A Voice of This Generation?

I was intrigued this week to read of a celebrity saying and I quote, "I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice." THE VOICE? Thanks Mr. Kanye West, but your voice doesn't do much for me, and for that matter many in "this or the next generation." I am under the opinion and impression that voices of past generations earned them, and did not crown themselves with the title. Being the voice for a generation implies a lot. Credentials do not get your voice heard, chracter does. Character is a big word that packs a punch. Character is a rare trait these days with companies selling out, politicians thinking they are above the law, and even Christ followers misrepresenting the term. So, the action you should take here is this: look in the mirror and take a hard look, determine what you need to do to become a better person of character, and then do it. You never know what character can do for you, maybe you will be the voice of this or the next generation, because I can guarantee you Mr. West doesn't have a clue. I hope my voice is heard, but I understand it comes through my actions and character, not my credentials.

Seasons- WHICH ONE ARE YOU IN?

I live in a part of the country that is able to enjoy the 4 different seasons. In the Winter it snows, in the Spring it rains a lot, in the Summer the sun shines, and in the Autumn the trees paint beautiful images of red, orange, and yellow. If I had a choice, I would hope it would stay in summer and early autumn. In life we go through seasons too. There are seasons of growth, where lessons are taught and learned, sometimes a rapid pace. Another season is transition, which is a place that can be one of discomfort and loneliness. It has been said, we all like change, just hate transition. Yet another season is one of building. This may come on the heels of growth or tranistion where we adjust by putting support systems and functional structure around us. Another season is renovatus, meaning to rebuild, reinvent, or retool. Taking what we know and reworking it to fill our current state of reality. Finally, a season of a plateau. Wherever we are in life, we just seem to stop growing, changing, and sink in to a routine that neither takes us up or down. This can be a dangerous place, as is, whenever you flatline. This is the time when you need to get your butt kicked to get you moving again in some regards. Whatever season you may find yourself in, know that it is for a season. There is a time for everything, and yet a time for seasons to change. Which season are you in and what season do you want to find yourself in? Remember seasons change and each one brings a new set of wins and challenges.

PROUD DADDY

Each Fall I go out with my son to pick out the new cleats for soccer season. He seems to be following into his dad's footsteps by playing soccer, and always going to get the most flashy and expensive shoes. This weekend we ended soccer season with our son scoring 8 goals in his last game. Yes, 16 goals on the season, 8 of them in the last 40 minutes. It was a highlight reel I must say. Each time he scored, we would see his hands flash up to us to make sure we knew how many goals he had at the time. Also reminding the parents on the other team too. The excitement I felt everytime my son scored was probably how God feels when we do something awesome for Him. When we call on His name, discover His purpose for our life, or when we recognize He is our dad and we are His children. In life there are many wins. I trust that someday you'll celebrate a moment when your kid makes you happy. Just make sure you let them know you are proud of them. Sometimes I think we miss that because it is assumed, and not spoken.

Attack Ads and the Gospel

I don't talk politics much these days because everyone seems to be pretty sure who they back and what they stand for. This election season we go through every few years on the local, state, and national level is almost over...thank God. In a few short weeks the airwaves will be back to regular everyday commercials about deoderant, cars with lower gas mileage, and the best new deal in insurance. The politicking will be over and the attack ads (most of which you have to research to see who is lying) will be over. When a person decides to run for office it is a no brainer these days that they will have their whole life rummaged through so an opponent can get an edge. I think the attack ads we see are pretty much what Christ followers have been having to deal with for centuries. Taking something that is fact and twisting it to make it unbelieveable, confusing, or hard to understand seems to be what has happened to the Gospel. One thing is for sure, when the attack ads go away, the message of Jesus Christ never will. The hope we have for this election and however you choose to vote, will never compare to the hope we find in Jesus Christ and His Word.

STRETCH

Every time I get ready to go into some sort of physical activity, I start off with some stretching. I was taught at a young age that stretching was a great way to condition your body for activity. In life I am finding that I am constantly being stretched in a variety of ways. I am stretched as a dad, as a husband, as a pastor, in finances, in decisions...it is a part of life. What I find is that everytime I have been stretched, it is before a time when God has exceeded my own expectations. Sometimes even a good stretch doesn't avoid an injury. A stretch is done to not only prevent an injury, but stretching is a part of the conditioning process. So next time you feel like you are being stretched, just think of it as the condition process of something better to come.

Gap- Don't Forget

In the last two weeks I have had the privlege to hear my grandfather and my father speak in different settings to people. Currently we have 4 generations alive on my dad's side of the fam. I am fortunate to have an amazing heritage of Christ followers on both sides of my family. As the title of the blog suggests, I am a 5th generation rev(as in pastor). I was reading in Judges and came to a line where a man asks, Gideon (the appointed judge at the time) "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders?" It had been only one generation and people couldn't remember what God had done for them. That last part gets me because I know a lot of people wonder where God is in everyday life. I believe there is a GAP in the reality and the memory of so many people walking on this playground called earth. Hearing my grandpa and my dad speak, I was reminded of the wonders that God has done in my family heritage. My grandfather survived on $5 a week, sleeping on the floor of the tiny church he pastored. He had no complaints, he was just following where God led him. Grandpa is retired now after 55+ years pastoring up and down the West Coast. There is one story in my family that always reminds me of God's wonders. One Sunday,my nana gave the last $20 to her name she had, and dropped it in an offering. That day someone stopped by her house and said, "we were driving by and God told us to go get groceries for the people that live in this house." They took my nana out and stocked the cupboards full. If I have learned anything it is to trust God. This past year my fam (wife and 3 kids) and I went 5 months without a job, and every time we needed a miracle God came through, whether it was clothes, finances, or even food. I hope you can look around and see that the wonders of God, happen everyday around you. Don't let there be a generation GAP in seeing the hand of God in life, family, work, or play. If you have seen the wonders of God in your own life, share it with someone today, so the GAP doesn't occur.