Rhythms & Melodies

I wish I had something profound to write here, but it’s nothing really profound - especially if you are older than 30 years old. Simply put, we live in the rhythms and seasons of life. We’re born, grow up, marry (most, I guess), have & rear children, watch them leave the nest and return with grandkids (not my experience as of yet!) and we die.

The most amazing thing about all of this is that we were totally non-existent before birth, then suddenly, we exist - body, soul, spirit, mind, emotions, desires, will and all! Then we spend the next 60-100 years learning, scrapping, wondering, wandering, fighting, loving, hating, learning, adjusting, settling, scheming and much, much more. And all this for what? In hopes of leaving a miniscule scratch on the surface of life so that in generations to come people will remember us, revere us, worship us?

It certainly seems that way!

Now don’t take me as a cynic. I’m cynical, but not to the point of insisting that this life has no purpose or meaning. I think that this life has tremendous purpose & meaning. But I think that it is preparation for the future! Not the future that we experience in this life, but the future which we will experience when we pass from this world from our earthly bodies.

I think, as Jesus submitted, that this life is only the beginning of something MUCH bigger, greater, and that we are to find what our place is in that life. Jesus offers to us a unique role in that “future life” as His children, in His family, representing Him while we are still here on this planet in this life. It is a strange thing to even think that we at all exist.

But by the grace of God we would not even possess a body, let alone the capabilities to reason, desire, plan, understand, connect with others, etc. In that, I have to simply say that rhythms & melodies I sense & experience as I walk through life are written by the Great Choreographer, Who has His own plan for the song He is writing and the dance He is designing for us to sing & dance in His strength, time, plan and to His glory and blessing of His creation.

So simple. So elegant. So difficult when I let my proud heart scribble my out-of-sync-and-out-of-tune notes on the pages of His composition. Sing HIS song today. Dance HIS dance today. I am releasing all I am - once again (sigh) - to the hands of the Great Choreographer, the Grand Conductor.

European Evangelical Alliance (EEA), Coma-Ruga, Spain

As I sit here watching the sun rise, I listen to the dull rumble of a huge engine on some kind of ocean liner out in the Mediterranean Sea and the splash of small waves on the shoreline.

What a great location for a gathering of network leaders from all over Europe to meet and pray, talk, brainstorm, get to know each other and dream with the Lord about His desire for Europe to know Him.

Although, I must admit in my heart that of the maybe 100 men & women here, about 700 million Europeans are represented by them. A daunting task it is for us to take on.

The most encouraging element for me from this weekend is the time with Tagg & Holly as we prepare for the Youth Workers’ Summit in the Republic of Georgia. Colin & Melissa Piper and the Proffitts are also encouraging as we talk about the future and how Linda & I could possibly fit into their plans.

It’s nice to be by the salt water again. I do miss the salty air, waves splashing and the feeling of sand between my toes as I walk barefoot along the shoreline.

What’s next, Lord? I look forward to what You have in mind....

Day of prayer & fasting

All in all, about 24 people connected with me for prayer today! What a blessing! My wrists are tired from jumping from window to window in Facebook & Skype as i prayed with you all!

And for those of you who prayed and did not connect - THANK YOU! I know there were several of you who did so because you sent me emails telling me of your prayer on our behalf.

Thank you all so much!

A little smile can make a big difference

I just got back from my walk with Lani (our 2.5 year old black Lab Retriever). I started taking her on walks regularly last week when Linda was struck with a bladder infection that restricted her to a distance of 3 meters from the toilet!

I noticed that since we went on our walks at about the same time every day, that we’d see many of the same people each day (except for Saturday & Sunday).

As we passed each person, I would nod, give a little smile (not the huge toothy grin that we Americans are so famous for) and greet them with a “Good morning.”

After the first few days, several folks began to respond in kind (no smile - with the exception of one lady who I think really likes Lani - or maybe I’M the one she likes! ;-) Hey, I may be 51 years old, but I’m still good-looking! ) :-)

Today, the beginning of the work week, we went out again and I noticed that more of the same faces were responding with “Good morning” greetings and even a few smiles.

I don’t care what people say about Slovaks/Central Europeans, I think that they’re kind people in general and just need a little reason to show it.

Invite to pray with us!

Tomorrow, Monday, April 20th, is a special day for me.

I have set aside the day to pray with you online! From 11:00 am - 5:00pm (Central Europe Time - GMT+1), I will be available online to pray with you. The purposes are: a) for us to thank the Lord for 13 (almost) years of blessing in our ministry here in Europe, b) to praise Him for what He is doing in, through and around YOU and, c) to ask Him to provide financial & other needs for our move from Slovakia to the USA. If you’d like more details, you can email me, comment me on this blog, check out the Day of prayer & fasting on our Facebook or simply connect via chat in Facebook or Skype between 11:00am and 5:00pm GMT+1.

Hope to see you there!

Running with the Bulls

I just finished the book “Run with the Bulls Without Getting Trampled” by Dr. Tim Irwin. I won’t go into the contents of the book here except to say that I was encouraged, rebuked & challenged by the contents therein.

At the beginning of the final chapter in his book, Dr. irwin quotes Max DePree: “It is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”

Change is unavoidable if we want to make progress, to grow, to make any sort of impact in any way, shape or form.

In 1993, the giant ferry MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea during a storm. 850 people drowned in that accident in spite of dozens of lifeboats floating only a few feet away from the sinking boat. The people clung to railings and other parts of the ferry as their “comfort zone” and refused to release long enough to swim to safety to the nearby lifeboats. Tragic. As a result, the sinking ferry sucked many to their death as it plunged beneath the icy waters.

In one of the final paragraphs in the book, Dr. Irwin writes, “I’m trying to figure out which of my efforts achieved their purpose, what may by holding my back, and what must I stop pouring resources into. What work should I stop doing? Which opportunities should I turn down? I have anxious moments and find it very difficult to let go of the safety rails of the familiar. Although I find change to be unsettling, it also holds great promise.”

WOW! If that doesn’t describe where I am today, I don’t know what does!

Irwin believes that it is the “compelling whys” that motivate us to true change/transformation. These “compelling whys fall into 3 categories:

1. Pain - ”Pain is the most unpleasant but the strongest driver of change.“


2. Potential Consequences - ”...probably sources of pain, but the prospect of that pain is so unpleasant that it can change our behavior.“


3. Future Promise - ”Future promise shows the benefits of change. If we lose weight, we’ll look and feel better.“

As I look into the future (a very short distance away!), I see tremendous challenges ahead of me. At the same time, I see a need for tremendous changes!

Thanks Dr. Tim for your insights and encouragement!