What are you sitting on?

We went to Zachary's open house last night at Russell Elementary School where he is a first grader. It was of course a lot of fun and kids have a ball showing their parents and grandparents around the school, showing off their projects and having us meet their teacher.

But here is what I was drawn to. I attended Russell Elementary over 30 years ago. And, can you imagine that they have the same desks today that they did in the 70's. Wow!! I suppose it's possible that Zachary is sitting in a desk that I did. So, it made me think about many things. And many memories flooded my mind. But the big thing that hit me was that the past, present, and the future are very connected. Each generation does not have to start all over from a blank slate. Instead, each generation stands on the previous generation's shoulders. And, if we are wise we will learn from the mistakes and successes of the past and will live better lives - more effectively advancing the Kingdom of God.

Be careful how you live. Look at where you are sitting and remember that others have sat there before you, and others will sit there in the decades to come. Are you learning from the past? Are you living for Jesus in the present? And are you leaving behind a legacy that someone else can follow? You never know who will be sitting in that desk after you. Take care of it and leave them something strong for them to sit on.

I think if they ever get rid of those old desks, I want one.

Great Relationships

Sorry I have not posted in awhile. Sandie and I were on a little pastor's retreat in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a quick, but great time.

The thing that stuck out most to me while we were down there is how wonderful it is to have great friends. We were able to spend one night in Charlotte with our friends Reid and April. We went to Bible College with them and we have not seen them in over 3 years. But despite the time apart we were able to catch up and encourage each other like we still lived next door. They are true friends. And the wonderful thing about brothers and sisters in the Lord is what we can draw from them. I learned so much in the hours we spent talking. In fact, I think if I was honest I would have to say that many - maybe even most life things that I have learned have come in the context of relationships - not in the classroom.

We then were able to spend some great time with three other great friends - The Vengalas, Stewarts and Shults'. Again, the encouragement we received and the things that we learned were invaluable. Needless to say, I love people. May prayer is that you foster godly relationships and that you are always eager to benefit from their lives. Hopefully, they glean a little bit from you too.

Love Your Region

Saturday morning I was driving down off of our hill and into Warren. I was in awe of how beautiful it is in our area. It was the classic early autumn day. 40 degrees, an extremely heavy dew, and as the sun came up it glistened sharply off the dew. All the valleys and creeks were full of fog. And the hills are just starting to show off their amazing vibrant colors. It was indeed quite a site.

If you have been around me much, you know that I love where I live. A lot of people don't like our area for there are many things wrong here. We have no jobs, little sunshine, a lot of rain and long winters - just to name a few :-). But, I am convinced that we are called to love the area where we live. If we are going to believe God to move and impact our region, I believe that we should first love what we are asking God to bless.

If you only see the negative in a place, let me encourage you to ask the Lord to change your view. Let Him change your way of thinking and may He give you a true love for your "land".

The Law of Christ

At Bible Study this morning we discussed Galatians 6:2 which says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Quite interesting that if want to fulfill the law of Christ we are encouraged to carry each other's burdens. And then in Romans 13:8 the Word says, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."

Here lies the mystery. To fulfill the law of Christ, we are called to love. It is truly a call that is much higher than a list of rules and following a bunch of do's and don't's. So, I encourage you today. Are you fulfilling the law of Christ by loving?

And, don't worry, this burden won't crush you like this little car.

Pastoral Counseling

So, there are many questions that a pastor gets. Some are very serious - even life and death. Some are Biblical in nature as a person is seeking an answer to a particular issue. Many people want advice on their future or have relational questions. Then there are other questions that we get that are very practical.

Today I was talking on the phone in my office when a person came and handed me a note. It read, "I flushed the toilet in the downstairs bathroom and it just keeps flushing. I don't know what to do." I just laughed and smiled and when I was finished with my phone call I went down and fixed the toilet. (Or at least fixed it temporarily.)

But here's the thought for today. If we are unwilling to deal with the practical side of life, we are unable to deal with any side of life. Most of what our lives are made of are the very simple and mundane things. That is where life is lived. We like to think that our ministry is this great amazing thing that we do for God. When in reality our greatest ministry might just be in loving him in our daily lives.

So, get out there and fix some toilets. That's the real ministry.

A Player or A Referee

I had lunch today with a good friend of mine from India who is visiting America for just a few weeks. This guy travels and teaches on college campuses in many countries with YWAM. I love talking to him because he is absolutely brilliant.

He made an interesting observation about free market capitalism and the government's involvement. He said that the government's role should be like that of a referee in the free market. They should truly be governing and watching over what's going on. Making sure that everyone is playing by the rules and that they are playing fairly. However, the government is not a player in the game. Problems arise when the government decides it's time to join the game and become a player. But they do not cease to be the referee. If one of the teams in the game is also the referee who do you think is going to win? Of course, the referee. And what will happen to the other team that is not the referee? They will try very hard to win. But, they will eventually become frustrated because the other team is also the referee and can change the rules at anytime. This frustration can eventually turn into the team just giving up.

Therefore the team/referee takes over the entire game and the quality of the game dwindles and the fans become apathetic to the game and the entire sport becomes devalued.

I don't need to draw this out too much, but I think it paints a good picture of how government control or takeover of things really diminishes the spirit of the "game", the free market. May they be satisfied with being the best referee the world has ever seen and may they not get too emotionally involved in the game to lose their ability to be fair.

(This is not intended to be a politically charged entry, but hopefully puts a little light on governments and free markets.)

A big vision

I was at a staff meeting yesterday at Praise Fellowship. We did a lot of things, and the one thing that stuck out to me is our ability to dream. Pastor Peter from Kenya was there and he encouraged us to have an impossible vision. A vision so big that there is no way that a human being could accomplish it. He quoted D.L. Moody who said, "If God is your partner, let your plans be big."

Let me encourage all of us to have big dreams. God is truly about big and He is encouraging us to join Him. So, have a big vision for your family, your job, your relationships, your future. And, keep trusting in the Lord.

LRS 2009

We attended the 18th annual LRS this past weekend. Now, you have probably never heard about the LRS, but for some (well 10) it's an annual event that we really look forward to. Sandie's sister Susie lives in Kentucky and their parents live in Pittsburgh. Each fall we gather for a weekend of camping. This event began in October of 1992. Sandie and I got married that summer as did Susie and Tim Stombaugh. Their family is pretty close and we realized that if we didn't intentionally make sacrifices to be together, the family could be reduced to just gathering on major holidays. So, we met and camped in Ohio, our central state. We had so much fun that we did it again in '93. That was great so we continued in '94 and '95 and every year since. (I think we have camped in every state park in the Columbus area.) This has since grown as we have added kids and the weekend has now been moved from October to Labor Day in order to take advantage of an extra day. (It's also a bit warmer) We have a great time as we usually bike, kayak, visit some cool sites, for some reason we always visit a dam, and we eat some amazing food. The weekend got is name LRS from the three last name. Sandie's parents last name is Long, we are of course Rohlins and the Kentucky people are Stombaughs.

There is a point to this post. I hear people complain about their family and how they never do anything special or that they have no traditions. Well, gather the family together and decide to do something. As you all enjoy it, it will be special. Do it again next year and it may be extra special. If you do it again it will become a tradition that will leave memories for a lifetime.

As you make traditions, I encourage you to do things to anticipate the event. Have some fun aspects that make it bigger that it actually is. (ex. have shirts made up, or have a website) Retell stories of the previous years. Give each person involved jobs. They can be anything and any age can be involved. Even make silly things traditions. Those things go a long way in making gatherings memorable.

So, gather the family together and make some traditions. Before you know it, you might just have 18 years of the LRS under your belt.

The first day of school

This week Zachary had his first day of first grade at Russell Elementary School. He was very excited and as you can see by the look on his face, it was a genuine anticipation for the coming school year. Many young people (not all) have that same sense of looking forward to school. They can't wait to see their friends. They love their teacher. Reading and math are fun. The school bus is amazing. And, of course, recess is the best.

So, when is it that we lose that sense of wonder? When do friends become old? When does learning become a bore? And when do we begin to think our teachers hate us?

Doesn't the same thing happen to us in our walk with Jesus. Following Jesus is a lot like going to school. In our early years we are all excited and we think everyone should go. Then as we follow Jesus for a long time it may become a ritual that we do because we have to.

My prayer for us is that once again the Holy Spirit gives us a fresh start in our walk with Christ. May this year be filled with the wonder that comes from following Jesus just like that First grader who is overjoyed to go to school.