Tomorrow our family leaves for a week away at Black Butte Ranch. It will be a wonderful time as a family to rest, renew, and prepare for the next chapter in our lives. Three days after our return, I hit the ground running in my new position at Rock Harbor.
These last three months have been a wonderful time as we have waited on the Lord to show what was next. It has been a great time of rest and reflection; a true sabbatical. Perhaps the best part of my time off has been all the time I have had to spend with my little man, Benny. Not many dads get as much time with their children as I have had over the last three months.
We have enjoyed bike rides, gardening, preschool field trips, treks to the pond in search of frogs, time at the park, and much more. What a blessing this time has been!
While these last three months were not necessarily a part of our plan, they were certainly part of God's, and have I ever enjoyed them! I am thankful for all God has done for us as a family. He has provided and blessed in ways we could never have imagined!
I am now excited and eager to see how the next chapter unfolds. Stay tuned!
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Sabbatical
Following His Lead
One of my favorite aspects of following Christ, is the confidence that we can have in His leadership. A favorite scripture of mine has always been Proverbs 3:5-6,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
As we followed God's lead in stepping away from our ministry position of nine years we had no idea how God was going to lead. Where would He take us? What would He have us do? All we knew is that we wanted to be in the center of His will, to trust Him completely, knowing and believing that He would reveal to us His perfect plan. It has been quite a ride, and He has, as always, proven Himself faithful and true.
I am happy to share that this morning it was announced to the Rock Harbor community that as of June 1, I will be joining their leadership team as their Associate Pastor. Most of my time will be spent focused on student ministries with the balance of my time serving and leading in other areas of ministry.We are so thankful for the church God has led us to. Not only is it right in our community, meaning no need to make a move, it is also a church that fits well with who we are, and is a church that values the things that we see as important in a church community.
Rock Harbor is a recent church plant of two and a half years that is committed to and focused upon four important values: Truth, Authenticity, Community, and Hope.
Authenticity – a place where you can succeed or struggle and see others do the same. You are not expected to leave your baggage in the car but bring it with you to share with other believers and leave at the foot of the cross.
Community – connecting people with one another in caring relationships. Building relationships is not optional but expected. We will greatly benefit by bringing out each others strengths and helping to cover one another's weaknesses.
Hope – our only hope is found in Jesus Christ. It is not “wishful thinking” but a promise from God to us. Not only do we look to Christ for our hope but openly share it within our sphere of influence and proactively build relationships so that we may share our hope with others.
We are excited to follow God into this new chapter of our lives and ministry. We are excited to connect with such a wonderful community of people, and are excited to see where God takes us as we seek to be the church God desires. We continue to enjoy the ride!
If you are in the Sherwood area and need a church home, come join us!
Who Do You Live For?
Do live for yourself, for others, or for Christ?
How easy it is to simply live for our own desires. Similarly, how easy it is to fall into the trap of living our lives for the desires of others. In youth ministry we often speak of the struggle students face in dealing with peer pressure, the pressure to live as others expect. If we are to be honest with ourselves, it is a struggle that more than just teenagers deal with.
Have fun with this Candid Camera video as you consider who it is you live for.
May we remember....
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20.
HT to Adam McLane for the video.
Rooted
As we move into Spring, I find myself thinking about seasons. I enjoy the change of seasons. As we leave winter behind I am especially excited about the warmth, fragrance, and color of Spring. Spring also means my favorite season, Summer, is just around the corner!
Just as the calender brings different seasons, so does life. Some are more welcomed than others. I often wish the seasons of life would be more spring and summer like, but often, they are not. As the winter months bring harsh and trying weather, there are often seasons in life which bring harsh and trying times.
Here in the Northwest it is not uncommon to see large trees topple to the ground as strong Pacific storms blow through. As the harsh winds beat relentlessly against the trees there is but one determining factor that decides whether they stand or fall, roots. The tree with the weak and dying root system rarely fairs well, where as the tree with the deep, healthy, and strong roots stand.
Much like the tree, it is our roots that make the difference. As we seek to grow in our knowledge of Christ, our roots grow healthy and deep. As we are well rooted in Christ, our faith grows, and as our faith grows, we will experience the strength needed to ride out the unwelcomed storms of life.
How are your roots?
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
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