You WILL see me at Peet's

Earlier I blogged about how you're likely to see me at Peet's Coffee and Tea (directions here). I went the other day and ran into the Hulme's from church. Today when I went, I was asked to be the customer of the week. Which means starting tomorrow my photo will be displayed and I get a free tea everyday. Nice!!!!! I said you’d bump into me at Peet’s and yep you will!

What's also cool is someone gave me a Peet's gift card for an early birthday present (thanks cw) so I can't buy tea in this town!

Staycation

One of the latest buzz words coming into American lingo is "staycation" -- a vacation spent close to home. With the ridiculous price of gas, many people are staying home. Of the eight weeks I'll be away from professional ministry (six sabbatical weeks and two vacation weeks), five of them will be spent at home.

So new strategies need to be in place to still get the rest benefit. Here's a few I hope to employ:

• Surround myself with competent people. Anyone who has met our ministry staff knows what I'm talking about. They will do a stellar job while I'm gone.
• I'm going to try not to answer work-related email (I have a plan to forward them to people that can help). In fact, most of time my computer is on, I will have my email program closed.
• Take in the sights of San Diego. Do a few things the tourists do.
• Break habits. I'll try to change habits of routes I drive, places I eat, etc. I'll try to do new things, as if this is a new town to me. (One habit I won't break is Peet's Tea - so if you want to bump into me, good chance it will be there).
• Focus on relationships over tasks when I'm with church friends (yes, I want to hang out with church friends since almost all my friends ARE from church). I'll just do my best to avoid shop talk.
• Appreciate and notice nature even in the suburb
• Goof off without guilt.

What ideas do you have for making the most of a staycation?

Lucado insights

Here's some connection points for me from Max Lucado's Cure for the Common Life; Chaps 1-3.

· God is writing the story of my life in spite of my attempts to write my own.
· Don’t worry about skills you don’t have, “Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you …” 2 Tim. 1.6
· Heaven’s calendar has seven Sundays a week. God sanctifies each day.
· I was born pre-packed. Don’t live out of someone else’ bag. Church leaders assign luggage from the pulpit (and we shouldn’t)
· William Wordsworth “The child is the father of the man.”

If you don't understand that last quote, ask me.


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Kicking off a Sabbatical

I’m sort of feeling ready for this – sort of not. Here goes.

Scripture:

PS 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
PS 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom
PS 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us--
yes, establish the work of our hands.


Observations:

Psalm 90.1 - God has always been a place of rest for his people – every generation – but also every season of my life. Thank you for this new season.

Psalm 90.12 Teach me – that’s my prayer.

Psalm 90.17 I’m hoping that by the end of this process I will be engaged in work that is effective, lasting, established. My sweet spot. The slogan of Pastors on Point is, “Taking Pastors Out of Their Element … and Into Their Essence.” That sounds awesome.

My focus here at the beginning is decompressing and I’m not sure I’m there yet (with a couple more things to do). Actually, the only requirement to be ready for decompression is to be compressed. Which I am. So I guess I am ready. Ready for YOU, God, to decompress me.

Reflection on Jeremiah 33.3 `Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

What an awesome invitation, here at the beginning! That is exactly how I feel today – calling upon the Lord a lot and not knowing what I’m suppose to get! Awesome.

Reflection on Psalm 138.8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever--
do not abandon the works of your hands.

This too is an awesome promise. My prayer earlier was that God would establish the work of my hands (Psalm 90.17), but here the focus is on the work of God’s hands for me. What a great reminder that this is a time for God to do a work in me, before He does one through me. And, also, I notice between the purpose of God for me and the work of God in me is the Forever Love of God.

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Rest of the Summer

Journey along with me this summer:

After 14+ years serving at Green Valley Church, I have the opportunity to enjoy a second sabbatical (my first one was about 7 years ago). I will be gone for six weeks of sabbatical and two weeks of vacation starting June 18.

I'm really excited about participatng in Pastors on Point which is a story-based discovery process that unpacks a person’s satisfying achievements from throughout their life to uncover their essential “operating system” in terms of energizing circumstances, gifts and motivated abilities, engaging subject matter, ideal roles and even overall purpose in work and life.

I'm also thrilled because I'll be able to lead a group from our church to Scotland, England, and France. I also plan to read, reflect, and visit several churches and talk with godly mentors.

My objectives:

• To experience a mid-ministry tune up, recharge, and refocusing as I enter my second set of 15 years as a lead pastor.

• To better understand and appreciate my strengths and implement a plan to leverage them for greater effectiveness in ministry and life.

• To better understand my stress points and implement a plan to minimize them for greater effectiveness in ministry and life.

• To include my wife, Cindy, in the discovery process.

Here's a cool quote I relate to: Speaking of the sabbatical his church gave him, Pastor Mark Buchanan writes:

“No, I don’t deserve it. Like being born in peacetime and not war, like being forgiven, or kissed, or told you have beautiful eyes. I never earned a minute of it. I don’t deserve a scrap of it. But I feel deeply obliged to the people in my church who have allowed me it. Obliged, not to come back smarter, or thinner, or more eloquent, or more studied up, though all of that could help. The obligation I feel is not to pay them back. These things don’t work that way, on some barter system where the church trades several months of leave in exchange for shorter, pithier sermons. The obligation I feel, rather, is to come back restored.”

Here’s how you can track with me:

Read with me. I've selected The Rest of God; Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, by Mark Buchanan, as the book I'd like people to read along with me. Mark Buchanan has been described as the "best new Christian author you’ve never heard of." You can get your copy at the usual places: ISBN-10:0849918707.

For extra credit (or if you just like to read good books), I'm also reading the following books;

The Sabbath– Abraham Joshua Heschel
Church Unique – Will Mancini
The Reformed Pastor – Richard Baxter
Hidden in Plain Sight – Mark Buchanan
Why We’re Not Emergent (by Two Guys who Should Be) – Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
Cure for the Common Life – Max Lucado


Blog with me. Check back her often as I will be chronicling my experiences and reflections.


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Nick's Testimony

This is the story of Nick that I featured last Snday morning:

Telling Ourselves the Truth

Throughout Romans 8 Paul uses phrases like, I consider, we know, and I am convinced. Each is an act of the mind to convince the heart of the truth God has revealed to us. God longs for us to think about our lives the way He does.

I am currently reading a book by Mark Buchanan in which he reminds us of the movie, A Beautiful Mind. It is the true story a brilliant mathematician, John Nash, who, despite his schizophrenia, won a Nobel Prize in 1994 for his contributions to mathematics.

Because of his disease, John often felt trapped a world that only existed in his mind: his closest friend, his niece, the CIA Director who employed him for undercover assignments – all fictions of his broken mind.

But over the years, John was able to live with his disease by disciplined himself to no longer heed the voices that his mind invented. Even though they still appeared as real to him… he refused to listen. He defied them. Walked right past them.

It is a great way to think about the truth of Romans 8. This world lies to us all the time. It sets up facades. But, in the midst of the craziness of this world, God invites us to embrace the truth of His word.

For I am convinced that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That’s the truth.

Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat

It was ABC Wide World of Sports that coined the memorable phrase: The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I guess life is filled with both. But in one of the most profound verses in the Bible, God promises that, even in the most defeating times, followers of Jesus Christ can still experience the thrill of victory.

Consider this: "… we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:37

Now I really like words, so, humor me here. When you look at the phrase, more than conquerors, in the original Greek it is just one word: hupernikome. Huper, where we get our word, hyper. And Nikome which means Victor or Conqueror (as in the brand name – Nike).

Those who trust Jesus are Hyper-conquerors! It sounds like the name of a super hero! Or the promise of a sports drink commercial! And a closer look at this verse and its context, reveals that this victory is related to something very specific – the confidence that nothing will separate us from God’s love.

Here’s the deal. Life is filled with battles. And in every battle, your spiritual enemy has a singular goal … to separate you from experiencing God’s love. But what Paul wants us to comprehend is that in every one of life’s battles, we win! Why? Because we still have God’s love. No matter what, we are Super-Conquerors. Nothing can sever us from the unwavering affection of God.

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Do the Math

Here’s a question you ought to ask yourself often: If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31.

It’s an astonishing question. Look closely. The question is not simply, “Who can be against us?” That is not the question; for undeniably we face all kinds of opposition. Indeed the world, the flesh and the devil are marshaled against us. God never promised that we would not face resistance in this life.

Rather the question is, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The Bible does not promise that we won’t have any opposition. Instead it promises is that we won’t have any opposition that matters.

No matter what you face as followers of Jesus Christ, God is on your side. And God + You = a Majority. It’s worth pondering this truth everyday.

If God is for us, who can be against us?


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Do all things work for good?

Sorry, I've been away from posting for awhile as my laptop was stolen. I'm back. Here's my latest eCouragement:
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Romans 8:28 is one of the most recognized scriptural addresses in the entire Bible. “All things work together for good.”

But is that true? Or just naïve? Deep down, if we are honest, we sometimes wonder. We think of young mothers who died of cancer, teens who were hit by drunk drivers, child victims of abuse. How can that be good?

As it turns out, the Bible never teaches that all the things we face in life are good. Certainly much is not. Rather it teaches that in all things God is working for His good purpose in us, and that good purpose is defined in the often overlooked following verse: Romans 8:29. "For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son…”

God is at work in all things to bring about the best good that is possible ... that we would become more like Jesus.

Now, no one in our generation knows what Jesus looks like. But God has seen fit to allow Christ’s likeness to be reflected in His followers. His goal is that we might become more and more like His own Son in attitude, authenticity, and action.

That is God’s greatest good for us. Whatever we face, we can know that God is always working His good in us.

Adopted!

I love the story of two little first-grade boys who were brothers. On the first day of school, the children were introducing themselves. One of the boys said, "Me and Jackson are brothers. One of us is adopted and one is not, but I can't remember which is which."

That attitude conveys the full-fledged embrace that we have received from God as He welcomes us into His family. He actually treats us, and see sus, and loves us, in the same way He does his Only Begotten Son.

In fact, the Bible says, You have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"… Romans 8:15. And it is because of this adoption, that we can experience a deep intimacy with the Father. As Christians we don't address God as "Your Highness" or "Your Holiness." We call God, “Abba” which, in Jesus’ day, was a very intimate expression; much like we might say, “Daddy" or "Papa”.

Since God has adopted us as sons and daughters, we can embrace Him as our Father. We can run to Him when we are hurt, ask lots of questions when we are confused, and trust Him when He says everything is going to be OK.

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I've been tagged

I’ve been "tagged" by a friend, Jenetta, from church. I need to answer the following questions:

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Wow, that seems like a decade ago. Fairly new to San Diego we had three kids 7 years old and under. We were still struggling to let go of our oldest son for a full day of school and over sending our daughter to kindergarten … excited about being in a new facility at church … discovering Padres baseball and planning a trip to Hawaii for the first time ever.

Things on my to-do list now: (OK, these are more like my values)

1. Seek to live as a channel of God's GRACE -- lavishly receiving it and lavishly expressing it.

2. Seek to live in the PRESENT tense -- enjoying all God has for me in the moment, and redeeming the time with others.

3. Seek to live by FAITH -- seeing the unseen God in my circumstances and trusting His sovereign control.

4. Seek to live in the SPIRIT -- relying on His power, direction, and joy.

5. Seek to put others before myself -- knowing that as I LOVE them I am loving myself and God.


Things on my to-do list for my lifetime: (in no particular order)

1.Travel to Europe with my whole family (scheduled this summer)
2. Celebrate 50 years of a great marriage (2037)
3. Own a VW bus again
4. Have croissants and strong coffee in a Paris sidewalk cafe (I don’t even like coffee)
5.Swim with dolphins
6.Visit Israel again
7.Successfully spend my whole career as a lead pastor at the same church
8.Have a role in one of my great grandchildren's weddings (that puts me at about 95 years old)
9. Coach a team for one of my grandkids
10. Own a vacation home
11. Continue to take our kids to Disneyland often even when they are adults
12. Continue to go to Yosemite at least once every year for the rest of my life
13. Celebrate 25 years of marriage with Cindy at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite
14. See a game at every professional baseball park in California, Washington, and Arizona. Also visit Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field
15. Have a bit part in a stage play that people pay money to see and have it run for at least a month
16. Retire where I can hear the ocean waves crash at night
17. Put the SHAPE Seminar online and have an international impact
18. When I retire, hand off a thriving, healthy, influential local church to a pastor to take it into the next season

Bad Habits:

1. Worry
2. People pleasing
3. Watching too much Padres baseball on TV

Places I've lived: (All time favorites in bold)

1. Lancaster, CA
2. Nottingham, ENGLAND
3. Milwaukee, WI
4. Sherman Oaks, CA
5. Lynwood, CA
6. Fountain Valley, CA
7. Santa Barbara, CA
8. San Francisco, CA
9. Pasadena, CA
10. London, ENGLAND
11. Laguna Beach, CA
12. Mission Viejo, CA
13. San Diego, CA

Things most people probably don't know about me:

1. I’ve never eaten a Churro
2. I love loose leaf tea
3. I am a big Jesus Christ Superstar the Rock Opera fan
4. I have a doctorate in Christian ministry and leadership
5. I can toss a pizza from a batch of homemade dough

Ok- so I need to tag some people now. Check their blogs in a few days to see if they did it :)

Jon
Daveed
Deyl
Paige
Ted
Josh
Ryan & Melissa
Kevin & Didi

Making news

Check out the article about our recent Kingdom Assiggnments at by clicking here.


Thanks, Lisa Ligouri

The Guilt Spoon

Honestly we didn't mean to do it. A few years ago we rented a mountain cabin for a few days. When we got home we discovered that we had inadvertently taken one of their spoons from its kitchen. To this day we keep it in our silverware drawer at home in case we ever go back to that cabin.

Our youngest son has nicknamed that spoon. He calls it the guilt spoon. Every time we see it, it reminds us of our unintentional theft.

A lot of people carry around a guilt spoon – something that triggers a reminder of failures, weakness, and sin. And deep down we know that God is so holy that even a teaspoon of sin is enough to separate us from Him.

And that is what makes Romans 8:1 is so revolutionary. It says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."

The Bible does not say that there is nothing in us that deserves condemnation, because there is. Nor does it say that God has just randomly decided to overlook it, because He has not. What it says is that, because Jesus Christ took God’s condemnation for sin upon himself, we are no longer guilty.

So you know what I’m going to do with that guilt spoon from now on? Eat ice cream! I’m turning my guilt spoon into a grace spoon.

The Curse of Comparison

“Why do I have to go through this and they don’t?”
“Why are they immune; while I am not?”
“Why do they get all the breaks?
“What did I do so wrong … or they do so right?”

It is the curse of comparison. Has anyone ever been there? Peter was. In the Bible, Jesus predicted that there would be some difficult days ahead for Peter. And Peter’s response is so relatable. He motioned to John, who seemed to always coast through life, and asked, "Lord, what about him?" (John 21:21).

Have you been there? Maybe you're there now? A little ticked at God? As if He plays favorites? Especially when we face difficult things, it is easy to compare ourselves with those with whom life has blazed an easier path. It’s the curse of comparison.

Jesus’ answer to Peter is amazing. He offers Peter the only way to break the curse.

Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." (John 21:22) Basically Jesus says, “Peter, what I do with John is My business. My plan. But you, Peter, you, follow me.”

God has a unique plan for you that has been choreographed to the script of your life, and it is different from all others. And the liberating truth is that you don’t need to compare yourself with anyone else. You have a God given assignment and it has very little, if anything, to do with the assignments He gives other people. Therefore, it is a waste of time comparing ourselves to others, or wondering why we didn't get their part in the play. All we have to worry about is following Jesus call for us.