Home For Sale – Next Step

A week ago we placed this sign in our yard as a simple next step in what we believe will be our eventual re-location to Lawrence, Kansas. Over the past several months I have enjoyed the privilege of coaching a gifted young pastor who is planting a new church in Lawrence.

Janice and I felt we should do more, so we have been investing our time and energy during the launch phase of the church. We now believe the next step is to move to Lawrence so we might continue to help, and to use our home as a ministry center.

We don’t have it all figured out or see clearly as to where all of this might lead, but we are enjoying the journey, one step at a time. So, if you know someone looking for a home in Olathe, please send them our way.

To learn more about the budding movement in Lawrence visit http://thegreenhouseculture.com/vision-video/

To the Glory of God Alone

May you gain inspiration and insight from the excerpt of an article written by Calvin R. Stapert. Enjoy….

“In the 16th century, a baker named Veit Bach fled Hungary because of his Lutheran beliefs. He settled in the small town of Wechmar in Thuringia in central Germany. His descendants survived the Thirty Years’ War and spread throughout Thuringia over the next century. They became so prevalent in musical positions in towns and churches that the name “Bach” came to be synonymous with “musician.”

In a genealogy compiled in 1735, one of those descendants wrote with a mixture of loving amusement and pride about Veit: “He found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern [a wire-strung plucked instrument], which he took with him even into the mill and played upon while the grinding was going on. (How pretty it must have sounded together! Yet in this way he had a chance to have time drilled into him.) And this was, as it were, the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants.”

The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. —J.S. Bach

The great-great-grandson who wrote those words was none other than Johann Sebastian Bach, arguably the greatest composer in the history of Western music and a man whose staunch Lutheran faith informed his life, his career, and his view of music. He believed that music was a “refreshment of spirit,” as some of the title pages of his works stated. He believed that music was a powerful tool for the proclamation of the gospel, as his cantatas, Passions, organ chorales, and other compositions clearly show. And ultimately, he believed that music brought glory to God, as the initials SDG (Soli Deo Gloria, “To God alone be glory”) at the end of most of his scores bear witness.”

To read more, visit http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2007/issue95/1.8.html

“Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge”

Albert Einstein, founder of the special and general theories of relativity and often regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century is credited with saying, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”.

The God-breathed gift of imagination bestowed upon mankind is powerful and absolutely necessary for so much we enjoy, but is it a “game-changer”.

I often suggest that we all have an imagination “muscle”, especially when I am challenging myself and others to imagine. Imagination atrophy might be what holds many of us captive to the status quo.

What is the condition of my imagination “muscle”? Is time for a good workout?

A Band of Brothers

Several days ago I was deeply touched by the support of many during the passing of my father. Two “brothers” went the extra mile, driving hundreds of miles in a very short time period to stand beside me as we celebrated the life of my father during the funeral service. Their sacrifice, effort, and genuine expression of solidarity will always remain in my heart.

May I learn from their example, and become that type of “brother” to them and others.

The wise King Solomon recorded these beautiful words for us – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

Why Am I Coaching Leaders?

Sometimes I ask myself the “why?” question, especially when the challenges appear. When I wonder if it is really worth it to invest my life into coaching others, I always come to the same conclusion, “Absolutely!”

Check out this article to understand more about the value of coaching.    http://bit.ly/IeR8QS

A Great Man Is No Longer With Us

Early Wednesday morning my father passed from this earthly realm into the literal presence of Jesus. After a two-year battle with brain cancer, he took his final breath as we prayed and worshipped at his bedside. I hesitated to create this post due to the freshness of his passing and my inability to focus my thoughts.

Yet, I want others who knew him, to be aware of his passing and the service scheduled to honor his life. We will have a time of visitation on Monday, April 9, at 5:00 – 8:00pm at the Hernando Funeral Home in Hernando, MS and will have a celebration service honoring him on Tuesday, April 10, at 1:00pm at First Assembly Memphis in Cordova, TN.

I could write so much about him…but for now, I will just describe him as a great man.

Living For Today

Life is filled with “tension”, positive or negative, between the past present and future. So how do we live? Plan for the future. Be fully present, live in the “now”. Forget the past.

“From an eternal perspective I am living for today; for tomorrow may never come, but eternity surely will.”

What do you say?

Coaching Is Hot?

Check out this article about coaching…. Coaching may be exactly what you are looking for.

I’m a Great Parent!

Most of us have learned the important life principle in regard to taking advantage of free food. For example, don’t just shop at Sam’s, enjoy the many free samples, especially on Saturdays. I am pleased to announce I have successfully passed this principle along to my children and in turn, to my grandchildren.

You will notice in the photo below, their skill and creativity on display as they are participating in the “dress like a cow and get free food” promotion at Chick-fil-A.

Maybe I should write a book.

Join the “Heard”

You may be thinking my spellcheck function needs an update. Surely I meant to write “herd”. No, I am just having a little bit of fun with the powerful concept of listening.

How do you join the “heard”? Maybe all it takes is for you to speak louder or longer, to use better hand gestures, or possibly some cool visual aids. In reality, we can’t force our way into the “heard”. Someone else has to allow us in. How?

When someone truly listens to us we have joined the “heard”.

So, are you part of the “heard”?