Wes’ Blog

On “Half a Dozen”

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 15:19:24 -0700

As I start this new school year, my twelfth since beginning to work with students full time 12 years ago, I have a few reflections on things I've noticed over the years. Maybe you'll find them funny, you will relate or you will disagree. Please comment & let me know what you think! Half a dozen going into a dozen.

1. The only thing I know about technology is that it will be different by the time I figure it out. I mean, I didn't have a cell phone when I began. And I remember taking 90 minutes to call 30 kids - they didn't have email & their parents certainly didn't either. This little newsletter I'm composing - yeah, it took me days and I literally cut and paste to put it together! Thankfully we have a God who is the same yesterday, today & forever (Hebrews 13:8).

2. Relationships are still the key to life. I notice this first and foremost with my own kids. For one it's time, another it's words & the other one touch. They each have specific ways that I can target to build into them a healthy relationship. Those 5 minute discourse lectures they must endure at times speak far less than the time building legos, huge encouraging words or "snuggle time." It's the same with students at school and church - they respond to a relationship far greater than some great talk or game I "put on." Ministry must be about relationships - folks' with me and them with God (John 15).

3. Parents are more scared then the students. Maybe it's because I can relate to this as a parent of a growing . . .

(continued from parent eNewsletter here)

. . . 7 year old boy, I feel like my head is on a swivel looking at things he sees and things that I get concerned might influence him. And then I think of when I was a kid & I remember what I did. I remember my 3rd or 4th year of ministry when a parent told me that they couldn’t tell their teen not to smoke pot because they did when they were younger. Really? Now we can all agree that’s ludicrous but often times I do things like that on a small scale and don’t follow the commands of Deuteronomy 6:1-10 to talk about God’s commands (even if I’m not perfect at following them). Be the parent. And not the parent you think your kid needs but the parent God wants you to be.

4. Prayer is the key to success. When I pray I’m focused on what matters and I truly lay my agenda and perspective at the throne of Jesus. Somehow in prayer I get God’s perspective and I sense I care more and better than I ever can. And I’m led to action in areas that REALLY matter instead of what I think does. And success? Yeah, it’s definition is simply obedience. Success to me is obeying God in each moment and second of the day. Call it childlike, but the reality is that I’m not the measurer of success & it can’t be fully measured until we all meet The Measurer face to face.

1. Failure is a good thing. The best lessons I’ve learned from my biggest mistakes. I never want to make mistakes (Mt. 5:48 - be perfect as our heavenly father is), but God is sanctifying me through my responses (even if those are the mistakes and sins I make).

1. I need help. Medically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, in parenting, in ministry, in marriage and in all else. God has gifted me, but I’m not meant to do this thing called life by myself. I just wasn’t designed that way. Neither were you. None of us were! My son is memorizing passages from 1 Corinthians 12 for school this year and I’m finding it to be so true of this.

On “Churgent”

Mon, 23 May 2011 17:43:11 -0700

There’s an urgency in the Church. While many were saying this in weeks leading up to the day that was not the end of the world, there’s a certain urgency to our church. Folks need to hear about Jesus so they can be saved, hope needs to be delivered in an often oppressive state for so many, and we need revival for folks who are so lukewarm. But there’s also an urgency in my own church personally and I’m burdened by it.

All I can say is that I want God’s Spirit to rain down. Pour down. And light us on fire for all things that are Him. When I pray, I am moved to these requests to God. And following these requests I am stilled. There’s tears, a calm, a listening spirit and a pause I can neither explain nor press through. In part, I’m quenched. To another degree, I’m stirred to be a leader who not only ushers folks to the foot of God’s throne, but one who provides opportunities for the urgency to be acted on by others. Am I leading in a way that motivates? Am I contagious in my zeal? Is folks’ lack of urgency in part my fault? I’m burdened by this. While I’ve needed to take a back seat for a season, I sense the need to live churgently.

On “In spite of”

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:19:44 -0700

I recently heard a comment regarding “in spite of the consequences” we need to obey God. I agree that we need to obey God first before anything. That’s where holiness is lived out. We are saved by grace and live by faith. The evidence of our faith is through our works, so obedience “in spite of the consequences” makes sense to me. I mean, it’s really losing one’s life to save it, which is biblical (Mt. 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24).

What concerns me is the fact that some Christ-followers obey for the purpose “to spite the consequences.” There’s almost this whiney aspect to many conservative Christ-followers that we “can’t” do certain things and we need to look for ways to be persecuted so that we are living “in spite of consequences.” In doing so, they like to point out why they can’t do certain things that Americans formerly were able to and now can’t in this postmodern (post-Christian) world in which we live. The problem with that is it can become a life “to spite” the consequences. That’s not God’s heart nor the attitude I think Jesus sought us to live out.

We are kingdom people - Kingdom of God - not kingdom of earth. Many of us happen to reap the benefits and blessings of many forefathers who sought to separate from a convoluted monarchy 300+ years ago. God has given so much favor to so many of us who live in this day and age and those who lived in the generations that preceded us. Much of it was lived with Judeo-Christian values, but now they are gone. And we’re somehow disappointed. We’ve lived with a government that was set up to separate church and state & yet we’ve lived like we are entitled to a state that operates with the values of the church. I wonder how much those Christ-followers today who are waiting to see America turn back to its Judeo-Christian values are like Puritans hoping the Crown would be revived.

So what am I saying? Am I just whining about those who are whining & therefore double-negating myself? No. I want us to be Kingdom people. Kingdom of God first and foremost. And actually, Kingdom people ONLY. While there is a place for taking a stand in workplaces, schools, homes and certainly government, our obedience is to God’s heart and passions & His Truth regardless of consequences. It’s not in spite of anything. And it’s certainly not to spite anything.

May I be someone who lives to glorify God in how he wants me to, period.

On processing

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 20:11:17 -0700

As I mentioned in my last blog, I’m a processor. Some people think and then spit out information and they have their mind made up before they speak it. Others discuss things before they decide exactly what they want or believe. I’m sure there are other even other types of processing ways but I’ve learned mine.

My counselor says quite graphically that it’s as if I vomit out everything that’s in my head, including what I agree with and clearly don’t. I share all sides of the situation in a discussion and then sort out what is truth, including what I say. This is fairly healthy if you can learn what to sort out and what to say/not to say. The trouble is that you need to be able to process with folks who understand how you do and who allow you to do so. Those who spit out info assume that what you say is what you mean and you won’t change your mind (because they usually don’t). I like to sort it all out once it’s all on the table. It’s how I prepare a message, plan a program, discuss and think. I need to get it out in the open!

So does this mean I’m not letting my “yes be yes” and “no be no? (Matthew 5:37)” I don’t think so necessarily, but I could be wrong. What do you think?

With all the learning styles, personality types, gift-tests and more, I wish there was a processing clarification of sorts so we could understand ourselves and let others know how we operate. I think I’d be better and others around me better for it. I certainly want to change and make myself more useful to those around me, but then again, maybe that’s just me processing . . .

On missing blogging

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 20:00:48 -0700

So blogging is a wonderful outlet for me. I am such a processor that I need to get it all out of my system and then sort out what I am thinking. But blogging is something that you have to be careful about, too. I thought about putting this on facebook, but kinda like having my own outlet that’s actually less seen. It’s as if it’s “out there” but you have to want to look for it. I guess what I’m saying is I think I need to have an out(let). I am thankful for technology in that sense.