Random Thoughts...

I have spent a good deal of time in the church world.  My wife, Deidre and I have been in full-time pastoral ministry since 1998.  It started when we moved everything we had from Elkton, MD, where we were youth pastors, to Port St. Lucie, FL to assume the pastorate of a church in South Florida.  We were young, energetic, and in some ways, very naive.  But what we lacked in experience we made up for in passion for the vision God had given us. 
It didn't take long to realize that vision was just not enough.  We learned this the hard way, over almost ten years of pastoral ministry in Florida.  We watched as pastors across the country fell into dark places or financial  indiscretions, moral issues, and even things that were just plain illegal.  We struggled personally with the desire to grow a church, and fell into the trap of following the newest ministry fad.  We tried to be all the "successful" preachers we knew.  I would even stand ...

Have you ever had this happen to you? You are just getting settled into a routine, getting yourself organized, figuring this thing called life out, when out of the blue, BAM! (copyright Emeril) something changes. Maybe its something as common as a fender bender; you know someone hits you from behind as you turn into Starbucks for a Grande Non-Fat Pumpkin Spice Latte, w/ light whip, (in case you wanted to buy me one), and your day is shot. (Yes the Coffee/Starbucks/Espresso pun was intended) It can be something that simple, and annoying, or it can be some of the big stuff. You know what I mean, we are surrounded by it. People lose their jobs with no warning, health problems set back your dreams, hopes and finances. There has been an increase of young males dying early because of hypertension, caused by high blood pressure... Pressure, it is all around us. Transitions always bring pressure. Paul says in II Corinthians that the "light afflictions come to br...

Mission of Hope - Haiti 2012 Last summer I went with an amazing Missions team.  31 people gave up a week of their summer to help the people in Haiti.  We went to the Mission of Hope, about 40 minutes from Port A Prince.  Mission of Hope is a great organization dedicated to touching the lives of every man, woman, and child in Haiti with the Message of Jesus Christ.  That is a lofty goal, but they are well on their way to doing just that.  They currently feed 50,000 children a day, house 65 orphans, facilitate the Church of Hope, teach 2,500 kids in their Christian School and employ 15 North Americans and 130 Haitians to make it all possible.   This is a photo of the Church of Hope - about 1,500 Haitians and North Americans joining together to worship God in Creole and English combined!  We were very blessed to be able to be able to minister to people and to help them complete some very important projec...