Marching Forth!

Have you felt like you could do nothing right?  No matter how hard you tried to prove yourself to someone, no matter your sacrifice, effort, or success, it was never enough?  Many people carry the burden of trying to please their parents into their adulthood, feeling like they were never able to satisfy their parent's expectations.  An ache of bitterness and unworthiness remains in the heart with a deep unsatisfied longing for acceptance and love.  This is the tragic end of too many father/son relationships. This is the emotional and relational baggage many carry into their relationship with God.  Perhaps this fuels the need to constantly "prove" ourselves to God so we may experience the love and acceptance we have always craved.  At church this morning, we read the story in Luke 17 of the ten lepers who were made well and the Samaritan who returned, praising and glorifying God.  The thanksgiving and humble thanks of the ex-leper were visible evidenc...

There's something about being wanted that attracts attention.  During World War I and II, this was a poster used to recruit young American patriots to serve their country in the U.S. armed forces.  Uncle Sam looked everyone who saw this poster dead in the face with outstretched finger, saying " You!  I want you !"  It doesn't matter whether you see this picture from straight on or from the side:  if you can see Uncle Sam, he's looking right at you. Now we know that there are certain things which will keep someone from serving in the military:  asthma, blindness, paralysis, disease, or lack of motivation.  The intention behind the sign is to motivate and encourage.  Allow yourself for a moment to be a 19 year old man in a little town with big dreams.  The sight of this sign send a spark of hope in his heart:  could it be true?  I can serve my country in the army?  The government wants me to help?  If Uncle Sam said, "I n...

Throughout my recent trip to Australia my mind wandered to what I might do when I arrived back in the United States.  I knew for certain that the chapter at my life on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon was finished.  If you're in the middle of a great book, there's no turning back to "re-live" a chapter you were particularly fond of.  The enjoyment of the finished chapter urges you to anticipate the next.  That is how it has been for me.  The time I spent at Calvary was the greatest chapter of my life, but that chapter is closed.  Now I am looking forward to the next chapter but I'm not capable or allowed to skim to the end.  Page by page the story unfolds, and every page more interesting with unexpected twists and turns. The moment came last Thursday (11/19) when I stepped onto the tarmac of the commuter terminal in San Diego.  That surreal moment was 60 days in the making as I toured and preached in churches and houses throughout Australia:...

I came across an interesting verse during our family's Bible reading after dinner.  It's a verse that has struck me before, but I couldn't escape it even as I went to bed.  Let me give a little background:  Jeroboam was king of Israel and had led the people into idolatry.  He had a child named Abijah (meaning father, i.e. worshiper of God ) who became sick.  Jeroboam asked his wife to disguise herself and visit the prophet of God named Ahijah (meaning brother, i.e. worshiper of God ).  God spoke to Ahijah who was blind and told him that the wife of Jeroboam would come in disguise.  Interesting, isn't it, that the one who was blind would be so spiritually perceptive? Ahijah pronounced a stern judgment against Jeroboam and all his descendants since he had done more evil than all the kings before him through his idolatry and casting God behind his back.  Concerning the child Abijah, the prophet said these words to Jereboam's wife:  " Arise the...

I am the first of three children born to my parents.  My mom told me how horrified she was when a group of medical students walked by when she was giving birth and someone yelled out, "Look, she's crowning!"  and they looked in with their clipboards in hand.  I can't remember if it was me or one of my siblings, but my mom was very annoyed at one of the nurses because right after birth the nurse strongly flicked the newborn's feet with her fingers to make the baby cry.  Strong crying ensures that the lungs are clear of fluid and that life-supporting oxygen is reaching the brain.  Although crying is not desirable in a baby at 2am, it is almost a comforting sound to a mother and father to know, "He's breathing.  He's alive."  How devastating is silence at birth! I know many people close to me who have suffered miscarriages or given birth to stillborn children.  How horribly painful and depressing to have a baby forming in the womb with all the exc...

One of the most common questions I am asked about Australia is, "What are the biggest differences between Australia and the States?"  This is a difficult question to answer because everything is very similar yet everything is a little different.   A common misconception is that people assume that Australia is the same as the United States because they speak English.  People also believe that Australia is a Christian nation because America is.  These are both false assumptions and the longer you live in Australia the more clear this becomes.  But because inquiring minds want to know, here are my top five differences between the States and Australia in no particular order: Australian people have an insatiable appetite for American news, especially politics .  When I met new people, one of the first things people would ask is about President Obama or health care reform.  Australians care more about American politics than most Americans by far! ...

During my time in AUS, I've had a lot of unique experiences.  Today I ate kangaroo and crocodile for the first time, and experienced a game that I have to shake my head with a smile and say, "Only in OZ!"  It's called Furyball, and I made a video to share a little slice of country life in Canberra.  Enjoy the action!