I am starting this blog by admitting the obvious.  I am not a daily blogger.  I have good intentions, but that seems to be about as far as it goes.  So to everyone who checks this everyday, I apologize to you.  Thanks for being faithful and encouraging.  Please don't give up on me.  So, what I "am" is authentic, the best I can be.  I feel like sometimes blogging is more for me than you, which is backwards.   There seems to be different things that happen, where I find myself needing to share with friends, who can help me see what maybe I am not seeing at the time.  During the cancer "storm" I feel like we walked through it together.  There was a sense of peace that never left my heart.  Thank you.

I am facing a little different storm today.  I have to be honest, it seems harder in so many ways.  God is big, right? 

Storms are weird because they are inevitable and they ALWAYS reveal the foundation.  I remember the pictures of the aftermath of Katrina.  The storm came and when it did there were left in its wake hundreds of pictures of foundations.  My big question for all of us and for our church and for me is what are we building on?  What is the foundation in our lives?

1 Corinthians 3:11 says, "For no one can lay any other foundation other than the one we already have --- Jesus Christ." 

He is so all that matters and in my heart as we take communion this weekend, I am less concerned with details and more concerned with loving Him more just today.  Living for Him just today. Seeing what He sees just today.

I will be able to share more this weekend, but I just ask for you to pray.  For so many of you that pray for our family and our staff and our church, thank you SO much. 

He is enough

John

Michelle and I are packing up and flying back to Redmond Oregon for a couple of days of camping (yeah...)  We were invited to spend a day with executive staff from Focus on the Family talking about the church. What a blessing to be able to share a bit about what ONLY GOD is doing at a Living Hope.  I shared about our baptisms.  I shared how in 14 months there have been 1600 people spontaneously baptized.  I shared about our staff, their dedication and support.  I shared about so much God is doing at Living Hope in regards to the next generation.  I shared how if we don't give the church intentionally to the next generation, we will lose it.  I simply love talking about the local church.  Have I ever said I love the church?  It is still the hope of the World.  The message Jesus came to give is a message to set people free, for lives to be changed, for families to be changed and eventually for whole cultures and cities to be changed.  There were Michelle and I and nine other pastors and their wives from different parts of the nation.  Focus on the Family is intent on partnering with local churches to help strengthen families.  Interestingly, when I first came to Christ, I remember listening to Doctor Dobson on the radio.  Their materials on parenting helped Michelle and I greatly in the earlier years of parenthood.   Visit their website www.family.org .  I think you will be blessed.  Going to Focus was a big stretch for me.  When we got the invitation, I felt like it was something I needed to be part of.  The stuff we did and will continue to work on will potentially change the way Focus supports churches for years to come.  I just was way outside my comfort zone.  I am not the best in environments like these.  I couldn't sleep very good Tuesday night.  Then we got there and sure enough we had to "share" one good vacation memory or one embarrassing moment.  I went safe and shared a memorable vacation with Michelle.  She had to bring up dancing.   

I should have risked and shared the embarrassing moment.  So here goes...

One of the most absolute embarrassing moments of my life was about ten years ago, I was at

PDX

, rushing to a plane, because I was late (like always) and I had to stop at the restroom.  You get where I am going?  I took a wrong turn and ended up walking in the "men's" restroom, but it was all stalls?  Well the airport was under construction, so I thought that's different, all stalls in the men’s restroom.  Then when I went in a stall, I (again) thought wow; they even have little cute garbage cans attached to the walls.  I thought what a creative idea.  Then before I could proceed to do what I came in to do, I heard shoes that sounded a bit different.  I looked under the stall, and low and behold I saw women's shoes.  I am slow, but then I finally got the little cute garbage cans and stalls.  So I did what any good respectable guy who went into the room restroom would do.  I stood on the toilet and hid until the coast was clear.  That my friend was the most embarrassing moment of my adult life.  I left, ran to the plane and wanted to die.  On top of it I forgot to go to the men's restroom.

The moral of the story?  There isn't one; I guess you always need to read the signs.  I guess also it’s important to take the right turns, and when you end up some place you don't want to be?  Always stand on the porcelain toilet seat until the coast is clear.  Dr Phil should have me on his show. 

I don't know why I told you that.  I think it is because I shrunk from sharing it at Focus on the Family, or maybe it is because in the springs the altitude is 7000 feet?  Or maybe I am bored?

SO, take a risk and share your one embarrassing moment.   

Peace to you.

John

I have 222 reasons why we continue to do what we do.  There were 222 people baptized this last weekend!  I still can't believe all the stories from the weekend.  Somehow I get my spiritual bearings recalibrated during every baptism weekend.  Mostly the people baptized had made commitments to follow Jesus that day.  I want to say a big yeah God to everyone who got out of their seat, who courageously decided to follow Jesus.  Making a decision to "follow" is by far the most courageous and important decision you could ever make.  Jesus said to his disciples "follow me."  He said to Peter "come".  He says to all of us every day, "come"  Let me say to anyone who reads this blog.  If you haven't yet made that decision, read and listen to these words from the Bible. 

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."  Romans 10:9-10

The word for "Lord" is the Greek word Kurios which means Sovereign power and authority.  In coming to Christ, you are in essence handing over the keys of your life to God.  It is believing, confessing and then walking out your faith.  The word for believe is so different than our English/western understanding.  To believe in the first century meant to do something, to take a step, to actualize your faith by your living it out day by day.  When you come to Christ you become His "follower".  You begin to think different and consequently "act" different.  It is a constant growing relationship marked by your willingness to surrender to His authority and power.  All I can say is it works and when you surrender your will to His, you will never be the same.  New life, new power, new identity. 

I never tire of seeing people surrender to God.  To the rest of us who know Jesus.  The verse for us to remember these days is found in Paul's letter to the church at Corinth.  "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."  1 Corinthians 15:58

To the volunteers, leaders and staff of Living Hope.  Your faith amazes me.  You inspire me every day to reach just one more person for Christ.  Read that verse over and over and over.  Paul said because of the resurrection, NOTHING we do is useless.  There are times when we can become a bit apathetic about serving, primarily because we forget and we can't (at times) see immediate results. Seize every opportunity for God, and always think primarily about eternity.  Everyone is someone who will spend eternity somewhere.  Never tire of doing what God has called you to do.   I appreciate all you do, but more than that, what you have given your life for will echo over and over in eternity.  God will reward you and when you stand before Christ you will know that it was all so worth it.

Especially to campus teams.  Thank you for being willing to change and adapt to reach an even larger amount of people.  The upcoming changes and expansion to Camas, Longview and Portland will be worth it.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BELIEVING IN THE MISSION AND VISION.

I am excited about the upcoming weekend.  Six campuses, six different leaders with six different messages, all with the same theme.  The campus teams are preparing for a celebration this weekend and I wanted to celebrate with you.  So, our video team came to my house and I actually did a little message Monday, to be broadcast to our five campuses this weekend.  I shared my heart specifically to and about our campuses.  If you can, please visit a campus this weekend.  And start thinking where will you serve.  We are aggressively trying to find permanent locations in Camas and Longview.  If you have any ideas, send an e-mail to Missyh@livinghopechurch.com 

I am on my way to Prineville for a little family reunion.  I will touch base with you and blog if I can, but I will be out for a week. 

Next weekend (July 15th, 16th) we start a new summer series called SAFE HOUSE.  This will be a series about family and parenting.  I am looking forward to it.

John