Happy Uncle, Coach, Cousin, Teacher....Day!

By the way...I just sent out a link to our Isaiah 58, In His Service, Inc. email list. I commented, "Dear Dads, know that you are prayed for and remember your little ones are watching."


Sometimes I have tunnel vision. Billy Graham said, "The greatest tribute a boy can give to his father is to say, `When I grow up, I want to be just like my Dad.' It is a convicting responsibility for us fathers and grandfathers."  I don't want to neglect the men who are making an impression on little ones and aren't the Dads!


There are so many children who don't have a Dad in their lives. Instead (or in addition to) they have an Uncle, a step-Dad, a Papa, an adoptive Dad, a Mentor, a Cousin, a Pastor, a Neighbor, a Teacher, a Coach...


Think of the little ones in your life and then stop and think about the men in their lives. Who is the example they are emulating? Who is teaching them right from wrong? Who is showing them how to be gentlemen? Who is praying with them? Who is encouraging them? Who is protecting them? Who is loving them?


All of us have a responsibility to the kidlets that God has put in our lives. Whether they are relatives or neighbor kids or our very own...we are called to teach.


So, to those of you who are not "officially" Dads...but are Godly men and aware that little ones are watching....THANK YOU, you are making an impact in eternal ways! Psalms 103:13


In His service, d

What really matters?

I caught a few minutes of a story about monks in Greece, the Vatopedi Monastery near Mt. Athos to be exact.  There the monks have been in continual prayer for 1,110 years!  Father Serapion stated, "The monks here have one goal and that is how they can get closer to God." They said total union with Christ is only possible when they leave this world, "Here, in this life (is how they earn their "ticket" to Heaven), that's what we do each day, we prepare for death - but with joy.  We are joyful about our journey to Heaven," said Father Matthew.

Thousands of miles away, on a secluded peninsula are about 1,770 monks who pray continually, seeking to be closer to the Father...and with no distractions.  Their world is a far cry from ours. Women are not allowed in the monastery; no televisions or computers; no sporting events; no Wal-Mart; no family; no road rage; no interaction with someone about to go over the edge; no stress...and what a view!!

So, our challenge here is to swim upstream to be closer to God while we struggle with distractions, disappointments and responsibilities.  Daily I try to talk with Jesus about everything.  When I can't locate something, I ask Him for help.  When I am so tired and I'm afraid I'll miss someone, I ask Him to point me towards that person.  When I say something stupid or I don't say anything at all, I ask Him to speak through me.  When I see an injustice and it angers me to the core, I ask Him to help me advocate.  When my eyes fall on me, I ask Him to heal my pride.  When I am disobedient and fail, I ask Him for forgiveness.

There are a number of churches in the midst of a capital campaign, my church is getting ready to start another one.  Even after the previous capital campaigns it is still difficult to get from point A to point B.  This go around they are saying it should cost $11 million to do what they want to do.  I know the expansion will provide convenience for people; it will create better space for our kidlets; it will be  easier to maneuver.  But, during the week many of the classrooms are empty.  We could be doing so much with what we have to minister to the least of these and to our saints...but we're not.  I just have a hard time picturing Jesus looking at our church building and then walking a couple blocks to the east and seeing the adult book store, or stepping over a homeless person sleeping in the parking lot at the Caring Center or passing by a car where Mom and Dad and their children are living and saying, "Yep, we definitely need to expand the buildings."

Will one person come to Christ because of the $11 million renovation? Maybe. But, if we used what we have to provide free child care, use our vehicles to take folks to work and the grocery store, taught classes on coping skills and life skills, loved on folks who were lost and came to our church desperate for hope, provided a meal and a movie...maybe more would come to Jesus!!!

A coworker's brother is an evangelist.  Recently she came to ask me for prayer support as he was traveling to Saudi Arabia to share the gospel.  She told me the initial plan was for him to preach in an open air venue to about 8,000 people. Reportedly, there were two heads of state that are sympathetic to the underground churches and agreed for the venue to be available.  However, by the time the evangelist got there (he had to take alternate routes because of violence), the two heads of state were out of the country and the one left in charge adamantly refused access to the stadium.

Hundreds of Christ followers continued to pray without ceasing and another location was secured.  There were 3 rooms with satellite feeds in two of the rooms.  These servants of Christ set up 8,000 chairs in these 3 rooms!  The chairs were filled with folks hungry for Jesus and the evangelist shared the message God had placed on his heart...lives were transformed!!! Not only did many of these Muslims give their lives to Christ, AND there were physical healings!! 

Father I believe, but help my unbelief...

I want to be part of that kind of service, don't you?  Those Christians live daily with the knowledge that they are in the enemy's camp serving Jesus and the outcome of such service could be death.  But, they continue to trust Jesus and serve faithfully and with joy.

$11 million or 8,000 chairs.


                                   WE can do more. WE can do better.   d