Where has the time gone? Wow…7 years ago I entered into the world of parenthood with my life to forever be changed. I’m still amazed how much a child can change your life and literally recreate your priorities.

I’m learned many things from being a parent. My son’s 7^th birthday has reminded me of them:

-My actions are viewed all the time and considered “normal” reactions to these little creatures. You ever wonder where kids learn all those “bad” words or why they reply to certain things in anger? They have to learn it somewhere…My hope is that they are learning all their “good stuff” from their Dad!

-LeeAnn and I don’t really get to make our own decisions anymore. As much as parents like to think they are in control, they really aren’t. In fact, if you don’t believe me, look at the food you cook, the movies you pick, what you do with your free time, the houses you buy and even the cars you pick. Trust me….NOBODY wants to drive a minivan…I know that from experience.

-Really good children’s shows are created by creative parents. Barney is horrible…kids like it though. But the really good shows are the ones where the creators actually write stuff for the parents as well. Of course we are watching it with them…most of the time we are forced to.  I think that’s what was so great about the Muppet Show…a lot of adult things in there to keep our interest. I miss those two old guys (Statler & Waldorf)

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-Kids enjoy pushing the limits. If I were to draw a line in the sand and tell my kids where to stop, they will be edged up right on that line (probably trying to step over when I’m not looking). You can’t be a kid and not “push the envelope”. When we get older, culture and society dulls us to this. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but losing our passion for going beyond is not. We need to keep part of that passion for wanting more in life.

-God’s love for us is like our love for our children….only 100% more. As much as I want to give the best to my kids and will work my butt off to do so, God feel the same way about me, although He’s actually able to give it all…unlike me. I love knowing that!

-Kids can destroy a room faster than you can clean it….I believe that’s scientifically proven!

-Kids really don’t know the meaning to “No”, even though we ask them that question all the time.

-There’s also a law of physics that states that children will play with the box more than the actual toy that was in it. Unfortunately buying empty boxes as gifts doesn’t go over very well with kids.

-Treat them good now, because when you get old, they will have to take care of you…and possibly change YOUR diapers. What a scary thought.

-People say once you have more than 2 it gets easier which is not true. My experience is that it gets more expensive, louder, crazier, your house has to get bigger, your cars have to get bigger, they out number you (so in essence they can revolt) and it involves major planning to do anything outside the home. But I wouldn’t have it any other way….in return….you have more kids to love you, more fun than you could ever have with just your spouse, bigger and better holidays and vacations, a renewed sense of outlook on God, Christmas and Easter, family and really life in general. You will learn to love more, give more and appreciate the small things in life. Your priorities will change (for the better) and you and your spouse will grow more in love with each other (because you need them as an ally).

With all the “complains” I hear in the world about having kids, I always come back to the fact that having a family is a blessing. You only get one chance in their lives, so please make it count.

Happy birthday my son….I’m so glad you came and changed my life 7 years ago!

M

Posted: December 2nd, 2009 under Family.
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What a great holiday…giving thanks (and eating) with family and friends. Here’s what I will be doing today….

Have a Blessed (and safe) Thanksgiving!

M

Posted: November 26th, 2009 under Family.
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As you prepare for Thanksgiving, I give you a special video look into my crazy family. *bonus points go to my brother for having to be part of this craziness (1:02)

Enjoy.

M

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Posted: November 25th, 2009 under Family, Life Stuff, Sports, Videos.
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It’s amazing how you can learn so much from a candid picture….reveals the personality of the person. I love my family. We got a bunch of  “characters”. Here’s some of the funny ones. Kelli Trontell is a photographer genius!

M

Posted: November 12th, 2009 under Family.
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We had our first membership class this past Saturday @ SouthView. It was amazing to see the different families that came out to join the church. LeeAnn and I felt extremely blessed. I’ve been studying membership and getting other pastor’s thoughts on it to see exactly what God desires regarding this step. Essentially why we do what we do.

I’m heard people on both sides of the fence and I understand the arguments for each. I’ve decided we don’t want to do it just to say we have “members”. What does God’s Word say regarding it and how do we proceed with those commands? Here are some thoughts on why we think it’s important.

The Bible actually describes two kinds of membership.   The first is membership within the universal Body of Christ; one body of believers that transcends space and time. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:13-22; 4:3-6; Colossians 1:13-22).  Membership in the universal church of Jesus Christ is based solely on Christ’s merit and grace.  This membership is eternal and unchanging.  The Bible also urges members of His universal body to become members of a specific local assembly.  (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:25-31; 14:12; 26; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Timothy 3:14-15).

There seems to be 4 main themes as to why we continue to do “membership” to a specific church body. Each one seems to hold merit to me and growing up in church pretty much all my life, I see value in each one.

Biblical: Christ is committed to the church.  In Ephesians 5:25 Paul wrote, “… Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her….” (NAS)  Also, in the New Testament, believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local body and were challenged to become devoted, committed participants. It’s easy to be non-committal in this day and age, but honestly, I believe God deserves more and so does the local church. Does a local pastor and church have the opportunity to “let me down”? Of course, but so does everything else we commit to. Our job, our marriage, our friends, our hobbies and activities all have a chance to do us wrong and let us down.  But when it comes to church we feel a sense of caution. Why is that? That leads me to the next point…

Cultural: We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything… a job, a marriage, our country.  This attitude has produced the phenomenon of “church shoppers and hoppers.”  Formal church membership swims against the current of “consumer religion” by building character through commitment to a local body. When you are committed you support the group regardless if you agree with everything. We should clearly agree on the “basics” as I like to call it. Vision, Values, Statement of Faith….those things should be our starting point. But just because you don’t like the worship songs your church does, the way they run their small groups or who’s in charge of their Usher’s ministry should not cause you to want to leave. Can you image if we did that with every other relationship we are involved in?

Practical: Membership defines who can be counted on to build and sustain the ministries of the church.  It identifies our community, our family, and is valuable to the leaders of the church as they fulfill their God-given task of shepherding. I don’t see how any person attending a church can possibly think they aren’t needed. As a pastor, I absolutely love seeing people get involved. A pastor and his family have made a HUGE commitment to the church and its members. Nothing makes us feel more appreciated than when the congregation does the same. You’re not committing to me but committing to the vision that God has given this church. The practical aspect says, let’s do this together!

Personal: Membership produces spiritual growth. The New Testament outlines the essential need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual maturity.  Membership in a local body constitutes a key component of practical accountability.  Membership provides proper care to the member by holding each accountable to the truth of God’s Word.  Membership can be a significant “defining moment” in one’s lifelong discipleship journey. This can be one of the most powerful statements of all. People can be afraid to commit because this means somebody actually has to get to know the real you.

Let’s face it, all of us wear “masks”, to some degree, on a daily basis. We have things in our lives we are ashamed of, or insecurities that we don’t care to reveal. What better way to grow than to let other “godly” people in to help you walk these issues out in your life. You can’t do it alone. Why do we kid ourselves in thinking that God designed church to be a place were we attend on Sunday for 2 hours and go home….never engaging or interacting or committing to anything part of it. That’s not at all the church I see in the New Testament. In fact, I know they made big commitments to each other.  They even put all their money together to help those in need. Can you imagine if the present day church asked us all to do that to the same extent in today’s times?

Your commitment should consist of 3 points. Commitment in your Time, Talent and Treasure are the things that I believe God asks of us to give to the local church. Once again, we give that easily to so many other things in our lives without even a thought. When it comes to God and the local church, let’s give cheerfully.

Some people think all membership is, is a way for a pastor to get your money. You’re a member now, give us your money. This could be a whole separate topic in itself. Some people stating this clearly haven’t learned the freedom in giving back to God what he has given to us. Giving as a cheerful giver is part of the privilege we have as followers of Christ. The local church uses most of its money to make your experience at church that much better. It’s to give you a place to worship and join together as one body of believers. If people don’t give, don’t complain with the state of your church building, the quality of leaders, your worship experience or church events. All those things require money. Once again, when being part of a family, its part of my responsibility to help with the needs. Seeing the church grow and flourish is also a byproduct of me serving within the house. What a great reward to experience as my time, talent and treasure help build something much bigger than myself. Giving back to God and seeding into the local church I am part of, is one of the privileges I have as being a member.

So, to be a member or not to be a member….?  My thought is this…when you finally find your home, why not make it official? It’s Biblical, Cultural, Practical and makes it Personal.

M

Posted: November 9th, 2009 under Church info, Culture/Society, Family, Leadership.
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