Coincidences

Eph 2:10 (TLB) It is God himself who mas made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others

Wow talk about coincidences. Yesterday our pastor spoke on "Consumeranity." His premise was in America our faith tends to be processed as consumers. Christianity might be more accurately described as consumeranity. He pointed out the American dream is really a nightmare and gave Britney Spears as exhibit A. We are not about American dreams but kingdom dreams.

He concluded we must be OTHERS focused! Until we have broken HEARTS for broken PEOPLE we can't be like CHRIST.

Then I read a post today concerning "Confronting our culture of consumerism"

So another coincidence or is the Holy Spirit trying to tell me something?!

P.S. Some other takeaways I jotted down:

Volunteer in your school/community

Build some relationships - with pure motives not to gain anything

Go into work early and have a good work ethic (now he is meddling with me)

Don't try to preach at the world - Get into their lives.

My friend Dave described our fellowship at Vogelweh Assembly of God in his blog. It truly was a place where you were taken out of your comfort zone and had the opportunity to grow.

What is church? Part 1
I recently got back in contact with some friends from our previous church–it was a small church of Air Force and Army families in Kaiserslautern, Germany. My family loved that church, and I’ll tell you why. Thanks to the fact we were a bunch of Americans in Germany, and through a great pastor (and family!), we lived out a real “fellowship of believers.” This family provided a great example of how church is supposed to be, and we have missed that family ever since.

We worshiped together, learned together, and grew in our walks by meeting twice a week at the base chapel. But more importantly, we ate together, talked together, traveled together, cried together, and rejoiced together. Each of us had our own spiritual gifts and talents, which were encouraged and nurtured by the pastor and his wife. Sometimes we were aware of and already comfortable with our gifts–sometimes our gifts were recognized by others who then pushed us to grow, sometimes in ways that stretched us. In each case, it was a spirit of love and love of Christ that allowed us to function as a church and community.

Most of these people, being in the military, have moved on–but we still talk, sometimes meet, and continue to live out the gifts that were grown in that church. Many of us have brought our gifts to other communities, and have spread the love of Christ around the world. For Rebecca and I, it was the closest thing we’ve had to “church” in all of our travels.

Next time, I’ll talk about our future plans for community…

I miss those relationships. Phone calls and e-mails are not the same. Treasure your friends while they are near! Push past the chit chat and get to know them, share hurts, pray for one another, sharpen each other, and provoke one another to press in to Christ. It will hurt when you part ways but it's worth it.

Just a stupid video from vacation in 2005

My father's eulogy

I came across this in my old Dake's bible. Handwritten notes from which I read one morning in August 1996:

On Sunday morning my father passed on from this place to a better place. That same morning I was singing I must tell Jesus which conveys that in our distress Jesus will kindly help us. I shared with the congregation how Christ has many times been my source of strength and comfort. Of how we must share our burdens with Him. Those words meant to comfort others would soon be a source of comfort to me. I can't help but believe that my Heavenly Father was preparing my heart for what was to come that day.

On Sunday morning my father did not wake up in a mansion. He spent the fruit of his labor storing up treasures where moth and rust do not corrupt. He supported several ministries and often would help those less fortunate that himself. Although he did not wake up in a mansion, I do believe that Jesus prepared him a place that far exceeds anything this world's treasures can buy.

My father's focus was on Heaven. Often when talking with him our conversation would drift to the condition of the heart - mainly my spiritual walk. He encouraged me to keep my focus on Christ. He longed for the day that he would enter into Heaven. He wanted others to share that hope also.

After my mother's passing he shared with me that if he ever had a similar trajedy he just wanted me to hold his hand. On Sunday morning I couldn't be there to do that but someone greater than I held his hand. Our precious Lord, the author and finisher of our faith.

I miss him!

Tired of being Christianish

Tonight I started an online/virtual discipleship study. As part of it I joined a conference call of some young people that want to change their worlds. A group called BAHM - Bikers Against Human Trafficking (http://www.freewebs.com/baht/) was hosting the call. Basically, it was some young people that were on a world-wide mission adventure over a year called the World Race (http://www.theworldrace.org/) that came face to face with human trafficking and felt led to do something about it. So they did a bike ride to raise awareness and funds to combat this.

Several of these people are leaving their careers and comfortable futures to make a difference in their world. To advance the kingdom. Wow! That challenges me.

I am unsure of what God has for me. I just want to get closer and willing to be a little radical for Him. So I have started on an on-line study as I mentioned to draw closer and still so I can start hearing His voice clearly again. If you are interested check it out at http://www.sethbarnes.com/index.asp?filename=starting-the-warriors-journal-study&bookmark=true#comments

Well I better quit blogging and get to reading my devotion. I am stolked. Just hope I endure better than the running I did with my son tonight. I'll have to post about that tomorrow.

What Have I Become?

Last night on my way to Wal-Mart to buy my son some $50 Wii game, I stopped to return a video at McDonalds (now that is weird). When I was finished a lady walked up to me and asked if she could have $12 to get her and her family home. Her husband and two little kids were with her. With little hesitation I said "no." I then got in the van and was put out that the lady asked for money. I mean a taxi cab fare. Come on get more original than that. Anyway I drove on to the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Later that night I decided to do devotions during some games. I read in Acts. How the disciples could not help but share the gospel, how they ministered with boldness. How they saw a lame man begging for money and then gave him what he really needed. I thought about this family. I prayed for them and then asked Christ to change my heart. Not one where I foolishly give money but maybe I could have offered to call the cab and pay for it, a meal, or some compassion. Imagine if I was spirit-led and spoke to their root problem or plugged them in with a local church that would help them get on their feet. My heart is still heavy for those two young kids and their parents. I hope some Christian helped them.

WHY CAN"T I BLOG LIKE THIS

Sir Francis Drake wrote this prayer in 1577:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

How Long Will You Simple Ones Love Your Simple Ways

Well I am sticking to my one hour commitment. Bad thing is I do them at the end of the day. So my cousin calls out of the blue and says he will be here for a lock-in. So I am doing my devotions right after this post. Today was a good day and I enjoyed the devotion last night. I love the Discipleship Creed that someone wrote. Making new habits. Hoping to find something profound. Looking at my journal I would have to sum it up like so:

• Day 1 - 31 January 2008. A verse screamed out at me. Proverbs 1:22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?" OUCH. That screamed volumes to me. My answer is "NO MORE!"

• Day 2 - Okay this could get long so I will keep it short. I realized that I need to clean up my mouth. Actually my heart. I don't like what comes out of my mouth so I need to clean up the source.

New Beginnings

I am excited today. Not because of some great sermon or some mighty man (or woman) of God laying on of hands but because I started a class in church. It is called Discipleship. And it is blessing me. Basically, you commit to an hour of prayer, bible reading, journaling, and devotion. I am just on my second day but a feel a peace like I have not felt in a long time.

I plan to write more about my journey of retuning to my first love in the days ahead. I am excited about life changes coming my way in 2008 - a year of new beginnings!

My favorite get away with her!

LUCERNE SWITZERLAND

We only went to a few places by ourselves during our two tours in Germany. One weekend we took the old beater - a 1990 7 series BMW - 4-5 hours south, to lovely Switzerland. We went to lake Lucerne. It was a blast. I wish we would have went once a year. Just being in a place with a beautiful blue lake, mountains, and her. But alas I did not occupy the time and now I have some beautiful red lakes, red dirt, and some hills down in southeastern Oklahoma that we natives call mountains.

On the way down the beater heated up in a stau (traffic jam), so I had to pull of and let the beast get some water.

We used wonderful mapquest to navigate but oh the trips would have involved less yelling, if I would have invested in GPS!

We arrived late, and all was forgiven. Our mountain view was a view of other hotels (always go with lake view especially if they are more expensive). But we were positive, we were going to have a good time because lodging in Switzerland is not cheap.

I had to take some pictures before we went to bed. She looks marvelous!






The next day we had a blast! We caught a boat and road across the lake to the train that would take us up the mountain. Can you believe I suggested we drive to the train and save the money? I guess I was not thinking - romantic trip!!! Duh.




We road up the mountain in this..Doesn't it look like the train on Mr. Rogers? That was the one ahead of us.

So we get up the mountain. Took a bunch of pictures. A bunch because we just bought a digital camera...welcome to the new century.


















I had this bright idea to stop at one station down the mountain and walk to the next. It was a long walk but fun.



We then spent the evening walking around the town of Lucerne. It was awesome. I miss having beautiful places that close.