At PEACE with my life.

I am sitting in my living room with coffee, a fire going, instrumental music playing, it is snowing outside, and my dog is asleep at my feet.

I AM AT PEACE WITH MY LIFE . . . All my life I have strived, pushed, competed, worked and what ever other word you want to use to be the best, fastest, first, at the top, or biggest (for all of us church people).

I realized this morning that I am at PEACE with all that is around me. I have 3 children serving the Lord and they are all married to people who love God, I have one grandson and 2 more grand children on the way. I am married to an AMAZING women. The ministry opportunities I get are totally beyond any scope that I had ever thought or dreamed and I am not done yet.

Yes, sometimes I sit around think how I can I compete (like an athlete) and improve everything around me. MORE PEOPLE IN OUR CHURCH, PREACH IN MORE CHURCHES AND YOUTH MINISTRIES, SPEAK IN MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SPEAK TO MORE LEADERS IN OTHER NATIONS.

Then there comes days like today when I understand if anything good happens I usually have absolutely ZERO to do with it. Yes, I understand I must be obedient but I know God by his GRACE is using a flawed vessel to do HIS work.

So I am deciding to live at peace with all God is doing. Now, do not get me wrong I do want to be better, go farther, get bigger, train more leaders, touch more students, and grow a great church. NOW I know that all I can do is all I can do and I am just going to do it every day.

We usually over estimate

what we can do in one year and

we usually under estimate

what we can do in five years.

I am in it for the long haul. I will not stop. I will not quit. I will not turn around. But I know it is not in self that we find succes.

A self made man has

seriously limitied his life.

Self cannot take you where God

intends for you to go.

Brian Houston

To GOD be the glory!!

Engaged mind = A Changed Life

Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

I have really been challenged by the Lord in the area of memorizng scripture for 2010.

Which has led me to really spend a lot of time thinking about the benefits of memorizing scripture.

1. When you are waiting, waiting, and more waiting which we do a lot of in our lives. You can engage your mind in the will of God for your life by memorizing scripture.

2. Scriptue memory engages our minds when temptation comes our way. Often times the scripture comes flying into our minds as the way of escape. 1 Cor. 10:13

3, Memorizing the scripture is memorizing God's will for your life since God's will and God's Word are the same thing.

Take up the challenge it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Ed

It is fun getting older.

Exactly one month from today I will be 52 years old. I have been married to an awesome woman for nearly 32 of that and I have been in ministry for 31 of that time as well. WHAT A RIDE IT HAS ALL BEEN.

Just this past week I was in Dallas, TX for a Youth Pastor Roundtable. Where the older reached back to the younger and the younger reached forward to the older. The picture is me with Bob Weiner of Maranatha Ministries. Brother Bob is one of the pioneers of Jesus movement of the late 60's and 70's. I am no longer a Youth Pastor but I have been one for a long time and I still speak to thousands of youth in churches and public schools all over America and the world for that matter. I believe that this was a God ordained time for me. I was able to see the influence that God has allowed me to have over the years right up to the present time. Which by the way was very encouraging to me. There were so many great thoughts shared but I want to pass a few of them along to you my readers.

What ever the spiritual norm they (new converts - youth) are born into is what they will generally live at for the rest of their spiritual journey. So as spiritual fathers what kind of climate are we creating.

Ron Luce made the statement that he prays the following for himself . . . God, however you wrecked my life so that I would never go back would you do the same for those that I preach to?" This stirred my soul!

Start fathering, leading, mentoring, coaching then sons will begin to locate you. Another words quit asking God to send you sons just start doing it.

To touch the next generation, I have to be touched by Him.

The CROSS for youth represents both paths of life. The horizontal and the vertical. The path of righteousness which is vertical and the path of social justice which is horizontal. Apply Mark 8:34-38.

I am chewing on so much more. I pray that these remarks have stirred you up as well.
Ed

Looking forward to twenty ten

Just some random thoughts in my head about 2010.

#1 I will have two more grand children this time next year.

#2 I have big big faith for what God will do in Generations Church this year. Something tells me that it will be a quantum leap year for us. If not we will take another step in the blue print that God has for us.

#3 I have an increased desire to do the following this year: be a home owner again, write the books that are inside me, extend my influence in my city, become a leader of leaders.

#4 Become more disciplined in being than doing.

#5 I will turn 52 this year and I am aware of the time factor. I find myself like Caleb saying, "give me my mountain." To be honest I am getting a little insecure about building something at this age. To late to turn back plus see #6.

#6 I am more at peace with who I am and what I am about than I ever have been. I know that I am running in my lane.

#7 The awareness that He is building His church is acute.

#8 A firm belief that money will follow ministry.

#9 Wondering how to fix the fact that Generations Church is the best kept secret in Lubbock, TX.

#10 Strong, strong, strong desire to see thousands of lost people come to Jesus. Lord help us build the infrastructure to handle this.

What are you dreaming of in 2010?