An Easter Guide to Church Attenders

 Recently, I had the opportunity to do something rare for me. I visited a church. For more than thirty years now, I have been involved in the leading of church services. For most of those years, I have been the speaker. We have gone on vacation, but it seems like we are traveling a lot on Sundays, so visiting churches has not been a thing.

My wife and I went to see one of our daughters and planned on attending her church. I was excited to join my daughter in worship. It was out of state and a different experience. We really enjoyed our time. The music was inspiring, the message was convicting, and our overall experience was outstanding. This is not an evaluation of those upfront but rather an observation that all who attend church might want to take to heart as you attend services this weekend. Here are three simple things you can do not to wreck the church service you attend.

1. Come on time. We were not early, but we arrived right on time. The singing was just starting as we entered. For the next ten minutes, people continued to enter the auditorium. People were attempting to find places to sit, many doors opening and closing, and people going in every direction. I have noticed this at our church but had never realized its impact until then. 

I was totally distracted. I found myself people-watching. The song faded, and I was a spectator of the crowd. Something as simple as getting to your place five minutes before the service starts can lessen the distractions immensely. Being aware of how we impact others is a start. It comes off the wrong way for someone who doesn't regularly attend. 

2. Sing  As a person who has spent the last thirty years in the "worship wars" era of the church, I have a couple of observations; people have preferences for various reasons, and singing is more about us than God. I have heard every excuse in the book as to why people do not participate in singing at church. If confirmed in other contexts, I might go along with some of them...People pour into countless concerts, karaoke, and other music venues.  Music is a multi-billion dollar business. People are used to singing but not so much in church. It is a distraction to watch people who are not engaged. Sing the best you can by singing to God. 

3. Engage the speaker. This church service was laid out like most; songs, communion prayer, and message. The pastor was well-prepared and a practical Bible teacher. I thought he was exceptional. As the speaker moved further into the sermon, I became distracted by those around me. Some were busy on their phones, while others were distracted by little ones who were fidgeting. Nothing new and expected in a church service; as a speaker, I couldn't help but think that the audience has more to do with "my" effectiveness than I ever realized. Do your best to lock into what the speaker is saying and avoid the unnecessary. 

We all must consider what part we contribute to the overall experience of corporate worship. Consider these three behaviors that might make all the difference in someone receiving the message they need.

Send a Picture

I am sure many who will read this story have talked themselves out of a hunt before. This year I have just not felt the desire to deer hunt like in past years. The weather had been unseasonably warm. My personal work schedule had been exceptionally busy, preventing me from preparing correctly. As November neared, the landowner where I hunt sent me a picture of a bruiser he had just taken. (Picture above) His message was, "You need to get out here." 

This was all it took. I was in the stand the following evening. There was not a lot of action that day, but the deer woods was awaking, and so was I. Over the next week, I went out one or two more times but still, it was not my usual obsessive daily trip to the farm. 

Monday, November 7th, rolled around. I was somewhat excited to get out, but after a long day of work on Sunday and getting to bed late, the demon of laziness was talking to me. I had set my alarm for 4:45. As I went to turn the alarm off, I noticed a text message from a dear friend and hunting buddy, Mike Roux. He simply had sent me a picture of me with a buck that I had taken two years ago on the same farm and on November 7th. (Picture below)You guessed it! I jumped up and began to get ready. It was all the motivation I needed to get to the deer woods.

I didn't get into the stand any too early. It was about fifteen minutes before shooting hours. Because of where I have my stand, I had plenty of time to get set up early for deer traffic. I began to glass the cut bean field in front of me. (There are about a hundred acres of bean field in front of my stand and a big timber behind me.) I noticed a nice-sized buck chasing a doe across the field, headed for a cornfield to the south. I began to think, "This could get interesting".." 

After about ten minutes of watching the chase, a four-pointer came out of the woods behind me. He passed in front of my stand, heading toward the hot doe. As soon as he got to the cornfield, I noticed a group of deer making their way toward me through the cut beans. At that moment, I didn't know precisely how many deer there were or if any of them were bucks.

I began to glass them. I couldn't believe it. It was another hot doe and three bucks. Two of them were pretty nice-sized, and a third was a tag-along. These deer closed fast and right where I have harvested many deer. I began to realize that it was going to happen. I decided to harvest the buck when he got seventy-five yards away from me. 

The doe was headed directly to the woods behind me and on the main trail right beside my stand. She was moving at a pretty fair pace, and he was behind her by about twenty yards. I got ready to shoot. A quick little bleep stopped him, and I let him have it at twelve steps. When the arrow hit, he just turned around and began to walk into the bean field. I thought, did I somehow miss him? or not hit any vitals?" After about two minutes and forty yards away, he dropped. 

It was over and not even seven thirty yet. With two bucks around the down deer, I decided to just sit. As I looked back onto the bean field, I saw four more deer. I couldn't believe my eyes; another hot doe and three more bucks chasing her. (This made a total of nine bucks and three hot does.) This time the lead buck was the biggest guy I had ever seen in the field. Watching him chase her into the big woods, I began planning for the next hunt. I didn't need another picture!

The deer I took was a nice mature nine-pointer who field dressed at two hundred and thirty-five pounds. We were able to donate ninety-two pounds of venison to families who are in need of meat this winter.

30 Years

 Thirty years is a long time. Thirty years ago ministry was different. I am taking a few moments to reflect as Lisa and I celebrate longevity in just two churches. I am extremely grateful for the first ministry I was involved in. I was afforded the opportunity of sitting under the ministry of Jim McClain in Norwalk, Ohio. He began his ministry there in 1979 and retired from the same church in 2021. Can you imagine forty-two years in one place? I can because I got a front-row seat. I was able to watch a man faithfully love a group of people through teaching and training them. Sure there were hard times but Jim and his wife personified Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, 'Well done good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.'

If this sounds remotely attractive to you, then take a quick look at what I am about to say and seriously challenge your thinking.

There have been a lot of changes in the ministry over the last thirty years. The advent of specialization in ministry has professionalized our purpose. Once upon a time churches were filled by ministers (lay people) within the church, We have successfully fragmented the fabric of the church which God perfectly designed the church to function effectively through the gifts within the body.

The quest for significance in ministry has created ego-centered pastors. With books, podcasts, conferences, and training centers fueling the need to be known, we have lost our way in what we have been called to do. I have fallen prey at times to this insidious disease. I have to fight the urge to be known and be heard. The only thing that matters is that He is known and heard. 

As I get older, I find it more important to tell my story to help others stay grounded and not follow the current trend or path that leads to nowhere. I challenge those who are pastors to stop and think about what they are doing and think about the path of ministry. 

Here are three observations that will make pastors more effective in the years ahead.

1. Pastors stay put. I am amazed that guys don't account for their families when considering a move. The best advice I ever received from another pastor was to stay put. He gave me the illustration of a tree. It can only be replanted once, maybe twice before it will die. Children are much like a tree. They can only withstand so much uprooting. Sometimes you have to withstand some challenges to get to the point where fruit is produced. 

How you start is usually how you finish. I would suggest that you start with loving the people God has called you to. When you get to the finish line you will love them more and they will love you. 

2. Pastor don't fall into the trap of "more". You may be asking, more of what? It is rather simple. More people, more significance, more popularity more power, more control, I could go on and on. We all have fragile egos. We all want to believe that what we do matters more than it actually does. Contentment in our culture is nearly impossible without a single focus. I have had to drop off boards, stay away from discontent pastors and surround myself with reminders that God has a plan. 

I think sometimes that we believe that God really cares about how significant we become. In reality, He really cares how close we walk with Him. 

3. Pastor become an equipper. Ephesians 4:11-12 clearly lays out the role of a pastor in the local church. 11 And He gave some as apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some as pastors and teachers. 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; This is missed at the highest level of training. Young men who are gifted are trained in using their gifts but often are not trained in how to train others in their gifts. This, in my opinion, is a major flaw in the church today. When was the last book you read on how to train people to minister? What is your process? How do you measure success? These are very important questions we all should be asking ourselves. 

The structure of your church will dictate what your church will ultimately become. If you find yourself frustrated, burnt out, and stressed out over the pressure of performing.... you're doing too much. Let the church be the church and start training.

If you reading this and you are not a pastor, maybe this would be helpful to share with your pastor. 

It's a Bunch of Manure!

 

When I was invited to a turkey hunt in Iowa last fall, I had no idea that I was in for the hunt of a lifetime. Chris Leppert is one of our staff members at Columbus Road Church in Quincy, Illinois. He was fully aware of my love of hunting and passion for mature toms. After applying for a first-season tag and a quick trip to his parent's farm, I was pretty excited about the possibilities.

Passion week is not the best time to take an out-of-state turkey hunt but having the opportunity to hunt in Allamakee County, Iowa in the middle of April was too hard to pass up. I could not make it in on opening day due to work responsibilities, so I drove up to the farm from Illinois, getting in around midnight. 

Chris gave me a quick review of the Grand View Farm layout from a satellite image as well as where he had seen the 30 turkeys the day before. The farm has deep ravines and arching pastures surrounded by mature trees. Chris also told me that his dad Duane had just spread manure on the top of the ridges of the pastures. My dream of hunting in my home state was about to come true.

We got up plenty early after a short night of sleep. Chris and I decided to hunt across from each other, having just a crowned pastures and three hundred yards between us. As we got close to the place we were to split off, he gave me a general idea of where to set up. We said our well wishes and broke off, leaving me to find my set up tree in the pitch dark. Not to mention, it was the first time on the farm. I walked in and found a tree with two bushes on both sides of the tree creating a perfect window to set up my decoys at twelve steps. 

My setup was a submissive hen a Jake approaching her, and two other hens one feeding and one upright. I got my set up the way I wanted it and got settled against the tree facing the pasture. It is April 12th, 2022, the second day of the first season in Allamakee County, Iowa and my dream is coming true. 

As it began to get a bit lighter, I heard my first gobble. It was over my left ear about 200 yards. Quickly, another one directly behind me, then another over my right ear. At this point, I am not believing what I am hearing. My heart begins to accelerate. Another gobble to my right, and another and another and another and another and another and another..... you get the picture? I was sitting in the honey whole of honey wholes. Turkeys were in every direction, a three-hundred, and sixty-degree enclosure. I was exciting and the smile on my face had to have shone through my face mask.

The gobbling continued for a good bit but as the Tom's found their dates the gobbles faded. I did hear a lone gobble at 7:00 that was worth noting. He seemed to have made some steps closer to my position. This made me turn to my left a bit more and kept my attention. I waited for the next hour with an occasional Jake cluck and hen purr. 

After what seemed to be an eternity, I see a mature Tom to my left pop over the crest of the pasture. He saw the setup and heard my date with his own eyes. He began making his way down the hill toward me.

 This is it, I thought. Get your gun up and be ready to seal the deal. 

He came right into the decoys but a little left, right in front of the bush I described earlier. He stopped, looked, and did an about-face at fifteen yards and walked back up the hill. 

I wondered if that was going to be my only chance, but something in the back of my mind told me that I would see more action. A half-hour later I saw four Jakes walking at the top of the pasture, about eighty yards out. It then dawned on me what was happening. All those turkeys that I had heard earlier, had made their way to the manure. They were feeding on the top in the manure. All I needed was for another Tom to come to my side of the pasture to see and hear my set-up. 

What needed to happen, happened! At ten o'clock he popped over the hill. He looked big from a long way away. The beard was super thick and it was evident that was a shooter. I hit the box call followed by my Jake cluck from my Mountain Screamer box call. He slammed with a hard gobble that I could see. He then made his descent down the pasture and directly to my setup. I got the gun up and my eyes on the prize. Moving from my right to left, he walked right into my window at twelve steps and stopped. It was over. I nailed a twenty-three pound, ten-inch beard, mature Iowa gobbler at ten a.m. coming off the manure at Grand View Farms in Allamakee County, Iowa. My dream had come true.  

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Get a Life...... Pastor

Do you remember the phrase "get a life"? 

In high school, people would use this phrase in response to someone with a lame social calendar. Or it would be a way of getting someone to stop being so boring and do something more interesting. I have heard so many reports of burnout pastors during COVID-19. I believe this simple, three-word phrase could really help those who want to remain emotionally, relationally, and spiritually healthy in ministry.

This blog has been a long time coming. I have hesitated to write for fear that it could come off the wrong way but it is essential information to those who are just starting out and need a little guidance. In speaking to so many pastors, I've realized that somehow, no one trained us how to have a life outside of ministry. By no means do I believe that I have gotten it right all the time, but you don't get to twenty-nine years of ministry without making some adjustments.

In a nutshell, Pastors must have a life outside of ministry to remain refreshed, balanced, and healthy. I do not believe that most people understand it and certainly, most pastors don't understand it. I remember attending a pastors meeting and the moderator asked pastors the question? "What do you do for fun?" The room became deafly silent. After a few moments, the guys began to provide very lame answers that were generated to satisfy the audience. A large portion of the group spit out answers like, "I read" or "I study theology". I sat there and thought.... get a life!!

Here are three things to take into account to "get a life."

1. Quit following everyone else's cool. Ministry people can often get caught up in the "monkey see monkey do life". It's the "cool pastors do cool things so I better be cool by doing the cool things he does" mentality. Have you ever seen a post on social media with a stack of books, with the sub-title reading something like... vacation picks or can't wait to dig into these!! I am not knocking those that read - in fact I do my fair share. The point is to be yourself! Don't look to others to determine what you do in your leisure.

2. Find a hobby that you can totally immerse yourself in. One thing that I have learned through the years is that you have to find times in your weeks that you are totally off. By that, I mean clearing your head and immersing yourself in something other than work and problems. Days off are only as valuable as you make them. If a day off is filled with thinking about church stuff at home then you successfully have ruined your day off. I have found places and spaces where I can go to escape "the bubble". My happy place is racing a dirt modified on Friday nights. For you, it may be running, hiking, biking, fishing, or hunting. The key is finding something you can totally immerse your mind into and empty your mind of all the ministry stuff.

3. Look for something that satisfies a gap that the ministry might not provide. Lots of pastors are competitive by nature. Ministry is no place for competition yet many fall prey to it. I know some pastors who compete as runners, others play basketball, pickleball, and golf. These activities keep competition in the correct silo. Others fish and hunt which satisfies the warrior/provider drive that's within many of us. I now pastors that are super creative. One of my friends is a woodcarver. He satisfies his drive to be creative through designing beautiful wood carvings. 

It is super easy to let ministry take over your life. When a person gets to that spot - they are dangerously close to burning out. Unfortunately, I have met way too many pastors who gain their identity through ministry. It is difficult for them not to talk about church growth, ministry initiatives, or present pastoral trends in every conversation. To those people I say, in 2022, it might be time to get a life. 

United States Civil Rights Trail

Do your homework! I have one objective in writing this post. I desire to inspire the motivated to do the hard work of understanding black history in the United States. Lisa and I recently took a week to spend time touring museums and monuments in the south to gain a better understanding of the path of black citizens through our nation's history. I believe that you will be enlightened and moved by the sacrifices that have been paid for the same rights the whites have had all along. 

The declaration of Independence preamble clearly presents the concept that all men are created equal.  The Bible teaches that God loves all and Jesus died for all. We have equal footing before God and as US citizens. The picture above is of Lisa and I standing at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. This was the sight where hundreds were denied the right to simply protest their right to vote. You can go to the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute right at the foot of the bridge in Selma.

Our journey continued in Mongomery, Alabama where we visited the Legacy Museum. This museum presented the injustices of blacks from the boats of Africa to the modern incarceration of black men and women. It also captured the vast amount of black men who were lynched. Just down the street, you can visit The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. It is sobering to see the thousands of men who were killed because of the color of their skin. It is a hard pill to swallow. When you read what each man was accused of, it sickens me that no one was ever prosecuted for these murders. 

We moved on to the Rosa Parks Museum in downtown Mongomery next. It is amazing the resolve and unity the black citizens had once she was confronted on the bus in late December of 1956. The collective community did not step foot on a public bus for three hundred and eighty-one days. They walked, carpooled, and started their own cab infrastructure. I am amazed how many of the people in the leadership of this movement were pastors. Most people do not know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was Rosa Park's pastor for a time. You can visit the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the Holt Street Baptist Church where the masses were inspired to stand for their rights.

We moved north to Memphis on our journey. For me, a highlight was the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. The exhibits are a comprehensive look at the history of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 17th century until today. It is sobering to review our history where a primary leader of the civil rights movement was gunned down. If you have to make a choice of where you must go, this would be my vote. 

I gained so much knowledge and understanding of history on this trip. You can learn more by visiting civilrightstrail.com. 

I thought I would leave you with the definition of critical race theory being that I have had no one who could define it for me yet. I am not going to weigh in at this point.

critical race theory (CRT), intellectual movement, and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.  Written by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Fathers - Learn, Grow, Change

Our family usually celebrates Fathers Day altogether. We gather at one of the sibling's houses and have a carry-in meal. This year Jenny, my younger sister invited us to her home.  As I walked in, I immediately noticed my dad. He was wearing shorts (the usual) and a "Celtic Green" pair of Converse low-top tennis shoes. For many people, seeing a seventy-eight-year-old wearing bright green tennis shoes would be strange and shocking. For me, it is something that I have grown to expect and appreciate greatly.

My dad has taught me many things throughout my life. I would not have the work ethic nor the drive to learn, grow and change without his influence. He has been a never-ending inspiration to me. I have watched him through the seasons of his life. I have learned so much. This blog is an attempt to capture three areas of life that will help you no matter what season you are in as a father. 

My mom passed away a few years ago. At that time, we decided to have my dad come live with us to assist him through a knee replacement. I observed my dad change right before my eyes. God was doing a work in him that I would like to share. My dad has always been a learner. From my earliest memories, he was reading, designing, building, and using new applications. I am sure you have heard the phrase, "jack of all trades, master of none." If you looked this up in the encyclopedia, you might find my dad's photo there. As a father, one of the best gifts you can give your children is a desire to learn. His never-ending thrust for knowledge is refreshing. Most people lose that desire before they hit fifty.

The second area that I have learned from my dad is the importance of growing as a person. This is much different than being a learner. Growth goes to the core of who we are. Most people I know recognize that they have weaknesses. Over time they become comfortable with those voids and never try to achieve growth in their negative characteristics and traits. Watching my dad grow is amazing. 

Growth is the process of becoming someone different. I think people who grow have to be willing to take risks. People are creatures of habit and uncomfortable to change. New ways of thinking and behaving do not happen naturally. Growth happens when people seek, experience, and know God. It has been inspiring to see God work in my dad's heart and to see him grow as a result of that. For every dad reading this blog, embrace your relationship with God, and watch growth take place.

The is one last area I want to talk about, change. Change requires humility. Change means work. Change means uncertainty. I have watched my dad change. There is no way that I would have seen my dad in green tennis shoes ten years ago. His early years as a believer were spent in a very conservative legalistic environment. He has surrendered to God changing him and not the opinions of men. Change occurs when we begin to understand that God knows what He is doing and when we grasp onto who He is shaping us to be. 

Fathers, remember that one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is being a man who learns, grows, and changes.

Bass Lessons

30 bass in less than 3 hours. Sound like fun? or more like a summer dream? It became a reality for a friend and me. Recently, I was able to join up with a long-time friend and outdoor writer Mike Roux for an evening on an Illinois private lake. 

Mike texted me on a whim to ask me if I was up for an evening fishing trip the next day. I quickly texted back, "Yes, absolutely!" He picked me up around six, and we headed toward a private lake that we had fished in past. 

The plan was to fish til dark. Our usual route was to troll the lake in a clockwise fashion. Mike and I usually create a little competition to add a little spice to our outings. This night I decided that we would compete for the first fish, the biggest fish, and the most fish. What I didn't know at the time is that we would have a hard time keeping track of all the fish! 

This evening was a classic example of how the fishing dynamics change over the course of a couple hours. We carried three poles with three different lures to meet the challenges we might face throughout the evening. It was only a couple casts before we caught our first fish using a crankbait. For the next half hour, we both caught a half dozen fish. 

As we moved into a bit of shade from the saplings lining the water's edge, we began to use a wacky worm against the bank. Mike caught his first three-pound bass of the night. He put me on to Stike King's "Sweet Tater Pie" a couple of years ago and it did not disappoint once again. Over the next forty-five minutes, we caught another half dozen bass. They ranged in size but all were in the pound to two-pound range. We both had caught seven basses apiece when the evening began to get interesting as the sun began to set.

Mike decided first to switch to a topwater spinner bait. His go-to is a Moto lure that he has caught some monsters with. I was still working the wacky worm with not a lot of success when it happened. Mike got blown up by a nice three-and-a-half-pounder. Then another bass and then another. It was every cast for the next forty-five minutes. The bass were so active that we were losing track of how many we had caught individually and together. We both decided that we would stop at thirty, simply because we were not equipped to fish in the dark. It did not take very long to hit thirty. With one last cast, I pulled in a three-pounder and we called a fantastic evening! 

The takeaway is to fish changes that are occurring throughout the fishing trip. In this case, we were fishing for bass. We went from a crankbait to the wacky worm. When they stop hitting the worm, we moved to a spinnerbait on the top. This proved to be the correct formula on this summer night.

Not My Day

When was the last time you stared down death? For the first time in my life, I didn't know if it would be my last Sunday. I have served in the capacity of a supporter during others' brush with death countless times. But it was different this time, it was me. A person's faith and beliefs come into clear focus in moments like these. 

After a Saturday of celebrating Lisa and I's thirty-sixth year of being together, we returned home from an evening out. I began to feel more uncomfortable as the night went on. After a few hours of restlessness, I decided to go to the emergency room just for peace of mind. Once I made it into a doctor's care, tests were run. The electrocardiogram showed that I was having a heart attack. Even though I was not experiencing any of the classic symptoms, I was headed to the cardiac cath lab. 

I talked to the cardiologist the entire way through my procedure. He discovered that I had a major blockage and was able to put a stint in. I was back in recovery in less than an hour. For the next several hours, I was left to myself for the most part. Lisa could not visit until eight on Sunday evening. I had a lot of time to sit in my hospital bed to think. 

Here are three things that became crystal clear on that Sunday. 

1.  Number your days 

The Bible tells us to teach us to number our days in Psalm 90:12. We all think that we have a lifetime left to live, to fulfill our dreams and spend time with the ones we love. Living life with the end in mind is a good idea. I asked the question to myself, "Is this the life you should be living?" What should you be doing differently and do you have your priorities aligned correctly?  

2. Live life for God, not yourself

When you are facing your potential end, it is common to do some serious life evaluation and soul searching. The second reality for me is this: life is much more meaningful being lived for God than living for yourself.  Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you. I have concluded that I am doing the things that God created me to do and with the people, He has placed beside me.  Pastoring a church and coaching young people is something that I was born to do. I am incredibly grateful that I still am able to fulfill my life purpose and that God is giving me more time to impact others for Him.

3. Leave no unfinished business.

When the Cardiologist announced that I was having a heart attack, I immediately thought about my people. I was prompted in my spirit to answer this question, Do I have any unfinished business? Is there anything I need to say? I have thought about this a lot and still up to this present moment, all my relationships are up to date. I have regrets and lapses in judgment over my life but I have come to resolve them with God and others. The Bible says in James 5:16, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed."

We have no promise of tomorrow. We get today, so number your days., live life for God and not yourself, and leave no unfinished business.

What would God know about rental cars?

 

My wife and I  decided to add a few days of vacation to a wedding ceremony that I was to perform in the first week of January. We were able to do all the booking and reservations before we left. The only thing that was not arranged was our ground transportation. This did not concern either one of us because it is easy to pick up rentals cars at arrival when flying. 

We had plans to rent a car at the airport and take a couple days to drive down to Key West from Orlando. Upon arrival, we navigated our way to the rental car area. We soon learned that there was not a car available at any of the rental companies. It was December 30th, the craziest week of the year in Orlando. With a quick decision, we decided to catch an Uber, get to the hotel, and regroup in the morning.

Lisa woke up before me, attempting to find a rental via her phone. She had no luck at all; I even overheard her trying to rent a U-haul truck. (I am not lying.) When she gets something in her mind, all focus and energy are given until the task or goal is achieved. As our hotel check-out time approached, we had no solid plan, nowhere to go, and no way to get there.

Sitting in the lobby, Lisa suggested that we pray for God to help us. I was thinking, "How is He gonna help us?" We need a car, and there isn't one within sixty miles. She prayed, and I closed my eyes. I was thinking "We are stuck!"

The lady at the front desk began to help us a little bit. We discovered a rental car seventy miles away in Melbourne, Florida. How would we get to Melbourne? Is this gonna cost us an arm and a leg? Quickly, Lisa found an Uber driver, and eighty-nine dollars later, we were headed eastbound to pick up our economy compact rental car. 

After a stop at Starbucks and a little bit of waiting while the Uber driver was unable to find the airport, we made it to Melbourne. Our New Year's Eve had started a little crazy, but what we didn't know is that it was going to get a bit crazier. As I walked up to the rental counter, I was thinking,  "If they don't have a car, we are in big trouble. Not only are we out the money, but we are also seventy miles away from where we need to be."

The attendant asked for my name. As I gave him my name, he said, "All I have available Mr. Cowman is a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro convertible at the same rate as the economy car -- forty-nine dollars a day."  I couldn't believe it! Not one second went by before my mind went back to Lisa's prayer. 

We couldn't get the top down soon enough! Here we are, pulling out of the Melbourne airport with a sweet ride to tour the Florida Keys. Lisa then commented about how God had heard her prayer. 

He certainly knows a lot about rental cars!

In Everything Give Thanks - Even with Covid-19?

 

I Thessalonians 5:18 is a go-to verse in the Bible to challenge us to be thankful. The verse simply says, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." Usually this time of year, people make lists or do some kind of Thanksgiving count down on Facebook. It is always good to be thankful but this Thanksgiving it takes on a special meaning after being diagnosed with Covid-19. 

My usual schedule has been horribly disrupted. Our church has a large Thanksgiving celebration that I usually host. Our children all make Thanksgiving the holiday where they all come home. As you can guess that has all been canceled for us. The Bible clearly helps us see that in the midst of disappointment, we can still be thankful because it is all a part of God's plan. 

Here are five things that I am thankful for on Wednesday, November 25th, 2020.  

I am thankful that my symptoms have been mild. I have seen and heard of how this virus takes a different path for each individual. I have had friends who have lost their lives from this monster. Others are presently in the hospital on ventilators. Some people have struggled to get back to normal activities again and have lost their taste and smell.

This has not been my story. I have been asymptomatic for the most part. I did lose my sense of smell for a couple of days with a stuffy nose. What a blessing! I do not take this lightly. Knowing what others are experiencing, while not suffering has humbled me. It has caused me to pray. People with Covid-19 are on my mind continuously and I pray for them daily. 

I am thankful that my family's symptoms have been mild. My wife and two of my three daughters have also contracted Covid. For the most part, we have had mild symptoms and short bouts with this virus. We are all on the mend and will be able to start regular life again by week's end. Health should not be taken for granted. If you have your health, you should regularly thank God for this blessing. Sometimes we forget to do that.  

I am thankful for all my friends and family members that have reached out. I have been encouraged by all the emails and texts that I have received. Many people have expressed that they are praying for us and have offered words of encouragement. I am once again reminded that the best life a person can lived is one with friends and family. Our church is an amazing place. It is not a "one hour experience" with all the smoke and whistles but rather a community of people who mutually care for and share with one another. I would not trade these relationships for anything. 

I am thankful for all the expressions of kindness and support. We have had people drop by gift cards, homemade chicken noodle soup, fresh bakery bread, cold crisp grapes, encouraging cards, fruit baskets, specialty coffee, and Village Inn peach pie. This has made us feel special and favored. I am blown away by the love and support that our friends and family have shown to us. It is sometimes the simple things that we fail to give thanks for. Acts of kindness do not go unnoticed. This is a week where a lot of kindness will be shown. Do not forget to give thanks.

I am thankful I did not have to quarantine alone. One of the silver linings of this quarantine for me is that I have gone through it with my family. I am grateful that we have been able to be together and in the same rooms. We have taken full advantage of the opportunity. Game nights have become a nightly ritual. Playing a different game each night has fanned the flame of competition amongst the three of us. Watching tv, movies, and even documentaries have proved to knit us together. Special foods, coffee, and treats have created conversations about what sounds good next. Life is not meant to be lived alone. I am thankful that I live in a home where there is a lot of love and relationship.

Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for even with Covid-19.