A Christian Santa

I just finished reading my second Christmas book of the season. This was a delightful book written by Ed Butchart titled The Red Suit Diaries (A Real-Life Santa on Hopes, Dreams, and Childlike Faith), published by Revell. The book begins with the story of a five year old visiting with Santa. He ambled up the steps and climbed onto my lap, seating himself on my left knee. He stared expectantly into my eyes. This was serious business.
  "Well, hello," I said, chuckling. The interview had begun.
  "Hello," the little guy responded.
  "How are you doing?" I asked.
  "Fine."
  "Well,"-and here came the inevitable question-"have you been a good boy?"
  "Ummm..." The boy paused and looked up at the ceiling. He tapped his chin with his forefinger. "Umm..." he repeated, scouring the ceiling.
  "What's he doing?" Trent whispered in my right ear. (Trent was the elf helping Santa)
  We followed the boy's eyes to the ceiling to see what was so interesting up there. Nothing. Yet still the litte guy was tapping his chin and searching for...
  Ah, I thought, he's looking for an answer. Here's a little man giving great thought to a most important question.
  "He's thinking," I whispered to Trent.
  "About what?" Trent was incredulous.
  "I don't know," I chuckled, "but this ought to be good!"
  Suddenly the boy stopped tapping his chin. "Well," he said as his eyes looked intently into mine. "Well," he started over in an effort to get his answer just right, "I had a pretty good August..."
  Trent fell off his stool, and I burst into laughter as the kid, clearly puzzled, wondered what was so hilarious. Well, it was probably the first honest answer this Santa had ever heard!

The author goes on to tell many of these kinds of stories, along with some heartbreaking ones, but all pointed to the One who came to redeem us, love us, and give us the hope of eternal life. The Red Suit Diaries will help you keep the proper perspective on this Christmas season, as we bow in worship to the One who came for us. Emmanuel, God with us...

The People Walking in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light

As Handel was writing Messiah, the oratorio, just before the wonderful prophecy from Isaiah 6:6-7, titled For Unto Us a Child Is Born, he wrote an aria from Isaiah 6:2 which reads, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 

In addition to reading a couple of new Christmas books this season, I have been reading a book that relates people's near death experiences. While many experiences are similar, they have one thing in common - light. Every single account of a heavenly encounter has light in it. Light that radiates from a central area, light that radiates from heavenly beings, light that is very different from sunlight or artificial light. Light. In some of these accounts, the person involved comments on this light, because it is unlike anything they have every seen. Some of the accounts observe that their are no shadows. On earth, that is nearly impossible, because there are always shadows on the opposite side of the light source. Not in Heaven, the light source in omnipresent.

How about the shepherds? How do you think the Glory of the Lord manifested itself to them? An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:9. I think the operative word here is "shone." Light shines... What an encounter for these shepherds. The night shift was supposed to be quiet, restful. Luke tells us that after they had found the Christ child, and had worshiped Him, The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20 They had an encounter with The Light.

The Magi knew the prophecies of the coming king of the Jews, but it was the Light that compelled them to find him. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:9-10 I don't believe that the Magi would have traveled as far as they did just because of the prophecies. After all,, who could decipher the exact time frame? It was the Light, the star that moved, that caused them to set out on their arduous journey. What was the result of their encounter with The Light? ...they were overjoyed.

One of the ways we can celebrate Christ's coming this year is to shine His Light through us. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 A watching world desperately needs to see The Light, shining through us. The other thing you might consider is to find a copy of Handel's Messiah and listen to the first part, the Advent-Christmas section. The powerful scriptures, set to wonderful music, will inspire you to seek The Light.

Celebrate With Abandon

The Christmas season is in full swing. Decorations are out, trees are being trimmed, the music of Christmas is in the air, and for a full month, Christians have a wonderful opportunity to proclaim that Christ is among us, Emmanuel, God with us. In a short article from the Ragamuffin Bible, Brennan Manning writes, Once a year the Christmas season strikes both the sacred and the secular spheres of life with sledgehammer force. Suddenly Jesus Christ is everywhere. For approximately one month his presence is inescapable. You may accept him or reject him, affirm him or deny him, but you cannot ignore Him. Of course, He is proclaimed in speech, song and symbol in all the Christian churches. But he rides every red-nosed reindeer, lurks behind every new doll, resonates in the  most desacralized "season's greetings." Remotely or proximately, he is toasted in every cup of Christmas cheer. Each sprig of holly is a hint of his holiness, each cluster of mistletoe a sign He is here.

I love this season of the year because as Christians we can proclaim the Lordship of Christ with abandon. While some Christians feel the need to defend "Christmas" from "Happy Holidays" or the "holiday season", Manning is correct when he says that God's presence is inescapable. Instead of defending, let's celebrate. Let's tell a watching world that Christ came to earth because of God's great love for us. This Love that desires to find us, to embrace us, to live with us forever.


And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 1 John 3:23-24

So, let's get out there and celebrate, as you shop, as you gather with friends and family, as you decorate your homes and businesses, as you attend concerts, church services, and parties. Let's bring some peace and joy to a world that desperately needs both. As John tells us, love one another...and by this we know that He abides in us. Merry Christmas.

Seeker of Stars

Kathy and I have collected Christmas books for many years. I haven't counted them, but it takes a couple of boxes to put them away each year when we take down our Christmas decorations. I love re-reading many of the stories each year as we celebrate the coming of the Christ Child. We've already added to our collection this year. I wanted to tell you about one of these books, because you may want to add it to your Christmas reading. The book is titled Seeker of Stars, by Susan Fish. It's a fictional story based on the astronomers that traveled from the east to seek the new King. She tells the story of Melchior, who she describes as coming from a family of rug makers and rug merchants. An unfortunate accident ends Melchior's career as a rug maker and begins his lifelong dream to be an astronomer. 

In chapter 16, titled Wonders, the author tells of the astronomers being guided to a little house by a "moving star" that stops over the humble home. They aren't sure of who or what they are looking for. All they know is that the ancient prophecies foretell a child, a King. As they discover they are in the right place, the author writes, An incredible story poured forth, one that made ours sound commonplace. Angel visitations, virgin fullness, joy and sorrow, dreams and resolutions, promises, panic and pain-a child-squalor and shepherds, glory and - "God," the woman said, forming the sound lovingly, reverently. "God chose me." A giggle escaped her lips, a spring of joy bubbling from a hidden source. "My child is his own." I was confused, (this is Melchior thinking) unsure how this tale of wonders connected with our journey. We were seeking a king, not a carpenter's miracle son. "We are seeking the king of the Jews," I explained. I gestured around me. "Your child-can he be-he cannot be-the king of the Jews?" Joseph looked deeply at me with long-suffering eyes. "Our people have waited a long time for a Savior to come. God acts in ways we cannot understand, but our child is indeed his Son."

Susan Fish writes some things about Mary and Joseph that I have always felt to be true. They knew exactly what was happening to them. They had both had miraculous visitations prior to Mary's pregnancy, and I believe that the presence of God was with them throughout the entire nine months, particularly as they approached the birth of the Christ Child. As you read this book, it will make you stop and think about aspects of the story that you may not have considered before. If you need some inspiration this year to truly engage again with Emmanuel, (God with us), perhaps this very readable story will help. The publisher is David C. Cook. Merry Christmas...

Really Bad Things Happen To Really Good People

Kathy and I are heartsick. On Sunday morning, Kathy saw a news report of damage from tornadoes near Washington, Illinois. Our dear friend, Cheryl Ingham, had moved to Washington in August of this year. Kathy immediately texted Cheryl to make sure she was okay and to check and see if she had any damage. Hey Cheryl. I just saw a report about storms and a posible tornado touching down near Peoria. Everything ok there? To our horror, Kathy received a text a few minutes later. House is gone, but we r safe.

We met Cheryl in Tucson. She was a member of the church that we served for a few months for half of 2012 and early 2013. We already knew about her because her brother and his family were members at the church we served in the Denver area. We loved her brother and his family and we quickly came to enjoy a great friendship with Cheryl when we met her. She and Kathy became close friends fairly quickly. When we moved to Illinois, Kathy was overjoyed to know that Cheryl would be moving to northern Illinois in the summer. Her son was a children's pastor at RockChurch in Washington, IL, and that was about two hours north of where we live in Carlinville. She wanted to be closer to her son, his wife and grandchildren. Soon after moving to Illinois, Cheryl came down and spent a couple of days with us.

If you read my blogs, you know I have never used this forum to solicit anything. This has been a place to share stories, thoughts, inspiration, but now, to share a huge need. Cheryl is a wonderful Christian lady who raised two sons while working as a school teacher. When you think of a "good" person, Cheryl would be near the top of that list. When "bad" things happen to "good" people, you would hope it never touched people like Cheryl. But it has happened. Cheryl's home, that she lived in for just 3 1/2 months, is a total loss. Her car was thrown several hundred feet and is also a total loss. Kathy and I are asking my blog readers to help us, help Cheryl. A website has been set up at www.gofundme.com. Please go to this site and search for Cheryl Ingham. You will be on the right site when you see the picture above. If we all do something to help Cheryl, we can meet the goal. Terrible things like this happen all around the world. When we hear about these things, we are concerned, and in some cases we donate money, but never know anyone personally affected. This is much different. This is our dear friend, who has been wiped out. Thanks in advance for your help. May God richly bless you as you help us bless our friend.

A New Rhythm

If you have been a reader of my blog, you have probably noticed that I have slowed down my writing considerably in the past six months. As many of you know, these past two years have been very different for my family and I. After 37 years of continuous church ministry, I started a transition to what I am doing now. Church ministry has a unique rhythm. My jobs have always broken down into several categories. First, those things that must be done this week because the congregation will expect certain things to happen each week as they attend church services and activities. Second, the things that must happen this month, again, because they impact our congregation each month. Then, those things which are in the planning stages for the immediate future, the distant future, and well down the road. Each of these areas had their urgency, and rhythm. Beginning in January of 2012, I began helping Illinois Assemblies of God churches begin using Shelby Systems software. Shelby is one of the leaders in church management systems. Along with the software, I consulted with various churches on all aspects of church administration. Because this began as a consulting arrangement, and it was not full time, Kathy and I moved to Tucson, AZ, in July of 2012, to take a full time executive pastor position. One that held great promise, but didn't work out. In June of 2013, I again began working with churches in Illinois, this time on a full time basis.

The rhythm of this job is much different. For starters, I have logged a lot of miles driving north and south in Illinois. I am presently working with 30 churches in our District on various levels of church administration. I truly enjoy the interaction with pastors, staff members, and lay leaders. I rarely attend a church service at these churches. My work is behind the scenes and involves computers, contracts, employee policies and many other administrative areas. I basically work Monday through Friday, and support Shelby software for our churches in the evening and weekends when needed. A very different rhythm from working in one church. Working in a single church, Sunday was a full workday for me. Up early to get prepared, early to the church to make sure everything I was responsible was in place, one or two services, education hour, an occasional afternoon meeting and back Sunday night for another service or event. Each workday pointed to the next weekend, with future planning worked into the mix. That was a very full rhythm, but also very enjoyable. Now Kathy and my rhythm on a Sunday is much more relaxed. We are attending a small church in our small community, and enjoying being there. Kathy has gotten involved with the women's group and is providing leadership on that level. A different rhythm for her. 

Now, back to my writing. As I am adjusting to this new rhythm, I am beginning to push important areas of my life back into their proper place on my priority list. One of those is consistently writing my blog. I posted my first blog on February 28, 2008. Today's post is my 323rd. I have told a lot of stories, and shared from my heart and experience. I still have a lot to share. Now, to get my rhythm back again...

Step By Step

I subscribe to Max Lucado's daily posting, UpWords. For the past several weeks, the postings have come from his new book You'll Get Through This. Given the ups and downs of the past two years, these excerpts have been very good for me. Here is today's:

I like the conversation Bob Benson recounts in his book, See You at the House, about his friend who’d had a heart attack. For a while it seemed his friend wouldn’t make it. But he recovered.

Months later Bob asked him, “How did you like your heart attack?”

“It scared me to death, almost.”
“Would you do it again?”
“No!”
“Would you recommend it?”  Bob asked.
“Definitely not.”
Then Bob asked him, “Does your life mean more to you now than it did before?”
“Well, yes.”
“You and your wife always had a beautiful marriage, but are you closer now than ever?” “Yes.”
“Do you have a new compassion for people—a deeper understanding and sympathy?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you know the Lord in a richer fellowship than you’d ever realized?”
“Yes.”

Then Bob said, “So, how’d you like your heart attack?”

Deuteronomy 11:2 reminds us to remember what you’ve learned about the Lord through your experience with Him.  Do that, my friend, and your mess will become your message!

I can tell you, from recent experience, that as you look back at difficult circumstances, you see where God has carried you, provided for you, healed you and loved you. As God lets us experience His presence, our memories seem to filter out the bad experiences and we look back, gratefully, at the way God has loved us and stayed close to us. Sometimes the path to the top of the mountain seems tedious and strength sapping, but as we pause to look back, we thank God for His help in getting where we are and rejoicing because we can see the our goal, the mountain top. If you are in a tough spot today, join me, step by step - up.

Is There A Way To Bridge the Gap?

Kathy, two friends of ours, and I had the opportunity to lead praise and worship for a senior's retreat last week. The NoLimit 55+ retreat was held at Lake Williamson, home of the Illinois District Council of the Assemblies of God, and our home as well.

We chose some hymns, classic songs and a couple of newer worship anthems. After each session, we all received compliments and positive comments about the type of music we had chosen and the style in which it was presented. It was apparent in each session that we had chosen well, because the worship was full, sustained and transcended the music and touched the heart of God. My worship leading style has been to lead from a piano or keyboard, and I received a lot of nice comments about that. Several people said things like, "it's been a long time since we've heard piano playing like this, that helped us worship God together." Overall, it was a good experience, listening to great three part harmony from Kathy and our friends, and getting the opportunity to play some great worship and praise music. As we celebrated Communion at the end of the last session, we blended the old classic song O, the Blood of Jesus, with the fairly new song from Gateway Worship, O the Blood. As we worshiped God together, His presence touched each of us in a personal, and special way.

This morning I sat behind a young family in the church we have been attending in our small town. Father, mother and three boys, all probably in elementary school. Four songs were sung by the worship team. I had heard one of them on the radio, but had never heard the other three. I watched this young family during this praise and worship time. The mother tried to sing along, struggling to read the words on the screen and put them together with the melody. I felt for her, because I was trying to do the same thing. The young father and his sons didn't even try. They stood, very respectfully through all four songs. Each of us had to find other opportunities in this service to worship God. From many of the comments from the seniors that we met last week, the same thing happens in their church services.

I have determined that I need to find a way to help solve the dilemma of the gap in praise and worship, particularly for people who have been shut out because of their age. In thinking about the church we're attending, there are opportunities outside of the Sunday services where music style can be more eclectic. I suspect that is true in most churches. While it is possible, and necessary for each of us to have personal times of worship and intimate encounters with God, it is also necessary and encouraging to participate in group worship. Everyone, regardless of age or style preference should have that opportunity. We just have to get creative and figure out how to do it. I'll do my part...

T.D. Jakes Is Big In Kenya

I have been reading a fascinating book by Fritz Kling titled, The Meeting of the Waters: 7 Global Currents That Will Propel the Future Church. He has spent the last decade, as a foundation executive, traveling through villages and cities in every corner of the world. He as worked alongside both high-level leaders and grassroots workers, getting an insider's perspective on the changes occurring in the global church.

Kling's experiences have shown him that the same cultural shifts that are making church ministry in the United States so challenging, are changing the way that the Gospel must be presented in the global church. The globalization of the world, primarily through technology, has made for some interesting scenarios. This globalization was made very real to Fritz at a leadership conference in East Africa. A Kenyan pastor complained that "the expectations on him were unreasonable! I am but one small pastor in a tiny church in Africa, but the challenges are getting greater and greater!" His frustration was coming from the fact that a number of his parishioners told him that they prefer the sermons of T.D. Jakes. That Kenyan pastor, who lacked formal training, a library, an assistant, or compensation, had pushed himself to work harder and harder to deliver sermons that were biblically truthful and culturally relevant. Suddenly, he found himself in a classic twenty-first -century bind. He was a Kenyan ministering to Kenyans in Kenya, but he had been unwittingly thrust into a global, cross-cultural dilemma. He had not gone to another country as a missionary. Rather, another country (America, in this case) had come into his church-and his church would never be the same. America was not the problem: His parishioners could just as easily tune in to televised preachers from South Korea, Australia, or Germany.

In the US, pollsters tell us that approximately 40% of the population attend church regularly. Other pollsters tell us that those numbers are exaggerated. Regardless, since 80% of Americans say they are Christians, we have a big gap, that is getting bigger. While most of us understand that our culture is changing rapidly, we have been slow to accept the fact that the way we "do church" must change. Just like the world has been affected by globalization, we in America, with all the technology that we have, have been greatly affected. Hanging on to our traditional ways of trying to reach people are resulting in frustrated pastors and lay leaders. Dave Olson, director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church has collected exhaustive reporting on church attendance in America and his findings show that churches with attendance of 50-299 are generally declining, as are churches that are 40-180 years old. This comprises most of the churches in America today.

Kling's response is that global cultural change is unavoidable, and staying the course without responding to change will steer the global church straight into a turbulent future. The greatest danger is that the valuable treasure carried by the church-the best news the world can ever hear-will be risked because leaders lack the stomach, mind, or heart to engage the changing times. I would add that seeking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and depending on Him for creative engagement of our culture is absolutely essential! Imitating other's success will only result in frustration. Isaiah 43:16-19 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

An Amazing Three Days

I never imagined that a blog that I wrote two days ago would create the number of page views that it has. Multipliers and Diminishers has had 566 page views since Monday. Since it has been posted and re-posted on Facebook multiple times, who knows how many times this blog has been read. This is a new record for me in the three and a half years I have been writing this blog.

From the beginning, the purpose for this blog was clearly labeled on the masthead, I have never consistently written down or recorded some of the key encounters and events in my life. This blog is attempting to do that in a way that is meaningful to anyone who reads my writing. That is exactly what I did as I wrote about one of the highlight times in my career on the staff of a large church in Oregon, with a wonderful senior pastor. It is also what I did as I wrote about the worst church leadership experience I have ever had. My experiences, no more, no less. While I initially allowed all comments to stay on this blog page, the quality of some of the comments, coupled with emotional outbursts that were clearly off the point, helped me make the decision to not allow any comments, even though most of the comments were positive.

If you are interested in knowing more about the idea of Multipliers and Diminishers, please read the book Multipliers by Liz Wiseman. It will help you make your own decisions about leaders that you are giving your allegiance to.

Multipliers and Diminishers

Last Thursday and Friday I attended the Willow Creek Association's Global Leadership Summit. It was two days of very stimulating leadership training and inspiration. Presenters came from the business, church, science, and other fields. Liz Wiseman's presentation on Multipliers and Diminishers drew sharp contrasts between leadership styles that elevate and create success among staff members, and those who suppress creativity and initiative.

I worked for an incredible Multiplier in Oregon. He encouraged each staff member's creativity both for church projects, as well as outside the church. He understood that when a member of his staff received recognition for their accomplishments, the senior pastor shared in that success. When one of the leading church music publishers published one of my choral songs, I brought one of the first copies to the pastor. He had already heard the song because we had performed it from my handwritten scores. Now it was in polished, printed form, ready for sale. He looked at each page, smiling and nodding, and then told me how proud he was of this accomplishment. Then he asked me if he could have the copy. When I told him I had brought the copy for him, he opened a large file drawer with multiple files in it. He explained that he kept physical copies of all the accomplishments of his staff members, both past and present. He already had created a file for me, (that says a lot about his confidence in the people he chose to work with him) and put the copy of my music in it. Liz Wiseman says multipliers are Talent Magnets, Liberators, Challengers, Debate Makers, and Investors. An investor is defined as one who gives other people the ownership for results and invests in their success. Pastor Allen Groff was certainly an investor.

At another point in my pastoral career I worked for a Diminisher. Wiseman's definition of a Diminisher is an Empire Builder (hoards resources and under-utilizes talent), Tyrant (creates a tense environment that suppresses people's thinking and capability), Know-It-All (gives directives that showcase how much they know), Decision Maker (makes centralized, abrupt decisions that confuse the organization), and Micro Manager (drives results through their personal involvement). Within a few weeks of joining this church staff, I became painfully aware that the staff was terrified of this pastor. There was no sense of teamwork, or working together. In 7 months, we had 3 very short staff meetings. We had no staff social gatherings, any kind of gatherings that included our spouses or children, or any hint of a desire for personal relationships. I finally realized, too late, that this pastor, and his wife, were incredibly insecure. The only way to deal with that was for them to be oppressively controlling and micro managing every aspect of the church. Basically, the pastoral staff were credentialed go-fors. Kathy and my years of experience and maturity as pastors were completely ignored. Sadly, this church congregation suffered being fractured and split apart by this destructive behavior.

Are you a Multiplier? A Diminisher? I believe Christ has called leaders to be Multipliers. I know from personal experience that I must be a Multiplier, at home, and work.

Church Heroes

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with the pastor and finance volunteers as I trained them in the use of Shelby Arena software and Shelby Financial software. Since June of this year, I have spent time at several churches training staff members and lay leaders, and giving them state-of-the-art tools to help them accomplish the work of the ministry. It is always a pleasure to walk into a large church, with a large conference room, white boards and video screens, a beverage bar well stocked with coffee, soft drinks and snacks. Last week, however, the first clue that I had that this was not going to be the case was the population sign on the way into this town that showed a population of 600.

Since June 1, I have have been working for the Illinois District of the Assemblies of God. I am the coordinator of a new division called Midwest Church Administration Resources. Our mission is to help the 300+ Illinois Assembly of God churches become more effective at how they do ministry. In addition to software, we also offer bookkeeping and accounting services, health insurance, annual audits/reviews, help with church loans and financing, incorporation issues, bulk mailing and printing services, and other administrative services. I have really enjoyed talking with many pastors and helping them figure out how we can help them as they minister to their congregations and communities. I'm starting to know my way around Illinois, particularly Highway 55, north and south.

We trained in the sanctuary of this small town church, because that was the only place we had a screen to project on. The only paid staff member was the part time pastor. (part time pay, full time work) We had a good time training. Since I've been a career associate pastor, its been fun making practical applications of how software can help a church take care of people. Closing the back door by good follow up, and opening wide the front door by taking care of new people who visit more than once. After our second day of training, the pastor took me on a tour of the church. As you might imagine, it didn't take very long. The thing that impressed me the most was when we walked into the small gym. Tables filled most of the gym. On one end were tables with new and used shoes, and backpacks. On other tables were new and gently used clothes, household items, school supplies, and many other useful items. The pastor told me that on the next day, a Saturday, they would open the doors to their community and nearly everything on the tables would disappear. This Saturday would be special because every child would get a backpack filled with school supplies and would get a new pair of shoes to start the school year with. He told me the history of the program, the struggles he and his wife had with helping their church members see the potential of this kind of ministry. He told me about a young mother who came to one of these monthly free rummage sales, high on drugs and desperate for help, who in the process of working with her, sobered up and received Christ into her life. He also told me about the struggles to bring technology into the church. People objected to a computer because it was introducing the "world" into the "church." As I listened, and observed, it was obvious that this young pastor and his family had endured a lot of difficulty to get this church to where they are today. I thanked him for his dedication to this congregation, and to their community. He told me about their desire to stay in this small town for a long time and see God do marvelous things.

As I drove out of town, I prayed for this pastor and his wife, for their congregation, and for their town. I believe God will do some great things there. They have a hero among them. Last week, I had the privilege of working with that hero.

The Presence of God

When we profess our belief in Christ, and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, we begin a lifelong journey to know God. One of the aspects of that journey is to discover, for ourselves, how the presence of God is manifested in our lives. As a lifelong member of the Assemblies of God denomination, I have been exposed to nearly every manifestation of God's presence, except rattlesnake handling. :) In my eagerness to pursue God, I have attended many church services where a wide variety of manifestations have been present. I have also spent many hours watching videos of services from around the world. Being "slain in the Spirit", shaking, dancing, looking for angel feathers or gold dust falling from the ceiling, hearing words being given for individual people, or groups of people, prophetic banner waving, and many more. I've watched ministers blow on people, throw their jackets at them, and urge people to do things they supposedly couldn't do before they came to a service, all in the name of experiencing the presence of God.

I must admit that when I was in the moment of some of these kinds of services, it was very exciting. There have been times in churches where I have served on the staff, that we had extended weeks of services where unusual things happened. We looked with anticipation for God's move, every time we gathered together. But alas, those times eventually ended, and with it, the anticipation of what might happen next.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that the last two years have been a journey through very deep water. In the midst of this, my longing for the presence of God has not diminished, but the focus has changed. The first thing that noticed was how often God began manifesting His presence to me through His Word. Even when I was reading a predefined Bible reading plan, it has been uncanny how many times the scriptures have spoken directly to me, at exactly the right time. What this has created is a love for God's Word that is growing in intensity day by day. The other thing I have noticed is that God reveals Himself to me in gentle, yet powerful ways. While I still have an interest in some of the more public manifestations that take place, I have discovered God's presence in ways that I might not have just two years ago. For instance, over the July 4 weekend, we attended St. John Lutheran church in St. Louis. We attended this church for over a year in 2011 and 2012. For a die hard Assembly of God boy, this was a radical departure in worship form. However, over the time we were there, I experienced God's presence in many ways that would have never happened in an AG church. On this particular Sunday, I had two powerful, personal manifestations of God's presence. The first was when we began to recite the Apostle's Creed as a congregation. As I spoke the words, I believe in God the Father, Almighty... I was completely overcome with the presence of God. I could only whisper the rest of the creed, as I struggled to maintain my composure. At that moment, God truly revealed Himself to me. The same thing happened as we prepared to receive Communion. As I stood in line ready to move to where the elements were being served, the presence of God descended on me, and let me know in a powerful way that He loved me, cared about me, and was with me. When it's all said and done, I think I prefer this kind of manifestation of God's presence in my life. Quiet, but powerful. Personal, and very real.

Flying To Safety

I had a very interesting experience this morning as I sat outside on our patio on a beautiful summer morning. I was reading my July 4 One Year Bible portion and having my first cup of coffee. I was distracted by the sound of two birds chirping rather loudly near by, and as I looked up, I could see them pecking at each other as they flew near me. As I watched them, one of the birds flew right down to the patio and came within 2' of my feet. The other bird started to come after him/her (I don't know much about bird anatomy) and then seemingly thought better of it and flew off. After a few moments, and apparently making sure the other bird was gone, the bird by my feet flew off in another direction. Fight over, no damage done. It took me a moment to realize what had happened. Even though birds are usually afraid of humans, this bird used this fear  in his adversary to his advantage and wound up in a safe place. Kind of like playing "tag" as kids, and having a "home base." I was the home base for my feathered friend. Even though we couldn't communicate, I think, as the bird flew off, he might have thought, "I'm glad that guy was there for me."

As I thought about this later, I realized that many times in our lives we exhaust ourselves fighting battles that we could overcome if we stopped fighting and headed for Home Base. Now I realize that Home Base is not one of the Scriptural names for God, but there are plenty of others that fit the bill for the kind of fights we get into. Jehovah Jireh, our provider for the fights we have with worry and fear over our economic situations. Jehovah Shalom, when we cannot find peace in the midst of our fighting, with family or friends, or co-workers. Jehovah Nissi, the God who brings victory in the midst of the fight, for those times when it doesn't seem like there is any "light at the end of the tunnel." Jehovah Rophi, the God who heals, when there doesn't appear to be an end to the illness we are fighting. And the list goes on. If you are fighting a fight today that you can't seem to win, step back. Find Home Base. Run to Him. You are safe.

Our Incredible Creator

I had a doctor's office visit yesterday and he asked me how we had come to live in Carlinville, Illinois. I told him we had most recently lived in Tucson, Arizona. That prompted him to comment on news reports of the very high temperatures in the West. I then mentioned that here in the Midwest, temperatures for the next few days were going to be in the low 80s. We then shifted the conversation to the idea of how narrow the range is for temperature on Earth. For instance, yesterday it was 125 degrees at Death Valley, California. You don't want to stay outside very long at that temperature, but you can survive in that kind of heat, if you take the proper precautions. Contrast that with the lowest recorded temperature of -128 degrees in Antarctica in 1983. At a glance, those are incredible differences, but when you think about it, it is only a range of 253 degrees. Our sun has a surface temperature of 5,778 degrees. The coldest, estimated spot in our solar system is on the dark side of our moon, -397 degrees. Now that is a range of temperatures. I can't even think about believing that the range of temperatures we have on earth happened by chance. If our temperature changed by 50 degrees in both directions, life on earth, as we know it, would cease to exist. There isn't another planet in our scientist's range of measurement that is even close to the range of temperatures that we have on earth. Was this really an accident? A result of evolution? I think it is much easier, and a much easier leap, to believe in a Creator, than believe that this all just happened by accident.

Psalm 147:4 says He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. While I can't even get my mind around this kind of omniscient (having infinite knowledge or understanding) creativity, it gives me great comfort to know that I know the Creator that carefully designed the range of temperatures on Earth so that we and every living thing could live, grow, and exalt and praise Him. And, because he knows every detail about our universe, and who knows how many other universes out there, it is obvious to me that He is very much in control. The fact that He allows me to know Him personally makes it complete. Right now, Saturday morning at 11:57 AM, it is 74 degrees. I'm going outside to enjoy the mild summer temperature, and thank God for designing such a wonderful world.

Travelling Mercies

If you've been raised in "the church", you have probably heard, during a prayer meeting, someone ask for travelling mercies. For my readers that were raised in a church, what this person was asking for was safe travel from their home to whatever location they were about to travel to. I always thought this was a funny phrase. Why not just say, "hey, I'm driving to Nashville and back this coming week. Pray for me that I'll have a safe trip".

Last Friday, I found out what travelling mercies is all about. On Wednesday, we loaded up large and medium U-Haul trucks and headed out in a convoy with the trucks, our mini-van and our car. Jason, our oldest son had flown to Tucson to help us load and drive to Carlinville, Illinois. About an hour out of Tucson, the AC in the large truck I was driving stopped working. While it didn't seem to affect the truck's performance, the temperature wasn't very pleasant. A few minutes outside of Deming, New Mexico, the smaller truck that Jason was driving blew a rear tire. Fortunately, he was able to safely get off the roadway and call U-Haul. We were back on the road in an hour or so, but we didn't make it to Socorro, New Mexico like we had wanted. The next morning we started out from Truth and Consequences, New Mexico, header for Chandler, Oklahoma, just east of Oklahoma City. We had discovered that motel rooms were hard to come by on Highway 40 near Oklahoma City because of the Moore tornado just days before. We stopped in Amarillo, Texas to fuel up, and when we climbed back into our vehicles, my truck would not start. We called U-Haul and a mechanic came and diagnosed the problem as being the AC compressor that failed was dragging down the whole engine and the alternator wasn't charging the battery like it should. He said he could probably fix it in 3-4 hours and I'd be on my way. With this information, I sent Kathy, Jason, and Shawn on to Chandler so they could get settled into the motel at a decent hour and I would follow them later that evening. After they had been gone an hour or so, U-Haul decided they couldn't fix the truck until Friday morning. On Friday morning, I called U-Haul to see how the repair was going, only to find that they didn't know where the truck was. It had been towed to the wrong location. After a number of communication snafus, I finally left Amarillo at 11:30 am.

As I entered Oklahoma on Highway 40, I began to see an ominous wall of clouds ahead of me, to my left. The closer I got to OKC, the blacker the clouds became. I had originally planned to stop in OKC for dinner, but then the radio station I was listening to began broadcasting tornado watches, then warnings, and finally "take precautions now", messages. I think all of us have stories of intense prayer in times of stress. I can tell you that my prayer life at that moment escalated to an all-time high. By the time I was an hour or so east of OKC, I began to hear radio reports of another tornado that had touched down and had closed I-40 and I-35. I had been at that intersection as I traveled through OKC!

As I crossed the Oklahoma/Missouri border, I stopped for gas and bought some snacks for dinner. I was determined to beat the bad weather that was right behind me. As I reached Rolla, Missouri, torrential rain, and thunder and lighting caught up with me. I slowed down considerably, and still had times where I was guessing where the lane was because the fastest speed on my wipers couldn't keep the water off the windshield. I drove an hour and a half in this weather. When I reached St. Louis, the rain let up some and I stopped to pick up Josh. He was going to spend the night in Carlinville and help us unload. As we left St. Louis, the weather turned bad again and we passed several sections of neighborhoods along Highway 270 that had no power. When we got to the little town of Gillespie, Illinois, just 12 miles from Carlinville, we were stopped on Highway 4 by the Highway Patrol. They told us a tornado had just gone through there and there were power lines and trees down on the highway. They re-routed us on a couple of very narrow country roads. At 1:30am on Saturday morning my driving saga was over. My spiritual life was in complete order, my prayer life at it's peak. I had experienced travelling mercies... (the picture is of the high school in Gillespie that was nearly completely destroyed by the tornado) If I hadn't stopped to pick Josh up in St. Louis, I probably would have been on Highway 4 when the tornado did its damage.

Travelling Mercies....remember that phrase for your next prayer meeting.

Our Last Night As Residents of Tucson

Ten months have flown by. It seems like just a few days ago we were driving up to our house in Tucson and unloading all of our earthly possessions. Tonight we are packing the last of our belongings, using the last of the tape and packing paper, cleaning out shelves, cleaning the floor under our washer and dryer and a million other tasks. Tomorrow at 8:00am, two professional loaders will start loading all our stuff and later in the day we'll drive four or five hours into New Mexico.

During a break today, I started a mental list of all the things we'll miss. First, we met some wonderful people here in Tucson. The church we came to serve has some great people in the congregation. We have made some lifelong friends here, and we're going to miss them.

We're going to miss the weather. Last Christmas may be the only time Shawn and I wear shorts and tee shirts to put up our Christmas lights on our house. The mild weather was so easy to get used to. Since we live on the eastern edge of Tucson, and our subdivision doesn't have any street lights, we are going to miss the panorama of stars every night. With only 12 inches of rain per year, almost every night is clear, and the beauty of the night sky is incredible.

We're going to miss seeing the mountains. Tucson is surrounded on all four sides by mountains. We're going to miss watching the A-10 Warthog fighter jets flying in formations near our house. Today I watched two jets take off from the Air Force base and watched one of the large transport jets come in to land. At 5:00pm every afternoon, if the wind is blowing just right, you can hear our national anthem being played on the base.

I personally am going to miss all the Hispanic people here, and hearing Spanish being spoken all around me. I have never lived in a place with so many of my own people. I have loved it. I love the diversity of the people. In April I worked the eleven days of our county fair. It was a people-watchers paradise. What fun, and great interaction. I enjoyed every minute of it. The Mexican food in Tucson is fantastic. There is no where else like the Southwest for great Mexican food. We're going to miss it.

We arrived in Tucson, full of optimism and ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Kathy and I could have had a long term positive impact on this church and surrounding community. While we are disappointed it didn't work out for us, we are taking a lot of positive feelings and memories of Tucson. Hasta luego, Tucson.

It Just Didn't Work Out

One day, life can't get any better, and then without warning, it takes a crazy twist and turn. Life is funny that way. For almost two years, our lives have twisted and turned, with wonderful high moments and some low moments that tested everything about us. At the end of the day, sometimes you have to step back and say it just didn't work out. If I've learned anything at all, it is this - it is useless to ask why. Why can't change what just happened, it can't force a "do over," and why doesn't get you down the road. Waiting for a why simply stalls the process of learning and doing that God is taking you through.

Last July, our family moved to Tucson. We were looking forward to joining a church staff, meeting a new congregation of people, and using our years of experience and maturity in a new church setting. We had great success, met a lot of very nice people, and saw good things happen as Kathy and I rolled up our sleeves and went to work. Sadly, for this great congregation of people, and for us, it didn't work out. We worked as hard as we could, and did everything we were asked to do. There is a story here, and someday I may tell it, but the bottom line is, it just didn't work out. The great thing about it is, however, God knew in advance. And because Kathy and I know that, we don't need to know why, we just need to trust that He is in control and He is leading us. Throughout this amazing journey that has spanned almost two years, at times we have felt like Elijah in the desert, being fed by ravens, having all our needs met. At other times we have felt like the widow with the little bit of oil and flour that never gave out, making cake after cake and being awed by God's provision. If anyone doubts that God takes care of His children, we are living examples of His goodness, His care, and the fact that he is never early, never gives us enough to stock up, He gives us what we need right now, no more, no less. I have always believed this, taught it, and have even written about now. Now we have lived it, and Kathy and I can tell you with absolute certainty, God is....period.

I am writing this blog from my new desk at the Illinois District Council of the Assemblies of God retreat and conference grounds. This beautiful facility sits on Lake Williamson and is right next to Carlinville Lake. The home we will move into in a few days is right across the street from one of the lakes. I will be the coordinator of a new Illinois District initiative to help churches and pastors called Midwest Business Church Resources. We have already started to come along side pastors and churches and help them with all of the church business related things they need help with, so they can concentrate on spiritual ministry to their congregations and communities. We are installing and training on software that puts information about a congregation into the hands of pastors on their smart phones, tablets, computers, anywhere they have an internet connection, giving them tools to care for their congregations. We help them with insurance, health and liability, bookkeeping and accounting, land purchases and leases, buildings, human resources, payroll, incorporation and the list goes on and on. Freeing pastors and churches to do the things they do best, touching people's lives with the truth of who God is and the reality that He desires to change lives. Many of our churches are in one of the most dangerous cities in America, Chicago. But regardless, of the situation, He is Lord and Kathy and I are excited about a new challenge. There will be some opportunities for Kathy and I to both use other areas of our experience, and we're looking forward to seeing that come to pass.

I'll write more about this journey later. Right after the District Council meetings that I am here for, I'll fly back to Tucson to finish packing, we'd load up our modern day prairie schooner and head east. It will work out...

Two Mothers

I have had the opportunity of observing several wonderful mothers up close. Many of them have affected my life in meaningful ways. Two of those mothers have been life shapers for me.

My mom is in her early 80s. As I was talking to her on the phone earlier this week, I realized how "spunky" she still is. She has a sharp mind, is very aware of everything going on around her, and she is still my mom, regardless of how old I am. I had called her give her some good news about our immediate future, and she was the ever proud mom, rejoicing in God's goodness, and making me feel good about how much she cares about me and loves me. She has always been a "mama bear" when it came to protecting her children, and that hasn't diminished even as we've all grown up. I remember a few months ago when we were treated very poorly, mama bear was in attack mode! It's probably good she lives a couple of thousand miles away. It may not have gone very good for the person who had tried to harm her children.

As I reflect on my growing up years, and compare it to Kathy and I raising our own children, I realize how much much my mom did. Not only did she run our household, take primary care of being engaged in our education, teach us life lessons and experiences, but at times she also had to work outside our home to help support us. She was a go-getter and a "won't take no for an answer" woman at a time when Hispanic tradition still had subservient roles for their wives and women. She taught herself to drive during this time period when many Hispanic women did not drive, because the men did the driving. She would load my sisters and I up in our 1955 Plymouth and drive round and round our block, learning to shift the gears in our manual transmission car. It's a wonder we all don't have permanent neck damage from all the jerking around we took as she learned how to press the clutch and shift gears in one smooth motion. Driving gave her mobility and freedom that she needed to do a great job as a mom and wife. I love my dad, and miss him terribly, but if the truth be told, it's my mom who was the bedrock of my upbringing. I thank God for a Godly woman, who is loving, giving, smart and totally engaged in life. Happy Mother's day Mom, you are deeply loved.

The other mom in my life that has been a life shaper is my wife. In my next blog I will write more about Kathy, particularly covering the last couple of years. She has been a true life partner, my lover, my teammate, my supporter, a wonderful mom, and a Godly woman. We have been tested in the last two years in ways that we could never have imagined. To watch Kathy walk with me through this testing has been a wonderful thing. She has displayed strength, maturity, and poise that has energized me and helped me display the same characteristics that have helped us live through this time period with complete confidence in God and each other. In August we will celebrate thirty nine years of wonderful marriage. I am so blessed, we are so blessed. Happy Mother's Day, Kathryn, you are the best!

E.T.'s 21st Birthday Is Today

The second half of 2011 and all of 2012 were years of tremendous changes for our family. Most of those changes required patience, maturity, and absolute trust that God was who He says He is. I believe that our three children living at home were the most affected. Nicole had just finished her first semester of college when our world was turned upside down. She has had to grow up in a hurry, and her mother and I are so proud of her and how she has handled the changes. Here is a blog I wrote a few weeks ago just before her wedding. To honor her 21st birthday, I thought I would repeat these words again. They say it so well for me...

In less than twenty four hours, my little E.T. will be married. It doesn't seem possible that this little girl that captured my heart when she joined our family as a foster baby, is old enough to get married. I look at her and see a wonderful young lady who is growing into the young woman that God intends her to be. And then I look again, and she is the tiny, fatherless, fragile, infant that I agonized over in the first few months she was with us. In an earlier blog I tell the story of how putting Nicole to bed every night changed my perspective on my heavenly Father and the care and love He has for me, and Nicole, and each of us. I also tell, in that blog, how she came to be called E.T.

As I write this, I wonder, "have we taught her everything she will need as a married woman?", "will we stay close, or will her new life change cause her to drift away?, "does she feel as bad as I do that we live so far away?" This is one of my biggest regrets, not living close enough to help Nicole and Nick as they finish remodeling their new home. I have given plenty of household repair advise to our other children over the phone, so for now, I guess that is how it will be for Nicole.

I am so happy for her, and Nick, and yet at the same time there is a growing hole in my heart that is full of tears. These tears have been spilling out at the most inopportune times. Letting go of children that you love dearly is one of the hardest things a parent must do. And yet, it is part of the cycle of life. One day she'll call us with the news that there is a little Nicole or Nick on the way, and the cycle will continue.

God is so good, and blesses us abundantly. He has blessed families from the beginning of time, and he has truly blessed ours. My heart is full of thanksgiving today. So don't be put off by this father's tears, they are tears of joy for my little lady's transition into marriage, and they are tears of joy for the years the Lord has granted Kathy and I with this treasure. And maybe a tear or two will be selfish ones that wishes time hadn't gone by so fast...

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Our Oldest Son's Birthday Is Today

Our oldest son, Jason Paul Salazar, has a birthday today. Jason was our "patriotic" baby, born in the year of our country's 200th birthday. We still have his highchair, with "1776-1976" on the back of it.

Jason got a lot of his great qualities from his grandparents. Creativity and orderliness from the Ferrin side and a hard work ethic and determination from the Salazar side. He has his mom's outgoing personality and his father's common sense. Somewhere along the line he became an athlete and I'm not sure where that came from. From very little, Jason could be found keeping rhythm on anything available. Pillows, pots and pans, toys, etc. He also always had a baseball hat on. I suspect that today, he has on a Giants World Series Champions hat on. Being raised in the Bay Area of California, he and his brother are die hard Giants and 49ers fan. It was a great pre-birthday present to have the 49ers win the NFC Championship yesterday and advance to the Super Bowl.

Jason's determination was demonstrated when he was in 9th grade. That summer we all attended our denomination's national conference in Portland, Oregon. All of the Assemblies of God colleges and universities had booths in the exhibit area. Jason spent a lot of time in those booths and he came away from that conference with the determination to attend Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Not only did he graduate from Evangel, he is one year away from becoming a tenured professor of music at that same university. His creativity showed very early and in his senior year he won a national PTA award for an original composition that he composed, scored and recorded. When Jason was in high school, I attended Denver University for a semester to learn how to use brand new music software, Finale. I would come home and show Jason what I had learned and he learned along with me. Today he uses Finale with many of his composing clients, teaches it at the university, and helps his dad with technical support when I need it. (His skill level and understanding of the program passed mine years ago) I suspect he gets a lot of tech support calls.

Jason is a husband, (he married a wonderful young lady, Jennie), and a father to three great children, (Josie was adopted from Haiti three years ago). He is the kind of child that parents thank God every day for. His mom and I are amazed at his creativity. (How do you hear a full orchestra in your head, put all the parts down on a computer, print them all and then have a full orchestra play your score?) While we are proud of all the work he has done to this point for so many diverse clients, I know one day he'll call and tell us that he's going to be working on a major film score. And he'll do that while spending time with his with, taking time to coach his son's teams, going to their concerts and plays, and taking care of all the things that need to be done around his home. (Did I mention he'll be starting a PhD sometime soon?)

So Jason, enjoy your day, enjoy this year, and many more years to come. Your mom and I are amazed at the wonderful gift that God entrusted to us 37 years ago. We can't wait to see what He does in you, and through you in the years to come.