Entries from June 2007
I was sitting here thinking about what to write so I thought that I would go with whatever random thoughts come across my mind. You ready? You think that you can handle it?
- Why are Mondays so hard?
- I wish my neighbor would fix his yard so when it rains his mud won’t end up on my driveway.
- Why don’t Church people tithe?
- I love to listen to the rain!
- Why is Molly, our dog, so scared of storms?
- What does Molly think when she hears it thunder?
- What’s wrong with the Atlanta Braves?
- I hope that staff meeting this week will be as good as it was last week!
- Praise The Lord…”The Closer” comes on tonight!
Categories: Uncategorized
Sunday was sweet! We baptized several people. I say several because I can’t remember exactly how many. Let’s say it was more than 5 and less than 15…how about that? The point that I want to make about the service is that it was just sweet. As I was baptizing one little girl it hit me that I had also baptized her dad. I thought how cool is that! Another lady that I baptized has been struggling through addiction for years and years and now she is free, not that being baptized sets you free in and of itself, but it does represent the power and freedom that this lady has found in Christ.
Sunday was sweet because it just confirms the fact that God is still using the ministry of SpringWell to reach people with the gospel. And that is a BIG deal to me.
Categories: Sunday Reflections
Have you ever struggled with depression? I’m not asking if you’ve ever had a bad day or just been a little down. I’m asking if you have ever had a day when you just couldn’t get out of the bed. I’m talking about the kind of day that maybe has turned into weeks where you are physically sick…really sick. Have you ever found yourself in this deep dark hole that you can’t climb your way out of and nothing spiritual seems to help. Well I have and it’s not a fun place to be.
There have been a few times over the years where I know that I have struggled with depression. Looking back over the years I think that there was a time when I was in Seminary that I went through a little bout of depression. BUT hey I was in Seminary, I was supposed to be depressed. There have been a couple of other times when I would say that I struggled with depression, but I know that a lot of people don’t want to hear about all that. Let’s be honest, there are some of you right now who are probable thinking “what kind of pastor is this who would admit to struggling with depression? He surely can’t have a spiritual bone in his body.” Really? Let me share with you some stats I read on Mark Drisco’s blog site. Mark writes:
“At our 2006 Reform and Resurge Conference in Seattle, my good friend Pastor Darrin Patrick from The Journey in Saint Louis (www.journeyon.net) spoke frankly of the burden that pastoral ministry is. He presented the following statistics, which he gathered from such organizations as Barna (www.barna.org) and Focus on the Family (www.family.org).”
Pastors
- Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
- Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce.
- Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
- Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
- Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
- Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
- Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
- Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
If you are not a Christian you’re probably thinking, “and why would I want to give my life to Jesus if pastors are such a mess?” So what’s my point? My point is we’re all human…that’s right even pastors! And we all have our struggles. Christianity is all about the journey. It’s not about Bible knowlege or studying to preach sermons. It’s all about a changed life…it’s about my changed life. The hope we offer to the world as pastors is not exegectically sound sermons. The hope we offer to the world is a changed life. And I’m still learning how to cooperate with God in changing mine!
Categories: Uncategorized
Well my oldest little girl turned 18 today..wow I can’t believe it. Where did the years go? Now I sound like the old man that I am. Yep, a couple of weeks ago she graduated High School and today she turned 18. I wonder what’s going to be next? Don’t you even think about it…she’s not getting married! Well, not anytime soon anyway.
I want to tell you a little bit about her. She was born on Father’s Day. It was on a beautiful Sunday evening that Emily Elizabeth-Marie McAlister came into this world. Wow, what a Father’s Day gift? And from the very first moment that I looked at her little football shaped head I knew that being a dad was going to be the greatest thing that ever happened to me…outside of marrying my sweet wife of course! And I was right! I really love being a dad. I think that it is the coolest thing to look at the wonder of God’s creation and to think that Karen and I got to be a part of it is so coooool!
My girls have always been two of my greatest sources of encouragement. I can’t count the number of times over the years that Emily or Katie (Katie is my youngest) have bragged on their ole dad. Whether is was bragging on my speaking ability or telling me how much fun I am to be around it really doesn’t matter , just to know that they believe in me is a true blessing.
Tonight Emily is out with several of her friends and I’m sitting here waiting for her to come home. Yep, she is growing up…and I’m trying to let her but she is still my little her and I guess she always will be. I am so proud of the woman she is becoming. Thank you Lord for giving me such a wonderful Father’s Day gift!
Categories: Family
Well I don’t know if anyone has missed me or not but it has been a few days since my last post. There were some very wise people who told me when I started this whole blogging thing that I would need to post on a regular basis if I was going to have any real success. Well I haven’t been as regular and faithful as I should. It’s hard for me…I’m way too busy it seems and it is a little scary to put your stuff out there for the whole world to read anyway. I know that Ken Newton has certainly taken his hits for sharing his heart at times. I guess we can only be open and honest in a certain, safe environment.
I hear you…you are thinking, “yea, but he is a leader in the church for pete’s sake, and he shouldn’t be using that kind of language”. I wonder if anyone read the pain and hurt in his writing…I guess not. I suppose sometimes we have to go deep and look beyond the surface stuff. But that can be hard to do at times especially when you’ve been hurt or wounded by the words written or spoken. I guess this Jesus way of living will take a lot more time and energy than a lot of us have counted on. I can only speak for myself…I am full aware that I am not there yet…I still have a long long way to go.
Well there you go, I finally spoke after several days of silence. The truth is the past few days have been very difficult. We lost two of SpringWell’s very own to motorcycle accidents a few weeks ago. I guess because I’m a biker myself that one hit a little too close to home. I am wearing a helmet now! It’s just sad that it took a tragic death for me to realize that I’m not invincible.
Categories: Uncategorized
