Everett Samuel Bishop - Welcome to our world

He's here.... the long anticipated arrival of our 3rd child came with a mix of schedule and suspense. Nicole's blood pressure was creeping up and the doctor felt it wasn't worth running a risk of getting into emergency situations so she scheduled an induction for Wednesday morning at 7:00 am. Tuesday night we took the kids to Grandma and Grandpas and came home to get settled in for a good nights rest before the big day.

Yet at 11:30 Nicole sat straight up in bed and announced it was time to go. The baby decided to arrive unscheduled and on his own time. We loaded into the car drove to the hospital and Nicole was checked in yet wasn't in a great amount of pain. So the nurses were taking their time. We were moved to a delivery room and the IVs were placed... but not without some challenges. While they were placing the IVs Nicole started having some stronger and stronger contractions and by the time they were done she was ready to push. The doctor was still at home in bed, so after a hurried trip to the hospital she arrived just in time to put on her catchers glove and announce to Nicole - already in great distress - that it was too late for pain meds so we were going to do this "au natural" much to Nicole's chagrin. Actually, her exact words were, "THIS IS NOT A CLUB I WANTED TO BE A MEMBER OF." Stated rather emphatically.

In 20 minutes, Everett Samuel arrived at 3:17 am. 7 lbs 12 oz. 20.5 inches long.

Here are some pics of our latest miracle with more to come... as they are taken.

Temptation and choices

Have you ever been tempted and believed there was no way out but to give in? I have a dear brother who has been struggling for quite some time with a lot of issues in his life. It is always three steps forward and two steps back. Yet the steps back seem to bite much harder than the victories of moving forward. Despite protection mechanisms we've built into our relationship to help him realize there is a physical way out by calling me and alerting me of his intentions, he circumnavigated the process recently and gave in once again.

OK, so what's the big deal you say. We all stumble in many ways. Isn't that what the book of James says? (James 3:2) Of course it is. And we all fall short. And we are always to forgive. Yes, yes and yes. It is not about the falling short that I'm concerned - though the repeated pattern of failures makes it more difficult to encourage him that there is victory in the end. It is about the lack of asking someone else for help. You see, I've asked him what he needs from me. I've asked him to call me when he's having trouble. The Spirit alerted me to some of his challenges about a week before they happened and despite my many attempts to contact him (email, telephone, text messages) he didn't return my messages. There were many confirming circumstances that this friend was in trouble. And I tried to intercede through prayer and physically intervene. Yet he chose to go another route and make a series of poor choices once again. The damage is done. Two more steps backward. And though he tells me he's renewed his Relationship with Christ and that is going to help, I don't have much confidence.

You see, the Bible tells us that no one has seen God. No one. But if we believe we see God's representatives around us at all times. Those that carry Jesus in their heart are the representation of our Heavenly Father here on Earth. Therefore when we face times of trial or temptation - we should call out to others for help as a way of asking God for help. We pray and pray for deliverance from temptation (when really what we want is a "genie" to make it disappear) instead God has already provided us His hands and feet here on earth. They are other brothers and sisters. And at very least - we should accept the help that is offered to us. But we don't. Pride gets in the way. We want to be independent and slay our dragons all by ourselves. But this will not work. Why not? Because God says all he needs is a broken spirit and a contrite heart. That is the antithesis of pride isn't it?

So while temptation may seem like the dragon you need to slay ... and you attempt to do that by modifying your actions to temptation... perhaps the real dragon you need to kill once and for all is PRIDE. Reach out to others. Call someone else if you're tempted. Respond to a a friends attempt to contact you. Believe that the Spirit speaks to others on your behalf and their attempt to contact you is not only earthly but divine. Failure to rely on others and reach out for help will bite you all the time not because they single-handedly can take away your problem. But because it shows God you have a contrite heart willing to lay down your own pride.

None of us is strong enough to fight it alone... but together - when God's people unite - there is nothing that can defeat God.

Know that if you're reading this - my brother - that I'm willing to serve and assist. You've just got to let me in.

Warfare... beware

Does life ever get you down? The task list never seems to grow smaller, the kids never seem to play independently anymore, etc... You're so busy preparing that you forgotten to enjoy the moment? This describes me lately. Here are just a few of the events going on...

1. The house remodeling is nearly complete but now there are the fix-up projects like hanging blinds, fixing drywall, painting rooms etc. This has consumed my time lately. Correction, I've let it consume my time lately.
2. The kids got to spend a few days with my parents last week. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They swam with cousins, took tractor rides, played with kittens, and were completely spoiled by Nana and Papa's love.
3. Oh, and did I say my wife is 8.99 months pregnant and ready to go into labor at any moment, so our plans consist of 2 hour increments as we assess the landscape and potential for baby's arrival at any time.

So amid these distractions I noticed several things happening. When the kids came home they were not happy and jovial. They were tired, grouchy and irritable. Sometimes they were downright hateful in the things they would say and do towards us. I was also frustrated with my lack of pro activity as a father and as a husband and the fact that these house projects had kept me from giving my best to those I love the most. Then when I did attempt any project it was taking about 2 times longer than it should have and inevitably causing me to question my skills (or lack thereof) as a handyman.

I start hearing the voices again. (No I'm not bi-polar...) You know those voices. The ones that whisper in your ear "You're not good enough." or "You're a terrible father." or "You'll never be able to fix this problem." or "Any other man could figure out this issue, why can't you." Only a few minutes into this and I had convinced myself that I was a failure as a father, a husband, a manager, an employee, a Christian, and as a son. Ultimately I was defeated and lethargic. Amazing how quickly this happens, isn't' it.

I chose to get up early the next morning and go for what I call a "perspective walk." These walks are not for physical health but for spiritual health. On these walks I go slowly around our neighborhood and pause in front of random houses or mailboxes. I ponder what goes on behind those walls. Do others have these thoughts of self-doubts? Is this marriage in trouble? Are these kids in crisis? Does this household know Jesus? As I ponder these things I start to realize we live in hurting world that needs Jesus. My focus becomes others and less about self. When this happens I realize I doubt myself less and am able to discern the lies going on in my head.

Yet something unique happened on this walk. Between houses and between mailboxes as I walked the sun peaked up over the horizon and the most brilliant colors started penetrating the otherwise black sky. As I watched this masterpiece unfold - seemingly just for me - I heard that stirring in my spirit that only the Holy Spirit can create - and it said... "Beware. Warfare is all around you. Satan is trying to take you down. I will protect you. But you need to be vigilant for you and for your family."

Oh friends, warfare is all around us. Grouchy kids. Irritable spouses. Financial problems. All of these can be orchestrated for the purposes of taking our focus away from Jesus and from others. When this happens we place it all on ourselves and ultimately we - as a body- become tired and lethargic.

Join me in recognizing it for what it is. It is not "life" as many of us commonly refer to it. It is Satan and his attempts at distracting us from the Joy life is meant to bring. Join me in praying for protection from the warfare and for the joy of life to return to you as it did to me through a ray of sunshine!

Postlogue: The next morning I went for a similar walk. But this one was for prayer. I specifically wanted to lift up my young son in prayer as he has really been the recipient of much of the warfare. We could easily say it is because he is 4 and that is what 4 year olds do... but I know him better. God has given him more potential than this. After the reminder that warfare is all around us I pleaded with the Holy Spirit to provide protection from this for the next 24 hours so we could see the difference. And amazingly - and predictably- the next 24 hours were one of seeing joy again in our little boy's life. Shouldn't we be praying this daily? Won't you join me?

Make it Count!

It is amazing how much God speaks to me through my conversations with others. Recently I was having a conversation with a friend who has recently come through some very challenging health situations. This health situation was so severe that should it have gone undetected, he would have died suddenly without warning. Fortunately, he had some minor symptoms and upon investigation the problem was detected, corrected, and removed. Sounds simple huh? Well there were major surgeries, months of rehab and countless changes in lifestyle required to make this healing occur over the course of the last 6 months. All the while this person was off of work and out of commission in his home, many many people picked up the extra work and attended to his needs so he could focus solely on recovery. Suffice it to say it was like a ripple effect. Even my wife, kids and friends sacrificed something for this man because I chose to put in extra hours at work to cover the load of his absence.

Now he is back at work. For all purposes no one would know any different - by observing him - you may assume he doesn't even know any difference. Same attitude, same work performance, but shy a few inches from his waistline. Yet I fear lack of discipline will be this persons demise. You see, the doctors have ordered a strict diet and exercise change to make the healing last. Yet it is disconcerting to me to see that he continues in his old ways eating the same foods and acting in such a way that nothing ever happened. As I watched him eat, I jokingly chided him about what he was consuming. Then I realized I was more than joking... I was downright upset. But why was I upset? As I analyzed it I realized I was upset because I felt cheated. I personally sacrificed for his recovery. Even my family - indirectly - sacrificed for his recovery. The Doctors, nurses and rehab workers all sacrificed immensely for his recovery. Not to mention his own wife, kids, family, and other friends... collectively 1000s of man-hours were spent directly and 1000s more spend indirectly to literally save and redeem this man's life from death's early grip. But he seems now not to care. Well, I suppose he cares. At least he says he does. He says the right words. He says "Thank You." And he tells us how reflective he is and how much this has changed his viewpoint of life. Yet words without action seem empty and useless. I mean if it hasn't changed his viewpoint enough that he's willing to alter his diet or exercise then he really hasn't gone through enough of a viewpoint change. At present state, none of the sacrifice really seems to matter.

I decided that I cared enough about this person that I must share my thoughts with him. I told him about my joking... and the honesty behind it. I shared with him the sense of violation I felt not to mention how is wife must feel when she sees his unaltered state of lifestyle choices. My parting words to him were this... "If you really cared about what people did for you while you were laid up and recovering, don't just tell us... show us. Make it count by changing your behaviors."

As I heard myself say these words it was as if the Holy Spirit descended upon me, took control of my mouth, and opened the ears of my heart. He was saying to me... "don't just tell me you're thankful for my Son's sacrifice... show me. Make it count by changing your behaviors." Needless to say, I've been wrestling with the Spirit the last few days trying to Make it Count... by changing my behaviors to show HIM I'm eternally grateful!

God bless my friends... please pray for my friend as well that in this temporal world, he will make the choices necessary to show the others he is thankful for their sacrifice.

The Disappointment of Rejection

Recently someone I really admire stepped out in faith trying to make a difference in the world. This person decided to open their home to a member of their family who came from lesser circumstances and offered them a new way of life. This nephew was provided with free room and board, a credit card of his own, a new car, a sizable monthy allowance for spending money, all in a surban environment to finish their high school years in a 4 star school system. Now the nephew was asked to sign a contract of sorts. The agreement was that he had to maintain a certain GPA, have some daily tasks within the household like lawn mowing and putting away his own laundry. Suffice it to say it wasn't a "free ride" but it was a chance to hone his self-discipline skills and excape some of the entitlement mentality he'd been raised with. Additionally, my friend even made the incentive offer that upon graduation with a successful GPA, he would pay for the first 2 years of college! This seems like too good of an offer to be true doesn't it!

Now let me take you to the end of the story. The nephew has moved out and rejected the lifestyle (and its ammenities) that were offered to him. Why is that? Because the discipline it required was too great and his pension for immediate pleasure trumped the perceived benefits of the offer made to him. Witnessing the disappointment of my friend is really disturbing. He was trying to do right and make a difference, but someone told him "no" to his offer.

Why am I even talking about this here? Well it was a great spiritual application for me.

1. On one level, how many people have rejected the life-giving gift of Jesus and all the rewards that come along with it. And how must God feel when His children reject his gift? I'm sure He's much more heartbroken than my friend - as it's not just a lifestyle decision, it truly is a life or death decision His children are making. When He was willing to give it all - and pay for our life - not just college - how disappointed He must feel when we arrogantly say no because of immediate pleasure seeking.
2. On a second level, how many times have I rejected God's daily offer to help me or to lead me? My arrogance of believing I can do it all myself leads me into daily disappointment. When my task list remains at the end of the day I'm disappointed because I'm not productive as I planned. And even when it is completely checked off, I may have never accomplished a single thing that God wanted me to that day. How disappointing is this?

If you have never accepted God's gift or if you have blatantly rejected it... I urge you to realize you - like my friend's nephew - may be passing up on the deal of a lifetime... literally.

Secondly, if you have already accepted this gift, join me in realizing every day is set aside with the perfect amount of time to accomplish what God instructs us to... but maybe if you find your self out of time... you (like I) may have rejected God's offer to help us order our days.

Either way... you can avoid being a disappointment... will you?

Day 88 - Nearly the End!

OK... so I haven't been good about posting as I'm reading but I am nearly finished with this 90 day reading schedule and have nearly completed the Bible in 90 days! It has been amazing and fast. I must admit I don't enjoy this rate of consumption and it has occasionally given me indigestion. I need to slow down, to chew on it and sometimes return to it several times before I officially feel full.

After reading the Bible cover to cover I don't presume to be able to summarize everything God has taught me... but here are a few.

• HE can always be trusted.
• HE will always provide for my needs (but not always my wants).
• ALL things work together for His purposes... ALL Things!
• HE is always speaking to me... it is me who chooses to listen (or not!)
• I really stink at relational prayer with God... though I'm quite good at giving him my list of demands!
• Though the world seems out of control right now... HE is always in control.
• I need Him... now, today and every day!

One of the disciplines I've enjoyed from this experience is the process of journaling on-line. This blog has been an accountability tool (Thanks Dr. Matt for keeping me honest and on track) as well as a self-reflection exercise. I've always been told to speak as if you're being recorded and write as if it may be published... in some regards this is the purpose of this journal. I am being recorded and published and most importantly I'm pouring my thoughts out to God and his image(s) here on Earth - which is YOU!

For that reason, I've changed the name of my blog.... You'll notice it is not called "Hearing God's Voice." The 90 days may have ended... but God has so much more to say... Stay Tuned. He's only just begun.

August 12 - Day 79

If you are reading this and seeing the amazing gap between July 27 and now you'll realize I haven't done very good about keeping up with blog posts. Something about international travel, jetlag, returning to the routine AND preparing for Baby #3 has just not afforded me the mindspace I needed.

Reflect on that last comment... how often to you find yourself saying things like this? I once heard a speaker talking about economics... and he was talking about the shift in consumerism in the postmodern era. His phrase was "people afford what they value." I suppose this captures my heart a little more lately.

You see, I've been keeping up on my reading. I've been doing it religiously. I value completing this goal in the 90 days. Yet, I haven't been doing my reading as a means for relationship - of finding Jesus in my daily time in the Word. If I haven't afforded the mindspace to find a relationship with Him, then I suppose it would mean that I don't value a relationship with Him. And how harsh does that sound?

Harsh but true... lately I've been flying on my own managing most priorities. Yet I always seem to be behind and tired. I don't feel proactive at all nor do I really feel productive. I'm sure it is because I left Him out of it.

A friend recently loaned me a Book on CD which I've listened to intensely over the last few days. It has really helped me realize this void in my life and how easily it was to quit looking for relationship and fall into the way of "religion." I highly recommend it...

http://www.amazon.com/Shack-Special-Hardcover-William-Young/dp/0964729245/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218570588&sr=8-1