There Must Be More

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me, or does our world seem to be running backwards?  We have a trillion dollar deficit and we choose to spend more money!  Hugh?  We have a Presidential cabinet member that declares every breathe we exhale is contributing to the destruction of our climate!  Hugh??  We have three Navy Seals that captured a "Most Wanted" terrorist that killed and mutilated Americans who are in the process of being court marshalled because the terrorist accused them of punching him in the gut!!  What???  Political Correctness is a strong delusion that has paralyzed us into fearing the Truth...so we end up embracing lies.  What a shame!

Jesse

Mission

I'm on a mission to get back into my "prime" shape.  Goals: get up to 100 pushups and crunches a  night, lose about 15 pounds, max bench 240 lbs., and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Cyber Church

I haven't blogged for some time now...I haven't set up for church in some time now...I haven't been pastoring for some time now...though technically we're still called "church planters", we didn't succeed in our attempt in planting a church.  Well, now that I got that off my chest, perhaps I can dive back in to "cyber church planting". 

It's actually a great way of sharing God's truth with anyone willing to become part of an online bible study chat.  I'll share scripture every week and let the reader respond with a post.  If you like it or it at least challenges you, maybe you'll invite others to save this site to their favorites. 

I'm not sure where I'll start in scripture, but I've been doing a lot of studying on prophecy.  If that sounds like a good place to jump into send me a "let's do it".  If you're interested in becoming part of this cyber church/bible study, your thoughts, questions, and insights will add greatly to the forum.

Jesse

Dinner

Today may be a turning point in our quest to plant a church.  A local church contacted us about meeting with its pastor.  Interesting..?  When we enquired about the purpose of the meeting we learned that the pastor simply wanted to meet us since we were new pastors in the area.  I think that's pretty cool.  Any pastor who makes an effort to build relationship with someone new to the community (especially another pastor) strikes my curiosity.  I mean Kelly and I have never met him.  We've never attended his church.  I don't even know his name (nothing a quick web search can't remedy).  Yet this man has stretched out his hand to meet us.  How cool is that.

When I say today may be a turning point in our quest to plant a church, I mean the turning point of finally connecting with someone that's in the mix.  A Christian brother whose been planted here for years and can be a contact, a co-laborer, or even a friend.  We're having dinner tonight with the Pastors of the church.  I'm lookin forward to it.  Why?  Well, the honest answer would be that this is the first time I feel like someone in the community is reaching out to us instead of us reaching out to them.   How does that scripture go?  ...give and it shall be given unto you...

Time For Healing

It's been a while since I've blogged.  I guess I'm trying to figure out where I'm going and what I'm doing.  I seem to get worn out at the very thought of trying to come up with something to write about.  Truth is the new year has had it's share of difficulties especially spiritually.  I'm currently listening to Sanctus Real's "Whatever You're Doing"-

It's time for healing, time to move on...it's time to fix what's been broken too long.  Time to make right what has been wrong...It's time to find my way to where I belong.........Whatever You're doing inside of me, it feels like chaos but somehow there's peace.  And though it's hard to surrender to what I can't see, I'm giving in to something heavenly, something heavenly.

"Giving in" only happens after you've become exhausted of effort to stand unwavered.  That sounds like me.  I'm exhausted of trying to stand alone...exhausted of the loss of intimacy with God that can only be discovered in a one-on-one conversation with Him.  So I'm giving in to the "alone time" with God and moving on as He fixes what's been broken.

Jesse

Experience

Kelly and I are taking six kids from a different church to this year's Winterfest (8 hours away).  We offered ourselves to any church in our district that didn't have a means of getting their kids to Winterfest.  The kids we're taking have never been to a Winterfest and are a bit timid about the trip, but they're loosening up as they get to know us.

I told them we're giving them the opportunity to experience something they've never experienced...worshiping and serving with over 500 youth...whether they enjoy the experience is totally up to them. 

We can't make people enjoy the experiences we've enjoyed...all we can do is give them the opportunity of the experience and allow them to make up their own minds...just like it was given to us.

Jesse

Clubhouse

During my three week Christmas vacation, I'm building a clubhouse in my backyard for my kids.  It's become a bigger project than I anticipated.  I'm learning as I go.  I've been working on it for a week now.  I'm almost done.  I've felt a great sense of accomplishment as I complete each phase, but the greatest sense of accomplishment will come when I can watch my kids and their friends enjoy the clubhouse I've spent so many hours pouring into for them.

When was the last time you spent your free time making something for someone else?  It doesn't have to be a big project.  It could be a lego figure, an apron, or a cake.  The important thing is you poured your heart into something created for someone else and you were willing to give it away.

Jesse

Thanksgiving

Sometimes we forget about the things we were once thankful for.  Maybe those things have become burdensome.  Maybe they've just been forgotten...a new car, a new house, a new job, a new basketball, some new shoes, a new wallet...a new friend.  At some point, we desired them, but after time we have a tendancy to "move on" to bigger and better things.  Life moves fast. Being thankful for something or someone shouldn't be a one time event but a daily reality expressed not only in words but in action. 

Today would be a great day to express thanks to those relationships you've poured into and those that have poured into you.  Let me begin this day of thanks by saying, "Thank you for reading my blog.  You could be reading other things, but for some reason you take the time to read mine."

Jesse

Cause and Effect

I want more of God, and I know He wants more of me.  So...I think the ball is in my court.  What I do WITH my faith will determine what He does TO my faith. 

2 Co 12:9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Co 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Jesse

 

Old Friends

I've recently come into contact with some old elementary school friends via "Facebook".  I've always said that the best friends were in elementary school.  Middle School or Junior High was a change in attitude and innocence for many friendships.  New people of course led to new relationships and unfortunately a distancing of other relationships.  High School was a four year click generating machine.  If you still hung out with your elementary buds then I think that was something special.  That is if you didn't have to compromise your values, ideals, or morals for them.  Let's face it...people change...relationships change...we change.

Elementary school, however, was a different kind of change.  The changes that happened in elementary school were more academic or physical than socio or economic.  We out-grew shoes and pants and not our "friends".  We stood in the lunch line together and talked with each other instead of looking away as if to find something better.  Old friends sometimes re-enter our ever changing lives, and we recall familiar relationships.  We discover that we all share moments frozen in time...things that stayed the same...things that didn't change...It's been fun reminiscing.

Jesse  

Good

I think I've gotten behind on my blog.  I'm gonna try to start up with some short thoughts for the day. 

Friends are good.  A father tossing the football around with his son in the backyard is good.  A father watching his daughter play in a soccer tourni is good.  An uncle playing Halo with his two nephews that live 4 hours away is good.  A wife entering a 10k race is good.  That was my day...and it was good.

Jesse