Preaching in blue jeans

After spending three years rereading the New Testament, Pastor Jim Butcher realized that most of what takes place in churches today is tradition, not biblically mandated. That's why the 39-year-old pastor preaches in blue jeans.

Butcher was comfortable as pastor of Poca Baptist Church in Poca, W.V., for 12 years. Then God gave him a new calling, according to the Martinsburg Journal:

Three years ago, I was at the dinner table and God spoke deep in my heart and asked me for a sacrifice. I wish I could say I said 'yes' immediately. After months of prayer, I knew that if I truly believed, I had to trust Him. Once I said 'yes,' He revealed that the sacrifice He was asking of me was to leave the warm and comfortable Poca Baptist Church to start a church for people who have given up on God.

Butcher started his new church, NewPoint Church, with six members -- Butcher, his wife, and their four children. His goal for the church is to be "biblically faithful and culturally relevant". The church now is up to 25 members.

I have completed "The Love Dare"

I recently completed "The Love Dare". There were so many times that I just wanted to quit, but I'm very glad that I kept at it and followed through with the book to the end.

I highly recommend "The Love Dare" for any married couples. It changed my marriage for the better, and would be an outstanding way for newlyweds to start their marriage.

Meeting God in the mountains

I often feel closer to God when I'm in nature. The awe of His creation inspires me.

Such was the case too for Lygon Stevens, a mountain climber who died in January in an avalanche on Little Bear Peak in southern Colorado. Stevens wrote 15 journals during her life, and her parents have taken text from her writings to publish a book, "Cairns for the Climb".

The Coloradoan ran an article on Dec. 7 about Stevens' story that included some of what was in her journals:

The book includes climbs in Colorado, Alaska's Denali (Mount McKinley) and Ecuador, as well as her last entry, next to a blurred photo of her climbing the west ridge of Little Bear Peak, the last image of Lygon, taken hours before she died.

'She really felt that God spoke to her when she put pen to paper,' her father said.

Though Nick (Lygon's father) had encouraged Lygon to keep a journal from the time she was 10 years old, he was surprised by the amount of writing his daughter left behind.

Her parents saw about 10 percent of her writing before they started unearthing the journals.

Some of the writing is what you would expect from a teenager and young woman, including insecurities about school and appearance, Nick said.

But they found nothing guile or sneaky.

Many of her poems and essays document Lygon's growing faith and understanding of God, much of it in the context of her mountain-climbing adventures.

'I climb because I love the mountains ... and I meet God there,' one undated journal entry reads.

"Cairns for the Climb" is available at www.heightsoffaith.org and at Probasco's Christian Bookstore, 344 N. Lincoln Ave. in Loveland, Colo.

Reaching out to the motorcycle community

Here's a cool video from the Contra Costa Times on The Live Ride Christian Church, which was started by the Rev. Rick Fish 10 years ago after God spoke to him.

The secret of Manny Pacquiao's success

Manny Pacquiao has achieved outstanding success in the boxing arena, having recently defeated Oscar De La Hoya. Beth Celis from the Philippine Daily Inquirer speculates that God may be behind Pacquiao's success:

Was it last year when he revealed to me his encounter with the Divine?

Manny said it was during the lowest point of his life when God 'spoke' to him and led him back to the right path.

Since then, his life has changed and he has achieved feats and wealth beyond his wildest imagination.

More than anything tangible, God’s blessing, I believe, is Manny Pacquiao’s most powerful amulet.

Pacquiao has earned many nicknames, including Pac-Man and the "furious Filipino". It's amazing what we can achieve when God is in our corner.

In search of unconditional love

I want unconditional love. I guess, while it would be nice to have people unconditionally love me, it's probably not that realistic. So I'm going to focus on giving unconditional love and grace to people.

I'm realizing more and more that unconditional love does not come from me -- it comes from God through me. I am so thankful for His unconditional love and acceptance of me in spite of all of my faults. Lord, let me be a vessel for your unconditional love of everyone.

An understanding of spiritual gifts

Recently at South Metro Vineyard Church we had a sermon on spiritual gifts. The pastor focused on 1 Corinthians 12 and worked to provide some understanding of this passage. Some of the key points of the sermon were:

1. The spiritual gifts really are gifts.
2. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to serve one another.
3. Spiritual gifts are God's way of working.
4. God makes Himself visible through spiritual gifts.

The pastor also said that spiritual gifts are given to the available, not necessarily to the mature. What spiritual gifts has God given you? Are you making yourself available to Him and letting God be God?

An update on "The Love Dare"

In October I wrote about how I was going through "The Love Dare". Well, I'm on day 31 in the book. It has challenged me in many ways. I got stuck for a long time on day 18, which dared me to prepare a special dinner at home. I don't really know how to cook. I burn grilled cheese sandwiches. One time, when my wife and I were dating, I told her that I would make potato soup. What I didn't realize is that it takes a long time to make potato soup. When she came over to my place for dinner, there was a kettle with a hard potato and some water in it. She was very graceful with me at that point.

So, I suppose it should come as no surprise that she was very skeptical of me making dinner for her. I was not sure how I would pull it off, but I did -- with the help of Let's Dish. When I told my wife to relax, because I bought food from Let's Dish, she still was skeptical. But she really enjoyed the food and my company -- and she later said that she felt bad about doubting me.

God in the football locker room

Competition for the quarterback position on a high school football team can be pretty fierce. But when the two people vying for the position are devoted to God, the results can be great for the team.

The Rankin Ledger recently ran an article about Joe Barnes and Caleb Jett, the quarterbacks for the Brandon High School football team. The two rivals had not talked until after a Sunday school cookout in April:

'God showed up that day and people were being set free from bondages and sin, and I felt God was pulling at me. I finally broke down in tears and I knew it was time for me to follow God completely,' said Barnes.

'I wasn't supposed to be there that day but I got invited. We were praying for someone else and I kept getting these looks from Thomas, the leader. It was like God was looking at me through him. God spoke to me and it was like I let go of everything,' said Jett.

Following the prayer time, the two rivals were left alone to talk it out.

'We both knew that God put us together that day and we agreed to follow whatever God said. That was the day I met my best friend,' said Barnes.

Jett said the two began praying and ministering at church, at school and in the locker room.

The players have made a difference in the lives of many people by talking about God in the locker room and at school, and their attitude of putting the team first instead of themselves has benefited the team.

The Miracle Mansion -- revived

The impact of the credit crunch was seen in Morris, Minn., recently. The Rev. Carol Carroll was planning on renovating a large home now called the Miracle Mansion, but suffered disappointment when she lost a federal grant to help repair the mansion after the state historical society told her the building would have to be repaired to their specifications and the bank turned her down for a loan.

Carroll felt like giving up, but she had hope, according to the Morris Sun Tribune:

'When it crumbled down, I crumbled down,' Carroll admitted. She even considered selling the historic home.

God spoke to her heart and told her he didn’t send her to fail, she said. And a man named 'Ed' whom Carroll describes as a 'common sense man' stepped up to help advise her on how to renovate the house, she said.

'I feel like the Lord has taken me back under his wings,' she said. 'I feel very protected again.'

Carroll was able to complete the renovations thanks to many volunteers and donated labor. She plans to turn the Miracle Mansion into a bed and breakfast that will be in unity with churches in the community.

Christmas gifts for those less fortunate

Given the state of the economy, it's likely that many children will not receive the presents from Santa Claus that are on their wish list. That's where Student Santas, an organization started by Jennifer Icaza-Gast three years ago, comes in.

The story of how Icaza-Gast started Student Santas ran in the Southeast Missourian:

God spoke to my heart three years ago as I watched my children open their gifts on Christmas morning. Instead of being happy at the sight of my two little ones tearing into their gifts, I found myself overcome with sadness and heartache. I realized that somewhere, at that very moment, there was a child waking up excited at the thought of Santa bringing that special doll or truck only to find nothing. It hurts to imagine a small face so full of hope running into a living room and becoming so disappointed. I found myself wondering…..How do you explain to a child that Santa didn’t come to their house because Dad lost his job last month?

Student Santas collected 1,500 toys in its first year; the goal for 2008 is to give away 6,000 toys.

If you know of a child in need please send a letter with the child’s age, gender, and toy requests to:

Student Santas

PO Box 641

Cape Girardeau, MO 63702

Becoming a "forever family" through adoption

Many couples experience difficulty having kids. And there are many kids out there who need families. Why not consider adoption?

WLOX-TV recently ran a story on a couple who had foster children, and now have officially adopted the kids:

Jennifer and Jason Hinkel say when two-year-old Megan and her four-year-old brother Peyton came into their lives, the void that was in their hearts went away.

'We tried for a long time to have biological children and that just wasn't meant to be,' said Jennifer Hinkel. 'God spoke to us and told us this is where we needed to go. We really feel like this is what we were meant to do.'

The adoption process can take a long time, but I'm sure it is worth the wait.

Billy Graham turns 90

Billy Graham recently turned 90 years old. Think about all of the people whom he has touched through the years, and how God has spoken through him! Ron Carothers and his wife Margie told Charlotte's WCNC about Graham's message when Ron was diagnosed with cancer:

. . .Carothers and his wife, Margie, searched the Bible for a verse to help him heal. They found it.

'God will help us, strengthen us and uphold us,' Margie said.

That same day, they got in their car, headed home from seclusion and prayer and turned on the radio. It was Billy Graham preaching the same verse.

'We hadn't been in contact with anyone and Dr. Graham was preaching that very verse and it just was a confirmation from the Lord. God spoke through Dr. Graham that day,' Margie said.

Thousands of people have wished Billy Graham happy birthday this year, and you can too!

Hearing God

Last Sunday's service at South Metro Vineyard Church focused on, of all topics, hearing God! The pastor used the story of Paul in Acts 16:1-10 to provide context. Here are the points from the sermon on hearing God:

1. People hear from God when they are willing to listen to Him about current issues of obedience in their lives.
2. People hear from God when they take time to listen to God.
3. People hear from God when they begin to identify what God sounds like.
4. People hear from God when they have confidence that God is committed to speaking to them.
5. You can have confidence you've heard from God even in difficult times.

The pastor added that God is more committed to speaking to us than we are in listening to Him, and that you're not going to miss God's voice if you incline your heart to hear it. The message can be heard here.

Dealing with tragedy

Phil Stoddart of Lowestoft, United Kingdom, would have every right to feel bad, mad and sad about life. He lost two of his daughters, Claire and Jenny, in 2006 when they were hit by a drunk driver, Ben Morphey, while they were coming home from a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.

Instead, Stoddart, a teacher, wrote a book called "A12 to Heaven" about his experiences dealing with the tragedy. According to an article in The Advertiser, God spoke to Stoddart while he was in the hospital on the night of the tragedy:

'Jenny was on a life-support machine and we knew in our hearts that she was gone. It was at that point God spoke to me,' said Stoddart. 'I was told there were three things I had to do and he was saying 'these are essential for your recovery'.'

These three instructions given to Mr Stoddart were not to blame God, not to blame himself and not to blame Morphey.

In addition to writing the book, Stoddart also gives talks about his experiences. He said that following God's guidelines has helped him from being consumed by bitterness.

Living life to the fullest

In 2001, the Rev. Doug Brushell was facing a long recovery after a double lung transplant. According to an article in The Oneida Daily Dispatch, Brushell, who had a fatal lung disease, was lucky to live long enough to have the operation:

'They didn't expect that I was going to live long enough to receive a lung transplant,' he said, but in July of that year, Brushell said that God spoke to him through scripture. When he turned to John 11:4, which says 'This sickness is not unto death but for the Glory of God, that the son of God may be glorified by it,' he said that he knew that there was going to be more to it all than what he had been told.

At that point, Brushell's name had just been added to the transplant list. It was going to be a long wait, and he ended up suffering a lung collapse in November 2000. He received his transplant in time, though. And being a longtime lover of music, he decided to live life to the fullest by recording an album. His recently released album, "The Legacy", features his entire family.

Fireproof

I recently saw the movie "Fireproof". While the acting in the film isn't superb, the movie's messages are.

The movie really hit home with me -- it shows marriage in a true light. In fact, my marriage currently is at what would be called "Day One" in the movie.

"Fireproof" inspired me to buy "The Love Dare" book. I hope that my following "The Love Dare" book has the same beneficial effect on my marriage that it had on Caleb's marriage in the movie.

Volunteering to plant a vegetable garden

Jamie Dunn, an Australian media personality, recently wrote on his blog about encountering a lovely elderly lady at the hardware store. The woman was planning on putting in a vegetable garden on a hot 35-degrees Celsius day (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dunn was urged by God to help out by hearing God say, "I want you to put the vegie garden in for this stranger, Jamie."

Dunn was faithful and humorously recounts his hot, sweaty day on his blog.

God continues to guide my career

In Oct. 2007, I wrote about how God guides my career. Well, He continues to be faithful. My boss at the financial services organization left in March of this year. I applied for his position -- I was excited for an opportunity to advance my career. The senior vice president of communications interviewed me for the position, but said that she didn't think that I was ready. That was pretty disappointing.

Then this fall, the head of a local public relations firm recruited me to be a vice president at her firm. I accepted this excellent opportunity, and I start on Oct. 20.

Thank you, God! You are faithful. Given the way that the stock market has been going, it's perfect timing.

Learnings from the Heart of a Warrior Advance

I had an excellent weekend at the Heart of a Warrior Advance at the end of September. The weekend included some great speakers, but my two key learnings came during the athletic competitions.

The first activity that I competed in was archery. When all the people who had signed up for archery arrived at the target area, no one had shown up to organize our competition. For some reason, all of the participants were looking at me to coordinate it. So I decided to take action and organize an archery competition that included three rounds for the nine participants. I was successful! From that experience, I felt, "Wow! I am a leader."

The other learning took place during a game of pickup football. Now, I was neither the youngest person nor the fastest person on the team. When my team was on offense, I was being covered for a while -- until the other team realized that passes were not coming my way. Then they stopped covering me. At that point, the quarterback huddled us together and said, "What are you seeing out there?"

"Well, obviously, they're not covering me," I replied.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said.

During the next play, I ran down to the one yard line. I was open, he passed to me, and I scored a touchdown! From that I learned, "I have what it takes."

Incidentally, the theme for the Heart of a Warrior Advance was "Are you ready?" I surely am.

I'm excited to advance

This afternoon I leave for the third Heart of a Warrior Advance. It will be at Big Sandy Camp in McGregor, Minn. I'm excited to see how the Holy Spirit moves this weekend; I have never attended an Advance before.

Becoming a Christian Heritage Party candidate

In this political season, it seems probable that somewhere a candidate would be called to run based on the prompting of God. That's definitely the case. . .with a fringe party in Canada. According to The Lindsay Post, Dave Switzer is slated to run a modest campaign that will leave the result in God's hands:

'There wasn't anyone forthcoming to run,' he said. 'God spoke to my heart that he wanted me as a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party.'

Switzer explained the four main issues he will deal with are abortion, climate change, families and gay marriage.

20% of Americans have heard the voice of God

USA Today recently ran a front-page story on survey findings about Americans' religious beliefs and practices.

The survey, conducted by the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, found that:

• 55% of adults say that they have been protected from harm by a guardian angel
• 45% of adults felt called by God to do something
• 23% of adults witnessed or experienced a miraculous, physical healing
• 20% of adults have heard the voice of God.

The story has been very popular on USA Today's Web site; readers have posted nearly 900 comments so far.

God does not have a political party

An editorial in The Tennessean on Aug. 31 by Carol Swain, Ph.D., a professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University, inspired a lot of reader comments. The topic? The role of divine wisdom in politics.

A life of adventure

Lynn Boleware has had an adventurous life. He's been a stock car driver, bull rider, a bounty hunter and a firefighter. But his latest adventure -- as rabbi of the Beit Lechem Congregation, a Messianic Jewish community -- has its roots in hearing God's voice in his early teens:

'I grew up in the Methodist church,' said Boleware. 'But at about age 12 or 13, I started asking questions. I saw a news story on television about Israel, and I believe God spoke to my heart, telling me that the people I saw on TV were my people. I didn't understand it at the time, but now it's quite clear to me.' (Madison County Herald)

Messianic Jews accept Jesus, or "Y'shua," as the Messiah. "Y'shua is the Aramaic name for Jesus, which translated, means 'God is my salvation,'" explained Boleware.

Music with a saving message

The Lufkin Daily News recently ran a story about Clayton Dyess, a guitar-playing, Louisiana-based gospel singer who plays his songs in parking lots.

Several times Dyess' music and God's message have saved someone's life:

• 'One time I was playing at a Wal-Mart in Center and a woman went in the store to buy pills to kill herself,' he said. 'She came up to me and said that she heard my music and that God spoke to her and saved her right there.'
• Another time Dyess was playing by the river in Natchitoches on a rainy night, with barely anyone listening. Suddenly he heard a splash and saw a man that had jumped into the water to kill himself. Dyess said that the man swam to safety because his message spoke to him and he wanted to be saved. The man ended up joining him on stage and singing in the rain.
• Another time, a man passed Dyess on his way to buy alcohol to fuel his depression. Dyess said soon after, the man came up to him, gave him his alcohol and turned his life over to God.

Dyess gives away his CDs for free to spread God's message as far as he can.

Guiding the lives of our sons

A father's role in his son's life cannot be overestimated. Sons look to their fathers as role models, and every child's first image of what God is like scaringly reflects his relationship with his father.

I'm trying to be the best role model for my son, and it's very helpful to have other men involved in that journey. That's why the men in my Heart of a Warrior group and our sons are getting together for breakfast tomorrow. Hopefully this will be a regular event, so we can guide and lift up our sons to the Lord.

A job. . .just in time

I have written in the past about how God guides my career. Well, a friend of mine from church recently experienced God's hand in his work life as well! He had a feeling that he was going to be let go from his job, and he indeed was let go last Wednesday. He and his family were very sad and scared. Then he had a job interview on Thursday, was offered a contract position on Friday, and the new company wants him to start on Monday!

God's provision was definitely evident in this situation.

Refuting the lies

I have let the lies that my stepdad told me growing up ("I'm ugly", "I don't belong", and more) toxify my life for too long. His lies have stayed in my subconscious, and ruin my relationships and self-esteem because I have not dealt with them.

I now have started finally refuting my stepdad's lies by writing out each lie, and then writing out the respective truth. I have found myself literally sick at times when writing out the truth (e.g., "I'm lovable"). There's an aspect of my brain not being able to accept the truth after so many years of lies, but I'm sure that the evil one wants to keep me down as well. I -- and God's truth -- will persist in spite of the resistance.

Change comes with a cost

I just finished watching the movie "Luther". It's really quite an interesting story. I remembered hearing the story of Martin Luther from confirmation class at my church, but I guess that I didn't recall hearing about all the bloodshed that took place.

In the movie, Luther points out that change comes with a cost. He made a huge change by providing the New Testament to people in their own language -- German. And the establishment, which did not want things to change, made sure that there was a cost.

Surviving Tropical Storm Fay

Because of Tropical Storm Fay, which contributed to 11 deaths in Florida, one in Georgia and one in Alabama and caused millions of dollars worth of damage, affected areas have been declared major disaster areas by President Bush.

Beyond the flood of rain, there also have been a flood of prayers. Florida Today looks at how pastors have been addressing the devastation in their sermons. One example was from Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church:

Pastor Harvey Riley spoke of patience through adverse times. Many shouted praises to God and stood as Riley talked about waiting on God.

'This week we anticipated that the rain would stop,' Riley preached. 'But God let it go on. Then God spoke to Fay and told her to move on. We just have to remember to be patient.'

Let's pray that some FEMA funds become available to those affected by Tropical Storm Fay.

God's hand in leading Katrina evacuees out of New Orleans

The Austin American-Statesman ran a really cool article on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina about evacuees who trusted God's plan to lead them to Austin. Their stories are really fascinating -- particularly Nicole Marie Barriere's story. She said that God spoke to her: "Leave, because I'm about to destroy the city."

Celebrating 10 years of the LifeLight Music Festival

For a decade, Christian music fans have been flocking to Sioux Falls, S.D., to celebrate Christ at the LifeLight Music Festival. The festival's origins lie in a mission trip to Mexico taken by founders Alan and Vicki Greene:

'It really started because my wife and I went on a missions trip with a group of other people from here. We went down to Mexico and God spoke to us.' (KELO-TV)

Five years ago, the Greenes quit their jobs to take on LifeLight full time, and now their mission has evolved to more than the festival. They have organized mission trips, brought food to countries in Africa, and organized student-led clubs in high schools and middle schools.

Erik Williams gives back

Erik Williams once was one of the most amazing offensive tackles in the NFL. He was an all-star for the Dallas Cowboys, but got into a major car accident in 1994 that derailed his football career.

About two years ago, Williams rededicated his life to God. In a column on the Dallas Cowboys Web site, Williams reflects on his relationship with God:

'I was praying, and God spoke to me. He told me that I owe Him, that He has blessed me and I needed to be living differently. That's what has put me on the path I'm on.'

Williams now is giving back to the next generation of football players by coaching as an assistant offensive line coach on the team's Minority Fellowship coaching program.

Chuck Norris' encounter with a homeless man

Chuck Norris recently wrote a column for Townhall.com about his family's encounter with a homeless man while on vacation in Santa Cruz this summer. No, Norris did not arrest the man or give him the karate chop. . .

His kids drew pictures for the homeless man and bought him iced tea. But the experience had some very unique coincidences that Norris reveals in his column.

Reflecting about the encounter, Norris writes:

God spoke to us that summer day. Heaven sent a big sign through what might seem like a relatively small encounter. And it can serve as a reminder to us all -- one that's also in the Good Book: 'Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.'

Norris' story is an excellent reminder that we should be courteous to the homeless.

Have you read "The Shack"?

My sister-in-law recently lent me "The Shack" by William P. Young, but I have not had a chance to read it yet. She says that it's an outstanding story of God's love for us.

I know that the book has been very popular in Christian circles recently. Have you read it? What did you think of "The Shack"?

Becoming meth free

I believe that God uses the deepest pain in our heart to help others. That's definitely the case with Libbie Combee, the president and founder of Leland Family Ministries and the Meth-Free Project. Combee's journey from child of divorce to drug abuser to leader of a ministry recently was chronicled in The Ledger.

Combee's son, who became a meth user himself, ended up in jail. That's where God spoke to Combee about starting her ministry:

It was while she was visiting her son at the jail, she said, that God spoke to her about ministering to meth addicts and their families. 'At first, I was really mad that God would want me to do this. I wanted to get as far away as possible from that world. God asked me, 'I thought you trusted me.' I decided I did.'

That was the beginning of Leland Family Ministries. It's named after her son, Jason Leland.

Combee now is starting Florida's first court-ordered meth program. In the state budget, she was allocated $65,000 - the first state or federal dollars she's accepted - to create a meth education class that can be ordered by the courts for any meth-related offense, much like DUI classes are. A pilot program begins next month, with 1,200 offenders enrolled in 24 classes.

The origin of faith healer Todd Bentley's ministry

Todd Bentley, leader of a revival in Lakeland, Fla., has been called many things, including a fraud and a false teacher. But he claims that thousands of people have been healed and dozens been raised from the dead through his ministry.

How did his ministry begin? An article in Baptist Press says that it started when God spoke to Bentley:

He was saved only when God spoke audibly to him in his drug dealer's trailer and told him that was his last chance to make a decision for Christ, Bentley said.

He invited listeners to be saved and told them that Jesus could forgive all their sins and make then a new creation.

Bentley was called to ministry, he said, in 1998 when a 'glory liquid honey cloud' came through the kitchen of his apartment and into the living room. It rested over his head, and the 'manifest tangible presence of God' did not leave his life for three months. During that time Bentley was 'slain in the Spirit' from four to 12 hours per day and saw many visions, he said.

After the three months were complete, Bentley said Jesus appeared to him on Mother's Day and told him he would never return to secular work again.

'[Jesus] said, 'I have a ministry for you, and it begins today, Mothers Day 1998.' He said, 'You will go all over the world, and you're going to bring a healing revival,'' Bentley said.

Bentley plans next to take his revival meetings overseas; his last day at Lakeland is Aug. 23.

A mailman on a lawnmowing mission

Eric Wills, a mailman in St. Petersburg, Fla., does more than deliver the mail. He also mows the lawns of seniors, single moms and others in need on his route -- for free. Tampa Bay's 10 had the story on how Wills' ministry started:

This mowing mission started about three years ago when on his mail route Eric tromped across a yard gone wild. 'I was kind of walking through the yard complaining saying, 'I wish this guy would cut his grass,' and right then I believe God spoke to me and said, 'Why don't you cut his grass?', so I did,' Eric explains.

For his work, Reader's Digest named him one of "America's Best."

From a FEMA trailer to a new house

Greg Bradford, president of Merced, Calif.-based Envision Homes, took a team of his to look over the damage from the recent California wildfires. According to the North County Times, God spoke to Bradford while he was there:

'I took a team down to evaluate what happened (after the fires) and looked at all the devastation, and it touched me,' Bradford said. 'God spoke to me and said, 'Build a house for a family that has no insurance.''

Bradford put together a committee to review applications from fire victims. The committee ended up selecting John Oleson's family of nine, who have been living in Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers since their house burned down.

Following God. . .to leave college?

Ilsa Paulson was attending Northern Arizona University, and was training for that school's cross country and track teams. She experienced setbacks through injuries, illness and stress when God told her to leave the university to follow her dream.

The Sherwood Gazette ran an article on her July 10:

'God spoke to me and said ‘What are you doing here?’' she recalled. 'After Bible study, I realized I have to do something now.'

Paulson decided to leave Northern Arizona University to pursue her dream of being a professional distance runner. She has since worked with a coach, run marathons, and is training for the 2012 Olympic marathon.

The waiting is the hardest part

In the words of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, "The waiting is the hardest part." So true.

Stephanie Voiland reflects on always being a bridesmaid and waiting for the right man in the July/August 2008 edition of Today's Christian Woman. In the article Voiland also writes about a friend, Tiffanie, who completed graduate school but could not find a job for months:

Throughout those agonizing months, God showed up in ways more profound than a job offer. She was looking for a way to support herself; God taught her a new level of dependence on him. She was desperately waiting for a potential employer's phone call; instead, God spoke into her soul's quiet places. She was searching for a genie-god to provide instantly for her needs; God blew her away by revealing he's much better and bigger than she'd ever dreamed.

It's a good reminder that God has his own timetable. Our job is to see where God is meeting us in the waiting journey.

Making room for church expansion

Pastor Patrick Maxwell of Victory Christian Center in Union County, Fla., has a good problem: his church is growing so much that he needed to find room to expand. His church currently meets in Lake Butler Elementary School. In a Bradford County Telegraph article, Maxwell relates how he found a new location:

Every church service, he would ride right past an old building with the weeds and grass grown up around it because it had sat vacant for a number of years. He never gave it much thought.

'One day, on my way to the elementary school for church, I happened to look over and God spoke to me and told me that place right across the street from the school was a great place for a church building. I just needed to open my eyes and see it,' Maxwell said.

Victory Christian Center currently has 160 members, and 50 percent of them are under the age of 18.

A cowboy's crusade

For the past five summers, cowboy Mick Thompson has made his way from the West Coast to the East Coast on horseback. Why? According to Capital News 9 in New York: ". . .to get God and Jesus' name being used in vain out of movies and off of TV."

Thompson said that it wasn't always that clear. Initially he just knew that the Lord wanted him to get on his horse and ride. In the hills of Colorado, God spoke to him and clearly gave him his mission. Thompson has since become known as the "Cross Country Cowboy".

What would Jesus read?

The Star Tribune ran an interesting article over the weekend called "What would Jesus read?" In the article, Jeff Strickler writes about the explosive growth in sales of religious books and provides a guide to what's hot at religious bookstores.

On the list:

• "The Shack" by William P. Young
• "Dead Heat" by Joel C. Rosenberg
• "The Door Within" trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson
• "DragonSpell" by Donita K. Paul
• "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy
• "Finding the Monk Within" by Edward C. Sellner
• "Thin Places" by Mary Treacy O'Keefe
• "How to Raise a Jewish Dog" by Ellis Weiner
• "unChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
• "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller
• "The Faith" by Charles Colson
• "Take the Risk" by Ben Carson
• "Love and Respect" by Emerson Eggerichs
• "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris
• "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light"
• "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper

We are the ones being tested

On p. 143 of "The Bondage Breaker", Neil T. Anderson relates a story that demonstrates the reality of deceiving spirits:

When I was a pastor, some of the members of my church unwittingly yielded to the temptation to put God to the test. I had a dear friend who was dying of cancer. But word spread around the church that four independent 'witnesses' all testified that Dick wasn't going to die because God had told them so. Several exclaimed, 'Isn't it wonderful that God is going to heal Dick!' Three weeks later Dick was dead.

If God was the One who told these four people that Dick wasn't going to die, then what does that make God? A liar. But is God a liar? Of course not; He's the truth. The originator of this 'good news' was obviously the father of lies. Deceiving spirits had circulated a lie about Dick in an attempt to create a false hope and destory the congregation's confidence in God.

God is under no obligation to us; He is under obligation only to Himself. There is no way you can cleverly word a prayer so that God must respond to it. That not only distorts the meaning of prayer but puts us in the position of manipulating God. The righteous shall live by faith in the written Word of God and not demand that God prove Himself in response to our whims or wishes, no matter how noble they may be. We are the ones being tested, not God.

31 years of missionary service

Jerry and Vicky Love, career missionaries in Mexico, recently were recognized for their service. The Loves were called to missionary work as teenagers:

'During high school I began earnestly seeking God's will for my life,' Jerry says. 'One evening God spoke specifically and personally to me about obeying what I already knew to be his will. I repented in tears, rededicated my life to him, and shortly thereafter his call became crystal clear.'

Vicky recalls, 'Shortly after my conversion at age 16 while living in Alaska, I began sensing a possible call of God on my life. After a year of investigating why local ministers had come North, I attended a citywide revival and signed a decision card pledging my own life to go south for full-time Christian service in Mexico or Central America.'

What type of call has God placed on your life? You will know it because it will feel right in your heart.

God's purpose for us

Do you wonder about God's purpose for your life? I know that I'm curious about His purpose for my life, and I think that I'm getting closer to the answer: to counsel adult children of divorce. I am one myself, and that topic is as close as one can get to my heart wound.

Jim Graff, senior pastor of Faith Family Church in Victoria, Texas, recently wrote in the Victoria Advocate about how God showed him the appropriate pastoral job:

But then I began to think, 'You know, I really should pray about it before I just go and take a church.'

So I prayed, and as I did God spoke so clearly to me from Scripture in this verse: 'It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way' (Proverbs 19:2).

Long story short, we turned down the offer in Philadelphia. And the opportunity opened up to become pastor of a church of what was then 80 loving families in what I consider the greatest place, with the greatest people any pastor could ever serve: Victoria.

The challenge is following God's purpose for our life. When we look at what he calls us to do, it might not make sense. But he's omniscient and we're not, right?

Take every thought captive

I'm currently reading "The Bondage Breaker", a book by Neil T. Anderson on overcoming negative thoughts, irrational feelings and habitual sins.

One interesting passage on p. 62-63 details an interaction that the author had with a student named Jay:

'I have a very close walk with God,' Jay boasted.

'What do you mean by that?' I asked.

'Well, when I leave school at noon each day, I ask God where He wants me to go for lunch. I usually hear a thought like Burger King, so I go to Burger King. Then I ask Him what He wants me to eat. If the thought comes to order a Whopper, I order a Whopper.'

'What about your church attendance?' I continued.

'I go every Sunday wherever God tells me to go. And for the last three Sundays, God has told me to go to a Mormon church.'

Jay sincerely wanted to do what God wanted him to do, but he was being deceived. God was not directing him to a Mormon church, and He is too good a nutritionist to suggest Whoppers all the time.

What Jay should have done is take every one of his thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

The legacy of divorce in Steven Spielberg movies

Mark Caro wrote an interesting column recently in the Chicago Tribune called "Indiana Jones and That Spielberg Ending". He writes:

Has any filmmaker pursued a single theme as obsessively over so many varied films as Steven Spielberg?

Almost every movie, no matter the genre, explores the same issue with a similar resolution: the repairing of the fractured family.

Spielberg's parents divorced in 1966, and that event had a huge impact on his life. He always wanted his parents to get back together.

I can relate to that -- my parents divorced when I was four years old, and I tried many times to get them back together. It's unfortunate that marriage, which is God's creation, so often ends in divorce. Divorce is way too common in our country -- could that be why Spielberg's movies are so popular? Are we a nation longing for strong families?

Please pray for the Henderson family

The leader of my Heart of a Warrior group, Tom Henderson, recently received some very difficult news. His 6-year-old son, Ian, has a tumor in his brain stem that is malignant and inoperable.

Please pray for Tom, his wife Deb, and their son Ian. I know that God can do wonders, and I'm praying that He will completely heal Ian.

The Hendersons have set up a CaringBridge site to share updates, and Tom is posting his thoughts on this journey on his blog.

Sharing "Wild at Heart" with my dad

I always have had a difficult time talking about God with my parents. On the advice of a friend, I decided to share John Eldredge's "Wild at Heart" with my dad. Now, my dad is a Norwegian who doesn't share his emotions. . .except for anger. We never have had deep talks.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting by lending him my copy of "Wild at Heart". Will he get angry? Will it provide us an excellent opportunity to talk about the Lord? We'll see. . .

Why do we get angry?

Anger is quite a powerful emotion. It can really cause a lot of harm and pain both in the person getting angry and in the person to whom the anger is directed.

In "Getting Anger Under Control", one of the authors, Rich Miller, asks the Lord why Miller got so mad at his son Brian:

The Lord reminded me that the fruit of the Spirit is self-control, not spouse or child control. By angrily trying to control others so I could fulfill my own purpose or satisfy my own desire for comfort, I was not acting in love.

This helped to put anger into perspective for me. We cannot change how people act. We can, however, change how we react.

Choosing between cancer and a newborn

The Sikeston Standard Democrat in Missouri recently ran a story about Tonya Pobst, who found out that she was pregnant after being diagnosed with cancer. She was about to undergo a mastectomy, and had two choices: continue with the surgery, but her pregnancy would be terminated — or wait until her second trimester, but the cancer could spread during that time. She decided to wait.

Pobst prayed and prayed, and God spoke to her:

'He said he’d take care of me, and the baby will be healthy,' Pobst said. '... I thought that’s what the Lord wanted me to do. This is his plan. Who am I to mess it up? Who am I to play God?'

Pobst followed God's plan and continued with her pregnancy. She had a healthy baby girl, Khielynn Claire, and surgery that removed all of her cancer.

The difference between the Lord's and Satan's presence

Right now I'm reading "Sheep in Wolves' Clothing" by Valerie J. McIntyre. It's a book about transference. In one passage on p. 14, McIntyre explains what it felt like to be in the Lord's presence when dealing with her transference experience:

When I chose to suffer honestly before God, looking only to Jesus on the Cross to bear my sin and sorrow, I found Him lifting that measure of pain from me and taking it into Himself. Sometimes I had sensory experiences of God's presence -- I felt myself cradled in a warm, loving embrace and heard lullabies.

She then goes on to explain what it felt like when Satan was around:

Still, there were times when I could not sort through what was false and stand in what was true. In those moments, there seemed to be a dark presence with me, one that was intent on getting me to accept as fact all manner of untruth about myself, others, and God.

McIntyre relied upon God during the times that she felt oppressed and eventually made her way out of the situation by total obedience to Him.

I'm excited to see "Prince Caspian"!

I, along with the majority of the U.S., am very eager to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". I thoroughly enjoyed "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".

The Star Tribune describes the new movie as "bigger, brasher, more magical and funnier than the first." I'm excited that I can take my 6-year-old son to it, too.

Would you be offended if you were Joseph?

Think about the story of Joseph for a moment, and all of the chances that he had to be offended at the bad things that happened to him:

• His brothers hated him not only because of Jacob's love for him, but also because of his dreams.
• His brothers plotted to kill him, but ended up putting him in a well for a while and then selling him as a slave to Egypt.
• He was accused of doing wrong against Potiphar's wife.
• He was thrown in prison.

And the list goes on. Just think -- if Joseph got offended at all of these nasty actions, he might have ruined God's plan to save his family and to help people survive the famine of Canaan.

I think about all of the times that I get offended, and I'm glad that God's plan is happening in spite of me.

God communicates to us through each other

It's fascinating how God can speak to us through each other. In "Fight Like a Man", Gordon Dalbey tells about an experience that John Wimber of The Vineyard had:

Early in his ministry, a woman came to him at a particularly busy moment and said matter-of-factly, 'I have a word for you from the Lord.'

With strained courtesy, he noted that he was in a hurry and urged her to proceed quickly -- whereupon the woman burst forth crying. For several minutes she spoke not a word as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Puzzled, Wimber waited respectfully, until his patience reached its limit. 'Could you please just give me the word, so I can get on with my schedule?' he asked.

The woman sobbed deeply and then, gathering her breath, said simply, 'That's it.'

The tears were God's message to Wimber, as if God was saying to Wimber, I love you so much it hurts me to see you wasting all the talent and energy I've given you chasing after the wind.

Amazing. Be on the lookout for moments like these; God works through us in spectacular ways.

We will be shaken

In the story of Simon Peter, he was shaken and humbled so much that his natural confidence turned to dependence on God. When we are shaken, what isn't of Jesus falls away, and that's why Jesus lets trials happen. John Bevere explains this on p. 89 of "The Bait of Satan":

Trials in this life will expose what is in your heart -- whether the offense is toward God or others. Tests either make you bitter toward God and your peers or stronger. If you pass the test, your roots will shoot down deeper, stabilizing you and your future. If you fail, you become offended, which can lead to defilement with bitterness.

I'm curious about how to discern which trials are just spiritual attacks by Satan and his evil spirits versus trials that are put in our lives to strengthen our faith in Jesus. Or are they one in the same?

You will offend others if you follow God

One passage that really resonates with me in "The Bait of Satan" deals with offending others because one is following God. In my family of origin, Christians or religious people often were put down. Consequently, as an adult I have not been as vocal about my faith as I would like to be.

Bevere makes the point that the religious leaders of Jesus' time were the ones who most vehemently opposed Jesus. And Bevere applies that to today:

Some will not understand you as you move with the Spirit. Don't allow their unpleasant response to deter you from what you know in your heart is true. Don't abort the flow of the Spirit for the desires of men.

If we are to persevere in our faith, others will be offended. Even if we were not followers of Jesus, I'm sure others would be offended with us. So we must soldier on, keeping the "eyes on the prize."

The problem of pride

I'm currently reading a book by John Bevere called "The Bait of Satan". The focus of this book is how Satan cunningly uses pride and offense to separate us from other people.

Bevere explains on page 8 how pride causes us to deny the true pain that we feel when someone offends us:

Pride keeps you from dealing with truth. It distorts your vision. You never change when you think everything is fine. Pride hardens your heart and dims the eyes of your understanding. It keeps you from the change of heart -- repentance -- that will set you free. Pride causes you to view yourself as a victim.

I personally have gone through life being on the lookout for people to offend me, and then I have severed ties (or my heart) with people. How easily I have fallen into Satan's trap! As we know from Matthew 18:21-22, we are to forgive others an infinite number of times.

Respect and protect women

Ever since Eve, women have had a difficult time in this world. They have been targeted by Satan because of their beauty. And too often men have been willing accomplices to Satan, happy to exert some sort of superiority over women.

Here are some things to think about, men:

• While the first woman, Eve, came from a man, every man since that time has come from a woman.
• God's image is reflected in the unity of both male and female.
• For you men that have sons, they are not clones of you. There are genetic characteristics from both your son's mother and you in your son.

God intended us to bond with women in an honoring way. And it's up to us to respect -- and protect -- them. (Gordon Dalbey's "Fight Like a Man" has two excellent chapters -- "The Woman as Ally" and "'Male Headship' and Battling for the Woman" that cover these topics.)

Surviving a pit bull attack

I recently completed a book by Gordon Dalbey called "Fight Like a Man". Dalbey was the inspiration for author John Eldredge. "Fight Like a Man" examines the wounds in men and how to heal ourselves by surrendering to Jesus.

In one passage of "Fight Like a Man", Dalbey recounts how he was jogging in his neighborhood late at night when he was attacked by a pit pull. Read on to hear how Dalbey survived even though no one was around and the pit pull already had taken a bite into his forearm:

All thoughts fled from my grasp as the dog quivered and crouched lower for its spring.

'Stop!' I heard myself pleading desperately -- and then, with determination, 'In the name of Jesus, stop!'

The instant the word Jesus sprang from my lips, a veil seemed to part, and by a new and holy instinct I knew at once what to do.

Utterly terrified, absolutely powerless, I surrendered.

'Jesus,' I whispered, looking away. As the dog let out a sharp yowl and lifted its forelegs to leap, I dropped my arms helplessly to my side.

In that unforgettable split second, more intense in both horror and peace that I have ever before known, all fear and tension swept out of me. Quietly, I stood there -- whether seconds or minutes I can't say.

I only know that when I looked down again, the dog had not leapt after all, but was still coiled and growling in front of me.

'Jesus,' I said again, this time calmly, and looked directly into the dog's burning eyes: 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.'

Hesitating yet, it growled once more, looked around, and then stood there just looking at me. Clearly, it was over. With a snort, the dog turned awkwardly and trotted off into the night.

Just think if Dalbey had tried to fight that pit bull on his own -- he would have been toast! So often we think that we can do it on our own. His experience should be a reminder to just surrender to Jesus.

A personal appearance by God

The Huntsville Times recently ran an interesting Q&A feature on the role that God has had in a person's life. The person that they profiled, James Waller, described personally experiencing God:

God personally appeared before me. In the fall of 1993, I remember being awakened at 3 a.m. When I looked up, I saw the Lord standing at the entrance to the apartment.

There was a dark silhouette with brilliant light all about his presence, and angels were dancing and playing, as if they were little children. When God spoke to me, my whole body shook at the sound of His voice.

Waller goes on to describe how the Lord called him to read the Book of Job. After that, Waller lost everything in service to the Lord.

Do we find happiness at church?

Jonathan Clements of The Wall Street Journal wrote this week about an interesting study on happiness and leisure time. The study of 4,000 Americans, by academics Daniel Kahneman, Alan Krueger, David Schkade, Norbert Schwarz and Arthur Stone, found that how we spend our time is a key factor in our happiness.

What Clements found the most intriguing was "the study's data on which activities we enjoy. The five professors grouped activities into six clusters, based on the emotions associated with each.

The standout cluster was what the authors label 'engaging leisure and spiritual activities,' things like visiting friends, exercising, attending church, listening to music, fishing, reading a book, sitting in a cafe or going to a party. When we spend time on our favorite of these activities, we're typically happy, engrossed and not especially stressed."

Come to think of it, I should head off to church now.

Donna the nurse

This week I was riding the light rail. Next to me sat a woman named Donna, who asked me many questions, including where I work (a financial services firm). I wasn't used to someone asking me so many questions. I later asked her questions and learned that she is a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

As Donna prepared to get off at her stop, she said that she believes every interaction with someone is the result of divine intervention. For Donna, sitting next to me and talking about her retirement savings and plans was helpful. I'm glad that I could be part of God's plan.

Son of evil street

No matter how many times we turn our backs on God, He is always there for us, welcoming us back home. Victor Torres is a prime example of Christ's grace. Torres started using heroin at age 14. He spent his teenage years as a drug pusher and got into a lot of trouble as a gang member. When Torres was 21, he became another Teen Challenge success story. He gave his life to Christ.

Since that time, Torres has been changing others' lives. He attended Bible school in California, founded a drug addiction rehabilitation home in Richmond, Va., and now is the pastor of New Life Outreach International Church.

Torres chronicled his life in a book called "Son of Evil Street". Thank goodness for Christ and His ability to transform lives.

Happy Easter!

Blessings to everyone as today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! I know of a couple Easter celebrations today that are different from the traditional ham, potatoes and dinner rolls Easter dinner.

My family's celebration today is one example. My dad is coming over. We're going to church. Then we're going to a Mexican restaurant. It probably will not be crowded. And all of my family loves Mexican food.

Another example: a friend of mine and his family are going to church. After that, they are going to have some friends over for a rousing game of "Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot". (I wonder if there's an Easter Bunny card included in this game about homicidal rabbits!)

In an interesting example of the Internet imitating life, if you click on the Killer Bunnies image on the left-hand column of images and then use the back button on your browser, another image will appear! The images multiply rapidly just like rabbits if you do this over and over!

Delivery people for God

I'm reading "Naturally Supernatural: Joining God in His Work" by Gary Best for my small group at church. It's filled with exciting and amazing stories of how God uses people to heal others and develop relationships with them.

By amazing, I mean genuinely amazing. We're talking people being healed of broken knuckles; one leg being two inches shorter than the other; and an example from p. 108 of a person being healed of a serious wrist injury:

I [the author, a pastor] gathered a team of twenty-somethings to pray for his wrist. They gathered around him and repeated what I had done in the bar -- they began praying over him God's wonderful invitation, ending by praying for his wrist. When they were finished, he literally couldn't speak. With tears in his eyes, he tried to describe, through gestures, the Presence that was resting on him. He discovered over the next few weeks that his arm was completely healed.

I often wonder what my spiritual gift would be, how I could best deliver "packages from God" to people. I'm sure that God has and will use me somehow. I just need to remember that it's not about me; it's about Him and letting the Holy Spirit flow through me to make a difference in this world.

Minnesota Prayer Breakfast

I attended the Minnesota Prayer Breakfast this week in St. Paul. It was an excellent event, because many people of different political opinions were able to gather together to talk about one thing that they had in common: God and the power of prayer.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty talked about the need to pray for our troops. Brad Anderson, the CEO of Best Buy, gave the keynote speech and related a story about a close call on a recent airline flight that he took. There was a rough landing at LaGuardia Airport; he prayed before landing. Instead of praying for survival, Anderson found himself immediately praying for forgiveness.

We all need God's forgiveness. In addition, we all need to forgive each other.

Giving back through the Salvation Army

Canada's Advertiser recently ran an article about Bill and Marilyn Francis, the highest-ranking Salvation Army officers for the Canada/Bermuda territory. In the article, Marilyn talked about God's role in her joining the Salvation Army:

It wasn't until she met Commissioner Bill that she became involved. She was a schoolteacher, but says God spoke to her in a dramatic way, reminding her of the job he had for her.

'If you have everything for yourself, and you have a heart for people who have nothing, you know there has to be some way to give back but you don't know what to do,' she said. 'At least for my own heart, I was longing for that. God knew it and revealed that to me as I prayed and asked me to join the Salvation Army.'

Although their jobs are demanding, the couple has found it to be very rewarding to be changing the world and turning around hopeless situations.