passing of a man of God

In a day where ministers and leaders fall constantly due to moral issues and breeches of integrity, there are a few that live their entire lives staying true. An incredible man of integrity and strength, Rev. Jay Alfred of Youngstown, passed away this week. He lived a long life, with much influence in those who knew him and many who did not. His funeral is tomorrow. Here are a couple of my thoughts:
- It's not so much what is said at the funeral, as who shows up.
- It's not what he said in life, as much as what he did.
- It's not who he wanted to be, but who he became.
In a culture where only 10 percent of ministers will finish well, he is a beacon of inspiration. I knew of him, more than I knew him. But I can tell you this, his reputation was well known and well respected. Today, I give honor where it is due and want to thank the Lord for Godly men like Jay Alfred. He made a difference in this world through his obedience.

leaders leading leaders

As a church we are at a place where we now have to make a transition with our leadership. Our staff in the past have been able to lead followers effectively and have moved into leading leaders. The next adjustment though will be the biggest. Our staff must be able to develop leaders who can develop other leaders. We have to make this jump in order to keep moving forward. I believe!

roller coaster

Planting a church is like a roller coaster. There are "ups" and "downs" and everything in between. One of the keys in ministry and in life is to surround yourself with quality friends who experience life with you. They make the joys higher, because you have someone to share them with. They also make the lows not so low. In the midst of everything, some close friends can bring stability and accountability. So who is on the roller coaster of life with you?

good day

Today, I led my first Central Sectional meeting as the Presbyter. I felt it went pretty good. We discussed some good leadership material and got into some great dialog. Then I took our staff to the "Memorial Golf Tournament." I got free tickets from a guy in our church. (I was doing my I'm sooo blessed dance) We had a great time, rain and all. We made some memories and had our staff meeting all the way up and back in the car. I love the fact that our team is spontaneous and fun.

memorial day

I was blessed to have patriotic father who instilled in me a love for God and country. Many times when I see a flag I can hear my dad saying, "Son, many lives have been given for us to fly that flag in freedom." I have never forgotten that. In fact to this day, I still thank our service men and woman for their dedication and sacrifice. So Monday, as we are eating hot dogs and throwing some horse shoes, let's take some time to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Prince Caspian

Just watched the new Narnia movie. Great flick. So many small themes that ran through the movie, which makes it hard to pick just one to preach on. I am going with "God's Will." There were 2 battles in the movie. The first was fought without seeking Aslan for help and the 2nd was fought WITH seeking Aslan for help. Let's just say the 2nd turned out better for our hero's. To find God's Will for our lives can be tricky sometimes. Mostly because we have so much of ourselves to wade through. Whether that is pride, fear, lack of listening, disobedience, etc. I truly believe that God wants us to know and follow His Will even more than we do. The question is, are we willing to face those things that we struggle with. What keeps you from hearing God's Will for your life?

merry go round

It seems that the longer I'm in ministry, the faster life seems to go. I call it the "ministry merry go round." Have you ever felt like it's spinning so fast that you're holding on but your legs are sticking straight out off the side because of the force? The crazy thing is, we all control our own merry-go round? We control it with our Yes's and No's. Many times we are intentional with our Yes's but not with our No's. I want to guard the speed of my merry go round so that myself and/or family don't fall off. Instead, I want them to enjoy the ride.