OCTOBER 2018 EDITION

It is that time of year again!  It is time to aerate and over seed my lawn. I am a bit of a fanatic about my lawn. I guess I inherited that from my father. His hobby was caring for his yard. I check every day to see if the seeds are germinating. I blow the leaves off my yard almost daily! Leaves are my lawn’s enemy. This year these pesky tree droppings are driving me crazy. Some trees have been shedding their leaves since early September. Most of my trees, however, still have most of their leaves. They, also, have not turned colors yet.  Normally, I am done blowing off my lawn by Thanksgiving. This year I guess I will not be done until Christmas! The issue of over seeding reminds me of the parable in Mark Chapter Four that Jesus told about the farmer sowing seeds: 

The Parable of the Sower

3 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19  but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

I love it that Jesus told stories that people were able to picture in their minds. Most people of His day understood agricultural stories. Even someone like me can understand its surface meaning. The beauty of His stories is that they also had an underlying message.

When my lawn care company throws out the grass seed on my lawn after aeration, I find that some of it lands on the driveway and is washed away by the rain. Some of the seeds lands on my lawn where there is a layer of dead grass called thatch.  The seed barely germinates but cannot take root because it cannot penetrate the layer of thatch. It dies out quickly because of lack of proper rooting and nutrients. Still other seeds grow and seem to be doing well but become choked out by weeds or moss that grows, or worst of all, summer heat. However, happily, most of my yard looks very good!

Where do you and I fit into the Parable of the Sower? It is good to honestly ask ourselves where I belong in these four parts of the parable.

I have heard the Christian message presented many times but felt that it had no relevance to me in my life? Am I just not interested in the Christian faith?  Many Christians seem to be hypocrites. Why would God allow suffering? All this and more has caused me to “shut down” whenever I hear anything that has to do with religion.

 I heard the gospel presented and responded positively and joyfully but was never discipled or followed up by mature Christians. Perhaps I was at a retreat, revival or summer camp and made a decision to follow Christ in an emotional moment. After the emotion wore off, did I feel empty and not know what I should do?

Yes, I accepted Christ when I was in high school or college but I am grown now. My life is full.  I have a great life.  I have all I need.  I have a great family, a wonderful house, and great job making lots of money. I will say this; however, I am working like crazy all week, with long hours and lots of pressure to perform at work.  I am very busy on the weekends with work around the house and fun activities. Sundays are really my only time to rest and do what I want to do.

I have found a sense of contentment and happiness with my life.  My relationship with Christ is strong.  I have found many ways to reach out and serve people. I pray for chances to share with people what I have found because of my relationship with Christ.  My life is far from perfect. I still have many challenges and struggles but underneath it all, I have a quiet confidence that God is in control.  I know He loves me and wants the best for me.  I find joy in the fact of 3John 1:4 (NIV) “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Ministry News and Needs

This month marks the 26^th year Net Work Ministries has been counseling and encouraging men and their families. We plan to continue this work as long as we sense God’s call. Thank every one of you who have made it possible through your prayers, encouragement and financial support.  We would be grateful for your continued support in these areas.

SEPTEMBER 2018 EDITION

In the past week, I have celebrated two friend’s birthdays. The first was a friend who turned 100! The other friend turned 70 (just a kid!) This got me to thinking about my age. If I were to live to be 100, I would live another 28 years. (Do the math!)  Wow, another 28 years. I think back on what has happened in my life in the last 28 years. In 1990, Net Work Ministries was not in existence.  I had left Young Life.  I was in between careers.  I was seeking God’s direction for the next stage of my life. I was experiencing God’s faithfulness in a dark and difficult time. I coined the phrase, “I am looking forward to looking back on this time!”  Neither of my daughters were married and obviously no grandchildren. Peggy and I had been married 23 years.

It’s 2018, Peggy and I have been married 51 years. We have seven grandchildren ranging in age from 24 years old down to six years old. Net Work Ministries has been in existence for 26 years. I have gotten back involved with Young Life as a volunteer pastor to the staff of the Southeast Region.

Looking back on the last 28 years and beyond that, I have learned, first hand, God’s faithfulness and provision. He is supremely trustworthy.

Recently, someone asked me a rather interesting question. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are.”  After giving it some thought, I would say that most of the time I feel like I am around 35 or 40. I certainly don’t feel like I am 72!  Now, having said that, on some days after working in the yard all day, I might say I feel 90!  I think age can be as much a state of mind as it is an actual age.

There is a saying that I like. “I don’t know what the future holds but I do know the One who holds the future.” Also there is a hymn that expresses the same sentiment, “Because He Lives.” The chorus says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!”

For those of you that are reading this newsletter and are much younger, in your 20’s, 30’s and above, you may say, I really do not worry about what will happen 28 years from now. I am too busy living life for today. As for God being involved in my future or, for that matter, in my life at all right now, remember this, we are not guaranteed tomorrow or even the next breath. If you are ambivalent to God’s offer of eternal life and His final intervention in your life and what your response to Him has been up until that moment when you draw your last breath, I offer this quote from C.S. Lewis.

“When that happens, it is the end of the world (for you…my words) When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.”

The Bible talks about the years of our life in Psalm 90:10 “The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Now, with improved healthcare we may add a few more years to that number if God wills. Nevertheless, we must never take a single day for granted. As I said earlier, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Enjoy each day or even each moment we are given. Strive to keep a positive outlook, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”(Proverbs 3:5,6)   With all this in mind, our daily prayer should be: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Ministry News:

I would love to write about something new and dynamic but this ministry is involved in the lives of men and their families on a day-in and day-out basis. Eugene Peterson, author of “The Message” translation of the Bible wrote another book entitled, “A Long Obedience in the Same Direct ion” That’s what Net Work has sought to be about in its twenty-six years of ministry. That’s what I have tried to live out in my forty two years of ministry. I pray I may continue to be faithful to the call that God has placed on our lives.

 I still meet with men individually for counsel and encouragement. Although the Friday Men’s Group no longer meets, several of the men try to meet every other week for lunch.

I have an active Board of Directors that meet quarterly. They are a great encouragement to me!

I am very active in my role as pastor to the staff of Young Life’s Southeast Region.

In short, I have not retired!  I have not sensed that God is calling me away from full-time ministry. I promise I will let you know if that happens. To that end, I still desire your prayers, words of encouragement and financial support. Please pray that I may be found worthy of those things.

We are:                                           

Together, In His Love and Service,