Life Changes

Much has transpired in my life since I last posted to this blog. The physical problems of January and February (spiking blood pressure, anxiety attacks, hyperthyroid problems, etc.) were only warning bells to a greater condition, discovered the first week of March- bladder cancer.
As I wrote in my other blog, a 2" malignant tumor was discovered in my bladder. It was safely and completely removed, pathology reports later confirmed no trace of it remained, and yet I am in the midst of a six-week preventative chemotherapy treatment to reduce the chances of any return. It has been the ride of my life, no doubt- a ride I'd have rather not taken, but found myself on anyway. God has been good to me though, as I am aware it could have been so much worse. It could have spread, could have been a more aggressive strain, could have been another, more deadly type altogether. I am thankful, in the midst of it all.
I have found myself, on days when I am able to take a motorcycle ride, much more aware of the small blessings all around me- the smell of spring flowers as I pass them roadside, the feel of slight temperature changes in and out of shade, the sounds of birds singing, the warmth of the sun on my face or neck, the feel of the wind in my face, and the people I get to meet wherever I find myself. Life is precious, sweet, and worth savoring each moment of.
God has been, and continues to be, very good to me. Whatever lies ahead, wherever the road leads, I know Who guides me, Who has me, and I will trust and not be afraid. Psalm 23

A Psalm of Hope

After a difficult week of snow and ice, stress and blood pressure issues, the weather broke enough to take an afternoon motorcycle ride. I felt the tension leaving my body and mind as I rode into the setting February sun. The temperatures were low 50s, the roads dry after days of snow and black ice. A near perfect day for a two-wheeled cruise.
I rode up on a favorite location not far from our home, a large cattle ranch with rolling hills and a creek running through the middle. I felt the sudden urge to pull over, snap a couple of photos, and I found myself reciting Psalm 23-

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever.

The moment was holy, as I felt the presence of God meet me there, on the side of the road, the sun setting over the fields, as I spoke aloud those beautiful, historic words. David must have penned the words looking out across a similar scene, and felt the same Presence I did, thousands of years ago. I felt a kinship with David, despite all these miles and years separating us. The same wonder and awe, the same faith, in the same God.
And the God who watched over him, watches over me.

News in the New Year

 

I've not posted anything since the middle of December, as the past month was a whirlwind of activity. After a wonderful Christmas, we spent the week after Christmas replacing all of our water lines, which had ruptured somewhere on the property. Then with the new year, we experienced single-digit freezing temps, so those new pipes were put to the test.
We also began our first home group for the new Phoenix Community of Grayson church plant, which we hope to open sometime in February or March. Talks are ongoing with a possible location for worship gatherings.
In the meantime, I've officially rejoined Christian Motorcyclists Assn., which I was a member of back in the 1990s. As we began a mid-week community Bible study at my friends the Landwer's home, many of the local CMA Kneebenders folks have been attending. I am enjoying my new friends, enjoying our time opening God's Word together, and excited to see where all of this leads. Who knows? We might have the makings of a "biker church"- or least, a biker-friendly church!
CMA's vision of reaching the lost, hurting, and disconnected in the biker community meshes well with the Phoenix Community vision to reach those disconnected from Christ and His Church. I'm not surprised so many in CMA relate to the Phoenix vision. Reaching the lost together with the love of Christ, and equipping them to be disciples of Christ who make other disciples of Christ- 2014 could be an interesting year!

New Bike Projects

My parents came up for a few days, so we enjoyed an early Christmas together, as they will be leaving for Texas this week to spend some time with my brother Rick and his family. Dad has been helping me with a couple of bikes I've come by recently, a 96 Honda Nighthawk 750 (shown here) and a 97 ATK 260 dirt bike. I always enjoy the time with them, and the help my dad gives in working on bikes is always invaluable to me. We had the Nighthawk all assembled, everything back together, hooked up a battery and gave it some gas. After a couple of coughs, it fired right up! Yet almost instantly, we discovered fuel leaking out from under the carbs, and ended up tearing it right back down to remove the carbs, then totally dismantle them, to replace a set of tiny O-rings that had gone bad. Painstaking, meticulous, time-consuming job, and the local Honda had to order the parts! So even though we had it together and running, it is now back apart, while we await the arrival of the O-rings. Frustrating? Yes. Still enjoyed the time with my folks? Absolutely.
Hey, they both will be back on Tuesday, so if the rings come in by then, we still may get this finished for someone before Christmas! Here's hoping...

CMA at IMS

I spent part of Sunday afternoon at the annual International Motorcycle Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre. What a show it was! All the major manufacturers were there, with examples of their 2014 lines on display. "Motorcycle Heaven", if there ever was one.
I had not planned to go this year, as our eldest daughter Ansley was in town for the weekend. Yet several of my CMA (Christian Motorcyclist Assn.) friends had urged me to come join them, as CMA had a large booth set up. Lisa said they were going to do a little shopping, so I should go. I rode over, took in the show, and hung out with these guys while there. Glad I did.
I've actually been a CMA member since about 1998, but didn't ride with them much during the 2000's. As a pastor at Hebron, I rode with the church group, the Spirit Riders, a great bunch of folks. Now that I am gone from Hebron, I really don't ride with them much anymore. The members in two local CMA chapters, CrossTies (where my old membership was) and KneeBenders (a sport bike chapter) have reached out to me, welcomed me, and given me a new riding group home. I've fallen in with another great bunch of folks.
Doors close, but new ones open. I look forward to great riding years ahead, with my CMA brothers and sisters.

Half Century Road Trip

Last weekend I completed an epic road trip with my childhood friend Lyle Branton. We both are now 50 years old, and planned to motorcycle ride across the southern states, with specific objectives being riding the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway end to end, and riding across the entire panhandle of Florida beach front.
We met up north of Atlanta on Sunday, September 22, and rode through the foothills of north Georgia, through the beautiful valley of Chattanooga, then across the remaining Appalachians to Nashville. Tent camping for the night by a pristine lake, we rode west Monday to the north terminus of the Parkway, first enjoying the food and country music nostalgia of the famed Loveless Café. Then we started down our first stretch of the Parkway.
The Natchez Trace Parkway is approximately 444 miles long, winding through the hill country of Tennessee, down through the northwest corner of Alabama, then all the way across Mississippi to Natchez. We rode as far as Tishomingo, and made camp in a state park, again on a beautiful lake with the moon rising over the waters. We awoke to grey skies and drizzle on Tuesday, and got as far as Tupelo before hard rain forced us to hold up in a gas station/barbeque joint for two hours. When the worst had passed over the Parkway, we continued on, still in rain, but by the time we arrived in Jackson, the storm has cleared. We dried out in a hotel that night, and hit the road Wednesday morning in clear skies and warm temps to complete our journey down the Parkway. Finally reaching the famed road's southern terminus, we celebrated in Natchez with tamales at the local fave, Fat Mama's. After a some photos down by the Mississippi River, we blasted east across the state on Hwy 98, making for Mobile, AL, for an evening with my friend Greg Sweatt's dad.
Our journey along coastline began as we crossed Mobile Bay bridge at sunset. The colors in the sky were unlike any I had ever seen- all the pastels of the color palette were present, from bright gold of the setting sun, to brilliant orange, red, purple, various blues, even green, all reflected in the glass-like surface of the bay. Breathtaking. We spent a wonderful evening and Thursday morning with Mr. Sweatt, then loaded up and ran south through Fair Hope, then Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and on into Florida. We passed through Perdido Key, where my sister-in-law had a condo for several years, then Pensacola, Fort Walton, Destin, and made camp just off the beach at Topsail Hills State Park.
Friday we rode through Seaside, Laguna Beach, then Panama City. Finally beyond the tourism part of the Panhandle, we rode beachfront through quaint little coastal and fishing towns, around the "Big Bend" of what locals call "Old Florida". This was to be my favorite leg of our whole ride. Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, Eastpoint and Carabella, all with vistas out across Panhandle islands, peninsulas and keys. We crossed towering bridges over wide expanses of water, beheld tidal flats and rocky shorelines, under deep blue skies. I rode much of Big Bend in silent worship, unable to speak or even listen to music. The beauty was indescribable. We passed through Lanark Village and Panacea before swinging over to Perry, to spend a delightful evening with Lyle's oldest sister Peggy and her husband Dick.
Saturday we arose, said goodbyes to our wonderful hosts, and rode one last time down to the Gulf of Mexico, about a mile behind Peggy and Dick's place. Swinging north, we throttled up out of Florida into south Georgia, and turned east along Hwy 84 through Quitman, Valdosta, Waycross, Jesup, and Hinesville, catching I-98 then I-16 into Savannah to my daughter Ansley's  place for the night. We enjoyed watching UGA defeat LSU, ate at the popular Crab Shack out on Tybee Island, then got a good night's sleep before our final leg home.
Sunday we said goodbye to Ansley, Savannah, and the Atlantic Ocean and blasted west on I-16 for home. We parted ways in Dublin, he toward I-75 and Fayetteville, me up Hwy 441 to my folks in Eatonton and then on home to Dacula. This was a fantastic adventure with a nearly life-long friend, celebrating our half century out on the open road. Nearly 2100 total miles through five states, from the hills of Appalachia to the Mississippi River, across the Gulf coast and over to the Atlantic coast. "Epic" is the word I use to describe the trip. God guided us through beautiful places, to wonderful family and friends, and a four-decade friendship was deepened. Worth every minute and mile.

In this "season of uncertainty" I've lived in since leaving Hebron back in February, there have been times I've felt confident about the future, and times I've felt fearful. Now that we are seven months out on our own, there are days that the worry and anxiety grows. Into that, God led me to this passage in the Bible today-
"You are my servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:9b-10
Even as we prepare to help plant and pastor a new Phoenix Community Church in Lawrenceville this fall/winter, the concern of raising support and doing various things to earn a living weighs heavy on my heart at times. Since I was 19 years old, I have served on staff vocationally at one church or another. Being unemployed for the first time in my adult life and trying to find ways to make money, even while eagerly anticipating the church plant, stresses me. But God came near to me today, with this passage. It's as if He spoke it into my heart.
He still has me, He is not through with me, and He will protect, preserve, and provide for me and my family. I am in good hands.

This past Saturday, I fulfilled a "bucket list" item.
It's been a dream of mine for several years to (1) own a sport bike, (2) ride it on the track at Road Atlanta, and (3) "hit the ton", i.e. go over 100 mph. I can now say I have done all three. I'd like to say "check- done that", but I want to do it again!
At the encouragement of my friends Jonathan Landwer and Brian Morris, I joined NESBA, the North East Sport Bike Assn, and signed up for one of their track days at Road Atlanta. In preparation, I bought all the appropriate gear, got the Triumph tuned up, and began to study the track via YouTube videos. By Saturday morning, I knew that track like my own street.
I had registered in the "novice" group, having never done a track day before, and being a recent sport bike rider. Upon arrival, the weather, which had been rainy all week, closed in again, and poured as soon as I pulled into the paddock area. "Great," I was thinking, "maybe I shouldn't have come." I did not want my first track day to be run in the rain, on a wet track. I grew anxious, somewhat afraid.
Jonathan arrived, as did Brian, and as we all got our bikes and gear situated, the rain began to subside. By the time the morning rider meetings were held, the sun began to break through, and soon, the track was drying enough to ride on. The advanced group went out, followed 30 minutes later by the intermediate group, then finally, my group. Each group had a 20-25 minute session on the track, and my group had several NESBA control riders mixed in, to insure we were okay and riding safely.
As the novice group left the starting area and began to loop around the track, my anxiety was replaced by focus. With each subsequent lap, and each subsequent session on the track, I gained confidence, increased my speeds, and took corners sharper and quicker. I was by no means as fast as most others, even in my group, but I was improving my skills, growing in comfort and confidence, and flat-out having fun. On the back straight, I broke 100 mph on every lap, and topped out at 122 mph by the end of the day. The bike was capable of much more, but for my first time out, that was plenty for me. Maybe 150 next time???
For a guy who underwent spinal neck surgery six weeks ago, I felt pretty good. I wore a neck brace every time I went out, just in case, and several riders and NESBA officials commended me on riding so soon after my procedure. One control rider even called me "Iron Man." Well, I do have a metal plate in my neck...
What a blast it was! I certainly am hooked on speed, in a controlled environment like that. Its hard to describe what hitting triple digits in mph feels like, but its addicting. That's a "bucket list item" I want to check off again, in the near future. Thanks to NESBA and my friends Brian and Jonathan for a memorable day.

 

I had the pleasure of spending a day with my friends Jonathan Landwer and Brian Morris at a NESBA track day at Road Atlanta recently. I couldn’t ride myself, due to my recent surgery, but I had a blast watching these guys blast around the track that afternoon. I hope to ride myself in a track day soon, Lord willing.

I got thinking about what makes a successful track day, and how that compares to a successful walk with Jesus Christ. I found some common elements. Here’s just a few, as I see them:

For a successful track day, you need the right equipment. A properly prepped sport bike is better than say, a big, heavy, low cruiser. The right riding gear is a must- full face helmet, full body armored suit, gloves, and track boots. And of course, the right tools and materials to keep the bike in top form are essential as well. The same can be said of walking with Christ. We need the Bible, the “full armor of God” as found in Ephesians 6, and how to properly use these.

A successful track day includes heeding vital instruction, and following the rules of the track and the sponsoring group. Failure to abide by these will get you expelled from the event and/or seriously injured. I find this true in large measure to following Christ also. God has given us vital instruction in His Word, with guidelines to veer us out of danger and keep us “on track” as in Psalm 119:105. Failure to follow God’s ways will result in personal pain, life misdirection, and disqualification from being effectively used by God for His kingdom purposes.

A successful track day includes the enjoyment of the shared experience with other like-minded riders, racing with each other around the track, then sharing stories, ideas, tips, and a helpful hand in the paddock. We also see our skills improve, as we learn to go faster, safer, in the company of fellow riders and under the instruction of dedicated control riders. The longer we walk with Christ, in the company of fellow Christ followers, the more we enjoy the journey, the more we grow in our gifts and calling. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” as Proverbs 27:17 states. The Christian life was meant to be lived in community with each other, growing together, serving together, doing life together, and reaching the world together with the love of God.

Observations from a track day.

Today has been a very significant day. It was exactly one year ago this day that my dear friend and brother in Christ, Aaron Smith, died of cancer. Ironically, I spent the past two days in the very same hospital Aaron spent his last days, Piedmont in Atlanta. In fact, I was discharged today to return home after surgery on my neck, and Aaron returned to his new home in Heaven this day last year. Many parallels. I have a somewhat lengthy recovery, whereas Aaron experienced instant healing before the Father. A special day indeed.
I am reminded how frail and fleeting our time on earth really is. Life and health can vanish in an instant, and pain is a part of living here. We worry ourselves with so many things, but in the light of eternity, all that really matters is a daily, vibrant, obedient walk with Jesus Christ. Everything else is rubbish, like the apostle Paul wrote.
I look forward to the day when there will be no more suffering, no more pain, no more aging, no more cancer. God the Father will make all things new, and make it permanent. The body eventually breaks down, but one day, we will be forever restored. The older I get, the more aches and pains I endure, the more loved ones I say goodbye to, the more I look forward to that eternal restoration.
And I look forward to seeing my old chum Aaron again.

A friend once told me, "It's tough getting old... I don't recommend it."
Well, I've been feeling old lately. Neck problems, pain in one of my wrists, and now a knee injury.
I've been having increased pain and issues over the years from an old neck injury, that now has resulted over time in two degenerative discs in the base of my neck. Chiropractic, physical therapy, pain injections, medications, none have remedied the problems. So now I am facing surgery.
Then I recently damaged my knee, while climbing stairs in our home. The resultant MRI shows not one, but two tears in my meniscus in my right knee. Now, two surgeries. Problems come in pairs...
I'm praying for healing, but I also know healing can come through the gift of modern medicine. I hope to get healthy again after these, to be about my active lifestyle again.
This has been a pain in the neck...and the knee...

In this "land of Midian" I've been in since leaving Hebron, God has given me a few opportunities to preach and teach, I've done a lot of writing (new blog, Twitter, etc.), but what seems to be generating the most income is buying/selling. Even last fall, I bought the Kawasaki ZR-7s, only to trade it with a guy for two bikes, the Triumph Sprint and the Kawasaki Vulcan. God was already positioning me to do this, before I ever knew I would be in the stage of life I find myself in. After getting the Vulcan running, I sold it within 3 days for a good profit. I needed to buy a smaller, newer, lower-mileage truck, and Lisa found one, a Ford Ranger, down in Snellville. I got it for a great price, with the money I made off the Vulcan. I then fixed up (with my father's help) my old Chevy 1500, and sold it for a profit, to friend in town.
Now, another friend has had this little 1983 Honda CX650 for many years, but since buying a much newer bike, has not had the time to fix the old one back up. He gave it to me to see if I thought it would be worth fixing, and if it is, I'll settle up with him then. Its a rather uncommon motorcycle, one Honda didn't make many of, and didn't make it for many years. I hope to massage it back to life, and turn it for a little extra cash as well. We'll see...
God is providing, day by day, as I seek and depend on Him.
"Give us this day our daily bread..." He certainly has with me, served up with a helping of motorcycles and pickup trucks!

The other day I had to take my wife’s car to a local NTB store to replace a pair of front tires and get an alignment done. While they had her car back, I found myself in a conversation with one of the customer service reps, a guy named Tony. He had commented on how much he liked the body style of my wife’s 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, how he had owned one of the old 70′s era GPs, and our conversation rolled on from there to other great classic muscle cars of our youth. I could tell Tony was about my age, the way he talked about cars from the 70′s through the early 80′s. In the course of talking, I found out he had been through two divorces, since he referred to “my first ex” and “my second ex”, and the cars he had owned while married to them. Tony has a daughter from one of them, and that too came up in the context of a “cool old Firebird” he had bought her a few years ago. He had a huge love for cars, specifically muscle cars, and shared how his dream would be to own an early 70′s GTO, or better yet, a Judge. I listened as Tony talked on, with no other customers in the store at the time, until he had to take a call. I walked back down the hall to the customer break room, hoping to continue a conversation with him in a few minutes. They finished my wife’s car soon thereafter, and when I returned to check out, Tony had left on break, so I drove off.
I thought about Tony on the way home, and wondered if I had missed an opportunity to share something of my faith with him. I prayed for him, that someone would share Christ with him, and that Tony would someday come to faith in Christ. I asked God, “When I am in a conversation with a person, I would like to be able to give a quick thought-provoking word from You, like Jesus so often did. Not some smart quip, just something to leave them thinking. If nothing else, help me find a way to insert a word of my testimony, what Christ means to me. Father, Help me make the most of these brief encounters with people, for You.”
I’m reminded of Jesus’ discussion with the woman at the well, in John 4. He turned the conversation so easily to the condition of her heart, by simply moving from the water in the well, to His “living water” for the soul. I would love to be able to turn conversations to Christ like that, to leave people a taste of the life and love of Jesus, so they might begin to thirst for more of Him. I guess that is what we all should be about, every day, with those we cross paths with daily.

Life has been a whirlwind since I left Hebron last month. Settling into the "new normal" has been an interesting time. God is bringing so many encouragers across my path, friends from high school and college, from previous ministries I've served, as well as current friends from across town and around the world. It's an unsettling time, seeking God's new path for me, but it's been a precious time as well, being in position to slow down and listen for His "still small voice." I see so many of my peers at my stage of life, that God has radically altered the direction of their lives and work, and sending them off new directions. Sometimes, God uses the accumulated experiences and successes of the past, and multiplies them for many to benefit from. Other times, He completely redirects us to new fields, new opportunities, new horizons, and asks us to jump and trust Him. I'm not sure which way God will lead me, But I keep coming back to this assurance He gave me in His Word, a few weeks ago-
"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
2013 is going to be an amazing year, wherever God leads us. It will be beyond my imagination.

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say. -JRR Tolkien

 

A friend once told me, “Life is like a road trip. Even if you know your final destination, the joy is still in the journey.” I completely agree. The unexpected twists, turns, detours, discoveries, even the disappointments and setbacks- they all contribute to the great adventure. God’s been good to me, more than I’ve deserved. I can only hope that I have been an encouragement to those I’ve met along the way, as much as they have been to me. Even now every new person I meet leaves a piece of his/her story with me, and I’m enriched.

I'm entering my second century of life this year, and embarking on a new career path. Time marches on, and change must come. I read this somewhere once, and find it certainly rings true- "When you accept change as inevitable, you won't be crushed when it comes." In fact, change often can be very good, when we have opportunity to reflect on it. God is always moving us forward, urging us on, and leading us by the hand.

Recently I had a rather extraordinary dream. I was suddenly a child again, 8 or 9 years old, and I was on a school bus, about the third row back on the right, with my “Hot Wheels” tin lunch box (I really had one) and my Miami Dolphins book satchel (I had one of those too). Suddenly, the bus driver pulled the bus over to the curb, in a completely deserted, unfamiliar place. He got up, came to me, took me by the arm, and escorted me off the bus, firmly shoving me though the door. As I stood on the curb, watching the bus drive away, I felt a stab of fear, wondering, “Why did he do this to me? What do I do now?” Suddenly, I felt a great presence behind me, a large, strong, warm hand took my left hand, and a deep yet comforting voice spoke, “Its going to be okay. I got you. Let’s go.” I looked up, seeing no face in particular, but a large, reassuring father figure guiding me forward, holding my hand. The terror faded, replaced with a peace, and I thought, “I’m going to be fine.”

I am reminded of these passages from Scripture-

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

I take great comfort in these and many other verses I have read or others have sent me over the years. God is good, His ways perfect, His timing spot-on, His love for us unfailing, unchanging.

There are more roads to ride, more miles to cover, more people to meet, more memories to make. With God as my guide, I know whatever happens on the road of life, He’s got me. I’ll be fine.
*I have come to understand that in the dream, God is both the bus driver, and the father figure. He had to get me off my comfortable place on the "bus", so He could lead me to new places. I will follow Him.



I'm reflecting on the year 2012, how eventful it has been. The year began with my father in the hospital in Augusta, undergoing a triple heart bypass. He has recovered remarkably well in the months since, but the whole ordeal made me realize how the years have flown by. Both of my parents, though in good health, are aging, and that is hard for me to accept. Life is fragile, years are fleeting.
To further that point, my dear friend and brother in Christ, Aaron Smith, died in May after a short but painful struggle with cancer. Aaron had only become a believer in Christ a few years ago, and our old high school acquaintance had become a close friendship. His passing broke my heart, but I rest in the knowledge that I'll see him again.
My wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage together this past summer, and I cannot imagine spending my life with anyone else but her. I would not change a single moment of our years together, except to have been an even better husband to her. She has been everything I could have asked for or imagined in a life soul mate.
I bought a second motorcycle in September, entering the world of sport bike riding, then promptly traded with a guy named Mike who wanted it. I got two bikes in the trade, a Triumph Sprint and a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500. I am working to get the Vulcan running again, and intend to sell it, starting my side income of flipping motorcycles.
I have begun to write more this past year, articles for publication in motorcycle and ministry magazines. I have four submitted to several national motorcycle periodicals, and two for a national children's ministry journal. I have been working on a book as well, with another in mind for down the road. I hope to parlay my love for and ability to write, into some side profit as well. We'll see where it all goes in the coming year.
So as we close 2012 and prepare for the new year, in spite of the uncertainty and gathering darkness in the world around us, I am hopeful, expectant. I'll turn 50 in the coming year, and hoping to make a coast-to-coast road trip with my childhood friend Lyle, also turning 50 this year. I'll turn 30 years of the ministry in 2013,  and God may open some new opportunities to serve Him as well. I don't know what the new year holds, but I know Who holds the new year. He has led me this far, has opened so many doors, and I will follow Him into 2013.

 

In light of the horror that took place last Friday up in Conn., I would like to share some thoughts from John Eldredge, author of “Wild at Heart”, who gave these insights-

Evil struck again.

And while I would prefer a solemn silence—the only good thing Job’s counselors offered him—so many unhelpful things are being said and suggested around the Newtown massacre I found myself compelled to write. Because the question of evil may be the greatest question the world faces today. How do we deal with evil? How do we prevent such tragedy?

It all depends on what you think is causing this.

I hope you will forgive my honesty, but I do not understand the shock. The grief I understand. The speechlessness, the staggering, profound sorrow, the overwhelming sense of violation—these I understand. We are reeling from yet another assault of darkness. But our shock reveals something else altogether, something even more dangerous than armed violence.

I am describing a naiveté about the world that Christians, at least, should not be toying with.

You would think that after a century which included the Holocaust, Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, and the rise of terrorism to name but a few, we would have been cured from our childish ideas about evil. You would think that after any one of the hundreds of atrocities of the past few years, we would have been cured. Rwanda, 9/11, human trafficking—what is it going to take?

I was heartened at first by the early words of Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy when he said, “Evil visited this community today.” That is exactly right; that is precisely what happened. But the clarity—he may have only been using a metaphor—was quickly lost in the subsequent media barrage. Our leaders are reacting to the Newtown massacre by calling for gun control; how unspeakably foolish. Now, this is not an essay on gun control; I am speaking to our understanding of our situation and the forces we are dealing with. But the cries for gun control reveal the naiveté—they are crying for the trees to be cut down while they ignore the wind.

It is this naiveté regarding evil that is the crisis of our age. And it is most dangerous.

For the Christian knows certain things about the world, things we must never ever lose hold of. We know from whence evil comes; we know what to do about it. We know—or we are supposed to know—that we live in a world at war; we are living in the midst of a very real and extremely brutal battle with the kingdom of darkness. While most Christians are still playing at happy little life (and angry at God for “allowing” terrible things to happen), the Scriptures continually warn us of a great evil power, who rules the world, whom we must contend with. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). In other words, with the demonic.

We seem utterly devoted to avoiding the question of evil, to misdiagnosing it, completely committed to a childish view of the world. And our foolishness is proving very costly. For as GK Chesterton once wrote, “The great human heresy is that the trees move the wind.” By this he means the heresy that it is economics, race, poverty, a political party or doctrine that are the real causes of evil in the world; in this case, that it is the lack of gun control that causes evil in the world. Is the evil therefore located in the gun? Far more people are killed by automobile accidents each year in the U.S.—is the evil located in those vehicles?

How long will we continue to ignore the actual storm that tortures this world “by an invisible and violent witchcraft?”

We prevent all possibility of serious change when we hold childish views regarding evil, regarding the Great War in which we find ourselves. I suppose for the world the naiveté is understandable. For the Christian, it is inexcusable. We cannot toy with sociological, psychological or political explanations for the evil now ravaging the planet. Because we have answers.

There are answers both to the evil in the world, and the evil in the human heart. God moved long ago to deal with both, and triumphantly. What greater hope could possibly be spoken? This is what the world longs to know—"Why doesn't God do something?" God has acted; he has intervened, at the cost of his own Son’s life. There are answers, there are solutions, there is a way out. But we will not seek them while we take a four-year-old view of the world; while we blame the "trees" for the raging storm.

How differently would the church pray if we really believed we are at war with the kingdom of darkness? How differently would we live and act in this world?

That “difference,” my brothers and sisters, would make an enormous difference.

We have an enemy. He is bent on our destruction, on the destruction of God’s work in the world. On the destruction of our children.

But-

“They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.” Revelation 12:11

1999 Triumph Sprint ST

Its been several weeks since the last post, and much has transpired.
Following up on the story last month of Mike, the older gentleman I met about the two motorcycles-
This story has progressed rapidly, in amazing ways. At first, Mike wanted $2K for Triumph (they go for $3K+ on the web), and $1K for Vulcan, but even then was willing to wiggle on prices, since neither had run in over a year. I told him I'd get back to him after Thanksgiving.
We talked on Monday of the next week, and he informed me he was taking his wife out of town to see her mother the first week of December. I asked if he would let me borrow the shop manual for the Triumph while he was gone, to see if I could figure out if there was anything else wrong with the bike, aside from needing a new battery. Mike said, "I'll do better than that. I'll let you take the bike to your house, so you can work on it yourself. If you get it running, I'll come off the price even more, to comp you for your time, effort, and money. If you can't get it running and want to call it all off, I'll comp you anyway." I jumped at the chance! Jack Butler, one of my riding buddies, brought his trailer, and we picked it up. Mike's wife, Donna, wanted him to follow us to my house, saying, "Sorry, but I'm not as trusting as Mike is!" Hoping to find an opening to maybe share my faith some with Mike, I said, "That is no problem at all! In fact, I hope you can trust preachers, because I'm one of them over at Hebron. So you'll be able to track me down at my home, or my church." As I handed them my card, they both lit up, and Mike declared, "What a blessing from God! I'm a Messianic Jew, gave my life to Christ over 20 years ago!" Wow! I was blown away. No doubt in my mind, ours had not been a chance meeting at that Red Box the week before.
We got the bike to my house, moved into my basement shop, and Mike offered to give me a ride back to the church. I obliged, thanked Jack, and hopped in Mike's truck. We talked family, careers, and Christ all the way back to Hebron. Pulling into the parking lot, Mike saw my red ZR7s sitting there, and asked to see it. He walked all around it, admiring the little ride, and asked to sit on it. "Sure, throw a over," I told him. He lit up again as he straddled it, saying, "Wow, its so light and well-balanced. And I can touch ground easy on it." He stepped off, stood there in thought for a moment, then asked, "Would you consider a trade? If you can get the Triumph running, I'd like to swap with you. On this bike, I think I might have a few more riding years in me." Surprised, I said, "Absolutely! I'd love that Triumph. I get her running, you got a deal." He said he'd bring a new battery by the church for me the next day, and we shook on it.
Sure enough, Thursday he met me with the battery. We stood and talked for about 30 minutes outside, then he declared, "I have a little revision to my proposal, if you are open to it. I'd still like to straight trade with you, and I'm willing to throw in the Vulcan 1500 too. So I'll give you both bikes for your ZR." I was stunned. Two bikes for one! Triumph for ZR, and basically the 1500 for free! Incredible. I nearly hugged the man. I told him, "Let me see what I can do with the Triumph while you are gone, and if all goes well, when you get back we'll see about closing the deal."
Well, to make a long story short, over the next two evenings, and half a Saturday with my dad's help, we got that Triumph running and tuned. In the meantime, I did some wrenching and cleaning on the ZR, so it would be ready for Mike. Upon his return, he met me at our house, and we went for a 30 minute ride- me on the Triumph, Mike on the ZR, so he could get a good feel for it. He had not ridden a motorcycle in a year and a half, so we said a prayer together, then took it easy out on some nice country roads I knew he'd enjoy. Upon returning, he stated, "I love it. I want it. Let's do this." We shook on it, agreeing to swap titles early the next week, and finalize everything.
So here I am on Sunday night, marvelling at God's hand in all of this. I've had a dream as of late to turn my love for motorcycling into a profit, by writing articles for motorcycle and Christian magazines, and "flipping" bikes on the side- finding ones like these, sitting idle in garages, needing just a little TLC to get them on the road again, buy them low, resell them for profit, and make new friends along the way. Just like Mike. And here we are, getting a like-new Triumph Sprint in a swap, a basically free Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 to work on then sell, and I already have four articles set to run in about five different magazines across the winter, and more I'll be submitting soon. God is at work in this, and no telling where it will all go. But I'm excited, and ready to follow Him.
More to come,

Yesterday I found myself interacting with several people in various states of need in their lives, with the opportunity to help and encourage each in some way.
Every year, our church collects food for needy families, packing them Thanksgiving boxes with turkey, dressing, and everything else for a full family meal. I swear, Hebron is the most generous church I've ever seen. Numerous families came by to pick up their boxes, each profusely grateful. We even had the privilege of quietly packing a couple of boxes for one of our very faithful children's ministry leaders, whose family has fallen on hard times in recent years. Humbling, to serve him and his family, in light of all they have done over the years for this ministry.
Later, I rode over to an older gentleman's house I had met the other night at a Redbox station, who had a couple of old motorcycles to sell. I examined his two bikes, but also noted he walked with a limp and a cane. When I inquired, he confided, "I'm 71 years old, and have had a couple of lower back surgeries in the past couple of years. Bone on bone down there. In fact, I'm facing a possible hip replacement this coming year, if we can afford it. I just can't get down and work on these bikes anymore, much less ride them. Time to let them go." I could sense the sadness in his voice- not only at having to give up riding, but also just at gradually losing his health, and ability to do the things he enjoys. I told him, "Well, whether we do business or not, God bless you, I'll be praying about all that for you, and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving with your family." He was very grateful.
Later that evening, I had to meet Lisa down in Snellville with the pickup truck, to pick up some furniture from a coworker of hers. At a gas station outside town, a woman pulled up alongside me in a beat-up old Toyota, and asked, "Sir, I hate to ask, but could you spare some change? I'm trying to get home to South Carolina for Thanksgiving, and am about out of money." I told her, "All I have is $3, I'm filling my truck up on a card, but I'll give you what I have. And I'll pray you get safely home. God bless you." She gave an emotional thank you, then pulled out and drove off.
I met Lisa at the apartment of her coworker, who was being evicted, unable to pay the rent anymore. We had given her a dining room set with six chairs, one we bought ourselves about 20 years ago. Now, she couldn't take it with her, moving into a much smaller place, but we said we'd store it for her, and when she could take it, we'd give it back to her. Again, she expressed heartfelt gratitude, for the gift to begin with, and the offer to give it back to her if/when she was ready.
We drove it to one of Lisa's friend's house, who said she had room in her basement to store it. She herself is a single mom with a daughter, no child support from her ex-husband (in prison), struggling to make ends meet and keep her home. She had hit something and broke the passenger side mirror on her car, and couldn't afford to fix it. I pulled off the broken one, and we told her we'd help get and install a new one for her.
Driving home, I was thinking about all these various people who had crossed paths with me today. I was grateful for all God has blessed my own family with, way more than we need or deserve. I also found myself grateful for the opportunity to serve, give, and encourage, to each of these very different people and life circumstances. I had been praying that God would stir up in me a heart of generosity, not only over the holidays, but as a way of life. I feel like I've become too selfish in recent years, gaining and keeping only for me and my family. I want to have a generous heart and an open hand with all God has blessed us with. "To whom much is given, much is required" Luke 12:48.
We are by no means wealthy by American standards, but certainly are compared to much of the rest of the world. If anyone should be a giving people, it should be Christians, those of us who have truly tasted of the goodness and generosity of the Lord.
What better way to show thankfulness?

Another presidential election has come and gone, and Barack Obama has won a second term. In a hard-fought campaign, he narrowly defeated Mitt Romney, with the popular vote nearly equal, 50-50, winning mainly due to the ridiculous Electoral College system we employ here. Its hard to believe, after four years of a dismal recession, gridlock in Washington, government-mandated health care rammed down everyone’s throats, as well as higher prices, higher taxes, and higher national debt. When Obama took office, the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.87, considered too high even then. Now, four years later, prices are approaching $4.00 per gallon, with no decline in sight. Fuel costs affect everything else, so prices have gone up for food, clothing, etc. Rather than fix the economy, the Democrats pushed through “ObamaCare”, bailed out the auto and banking industries, and sunk billions into “green energy” projects, many of which have failed. All with money borrowed from China. They hold the vast majority of our rising national debt, which recently topped 16 trillion dollars. The bottom fell out of the economy, companies went under or downsized, and currently there are 23+ million people out of work or in part-time and temp jobs. And yet the federal government has grown at an alarming rate. Under Obama’s first watch, all this has happened, and yet the Dems (aided by the leftist “news” media, Hollywood, education, etc.) still, after four years successfully blamed the country’s ills on- Former President Bush. Imagine that.

Obama has had some successes, however. He did get Osama bin Laden (using Bush’s policies no less). Also, he has successfully blocked states from protecting their borders from illegal immigration and drug trafficking, has encouraged the legalization of pot and other drugs in various states, pushed an abortion-on-demand agenda, championed gay marriage, and challenged religious liberty by forcing free contraception and abortion be covered by medical institutions with religious affiliation. Yeah, he has quite a record from his first term.

So here we are, looking at four more years of the most leftist president in the history of the country. And the country re-elected him. I guess that says a lot about the direction America is going. Our traditional, Judeo-Christian heritage is under attack, our history is being rewritten, and we are officially leaving the Constitution and our founding principles behind. The liberal media calls it “the brave new world”. I call it the slippery slope to oblivion. The past four years tell us what the next four will be like. Will gas prices be $6-8 per gallon, will our national debt top $25 trillion, will the economy completely collapse? Doesn’t look good.

I went to bed Tuesday night saddened, and awoke Wednesday not feeling any better. I felt as though the America I grew up with is going away, never to return. We have moved from “a hand up” society to “a handout” society. Rather than earn a living and make a life for yourself, we are entering an era of entitlements, handouts, “take from the wage-earners and give to those who refuse to work”. As well as all of the social engineering regarding gay marriage, legalization of drugs, unfettered abortion and govt funded contraception. America is changing, not for the better.

And yet, God spoke something to me Wednesday morning that I needed to hear. I found myself in Psalm 20:7, which reads, “Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Substitute “chariots” with “political systems”, “horses” with “politicians”, and you get a pertinent message for us today. God is not surprised by the election, He already knows what the next four years hold, and He is still on the throne of eternity. Ultimately, my citizenship is with Heaven, whatever happens down here.

In that, I find comfort.