NO SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO...

On February 14, 2005, I walked into my office to officially begin my first day as lead pastor of Grace Baptist Church. What a 7 year period it has been! I suppose I could focus on the negative things. There certainly have been those. But instead, I am choosing to focus on the blessings God has brought to me, and allowed me to experience in these 7 years. (this is certainly NOT an exhaustive list; but it is a start)

• I have learned to depend on God more than ever (still desperately need Him)
  
• I have learned more about my weaknesses and have given myself to growing (still growing)
  
• I have learned, through many mistakes, about what it takes to lead a church (still learning)
  
• I have learned to be honest and transparent, allowing people to see my weaknesses, sin struggles, and what I am passionate about (still needing to learn how to communicate these well to some)
• I have experienced true friends, who are there, no matter what (incredible blessing)
• My wife and children have been awesome and God has used them to keep me going in tough times (I love them more every day)
• I am privileged to serve with the best pastor I know: Steve Strong. He is a friend, tells me the truth, and keeps my focus on God. (yes, I know he's a youth pastor, but to me, he is a pastor, in all sense of the biblical word)
• I have seen many people come to faith in Christ (there is nothing better!)
• I have had the privilege of baptizing many, identifying with Christ and committing to following Him (wow - what an experience!)
• I have seen, with my own eyes, people taking their next steps in Christ, and just rejoicing inside as I hear them share their excitement with our congregation (If I am not a pastor to see people discipled, taking their next steps, then I'm in it for the wrong reasons).
• I have seen some marriages restored, some sinful habits broken, and some real personal growth in those who have given me the privilege of helping them (to God be the glory)
• I have seen a faithful God, in the ups and downs of these 7 years, stay with me, never let me down, and continually forgive my daily sins (Thank you God!)
• I have come to love the people of Grace. I would do anything for them. That is a personal blessing, that for these 7 years, God has allowed me to come to know and love a group of people like this (and each day is a new day to learn to love even more)
• If tomorrow is my last day here at Grace, I will choose to remember the blessings, the privilege, for this time in my life, to be one of her pastors. (Lord, just give me another day to enjoy the blessings that come with this ministry...please)
  

Axiom - a book review

While on vacation, I had the opportunity to do some extra reading. One of the books I read was: Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs by Bill Hybels. I am always looking to improve as a leader, and reading leadership books, with an eye toward improvement is one way to do that. My overall evaluation is that reading this book is worth any leader's time. They are easy to read, short chapters; and I read the entire book in about a day. Certainly, the author shares much of his story; but I found many great reminders and new ideas, that are helpful to me, as a growing leader. I know there will always be more to learn; and I never want to stop doing so.

Let me share some of my favorite quotes:
p.17 - "The very best leaders I know wrestle with words until they are able to communicate their big ideas in a way that captures the imagination, catalyzes action, and lifts spirits."

p.23 - "If you're chasing a bold vision, one of the greatest gifts you can give the people around you is to get in front of them, eyeball-to-eyeball, and ask them to step up and do something great for God."

p.37 - "At some point in their leadership journey, every leader gets a vision from God."

p.56 - "You know you've ingested a little incrementalism when innovation is no longer welcomed in your environment."

p.61 - "Only God."

p.67 - "The key learning is this: What you value in your church must be raised up, taught about, and celebrated on a regular basis."

p.80 -"What' the biggest mistake you've ever made as a leader?...My answer's always the same: Placing people in significant leadership roles who were not first tested."

p.88 - "How are you doing...really?"

p.99 - "Always give the bad news first."

p.118 - "One of the most consistent cries I hear from church attendees all over the world is the cry for clarity from their pastors."

p.125 - "The healthiest organizations I see are not conflict-free. They are just ridiculously committed to keeping short accounts."

p.159 - "A very wise man once told me that tucked deep inside every critic's attack is usually at least a tiny kernal of truth."

p.196 - "Great leaders read frequently. They read voraciously. They read classics and new releases."

p.200 - "Promptness is about character, and leaders are not beyond the rules that govern things like courtesy and character. Arrive early or not at all."

p.214 - "The question is not whether we'll leave, I'd tell my colleagues. The question is how well we'll leave when its finally our turn to go."

A cruise is different....but the same

Teresa and I recently returned from our first cruise as a couple. Some years ago, Teresa's side of the family, including our 7, were a part of 40 plus in our group on the first cruise experience I have ever had. But, this was different. It was a blessing from God, as He provided the funds over a period of time, the opportunity, and the people resources to do it. Teresa's amazing two sisters came to her birthday party and then stayed into the following week to watch our 5 children!

Of course, it didn't take long to remember, by just listening to the questions Teresa and I were asking, that we happen to be a "little" different:
Teresa: How late can we sleep in and still get to the ship on time? (she didn't really say this, although she certainly could have. She was very kind in leaning my way on this issue)
Greg: How early do we need to get up so we can be first in line to get on the boat (we were, by the way - victory!)

Teresa: Where's the sun? (so I can soak it in)
Greg: Where's the shade? (so I can stay away from the sun)
Teresa: What are my salad choices for dinner?
Greg: What are my dessert choices? (after the steak!)

Teresa: Where's the beach? (so I can lay out on it)
Greg: Where's the beach? (so I don't accidentally go to it)
Teresa: How much can we dress up for dinner? (I love to dress up!)
Greg: Can I just wear this shirt and swimsuit? (actually, I did lean toward Teresa's preference on this one, if I do say so myself!)

It was really a special blessing to be on this cruise with my wife and to enjoy one another for an extended period of time. We are so grateful to everyone who made this possible for us. Who knows if we will ever go on another one; but we have this one to remember. Vacation is great, and taking a cruise is a lot of fun. BUT...the "real life", the daily challenges and opportunities with family, with the things God has made us steward of, with ministry - now that is something to be grateful for, every day. May we all see the blessings of today, and praise God for them!

My Wife is turning...

another year older; and a number of years that might cause extra stress for a woman, for anyone. She is approaching it with grace. Growing older is not easy, but it offers the opportunity to bring perspective. It reminds us of the truth of Scripture, as it relates to the brevity of life. Of course, it is really a personal challenge for every person. To those in their 20's, we are pretty old; and to those in their 60's, we are pretty young. The key is how we view ourselves, in the context of what God says about us. We have no guarantee of another year, let alone another day, or hour, or minute. Each moment is a wonderful blessing from God; and we both want to make the most of it, for His glory.

When I look at my wife, I don't see ____. I see the most beautiful woman in the world. I see the greatest mom, the greatest wife. I realize that not everyone would agree; and she might roll her eyes at my comments. But, I know it is true. God has incredibly blessed me with Teresa, as we are in our 18th year of marriage. She has demonstrated the love, grace and mercy of Christ. She is always giving of herself. I love her and could not be prouder of her. With every passing day, I see a woman who is getting closer to her Lord, and desiring to please Him in every way. I LOVE that about her. She is a great example for me.

So, babe: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! May God give you another blessed year; and always know that
I LOVE YOU!
Greg

NOT GUILTY!

Think of the emotions that these words bring. If you are the victim or a part of the victim's family, you wail, cry and mourn this verdict. If you are the accused, or a part of the accused family, you cheer, exult and hug everyone. Depending on which "side" you are on, you are either excited or depressed. Regardless of which role you play, there is normally very high emotion. If you have ever been in the place, in particular of the accused, then you know the emotions you feel as you wait for the verdict; and when you hear it.

That brings me to the fact that all of us, and I mean all of us, are guilty before God and deserving of Hell. Even for those of us who are followers of Jesus, if we look at the facts of our lives, and our daily sins; and then place ourselves before a holy, just God, we are guilty. We are undeserving of the gift of life; and only deserve God's wrath. We are GUILTY, in regards to the reality of our sin.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth, he knew this was a church full of sinful, professing Christians. They were a mess; and by all accounts, if anyone was going to lose their salvation, it would be them. I can relate. And that is why, this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture:

I Corinthians 1:7-9 - "So that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, GUILTLESS in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

What was the final verdict going to be for these straying, sinful believers? NOT GUILTY! Isn't that awesome? When the time comes, even if we continue to struggle with sin (and we will); and even if we struggle with it to the extent of the Corinthian believers (and I do); the FAITHFUL GOD, through JESUS CHRIST, who is my advocate, will pronounce the final verdict, and it will bring me to tears and result in great rejoicing:

NOT GUILTY!

Only 360 shoppingdays till Christmas!

give or take a couple days...
I don't want to start thinking about next Christmas. I want to reflect a little longer on this past one. I love Christmas time. Although our worship of Christ ought to be year around, there are some special family times that are specially memorable because of the holiday. I know things will change as our children get older; but for now, I really enjoy the special days of the Christmas season with our family.

Every family has their own traditions on Christmas, and I really love ours:
Christmas Eve: We normally give one gift, either to the entire family or each individual. It is usually similar, such as PJ's or devotional books, etc. This year, we didn't do it because we had invested more money in our Thanksgiving vacation. We would also, normally, go to a Christmas Eve service; but with Christmas falling on Sunday, we did not have one. However, the other traditions remained. We ate ponzerat (not sure how to spell it, but this is how I pronounce it), which is fried dough with cheese in it. Teresa does a great job in making them, and they are a family favorite on Christmas Eve! Then, we watch the movie: "It's a Wonderful Life". It used to be that we would all sleep by the Christmas tree, but now we sleep on the couches and carpeted floors of the basement. Well, we older ones tend to make our way into our own beds at some point (some sooner than others!). Once everyone is in bed, Teresa and I stuff every one's stockings, that are hanging by the fireplace.

Christmas Day: With our old age, we put a 7 a.m. time on the earliest that the younger ones are allowed to get up and get everyone else up! So, at 7, we hear the footsteps and everyone starts getting everyone else up. Once we are all gathered, we go to get our stockings and bring them back to the living room (by the tree). Everyone opens the stockings at the same time (well, Teresa and I usually wait until the kids are done); and it is a fun way to begin Christmas morning. Teresa talks about growing up and getting fruit and/or nuts in her stocking. How things have changed! Although presents will be delayed for several hours, it always us to enjoy watching the kids receive some smaller, needed, and fun things.

Next, everyone gets dressed and we have breakfast, which includes Teresa making cinnamon rolls (mmm, mmm, good!). This year, with Christmas falling on a Sunday, we had our family worship time before breakfast. This year, a few weeks leading up to Christmas, we used the "Adornments", with are cardboard ornaments, representing parts of the Christmas story, from Family Life (A Christian organization with many great resources). We read Scripture, and a description of part of the story. Then, one of the kids would put an ornament on. There were 12 in all. We closed our worship time with all of us praying and singing praise to God for His wonderful gift!

It was a blessing, then, for our family to go to church together and worship Jesus on His birthday with the rest of our church family! Even though many were gone traveling or celebrating elsewhere, it was wonderful to be with others and worship God on that special morning. Mostly, we read Scripture and sang Christmas carols. It was great!

Now it was time to open the gifts. We have the younger ones hand out the gifts to every one's personal "spot". Once all the gifts are handed out, we go one by one, youngest to oldest, opening one gift per cycle. The rule is that we all watch the person who is opening the gift rather than thinking about our own. One of my favorite parts is watching our kids get up from their spot and with a thank you, go hug the person who just gave them the gift!

After that, it is usually a relaxed day, with kids playing with their gifts, eating food and just enjoying one another. On this particular day, we also invited someone from the church to come over and enjoy Christmas dinner with us. That was a special blessing as well.

Thank you God for these special times at Christmas, with family; and for these memories that will last a lifetime!

Goodbye 1st decade, hello 2nd

When I say it that way, it seems more discouraging than saying it this way: Happy 11th birthday Caleb and Gabrielle! Our youngest 2 turned 11 yesterday; and yes, began their second decade of life. As all parents know, it seems to go so fast...very, very fast! Sometimes, things seem like a blur, and it is hard to "slow things down" and just enjoy the moments, the fleeting moments of their lives, our lives.

Yesterday, I had one of those moments, where things seemed to "stand still" and I just took it all in. I normally take the birthday boy or girl; or boy and girl (with 2 sets of twins, this is normally what happens!) out for donuts on their birthday. And yes, since I am with them, I might as well have a couple myself. I wouldn't want to be a "party pooper" and not celebrate with my kids, right?!

Anyway, on this occasion, I offered to take them out for lunch instead. But, that would have meant them opening their presents a few hours later than planned, and that was no good (not at their age anyway). So, we decided to keep the breakfast appointment, but they did ask to go to Panera Bread instead this year. Don't worry: they still had unhealthy treats in the form of cinnamon crunch bagels and cinnamon rolls!

But, the moment that stood still for me and that I will will hold onto is when, at 6:30 in the morning, I heard them talking in the room (it was cute that they wanted to sleep in the bunk beds in Caleb's room that night). They stood up and looked so big to me. They were all excited for their special day. They had huge smiles on their faces as they thought about going out to breakfast, opening their gifts and then having friends over later to celebrate.

I know there are more important things in life; and I think they do as well. But, for that moment, to take in their pure joy and excitement that came with the beginning of their 2nd decade of life, it was priceless. I will hang onto that memory forever (well, at least until I forget it; and since I'm in my 5th decade of life, the memory might fade well before "forever"!). So, at least for today I will remember their big smiles and excited faces, as I thank God for these 2 precious children!!

p.s. It was an interesting time, after 7:22 a.m. (when Caleb was born), that Gabrielle realized Caleb had just turned 11 but that she was still 10 for another half an hour!