A new chapter.

Life is like a book. Different seasons equal different chapters. We are getting ready to enter into the most unique, even extreme chapter in our life as a family. Let me share with you an announcement that we made at church today. Please pray for us, and check this blog often as I will be posting often.

In January 2005 we brought a group from Calvary to Passion Conference. One of the speakers shared about New England and how unreached the region is.

I was moved by the challenge and stood when asked to pray about launching a church there.

During this period of time we were in the middle of our adoption of our kids from Russia.

We genuinely believed we would be in Jupiter until Jesus comes back.

Flash forward to October 2009.

Pastor Jeff and I went to the Catalyst Conference. To be honest my expectations were very low, but the Lord had different plans. I randomly chose a breakout to attend. Little did I know my heart was going to be stirred so deeply.

The speaking challenged us to be have real faith. I was challenged because our last real faith move in our life was our adoption. The Lord has recently closed that chapter by providing the complete payment of our adoption debt.

Our church wide fast was the following week, October 12-14.

On Tuesday morning, early I awoke to spend some time in prayer and study when the Lord very clearly spoke to me: “Chris I want you to move to Lebanon, NH to start a church”. I was shocked and moved. I know this voice. It is the same voice that spoke to me to talk to my wife about adopting from Russia. The same voice that called me to be a pastor. The same voice that spoke to me about being the student pastor here at CJ.

It is an unmistakable voice.

On Wednesday I tried to ignore and put off the call. On Thursday I said, It was just a Fast-high!! But the whole day I kept hearing the call. I shared with my wife that day after work. She was surprised yet not shocked.

Interestingly enough we had made prior plans to have dinner with Pastor Dan and Cheryl.

I asked Dan how his fast was and he said it was good. I said, well mine was interesting and shared with him the encounter I had. He said I can see this, and believe that this could be possible. He encouraged us to seek confirmation(s).

The following days were challenging as Penny and both knew the Lord was stirring our hearts but it was not clear yet as we awaited confirmation. Penny was not at peace at all. We prayed and asked for a sign. Ten minutes later in our car Penny says “Punch buggy black, no returns!” I was immediately drawn to the license plate and the writing on the vehicle. New Hampshire plates, and advertising of the state on the vehicle.

Penny said, “I’m gonna’ be sick, that’s a sign isn’t it!” we looked at each other and knew that the Lord was doing something.

Over the next several days the Lord did a major work in our hearts for the region and our calling to go.

I kept in constant contact with Pastor Dan over the days as we were seeking the Lord.

My family confirmed the call as they have always known that the Lord has a calling on our lives.

The leadership and staff of the church have confirmed this calling.

We are excited to announce today that CJ is sending us out to be messengers to the most unreached most educated region in America.

It has been said the New England is more irreligious than Africa and Asia.

We will be leaving on January 1^st to go launch a church in the Upper Valley region of NH/Vermont.

We love our church (Calvary Jupiter), the staff congregation and the Jupiter area. This is the hardest thing we that ever done or will ever do, but our calling is greater than this love.

Pray for us as we sell everything and go. Pray that the Lord will provide opportunities, resources and all that is needed to launch a church big. Pray that the people would show us favor. That we would reach the people of the Upper Valley with Jesus and provide them the opportunity to be growing followers of Jesus.

I’m back.

After some time off I have decided it’s time to start writing again. It’s just a matter of taking the time and I will. Hopefully some are still tuning in.

Student Ministry Confessional: Stress = Shingles?

Last week I had pretty much 3 days from h-e- double hockey sticks. It really had nothing to do with my job. It had everything to do with me not having a day off for 2 weeks. I paid for it. I paid greatly. Today I am nursing a stress induced case of SHINGLES because of last weeks craziness. It all started on Wednesday (5/10) when we have our large group meeting for our student ministry. At that time I was dealing with a surprise car repair in excess of 1g, 2 volunteer situations that were nagging at me (no further details), and the confusion and clutter of portable ministry. I arrived at the school we lease around 4:45 PM and one of the assistant principals was at the door of the open air campus waiting for me. He proceeded to tell me that the school had to move their NHS promotion meeting to next Wednesday (5/17) meaning we get the boot, even though we are contracted and paid. UGG! So I had to make a decision on the fly. Do we meet next week at a different location or do we just cancel. I had to know so that it could be communicated to our students that evening. I decided we would meet, at our small church facility 8 miles away. Seems natural right? Not really. Many of our student walk to our Wednesday night meeting or just stay after school and through the evening. That evening I communicated to our students that we were going on the road next week to “mix things up”. I had to be careful not to make the school sound or look bad. Everyone received this change well and the meeting came to a close. Phew….
NOT SO FAST! As soon everyone was dismissed I had a couple of leaders come to me to let me know that some students had vandalized a bathroom with markers and obscenities. Oh great, just what we need, I thought. So I walked into the bathroom with the guilty students feverishly scrubbing their names and obscenities from the bathroom wals. that was it. The back breaker. Two weeks with out a day off, volunteer situations, car problems, facility changes and no this! Crud. The days following my historic few days before revealed to some important ministry/life necessities:
1 – Take a day off, learn to say no. I have a difficult time doing that I like to make it happen and love to serve others. But not at the expense of my health and family.
2 – Don’t try to fix everything at once. I was definitely trying to fix it all at the moment. Think through it. Pray. Ask the Lord for wisdom. Continue with what you had been doing.

Me and the boys

We were just hangin’ out playing on the couch just before our evening at Cow Chicken (aka Chic-fil-A).

Begging Bunny

Another installment in the Easter Bunny/Recession series.

The truth hurts?

I rarely get political on this blog unless I make fun of a politician or congratulate one. This video looks cheesey but please listen to what the dude is saying.

Seriously?

We have all seen the Iraqi journalist throw his shoes at President Bush. Call me old school but that made me so mad that our President would be treated with such disrespect. What next? A game depicting the incident? Come on people, please respect the leader of the free world! I hope that President-elect Obama is treated with respect when he takes oath.

Here is the game.

Murderer barks at judge in court.

A couple of weeks ago a bunch of thugs went on a spree of Dunkin’ Donuts robberies where they shot several people. Here is the ring leader in court before the judge. Possessed? I think so. The same murderer told authorities he has no soul and hasn’t since he was 5.

Watch here

Disturbing investigative video

You must watch this video from a Planned Parenthood clinic in Indiana. A 13 year old girl gets coached by a nurse. Scary, very scary.

Indiana Planned Parenthood Covers Up Sexual Abuse of 13-year Old – For more amazing video clips, click here

Vacation thoughts and pix

We arrived home late Sunday night after a grueling 15 hour drive from the mountains. Usually the drive is like 9-10 hours but thanks to massive amounts of traffic in South Carolina….

Any way, the vaca was great. I felt like I really got refreshed and really reconnected with my girl and boys. I would say it took like 2 full days before I actually decompressed and then by Saturday I felt refreshed. It’s pretty therapeutic being in the mountains even though it seems I am allergic to everything there (my poor bro-in law more so).

GO HERE for more pix.