Fun with the Kids!

We hear so many people say that children are our future; but let me tell you, the future is now.  I have spent the last 6 days with 32 wonderful kids and our own children have gotten to be a part of this special group. While we have seen some beautiful sights in Hawaii, our children have had an opportunity to witness for Christ.  From a church, to a hotel, to the Polynesian Cultural Center, and even on the bus tonight, they have sung about Christ's resurrection and return.  It makes a dad proud to see and hear his children lift up the name of Jesus in song. Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying God's creation in Hawaii. 

Jeremy and Jenna at Pali Road. The windiest place on the island.

Jessica with some of her friends on the windiest part of the island. 

Singing at the Polynesian Cultural Center

And the kids all dressed up to go on the sunset dinner cruise--the Ali'i Kai

In A Hurry

It was 1:30 am when we left the house this morning.  After a pretty much sleepless night, we were all in a hurry to get to Hawaii.  So we hurried to McHale PAC and . . . waited.  Then we hurried up to get on the bus and . . . waited.  We hurried up to get the airport and . . . waited.  The plane hurried to Arizona where we have waited for 3 hours. It seems we spend a lot of time hurrying up so we can wait. But I wonder in what moments we would be more likely to wait on the Lord. Do we hear The Lord best in our hurry up mode. Do we hear him, in the words of VeggieTales, when we are "busy, busy, frightfully busy." Or could it just be in those moments of waiting that God is most inclined to speak to you.  It is no wonder that Solomon wrote the words in Proverbs 20:22, "Wait on The Lord and He will rescue you." I don't know about you, but I can get so frustrated in the waiting that my God ears do not hear him very well.  In those moments of waiting, I can miss the very thing that God is trying to tell me. And it could be that playing the game, Old Maid, with my daughter in the airport concourse is the blessing that God wanted for me all along. 

In our hurry up society, most waiting time is complaining time.  We do not like to wait on that trainee at the cash register.  We do not want to wait for those two people in front of us to get their oil changed.  And, we are in such a hurry, that we often finish other people's sentences. Maybe today, instead of hurrying up so we can . . . wait, we should just spend those few minutes . . . waiting. Why not take a few minutes to let the Lord rescue you from your problem? Why not take a few moments and wait to do the urgent thing and instead do the important thing. Why not look forward to the waiting just to see what God will do in those moments? Maybe today we need to experience the joy of waiting.

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.