Latest newspaper column

As a member of our local newspaper's Faith and Values Advisory Board, I write a column every six to seven weeks. The latest ran today and you can read it here. Parts of it were a blog a month or so ago, so it may look familiar to you. Let me know what you think.

The Good Shepherd

I am reading through the Psalms in my quiet time. When I got to Psalm 23, I felt as if I already knew it and wondered how many times I had heard or read it over the years.

But the wording in the New Living Translation is very fresh and really spoke to me. Please take a moment and read it slowly, letting each promise resonate in your spirit. And be blessed and reassured through whatever is going on in your life today. Your shepherd knows.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."
Psalm 23 (NLT)

Family Day at the Braves

We spent Memorial Day in Atlanta watching the Braves beat the Arizona Diamond-
backs. My sister and I gave Mom and Dad this trip for Mother's Day and his birthday. They are HUGE Braves fans and we thought they would really enjoy the day. And they did! Claire and Josh (one of my sister's two sons) were in the middle of all the fun as well.

It was such a great day for family memories. We laughed all day long. Everyone had a story about some crazy trip we took when we were kids. We had lunch at The Dwarf House, which is the original Chick-Fil-A. The Lord blessed us with great seats right behind first base in the SHADE! Since it was Memorial Day, there was a moving tribute to veterans and our nation, including a fighter jets fly-over. And Phil Stacey, American Idol alum, sang the national anthem. AND, the Braves won!

Claire got all excited watching Yunel Escobar play shortstop. Escobar is a 25-year-old Cuban and a rising star on the Braves' team. She's into all things Cuban (as you can see from her shirt above) and was trying to figure out how to meet him. She took more pictures of him than she did anything else during the day!

God is so good. Through all the ups and down of life, I count it a blessing to have a loving and supportive family. Even though we were missing a couple of members yesterday, I was reminded once again how blessed we are. Mom and Dad have given so much to us over the years --- it was a real blessing to give back to them in a small way and make some memories that will last forever.

Pray for this Family

As you may have heard already, Steven Curtis Chapman's five-year-old daughter died yesterday when she was accidentally struck by a vehicle driven by her older brother. This is an incredible tragedy that makes every parent's heart ache. Not only have they lost a child but it came about accidentally through one of their other children. They will experience unspeakable grief over the days ahead.

Here's a note written from Chapman's manager on his website:

Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. - Jim Houser (Manager)

The music of Steven Curtis Chapman has had a big impact on my life over the past 20 years. He seems to be a grounded man of strong faith and character. I have been greatly encouraged by his music over the years. I even used to sing one of his songs when Yvonne and I travelled in ministry. It is called, "My Redeemer Is Faithful and True." I pray the words to that song will now encourage this family.

In spite of his fame and celebrity, at the end of the day he's simply a man whose heart is broken. Please pray for him, his wife and all the family.

As we all know, life can change forever in an instant. But God is our hope no matter the circumstances of life.

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:22 (NIV)

Completely Covered

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love."
Psalm 5:11-12 (New Living Translation)

One of the characteristics of God that I am always thankful for is that He is our Protector. I spent some time reading in the first few chapters of Psalms this morning and ran across this beautiful character-trait once again.

David, the shepherd boy who became king of Israel, paints a picture of God as Protector in the above passage. I know that David knew what it meant to take refuge in God. David faced all kinds of trials in his life --- some brought on by those who did not like or approve of him. Others were brought on by himself and the bad decisions he made.

But through it all, David continually ran back to God because his experience showed him that God was his Protector. Look at the request David made for all of us who take refuge in God: "Spread your protection over them." Those words bring to my mind a large, sturdy canopy spread over God's people. We gather under it and are protected from the storms that rage around us. It's like God's giant umbrella and we can get under it and be safe there with Him.

The other phrase I love in this passage is the end of verse 12: ". . . you surround them with your shield of love." Not only are we protected from above, but we are protected on all sides by God's shield of love. God's shield of love is strong and cannot be penetrated by the enemy. No matter what may come at us, God's shield of love will stand.

That means God has us completely covered! That's good news for the beginning of this new week, isn't it? I have no idea what may happen in my life this week. I am sure you do not either. But no matter what may come our way, when we make Him our refuge, we can rejoice because He spreads His protection over us and surrounds us with His shield of love --- and we are safe there.

Thank You, God!

Word of the Day

fog (fôg, fŏg)
noun
1.	droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
2.	an atmosphere in which visibility is reduced because of a cloud of some substance
3.	confusion characterized by lack of clarity

For some reason, #2 & 3 apply to me today. #1 may also, depending on what the weather does.

Monday Thoughts

Good Monday to you, my faithful readers. I hope you all had a great weekend and that your week is off to a good start. Here's a rundown of what's running through my head, just in case you are interested:

• I am really thankful for my mother. She has given and sacrificed so much for me, my sister, my dad, the grandkids, and all of her family for many years. I would not be the man I am today if it had not been for her. She also taught me to cook and bake and for that I am very thankful as well. Yes, I am a mama's boy and have no problem with that. I love you, Mama!
• I have thoroughly enjoyed the "Spring Training" teaching series we've been in at Capstone. The response has been great and it has really focused me and many others on how we can condition ourselves to follow Christ. This week, we're working on keeping our feet on the path that God has for us --- not the evil ones all around us!
• My dad's birthday is this Thursday, May 15, so my sister and I decided to give Mom and Dad a joint mother's day/birthday present. We are taking them to see the Atlanta Braves play on Memorial Day. They LOVE the Braves and watch all the games on TV. It should be a lot of fun for all of us to pile in the van and head to Atlanta for the game.
• Claire reminded me last night that she's about finished with tenth grade in only one year she will be headed into her senior year and then off to college. I asked her not to tell me that again for at least another year.
• Could you believe the wind yesterday and last night? It was crazy!
• An old friend from high school has been at church the last few Sundays. That has been cool. My sister saw me talking to her yesterday after the service and my sister said, "She doesn't look as old as you do." Thanks, Sis! Love you too!!!
  
• I am looking forward to our lake service on Memorial weekend, May 25. (Don't forget we will NOT be meeting at AmStar.) It's always fun to do something different and worship outside. Maybe Bekky will lead us in "God of Wonders." That would be great for an outdoor service, wouldn't it? I wonder if she's ever thought of doing "God of Wonders???"
  
• Much prayer continues to be needed on the home front. Please continue to pray for all three of us.
  

Thanks for stopping by today!

Truth

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth." Proverbs 16:13 (NIV)

One of the things I have learned about life over these many years is that an honest answer is always the best answer.

I can usually tell when someone is lying, not telling the whole truth, or omitting parts of the story that if told could result in some kind of problem for that person. For whatever reason, I have always been able to do this. My daughter hates this about me because it means that she seldom gets away with anything. She has asked me many times, "Daddy, how did you know?" And I say, "I just did!"

What amazes me about honesty and truth in today's world is that most people never tell "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" and everyone seems to be okay with that. People are constantly stretching the truth --- even some who call themselves Christ-followers. Know what happens to truth that is stretched? It's just like a rubber band pulled to its ultimate breaking point. One more stretch and it will pop and the sting of that elastic snap will leave a painful whelp. And once the rubber band actually breaks, it's nearly impossible to put it back together.

God talks a lot about truth, honesty, and integrity in His Word. Look at this: "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Proverbs 11:3 (NIV). Integrity is a faithful guide and will never lead us astray. As followers of Jesus, we must walk in the same integrity in which He walked. That is the path of truth.

When it comes to the truth, I would much rather know sooner than be surprised later. Wouldn't you? I would much rather get the full story now so that the truth of the matter can be dealt with honestly and openly. Some people wait and delay the truth - to tell the truth at a more "convenient time." But delayed truth is not truth at all. It's dishonesty and God is never pleased with dishonesty.

Yes, the truth can be painful at times and we don't like to hear it ESPECIALLY if we are the ones in the wrong. But if it is indeed the truth, let's just be honest about it.

Today

For the past six years, I have been privileged to pastor this church called Capstone. In fact, Capstone began exactly six years ago tomorrow - Monday, May 5. It's hard to believe it has been six years. We've seen God do some amazing things in these six years. We've seen many people saved and lives dramatically changed by the power of Jesus Christ. As I looked out at the audience today, I thought of the many roads we have walked together. So many of the people sitting in those chairs would not be in church today had God not planted Capstone in Anderson. I praise Him for that and we give Him all the glory.

Personally, I have grown in huge ways. God has stretched me beyond anything I could have imagined when we began. I have made many mistakes along the way. With the Lord's help, I believe I've made some good decisions as well. The greatest time of stretching came as I made the really hard decisions --- those that required standing on the Truth rather than giving in to what people wanted, what made everyone happy or kept them comfortable. I've been criticized and some have wanted to skewer and barbecue me --- I'm sure of that. I've shed tears over the heartache that comes with pastoring. But through it all, my heart has been to honor God with my life and lead His church in the way He directs me. At the end of the day, that is all that matters: leading in the way God leads.

Even though I have the amazingly wonderful and humbling responsibility of being "pastor," I am also a member of the flock. Today was evidence of that as I shared my "burdens" with my fellow church members. It was so amazing to be able to safely stand before you and tell you about my family's trials and ask you to pray KNOWING that you will do that. It was amazing to see the church BE the church that we knew God wanted us to be from day one: a church that loves God and loves people above all else. My family and I got to be the recipient of that love today (as we have many times before) and I thank you for loving, supporting, and standing in the gap for us. Please keep praying.

The amazing thing about this life is that we do not know or understand so many of the turns that the road takes. The ride can be dangerous and difficult. It can even be down-right scary at times. But because of our loving Heavenly Father, we can know with confidence that there is a plan that is greater than anything we can ever ask or imagine.

My hope, confidence and faith is placed today in the One who made me, who loves me, who has never failed me, and who never makes mistakes. Even though I cannot see where this road leads, I know who walks with me and who awaits me when I get to the end. And even when it all looks bleak and there is no hope, YET I WILL REJOICE.

"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Habbakuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

Thank you for continuing to pray for my wife and me, for holding up my arms (Exodus 17), and for carrying our burdens. I love and appreciate you more than you know.