Now what?!

I just glanced back to see something that I had posted about a "New Direction".  My "direction" took a detour in September.  I stepped away from Incubator Creative Group.  I have reasons which I do not intend to get into.  But I think it is worth clarifying that I am not with them right now.  So then now what?
I started looking at job boards and found a church that was looking for a guitarist.  I sent an email and then waited.  After about a week I got an e-mail back that the position was open and I had several quick e-mails to me from the Director of Worship.  The following day I met with her and the pastor in an informal interview of sorts.  I was invited to come to the church and see what was happening there and if I felt this was what God wanted, and they felt the same, we could move forward with this.  As I write this I've been there for almost 5 months.  I started playing guitar with the worship team and the last Sunday of January actually led the worship in music.  This coming Sunday the church moves to two services.  That follows thir changing of denominational affiliation (Converge Worldwide) and the new name of the church: Christ Community Church.  It also follows monthly membership classes and baptisms in nearly the past three months (I may be short a month!).  God is doing some amazing things there and people are coming to Christ!  Lives are changing!  It's amazing what God is up to there.
On a personal level, I have seen God doing something in me.  Speaking to me and working on me.  Each Sunday there has been at least one thing that the Pastor has said that God has got me chewing on. 
As I look forward to speaking on February 17th and 24th I am reminded of the growth yet to take place in my life.  I will be carrying weeks 2 and 3 of the series "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality".  (The church records the services and places them online if you are interested in seeing them.) 
In preparation for this series I've been reading and listening to the books by Peter Scazzero.  I feel like God has taken a Brillo pad to my life.  In interactions with others God challenges me with the words that I have been reading.  What I wrestle with is the concept that "nothing is hidden from God and everything will be laid bare before Him."  Like others, I fear the sudden exposure to the light of the dark places in my heart.  But to be the person God wants me to be, I have to bring it all there before Him.  The level of honesty with myself is frightening.  The depth of the changes I see on the horizon though, are emancipating.  Knowing that I don't have to be anything other than who God has made me, and dealing with others in the freedom of knowing Christ and experiencing His love, thus being able to show His love to others, is beyond words. 
The first step in this process of changing direction and coming to this point has been that of surrender to God.  I had to let go of what I planned and I have to agree with Him that His plan was better.  Obedience from love is what He asks.  Faith is the expression of walking in obedience.  I do not know where this will all lead.  I do know that God is leading and I must follow.  Jesus is my direction.

Life lessons with my Karate Kid

I could count the lights on the ceiling as I got pinned for the 3rd time.  I remember that I was just a little older than my son when that happened. It was my first wrestling meet and my Dad had come to watch me.  I looked over at him as I got rolled for that 3rd time (I believe I wrestled Bart Floyd, Dan Beatty, and Jay Pitz.)  I was so disappointed.  I felt like such a failure and I never wanted to wrestle again, ever.  So when I sat in the bleacher seats for my sons first Martial Arts tournament I had this unwanted memory.  With it came all the awkwardness of the feelings that were associated.  I wanted him to do well, and felt he would, but I also knew that anything could happen.
After the initial "forms" competition came the "sparing" event that he was signed up for.  He was so itching to get in there that he was working the wall over and then another kid from Project Future / Bushido Kai was doing some light sparing in the hallway before hand.  He was quite ready.  So ready that I thought he'd wear himself out first! 
With orders from my wife to record the matches I had my iPhone in hand.  I watched the two matches through the screen.  The first match I was most nervous about. But right at the start he got a point, the other person got a point. Next thing I knew the match was over and he won 3-1!  I looked back at my friend Rod and got a thumbs up from him.  He won?! What a relief!  He won!
The second match started and with great amazement my son had knocked the kid back on his butt with a clash.  After that, well, it didn't go so well.  He lost 3-0 (clashes are not points).  I waited to see if there were any more matches.  None.  They lined the kids up and awarded trophies for 1st to 3rd and a medal for 4th.  Somehow he got the 4th place medal out of 4 kids.  (We're still looking into that as I don't quite see how that happened... with his loss to the 1st place guy he should have gotten at least 3rd place. But I digress...)
He was devastated that he placed last.  Just like me, he was faced with the sense of being a failure.  He was crying and ready to quit.  At that moment I had a chance to pass on to my son something that it took years for me to learn about... Endurance / Perseverance.  Failure is not fatal.  You have two choices, stay down and throw a pity party, blame and point fingers or get up and learn from the failure... work harder and get better... be responsible for what will happen next.  It's scary how much my oldest is a "mini me"... such similar interests and yes, such similar internal frailties (even though I keep telling him the great qualities I see).  Personally, I never thought I was very smart, talented or good looking.  I learned along the way that who I am in Christ is much more than what I or others have thought of me.  I know that my son is taking what he heard and putting it into practice... after his class last night, he put on sparing equipment and got right back at it!  So proud of him! My lesson in this?  Don't let the past dictate the present... those lights may become stars to reach for.
How about you?  How have you kept going when it was easy to just quit?

Are YOU the new minister?

You probably don't know it yet, but it is official... YOU are the new minister!  I can see the shock on your virtual face right now.  You were thinking, possibly, "Oh, Lonnie got a church!"  Nope, sorry.  It's more like "Lonnie got a clue." A clue that we need to grasp with understanding and conviction.  Ready?  Here it is: God has MADE you to minister to others. God has CALLED you to minister to others.  God has GIFTED you to minster to others. 

Still in shock?

Think about this: The biggest fallacy that people have bought into in the 'Church,' is that, the Pastor is the "minister" who "ministers" the sacraments of communion and baptism... who "ministers" at weddings and funerals and hospitals... and who "ministers" to all of 'my' needs.

Not true.  Ephesians 4:11-13 says,  "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers serve a purpose, but what? 

So that those who follow Jesus could, "getcha popcorn ready?!" lol No way!

So that (reading verse 12) to equip his people for works of service...  You are the new minister!  I hear a shriek, "But I don't know how to minister!" Ok.  So God wants to teach you by the Holy Spirit and by the people he's called and approved to oversee you.

Isaiah 50:4 says, "The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue,
   to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning,
   wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. 

Here's what I know God has been doing in my life from the moment I said, "YES" to His call on my life... 

God made me with specific experiences that others can relate to.  I don't relate to everyone (though God knows I've tried to be 'all things to all people' and failed)... but I do relate to people who struggle with panic attacks, infertility, self-esteem, sexual abuse as a child, and divorce (my parents). I relate well with people who really want to know how God brings freedom into your life in the areas of hurt, because I've been there and continue to experience healing and hope.  I also feel a deep affinity with those people who are tired of dead faith that seeks to hide behind a script of self-righteous behavior. The truth is that God calls us to be real, authentic people with a Living Expression of Christ. (there's much more I could say about that, and will, eventually.) 

What the verse from Isaiah explains is that God teaches us though even the most difficult and unpleasant things in life to be able to come along side someone who is in a similar place and give them a word of hope to sustain them.  As you grow in your faith and speak with God (prayer), He will wake you up and give you things to think on even at night.  I know that is true because God has done that for years in my life.  Not a lot at first, but over time it increases.  As I ask God to speak to me, He'll teach me and show me who and how He wants me to minister.  Sometimes I find myself getting a thought while I'm talking to someone.  I know that God is there and wanting to minister to that person through me.  

And the truth is that God wants to do all of that and more through you!  YOU are the new minister!  You are the person He is equipping to represent Christ to people who are hurting in similar ways that you are, to bring them a word that sustains their weary soul. 

This world is dying for a new minister.  Are YOU the new minister?  I pray that you accept the call to be that minister to the people God sends YOU to. "So You're the new minister..." ;)

( A special thanks to God for speaking loudly through Pastor Jon at Kenmore Alliance Church and my friends (Nate and Tami) at Incubator Creative Group this week!  I couldn't have posted this with out you.)

Shut the door!

As a parent, I frequently have to tell my boys, "Shut the door!"  There are various reasons to shut that door, and most of them are to keep something out like the cold (during winter), heat (during summer), strangers and other dangers, etc..  This made me think about the conversation God had with Cain about Abel.

God says to Cain in Genesis 4:7 (NIV)
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

What God was saying is, "Shut the door!"  Don't entertain the thoughts that will lead you to do evil!  As you read Genesis 4 you see that Cain chose to open the door and he killed his brother.  Sin had it's way with Cain.

But what about us?  Sin is crouching at your door and it desires to have you!  That word is still for today.   Truth is I've entertained thoughts that I never should have in the past, and being part of the human race, I know that you and I have so much in common. LOL :)   We may not be opening the door to allow sin into our lives where it will bring physical death, but the Bible teaches that the consequences for allowing that sin to "have it's way with us" leads to death.  We have to shut the door to some stinkin' thinkin'. 

Years ago I was working at KFC (doing chicken right!) and training a guy.  One day while we were working he said, "If that Assistant Manager looks at me again like that I'm gonna quit!"  He convinced himself that there was a problem and had decided that he was going to quit.  Moments later the Assistant Manager walked through, glanced at us working and walked to the office.  Just after that he said, "That's it!  I quit!"  He needed to shut the door.  There are husbands and wives who have or are thinking about entertaining thoughts that will ruin their marriage and family.  Shut the door on that!  Choose to stop that thinking and make a change.  Follow through with that change by finding someone who will walk through the process with you.  Knowing that you need to doesn't mean that you will, and trying to do it all alone is setting you up for failure. (does that make sense?!)  It's not just marriages, it goes into other relationships, other choices.  The great lies of sin are, "it's not gonna hurt anyone." and "But I deserve better!"  (there are more lies, but I find these pretty common)  You can look around your neck of the world and hear stories of broken hearts and lives.  You can probably point to a situation you know about, or even worse, know the pain of personally.  It touches all of us.  We have to "Shut the door!"

Here's what I know... we gotta do a better job of "shutting the door" on that sin and the thoughts that lead us down the wrong path and leave a trail of destruction.  If you are part of that trail I know that Grace, Truth and Time will help you to make it.  (but that's another post)  Don't give up!
Praying that God helps you do it or helps you through it!  Shut the door!

Lessons from learning along the way....

I was listening today to one of the Vista Cafe (c) segments from Incubator Creative Group.  They started talking about John Wesley (one of my favorites!) and the reason people came to watch him was that he asked God to "Set him on fire" and people came to watch him burn.  That moved to the "burning bush" which Moses encountered.  At that point my mind begain thinking and here's what came next...
In my mind I moved ahead to Moses and the Children of Israel in the desert.  The burning bush was where Moses got his call.  The plan was to liberate the Hebrews and take them to the promised land.  But it took 40 years for them to get there.  Did it have to?  Maybe, maybe not.  (but is was based on their obedience and trust or lack of that) Then I began to make it personal.

Some of us feel like we've been wondering for 40 years in the "desert" waiting to get to where we are going to.  (just had an 'ah ha!' at this point)  The desert for the Children of Israel wasn't that they were not going anywhere, because God was testing them to see if they would be faithful.  There's always a process, a kind of desert to go through.  Incubator has an Application Process which can be confused for: "why did you drag us into the desert to die" feel. ;) But it really is a "testing" time of sorts.  Amazingly biblical.  So many of us (artists) think that we arrive at the promise land when we get to do our first concert or have enough of a following that we can record our first album/CD/professional digital audio recording or have an "official" tour. (I'm kind of running out of 'what would come next kind of stuff') Everyone wants to get to the Promised Land, not everyone wants to go through the desert of testing.  It is in the desert that we learn patience and endurance.  We learn to keep plodding and growing.  We learn not to just stand and watch because the sands of time will just bury us there. We learn to trust and be obedient.  We learn that what we've come through prepares us for what's ahead. We learn in the desert.  We apply all of that learning in the Promised Land. What is your Promised Land?  Are you trying to dodge the desert?  Don't.  Ask God to continue to lead you, just as He did when He took them by the hand and provided for them and prepared them for their destination.

Following a new path...

Today I invested in the future of people I haven't met yet. I started down a road that I've never been on, to reach people who will be in need of the words and songs that I bring and sing.  There are places where I've never traveled. I'll go because the hand of God wants to reach out to heal and restore them. There are churches that will need to remember they are the Bride of Christ.  There is a wedding feast ahead and they need to be ready! There is a Groom (Christ) who they need to fall passionately in love with! The expression of their love, their "Living Expressions" need to be seen in the places where they live, work and shop. I know that God wants to use me for greater purposes than to change out magazines and books! LOL
That's why I began a journey to pursue a music ministry... emphasis on the ministry part.  The Incubator Creative Group is a management company that helps "hatch" new music ministries.  With a proven plan and track record, they help to shape the artist and the ministry.  It is a process that begins with the discovery of the great gift that God has placed inside of us.  It's in sharing that 'gift' of experiences, including failures and pain, with individuals and groups of people, that I'll develop a niche' of people that will want to partner with me.  Just to clarify something... I'm really buying Incubators vision about music ministry.  They are not about me creating music so that I can make a CD and book concerts, maybe sell a few t-shirts and posters.  They are about using the music as a means of placing me where I can minister to/with people.  The music is a business... small one at that(!), but the ministry is always free.  I know someone is scratching their head about this.  This isn't the Nashville model of the music business.  This is a different model, that has at the heart, ministry that takes place with individuals not only after a concert, but between concerts, in various forms.  My heart is not to write songs and perform them so that the world can say what a wonderful person I am.  My heart is to write and share music that says how wonderful God is!  My heart is to be transparent about where I've been and what I've been through, to encourage and begin to point others to where they can have hope and healing in Christ! 
I know that not everyone will jump on board, and I'm just fine with that.  But I know that there are people who have believed in what God has been doing in me far longer than I have believe it myself.  You are the friends and family that will partner with me.  I so look forward to what God will do in and through us together! 


For His Glory alone... Lonnie

Memory lane and Apple along the way...

As I started Junior High, the school added a computer lab.  A thing called an Apple II computer captured my young imagination. (they also had "knock offs" we called "Black Apples" that we used...).  To my vocabulary was added "diskette", "boot" and a game called "Parachute."  Along with that came an infatuation with this technology.  Before school started, and after it was over, you'd find me and a handful of kids, sitting and playing... some were actually programing.  I started to write simple programs.  I learned "IF / THEN" statements. Something like "RUN" and later "BRUN". It was new and exciting.  As the tech grew we went from II to IIe and C... As I began high school I was introduced to a guy in a wheelchair.  As I remember he was that way from a High School football accident.  He had limited mobility and couldn't type with both hands, but by placing something on his hand, with a pencil in, it he would type. I was amazed at how this Apple computer could help him. I was at his house frequently and, at times, wondered if I wore out my welcome.  Still, when he was willing I would come visit him and use his computer to play games and write programs.  One of our favorite games was the "Eamon" text games.  It was kind of like a pre Dungeons and Dragons thing.  I laugh as I remember things from it like, "You've been attacked by a rabid rabbit!"  Somehow a friend figured out how to make your character invincible by changing the programing... it came in handy when you were trying to beat something like a Minotaur! Moving in the game came from your responses to what the details of the room were... with no joystick, just text, basic questions and directions of N-E-W-S... you would find your way through the game.  On those Apple computers we also played a Star Wars text game. As you were saving Princess Lea you would have to swing across from doorway to doorway (just like in the movie...).  Because of the programing, it would have a "Random" chance to break the rope.  When it happened you would read, "EGAD the rope broke!"  Funny, when things would go bad you might occasionally hear me utter those words.  Amazed at how I could sit and play for hours...
In High School we had computer class.  The first day of class the teachers says, "If you have any questions ask Steve, Mike or Lonnie." Needless to say I was helping a lot during class and doing my work after school!  The Apple computer was here and our lives were changing.  As I graduated and went to college the Personal Computer (PC) was brought into the mainstream.  About the same time Steve Jobs and Apple introduced the Macintosh, or Mac for short.  It was about then that I began to think that Apple was about to disappear. Apple and Steve Jobs had decided that he didn't want "knock off" Mac's being sold.  PC's, on the other hand, were made by IBM and others, which flooded the market with cheaper computers.  As I remember, Apple's share was really dwindling.  About the only place an Apple would be found was in Academia... and a few hardcore believers homes... I found a family that were hardcore Apple people... they allowed me to type a few papers for college with it... I vaguely remember having the paper nearly finished and then having it shutoff... Oh the thoughts I had about Apple... bad Apple...  From that experience I moved on, so I thought, from Apple.  I played around with a Commodore 64 for a while and then on a friends IBM PC... got my own PC, and then another, and another... as years passed I watched the Apple product line change.  Their stuff became more "all-in-one" and then thinner, lighter... always less buggy, less hassle... or so I kept hearing.  My reintroduction with Apple came as my wife won an iPod music player with Tim Horton's "Roll up the rim to win".  I was amazed at the fact that in my hand was the same processing and greater storage than the Apple II's I grew up using.  A couple years after that I purchased my first iPod Touch... 3rd generation... yes it took me that long!  But since then, I've logged plenty of hours on it playing a game or checking e-mail, surfing the web and writing notes to remind me of things I need to do, or a song that "just came to me".  There are days I wonder what I did without it.  I think one of the more amazing things is that it has a touch screen... no mouse or clunky keyboard to attach, just pinch and swipe your way around.  We just got my youngest his own iPod Touch 4... I can't wait to use the "Facetime" feature with it.  The built in camera has already gotten lots of use.  Funny, to me how this is the only Apple my boys have known...
So what does this trip down memory lane mean?  How about... One life can change culture, vocabulary and even direction. Steve Jobs had the creative imagination to suggest, "What if..." and then he surrounded himself with people that could help make that happen, and they did.  They pushed the boundaries of what was and began to shape a world.  His other lesson might be... Capitalism is not inherently evil.  Capitalism allowed him the room to innovate... Jobs created jobs (excuse the pun...)!  His achievements represents the best part of that economic view point.  To imagine... a 19 yr old getting off his butt and doing something to change his world for the better.  Steve Jobs is probably upgrading the tables that God gave Moses even now...

Labor Day thoughts

Labor Day is almost over and tomorrow starts a new work week for me and a new school year for my boys.  (YEA!) But before the day is gone I wanted to put up a couple thoughts about working or laboring.  You see I'm married to one of the hardest working people I know.  In the past couple weeks I've really gotten to see that up close, and see some of the fruit of that.  Amy's an RN... not just someone who wipes butts and takes the brunt of verbal abuse by people who feel that they need to use their colorful vocabulary, but I digress... Though that does happen in her line of work, she tries, with great patience, to keep smiling and working.  What sets Amy apart is the fact that she goes above and beyond her call of duty.  She uses humor like "Patch Adams" as an RN to help her patients relax and know that they will get her best care.  Even though she always will give you her best, there are people that she really feels a connection with. Recently that happened.  He was her patient, a guy with a larger than life personality.  He had married a gem of a gal. (so I gathered as Amy talked about them and our experience at the wake).  Amy was like an angel that God sent for them.  When something was not right they called Amy at home and she immediately called to give assistance.  One story Amy told me about them was so touching... he was 'out of it' most of the time but one day was 'with it' enough that Amy asked him, "you had enough of me yet?"  He said, "Yes"  She replied, "Oh no you didn't!" He beamed a smile back.  Then she proceeded to move him over in the bed giving his wife instructions to "get in there with him!".  She got the wife's cell phone and took pictures of the two of them smiling at each other. They didn't know how many days they had left together, but that day was going to be memorable, and it was.
At the wake we were greeted by person after person who was up there and gushed about what kind of help my wife and another nurse gave them.  We were ushered up to meet the wife, passing about 45 people in a line that never seemed to shrink.  My wife had our boys each give her a single white rose with red highlights.  We were kissed and hugged and reminded what a treasure we had in Amy.  That day we saw the effect of being excellent at our work.
Recently my wife found out that she was written up for Nurse of the Year and twice was written up for Nurse of the Month.  
If there was a holiday that exemplified her it is Labor Day.  She's the real deal.  As a Christian there is no better way to open a door than to work with excellence.  I'm very proud of her! The world would be much better filled with people who worked that hard, with that much passion!

Reflections on Kingdom Bound 2011

I was so excited to be able to go to KB 2011 with my family. I've been there before with my wife, before the kids came, but not since the boys were born, with her. My kids will not forget the water rides and kiddie rides. My oldest commented last night that his favorite part of being there (outside the rides) was "being with friends and family." We certainly loved being with our friends and having some family time. But as I look back there are a few things that were highlights. First off, it was a real honor to meet some of my twitter friends at KB. It wasn't like a marathon sit down and catch up kind of thing... it was more of, "Oh, so that's who you are!" Placing in our minds the actual people whose faces we've come to see next to their tweets. Had to laugh when Brenton Brown realized I was "life with Lonnie". (the picture at first is Brenton) I didn't think I'd meet Brenton because they tend to move everyone off the stage quickly and into the back, but when I came back by the tent I saw him talking with @Dan_Gross and then I got to shake Mr. Brown's (notice how respectful I am...) hand not once, but twice! When I told my family, who had been waiting for me at the laser light show, they were all excited too! As a worship pastor I've done a lot of Brenton's music (and Paul Baloche). I've been singing as I've worked in my basement Paul Baloche's songs and Brenton's also. "Our God is Near" and "Adoration" are on shuffle on my iTouch. Brenton's latest release had two songs that have really spoken to me." All For You " is that moment, as a worship pastor/leader, when it's just you and Jesus. It's a reminder that it isn't about us, but God, and for His glory. The other song "Our God Is Mercy" is just a great reminder that we can come to the Lord in our time of need because God desires to flood our lives with His overwhelming love. Needless to say there are a lot of songs that he's written or co-written that have, at some point, ministered to me or helped me to minister God's grace in it's various forms to others. So I was pretty pumped to meet Brenton and pray that our paths will cross another day. [and I'll have intelligible words to say. ;) ]


My last reflection is of Paul Baloche (pictured above). Paul was amazing... actually, it was amazing what God did through Paul the two days I saw him! While playing his set at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) he talked about how his dad (96) was really close to being with Jesus. (His mom and dad just celebrated 63 years of marriage!) You could see that it was tearing him up, but God was gracious and helped him lead. Afterward I tweeted to Paul "Thanks for leading out of your brokenness today." He responded with, "sometimes we have to, eh?" I tweeted back: "yes sometimes we have to... But then the Lord is most near and His strength lifts us. Amen?!" The next morning God used Paul to lead us to the very presence of God. Loved his openness and humility. Love the "Horton Hears a Who" thought of us 'little people' calling out to the Lord, "Hear our joyful sound here at Kingdom Bound" ... also the song he wrote inspired from,"Psalm 60 something"... "as morning dawns and evening fades..." I sensed God's presence so deeply that it moved me to tears more than once. (not just Paul but when Brenton played too) I took away from this that all of the practice is necessary for these times when we can barely keep it together. God takes all of the work we've put in and our times of personal worship, then in our brokenness shows up in ways that we could never hope to manufacture in our strength. Out of this I've found myself practicing and playing a bit more. I'm finding some new songs breathed into my heart that I hope I will be able to share. It was good to be with God's people at Kingdom Bound 2011!

Tangled... revisited... and more!

Shortly after I posted the last entry I seriously thought about the character of the "mother" and how she so mimicked the picture of the devil that the Bible speaks of. Jesus said in the book of John: "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy." In so many ways that's exactly what she was doing... she stole Rapunzel, attempted to kill her "boyfriend" and at every turn she tried to destroy any hope that Rapunzel had. The Bible says that the devil is the "Father of lies". This "mother" claimed to "know best" but lied about who she was and lied and deceived to manipulate the people around her. As I watched that movie it just angered me that she would do that... How could she trap the girl? How could she pretend to be something she wasn't?! How could she manipulate the people around her to help her perpetuate her facade? Then it hit me that is exactly how the devil works. He tries to paint Christians as "extremists" who are "dangerous". He wants to kill any hope that arises when one person places their faith in Jesus Christ. He wants to destroy marriages and have pastors caught in sins of all types to degrade any thought that Jesus' words are true and "work". It seems to me that the movie "Tangled" really brings out some interesting thoughts. What's your response?

Tangled, more than a review.

I'm a person who tends to see more than what's in the movie. Take the movie Tangled. As I see it it's more than another long hair story. The gospel story is woven into it. So you've seen the movie? Where is the gospel story? Movie: Girl is kidnapped from the palace and raised as a child of someone else. The gospel story: Sin entered the world and our identity as children of God was stolen. Movie: Every year on her birthday she would see lights floating in the sky and think to herself that somehow those were meant for her. Also she saw the picture of the sun flower and in her tower she saw the sun flower. The gospel story: God has placed eternity in the heart of man. God has given witness to us through nature that He is there. He calls to us by the Spirit of God. Are you keeping up? Movie: She realizes who she is and longs to return home. To get there a sacrifice is made, a man dies and is raised back to life. The gospel: In order for us to "return home" and claim our identity as children of God, Jesus dies and is raised back to life (the character is hardly Jesus, or sinless, but dies and is brought back) The movie: She returns home to a mother and father who have desperately missed her. The scene is quite moving... what was lost is found! A party ensues! The gospel: Just that, what was lost is found. Our return home is celebrated by heaven throwing a party!
For me personally, when the father and mother were reunited with the daughter, I was transported in my thoughts to the day that I see Jesus face to face. The joy that fills my heart.
I liked Tangled for the story line, humor and the fact that the bad lady loses (oh... another biblical factoid: the devil loses!)
So there you have it. Tangled, more than a review. THE Message within the media.

At the crossroads...

I'm reminded in this season of my life of the words of Jeremiah 6:16 "This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"
What I see here is that God invites us to stand at the crossroads and look. We need to be observant. God then says, "Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is..." God calls us to pray, to seek and listen. Do you know where you are going... standing at the crossroads... wondering what's next. God wants to reveal things to us... to show us His path, but He says, "Walk in it..." We have to determine the course and then stay the course! It's easy to read the bible and then say, "Well, I don't know if I agree with that." But that is exactly what God calls us to do... agree with HIM that His path is the right one. You know when you have gotten on the wrong path? When you lack peace. God's promise is that as we pray and go that we will find rest for our souls. We will find peace in the midst of anything happening because we are where He wants us. The question is "will you"? Sadly many have said, "We will not walk in it." Choose to discover and "walk in it"!

stuff that's swimming in my head...

Tonight I went to see Ps100, a group of guys that sing some very tight Christian Rock (and praise & worship). Most of their music is original. It is definitely worth a listen! My connection with them is through their drummer. Back in the day when I was leading worship in Akron NY he was on the team. God has brought Mike so far (and through things I had no idea about before tonight... believing that God's healing his wife of that cancer!) Tonight I came with a head full and heart broken. There's just been so much going on lately that it's been overwhelming. Trying to carry the burdens of others while carrying your own is quite a task. Tonight I was reminded that "Your grace is enough". We are not guaranteed by God a life without any heartache, physical illness, relational tension, poverty (or riches) etc. But we are guaranteed that as we place our faith in Jesus Christ to cover our sins, God runs to us, picks us up and carries us. Sometimes, I believe, He just holds us like children that have had the worst nightmare and we just can't shake it. It is in our brokenness that he floods his love through the cracks of our heart. Healing us. Mending us. Giving us a hope that many, honestly, can't comprehend. That is the hope of eternal life. Not that we keep this life, or by some form of cosmic cruelty, to return again and again until we 'get it right'. No. The bible says all this 'stuff' is temporary. Eventually it will all "burn". Jesus said he was preparing a place for us to come back and take us to. This is our hope. Jesus endured the darkest hour of his life knowing the joy to come.
As Brenton Brown (singer/songwriter) wrote in the song OUR GOD IS MERCY: "The Kingdom of our God is near, lift your eyes, lift your eyes! The hope of heaven drawing near, lift your eyes! Lift your eyes!" If we first seek God's Kingdom then everything else will be taken care of (rough paraphrase!). This is just some of the stuff that's been swimming in my head recently...

DanesSong

A new year. New challenges!

I'm finding that my greatest challenge recently is parenting. It's not a problem, it's a challenge. The challenge is to uniquely raise my boys to best be who they are in Christ. To do that I have to be like the guy from the kids movie: "How To Train Your Dragon" What did he do? Became a student. He used observation to see what would happen. It's a challenge to do the same with my boys. At every age level there is something new or a different quirk to them. One year they love mac-n-cheese, the next it's an abomination to their taste buds! One kid loves omelets while the other won't eat an egg unless it's for supper (on rare occasion). One kid is so tender that I have to be careful not to crush his spirit by sarcasm. The other kid is so demanding that I have to be careful not to crush his spirit by always saying "NO!". :)
I'm always learning "on the job" as a parent. I keep hearing, "Enjoy those days. They will soon be over." I know that and am trying to enjoy them. I also realize that as I seek to shape their lives I know that my life is being changed too. And it's ALL good. :)

Praying with Thanksgiving

Some of my friends and family haven't had a chance to see me speak recently so I've put on YouTube my message from Nov. 28th, 2010. It's in 2 parts because I spoke for about 27 minutes. You can't post anything longer than 15 minutes. :*(
Never the less... The first part is up at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lnAJQurGx0
At the top of the YouTube page says that I have X entries. (Presently it's 5 to choose from). You can choose PT2 and finish out the message. For those who have wrestled with their conversations with God in prayer... maybe the answers don't seem to be coming... this is a pretty good message. That's not me tooting my own horn, it's the majority of the feedback from the people of Niagara Alliance Church. (Including the Head Elder!)
To God be the glory!

What began on Twitter last night...

I'm not the "normal" follower of Christ, in that, I spend the time before I go to sleep reading my bible. Devotions, they call it. Most pastors I've heard suggest that you start the day devoting yourself to God in reading the bible and praying (even journaling). I find that I never really could get going in the morning, but still have steadily walked with God for 32 years.
Last night I read Acts 3 and 4. But as I came to a specific verse, Acts 3:16, something just hit me. It's the story about Peter and James going to the temple for prayer. As they go they encounter a man that was lame, he could not walk. We know that he'd been that way 40ish years. Peter looks at the man and says in essence: "Look, I don't have money, but I do have the knowledge that Jesus wants to heal you now. So get up!" The man gets up. People are immediately drawn to the situation where Peter finds an impromptu opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus. In doing so he says something that got my head and fingers going last night:

(Holman Christian Standard Bible) Acts3:16 By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

Let me expand a bit on what I said.
Considering that the disciples had been with Jesus watching Him heal, that they had witnessed what was happening when Jesus made a decision, they should be acquainted with what Jesus wanted to do. However, until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was fully poured out, they lacked the ability to do what they had seen done. They learned to listen (prayer) leading up to Pentecost and with the Holy Spirit on them it was instant connection and understanding of what they should do in that moment. As I looked at Acts 3:16 it hit me: Peter was saying that Jesus wanted to heal the man. Peter was also saying that he nor 'faith' (in an abstract form) healed the man, it was Jesus.
That's pretty bold trust. To look at someone and say, "God has healed you." This should be normal for the follower of Christ. I'm not trying to be all weird, I'm just saying that it all happens out of relationship. Just as me telling my son to tell someone else something I've said. It all begins with the assumption of Acts 2:39 - repentance of sin & filling of the Holy Spirit. There is no connection w/o repentance of sin. And to take a phone analogy a bit further...
You have no 'dial tone' without the Holy Spirit. Always 'answer' when Jesus is speaking, He will tell you what He wants... Then DO IT!

The problem of just being connected and choosing not to listen and obey, is that it creates a 'form of religion' but 'denies the power'. Jesus wants to impact our world through us! What I've noticed, from observation, is that, in general, people these days have lost faith in the church because the people in the church don't express God's ability to transform lives! So many in the church look and act the same as people in the world. The fruit of their lives doesn't show they they are different. Some of that is due to a misunderstanding that knowledge is maturity. IT ISN'T. The application of the knowledge of God's Word, the Bible, leads us to a deeper understanding of who we are in Christ and what we have. We live out of relationship with the Son of God who gave Himself up for us. It is in the intimate moments (morning, evening or whenever) that we begin to cultivate the ability to hear from God and do what He says. God wants us to get the "easy" stuff first. To walk in obedience and love God and others. I remember nights when I would be out on the bleachers during college praying for an hour or two and wondering "God are you listening?" Over the years I've learned that God is asking me, "Are YOU listening?" ;)
I've spent plenty of time wondering from the time I was a Junior in High School, "God, where are are the healings that Jesus performed? Why did He say we would do greater things than what He did?" I have friends that God has healed, of lukemia and carpel tunnel. I have a pastor friend that saw God raise a woman from the dead, before his eyes! So I knew that God could heal and have watched plenty of people laying hands on others for healing. For myself the journey took a turn when I saw again a saying, "Faith is not believing that God can. It is believing that He WILL." So many times I've watched as a person is prayed for, "God, if it is your will... we don't want to assume..." I sat one Sunday watching a woman and God said to me, "She's healed." It startled me. I really didn't want to say anything. I did. She had been healed. A friend recently asked for prayer for a job. Immediately I got, "Done deal." God knew he was going to get that job. He did. This is beginning to be the "norm" for me. Amazingly, it was the "norm" for the early church. The only thing that has passed is time.
The point? The whole church thing isn't a game. It isn't about how good we look (or bad). It's about connecting with God. Connecting with others and Connecting others with God. (borrowed from the sign in front of Niagara Alliance Church ;D ) If you have a good connection with Christ, the Holy Spirit will speak and use you. You will grow in your relationship with God and He will tell you what he wants in a situation. There's more that I could say. But for now let me just return to the original thought...
Ask Jesus what He wants to do. Peter did and then told the man and his life was transformed forever. God is in the business of transforming lives!

Two more songs on YouTube...

As I post this blog the first song I put on YouTube is sitting at 69 views. My wife reminds me that this is a God thing not a Lonnie thing. The reason I started to post any songs on YouTube in the first place came out of my conversation with Jim Drew, a fellow musician / worship leader and passionate follower of Christ. Jim's words to me were and encouragement to allow God to use me by placing the song(s) out there. I am thankful for those who have been so kind. I haven't had any negative feedback, just a one person cheer squad in Nora, who I led to Christ years ago.
I've placed the song "Macedonia" and "My Everything" on. I trust that as you listen you will begin to understand the depth of God's love for us and those who have yet to place their full trust in Him.
The link to Macedonia will also let you view the other videos.
God bless!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99TspuSOn28

When you realize you're lost

Tonight we went to the school Halloween party. A large room filled with parents and lots of screaming, yelling, running, and jumping children. Oh, and one child that suddenly realized he was lost. The moment my little guy realized he was lost the panic button was hit. He desperately sought to find us. He did.
I have wondered to myself, "How long does it take to realize you are lost?" I mean 'lost' in the biblical way illustrated in Luke 15. The coin and most likely, the sheep, have no real thought of being lost. But the two boys and their father understood 'lost'. The father, I would assume, understood the 'lostness' of each son. The youngest was lost before he left with his worldly possessions. It took him a dead end job and an empty stomach to realize he was 'lost'. His 'lostness' caused him to evaluate his situation and execute a plan to be found. His greatest hope was that he'd at least be considered a slave of the father, what he found was the restoration of what he lost when he left.
The oldest lived oblivious of his state of 'lostness'. He never left but he never knew the joy of being found. He couldn't grasp the lostness of his situation. The father explained the truth to him. But we don't know what his response was. What if Jesus had continued the story? Maybe he oldest son would have grasped his lostness and found his place. I dunno. What I do know is that I see a lot of people working and buying and living that haven't had the "I'm lost" light bulb go off. I'm praying for those people to come to that knowledge sooner than later. And like the younger son I pray they evaluate the situation and execute the plan which has them confessing their need to be found by the Lord Jesus Christ and forgiven of all sin. In response our God has said He will adopt us into His family, never to be lost again.
It's a terrifying situation to realize you are lost and helpless. It's a comforting place to be, when you realize that you have been found and will never be let go.
You're comments are always welcome. :)

Wash Your Feet - My song

A year or so ago I was asked to share a song that I had written called Wash Your Feet. It's a prayer of mine and reflects my hearts desire to be the person that Jesus wants me to be. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9NrYxR30c

Enjoy!
Lonnie