360 degrees

I really love my church. And the best part of the church is the Senior pastor. That might sound a little weird but let me explain. I believe that in Scripture God has called us to work in this world as a combined supernatural force thru the means of the local church.

The Body of Christ is the Bride of Christ- meant to look different in each setting, all adhering to the purpose of bringing God glory in accordance with the Scriptures.

And the pastor sets the tone for that- the substitute Shepherd for Jesus until He returns to help us grow and set before us a vision of carrying out the Great Commission. Its a good thing when you can trust your pastor to set you as the Body before Christ on a consistent basis. That is one of the main reasons I love my church is because I know that Dick Lincoln submits himself daily to our Lord with that concerns.

But heres the other thing. I love my church because God speaks to me thru it. I'm afraid that lately I have been letting my own selfishness get in the way of my walk. In my head making this walk more about me than about God. Having the best job for my family, making the right amount of money for them, fulfilling what God has placed in my heart, have all become bigger in my sight than exalting the Lamb and the babe in the manager.

So what a day for the Holy Spirit to speak. Dr Lincoln was talking about the gift of eternal life when he mentioned that your path with God is like this role of ribbon laid down in front of you. Now Jesus isn't an alligator. He doesn't run about zigzagging sporadically or slithering like a snake- He walks and we follow Him.

When we stop following Him is when we step off the path He has placed in front of us. There is one way. One direction and 359 different degrees we can turn to that will lead us off His promise and future.

I think I have been so worried about being on the right path and seeing all the different angles that I have been forgetting to focus on what He is bringing me thru. I have been kicking my feet into the dust with a head hanged low, complaining about how I should have had better when really I deserve so much less without His mercy and grace.

Content in the one degree, thats my prayer for me this season. To be able to look at where God has me and my family and to know this is His path, He has laid the road and all I need to do is follow.

What a Joy

This past Sunday I had a chance to go and share with a church family in Jenkinsville, SC. It truly was a treat. First of all it was a church that my grandparents had taken me when I stayed with them during the summers while I was growing up. Secondly, it was a church potluck day! And you can't get better than good ole' country cooking by good ole' country folk. And thirdly, I got to join with a dear friend and brother Philip Vaughan in sharing God's Word.

Now Philip and I used to work together when I was the Student Pastor in Chapin. He was the Senior Adult Pastor and I truly grew in my love and admiration of this guy. He got called to be the Senior Pastor at Little River Baptist and invited me to share with them in their Advent Celebration. (probably just because he wanted me back in the pulpit not that he actually needed a break!)

It was a great day and I am going to try and post that lesson on here pretty soon too.

One of the big things I took away that day though was the heritage we give to our families. I look at Matthew 1 and Luke 3 and see the genealogies of Joseph and Jesus. As you look thru the names of the people listed, and their stories, what stands out to me is the fact that our faith and our troubles get passed down thru the generations.

And as I stood by that pulpit seeing my grandmother and grandfather who made sure to take their grandkids to church each summer. Or made sure to take their kids, my mom and invest into her the Scriptures and the model of being a part of the Body of Christ; well I honestly can say I wouldn't be the same without them. I praise God for that. And I pray to God that I will be able to build on that for my family too.

What a joy it will be to see what they will become in their faith- more on that in a bit..

Marriage Counseling

I remember when I was working at Chapin Baptist Church, our senior pastor spoke one day on boundaries and he said, "We don't have boundaries because we have problems, but because we don't want problems." I really believe that is so true for all the different aspects of our lives. We don't want financial problems so we have a budget. We don't want moral problems so we have accountability. We don't want our kids growing up with behavioral problems so we give them consistent discipline. We don't want car trouble so we do tune-ups. We don't want marriage problems so we go to counseling.

Or even better a marriage conference at Ridgecrest! I would have to say my mom and dad are going to leave a pretty big legacy when they step into heaven. They have been a part of countless stories of peoples relationship with God from church leadership to mission trips to personal evangelism. But bigger than those things are their impact on their kids families.

And each year for the past three years my mom and dad have sent Mercy and myself, my brother Michael and Brittany, and my sister Michelle and Mark to the Fall Festival of Marriage at Ridgecrest NC.

There are big name speakers who specialize in communication and family ministry that lead the weekend. There are breakout classes with a variety of class topics from "Igniting the Sheets" (wont mention whose favorite that is) to "Disciplining Kids" to "Managing your Expectations" All helping husbands and wives step into the biblical roles of marriage and family.

Mercy and I always take away good points to discuss and talk about, ways to improve our teamwork and love. And I know that each year, each argument and apology, each diverted grudge and act of service and love is building not only the bricks and mortar of our spiritual house but enriching Eden and all her siblings that may come and all the influence we can have with other couples down the road.

I love my wife. I wouldn't want any other woman by my side for sure. I love my kid and doubt I will leave her for a 3 day weekend for quite some time although she did good, Mom and Dad missed her way too much! I love my family and being able to get away. And I love my mom and dad who want more than anything for their kids to have a good family, a joyous marriage and a God honoring life. I thank God I had two parents that have modeled that every step of the way.

So here's to being intentional and picking family over everything else in the world. May God bless mine and my leadership of it.

Unwrapping God's Mysterious Ways

A good friend of ours just had their baby girl, at 29 weeks. So much fear and worry comes into our minds and hearts when we think of a 11 week early 2lb baby. I know mom and dad are surprised but are standing firm on the promises of our Great God! Baby Cathey is doing great and even on her first day is breathing on her own!

I look at their story last night and I praise God. It took 5 hours from the minute mom was feeling pain to the minute of baby announcing her arrival to the world. They went thru the whole labor process and mom gave birth naturally. Doctors rarely can explain why women give birth prematurely and especially in cases like this why baby is ready to go ahead of schedule.

But it reminds me of the lesson we are going thru in the class Mercy and I are leading in the Singles Ministry at Shandon Baptist. We are walking thru the book of Job and last week talked about how Jobs 3 friends tried to encourage him to repent thinking something in his life caused his pain.

But the key to Jobs three friends understanding of what happened is rooted in the fact they never knew about Job chapters 1 and 2. They never saw Gods pride in Jobs righteousness and his integrity. They never saw Gods protection and provision when everything was unleashed.

But you know what Job saw, what he saw that was needed. In Job 9:33-35. An arbitrator. Someone to stand between him and God. Someone to remove Gods wrath and make Him approachable. A friend, a true friend that could make The Holy Almighty's Glory and Presence touchable.

I look at the story of my friend and their baby girl who came before a name could be found and I see Gods provision. I see Gods salvation and rescue. His sovereignty shines and His compassion covers. I see His workmanship already pulsing thru this baby girl who was ready to challenge the world and tough enough to not only come but to breathe on her own and the fingerprint of Gods will and purpose shadows the circumstances of it all.

My God is the God of babies. My God is the Perfect Father. My God develops the early and strengthens the weak. My God has a purpose and a plan in all shadows of uncertainty. His redemptions burst forth in praise in a babys cry and the breath of His creation sings His praise.

Answers never came to Job as to why. An explanation was never given. But Immanuel was given. A seal of salvation was given. God wrapping us in His Presence while we walk thru the valley was a promise and a reality to all His children, 4 thousand years ago and still today. The mystery may be wrapped still but God is open before us.

So Lord take this mighty princess of your Kingdome and continue to develop her. Give her wisdom and strength, beauty and health. May her voice be strong with praise to You Lord, may joy and love flow from her eyes and her words. May her life be one of beauty and power as Your Spirit dwells with her and guides her. Keep Your daughter from harm, from sickness, from lack of development, from pain thru this process. You brought her into this world now may she grow into a vibrant beautiful warrior and lover of Jesus Christ who can cry out- My God lives and I live for Him!

A week of fun!

From the First Spoonful to the First Fistful

are you ready for this?...

...Nope!

Big cousins teach us the best things

She always knows the good spots

Forget the sand castle, lets make a sand cake!

Easter '09

       We were sitting in the service this Sunday morning at Shandon, the band was singing their hearts out to Hillsongs "Salvation Is Here", and the line "I know God saved the day and I know His word never fails and I know my God made a way for me" just slapped my heart into my face. 

Pastor Lincoln was talking about how so many in the 'church' need to take the cross from the back of their minds and let it pervade our lives more than just a sunday school lesson or some piece of Christian knowledge and doctrine. 

        Mercy and I started talking later that night about how many ways God has just shown His amazing faithfulness and unending love to us over the past 8 months. I mean it has been incredible the ways we have been lost and weary in desperation, in unemployment, in the facade of control in the midst of the turmoil. Every step of the way my Father God has held us and seen us through. He has made a way for us. 

        The first was the friendship of Matt Lawson giving a guy who is better at writing sermons than anything else a job as an electricians assistant. I couldnt find a job. My degree didnt help me, my experience with people, with talking and writing, with teaching, with managing- everything I had accumulated over 8 years in ministry and college could not help me find a job. But a brother in Christ could. 

        When I was still looking for jobs to be able to move out of my father in laws house- every job from Target to life insurance, from marketing to ministry, 2 months of constant job searching brought me nothing. But a weekend when we stayed at Randall and Sandra's Stewarts house- i scanned through the Sundays classifieds, called a number and got a job in less than a week doing customer service for Medicare. 

        And then i lost my job. The contract ended. 2 weeks after my baby girl was born, I was trying to get an unemployment check. And God used a long time friend of Cheryl Vaughan to keep my families head afloat. 

        For 3 weeks I stayed at home. For probably the most amazing three weeks of my life I got to help the best wife and mom I know take care of our daughter. I got to spend time with her, rock her to bed. And every moment of that, the being peed on, the spit up, the 3am crying are moments that I would never give back for a simple job. God gave me a gem in that moment and I love Him for it.

       And then He gave me another job doing customer service. One that I only could have gotten because of the road He has brought us on. With PAI, a subsidy of BCBS, I have a chance of going from temp to full time. And God has shown us that its not the paycheck that matters. I almost quit this job to work with Verizon, but gave it up because it would ask me to sacrifice my time with my family and I cant live without spending time with my girls. 

      This week we are going to be signing papers for a house we are going to rent in Cayce. A house that we can have family and friends over. That we can share in the blessings God has given us. 

       Each step of the way God has made a way for me and my family. Each time my pride and my thoughts of control creep up, our Heavenly Father has reminded me of my dependance on His grace and His love. Love like we have been give from people like Mack and Erin Goodwin and the great greek devine foods! Or the constant love of a brother and companion of Claude Schumpert who has too often let me back out of a 6:30 breakfast! 

      I look back on this journey of ours and I see the smiles and lives of my moms from the office, or those old warm hugs of the early crowd, the faithful joy of our leaders. I see the prayers lifted up from friends and even now hear their stories. 

      I see the stories unraveling, like the one where God took people of our past and placed them in our path the first Sunday Mercy and I ever went to Sunday school together. A friend of our family from when I wasnt even born yet met us outside our class and a friend from 12 years ago recognized me in the fellowship. Just so we would feel comfortable. Just so we would feel confident. 

     And God keeps making a way. 

     There are so many more things I could point out and say There! There is God at work. So many more friends who have come along side us and shown us God's love. Uncle Mike and Aunt Brittany and the Thursday night breakfast. Booth and Bones Forever! The beautiful healing and victory in my sister Michelle as the Favorite Aunt and Uncle Daddy move into a new house with Dylan and Audrey! 

     God keeps making a way. The stories veer off like branches of a vine- spreading out to bear more fruit and show more beauty. And that is exactly what I have forgotten recently. I have had my head down, focused on me and mine, fearing what could be or may become, fighting off what might have been.  But that is what Easter is about I guess more than anything. The refreshing of the saints, the wave of focus to remind us of who we truly are and what we are all about. And that is lifting up the name of Jesus. The best thing that has happened to me and the best thing that keeps happening. 

    In my Easter reflections I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving my God. May the joy of our salvation wash over us like His blood, may the light of the Father guide our ways, and may the Holy Spirit kick us in the butt to remind us to shout praises to our Good God until we are so caught up in love we have brought Heaven to Earth. 

     

I have a confession

     Recently I have felt completely overwhelmed- not so much with Eden's birth but just the place that our family is in right now. I remember feeling called to ministry when I was six in the bathroom of our church ( a lot of good things happen in bathrooms), God moved me from preparing for a genetic research degree to going on a missions trip, He led me to study psychology at a Bible college in Columbia so I could continue to do ministry in Chapin, He gave me a wife who is passionate about Jesus and wanting to do ministry with me, and He asked me to leave a church who was my family and home for almost 10 years where we were safe, loved, and taken care of. 

     And sometimes I feel like we are floating, waiting, killing time. Every plan that comes across my mind, every job we see or think of, feels wanting. Its like here we are hungry driving through town and passing restaurant after restaurant, we cant decide on where to stop because nothing seems to satisfy our hunger. Everything is good but just not the right thing. 

      What is the right thing? What is the thing for us? Helping start a church, moving to florida to redo a house, staying where we are and waiting? 

       I believe that my God is a big God. He doesn't leave things up to chance and blind guesses- He has a plan and a purpose. And normally God is quite clear. Normally you can tell what He is saying because you are close to Him as a lover and a friend. And knowing that sin is a block that keeps your from hearing God and God from being clear to you it makes the struggle of knowing your purpose a little easier to decode. 

      His purposes and plans dont change on the whim- His hope is weaved into our every day, every moment God is working, setting things up, preparing the road and us as we travel on it. 

      What is our reaction? How do I handle the wait? As I read in Charles Spurgeon's devotional this morning- meditate on the love of the Lord, Hosea 1:1. Look back in the past at that faithful love, at the enduring grace of our Saviour, see the ways He has held us, blessed us, kept us together, forgiven us, looked past our unworthiness and know it will continue. It will continue. His love, His faithfulness, His plan. His purpose, His blessing, His hope. It will all continue and that is worthy of our praise and love. That holds me together and helps me continue too. 

My pledge of delight in God

       I can not believe I actually have a daughter. She is perfect, her little smiles and cries fill me up with such incredible joy. Now all the poopie diapers and interrupted sleep cycles do get a little monotonous but its well worth it. 

       It really is so incredible to hold her in my hands and kiss her cheeks. I get completely overwhelmed with so many different feelings- maybe this is similar to what middle school girls through all the time- God save me from those days!!

       One joy I received besides being there with Mercy during the birth and cutting the cord (which although quite gruesome wasnt that bad!) was that Mercy gave me the ability to pick out her middle name. 

       Now for those of you who dont know already, my baby girls name is Eden, yes like the garden. And although my father in law wanted me to name her Eden (eat'n) Chicken we wanted to give her a good name she could lean back on!

       For me, names are huge. I believe in the power and importance of names- look throughout the Scripture and you see countless times where the birth and naming of a child went hand in hand with that kids future and purpose along with the experience surrounding their birth. 

       So out of all my choices, I picked Isabelle, Eden Isabelle Clonts. 

       Eden meaning, delight or joy. And Isabelle, a version of Elisabeth, a vow or pledge to God. Leading up to Eden's birth Mercy and were countless taken aback by peoples graciousness and blessing. I think about the gifts people gave to us at our baby shower, they have been the biggest help to getting us started in this adventure. Then the love of some of our closest friends who have given beyond what they should have to just share their love. To the notes and thoughts that people have sent simply expressing their desire for God's blessing and happiness on our family- We have been overwhelmed. 

      But then it hit me. As I was walking in the hallway at the hospital, I named my kid, "My pledge of delight in God" because He has been so good to us, and the Holy Spirit let me know- no James- her name is the pledge of God's delight in you. 

       How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called Children of God. (1 John 3:1) 

       God has a faithful love, it endures forever. It sweeps us along its path of passion and purpose and if we let go of our facade of control we will be caught up in our Father God's embrace. Oh when was the last time you felt Abba Fathers hands wrap around you and pull you tight into His love, His consuming grace. 

       ....

      I was sitting in the hospital, we were in our room- worn out and beat up by the days birth before us and such a daunting task in front of us- I sat down with my bible and I was going to read to Eden. I told Mercy I wanted to read the whole Bible to her and I will at some point. But in that moment God said no, so I picked up in my devotion. 

     I opened my bible with Mercy by my side and looked at my baby girl and I began to weep. I cried, I did the whole, man hold it together face, everything but I just cried for a while. Finally I put my Lamaze breathing to work, and I started to read; 

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;         from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—         the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,         the Spirit of counsel and of power,         the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.         He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,         or decide by what he hears with his ears;

 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,         with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.         He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;         with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

 5 Righteousness will be his belt         and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

 6 The wolf will live with the lamb,         the leopard will lie down with the goat,         the calf and the lion and the yearling ^[a] together;         and a little child will lead them.

 7 The cow will feed with the bear,         their young will lie down together,         and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,         and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

 9 They will neither harm nor destroy         on all my holy mountain,         for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD         as the waters cover the sea.

That moment with my family I can not begin to describe to you- but this passage was like my prayer of dedication over my daughter- and more than anything may she be full of the knowledge of the Lord; covered, resting in and living out. 

More Pics are coming

So these are just a few and a lot of the good ones wouldnt load up for me- so dont be angry if youre left out!! 

Post Christmas Thoughts

Wow! Right now we have less than one month until my baby girl gets here!  How crazy is that! I have been going thru fears, worries, excitement and giddiness like a menopausal woman for the past month. Really you should try to call Mercy just to make sure she hasnt left me for all my wishy-washiness!!

Talking about leaving your spouse reminds me of my relationship with God right now and the trials God has me walking through. I recently shared with a good friend of mine that it seems like God has had me in the furnace, refining and testing me more recently than I ever remember. And like one of my favorite songs from singer/songwriter Greg Laswell, where my knees might bend and sway I will not fall. 

It has made me though love my wife more and more. I mean, Mercy has handled this pregnancy with incredible strength and poise. God kept her from too much sickness earlier but even now as she is barely getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night, I still see so much joy and strength in her. It reminds me of the verse in Proverbs that there is no wife better than one that fears the Lord and I know mine does. I love her for that more than anything else, and her carrying my baby only makes her hotter to me!! (sorry I will keep it all PG!)

She and I have recently been talking about stepping back into ministry. Whether as a Student Pastor or an Associate Pastor of Discipleship/Teaching, we really have no idea. But it really has made us talk about what we are looking for in a church. And it has made me see the beauty in the variety of ways God meets us where we are. I mean have you taken a look at the Bride of Christ recently! I know for most of us who have been in the church for such a long time, we see all of her faults, her exclusiveness, her lack in meeting our personal needs, or being our type of lady. But I am reminded that its thru the same eyes that see me as a Righteous son of God that see the Church as His Bride. How her beauty is highlighted by the Blood of Christ, and for all of her quirks and her mind not focusing on her betroved, She is loved. She is desired! Whether she is having a day of intellectual thought, or expressive worship, or she has been caught up in her past, or even forgetful of the face of her husband to be, She is still the chosen of God! Praise God for that! That He looks past all the different ways we all think she should be, and loves Her still with the same passion and commitment. 

That reminded me of my church home in Chapin, to switch thoughts real quick on you. I feel like I have kind of stood back from everything happening there and in doing so, have left some of my closest friends and family in Christ completely isolated from my love of them. I think about the people I worked with, like the ladies in the office who were such a joy to me. And an excuse to lolly-gag in the hallways checking on the state of their kids or the best teas. I think about the 8:30 crowd that I loved to get hugs from and all those kids whose journeys with God inspired me and helped push me to a greater fullness with God. 

I continue to lift that family up in unity of passion and action, that they might be the most powerful revelation of the character and person of God. May that happen in all the churches in Chapin and all of Columbia, that the churches of God would come together under the Holy Spirit and speak words of truth to the hurting and lost, building up the body of Christ in knowledge and love. My heart is with you even if I am not.