Blog Free

I have not been blogging for a while simply because I have been extreemly busy and life does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. Therefore I have decided to go blog free for the next month. If you want to find out what's going on in my life, just give me a call!

Extremely Busy

This summer has been extremely busy as it relates to ministry. Normally the months of June and July are a little slower for me in regards to ministry because most of the adult ministries take a break and these months are used for planning and getting ready for the fall. However this June and July have been packed! I have jumped in with both feet in helping our college ministry transition with new leadership and new direction.

I have taken on the challenge of helping the transition within the college ministry and taking it to a new level. I am invested in this ministry because both of my "kids" are now in college and I know that God has given me this opportunity to help. Along with all my other ministry responsibilities, I am just going "wall to wall"! I am blessed because I have the opportunity to do things that I enjoy and do it with my kids and wife.

Ted Dekker

I have not taken the time to read a book that is fiction in at least 10 years. All of the reading I do is usually for ministry, unless it is reading the sports page, Sports Illustrated or things on the web. Two months ago I was taking my daughters car in for an oil change and she had a book in her car. It looked interesting, I had nothing to read, and she has told me how good Ted Dekker was but I had never made the time to read his books. I picked up the book and I could not put it down.

I will confess, I am a Ted Dekker fan because his books take you through incredible adventures that are hard to put into words. I have read his three books- "Black", "Red", "White", and the 6 books in the series "The Lost Books" all in the last two months. I will admit, I would rather read his books than watch TV this summer. If you are looking for an adventure that will take your breath away then let me suggest starting with "Black" and be ready to be captivated. Enjoy the adventure!

Truth

My favorite line from the movie A Few Good Men is "You can't handle the truth!" The sad reality of that statement is many people can't handle the truth- especially the truth of God's Word. It is the one thing that will remain constant and never change, and therefore we need to teach the Word and let it impact the hearers ears.

Jesus is the truth and the only way to heaven and yet that is not the popular "truth" that people want to hear. It is imperative that we drive home this fact every time we have the opportunity to open the Word. When we speak the truth in love it will have long lasting consequences, even though it is not what people want to hear! Can you handle the truth?

Last Summer

This is the last summer that all of us will be together as a family. This time next year Justine will be married, Brannen will be doing his great adventure in life, and Pepper and I will be adjusting to life as almost empty Nester's. Honestly, I don't like the idea of change within my family and it would be great to turn back the clock on time but no matter how much I fight against it the change is coming. I want to make the most of each day the Lord gives us and I am praying that we will be able to spend some quality time together this summer just enjoying each other because before you know it, life as I now know it will be gone.

Happy Graduation Brannen!

Today, my son Brannen is graduating from high school! It is a great accomplishment, and Pepper and I are so proud of him. He is about to start a new adventure of his life, but it is just so hard to believe that the time has flown by so fast. I remember when Brannen started high school and now, in just a blink of an eye he is done.

The Lord has provided us the funds to send him to Northwest Christian since he was in the 3rd grade and that investment is something we are so thankful for. He is a blessing and I thank the Lord for his life and I can't wait to see what the next steps of his journey are!

B-day!

Happy Birthday Pepper! I love you and I am so blessed to be able to celebrate this special day with you! You are a gift from the Lord and each year you grow more beautiful inside and out!

Star Trek

Tonight I am going to to see the movie Star Trek! I know what you are thinking- "Is Mark a Trekkie?" The answer is no, but I have enjoyed Star Trek for the last 25 years and would not think of missing opening night.

I was not a big Star Wars fan, but when it came to Star Trek, I have always been fascinated by this show and all the movies that were made from the series. Tonight should be a great night because I get to share it with some of the guys from my small group but also because my son is going. This is actually the first movie he asked me if he could go and see with me. It helps that I'm paying his way! So tonight, I am going boldly where no man has gone before! See ya at the movies.

Cinderella

I heard a song on the radio by Steven Curtis Chapman yesterday called "Dancing With Cinderella" and it brought tears to my eyes. I was not expecting it to happen but it did. If you have never heard this song and your daughter is getting married, I want to warn you- "DON'T LISTEN TO IT!" If you do, it will make you cry.

It seems that it doesn't take much for me to get a little misty eyed these days. When I think about my oldest getting married next year and my son graduating from high school next month it just brings to my heart the realization that my kids are moving on in the next phase of their lives and leaving Pepper and me behind. I am not normally the emotional type but when it comes to my family I am. I love my kids and I look forward to what God has in store for them in the future, but I am in the process of letting go and I am finding out that it is harder than I thought!

Life

Life can change in an instant. Our friends from church had their oldest daughter in a terrible auto crash, and as I write this she is in intensive care with life altering injuries. My heart and prayers go out to her, her parents, and her family.

This has impacted everyone who knows them and many people are praying for the recovery of Savannah, will you join me?

As I reflect on this, I can't help but think about my own kids or wife. When they leave home in the morning I assume I will see them again, but life is short and who knows the future except our Lord. It makes me realize that I should not be in such a hurry, but take everyday as one more gift from the Lord with my family.

My heart hurts for Lee and Tami but I know they have a deep faith in the Lord and that He will sustain them through this difficult time. I am praying for you guys!

Canada

I love talking about small groups! This weekend I have the opportunity to share with people from the Canadian National Baptist Convention in Vancouver Canada about small group ministry! The conference I am doing is an all day event and then I will be teaching twice at Towers Baptist Church on Sunday. I look forward to meeting people who are passionate about building the kingdom through small groups. It's Acts 2:41-47 in motion and I am thankful to the Lord for using me in a small way. I am also blessed to be partnered with Serendipity by Lifeway and the opportunity to share my passion!

Opportunity Knocks

The old phrase "opportunity knocks" means different things to different people. For me, the opportunity to go forward through the "door of opportunity" has at times not turned out like I anticipated. Sometimes I fell flat on my face as I was going through the door and other times it has felt like the door slammed on my fingers. But through it all, God has always been with me and has opened opportunitys for things that I could never have imagined.

I love the unexpected but it can be a challenge. I am a person who like to know "what comes next" but it never seems to work that way. I am resigned to live day by day, trusting in Him, who knows the future and just keep walking and falling forward, and I can do this because I know Jesus is their to lift me up!

WOW!

This is the best word to describe my trip to Israel and Jordan! If you have never been to the Holy Land, it is hard for me to articulate and give you the best picture of what I experienced. It's like trying to describe the Grand Canyon to someone who has only seen it in pictures how awesome it is, but it just doesn't do it justice.

I will admit it, I have a love for Israel. It draws me in like no place I have ever been before. I realize that this region of the world is filled with challenges but I truly understand why this part of the world has been coveted by nations for thousands of years.

It was a blessing and privilege to be able to go again to Israel and I can't wait until the next time I take a group! If you come to church this Sunday I will be speaking in all the services and sharing some of our experiences on this journey to the Holy Land.

Aren't You Afraid?

I am leaving for Israel in less than 48 hours. Some people have asked me "Aren't you afraid of going?" I can honestly say that I am more at peace going to Israel than I am walking around downtown Phoenix! You see the only perspective that most people have of Israel is what they see on the news. Just think of it this way, if you lived somewhere and had never visited Phoenix and all you knew about Phoenix was what you saw on the news, would you still come for a visit? You would probably have the same question for me if I told you I was going to Phoenix for a visit, "Aren't you afraid of going?"

Just to put your mind at ease, any disturbance in the Gaza Strip is in the opposite direction of where we will be going. When people make jokes about "ducking for cover" when we are in Israel, they just don't get it. What they are really doing is stirring up emotions from others who are concerned about us going. I would ask them and you to pray for our group and for me personally as I lead this group of 21. I look forward to sharing some great stories about our journey in a few weeks! Shalom!

Blessed Beyond Belief!

I love my wife with all my heart! I am blessed with two wonderful young adult kids! Justine turned 20 on January 31st and Brannen will be turning 18 next week! After almost 25 years of marriage I cannot believe the blessings the Lord has given me. I am doing what God has shaped me for in the ministry of our church, working with small groups and helping others grow in their faith through the WORD. To top it off I have the privilege of leading groups on biblical journeys all over the world.

I do struggle with life's challenges like everyone else, but the one thing I have always realized is that nothing takes my Heavenly Father by surprise. I am to trust Him daily, and when I do, then I know I am in His perfect will for my life. I am blessed beyond belief!

Israel or Bust!

I am looking forward to my second trip to Israel in just a few weeks! It has become my favorite place on earth to travel to. I am drawn to Israel in a way that is hard to describe. My prayer is that I will be able to lead many groups on this pilgrimage to the Holy Land over the coming years.

It is a land that is filled with so much history, and to realize that as a Christian, we will see Christ set up His thrown in Jerusalem in the future is overwhelming to comprehend. My hope is that this trip will be an incredible adventure for the 21 people who are going and that God will draw us closer to Himself in the very place that Jesus walked!

Tears of Joy

Justine is engaged to Dusty! It is hard for me to believe that my little girl will be leaving our home and starting her own home in about a year. For the past 20 years we have protected, provided, and have watched her grow into an incredible young women.

Pepper and I are blessed to have a young man who loves her, join our family. As a dad it is hard for me to let go, but I have come to realize that it is not about what I want but what is best for Justine and Dusty. I look forward to the journey ahead but please forgive me when I talk to you about this joyful event, because I will have a few tears in my eyes- it's a dad thing!

Future Control

I can't control the future but I still try. I want things to work out as I see them, and I have to remind myself daily that what I want is not always what God wants for me. His will for my life is sometimes not my will because I only see what is in front of me. I have to remind myself that my relationship with Him is all about trust and knowing that He sees tomorrow and no matter what happens, it is all about His will and not mine. My nature is to control. God wants me to let go of my control and give Him total control daily. This is what I am trying to do today, and yet tomorrow I will battle with this again. I'm glad God is patient with me!

What A Great Day!

Unexpected blessings come in all sizes and shapes. We just have to know where to look for them. I am reminded each day how blessed I am. It is easy to focus in on the things that don't go our way, but the Lord has a way of showing me His blessings when I need them the most. The most recent blessing I am experiencing is how the Lord has provide to meet our families daily needs through opportunities that are truly incredible. If you want to know what those are, please contact me and I will share the entire story!

Hamster Wheel

Have you ever felt like a hamster on a spinning wheel? If so, then you can relate to what what it feels like to be extremely busy. I have to admit that the spinning wheel is better than the alternative, but sometimes life can seem so overwhelming that if feels as if you are, at any moment, going to be launched off of that spinning wheel.

I have to admit that sometime I put myself into positions of being too busy and it is in those times that I have to ask myself what I am doing, and is this what the Lord wants for me.
I am looking forward to my spinning wheel in 2009 but I don't want to get to the point that I miss the blessings the Lord has for me because I am too focused on what is before me.

This year has started off with a bang and I am so excited to see where the Lord takes me. I am blessed with wonderful family, ministry I enjoy, and friends who stick with me through thick or thin. I am expanding my adventures to new challenges and opportunities that the Lord has opened and as long as I keep my eyes on Him and not the spinning wheel in front of me, I know this will a year to remember!