This has been a busy week but a week that has been most amazing. On Tuesday, me and a few of my students from Wed night youth group went to see the Passion Tour in uptown Charlotte. The Passion Tour is a group of musicians and bands that come together and tour the world to share, worship and praise our God and to send a message into the world to end world slavery. This movement is really gaining steam and laws are being passed each day to help the victims in the sex slave markets around our world. 27 million are forced in slavery, more than any other time in the history of the world and this all started because of one heart that broke and God ignited a fire in Christine Cain and she boldly took it to the world. So as these bands and musicians tour, they are spreading the love of Jesus and I want to tell you, what a concert - well not a concert really but a worship experience it was. Nothing like singing and praising our God with a few hundred folks in this small beautiful 150 year old church. Seeing Anna, Morgan, Maddison singing and raising their hands and smiling for 2 hours is well worth the $20 ticket. For them, their first Christian artist concert and one they will always remember. See these gals are leaders in their generation. They are in key club, they lead at church and in their youth group, they study hard and are wonderful young women. I love making and putting together opportunities for them to grow, to experience and have a chance to be involved in these kinds of things because it stretches us, it grows us, it gets us out of our comfort zones sometimes and that is exactly where God can use us. 

Meeting Kristian after the worship experience was awesome. Such a humbled and gentle spirit he has. He welcomed us in gave us a hug and a handshake and I thanked him for the workout session. He laughed and I said PassionP90X and it was awesome! Maddison said ever so quietly before we were next, - "I wonder if he knows he will be my husband?" - it was really funny and we all shared a good laugh.

When we can imprint amazing moments like this into our lives and into the lives of others, it has a lasting affect. Its like a fingerprint - it leaves a mark. These gals went home and shared their experience with their families. They shared with their classmates. They became contagious as they shared with others. The cost of this - Priceless. I just cant put a value on something with this much meaning. 

All I want, is by the end of the day, that my heart looks like His heart. I want to have the same things breaking me that are breaking Gods heart. I want to be able to honestly stand with my hands open and beg God to use me - WHATEVER - way he has willed me to do. 

Wednesday I put together a movie night to see the movie Home Run. I invited just about everyone I have contact info for as everyone was invited. Had a good turn out and the theater was pretty much ours and enjoyed a great movie with a powerful message to it. Pastor Tim, who has become such a great friend and brother in Christ this past year was very excited and happy that so many in his church came to see the movie and to hear the message of 2nd chances, that God loves us too much to leave us where we are and forgiveness.

As I wrap up this post, I just walked in from having lunch with my 5th graders. I got to share lunch with 3 different classes today as many sat with Lauren, Taylon and myself. Its such an amazing time being in their environment. All year the friendships grow and smiles and laughs and sharing comes more easily. Today, I found out one of my kids moved. Gone. Just like that. I was really making some leaps with him as he often pulled me aside and opened up. Sharing something about home or something funny. If a child is bold enough to ask me "Why do I come in and have lunch every week when i am not Taylons or Laurens dad?" - He is really thinking about things. Its awesome when they ask and I am not just telling them why I am there. They really seem to get the WHY then. As he finishes up 5th grade in the next few weeks, he will have a fresh start in middle school. I know he will rise to the occasion and flourish.

I will close with Psalm 116:1-2 as I read through my Bible plan in a year through LifeChurch.tv - "I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live."

Gods peace and favor,
Lonnie~

Carol and I had a very good anniversary yesterday. Thank you to all those who called, emailed, texted and sent messages on FaceBook or Twitter. We truly love you all. Carol, Kyle and I got to go out to eat to what I think is my favorite place to eat even though its a bit fancy. Holding pinky out here :) - Cajun Queen has got to be the cutest little place in Charlotte and the food it amazing. As you can tell by the name, its Cajun which means it has some heat in it. I like that. There in the upper room, a little 3 old man band was playing, a little drums, a little bass guitar and cutest old gentleman I have ever seen playing the piano. He was all crunched over and his arms didnt have to move much to have his hands on the keys and he just played. No notes. No sheet music. Nothing. Pretty awesome stuff as he played and smiled. You could just tell this man was at peace and enjoyed so much what he was doing.
I am sad to say that the tragedy yesterday in Boston played a big part in our day as with any tragedy like this, it really reminds us that life can turn in a moment. Thinking about 24 years of marriage and praying for another 24 years. Its humbling knowing that, especially at my age, that life has its major turns, battles and scars. My heart pours out to the folks in Boston and I just cant fathom why and how there is so much hatred in the world. I am comforted knowing that Christ is already at work in that area in the hearts of his people.

Yesterday during my quiet time as I am going through my YouVersion Bible reading plan in a year - I am in 2 Kings 5 and I came across this as it really came to life for me. I hope it comes to life for you in some way.

2 Kings 5

The Healing of Naaman

5 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.^[a]

² At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. ³ One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”
⁴ So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. ⁵ “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold,^[b] and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”
⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
⁸ But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”
⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
¹¹ But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! ¹² Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
¹³ But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir,^[c] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” ¹⁴ So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!
¹⁵ Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

I know the scripture is a bit long but its important to have the before and after from verse 12 and 13. See Naaman wanted to be cleaned from his leprosy. He was a mighty warrior, many killed in battles, a leader and people looked up to him and followed him but he had a major problem. He was sick. He had leprosy and it was probably hard to lead people in battle, to give commands to people and probably lots of them since he was the commander of the army. So he desperately wanted to be healed. So he went to see the prophet Elisha who would heal him but when he went, Elisha sent him away telling him to go wash in the Jordan. Naaman was furious. He wanted to be healed right then. He didnt want to do his part, follow directions or orders in army terms. He thought the waters of the Jordan were not different than other river waters and he had already tried all that and still he was infected. So after his officers spoke to him, reasoned with him, he went and did what Elisha told him to do. There ya go .... all clean. Skin like a baby. 

How often do we look for the big things in our lives when we should be paying attention and more importantly doing, the little things? We need a cure for something today but we refuse to go to the doctor. We need a miracle in our finances but we keep on spending. We are not happy in our relationship or marriage but refuse to sit down and work at it. We want our kids to make good choices but we dont show them a good example or invest more time with them. So often we need to listen to the people in our lives. We need to seek out our godly friends that God has placed in our lives and seek their advice. We need their counsel because they wont steer us wrong. Maybe we dont because we honestly, want to do things our way. We want to do the things we want to do regardless if it brings healing, hope, restoration. We know what they are going to tell us and that is honestly what we dont want to do. So we dont ask. We buy the house we cant afford. We rent the car that is too expensive and we get stuck even further with monthly bills. We go to the other college because boyfriend or girlfriend goes there.

I bet if we each take a look around at the godly folks in our lives today. You will have some. Maybe today, would be a good idea, to call them, text them or send them an email to thank them first but more importantly to set up some coffee time and share. Open up a little, seek some advice on that thing that you are struggling with. Lighten the yolk up a little and let this godly friend pour some wisdom into you. It may take only 10 seconds of courage to do it. Do it anyway...... 

Like the officers, they spoke to Naaman, reminded him to do the little things and stop looking for the big thing that is going to make a huge difference. Your miracle that you need today may just be a listening ear away. Stay obedient in the small things, the big things will work out to.

Love you all,
Lonnie~  

 

You might be thinking this is our wedding photo. You would be wrong. For those in our life right now who have teenagers going to prom, since its prom season, this is our prom picture. Looks like a wedding photo though doesn't it? Carol and I are one of the small % of couples that get married that dated in high school.  To clear a few things up, Carol is still just as pretty and sweet as she was back then. I did have hair back then since most people today know me with no hair. I probably couldn't see the photographer in this picture because I did not have my glasses on, my mom worked for company that barely had vision benefits so I always got the army surplus glasses that made me look like a raccoon or a satellite dish on my face. - But hey we were in love :)

24 years ago today I remember waking up in my apartment, Carol still lived at home with her mom and dad, and my best man and wedding guys slowly came over. It was a day full of excitement, full of dreams and full of rain. I am not talking like showers that pass by but I am talking a rain like Noah would be nervous about. It rained so hard that day that the limo couldnt come pick the guys up and take them to the church. We all piled into my dads white van to take us to the church in the last minutes before things got underway without being late. So many folks there that day and I remember seeing Carol at the other end of the church and thinking, gosh, is this for real? My walk with Christ at this time wasnt more than a walk that my mom had. My faith then was very much through her. I will always remember my moms love for Jesus was always quiet. Her spiritual side was kept very close to her until her last few months on this earth - it was only then that I saw how much my mom lived her life. So as our wedding day washed before our eyes, we danced, we sang, we partied and had so much fun. They say, rain on your wedding day bring the marriage luck. I hope that still is true today. I am so blessed to still be in love with Carol like we were when we were in our 20's and even before. As high school ended, college started, full time work began and Carol and I continued to make some good choices, dream big and work hard on those dreams. The day after our wedding we flew to Ocho Rios Jamaica for a week and fell in love with the island people. Who knew that 22 years later, Carol and my son Kyle and a bunch of close people, like family in our life, would be returning for a mission trip. Everything always comes full circle. Looking back I can see that more and more in my life as I get older. Everything has a season and everything comes back around. Its almost as if its like putting closure to so much. 

24 years of marriage has been wonderful, it has been hard work in some seasons of time, its been beautiful and its been fun. I think the key ingredient for us as I look back is, we were friends before we started dating. We liked each other first before we loved each other. It was a funship of friendship but working together to common goals while trying to always put the other person first. 

With most marriages ending today in a dismal 50% ratio - I think about our parents. Walt and MaryLou. Lonnie Sr and my mom Lois. A lifetime committed to marriage. I am so thankful we had good examples to go by. I am so blessed to see the struggles of our parents and being able to work things out and throwing in the towel was never an option. I can say that Carols mom and dad loved each other all the days of their lives. My dad loved my mom all the days of hers. There is such comfort knowing that your spouse has your back and no matter what happens - throwing in the towel is never an option. Honoring the other before self - that keeps the bad decisions few and far between. 

Carol I am so thankful for you. The way you love your friends, deeply, the way you love Kyle and our family and what that represents. Our family time is so important to you and giving Kyle a great example of how a wife and mom leads in the family. You loved Kate just as deeply and even though those wounds resurface from time to time. I know that love would never be in vain. Even though it didn't end the way we wanted. Even though we didn't listen to others as we took her in and loved her like our own daughter. We stuck to prayer and doing what God had called us to do. I know we wouldn't take that season of time back. It has made us closer. It has created a tighter bonded team. It has shaped us in so many ways. It has shown us to trust each other and God more. I am so thankful to have you as my teammate in life. I thank God for you and how richly blessed I am. 24 years and praying even better 24 more. 

You have always been the love of my life and the last few years since God has moved from someone I barely knew to the heart full that he continues to give me daily - Our love for each other is even stronger because of Him. 

I didn't have to think long about marriage as it is shared with us in Gods word. John 2 is the first miracle that Jesus performed. By turning water into wine, God revealed himself in such a huge way - A wedding celebration. His first sign of his glory. Our marriages today need God in them. Not as an add-on but as a centered piece. I am convinced that after living 47 years of my life, most of which being married, that the secret in marriage and honoring each other is putting Christ at the center of everything you do.

I have to say, with the road we have traveled - its the one true thing that has held us together. Only by his power, his grace and his love have we been able to endure all we have, enjoyed the seasons of such joy, given Kyle a home with a mom and dad, and a loving example of what marriage kindashoulda - look like. Though nothing is ever perfect, nothing is ever worth having without a struggle to keep it. 

I love you with all my heart Carol. Looking forward to the next, whatever God has in store for us. The dreams are endless, the possibilities are awesome and I have someone to smile with along this journey. 

All my heart,

Lonnie~

Had a pretty busy weekend, as the weather was finally nice and had a chance to work in the yard. So far behind on some things and at times when I step back and look at everything in the big picture, its easy for me to get overwhelmed. Kyle and I had a good work day, removing pond, bushes, cutting and splitting firewood and getting grass cut and pool opened.

Yesterday was a good day as my family and I got the chance to visit a local church that has opened. Their first official launch was Easter Sunday and God blew the doors off this place with standing room only and I would have to say, a very successful launch. I am very excited that High Rock Church is here in our community. 15 years of looking at a building with a couple tenants and mostly empty for the past few years, I often asked and spoke to God about that location and how a church would be amazing there right on the main road of our small town of Harrisburg. God had plans for this location and I am so very thankful that Pastor Robbie and I have hooked up, teamed up, and share so much in common. Its going to be an exciting journey as people who don't know God will come to know Him because of the vision that this church has and Pastor Robbie and his staff and volunteers have to reach people. Service was packed yesterday, greeting was welcoming, band was on point and even 3rd worship song in was Elevation Church - I think they put that in there for me :) - and Pastor Robbie spoke a good word from Matthew 7 that talks about accountability and loving others by not calling them out and judging them because they are different. We need to not call people out because they dont believe or act the same way we do because they may not know Christ and we do, so how can they act and speak and do the things we do. They dont know Christ yet. So by humbling ourselves it leads to healing. It leads to a gentle heart and common ground so that through being humble, we can reach out and walk with those we are called to love.  Judging leads to judgement. A great 2 service High Rock! I look forward to serving the kingdom with ya'll in whatever roll that may be.

After church Carol and I hit the gym, had a good workout which was long overdue. Need to find time to make that happen more often. Its good for the heart, soul and mind - especially for me. I just feel better when I can tear it up in the gym. A little work in the yard, dinner and then Elevation Church last night. Pastor Steven brought an amazing word from God as we started our new series - "Gods Will Whatever". I have to say that I dont know how Pastor brings such good word to us every single week. It completely blows me away at times and this week was not any different. A Easter message where Pastor spoke to over 26000 people and he comes right back the next week with an amazing word as we dug in to figure out "What is Gods will for our life". A couple key points being:
~ We cannot do Gods will until we understand Gods will.
~ Gods will is through Works - we either get on board with him or we get steamrolled.
~Gods will is not the most undesirable option. Its not us picking his choice because its the one we think will suck the most and we just do it because.
~When we walk in Gods ways, we are in Gods will.

Collosians 3:17 - And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Here is where it really took a hold of me last night. I mean it really shook my core and its not anything I didnt already know but I am here to tell you it really SPOKE in me. Gods will for our lives as Pastor taught, is to do WHATEVER - being a student, work at a university, stay at home mom, work in the library, a doctor, work at the bank, a coach, a teacher, play sports, dance, sing, a fireman or a policeman - WHATEVER - you do, do it all in the name of the Lord. I get asked so often, especially being around students either in college or in high school. Mr Lonnie what is Gods will for my life? What am I to do? Do I want to be a teacher? Should I go out with this guy or gal? We are talking marriage but I am unsure. Those are all great decisions and yes, they need prayer, concentration and focus to make good wise choices. But WHATEVER you do - honor God in doing them. Take Christ with you wherever you go. 
Its not that important which college you go to but it matter more WHO you are when you do go. His will is in the present not the future. Its right now! Are you in Gods will in your situation, relationships, struggles, at school or in your job? Gods will isnt about who you are going to be because you are not there yet. Gods will is in the NOW so he can create who you are to BECOME.

God has placed you in the moment right now, not wishing you were doing something else, or what you could do or what someone else says you should be doing. 
That really hit me hard. As I posted on Facebook last night, as I couldnt hold this in any longer. People ask me from time to time. Why are you working there? You should be on staff at a church somewhere. You should be leading mission teams, leading a student ministry, you are so good with people. Yes, I have asked myself those same questions. I have a job leading a student ministry from my long time friend and pastor - (Travis) I just have to move to Maine. I love what I do. I love the people in my life that God has placed around me. I love loving on the families and the students while pointing them to Jesus. I love encouraging and serving others and leading people to do the same, to serve along side of me. Its a passion I am so passionate about. 
Last week I got invited to speak at the Salvation Army Center of Hope, which is a women and children homeless facility in Charlotte NC for their volunteer luncheon. I was a little nervous as I have not spoken in front of a crowd that large in some time. I didnt have any notes but just wanted to share my heart about my volunteer time there. I got started a little tough but my heart poured open and I think I landed it pretty well. I got to meet a lot of folks with the same desire to invest in others. To see people regain hope and get back on their feet while being shown and reminded that people care about them and love them. Its such an honor being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need not a hand out but just a hand up.

If we really sink in and examine the WHY - we do things, serve, work, preach, study, etc... God will work it all out right. We will be in Gods will because we will understand WHY its Gods will. Its a motive before its an action. Far too often as Pastor explained, we wait around looking for the burning bush instead of just being WHO God has called us to be. 

Be WHO God has called you to be. The where will work it out. 
2 Samuel 22:31 - “God’s way is perfect " All the Lord’s promises prove true.
Romans 8:28 -^"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." 

God will take your entire life, the good, the bad, the ugly, the pretty and use it for his purposes. You are never too far from God that He cant use you. Your story, your testimony, is the account in your life of what God has done to those who dont know Him. God will and can use everyone's story. Your story matters. 

So today - go and do your day - student at school, gym teacher, professor, on the wrestling mat, in your studies, in your relationships - WHATEVER.

You are Gods representative and just maybe, the only Bible some will see today. 

Thanks for an amazing day yesterday Lord as you spoke directly to my heart through High Rock and Elevation church. Praying I bring you praise, honor and glory as I go about my day sharing what You are teaching me for my life. Amen,

Peace today,
Lonnie~