Thoughts from Genesis 15:1

Genesis 15:1 says, "After these things the Word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, '...fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.'" This promise to Abram, years ago, is ours for the apprehending - even today! When it all comes down to it, we really have nothing to fear. Abram just defeats four powerful kings and God comes in a vision, calls him by name, and tells him, 'no worries!' Even the greats have fears (Psalm 31:7; 2 Corinthians 7:5), so take heart family - No Worries!  Further, God is our shield; emphatically, the I Am of Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58 is the I Am who is a shield to you – an ever present help in time of need and ever present, every ready to bring comfort!  You see, He's not only the God of Israel, the Almighty Creator God...He is the individual and personal, the intimate God to you, to me, to us!  And, He, God, is not only our reward - He is the reward (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Last, to top it all off: He's our portion, He's our inheritance, and He's our cup that overflows! 

Today, whether your off to work, off to play, off to relax - look up and grab hold of the promise God offers to you; specifically, to eliminate your fears, to be your shield and to be your exceeding great reward!  Blessings...


　
　

Is it really 2012, already?

I cannot believe another year has passed and yet, another year is upon us.  It seems like yesterday that Tami and I made the trek up the coast to begin this new phase of our life, this new chapter of Shepherding and Pastoring a church we knew little about called Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship!  Folks, that was four years ago, wow (I'm sure you've had similar reality checks of life swiftly moving by...)!

As we embark upon the next 365 days, I submit to you a few ideas that if applied, will ensure 2012 to be a year of purpose and meaning.  Check 'em out:

• Spend time alone with your Creator - as a follower of the Way, this is an absolute necessity for my person.  Seriously, if I don't spend time contemplating, meditating, reading and praying, I shrivel up and am totally unproductive.  However, when I do bask in the beauty of my God, life is so much more colorful, so much more alive and so much more joyful.  I encourage you in 2012 to get to know your Maker on a more intimate & personal level - I'm convinced, if you do, your life will never be the same.
• Don't allow the urgent to preempt the important - especially in our western culture, we get so busy we have a tendency to miss those things that really count: our faith, our family, our sanity, our peace.  Be careful NOT to be caught in the tyranny of the urgent and remember to focus on what really matters.  A former tax collector named Matthew once wrote, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also!"  I encourage you in 2012 to treasure those things that matter and this simple focus will prevent you from getting lost in the craziness of life's demands.
• Be intentional in your relationships - time is a commodity that once it passes, it can't be recovered.  Hence, set that time aside to be in quality & quantity relationships with your loved ones.  The number two comment of one's passage from this life to eternity is, "I wish I spent more time with my loved ones!"  I encourage you in 2012 to take the advice from the most brilliant Jewish mind of the First Century when he encouraged his readers with, "...redeem the time..." (...the number one comment on one's death bed: I wished I got to know God better...)
• Invest your life into something greater and bigger than you - it is a proven fact, not only in the Bible, but also in secular circles that when humanity invests their life in something bigger than them, fulfillment ensues.  Some 2,000 years ago, a former fisherman wrote that "...he who loses his life will in reality gain it!"  In other words, this paradox of giving your life away for the blessing and betterment of others is truly the key to life.  I encourage you in 2012 to invest your life into something bigger that yourself...
• Step out of your comfort zone - it's been said, "Nothing ever good happens in one's comfort zone!"  It's also been said, "Mediocrity is just the best of the worst..."  Hence, step into what I call faith zone and try something new.  For example, run a marathon?  Go back to school?  Travel to East Africa with me?  Take up surfing?  You know, something that is so out of the ordinary that you must exercise will power to accomplish.  An ancient church in the town of Ephesus was encouraged with the beauty of language in that they were likened unto a master work of art, a work of art that was being painted daily to present the beauty of God's love.  I encourage you in 2012 to step out of your zone and step into faith zone - become what you were destined to be: a beauty work of art that displays God's amazing love.

This coming year, consider these short and brief pointers.  Set some goals within each of them, develop a plan to reach them and then, execute!  My hope and prayer, personally, for 2012 is nothing more than growing daily in my relationship with my God, my family and my friends.  To set up boundaries to protect against getting lost in doing rather than being; and, I'm considering some new ventures that are bigger than me and, as a result, I will have to step out of Randy Zone and step into that faith zone. 

Last, let's commit to make 2012, with God's help, our greatest year yet!  Blessings...

A Day in the Life of a Chaplain

It was last Friday, as my daily routine met me at 4:00am (coffee, meditation coupled with reading & prayer, the financial news on TV, my cat Rafiki jumping on my lap for a morning massage and a cardio workout at Fitness Works...), when I had a hunch, you know an intuition, that this day, Friday the 16th, was going to be a day marked with memories. 

My typical work day on Friday starts with office hours from 8 to 11 where I usually host two or three counseling sessions at Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship.  This office day was routine, encouraging my congregants that with proper Biblical thinking and application, with that 'I can with Him attitude', they would be okay; phone calls, follow up emails and admin type of work marked my morning.  The memories, though, began to pile up around 10:30 when Mary brought over a car full of jackets, scarf's, gloves and sweaters.  You see, the Rotary Club of Morro Bay lives their motto and last Friday they put others above self as they blessed our Citizen's of Morro Bay (our homeless friends) with these timely necessities of life.  Wow - all the goodies from the club literally covered an eight foot table in the lobby at the church.

Well, around 11, I journeyed over to the Morro Bay Police Department, had lunch with my buddy Hannibal and participated in a briefing session with the other officer's.  Before I knew it, Richard & I were in his squad car cruising the streets of Morro Bay - looking for the bad guys and offering a helping hand to those in need.  The afternoon brought a few police calls, some report writing for Richard and a citizen follow up to provide police information.  We drove back to the church and gathered all the tokens of love Mary brought from Rotary.

Amanda and me

At 4:00 in the afternoon, Hannibal and I drove over to Morro Bay's Domino's to buy pizza for our friends at the park, you know the Citizen's!  As we walked into the shop, Oliver, the store manager, met us and provided free soda & free deserts.  We were ecstatic, knowing the pizza was going to be a great treat for the gang.  We arrived about 5 and we welcomed like we were heroes; seriously, any preconceived ideas you may have about homeless folks, if you were with us, they would be eliminated.  These friends are so nice, so thankful and simply, so gracious - you'd be amazed!  As we prayed and they began to eat, another memory showed up: Amanda and her two children.  Amanda is a fine member from the Rotary Club and she came with more goodies to pass out: bags of toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, hand wipes, etc.  Oh, the gang was so happy.  And then, another blessing came, another memory in the person of Elaine.  She, with her husband and two other angels brought Christmas presents for our homeless family; presents that brought not only tears to my eyes, but tears to the eyes of many our of homeless folk.

Jamie, Jacob and Elaine

Needless to say, Richard and I drove away from Lila Kaiser Park in Morro Bay on Cloud Nine; we were literally blown away with the magnanimous hearts of so many who stepped out of themselves to simply say, in a tangible way, that these homeless friends really matter!  Thank You to Rock Harbor for blessing the family with Pizza; Thank You to Domino's for the soda and desert; Thank You to the Morro Bay Rotary Club for the wonderful clothing and necessities to make it through the cold winter; and, Thank You to Elaine and her family for bringing the joy of Christmas to a group of people that so many in society treat as outcasts - for at least one night, the Citizen's of Morro Bay were treated with decency, respect and love...treated in a way that was simply what my favorite Rabbi said, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you!"

Well, my day was about over when I arrived home, prepared a salad and began to enjoy dinner with my gal.  We prayed, began to eat and share how our respective day went.  Oh about half way through our meal, I received a call from dispatch that there was an 1144 (police language for a death) and if possible, could I go over to the house and provide comfort.  I immediately told Pat yes and drove over to the home.  I arrived at the home, walked in and introduced myself.  After long hugs with the widow and the son, we held hands and asked God to bring peace & comfort to this very sad family.  We hugged again, I promised to follow up with a phone call the next day and committed to be available for further care & counseling if needed. 

As I retired for the evening, being thoroughly exhausted, I had to thank my Creator for an amazing day that in my opinion, I was able to taste a bit of what heaven must be like: caring, giving, benevolence and of course, unconditional love.  In fact, I felt that I was doing exactly what I was created to do; namely, invest my life into others!  And, this was all A Day in the Life of a Chaplain!

Have a great day and thanks for reading...

Be Thankful

It’s that time again, time to Give Thanks, time to put on that Attitude of Gratitude, time to be Thankful – you know, Thanksgiving is in the air, its November…again!  Personally, Thanksgiving carries great memories of family, football and food; always a great time to simply hang out.  However, one thing that has always bugged me about this time of year, namely: Thanksgiving should never be reduced to an event celebrated on one Thursday a year; granted, I do  thank President Lincoln for this day to remind me that I do live in the greatest country in the world.

My contention, if you will, is not only to celebrate Thanksgiving every November with family and friends; but to also celebrate Thanksgiving every day.  There’s an old proverb that says, “A cheerful heart make a glad countenance.”  Modern medicine teaches us that those who have a heart of thanksgiving, an existence of being Thankful, have a better outlook, a more positive approach to life and, are even healthier than the ‘..Woe is me, life stinks…’ type of people. 

Now, as a Pastor and a Chaplain, my Source of Thanksgiving is based upon an event in history that has radically changed my life – it’s the event that not only has changed me, but further, provides me with blessing upon blessing that elicits a response of thanksgiving every day of my life.

I also fully understand that not everyone shares my convictions and that’s okay.  My thought is simply this: all of us have reason to be Thankful – no matter our situation; we can find something to be thankful for.  And, I submit to you it’s a daily decision, an act of our will, to look for areas in our life to be thankful for.  From health, to employment, to family – you name it, there is something we can be thankful for, daily!

A friend of mine is in the deepest challenge I’ve come across in a long time: his wife has stage four cancer and his son is trapped in a vegetative state due to a hospital mistake.  This man’s outlook is simply amazing.  You see, just six months ago, Carol was a teacher at an elementary school and very respected; and, Grant was in his senior year of high school – projected to be the Valedictorian en route to a major university in San Diego.  In a matter of weeks, Grant was trapped in a state of non-responsiveness and Carol’s cancer returned with a vengeance.  We might ask, “What in the world does Mike have to be thankful for?"  Well, as an act of Mike’s will, though he doesn’t run around in denial, though he doesn’t act all Pollyanna, he chooses, daily, to look for ways to be thankful, for ways to be grateful, in spite of his circumstance!  (Oh…how I respect this precious man and his attitude).

Folks, today, tomorrow and I encourage you for the rest of your life – look for ways to be Thankful, daily!  I am convinced if we can be a people of Thanksgiving, a people of gratitude, our outlook will not only be optimistic, our health will not only improve, but I believe our future will be good! 

As you finish this brief read, right now think of three things you can be thankful for…and dwell on these today.  Do the same thing tomorrow and the next day & you’ll discover life is good and there’s a plethora of things we can simply be Thankful for!  Cheers…

Bragging Rights

     I am so privileged to work alongside an army of volunteers that sacrifice their time and money, all willingly, to help the less fortunate.  We call this our "Least of These" heroes at the fellowship because they intentionally, with a heart of love and compassion, help those who struggle to exist.  Two Friday's a month our team travels into San Luis Obispo to feed over 125 homeless folk and every Friday, a team of selfless saints feed our Citizen's of Morro Bay.  This warms my heart simply because it was Jesus Himself who said, "When you help the least of these (least meaning those society has rejected...) you are doing this as unto Me!"  (Matthew 25:40). 

     I am so proud of our Joan Beightler who embraced this ministry a few years ago and facilitated a two times a month service in San Luis Obispo to bless our friends with food and clothing.  Thank You Joan!  And, I'm stoked, to use surfer terms, with Susan Craig, who now heads up this vital outreach at Rock Harbor, because now we are feeding those in need in Morro Bay weekly; and, she is actively pursuing a weekly food outreach in conjuction with the San Luis Obispo Country Food Bank to assist all the residents of San Luis Obispo County that are in need.  Thank You Susan!  And, Thank You all of you Volunteers...you are such a blessing - we couldn't do this without your help!

The Citizen's of Morro Bay at a Friday Feed!

     Recently, we received a letter from a gal who works at the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo.  Here's where I would like to brag - this is what the letter said, "Rock Harbor has been so good to us.  I appreciate everything your group does.  The clients always comment how delicious the dinners taste.  They are so appreciative of the meals you provide them, as am I.  you all are truly angels in disguise.  All of your volunteers are so friendly and caring.  The staff and clients enjoy their presence every time you are with us.  I have enjoyed working with all of you in my tenure here at the shelter!"  Wow - talk about a blessing!  A few Friday's ago, I was traveling with Richard, my cop pal, and one of the Citizen's of Morro Bay said to us, "Guys...Friday is my most favorite day of the week!"  I asked why and his response, "Because you all bring us such great food!"  Wow - talk about a word of encouragement!
     You know, it is so much more rewarding to be Braggadocious (my big word of the day) about those around you who love on others; specifically, those who continually provide those acts of kindness in your midst.  And, this is the definition of our "Least of These" servants: selfless men and women who simply love without any motive or desire to be rewarded for their act of kindness.  Folks: hats of too you, you are simply awesome! 
     THANK YOU for your example of LOVE - it's contagious!



For The One

       We have this motto that floats around our church called "For the One!"  Whether it's an unexpected walk-in that needs a hug, a random email pleading for assistance or an arbitrary phone call asking for basic necessities, our goal is to treat each and every person with respect, dignity and love.  In fact, we see each person that comes our way as a special gift - a special gift sent to us for the sole purpose of being cared for!  We are also intentional in seeking out the One within our Oikos (a fancy Greek word that simply means your sphere of influence); a strategic passion to simply love and honor those we live life with: at home, at work, at the gym - you know, where we exist.  It is in this journey of "For the One!" that we have discovered fulfillment and purpose.

       As I've shared, Friday's have become a cherished day of my work week - a day to hang out with the Morro Bay Police Department and a day to glean insight on life issues from my cop buddy Richard.  Lately, we have had an ongoing discussion on the highs and lows of helping the down-n-out; both the thrill we have when one we've helped turns their life around for the good and the radical disappointment we experience when one we've poured our heart into fails.  In my short two years as a Chaplain, riding along on Friday's with Richard, we've had our share of blessings and, yes our share of dog-gone it, that knucklehead stabbed us in the back scenarios.  You see, in between police calls, we will by design look for people to help.  First, to give the MBPD a great reputation (which it totally has) and second, because it is fun and rewarding to assist people in their time of need; especially when they get that tear in their eye that says, "Thank You!"  At the end of each shift, we recall the 3 or 4 folks we were able to help and hope our small gesture of aid will make life better for them.  And, we've both come to the conclusion that we will continue to help anyone who comes our way, regardless of the outcome, with a spirit of "For the One!" 

       I'm reminded of a "For the One!" experience I recently had.  For over 21 years, my family & I lived in a town called Temecula.  For 5 of those years, we had a neighbor that was trapped in the bondage of alcoholism; my friend was belligerent, cantankerous and downright nasty.  Hours upon hours, we would argue religion, politics, sports - most of it guy talk, some of it life talk.  Don't get me wrong, I really loved Bruce and cared deeply for him and his family; my heart just simply hurt as I watched his life spiraling out of control that eventually cost him his wife, children, career and almost his life.  My last conversation with Bruce was well over three years ago.  I received a phone call at 3:00am from my friend - it was an urgent call, a call pleading for help.  He had come to the end of his self and was ready to throw in the towel.  I remember sitting in a hotel room here on the Central Coast, on the edge of my bed pleading with Bruce that there was more to life, that his life could be turned around and, to give his Creator a chance to redeem his terrible existence.  Bruce eventually hung the phone up; I laid there on my bed next to my wife and said a prayer. 

       Over three years later, I received a Facebook friend request from Bruce; I was amazed that he was still alive and, that he actually wanted to reconnect.  I accepted the request and within a minute, I received the following message from Bruce, "Wow! I can't believe I found you my dear friend. So much to say, I don't even know where to start. We need to talk or chat and catch up. First off Randy, not a drop of alcohol since Sept. 2, 2008! Sober 3 yrs now."  Bruce went on to inform me he is graduating from college with a degree in substance abuse counseling, is involved in a church down south mentoring high school students and is so, so content with life!  Needless to say, my heart was flooded with hope and warm feelings.  You see, so many of the folks we come in contact with will, by human nature, not adhere to our well meaning instruction and advice - the disappointment, quite frankly, can be overwhelming.  However, from time to time, a Bruce will resurface in our lives and make every effort you invested worth it.  Often, I recall a statement from my favorite Rabbi, Richard calls Him my 2,000 year old buddy, that says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" 

       My encouragement, advice if you will, is to continue to fight the good fight, be intentional in your random acts of kindness.  Treat each person as your special gift sent your way to be loved on and cared for; seek out to help those who struggle, those who need a helping hand and do so with a heart of "For the One!"  You never know who you will impact for the good and the privilege is yours, regardless of the outcome.  And, from time to time, you will have your life blessed with the good news that the One has turned their life around simply because you, yes you, took the time to care!



The Good Samaritan

There is a story that is almost 2,000 years old. The setting was just outside of Jerusalem, near the town of Jericho. A man was robbed, beaten and left for dead. One religious person came upon the scene and simply walked right past the hurting man as if to say, "good luck man; I've got more important things to do." A temple worker by trade came by and did the same thing; he walked past this desperate man and said something along the lines of, "Hey brother, I will be praying for you!" Seriously, how ridiculous. Well, a third passerby, an outcast of Judaism called a Samaritan, came upon the horrific scene and thought, "Wow, I'd better help!" He dressed the man’s wounds, took him to a hotel, fed him and put him up for the night. He even told the hotel owner if he needed more help, he would stop back by and personally pay the bill! Thus, the story of the “Good Samaritan.”


I love Friday's; in fact, I call Friday my “free therapy day!” I am blessed to travel as a Chaplain with my pal, Officer Richard Hannibal. Usually, one or two arrests are made, a car stop here or there; an occasional burglary, and typically a medical call or two frequent our day together. I totally enjoy watching Richard and the MBPD do what they do so well, protect our city from the bad guys. Well, it is in between these police calls that Richard and I engage in great conversation and, intentionally look for a Good Samaritan moment. A few weeks back, we had an opportunity to replicate the story above...check it out.


Richard was contacting some homeless folks who live along side Morro Creek. He was told that a female in one of the camps may be sick or injured. Richard immediately determined a welfare check was needed and we trudged into the creek, carefully avoiding the poison oak. We came upon a tent that had a couple spots of what looked like blood on the canvas. Richard shook the tent and announced that the MBPD was present and that he would like to talk to the occupant. A 20-something woman emerged from the tent with a swollen nose and minute traces of dried blood on her face. When asked, she said she fell down during the night. Richard interviewed her about her injury, but she insisted she fell down. In our hearts, we knew better, but without her cooperation, a crime could not be determined. After ensuring she was okay and her male tent-mate was nowhere in sight, Richard and I began sharing with her how truly valuable she is. I shared that she was a “Princess” in God's sight and she in no way deserves to be the punching bag for anyone. Richard told her she had a bright future and to start believing in her abilities. Well, long story short—Richard had to arrest the woman for outstanding arrest warrants. However, the drive to the jail had “Good Samaritan” all over it. In fact, the female correctional officer at the jail took one look at this precious 20-something gal and intuitively knew there was hope for her. The correctional officer said, "You and I are going to have coffee and talk; I'm going to help you get out of this cycle of brokenness!" This young woman was eventually released from jail and now living with a girlfriend in a “real” house. Her male tent-mate left town while she was in jail, hopefully allowing her to turn her life around.


A few hours later, we were patrolling the launch ramp parking lot on the Embarcadero. We came upon a humble man who was collecting plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc. to make a buck so he could feed his wife. This guy has an old truck with tires that were balder than most men are in their old age (definitely, balder than my head...). Richard looked at me, gave me that “Good Samaritan” wink and asked if we could help put some tires on his car. The man thanked us enthusiastically! He followed us over to The Tire Works at Main Street and Quintana Road. There, Dan Theis, a great guy, put on two almost brand new tires at a greatly reduced rate. This was definitely a “Good Samaritan” Moment! Rock Harbor Church, where I work, has a Benevolent Fund. This fund is used at moments like these to simply say, “We really do care!”


I could go on and on with the Good Samaritan stories Richard and I so anxiously look forward to on Fridays. And, truthfully, we are nothing special—we just seem to be at the right place, at the right time, to do the right thing, for the needy folks who call Morro Bay home.


And you know the only real difference between the three individuals in the “Good Samaritan” story is simply what they did and did not do. In particular, what the Samaritan did and what the others did not do! There is a lesson for you, for me, for us; when given the blessing to help someone in need, let's do something. Our day and theirs will be truly blessed for the effort!