Fontana Adopt A Block

In the very first post on this site we discussed an outreach event my mens group and I have been a part of. This past Saturday we attended our 13th month supporting the event.

Something was different this month from all the previous ones and it gave new meaning to all our service.

I was fortunate enough to have the presence of mind this past Saturday to watch God working in our midst and capture it on my camera. As the message was spoken many people accepted Christ. It was truly a special moment to behold. In all the months we have been working together on this ministry we have not been blessed to see this many people accept Christ, yet today the raised hands were unmistakable. Why was this? or should I was ?pourquoi était? Yes my friends the message was translated into spanish Praise God!

I love the fact that scattered throughout the
pictures are members of my small group loving people serving people. If only more groups could experience the joy from this and other outreach events. As was said in church a few weeks back we don't have to go far outside the walls of our campus to find the mission field. It is all around us.


I hope you appreciate the images and the eternal impact of serving our Lord.

All I can say is praise God


Amen

Love Your Wife as Christ Loved the Church

Have you ever stopped to consider what God meant with this statement?

For me it is clear, we are called to love our wifes sacrificially. Love them in a way that they know you are willing to make their needs more important than your own. With this in mind I volunteered to lead a children's ministry class at my church this weekend. You see my wife was planning to attend a womens retreat as were many of the ladies who normally volunteer in this ministry.

So I agreed to lead a classroom. This may seem like no big thing to you after all its just two hours whats the big deal. Well I volunteer in a number of other capacities closer to or in my gifts. Leading a bible study for kids, no that is not in my gifts. I have been known to say I have no intention of volunteering in Children's ministry. Gods sense of humor at work again, never say never.

You know it was fun. A lot of the facilitation and leadership skills I use with adults worked equally well with the 40 ten year olds I was trying to lead. It was messy and certainly I did not have everyones attention the whole time. There were some connections though, places where eye contact belayed a new friendship. Someone looking at me as a teacher not just some old guy. The kids were respectful and anxious to be. They wanted to be heard and to test out their fledgling Christianity.

A Lot like adults

I was honored to serve Gods children this day

What fun

I just might have to return and lead in the Children's ministry again

Praise you father
praise your providence your wisdom
Thank you for the opportunity to serve your people
thank you

Amen

Read This!

A colleague of mine up in Toronto Canada posted a blog article that I want you to read. It is so profoundly moving that I have to fully recommend you check out her blog. While you read it make contact with this brave lady and share your encouragement with her.


Irene's Just Coach It blog


God bless you

Service in Christ

Hey everyone it has been a while. In the past six weeks my focus has wandered and the moments where I had something to write about few. There were many attacks, many diversions many excuses. Yesterday the Lord laid a story on my heart that I need to share. It is about service.

There is a feeling of uncertainty and excitement when you step out into the mission field. It does not occur as you leave your house, as you drive in your car, or as your ego searches for reasons not to show up. It happens the moment you step into the event, the environment, the community. It could be a city park, a homeless shelter, a tent city, a soup kitchen; the venue does not matter it happens every time. The feeling of excitement to know that finally, today, I can forget all the troubles of my world and serve someone else less fortunate then I. Finally I can do God’s work, not in a pay it forward kind of way, no today I get to serve in obscurity. No one other than my small group and the people I touch will ever know I was here. No one that is except the only one who really matters, God.

That same moment you step into the fray you may not know what to do. People swirl around you looking for all the world like they know what they are doing. You have been faithful and showed up but now you need to figure out what to do. You seek a leader someone who has it together and ask for guidance. You are given a role a job to do. Your ego revolts claiming the work is below you. You should have no part in this enterprise. Are there not others who are paid to do this type of work? But then this is ego of course he will revolt. Somewhere in the process the Holy Spirit shows up. He always does. He works a miracle in your heart. He softens it. Soon the tasks that once seemed beneath you now take on a whole new meaning. It is life itself that you are serving, cleaning, sharing, moving; life abundantly as a child of God. You are connected into something supernatural something beyond comprehension. Then there are the miracles. The lives transformed, the friendships started, the people healed, the hungry fed. It happens every time.

You pray for people who are desperate. They do not resist, they do not walk away. No they quiet themselves and allow you to pray for them. The Holy Spirit once again shows up and melts your heart and theirs connecting the two for a moment in time. Some of the people speak no English yet they hear your prayer, they need it, they want it, they are grateful. God shows up and ministers to his people. Somehow the food never runs out, the love continues on and the workers never grow tired. God shows up.

Then comes the jubilation. The prayers of praise for what God has done in our midst. The testimony and witness we provide when we love others unconditionally. There is the life changing profound impact we have on our children as they join us in this labor of love. The afterglow of serving others lasts well into the day, well after the last person has been cared for. It lasts for several days and when your small group meets again the stories of victory in Christ are retold with excitement and wonder. Lives transformed in the community, lives transformed in the small group. God shows up.

So why is it that so few people take the step into the mission field? Why do they smile politely make vague commitments and then find excuses when the time comes. Why do they avoid the topic? Why?

Do they feel unworthy?

Do they feel guilty?

Are they too busy?

Do they have somewhere else to be?

Do they have something more important to do?

I know that for several years I wanted to serve yet I did not make it happen. That is until one day in the spring of 07 when my heart was so heavy at not serving that I drew a line in the sand. In fact as a small group leader I drew it for my small group. I need to serve I told them. I do not care what it is I do but I need to serve, my heart is aching to serve. We have been together a long time and our group has not made this leap of faith. I believe we need to serve together. I believe so strongly that if we cannot find somewhere to serve together I am out. I cannot continue in this group without serving with you guys somewhere. That is how my men’s group came to be a part of the Fontana Adopt a Block event. Faithfully for 13 months my group has packed food, prayed, served food, prayed some more, met the poor, helped the poor. We are richly blessed to be a part of this important ministry. Our group has blossomed ever since growing to three times the size it was only a year ago. This Easter we impacted the lives of over one thousand people in south Fontana. God showed up in our community, God showed up in group.

Last week my other small group stepped out in faith to serve at the clothing ministry. Once again that familiar twinge of excitement and uncertainty was present as I crossed the threshold. Today we would take dust covered boxes of donated clothes sort through them. Some items would go to the store others would be donated to the Mexico ministry. As I surveyed the wall of 2 year old donated boxes a question pierced my heart. Why did these donations meant to bless others have to sit for so long unsorted. How many poor people might have benefited from a warm coat, a blanket, a pair of shoes, a dress? We will never know.

My mind flashed back to a question that had haunted me the first day I arrived at the Adopt A Block outreach thirteen months prior; where are all the people from Water of Life?

Who are you serving…

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2

No prayer father only heartache for your people

I love you

amen

Photos of God's country

Earlier this year I posted a two part story on a hike I took with God just after Christmas. Believe it or not it took me till now to get the pictures off of my wife's camera. I want to share a few of them with you as they turned out amazingly well and so clearly validate the story of my journey. Go back and have a look at the posts here Part 1 and here Part 2


The trip started with about a 4-5 mile hike upward. Part way up (about 3 miles) there is a plateau I talked about in the post. I stopped there to finally touch the pine trees that had stood sentinal over my time in Southern California.




















The view into the valley below was stunning and vast, too vast to take in all at once.
















Leaving this place I hiked further upward stopping only to take in the breath taking beauty of the mountain range.















Midway through the hike I came across a solitary fireplace chimney















Finally I rested beside streams of cool mountain water and prayed.




















This truly was a time of great intimacy with God and a journey I will repeat. I encourage you to find your own way to take solitary time with God as well you will not regret it.

A Very Cool Honor

I have shared before that I start each day in the word listening to Brian Hardin's podcast The Daily Audio Bible. Once again I highly recommend it. But my podcast learning habit does not stop there, it barely begins.

Another podcast I listen to is The Bible Podcast by Michael Lee. I love the cool music and the clear engaging voice Mr. Lee uses in reading scripture. Well at the end of his casts he asks the question "if you want to contribute a chapter..." I was intrigued. I contacted Mr. Lee and asked if I could do exactly that.

He offered me Judges 18 to read. Late last week I sent him off an MP3 file and hoped for the best. My sound equipment is at best decent but not professional by any means. It is funny when I saw Judges 18 on his site I thought hmmm he must not have liked my recording it shows his name on it.

Then I listened to the cast. Yup it was me!

Why do I share this? I love the fact that I got to read the word of God and the world can listen to the voice he gave me reading his words. The best part is they won't even know it was me unless they read my blog that is.

What was that verse about not letting the left hand know what the right is doing?

The irony is delicious!

Be blessed and have a listen here

Lord, How do I open the eyes of my Heart?

Open the eyes of my heart

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

(Repeat two more times)

Holy, holy, holy
We cry holy, holy, holy
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to see you

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
You are holy, holy, holy
I want to see you

Michael W. Smith

The Heart?

I shared a few weeks back that I am an engineer. I have a tendency to look at the world with a dispassionate analytic perspective. For many years this was a significant stumbling block in my faith life. Heck for most of my life as an engineer I had no faith life. Yet somewhere along the way Jesus showed up. He brought the Holy Spirit with him and started to minister to the emptiness that had taken residence in my soul. It was a very painfully empty God shaped hole within me.

I shared the story of that time a while back as well, that is not the point here just the context. You see I want to talk about the eyes of my heart. In 2002 I first discovered Michael W. Smith. A friend had recommended him to me as an excellent Christian artist that I might like. Like, I loved him! I could not get enough of listening to his music. In fact this was the start of a six year love affair with worship music that is not soon to end. Check out My Private Worship Time if you want perspective.

There were many songs at the time that I loved yet one stood out; Open the Eyes of my Heart.

Here is where the engineer and the Christian setup a cognitive dissonance (fancy term for two opposing ideas held in the mind that cannot be resolved). Essentially the meaning of this song was lost on me. How could I see with my heart?

Well….

That was then, this is now

In the past several weeks I have had a number of experiences that when considered from the right perspective offered me a glimpse into the meaning of this song. The perspective is that of heaven or the kingdom instead of a worldly one.

There was the time when in worship and prayer my heart ached so hard for the Lord that I wanted to cry. I prayed instead, on my knees, until the feeling passed.

There was the time my heart ached for the men I work with and a difficult decision they face. I cannot bear the thought of them hurting. I prayed for them until the ache stopped.

There was the time at a worship service I closed my eyes and took in the scene. I believe the lord was clearly showing me how to see with my heart in his realm. It was so peaceful so wonderful. I was content to be in his presence and I know that had I quieted my mind even further I would have seen his angels ministering to his people.

This morning as I listened to my daily audio bible segment, courtesy of Brian Hardin, my heart leapt as the word from Leviticus started. All at once I felt present with Brian half way around the world in India connected through a supernatural link.

Close my eyes and see?

So now I know that there are times that I can close my eyes and see as he does. I can trust my heart instead of my eyes. I can trust in him and see his people with love.

I am further honored that though this gift from the Lord is momentary and seemingly random that all the prayers I have pleaded all the times I have asked for a new heart are being answered He is constructing a new heart in me, a renewed spirit. He is teaching me to love without condition to care without boundary.

I am a blessed man

In him

Ron

As Iron Sharpens Iron

As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Last Sunday I was talking to a brother in the faith and co-laborer in my churches men’s ministry leadership. We were discussing our vision and in particular the verse from Proverbs that most men know by heart, as iron sharpens iron…

This verse makes me want to meet other Rons ;-) (as I ron sharpens I ron…) so much for my sense of humor.

Ya, okay…

I am sure that none of you know what I do for a living and fewer (if that were possible) would know what I went to college for a couple of decades back. Well let me tell you, I am a metallurgist. Metallurgical engineering is somewhat of a lost science. There are few of us who go into this noble field of study. It is in many ways the modern form of the blacksmith. Of course it is engineering as well. Blacksmith, calculus chemistry and heat transfer, a strange stew indeed.

What the heck does all this have to do with faith you might ask? Well let me tell you. I learned long ago that if your eyes are open the Lord can show you connections in the most unlikely places. As Jesus taught in parables, there are wonderful metaphors out there just waiting to create meaning for us.

“As Iron”

Have you ever stopped to consider how iron or steel are made into something useful?

I have worked in modern blast furnaces, steelmaking shops, hot mills, cold mills, literally the whole process. I have studied ancient metallurgy, how dirt is transformed into a metal. I was led through the whole process both literally and figuratively in thought and in action.

Iron is a very interesting metal. On its own it is fairly ordinary, dull, soft and prone to rust. You would not want to build much with it, it would not hold up. Funny thing though contaminate it with minute amounts of other metals or other “dirt” and you can make it extremely strong, hard as well nails, tougher than pretty much any other metal.

Ancient iron (biblically) would have been like this, impure. The processes used today to make steel and iron so remarkably versatile had not yet been imagined. So we start with iron mixed with impurities of carbon, manganese, silicon, sulphur etcetera.

If you think about butter or cheese what happens to it just before it turns to liquid? It gets remarkably soft, same with iron. The easiest way to shape iron into something useful is to heat it in a hot fire, the hotter the better. In fact somewhere above 750 degrees Celsius (1350 F) is where you would want to be. If you go to a blacksmith you would find him working the metal to a bright red / orange color which is as much as 1900 F. As I said at this temperature steel / iron is soft and pliable.

If you were to want to make a sword you would take the metal up to this temperature then beat it with a hammer on an anvil into the approximate shape you wanted. Since it would cool and harden quickly you would alternate between heating and beating the metal into shape.

“Sharpens Iron’

The next step is to begin to get the metal to the toughness you want with the ability to hold a sharp edge. How do you do this? Well the process is quite fascinating.

First you must quench the metal from its high temperature. The metal must start from above 1350 and be brought as quickly as possible down to a low temperature. In this form the metal is brittle, so brittle in fact that it is like glass. If you gave it a sharp blow it would shatter into many pieces.

From here we reheat the steel (not too hot) just enough to relieve the internal stresses caused by the quench. This process known as tempering provides the toughness required to enable the metal to be used without breaking. Depending on application there might even be a follow up process of hardening an edge of the metal like a sword where the quench and temper process is repeated or the metal is treated with a chemical and heated to enable the edge to stay sharp and hard during use.

The process can be summed up by a favorite phrase of metallurgists:

“Heating, beating and treating”

“So One Man”

Alright enough with the metallurgy class! What does this have to do with faith?

I believe the verse in proverbs 27 is talking directly to men about the transformation they will undergo as they mature into true believers in Christ.

Our transformation begins when we invite accept Christ as our Lord and savior. It continues as we invite the Holy Spirit to come into our heart and lead us in the faith. It goes deeper as we realize we are called to community with other believers. When men come alongside other men there is something powerful that happens and this is where the verse in proverbs comes to life.

You see as a man you are not much different than the lump of metal dull and lifeless prone to tarnish and full of impurity. As we invite Christ into our life we begin the process of refinement and strengthening.

We are put in situations that test us, that put us in the fire. We are beat upon and hammered by the circumstances of life. We are criticized, admonished, overlooked. We are tempted, we are corrupted we are discouraged. Yet through all these circumstance one thing remains true we belong to Christ Jesus. Through these tests we have the ability to grow wise, to learn from our trials. So we learn from the trials and our character (structure) is forever changed, strengthened.

Like the quench we too experience the temptation after testing and we may fail, shatter at the impact. Yet like the metal this is not our destiny for even the metal can be re-forged into a new creation so can we. But to exist in this fragile state has no life we must continue on and be tempered. We must through our experiences be softened just enough to be toughened, conditioned to handle future trials.

"Sharpens Another"

When we emerge from the forge hardened on the exterior yet soft for the love of Christ we can be further refined. We can be sharpened to a razors edge to do the work of the body of Christ. Through the words of our trusted brothers we sharpen out character our behaviors, we become more Christ like. We cycle through the fires, the beating down, restoration and refinement coming ever closer to our goal of surrender to Christ and an iron tool of his perfect will.

Metaphors indeed!

Father I praise you for the curiosity you planted so deep in me

The desire to learn to grow, to discover how things are made

I praise you for the glory of your creation human kind

I pray that I might do your will and serve your people

I pray for your perfect will to be complete

Both in heaven and on earth

Amen

God is Love

This past summer I had a brief momentary opening. It was during the painful stress of being back home to care for my mother as she underwent cancer surgery. My eldest, and closest, sister and I had both returned home to be with my parents in this terrible time. During one brief respite my sister and I talked about “religion”. She knows that I have come back to the faith after many years of wandering. She has not. My sister has led a life of struggle and trial. She is remarkably successful and I am extremely proud of her and the things she has strived for and achieved. She is truly an inspiration to me. There is nothing I would want to share with her more than the faith that has blossomed in me the last ten years. I have prayed for the opportunity to do so many times in the past few years. In this brief conversation she asked me what I believed the Catholic (read Christian) faith was really about.

I knew this was a pivotal moment. The wrong words could further justify her distance, a judgmental perspective would shut her down to this topic. My sister sees the church as a man made invention to suppress women. I think in many ways religion is just that so again my words had to be chosen with care. I cried out the briefest of prayer and trusted in the spirit to put the rights words in my mouth. Love. The Christian faith is first and foremost about love. I explained what I meant and left it at that. I have wondered since that day whether the seed the Holy Spirit planted had taken root or not.

Well I believe it may have. Not in an obvious way, rather in one of those delicious ironies that God so masterfully wields to talk to us. Today I finished reading a profound book The Shack. Have you heard of it? William Young has written a book for the ages. Shades of C.S. Lewis come through for me in the richness of the pictures Mr. Young paints. This book is a heart wrenching story of love that must be read, it demands to be read. It does not matter if you believe or not it is hard not to be entranced by the elegant simplicity of this wonderful story. As the tears flowed, the lump in my throat grew there was only two thoughts invading my mind; God is love, give this book to your sister to read.

God is love indeed.

I hope my sister will love this book as much as I did

If you want to learn more about The Shack go to www.theshackbook.com

God bless.

Are you Free?

There is a verse in Second Peter that says;



a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day

2 Peter 3:8



Have you ever stopped to consider what this might mean?


Recently I have been reflecting on a deliverance the Lord has granted me. For years I have fought a battle in this area for years I have failed. This was for me the thorn in my flesh the wound that would not be healed. Before I came back to the faith I really did not even consider the behavior to be wrong. Sure I had a vague sense that it was, that old catholic guilt thing. I was able to quickly rationalize my behavior and continue on oblivious to the consequences I was piling up. In the last ten years as my faith in Christ has grown I have become increasingly aware of how wrong headed I was and how much death I was sowing.


So I began in earnest to stop the behavior. I would fail each time and then the guilt of failure would convict me sending me deeper into despair and self loathing. I would cry out to God seek forgiveness and healing for my sin and start anew. Yet I would stumble and fail again and again.


I looked deeper what were the triggers to the behavior, if only I could stop them, I would be delivered! I sought these out. One by one I eliminated the triggers, only to find more or worse yet new triggers as my flesh desperately clinged to old ways. The stumble comes leading to failure.


I tried studying Christian books on the subject. How to break free from old patterns. I followed their models for years with only minuscule success. The stumble comes and failure follows and the cycle goes over again.


I tried talking to Christian friends and family. I shared my heart I asked for their support. This worked for a while accountability is a great thing especially in Christ. However in time even this broke down and again the stumble comes and the cycle repeats.


I tried crying out to God in desperation. I yelled at him, screamed, lashed out in anger, cried tears of desperation, humbled myself before him in a last ditch attempt to find freedom from my bondage. I gained some relief but in time I would stumble and again the cycle repeats.


Then something happened


There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:1


I discovered what this verse means and for the first time believed it.


It is finished

John 19:30


I discovered what this verse means and for the first time believed it


Love the lord your God with all your heart your soul your strength and your mind

Luke 10:27


I finally began to understand what this verse meant and began to live it.


As you sew so shall you reap

Galatians 6:7



I began to finally understand my struggle from a spiritual dimension


This winter my pastor did an extended sermon series on Galatians and it changed my life.


I am Free


I finally understand that my past behavior was reaping present consequence. Until I accepted that I am a new creation in Christ and that ALL my sins have already been forgiven, I could not be free. Today I am free from the lie of condemnation, I am free from the selfishness of self (on this battle front anyway). I have learned to surrender my will to God. I have been delivered. I am free to choose, free to live for him, free to serve his people, free to heal the broken hearted, I am free


The Lord revealed to me that my failure was predictable. Until I surrendered to him completely, until I trusted him completely, until I truly loved him, until I stopped trying to change in my own strength, until I waited upon him and his timing I could not be free.


I am free


Praise you Lord Jesus


My brothers and sisters you too can be free


Confess your sins to Jesus and repent


Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior


He will set you free


Your brother in Christ


Ron

Have you ever talked with God?

Have you ever talked with God?

I would love to say that I have and indeed in some unusual ways I have. I hear all the time about people who share stories of conversations and words spoken. Me I am lucky if a word or idea is dropped into my head. Usually it has little to do with what is going on at the time. Although there was that one time at the retreat last November when he spoke to me.

Okay yes I have the odd conversation with God. They seem to be infrequent and not a typical friend to friend conversation but rather what you might expect from a Creator of the universe to single lowly human being conversation. Yeah I have some of those.

I pray often, not continually as the Bible encourages, but definitely often. It is through prayer that I most often encounter God. Last night before falling asleep I was praying and an image came into my mind of what it might mean to have the eyes of my heart open. Don’t ask me to explain I can’t. The image was more like an emotion. It stirred my heart and gave me the clear sense of what this phrase meant.

So what the heck am I trying to say here? What’s all this talk about talking to God anyway?

Well he spoke to me this morning as clear as I am writing this post and I want to share it with you.

Flash back to Sunday morning for some context:

I was talking to a brother in Christ and co-laborer in our men’s ministry leadership team about the meaning of Proverbs 27:17. (There will be a post on this just as soon as I finish writing it!) I was explaining to my brother that this verse has a deeper meaning to me than the obvious because I am a metallurgical engineer. Whooooo fancy name, hard to spell. Yes I get it, but we all have a past this is mine. I studied metallurgy in college and this knowledge is firmly implanted in me. So I know about steel and iron and how they are worked into useful stuff, it’s what I do for a day job.

I explained to my brother the beautiful metaphor that this verse in proverbs represents to me, the depth of meaning is unmistakable. I walked him through my interpretation of the meaning of the verse and he was taken aback, he had no idea of my background and had not looked at the verse in the way that I do. We ended the conversation by discussing the possibility of doing a teaching on the metallurgical meaning of the verse at an upcoming men’s bible study.

Back to the Present

This morning we were together (my brother and I) in our churches men’s bible study. After songs of worship (where I was focused on closed eyes and open heart from last nights prayer) our pastor walked us through Galatians chapter 6. Out of left field another brother asked a question. This may seem normal but it is not. In the twenty weeks of study there must have been a total of 6 questions all together. You simply cannot manage a group of 200 guys and take questions in a window of 45 minutes. Today our pastor did.

The question was on the meaning of Galatians 6:6. After explaining the meaning of the verse (it was in relation to giving) he continued to explain the context of the verse backing up into verse 5. To my astonishment he asked the questioner what is that called when someone studies metals? “Metallurgy“, was the reply. He talked briefly about testing metal. As he did I looked at my brother and smiled what are the odds?!

Our pastor then got back on the giving theme and expounded on the importance for us men to give of ourselves in love of the king within his kingdom (not to earn to love!). He mentioned the old story of time, talents and resources, we are called to give.

About this time I started to laugh, this was no random event, this was God talking to me. The metallurgist called to lead and give of himself for the men’s ministry he is so passionate about. I leaned over and shared the story with my friend and he too laughed at the irony.

Later that day I related the story to another friend. He added a piece that cinched the deal. The guy who asked the question that started this seemingly random connection volunteers his time with the blind. He helps the blind overcome their challenge; he helps the blind to see.

Open the eyes of my heart father I want to see you

In the mean time I will abide in you

I wait for you to speak into my life

Your will be done Father

Amen

"High Capacity" Christian?

I just finished a post on my leadership development blog in which I discussed in detail the challenge for me in this winter season. You can read it by clicking “A Purpose Filled Winter”. The post was a way of expressing my own angst at being at my capacity for several weeks straight as well as a way of recuperating. This weekend is the first in three weeks where I have more than a two hour break during the day. (Hence why there are so few blog posts here...)

I talked about turning down a dear friend who asked me to help lead a massive outreach event for our church. This was not an easy decision. As you may know I love to lead, I love to live my faith and I have been learning to love outreach events and serving others. The reason I said no was obvious I was at my capacity and see no reasonable break in the pace for several weeks. I had a choice; dump all other responsibilities and do the event or say not to helping lead the event. Given the nature of my responsibilities at work, at my church, within my family at school there was no way I could walk away from these responsibilities. All this event could so was strain relationships to a breaking point.

Yet I know that if God had told me in prayer that I needed to find a way I would have done so. I have prayed more than once the dangerous prayer, “use me”. Yet on this decision God remained silent. Of course I could continue to seek him and gain his wisdom on the question. I think though in this case had he wanted me to lead the event he would have been clear on it.

It is funny though that in the past several weeks I have been seeing another “perfect storm” come to life in my consciousness. As an engineer the concept of a perfect storm is an apt metaphor. When multiple waves meet in water and they have the same phase (that is they are aligned crest to crest) the result is a wave of twice the amplitude (a fancy word for size). The alternative is that if they are opposite phase a trough is aligned with a crest they cancel each other out. So the perfect storm wave has multiple waves of the same phase meeting together all at once forming a very large wave. All right enough techno weenie engineer speak.

My point is this, for the last several weeks I have been exposed to teaching on, have been reading about and have been distracted from the central core of the Christian life; intimacy with God. The Christian life is not about works, it is about loving God and loving others as yourself. This has been the core theme of our pastor’s messages for the past six weeks. It is the theme of two books I have been reading on prayer and Christian living. It is exactly what the enemy is distracting me from as I engage the world at my capacity day after day.

If not for the time I set aside to be with my heavenly father I would be lost. My time in the word each morning, my prayer and worship bike rides, Tuesday bible study and Friday / Saturday small groups all help me stay connected and provide the opportunity to slow down for just awhile and seek his voice.

So I soldier on jealously guarding these times with the Lord and seeking more opportunities to love him and his people more.

Father I praise you

I thank you for the realization of Love

I thank you for revealing to me the need to love you

For teaching me how to love you

For teaching me how to love your people

I praise you for beginning to open the eyes of my heart

So that I might see your heaven on earth

See your wonders and glories

Father I will forever be a child amazed with the wonder of you

Thank you for my salvation and my freedom in Christ

Amen

It's not about you

I want to share a story.

I was reminded of this story by a friend who opined in an email yesterday how powerful it would be if the men of our churches men's ministry all started their sentence about the ministry with "we are about..."

The power of we. Not Nintendo we but us, Christians together in community.

"I" versus "we"

When I graduated with a Master of Science in Leadership and Management two years ago I decided that I wanted to get a class ring. I had never done so before and thought it would be a good way to remember the journey. In the process of getting the details for the ring ironed out with Jostens I learned that on the side panel they could only fit 9 characters across. (they did not have a standard design for my program so I had to custom design).

Well as you know the word leadership has ten characters. I was beside myself with frustration and selfishness. I brooded over this for a few hours and then called my wife to complain. As I related my story to her she listened then with absolutely biblical wisdom said "Ron it's not about you!" Oh the pain! My initial reaction was to want to defend and get angry at my wife. I kept it in check and began to consider what she had shared. Its not about you, its not about you of course she was right I was being selfish. Leadership is not about me, leadership is not about "I"... Suddenly a flash of light came as the coolest idea came forth. There is no room for "I" in leadership. The dilemma was solved remove the "I" from leadership, Leadershp fit nicely and I had a permanent leadership lesson engraved on my class ring.

According to Ecclesiastes one man can get into trouble while two can help each other but a cord of three strands... Ecc 4:9, 12

So to the power of we, a very important observation.

Our savior was the model of selflessness, where are you being selfish today and how do you remind yourself to get over it?

Be blessed

Ron

A house divided cannot stand

“A house divided against itself cannot stand” Matthew 12:25

I love the way the Lord brings clarity forth. Over the past few weeks this verse continues to come up in conversation and in prayer. In my men’s group we discussed the importance of being united in Christ and with each other if we are ever to claim victory over the schemes of the enemy. At a recent Sunday night service at my church a guest pastor brought forth a clear teaching on the importance of unity in the body and prayed over the congregation that the bonds of shame be broken and lifted from our midst.

It grieves me that there are so many men who are isolated, alone and unable to reach out for the camaraderie they so desperately need to be whole in Christ. If only every man knew that we must be united to overcome the schemes of the devil. If only every man knew what this meant and how to be an authentic Christian man. How can a man share the shame of failure of another drink, another drug, another pornographic website, another angry outburst if he has no brothers to help him through it in love. The moment he gives into temptation the devil convicts him, holds him down with a Jackboot on his neck in the dirt rendering yet another brother helpless in the cause of Christ.

This verse speaks to me of the battle we are in, the criticality of the cause and the hope we have in Christ. I share it with you in hope that it might stir the conversation and through prayer and thanksgiving that we might discover God’s calling for men of Christ.

May God bless you

May his face shine upon you

Amen

Be encouraged my brothers in Christ

A "High Capacity" Day

Have you ever noticed when you greet someone during their day and ask them how things are they will often say "very busy"?

In the past several weeks this word “busy” has taken on new meaning to me. Ironically it has taken on the meaning to have little meaning or purpose; to work hastily getting the tasks of the day accomplished all the while losing sight on what is important.

Perhaps this is an unfair assessment. Well perhaps, yet I do not judge others I simply wonder whether the list of tasks that people scurry about to complete have any meaning in the grand scheme of things. What eternal value do our tasks have? Could this be a deception of the enemy to keep us at bay; to keep us from fulfilling or perhaps discovering our true purpose?

I believe it is…

So I have created a new answer to this question. When someone asks me how things are, I reflect on how well I am doing against my purpose. How am I progressing those strategic activities that bring life, that help the lost to be saved, that bring comfort to the hurting, fellowship to the lonely. Since my career is my mission field I also consider how well I am on track in my leadership role in achieving the goals set out before me.

If I am doing well I respond to the question; I am having a high capacity day and I am blessed that supply is level with demand. This gives me an ability to create a nuance for those days that are overwhelming (supply is not meeting demand) and awesome days where “Bring it” is the quote of the day.

On days that are simply lost, that is I am not working toward my purpose, I can still respond that I am busy if I am or whatever else I am feeling. Only thing is now I have an external prompt to get myself back on track working for God and not man.

How do you stay in your purpose?

How do you find your purpose?

May our Almighty Father Bless you

May he grant you a word of knowledge to understand your purpose.

May he grant you the wisdom and courage to pursue it

Amen

There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus

So where was this verse 5 years ago, 10, 20, 30 years ago?

When I needed it...

Where was the grace and acceptance of a forgiving loving God?

When I did not understand it…

Where was the healing from shame and self condemnation?

When the pain was too much to bear…

Where was the humility of a life devoted to Christ?

When I knew nothing of it...

The answer to these questions have, for me, a similar answer; The answer lies hidden deep within the lies and deception of the enemy. For years I lived in the insanity of what most men go through. I lived in the constant struggle of good behavior followed by failure then condemnation, guilt, remorse, confession. Each time through the cycle was as if on a downward spiral staircase stuck acting as a descending escalator. You simply cannot win, every stumble takes you further away from the love and forgiveness of Christ. The failures pile up one upon another. You feel like a train wreck. Each car scattered all over the ground one upon another in a tangled mess of steel broken glass, broken flesh and heart ache.

I lived this pattern most of my formative years and adult life. Although a lifelong believer, I fell victim to the schemes of the devil so easily I look back on it with embarrassment. I feel like a cow being led to the slaughter house.

Why do we as men live in this pain for so long? How can we be released from this bondage?

Unfortunately we live compartmentalized lives. We live in secret. We think we cannot share our pain, our desperation, our desolation. We think that our identity is at risk; our very manhood will be undercut if we confess to another brother the struggle for life we engage in every day. The lie of pride, the lie of ego, the lie of shame all clever deceptions of an enemy who never sleeps.

We see a racy commercial on television and Victoria Secret models assault our thought life. Before we know it we are in death thinking things no man has a right to.

We see a shiny new Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, fill in the blank and we lust after the sleek lines, the precision engineering. We imagine what it must be like to drive such a fine automobile. We start to attack the driver. How can they have it if I cannot?! We swell up with pride at how we will be perceived behind the wheel.

We take one more drink (drug, fill in the blank) to dull the pain of profound loneliness of meaninglessness. We know we should not but we do, just one more we rationalize I can handle it.

Can you?!! Really!! I think not.

My heart is broken today and I believe it will stay that way until my Lord and savior gives me a new one. I too still fall victim to these traps but Praise God the frequency has lessened and the condemnation is gone. I have been given a gift of knowledge that the struggles I have had have been of the flesh and not of my soul. My struggles are sure to be with me for the days to come, yet the consequences of failure are so totally different.

Christ loves me, he knew me before I was born, and he has a plan for me. I take such comfort in this and know that through him all things are possible. Through him I can be a difference maker, through him I can help the Kingdom grow. I can be his hands, his feet. May his will be done on earth.

There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus

Amen

Thoughts on Navigating this Blog

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Brothers and Sisters

This blog reflects my heart. It reflects the thoughts and the prayers that match my spiritual highs and lows. There are times where this blog may seem to have wild direction changes and large gaps in time where there are no posts. It is my desire to be authentic, to be real. So I write when the spirit moves me, I write when I am in pain, when I am in joy. So yes the direction changes can seem drastic. But then in your own journey I suspect that you too have highs and lows. Christ calls us to be hot or cold, otherwise he will spit us out of his mouth. I want to be on fire for the Lord, the hotter the better.

How about you?

Praise you Lord Jesus

Praise you for your gift of grace, your sacrifice

Teach me your ways so I might follow you

So I might commit my heart to you completely

Praise your Holy name

Amen

The Trip "B"

Tuesday morning early I was sitting in a departure lounge at the Toronto Canada airport. My family and I had just finished a week long visit to the great white north from our home in southern California. We came back to spend time with family, to visit my mother who is finishing chemotherapy. Those who have read my previous posts all named The Trip, will know that this is another chapter in my mothers journey through the valley of cancer. I find it comforting to know that her favorite psalm is 23. The verse Yea though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me has special meaning to her and to me. Since last August I have been praying for a miracle of healing. I was praying the cancer would be completely removed from her body. The prayer was answered once as she nearly died due to complications in the weeks following surgery. Those prayers were answered.

I have been filling the prayer bowls again though, nothing less than complete recovery is what I am praying for. This mountain will fall into the sea!

This trip was so different from last summer. We spent many hours over the course of the week talking to playing games and sharing meals with my parents. It was a time to remember. Not at all like the horror and stress of cancer surgery and uncertainty. No this trip was different.

There were many prayers for us as we left for home. So many well meaning friends who genuinely cared for us. The stress of last August seemed to melt away as we each day made the most of this precious time with family. It was a good trip, God inspired and prayer lined. The last day we found out the cat-scan showed no sign of tumors, the cancer is gone. In Gods hands, gone for good.

Father

Thank you for your gift of grace

Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding this trip

Praise you for your love and kindness

Praise you for healing

Amen

Anticipation

Last week I was faced with a delicious opportunity; sacrifice. I was encouraged to take part in a church wide activity to draw closer to our heavenly father. Imagine several thousand believers all denying themselves in a form of personal worship to our savior. As I entered into this time I had a joy in my heart I had never before experienced. It was anticipation of something remarkable.

It is very much like my favorite verse of the bible Isaiah 40:31

“those that wait upon the lord with renew their strength, they will mount up on wings as eagles.”

The only thing is, as the week progressed each day I felt weaker. I would get short tempered, light headed, irritable. All these negative things yet each moment I experienced negativity I would pray. It is hard to describe the comfort I felt in these moments. It is what baby must experience in its mothers womb. There is a sense of a warm liquid enveloping you. You feel perfect contentment, perfect comfort and capture. You are secure. You know no pain, loneliness, fear, hunger or temptation. You are cared for, you are loved you are connected. This week I felt like this in God. Each moment of panicky desperation I would cry out to God in prayer and my father would answer. He would wrap me up in an embrace a supernatural embrace.

The devil prowled around the edges always looking for an angle of attack. A lustful thought here, an angry frustrated thought there. Yet he had no entry point. God was my rock and my protection. He would allow no attack to succeed. For five days I denied myself and God showed up so powerfully. He showed up in prayer comforting my soul, he showed up in a warm sunshine of a fading California afternoon. He showed up in a light breeze, in a business meeting going better than could be hoped for. He showed up in a confrontation that turned into peace. He showed up in worship and in love. He showed up in my children’s eyes as they watched their Dad sacrifice all week.

God showed up.

He renewed my strength.

He taught me a lesson I will never forget. Last post I wrote about how the end of our breath is the start of his. This week he showed me how it would work. All week I fasted. All week I was hungry. My body rebelled; my mind picked up its game everything in me save my soul fought against me. My flesh wanted me to live the lie of the world. The flesh is in control. You must eat, you must obey. You must be human. This lie, so cleverly disguised.

"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Matthew 4:4

This week I learned that no matter where we are in life we can cry out to God and he will answer. He will comfort, he will show up. When we reach the end of our self he will be there. He is our guide, our leader, our salvation our everything.

What an awesome lesson.

Yesterday after five hungry frustrating days my small group attended a church wide night of worship and prayer. We were there for the first two hours praising and praying.

The Lord is in the house!

No question. As I prayed I had a clear sense that the Holy Spirit had come upon me. He was in my prayer. What power, what an awesome God.

So the week ended. A week of sacrifice, a week of obedience a week of worship. Wow. What absolute joy, what revelation what an awesome God.

I cannot wait to do this again!

Father

I have no words, only the longing of my heart for you

Praise you

The End of Your Breath is the Start of Mine

I love to ride my mountain bike. The more uncertain the terrain, the steeper the climb, the more determined and happy I become. For me there is absolute joy in riding in the wilderness, being in nature enjoying this God given gift. There are times when I feel as if I could ride forever, be totally at one with nature and my God; no greater feeling than this. Then there are other times, times when on a steep climb I reach the end of my endurance, when a cutting wind will not relent, when the rain chills to the bone, when the sun bakes the skin or the dust dries out my mouth. At these times I want to stop, catch my breath drink deeply of cool water and allow my heart to slow back down. I want a break; I want to catch my breath.

A few months back I was riding in the San Gabriel Mountains at my churches men’s retreat. A group of us had decided in advance to ride that afternoon. We drove up to the end of the street and discussed where to ride. Many wanted to ride down the fantastically steep road to the camp. What an adrenaline rush to ride a bicycle over 30 mph. A smaller group wanted just a little more. We set off up and up the trail at the end of the road. We climbed the steep trail to its end in the California wilderness. The beauty took your breath away, tall trees, crisp cold air, the faint sound of a river and wildlife in the background. Two of us decided to go a little further up yet, blazing our own trail through the pine covered underbrush and rocky ground.

I can barely convey the raw beauty of this place. To share it with a Christian brother and my God was almost too much for me. We prayed at the top of our climb basking in the glory of his majesty. While there a thought came to me. It was God speaking to me in his usual way, a quiet thought in the back of my mind. This day (this weekend for that matter) I was listening carefully for his voice. I heard him clearly and knew it would be the theme of this very post.

When you reach the end of your breath, you find the start of mine.

I knew what he meant. Stop relying on yourself and find strength in me. For in your weakness you will find my strength. This was a loving act, fatherly advice to an ignorant stubborn sinner. He was trying to save me from the grief he knew I would endure through rebellious acts of my own creation in the not so distant future.

He breathed life into me in the beginning, he will be there when I breathe my last, he will welcome me into his kingdom. His breath not mine.

On his earth I have been given an endowment. An endowment that can be used any way I choose. He wanted me to trust in him rely on him and come to him for guidance and support, for comfort and wisdom. I need to do this and stop relying on myself. I love the way he reveals himself to me. I loved that moment because I was immediately aware of his voice not some time after the fact, no it was real time.

It took a while to sink in, to realize the lesson behind the quote. Finally I get it, I understand. As I battled with sin today this story came back and guided me to surrender myself to my father in prayer. I reached the end of myself and gave the problem over to him and was delivered. I praise God for this.

I think it time to return to my mountain playground, to ride pray and worship. To lose myself in another ride and find him, that is what I seek. I want to be in him, he is my guide, my protector, my strength, my deliverer my breath.

Father I praise your name
I thank you and praise you for the gift of wilderness
I praise you for your word to me
For revealing to me a loving guidance
You are the air I breathe

Amen

The Kingdom belongs to such as these Part II

Here is the second half of my hike onto the wilderness of the San Gabriel mountain range last month. Such a powerful time. I pray that this story inspires you to go out an meet God.

Meeting God

I had not intention of rock climbing this day do I set off to the east. Having spied a curious fireplace and stone chimney in the middle of a weed covered plain, I wanted to see what this was all about. I hiked across the plain and ran out of trail. The challenge now was to go down across the plain blazing my own trail. Knowing that this is the home of wild animals, poisonous spiders and snakes I quickly changed into hiking boots for the rest of the journey.

I traversed several hundred yards of uneven weed covered ground and in the midst of this time the Lord came to me. It was a gentle sense that came upon me that as much as I was enjoying this time with him he was with me. He made me to love the out doors he made me to experience the wonder of exploration. It was as if he was encouraging me onward into this journey of discovery. He brought to mind a verse from Mark 10:14.

Let them come to me for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

The Lord had shared with me his delight at seeing how the child in me found such wonder in this journey to be with him.

A Lone Chimney

I arrived within two hundred yards of the chimney only to find my path blocked by a trench. Recent rains had carved a ten foot deep and six foot wide chasm in the earth. It would be stupid to jump and even dumber to try to climb down and up its sheer sides. I set off to find an easier crossing. About five hundred yards downhill I found a spot where the chasm had broadened out, this provided a much shallower crossing. I jumped across and hiked back up the other side. This may seem rather inconsequential but by then I was over two hours into this hike chilled to the bone and 40 hours into my fast, climbing back up the slope was not something I wanted to do. Curiosity and wonder on this trip would be indulged.

I do not know still what to make of the fireplace. I could imagine it the hearth of an early settler to the area. I could imagine it being built by a grape farmer to ward off the chill of an early morning in his vineyard. I could imagine many a story of what this was. The facts though said that it was a solitary fireplace built of river rock and mortar. It was elevated from the ground though erosion could have made it only appear so. There was no foundation around it for a building of any sort. Could this have been built for camp outs? I don’t think so for the imprint of rafters and joists were clear in the mortar above the fire place. This used to be a building but what?

Again I prayed, perhaps this fireplace was a witness to something I would never know. Perhaps it was simply a signpost for me on my journey and I would know no more of it. I prayed for the saints, I prayed for those who stood up and were persecuted for Christ. I praised my Heavenly Father.

Rivers of Living Water

I continued on east, traversing the slope. I found a trail again and the going was easier yet not easy. I listened to the wind cutting through the hill across the plain and could almost here God whispering to me. After some time the ground once again became familiar and as it did so I recalled a sight on this part of the slope that had previously captivated me.

This area is truly a desert. We get only a few inches of rain per year mostly in January-February. What captivated me was that in the fall I found a mountain stream cutting through a deep valley. From the time I first saw it I knew I must visit it and today was the day.

Worship

I reached the edge of the valley and surveyed the scene below. From where I stood to the valley floor was a drop of about 100 feet, relatively steep and covered with small trees. A hike down would be difficult perhaps but not impossible. I climbed down extremely carefully. To fall and be injured in this place could mean a not so silent night amongst the stars. I reached the bottom climbed across the rocks to the stream. I remain amazed at the beauty of nature that our Lord has provided. A cold mountain stream cutting into a barren desert waste land, how could this be? Regardless I found a spot beside the cool waters and sat down. I soaked in Gods majesty in this beautiful place. I pulled out my bible and began to read in earnest. There were three psalms that came immediately to mind 121, 23 and 46. I read each aloud carefully and slowly, soaking in each word as I did so. I read from Revelation 22 about streams of living water and then I prayed. This was my worship session, such a powerful time with the lord. I played Jeremy Camp’s Empty Me and Chris Tomlin’s Strength Will Rise then I prayed again.

I praised my Heavenly Father in song, in prayer and in silence and wonder. I praised him for the beauty of this place. Before I left I took a page out of the Old Testament. I stepped across the stream and upon a large rock I set up a small monument to my Heavenly Father. Four stones, a large flat stone with a pile of two atop each other on one end and a single stone on the other. For here I met God and sat at his feet.

I will return to this place sometime soon. Will the monument be there? Perhaps, perhaps not, what will be there though is the image in my heart of the day the Lord and I met and went for a hike together in his wilderness.

Father thank you

Thank you for meeting me

Thank you for watching over me

Thank you for guiding my fast, for honoring my desire to meet you

Thank you for revealing to me our shared love of your creation

Thank you for being my father

Thank you for being

I know that you are God

Thank you for helping me to be still long enough to find you

Thank you for streams of living water

For life in a seemingly dead place

For safety in a dangerous land

Thank you father

In your son’s victorious name I pray

Amen