Band-aid on a Bear Mauling, by Will

I've been hesitant to write this post, simply because of the nature of it. I'm not afraid or ashamed to say what I'm about to say, but I'm not a fan of simply adding noise to the chaos. I'm not a politician, I'm not an influential pastor, I'm a single dad who writes a couple of blogs, and is hoping to be able to make the world better. Who am I that anyone would listen? But this has not gone away, and so I need to say this.

The horrific tragedy at a school in Florida last week has once again brought an endless debate back to the forefront. First, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to the families of those who were murdered. As a parent, my heart breaks for your loss in a way it never could have before I became a dad. I hate the evil that took these young lives, and left parents and siblings grieving. I hate the evil that caused terror for so many survivors. And I am full of pride and respect for those who sacrificed themselves to protect the lives of others. I know that nothing I can say in this moment will lesson your pain, and for that I am truly sorry.

It is time for action, not on the floor of Congress, but in the communities of our nation. It is time for men to step up and act like men. It is time for fathers to be dads. It is time for men to lead, for men to actively and intentionally get involved in the lives of their children. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16.13-14)

Men, we have failed. We have failed our families, our schools, our communities, and our nation. We have allowed evil to take place because of our inaction. We have failed to take a stand in the defense of what is good, true, and beautiful, and allowed the enemy to slip in unopposed and devour us and all that we care about. Have we had enough yet? How many more tragedies of this magnitude will it take? Does it have to be your kid before you care?

It is time for us, as men, to act like men and take action. It is time for us to begin living for things that matter. It is time for us to invest in the lives of our children, and their friends. It is time for us to take ground back from the enemy; we must resist Him, firmly rooted in God, and begin to fight with everything we have.

The only way for true healing and change to take place is for us to actively engage. Stricter gun control laws will not change anything; raising a generation to value life, face consequences for their actions, and live with respect for others will bring lasting change. Anything short of this intentionallity is simply treating a bear mauling victim with a band-aid, it's not going to a thing.

Let us be alert, aware of the things we must fight for, and conscious of the opportunities for intentional action.

Let us be firm in our faith, connected deeply to God, sharing His gentleness, and kindness with those who meet.

Let us act like men, lead and take action, own your responsibilities, and play your part.

Let us be strong, resist evil, endure the hardships of battle, act and speak with boldness.

Let us love, reach out to the rejected, invest in the outcast.

We can make a difference if we are willing to play the man, stand firm against the enemy, and do what we have been made to do. This tragedy should never have happened, but our inaction has paved the way for it. Have we had enough? Are we going to act like men?

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Proud Dad Moment, by Will

I'm not a big fan of winter. In the past few years I've realized that hiking doesn't have to end when it gets cold and snow covers the ground. I've had a lot of fun figuring out different layering systems, playing around with and buying some new gear (snowshoes=awesome), but I still prefer the seasons where it doesn't take me 15 minutes to get ready to leave for a hike. On top of this, my trail buddies, "Belle" and "Cinderella", though they would never admit it, can't handle the cold as long as I can, so hiking with them in the winter isn't really the best option for activities.

I needed to find some indoor things for us to do together when it gets cold, and you can only go to the Rain Forest at the zoo, or the Natural History Museum, so many times. Over the summer at the community parade there was a local business that has several of those bounce inflatables inside, and they passed out several discount cards. I had forgotten about them until it started to get cold outside. For Christmas, my parents got my girls and I a gift certificate to what we call "the jumping place", and a few weeks ago we went for the first time.

We were waiting in the parking lot for this place to open, and we were the only people there for at least half an hour. My youngest, Cinderella, just turned 2, Belle is almost 4. As I watched them play and explore that day, I felt two distinct emotions as a dad. The first was helpless frustration. The one inflatable they spent the most time in had a sort of rock wall in the middle that you climbed, and then had a slide on each side that you would go down, make your way through a couple obstacles, and then end up back and the entrance. Belle made it up the wall with no problems, but Cinderella, being younger and smaller, was struggling. She would make it half or three quarters of the way up the wall, but then be unable to hold on to the last hand hold, and slide back down. The first few times she laughed, but then she began to get frustrated and upset.

Big sister could do it with no problem, but she couldn't figure it out, and she was not happy about it. I felt horrible, and helpless. I figured it was a kids place, and that I wasn't able to get in to the inflatables, turns out you can if you have kids, but I didn't know that at the time, and what happened next made me so glad I didn't realize that.

The next time, Belle got up the wall, and then stopped, turned around, laid down on her stomach, reached out with her hand, and said "I will help you!" Cinderella got three quarters of the way up, grabbed her sister's hand, and I watched as she pulled her up to the top. The went down the slide together, and I felt more proud in that moment than I ever have in my life. I didn't tell my oldest to help her, in all honesty I was frustrated about not being able to help that I didn't even think of that. She did it on her own, she saw her sister's need, and reached out to pull her up. #prouddadmoment

The day only got better, they continued to play like that for a while, and one time Belle didn't wait at the top, but at that point it didn't matter. I watched as my not yet 2 year old climbed up by herself. She had done it enough, fallen enough, and she had figured out how to overcome the problem. She would get to the top, look in my direction, and have the biggest smile on her face. She did it, all on her own. I have video and pictures that I love viewing. In one of them as she gets back to me I'm telling her how proud I am of her for doing it all by herself (I was also telling my almost 4 year old how proud I was of her for helping her sister), and as I say "You did it all by yourself!" you can hear her say "Yeah!" as she runs back to the wall to do it again.

Being a dad has given me a clearer understanding of the heart of God. As I've thought about this day with my girls, my inability to step in and help, and watching them work together and overcome the obstacle, and the pride I felt as a result, I can't help but think about how God sees us. God has the power to step in and solve our problems. He has the ability to make everything easy, but He doesn't do that. He lets us struggle, and He lets us fail, because He then gets to watch us overcome. He gives us the chance to help each other, and the chance to stick to it, and when we do, He feels overwhelming pride.

Life is full of hardships, but that doesn't mean God is absent, or that He doesn't care. He's watching the whole time, and He knows that you can do it. He's there if you need Him, but He's going to let you try and do things on your own. He's going to let you fall, so you can learn and grow. He's a good dad, not an overprotective helicopter parent (I'll be honest, had known at the time I could get in and help my daughter I would have, but I'm glad I didn't know that because she learned that she can do hard things, and she learned that big sister is there to help her).

Don't give up when things get hard; don't get angry with God. Keep trying, keep moving forward, because when you succeed, your Father's face beams with pride.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

What will you choose?, by Ryan

I was fortunate enough to attend a number of (four I think) Promise Keeper (PK) conferences in my pre-teen and early teenage years. I really looked forward to those because I got to spend a weekend with the guys, to include my dad (and grandpa at three). There are some very good memories of camping out, eating boxed lunches, and hearing stories during the car rides. Although I can't recall many specifics of what the numerous speakers had to say, I do remember most of the themes of the conferences as a whole (one of the last things a teen guy wants to do is take notes lol).

We are faced with countless choices on a daily basis: what clothes to wear from our wardrobe, what to eat for each meal (plus snacks if you're like me), what media to consume, how to treat our boss(es) and co-workers, how to spend the little free or down time we get...the list goes on. The choices that we make each day impact other parts of that day and in some cases future days. Some choices are obviously more important than others - in the short list I made a few sentences ago, how we treat people at work has more of an impact than what we eat for dinner that evening.

The theme of the 1999 PK conferences was "Choose this Day," based on Joshua 24:15 which says: "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." I enjoy this passage in Scripture because Joshua is giving the people a good pep talk. He reminds them what God has done for them and is charging them up to serve God going forward. It reminds me of an energetic coach trying to hype up and motivate the team as they are getting ready to take the field. In verse 15, Joshua gives the people a choice: serve the pagan gods or the one true God. Joshua declares that no matter what the people choose, he is choosing Yahweh. After Joshua gives them warning that God is holy and jealous, they proclaim that they want to choose to serve Him also. This chapter concludes with Joshua making a covenant with the people and explains to them that they are all witnesses for each other for their decision.

With it being somewhat early in the new year still, it's a good time to reflect as to what we are choosing. In 2018 and beyond, I want to choose the Lord daily because it is a daily choice to serve Him. There may will be days that I stumble, but our God is a God of love and forgiveness. I'm very grateful for knowing and having these guys in my life to keep me accountable on what I'm choosing.

Saying No, by Will

I have a lot on my plate at the moment. School, work, tutoring, being a dad, planning for the future, and pursuing a new opportunity, it all seems a bit overwhelming, and at times it really is. I've spent a lot of my life, for lack of a better term, reacting to what happens. I'll get caught up in something and find myself agreeing to something that I really don't have time to do. Right now, my schedule is tight; every minute is precious. I've realized that I have to start saying no to some things.

I don't like saying no. It isn't that I want everyone to like me, I just have a need to help people (seriously, my Enneagram results had me at 74% helpfulness where I need to help others in order to survive). Helping people is part of my DNA, and so saying no is not something I enjoy doing because it means I'm unable to help.

As my schedule fills, and my passion becomes clear, I'm facing some decisions. I have things I have to do, and things I need to do in order to move forward. I'm realizing that in order to fulfill my obligations and also to move in the direction I want to go, I have to begin saying no. I only have so many yes's to give, and in order to be able to say yes, I have to say no. I have to say no to everything that does not help me get where I feel God is leading me.

It has taken me a couple of weeks to write this post, I've started and erased everything about half a dozen times. In that time I've been thinking about the life of Christ, and two accounts keep coming to mind.

Matthew 4.1-11 records the story of Christ's wilderness temptation. During His trial, Christ is offered three different opportunities that would ultimately lead to Him avoiding the cross. The first temptation, to turn stones to bread, is a temptation for Christ to use His power in order to satisfy His own needs. Christ says no, refusing to misuse His power in a way that does not draw Him closer to the Father. The second temptation is for Christ to draw attention to Himself, setting up a ministry based on miraculous acts that is doomed to fail. Christ says no, refusing to draw attention to Himself and put God to the test. The final temptation is a chance to rule the world by worshiping Satan. Christ refuses, this final temptation offers Him a clear path away from the cross, but Christ knows that the only way to accomplish the will of God is to go to the cross.

Christ is focused on the mission, and though Satan offers multiple options to avoid the cross, but each one is refused by Christ because He knows that He must go through the cross.

The second account is from John 11. Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, is sick and close to death. Jesus is sent for, but will not go to Lazarus. "But when Jesus heard this, He said, This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.'" (John 11.4). Jesus waits, and only goes to Bethany after Lazarus has died. He meets the sister's of Lazarus, weeps with them, and then raises Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus could have gone and healed Lazarus' illness, but He waits, allows Lazarus to die and be buried, then He goes and raises Lazarus from the dead. Christ could have done a miracle by healing Lazarus, but He brought more glory to God by raising him from the dead. Christ did what was best, what would bring the most glory to God, by saying no to what would have been good.

The model given by Christ is one that says no to everything that does not focus on the mission, and on saying no to the things that do not give the most glory to God. This is the model I want to follow. At this point in my life, I must say no to everything that does not move me closer to what God has called me to do. I must say no to good things, so that I can say yes to the best things. I want to live a life focused on fulfilling the work God has given me to do, and I want to give God the most glory possible. In order to do this, I have to say no to certain things.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!

Saying Yes, by Jacob

Saying Yes...

Saying yes to being scared.
Saying yes to uncertainty
Saying yes to God's Kingdom
Saying yes to wherever He leads
Saying yes to whatever He says.
Saying yes to...

A guy we met over in Cambodia invited us to a school he helps run in Spain. He told us about it and that we should come. Now, this is a leadership and missional community/discipleship school. Not a typical classroom, but a hands-on in what it means to lead and to disciple, especially around a table.

We hesitated...of course.

Please understand, I had the next stage of my life figured out: go back to Ohio, move to Columbus, get a descent job so I can get the last of our debt payed off, and start learning what discipleship is by just doing it. It’s a really good and wise plan!

But then he had this to say, “I just say ‘yes’ to whatever God brings. I say ‘yes’ knowing He will open and close doors to direct me where to go.”

I didn’t know what to say. The Lord has been slowly and quietly speaking to me about my trust issues while in Cambodia. I saw it often, in my struggle to open my hand and give, in my worry or anxiety over things I couldn’t control, over my frustration sometimes at little things that weren’t working out like I expected. And on top of that, I have had this “tick”, if I can call it that, for quite a while in the back of my mind- it’s this thing that keeps bringing me back to the need for real life-on-life discipleship.

...so we said yes! We don’t know what that means. Or where God will lead, but we simply said yes.



Saying yes is hard. I have never been good at saying yes to God. I think too much sometimes. I think through things too much and try to understand the end from the beginning. I want all of the information before I jump. And that is rarely the way God works. He just asks us to surrender.

Jesus seemed more concerned with how you live your life than what you say. That’s been another difficult thing for me to swallow. In other words, He is more concerned about how you live your life that reveals what you really believe about Him. And the call is always a life of surrender and trust. It is a life of just saying "yes" to the Lord.

Surrender is such a hard and neglected topic. Why surrender here when we literally have every comfort at our fingertips! Any type of food and numerous ways to cook it; any type of entertainment and numerous ways to indulge; numerous types of beds or couches or size house or pet or car or...etc. (you would be amazed at how difficult it is to stop using your oven or microwave for a month). Comfort and surrender don’t usually go hand in hand together. To be comfortable is not surrender, just like to have self-discipline is not always comfortable.

I want details, and He says, "Trust me".
I want to know what's expected of me, and He says, "Just trust me that I know what you can handle more than what you do."
I want to know the outcome and if it’s worth it, and He of course says, "The fruit and the outcomes are up to me, not you...just trust me."



This has been a hard journey for me! I've not been very good at it. I often fight, resist, and drag my feet rather unwillingly. I am afraid, and I don't like to surrender to what I don't know will happen. And not everyone agrees with what I have chosen to do, and how I believe God has been leading me. But, the reality is I will be judged by what I do or don't do. They don't get the luxury of being judged for me on their thoughts or expectations of my life.

To be honest, I am a little scared. But I am choosing to follow and trust. There is no other place for rest to come in Christ without just giving over control and simply trusting that He brings what is best and withholds what isn't necessary. That brings real rest, and I am then able to let go of anxiety and worry and stress and enter into God's rest.