Back Again

Sorry for the long delay in my postings. God has been moving in powerful ways in my life. I have started in a new ministry since my last posting. I pray that God will continue to work through me to effectively reach these students with the redemptive power of the Lord.
This morning, I was heading to Vancouver for class and cruising down I-5. Just as I pass the Foster Rd. exit, I was forced to slam on my brakes just as the car in front of me had done a second earlier. Immediately after slamming on our brakes, the car in front of me and myself speed back up to sixty miles per hour. There was no present reason for the braking, but we were forced to brake. Why? At some time, possibly an hour or more ago, somebody felt the need to brake at that exact point. An hour later, we are still feeling the effects of that person's decision.
As I think about this, it makes me think about the lasting effect that occurs in our lives by the decisions of others. If we look big picture, the lives of others decades, centuries, or even millenniums earlier effect the lives of people today. The work of President Reagan three decades ago still effects our country today. The work of Christ over two thousand years ago still dramatically effects our lives today. The impact of our decisions can be felt long after the decision has run its course and by people who we have never come into contact with. It is like a ripple moving across a lake, spreading far from the actual point of contact. As I think about this, I am challenged. As I impact the life of those around me, the impact becomes felt far beyond the reaches that I could possibly imagine. As One life is impacted, every life that they come into contact with is impacted by the change that has occurred from the original impact. Now, there are several more people impacted by the original impact. Next thing you know, hours later, I am braking on the freeway for no apparent reason.
I pray that we live our lives with this in mind. May we seek to begin ripples for the Lord that will reach to the ends of the earth. It all begins with a single impact. I can not change the entire world, but I can impact my neighbor's life and he may reach the rest of the world.

Copernicus was wrong!

As I was running errands today, I got to thinking about life and how I view myself. In my life, I make decisions with the primary concern and motivation being myself. After getting married, I began to think of my wife at times before I made a decision, but still the primary factor for deciding one way or the other was my personal feelings and the amount of personal gain. This process was further complicated when I had children. Now, there are more factors to consider before making a decision, but my process still begin with my personal preferences at the center. Any compromises or alterations to my preferences that need to be made for the benefit of my family can be done, but the center is still me. With this in mind, I drove down the road today thinking to myself, "What a jerk!" Someone needs to contact Copernicus because apparently the universe revolves around me.
I imagine that if we were honest with ourselves, for the majority of us, this is exactly how we live our lives. I do not think that I am all that different in my thought process than the majority of humanity. What really hit me this morning though was that this is not the way that it is supposed to be. This is not the life that God has created me to live. In his example, Christ came not for his personal gain, but for the gain of others. There needs to be a transformation of my primary focus in life from myself to the Lord. This is not my life that I am living, rather it is the life that God has granted me for his service. I am not my own but God's. He has redeemed my soul and my life. He brought it out of the emptiness that it was destined to suffer in. I am not the center of the universe. God is! Copernicus did have it wrong. I pray that the Lord will move my heart to see with his eyes the world that he has called me to serve.
In Him,
Paul

Memories

Sorry for the long break from posting. Just taking care of business. I wanted to post some of my other favorite memories from my time at Judson. I remember volunteering with the Junior High ministry out of high school. I was the game guy. We played the craziest game. Baby food hot potato, grape out the nose shooting, mystery juice relays, running the gauntlet, and so many more. For you who know what these are, hope it brings a smile to your face. For those who want to know more, just ask and I will get you the details. After ten years, the games have reached all new levels of greatness. There is mystery milkshake chugging, cricket spitting, space invaders, pac-man, dynomite, power ball, the game that must not be mentioned, and more. There are so many images that are flooding my mind as I think of the many great moments that these games have created.
It was through those moments that great relationships were forged, life changing relationships for both my youth and myself. I remember a youth who had been burned by the church before. Through the encouragement of his friend, he decided to come to our open gym program. We started a relationship, slowly at first. Over the next several months, we began to tear down the walls that had separated him from God. That day that he began a relationship with God still brings tears to my eyes. God works in powerful ways. I remember one of my proudest moments in my early ministry was making a positive impact in some students' lives who, in many respects, were on their own. The day that they told me that they left their cigarettes at the park instead of bringing them to church put a smile on my face. It may have seemed like something small, but for these students, that was a giant step in their lives. It has been an honor to serve God and I look forward to the many memories still to come.

Thanks for everything!

Today, my position at the church has come to an end. The church has been struggling financially for many months now and something had to give. I have been serving there for the past ten years. It is difficult to thank about my life without going there everyday. It is the only church that both of my children have ever known. I am thankful for the many ways that the members of the church have positively impacted my family. I thought that as I close out my final month in service at Judson, I would spend several posts reflecting on the many memories that I have collected in my time here and the many lessons that I have learned.
I remember one of my first events as a youth pastor. It was a harvest party out at a parishioner's house. This was an event that the youth group had done for many years, and it seemed like everything was going as planned. Out of no where, things begin to rapidly turn ugly. A fight breaks out between a couple of the high school boys. As I separate them, I tell them that they will be escorted home by the staff. They begin to rally their friends to all leave, and chaos ensues. My wife is cussed out by a female youth and I am being pulled in every direction trying to regain some semblance of control. I can only imagine what is going through the head of the parishioner and his wife. In my mind, I begin to word my letter of apology and resignation.
Order was regained and I did not resign the next day. Instead, this incident became the starting point to five years of life-changing ministry. In these last five years, I have been given many opportunities to grow and mature in my faith and in my abilities to lead and shepherd God's people. Many gifted people have blessed my life with their wisdom and encouragement during this time. I have made many friends who I would consider to be like family. God taught me through this event that he has a plan for my life and in all instances, he is ready to teach me a lesson. I just want to say thank you to the many people who have stood by me these last five years. I am a better man because of you, your love for people, and your love for the Lord.
In Him,
Paul

Amazing Week

Sorry that I have not posted for several days. I was given the opportunity to speak at a high school camp for a church. It was an amazing week. God blessed us with great weather as we tubed on the lake and played at the beach. My many thanks to the staff and leaders who welcomed me into their group and allowed me this opportunity. Thanks Steve. Along with the great weather, I was surrounded by an amazing group of youth. These students genuinely cared for one another, their leaders, and most of all God. Their hearts are open to God's leading in their lives. As I sat in the small group discussions, these youth boldly stated their desires for God's growth in their lives. They also shared with one another their struggles and asked that their friends would help keep them accountable. I have been working in churches for the last fourteen years and I have never seen adults be so open with one another. It truly blew my mind. These youth grasped and lived out the concept of fellowship and growing together in the Lord. They really looked out for one another. As I think about the writings of Paul to the church of Thessalonica, Paul urges them to encourage and uplift one another. He charges them to keep each other from stumbling. As I watched these youth live this out, I was filled with hope. In the world that we live in, everyone is looking out for number one, themselves. It was encouraging to see that these youth were looking out for number one, God, and letting that dictate how they treated one another. I am a better man for having witnessed these students living out the gospel. It was truly a blessing.
In Him,
Paul

Since I have returned from San Francisco, I have been dealt a dramatic change in my life. The circumstances are still in motion, but no matter what the outcome, my life will not be the same. I am in the midst of adversity. Where can I turn? To whom can I seek refuge and guidance? Where is my peace? There is a story in the Bible of a king named Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20). King Jehoshaphat was faced with a mighty army coming to defeat him. Jehoshaphat had a mighty army of his own (2 Chronicles 17), but he chose to not rely upon his own strength. Instead, he called upon the Lord. He had all of his men fast and called all of the people, men, women and children, to pray. He asked for God to deliver the people. Jehoshaphat had so many resources at his disposal, but he put them aside and sought of the Lord. In the midst of my adversity, I have tried to solve the problems with my own abilities. I need to seek God first and see what he would have me to do. God told Jehoshaphat to take up position, stand firm and watch the Lord's deliverance. Too often, I do not have the discipline to take position, stand firm, and trust in the Lord. I want to lead the charge. God has a plan though, and he can do immeasurably more than I can imagine. I just need to give him the chance. Today, I will take position, stand firm, and watch the Lord's deliverance.
In Him,
Paul

Peace in the midst of Uncertainty

I have been home for a couple of days now. It is great to be home. When I returned though, I learned that there were areas of my life that had moved forward without me being around. Being someone who always likes to be in the mix, this has been very unnerving. It seems like there could be many changes on store for my life, and much of this has taken place in my absence. In these times of uncertainty, I must turn to the Lord to find peace. The psalmist writes that the Lord is my rock and my fortress. He is my foundation upon which I stand. As the world moves underneath me and the situations change around me, I can keep heart because I know that he is in control. He is in control of all things especially in times of difficulty and distress. I do not know where you are at in your walk with life, but always remember, in both good times and bad times, God is in control. I am not sure yet what he has in store for me, but I am waiting patiently to hear his call. My stomach is a bundle of nerves, but I know that he will help me push on.
In Him,
Paul

Home Coming!

So, I am returning home today. I am so excited to see my family. In my ten years of marriage, my wife and I have never been apart for this long. I have butterflies in my stomach fluttering around for joy at the thought of seeing my family again. As I ponder this further, my mind moves to the Father God waiting to see his children. There is so much to gain when we come to meet the Father. There is great joy and I can see why. The relationship with my wife and children has given me insight into this. My heart yearns for them. Every time the phone rings while I am gone, my face smiles at the possibility of hearing their voices at the other end. My day is incomplete until I hear from them. I think in some ways, God is the same. He is joyous when his children call upon him. He waits for them to come to him. He is so patient, but he longs for them to call to him. Call upon the Lord today. Spend time with him because he longs to hear from you. When we are far away, he waits for us to come back home. He is waiting with open arms for you to return, are you ready to go home? I know that I am.
In Him,
Paul

Ding, Ding, Ding Goes the Trolley

So, I decided to brave the mass transit system of San Francisco the other day. I went online and carefully mapped out the route that I was going to have to take to get to my destination. As I got into downtown San Francisco, I found that there was a wonderful trolley system. It was so exciting to see all of the classic trolleys that looked just like they do in the movies. I stood by the intersection as the trolley got on a circular plate that spun it around on the track. The trolleys were controlled by a giant hand lever. It was amazing to see this timeless technology in action. The problem was that there was no trolley tracks that gave me a direct route to where I wanted to go. I had to get transfer tickets to board other forms of mass transit to navigate the streets of the city. The trolleys were bound by their tracks.
I thought about life and how we are often limited by the tracks in our life that have been laid before us. Our choices and decisions direct which avenues we will go down and it is seems impossible to get off that track and head down a different route. When we travel through life without a plan of which directions we should go, we can easily get stuck on a route that leads away from our desired destination. I praise God that he has given me directions in the Bible. I know my destination and through careful navigation in his Word, I can find the route that I need to take. We do not have to follow blindly in life. We can know the way to our destination. We just need to know where to find the map.
In Him,
Paul

Grace Cathedral

Sunday, I decided to take the bus into town and wonder the streets of downtown San Francisco. I wondered past the Asian Art Museum and the giant "Shiva" style statue with three heads and six arms. I wondered up and down the hills until arrived at Grace Cathedral. (On a side note, the block leading up to Grace was brutal. It was so steep that there was a staircase built into the middle of the sidewalk. My calves burned when I reached the top.) I don't know what it was about the giant golden doors that greeted me, but I had the sense of reverence for God that overcame me. I wondered through the cathedral and I felt that I was in the presence of God. I felt enveloped in his presence and that I was in worship of him from the moment that I entered. I was captured by the environment and swept away by the feelings that it created. Why does this building have such a profound impact on me? Maybe I have a romanticized idea of these old churches. In some sense, I wish that I felt this way walking into my church. The building itself exuded the Lord in a way. At the same time, I am glad that my church does not feel like this because the dependence upon the building is removed. I am not sure what it is, but when the light from God's creation shines down through those stain glass windows, I know God is with me. Praise God for the beauty and splendor that he has allowed to fill Grace Cathedral. (In another side note, there was a lady and a gentleman practicing their Tai Chi in the courtyard of the cathedral. It just did not seem to fit. I laugh pretty hard when I saw it.)

The Thought of the Day

I have been in San Francisco for a week now. The view looking out over the bay is breathe taking at times, but too often, the fog makes the view, well, foggy. The picturesque seen of the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz are left in a haze by the fog that surrounds them. As I look out over the bay, all I can think about is the picture of Christ that we portray to others. Does my life display a picture of Christ that is crisp and clear? Or does my life only show Christ in small glimmers that pierce through the fog? Paul calls those to follow his example as he follows the example of Christ(1 Cor. 11:1). As I walk as a leader in my church and a leader to those who seek the truth, am I being a clear example of Christ? I pray that just as the sun burns off the fog over the bay, God will help me burn off the haze of life that diminished the clear view of him in my life. It is not an easy journey, but I have a clear picture of what my goal should be. Let's see how God shapes me to be his example.
In Him,
Paul