Ouch!!!

This kidney stone thing is really starting to get old. I wound up in the ER again this morning and am now on the strongest narcotic that you can take orally. I have never experienced anything quit like this week. It is such a helpless feeling realizing that there is nothing that you can really do except wait this thing out until it passes. It is also very stressful and worrisome because I never know when the next pain attack is coming. Not to mention the fact that anytime I experience the least bit of discomfort I wonder if it is going to be the next attack and how long it will last.

Erin is doing everything she can to care for the kids and all the other household stuff along with all of her church work and the possibility of preaching in my place tomorrow. She is an awesome woman. I am still trying to sort out for what purpose God has this thing in my life right now. I can tell you one thing. Drinking all this water and having to lay off pop and all the sugary drinks I down every day has actually made me less tired and has given me more energy. I don't think I have yawned once during the day this entire week and there have been nights where I get very little sleep. compared to how I have felt in the past 5 or so years...always run down, yawning regularly even though I have had a full nights sleep, never really having the physical energy I know I should. One positive out of this is a discovery of a new lifestyle and beverage habit for me. I think I will be sticking with the water for a long long time. Erin had been bugging me about it ever since I can remember and once again she is right.

Keep praying for me and what this week holds. I am meeting with the doctor on Monday or Tuesday to figure out our next step if this doesn't pass. That may or may not mean surgery. I am also leaving with my family for Lakeside and annual conference a week from tomorrow. I pray this whole ordeal is behind me well before we leave for that. I appreciate everyone's thoughtfulness and prayers. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

Living with a ticking time bomb

Well I have a kidney stone. This is not the first time. About 6 years ago I had my first and it was a nightmare. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. That one lasted only a few days and then I passed it. However the one I am dealing with is a little more stubborn. As a matter of fact I never thought I would experience as much pain as I had 6 years ago. I was wrong this one is worse. It started on Sat. morning and intensified on Monday. In fact I was doubled over in the fetal position for 4 hours on Monday before finally going back to the ER. The doctor gave me the strongest narcotic possible and I finally got relief. I wound up staying the night in the hospital (something I had never done before) and cam home late last night on Tuesday.

It is a scary feeling knowing I am carrying this thing in my body. I can feel it there and know something just isn't right. I am not always in pain but the thought of the excruciating pain I have had in the past is always in the back of my mind. I say a prayer every time I go to the bathroom hoping to be rid of this nightmare. It reminds me that we all carry something that can get the best of us at any moment. Just when we think we have it licked it rears its ugly head and reminds us that it still has a grip on us. It usually surfaces in a hurt, habit, or hang-up and is extremely painful. Can you relate? My stone haunts me when i go to bed and it is there to say hello to me when I wake up. I goes with me to work and is there for me at home. It really is at the forefront of my life. I have tried trusting God for it and giving to Him but I fear that I am not doing a good job at that.

I do believe that in this painful process that God is trying to work something for the good in His perfect plan. I just haven't discovered it yet. It would be so easy for me to get angry with God and ask Him "why me?" Then however I realize that there are so many that are worse off than me. I start asking then why not me? Then I find myself more fully opening up to the fact that God loves me and walks with me. I am not alone in this struggle...but it still HURTS! That's OK it is part of life. I am praying for the day that it ends and I ask you to do the same for me. I must admit I have never prayed so hard before going to the bathroom as I have in the past three days. It actually has brought me to a new awareness and reliance on God. I seek His face every time the pain comes and it causes me to rely on Him more so than if the pain wasn't there. This ticking time bomb has overstayed its welcome, but I will continue to trust that God is working all things for the good even in my Kidney. Blessings, Your "in pain" Dreaming Pastor

Relaxing with family

It is a good day today. Both sets of our folks are up and my brother and his family are visiting as well. Just sitting around eating food and enjoying the warm weather together. God is so good to provide this type of day. We really aren't doing very much but to be able to play with those you love and are closest to your heart adds meaning in and of itself. I pray that today finds you with good friends if not your family.

You know no matter what happens in life our family always seems to be there. They do not judge or ask to many questions but they support in any way they can. It is so refreshing to know that there is a group of people that would do whatever they could to help you succeed. Many people may not have this type of family. Or like Erin and I we live a good distance away from our folks and my brother. In those moments it is good to realize that God has the local church to be our family. How great of a realization it is to know there is a large group of folks dedicated to helping us grow in life and to become everything God created us to be. that is an encouragement. I pray you have discovered this type of family...that the local church has created a great group of friends. May you have a great Lord's day, and for some of you a great day off tomorrow. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

OFC newsletter article

Will you be taking a vacation from God?

WOW! It is almost June and summer will be upon us. Soon the kids will be out of school and we will be starting our summer routines of vacations, trips, family outings, and all those fun opportunities that make summer such a special time. One of the things that always amuses me is that not only do we take a break from our normal work, school, and family routines, but sometimes we wind up taking a vacation from God. We so easily fall into the mode that all of a sudden church, small group, and service projects are now optional. In fact I have heard many churches cater to this attitude by toning things down during the summer and slowing down their ministries and Bible Studies. Because after all, one automatically assumes the people will have better things to do than to come to church.

I have never bought into this notion. How does it make sense that just because it gets warm outside that God takes a backseat in our life? In fact in my experience it is just the opposite. Summer is an awesome time to connect with God. In fact there are many folk that are searching for new churches, and checking out places of worship so they can be settled in by the time fall and school starts. This is a time where our senses are far stronger and our souls are more energetic with the warm weather and family activities in the air. What a great time to discover God or hear Him all over again.

I invite you to get excited about what God is going to do at OFC this summer. Rather than following conventional church wisdom we are going to ramp things up. In June we have VBS where it is all hands on deck for servant volunteers. On the 27th there will be a performance called The Ladies of Harmony created by one of our very own. In July we will have a sermon series created around the new book by John Eldridge Walking with God. This month long series will be geared towards learning how to actually hear God speak to us and to discover a closer walk with Him. In August we will learn how to run for the prize as we gear up for a sermons series based on the Olympic Games. We will wrap up the summer with a Back to School Bash that will involve the entire community. Throughout the summer there will be activities and studies at My Place for adults. There will be awesome opportunities for children and youth and for the entire family. I challenge you to throw yourself at these opportunities and see if God ramps things up in your life.

One more thing…I challenge you to not let Sunday mornings be an option. Here is a rule my family lives by. If we are in town and healthy there is nothing that will keep us from worship. Many of you will not be in town every Sunday this summer, that’s fine. You should still be in church. There are thousands of other churches out there and chances are there will be several to choose from no matter where you are. My family will be in Gatlinburg, TN for vacation and we will go to church. We will be in Dayton and we will go to church. We will go on picnics but first we will go to church. He is our #1 priority.

If you are out of town listen to the sermons online or grab the CD of it the following week. Take the John Eldredge’s book with you and read it on your trip. Get creative in keeping God #1. In the book of Matthew Jesus makes it very simple…
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (6:33 NIV)

Many of us are desperate for God to “add” to our life. He can’t do that if we aren’t seeking Him as our first and #1 priority throughout the whole year. I pray that God adds to your life this summer…that God does a new thing in you. I pray you are able to step up and help OFC reach all those new people that will be coming in our doors. Most of all, I pray that God and church continue to be a year long destination for your family. May He fill our souls and add to our life! Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

A boost of energy

It's amazing how much energy there is when you add a new face to your team. This past week our youth intern Jimmy started working with our staff team. Just his presence alone has brought a whole new dynamic to the work we do at OFC. Our staff seems to be more energized and inspired. Its almost as if we can remember the time when we started out in ministry just like Jimmy has started this week. His presence has helped me evaluate what it is I do and excited me all the more about where we are going as OFC and our future.

I think it is so easy for us to settle into our routines no matter who we are and no matter what we do. We then begin to just kind of coast through our day to day responsibilities at times inspired and at other times just kind of doing stuff. When you bring someone new into the mix or make a change I believe it causes everyone to kind of get a shot in the arm and focus once again on the passion behind what it is we do. As you know it is my prayer and expectation that we will keep doing what it is we do! I liken it to a professional sports team that signs a high profile free agent or brings in that top rookie. All of a sudden everyone is inspired, everyone steps up their game, everyone gets excited again.

We are so happy and so blessed to have Jimmy join our staff. I ask you to be praying for him as he leaps into this new adventure head first. Even now while I am writing this he is at the church hanging out with out teens playing games and having a good time with them. Please keep praying for the opportunities that lay ahead for us at OFC. I know and envision God using our church to reach hundreds of teens and young people in the community that surrounds us. For now we have a light that God is shining on us once again as he has done so often. A light that is shining on this small town church in the middle of nowhere doing huge things and blowing peoples minds for Jesus. He has great expectations for us and quit frankly so do I. I hope this energizes you as it has me. Let's give God a big Woooo Whoooo! Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

We are going to do what we do...

I was reminded in Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength that one of the most important things in life is to stay the course. No matter what happens, no matter what adversity or trouble we come across we need to continue doing what we do. What does that mean exactly, you ask? Every single one of us have convictions about life. Principles that guide us in our decisions. Maybe you might think of them as core values that are always there to give you direction on the way you should go or a decision you should make. For me it is a calling from God that I know he as given me as a leader of his local church. More specifically there are principles that guide me in my leadership at Old Fort church.

It is so easy when the going gets tough or things don't work out the way we had thought to deviate from the plan. It is hard to keep faith in what has gotten us here and to keep trusting God when things get tough. I know in my heart that I need to lead with integrity and keep people accountable. I know God has placed it on my heart to lead with conviction and to challenge people to rise above mediocrity. I have always sensed that God wants me to lead through innovation and dreaming big. He impresses upon my heart regularly that we need to be taking risks and trying things that might not be liked by all people all of the time. I believe these are all things that summarizes where our church is at right now. It is an awesome thing.

I guess Tony reminds me that it will not always be easy. There will be times where we want to let go and give in. There will be moments where it will seem like we should abandon these principles and do something different. But he reminds me that we are going to keep doing what we do. We will stay the course. I believe God is doing a good thing and He will continue to bless us as we honor Him with our trust to live out the plan and to practice the principles He has placed on our hearts.

Where in your life do you feel like wavering? When have you felt like compromising from what you believe in? What issue are you facing right now that would have you try something different from what it is you are called to do? Let me encourage you to stay the course and to do what it is you do in the name of Christ. Don't give in...don't give up. What God has called you to is too important for you to do that. I invite you to stay the course as I will be. We will do what it is we do and will glorify God in the process. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

Quiet Strength (Tony Dungy)

Alright some of you may want to put a seat belt on or sit down in a chair because I have some pretty amazing news for you. I am actually reading a book on my own for pleasure. Yes I understand your amazement and many of you are picking yourselves up off of the floor right now so I will pause and let you regain your composure..............now let's move on.

This book by Tony Dungy is really amazing. He is the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a father, and a strong believer in Jesus Christ. The book is about leadership in the struggles of the NFL, while maintaining a strong presence in his family, and letting God be the visible Lord of his life. It really is amazing to read about this man and how his life is dominated by his relationships with God despite all of his successes in life. His Christian witness has challenged many football players, coaches, and fans over the years. He believes that his coaching gives him a great "platform" to share his faith and he takes full advantage of it.

His life has also had its full share of tragedy like being fired from a job, enduring losing seasons, and losing his son to suicide. Through it all he challenges me to remember that God is in control and as long as we give God our everything in the small things and the big things he will do amazing work in our life and to all those around us. He believes that everything he does on and off the field is a chance to influence people in a positive way. He goes against the grain of what is expected of most NFL coaches and stands up for family values, integrity, and most of all Jesus Christ. It has challenged and inspired me to consider what it is I do with my life day to day. I am challenged to consider how I do in the small things as well as the big things. Most of all through all of the struggles of life God is always there to be our quiet strength. I encourage you to pick up this book and let it challenge you as well. Ladies if you have a man in your life that struggles with giving his life to God this book will change his life.

One other thing. I am praying that somehow God allows us to pass out a copy of this book to every father at OFC on fathers day. The only problem is that they run about $18 a piece and I would imagine we would be handing out around 100 of these. That is about $1800 our church does not have. But as Tony Dungy would say...I just need to trust God that He will provide if it is to be. Please be praying for God to provide a way for this awesome outreach opportunity. Blessings your Dreaming Pastor

Moms

There is no way I could do the things my wife Erin does with the kids. She puts countless hours in with them during the day and in the middle of the night. She always seems to be there to help with homework, to offer correction, do the laundry, and cook a meal often all at the same time. She is amazing. Juggling the needs of 5 children and a husband that sometimes acts like a child, has to be a struggle. Erin really does deal with a lot...working with the kids behavioral issues while trying to accomplish all the other tasks that require her focus and participation. Often her days are filled with running the children to various counseling, doctors, and school appointments only to have to rush home to meet the rest of the kids after they get off of the bus.

It gets me to wonder how many of us do the thankless things that always seem to be behind the scenes where nobody can see them? This is probably what amazes me the most. Erin is lucky to get a thank you from me about once or twice a week. I am working on sharing my appreciation more with her and letting her know how good a job she does with everything in her life. Not only does she do well with the kids but she really supports me and all the work we do at the church. Her involvement in the past year has really been incredible as God is using her to change lives at OFC. What a partner I have in life. I thank God for her everyday.

I often think of all that my mom did for me and how she raised me in the name of Jesus Christ. She worked hard to instill values in me and guided me towards making healthy choices. She held me to a high standard that I had to strive to live up to. It stretched me and made me the man I am today. When I was looking for my future wife a lot of the characteristics my mother had were ones I was looking for. I was looking for someone with confidence, who believed in me and my pursuits. I was looking for someone who was caring yet was able to challenge and put me in my place. One more thing. I was looking for someone who would be a great mother to my children as my mom had been to me. Erin has been all of those things and so much more. She is this family's biggest supporter and cheerleader and spurs everyone one. I am thankful.

Don't get me wrong we have our struggles and disagreements. There are times where we get on each others nerves, but God has really done a special thing bringing us together. I am thankful for her and I am thankful for all the women God has brought in my life...my mom, daughters, Grandmothers, and especially Erin. I pray that today gives you a great perspective on just how important the ladies in your life are. Men let's not forget what they mean to us and to many others. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

The power of encouragement

Man it sure is uplifting to have people encourage you. I have had several instances in the past few days where people have said a positive word to me about something they saw me doing well. I have had people come to me for prayer wanting to lift me up and my family. Something like that just makes my entire day. My worries leave me, blood pressure goes down, and my outlook on life improves all because of someone's kind words. What a difference it makes in our life.

It always amazes me how much we thirst for a positive word from someone. We are all desperate for someone to say something kind or to affirm us in what we are doing. Those things are so vital to who we are and our confidence in moving forward. The funny thing is realizing how much we appreciate it, we very seldom think of giving it. Think about it for a moment. If we long for these kinds of words so much, then wouldn't we be spending much of our day lifting people up with our positive words. It would seem that way but sadly we do not take many opportunities to do this. We all have good intentions but seldom do we make a habit of positive encouragement. What if everyone did? What would that do for a community or even a church? I am certain it would change lives.

I think in my own experience it is always easier to find something wrong with a situation or to be able to quickly point out another's faults. Those things seem to come naturally to us. We are able to easily nit pick and notice someone's flaws in an instance. But, when it comes to positive affirmation we have to work at it...and so often we just don't bother. How about you? When was the last time you just decided that you are going to spend an entire day finding something positive to say to everyone you encounter? I challenge you to do this.

Maybe the hardest thing to do is to find something positive to say to someone you struggle to get along with. What kind of impact do you think it would have if you chose to compliment an enemy or a person you do not get along with well? You might just blow there socks off! Let me encourage you to live with Ephesians 4:29. I will let you look that up. I believe in you. I know you can do it and I believe God wants to use you to change lives. Lets give people our positive words and affirmation and in the process change the world together. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor

Welcoming children into our churches

We don’t really want kids in our church, do we?

Wow what a kick off to our new parenting series, The Parent Trap on Sunday at OFC! I have been reminded how important our job is as a church to nurture children. I bet if I took a show of hands in our church almost everyone would agree with me. However, what if in that same moment I asked you to keep your hands raised if you have served in the nursery in the last 6 months, taught a children’s class, pitched in on Wed. nights, or even helped at one of our children’s events? Sadly there wouldn’t be very many hands raised. Doesn’t this bother you?

Our words say one thing and our actions say another. We are filled with good excuses. Trust me I have heard them all. Pastor John, ”I have my own kids and they wear me out. I would rather not spend more time with kids.” Pastor, “my kids are out of the house. I’ve done my “time” at church serving children.” Pastor, “our Sunday morning routine is already crazy enough, we just don’t have the time or energy.” Pastor, ”I am already serving somewhere else in the church.” Pastor, “children’s ministry seems to be in Chaos and the leadership is struggling.” Did I miss any?

Every single one of us is responsible to the children at OFC and have a part to play. Let me help you live beyond the excuses. We offer 3 worship services on Sunday mornings. Attend one and serve at another. Realize everyone is busy, tired and many have children of their own too. We have 5 kids and Erin is able to manage serving at 9:45 in Kid Mo. Just because you are serving elsewhere or are not “gifted” to work with kids doesn’t mean you can’t serve in the nursery once every eight weeks. Should there ever be a time where we become old enough that we think it is OK to not serve others? Moses was well over 100 years old and still leading the Children of Israel and I know we don’t have anyone of that age in our church.

I am well aware of the struggles of children’s ministry. There is new leadership in place and a new team to come alongside Kerry. Things are turning around. Though there will always be struggles when there aren’t enough people willing to serve. It is so easy for us to point fingers, complain about things, and criticize. Instead, let’s offer solutions. Let’s offer to help our leadership and serve rather than criticize them from a distance. It amazes me how we are critical, we want children coming to our church, but yet don’t want to be a part of a good solution. Let me ask you, what are you personally going to do about the following verse…
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." –Mathew 19:14 NIV
Jesus was a busy man with many other commitments. Yet found time to make children a priority. He names two types of people in the local church. There are those that welcome little children with their actions and those that hinder little children with their inactions. Which one are you? There is no in between. If you have been at OFC for over a year there is no good excuse. Let’s all step it up and welcome children into this place. God is doing many good things at OFC and there is so much more that He wants to do through us. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor