Personal Update and Answers to Prayer

I want to try to document some of the answers to our prayers over the last few months / years in this post without it getting too long so sorry if I don’t accomplish that but at least it will be something I can look back on and see for myself at a later date.

As you may know, we live in a small town in remote Eastern Arizona.  We transplanted here almost 4 years ago from the Phoenix area to work in my family’s home building business to try a different pace of life.  What we didn’t know when we moved here was the difficulty of finding a church that was looking to reach out to the lost or reach out to people different than them in any way.  Being unable to find an acceptable local church, we began attending Lifechurch.tv’s internet campus in our home.  Starting about 2 years ago, we invited people to come to our home to attend church with us and had a few people come. 

Over the last 2 years, we have tried many different things to grow our group into a real church.  Some of them I’ve documented in previous posts and all of them eventually were ineffective.  We have been alone and frustrated for a long time.  Prayer seemed like a waste of time from the lack of results. Although I always believed that God could and can do anything He wants to, He was not stepping in on our behalf.

About the same time, the home building industry began to slow down and eventually come to a screeching halt.  As my income was reduced, we felt a financial squeeze and decided we needed to put our house up for sale last July.  Our house sat on the market and the only activity we saw was me continue to lower the price on our home.  Again, God was not moving.

My wife and I continued to pray for direction and action from God.  We sought advice from anyone who would listen to us.  I finally talked with my Dad at the beginning of this year and told him it just wasn’t working for us to live here and I needed to look for something else to do elsewhere.  That was a tough discussion to have because I was supposed to take over the business at some point in the future.  However, with the housing market completely dead with no short term hope of reviving, he had no choice but to agree.  Believe it or not, the housing market in its current situation was an answer to prayer for me – a way out of this town. 

Next I started the task of trying to find a job.  I was a pension administrator (its ok if you don’t know what a pension administrator is, my wife doesn’t really understand it either.  If you have a 401(k), your company pays someone like me to keep it functioning) for 12 years prior to moving here so it seemed like a natural thing to return to.  I sent out countless resume’s, called old contacts and prayed and prayed and waited and waited.  There were a few places I wanted to move to and the top of the list was Austin, TX.  I had phone interviews with people all over the country but none of them seemed to stick except for one company in Dallas who kept resurfacing.  However, Dallas was nowhere on our list of preferred places to live.  And they were taking FOREVER to make up their mind on bringing me out to interview in person – they kept wanting me to talk with different people.

Well, we still had our stupid house to sell and we kept lowering the price with no results.  We finally lowered the price $55,000 from the original asking price and we finally got a hit and we agreed to selling another $20,000 below our asking price.  We closed and have moved out and have cash in the bank.  Now, selling your house $75,000 lower than your original asking price, which I thought was a fair starting price, isn’t your typical answer to prayer, however, it is our ticket out of here.  And we still pretty much will leave town with what we came here with.

Well, the Dallas company finally agreed to bring me out to interview and they offered me a job a couple of days later.  It was a good offer and I accepted.  We still are uncertain about Dallas but we’re trusting God that we are going where He wants us.  I think He has led us to a church and a suburb there where we can get plugged in to.  We have no desire to “shop” for a church and know this is not the perfect church since there is no such thing.  The Bible says that God is sufficient for us but life is certainly better with people in our lives and we’ve missed out on that for 4 years and can’t wait to start finding new friends.

There are so many pieces that have fallen into place, like the duplex we’ll be renting for a few months with 4 pets while we find a permanent house, that only my wife and I can see God’s hand in.  There are times lately that I’ve just teared up being overwhelmed with how many pieces have had to fall into place in just the right time for all this to work out.

I am leaving for Dallas this Friday, starting my new job on Monday and my family will follow me out when school gets out the end of May.

I know I’ve left out a whole bunch of stuff that God has done for us.  We can see His hand in all the pain that has caused personal growth in our lives as well as the success that has restored our hope. 

Thank you for your prayers.  We cherish them all and I appreciate my internet friends. 

More to come.

Our Military Service Men and Women

I was on an airplane in Dallas last week.  American Airlines must have some sort of agreement with the US military to transport our men and women who are coming home from Iraq to wherever home is for them.  There were 8 or 10 soldiers on our plane out of Dallas.  There were probably 6 or so who were given seats in first class, which is where they all should be. 

One soldier in particular was sitting on my row (he was in the economy seating – I don’t get to fly first class) across the aisle.  As the plane was loading, and filling up, I noticed a woman board the plane dragging a sizeable carry on bag as we all have to do these days.  One thing different about her was she was wearing a neck brace.  As she passed our aisle looking for a place to dump her bag, she said to the flight attendant “I’m going to need some help with this bag”.  Before she even said the word “help”, our serviceman was on his feet heading back to stow her bag. 

That kind of reaction is not something that he was taught, it is something that is inside him.  His very nature.  I believe that is the kind of man who gives up his life in service to others.  Our soldiers are people like him.  I bet he was probably 16 or 17 when those planes hit the towers and he just knew he would need to do something.  And he did. 

On a day when we should have all been carrying his bag, he was looking for one more person to help before he got home.  A great example for me.

Peace, Love, Dead Heads and Frying Pans

Ok, I read this article in the local paper, Eastern Arizona Courier, yesterday and I can’t stop laughing about it.  And, yes, I do live in a small town (for now).  I had to check the date to see if the article was dated April 1st.  Feel free to read the article at the Courier’s website to see if you see the humor without my commentary.

Apparently there’s a group of travelling hippies called “The Rainbow Family” that came near town last week.  Here’s the good stuff:

A camping retreat for members of the Rainbow Family at the old Cluff Dairy Farm on Mount Graham turned violent Wednesday evening as one member was allegedly beaten with a frying pan.

The Rainbow Family is a counterculture group that has gatherings of its followers to create temporary communities. The gatherings are usually held in outdoor locales and spread a message of peace, love, harmony and community. The largest Rainbow Gatherings have attracted 30,000 people. According to a Web site dedicated to the Rainbow Gatherings, the next scheduled gathering will take place in New Mexico later this year.

According to police reports from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, a small group of Rainbow members were camping at the old dairy farm when a confrontation arose at about 10:40 p.m.  Cory Alan Joyner, also known as 2Tall, told officers he was arguing with his girlfriend, Candise Marie Olten, aka Candy, when the rest of the group got mad at them because arguing is not allowed. Joyner told deputies that another member of the group, Amanda Rudder, aka Memphis, attacked Olten with a rock. He said he attempted to help Olten and other members of the group attacked him.

Now, its usually pretty funny to hear about a counterculture group known for peace, love and harmony beat up a guy and hit him in the head with a frying pan for breaking the  “NO ARGUING OR WE’LL BEAT YOU WITH A FRYING PAN” rule. 

The tofu icing on the cake was when I read who broke up the fight:

Olten also told deputies Rudder had attacked her. She was found below the picnic area known as Wet Canyon by University of Arizona officer Jerry Garcia, who called Graham County deputies.

Apparently, the former lead singer of the Grateful Dead, who I thought had expired from this world is alive and well and leading a quiet life in Arizona – at least until this group of wannabe hippies moved in on his beat and messed up his groove.

I hope you enjoy this story half as much as I have.

Good Friday

Yesterday, I read this about Jesus, the rider (Revelation 19:11 – 20:2):

¹¹I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
       KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 ¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”

 ¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20

The Thousand Years

 ¹And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ²He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years…

When I read this, I thought back to the great epic movies such as the Lord of the Rings series where in every war scene, there is a great battle with the good guys advancing, then with ominous music, the bad guys start to gain ground and maybe one or two of the main characters are injured or killed and then with great effort, the good guys win in the end.  This battle described in Revelation will be nothing like that.  Do you see verses 19-21?  It just says that the beast will be captured and then in Rev 20, it says that an angel binds Satan with a chain.  There will be no battle like we are used to seeing – just victory.

Reading this passage so close to celebrating Easter really demonstrated to me that Jesus died on a cross completely voluntarily.  He didn’t die with eyes blazing like fire or ready for battle like He will appear whenever the events described in Revelation 19 happen.  He simply gave His life over for us as if He had no power.  For the purpose of creating a path for us to be in communication with the Father.  Because that was the only way.  I don’t fully understand why it had to be that way but I don’t have to.

Now, a song by Todd Agnew again demonstrating God’s power:

Close Call

A couple of days ago, I was safely at a 4 way intersection at a complete stop.  When my turn came, I looked both ways and started out.  There was a car coming the other direction, but it was a long way away and I was sure she’d stop.  I put my brakes on once I realized she wasn’t going to stop.  I watched her red Buick fly by me at around 40 miles per hour just a few feet from the front of my Toyota Sienna completely oblivious to the fact that she almost t-boned me. 

I know I’ve not seen a few stop signs in my day and I’m sure you have too.  The Sienna at 230,000 miles gets to drive another day.  Oh yeah, I do too.  The intersection was right in front of the hospital.  Location.  Location.  Location.

Well fast forward to today and I had a phone interview scheduled for 9:00 this morning with the owner of an actuarial firm in Austin.  An interview I’d had scheduled for over a week and have been patiently waiting for.  When my phone rang at 8:40 with the Austin area code on the caller ID, I knew that wasn’t necessarily a good sign.  The employee who scheduled the interview with me in the first place said that her boss couldn’t make the scheduled call due to the fact that he was in a car accident.  She said he was ok, but the car wasn’t and he needed to deal with all the stuff that comes with having a car accident and re-scheduled me for tomorrow.

So, I have to be patient for another day and I’m glad my story was just a close call and not the real thing.

Dave Ramsey at Lifechurch.tv

 I’m sorry that I haven’t written much lately.  I just haven’t had anything worth writing about.

I wanted to let anyone know who comes across this blog that financial genious, Dave Ramsey, will be spending the next 3 weeks at Lifechurch.tv.  I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.

If you click here, you can find out when you can tune in to watch the experience.  Lifechurch.tv usually archives the messages so you can watch them anytime.  There are a few exceptions, such as they cannot archive their messages that contain clips from movies or other items that have copyrights.  I don’t know if Dave Ramsey will be allowing Lifechurch to archive these so its possible that the only way to watch these are live at the posted experience times.

Amazing Slideshow / Video

I already put this song on here a few weeks ago.  I ran across this video on Youtube.  If you believe in God, you need to see this. 

If you don’t believe in God…I dare you to watch this:

Church Update

My intention when I started this blog was to keep a running log regarding our church that we were trying to start here in Thatcher Arizona.  My goal was to be able to keep track of God’s blessings so I and hopefully others could look back and see the progress.

I realised a number of days ago that I had not given any sort of update at all regarding starting our church.  I apologize that I have not done so and I will try to bring anyone who cares up to speed and maybe share some of the things I have learned in the course of a few posts.

See, my wife and I were going on the assumption that we were not alone here and by creating the environment, hanging a sign, inviting some key people, doing a little advertising and praying, we would find some of the other people here that want to worship in the same way we do and also attract some of those people’s friends that need to know about Jesus.

Here are a few things we have learned:

• I think one of the things we did wrong was we did not have a committed core group.  We had a group of two other families but they were not committed for their own reasons that aren’t important to mention here.  They were enthusiastic regular attenders not a core group. 
• I know that some church planters move into a town and somehow start a church from scratch.  Maybe they find a way to gather people together for a while without calling themselves a church and find and develop that core group.
• When you call yourself a church, there is an assumption that there are actually people there. 
• Finally for today’s post, I think that most people do come to church through personal invitation.  The ones that come because of signs, advertising or door hangers are few and far between.

There will be more posts regarding our “failed” church plant.  I put the failed in quotes for a reason I’ll get to in another post.  This post is long enough.

In the meantime, I’d love it if you would put any links documenting “successful” church plants.  It would encourage me.

What Did He Say?

First I have to say congratulations to the Steeler’s for winning the big game.  Those guys played a game that will create memories that will last a long time. 

• James Harrison’s interception at the goal line and 100 yd return for a touchdown.
• Roethlisberger’s scrambling, breaking tackles, completing passes
• Santonio Holmes’ diving/leaning/foot dragging catch to win the game

But that’s not who the owner of the Steeler’s gave credit for winning the big game.  He started off his acceptance speech of the night to say “thanks to President Obama”. 

Huh?

I guess I didn’t see him playing yesterday.  He can do everything.  Good game Mr. President!

I would also like to say good job to the Cardinals.  They played a darn good game.  Kept me in my seat all the way until the end.  I was just hoping for a good game and then to have them leading in the 4th.  Nice game.

Hyper Static Union – Lifegiver

Hyper Static Union has to have some of the best musicians in rock music.  Here’s a video I dug up on Youtube:

A couple more links if you want to hear about their new CD:

MySpace page.  Listen to the first 2 songs from their new CD.  I really like their new songs they posted on MySpace.

Their webpage with an acoustic version of Meet Him in the Air.  Great sound for an acoustic song.

I guess I need to break down and buy their CD.