Today at UHBC

Today I get to preach the riches of His great grace at University Heights in Huntsville. I can never forget what an honor it is to be called upon to deliver God's message to God's people. Pray that I will make much of The God Man Jesus today and that hearts will be opened and lives changed!

Greater Things at UHBC: The Step of Faith

We are going through a capital and spiritual emphasis at UHBC in Huntsville, TX, our home church. I have been impressed because it has been one of the best run campaigns I have ever seen. The problem is that it has brought me face to face with a problem I have been putting off for some time.

The answer is not simple but it is easy. I need to take a step of faith. The details of that step my be complex but the bottom line is easy: step out in faith.

So here I sit nice and scared. I am wondering what all God has in store for us over the next few days/weeks/years. Never have I needed more clarity and purpose than now. I may have divided "occupations" but there is no room for a divided heart.

Trying to remember which missionary it was but I am pretty sure it was William Carey who said "Expect great things from God ; attempt great things for God." Not bad advice right about now.

Book Review: The Truth About You: Your Secret To Success, Marcus Buckingham

I love books that help me get better at anything, especially when they bring out a fresh new perspective that I need to hear. It also helps when they are presented in a way that helps to build the lesson into me rather than simply present the information. Such is Buckingham’s work.

The whole kit comes with a book, 110 pages, a DVD that is integral to working with the book and a follow on notepad to use over the next few weeks in carrying out the observations and action plans described in the book. The book is snappy and light reading. Each concept has a “here’s what you’ve heard, here’s what you really need to do” feel to it. Then it has the instructions on what to do. My suggestion: do what it says.

There are several salient points in the work. Each person who follows the action plans will likely be affected differently. For me it was the idea that I needed to abandon the idea of being a “well rounded person” and get comfortable with my strengths. Then, lead with my strengths and get paid for that knowledge, experience and effectiveness.

I have the fortune of working in both the corporate environment and in the church. The thought of applying an action plan to what I do at church is a little scary. I may need an action plan to implement my action plan. I rate this one worth your time, especially if you are looking for a fresh, simple and effective way to get off center and on track to the success you hope to pursue.

Teenagers Add Fun and Perspective

Call me crazy but (OK, you were a little too quick with that!), as I was saying, call me crazy but I love having teenagers around. Well, young adults too. We have three extra tonight and the house is full of life. Please understand that our house is typically full of life anyway, especially with our star entertainers Christa and Charissa. Add three more, two Davis kids and Jonathan's fiance Marissa and we have a super sized allotment of fun.

I came home with a few minor but not overwhelming burdens from the day. They quickly melted in laughter and hugs and joking. Not only was I having fun but I was getting a fresh dose of perspective. The other stuff of life just does not compare to this!

Feeling down, burdened or distracted? Go borrow a couple of extra teenagers (or young adults). There, now don't you feel better?

Mistakes I Have Made: No Time For Rest

One of the problems I am trying to correct is a serious issue that I left undone for a long time. Specifically, I neglected this while I was Pastoring a church. I did not make time for rest. Since January I have been working on this. Recently I have taken time to go to the beach and to go on a Summer hunt in South Texas. The nicest thing about both of these is that I did not have to rush to get back in time to be at my home church. While I realize I had "job responsibilities" my actions still contributed to the unhelpful "more religious but not more spiritual" syndrome.

Another side effect of this was the burden it created in the rest of the schedule. Because so many things were done in rush mode with no margin I managed to teach my children to work that way as well. Many times I see their hastiness, impatience and failure to think things through and realize that I am quite likely the one who fostered that.

To my kids. Get off the "hurry" treadmill and enjoy the down times. Plan for them. Put margin in the schedule.

To my friends I want you to answer the question with me, "Did my schedule and lack of rest contribute to my health problems? (Stroke, seizures, blockage, lack of exercise and poor eating habits leading to obesity)

Pull out your calender and schedule rest. Hurry! Do it now!

Precious In The Sight Of The Lord...

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints." So say the words of Psalm 116:15. Tonight a dear Saint of God went home to be with the Lord. That Saint is my Aunt Hazel. I lost most contact with my paternal side of the family for many years. After being reunited to some extent (any distance from that point on was of my own doing) I came to greatly admire my Aunt Hazel.

In a family that had many problems she seemed to be a "burden bearer" who was there to carry the load. She took care of sisters and her Mother and all sorts of others who passed through her life. She was there as an encourager to me welcoming me back into contact with the family. I think she bore many burdens others never knew or knew of.

The point of this is not to tell how difficult she had it in life but what a joy she made it. To me she was always one with a kind word and a joyful spirit. So many thoughts are racing through my mind I cannot possibly put them to keyboard and screen. I hope that God will give me the maturity to be full of joy for the joy she now experiences. The one who I saw as a burden bearer is herself in the presence of the ultimate burden bearer and God of all comfort.

I Choose Change

Two events have brought the idea of change to the forefront of my life again. The first of those is an event that many of you know about already. In early April as we were returning from vacation I began having pain in my chest and left arm. A couple of days later the cardiologist went in and cleaned out a 99% blockage in my right coronary artery installing a stent to help keep that area from being a problem again.

Medicinally I will likely be on Plavix and Lipitor for the rest of my life. I would love to quit taking those at some point but that may never happen. The whole event has pushed me to make a decision about living healthy.

Honestly this is a decision that should have been made years ago. The truth is I was selfish and undisciplined and allowed my weight to balloon and my body to deteriorate. That all caught up with me quickly. Funny that the procedure took only a few minutes but the lifestyle change to prevent it from happening again takes a lot more time and a lot more effort.

The plain truth is that if I do not change I will be back in bad health and perhaps even facing worse consequences. So far this change has gone well. I realized I cannot diet. My goal is not to lose weight but to change my lifestyle. It is a conscious and intentional change. I am choosing to change.

In my case that means I am eating right and exercising. I like to say I have divorced butter, broken up with sugar, quit seeing sugar and I am only spending limited time with salt and red meat. White processed breads are also being eliminated from the menu as much as possible. Fruit is in as are whole grains. More chicken and fish and olive oil are on the menu. I am not living austerely, just limiting what I eat that will contribute to high cholesterol of the unsavory sort. Interestingly, with many meals I just cut whatever I am served in half and that seems to really help.

Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes I want things I know I don’t need. Sometimes I don’t have full control over what is put in front of me or the choices I can make out of it. Nevertheless it is worth it. It has now been seven weeks and I have lost about 22 pounds. The first 16 came very easy; the last six are being ground out.

The other half of this equation is the exercise component. I have not perfected it yet but I am on the right path. I know I definitely feel better when I exercise. The biggest challenge is MAKING (not finding) time to do it. In addition to the lost weight I received my first round of blood work back last week. The numbers were fantastic!

For fellow strugglers I want to encourage (or scare) you with this. I saw some survey results that said 70% of people with a support group succeeded in changing their lifestyle by losing weight and exercising after a heart attack. On the opposite side 90% of people without a support group failed to change their life style. Let me say that again, 90% failed. Do not try to go it alone. I chose to change my life style and I chose not to go it alone.

Now, let’s go on to a second choice. My company is going through a change…a big change. We have finally eaten something we cannot digest without great change. That change will affect me. I have been in meetings for the last two days in Phoenix with a fantastic group of people who share the same role as I do in various locations in the Western half of this great land. All of us are in the same boat. Change will happen.

At the end of this two days I came away with a new resolve to pursue with greater vigor something I have already been chasing. The choice is simple. During a time of great change you can either wait to see what gets changed, or how you will be changed, or you can decide to be a part of the change. I am not naïve. I know that all the focus and energy in the world MIGHT NOT make a difference. In the end someone else can end up making major choices about me without my input. On the other hand I know that if I choose to change I will more than likely get more say in what happens to me. I choose to have a chance to be part of the change rather than a victim of it.

It is interesting how this kind of decision breeds great clarity of mind and purpose. I know what I need to do to have a seat at the table. If I don’t do anything I might get invited into the room or I might not. Now I know I will be in the room and I might have a place at the table. Choosing to change is a good thing.

I have seen many others in similar circumstances who seem to be paralyzed in fear. They are waiting for something to happen before they decide what to do. I say decide what to do and see what kind of things happen.

Perhaps I will eat these words but at least they are not a detriment to my cholesterol or my blood pressure or my waistline! I choose to change and I like it!