Dreaming

Forward thinking, strategic planning, vision making, goal setting and dreaming are all very important to church, business, family and personhood. However, most plans, dreams, visions and goals fall short of their ultimate fulfillment in life. At least that has been my experience. I had a dream of having $100,000 in endowmen in my church by the end of this year but it is only $65,000 and from only a few donors. There are approximately 12 people in the church who have taken this vision seriously enough to make consistent gifts.

I have a dream, vision, direction from God that I need to be involved in reaching spanish speaking people in our area. We attempted to start a church last year and both times we failed to get it off the ground. We have no hispanic people from our community coming here except children and youth on Wednesdays. I have challenged people to consider assisting a sister church in outreach and so far the well is empty, except for me.

I have a dream of being able myself to give back to my church more than they pay me and my vision was to do it all myself through the stock market and my "savy" investing skills. This year I have lost money and the bottom is not out of the market yet. I was going to fix it and realize my goals through buying a percentage ownership in companies or securing some debt instrument. I used some of the same techniques of the past but that wisdom did not work in these days. I am lost as to what to do.

I have a dream of guideing students to become pastors, missionaries and that SLBC can be a mission sending organization. I want students to become active in ministry while they are still students. I want student leaders. I want them to do more than just study about missions. I want them to put on a mission sweat. I want them to burn leather. I want them to engage people in christian conversations. We have none, so far.

Some of these dreams could still be fulfilled but not in my time. They may happen. They may not happen. So what do I do? I keep dreaming. I keep thinking strategically. I keep leading. I keep stretching myself and my church. I keep going. I press on.

What is my motivation for these things I ask myself. Am I trying to build a kingdom? Am I trying to gain success for personal fulfillment? Am I seeking a name for myself? Am I trying to look good in the eyes of other? I don't know. Sometimes I have to say that these may be my motivations. However, most of the time they are not. Most of the time my motivation is Kingdom. I want the Kingdom to grow, for more people to know Jesus and for people to have happy and fulfilled lives. I want to see people change. I want to do a good job. I want to fulfill my calling. That is it.

So that is the dream. It is God's dream for me. I am going to stick to it.

Capitol Hill Redskin

I am a redskin, a mighty mighty redskin. Yes I am. Well, so goes the cheer in the olden days, the 60's. I am surprised that they have not changed the name by now because redskin is not politically correct.


The shirt made it to the philippines on our mission trip recently. The indian got many stares from the locals.


High school was a different time yet it was a time when ideas were being formed about life. I was glad that Laurie and I got to speak in two high schools in the philippines. I hope we left some kind of an impression.


I just recently watched the movie Forest Gump. I have watched it several times. It is one of my favorite. His famous "momma said" statements are true to life. He was a man who kept his promise because his momma said to always keep a promise. He opened a shrimp business for his friend Bubba because he promised.


While in the Philippines I remember a promise I made to Jesus when I was 16. It was a promise to be a preacher of the gospel. It is a promise I plan to keep for the rest of my life. I want to be better in my latter years than I was in my early years. I was a student of Capitol Hill when I preached my first sermon. I also had a nursing home ministry at 17 and was leading worship in a small church in Oklahoma City at 16. I have never regretted a minute of that. It was formative for my ministry today.


I am now back home. Yes ministering to the area where I went to school. I cannot wait for see you at the pole. I cannot wait for revival. I cannot wait to seek to reach the hispanic community in two weeks. I cannot wait for the cottage prayer meetings.


I guess once a redskin always a redskin.