Give it up!

I don't understand why I can't give it up to Him. I know He will lead me through tough times, but, for some reason, I think I can do it myself. About two weeks ago, I had some issues come up in my band program at school. Without getting into details, the situation is one I hope I never have to endure again in my career. Unfortunately, I am still enduring this one. It just won't go away, not that I expected it to, I just wish there was an end in sight. Yes, I know, "this too shall pass", but I want it to pass right now.

I will learn my lesson from this one. I need to let the Lord take care of me in times like this rather than ignore Him and suffer the heartache.

Lord, continue to let me make decisions that educate kids and teach them how to be better people. Lord, when I do this, please allow the parents of these kids to appreciate my efforts rather than disagree with them. Forgive me for ignoring you during this time when I should have been turning to you for answers. Forgive me for not talking to you enough, help me change this, it's in my heart to do it. Amen.

Something Always Brings You Back

Sorry it's been a while. I have horribly been procrastinating making posts on my blog. In fact, the last post on here Angie posted accidentally on my blog. It has seemed so easy lately to stray from the path I committed to last fall. You all know how it goes, the worldly stuff just eats at you until you succumb to it's pressures, which, in many ways, I have. I guess part of me was waiting for some reassurance from God that I was on the right path, or that he was proud of me. I know that He does and I know that He is. I don't know what it is I expected, in fact, He probably sent me plenty of clues and signs, I have just allowed the world to make me blind to them.

Lord, forgive my selfish and sinful ways, let me find my way back to you. Let this be the day I take a step further into my commitment to you.

By the way, here is what really got me tonight. I thank one of my student's mom for sharing it with me. This lady has a way of sending me emails at the right time. I am pretty sure God intended for her to lookout for me. Thanks, Karen.

One Six Right

Clif's best friend growing up, Brian Terwilliger, spent several years of his life laboring over a fabulous film, One Six Right. Visit the website, if you have not already. The film is remarkable and educated me as well as inspired me. He is our age, and his work is that of someone who has been in the business for decades. The work he did on this film was done alone. Because this was his first major work, he did not have a staff working for him. His passion for flight and aviation are enough to bring a tear to you eye.

Power of the Cross

During the recent Lenten season, I woke up early for work each day (well, almost each day) and spent time with God and studying His Word before leaving the house. While the light of day was still an hour away, and only God, Bailey, and Jack keeping me company (well, actually, Bailey and Jack ditched me once they realized I was not going to spend time with them, what a bunch of lazy mutts), I learned a lot about the life of Christ I never knew. I must admit there were moments of doubt, but I kept my faith and continued my journey.

Things began to take on a whole new meaning. Everything from my drive to work, to worship at and away from church, to time spent with my family. During this time I realized how much power the Cross has, how letting it into my life has directly changed my whole being.

Then came the Tenebrae service (Good Friday) at Deerbrook (our church). What a powerful service it was. Remembering the entire process Jesus went through to save us. Looking at pictures of the cross; looking at the large wooden cross on stage, draped with some red fabric; amazed at the cross Kirt built, hung from the ceiling; feeling the cross around my neck; they all rendered me speechless. Could I have done that? Could I have sacrificed so much?

Over the last few weeks, Angie and I have been connected to three deaths. It started with a dear friend of my mom's, Kathy. Cancer attacked her, basically out of nowhere, and took her in under two weeks. She was one of the nicest, most sincere friends of my mom's that I had the pleasure of knowing. Then, one of my great friends, Carlos, lost his father. Although I did not know him, I felt like I did through Carlos' many stories and updates. Finally, a man named Josh, originally from Nevada, MO was tragically killed in a car accident. Josh was a freshman tuba player in the Nevada High School Band when Angie was a senior. He idolized Angie and aspired to be just like her. When he was killed, he was on his way home to eat dinner with his wife and three-year old daughter. These things always seem to happen in threes. Only by the power of the cross can we be comforted that these three warriors for God are dancing on the golden streets of Heaven.

I will try to continue my journey through the Bible in the coming weeks. So far, I feel more blessed each day and I attribute it to the time I have spent understanding His overall plan. Usually when I pray, I thank God for not making the path through life clear; if it was, we might take advantage of that and give up on some of the battles He expects us to fight. It feels good to work for it.

How could you not believe?

When I first began this blog, one of my intents was to casually impress the good things that were happening in my life to some of my non-believing friends and to show them that these things were not happening out of circumstance, but because I have been blessed by God. Not that I want to be preachy and turn them away, but continuing to be a positive influence in their lives and sharing good news with them would hopefully someday let them see what they are missing.
Right now, as we speak, I am spending the week in Blaine, Washington. My mom moved here last summer, where she and her husband bought a great house with the Puget Sound in their back yard. Also visiting are my grandparents and my sister with her daughter, Riley. We arrived at the airport around 4PM on Sunday, proceeded to get a rental car, picked up Sarah and Riley, and headed to a mall for dinner and activity while we awaited the arrival of my mom and grandparents. It was in this mall that I witnessed, first hand, another one of God's miracles. Here is where the non-believers come in. You see, when Riley was born, she had spina bifida, not a very exciting way to enter this world to say the least. The doctor's said she would never walk, let alone do many other things that the rest of us take for granted, and don't realize is simply a blessing from God, again, not circumstance. Anyway, as I watched little Riley, now creeping up on two years old, I was blown away at God's will as she ran around and played with my kids, yes, I said ran around. Now spending the last two days with her, it is evident that God has answered our prayers and blessed our family in a major way for yet a fourth time. With the exception of a little scar on the lower portion of her back, Riley acts and looks completely normal and there is no doubt that she will continually be blessed with God's mercy, she is a gift. This cannot be circumstance.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above."

What will God say?

I am sure that believers think about what it will be like when we arrive in Heaven. Lately I have been thinking about what it is that God will say when I get there. Since joining the worship team at our church, I have had many life-changing experiences, most of which have been as a result of the songs to which we worship. I have always been moved by a song that our worship leader, and one of my closest friends, Kirt Mosier wrote, I Lift My Voice. While the title gives you a pretty good idea of the content of the song, it is the end of the chorus that has been very applicable to my life as of late. Here is the chorus:

That Your will be done in my life,
That my life be all that You will,
That we meet someday beyond the veil,
That You say WELL DONE.

As I ponder my first face to face conversation with God, I hope that he says, "Well Done!" What better compliment could you receive from Him?

Today, our associate pastor preached on authenticity. As I think back in my life, my Christianity has probably not always been authentic. After he was done preaching, he had us write a list of people that we feel God had put in our lives for a reason, as a commitment to be a positive influence to them in their walk with the Lord. It was at that moment that I realized why I became a teacher. The first person I listed was actually a group of people, all of my students. The priority needs to shift from making kids better musicians to simply being a positive, authentic Christian influence in their lives. I hope that I seize the opportunity which God has presented me and take the responsibility which God has entrusted in me, so that when I arrive in Heaven, he will say, "Well Done, my faithful one!"

BJ

Men........who needs them and what is wrong with them. In the middle of the country (some consider it the armpit of America, I have grown to love it), Kansas City is probably full of available women, none of them as beautiful, God-loving, and fun to be with as my sister-in-law, Brittany Jane, better known as BJ. This girl is the salt of the earth, and for some reason, the boys in this city don't know what they are missing.

When I first met her, she was still in high school. Although she still does some of the strange things she did then, she was then and is now one of the reasons I wanted to better know Christ. It seems every time I talk to her she is running off to her church to serve the Lord in one way or another. Most single girls her age spend their evenings at bars trying to meet guys, she spends many of them working with young people in her church and trying to make this world better. In fact, she spent one of them with my daughter at her house for a sleepover; Emory is lucky to have such an Aunt.

BJ, the man will come in time. You are a gem, and whoever it might be, will be as rich as me when I joined this family. You make sure he talks to me about his opportunity, so he doesn't waste it.

Lord, I ask for nothing but happiness for BJ. Please let her trust your plan and be patient as you lead her where you need her next. Everything works out for people like her, you take care of your servants.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...
Proverbs 3:5

Simple

This week we attended two different events that really spoke to me. The first was our church service on Sunday. While the message of the day was very convicting, it was the worship portion of the service that got the Holy Spirit doing its work. On Wednesday night at worship practice, we learned a new song written by the London edition of Hillsong. If you are unfamiliar with Hillsong, the music that comes from there is awesome, you should check it out (iTunes would be a good place to look). The song of which I am speaking, "Jesus is", is the most powerful, yet simple song to which I have worshipped. From the melody to the lyrics to the meaning, it is just plain simple. During the second service on Sunday it was so incredibly obvious that the congregation was singing to an audience of ONE; I truly believe people's lives were changed in that five-minute span.

Later that evening we attended a bible study. The topic centered around simplifying your life and limiting yourself in many areas we never attempt to control. Lately, Angie and I feel many of our experiences are immediately being tended to by Christ. While extremely stressed by some of these limits, we are glad to know He is looking out for us and trying to make our lives simple.

Please....look up that song if you don't already know it, it will touch your heart as it did mine. It is on my iPod and I can't stop listening to it every time I get a chance.

JESUS IS.

Truly Life

With it being New Year's Eve, last Sunday's sermon concerned "changing your ways". It certainly made me take a different approach to my teaching, hopefully my students have noticed. Although I am not compensated well enough for the work I do, it takes experiences like the one last Sunday to remind me how rich I really am; a beautiful wife and two healthy kids. Tonight, I felt like a millionaire as I wrestled with my son and hid from monsters (Miles and Angie) with my daughter. Some people don't ever experience those treasures. Tomorrow, I will go on a date with Emory to see a movie. She and I do this every once in a while; I soak it up now as she won't want to be seen with me at the movie theater in about ten years. This year I will try to live the life that is truly life, I hope you will try to do the same.

1 Timothy 6: 17-19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant...but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share...so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.