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Ever watch “Gold Rush” on Discovery Channel? I’ve watched a few times. It seems insane. It seems there is nothing that the Hoffmans, Schnabels, and Dakota Boys won’t do in their search for gold. Did you know California is a state largely because of the Gold Rush? Fortune seekers, called 49ers because most arrived in 1849, accounted for the largest migration in American history. While some became rich because they struck gold, simply supporting the chaos made others rich., i.e.…
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It was their last day on the beach, so Steve and Donna were going to do this day with some intensity. I think everyone’s last day of holiday is like this. Steve had placed his beach chair next to mine for several mornings running. He likes to fish, and always spoke before throwing his line out in the water. Eventually Steve brought his engaging wife over to chat, and we had exchanged some pleasant, if not obligatory, conversation. Up until…
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At 6:15 this morn, our beach retreat was buzzing. Normally it’s just me fumbling to make coffee, get out the door and onto the sand by 6:30. Today was different. Busier. Lauren was flying back to Atlanta. She had work to do for VBX. Lauren is heading up the decorations, and has taken it all on with great passion and determination. Off she went. Ugh. Normally the quiet early morning ocean is my only companion. This morning remained different. Busier. …
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My new, early morning beach friend from Shelbyville, Kentucky had vision. He.. Steve… was going to catch so many fish, he brought out a kiddie pool to keep them in. Dinner was going to be a spectacular feast without having to leave a tip. Steve had awakened with a clear picture of a preferred future. This was vision. I never did see one fish held captive in that thar Kentucky kiddie pool. So… was that really vision or just wishful…
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The morning of July 4th was all about control. A normally quiet beach at 6:15 a.m. saw hundreds scrambling for beach chair prominence. With over 30,000 expected to set up camp for fireworks, early hour dominance was the game serious beach goers were playing. Nobody was playing better than this pastor. I brazenly secured three chairs with prime, sandy real estate. We would claim our place in the sand for the entirety of the day. We would even endure an…
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I like to watch Shark Tank. Anxious entrepreneurs are paraded in front of venture capitalist sharks for the chance of fame and fortune. Sometimes I place myself before the sharks to victoriously convince them ALL to invest in my latest world-changing invention. It’s the simple joys of reality TV that can suck the best of us in. I’ve seen great opportunities fritted away on Shark Tank. Most often, selfishness and greed impede vision. This quickly erases incredible moments of opportunity. …
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The early morning coffee helped me wade through words from C.S. Lewis. “The more we get what we now call “ourselves” out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become. The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires.” As this day rolled by, ideas of surrender began a hostile takeover of my thinking. …
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For this year’s study break, the fam is studying through Ephesians together. What a great book for my kids to consider. After dinner tonight, we worked our way through the first 14 verses of chapter one. What huge leaps their self-esteem can take when they soak on their Godly adoption, redemption, guarantee of the Holy Spirit, and reality of being a possession of God. We also talked about cutting in our conversation. Sherry and I saw a news story late…
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I’ve been at a week of kid’s camp in southwestern Ohio this week. We’ve had about one hundred 4th, 5th, and 6th graders converging in the sticks of Sinking Springs, Ohio to learn about God. Particularly, we’ve been teaching through the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20. Today we will tackle the final two: lying and coveting. This only means we gave a sweaty, valiant effort at teaching stealing and adultery yesterday. Yep. You read that right. We sweated the…
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Over 1,500 man hours were logged last weekend as we literally tore into our campus to begin the necessary work of turning our facility into an EPIC restoration community center. WOW! So many great hearts turned out to serve their brains out on a Father’s Day weekend. I really was blown away by all that took place during this incredibly messy F.I.A. (Faith In Action) Sunday. Is this what a disciple of Jesus looks like? Does discipleship look like people…
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