One Year Later

Next week it will be one year since the abrupt passing of our son Michael. As I look back one year later these thoughts come to mind:

One year later it still hurts

One year later I still cry

One year later I still wonder why

One year later I still feel empty

One year later I still wonder what could have been

One year later life is very different

One year later I still wait for him to come down the stairs

One year later our family is still missing a piece

One year later I still remember everything about that awful day

But also,

One year later I still have hope

One year later I still can laugh

One year later I still can enjoy life and family

One year later I am more sensitive

One year later I am more compassionate

One year later I am still thankful

One year later I still have faith

One year later I still love God

No one should ever have to bury their child but sometimes this happens and it happened to us. Our lives will never be the same. There will forever be a hole in our hearts. That will never change. Yet one year later in spite of the loss and pain I see God holding us up and preparing us to one day soon do the same for someone else who may also unfortunately share this tragic nightmare.

Friends, there is an expression, "Life is too short", and it is true. In a moment it could be all over. So live life to the fullest. Have no regrets. Love your family and tell them so. Apologize when you need to. You never know when you may never again get the chance.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

Finding My Way

I heard this song the other day while out cutting grass. (Might be the last time this year. YES!) It really hit home for me. After almost 3 years of turmoil and loss I find myself asking the Lord "What's next?" (in a good sort of way). In other words where do you want us? What is it that you want us to be doing? What is your will for us at this time? Show me Lord. I don't want to do what I want, only what you want. Lead me, by your spirit.

Perhaps some of you are there too. Maybe you aren't coming out of the worst 3 years of your life, but you need direction. Ask the Lord to reveal it. Then be bold enough and trusting enough to walk in it. Be like Jesus and say, "Father not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42 paraphrase).

Enjoy the video!

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

The Heart of the Matter

Take a look at this video via this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXU3VE5eX4U (You will need to copy and paste it into your browser)

It's by Don Henley of the 70's band The Eagles. Listen closely to the words. Then read on.

I heard this song recently and it caught my attention. Why? Partially because The Eagles were one of my favorite bands back in the day but more because of the theme of the song, forgiveness. Here is the story of a broken relationship. There are some hurt feelings, but he has decided to make a choice. To forgive. It's a bit of a revelation for him too. If you listened closely you will see He realizes the power of forgiveness AND unforgiveness. The freedom of forgiveness and the bondage of unforgiveness. He also makes the choice to forgive "even if" he doesn't get a positive response back. Such wisdom and as far as I know Don Henley is not a believer in Jesus.

We believers in Jesus should have this same understanding and make this same choice. Jesus came and died for our forgiveness, even if. It's a gift and we need to take it. But just as importantly we need to give it, even if, because Jesus commands us.

Mark 11:25 ESV And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, (15) but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Luke 17:3-4 ESV Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, (4) and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Yet too often we don't choose to forgive. So many when hurt or wronged by another refuse to forgive and in some extreme cases go as far as to even try to get even. Yet forgiveness should be part of the fabric of a believer's life

Matthew 18:21-22

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

I am a firm believer that most offenses against us are not intentional. In other words people do not go out and deliberately try to wrong us. That should make it a little easier to forgive. Yet even if they do offend us intentionally, we still need to forgive. As I said before forgiveness is a powerful thing because it releases or frees people from a burden and you have that power when you choose to forgive, or not to. You can either free someone from their guilt and pain (like Jesus does for us) or hold them hostage to it.

So what are you going to do the next time you are confronted with this choice? Will you choose to forgive? Because just as the song says, for a believer in Jesus Christ, forgiveness truly is "The Heart of the Matter"

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

New Look Blog

So what do you think about the new design? Goes more with the theme. Right down to the dandelions. Looks just like my yard.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

John Piper on Prosperity Gospel

Watch this link below. It should change your take on what it really means to have faith in God.

John Piper on Prosperity Gospel: In this three-minute video, John Piper delivers a strong and convicting message about the dangers of the prosperity gospel.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

God is Good ALL the Time

Posts seen on Facebook over the course of the year. (These are not the actual posts but are created from pieces from actual posts I've seen). "Great day at work, God is good." "Going home to an amazing wife who has a great dinner waiting, God is good." "Great day at church today, the Spirit really moved, God is good." "I have the best husband and kids. I love my life. God is sooo good." I could go on but I think you get the picture. When everything is right in the world, when life is going good we are quick to acknowledge the source of why that is, God. That's a good thing. We should do that. Yet I wonder if I will ever see a post that looks something like this: "Just got home from an awful church service with my annoying wife and 3 bratty kids. Now I have to eat some horrible dinner she made. And oh yeah, I lost my job last week, God is good." Yes this is an exaggeration and quite a silly one, but here's my point. We like to say God is good all the time but do we really believe it and perhaps more to the point do we really understand what that means? It's pretty easy to acknowledge God and His greatness when everything is going well, but what about when the bottom falls out? Is God still good? Of course he is. Friends God doesn't change. He is good in our success and in our failure. In our joy and in our sorry. He is the source of all that is good. He doesn't cause our hardships but sometimes permits them in our lives. Either way it is all for his glory, not for our comfort. So why don't we really believe and acknowledge God's goodness all the time? In fact when the really bad stuff hits so many are closer to quitting than praising. Maybe that's because for so long the teaching of so many ministries is that believers should not have any bad times. We should be only properous and blessed all the time. If things are going bad it must be because we didn't have enough faith or because we didn't do something according to their formula. That's just plain nonsense. Bad things happen for a lot of reasons but never because we didn't have enough faith. If that were the case explain Job. No one was more faithful yet look at all that happened to him. The good news is he didn't quit. To him God was good all the time. (Job 13:15 ~ "Thou he slay me, yet I will trust in Him" KJV).

Friends there will be good times and there will be bad times in this life (Jesus said so). Neither will last forever. But in all of that God is good ALL the time. So let's remember that and acknowledge that. Let's keep on praising in the storm. Let's not become (or remain) "what have you done for me lately" Christians. You know the ones that only recognize God's goodness when things are going good. Because in spite of our circumstances of the moment, God IS good ALL the time.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul

Change of Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven".

As we live our lives things change. Sometimes by our choice or mistakes, sometimes because of others or circumstances beyond our control. Sometimes we embrace it, sometimes we want to run from it. But like it or not change is a part of life. One change we can't stop is aging. Time marches on. We all grow a little older each day and as such just like that we can find ourselves in a different season of life. For me I think it's early fall. For my kids probably late spring. It's the milestones of life that will help us to determine this. Recently my baby girl got her driver's license. A milestone for her and an alert for me. Next week Matt returns to college to finish his education and move on to his next season of life. It won't be long till we will be true "empty nesters". Our time of nurture and training will be done and it will be time for them to spread their wings and fly. It will be bittersweet as we will not be able to see our Mikey do the same as his season on this earth has come to an abrupt end. Yes this another season has changed.

Twenty five years ago I was looking forward to this time. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe because it means I'm closer to my winter, and don't we all hate winter here in the north? Maybe because I'm going to miss them being around. Yet in all of it I realize that this is how life is on this earth. It's not forever and things don't always stay the same. Yet we should make the best of it, especially as a believer, because whatever the season we are in He has some work for us to do. There is no retirement in our labor for the Lord until HE calls us home.

So what's the point of this blog post? I guess it's this, change is going to happen no matter what so why not embrace it? Change means new adventures and opportunities for growth. Sure there could be bad things that happen sometimes that really hurt and change for change sake isn't always good. Just like with the weather there are good things and bad about all the seasons. During the rough times of the seasons we can find ourselves complaining trying to wish the time away. Like during prolonged times of cold and snow, rain or extreme heat and humidity. We shouldn't do that. We should embrace and enjoy the whole of the season we are in because God is in it all. Warm, cold, sunshine or rain. He has a purpose for it and we just might miss it if we start looking too far beyond the here and now.

The words of two friends have stuck with me since I have heard them. The first come from a friend from high school who simply said "I don't get too concerned about the bad things, because I know they don't last forever". I like that. Gives us no reason to dwell on the bad. The other from a coworker some years back. While working in the hospital I was required to be on call quite a bit and one Friday afternoon I was sitting in the lounge lamenting how I hated being on weekend call and couldn't wait till Monday. My coworker simply said to me, "Paul don't wish your life away". Profound words. Yet we do that all too often and in the process can miss out on so much.

Until next time,

Pastor Paul