Balancing Ministry N' Work

It is so hard to believe that it has been 9 months since I was wheeled into that operating room. In some ways it feels like it has been years and in others I am amazed at the progress that has been made. For no real reason at all, 9 months seems like a major milestone for me. I have spent an increasing amount of time Thanking Jesus for seeing me through this overwhelming challenge. I know if it was not for Him things could have turned out a lot worse. Many people who have gone through Acoustic Neuroma surgery spend month if not years trying to live a normal life. Some face debilitating headaches for the rest of their lives, others deal with vertigo on a daily basis, and much much more. God has truly touched me. At 9 months I have next to no side effects. The numbness in my legs is getting better and it is very rare for me to get headaches any more. When I do get them they are very mild, I cannot remember the last time I took some ibuprofen to deal with a Acoustic Neuroma headache. I am...

You can download the audio file at the following link. Updated Link... scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the green button. Click Here Text of the message.... Last week I really enjoyed Wes’ message and how he talked about us getting out of the boat. His encouragement to us to reach out to the community of Spencer is exactly what we need to do. Wes ended his message talking about how Jesus gave us specific direction of what we are supposed to do, the Great Commission. Before we get into the Great Commission lets refresh our memory of where we are in the time of events. Jesus has already been crucified on the cross, buried, and has defeated death and risen. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and instructed them in Matthew 28:10 “Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” NASB Now as we get into the Great Commission we find Jesus speaking to his Disciples in Galilee. Matthew...

It has been a while since I have blogged about anything but my recovery from having my Acoustic Neuroma tumor removed. Today is a day to ramble a bit about different things. 2010 was an interesting year. Was called to be a Pastor of a great church in Michigan, found out I had a brain tumor, had the tumor removed, had to step down as Pastor, relocated for work, and much more. While 2010 was exciting I think 2011 will be more so. My new job is challenging and is everything I hoped it would be. I have team members to develop, sales increases to keep up with, and some unique opportunities. We have had some major housing issues. Our house in MI did not sell as planned so we had to walk away from a house here in Spencer. We are currently living in a house that is less than half of the size and not as nice as what we had in MI. We are very thankful for this little house. It has kept us warm and dry throughout the winter. Looking back to when we left MI, we are thankful that we were blessed to...

Going into this week you would never have guessed that I am now 8 months post op. Took a day long road trip this weekend, watched movies, and just hang out. Monday I took the day off, as I try to use up my vacation before I lose it, and had a great day hanging with my wife. We actually spent a few hours at the range shooting our rifle and pistol. Had a blast. Tuesday was just like anyother work day, nothing major and today was the same. Actually spent the evening having a quesadilla from Taco Johns, getting my haircut, and shopping for a archery finger guard for Chris. Today was just another day. If I had not thought about it last night I might have even forgot that today marked 2/3rds of a year since I came out of surgery. As I type it is roughly the same time of day that Alexis and my Mother were able to join me in post op. For having brain surgery I am doing great! Today I spoke with a co-worker from corporate and she asked me how I was doing. Did not even have to think about it and...

I am sitting here on New Years Eve reflecting on 2010 and thinking on how good God has been to me! This year has been an amazing year filled with dreams being fulfilled, lives changed, and interesting challenges. I started this blog on Dec 26, 2009 (roughly 1 year ago) not knowing what 2010 had in store for me. I believe God guided me that night to start this blog so that I would have a way to communicate the ups and downs and record His blessings. This blog has allowed me to share these things with family, friends, and many people I have never met. I started this blog as a way to journal what was going on in my life mostly for my benefit, but I have received comments about how this blog has encouraged others as they go through difficult times. I am glad this tool has allowed my story and my faith in Jesus Christ to touch people in need. Thank you Jesus for expanding my sphere of influence! Someone has recently told me that I am 'Always looking at the bright side'. With this po...

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Ours was GREAT! My Mother flew out to spend Christmas with us and we had a nice relaxing time. Last time I saw my Mother I was in a hospital bed recovering from my surgery. If everything had gone as planned in the hospital we would have spent a couple of days at our house in MI during her last trip. With the complications I had I was still in the hospital when she had to head back to CA. I was on the mend when she left and was just waiting for the spinal fluid leak to seal up. My Mom coming to see us in IA this Christmas was a blessing for the whole family. Not only was she here Christmas morning to celebrate Jesus but she also got to see first hand that I am doing just fine. This Christmas we have a lot to be Thankful for. Eventhough things have not worked out perfectly so far in Spencer with our House not selling in MI and us in a rental instead of a new home, we enjoyed ourselves. My Mom got to have a Christmas morning with the kids, which is s...

Here are my notes from the sermon I was blessed with sharing last weekend. I hope you enjoy and are blessed! Merry Christmas and God Bless! Most of us tend to think of this as a time to celebrate with friends and family, and many of us tend to get wrapped up in all the different aspects of the holiday. Family gatherings, giving and receiving of gifts, singing Christmas carols, and some extra time off work. While these things are great, we should take some time and reflect on the first Christmas. Let’s start our reading in Matthew 1:18 “18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Imagine being in Joseph’s shoes. He is engaged to a beautiful woman and finds out she is pregnant and he knows h...