The Low Down

Manuscript Work

Here's another update on the process of my book. Last night I received an email giving a list of items to look at concerning my manuscript and it's tweaking for the editors and page layout teams. It also encouraged me to begin finding people to write the foreword and others to endorse the book and today was a great day for finding some key people to commit to doing just that. Once the manuscript is complete and submitted, the process will seem to grow wings. We have a ways to go, but we anticipate a late summer/early fall release. I'll keep you posted! Back to work for me.

Dreams: The Origin

As promised, I wanted to bring you a five part set of posts that God has spoken to me recently about "Dreams".

One of the most important parts of a dream is how it is concieved. Whether a dream is worth dying for or not depends upon the origin of that dream. What is the dream, and where did it come from? And probably even more importantly, who gave you the dream?

What we have to understand is that all dreams are birthed somewhere. The dream of a young boy to grow up and carry on the family business was one that was nurtured and passed on by family. The dream of a woman to find that fairy tale romance, marry, and have children was a dream that, though it is a good one, was probably developed in her as a little girl by the constant whispering of her culture.

The dream of a teenage boy Joseph, in Genesis 37, that his entire family would one day bow down before him, sounds like a wacked out dream. It sounds like a crazy, self-centered dream, but when we understand the origin of the dream and who the creator of the dream is...then it all begins to make a little more sense.

Sure, sometimes the dreams we have are just that - dreams WE have. And those dreams usually always fizzle out over time or they crash and burn. But when it comes to a God originated dream - though it may be larger than life, it will consume us.

As a young boy I wanted to play in the NBA. I grew up in Indiana and I loved to play basketball. Then I found out that a 5'2'' Sophomore doesn't typically make the team at a large high school. My dream was crushed when I was asked not to play, but instead fill the water bottles. On the flip side though - two years ago, I began a journey down an amazing road chasing a dream that God gave me as I began to write. Tonight, I received an email from the publisher that my book is going to be published (and I'm totally stoked!). The difference in the two dreams, one was mine - the other was God's dream for me.

Back to the story, why was Joseph's dream such a stretch? Because most of the time, God's dream for us can only be accomplished with Him by our side. In fact, I'm convinced that most of the dreams we have we can accomplish on our own - but God doesn't want us to be safe when it comes to our dreams for Him!

So think about it today - how big are your dreams? Are they God sized? Because if they aren't, then don't waste your time. Just ask Joseph!

Gearing Up for the Season

Today has been a great day. I had the opportunity to sleep in and gain some much needed rest. After rolling out of bed and brewing some coffee I decided that the best use of my day would be to prepare for the changing of the season. Wednesday it was an incredible 70 degrees outside. Today it reached a blistering 49. It was still warm enough to do a few things outside, so I decided to prepare for the inevitable ice and snow that will be here in a few weeks. Many of you know that we have recently moved from our apartment into a three-bedroom house. One of the perks of the house is that we have a place to store all of our things. This summer we were able to move all of our possessions out of storage. The down-side is that all of those things have been cluttering up the garage for the last few months. Today, I decided to do some re-arranging (and win some brownie points at the same time) so that this winter my wife can pull her SUV into the garage.

A few hours ago, some college students from our youth ministry finally made it home and decided to come and crash at our house. They will be here for about four days before heading to their homes for Thanksgiving. I think it's safe to say that it's now time to get into the holiday spirit.

**This is an amazing time of year. A time for family, a time for friends, a time for celebration and for thanksgiving. However, I also believe that now is a time for dreams to be birthed and nurtured. Acts 2:17 quotes the prophet Joel when it says, "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." Over the next few days, I will be posting a series on the topic of "dreams". Please be sure to check back and leave some comments! 

Handing Over the Keys

Today was a fun day for us. I labored for a while to knock out my sermon preparation for this Wednesday, and I can't wait to share what the Lord has laid on my heart this week. The guys were up at the office today just hanging out and getting some web design done, etc. Today was the last day that we had possession of our apartment that we have been living in for over a year now. We have been living in our rental home here in North Enid now for almost three weeks, but the previous landlord would not give us back half of our rent (since we moved out half way through the month) so we kept the unit until the latest possible moment. Today we handed over the keys. The office manager has been so rude and we are so glad to be out from underneath that entire situation. I want to be careful and avoid releasing any names here on the net, but if you are moving to Enid and want a place to stay, just give me a buzz and I'll be sure to help a friend out by letting you know where not to stay. God really has had our best interests in mind the entire time with this whole "sudden move". I can truly say that He's taken care of us!

No Longer New

The year is no longer what we would call a "New Year," being the first of May - and I can't help but think that many of us made some resolutions at the beginning of 2008.  So how are we doing?  How many of us have given up?  How long did it take you to give up on your diet, your goal of reading the Bible in a year, your goal of spending more time with your family?  For me, there are some areas of my life that I am honestly proud of while other areas generate thoughts of failure. I know that's not what God wants. The last thing we should ever do is beat ourselves up for the mistakes that we have made. I know that the devil loves it when we begin to look at certain areas of our lives and begin to say to ourselves - man what a loser. However, do you know what God says? "There are new mercies every morning."

There are times when our goals that we have set are like getting a new car. It's exciting to drive the new ride home off of the showroom floor.  We baby it and wash it every other day.  No one can eat in it because it's "new".  For the first few weeks and months this car is in the fore-front of our minds.  People comment on it, conversations center around it, and ladies smile as you pass them by in it. Everything about the new car makes you feel good. However, after some time (and normally it doesn't take long), eventually that car becomes common place and usual. After some time, it seems to lose it's zing and the incredible thing is that the car has never changed. So what about your challenge? Guess what - it's still there. Just because you have lost your excitement about it doesn't change the fact that the challenge is still on the table. So what do we do? We press on.

One particular challenge, among many that the Lord has thrown at me this year, is the goal of reading four books a month. I'm working on my 18th as we speak and the sense of achievement is incredible. I'm learning so much as I read, and even though there are other areas of my life that need tons of work, I'm not giving up on those goals either. Sure I may have dropped the ball and I may be struggling in a few areas, but tomorrow's a new day. So let me encourage you to not get caught in the trap of thinking that says, "I let a goal slip and now it's too late". No, instead pick that dropped goal back up and start again. If you have to - start again, and again. Keep moving forward until that goal has become a lifestyle. I read a quote from a good friend's blog today.  Doug Reed is an incredible evangelist traveling the globe and I think it is appropriate to share his quote here in this blog.  He said, "The day you think that your history guarantees your future is the day that your destiny is in trouble." Think about it and realize that even though this year is no longer new, it's no where near over either.  So pick up the torch again and move on.  You can do it!   

*I know that I haven't been an incredibly consistent blogger over the past few weeks, but I want to thank each of you who read my blog.  Thanks for being patient with me. I hope that at some point in this new journey of blogging that something I say may be used by God to speak into your life. If there is ever anything that I can do for you. Please feel free to comment or email me at ignitionstudents@hotmail.com.  Thanks.

Meeting Alex

As promised, allow me to share some stories with you from my trip that have literally changed my life forever. I'll start with just one tonight.

I met Alex on Thursday, as we showed up at the orphanage where he lived. The moment we entered the door of the home, the children all turned their attention toward us. They had been watching a video in their classroom and instantly they popped up and came to the waiting area to greet us. Clothed in a little green sweatshirt came a small guy with a few front teeth missing. It was Alex. With his big smile he gave me a five and then scooted in closer for a hug.

We began our program for the kids and they had a blast. After one of our skits, they began to say, "otro vez" over and over again which in spanish which means, "another time". So we gave them what they wanted. They laughed with us and had a good time. After the presentations of our dramas and skits, we gave them toys, candy and the Book of Hope in their language. It was like Christmas. Little kids were leafing through the Bible's that we had given them - their own personal copy - and then we showed them the Godman video. Many of the children were glued to the tube as they watched the gospel presented to them (pictured above is Alex watching the Godman). The entire morning was incredible.

As we were leaving the home, I really felt led to pray a prayer over Alex. I called our interpreter Jesse Frank over to help me and I began to pray. I really believe that the Spirit of God was speaking to me, telling me that I needed to pray over this young man because God has some incredible plans for his life. I really believe that he could be the one who God uses to revolutionize Mexico for Jesus! So I prayed (see picture to the right). I don't think I will ever forget this experience. I don't think I will ever forget the morning that we spent with so many children who wanted nothing from us except love. It was awesome to be God's hands extended to those children who so desperately need the love of Christ. It was an experience that God has forged on my heart and I promise that I will never ever forget it.

No Longer in the Tomb

It is great to be home.  After a whole 8 days of ministry abroad, my family is excited to be home.  I have to admit though, that if it wasn't for my little girl being here in Oklahoma, I might have stayed.  I paused for a moment as I was climbing the stairs to board our small puddle-jumping airplane and then I glanced over to my right.  I consciously turned to view the mountains of Monterrey one last time.  I took a deep breath in and exhaled smelling the fresh air.  I then wiped the tears from my eyes as I said one last prayer while I was in Monterrey for my new friends and then I boarded the plane.  I am so thankful to be called to full-time ministry.  Sure there are some sacrifices, but I feel so extremely rich in relationships that nothing else matters.  The rest pales in comparison to the peace of God that is in my life.  A peace that money and fame could never purchase.  And it is great to be home once again. 

It was incredible to worship with my church family today at Central Assembly of God.  I must say that being in Mexico, a predominantly Catholic culture, was a great reminder each day that we were in the midst of the holy week.  Statues, paintings, carvings - you name it - were sold outside of the large Cathedral's that were in the heart of downtown Monterrey.  On Good Friday, people had travelled for miles to visit the city and it was packed.  Easter has always been an important part of my life, however, this year the entire holy week seemed so much more real because of the emphasis it was given each day of the week in Monterrey.  AND this morning it was an incredible reminder of what Christ has done for us as Pastor Kevin preached on the importance of the empty tomb. 

"Millions of dollars worth of gold and treasures were discovered when Tut's tomb was revealed by people in Egypt who were escavating the land.  It literally took weeks to remove it all as they pulled out the jewels, royal thrones and treasures of Gold," he said.  "However, when the tomb of Christ was revealed empty it was more valuable than any amounts of gold on this earth because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had risen."  Aren't you thankful that He is no longer in the tomb today?  Paul says that, "If Christ be in the grave, we are among all men most miserable." - 1 Corinthians 15:19.  But friend here is the good news - the stone was rolled away and He is no longer in the tomb.  So let's celebrate!

*Now that I am back from Mexico, you can expect regular posts again.  In fact, I will start tomorrow sharing some of the most touching stories from our trip that have radically changed my life.  Please feel free to leave comments and subscribe to this blog for future posts to be emailed directly to you.  Thanks for reading.      

As the Wind Blows....

...so does the Spirit of God. What incredible things He is doing here in the country of Mexico. Today was an extremely windy day here in Monterrey. It almost felt like we were back in Oklahoma again. In fact, it was so windy that it did put a bit of a damper on our day. What we experienced was something just short of tornado like winds. Many trees were uprooted, billboards were blown down off of there posts 20-25 feet in the air as they fell down upon buildings and sidewalks, and the dust was atrocious. We experience a true "sandstorm". However, the ministry of the gospel moved forward. First, however, let me share a bit about last night. Yesterday we visited a children's hospital. We prayed over the sick and those who had cancer. It was life-changing. In a few days, I will blog and share the story of a boy who ministered to us while we were in the cancer ward of the hospital. An incredible story to come that will bless your heart.

Yesterday, we went door to door in the city of Monterrey and the suburb of "Medido". It was awesome to invite people to the local park to view the Godman video. After playing soccer with the kids, about 200 or so people came from their homes to view the life-changing message on the big screen right there on the basketball court/fenced-in soccer field. The message went forth and many children gave their lives to Jesus.

Today, despite the wind...we visited a church in a remote part of the city up on the mountain. As we pulled up to the door to the church and looked through the blowing dust it resembled something you would see in the inner city of New York. A big metal garage door with graffiti all over it. As we entered the door there was a church. The platform off in the distance, the pulpit and drums in their usual place. This was a house of worship. People were awaiting for us to arrive. Anticipation! We loved on the children for a few hours playing games and showing them our dramas. They gave us hugs, kisses and lots of great photo opps.

I had the opportunity to share the message of Jesus with them and invite them to ask Jesus into their corazones (hearts). Many raised their hands as I led them in the sinners prayer. The children received the Bible as we handed them their Book of Hope. We gave them toys and served them lunch and then said our goodbyes. Ministry was cut short today due to the weather. We want to be effective sharing the gospel over the next few days that we are in Monterrey and in order to do that, we need to be healthy. This air is hard to breathe, and we don't want anyone to get sick. So we are enjoying a fun night of popcorn and a movie at the school and we will hit it hard once again tomorrow. I can't wait - the weather is supposed to be sunny and beautiful!

Missions Trip to Mexico

This week I am in Monterrey, Mexico. It's an exciting time of ministry with a great friend, Brandon Watkiss. We are working with the Book of Hope, distributing the Word of God to people who have never personally owned a copy. We are going to visit some children's hospitals, orphanages, feed street kids, and hold out door "Godman" video events in local parks. I can't wait to blog more in the future to tell you what we are doing. Keep checking the blog for more updates as the week progresses. We will be home on Saturday, March 22nd. So please pray for us and I'll keep you posted.

More than a Crock

So tonight my wife, Kate and I were having dinner at Applebees. It was very nice and relaxing for just the two of us to eat and talk, two adults enjoying a meal. As we were hanging out she clued me into the fact that our crock pot had broken and was no longer heating up the roast we had planned to cook. We laughed as we remembered the three crock pots that we received as presents on our wedding day. Sure, we returned the other two and now it appears that the one we kept is in need of being replaced. "I can't believe that it only lasted a short time," I said to her as I bit into a boneless buffalo wing. "Honey, it's been almost seven years," she said back to me.

It's amazing how sometimes it takes the breaking of a crock pot to realize how quickly time flies. It takes the breaking of a crock pot to be reminded of the goodness of God, and His faithfulness of seeing my wife and I through seven terrific years. I learned today that sometimes it take the breaking of a crock pot to realize how in love I am with my wife. I truly have been privileged to serve her these past seven years and I would love to do it seventy more if the Lord would allow me. My only prayer is that Christ would help me to continue to love her as much as He loved the church and gave Himself for it.

If you are blessed to have a soul mate, a "life-partner" that God has given you...then take the time to today to tell them how much you love them. Don't wait until you find out that your crock pot is broken to tell him or her how blessed you really are. Scripture says in Proverbs 18:22, "that he who finds a wife finds a good thing (and it is true for women who find a husband too)." So be sure to take the time today and tell her. Yup...that's the low down on what is happening in my life. So until next time - keep pressing in.