Game On!

As many of you know I’m a die-hard Husky fan! Man do I love college football! Last Saturday Cathy and I went to a UW Husky game. We had great seats up in the third tier on the 40 yard line. At the opening kickoff the stadium was filled with exuberant fans, it was sunny and warm; we could see the whole field, the boats on Lake Washington and even the Cascades in the distance. It was a perfect day for football and the excitement in that stadium was crazy! In the end the Huskies won and it was an amazing game!

At one point during the game Cathy turned to me and said, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if people came to church as fired up about Jesus as they come fired up to play and watch a football game?” I later thought about that statement and I thought, you know, she’s right - that would be awesome. In fact, what a novel idea!

Many people come to church each Sunday expecting to be inspired and motivated so they can go out and maintain during the week until they can come back again the next Sunday for more encouragement to keep them going for yet another week. Now I know that we all need encouragement from time to time and having a good coach on any sports team is essential for the team, but in reality - it is the players themselves who go out there and do all the work. During the week they practice running lines, throwing the ball and running the plays. They have great discipline in their workouts and in the time spent on the practice field so when game day does come – they are pumped up and fired up and ready to play!

Wouldn’t it be great if Christians put that much effort and discipline into their spiritual workouts each week – things like time spent in prayer, Bible reading, journaling, and just drawing close to the Lord – so when Sundays came, they were already filled up and excited to come and worship God with their whole hearts. Just think how much more effective our services could be if we all came fired up and ready to give God our very best!

I’m challenging each one of you to practice those spiritual disciplines during the week so you won’t need to come and sit each Sunday and be encouraged – you’ll be the one encouraging others with your excitement and enthusiasm for Jesus! He’s far more worthy of our passion than any football team!

Up for the challenge? Game on!

The "Good" News and the "Bad" News

It all started about five months ago when we got a phone call from my wife’s sister who was in Arizona with the “bad news” that mom was in the hospital ICU with heart problems. When we first heard the news my wife and I were, to say the least, greatly concerned and worried because of mom’s age at the time. We didn’t know it then, but the next five months would be the last five months we would have with mom on this earth. It’s still very painful for me to even write about this because I loved mom so much. You see, my biological mom lives about 3,000 miles away and I love her more than I can describe; but I also loved my wife’s mom. She has always made me feel like her very own!

The “bad news” is that I never get to hear her voice again or give her one of those bear hugs that she liked. The “bad news” is that I will never be able to engage in conversation with her about the bible which we did on so many occasions. (She loved talking about the bible). The “bad news” is that I won’t be able to tell her on Mother’s Day how much I love and appreciate her love, her faith, and her incredible influence on me and in particular on my family. The “bad news” is that I will never experience a Thanksgiving again with her at the dinner table. For as long as I can remember mom has always been with us at Thanksgiving; and I wish now I would have taken the time to let her know just how thankful I was to have her in my life. The “bad news” is that I will never be able to listen to mom tell the Christmas story to the children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren. I know the little ones were impatient to open their gifts but what they didn’t know is that one of their best gifts was the one telling them about the greatest gift of all. I suppose I could go on and on about the “bad news” and really it’s only “bad news” because I can’t see or touch or talk to mom anymore for myself.

The “good news” in all this bad news is that Nana didn’t really die. That sounds strange doesn’t it? And yet I’m reminded of the words of Jesus when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die”. Yes, mom’s, (Nana’s) earthly life is over but she has never been more fully alive than she is right now! The “good news” in the bad news is that Nana has no more pain, no more suffering, and no more difficulties physically. The “good news” in the bad news is that Nana left us a tremendous legacy: Her model of true Christianity, her prayers that never die and her unwavering love for her family. The really “good news” in the bad news is that one day I’m going to see Nana (mom) again.

What bad news are you facing today? Somewhere in that bad news I’m convinced that you can find some “good news”. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for “good” to them that love God….” Not all things are good but somehow, someway God can bring good out of any situation or event in life. And it’s for those who love God. Being a Christ follower makes all the difference in the world!

Why not take the time to ask God to show you “The Good News in the Bad News” as you live each day for Him! In time, you’ll see and discover that God has a plan that is much bigger and better than we could ever imagine. And it could be that that is an opportunity to rethink the way we live our everyday lives and in the process, to learn a new reliance on God.

So long for now, Mom! I'll see you someday in Heaven!

Your son, Dave

How Are You Doing REALLY?

One of the things I really enjoy doing is reading. It seems like I’m always looking for a book on leadership; or maybe a biography to read. But one book in particular that I read a few months ago was a book by Bill Hybels called “Axiom”. Bill describes axioms as powerful leadership proverbs. To be honest, when I first bought the book I had no idea what an Axiom was. But I’ve since learned first hand the power they can have in people’s lives personally and in a team environment when used in the right way.

After I had finished reading the book I decided to try an experiment at one of our monthly “all staff meetings”. I had decided ahead of time to use one of the axioms’s I read in Bill’s book called, “How Are you doing…Really?” As Bill says in his book, in American culture, when you ask people how they’re doing, they’re nearly always “fine”. So if you want to convey that you are actually interested in hearing the truth about what’s going on in that persons inner world, and if you want to give the other person permission to answer you honestly, then you have to pose the question just a bit differently.

As we were all sitting around the room getting ready for the meeting to start I just simply asked “how’s everyone doing”. And I got the typical response; good, fine, everything’s great. But then I went around to each person individually and simply asked, “How are you doing…really? And wow! What a difference when I just took a minute to pause and show a deeper interest in the lives of those that I lead. What transpired over the next hour and a half was simply amazing as people began to open up and share from their hearts. With tears running down their cheeks they began sharing with the group the pains they were currently facing; their hurts, and their fears. Needless to say, the Holy Spirit ministered in a way we had never witnessed before. Hearts were encouraged; burdens were shared; and the whole atmosphere changed dramatically!

And now, several months later, even though we have many axiom’s that we use on a monthly basis; we always begin every meeting with the question, “How are you doing….really? As I was thinking about what transpired those many months ago; I was reminded of a verse out of Galatians 6:2 which says “carry one another’s burdens”. That’s what we were doing! I was so glad that I took the time to find out what was going on their world; not just for leadership sake; but for love’s sake too. The Lord taught me that the people I lead need to know that they’re part of a “burden-carrying team”. When you create an atmosphere of genuine community it helps to keep our hearts tender toward each other and our collective prayers more focused.

For the people in your life, (you’re family, you’re friends, and you’re co-workers and neighbors) I want to encourage you to take the time to simply ask the question “how are you doing….really?” You might be surprised at the response you get when people know that you genuinely care about them!

By the way….”How are you doing….Really?”

A Powerful Force

This past week Cathy and I decided to drive up to Snoqualmie Falls. We thought that after all the snow, rain and flooding it would be magnificent to see. And it was!

As I was walking up to the observation deck I could hear the loud rushing sound of the falls even before I got close. Once there, the powerful force of the spray was so strong that I could only look for a few seconds without turning my face away. I felt like I was being blasted with water! In all my years visiting there I had never seen the falls flowing with such force.

This past week many of the cities in our area have been devastated by flooding. I saw this first hand as we drove around the city of Snoqualmie where it seemed like they took a good brunt of the flooding. I had never witnessed anything like this before. As we drove down the streets we could see that home after home was damaged by the flood. Carpets and furnishing were out on the front lawns; sump pumps were running all over the city pumping water out of basements, people were sweeping mud out their front doors and wading around in muddy boots trying to somehow sort through the devastation.

As we were driving around I stopped and talked to one person who told me "his story" of what had happened. Five feet of water had engulfed their entire basement and two inches had covered their living room. After about ten minutes of talking he suddenly turned the conversation and said, “But you know, we have lots of family who are coming to help us, and everything is going to be okay." And sure enough before we were finished talking with him people did start arriving to help.

As we drove away, I thought about what he'd said and realized I'd just witnessed a picture of the Body of Christ. How many times have things gotten out of our control in life? Life happened . . . and we were devastated. And yet when those trying times have come, it’s been so great to know that there are people who care about us and are willing to come and help in our time of need. I’ve seen this happen over and over in our church family! People step up, reach out and help with whatever the need.

I’m so glad to be a part of a church family that really cares about one another. Love is shown by word and by action. I love Solid Rock!

P.S. I'm also very thankful I don't live by a river!

A "Perfect" Christmas

Have you ever had one of those days where you had an almost “perfect” day? Well, I did this past week. Each year in December on the Friday before our anniversary, Cathy and I go into Seattle to Christmas shop, see all the lights and decorations and then go out to dinner. It has become somewhat of a tradition for us and one that we really look forward to.

So once again this year we headed out on a very cold but sunny afternoon and arrived in Seattle, where we proceeded to go to our usual Starbucks and get our favorite drinks. (This too, is tradition!) We then spent a couple hours wandering around the downtown stores and admiring all the beautiful decorations.

As we were waiting at a crosswalk a man and woman approached us and asked if we liked the theater . . . we said, “Yes”. They told us they had two tickets to opening night at the 5th Avenue Theater to see “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and since they weren’t able to use them they asked if we would like to have them . . . FREE of charge! Well YES!!! They handed them to us and said, “Merry Christmas” as they walked away. We just stood there in amazement.

As it got dark the lights of the city came on and lit everything in beautiful colors. There were groups of carolers everywhere lining the streets as this night was the famous “Figgy Pudding” caroling contest. What fun we had stopping and listening to the carolers sing the songs of Christmas. We grabbed a bite to eat and then walked up to the 5th Avenue Theater and for the next several hours enjoyed a wonderful musical production.

It’s funny how God sometimes just blesses us unexpectedly. Cathy and I call this “The blessings of God”!

Remember I said it was an almost “perfect” day? There was a sad moment when we were walking down the crowded street and we came upon a young woman and her boyfriend standing on the street corner holding a sign that said, “My life is worthless.” As I passed her I felt such sadness . . . and then I stopped. I knew I had to go talk to her. So I walked up and asked her why she felt her life had no meaning. She proceeded to tell me her story. When she was finished I looked right at her and said, “Your life does have meaning and you are important to God.” Her boyfriend just rolled his eyes but she looked right back at me and said, “Thank you, I needed to hear that.”

In retrospect maybe this was a “perfect” day after all. Cathy and I had a wonderful time together and I had the privilege of sharing Christ’s love with someone who truly needed it. It really doesn't get any better than that! Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow! Where does the time go! In just a couple of weeks we’re going to be celebrating Thanksgiving; and then in just a short few weeks after that it will be Christmas!

One of the things I love the most about Thanksgiving is spending it with family. It really doesn’t get any better than that! I was thinking how over the last 20 years or so we have developed some traditions in our family that I look forward to every year. To me it serves as a reminder of how precious time really is and that we should appreciate every moment we have together.

One of the traditions we do at Thanksgiving is have everyone write down what they are thankful for. We roll up the paper with their answer, tie a ribbon around it, and put it away for next year! And then, right before we eat our Thanksgiving dinner, we have each one read what they wrote from the year before. I always look forward to hearing what was written. On more than one occasion I have shed a few tears . . . and many times I’ve busted a gut laughing at some of the stuff that was written.

Sometimes as we are eating I will just look around the table at my wife, each of my children, my grandchildren, Cathy’s parents, and whoever else may be sharing Thanksgiving with us and I think to myself, “It truly is a wonderful life”. I realize in those moments that it’s not the things I have that bring me the greatest joy; it’s the people I love. I am truly blessed.

But I do need to confess - I eat way too much at at this time of the year. But what's a guy to do when you’re married to a great cook like Cathy! I can’t wait for the leftovers!

The Corn Maze

I just love the fall! This season is one of my favorites because it’s so beautiful and also because I know it leads into my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Last weekend Cathy and I went with four of our grandkids to a pumpkin patch and corn maze out in Buckley. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and the trees were vibrant colors of red, yellow, and orange. It was a beautiful day.

As we ate carmel apples the kids ran through the pumpkin patch checking out the biggest pumpkins. My grandsons even talked me into taking a “monster truck” ride and it was great! But the best thing we did together was go through the corn maze. Before we began we had to get a question sheet with 10 questions on it. There were also 10 sign posts inside the maze corresponding to each question. In order to continue in the right direction we had to answer each question correctly. We had several categories of questions we could choose from such as: movies, history, sports, etc. We chose the category, the Bible. Inside the maze we went, laughing and running through the cornstalks. As we got to each question I was amazed at how many answers my grandkids got right!

It made my heart so happy to see firsthand that my grandchildren are being taught the Word of God. The Bible has been such an important part of my own spiritual journey and I’m thrilled that it is being planted in the hearts of my legacy.

It was a perfect fall day for me. I guess it’s true that some of the best things in life can be seen through the eyes of little children. I felt like a kid again myself as I ran through the corn maze with them. I’m thinking I should hang out with them more often!

The Spider

I HATE SPIDERS! OK – I said it! I hate them with a passion! I was working on the computer this past Friday morning when all of a sudden I heard this blood curdling scream from Cathy. She was yelling, “David! David! Get in here!” I immediately ran into the rec room to see her pointing and screaming, “SPIDER!” I looked and sure enough there was this huge (and I mean huge) spider sitting on the floor beside the chair.

At first I thought Cathy was faking me out and trying to scare me but when I realized she wasn’t . . . my knees got wobbly. As she screamed, “Get it! ’ I grabbed my shoe and threw it at the spider. It didn’t move! I cautiously crept closer to it and only then did I realize it was a fake rubber spider! Then I felt really stupid . . . but my insides were still shaking.

Alright . . . who planted that stupid spider in our house? I figured it had to be my daughter Jamie since she was the only one over the day before but when I called her she swore she knew nothing about it (amidst her laughter)! Our small group had met at our house on Wednesday evening and I wouldn’t put it past any of them to do it either but even so, why didn’t we see the spider before Friday morning? I don’t know who planted that spider to scare me but I want to tell whoever it was – it worked! And I’m determined to find who the culprit is and when I do – watch out!

This incident made me think back on the many times in my life when I allowed fear, worry and doubt to fill my mind about things that later turned out to not even be real. How many times have I worried about problems that ended up never even happening? God's Word says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." I need to apply this scripture more than ever whenever fear creeps in and tries to rob me of my joy! I think I also need to remember it next time I see a spider!

Work Those Muscles!

I enjoy going to 24 hour fitness to try and keep my “growing older body” in shape. To be honest, sometimes it is very difficult to get motivated to get dressed and go to the gym; but I’ve noticed that when I do go; and when I am consistent to go 2 or 3 times a week that my workouts go well; the results are better; and I feel so much more energized. I’ve also learned that in order to get the most benefit I have to make sure that I don’t cheat when I’m lifting weights. (I would love to impress those around me but lifting my weights just doesn’t cut it!)

As my nephew Scotty, (who is a personal trainer) will tell you, the amount of weight you use is not nearly as important as doing the exercise properly. Doing it the right way always produces the best results; which in turn increases your overall strength and endurance. In other words, there are no short cuts to being physical fit; you have to be faithful to do the workouts in the right way!

That same truth also applies with spiritual disciplines as well. There are no short cuts to spiritual growth. Sometimes I don’t feel like reading the Bible or fasting or praying, but I’ve always found that when I do, (regardless of how I feel); I’m always glad I did. It’s doing what I know I should do, even when I don’t want to do it; that causes my spiritual muscles to develop. And over time I can see the results of that in my personal relationship with the Lord.

Summer Camping

Cathy and I just returned from a week long camping trip to Lake Siskiyou in northern California with my brother and his family. What an awesome time we had sleeping in a tent, cooking outdoors, laying on the beach, drinking Starbucks each morning while watching the sun rise (and yes, I brought my own Starbucks for the camp stove), sitting around the campfire each night and gazing at the millions of stars in the sky.

It did my soul good to get away from the busyness of life and just kick back and do nothing for a few days. I had no computer, no email, and only checked my cell phone for messages a few times. There was something so refreshing about getting out in nature and seeing the beautiful handiwork of God.

One afternoon we went exploring and followed a winding mountain road up for miles and miles until we came to the very end where we stumbled upon the most beautiful pristine lake surrounded by meadows, trees and wildlife. I felt like the psalmist when he wrote in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." I marveled that day at the beauty of our God. I was amazed by His power and might, and I stood simply in awe of Him.

I'm so glad Cathy and I had the opportunity to get away and get refreshed and now, as the summer comes to an end I'm excited to see what God has in store for us and our church family as a new season aproaches.