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November 05, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Every year at Coast we reach out to help Oriole Beach Elementary School, with whom we share a property border. In the early days we filled back packs with school supplies. But several years ago, we learned from the Principal that there are lots of kids who come to OBE, whose families struggle to make ends meet financially and the kids are the ones who are suffering. So about 4 years we began to receive a special offering that we called, "The OBE Blessing."
This year was no exception, and today we presented a check to the Principal and Assistant Principal. See the picture below with Scott Welch, my administrative assistant presenting the check.
Dawn Alt, the Principal, told me how they have been able to use the checks to buy clothes, shoes, glasses for a girl who could not see, bunk beds for a family with six kids who were sleeping on the floor, and food for kids who would have nothing to eat during the break times like Spring and Christmas break, because they would not be able to get the free food offered by the schools.
I want to say thank you to all the people of Coast who gave unselfishly to make this happen... You guys rock!! And thanks to Oriole Beach Elementary for a commitment to children that goes beyond just education. I think we make a great team!
September 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Ok... I get it... I need to update my blog a little more often.... So here is something that inspires me everytime I think of it.
Mark Batterson wrote a great book In a pit with a lion on a snowy day, and it he states the lion chaser manifesto... here it is... let it inspire you today.
Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
August 11, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Had a great opportunity to have some intriguing conversations with a couple of ministry leaders today... and figured I would just ramble some of my thoughts, in no particular order.
Just some interesting thoughts... If you know me at all, I am not a fan of religion, and I have such a high view of grace. But that has to be tempered by the idea that when we say yes to God our lives no longer belong to us... We have said to Jesus, "I give you my life. Be the Lord of my life." In that case we should be about doing the work of Jesus in whatever place we find ourself. School, work, neighborhood, etc. We should not be concerned with our convenience, and our comfort, but with our character and with becoming who Christ made us to be.
This is some of the stuff rattling around in my head after a couple of interesting conversations. There is more, but this is probably enough for now... Do you wrestle with this kind of stuff?
July 29, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I had an opportunity to contribute an article to Serve Magazine this month. Serve is an online Ezine put out by Steve Sjogren and Ken Glassmeyer. It was a huge honor to be asked to be a part... you can read the article here.
July 08, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My blogging has been a little slow these days... Seems most of my blogging has become micro-blogging, twitter, facebook, etc. So it actually seems a little odd sitting down at my blog and looking at a blank page.
I like the idea of a blank page... It means that anything is possible. I could sit down and have an amazing profound thought... it could be the genesis of a book idea... it could be something that might be silly that could make me or someone else smile... it could be an encouraging word at the right season.
The thing about a blank page though, is that it will stay blank until you begin to write something. Until you begin to team up with the Holy Spirit and put your thoughts down on paper... nothing happens.
I think our lives are very similar. God presents us each day with a blank page and says, "Ok, put pen to paper. Write the story of your life. I will guide and you lead you in every stroke of the pen, if you let me... let's get started."
And what an adventure it is to follow after God's plan... and to live the story He has written for our life. I want to encourage you today... don't go to sleep with your page still blank. Live the story. Follow God. Live passionately. Be a life that someone would enjoy reading about. Its all in your hands. What will you do with your blank page?
July 01, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 08, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Ask the Lord your God for a sign whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. Is. 7:11
We must continue to pray and wait for the Lord until we hear the sound of His mighty rain. There is no reason why we should not ask for great things. Without a doubt, we will receive them if we ask in faith, having the courage to wait with patient perseverance for Him and meanwhile doing those things that are within our power to do.
It is not within our power to create the wind or to change its direction, but we can raise our sails to catch it when it comes. We do not create electricity, yet we can tap into it with a will that will conduct it, allowing it to work. We do not control God's Spirit, but we can place ourselves before the Lord out of obedience to what He has called us to do and we will come under the influence and power of his mighty breath.
Can’t the same great wonders be done today that were done many years ago? Where is the God of Elijah? He is waiting for today’s Elijah to call on Him.
The greatest old or new testament saints who ever lived were on a level that is quite within our reach. The same spiritual force that was available to them and the energy that enabled them to become our spiritual heroes are also available to us. If we exhibit the same faith, hope and love they exhibited, we will achieve miracles as great as theirs. A simple prayer from our mouths will be powerful enough to call down from heaven God’s gracious dew or the melting fire of His spirit, just as the words from Elijah’s mouth called down literal rain and fire. All that is required is to speak the words with the same complete assurance of faith with which he spoke.
Attributed to Dr. Goulburn, Dean of Norwich.
June 05, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I don't remember my source for where this came from originally, but it is good stuff. I have made a couple of small changes. Enjoy!
10. Account for your time
How did you spend your day? Write it as you go and evaluate how you did at the and of the day. Now look for ways to improve and ask yourself, "What am i going to do about this tomorrow?" Always be looking for ways to improve.
9. Plan your time offensively
Act like your time belongs to you! Learn to say no to things you don't need to do. This is so important.
8. Keep your priorities in order
Remember, if you don't have priorities you can't keep them.
7. Delegate to the faithful
What are you doing that someone else can be doing? What is it that only you can do? Learn to recruit and recruit and recruit. Share the joy of serving with others.
6. Plan for interruptions
When everything is said and done, there is more said than done. Things don't always happen the way you plan them. Keep margin in your life for the unexpected.
5. Respond rather than react in a crisis
There is more than one side to every story. In church work there is usually about 36. Do your homework Its ok to say I'll get back to you, I don't know a smart answer.
4. Don't procrastinate
Do what you can do now... don't put it off till later. Really.
3. Get some help
Make some phone calls, network, read a book, listen to a cd or podcast. Get a mentor. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Learn from others.
2. Plan for growth
Remember people follow people with a plan. Have a plan for spiritual growth, organizational growth, and numerical growth.
1. Pray
Things happen when we pray that just don't happen any other way! Make time to pray
May 21, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Just finished reading Dino Rizzo's latest book Servolution. I picked it up while at the ARC Conference last month. First of all, let me say I really respect Dino. He's the real deal! When he writes about serving, he's writing about something he understands and does... This isn't theory, he's speaking from experience. The book servolution is filled with amazing stories, but beyond that, it is a practical tool for establishing a culture of serving in your church, and practical ideas for serving. I think everyone involved in ministry should read chapter six.
Dino, has the nickname Father Teresa among the folks at ARC... I like that. At Coast we have a huge heart for serving others... and two people that have influenced us more than anyone else have been Steve Sjogren and Dino Rizzo. One of the things that I really appreciate about Dino and Healing Place Church is the way they work with other churches in their area to serve their community.
I had the opportunity recently to ask Dino about that. Here is my question to Dino and his response.
May 13, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I thought this was pretty cool Gary and Beth Hodges, our worship leaders, were at the Exponential Conference and told me how they intrdouced Francis Chan when it was his turn to speak... Too funny. Enjoy!
May 08, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 04, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Just got back from the All Access Conference sponsored by ARC. Thought I would share some of my thoughts and highlights.
May 01, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
"What's that?" He asked. "It's a line in the sand. If you cross over it you are on my team, and if you don't then you are on their team."
I was thinking this week about the childhood thing of drawing a line in the sand that someone would have to cross over. We have probably all done it. Here's the line and stepping across means.... whatever... but it was always a commitment.
Commitment is such a weird concept in our culture today. Nowadays commitment simply means that I am committed as long as I am committed. And if truth be known, we are very careful. We've learned a lot since our childhood. So we take great caution to not be around those situations that cause a line to be drawn in the sand.
But there's a problem, isn't there? I mean aren't lines drawn in the sand every day? At your table at the restaurant you overhear, "I don't believe in Christianity. I don't believe that anyone in their right mind could be a Christian." What just happened? A line was drawn in the sand. Are you bold enough to cross it?
Sitting with a group of parents at a basketball game, one makes the comment, "I am sick of churches... they are all the same... none of them have the anything to do with Jesus." A line has been drawn. What do you do?
In a doctor's office waiting room, a patient emerges, shaken and crying. They walk over to chairs, and sit down with their head in their hands and cry. Do you cross the line in the sand to bring them the comfort of the Holy Spirit who lives in you?
Everyday of His life, Jesus crossed the lines in the sand. It was something He thought about. It was a natural outpouring of who He was. He couldn't stop it. He was who He was.
What about you? Every week opportunities to cross the line come your way. How do you handle them? Do you look the other way? Do you think that it's ok because somebody else will jump up to the plate?
We need volunteers in.... we are looking for worker's in this ministry... we are looking for people with a heart to....
These are all lines in the sand...
Dare to step out....
Let's Rock the World together!
April 23, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Here are some pics from our last Servolution event. These were from our Easter Egg Hunt at Swenson Park... Over the years we have teamed up with the Swenson Park Homeowners and their ladies Auxillary to provide events like this.
Thanks to everyone who helped in all of our Servolution events... A lot of lives were touched.
April 15, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Not so much... been a little crazy... best place to catch me is on twitter or facebook.... But not giving up my blog just yet... Looking for a fresh wind to blow... and maybe a new blog design... who knows? Anyway, hope to be blogging again soon.
April 04, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 22, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 15, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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