No Way! Man-Ram?!

I just heard that the Dodgers traded two minor league players for Manny Ramirez. Unbelievably good trade for the Dodgers. I'm in shock!

The Power of "AND"

Have you ever struggled with your need to take care of responsibilities and your desire to do something you really want to do? I mean, as a kid there were a ton of times when I wanted to go outside and play ball, but my parents needed me to do something else, like wash the dishes or take out the trash. The consequences of not taking care of my responsibilties were clear and on a few occasions I chose the consequences and went and played ball.

What I was slow to learn was the power of "AND". I could have taken care of the dishes AND still had time to play ball, but my impatience and my desire to have fun NOW caused me to have to endure the consequences of my ignorance.

Today, I really want to devote more time to the work of the Lord. It would be great to be able to focus on what's happening at church and help Pastor Dan get the building project off the ground. Of course, the responsibilities at work and at home make it impossible to focus solely on church. Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset that I have responsibilities at work and at home. Not at all! You see, I wouldn't want to focus solely on the church either; missing out on the blessings of family and friends at work. It's just that sometimes I still struggle with the "AND" part which brings frustration.

I do believe God wants us to embrace the "AND" and learn about balance. Does that make sense? Anyone else struggle with this too?

I'm Grateful

It seems that lately (maybe the last 6 months or so) I've been thinking a lot about people that have had huge impacts on my life. Some have gone on to be with Jesus. People like my grandpa, whose legacy continues into a 4th generation now; My step dad, Ed who taught me a lot about discipline and hard work; and my awesome mother-in-law, Rose who was ever the example of servanthood and love. I miss them a lot!

Then there are those that just don't live nearby anymore. People like Loyd Naten, J. Ray Cramp and Harmon Dickey who were my pastors and mentored me; Doug Lake who has a lot of wisdom and seems to be on the same page as me; and my cousin Jeremy who, in a moment of insanity, moved out of state, but still encourages me with his desire to serve God with everything he has. I miss them too!

I'm also blessed to have people in my life today that make me who I am. People like my parents that love and support me; my brother and sis-in-law that continue to stretch me and pour into my life on a regular basis; my friends Brent & Candy and their kids that have become family; My kids that teach me something new all the time and remain godly in the midst of a jacked-up world; and my awesome wife, Sharon who is my best friend and somehow . . . she gets me.

There are a ton of others that I'm thankful for as well. Those that I have the pleasure of worshipping with at New Life; those that I work with. God has placed you in my life and I'm grateful that He loves me enough to have done so.

Tele-Coaching Network

Last year my brother, Dan had the opportunity to be part of a Coaching Network for Lead Pastors. It was led by Nelson Searcy who is the Lead Pastor of The Journey Church in Manhattan. His Executive Pastor is Kerrick Thomas and Kerrick is leading a coaching network by telephone for Executive Pastors which I have the privilege of being a part of starting today. We had our first call at 9AM Eastern time and, of course, that is 6AM my time. I don't mind getting up early, so being up and ready for work before the call wasn't a problem for me.

I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to being a part of this network of Executive Pastors from all over the nation. Some are from churches running over 1,000 and some running just about 100. I love being part of a network and I'm ready to be stretched again. I've already learned some things that I will put into action. I may even have the chance to fly out to NY in February for our last session. Sharon and I are both hoping that we can work it out.

By the way, I'm excited to be a part of New Life Church!