Do the 2
Every day is so full of experiences that it’s hard to take it all in and reflect on it to learn from it. I like blogging because it helps me to at least spend a little bit of time reflecting and learning.
One thing that is on my mind is the simplicity of the message of Jesus and how cool it is that he boiled things down to the bare minimum for us: Love God and love each other.
I do love God and am learning just how much He loves me. Tonight, with the church that meets in our house, Beth brought a CD and we listened to Matt Redman’s “The Father’s Song.” It was beautiful to hear the words that God is “singing heaven’s melody,” “a great symphony”, over us. Tonight, “us” included Guyani, a dear woman from Sri Lanka, and Christy, a sister for whom we have been praying and whom God is healing. It was wonderful to worship with them.
God’s Spirit led us to read and discuss 1 Kings 19, where Elijah experiences the presence of God at a low-point in his life. He believes the lie that he is alone, and God lovingly shows him the truth that he is one of many faithful servants. God has reminded me of His presence through a lot of people this week including Kim, my parents, my friends Randy Connie from MI, Tony from Youngstown and Dan from Brunswick, and the amazing Christ-followers who gather here every week. I am overwhelmed with so many people whose love for God shows up vividly in their love for people.
Through Christ, my love for people is growing, too. At least I love most people most of the time. Seriously, the less I focus on myself and my needs, the greater capacity I have to genuinely care about others. With God’s miraculous and abundant provision for us, my love for and attention to other people is growing. Yet, I also recognize how much my life is still all about me. Fortunately, some progress is being made.
A few experiences in the last week that I’ve really enjoyed include last Sunday’s radio show with my friend Doug, worshiping with a really neat congregation at Weston Sonlight Assembly of God, and visiting with my friend Dennis who is out of town most of the time. I’ve enjoyed late night talks with my amazing wife, and an eventful day of sailing on Lake Erie with my friend Tim yesterday, (The oil ran out of the engine on his sailboat – too long to write about here but it was a memorable day.) getting a new listing and a new buyer client this week – and getting to pray with them.
Today’s N-Cite: As my brother Steve says, “Do the 2” – Love God. Love people. Everything else will take care of itself.
Proud to be My Father's Son
Today my dad was awarded an honorary doctorate at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. I don’t know of anyone more deserving of such an honor. I’ve watched how others treat my dad with tremendous respect, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing first hand why he is so worthy of it.
Proverbs 17:27 says, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” I read that this morning and thought it was a great description of the kind of man he is. I have a lot to learn about using words with restraint but I have a great example to follow.
I really enjoyed seeing my siblings, too. My sister and brothers are caring, sensitive people who love God and love me. Though we weren’t together long, it was a very good time.
One highlight of my day was a special conversation with my uncle. We don’t see each other often but I feel a unique connection with him. Among other things, he said that he respects me, and he shared some rich memories of his mother and father that helped me feel more connected to my family’s Christian roots. I would have driven a thousand miles to have that conversation and thank God for it.
Another highlight was embracing my dad, telling him how much I love him and how proud I am to be his son. He also said that he was proud of me, and that means more to me than I can say.
It was an emotional day for me for a lot of reasons. And it was a glorious day because God was exalted. Significant contributions were honored appropriately. And the love that has characterized our family was demonstrated exceptionally.
I’m grateful for my heritage. I’m grateful the people and experiences God has used and is using to conform me to the image of His Son Jesus. And I’m grateful for the affirmation of both my heavenly Father and my earthly father. It's a wonderful thing to be a child of the King and the son of Dr. Estep!
Since I’m learning to use words with restraint, that’s all for now. :)
Payday!
This picture of our beautiful daughter was taken at Steve's graduation and posted on McCormick Seminary's web site. I thought you would enjoy it.
Business
Much has happened since I last blogged. Three real estate deals fell through last week and I got a taste for why people quit. Though I did get discouraged, I’m not quitting because I know God is our Provider and I know He is using me in this exciting position.
Today I got my first paycheck as a real estate agent! The deal was completed back in April, but the owner of the building my client leased was very slow in making the payment. I won’t be overly eager to work with him again.
I also received a check from a fellow agent. I was blessed to negotiate a purchase offer for one of his clients while he was on vacation and it closed this week. Though neither check is large, it is a welcome start to what I believe is going to be a very good first year of business.
Personal
I started running more consistently and it really feels good. I ran almost 5 miles this morning and look forward to going again tomorrow. For the first time in a long time I feel like I’m getting back to a new and improved version of my old self, and it feels really good.
We look forward to seeing family this weekend as my dad receives an honorary doctorate from Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say about that in a few days.
Ministry
I have been asking God for more opportunities to preach and doors are opening. I will be speaking the next three Sundays (Assembly of God, Episcopal and Methodist churches) and had a blast speaking for a few minutes at the BNI (Business Network International) group that meets on Tuesdays. Though it wasn’t a “sermon” I felt the power of God to speak. I really enjoy the group of 31 business professionals and look forward to building relationships with them. Ministry is continuing with the BG Police (I went with an officer to make death notification this week) and PowerHouse is growing. I am confident that several new churches are going to be birthed this year and that is very exciting! I don’t have the words to describe how much Life we are experiencing on Thursdays with the church that meets at our house. We are looking forward to a seminar on June 10 that will be a great opportunity for learning more about organic/simple church ministry. Great days are ahead!
Dr. Estep
Yesterday my twin brother became Dr. Steve Estep. We were blessed to join his family, my sister, my parents and a couple of ladies from Steve's church to celebrate. I got to see McCormick Seminary in Chicago where he spent nine weeks of his life over the last three years. Needless to say, it was a very proud moment for all of us to see the seminary president confer the degree upon him.
We now have two Dr. Esteps in the family (our older brother Eddie earned a Doctorate of Ministry at Asbury Theological Seminary) and in less than two weeks our father will receive an honorary doctorate from the alma mater of his four chilren and two daughters-in-law - Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. As you can see, it's a pretty big month for the family.
Education is a wonderful thing. I'm grateful for teachers and authors who invest so much in our lives. Without demeaning the tremendous accomplishment of obtaining a degree, I'm also grateful for the many people in my life who will never be recognized formally but continue to be life-long learners, mentors, teachers and fellow travelers.
New Life
My heart is full today! Yesterday was a remarkable day in every way. My family is great, the ministry is thriving, and business is moving.
I wrote an offer on a house with a new client yesterday afternoon, and a new listing I have is getting a lot of activity. I believe we will have at least one offer to consider by the end of the weekend! The prayer time I’ve had with both of these clients has been powerful as we seek the will of God together.
I find it hard to put last night's baptismal celebration into words. There were a lot of people at our house – I don’t know how many for sure, but cars were lined up all the way down our street. It was quite a parade as people carried in tons of food for the feast. Several family members, teammates, and even coaches from BGSU came. It was fun to watch our house church in action – cooking, mingling, serving, and just generally loving on people. The testimonies were powerful and the Spirit of God led our time together.
It was very moving to include others in the baptisms. Rob’s grandfather (about 77 years old) is a vibrant man of faith and testified to praying for his grandson when he was born. It was cool to have him baptize his grandson! Andy Grubb (former Falcon football starter and current campus minister with H20 Church) assisted in baptizing Joe and Rob. He has had a big impact on Rob’s life. Another current player, Jon, also helped baptize Joe. Cornelius’ dad helped baptize him, and the priesthood of believers functioned like it should! It was a lot of fun to tell Corn that God had used him to initiate the whole thing a few weeks ago when he said he wanted to be baptized. God is really doing some great things in his life and it is a joy to watch.
When we were putting Seth and Shani to bed last night, Shani asked, “When can I be baptized?” Seth told her that she probably needed to wait until she was 6 or 7, but she said she thought she would like to be baptized when she is 5. She knows that she loves Jesus and she wants other people to know it, too. I praise God that our children are sensitive to His voice and have a desire at an early age to let Jesus live his life through them.
This promises to be a wonderful weekend – and will be very busy. I am doing three open houses – one on Saturday and two on Sunday. I hope to get some more business there, and it would be really good to get some offers on my other listings.
Last night I was reminded by the body of Christ that the old Scott is dead and the new Scott is very much alive in Christ. I'm enjoying the abundant life promised by the risen Christ whose blood cleanses my sin and makes me more than a conqueror today!
Trust
Last Sunday afternoon we joined the church that meets at Hendricks for a contemplative prayer walk. I had an open house that afternoon and since only one family showed up it gave me time to read several Psalms and enjoy the time alone with God, so I was ready to enjoy the evening. There were several stations set up with meditations and from the time I drove onto their property I sensed the powerful presence of God. I was very late due to negotiating a sales contract on a different house, but that didn’t detract from the experience at all. There were people there from China, Sri Lanka, Africa and of course the USA. It was a taste of heaven!! After nearly everyone completed the walk, we gathered in the garage and shared our experiences. Some testified. Some sang. We clapped and celebrated and thoroughly enjoyed life together.
The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity and I’ve been reminded of some important things God showed me that night. It is so good to take time to get alone with Jesus, and I hope to make sure it happens more frequently.
Tonight we met with the leaders of PowerHouse. God, and what he does through His people, never ceases to amaze me. Great food. Meaningful communion. Uplifting conversation. Intercessory prayer. Life together. We’re planning an important retreat on June 10 that I believe is going to be instrumental in moving the ministry forward.
Things are tighter financially right now than in the history of our married life but the peace that God has given us is indescribable. Kim and I are like little children simply resting in the loving care of our Father who has proven Himself to be totally trustworthy. I can’t wait to see what He’s going to do next!
Two very important business deals are on the verge of happening, and it’s good to know that whether they go through or not we’re going to be okay. Of course, I’m eager to get some closings but that will happen when it’s supposed to.
Tomorrow night, we are going to celebrate the baptism of three young men at the church that meets at our house. It’s going to be a great time together, and a wonderful opportunity for us to rejoice in the way God changes lives. I hope to get some good pictures. All three guys are former BGSU football players. This morning I bought a large watering trough from the Tractor Supply Store for the baptisms and it’s nice to know that I won’t be getting a hernia this way! It was pretty fun to share with the workers there what we are using it for and I think it was a great encouragement to them.
Today’s N-Cite: I would not trade places with anyone on the planet. I’m starting to think I just may understand the apostle Paul when he said that he had learned the secret of being content in every circumstance: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!
