JohnYouell.com

Renew Your Vision

Have you ever done something so crazy and daring that it surprised even you?

In the movie, The Blind Side, LeAnn Touhy, played by Sandra Bullock, takes in a big young black student who had been living on the streets.  She took him to her home, gave him a place to stay, purchased clothes for him and tried to put a smile on his face.

In one scene, LeAnn is at a luncheon with some other wealthy white wives who began to tease and chide her about helping the young boy.  At one time the even questioned if she felt safe having a young black boy in her home with her teenage daughter.  The issues raised in this scene are astounding to me.  I find it personally sad that there are still people who judge others and their actions based on the color of skin or the side of the tracks where they reside.  Regardless, the true point of the scene is one of LeAnn's friends giving her a hard time for her decision.

Have you ever done something that others challenged you on?  Something so daring and brave that others felt it their duty to tell you why you should not even be trying?

52 weeks ago, a small group of people joined my wife and I in our home and together we began believing God that we could establish a church that would make a difference in Moore, Oklahoma.  I know plenty of people who told me and still tell me that this is a crazy dream and that we are insane for doing what we are doing.  Crazy to believe that God can use us to bring renewal to Moore.

They ask questions like:  How will you fund it?  When will their be a full scale Kids program?  When will their be a youth group?  I have learned you know you are doing something crazy and daring when few come along and offer to do what ever is needed in order to help make the dream a reality.  Thus, I am beginning to believe that God lives in the land of Crazy.

The Bible is full of people whose life was changed and reshaped or renewed by venturing beyond the comfortable lands of familiarity and into the uncharted land of the brave and the bold.  One of my favorite of these such men was Abram. 

Hebrews 11:8 says, "By Faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

In other words....ABRAHAM TOOK A HIKE...OFF THE MAP.

I believe that 2010 is to be a year of revolution not resolution.  A chance to see renewal come to our lives and city.  A chance for a fresh start.  That's the beauty of a new year is it gives everyone a fresh start.

This month I want to encourage and help you discover 5 key areas that have the potential to produce a renewed you in 52 weeks.  But for this to happen we have to begin by talking about how we approach life.

Most of us are comfortable driving in an unknown place as long as we have GPS or a map.

Do you know what a map is though?  Maps are the result of some else's journey.  They are proof that someone else walked here first.  Someone blazed a trail.  Someone was crazy.  But what they truly possessed was more than just craziness.  They possessed vision.

Vision is all about what you see and what you do with that information.

A key component of a good QB is his vision.  Can he read what the defense is going to do and make the proper adjustments to give his team the best opportunity of success?

But...

If he can read the defense and make the proper adjustments but if he fails to throw the ball to the open receive what good is his vision?

In reality, Vision without actions is Blindness.

Hebrews 8:11 says that, "...Abraham obeyed and went..."

That is the picture of a man with vision who saw and acted on what he saw.  That sounds like a man who is living life on his tip toes instead of on his heals.

Let's test your vision today.  Can you list three things that you would like to change about your life or you personally?

Can you now come up with a simple process to change those things?

You see, that takes vision.

Vision isn't about diagnosing a problem but finding a creative solution to it.

You know that map of your life - your habits; your tendencies, etc.  But if you want to renew you, it is imperative that you walk off the map. 

For me this involved embracing a concept that I call, Action Zones instead of resolutions and goals.

These are 5 areas that I want to work on all year.  So at the start of each week, I will look at each of these Action Zones and put one step (goal) for that week in play. So instead of trying to keep a goal or resolution for 52 weeks, I work on my Action Zones in each zone a week at a time.

For example, here are my Action Zones for 2010:

• Rightness
• • (being accountable to a higher standard).
  • Create in me a clean Heart and renew a right spirit within me.
    
    
• Experiences
• • Being open to new experiences each week.
  • Like meeting someone new each week.

• Nurturing
• • Actively displaying my care and love for others in my life.
    
• Empowering
• • This is the idea of having authority and giving it away.
  • This is about building leaders and people for God's glory by giving them room to make mistakes and even failures in an effort to empower them to believe in themselves.
    
• Wholeness
• • Whole people are those who are healthy in the four key areas:  Mind, Body, Heart and Emotions.
  • "Love God with all your heart (HEART), with all your soul (EMOTIONS), with     all your mind (MIND) and with all your strength (BODY)."
    

Tomorrow I will share with you why I believe that Abraham took this hike and how you can take one too.

What a Christmas

Yesterday, we ventured out into the great present from above and had a blast.  We woke up and opened our presents we had bought each other and then ventured into the snow to enjoy the present from above.  A white Christmas has only happened in Oklahoma 12 other times in our states history so this is really special.  Then to add to it, we had a historic amount of snow - 14 inches!  So strange to spend Christmas day shoveling snow out of the driveway and watching cars slide into drifts as high as three feet.  Simply amazing.

I wonder if this is how the shepherds felt with they encountered the greatest present sent from above - the baby Jesus.  Such wonder and amazement as they were participating in a historic moment.  I am sure they knew that the were witnessing something that would be talked about for some time but I bet the had no idea that thousands of years later, their part in the story would still be told - how ordinary men were called upon by God to take part in a historic moment.

Today, as we are out trying to get around in the snow (not having a lot of luck I might add), I hope we will recognize that the God of the ancient story is still calling on ordinary men and women to participate with him in historic moments and the one that you are living right now is so historic that it will not come again.  What are you doing with it?  Are you wasting it?  Are you participating with God in something great?  Don't miss the ordinary in the extraordinary.  The Shepherds say a baby (ordinary) who became the savior of the world (extraordinary).

May the God of the ancient story move on us all to remind us that a savior has been born and it is our invitation to join him in spreading the news.

Well, back to the snow.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

How Much Can You Stand?

A few weeks ago I came across a concept of leadership that has been very helpful in my personal progress to become a better leader.  Many of us think that leaders are born.  The truth is, leaders are made.  Yes, there are those who have a special "gifting" from God but they are the exception to the rule.  The vast majority of leaders around the world were made. By this I mean that someone put them in an environment that challenged them, equipped them and instilled in them principles they have applied and thus become great leaders.

I am sure that all of us know of people we think are great leaders.  Have you ever thought about what it took for those people to get to the position they hold on your respect ladder?  They were born just like you.  Crawled in diapers just like you.  Made a mess at the table, in their paints and on the walls of their childhood home - just like you.  So what was it that caused them to go farther faster in comparison to you?  Honestly there are, of course, a lot of factors but there is one that is often overlooked.  These great leaders in your life have developed a key ability that has allowed their leadership to flourish and their organizations to grow.  It's called, Pain Tolerance.

Nothing stays the same. Change is a constant.  We work hard to get our organizations to a place of stability.  Only to find that when we reach that level there is another level that is now in our sights and now our leadership is challenged.  How do we get from HERE to THERE?

We must begin to realize that what it took to get us HERE is not enough to get us THERE.  Something has to change.  Change always precedes growth.  Without change, you would still be in diapers.  But your body changed and along with it, you had to adapt to a new reality - the bathroom. 

When you started you were crawling and trying to survive.  But eventually the time came that crawling was no longer good enough for you and you were ready to go to the next level - walking.  Well guess what?  You may not remember it now but the ability to walk and run that you possess now came at the expense of a lot of falling and scraping of knees. In other words...pain.

Pain accompanies change.  So if you want to lead an organization, you must see that there will be constant growth changes that take place.  Your ability to lead your organization through phases of growth will be directly proportional to your ability to manage personal pain.  Thus, one of the key qualities of all who desire to lead people is a high pain tolerance. 

When it comes down to it, it's not about how many people come to your business or church.  The question is how much pain can you stand?  The greater the pain tolerance, the bigger and better changes you can lead your organization through.

Why do I do it?

After reading the post from yesterday you may be wondering why in the world would I choose to give my life to reaching people when the majority of them could hurt me, misunderstand me, judge me, etc.  It does seem somewhat crazy doesn't it.  Well, I thought I would take a moment and address this thought.

First, I do it because God risked the pain of personal loss so that I could enjoy the personal gain of relationship with him.  Sometime we over look the pain of God in the story of redemption.  The Bible teaches us that God turned his back on his son right at the point of his death.  Have you ever thought how hard that had to be?  I believe in a concept called the Trinity.  The word is not found in the Bible.  It's a man made word to express a thought that is found in the Bible.  The thought that God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are three separate expressions of but yet all together make up a singular God presence.  Think about this for a moment. 

Let's assume that the Trinity is incorrect - that God the father is one being and Christ the son is another - as a parent how hard would it be for you to turn your back on your children?  Incredibly.  But let's now assume that the Trinity concept is right - that God the father and Jesus are different expression of the same presence - how hard is it to turn on yourself? 

This kind of person is often the one who is cutting themselves in the bathroom in an attempt to rid themselves of the demons of their mind and escape the pressure of living.  This kind of pain is extreme.

God risked this kind of pain - not when he sacrificed himself on the cross in the form of Christ - but when all the weight of sin was laid upon Christ.  The pain that humanity inflicted is nothing compared to the pain and aloneness experienced by the Christ on the cross. 

God's love for all of us was that strong.  His pain tolerance was that high.  If he could endure that pain and loss in exchange for the lost being reconnected to himself through relationship...I must believe that He who has called me will give me the strength needed to endure such pain, rejection and turmoil.

Secondly, I truly have a heart for the hurting and having dedicated my life to being Jesus-on-legs to people.

When I struggled with past sins and addictions, it wasn't until someone stepped up in my life and gave me grace when they could have condemned that I met Jesus.  I had studied Him.  I knew the story.  I had prayed (I mean common, I am a PK!)  But I had never MET Him.  This is the trouble we have in the church in America I believe.  We study Him.  We teach Him.  We pray to Him.  But we never truly BECOME Him.

The Bible calls the church the "body of Christ."  For my part, I have chosen to reach out to and love and be merciful to those who others don't.  This puts me in the high risk category for hurt and pain.  It also puts me closer in line with the place where God is and that is never a bad place to be.

Lastly, In the 8 months since starting Fellowship, I have met a lot of people who are hurt, broken, abused and forgotten.  They didn't believe that God really could help them and that their was truly hope for them.  God has used Fellowship, with all it's imperfections and imperfect people to show them a love and a path that they didn't know existed.  When I get discouraged, I read letters sent to me to remind me that the pain is worth it.  The misunderstandings are worth it.  I may not have the largest church on the block but one by one....yard by yard...running the fullback up the middle...we are seeing lives impacted for the God who endured personal pain to bring personal freedom to the world.

Hope for the Hopeless

The holiday season is upon us and I am so excited.  I love the lights...the trees...the presents...the friends.  Oh, that last one hurt a little.  Is it just me or does it seem that friendships and relationships in general are breaking up at an alarming rate?  Just the other day I heard that someone in my life was planning on ending our friendship because I took a stand for grace in a situation that they disagreed with.  Man, these relationship issues are sticky.  Though the holidays are a time of lights on Evergreen trees, there is a lot of darkness and death that people experience during these times as well. 

In the movie, It's A Wonderful Life, Clarence (a second class angel who was trying to earn his wings) is sent to "help" George Baily.  When he asks his superior angel if George is sick, the superior angel replies, "Oh, it's worse than that...he's discouraged."  All of us have been sick in our body.  We go to the doctor and take some medication in an effort to make our body feel better.  But to be sick in the heart is a pain that no drug can cure.  It's a hurt that can quickly lead to depression or a feeling of hopelessness.

The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” (Proverbs 13:12)  The sickness of the heart is one of the most damaging hurts that we can all experience.  This sickness can lead to many different places.  One of the places that I have been recently was a place of depression.  There is nothing more trying, troublesome, terrific and thrilling to me than planting a church.  And yet, I understand personally this sickness of the heart - this hurt caused by people that can drive a stake so deep into you that you are ready to give up and die.  Though this is a dark time, I also know personally that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  This too shall pass.  But on the other side now, let me share with you a few things I have come to learn the hard way that Hopelessness causes.

1.  Disorientation

If you had stopped me while on the downward spiral of depression and told me where I was I would not have known it.  "Crazy", I would have said.  When you are spinning out of control you have no reference point to draw from.  You lose your ability to be rational. You get lost in the hurt.

When you go to a doctor and tell the doctor that your side hurts, he is not going to just write you up a prescription.  He is going to perform tests because a doctor understands that your problem is not simply the pain in your side.  When he finds the cause of your pain he can help you treat it.

But its interesting that it is wrong and unprofessional for a doctor to prescribe himself medication.  He is wise enough to help you with your aches and pains but when it comes to his own, it is unethical for him to treat himself.  The medical community understands that when you are hurting you cannot be objective about yourself, you need a fresh set of eyes.

The Bible sums up this hurting persons feelings this way, “Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?” (Job 17:13).  When you are disoriented, you need someone else to come in and help you navigate your hurt but depression tries to keep you alone.

2. Drifting

One time I went fishing all night in Portland, Oregon.  When we left the dock we briefly rowed away from shore.  After fishing all night the sun came up to reveal beautiful mountains, trees and animals stepping through the brush for a morning drink.  But when I looked around I could not find the dock.  We had drifted in the night.  What I didn't realize was that the boat in the night had also turned 180 degrees.  The dock was a ways away but because we had drifted, I didn't know where to look to find dry land.

Anytime we launch into the unknown and push away from the solid ground we are so familiar with drifting is possible.  Add heartache and/or depression and/or hopelessness into the brew and you have a mess on your hands.  

Isaiah says it this way, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”

3. Despair

People who feel like they have no place to turn, like life is beyond repair, have taken up residence in the land of despair.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 1:8 shares his feelings of despair, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” 

When you get to this point of depression and hopelessness, the light of your heart and life is about to go out.  You will feel like you just want to run away from everything and everyone.  The hurt is so bad that nothing anyone could do is going to make it go away.  But there is power in knowledge. 

I am convinced that most people like me don't know the real causes of the depression that they are facing.  They are very familiar with the symptoms listed above and these absorb their time and conversations constantly.  Here are some of the very 3 common causes of depression.

1.  Death

We have all seen how the death of a loved one effects others.  But what about the death of a relationship?  What about someone you counted on who turns their back on you?  What about a marriage that breaks up?  What about that kind of death?  Believe me, it can start the downward spiral of depression faster than anything else I know.

(1 Corinthians 15:54) “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

Some of you need to know and begin to believe that there is life after death. 

2.  Debts

Financial pressure is one of the leading causes of marital trouble.  Our country is addicted to the drug of debt.  Our economy is based on it and run by it.  But any and all debt is bad.  Including relationship debt.  That is where someone hurts us, asks our forgiveness and then we hold the debt in our hearts.  We know that we have free hurt coming at some time.  But the Bible says there is only one kind of debt that we should be using.

(Romans 13:8) “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

3.  Disputes

Another key cause of depression is unresolved disputes and then being someone who constantly causes them.  Do you know anyone who just always seems to be causing trouble?  Raising issues that never seem to get resolved?  Listen to what the Bible says.

(Proverbs 17:14 NLT) “Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”

Finally, let me give you a few steps that you can take to increase the power of hope in your life and break the downward spiral of depression.

1.  Hope requires trust

(Psalm 42:11) “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

You have to trust in something solid and sure if you are going to stop the drifting effect of depression.  There is nothing more sure and solid than God's love for us all.  Put your trust in Him.

2.  Revive your spirit by getting some rest.

(Psalm 127:2) “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”

Rest is not the same as sleep.  You can sleep but your mind can race.  Rest is about shutting down the inputs in your life for a while and just relaxing.  Sleep is part of it.  But perhaps you don't think you have the time?  You will either take the time to rest or depression will take years off your life. God give REST to those he loves.

3.  Renew your soul by changing your mind.

(Jeremiah 29:11-13) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Our actions begin as thoughts.  How we think we become.  If you are tired of being depressed, this scripture gives you the key to transformation - changing your mind.  If you change your mind, you change your actions and reactions to life.

4.  Regain your strength by building your body.

(Isaiah 40:31) “…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 

Your body is a fine tuned machine.  It deserves the right fuel.  Learn how to eat properly.  Exercise 3 times a week.  Drink water instead of soda.  These are all things that will help you to reduce the weight of living that you are putting on your body.  Your body will reward you with a more positive outlook on life, your mind will become clearer, your body stronger, you will have more energy.  Believe me, you can eat your way out of depression.

But John, where is prayer?  Why don't I just have you pray for me?  Well, prayer to me is a constant part of being a full-time follower of Christ.  So it is a given.  As far as me praying for you, I will be happy to but I ask you this question....are you praying for you?  Until you take responsibility for yourself, you will never truly find hope for your hopelessness.

Top 10 Things We Learned @ Access Granted 2009

NOTE:  Compiled by John and Shandra Youell & Darian and Tyra Rains.

10.  It's a systems problem...not a people problem.

9.    There are no bad ideas...only bad people with ideas.

8.    NLC Top Church Growth Strategy:  Pimpin out people.

7.    "What?  I have roomates?  I should have brought my 'other' jammies!"

6.    "BUY YOUR MAN CARD BACK!!!!!"

5.    Guidelines, Deadlines and Butts-on-the-line.

4.    This is "NOT" resource scarce.

3.    "It's never this windy here....unless there is a hurricane!"

2.    "We are way past level 20."

1.    Six and a half minutes.

Honorable Mentions:

• Healthy Living = Beach front condo + time away together + new bff's
• If you only work in it and never on it you'll never rise above it.

This event was so rewarding.  The above list is fun but illustrates the kind of real people that make up all things called Up The Middle.  To learn more about Up The Middle and how you can learn about making your church go to the next level, check out www.upthemiddle.com.

Thanks Matt & Sarah for a great weekend, rewarding relationship and all the leadership training and mentoring you are giving us.

Oh, and the beach front condo was INCREDIBLE!!!!

The 3 Faces of Elah

It has been a long while since my last post.  A lot has transpired in my life and at Fellowship Church.  This summer has been tough.  4 key marriages came under attack.  All 4 involved in my leadership core.  Been a long time since I have lost my breath and struggled to breathe.  For the entire summer, my spirit was out of breath and thought I was going to faint from the pressure and the dream inside was going to be aborted.

Then, as God would have it, an encounter with the Word changed it all for me.  The encounter came through the story of David and Goliath and is found in 1 Samuel 17.  In this story are three main figures - faces if you will.  3 Faces emerge from the pages of this story that have changed me and I want to share them with you.

It's important for those who are leaders because we are all of these faces - we have tendencies of each of these 3 faces in us.  I will focus on leaders first then wrap it up next week by bringing home to all of us.  But for now, let's look at leadership.

FACE 1 - SAUL

The Bible says that Goliath came and challenged the armies of Saul.  At the outset it's important to understand that Goliath was Saul's giant.  He was Saul's challenge.  He was Saul's problem.  When David came to Saul - a man who was willing to address the problem, Saul puts him in HIS ARMOR.  If Saul was concerned with protecting David, he would have found armor that would have fit David.  But what is often missed in this story is the importance of SAUL's IMAGE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. 

Lesson from Saul - There are some battles you CANNOT abdicate to someone else.  You have to take them on.  Your image is not enough.  Giving authority to someone to stand in your stead is not enough.  It's your baby - TAKE IT DOWN!!!!

FACE 2 - GOLIATH

The Bible says Goliath mocked and discounted David because of his size and his age.  Goliath was better staffed with weapons.  He had an armor bearer - someone who would go out and take the brunt of the attack if needed!  He was the big daddy who didn't feel that the issue (David) was important enough for him to deal with.

Lesson from Goliath - It's the little things you discount that you don't think are important are the ones that will bring you down.  DON'T MISS THIS.  Your attitude and your words are enough to bring down your marriage.  Your communication to others on a heart level is enough to lead to adultery.  Do not miss this.  The little things that you discount that you don't think are important are the ones that will bring you down.

FACE 3 - DAVID

The Bible says that when David approached Saul, willing to face Saul's giant, Saul discounted David in comparison to Goliath.  Goliath was a warrior.  David a shepherd.  David a young man. Goliath a real man.  David gave his resume - he defeated a lion and bear.

Lesson from David - You can't decapitate another person's giant until you defeat your lions and bears.  Bears are seasonal animals and represent seasonal attacks.  We have to recognize the season we are week so that we can defend ourselves against their attacks.  Lions are constant predators and represent constant attacks that nip at our heels.  As a minister, I cannot truly expect a move from God in my church to the level I want until I defeat the issues of my own life - the lions and bears!

Tomorrow, I will share how these faces apply to all people.  Leaders - I hope you have some things to challenge your thoughts today.  I know I do.

On The Backside Now

In all my life, I think this has been the longest week.  I honestly think that I have reached a point where it at least is beginning to make the final turn- not just because today is Friday and the week-END is upon us but because the issues of the week are ending their current stages.  Lately I feel like I am fighting up hill at times and all alone at that. Understanding that it's the position of leadership and the challenge ever leader faces doesn't make it any easier.  Yet, as always is the case for us, I find myself learning a new nugget of truth that hopefully will help me the next time I face a week similar to this.

In the Bible we read the story of Elijah where God directed him to go to a brook and stay there.  He was coming out of a very tough season of ministry.  In fact he had just declared to a king that there would be drought and that no rain would fall for a while.  It was a tough encounter I am sure.  Prophets had to have thick skin because they must have dealt with rejection all the time.  So after the tough season, he was taken to a place of rest (lead me beside cool waters...he restores my soul).  Some thoughts here...

THE WATERY BROOK - Served as a place of refreshing.  He was free to drink of the water and find coolness in the heat of the day...wetness when his throat was dry...etc.  It's about nature replenishing us.  I noticed this week that I will not be able to play my round of golf.  Golf is my weekly stop at the watery brook of nature.  Something happens when I am out on that course fighting against myself to break into the 80's while counting every stroke (yes I count lost balls guys.  For those who don't know it's 1 stroke in + 1 stroke to out. lol).  We you get out on the backside of the course you find the cars are not as loud.  The sounds of the city fade and are replaced by the singing of birds and the running of water in the creeks.  Each week I find a spot where I spend 20 minutes or so and just listen.  Doesn't matter how many people I allow to play on while I rest.  It's these moments where God uses nature to restore and replenish me.

FOOD FROM RAVENS - This speaks of God provision.  There are some things that I need that can only come from God.  Nature in and of itself is not enough.  God's spirit and his word are becoming the love of my life.  I at times have to fight to get them because I allow myself to get busy but in those moments on the golf course I find that the words that I have been SOAPing all week seem to take on new meaning.  I see ways to apply them that I never saw in the daily moments.  It's so wonderful when God gives us nuggets of understanding and morsels of faith that strengthen the soul. The temptation of ministry is that we can get sucked into studying for series or messages.  When we are there we lose the personal edification that we can experience.

Lord, forgive me for not taking the time to refresh myself this week.  As I finish up today, help my efforts to be fruitful and my mind to be sharp so that I can do what I long so desperately to do - set down and the brook and feast on what you provide.

Challenging Thoughts

I have been spending the day reading, praying, thinking and in a ToxBox session with my church planting coach.  I have had several thoughts running through my mind so this post is going to be very disconnected as I am using this space to throw these thoughts on the page so that I don't forget them.  Thanks for understanding.

The toughest places for me to see as a leader are seen best by those who are closest to me. 

So instead of just opening my life up to those who are afar I need to find away to create an atmosphere with those whom I trust have my best in mind and who truly carry the same dream of FC that I do, I need to become comfortable to allow them to speak into my life just as I want them to speak into mine.  This is a core reason for starting the FC Eagles Gathering.  I hope a few months from now that the above mentioned things are in place in my life.

The insecurities of leaders keeps organizations for reaching their full potential. 

If this is true, am I stretching myself enough?  Am I holding myself accountable enough?

When we spend our days ignoring the voice of the Spirit, is it any wonder that when we WANT to hear Him he has so much interference to break through? 

I am here right now.  I have a desperate need to hear God.  So many people are depending on my connection to God and at times I feel like the connection is on dial-up.

Perhaps we will know we are coming to the end of ourselves when we don't care what way an encounter with God comes because we are consumed with the desire to have His touch to ease our dryness of heart.

Working Date Night #1

Last night, Shandra and I had the privilege of having dinner with Kim V. and Cassie W. These two ladies are members of Fellowship Church but we wanted to personally get to know them a little better and food seems to make that happen a little easier.  So, off to Chili's we went and on our part had a really good time.  There was lots and lots of laughing and good talk plus great Chili's food.

They both work at the same place currently and live very close to each other.  They have been very close friends for years and both heard about Fellowship Church through the mailer that we sent out on launch weekend.  They talked about attending and kept the mailer on the hand.  On week 3 they visited and have been here ever since.  

They are our kind of people.  They are so real and genuine.  So precious.  Shandra and I left that dinner praying that God would make himself know to them in a real way.  A way that could change their lives even more than his gentle touch is doing now.  

Lord, give us more Kim V's and Cassie W's.  More people who are hungry to connect with you and looking for a church that will remove the hoops and ladders and get out of your way so you can change people's lives. Thank you for the wonderful responsibility you have give us to showcase your love to a confused and hurting world.  You are awesome!!!!