Pastor Randy's Blog

Racism and the Real Truth of Free Will Baptists

You may have heard on the national news recently about a church vote that took place in Kentucky.  That vote, which passed 9-6, was that they would no longer allow special performances of songs in front of the whole congregation by people who were in an interracial relationship.  Normally I would not feel compelled to comment on what has taken place in a backwoods church somewhere.  But sadly this church was a Free Will Baptist Church and it made a bit of a national stir.  Because of this fact, I feel compelled to respond.  Why?  Because Eagle Heights Church is a Free Will Baptist Church.  It is the denomination I grew up in, and it is the denomination that I love.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy in all of this is that my denomination, the Free Will Baptist denomination, traces its roots to churches that were instrumental in the underground railroad during the years of slavery.  Abraham Lincoln, the president who fought a literal war to end slavery and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, had a mother that was raised in a Free Will Baptist Church.  In the present day, Free Will Baptists literally spend millions of dollars annually trying to reach people on the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, South and North America for Christ.  The fact that FWB’s history and its present day efforts can be tainted in any way by a vote of 9 people in some church in the middle of Pike County Kentucky is tragic.

A huge part of this comes down to how a church is structured.  Now stay with me… I know that “differences in church structure” is not exactly a trending topic that is lighting up the Twitter-verse!  Our church is structured so that a local church makes its own choices and decisions on how they will worship, where they will meet or build, who will be their pastor, and for how long, etc.  Occasionally, you may see the ruling council (archdiocese or synod) in a Catholic or Lutheran Church (among others) require a minister or priest to move, even though neither the church nor that minister wanted to change churches.  If you’ve ever had that happen, you can understand why some local churches choose to be structured to make their decisions locally.

Now, here’s the down-side: you may be affiliated with a church which “votes in” some outlandish rule or practice that you had no part in.  You might be painted with a broad brush as a church that has problems with a race (other than white) leading or serving in your church.

At Eagle Heights, we have a band that includes some interracial elements.  We have a couple who leads in our worship every single week; our worship leader is a guy who is partially Hispanic.  He is married to a wonderful gal who happens to be of Vietnamese descent.  We have an African-American guy who is a part of our band that leads worship.  I love them all greatly, and am proud that God has brought a multi-racial element to both our band, and to the EHC family as a whole.

We have people from Korean descent, Vietnamese, Nigerian, and Puerto Rican decent.  We have more races than this represented, but also we have  some of us “plain old southern folks” that have no clue as to how many races make up our own descent… we just call ourselves “white.”  Sorry Gulnare FWB, just because a person is labeled “white,” they may still be a inter-racial person (partially Jewish, American Indian, African American, on and on).  Why is it that I just think they meant “If we can tell you’re from another race, you’re not welcome?”  Oh and one more thing you’ve got to remember: JESUS WAS NOT WHITE!  But then again, this is attempting to argue with a bigot using logic and facts.

As a church, we are called to reflect God’s Kingdom.  I know this: Revelation 7:9 tells me that when we are in heaven, ALL RACES will be singing and worshiping together.

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” Rev 7:9

Banning an interracial couple from leading in worship now means that Gulnare’s own racism is more important to those 9 people than reflecting what God desires to happen (and promises will one day happen).  I’m glad it is already happening at EHC.  It’s part of why I’m glad that we are sharing our church building with a Nigerian congregation and a Hispanic congregation.

Trust me, the preacher in me wants to rant and rave about how Christ’s genealogy has inter-racial marriage in it (like Ruth, for whom the Bible book was named).  How racism was tackled head-on by Christ.  How some of His apostles laid down their lives preaching the gospel in lands full of other races (some of that is still happening to modern believers, BTW).  But time and space do not allow all I want to say, and the passion with which I want to say it.  So I guess that can come another day.  I’ll just end with this:

Racism is always going to be an ugly thing.  It’s NOT Read more…

Mother’s Day – Do You Actually Enjoy Your Kids?

Hey!  This is Shelly.  I have hijacked Randy’s blog.  I’m not typically a blogger but there are certain things that I feel passionately enough about for which I can’t keep my thoughts and opinions captive.  Parenting is one of those things.  I have strong opinions on how to get the best from children and have made it my life’s mission to do all I can to mold my kids into healthy, well-rounded individuals.  I’m striving to instill in them compassion towards others, strong discipline in themselves, creativity, and a desire to have a relationship with Christ.

As a parent and an educator, I have had the unique opportunity to see children in varied settings – both my own and others.  I have seen the effects of different types of parenting styles and what it means to the attitudes of their kids.  I’ve had the chance to observe kids’ actions/reactions in various situations.  Unfortunately, many people hold to the belief (…or excuse) that “kids are just going to be themselves”.  Let me tell you something that you may find interesting.  I have had kids in my classroom that were some of the most well-behaved kids during the school day. However, those same kids who were well-behaved for me were wild and unmanageable when they showed up with their parents at events throughout the year.  It goes to show that kids learn their behaviors, often times according to our expectations as parents, and it is our job to mold them!

It's our responsibility as parents to encourage growth and help our kids develop to reach their potential!

What I learned in the classroom is that firm but loving boundaries are the key.  One component without the other leads to an unhealthy balance.  Boundaries with no love is simply a dictatorship encouraging rebellion.  Love with no boundaries leads to insecurity and confusion in that child about who they are and what purpose they serve.  Believe it or not, there is great comfort in knowing your predetermined limits and expectations.  I learned early on in the classroom that if you connect with a child on some level so that they know you care, they will perform for you both intellectually and behaviorally.  They earnestly seek to please you.  They also experience more ‘freedom’ when the boundaries are clearly set.

Randy and I have always had television limits at our house for our kids and as a direct result, they are all avid readers.  They were never allowed to ‘vedge’ in front of the TV all day so they naturally found other avenues of entertainment.  Surprisingly, we have never demanded daily reading time.  Their love for books just developed instinctively after years of reading to them as infants and tots flowed into looking for ways to entertain themselves when TV limits were used up.  Other creative juices flowed as well, as their natural talents began to emerge coupled with time to pursue them.  I am convinced that, unfortunately, a child’s natural bent towards ‘lazy’ wins out over budding talents when mindless options are readily available, easily accessed, and with no limits.  It’s a tragedy that prospective, creative instincts are squelched by the draw of the ‘easy’.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a good TV show here and there.  I’m not condoning the act of being unreasonable.  I’m endorsing limits!  I recently set a few goals for my kids (ten to be exact).  I believe that these goals are reasonable, achievable, yet will stretch them to be mindful of being the best they can be.  We have plenty of non-negotiable limits and boundaries around our house (a few that are included in this list).  However, these are designed overall as goals of self-betterment and instilling pride in oneself.  I plan to offer a monetary reward to get the ball rolling for goals met for 30 days straight.  I am hoping though, that the intrinsic rewards provide motivation for the goals to stick long term. Yes, I’m not above dangling a carrot to get the cart moving!

One summer, I offered my kids $5 and $10 to read certain classics.  They had the choice to take of leave the offer.  I did this because they were seemingly obsessed with one particular genre and I wanted to expand them a little.  One of them took me up on my offer to earn a little cash and, low and behold, it worked.  She found that there was good reading outside of fantasy fiction!  I didn’t force her to read something that I thought would better her.  That would have caused resentment.  I gave her the opportunity to make the choice for herself with a little incentive and she took it.  Now, let me be clear, I only do this with things that I feel are extra ‘betterment’ type things.  Non-negotiables (like chores, respectful attitudes, etc) are non-negotiable and not persuaded by rewards but instead punishable if neglected.  I’m talking strictly in terms of these healthy challenges.

The specific goals I set for my kids are based on what I want to see in our household and are intended to refine/improve the mind, body and spirit of my kiddos.  I am sharing a very general version of the list I created for my family below.  I am hoping and praying that the efforts will stick long term.  If you choose to use these general principles, you can set the specifics of each goal according to what fits/challenges your kiddos.

1. Exercise goals (examples: some type daily or 5 times per week, etc)

2. Dessert limits (examples: no more than one per day or only 3 per week, etc)

3. Eat some vegetables (salad counts) each day.

4. Have quiet time and bible study each day.

5. Maximum of (parent, you choose the amount) TV time on ‘gone’ days and (a little more) on ‘home’ days each day.

6. Maximum of (parent, you choose the amount) of internet time on ‘gone’ days and (a little more) on ‘home’ days each day (homework excluded).

7.  Read each day.

8.  Do assigned chores each day, preferably unprompted.

9.  Do one generous thing each day for someone else for no reward. Doesn’t have to be anything monumental.

10. Do something creative or challenging each day. For example: a craft, puzzle, play instrument, write, etc.

Hanging out with your kids - it should feel like a blessing, not a curse! Which is it to you?

So here’s the bottom line: Love your kids and don’t be afraid to set boundaries for them.  Stretch them to be the best they can be.  Then sit back and enjoy them.  They will be the type of people that you actually want to hang with!

The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of Life by Randy Alcorn

Fact: We change little by little and are motivated to do so by preaching and being a part of the community of faith.  It cannot be replaced.  However, I believe that something that we do far too little of as Christians is read Christian books that help us grow and encourage us, whether they be fiction or non-fiction.  I’ve decided to do something to encourage you (and me too!) to read more Christian books.  It is a program from a Christian publishing company called “Blogging for Books.”  In this program, the publisher sends me a free copy of a book of my choice to keep if I will read it, and write my honest review of the book in my blog.

The Chasm by Randy Alcorn

Since we were coming up on a message series on Heaven, and because I was familiar with author Randy Alcorn, my first book to read from the publisher is The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of Life.  I have read some of Alcorn’s books before, including Safely Home, Deception and Deadline, all of which I enjoyed very much.  He is a bit of an anomaly, in that he writes both Christian fiction and non-fiction books.

Here’s Randy Alcorn’s  Website:    http://www.epm.org/

This book is actually a unique work because it is adapted from a novel entitled The Edge of Eternity.  It is a short book, one that can be read fairly quickly (for most folks, a couple of hours should do it).  But it is not a throw-away book.  It is time well spent and, it will challenge you.

The book itself is a description of Nick Seagrave, a man who is searching for his ultimate home.  He faces challenges, obstacles, and maybe more than anything else, he faces himself while on this journey.  It is a good book, written in an allegorical style (think Pilgrim’s Progress).  IMHO, this little books has some big moments that can spur thoughts of extreme clarity on the human condition.  They are not to be missed, because they can be incredibly instructive.

One such moment happened personally to me as I read about when the “Woodcutter’s” resurrection took place.  While reading this part, a thought struck me: a thought which I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I had never entertained before.  I think that I should have considered it plenty of times before, but I had not.  The thought was this: Christ’s resurrection is so powerful because it forces us to come face-to-face with Him, after we were openly complicit in His death.  We must face Him, and decide what we, each one individually, will do with His utterly ridiculous forgiveness of us.  Instead of looking at His death as a tragic historic event that remains buried in the past and in a tomb, we have to decide: Now what?

This is what makes Christ different than all other religious figures.  He alone came back to say to us, “You did this to me.  Matter of fact, I still bear the scars.  But I’m back and asking you to love and accept Me.  To repent and say that you wish with all of your being that you had not done this to Me.  Will you do that and accept Me?”  So our decision to turn our face from an utterly innocent man that we personally have condemned to die is not merely buried with all of our other regrets we have left behind us.  It is not simply chief among many more past mistakes.  He rose from the tomb, and His presence brings us back to our choice, and most importantly, give us another one.  Will we reconfirm our crucifixion of Him, or embrace Him as Lord and Savior?  But we must decide; “What will I do with Him?”  He will not be left as a mere footnote of our past, buried in some forgotten tomb.  He comes to us, and demands that we face Him.  And that we decide.

This the beauty of an allegory like The Chasm.  This literary device, like few (if any) others helps us to see old truths in brand-new ways.  To apply them as we had not before.  Ultimately, that is one of the big goals (probably the biggest goal?) of any “Christian” fiction or non-fiction book. The Chasm succeeds in making us think in new ways.

I do not know if it is possible to compare a book such as The Chasm to long-form books.  The power of a long novel/book is generated by its ability to go in-depth on important issues.  We are changed by considering themes from various angles and for long stretches of time.  But if you are a person who enjoys short books, or would like to enjoy books in general more than you do, the short book is probably a great starting point.  It can develop you personally. It can also help you develop a reading mentality/habit.

The Chasm definitely falls into that category of stretching you and expanding your mind to think more deeply about important matters, even if it’s form does so for a briefer period of time.  But this is the beauty of The Chasm’s connection to it’s big-brother, Edge of Eternity (a long-form novel).  You can sample here, and go deeper there… Win-Win!!  So I recommend this book to you.  Especially if you are a person who would benefit from thinking more about concept of Heaven, mankind’s nature, the person of Christ, and the journey we all walk which (hopefully) brings these all these things together.

You can borrow this book from EHC’s Library.  If you do read it and have thoughts on it, or anything in this blog about growth, Christ, Heaven, or anything else that jumps out to you, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments…

Blessings,

RPfromEHC

They Live To Accomplish HIS Purpose

The last couple of weeks have been interesting ones for missionaries in different parts of the world.  I want to talk about three people that today have given their lives to extend the Kingdom.  One is a 27 year old, single girl living in Cairo, Egypt.  One is a married couple past retirement age who began serving God full-time in Mexico after his retirement from his insurance business in the US.

I have mentioned my cousin Jessica a couple of times in passing lately.  She is the daughter of my Uncle Mark, who passed away when he was only 31 years old, and she was only 4 years old herself.  She has spent the last 2 years living in Cairo working as a schoolteacher, but in reality she lives there to do all that she can to share the gospel with Muslims in Egypt.  Before moving to Cairo, she lived in St Croix, Virgin Islands at the FWB church working to help as a missionary there.  She is quite an amazing gal, huh?

Doing that work in a Muslim country is dangerous, especially for a young single woman. It can even deadly. We are not especially close because we have grown up in different generations and different geographic regions.  But I am very proud of her.  When all this craziness broke out in Egypt the past couple of weeks, others encouraged her to come home (understandably, IMHO).  But here is what she wrote via e-mail:

The Pastor of the local fellowship here has encouraged us to seize this window of opportunity to be the light in the darkness, which was the very basis of my original calling here.

I believe whole-heartedly that I am in the center of God’s will, which as you know is the safest place for ANYONE to be.  I am blessed beyond words with a wonderful, very caring and wise team in my chr and community; as well as the Egyptian local chr I serve with who have been an amazing blessing to me.  It is a privilege to be with and serve Egyptian believers and be able to identify with the country in their time of need and suffering.

Paul writes, ‘…I go… not knowing the things that will happen to me… except that the Holy Spirit testifies… saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me…’ (Acts 20:22-24 NKJV).  I do not expect that I will be chained or in jail during this time, but, I stay here, not knowing the things that will happen to me.

I write you with a joyful heart even today as I had the opportunity to present a friend with a “special book” that I pray leads and guides her life to PEACE, TRUTH and LOVE.  She asked me if I had this book to borrow, and as we were at a bookstore at the time, coming across a copy in the used book section was an absolute miracle.  I know that my purpose in being here is for His kingdom and I stay with a glad heart and a supernatural peace that He is protecting and sustaining my everyday.

Notice the “CHR” a couple of times in that e-mail?  Not typo’s.  Those stand for “church” but she does not risk sending that word out via e-mail.  Later in her e-mail, she writes that she has had a chance to give a “special book” to a girl.  Obviously, that is the Bible, and yet she cannot say that in the e-mail either!  How different we have it here in the USA!

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying she should or shouldn’t stay.  But I love her living her life in this way: She does not place the opinions of others before God’s calling on her life.  She listens to HIM and then she listens to THEM.  Here’s a link to what I said a week or so earlier via my Twitter Account.

http://twitter.com/RPfromEHC/status/32456099323973634

I take pride that my cousin obviously lives to accomplish HIS PURPOSE.  Few of us can say that is our main and overriding goal in life, can we?

Then, on the other end of the globe and age spectrum, you have the Bivens.  Some of you have met these wonderful people, and may recognize them by seeing their faces.

They serve in Mexico, which has recently become a very hostile and unsafe  environment.  Over 30,000 people in Mexico have died in the last couple of  years’ drug war.  For perspective, that is about 5 times the amount of the war in  Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 10 years or so.  I wanted to share her recent  post with you because I felt like there was a definite parallel with the Bivens and  the missionaries recently killed in Mexico.  Many of you (like me), have a heart for what’s happening in Mexico.  The story about these missionaries that were shot at, rammed with a truck, and eventually the wife was shot in the head and died as she was being life-flighted to a hospital.  It all happened about 30 miles south of the Pharr International Bridge, the very bridge that we almost always use ourselves.

The parallels between Bud and Ruth Bivins and this couple really are pretty striking.  They both serve and work with missionaries near Tampico/Altamira, twin cities down about 8 hours into the interior of Mexico.  BTW, Altamira/Tampico is the city where Mano Con Mano was before it was bulldozed, and it also is the home of the 2 churches we just helped with toys.  One of those churches we gave over $400 USD toward the church’s first nursery.   Here is Ruth in her own words:

For the past several days there has been a lot of news about the missionary lady who was shot in the head and died. We did not know the couple, although they worked in the Altamira area for 30 years. If folks are not Free Will Baptist, we rarely have the opportunity to meet them. The husband has been interviewed a couple of times. You may have seen the interviews on television. He mentioned after her funeral that they had agreed not to be taken alive. So, when they approached a roadblock set up by a drug cartel, he ran it. They were then followed by three pickups that tried to force them off the road. When they kept speeding away, they were fired on, and she was killed. In our opinion they made two bad mistakes.

Bud asked a Federale officer, like our Highway Patrol, what to do if they tried to stop us. He said, “Don’t run or they will start shooting.” They ran and the results are tragic. And, they were driving a nice truck, a four door, ’08 Chevy pickup. Most likely, the men wanted their pickup. It is a diesel truck, so it is very likely they would have let them go once they found that out. The drug traffickers do not like diesel vehicles, since they have access to plenty of gas. We have heard many stories of people who had their vehicles stolen and they were left standing, unhurt, by the side of the road.

We drive an older, 2 door pickup, with a cumbersome, shell camper on the back, and Bud never washes it. We drive that same highway and have been stopped twice. Both times Bud talked to them, and they let us go. The first time the man insisted that there is a charge for Americans traveling that highway. Finally Bud handed him $3 that he had in his shirt pocket. “Well, I can buy a Coke with that,” he said. And they left.

The second time Bud got out and went back and asked them why they keep stopping us when they know that we are missionaries, we are working trying to help their people, and we don’t have any money. It was the same vehicle that had stopped us before, but a different man. When he heard that we are missionaries he told us to go on. You have to understand that we carry money down for the school each time we go, but, not in my purse or his wallet. It is well hidden. We feel that we are doing what God wants us to do, and the center of His will is the safest place for us to be. But, we do covet your prayers…

As you read their separate accounts, did you notice both of them had a statement in common?  ”Being in God’s will is the safest place in the world to be.”  Seriously now, just how cool are these people?   Death does not scare them – probably because they are already dead to this world!  I hope they inspire you the way they do me.  They are real life heroes of the faith.  I’m proud to say I know them, and wish my heart was more like theirs.

Jessica, Bud, Ruth, if you guys by chance read this blog, I want to say thanks.  Lives lived like yours inspire the rest of us to do just a little more than we are comfortable doing.  You elevate us by your example, and we are better for it!  More importantly, God’s Kingdom moves forward because of people like you, who inspire people like us.

Martin Luther King Elevated Us All

I am into podcasts.  One I have downloaded is from a site called “Great Speeches in History.”  Most all of us have heard the “I Have A Dream” speech, and it is an amazing piece of verbal artistry.  But MLK was not a one-speech man!  This free podcast I downloaded had the entire speech given by Dr Martin Luther King called “Beyond Vietnam.” He spoke against the Vietnam War and the ramifications of it.  Now most of you know that I strongly support our military and am vocal in my appreciation for their service and sacrifice.  But I know this: good Christian men can be on both sides of an issue as grave as war, and while I may agree or disagree with someone on exactly how to pursue the best foreign policy, there is truth to be found on both sides of most every argument.

Podcast available on i-Tunes or listen to it on the web here:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence2.htm

No matter what you believe about the Vietnam War, Dr Martin Luther King’s words are truly great, and they deserve a hearing.  So I share with you some amazing lines from his speech as we approach MLK Day this Monday.  Listen to (and learn from) some inspiring words from the man who dramatically impacted and improved the lives of literally MILLIONS of people – a man deserving of a day which celebrates his accomplishments and memory.

On Valuing Human Life “Beyond the calling of race or nation or creed is this vocation of sonship and brotherhood, and because I believe that the Father is deeply concerned especially for his suffering and helpless and outcast children, I come tonight to speak for them.

This I believe to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation’s self-defined goals and positions. We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls “enemy,” for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.”

On Taking Action Now “We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at flood — it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, “Too late.” There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is right: “The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on.”

On Love and Acceptance “This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life.”

On Values Our Nation Holds “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

As the speech drew to a close, Dr King quoted an amazing poet named James Russell Lowell.  The poem quoted was called “This Present Crisis,” and was written about slavery and its effects on society.  Listen to this great stanza from the poem.

For mankind are one in spirit, and an instinct bears along,

Round the earth’s electric circle, the swift flash of right or wrong;

Whether conscious or unconscious, yet Humanity’s vast frame

Through its ocean-sundered fibres feels the gush of joy or shame;—

In the gain or loss of one race all the rest have equal claim.

See the whole poem here:

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/7194/

What is this poem saying?  If we create (or tolerate) a world where injustice s commonplace, we all are guaranteed to suffer for it.  We may not ever make the connection, but life is cheapened when we turn a blind eye to suffering and injustice.  Another great quote to share that captures that same sentiment is one from Dr Booker T Washington: “One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.”

Strangely, Dr Martin Luther King Jr gave this speech exactly one year to the day before he was assassinated (if you like the band U2 like I do, you may recognize the “Early morning, April 4” line from their great song, “Pride”).  MLK was a great man with a great message.  One that has much more to say than was said in “I Have a Dream” alone.  I hope that you will stop sometime on Monday and remember that MLK did not just do something for those whose Civil Rights were being trampled on in the 60’s.  He did something for all of us.  Our world was poorer the minute that he was taken, but richer because he was here.  Thank you, Dr King, for truly helping elevate us all.

A Cornucopia for Thanksgiving

Around Thanksgiving, we begin to see something that usually hibernates and is virtually unseen for almost the entire year.  This wonder of the modern world is the cornucopia!  A cornucopia is basically a funnel-shaped thing that you pile all kinds of fruits, vegetables and different types of gourds into.  It holds all those different kinds of things in one place.

Today’s blog post is going to be a veritable cornucopia of different stuff for you to look at, think about, and plan to be part of, so we off we go!

First of all, I’d like to say thanks to all who came out and were a part of the EHC Family Thanksgiving Feast this past Sun night.  We had an awesome time, just like always.  I am so appreciative for Pam and the work that she does as our Fellowship Coordinator. It just goes great every time!  We appreciate Linda Bender and Tim Donohue for working on our ham and turkey.  We just have way better food than a church full of skinny people oughtta have!  haha  Good times, good times!

At the Feast, I wanted us to have a chance to share what we were thankful for, but we were not able to do that.  So I have to say here that I am thankful for the chance to get to know the people in our church family.  I know some people in our church are there for short season of their lives, and some will be a part of us for much longer.  Some even will be with us for most of their lives.  We pray that God constructs EHC to be the type of church family that stands the test of time.  That EHC stand for decades as a testament to God’s power to change lives.  But that only happens if, as we say goodbye to some, we have others step forward to fill their place.  We must make both room and make known that we have openings for ministry.  We who continue to write this chapter of EHC’s history must be aware that it is our responsibility AND privilege to rise up and take their places of ministry so that God’s work continues!  I am so appreciative to God for leading new people our way.  I hope and pray it is only the beginning!  Whether it is the “new people” or the “old people” who have been around a while, let’s all pull together and make sure we are becoming what God would have us to be!

On a much lighter note, I was tuned in to ESPN-2 this past Saturday night to watch the OU-Baylor game on TV.  When what to my wondering eye should appear, but our very own Allen and Lisa Lee as they watch the Baylor game live against my beloved Oklahoma Sooners!  Don’t believe me?  Check out this screen shot from the TiVo.  Okay, actually I did not see this.  But this was sent to me by Lisa at my request/insistence so I could share it with you.  EHC’ers keep showing up in movies and on TV recently, don’t they?

Yep, that’s Allen holding his head.  Not real happy about the play, judging by his and Lisa’s faces.

You want to know something funny?  They are playing in Waco, but they unknowingly bought tickets that were in the Sooner section!  Hey Allen and Lisa, maybe the Lord is trying to tell you to come on over to the Sooner side of life!!  LOL  The Sooners did go on to win this past Sat night.  I know that makes some of you (like the Barnes, Benders, and the Pucketts) very happy and some of you (like Allen, Lisa and Lien Quinto) very sad.  But hey all you Baylor Bears, seriously, your team has had a great season!

We are also very excited about all that we have the chance to do on our upcoming MissionTrip. There are that I will be sharing on December 5 during/after Sunday morning service. It will be a short trip and we hope as many of you as possible are able to come. We look forward to that.  The cost is going to be small, and it is a blessing to them as well as to us!  Plan to be a part.

Speaking of the Mission Trip, many of you are aware of how great a job Kaye Thompson does with decorations, flowers and crafts. She does some amazing centerpieces, floral arrangements, and wreaths as well.   Here is her website if you’d like to check out some of her stuff.

www.kayethompsonfloraldesigns.com

Kaye has donated some items that will be on display for the next two weeks for you to bid on in a silent auction.  This is a perfect opportunity for you to get some of these things as Christmas gifts and all the proceeds will go towards our upcoming MissionTrip. We appreciate all Kaye has done for our church family.  We believe this will be a fun, positive and easy way for you to be a part of our trip to Mexico coming December 19-20.

Now last but not least, I wanted to do a little survey.  Some of you who have asked about the possibility of having a Christmas Eve service at EHC. I know in some traditions your family will attend a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. Would you be interested in being a part of a Christmas Eve candlelight service?  If you are not familiar with this type of service, it usually only lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.  Ours would start around 7 PM.  I really could use every person who reads the blog’s opinion.  Even if the answer is “no,” it is anonymous, and I need to know if it will be something that there is  sufficient interest in doing.  We would love to plan it if there is, so let us hear back from you in our survey.  Thanks in advance!

So I end by simply saying that I hope all of you have a terrific Thanksgiving weekend, and also by saying that I am SO THANKFUL to be your pastor and friend,

RPfromEHC

Family Matters, Podcast Resources, Orianthi Lyrics/Link

So we’re into the “Family Matters” Sermon Series.  I want the messages to be great, but also I want to give you additional resources to go deeper than time allows  in a Sunday service.  I did an “Additional Resources Page” for our Creation vs Evolution discussions and had 10-12 things (websites, books, podcasts, videos, conferences, etc.) to allow you to search for yourself.

Say you know you need help with your marriage.  Subscribing to a podcast like  “The Five Love Languages” hosted by author Dr. Gary Chapman?  (i-Tunes search “Gary Chapman” and look in podcasts: 2 resources there).  I bet it would help you!  BTW, if you don’t know how podcasts work, you don’t have to have an i-Pod to do a podcast.  Click this link for more info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPyoJisyO2o

Another resource is called “Family Minute,” and they just sent a link to this good article simply because I signed up to receive a daily e-mail from them:

http://www.familyminute.com/article/10-ways-to-push-your-spouse-away

Sometimes the small things we do or leave undone conveys that our relationships are not truly important to us.  The Bible mentions “the little foxes that ruin the vineyards” in Song of Songs 2.  I preached about this phenomenon this past Sunday.  It’s not chains that keep relationships together; it’s hundreds of tiny strands over and over.

We must guard against allowing ourselves to fall into little bad habits that kill the joy and connection in a relationship.  It weakens a relationship; maybe to the point that it falls prey to outside influences (affairs, etc) or just become a relationship that eventually dies unless drastic help happens.  It happens all the time.  No one wants a relationship where they are constantly critiqued, criticized, teased, looked down upon, and “merely tolerated” because of all their flaws.  Spouses feel this way all the time, and then someone comes by and acts like they hung the moon…  and then they start planning an exit strategy.  Usually you don’t know until they are already packed!  You can easily lose your kids the exact same way.

Beating this back is called adding “Margin” to your relationships.

Think “MARGIN FOR ERROR;” and we ALL make errors!!

It’s like having a cushion in your bank account that keeps you from getting overdrawn.  Margin keeps you from having constant friction relationally.  It is only done intentionally, with consistently investing in your relationships and seeeing it for what it is: “He who loves his wife loves himself” (Eph 5:28).  I genuinely believe that you can add daughter/son in place of “wife.”  Or father/mother, etc, etc and the timeless, Biblical truth remains.

So how can I add margin in my relationships?  Here are 5 real-world, practical ways to do that.

1.  Send a complimentary e-mail or text to your kid, your spouse, your parent or friend.  When you do, say what someone just one notch nicer than you might say. HINT: Just go one notch above.  Two might be a bit too much, and you may pull a muscle or something!  LOL

2.  Next time you are out on a date (or sitting at the dinner table with your family) mention a great memory.  Bring it up.  Talk about it.  Reminisce.  Just watch:you won’t be able to do it without smiling… and that’s the point!

3.  Let your child choose the menu instead of you.  Or let them choose the movie, or even listen to their music instead of your choice.

4.  Ladies, you initiate the romance this time.  Just sayin’…

5.   Flowers (not always roses) can be had for fairly inexpensively, but it is a great sign that you care and went to some trouble to make her day.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that leaving if you have a rough situation is understandable.  Walking out is rarely right, and it is never as easy as you think it will be.  Although we are called to crucify the sinful nature, we are not always good at accomplishing that.  And if we have a partner/kid who doesn’t succeed at this crucifixion, watch out, because human nature is to go where you feel appreciated.  An interesting song on this topic is “According to You.”  It’s written from a “girl-to-boyfriend perspective.”  She is about to leave her boyfriend for a guy who sees her good qualities instead of all her flaws.

“I need to feel appreciated, like I’m not hated, oh no

Why can’t you see me through his eyes?

It’s too bad, you’re making me decide.”

Or you can link to the video if you wanna see the whole song – the lyrics are pretty good throughout.  OR, maybe you would just enjoy watching a 25 year old Australian girl shred on guitar… just sayin’, she’s pretty good… and yes, that really is her playing.  She was actually tapped to play on the  Michael Jackson “This Is It” tour.  Just thought it was interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1aQvm5MrU&ob=av2e

I want my wife & my kids to know that I am their biggest fan.  I want my friends and extended family to know that I am a huge fan of their, too.  How ‘bout you?  And if that is your goal, how would you say you’re doing on that?

Maybe you can drop in a comment.  Maybe your own little bit of relationship advice that you think could be helpful.  How are we able to overlook the negative and stay positive in our relationships?  Maybe you found a resource or even a Scripture that you’ve memorized that helps you.  Or maybe you just wanna talk about the girl guitarist who shreds.  Just drop in your feedback.  You guys never fail to impress me.  Some of you outta towners, let’s hear you, too!

I hope that you’ll be at EHC for each message.  It could be that you learn a thing or two that helps your marriage or other significant relationship (kids, parents, siblings, etc) go up a couple of points on that scale of 1-10.  Let’s seek God’s help for our  most important relationships!  Why should you be involved?  Because Family Matters…

RPfromEHC

We Have TV and Movie Stars Among Us!

I tweeted about it a few weeks back, but I want to share in detail a great evening we have planned for November… and it’ll be here before you know it!  As some of you may know, Andrea Prescott worked on a movie back in 2009.  She took about a month (+) off work to do it.  She’s self-employed, so she went without pay, but she wanted to do this movie project.  I am sure is going to be a blessing to both Christians and non-Christians alike.  The story was based on a true story, and the film was produced by a local Christian writer/director named Robbie Hirst.  He’s a great guy, and their project is really something to be incredibly proud of.  I know that I am so proud of Andrea and so happy to claim that she has been a part of the EHC family for a long time… wow!  A real life Christian movie star from right here among us!

The movie is called “Running Inside Out,” and you can check out the website for the film here:

http://runninginsideout.com/home/

It is strange for me to see the website with Andrea’s picture on it at the top of the page.  It’s just weird knowing anyone who is on a TV commercial, or anything like this for sure!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZifVgpBD5kk

But the talented Mrs Prescott does an excellent job in the movie.  I know that I am so proud of Andrea for doing this project that will make a lasting impact, and so happy to claim that she has been a part of the EHC family for a long time.  Wow, a real life Christian movie star from right here among us!

To celebrate her great accomplishment, and well, also ‘cause it just seemed like a good excuse to have a party, we are planning a “Red Carpet Night” for Andrea, Jason and all the rest of the EHC Family to enjoy.  This “date-night” opportunity will fit right in with our “Family Matters Sermon Series” that focuses on relationships (Oct & Nov).  We are getting all dressed up in our “Red Carpet-worthy” duds, dudes!  And Ladies?  Feel free to dazzle us all!  But even if you don’t wanna get all decked out, come check out the movie with us!

We will have a “Red Carpet Runway,” a special screening of Running Inside-Out, and a RIO (Running Inside Out) Reception. We will be providing a nursery and a place to play for your kids that night here in the church gym, nursery, etc.

Andrea has sent this trailer out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMAkF3Z3Kdc&feature=related

The trailer is good, but it does not even come close to doing the film justice.  There are parts that are literally laugh out loud funny – and I’ve paid good money to see some Hollywood comedies that didn’t even achieve that!  There are some parts of the movie that might make you cry.  Did I cry?  NAHHHH… not me.  I’m just way too tough/manly/butch for that.  But I did have an unfortunate problem that night.  I had a totally unforeseen allergy attack, with itchy and watery eyes and it just so happened to hit me while at the movie screening!

I went with my lovely bride Shelly, Teresa Blake, and Micah and Lien Quinto, to watch an “opening night” presentation at U of H/Spring Branch.  Unfortunately, Jason and Andrea were not able to go because of some plans with their extended family, and they had to be out of town.  I may be wrong, but I think that it is still possible that they’ve seen PARTS but not the WHOLE movie.

So here would be my “Entertainment Tonight” commercial:

You’re invited to a special screening at the “EHC 1 Theatre.”  Stay after the screening and have some appetizers at our special RIO-Reception.  We have it on good authority that the beautiful movie star and her glamorous doctor/husband (sorry, but I just had to pump up the “Us Weekly/People Magazine” factor, haha) are both planning to stay for the after-party in the ultra-luxurious, ultra-exclusive “Higher Grounds Cafe.”  Bring a camera, bring an autograph book, come by yourself, bring a date (make sure it’s your SPOUSE, if you have one!).  Just don’t let the Sugar Land/Richmond paparazzi follow you!  Don’t miss out on the hottest ticket in Richmond, TX on Saturday night, Nov 13 at 7:30 PM!

So personally, I don’t know anything about “The Business,” aka “Show Biz,” but maybe you should ask Andrea/Pam if this is the way that the on-set drama went down for them.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TouchstonePictures?v=biEURIq_juk&feature=pyv&ad=7273448389&kw=home

A little disclaimer: I know nothing of the movie advertised here – so I am not in any way endorsing it.  It just fit the movie theme of this blog post and it was a very funny video clip that I had run across… “AVATAR!!”  LOL

Peace and blessings,

RPfromEHC

Bible, Babies & Baseball

So, it’s back to school time, and back to our Bible Studies also.  We are challenging everyone at EHC to get involved in 2 of the regular semesters (a semester is a 9-week course) and 2 of the mini-mesters (a mini-mester is 4 weeks) in the coming year at EHC.  This is a commitment to be involved in 26 weeks of Bible study – just half the year.  Bible study is so great because it helps you interact with God’s Word AND with others.  You learn from other people and it helps you grow deeper than Bible study by yourself, that is why the Bible commands us and shows examples of believers getting involved in study together!

We started a Creation vs Evolution study yesterday evening at I-3 Bible Study (In-depth, Interact, Interconnect).  I am probably more interested in preparing this study than any I have taught in a long time.  I love seeing the truths of God’s Word coming to life in the realm of science.

Listen to this quote from Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA: “An honest man armed with all the knowledge available to us now could only state that in some sense the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going.” Francis Crick; Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature

So you would think this man is a believer in (at very least) the “Intelligent Design” theory (where God at least got it started).  You would be wrong.  I will be sharing in the next week or so what he does believe about the origin of life, DESPITE the fact that by his own words, he has to acknowledge that it is miraculous that life exists in all its complexity and wonder.  Come and be a part of it – don’t miss a blessing!

Speaking of blessings, and creation and all that stuff… Allen and Lisa Lee are expecting!!  How cool is that?

Want something even better?  They are expecting TWINS!  They have been planning for a baby for a while, so they are pumped up!  Huge CONGRATS to you guys!  Please pray for their pregnancy to go smoothly with God’s hand of guidance and protection in it.

We’re singing a new tune this weekend, and I have a feeling it is gonna be a real hit.  I know I love it already.  It’s upbeat and got a great message, and it just sounds like an EHC kinda song.  Check it out, listen to it a couple of times, or buy it on i-Tunes, and come ready to belt it out this weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQEAM7hwUEI

Speaking of i-Tunes, special thanks to Janet Hilton for taking care of the EHC messages week in and week out.  All our messages are on i-Tunes under Eagle Heights Church.  You can subscribe and it will send it automatically to your i-Pod and/or computer.  We are also going to try to post the lessons from our Creation vs Evolution study online as well in the next couple of weeks (with a bit less editing) than usual.  The content will be there, and I can send you a workbook to follow along if you would like.  Just promise me that there will be no filling it out as you drive!

Just a heads up, knowing it is possible that you already got the news, but I don’t want anyone to be left out.  Astros and a Mercy Me concert for a very small price on September 19.  We’ll be buying tickets really soon, so if you want to go with us, let us know right away!  Either way, wear your Astros gear on September 19!

We’ll see you guys on Sunday.  Let’s experience and celebrate God blessings,

RPfromEHC