Fun with Family

There has been a lot of joking around through the years with me about the issue of family, As most of you know, I am an only child. Now, let's get this straight, there is no way in the world that I will ever be able to understand what it is like to have a brother or sister. I have people that I would say are like 
brother or sister, but there is really no way for me to know what that is like. It is just like someone who has never parachuted. You can talk about it, but without experience, it is hard to be authoritative in your comments; at least not like someone who has actually taken the jump.

Here is the story about family that has gotten me lots of funny looks through the years. When Peggy and I got married twenty some years ago, we had all these pictures taken at the wedding. We had so many taken that it was hard to decide which ones we wanted to keep. When we finally decided Peggy said to me, "We just need my sister's picture order and we will be good to go." I looked at Peggy funny and said, "Why does she want some of our pictures?" Peggy responded, "because she is my sister." To which I said, "I don't know why she would want any of our pictures, I wouldn't want any of hers." Before you get all judgmental on me, remember that I had no context of a sister - sister relationship. It was an only child who had no context.

Let me just say that my context has changed. It has been twenty three years ago that my ignorance flowed out of my mouth without restraint. Now I have grown to love my sister-in-law and her family deeply. It has been a joy to spend time with them on so many occasions. They have opened their home to us, laughed with us, went out to eat with us, and loved us. I have held and prayed for each of her kids when they were babies, watched them grow into wonderful adults and had the great joy of performing the wedding service for their oldest, Katie to Ryan, who has been a great addition to our family. 

For the last four days we have had a blast at their home in Ohio. Hebrews 13:1 says, "Keep on loving each other as brothers." Let me say that this family has helped me to understand this passage better than any other. I have a sister through Peggy and her wonderful family. And as we have been on sabbatical this summer we had time to be with them more than any other. I asked the congregation to spend one day a week this summer loving God and family. On the sabbath, practice the fourth command that ties loving God to loving each other. Let me just say, that this sabbath with my "sister" has been great and I now have some "pictures that I really want" to prove it.

So don't forget to spend one day a week this summer loving God and family. Enjoy God and each other, then write about the special things you did with your family so we can share them with each other this fall. 

Gina, Andy, Katie, Ryan, Kyle, and Chaney-- love you guys!!!

Fully Alive!!!

WOW!!! What an evening! It was so great to see so many of my church family at the Ken Davis concert on Saturday. It was wonderful to see McHale filled with people from our community for this special event. It was wonderful to see Brian present Jason from the Emmaus Center a check for $5000.00. It was wonderful to hear the message from Ken about living life to the fullest. It was wonderful to be a part of such a grand evening! A special thanks to Brian King who poured his love and energy into this event. And to the Sabbatical Team for giving back to the community since we have been blessed by God in so many ways. And thanks to the volunteers who gave of their time to make this evening great! And let us not forget to thank the Good Lord who made this all available to us. God has been so good to us as a congregation and we need to make sure that we are praising His Holy Name this summer.

Back to the concert; It is amazing to me that the message that Ken Davis shared on Saturday has been the message that has been on my heart all summer. It has been the course of my study. It has been the prayer that I have lifted up to Jesus day after day. I do not want to be one of those people who spend their whole life waiting to die. I know lots of Christians who are so looking forward to the afterlife that they missed living this life. Don't get me wrong; I am looking forward to living eternally with Jesus, but I believe God wants us to live fully for Him today. God wants us to enjoy living. Think about this, God could have done away with this life and just sent us all to heaven to begin with. Since He did not do this, life must be important to God: living must be important to God for He gave us life. I believe the words of Paul in Philippians, "If I am to go on living in the body this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me" (Philippians 1:22-26). Paul got the fact that it was better for him (and us) to be with Christ. But, that does not mean that we should not live life fully in the joy of Christ today! Paul was here for the progress and JOY of the faith. Living a life filled with joy. I have determined that I will live for Christ while I have breath in my lungs. I will serve Christ while I have power in my muscles. I will  think about Christ while I have grey matter in my skull. And then, after my life is over, I will live with Christ in worship and praise to Him throughout eternity.

I had someone who said to me a few months ago, "I have figured out Jeremy and Jessica, but that Jenna, I just can't peg her." As many of you know, Jenna is a little different than my other two children. They all have their own personalities but Jenna is a little different than  the other two. I said to this person, "I have Jenna pegged perfectly. Jenna just loves to live! She loves life and lives it fully! Every day is a new day with new possibilities and Jenna lives that day to its fullest. She doesn't regret yesterday and she doesn't worry about tomorrow, she just lives." Jenna has figured out what it means to be fully alive in Christ at eight. She has something in her that most adults have missed. Maybe that is why Jesus calls us to have a child like faith. We need to be more like Jenna and not worry so much about what we did yesterday. Maybe we need to be more like Jenna and not worry so much about what tomorrow holds. Instead, we need to live for Christ today. God gives us life, let's live it. Christ gives us salvation, let's enjoy it. The Holy Spirit gives us power, let's use it and live!!!

Pastor Aaron

Last Day in Paris

A number of years ago Peggy had told me she had always dreamed of going to Paris, France. It was one of those things I stuck in the back of my mind.  Many people might call that a pipe dream, one of those things you want to do but will never accomplish. When I was booking reservations for Paul's Journeys the travel agent said we would be flying home through France. It was going to be an  eight hour layover. Immediately my mind began to wonder. I remembered the conversation from many years ago and then, I thought of all that Peggy had given up for me. I decided it was time for me to do something special for her. The eight hour layover turned into a three day adventure. 

I was going to surprise Peggy and not tell her we were going to spend 3 days in Paris, but my excitement was too great.  I had to tell her about the little hotel in downtown Paris. One that was so close to Notre Dame and the Louvre that we could walk there and so close to the Seine River where we could ride a boat together.  I still remember the look in her eyes when she said, " You mean I am going to get to go to the Louvre; that has always been on my bucket list!"  The look on her face and her words were priceless! Now she seen first hand the Venus De Milo.

And the Mona Lisa . . . 

Tell me guys, can you tell me three things that your wife would love to do or go to in this lifetime? Can you think of a dream she would like to fulfill? All too often our minds focus on the things we would like to accomplish in this life, but let me tell you there has been great joy these last three days in watching my wife check something off of her bucket list.  

My friends, listen to your spouse, find out what her dreams are and then make it happen. It just may give you more pleasure than fulfilling you own dreams.

Friends

We left a whole new group of friends today. For the last twelve days we have hung out with a group of people we would have never met if we had not been on this trip. A couple from Canada were there; she is getting ready to have the same surgery that Peggy had on her neck. Then there were these two pastors who were just really great guys; a little off the wall but lots of fun. Lowell and Elizabeth were a really nice older couple who we grew to love, There was a priest on the trip. He was seventy two and needed a little help walking on the rough roads; good health but a bad knee, what a really great guy. And then there was Keith and Deb; the first day we sat with them for dinner. He has been a pastor for fifteen years, like me; been in the same church all that time, like me; they were on Sabbatical, like me; and he applied for the Lilly Sabbatical grant, like me. The big difference was that he did not get the grant. Peggy and I sat with this couple for twelve days and never shared with them that we received the grant that they applied for. I felt like it would have been a slap in the face for him and our friendship. So Peggy and I sat quietly and thankfully when Sabbatical talk was going on. I know I am blessed to have the opportunity I have been given. In the last few days I walked the streets of Corinth.

I visited the mountain where Paul spoke to the philosophers in Athens,

I stood with the love of my life in the Acropolis knowing that Paul had walked those streets,

Sat in the seats in Ephesus where Paul defended his faith,

I have been to the churches of Rome, Philippi, Ephesus and Thessalonika. I have been to the ports where Paul arrived to bring the good news of Jesus Christ. I have worshiped at the place of Lydia's baptism and the first Church of Rome. I have stood atop ancient monasteries that for thousands of years have been a witness to the gospel of Christ. And in all of those places Keith and Deb were right there beside us as a constant reminder of the blessing that Peggy and I have received. 

Maybe you are wondering how Keith and Deb got on this trip if they did not receive the grant. Well, when Lilly said "no" their church said "yes." Their congregation raised the money needed so they could walk on the streets where Paul walked. Blessings are flowing from everywhere over here. In His Love, Aaron

    

Lesson Two

Slow Down!  This is just not an easy thing to do.  We spent some time yesterday with people who really know how to slow down.  We went to the top of two mountains to see a monastery and a nunnery.  These people spend their whole lives devoted to slowing down and experiencing God.  But here is the question:  What is the difference between slowing down and being lazy?  We all know people who are lazy and I do not want to be like that.  But on the other hand, being on the go all of the time makes it hard to hear the voice of God.  Lesson 2 for me is that slowing down is not laziness.  

As we drove to the top of these mountains and walked into their places of worship, it felt like a place where you could come close to God.  With the beauty of God's creation all around you, it was so easy to sense His presence.  It was a place where I just wanted to sit for a while.  It was a place of real peace.  But in the middle of that peace were tourists hurrying from here to there and many of them just missed the purpose of that place.  

I pray in the coming weeks that I will be able to find the difference between slowing down and being lazy.  They are not the same.  

The Greek culture is all about slowing down.  The streets are filled with coffee shops where people gather to visit for hours on end.  Greek coffee is boiled at a very low temperature until it is ready.  You cannot drink it right away like we do. It must sit for a while; the coffee grounds need to settle to the bottom of the cup before you can drink it. While it settles, they sit and visit and enjoy each other's company.  They take time to develop their relationships. This my friends is not lazy, but maybe just the way God wants us to live. So slow down and smell the coffee.

Philippi

e are two books i turn to when i don't know where to read. If I want to spend some time learning about Christ, i read the book of John. But the book I have read more than any other, the one I go to if I want to think about living, is the book of Philippians. It speaks of Joy, and Love and Service. Hundreds of

time in my life I have read through these four chapters at one setting. I did that again today as we drove to the church that received that letter. Our day revolved around Acts 16. Paul is on his second missionary journey. During the night he has a vision of a man from Macedonia calling for him to come and help them. Paul, Timothy and Luke head to the town in need.

On the way into the city, Paul ran into a woman named Lydia. she was a dealer in Purple cloth. She Believed in the name of Jesus , repented of her sins, and was Baptized at this spot. 

He would have came into the city using this ancient road that is still present today.

Paul went into the city and preached in the Agora. This is the forum or meeting place in the city.

He came across a woman possessed with an evil spirit that allowed her to predict the future. he cast the demon out of her and landed in this jail because of it.Here is where most believe Paul spent the night in jail singing and praising God. Then. an earthquake shook the doors of the jail, the place was opened, and Paul could go free.Here is the jail.

But they didn't leave and because of it the jailor and his family got saved. They were members of the first church built in Macedonia. This one that still stands today.and here is where the altar stood. 

Wow! the bible came alive again today. Praise The Lord!

What Does It Cost You?

We often forget that everything we purchase has a price.  How many hours of your life do you give for your ipad? How many hours do you give to buy a car? How many hours of your life do you eat at Subway?  You see, an hour at work is an hour of your life that you exchange for money, then you use that hour of your life to purchase something like an ipad, a car or going to Subway.  Everyday of our life we trade away hours for cash; and cash for things.  So, in essence, we trade our life for stuff.  

Now, let me ask you this?  What is your faith costing?  Total up the number of hours you spend a week reading your Bible, going to church, Bible study, prayer, serving the needy, visiting the sick and the like and see what it costs you. Add in the hours you work to put money in the offering plate and see what your faith costs you.  What do you find? If your faith was a seat on an airplane, would you be flying economy class, coach, business class, first class or private jet?

Let me share with you 2 pictures that are in a class all their own.  The first picture is the inside of the colosseum. All the Christian had to do to escape the death sentence was to declare Caesar as Lord.  How simple.  How cheap.  With an economy class kind of faith, it seems to cost nothing to say those 3 little words; but to hold your tongue, or better yet, with 50,000 screaming fans in your presence to declare Jesus as Lord would cost you everything.They say the blood of the martyrs ran so deep in this

place that it flowed through all 77 doors of this place.  The smell of blood and rotting flesh was such a stench that workers poured perfume to cover the smell. You see, there were people whose faith caused them to give it all.  They would exchange their life on earth; they would give up the rest of their hours to live in favor of one person--Jesus Christ.  

The second picture is of a famous location.  It is the spot where one of the disciples gave up the rest of his life.  After claiming he would die with Christ and running away when the rooster crowed, Peter had a little time to think.  There was a day for Peter when being a first class follower of Jesus still gave him a little bit of wiggle room.  He loved Jesus, but did not have a faith that would cost him everything.  But many years later, Peter's faith had grown.  It had grown beyond first class faith to a private jet kind of faith.  He was all in.  No holding back.  No good enough. No it will do.  Peter would go all the way and give up the rest of the hours of his days.  In the location of the picture you see here, Peter was

crucified upside down.   He did not feel worthy to die like Jesus, but willing to die, he was.  The much older and wiser Peter realized that a faith that costs little has little value, but a faith that costs much is more precious than the hours of your life.  

I am not suggesting that you die today for your faith, but standing on two spots where many people gave the ultimate price, I began to question what my faith costs me; maybe you should take a moment, as well, and calculate the value of your faith.