November 09 Liberia Trip

The first Harvest, West Olive team to Liberia. What a very special group of people. Very sweet memories were made...memories that will be visited often. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) dwell together in unity...for there the Lord has commanded blessing...". The bond that this team developed and shared together spoke volumes to our Liberian brothers and sisters. May the Lord bless you, team! I miss you all!

Do not be fooled by the look on her face. She loves me! Just a bit camera shy. From the first trip to Liberia, Ruth has stolen my heart. Join with me in praying for her..."that the Lord would bless her and keep her; that He would make His face to shine upon her and be gracious to her; that He would lift up His countenance upon her and give her peace."

Some of the most blessed experiences while in Liberia were the baptisms. They were performed in the ocean...which the Liberians are not fond of. This man could have easily broken my arm with his little toe...and this was his first time to ever enter the ocean. He was visibly shaken by the experience. I don't believe his head had ever been under water. I envisioned arms flailing wildly breaking noses and blackening eyes as he was taken under. Praise God for his baptism...and sparing our lives!

It has been awhile since I last blogged. The craziness of planning for a trip to Liberia became a bit consuming. To the very few that follow my blog, I apologize. I am back up and running! It is good to be back! Blessings to all.

Before October 13, I had never considered that one of life's biggest leaps starts with an expression of complete humility. Well, on October 13, our oldest asked his girl for her hand in marriage. Mitch has always impressed me, but upon hearing of the events of the proposal, I became well aware that Mitch has "got it goin on!" As I listened to my wife give her ultra detailed recount of the evening's proceedings, I experienced both pride and humility. Proud to call Mitch my son, I am humbled to know that the tender and chivalrous way that abounds in him did not come from me. I know where he got it. Yes Mitch, I am very proud of you. Just as Christ humbly put the needs of the Church before His own, I see you responding the same with your bride to be. I am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for you and Laura!

Things To Marvel At

Things I marvel at. Let me share just one. The coastal redwood tree, also known as the Stratosphere Giant, is the mother of all woodland mind bogglers. Consider these facts. The tallest recorded redwood exceeds 379 feet. That's...really tall! The oldest to be recorded is more than 2,200 years old (22 centuries!). That's...really old! It would be silly to ask if Jesus took the chance to swing by and visit this tree. After all, He planted it! Get this. A redwood seed, which rarely germinates, is smaller than a tomato seed. That's...really small! So, to go from...really small to...really tall, and to grow to be...really old gives much reason to marvel. Not done. The redwood has proven to be the most resilient tree to exist. It is impervious to harmful diseases and insects. Mostly due to the thickness of its bark. The average thickness of the protective layer of bark that covers a redwood is 1ft. That's...really thick! And with skin that thick, even fire has proven to be no match for these ancient giants! If only I had skin that thick. Again, I marvel. But marvel at what, the tree? I think not. For the tree is no more than an expression of the Creator's might and majesty and glory and strength and power and...the list goes on. When I marvel at such a creation, two things happen: the Creator God gets...really big and I get...really small!

Metaphor Prayer Furnace

There are few places I'd rather be than fellowshipping by a fire with Metaphor, the Harvest West Olive young adult group. And one of those places is kneeling before The Throne of Grace offering my prayer's of thanksgiving and supplication. How humbling it is to know that my Lord would even care to have me approach His Throne. In Hebrews 4, He tells me I need not fear...that I can come to Him "with confidence." And to think, approaching Him is always for my good. When I approach Him, I am always amazed at how freely His mercy and grace flows. His endless surplus of these does not simply trickle. It is a downpour that washes away self imposed burden from my shoulders and refreshes my weakened body from the pride of my own efforts. Hey! We need only to respond and come. And that is what Metaphor did Friday night. We "approached with confidence The One who will bless with mercy and grace." Way to go Metaphor! I am excited to see the result of the Lord's downpour of mercy and grace upon your group!

The never ending list of "shoulds".

"Today, I promise to not should on myself." What a tough promise to keep. How often do we find ourselves creating a list of things we think we should do in order to earn position in The Kingdom? I should get up before daylight and pray. I should spend time in God's Word. I should give. I should feed the hungry and I should provide shelter for the homeless. I should, I should, I should! ...Agreed. These are not bad things. As a matter of fact, they are Scriptural. But it does lead to a very crucial question that should be wrestled with by every citizen of The Kingdom. What is it that REALLY drives me? What is it that causes me to do the things I do? Is it a belief that I "should do" because that's what it takes? Is it a fear of condemnation? Is it a past that has been riddled with experiences you consider to be unfair? If we are doing all of these good things, but with the wrong motive, we will wear ourselves out under the burden of trying to "earn."

Praise God for His great love and for Jesus on The Cross. For it was there, through His love for us, that Christ turned our "should do's" into "doesn't matters." "It is by grace we have been saved, through faith. And this is not of our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that we cannot boast." (Ephesians 2:8, 9) In the end, God won't want to hear about all of the things we did for Him. That would be boasting. What He will want to hear is that we were so compelled by His love for us, that it drove us to love Him in return.

Nutshell: What drives you? It should be nothing other than "the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge!" (Ephesians 3:19)

Oh Glorious Paradise!

The Moana Surfrider. She is called the "Queen of Waikiki." And she holds a very special place in my heart...and Wendy's. It was on the Surfrider's Banyan Court, pictured to the left, where Wendy and I shared our first dinner together as husband and wife. The moment was perfect. Romance was in abundance. I can still see my beautiful bride. She was the Surfrider's crown jewel that evening. Stunning. Captivating. Intoxicating. I was in all of my glory...and it had nothing to do with me! Thank you Jesus for my wife.