History is boring to many people but not to me. My major in college almost was in history. At least my minor was in general history. Every summer I tend to read some historical type books. Most of my reading in the past was on the leading figures of the early days of our country. It may say something about me that they are fascinating to me. This summer my reading revolves around Abraham Lincoln. It is only when you read into their life stories that they become extremely human. Last night we even watched The History Channel as they did a documentary on Lincoln's assassination. It doesn't look like I will finish reading my latest book on him before summer ends.

My daughter also bought me a book for Father's Day that is a record of President Reagan's diary during the time he was in office. This is great stuff to me. It is his personal reflections on the events of his day. He also makes his unique observations to family events or whatever may be on his mind. It is an unusual insight to one of the leading figures of the 20Th century. The book speaks volumes on his philosophy, his faith and even his private side. Again, this may not excite you but it is beyond interesting to me.

It gives me pause to wonder if I missed the chance to keep a diary of sorts. Seems like there are many things forgotten over nine years of living in one place. Some of it would probably be sorted under science fiction with some of the craziness that occurs. It might be most of it would be spiritual in nature. The scary thought is some of it might read like a horror story. The truth would surely be stranger than fictional gossip around the community.

People once wrote much more than they do now. We know so much of our history not by facts and figures but because we can read their written words. Historians can read the letters of men and women from over 200 years ago. Lincoln would write letters or speeches that are preserved in time. We learn not just who did what to who but how they truly felt. These letters or other writings offer a clear view into the hearts of these people. We moved over the years from letters, to faxes, to email, to just texting. There is not much room for depth in a cellphone text. We don't even have to use all the letters since we have text shorthand. Could it be even the cavemen drew more in depth than we text?

Again, there is no real deep message to this. Mostly it is just my lamenting the end of the age where people shared themselves. This blog will have to serve as my record of thoughts and opinions. We will try not to slip into text language. Then again, I don't know all the rules in writing that way. It's enough for me to just try and get the English correct.

Bro. Trey

Summer is about vacation. We already notice a few of our church family being gone during the break from school. You may also notice there was a one week break from blogging. My story is that it was a small sabbatical from writing. Perhaps it is closer to reality to state that posting on this blog got nudged aside by other issues of last week. It just sounds better to say there was a need for a creative sabbatical. It's my hope to return to a regular pattern of writing this week. Maybe someone will notice.

Last week was mostly a time to recover from the wild ride of the last few weeks. It seems that nothing slowed down after my return from Washington. There was the end of school to survive. We went right into VBS. Add to this a death along with the funeral and it begins to add up. It may not be quite as dangerous as some more noted jobs but it can have its moments. So the week was devoted to house duty, fatherhood, and catching up on reading. Seems to me that it was a good week. Now another week lies just beyond the horizon.

My daughter now has her very own car to drive. It sure seems like yesterday we were walking up the steps together for her to start first grade. She is even the proud owner of this fine vehicle. It's about ten years old which is about right for an initial automobile. One drawback is she brought it home tonight but leaves for a school camp tomorrow. There will be two days this week for her to continue the get acquainted process. Then it will be off for a few days of church camp. Wonder if her brother wants to borrow it for some driving lessons?

If you stumble across this blog please know it's downright hot already in Texas. Yes, we get the heat on an annual basis but we are also getting a head start on the dry conditions also. So far there hasn't been any heat illness during my afternoon run/walk. It probably sounds crazy to go in early afternoon to run but there is a plus to it. No one else with any sense joins me or crowds the track while there. The evening runners have to negotiate with moms, kids, and soccer players when getting in the miles. It really isn't so bad to do that. My problem is in forgetting to count or remember the distance while circling the field. There are too many distractions for me to keep count. Yes, it does not take an awful lot to distract me but you get the point. The goal is to at least have some semblance of fitness for my 30Th school reunion next Saturday. Maybe we will ease up some after that.

This should catch us up on last weeks activities or lack thereof. We will return to regularly scheduled programming at least for a time. We probably said a lot of nothing tonight but you needed to chance to know the reason for the break. Next time we will try to be good for something in our writing. Sure beats being good for nothing!

Bro. Trey

Life is finally quiet here in the church building. The ritual of putting on a show for the parents after VBS is over. All the snacks are gone. The classrooms sit quiet. A sense of calm and relief is the main emotion of the moment. Kids are now on their way home with all their goodies from the past week. Perhaps their memories will last longer than some of their stuff. If so, then it is all worth the preparation.

We had a very good VBS this week. We were up against a few other things going on in our community for kids. There were other camps as well as summer school going on. Summers changed here in Texas a few years ago with the new state guidelines on when school starts. In someways there is even less time in summer than ever. High School athletes, bands, and other groups will begin getting ready around the first of August. Our house is already getting mail on school getting underway when it barely just ended. Families have to really schedule their outings to be sure the summer doesn't pass by. Still, it was a great week.

VBS is when grownups get to act like kids. We get to laugh or sing with children of all ages. Our workers did a splendid job getting ready for the week. There is no humanly way possible to thank them for all they did. We had larger schools before but none that went as well as this one. I actually ended up with very little to do but to cheer lead as the time passed. This is not a bad thing. VBS is a time for workers to stretch their wings while discovering the many ways God can use them. It is a time when the student workers learn that there is no real age limit on being useful to Him. Some of the greatest lessons can be learned in a five day period. This is just one of the many reasons VBS matters.

It's late. My body aches from the juggling of ministry and family this week. Add to it exercise and mowing and my hope is to still be able to move tomorrow! Yet, there is still a calm in my spirit. We worked together. We played together. We laughed together. We sang together. We worshipped together. You really cannot ask for much more than that.

Bro. Trey

Let's pick up where we left off yesterday here on the blog. The topic revolves around funerals and various issues surrounding them. This is obviously a very emotional subject for many people. Not even my family is untouched by the effects of such times. We have traveled to North Louisiana and Central Texas to gather with loved ones on both sides of the family in times of loss. On any given Sunday in most congregations there will be someone trying to get a handle on grief. How we approach that will determine how well we move through the stages of handling loss.

There is one pet peeve of mine that should be mentioned here. Whenever a person loses a loved one there are well intentioned people who genuinely try to soothe the hurts with cliched type statements. Someone may suggest a six month grieving moratorium to move past a loss. It is as if after X number of weeks that we should just be fine and dandy. Life and death do not work that way. Every holiday, birthday or anniversary reminds the living of the real bonds with those who died. There is no time guarantee on grief. Each one handles that time in their particular way. Yes, some do indeed seem to move into the healing process faster than others. That does not make it better, only faster. Also, some may suggest that other people or relationships may replace the loss experienced. This often happens to those who are younger to middle age. It is suggested that there can be more children or another spouse etc. People are not as easily replaced as appliances or automobiles. That loss experienced is real and valid. Do not ever think that a new thing or person just takes its place.

Sometimes it seems that our best advice may actually add guilt to the process of grieving. The one left living can end up feeling guilty for not being over a loss within a time limit. He or she may begin to think it is selfish to miss terribly the person they lost. It is very much allowed to simply say nothing when comforting the hurting. The best remedy may be to simply listen to the story of the living instead of trying to negotiate a shortcut to grieving the dead. This does not mean at all that we should be cold in our conversation. We do not have to avoid talking about the person who passed away. We simply need to be sensitive to the unique quality every person brings to the table in handling death. Do not worry about making huge mistakes if you are honestly being a companion to the person in pain. You can do no wrong with the quiet acts of kindness that are easily accomplished.

One last thing as we conclude for this day. In the immediate time after death we should recognize how fresh is the relationship between the one lost and those left behind. This is especially true in the tragic or unexpected death. One moment there was a real person among us and then they are gone. I can only speak to my approach at such a time. Emotions such as love do not disappear just because of death. My work brings me alongside parents, spouses, and children who still have valid human emotion toward one who is gone. My usual speech in such a time goes something like this. One, there are no real rules for grieving, each person is different. Two, when confused by the opinions of others, remember rule one. There is a reason we feel such hurt or pain in times of grief. It is because part of us dies along with the person. They shaped who we are and will continue to do so. We cannot just cut off our feelings like a dead branch of a tree. Let us recognize those passions as valid and important. They are part of the avenue God will use in His healing.

It appears that we may need still another day to continue this conversation. We will see tomorrow if the first two days left us with more to say. My hope is not to be a downer with this topic of death. Reality is that death is as much a part of life as birth. We can use our time now to determine if what we live for is worth dying for. You can really begin to live to the fullest without unneeded fears of the future. That is my hope. Maybe it can be your hope also.

Bro. Trey

This is as good of a time as any to write about a topic we prefer not to consider. Much of my time the last few days revolves around issues of death and dying. This afternoon we gathered in our auditorium to pay our last respects to a beloved church member. Far too often people ram through life without much thought to the larger picture. We tend to forget that what we are doing is a direct result of who we are becoming. We barrel along thinking that immortality lies just around the corner. This is reckless thinking at the very least. We are human with no guarantee of tomorrow.

Funerals are a necessary evil in our world. It is more times than not a clear example of how our theology may not match our reality. Yes, having time to grieve or reflect on loss is critical to our adjustment to life after a death. But too many times have I spent working with families who profess their devotion to God while being unhinged by a loss. There is a huge difference between the God we talk about in Sunday School and the One who is Lord of both life and death. If you live a life where God is on the peripheral areas of daily living then it is extremely difficult to adjust to His role in death. This may sound harsh but it is very true. The flip side of this is when a family knows God as daily companion when it comes the time of death. A family like this already knows the Good Shepherd prior to walking through the valley of death. There is no comparison between the two.

For at least 25 years now my work contains the occasional time of trying to help others get a handle on death. One of the best decisions I ever made was to go through a week long class that dealt strictly with death and dying issues. Many of the ideas from that seminar remain as core elements of my theology as well as my practice. It was invaluable to me as a young minister to think through so many aspects of this crisis before being confronted with them. The other great help for my approach was spending four years in a church setting where there might be at least a funeral a month. On some occasions there were more than that average. You cannot deal with death in so many different expressions without developing as a person in a hurry. It is not the passing of a dear saint of God that troubles me. After you assist in burying the very young or the tragic accident you gain a healthy perspective on life and death.

You learn pretty fast what gifts God gives you for such a time. You learn how to locate others in the church family who have differing gifts than yours. You learn how to employ them in being a part of a healing ministry team. More than once I called upon these people to share the load of comforting a family. My gifts are oddly enough in the nitty gritty details of ministry. Many times a family is caught unprepared for facing the massive amount of decisions to be made in a very short time. It is not that my approach lacks for comforting words or prayers. I just saw too many times that no one would sit and talk with key family members about details that would need attending. There is music to be chosen. There are details such as food for the family that needs handling. There may be a need to juggle speakers or singers or any number of elements to a funeral. It may not seem awfully spiritual but experience taught me that someone needed to be an advocate for the grieving. Their load is heavy enough as it is.

It looks like this needs to be a two part post. There are still a few things to say about these things from a ministry perspective. So let me close just with a reference to my favorite thoughts during a time of death or loss. Simply put, there is a reason that Psalm 23 and John 14 are so meaningful during the experience. They remind us of the consuming presence of God. They tell us that He is no apathetic bystander no matter the conditions of death. They comfort us by letting the living know there is authentic hope for life after death. Right now we can choose to know this God while we live so He is no stranger to us when we die. That is what My heart desires both for you and myself.

Bro. Trey

Welcome to the first official day of summer break 2009. Things are kicking off with a bang for sure. Our church starts Vacation Bible School today. This year we are up against a few other activities in our area. There is summer school going on for those needing to catch up from the past academic year. Sports camp starts today also at our high school. Life is changing fast from the slow going summers we once knew. It's my hope that we still have a great week no matter the obstacles.

Normally there is a post for the blog on Sunday nights. This week not only do we have the VBS but we also had a death in the church family. Time was spent last night visiting with the family so we missed the usual writing time. We will probably write more short notes here during this week. Perhaps along the way, we can stumble on something that is deep and meaningful.

Today is also my regular checkup at the doctor. I need to leave in a few minutes to be sure of arriving on time. My biggest issue is high blood pressure that was inherited in the family genes. One can only hope that all the exercise and trying to eat right pays off. My last visit didn't go very well so let's hope for a better outcome.

Time can become more of a demand than opportunity. Between the things we like to do and those we need to do we can lose sight of the larger picture. We talked yesterday about the truth that the times are indeed in God's hands. We know the great big themes of time are viewed through the perspective of God. Our confidence is high when it comes to how God will handle the event around the second coming. Our hope may not be quite as high when it comes to daily stuff. But if we are going to trust God with our life or soul then we should also know He is interested in the daily stuff too. Do we see God's activity as an interruption to our schedule or is He always involved in our life?

Bro. Trey

Welcome to this special edition of the blog. Ok, so it may not be that special to anyone but me however this is post 200! It took a very long time to get here but allow me a moment to celebrate. I'm done. The other night I took some time to review almost every piece of writing here. Some of what is here is repetitive I know. Some of what is written here really is not particularly deep. What I found is a slice of history over the last couple of years. There are posts that relate great times among the congregation. There are also posts that reflect the deep struggles at a given point. Perhaps on rare occasion there was something written here that touched a chord with whoever stumbles across this site. It was also obvious that there are more than a few gaps along the way when it comes to being a disciplined writer. That is no one's fault but mine. It has been a long few years of ministry here. Someday I may have the courage to tell some of the "untold" stories of what truly happened in those moments.

It was my intent to blog something last night. However, we lost power across the area for awhile. My youngest does not like it at all when that happens. Perhaps it is because we normally lose power when there are storms or even hurricanes. He equates a loss of power with bad weather. Last night, the weather was about perfect for June 2. Still the power went out in the late afternoon just following my 3 mile run/walk. I showered in the candlelit bathroom so we could go north awhile waiting for the lights to be restored. We ate at a new place for us. The pizza was really good. Then me and my son played some pool afterwards. Do not look for either of us on ESPN during a pool tournament. Thankfully, when we arrived home the power was back on so life went on as normal.

Guess what? I'm writing from the office since the power is again off at home. We just had one of those late spring thunderboomer storms pass over. It sounded to me like lightening went right across the bow of the house. The odd thing is there was so much static that one of my son's battery operated toys turned on. So again there was a call to the power company to report an outage. It looks like they need to be on my speed dial. The weather didn't affect the school so he is safe and sound. Let's hope all is back to normal when he returns home in an hour. If we still have no power then its another candlelit shower followed by a haircut. Trust me, you do not want to be around him when the electricity is off.

There are tons of analogies or allegories to be made about the loss of power. We talk a lot about the power of God in our life. We do believe that God Himself offers the follower of Jesus real power to deal with whatever comes along in our journey. Sometimes we lose power because of the storms. They just overwhelm us with stress until we become weak. Just remember that Paul wrote that God's power is made stronger in our weakness (2 Cor. 12). Sometimes we lose power because of what others do. That happened last night to our power grid. We were innocent bystanders when the system crashed. Yet we still have to adjust to the outage. Sometimes things get broken and we lose power. The repairman is out now looking at our transformer as well as other fuses along the line. There is plenty of power out there now but it is not getting to the house. He has to repair what is broken.

All of that is to say we have many ways to lose power as we move along. But there is only one way to regain the energy of life. You call the source to report the outage as well as your need to have it restored. Isaiah wrote that if we do that then we can again mount up with wings as eagles. I am waiting on the electricity to be repaired. Do we need to wait on God to restore us in the same way?

Bro. Trey