Pointing to Jesus

I got off the phone earlier ago with my Pastor, Dan Vera. I'll be honest I love to tweet, Facebook, and blog encouraging thoughts. To be even more open with you, when I post encouraging stuff, I'm really posting for my own reminder because I'm smack in the middle of a tough round in life.

Lately those tough rounds have been even more frequent and it's been trying on my mind and heart. So today when my Pastor called me I couldn't help but breakdown after the call, matter of fact it's happened that way the last two times we've spoken on the phone. Yes, it's been that tough. I thank God for my Pastor who without a doubt is my spiritual father. I thank God for making me better through example my Pastor has shown me. I thank God that my Pastor has always demonstrated great wisdom, incredible vision, and flat out wholeheartedly believes in people. I honor you Pastor Dan, I honor you as my spiritual father, my coach, my friend and so much more.

I want to be a better Husband, father, leader and follower of Christ because of what I've seen in my Pastor. Thank you for setting the standard, thank you for pushing me, thank you for seeing in me what I struggle to see in myself at times. Thank you, for pointing me to Jesus. Strength & Honor!

One way ticket

For most people Wednesday July 21st, 2010 was a normal day that ended with a normal evening with our normal shows playing on prime time television. For my family and team it was everything but normal July 21st. Tara was on the computer getting ready to click the final submit for our airline tickets. $150 dollars per ticket is a fantastic deal but as the final submit button was clicked a thought ran through my head. Oh, I've had this same thought before, hundreds of times; YOUR CRAZY! Let me tell you the real price of these tickets, they cost everything! Yes I said everything, our comfort, our friends, our families, our jobs, and the list could go on. EVERYTHING!

Wednesday July 21st we picked up our One way tickets to a destination 2000+ miles away. Our lives as we know them have been far from normal. My family is far from normal. The team we have is far from normal. Our prayers are far from normal. We are giving up everything normal to simply do one thing, win people to Jesus.

I'm not sharing this post to praise our sacrifice, I'm sharing this post to challenge and encourage you. Here's my point, even though our daily life is no longer normal, something deep inside tells me this is the way it was always supposed to be. We're supposed to live like everyday could be our last. We're supposed to risk like it totally depends on God. We're supposed to make a difference for Christ by Loving All, Giving All and Telling all. We're supposed to live life for Jesus and no one else, live for God's will and nothing less. Life was meant to be lived like a "one way ticket".

What are we going to do?