Over the last few weeks we have seen some famous people pass away. David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Steve McNair and Billy Mays to name the most famous.
I have memories of many of them. Kung Fu, the poster my friends had that my parents never let me own, Thriller, Heeeeere's Johnny, the 2000 Super Bowl, and Oxy Clean. Sadly there are also some other memories, drug abuse, allegations, infidelity and other things that clouded up their lives. These past few weeks I have heard people want to make these people into saints, completely glossing over their flaws and failures and I have hear people wanting to villify them completely ignoring any good they might have offered in their life. Truthfully, much of what was reported and written was...well, sad.
But to me the saddest comment I heard was from a family member spoken to Michael Jackson. His parting comment was "May Allah bless you Michael." Got to tell you, when I heard that a shiver went up my spine. Whenever someone famous passes away my first question is "I wonder if they knew Christ as their Savior". Sometimes that gets answered at the funeral.
My point is that I don't always allow the mistakes and failures of their lives to be their judgment of whether or not they are in heaven because it ALWAYS comes down to Jesus. Not Allah, not the way they helped the poor or the needy, not the foundations they started, not even whether they are black or white...just Jesus.
Take care,
Rod
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Plan B's
This past weekend we had 2 booths at the local July 4th celebration. One of the booths was a Baby Changing Station. It was a big success. Moms really appreciated the rockers, fans, baby changing table, and extra diapers and wipes. Not to mention that they didn't have to walk all the way back to the car and change the baby there. Great idea that came from my friends at Stadia.
The other booth was to be a cool down tent with free water, fans, and chairs to rest from the heat and all day walking. The tent was a big success except that we never received our 5000 bottles of water that had our logo on the label. So Friday night and Saturday morning we were running to Wally world and buying small bottles of water, misters to spray at people to cool them down, and squirt guns to shoot at the kids. We had a bowl of those Dum Dum suckers and
81/2 x 11 name tags for the kids. It was a last second change and it proved to be a great way to meet people and we received a number of compliments on both of our booths.
Now I got to say that Friday night I fought my desire to really get angry and fire off some nasty e-mails to the vendor I used for the water. I wanted to scream into the voicemail at their company because it was July 3rd and no-one was there. I read the email confirmation I got during the early part of the week that we will receive our water by Friday, no later, over and over again. I was pretty stinkin' angry. But I prayed and prayed about the day and asked God to bless it even though my great idea wasn't going to happen.(sarcasm). And guess what...it was a GREAT day!!! Friends helped out, my family was awesome, and the day was just a fantastic time of getting the name of Journey Community out there. When I told my coach, via text, about the water not showing up his response was, "welcome to church planting". (he planted his church 3 years ago).
I found out...church planting is full of Plan B's.
Take care,
Rod
The other booth was to be a cool down tent with free water, fans, and chairs to rest from the heat and all day walking. The tent was a big success except that we never received our 5000 bottles of water that had our logo on the label. So Friday night and Saturday morning we were running to Wally world and buying small bottles of water, misters to spray at people to cool them down, and squirt guns to shoot at the kids. We had a bowl of those Dum Dum suckers and
81/2 x 11 name tags for the kids. It was a last second change and it proved to be a great way to meet people and we received a number of compliments on both of our booths.
Now I got to say that Friday night I fought my desire to really get angry and fire off some nasty e-mails to the vendor I used for the water. I wanted to scream into the voicemail at their company because it was July 3rd and no-one was there. I read the email confirmation I got during the early part of the week that we will receive our water by Friday, no later, over and over again. I was pretty stinkin' angry. But I prayed and prayed about the day and asked God to bless it even though my great idea wasn't going to happen.(sarcasm). And guess what...it was a GREAT day!!! Friends helped out, my family was awesome, and the day was just a fantastic time of getting the name of Journey Community out there. When I told my coach, via text, about the water not showing up his response was, "welcome to church planting". (he planted his church 3 years ago).
I found out...church planting is full of Plan B's.
Take care,
Rod
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Balancing Faith and Practicality
We just made a decision that we will begin our worship services at the local High School. It means that we will not be meeting in the building that we have been praying about and been absolutely confident that God has called us to have since March. I have struggled with this decision because I am still very confident that the building is supposed to be the home of Journey. I can see, I can feel it, and I know it. But something I am even more confident about than where we are supposed to be is why we are here.
Ministry is much more important than any facility you could ever dream of occupying. I love this facility but I am called to love the people of Fernley more. Journey is about the community of Fernley and not about a building in the community of Fernley. Keeping my eyes on the reason we are here is what drove me to make this decision.
Now I get to go tell the owners of that building that we won't be able to rent it from them as soon as we had hoped. Pray for me...and them. Thanks.
Take care,
Rod
Ministry is much more important than any facility you could ever dream of occupying. I love this facility but I am called to love the people of Fernley more. Journey is about the community of Fernley and not about a building in the community of Fernley. Keeping my eyes on the reason we are here is what drove me to make this decision.
Now I get to go tell the owners of that building that we won't be able to rent it from them as soon as we had hoped. Pray for me...and them. Thanks.
Take care,
Rod
Monday, June 22, 2009
Stressssssssed!!!
How do you handle stress? I am great at handling stress. I usually blow up at miniscule things, maybe slam a door at times, and even pull my own hair. No, the truth is, I sometimes don't handle stress too well. I can let things start rushing me, press in on my day, and make me impatient and frustrated.
I begin saying things like "Why haven't they called me back?" or "What is their problem?" or "Who put that there?" Stress can ruin your day, ruin your relationships, and ruin your health. So with so much at stake, what do you do?
I have to stop whatever I am doing for a moment or two, put my head in my hands, and say a prayer. I have to re-group, remember and remind. Re-group my thoughts, remember what is important to get done, and remind myself that it is God who will make this church a success, not Rod...(and if that doesn't work, then I just punch a hole in the wall) : ).
I'd like to hear from you...what do you do to help get through the stress of it all? Respond back to the post or email me at ridle@journeyfernley.org. I will post some of the answers, sans name, in the next few weeks.
Take care,
Rod
I begin saying things like "Why haven't they called me back?" or "What is their problem?" or "Who put that there?" Stress can ruin your day, ruin your relationships, and ruin your health. So with so much at stake, what do you do?
I have to stop whatever I am doing for a moment or two, put my head in my hands, and say a prayer. I have to re-group, remember and remind. Re-group my thoughts, remember what is important to get done, and remind myself that it is God who will make this church a success, not Rod...(and if that doesn't work, then I just punch a hole in the wall) : ).
I'd like to hear from you...what do you do to help get through the stress of it all? Respond back to the post or email me at ridle@journeyfernley.org. I will post some of the answers, sans name, in the next few weeks.
Take care,
Rod
Monday, June 15, 2009
Things I learned from my dad...
Sunday, June 21st is Father's day so I thought I would talk a little about that this week. I wanted to start out by telling you about my dad. I am blessed by having a dad who loves the Lord and has served him in various ways his whole adult life. There are many lessons that I can tell you that I learned from my dad, but one stands out that I want to share.
In 1974 we had a huge December snow storm in Toledo Ohio. I remember it hit on a Sunday morning because after church we spent a lot of time pushing cars out of the church parking lot. (this was a time in life where people didn't let something like weather to keep them from church)
That evening we needed to get some groceries and my dad asked me to walk over to the grocery store, which was a little less than a mile away. Before we went, we walked to a few of our older neighbors and asked if they needed anything. Some did and my dad and I walked over to the shopping center in the midst of blowing, drifting, and rising snow. My dad walked in front of me and told me to walk in his footsteps, so I walked in a path my dad created for me to make it through the more than waist high drifts. Every few yards my dad would turn and ask if I was still coming and if I was okay. But that is not the most memorable part of that storm.
The next day the daily newspaper, the Toledo Blade, could not be delivered because of the snow. My dad has to read a paper each morning, so again he asked me to take a walk and we walked down to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant to see if the paper box out front would have the Blade. When we got there, the restaurant was closed but the paper box out front had that days paper. But the slot to put coins in was frozen over so you couldn't put coins in the machine. But the box door was frozen open and you could easily reach in and take a paper without paying the .25 cents. That is what my dad did, he reached in and took a paper and we walked home.
The next day, my dad asked me to take a walk again (in case you don't catch it, my dad loves to walk), so I bundled up and we walked back up to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant. By this time most of the main streets were cleared and the restaurant was open for business. We walked in and my dad walked up to the lady at the front counter, reached in his pocket and pulled out a quarter and as he handed it to the woman, said "I came here yesterday and took a paper out of the box out front. It was frozen over, so I couldn't pay for it, so I thought I would come and pay for it today. Thank you." I remember the woman behind the counter stood, not knowing what to say, and probably thought my dad was kind of strange. We turned and walked home after that. Not a whole lot was spoken on the way home. But while nothing was verbal, my dad spoke volumes to me that day. Integrity was, is and forever will be, vital to my father. I think I should walk in those footsteps too. Thanks dad. I love you.
Have a great day.
Rod
In 1974 we had a huge December snow storm in Toledo Ohio. I remember it hit on a Sunday morning because after church we spent a lot of time pushing cars out of the church parking lot. (this was a time in life where people didn't let something like weather to keep them from church)
That evening we needed to get some groceries and my dad asked me to walk over to the grocery store, which was a little less than a mile away. Before we went, we walked to a few of our older neighbors and asked if they needed anything. Some did and my dad and I walked over to the shopping center in the midst of blowing, drifting, and rising snow. My dad walked in front of me and told me to walk in his footsteps, so I walked in a path my dad created for me to make it through the more than waist high drifts. Every few yards my dad would turn and ask if I was still coming and if I was okay. But that is not the most memorable part of that storm.
The next day the daily newspaper, the Toledo Blade, could not be delivered because of the snow. My dad has to read a paper each morning, so again he asked me to take a walk and we walked down to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant to see if the paper box out front would have the Blade. When we got there, the restaurant was closed but the paper box out front had that days paper. But the slot to put coins in was frozen over so you couldn't put coins in the machine. But the box door was frozen open and you could easily reach in and take a paper without paying the .25 cents. That is what my dad did, he reached in and took a paper and we walked home.
The next day, my dad asked me to take a walk again (in case you don't catch it, my dad loves to walk), so I bundled up and we walked back up to the Frisches Big Boy restaurant. By this time most of the main streets were cleared and the restaurant was open for business. We walked in and my dad walked up to the lady at the front counter, reached in his pocket and pulled out a quarter and as he handed it to the woman, said "I came here yesterday and took a paper out of the box out front. It was frozen over, so I couldn't pay for it, so I thought I would come and pay for it today. Thank you." I remember the woman behind the counter stood, not knowing what to say, and probably thought my dad was kind of strange. We turned and walked home after that. Not a whole lot was spoken on the way home. But while nothing was verbal, my dad spoke volumes to me that day. Integrity was, is and forever will be, vital to my father. I think I should walk in those footsteps too. Thanks dad. I love you.
Have a great day.
Rod
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Why all the hate?
Today I heard about a man who went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and shot and killed a security guard. All I could think is "why all the hate?" But the truth is that I know the answer to that and that is that we live in a fallen world. Hate wasn't God's idea. All the trouble our country is in shows that we truly live in a broken world. The good news is that the church has the answer. We have the greatest message for the world to hear. To quote Bill Hybels "the church is the greatest hope in all the world." Jesus Christ is the answer to this lost and dying world.
This is the reason why Journey Community of Fernley exists today. The message of the love of Christ and His church is what we hope to bring to the town of Fernley. Our hope is to show the people that this world will fail you and disappoint you, but God never will. His love is forever. One of my favorite sayings is that "God cannot love you more and He will not love you less."
As we go through these tough trials and times I think there could not be a more important message to those who walk this earth without knowing the love of God. Instead of commiserating with those who are struggling we can tell them or maybe remind them that even in the face of these troubles the love of God will never fail us or leave us. We don't have to walk this world alone and face the trials alone. God exists and He walks beside us to give us hope to make it through, day by day. I believe the church is to stand up for truth, fight injustice, and help those who are weak and burdened. As we minister to those people, we show, prove, and express the very love of God. So, go be the message of hope God intended for us to give, the message of hope.
This is the reason why Journey Community of Fernley exists today. The message of the love of Christ and His church is what we hope to bring to the town of Fernley. Our hope is to show the people that this world will fail you and disappoint you, but God never will. His love is forever. One of my favorite sayings is that "God cannot love you more and He will not love you less."
As we go through these tough trials and times I think there could not be a more important message to those who walk this earth without knowing the love of God. Instead of commiserating with those who are struggling we can tell them or maybe remind them that even in the face of these troubles the love of God will never fail us or leave us. We don't have to walk this world alone and face the trials alone. God exists and He walks beside us to give us hope to make it through, day by day. I believe the church is to stand up for truth, fight injustice, and help those who are weak and burdened. As we minister to those people, we show, prove, and express the very love of God. So, go be the message of hope God intended for us to give, the message of hope.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The trip was a trip
Hey all,
Man, it has been a while. Sorry about the long delay but I do have a pretty good excuse...or excuses.
The first is simply that my computer crashed. I was afraid that I lost all my data, documents, and other favorites I had on my computer. After turning my laptop over to a man who I have never met before and he kept it for nearly two weeks, he was able to save all my stuff...yippee!!! But the laptop is officially gone. So I am borrowing one from the church that I received from the church in California that where we bought all that start-up equipment until I can save to buy myself a MAC! My daughter installed all of my stuff back on and I am rebuilding all my "favorites" on the internet and hopefully soon will be back to "normal."
The second reason is that last week I was on the road all week. Last Monday I flew back to Washington DC and on Tuesday began a 2581 mile trek with my daughter and her roommate Becky back here to Fernley. They are now living with us until they find jobs and then they will find a place of their own.
It was a great trip and God kept us safe and out of bad weather. It is so good to have the family back together again and now we've added another (a surrogate daughter) in Becky. We travelled through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, part of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. I won't name the states that bored me to tears. But if you ever had to drive through Iowa or Nebraska, you know what I am talking about.
But we are glad to be home and looking forward to this summer. Awesome stuff ahead and I look forward to sharing with you all that God is doing here in Nevada.
I promise to write more often now and to make them so much more interesting. Have a great day! We love and miss you all.
Rod
Man, it has been a while. Sorry about the long delay but I do have a pretty good excuse...or excuses.
The first is simply that my computer crashed. I was afraid that I lost all my data, documents, and other favorites I had on my computer. After turning my laptop over to a man who I have never met before and he kept it for nearly two weeks, he was able to save all my stuff...yippee!!! But the laptop is officially gone. So I am borrowing one from the church that I received from the church in California that where we bought all that start-up equipment until I can save to buy myself a MAC! My daughter installed all of my stuff back on and I am rebuilding all my "favorites" on the internet and hopefully soon will be back to "normal."
The second reason is that last week I was on the road all week. Last Monday I flew back to Washington DC and on Tuesday began a 2581 mile trek with my daughter and her roommate Becky back here to Fernley. They are now living with us until they find jobs and then they will find a place of their own.
It was a great trip and God kept us safe and out of bad weather. It is so good to have the family back together again and now we've added another (a surrogate daughter) in Becky. We travelled through Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, part of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. I won't name the states that bored me to tears. But if you ever had to drive through Iowa or Nebraska, you know what I am talking about.
But we are glad to be home and looking forward to this summer. Awesome stuff ahead and I look forward to sharing with you all that God is doing here in Nevada.
I promise to write more often now and to make them so much more interesting. Have a great day! We love and miss you all.
Rod
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