this is my chair...

this is my chair. there are many like it, but this one is mine.

sitting here i have prayed awesome prayers.

sitting here i have fashioned great messages from scripture.

sitting here i have counseled people.

sitting here i have experienced God.

sitting here i have seen life change.

sitting here i have cried.

sitting here i have led people to God.

sitting here i have lied.

sitting here i have given away my integrity for another ticket.

sitting here i have become restless.

sitting here i have repented.

sitting here, people in my community have died with out hope.

sitting here, i have turned a cause into a job.

sitting here i have become immobile.

sitting here, people have come to me.

sitting here i am getting old.

sitting here i am becoming apathetic.

sitting here passion is growing stale.

sitting here there is reason to be comfortable.

sitting here means i am not out there.

getting up from here is when it changes.

the prayer of a righteous man...

when i was a kid, i used to love to hear my grandfather pray. simple and powerful, with deep respect and love, and oozing with thanksgiving.

there have been times in my life when prayer has taken on something more than just dialogue. there have been glimpses of glory, moments of holy, preparation, encouragement and chastisement. i have been blessed to experience God in various situations, all through prayer.

last night, i sat and was wet with the rain of the spirit. it was as if there had come a point in my life i could ask for anything...absolutely anything from God and he would grant m request.

the mind races when we think we have the attention of the almighty. what should we ask for?
money?
job?
stuff?
security?
faith?
long life?

what i prayed for had nothing to do with me, my ministry, my family.

i realized at that point that abiding in him, and his words abiding in me, means i pray for what he wants...his glory, his renown, his power seen in and working through his children.

i woke up looking for an extraordinary day.

ended up being nothing special. another day in paradise.

but he is up to something. i feel it, his spirit is moving...preparing, equipping, unleashing. what ever it is, i want in on it. i want to be part of it. all of it. all of him, all of me. nothing left.

gonna take a trip soon. gonna leather up, take a ride to meet someone, sit and recieve. going to get something. not sure what. but i want it. looking for clues here and there. wondering, waiting, wanting. praying. ready.


unhindered.

say anything

for the last 12 plus years, i have had the privilege of speaking to teens at least once, many times twice a week from the sacred scriptures. it has been my privilege, my honor, my passion, my fear. seldom have i been more than 7 days with out preaching.

it has been 3 weeks.

3 weeks .

it is not as though there is nothing happening in my relationship with my father. freshness abounds and love pours down each morning. the longing to be in His presence consumes me each day and my time is spent listening and learning, waiting and asking.

but nothing has carried over from my daily worship time to my current vocation as a student ministry pastor.

there has never been something so perplexing, something so unwelcome, so silent in my ministry as this.

deafening silence.

Presence

went to Daytona on sat for Biketober fest. as my heart begins to move toward something else, i went to see. at first i wanted to promote. after all, we gotta market our deal. we gotta let them know. then he said, "just look." "i want you to see...really see." so, with a prayerful heart, I looked.

this is what I saw...

i saw how things are changing. some places actually reminded me of a Disneyland for motorcycle riders...not bikers, but riders.

i saw people who came to hide from life, to sink into the depths of debauchery.

i saw eyes filled with wonder and bewilderment.

i saw scantily clad women hanging onto the arms of middle age guys trying to hang onto a sense of accomplishment and pride. property. not help mates.

i saw thousands upon thousands of motorcycles.

i saw hundreds of christian ministries...walking around...doing nothing. reminded me of the American church (to an extent). present but not affecting any change in the community.

i saw an atmosphere of sex and pleasure. almost like shopping at the mall.

i saw a need.

i saw an opportunity.

i saw people in search.

i saw him. in the faces of half naked women, big burly bikers, nasty homeless folks, everywhere, i saw him.

here is the deal. this gathering of folks is no different than any other. people come together for different reasons, over a different agenda. all need the same thing. Jesus. they need to hear the truth of the gospel, the hope of salvation and the reality of a relationship. and they need folks to tell them.

as the church this is what we do...or are supposed to do.

I'm going.

not gonna miss any more opportunities. no more excuses, no more to busy, no more.

I'm going.

either there, or another place. down my street, to Sturgis, to Daytona, to wherever.

I'm going.

anyone what to go with?

the ride home

finished up the road trip where my ministry started. after a few days with the daughter and her family, precious time with the granddaughter, made it over to P-Cola for a quick visit.

spent the day with a brother i have been in contact with for several years, but had not met till Sat. a day of chillin, wings and family time. time well spent.

before heading home, went back to where it all started. what a welcome!. i felt like a rock star as people greeted me. smiles and genuine concern over current situations, and enjoyment over memories. it was good to be there. it seemed like home. spirit filled worship and preaching was good to be part of.

as i leathered up for the ride home, several things came to mind.

i am captivated by Jesus Christ. his will is my desire, his life is my pursuit, his pleasure is my satisfaction.

my family is a joy to me. grand kids are more than i expected. grown kids are special, they are happy, it makes me happy. if i die tonight, my life has been full.

however...

there is much to be done. the stew that cooks now is almost done.

tweaking is coming. change is part of the process.

the event and ministry will be bigger than i had imagined.

man i missed my wife.

i, we, must remain diligent over the small things.

my prayers for L over the months, seems to be developing into a journey.

how cool is it that God uses people we never met to help us, confirm, and encourage.

life is wonderful, difficult, treacherous, painful and worth it.

2 fisted prayer in cool weather, makin my way back home. people responding to what i have on my back. Jesus is moving and i want to be in on it.

back home. great week, great ride, great questions, great answers.

seeds planted, relationships renewed, and direction given...

nice. really nice.

needs a little pepper...

left home yesterday with great anticipation of the various stops to make.

started with my friend dub, who gave me a word from scripture.

Isaiah 42:9 NKJV

"Behold, the former things have come to pass,

And new things I declare;

before they spring forth, I tell you of them."

good stuff. definitely a new work going on in my life. good word.

left there, went to spend the day and night with my son, who, by the way, is wrestling with a call on his life. time well spent. watching him as a father, as a husband, as a student, and now, heading into the family business. deep roots. my grandson is a true joy to me. 3, and difficult, but a source of joy.

left this morning to a cool breeze as i headed up 75 to 10. stopped at the rest area, got of my bike, and spent the next 1/2 hour in prayer and praise to our great God. all decked out in leather and proudly wearing my colors, hands waiving and singing out back of the rest area. sweet worship and prayer. as another word from him came.

let's let that cook for just a bit more. needs a bit of pepper, maybe some tweaking.

these words were poured into my heart and spirit. answers. questions.

back on the road, enjoying 2 fisted communication, then the mind rests. i am reminded of diligence of thought. long forgiven sin erupts into my mind, things that have been long dealt with come rushing to the forefront. time spent remembering. to much time. rebuked them in Jesus name, remained diligent the rest of the day.

arrived at my daughters house this afternoon. blissful time with the granddaughter and daughter.

what happens tomorrow?

questions. answers. pots of stew. 2 fisted prayer.

2 fisted prayer time

taking a week to seek His face.

looking for something.

along the way, time with my kids and grandkids, seeing old friends, meeting a friend for the first time and praying through some stuff.

looking.

asking.

knocking.

expecting.

back in a week.

trivial things for a trivial life

i am in the midst of a change.

to quote Piper , i have been "staggered by the supremacy of God." because of that, the filter through which i have viewed life has become clear. clarity can be a dangerous thing.



the issue for me now is what really matters. having seen and experienced His presence in such a life changing way, everything is now brought into question.



why do i do this? why do i have this? is this needed or wanted? can i give this away? how valuable is this time over that time? how much wasted time do i spend in a day? do i need to go here? should i go there? why don't i have money to give this ministry? what if there is no support? when do we proceed? why did it take so long to understand?



as i begin to deal with the process of becoming more lean, mobile, in-tune, ready and prepared, the task is difficult, but one that is well worth the problems it may cause.



once you see Him...everything changes. nothing looks the same. trivial becomes boring.

once you experience Him...you can never go back. typical becomes trivial.



staggered by the supremacy of God.



one more step.