I spent the morning praying with a group of leaders from “One by One Leadership” in Immokalee; Reed, John, Dave, Dick, Sinclair, and Pastor Andre from Haiti. The heart for the area is strong and the desire is to practically meet the tangible needs of the community. How to accomplish this is a concerted effort between the churches of the community, the Ave Maria community and University, and the resources of the Naples area. Collier county consists of one of the wealthiest communities in the country; wealth in both dollars and experience. I am awed at the talent and success that is collected here. Immokalee is also home to a relatively large Casino owned and operated by the local Seminole tribe. The local population includes a smaller population of land owners and farmers in addition to the migrant communities. Yet the pressing need from the perspective of a Pregnancy Medical Clinic CEO is the absence of medical care for pregnant woman. PP will be present pushing their agenda but isn’t it a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the compassion and care that God’s people provide. A recent visitor to the local Pregnancy Center summed it up this way: “ I can’t have a baby now, I already have 3 and I can’t put shoes on their feet.” In response a nearby church ended their Sunday service by instructing the congregation to leave their shoes at the door as they left the service. Hundreds of shoes were collected and distributed in Immokalee. I heard they were all gone within a couple of hours. What about you?  Will you be part of a team that brings help to those in need? Let me know.

Immokalee FL, A Mission Ministry Opportunity

God has been amazing during this mission trip to Immokalee. We had a great response from the banquet. Cindi and I met with Dave, Diane and 2 of their leadership team members for about 3 hours on Saturday to help them plan for their future. Today I will be headed to Immokalee to pray with a number of those who minister in the community. Immokalee is a migrant community with groups of African Americans, Haitians, Latinos, Guatemalans, etc. It reminds me of some of the places in Mexico, the Carribean and Africa that I have visited before.  There are parts of the community that resemble a 3rd world country right here in Florida. The needs are great especially since the tomato and orange crops have been hit hard with frost this spring. There isn't much work for those that are here and there are a number of Haitian refugees on their way. Pregnant women don't have access to basic pre-natal care and little OB care as well. The clinics that take Medicaid are in Naples, Ft. Meyers and Miami, all of which are too far away to walk to. Planned Parenthood is here and most believe that chemical abortion is as well. As this ministry builds it's "street cred" by serving faithfully, they could use short term medical teams here at least once a month doing nothing but pregnancy verification, STI testing, pre-natal exams and vitamins as well as follow up post partum and limited pediatric care. They have an ultra sound but no one to operate it. Pray with me that God will raise up teams from existing PMC's to send short term teams here for a week at a time. A team a month would be a great start.

How many mouths are you trying to feed?

The end of the year has finally arrived. Later today the staff of BRWC will gather together and share ministry stories that occurred this year. As we prepare for a new year, we want to begin it in the spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. Before Jesus fed the 5000 with those five loaves and two fish, he lifted them up to Father and gave thanks. I don’t know about your specific situation today but I am pretty confident that many of you are facing some pretty overwhelming situations as we launch into a new year. Think about it for a minute. Jesus was facing an overwhelming situation: thousands of hungry mouths and only one lunch to feed them with. You know how the story goes, though. Jesus knew that Father wanted to feed them…and if Father wants it to happen, it happens.

We face impossible situations every day and I am finally to the point where I welcome that. I have finally concluded that I would rather be in a situation that is impossible without God than in a situation that is possible because of my own abilities and strength. I find both in my life regularly (you probably do as well) and I love it when God shows up—especially when the situation is impossible if he doesn’t.

As we budget and plan for 2010 I tend to focus on what we need and what we don’t have rather than on the heart of Father. Will we have enough volunteers? Will we have enough money? Will we have a favorable political climate? Will there be enough to go around? My tendency is to look at all the hungry mouths that need to be fed. Is that your tendency as well?

Would you join with me this New Year as I change my view from the hungry mouths to the Father who loves us beyond measure? Let’s lift up all that we have today and ask Him to bless it and use it as he sees fit. I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts on this subject

Father doesn’t need to punish his child for being disobedient

Father doesn’t need to punish his child for being disobedient; the real time result of being disobedient is punishment enough.

If I were to climb to the top of the office roof and jump off, I would experience the consequences of my decision almost immediately. The roof is 3 stories up, about 25 feet from the ground. Ouch! I am fully aware of the principle of gravity. I also know that Jesus is the author and sustainer of that principle. Scripture tells me that he created all things and he holds all things together. I could have prayed that God would suspend gravity for a couple minutes while I jumped off so I could float to the ground gently and avoid pain and injury. I could have prayed all the way down as well. Father, through the Spirit was reminding me of the effects of gravity while I stood on the edge of the roof. He reminded me of them on the way down. He will remind me of them as we spend some time together in the E.R. Upon landing, Father does not say, “I’m going to send him to the woodshed for this.” Instead, he tells me that he loves me and that he is pained by my pain. He lets me know that he will put me back together and in time, he will encourage others not to jump off buildings with my story. Father uses our recovery times to draw us closer to him…closer so that we can hear him more clearly and learn that he desires to lead us along a narrow path…the narrow path. People who disobey Father’s instruction is nothing new to him; it has been happening since the first ones were created. All of us are disobedient regularly and some of us daily. Knowing Father’s heart helps me to understand that the outcomes of my actions provide an opportunity for me to draw closer to him.

"I will make you as white (clean) as the snow"

"Four women......Three with their husbands and one with her mother and father, sat quietly and nervously as the service began. It was supposed to be a celebration...a time to rejoice over the lives of their children. Their journey,begun some eight weeks earlier,was one filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears, fear and courage, loneliness and the amazing discovery of “never-aloneness.” The hurt, loss, they had hidden in their souls years earlier had been revealed...The secret had been surrendered. I watched them all cry, some with a depth of emotion that caused them to tremble. They all spoke of their journey and the way that Father had revealed himself to them along the way. Each one of them had heard Father speak directly to their hearts…they heard him say,“I love you, I always have and I always will.” As I anointed them with the oil of gladness I looked deeply into their eyes. They were full of joy and glimmered through the tears. As I prayed, I heard Father say, “do you see how clean snow really is?” I do know something about snow. Living in Michigan, snow was a major part of my life for over 12 years. But I had never seen snow that white, that clean before. As we ended our time of celebration I charged their men to find the same forgiveness and healing for the secrets in their souls......so that they too could know that Father’s heart is turned absolutely to his children. That is, after all, the Father’s heart."

Father doesn’t reject me because I am disobedient to him.

He looks at my disobedience as an opportunity to build me up. After all, he knew I would be disobedient before I was.

Many of you have fathers that turn their back to you whenever you disappoint them or are disobedient to them. We seem to learn early on that acceptance in the “real world” requires compliance and living up to someone else’s expectations. It continues in marriage and then we model it to our children and the cycle starts all over. Fortunately that isn’t the way of the Father regardless of what you have been taught in Sunday school, church, or bible study. Our Father knows when you are going to be disobedient before you ever are. He offered Jesus for forgiveness of that disobedience before you ever lived it out. Father is the one who is with us always and never leaves us…no matter what. When we are disobedient to him, he knows that the good to come from it will be our change…our conforming to the image of Jesus; if we will allow it.

Obedience to Father simply keeps you on the pathway that he has set before you; it is a momentary decision.

Obedience to Father simply keeps you on the pathway that he has set before you; it is a momentary decision that keeps you close to the one who loves you.

I tend to think of obedience in terms of the long run. If I can be moving in the general direction of obedience to Father, over time I should come out alright. Wrong thinking! Obedience is about the now…the immediate. As I walk with Father he is constantly showing me the pace and direction he is traveling. I must learn to move with him in obedience to the moment. I cannot do that if I think that my relationship with him is dependent upon the few minutes I spend with him at the start of the day. I must learn to walk with him attentively all 1440 minutes of every day. Doing so allows him to adjust my pace and direction. Throw out the books on prayer that tell you to spend more time at the beginning of the day. Grasp the concept of being in constant communication with Father.

Thinking that by being more obedient will give me better standing with the Father is wrong thinking. I am already in right standing with the Father.

Everywhere we turn in life we are being measured. In school our performance is graded and those who perform better are rewarded and recognized. Being the teacher’s pet can be a good thing at times. In the work place those who perform better than the rest are expected to be rewarded for that extra effort. In our homes we treat our children better when they do their chores or give that little extra effort. Likewise, when we perform poorly in any of those environments we learn to expect a little less notoriety. Before too long the average or mediocre learn to accept the fact that they will seldom if ever get any recognition. Those who can’t keep up or fail altogether eventually quit out of hopelessness and they are branded as “losers.” It is the way of the world. Unfortunately, we bring this worldly concept into our relationship with Father. If we can somehow perform better, do more, or be the teacher’s pet we will make him love us more. Heaven forbid we be labeled “losers” by not performing up to standards. Yet today that is exactly how many Christians see themselves. At best they are average and mediocre; stuck in a place where Father will never recognize them. Or at worst, they have a big “L” tattooed on their forehead. Well, I’ve got news for the “successful”, “mediocre”, and “loser”, Wake Up!!!! You’ve got it all wrong. Because of what Jesus has done, the door to Father’s love is open to all of his children. All of us are precious, valuable, and loved. Your performance has nothing to do with how much Father loves you. He has always loved you completely but it took Jesus to open the door so that love could flow to you. As a child of the Father you have all of his love available to you; you are already highly favored.

My relationship with God does not rely on my obedience to him. Jesus is the one who is perfectly obedient.

For 25 years I have struggled with my own disobedience to God’s word. I taught and preached about the need for us to be obedient to God or else… Yet it doesn’t take me long to slip back into disobedience, to screw up once again. I know in my mind that Jesus was perfectly obedient to Father but I have mistakenly thought that he requires nothing less than that from me. When I was chosen for this team, I was given a position to play; a destiny to fulfill. It’s kind of like being drafted to play football in the NFL. I can study the play book for months but during practice I learn how to apply what I have been reading. A good coach will help me recognize that I also have to work on my strength and speed. But the real test isn’t in the classroom or on the practice field. The real test comes in the game. But games are won and lost as we learn the how to’s. Listening to and doing what the coach says isn’t always easy but as we do more of it we play the game better. Obedience is really about listening to Father in the classroom, on the practice field, and in the game. If playing in the NFL required perfect execution by every player on every play or else… it wouldn’t be long before all of the players were sent packing.

The Hidden Gift in the Decisions We Face

Life is a series of decisions that are made on a daily, hourly and minute by minute basis. Some of those decisions are between what is right and wrong, good and bad, wise and unwise. But many of those decisions are more subtle. These subtle decisions can be between foolish and prudent, expedient and convenient, lazy and diligent, and even timely and untimely. With each decision comes a number of possible outcomes, some good and some bad. It is possible to make a wrong or bad decision and have a good outcome. It is also possible to make a good or right decision and have a bad outcome. So what is the point? What good are all of the decisions?

As a believer, a redeemed child of God, I have learned that the decisions we face serve four primary purposes. First, so that we learn the truth contained in the paragraph above. Second, so that we learn that the consequences of every decision we make belong to us individually. My decisions may affect others, but I am responsible for them. Third, that we learn that God is totally aware of the decisions we make and the consequences of those decisions before they are even made…and that He loves us (me) regardless. Fourth, that we learn to make better future decisions through the process of living out the consequences of past and current ones. Let me unpack this a little.

The first lesson is easy, but if you don’t get it, read the first paragraph over and over until you do. The second lesson is a little harder. Our tendency is to take credit for decisions with good outcomes. We don’t always brag about them outwardly, but inwardly we pat ourselves on the back. We deserve to get some of the credit, but the real reward for making decisions that end up with good outcomes is more than just a pat on the back. On the other hand, we tend to look for someone or something to blame for the decisions we make that end up with bad outcomes. Blaming someone else or something else may make us feel better at the time but it keeps us from a special reward that is hidden in the process. That reward is the discovery that no one can “make” us do anything, we always have a choice to make in every matter.

Whether we realize it or not, our God is sovereign. So nothing we do catches him by surprise. He is always guiding us to make decisions with His truth and “His-self” in the forefront. As His children He is always with us regardless of situation, consequence or circumstance. If He loved us (me) enough to send Christ while we were still sinners so that we could become His children, then He will always love us (me) as we walk through life as His child…regardless of the outcomes of our decisions. God’s focus is not to get our lives right but rather to get our relationship with Him right. Life is not about never making a bad decision. It is about knowing that God is with me no matter what the circumstances or outcomes may be. And He always loves being with me!

Finally, since God loves us and enjoys being with us, He also wants to see us full of His joy. As a father He wants to give us good gifts, and He loves it when we get excited about those gifts. When I plan and prepare a special gift for my child, I really love it when they are excited to open and experience that gift. Father is the same way. When we make decisions with His truth and “His-self” in the forefront, it is like unwrapping a gift that He has specially prepared. But listen carefully: the consequence or outcome is not the gift. The gift is the smile we see on His face. He has made a way for us that is good and He revels in us when we walk in that way. And when we don’t, He is lovingly redirecting us to that path. God’s love doesn’t wane when we make a bad decision, but His heart does occasionally break. Yet even with a broken heart, He walks with us through the consequences of that bad decision. The lesson to learn from both our good and bad decisions is that it is the process that matters most. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, New International Version)

By learning from the consequences of our past and current decisions we can learn that our focus should be more on the process of making that decision than on whether the decision is right or wrong. If we purpose to make all of our decisions with His truth and “His-self” in the forefront, we will have found the hidden gift in the decisions we face.

The Foundation of a Spiritual Coach’s Heart

Men’s ministry is one of the latest expanded efforts of pregnancy resource centers across the nation. PRC websites highlight ministry to their clients’ boyfriends, husbands, and the fathers of their babies. There are even national fatherhood initiatives that have sprung up to encourage men, and many PRCs are now incorporating those resources into their ministry efforts as well. One large ministry even offered grants for funding part-time staff to PRCs that initiate their endorsed men’s program. As a man who has been involved intimately with PRCs for 20 years, I say great, wonderful, halleluiah! But in order for men’s ministry in the PRC environment to be truly effective, a new foundation will have to be established in the hearts of the men who will shape it and lead it.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, there have been an estimated 50 million abortions performed in this country. I realize that many of those abortions were performed on women who had past abortions. Statistics indicate, however, that the number of individual women who have experienced abortion in the U.S. is approximately 40 million. Additionally, recent statistics predict that by the end of 2010, 40% of the women of childbearing age in the U.S. will have had at least one abortion. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that one in three women who attend church regularly have had at least one abortion. These numbers are sobering, but they leave out something I feel is absolutely essential to formulating an understanding and effective effort to reduce and potentially eliminate abortion.

If 40 million women have experienced abortion, isn’t it pretty safe to assume that there are a similar number of men who have been involved in abortions as well? If so, there are 40 million men walking around out there who have been complicit in the more than 50 million abortions that have taken place since 1973. The question for you might be, does abortion affect these men? I think that’s the wrong question, though. The right question is, how does abortion affect these men? Abortion certainly affects men differently than woman, but I can assure you that abortion has a profound effect on the life of a man.

When asked, most men don’t remember the dates associated with an abortion, nor do they generally associate a past abortion with the birth of another child, as many women do. So how does a past abortion affect a man? For many, it looks like one of the following struggles, or a combination of them: broken relationships, lack of trust, untrustworthiness, anger issues, depression, substance abuse, intimacy issues, overprotective parenting, heavy-handed discipline, pornography, infidelity, physical ailments and other health issues as well. Now I’m not suggesting that anyone experiencing these struggles has had a past abortion. I am suggesting, however, that when a man who has experienced abortion also has a life marked by one or more of these struggles, they may be linked in some way to his abortion experience.

Now little that I have said so far is new. It may be new to you, but all of it has been said before and extensively documented by people much smarter than me. The new concept that I would like to challenge us to think about is this: it really isn’t just about abortion. I will be the first to proclaim that abortion is wrong, a travesty, evil, violent, etc. Yet I am coming to an understanding that there is something more…something deeper that is wrong in men’s lives that results in their involvement in abortion.

Two concepts in God’s written word come immediately to mind as I think and pray about what we may be missing when abortion is our only focus. The first is the concept of sexual immorality, which unfortunately doesn’t have a clear definition in today’s society. Nonetheless, there are acceptable boundaries that God has defined for our sexual behavior. We are told that sexual immorality is the only sin we commit against our own body. So when we are involved in sexual immorality, our bodies will be impacted—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. God’s boundaries need to be rediscovered and proclaimed through our lives as truly a better way of living than what the world is offering.

Rampant sexual immorality is one of the deeper issues that must be addressed. I don’t want to suggest that every client we see is engaged in sexual immorality, but the vast majority of them are. So whether it is politically correct to say or not, the overwhelming majority of abortions occur because of sexually immoral activity. It should also be noted that there are many who are involved in immoral sexual behavior that do not end up pregnant as a result. Just because they don’t have to face the abortion decision doesn’t mean they face no consequences for their actions. Many suffer from the struggles I mentioned earlier.

At the end of the Old Testament we are told that God is going to send a spirit into the world that will return and reconnect the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers. Attached to this promise is a warning that if we do not heed the spirit He sends, there will be a curse fostered on the land. Now I’m not really sure where we are in this timeline, but I am here to tell you that the hearts of fathers need to be turned toward their children today. What’s that, you say? My heart is toward my children? Great, wonderful, keep up the good work, don’t quit! But you are in the minority.

Somewhere between 30% and 50% of all births today are to single moms, unwed mothers. Half of all marriages end in divorce. In the suburbs, fathers are consumed with their careers and their stuff. In the inner city, violence and prison claim the majority of men’s lives. Kids who have a dad at home who is attentive and involved are the exception, not the norm. But even if a dad is available and involved, is his heart really “for” or “toward” his children? It’s a great question. I thought my heart was for my children; I would have said I was one of those dads. Perception is not always reality.

I recently finished reading Loving Your Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk. It was a great read and a revelation for me. Silk’s premise is the essential heart connection between parent and child—how to build it, mature it, repair it, and keep it. He has helped me recognize that the way I parent my children is a direct reflection of my concept of how Father parents me. Well, as I have learned more about the way Father parents me, I have seen how ungodly my well-intentioned approach to parenting my children has been. Abba, please forgive me. Anyway, I’ve been working on the heart connection I have with my kids and making it the priority of our relationship. What I think is happening is that I am actually turning my heart toward my children.

My conclusion is that we need to settle the ambiguous issue of sexual immorality and learn what it means to be fathers with hearts turned toward our children. Once those issues are galvanized in our own souls, we will need to help others come to the same realizations. Over the next weeks and months I will be sharing a way for each of us to engage others in the process. So if your heart has been stirred and you recognize the validity and value of what I have shared, send me your thoughts and comments as we walk this journey together.

Freedom from the consequences of sexual immorality and abortion:

My heart is to minister God’s love, forgiveness, and restoration into the Church. Today, over 25% of women and men in “evangelical” and “fundamental” churches have had at least 1 abortion experience in their life. Beyond that, over 70% of the women and men in those same churches have a history of sexual immorality; many still in bondage to it or affected by it today. Some of the ills of the church today; the breakdown of the family, the mass departure of our young people, and the sexual immorality among our teens, can be directly and indirectly attributed to our past sexual immorality. Only God’s love, forgiveness and restoration can change that.

I have prepared a message series that brings our brother’s and sister’s face to face with a loving God who desires to see them truly walk in the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Through my own testimony I share the power of redemption over past sexual immorality and how God uses our redeemed past to become the pathway to our purpose as ministers of the Gospel.

The introductory message is a 30-40 minute presentation that focuses on the good news God offers to those who have experienced sexual immorality and abortion. I touch on the consequences and how those consequences affect people’s lives; especially how they affect the life of a Christian. The purpose of this introductory message is not to point fingers or identify those who have experienced sexual immorality or abortion. The purpose of this message is to equip people in the church to bring the reality of God’s love, forgiveness and restoration to those in their lives who are struggling with the aftermath of sexual immorality and abortion.

Over the next few days I will be sharing more of this with you. Your input and prayers are always welcome.

Coach

The value of those we coach

As we build relationships that will impact the Kingdom of God, it is important to move from a name into recognition of value. After all, the value of each individual is a primary motivation for our coaching. God really does have a plan for every individual. Everyone has been created to complete the “works” God has appointed them for. We often hear these ideas and many of us have said them to others. But, the labor of the coach is to help someone discover what that plan is and to engage in the works by faith. If we are not motivated by love (regarding the other person above ourselves) then our coaching will fall short. A good coach is willing to encourage any player, but cannot coach every player. You are responsible to coach the players appointed to your team. The first step in discovering who is on your team is to ask God to give you a deep heart ache for the ones he sends your way. When your concern for the success of someone else surpasses the concern for your own success, you may have discovered someone to pour your life into. Look closely at those around you and listen to your heart. Try it and watch what happens.

Your name is important

If you are anything like me, you have a hard time remembering names. I like to say that I can remember faces but names are a bigger challenge. The truth is I have a hard time with faces too. I was recently impressed by a pastor that remembered the names of each of my children (6) as well as my wife as we prayed together after an hour long meeting. Well, God knows that some of us have better memories than others and I believe that he offers grace to those of us with shorter memories than others, but what we fail to see is the importance of a person’s name. God spoke specifically to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Peter and Paul and did so by calling them “by name.” When Jesus spoke to his disciples he called them by their names. Names are important for us to remember because a person’s name is important to God. As we initiate and build godly relationships with those God has placed in our lives, we need to recognize that one of the first steps is acknowledging them by name. It is impossible to build a godly relationship without remembering a person’s name. Try it and watch what happens

Yielding Your Life

19 years ago I was faced with a dilemma, a crisis of faith. I had been walking with the Lord for 6 years, studying, listening, learning and praying. I thought I was leading a victorious life for Jesus. Life circumstances changed and I found myself laying in a hospital bed near death for the first time in my life. As I took stock of my life I became profoundly aware of something that shocked me. God showed me that although I was his child and had been doing the things Christians do, I was in fact trying to “do my own thing’ and asking God to bless it rather than seeking that which He had planned for me to do. I thought that by experiencing worldly success I would then be able to afford to venture into Kingdom endeavors. Like many others, I spent most of my prayer time asking God to bless what I was doing so that I could reap the benefits. As my heart tenderized to the truth, I began to yield my life to the point that I uttered these words for the first of many times “I will go wherever you tell me and do whatever you tell me to do, I belong to you.” My life and my walk with Jesus changed forever that day. Set your plans and expectations aside…yield your life today. Try it and watch what happens.

Check our own hearts God.

Two weeks have passed since the historic election of the first African American to the office of President of the United States of America. As a kid who remembers forced integration and curfews during the infamous Detroit riots, I have to admit that I didn’t think I would witness this in my lifetime. Personally, a part of me is proud of my country. I hope that an African American President can bring healing to the American soul…a soul that still suffers from our past sins...a soul that needs to step away from the rhetoric that inflames black and white bigotry and racism. God please heal us.

As I have thought about the issue of slavery over the last week, I can’t help drawing a parallel between that great human tragedy in our nation’s history and the great human tragedy of abortion today. Sure, you’ve heard that before but the slant I want to look at today is something I haven’t heard before. Slavery is based in a concept that elevates a group of people and their philosophies above another group or groups of people to the extent that the superior group imposes its will on the subordinate group(s). To the extreme, the philosophy of superiority takes command over the lives of the subordinate group, even to the point of death.

Today, the “group” of people who believe their philosophies to be superior are those who contend that it is the right of a woman to decide whether she will terminate the life of her unborn child without regard for the right of the unborn child to live. Additionally, even the right of the father must be subordinate to the philosophy of this superior group. So, two groups of people, fathers and unborn children, are now subject to the imposed philosophies of the superior group. In other words, the unborn child is in effect the slave of the mother and subject to her will, even to the point of death.

In the past, the slave owner had ultimate control over the life and the death of his property. If that property was an inconvenience or posed and economic burden to the slave owner, he was free to get rid of his property or even have it put to death. Haven’t we learned that no one person or one group of people have the right to impose their will unto death over any other group of people. And haven’t we learned that a primary purpose of government is to make sure it never happens? If what I have just touched on is true, then aborting children with the governments blessing is morally equivalent to slave owners imposing their will on another group of people (slaves) with the government’s blessing.

How can this country ever be healed of the ravages of slavery when we continue to operate with the same heart today? Only a great move of God in the lives of his children will bring about the healing the soul of this nation needs. We must give up our selfish superiority and the thought that our philosophy can be imposed on anyone. Only a willing participant can set themselves aside and regard all others as greater than himself.

How can we change the country's direction?

We have recently experienced our national presidential election. In preparation, thousands gathered to pray for our country and for a spirit of repentance for this nation. For a number of years, we as Christians have been crying out to God to change the course that the US is on…to reverse the deterioration of the family, the increasing ungodliness and violence, the corruption in politics, the ongoing killing of the unborn. Yet these things continue in spite of our prayers. It seems as if God isn’t hearing us. Could it be that we are the problem, that we are what needs to change? It’s hard for me to understand how we can pray for the repentance of a nation or the ungodly at all. It seems a bit arrogant that we think God will make wholesale changes in a heathen society when they have no power to change; all the while allowing those who have the power to change to remain unchanged. At the times in my life that I have been overwhelmed with the Spirit of repentance, I can assure you that I couldn’t see any of the faults or shortcomings (sins) of those around me. All I could see was my desperate need to turn from my own sin and be swept up in God’s forgiveness. My own tears kept me from seeing anyone else. I can’t help thinking that one reason we find ourselves at this place in history is because God’s own children have blamed the ungodly for our circumstances; circumstances born from the compromises Christians started making generations ago. Godly repentance needs to overwhelm us, the children of God, before we can expect any significant change in the society around us. Try it and watch what happens.

Giving from our lack not our abundance

There is an interesting principle in God’s Kingdom that is 180 degrees from the way the world works. Have you noticed that whenever we are lacking something; finances, resources, energy, encouragement, friends, confidence, etc., our primary objective is to “get” whatever it is that we lack. Self help books by the millions are sold for this very reason. The world says if you are in need then get out there and get what you need. As Christians we do the same thing but we try to “holy it up” a bit by talking about our need in prayer meetings and occasionally even praying about it. We even try to sanctify our approach by using nice ‘Christian’ terminology and language. But underneath it all we are really living a “woe is me” life; the need is our obsession and we remain obsessed until the need is met. Our focus is primarily, if not entirely, on ourselves. As we turn our attention away from ourselves and trust God to be true to his word, we can then focus on others…others who are in the same desperate needy state that we are experiencing. As we give to them from the very need we are experiencing, we experience God working 2 miracles; he supplies their need through you and he supplies your need through giving from your poverty rather than your abundance. The greatest gift you can give is one given from your need. Try it and watch what happens.

Why should we be Spiritual Life Coaches?

Today we see ourselves as contributors to the success of our family, our business and our church community. We measure our worth by the demand that is placed on our abilities and capabilities. If people are asking for our help or asking us to contribute our talent, we have a sense of value and it causes us to feel that we are exceptional human beings. After all, God did give us our abilities and our gifting and he does want us to use them, doesn’t he? The gifting and talents that God has given to us were never intended to puff us up. Those abilities and capabilities were invested into us so that we can use them to build others up, not ourselves. Like transferring funds from one account to another, God’s intention is for us to transfer the deposits of him in our lives to the empty and overdrawn life accounts of those around us. Our satisfaction comes from watching that transaction take place, not in the part we have played in it. As a leader, make an account transfer today. Move some of the gifting and talent deposited into your life into the life of someone that God has placed around you for just that purpose. Try it and watch what happens.

My Election Dilemma

I celebrated my 55th birthday last week and I have voted in every election since 1972. This year’s presidential election has been the most difficult for me to cast my vote that I can recall. I put off completing my absentee ballot until last Monday but it is now on the way to our county clerk. So I have already done what many of you won't do until next Tuesday.

As I considered the four individuals that make up the Republican and Democrat tickets, I am amazed at these next few facts. Two of them clearly lack the experience necessary to serve as President, two of them are vehemently pro-abortion, one of them has called the “religious right” the problem in America today, one of them claims to be a devoted Christian but has a long time involvement with a minister who speaks remarkably like a bigot and racist, one of them has authored and supported some of the most liberal legislation ever written, and one of them is a mom with 5 children (the youngest a Down's Syndrome special-needs child and the oldest daughter a teen walking through an unmarried unplanned pregnancy). This short list of concerns has made my voting decision significantly harder than in the past.

I realize that if I haven't already stepped on your toes, I probably will somewhere in the rest of this blog. Some of you are probably thinking of the exceptions and excuses you may have for overlooking part of or all of my list of concerns. That’s really quite all right, go ahead and formulate your arguments; I’ve already cast my vote.

One of the most disturbing concerns for me to deal with is something that many of you may have not considered. I realize that Sarah Palin is the toast of the conservative Christian element within the Republican Party. I have found her to be a breath of fresh air in the whole “good ole boy” political arena. I am elated over the fact that she is staunchly pro-life and her own life reflects it. I am thankful to God that her daughter is bringing a new life into the world in a day when nearly 40% of pregnant women choose to abort their children. But there is something bigger here for me to contend with.

It seems to me there is a concerted effort by campaign officials to manipulate me as a voter. As a pro-life, pro-family, conservative, Christian voter, I recognize the power our voting block actually commands. Realistically, without our vote, no Republican candidate for President can hope to be elected. I'm sure that the campaign officials I referred to know this very well; they searched the country high (and maybe low) for a candidate that would draw us into their camp. Their plan seems to have worked. But think about this: what do we (the pro-life, pro-family, conservative, Christian voter) get if their plan succeeds? We get a "politically moderate," big spending president who doesn't have a whole lot of use for us except to get elected. Some of my friends have and some of you will say, "Well, at least we don't get the other guy." That may be true but frankly, I'm tired of casting my vote against the "other guy." I have been voting against the other guy since Ronald Reagan.

Looking at both tickets I couldn't help asking myself, have these four candidates proven themselves to be the best and brightest of the leaders our country has to offer? Or have the offices of President and Vice President become more “public relations” and “popularity” driven than substantive? Does the President really have much legislative impact and influence any more or has it all come down to judicial appointments and foreign-policy decisions. If so, then who the President and Vice President are may have little effect on how government impacts the American people.

For the last four elections I have attempted to vote my values. As Christians we have been encouraged to do so for a number of years now. We have been told that if we are pro-(biblical)family, pro-life, pro-smaller government and pro-reduced governmental spending, we should support the candidates who reflect those values. Unfortunately, neither ticket seems to be pro-smaller government and pro-lower government spending. One ticket is certainly pro-life and it also claims to be pro-family...but is it?

I happen to subscribe to a theological view that calls men to be the protectors and defenders of families. I recognize that men and women are equal in value but unique in responsibility and calling. The founding fathers of this country saw their responsibility as men to defend and protect their families, their land and this great republic. Those noble and honorable men would never have put a woman in harms way to protect or save themselves from danger. But the office of President is a position that is in harms way. The Commander and Chief is a military role that is assumed by the President. Apart from the qualification issue, where are today's noble and honorable men who are appalled that we would intentionally put a woman in harm's way? Are they afraid that the opposition will call them chauvinists or "femaphobic"? Or are we so fearful that we will be considered politically incorrect that we simply go with the flow and keep our mouths shut?

This is really politically incorrect for me to say but I'm going to say it anyway. I realize we have many fine women serving in the military and police agencies of this country. They are probably all qualified by today’s standards, but should we really have gone down that road in the first place? In a society that is overflowing with the destruction of families, where children are disposable and regularly disposed of, where two incomes are deemed essential for material survival, where women have bought into the lie that they can “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan” and where we believe we are entitled to the best life the world has to offer, can we afford to be without women who have an unwavering heart for the home and their children? Motherhood and being a “keeper at home” are two of the noblest and most honorable functions within any society. Women who sacrifice dearly to fulfill that calling are walking examples of what it means to be Pro-Family as far as I am concerned. In my humble opinion, Sarah Palin’s greatest calling as a Christian and a woman is to be at home with her family; it’s obvious to me that she is needed there.

In Malachi 4:5-6, God warns fathers about turning their hearts to their children. That is absolutely necessary today. By doing so, we may enable mothers to truly turn their hearts back to their children as well.

As for me and my vote, I'm ready to start casting it for someone rather than against someone. I'm ready to use the power of the "pro-life, pro-family, conservative, Christian" voting block to send a clear message to the political parties to nominate individuals who line up with all of our values or risk losing my vote. And if they refuse, I'm willing to use my vote to send a message that I will vote for what is right and good even if it means the "other guy" wins. If we don't stand for something, we will find that we have stood for nothing.