Balancing Ministry N' Work

I would be willing to bet (and I do not gamble) that most of us have heard that we are supposed to minister to people as part of our daily lives. We have been told by pastors that during our daily activities we are to share God's love any chance we get. I can tell you I have encouraged people while I was standing in the pulpit to do just that. I have said that a pastor can reach people in church, but each person can reach dozens of people each week that the pastor would never come in contact with. I remember during our men's group at Ninth Street hearing the encounters the men had each week. It was great to hear how they were living out there faith. Day by day how they would quietly witness to the people in their lives. It was great! Since our recent move in May, I have been missing our church in Iowa. The people there are amazing and seeing how they served God faithfully week by week was very rewarding. Another part that I have been missing is the ability to witness to t...

I have been thinking about this post for some time now. I actually started it over a month ago, but have not been back on my laptop long enough to see it towards completion. Technology is Great! Cell phones that allow us to talk to friends and family regardless of where they are. You even get free long distance on cell phones, that is a big plus being so far away from our loved ones. Computers are another great result of the technological advances we have seen. I can do many things at work that would have been next to impossible 20-30 years ago. Not to mention they also help us to connect with love ones. A couple of weeks ago my Mother-In-Law was in town and they used Skype (a live video conference software) so the kids could talk to their Grandpa who is currently in Canada. It was a blessings for all! Facebook can even be a good thing. I am closer to many of my cousins in PA that I never new that I ever could have been without it. Technology has allowed us to create a bond that ...

May 25th is a day in history to be remembered. Star Wars debuted on May 25, 1977. This week marked the 35th anniversary of the beginning of a legend, and is celebrated around the world! May 26, 2010 may not be remembered by nearly as many people but it is an important day for me and my family. Today, is the 2 year anniversary of my Accoustic Neuroma brain tumor surgery. Today, I am thankful for the life I have! How did we celebrate it? Last night we went out and celebrated 3 things. 1st it was Chris' birthday on the 21st, 2nd Thomas' birthday is the 29th, and the life given back to me after surgery. We went to a wonderful Japanese Steak House where they cook the food right in front of you, plus some great sushi... made for a great dinner. Today we spent the day getting settled in our new house, so nothing fun but still rewarding. As far as my symptoms go, things are a little better even with the stress of a new job, a major move, and everything that goes with it. Headac...

Some days (most actually) I wish I could understand why things happen in our lives. I know beyond a doubt that God has a plan for each and everyone of us, it just does not always make sense while we are going through it. Those who have followed me for the last couple of years, know that God has been at work in my life. Most recently, He used the University of Michigan Hospital to save my life. Then a few months later He opened up a job in the small town of Spencer that seemed to be perfect for me. Shortly after our arrival in Spencer we joined a pastorless church and a few months later they called me to be their Pastor. God at work ALL THE WAY!!! Everything was going good. Work was good and it was great to be used by God at Ninth Street Baptist Church. Late in 2011 things at work began to change. The hours were getting longer and longer and the stress was ratcheting up. As the long days turned into long weeks and months, it began to have an impact on my health, my family, and my ti...

Today, February 26, 2012, is 21 months to the day since my Acoustic Nueroma Brain Tumor removal surgery. As I approach the 2 year mark, I ask myself am I glad I had the surgery? YOU BET!!! Would I do it again? Without a doubt!!! While I am not 100% 21 months later, I am much better off than I would have been had I waited or not done anything at all. My tumor was growing rapidly and would have caused major problems in the following months or years had I waited. Today, I have a constant ringing in my left ear, I cannot hear anything out of that ear, I do get dizzy, I do get tired easily, reading tends to put me to sleep, I do have balance issues, and I do get headaches on that side of my head. It could have been a LOT WORSE! While the list of side effects may seem long, the list of things that I can do is much longer. I can work, I can rough house with my kids, I go to the shooting range, I can go fishing, I ride my bike, I am here to be a husband and father, and God is still usi...

As we leave 2011 behind and begin 2012 it is a time of reflection, a time to be thankful, and a time to look to the future! 2011 was a year full of challenges but was also full of some amazing things. Medically I hit my 1 year anniversary from having my Acoustic Neuroma brain tumor removed and Alexis had reconstructive knee surgery. Through both of this things we have seen God working in our lives. My recovery, has been nothing short of miraculous and the timing for Alexis' surgery was perfect. While these have been challenges in our lives, we are forever thankful for all that God has done. While I still have balance issues, get tired easily, and of course am partially deaf it could have been much much worse. I am able to live a normal life, I can do pretty much everything I want to, God has been good! While we wish Alexis did not have to have surgery, she has recovered completely and was ahead of schedule with every step! In 2011 with all the challenges at work God still ope...

My breath was taken away! Normally we experience breath taking moements in life when we witness something beautiful. (picture taken by my Mother) Other times we might have a breath taking moment when we witness pure joy, like a kid getting the best present ever! (another picture taken by my Mother, of me as a child) While I see beutiful sunrises and sunsets every week over the lake by work, that was not what took by breath away. I do have three wonderful kids, but my breath was not taken away by their pure joy. No, my breath was taken away when I was cleaning out a folder and stumbled on this picture. It was one of those moments that seemed like time stood still. As I opened up the folded pages and revealed the picture of what my Acoustic Neuroma Brain Tumor looked like back in Feb 2010. I stopped what I was saying, what I was doing, and just froze. My breath was taken away! Here was a reminder of that life changing event. As I have reflected on that momemt, th...