Random Pictures of My Family

Pirates game night with my honey!

Ashton and Adam heading off to school!

Christian & Kelleye at Navy Pier
Willow Arts Conference 2008

My brother David's Birthday Party

Dad and daughter all dressed up!

Had just done a 50th anniversary vow renewal;

one of the few times in the past 6 years I have worn a suit!

Working on getting 3 F's!

Yeah, you read right! I am hoping to get 3 F's solidified and prioritized in my life and I'm not ashamed to tell you. Or maybe I should say THE 3 F's. Those being Faith, Family, and Friends.

Well, now that I've got your attention I want point out what Christ said was the greatest commandment and it is found in Matthew 22:37-40 and it says...

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Faith. Our faith and trust in God has to be our number one focus in life. I am convinced that so many people look at having a "relationship with God" as some sort of restriction or bondage when actually having a relationship with God brings freedom! If we strive to live for Him by honoring His word, prayer, and daily worship, we find freedom from the trappings of this world and from the chains of sin. The apostle Paul said he would much rather be in chains for Christ than to be held captive by the world's standard of freedom (paraphrase). If our faith in God is first, then I truly believe all else will fall into place.

Family. "Love Your Neighbor". I don't know about you but my closest neighbor is one door jam away and that being my son. Actually, my wife is even closer as we actually share a room. I know, shocking isn't it! My family is my 2nd priority in life! I have a responsibility to take care of my family spiritually, financially, and in all things security. They are my first and foremost neighborly priority and yet many times we treat people across the street with more respect than the one's living under our roof! We will stand and listen to our neighbor talk about sports, lawn problems, or whatever; then we come in to our homes and seclude ourselves from, or be rude to our family. No wonder the family is becoming an endangered species.

Friends. As I wrote in an earlier post, I do believe that the average person has very few true friends. You know, those you can really count on when life gets messy & tough? We all need friends and we all have a desire for friendship whether we want to admit it or not. Some manly men don't want to admit they need friends. Are your friendships dependant on whether a person likes you back, or are you willing to be a friend regardless of whether or not the feeling is mutual? Do you think of others more than you think of yourself? Will you respond with integrity even when someone has done something to tick you off or has hurt your feelings? Are you willing to give and expect nothing in return? This is just a snapshot of the kind of friend our Savior was and is. I want to be like Him! I want to be like Christ.

Me, Christ? Not even close. But that is who I want to be. Isn't it He who we should all want to be like? Wasn't it Christ that honored His Father by not giving into temptation and by continually reminding us during His earthly ministry that He was about His father's business? Wasn't it Christ that constantly put Himself 2nd so that others might be served and see God as love?

Faith, Family, Friends. 3 F's that my Heavenly Father can be proud of!

Christian

UnCommon

I am reading a book right now called "UnCommon". Me reading a book is amazing in itself as I am not a reader. I mean, I can read very well, I just don't enjoy reading like some do. My mind is easily distracted I guess.

I am half way through the book and its been a good read. I am actually looking forward to getting home tonight and reading more. Why am I reading this book? Well, the biggest reason is that I want to be uncommon. It seems there are very few heroes in today's world - you know, the people you look up to? I want to be hero; I want to be uncommon. I want my wife and kids to be able to look at me and say that I am a genuine Christ follower. That I am someone they can look up to as one who handles himself well in difficult situations. Someone who shows love where love is needed. Someone who shows grace even when by the worlds standards grace is not deserved. Someone who cared more for others than himself and who left a legacy verses a mess. That is why I want to be uncommon.

If you died today, and people had to stand up and say who you are and what it was you stood for, what would they say? Would they say, "He loved his job; kept a nice yard; was a hard worker; was a good teacher; always stayed fit; etc". Or would they say, "He cared for others; put himself second; loved God above all else; went against the flow; was the same guy when no one was watching as he was when everyone was watching...". That is who I want to be and that is uncommon.

Yeah, sad to say but real heroes are a dying breed. Heroes that "Love God and Love their Neighbor more than themselves". Thankfully there is one hero that is alive and well and his name is Jesus! He was and is uncommon. And He is the One that I want to be like more than anything else.

So, what do I hope to gain from this book? I hope to gain a better picture of who I am, and who Christ is so that I can become more like Him. More uncommon for a world that needs to see Christ and not the common man.

For the love of a brother

What a week! Baptized on Sunday, married my first couple Sunday afternoon, spent 3 solid days in the office... And today, today I fly out of town for the love of a brother.

It was not an easy decision for me to go. Honestly, I have mixed emotions as I really don't want to be away this weekend for a host of reasons. But here I am, getting on a plane for the love of a brother.

I actually only have 1 brother - David. He is 7 years older than I and I have always looked up to him. God has used him in incredible ways over the years! We have even had the opportunity to serve together in ministry twice! I think the thing that I admire most about him though is how he has been there for me when life got tough. And today I leave to be there for him for the love of a brother.

You know, the older I get the more I realize how few genuine friends you have. And, at the end of the day, YOU have to make the best choices for YOUR life as much as you want to think others are genuinely looking out for your best interest. Yes, there are some that do, but not many. Seldom do any of us put self aside long enough to really put ourselves in someone elses shoes. Today, I am putting on someone elses shoes. I am putting myself aside for the love of a brother.

A Pastor friend of mine recently told me that "life is short"! Too short to waste not doing or being where God wants you to do/be. I agree. And at the end of our lives, and the lives of those we love most, we are going to look back and I believe we will regret not doing the things we know we should have done but were too concerned with self to do. This day will not be one of those days for me cause I am going to be with him, for the love of a brother.

Lord, give me peace. I need it today. Help me to trust you, knowing you will never let me go. And help me to love. To put myself aside. John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".

I am not exactly laying down my life. At least I hope not :) But I am putting myself aside today for the love of a brother.

The Worship Pastor gets baptized!

Yes, it's true! I got baptized this morning. I had been baptized at age 7 - the year I first walked an isle and decided I wanted to become a Christian.

Thinking back, I think I walked the isle that day because it was the thing to do. I didn't want to go to hell, and I did like Jesus... But did I really understand what He had done for me and how hopeless I was apart from Him? Not really. If I did, I believe the next 23 years may have looked a bit different than they did. I mean, the Christian life is a journey and the closer I get to God the more I realize how far away I really am. Not that I wasted 23 years, or didn't love Jesus during that time... just not sure I was really living for Jesus. Wasn't much fruit coming off my tree!

Truthfully, my life begin to change some 7 years ago and in some ways that is when I have to say I put a stake in the ground. It was no longer I who lived but "Christ who lived in me". Change. We can say we have changed but the proof is in the walk not the talk. I can say I am a piece of bread but just because I was born in a bread pan doesn't make me a piece of bread. I grew up in a Christian home and walked an isle at 7 but growing up in a Christian home and giving myself the name "Christian" is not what saves me.

What saved me was the grace of Jesus Christ. Nothing I could do - He did it all. He paid a debt that I could not pay - one that I owed. And now that I fully realize what He has done for me, I want to do nothing less than live for Him. Do I still struggle? Do I make mistakes? Yes! But now it's different. I don't want to sin, rebel, go against God's will for my life because His sacrifice compels me to live for Him! As the apostle Paul says, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain". I want people to see me and see Christ! That is my goal!


So, today I got baptized. I got baptized to show that I identify with Christ. Was it humbling to be baptized as a worship pastor of a church of 1500? Yes. Was it humbling for my Savior to be the King of the world and be beaten and crucified by His own? Yes.

I want the rest of my life to be...

Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me. Christ.

Thank you Lord for identifying with me. The least I can do is show the world that I am yours!

Christian

122 baptized tonight at Grace!

Saw 122 baptized tonight at Grace between our 2 services! Amazing! Got 2 more tomorrow! Most churches don't see 122 baptized in their lifetimes! Thank u Lord for allowing me to be a part of this!

Ben & Adam r fishing in the rain