Kingdom Hearts

Hello to all:

What a busy and hectic 2 weeks this has been for my family.  We are now officially moved.  It took two 26-foot U-Haul trucks to get all of our stuff to a storage in Longview, but it is done nonetheless.  Thanks be to God for friends and family who were willing and able to help us.

We are now getting settled into my in-laws’ place.  Cody’s family has been gracious enough to allow us to come into their home, so this is where we are staying for a little while, at least until Cody finishes up with her Masters degree work in December.  Meanwhile I will begin studying soon for my LPC exam, which I will need to take by the end of this year.

I start my new job at the psychiatric facility for inmates tomorrow morning.  I’m excited.  I’m nervous.  I’m sad.  I’m happy.  I have a lot of emotions right now.  Yesterday was my last day in La Grange and it was extremely hard for me to say goodbye.  I was very sad.  I have grown to love the people there dearly and wish them nothing but happiness and success in their labors for God’s kingdom.  I think there will be a grieving process for me to go through as a significant part of my identity (full-time preacher) is gone. 

I do plan to continue with my blogging.  But please bear with me for a little while.  I don’t know how long it will be until I can consistently pick it back up.  Not only am I trying to get settled in but so is my family.  This is a big adjustment for the boys and I need to be there for them and help relieve Cody when I get home from work.  But my plan is definitely at some point to get back to blogging…and soon, hopefully.  I have been missing it.  Meanwhile, Aaron is starting Cub Scouts this week and he is very excited.  Chase is starting soccer here soon and he also is pumped.  And we are currently looking to get Aaron into a new Tae Kwon Do class as he loved it in La Grange.

God is so good.  He has blessed me and my family richly and continues to do so.  I seek your prayers during this time of transition for my family and me, as you all continue to be in ours.

Love to all!

I don’t know if there is a more challenging test to one’s physical endurance or mental strength than an Ironman race, also known as the triathlon.  This is a 3-event race that takes the better part of an entire day to complete.  The three events include a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bicycle ride, and is capped off with a marathon (26 mile run).  You can read more about the triathlon here.

Kevin Schaefer, as most of you know, has been one of my closest friends since 2nd grade.  Through the years, we have remained very close despite going our separate ways for college and me not living in Victoria anymore.  He has always been nothing short of my brother.  My mom and his mom claim each of us as their very own, practically.  I write this on his behalf and with his permission.  I am sure that many of you reading this either know Kevin personally or have met him through me. 
 
Anyway, on this coming Sunday, August 30th, Kevin will be participating in an Ironman race in Louisville, KY.  He has been training intensely for this for about 18 months.  I remember him talking about it when we were kids.  He has ALWAYS wanted to do this.  I saw him the weekend of our 20 year class reunion and he looks fantastic, of course.  Even when comparing to our days in the army, he is undoubtedly in the best shape of his life and it shows.  Again the race is this coming Sunday, August 30th and he will have 17 hours (7 AM til 12 midnight) to complete it.  I am so proud of him and will spend a great portion of my Sunday deep in prayer on his behalf.  He is pumped but a bit nervous, obviously and understandably.  After speaking with him tonight, perhaps humbled is a better word.  If you would, I hope you will say a prayer for him please.  I am posting this first and foremost because I am hopeful that our prayers will help give him strength and encouragment. 
 
Second, below I am including a message from him about the cause for which he is running this race.   Kevin does not want anyone to feel pressured, but if you could just give a little bit for his cause, I know he would be extremely grateful to you.  All he is seeking to raise is two thousand dollars and hopefully with enough friends and family giving a small amount, he will accomplish this goal. 
 
You can see more information on what Kevin is trying to raise money for by clicking on this link.
 
Either way, he will be the first to tell you, he wants your prayers more than anything.  But the cause he is supporting is ALS.  There was a young boy with ALS (he has since passed) whose father did a triathlon and carried his son with him the whole way.  Perhaps you have heard the story about Dick and Rick Hoyt.  It is very inspiring.  You may also remember me putting a couple of  videos about it on my blog several months back.  You can see them here.  Anyway, this story, from what I understand,  is at least in part what inspired Kevin to finally chase his dream and do this.  His wife Angela and his 2 kids (Bryan and Andrea) have been fully supportive of him, although she has had to sacrifice immensely to allow Kevin to train so intensively these past eighteen months.

Here is a note from Kevin:

Hi Friends & Family,

As most of you know, I have my first Ironman race coming up on August 30th. I have an important announcement regarding the last few weeks of training and then my race.

I am raising 1) awareness and 2) money for a very important cause. I am asking you to help by granting me a few minutes for awareness of the issue. After that, I am asking you to help by making a contribution. Please use the link below to see brief but important information about the cause. Then if you so desire, you can donate online quickly & securely. You will receive email confirmation of your donation and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. Thank you in advance for your support.

http://www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/kabacrew

If the skies above you are gray, you are feeling so blue,
If your cares and burdens seem great, all the whole day through,
There’s a silver lining that shines in the heavenly land,
Look by faith and see it my friend, trust in His promises grand.

(Chorus)
Sing and you’ll be happy today, press along to the goal,
Trust in Him who leadeth the way, He is keeping your soul;
Let the world know where you belong, look to Jesus and pray,
Lift your voice and praise Him in song, Sing and be happy today.

Often we are troubled and tired, sick with sorrow and pain,
There are others living in sin, blest with earthly gain,
Take new courage we cannot tell what the morrow may bring,
When the dark clouds vanish away then your heart truly can sing.

(Chorus)
Sing and you’ll be happy today, press along to the goal,
Trust in Him who leadeth the way, He is keeping your soul;
Let the world know where you belong, look to Jesus and pray,
Lift your voice and praise Him in song, Sing and be happy today.

Oft we fail to see the rainbow up in heaven’s fair sky,
When it seems the fortunes of earth frown and pass up by,
There are things we know that are worth more than silver and gold,
If we hope and trust Him each day, we shall have pleasure untold.

(Chorus)
Sing and you’ll be happy today, press along to the goal,
Trust in Him who leadeth the way, He is keeping your soul;
Let the world know where you belong, look to Jesus and pray,
Lift your voice and praise Him in song, Sing and be happy today

–Emory S. Peck

As I am sure everyone knows by now, me and my family will be moving to Longview soon as I begin a new career as a therapist in a psychiatric facility in just less than 3 weeks.

This weekend while on the road, my wife and I were talking about what kind of things we will and won’t miss about preaching these past 11 years.  So as I was thinking about it more this morning, I thought I would post some of the things I will miss the most about my life as a preacher:

1. The brethren here in La Grange.  Incredible group of people that I love tremendously.
2. The feeling of fulfillment I get during the day from sitting in my office and spending several hours at a time studying my Bible.
3. The relationships I established in the community here in La Grange.  Great people here, for sure.
4. The time I was able to spend with people in need of encouragement.
5. Having the time to do things for others that actually matter.   
6. The personal satisfaction I feel when people tell me that my lessons benefited them in some way.
7. The opportunities to teach people God’s plan of salvation and seeing the happiness that accompanies their response.
8. The flexibility of schedule that allowed me to sometimes take the boys to the office or on visits with me.  Cody will probably miss this more than me, even.
9. The flexibility of schedule during the day to take care of personal business that a “9 to 5″ job will not afford.
10. The people who feel like they need to take the preacher out to eat all the time.
11. The enjoyment of teaching on a consistent basis.
12. The time that preaching allows me to spend blogging.
13. The camaraderie and fellowship I have with other preachers.
14. Being only an hour away from my parents in Victoria.
15. The amount of time I get to spend on facebook during the day, which is way too much. LOL!

I am quite positive that there are other things that I will miss that I just don’t realize yet or that I am not thinking of right now.  And yes, some of these I will still be able to enjoy doing to a degree, but not as part of my every day work as a representative of the congregation here. 

Peace!

Well, the eventful weekend was great.  I am going to spend the day recuperating.  I’m exhausted.  After spending Wednesday and Thursday in Longview, taking care of business and preparing for our move (renting storage, getting a post office box, opening bank account, etc), on Friday we went to Dallas to meet the family.  We stayed at a beautiful facility called Willowood Ranch in Bells, TX, which is right outside of Sherman.  You can see more pictures of the facility here. It is the perfect place for a weekend full of wedding events. There is a ranch house, where we stayed.  There is also a chapel and reception hall where the wedding and reception took place.  It was so much fun to spend the weekend out there with family and friends that I haven’t seen in so many years.  And then on Sunday we came back to Longview and spent all day Monday continuing to get things done in preparation for our move, which will be in about 2 short weeks from now.  I had forgotten how much work it is to move.  I am looking forward to getting all of this done.  We haven’t even started packing the house here in La Grange yet.

So that was our weekend in a nutshell.  It was extremely busy and hectic, but a lot of fun.  So, back to the main event of the weekend–Megan’s wedding.

Megan was stunning!  It was as beautiful and happy as I have ever seen my little sister.  And I am so proud of her and couldn’t be happier with her choice as a soul mate.  Matt is a great man who I know will love, cherish, and take care of Megan and I am looking forward to enjoying him as my brother-in-law.  It was a lot of fun (not to mention an honor) to get to officiate her wedding.

It was so good getting to spend the weekend with some friends of the family that I have not spent a lot of time with in recent years.  I had forgotten how much I missed them and enjoyed being around them, but at the same time was also reminded how awesome it will be to one day be reunited in Heaven with my loved ones.

Another thing that struck me through all of this was how happy Matt and Megan were.  They were absolutely “giddy,” almost to the point of being cheesy.  Even when doing their vows, Megan was so stoked she got tickled a couple of times, which really was great.  Of course, stumbling over one of the lines of the vows was classic Megan…and provided a great laugh for everyone.  Megan being Megan is part of what made the wedding so great and I think every one knew that at some point she would manage to put a “touch of Megan” on her wedding.  It really was great.  And I am glad she is who she is.

So looking at Matt and Megan and their happiness, I can’t help but wonder, “what happens to that?”  I mean, what is it about a marriage that causes that happiness and excitement and “giddyness” to fade away?  Is it time?  It is it the monotony of every day life?  Is it age?  Is it that we just begin at some point to take each other for granted?  I don’t know, really.   I suppose it can be a combination of all of these and more.  I remember how excited Cody and I were when we got married.  Sometimes we still enjoy that excitement, sometimes I think we get too caught up in the rigorous circumstances of life that we forget how blessed we are. 

My sister and her husband taught me something this weekend.  When I told them during the ceremony to remember how they feel right now and try to never lose it, I think I also presented a challenge to myself, and to everyone of us who were present and married.  When Paul discussed Christ’s relationship to the church in Ephesians 5, the effects of Jesus’ love for the church are continuous.  He continues to this day to love, cherish, and protect His church.  And hopefully the church continues to love and honor Him.  May it never stop!  And may the happiness and love in our marriages never cease.  May the desire to renew our commitments often to one another be steadfast.

So once again, I congratulate you Matt & Megan, and I thank you for your realness, love for eachother, and example set forth.  Keep on doing it! Don’t change a thing

I love you both!

This afternoon we are headed to Dallas for the weekend.  My sister is getting married on Saturday and I am blessed with the honor of officiating it .  It is something special about seeing my little sister get married.  I am looking forward to her special day.

I probably won’t be back until Monday or so.  So I will be taking a few days off from blogging.  I am sure I will have plenty to say about the weekend upon my return.  God continues to bless me and my family.  Keep us in your prayers.

Peace!

Do you think America needs a drug problem today?  I do.  Most definitely, I do.  Here is a small article that I thought was very interesting.  I do not know who wrote the article but perhaps this is at least somewhat indicative of what we need more of in our society today:

I had a drug problem when I was young. 

• I was drug to church on Sunday mornings.   
• I was drug to weddings and funerals.
• I was drug to family reunions.
• I was drug to Grandpa’s ranch to work during summers.
• I was drug out the door to go to school every week day.
• I was drug by the ears when I was disrespectful to adults and teachers.
• I was drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents.

Those drugs are still in my veins.  And they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, and think.  They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin.  And if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America might be a better place.

—Author Unknown

My parents, in raising me, were not perfect.  I can say this with little apprehension because I think they would tell you the same thing.  But they were faithful and loyal parents.  And for that I am grateful.  They laid down expectations for me, although I did not always do a very good job in meeting them.  But one thing that was consistent, was when I was disrespectful, there was a consequence.  When I was disobedient, I was fully “informed” that such was not acceptable.   When I did not want to go to church, I was “drug” anyway.  I was expected to call friends of theirs, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” and to say “yes ma’am” and “no sir.”  And if not, I was “drug;” sometimes even by the ears.

Parents, let us make sure that we are providing our children with the upbringing they need.  It is our responsibility: not the school’s or daycare’s responsibility, the babysitter’s responsibility, nor the church youth leader’s responsibility.  Parents must take it upon themselves to teach their children right from wrong, through both instruction and example.  God has placed that responsibility upon us as parents (Ephesians 6:4).  As a parent, I try my best to let my ”kids be kids.”  However, I also believe that it is my God-given responsibility to guide them into their adulthood.  Sometimes that makes me the proverbial “bad guy.”  But hopefully in the long run, these precious boys will see me as at least a “pretty good guy.”

Our children are not only the future of our society, but they are the present!  It has to start now.  Solomon told us, “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

Sunday morning after worship services here in La Grange, I had an exciting, yet difficult announcement to make.

As many of you know, since receiving my masters degree a little over a year ago, I have wanted to get my license in professional counseling (LPC).  The downside of this exciting goal is that I have known that at some point, if I ever decided to pursue this, I would have to take at least a 2-year hiatus from preaching in order to accumulate the 3,000 supervised hours I need to be awarded my LPC.

The opportunity has been presented.  After much prayer and deliberation with my wife, I have decided to accept an offer to work as a therapist at a psychiatric facility for inmates near Tyler, Texas.  I will be working for University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

This decision is difficult on so many levels.  My heart is in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It always will be.  There is not a more important work in the world, and I will miss it immensely.  I am going to miss the congregation here in La Grange.  I am indebted to you in more ways than you will ever know.  I love you brethren dearly and cannot express in words how much you mean to me, Cody, and the boys.  The elders, as well as membership as a whole, have stood behind me, and have supported me in my growth not only as a preacher, but as a Christian.  This is extremely hard to walk away from.  This will be a tough adjustment for me, for sure.  I love my work as a preacher and it is all I have known for 11 years now.  I am so thankful to my wife for allowing me to do what I love doing. 

But it is time to move forward now.  And I have so much for which to still be grateful.  My family’s last Sunday here as La Grange residents will be Sunday, September 6^th.  We will be moving to the Longview/Tyler area.  I do not know what the future holds as for 2 years from now once I obtain my license.  Perhaps I will come back to a career in preaching.  That option will certainly exist.  Perhaps I will stay where I am if I like it there and enjoy what I am doing.  At this point, I simply do not know.  Or maybe I will even one day have a private practice as a therapist.  That opportunity will also exist.  I thank God for the doors of opportunity He has opened for me and my family. 

I covet your prayers.  I am convinced that this is the right decision for my family and me right now but it is still painfully difficult.  This will be a big adjustment for me as well as for my entire family.  I need your prayers for strength, courage, faith, love, and grace as I continue my partnership with Christ in His kingdom.  Please say a prayer for me, that regardless of what I do in life, I will be the husband, dad, Christian brother, friend, kingdom citizen, and now co-worker that God has called me to be.  And may I always remember, regardless of whether I am a preacher or not, that I belong to and have responsibilities in the greatest kingdom that could ever exist.

We love you all!

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned unclean.

(Chorus)
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden, He prayed, “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine.

(Chorus)
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

In pity angels beheld Him, and came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows, He bore for my soul that night.

(Chorus)
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered, and died alone.

(Chorus)
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory, His face I at last shall see,
‘Twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me. 

(Chorus)
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

We are reminded in Scripture as to how much damage we can do with our tongues (James 3:5-8).  I know I have done my share of using my tongue as a weapon to hurt people, intentionally as well as unintentionally.  Here is what I find interesting though.  For the most part, with regard to using words that our culture deems as “bad words,” we get it.  We try our best not to use those words because that is “cussing” and that is a sin.

But am I off base when I say that “cussing” is really not confined to using “cuss words?”  What about speaking evil of a brother or a neighbor?  What about gossip?  What about lying?  These may not be what we normally think of as cursing, but they are certainly examples of damage we can do with our tongues.  In fact, it is amazing to me how one can gossip or be less than honest in a story he tells, then turn right around and say “but I don’t cuss,” as if that is all that really matters.

Another example of how we can hurt others with our tongues is by simply failing to think before we speak.  A lot of times, even in our zeal and desire to do a good thing we can hurt others’ feelings.  Part of our charge as God’s people to be loving, compassionate, tender-hearted, and kind, is to think carefully about what we say to others and how we come across.  The point of all of this is that the tongue is actually one of the most powerful tools we have in our efforts to influence others for good and build one another up.  This alone warrants the need to choose carefully how we use our words.

The good news is that the tongue can be used for much more than negative.  In this same context of James 3, James reminds us that our tongues can be just as much a blessing (vv.9-10).  Paul reminds us that our speech is to “always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6).  In like manner, to the Ephesians, he also attests, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this is to excercise such wisdom and grace when the opposite is demonstrated toward us.  Perhaps the real challenge is to use our tongues as a blessing when we perceive that we have been cursed with someone else’s tongue. 

Thank God that the actions of His Son serves as a blessing to those who cursed Him.

Have a wonderful weekend!