One Man Revival

The Quiet Movement Begins May 2

2011-05-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, One Man Revival is moving its blog base to The Quiet Movement. Check it out at http://thequietmovement.blogspot.com

A Yearly Thing I Do: My Story, A Repost

2010-12-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

Hey gang,

I almost died 18 years ago today after falling into a diabetic coma, but am still here so I figured I'd tell you how Christ saved me today. This is a repost from my MySpace personal blog of Four years ago that is no longer in existence. I’ve updated a few dates and such to a 2010 version so that years make sense. The example I’ll give you here is that when I went to visit my dad was 1991. If I had left the years since as it read originally, 16 years might have led you to 1994, which was after I gave my life to Christ. I’ll say that this is a very long read, so be patient, the story gets better as we go.

Repost: My story, enjoy the read!

To say the least my church experiences have been weird, but for those of you that care or may want to find inspiration to talk to others, here is my story. It's the unadulterated truth. It's not always pretty, but I will keep it clean. I realize I'd like to keep at least a PG-13 audience.

My church life started out as a small boy in Anmoore, WV at a church called Mt. Zion Community Church. Why did I go? Because a cute girls took me. I was 4 and my best friend at the time was this little blonde named Sandy Fogg. Her sisters, Teresa and Darlene, took us to church on Sundays for the better part of 4 years, at least off and on. I met a few interesting kids along the way. I met a kid named Joel. He seemed to think this was the business because he kept talking to me about getting saved. When I asked him how, he told me to keep coming every week to find out. Unfortunately, he wasn't a great salesman for Jesus yet.

I also met the troublemaker kid. His name was Billy and it seemed like he always created chaos in Sunday School. He picked on everyone and had a promising career as a little A-hole. After several Sundays of his typical attitude, I decided to set him up and see if I could get him tossed out of class. All week at regular school, we had learned about money and the teachers gave us paper quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. So I took mine to Sunday school and sat next to Billy. When the offering plate came around, I threw in the paper money. The Sunday School teacher, a nice lady named Joy Adams, caught the incident as she was counting the money. She asked around as to who did it assuming what all of them did. Billy did it. I let him hang. He was tossed out of class for a month and no one knew the truth except me and God.

That summer we went to a public pool at one of our state parks and most everyone had a great time. All but me. See, I hadn't learned how to swim like all the other kids. They swam and I sat around. So I thought I would be big stuff and dive into the kiddie pool. Let's just say I didn't have Michael Jordan abilities and my head hit the concrete as I went in. I had a huge gash on the back of my head and I had to be taken home 75 miles to go to the emergency room. My mom was working at the hospital and as soon as I arrived, we found my mom and went straight to the ER. Eight stitches and a big cup of humble pie later, I was sitting at home having my mom tell me what a stupid head I'd been.

As I said, after several years of off and on attendance I stopped going. Why? It has nothing to do with the church. Seems Sandy and I were playing on picture day in the third grade and as I was chasing her around, she fell into the neighbors' car. Let's just suffice it to say he had just come home last evening from what rednecks would call mudding. Her mother had a fit, called the school, tried to get me taken care of by the Board of Education, if you know what I mean. This caused my mother to go ballistic and the families didn't speak for about five years. By that time, Sandy and I had both lost the attractiveness of our youth and neither was interested in rekindling our childish games.

So from about nine to sixteen, I had nothing to do with any church. This was not of my choice, but because again I had no one to take me. During that time, my family got closer to another family called the Weils. My mom worked with Mildred at the hospital and her husband's name was Carl. They took me in like a lost child literally. They had two daughters that lived with them, the other was married early and lived in Ohio. That daughter came home every summer and that's how I met her sons. We played wiffleball the first summer. My biggest memory was hitting home runs to Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters".

Anyhow, the local family decided that they wanted to show me a "good church". So I went with them for about six months and I had a great time. I felt like I was learning about religion, even though I hadn't made any real friends in the congregation. That's when it got weird.

About that time, I noticed that this couple that I knew through a girl I went to school with started standing up and saying that the church was going in the wrong direction and that the pastor needed to go to accomplish that direction. They continued a very ugly public feud for over a month and finally the pastor resigned and half the church left with him, unfortunately including me.

After that I began to think about the church in a very negative light. I saw that if the church fought and hosed good people over that I didn't want anything to do with it. So I quit. Quit period. I remember saying "if this is how church is, I want no part of it." That was my hard head at 16 talking and I meant it. It was almost seven more years before I had another thought about the church.

Even though I hadn't got back into church, my life changed drastically in the six years since my last church appearance. I seemed to go through one psycho after another in my dating life. There were mild exceptions, but crazy women were the rule. The crowd I hung out with at Hardee's made jokes about it and even developed a psychoanalysis test that they wanted each woman that went out with me to take. They weren't even shy about asking questions off of it.

I also met my dad for the first time at 21 when I took a two-week trip to Alaska. Yes, the cold one. Except that it wasn't that bad in the summer. While I was relaxing in 70 degree weather, West Virginia and most of the midwest were going through a major 110 degree plus heat wave. In a lot of ways, it was theraputic to meet my dad, but even now which is 18 years later, my dad and I are not anywhere near as close as I thought we would be. My life with my dad is a 5-minute call every other Sunday. It's sad, but it is something that has motivated me to be a great parent to my Megan.

I graduated Fairmont State College with a degree in Elementary Education (Multi-subject K-8) in 1991, but really didn't want to teach at the time. So I went back and took journalism for 1992-1993 year as a favor to a friend of mine. Eddie Gennoy asked me to come back and be his Sports Editor of The Columns, the FSC paper. I did go back because I have a love of writing and sports journalism. For the first semester, I had fun writing. The rest of my life, well, was not as pretty.

I was still having no luck with the ladies and I was told, indirectly of course, that it was my fault. See, I had a little weight problem. I had been picking up a little every year I was in school. I was now nearing 300 pounds. So I threw myself into my work. I was working, for free mind you, a 50 hour week for a school newspaper. At midterms, I got sick. You know, one of those nice nasty flu bugs that kicks your butt for a week. It was the first week of November and I had lost 11 pounds getting rid of the flu. That week, all I did was drink fluids to keep me going and I thought why not try to keep going on fluids and see if I could lose weight.

This became known as my ultimate crash diet. Over the next 45 days, I lost 85 pounds. I became skin and bones. At 205, I looked more like The Scarecrow out of the Batman comics than myself. It got bad. I couldn't stop the diet. I tried to eat bread and it took me four glasses of milk to get one slice of bread down. I knew I was in trouble. On Christmas Eve, my mom took me to the ER and the doctor diagnosed me with a severe sore throat and a cold. Let's just say he couldn't have been more wrong if he just opened his medical book and picked a disease.

I went home and two days after Christmas 1992, I collapsed and crushed my end table in the living room. I was rushed to the hospital. No one told me that it would have been better if I had been drinking sugar-free drinks. In about the ninth hour of what would become almost 42 hours of a comatose state, the pinch-hitting doctor replacing my own figured out the problem. She announced, "Don't you smell him, his sugar content is so high that his sweat smells sweet." I didn't ask for a definition from my mother as to what the heck that meant, but it was real bad. The next test she did discovered my glucose level at 1400. My body was shutting down. I probably had so much insulin popped into my body over the next couple days that it probably took the lives of a couple sheep that made it.

I woke up during Monday Night Football. To normal people, that would be no big deal. To me, it was huge in two ways. The first was my favorite QB Joe Montana was making his return to football after being injured for a while. The second was the fact that before I collapsed, I turned in my fantasy football lineup to my friend Rodney and he told me my opponent was starting Amp Lee. As I wake up, Amp is amping up for a TD run and as he goes into the end zone, I start screaming "No, not Amp Lee! Not Amp Lee!" My nurse came running into my room thinking I had more problems than diabetes. They probably called the MENSA hotline and they told them that I was too crazy for them.

While I was in the coma, I didn't have a It's a Wonderful Life experience either. All I saw was darkness. Charlie Murphy-Rick James darkness. I heard voices occasionally. I didn't understand them, so I couldn't tell you if they were people at my bedside or people on the other side. I'll make no guess.

Anyhow, the next morning, my doctor was back off his little vacation and told me that I would be on shots for the rest of my life. I wasn't thrilled. I hated needles. I was terrified of them. Then he told me I would have to give myself the shots. I told him to kiss my butt goodbye cause there was no way I was giving myself a shot anywhere.

So he sent in some very ugly, I know that's probably not PC, but for nurses, she was very ugly. She showed me an orange and gave it a shot. She then egged my manhood and said it didn't hurt the orange. "Was I a bigger pussy than the orange", she says. I gave myself the shot thinking I had kept my manhood and then afterwards realizing my testosterone played right into her hands. I never had another fear of a needle from my hand. I still to this day don't like anyone else shooting me with a needle. Not to draw blood, not to give me a flu shot, nothing. If you have a needle and are coming to use it on me, I still don't like you much.

After watching two days worth of diabetes education videos in one day, my doctor would let me out of the hospital only if I could get the supplies I needed at an open pharmacy. It was New Year's Eve and the clock was ticking. If my mom couldn't get my supplies by 3:00pm, I was watching Dick Clark on hospital television. She got my supplies just in time. I went home and started 1993. A new man, but an unsure man of why I was here and what I was going to do next.

By the way, I won that fantasy football title 20-16. I'd like to thank my kicker John Carney. He was a Charger then.

Anyhow, 1993 started off with a bang as several of my friends got together at my house to see that I was OK and that I had a pair of glasses. I would love to be a contacts sort of guy, but these were only going to be temporary anyway. I looked like a geek, but again after a few weeks I could throw them into the Monongahela.

I went back to school in January to a new pair of editors. My friend Eddie jumped ship and left me with Julie Love and James Lee IV. By May, I really wanted to put up a wrestling ring and take both of them to the woodshed. Even though I lost all that weight, I was still in the same weight class if both of them fought me together. I still would've taken them too.

My college newspaper life was still long, even though I backed off to 30 hours a week. I found a new job working as a sports reporter for a new version of an old paper. The Shinnston News was bought from Jim Jackson by two business guys, Mike Queen and Bernie Dearth. They were looking for a sports guy and I fit the bill. I worked part-time for them and finished my semester at FSC. They had long range plans of turning the paper into a county paper instead of a town paper which didn't thrill the reading populace.

While at school, I took two classes. The first was a writing class to a complete moron. This guy had about as much talent as a green bean. He thought he was the world savior of writing and found cronies in his class to help him follow the dream. I hated that class and I didn't like him much more than that.

The other class I ended up taking was a Bible as literature class. If you ever want to understand the Bible in its truest form, never take it as a literature class. The guy that taught was one of my favorite people, Dr. Richard Sonnenshein. He was a devout Catholic and once expressed to me that if his 72 year old mother in a wheelchair could give an hour to God, why couldn't I. At the time, I joked that he probably forced her to go which of course he didn't find funny.

But I met a gal taking the course that interested me. Her name was Kylie Churchwell and I was taken with her immediately. She and I talked about anything, except not a lot about God yet. I sent her a dozen roses for Valentine's Day because she had been sick for most of the week. She then told me that she was seeing another guy and that we were just friends. I wasn't happy about it, but I accepted it. I was having more conversations with a real girl for the first time in several years.

By the end of the semester, the story with the boyfriend had changed. She was showing interest, but because I was working so hard, I was too blind to see it. Plus, I had been told by a couple gals in the journalism department that she was really unstable and I had a thought in the back of my mind that I didn't need that. Sometimes I just wish the back of my mind had shut up. We started going to events with the town paper as a couple even though it was me putting the friends touch to it. I was featured at the paper's local high school as a contributor to a more positive atmosphere and recognized with a plaque. I had really worked well with the students there and they showed their appreciation at the dinner. I was so high from the event, that I missed that she was trying to tell me she was interested when she began serenading me later in the car. A few months later, she got bored and walked away. I let the first normal Christian girl of my life walk without so much as a whimper.

Later during the summer, the minister of the local Baptist church came by and began talking to me and my new general manager, Kim Gemondo. The pastor expressed that he was very pleased with a sportswriter with such a positive attitude about his town and that he thought that I wrote from a Christian perspective. What? I write from a Christian perspective. I thought whatever he was smoking, I wanted some of it. Looking back at my writing now, I realize he was right. I just didn't realize it. He had a daughter he wanted to introduce me to and I already knew her from the play company at college.

I went and visited his church and he formally introduced us. I just happened to be calling Canton that day to get Hall of Fame press passes, so I got bold and asked her to go with me. She agreed. That week was the Little League championships in West Virginia, so I lived at the ball field during the day and at the office cranking out info from the tournament each night, way into the night. So I asked if she could drive. She did until we got close to Canton and since I knew the area from previous bowling tournaments, she asked me to drive through town. As I drove, she decided to change clothes. I felt like I was in a Girls Gone Wild video with a preacher's daughter. I thought surely I was going to hell for this one.

We went to the event and drove home afterwards. On the four hour drive home, she begins to talk of how sick of religion she was and that she just wants to live a normal life. She then told me that she was sick of her dad fixing her up with guys that are living a good life. The only reason she went with me was the fact she knew I was doing publicity dates at local taverns and that I had to be a bad boy compared to the other guys she was hooked up with.

Oh, I was a bad boy alright, but I wasn't confessing my sins to her. I was out at the local bars on a nightly basis after work, including the new local strip clubs. My name got me a few drinks (Diet Cokes only, I have never had a passion for alcohol, stories for another time) and a few lap dances. My popularity was not only getting me into trouble, it was bankrupting me at the same time. The paper was the only job I spent more money than I made. I spent many evenings talking to a gal that went by the name Tracy and spending more money on her than any date I ever had. She would just talk to me. Oh, I was interested in her, but she would sit and listen as long as I was buying the drinks. When the money ran out, so did she.

I was going broke and I almost took my whole family down with me. I was living with my mom, grandma and great aunt at the time and was spending more money than I ever should have. Then, a real friend reached out and started pulling me back to my destiny.

During this time, around October 1993, my friend Alvin invited me to a concert. The concert included Petra and Cindy Morgan. I like soulful, brunette singers. Always have, always will. I listened to about half her show and was really enjoying it when Alvin drags me backstage to get autographs from Petra. At the time, that didn't really impress me. Looking back on it over a decade later, I was amongst musical greatness and was too dumb to know it.

After the concerts, I bought a poster of Cindy's Reason to Live tour. OK, honestly I bought it because she was hot and I would've milked cows just to meet her. I get up there and we talk for a moment about her show. She signs my poster and gives me no pressure about my Christianity. Years later, when I went to another of her shows and had the chance to talk to her at length, thanks to her sister Sam (that's another story), she was so glad that her music had an impression on me to think about Christ more from that moment.

I did think a lot about it. I was still working at the paper and even putting in more hours. In the meantime, Alvin would pass me a CD of different Christian artists every chance he got. He would come visit me when I was writing stories after midnight at the office and would just talk about life.

I spent Christmas and New Year's that year just happy to be alive. Alvin told me to take New Year's Eve off and go with him to another concert. This concert happened to be in the Southern Gospel vein. I remember the Kingsmen, Gold City and Tony Gore and Majesty (I think, they could have been there the following year, I know Alvin will correct me). For me personally, I like some Southern Gospel, but I can only take it in doses. After six hours, I was ready to go. We went to a restaurant afterwards nearby (I am wanting to say Shoney's) and threw up everything I ate there soon thereafter.

I hate bad food. I don't like food poisoning, but it seems that after suffering from it, I always have clarity. Decision making clarity. I knew my life was going nowhere. My resolution was to make 1994 better than any year I'd had in a long time. I think I can say without a doubt I did. But I was slow about it.

Twelve days into 1994, we were hit with a two-foot snowstorm that shut everything down for a week. That meant no sports. That meant no sports section locally. I finished my one page for that week and believe me, I had nothing else. Just as I dropped print to the page, I got a phone call. My great aunt that lived with us for the past eight years had a stroke and was being taken to the hospital. I told Diane, my super working layout lady to finish the ad space any way she wanted because I was on my way to the hospital.

Six hours later, I got a call at the hospital. It was one of my three bosses asking why I hadn't done a second page. No asking how my aunt was, no voice of compassion, just more of a where's my f'n second page. Remember the snowstorm I asked. He told me I was slacking. I lost it.

For the last four months, I had worked for $175 a week and usually had put in 60 or more hours per. Yes, I was cheaper labor than Mexicans and he had a problem with me slacking. The next day I went to the office and told them I was cutting my hours in half. Two of the three bosses told me they were cutting my salary in half. I told them to fly a kite and that's being really nice about it.

I went home and told my mom that I just quit my job. I didn't get yelled at. I got an encouragement speech. My mom has never been known as an encourager, so this was way, way weird. She told me not to worry about a job. Huh? She told me that my life had turned bad so she wanted me to focus on two things, my aunt that was coming out of the hospital and then to figure out what I want with my life. She reminded me that I was spared for a reason. I was stunned. Not so much that she said it (even though that was pretty shocking), but that she placed emphasis on me and my need for a life for myself.

Over the next two and a half months, two things happened. One good and one that people would say is bad, except that the bad got a point across about my personality and compassion. The first was that I began to hang out with Alvin more and go to the bookstores and other concerts with him. He took me everywhere and PAID. I will tell you that Alvin is not rolling in money, but he's probably the smartest financial person I know (yes, that does say something since I worked in financial areas for almost six years from 2000-2006) and he just doesn't blow his money. I think subconsciously, he knew what he was investing in. The funny thing was that I was realizing it too. I probably owe him more money than most of my credit cards, but he has never once even asked for a dime.

The second thing I did that I didn't share with most people was that I took up bartending and bouncing at this little redneck bar a couple nights a week just to have some money coming in. Folks, honestly, I don't drink. I kid about it all the time that I should start, to relieve stress, but I don't. So you could imagine me making drinks for people. Some people were really happy about it because they told me how to make the drinks. As far as bouncing, there was not a fight in the two months I worked there. The first reason was that the bar was owned by an old lady who would've banned them if they got into a fight. She didn't like trouble and she usually offered a free drink to avoid it. The second reason I believe was divine intervention.

It's not a problem of where I wouldn't fight, it was more of a fact that I couldn't fight. Being raised by four women led me down a road of slapping, not of kicking some butt. If there had ever been a fight with real fighting going on, I probably would have been killed or seriously hurt.

Anyhow, the real problem I had at the bar was I heard some of the saddest short stories I ever wanted to hear. Some people drank to escape their lives. Some drank to drown the pain. The saddest ones were the ones who drank because they thought that this was life. The last weekend of March, I was sitting at the door (it was a Saturday and I left the drink pouring to the pros) and this knockout of a gal sat next to me. She went on and on about how she wanted this guy sitting across the room and that he would do her and then find other gals to do and he had a couple victims sitting with him. I asked the general questions. Why put up with it? How can you say you love him? Why don't you date someone else like me? She ends with "He is so good to me." What? Did you just not hear the last half-hour of chat that we'd had. That almost got me to take a drink in the confusion. That might be one of the top WTF's of all time.

That night, I went to Hardee's after work and hung out with Alvin and shared the story of my working there and the gal's story. He then invited me to go to a concert on Tuesday. Since I was off, I said sure.

The concert was of Audio Adrenaline and DC Talk. Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV, April 1, 1994. Anyway, I went to the show. I listened to Audio A and they weren't bad. I would eventually love these guys as one of my favorite groups, but I just OK with them after their performance. We moved to the balcony for DC Talk because my ears were ringing. Alvin has this little knack of getting good seats, really good seats. We were originally in the fifth row to the left, right near speakers. Huge honkin' speakers.

We moved to the balcony and during the intermission, I fell asleep. DC Talk came out and did four songs before I woke up. They were doing their version of Jesus Is Still Alright (no apologies to the Doobie Brothers, this version kicked it). My brain found the song familiar and I was wide awake. I watched the rest of the concert and was pretty impressed with the music. But what came next changed my life as I knew it.

My friend Kevin has always criticized me for having to hear things from alternate sources even though my closest friends would tell me things. That night, I heard DC Talk share their testimonies and Toby Mac ended the evening with the theme. Jesus loved me and still wanted me. I know, Christians are going "no big shock", but to me, it was a foreign concept. At least somewhat. My friend Alvin and other friends (Kylie Churchwell Young, Kim Novotny Campbell, just to name a couple) had tried different approaches to tell me, but I am sometimes a little slow.

I found myself weeping now. Realizing that this is what I was allowed to live for. I had almost died 16 months earlier, from super high diabetes. I would also have died without Christ. But Toby, K Max and Mike had put the start to a final week in which I would give my life to Him.

After the emotional ride home, I continually thought about what I heard. On Friday, I was invited to a church by my friend Rob Fancher. I told him that I would if I could wake up after my job Saturday night. I left the house after that quick invite and began listening to 88.1. It was a station out of Maryland called He's Alive radio and they aired Christian talk shows during the day. James Dobson was on and he was interviewing a baseball player I liked so I listened. The player's name was Tim Burke. I don't remember anything he said that day, but it was his wife's words that shook me to the core. She talked about being raised by only her mom and how hard it was for her to come to Christ because she had a hard time seeing God as Father because the father example she had was missing. I knew that story, I lived it. She went on to talk about how God finally reached out for her. I knew the same thing was happening to me now.

I went to work that Saturday night and it was pretty uneventful, except that it ended at 4:30am instead of the normal closing time of 3:00am. I went home beat, but something odd happened. I woke up at 7:30am on my own. No alarm, no grandma reminding me to get up. I was ready. I was focused. I was shook awake by a gentle hand.

I went to church and it was fun. I met the pastor and he invited me to stay for a new members luncheon. It didn't matter if I was or not, but an opportunity to see a film on church history and a chance to meet some other people. I met a few people that day. The one that surprises most is my eighth grade home room teacher, Mr. Lanzy. People thought we didn't get along in school, but I think we both respected each other's opinions. I was outspoken and was sometimes misunderstood. Lanzy never called me on the carpet publicly, but we talked one-on-one and he always made me understand the errors in my thought patterns. He was never vicious, just to the point and that gained my respect.

That evening, I returned to the church and was in the middle of service when Mr. Lanzy came to the seat next to me and told me I needed to come to the back. What he told me was that my aunt was back in the hospital and that I should go. While I got my jacket on, he handed me a few papers to read. He just said to read them when I had a chance.

I went to the hospital and sat. My aunt was being treated and began resting comfortably around 11:30pm and I told my mom that I was going to the car to get something. I grabbed those papers. I thought I had nothing else to do and that I might as well read. The last of these papers was the story of John. At the end of the pamphlet, the author stated several times that John 3:16 was for ME. I took wholeheartedly what was being said.

I prayed. I realized that my road hadn't been perfect, way from it. I also realized that I had been left alive for a purpose. That purpose at the moment was to find Christ and admit I needed Him. I had a friend ask me if I needed Christ a few months earlier and I almost laughed. But I knew now that she was part of the plan too. There were many people praying and reaching out for me in the spirit of Christ. I remember the last line I said to God that night. "Obviously, I am living the direction that you wanted me to and that I am now willing to do this life your way. Take me where you want me."

That was over twelve and a half years ago. I haven't always been so willing, but I understand it a lot better than I did at 16. The church isn't always right. That's because it's human ran, rather than God ran at times. The same way each of us makes decisions. We don't always know. God tells us to strive to live as Christ. Why? Because if He told us to live as Christ, we'd all fail. I still do sometimes. I am appreciative that I get it right more often now than I used to.

One final note for those of you that followed this story from the beginning. I saw Joy Adams that day that I started at the church. She told me a little story. She told me that she had prayed for me since the day I left Mt. Zion. She added that she also prayed for Billy. She also prayed for a little boy that she wished had told the truth that day when Billy took the blame for some fake money in the offering. Yeah, I understood. I'm glad she loved me. Glad she loved me enough to want me to have what she had all along.

I love you guys,
Frank

For a Day, OMR Becomes Part of The Working Woman Blog Tour

2010-11-11T09:19:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

Today, we have Rosemary Flaaten, author of A Woman and Her Workplace joining us as a guest author. Enjoy the read!

My coworker loves to gossip about the rest of the staff behind their backs. How do I deal with it
when she wants to unload the dirt on me? What if I’m the subject of her chitchat?
Workplace Gossip
by Rosemary Flaaten
Gossip is a nemesis that runs rampant in workplaces. A tantalizing snippet of information or a morsel of
exaggerated juicy news goes a long way to spice up a humdrum work environment. But, left unchecked, it creates a
toxic environment that will suck the health out of workplace relationships.
The effects of gossip can only be felt when they are passed from one coworker to another. When your gossiping
coworker starts to share with you the latest bit of ofDice gossip, it is best to simply stop it. Interrupt her monologue
and say “I really don’t want to hear this about this person. I don’t want to get drawn into gossip”. You’re not
slamming her behavior; you are simply setting boundaries on your involvement. Chances are she will be surprised
and may even mutter something like “Well, you’re no fun.” or sarcastically exclaim, “Aren’t you all high and mighty.
We’ll give you the Miss Perfect award.”
Unfortunately, you may Dind that your unwillingness to participate in her gossip circle may make you the brunt of
her gossip. But, know that doing the right thing is always the best rule. Perhaps your courage to stand up and stop
being engaged in the gossip will make a positive impact on the workplace environment.
Jesus had a great deal to say about how to get along with the people in our lives who are our enemies – people who
gossip about us and even slander our character. Jesus evidenced for us the value of speaking the truth in love but
He went even further to give us relational pointers that will reverse the toxic nature of gossip. C.S. Lewis referred to
the topsy‐turvy nature of God’s kingdom and these four points from Luke 6:27‐28 are indeed counter‐cultural:
1. Love your enemies ‐ If loving your coworkers is too high of a hurdle to stride, use the work care instead. Caring
for this coworker means that you will not force your convictions on her; you will forgive her for the offensives she
has made against you and you will take pleasure in only the truth about her. If this seems impossible – you’re right,
it is, on our own. We must open our heart to God and allow His love to Dlow into us so that we can become the
conduit of Love to those people who desire evil against us.
2. Do good to those who hate you – Kindness disarms hostility. Find ways to show kindness to her, even while she
continues to gossip or slander you. Raise the bar. You have the opportunity to bring kindness and benevolence into
the workplace.
3. Bless those who curse you – blessings involves desiring good things to happen to and for others. Blessing is the
antithesis of retaliation. When given a chance to say something unkind about someone who has been spreading
gossip, choose to Dind something good to say about them. Follow the adage “If you can’t say something nice, don’t
say anything at all.”
4. Pray for those who mistreat you – As Christ hung on the cross, he prayed for those who had orchestrated his
cruciDixion. Praying allows God to transplant our bruised heart with a supple heart that turns our focus to God
rather than the mistreatment we have received by the words of others. True heart change will occur when we start
praying.
It is never our responsibility to try to change the gossiping habit of our coworkers. We are simply responsible for
our behavior. Deciding that we will not even be a receiver of gossip will break the cycle. Being on the receiving end
will necessitate a decision between retaliation and love. Treating our enemies the way we would want to be treated
is living out the Golden Rule.

Rosemary Flaaten’s successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-ofwork
relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her
Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada's top Christian literary honor. A dynamic
speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as
opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

What In the World Is Going On, Dr. David Jeremiah review

2010-10-07T17:14:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

We keep asking the question, “How bad can it get?” Unemployment is still high, BP is still cleaning up the Gulf Coast, our dollars are going down the toilet, so what else can happen? In David Jeremiah’s book, What In the World Is Going On?, 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Miss, these questions get tackled.

Without giving up all the clues, I can tell you that this book is insightful into the current world. Here are just a few things I learned from the book. I didn’t know that the US is 13th in oil production in the world. Most of the top producers are in the Middle East, but I didn’t realize how far down we were and how much that affects power in the global scale.

That isn’t enough for you. Dr. Jeremiah explains how Israel was born and what conflict that it caused and continues to cause today. My favorite part of the book was the explanation that America might not be a big world player by the final days. He explains everything thoroughly with scripture and with what has already happened in world events.

This book is a must read for anyone trying to figure out “What in the World is Going On?”

I love you guys!
Frank

Sneakers At Work Day is September 17, Rosemary Flaaten Joins Us

2010-09-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Learned about a day that I never knew about and wanted to share it with you. Friday is National Sneakers At Work Day. Well, I will let Rosemary Flaaten, author of A Woman and Her Workplace, talk a little about her obsession with sneakers. Enjoy a fun holiday with lighter shoes in the workplace.

Stilettos and Integrity? How about Sneakers?
By Rosemary Flaaten

By the fifth block I was done. Although my four-inch stilettos made my legs look long and lanky, they also made my previously innocuous little toe scream with pulsating pain. Walking to and from my business luncheon in fancy high heels had been my biggest mistake of the day. Where were my sneakers when I really needed them?

The craze started over 20 years ago when women, following the lead of the Silver Screen, started donning their sneakers in place of stilettos. The wise woman prized comfort over fashion, elevating her “right” to wear sneakers from her front door to her desk without anyone giving a second glance. It didn’t matter how matronly she looked or how disjointed her business appearance, functionality was given prominence.

So why have my sneakers been collecting dust in my front closet while my stilettos need new heels?

As I pondered this question, I realized that my choice between stilettos or sneakers is indicative of a greater question regarding my integrity at my workplace. Sneakers are stable, no nonsense, functional and take-me-as-I-am footwear. Stilettos are representative of my desire to fit the business mold and improve my appearance. In essence, I hope to portray a version of myself that looks better than reality. Likewise, how often are the choices I make around telling the truth or shading the truth based on my desire to fit in, to make myself look better or to prop up my lagging competency?

It has become socially acceptable to fudge the truth (even just ever so slightly) in order to increase our likeability. Robert Feldman, in his book The Liar in Your Life, quoted a study indicating that the average person lies three times every ten minutes in a conversation. The intention of these lies is not to manipulate. Rather, people lie so that they come across more interesting, likable and desirable. Sounds a little like stilettos.

Our propensity to shade or embellish the truth has strong ramifications in our workplace. When the boss calls to see if we’ve done the big project and we respond “Yep, just about” when we know that we’re only about 25% finished, we may find ourselves in a situation where we must continue to shade the truth in order to save our skin. One lie is seldom enough. When (not if) our untruthfulness is discovered, we will have a much more difficult task rebuilding the eroded trust.

If deception is telling and living a life of lies, then living honest is conveying truth no matter the consequences. Living honestly means we live authentically; but integrity takes this a step further. Unlike children who lie to get themselves out of sticky situations, integrity calls out greatness and gives evidence of maturity. In the workplace, we start with honesty, add authenticity, and then our character culminates with integrity.

In defense of all stiletto-loving working women, please don’t interpret my use of this metaphor to suggest that stilettos are wrong and sneakers are better. Rather, on this “sneakers at work" day, may it be a reminder that being a person of integrity will always be better than trying to make yourself look better. In the long run, sneakers will take you further than stilettos. Not just my feet will attest to that truth!

You can read more of Rosemary at http://www.rosemaryflaaten.com/

You Can't Take God Away

2010-09-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Tonight, one of my close friends here in town came to me on the internet. He gave me the good news and the bad news. The good news was that he was asked to represent his Christian organization on his college campus at the college student government meetings. I thought, “Man, that is awesome! You can really reach people for Christ this way.”

Then he gave me the bad news, the student government wants to do a couple of events that don’t sit well with him and the organization. He wants to speak out and say why they don’t agree, but there is fear. The organization is already being harassed by the college gay and lesbian group with threats of trying to take them off campus.

I won’t talk about two of the three events. Let’s just say that they aren’t things that Christians will want to be a part of. My attack plan is simple. If you can’t beat them and they are going to have the event whether you say yes or no, give them an alternative. I don’t mean student government. I mean the people here. They can run their event and you can offer a post-party or a booth near the event to evangelize. You are not running against the events, you are offering people truth and a choice.

The third item I will mention. The gay and lesbian group suggested a day of silence. They are tired of being harassed while walking around and I do understand that. But I think their targets are wrong. I would care to bet it isn’t Christians harassing them. It is ignorant people that are harassing them. They are ignorant as to why gays and lesbians would even choose their lifestyle. Truthfully, ignorant people don’t want to know. They want you to know you are different. Ignorant people give the same language to Christians, too.

But the day of silence is a great idea. I wish every campus across the United States tried this out. Why? Glad you asked. Here’s the thing, in my silence YOU CAN’T TAKE GOD AWAY!

Sure, I can’t walk around and talk with you about Christ today. You don’t want to hear the Word of God for one reason. The Word of God NEVER returns void. He promises us that. If you hear the Word, you now walk under the conviction of the Word. It just might put groups out of people.

OK, I understand. So, yes, I love a day of silence. Here are the rules. I will shut up provided you let me be a Christian in every other way. I promise not to put up signs. I won’t need them. Are you worried about all the noise in the student union? There won’t be any. I can still pray. I can still read my Bible. Most importantly, I can still be a Christian by example of following your rule of keeping my mouth shut. You may not hear me. But God will. And so will others who are watching. Some of those other groups will look and go, “You know, those Christians respected our rights and we respected theirs. There may be a middle ground. There may also be evidence that things need to change.”

Above is a video of Audio Adrenaline’s You Can’t Take God Away. I hope that it inspires Christians that want to be the example rather than speak the example that they can still make a difference in silence. Here are the words to this powerful song.

Lyrics | Audio Adrenaline lyrics - Can't Take God Away lyrics

Just remember my friends, YOU CAN’T TAKE GOD FROM ME!

I love you guys!
Frank

We Will Not Forget...But Neither Will They

2010-09-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Today is September 11th and I don’t need to tell you what happened nine years ago. Every year I get asked where I was. I can tell you easily. I had just finished the night shift at SunTrust’s call center and drove home. My friend Alvin was visiting because Night of Joy was the previous weekend. He was still asleep when I got home and I told my grandmother that I was going to sleep for a few hours.

Before I fell asleep, I decided to watch some TV. The local area had a tire plant that had recently caught fire and when I saw the smoke, I thought it was just more pictures of the scene at the plant. I had no idea that the smoke they were showing was from the World Trade Center. I flipped off the TV and slept for about two hours.

Alvin woke me to tell me what had happened. For the next three hours, we were glued to the TV. I couldn’t watch any more. We knew that Disney and Sea World were closing or had already closed so we figured to drive around and see what we could do. We stopped at a mall out near Disney and they decided to close at 3pm. Not much time for shopping.

That night, I still had to go to work. We were surprised that work was still going on, but I think all of us needed it to know that the world was still going on. Most of the night, we were able to talk because other than people checking balances occasionally, it was pretty quiet.

I remember in the days after that we decided to visit the Holy Land Experience. While other theme parks were closed or having limited hours, the Holy Land was on schedule and it was busy. One of the positive things that came out of the experience was that some of the population had a hunger to understand God more than ever.

I also remember the number of flags and flag decals and all the pro-USA stuff that was on cars, houses and businesses. There was such a unity of pride for our country. It is the likes of which I have not seen before or since. One bumper sticker said it all, “Don’t Mess With the U.S.”

Before long, we saw Congress pass a bill to proclaim the day Patriot Day. America began to use the day to take pride in country and another time to honor the veterans that protect and serve to give us the freedom that we have.

As citizens here in the United States, the slogan of the day has become We Will Not Forget. I think that has positive and negative connotations though. The positive remembrances are easy. We remember the 3,000+ people that gave their lives that day. Almost everyone I know either lost a family member or a friend, or it seems that way. These people are remembered for the differences they made in the lives of those that were left behind. They are loved.

The negative connotations are also easy, even though most of us really don’t want to talk about them. First, the United States now understands that we are no longer secure in that terrorism won’t happen to us. It was a wake-up call. A bitter, nasty reminder that the world does not all love us.

September 11th also reminds us that whether we want to believe it or not, racism still exists. While we united as a country, every person that is Muslim in America or looks like one is looked at differently. There is that look of “Can I really trust them?” out the corner of peoples’ eyes. While it might be somewhat good to be skeptical, it isn’t good to go full tilt and say things like, “Can’t trust a Muslim, period.”

The one thing I’ll say here that has come out of the last few days with this pastor and his congregation wanting to burn Korans (or Qu’ Rans), is that every group of people has a few nut jobs that the rest of the group wish would just go away. As badly as I wish these people in Florida would go back under the rock they came from, many Muslims wish that the terrorist acts never happened. I think both sides of the equation realize that what this small number of overzealous crazies try to do make everyone look bad.

But this celebration of what is now Patriot Day and our slogan of We Will Not Forget leaves me with one question that should make us all uncomfortable. Before I ask it, let me say here first that I know that most Muslims do NOT think this way and I am speaking of these extremists that love the acts of terrorism that was done here and everywhere else in the world.

The question is this: Knowing that we commemorate today, do you think that there are some that treat today like a holiday in the other way? That the extremists treat today as some High Holy Day of victory over the evil USA and/or Christianity? Are there parties going on somewhere in Afghanistan, Iraq, or even right here in the U. S. of A. celebrating that America and/or Christianity had their hat handed to them today?

I know that’s a scary thought. We Will Not Forget, however, I don’t think they will either.

I love you guys!
Frank

Be Inspired To Make a Difference By Max Lucado's Outlive Your Life

2010-09-10T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Can God really use me?” The answer is yes, yes, all the more, YES! Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference is the latest book by world renowned author Max Lucado.

Throughout the book, he continues to demonstrate that God uses common people today just like he used common people in the day of the book of Acts. Every chapter begins with a story about someone from recent history or from his own life and connects that person to a story from the Bible. The illustrations are magnificent and the connections are seamless.

If you are looking for encouragement in seeking God’s vision for you, Outlive Your Life is definitely for you. One of the best illustrations that you’re never too young to pursue living for God is nine year-old Caleb. He is described as a boy that “plays basketball, avoids girls, and wants the kids of El Salvador to have clean drinking water.”

God can and will use you. Lucado shows you that a ragtag bunch of guys that Jesus handpicked were just like us. They ended up changing the world for Christ. After reading this book, you will feel energized to do the same.

I love you guys!
Frank

The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven review-Baseball Didn't Learn the First Time

2010-09-09T18:34:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

This is a book review weekend. Tonight, you’ll get to see what I thought of The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven and tomorrow, we’ll be talking about Max Lucado’s Outlive Your Life.

The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven is not a Christian book per se, but I do think you’ll receive some good value. Baseball fans of the era I grew up in (the late 70’s-early 80’s) will find the book dynamic.

The book begins in my favorite year to be a Pittsburgh Pirate fan, 1979. The Pirates were “The Fam-A-Lee” and won the World Series overcoming an insurmountable 3-1 deficit to the Baltimore Orioles. The story begins talking about something new in the city of Pittsburgh that year, my all time favorite bird, The Pirate Parrot. Kevin Koch (pronounced Coke) was hired for the gig and lasted five seasons donning the outfit. The pronunciation gives you a clue as to where this story is heading.

The book delves into the lives of seven men including Koch that ended up arrested and imprisoned years later for turning several Pirates and many other baseball names on to cocaine. But the story is more than that. It also looks at the lives of several baseball players that took the drug and ended the story with immunity instead of going to jail.

We hear the story of Rod Scurry. A kid drafted to play in Pittsburgh that loved the game and left for summer ball two days after graduation. He signed and wanted to get started. We get to see how he made it to Pittsburgh, began cocaine use, how it affected him and in the end, his eventual death in 1992. It saddened me to see how much love he had for the game and with cocaine, that love didn’t matter anymore. The high mattered, the party mattered and his life fell apart.

That’s the sad part of this whole story is the promise of good to great players and how cocaine flushed those dreams and aspirations. Lonnie Smith, who goes down in history as the only player to ever play for three different World Series champions in the same decade, admitted in the Curtis Strong trial of 1985 that the game didn’t matter much at all. It was just something that had to be done until the next party.

The story also shared the lives of the men that had to put the puzzle together of the FBI and the US Attorney’s office. They share how they caught up to different players in this saga and how they got the players to turn over information on the seven men.

There is also the colorful Curtis Strong trial in September. This also introduced us to the lawyer that put baseball on trial during this time. The lawyer’s name was Adam Renfroe and as a teen by then, I remembered his flashy clothes as he stood on the city building’s steps and even remarked at the time that he looked like a pimp. However, this lawyer in pimp’s clothing broke down several players and showed that drug use in baseball was widespread in the 70’s and 80’s. Ironically, years later, he would be busted for doing cocaine and then admitted that he had been using for 16 years.

The toughest part of reading this book was seeing one of my boyhood idols be the centerpiece of this book, two time National League MVP Dave Parker. For years I could not remember the exact date, but it was July 20, 1980 that charted a course of history. It was Willie Stargell Day and I still have the coins from the game. During one of the doubleheader games, guys about 20 rows below me began throwing batteries at Parker. I remember being 11 years old at the time in total confusion as to why someone would do that. The reasoning behind the throwing was Parker’s million dollar a year salary. It also began the ball rolling on Parker heading toward the exit door.

However, throughout the book, author Aaron Skirboll doesn’t just show Parker as a user, but almost like a middleman to the team. He helped hook Pirates John Milner, Scurry, Dale Berra and guys on other teams like current Reds manager Dusty Baker. That disappointed me. What did make me feel better was that Parker got clean in 1983 around the time his daughter was born. He didn’t want her to see life like that.

I ran into Parker a few years back at Spring Training thanks to my friend Bill Morton. We talked briefly, but I didn’t get to share with him that I was there that day in 1980 and even though his career didn’t work out like he wanted it to, that I still admired him as a player and more as a man for having the guts to walk away from the drug.

There was a section that talks about current Met announcer and 1979 National League Co-MVP Keith Hernandez. Hernandez had denied repeatedly that he did cocaine and then admitted it in court at the Strong trial. The story tells that Hernandez went back to New York and was given a hero’s welcome of standing ovations. The judge of the trial discussed how disappointed he was with fans that they would give a criminal such praise. However, I understand fans. If you remember during the Steroid scandal that San Francisco Giants fans continued to celebrate as Barry Bonds marched toward history. It is very much the same thing. One, Hernandez was never convicted of anything. Two, fans of baseball are much like owners of baseball. We don’t mind drug use, convictions or anything else bad happening to other teams’ guys, but we will stand behind our guys. I look at how heartbreaking the whole Mark McGwire thing became and even though I am not an A’s or Cardinals fan, I stood behind him because of what he did for the game of baseball. You will remember that the next year, not only was Hernandez ELECTED to the All Star Game, but he also helped the Mets bring home their first championship since 1969. Of course, Hernandez is a hero.

The best part of the book for me was the aftermath section. Skirboll gave us a where are they now placing of all the people involved. He also focused on Major League Baseball’s mistake not to press the drug issue in 1986. Even though he didn’t talk about the Steroid Era, he showed you why it happened. It happened because MLB and the Players’ Union could not get together. The biggest reason was greed. Twenty years later, that greed blew up in their faces.

I’ll close with a thought that many people will disagree with me on. A lot of critics say that the drug era of baseball will go down as Bud Selig’s problem. However, I strongly disagree with that. Seeing how hard it was for then Commissioner Peter Ueberroth to even try to turn the tide, Bud Selig should go down as the Commissioner that was able to change baseball and begin to straighten it up. Mr. Selig met the issue head on, yes in part thanks to Congress, but with that help was able to get the Players’ Union to begin working toward making this whole drug problem in baseball go right.

The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven is a must read for any baseball fan that wants to examine how drugs affected this great game of ours. If you are a Pirate fan in the “Fam-A-Lee” generation, you definitely want to read this to see how it all came unraveled. I came out of the book a bigger fan of the game understanding its pitfalls. I also came out of this book a bigger fan of Lonnie Smith. Smith made a great comment that he knew he was never a Hall of Famer, but that he would have been so much better without the drugs. He also said that of most of the players, he was one of the few who tried to cooperate with baseball. He went to rehab, he spoke publicly about the time on drugs and yet baseball tried to not do him right. You’ll have to read the back of the book more to understand.

The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven gets five stars because I was in this book from page 1. I hated putting it down until I finished it. History repeated itself with drugs, thankfully the game is getting cleaner than the first time.

I love you guys!
Frank

You Changed My Life: The Long Lasting After Effects

2010-09-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Last night, after I finished my review of Max Lucado’s You Changed My Life, I began thinking. I know, you are thinking, “Frank, that’s dangerous! Stop yourself!” A changed life often has a ripple effect.
In the early 1990’s, DC Comics did a very poor comic book series across their entire universe called Armageddon. In the series, Matthew Ryder became Waverider, a man who had built a time machine in the future and returned to the past to try to stop his terrible present from being true. His present was that a super hero became a ruler named Monarch (inventive, right?) and he wiped out all the other heroes to rule as he pleased. He ended up ruling the Earth into the ground.

Waverider kept touching heroes and seeing if they could indeed become Monarch. It was a neat little ability he had to be able to read the person’s future by this manner. However, each time he did so, it changed the future. After a whole summer of crossovers and making me buy several comics that I would never normally purchase, the Monarch was revealed and beaten.

However, DC felt that they had not had enough fun with Waverider and continued to use him. Two years later, they ended up using him to help the heroes find who else was taking them to a time called Zero Hour. Overall, in this edition, another hero was playing God and wanted to make a planet that would be better. In the end, they tore up one of the greatest heroes in history in Hal Jordan, the greatest of the Green Lanterns. Yes, that includes Guy Gardner.

Again, as timelines were crossed the ripple effect took place and changed both present and future. Last time, I told you about Mrs. Booth, my senior English teacher and how her presence changed my life. With 23-24 years passed since that year under her care, I thought how different things could have been if she had not been my teacher.

We’ll begin with the obvious. There would have been no college for me. At least, not in the sense that I went to Fairmont State and became an elementary teaching graduate four and a half years later. I did have other aspirations and I occasionally wonder what would have happened if I had taken those turns.

I could have gone into radio. I long had a desire to announce sporting events and with my background in many of the sports statistically, I had the knowledge to go that direction. Those that know me also know that I have a clef pallet that I was born with. Fortunately, I did not have a hairlip to go with it. Unfortunately, the small hole in the roof of my mouth left me with a little vibration that sounds like a weird laugh if I don’t close my mouth quick enough after speaking. It’s really annoying when I am nervous. People throughout my life have made fun of it and it could have been a deterrent from radio stations giving me a chance.

The other thought that I almost pursued was signing up for Devry University and their computer tech program. I am average in brains (which may be a reach in some people’s minds) and it would have been very hard to learn, but it could have been a good career for me. I would’ve seen Chicago much more than I ever have living three hours from it now.

Without college, I never would have met Eddie Gennoy. Eddie and I became friends in English classes that I took at the college and he persuaded me to begin writing for The Columns, FSC’s newspaper. After a semester of writing fluff comedy and entertainment pieces, he helped hand me the Sports Editor position. I took off almost immediately and wrote plenty between 1992-94 because of that friendship.

With no Mrs. Booth, I also would never have bothered to find my father again. At 16, I was very angry at my dad for leaving my mom behind and leaving me to desperately seek male role models as I grew up. After meeting him in 1991 on my first trip to Alaska, he even told me that I probably was better off being raised by my mom. Without those meetings, however; I would never have understood medical histories that I have or spiritual tendencies that have miraculously passed through generations, including the good and the bad.

Without making that effort, dad wouldn’t have agreed to help pay my way through college. He realized that without him, it just wasn’t going to happen. While people have criticized my dad, including myself at times, this was the one great thing that I give him credit for. I have all the knowledge that I have because he helped mom make that opportunity possible. To me, that might be his greatest legacy.

I also would not have ever known if he received God or not. If you look back at my article on Father’s Day, I learned that news at his visitation and funeral. Because of that trip to Alaska to meet him, it intensified my wanting to know my siblings. I have two sisters and a brother today because seeing pictures of them gave me the hunger to know them.

Finally, without Mrs. Booth pressing me on toward college, she indirectly put me face to face with the man I give credit for helping walk the final years toward Christ, my friend Alvin Smith. Alvin and I knew each other in high school through other friends, but in college, our friendship cemented. We hung out and probably should own stock in the Hardee’s Corporation for as many sandwiches and fries that we ate there. It was that final year from 1993-94 that Alvin and I became like brothers. Two of the other partners of the rectangular table, Kevin and Chris, moved on to Pittsburgh. It was then that Alvin began using his faith to take me to concerts and eventually to making a decision for Christ in 1994. You can read about that on any December 27 posting. You’ll have to read the story to understand why. The funny part of the post story is that Alvin came to salvation after I did. I didn’t know that until years afterward.

So Frank, why did you use almost 1,100 words to talk about this? Here’s why. You never know who or when you will make the difference and change someone’s life. I am not a great author like Max Lucado, but I can tell you many stories of people who have changed me. I often thank God that I am not the same man as I was in 1986, 1994, or sometimes even yesterday afternoon at dinner time. God continues to grow me through the people he sends my way. He does it for you too.

If you’ve been lucky enough to have someone change your life for the good, thank Him. If you haven’t, pray for someone to pass your way that resembles the life Jesus Christ lived and shared with us through God’s Holy Word in the Bible. Don’t ask for someone to come by and give you the winning lottery numbers. Money doesn’t always bring happiness and also carries the temptation of putting a root inside of you to carry you to evil destruction. Ask for someone to reach into your heart and make you better, not bitter. Someone that will change you in a way that will make you smile and help that smile to last every time you think of them.

I love you guys,
Frank

Lucado's You Changed My Life Review & A Story of 1 Who Changed Mine

2010-09-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Kay Booth was my senior English teacher. As a beautiful, young woman in her early thirties at the time, I remember some of the guys in my senior class that were swearing that Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” was made for her.

There was a mind behind that beautiful exterior. As I finished my junior year barely passing English, eyes went up in the administration almost immediately wondering why I ever would consider taking college English. I wasn’t the only one. My best friend, Kevin, got an opportunity early in his senior year to explain why both of us were in her class: “You know, she just cares about me.”

It’s easy to say that she was a teacher who cared, but for me, it was so much more than that. After failing to survive the competition of teacher pets and attitude of Journalism I my sophomore year, I began to doubt that I could write at all, much less well. Being in her class brought back confidence in my writing ability. We began talking about going to college and I wasn’t sure if I’d have the money, even with financial aid. My mom was working a job as a laundry person for the hospital, a job she’d had for 17 years at that point.

Mrs. Booth met my mom at a teacher-parent meeting and asked mom where dad was. He’d been living in Alaska since 1972. When they divorced, the state wasn’t recognizing judge decrees from other states. However, that had changed by 1986 and Mrs. Booth encouraged my mom to go to the Department of Human Services, not only to find my dad, but to get him to help get me through college.

Thanks to that encouragement, mom did go to the office of a case worker. She found my dad in North Pole, Alaska. The social worker didn’t just get the $100 per month that he owed until I was 18, which would have amounted to about six months. She got the courts to have dad pay back amounts. My dad did not argue about it. He paid until the day I graduated college. Without knowing him or the money, I would never have made it through school.

I will always remember my graduation day at Bridgeport High. After the ceremony, she came by and shared encouragement and gave me a good luck hug. Without her help, this nerdy kid would never be sitting here tonight writing about someone who changed his life to open my comments on Max Lucado’s book You Changed My Life.

As I kept reading through the book, Max’s stories of love, kindness, commitment, compassion, hope, courage, wisdom and friendship, I kept thinking of her and several others who were able to touch my life and change it so that I could be here today.

That’s what this gift book is for. This book shares these type stories for the person in your life who has helped change you. All of these stories are classics from other Lucado offerings and warm your heart. I laughed as I thought about four or five are stories that I have previously seen or heard in emails and pastors’ sermons.

My personal favorite from the book is a story that I shared with my daughter Megan tonight. She is five and in kindergarten. The story is called A Friend Indeed. It is the story of a kindergarten class and a little girl that had a spirit to hum. Even though it was sweet, she got in trouble and had her pin moved from one color to another. The little girl cried and cried until her friend hummed until his pin joined hers, showing us that friends stick with us, even in trouble, even at an early age.

If you are looking for a gift book for a special person in your life, this is an excellent source of stories and encouragement.

I love you guys!
Frank

Matt, That Bottled Stuff Is Good...Sure Wish Africa Could Taste It As Well

2010-09-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Yeah, I am guilty of it too. I actually love stuff called Aquafina, Dasani,Nestle Pure Life, and when I lived in Florida, my personal favorite, ZephyrHills. It is bottled water and it tells us how crazy we are about how good our water tastes here in America.

That's right, America would rather buy bottled water even though most cities have decent enough water that we should be able to drink it from our own taps. Sounds crazy to us. Sounds even crazier to any country that doesn't have clean water to drink.

This month, my blogging friend Matt Appling over at The Church of No People (http://thechurchofnopeople.com) and 29 other bloggers are raising donations for Africa to help build real wells with real, fresh water. Most of the details are at the link I put above or go on over to Matt's page today and he has some great details for you.

You can help. You can make a difference. But while I am here, let's talk about another type of water that I want you to have. Turn with me to the book of John chapter 4. Starting in verse 4, Jesus heads into Samaria and stops near a well owned by a man named Joseph. Jesus was tired and thirsty and asks a Samaritan woman to draw him a drink. The woman was surprised to find Jesus asking her for the drink since Jesus was a Jew and the two races did not associate.

She asks Jesus in verse 9, "How can you ask me for a drink?" Jesus doesn't get mad. He responds to her in verse 10. "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

She is confused, seeing that he has nothing to draw water in verse 11. Jesus explains in verse 13. "Everyone who drinks of this well (Joesph's)will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Now that is the kind of water she's interested in. Water that springs up in whoever drinks it? That means no more trips to this well. Those were some long walks. She asks Jesus to give it to her so that she didn't have to come back for more.

He responded for her to go get her husband. Wait a minute. She didn't have a husband. In fact, she was living with a man after five other husbands. How did Jesus know that? That's right, ma'am. Jesus knows.

After an explanation that this gift of water isn't just for Jews, but for the Samaritans as well (and everyone else, too), she left her water jar next to the well and ran back to town and told everyone to come see this man, the Jesus that gives us living water.

If you haven't received this living water, look over to the right of the page and there is a section that tells you how to become a believer right where you are. Whether it's in your home, your favorite Wi-Fi spot, or your favorite coffeehouse, you can accept this free gift of living water that gives life eternal.

If you've already taken care of that, please consider giving to the water for Africa. Go visit the websites listed above and I'll type out the link just in case the one above doesn't work.

http://www.mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=5930

Just think, giving up one bottle of water a day could change a nation of people and give them water that will fill them until Christ's return.

I love you guys!
Frank

PS: With today being September 1, remember that Proverbs For the Revival is beginning a new month of going through the book. Read Chapter 1 and the devotion for today at

http://proverbsatonemanrevival.blogspot.com

Thanks for visiting there!

The New Look, September and Fall Events, Prayers & Love

2010-08-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

New stuff, new look, fun times being had by all as One Man Revival heads for its second anniversary in November. It should be a fun fall. Today, I just want to talk about all the fun stuff that I want to do this fall and some of the new things that are already here and coming.

First, I’d love to get your thoughts on the new design. I got bored of solid colors and wanted to add vibrancy to the page. I also did it for the cohesiveness for the new blogs, which I’ll talk about again in a few moments. I hope you like it and it gets you to think about how beautiful the sky and our future can be.

Those new blogs are up and going. We are nearing the end of the first month of Proverbs For the Revival, so that means with September 1st that we will be starting again with some insights. I wrote the first piece today (for 9/1) and it talks about having a fear of God. Psalms For the Revival has the rest of the year as far as the scripture goes, but today the 23rd Psalm was shared and I’ve gotten a couple emails on this one as far as people loving it.

With these new blogs, I again encourage you to comment on the page itself or on my or One Man Revival’s Facebook page. It gives me ideas to write about and maybe also gives you a chance to put your thoughts to paper, if you wish.

One new feature on the page that I do want to talk about today is Shelfari. If you are a reader, this is a good thing for you. First, my list might give you ideas for other books that you may have an interest in reading. Also, I have listed books that I have an interest in reading in the near future. Some of these are for personal, but some are for topics for the webpage.

The other thing I like about Shelfari is that it has its own little communities. You can join groups of other Christians or any other thing that you might like. I know there are several groups that love Steven King, James Bond and the list goes on and on. For those of you that like to show off what you read, you can list when you finish a book by date. My memory isn’t that good for the most part. I probably can’t even remember some of the books I’ve read in the way back machine.

Speaking of books, I do want to let you know that there are two Max Lucado books that I will be talking about in September. The first is called You Changed My Life, Stories of Real People With Remarkable Hearts and the second is a brand new book coming out on September 10th called Outlive Your Life, You Were Made To Make a Difference. I’ll be posting a review on the second book on the 10th and the first book as soon as I finish it. Those books are brought to you by the fine people at BookSneeze.com. If you are a fellow blogger that likes to talk about books on your page, it’s a good place to get a free book to review. There are quite a few books I want to review from over there in the coming months, so that will be fun.

Two final thoughts I want to put out there today. The first is that I am looking for other books on the Proverbs, Psalms and the Revelation. There are several reasons for this. The first is that I need other sources to glean ideas from to continue great work with Proverbs and Psalms For the Revival in the coming months. The same thing holds true for information from The Revelation. I haven’t forgotten about the Heaven series. It has just been crazy here at my house.

Anyhow, for publishers, authors, etc., if you have a book or Bible study on any of the three books and you would like to give me a free copy (or a few, so I can do giveaways here on the site), what I will do is tell about your book every time that I use it as a reference and also would put the book information along the side of the site, so that others will be able to find the book. If you would be interested in doing that, then shoot off an email to onemanrevival@yahoo.com or just send the book to Frank Jenkins, One Man Revival Ministries, 606 E Market Ave, Effingham, IL 62401.

Finally, I do appreciate the love and support of the people who read and comment or send me a note of encouragement to continue to do the work of this ministry. On the right side of the page, I have noted that it also takes money to keep a dad and writer of three kids going. So if you feel this ministry does make a difference, you can send a donation to the address above or head on over to Amazon and help out with a gift card or book purchases that can be sent to me. The wish list to look for is onemanrevival@yahoo.com as well.

Hey, I know it’s a hard economy. If you can’t do anything to help financially, you can still pray for this ministry and my family. My wife is a very hard working radiation therapist to keep the bills paid. That’s a bigger deal than it sounds. You can pray for her for a sound mind to deliver the radiation to cancer patients on a daily basis. My oldest daughter, Megan, just entered kindergarten, so you can pray for her to have a great time, learn a lot and grow in the Lord as she goes to public school. My babies, 3 year-old, James, and 2 year-old, Maggie, are still home with daddy and keep him in line as the day goes. Pray that we have time to share as they grow out of diapers to big kid underwear and prepare for their taste of school in the coming years.

For me, pray that I’ll keep it all together. From taking care of the house to finding time for each and every one of those listed above and even a little time for myself to spend with the One that brought us all together. Lastly, just pray that God will continue to instill in me a drive to write and share His Word and thoughts with you. It is one of the great pleasures of life to sit down and share time with you. I love getting your notes on Facebook and in email form. I also love the occasional real mail and calls that you give me. You guys are great and don’t ever forget that when I say “I love you guys” to close out my writing, I really do. I wish I had time to sit and chat with each of you every day. That would be fun. So thanks to each and every one of you!

Till next time, I do love you guys!
Frank

Will Antoine Dodson Be Blessed Beyond His 15 Minutes of Fame?

2010-08-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Life changes so quickly. Just three and a half weeks ago, Antoine Dodson was another guy going to school for his business degree while living in the projects with his family. Today, he is an internet sensation.

If you haven’t heard the story, Dodson and his family was at home a few weeks back trying to get in a good night’s sleep when a man decided to climb a garbage can up to a landing and then inside the family’s second story apartment window. He then tried to get into bed with Antoine’s sister and have sex with her. She protested and the argument that ensued trashed her room. Antoine and the rest of the family came to the rescue and the perpetrator ran away.

Early the next morning, WAFF TV in Huntsville, AL went to their apartment complex and interviewed the family. Antoine was angry and delivered a strong message to the attacker. The story is below.

Now, I realize that some people didn’t take the story as serious, even in Huntsville. People didn’t take his reaction as sincere. He told an interviewer on NPR radio that he was angry. He had something to say. The family had talked about the incident all night after the attacker left because they couldn’t sleep. I think that’s a reasonable reaction. So he was ready to talk. He said that he felt that he could strangle the camera even though it did nothing to him in the interview.

The story didn’t end there. As of today (August 18), the attacker has still not been caught. However, the video reached the attention of the Gregory Brothers. The group put the words into music and made a rapping remix of the interview. The result is below.

They also made two other versions of the song that you can check out on ITunes or Youtube. The song became an internet phenomenon. As of today, the original version has over ten million views on Youtube. That’s over 2.5 million views a week or 100,000+ views an hour.

Antoine became a hit and he even commented in his interview with NPR that people are now listening to him. He was used to having people step all over him, but now he had the attention of the world, much less the Lincoln Park section of Huntsville.

Even with the deterrent of some people making fun or not respecting the interview, Antoine has done a good thing here. That should be recognized. In the interview, he mentioned that crimes in the projects, like the attempted rape of his sister, went unnoticed and ignored by the police. With his interview on WAFF, Huntsville’s police force can no longer seemingly turn their back. Neither can a lot of other cities in America.

Antoine asked a great question in the interview that the NPR host totally ignored. “How do we come together as a people to change it (meaning the situation of the crime)?” He partly answered the question on his own by stating that we need to come together. The police can protect us somewhat. It’s their motto: To protect and to serve. But they can’t be everywhere. We as our communities and neighborhoods need to come together and work with each other. We need to watch out for each other.

Chapter 2 of the book of Acts shows a community coming together. They ate food, sold everything they had and shared together. What the verses don’t say specifically is they watched each other’s backs. You know they did. If they were willing to share everything and ate together continuously, you know they watched out for each other. If anyone from the outside (or even the inside) threatened them, they were immediately stopped.

Does it mean there will be no crime? No. That’s foolish. The Bible tells us that there will always be poor among us, in physical and mental means. But it starts with us. Antoine Dodson got the ball rolling in Huntsville and hopefully, that attitude of care and watching will continue.

I’ve listened to several of his interviews and he seems like a mannered man outside of the original interview. He’s soft-spoken and well-spoken. In all of the listening, I never picked up whether or not he is a Christian. I did pick up in one of his question and answer sessions with his Facebook fan club that he is gay.

Does that fact change my opinion of him? No. Antoine Dodson has done a good thing by raising awareness that change needs to be made. Thanks to the proceeds of this new found success, he is moving his family out of the projects into better living conditions. He is being a responsible man and making a better life for his mama, his sister and the rest of his family. He is affecting the next generation of his family. Maybe they will see the difference of coming out of the projects to a different life. It’s the kind of change that will impact the children for their entire lifetime.

Antoine Dodson is heading in the right direction. My encouragement for readers of this blog and anyone else who knows Antoine and his family is to continue to pray for their well-being. Continue to pray that they come out of this situation stronger and begin to ask the question as to why God spared them tragedy. Because He did spare them. Twice!

The first time was by not letting anything other than things be roughed up. Things are replaceable. His sister and her child in the room are not. The second time is by this new opportunity of life and hope thanks to the odd chance that people decided to make a rap video and give Antoine and his family a new beginning.

Finally, I pray that whoever in Antoine’s family doesn’t know Jesus get a chance to know Him. It’s the greatest second chance on life they’ll ever receive.

I love you guys!
Frank

Does cutting a word cut its power?

2010-08-13T17:55:00.003-05:00

It was August 6, 1945, when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb was nicknamed “Little Boy” and should have given a clue that something bigger and uglier was coming. Three days later, “The Fat Man” (minus Jake, of course) was dropped on Nagasaki. They go down as the only two nuclear weapons attacks in active war to the present date.

Many of my older readers will remember the late 70’s and early 80’s as America and the Russians had a standoff as they were the only world powers at the time with the weapons. The Cold War was highlighted by Reagan’s speech of tearing down the Berlin Wall and protesters on both sides begging “No More Nukes.”

So with the shortening of nuclear weapons to nuke, the word also took on some other meanings. The most dangerous we may know of nowadays is “nuking” in the microwave. All those lovely beams are warming our food and drinks. I learned a new meaning of nuke. It has something to do with messed up software, at least as far as I can understand. If someone cares to explain that further, have at it. Software explanations are like me trying to read the Bible in Hebrew. I don’t understand it.

The reason I bring up this shortening of names and now abbreviations is that we take so many words for granted. I remember a day at school in the 80’s and someone said the phrase, “Oh my God.” You would have thought the person had been cursing a blue streak of a profanity laced tirade. However, it was the reaction to the 1985 Challenger disaster as we saw it on television.

This week, I’ve been doing a lot of reading to give me encouragement and ideas for the upcoming months and I kept hearing on TV and seeing on a lot of posting about the lettering “OMG”. Let me start by saying that I’m not slapping people around for the use, but I am asking a question. That question is this: Are using abbreviations and shortening the terms making things less harmful?

I understand the comparison in your minds might be slightly ridiculous. Of course, shortening the term nuclear weapons to nuke or nukes makes no difference. I think they hurt about the same. We know this because if a nuke dropped on any city in the world, it would be a part of the nightly news for quite a while.

However, OMG is being used everywhere. From Facebook to the famous or infamous “OMG Kitty”, the term is all over the internet. People talk about it in television because characters are always texting each other in the shows. Even the words “Oh my God” are used regularly now and seldom, if ever, are even looked at as anything above normal conversation.

But there is a difference here. I know some of you military minds might disagree with me, but God is holy and nukes are not. My biggest problem today is that we toss language around like it doesn’t mean anything. It’s OK to yell a profanity, especially when abbreviated, such as “You MFer’s,” “SOB”, and the list could go on and on. We as a culture act as if we’re tossing pennies, when in fact, we may be changing lives and attitudes.

If we are believers, we must change the idea that it is fine to demean God’s holy name, in any way. God says this in Leviticus 22:32, “Do not profane my holy name, I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites, I am the Lord who makes you holy.” Our relationship with him is the one who makes us holy. If you want to debate that this is an Old Testament thought, replace the term “Israelites” with “my people.” He wants us to know that we are His and that our conversation must show it.

Romans 12:1 tells us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy. To offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” We are worshiping, or not, with the words we use. Think highly of the one who made you and saved you. God’s first name is not “Oh My!”

I love you guys!
Frank

Author Kristine McGuire Joins Us to Discuss Escaping the Cauldron

2010-08-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

Hey gang!

I don't normally make errors (LOL), but this morning I realized that I made a big one. I was supposed to have this interview up a couple days ago and on my calendar, I had it listed for August 12th, or at least I thought that. It's for another interview, I just can't read. I write real purty but can't read my own riting.

So today, I introduce you to Kristine McGuire. She is the author of a great book called Escaping the Cauldron. I'll let her give you the details in a moment in the interview.

Remember to give Proverbs and Psalms For the Revival a look see this week and comment your thoughts. They are new projects to help you spend time in God's Holy Word and strengthen you on your walk with Christ.

Now on to Kristine. Thanks for joining us!

What is the book about?

The book is part testimony of how I went from committed, albeit legalistic, Christian for twenty-nine years to witch, medium, and ghost hunter for eight years before God restored my faith and life. It details my personal struggle with trying to be "the perfect Christian" while being drawn to the Occult from childhood. The book is also a Biblical study that examines the current pop-cultural interest in the occult (in particular ghosts, hauntings, and mediums) and how this interest is affecting Christians as well as their beliefs about the supernatural.

Why call it Escaping the Cauldron?

This is actually the first book in a series, What Christians Need to Know about the Occult. It is a series of collections written from my former experiences as a witch, medium, and ghost hunter. This book is primarily about ghost hunting, mediumship, and the paranormal but I chose "Escaping the Cauldron" as the main title because witchcraft was truly my entry into the arena of occult interest and exploration including such things as divination, psychic ability, spirit guides, mediumship, ghost hunting, etc.

What do you think is the most important chapter of the book?

I think there are many important chapters but "Spiritual Warfare" and "How Should Christians Respond?"are the two which take everything discussed in the previous chapters bringing it all together, helping the reader understand their authority in Jesus Christ and leading the way to a ready defense for any kind of paranormal or supernatural event they may experience in their life as a Christian.

What do you hope to accomplish with this book?

I hope to inform and equip Christians with information about the occult. Additionally I pray the church will begin to acknowledge the presence of the spiritual world around us and listen to people who come forward with stories or claims of paranormal experiences without dismissing them immediately. When the church refuses to listen or offer any Biblical assistance, many people are forced to seek help elsewhere. This generally means seeking out ghost hunters, mediums, and psychics. I also hope to encourage Christians who may be questioning their faith to seek a deeper relationship with God, especially if they are stuck in a form of legalism. Our answers truly can be found in Jesus Christ.

Where is the book currently available to purchase?

The book is available in paperback and Kindle editions at Amazon. The book is also available in paperback and e-book editions at my blog site: Kristine ReMixed at www.KristineMcGuire.com and Lulu Publishing.

How are you available to the Christian community?

I write a daily blog, Kristine ReMixed at www.KristineMcGuire.com, on a variety of topics including faith, marriage, prayer, spiritual gifts, and the occult. I also work with my husband through Big Fish Ministries at www.BigFishMinistries.com, ministering through speaking with him at church and para-church events about marriage, facilitating seven day or special event prayer rooms, helping the homeless, etc. I am also available to speak at any youth, women's, or church events on a variety of Christian topics.

Find Kristine McGuire on Social Media Sites:

Follow on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/kristinemac

Follow on Twitter at: www.facebook.com/kristinemac

Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by the author in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

Karen Pride Joins Us to Discuss What the Bible Is All About For Moms

2010-07-13T07:21:00.004-05:00

Hey gang!

Today, we are joined by author Karen Pride to discuss her new book What the Bible Is All About For Moms. The interview below is some of her thoughts on the work. Enjoy and have a great Tuesday!

First, a little bit about me and how this book came to be…

So, let’s chat. I love chatting! And meeting new people, especially moms.
I am a mom, I have a mom, and I have worked with moms for years as a childbirth educator. And my writing style is much like my teaching style, telling things like they are with truth, humor and transparency.

I hated it when the instructor told me in Lamaze class that the contractions wouldn’t hurt. That was simply not true. And I vowed then and there that everything I did in life had to be truthful, but that sometimes the truth hurts so humor tempers lots.

Anyway, I have four kids, two adult sons, 28 and 25 and two younger daughters, eleven and thirteen, and for those who wonder about the gap, our third child was actually the only one truly, truly planned for the time she arrived, as she was adopted and brought home from Vietnam at five months of age.

My husband and I have been married for almost thirty years and met in college and have hung in and on ever since. We live in a small town in Central PA where he is a physician and I spend most of my time after three pm in the car.

The opportunity to write this book came to be as a result of a totally divine happenstance conversation I had with editor extraordinaire and grace dispenser Kim Bangs who invited me to submit a concept sheet and then proposal for this book.

Well, what about that soft spot for moms?

Moms have a tough job, don’t you think?

We do have the Bible, and not to minimize that as an instruction manual in right living by any stretch of the imagination, but it tends to come in after friends and family and all their free advice, that can be pretty costly…

So the question arose, how can we take Biblical wisdom and stories, role models and examples, and weave them into relevant (and funny) stories to encourage moms? I know I need encouragement! Everyone else’s kids may be perfect, but mine are NOT. And, shocker, neither am I. But guess what? Neither were many of the moms, ok, all of the moms in the Bible. Remember, Jesus has the corner on the market in the perfection department, so God has provided lots of examples of moms and how they dealt with different situations, similar to what current day moms deal with. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. But, the story of the Bible is one of redemption, and moms need to remember that.

So, the opening story for Genesis, is titled, “E is for Eve and Epidurals.”

So, tell us a little bit about how the book is laid out, and who is Henrietta Mears?

The book is inspired by the writing of Henrietta Mears, renowned Bible Teacher from Hollywood Presbyterian Church in the 1940’s and on. She believed in making the Bible accessible to everyone, and wrote her hallmark publication, What the Bible is All About, and was the founder of Gospel Light Publishing, Regal’s (the publisher of this book) parent company. So Regal has now published two devotionals inspired by her writing.

The book is comprised of 66 chapters, one for each book of the Bible, each one bit sized for busy moms.

Each chapter starts off with a brief section entitled “Snapshot from Henrietta” which serves as a basic overview for that particular book of the Bible. It is then followed by selected Scriptures, also inspired by the writing of Miss Mears, with one specific Scripture from among her selections highlighted. This Scripture is one that has particular relevance to moms.

A short one sentence synopsis precedes each story under the heading, “Momento” and then is followed by the story under the heading, “Mama Mia” which focuses on a mom or mom theme.
Each story is followed by an encouragement, “Lightening the Mother Load” and then closes with questions for reflection under “Musings for Moms.”

Tell us a little about the stories; some of these titles make me laugh.

I am so glad they make you laugh. Every mom who has gone through labor can relate to labor pain. Well, it says there right in the Bible, women will experience pain in childbirth, so E is for Eve (the grande dame mama) and epidurals…

Then there are others, like, “Bath”-Is That for Bathing or Bathsheba? (Being noticed and admired…); “White Teeth and Plastic Surgery” (paying attention to appearances); “Mean Girls 101” (raising great daughters); and “Too Much Idling Will Ruin Your Engine” (Gossiping).

But the stories are relevant, honest, and will result in many nods of recognition. I am simply the scribe (oh, and experiencer of most of the stories, which are all true, although some names have been changed….)

But aren’t Moms too busy to read?

I will be the first mom to admit that we are busy…and I often fall asleep at night, sometimes drooling, while trying to read. But these chapters are bite sized, uplifting and include lots of Scripture, and can be read on the go. They are great for the car or purse. Plus, with the Bible overview, if you have friends who don’t think the Bible is particularly relevant, or not for them, this is perfect to introduce them to the Bible as the real deal!
Is this for all moms, or just young moms?

The challenges that moms face are really universal throughout their lifetime. It may be a different story, but ultimately it is the same script. It may be sleepless nights with a colicky baby, but problems and not understanding what is wrong continues with your kids through a lifetime (sorry, if you have young kids you probably didn’t just want to read this…)
It includes single moms, young moms, older moms, and moms who aren’t yet moms. There are struggles in yearning to be a mom and God’s answers and timing that are also written about with bittersweet honesty.

Have you had experience with tough times in parenting?

Absolutely. But because God is in the grand business of redemption, while it doesn’t condone wrongs, He will use mistakes to help us reach out to others. I have experienced crisis pregnancy, pregnancy loss, infertility, adoption and motherhood as a young fool, and older fogie…remember, we have seventeen years between number one and four. Our adult sons have had struggles (one son’s struggle with substance abuse is what paved the way to my relationship with Christ) and just real life issues, which would make it into my annual Christmas letter, and is why I no longer write one (no, I write a book instead…)

How has this book been redemptive to you?

That’s a great question, because the first draft of this manuscript was, well, a little let’s just say, sharp (ok, downright caustic in some places) and that showed me, through the eyes of another, that I still had significant healing to go through in my relationship with my own mother. And it is amazing how God has accomplished that, through allowing me to write, re write and then learn from Him through the writing of this book.

What kind of feedback have you had so far?

You know, it’s been really encouraging. Moms are relieved that they are not alone, that there is someone else who will acknowledge that they don’t have it all together (and don’t drive a clean car, either…) I have had so many women remark that they felt like I was just chatting with them over coffee, that the stories are so real to life. And that’s what we need isn’t it? Encouragement from others that we journey through life together, God loves us, will redeem our mistakes, and then enable us to share with the next sojourner on the journey of life.

What else would you like to share?

I would love for people to join the conversation, come stop by for a visit at my web site: www.kathypride.com, also known as The Mennonite Diva. Friend me on Facebook, although there I listed my “full” name for some unknown reason, Katherine Pride (so formal) follow my blog on the home page of my website, and just hang out.

Wait just one minute…did you say Mennonite Diva? Tell me about that.

Sure. First of all, my message of encouragement to women is that they all need to release their Inner Diva’s. They are Divinely Chosen, Inspiring, Valued and Amazing. I worship at a Mennonite Church where I also serve as the Outreach and Missions Director, and I love pink and having fun. So please drop by!

Debbie Taylor Williams Joins Us To Talk About The Plan A Woman In a Plan B World

2010-06-22T07:53:00.004-05:00

Hey gang!

Today, we have author Debbie Taylor Williams joining us to discuss her book The Plan A Woman In a Plan B World: What To Do When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan. First, we have some interview questions and then a few thoughts from Debbie. Enjoy the read and have a great Tuesday!

1. Your book focuses on living the Plan A life God designed specifically for you. What encouragement can you give for the woman who feels she's lived far too long on Plan B? Is there hope?

With God nothing is impossible! The Spirit who moved over the surface of the deep and created light and life is the same Spirit who abides in every believer. We can live the Plan A life God has for us because Christ lives in us and He is our hope of glory. Col 1:2

2. In your book you talk about hazardous landmines. What are a few common landmines women fall into?

Bitterness, discouragement, being fixated on the past, fear, feeling shaken by our circumstances, having expectations of how others should act are but a few of the land mines we can experience in a Plan B world. Left unattended, these land mines can cause devastating harm to us and others. God's Plan A is not for us to ignore these land mines, nor is it His plan for us to tip toe around them. Rather, He directs us to address and de-mine them. When we do, we can walk in bold assurance, confident of the ground upon which we walk. We're able to carry out the good works and plans God has for us; those that bring purpose and joy.

3. Talk about your P.R.A.Y. conferences and how women can learn more about your prayer ministry.

April 2, 2008 God woke me up at 4 a.m. and told me that I wasn't doing all that He wanted me to do. He then directed me to one of His Plans for my life: to take the principles from my book, Pray with Purpose — Live with Passion, to a church in every state in the United States. He told me to waive my speaking fee and travel expenses; that He had freely given me the keys to prayer that can change women's lives; and that I was to freely take them to my sisters. P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference was birthed as a ministry of my non-profit ministry. It has been a joy to see God powerfully open doors through women who hear about the conference and pass the word to their women's ministry leader or event planner. Women are coming to salvation. Spiritual breakthroughs and repentance is taking place among believers. A "pink hearts" club is spreading across America, one composed of women and men who come forward and receive a heart on which they write how God has spoken to their hearts. And God is speaking. If I haven't been to your church/state, contact lauren@debbietaylorwilliams.com ministries, call toll free 888.815.9412, or visit my web site for more information www.debbietaylorwilliams.com

4. In your spare time, what do you enjoy doing?

I love being with my husband. Whether we go for a walk, watch the sunset, take a hike in the country, travel, play golf (sort of...I'm a beginner :), or go for a drive and breakfast on Saturday mornings, he's my honi and love of 35 years. Our two adult children and their spouses are so much fun to be with; as is our 17 month old grandson. Family, friends, sharing the Lord - for what more could we ask?
Something Extra:

The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World, by Debbie Taylor Williams
“You’re Not the Only One Who Missed Plan A” Chapter 1 excerpt, pages 23-27.

God Has an A+ Plan for Your Life

“I know the plans that I have you for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11

If ever a convention were held for women who feel they’ve missed Plan A, the room
would be filled. You’d undoubtedly hear comments like these:

“My husband left me when our children were three and five,” one woman might say.

“I’ve always dreamed of being married and having children. But I’m single with no hope of marriage.”

“My Prince Charming turned into an abuser.”

“I was fired from the company I built from the ground up.”

“My child died of leukemia.”

Biblical Plan A Women in a Plan B World

Not only do we hear the voices of friends today, but we also can imagine the voices of those whose lives are recorded in the Bible. Perhaps if we caught each one at the moment she was hit with her Plan B, we might have heard something like the following:

“Adam and I were supposed to live happily ever after in Eden. My oldest son was not supposed to kill his brother.”—Eve

“I thought Abraham and I would have children when we were young.”—Sarah

“I thought I’d live a quiet life. I never dreamed I’d become a queen—or that the lives of so many people would depend on me risking mine.”—Esther

“My plan was to marry Joseph, then have children. Never did I imagine that I’d conceive a child by the Holy Spirit while a virgin. ”—Mary

As you can see, a long list of women in the Bible lived something other than what they must have considered their Plan A lives. No doubt, they appeared to be everyday women living ordinary lives: preparing meals; washing dishes and clothes; competing with other women; and experiencing problems with in-laws, children, infertility, sibling rivalry, and so on.

What they probably couldn’t see at the time, but what we have the opportunity to see now, is how God used them. Their lives counted for him and for eternity. Though at times some may have felt like appendages to their husbands and their husbands’ calling, while some may have felt lonely and isolated, God used each woman. Their names are recorded for eternity. God listened to these women’s prayers, intervened on their behalf, and met them where they were—in the desert, by a river, in a field, inside their homes. He met them in the midst of their daily responsibilities—drawing water, gleaning wheat, searching for infertility cures.

Did they know they weren’t rocking mere infants but future kings? Did they realize they weren’t just dressing babies but grooming leaders? Not simply singing psalms to toddlers but planting scriptures in the minds of prophets?

God had an A+ plan for these women even though they didn’t know it at the time. God has an A+ plan for your life too.

Father's Day and Why It'll Never Be the Same (Remembering Dad)

2010-06-20T14:45:00.002-05:00

Today is Father’s Day across America and it is certainly a special, albeit different day for me in 2010. It has not been a banner year at the Cheateau de Jenkins and that struggle had a new sadness on May 28th. At a little after two in the afternoon, I got a call from my dad’s phone. I thought dad was harassing me for not calling him for his 61st birthday, but the call was my step mom telling me that he was gone. He had been at work, started feeling chest pains and then within a couple hours, dad got an invitation to hang out with God. It was a great gift for dad, but it pretty much sucked for the rest of us.

By the end of the night, I realized that long awaited trip to New Jersey got moved up. My mother-in-law took care of me and the rest of the family by supplying us the funds necessary for the trip. The last time I had a visit with dad was in 2002 as he came to Georgia over Christmas holiday, just a little under two months after I married my wife, Mindy.

Early the next morning on Saturday, I decided that I would make an attempt at locating at least one of my sisters to allow them to know about dad’s passing. Dad had given me no information on my sisters other than names and states that they might still be in. Within about five minutes of research, I had found an interesting stat. In the state of Oregon, there are only 47 people with the name Ember and even luckier for me, only one with the last name of Jenkins. After looking at the normal place of the White Pages, I drew a dead end. Three phone numbers that did not work.

Then I had a thought. Let’s try Google and see what I come up with. One Ember Jenkins on all of Facebook. Well, let’s keep our fingers crossed, send a note and a friend request. Within an hour, she had called. The conversation started strange, but it made me laugh. Ember says to me, “I have to ask a favor, that you never give this number to dad.” I chuckled, “ I don’t think he could use it if he wanted to.”

I was embarrassed. That line was not how I wanted to share the passing of my dad with my sister. Let’s just say it was quite fitting the longer we talked. Without a long story, I will just say that, for the most part, there wasn’t much good to say from my siblings about my dad. I later talked to my sister Christy and she shared one great story I couldn’t pass up because it speaks volumes about the perception of my dad.

In the late 80’s, my dad met a Russian man who jokingly told him that he was in the mafia. My dad replied, “Amazing, I’m in the middle of Alaska and I meet the only member of the Russian mob.” He became good friends with that man. You would know the man as a guy who thought America was great. He often said, “What a country!” Yes, that man was comedian Yakov Smirnoff. I have to admit I am jealous of my siblings, because I would love to have met him. She went on to tell me that he would come over after a night out with dad and share the funny exploits of their evening. Those were probably the stories in which jokes were made of.

I met my dad in 1991, a few months after the girls moved out and back to Oregon. For the better part of two decades, I’ve always wondered what having family beyond mom and dad would be like. By day’s end, I realized that I had two sisters and a brother that I had never met and all wanted in my life now that dad was gone.

The trip to New Jersey, I thought, could be no stranger than the last 48 hours had been. What I got in the Garden State was totally unexpected and all of something that I could breathe easy about. While my dad may not have been perfect in his early years, he finally figured out some great things in the later years of his life.

In 2002, my father gave up the bottle. After many years of battling alcoholism, he beat the bottle for the last time. It changed him. He made a commitment to God. He joined the Catholic church. From what the priest there told me, he was a faithful member until his death. He also met his soul mate, his wife Geri.

Both had failed marriages, but took one final chance on each other. In 2005, they wed. He was a good dad to her two sons, Tommy and David. He found Geri’s entire extended family took him in naturally. They and pretty much everyone else in New Jersey loved the man. His last job, as the head maintenance boss at a local nursing facility, was natural for him as he became their Mr. Fix It and blessed them for the last five years of his life. For him, life finally came altogether.

In our conversations, we never had theological discussions, but I could tell that dad had truly found his happiness. I learned he had not lost his social grace when he left Alaska and was still quite the flirt. I found it quite funny that when Geri and I went to lunch on Tuesday that a man flirted with her and gave her a piece of gum. This man had to be in his late seventies or better, but I could see my dad being like that if he lived that long. He always knew how to win the ladies’ hearts.

That extended family of Geri’s was great to me. They took me in like I had lived there for my entire life. I shared with several of them that this is the family I wish I could’ve had all these years. They were always coming together and being a part of each other’s lives. They truly loved my dad.

While I didn’t get to see it, I was glad that he had a great run at the end. A friend of mine encouraged me with these words, “Frank, it’s good to see a man finish strong. He was in the Lord in the end and it was evidenced by the people and works around him. He had everything that you would want your life to end with; a woman that loves you, family that looks out for you, a job where you are giving your best and a church life that says he wanted more of God.”

I worried about that last part until Wednesday night of the visitation. A member of dad’s church came up to me as I was sitting and asked if I was his son. I acknowledged him and he told me that he wanted me to know something. He said, “I am a member of the men’s group your dad was a part of on Monday nights the last year or so of his life. When he started coming to the group, I asked him why he came. He told me that his son was a Christian and he felt like he needed to know more about why he was such a believer. I don’t know how much the two of you shared about your father’s beliefs, but he died as a man wanting to know more. He wanted to get closer to Him because he felt that you displayed something that was different.” To say I was stunned is more than you know.

I said earlier that dad and I did not have theological discussions when he called. We truly didn’t. I didn’t talk greatly about my faith with him. But I always wondered where he stood exactly. My guesstimate is that it was close enough to God to want more, which is where I always want to be. I don’t know what he and God talked about, but I do know that he was much closer in the end than anywhere I previously thought. That’s a good thing.

I came home from that trip and admittedly, I’ve been a little down since then. Part of it is because I wish it had been better between the two of us. All children wish this with their parents if they had a somewhat good relationship in life. I would like to have known more about his walk and to discuss the life with the siblings before he passed so I didn’t have so many questions that cannot be answered until heaven.

The other part is witnessing the love the people in New Jersey had for this man that I called my dad and they lovingly called Mr. Ed. I can only begin to describe the number of people that showed up telling me what a fine man, co-worker, congregant and relative that dad was. I found myself thinking a lot about how many people loved my dad, then I looked at my own life. I look at myself as a good person that tries to live a Christian life and show the love that Christ wants us to share. But here in Effingham, I haven’t made a lot of friends. I have tons of acquaintances, but few, if any, close friends.

I began to ask the question that all of us seem to ask before we die, “How many people would show up at my funeral and would they have nice things to say about me? Would anyone show? Would anyone care?” I know that sounds slightly vane of me, but I’m real with you here on OMR. It’s not like I want Charles Stanley to come and eulogize me with Chris Tomlin singing the worship, but I guess I want to feel like I left a good impression on the world and that people found what I did important. I told you it was vane, but at least you know I’m honest.

Anyhow, what can I take from my dad’s life on this Father’s Day that can truly impact the lives around me? First, I think that I always want to have an honesty with my kids. I want them to know where I stand as a Christian. I know that how I act and what I say will end up in the hands, if not the mouths, of my children. I want them to know that Christ is with them no matter how good, bad or indifferent they think I am. That’s what really matters. I hope to take them to adulthood and then, gently let them fly and be the people they are meant to be.

Next, if I make mistakes(OK, those of you that know me know that it’s not a question of if, it’s when), that I need to be man enough to admit them and ask my kids for forgiveness. I said something to Christy that has rang true. I was the one my dad found easiest to talk to. In comparing the hurts of the four of us, getting my forgiveness was probably the easiest. He just missed out on the formative years. I was grateful to have him as I could.

I also never want my kids to think I favor one over the others. My sisters shared with me the wondrous belief of how great my dad made me out to be, because I was the boy. I want all of my kids to know they are specially made to be the best person they can be because of God. I just get the honor of raising them and training them in the way they should go.

Finally, I don’t want them to have wonder about family. With Ember and Kyle in Oregon and Christy in Alaska, along with their families, I now have between them seven nieces and nephews. I want my kids to know them and the five cousins on Mindy’s side, along with her sisters. I also want them to get to know dad’s wife Geri and her family group. It’s been said that once we get to heaven, that we’ll all be one happy family, but it’s here on Earth that we get to practice.

So while Father’s Day 2010 is a day that I find a touch of sadness, I find so much more happiness with the extended family that I now have. So celebrate the patriarchs of the family and enjoy this beautiful holiday 2010 style.

I love you guys!
Frank

Day 2-Agapefest 2010- A Beautiful Afternoon and Skillet, Awesome As Always

2010-05-03T21:30:00.005-05:00

Hey gang!

Alright, I hope you guys had time to read the Friday night festivities before you read this one, but if not, it’s super-OK! This article will talk about Saturday at Agapefest for me. I didn’t make it in until about 1:00pm, so all the stuff before then isn’t included.

By the time I arrived the sun was coming out and it was going to be a beautiful afternoon. I got great parking on the street and did not end up in the field mud pit. It was bad in spots, but it wasn’t anywhere near last year’s event. Once you stepped into the concert field area, it didn’t look bad at all. There were a couple water puddles, but most people were intelligent enough to miss them.

As I walked into the concert area, I heard a man preaching and I thought that maybe they moved the speaker from the night before. But no, this was Thi’Sl. The Christian rap artist from the STL rocked the house with his words and his music. The crowd and I were really into him. I went and grabbed his CD and then went to meet him before one of the main reasons I came on Saturday, I AM TERRIFIED.

I AM TERRIFIED are these hard rockers that bring it all to the table when they perform. They got the crowd involved with jumping and arm waving at the same level of Thi’Sl. You see two artists and you knew this crowd was ready to rock. I would put them in the class of Christian Motorhead. Paddy just brings the voice, and Brandon, Matt, Logan and Joel just jam out. They were the first band of the event that I heard people begging for one more song. As a big fan, I tell you this. I want you to go buy their CD just for one song. You will love the rest of it too, but you will never hear I’ll Fly Away rocked out like this ever again. These guys are awesome!

During Philmont, I got a pic with I AM TERRIFIED, got some lunch and used the rest room because I knew I wouldn’t be back there for a while. What I heard of Philmont, I liked. I learned that their debut CD is called Attention and I think you really should give it a listen.

Next up was the artist that my good buddy Alvin Smith told me that I had to see, Stephanie Smith (no relation). He had seen her several times and told me that I’d love her music. He was so right. Stephanie and I have two other things in common as well. The first is that both of us are former Greenville students. The second thing is even more interesting. One of my favorite people in the universe, Toby Mac, discovered her. He helped make her a star and he was a nice part of helping me toward the cross back in 1994. If you want more on that story, go read any year on December 27 from my archives and you’ll get the whole story of Toby, Mike and Kevin’s involvement when they were a little band called DC Talk.

Anyhow, after hearing a few songs, I kept thinking blonde Pat Benatar. For those of you unfamiliar with 80’s music, Benatar was the premier rocker of the ladies of the eighties. Stephanie began singing songs off her new EP and they are all great. Go buy the CD. You will not regret it if you are a rocker! Toward the middle of the set, she did versions of Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot and Joan Jett’s I Love Rock n’ Roll. She would have fit in nicely with them back then. They would love her.

After she performed, she had the longest line for autographs that I had seen at that point, but I did want to get the other Smiths’ CD autographed. She was very cool with the crowd and it didn’t take long as she was great with everyone. I know artists are supposed to be that way, but she might be one of the most genuine people I’ve met in Christian music. She is a fun, spunky rocker. She was making goofy faces with fans for pictures. It was a blast watching her interact with her fanbase. Even later in the evening, when she was practically mugged by a group of teens, she was fun and loving with the group as she was watching the show. That’s above and beyond and it gives me oodles of respect for her.

Well, after getting a picture and the autograph with Stephanie, I went back to the concert area and realized that I was getting nowhere near the stage for any more pictures. I will apologize now for not getting any shots of Remedy Drive and forward to Skillet for you.

Remedy Drive put a lot of energy into their show. The lead singer did tricks like being in a chair on his head playing his piano. These guys poured their hearts into the act and it seemed that only when they told people what to do that they did anything. They definitely get my award for most unappreciated band of the weekend, but they did a great show.

I had never seen Run Kid Run or Family Force 5 and had never heard of Paper Route. Run Kid Run did a decent show. A lot of people were talking to me during their performance, but I think they did well for not knowing any of their music and they were great about talking about Christ about midway through.

Paper Route came out and I found myself thinking of The Police in the Synchronicity Era. They did a good job and I think I’ll have to go listen to some of their stuff on their website to their newest CD, Absence. Someone told me that most of the group are Greenville grads.

This next part is going to get me a lot of heat and I’ll kindly remind you now that this column is my opinion and that’s what you’re getting. I will talk about this more intense in a blog later this week because Family Force 5 absolutely made me livid.

Before they started, I heard all the teens going how great these guys are. I’d even heard that before I got there from some of our teens at my local church. So I will say this here, if you want a Christian group that shows you nothing of the Christian view in their show, but their dance moves and outfits will make your teens lose their minds, this is the show for you. And no, “Hey there, wait a minute, put a little love in it,” does not qualify in my view as a Christian song.

By the time their set was finished (over 40 minutes), I can’t clearly say I heard any reference to Christ, God or The Message. I heard a whole lot of dance music that was well done, insulting and putting people down and absolutely showed no respect for the Gospel. Saints, if you’re out there, help me understand where Family Force 5 is a Christian band. Not just for my sake, but the idea that there is already talk of having this group back at Agapefest for the 35th edition makes my skin crawl at the moment. Again, I am presently researching information for an article on Family Force 5 to help me give you a better look later this week.

The scarier part is how their exit was handled. After seeing last year’s show, Agapefest officials did a better job a year ago of segue waying from Hawk Nelson to speaker Bob Lenz. This year’s transition was horrible, at best. By the time speaker Ben Woods got to the stage, almost 10 minutes later, most of the FF5 fans had already left the concert area and were hanging on the every word of the autograph tent where Family Force 5 would be, after the speaker. That part was handled right. However, no one told Ben to move closer to the edge of the stage where he could not only be heard better, but also seen better to display the emotion of the Gospel message he was giving.

Those other factors plus the idea that someone was allowed to play music over in the concession area as loud as possible drowned out Woods to most people outside of the inner circle of listeners. Look, Agapefest lost their speaker on Friday night because of the storm. This was the only, only, ONLY chance that they were getting to give the crowd an opportunity to receive Christ, receive prayer for situations in life, et cetera. If more than ten people moved before Skillet began to go to the prayer tent, I will personally be amazed and pleased to hear it.

Also, I am throwing my hat into the ring right now to say that I want to speak at Agape 35. I want an opportunity to share with people the Gospel and impact lives at a festival I love. For the exposure and opportunity, I would do it for FREE! That’s right Agapefest. One Man Revival Ministries has just offered you a free speaker. As a former Greenville student of your LAMP program and a lover of teaching the Gospel of Christ, I would be ecstatic to come and offer my services. Yes, I will mark the last weekend of April-first weekend of May on my calendar in 2011 for you, RIGHT NOW!

OK, let me get of my soapbox, because Skillet came out and rocked the house to close the show. They did a lot of material from Comatose and Awake and was stellar in performance. I do wish the smoke machines would not have blown back so much. They were fantastic as always. Skillet is one of those groups that young bands should model themselves after, maybe not completely in music, but at least in class, character and showmanship. It was a shame the rain started coming down at the end of their show. However, it was a fantastic closer for a great Agapefest 2010.

Next year, as I’ve said a few times, is the 35th anniversary of Agapefest. This should be a great festival again. Being one of the early festivals of the year and a great bargain for concert goers, you should not miss Agapefest 2011.

I love you guys!
Frank

Night 1-Agapefest 2010- But, for the rain... It was heavenly!

2010-05-03T19:49:00.009-05:00

Hey gang!

This is the first of two about Agapefest 2010. This article will cover all the fun on Friday night and the second article will focus more on Saturday’s events.

I rolled into Greenville for the 34th installment of Agapefest on Friday night at about 4pm, or an hour before the festival was to start. I was worried about whether I would get a good parking place. The reason for my worry is that the field at the Bond County Fairgrounds that we are parked in tends to get really muddy if it rains and I really hate getting stuck in the mud. Thanks to the great staff and a relatively sunny week, the field was dry. Awesome!

As soon as I got inside the gate, the smells of the concession area kicked in and they were fantastic. The thing I like most about the concessions is that it gives you a sense of the county fair from when we were children. Later in the night, I had my annual funnel cake, which even gives normal people a sugar buzz. For me, the long-time diabetic, it gives me the rush to jump around like the rockers on stage minus the long hair, look and singing voice.

But I started out with two double cheeseburgers. Let me say that when I ordered them, I was thinking thin, McDonald’s double cheeseburgers. These babies made Hardee’s Thickburgers look wimpy. That’s a darn good burger! I was able to finish both (barely) and then made my way to the concert area.

By looking at the schedule before the festival, I had the sense that the Friday night edition was going to be more of a worship set. The Saturday edition was more rocking, but more on that later. We were started out with Mark David and Surface Deep. They are a group from Alton, Illinois and if you want your socks worshipped off, give them a look on YouTube. My personal favorite from over there is Praise Him. They didn’t do that in their 25 minute set, but it was still powerful and awesome worship. I was standing about four rows back and was trying to dance a little. They ended with a great song called A Brighter Day. It sold me on their CD.

The other thing I love about Mark David and Surface Deep is the number of big guys in the group that can get down and boogie. As another of the big guy grouping, it always does my heart good to see big guys that show off their skills. These guys were super and a great praise band to start the evening with.

Next up was Me In Motion. If you haven’t heard of these guys, you are missing out on a guitarist from California, a drummer from Nebraska and the lead singer from Ohio. The song I wanted to hear was Losers, and they delivered that song early in the set. The songs that came later that really stood out were Leaving Here Someday, a rockin’ tune in a vein comparable to The Afters or Remedy Drive, and Seek Justice, Have Mercy, which I think is the most powerful song on the CD.

For most of Friday night and the morning on Saturday, I was trying to think who the lead singer sounded like. One of my friends that I ran into Saturday had the best analogy. He said that he sounded like Weird Al Yankovic when Al was seriously singing a tune. I was like, “Exactly!” It is a great CD and as I looked at their website today, http://meinmotion.com/home, I noticed something even cooler for you guys looking for their CD. You can download it for $6.99 from their page.

Next up was Wavorly. They are best known for their radio hit Praise and Adore. I hadn’t heard them before, but they are going to have to grow on me. They were decent and the crowd was really into them. For me, they were hit and miss, but I did like Praise and Adore.

After Wavorly, we were treated to the news that Above the Golden State wasn’t making it to the show. I was really disappointed with that because I love their music. However, Abandon Kansas, was there to take their place so the show continued on schedule. They were a good looking band, according to many of the females around me, especially one of the guitarists. I have to laugh that ladies’ mentalities about what is hot in harder rock hasn’t changed since the eighties. If there is a guy with long black hair and a wife-beater shirt, they go nuts. After a few minutes of all the gushing, I couldn’t take anymore and headed out for my funnel cake. I drowned my jealousy in a heaping helping of sugar and fried dough. It’s better for everyone!

After that, Addison Road hit the stage and I was back for them. Before that though, I took a few pictures of people that entertained me. First, I saw the Mario Brothers. Yes, Mario, Luigi and Wario all posed for me. I missed out on Bananaman and another kid that dressed like Larry the Tomato. However, I ran into one of my best friends of Agapefest, one of the many Free Hugs Ambassadors. I love these teenagers. Not because they hug me, but because it is a safe love attitude for the environment. You hug, you chat, you move on.

So I did finally make it back to the same spot that I had before I left. When I got back, I found my friend Tyler Mulvany with a couple of his friends and we started talking about how great it was that the field wasn’t anywhere near as muddy as last year. Right about then, one of his buddies tripped and almost fell. He started kicking the ground where he tripped and within a minute or so, we had a shoe from last year’s festival that was stuck there. He did try to garner some attention for the shoe telling the crowd that this was a 2009 Agapefest collectible and people should be clawing him for it. No one bit on the offer and he later took the shoe to one of the Agapefest promoters to see if she would pimp the shoe later in the show.

Addison Road came out and rocked the house. I have been a fan of these guys ever since I saw the video for All That Matters. They are flat out awesome. They closed the set with Hope Now with an addition of another praise song that fails me as I am writing this. It was one of those moments where I knew God was speaking to me.
Everything rides on Hope Now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

I felt myself tearing up. It was a great ending to their show. It is a truly great feeling when artists who have no idea what you’re feeling can evoke emotions from you. A great performance.

After Addison Road, Sanctus Real took the stage and rocked the house. I did not have the newest CD, Pieces of a Real Heart, so much of their show was new stuff. They performed their new song, Freedom. I can’t describe how awesome I thought it was. It will sell well, trust me. Unfortunately, by the middle of their performance, the lightning came.

The first two lightning waves were little and didn’t make people think much. They were in the distance and didn’t have any thunder with them. The third one though, packed a punch. It looked like a ground strike in the distance and thunder that accompanied it gave the lightning a feel that it might be closer than we thought.

The officials running the affairs went to the stage and told Sanctus Real that they had to stop the show for people’s safety. So the lead singer looks out and goes, “Hey, the people told us that we have to stop playing so before we go, we’ll do a little Whatever You’re Doing.” I love Sanctus Real, but here are the facts. You were told to stop and want to play some more. Do you also realize that the stage that you are contains a whole lot of metal? That’s important to note, guys. I’m going to my car. If you guys turn into rotisserie chicken on a hot plate, I’m not gonna be here for the fireworks.

So as most of the crowd exits the facility, the officials of Agape get a great idea. For those that stayed, let’s give them David Crowder Band in the Stage 2 barn. That means that people are indoors and no one gets fried by the storm. I didn’t get to see it personally, but those that I talked to on Saturday told me that the acoustic set that the band gave them was excellent. They also did tell me how packed inside it was. I started thinking how many sardines we would become if Skillet had to do the same on Saturday.

The good news for me was that I beat the storm home to Effingham and I was nice and safe. My wife was relieved that I wasn’t stupid and decided to hold up an umbrella and try to rough it out. She really loves me, but she is just thankful that I am not taking as many chances with my well-being as I used to.

Anyhow, that was it for Friday night. I hope you enjoy the pictures and feel free to comment on any of your Friday night memories here. Hopefully, I have the Saturday edition up tonight, but at worst, it will be up sometime tomorrow.

I love you guys!
Frank

Words of Comfort authors Cec Murphey & Liz Allison Join Us

2010-03-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

If you guys have been reading me for a while, you know I love it when I get a chance to visit with one of Cecil Murphey's books. This is the 4th visit from one of my favorite authors since October. He gives us a few thoughts from his latest project with Liz Allison called Words of Comfort for Times of Loss. If you've never heard of Liz Allison, she is the widow of NASCAR driver Davey Allison.

Before I turn over the program to Liz and Cec, I want to tell you about a contest that Kathy Carlton Willis Communications is sponsoring. To be a part, leave a comment. On April 9th, she will take one of our commenters along with one commenter from each of the blogs that feature the book. If your name is chosen, then you win a prize package that includes the following:

Words of Comfort for Times of Loss
Heaven Is Real
Gift Edition, 90 Minutes in Heaven
Journal
Pens
Potato soup
Oyster crackers
Dove silky smooth milk chocolate
Dove silky smooth dark chocolate
Ultra-plush spa socks
Large gel eye mask

Without further ado, I'll turn over the day to Liz and Cec.

Why We Write About Loss

On the morning of July 12, 1992, my husband, Davey, left home like any other morning—he kissed my forehead and hugged our kids.That afternoon I answered a knock at the door, sensing something wasn’t quite right. When I glimpsed the faces of Davey’s two best friends—they didn't have to speak—the looks on their faces said it all.

That day, after lunch with his race team, Davey had hopped into his helicopter and taken an unplanned trip to the nearby Talladega Superspeedway to watch a buddy practice. Attempting to land in the infield, he had lost control of his helicopter and crashed. Although paramedics airlifted Davey to a Birmingham hospital, sixteen hours later he was pronounced dead.

Immediately following Davey’s death, I had to work through my grief enough to plan his funeral and make hundreds of small-but-significant decisions, all while maintaining the time and energy to care for our two young children, ages one and three. Well-wishing friends hovered around me and frequently asked, “What can I do for you?

Most of the time, I could only respond with a blank stare. Looking back, my friends could have done many things for me, but they didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know what to tell them.

I hope the insights I have gained during the aftermath of Davey’s death will help you as you struggle with your own grief.

—Liz

---------------------------------------

Two weeks after my father suffered a ministroke, a massive stroke took his life. On the day of his funeral, my older brother, Ray, died of cancer. Over the next eighteen months, I lost two brothers-in-law and my mother.

On the Sunday after Dad’s and Ray’s funerals, a parishioner rushed up to me, hugged me, and said, “Pastor, I heard about the deaths. Were they saved?”

I honestly don’t remember what I answered, but I wanted to shout, “Does it matter right now? I hurt. I’m so filled with pain that I’m not sure I can handle the worship service today!”

In 2007, our house burned down. Our son-in-law, Alan, died in the fire. The next day, a neighbor pulled up in front of our burned house, got out of his car, and started to look around. “Where did he die?” he asked.

Through the years, I’ve met many like those two people. Maybe they didn’t know what to say. Perhaps they were so focused on what they cared about that they were unaware of my pain. Instead of helping me, those comments made me feel even worse. What I needed was compassion. I didn’t get that from either of them, but I can offer it to you.

That’s why we’ve written this book.

—Cec

About the book:

Through great personal loss, authors Cecil Murphey and Liz Allison have gained insight to share with others who are going through uncertainty, depression, and loneliness after losing a loved one. They also offer advice for those comforting someone who is grieving.

Among comforting paintings by artist Michal Sparks, brief stories, personal experiences, and prayers offer a meaningful path toward healing for readers when they:

* feel alone and lost in their grief and want to reconnect with others and to life
* seek to make sense of their loss alongside their sense of faith, purpose, and God
* want to honor their loved one without clinging to the past in unhealthy ways

Readers are given gentle permission to grapple with doubt, seek peace, and reflect on loss in their own way without judgment and with understanding and hope. A perfect gift for a loved one dealing with loss and grief.

About the Authors:

Liz Allison was married to NASCAR driver Davey Allison until his tragic death in 1993. Widowed at 28 with two young children to raise, Liz faced the long journey of pain, loss, and grief with great faith. Committed to encouraging others, she returned to her work in TV reporting, has published eight books, and hosts a weekly radio show. Please visit www.lizallison.com

Cecil Murphey is an international speaker and bestselling author who has written more than 100 books, including New York Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper). No stranger himself to loss and grief, Cecil has served as a pastor and hospital chaplain for many years, and through his ministry and books he has brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.
Please visit www.cecilmurphey.com

Ronald Gray Joins Us To Chat About Enter To Worship, Exit To Serve

2010-03-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Today, we have Ronald Bell joining us to talk about his new book Enter To Worship, Exit To Serve. Below, you'll find an interview with a little information about the book. I'd like to thank Ronald for an advance copy of the book to read before the interview.

1. What is the book about? While the book’s title puts it in the praise and worship section in book stores, the book is more about the total life of the believer. Nehemiah10:39 is the core scripture for the book’s teachings. Nehemiah had gone to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and also rebuilt the temple, restoring worship to the people. Worship was centered around sacrifice. I use the different groups pictured in Nehemiah to talk about fundamental areas of the believers life. The scripture says they would not forsake the temple of God. We have forsaken the house of God today. We are so busy with our agendas, we have left the true reason for worship. God is looking for something real from our lives, not just our words.

2. Why Enter to Worship and Exit to Serve? The life of the believer comes from our life in God. We bring to Him a sacrifice of our monies, our gifts, our fruit and lay it at His feet. The premise for most Christians today is what can God do for them instead of how can I worship God with all that is within me. The scriptures teach us that everyone has something to offer. When we worship in the fullness of our lives, God then fills us to be able to affect our world. We then exit to serve God through proclaiming His Word, serving those around us and exalting His name in all the earth. Everything we do in church is to help us fulfill God’s calling on our lives in the world.

3. Why do you talk about money? The very first thing that was brought into the temple was an offering of grain or corn. This is symbolic of money. I go to Kenya every year and they trade their corn for other items such as meat, oil, etc. God is interested in our money. He speaks of money more than He does either prayer or heaven. I think there has been a lot of negative about money and there has been a lot of error through the years. I hope that what I teach in the book is balanced. Many pastors have said this teaching has helped their churches understand the truth about tithes, first fruits and seed offerings.

4. What do you think is the most important chapter of the book? In over 35 years of full time ministry, I have never heard anyone else teach about porters. In Nehemiah 10:39 it lists porters between priest and singers. I thought that was very interesting and researched porters. It is basically a janitor. So between priests and porters are janitors. Servants that do the basics. People who do ordinary things to keep ministries going. God wants servants. That is a concept that is lost in the big time world of church ministries today. Jesus came to serve. I believe that we can make a difference in our community, our neighborhoods, and our world if we are willing to lay our lives down to serve God.

5. What do you hope to accomplish with your book? I hope that ordinary believers will recognize they have something to offer. We can bring our monies and touch the nations. We can bring our gifts and see the power of God touch people and their needs. We can offer our fruit and not wait for the pastors or elders, but be instruments to bring life to those around us who are seeking a relevant relationship with Jesus. The five fold ministries of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher were never supposed to do everything in the church. The church is supposed to be equipped for ministry. Everyone should be able to proclaim the message and everyone should have praise for the God we serve. That should not happen just on Sunday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. We should be able to give God praise in our homes and throughout the week. I truly believe this can be the church’s finest hour.

6. Where are these resources available to purchase? You can obtain this book and many other resources on my web site at RonaldGrayMinistries.org.

7. Are there other available resources connected with this book? Yes, I taught my book at a conference and had it professionally recorded on video and audio. These sessions are great for small groups and Bible studies. There is a Study Guide to help the leader go through the sessions. The book and the video provide different insights that will help people to grow into maturity.

Susan Elaine Jenkins Joins Us To Chat About Scandalon

2010-03-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hey gang!

Susan Elaine Jenkins (no relation to me) joins us to talk about her new book Scandalon. The interview below will give you details on the book and a little background on her. Thanks to the fine people at Cladach Publishing for providing me a copy of the book.

SCANDALON: A Memoir
Running From Shame and Finding God's Scandalous Love
________________________________________
Susan Elaine Jenkins has lived in China for 11 years, teaching the performing arts in international schools. SCADALON is her provocative memoir which includes fascinating stories of people and life in the great country of China, which few of us have visited, but where God is working mightily. God has also worked mightily in Susan's personal life and she has an important story to share.
________________________________________
Interview with Susan Elaine Jenkins ~
Q: First of all, tell us a bit about yourself.
Susan: I am a teacher. I was born into a family of preachers and teachers, and I always had a keen desire to teach. I began the first year out of college (Point Loma Nazarene University) and my career has taken me into the hearts and lives of many unforgettable students. Much of my time is occupied with continuing education and professional development opportunities, which opens up new areas of thinking and learning as I go.
After teaching in California private schools for 19 years, I moved to China, where I have focused on teaching performing arts in 3 different international schools. I am a seasoned foreign expatriate these days and yet, the daily adventures of living in Asia continue to surprise me.
Q: It seems that some parts of your book were passages right out of your journals through the years. Is that right? Is it hard to share these publicly, when you probably thought of yourself as the only audience at the time?
Yes, they were taken directly from my journals - especially the conversations between Dr. Travis and me. Those 3 difficult months were mind-numbing days. Writing everything that happened at the end of every confusing day helped me make more sense of it all.
Once I was in China, the conversations with Ouyang were important to me, as well, and I also kept detailed accounts. I knew I needed to have those talks recorded somewhere where I could retrieve them - they were too special to forget. The experiences I was having with my Chinese friends were very precious; China was rapidly developing and nothing would be the same again. I recently visited Tianjin and was stunned to see the progress made - the sleek commercial buildings and tall apartments that have replaced the ancient hutongs near the streets where I once lived and worked.
Yes, I assumed my journals were for my eyes only, and it has been difficult opening up these details to the public. There have been many starts and stops for me to this process and times when I wanted to forget the whole project.
Q: Was there any deciding factor that made you think you should try compiling your notes into a book and to try to get it published? What encouragement did you get along the way?
A friend from the UK convinced me to begin a blog. The idea of sharing my stories was inconceivable, at first, but as time went by, I got to know my readers. Little by little, I opened up the pages of my journals with them, interspersed with a few of the details of daily life in Asia. To my surprise, my online friends began commenting and sending me private letters filled with their own pain. I wanted to let them know that there really is healing and light ahead, that God’s promise really is authentic: He is a God who heals.
Q: Are there any character embellishments? Some people in your book seem almost larger than life!
No, the characters are written exactly as they are. Conversations are word for word, in most cases. I wanted to present the strong and good qualities of my former husband, Kyle, for example, as well as the perplexing reality of our marriage. The words of Dr. Travis (not his real name) were etched deeply into my memory, of course, as those were life-changing words of an experienced sexual predator - impossible to forget, much as I tried. And then the amazing friends I met in China were such distinctive people! I remember thinking: How can I tell the world about Mrs. Hua and her cozy dinner parties with fish swimming laps in the bathtub? How can I explain how marvelous Apple is, with her heart that simply listens to God as she finds her way around the French Riviera? I wanted to share the story of Angel's frustration at being 30 years old and single in the Chinese culture. These are incredibly real and strong people who desire the same things we do in America. They taught me so much.
Q: Why a book about China?
"Well, this particular story began to be written in the summer of 1992. My friend, David, gave me the keys to his beach house in Pebble Beach and it began pouring out, as I walked along the ocean and typed in his massive kitchen. At the end of the summer, I returned the rented computer, put all the pages into a plain cardboard box and shoved it into a closet. It wasn't until five years later, in 1997, that I realized the story was not going to rest quietly, just gathering dust. It was almost as if it had a life of its own, and refused to be forgotten...so I took the box to China with me and kept writing...for the next ten years. I wrote between classes, on long snowy northern Chinese weekends, on Chinese trains and sitting in plastic airport chairs. It seemed to evolve into a book that is really a combination of two lives: my life in California and my life in Asia; two very different worlds.
I think it seemed very natural at some point, to write of a remarkably poignant journey that met in a healing point while living in a crumbled country, broken by its own history. My life at that point seemed very much the same - broken, falling apart, and dark.
Q: You moved to China to get away from memories that were haunting you? At what point did China start feeling like "home" to you, and less like the completely foreign distraction it first was?
A great job offer came up, and yes, I was anxious to have a completely new start. Before I left for China, someone told me, "Susan, you can never get away from this. Sooner or later, you will need to face all that's happened in your life. You will need to go through the grieving process and admit that you have lost so much." He was right. I did have to face it, but that happened slowly, almost imperceptibly, over a long period of time. Being in China helped me gain perspective of what God wanted to do in me and through me.
I guess it was near the end of my first school year that I realized China had become a second home. I was walking along the hot, muggy streets with Ouyang, and I realized I was reluctant to go back to America. He said, "Do you have to go back? Why don't you just stay?" That possibility hadn't occurred to me until that point and I muttered something about it being too hot during the summer months to remain and that most of the teachers returned to their home countries for the holidays. Years later, I found I could stay for the summers and feel very much at home.
I think the idea of feeling at home in China has to do with the fact that I began feeling "at home" with God. And that, for me, involved a great spiritual healing and coming back to a point of rest within God's heart; being glad to be in His loving presence; knowing that all my sins are utterly forgiven and cast away; and, sensing His divine heart of grace. Home has literally - for me - become His own Heart.
Q. Where might we find out more about you and Scandalon?
Please my website at http://www.susanelainejenkins.com

Frankie Sherman Stops By To Talk About A Bible Study For Ladies

2010-03-05T21:23:00.003-06:00

Hey gang!

Tonight, I bring you another guest author in to talk about a great Bible study for the ladies out there. Frankie Sherman is here to talk about the Why We Need Girlfriends study. This article is called Leaving Hurryville.

Leaving Hurryville
(Comments From a Former Resident)
by Frankie D. Sherman

A big concern of Christian women is the epidemic of shallow relationships among women. In an age when broken marriages, moral decline, and unbelievable heartache are frighteningly high, our God-given support system is lacking.

What happened? Why do we know more people than ever before, yet know very little about each other? Why do we know more about the latest celebrity break-up, yet very little about the young woman in our church going through her own divorce?

Unfortunately, we live in Hurryville. Hurry and get the kids to school. Hurry and get to work. Hurry to Bible study. Hurry to the ball field. Hurry! Girl Hurry! In this “hurry up, see you later” world we don’t take the time to invest in relationships like the generations before us did. Our busy lives leave very little time to invest in meaningful relationships.
Because of this, we are suffering. We miss wonderful opportunities to reach others for Christ and to strengthen others in the body of Christ.

How about you and I change the busyness in our circle of influence by adjusting our schedules and priorities? We can start right now to focus on the relationships in our circle of influence as the nurturing women God designed us to be.

Becoming a better friend is something believers should focus on, because it can impact the world for the Christ.

So where do we begin?

* Leave Hurryville-without a forwarding address! It’s a choice and a hard one. But God is faithful and he will help you with this lifestyle change.
* Pray, and read God Word.
* Schedule time with friends; ask them how they are and what’s up in their life.
* Engage in meaningful conversation about them and how the Lord is working in their life.
* Leave the cell phone turned off during your time together.
* Share good books, good tips, good information and good food.

If your friend is a single mom, widow, health issue, or has problems at home, always be sensitive to her needs or situation. You are not “the solution” but you can show her you care through your friendship. God will provide the wisdom concerning boundaries and blessings.

I left Hurryville, many years ago. Sometimes my old nature tries to pull me back. But I learned the value of meaningful friendships and Hurryville doesn’t compare. Should you decide to leave Hurryville too let me know. We can sit on the porch and enjoy chat together.

Frankie Sherman Photo
BOOK FRANKIE FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!

About the author:
Frankie Sherman is a national speaker, comedian, and Bible teacher for conferences, retreats, and women's events. She fell in love with Jesus at Vacation Bible School and takes every opportunity to tell others about the joy of being alive in Christ. She is a former choreographer for the Georgia Peach Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl Halftime Show. Her specialty is in theater musical/productions. Her first Bible Study, Why We Need Girlfriends is based on the relationship of Mary and Elizabeth, from Luke's gospel. Two women brought together by extraordinary circumstances by an extraordinary God. Frankie is from South Carolina—loves sweet tea, BIG hair and her grand-girls. She believes there will never be another Elvis. And knows that her Jesus will return for her soon.

Blood Done Signed My Name: Movie Trailer and a thought or 2

2010-02-22T13:14:00.003-06:00

Hey gang!

I know I've been MIA this week, but I'll explain that in my next post later today. I got a request to share a new movie released in select theaters this past weekend that will move nationwide with a little help from you.

The movie is called Blood Done Signed My Name. The movie is directed by Jeb Stuart. You've heard that name before? Here's what he's done that you might know. He wrote and produced Die Hard, the Bruce Willis hit movie, and The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford. It also stars Ricky Schroeder. Remember Silver Spoons? Yeah, that's him. Also, if you remember NYPD Blue more recently, he was part of that show.

Name quality alone shouldn't get you to want this movie. The movie does share racial tensions in the early seventies after the shooting of an African American Vietnam vet. Schroeder plays the lead role of North Carolina preacher Vernon Tyson. There is a book of the same name written by his son, Tim Tyson.

The cool part of this movie is that an important fact is often dismissed when talking about racial progress, the role of the church helping that along.

I encourage you to see the movie or ask your local theater to bring it to your town. After seeing the trailer and thinking about the name of the movie and how that name has a special meaning. One of the black characters of the movie said the line as he was talking about how this murder affected the racial tensions of the time, "Blood Done Signed Our Name."

Think about that for a moment Christians. As true as that comment was in the days of the setting of this movie, isn't it also true for us. The actor was sharing that this shooting of murder affected how the people reacted to life afterward, furthermore how they reacted to people afterward. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for our sins with His blood. Is it not true then that His Blood also done signed our names. Anyone who calls Jesus Lord of All is confessing that fact.

It's not "Are We In Love?", But "Are We Love?"

2010-02-13T20:13:00.002-06:00

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.-1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Hey gang!
My wife loves to remind me of our wedding. The other day she found one of our invitations and the words above, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, were on the front of them in pretty handwriting. Women tend to get all emotional over momentos like these, but the words are so important, that it even makes me go, “Aww! Isn’t that cute.”

I can remember back those 7 years, 4 months and 19 days now and I remember how in love we were. I think that’s how it is with all couples. We think back to the days of cuteness and spending all our time together doing nothing, but it seemed like the world to us. Those of you that have spent some time in marriage though realize what I have; I don’t always feel “in love”, but I do know that I love my wife.

How can I say something like that? There are times she makes me mad. There are times that she hurts my feelings. And there are many times that I do what she wants just because I don’t want to get yelled at, looked mean to or just to shut her up. I’m equally sure I’ve made her feel the same way many times.

That’s why it is important to stress that we don’t just play “in love”, but to “be love”. It’s not always easy to be loving. Why? Because sometimes we have to be loving when we don’t “feel” like it.

The love chapter verses begin with “Love is patient, love is kind.” I don’t always feel patient. I definitely don’t always feel kind. All of us have ways of doing things and they don’t always agree if you are dealing with another person. I’ll explain something totally trivial that proves my point. I love my Jif peanut butter. I do. When I get into a jar, I have a way of getting the peanut butter out. First, I go around the sides for an inch or so, then I knife out the middle. My wife will not share the same care for my peanut butter. It drives me crazy to open the jar and see the middle knifed out before the sides. But after seven years, I’ve learned most of the time to say nothing about it. Unless I’m in a bad mood. Then I do not show my patience or kindness with her. We end up not talking for a while and then we laugh about the crazy stuff we argue over. But that is how it begins. That’s how we end up not loving.

Next is, “It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” I am absolutely horrible about this at times. Confession time. When I don’t feel good, I can be a big baby, at least that’s what I’ve been told. My wife takes care of people all day long in her profession as a radiation therapist. She makes patients feel as at ease as possible. But there are times when I am sick, that she does not show me anywhere near the same sympathy. Then I go to church and I hear husbands talk about how their wives took care of them and nursed them to health. I get jealous. I get envious. “Why doesn’t my wife do that for me?” I ask. I also remind her what I do for her when she isn’t feeling good. I pat myself on the shoulder so hard that I almost break it. I joke about praying for her to be more caring and she jokingly prays for me to suck it up. At least, I think she’s joking.

“ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” How many of you remember Jodie Sweeten, the girl that played Stephanie in Full House? I’ve even tried to get to a point of copying her saying, “How rude?” I drive my wife nuts when she is on the phone with her sister and I add comments. I learned this habit from my mother. My friend Kevin can attest to this. It is rude. Very, very rude. I can’t help it.

There used to be a wrestler I would watch called Raven. He’s a great bad guy. But during the dying days of WCW, he came up with this saying and even 10 years later, I use all the time. He used to ask, “What about Raven?” I think all of us tend to ask this when we feel neglected or not getting what we want. When I say this to Mindy or my friends about Mindy, they laugh. They know Frank isn’t being served. At least not in the way he wishes. It’s terrible.

The last two of those four go together pretty well. I know people with incredibly long fuses. You can do them wrong for a while, even unintentionally, and it’s still cool, you think. However, there is a scorecard going on inside these peoples’ minds and when the scorecard gets too unbalanced, “BAM!” You not only get yelled at for the thing you just did, but for things that happened years ago that you totally forgot about. One of my friends recently told me a story about getting yelled at for not taking the trash out in November 2007. Yes, over two years ago. True story.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” You ever messed up. I have. One time, I happened to get the checkbook out of line. My friends will tell you that I was a math major until my junior year in college, but I missed subtracting a $100 out. I subtracted two sets of numbers and didn’t carry the one. I tried everything not to say anything to my wife, but she found out a week later. She comes to me with the overdraft statement and asked if I knew. Of course, I did. She tells me that IF I had said something, she would’ve called her mom to ask for the $100 as a loan. It would have been no biggie. But it was to my ego of being math smart. The point is don’t hide your mistakes and they won’t be as big.

“ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” These are the big four dos that you want to get right. To always have the protection, the trust, the hope and the perseverance. I always stand in awe of couples that reach 25, 35, 40 and 50 years. Yes, they are milestones, but there are less and less people making it this far. These are the ones that make it through the tough times.

All of us that are Christian say that we have that hope in Jesus for love to last. But isn’t the world a better place when we have a partner or friends that help us believe for better things. It’s easy to say that we believe in the eternal, but all of us get caught up in trying to believe beyond this moment, this hour or this day.
Trusting is more than believing. My friend Eddie Riffle threw a large hook ball at the bowling alley. I was always amazed how the ball would go out to the first board next to the gutter and then break quickly back to the pocket. He’d look at me and tell me that I would throw a hook. “It’s simple. Trust is a must. You have to know that the ball is being thrown to do what I want it to. If I don’t know that the ball will hook back, I can’t trust it to throw it.” That is why I always stayed with the straight ball. I could never see my ball moving that much.

Finally, protection of love is major. My wife and I stayed in a gated community in the heart of downtown Atlanta for six months after we were married. We jokingly said we lived “in the hood” because right outside that gate was pimps and hookers and drug dealers everywhere on Ponde de Leon. One night, we came home from shopping and my wife went ahead of me toward the apartment while I was grabbing the bags. All of a sudden, I heard my wife scream. I thought she was being mugged. Bags in hand, I ran to the apartment. When I arrived, my neighbor was standing at his door and I know I shot him a look. My wife look relieved. Why? Because no mugger had grabbed her. She had tripped over a garbage bag left out by the neighbor. He had just apologized for scaring her and me. To this day, I ask her if the garbage got her.
Finally, “Love never fails.” We know that in our heart of hearts when we talk about Jesus. How great it is when we know that in our partner. As time passes, we go through more and more each day. I can’t say I’ve seen everything. Neither can my wife. However, we strive to say to each other that we will walk through it together because we know that final thought, LOVE NEVER FAILS. The caveat is, unless we let it fail. We have to be love even when we don’t feel it. We have to love above all else.

I’ll close with the chorus of a great song by my friend Grover Levy from back in 1995. The song is called “When We Fail Love”. I didn’t realize it was also done by Bruce Carroll. I still like Grover’s version better.

When we fail love, it’s hard to take,
The expectations are so great,
We raise our hopes, we dreams our dreams,
And then we do some foolish things,
The love that comes easy, will easily give up,
When we fail love, we’ve got to trust the love that won’t fail us!

Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love you guys!
Frank

Lisa Wingate Comes By to Give Us the Inside on Never Say Never

2010-02-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

A busy month so far and today we are greeted with a visit from author Lisa Wingate. She's coming by to talk with us about her book, Never Say Never. I'll let her give you the details.

About the Book:

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots in any one place--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else. Daily has always been a place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta has cooked up a scheme.

Interview Questions:

1. How did you develop the initial story idea/plot line for this book?

Some book ideas you search for, and some just blow in on the wind. For the past several years, dating back to Hurricane Katrina, we in Central Texas have been the recipients of massive hurricane evacuations. These massive exoduses of people, pets, and belongings are frightening, frustrating, challenging, and at times oddly wonderful. When so many are on the road seeking shelter, the worst, but also the best qualities of humanity come to the surface. Hurricane evacuations truly provide times when we ask the question, "Am I my brother’s keeper?" In answering that question, we’ve enjoyed amazing moments of friendship and fellowship, family reunions, and chances to share a food and space with strangers from other parts of the country. We’ve traded stories and recipies, laughter and tears.

One thing we’ve learned about hurricanes, living here, is that the paths are never predictable. Storms waver, hesitate, speed up, slow down, and sometimes change course unexpectedly. Evacuations needs can change and develop quickly. What better way for the beauty shop girls to find their inner strength and to show Daily hospitality, than for their cruise plans to land them smack in the middle of a sudden and chaotic hurricane evacuation?

2. Almost every author puts a little of themselves into their stories—what did you put of yourself into this one? (personality traits, life events/jobs, settings, characters based on people you know, likes/dislikes, etc.)

There’s a bit of me in the setting, of course. I love Texas, in all its variety of cultures and landscapes, but, living in a small town, I have a particular affection for little bergs like Daily, where the coffee’s always hot, and a good slide of pecan pie can cure most ills. Having watched our little town mobilize to take in hurricane evacuees several times now, I’ve been reminded that sometimes the worst things that can happen bring out the best in people. Given the opportunity and faced with the need, regular people can rise to the occasion in amazing ways, as do the citizens of Daily in the book.

Some members of the Wingate family might also claim to recognize themselves among the citizens of Daily, Texas. I would offer the disclaimer that any resemblances are completely unintentional, but that would be a bald-faced lie. When you come from a family of great storytellers and colorful characters, there’s nothing to do but make use of what you’ve got.

3. Did you encounter any interesting challenges while writing/researching for this book? Please explain if so.

The most difficult part of working on Never Say Never was researching and reliving the devastation left behind on the Texas gulf coast last year after Hurricane Ike. While interviewing family members about their experiences during the evacuation and return, we shared laughter and quite a few tears. For those who have lived in southeast Texas all their lives, talking about familiar landmarks, heirlooms, and old family places that were washed away forever, knowing some things will never be the same, is both difficult and devastating. For those of us who have so many memories of family gatherings and vacations there, it’s hard to believe we’ll never visit the old places again.

4. Why is this book/story relevant today?

Despite our best-laid plans, we all experience storms in life—whether those storms be of a weather-related nature, or due to an illness, death, or in recent months, job loss and financial misfortune. When the parameters of life and our ability to control fate suddenly change, we’re confronted with our own helplessness and need to rely on other people and God. In a culture that values independence and self-sufficiency, it’s important to remember that we all have a common need and a common responsibility for each other and that without faith we really are alone in the storm.

About the Author:
Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Talk of the Town, Drenched in Light, A Thousand Voices, and A Month of Summer. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in central Texas.

How to Talk Texan
Road Trip Tutorial

A couple dozen phrases that'll keep you from lookin' like you don't know gee from haw. You can hang your hat on it!

Hey, y’all!

If you’re planning a road trip across Texas, well, my friend, you’d better get your trottin’ harness on, I’ll tell you that right now.

This state’s wider than a woodcutter’s pile. You’ll be so busy here, you’ll think you’re twins. You might even meet yourself comin’ and goin’ or travel so fast you’ll catch up to yesterday.

One thing’s for sure--there won’t be any grass growin’ under your feet, especially if it’s summer, because it’ll be hot as a nanny goat in a pepper patch. Don’t let that trouble your mind, though.

Seeing the whole state might seem about as easy as tryin’ to saddle up house flies or put socks on the rooster, but here’re a few phrases that’ll make your trip just as smooth as a calf’s ear. You’ll find this little bit of Texan talk just as handy as a pocket on a shirt. With these phrases, you’ll be right at home in jig time, and happy as a pig in sunshine, I promise.

Folks’ll think you’re just as fine as frog hair split four ways. Why, you might even find yourself a Texas gal who’s cute as a bug’s ear or a fella who catches your eye like a tin roof at noonday. Even if you don’t find love here, you’ll run across lots of folks who’re so friendly, they’ll add a cup of water to the soup and tell you to get your sittin’ britches on.

Some of them might be full of wind as a corn-eatin’ horse, but you’ll be welcome ‘till whenever you figure it’s time to put the chairs in the wagon and turkey-tail it toward home.

When you do, we’ll keep a light on and a hitch out for ya, just in case you miss us like a west Texas farmer misses rain. You’re welcome to darken our door any old time. Long as we got a biscuit, my friend, you got half, and if that ain’t a fact, well, then I’m hip high to a horned toad.

Y’all come back now, y’hear!

--Lisa Wingate (and the REST of the folks in Daily, Texas, too!)

For stories with Texas flavor
and fun, come see us at www.Lisawingate.com

And you can also win with your comments today. I'll select the best one and pass it along to the KCWC team for their drawing of a winner.

Grandprize Drawing

Donetta and Imagene's Texas Road Trip Basket (approximate total value over $150)

Take a Texas road trip, without ever leaving home!

Featuring:

The Daily Texas Series by Lisa Wingate:

Talk Of the Town

Word Gets Around

Never Say Never

The Blue Sky Hills Series by Lisa Wingate:

A Month of Summer

The Summer
Kitchen

Beyond Summer (a special advance copy not available in stores until July 2010)

Road Trip Snacks (Straight from Texas, of course!)

Wrap it all up with a fuzzy, fleecy Texas throw blanket for those cold nights on the road (or curled up with your books!)

I love you guys!
Frank

Ginny Smith Talks With Us About Sisterhood

2010-02-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

I know a lot of you like more information on the guest authors I have or just to hear other exciting stuff from them. Well today, I have a bonus treat from yesterday's author Ginny Smith. She's here to share a story of sisters and then give eight great ways to stay in touch with them.

The Awesome Bond of Sisters
By Virginia Smith

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. --Amy Li

My middle sister and I fought like wildcats when we were growing up. One of my most vivid childhood memories is of being forcibly separated during an argument and banished to sit together on the living room couch with orders not to get up until we could get along. I huddled against one arm and resigned myself to living on that two-foot square cushion for the next eleven years, when I would turn eighteen and could get my own apartment. After an eternity, Mom entered the room to mediate. “Girls,” she said, “you are sisters. There will never be another person in the world more closely related to you than your sister. So you’d better learn to get along, because someday one of you might need a kidney.” Not, perhaps, the most convincing argument for reconciliation ever presented, but it worked. For the moment, anyway.

A woman has many relationships in her life, but the bond between sisters is unique. There is the biological link, but the connection goes beyond that. Sisters enjoy a shared past. They experienced many of the same events that molded their personalities, and therefore they understand one another in a way no one else can. They speak the same shorthand. If one of my sisters says, “I know! Let’s put on a show!” we all laugh, because we remember the first time one of us said that, and the resulting spectacle that has become family legend.

Sisters “get” each other without having to go into all the background. When I’ve had an argument with my husband, I can call my sisters and say, “He doesn’t want a puppy. I think I may divorce him.” My sisters understand my reaction immediately, because they remember witnessing our parents’ argument over the same subject. They can talk me down from the ledge, and away from the divorce attorneys. And they will do this even if I call them at three o’clock in the morning, with only a minimum amount of grumbling about the loss of sleep.

Psychologist Marcia Millman, author of The Perfect Sister, said during an interview, “I think sisters can help repair the injuries of childhood.” That’s certainly been true in my family. Whenever we get together, our husbands cover yawns and eventually slip away to the other room to watch a ballgame while we rehash events of our childhood, and discuss how they have impacted us as adults. Often I come away with a new perspective and a better attitude, so gatherings with my sisters are sort of like group therapy sessions. Only less expensive.

While it’s true that we share a common past, even sisters experience different events while growing up in the same household. I like to remind both of my sisters that, being the oldest, I blazed the trail for them. They both got their ears pierced sooner than I did, and wore lipstick, and shaved their legs. They were both allowed to date at an earlier age than I was, and stay out later. There are ten years between my youngest sister and me, so by the time she became a teenager, I had successfully driven our parents into a state of exhausted stupor, and she got to do pretty much whatever she wanted. (Which I still think is totally unfair, but that’s the way it is in most families, I’ve learned.) I think she owes me big-time.

My sisters and I do still have the occasional conflict. Author Linda Sunshine said, “If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.” Our arguments don’t become physical anymore (we all understand the importance of good hair now, so we are no longer tempted to grab a handful), but these days, being at odds with one of my sisters is far more painful than our childhood brawls.
Several years ago, my middle sister and I had a disagreement and didn’t speak to each other for a few days. I was miserable without her, but we both stubbornly refused to back down. While cooking dinner one evening, I dropped a glass measuring cup she had given me, and it shattered. When it did, my stubbornness broke into a million pieces. My husband brought the phone to me where I sat sobbing on the floor, surrounded by shards of glass, and said sternly, “Call your sister.” Never has a reunion been so sweet.

Someone once said that relationships between siblings are the most long-lasting and influential of all. My sisters have been a part of my life longer than my husband or my children, and they will be part of my life even after our parents are gone. They know me, and understand me, and they like me anyway. They’re one of the best blessings God has given me. And as Mom said, if I ever do need a kidney, I know who to call.

------------------

8 Tips for Maintaining a Relationship with your Sister
In today’s busy world, it’s easy to let a relationship slide. That’s true regardless of whether you live nearby or far apart. Here are some tips for maintaining a strong relationship with your sister.

Scheduled Phone Calls – Communication is the key to any relationship, so don’t leave it to chance. Select a specific day each week for an uninterrupted phone call. Put your sister on your cell phone “Favorites” so you can talk free.

Text Messages – Texting is the preferred method of communication for one of my sisters. Be sure you have unlimited texts on your cell phone plan.

Utilize the Internet – Email and social networking sites like Facebook are wonderful ways to stay connected. On Goodreads and LibraryThing you can keep track of what your sister is reading, too.

Skype – If you both have a computer with a camera, this software allows you see each other while you talk – and it’s free.

Letters – Email is wonderful, but there’s nothing like reading your sister’s words in her own handwriting.

Cards – Next time you browse the card shelves, pick up several funny ones and tuck them away in a drawer. Send one every so often to surprise your sister with a laugh.

Sister Sleepovers – Even if you live near one another, there’s nothing like getting away from it all with your sister. Schedule an annual sleepover at a lodge, or hotel, or even at someone’s house. Leave the kids at home, and focus on having fun with each other.

Start a Tradition – Create a tradition you share only with your sister. For instance, my sister and I exchange ugly ornaments at Christmas every year. We spend months shopping for the ugliest ornament we can find, and love the competition of seeing who “wins” that year.

Ginny Smith Joins Us to Talk About Third Time's A Charm

2010-02-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

If you read over the Christmas holiday, you already have met today's guest interview Virginia "Ginny" Smith. Today, she's back with us to talk about her NEW book, Third Time's A Charm. I'll let the interview and information give you all the details.

About the Book:

(Dual Residency: UT & KY) – There’s not too much in this world that a little retail therapy can’t fix—except maybe the empty hole in your heart from lost and undiscovered love. Tori Sanderson is no exception. Facing abandonment issues with her father, Tori sets out to find the real reason he left her. Along the way she discovers even deeper truths. Add in two matchmaking sisters plus a couple of attractive men vying for Tori’s attention, as well as a tempting job promotion possibility, and you’ve got one confused sister. Through it all, Tori searches for the love she’s been missing all these years.

Author Virginia Smith, presents Third Time’s a Charm, the third installment of the Sister-to-Sister Series. Page-turning humor surrounding the lives of three sisters will once again engage readers, while somber self-discovery will unveil Tori’s struggles, and perhaps a few of your own. In a world with more than a few dysfunctional families, this story will ring true for many.

Interview Questions:

1. This book is the third and final book in your Sister-to-Sister Series. How did you feel when you completed this last book?

I felt a little sad, because I have lived with the characters for three years, and they’re very real to me. I’ll miss them. Plus, I wanted to leave readers with a good impression, so I was anxious for the last scene to be strong. I prayed over that last line for a long time, and when the words finally came, I got chills. They were absolutely the perfect wrap-up for the whole series. I still get tears whenever I read them.

2. Which of the sisters in this trilogy do you relate to the most? Why?

That’s a hard question to answer, because there is a piece of me in each of the Sanderson sisters. But I’d have to say I relate most closely with Tori, because she is professionally ambitious, and she struggles to balance her career and her personal life. I did that for over twenty years, so much of her conflict comes from my experiences.

3. You've been contracted to write 12 times in the last 4 years. To what do you attribute this success and how would you encourage others who are doing everything possible to get published?

Perseverance. I wrote for over twenty years before my first book, Just As I Am, was published. But I believed that the Lord gave me the desire to write, and even when my pile of rejections was growing (to an astounding 143 before my first publication!), I knew if He wanted me to write, I was going to keep writing. Even now – or maybe especially now – I trust Him for every story, every contract. Sometimes I still receive rejections, but I keep writing because He keeps giving me stories.

4. How is your relationship with your own sisters similar to Tori and her sisters? Did you pull from these sibling experiences when writing Third Time's a Charm? How?

I sure did! Actually, my sisters were the inspiration behind the whole Sister-to-Sister Series. They are the most incredible women in the world, and I wanted readers to glimpse the relationship we have. And they were excited to have starring roles in my stories. It was funny watching them try to identify themselves in the books, because I took characteristics from each of us and mixed them up to create each of the Sanderson sisters. Tori, for instance, is a career-minded person, like me. She’s creative, like one of my sisters. And she’s a big flirt, like the other sister. Uh… I’d better not identify who that is, or I’ll start a family feud!

5. What's next for Virginia Smith?

In May of this year I have a new book coming out from Steeple Hill. Researching A Daughter’s Legacy was a lot of fun, because it is set in a zoo! It’s my first straight romance, and was something of an experiment for me to see if I liked writing the genre. I loved it, and have a few ideas germinating in my mind for future romance novels.
Then later in the year, Into the Deep will hit bookstores. That’s a romantic suspense novel with a scuba diving theme. It takes place partly in Key West, and partly in Cozumel, Mexico. Can you tell I have a lot of fun researching my books?

About Ginny and your chance to win:
Virginia Smith recently contracted her twelfth book in four years. Previous books in the Sister-to-Sister series include: Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008 she was named Writer-of-the-Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Stuck in the Middle was a finalist for American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year Award. A Taste of Murder was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ginny and husband, Ted, divide their time between Lexington, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City, Utah, escaping as often as possible for diving trips to the Caribbean. Admittedly, her adventurous outings are often as much fun as they are “book research.”

The Grand Prize will be awarded to one fortunate person who leaves a comment at one of the blog tours participating in the KCWC Third Time's a Charm blog tour. It includes:

The complete collection of Virginia Smith books, TEN in all (listed below), with a personal behind-the-scenes commentary written by the author - especially for this tour!

Sister-to-Sister Series, including: Stuck in the Middle, Age Before Beauty, and Third Time's A Charm.

Unforgettable Mayla Strong Books: Just As I Am and Sincerely Mayla.

Classical Trio Series from Love Inspired Suspense: A Taste of Murder, Murder at Eagle Summit, and Scent of Murder.

Murder By Mushroom

Bluegrass Peril

So leave a comment and if I think yours is the best, I'll pass it along to the KCWC team and you'll be in the running for this grand prize.

I love you guys!
Frank

Prayer disciplines part 2-Centering Prayers

2010-02-01T22:21:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

If you didn’t watch the video of Steven Curtis Chapman’s Busy Man above, I’ll ask you the question. Have you found yourself just “too busy”? If you’re a teen, having too much homework, too many social activities and or games to go to? Adults, shuttling kids to school, grabbing groceries, picking up kids, just to shuttle them to activities, trying to fit dinner and then housecleaning in? All that makes you want to just…fall in bed.

I know that having a 4, 3 and almost 2 year old that my busy schedule is about to pick up. I’m already doing pre-school with the older two, then figuring out what to make for lunch. Before long, my daughters will be dancing and my son will be playing basketball or baseball. Trying to catch it all and have time to write my columns, hang out with my wife occasionally and watch TV. And then on top of all that, trying to find time to pray, read God’s Word and spend time learning what God wants me to share with you. Wow! Just typing all this makes me want to take a nap.

I remember my classmate, Mark Taylor, sharing a poem with us at our graduation. I couldn’t remember the poem exactly, but I found what I believe is a shorter version of the one he shared.

No Time To Pray
By Grace Naessens

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish, I didn’t have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;
Why doesn’t God just help me, I wondered; He answered, “You didn’t ask.”

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me- He said, “But you didn’t seek.”

I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, you didn’t knock.”

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

Today, I want to share the next prayer discipline, centering prayer. This prayer isn’t about asking for all our wants and needs. It is about taking the time to slow down and spend time with God for who He is.

I think back to when my wife Mindy and I started dating. We spent so much time together. We didn’t care what we talked about. It was just being with each other that made the time special. That’s what God wants from us sometimes. For us to come to Him and think, I don’t want to come to the Genie God, I just want to spend time with a Savior that loves me and that I can love back.

If you’ve been a Christian for a long time? Let me ask you, do you remember when you first came to Christ? When you are first saved, you try to convert everyone. Why? You want everyone else to have what you do. Why is it that somewhere along the way, we lose that feeling of wanting to be with God? I think we begin to take for granted that He’s always there whether we acknowledge it or not.

That is the other reason why practicing the centering prayer is so important. A centering prayer is defined as a form of contemplative prayer where the person praying seeks to quiet scattered thoughts and desires in the still center of Christ’s presence. Let’s look at a method of centering prayer as presented in the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.

First, we need to set aside a time (Calhoun suggests 15 minutes to begin). Next, we need to settle into a comfortable position. Intentionally place yourself in the presence of God.

Then, Calhoun tells us to select a simple word or phrase from Scripture that expresses your desire for God. She gives examples of love, peace, grace, Jesus, great Shepherd. Let this word guard your attention. Let me mention here that this is not a practice of New Age. Centering prayer has been around from the beginning, not just something developed by the Benedictine Monks of the 60’s and 70’s. There are skeptics that will argue that this practice of repeating and focusing on a phrase doesn’t produce anything but the repetition. Keep in mind, this phrase is only a beginning point and a tool to use to refocus if you begin to drift during the time in God’s presence.

During this time, become quiet. You will probably have many thoughts rushing through your head at first simply because you are thinking about a time limit and getting back to your day. However, you must remain quiet and let these thoughts go. Keep repeating the phrase from above until they do. Calhoun says, “Be with Jesus. Listen. Be Still.”

Rest in the center of God’s love. Remember this isn’t a time of prayer for requests or laundry lists. Trust the Holy Spirit who abides in you to connect you to God to listen. Finally, don’t rush out of this prayer time. Breathe in the presence of Christ. Calhoun even suggest closing this prayer time offering yourself to Christ for the rest of your day with phrases such as “I am yours” or “Remain with me.”

These are parts of the practice of centering prayer. Rest in and gaze on Christ. Wait before the Lord in open attentiveness. Attend to the presence of the Holy Spirit within you and release distractions into the hands of God and returning consistently to his presence.

Finally, here are some of the God-given fruits that you can expect to enjoy in this practice.

1. “Keeping company with Jesus, trusting that he is working in you while you pray.” Remember this is time to listen to Jesus, not give requests.
2. “Living in more awareness of your union with Christ.”
3. “Bringing stillness into the busyness of life.”
4. “Learning to listen to God.”
5. “Seeking God’s presence and assistance in all things.”
6. “Learning to hold Scripture in your heart.”
7. “Resting in God’s will rather than your own agenda.”
8. “Developing a quiet center within that is not attached to outcomes.”

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at contemplative prayer.

I love you guys!
Frank

The Prayer Disciplines-Part 1: Breath Prayers

2010-01-31T20:59:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

Over the next three weeks, we are going to talk about something that is vital in the life of a Christian. It is prayer. It is not only us talking to God, but Him responding to us. It is us taking the time to connect with the One who made us. It is God having time to share with us the deep needs of our heart and His will being brought to us and through us.

God wants to connect with us and it should be our desire to want to spend time with Him and gain insight that will make our lives better and more complete. We will look at 15 different practices of prayer that will help us with that connection. You may or may not use all of these practices, but using even one or two may help you find a new and interesting way to meet with the Father of the Universe.

Today, we’ll look at breath prayers. You may think breath prayers? What is that? I breathe every day. That is something I don’t have to think about. I know how to breathe. And you are right. But I think at times that we take the things of God for granted. Yes, even the simple things like breathing. In with oxygen and out with carbon dioxide. In with the good air, out with the bad air.

It is entirely simple until the feeling that you might lose it. People who’ve had the chest pains of a heart attack or definitely understand how taking breath for granted is something that changes after the experience.

Thankfully, breath prayers are just thinking and focusing on your breathing. Defining breath prayers is that they are a form of contemplative prayer linked to the rhythms of breathing: (1) breathe in, calling on a Biblical name or image of God, then (2) breathe out a simple God-given desire. These are simple, yet intimate prayers of heartfelt desire before God.

The book, The Way of the Pilgrim, describes a breath prayer. “Take a seat in solitude and silence. Bend your head, close your eyes and breathing softly, in your imagination, look into your own heart. Let your mind, or rather, your thoughts flow from your head down to your heart and say, while breathing: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.’ Whisper these words gently or say them in your mind. Discard all other thoughts. Be serene, persevering and repeat them over and over again.”

I think many people have a problem becoming silent. That’s why thinking about your breathing, then focusing on the breath prayer are so important. It forces us to go outside our thought process of all we have to and think about in our normal day. One of my friends told me several years ago that this is why he starts every prayer that he speaks aloud with a name for Jesus or God. It brings him to focus on God, rather than his own thoughts or desires.

As stated in The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, the practice includes repeating a simple one-sentence prayer that begins with a biblical name of God that is meaningful to you. Follow that name with a word or phrase expressing your deep God-given desire. Calhoun then suggests to connect the prayer to your breathing and return to it throughout the day until it becomes a soul reflex. Doing it in this way also keeps that prayer fresh in your mind and heart.

Calhoun gives many simple examples of breath prayers:
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
“My soul glorifies the Lord.” (Luke 1:46)
“My soul finds rest in God alone.” (Psalm 62:1)
“Come, holy spirit, come.”
“Abba, I belong to you.”
“Healer, speak the word and I shall be healed.”
“Shepherd, bring home my lost son.”
“Holy One, keep me true.”
“Lord, here I am.”
“Jesus, have mercy on me.”

Finally, Calhoun gives us some of the rewards that we can receive by practicing this discipline. Here are some of them:

1. “Keeping company with Jesus whether or not you feel his presence.” Have you ever had days where you don’t feel like praying or you’re feeling emotions at God. Breath prayers can help you through this.
2. “Abiding in Christ, opening yourself to constant union all day long.” How many of us pray for a few minutes, just to go along our days and totally forget connecting. This can stop the “too busies” of life.
3. “Putting into a phrase the deepest desire of your heart and praying out of that desire.” If you feel like you are droning on and on, breath prayers can help you focus or refocus.
4. “Reminding yourself that God is present in you.” The Holy Spirit lives and breathes in us. How often do we forget that? I know I do.
5. “Guarding self-talk so your thoughts, feelings and behavior flow from an ongoing dialogue with God.” How often do you pray and then drift back into your own schedules or thoughts and forget you’re praying? It happens to me more often than I’d like to admit.
6. “Regulating your imagination and fantasy life.” Breath prayers help focus on God and away from sinful thoughts.
7. “Breathing in the life of Christ and breathing out the work of Christ.”
8. “Developing a rhythm of turning to God at any time of the day.” God doesn’t have a set schedule, neither should you.
9. “Developing a constant, inner, unbroken, perpetual habit of prayer.” I think any of these disciplines over the next few weeks will help us with making that habit. Remember, it does take time to make a discipline a habit.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue with discussion on centering prayer.

I love you guys!
Frank

Try Out the New Prayer Request Gadget (over there ------>)

2010-01-31T09:38:00.003-06:00

Hey gang!

It's Sunday morning and I am at home with two kids that are fighting through sickness. My son James has diarrhea, which is mostly water, and my little Maggie has a sore throat with green stuff coming out of her nose. My oldest daughter, Megan, hasn't caught it yet, but probably will since she is doing her Florence Nightingale impression and being Nurse Megan to the other two.

Anyhow, I wanted to write this little note to let you know of a new piece of gadgetry to join the page. It is a prayer request gadget and it lets you put in your prayer requests so people can come to the page and pray for your needs. You can also hit the left and right arrow keys and see all the prayer requests that are there. This also means that if prayer gets answered, you can also praise Jesus there as well. I really encourage that because if one person sees that prayer is answered, they are more likely to put a request up and believe in the power of prayer being answered.

Remember, tomorrow we are starting a series on prayer disciplines and we are also continuing with spiritual gifts intermingled in there too. So thanks for reading, keep responding and letting me know what you are thinking about the posts, the website and the new features.

I love you guys!
Frank

Spiritual gifts Part 12: Intercession And Discussion of February Series

2010-01-29T22:50:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

I know that this is the first post in a few days, but I kind of planned it this way. Tonight in the spiritual gifts series, we will continue with the next part on intercession. We’ll talk more about this in a moment.

However, I also want to tell you that I’ll be working on the spiritual gifts series, but over the next three weeks, I am also going to do a series on prayer and 15 of the prayer disciplines. This goes in line with my church’s teaching on 2010 being a call to prayer.

If you are wanting to learn more about being a prayer warrior, this 15-part series, featured Monday through Friday over the these next three weeks is for you. I may not move very far over this time with the spiritual gifts series, but I want you to know that we are finishing it before moving on to something else that will be pretty cool.

Also, we are now 90 days away from Agapefest 2010. I am going to the event and hopefully won’t have the rain and mud that we did a year ago. It was a great event, but not somewhere I was pulling out my camera often. I hope this year will be different in that aspect. It will be April 30-May 1 for those of you looking for calendar dates. I do know that ticket prices are at a reduced rate until February 14th. So now would be a great time to get them. I’ll talk more about this as the date approaches and I hope to see a lot of you there.

So, as I’ve said earlier, we’ll be talking about prayer and its disciplines. Tonight though, we move toward that series talking about a spiritual gift that can come out of following these practices, the gift of intercession. Intercession is defined as the unique, God-given ability to perceive the heart of God for nations, individuals, or specific situations and to pray fervently and strategically until God’s will comes to pass.

The first part of the definition talks about perceiving the heart of God. How do we do that? Do we do that by attending church every Sunday, working in multiple ministries, giving all our money to the poor? The list could go on. This is an emphatic NO! We perceive the heart of God the same way we perceive the hearts of our children, spouses and friends. We spend time with Him. We read His Word, but it is more than that. When we pray, we don’t just give Him the laundry list and say “Chop chop, genie.” We spend the same type of quality time getting to know Him like we did with our future husband or wife when we were dating. We talk, we let Him talk and tell us His deep desires as well. If we don’t care enough to give God the floor once in a while, we will have shallow, meaningless existences trying to get out of God all we can while doing little to express our love to Him.

Then once we perceive, then we pray fervently and strategically until God’s will comes to pass. What that means is that once we understand what God wants us to pray about, then we pray often. We don’t hand up a two-minute prayer and call it a day. One of the qualities of intercessors is that people with this gift spend hours daily praying. Bryan Carraway tells us in Spiritual Gifts, Their Purpose and Power, that this is the first quality of an intercessor. They feel the burden to pray and they do so. Prayer isn’t a burden to them. They are burdened if they feel they didn’t pray long enough.

People that are intercessors also pray strategically. They have a plan on how to pray. I don’t even consider myself even average when it comes to prayer. I pray most of the time when I think about it. For these with the gift of intercession, they plan their day around prayer. They know when they are getting up to pray, when they are praying throughout the day and how they’ll close the day in prayer. This may or may not mean that their day is systematic, but they know that they will take the time to pray.

The second trait of an intercessor is that when intercessors get a particular burden, they will not stop praying until God removes the burden from them. One of my pastor friends feels burdened to pray for areas of New England. When he does, there are times that he’ll leaf through travel brochures and other materials about the area while praying. He’s prayed for this area of the country for many years.

The third trait is that these with the gift get great clarity from God about what He wants accomplished. God tells the intercessor what He wants them to petition Him about. Televangelist Zola Levitt ends his program weekly reminding us to pray for the peace in Jerusalem. He shared a story many years ago from God telling him specifically that this was important to pray for. Zola centers a lot of his prayer life on praying for that peace. Some people with the gift of intercession won’t even pray for other things unless clearly led by or given permission to by God. Carraway even states in his book that intercessors “are held very accountable by God for what they do pray and are very sensitive to pray as they are led by the Spirit, not necessarily by the needs they see in front of them.”

Carraway ends his section on intercession suggesting that churches need to identify these people and place them as praying watchmen over the church. Intercessors will help church leaders break down strongholds of enemy territory and open your church to go full throttle for the lost and weary in your community and beyond.

One of the other interesting discussions in the book is that there have been findings that intercession is predominantly a female trait overall. C. Peter Wagner, who has also done work on spiritual gifts places the edge as high as 80-20% in favor of females as intercessors. Carraway states that he hasn’t done enough research to refute or confirm those findings, but I would guess that it might be because praying has more recently been shown in art and other parts of society as a female characteristic. Grandmas at the feet of their rockers, women in circles and more girls than boys in pictures praying at the feet of their bed are some of these things. Is that the reason? I don’t know for sure either, but as Carraway says, I am very thankful that God gives us this gift at all.

In the spiritual gift series, the next gift we will look at is the gift of hospitality. Keep in mind that we will be beginning the prayer disciplines on Monday as well.

A final reminder that the contest for NewSong’s Give Yourself Away CD ends on the Winter Jam thread on Sunday night at midnight CST. Go there to enter the contest for the CD.

I love you guys!
Frank

Winter Jam 2010 Phenomenal, Chance to Win Here Give Yourself Away

2010-01-24T23:43:00.005-06:00

This is NewSong's Arise My Love, a great worship song. I hope you enjoy it.

Hey gang!

It’s Sunday night, great football is on television and I am typing away. I meant to get to this when I got home from Champaign last night and then again after church this morning, but life happens and it is a whole 24 hours after the event, but I have to say Winter Jam 2010 was awesome! As I am writing tonight, the gang is finishing up a show in Des Moines, Iowa.

I left in the pouring rain here in Effingham and by the time I reached Champaign at a little before 4:30pm, the rain had stopped. I walked around the building to find the line extending way into the deep recesses of the west parking lot. I’m talking about a quarter-mile to the end of the line. A group of people I didn’t know called out to me as if we were friends and asked me if I just wanted to hang out with them since the doors had just opened. I got in the door within two minutes. That was a nice little blessing.

Next, I started walking around to find a seat. I walked to the far side, which was the right of the stage and found a seat in the first row of the bowl section. I might have been 50 feet from the stage. No obstructed view and comfortable seating. As far as my picture taking, the only obstructions would be instruments that were placed near the front of the stage, but those didn’t hurt me too bad.

I had thought the show was starting at six and I was right about that. What I didn’t realize was that there were three performances before the show and they started at 5:15. That meant I got great seating and only waited for about ten minutes.

Eddie from NewSong came out as the master of ceremonies and host for the evening. He introduced the first band named Revive. I had never heard of them before, but they were a high energy group from Australia and did three songs including the title cut from their CD, Chorus of the Saints. You could tell the original Newsboys were an influence of the group. They were good and the CD is worth a listen on Amazon to see if you like them.

Next out was Robert Pierre. In the ten minute wait, the advertising showed a video which made light of Robert catching a leprechaun and him telling us not to always believe what we hear. The guy sounded popish, but dressed more in the style of southern gospel. He was a hit with the girls, but to be honest, I liked the song he sang for the offering later in the show than I did his three song set.

Finally, to close out the pre-show was the Sidewalk Prophets. Honestly, I wanted to see these guys because of loving The Words I Would Say. I was hoping for a longer set for them than three songs. The first song of the set stunned me though. They began with a redo of Michael Jackson’s Man In the Mirror. Let me tell you, this was one of those performances that make me wish I was a rule breaker and recorded concert material. Not only was the song fantastic, lead singer Dave Frey was a dead ringer vocally for the King of Pop. I was like, “WOW!!!!!!!” They closed with The Words I Would Say and it was the first real harmonious song of the night as the crowd sang along and it sounded great.

The pre-show was over, the Winter Jam theme song started and out came Fireflight. The crowd was pumped for their entrance. The highlights of their set came as they introduced the first song, the title cut of the new CD coming out on February 9, For Those Who Wait, and closing with Unbreakable. It was sad to see them do a short set, but OK because they will be back at Agapefest in Greenville on May 1.

Then the hosts of the tour, NewSong, came out and did a great set. I didn’t realize Russ Lee had come back to the group. I’ve long been a fan of these guys right after I got saved when I heard My Heart’s Already There. Most of their performance was off the new project, Give Yourself Away. Speaking of which, we’ll talk more about giveaway at the bottom of the article, so hang around. They closed with Arise and the crowd was beginning to take a worshipful stance. I wanted more and most everyone else did too. There were so many songs they could’ve done, but they were great!

That brought out the Newsboys. I haven’t seen the group perform since Disney’s Night of Joy in either 2000 or 2002, but it was definitely different to not hear the Aussie accent of Peter Furler. Not that I minded that much. I got to see DC Talk’s Michael Tait as their front man. They had a great set that included a fantastic worship section and the highlight of that was being able to see the entire crowd of near 10,000 people worshipping to He Reigns. The view took me back to 1994 at another Newsboys performance at Creation East in Pennsylvania. There isn’t much that can top a crowd of over 50,000 worshipping in a corn field, but watching this crowd worship made me think of being around the throne in heaven and how we’ll be in eternity in praise of God. I couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed with the awe of that song.

The Newsboys ended with DC Talk’s classic hit Jesus Freak. It was pretty cool to see a new breed of teenagers knowing that song like they were actually old enough to remember it. The song was #1 on the charts in 1996, the year that many teens in the middle of the crowd age wise were born.

To conclude the first half of the show, speaker Tony Nolan took the stage and shared about being a ten year old scared into the kingdom. He spoke powerfully and many from the crowd gave their lives to Christ. Then NewSong shared the testimony of the Holt International, a worldwide ministry helping adopt children from other countries. At the end of the show, there were over 270 children helped by donations from the audience.

During the intermission, I checked out all the tables and purchased a Sidewalk Prophets shirt, the Newsboys’ pre-sale of their upcoming project Born Again and NewSong’s Give Yourself Away CD. After getting some much needed nourishment for the diabetic, I almost missed 10th Avenue North’s entire performance. I did, however, catch their last song, the former #1 song, By Your Side.

After they finished, the feature presentation artist, Third Day, hit the stage and performed several rocking songs off of their platinum CD Revelation. They also had a worship set that included the lead singer of Revive and Dawn Michelle of Fireflight. It had been since Rock the Universe in Orlando in 2001 since I had seen them and they were awesome.

For $10, I got to see eight Christian groups and artists perform. The price of admission wasn’t even close to what the show was worth. Mac Powell even said near the end of Third Day’s performance that many people came to the show with real struggles going on and needed to know that there was a Savior that was there for them. People were able to enjoy a fantastic show and forget about the world for a while. He’s right. But I think he also challenged us all to love and care for those that came with those problems and to come back to our homes and home churches and carry a stronger belief in that message.

After the performance, Eddie announced that the show had 35 more dates to do and was in Des Moines tonight. He asked that we pray for the tour. This wasn’t just for the artists and speakers, but also for all the helpers on the tour stops and for the fans that needed to receive and grow in Christ in each city. I think it’s the least we can do. This year, Winter Jam is going to 44 cities total. If 10,000 is the average (which is what showed here in Champaign), that means that the tour is delivering the message of Christ to over 440,000 people in those stops. Your prayers can change lives, so I do ask that you join in praying for the tour.

If you are looking for a great person to hook to in your journey with Christ, I encourage you to look for Tony Nolan on Facebook. You can find him in two ways. The first is by looking up his name on Facebook’s search, but the easier way is to enter the phrase enjoyingjesus. Yes, all one word. Tony will share with you not just things going on with the tour, but he is also sharing devotions to enjoy a new or growing walk with Jesus. I encourage you to give it a look.

After the show, I strolled around to meet and chat with some of the artists. I didn’t have a ton of success, but I did have two great moments. The first was finally getting to chat with Michael Tait briefly. While waiting for a group to come up for autographs, I shared with him how he and his bandmates from DC Talk were a part of my salvation walk when I met them in the Charleston Civic Center on April 1, 1994. I got a moment to thank him for being a part of that. We hand bumped as I had to keep moving and it blessed me that I actually got to share with him.

The second moment was getting to hang out with Sidewalk Prophets. These guys are my 33 Miles equivalent of 2010. I expect you to see great things of these guys. I really do. They were all great and posed for a picture with me and it was a blast to just spend a few minutes with them. I got a photo of Fireflight and of Robert Pierre as they were talking to other fans.

It was a night that reminded me why I think Christian music is so important to peoples’ walks. Music can touch a part of our soul just words miss. Sometimes the music is the key to opening the door so that the musicians and our friends can talk to us. It was the key that my friend Alvin used all those years ago to bring me closer to understanding that I needed Jesus and the salvation that only He can give. They aren’t the entire package. They are role models, but the everyday role models of our friends and family take us the rest of the way. The musicians use their gifts to help them move us closer. I can only pray that many were moved closer in Champaign and on every stop of the tour.

Tomorrow, One Man Revival gets back on the trail of talking about our spiritual gifts. Amazingly, Tony Nolan even jokingly asked for the gift, the gift of intercession. He was doing a promo for me and didn’t even know it.

Finally, I almost forgot the most important part. You can also win here. NewSong gave a second copy of Give Yourself Away to me when I bought the first copy last night, so I want some lucky reader to have it. What do you have to do. Simple. Respond to this thread telling me what you like about Winter Jam, if you get to see it, or the most influential Christian group or artist in your life and why they are. Respond in the comments between now and next Sunday night January 31, 2010, at midnight Central Standard Time. I will randomly select one winner from those responses and get that person the other copy. Remember, to win, you must respond in the comments here at onemanrevival.blogspot.com.

I love you guys!
Frank

Spiritual Gifts Part 11: Exhortation, Not Just Another Pretty Faced Cheerleader

2010-01-23T14:25:00.002-06:00

Hey gang!

I don’t talk about sports much here on One Man Revival, but I love them. I grew up on baseball, football and basketball. If they were on television, I was normally glued to the set. When I was in high school, I went to all the Bridgeport Indians football and basketball games, even if they were on the road. Of the two sports, I love to play basketball more. Even at 40, I still have a decent shot.

However, I love watching football. What I love most about football is the hitting. I’m not writing an article about condoning violence, but I watch football to see great plays and great hits. My friend Bill says I should be a bigger hockey fan because of the hitting. The late George Carlin once said, “The best part of sports is knowing that there are going to be some serious (expletives) injuries.”

Football purists need no reason to get excited other than knowing that the game is going to be on the tube or in their neighborhood. However, some people need encouraged to get fired up for their sports team. They need their chips and a drink. One of my female friends once asked me while watching a game on television, “Well, I’ll never understand this game. When I am supposed to cheer? There are no cheerleaders.” I just look at her and go, “WHAT?”

Sometimes people need that. No disrespect intended to cheerleaders everywhere, but when I am watching the game seriously, you are a distraction. Albeit a beautiful, dolled up distraction. You are helpful though to the novice or casual fan. You tell them when to cheer, what to say, and how excited to get. Even if our team is down 31-7, you’re right there continuing to encourage us to keep the faith. The purists may make fun of you saying, “Don’t they realize we’re down by more than three touchdowns?” Yes, yes they do.

I won’t mention this one cheerleader from our high school by name, because it might embarrass her, but I always remember that she cheered a lot based on the score. On many an occasion, if we were blasting a team, she always had this mocking in her voice that would crack me up. On the seldom occasion that we were losing, she would get all grumpy and have this almost Eeyore verbage that showed how far we were down. I wish this were a video blog just so I could demonstrate it.

But isn’t that the great part of cheerleaders? They are always encouraging us to win. It’s always better than Rob Schnieder going, “You can do it!” and a hundred times better than listening to Dick Vitale telling us that it is “Awesome, baby!”

Do you ever wish you had cheerleaders in other places in life? When you are having a bad day at work and feel like you’ll never finish, you could push a button on your phone and “BAM” cheerleaders show up telling you that you can get the job done. When you are stuck in traffic thinking you’ll never get home, you could turn to a cheer that would get those cars on down the road. When your kids want McDonald’s and you are struggling over the oven trying to make a nutritious meal, cheerleaders telling you to keep at it because you know it’s good for them. OK, maybe having cheerleaders all the time, might get a tad boring or annoying after a while, but occasionally as a change, wouldn’t that be awesome?

That is the point of today’s spiritual gift, exhortation. God wants us to win and he needs us to encourage others in the race. He makes us all different. He’s gifted people like Sidewalk Prophets, Chris Tomlin, and Third Day to encourage us in song. He’s gifted Mark Lowry, Mutzie, Brad Stine, and Steve Geyer to encourage us with comical wit. He’s gifted blogs like The Church of No People, Stuff Christians Like and me to encourage you over the internet. There are many more.

Exhortation is defined as the unique, God-given ability to encourage, strengthen, and admonish others for the purpose of helping them to reach their God-given potential. We’ve talked a lot about encouragement, which is the other term usually given to this gift. I haven’t talked much about strengthening and admonishing yet. Let’s do that. The strengthening part is usually this person walking beside you giving you a stronger belief in yourself and more importantly, in God. Exhorters have no problem letting you know that God is with you and that He is also working with you in your walk. They’ll tell you that you’re not alone. Do you ever feel like you forget that? I know I do. There are days when the world and people have just whipped me (figuratively, of course) and I feel alone. I have a couple friends back in Florida who had this gift dominantly. My friend Tim would always seem to know when to call me. God gave him a sense that I needed encouraged and he called to check on me.

Some people get worried that they’ll feel like pests if they act on the exhortation gift and call you. I can’t tell you the number of people who have told me that they had given up at times because they felt no one cared. The phone didn’t ring and they stayed alone. I’m not saying that people can be irresponsible to their own well being and stay alone, but I think there are times when we as Christians need to act on God’s impulses to call on a friend. Take the chance. Most people have no problem telling you if you’ve caught them at a bad time.

My friend Shawn is even more intrusive. He won’t call people. He just likes to show up at your house to check on you. He once told me that two of his friends liked to hide from him. I asked what he meant. With the invention of caller id, some people just don’t answer their phone. Especially if they have backslidden, they are more likely to drop you to voicemail and try to make excuses. Again, I’ll stress that people sometimes do need to be responsible for themselves and pick up the phone.

My friend Shawn’s other part of the exhortation gift is what bugged people the most. He’s even confessed to me that this is the part of the gift he hates, the admonishing. Webster defines admonish as to express warning or disapproval in a gentle or earnest manner. Let’s be honest for a moment. All of us have moments of messing up. We sin, whether by omission or commission, by accident or on purpose. That makes the exhorters have to help get us back in line.

Many years ago, I had a problem buying lottery tickets. I would often use the excuse that I had the money to play with and that it was helping education. No one was really getting hurt. Shawn and I were out one evening and went to a gas station. I bought a ticket. He didn’t say anything immediately. He let me scratch and lose my money first. We started driving down the road to our destination. He quoted me a few verses on how a fool and his money are soon parted and he realized that was getting him nowhere. Then, he stepped it up. He shared with me about how doing that may cause a brother to stumble. I can gamble, so a brother struggling with sex can go out clubbing and that’s OK too. He had me and I knew it. We don’t want to sin and give the message to others that it is fine for them to do the same.

Bryan Carraway talks about Barnabas as his primary example in the Bible. Barnabas saw potential in the apostle Paul after his conversion and it was his defense of Paul that helped the Israelites accept him. With this, he encouraged Paul and admonished the Israelites for judging Paul. Barnabas used the gift again when he attempted to persuade Paul to give John Mark a second chance in Acts 15 to go with them. It so divided the two that Barnabas went off to encourage John Mark and Paul went his own way. Exhorters believe in the good in people and find it hard to turn someone down that needs a second chance or more at serving God.

The greek word used in Scripture is parakaleo and Carraway tells us that this is the same root word where paraklete, the word describing the Holy Spirit comes from. The Holy Spirit inside us does exhort us in the three ways we’ve talked about at different times, as needed. Exhorters always seem to have our best interests at heart and do their best to put us toward success in what we are called to do.

The three prominent characteristics of exhorters show us how these with the gift will act. First, they are people-persons. They are very intuitive about people. If you have an exhorter that believes you are genuine, they will give you every chance to succeed. Next, exhorters want to see people find their potential in serving God. If they see negativity in any form (apathy, half-heartedness, defeatism), they will try to change bad attitudes into good ones. Whether it is giving you a pep talk or a good kick in the pants, exhorters will fill the role. Finally, exhorters bring spiritual growth along. It is not a surprise that these people will mentor others for a season, recommend books or other materials that will result in people overcome shortcomings.
Exhorters share the same desire I do. They want you to be able to look yourself in the mirror days, months and years from now and realize that you are closer to God than you were yesterday. We are close to halfway through the series and next time, we will talk about the gift of intercession. As we close today, I give you a video of a song I will be hearing in a few hours at Winter Jam 2010 in Champaign.

I found this video on YouTube and this is a fan-made video. Pretty awesome, I have to say.

I love you guys!
Frank

Spiritual gifts part 9: The Gift of Teaching and a Geography Lesson

2010-01-18T21:44:00.003-06:00

Hey gang!

Thanks for all the great emails of support and love over the weekend. Thanks also to you guys that actually taught me a geography lesson.

I can’t tell you whether it was my college professor Dr. Joshi, my junior high teacher Mr. Tichenor or someone else that somehow taught me that the Dominican Republic and Cuba were the same, but the truth is whoever I listened to was wrong.

If you look at the map above of the Caribbean, you will clearly see that Cuba is west of the island that contains Haiti and the Dominican Republic. I had referred to this in error on Thursday or Friday when I wrote my piece about the Haitian situation.

But this error proves a great point. One of my strongest spiritual gifts is teaching. However, as you can see by this last example, I am not perfect or above question. I strive to be clear and accurate when it comes to everything that I write. As I wrote that piece, I did not even bother to look at a map. And my teaching was wrong in that case.

This is something that needs to be stressed in teaching the Word of God. We need accuracy and clarity. Most of you are not going to get upset over the fact that my geography is not as strong as I thought, but when I teach God’s Word and give examples, it is vital for accuracy.

Why? The first is simple. People read my work. Some have come to respect it as a good Christian teaching website. To be in error with the Word can not only affect my reputation, but it can also mislead people. James 3:1 warns that I, and anyone else who teaches you about the things of God, will be judged more severely. If I cause a brother to stumble because of my teaching, I will pay for it at the mercy seat of Jesus. It may not cost me Heaven, but it might cost me some of the great rewards in Heaven. Call me selfish, but I don’t want to miss out on those rewards. Neither would you.

I taught a couple years as a substitute in West Virginia before I came to Christ. It was almost six years later when I taught my first Sunday school class. When I was teaching ABC’s and 123’s to children, it never really bothered me if I missed the mark with a few kids. Their regular teacher would have many more chances and, if they failed, there was always next year.

It was totally different that first Sunday with 7th and 8th graders teaching them about God. Honestly, I worried for days about it. First, I was worried about the fact that these kids might actually know more about God than me. I’ve been able to admit that my greatest growth was during those two years of teaching with the BBC teens. I grew along with them. I studied countless hours just in fear of not keeping up with them.

The less obvious reason was that I remembered that coma from 1992. What if today was someone’s last chance to hear about Jesus? That’s scary. I don’t want to be standing in Heaven on that day of judgment and be asked, “Frank, didn’t you know that the last chance this teen had to be saved was in your class? And what did you do? Rabbit trails and not knowing your stuff.” Those are the kind of conversations with God that used to keep me up at night.

That’s why today’s lesson about the spiritual gift of teaching is so important. That same section of James tells us that not all people should even attempt to be teachers. The prophet Hosea tells us in the fourth chapter of his book, verse six, “My people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge.”

Bryan Carraway opens up this section of his teaching in Spiritual Gifts, Their Power and Purpose talking about where a lot of Christians struggle because they don’t know or haven’t grasped important concepts from God’s Word. Many Christians struggle financially because they fail to read MalachI 3:9-11 where we are told that we live under a curse if we are not faithfully tithing. Why are so many families struggling? Because they fail to take heed of Ephesians 5:22-6:4 talking about how a family is to treat one another.

Many people spend years in the church and never hear some of the most vital information from God’s Word. Is this the faulting of pastors who stand at the front of the congregation each Sunday? Are Sunday school programs at fault because they’ve decided to tell us how The Office relates to our lives? Does the blame fall to our friends that would rather talk about sports and weather than reach in and grab nuggets from the Word? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

A lot of the blame falls upon us as individuals. We are not reading God’s Word and asking questions when we don’t understand. We are not grabbing these slices of truth and getting so excited that we can’t help but pass them on. That’s why finding good, solid teachers and people with the gift of teaching is so important.

Carraway defines the teaching gift as the unique, God-given ability to discover God’s truths and to communicate them in such a way that others can understand them and grow spiritually. Austrailian born evangelist Nick Vujicic is just like every other teacher you’ll ever see. This 26 year-old man from the land Down Under has no arms and no legs. There are times I’m very Italian with my teaching. I wave my hands and I could not imagine discussing anything without being able to use them. As I type, I realize this ministry would be crippled, no pun intended, if I could not use my hands. But this man teaches powerfully because he has been gifted of God. Below is a little of Nick’s awesome, inspiring story.

Carraway also tells us that teaching is one of only two spiritual gifts that was important enough to be listed in all three of the main passages about spiritual gifts, those being Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. The other gift, by the way, is prophecy, talked about in part 7 of this series.

There are four major characteristics of people that have the teaching gifting. The first is how high they hold the Word of God. I don’t mean that they hold it over their head here. I mean they value what God’s Word says and they get crazy when people take what the Bible says out of context or try to twist it to say what they want it to say. When I worked in Christian television, my buddy Jimmy would sit with me and watch a lot of the programs I aired. If a televangelist twisted the Word, Jimmy would get visibly upset and many times have to leave the room over the speaker’s faux paus.

The second characteristic is that they are very systematic about how they approach their study of the Word. They love bringing groups of scripture together to talk about a subject. They often will do research in commentaries and look up words in the Greek and Hebrew just to gain clearer understanding. They are thorough people when it comes to describing Bible stories and other godly information.

Thirdly, they have a strong desire and burden to see people fully informed when it comes to God’s Word. It drives people with the teaching gift absolutely bananas not to see people understand their giftings, their call, Christ and his return or anything else. They want mature Christians to have every single opportunity to grow, even when Christians don’t want to.

Lastly, and this should come as no surprise to anyone, they can communicate the gospel in easy-to-understand concepts with clear examples that relate to everyday people. Carraway brought up Kay Arthur as an example, but I also think of people like Charles Stanley, Bill Hybels and Pastor John Hagee. These people present the truths of God’s Word in such a way that unless you aren’t listening or aren’t paying attention, you will understand what they are talking about.

In my own teaching, I believe in teaching truth with the knowledge that not all of us came to Christ as a child. Some of us did stuff before we were delivered, sanctified, and cleaned by the blood of the Lamb. My friend Tim Schmidt and I had a conversation one night about how he and another friend had always been in church and didn’t get some of my comments about different subjects.

I have this way occasionally of making entire life Christians awkward because they don’t understand what it’s like to have been a heathen, so to speak. When I used to teach teens, some would come up and talk about some of the shows that they watched and I would be able to have a conversation about the show. Parents and other concerned attendees would ask how I could watch some of these shows. The truth is that the people who asked these questions had NEVER watched the shows. I would always try to give the teen something to think about as they watched the show. If they are going to watch it anyway, you try to get them to think with their mind of Christ, even if they don’t really want to use it. Once they do, they may decide that they don’t want to watch this show anyway.

Teaching melds with some of the other gifts, as well. Notice that most pastors have the gift of teaching. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 3:2 that pastors and elders must be able to teach. Why? They are in charge of a congregation. It is imperative that they be able to explain things as they shepherd the flock.

Carraway also speaks of a concern I have. This primarily happens in smaller churches, but also seems to happen in larger churches too. Not all people that are teaching possess the gift to do so. I’ve said earlier in this series that in smaller churches, responsibilities fall to the six or seven willing people to do. That means that people that don’t necessarily have the gift are teaching. If you’ve ever experienced boring, monotone, or teachers that weren’t clear with examples, odds are you have had a person without this gifting. Churches need to try to remedy that as quickly as they can. There are people out there with the gift and sometimes there is a need to search for them.

That is the end of the five-fold ministry gifts. We will move on to other ministry gifts and next time, we’ll talk about a very overlooked gift. It is the gift of faith.

I love you guys!
Frank

Spiritual gifts part 8: Pastoring, It's Not Just For the Man Up Front

2010-01-16T16:10:00.002-06:00

Hey gang!

When I say the word pastor to you, you instantly visualize a man standing at the front of the congregation speaking the word of God using witty examples to help us understand what they are saying. There are some though that believe that pastoring only happens on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and midweek services (for those of you that have them). I actually heard a man joke once (at least I hope he was joking) that pastors have the easiest schedule working only one or two days a week. The guy even added that he saw his pastor golfing more than he was teaching.

The average pastor probably wishes it was that easy. Here are just a beginning list of duties I’ve heard the average pastor has.
1, He goes to the hospitals to attend the sick. If you have ever been ill, some pastors even come to your home to pray for you to get better.
2. He goes to homes to counsel. If you have lost your way or began to have severe differences with your spouse, pastors come to visit to try to help. If you have children that are equally lost, you probably see your pastor more.
3. Unelected head of meetings. If there are only a few or no elders, pastors have to head up every meeting imaginable.
4. Business visits. The mayor may get to cut the ribbon, but many companies ask pastors to come and pray for their success.
5. Community meetings. Since pastors are usually trustworthy and are well known by the public, they usually are asked to be on committees to make the community a better place. Some are even elected to office.
6. Head accountant. When the church lacks a good financial person, the pastor has to keep the money straight.
7. Janitor. I hear this one a lot. First to arrive, last to leave the church. Even the pastor has to leave it like he found it.
8. Key person to open the building. If something happens at church, many times the pastor has to open the door.
9. Taste tester. Pastors don’t usually mind this one, unless they are trying to lose weight. The ladies of the church don’t feel like they’ve done their job unless they fatten up a pastor or two.
10. Groundskeeper. This isn’t where the pastor is his sexiest. He shows his manly side by tearing up debris and mowing the church lawn. I’ve seen many a pastor succumb to sweats and a “Kiss the chef” hand-me-down T-shirt.

So you can see that one man cannot possibly have all these giftings. That’s why he needs many people like you. I know something else that might surprise you as well. Not all pastors are gifted to pastor. Under the current college programs, if you get the degree, welcome to the license to practice. I’m not looking to get anyone fired when we talk about pastor as a spiritual gift, but it might be one that either you possess as well or your pastor may not ultimately possess. Let’s look at what God tells us about the spiritual gift of pastor.

The spiritual gift definition of pastoring is the unique, God-given ability to nurture, protect, and to help bring to maturity, a group of Christians. That’s a pretty large definition. Nurturing is usually a gift found in mothers. They have babies and then tend to them in every way to help them grow. Protecting is job usually done by the male species. Think of any father that has a teenage daughter and is meeting their young suitor for the first time. You may hear the jokes of guns in the cabinet that can be used if this suitor hurts his little girl in any way. Finally, to help bring to maturity. If you’ve ever been a parent, even once a child has left the nest of your home, you may still have feelings that the job is never complete. You’re probably right. Honestly, as long as we’re here on this earth, we are going to learn something new to mature us further every day. If you’re not, it may be time for some self-examination. I’ll leave that between you an God for today.

In the Greek, “poimen” is the word used in Ephesians, meaning “to shepherd.” Bryan Carraway even tells us in his book, Spiritual Gifts, Their Purpose and Power, that the terms “pastor” or “pastoring” come from our culture’s idea of seminary-trained professional ministers. Carraway is quick to point out that many people that are sitting in the pews that have no intention of attending seminary do indeed possess this gift. He even talks about many churches that block women from the role of pastor. Some women do possess the gift of pastoring and need spiritual outlets to demonstrate this gift.

The signs of possessing this gift include first being usually a well-developed emotionally stable person. You’ve heard the phrase, “You don’t have to be crazy to do this job, but it helps” doesn’t apply to pastoring. They give and receive love easily. They are relational people, so they usually work better cooperatively with an administrative type. My own pastor admits that he is so grateful for our executive pastor because he doesn’t have to think as often about the tasks of finances and such and can focus on people and their needs.

Carraway talks about the apostle Paul having this gift. He shares Paul’s words from 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul shares with the church to reaffirm a fallen brother because he was concerned for the man being overwhelmed with sorrow if he weren’t forgiven and reaccepted to the family of the church.

Secondly, those with the pastoring gift are always protective of those he shepherds from things that could endanger them spiritually. They want Christians to grasp concepts that will help them mature and also protect them from the trappings of the world and Satan. Finally, pastors are natural teachers or life coaches. They want the people of God to be blessed and make their marks in serving others in the faith.

In our own church, we have a program called Growing In God study groups, or GIG groups, for short. Leaders of these groups get to use their pastoring gift to nurture their friends in groups of 10-14 people and makes the work of the church staff that much easier. It’s not the pastorate trying to find others to take care of people and never be involved with them, but walking with people using their pastoral gift frees time for them to deal with others that aren’t involved. The people in these groups then tend to help each other and formulate smaller families inside the church. This isn’t making cliques, but people that can relate and care for one another. One of the goals of GIG is to raise up others in confidence to lead their own groups in time and pass the flame of the gift they have received.

In my own admission, I wish that I possessed more of this gifting. By being an internet minister, I get the opportunity to minister to many each day. Some of these people write me, friend me on Facebook and we keep in touch. But there are many that will read what I do and never say a word. As long as they are finding other ministries to help meet that relational need, I am happy though.

I have been criticized by a few for being more of a teacher than a pastor. I know this is true. I’ll talk a little more about this next time as we cover the gift of teaching.

I love you guys!
Frank

Will Pat Robertson Love the Least in Haiti? Will you?

2010-01-15T12:03:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

Yesterday was a thinking day. I brewed over some thoughts and I’ll share them with you. One thought goes into the other so we’ll see how this goes.

The crisis in Haiti sounds like it is really bad. The rumors are plenty, but it sounds like over 50,000 people are dead from the level 7.0 earthquake that struck Tuesday. The last time we saw devastation like this was with the tsunami in the Far East a couple years ago. As I read the reports, it just saddened me how many were lost. I think all of us hope that they knew Jesus.

I do have a friend in the aid relief. My friend Brent Gambrell was on the ground yesterday and was helping children get to higher ground. I met Brent back in 2000 when my friend Tim Schmidt introduced me at First Baptist of Orlando’s Metro service on Tuesday evenings. Brent spoke for almost a year at these services flying down from where he is headquartered in Nashville. You can keep up with his ministry efforts on his website, www.brentgambrell.com. Brent does tell us that there is need for medical supplies and that there is a fund set up through Regions Banks through a fund called the BGM Haiti Relief Fund. You can also mail donations to his address, which you can find on his website. I think it’s important to pray for Brent and all those that are there helping in the relief effort.

At this point, I’d like to address another big story in the Haiti situation. Pat Robertson spoke on Wednesday and so that you know what I’m talking about, the clip is here.

I don’t think there is a way to take those comments out of context. Let me say this, there are many, including me, that are shaking their head, trying to figure out what is going on inside that brain of Pat’s. Now the blessing in disguise comment, I would label off as rich people thinking that it saves us the trouble of bulldozing buildings down to rebuild. That may or may not be what he meant, but that’s where I’d put it.

The bigger story is the comments about Haiti’s supposed deal with the devil. Many of you sit and probably agree with a guy I listen to on YouTube occasionally called The Young Turks, calling Robertson’s comments at best “heinous.” However, the story comes from a 1791 legend that the people in power did make this deal with the devil and upped their power using voodoo. Whether I believe that or not, let’s play “devil’s advocate” here and say that this deal was brokered in 1791.

The first question I have is “Does it explain the difference in prosperity for Haiti and Cuba (Dominican Republic)?” The facts no doubt show that Cuba has been prosperous at times including now and that Haiti is deprived and in lack. I admit that I’m no economics major, but Stevie Wonder can see that the two sides of the island have lived differently. Truthfully, that may have more to do with the people at the wheel than any pact that could’ve been made.

The next question is “Could Pat Robertson believe that he is a prophet of old like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.?” Sure, he could believe that, but one expert on prophets would tell me that he hasn’t used the cliché of the prophets, “So sayeth the Lord!” Let’s be honest though. One thing is evident here in the words of Pat Robertson. The words that seem to come out of his mouth after tragedy are almost never popular. What I think should come out of what he says is that we should take a moment and self-examine. Instead of total outrage, maybe we should think and reflect, “Am I doing what is pleasing to God?” and “As a nation, are we trying to follow the standard that God has set for us in the Bible?”

One thing I will say right here. Pat Robertson is one of two things. Either he is totally nuts and probably never should be listened to again in times like these OR he is right and these comments should serve as a warning. The prophets weren’t popular, but they were trying to steer the nation of Israel to rightness. Yes, I know I’ve already knocked the prophet theory, but what if God has sent dear ole’ Pat to warn us. Stop laughing, I’m serious here. I think most of us would agree that these United States are not the same nation that was founded in 1776. Times have changed, but have they gone too far the wrong way. That’s up for each person to decide, but I wanted to give you something to think about.

Finally, I heard comments all over in varying degrees that Pat Robertson better stand firm to his words of caring for the hurting in Haiti. I’ll agree here. But I think that it’s something we all need to think about. I’m not saying that all of us need to pack bags and head to Haiti. But I think we are called to help.

One of my pastors is speaking on tough sayings of Jesus later this year and we talked about a set of verses from Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus speaks in verses 34-36, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

In verses 37-39, the righteous respond in wonder of when they did this. Here is Jesus’ reply in verse 40, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Verses 41-46 is Jesus telling us of those that did not do whatever was asked of him. They were sent off into punishment and eternal fire.

Does this mean that I’m asking all of you to give to Brent or to any other ministry supporting Haiti or give to ministries supporting the work of God? No. For those who can, do. You know if you feel that tug on your heart. However, some of us can’t go and can’t send the donations. Here’s what you can do. Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for their care. Pray for them to be helped back on their feet. But also pray that those who don’t know Jesus will meet with someone who will show them Jesus and lead them to a relationship with Him. Pray for the workers that they not only get the opportunities to minister health and goodwill, but also chances to talk with the people about the Gospel.

Your prayers will touch Heaven and will launch with full strength toward those intended. Your prayers will be an advance strike of the words of those that will minister. Your prayers will defeat the powers of Satan trying to stronghold onto Haiti. That’s the difference all of us can make.

We’ll be back on spiritual gifts as soon as I can get a couple hours to churn another part out. Thanks for being patient and thanks for supporting this ministry in the ways you can.

I love you guys!
Frank

Letters To Darcy Author Tracy Ramos Joins Us

2010-01-14T00:00:00.002-06:00

Hey gang!

Today we are joined by Tracy Ramos, author of Letters To Darcy. What is incredible about her story are several things. First, these letters were in the beginning, in blog form. They started as letters to her unborn child that were blog postings during her pregnancy. So if you are a blogger like me, there is hope if you are attempting to writing a book out of your musings. The rest of the incredible is explained in this interview with Tracy. Enjoy the reading and learning about Tracy's story with Darcy.

1. When you received Darcy’s diagnosis, did you ever feel as if you were being punished for something you had done?
The question of whether I had done something that would cause God to punish me in this way did cross my mind. Jason and I both wondered this. But I know, as evidenced by how God used this special child, that he was not using her to punish me. Of course, the Bible says that God does discipline, or train, His children to put them back on the right course, but that’s not the same as punishment. If the blessings that came with Darcy are punishment, I don’t know what punishment is.
2. Were you ever angry with God?
I’ve been asked that question a lot. In fact, many have advised me that it’s all right for me to be angry, even at God.
I’ve always considered myself a weak person. Before Darcy, I was confident that God would never give me more than I could handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). I rested on that verse and just “knew” that losing a child was something that would never happen to me. But it did happen to me, and here I am walking in the aftermath. But, no, I never became angry at God. I was angry at a lot of people, but not at God. It wasn’t because I was some super Christian with nothing but pure intentions. It was simply that I’ve never embraced that concept. God was and is the source of all the good things in my life. He has given me a wonderful husband and beautiful children. We have never been in need of anything. How could I be angry at Him because something didn‘t go my way, despite how grave it was? Get mad at him? God forbid! Are we not supposed to love God in the valleys as well as on the mountaintops? Doesn’t He bring rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous?
His ways are not our ways. So many beautiful things have come from Darcy’s life and death. Even though Darcy never said a word, her story helped stop abortions. Her life has caused many parents to love their children a little more, to worship God a little more, and in some cases, even to come back to Him. Darcy had more impact on people in her fifteen days with us than I have ever had in my lifetime. Her legacy will live on.
Was I ever angry at God? No. Who am I to question my Creator?
3. How did you hold on to your faith in God through the trials?
I don’t know how I got through. It would be easy to say that I wish I had slept through the entire thing and then woke up when it was over. But that’s not how I feel. My time with Darcy was the single most difficult series of days in my life. But I would not have gotten to know my little angel were it not for those days. I once heard that it is a beautiful experience that I would wish on no one. Been there, done that, and it’s so true.
I know one thing for sure: The Lord is the author and finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). I had faith not because I had it in me to have faith. I had faith because He gave me just enough faith to go through this.
4. What more did you learn about your faith through your journey with Darcy?
I believe that the things I learned about my faith are only some of the blessings I mentioned above. The biggest lesson is that God will never leave us in our time of need. Another is that it relates to the second half of 1 Corinthians 10:13: that God will make a way for me to endure the testings, or trials, in my life. We should never underestimate the power of God or second-guess Him. He loves us and wants only the best for us. And even though we don’t understand how trials can be good for us, we must trust in God’s sovereignty. We need to have faith through the trials, and when we reach the other end, we can look back and see that He has been carrying us through them all.
A famous poem by Mary Stevenson, called “Footprints in the Sand,” expresses my sentiments more beautifully than I can.
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene, I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
Other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me, Lord, that if I followed you,
You would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have been only one set of footprints in the sand.
Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
Is when I carried you.”
5. How did you find the daily strength to go on, knowing that your baby would probably not survive long after her birth?
In the beginning, my focus was on finding a cure or anything that could save her. Eventually, my focus turned to wanting to make the most of the time God would allow me to have with her. He gave me the strength and inspiration I needed to focus, not on Darcy’s dying, but on her living.
I wanted to make sure I had no regrets after she was gone, so I made a list that was based on advice I solicited from many people who had already walked this road before me. I made sure that we did as many of the items on the list as God would allow, so that Darcy’s life—however long it might be—would have meaning for me and for everyone else who knew her. We had to make a lifetime of memories in a very short time. We didn’t know how long Darcy would live, but we went through that list as if she were going to die before the next minute came. I believe that gave me the energy and drive that helped me bear what could otherwise have been a horrific two weeks. Jason made it his goal to see to it that every item on the list was accomplished. I believe it was his shining moment.
6. What did you and Jason need to do—in your relationship—in order to persevere through the pregnancy and then after Darcy was born?
Studies have revealed that there is a high rate of divorce for parents of deceased children. We were aware of that and vowed not be a statistic. Our relationship has been tested more through the pregnancy and Darcy’s life than at any other time in our twenty years of marriage. We still struggle, but we are persevering. I believe that our relationship will eventually become unbreakable because we have a righteous multitude who continue to pray for us and provide love and support. We used to think of ourselves as independent people who do not need to rely on others for help. We were determined to meet this challenge head-on. But during that time, God revealed the pride that was the source of our independent attitude, even toward each other. He showed us in practical ways by gathering His people around us in our time of need. I guess this is where the phrases “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health” from our wedding vows come in.
7. In what ways has your experience with Darcy changed the person you are now?
God has made me much more compassionate toward those who experience similar trials, especially those who have kids with any kind of trisomy condition. Also, because I survived this heart-wrenching ordeal, I know that I can survive anything and can help others do the same. Last, I have a renewed commitment to help spread a new kind of “pro-choice” message: that we must choose to help those who cannot help themselves, especially our own unborn children.
And, of course, the negative thing about the experience is that there will always be a Darcy-shaped hole in my heart, a hole that will never be filled in this life.
8. How has your experience changed your family and your life together?
It has brought us closer, and we value one another more. We now truly believe that life is a vapor and that any one of us can suddenly be taken up to heaven. Although the kids occasionally forget this and fight, the fights don’t last as long as they used to.
This is part of the silver lining in such a hard experience. Grief has a strange but powerful way of forcing us to confront the sins in our lives. And even though we have to go through more rough roads while we’re grieving, we also know that it’s the best way to deal with those sins in a lasting way.
9. What advice would you give to families going through this kind of experience—whether or not they know God?
Of course, I am not a psychologist. But because I have gone through it, I feel I have something to say about the matter. But I would give advice only if I were asked for it. The hurt of losing a child is so deep that the last thing people want is unsolicited advice. The reality is, I would much rather have my child here with me, alive and well. However, if someone asked, these are things I might tell them.
First, I would tell them that they will need to prepare for a long, hard road ahead. During the delivery, a nurse told Jason that we were about the face the deepest sorrow in our lives. She was right. In a way, this helped us brace ourselves and expect the worst. Knowing it was coming helped us deal with it better than we would have if we have not known what to expect. And, the proof is in the pudding. God does see you through, and joy does come in the morning.
Second, I would urge them to rely on one another and never forsake one another, just as God has never forsaken us. The death of a child can do irreparable damage to a marriage. Satan uses situations such as this one to split families. Husband and wives must work extra hard to keep it together both during and long after the death of their child. Do not lay guilt on the other person or blame him or her for the disease. Instead, be understanding with one another. Each person has a different way of dealing with the grief and stress. Realize that everyone in the family—not just the mother—is grieving. The grieving period will pass, but you need give family members as much time as they need.
Following that, I would encourage them to trust that the Creator has their little one in His care and that their precious child will soon be in His arms. If they want to see their child again someday, they must believe in God’s Son, Jesus. My advice would not change just because someone else doesn’t believe the way I do. I know that God’s Word always bears fruit, so I would rely on the Holy Spirit to direct what I say and to reveal His message to the hearts of those I speak with.
During Darcy’s time with us, we realized that her story is more than a message about life on earth. It is, in a more important way, a story of eternal life with our Creator. Jason called Darcy our “little evangelist.” I think we’ll see the truth of that statement once the book is released. The story of Darcy is a story of God’s grace, mercy, and loving-kindness. It was when we were in the deepest despair that we really got to know God. Our hope is that when people share our sorrow as they read about Darcy, they will come face-to-face with the Savior.
Having said all that, I would like to offer two pieces of unsolicited advice to those who desire to comfort grieving families: First, it is better to offer nonverbal support, such as giving hugs or simply sitting quietly and listening. A sweet lady at our church did that for me. Whenever she saw me, she just leaned over and gave me a long hug without saying a word. I will never forget those hugs. Second, and this is in line with the first statement, do not feel compelled to say something and end up being insensitive (for example, “at least you have other children”).
10. What were some of the supportive things that friends and family did or said that were most helpful in dealing with the pregnancy and adjusting to life after Darcy was born?
Our Family
We came together and supported one another. There was no bickering or whining. The focal point was Darcy. It was the one thing we shared. We assured one another that her condition was not a result of anything we did. We said, “I love you” a lot.
Church
Where do I begin? Every day for several weeks, we enjoyed meals that church friends had lovingly created. Our deacon family coordinated activities during Darcy’s birth. During the delivery, several women were there to coach me. Those who had medical backgrounds were available to us 24–7. Those who knew photography took literally hundreds of pictures of Darcy and the family. Church families spent the night to help us care for Darcy. Our pastors and deacon constantly checked on us and made sure we were in need of nothing. They brought a church service to our home (one of the items on Darcy’s List was to go to church.) The list is endless, but the experience would not have been the same without the support of our church family. Our little church became a picture of how the body of Christ should act.
Friends
Friends (neighbors, doctors and nurses, and other acquaintances) were very understanding. Knowing that hundreds of these people were available to us at a drop of a hat was so reassuring.
Total Strangers
The comments posted on Darcy’s Web site from people all over the world were a source of inspiration to us. Finding out about lives saved, families reunited, and people finding their way back to God gave us a clear sense that Darcy’s life had purpose. We took comfort and strength in those numbers: Approximately four thousand people a day followed Darcy’s story!
Prayer
Prayer kept us connected to God. That connection stayed strong, due in large part to the thousands of petitions people brought to the only One who could help.
Scripture
It may be difficult to open the Bible in times of such intense pain, but there is so much comfort to be had in knowing what the Lord has to say about times like these. The verses I have stated above have been my inspiration.
Music
I played several specific songs constantly during our time with Darcy. Now when I hear those songs every now and then, my thoughts return to the sweet moments I had with my little girl in my arms, her smell, her softness, her purity.

You may find out more about this book at http://www.darcyanne.com/index.html

Spiritual Gifts, Part 7: Looking At Prophet and Prophecy

2010-01-11T19:57:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

Sorry that I am a week further behind than promised, however I was sick last week for the first four days of the week and saw no sense in rushing back on Friday to begin anew.

When last I wrote about the spiritual gifts, I talked about the office/spiritual gift of evangelist/evangelism. Today’s topic is as exciting. However, unlike with the evangelist/evangelism, Spiritual Gifts author Bryan Carraway gave separate writings to the office of prophet and the gift of prophecy. So, I’ll do both of those here to save time and sounding redundant later on.

Carraway defines the office of prophet as a unique, God-given ability to receive special revelations from God and to then serve as a messenger, delivering those communications to those whom God directs. The definition of prophecy is not much different; Prophecy is the unique, God-given ability to receive an inspired message from God that is then shared with others to bring encouragement, edification, or correction. Don’t those definitions sound pretty close to the same? Yes, yes they do. However, as we cover the material a little more closely, you will see differences.

Most of the examples of the office of prophet (or prophetess) that are in Carraway’s book, Spiritual Gifts, Their Purpose and Power, and most of the ones that I came up with are Biblical examples. People like Peter and Paul in the New Testament and the men that the names of the books are after in the Old Testament, which would cover every author from Isaiah to MalachI.

In the greek, prophets are described with prophetes meaning “one who proclaims.” The related verb, prophemi, means “to speak forth.” Carraway describes prophets as those that speak forth the word on behalf of the Lord. Prophecy has another related verb, propheteuo, which means “to proclaim, or to make known.”

Let’s continue looking at the office of prophet and the gift of prophecy with some scripture references.

Eph 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Eph 4:13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

1Co 12:10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

We’ve looked at the Ephesians reference before. These are the five-fold ministry gifts. Let’s keep in mind that there is a difference between each of these gifts. People often ask if all prophets are teachers and vice versa. Here’s a major difference between the two. While teachers disseminate information from the scripture and give examples to explain that information, prophets are primarily viewed in two camps in the Bible; as either forth tellers, men who declare God’s truth, or foretellers, declarers of the future. Prophets will declare and may or may not explain what the word means.

In forth telling, if you look at the Old Testament prophets, the men continuously told the nation of Israel how she strayed from God’s commands and used the themes of holiness, justice, and repentance from the world’s standards. The New Testament prophets were doing the same thing. Just take a look at John’s letter of Revelation in his letters to the seven churches.

The verse from 1 Corinthians, prophecy is sandwiched with miracles and tongues. In truth, these are three gifts that are challenged most as legitimate today. I think we’ve all heard of the miracles of Mary and Jesus in bread and I don’t recall the exact office within the Catholic religion that sends people out to examine and explain if these are true miracles or hoaxes. Many churches dismiss all three as being only Old Testament gifts and not for use today. We’ll examine this more when we also talk about tongues later on.

As we begin to look at the characteristics of the prophet, Carraway makes several good points with the first characteristic. Even though I think that there is a certain zealousness to share any of the spiritual gifts, Carraway tells us that most people with this gifting have a zealousness even above the average Christian. Their desire for God’s holiness, justice and mercy are high and sin even might seem more grievous to prophets. The last line from Carraway on this first characteristic deserves direct quote. “Society’s lack of respect for God’s standards deeply disturbs the heart of a prophet.”

The second characteristic is almost a normal receiving of supernatural revelation from God. These messages aren’t just for the church as a whole, but often can be for individuals or nations. The third characteristic is a divinely given authority that is recognized by the local church.

The difference in people with the gift of prophecy is that the authority is not included. People receive revelations from God and these are usually given to minister effectively for individuals. What amazed me in what Carraway says here is not that these words are usually to encourage, confirm or console, but that they also reveal danger, traps that Satan is putting out for us or outright sins that have been committed. He even mentions that a man he loves with this gifting, Charles Spurgeon, disturbs him by the way he called out people on their sins in the middle of sermons. I think in majority, I would tend to agree. However, I could think of some people who may need this type of shaking to get them to depart from sin.

Carraway tells us that the telling factor of prophecy is answering a few simple questions after a person has stepped out in using the gift. They are, “Are their predictive messages later proved to be accurate? Are their messages of comfort or confrontation effective: do they cause a change in the hearts of others?” Also, the person needs to learn the ability to share in such a way that it be received by the person it is directed at. That statement isn’t as simple as it sounds. If a name isn’t being used in the prophecy, the words need to be effective and have meaning to that person.

There are some other examples from scripture that point both of these giftings out. I’ll close by sharing a few of them.

Act 21:9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
Act 21:10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
Act 21:11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"
Act 21:12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Act 21:13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Act 21:14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."

In the verses up to this, Paul is traveling and has landed by ship at the city of Tyre. He met up with the disciples and they began to urge him not to go to Jerusalem. However, they could sway him to stay with them and he continued the voyage and eventually reached Caesarea and stayed with Philip and his four daughters. Keep in mind, the disciples were impressed in the spirit for Paul not to continue to Jerusalem as well.

Paul went on anyway, even after this prophet spoke to him in this way. Why would Paul not listen to a prophet? It’s not for the same reason that we might not listen to one who would speak to us. We might even have an attitude of arrogance that we could the situation. However, this is not what Paul was saying. Paul had realized his gift and could not deny the people of Jerusalem an opportunity to come to Jesus. Even if it meant death, Paul was willing.

Act 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Act 2:17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Act 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

1Co 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
1Co 14:2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
1Co 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
1Co 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
1Co 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
1Co 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?

In Acts, Peter wanted us to understand that prophecy wasn’t just something that would die out with them at Pentecost. In the last days, all would be eligible. There would be no class breakdown. It doesn’t mean that Joyce Meyer would prophecy and the lady in the second row of your congregation couldn’t. It was a matter of receiving the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t status attainment. You don’t receive any of the gifts based on video game qualifications. Eating so many communion wafers doesn’t bring you to a level.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul also talks about tongues along with prophecy. Again, we’ll talk more about tongues later. When Paul speaks about edifying the church, he means the body not the church itself. Paul shares further how important prophecy is and is even more important that what people would consider tongues because of the fact that prophecy is more about others, tongues can be more about God and you.

1Th 5:19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
1Th 5:20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.
1Th 5:21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
1Th 5:22 Avoid every kind of evil.

This last set of verses is from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. I include this not as a pressure point, but more for churches that seem to want to screen away from some of the gifts. Honestly, I do think exercising caution on anything that can be deemed outside our comfort zone is wise. However, I don’t want to dismiss this pair of gifts because I think God wants us to be able to listen clearly for His voice. You can define as intuition or anything else you want, but don’t stifle these gifts because of fear. One of the notes that Carraway says several times with different gifts is that they will proven over time. Does time mean one month, one year, one decade? I don’t know for certain. But what I do know is that God has placed authority in elders, pastors, deacons to use wisdom. This probably includes prayer, discussion amongst people of wisdom and then more prayer. I think God wants our hearts and ears open. God tells us to test him in the things of heaven and earth.

The next spiritual gift that we’ll talk about is pasturing. Is it limited to the office? Find out as we explore this gift when we get together again.

I love you guys!
Frank

2010 Hopes and Dreams: Stepping Up To Help The Lost Get Found

2010-01-01T21:06:00.002-06:00

This is not the official song for 2010, but just a great song and video that exemplifies where I pray that One Man Revival Ministries goes in 2010. Thank you Britt Nicole for such an awesome song!

Hey gang!

The year 2009 is a memory and we’re on to a new year and a new decade. A friend of mine asked a harmless yet interesting question yesterday though. What is the big deal about New Year’s Day? All we are doing is turning a calendar.

Well, truthfully I don’t think that is all we are doing. Many people, including yours truly, did not have a banner 2009. It was OK, but there is something about new years. I related this morning to a team’s spring training or training camp. With every new season comes the hope of a winning season, the ability to celebrate at the end of the year to say that our team did something right. This is probably especially true for Chicago Cubs’ fans that haven’t won a World Series since 1908. Over 100 years and counting, each year hope springing eternal.

I think that’s the way it is with people too. They are admitting that last year wasn’t that great, but this year is going to be fantastic. All the dreams and hopes I have will come true or at the very least, progress toward coming true. That’s why the day is a big deal. Taking off the old crappy year, putting on the hope of a year that promises greatness.

We’re all guilty of it in some form or another. Why do you think resolutions are so popular? There is always something out there that we should stop doing. Each year, we make a commitment to change. This change is supposed to improve us in some facet, either emotionally, physically or spiritually. Last year was stressful for drama queens. Let’s get rid of stress and be emotionally healthier. Or maybe we couldn’t put down the bottle, the cigarette, or my personal favorite, the pizza. Lose some weight tubby and physically, you’ll be healthier. Finally, maybe you need to find a center. Most of us admit there is a greater power. Becoming more in tune with it will make us spiritually healthier.

In my confessional, I guess losing weight would be productive. I gained 40 pounds last year. Sure, I stabilized that weight, but I could get used to the idea of getting rid of some of it. My wife and I started talking about this before Christmas and agreed to try together to lose 20 pounds each. I need it worse than she does. But it is a good idea to work toward a goal together. I know she’ll buy less sweets for me than if I go to the store. I may have to decide to cook a meal rather than order out more often. All of us get lazy from time to time, but I to be a little less lazy about it.

I think you realize that this is a ministry website, especially if you look at the top of the page. So I know you realize that the spiritual center of what I do is Christianity. Believing in one God in the triune being of God the Father, Jesus the Son and Savior, and the Holy Spirit that indwells each Christian follower. From here on, I’ll be talking about the goals of the ministry and my role in that.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the story, One Man Revival is not named a such because I am the only person involved in the writing, editing and other such work of this ministry. The ministry name came from an old Bob Carlisle song off of his Shades of Grace CD from 1995. To begin a one man revival, he says, that it must begin, in me. And the ministry did begin in me, because of a longing call of the Holy Spirit from God. It was confirmed by the presenting idea of my friend Peter Brown and finally by my pastor Van Brooks in one of his sermons in early September 2008 when he began to preach that many of us in the church, not just my home at New Hope in Effingham, need to begin a new thing and reaching out for others to increase those in the faith. He didn’t reiterate Matthew 28:20 that morning, but the Great Commission is our goal once we become Christians. Keep growing and reaching others for the Gospel.

If you’ve been reading along, you realize that essentially 2009 was year one of the ministry. When I began writing for this website, I began writing over five different websites. It started at MySpace, then went on to Blogger, Livejournal, and Shoutlife. When I joined Facebook, late in 2008, I had no idea that the social community, along with the main ground of Blogger, would grow to be the area that I did all my writing. Over the Christmas holiday, I announced to my community at MySpace that everything of blog form would be moving to Blogger and there only. It was just too much to try to plant seed in five different places and try to keep communities in all of them. With Facebook and Blogger, I found the success of being able to reach back to people that knew somewhat of me and also connect with new people that I have met at New Hope and in other places during 2009.

What it helps do is make a focus point for people to know where One Man Revival is. People now know that I have a personal Facebook, a One Man Revival Facebook Fan Page (that really doesn’t do all that much), and the blog of writings on Blogger (at http://onemanrevival.blogspot.com). That’s helpful to people because they don’t have to chase everywhere after me either.

One other note that I realized in this is that at times, and in certain areas, my plate became too full. By coming to Christ at 25, I have battled the desire of trying to be Super Christian to all people. You know, fly around and do everything.

So to focus on One Man Revival, I have to cut back in some areas. I never really got work on the Cross website off the ground. I did make a neat little Facebook page for it, but the website that they wanted never seemed to fit in my schedule. I also had to make a cut in something important in my own church. I have been a member of the men’s ministry team and my wife is wanting to spend more time together on the weekends. So I have to cut going to their meetings as well.

With the ministry itself, the focus has to be in a few areas. First, I think we need to continue great discipleship teachings. I spoke about the forgiveness series and the current spiritual gifts series. These are the hallmark of the gifting of teaching that I have. I also continue to feel like God is pressing that teaching gift beyond the website. I am seeking to make dates to go and speak these and other teachings to churches that would love to have me and my ministry be part of what they are doing.

Does this mean I become a pastor of a church somewhere? I don’t know. I think God is gifting me to teach to those that hunger and thirst for His Word. That may be going and speaking at occasional conferences or other church functions that other leaderships would deem what I have to say as in line with their mission.

Does that mean I also add the ability to evangelize to the repertoire? Maybe, maybe not. I know of guys that travel the country doing that. Each week, their goal is salvations. I admire that. I really do. I do feel God working on that gift in me now. But for now, I feel much more confident in teaching. That can change. Why? Because God is in control.

The other major thing that I have to work on this year is making a salary doing this ministry. I don’t mean or want to become the next PTL Club or anything else for that matter. But I do need to help compensate household expenses, child costs and other home items along with buying books that continue to help me minister and other needs for the ministry.

In 2009, I didn’t ask for a dime. Why? A couple reasons. The first and most important is that I wanted to show people that this ministry isn’t here for the buck. My main goal is earning your desire to bless this ministry. That means I wanted to show that this ministry offered you something before I ever asked for anything. I stand by this. Your first 10% is God’s for God’s house. That means that the church you attend regularly should receive your tithe, period. My ministry is not your local church. This ministry’s desire is to walk alongside the local church to help people grow in Christ, for His kingdom.

If you give to this ministry before your local church, you are robbing God of where your finances need to be. After that, some of you cannot afford to help this ministry. For you, my biggest request is that you pray for partners and churches that can. Seriously, I don’t want anybody losing a house, food on the table or clothes to wear because you chose this ministry over necessity.

But there are some people who can help me and this ministry. These are the people and churches I am talking to. I am currently working on the paperwork to become a 501c3 organization. I need to make a salary, but I am not seeking to get rich off this ministry. My treasures are in heaven. God has given me a few treasures here. I have a great wife and three awesome children. There aren’t tons of expenses to cover. If you are considering partnering with this ministry, I will gladly tell you what they are. Most of the expenses are books, computers, internet fees, advertising and applying for the 501c3 classification itself.

But I also believe in giving back. If you do partner with this ministry, realize that 20% is going back into other ministries. The first 10% will go back into my local church, New Hope in Effingham. The second 10% is still being prayed about. What ministries need my help as much as I need yours, that’s what I am trying to discern now before the money comes.

The other expense that may come up is traveling. If God moves on churches or programs to bring me to places outside the nearby area of Effingham, Illinois, I may have to think about paying for those expenses as well. But I also know that God will provide.

I tell you about this because the goal of this ministry is to step up and step forward. God has moved on people to be missionaries all over the world. Right now, I don’t believe that is my family’s calling. God can always change that, but I don’t feel impressed that He is doing that now. However, my writing is able to touch the world at a mouse click. God has given me words to inspire people to do great things for Him.

This calling is not about me. There are days that I do struggle with that. I shared with a class last week that not even more than half of my own church realizes what I do on a daily basis. This is not about raising my ego. This is about bringing others closer to God. Those that need to know what God wants for them to improve on, that’s the discipleship part. And then there are those that need to know that God exists and that they exist to have a relationship with Him. I am not a great salvation preacher, but by my own life, I can tell you that you never know how much time you have to make that decision.

God has not filled out my dance card for 2010. He has given me a few things that I know I am going to cover over the next couple months. Beginning again on Monday, January 4, we will continue the spiritual gifts series. That may or may not take until February 1.

On February 1, I am taking Monday through Friday for the first three weeks to talk about some spiritual disciplines of prayer. Starting the day before and on the Sundays of February 7 and 14, my own pastor is sharing the goals of our church and calling us to become better in the area of prayer. As I said earlier, this is one of those opportunities to walk alongside my local church and bless the people.

After that series completes, I know that I want to take time at some point to look at a book written by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. I just took part in the last few weeks of a class at my church on the book and I feel like this book could actually impact people to look at their own walks or crawls with Jesus. There is no calendar date on this as of yet, but know that I am very interested in covering this book with you.

Beyond that, I think God is still giving me the plan. The great thing I know is that God is with me and I have been as blessed as most of you that have been reading. When I decided to say yes and begin this work, I wasn’t sure where I would end up. I still don’t know. But it has been a great journey so far and I thank each and every one of you for joining me. If you are interested in having me speak, you can contact me via email at onemanrevival@yahoo.com or by phone at my home at (217)347-6697. I would love to hear from you.

I still have a lot to give to the Kingdom. The time for revival is now. Saving the lost and redirecting those who are struggling is vital. Helping those on the journey looking for a resource is equally important. The One Man Revival began in me to help the lost get found.

I love you guys!
Frank

2009 in Review: Did We Meet Expectations?

2009-12-31T18:40:00.001-06:00

Hey gang!

Today’s the last day of 2009 and it is time to take a look back at the past year. With every year, there is change. 2009 is no different.

On a personal level, I failed on two of my biggest challenges. The first was losing weight. I started out the year at 235. I had just received my first insulin pump and in the adjustment, was already gaining. Unfortunately, that trend continued for a while. By the middle of the year, I was busting out the seams at over 275.

However, by June, I was getting adjusted at least in the level of insulin I was taking daily. There were points early in the year that I was approaching taking a full vial of 300 units daily. Since June, I’ve steadily come down. I am under 200 units per day on most days, but if I have three full meals, I’m still teetering over. I have dropped off about five pounds since early November. I also saw my first pump die a beeping death at church a few weeks back. I have a new one that works though, so it’s all good. Thank the good Lord for insurance.

My other big goal of failure was reading through the Bible this year. I made it through most of the Old Testament before the world got really crazy in October. Thankfully, with just the OT, I have learned so much. God blessed me for a valid attempt beyond what I could ever hope for. For 2010, I guess reading those four minor prophets and the New Testament are on the list for things to do.

The ministry, One Man Revival, has been a major success. At least to me. I remember teaching at Bible Baptist many years back and I always commented then that when I teach that I seem to learn as much as most people. That hasn’t changed this year. Again, I thank God for allowing me understanding to learn.

I really think the ministry grew over the year. In January, I was barely getting time to write and looking back, most of the material from that time period was encouraging, but didn’t carry a lot of depth. The family vacation and spending time with Christians who love me in Florida in March helped me focus and began building great things.

With April came selected days of material. Mondays became dedicated and will be again in 2010 to marriages and parenting, called Marriage Mondays. The material on that day helped me and many others focus on their spouses and children. Wisdom Wednesdays focused mostly on the words of Solomon, with a few weeks of Mike Murdock’s 101 Wisdom Keys. Yes, we still have a few chapters of Ecclesiastes to look at in January.

In June, I tackled the first big series of the year on forgiveness. This might have been the best writing overall all year. I have personally struggled with forgiveness in the past and it ministered to me almost as much as it did to the many letters from people I received. It was true encouragement that told me that I am listening to God on some great messages.

July and August were two fantastic months of working with The Bible in 90 Days. As I said earlier, I got through most of the Old Testament. I have left the work on its own webpage and many people have been blessed by it. Even in failure, God used that work to help people grow closer to God.

By September, not only was I receiving some great books to review from Karen Power, but got asked to write about Mitch Albom’s book, Have a Little Faith and then got a new group, Kathy Carlton Willis Communications, sending me some books to review. I’d like to take this time to thank all the authors who have allowed me to read their work and share words from them and review their works. Right now, I don’t aspire to write a book, but they inspire me to keep sharing truth and have written some really cool works expressing some even more awesome ideas.

October might have been a month of challenge with worrying about my wife. She had a couple nodules that turned out to be no big deal. I’m very grateful for that, since I would like to keep her around for a little longer than the seven years we’ve celebrated so far. But during that time, I slowed down and came back in November feeling like I was dropping the ball. Since then, there has been a lot going on.

In December, I started a series on spiritual gifts and thus far, we’ve completed six parts of what will end up taking through January to finish. God has made me feel OK about this though. I am taking my time to make sure that this is a thorough look at the gifts God wants you to have.

Another concern I had in 2009 has still been a struggle at times. Even though the social website Facebook has been a great connection to bring One Man Revival to those of you that are reading it, there is still that tendency to waste time there. I find myself staring at status updates a tad too often at times. Thankfully, I have kept the promise of not getting involved in all the games that they provide.

I don’t think time wasting has been such a problem as overloading my schedule. I think by year’s end, I found myself tackling too many tasks. One of the sad things that will happen in the opening days of 2010 is scaling back on some of the work I’ve been doing outside of One Man Revival. I’ll talk more about this with some of the new goals for 2010 that I’ll cover tomorrow. With a new year comes new goals.

The one great area that I am proud of with One Man Revival is how the ministry has changed from being strictly about encouragement into a ministry of discipleship. As much as I have taught myself, it has been a true blessing to hear from you, over 375 letters worth in 2009, telling me of what you have learned in reading the OMR website. It has blessed my soul to know that this ministry is meeting that challenge that God has put before me.

Just last night, the website went over 7500 page views in 2009. While numbers aren’t always important, it tells me that on average about 20 of you are taking a look each day at the website. Now, I know that some days are better than others. This month has been the best month of the year with over 1300 views. Of course, we’ve had more writings this month to look at. I hope to keep that pace up in the new year.

Tomorrow, we will talk about 2010, the hopes and goals of One Man Revival Ministries. I will also share a few more best of 2009 writings tomorrow and this weekend. On Monday, we are getting back into the spiritual gift series. I am hopeful that the schedule will be more accurate in 2010. There are plans for certain series already in place. Again, I’ll talk about those tomorrow.

Finally, I want to take time out again to thank each and every one of you that take your time to read the words that God gives me. Without you, I’m just talking to myself. Granted, I need to learn what God has for me each day, but you give me hope that I’m not the only one hungering for God’s word and grace to be upon us. You guys are great and I love each and every one of you!

Thanks for everything in 2009 and here’s hope that 2010 is the year of revival, not just for one man, but where the lost can be found! Happy New Year’s Eve and be safe tonight!

I love you guys!
Frank