I have heard from various people throughout my life time that they have struggled with certain birthdays that befell them. For some it was 40, for others 50 and so on… I never really identified with them. Birthdays have always been fun for me… I’ve always looked forward to them. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been one who’s fallen into the trap of feeling like there’s always plenty of time.  Or perhaps I’ve been one who’s always carried the confidence of youth with me through my teenage years and my twenties…

Oops…the cat’s out of the bag. You would expect the above words to be written by someone much older. In fact, my wife comments that it sounds ridiculous to complain about only turning 30. Yep…I’m only turning 30 next week. But it’s really messing with me!!! Go ahead, take a second to laugh and then come back and read the rest…

People who are predisposed to a naturally melancholy personality like I am have to be careful not to allow their circumstances to propel them into episodes of prolonged sadness or depression. I have been determined not to let this happen, and have realized that I need to turn to prayer and the Word of God to counteract my feelings with His truth. In doing so, I’ve come back to some revelations about life that are really helping me start to look forward to Feb. 15 instead of dread it. Here they are on no particular order… I hope these can help and encourage you in whatever circumstance that you find yourself in.

The mercies and grace of God are new and replenished for us each and every day… I’ve realized that a lot of my apprehension about this coming birthday stems from the regret I still struggle with about my past. Newsflash…teenagers aren’t playing with a full deck. Everyone does things that they regret in those years. I don’t struggle so much with that era as I do my twenties. I made some monumental mistakes in my twenties…to you they may be no big deal. But to me….whoppers. I’m not done making up for and unraveling some of the mess that these mistakes have caused. I’m not ready for another year to go by…I’m still working on fixing the past. But I can’t fix it… It’s over.
It’s amazing how Satan wants to use our past to heap condemnation on us… the only answer is to be saturated in the mercy and grace of God every day. To wake up each day and realize that you have a clean slate with God and to walk in the power of that great truth is like a healing salve that pours over your heart.  At least it has mine…
The new mercy and grace that I receive from God each day turns my attention away from the past that I can’t change and towards the present and the future that with his help, I can.

The seasons of our lives were God’s great idea…
The Bible tells us that God is the author of life. Each successive season of life is by his design and is orchestrated by his great love. That means there is joy to be found in each season of life. This truth has also helped me a great deal… There is joy to be found in this next season of life. In my twenties, my boys were born. In my thirties, I’ll get to watch them grow up and become young men. That sounds like fun to me… I can handle that. I’m sure there will countless numbers of other things that will bring joy into this next season. Birthdays were God’s idea and I need to trust Him.

We’ve been blessed…
I’ve had friends who never saw age 30. I know many my age or just slightly older who deal with incredible health issues – they face cancer or some other terrible affliction. I am in good health! If you can say the same than you are incredibly blessed. I have a great family. What a blessing. If you can say the same than you are incredibly blessed.  I have been saved by grace through my faith in Jesus. The ultimate blessing! If you can say the same than you are eternally blessed. It’s this last blessing that reminds me that in the grand scheme of things this life on earth is but a breath. But that’s ok. Eternity awaits. It is promised to us to be incredible.

So, there you have it. I’m going to choose to enjoy this birthday. I’m going to enjoy being with my family, my church and the Lord. I think I’ll wake up next Wednesday, go hit a workout and then think about all the He has in store for me this year and in this season. It’ll be ok.

I have always been drawn to stories about leadership in the Bible. One of my favorites is the Old Testament story of Joshua. Joshua gets his own Bible book named after him, so we know he must be important, and the first chapter of that book finds Joshua about to take over the reigns of leadership of God’s people and get them to the Promised Land. Joshua 1 is a great passage of scripture for any of us who ever find ourselves facing a daunting task in life… Be Strong and Courageous is the advice we read from the Lord over and over in this great chapter.

Now obviously, getting that kind of encouragement from the Lord would help, but as a leader myself, I know that Joshua must have taken relief in the fact that the people he was leading had been taught well and lead well. Furthermore, Joshua had been trained for his position by his predecessor – Moses.

Moses, we know, was great leader. It was his job to get God’s people out of slavery in Egypt and organized as a nation so they could proceed towards the ultimate goal of settling in Canaan. It’s interesting to see that Moses never makes Canaan himself. He’s not the one who leads the people across the Jordan River and into the land flowing with milk and honey. But, in the end, he’s just as important and vital to the story as Joshua. Without the preparation and leadership of Moses, Joshua’s ultimate leadership success would never have happened. Metaphorically speaking, it was as if Joshua was standing on Moses’ shoulders as he lead Israel across the river into their promised land. This story has many fascinating perspectives and truths, but to me the one that sticks out perhaps the most is the generational hand off of leadership that takes place between these two men.

I can relate…

Tomorrow, here at New Life, we are hosting a community event to honor the ministry and legacy of Pastor Phil and Faith Shaw. Rachelle and I have been the pastors here at New Life for three and a half weeks now and it has been wonderful. But I can’t help but wonder if Joshua in some way felt like I do as I stand out on our property and survey the city that God has called us to reach. I take comfort in the voice of the Holy Spirit inside of me saying, “Be Strong and Courageous.” But I also am strengthened by the Godly legacy of ministry and leadership that I am following in the Shaw’s.

Jesus tells us that we judge a tree by it’s fruit. The metaphor is used to teach us a kingdom principle about the quality of a person’s life. I have not had the privilege of knowing the Shaw’s prior to coming to New Life. But, I can see the enormous amount of fruit that their ministry has produced  and the enormous foundation that has been laid in the founding of this church.  It is everywhere…from the building, the land, the cross tower and KNLW. But the greatest living testimony to the faithfulness of this dear couple is in the people that have reaped the benefits of their ministry. The maturity, the dedication to building the kingdom that exists in so many and most importantly the love that exists for God and each other stand as pillars erected through years of faithful service and dedication to this church. These are pillars that I now have the privilege of standing on as we move forward. If Joshua stood on the legacy of Moses as he lead Israel, I now stand on the great legacy of Pastor Phil and Faith. Every soul that is one, every marriage that is saved, every life that is transformed will be credited directly back to their faithfulness and their dedication to the call of God. I take great courage from the fact that someone great has gone before me. The foundation has been laid and it is solid. I stand now with many of you who wish to honor and thank your pastors for the incredible work that they have done. And Rachelle and I both say to Pastor Shaw and to Faith very simply, “Thank You.”