Blog My Sojourn Live

Family vacation starts right now—it really is going to be a blast.  Everyone is going—Marcie, Alex and Cooper + me of course.  I am hoping for lots of sun, lots of water, lots of fun, and lots and lots of down time.

In case you don’t know me well—the truth is this—I am very high strung—intense some call it—nevertheless—I am always cookin—especially cookin with ministry stuff—it seems to always be running through my head and heart—I can’t stop.

I think about students, I think about truth, I think about Spiritual things, I think about how to get people from point A to B to C—I think constantly about how to make the Next Gen thing better—better at reaching students, better at building students, better and equipping students, better at any and everything—I never stop.   Bottom line—its time to stop for a while.

I am seeing God breaking through—it has been a long year for me as the leader of Next Gen.  Some of the stuff is due to absolute weirdness.  Some is due to people’s views, some is due to the bottom of line of lack of understanding of Student ministry and some is due to peoples lack of trust in leadership—some just because this day and age is producing skeptics of the value of the local church.

It really is time to move on.  I would like it all to makes sense to those that sit on the sidelines and complain.  I would like it all to be believable—I would like people to be on board completely—I would like every night we all in the Next Gen do something to be great—but—I know that is far fetched to a degree--- so this vacation—

I’m going to relax.  Leave the ministry in the hands of God, the hands of the staff and enjoy my family, fun and the sun. (and Son)

This ministry is His thing—I’m called to lead it—not be it.  I’m here to build it not be it—I’m here to model it not be it—it’s time for me to move forward period.  I am seeing God breaking through as we develop the Unseen series on Sunday nights.  Uprising is seeing so many new faces of students that want to engage—and for that I am really excited.  I have seen much sad dysfunction in families and in students—the sad stuff of playing the game, trying to keep students safe—lots of false views, lots of really not good for the future of students kind of things—How would I know?   I have only been around it all my life.  I have only lived it.  I have only seen first hand the destruction, I have only tried to help—yes this year has been great and tough—and much for me to overcome—it would be one thing if it were about me—I will have to let it take its toll on those that need God to jump in or just need to stop and hear His knocking on their hearts—I will be there when people come to the bottom and want a great ministry to touch their lives.

Oh yea—vacation is here—and I’m checkin out—bring a good book—we are even bringing NHL scrabble for night time fun. 

Bye bye

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Some important questions—and some plain ole thinking out loud.

If Jesus is really a friend of sinners—then when He is with a sinner, what would He say?

“I love you—keep up the good work.”

“I love you—but maybe there are some things you are doing that don’t add up?”

"I love you-- but I gotta tell you, something isn't right with us."

"I love you-- that was a great lie, and the way you get around your continued kind of playing this game-- well, that's o.k. too."

"I love you-- but if you keep doing the stuff you are doing-- well, I guess that's cool with me."

I mean really?  I know He is a friend of sinners—He’s my friend, I am a sinner… I get that—but when does the effort to stop the sin—obviously the sinner knows what the sin thing is—not just the inherited sin—but the whole—I don’t need you sin—when does Jesus address this?

I have heard it said about me that I’m pretty harsh.  Maybe that is true—and then, maybe not.  How would you be if you knew—without question that what somebody was doing was wrong and actually harming the person?   Not say anything?  Pretend it doesn’t exist?  Play games?  When as a pastor is it o.k. for me to be P.C.?  When is o.k. for me to cloak the truth in order to be heard?

See—Jesus dealt head on with the legalists.  He called them pretty harsh words.  “Dead bones, white washed tombs”  is that harsh?  When it came to a non worshipping duty—Mary—He recognized the other Mary washing His feet with her tears.  He made it a point to let the Mary working in the kitchen that due to her work she was missing something—i.e., the opportunity to worship the King.  Harsh?

I contend that most followers of Christ have been bamboozled into believing that P.C. is good.  That non confrontation is better than dealing with actually anything substantial.  In truth, followers of Christ that love God’s grace, enjoy His being a friend of sinners—yet keep Him at an arms length to the real personal matters have bought into the sick garbage of the P.C. world.    Light exposes darkness.  Being in the light may be blinding—it may be harsh, and as bright as it may be, it still is full of Grace.

Harsh is an excuse.  For I hear so many that talk badly about churches today being too watered down, or too much of a show, or too easy—and yet—those same people when their stuff is exposed cry foul.  Those same people that talk so righteous about churches that aren’t the show, aren’t this or that—can not handle their own baggage being seen or talked about… it’s like the over weight person that loves to continue to eat and eat—and cry foul when somebody goes beyond the typical sin issues and talks to them about their issue—isn’t that the show?  Really?  We don’t like the show, but talk about me—that is harsh.  I don’t like P.C., but don’t speak about sin. 

That is the problem today— nobody really wants to deal with personal sin—no matter who or how it’s delivered. 

After all, Jesus is the friend of sinners as long as I’m not culpable—Jesus loves me as long as I do the stuff that looks good—but don’t get into my closet.  Jesus won't be harsh.  Jesus is never dead on-- no, as a matter of fact Jesus was really good at being P.C.  Everybody loved Him back in His day-- everybody just loved to be around Him-- He spoke such words of kindness, He was so caring-- He would never...

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O.k.,  I know—lying isn’t a fun read.  Nor is it a fun write.  Lying is a real problem.  Quite frankly, I know—I was a great liar.  I lied to get my way.  I lied to get out of things.  I lied to be liked.  I have lied to be better, and I have lied to get away with my own crap.

2 things driving me tonight—

1.  Hearing lies from students for all the above—watching them believe that their lies are really making someone view them differently.  Maybe, they have gotten away with their lies (like I had) because people they lie to actually don’t want to confront, or deal with the lies—instead the tendency— is for those hearing the lies to try and sweet talk them or give them the benefit of the doubt.

Not a good response—it only helps the liar think that they can continue to manipulate the other person and the situation.  I know first hand how good it is to have real friends confront my lies, call me out, and let me deal with the truth.  I have been there—by both people that don’t love God and by people that do—1 would punch me and it hurt, the other would not let me squirm away.

2. I am sick of hearing right now the race issue being thrown around by liars.  Liars that are trying to make other people look bad in order to getting kudos for calling out racism—the problem is they are lying about racism and nobody is calling that out—somehow the lying is less than the racism—it is sick and twisted.

Now, I’m not one to deal with politics on my little blog—I don’t like the right wing republican Christina title—I think that is bogus—sometimes just a lie to get people to buy into a platform because someone claims to be a Christian (a lie)   But—and here is the but—my prophetic gift, my desire for right drives me—because I know this truth—

“That you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  Jesus Christ

Ministry is hard enough—people’s opinions, peoples denial, peoples own baggage gets in the way of moving forward everyday—that being said—The people that should be ready to give up the “baggage” i.e. followers of Christ can sometimes be the hardest people to crack.  In Truth, the lie that they believe is that they are right—even though they know they are protecting something that they don’t want to deal with.  In short,  I’m watching people all over the place getting lost in lies—both the people that they put on pedestals, and themselves—because they just don’t want the truth—the fear?

Being set free from self.

I’m sorry—but I’m sick of this administration in our country that supposedly was to bring this country together—being the new liars to bring race into the landscape of the truth that actually our country is in deep trouble due to the lies that many, many politicians have perpetrated over the years most recently the lies of jobs increasing, racism being dropped over people that just don't like what is going-- lies to benefit the liars.

I’m tired of watching families and students continue to believe lies that everything is either wrong—not the way they want things—or that everything is alright—except that either parents are struggling with some real dysfunction at home—or their students are o.k. because the student told them they were o.k. mean while the fruit of their life proves them wrong—look here, I know these are tough words-- but I know first hand what lying can do to people-- and in homes some lies destroy people for years-- denial is a form of lying, skirting things is a form of lying, covering up is a form of lying-- all produce really sad and sick lives that live beneath all that God wants for them....

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What a week and end to a week. 

When I was a kid—my family—Ray, Ruby my sister Kathy and me—and had our little 1rst dog—a beagle named Ginger.  She was a fun dog—I don’t remember what happened to her.  Then we got another dog in Georgia—a Chihuahua name Peaches—peaches died after being with us for 4-5 years—neither dog was my dog—everybody else loved on em.

Then there was Harley Sioux—my girl.  It was supposed to be my son Alex’s dog—but because I trained her and probably because I was the head of the house—(right) Harley Sioux was my charge.

I had to put her to sleep this past Friday—I know it was right—I know it was time—but missing her has been very hard indeed.

You see—Yes, I remember all the fun we had—everything—the Frisbee, the swimming, everything—but what I remember most—she was my friend—and over the years of doing what I do—ministry—this dog trusted me, when I have many times felt a lack of trust from people that I ministered to Harley would sit next to me as I would actually cry over things that actually hurt me, bothered me, wounded me—Harley would sit and listen and give that ole Harley look—“I think you are the best” look… Harley could soothe my pain.

Yes—my girl Harley is gone and I do miss her.  She was a faithful friend, the dog I always wanted—and through great friends—I had a great dog.  I will always love her… funny that I fed her, carried her when she couldn’t walk, cleaned up her mishaps—yet it was Harley Sioux that gave me so so much.

I will miss her for a long long time—she cannot be replaced.

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¹ There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3.1-8

This lil passage of Scripture was my late Father Ray’s favorite passage.  I often wondered why?  Why would he like this passage?  Well, the older I get, the more I realize how short this life is, how uncertain it is, how frail it is, how sad, how happy, how joyous, how… difficult… and this weekend was a time of difficulty for me—

It was time for me to approach my mother Ruby about entering an assisted living apartment where she and my father lived and now where she lives alone.

I went through some of my fathers things this weekend and was grateful deep down inside that he was gone… glad that he was not living because he is with the Lord, and because he would be hurting with his asthma and most likely in a wheel chair.  The Lord took him—it was time.

Now it is time for my mom at 92 to finish well, and it is my desire as her only son to help her do that well.

May the Lord grant for me wisdom, grace and care for my mom.  May Ruby hear from the Spirit and do what is best.

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