Stories after Ike

I have heard many stories of how people have helped each other out after hurricane Ike. Some of our members have told me that they got to know their neighbors because everyone was spending more time outside on their street. Streets were having meals together so that no one would go with out food. Others were helping each other with trees or other yard work.

Do you have stories like this? Were you helped by someone or did you get to help someone else? This is where we had the opportunity to be the church outside the walls of our building. The stories that are told now will be passed on to generations about how we helped each other out through the aftermath of the storm.

Please comment on this blog with your story. Or you can email your story to me at: eddie.boyer@gc-4.net We'd love to hear from you!

Life After Ike

Well, you always wonder how people will react after a major catastrophe...for that matter you wonder how you will react!

As I sit here working on a few brochures for an upcoming ministry fair, I received a phone call that puts things back in perspective. A former youth of mine called about a co-worker who lives about 20 minutes from our building. They live in a trailer that was all but destroyed by Ike. FEMA gave them a measly $4,800 to repair.

I know that won't even cover the cost of the roof, let alone the holes and other damage sustained by this individual. This former youth of mine described this individual as someone who is always giving to others, but has a hard time asking for help for herself.

Thank goodness there are some folks that donated on Sunday to help out in these situations. I know that her story will not be the only one, maybe not even the most tragic...but I pray that we respond to them with the grace and peace that God responds with to us even in our darkest hour.

Driving

You know a funny thing happens when I am driving...the haze of my life seems to clear. I have covered 10 states and over 7,000 miles in the last 6 weeks (including about 2,200 in 3 days this past weekend). There is something about being with friends on a road trip with the music blaring that helps you see life more clearly. So here are a few thoughts I have had...

1) There are common every day things in life that we take for granted. A bed to sleep on. Real meals. Meals that aren't fast food. A nice shower. Houston humidity. Sitting in a chair. Sometimes we have to look around at our common everyday lives and be thankful...for all of the little things that are around us all the time...except when they're not!

2) Friends. I am very blessed to have friends around me that lift me up. That point me toward Christ. Friends that I can count on in good times and bad. Friends that I can spend 7,000 miles on the road with and still like...and more importantly that still like me!

3) Family. We all love our family. Some are better at expressing it than others, but at certain level all of us feel a loss when there is physical separation. Somehow a phone call is not enough, we need to see and feel our loved ones. When I'm gone from them it reminds me just how much I love them...and how much I am loved!

So what are you taking for granted? Who do you need to express gratitude to? If you're not sure take a road trip, some of you might only need a short trip, for some it might take a bit longer. Either way I pray that you come back more grateful than when you left. I know I did!

Our Plans vs His

Life has a way of really changing. You can plan all you want. It might even be a good plan- and then something changes. And that one event changing has a ripple effect that pulses out, expanding into many other facets of life. Sometimes this is God at work, sometimes it is the devil, and sometimes it is just life.

You see I had this great trip planned. Me and two friends would leave on a hiking trip to Colorado, pick up a state high point or two, and then about six others would join. us for a big hike in Colorado up a 14,000 ft. mountain or two. And then another opportunity for my band to play in California at the end of the very same week came up...what are the chances.

From there everything seemed to crumble and it ended up being three of us traveling to Colorado to hike. Then the rest of the band would pick us up in Albuquerque on the way. Maybe this is what God had planned all along...I don't know.

But what I do know is that the hike up Mt. Harvard (14,4420 ft.) was spectacular. And the road trip to California has been great (we saw the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and Death Valley today!).

God your plan is always better why can't I get that?

In A Pit

There's this guy in the book of 2 Samuel that is mentioned...just briefly. He actually shows up in a couple of other books, but here an interesting observation is made. His name is Benaiah.

"There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. he did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and the slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it."
2 Samuel 23:20

You see King David had a group of mighty men. There were thirty of them. They traveled around and did many heroic deeds and fought in many battles. For most we don't know more than their name. But for a few we get a little piece of information about who they were or how they came to be in this group of mighty men.

Most people when encountering a lion would run the other way. For most of us if the lion ran into a pit...we'd let him go alone! But not Benaiah. When the lion went down into the pit, Benaiah went in after him. To make matters worse it was snowing. I love the snow, but I'm sure not going to mess with a lion while having to navigate the snow.

God sends many opportunities our way. Some are easy to follow- some are hard. Each is a test of faith. People don't follow the guy or girl who takes the easy way. People follow someone who leads courageously.

So what kind of faith do you have? Is God calling you to something great, even though it might be hard? The ways of the Lord are rarely easy. Just look at the way most of the disciples were called: Come and follow me. Drop what you are doing, everything you've known in life, and follow me. Is it your time to follow?

Hard Times

My stepmother Harriette passed away last Saturday. She died suddenly and unexpectedly. But she had live a full and fuitfull life.

Harriette was one of those souls that you would meet and instantly know she walked closely with her Jesus. She exibited the fuit of the Spirit like few others. Every where she went she was watching for those who who need to know just who Jesus really was.

The funeral today was a tribute to who she was a beloved wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, family member and friend to so many.

The Suburban Christian

I recently finished a book called "The Suburban Christian" by Albert Y. Hsu, with the subtitle "Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty". You know I have often had people say to me, "Oh yeah must be rough having to minister in The Woodlands," after they find out where our church is located. My comment back is usually something like, "have you ever tried to tell someone who had everything the need that they still need something?" It is really difficult to tell someone that has everything that there is still something missing. On the other hand when you are in an area of great need, there is not much convincing...they already understand what it is to need and to want...they're just not sure what it is that they need.

I think this may be one of the most challenging pieces to being a Christian today in one of the most affluent countries, in one of the most affluent areas. Just to put it in perspective: "the average household headed by someone with a college degree has an income of about $72,000 a year. If you live in that household, you are richer than 95% of the people on the planet. You are probably richer than 99.99% of the people who have ever lived."

So how do we serve God outside of our tendency to toward individualism, affluence, and isolation? We must be in community together with both the Christian and Non-Christian. We need strong relationships with Christians who will challenge us in our faith and lift us up in times of need. We also need strong relationships with Non-Christians that we can encourage toward faith and be there in their times of need.

"And by God's grace, may his kingdom come and his will be done, in suburbia and the uttermost reaches of the earth" (p. 196 The Suburban Christian).

Countering Consumerism

Nine Principles for Countering Consumerism:

1. Control desire: Avoid things that make you want more.
2. Create a new consumer symbolism: Ignore luxury branding messages.
3. Control ourselves: Participate in community efforts to reduce consumption.
4. Learn to share: Both a borrower and a lender be.
5. Deconstruct the commercial system: Become an educated consumer.
6. Avoid "retail therapy": Don't shop to make yourself feel better.
7. De commercialize rituals and holidays: Find alternatives to gift buying.
8. Make more time to spend less: Downshift your lifestyle.
9. Support civic and government efforts to limit consumption.

Adapted from Juliet Schor, The Overspent American

Nashville & Faith

As some of you may know my band mates and I (Await The Day) took a little trip to Nashville this weekend. We were invited by a group we've been working with called Indie Extreme to play in an independent artist showcase during the week of the GMA's (That would be the Gospel Music Association). What a great experience for us. We really had no idea what we were signing up for and getting ourselves into. It was a blast and we learned so much.

You know this whole thing has been about faith. We got together to play some music for a men's retreat a couple of years ago. We enjoyed each other's company and prayer time, and Ben started doing some writing. Then we got asked to play here and there... and people started asking us if we were going to do some recording. I happened to meet a guy hanging out at a coffee shop, who just by "chance" was building a recording studio. He happened to be in a band that works with Indie Extreme...you get the picture.

I don't believe for a moment that all of this happened by chance. I believe God put us in this position and he has a plan for us (check out Jeremiah 29:11). Now that plan might not be what we have in mind but His plan is always better than ours! He loves us so much, all we have to do is trust and put our faith in Him and then give up our rights to the controls.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. " Romans 8:28.

Scarcity

Scarcity...what an odd word. I first heard it a couple of years ago at a Leadership Summit. I'm not sure I understood it then, but I think I'm beginning to. We are a society consumed by looking out for #1- ourselves. It's the American way. We all have the "right" to the best of everything. We all have the "right" to lookout first and foremost for our own interests. It's a dog eat dog world and we all want to be top dog.

The problem is: this is not the way of the Cross. Jesus said that he came so that we might have life and have it to the full (check out John 10:10). He also made it very to clear to his disciples that this was a dangerous evil world that wants to eat our souls for lunch.

God has not promised us prosperity or riches or an easy life. He didn't promise that we'd have the biggest house on the block or even a house, only that he would be with us and that we would have real life in him. "Beware! Don't always be wishing fro what you don't have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are" (Luke 12:13, LB).

So do you have your sights set on the American Dream or on your Savior- Jesus?