Dear Papaw,
As you lay in the hospital bed in Stephenville, my heart is overflowing with so much emotion. One moment, I am laughing and the very next moment I am crying! I do not know how much longer you have, but I wanted to share my heart.
Papaw, do you remember the things we shared?
The time when when I was a little boy and I had eaten too much dinner and you caught my throw up in your huge hands.
The nights I would lay in the bed with you and Nanaw as a little boy and rub your fingernail until I went to sleep.
The letters you would write to me when you were in Del City working for the Soil Conversation Service.
The time I help you lead "I'll Fly Away" at Highland Baptist Church.
The giant candy canes I would buy for yo at Christmas.
The recordings of all the grandkids having radio time with you.
The Christmas of my 5th grade year when you were really sick because of the Colon Cancer.
The laughter we shared picking on Nanaw.
The breakfasts we would all eat together in the morning.
The many rides on the tractor with you as you would plow the field.
THe Gandy's big red tub of ice cream we would always eat at night together.
Papaw, as I write this on Tuesday night, on the last day of November in 2010 you are still alive. You are still laying there anticipating the greatest moment of your existence. Paul tells us that when we are absent of the body we are then present with the Lord. Papaw, just imagine, very shortly you are going to see Him. You are going to see the one in which you sang so much about. You will be able to touch him and look into his eyes. Papaw, I have to be honest! I want to go with you, not that I am ready to die, but just to make sure you are going to be okay! I never have been without you and the comfort you have given me my entire existence I want to give a little back. It is crazy to think those very big blue eyes that I stared into yesterday evening will soon look into the eyes of Jesus. Papaw, could you please tell him something for me. Please tell Him, "Thank you!" Thank him for giving me a Papaw like you.
Pawpaw, I give praise to my Jesus for the time we shared together!
I love you more than words could ever express!
Your grandson, John!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Youth Ministry Prayer
As the stage is set for the next wave of Youth Ministers, my heart cries out in prayer for the future of Youth Ministry.
This is my prayer!
God I thank you for the opportunity to be here at the NYWC. God I thank you for the ones that have gone on before us in the world of Youth Ministry. But the stage is now empty, ready for others to step in and begin to lead the current culture of youth. God may we not be a culture of Youth Pastors that seek to do what everyone else is doing. God may we know our kids and their unique diverse design. May we not entertain. May we not seek to draw "more" kids for the sake of numbers. May prayer take the place of calendering in our week. May school lunches be something that we so often attend, that we are mistaken as school employees. May Youth Pastors and Workers find their peace in who you have created them to be. If it is bald, then let us be bald. If it is spiked hair allow us to be ones of spiked hair. If tattoos are something we want, may we get them. But God, our God please let us live by our conviction and not be guilty of trying to duplicate what "success" looks like. God when we (Youth Pastors/Workers) meet each other at the mall, conferences, Starbucks, etc. may we never ask the number of students we have at our gatherings, but may we be quick to ask how our spiritual journey is going. May we be quick to pray for one another. May we be quick to join hands across denominational lines, creating a Unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17: 20-23. God, may we focus on our marriage to our husband/wife and being a father/mother to our kids first, before we invest in the lives of others!
God this is my prayer for all of us that you have called to serve in the Youth Ministry! In the powerful name of Jesus!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Holy Spirit...
A question for followers of Jesus...
1. When was the last time the Holy Spirit was tangibly seen/experienced in the movement of a service you attended?
Yesterday I had the privilege of being involved in a gathering of followers in which the Holy Spirit was tangibly experienced by many within the room. I know for some, even reading this it makes you nervous, but why? Why are we fearful of what the Holy Spirit is able to do if we are willing to get out of the way? Is it that we are afraid of the service being "unbiblical" or is that we are afraid of what the Holy Spirit, "a co-equal" portion of the Trinity will ask us to do?
The Spirit began moving within repentance...
As I arrived at the Youth Building I had many plans of my own in getting ready for the morning, but found myself sweeping, vacuuming, and picking up trash. As I started cleaning, there was an intense battle within me that was deeply rooted in pride! My flesh was crying out, "Why am I doing this, there are people that do this? I should call them and ask them why it didn't get done." As the minutes past, God quickly through his Holy Spirit (John 16:13) reminded me of a scripture in Philippians 2 in which Paul tells the church of Phillipi that "although he (Jesus) was God, he (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself..." Then the Spirit took over in my thoughts and begin to ask questions in which I could not ignore..."So John, when have you become too important to sweep or vaccum a floor?" He continued..."If you are truly like my Son, you would do more of the "menial tasks" you think you have become too important to do!" That was tough to hear but it was oh so freeing!!!
A few hours at the 10.01...
God through His Holy Spirit did a beautiful thing at 10.01 (our Youth Ministry Ministry service) yesterday. Instead of "doing" as we had always, we changed things up. Getting back to the basics of what God has called us to do as followers, gathering to worship the Creator.
With only scriptures and prayer guiding the morning, we left room for the Holy Spirit to move within the students and adults.
This is what we tangibly experienced by the movement of the Holy Spirit:
1. A girl that had just learned that her grandfather has been diagnosed by an aggressive cancer was sitting beside a girl that had recently lost her grandfather. Oh yeah, and one girl is a senior at WHS and the other a freshman at TCA. These two ended up sitting beside each other yesterday only by the Spirit's guiding. We were able to see this, because we left room for this to occur!
2. At the beginning of service I went up to a student that I hadn't seen at 1o.01. We begin to dialogue in asking where he was from and what he was involved in. After the service he came up to me and said that he was in a rough time and needed help because of where his family was currently. I was able to connect him to parents in the back that was familiar with his town and was willing to walk beside him in this difficult time. Because of obedience to listen to the Holy Spirit in talking to this boy before service, he felt a comforting trust to come and share with me, in which, for God's glory, I was able to connect him to wonderful parents in the back!
3. One of the greatest experiences happened as a result of several acts of obedience..
A couple in our Adult Community Group shared Saturday night about an experience they had in their marriage in which I was able to use them as an example at 10.01 the next morning. In this, I asked students at the end of 10.01, if anyone had parents in a particular struggle that matched the couple that shared at our Community on Saturday, to go and talk and seek prayer with this couple. Well, a girl did. And the coolest thing, this particular girl had a something in common with this couple that she is able to minister to them as well! Oh man, was this cool!
God you are awesome.
Sermons and songs are good, but leadings by the Holy Spirit is so greatly needed and desired in this culture in which we live and exist. I close with a warning from Paul to the church in Thessolonica that I pass onto churches in America today...
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire!"
Show His love, others long for!
1. When was the last time the Holy Spirit was tangibly seen/experienced in the movement of a service you attended?
Yesterday I had the privilege of being involved in a gathering of followers in which the Holy Spirit was tangibly experienced by many within the room. I know for some, even reading this it makes you nervous, but why? Why are we fearful of what the Holy Spirit is able to do if we are willing to get out of the way? Is it that we are afraid of the service being "unbiblical" or is that we are afraid of what the Holy Spirit, "a co-equal" portion of the Trinity will ask us to do?
The Spirit began moving within repentance...
As I arrived at the Youth Building I had many plans of my own in getting ready for the morning, but found myself sweeping, vacuuming, and picking up trash. As I started cleaning, there was an intense battle within me that was deeply rooted in pride! My flesh was crying out, "Why am I doing this, there are people that do this? I should call them and ask them why it didn't get done." As the minutes past, God quickly through his Holy Spirit (John 16:13) reminded me of a scripture in Philippians 2 in which Paul tells the church of Phillipi that "although he (Jesus) was God, he (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself..." Then the Spirit took over in my thoughts and begin to ask questions in which I could not ignore..."So John, when have you become too important to sweep or vaccum a floor?" He continued..."If you are truly like my Son, you would do more of the "menial tasks" you think you have become too important to do!" That was tough to hear but it was oh so freeing!!!
A few hours at the 10.01...
God through His Holy Spirit did a beautiful thing at 10.01 (our Youth Ministry Ministry service) yesterday. Instead of "doing" as we had always, we changed things up. Getting back to the basics of what God has called us to do as followers, gathering to worship the Creator.
With only scriptures and prayer guiding the morning, we left room for the Holy Spirit to move within the students and adults.
This is what we tangibly experienced by the movement of the Holy Spirit:
1. A girl that had just learned that her grandfather has been diagnosed by an aggressive cancer was sitting beside a girl that had recently lost her grandfather. Oh yeah, and one girl is a senior at WHS and the other a freshman at TCA. These two ended up sitting beside each other yesterday only by the Spirit's guiding. We were able to see this, because we left room for this to occur!
2. At the beginning of service I went up to a student that I hadn't seen at 1o.01. We begin to dialogue in asking where he was from and what he was involved in. After the service he came up to me and said that he was in a rough time and needed help because of where his family was currently. I was able to connect him to parents in the back that was familiar with his town and was willing to walk beside him in this difficult time. Because of obedience to listen to the Holy Spirit in talking to this boy before service, he felt a comforting trust to come and share with me, in which, for God's glory, I was able to connect him to wonderful parents in the back!
3. One of the greatest experiences happened as a result of several acts of obedience..
A couple in our Adult Community Group shared Saturday night about an experience they had in their marriage in which I was able to use them as an example at 10.01 the next morning. In this, I asked students at the end of 10.01, if anyone had parents in a particular struggle that matched the couple that shared at our Community on Saturday, to go and talk and seek prayer with this couple. Well, a girl did. And the coolest thing, this particular girl had a something in common with this couple that she is able to minister to them as well! Oh man, was this cool!
God you are awesome.
Sermons and songs are good, but leadings by the Holy Spirit is so greatly needed and desired in this culture in which we live and exist. I close with a warning from Paul to the church in Thessolonica that I pass onto churches in America today...
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire!"
Show His love, others long for!
Monday, November 1, 2010
A thank you note to Jordan's Biological Mom.
To: Jordan's Biological Mom
This is a thank you from one grateful dad for the choice you made to keep Jordan and offer him for adoption. I know you could have made the choice to abort Jordan, but instead you chose to carry him for nine months and give birth to him on June 3, 2007 I just wanted to give you an update on our J-man.
He loves to sing. I am not for sure if you did alot of singing while you were carrying him, but he loves singing all types of songs, from "Frosty the Snowman" to "Jesus Loves Me." Thank you for allowing me to hear my J-man sing.
He also loves to drive his tractor outside. We enjoy long walks in which he drives with a purpose and I am able to journey with him through reminiscing about my early days growing up on the farm. Although he is not genetically my boy, we share so much in this. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to walk beside my J-man while he drives his tractor.
He is a boy full of kindness. You cannot push Jordan on a swing without him saying thank you! Most times you have to teach children to say "thank you", but J-man reminds me to say "thank you" to others. Thank you for allowing me to experience this kindness.
He is also a boy full of compassion. He cares so much about others. Just the other day Ava, his sister of the same age from Haiti, got into trouble. Just after I finished scolding her, she had to go to the restroom. A few minutes later, Ava was still crying on the toilet and Jordan had his arm around her with her head in his chest. This made my cry! Thank you for these experiences you afforded us.
Oh, one final thing! He is definitely his mommy's boy! They have all kinds of cuddle time and special moments. He loves his mama very much! Thank you for allowing me to see a different side of my wife in the gift of J-man!
I know there had to be difficult times in the carrying of Jordan for the 8-9 months. There might have even been some times you wished that you wouldn't have, but I want to tell you that you made the right choice and we are forever grateful!
Sincerely,
Jordan's adoptive dad
Why do I write this letter? Because I am truly grateful. After coming face to face with the reality of abortion, I am forever changed. What is done is horrific! We have allowed this to go on too long! Praise God for Grace House Ministries and Abort73.com, but we cannot let them do this alone! We must stand and support these Kingdom Ministries in their day by day powerful impact! We cannot stand by any longer as followers! Whether it is through adoption, supporting, volunteering, being a voice through supporting PRO-LIFE candidates; we must do our part!
A few statistics about abortion:
WORLDWIDE
Number of abortions per year: Approximately 42 Million
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 115,000
Where abortions occur:
83% of all abortions are obtained in developing countries and 17% occur in developed countries.
Be a voice of change! Stand up and fight for those that do not have a voice!
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