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.

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 6

The end of Christmas week is always bittersweet. Sweet because Christmas has finally come, and then bitter because by the end of the week, Christmas begins to end. Yesterday I saw two Christmas trees on their way to being recycled, and it made me a little sad. One of my fondest childhood Christmas memories was lying on my stomach as far under our Christmas tree as I could get, reading a book by the light of the tree lights and enjoying the pine scent as I read. This year, Kathy and I created an inadvertent Christmas memory by sleeping in our living room, near our tree, with the lights on the tree and our window candle lights lit all night. Kathy's parents spent Christmas with us and we gave them our room to sleep in. We enjoyed eight nights with our tree. A few nights I woke briefly, and the multi-colored lights bathing our room, and the peacefulness of the atmosphere was wonderful. I learned to love the story of Christmas as a child, and it has only intensified as an adult.

For almost every year of my adult life, I have planned, rehearsed and performed one or more Christmas concerts, plays, or events for the various churches that I have served. I normally began working on the event sometime in June, and normally performed the last of the Christmas music for the year on the last Sunday of the year. While I have heard colleagues say after a long season of planning, rehearsing, and performing  something like "I'm glad that is over," I have never ever felt that way. In fact, for me, it was the other way around. Turning the last page, of the last song, at the last performance, was always a sad moment. I think if we could, I would have loved performing the concert or play, every day of the year. I would be like the little girl who loved Christmas so much, she'll willed it into existence. (Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells)

I think because of all the research, reading the story hundreds of times, listening to copious amounts of music to glean the best each year to perform, reading many Christmas stories each year, and all of the other Christmas planning, I have become a true Christmas fan. I love every moment from the beginning to the end. However, since the story is so embedded in my heart and spirit, the story never ends for me. As each season of the church goes by in the year, it simply builds on His coming, Emmanuel, God with us. It is not accidental that the New Year begins a week after Christmas Day. Peace, hope, love, and sense of God's presence and guidance, should propel us into a new year filled with expectancy, hope, and gratitude that God is with us! 

God's first act of creation was, and God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Gen 1:3 The prophet Isaiah wrote, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isa 9:2 Our nation and world are in desperate need of the Light. They must know that the Light has dawned. As our nation approaches a new year of uncertainty, Christians must let the Light shine through their lives. Christ did come as a baby, but He is still among us now as God Eternal, Powerful, desiring to touch our lives with His Spirit. God is with us...

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 5

Today's blog is a slight departure from the actual Christmas story. I have always loved the idea of Santa Claus. Now I know that many Christians have a problem including Santa Claus in their Christmas celebrations. Some see him as a competitor to Jesus. Yet Santa, unlike traditions such as Christmas trees, holly, and mistletoe, is at least partially based on Christian principles and the example of Christian men. There is nothing theological about Santa, but there is a great deal that makes him the perfect secular companion for the holy day when we stop and recognize Christ's birth.

Santa Claus's roots can be traced back to St. Nicholas of Bari. The son of wealthy parents, Nicholas was born in the fourth century in the the own of Patara, Lycia (now part of Turkey). Legend records that when his parents died, the young man took all the family's money and distributed it to the needy in his hometown. He then accepted the call to full time Christian service, becoming a monk when he was only seventeen and, shortly thereafter, a priest. Nicholas was a remarkable man, exhibiting a maturity that few gain in their lifetime. He was said to have saved many lives and to have been a powerful prayer warrior. Yet far more than his spiritual powers, it was his generosity that most endeared Nicholas to those who knew him and that made him into a legend that lives on today. One of the wonderful stories about Nicholas's generosity tells about a widower and his three teenage daughters. The impoverished man and his family were literally starving to death. As the story goes, the widower was considering selling a daughter into slavery. However, each time Nicholas was in town, a gold coin was found in the stocking of one of the daughters that had been washed and hung by the fire to dry. Nicholas's generosity kept this family together.

The date of Nicholas's death, December 6th, probably in the late 340s or early 350s, was one of great sadness of the people of ancient Asia Minor. But he was not forgotten. On every anniversary of his passing, his life was commemorated with an annual feast. On St. Nicholas's Eve, youngsters would set out food for Nicholas and straw for his donkey. The next morning obedient children awoke to find their gifts replaced with sweets and toys. St. Nicholas's Day is still observed in many countries and on this day gifts are exchanged in honor of the spirit of faith, hope, and charity that he embodied.

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 4

Every year, just after Thanksgiving, I begin to look for Christmas lights. Not the commercial mall or store displays that go up before Halloween, but the lights that people put on their houses. It is fun to watch more and more houses decorated. More than once we have gone way out of our way to drive down a street where we spotted lights from an intersection. Normally, I try to be an electricity miser, reminding everyone in our household to turn out lights and shut off appliances that aren't being used. But when Christmas comes, it all changes. The more lights the better. The picture you see on this page is one of the days right after Thanksgiving. It was in the mid 80s the day that Shawn and I hung our outdoor lights. When we lived in Colorado and St. Louis, we froze some years trying to get the lights up. This year we were sweating by the time we were done. But it didn't matter, there is something about lights and Christmas that simply go together.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah first put light and Christmas together. Looking into the future, he wrote: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. (Isaiah 9:2) The meaning of his words became clear when, seven centuries later, a man named Simeon saw the Christ Child and proclaimed in prayer: I have seen the Savior You have given the world, the Light that will shine upon the nations. (Luke 2:30-32) It is amazing what just a little pin point of light will do to darkness. It's even more amazing to see an entire block of houses lit up in the most creative ways. Even the most crooked string of lights gives off a glow that shines through the night.

So while we should all try and conserve energy, at Christmas, I think its okay to turn on the lights! Jesus Christ, the Light of Christmas, has come!

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 3

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Luke 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (emphasis mine) In the approximate 3,100 years of recorded history, only 287 years, or 92 %, have been recorded without a war somewhere in the world. Over 8,000 peace treaties have been agreed to, and broken. In the year I was born, the Arab-Israeli war was on. When I began junior high school, the Sino-Indian was was just ending, the Cold War was in full swing, and the Viet Nam war was just beginning. Throughout my lifetime, there has not been a year of peace. Today, the Middle East has several war hot spots, North Korea is poised to flex its muscles with a missile launch and African countries are skirmishing in border disputes, race wars and other difficulties. Even at the time of Christ's birth, Quirinius,the governor of Syria, was fighting a war in Macedonia.

Christ came to bring peace to the heart, not to the nations. The disciples expected Christ to become the political and military head of the government  They expected a kingdom, but he came to establish the Kingdom in our hearts. Even today, some Christians believe that somehow the world is going to improve, that things will get better as there is more influence for good. That somehow God's Kingdom is going to be established among the nations. The truth is, we are seeing mankind at its worst, sliding down the slope of complete Godlessness. This season, Christ is still changing lives for good, but He does it like He always has, one at a time. We can help people find Him, and peace. John 14:27 I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left — feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. (from THE MESSAGE)

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 2

Quite often the portrayal of Mary is of this young teenager who isn't quite sure what is happening to her. Oh, she knows she's pregnant, but it seems like she is cast as just another character in a story that rightly features the Savior of the world. If you look closely in Luke 1 and 2, you get a glimpse of a very strong and aware young lady, who has spent some quality time thinking and working through her situation. Luke 1:46-55 says: And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." (emphasis mine)

Mary understands that what is happening to her will have multi-generational implications, and that the birth of the Savior is prophetic fulfillment that had its roots in God's promise to Abraham to build a nation that is culminating very soon with the birth of the Savior. How does she stay humble under these circumstances? How does she not start telling everyone that she comes into contact with, that she is going to deliver the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? Luke 2:19 gives us a clue. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. This verse comes directly after the visit by the shepherds. The word "pondered" means to consider something deeply and thoroughly, mediate, to weigh carefully in the mind. I suspect that in Mary's deep consideration of all the events that were happening, the Holy Spirit helped her keep everything in the proper perspective.

In his book, "God Came Near", Max Lucado has a chapter titled "Twenty-Five Questions For Mary". Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep in your arms? Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world? Twenty five great questions, questions that helped Mary keep the balance between being called "blessed" throughout the generations, and quietly pondering her role in mothering the Savior of the world. More on Mary, and this amazing Christmas story, later...

The Amazing Christmas Story - Part 1

Every year as I read and study the Christmas story, I bemoan the fact that in each of the Gospels, along with the Old Testament prophecies, there is so little written of the "behind the scenes" narrative. For instance, there are only 13 verses in the book of Luke that tell about the angelic visitation to the shepherds and their encounter with the Christ child. I would love a little background on these guys and maybe even some "what are they doing now" information. How did this encounter change their lives? Did they remain shepherds? Did they become followers of Jesus?

One of the most dynamic encounters for me comes in Luke, chapter 1, where Mary visits Elizabeth.
Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,
  You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! 
  And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? 
  The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears,
  The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. 
  Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! (The Message)

When Kathy was pregnant with our three children, I enjoyed having her put my hands on her belly and feel each baby move. Sometimes they were subtle movements, and other times they were real kicks. In Elizabeth's case, the narrative says the baby "leaped in her womb" and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. What a dramatic encounter. Somehow I don't think this was an isolated event. While I realize that Elizabeth was carrying John, who would be the prophetic announcer of the coming the Messiah, somehow I've got to think that there must have been other encounters like this. Mary, at the market, and suddenly a vendor breaks into tears as she shares with Mary her loneliness, or sadness because of a broken relationship. As Mary interacts with other women of her age, and the realization among them that there is a wonderful sense of peace and contentment among them. Even her times with Joseph, and his wondering about the feeling he is sensing as he sits with Mary, a peace that washes over him, even as he tries to sort out the dilemma that he is in. I'm sure that every time Joseph was with Mary, the words of the angel came back to him, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Do you think he dared put his hands on Mary's belly and feel the baby Jesus move and kick? Do you think Joseph was filled with the Holy Spirit as he sat next to Mary? Somehow I feel that from the beginning, these two, plus the people closest to them, all knew that a supernatural event was taking place. We'll explore this in a few Christmas posts this month.

We Are So Blessed

This time of year always increases our thinking about personal thanksgiving. In years when a person has had a lot of great things happen, it is easy to be thankful. In years when things haven't gone too well, it takes a lot more effort. In fact, in those lean years, it is easy to dwell on all the difficult stuff, and willfully abstain from giving thanks for the many blessings that grace our lives. For me, and my immediate family, this is our second Thanksgiving season in a row where circumstances are far less favorable than they have been in the past. As I have been thinking about thanksgiving, the idea of a line graph came to mind. At the left, bottom end would be the worst off person in the world. At the top right would be the best off person in the world. Where would I rank in this graph?

Almost immediately I thought of the poorest of the poor, the child that dies every 4 seconds, children who do not live past infancy or early childhood. The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. 21,000 a day who are the poorest of the poor. I thought about the young mother in our church who just found out that her cancer has spread, and will probably take her life without a miracle from God. A young mother who has children to finish raising, who deserves to enjoy her future grandchildren. This week I observed, again, an older Tucson resident pushing all her belongings in a shopping cart, along a street that probably leads to nowhere for this poor lady. I have never had to deal with anything like this...

So where do I fit on this imaginary line graph. Pretty close to the top. As I pray for my extended family each day, I thank God for his tremendous blessings to us all. All of us are in good health, living relatively comfortable lives with a sturdy roof over our heads and plenty to eat. God has blessed Kathy and I with wonderful children, great spouses for our married children, and some of the best grand-kids in the world. As I think about it, the only area that has been very difficult, in the past 17 months, actually disastrous, has been financial. It will take some time, but God will help us recover in this area. His promises are true, and Kathy and I are standing on them.

We are blessed, no doubt about it, we are blessed. Thanksgiving is happy, because we are blessed. Have a happy Thanksgiving, as you thank God for your blessings and for placing you near the top of my graph.

Why I Voted for A Change In Leadership Today

Today I voted for a change in leadership. As I have looked back over the past four years, considered the state of our country and my own personal family's situation, I came to the conclusion that the President has not convinced me that the next four years will be any different than the last four years. Consider just these few facts:

 A gallon of regular gasoline the day President Obama was inaugurated was $1.79 on average in the U.S. Today that price is $3.59, a 100.6% increase. The number of food stamp recipients has risen since President Obama took office from 31,983,716 to 43,200,878, a 35.1% jump. Long term unemployment soared 146.2% during the same 32 month period from 2,600,000 to 6,400,000. American citizens living in poverty have risen 9.5% from 39,800,000 to 43,600,000, and the number of unemployed has jumped almost 25% from 11,616,000 to 14,485,000 as of August 31, 2011. The number of unemployed blacks has risen from 12.6% at the end of George Bush’s term to 15.8% today, a 25.4% increase, and finally, our national debt is up 34.4% from 10.627 trillion to 16,278 trillion. I am not an economist, but even I know that the U.S. cannot sustain this level of debt indefinitely. 

There are many more areas I could write about, but I want to keep this short. My own experience in these past four years has been 14 months of unemployment and under-employment. Because the church I worked for is exempt from paying into the unemployment insurance fund, my family had no "safety net" during those 14 months. In spite of that, we did not seek any governmental assistance. I am presently stuck with a house I can't sell because the real estate market is still incredibly depressed, and we're going "into the hole" by $1,500 a month, paying for a mortgage and keeping the utilities on so our house can be shown for sale, while maintaining another household in the new state we are living in. While I am incredibly thankful for the full time job I have, my salary is 23% lower, because most companies have hundreds of applicants for most jobs, and therefore, pay and benefits can be reduced.

I know that our trust cannot be in man, and the Scriptures admonish me to pray for our leaders, regardless of their political affiliations. However, presented with a clear choice, I made my choice. I will pray for whomever is elected, and trust God for better days ahead.

Family Time In Heaven

This past weekend we celebrated the wedding of our youngest daughter to our new son-in-law. It was a wonderful few days of events, family being together and sending off the bride and groom to their new life together. Because each day had a predefined agenda, before we knew it, the time had flown by, and it was time to each go our separate ways. There were several people I wanted to sit down with and just talk, and spend time with some family members that we live quite a ways away from. Unfortunately, it didn't all happen because of the event we were attending and the short amount of days that each of us could be away from our jobs and homes.

All this got me thinking about Heaven and the gathering of families there. First, the description makes Heaven huge. 1,400 miles wide, deep and high. A metropolis of this size in the middle of the United States would stretch from Canada to Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains to the California border. If each level were a mile apart, can you imagine 1,400 stories of area 1,400 miles square? There would be plenty of room for large, multi-generational families to gather and live together. As for families being together, Genesis 25:11 says Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. The Bible uses that phrase "gathered to his people" more than once. In Luke 22, Christ said, "Take this [cup] and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes" (emphasis mine) In other words, people who related together in this world, would be united again in Heaven.

I think we will have plenty of time to share with each other, and live together. The question is, how far back will each family go. For instance, I never knew any of my great grandparents. I only heard stories about them. How about great-great-grandparents? I think it would be wonderful to be able to interact with many generations, both from the past and into the future. If God grants us even a little bit of His omniscience, (infinite knowledge), we would be able to remember names, places, and events and build on each relationship throughout eternity. Perhaps when the Bible talks about mansions being built, it might mean huge gathering communities where generations of a family would live together. It also would have to be able to account for all the families that are related by marriage. The organizational matrix would be incredible. But God just happens to be that way, incredible. Just the glimpse He gives us in His creation of our world, and the wonders of its intricacies, tell me He would have no problem with family organization in Heaven. So, for all those conversations I wanted to have --- they'll have to wait, but I really think they'll take place one day.

Mrs. Loehr

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...

Random Thoughts About Living In Tucson

We arrived in Tucson, Arizona, eight weeks ago today. It has been quite an adjustment from living in St. Louis. Here are some random thoughts from my first eight weeks here.

The desert starts to grow on you, the more you spend time in it. The picture to the right is the view I have every morning when I walk. The main road near our home turns into a dirt road close to our house, and there are numerous trails off the road to walk. Tucson is surrounded by mountains on three sides. There is something comforting about mountains. I have enjoyed seeing roadrunners, rabbits, lizards, and quail on my walks. I'm still watching for deer, gila monsters, and javalinas. (wild pig like animals)

Yesterday, while I was walking, I watched five Air Force A-10 fighter jets take off from Davis Monthan Air Force base. I have always loved seeing military aircraft in flight. We have a lot of military aircraft in the air in Tucson. This is a real treat. Davis Monthan AFB is also a storage facility for hundreds and hundreds of military aircraft. I drive by a lot of them on the way to and from work. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing them.

Pima County, our county, is broke, like many counties across the country. I have never driven on so many poorly surfaced roads as I have in Tucson. I imagine the car repair and particularly the wheel alignment sector of the economy ought to be doing good here. Supposedly, there is no money to repair roads. However, almost every main street here has clearly marked bike lanes, complete with signs that tell motorists to give bikes the right of way. The bike lanes seem to be in better shape than the roads. Because the weather is so nice for so much of the year, you can bike nearly year around here.

I have been surprised by how many people have tattoos here. And not just tiny tattoos on shoulders or ankles. We're talking big tattoos on arms and legs and necks and other places. Since it is hotter here, a lot more tattoos show than they would in Minnesota. In Tucson, tattoos aren't found on just younger people. People of all ages have a lot of tattoos. Maybe it's because Tucson was a wild West town in the old days and some of that wild West feel still prevails. Maybe it's because Tucson is "artsy" and more liberal politically. Maybe it's just that I lived a somewhat sheltered life the past ten years in an affluent area of St. Louis where having visible tattoos isn't cool. Maybe I'm just getting old...

This is Mexican food heaven. Between all the tortilla bakeries, restaurants and by-the-side-of-the-road stands, a person could gain a lot of weight living in Tucson. Sometime soon we are going to sample a dish invented here in Tucson called a Sonoran hot-dog. I'll let you know how it tastes. After just eight weeks here, I'm thinking the menu at the marriage supper of the Lamb is going to have to be tamales, enchiladas, tacos, pinto beans and all the other great Mexican cuisine. I've roasted several pounds of green chili in our oven and the smell is overwhelmingly wonderful. Anyone who visits us, and loves Mexican food, is going to be for a treat.

Well, that's it for now. I'll write on again on this topic. We've only scratched the surface of this place in our first eight weeks.

Class Warfare and the Book of Acts

This year I have been reading a daily devotional book by E. Stanley Jones, written in the 1930s. E. Stanley Jones was an incredible missionary to India, South America, and visited many other countries. It is said that he delivered 60,000 sermons or lectures in his life time, sometimes preaching or teaching 6-7 times a day. One of the marks of his life was that he brought Christ to India. His message of Christ and His love was not tied to a church, or dogma, or even attempts to "Americanize" East Indians. His message was simply the Christ of the Bible, who loved the Indian people dearly and gave His life for them.

One of the interesting sections of the devotional book I am reading deals with Jones' view on Christians and possessions. When I first began reading through this section, I thought to myself, this hints of Christian socialism. Jones puts forth the idea that we are responsible for each other. Christ's church, the people, should look after each other, just like the first church, as described in the book of Acts. More on that in a minute. However, the more I read, the more I understood what E. Stanley Jones was trying to say.

Fast forward to one of the political hot potatoes this year. The idea of the "1% versus the 99%", "take from the rich and give to the poor", "there is class warfare in this country", etc. Part of the debate centers on the idea that the richest people, those making over $250,000 a year, can afford to pay a lot more than the rest of us. The other side argues that you stifle small business and business expansion when you tax the people who are most likely to help our economy recover. One party is hoping that the voters will want to have a government that gives them money, or goods, just because they happen to fall into a lower economic level. The other party is hoping that the American voters will understand that the economy must be stimulated by private enterprise and you do whatever it takes to help business begin to expand again.


Acts 4:32-36 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. (emphasis mine) For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales  and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. 

This was the beginning of the dynamic New Testament church. Throughout history, when the church of Jesus Christ really acted like the church, great things happened. A government led program to level out our economy will never work. It may finally result in civil unrest and a collapse of order. But what about the early church? What a magnificent pattern of caring for each other. I'm still mulling this over, but I think there is a lot here that we, as church leaders and parishioners, need to consider. More on this...

Making Our Will Coincide With God's

One of the interesting learning opportunities over the past few months has been to see my prayer life evolve. A lot changes when the direction of your life takes a drastic, unplanned, and unpleasant turn. A couple of things I realized very quickly, the intensity of my prayer life increased, and I spent much more time praying for those people I love and care about, my family. In the busyness of a job and family life, sometimes it is easy to "skim over the important stuff" and only pray about the things you need. During the weeks where I had a lot more time, the combination of meditating on God's Word and praying that Word, resulted in learning some incredible truth about who God is, what He was saying to me, particularly through His Word, and the re-arranging of my prayer priorities.

For the past month, I have been settling into my new full time church pastoral position in Tucson, Arizona. We've been trying to return to normal. (I'm not sure that normal exists any longer) In this first month, however, one of our car engines was ruined, so we lost that car, and this week our house sale in Missouri fell apart when the buyer decided she really didn't want to buy a house after all. That means that for the time being, we are paying to maintain two households, and we eventually need to do something about replacing our second car. How do we pray about these major things that are financial roadblocks to returning to normalcy?

First, I have learned that prayer is not bending God to our will. In other words, our needs and priorities are not the important things here. Prayer is bringing our will to God's. Prayer does not pull God to us, it pulls us to God. Prayer aligns our will with His will, so that He can do things through us that He would not otherwise have been able to do. Prayer is not convincing God that He needs to act on our behalf, but it is resting in the knowledge that prayer is unlocking His ability to move on our behalf. God already knew that our car was going to overheat and the engine would be ruined. He knew before we did that our buyer would not follow through on her commitment to purchase our house. He also knows what our income is, what our expenses are, and how we are trying to make everything work out. So, while I might remind God from time to time what our needs are, I am much more interested in knowing His will for us, and watching how He will deal with our situation. If you are facing some insurmountable mountains of unpleasant circumstances, align your will with God's will. Even though it is hard to give up the desire to be a "fixer," give up your fixer will to God and rest in the knowledge that He already knew your situation, He already knows the solution, and He's waiting for you to surrender your independence to Him. I'm right with you, trying to do the same thing...