What's in a box?

Just yesterday, our boxes that we shipped over in the two crates that some great men of God built for us ARRIVED!  A 40' tractor and trailer backed up to stairs to our flat. Myself, Randy Adams, Dan Haas and Chris Johnson began to unload 72 boxes!!

Up and down 41 stairs, we finally completed this in about 48 minutes!!

With the arrival of our stuff that we did ship, mind you we left our furniture and other boxes in the states, Julie, Debbie Bickel and Monica Brown began to open boxes, sort and yes, put things where they were to go!!

Melanie and I had to leave just shortly after all the boxes were unloaded to go to Refuge, our youth group that we have the privilege of leading.  What struck me the most was that, although we had an inventory list, we still wondered..."What was in the box?"

It reminded me of the days as a boy that my folks would get us each a box of Cracker Jacks and we would excitedly open the box just to see, "What was in the box!!"  Well, we have that same feeling going on in our home now...

I am reminded though, you can't tell what is on the inside of the box by how it appears on the outside.  It takes us opening the box, looking at the contents to truly know what is in the box.

You know, the same is true with our hearts!  We may look all put together on the outside.  We might say the right answers and attend the right church or chapel.  We might even give our money to the church and all but, the question is really this..."What's in the box?" In this case, "What's in the Heart?"

If we fill our heart with everything that is superficial, that is what we are.  If we fill it with all that we desire, then it will be empty and used up.  However, if we fill our heart with the ONLY TRUE ONE that can FILL IT, we will find, peace, hope, joy, love and the void that was there, will be filled.

What's in your box?  What is on the inside?  Have you looked lately?  We know that the world offers so much blink and distraction and yet, God offers fulfillment and so much more.  If you haven't recently reflected on what is in your box, I challenge you too.  If you know what is there and yet, you aren't feeling the fullness of His Joy in your life, take a moment and confess that to Him.  Ask Jesus to fill that void and emptiness and to make Himself real to you once again.

Only HE, JESUS, can fill our heart!!!  He is waiting to do that!

Boy is HIS timing ever good!!!

Copied from my recent post on Facebook regarding the travels of my ladies and how God uses the lessons of the week during my sermon prep to see Him Move!!!  The girls were unable to get on the first two flight options. Looking at about a 8 hour wait for the next flight that was full, the counter staff at Delta said, "we can make it work!"

In doing that, they fly from PDX to St Paul then to Atlanta!!  There in lies the Here and Now!!  HE had it planned along and God met them there at the airport and met a heart felt desire and need for Julie to connect with her mentor and life coach!!  WOW....That is great!!!

To God be the Glory!!!

Here and Now!!!! Just saw the Lord working...Julie wanted so badly to connect with many of our friends and all but time, pressures and house consumed her time, energy and focus. Then preaching the sermon God gave me today titled Here and Now, I see why they didn't make their flights. Her life mentor and coach is in Atlanta and she really wanted to see her and her husband. The only way that would happen is if she missed her flight and had to stay over in Atlanta...well, they board at 3ish Sunday afternoon via St Paul to arrive at midnight and then spend most of the day with Mary Pinkerton and Mike!!!!!!! God is so GOOD!!!!! WOW...Here and Now!! Julie McCaw Shackelford you get a blessing to see them!!!! Thank you Lord!!!!

Just had to share this with those that don't have Facebook but read our blog!!

Here and Now!

Today I had the opportunity to preach at one of the Chapels on post. The title to the message the Lord gave me was Here and Now.  We looked at Psalms 13, John 14:1-4 and Philippians 3:13-17.  In all three of the texts, the writer is either experience a traumatic or life changing event.  They are encountering difficulties that Here and Now are big to them.

As we worked through the passages, it was evident that in our times of needs, difficulty, struggles, trial and LIFE, the only constant thing that we can hold on to is...THE LORD IS FAITHFUL!!!

He is our Rock! He is our Fortress! He is our Salvation! He is our Refuge! He is our Anchor! He is our GOD!!!  He is EVERYTHING!!!

Because He is, we can rest in the uncertainties of everyday living and life.  Julie and Melanie are flying back home to Idstein on standby and even though they didn't make the flight as it was full, I KNOW that the Lord Knows!!  I know He is working it out!!  He has something else planned that right now we don't see but tomorrow or next week or next year, we will know exactly why.

What is your Here and Now moment? Do you see His hand on you? Leading you? Holding you? Taking you through the times is His opportunity to show Himself a little more to each of us!  His will and His way for HIS GLORY!!

I trust that you will find encouragement in the lessons of life as you seek Him for the Here and Now!!

When ministry is not only a blessing it is FUN!!

Ministry comes at you in so many different ways and sometimes it is extremely difficulty and challenging.  Other times, ministry is not only a blessing it is FUN!!  Today was one of the latter!!

After a full morning of PWOC for the ladies in my house and running ministry errands and doings some last minute paperwork, we borrowed a friends suburban and drove home.  Now, yes, for a moment I felt like I was back in the states driving a full size suburban and it was FUN!!

Once we arrived at home in Idstein with the suburban, the three of us began to help our german neighbor moving a large armoire as well as her paintings and other boxes.  She is moving after living there for over two and half years.  We have only known her for four months and it has been great!

We have had several opportunities to practice our Deutsch with her and she her english with us.  We will miss that!  One thing though, Julie has had the opportunity to have a couple of spiritual conversations with her.  She has experienced a lot of heartache and pain but despite losing her son to be with the Lord a couple of years ago, she knows that he is in heaven.

Knowing that, at the end of our day moving and literally wrestling the armoire down 6 half flights of stairs, we made it and got it set in her new house.  We really wanted to give her something and I remembered that our friend and team mate, Randy Alcorn and given me copies of his Heaven book and  Grace and Truth books in Deutsch.  We presented them to her and as she left the flat on final time, she pointed to the title of the Heaven book and said...when I leave here, I will be there too!

With hugs and tears, we really found that ministry was FUN!!!!  Hard and emotional but FUN!!!  To know that she knows our Jesus, was a real thrill!!  We will miss her and now, praying that the Lord brings another good renter to the small studio that Brigett has left vacant.  Wish Melanie could rent it...that would be fun for her!!!  Oh well, the Lord knows who He wants there that we can minister to as well.

So the next time you think about reaching out to your neighbor, do it!!  It is FUN!!!

Offsite office time in a familiar place!

This morning we found ourselves getting up at 0300 hours to take a dear friend to the Frankfurt Hahn airport about an hour and fifteen minutes from our house for a flight he had to England.  Well, we brewed a pot of God's brew and went out the door.  We made it on time, he made it on time and all is well.

We decided though that we would take the opportunity to have the girls spend the day with a team member of our ministry in Kusel.  We stopped in this morning early, caught up, visited and then they were off for a girls day!  Window shopping, lunch, thrift store visit and then dinner.

Now you maybe wondering what this has to do with an offsite office time for me...well, I did say "girls time" so I made my way to the Java Cafe where sixteen months ago, it was my office! Coffee, quiet time, ministry prep, sermon prep and just some good old office work!!

That is right, I made my way back today to Baumholder, Germany!  Where we began the physical part of our ministry journey to Germany!   So, only fitting that after some lesson prep, planning time for the upcoming fall events and a sweet time of Face to Face (F2F) that I would do some office time here!

We were truly blessed that the Lord would allow us to come here over a year ago and be ministered to, minister to others and find a new start to a season of life that is exciting, ever changing and fresh!  Ministry with the military has been and will continue to be a solid passion and commitment we are engaged in!

During my prep time, I was reminded that the Lord is faithful in all deeds to all of His people.  We have experienced that in so many ways!  We know that He is and always will be FAITHFUL!!

Thank you Lord for always being constant, faithful, loving and real!  Thank you for allowing us to have this time in our lives to serve You, Your people and those that need to know you! Thank you for the opportunity to minister in so many fun, unique and wonderful ways!!  We are Yours and we are glad that you choose to and want to use us!

Middle school boys Bible study in Baumholder

 Overview of the town and installation of Baumholder

Some of our students from Baumholder 2011

From an offsite office, thank you ALL for being a part of what the Lord is doing in our lives and the lives of our students and their families!!!  Without each of you on our team, Pray, Play and Pay, we couldn't do this!!

Only in Germany....

would you find what we did after working at VBS today in Wiesbaden, Germany!  We left the post and were heading home on the B455 where they are doing MAJOR roadwork.  As we drove into the construction zone, we saw a working sitting in the back of the little BMW station wagon with the hatch open jumping in and out checking on things on the side of the road...no vest, no hard hat...just street clothes...

Then just a bit further up the road, we encountered an amazing site!  A worker in his bright orange overalls signaling the oncoming traffic to proceed towards us on their side of the road.  No biggie you are thinking...no hard hat, no sign and they were driving UNDER the arm of the excavator as it was parked on my side of the road...reaching across the oncoming lane...digging up dirt for them to lay in the concrete curbs...YES...I said...they drove under while the operator of the excavator had the arm out...working and moving as if there was no one driving under him.

ONLY IN GERMANY!

Oh well, when I go back on post today, if they are still there doing this, I will definitely take a picture and post it.  None of us could get our cameras ready in time before we to were flagged on the other side to drive...UNDER the extended and working arm...

Could see that happening in the US???? I don't think so!! I don't believe my friend Dave Turin with Mt Hood Rock would ever do that while working on the highway!!  What a site it was!

Just had to share this with you all!

A classic way to start a movie!!

The other day, Julie, Melanie and I went to the movie theater the other night to watch a show.  We were so impressed with how clean it was in there. We also were so used to having the ads running on the screen for all kinds of things.  Then all of a sudden, an ad came up stating that when the National Anthem was placed, it is required by law to stand at attention, remove any head covering place your hand over your heart.

We just figured that was a way that they were telling everyone what to do. They also showed the statute for it and all.  "Well that is cool!" we all said.  Then we decided that, they should run that ad in all theaters.  As a public announcement.  Then, out of the blue, the lights went out, the screen went black, then a beautiful rendition of our National Anthem came on with fantastic pictures of the states, people in the military and civilians!! It was amazing...oh and everyone in the theater stood at attention, quiet, sober and with much respect for the flag and the patriots that did, do and will defend it!

Now, imagine if that was something that happened in the very country that we in Germany at Wiesbaden Germany were paying our respect too!  I have a feeling, that the country might begin to respond the way it should!!

Oh well, I am thrilled to be an American and proud to say that!  So the next time you visit a theater, imagine them starting the movie that way!!!  We do here on a military installation...only wish they would back home!