IllumiNations!

THE BLESSING OF GODLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Tonight, my wife Peggy and I hosted 17 wonderful youth for a barbeque, and had such a great time eating and laughing with them.  Our time with them reminded me of how powerful friendship can be in forming a person.  Many times, parents spend an amazing amount of time complaining about their children's friends, but very little celebrating good and godly friendships!

Well, here is my contribution to celebration!  The young men and women we had at our home tonight (and that is truly what they are - young men and women), are among the greatest blessings Peggy and I have ever partaken of!  Peer influence can literally make or break the moral, ethical, and spiritual life of a child.  Most of us can remember the good, the bad, and the ugly connections we made while growing up, confirming my point.

However, when our children develop friendships with other young people raised in similar value structures that reinforce ours, we can experience an amazing relational synergy that accelerates our children's moral, ethical, and spiritual growth!  These kind of friendships are worth their weight in gold and worthy of much praise!  THANKS BE UNTO GOD ALONE FOR THE BLESSING OF GODLY FRIENDSHIPS FOR OUR CHILDREN! 

Daddy's Little Girl is a Princess

I am one proud papa!  My daughter, whose name is Sarah, is truly a princess in both name and title.  The name Sarah, means "Princess", and, my daughter Sarah completed the Moses Lake Jr. Miss Program as 1st Runner up this past Saturday night with princess-like dignity and class.  As I watched her perform, and heard her answer questions before a live audience, I was struck by her poise, confidence, and the sense of security she exhibited before hundreds of watchful eyes.

As a protective father, a Christian, and a pastor of a local church, I was not about to let my daughter be a part of something that emphasized outward appearance, and sensuality!  Initially, I was a little suspicious of the Junior Miss Program, and what it might expose Sarah to. After investigating a little and praying, Peggy and I gave her the green light to participate.  The last 6 weeks have been rather stressful at times while Peggy and Sarah bought dresses, and wrangled over "girlie" type stuff.  Oh, it's good to be a man!

Saturday night was the Grand Finale, and while most of the other girls danced for the talent portion of their presentation, Sarah sang "Think of Me" from the film adaptation of "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA."  She hit a home run, er, uh, sang beautifully, and brought tears to the eyes of a number of people all over the auditorium! 

When the results were announced, another girl won as Moses Lake Junior Miss, but my eyes were only on Sarah.  Sarah never really cared whether or not she placed as part of royalty, but she did want to compete, and do her best.  Well, as she was announced as 1st runner up, I felt as if she had just won an Olympic Gold Medal, and set a new world record as well!  The attitude she exhibited after the announcement was one of humility and graciousness.  Can you tell I'm proud and partial?

The American Junior Miss Program has high ideals and encourages inner beauty and character along with service, goal setting, education, and good health.  I have included the 'Be Your Best Self' Promise that AJM contestants make when competing.  Thank you for letting me indulge in a little fatherly boasting.  Only parents will be able to understand my indulgence!

The 'Be Your Best Self' Promise

I want to help improve the world, and that begins with me.  I promise to do the following things:

• Eat the right foods
• Stay fit
• Get a good education
• Live by moral principals
• Serve my community
• Set goals
• Work to reach my goals

Core Value #2 - Knowing God takes the "D" word!

"I Value seeking to know God intimately through prayer, the Scriptures, and other spiritual disciplines as a main goal of life."

Words and phrases like intimacy, knowing God, personal relationship etc... are really in vogue in a number of Christian circles these days, and I think that is a good thing.  The essence of theology after all is the study of God's Person as He has revealed Himself to us through creation, the Scriptures, personal experience, and most importantly, Jesus of Nazareth. Unfortunately, I have not met many people who truly know God very well, or take the time or energy needed to invest in that knowledge.

What theologians call the Doctrine of Revelation is based upon the idea from the Scriptures, that God must reveal Himself to be known by humanity. All of the human initiative in the world doesn't make Him any less elusive, and He will only be found by those He draws.  However, in this time of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated his goodwill toward us and summons us to come and believe in his Son.  We are called to seek Him while He may be found. 

I still remember when the veil was torn away in my life, and the revealed, self-existent God came crashing in on my world.  Oh, what a day and season that was and is!  I was shocked that God was truly personal and knowable.  I couldn't keep my mouth shut.  GOD WAS REAL, AND EVERYONE HAD TO KNOW!  As I soon discovered though, this knowledge of God was meant to be an ongoing process that required much seeking, knocking and asking.

This process of seeking God is often a hard and frustrating work just as my marriage relationship can be.  I know He is supposed to be the initiator, but I have to admit it often feels like it's all up to me in this strange and mysterious courtship of God.  God seems to love to play hide and seek, while I fumble around in the darkness of this sin fallen world listening for the faintest breath or rustling of His Presence to give His hiding place away.

This of course brings me to the big bad "D" word, DISCIPLINE.  Yes, it takes discipline and the spiritual disciplines to finely hone my senses to God.  Scripture reading, memorization, meditation, prayer, silence, solitude, service, fasting, night watches and various other methods employed throughout history by God's people have been effective tools in the seeking of God.  Unfortunately, I don't really enjoy doing some of these things because I am not a very disciplined person.  Not only that, but I am repelled by anything that feels like religious striving to earn God's favor.

Nevertheless, I have found that when I consecrate myself to God, not to earn anything, but to focus my faculties upon Him, He shows up and does some unveiling of Himself to my dull and dry soul.  This unveiling impresses God's Presence and character upon my soul, which changes me and influences the people around me as well.

To know God is the greatest treasure and value a human being can desire. Knowing Him is by far the most worthy pursuit of life.  God chased us down and caught us with His irresistible grace and love, so we must now join the chase and make the pursuit of God our life-long goal.  Who knows, if we chase Him long enough, He may just catch us!

Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.

My Core Values - #1

Recently I found out that a ladies discipleship group in our church was using my Core Values as an example for the purpose of developing their own Core Values.  I was both surprised and challenged.  I was provoked to take them out once again, look them over, and make sure they are not only what I truly value, but what I am also endeavoring to practice in my daily living.

It is not my intention to be overly self-focused in my writing, but as I looked at my Core Values, I thought of how they provide a good starting point for regular posts and food for thought for those who read.   All of us have a set of Core Values that we possess and live from whether they are written or not.  Our lives are constantly telling on us and shouting to the world what our loves, hates, passions and gods actually are.  These are our Core Values.  With that said, here are the first of my Core Vaues with commentary following:

"I Value relationship with God and others as the source from which life and all true ministry will flow."

We are relational beings, this much cannot be denied.  Though I have met a number of so-called "Lone Rangers" in my time, my experience tells me that the primary reason most people become islands unto themselves is because of betrayal, disappointment, and dysfunction within their relationships.  The people that we love and value become the source of our pain.  This very reaction is nothing more than proof that we are indeed relational beings.

Every human being is conceived when two people relating in the most intimate terms, mingled their body fluids and cells to form a whole new entity.  This conception brought forth a new life that related to its host mother by a life-line known as an umbilical cord.  This life-line brought nourishment and connection until the day when this unique personality would be thrust upon its mothers breasts to suckle.  Thus begins the journey of life.  The journey of dependence, of relationship, of family and community.

This new person is just beginning to experience the human condition, the risky proposition know as relationship, with all of its love, acceptance, rejection, abuse, disappointment, competition etc...  It is precisely this experience which primes a person for the knowledge of God and a relationship with Him. 

After only a few short years on this planet, we begin to realize that things are not right down here.  We see the failure of our biggest heroes, face tragedy and personal difficulty, and learn the law of the jungle.  It is often when the props of human relationships have fallen all around us that God reveals Himself to us as Father and Friend.  We then begin a new relationship with One who relates to us on His terms alone.  These terms begin with the idea of the Fall, and the human need for salvation.  We see ourselves as we really are, and God as He really is, in the Person of Jesus Christ. This new relationship becomes the source of all true relationship, and the restorative power through which all other relationships will be made right again.

This new life, this new relationship, issues forth as the fountainhead of all ministry into the lives of others.  It is only within the context of this new relationship, that we can find what God truly intended for all human relationships.  This is why the Great Commandments begin with loving God with our whole being.  To love my neighbor as I love myself, I must experience the settled reality of God's first loving me. Only then am I able to return that love to Him.  I can try to love my neighbor, but until I have encountered being loved by God and then loving Him, my love for my neighbor will always fail and fall short.

So, this is my first Core Value.  This is an impossible proposition apart from God's love.  This love is most clearly demonstrated and embodied in the Person and life of Jesus Christ.  I have received love and relationship, so now I can give them.  This is the law of the kingdom of God.  This is what I value!

BACK AFTER A VERY LONG ABSENCE!

I don't know what to say about my absence, other than the fact that I kind of lost the vision for blogging for awhile.  So much has happened since my last post on September 11th, 2006, it would be almost impossible to tell all, but here are some highlights and lowlights;

1. Our oldest son, Stephen, left to Kirkland, Washington, and The City Church GENERATION INTERN PROGRAM.  Peggy and I have marveled at God's grace as we have watched our son be challenged and then respond with maturity to almost every challenge.  The growth we have observed as a result of this intensive leadership program would be similar in some ways to what a parent sees when their son has returned from boot-camp as a man instead of a boy.  I guess the main difference would be the fact that Stephen has been formed inwardly and is manifesting the nature of Christ more than at any other time!  PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS!!!
2. I traveled with 2 other people from our church to the Philippines for a short term missions trip at the end of November.  Our goals were to train church leaders, visit the orphanage we support, and be a blessing to the Filipino church.  As usual, the Filipino people blessed our lives far beyond anything we could ever do for them.  The trip was very successful and fruitful but for me it had to be cut short due to some of the most difficult news I have ever received...
3. Larry Brice, my dearest friend of 18 years, associate pastor of 9 years, and one of my true heroes in the faith was diagnosed with colon cancer which had spread to his liver.  I returned home immediately to be with him as he navigated through the difficult decisions facing him, his wife Shirley, and their 11 year old daughter, Madison.  Larry determined to fore-go chemotherapy and is asking God, along with thousands of others from around the world, for a miracle of healing.  Larry is truly one of the godliest men I have ever know, and as GENUINE A CHRIST-FOLLOWER as I have observed in my 23 years as a believer.  Larry has a passion for God and His kingdom, and desperately wants to "See the Lord do amazing things in Moses Lake and the world!" PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER AS WE CALL ON OUR MIRACLE WORKING GOD TO DO THE AMAZING AND IMPOSSIBLE IN LARRY.
4. Simultaneously to all of these things, our church is growing, people are being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are starting to move forward in a building campaign.  Truly, this is a time of FAITH STRETCHING and DOUG STRETCHING!  GRACE HARVEST CHURCH seems to be in a time of harvest, blessing and momentum, and our leaders are in need of much support in prayer and encouragement.  PLEASE PRAY FOR MY FAMILY AND I AS WELL.

Well, it's good to be back and get some of this off my mind.  PLEASE POST COMMENTS AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE READING.  COMMENTS ARE A BLOGGER'S PAY FOR HIS/HER EFFORTS.

Blessings,
Doug

Milestones and Memorials

The year of our Lord 2006 has been a year of milestones and memorials for Peggy and I as we have celebrated our son Stephen's high school graduation and my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. 

Watching our oldest son Stephen grow into a young man has been both a wonderful joy and a painful challenge and reality.  How did this little newborn that I lifted heavenward at birth in a prayer of dedication to Jesus Christ grow so fast and come so far in such a short time?  Where did this facial hair, deep voice, amazing creativity, and stubborn independent thinking come from?  I know I can't blame it all on his mom, so what's a man to do?  Who gave him permission to grow up so fast and become his own person who seems to need us less and less? 

Honestly, I am laughing and crying as I consider these questions.  I am so proud of this young man who bears my name and oozes confidence, personality and talent.  I know Stephen's future is bright with a number of career options and opportunities looming in front of him as they tempt him to test his wings and fly. 

As he goes off to Seattle in the Fall to attend THE GENERATION INTERN PROGRAM at The City Church in Kirkland, Washington, I find myself hoping we have done our job as parents in an honorable way and that Stephen will have the tools necessary to grow and mature as a follower of Jesus Christ in the real world.  Stephen, we are so proud of you and look forward to watching you become the man that God has ordained you to be.  Stretch out those wings and fly high and true.  The Lord is with you!

Currently we are in Southern California hangin' with Peggy's family and experiencing the many generational blessings of a mostly intact family!  Peggy hails from a large Roman Catholic family of 11 children, being the perfect #7 in the birth order.  Though her family has its fair share of dysfunction and problems, it is truly an amazing experience to be a part of their get-togethers.  With babies, toddlers, kids, teens, young marrieds, cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, moms, dads and grandparents, it is almost impossible to feel left out in any way.  The energy, laughter, love and good arguments (um, debates) are a privilege to be a part of. 

Nana and Pop as we call them, have bequeathed a rich heritage to all of us by simply sticking it out and staying married for 50 years.  If there was ever a reason to stay married in this covenant breaking culture, it is clearly illustrated to all of us in this family every time we get together and experience the dynamic of true nitty gritty family life.  Perfect?  No!  Redemptive?  YES!!!  As I always tell my wife, I sure am glad her parents didn't stop having kids after #6.  Thank you Nana and Pop for being an example and model of endurance, perseverance and principle.  Your reward in heaven will be great!

The Good Samaritan on Mount Everest!

I am not a mountain climber, but I hope that if I am ever in trouble, someone like Daniel Mazur lends a helping hand to me.  This is a great story of an American climbing guide who gave up his ascent of the highest mountain in the world to help a stranded climber just days after many others passed by a British climber who eventually died on Everest.

This story reminded me of what a couple of men in our church named Mick and Clint did to help a distressed woman the other day as she sat weeping in her truck.  This guy Daniel is a hero who is receiving much deserved press coverage, but Mick and Clint are hero's in their own right in my book!

I love what Daniel Mazur went on to say in this AP story about the rescue.

"Oh yeah, it was worth it," he said. "You can always go back to the summit but you only have one life to live. If we had left the man to die, that would have always been on my mind ... How could you live with yourself?"

I forgot to mention that Daniel's two paying clients had to sacrifice their ascent as well to save this man.  On top of that, other climbers had already passed by and left Lincoln Hall, the stranded climber to die!  Stories like this remind me of the parable that Jesus told 2000 years ago to  his followers to illustrate the need to demonstrate faith and love with action.  Jesus finished that parable with the words, "Go and do likewise."  Sounds like good advice to me!  Way to go Daniel Mazur!  Way to go Mick and Clint!

Tags: Mount Everest, mountain climbing, rescue, Daniel Mazur, Christianity, Jesus Christ, good Samaritan

BE A REAL MAN!

I Corinthians 16:13 - Keep your eyes open for spiritual danger; stand true to the Lord; act like men; be strong; TLB.    

John 15:13- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  NKJV.

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, NKJV.    

Nehemiah 4:14- And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." NKJV.

I am leaving today to join about 35-40 men on a MEN'S ADVANCE in a beautiful wooded area just North of Spokane, Washington.  As I embark on what always turns into an interesting adventure, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a man and why manhood seems to be under such attack today from cultural forces that seek to make "maleness" a bad thing.    

Many men these days seem to be confused about manhood because they have been told for several decades now that aggression, strength, passion, drive and decisive action are qualities to be avoided.  Men are being forced into a mold of "niceness" where the highest virtue to be achieved is to be "nice" to one and all.  Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that being manly is defined by being harsh or caustic, just that our highest goal in life should not be to make everybody happy with a kind of sappy sweetness.

As a man, I find that I am most inspired by great stories of love, sacrifice, brotherhood, courage and protection.  Though I hate war, I recognize that it is a sad necessity at those times in history when to avoid it is to risk our very existence as human beings.  War though seems to be one of those endeavors that brings out both the best and worst in men.  Whether it is the story of Sergeant York, or movies like Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List or Hotel Rwanda, there is something so powerful about men who put it all on the line to risk life, limb, property, comfort and privilege to rescue, protect and sacrifice for others.  It seems that when men live like this, they are fulfilling what it truly means to be "manly".  This is precisely why Jesus Christ is the ultimate man and the greatest model ever of what a REAL MAN looks like!    

As the above Scripture references make clear," laying down our lives, loving sacrificially, and fighting for our brothers, children, wives and houses", calls out to the "deep unto deep" within us and inspires something that often lies dormant in the day to day drudgery we call life.  The good news is that it doesn't take a war or some kind of heroic act to live our lives this way.  We were made to give up our rights, desires and comforts to assure that others may live well.  It is in "losing our lives" that we truly "find our lives" and become REAL MEN.  Men were made to give all for the sake of others and to put it all on the line to assure that the weak, the poor, the widows and the orphans are protected, provided for and loved.  We are called to live heroically by loving our wives as they deserve to be loved, and by providing an example for our sons and daughters to follow.

One day, some of us will be called upon to literally put our lives on the line for our families, nation or Lord, but until we do, we must make it a practice in the rhythms of our homes, workplaces and churches.  My friend and associate pastor Larry always reminds me that "we get good at what we practice at most often."  If we practice loving, giving, sacrifice and true manhood, we will be the kind of man we want to be in the day of testing and when we stand in the presence of the Almighty and hear Him pronounce, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!"    

Powered by QumanaTags: Men, Manhood, Marriage, Family, War, Sacrifice, Love, Jesus

THE AMERICAN CONSUMER AND CHURCH SHOPPING

American consumerism has infected every part of our life to one degree or another, and I am sad to say that the church is definitely not exempt.  This is a video clip from the animated series KING OF THE HILL  and it does a great job of capturing the sad dilemma facing much of what we call CHURCH SHOPPING.  No, I do not watch KING OF THE HILL, but was linked to this clip from Mark Driscoll's blog RESURGENCE.

SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO BE SAD

Psalms 6:6-7 - 6 I'm tired of all this — so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights On the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. 7 The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope.  THE MESSAGE

Psalms 13 - O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? 2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?  NLT

I am alive!!!  I know this because I hurt.  I know this because I sorrow, am disappointed, and feel the deep sadness that often goes with being a man on this fallen planet.  Yes, of course I hate the dark moods of life, but they testify to me that all is not right and that sin and death are the reality of this groaning, cursed ground.  You may think I am crazy, but a few moments ago while sitting here feeling quite discouraged and heart-sick, this truth slipped through one of the cracks in my heart and brought me comfort.

We live in the age of the HAPPY CULT of which I have often been a zealous adherent.  We are made to believe that being happy is our birthright and entitlement.  To feel bad is the ultimate no-no and the perfect excuse for extramarital affairs, most divorces and regular indulgences for our sinful nature.  Many Christians I know would rebuke me for these thoughts and accuse me of being negative, faithless and oppressed by an evil spirit.  To these things, I must counter with the words of David and Solomon, men of much greater stature than I.  It seems God often has His servants in the school of suffering as they major in depression, discouragement, disappointment and discontentment.

Please understand, I am not advocating some kind of sick, masochistic view of suffering that encourages the onslaughts of sorrow and pain as though they are blessings to be sought, because I am not.  Rather, I am simply convinced that suffering is an amazing teacher and a constant reminder that all is not well down here.  Our Utopian experiments are all failing, (thankfully) and we must look to embrace God's Redemption experiment, for, it is at work in the hearts of hurting and joyful sons and daughters. 

Pain reminds me that I feel and it serves as the emotional and spiritual counterpart to my physical nerve endings.  It teaches me to avoid evil and embrace God.  It is a beautiful thing that the God who could give me the capacity to laugh loudly from the belly, experience the ecstasy of sexual passion and the beauty of art and music, could also equip me with the emotions of sadness, anger and sorrow.  The pleasure and the pain teach me about the God of the Scriptures who sits in the heavens laughing, stands outside Lazarus tomb weeping, and cries out in the oil press of Gethsemane, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 - 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. NKJV