unto you; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. Today, tomorrow, and all of your days.

Amen

Life's A Cast

GOD, family, music and fishing. With these 4 categories I have been blessed with the perfect life. My love for the Lord, my love for my beautiful family who loves and cares for me very much, the musical talent that He has given me to not only entertain tourists, but to lift praise with the music and show him how much we love him and then there’s my joy of fishing. Notice how I said the word "perfect"; ironically I believe that nothing is perfect. There will always be some bump in the road just to stir up something in our lives. Honestly, life would be pretty boring if it was perfect. In order to better ourselves we need challenges. 

  In the last 10-15 years I can honestly say I have not killed a fish that I have caught (with the exception of bait fish). As for game fish, I can't do it. Call me strange, but I have some crazy connection with them. Like, I can almost hear them talk to me or something. I like to eat fish and when I do, we have an awesome seafood market in our beautiful town of Navarre. Boom! Problem solved. I'm not trying to preach to everyone and say that they shouldn’t kill fish, but if you do, do it for the right reason, sustenance.

The days in my life are like every cast I make. Some days are very successful and some are not. But with the overall outcome, success seems to outweigh the "I didn't catch a darn thing" days. That's okay. The excitement of watching that lure coming atcha and wondering if something is gonna hit it is how life should be. Nothing is working out for you, the car is not running well or your boss is just being a jerk and you're about to lose it because of all these factors. We've all heard it before, "for every dark night there is a bright day". Unfortunately for some it takes a little longer to reach that bright day, but it will come. God would never give you a life of darkness. That's not who he is. So for that being said, keep casting and reeling. Eventually, something will bite. It might not be the big one but for all you anglers like me, it's that rush you get when you have something on the line. Same goes with everyday life. You wake up (casting), you go to work (reeling), 5 o'clock is around the corner (watching that lure). What's gonna happen? I can't answer that. Successful or unsuccessful (fish or no fish)? The excitement of it all is what should keep you going. I've had days where I've lost many lures, my cast is off and I just keep getting snags. I really hate those days. However, I won't give up. Like life, bad days are bound to happen, but when that big one/The Pig hits the end of your line, you become very proud of yourself, because of your patience and determination. Now, you have a 50/50 chance of landing that fish. If you catch it you're screaming for joy. If you lose it, well sometimes we get really mad and crazy words tend to come out of our mouths that I just can't say, but what's the first thing you do when you get home? You talk about the one that got away. Even though it angered you, deep down inside it was successful. You now know for a fact that there is a monster in your honey hole that one day you will land. That is what keeps you going. Your life should be the same way. 

Friends, we all have challenges in our lives and the best advice I could ever give you is to take a deep breath, focus on your target, make that cast and be patient. Listen to what the Lord has to say through the birds, the wind and the water. God has a way of answering questions or prayers when it comes to the game of life. His answers are always right. 

Uh-Oh

I messed up in a big way this week. We’ve been producing Chapel Online videos for the past few months and Mrs. Christine brings in the occasional guest to help teach the kids about the Bible. We were filming Wednesday afternoon, but I was the guest this time. That meant I just hit record on the camera, we did the lesson, and turned it off. It wasn’t until today when I started to edit the video that I realized that for most of the shoot I wasn’t completely in front of the green screen. Now a better editor could probably fix my mistake in no time, but this is at the edge of my computer’s and my abilities. After profusely apologizing to Christine, we’ve scheduled a reshoot and we’ll get something put together for the kids, but I still feel awful. You can guarantee that I’ll be double and triple checking the marks and frames to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

As much as I hate sharing this mistake with you, it serves as a reminder to myself that the culture we’ve been trying to cultivate in our production team is working. At every single tech team training I start off with the same thing.  We help enable the church to fulfill its vision of being Christ’s light, life and love and that means that everything we do is spiritually significant. Because everything we do is spiritually significant, that means we are going to have grace for mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable, but we’d be failing as Christ followers if we didn’t forgive the mistakes of others. However, because everything we do is spiritually significant, we are not going to be comfortable with mistakes. Feeling like your stomach is going to drop out of your body is an appropriate reaction. Even if the mistakes are minor, if they distract from the message then we’ve unintentionally put up a barrier between people hearing what they need to. So because we are uncomfortable with mistakes, we will always strive to be better. Even if it’s not from a mistake, we can always improve on something. As one of my former pastors used to say, no service has walked on water.

This week’s mess up went through all of these steps. Christine showed incredibly grace for my mistake, I’ve very uncomfortable with the mistake I made, and we’re working on ways to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. Even though we’ve adopted these three things as a part of our tech teams core identity, they apply to every other aspect of church life and even our personal lives. As proclaiming Christ followers, everything we do has spiritual significance, especially when it comes to our interactions with other people. Mistakes are going to be made, either by you, your family, your coworkers, or your neighbors. How you respond to those mistakes is everything. Always start with grace, you don’t have to be comfortable with the mistake but you do have to be gracious about it, and strive to be better or to help others be better.