Forecast....Rain

Sixteen weeks of training.

Dozens of bottles of water and Gatorade.

Two pairs of running shoes.

Two sets of earphones.

All the running gear I could find.

Over 2 hrs of music on my iPod.

35 lb weight loss.

Literally hundreds of hours of running.


And now just days before the race..........
The Sunday forecast for my first half marathon................COLD AND RAINY!!!!!!!

I have worked tirelessly to prepare for every aspect of this race: the boredom, the pain, the mental struggles, even the hills but not the rain. Never in a million years was I anticipating that this new adventure of mine would be the end to a drought.

Prayer after prayer. Community prayers. Church prayers. Farmers brought to tears on tractors prayers. And it's not till I decide to get up at 4 am and go run 13.1 miles on a Sunday in May, that there is rain in the forecast.

So now what?.....All this preparation and now the unexpected. And then as I was working on the Day 4 devotional of our 40 Days with Jesus (insert shameless website plug here - http://www.wilbargerchurch.com/#/40-day-studies/40-days-with-jesus) I was reminded that God is in control of all this. I don't have to worry about the results and outcomes (this is where I talk about race stuff as a metaphor for life...you make the application).

I can almost hear Him reminding me,"I have set the pace in keeping with your needs and MY plans." I've done my part. I trained hard and I have to trust that God will take care of the rest. He is the ONE who blessed me with the ability to run and train and enjoy life. He is the ONE who has been with me during each struggle and pain. He is the ONE that hears and cares and answers my prayers. He is the ONE that sets my pace in keeping with my needs and HIS purposes!

So here I am. Staring rain in the face and trusting that the the ONE who makes the rain, will guide me through it.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Prov. 16:9

God you know the plans of my heart. Today, I trust the You and You alone will determine my steps!

Be Careful What You Preach

As a minister there are a lot of situations, conversations, and events that would not be appropriate for me to share publicly. So today's post is lacking a good deal of detail but that doesn't change the experience or the lesson learned.

On Sunday I preached on the idea of approaching God in prayer with a child-like spirit. The two main ways we do that are coming to Him messy and helpless. Now almost every lesson I teach is somehow speaking back to me and stepping on my own toes, but Sunday was one that I knew I needed and yet thought I had a pretty good handle on.

That thought last until Wednesday morning when I woke up to some very disturbing news and an all around bad situation. To put it as clearly as I can....I found myself completely overwhelmed, scared, and ill equipped  in a matter of seconds. I had been thrown in the deep end and wasn't certain I knew how to float let alone swim.

But then I remembered my own sermon, the one God put on my heart just 24 hours earlier. "Come to Me helpless." He says. And that's exactly what I did. As I scrambled to evaluate the situation, plan next steps, and the muster up the courage to take those steps, I stopped and began to pray. It wasn't an eliquent prayer. It wasn't worded well or even very formal. It was just a helpless child crying for his Father to come and save him once again.

And praise God! That's exactly what He did! In the midst of a terrible circumstance, God helped the helpless and began to give hope to the hopeless. Now you have to understand with some details this would be obvious but without them, you'll have to take my word for it. There is NO WAY I could have ever done anything I did yesterday, or played any kind of role in helping, had it not been for the grace and mercy and power of God.

I'm not sure what the future holds for those involved, but I know God is there and He alone is in control. And because of the hope He brings, today is brighter than yesterday.

So be careful what you preach. What you teach. What you ask for. You just might have to live it out. I echoed Jesus and invited others to approach God messy and helpless with a child-like spirit and Monday morning I got the opportunty to realize the power of that approach. Jesus did it on the night He was betrayed in the garden and God gave Him the power to overcome death and sin for all time. I did it yesterday and He gave me the power to help the hurting. What can He do through you with that kind of approach?

"The prayer of the righteous man is POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE."   James 5:16

A Fresh Start

Well I did it! I took a personal day!

I know. I know. "What in the world do you need a personal day for? You only work one day a week."
I've heard it all before but the truth is, being a preacher while not physically taxing, can be a tremendous mental drain. Add to that a house full of girls that never stop asking questions (whether adult in nature or the standard 3 year old why, why, why questions), and I found myself struggling to stay afloat the last month or so.

So I did something I've been preaching on to others for two years now and that's taking a day of rest. A sabbath if you will. And man do I fill good today!
Let me tell you how my Tuesday went.

Woke up helped get Amanda and Ella Grace ready for school, while still finding time to snuggle and watch Mickey Mouse with Lanie. Then I dropped EG off at school and went for a morning run. Now this is big because usually my runs are last on the priority scale of time. They happen when I have finally gotten everything else done for the day or are  crammed in an already too sort lunch break.It was fantastic - cool air, warm sun, quiet of the morning and alone time with God. I trimmed a full minute off my time.

Next I got to do something I hadn't been able to do in probably two years. I cleaned my truck! I know to many this seems dumb but to me it was very therapeutic. A fresh start. A cleansing of sorts. Not to mention I don't have to worry about losing one of my kids in there.

Got EG from school and dropped her at the house for lunch.....now what.....I don't have to go run......no meetings today......having lunch with a friend but not til 1pm.....what now?

Nothing.........absolutely nothing.....I just sat still and listened to the quiet. Then I began to slowly make my way to Bara's to meet my friend, but not being in  a hurry, I found time to stop and chat with a friend at his work. We never see each other outside of church or kid events so it was nice just to spend a minute catching up.

Lunch was nice with a preacher friend of mine from Eastland, but then it happened.

I GOT TO GO PLAY GOLF!!!!

And I wasn't even on vacation or anything.

A few hours of no phone, no questions, no talking, just peace and quiet. Glorious peace and quiet! Oh how I had forgotten how wonderful you are! oh yeah and the golf wasn't terrible either!

I was home by 3 and putting together a basketball goal for the girls. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening outside learning to dribble and shoot, playing on big-wheels, and even getting dirty with dirt and rocks and water and chalk and whatever else we could find.

All in all it was a pretty great day! Now, why am I telling you all this? Because it is amazing what a little down time can do for you. No matter how busy you are or how heavy your burdens, occasionally taking a minute to rest and get a fresh go at it changes everything. Even in my running they tell you to change up the pace with an occasional walk while getting a drink, and sure enough when I do my overall time is faster. Slowly down to speed up and do more - crazy  I know, but it works. I actually got as much or more accomplished yesterday than if I had have worked. Not to mention the carry-over into today. I was in  a better mood, got more done, and spent better quality time with the family this morning than I can't remember when.

All I'm saying is - Take time to refresh and renew. God knew before time began we would need to but often we don't. He did. Jesus often did. Find time for rest. Be still and know that He is God! You'll be amazed at all the positive affects it will have not just on your day, but on the days ahead...no matter how busy you are.

Think, Eat, Exercise

So I was watching Biggest Loser last night (one of the best shows on TV by the way), and heard something that seemed very profound and yet very simple all at the same time.

As Bob (one of the trainers for those who don't know) was talking to the contestants about the process of changing their lives through what they are doing on the show, he told them:

"It all comes down to thinking, eating, and exercising. In that order."

Not bad advice for  those looking to break the weight loss roller coaster, but pretty good advice for Christians as well. As we strive to draw ever closer to our Lord, often times we struggle to take that next step. We get discouraged or distracted when we have a set back or a challenge bigger than what we think we can overcome. But if we stick to the principle of "think, eat, exercise; in that order", our relationship with Him will continually grow stronger and closer.

Think - to meditate, to spend significant time focused on a thought or idea.
How long do spend meditating on God's word? His plan for your life? The opportunities He has placed in front of you? How much time do you spend in meditative prayer (prayer in which we are not asking for blessings but seeking guidance and understanding of His will)?

Eat - to consume, to nourish, seeking to be filled
What are you doing on a daily, weekly, or hourly basis to be fed? If I'm hungry it's all I seem to be able to think about until I get something to eat. But am I that way when I'm spiritually hungry or do I just put off that hunger until a convenient time? How can we expect to be active and growing if we have no nourishment with which to carry on?

Exercise - work out, keep fit, train, apply, put in effort
You can think and eat all you want but if you don't do something with all that stored energy, it simply turns to excess and feeds are laziness. What are you doing on a regular basis to apply what you think and eat? How are you keeping fit spiritually?

All good questions and hopefully a little self evaluation will be a great motivator for you, but don't miss perhaps the most important part of the whole thing: IN THAT ORDER!

You see God has a very specific plan for us and in order in which we are to prepare for it. If we are not first consulting Him, listening to Him, focusing on His will for our lives the rest is wasted motion. So after we have begun the journey of thinking and dwelling on His plans, only then are we even ready to start eating. We all have the ability to eat anytime we want but it is not until we know we need to eat and what it is we need that we can consume the "bread of life" and "life giving waters". I f we aren't aware of what God is calling us to we are simply eating for the sake of eating or eating out of boredom. Once we know the plan, are filled with His energy giving food supply, then we are called to put it into action. He finally has us as ready as we will ever be and that's when He gives us the opportunity to exercise our faith to the world.

"Think, eat, exercise. In that order." Good advise for someone like me training to run.
Even better advice for someone like me, a christian, training to run God's race; not just to finish but to win a crown.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."      2 Corinthians 9:24-25

Evangelism is Like Spaghetti

Each Wednesday night at church, we offer a free meal. We have six different teams of people that cook in rotation. I head up one team and make spaghetti. It's easy, cheap, and even a dummy like me can make it.

But here's the funny part! Every time I make it, people (yes more than one) make some or all of the following comments.

• "It gets better every time."
• "This was the best yet."
• "What do you put in it? Mine never tastes like that."
• "What recipe do you use?"
• "What's the secret?"

Alright...here it is...my secret is...I DON'T DO ANYTHING!!!

That's right! I don't add a single thing!

Here's how I make it:
Step 1 - brown and drain the ground beef
Step 2 - boil and drain the noodles
Step 3 - add sauce and stir while heating

No added salt, pepper, or seasoning of any kind. No special sauce just Prego out of the jar.
That's it!

So why is it so good. (Their words not mine) Because I don't do anything!

Evangelism (telling God's story in your life) is just like spaghetti. You want the ratio of you to God to be overwhelmingly lopsided with God. When I reach out to people who are hurting or in need; when I share the wonderful gift that is God's grace and mercy and love; I do it more effectively when I don't do anything and God does everything!

Ever wonder why you struggle with reaching out, sharing, or telling your story? Maybe just maybe it's because there is too much YOU in it. I have been blessed a lot in my ministry; from job opportunities to open doors to lives that I have crossed paths with. As I look back I have begun to realize that my best ministry is when I am not trying to improve on a good thing. I just go with the flow.

God's message is perfect! It has been for centuries. It will continue to be for centuries. Why in the world would I think I know how to season it up? I'm not saying I don't use the gifts and talents God has blessed me with, but it has to be just that - what GOD has blessed me with. His plan is PERFECT!

So next time you think you can't say anything or don't know  what to say or do, just remember how I make spaghetti - DON"T DO ANYTHING! Just allow God to use you. God is alive and active in our lives! Be open to what He wants to do through you, and then do it! Be a tool in the hand of the Master Craftsman - clay in the hand of the Potter - the hands and feet of the body of Christ.

"LORD, you are my God;
   I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
   you have done wonderful things,
   things planned long ago."

Isaiah 25:1

Like Teaching Geography To A 3yr Old

One of the best parts of my day is taking Ella Grace to school in the mornings. The routine is usually the same: breakfast, get dressed, brush hair, attach an over-sized bow, watch a little Mickey Mouse, then (on morings like today) begin the bundlign process - see previous blogs, and finally out the door and off to school. That's where you never really know what's going to happen. Some days she all but falls asleep in the four minutes it takes us to get there. Other days she asks, "What's that?" about every single building we pass. Often she'll ask to play my chicken and pig game on my phone - "Angry Birds" for those of you out there that are addicted like I am and apparently Ella Grace is! And still other days you can almost hear the wheels turning in her head as we listen to KLOVE. Usually she waits until she hears a word she knows like "Jesus" or "God" or "love" and then giggles and asks why they are talking about whatever it is.

But today was unique because during the news report something was mentioned about the State dinner last night for the president of China, and Ella G asked, "Why are they talking about China?" Now you have to understand, while I am quite confident I have the smartest most talented three year old ever, even I was shocked that she picked up on that because I'm pretty sure she has no idea what China is. But she asked and I always try to have a good answer for my girls, so here's how the converstaion went.

"They are talking about a man that is from China."
"Where's that?"
"It way on the other side of the world."
"Is it up there?" - pointing down the street by McDonald's
"No. It is really really far away."
"Oh." - again wheels turning - "So it's by the house?"
"No dear, it's a lot farther away than that. It would take a whole day to get there, it's so far."
"Why is it so far?"
We are pulling into the school parking lot at this point - "Because that's where God put it."
"Oh. Okay. It's reaaly cold outside today."

It was right then that I realized I didn't have the words to express to her and she didn't have the knowledge to understand a reasonable explaination about China. But when I told her that was where God put it, she was completely understanding and accepting of it.

As a minister I often find myself feeling overwhelmed with the message I try to share with the world. I get frustrated that I don't posess the skills and vocabulary I would like in order to explain to others exactly how much God loves them and what He has done for them and how important it is that they give a relationship with Him a chance.

And then I get discouraged that even if I get my part out, sometimes they don't really have enough knowledge to understand anything I am sharing. It's kinda like teaching geography to a three year old.

As I came to the conclusion that God was the only answer Ella G would really get......it hit me.....God is the only answer anybody ever really gets! If I want to share my story with the world. If I am going to share His story with the world, then it has to be: God put it there.

I mean it has to be God's words, God's actions, God's love flowing through the Holy Spirit out of me to the world around me. People often don't get words but no one has ever missed kindness, compassion, mercy, grace or forgiveness.

I hope you'll begin to tell His story through the love you show one another, because loving others is a whole lot simpler that describing where China is!

"By this all men will know you are my disciples if you love one another." John 13:35

The Monster Within

As most of you know by now, I have been training to run a half marathon in May. It has been a great topic of conversation around church and so many people have been asking about my progress, my training schedule, and even about the head injury that caused me to come up with such a crazy idea (I mean what else would possess a person). For the most part I would say that everyone is quite supportive......

Except for this one particular lady who we will simply call Mrs. M. Now you have to understand a little background on Mrs. M before you can fully grasp the situation. She is the type of lady who is always helping others. She is extremely servant-minded and selfless. Often times she can be found doing extra little things for others that really brighten their day and lift their spirits. She visits nursing homes, reads to children at the elementary school, she even shows up periodically to the office here with Sonic drinks for everyone. Some might even say that she would make a great elders wife. Quite frankly I didn't know she had a negative bone in her body.

But that all came crashing down on Wednesday of last week. I know what your thinking: "Dave, why are you just now telling us about it?" To be honest with you, it has taken me this long to get over the shock of it all and finally be in a place where I could talk about it.

I thought that of all the people from church that would be supportive of me, Mrs. M would be at the top of the list. Apparently, somewhere inside all of us, lurks a monster waiting to come out. So for a better understanding of how the rest of the events unfolded, I will tell the story from what I can only assume was playing out ion Mrs. M's mind.

While driving down Pease Street (a local residential street)......."Hey, look at that! There's Dave out jogging. Maybe I should pull alongside him and offer some encouraging words. Maybe just a simple little honk or wave as I drive by. Or maybe..." and what happened next can only be described as completely and utterly shocking....(rolling her window down as she got closer)...."Hey, Fatty! You better run!" (followed by what I'm sure was tremendous cackling and howling and even some tears of joy as she sped off into the distance.

Now fastforward to later that night at church. As I'm walking accross the family room to go visit with some friends, who but Mrs. M calls me over to her table. As I approach she has this devilish grin on her face, obviously proud of her earlier display of harassment. "How was your run today?" she asked." And I swera to you the look on her face at this very moment is one I will not forget for the rest of my life. "Oh, I haven't run yet today. Today is my cross training day in the gym. I'll do it after class tonight."

Yes ladies and gentleman.........Mrs M, that sweet, kind, compassionate, insult yelling driver......screamed "Hey Fatty! You better run!" at a complete stranger!

It has taken me almost six days to be able to write this without falling out of my chair laughing!

As funny as it is, the preacher in me still sees a lesson to be learned. And that lesson is: Don't scream at people running down the street unless you're sure you know who they are!

I hope and pray everyone had a great holiday weekend. I just wanted to share a little something that might make you smile today. Even in her moment of embarassment, Mrs M is making others day brighter.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24