(Email Response To Questions regarding My Testimony)
Hi (name removed),
Great to hear from you!
I've put my response under each of your initial questions.
1.) Question: Do you truly believe the market as you say "decimated" simply because of your lack of "faith".
Answer: Wow, that's a really great question (name removed). It never occurred to me that it might sound that way from my testimony...but you're right, it does kind of come across that way.
But the answer is - No. No, absolutely not. In no way do I feel that God might crash a global market as a way to straighten out my personal lack of faith.
BUT, I do believe that God has a way of taking care of both "big picture stuff" on a universal scale...while also still being able to love us each dearly and individually.
So, while He most certainly did not "crash the market" for my personal growth, he absolutely did use that crash as a convenient means to get my attention.
2.) Question: "Is your god punitive?"
Answer: Another great question. I'd be a liar if I said I haven't also wrestled with aspects of this one.
But my answer here is no. No, I do not believe that God is punitive. I do however believe that God is just.
Hear me out on this one:
Smarter people than I have said that "cold" does not truly exist. What we call "cold" is really not a condition at all because you can reach a point of "it not getting any colder".
There is an absolute limit to "cold".
That's because "cold", in all reality, is simply the absence of "warmth".
The one true God is everything "right", everything "just", everything "good", everything "joyful", everything "love" and everything "the way it should be in a perfect world".
So, for the sake of my answer, I'll call God - "Warmth".
And I'll call "cold" - everything "wrong", "unjust", "bad", "sad", "angry", "hateful" and "the way things are in a fallen world".
So, the further we get away from the "warmth" of God....the "colder" we get.
My best understanding of Hell is best described as being 100% separated from God. The TOTAL removal of even the slightest trace of anything "right, just, good, love and the way it "should" be".
I'm pretty sure that it was C.S. Lewis who said something along the lines of:
In the end, God has let us choose, it's either WE say to Him:
"Thy Will Be Done." (I'll embrace YOU Lord and allow you to embrace me.)
Or after He's tried and tried and tried to allow us to rest in his embrace and we've ignored every attempt, he finally gives us what we wanted and allows us to push him completely away, and HE says to us:
"Thy will be done"......leaving us to ourselves, in the "cold" of his absence.
I don't call that punitive.
3.) Question: Everyone has pain, everyone has challenge, everyone seeks comfort.
Answer: I agree, I agree, I agree. We live in a world SATURATED with pain, sorrow, greed, pride and emptiness. Mankind tries and tries again to "solve" these problems to no avail.
On both a global level and on an individual level, we are so screwed up it's pitiful.
BUT, I offer that every single human who has ever taken a breath feels that "This is just not how it's supposed to be." We have a "gut feeling" on our deepest level that things are "wrong" and that things are just simply not "the way they should be."
We're sinners. Fully aware of being screwed up. Fully aware of our "wrongness" on both a global AND personal level....yet incapable of making things right ourselves.
BUT, if I sit down and read the Bible, let's say the "Sermon On The Mount" in the Book of Matthew chapters 5-7, I'll come away with a incredible feeling of "This is how it's SUPPOSED to be, if we could just all TRULY live by these Words, the world WOULD be a perfect place.
How can I KNOW that, yet still be incapable of such perfection.
For me that's proof. Proof of our fallen stature.
4.) Question:
One of my beliefs in regards to pastors, ministers, etc....They are and have always been leaders. They are charismatic, charming, and humorous. They have an immense need for an audience.
They are performers.
Do you not wonder that this new found stage for you is another one in which you wish to succeed beyond what others expect?
Answer:
I beleive that the capacity for sin in the form of pride is always there and must be constantly guarded against.
I pray every day that God keeps me humble and that anything I say, do or write is only for the purpose of glorifying Him and never myself.
I've lived that life and don't want it back.
All of the Pastors I know are the most genuine, kind and humble people I've ever met.
If I'm being honest, I feel like your description of them is a bit of a caricature as opposed to a reality.
But, either way, I don't worship Pastors.
I don't worship myself.
I don't want anyone worshiping a Pastor.
I damn sure don't want anyone worshiping me.
And if/when I ever deviate from that perspective, knowing or unknowing,
I pray that God picks me up, slams me on my head....and bounces me three times across the floor.
However, I would caution against being overly judgmental, of always looking outward at the evil that surrounds you.
You'll always find it..because we are ALL sinners, incapable of perfection.
I think it's wise to focus inward on your own transgressions with a desire to "fix".
Spend time in God's word. He uses it to speak to us.
And simply do your best to show love to everyone else.
Because they are just as screwed up as we are.
5.) Question: Your quest for knowledge and answers to what was obviously a trying time in your life ended with this new found religion?
Answer: No. My quest for knowledge and answers will likely never be over until the day I die.
Even more:
I'm nowhere near perfect.
My past puts a capital "S" in Sin and then makes it cringe.
I continue to fight my own demons on a daily basis.
I fail more than I succeed.
I think way too much about "my own world" and no where near enough time "loving my neighbor".
So my quest for knowledge and answers will go on.
However, my quest for peace has ended...and in a happy way. But not in any "new found religion", it's in finding a personal relationship with Christ that grows stronger every day through prayer, reading His Word and appreciating the fact that he embraces and forgives me despite my many imperfections.
Coming to Christ does not mean I suddenly have all the answers.
It does mean that I finally know where to look for them.
Question: I am angry. Not at you or your experience but at the general belief.
Answer: It's OK to be angry at God. It's OK to have doubts. It's OK to have confusion. That's called being a human...especially when that human is in a period of anguish.
For what it's worth, my advice would be to engage God. Pray. Tell God what's on your mind. Tell him that you're mad at him, tell him why. Tell him that you doubt, tell him why. Tell him that you're sad, that you're confused. Don't hold back your punches, let it all out...over and over. Yell, Scream, Kick.
Jacob wrestled with God. So did Job. So do we. God doesn't seem to mind being wrestled with.
Because even that brings us closer to God and his warmth.
My opinion is that this sometimes seems like the catalyst for us being able to begin to grow even closer to God...and to really be able to come out of the cold and begin feeling the true warmth of his embrace.
I'm so sorry for the pain, the anguish, the anger, the resentment and the confusion that you feel.I know it sounds goofy. I know it sounds "canned".
But Jesus really does love you.
And (name removed), so do I.
-Will
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Update from Will
Last November, I stopped working and asked God to please open a door that would allow me to serve Him on the "front lines" in full-time ministry.
Approx 2 months passed.
Then I was offered a full-time ministry position w/a Salvation Army church (called a "corps") in Oil City, Pa.
Here's a recent quote from an article by our own Larry Shallenberger about Oil City:
-------
"Oil City got it's name for being at the epicenter of U.S. Oil Boom. The first oil well was dug in nearby Titusville. Oil City quickly established itself around the hastily tapped wells just miles away.
Prosperity ended when the steel industry left Pittsburgh and Big Oil turned its attention overseas. Oil City is a shell of itself. Will drove me through blocks of blighted neighbors and abandoned businesses. Everyone who could leave Oil City has already left."
-------
By joining this 3-person ministry team, God has allowed me an incredible opportunity to "learn by doing" and jump directly into all facets of church ministry...and for some people who truly need God's help.
In general, this church is home to a significantly less economically/socially stable congregation than Grace but offers a comparable volume of church programs/services:
Separate (and multi-layered) programs for teens, children, men & women.
Regular Sunday classes, services and worship.
And outreach, outreach, outreach.
For my part, right now, I run the teen ministry programs, help a lot with the children programs, am starting up new men's programs and am being put on the regular rotation for both leading worship and preaching the Sunday service.
There is also lots of great interaction w/folks on county jail work release and those who are "working off" community service obligations.
This 'corps" serves as a city meal center (akin to Erie's city mission)..so we get to eat lunch while also building some great relationships for Christ.
Front lines indeed.
In a nut-shell:
Every day, on the surface, seems like an almost un-winnable battle against sadness, poverty, cynicism and sin.
But just below the surface...are a lot of new "snapshots".
New memories frozen in time for me to keep forever.
All are memories of new faces.
Some are very young.
Some are very old.
Some are kinda dirty.
Some are missing teeth.
One is looking back at me from behind a glass-wall as we talk during a jail visitation.
But the faces in these newly formed memories are smiling.
I simply can not believe that God has allowed me this arena to serve, learn and grow in.
It's an amazing experience.
-Will
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost
Approx 2 months passed.
Then I was offered a full-time ministry position w/a Salvation Army church (called a "corps") in Oil City, Pa.
Here's a recent quote from an article by our own Larry Shallenberger about Oil City:
-------
"Oil City got it's name for being at the epicenter of U.S. Oil Boom. The first oil well was dug in nearby Titusville. Oil City quickly established itself around the hastily tapped wells just miles away.
Prosperity ended when the steel industry left Pittsburgh and Big Oil turned its attention overseas. Oil City is a shell of itself. Will drove me through blocks of blighted neighbors and abandoned businesses. Everyone who could leave Oil City has already left."
-------
By joining this 3-person ministry team, God has allowed me an incredible opportunity to "learn by doing" and jump directly into all facets of church ministry...and for some people who truly need God's help.
In general, this church is home to a significantly less economically/socially stable congregation than Grace but offers a comparable volume of church programs/services:
Separate (and multi-layered) programs for teens, children, men & women.
Regular Sunday classes, services and worship.
And outreach, outreach, outreach.
For my part, right now, I run the teen ministry programs, help a lot with the children programs, am starting up new men's programs and am being put on the regular rotation for both leading worship and preaching the Sunday service.
There is also lots of great interaction w/folks on county jail work release and those who are "working off" community service obligations.
This 'corps" serves as a city meal center (akin to Erie's city mission)..so we get to eat lunch while also building some great relationships for Christ.
Front lines indeed.
In a nut-shell:
Every day, on the surface, seems like an almost un-winnable battle against sadness, poverty, cynicism and sin.
But just below the surface...are a lot of new "snapshots".
New memories frozen in time for me to keep forever.
All are memories of new faces.
Some are very young.
Some are very old.
Some are kinda dirty.
Some are missing teeth.
One is looking back at me from behind a glass-wall as we talk during a jail visitation.
But the faces in these newly formed memories are smiling.
I simply can not believe that God has allowed me this arena to serve, learn and grow in.
It's an amazing experience.
-Will
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost
Grace Martial Arts Lets Guys Be Guys, Men Find God & Community
Read the complete story in the Erie Times News : here.
My Big News
I have accepted a full-time ministry position with the Salvation Army in Oil City, Pa.
1.) This is an incredible direct answer to prayer.
2.) We will not be moving. I will be commuting and will be thankful for the opportunity to do so.
3.) I will be part of the three person evangelical ministry team for this chapel.
4.) Via this position, Christ will allow me the incredible and humbling opportunity to learn, grow and serve in almost all facets of church ministry. I'll be allowed to lead the teen program, assist w/the children's program, grow the men's program, participate in some really incredible outreach efforts for people in genuine need and I'll be put into the regular preaching rotation for Sunday worship services.
5.) At this point, I will not be resigning my position as Director of Men's Ministry at Grace. Many of the new men's initiatives at Grace are at critical growth points and we do not wish to see these initiatives whither on the vine. There will be some significant positive changes and delegation made to ensure this does not happen. Specific details on all of this to follow in an upcoming blog.
6.) I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate the prayers and support from our friends at Grace over the last few months. Those prayers have allowed this door to open and I fully intend to represent Grace well in the Oil City area. That area is severally economically depressed and I simply cannot believe that Christ might allow me to help make an impact there in His name.
7.) On a side note - This position is a dream comes true for me at this time. It will allow me to learn in an environment tailor-made for my growth in full time ministry...while serving people who are deep in need. However, the pay is about 1/2 what we need to survive on a monthly basis. My wife Deena has an accounting background, is a true administrative genius and has a remarkable work-ethic. She is also seeking employment in the Erie area. We ask for you please pray that God soon opens the right door for her locally as well.
Looking outside, I can see that Erie, Pa has frozen over.
I'm thinking it's not the only place where that just happened.
THANK YOU GOD!
1.) This is an incredible direct answer to prayer.
2.) We will not be moving. I will be commuting and will be thankful for the opportunity to do so.
3.) I will be part of the three person evangelical ministry team for this chapel.
4.) Via this position, Christ will allow me the incredible and humbling opportunity to learn, grow and serve in almost all facets of church ministry. I'll be allowed to lead the teen program, assist w/the children's program, grow the men's program, participate in some really incredible outreach efforts for people in genuine need and I'll be put into the regular preaching rotation for Sunday worship services.
5.) At this point, I will not be resigning my position as Director of Men's Ministry at Grace. Many of the new men's initiatives at Grace are at critical growth points and we do not wish to see these initiatives whither on the vine. There will be some significant positive changes and delegation made to ensure this does not happen. Specific details on all of this to follow in an upcoming blog.
6.) I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate the prayers and support from our friends at Grace over the last few months. Those prayers have allowed this door to open and I fully intend to represent Grace well in the Oil City area. That area is severally economically depressed and I simply cannot believe that Christ might allow me to help make an impact there in His name.
7.) On a side note - This position is a dream comes true for me at this time. It will allow me to learn in an environment tailor-made for my growth in full time ministry...while serving people who are deep in need. However, the pay is about 1/2 what we need to survive on a monthly basis. My wife Deena has an accounting background, is a true administrative genius and has a remarkable work-ethic. She is also seeking employment in the Erie area. We ask for you please pray that God soon opens the right door for her locally as well.
Looking outside, I can see that Erie, Pa has frozen over.
I'm thinking it's not the only place where that just happened.
THANK YOU GOD!
Subtle Difference
manage
–verb
1. control or direct an institution, business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it.
2. control and manipulate resources and expenditures.
lead
–verb
1. to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort.
2. to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.
3. to go at the head of or in advance of (a procession, list, body, etc.); proceed first in.
We should likely try to do our best to always recognize the subtle yet significant difference between the two.
-Will
–verb
1. control or direct an institution, business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it.
2. control and manipulate resources and expenditures.
lead
–verb
1. to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort.
2. to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.
3. to go at the head of or in advance of (a procession, list, body, etc.); proceed first in.
We should likely try to do our best to always recognize the subtle yet significant difference between the two.
-Will
Snapshots
If tonight, while I slept, God were to call me home, I could look back at a lifetime of memories.
"Snapshots", forever frozen in my mind's eye, cataloging moments witnessed during a full and diverse life.
Some snapshots would be negative.
Some snapshots would be positive.
Yet a handful of these snapshots, both negative and positive, will stand out as "exceptional".
Tonight, I was blessed with a new snapshot.
It was positive.
And it was, without question, exceptional.
Allow me to explain:
Tonight, Grace Martial Arts was visited by a reporter and photographer from the Erie Times News.
Their mission was to do a story on this class for an upcoming feature in the "Faith" section.
At this point, you should know that the purpose of Grace Martial Arts is twofold:
1.) To serve as a vehicle for fellowship for Christian men.
2.) To serve as an exciting "portal" for outreach to unchurched men in the community.
Seeing this news coverage as an INCREDIBLE opportunity for us to showcase this unique Christian program to a very large amount of potentially interested unchurched men, I started sending out emails, etc last week asking the guys to try and make it to tonight's class.
Flash forward to tonight:
It's cold outside. Really cold. We're talking 9 degrees. Windchill puts it close to negatives.
Grubb Rd is OK...but not great.
This is really going to affect turn-out.
It's 6:15. Class starts at 6:30. I'm alone.
"Please God, just let the people that you want to be here tonight be here..and allow us to showcase this program in a way that glorifies you."
It's 6:16. In walks Dave Case.
It's 6:17. In walks reporter and photographer.
We sit down in the lobby to conduct our interview, in the circle of chairs to the left of the main entrance.
My back is to the window and the wall to my right prohibits me from seeing if anyone else comes in.
Interview seems to go fine (I hope!)
It's 6:32. We get up and begin to walk back to the gym.
As we round the corner...I see a few guys milling around the entrance to the gym.
"Excellent. At least we've got a class."
I can't fight a smile of relief.
But then we walk into the gym itself.
It's packed.
On any given Weds night, we can expect about 1 out of 3 of the guys who take the class to be able to make it that night.
But not tonight.
I had asked these men for their help. I had asked them, if possible, that they try to make it tonight so we could best showcase this program to all of the men in the Erie area.
And in one snapshot, permanently etched in my life's mind as an exceptional positive moment..I can see almost ALL of them standing there. Even guys who could not work-out due to an injury came to demonstrate solidarity in fellowship. Even guys who told me they would not be able to make it.
Humbling.
Beautiful.
Fellowship.
Christian Brothers.
Men of Grace Church.
We have a lot of great stuff going on at Grace.
We have a lot of great stuff for Christian men going on at Grace.
Grace Martial Arts is a part of that "great stuff".
While these men could have been sitting on a couch in a warm home, they instead choose to pick themselves up and come to that class and work very hard.
Sometimes true fellowship is forged in a crucible. As Christian men, these men are truly forging strong bonds...and know they have one another to lean on..to pray with..and to be there for.
Jacob wrestled with God..and Israel was born.
These men wrestle with one another...and Christian brotherhood is strengthened.
Grace Church has a whole lot of truly amazing men.
And we serve a truly amazing God.
Thank you.
-Will
"Snapshots", forever frozen in my mind's eye, cataloging moments witnessed during a full and diverse life.
Some snapshots would be negative.
Some snapshots would be positive.
Yet a handful of these snapshots, both negative and positive, will stand out as "exceptional".
Tonight, I was blessed with a new snapshot.
It was positive.
And it was, without question, exceptional.
Allow me to explain:
Tonight, Grace Martial Arts was visited by a reporter and photographer from the Erie Times News.
Their mission was to do a story on this class for an upcoming feature in the "Faith" section.
At this point, you should know that the purpose of Grace Martial Arts is twofold:
1.) To serve as a vehicle for fellowship for Christian men.
2.) To serve as an exciting "portal" for outreach to unchurched men in the community.
Seeing this news coverage as an INCREDIBLE opportunity for us to showcase this unique Christian program to a very large amount of potentially interested unchurched men, I started sending out emails, etc last week asking the guys to try and make it to tonight's class.
Flash forward to tonight:
It's cold outside. Really cold. We're talking 9 degrees. Windchill puts it close to negatives.
Grubb Rd is OK...but not great.
This is really going to affect turn-out.
It's 6:15. Class starts at 6:30. I'm alone.
"Please God, just let the people that you want to be here tonight be here..and allow us to showcase this program in a way that glorifies you."
It's 6:16. In walks Dave Case.
It's 6:17. In walks reporter and photographer.
We sit down in the lobby to conduct our interview, in the circle of chairs to the left of the main entrance.
My back is to the window and the wall to my right prohibits me from seeing if anyone else comes in.
Interview seems to go fine (I hope!)
It's 6:32. We get up and begin to walk back to the gym.
As we round the corner...I see a few guys milling around the entrance to the gym.
"Excellent. At least we've got a class."
I can't fight a smile of relief.
But then we walk into the gym itself.
It's packed.
On any given Weds night, we can expect about 1 out of 3 of the guys who take the class to be able to make it that night.
But not tonight.
I had asked these men for their help. I had asked them, if possible, that they try to make it tonight so we could best showcase this program to all of the men in the Erie area.
And in one snapshot, permanently etched in my life's mind as an exceptional positive moment..I can see almost ALL of them standing there. Even guys who could not work-out due to an injury came to demonstrate solidarity in fellowship. Even guys who told me they would not be able to make it.
Humbling.
Beautiful.
Fellowship.
Christian Brothers.
Men of Grace Church.
We have a lot of great stuff going on at Grace.
We have a lot of great stuff for Christian men going on at Grace.
Grace Martial Arts is a part of that "great stuff".
While these men could have been sitting on a couch in a warm home, they instead choose to pick themselves up and come to that class and work very hard.
Sometimes true fellowship is forged in a crucible. As Christian men, these men are truly forging strong bonds...and know they have one another to lean on..to pray with..and to be there for.
Jacob wrestled with God..and Israel was born.
These men wrestle with one another...and Christian brotherhood is strengthened.
Grace Church has a whole lot of truly amazing men.
And we serve a truly amazing God.
Thank you.
-Will
Thank You
Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to take a moment and thank the guys who have volunteered their time to help make so many of the new Men's Ministry initiatives a success at Grace.
From posting regular blogs on the men's online network...to leading martial art & Bible study classes... to planning and brain-storming...I just wanted to say "Thank you".
All of you have jobs, families and/or so many other responsibilities....yet you somehow still have found the time to help grow the Men's Ministry for Grace.
Brian Hamilton - Posting a daily "Verse of the Day"
Rob Glus - Posting a regular blog & leading Bible Study
Eric Rhodes - Posting a regular blog.
Russ Johnson - Posting a regular blog
Mike Rice - Posting a regular blog
Tim Jobczynski - Posting a regular blog
Gary Junker - Posting a regular blog
John Williams - Posting a regular blog
Dave Case - Posting a regular blog & assisting w/ Grace Martial Arts
Trevor Fichera - Brain-storming, building a deck for a person in need, producing martial arts video
Pastor Larry Shallenberger - Teaching martial arts
Frank Fogel - Point of Contact for men's ministry w/ Habitat for Humanity service
Aaron Lundberg - Logistics for Dad's Night In
Tim Foster-Pegg - Organizing an upcoming men's blood drive
Randy Newport - Promoting the Father/Daughter Purity Ball
PLUS...
All of the men who have participated in the Dad's Night In events and the Habitat for Humanity projects
Please forgive me if I have left anyone off this list.
Thank you. Y'all have given the gift of your time to all of us...and not just at Christmas.
You are appreciated.
-Will
I just wanted to take a moment and thank the guys who have volunteered their time to help make so many of the new Men's Ministry initiatives a success at Grace.
From posting regular blogs on the men's online network...to leading martial art & Bible study classes... to planning and brain-storming...I just wanted to say "Thank you".
All of you have jobs, families and/or so many other responsibilities....yet you somehow still have found the time to help grow the Men's Ministry for Grace.
Brian Hamilton - Posting a daily "Verse of the Day"
Rob Glus - Posting a regular blog & leading Bible Study
Eric Rhodes - Posting a regular blog.
Russ Johnson - Posting a regular blog
Mike Rice - Posting a regular blog
Tim Jobczynski - Posting a regular blog
Gary Junker - Posting a regular blog
John Williams - Posting a regular blog
Dave Case - Posting a regular blog & assisting w/ Grace Martial Arts
Trevor Fichera - Brain-storming, building a deck for a person in need, producing martial arts video
Pastor Larry Shallenberger - Teaching martial arts
Frank Fogel - Point of Contact for men's ministry w/ Habitat for Humanity service
Aaron Lundberg - Logistics for Dad's Night In
Tim Foster-Pegg - Organizing an upcoming men's blood drive
Randy Newport - Promoting the Father/Daughter Purity Ball
PLUS...
All of the men who have participated in the Dad's Night In events and the Habitat for Humanity projects
Please forgive me if I have left anyone off this list.
Thank you. Y'all have given the gift of your time to all of us...and not just at Christmas.
You are appreciated.
-Will
12 Word Eye Opener
Every week, we hold a men's Bible study class on Sun mornings at Grace Church.
One of the first things we always do in class is take the passage we are working on and each write a 10-12 word paraphrase of that passage.
I first learned this study technique from Pastor Derek and have found it VERY helpful when I first begin studying a particular passage.
It pretty much works like this:
"If you had to re-tell that passage in only 10-12 words...what would you say?"
It really seems to help one dig a lot deeper into scripture.
It makes you read and then re-read trying harder and harder to pick out and understand the details...so you can then turn around and state them in a short note.
Sometimes..its quite a challenge.
But that's what makes me love this technique so much...its the journey not just the destination.
So, every week, as I prepare for the class, I use this technique to start and guide my study.
But this week was different.
This week...I didn't want to.
Because this week...I didn't think it would be possible.
Before you read any further, please consider doing me a favor and read this week's passage:
Mark 5: 1-20
I thought: "There's no way this can all be put into 12 words or under."
But then...I was shocked...because, if you break it all down, in this passage Christ:
Came to "other side",
Rescued man from satan,
Commanded to evangelize
Returned
Holy cow.
He landed in a hostile gentile land, plucked a man from satan's grasp, commanded that man to go out and spread the good news and then returned back to the place he had come from.
Holy cow..again.
This report of Christ saving a man from a legion of demons and casting them into pigs, when broken down into it's smallest pieces....reads like a "mini-Gospel" in it's own right.
Matter of fact, the same 12 word paraphrase could almost be applied to the entire New Testament.
As above - so below.
Time and time again, it seems to me that God keeps trying to get the same fundamental messages into our heads via scripture.
What a gift His Word truly is.
One of the first things we always do in class is take the passage we are working on and each write a 10-12 word paraphrase of that passage.
I first learned this study technique from Pastor Derek and have found it VERY helpful when I first begin studying a particular passage.
It pretty much works like this:
"If you had to re-tell that passage in only 10-12 words...what would you say?"
It really seems to help one dig a lot deeper into scripture.
It makes you read and then re-read trying harder and harder to pick out and understand the details...so you can then turn around and state them in a short note.
Sometimes..its quite a challenge.
But that's what makes me love this technique so much...its the journey not just the destination.
So, every week, as I prepare for the class, I use this technique to start and guide my study.
But this week was different.
This week...I didn't want to.
Because this week...I didn't think it would be possible.
Before you read any further, please consider doing me a favor and read this week's passage:
Mark 5: 1-20
I thought: "There's no way this can all be put into 12 words or under."
But then...I was shocked...because, if you break it all down, in this passage Christ:
Came to "other side",
Rescued man from satan,
Commanded to evangelize
Returned
Holy cow.
He landed in a hostile gentile land, plucked a man from satan's grasp, commanded that man to go out and spread the good news and then returned back to the place he had come from.
Holy cow..again.
This report of Christ saving a man from a legion of demons and casting them into pigs, when broken down into it's smallest pieces....reads like a "mini-Gospel" in it's own right.
Matter of fact, the same 12 word paraphrase could almost be applied to the entire New Testament.
As above - so below.
Time and time again, it seems to me that God keeps trying to get the same fundamental messages into our heads via scripture.
What a gift His Word truly is.
For Our People Going To Haiti
Here's a FREE downloadable source to learn a large amount of helpful Haitian Creole before you go:
1.) Go to : This Site
2.) Check the box for "Haitian Creole"
3.) Scroll down, enter your email address in the box provided.
4.) Click the yellow box at the bottom of the page that says "Get Your Download"
That's all you need to do!
What you will get:
The Byki 4 Express FREE Haitian Creole Language Interactive Learning System containing:
1.) Animals
2.) Colors
3.) Days of the week
4.) Meeting and Greeting
5.) Numbers
...and more.
No need to purchase anything, no "trial period", etc. It's simply excellent free downloadable software.
I tried it all out and it seems to work GREAT, so please feel free to contact me if you have any trouble w/the download.
Enjoy!
-Will
1.) Go to : This Site
2.) Check the box for "Haitian Creole"
3.) Scroll down, enter your email address in the box provided.
4.) Click the yellow box at the bottom of the page that says "Get Your Download"
That's all you need to do!
What you will get:
The Byki 4 Express FREE Haitian Creole Language Interactive Learning System containing:
1.) Animals
2.) Colors
3.) Days of the week
4.) Meeting and Greeting
5.) Numbers
...and more.
No need to purchase anything, no "trial period", etc. It's simply excellent free downloadable software.
I tried it all out and it seems to work GREAT, so please feel free to contact me if you have any trouble w/the download.
Enjoy!
-Will
Trust
One of my favorite passages of the Bible is Mark 4:31-45
One of the things that stands out to me about this passage is how, in a lot of ways, it seems to reverse the story of Jonah...yet end with a comparable message:
Trust the Lord.
1.) Jonah, a prophet, knew what God wanted of him- Christ is the Son of God.
2.) Jonah fled God's call via a boat into stormy waters - Christ slept calmly on a boat in stormy waters.
3.) The people around Jonah were in a panic and prayed to their many "gods"-The people around Christ were in a panic and ignored the actual physical presence of God.
4.) The people around Jonah threw him overboard to appease Jonah's God - The people around Christ woke him up to chastise Him for allowing them to be in danger.
5.) The sea was made calm - The sea was made calm.
6.) Praise was given to the one true God - Praise was give to the one true God.
It would seem that Jonah could have avoided the storm had he just heeded God's call to "Arise, go to Nineveh..." or, in other words, trusted in God from the start. So could have the people around Christ.
Trust the Lord.
Just how many times do we need to hear this message before it sinks in?
I've heard it said that "Fear Not" is the most repeated command in the Bible and have been told further that "there are exactly 365 times the command is repeated in the Bible, once for each day of the year."
I have to be honest, I have a lot of reason to doubt the "365 times" claim, but the fact remains that, time and time again, we are commanded to have faith and trust in the Lord.
Is it just me or is God trying to tell us something:
Matthew 17:20
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 21:21
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Mark 11:22
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
Acts 27:25
So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Genesis 21:17
And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Genesis 26:24
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.”
Exodus 14:13
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
1 Chronicles 22:13
Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
Isaiah 35:4
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 40:9
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 43:1
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 43:5
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Isaiah 44:2
Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
Isaiah 44:8
Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Isaiah 54:4
Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Jeremiah 30:10
“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 46:27
“But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away,and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 46:28
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure,and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Daniel 10:12
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
Joel 2:21
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Zephaniah 3:16
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Haggai 2:5
according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
Matthew 6:30
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 14:31
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 16:8
But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
Luke 12:28
But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
Psalm 4:5
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
Psalm 31:6
I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
Psalm 37:3
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 115:9
O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:10
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:11
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 125:1
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:27
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 6:28
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
Matthew 6:31
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Matthew 6:34
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 10:19
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
Mark 13:11
And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Luke 10:41
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
Luke 12:11
And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
Luke 12:22
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
Luke 12:25
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Luke 12:26
If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
One of the things that stands out to me about this passage is how, in a lot of ways, it seems to reverse the story of Jonah...yet end with a comparable message:
Trust the Lord.
1.) Jonah, a prophet, knew what God wanted of him- Christ is the Son of God.
2.) Jonah fled God's call via a boat into stormy waters - Christ slept calmly on a boat in stormy waters.
3.) The people around Jonah were in a panic and prayed to their many "gods"-The people around Christ were in a panic and ignored the actual physical presence of God.
4.) The people around Jonah threw him overboard to appease Jonah's God - The people around Christ woke him up to chastise Him for allowing them to be in danger.
5.) The sea was made calm - The sea was made calm.
6.) Praise was given to the one true God - Praise was give to the one true God.
It would seem that Jonah could have avoided the storm had he just heeded God's call to "Arise, go to Nineveh..." or, in other words, trusted in God from the start. So could have the people around Christ.
Trust the Lord.
Just how many times do we need to hear this message before it sinks in?
I've heard it said that "Fear Not" is the most repeated command in the Bible and have been told further that "there are exactly 365 times the command is repeated in the Bible, once for each day of the year."
I have to be honest, I have a lot of reason to doubt the "365 times" claim, but the fact remains that, time and time again, we are commanded to have faith and trust in the Lord.
Is it just me or is God trying to tell us something:
Matthew 17:20
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 21:21
And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Mark 11:22
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
Acts 27:25
So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Genesis 21:17
And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Genesis 26:24
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.”
Exodus 14:13
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
1 Chronicles 22:13
Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
Isaiah 35:4
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 40:9
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 43:1
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 43:5
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Isaiah 44:2
Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
Isaiah 44:8
Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Isaiah 54:4
Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Jeremiah 30:10
“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 46:27
“But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away,and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 46:28
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure,and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Daniel 10:12
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
Joel 2:21
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Zephaniah 3:16
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Haggai 2:5
according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
Matthew 6:30
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 8:26
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 14:31
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 16:8
But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
Luke 12:28
But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
Psalm 4:5
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
Psalm 31:6
I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.
Psalm 37:3
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 115:9
O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:10
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:11
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 125:1
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:27
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 6:28
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
Matthew 6:31
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Matthew 6:34
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 10:19
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
Mark 13:11
And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Luke 10:41
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
Luke 12:11
And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
Luke 12:22
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
Luke 12:25
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Luke 12:26
If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
We Start The Race
(short video below)
1.) We start the race.
2.) Confident in our own ability, we charge forward, taking on the pack.
3.) We run head-first into our own limitations, our own mortality and our own fallen stature.
4.) Having faced the reality of our weakness, we kneel in prayer.
5.) We pick ourselves up and hobble forward, injured and humbled...but with faith.
6.) With divine timing, the Father makes His presence known from above.
7.) We lean on Him while He supports us and fends off the one who would cause us to stop.
8.) We cross the line that we would not have otherwise crossed.
9.) He'd been there from the begining.
Now, please consider taking 2 minutes to watch this entire video:
-Will
1.) We start the race.
2.) Confident in our own ability, we charge forward, taking on the pack.
3.) We run head-first into our own limitations, our own mortality and our own fallen stature.
4.) Having faced the reality of our weakness, we kneel in prayer.
5.) We pick ourselves up and hobble forward, injured and humbled...but with faith.
6.) With divine timing, the Father makes His presence known from above.
7.) We lean on Him while He supports us and fends off the one who would cause us to stop.
8.) We cross the line that we would not have otherwise crossed.
9.) He'd been there from the begining.
Now, please consider taking 2 minutes to watch this entire video:
-Will
Done. Now I Have To Begin
Oct 15th - Nov 23rd. Done.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with this super-cool experience.
My "big-picture" take-a-way?
I have a LOT to learn.
But more importantly...
I need to do a LOT better actually applying the things I have already learned.
-Will
Thank you Lord for blessing me with this super-cool experience.
My "big-picture" take-a-way?
I have a LOT to learn.
But more importantly...
I need to do a LOT better actually applying the things I have already learned.
-Will
I Love Elves
I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that "I was a Christmas nut and that I really loved elves".
I'm a 6 foot tall 200+pound former USMC Drill Instructor who has made a large portion of his adult living :
1.) Blowing things up.
2.) Teaching people how to hurt other people.
3.) Yelling at people.
And yet, I love Christmas Elves.
OK, don't get me wrong - I'm now 100% on board w/the true meaning of Christmas.
I now recognize and respect the fact that Christmas is first and foremost about the birth of Christ, our Savior.
But, on a separate level, the mere thought of a "Christmas Elf" can bring a smile to my face and...if I allow it...bring me to uncontrollable tears.
Matter of fact, in my attic, there are right now, at least 50 small "Christmas Elves"...for whom I would risk my life saving if my house was on fire.
It's a McCullough-thing.
Please allow me to explain...
If you've ever read my story, you'll know that I considered the first 12 years of my life to be "as close to Heaven on Earth as possible".
My mom and dad were both teachers. I'm sure that raising 3 sons on teacher's pay in a rural area of Pa was a stretch on their fiscal ability. But they went out of their way to give us a special Christmas every year.
Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Elves would appear.
These Elves would stay until Christmas day.
Each of my brothers and I had an Elf who was "matched" to us and would return to visit us every year.
Each Elf was "assigned to us by Santa". The individual Elf's task was to watch us and ensure that we were good until Christmas and then report back to Santa on his findings.
The Elves also loved to play "hide & seek" with us.
My brothers and I would sit upstairs for a few minutes and then, upon returning downstairs, spend hours looking for them..as they would always "fly" to a new location somewhere in the house.
I cannot begin to explain to you how special this memory of my childhood is.
The Elves are, without question, my most precious memory of a care-free childhood that existed before my parents died.
Even to this day, I honestly have to compartmentalize that memory in order to keep myself from breaking down into tears.
"The Elves" were a family tradition started by my mother's mother - "Ebo" Stewart.
Since becoming parents, my brother John and I have, along w/our wives, kept this family tradition alive w/our own children.
Keara's Elves have not only visited during Christmas-time...but have always also made a special "summer-vacation" visit to her for a week or so every July.
Keara has loved her Elves. For almost 10 years, she's made them their own bed to sleep in. She's marveled at their magical ability to move around the home. She's shown them her clean dinner plate for Santa-reporting-material.
Just like her dad.... and my mom, the grandmother she has never known before her.
Last night, Deena and I sat Keara down and shared the truth with her about Santa, the Elves...and the loving history of our strong family traditions surrounding Christmas.
As a kid who has never known the love of her McCullough grandparents first-hand, she's missed out on a lot...but, true to form, she understood.
She now looks forward to "helping the Elves fly and hide" for her little brother Cooper...and someday passing on this McCullough tradition to her own children and beyond with the 50+Elf surplus in our attic.
Thank you mom. Thank you dad. Thank you grandma. Thank you all for giving me a memory of innocent joy.
Thank you Jesus for giving me a salvation for which I am totally unworthy...so I can one day once again embrace these people.
And now, I can't wait for Deena, Keara and Cooper to meet them too.
And BTW, Jason...Grma Stewart, who is now 94 and the founder of our Elf-tradition...has lived at Parkside for many years and is very grateful for the love Grace has shown her over the years via your "Pancakes at Parkside" program. You and your family were among the first people at Grace to reach out to us...to invite us into your home and make us feel part of the Grace-family.
It's a small world after all.
-Will
I'm a 6 foot tall 200+pound former USMC Drill Instructor who has made a large portion of his adult living :
1.) Blowing things up.
2.) Teaching people how to hurt other people.
3.) Yelling at people.
And yet, I love Christmas Elves.
OK, don't get me wrong - I'm now 100% on board w/the true meaning of Christmas.
I now recognize and respect the fact that Christmas is first and foremost about the birth of Christ, our Savior.
But, on a separate level, the mere thought of a "Christmas Elf" can bring a smile to my face and...if I allow it...bring me to uncontrollable tears.
Matter of fact, in my attic, there are right now, at least 50 small "Christmas Elves"...for whom I would risk my life saving if my house was on fire.
It's a McCullough-thing.
Please allow me to explain...
If you've ever read my story, you'll know that I considered the first 12 years of my life to be "as close to Heaven on Earth as possible".
My mom and dad were both teachers. I'm sure that raising 3 sons on teacher's pay in a rural area of Pa was a stretch on their fiscal ability. But they went out of their way to give us a special Christmas every year.
Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Elves would appear.
These Elves would stay until Christmas day.
Each of my brothers and I had an Elf who was "matched" to us and would return to visit us every year.
Each Elf was "assigned to us by Santa". The individual Elf's task was to watch us and ensure that we were good until Christmas and then report back to Santa on his findings.
The Elves also loved to play "hide & seek" with us.
My brothers and I would sit upstairs for a few minutes and then, upon returning downstairs, spend hours looking for them..as they would always "fly" to a new location somewhere in the house.
I cannot begin to explain to you how special this memory of my childhood is.
The Elves are, without question, my most precious memory of a care-free childhood that existed before my parents died.
Even to this day, I honestly have to compartmentalize that memory in order to keep myself from breaking down into tears.
"The Elves" were a family tradition started by my mother's mother - "Ebo" Stewart.
Since becoming parents, my brother John and I have, along w/our wives, kept this family tradition alive w/our own children.
Keara's Elves have not only visited during Christmas-time...but have always also made a special "summer-vacation" visit to her for a week or so every July.
Keara has loved her Elves. For almost 10 years, she's made them their own bed to sleep in. She's marveled at their magical ability to move around the home. She's shown them her clean dinner plate for Santa-reporting-material.
Just like her dad.... and my mom, the grandmother she has never known before her.
Last night, Deena and I sat Keara down and shared the truth with her about Santa, the Elves...and the loving history of our strong family traditions surrounding Christmas.
As a kid who has never known the love of her McCullough grandparents first-hand, she's missed out on a lot...but, true to form, she understood.
She now looks forward to "helping the Elves fly and hide" for her little brother Cooper...and someday passing on this McCullough tradition to her own children and beyond with the 50+Elf surplus in our attic.
Thank you mom. Thank you dad. Thank you grandma. Thank you all for giving me a memory of innocent joy.
Thank you Jesus for giving me a salvation for which I am totally unworthy...so I can one day once again embrace these people.
And now, I can't wait for Deena, Keara and Cooper to meet them too.
And BTW, Jason...Grma Stewart, who is now 94 and the founder of our Elf-tradition...has lived at Parkside for many years and is very grateful for the love Grace has shown her over the years via your "Pancakes at Parkside" program. You and your family were among the first people at Grace to reach out to us...to invite us into your home and make us feel part of the Grace-family.
It's a small world after all.
-Will
Embracing The Unforgivable
Luke 19:10 tells us that: "...the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."
As Christains we are duty-bound to spearhead Christ's call to "seek and save the lost" on His behalf.
Based on what we've already talked about here, we could debate whether or not what these people are doing is "unforgivable" or not.
But the fact that hundreds of these people believe that is the case and are still moved so strongly that they can be compelled to put their perceived self-damning statement on video is a tragedy of immense proportions.
These videos represent only the tip of a very sad iceberg.
You can view over 1500 more : here.
The lost are out there.
And, as Christians, we need to be out there as well.
-Will
As Christains we are duty-bound to spearhead Christ's call to "seek and save the lost" on His behalf.
Based on what we've already talked about here, we could debate whether or not what these people are doing is "unforgivable" or not.
But the fact that hundreds of these people believe that is the case and are still moved so strongly that they can be compelled to put their perceived self-damning statement on video is a tragedy of immense proportions.
These videos represent only the tip of a very sad iceberg.
You can view over 1500 more : here.
The lost are out there.
And, as Christians, we need to be out there as well.
-Will
Finally Found A Use For One Of My Fancy Grace Business Cards
OK, so I have to admit something.
This "Director of Men's Ministry" gig has it's perks.
Like business cards.
Really nice looking business cards.
And they say "Director of Men's Ministry" right on them.
Right now a collective "snort of disbelief" from anyone who knew me before I became a Christian can be heard all the way from South Carolina to Pennsylvania.
I have arrived. And I've got the cards to prove it.
Matter of fact, it's actually a big box of cards.
Problem is - I really have not yet had much use for these cards.
Sure, they've came in handy on a couple of occasions when I needed something to scribble down a short reminder on, but I'm pretty sure that was not the intended purpose when Danielle passed them out.
But tonight, one actually found a tangible use.
Tonight was "Date Night" for Deena and I.
We were blessed with a sitter for the first time in a long time and headed out for Dinner And A Movie.
We decided to venture into Olive Garden and considered it a potential mistake as soon as we pulled in.
We knew that we had limited time to make it through our dinner and still catch the movie, and the parking lot was PACKED.
We decided to stay and give it a try.
Upon entering, we were told we'd have about an hour wait. We considered maybe trying somewhere else but we again decided to stay.
I didn't think that we'd make it but Deena had faith.
As we stood there leaning against the wall waiting for our turn to be seated, we saw a few friends from Grace.
Aaron L and his wife Kelly came by and were seated off to the right side of the building.
Brian H (who posts the Verse Of The Day here on MenOfGraceChurch.com) and his wife also came by and were also seated off to the right side of the building.
It was about that time when we noticed a young couple off to the side, also waiting for their turn to be seated.
They had two young children with them.
To be blunt, this family had the look of out-casts when compared to their peers in the crowded waiting area.
But both mom and dad were great w/their kids. They interacted. They held. They hugged.
Then I noticed what dad had around his neck.
It was a pentacle, the five pointed star that modern pagans utilize as their holy symbol.
They were wiccans.
At this point, I'm going to go off on a tangent here:
Not many people ever knew this at the time, but I was a wiccan for almost 10 years before I accepted Christ.
I have a 1 foot tattoo of a pagan "god" on my right calf that now serves as both a constant personal reminder of my fallen stature and as a testament of God's capacity to forgive.
But, as a wiccan, I used to actually worship that false "god".
I remember when, days before I accepted Christ, I met w/a local pastor and asked him if God would really truly actually forgive me for that abomination on my leg.
I cried when he put his hand on my shoulder and said "yes".
Let me tell you a little bit about wicca and who stereotypically becomes a wiccan.
Wicca today (or witchcraft...or just "the craft') is a modern attempt to re-connect w/ "old world" religions.
It's an eclectic mix of nature-based occult ritual, divination, invocation and the worship of ancient "gods and goddesses" (such as the Greek, Norse or Celtic).
As a rule, they believe in doing no harm and being non-judgmental.
They don't sacrifice anything.
It's not satanism - or at least not to it's those who practice it.
Wiccans do not knowingly worship satan.
Wiccans do not even believe in the satan of Christianity.
And that is exactly where the prince of lies wants them.
Wicca utilizes all the tools of satan, the spells, the divination, the worship of false gods....and then candy coats it w/ a nature-based deception of "harm no one, accept all, live and let live".
This all may sound "fringe"...but wicca is on pace to become the THIRD LARGEST RELIGION IN THE US BY 2012
Who becomes a wiccan?
That's easy.
It's the people that you miss.
Often, they are the outcasts.
Those who did not grow up with perfect families.
Those who are poor.
Those who have had great pain in their life, but normally a dark pain...one you normally would not get up in front of a church and share in a testimony.
Those who feel resentment at being shunned.
Those who just simply do not "fit in" and can not relate to those who were raised in a stable home.
If you ever went to a pagan/wicca event, like this one held locally every year, you might just think they were all "freaks".
And I'm fairly certain that that is what the Pharisees would have called the crowd around Jesus in Matthew 9:10-11
Luke 19:10 states that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
It's my opinion that one of the main reasons that wicca is growing so large at this time...is because Christians are falling short at directly reaching out to those who live the life of the "outcast of society".
New age, "spiritual", occult, pagan, wiccan, etc....it's all the same and it's no longer fringe.
It's mainstream and it's best-seller.
We seem to be missing this cancer right under our noses.
And the lost are being scooped up in it's net because they see it as a means to acceptance and self-worth.
As Christ's servants, we need to focus serious thought and prayer towards developing a large scale, direct, loving, non-adversarial plan for countering this "loss of the lost" to modern paganism.
But for now, as a former hater of all things Christian I think the best thing we can do is try and make a concentrated individual effort at making sure we don't overlook someone who may not "fit in"..and try to demonstrate, by example, Christ's acceptance and love of them.
Christ just might use that as the gentle touch that will eventually allow them to feel his full embrace.
Oh, and w/regards to "Date Night" at Olive Garden -
As opposed to being seated on the right side of the building where I could have attempted to discreetly bounce a crouton off of Brian's shiny head from a few tables away...
We were seated on the left side of the building.
Christ seated that wiccan family right beside us.
I was going to keep this to myself, because I didn't want to trumpet about our "good deed"...but it just seems right to share the details.
I wrestle sometimes between sharing info about good deeds and keeping them to ourselves.
On one hand, a good deed reported..is something others could try as well.
On the other hand, it's a textbook example of being a modern day Pharisee and trying to make yourself look pious.
In this case, we'll share it, be we can't take any credit for it.
Christ put the pieces together.
We just lucked into being one of the pieces.
So, walking up to their table and starting a conversation while they were eating seemed unrealistic and intrusive.
Deena and I thought, as we shared the same waitress w/them, that we should discreetly pay for their meal and just ask the waitress to deliver them a Grace card.
Maybe this could serve as a kind and gentle nudge that would eventually be the first in a chain to help bring these folks home.
When I looked, I realized that I didn't have a card on me.
I prayed that if God wanted us to do this that I'd find a card.
I looked again, and stuck in the middle of my stack of plastic and paper was one slightly beat up Grace card.
We truly serve an amazing God.
(And we made it to the movie on time!)
This "Director of Men's Ministry" gig has it's perks.
Like business cards.
Really nice looking business cards.
And they say "Director of Men's Ministry" right on them.
Right now a collective "snort of disbelief" from anyone who knew me before I became a Christian can be heard all the way from South Carolina to Pennsylvania.
I have arrived. And I've got the cards to prove it.
Matter of fact, it's actually a big box of cards.
Problem is - I really have not yet had much use for these cards.
Sure, they've came in handy on a couple of occasions when I needed something to scribble down a short reminder on, but I'm pretty sure that was not the intended purpose when Danielle passed them out.
But tonight, one actually found a tangible use.
Tonight was "Date Night" for Deena and I.
We were blessed with a sitter for the first time in a long time and headed out for Dinner And A Movie.
We decided to venture into Olive Garden and considered it a potential mistake as soon as we pulled in.
We knew that we had limited time to make it through our dinner and still catch the movie, and the parking lot was PACKED.
We decided to stay and give it a try.
Upon entering, we were told we'd have about an hour wait. We considered maybe trying somewhere else but we again decided to stay.
I didn't think that we'd make it but Deena had faith.
As we stood there leaning against the wall waiting for our turn to be seated, we saw a few friends from Grace.
Aaron L and his wife Kelly came by and were seated off to the right side of the building.
Brian H (who posts the Verse Of The Day here on MenOfGraceChurch.com) and his wife also came by and were also seated off to the right side of the building.
It was about that time when we noticed a young couple off to the side, also waiting for their turn to be seated.
They had two young children with them.
To be blunt, this family had the look of out-casts when compared to their peers in the crowded waiting area.
But both mom and dad were great w/their kids. They interacted. They held. They hugged.
Then I noticed what dad had around his neck.
It was a pentacle, the five pointed star that modern pagans utilize as their holy symbol.
They were wiccans.
At this point, I'm going to go off on a tangent here:
Not many people ever knew this at the time, but I was a wiccan for almost 10 years before I accepted Christ.
I have a 1 foot tattoo of a pagan "god" on my right calf that now serves as both a constant personal reminder of my fallen stature and as a testament of God's capacity to forgive.
But, as a wiccan, I used to actually worship that false "god".
I remember when, days before I accepted Christ, I met w/a local pastor and asked him if God would really truly actually forgive me for that abomination on my leg.
I cried when he put his hand on my shoulder and said "yes".
Let me tell you a little bit about wicca and who stereotypically becomes a wiccan.
Wicca today (or witchcraft...or just "the craft') is a modern attempt to re-connect w/ "old world" religions.
It's an eclectic mix of nature-based occult ritual, divination, invocation and the worship of ancient "gods and goddesses" (such as the Greek, Norse or Celtic).
As a rule, they believe in doing no harm and being non-judgmental.
They don't sacrifice anything.
It's not satanism - or at least not to it's those who practice it.
Wiccans do not knowingly worship satan.
Wiccans do not even believe in the satan of Christianity.
And that is exactly where the prince of lies wants them.
Wicca utilizes all the tools of satan, the spells, the divination, the worship of false gods....and then candy coats it w/ a nature-based deception of "harm no one, accept all, live and let live".
This all may sound "fringe"...but wicca is on pace to become the THIRD LARGEST RELIGION IN THE US BY 2012
Who becomes a wiccan?
That's easy.
It's the people that you miss.
Often, they are the outcasts.
Those who did not grow up with perfect families.
Those who are poor.
Those who have had great pain in their life, but normally a dark pain...one you normally would not get up in front of a church and share in a testimony.
Those who feel resentment at being shunned.
Those who just simply do not "fit in" and can not relate to those who were raised in a stable home.
If you ever went to a pagan/wicca event, like this one held locally every year, you might just think they were all "freaks".
And I'm fairly certain that that is what the Pharisees would have called the crowd around Jesus in Matthew 9:10-11
Luke 19:10 states that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
It's my opinion that one of the main reasons that wicca is growing so large at this time...is because Christians are falling short at directly reaching out to those who live the life of the "outcast of society".
New age, "spiritual", occult, pagan, wiccan, etc....it's all the same and it's no longer fringe.
It's mainstream and it's best-seller.
We seem to be missing this cancer right under our noses.
And the lost are being scooped up in it's net because they see it as a means to acceptance and self-worth.
As Christ's servants, we need to focus serious thought and prayer towards developing a large scale, direct, loving, non-adversarial plan for countering this "loss of the lost" to modern paganism.
But for now, as a former hater of all things Christian I think the best thing we can do is try and make a concentrated individual effort at making sure we don't overlook someone who may not "fit in"..and try to demonstrate, by example, Christ's acceptance and love of them.
Christ just might use that as the gentle touch that will eventually allow them to feel his full embrace.
Oh, and w/regards to "Date Night" at Olive Garden -
As opposed to being seated on the right side of the building where I could have attempted to discreetly bounce a crouton off of Brian's shiny head from a few tables away...
We were seated on the left side of the building.
Christ seated that wiccan family right beside us.
I was going to keep this to myself, because I didn't want to trumpet about our "good deed"...but it just seems right to share the details.
I wrestle sometimes between sharing info about good deeds and keeping them to ourselves.
On one hand, a good deed reported..is something others could try as well.
On the other hand, it's a textbook example of being a modern day Pharisee and trying to make yourself look pious.
In this case, we'll share it, be we can't take any credit for it.
Christ put the pieces together.
We just lucked into being one of the pieces.
So, walking up to their table and starting a conversation while they were eating seemed unrealistic and intrusive.
Deena and I thought, as we shared the same waitress w/them, that we should discreetly pay for their meal and just ask the waitress to deliver them a Grace card.
Maybe this could serve as a kind and gentle nudge that would eventually be the first in a chain to help bring these folks home.
When I looked, I realized that I didn't have a card on me.
I prayed that if God wanted us to do this that I'd find a card.
I looked again, and stuck in the middle of my stack of plastic and paper was one slightly beat up Grace card.
We truly serve an amazing God.
(And we made it to the movie on time!)
40 Days...
I have not been a Christian for the majority of my life.
So, knowing that I've got a lot of catching up to do, I make it a point to make sure I spend a fairly good amount of time every day in God's Word.
That is, in no way, me trying to brag.
Anyone who knows my story of "Will before Christ" knows that I have very little to brag about regarding matters pious.
I just happen to really like reading. And since I also just happen to really like the Bible...reading through it on a regular basis just comes easy.
Matter of fact, it may be too easy.
I recognize that we all have certain things we can just naturally do well. We also have things we naturally do NOT do well.
For me, reading is a breeze. A pleasant breeze at that.
But ask me to fix something that is broken around the house...and let's just say that it's "Deena to the rescue".
So, here's my point...
I don't think that it really takes a lot of genuine dedication on my part to read the Bible.
I don't have to truly dedicate or "push myself" on something that just naturally comes easy.
Where I might easily zip through it on a six month or 1 year plan, skipping days here and there, someone else might have to really and fully apply/dedicate themselves to get through it in that time.
An example would be my awesome wife Deena.
Deena is super intelligent. But she's NEVER been a reader. Not at all.
But she now demonstrates an incredible level of level of Christian dedication by reading at least four chapters a day...every day...no matter what.
For her, as someone who has never enjoyed reading..this is an amazing testament to her love of God's Word.
But for me, since I'd likely be reading something anyways....it could just as easily be a temporary change in the reading subject matter for a little bit.
So where, for one, it can be a supreme act of dedication and sacrifice...for the other it can almost be a casual afterthought.
Now Enter Pastor Al -
OK, this guy is amazing. He's been reading the Bible, cover to cover, at least 2 times a year, EVERY YEAR...since his early 30's.
If I remember correctly, he is currently on his FIFTH time through this year....and his most recent cover to cover reading has been OUT LOUD.
Seeing this man's incredible dedication to "push himself" regarding the Word of God has really been an inspiration to me.
So, I've debated about keeping this to myself, but decided I would go ahead and share this with y'all:
Inspired by the incredible example demonstrated by both my wife and by Pastor Al, I felt compelled to read through the Bible in 40 days.
A little over a week ago, on Oct 15th, I divided the total number of pages in my shiny new Bible by 40 and dedicated myself to reading the 31.25 pages daily that it would take to complete a full reading on Nov 23rd.
So far, I'm on track.
To date, it's been a challenge, but it's also been a really awesome experience..because I'm finding myself totally saturated with the Word of God through the day.
Having this period of choosing the Bible over TV, etc is helping me really tune in to God on a more personal level.
So, what I've learned so far is that, while I likely won't still be reading 31.25 pages a day after Nov 23rd.....I will make sure I follow the lead of both my wife and Pastor Al and forever now fully appreciate the value of making sure I retain a personally signifigant level of daily time in His Word.
It is truly His Word.
He uses it to speak to us.
And we need to dedicate ourselves to staying connected to His Voice.
-Will
So, knowing that I've got a lot of catching up to do, I make it a point to make sure I spend a fairly good amount of time every day in God's Word.
That is, in no way, me trying to brag.
Anyone who knows my story of "Will before Christ" knows that I have very little to brag about regarding matters pious.
I just happen to really like reading. And since I also just happen to really like the Bible...reading through it on a regular basis just comes easy.
Matter of fact, it may be too easy.
I recognize that we all have certain things we can just naturally do well. We also have things we naturally do NOT do well.
For me, reading is a breeze. A pleasant breeze at that.
But ask me to fix something that is broken around the house...and let's just say that it's "Deena to the rescue".
So, here's my point...
I don't think that it really takes a lot of genuine dedication on my part to read the Bible.
I don't have to truly dedicate or "push myself" on something that just naturally comes easy.
Where I might easily zip through it on a six month or 1 year plan, skipping days here and there, someone else might have to really and fully apply/dedicate themselves to get through it in that time.
An example would be my awesome wife Deena.
Deena is super intelligent. But she's NEVER been a reader. Not at all.
But she now demonstrates an incredible level of level of Christian dedication by reading at least four chapters a day...every day...no matter what.
For her, as someone who has never enjoyed reading..this is an amazing testament to her love of God's Word.
But for me, since I'd likely be reading something anyways....it could just as easily be a temporary change in the reading subject matter for a little bit.
So where, for one, it can be a supreme act of dedication and sacrifice...for the other it can almost be a casual afterthought.
Now Enter Pastor Al -
OK, this guy is amazing. He's been reading the Bible, cover to cover, at least 2 times a year, EVERY YEAR...since his early 30's.
If I remember correctly, he is currently on his FIFTH time through this year....and his most recent cover to cover reading has been OUT LOUD.
Seeing this man's incredible dedication to "push himself" regarding the Word of God has really been an inspiration to me.
So, I've debated about keeping this to myself, but decided I would go ahead and share this with y'all:
Inspired by the incredible example demonstrated by both my wife and by Pastor Al, I felt compelled to read through the Bible in 40 days.
A little over a week ago, on Oct 15th, I divided the total number of pages in my shiny new Bible by 40 and dedicated myself to reading the 31.25 pages daily that it would take to complete a full reading on Nov 23rd.
So far, I'm on track.
To date, it's been a challenge, but it's also been a really awesome experience..because I'm finding myself totally saturated with the Word of God through the day.
Having this period of choosing the Bible over TV, etc is helping me really tune in to God on a more personal level.
So, what I've learned so far is that, while I likely won't still be reading 31.25 pages a day after Nov 23rd.....I will make sure I follow the lead of both my wife and Pastor Al and forever now fully appreciate the value of making sure I retain a personally signifigant level of daily time in His Word.
It is truly His Word.
He uses it to speak to us.
And we need to dedicate ourselves to staying connected to His Voice.
-Will
My Birthday...6 Months Late
OK, my birthday was back in April.
In case you'd like to get a head start on shopping, it's April 20th to be exact.
So, on April 8th, almost exactly 6 months ago, Deena and I sat down and ordered my birthday present...from Scotland.
Now, I honestly feel a lot like a kid on Christmas eve, waiting by the TV to see if there are any news updates on the present potential location of Santa.
That's because, after waiting over 13,824,000 seconds past my birthday for my present to be created (at the expense of an unlucky highland goat) and then shipped, I now know that my gift is in a plane, heading this way, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a nut about books.
I love them.
On a side note, I'm also a Christmas nut.
I collect elves.
So, yes, I love books and I collect Christmas elves.
(Please allow me save myself some time in advance here-Shut up Larry.)
Sorry, back to books:
Our attic is full of boxes of books, just in case I ever want to read any of them for the 3rd or 4th time.
Without question, the greatest book I've ever read is the Bible.
I'm not just saying that. I honestly actually mean it.
While you'll never hear me joining in the "my translation of the Bible is better than yours" battles (I feel that, unless one can read Greek and Hebrew, one should opt for the respected English translation that speaks to them the most clearly), my strong personal preference is for the updated 2007 version of the ESV.
So, all that being said, sometime in the next few days, I'll be the humble owner of a:
Click Here To See It :-)
Thanks Deena!!!!!!
Happy Birthday to me!
-Will
In case you'd like to get a head start on shopping, it's April 20th to be exact.
So, on April 8th, almost exactly 6 months ago, Deena and I sat down and ordered my birthday present...from Scotland.
Now, I honestly feel a lot like a kid on Christmas eve, waiting by the TV to see if there are any news updates on the present potential location of Santa.
That's because, after waiting over 13,824,000 seconds past my birthday for my present to be created (at the expense of an unlucky highland goat) and then shipped, I now know that my gift is in a plane, heading this way, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a nut about books.
I love them.
On a side note, I'm also a Christmas nut.
I collect elves.
So, yes, I love books and I collect Christmas elves.
(Please allow me save myself some time in advance here-Shut up Larry.)
Sorry, back to books:
Our attic is full of boxes of books, just in case I ever want to read any of them for the 3rd or 4th time.
Without question, the greatest book I've ever read is the Bible.
I'm not just saying that. I honestly actually mean it.
While you'll never hear me joining in the "my translation of the Bible is better than yours" battles (I feel that, unless one can read Greek and Hebrew, one should opt for the respected English translation that speaks to them the most clearly), my strong personal preference is for the updated 2007 version of the ESV.
So, all that being said, sometime in the next few days, I'll be the humble owner of a:
Click Here To See It :-)
Thanks Deena!!!!!!
Happy Birthday to me!
-Will
The Complete Bible On Your Phone
Click here to go to the mobile web link for the ESV Bible.
You can copy this link and use it to have the complete ESV Bible on your mobile web enabled phone or pda.
Feel free to call or email me if you are not sure how to do this!
Get the link : here.
-Will
You can copy this link and use it to have the complete ESV Bible on your mobile web enabled phone or pda.
Feel free to call or email me if you are not sure how to do this!
Get the link : here.
-Will
To Clarify
to clarify a comment on My Testimony
I have had a few individuals contact me w/ a question similar to this:
"I wonder..you write of a time of prosperity, power, and control..why didn't you seek your God then?"
I should have made this more clear in my testimony....I did.
I was still "at the top of my game" when I first began to seek God.
It was about two months later that everything began to spiral down from a fiscal perspective.
For the record, as of this date, fiscal matters continue to spiral down.
But that's OK.
In hindsight, I really think it also took that "fiscal spiral" for me to begin trying to get my ego in check and learning to trust in Christ as opposed to only myself.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.(ESV)
-Will
I have had a few individuals contact me w/ a question similar to this:
"I wonder..you write of a time of prosperity, power, and control..why didn't you seek your God then?"
I should have made this more clear in my testimony....I did.
I was still "at the top of my game" when I first began to seek God.
It was about two months later that everything began to spiral down from a fiscal perspective.
For the record, as of this date, fiscal matters continue to spiral down.
But that's OK.
In hindsight, I really think it also took that "fiscal spiral" for me to begin trying to get my ego in check and learning to trust in Christ as opposed to only myself.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.(ESV)
-Will
A Comment
A Comment on My Testimony
Anonymous said...
This is just your typical "I faced great hardship and eventually just accepted that God isn't really mean and cruel, he has a plan for me" nonsense. You were right to begin with. Either God doesn't exist at all, or if he does, he is a spiteful, evil a-hole that doesn't deserve to be worshiped. Enjoy your new crutch.
Blogger Will McCullough said...
“Anonymous”,
Sounds like you have some pain of your own. I'm very sorry. I just ask that you please hear me out for a minute.
Having previously shared your perspective for decades, I can relate to your rage.
In fact, I’d say that therein lies the “proof”.
Think about it from the perspective of an unbiased observer:
On one side we have a grown man, father of two, etc…expressing his inner heartfelt pain to the world at how his parents were ripped from him at an early age. He’s expressing to the world what affect that had on him. He’s doing it in a way that is only critical of himself. He’s voicing no judgment of others.
But because he mentions Christ, because he credits Christ with finally giving him peace on this matter:
It creates a rage in a young man sitting half a world away at 1:00 AM, who’s only instinctive reaction to hearing this story of pain( followed by hope) is to spew venom and ridicule.
So if I, as a hypothetical unbiased observer, read both the story and your comment, I can then ask myself a question:
Which story instinctively makes one feel better, more complete as a human, more hopeful, more uplifted? Kind of like “This is how it’s supposed to be.”
Which story incites rage and anger (regardless of which side of the coin you personally come down on.) It might be anger to defend my point or yours…but it incites anger regardless.
Proof. Proof of our fallen stature.
I’m sorry but anger and rage are the language of satan. And you are acting as his puppet whether you believe in him or not.
I’d respectfully ask that you consider self-analyzing why you would be so quick to respond w/such venom to such a non-adversarial story.
I know this will come off as condescending…and it’s really not meant that way. But honestly, I’d ask you to consider trying to pray about it. Just you and God in private. No one will ever know. You might just get a surprise.
But I will pray for you either way. I will pray that Christ makes himself known to you in a tangible and dramatic way.
I also forgive you for making light of the situations surrounding the pain of the loss of my parents. I really do.
One last question, I respectfully ask you to monitor how you’ve felt in reading this. If your instinctive gut reaction is one of defensiveness or anger – I’d ask you to really think hard about where (or from whom) that is coming from.
Mat 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. (ESV)
John 15:19-21 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
-Will McCullough
Anonymous said...
This is just your typical "I faced great hardship and eventually just accepted that God isn't really mean and cruel, he has a plan for me" nonsense. You were right to begin with. Either God doesn't exist at all, or if he does, he is a spiteful, evil a-hole that doesn't deserve to be worshiped. Enjoy your new crutch.
Blogger Will McCullough said...
“Anonymous”,
Sounds like you have some pain of your own. I'm very sorry. I just ask that you please hear me out for a minute.
Having previously shared your perspective for decades, I can relate to your rage.
In fact, I’d say that therein lies the “proof”.
Think about it from the perspective of an unbiased observer:
On one side we have a grown man, father of two, etc…expressing his inner heartfelt pain to the world at how his parents were ripped from him at an early age. He’s expressing to the world what affect that had on him. He’s doing it in a way that is only critical of himself. He’s voicing no judgment of others.
But because he mentions Christ, because he credits Christ with finally giving him peace on this matter:
It creates a rage in a young man sitting half a world away at 1:00 AM, who’s only instinctive reaction to hearing this story of pain( followed by hope) is to spew venom and ridicule.
So if I, as a hypothetical unbiased observer, read both the story and your comment, I can then ask myself a question:
Which story instinctively makes one feel better, more complete as a human, more hopeful, more uplifted? Kind of like “This is how it’s supposed to be.”
Which story incites rage and anger (regardless of which side of the coin you personally come down on.) It might be anger to defend my point or yours…but it incites anger regardless.
Proof. Proof of our fallen stature.
I’m sorry but anger and rage are the language of satan. And you are acting as his puppet whether you believe in him or not.
I’d respectfully ask that you consider self-analyzing why you would be so quick to respond w/such venom to such a non-adversarial story.
I know this will come off as condescending…and it’s really not meant that way. But honestly, I’d ask you to consider trying to pray about it. Just you and God in private. No one will ever know. You might just get a surprise.
But I will pray for you either way. I will pray that Christ makes himself known to you in a tangible and dramatic way.
I also forgive you for making light of the situations surrounding the pain of the loss of my parents. I really do.
One last question, I respectfully ask you to monitor how you’ve felt in reading this. If your instinctive gut reaction is one of defensiveness or anger – I’d ask you to really think hard about where (or from whom) that is coming from.
Mat 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. (ESV)
John 15:19-21 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
-Will McCullough
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