08
Feb

Overcoming the Challenges

By chuck 3 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Monday!

Since we had to cancel services @ Destiny Family Center, and I really could not go another day without gathering with other believers to worship God… I decided to visit my dear friend Pastor Don McClure and the good folks of Ridgeview Church!

Everyone was delightfully pleasant, the worship music was beautiful, Pastor Don’s announcements made everyone laugh pretty hard… his sermon was powerful!

Here’s an outline of Pastor Don’s message: “What Kind of Church We Want To Be in 2010?”

  • A United Church!
    • Mark 3:25 “A home divided against itself is doomed.”
    • United around the purpose God has given the church… 2010 is not to be a year of bickering over personal preferences. A year of doing great things as a unified TEAM… driving towards a common goal.
    • Funny story: A church took a vote: the clerk read the results to the membership: 40 yes, 7 no, and 1 over my dead body! lol
      • Need far less of this “over my dead body” attitude in 2010.
  • A Friendly Church!
    • Churches have personalities: based on the PEOPLE in the church… not the Pastor or the building or the landscape.
    • Some churches are proud, self righteous, stuffy, and judgmental… others are humble, loving, happy, and merciful.
    • 2010 needs to be a year of authentic friendliness… from the HEART of a unified church!
  • A Loving Church!
    • A church that loves GOD: worships God, seeks God, serves God… so that everyone can plainly see that God is at the center of everything!
    • A church that loves each other so much that it prays for each other and looks after each other.
      • Told the story about when he moved to the house behind his first house in this region. Said he didn’t know where he would be without the church. Said, in one day, without trucks, the church moved all of his personal belongings to the new house… and unloaded EVERY BOX… IN A SINGLE DAY!
    • And finally, a church that loves the unchurched… a church that loves missions… a church that reaches out in the LOVE of God… for the entire year!

Great message… I was moved with your vision Pastor McClure! Thanks for being so warm, and for honoring me from your platform. It was very nice meeting your family and fellowshiping with your beautiful congregation! From my experience, you guys have already achieved your 2010 goal… and the year is still so young: A unified church, a friendly church, and a loving church… you are all three!

The rest of the day

Watched 4 Law & Orders in a row with my wife and her mom! (felt very lazy, but quite relaxed!)

Since we had to cancel our Super Bowl party, we went to the first place we were invited… and watched the game with our dear friends, Kevin & Debbie Huffer… and their fun and loving family! Was very sad about the New Orleans win. But hey, the world kept spinning and Drew Breeze gave honor to God!

From 10:30pm to 1:30am

Emily and I laid up talking about the current condition of our lives… and all the obstacles we’re trying to overcome in order to remain faithful to Gods calling for our family and ministry. I became teary eyed several times, thinking about the pain of recent battles and the enormity of our current and future challenges. We talked about family and finances and my inability to finish my book due to the unprecedented pressures before me…

Talked about our kids and how much we wanted to help them work on their own character glitches…  the conversation brought up so much pain in my heart. Two Prilosec’s, eight Tums and a few “Oh God” prayers later, I finally fell asleep.

That’s just the reality of life… sometimes, you have to face the pain and talk through the difficulties… and pray until a breakthrough comes or a new plan emerges. Thats my story… we all have one. Life is challenging at times, but we are overcomers!

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

I just finished praying for all my family and friends… hope you all feel the difference. Have a super day.

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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07
Feb

Should We “Risk Our Lives” 4 a Church Service?

By chuck 13 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Sunday!

Am I really happy? You can tell can’t you? You can feel it in my tone, right? Yeah, I know, I’m not a very good faker. The sadness of canceling church today literally has me in tears. I know right?

Am I starting to go through menopause already? Wait, that’s a female thing, isn’t it? Oh great, I’m a MAN… and we’re not privileged with the biological excuse for a middle age breakdown! Don’t get mad at me ladies, I’m just trying to make a little funny here… thats all. Oh, and I’m not even at the middle of my long life yet!

So what is wrong with me? I mean, teary eyed about not being able to have church? Come on Chuck, get it together… there’s always next week.

Baaaa, go away cheerful inner conscious… I want to be sad for a few more hours, or a few more days, or forever. (pitiful half smile with a puckering lower lip)

Why are we shoveled out?

I guess the hardest thing for me is that I drive in all weather conditions… and, while I was out driving all over this county-all day yesterday… I counted TEN out of TEN driveways shoveled out. Oh yes, I’m sure there were a few that I missed… but even my 90 year old neighbor, he shoveled his own driveway before I even got to him yesterday!

So what are we all shoveled out for? Oh, wait! Tomorrow is MONDAY, and we cannot miss work under ANY circumstances. Oh, and we have to get to the movie store, and the grocery store, and anywhere else we desire to go today… AND HEY, its Super Bowl Sunday, so we must be able to drive to our friends house for the big PAR-TAYE! All of these are meaningful reasons for shoveling out.

I’m not a “life” basher

And don’t worry… I’m not one of those “life” bashing kind of guys. In fact, I love entertainment, and FOOD, and parties, and work… more than most people!

Venture out everyone! No guilt from me here… nuht uhhhh! Have a fun and exciting day… enjoy your families… do a bunch of fun “snow-day” activities! Live it up “Balsamo” style! I’m all about it… wooo. (clapping and cheering)

Where’s the enthusiasm?

But woe to the Pastor that schedules a snow day church service, right?

I mean, everyone says, “Do what you feel is best, Pastor.” But really, where is the ENTHUSIASM? Honestly, I would have WALKED 2 miles in my snow boots, through 3 foot snow drifts to go to church today. Especially, because we were snowed out last week too.

Sometimes, written words fail to properly express a writers tone. So, I’m going to say straight up that I’m not mad at anyone, just sad.

Here’s the common phrase people use to manipulate Pastors on snow days: “You can go ahead with the service IF you really feel like thats the best thing for the congregation, BUT I would hate for someone to have an accident on their way to CHURCH… or I would hate for some old lady to fall down and break a bone.” I’ve used this very same phrase a hundred times or more throughout my years in church leadership!

My message today is NOT to the people who offer me input concerning snow day services. Because, if it was, I would be condemning myself. Please don’t take offense… this message is not directed at ANY person at Destiny Family Center. My message is intended for Christians worldwide.

Why?

Why are we willing to risk our lives… and risk the potential of a broken bone… and weather extreme conditions to shovel our driveways for work and fun… but irritated when a Pastor wants to gather his flock for worship? Why is it that we will NOT miss work under any circumstances, we’ll even go in with a 101 degree flu… and we’re so fast to miss church whenever we’re just too tired from staying up too late the night before? Why is it that we will NEVER miss a doctors appointment, but will very quickly cancel our weekly appointment with the Great Physician?

Is it enough?

I mean, really… the average American Christian gathers for 2 hours on 2 or 3 Sundays out of the month. Is this enough, for us to ENCOURAGE one another and GROW into the EAGLES of God’s next great spiritual awakening?

Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Dear God, please bring this 21st Century church to appetite… make this American Christian population hungry for you… so hungry, we will risk our lives to gather for worship. Help us to see how embarrassing this conversation must sound to our fellow believers throughout the world in countries like Mongolia, where many of them REALLY DO risk their lives to gather for worship. Awaken this passion… give us a desire for meeting together just like the Christians in the first century church.

I’m surrounded with some of the most committed Christians on the planet. The sacrifices my friends make for God’s kingdom… I’m INSPIRED everyday by these people! I think I may be considered a highly sacrificial believer myself. At least it seems this way in comparison to many of my mainstream contemporaries. I realize I’m preaching to the choir here.

However… If we are going to change the spiritual climate of our country, then we have to start to asking ourselves: “Am I really a hall of faith kind of Christian, or am I just a big fish in a teeny tiny  bowl?”

Don’t shoot the messenger!

Don’t get mad at me dear reader… if I’m going to CHANGE THE WORLD, and not just write another boring blog, then I’m going to have to EXPRESS my heart, even when this means that my thoughts will irritate a reader or two. Trust me, this message brings plenty of conviction to my own heart… and thats why I love it so much!

Just pray about the things I’ve written and work it out in your own heart… then GET UP without an ounce of guilt… and have the GREATEST SNOW DAY OF YOUR LIFE! Enjoy your family, enjoy the super bowl (root for the Indianapolis Colts), pray for me… and I will pray for you! Love you all!

Ps: if you’re looking for something to do… check out a few of my SNOW DAY resources:

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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06
Feb

Loathing Twitter, Loving Snow Days, Hooked on Ps. 119!

By chuck 0 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Saturday!

Well, the snow is still falling and I’m still hating twitter this morning! lol (random photo of a gigantic Chicago snow man)

Once my book is finished, I may hire a social networking manager (if there is such a thing)… because, all I want to do is inspire people… not have to spend hours trying to remember my latest passwords, or waste my life with social networking systems glitches, or have to think ahead of the trends, or suffer through the learning curves, or keep my biographies current.

Yesterday, I made breakfast for my family and a few of my kids friends. It was so delicious!

  • Egg sandwiches on cinnamon and raisin english muffins (thats all food lion had left after the snow day shopping frenzy).
  • Bacon, bacon, bacon… BAAACON! (Heaven’s favorite food these days) lol
  • Sausage from a local piggy! (a delicious gift from Dexter & Nan Estes… best sausage I have ever tasted!!)

I enjoyed every second of that snow day with my family!

  • Launched snow balls with Coree and his friend Ian… used Coree’s water balloon launcher… they soared 70 yards over the top of the neighbors roof!
  • Bought the back saver snow shovel @ the local Ace Hardware… and PLOWED the driveway with my two epic “guns” and that new miracle tool! lol
  • I made a homemade chocolate pie… with my very first gram cracker crust and butterscotch chips, and extra creamy whipped topping! Mmmm mm!
  • Watched a phenomenal movie with Emily, Millie (mother in law), and Theresa Moore (friend and neighbor)… Julie and Julia! (highly recommended INSPIRATIONAL true story)
  • Ate Kristin Via’s super delicious chili! (thank you Kristin, love you)
  • Went to bed, reading my Bible and praying for you guys!
  • It was the perfect day! Thank you God for blessing us like that.

Today… gonna do some more shoveling, and go check on my neighbors, and drag the kids behind our suburban on their sleds, and make hot chocolate, and go check on Destiny Family Center to make sure we’re ready for 10am church and the superbowl party tomorrow… if that is possible. Please God, I want to hug all my church friends… and I’m really craving a time of WORSHIP!

Here are the verses I’ve been meditating on since Thursday night prayer meeting! They all come from Psalm 119

  • How can a young person stay PURE? By obeying your word and following its rules. -vs. 9
  • I have HIDDEN your word in my heart that I might now sin against you. -vs. 11
  • I have recited aloud all the laws you have given us. I have rejoiced in your decrees as much as in RICHES. -vs 13, 14
  • Open my eyes to SEE the wonderful truths in your law. -vs. 18
  • I am overwhelmed continually with a DESIRE for your laws. -vs. 20
  • I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; REVIVE me by your word. -vs. 25
  • Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me LIFE through your word. -vs. 37
  • I will walk in FREEDOM, for I have devoted myself to your commands. vs. 45
  • How I delight in your commands! How I love them! I honor and love your commands. I MEDITATE on your principles. -vs. 47, 48
  • Your principles have been the MUSIC of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage. -vs. 54
  • Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly ANCHORED to your law. -vs. 61
  • Arrogant people have made up lies about me, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I DELIGHT in your law. -vs. 69, 70
  • Your law is more valuable to me than MILLIONS in gold and silver. -vs. 72
  • All your commands are trustworthy. PROTECT me from those who hunt me down without cause. They ALMOST finished me off, but I REFUSED TO ABANDON your commandments. -vs. 86, 87
  • Oh, how I love your law! I THINK about it all day long. -vs. 97
  • Your promises have been thoroughly TESTED; that is why I love them so much! -vs. 140
  • As pressure and stress bear down on me, I FIND JOY in your commands. -vs. 143
  • I will PRAISE you seven times a day because all your laws are just. Those who love your law have great peace and DO NOT STUMBLE! -vs. 164, 165

If you get the time today, read psalm 119! If we have church tomorrow, I plan to talk about the MAJESTICNESS of God’s LIVING WORD!

If you LOVE this daily blog, please help us EXPAND THE TRIBE! Be creative, spread the word… save the world! lol

I pray you all a most triumphant Saturday… everyone, everywhere… love you all!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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05
Feb

Dear Twitter, Grrrrrrr!

By chuck 5 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Friday!

I’m pretty frustrated with twitter this morning (more than pretty frustrated, actually). I was a twitterer since close to the beginning of twitter! I’ve been one of their biggest fans and promoters, and then yesterday without reason, I can’t access my account and neither can anyone else. Grrrr twitter, fix this fast or I’m starting my own social networking site! lol (trying to fake it till I make it)

Why is this such a big deal?

This might not be too much of a deal to anyone else, but for me… the inconvenience is much bigger than I may be able to describe. You see, without twitter… there are 3500 people who will not know about todays blog! Actually it’s more than that when we count the tens of thousands of my followers followers, who hear about us through re-tweeting and follower mentions!

The value of social networking

Some people fail to understand the real value in social networking. Seth Godin, in his book Tribes… he explains how the internet has done away with all geographical boundaries. One person with a worthwhile mission can impact the entire world from a humble village in the middle of nowhere!

Through twitter and facebook, I have been adding value to thousands of my fellow earthlings through this DAILY blog. From the lowly village of Stuarts Draft, I’ve reached into 50 countries or more! And that influence is growing every day! As a loving father and husband, and as the Pastor of Destiny Family Center, and as an aspiring author… I’m impacting a hundred times more people than I was just a year and a half ago… with very little effort, as I go about my inspirational daily routines.

Suspend the REAL bad guys!

So yesterday, I sent Twitter a request for immediate reactivation… and all I got was an auto-responder email. All the disgusting spammers out there and you’re going to suspend the guy with 3500 “christian followers,” the guy that’s sending out a daily link about his inspirational blogs? The guy that’s sending out daily prayers and inspirational quotes and clips from his coming book?

Believe it or not… I ACTUALLY KNOW most of my 3500 followers. Not on a personal basis… but I know what they are about, and I’ve had direct conversations with most of them… AND many of my Twitter followers are also part of my 3800 friend, facebook network.

Huge glitch in your system Twitter… and the reason you will not survive the next few years without fixing this. If you don’t figure out how to suspend the REAL bad guys, another company will most certainly emerge.

How about you guys police all the porn spammers in your system? Those guys are a dime a dozen… and everybody’s tired of having to block them every single day!

My social networking mission

My mission is noble, my messages are always inspirational… my social networking mission: to personally relate with one million people worldwide, to inspire their big dreams and bold actions, and build tomorrows better world together with them.

One million friends?

Some would argue that getting to know one million people is not possible. I’m not talking about a million BFF’s here! When I say, “personally relate” I mean that I want to shake hands and direct message and hug and converse with a million people over the next 40 years of my life. Sure, I’ll have my family, and best friends, and close friends, and leadership teams just like any other leader… and sure, I intend to stand in front of hundreds of millions of people in my life time!

And together WITH my family, and best friends, and close friends, and leadership teams… I plan to form a very close bond with one million fellow legends! Once each new relationship is created, I will be able to inspire their biggest dreams and boldest actions… and they will be able to inspire my biggest dreams and boldest actions… and we will build tomorrows better world together.

That’s 68 new relationships a day for the next 40 years… and I’m not far from doing this right now! I love all the people in my tiny hometown… all my family, and best friends, and close friends, and leadership team partners, and church buds! I also love all of my 3500 twitter FRIENDS and my 3800 Facebook FRIENDS and my 1000s of Blog Tribe FRIENDS! As strangely as it seems… I feel like we REALLY have each others HEART!

Give me back my Twitter family!

So Twitter… give me back my twitter family! Please? (hands crossed in a begging formation) Do it NOW! LOL I promise to be a good boy! Please? (grrr)

With or without Twitter, I will make a difference for someone today! And I will find a way to hug my 68 new friends today!

I better let you all get about your amazing day! It’s snowing here already… calling for 20-28 inches by Saturday night! Happy weekend everyone… I just spend quite a bit of time praying for you… feel the difference? I hope so!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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04
Feb

Book Clip: From the Brink of Annihilation!

By chuck 17 Comments
Categories: Announcement, Journal & Message and The Book

Happy Thursday!

Looks like the party’s over for Heaven and me! (lol) The other half of our family is coming home today… just in time for the next big snow storm! Yaye, I ‘ve really missed them!

Just a little more laundry to do… and I have to dust, and vacuum, and clean the bathrooms, and take out the trash, and clean the refrigerator, and fluff the couch pillows, and wash the bed sheets, and make the bed, and put a few chocolates on the pillows, and clean up the mess Lucy made when she CHEWED her way out of the bathroom yesterday (grrr Lucy, no water for you today… ha ha haaaaa!)… and then I’ll be ready for the big reunion!

The weather man says we will be getting between 12 and 20 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday. I’m trying to figure out how we can still have church @ Destiny Family Center this Sunday! If snow plow man gets everything cleared off, maybe we can pull something off!

the Super Bowl party

And I really want to have the annual DFC super bowl party! This year I will be rooting HARD for the Indianapolis Colts. Who would have EVER imagined this… being that I’ve been a die hard New England Patriots fan since 1984!

No offense to all of my New Orleans Saints friends, I’ve just had a very bad experience with a few Louisianian’s this past year, and it left a raunchy taste in my mouth. lol

my book: Make me a Legend

This has been a profound week of writing for me! Right now, I am 100% finished with 13 chapters and about 30% finished with my final 3 chapters… right on schedule for the March 15th deadline-for-completion goal!

Instead of mailing a pile of query letters and manuscripts all over the place, crossing my fingers for a publishing contract… I think I’m gonna drive to the Thomas Nelson Publishers headquarters and stalk Michael Hyatt until I’m able to make my pitch LIVE AND IN PERSON… with HIGH ENERGY and ENTHUSIASM… and a GREAT BIG CHEESE SMILE! Wish me well!! lol

Yesterday, I was reworking chapter 2: My Greatest Spiritual Fantasy. I had just wrapped up a very passionate summary of the first and second great awakenings and the great prayer awakening of 1857-1858… and I wrote:

from the brink of annihilation

Once again… in a dark moral and spiritual hour, everything changed in a day! Prayer meetings started up that spread all over the country. One million Americans came into the church during those two years. Another one million nominal churchgoers reclaimed their first love with Christ!

If we were to have an awakening like this today, it would translate into 20,000,000 Americans set ablaze for Christ in two years time! Churches that reported 121 members in 1858 had 1,400 members in 1860!  The social and ethical affects of this awakening rippled forward for almost half a century! Can you image this kind of spiritual fire breaking out in today’s Christian church?

I could go on and on with such stories until tears are streaming down your faces for several hours or more! Revival-Principles to Change The World, by Winkie Pratney is the best book I’ve ever read on this subject! Get it and read it once a year for the next 20 years, just as I have! And watch what happens to your passion for such things!

Over and over again, in Biblical and secular history, God has been able to move society from the very brink of spiritual annihilation to the decades we now refer to as the Great Awakenings! Every time it seems like the world is too far-gone, like evil has taken our civilization… good rose to challenge evil one more time!

That’s it for this morning… gonna get back to CLEANING, then writing, then a few afternoon meetings, then evening prayer at DFC, then chill time with my loving family!! Have a most triumphant day everyone! Love you all!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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03
Feb

Oops, I Forgot 2 Water My Dog!

By chuck 3 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Wednesday!

Since Emily’s been in Richmond these past few weeks, I’ve had the responsibility of caring for Lucy, the chug puppy. Please don’t turn me in to the animal rights folks… but, I forgot to give her water for a few days last week. I think Heaven may have done it a time or two… we just never had a conversation about how much, how often, and who’s job.

So, last Friday… Lucy was laying around more than usual, she didn’t want to play fetch, and she didn’t look well.

After a little investigating into Lucy’s condition, I realized we hadn’t given her water for a few days!

So I raced into the kitchen and filled up her water bowl… and Lucy rolled off the couch and crawled to the water with her last few morsels of energy… and she drank like a CAMEL!

Fifteen minutes later, she was back to her hyperactive self… chewing everything in the house, running in circles for no reason, forcing me to play fetch with her… I had to say, “NO Lucy… Lucy, NO… LUCY… NO MAMM” something like 30 times during the hour following that 16 oz guzzle!

The water turned Lucy into an ANIMAL! (lol) I’ve never seen anything like it! Who would have IMAGINED… she was like a Gremlin!! Just add water and stand back everyone!

In the Bible, God is referred to as WATER for the thirsty soul! Actually read the following verses… giving very careful attention to how thirsty you may be right this very moment!

  • Psalm 107:4-6 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and THIRSTY, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
  • Isaiah 44:2-4 This is what the LORD says- he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 FOR I WILL POUR WATER ON THE THIRSTY LAND, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. 4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.
  • Isaiah 55:1-2 “Is anyone THIRSTY? Come and drink- even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk- it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.”
  • Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?
  • John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is THIRSTY, let him come to me and drink.”

Sometimes, we fail to realize how water deprived we can become in just a few short days. Everyone else can see it… we can’t figure out why we are so spiritually lethargic… we grope along, reduced down to a fraction of our vivacious selves… until some kind person FILLS OUR BOWL!

And we DRINK LIKE CAMELS… until our SPIRITUAL ENERGY RETURNS!

I woke up very THIRSTY this morning!

  • Physically, I downed a few bottles of water and still wanted MORE.
  • Spiritually, I could not get enough time with God in prayer and worship… I just kept drinking and drinking and drinking… LIKE A SPIRITUAL CAMEL!

I stumbled across the following youtube video… and it all made sense!

  • I was one of those hungry and thirsty people from Psalm 107… my life ebbing away like a desert wasteland!
  • God was talking to ME in Isaiah 44… when He said, “For I will pour WATER on the THIRSTY LAND, and streams on the DRY GROUND!”
  • In Isaiah 55, when Isaiah asked if anyone was THIRSTY… I responded, “YES ISAIAH, I AM THIRSTY TODAY!”
  • I was that panting deer from Psalm 42, longing for the STREAMS OF WATER!
  • I was the one Jesus appealed to in John 7… I was so thirsty this morning, and so I drank his living water… until I FELT LIKE AN ANIMAL AGAIN!

Watch this video a few more times… pray and read from your Bible… meditate on a few relevant verses… and drink like a camel till you thirst no more! Don’t wait for some kind person to come along and fill up your bowl. Jesus promised us FREE ACCESS to his living water! The only times we ever thirst are those times we forget to drink!

The health experts recommend 8 glasses of daily water intake. I recommend 8 portions of spiritual water intake, every day! Stop the excuses… Drink your water today!

I pray todays message adds tremendous value to your amazing lives. Please leave a comment and have a most triumphant day! I love you all so very much!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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02
Feb

Love Your Work, Earn Your Keep, Rest Unapologetically!

By chuck 3 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Tuesday!

Leaving Richmond in one hour with my daughter… saying goodbye to my Emily, Coree, and Millie, hoping to see them again by the weekend. Yesterday, I didn’t do anything productive beyond my early morning routine (praying, reading my bible, and writing my daily blog).

Want to know what I did for most of the day? I helped my wife recreate “Ems Pumpkin Paradise” on Facebook Farm-town. Really, that’s the longest I can remember relaxing in a very long time. My hyper active type-A workaholic energy kept flaring up… and I had to keep telling myself, “Chuck, live in the moment and enjoy this quality time with your wife!” So I did, and what a time we had together… what a farm we built!

Here’s a fun UNEDITED clip from my coming book, Make Me a Legend: chapter 7, Earn Your Keep!

love your work
If you are really going to be a legend, then you are really going to be a neurotic lover of work. Even though its true, most people are more successful when they find work they enjoy… legends LOVE all work in general! As cited throughout this chapter, I’m not faking it here… honestly, I LOVE hard work!

The kind of work doesn’t matter so much. Give me a podium, a microphone, and an audience and I will teach with peak energy day and night until I can’t stand up another minute. Give me a shovel and a rake, and I will work blisters onto my hands and feet, loving almost every minute of it! Believe it or not, I enjoy working just as much as relaxing, and sometimes even more than that! In fact, I can’t imagine living without a demanding assignment.

Some will argue that happy workers are workaholics. I suppose that’s a whole lot better than being a couchaholic. So, don’t feel bad for weird people who love their work and please don’t try to counsel this out of us. Trust me; the benefits of loving your work and earning your keep in this lazy modern world are way beyond listing.

Because I’ve always loved my work, I’ve always enjoyed a great abundance of unapologetic leisure! Whenever I’m working, I am in the game for every second of it! And when I rest, I have the time of my life with the people I love most! So then, loving our work is actually the means to living a balanced life.

This section still needs a little reworking… but the thought is powerful. My family is known for our adventure… we PLAY like few families I’ve ever met! And looking back… none of our ADVENTURE would have been possible if it were not for our bizarre passion for work!

Unfortunately, I’m out of time… have to leave for home. I’m not too impressed with todays blog… hoping God graces my efforts and blesses someone anyway! lol Love you all!!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

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01
Feb

Great Things Happen When…

By chuck 2 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Monday!

I accidently posted the wrong link for yesterdays blog on twitter and facebook… sorry everyone! Thanks to Cathy Simpson for letting me know… God bless you young lady!

Everyone needs to read yesterdays blog: Inspirational Story: A Surprise of Comfort on a Sad Day! –it was a very GOOD one!

Heaven and I will be heading for home this evening. Gonna have to leave Emily and Coree here in Richmond again. Praying they are able to wrap things up here very soon and return to the mountains with my mother in law.

I guess I better clean my dirty house FAST! Maybe if I’m better prepared, they will come home faster! You know: the atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles!

I want to expect good things this week! How about you?

This is my YEAR! And it can be your year too! I just can’t have faith FOR you… and YOU can’t have faith for me… so we’re gonna have to EXPECT GREAT THINGS for ourselves!

Don’t rely on your FEELINGS this year… rely on your FAITH! Rely on that hunk of a God who’s standing on the other end of your faith!

Romans 4:17-20

17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who CREATES NEW THINGS OUT OF NOTHING.

18 Even when there WAS NO REASON FOR HOPE, Abraham KEPT HOPING—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”

19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham NEVER WAVERED in believing God’s promise. In fact, HIS FAITH GREW STRONGER, and in this he brought glory to God.

Great things happen when…

Great things HAPPEN when… We believe in the God who brings the dead back to life and who CREATES NEW THINGS OUT OF NOTHING!

Great things HAPPEN when… We KEEP HOPING, especially when there is NO REASON FOR HOPE!

Great things HAPPEN when… Our faith DOES NOT WEAKEN!

Great things happen when… WE NEVER WAVER, NEVER WAVER, NEVER WAVER… and our faith GROWS STRONGER!

And WHEN great things happen… this brings GLORY TO GOD!

Let me end this message by repeating that quote from H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do!

There it is… just a simple message about faith on the FIRST DAY of the SECOND MONTH of your MOST PROLIFIC YEAR! I hope todays blog adds tremendous value to your amazing lives! I just finished praying for my loving blog tribe… hope you feel the difference all day long!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

The Donate Link, Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube

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31
Jan

Inspirational Story: A Surprise of Comfort on a Sad Day!

By chuck 5 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Sunday!

Another weekend snow storm in our region of the world… regretting the decision to cancel services @ Destiny Family Center this morning. Very sad about this, but hey it’s a snow day DFC’ers! Make it a day of MEMORIES with your family and friends!

Check out a few of my SNOW DAY resources:

Right after we decided to cancel church, I loaded up the blue suburban with clothes and my computer and my daughter and her mischievous puppy… and we drove to Richmond.

Here’s the story…

As you’ve heard: Emily lost her dad last week… the darkest time of her life (besides March of 2009). This is the first time I’ve had to REALLY comfort my wife in 20 years of marriage. Emily has comforted me through the loss of three CLOSE relatives in 3 years… and what a comforter she was! Really, there is no way for me to ever thank her… and by receiving that kind of LOVE, I learned HOW to COMFORT a grieving person.

So when it became apparent that Emily’s dad was going to pass away, I prayed for God to make me a COMFORTER to my wife… just as she was to me! Wow, this might sound bizarre to some of you guys… but, its much easier receiving comfort than giving it.

I think its far more painful feeling someone else’s pain, than having your own.

In this case with Emily’s dad, I mourned the loss of MY amazing father-in-law WHILE I comforted my wife during the loss of her one and only father. He was such an influence in my life. Because he loved me SO MUCH, I felt so much pain. Still, my pain was nothing compared to a Daddy’s girl losing her one and only Daddy!

I hope more than anything right now, that I’ve done a good job comforting my Emily and her mom and my two kids. I keep praying for strength to be a good servant, and for the wisdom to know what to say and what not to say… and when to embrace and when to give space, etc.

Comforting a mourner is one of the most challenging, most meaningful things we can do for another human!

Yes, I know a few of you guys may be tempted to go super spiritual on me right about now… and you may come real close to quoting a few verses about how the Holy Spirit is supposed to be our one and only comforter. I agree with you!

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another COMFORTER, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

We certainly do need to LEAN on God in such painful times. We reach to him and he reaches to us; he reaches to us and we reach to him. He is always there for us in the darkest of times… he NEVER leaves us COMFORTLESS!

When God reaches out to us, many times, he comforts through other humans! The Great Comforter makes us his little comforters to each other. And in light of this thought, I want to be the very best comforter I can be, with Gods grace. Make sense?

Back to the story…

Emily was more sad yesterday morning than I had ever felt her to be. I was concerned. I felt so much pain in my heart for her. I felt so helpless… torn between my responsibilities at home and my intense desire to comfort my grieving wife.

You might not EVER hear me say this again for the rest of my life: Yesterday was the very first time I’ve ever been HAPPY about having to cancel a church service. Well, not perfectly happy… because I am the Pastor of the greatest church on earth, and I LOVE NOTHING MORE than to be with my church family… EXCEPT to be with my wife on such a day as yesterday!

Yesterdays snow storm was very unusual in that it snowed aggressively from west to east… pounding the I-64 corridor. Emily didn’t think in a million years, that Heaven and me would DRIVE all the way to Richmond in such conditions.

When we left the house, I told Heaven… we might not make it all the way, but we will go as far as we can!

The great surprise…

After 4 and a half hours in the worse driving conditions of my life… we safely arrived in Richmond.

Emily sent me a text asking what I was up too!

I replied: “Getting ready to make some hot chocolate.” (her favorite drink on snow days)

She said something like: “I wish we had some hot chocolate here.” (sad text countenance)

So Heaven and I stopped at the Food Lion down the road and picked up hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, whipped cream, and milk… and we headed for Emily’s moms road.

Got there… ROAD CLOSED!

No worries, we drove another 15 minutes and came in from the other side… had to weave in and out of something like 20 abandoned cars and trucks… barely made it!

Called Coree and asked him pull up my facebook on his computer… and asked him to call Mom into the room… and asked them to check out the new photo on my facebook wall… Heaven and I posted a photo (from my iphone) of the exit sign for her road! We timed it so that she saw the photo right when we turned in the driveway!

The smile on her face (and Coree and Millie’s face) is worth all the money in the world! I bet it will still be there a week from today! This will be remembered as one of the greatest surprises of Emily’s life!

I will never be able to explain HOW GOOD IT FELT to COMFORT MY WIFE on one of the saddest and loneliest days of her entire life.

What did we do with the evening?? Well, we took Coree and Heaven to cousin Elizabeth and Timothy’s house… and pulled the kids behind the suburban on sleds for two hours! We retired for the night at about 11:00pm… smiling big, thanking God for our loving family!

Hope this story inspires more stories just like it! Once again…

Comforting a mourner is one of the most challenging, most meaningful things we can do for another human!

Have a super Snow Day! Please leave a few comments! Will see some of you guys on Wednesday night @ DFC! Love you all!

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

The Donate Link, Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube

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30
Jan

Lonely Snow Day Journal

By chuck 5 Comments
Categories: Journal & Message

Happy Saturday!

It snowing again! Looks like we’re getting about like 8-10 inches today! I personally love the snow… just not too thrilled about the timing of all these recent snow storms. They keep falling on weekends… and that kills church attendance. Grrrrr.

Todays snow storm is a little sad for me since Emily and Coree are still in Richmond comforting Emily’s Mom. One of my favorite things to do IN LIFE is to get snowed in with my wife!

If you’re looking for something to do… read my snow day blog: 10 Innovative Things 2 Do On A Snow Day!

Yesterday, was fun! I wrote from about 4:30am until 10am. Then at 11am, I had a scheduled meeting with our amazing youth pastor, Nathan Bain… and instead of meeting in the office, we drove to Richmond together, had lunch @ the Strawberry Street Cafe with the other half of my family, and had a very productive 4 hour youth ministry meeting!

Then last night, Heaven and I played two volleyball games at the church league! I found out my sister Helen Reese just got a new and FAR better job working 4 days a week, no weekends… she’s gonna get the perfect church attendance award from now on! Oh, and some VERY kind fellow randomly handed me $200! What a perfect day!

Thinking about tomorrow morning… praying the snow doesn’t keep too many people away from Destiny Family Center! Church has been amazing since our 7 year anniversary at the end of August… every single service and everything outside of services… the UNITY, and SMILES, and REVELATION of Gods Word, and the preciousness of Gods TANGIBLE presence… beyond words!

I know that sound awful preachy, but there’s just no better way to describe it… VERY RELATIONAL, VERY SPIRITUAL, VERY FUN, VERY FRUITFUL!

We’re all loving this LONG LASTING wave of momentum! Then, last Sunday was the service BEYOND WORDS… and Wednesday nights dinner and groups was BEYOND WORDS too! Something like 28 people have come to Christ since January 1st @ DFC! Thats almost a person a DAY! I love my church!!

I Miss My Family!

One final word on todays journal… I really miss my wife and son! (frowny face and watery eyes)

Coree, I miss all the laughter you bring to my life! I miss the irritation of having to share my computer with you! I miss talking to you about girls! I miss the calm you create in my world! I miss you telling me how I’m the best dad in the whole wide world! I miss that kiss you give me on the cheek every night before you go upstairs to bed! LOL just kidding! haha!

Emily, please wrap up all that work in Richmond… and bring your mom to live here in these beautiful mountains! I’m lost without you Emily! I’m just walking around in circles in the middle of the family room… the family room without a family! Heaven won’t help me clean… grrrr! And it’s a snow day… I always make you hot chocolate on snow days! My whole life is meaningless without your happy face! You’re my best friend! My dear dear Emily… please return to me, my love! (smiling with one eye winked)

Absence does make the heart grow fond… and I am FOND! See if you recognize this tune… thought it might help you remember your dear old Charlie!

Ps: I even miss Ming Mi and Chica (not as much as Ming Mi)… but I don’t miss walking them in the mornings yet! In fact, I still pretty much hate that! Emily, please give the gals a kiss on their furry little heads from DAD this morning! (cheese smile)

Chuck

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