China Challenge

In a few short weeks, Sue and I will be traveling to China to spend time with my brother and his family. We've never been to another country so this will be both exciting and weird! Looking forward to eating some 'interesting' foods they have planned for me.
While visiting with them at my parents home this month, I had the privilege of 'meeting' (through Skype) a group of kids that my brother and his family have connected with. It's not just that the kids are cute and incredible that caught my attention.

They are being raised by a man who I will call 'Jim'. Jim is 51, never been married and never been a dad. He is an American living and working in China. Did I mention that he is raising these kids - all 9 of them? They range in age from 2 to 13 years old. He is simply amazing.

These are kids that are literally left on the street, simply because they aren't born perfect. The slightest defect can cause the birth parents to reject the child and they end up on the street if not in a government run orphanage. When a foreigner takes responsibility for a child they won't step in and stop them. It literally is one less mouth to feed for them.

So here's 'Jim' being Christ to these young kids. As I write this he is in the states gathering what he can to take home to his kids. And this is where the challenge comes in for anyone reading this.

Sue and I want to take a suitcase full of clothes with us and give it 'Jim' as a gift from his partners in Christ in Pocatello, ID. I am going to have a suitcase here at the church from now until the first week of March. In it will be the gender and age of each of the kids, and possibly some additional info on likes and dislikes. We'll treat this just like Angel Tree, where you come in and grab a 'tag' and then go get that for the child. Nothing expensive. Very basic.

And if we get so much that we have to take 2 suitcases - well okay!

Pray about what you can or should do. DO NOT GIVE ANYTHING TO THIS if you are not hearing God say to do so. I can support obedience all day long - disobedience gets to be a little harder to support!

I'll keep you posted on how it's going throughout the process and, once we return, share some pictures of these incredible kids and their amazing dad.

See ya in church...

We've Made it Too Hard!!!!

I've had some great time with my family these past few weeks, even in the passing of my dad. We, my brothers and I, have had some good quality time and some good fun time with family and friends back in West Virginia.

We've also had some good, frank conversations about church and the impact it should be having on people.

My youngest brother made an interesting comment about church and Christianity. He lives in China and gets to see a different perspective - one that I will say was a very refreshing one. "We've made Christianity too complex here. It really is a simple, basic decision and commitment. But the church has made it way too hard."

I can't get that out of my head. "We've made it way too hard." We 'fight' over things that have NO Kingdom impact; we argue over who 'gets' to lead what; we complain when the church teaches about basic Biblical truths such as serving and tithing - the list could go on and on.

What happened to us? Where did we get so far off track that we are more concerned about what WE want and what WE think we need more than we care about the lost, the lonely, the poor, the orphaned and the widowed?

I want to be part of a church that teaches people how to be committed, serving followers of Christ everyday. I want to be part of a church that isn't afraid to teach from God's Word - no matter who it offends. I would much rather offend man than I would God. But somehow 'the church' in America is consumed with pleasing people over pleasing God. To that I have to ask - who does the church really worship?

My hope for this year is that we'll stop making it about US and start living like it really is about Him! Let's not get caught up in stupid arguments over things that don't have a Kingdom impact. Let's get on board with those things we KNOW that GOD has called us to do and get after them. The sooner we do the more people will be in heaven with us.

See ya in church...

Heart Leadership

In an age when leadership is a commodity aggressively sought after, it has also become a lost art in the church.

We look for certain 'types' of people to lead and have a list of traits that we hope to find in people we consider to be leader material. And it's not that different from church to church, or group to group.

But I fear we've allowed too much of the worlds view of leadership to impact the culture of the church. This coming from a guy who lived in the corporate world for many, many years! Whether we're in the church or the world, as Christians we have to begin where it all began - with Him.

True leadership in the church has to begin with the heart of the leader. Where is it grounded? What does it desire? Who does it follow and who influences it? What difference does the heart of the leader make on the outside, and is it good?

We've gotten so caught up in the need for leaders in the church that we've forgotten that our leaders have to be followers first - Christ followers. And they need to be committed to the cause of Christ in everything they do. That includes the home, the office, the golf course, or wherever they spend time. It cannot be about skill or ability above the heart of the person.

We desperately need leaders who are grounded in Christ, who lead from a place of high integrity, who have this priority list - God, family, church, others - and who are not afraid to make a stand for the right things of God. That includes leading in the workplace with the same intensity and focus.

Leaders, I am calling you out. Will you live your lives in such a way that wherever you go, you impact the world for the Kingdom of God? Will your actions speak volumes about your commitment to the King? Will you risk your reputation, your success, your 'fame' for the good of Christ? My prayer is that your answer will be and emphatic YES!

Praying for you and with you...

What will your life say?

Yesterday was a great day of celebration of a man I got to call DAD.

His quiet, confident, unshakable faith and leadership impacted many, many lives around the country. Everywhere we went he had an impact on someones life for the Kingdom of God. His faith was lived out in what he did, thought and said. As was said yesterday, when you met Dean you knew exactly who he was following in his life.

As I listened to all these people share about dad, I couldn't help but think about the legacy that I will leave. I will never be the man that dad was - and he wouldn't want me to be. I have to be who God created me to be, but he left us a GREAT example of how to live for Jesus in all that we do.

His priorities were very evident - God, family, church, the rest of life. Period. Nothing EVER shook this order. I need to work on these better, and plan to from now on.

What about the rest of you? Where does your walk with Christ play out in your priorities? Do you just make time for Him on Sunday, or do others know by your faith?

I want to challenge all of you who read this to become passionate, committed followers of Christ. Let NOTHING stand in your way as you pursue Him, follow Him and lead others to Him.

Along the journey, take time to appreciate the family you have been given. Whether a single parent or a house full, celebrate the fact that you have them. Families that follow Christ are an incredible gift from God!

When it's your time to go, my prayer is this: live life in such a way that at your funeral the preacher won't have to lie!

Blessings...

Dad Is With Jesus!

Saturday may have been the worst day of my life to date. Around 10:30 in the morning I got the call from my mom that dad had been outside, on the farm, shoveling snow. She heard him come in, turned around and watched him hit his head on a table just inside the door. She went to roll him over and help him, but it appeared that he had already gone. She worked on him until the paramedics arrived and they continued for close to another hour. He was gone.

I was utterly lost. My dad - the best dad that God ever created - was gone. My mom is alone after more than 50 years of marriage. (We just celebrated their 50th in West Virgina in August of last year.)

Later, she asked the right question - now what?

I told her that she needed to do nothing now except grieve the loss and celebrate the life. Don't try to plan anything just yet. For now, simply grieve.

Dad reminded us all the time that tomorrow isn't promised to us. Scripture is very clear about it. We are to live for today. That's how dad lived. One day at a time. And every day he lived it for God, family, the church, and then others.

As we head back to the farm (my wife and I are on our way Monday)I'm recounting as much of my dad's life as I can recall. It's not easy. There is a TON of stuff.

But what I keep coming back to is something that Aaron said this morning as he shared the news with the church family - legacy. Dad left an incredible legacy, not only in us boys and his grandchildren, but in the churches he served in, the company he worked for and the communities in which he and mom lived. I've never met anyone else in my life that has had this kind of life-changing impact than dad.

So let me challenge you today - look at the legacy you're leaving. Does it point people to God or someone else? Will your legacy continue on well after you've gone? Or will someone pick up the mantle and carry it to the next generation? I can't get this line out of my head for a song lyric - "What will they say about me when I'm gone?"

We will continue to be the men that dad raised us to be. We will love our families as he did his and look after the church to which God has called us to be a part of. That's what dad would want, because that's what God desires from each of us.

Dad can stand before our Father and hear, with loud and confident voice, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

I Love you, Dad!