7 Milestones You Should Celebrate

 

It was 7 years ago today....Monday, September 11, 2017, that I walked through the front door at First Baptist Burleson to start my new (GOD) sized adventure. It was God sized because its not every day you wait 365 days for God to move in your life. That's exactly why I chose the new start date when offered the new position. Of course when looking back on that year long sabbatical, God was moving all around me teaching me, molding me, changing me, and strategically placing people in my path that would lead me to where I came on this day 7 years ago. (GOD)

That year long sabbatical came to a close with a phone call, out of the blue, from someone I did not know or had ever met. Christopher Cass was the Executive Pastor at First Baptist Burleson who called me at home one Thursday morning telling me that my name was given to him by three different people to call about a position at his church. (GOD). The following Sunday Becky and I attended worship services at the church which was 4 hours from where we were living. Everything about our visit was confirming this was the place God had picked out for us. (GOD).  I was offered the position and within a week or so I was in my new office with a window overlooking Burleson, Texas. Seven years later I am now known as the fastest hire ever made there. (GOD). Within weeks we found an amazing home of our dreams that we both fell in love with and moved in a couple months later. (GOD) There was a white silk glove laying on my office desk that day I started and when I slipped it on, it fit perfectly. (GOD) 

This will give you goosbumps! Prior to the phone call I had asked Becky if we could move anywhere, where would she want to be. She responded with the Fort Worth area. At the time all three of our adult children were within an hour of Fort Worth. When I asked Christopher on the phone call that day where his church was located, he responded Burleson, Texas just a few minutes south of....Fort Worth. (GOD)

Another milestone was created in my life that needs to be and has been celebrated ever since. Today, September 11, 2024  marks that milestone for me at First Baptist Burleson. I'm a firm believer in celebrations so, allow me to share mine.

Birthdays - I celebrate my birthday all month long each year. This year is my lucky number 7 as I slide into 70 years 

Wedding Anniversaries - this December I get to celebrate 48 years with the same wife. She is  amazing!

Children - I am blessed and get to celebrate three adult children that are amazing and fill my life with fun and great childhood memories as they grew up.

NGD - that's when I get to buy a new guitar. I am bless to have a wife that encourages my addition to playing, buying, and selling guitars. Last count - 16

Friends for Life - I got to graduate from high school with the same people I went to elementary school with. This October I get to celebrate my birthday with my best friend since 5th grade.

Faith - I get to celebrate, every day, the day I placed my faith in Christ in 1981 in the living room of my home along with Becky at the same time.

Work - I get to celebrate every year where God places me to serve Him. 

"Always celebrate when you can, and celebrate for as long as you can". Rick Cadden

 

What about you? What do you celebrate? Comments?

Back in the Saddle (part 2)

Two years ago, I received a phone call. The caller said he and several others in their search was given my name from colleagues that I was looking for a staff position. We talked for over an hour and that weekend, Becky and I were at First Baptist Burleson to check out the church. Our visit was filled with divine intervention and we both left that day in awe. In awe that God would lead us to such an incredible church. After a dry 12 months, doubting, questioning, seeking, and trying to figure out what God was doing with me, we fell in love with First Burleson. 

Upon arrival to the church as visitors we were greeted at the door and escorting all around the church as visitors. Within minutes of being seated in worship, we ran into friends from our home church back in the 80’s. The pastor greeted us, the Executive Pastor greeted us, and members greeted us. We were asked if we were in a Life group yet, smiled at, greeted over and over, making us feel like this was home. Several weeks later, I was on staff with an office. My first day was exactly one year from the day I left my previous church. That was intentional on my part to be able to just pick right up where I left off serving God. There is a book worth of things that happened during the previous 12 months giving testimony in hindsight of how God works on our behalf without us even knowing it.

My ministry life emulates the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. His story, like mine, depicts the sovereignty of God. His perfect providence is just one illustration that God IS in control. To say that I never doubted God or never felt his presence during this life adventure would be a lie. I doubted and felt alone many times. To say that I didn’t trust and seek him would also be a lie. Like Joseph during his tragic life events one after another, I trusted and believed that God would restore me to His service. That day came with a phone call from God one late afternoon in August. God prompted the call, ordained the call, and made sure the timing was exactly perfect for me.

Like Joseph, even when others hurt us and life seems unfair and difficult, we can triumphantly declare with Joseph, “As far you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Gen 50:20

Today I celebrate, to the day, two years of service at First Burleson. Every day has been full of joy, peace, fun, thanksgiving, mercy, love, care, and that feeling of I can’t wait to get to work. It would be another book to write of things that have happened over the past two years that would prove the existence of God almighty working in my life. We are exactly where God wants us at this moment in time and hopefully for many years to come.

 Comments?

Hospital on a Hill

I got up, showered, and got ready for my day as usual knowing it was going to be another long day of nothing. I was sitting on the couch staring out the large windows in the living room, trying to figure out again what I was to do to keep myself busy. It was depressing. I had been out of work for six months, living with some friends trying to figure things out. I had to convince myself daily that I would be fine, and something would come up, but it never did. Every day got a little longer and a little harder to get through. 

Its 10 am and I am still just sitting on the couch staring out the windows in the living room. No one was home that day. I knew I needed help but where and who. I decided to call the hospital on the hill and make an appointment with the doctor. Amazingly they had an opening that morning, so I went. The receptionist was super friendly and had me in the doctor’s office almost right away like he was waiting on me. Dr. Ross sat me down in his office and asked what was going on. I shared a little about why I thought I was depressed. He sat right in front of me and I could tell he was listening intently. His countenance was telling me that he really cared about my story. I teared up telling some parts of the story but felt it was alright with Dr. Ross. Finally, I let him respond and man did he.  Dr. Ross seemed to know exactly what I was going through and offered the exact words I needed to hear. He offered ways to combat depression, and his final solution totally blew me away and again brought me to tears. Who is this doctor and how does he know me to diagnose so well? 

Dr. Ross offered me counseling and therapy with his team of doctors. I was to meet with them every week once a day in the mornings. But he said that I was welcome to come to the hospital any time of the day and that someone would be here to work with me in my illness. There was no monetary charge to me. He said the fees were already paid by a man long ago for me to come here and get help. What kind of hospital does all this? It was crazy. I went back home a totally different man, smiling, joyful, and in amazement. I could not wait for my wife to get home and tell her what happened. 

I started therapy the next week. I showed up early and was seated in the lobby. Dr. Ross came by and grabbed me and said let’s go, the team is ready for you. We walked in together and there were about 6 other doctors seated around the tables. As Dr. Ross introduced me to the team, it was like they already knew me, and I had been there for months. I felt incredibly welcomed and comfortable in the room. The morning went awesome for me and again I left new and different and at peace. What was this place and why do I feel so much peace when I am there?

I was assigned to one specific doctor for mentoring and was included in work he was doing. I felt valued and needed again. Dr. Stone was a great man and seemed to be excited I was helping him. Again, it was like he knew me for a long time already. We worked, had lunch together and even golfed one day as part of my therapy. While working with Dr. Stone he introduced me to Dr. French who I was to work with also. We met and he had a few projects at the hospital that he asked my help with. This is getting to be a dream for me. Unbelievable treatment with people that care beyond measure. Who does that now days?

The next couple of months were amazing. I was still without work and had some down days but not nearly like before Dr. Ross and I met. I could not wait to get up each day and at least stop by the hospital and see what was going on. I even met and worked with other patients at times. The hospital had programs for the sick mostly on Sundays and Wednesdays. My wife and I got involved with started attending regularly. We quickly were invited to a therapy class for couples that was so awesome. The director of the program grabbed us one day and invited us to the therapy class, so we tried it. We loved it. We learned from these other couples so much. They had joy, love, and had fun, and cared for us so much. Again, it was like they knew us for a long time. 

To my surprise and shock, Dr. Ross had asked me to come on staff at the hospital to work with other patients dealing with depression or problems. It was a part time position, but I would work and serve with his therapists every day. I was brought to tears, again, when Dr. Ross asked me to join his team. We had to be approved by the other doctors but were voted in unanimously one Sunday evening. We were in!

The next six month were so exciting and amazing that we could not wait to get to the hospital for the programs they offered. All the other doctors there became lifelong friends to this day. Dr. Hickingbottom, the CEO, encouraged me so much by just always being there for me and speaking to me when I came to the hospital. So much happened in six months while there. Our couples therapy class met every week and we usually went to lunch together after. We went to plays, served other patients in their need, and dinner at times. I was invited to play guitar with a group that did a therapy night singing gospel song of encouragement and love. That was one of the best times while at the hospital. What a night to minister to the other patients. We all left pumped and excited. 

What started out to be another long day of nothing, staring out the large windows in the living room, ended with my appointment with Dr. Ross. When my wife came home that evening, I blurted out my excitement as she walked in the door. She could tell I was a changed man. After I told her about Dr. Ross and the hospital, she told me this. That morning as she left for work, she saw me sitting there. She could tell I was depressed, and she prayed to God to do something for me that day to help me. She prayed for a miracle. She prayed for someone to help me. She prayed for Dr. Ross and never knew it. She prayed for a hospital on a hill and didn’t know it. I’m fine now and working full time again. After searching for 12 months, I am a doctor at a large hospital. With the love and care of Dr. Ross and his staff of therapists, I made it! The depression left and I am now helping other patients. Praise God for that hospital on the hill.

Lesson learned...never doubt that God is working all around you and that He will always lead you to his will if you listen and follow and believe.

 Comments?

De-compressing Music

A pastor once told me how he de-compressed on the way home from the office. He found a dumping spot on his route home so that when he passed it, he dumped all his stress there, mentally clearing his mind. If you want to know how to decompress from the stress of a busy day just google it. You will find 5 ways, 7 ways, 10 ways, 100 ways people have found that works for them.

Why de-compress anyway? A day filled with meetings, challenges, projects, errands, noise, and other office activities can stress you out and if left unattended to, will physically effect your health long term. Plus, who wants to be around a stressed out you? Your spouse, family, and friends certainly don't. If you just leave the office and don't do something to de-stress and de-compress your mind, it will be a train wreck waiting to happen later.

I am a music lover. I'm not a one genre person and listen to almost all genres. For de-compressing, one of the best music genre's for me is classical music. I recently took a job were I drive the freeway to and from work. Fortunately, the heavy traffic is the other direction both ways. But there is certainly enough traffic left to cause me stress. Add that to the busy day and you have to de-compress to get back to your sanity.

Before I start my treck every day, I set my phone up via Bluetooth to the sound in the vehicle. I created a Pandora station called Classical Music for studying. I adjust the sound level enough to drown out almost all road noise giving me a euphoric feeling of floating down the road. In this state of mind, I am just observing traffic with the noise and distractions removed. I am actually able to think and tune out traffic stress and the stress from the day. Driving in this state of mind ensures you arrive home with a clear mind, de-compressed and ready for a great evening. Try it with your own genre of music and get stress free.

Comments? Suggestions? What is your De-compressing music?

Back in the Saddle Again

Have you ever been bucked off a horse without warning? I was riding that day, doing what I always do, and without warning my horse bucked and jumped wildly and within a split second, threw me to the hard ground. I laid there flat on my back in the dirt with dust flying all around from the fall. The crowd went silent for a moment waiting to see what would happen next. Would I get back up? Can I even get up? I laid there for seemed like a year when in reality it was just a short few minutes in rodeo time. Here is how it happened.

I’m a horse rider in a Christian rodeo and have been riding for 23 years. I don’t own a horse, I just ride them. For four years I rode one of the best horses in the rodeo. We were a team and rode high and rode fast. The horse was sold abruptly one day out from underneath me and there I was with no horse to ride. For the next couple years, I rode a lot of different horses that were good horses but not like the one I had before. Changing horses often for a rodeo rider isn’t good. Riders must get to know that horse and ride him every day and bond together. I finally got a another horse and we started riding. It was a rough start but we were riding together. After 3 years as his rider, the unexpected happened. We were riding the rodeo that day and doing what we were both trained for, and out of nowhere that blasted horse reared its head up and bucked and threw me to the ground. Here is the rest of the story.

While lying there flat on my back in the dirt, in pain, I began reflecting on my life as a rider. Was I really a great rider? Do the people watching me ride like me? Do I want to keep riding after this fall? Would the pain ever go away? Will I ride again? Those were the questions in my mind. It felt like a year lying there but it was only a few minutes. I felt my legs move again and the pain was getting lighter. I heard the crowds that day chanting words to get me back up. You can do it! Get up son! We need you to ride again! You were born to ride!

I mustered enough strength to sit up and then finally stand . The crowds went crazy chanting my name and excited to see me get back up. It was incredible to hear them so loud and so excited. I got my balance and dusted myself off, looked all around at the crowds and waved my hat high in the air letting them know I was alright and will ride again. It was a glorious moment of exhilaration and emotion. I walked back to the horse stalls and there, waiting for me, was a new horse. It was tall and mighty looking with a beautiful hand engraved saddle waiting for me to mount. The horse appeared to be too big for a small rider like me, yet I sensed it was gentle. The horse turned its head around to me and with this look of gentleness seemed to say... get on and let’s ride son. 

As I mounted the new horse, I was handed the reigns by my riding partner. She was standing there ready to lead me out to the arena again with the crowd waiting in anticipation of seeing me ride. She had been there before I was ever bucked off the horse and right there next to me as I lay there in the dirt with dust all around me. She was praying over me to get up and ride again and show the crowds I can do it. She handed me the reigns but I pulled her up on the back of the saddle with me. The stall gate opened and together we rode around the arena waving our hats to the crowd. They were ecstatic and screaming with joy and excitement for us. 

We stopped in the middle of the arena to take the moment in and there we saw the rodeo owner sitting high up in his booth that overlooks the whole rodeo. You could tell who he was because we wore the finest leather and the finest clothes and the finest boots money would buy. His face brightly glowed with joy over the fact that I got back on that horse again and was riding for Him again. At that moment, I knew it was Him that gave me the new horse that was strong yet gentle and would never buck me off again.

At that very moment, the rodeo owner silenced the crowd. I hear with a loud voice…”ride em cowboy, you’re back in the saddle again. 

Comments?