Father/Son Turkey Hunt

Some great friends allowed us to turkey hunt on their ranch in the Texas Panhandle. We had a great time together and a very successful hunt.

From What Is to What If

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What if?” I believe it is safe to say you have. I have. Everyone has at some time in life asked the question, “What if?” You may find yourself at a point in your career, your walk with the Lord, your family, or any other area of life pondering the question, “What if?”

In order to realize the positive benefits of asking the “what if” question you must begin with a true analysis of “what is.” For many people asking “what is” can lead to a disastrous outcome. Frequently people jump to making accusations and blaming others for their difficult circumstances or present problems of life. But each of us must begin by, first, analyzing “what is.” And this is best accomplished by allowing time for reflection and introspection. In Matthew 7:3-5, God’s Word says, “And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.” As I identify the “what is” of my life, I begin to understand how the lack of faith and disobedience of yesterday results in the frustration and confusion of today. From your heart cry out to God the words of the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). Allow the Spirit of God and His Word to lovingly and accurately reveal the “what is” status of your life.

Next you must ask the question “what if?” This is where you do a little divine daydreaming. In your ministry ask, “What if I trusted God to…?” In your marriage ask, “What if I loved my spouse the same way Jesus loves His church?” In your parenting ask, “What if I invested more time and energy into loving and leading my children instead of focusing on building a career?” But in each area consider your ability only to the degree that you realize “apart from [Jesus] you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It’s not about you. It never has been and never will be. Life changing, eternity impacting results occur when we recognize and appropriate Ephesians 3:20 which states, “[God]…is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” The “what if” life is a life of faith. It is a dependency upon the Lord’s ability to do what only He can do. And God promises to act in ways that unimaginably surpass our most amazing thoughts and expectations.

So right now, take time to let God show you the “what is.” What is the status of your walk with the Lord, your ministry, your relationships, and so forth, and are there issues God is leading you to deal with? After you address these items, conclude this time by asking God “What if?” God has faithfully brought you this far, and He has so much more He wants to do in and through you!

Deer Hunt

Brayden and I were invited by a good friend to hunt early in 2007. Brayden's aim was great! Two shots, two deer...a buck and a doe.

What Do You See?

Not long ago my wife, Kim, took our three children to the optometrist for eye examinations. Any trip to the “doctor” is usually a little unnerving, but since there would be no shots given this trip, the kids didn’t complain. It turns out that Brayden’s vision was just fine while our girls needed corrective lenses. So after a few days had passed, Madison received her new contact lenses and Mallory her new red glasses. The following morning as we pulled out of the driveway bound for school, Madison said, “I can see the pinecones up in the tops of the trees.” That was a strange thing for me to hear, because I have always been able to see them. At first I felt a little guilty. I did not realize there were any problems with their vision, and then I remembered my parents telling me of a similar situation with my brother many years ago. It is a good idea to have your vision checked. You might be surprised by what you see.

Chapter nine in the book of John tells the story of a man, blind from birth, who came in contact with Jesus. The Lord made some mud, placed it on the man’s eyes, and then sent him to the Pool of Siloam to wash it off. John 9:7 says, “So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” God has given you friends, relatives, and neighbors that are struggling in some manner with their “spiritual vision.” As a Christian, you are able to see and enjoy the blessings and the purposes of God while they seem to struggle for any glimpse of hope and meaning in life. My prayer for each of us echoes that of the early believers - “O Lord…give your servants great boldness in their preaching” (Acts 4:29).

This day, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). We might just be surprised by what we see.

Sunday School Directors in our Home

On Thursday and Friday we had most of the department directors for our Adult Sunday School over to our home. We decided to make it a two night event with one half coming Thursday and the other half coming Friday. We enjoyed dinner together as well as laughter and light hearted discussion about each other's home towns and other life experiences.

After a couple of hours, we moved into a more directed time of discussion regarding the purpose of the Sunday School and our role in promoting the health of the church. (I am more convinced than ever that time spent together in each other's homes is one of the most important things we can do.) We talked about making small steps in the five purposes of the church (worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship). We discussed assessing our present involvement with each of the purposes, identifying an idea that will move our people in the right direction, and then the enlistment of a leader to promote and implement the plan. A copy of the book "250 Big Ideas" was given to each of the department directors. They can then take the various ideas from the book and give them to the leader for each of the five purposes. These department directors could then meet quarterly with the leaders they have enlisted. I am convinced that if this plan is followed for one year, we would all look back at the health and growth of the department and say "WOW! Thank God for what He has done in and through us!"

Each of us serving in the role of a Sunday School leader are called upon to develop plans for the health and the growth of the department, but we must also remember that we, too, are to be about executing those plans on a personal level. For example, evangelism starts with me...fellowship starts with me...and so forth.

I am blessed to have a family that is concerned about Jesus' church and will put forth the effort to plan and prepare for opening up our home to other leaders. I am also blessed to serve with these leaders that will give the time it takes for personal development and their commitment to lead others in God's Kingdom building program.

I am reminded of John Maxwell's statement, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." This week, my family and I shared life with some of the leaders in our church...and it was wonderful!

Dale and Kim in California

Kim and I had a great time at Saddleback Church. I encourage everyone to participate in one of the annual Purpose Driven Church Conferences.

Worship
Ministry
Evangelism
Fellowship
Discipleship

Check out church this Sunday!

Commitment

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV).

Paul instructs the followers of Christ to, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God..." I once heard a preacher say that the problem with living sacrifices is that we keep crawling off of the altar. And that is so true. Many times we want to be involved with Christ (for the benefits He offers), but we really don't want to be committed. The reality is that with God, it's all about commitment...commitment to the Lord, commitment to the family He has blessed us with, commitment to His church, and a commitment to our neighbor. I am writing this in the morning at about the time when most people normally eat breakfast, so let me use an example that all of us can identify with. The difference between "involvement" and "commitment" is like having a breakfast of eggs and ham: the chicken was "involved" but the pig was "committed." The truth is that Jesus is committed to each of us, and He demonstrated this commitment through His life, death on the cross, and His resurrection.

One of the most practical helps for raising our level of commitment to the Lord is by simply following the directions of verse 2. Paul says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is..." God wants more than our weak and occasional involvement. He wants us to know and be committed to the proper path for our lives. And by committing our time, our thoughts, our resources, our lives to the pure and right things of God, He will strengthen our commitment to Him and allow us to see clearly "...His good, pleasing, and perfect will" for our lives.