True Strength

This is my friend, Jason Michel. I have known Jason for about six years now. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize him and share a story of true strength.

I met Jason several years ago when my wife hired him as a personal trainer. My wife had the opportunity to share her testimony of Jesus, and Jason immediately questioned it. I have to admit, when I met him, I was a little intimidated. He is a big guy, but I have always admired bodybuilding and this made him intriguing to me.
To me, Jason is a true warrior. He has had many battles with the enemy, but has always come out strong. It is not my place to disclose what trials he has been through, but if you ever get a chance to ask him, I'm sure he would share a few.

I would like to share one story. It is a story of blessings, difficulties, and hope. A couple years ago, God presented us with the opportunity to have Jason stay with us for a few months. This is a hard story to tell because there are so many sensitive areas. I can say for myself that this was a true test. I struggled with trying to be a friend, role model (of Jesus), disciple, and supporter. I prayed many nights for Jason and for myself. Jason's stay only lasted about four months. I know that I could have done things better during that four months, but I am also content with the good moments that we had. One of the things I struggled with the most was judgement. I was always to quick to point out the bad things in Jason's life rather than affirming him in the good things. This made me blind in seeing his growth. My hope for Jason now, is that he will always trust and walk in the way of the Lord. I hope that he has forgiven me for the strife that I have caused. I hope that our friendship is restored.

I know now that Jason is truly growing. He is chasing after God at full speed. When you look at Jason, you will see an incredible physique, but don't let that fool you. The strongest muscle he has is his heart, and he has a heart of gold. A heart filled with passion and love. He is just as stubborn as the next guy, but he is also kind and giving. I love this guy and it is an honor to call him my friend.
This is my prayer of strength for Jason. 1 SAMUEL 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands."

The Storm

Our men's group decided to go to Red River Gorge this past weekend. We are doing a book study on "Wild At Heart" by John Eldredge. Wild at Heart had been stirring in John for many years before it was written. There is something fierce, passionate, and wild in the heart of every man. That is how he bears the image of God. And the reason most men live lives of quiet desperation is because men have been told that the reason why God put them on earth is to be a good boy. To be nice. But every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. This is a great book. One I think every man should read. This book is what inspired our group to get out into the "wild".
We embarked on our trip on Saturday morning at 0700 hours. I was pumped and excited to see what God had in store for us. I haven't been camping in a long time, so I was anxious to do something I once loved doing. Red River Gorge is located in Eastern Kentucky in the Daniel Boone National Forest and is only a two and half hour drive from Cincinnati. It is a great location filled with streams, hills, natural rock formations and bridges, primitive campsites, and the Red River of course. It is truly one of God's most beautiful "earth" creations.
After a stop for a quick breakfast, we arrived at The Gorge at 1130 hours. The conditions were dry, hot, and humid. We set up camp and began to plan our day. Kieth brought some rock repelling equipment and I brought two mountain bikes in hopes to find some good trails. We ate lunch and decided to set out on some hikes to find a good repelling location. We ventured to "A Dangerous Place" which is a beautiful lookout (or overlook) for a huge section of the forest. We could see "Half Moon Rock" from where we were and decided that would be a great place to repel. When we got there, we discovered a guy and his family were already set up there. This cat was crazy. He was descending the rock "Aussie Style" which basically means he was running down a 90 degree angle (or less) that was almost 100 feet from the ground, face first. We set up our rope and opted for the traditional style of repelling. Kieth was basically the only one who had experience at this, but we all accepted the challenge and went for it. I was not nervous or scared at all. I trusted. I trusted Kieth and I trusted God. It was a leap of faith. And before I knew it, I was half way down. It was Awesome!

After a vigorous climb back up, we decided to pack up and head back. There was a storm pushing in and a 15 foot wide rock, 100 feet in the air is not the best place to weather a storm. We returned back to the campsite, started preparing dinner, and that is when the storm hit. The rain storm hit hard with gusting winds, thunder and lightning, and monsoon rains that soaked everything. It lasted for about 25 minutes and then broke for a while so we decided to finish dinner. That storm was nothing compared to the one that was about to hit.

It rained all night and I barely slept because of a headache I had all evening. After tossing and turning all night, I decided to get up and break down my tent. I was going to go for a bike ride, but it was too wet and muddy, and I was wearing my last dry change of clothes. As I was putting some of my personal belongings back in the truck, a couple of the others woke up and decided to do the same thing. The original plan was to wake and cook up a hearty breakfast, and then to set off for some alone time with God individually. The problem with that was, our fire was doused and we had no more dry wood to restart it, some of the food was left out and was now completely saturated, and the enemy had penetrated.

Opinions were made. Comments were used. Assumptions were casted. Moral was broken. Anger set in. God was denied. Excuses were used. And before we knew it, we were all up in arms. So, how does a group of men, who claim to be strong in their faith reach such an impass? What went wrong? What next? Where do we go from here? We immediately regrouped for some emergency prayer. This is where we are strong as a men's group. This is one of the things that I love most about this group. We are not afraid to speak to God. We are not afraid to lift what is on our hearts up to Him. We are a band of brothers who are passionate for God and long for His wisdom. We prayed and asked for strength. We prayed and asked for clarity. WE PRAYED!
I am looking forward to our next Tuesday night gathering so that we can further discuss what had happened and how to better prepare ourselves for the next storm. As the group Casting Crowns says it, "I will praise You in this Storm, And I will lift my hands, For You are who You are, No matter where I am, Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand, You never left my side, And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm".

Tuesday Nights

About six years ago, I started going to a men's group. What is a men's group? It is a weekly gathering of Christian men, getting together to share what God is doing in their lives. It is men worshipping God. It is band of brothers that will stand by you, lift you up and hold you accountable for God.
I have been in several groups over the years, but this most recent one is my favorite. These guys are great! I have been thinking about how appreciative I am that I have this group of men in my life. I thought I would take a few moments to introduce some of them to you.

This is Bob Turner. He started this group. The Lord has been calling him to start this group for quite some time, and after a season of procrastination, he did. I love this guy. The smile on his face will light up your day, week, month.... We call him Bob the Biker because he enjoys riding his Harley all over this crazy nation. I have known Bob for about six months now, but it feels like an eternity. He is truly my brother.

This is Steve Nixon. He and have known each other for about three years now. He shares a common interest with me, and that is, he loves to serve. He is passionate about God and finds great joy in serving people without being asked to. He is a role model for Jesus. He is also great at fixing computers. I should know, he has spent a lot of time fixing mine. I'm pretty sure his favorite song is Undignified. I don't know the artist who sings it, but when ever it comes on, Steve will dance in front of millions to show his praise for God. I love Stevie, and he is truly my brother.

This is Keith Howell. The day I met this guy, I knew God put him in my life for something. Keith lives in Florence, Kentucky and attends The Vineyard there. He and Bob are long time friends. They both work for Duke Energy, ride Harleys together and love God. Keith is the man responsible for introducing Jesus to Bob. Keith has been a Christian for quite some time now and still treats each day as if it is a new beginning. Keith doesn't say much during group, but when he does, it's powerful. The kind of powerful that makes me lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering what God's take is on what he said. I love Keith, and he is truly my brother.

This is Eric Carlson. I have known him for a few months now, and already know a great deal about him. He is passionate for Christ. His most recent endeavor is working in the children's ministry at our church. It takes a patient man to take on this task. Between working under the great Jim Lyman and entertaining hundreds of kids, you have to truly enjoy this calling. I tried before Jim Lyman was recruited and failed. Eric is a computer whiz as well, but I haven't employed him yet. Sooner or later Steve will get sick of me and my computer problems and that's when I will call on Eric. I love the way this guy chases after God. He is truly my brother.

This is Jeremy Klein. He is the youngest of the group, but his share of life's experiences has made him wise. This guy can pray like there is no tomorrow. Every time he prays, I feel like God is sitting right in the center of the room listening. Jeremy also has no shortage of tattoos. The rest of us are planning our tattoos just so we don't stand out as being bland. I love this guy and all that he brings to our group. He is truly my brother.

This is Scott Hutchings. He has been coming to group for about a month now. He is the only one with dreads. We all joked about shaving our heads as a group just to get a rise out of him. Scott is passionate about two things. God and football. I know Scott is a Buckeye fan and will try not to hold that against him. Being a lone Wolverine fan in the state of Ohio can be a rough thing, but I am used to it now. Scott is also incredibly intelligent. He has a very good memory and is not afraid to try new things. I have been teaching Scott a new trade skill in woodworking and look forward to seeing him grow in all that he does. Scott is truly my brother.

This is Joe. I don't know too much about Joe yet because he just started coming last night. I don't even know his last name yet. I do know that he plays the bass and does an awesome job at it to complete our worship band at church. I am looking forward to getting to know Joe a lot better and hope that he continues to join our group. Already, Joe is truly my brother.

This is our group. We are crazy for Jesus. We are passionate for doing what we are called to do. We are men of Christ. We call ourselves the Thunder Brothers (don't ask me where we got that name, because I still don't know). If you are thinking about joining a group, I highly encourage you to do so. It will rock your world and shape you as a man....the man that God intended you to be.

A Lesson In Trust

God woke me up this morning and said that He wanted to spend some time alone with me today. I always accept some still time with God, so when Ann headed off to church with the kids, I stayed home to be with Him.
As I started my prayer time, my heart grew heavy with Honduras. Since my mission trip back in April, Honduras has been hit with a 7.1 earthquake and now faces it's struggles with the coup. I immediately began to pray for the people that I know and love and all people of Honduras. I read a story by an author named Gerald Oosterveen that I think puts everything in perspective. In the end, God will always be victorious. Satan may rampage through the world and through the souls of people, with God's inscrutable permission, and cause indescribable disaster and anguish. When he is finished, however, and arrogantly boasts to God, "Look what I've done," God will silence him with His majestic, "And now look what I can do." Then satan will shamefacedly slink into the corners of his hell while God goes about His work of redemption and restoration. A lesson in trust and knowing that He is TOTALLY in control.
I continued my prayer time with another matter that has been stressful to me. We put our house on the market two weeks ago, in hopes to downsize. One of the things that God revealed to me, while I was in Honduras, was the ability that the people have to be content with what they have or have not. We live in an upscale house that has many amenities that most people can only dream about. Most of this, if not all of it, is totally not needed. The first night home, I was taking a shower which is equipped with two shower heads and jets and lavished in very expensive tile. I remember thinking how I can't wait to get home to that shower, especially after bathing in the jungle for the past week. I didn't see it that way when I stood there that night. My only thought was that we don't need this. We don't need any of it. I screamed to my wife that we need to sell this house. She agreed.
So, here we are. The house is up for sale in a market that is not very promising. But, we have felt very confident that this is what He has called us to do and that He is in control. It is hard to stay positive or to trust that He will guide us through this when there is a lot at stake. I am reminded of a game that children play. A game of total trust and submission. Kids will blindfold each other and then have to run through obstacles guided by what their friends (with vision) are telling them to do. As Christians, we sometimes feel like those blindfolded children. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight." This is a huge lesson in trust. Trusting that we are not alone and that God will guide us through life's obstacles. A lesson in faith. Knowing that Jesus is who He says that He is, and that He loves us and wants the best for us.
Proverbs 3:5 states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." My own understanding tells me that this is not the time nor the market to sell a $675k house. Watching other families in the same price range attempt the same thing only to sell for thousands less or to give up trying. God has spoken to my heart and has willed me to do this, therefor I must lean on and trust Him.

SHE RIDES!

One of my tasks for this summer was to teach Eleana how to ride her bike with no training wheels. I think that I mentioned in a previous blog that this was not an easy task, and that I prefer potty training instead. The one thing that I have recognized in our kids is the determination to learn something by themselves. So, basically, all they want to know from us is the fundamentals and the rest is up to them. I decided to give Eleana her space so that she could teach herself how to do this. And what do you know, within a week, she accomplished it. So, without further ado....I give you Eleana Calcara on her bike.

Worshipping an awesome God

This past weekend, Ann and I took the kids to the Newport Aquarium. It was our first family event of the summer. This trip was a good experience, not only because we were doing something together, but also because I realized something about life.
Have you ever really just sat and watched nature be natural? I was sitting in one of the tunnels watching the sharks swim right over my head, noticing how beautiful and graceful they actually are. Then it occurred to me, they are worshipping the God that created them. They have no worries (except for getting eaten by a bigger fish) like us humans accumulate. They don't have bills to pay, or a society to play keep up with. They just swim and play and enjoy the life that God had created for them. That is true worship! Sure, I know that these particular creatures are stuck in a tank without free reign, but do they really realize that? Aren't they still happy to be alive and taken care of?
One of my favorite exhibits is the jellyfish. They are truly beautiful creatures, and yet one of the most deadliest on earth. How can something so beautiful be so dangerous? Now imagine being God and looking at all of His children. He created us all to be beautiful, after all, we were made in His image. But, aren't we dangerous too? Wars, murdering, crime, porn,.....the list goes on and on. I don't think that this is how He intended for us to be dangerous. I think that when it comes to being dangerous, He wants us to be it for Him. He wants us to take risks for Him. He wants us to fight for His love. He wants us to proudly proclaim His name. He wants us to live a life chasing Him, and in today's society, that can be extremely dangerous. Being dangerous for Him is another form of worship to Him.
Yesterday, I was riding my mountain bike at Mitchell Park and I stopped to take a water break. I realized that I was completely alone in the middle of the forest. No one else was on the trail. The only sounds to be heard were the birds singing and the wind shuffling through the leaves of the trees. It was a beautiful peaceful moment. It was a another moment of hearing God's creation singing praise to Him. As I was sitting there listening, I began to think about all of the celebrities we lost last week. Of course, the most shocking loss was that of Michael Jackson. I tried to imagine what life must have really been like for him. I thought of how dangerous it is to be a celebrity and an idol. How hard it has to be to not self worship. He even proclaimed himself to be a king, the king of pop. It's hard not to judge a celebrity, especially when they are always in the public's eyes, whether they are behaving or misbehaving. I can only hope, that in his last moments, he accepted Christ as his savior and that now he is truly worshipping the one true King in heaven.
All of creation cries out to God. All of us acknowledge Him, whether we believe in Him or not. Life goes on and on and He will always be there, watching us be what He created us to be. When we are doing something that comes natural to us, when we are playing with our kids, and even when we are struggling with something and are praying for help....we are worshipping.

Friends & Family

I grew up in Columbus Ohio. I guess you could say we were your average blue collar family. Dad worked all day to provide for us and mom stayed home to raise us. I only have one brother and no sisters. My brother and I are only a year a part, so we played good together, for the most part. We lived in a neighborhood filled with kids so we had a lot of friends as well.
As my brother and I grew older, we took on different interests and our personalities changed too. He became more adventurous and I became more shy. I developed a small circle of friends and he became popular and had a large group of friends.
I do remember one evening at the dinner table, sitting and thinking how things were changing. My brother and I were both in a hurry to finish our dinner so we could bolt out the door to go play. I recall thinking how we weren't really functioning as the family we used to be. We were gone all day with our friends, came in to eat, and then gone again. Where as before, when we were younger, we would play together, eat all of our meals together, have conversation together, and then do something together as a family to end the evening.
Maybe there is nothing wrong with this picture. Maybe this how most families were and are. But, I have always believed, that a family that plays together, stays together. I also think it is important to have friends. A community of people that share common interests. Real friends, that build you up instead of tearing you down.
So now I have a family of my own. My wife, Ann and I, have a ten year old son (Dominick), a seven year old daughter (Eleana) who will be eight next month, and a five year son (Anthony). I never thought that I would have three kids, let alone one. But here we are. Oh, and we have a two year dog named Coco. She is a chocolate lab and she is very much a part of our family.
We are close family. Somewhat similar to the one that I grew up in. Ann works and I stay home with the kids. I have a side business that I run from home so I am always available if I am needed. I notice how the kids play together. Anthony and Lanie get along great and do a lot of stuff together. Since Lanie is the middle child, she also gets along well with Dominick. Anthony and Dominick very rarely interact together, but when they do, it brings me great joy.
Now that it is summer, the kids pretty much just hang around the house and watch t.v. or play video games. This drives me insane. We have a nanny, and she is GREAT, but I think it is hard for her to find something that they all can enjoy doing at the same time. She takes them to the pool and has activities for them, but it can be a daunting task sometimes to entertain three kids. Believe me, I know!!
The one that my heart breaks for the most is Dominick. When I was ten, I had my brother that I could still play with, but I had a lot of new friends as well. Well, maybe not a lot, but at least two or three. Dominick has a few good buddies, but very rarely spends any time with them. I am always telling him to call and invite, but he won't reach out. I asked Dominick to try to contact some of the kids in this neighborhood, but he says that he doesn't like them. Or that they don't like him because he is too different. Dominick is different, but he is also unique. He is incredibly smart for his age. He taught himself how to read when he was four. He is not very adventurous or a chance taker for that matter, but he will engage in something if it looks fun to him. The kids that do open up to him look up to him because he is a leader. That can also be a downfall. Sometimes he leads too much. He is very competitive and hates losing. But, he is still my son and I love him. I want the best for him. And, as a father, I will do anything to provide for my family.

So, here we are today. Our house is on the market and we are hoping to downsize and to find a neighborhood that has more kids in it. We are praying for a neighborhood that has more community in it. I want my kids to value friendship more than the security of a big fancy house. As a father and a husband, I want to provide what is really important for my family. But, I also need to remember to be a family member as well. To play with my kids as much as I can. To sit and read with them or just hang out and talk. Because there will come a day, when my wish will come true. They will be sitting at that dinner table, eating as fast as they can, so they can bolt out the door. They will have their best buds and Ann and I will be boring to them. And then I will be wishing that I had spent more time with them. I'll always be wondering what they are doing. I will miss them. I will also be happy for them. They are great kids and I love them and God gave them to me to love for a season.