Are you listening?

Two weeks ago we took our first group on a “plunge” into the Orlando area. Within the time there we carved out a half hour to spread out, grab a journal and a pen, and just ask God to speak to us and tell us what He wants us to do (the “listening prayer”). The idea is to listen and write down whatever God says to you.

I know it sounds kind of weird but you know what? I think we often are so busy talking TO God we forget to listen FOR Him to answer. That night after we did the listening prayer we asked everyone to share what God said to them. I was blown away that night. God spoke to ALL 30 OF US! We sat before Him and listened and He spoke!

It was a tearful evening as I just began to realize in my own life how little time I spend truly listening for God to speak. I am busy “doing”, I am busy “going”, I am busy “being”, I am rarely sitting still and “listening”.

How about you? When was the last time you sat still for 30 minutes, grabbed a pen and journal and sat before God and invited Him to speak to you? I am convinced He so desperately wants to but rarely does He get to.

Samuel was asleep and was woken up when he heard God’s voice calling out to him. There was just one problem. Samuel didn’t recognize it. He thought it was Eli, his mentor, who was asleep in another room, calling to him. It wasn’t until the third time that Eli realized it was God calling to Samuel and He instructed Samuel to answer. 1 Sam 3: 8 – Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

God has such an unbelievable desire to speak to us. He longs to speak life and truth and direction into our lives. How often do you and I, like Samuel, not recognize His voice? The voice of Our Savior, full of love for us, so gentle, so caring.

It is my prayer for my life and for yours that you might sit down this week, maybe even today, with pen and journal and speak those words that Eli instructed Samuel to say .. “Speak Lord for your servant is listening”.

God desperately wants to communicate with you… are you listening??

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27

25 Random Things

25 Random Things about me:

1. I hate being the center of attention: i know go figure, but id rather be a wallflower.

2. I don’t write “LOL” unless i really am laughing out loud

3. i am a late night person AND a morning person…. how does that happen? i am tired a lot.

4. My favorite fast food is Taco bell i have gotten the SAME thing every time i have been there for the last 8 years…. i dont eat there much any more…. it goes right to my hips….

5. In the morning when my kids want me to get up… they bring me my leg and say “daddy get up!” haha

6. I tend to say what i am thinking before i think about what i am saying… sometimes brilliance comes out of my mouth….. but most of the time…..ugh

7. Every time i get in the car i am racing against an unseen clock to make the fastest time ever to get where i am going. now if i could only find that clock…

8. I AM the one legged guy in the butt kicking contest that everyone talks about!

9. I don’t mind conflict… in fact i kind of like it… it clears the air quickly and resolves stuff….. most of the time.

10. my sense of humor is about that of a junior high boy….!

11. four kids is a lot of work….. i know… Melissa tells me so!! just kidding dont get mad at me for that one!

12. I am really easily amused

13. To me “dork” is a compliment

14. I am a MAC guy. I love it, i dont know how or when it happened but i am converted!

15. I hate the taste of coffee but love the effects. I am not addicted but have had a cup of coffee every day for the last 10 years at least…. but as i say…. i am not addicted.

16. Watching my kids be born is the most amazing thing ive ever seen…. its also the most disgusting thing ive ever seen… but moreso amazing than disgusting….close call tho:)

17. I didn’t cry at the birth of any of my kids…. i wanted to…. but got nothing…. i think that had to do with #16…

18. Secretly i LOVED high school musical and yes i do watch the modern version of 90210

19. On our honeymoon we went to disneyworld, now we are gonna live near there… huh

20. if i weren’t old i would be tempted to go try out for american idol… i love that show.

21. my goal in college was to graduate with a 3.0….. my final gpa was a 3.01…. i overachieved!

22. I wake up in the morning next to my absolute best friend in the world….. God is good! Love you Meliss (altho you’ll never see this because you are not on fb, i will show it to you)

23. i own a business that makes water stands for small dogs AND PEOPLE BUY THEM!! Dog people are a little crazy….

24. My brother has 10 times the personality that i have, he loves the stage and is a great actor… hes actually auditioning right now for a Dodge commercial.

25. I cant wait to get to heaven, i want Jesus to come back now but will faithfully serve Him here until he does or I die. Whichever comes first! preferably the first…. haha

EMOTIONS (Part One)

As I meet and talk with people who are feeling a nudge to go on a great adventure with God, there is a common emotion that is usually attached with the push to completely change your life and follow Jesus wherever He asks you to go. It is an emotion many of us attempt our whole lives to avoid. One we organize and structure our daily to do list to get rid of and one no one in their right mind would willingly step into. That emotion is fear.

As my wife and I have found, once the reality of a potential calling hits, one that could and will change many aspects of your life, soon thereafter along with excitement and joy is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of moving away from family and friends, fear of following our own desires instead of God’s, fear of starting over, fear of it not being worth it. ALL OF THESE FEARS ARE NORMAL to experience when we feel God calling us to do something that requires sacrifice.

As I read the scriptures and see when Jesus calls his disciples, I am amazed at their willingness to drop their nets on the spot and follow. How did they do that? How could they in a moments notice leave their family business, leave their family, leave their friends and follow Jesus who really hadn’t even done that much up to that point? They had to have been afraid, they had to have wondered if it was going to be worth it. What compelled them to be so bold, so quick, so willing to follow Jesus? I believe it was a number of things. They had an advantage over us…. They could look Jesus the Son of God in the eyes. Maybe it was the determination they saw on his face as he asked them to give up everything to follow him? Maybe it was a look in his eye that made them feel they could trust this man? Maybe it was their desire to truly be obedient to God or to actually make a difference in the world around them? Whatever it was, in a moments notice it pushed all of them beyond their initial fear to being willing to leave everything to follow Jesus. It changed their life forever. They would never be the same.

I believe that is where much of our fear comes in as we contemplate truly following Jesus wherever he asks us to go. Many of us fear our lives being changed forever. We like the comfort of the “known”. We like the stability of knowing for the most part what tomorrow has in store. We have friends, we have a schedule, we have a job, we have a house, extended family which are all good things. For many of us to even think about leaving any or all of that brings up a certain anxiety or fear of it not being as good on the other side of following God. Don’t think my wife and I haven’t experienced the same anxiety and fear as we accepted this mission to lead Kensington to Orlando…. we have. We asked the questions many of you may have… “how do we leave an amazing church family?”, “how do we leave our family behind?, “Florida really? its so hot and humid in the summer.”, “we are comfortable here, we are doing fine, why mess up a good thing?” And each time we asked the question we also felt God ask us a question… a simple question…. One that has a yes or no answer. “Kevin, Melissa…. Do you trust me? Do you trust my word? My promises?”

Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

As fear creeps in, as the fear of potential failure, of the unknown, of leaving what is known to go into the unknown begins to cloud the front windshield of my life, I find myself face to face with THE question….”do I really trust God?”. Do I really trust that his plans are better than mine? Do I really trust that his plans are good plans? And it is at these moments that Gods’ promises speak up and the answer, although its scary to say….is yes. I do believe that. But saying it is one thing, living it out is quite another.

A new beginning

Most often in my life as I look back i have revelled and thrived in change.  Change has always been a part of my life.  I am not a big planner and have never had a 5 or 10 year plan.  I have been asked by many leaders “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” only to answer them “I dont know, im going to do whatever God asks me to do today to the best of my ability and see where He takes me tomorrow”.  And seriously, i have lived like that for my entire life with Jesus up to this point.  I still do not have a 5 year plan and dont feel the necessity to have one.  If i truly am willing to do whatever God asks me whenever He asks me to do it, does it make any sense to plan 3 or 5 years out?  Does God operate that way? if I make a plan and come up with the steps to get to my plan…. i think i might be more apt to hold tight to it and want to pursue it rather than God.  Now of course that is just me.  I work better with a focus on the task at hand, doing what God has put in front of me as best I can.  Up to this point i have been amazed at where that has led me.  I am amazed at the unbelievable opportunities God has put before Melissa and I to do so much more than I EVER would have dreamed.  I thank God i dont have to have a 5 or a 10 year plean. And I trust Him to light up the next step in His path for my life.  I trust Him.  I dont need the next 5 steps, just the next step.  Call me crazy or foolish (of which i have been called both for living and leading this way) but me,  I am content to know the next step.

As far as change goes, following God this way seems like constant change…. and i love it…. mostly.  The change we are experiencing now (leaving an unbvelievably healthy church to another unbelievably healthy church only to leave it and start up hopefully an unbelievably healthy campus of that church in FL) has been a harder change than expected.  I will write about that as I process through it but I also have a trusst in God that this step we are following Him on is not only the right one but it leads to things that we are too small minded to even dream up!  That is the hope and Joy of following Jesus day by day.