Stuff I Think About

Dancing with God

2010-04-06T09:25:00.001-04:00

G U I D A N C E

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance.."
God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance Through
your Life with Him

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!

2010-03-25T07:34:00.002-04:00

WE LOVE YOU KIM - HERE'S HOW MUCH...

Happy birthday Mom!! You honestly are the best mom that I could ever ask for. I know that I don’t always show it in the best way that I could, but I am so thankful for everything you do for me and the rest of our family every day. All the little things that we often overlook. Thank you for being here for me every minute of every day. As I think through this past year, we have had so many good talks. I know that whenever I am struggling and whenever I need to talk, you are always here for me. You know me so well, and can see right through the mask I put on for people, and you always know when to give me a hug. J I love you so much Mom, more than I can put into words. J Have a wonderful birthday
Love, Cady Sue

From the first time I saw you in college, I was drawn to you. 22 years later, I still am. I'm grateful that God created you for me, and I love walking through life with you. You've given me a happy home and an awesome family I love to come home to. I am blessed that I am yours and you are mine - forever.
Doug.

Happy birthday mom you are the greatest mom in the entire world. I am so glad you are my mom you give me what I need   when I have problems you always help me. You are the only mom I could ever want. I could never replace you I do not know how I could live without you. You always spend time with us you make sure I am okay. When I am sick you make us better. You take us out for special occasions even if there is no reason. I am just trying to tell you thank you for everything you do for me and I love you with all my heart.
Love, Emma Sue

Mom, I can't even put into words how important you are to me and much I appreciate and love you.         You are always there when I need someone to talk to, a boost of encouragement, or simply help with my homework. I can always count on you to turn one of my frowns upside down!   I don’t tell you nearly as much as I should how much you mean to me. You do so much and I often don’t think of all the time and effort you put into daily things. Even though it may not seem like it at times I greatly appreciate every little thing you do for me and the rest of the family( including the animals). I love you so much and can’t think of what I would do without you!! -
Kendie!!

Dear mommy thank you for everything you give us I love you soooooo much.
Riley.

Dear Mom,

I am so thankful that you are my mom. You do so much more for us. I appreciate everything you do for us like cooking, cleaning, laundry, and taking us places, even though at times it doesn’t seem like we care. You are always here for us when we need you and I know that no matter what stupid stuff I do you will always love me. -Love Cooper

TRUE STORY FROM THE ROAD

2010-03-01T15:30:00.003-05:00

RE-POST FROM JULY 2009

I dedicate this to all you road warriors out there who have experienced similar days.

Crazy day today, here's a recap:

Had a full day in Dallas yesterday, started the drive to Houston last night, drove a couple hours and stayed in Fairfield TX. Got up and drove a few more hours and went to Calvary Chapel Houston to shoot pictures. Visited with the church and had a good time. Went to lunch. Had a few hours to kill until next meeting, so went and saw "Public Enemies" Good movie. When I came out of the movie, it was approx 4:00 and I had a appointement at 7:00. PLENTY of time.....I thought. Here's where things went south:

-rental car boke into. driver's window smashed. glass everywhere.
-my brand new $500 GPS stolen
-i call Hertz, they tell me to call police
-after police come, hertz will tow the car to the aiport, I get a new car, and I drive 1 hour back to my appt
-i call Enterprise rent-a-car as a back-up plan since they could come meet me where i am
-police come and fill out their report
-i call Hertz and tell them I'm ready - they say 1 hour
- i tell them "too long" send me a cab instead
-I call Enterprize and tell them I'm ready
-my cell phone begins to die
-luckily i have an inverter in my luggage. i plug in the inverter
-at 5:30 I call Enterprise to check on their status, they inform me they haven't even located a car yet
-I call back Hertz and say to send cab
-while tow truck arrives, cabbie arrives, but doesn't see me
-i pick up all luggage and race across the mall parking lot carries all of my luggage like a sweaty rhino
-i get in the cab
-i say how long to airport
-he says "1 hour"
-i say "No"
-i say where is closes rental car place
-he says Thrifty
-i call Thrifty and make reservation
-i close the deal and they then say "I'm sorry, that location closed at 5:00"
-i ask cabbie, "where is the next rental car place"
-he says another Thrifty at the Hilton
-I call them and reserve a car. I require a GPS since MINE WAS JUST STOLEN
-they take the reservation
-cabbie drops me off
-i go to the counter
-they can't find my reservation
-they finally find it
-her printer doesn't work
-they have no GPS
-I go to Hilton Business Center to try and print some maps online
-Busines Center CLOSED
-I got to front desk and sweet talk the front desk lady to use her computer
-she prints me out a map to my next appointment
-i go back to Thrifty pick up my paperwork
-jump in car
-although i paid for a full tank of gas, there is only 3/4 in there (minor irritation by this point)
-drive to stafford TX
-meeting goes well
-drive to my hotel
-arrive. they don't have my reservation - i'm at the wrong hotel

All in a days work. God is still good. I never said a harsh word, and never stopped being thankful for the day. Sweet dreams...

Missionary Homecoming

2010-03-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

I didn't write this...I heard the story on TV and managed to find a transcript online. Great story.

Doug
Missionary Homecoming

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they felt defeated, discouraged, and afraid.

As the trip began, they discovered they were on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.

No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong."

"Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."

"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way," his wife said.

He replied "I can't help it; it just doesn't seem right."

When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed the missionary couple. They slipped off the ship, disappeared in the crowd, and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.

That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly." His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"

A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"

The Lord settled it with me. I told Him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said;

"You're not home yet."

Who Are You....Really?

2010-02-25T14:13:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine approached me yesterday and said he needed to talk to me about something. We'll call him Mr. X. He said he been learning some things at his church which really had him thinking, really had him convicted about the difference in personality depending on where he was. In other words, he was one type of person at home, and another type at work. I think that's true for many of us.

Perhaps you are a person that is proud of who are at work, but ashamed of the way you treat your spouse at home. Or maybe it's the opposite: you're sweet and loving to your family, but you're an absolute pain to the people you work with.

Why is that? How can geography dictate our true colors? How can situations and circumstances seemingly have the power to change the very core of who we think we are?

As manager of my business, I have the privilege of interacting with a wide variety of people. People in different phases of their lives, people with a variety of life experiences, people with an array of different world views.

As worship leader at my church, I interact with a lot people and I'm always aware of the struggles we all face. I often remind the band that if we are not worship leaders 100% of the time, then our time "on stage" is of little value. God knows if there is a difference between who we are on Sunday morning and who we are in the wee hours of Friday or Saturday night. He deserves all or nothing, and His holiness requires the former.

Even if I wasn't the manager of a business, even if I was not involved "officially" in a ministry - I am still a Christian, and because of that label and that alone, I should be driven to live a life of consistency. Those who watch me should not see a night and day difference between who I am on the stage leading worship, interacting with my family, dealing with clients, and interacting with my co-workers. My hope is that those who are watching me cannot find any, or least not many :-), areas that would cause them to doubt my integrity.

The truth is that we all are being watched everyday. Especially for those of us who have chosen to wear the badge of Christ, we should be mindful that it can take us years to build up our credibility, to gain the trust of others who are watching us live a testimony every day. While it takes years to build up, it can take just one act of carelessness to completely destroy it. This doesn't just hurt us, but more importantly it could be the final "nail in the coffin" for someone who decides once and for all that Christians are no different than the rest of the world.

As Mr X reminded me, we are to be the salt of the earth. People should get a taste of us and want to be like us.

People do watch us. I believe they will say one of two things:

"He's a Christian? Wow, I want to be one!"

"He's a Christian? Wow, no thanks."

Through us, through our lives, people should be drawn to Christ, not driven away from Him.

Let's point as many people as we can to Christ!

Over and out....

The Cady Aria Blog

2010-01-31T17:13:00.001-05:00

So, Cady is getting ready to start her own blog. How exciting! She really has a gift for writing, so look for many writings from her soon...

18" JOURNEY

2009-07-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

Here are the lyrics I referred to Sunday morning:

WELL THEY IT'S 18" FROM YOUR HEAD TO YOUR HEART
SO WHY'D IT TAKE ME 20 YEARS TO GET THE NERVE TO START
TRAVELING DOWN, WELL ALL I GOTTA SAY

IT'S AN 18" JOURNEY
FOR SOME MEN, IT'S A MILLION MILES AWAY

DO YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS
AND THAT HE TRULY DIED
CAN YOU HONESTLY SAY
THAT IT'S HIDDEN DEEP INSIDE
DEEP INSIDE
WELL ALL I GOTTA SAY

IT'S AN 18" JOURNEY
FOR SOME MEN, IT'S A MILLION MILES AWAY

YOU CAN CLIMB UP ON A MOUNTAIN
YOU CAN SEE THE DALAI LAMA
YOU CAN GET ABOARD A BIG JET PLANE
FLY DOWN TO ALABAMA
YOU CAN SIT OUTSIDE AND MEDITATE
OR YOU CAN TAKE A TURKISH BATH
BUT DON'T ME YOU FOUND THE SON

OH JESUS CHRIST
AS I SING THIS SONG
TAKE ME ON THAT JOURNEY
18" LONG
OH MY LORD
LISTEN TO ME PRAY
18" JOURNEY
IT'S A MILLION MILES AWAY

18" JOURNEY
FOR SOME MEN, IT'S A MILLION MILES AWAY

PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

2009-07-20T14:54:00.001-04:00

Here are the lyrics to one of the songs from the Jeremy Riddle concert Saturday night:

Chorus 1
(We're praying)
No more compromises no more moral crises
Tonight may she move and act as You
Move and act as You

Verse 1
Where she is weak
Strengthen arms now steady feet
That she would care for she would seek
Welcoming Your lost and wounded sheep
Coming home to You

Verse 2
Where she is stained
Bring Your healing bring Your rain
Wash away now her disgrace
'Till she shines in white she radiates
She now mirrors You

Verse 3
Where she is right
Give her courage for the fight
Full of salt now full of light
Standing firm where truth and love collide
She remains in You eh

Chorus 2
(We're praying)
No more compromises no more moral crises
Tonight may she move and act as You yeah
(We're singin')
No more small divisions no more lack of wisdom
Tonight may she move and act as You yeah

Misc 1
(BRIDGE)
And now she's shining her light is blinding
As she sings Your name
And now she's beauty up from the ashes
You love is on her face

Verse 4
Where she is strong
Keep her moving pressing on
Bringing justice righting wrongs
Demonstrating now Your Kingdom come
She's in step with You she's in step with You

Misc 2
(ENDING)
She's in step

Dancing in Belgium

2009-05-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

Something to make you smile!

One pastor commented that you could relate this video to Pentecost (see link below). When the Holy Spirit descended, the people started to dance, while the world watched from the sidelines in wonder. He made the point that the church should be doing the same today, drawing outsiders into joy of Jesus Christ.

WATCH VIDEO

Vacation

2009-05-07T07:43:00.000-04:00

Sitting here in my office on a Thursday. Kids had a fog delay, so I'm in early. Thinking about the cruise Kim and get to take on Sunday - can't wait! Going to the zoo Saturday with the kids, then drive up to Detroit hotel Saturday night. So blessed that we are able to do this!! PTL.

Cooper's Feet

2009-03-29T19:18:00.000-04:00

So.....one other item from La Margarita....the waitress came in and said "It smells like garlic & parmesan chicken in here!" I (always the quick wit) exclaimed, a bit too loudly.... "That is my son's feet." I thought I said it quiet enough just for our table to hear, but alas, it was loud enough that she heard it too. We all had a good laugh!

Ten Dollars

2009-03-29T18:37:00.000-04:00

Here's another story by Cady...

Ten Dollars

Yesterday at 8:11pm

A couple weeks ago, I was able to go to winter jam. First off, let me tell you that it was incredible! For me, the music was actually just as incredible as the speaker. And because of an experience at winter jam, something happened that made me speechless, and I thought I might be imagining it. But this encouraged me, and I hope it will do the same for you.
So at winter jam, there was a great speaker named Tony Nolan, and it came to the part in the talk where they start talking about tithing. And the talk turned to all the people at the concert giving something to help support winter jam. Well, Tony was saying how every time he has felt like he was suppose to give, that money given has always been fulfilled. Normally I'm not persuaded into these sort of things, because I feel like they say these stories to just get your money. But I felt so strongly that I should give the ten dollars in my pocket. I was almost afraid to not give it! So when the offering bucket came around, I put the ten dollars in and didn't think too much else of it.
A couple days later, I was going through my purse and found two ten dollar bills. And right away, I knew that I shouldn't have that much. Two days after I went to winter jam, I went to Wendys with some friends and paid with a twenty, getting only one ten dollar bill as change, not two...there were two tens in there together...the exact amount that i had given two days before... Now there's no other logical way that I can say why two ten dollar bills ended up in my purse, except for the obvious! That was a total God thing. And i am sooo in awe that He can work like that. Giving back to me after I gave for Him. Not that I needed or it or anything, but it was incredible to realize what had happened. I know for a fact, God did this to show me how truly powerful He is and how important it is that we follow those nudges or gut feelings from the Holy Spirit. That was my experience, and I hope that through this it can encourage you that God really can work all those miracles we hear about all the time! Follow what God nudges you to do, you won't regret it! I can guarantee it! Those experiences are ones that strengthen your faith.

experience: 3/16/09

FREE DRINKS

2009-03-29T18:34:00.000-04:00

Here's a cool piece written by my daughter Cady. It's a story of something that happened to us last night when we went out to eat as a family. Enjoy...

Free Drinks

Yesterday at 7:56pm

Tonight my family and I headed out for a night of family fun and ended up at La Margarita in downtown Fort Wayne. And as normal, got our drinks and food, but of course, we all began needing refills. (With seven people, someone always needs something when you're out to eat.) But before we can ask the waitress for our refills, she tells us that a couple who had previously been in the restaurant sitting close by us had paid for our drinks. We were all blown away. For all of us, drinks are at least ten dollars normally of our bill. And that was being covered by two people who we didn't know and hadn't said a word to while we were there. The waitress then proceeds to tell us the reason for them covering our drinks. They had said they appreciated that we had been able to hold a conversation as a family around the table. Basically, appreciating the fact that our family could stay quiet, unlike some families who have kids running all over the restaurant. And they chose to show gratitude to our family for something we weren't trying to do. My mom said, "look you guys at the witness you were to those people and you didn't even known it.."
It began to make me think about how many people we come across each day and how many of them are watching what we do, how we act, what we say. What kind of witness are we being to those people? It's easy to think that other people don't really watch what we're doing, but we all witness to people every day, positively or negatively. I hope this little story challenges you to be a positive witness to everyone you come across each day. You never know what that person might be going through, and your character may encourage them. Let your character make people wonder where your "light" comes from. God can use us all, every day, even if its in such a simple way as going out to eat with your family..