End of a good week
It's been a very encouraging week. Here are some highlights of the last few days...
The gathering of the church that meets at our house was rich and the fervency of our prayers and worship was deep. It was good to have some guests from the church I spoke at last weekend in Bradner, and especially my parents. The church made Shani's B-day very special.
Two of my co-workers were talking about the "quick success" I've had in real estate. One asked, incredulously, "What's his secret?!" The other replied, "I'll tell you exactly what it is: It's the Lord!" Hallelujah for his insight and giving credit where it is due!!!
Two closings today.
An email from a client who affirmed that God is continuing to minister to others through my life.
Shooting BB guns and a .22 with Seth this week.
Watching Shani enjoy her new birthday outfits - all of them, every day!
Playing cards with Kim and my parents.
The fresh power of God's Word. I was reading Mark 6 tonight, where Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs with explicit instructions. Curiously, he told them not to take anything on the journey with them - even good, necessary things like bread and money. I think he wanted them to learn the same lesson He's been teaching us for the last 11 months: radical dependence on God.
I look forward to our PowerHouse gathering tomorrow night and to speaking at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Sylvania on Sunday.
Today's N-Cite: I'm grateful for God putting us in a place where we've had to rely totally on Him. I'm getting much more comfortable with experiencing the truth that He really is more than enough!
Live the Life; Tell the Story
It’s hard to believe that Shani will be 5 years old tomorrow! She sure is growing up fast. Going to the zoo with Macee was Shani’s one birthday request, so I worked this morning and we spent the afternoon at the Toledo Zoo with Dilbones. My parents were planning to join us but due to sickness their visit has been delayed.
As usual, much of our conversation with Chris & Sara was about what God is doing in our lives and what we are learning. In a conversation Chris & I had last week, the phrase “Live the life; Tell the Story” surfaced and that’s given me more clarity about the responsibility we all have as followers of Jesus. I like the simplicity of it and I am very eager to have more stories to tell about how Jesus is changing lives.
I’m also praising God for getting an accepted offer on a challenging property last Friday and for a new listing that I should be completing this week. Throughout the day Saturday, I met with three clients and we all had church together – sharing testimonies, challenges and powerful prayer. I really am enjoying life these days!
After a nice long run with Mark early Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to speak again in Bradner at a small church that is not likely to be around much longer in its present form. I shared a little about the house/simple/organic church we are enjoying and the people there want to know more. After lunch at home, I met with a couple of clients and had a great time leading a Bible study with several Falcon football players. I was pretty tired heading into that time together but left energized and refreshed.
Monday was also a full day and started out with the privilege of praying with Mike & Chris. God is continuing to draw us to Himself and to each other, and I’m excited about the future. I had lunch with a senior at BGSU who has asked me to be his mentor. I anticipate sharing life with Michael and learning with and from him.
Though my knee is pretty sore, I got in a nice 5-mile run this morning before meeting Tim at the office for our first office prayer time. It wasn’t long but it was certainly encouraging and I look forward to other agents joining us in the future.
As I type this, the ribs are in the oven and I look forward to grilling them as the church gathers tomorrow night. It’s good to celebrate Shani’s birthday with people who love us and are pursuing the kingdom of God together!
From Frustration to Celebration
I slept in this morning because it was my day off. It felt good. I put some fertilizer on the lawn then fought with my weed eater. For some reason it just wouldn’t run and that was frustrating because it’s brand new. I finally figured out that the new string system I’m using on it is too big and bogs down the small motor. Soaking wet with sweat and with a fresh blister on my finger from trying to start it, I decided to use one string instead of two, and it worked fine. I have to admit that I was pretty proud about not losing my temper over it, which is what usually happens with things mechanical.
My patience was short-lived, however, after I received a call from a client. Did I mention this was my day off? After working several hours on a technology problem Monday and Tuesday that I thought was solved, I found out today that she had not received any of my email and could not log onto a special account I set up with yahoo to access the files that way, either. So I had to print several documents and overnight them, with the threat of losing the account. Meanwhile, the ink cartridge in my printer was low so the quality was nothing like I want to present. My frustration grew by the minute to the point that I was pretty much a crank for the next several hours. I recognized it but couldn’t seem to get out of the anger mode, which only frustrated me even more.
We went to the pool and I really enjoyed that time. It felt good to cool off physically and emotionally.
I was pretty much over my bad mood and looking forward to the people coming to be the church at my house. We were going to grill burgers and dogs, one of my favorite activities. When I went out to fire up the grill it wouldn’t light. I took it all apart, cleaned it, and even switched to a brand new propane tank. No matter what I did it wouldn’t light. By the time I reached a boiling point, our friends were arriving and I went in the house to call a neighbor to borrow their grill. They weren’t home. Fortunately, Tom and Tony managed to get the grill lit and the meal was saved.
I realize that I really needed to be with the people of God tonight, and our time of worship could not have been better. We spent some time talking about our responsibility to one another, especially to those who have not been coming for a few weeks. Then we prayed, and that’s when the breakthrough came for me. When Jerri prayed, it felt like a literal, physical release for me as I welcomed Jesus into my frustration and He reminded me that he had already taken it all upon Himself. Hallelujah!
We spent some time in Hebrews 11 and were all blessed by God’s Word and each other. It’s really good to have Julie & Julie back after their time away, and I’m very grateful that God has brought Kyle into our lives. God spoke through him very clearly tonight.
Today’s N-Cite: My day moved from frustration to celebration. I learned that life is much better for me and the people around me if I start to celebrate in the midst of frustration rather than waiting to “cool off.”
17 years and counting
Kim and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary Saturday. She is a precious gift from God and we had a really good day. We all watched our wedding video for the first time in years and I almost cried! I'm getting pretty soft, but I think that's a good thing. Since we're in a heat wave, we went to the pool then had some awesome steaks on the grill and enjoyed the evening at home with friends.
Sunday morning Dilbones & Lyons came over for brunch and worship. We enjoyed a great meal, singing, and praying together for the future of the house church movement in our region. We all have lots of questions, but we sense that it is time to seek God more diligently. As we do so, I am confident that we will gain clarity.
I showed a few houses in the afternoon and since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by to see Grimms. I was thrilled to hear that Kevin has become a Christ-follower and we enjoyed a great time of fellowship.
Work was a little aggravating yesterday. An important client (a bank) has a filter system on their email that wouldn’t let me get through. I spent most of the day working on a solution and nothing worked.
Last night we really enjoyed having the Reds and their families at our house for an end-of-the-season pizza party. It was fun to watch the children play and to talk about life with the other dads. We talked about religion and politics and work and it was pretty cool. A couple people said we should get together again, so we plan to schedule another time to hang out.
I had a full day today. It started out with a nice run with Mark, who had a great idea of how to fix my email dilemma. When I got to the office, I did what he suggested and I think we’ve found a solution. We toured 7 new listings (one was mine), then I made it to BNI, a business network that I am enjoying more all the time. Then I met with a middle-aged couple who is getting married. The pastor who was going to perform the wedding called last night and said he had a scheduling conflict and asked if I could do it. It was fun to get to know this couple and I look forward to sharing in this special day at a simple ceremony in their home next month. I also got a couple of new clients today – one buyer and one seller.
Things have slowed down a little the last few days and I was praying about getting some more business, so that was a great answer to prayer. I have two more closings scheduled this month and the next one will put me into the next commission percentage bracket. Praise God for that!
I’m continuing to read “God’s Politics” and am enjoying it very much. I hope to post some quotes from it in the next couple of days.
I’m looking forward to having a day off tomorrow and especially to eager to worship with the church that meets in our home. God sure is blessing me with a very good life.
Week in Review
I preached at Christ’s Church in BG last Sunday and a young lady gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized on the spot. Awesome!
Bible study with Falcon football players. God met with us and it was powerful.
Two closings and one new listing. Cha-ching!!!!
Seth’s last baseball game of the season.
A very eventful time with the church that meets in our house. Too much to write, but powerful bonds were formed as we faced adversity with the strength of unity.
One baby born to our church family. Ryan & Hope Shearer welcomed their first child, a son, to this world today. I tried to convince them what a wonderful name “Scott” would be for their boy, but they chose Caleb Nathaniel. That will do.
Two lunches at the park with my family this week.
Special time with the Carrasquillo family.
Increased pace on my 5-mile runs with Mark. We always have church when we run!
Significant time with two pastors. Uplifting. Encouraging. Thought-provoking.
Time with Tom & Shirley tonight watching “Transformations,” a DVD about God’s power at work today throughout the earth. Amazing.
17th Wedding Anniversary (tomorrow). The only gift greater than Kim that God has given me is salvation.
I started reading “God’s Politics” by Jim Wallis. Hard to find words to describe, but a must-read for people more committed to being Christian than to being a Democrat or Republican.
Today’s N-Cite: I have a growing sense that God is definitely calling us to be part of a major advancement of His kingdom in BG that will require and involve a wide range of people and traditions. Though He hasn’t revealed the details yet, I will be pursuing God more - first for the sake of knowing Him, and second for the sake of knowing His specific plan and where I fit.
Update 5 etc.
We’re home!!
Virginia was released from the hospital on Monday. We had hoped to get an early start, but it was almost 5:00 pm before we left Pittsburgh. Prayers were answered and she traveled very comfortably, with just one stop during the 4 hour trip. Each day she is getting stronger and more active. Her recovery is simply miraculous and our prayer time together as a family has been awesome. I’m so happy Seth & Shani are seeing prayers answered and having their faith built at such young ages.
I haven’t posted since then because God had a lot of work lined up for me when I got home. This week, I was blessed to get three new houses listed and this afternoon one of the other houses I have listed got an accepted offer. So far I have several closings set for the month of July – 11th, 12th, 28th, and 31st. It is highly likely that at least one more will be scheduled for this month. It will be the first month in the business that I will make enough to cover our monthly expenses, and I believe God is giving me a taste of the abundant supply He is sending. I’ve especially enjoyed some wonderful conversations and prayer time with two new clients.
The gathering of the church on Wednesday was very powerful. All were in complete agreement that God is calling us to go deeper. Though we have been enjoying one another’s company and the obvious presence of the Holy Spirit among us, it’s time to commit more time personally to the study of the Bible and prayer for people who do not yet know Jesus. We are all hungry to know God and know each other more intimately, and live more missional lives. We are eager to see people transformed, baptized, and living lives that are in step with the Holy Spirit. We want to experience even more signs, wonders, and demonstrations of God’s power, and to benefit from all the gifts God has for His Church. It sure is great to be learning and growing together!
I picked up the Honda Shadow 750 Thursday night to borrow it again. Once again, we enjoyed being the church this week, this time with the Moores. Mike is the president of a local Christian Motorcyclists Association, and it was fun to spend time with his family and share what God is doing in our lives.
Friday morning Chris and I rode the bikes (he has a Suzuki Boulevard) to Dayton to have breakfast with my brother Steve & his family. They were on their way back to MO after vacationing in OH. I had hoped to see them earlier in the week, but was busy with work. It was a joy to spend time with them.
Friday afternoon I got to hang out with Sam Barber for a while. He is a great friend/brother and I hope to see him again soon.
Friday night we enjoyed being the church with Dilbones, Danielle & Adam. We ate, prayed, encouraged one another and watched Medea's Family Reunion.
This morning we went to Seth’s baseball game, and when we got home I got to spend some time reading and praying. It was so refreshing. I’m preaching tomorrow at Christ’s Church in BG and am getting a good sense of direction for what the Spirit wants to say to the Church. I’ve been drawn to study the reign of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 29-32. These chapters are full of great stuff.
This afternoon I met with a client then we enjoyed the antique car show in downtown BG. I love living in this place!
Tonight we were blessed with a surprise visit from Randy & Connie. We always enjoying being the church with them, and were greatly encouraged as we prayed, sang, and celebrated Jesus together. I look forward to getting to bed early, going for a nice run with Mark in the morning (we will talk a lot about the sermon I’m preparing for), then worshiping with the saints at Christ’s Church. It has already been a great weekend, and it’s only half over!
Update 4
Virginia is progressing well and will be released from the hospital tomorrow morning! She is very independent and has kept a great attitude throughout the last few days.
Last night our family joined the Schempfs (from BG) to attend a concert of the Pittsburgh New Music Group at City Theater. Kevin is a running partner of mine who has been playing clarinet in this talented group for the last 4 years. It was really cool to enter that part of his world and see firsthand what he is pouring his life into for six weeks this summer. The members of the group have exceptional gifts and talents, and it was nice to attend the same performance as his family.
Yesterday afternoon I took Seth & Shani to the Carnegie Science Center. We explored a WWII era submarine, participated in several activities, watched an IMax movie about lions in the Kalahari Desert, and simply had a great time being together. It is located next to Heinz Field (home of the Steelers), so of course I had to get a picture of Seth & Shani there that for some reason I can't upload today. The regatta is taking place this weekend so we also watched some boat races and saw a Stealth bomber fly overhead.
We made it back to the hotel in time for a quick dip in the pool before grabbing some dinner and heading to the concert. We ate at a brand new restaurant (this was their first day of business) and their Philly Cheesesteaks were awesome. It was fun to talk to the Greek owners - a father and his two daughters.
Kevin and I went for a nice run this morning and, as is our custom, spent some time in simple yet powerful prayer together. He is very insightful and prayed for the fire of leadership to burn hot in me. I appreciate that very much because it has been easy to go through my days lately without thinking about God's purpose for me in intentionally advancing His kingdom. I don't want to get so preoccupied with the ordinary needs of everyday life that a passion for seeing lives changed gets lost in the mix. Thanks, Kevin, for a great prayer.
And thanks to all of you who have been interceding for our family. I am confident that God has been doing a lot of things in our lives this week that are deeper than we yet realize. I like who He is making us as a family and who I am becoming as a more attentive father!
