the advantages of getting older

I will turn 63 this month and move ever-closer to the generally-accepted birthday of retirement--65. I have been thinking reluctantly about what that will look like and am becoming convinced there are some serious advantages to getting older, in spite of the recurrent discordant echoes I hear of the "golden years" not being so golden...

*I seem to learn faster. The old saying--"Experience may be the best teacher but it is the msot expensive"--has merit to which I can attest. I have less time left to learn and so I am intentionally doing it more quickly, and less relucantly.

*I have new bifocals but, surprisingly, I see things better than I ever have. I look a little more deliberately and stop to focus with greater clarity on what's going on around me.

*I don't run like I used to but I walk more and find the process more exhilarating than the fast-paced exercise done on a track with a stop watch or on a treadmill with the televison blaring. The outdoors invigorates me no matter what my pace is.

*I don't enjoy the buffet line any more where I used to stuff myself until I was sick. I eat less...and do the once unthinkable--split a meal with my wife. I used to live to eat and now it's more about eating to live. (A double cheeseburger at In and Out Burger still hits the spot!)

*As a teenager I couldn't wait to get out of the house; now I treasure the times I drive the 60 miles to Stockton to visit my mother, now almost eighty-seven years old. I also have eleven grandchildren (and six children) who I can't see enough to satisfy my deepest desires.

Another advantage of getting older is a heightened appreciation of each day. With a hopefully-calculated more than two-thirds of my life lived, I recognize the value of a phone call to a family member, a quick getaway with my wife, a shared family vacation, an evening with special friends, an afternoon with a book in hand and the sound of the ocean in the background...

But the greatest benefit of all is founded on the fundamental hope I have about where this all ends--or begins--depending on your theology or philosophy of life. I called on an 87 uyear old man this morning as a part of my work as a Hospice chaplain, prayed with him (he was in a coma) and visited with his family. Just a few minutes ago I was told he had died. How quickly it ends...or begins. My faith is built on the conviction that God has made us for eternity, and because I have trusted in Him for salvation, the benefit of that is eternal life with him.

The advantages of getting older include all the above...and the promise--that eternity with a God who made us and loves us-- awaits us. I am 63...but better things are ahead!

A new year always makes me think of “new” things, i.e. what are some things we are looking forward to at Grace in 2011? This verse grabbed my attention this morning.

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:3

The context of this psalm is David’s testimony of God’s rescue of him from difficult circumstances—“He lifted me out of the slimy pit , out of the mud and mire”—and his new found place as a result—“…he set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand”.

But what I like best from the passage is the last part of verse 3 that suggests (a) others are watching him and (b) his response to God’s work will have an impact upon them—they will fear the Lord and put their trust in Him. Our response to adversity can be a catalyst for to others reaching out to God.

I want to sing a “new song” this year—one that will cause others to take a fresh look at a God who rescues us and puts us in a new place where we can stand confidently in Him. Here are some of the verses of the “new song” I hope we’ll sing together at Grace!

1. Verse 1
“Lord, we worship you and raise our voices gladly,
Instead of sitting quietly in church and Sunday looking sadly.”

CHORUS: “Sing a new song to the Lord, a song of His mercy and grace.
He has rescued me and brought me to this new place.”

2. Verse 2
"Lord, we bring our offerings and sacrificially seek to live,
Instead of grimacing with pain every time we give.

CHORUS: “Sing a new song to the Lord, a song of His mercy and grace.
He has rescued me and brought me to this new place.”

3. Verse 3
“Lord, we embrace with joy the gift you given us to share
Instead of seeing it a burdensome cross, too heavy for us to bear.”

CHORUS: “Sing a new song to the Lord, a song of His mercy and grace.
He has rescued me and brought me to this new place.”

4. Verse 4
“Lord, we open our eyes to respond to our brother in need
Instead of closing them to focus on our own foolish, selfish greed.”

CHORUS: “Sing a new song to the Lord, a song of His mercy and grace.
He has rescued me and brought me to this new place.”

5. Verse 5
“Lord, we welcome the opportunities you call for us to pray
Instead of neglecting them, allowing our hearts to stray.”

CHROUS: “Sing a new song to the Lord, a song of His mercy and grace.
He has rescued me and brought me to this new place.”

new year notions

The word notion has several related definitions including (a) a general understanding; (b) vague or imperfect conception or idea of something; (c) an opinion, view or belief; a fanciful or foolish idea.

Here are some new year's notions. I will let you decide which categorical definition they fit best with of those above.

*I have this notion that "new" is a hopeful word, when, in fact, it may signal only the perpetuation of what already is in motion.

*I have a notion that a "year" is a long time, but my experience retrospectively is that is passes all too quickly.

*I have a notion that the celebration orchestrated at the beginning of a "new year", generally for many accompanied by anebriation and synthetically-induced euphoria, is a temporary mask for the anticipated pain of unresolved problems.

*I have this notion that "new year" is only a calendar moment, and contains no introduction of "newness" unless some determined force is put into operation.

*I have a notion that we have a natural inclination to long for something "new", and that the hope of that is somehow mystically nurtured by the movement from December 31st to January 1st.

*I have this notion that soon enough "new year's" resolutions--the expected January activity of those hopeful for change--are soon abandoned, some as early as January 2nd.

A new year is here. If "newness" is simply the expectation of another calendar movement, all things will probably remain pretty mucha s is...or worse.

But if a new year signals a fresh calendar coupled with new resolve, new disicpline, new energy--and for me as a believer in Christ, a new hope--then the climate for change may be more than just a foolish notion. It may actually result in something new and good.

disappointment

I hate to be disappointed.

And I was this week. Deeply.

It really doesn't matter "why" or "who" or "when" or even "what". As I have thought about it I realize that I must be a disappointment to others--just because I am so aware of the offensive words I can say, the disapproving looks I can give, the promises I don't keep, the flaws in my voluntarily-offered judgmental skills, my inappropriate reactions...and the list goes on.

I can also argue in behalf of the "disappointers"--they love me, they are living their lives the way they think best, they are being straight-forward in their communication with me and they are not setting out to hurt me. For sure.

But...I am still disappointed.

I can mitigate those feelings of disappointment that seem overwhelming for the moment by remembering that even without trying I successfully manage to disappoint others, and to remember there is only one who does not disappoint us--the Lord Jesus Himself.

"And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts..." and the context of Romans 5:5ff goes on to tell us that that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

That is a powerful declaration about the certainty of what we hope for in Christ. While others may disappoint us, He will not.

doldrums

You ever just have the "doldrums"? Wikipedia defines this condition as "to be listless, despondent, inactive, stagnant, in a slump". Well, I am not "despondent", or "inactive"--but, perhaps, a bit "listless", somewhat "stagnant", and, for the moment, "in a slump".

I would expect you to react to that with some appropriate astonishment. "Come on, Pastor Dale, it's the Christmas season. This is our reason to be happy and joyous. After all, isn't this the resounding message of 'good news' for all men?"

You have a right to be incredulous. It is the season. It is the reason. It is the message.

But it happens. Commercialism shreiks its highest decibels. Christmas parties crowd the calendar. Fatigue reluctantly creeps in. Family we love seems too far away. CNN and Fox News remind us all is not well in the world.

And I get the doldrums.

So here is what I did earlier this afternoon to escape the "blahs". I Francis Chan's latest book, FORGOTTEN GOD. He quotes A.W. Tozer at the front of chapter one.

"We may as well face it; the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher pleasures in the things of the Spirit is all but gone...(We) have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost."

There it is, at least for me. I have allowed myself to get caught up--wrongly focused--on the world and its rituals and celebrations, and I have lost sight of the central thing--"the joy of the Lord" and "the power of the Holy Ghost"...significant components of the true message of Christmas.

I am between this transitional moment and a Board meeting. The doldrums are, for the moment, behind me, and I am looking intently at the focal point so easily forgotten--the core message of the gospel revealed in the One who came, died and rose again...for me.

Board meetings can be necessarily ponderous and even perfunctory. But not tonight. I am re-focused.

And the doldrums are gone...for the moment. If they return--and I am sure they will seek to haunt me again--I'll remember what I have forgotten.

Three weeks after.....

The elections in Haiti have taken place and there is anarchy in the streets. Iread s hort summary from the ECONOMIST yesterday, "Convinced that the government is trying to steal the election. demonstrators threw rubble, burned barricades and set fire to the ruling party's headquarters. Airlines cancelled flights to Haiit...to their welter of reasons--the exclusion of some political parties, a raging cholera epidemic, and the disenfranchisement of many on votng day--they can now add an electoral council that doesn't know how to count..."

I have been visiting with my friend, Gilbert, and inr esponse tot he crisis he wrote these words to me two days ago,

"By the way, the news is niot so good about the eleciton... we will continue to pray for peace. When it seem there is no hope, then God appears and provideds. I can't wait for that day. In the meantime, I am making lot of plans for my business of preaching the gospel..."

Join me in prayer for our Christian brothers and sisters in Haiti stanidng faithful in the midst of physical, political and spiritual storms.

REFLECTING ON HAITI...

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation…”, Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15

I read these words this morning as I opened my e-mail from Gilbert Jules, our wonderful pastor-friend in Haiti…

“Thanks for letting God use you in His kingdom. To Grace Fellowship Church we extend our thankfulness of the prayers, the financial support. We have a challenge to spread the word we have learned…”

I have had two days now to reflect on our week in Haiti. I have had surges of deep emotion—some inexpressible joy--when I remember the faces of young men with eyes wide open leaning forward to grasp the truths of Romans. Some have been waves of indescribable sadness, when I think of the young child whose fragile, now scarred body, was cradled during the earthquake by her parents who died protecting her—our ladies ministered to that sick young child in one of their four VBS outreaches.

Driving through the streets of Haiti’s capital city of Port au Prince, home of over 3 million people--1.5 million of them crowded into tiny horrible tents surrounded by the ravages of unemployment, illiteracy and now cholera—is a jarring experience.
Not just because the roads are pot-holed and sometimes covered with earthquake debris, but because it is impossible to believe that in the twenty-first century there are conditions like this—the worst in the western hemisphere.

Cradled between a majestic deep blue ocean and now green-tinted mountains, Port au Prince seems a place from another time…and then there are the cleanly--uniformed children, the beautiful back men and women with muscled bodies from little food and hard physical labor—who testify to the muted potential of Haiti’s future. An election on November 28th sadly portends further governmental ineptness and corruption and the certain short-sightedness of the efforts of men.

Why did we go to Haiti? What possible purpose could ten “rich” Americans have in a country so impoverished by tragedy? Logan, Desiree and Michel Carnell, Evelyn Temple, Martha Johnson, Breanna Cazaad, Ron Bertrand, Terry Throssel and Mike Stromberg joined me in declaring, “We have only beautiful feet to offer.”

Our goal as an extension of Grace Fellowship Church is to produce a sustainable ministry model in Haiti via our contacts through Gilbert. By that we mean to intentionally and systematically invest in ways that will provide for the training of Haitian pastors and leaders, as well as bring the gospel of hope to children and teenagers, so that when we leave to return to our places of comfort and security the Word of God will continue to bring comfort and security to a people shaken by

tragedy and devastated by the ravages of sin. To that end we ministered to 1300-1500 children in VBS outreaches in three villages and Port au Prince; some of those children placed their faith in Christ. Additionally, we taught and trained 125-130 pastors and church leaders in two different settings on how to study the Bible, using the book of Romans as a template. These pastors and leaders currently minister to congregations in Port au Prince and in the outlying areas. As a bonus, Terry and Mike helped rebuild two bridges that provide access to church and school sites, assuring continuing ministry in Desca and Ballenger, two needy villages.

Gilbert informed me in his letter that one of the pastors at the teaching sessions already had called him to hold a seminar for pastors in mid-January. He added, “So, I will hold a seminar on Romans. Don’t worry, I will do very well I know Logan will send me the outline to help me do a good job…” Before we left, an orphanage with 200 children took VBS materials from our team to go back and share with their children. So the work continues.

Beautiful feet. It’s all we have to offer. Beautiful because they carry the gospel. Able to go because many gave and others prayed. We share the joy together.

surgery and its surprises

We are both healthy...neither my wife nor I have had major surgeries in our combined 127 years. I struggled with a broken ball and socket joint sustained as a fifteen year old football player and a painful bout with a stubborn kidney stone; Beverly, on the other hand, has never had surgery and only visited a hospital to deliver babies!

So our adventure Tuesday with Beverly's minor surgery contained a few surprises...

1. Hospital gowns are neither fashion statements nor are they designed to cover the whole body.

2. Nurses are persistent (but nice) people with a determination to secure the same information multiple times...name, type of surgery, date of birth...while checking your answers against the new bracelet on your wrist (not a fashion statement either).

3. Anesthesiologists are very concerned about what you have eaten within the last twenty-four hours and what makes you "break out". They are the ones entrusted with putting you to sleep...long enough, but not forever.

4. Doctors unexpectantly check in with you before surgery to determine if you are the same person they remember from the office appointment earlier and to make sure with the nurses that all of the appropriate liability forms have been signed...?

5. The recovery room is an interesting place to eavesdrop on other patients' conversations and to get more personal information than you really want to know about their medical history.

On the more serious side, here are a few surprises that I now view as blessings from this experience we shared together...

1. Husbands and wives really do need each other, and surgery--a time when one person seems more vulnerable than the other--with the presence of a loving mate is an incomparable source of comfort.

2. We value those who provide professional care for us when they have a "bedside manner" that communicates professionalism as well as kindness.

3. The closeness of a church family cannot be overestimated--cards, e-mails, flowers, food, pnone calls; all of these things, and more, assuring us of their prayers, helped make the process less formidable and frightening.

4. Our faith in God is often best exercised in times of crisis; though this surgery was a minor procedure, we were confronted for a moment with the mortality of man but the offsetting certainty of our eternal hope in Christ.

5. We are getting older, and surgery may/may not become a more common event, with or with not, greater significance. But we will manage--with one another's affirming love, good medical care, the support of our biological and church families, and our confident faith.

surprise rewards

I received a phone call a couple of weeks ago from some old friends--people I pastored fifteen years ago in the Dallas area. They had plans to be in my neighborhood and wanted to stop by.

It was not hard to remember them. They were a stunning young couple and during the time I knew them, as young believers, were fervent in their desire to know the Word of God and to live out their faith uncompromisingly.

Twenty-five years later--and five children "richer"--they spent some time with us, after I had moved away fifteen earlier.

They have a wonderful family, obviously well-parented and spiritually sensitive. As we sat around the dinner table with them, we were impressed by the wisdom and gentleness of mom and dad as they listened and ministered to their children's needs (four with them from 5-17, a sophomore away at college). Nothing was rehearsed--you can tell with kids--but this was a reflection of how the family interacts together on a regular basis.

Dad and mom homeschool and travel with their children by car on educational trips, investing in them as they play together and learn together. They are connected to a large church that has provided them ongoing spiritual training and fellowship, as well as an opportunity for ministering with the gifts God has given them.

The joy for me is that they (a) wanted to see me, and (b) they wre grateful for the foundation that was laid for them in their early days of marriage. My years as their pastor included a difficult time of personal family crisis so it was uplifting to hear that even through those tumultous times, something good had come.

I am not in the ministry for material rewards, or, for the accolades of others. But there is something wonderfully affirming to know that some small thing we have done--however imperfectly--has been used by God for His glory. That for me is the highest reward of all!

ambition

I lack ambition these days. The allurement of ocean waves, a grandchild's soccer game, the quiet of my trailer nestled in a forested-park, uninterrupted time with my wife--these things, and more, seductively beckon me away from my daily responsibilities.

I am trying to understand this season of my life. Much of my life I have been driven to get things done, to be considered productive and successful, to stay busy lest someone think I was shirking my responsibility, to go to bed exhausted at night confident I was burning myself out for a noble cause.

These days I am less concerned about how others appraise me because I have discovered most are too busy and preoccupied with their own lives to be measuring mine. Additionally, I realize that in spite of my misguided attempts to keep everyone convinced of my "sacrifrical service", I still manage to raise the ire of some by whose standard I could never do enough.

What I am left with is my calling--a call to serve God and His church. I am seeking to exchange my ambition for obedient, faithful and loving service, unbounded by time constraints and human accolades; on the contrary, my intentional desire (most of the time) is to please God.

In a strange way, it's my ambition.

And it keeps me going when ocean waves are played on my I-Phone, soccer games are enjoyed via scrambled videos, trailer trips involve a trip to the storage place to pack away things for next spring, and quiet alone time with my wife has to be scheduled.

I am headed home right now...at 3:30, instead of 5:00 p.m. Unscheduled surprise!

Mark and Logan

Mark is one of our pastors at Grace and Logan is an ordained minister who is a vital part of our congregation. Both are young men (much younger than me) and are committed to serving the Lord in any way they can, with a particular goal of teaching pastors overseas how to study the Bible, so they, in turn, can etach others. Logan's organization, THAT NONE SHALL PERISH, has overseen groups from Grace to India, Pakistan, Haiti, Puapa New Guinea--as well as other countries--where Logan has served previously.

This morning it is 8:00 a.m. here in California and 8:00 p.m. in Moulton, Pakistan where Logan and Mark are speaking in an outdooor meeting to Pakistanis from the the surrounding area, including, potentially, many Muslims, some hostile to the faith. Last night our church had a prayer meeting with purposeful praying for their safety and, especially, clarity of sharing the message of the gospel.

They will spend a week in Hyderabad, India, training seventy pastors in how to study the Bible, using the book of Romans as a template. Logan with be joining me in Haiti November 15-22 to do the same with 150-200 Haitian pastors.

I am telling you this because we all can do what Mark and Logan are doing--in our own spehere of influence. It requires of each of us a hunger for the Word, a desire to learn it and live it so we can, then, effectively share it with others. The Great Commission calls us all to be disciple-makers (Matthew 28:19,20) as we are going into the world as ambassadors for Christ.

If you think of it...pray for Mark and Logan this week and next!

A celebration of the first five years...

I just returned from a quick trip to San Luis Obispo to celebrate Haaken Theule's fifth birthday! It was worth the 500 mile round trip in two days.

Am I serious?

Absolutely! Here are a few reasons why...

1. Haaken is one of my eleven grandchildren.

2. Haaken is one of the brightest five year old's I know and I would go just to have him tell me about his creative dreams.

3. Haaken has one brother and two sisters that I am crazy about, too.

4. Haaken loves farm animals--especially roosters. How uncomplicated can life be for a five year old?

5. Haaken is growing up too quickly for me...soon enough he will be a teenager, and I don't want to miss these years, even if my visits are infrequent.

I take my assignment as a grandfather seriously. In this season of my live as I near retirement age I am excited about some of my new responsibilities...and one of them is making all the birthday celebrations of my grandchildren.

Maybe not this year...but soon!

A date with destiny

The title of this blog may have a sense of triteness except for how accurately it applies to my personal life. Let me explain.

I am aware that I will retire from my full-time responsibilities as a senior pastor in the next few years and I continue to ask myself, "What will I do?" I am confident God has something in mind for me but am curious (sometimes anxious, I confess) about what the future may hold.

In June I traveled to Haiti and "hooked up" with Gilbert Jules and have returned to organize a team to return November 15-22 to train 150-200 pastors and to hold a series of VBS classes for 2,000 children. I see that trip as a "date with destiny" since I can see myself as we build a sustainable relationship with those churches, returning often to minister and to give continuing oversight.

Last week Grace was blessed with the ministry of John Frances from India. In the last twenty years he has established/built 92 churches in India--18 are waiting to be funded (13 now as our church provided funds for five to be built now!--and he has also established a seminary to train pastors. Two of our ministry team will travel September 20-October 4 to India to teach at the seminary and I have been invited to come and teach students as well. Another "date with destiny".

We read at men's prayer time this morning from Psalm 139 and verse 16 caught my attention, "All the days you ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." It is exciting to see that God has planned for my life and Ephesians 2:10 affirms this, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do". How exciting it is to see how God is divinely orchestrating the steps of my life!

I believe we have an opportunity each day to discover what God has planned for us. The greatest joy is to join Him in His work!

Home again

We've been away from home part of the last five weeks, an unsual planned and unplanned time of separation from our church and home.

When we arrived home after a ten hour drive from San Diego last Sunday evening--late, because of unplanned stops--we were exhausted but ecstatic about 282 California Drive, our home for the last seven years.

When I arrived at the office Monday morning for a short check-up (it was during lunch and no one else was here), I immediately squeezed behind my crowded desk and into my well-worn chair, and breathed a sigh of contentedness--glad to be back in a familiar and welcome place.

As I have worked this week, in the midst of 100 degree weather and multiple work-related challenges more than once I have said, "I am glad I am home."

Last night Beverly and I went to church for the tenth in a twelve part series called "The Truth Project". Our attendance was low--there were 35-40 of us--because it was 105 degrees outside and this series requires a determined disciplined mindset. As we listened I looked aound the cool air-conditioned building that has been our church home for the last four years and thought once again, "I am glad I am home."

Home is often the familiar and comfortable place, the place that represents family and friends, the place that is marked by regimen and predictability. It is often a place, as well, ripe with both disappointment and happiness.

I am glad to be home again!

"...from everlasting to everlasting..."

On Saturday, July 31, Henrietta Van Boven changed her address and moved form earth to glory. We saw her just moments after she completed her earthly journey and we could tell she had moved on. She was no longer there. The essence of who she was had departed her earthly tent for an "eternal house in heaven not built by human hands", II Corinthians 5:1.

For some such thinking is summarily dismissed as "pie in the sky by and by" stuff; others see such convictions as a "crutch for the weak". And the list of pre-emptive reasons for avoiding such discussions reveal the short-sightedness of those who are earthbound.

I have been a minister for forty-three years and a Hospice chaplain for eighteen months. During that time I have performed over 500 funerals and watched a significsnt number of people--some very dear to me, like my mother-in-law, Henrietta-bid earth "farewell", often with a deep settled peace because of an active faith in God's promise of eternal life to those who believe in Him. After all, we are told "God has placed eternity in the heart of man", Ecclesiastes 3:11.. Why is it that we want to live forever? It is part of our DNA, instilled in us by the Creator of the Universe, the God who is the giver and taker of life.

Henrietta lived for nearly eighty-six years. She had 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. She and her husband were fortunate after working hard on the dairy they built and operated to retire early and to literally travel the world. Howard died seven years ago and Henrietta invited all of her family--fifty-two of them--to join her on a cruise two years ago...her gift to all of us.

As we reminisced during and following her memorial service, her gift to us was much more than a cruise--it was her love, her kindness and generosity, and most of all, her faith. Her faith held her in good stead and motivated a lifetime of faithful service at her church (of which she was a founding member) and at the Artesia Christian Home where she lived the last six years of ehr life, happily greeting and serving the residents there.

The massive stroke that took her life rendered her speechless. In her last few days we read scripture to her, sang to her and prayed with her. There were moments when it seemed she heard us--her eyes would open, her face would turn towards us, and it seemed to me she would have said, could she have spoken, "Don't grieve for me. I'm headed north, to a far better place. It's the last trip I'm going to take!"

In Psalm 103::15-17, David writes,
"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field, the wind blows over it and it is gpone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him and His righteousness with their children's children--with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts."

I believe in the hope of eternal life; it is accessed through the free gift of God who sent His Son, that truth recorded in words memorized by many of us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.", John 3:16.

"Everlasting life"...it sounds too good to be true. It sounds like "pie in the sky by and by". But for those who have trusted in God and placed their hope in His Son, it is the stuff that makes the final trip home worthwhile.

Henrietta is there.

I suspect when my turn comes to head north, she'll be one of those waiting to welcome me home.

Pulled in a million different directions...

Do you ever feel like you're being pulled ina million directions full speed without alot of time to decide which direction to go? Someone summarized that dilemma as "the tyrany of the urgent", suggesting that the only direction to go is the one that demands and dominates because of the degree of severity...

But what if there is more than one urgent option? Then what...?

My world has felt like that this week and I have been determined to make good decisions in spite of the clamoring of different voices for help and assistance. Those voices have resounded with cries for food and gasoline, family counseling, marital arbitration, comfort due to loss, respite from suffering, financial assistance, work, spiritual direction...and the list goes on.

There is an aire of legitimacy about all of these. Some seem more poignant because there is a connective link with personal history; others seem almost futile because they are a redundant expression of a recurrent problem. In any case, people are hurting and seeking direction...? or not.

Some really just want help for the moment--a gas card, a scripture verse, a word of advice. Others are looking for something long term, i.e. where can I take my alcholic family member for treatment? Or, how do I process the fact my mother is dying of cancer?

For me I have found help in the acknowledgement of the truth of this verse, "My soul finds rest in God alone", Psalm 62:1. My privilege is the opportunity to be able to direct people to that source of rest and peace in Christ, "And the peace of God which apsses all understanding shall keep yours hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Philippians 4:7)

At the end of the day, in every situation--no matter how urgent the pull in one direction--the place of rest is in the truth of God's Word and the certainty of our hope in Him.

My Heart for Haiti

On January 12th the world was shaken by a devastating earthquake that literally decimated Port au Prince and the surrounding areas. Television images of the earthquake's damage and destruction were hard to grasp, must less to grapple with the incredulous number of 300,000 left dead in the rubble of its damage.

Janaury 12th I was shaken by what I saw--to the core. I have seen other tragedies from a distance, and the havoc wrought by Hurricane Katrina I saw up close and personal on a work trip taken by six friends and myself to assist a missionary couple in rebuilding their home in the Ninth Ward.

I was glued to the televsion for the first four or five days, watching intermittently at work, and immersing myself in the tragedy each evening when I came home. Almost immediately I said to Beverly, my wife, "I have to go to Haiti". Every day I watched the news, read the local newspapers, researched the internet for updates until Haiti litrally disappeared from the news media; even when it was written about, it was a hidden nondescript piece relegated to an insignificant space on papper and screen.

But my heart did not change. Almost immediately I announced to our church that I wanted to take a work team to Haiti. Over forty expressed interest in going. Within weeks I contacted a group of men who donated funds for water purification tablets a missionary friend was taking to Haiti. We announced the collection of clothes for Haiti and over sixty large industrial bags were stored at the local thrift store. A committee was formulated to ask questions, i.e. "Who do we know in Haiti?" "What is the greatest need?" "Where would we stay if we went?" "Do we know anyone who speaks French or Creole?" "What difference could our small group make?"

On June 20-26 two men (Logan and Ron) joined me in a survey trip to Haiti, following up ona God-ordained lead through Michelle Lacourciere of Sirona Fuels/Sirona Cares, a ministry/corporation dedicated to producing eco-friendly fuels), linking us to Gilbert Jules, a pastor in Port au Prince. He ovesees a ministry called Ambassadors for Christ in Haiti and is responsible for four churches--one in Port au Prince and three in villages to the north--with schools at each site. Gilbert's wife, Legett, is a doctor, and she oversees medical clinics at each site as well.

We saw the city and its incredible need. Nearly 1,000,000 living in tents in a country with 75% illiteracy and 85% unemployment awaiting the devastating winds and rain of the hurricance season greeted us. Rubble and waste, though partially removed, remain a constant deterrent to transportation, construction...and hope.

And what can we do? I had been asking myself that question for the last six months--what small thing can we do that would make any difference in a country so devastated by disaster and ruin? Well, here's the best part. God matched us with a man with a vision--a man with a heart for his people. Gilbert's primary concerns were not the primitive, broken buildings that house his ministries; rather, his concern was for the spiritual needs of his people--especially the chidlren and the ten pastors he has been training to guide the people that are a part of his spehre of influence.

In November we will return to Haiti with a team with two objectives--the training of pastors in how to study and teach the Word of God more effectively (Gilbert thinks 100 may join us) , and ministry to 2,000 children through eight sessions of VBS at his four church sites.

I am still shaken. But now it is because I recognize the incredible open door God has placed before us to do our "small thing" in Haiti. It's been in my heart for six months. Now it is coming to fruition. Pray for us.

prayer meeting

Seven joined us at our recent all-church prayer meeting for our unsaved loved ones. I was thankful for those who came and committed to the task of interceding for those we love who don't know Christ. I was encouraged as we prayed by the empathy we expressed to one another as we recounted the general needs of those we loved.

I was reminded of a song we used to sing when I was a teenager at church on prayer meeting nights...

"Someone is praying for you,
Someone is praying for you,
And when you think you're all alone and your heart would break in two,
Remember, someone is praying for you."

Though we were a handful, I believe our hearts were joined together in a special way and that our prayers together were honored by God.

Maybe you'd like to join us next time...

awash in washington

We just returned from four of the most beautiful days in the state of Washingtton. My wife's brother and sister-in-law, now retired from the dairy business, have carved a beautiful home out of the side of a hill overlooking the Spokane Valley.

When I think of Washington, I think of green hills, beautiful evergreens...and rain. And I was not disappointed on either count. It was incredibly green and beautiful but it rained off and on the whole time we were there.

Noormally, I would havebeen disappointed because I love the clear blue skies and the glowing sun, especially in late spring, when it is still relatively cool. And, of course, since we were on a short vacation and I was looking forward to hiking and enjoying the outdoors. If I had known the extent of all of these weather variables before leaving I would have been "awash" with disappointment.

But Washington did not disappoint. Our hosts were terrific, our accommodations were five-star and the setting was heavenly. We walked every day, hiking through
verdant vegetation and enjoying breath-taking views. I am a fledgling photographer but was enamored with the ever-changing skies and spent alot of time endeavoring to get National Geographic-like pictures of the surroundings.

I have thought this week about how what we don't know before hand is sometimes a blessing. It potentially could pre-empt some wonderful experiences enjoyed, evenw itha ll the unexpected variables. I guess that is what adventure looks like.

For most of you, a few days in Washington hiking and taking pictures may seem pretty tame; for me it was a time of rest and refreshment. I have been revelling in its memories--and ongoing benefits--since my return to the now browning hills and escalating heat of summer in Amador County.

I know...quit complaining; who knows what adventure awaits us here this summer...?

"Set a guard over my mouth..."

The Psalmist(Psalm 141) is praying for God's deliverance from evildoers (verse 9) and for his response to the pressures around him--including accepting the rebuke of a "righteous man" (verse 5)...not an easy thing to do.

But what gets my attention is verse 3, "Set a guard over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips".

I acknowledge in my life the need to be quiet, and to watch how I respond. There are multiple opportunities in a normal week to brag about how hard I work, to defend myself against the accusations of others, to cry out against someone who has hurt me, to complain about how I am being treated, etc.

But that is not my desire. I want to guard my mouth, watch my lips, and choose my words carefully.

And sometimes, choose to be quiet.

Amen.