Great day

NOTE: A few folks have emailed me, and I HAVE received them. However, due to a glitch in the hotel internet service, I found tonight that my replies did NOT send. I hope to have this fixed in the morning. Any and all are encouraged to leave a comment. You will have to sign up with Blogger to leave comments, but I have found it to be non-spam producing, so go for it and let me know you are tracking with us!

What a day! After a great breakfast at Pop Diner, we hit the subway at about 9:15 EDT, arriving at Times Square 30 minutes later. We found the Gray Line Tour bus and got our tickets.

If you're ever in New York, be sure to do the Gray Line All Loops Tour. It's the best way to soak in the city over the course of a couple days. You can get on and off at several points and the ticket is good for 48 hours. And between the double decker bus and the subway, you've got all the transportation you need around Manhattan.

Anyway, our first stop off the bus was Ground Zero. Wow! St. Paul's Chapel is an amazing testimony. Check out their site.

Last time I was here was only 19 months ago. The progress they've made is incredible. I just can't get my brain around what this city must have been through with the events of 9/11. We walked all the way around the World Trade Center site just trying to imagine what must have gone through people's minds as the events unfolded.

It remains to me an absolute miracle that the tallest buildings in the world collapsed within moments of each other and did not do more damage or take more lives than what it did. When you are physically here and get to see the proximity of the neighboring buildings, without a doubt, I can almost see the hands of God upon those buildings, making sure that they did not topple onto more surrounding area.

From there, we walked the southwest section of Manhattan down to the southern tip to catch the red bus again. While waiting, we enjoyed a genuine New York street vendor hot dog that hit the spot and held us over for what was to come!

We rode the bus to the United Nations, which, as interesting as it sounds, is actually a fairly mundane area of Manhattan. From the UN, we walked the "New York short" distance to Grand Central Station.

On the way there, we developed the phrase of the day. Chuck would ask, "how far is it?", wanting to prepare himself for the jaunt. The phrase of the day became, "just a couple of blocks."

Once at Grand Central, we connected with Andrew Favilla, who just crossed 30 years of service there, the last 11 as Deputy Chief of Operations in charge of Safety & Security. As such, he was able to give us the highlight of the day, a behind the scenes look at Grand Central. We got to see their Situation Room, where top leaders gather in a crisis to monitor and strategize. He also shared some fascinating tidbits with us about Grand Central.

• The City of New York actually had plans to tear it down, but it was saved by the influence of none other than Jackie Onassis. She saw what a shame it was for the city to have torn down the old Penn Station to replace it with the current Madison Square Garden and believed Grand Central should be saved.
• Grand Central sees 600,000 people come through it DAILY!
• The terminal has its own Police force of about 400 officers. They each carry a bio-chemical detector as part of their equipment that would instantly let them know if anything dirty was nearby. The building also has sensors that do the same thing.
• After 9/11, all trash containers were replaced with specially designed cans that will not blow outward if a bomb were placed in them, thus saving injuries from shrapnel. Any debris would blow only straight up into the air.
• Grand Central closes from 2:00-5:15 am so that every square inch can be cleaned by a crew of over 200 workers. The floors, the walls, the fixtures (I could not find ONE burned out light bulb among THOUSANDS!), and the brass (LOTS of it).

The tour there was a real treat. VERY interesting.

From there, we took the subway into the Upper East Side (ritzy area near Central Park), where we made our way to Lady M Confections. Check out what we had to treat .... I mean, eat! They were amazing! Excuse the low quality phone camera, please.

From there, we had our first downer of the day. We waited 45 minutes for our tour bus, which was supposed to be running every 15 minutes. We were wanting to get to go up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building, but darkness was falling. I called the dispatch center and was told the bus should be there in about 10 minutes. 45 minutes later, still no bus!

Fortunately, we were able to joke about it and made our way "just a couple of blocks" to the subway, which took us to Times Square. Once there, we hopped on the Night Loop for a 90 minute ride throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Funny thing was that about 5 minutes into the Loop, it started to rain. We're on top of an open air double decker bus, and it starts to rain. Being prepared, the tour guide hands out "Gray Line ponchos". White trash bags complete with holes for arms, a hood for the head and the Gray Line logo! Souvenir it is! Here's Chuck in his ...


After a good dinner near Times Square, we headed back to our hotel in Queens. The Conference starts at noon tomorrow. A good chance to get some rest from an early day and late night.

I only slept a few short hours (I won't say how little) the night before we left. 3:00 am came early, but fortunately, I do OK sleeping on planes. I slept almost the whole way yesterday. Eye masks and ear plugs baby! They work wonders!

However, my body is still on Pacific time, so it was a late night and early morning. While I'm stating that, I should put this body down for some rest. Good night all!

New York and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality ... An Oxymoron?

We departed LAX and arrived in New York on time at both ends. We were picked up by Laurel Favilla, who serves as Pete Scazzero's assistant. We've become good friends over the last couple years as we've worked together. It was great to reconnect with her and a real honor that she wanted to pick us up at JFK.

Navigating through JFK seemed flawless. As soon as we arrived at the baggage claim, our bags were right there. As soon as we exited baggage claim, there was Laurel!

Checking in at our hotel around 4:00 pm EDT, we settled in and prepared to depart for Manhattan, about a 15 minute walk and 30 minute ride on the subway. Just before we left Chuck's room, I remembered to go and grab the really nice camera graciously loaned to me by my brother-in-law, Dan.

When I went back to my room to pick through my suitcase, I discovered the camera WAS MISSING!! It had been removed from my suitcase. Instead of making our way to Manhattan, we spent the next 45 minutes or so on the phone with the airline to report the theft.

I felt horrible, as my brother-in-law had somewhere around 350 pictures on the memory card in the camera. The airline representative was so careful to apologize for the inconvenience and yet remind me that the airlines expressly state they are not responsible for electronic equipment in luggage. OUCH!

Off we went into the 38 degree New York air (brrrrr...) and down Queens Blvd., which you'll find to have an unfortunate reputation if you click the link. However, we made it through with no problems, and found our way to Times Square, my favorite part of New York. The lights and energy of Times Square are amazing!

Tomorrow, we'll leave the hotel after rush hour to head back to Manhattan. Some of the days anticipated highlights will include Ground Zero, the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station. Laurel's husband, Andrew, works at Grand Central. He has offered to give us a "behind the scenes" tour and some history about Grand Central. That should be a real treat!

As we are approaching this conference, I've had the thought strike me that it is surely interesting that God would have a Pastor from New York birth something called "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality".

A large part of EHS has to do with Sabbath rest, slowing down long enough to allow the Lord to really work deep into our lives. Seems to me that Emotionally Healthy Spirituality in a place like New York City is almost an oxymoron. Talk about swimming upstream!

We could say something similar about trying to teach and disciple people in Emotional Health and Spiritual Maturity in Southern California. Our lifestyles are way too fast to allow this to be the powerful truth that it is.

Fostering an atmosphere in your life where the Lord can truly move and shape and re-work and re-wire our hearts requires intentionality about our spiritual and relational growth in the Spirit and with one another. But who has time for that?

Hear me everyone! I believe it is possible, but not without some cost! We can't live life the way everyone else is living it, even when it comes to (maybe ESPECIALLY when it comes to) busy-ness and activity.

Jesus constantly modeled a pattern and rhythm of life and leadership that included sufficient time for rest, refreshment ... Sabbath ... daily, not even just weekly. Why would we expect it should be any different for us? Why would we buy into the way of the world around us when it relates to busy-ness and activity?

Enough of my soapbox .... Good night for now!

SVPD Ministry

Most of our church is aware that I serve as a Chaplain with the Simi Valley Police Department. I don't often mention it here, and thought I'd blog a bit about some of the calls I go out on.

SVPD has 5 Chaplains. The longest serving one is legendary in our city. Frank Witman served 28 years as Pastor of the Simi Valley United Methodist Church. He's a hero in my eyes! He's served as a Chaplain for the last 28, and was the first Chaplain in the history of the SVPD.

The next is Kurt Fredrickson. His legend is growing (in GOOD ways!). Kurt and I share similar ministry paths. He started as a Youth pastor at Simi Valley Evangelical Covenant Church, eventually becoming the Senior Pastor there for about 20 years. About three years ago, he accepted a position at Fuller Theological Seminary as their Director of the DMin (Doctor of Ministry) program. Since he still lives in Simi Valley, he has continued his ministry as a SVPD Chaplain.

Then there is Denise Dunbar, who came on the Department same time I did in 2000. Her husband was a Sergeant then and she has served as a Youth Pastor at a Foursquare Church in Canoga Park.

Next is myself. This has been a long time dream of mine. My "fallback" career was law enforcement of some kind. A story for another day. I thoroughly enjoy my role in the SVPD!

Then we have Brian Clements, who serves as a Deacon at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. Brian works for Ventura County as a Director of a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. He is a wonderful man!

We have an "auxiliary" member of our Chaplains Team who is NOT a Chaplain. Sgt. John Cooley retired from the LAPD a few years back and lives in Simi Valley. His last several years in the LAPD were invested in helping fellow officers as a Liaison with the LAPD Employees Assistance Plan. Over time, he became a specialist in Police funerals.

John works alongside us to help keep our eyes open to matters that aren't spiritual, but are, in the lives of Officers and their families.

My last call was just last Friday at 5:00 am. A 55 year old wife and mother was found dead by her daughter and husband. I was called in to be with the family with the waiting period ... waiting for the Coroner to arrive to assess the situation and advise the family of their next steps.

We call the Chaplains ministry a "ministry of presence". Lots of people ask, "what do you say to them?" or "How do you know what to say?" Well, you don't really. Most people will never remember what I said to them. They WILL remember that I was there and that I prayed and that I listened.

Our role as Chaplains is for both citizens AND Officers. Most people don't stop to consider that what is traumatic for them may be traumatic for the Officers involved in their case, whatever it may entail. So we look out not only for victims and family members, but for Officers and Civilian employees as well.

For now, I'm rollin' 10-7!!

Headed to New York

Tomorrow morning will come too early! 3:00 am early that is, and I haven't even STARTED packing!

I'm headed to New York to attend the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Pastors & Leaders Conference at New Life Fellowship in Elmhurst (Queens), just east of Manhattan. I am excited to see and hear more of what God is up to in my own life as well as others.

A very good friend and mentor will be going with me. He's never been to NY before, so we're taking Thursday to take him around some of the sights. No way we'll be able to hit everything, but we'll do what we can.

One place I'm looking forward to is Lady M Confections. They were featured on the Food Network a few months ago, and I noted that I would stop there whenever I'm in the area again. Bet you didn't know I used to decorate cakes, did ya? Yep, for those following my blog, this is where the stuff all comes out about me! I will NOT really be following my eating plan while in NY, I can tell you that!!

Anyway, the Conference is on Friday & Saturday and then we fly home on Sunday. I'll post about it whenever I get a chance, so come on along!

Waiting .... Part 2

Well, Sunday came and went, and went very well I might add. My anxiety was for nothing (as is often the case!).

In all actuality, our services were POWERFUL because of the waiting. It was beautiful to watch the Holy Spirit speak such congruous things to people.

At the end of each service, we allowed for some sharing of the things God was saying to individuals. The response was truly amazing!

Anniversary

Colleen and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary this past Thursday. She is the MOST beautiful woman on the planet!! One cool thing is that she has become even MORE BEAUTIFUL the longer we've been married!

She is a priceless jewel, and a man can NOT have been MORE blessed than me with her!

We love to travel together, though any with kids will tell you that travel is a different story than before you had them! Anyway, we took an overnighter to Heritage Valley Inn in Piru. I would definitely recommend it!

Little Piru is about the sleepiest little town you'll ever see! Colleen thought it reminded her of the little town in "Cars" that had long been forgotten and left behind.

The only thing I would add to my recommendation is to bring earplugs. Simple reason: it's on Main Street in Piru. Sleepy as the town may be, it's on the way to Lake Piru and the traffic noise during the day was a bit much if you're into naps.

Here she is for any who may not have met her ...

Waiting ....

It's Saturday night, and I can hardly wait to bring tomorrow's message. We've been in a series called, "Turning Challenges Into Miracles." Based on a word the Lord gave us early this year that this would be a year of challenges, but also a year of miracles.

So much of life is made up of formulas...IF you do this, THEN this will happen... But I'm not sure that life is that way every day or most of the time.

Given that, I've been asking God to show us NOT some nifty formula for figuring out how WE can turn our challenges into miracles. Instead, I've been asking Him to show us what the components are to seeing HIM turn our challenges into miracles, because HE is the only One Who can do it anyways!

That said, two weeks ago, I was teaching on the topic of waiting on God. I had three points, but when I got the first two done, I was strongly impressed to WAIT to bring the third. I wasn't sure why. I just knew I was NOT to bring it then.

I hadn't necessarily gone long in my message. People seemed to be connecting. I can usually tell when you're done with my message. How? That's for another post.

For now, my additional thought was that the third point alone in a message is going to be pretty short! I know you're loving that! But hang on to your britches and slow on down now. I'm not giving it away right now, even though there probably aren't many reading this tonight anyway.

Tomorrow morning will NOT be our "typical" Sunday morning service. What do I mean by that? Well, I guess you're gonna have to WAIT to find out. ;^)

Mid-Weekend

WOW! Like I said, a whirlwind of a weekend!

The last 36 hours have been non-stop, but worth every moment! The time with Pete Scazzero was great. It's always good to catch up with friends, especially when you haven't seen each other in a while.

The Foursquare Live Satellite Broadcast went well today. I was THRILLED beyond words to have Pete's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality material exposed to our Foursquare family in such a large way. While the live venue we were at in San Dimas had about 100 participants, it's estimated that there were a total of about 9,000 in 350 sites across the country!

After dropping Pete off at LAX, I went by the hospital to check in on my friend. He is recovering so well for someone who just had major back surgery. I was able to be there when he was getting out of bed for the first time! We were able to walk together from ICU to his room on another floor. Needless to say, we took the elevator!

For any who are wondering, my tooth seems to have settled down today. As long as I don't put pressure or cold on it, the pain is non-existent. To the dentist on Monday (hopefully).

Sounds like Colleen is having a great time at her Ladies Retreat. I am so glad for that, as she has had a rough month or so. This coming week is our 21st anniversary. I'm working on plans for us to get out of town for a couple of days to celebrate.

On to church in the AM....

Whirlwind Weekend

Ever had one of those weekends that seems like a few weeks crammed into a few days? That's yesterday through tomorrow for me.

Thursday morning, I was in La Crescenta with the staff from our Foursquare Pacific ARC (Administrative Resource Center...there are 3 across the nation). I have been leading their staff through The Emotionally Healthy Church workbook. It's been a fun journey so far.

Early this morning, I had breakfast with my Pastor, then headed to Hollywood Community Hospital to hang out with a gal in our church whose husband is having long-awaited back surgery. He should be home Sunday or Monday.

From there, I am right now near LAX, waiting to pick up Pete Scazzero (author of The Emotionally Healthy Church). As we've cultivated a friendship over the last couple years, I try to hang with him whenever he is in the area. I'll take him to Pomona, where we'll stay overnight.

In the morning, I'll take him to LIFE Pacific College (the Foursquare Bible College and my alma mater) in San Dimas. Our denomination is having their 2nd Annual "Stewarding the Life of a Servant Leader" Live Satellite Broadcast.

Pastor Jack Hayford will speak the first 90 minutes. Pete will follow for 90 minutes, then Ted Roberts will conclude with a 90 minute session. The event is being broadcast live to over 350 Foursquare churches across the nation.

As soon as Pete is done speaking, I'll drop him off at LAX and he'll fly home from there. I'll make a stop at the Hollywood hospital I was at this morning to visit my friend, then head home.

Meanwhile, Colleen is at our Women's Retreat this weekend in Oxnard, and just this morning, I started to feel a slight toothache that has increased in intensity just in the last hour. Yes, Friday at 5:15! Anyone who knows me knows some of my dental history. YIKES!!!

All of the above (except the toothache of course) is why Todd Hacker is preaching Sunday. I can't wait to hear him again. He spoke on New Year's Eve and did great. If you're in town, don't miss it!!

One last thing...don't forget to turn your clocks ONE HOUR AHEAD on Saturday night!

Finding your tempo

I just started a book called In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed. Very interesting so far!

Bottom line: it's about balance. It's not about finding out how fast or slow you can live and still get by. It's about challenging the cultural shift that has taken place globally to speed up the pace of everything we do.

It's not about how to live life without deadlines. It's about how to find your rhythm and tempo in life so that we're not dying inside while everything around us progresses at warp speed.

While we all have our own tempo, nobody can truly sustain all of life at the speed at which life currently moves for us all. God made us in such a way that rest is necessary, regardless of how any of us may feel about how much time there is or isn't for it.

There are some things in life that CANNOT be rushed!

Helping Pastors

On Monday, I had the opportunity to be involved in an exciting project. I've written before about our denomination having set aside an old Bible College property in Christiansburg, Virginia for the purpose of creating a Pastor's Retreat Center.

Two days ago, I got to be part of a group of denominational leaders and Pastors who are tasked with defining what Sabbath, Sabbaticals, Study Breaks and Overall Pastoral Wholeness is, what they look like, how they best happen. We are also working on how the Center for Spiritual Renewal can best be resourced to make these kind of things happen for Pastors, not in a financial resource sense, but in practical resources (books, DVDs, CDs, sabbatical planning resources, local recreation resources, etc.)

Being a burnout survivor, I hope to be able to help put together effective resources. I've had the fortunate opportunity the last few years to work with church leadership that has learned alongside me that Pastors need regular breaks away from the everyday demands.

The culture of our denomination has not always allowed for the Pastor to be able to break away for anything more than "vacation". I've learned through hard experience that Pastors MUST break away regularly to get a sense of what God is doing and desires to do, both in them and through them as they lead.

I've been speaking lately about the components necessary to see God turn challenges into miracles. One we've been focusing on (and that may be the most critical) is the act of waiting. None of us like to wait, but we must wait on God in order to really connect with Him.

Sometimes, when things are going haywire, we want our answers NOW, and are unwilling to wait. So, instead of waiting, we rush ahead on our own and do what we think best, which may not be what God desires.

The issue of waiting is just as hard for Pastors as anyone else. It is particularly a challenge to wait in a place that everyone knows they can find you and call on you. Some of you know that in your work, too.

Thus, it is important for any Pastor to have places he or she can go to find quiet, peace, rest and ability to wait upon God. I am honored to be able to create and lead others to such resources.

Jesus bones?

Some have been asking my thoughts on the recent Discovery Channel show claiming to have discovered the bone boxes of Jesus, his "wife", Mary Magdalene and their "son".

My thoughts are pretty simple. Obviously, they start with the thought that it's not true. The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus rose from His grave and ascended to heaven.

The hard time we have with the truth humanly is that we can't see Him or prove that what the Bible said actually happened. It seems that man will never really get over the issue of faith.

At the same time, while I am no archaeologist, nor a true "scholar", I've studied enough to know that we have plenty of physical evidence of Who Jesus is and what happened to Him.

The season of Lent, being these six weeks prior to Easter, will always see these kinds of supposed "expose's" attempting to claim that we finally have "the truth" on Jesus.

The real Truth is that we don't need any more Truth than we already have! We just don't want to believe it! Those are my thoughts ...

Lent update

People have been asking me all week what I'm giving up for Lent. I've not been forthcoming with the information. Matter of fact, I've been pretty crabby about it. Please accept my apologies if you've borne the brunt of it!

I initially decided to give up Starbucks for Lent. Now, I'm a Starbucks fan, but not necessarily the kind that WON'T get my white mocha somewhere else if a non-Starbucks is all there is. However, I wasn't giving up Starbucks in a "I could go to Coffee Bean" kind of way.

The first day, I happened to be sipping on a cup of coffee from home. Don't drink it black anymore and hardly drink a non-espresso coffee at all. But that day I was.

As I was about half-way through enjoying it, I had an uneasy feeling. Not sick, just uneasy. I began to sense that the Lord wanted me to give up more than just Starbucks. Now, it's coffee altogether.

And hey, for me, it's not even the caffeine part of it. If decaf is available, that's what I go with. It's coffee altogether, and it's been harder than I thought!!

How about you. Wanna tell what you're giving up?

A Privilege

Got to officiate a wedding last Saturday night. This one onvolved a couple who met online. I don't recommend this method because of its inherent dangers, but I have seen it work for a number of couples.

The bride has been a part of our church for a number of years. This is the only church family she has ever known. We've been through the ups and downs of life together.

The groom moved to this area last Summer from the Central California Coast area when it was clear the relationship was going to last. He is a great man for this woman.

The amazing thing about them is they are both in their early 40s, and this is the FIRST marriage for both of them! They have patiently waited for God to bring them the right person, and I believe God is going to bless that.

Then, Sunday morning, I had the privilege of dedicating Micah Allan Littlejohn, born on January 20 to Craig & Stacy. Stacy was a part of my Youth Group when I was the Youth Pastor here. Craig led worship for our church during some of his Bible College days.

Now, they're parents! It's just a privilege to serve the same church for over 21 years now, and events like these help me see why I do this. I love watching people and families grow through the years!

12 Years Ago Today

It was 12 years ago today that Colleen and I walked into Holy Cross Hospital and waited. It felt like we were at an airpot waiting for someone to come in from a flight. But this was NO ORDINARY ARRIVAL.

This was Joshua Paul Kuzma, our first son. His birthmother (catch that for those who don't know ... Joshua AND Jonathan are both adopted, though we rarely think it and NEVER feel it) had arranged for a C-section.

So, there we were, waiting for our son to arrive when the elevator doors opened and a nurse stepped out, asking if we were the adoptive parents. WOW ... 12 years ... I cannot believe it! It seems like only yesterday .... well, maybe a few days ago!

Cool ... we're doing one of our birthday traditions ... pulling him out of school at lunchtime and taking him to In 'N Out (his favorite burger ... are we raising this kid right or what?!?). Then, we let him ditch the rest of the day (Sorry all you teachers out there!).

Last Sunday

LATE Saturday night, I posted about my anxiety toward the next morning. You can see it below. Anyway, apparently, my anxiety was totally unfounded.

The Lord moved in, I think, a BIG way as I just shared my heart about the season Jesus has us in, and has us moving toward. I am EXCITED to see what will happen as we all consider together how to participate in Lent, 40 days (not including Sundays ... more on that THIS Sunday...) of prayer and some fasting.

It begins THIS Wednesday, February 21 (traditionally known as Ash Wednesday) and will end Easter Weekend. In case you're wondering, Easter is April 8 this year.

Oh, and by the way, did you know that the Spring time change happens this year IN THREE WEEKS!?!?!? Yep ... mark your calendar to turn your clocks AHEAD ONE HOUR on Saturday night, March 10.

A Little Anxious

I am just putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's message, and feeling a little anxious about it. I really want it to come off right.

I am going to be proposing that our church participate together loosely in a "church" season called Lent. It's the 40 days (not including Sundays) between Feb 21 and Easter Saturday.

I plan to teach next Sunday in more detail about Lent ... what it means, history, why it was/is important, how we can still take advantage without getting "religious". In the mean time, I know many people from different church backgrounds (especially Catholic) could freak out about the idea.

Don't want that, but also don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water! At the same time, a lot of people with no church background before NewHeart could get nervous about what they've heard about things like Lent.

For those who might be nervous or wondering, we won't be doing the ashes on the forehead, and I'm not getting "religious" on you. I DO, however, want to invite us all to keep our hearts open as the Lord reveals more of Himself to us during this season of preparation for Easter. Hang on tight!

Things Kids Say

My younger son, Jonathan, said one of the funniest things tonight. We were headed for ice cream ... Dairy Queen for the kids, and the grocery store for ice cream sandwiches for Colleen and I.

Jonathan suggested that I drop off he and his brother, Joshua, at the store to get the ice cream sandwiches while I head to Dairy Queen for their blizzards, then pick them up on my way back. I told him that wouldn't fly.

He asked the kid-natural question ... WHY? I informed him I had no cash to give him, not wanting to tell him I didn't want my 11 and almost-12 year old sons wandering the aisles of a grocery store without me or Mom.

He very "adultly" suggested that I just give him my credit card and PIN number!!! To this, I stated that with my picture on the front of my card, I didn't think the cashier would go for it.

Jonathan said, "Sure she will. I'll just tell her that picture was taken when I was 2 years old. That was when I was young and looked old, and now I'm old and look young. I'm doing the 'reverse thing'!"

Where he came up with that I'll never know, but it CRACKED me up! As we grow older, we sometimes wish it were true, huh? Come on, don't look at me like you don't ever think that! I KNOW it ain't just me!

Feeling better

Thanks to all who read the blog and took the time to ask how I was doing yesterday and last night! Didn't expect that response ... it was cool and appreciated!

Today is better ... not quite 100%, but definitely better. Slept hard last night and didn't have the sweats. Can't ask for much more than that!

Seemingly strange

Have you been following this Astronaut-turned-weirdo story? Lisa Nowak, a NASA Astronaut who flew the US Space Shuttle last Summer, went haywire.

The story so far goes that she had a crush on another Astronaut, whose mother-in-law now says Nowak ruined his marriage in '05. Last weekend, she drove from her home in Houston, Texas over 900 miles to someplace in Florida ... in an adult diaper! She didn't want to have to stop for a bathroom break.

The purpose of the trip was allegedly so that she could kidnap and kill another lady who apparently is involved with the guy she has a crush on. She is now being charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted murder on the lady.

I know what you're thinking .... we hear weird stories like this all the time! But about an Astronaut? An all-American role model like an Astronaut? Now NASA says they're going to review the way they screen Astronauts.

I gotta make a connection here for you ... "how could someone so supposedly upstanding go so haywire all of a sudden?" Like say, a Pastor, for instance. Get where I'm going?

It's not just Pastors. It's not just Astronauts. It's human nature.

I'm reading a fantastic book right now called, "Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction". It asserts that we ALL have a dark side, and it's called humanity. The only questions are: 1) what kind of dark side do we have, 2) do we recognize it in ourselves, and 3) what do we do about it?

In no way am I saying we're all going to go haywire to the extent that Nowak may have. I am saying that all those people we are sometimes judgmental about? We are them! They are us! We are in the same boat, struggling with very similar life issues and making decisions everyday about who will really prevail in our lives ... Jesus or Satan.

I really hate to sound simplistic, but it's not as complicated as we sometimes make it. Whadya think?

A Little Off

Ever felt like you were just a little off? Not like "in the head" off, though this IS in the head.

Yesterday and today, I've been a little off. One of my kids has carried the "almost flu" thing (fever, chills, headache, etc.). Well, yesterday I FOUGHT that exhausted feeling all through the morning until finally giving in and going to bed for a couple hours from lunch until the kids got home from school.

Afternoon was a little better as long as I stayed still. Got some good reading done. Slept well overnight, working through a couple sessions of the sweats.

I HATE this stuff ... you wanna get stuff done and you just can't. At least not the way or in the time you want to.

This morning, the energy level was better than yesterday, but still not quite where I want it. Resting where and when I can, and trusting this will be gone before the weekend.

For What It's Worth ...

I heard that both services that I missed at NewHeart today were awesome, with some "fireworks" present at the 10:30 celebration. If you didn't catch it, I guess there was a person who was being a bit disruptive and had to be dealt with, which we do LOVINGLY, but FIRMLY.

If you were there and DIDN'T notice it ... GOOD! We'll see how the Lord orders this week in dealing with that situation. That aside, it doesn't surprise me that as we draw closer to Jesus together during this season of "Turning Challenges Into Miracles", that the enemy of your soul and mine would try to throw our focus off of Jesus.

Occasionally we have to (ANY Church has to) deal with someone who becomes disruptive "in Jesus' Name". In other words, they are great-hearted and good people, but can have and hold an attitude or opinion that what is happening in the service should not be happening the way it is.

So, they will try to "correct" what is happening in a disruptive way, all the time claiming they are speaking on behalf of the Holy Spirit, as though no one else leading the service is sensitive to what God is saying at the time. When you speak with them about it, they will often claim that they can't help it, as though God has taken them over in a way that is uncontrollable to them, which is actually unscriptural. They will also often claim that they are untouchable because they are "functioning in or with the anointing of the Holy Spirit."

The Apostle Paul wrote that, "The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:32-33, NIV) When someone is given a word of knowledge or wisdom, or a prophecy to be shared with the whole Church, they are never subjected to an "uncontrollable unction".

It ought always be shared with the authority and permission of the church leadership, whoever that may be at the time. On a day like today when I am not present as the Pastor, there is always someone else who is in charge. Today, that was Pastor John, and I think he did a great job handling the circumstance, along with some other wise and discerning leaders.

More than anything, when this does occur, it's a sign of the person's immaturity and lack of biblical understanding of the function of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Two of the signs I look for as a test of whether or not someone has an authentic word from the Lord are humility and peace. When there is a lack of one or both of those qualities present in what someone shares, you will likely find someone functioning more in the flesh than in the Spirit.

James wrote, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:13-18, NIV)

Didn't mean to turn that into a sermon, but just thought I'd toss that out there for affirmation and encouragement. At NewHeart, we fully accept, believe in, and desire to see more of the function of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and endeavor to do so in right order and Godliness, so that the whole body is built up and strengthened.

Food for thought ...

Quite the weekend

I had a BLAST this weekend serving alongside two OTHER Pastors officiating Gaylord Wolfe's wedding in Paso Robles. I REALLY enjoy officiating weddings, especially when a couple have made a concerted effort to put Jesus FIRST in their relationship as it develops toward the wedding.

I can't remember a time when I have officiated along with another Pastor, except for one other time, just last April. I was asked to stand at the front and ask the "Who gives this woman...?" question while MY Pastor, Chuck Shoemake walked his daughter down the aisle and answered the question. That wedding was alot of fun too, because I have known Chuck's daughter, Tisha, since she was a Jr. Higher!

Anyway, Gaylord's mom and Cathy, his new wife, both hail from Paso Robles, so Gaylord is moving there, which is sad for us, but GREAT for him. It was a real honor to get to know these other two Pastors.

One is Pastor Steve Boggan, from Living Waters Christian Fellowship, in the Heritage Ranch area of Paso Robles. That's where the wedding ceremony was held. Pastor Steve and his wife, Christina, have served there for 8 years now, but Pastor Steve has actually served 12 churches over 27 years!! WOW!!

The other Pastor is Pastor Steve Calagna (pronounced Kalanyay), from North County Christian Fellowship in Paso Robles. He planted that church 31 years ago and has led there ever since! It is always amazing to me how small the world is!

Pastor Steve (Calagna) told me he knew me from somewhere and recognized my name. Conversation turns out that he started his Masters of Divinity program in the same class I did back in August of 2000. BIG difference is that he finished and I didn't ... a whole other story. Anyway, later on he mentioned that he remembered leading worship for the class. As soon as he said that, I had this WILD deja vu moment and remembered his face from that class!

Getting to know those two guys was very cool and added to the blessing of the weekend! Another blessing was being able to get away for a little bit (even though it was a "working" weekend) with Colleen. With the kids at home, she doesn't get to travel with me much when I do travel, so we treasure chances like this.

We stayed at a very nice, but affordable hotel. I think it was so nice because it was brand new. Hope they're able to keep it as nice as we experienced it, which featured a great breakfast spread included in the price.

Well, we go down for breakfast and I run into two off-duty Simi Valley Police Officers, who also happen to be a newly married husband/wife couple. (For those who may not know, I am a Chaplain with the SVPD.) That was a fun surprise for the three of us!

When we got home, Colleen dropped me at a friends house, where I got to indulge in the Super Bowl on a great TV with some good friends who like to WATCH the game (a peeve of mine ... I really enjoy WATCHING the game, including commentary and replays ... am I getting too honest in this blog or what?).

I was personally glad to see Peyton Manning finally reach this pinnacle for himself. I was also proud of the way both coaches (who are strong Christians) handled themselves and their relationship with Jesus. I love to see God get the glory in our human endeavors!

I was also glad to hear that Brett Favre is returning for another season as Quarterback with the Green Bay Packers.

Anyway, that's all for now!

A Fulfilling Weekend

Most who know me are aware that I'm a "long haul" kind of guy. I am passionate about being involved in people's lives over the long haul. Heck, I've been here at NewHeart for over 21 years now! I suppose that says it.

Anyway, I get to have one of those long haul, very fulfilling kinds of weekends. This morning, Colleen and I will drive to Paso Robles, where Gaylord Wolfe is getting married to Cathy Anding tomorrow night.

For years, Gaylord and his late wife, Linda, were involved in our church, hanging through thick and thin. A number of years ago, Linda was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a form of blood cancer. We prayed and saw God do miracle after miracle. A little over two years ago, Linda's battle on this earth ended.

What a privilege it was to be involved in Linda and Gaylord's battle. This man was SO faithful to every need Linda had. And the Lord blessed him with such understanding employers, especially at the end of Linda's life.

Well, we grieved and celebrated like nobody's business at Linda's homegoing and beyond. And now, God has brought this wonderful lady, Cathy, to Gaylord's life. And I am honored to be a part of officiating at their wedding.

These are the times that I take a deep breath and say, "It's worth it!"

Approaching the Miracle of Miracles Season

I know we've just finished Christmas and New Year's, but get ready! Easter is just around the corner! The Miracle of Miracles ... Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, is the celebration of all celebrations.

This year, it falls on Sunday, April 8. Really only 2 months away ... unbelievable, but true. Maybe it's all the years of pastoring, but already I am feeling the anticipation.

I am also sensing something quite different as we enter the season. I'll be talking about it in February. The traditional Church has always had a 40 day season of heart and life preparation approaching Easter, called "Lent".

Some will remember it from their days of Catholic catechism. (Not to worry, I'm not going over the edge here! My experience in Catholic school in 2nd or 3rd grade will always be sure of that!)

Sometimes, when it comes to older church traditions, those of us in the "contemporary" church movements/preferences can seem to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are some powerful things to be learned and received through the observance of seasons like this.

All in all, through these teachings, I'll be calling NewHeart toward a 40 day season of preparing for Easter. Stay tuned!

Simi Valley makes the big time!

OK ... any 24 fans out there? Simi Valley hit the jackpot by being featured on tonight's episode of 24! Albeit, not for the best of reasons, as we happened to be the location of a business tied up in the terrorist act of a nuclear bomb that exploded last week in Valencia.

As a citizen, and as a member of the Simi Valley Police Department (I serve as 1 of 5 Chaplains), I take pride in our having been the Safest City in the nation about 7 of the last 10 years. Sure hope this doesn't bode badly against our standing!!

Impressed and Humbled!

I am both impressed and humbled by our congregation! This morning, at both of the services, we walked through what I call some "family business".

Have you figured out that STUFF HAPPENS? Well, it does, and when it does, we have to sometimes deal with it. I have found that most churches aren't honest with the STUFF that HAPPENS, preferring to sweep it under the proverbial rug rather than be honest when we sin and blow it.

This was one of those days where we had to be honest. A young man who had been a student leader in our Youth Ministry, and whom we laid our hands on to send him to Bible College last August, confessed publicly this morning that over the Summer, he had engaged in a sexual relationship with his girlfriend. A couple weeks into his first semester, he found out she is pregnant.

We had talked about this day for some time with he and his parents, and the day finally came, though it wasn't long planned for. The Lord ordered the previous few days that it was just time to do it, so we did. I honestly didn't know how everyone would respond, but just knew we were to do it.

When we came to the point where he had confessed and asked for forgiveness of the congregation, I wasn't really expecting anyone to answer. I thought it a more rhetorical question. Well, the Church didn't!

One by one, people began to stand and proclaim their forgiveness of this young man. It was powerful as we prayed over he and his family. That was the 8:30 service.

For the 10:30, I didn't tell anyone what I observed. I thought I'd just wait and see, and sure enough, the exact same thing happened, and it was again, powerful.

I know people have, and knew they would have, all kinds of thoughts about what we were doing and how we went about it. And they did. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just that, in reality, the Church is meant to be the reflection of what and who the Kingdom of God is. And today, it happened.

This young man, repentant of his ways (believe me, I've spent enough time with him to know he is ... and not just because he "got caught"), was embraced with a firm and loving acceptance, not for his sin, but for what Jesus did for his sin.

One of those things that words will never express ....

A Great Word for our Men!

Spent this morning at our Men's Breakfast. It's been a long time since we've had a men's event. Thanks to Dan Behr, Jim Jackson, Charles Southcott and Ray Tschaeche for making it happen so well. And to Sean Smith, Joe May and Charles Southcott for some rocking good worship. There's just something different about a bunch of men signing their hearts out to Jesus!

It was a highlight to hear the message from Bob Penberthy, a personal friend and past co-worker. Today, Bob is the Pastor of NewLife Christian Center, the Foursquare Church in Upland. Bob and his wife, Lisa, have been faithfully leading that church for about 5 years through many past challenges. How's this for a challenge? Having no Sanctuary building because it was torn down IN HOPES that the insurance company WOULD HAVE wanted it re-built after the earthquake damage? Yeah, you read me right ... nobody gave the Pastor who tore it down permission to go ahead and do it! YIKES!!

Anyway, Bob was our Associate Pastor back in 1999-2000. I love this guy! His word was powerful this morning. He talked about what courage requires, challenging our men to be willing to do what it takes to build a ministry of men reaching men. It was powerful!

EHS Group starts

Just started a new Emotionally Healthy Spirituality small group this morning. I am privileged to have been asked to lead this group that comprises the team of people that work at our Foursquare Pacific Arc (Administrative Resource Center), which is located in La Crescenta - about 45 minutes east of Simi Valley.

There are 3 "ARC"s - Pacific, Central (Colorado) and Atlantic (North Carolina). Each ARC serves a number of Districts as just what they are called ... Administrative Resource Centers. Their goal is to primarily release District Supervisors (most of whom also serve as local church Pastors) to do more ministry and less administration.

Anyway ... Rick Trimble is the Pacific ARC Lead Administrator, and he has been touched by the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality material. We first met about 10 years ago when I interviewed for a position as District Youth Representative in Northern California. Over the years, from his position as a District Administrator back in those days, he would call once in a while asking us to consider pastoring a church in his area.

We became re-acquainted at an EHS event back in April, and in December, he called wanting to know if I'd be willing to lead his team through the Emotionally Healthy Church Workbook as a small group. So, starting today, I'll head to La Crescenta once every 2-3 Thursdays for a morning of interaction with them and the material for 8 sessions total. It went great today and I'm looking forward to the additional times together.

Additionally, I am very excited that this material is finding increased influence in our denomination. Foursquare is bringing Pete Scazzero out on March 10 for their 2nd annual "Foursquare Live" Leadership Training Simulcast. I'm hoping to be able to pick him up at the airport and take him back when he's done.

I am also making plans to be in New York again for New Life Fellowship's Pastor's Conference on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. My goal is two-fold ... to learn and glean more myself, AND to represent to West Coast at the Conference. Hoping to network with more Pastors while there and also hoping that some from the West Coast will go to experience it.

I continue to receive calls from Pastors who have heard of my journey through burnout and depression. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality has been, and continues to be, such a powerful tool that the Lord is using to grow my relationship with Him and others. I am excited to watch what He is doing with it!

Let me know ...

24 days into the New Year, and they (whoever THEY are) say it takes 21 days for a new habit to kick in. Anyone want to be honest and share with us a habit or two that is still in the "wanting" stage for you?

I'll start ... at the beginning of '07, I said to myself, "Self ... enough people have said they enjoy connecting with you when you blog that you ought to do it more frequently." Well ... here we are on Day 24. No TV show pun intended, though a friend of mine from Valencia told me today he received an email from a geographically distant acquaintance asking if he and his family are OK ... gotta be a 24 fan to understand that, which my friend is NOT!

Anyway, it's Day 24 and here is my first post. I still resolve to blog more if you'll resolve to connect. Do more than read the blog ... let me know you were here by posting. That would be helpful for me. If I know it's having an impact, Ill share more with you. If it's not, I'll put the time and thoughts to better use.

Let me know, would ya?

On The Road Again ...

It's been three months since my last post ... hard to believe. I've had a couple folks ask about the lag in posting to my blog. Fact of the matter is (and I'm sure you're aware, in your own version), life is BUSY, ain't it?

I find myself amazed at the speed at which life is passing by these days. My parents said it would be this way! You know ... the older you get, the faster it goes ...

Anyway, I'm sitting at LAX waiting on a flight that will take me on my Fall Study Break. I'm headed to Christiansburg, Virginia, where our denomination is setting up a Pastor's Retreat Center.

They're calling it the Life Center for Spiritual Renewal. It's situated on several acres that used to house LIFE Bible College East, until they closed it a few years back. They're taking 8 apartments and establishing a retreat center where Pastors can get away from a few days to a few weeks, if need be, for Study Breaks, Sabbaticals, or even Crisis Counseling.

The Director is my friend, mentor and Pastor, Chuck Shoemake. Those who are a part of NewHeart are aware that we also sent Pat & Mario Arciero, our Prayer Coordinators and "Resident Care Pastors" (when at home, they spend Thursdays at the Church Office calling folks and available for appointments), out there at Chuck's request for September and October to serve as Hosts for Pastors who will be there. I'm looking forward to seeing them, the Arciero's AND Chuck.

If I get a chance, I'll post along the way, but no promises. I don't know what the internet (or even time) availability will be like. These are almost always refreshing times in which I try to veer away from some of the technological ties. We'll see how it goes.

Lessons In Flying

I recently had the opportunity to enjoy my first hot air balloon ride and it was incredible!! It was a surprise gift Colleen and I got to participate in with another couple with the husband surprising his wife for her birthday.

Being a "wannabe" airplane and helicopter pilot and somewhat of a techie, I had all kinds of questions for our pilot. He was very open and seemed to actually enjoy the questions and answers.

Did you know there are only about 5,000 certified hot air balloon pilots in the world? Did you know that in America, the FAA actually certifies pilots of these unique aircraft?

How about this one ... did you know that all hot air balloon pilots must memorize the "Balloonists Prayer"? If they can't recite it during their test for their license, the FAA gives them a failing grade and they have to take the test over again! At least, that is, according to our pilot, who certainly seemed pretty knowledgeable.

Anyway, one very interesting thing I learned about piloting a hot air ballon is that it's ALOT like being a Pastor! There were times we flew very high and had a bird's eye view of our surroundings.

Then there were times that we did the "terrain flying" manuever the toughest to learn and accomplish, according to our pilot. During such flight, we were literally skimming the vineyards and treetops of the terrain.

As I asked questions, he explained that you can't fly a hot air balloon by instruments, like airplanes and helicopters. They do use some of the instruments of flight to let them know how high they're flying and how fast they are ascending and descending. Other than that, it's all done by reading the wind and using your feel and intuition.

I thought, "Wow! That's alot like my job!" As a Leader, there are times when I have to get my view way up high to try to discern where we're headed and how we ought to get there. Then there are times when, as a Pastor, I'm flying in the terrain with people, walking through the joy and the grief that life brings.

Then, there are all kinds of diagnostic tools and "tips and tricks of the trade" available for Pastors these days. They're meant for good ... even to try to help Pastors accomplish their job more effectively and efficiently. However, fact of the matter is, there's not a fool-proof tool, tip, or trick out there. There is plenty of good, strong, practical direction that the Bible has to offer, and I'm really glad for that!

Now, for the ending ... landing those things is an art in and of itself. You can have your plan in mind for where you want to land it, but where the wind is blowing means everything, even when you're actually trying to land it! We headed for a certain spot the pilot really wanted and were almost there. Then the wind shifted, and we ended up in someone's backyard (it was a big one).

As we approach the 4th of July, having recently enjoyed a few days with Colleen and the boys in Washington DC, my balloon experience makes me think of our Founding Fathers. There were times they had to hold to what they believed was best for the country in a big picture view. Then there were plenty of times where they had to live out every day real life with people too, paying a high price for their leadership.

It also reminded me of what we recently have been (and still are) walking through as a church with our building project. In short, after a few years of planning our Sanctuary expansion, the plan radically changed, requiring us to go back to the Planning Commission.

At the same time, we heard about another church on our side of the City that is planning a relocation in the next 2-3 years. Their facility would be an incredible one for us to relocate to once they move, so we have opened up dialogue toward that end.

As I shared on Father's Day, I'm not sure yet where we're landing, but I do know God still has us on His course, following and serving Him and this City. Please be praying, continue to give toward "Building A Blessing" regularly, and I'll keep you posted as I know more.

Flying high (sometimes) ...

Father's Day Celebration & BBQ Picnic

Halfway through June ... can you believe it? Only 193 days left until Christmas! Just amazing that we're already so close!

I know you have lots of things going today, especially for parents with the end of the school year right now upon us. Myself, I am headed for a glorious appointment with an oral surgeon later this morning to have an ill-fated tooth removed! Fun, huh? At least I'll be out for it, so this is my last formal communiqué before I go into the world of not remembering anything for a day or so!

I want to take just a minute to remind you personally about this Sunday's Father's Day Celebration. We're making room to meet together in ONE Celebration at 9:30 am, instead of our normal 8:30 & 10:30 schedule. We'll resume the normal schedule next Sunday, June 25.

For now, we're excited about celebrating our heavenly Father with a kind of "Family Reunion". It's been a long time since we've been together all as one. Please, whatever you do, if you're in town, don't miss it. For those concerned about space and "fighting a crowd", put those thoughts aside. It may be full, but we'll have room. And it will be good to be together as one big family!

Right after the Celebration, you'll walk into the courtyard to some kickin' music, the awesome smell of BBQ Tri-tip and chicken, and some jumpers placed around the property for the kids for our Father's Day BBQ Picnic. That's the other reason to be sure to not miss this Sunday.

Wear your shorts (it's supposed to be hot Sunday ... aren't you glad this is a church where it's OK to wear shorts?) and bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets. It will also make it a GREAT Sunday to invite your non-churched friends, family, co-workers, and whoever else to join you for church. Could there be an easier easy way to introduce someone to the life of your church?

Tickets for the BBQ are $8 for adults and $5 for kids ages 3-13. The BBQ is a fundraiser for "Building A Blessing". I'll give more of an update about where we stand with our expansion plans on Sunday as we are facing some changes that I believe God is ordaining in it all. Further fundraisers at the BBQ are a snow cone machine, a dunk tank, and just this week we added a pie-in-the-face fundraiser! Bring your money folks! If you want to cream my face, it's gonna cost ya!! But it'll be for a great cause!

Regarding tickets, if you don't have them yet, call Shurie at the Church Office (805.583.3433) or click here to email her and just let her know how many adults and kids tickets you'll need. You can pay for them Sunday, but it's really helpful for us to get a more accurate count by 5:00 pm Friday.

I'm really excited about Sunday and all of us being together!

Are You There Yet?

WHERE, you ask? This Sunday's Father's Day Celebration and BBQ, of course! This weekend, we're celebrating Father's Day with ONE celebration at 9:30 (for this Sunday only; we return to 8:30 & 10:30 next Sunday, June 25).

We're cramming everyone into one celebration to give us a reunion feel. It's been a long time since NewHeart has gathered as one and we thought Father's Day would be a great day to do it. If you're in town, I hope you'll make it a point to be with us at 9:30. Whatever you do, don't miss the fun!

Right after, we're hosting a Father's Day BBQ Picnic on the church campus. It's complete with Tri-tip & Chicken BBQ ($8 for adults; $5 for kids 3-13), jumpers for kids, snow cones, music and dunk tank. The BBQ lunch, snow cones and dunk tank are all fundraisers for "Building A Blessing", our Sanctuary expansion plan (more on that in a day or two).

Tickets for the BBQ are necessary and they'll be available Sunday, BUT .... it would really help us out if you could be sure to purchase them by day's end on Thursday. Come by the Church Office Tuesday-Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm to get them. It'll help us plan accordingly for food.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets on Sunday, and while you're at it, bring some friends. What a great way to invite some of your non-churched friends to experience NewHeart, family style!

Home and then some ...

Well, we made it home and the trip was fairly uneventful. Until we got home anyway. Upon arrival (literally on the Flyaway bus to Van Nuys from LAX), we received a call informing us that an acquaintance whom we had just seen the day of my car accident (May 23) had passed away that morning (June 5).

Keri Houghtalin, just 43 years old, was a survivor of breast cancer and had apparently been experiencing symptoms that were diagnosed as leukemia just a week before she died. Her daughter's 18th birthday was last Thursday. followed by her High School graduation on Friday. Her son just graduated from Middle School today.

Life just has a way of taking us by surprise, doesn't it? I spoke at church yesterday and will detail here sometime this week some of those twists and turns for us as a Church Family. Nothing nearly as tragic as Keri's death, but unexpected stuff nonetheless.

On The Way Home

Well, it's Monday, June 5, and we'll board our plane home any minute now. It has been an absolutely wonderful family time the last few days. Days we'll never forget. Already, we look forward to our next trip to this area. Our next trip will involve quite a bit more driving throughout the region up into the New England states.

I'll write more tomorrow about some details of the last several days. We covered ALOT of ground and yet still not everything. Today's highlight was the Arlington National Cemetery ... VERY moving, especially the changing of the Gurad at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

LITERALLY just as our shuttle was picking us up from the hotel today, Martha Lesmes showed up with her grandson to wish us off. We didn't even have a chance to connect with her while we were here, but it was good to at least get in a greeting and a picture or two.

Boarding begins ... I'll write more later!

Convention 2006 continues

The last two days have been full and fun. Lots of time and connections with old friends. Content-wise, the workshops yesterday were very good.

I attended one called, "The Community Center Revolution", led by Doug Bursch from Evergreen Foursquare Church in Auburn, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. He shared how their church of 120 people has opened a Community Center for the purpose of getting their folks involved and interacting with their community.

I so appreciated how he shared his experience that the church building is often the last place the non-Christian community wants to go to because of certain perceptions they have about what happens in and at churches. He shared some awesome concepts and ideas.

The Community Center concept (much like the coffeehouse we operated about 6 years ago until a fire in another part of the building closed us down) says, "Let's go to where the community is." Some have heard me talk about what I believe is a long-term vision the Lord has given me to open a Community Center that would house a gym (basketball/volleyball, etc, as well as fitness equipment and coffee/juice bar and other youth-priented games).

It could be a place where other community-oriented organizations could meet (AA, for example) as well as a meeting place for our youth, who do not currently have much space of their own on our campus. An example of this idea can be found at Lord's Gym.

Last night's meeting featured a stirring dramatic presentation by Dean Jones of readings from the Founding Fathers of our nation. Following that, I had a great chance to have some good laughs with some old friends, among them Mike & Stacey Barker (former NewHeart Youth Pastor), Eric Mejia (another former NewHeart Youth Pastor), and Bob & Lisa Penberthy (former NewHeart Associate Pastor).

Mike & Stacey, and Eric, have planted a Foursquare Church in Austin, Texas called City Life Community. Bob & Lisa are pastoring NewLife Christian Center, a Foursquare Church in Upland, California. They pass their greetings to the NewHeart family.

A highlight of today is actually a humorous one. One of the main reasons I believe in attending Convention each year is that this is where the denominational business meetings occur. It's one of those things where it's the most boring part of Convention, but one I feel is most crucial to be able to participate in the process of decision making.

The Business Sessions always take place on the last two days of Convention. However, in order to transact business, a majority quorum of voting delegates present at the Business Session is required. This year, there are over 1,800 voting delegates at Convention, requiring over 900 to be present at Business Sessions. Today's session only had 600 present, so they couldn't hold the Business Session at all. I am sure that will not be the case tomorrow!

Colleen and the boys arrived here earlier this evening. We gave Colleen a break by hanging out at the hotel pool for the evening. I didn't get to hear Lloyd John Ogilvie speak, but did get to spend some catch-up time with the boys and Colleen got some good rest.

I am looking forward to tomorrow night's speaker, Pastor Kenneth Ulmer from Faithful Central Bible Church in L.A. They're the church that purchased and revonated The Forum into church use. He is one of my favorite speakers!

That's it from DC for now! More later ....

Convention 2006 begins

After a good night of rest, I hit the gym this morning for the first time since last week's accident. I did notice yesterday that the vehicular anxiety I had been experiencing all week riding in cars as a passenger was gone. That was a relief.

Then, my workout this morning felt better than I expected as well. I am just so grateful for the protection of God, evident even a week later as I feel more and more normal after the trauma.

I had the chance to spend a bit of time getting the lay of the land, hoping to feel well familiar with where things are by the time Colleen and the kids arrive. Today is really the only day to do that as the next few will be frankly TOO busy with the Convention schedule.

Convention began tonight with some real flair. Touching videos reminding us of Memorial Day's reason for existence and some special music along the same course. The music included a Colonial era military band parading through the auditorium to the platform and then leading us in the national anthem and a stirring lone bugler playing taps. It had a way of making our time of worship extra special as well. Of course, it's always a treat to sing and worship with about 3,000 others in the room whose hearts are geared toward the same direction.

Pastor Jack Hayford, President of the Foursquare Church, spoke tonight out of Joshua 1:1-9. His message was on "How God Emerges A New Generation". The most striking part of his message to me was how God declares with the emergence of any new generation, "In rising to the moment, walk with understanding."

As Joshua becomes the new leader of Israel, God says, "Joshua, wherever you walk, wherever your sole treads (as you rise to the occasion), I've already been there (walk with understanding)."

The rest of the evening was spent catching up with old friends, Tim & Kelly Mossholder and their kids, and Bob & Lisa Penberthy. It's become a Convention tradition for that group to gather after the first night's session catching each other up and laughing a whole lot! Kelly said it well as we closed, "Well, we've started Convention off right!"

With that, Good Night ...

Washington, DC

It has again been a while since my last post. I am finding it an easier thing to post to the blog while I am traveling. Things get busy at home and travel seems to allow me some extra time to jot my thoughts and experiences.

It's about midnight of Memorial Day 2006 and I've just a while ago arrived in Washington, DC for this year's annual Foursquare Convention. I am traveling with John & Wendy Cox. I love being with the Cox's. We always have alot of fun traveling together.

Convention will start on Monday night and conclude on Thursday night. I am excited to have Colleen and the boys arrive on Wednesday evening. While the Cox's will return home Saturday, Colleen, the boys and I will stay through Monday for a long-anticipated DC family vacation.

Colleen and I vacationed here in 1993 and always dreamed of bringing our boys to this magnificent place for vacation someday. Now is the time. We've been talking about it for weeks. It was fun to have Jonathan discover last week that all this time, he was under the impression that we were going to Washington STATE to see some good friends that live there. We will get to see those friends here as they are also a Foursquare Pastor's family who will attend Convention.

The Convention is being held (and we are staying) at the Hilton Washington, which our shuttle driver informed us tonight is the hotel that Ronald Reagan was shot outside of in his assassination attempt in 1981. Hmmm ....

More on Convention later as the week progresses.

For now, I thought some might get a kick out of seeing a couple of pictures of my Thunderbird after last Tuesday's freeway accident. I don't mean in any way to be morbid. I suppose that if injuries were involved, I would be hesitant to show the pictures. However, I am very glad to say there were no major injuries.

So far, those involved in the insurance process have each said, "I'm not supposed to say this, but I think it's going to be a total loss." Colleen and I are praying already for the Lord to help us make wise decisions regarding our next steps. We covet your prayers.



Stay tuned throughout the week and I'll post some of our experiences, and as always, leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have experience in DC and can suggest anything kid-friendly, let me know!

Doesn't Get Any More Sad Than This

If you haven't been watching the news the last 2 days, click here to read the story of 31-year-old Matthew Winkler. He was a Church of Christ Pastor in Selmer, Tennessee who was found shot and killed in the parsonage next door to the church he pastored. Church members went looking for him after he failed to show up for Wednesday night service. His wife and 3 daughters were gone.

Thursday night, his wife and kids were found about 400 miles south of their home in good condition. Friday morning, the news broke that his wife had confessed to planning and committing his murder.

News reports went on to indicate that the community is shocked and nobody had any idea such a thing could happen to this family. Friends, it will not surprise me in the least as the story unfolds to find out that things behind the facade were not all they appeared to be.

I really do not mean to sensationalize a tragic situation. That's not my heart. However, if a story like this is the extreme case of living two lives, think about how many other stories are out there that are not making the news cycles.

This is the kind of tragedy (not just the end result, but the journey) that I have been addressing the last few years regarding Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. No one is perfect and no family is perfect. Yet the question still remains, how can one go years and years with a seemingly deep spirituality (or at least the impression of it) and still come to this place?

Let's watch the story unfold. It may be that Mary Winkler just snapped, and it could be that something happened mentally. But even still, how does that happen without somebody, somewhere, somehow, NOT noticing that something's not right?

You cannot separate your emotional health from your spiritual maturity. When you do, you are sure to deal with the temptation to live one life publically and another privately. And, in the end, that ALWAYS catches up with you.

I am praying for the Winkler kids, and for Mary, and the family members and church body they served. May God's grace somehow permeate the tangible shock and grief that so many will endure these next days and months, and even years.

Interesting Week

I sure miss NewHeart! I mean, I'm here and all, working away like normal, but I had to miss out on last Sunday's Celebration. Couple weeks ago, my youngest, Jonathan, spent a couple of days bowing to the porcelain throne. Seems the stomach bug couldn't resist me.

Last Thursday afternoon, I came home with that queasy feeling we all hate and a slight fever. I hit the sack and hoped for the best, but I guess my best wasn't good enough .... anyway ....

I was glad to have not tossed my lunch, but then again, over the next few days, there was no lunch (or breakfast or dinner for that matter) to toss. I lost 6 pounds between Thursday and Monday! Great for the diet, but hard on the stomach and energy!

Worst of all was missing church on Sunday. I can only remember one or two other times in 20 years that I've had to bail on a Sunday service due to sickness.

Then, Jonathan is playing baseball for the first time this year. He's got opening weekend this Saturday. Of all times for his very first baseball game, any guesses? Yep! Sunday, 9:00 am! It's his only Sunday game that begins before 12:00 noon all season! Go figure!

All that to say I'm missing out this Sunday too! There's just no way I can miss my son's first baseball game. If you're from NewHeart, I hope you can understand. You'll be well taken care of as Johnny is speaking in my stead!

I'll look forward to being there next Sunday, the 19th, and hope you will too!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

This is the last day of my Study Break. I've spent the last week at my parents' place in Royse City, TX, with the exception of the wekeend spent in Austin. I blogged about that in my last post.

Today, after dropping Dad off at work (Wal-Mart), I enjoyed a "Boots" Burger, downright best and most homemade tasting burger ever. And yes, for us Californians, even better than In 'N Out!!

"Boots Burgers" is literally run out of a backyard shed in the middle of a neighborhood right off the town square in Rockwall, and has been in operation since 1968. The fun part of this town is that when you're in the square, you literally get the feeling that Andy Griffith and Barney Fife are going to walk up to you at any time!

I had the burger on the way to lunch with a friend. "Boots" is only open Tuesday - Saturday until 1:00 pm (or until they run out of burgers, which are never frozen, always fresh), so it was my only chance to get one this week. For lunch with my friend, it was salad only!

After lunch, I traveled to Heath Baptist Church, where my family attended when I was saved in 1979. The Sunday School building was open and I got to walk the halls that seemed so much bigger when I was a kid. Wonderful memories flooded my heart and mind.

It's a traditional Baptist Church in Texas, meaning it also has a cemetery alongside it. My oldest nephew, who lived for only one day in 1981 and has the same name as my oldest son, is buried there. I visited his grave and thought much about the memory of his dad, my oldest brother, Leroy, who passed away in 1994.

After that, I drove a couple miles down the road and saw the houses our family lived in back in those days. It was quite nostalgic, and fun to do again.

Tonight, I'll head home, and I'm looking forward to that! I miss Colleen and the boys. But it's been a good week in every respect. I'm thankful for how the Lord meets us when we set aside time for Him. I'm thankful for how He uses people in our lives, and that He uses us in theirs. I'm thankful for a good spiritual heritage my parents allowed for, and for the time I got to spend with them.

Finally, I am excited about what the Lord has ahead of NewHeart. We are in exciting and challenging days! See you at home!

An Awesome Weekend

What a joy it was to be with Mike Barker and Eric Mejia last Sunday. Mike & Eric are former Youth Pastors at NewHeart who are planting a church in Cedar Park, TX, just north of Austin. The church is called City Life Community.

I drove in on Saturday to complete plans to lead worship and speak at City Life on Sunday morning. We had a great time together at dinner, retiring for the evening at the Barker's house with their three kids: Cole, Lauren and Emma. They were a blast to be with! Lauren stole her big brother's starter guitar and played along with me as I put the worship list together.

Sunday morning was overwhelming for me. Just to watch what the Lord is doing through these guys was awesome. They've been meeting at Cedar Park Middle School since September and the church has about doubled in that time to an average attendance of 60. HALF of their church are kids 5 years old and under!

It was a real treat to lead worship, speak, and spend time with the "saints" and the "seekers" of City Life. The Lord is doing a GOOD thing in Cedar Park, Texas, and we at NewHeart have a small hand in it! Exciting!

Sunday afternoon, the church was invited and many responded, to the Barker's for Super Bowl in their garage with several comfortable chairs and a giant 9 foot screen. Yeah Steelers!

Monday, I traveled with the Barker's to San Antonio, where Stacey Barker's father, Dan Hicks, planted The Church at Stone Oak almost 10 years ago. Dan has spoken at our church in the past and we have a good acquaintance. It was good to be with him and see the new building they completed two years ago.

After dinner at the Mejia's, with their two kids, Abram and Grace, and the Barker clan, I headed out for my parents place, arriving late last night.

I heard your weekend at NewHeart was wonderful and that Wendy Cox did a marvelous job opening God's Word to you. I knew she would!

I'll blog more later ....

Great State of Texas

Well, I'm here. In the great state of Texas, on my first Study Break of 2006. I arrived around 1:05 this afternoon, after a slight delay in taking off from LAX that was actually quite funny.

As we were rolling out to the runway, a flight attendant asked a lady a few rows behind me to turn off her cell phone. This was apparently her 3rd request, and the passenger was not cooperating.

Her argument was that she had a Nextel cell phone that has an "airplane" setting that would allow her to keep the phone turned on while not being any potential disturbance to the plane's navigational equipment. The flight attendant politely stated that the setting didn't matter, she would need to turn the phone off.

At this, the passenger became embarrassingly beligerent and refused to turn the phone off! When the flight attendant warned she would have to call the Captain if she didn't get cooperation, the passenger declared, "Go right ahead!"

I kept thinking, "I am NOT hearing this. I am still asleep waiting for my alarm to go off. This is both embarrassing for her and hilarious to the rest of us."

Sure enough, as we're waiting to take off, the Captain comes back to talk to the lady, who repeats her conversation regarding the phone, urging the Captain to "call Nextel and take it up with them!" Still no cooperation. The Captain warned her that if she didn't comply, he would have her removed from the airplane. Digging her heels in, she exclaimed, "Go right ahead!"

I don't think she believed he would do it. A few minutes after returning to the cockpit, he expalined on the intercom that we would have to return to the terminal to deal with a problem passenger. She let loose with a few choice words as the plane turned around!

Anyway, that was the excitement of the day! Flight was smooth and time with Mom and my sister Patty and her husband Gary was rich.

For any wondering, this is not a week of vacation for me, though it is a good time to kill two birds with one stone. Since my parents' place is a restful one, it's a good place to take one of the Study Breaks that I build into my calendar. I'll spend the next few days resting, reading, praying, writing, working out. It's a good and regular time to get away from the everyday and seek the Lord for where we're headed next and how we'll get there.

Additionally, though I try to not do much ministry activity during these breaks, I am speaking this weekend in Austin (about 6 hours drive south of here) at City Life Community, the church that our former Youth Pastors, Mike Barker and Eric Mejia, have planted. That will be a real blast!

I'll try to keep blogging as the week progresses, so check back with me soon!

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality ... Now What?

Since September, we've been actively exploring the issue of "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality". Our premise has been that you cannot separate your emotional health from your spiritual maturity.

Experience tells us that when we do, we end up emotionally dwarfed, thinking we are spiritually mature. In reality, we may have lots of Bible knowledge and even have obtained some good Bible study skills or spiritual disciplines. Unfortunately, these things alone do not lead to a well-balanced spiritual maturity.

This teaching series was inspired and drawn from my own life's journey through the pain of burnout and back again. Both of those venues, the series AND my journey, were greatly aided by the book of similar title, The Emotionally Healthy Church, by Pete Scazzero. Pete is Pastor of New Life Fellowship in Queens, New York.

Pete and his wife, Geri, planted New Life in 1987. Somewhere around 1995, Pete found himself burned out and Geri having decided to leave the church due to his lack of leadership and ability to confront and deal more healthily with people. A crossroads to say the least.

Where the Lord led Pete and Geri was a journey that brought Pete to this place of discovering what he calls "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality". When I came across his book almost three years ago now, it triggered some pretty deep transformation in my thinking and living.

I mentioned at the start of this teaching series that this set of teachings would not be kind of "come and go" or "just another series." It's not that any series or teaching I bring is viewed that way in my heart. It IS that I believe this issue of walking out a relationship with God, a spiritual life, is to be one that takes our emotional health in hand to see it grown rightly and strongly.

It was five years ago right now that I found myself spent, not knowing which way to turn or where to go - burned out. I never thought it would happen to me, but it did.

I had given and given and given, denying my own need to be refreshed and cared for. Many of you know what that's like because you've been there yourselves. And, like me, you've been trained to just "pull up your boot straps" and move on.

What does it mean that this concept of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality will be more than just another series for us? What does something that is part of our foundation even look like?
Well, for starters, it means we keep interacting with it. We don't allow each other to live without its consideration and implementation into our lives. We look at issues we face in light of it. We refuse to keep denying the emotional part of our lives and how it impacts our spiritual lives.

You will also find it working its way into our decision-making processes when we talk about what, where, when and how of ministries we offer. I think it will especially be relevant to different small group opportunities, where relationships are impacted at a deeper level than most other ministries.

I am extremely excited about what the future holds. You'll be hearing more of that this month. Change is upon us. We are planning to move our Sanctuary to Township Elementary School right after Easter while our current Sanctuary is expanded, our breezeway is enclosed (no more wind tunnel) and handicap-accessible restrooms are added.

It will be a very exciting year at NewHeart. Stay tuned for more, and as you give your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family open and warm invitations to come discover what the love of God is all about, prepare yourself to let your invitation be, "Welcome Home at NewHeart!"