Merry Chemo Christmas

"Have yourself a merry chemo Christmas"...somehow that lyric doesn't jive right with the melody. Yet here I sit in the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center in Seattle as mom receives a 5 hour chemo treatment.

Mom is still alive this Christmas. Is it chemo or is it Christ? Doctors had thought the multiple myeloma cancer would have taken her by now. Instead they are saying she's going to be around awhile...that's the best gift I got this Christmas.

Should I thank the Doctors or the great Physician? Of course the answer is both. The book of James makes it clear that EVERY good gift comes from the Father above. The gift of MEDICINE and the gift of MIRACLES are ULTIMATELY from the same source. So while I thank the doctors, I praise our God.

As mom and I sat in the waiting room waiting for room in the "inn of chemo", I watched the hairless cancer soldiers as they bravely marched through. Some looked as if the fight had taken flight and they were merely walking zombies waiting for the end. They needed a bigger dose of Christmas pumped into their hearts.

Christmas is the only effective drug for our death sentence. Our eyes can stay full of life, even if our life is ebbing away. For those who know Christ, chemo is not their real hope. Christ is the one who gives life to those that Isaiah said live "under the shadow of death".

Christmas shatters the darkness with the light of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Even Chemo is transformed by Christmas truth.

Christmas Ashes

Yesterday I picked up Len. Nothing unusual about that, right?
A month ago that statement would be ordinary. Today it is strange and sad.

You see, the great leader and CEO of ProMark Financial Services has been reduced to a 14 inch by 8 inch box. A small pile of ashes is all that physically remains of one of the most extraordinary human beings I have known. Yesterday I brought Len to our house.

On the way home with Len, I had to stop and do some Christmas shopping. It was surreal to think here I was buying presents and Len was no longer present.

As I pondered the reality of this sorrow, I began to feel a heaviness invade my soul. Life is so fickle, so superficial, so capricious, so unpredictable, and then it's reduced to a few ashes.

Christmas songs were playing in BARNES & NOBLE...but "Here Comes Santa Claus" wasn't giving me much hope...but then right there in the liberal aisles of books on "How to Make a Million" and "How to Seduce a Woman" and "How to Become Your Own God"....the truth of Jesus began to pierce my melancholy meditations.

As the song "Joy to the World, The LORD has come" rang out it hit me Jesus was born in a BARN and He is NOBLE!

His regal nobility shatters the darkness of death, it reframes life from a few short years to an eternity of glory. His coming breaks the curse!! Ashes are not the end of us. They are only the evidence that we were once here, but have left for heaven forever.

As the song goes on to say:
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

My SORROWS will not GROW, for HE has broken the curse! Let the blessings flow!
This is the message of Christmas! Ashes are not the final word. Jesus Is!

My Misery, His Majesty

GOODBYE MY FRIEND, LEN!
Sometimes there is a part of me that would prefer to sit in the crow, instead of stand on the platform...that would rather be a griever instead of a comforter...that wished I could be the listener instead of the speaker...that could be poured into rather than pour out...that would rather simply be the weak one instead of be the rock.

But note the words "sometimes" and "part of me" which start the above sentence. I feel honored and fulfilled to lead, to speak, to reach out, to lift up, to be able to point people heavenward.

Yesterday was a mixture of MISERY and MAJESTY. My friend, Len's funeral was the hardest one that I have ever led. Len was a close friend, a partner in dreaming about kingdom building, still a young believer whose spiritual trajectory was just really launching upward, a man with a profound influence, brilliant intelligence and fearless generosity. Saying goodbye was MISERY.

Today I am simply exhausted fromr carrying the grief of so many people on top of my own grief. Questions, fears, doubts, sorrows flood my soul.

Last week I literally touched death 3 times in 5 days. 3 friends and church members died in one week. All had something wonderful to offer, something that will be profoundly missed in the days ahead. It has been MISERY.

"YET"..."YET" what a great word...the word "YET" does not negate what has gone before it, but rises above it to declare what is true.

Consider the Christmas song, "O Little Town of Bethlehem":
YET in they dark street shineth,
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears
of ALL the years
Are met in thee tonight!

It is TRUE...into the darkness of my MISERY a brilliant light dawns...the light of Jesus' love and truth and promises and comfort penetrate my misery and visit it with undefeatable MAJESTY!!
MY hopes and my fears are met in the CHRIST of CHRISTMAS!
MY MISERY is overwhelmed by HIS MAJESTY!

His MAJESTY is the reality that lifts my humanity into glory, into hope into certainty.
The apostle John wrote, "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our FAITH!"
The misery the world visits upon me, canNOT overcome or defeat me, IF I take my stand by FAITH in His MAJESTY!
So here I stand today by Faith!...Faith in the babe of Bethlehem who is now the KING of heaven!

Merry Christmas is a shallow holiday greeting, UNTIL we realize the reason we can be "MERRY' in the midst of MISERY is the MAJESTY of CHRISTmas!!

Len and Zoe

As I sit grieving I watch dawn begin to paint golden pink hues across the black sky. The darkness cannot restrain the light, death cannot keep life pinned to the mat.
Len and Zoe are unconquerable.

I touched death yesterday. Len, one of my closest friends, walked through the shadowed valley of death. After being removed from the respirator he inhaled three final times as if to say, “Father, Son, Holy Spirit”. I had only a few minutes earlier invoked the power of the Triune God over his fading life.

He did not struggle, thrash, or gasp for air to hold onto this life. With a profound peace, he stepped into life. Len and Zoe were beautiful.

In the courageous manner in which he chose to die, he gave ZOE to at least 6 other people. Len and Zoe were unstoppable.

Who is Zoe? Zoe is the Greek word in the New Testament for life. It carries 3 dimensions…physical life, spiritual life, eternal life.

I was not there the day Len was born and given PHYSICAL ZOE. But I was there the day he was given SPIRITUAL ZOE. In one of our final conversations, Len thanked me several times for helping bring him to Jesus. And I was there yesterday when he was given ETERNAL ZOE.

Len’s life is not finished, his life has been relocated. The heavenly moving van showed up and took him up. He is not dead, but more alive than ever. Len and Zoe are dancing.

One of Jesus' greatest invitations was to come meet ZOE. In John 10:10 Jesus said “I have come that you might have ZOE (LIFE) and ZOE (LIFE) to the full!”

This morning as day breaks on my broken heart, I rejoice in Len and Zoe.

John 6:47 "I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life (ZOE). - Jesus

Fast Life, Slow Dance

My friend may die today. He is fighting for his life with advanced lung disease. After attending a Christmas Party at my publishers in Ventura, I may have to stop at UCLA and say the final good-bye to Len. He just turned 50.

While the below poem has circulated on the internet under the false pretense of being written by a young girl dying with cancer, nevertheless, it expresses simple wisdom that all of us should hear, especially at Christmas time. As I think about Len, I think about life and how to live it. Here's to slow dancing to the music of life.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

''Do you run through each day
On the fly?''

When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower

Hear the music
Before the song is over.

The ICU Blues

With three folks I love living in ICU land, it's been a bit difficult to "Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly".

One of them is one of my closest friends - we've vacationed together, skied together, experienced fabulous meals together, dreamed about the kingdom together, and watched our wives be best friends together. But now we are not together...he is fighting for every breath waiting for a lung transplant because of a rare mold disease of the lung. He is lying in an ICU bed for his 12 days of Christmas and I am throwing Christmas parties. We are not together.

I have the ICU blues...

But here's the deal...in times like these Christmas only shines brighter. Without Christ, suffering is empty, lonely, cruel, and meaningless. Because of Christ, I can look at my friend and know Christ is doing a work in him, touching lives through him, preparing him for his real life in heaven, rewarding him for every ounce of suffering, and all the time whispering his strong presence to his heart.

Christmas is not nativity scenes in malls next to the "buy one get one free" sign.
Christmas is Jesus, the babe all grown up, standing like a strong carpenter and regal King next to a bed in ICU stroking the brow of his best friend and saying, "It's going to be ok, I am Emmanuel".

The "Hallelujah" Chorus really is an antidote for the ICU blues!
And He shall reign forever and ever...!!

Thanking God for the FLEAS!

The barracks where Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy were kept in the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck were terribly overcrowded and flea-infested.

They had been able to miraculously smuggle a Bible into the camp, and in that Bible they had read that in all things there were to give thanks, and that God can use anything for good.

Corrie’s sister Betsy decided that this meant thanking God for the fleas.

This was too much for Corrie, who said she could do no such thing. Betsy insisted, so Corrie gave in and prayed to God, thanking Him even for the fleas.

Over the next several months a wonderful, but curious, thing happened. They found that the guards never entered their barracks. This meant that women were not assaulted. It also meant that they were able to do the unthinkable, which was to hold open Bible studies and prayer meetings in the heart of a Nazi concentration camp.

Through this, countless numbers of women came to faith in Christ.

Only at the end did they discover why the guards had left them alone and would not enter into their barracks.

It was because of the fleas.

God is often blamed for the very things that He should be praised for. Our short sighted, earth bound perspective distorts our vision and destroys our praise.

My commitment is to be a man of praise IN all things...as my African-American sister says, "If God brings me TO IT, He'll bring me THROUGH IT!"

Unexpected Thanksgiving

When my mother was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer two years ago, no one was thinking of Thanksgiving 2008. She was only supposed to live for a few months.

But MOM is down from Seattle and celebrating Thanksgiving with us and we are expecting to do the same thing in 2009! Can you imagine how thankful my mom is this Thanksgiving?

But DAD is giving thanks from HEAVEN this year. Everyone expected him to be here for a long time but this Thanksgiving he's gone having died suddenly in May.

My point in relating this personal piece of news is that you never know how many chances you will get to look UP and look AROUND and say, THANKS! Won't you take advantage of your chance to tell God, THANK YOU.

Every good gift comes from God above, the God of mercy, the God of love!

The Grateful DEAD OR LIVE?

I never understood the name of the band "The Grateful Dead"....When I am dead I am going to be grateful that I lived, and grateful to have died in Christ, and grateful that my earth stay is finished so I can get home to heaven.

But while I am ALIVE I want to be "The Grateful LIVING"...the man who lives with a profound awareness of how good God has been, is, and will be to me....the man who lives with an awe of how beautiful people are, how rich life is, how stunning magnificent creation is, how amazing a child's smile is, how sweet a juicy apple really tastes, how mysterious and grand sex inside of marriage is, how splendid the sound of a great band is, how miraculous the body I live in is, how blessed a sunrise makes me feel, how a flower rings with the laughter of God....I want to be the GRATEFUL LIVING.

"He who is content with little has a continual feast!"

This week is a great week to be grateful...I want to engage in ThanksLIVING today, this week, and this life!

Counting Sheep In the Night

After 3 months of going to bed and sleeping like a baby, I am back in the real life of pastoring. Many of my nights since my sabbatical have been filled with “counting sheep”.

Who left while I was gone?

Who’s marriage is struggling?

Who’s developed a disease?

Who’s lost a family member?

Who’s lost their job? Their house?

Who’s mom got Alzheimer’s?

Who’s son was arrested?

Who’s gotten mad at someone?

Who’s had an affair?

Who’s family member was shot?

Who’s upset with the church?

Who’s mad at me about our position on homosexuality?

Who’s left their ministry position?

Who’s stopped volunteering?

Who’s dropped down to attending once a month?

Who moved?

I could fill names into these questions, in many cases, I can give you multiple names.

I have been back 20 days and all of these questions and all of these faces plow through my mind in the middle of the night.

When 1200 people call our church their home and you have been gone for 3 months…there is lots of counting to do.

That doesn’t include the corporate questions…

What staff have been underperforming?

What staff have gotten less motivated or a bit misdirected?

How do we address the economic realities we are facing?

When are the offerings going to start rebounding?

How do I restructure the staff for optimal efficiency?

How do we get the Community Center finished and operational when the bills just doubled and the City is being a huge hurdle?

So while I sleep well for 5 or 6 hours, then I awaken to count sheep.

Pastoring is a high privilege…but it’s really a hard calling.

Counting sheep is supposed to put you asleep…mine keeps me from sleep.

51 Whoo Hoo!!

51 years young today!! Some random thoughts below:

My life mission is by the power of God and to His glory to LIVE fully, LOVE sacrificially, LEARN continually, LEAD wisely, and LAUGH frequently!

How about some "51" rhymes?
51 and having fun....51 and living for One...51 and only half done...51 and loving my hon...


"Change" is the word of the hour and it's good word if you are changing forward and not backward.
I look forward to the changes God has for me this year...if you are not changing you are dying!

One of my favorite quotes for a birthday,
"Life is not a journey to the grave
With the intention of
Arriving safely in a pretty
And well preserved body,
But rather to skid in broadside,
Thoroughly used up,
Totally worn out,
And loudly proclaiming,
WOW !!!! What a ride!"

My Life Verse: For I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me! Galatians 2:20

As I walked barefoot on the beach at sunrise singing, Agnus Dei (Alleluia) I was praising God for the incredible joy of living, loving, and dancing in the ocean surf! Asking Him give me 51 more years like these and then swoop me home to dance forever!

Do We Burn Witches?

My heart is broken in many ways over the election tomorrow. I will discuss only one.

Here is a quote from an influential homosexual about Proposition 8, "..."Christians used to burn witches, now they legislate against homosexuals. Everyone needs a hobby".

For 5,000 years in every country, in every religion, in every culture, in every generation, marriage has been defined as being between a male and female. This is the definition of marriage. Proposition 8 only affirms what is natural, historical, and Biblical.

I have been called a "hate-monger" because I believe this to be true. The truth is I love homosexuals and have dear friends who are gay.

I respect the rights of homosexuals, and homosexual couples. They have those rights in "civil unions". But marriage is a "God-Word" not a "constitutional word", not a political "word".
Marriage will always only be between a man and a woman, regardless of what laws people pass.

My "hobby" as a Bible-believing, Christ following person of conviction is not "hunting witches" but serving broken people with love...and we are all broken in some way. My gay friends feel that love.

But Californians (being fed the imaginative lies of a grossly liberal media) are getting a big dose of "Christians are witch hunters who hate gays".

How can we compete against such lies? We can't outshout them, we can't "out-clout" them, we can't "out-spend" them, we can't out-argue them (although our logic is sound and in my opinion higher), SO we MUST "OUT-LOVE" them to break through the lies.

I have had many homosexual friends come out of the lifestyle and praise God and thank me that their brokenness has been healed. They were loved into truth.

Maybe a few misguided Christians burnt witches...some will burn gays today...but if we always judge a group by the worst of its history or the most radical fringe of its label...we will always miss the truth.

Real Christians don't burn witches but we burn with love FOR witches.
I pray that love displaces lies in the days ahead.

Halloween: Talking Death

Halloween...remembering the dead. While I am aghast that Halloween has become a multi-billion dollar industry in the USA, while I am repulsed by most of the aspects of Halloween, I do think we can hitchhike on Halloween and get some mileage for the Kingdom of God out of it.

For example...D.L. Moody, the great evangelist, once said, "If I can get a person to seriously think about their soon coming death for even ten minutes, they are generally well on their way to embracing the gospel" (a loose quote but the essence is accurate).

Our death is certain and the time is uncertain, therefore, we better make certain that we are certain where we are headed when the curtain closes for us.
Stats in Long Beach, CA are that one out of one people...die!
If we can spring board from "Halloween" to "how are we" with death? it could serve us well...

Well, Deb and I back home after 3 months, after Canada, Florida, Honduras, Grand Cayman, Belize, Mexico, Seattle, Oregon, Maui, and Kauai...wow...and whew...more on that subject later.

Also, a full page ad comes out today in Ministry Today magazine for our book "15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors". It will go to over 330,000 addresses between print and e-version. Praying some pastors and leaders are motivated to read it.

2 Drumsticks

Drumsticks, Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Special Salads, Stuffing, Dressing, Homemade (for city folks that means not store-bought, restaurant-bought, not Costco-bought, not bakery bought) Pumpkin Pie! Sounds like Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving in Canada is on the second Monday of October....so our Pastor, Stuart and his wife Teresa, and the 5 kids, had us over for Thanksgiving.

As the Sun set over the mountains in west and the full moon rose over the pine trees in the East...we feasted on the goodness of God, his bountiful supply, the laughter of friendship, the sharpening discussion of ministry and mission, and the beauty of nature.

This of course means I will get 2 Drumsticks....2 times to tell God "thanks" this year! And as you might have imagined, HE DESERVES IT!

While this has been in many ways one of the hardest years of my life (mom with cancer, sister fighting cancer, dad's sudden death, financial loss on a real estate deal, bouts with tremendous back pain) this has also been one of the most glorious.

My cup runs over and splashes on the table and runs down the floor and out the door and down the street...and all the way it sings and shouts - Hallelujah! Hosanna! None Like Jesus! No King Like Mine! Awesome God of Greatness!

As I was reading large quantities of the Word today, I came to one of my favorite verses:
Psalm 62:11,12 - "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving."

If God is STRONG (powerful enough to overcome anything I face in life or at death) and if God is LOVING (personally committed to expressing his kindness, goodness and care for me) then LIFE IS AWESOME and only going to get better!

What a mighty God we serve! I get Thanksgiving twice this year but really it's a 365 kind of Holiday (Holy Day) for me.

Give me 2 Drumsticks...and I will pound out a percussion of praise to my KING!
(P.S. Interesting side note...Deb fixed the turkey but because we could only find a smaller fresh turkey we bought 2...so there were actually 4 drumsticks...which worked out GREAT because they have 4 boys who each love the drumstick...no fighting over drumsticks! God provides!)

The Rich Man and the Church

Yesterday we had a long talk with one of the leading business and civic leaders in the Vernon\Silver Star area. We were talking real estate but of course the subject has a way of getting around to God and church.

Speaking of the church we attend when in Vernon (Vernon Alliance Church) the gentleman said, "Oh I have heard good things about that church...they help people." It was interesting to me that his comment was not, "they have great preaching" or "excellent music" or "a beautiful building". This non church going, wealthy man was impressed with one thing: "They help people!"

I believe the credibilty of our church in the community is directly tied to how much we "help people". The unchurched smell a rat when we talk about our love for the community but the primary thing we spend money on is making the "church club better for the members".

Spent the day running errands, reading, getting the houses ready for the carpet cleaner and buying 110 towels at Costco (for the people who rent our house here at Silver Star).

Had the second church hot spot to deal with since I have been gone. I got a message late last night and then had an anxiety dream about it during the night. So thankful for Pastor Vern and other Staff and leaders who love the church and do a good job of handling these matters.

Leaving for 3 months is a wonderful thing but also a scary thing because the devil is out to attack during my absence...."Lord, I trust you and the leadership at LLCF...turn back every attack of the evil one!" The devil will do anything to keep us from concentrating on "helping people!"

God and the Moose

On Monday...Spent the morning washing windows, doing painting prep, and helping Deb.

At 1pm we drove to Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park with our bikes on back. We jumped on our bikes and began a 10 mile ride that was stunning in beauty. Between the brilliant colors of autumn, the turquoise blue of the lake, the crispness of the clear mountain air...it was breathtaking.

About half way through the ride my bike crank broke and I had to walk my bike that last four miles.

After arriving back to the jeep we loaded bikes and headed up the mountain...and coming around a curve we saw a huge, majestic moose! 25 years of driving the road up to the ski area we have never really seen a moose...we had on 3 occasions seen glimpses of what we swore was a moose. But yesterday we saw the elusive moose and pulled over to get a picture...before the moose disappeared into the forest we got two pictures but later discovered the camera had been on macro so we don't really have the proof we need to silence the naysayers who don't believe us.

I don't know what God is like for you, but sometimes God is like that Moose for me...I get glimpses of His presence and I know that I know that He is out there, very near but still invisible. Occasionally I get "full on" sightings of God and I try to capture those moments so I can prove to people His reality...but alas, God refuses to be contained in some tangible box that I would want to trap Him in...so He lives on in my stories of His reality.

I will tell His story and pray that others get their own glimpses of His reality.

Church Hopping and SNOW!

Got up to go "church hopping"! Sunday morning and out to learn what it's like to be a visitor in 2 very different kind of churches. One of the great privileges of my sabbatical is the opportunity to visit other churches.

Drove to Kelowna to catch the first hour of church at NEW LIFE, an openly charismatic, loose kind of church about the size of LLCF. I sat on the back row because I knew I had to leave before it would get over...Note to self...pray for people on the back row...how do they "get into sitting all the way back there"? Worship was good...very authentic, quality decent, very "flowy" and definitely not "showy". Big flags of bright colors were waved by both men and women as they slowly danced in worship...children pranced around with their own little flags...people talked to one another...it had an informal but sincere feel to it...some people were way into it....others were praying for each other. It kind of dragged because it took 45 minutes to go through 5 or 6 songs and then communion was served with the same kind of serious but informal feel..."hey come up front and someone will serve you." Couldn't believe all the young families there.

Had to leave before the message but I would definitely go back and meet some of the folks.
It seems from the bulletin that they are trying to do a lot of missional things.

Went to Trinity Baptist a mega-church that follows a "church growth, seeker sensitive model". Had great parking attendants, but I went in the wrong door...once in the door it was easy to find the auditorium (not a sanctuary or worship center). Friendly and helpful usher. Stage lighting was cool. Good worship...led by a 20something guy and mostly young folks on the platform...(to me that's always a good sign). The leader tried to get some energy from the church...they were happy to politely sing but more than that was stretch. Very programmed church but well done.
The special music was excellent. Tim Schroeder, who has led that church for 23 years but recently stepped down to just be the teaching pastor, brought a message on passing on values to our children....well crafted, powerful use of scripture, beyond seeker-directed...did a great job and then just closed with a prayer.

I liked the excellence and the spirit of the leaders of the church...probably a little too corporate feel for me...but great hearts and being effective I'm sure.

Then I was reading about the "organic church" in "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch. This is for the most part advocating church on a mission, especially celebrating the "home church model".

When I got back up the mountain to the house...it started to SNOW! Gorgeous fluffy snow...it didn't stick but it snowed for the next 3 hours. Then I went power-walking and had a chance to minister to our next door neighbor who is fighting a debilitating physical neurological condition.
Her young heart (28 year old single gal) was opened up by the interest that Deb and I had shown to her.

Charismatic, Baptist, or home group...the big thing is...Are we helping hurting people with the authentic love of Christ and is His truth being accurately explained to get life to the lost?

These experiences are helping me see our church differently and making me so earnest that we do a great job of helping guests feel loved without feeling smothered.

Teach Me to Preach

On Saturday had a great day studying sermon preparation and delivery with Andy Stanley.
Learned a lot from Andy but was unconvinced to adopt all of his style...especially a "no notes, one point message." Andy acknowledges that each person needs to develop their own style but also aggressively confronts those poor preachers who hide behind the excuse that "that's just not my style". I agree.

My best clues for life transforming messages came from Jesus' style.
Many folks are shocked to find out Jesus never taught verse by verse through the OT. He was saturated in the Old Testament but he launched from what the Father was telling him to communicate in that situation. He used a lot of the Old Testament but it was digested and put in understandable language.

Here are my clues and cues on preaching as I see them in Jesus.
1. Be prayed up.
2. Listen to the Father.
3. Look at the needs of the people.
4. Launch from the foundation of the Word.
5. Tell Stories that relate the truth to people's lives. Paint word pictures.
6. Ask for decision and life change.
7. Balance the grace of God with the fear of God.
8. Be authentic and real.
9. Demonstrate the Word in your own life. Be the message.
10. Speak clearly but leave room for some mystery.
11. Fill your messages with hope.
12. Speak from compassion for the people.
13. Leave the results to God.

Took a long mountain bike ride with Deb...ate the last of the mountain raspberries along the path.
Went church and heard Stuart preach the Word...Psalm 5:1-3 and Romans 8:26,27.
A Message on Prayer called "Words, Sighs, and Cries" Interesting and a helpful and hopeful message. Stuart does a great job with bringing truth and keeping it real and approachable.

Watched a movie with Deb and went to bed.

Smelling Jesus

What did it smell like after the Flood? My guess is that it smelled like it does after a strong thunderstorm washes away all the grime in the air and leaves behind the fragrance of fresh....but then multiply that times 100.

As I studied Noah yesterday I was impressed by the newness after the flood...corruption had been washed away...the stench of sin and violence had been banished...hope and life was bursting out all over...with the rainbow arching overhead the fragrance of God was saturating the air.

Later in the day...we had a thunderstorm here and it washed the air clean. The fall colors were dazzling and the aroma of the forest was vibrant and rich. As we took a long walk through the forest we could not breath deeply enough. I am not sure of course but I think it smelled like Jesus.

In the evening we went with our Pastor (Stuart and Teresa) to a Steve Bell Worship\Concert. What a treat of the Holy Spirit...an amazing time of sitting in the presence of Jesus...as I sat there I thought...it smells like Jesus in here...

You know how people have a certain "fragrance" to them? I think Jesus smells like a forest after a thunderstorm. It's a powerful but tender smell, a fresh and hope-filled aroma, a rich, embracing, majestic, personal, and deeply satisfying fragrance.

I want to inhale HIS fragrance deeply so that it pours out of my pores and people smell Jesus through me!

Dancing Naked!

Naked...that picture is one that is scary or seductive or ugly or artistic.

Today Deb and I cleaned windows for much of the day...but then I spent time studying how to preach more effectively and also time in Word including Genesis 1-5.

I was riveted by the phrase that before the Fall, Adam and Eve were "naked and unashamed". But immediately after they choose sin, their eyes are opened and they realize they are naked and they proceed to design a suit of fig leaves to cover themselves.

We are certainly not dealing with pornography here, nor are we dealing with ugliness...but we are dealing with fear and insecurity and inferiority and transperancy and self-consciousness and comparison and the limiting power of a broken self-image.

The "imago dei", the image of God, that they had been created in, had been their conscious reality up to this point. They lived in the glorious liberty of TRUSTING only God's opinion, His communication is the ONLY thing that defined their self-image. They danced naked in the garden in a joyful whirl of freedom.

But once sin stained their self-image they began to hide themselves, cover themselves, stumble in their relationship with each other and with God.

Washing windows made me think of nakedness and openness. We live with shutters on our lives.

Some people have the shutters tightly shut, others have them slightly open, a few have them half open, only a handful of people have ripped down the shutters opening themselves fully to God and to others. I want to live with the shutters torn down...not in a "screw your opinion of me" but in the security of... "the only opinion that really counts is God's and He loves me so fully that I can dance naked in the beauty of who God made me".

What a freedom to live without having to impress people and live responsive only to God's direction...I am not there yet...but it's the direction of my journey.

In the evening we had a great time with our pastor and his wife and kids eating bbq'd shrimp, pasta and apple crate pie!