I Love Sundays ( And Saturday Night too!)

With the old Rick, Sunday was a morning to sleep in, typically because of too much excess on Saturday Night.  Get up late, coffee, newspaper, no direction, no agenda.  Every week, month after month.  That has certainly changed, would still like to sleep in yet today, but only because I am old!  :)

The changed started when I met up with the Lord.  One day I was a broken, aimless human being, and then with his grace and neverending forgiveness, I had a different reason to get up and get moving.  Had to go to Church, no, lets re-phrase that, wanted to go to Church to get refilled with his word and endless supply of Love.  Now I work at a church and get the honor of helping the Lord fill peoples life with his neverending Love. 

I Love Sundays!

Baseball

Don't really understand Baseball, especially Professional Baseball.  How did it ever get to be America's favorite pastime? Traci loves it, especially St.Louis Cardinal Baseball.  Me not so much!  I find it akin to watching paint dry.  I will go to baseball games, but really hate what the enormous salaries have done to the game.  Between the cost of the seats (really?  How can 2 seats in Section 400, 2 rows from the top be worth $80!), the $5 Hot Dogs and the $8 Nacho enhance the game.  Watch a guy who just signed a 1 year, $12M contract for 2012 strikeout twice and pop out 3 times.  I could do that for less money if they want!  :)

Give me Girls 12 and under Softball or Little Kids T-Ball any time.  It is fun to watch and qualifies as Rick Jeremiah' Favorite Pastime!  Just sayin!

"God Can"!

Cal's new book "God Can" was rolled out to the congregation this past weekend.  We attended a book unveiling party on Thursday night for the new book and got to meet the other folks that are in the book.  Yes, I am in the book which is a still a scary thought in my mind.  This journey that I've started, travelling from the "Old" Rick to the "New" Rick is still hard to get my head wrapped around.  Don't get me wrong, I like the "New" Rick, but reliving where I used to be in my life and the direction that my life is now taking me is still surreal to me.  I just notice I said "the direction" in the last sentence which really indicates that someone else (GOD) is driving the bus that is now my life and that I have absolutely no control over my life.

  It was very scary reading about my past, PG (Pre-God) life even though I lived it.  It immediately trigger the jump and run impulse that was part of the PG Rick.  Screw-up, jump and run, that was me!  Always running from what was right, running from the truth, running from my Sin.  The new book triggered that old, little voice in my head, the voice that whispers people are going to reject you once they know who you used to be, your past life is too gross for those that associate you now to not cause them to reject you.....!

I am humbled by this experience which is a total reversal of my typical makeup.  God is good, God saves people, God Saved me.............!

Did I mention that I love my job? 6 years ago, if you would have told me that I would be going to church, let alone working at a church I would have laughed at you! Now I do and I love it. Funny how life changed when you change from a self centered life to a Christ centered life. What you thought and did in your previous life was for naught, ha! Did I mention I love my life!

First Day of School

It has been a long time since I've had kids starting the first day of a new school year.  I do remember all of the angst, excitement and activity leading up to the first day.  Depending on the Boy's ages, there were Shots, Dental exams, supplies, clothes and shoes.  The Medical things were easy, the rest not so easy.  Each of my sons were different in what the liked and what the needed.  Some years they couldn't wait to go and see their friends, so years not so excited to be going.....!  The 1st day would come, a mad scramble to wakeup, eats breakfast and get out the door to the bus stop, and the day was off and running....!  :)

Today, the Boys are grown, their kids are starting the first day of school and I watch from a distance, remembering their 1st day of school.

Leadership

As we busily prepare to be a host site for the Willowcreek Association Global Leadership Summit here at the Northwoods Community Church Peoria Campus I've been thinking about what Leadership really is. The Global Leadership Summit is a mixed bag of both High Powered CEO's from the World of Business as well as Religious Leaders from around the World.  All have the same message, operate your business, your life from a principal of Godliness.  Be true, be honest, offer Grace, accept Grace.  I guess this proves that the best CEO to follow by example is Jesus.  The 1st and most powerful Leader!

Feel Good Religion

Funny thing happened to us on Saturday, We were really excited to have tickets for Joel Osteen's Night of Hope event at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago with our friends Keith and Joy as well as 3 other like minded couples. As we were walking up to the concert we could hear a couple of guys on bullhorns shouting negative comments about Osteen and all of us that were headed to the concert. Their message was that we were less that Christian, because we were attending, and I quote, "a feel good event" with no basis in scripture.

Joel admits that he has never gone to Seminary, that he wasn't called into this Ministry, but stepped into the position after his fathers death. I wasn't there looking for a "feel good event", but I did feel better being there. I don't think that most of the 40,000 people there were there because it was a "feel good event", mostly we were all there to hear his message of Hope and encouragement to stay the course, ask for Gods favor in our lives.

Now I feel good!