Change of Seasons

This morning felt like Fall.  As I stepped out on the patio and finished off my bowl of Cherios, the cool crisp air felt very refreshing.  Just a few weeks ago if I had stepped out on the back patio, my milk would have spoiled in a few moments because it was so hot & humid.  But that is why we have seasons.  Just a couple of months ago we had rains & floods.  This past month we have seen record breaking heat and drought.  Oh and how could anyone forget this past winter of record breaking lows and snow drifts that our dogs got lost in.  But then again....Change of Seasons.

There is a saying in this part of the country that goes like this: "If you don't like the weather, hang out for a little bit because it will change."  That is very true in our weather patterns but it is also true in life.  We all go through different "seasons in life".  We have "growing seasons", "holding pattern seasons", "learning seasons" and so many others.  There are seasons of life that we go through that we may not particularly really like.  (Just like the weather, some like the warm and others do not).  But then again, hold steady because there will be a "Change of Season". 

I have learned that things really do "come to pass".  That statement just means that there are things that I will go THROUGH and they are not my final destination.  We all go through "Change of Seasons".  Just remember that when you go through a season you don't like, just hang out for a little while and it will change.   Our life is a constant "Change of Seasons".

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) For everything there is a season a time for every activity under heaven.

A DECADE OF LIFE

When you think of the word "decade" what comes to your mind?  Children and even teenagers don't think in terms of decades.  They think in terms of "minutes".  In fact, 30 minutes seems like a "decade" to our 6 year old son Mitchell.  Ashlyn, our 15 year old daughter, probably thinks that a couple of days feel like a "decade".


Webster defines "Decade" as a period of 10 years.  We know that, but do we realize just how fast "a period of 10 years" go by?  Probably not until it has already gone by.  That's how it has been for me and Krystal these past 10 years of being the pastors at First Assembly of God in Siloam Springs, AR.


I remember the day we both stood in the kitchen of our home in Norman, OK and made the decision to take this new assignment from God.  At the time, we really didn't know if it was from God or not. You know what I mean ~ you know it is but there are still some apprehensions of starting over.  When you move your family to a new community, new school, new friends, etc, it can be a little overwhelming to say the least.

On the third Sunday of July, 2001, was our first Sunday at First Assembly of God.  The people in the church were very friendly and were very welcoming to our family.  The church itself had just been through a very difficult time and there was turmoil "in the camp".  The first few years weren't very easy but I don't want to look at the past except to say God was very good to us and the church came through a very difficult time.  One of the biggest lessons I learned in those first few years is that when you just love people, their hurts will mend and they will love you back.  I didn't have a lot of answers, but I did know that if we could love ourselves and others, we would be on the road to recovery.  We began to focus on others and what we could do together to make a difference.  


On July 24, 2011, we celebrated our 10 year Anniversary as pastors of this great church that has great people working together to advance the Kingdom of God.  The church honored us that Sunday evening with a surprise banquet in our CLC gym.  Everyone knew what was taking place but us.  They did an excellent job of keeping it a secret.  Everyone laughed and said it was a miracle that a church of over 400 people could keep a secret.  It was a night of "Toast & Roast" as our families and other people in the church shared stories.  There were times we laughed and then times we teared up from the stories that we heard.  

As the night came to an end, they ended it by giving us a trip to New York City.  Mitchell has this obsession with the Statue of Liberty and we had mentioned that we would have to make a trip to NYC so he could see it.  Ashlyn also would love to go and we as the parents would "have" to go as well.  The church board put together a plan to send our family to NYC for four days.  We were blown away!!!!  The trip has been booked and in a few weeks, we'll be on our way to The Big Apple.  


The surprise banquet, the trip to New York, and the kind words were enough to make us feel loved and appreciated but something else happened that night.  As each of us were saying our "thank yous" in front of everyone, the words of my daughter made me happier than anything else.  Ashlyn began to share her thanks of the outpouring of love that she had felt that night but also the outpouring of love she had felt over the past 10 years.  I could tell, by the shaking of her voice and the holding back of tears, that this church family had made a positive impact on her life.  She thanked them for pouring into her life and having a positive influence in her life.  To hear her share these things made this dad proud of the church.  One of my goals is to make sure I never hear our children make the following statement: "I wished my parents weren't in ministry" or "I wished my dad wasn't a preacher."  There are too many children & teenagers that feel this way because of the bad experiences they have been through.  I am so thankful that our kids have had a positive experience with the church.  I am also proud of our church for allowing our kids to be "kids".  For that, I will be forever grateful.

"A Period of 10 Years" goes by quickly.  We love our church family and I'm not saying that because they gave us an awesome trip.  We loved our church for who they allow us to be.  I don't know if I have ever felt so appreciated and loved as I did on Sunday, July 24, 2011.  It is an honor to pastor the great people of First Assembly of God in Siloam Springs.  There has been so much accomplished these past 10 years and I look forward to see what God has for us in the future!

Coming to a Close

View from our deck yesterday morning!  Wow!

For the past three years our family has done something that we have come to really enjoy....2 week vacations.  Three years ago I told Krystal that I'd like to take two weeks of vacation in a row.  She didn't believe me.  Being in ministry and being pastors has so many blessings and rewards.  It also has its challenges as well.  Time away is important for us all.  If you don't believe this, then you may need to go back and read about Jesus.  There were times that He got away from the crowd for times of refreshing.  I don't know about you, but I think that if Jesus needed time away then we all probably need time away. 

We have always taken our vacation time but usually just one week at a time.  As I said, three years ago I decided to take two weeks in a row.  Krystal didn't really believe that I would allow myself two weeks away from church work to enjoy a little time of relaxing.  I did and we have enjoyed it very much.  It seems like it takes me several days to really begin to relax and take it easy.  That gives me at least another week to relax and really "wind down". 

This year we have spent two weeks in Colorado and it is coming to a close.  Tomorrow we'll begin our journey back toward Siloam Springs.  We'll not get home tomorrow, but will begin the journey.  This has been a great trip and we love making family memories.  Our trip back will include stopping at the American Quarter Horse Association museum in Amarillo.  It's a great place to visit. 

Bar D Ranch & Chuck Wagon Dinner

Ashlyn & Mitchell at the Bar D Ranch

Yesterday we spent the day in Historic Downtown Durango.  We ate a picnic lunch by the Animas River and it was very pleasant.  We enjoyed going through the different stores and taking in all the activity in downtown Durango.  Last night we went to the Bar D Chuck Wagon which is also located in Durango.  It was a great time.  They have a "village" that you can take time to look at leather shops, blacksmith shops and other stores.  The meal was great and the singing and talent were great as well. 

Today we were able to tour the Parelli Horsemanship Headquarters here in Pagosa Springs.  After touring the headquarters, me and Ashlyn were able to go and take a tour of the Parelli Horsemanship Campus and Ranch.  Even if you aren't "into horses", it is still quite impressive.  You can visit their website at www.parelli.com. 

We'll be heading home soon, but we'll still have a few days of relaxing before being back with our church family this coming Sunday.  It will mark our 10 year anniversary of being pastors at First Assembly of God in Siloam Springs.  What a great honor and privilege it is to be part of what God is doing in these last days.  I'm relaxed, refreshed and ready to get back to pastoring the great people of First AG in Siloam. 

Another Week of Family Fun

Whitewater Rafting Colorado River

We are still enjoying our time in Colorado.  Before we left Steamboat Springs this past Friday, we were able to take in some whitewater rafting and hiking.  It was a blast! 

We had been rafting before, but this whitewater trip was probably the best so far.  Colorado River Guides was the outfitter we used and they were great.  I would highly recommend them if you are in the area and looking for a great time.  We went on the Colorado River and the guide said it hadn't moved that fast and hadn't been that high in 25 years.  We did the whole day trip which included a lunch provided by the outfitter.  The scenery was as breathtaking as the cold Colorado River.  We were joined by three other people in our raft, besides the guide.  They were from Louisiana and we enjoyed getting to know them a bit.  I liked hearing the gentleman talk because he had that wonderful Cajun accent.  They enjoyed talking to Ashlyn and listening to Mitchell.  We love rafting and this trip was not disappointing at all. 

On Thursday we decided to take in some hiking around some trails in Steamboat.  We headed up the Gondola to take a hike around the top of the mountain that is covered with snow in the winter time for the skiers.  The view overlooked Steamboat Springs and you could see for miles.  The panoramic view was again breathtaking.

Gondola in Steamboat

After 5 Mile Hike to Fish Creek Falls

Fish Creek Falls was our next stop for hiking.   After taking in a picnic lunch, we began our hike to see the water falls.  Because of the abundance of rain and the melting snow, the water fall was at full blast and the river was rolling pretty good.  We were told to be sure to continue the hike after the first waterfall and so off we went.  The trail is called "Long Lake Trail".  It was a 5 mile round trip hike that took us up 2,400 ft.  Most of the trail wasn't too difficult, but there were several "stop and breathe" breaks.  There were some spots on the trail that made you hug the wall of the mountain.  After a 2 1/2 hike, we came to the most breathtaking waterfalls that I've ever seen.  The hike was very much worth it.  Both Ashlyn & Mitchell were troopers and enjoyed the climb.  Krystal was a trooper as well.  It was one of the highlights of the trip so far.

Fish Creek Falls

We arrived in Pagosa Springs on Friday afternoon.  We are planning on taking it easy and continue to enjoy God's creation.  Wow, is all I can say as I look at the majestic mountains. 

Fun Day

We have had a great day here in Steamboat Springs, CO.  It started early this morning with me and Ashlyn going on a cattle drive at Saddleback Ranch.  It was a great time.  We love riding horses and normally just go on trail rides, ride in parades and also in the grand entry of rodeos.  We haven't really
"worked cattle" before. Today, we actually just moved some cattle from one end of the ranch to the other.  Ashlyn's horse was named Dancer and my horse's name was Dottie.  We rode for about 4 hours as we looked for strays and made sure the cows were going where they were supposed to go.  John was our Wrangler (trail boss) and Kenny was his helping hand.  Kenny just moved up from Wichita Falls.  He has competed in rodeos and worked ranches most of his life.  John was from Virginia and both were super nice.  Saddleback Ranch is an 8,000 acre ranch and is absolutely beautiful.  The ride took us up and over mountains and along rivers.  We rode with 7 other riders and the two ranch hands that told us where to go and what to do.  They made our cattle drive enjoyable.  If you are in Steamboat Springs, CO and want to go on a cattle drive, horseback ride or even a wagon ride with dinner, you would love Saddleback Ranch.  Their website is www.saddlebackranch.net.

Krystal and Mitchell went to a local presentation called "String Festival".  Mitchell said he had a good time but is happy staying at the room for swimming.  It doesn't take much to make him happy.  Afterwards, we all went out and played miniature golf.  We always enjoy a little family competition. ha!

 It has been raining while we are here.  The locals have told us that they have never seen so much rain.  It hasn't stopped us from having fun and especially enjoying the 65-70 degree weather.  Tomorrow we are hitting the rapids and doing some whitewater rafting on the Colorado River.

Awwww...Vacation

It's here!  Our family vacation.  It's not that I don't absolutely love what I do (pastoring the greatest church I know) but we all need a get-away. 

This year we are heading back to Colorado.  I love the mountains! There's just something about the Rocky Mountains that you can't find anywhere else.  We arrived in Steamboat Springs, CO just yesterday afternoon.  It is gorgeous.  We spent the day recovering from the 14 hour drive.  We slept in and then went downtown and walked around and took in the local scenery. 

Vacations are fun for us.  It's a time when we truly get away.  Krystal and I make a promise to each other while we are leaving Siloam Springs.  We promise each other to not bring up church business.  I think this is for me more than her.  Everybody needs a get-away.  We love it for several reasons.  First, we do need a "down time" for refreshing.  Second, we love making memories with our kids.  In fact, we have already reminisced about other vacations we have taken.

We really don't have a set schedule.  There are a few things we said we are wanting to accomplish, but mostly it will be a time to relax and make great memories with the family.  I'll keep you updated and let you know how it is going.  Check back and read about our adventure in the Rockies!  We'll be leaving Steamboat on Friday and making our way south to Pagosa Springs, CO.  Stay tuned!

Just a Vapor

I saw something yesterday that I don't think I have ever seen before.  It was hot, especially after mowing and weed-eating the lawn.  A quick dip in our pool seemed like the logical thing to do and it was too tempting to pass up.  After I had balanced myself in the "floaty thing", I began to relax and just gaze up into the sky.  As I did, there were a few vapor clouds that were passing by overhead.  Just like a kid, I began to make shapes out of them and let my imagination be stretched a little.  As the vapor cloud was moved by the wind, I made out the shape of a dolphin, spider and then it became a star-burst.  As I continued to enjoy thinking like a child, it happened.  I began to notice that the vapor cloud started to disappear.  One after another, each vapor cloud began to vaporize.  It wasn't instant but it took probably close to a minute.  It seemed to be gradual but each cloud disappeared into thin air.  It was intriguing because I had never seen a cloud just vanish before my eyes.  It happens all the time, but I had never really been still long enough to recognize it. 

My mind began to think about what I just saw.  I thought of what James tells us about our lives.
James 4:14 (NKJV) whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

As I thought of the clouds disappearing so quickly, I really began to think about how quickly our lives go by as well.  It made be think of the study by Max Lucado we are doing in our men's group on Wednesday nights ~ "Out Live Your Life".  It reminds us that we only have one life to live and challenges us to make our life count by living out what the Bible instructs us to do. 

 Many times, I believe, that we forget that our lives, just like the vapor clouds, will slowly go away.  When all is said and done, how have we lived our lives?  Have we made a difference?  Have we encouraged and helped others?  Have we lived a life pleasing to the Lord?  Will we hear those wonderful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?  Remember, our lives here on earth are just a vapor.  Live your life to the fullest and make a difference.