The scene was our National Conference in Southern Mexico. Breakfast was over, and I joined the crowds of people headed for the auditorium. That morning a veteran Mexican missionary spoke straight from his heart: “My family met the Lord through American missionaries.  We are all fruit of the efforts of American missionaries who left their country and people to come to us.  Now it is our turn to leave Mexico and go to the nations.  We have a debt to pay.”  His passion was contagious.  I whispered, “Yes, Lord, you are here; the Lord of the Harvest is calling for workers”…and I remembered.

God was there when John and I were married that snowy Sunday night in Karlstad, Minnesota.  God was there in our first little house and our small church. God was there when I couldn’t understand one word of Spanish. He was there as I desperately tried to fit in surrounded by a foreign culture with my hugs and smiles! He was there as I taught my first Sunday school class (in English). He was there when I knelt and asked God for a lesson plan, too.  And God was there to help me become proficient in Spanish in only 6 months.

God was there to protect us on our travels by bus and car throughout Mexico.  God was there in each church service saving souls and touching lives. God was there as the work in Mexico grew and He always provided the funds and workers, too.  God was there in baptismal services and fellowship cookouts on the Rio Grande River. God was there every time I had to host meals and provide lodging on a tiny budget and in a small house. God was there when I delivered a baby by myself.  I tried to tell the mother to wait, using my limited Spanish, but giving birth to her 12th child made that an impossible choice.

God was there when I stayed “with the stuff” and prayed for John’s evangelistic meetings while he was away. God was there with creative ideas and fun plans to keep the children happy and occupied while Daddy was gone. God was there when we raised our family and saw them choose Christ as children. And God was there when we traveled as a family, almost every summer, raising money for CFU throughout the Midwest.     

God was there when I wrote “Coffee with Clara” letters to encourage pastor’s wives in Mexico. God was there when I was asked to speak, helping me to always share from my heart. And God was there each time I prayed for hurting people, mingling my tears with theirs.

Now at the conference, I wept as I joined others who were responding to God at the altar. The Lord of the Harvest was calling. God was here.

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We are throwing a celebration to mark my Mom’s 50 years in full-time ministry at 6:30 pm, the evening of Sunday, November 22 at Iglesia Bíblica, McAllen, Texas.  If you will be in the area, come and enjoy special music, tributes, great food, a multimedia presentation and lots of fun and laughter!

A LIFE-CHANGING TRIP

1959 was a year to remember. Revolutionist Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba, a young Senator named John F. Kennedy was busy running for President, and a new musical called, “The Sound of Music” made its debut on Broadway.  The same year, Mattel introduced a new toy, which they called, “The Barbie Doll”, folks were filling up movie theatres to see “Ben-Hur”, and Alaska and Hawaii became America’s 49th and 50th states.

As 1959 drew to a close, a small wedding was taking place on a snowy Sunday night in the small town of Karlstad, Minnesota, just a few miles from the Canadian border. It was November 8th, and Clara Ost, the daughter of a Norwegian-American pastor, was marrying John Ost, a pastor and missionary to Mexico. 

Clara had been working as a nurse in Thief River Falls, and had told her mother, “Mom, I will never marry a preacher!”  Her Mom responded, “But what if you fall in love with one?”  Slowly, God began to reveal to Clara that her destiny would be in full-time ministry.  One Friday night, Clara was picked up by her dad to spend the weekend in Karlstad.  On the drive home from Thief River Falls, Clara spoke from her heart, and said, “Daddy, I don’t know where or how, but I believe God wants me to be in full-time ministry.”  Pastor Riveness patted her on the shoulder and said, “Clara, that makes me very happy.”

Several months later, Clara was set up on a blind date with John Ost, a preacher who was visiting from South Texas.  Following a few dates and many months of letters, the two fell in love, and now found themselves standing at the altar vowing to be married “as long as they both shall live”.  After the pronouncement of husband and wife, they sang the hymn, “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us”.  As she sang in harmony with her new husband, Clara had no idea just how much her life was about to change.

The next morning, Clara packed all her belongings into John’s ’57 Chevy, and they began the 3-day journey to McAllen, Texas, where John served as pastor of Iglesia Bíblica.  Gradually the pine trees changed to palm trees and the snow gave way to tumbleweeds as they made their way through Texas and into the Rio Grande Valley.  Citrus groves and cotton fields stretched for miles in every direction, and Clara felt a little bit like she had arrived at the end of the world.

HUGS AND SMILES

Clara had now begun what for her would be a lifetime of ministry to Spanish-speaking people.  And she began without speaking a single word of Spanish.

The easiest way to start was by playing the piano and the accordion, because most of the hymns were the same ones that she knew in English.  Several times a week, John would bang away on his steel guitar leading the singing, and Clara would play right along on the piano.  But since she spoke no Spanish, she communicated love the only way she could, by hugging the ladies and smiling.  She also began teaching a small group of girls in Sunday school, who understood English.

Clara remembered her first trip into Mexico, to a wedding in Chicavazco, where she wore high heels, not realizing that she would be hiking quite a bit over dirt roads.  “Just a few weeks removed from Karlstad, Minnesota, I have rarely felt so out of my element, but I just tried to stay close to John and smile a lot.”

After only 6 months, Clara was able to communicate in Spanish well enough to pray and converse with the ladies in the church.  “It’s only by God’s grace that I can communicate at all in a language I never studied,” she would later confess.

A HAPPY HOME

As the years went by, Clara found her niche primarily by supporting and caring for John, making her home a happy place of refuge, and by loving her children.

Clara was always there when the children came home from school, and often had a creative game for them to play, a funny song to sing or a crazy joke to tell.  The most common sound around Clara was always laughter.

Often John would show up at the house with guests for dinner, and Clara would quickly prepare a meal without complaining.  Her abilities as a hostess were legendary.  People would always leave with full stomachs and happy hearts.

Her hostess skills were given their greatest test the summer Clara had the bright idea to invite teenagers from Mexico to her home in Alamo, Texas for a week of camp in the early ‘70’s.  Clara had been telling John how much she enjoyed camp as a little girl, and thought the Mexican teens should have one as well.  They expected maybe 20, but when the bus arrived at the border, there were 70 teenagers ready for camp!  “We had campers on the floor sleeping in every room of the house, and even a few on the roof!”, Clara later remembered.  “It was so much fun!’

A HEART FOR PEOPLE

Over the years, whenever Clara has had the opportunity to share with groups of ladies, she has always ministered from her heart.  When she served as South Texas area Women’s Aglow President, Clara would often pray for dozens of women, one by one, taking the time to hear their anguish and then combine her faith with theirs for an answer from God. 

Through her letters to pastor’s wives, that she calls, “Coffee With Clara”, Clara shares practical advice and comfort from the Scriptures to encourage each pastor’s wife to keep going and not give up.  Often she has expressed her desire “to take a trip and visit every pastor’s wife in our fellowship in Mexico, to encourage and bless them.”

This last year, Clara traveled to the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, teaching and encouraging ladies, and then spending time in prayer for each one, many times with tears.

For Clara, the ministry has been about sharing her life.  She lives out the words of 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”

JESUS, HOLD MY HAND

Clara walked through two deep valleys recently, with the loss of her husband, John, to cancer, and her son, Sam, to MS within months of each other.  “At times, I thought I wouldn’t make it,” she said.  “The heartbreak was so real and so painful, and the solitude was a very hard adjustment. But, when my life seemed to bounce around in the storm, God’s Word was my only anchor and Jesus was there to hold my hand.”  Now Clara can minister the comfort of Christ that she herself experienced through those dark days.  She remembers one of her husband’s last desires: “John wanted to visit the Mexican pastors one more time, and my feeling is that God has me here to finish that dream.”

THE ROAD AHEAD

In the last few years, Clara’s ministry has expanded to include a class for women, every Wednesday night, monthly women’s breakfasts, and many opportunities to share in other churches and groups as well.

The cry of Clara’s heart continues to be the salvation and discipleship of women.  Clara often quotes Titus 2:4-5, “Then they (older women) can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Clara plans to continue to travel and teach, to enjoy her 7 grandchildren, and is also working on a book titled “Coffee With Clara” that will contain daily devotions for women.

It’s been 50 years since that snowy night in Karlstad, but Clara still means the words she sang in harmony with her groom:

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care;
In thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

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We are throwing a celebration to mark my Mom’s 50 years in full-time ministry at 6:30 pm, the evening of Sunday, November 22 at Iglesia Bíblica, McAllen, Texas.  If you will be in the area, come and enjoy special music, tributes, great food, a multimedia presentation and lots of fun and laughter!

We walked down the surprisingly narrow hallway, the deep carpet cushioning our steps, as our secret service agent friend led us toward an open door.  “No way.  That can’t be what I think it is…can it?”  Yes, it was.

Who would have ever imagined that a South Texas preacher who grew up in the tiny town of Alamo, Texas, and his bride from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, would be inside the West Wing of the White House, looking through the door of the Oval Office of the President of the United States?  What a country!

It has been one week since Esther and I returned from our historic trip to Washington D.C. and Maryland, and we are still amazed by the awesome time we had and the fantastic memories that we made.  I want to give you a short description of our trip, then link you to the albums with all the photos we have posted on facebook.  If you are not a member of the facebook community, why not sign up now, and add “James Ost” as a friend to access all of our updates, photos and videos when they are posted?

WATCH THIS OVERVIEW VIDEO FIRST,
THEN READ THE STORY BELOW AND ENJOY  THE PICTURES

DUDE; WE’RE STAYING TWO BLOCKS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE!

Our plane touched down at Ronald Reagan Airport last Thursday afternoon.  Thanks to Priceline, we scored an unbelievable rate at a top-notch, 4-star hotel, just 2 blocks from the White House.  After checking in and having lunch, we headed over to the White House and snapped a few cell phone photos for our twitter followers (If you are not yet on twitter, why not sign up now, and follow “jimost” to get even more immediate updates?). 

The next morning, we had breakfast with Pastor Doug and Valerie Balcombe, then headed out to enjoy a double-decker tour of the entire city.  The weather was perfect and the perspective from the top of the bus was great!  We saw embassy row, the National Cathedral, most of the monuments, and made a quick stop at Arlington, before getting off for lunch at Ford’s Theatre, near Chinatown.  After touring the house where President Lincoln died, we enjoyed some delicious Chinese food in Chinatown.

Following an amazing, slobber-on-my-pillow nap, we returned in a cab to Ford’s Theatre to watch the musical, “The Civil War“.  All I can say is “WOW”!  GREAT singers, small, intimate theatre and awesome writing — blew us away.

Facebook Photo Album of Day One

ABE LINCOLN AND THE TYRANNOSAURUS REX

Saturday, we had a nice breakfast with Pastor Doug and Valerie, and, new arrivals, Daniel and Athena Balcome.  We decided to head over to the Smithsonian Museums of Natural History and American History.  Both museums were AWESOME and FREE!  At the Natural History Museum, I have never seen so many dinosour bones reconstructed in one place in my life.  My favorite parts of the American History Museum were the History of U.S. Wars exhibit and the Abraham Lincoln exhibit, but it was also very cool to see the same flag that flew over Fort McKinley in the War of 1812; the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”.  Esther and the other girls enjoyed an exhibit on “First Ladies of the United States”.  So impressive…I could literally spend a week in each museum.  They also had a dynamic re-enactment of the civil rights lunch counter sit-ins that was very well done.

After eating some Mexican food, Pastor Doug and I retired to the hotel for a nap, while the rest of the group continued touring on the double-decker bus.

Facebook Photo Album of Smithsonian Museums and Bus Tour

AM I REALLY LOOKING INSIDE THE OVAL OFFICE?  WOW!

Thanks to a very fortunate friendship with Jerry Joule, we were invited to take a private tour of the West Wing of the White H0use by a Secret Service Agent.  He met us in the hotel lobby and walked with us to the back entrance of the West Wing.  We had submitted our social security numbers and birthdates months earlier, so we had already passed a background check.

After getting our visitor badges, we walked through a few security gates and up to the VIP entrance of the West Wing of the White House.  WOW!  We were all pinching ourselves all the way into the hallway.  After seeing the door to the situation room, and looking inside the room where the President hosts his cabinet, we were ushered to an open door.  Looking inside, we realized that we were looking right into the Oval Office!

It looks smaller than I thought it would be, but being there and thinking about that office’s history was overwhelming.  To the left of the door was a bust of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to the right we could see a painting of George Washington.  We could see through the windows to the new playground for the President’s daughters.  I told Esther that way less than one percent of all Americans ever get to see this office.

We were then ushered outside to the Rose Garden, where we could finally take pictures and send triumphant text messages to our friends (are you on twitter yet?).  Then we went outside the Oval Office to the entrance where the President holds his outdoor press conferences and receives guests.  After more  pictures, we were ushered into the Press Room where the daily press conferences are held.  This room looks REALLY SMALL.  We took lots of pictures in that room as well.

This was the highlight of the trip and a historic evening for all of us.  We took our Secret Service Agent out for steaks to show our gratitude.

Facebook Photo Album of the White House West Wing (outside)

PLANES, SUBWAYS AND A MOONLIGHT TOUR OF DC

The next morning our group expanded to include Pastor Greg Dela Cruz, from Oahu, Hawaii and Bruce and Joanne Balcombe from San Diego, California.  We started our day at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  Again, these museums are just overwhelming.  Trying to see everything is like trying to drink water through a fire hose.

Some of us watched an IMAX movie about fighter pilots, then we split up, and I spent my time in the “History of Flight” exhibit. It is also really neat to see so many rockets, planes and even a lunar module.

After walking to the Captitol and finding it closed (DOH!), we took some pictures, then went into Union Station for lunch.  Union Station is IMPRESSIVE.

After lunch, we took a subway ride back to the National Mall, and walked to the WW 2 Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

Facebook Photo Album of Museum and National Mall (and Capitol)

In the evening, we again split up.  Pastor Doug and Val took Daniel and Athena to see the musical “The Civil War”, Pastor Bruce and Joanne Balcome stayed in their hotel room to sleep off jet-lag, and Esther and I, along with Pastor Greg Dela Cruz, enjoyed a moonlight, double-decker bus tour of the D.C. Monuments. 

Aside from the 40 degree weather (which was a problem), the tour was enchanting.  We got to see the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and the Iwo Jima Memorial all lit up at night.  The coolest part was seeing the Washington Monument’s reflection in the reflecting pool.  The worst part was the German lady sitting behind us in the bus telling us that it wasn’t really cold – “We svim in dis veather in Germany”, while Greg and I were freezing to death.

Facebook Photo Album of the DC Moonlight Bus Tour

“HELLO MADAM SPEAKER; WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU”

On Monday, before the beginning of our pastors’ conference, we took another subway ride with Daniel and Athena Balcombe, and visited Congressman Ruben Hinojosa’s office in the Rayburn building.  The congressman wasn’t there, but one of his congressional aides gave us gallery passes for the House of Representatives.

Then we looked inside the Supreme Court (really small), and headed over to the Captitol for lunch.  In the cafeteria, Esther lucked out and discovered that it was “Mexico Cusine Day” in the “Global” section.  She loved eating some authentic Mexican food in the heart of the US Capitol…amazing…

Later, while taking a tour of the rotunda, Esther turned toward me and said, “Jim; it’s Nancy Pelosi!’  I got my camera ready, but when I saw she and her bodyguards were coming straight towards me I dropped my camera and reached out my hand:  “Hello Madam Speaker; we are praying for you”, I said as I shook her hand.  Athena snapped a photo but cut me out of it, unfortunately (or not, depending on your politics).  My impression of her is that she was really short…really made up…and really stressed out.  Daniel also shook her hand before she swept away and into her office.

We also waited in a long line to spend about five minutes sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives chamber and watch a few boring congressmen give boring speeches. Note to self:  Skip that part next time. 

Facebook Album of US Capitol Tour, Supreme Court and Rayburn Building

PREACHERS SINGING, PRAYING, EATING AND NETWORKING

After a 30 minute ride on the subway, we got off at the last stop in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and called our next Priceline hotel. The shuttle was there in 10 minutes, and got us checked in with enough time for a nap.

That evening was the first session of the United Pastors’ Network meeting:  Surge 2009.  We really enjoyed ourselves, re-connected with old friends and made many new friends in the ministry, and were blessed by the worship band and the speakers.  I especially want to thank the host Pastor, Dale O’Shields and his team from Church of the Redeemer for making the conference so special and for serving us sacrificially (you too, Brother Dino Tortorelli!).

It was a real treat to be with all the preachers who have come out from Pastor Doug Balcombe’s ministry at Living Way as well:  Pastor Greg Dela Cruz, Pastor Zach Elliott, Pastor Zach Morgan and Pastor Bruce Balcombe.  All but one of all the youth pastors Living Way  has ever had were present (and Donna Turner, if you are reading this — YOU WERE CREATED TO MINISTER TO YOUTH!).

I also want to give a shout out to some other preachers we re-connected with:  Pastor Robert Barriger, Taylor Barriger, Pastor Steve Trevino, Pastor Shawn Wiebers, Pastor Hal Santos, Pastor Tyrone Dastugue, Pastor Dino Rizzo, and Missionaries Guy and Angie Henry.

You can download all the conference sessions at this link.  You will be blessed.

Facebook Album of United Pastors’ Network Conference – Surge 2009

OH, SAY DOES THAT STAR-SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE?

The last day before our departure, we drove to Baltimore with the California preachers (and Oliver from Peru) to eat on the Baltimore Inner Harbor.  I wish we had more time to enjoy such a picturesque place, but lunch was delicious and the company was great.

After everybody else drove off to the airport, Pastor Doug and Valerie, Pastor Zach and Jessica and Esther and I toured Fort McHenry, the site of the famous siege by the British in 1814, and the place where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”.  We really enjoyed a short, relaxing visit to the historic fort.

Facebook Album of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry

I LIKE A PLACE WHERE I SEE MORE COWBOY HATS THAN TIES!

We landed in San Antonio and took a shuttle to the hotel to pick up our car.  There is something about being in Texas that just feels right.  I don’t know if it’s the Cowboy hats that are ubiquitous, the Hispanics that have been a part of me all of my life, or the wide-open spaces, but no matter where I go, coming back to Texas just feels right.

We stopped on the way out of town for some Texas bbq, and Esther was delighted to find jalapeños on the menu again.  I looked around at the other folks in the restaurant and counted at least three cowboy hats and no ties.

We gassed up the Altima and  headed South on Highway 281, and after a few miles, we were passed by cowboy driving a Ford F-250 sporting a shotgun on a gun rack in the back window.  “God bless Texas!”, I shouted.  

As the sun set that night, I was reminded of President Bush’s remarks in Midland after leaving Washington D.C. for the last time:  “Eight years as President can’t compare to a single Texas sunset.”  Yes, Mr. President; I’m with you on that one.

I watched the news, today, and noticed that you decided not to have a public time of prayer at the White House during today’s National Day of Prayer.

I’m disappointed, Mr. President, and, frankly, a little surprised.

I was there last February in Brownsville, Texas, where you told a group of clergy how much Jesus Christ and prayer means to you. You seemed sincere when describing that moment when you “accepted Christ as your Savior” and resolved to live for Him.

I shook your hand that day, and wrote about the experience in my blog even including video footage of your speech

Now that you are President of the United States, I was sure that you would take seriously a National Day of Prayer by continuing with your predecessor’s tradition of inviting spiritual leaders to the White House for prayer. I was sure that you wouldn’t feed into the stereotype of democrats as insensitive to Christians and especially, evangelical Christians.

Boy, was I wrong.

Please know that I still pray for you and your family every day, but today, I’m disappointed.

Jim

Dear President Bush,

I know you are all packed up and are ready to spend one last night in the White House before returning to Texas. It has been fashionable, of late, to attack and demean you, and diminish some of the great things you did over the last eight years. For my part, I am deeply grateful to God for your service as our President during these difficult years.

Thank you for doing everything in your power to protect my family from any further terrorist attacks on our homeland after September 11. I prayed for you in the days following the terrorist attacks, and I knew that God would give you strength and resolve. You promised that you would not tire, falter or fail, and you never did. As we returned to our normal lives, you kept reading those national security briefings every morning and making sure that you were using every tool possible to keep us safe.

Thank you for taking the fight to the enemy and freeing millions of people in the process. Even when the battle got tough, you never listened to the hand-wringing “get out now” crowd and pushed for a surge in troop levels that effectively won the war in Iraq against the terrorists. Thank you for not caving in to peer pressure and making sure that we stayed and finished the job. You showed the world that when you said you would do something, you meant it.

Thank you for signing the partial-birth abortion ban. Thank you for ending that evil practice of crushing a baby’s skull, just as he is about to be born, and sucking his body through a vacuum tube. Thank you for standing up for the helpless, unborn babies of America. The ban that Clinton vetoed three times, you signed as soon as it reached your desk. God bless you for that.

Thank you for pouring energy and action into helping the African people in their fight against aids and malaria. Even though the press never gave you the credit you deserve, we noticed, and we are very proud.

Finally, Mr. President, I want to let you know that my family and I still support you and will never forget how you served us with honor. We are delighted to welcome you back to Texas.

Thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless you.

Proud to Still Stand Up and Salute You,
Jim, Esther and Rachel

On January 3, after Senator Obama’s unlikely win over Hillary Clinton in the Iowa primary, I watched, with the rest of the country, as he spoke to his Iowan supporters.  What I heard was a soaring speech, that appealed to all of us as Americans to come together and be one people again.  His speech was so moving, that it literally brought tears to my eyes.  “You came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents to stand up and say that we are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come.”Now keep in mind that I am so conservative, I make Nancy Pelosi look like Rush Limbaugh, and even I was moved by his rhetoric and his powerful delivery.

A RISING STAR

I quickly texted several friends and family members, saying, “This kid from Chicago is for real – he could really win this whole thing!”

Then on February 22nd, I stood in the hot sun on the campus of the University of Texas Pan American and got my first look at Senator Barack Obama.  He was the most skillful politician in person that I had seen since observing President George W. Bush in McAllen in the late 90’s.  I later wrote down all my thoughts with pictures and video clips in a blog post, and the last thing I said was that Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States.

One week later, I heard him again, at a small gathering for pastors in Brownsville, Texas.  After his talk, I shook his hand and thanked him for thinking of us in South Texas.  I subsequently wrote another blog post about that encounter, including pictures and video, and remember mentioning to my companions during the drive back to McAllen that I believed that we had just seen the next president of the United States.

In the weeks and months that followed, I watched the campaign with great interest.  Against great odds, Senator Obama defeated the Clinton machine and won the democratic nomination.  Then he began his truncated race against Senator McCain, and defeated him just days ago.

SO YOU VOTED FOR HIM, RIGHT?

No.  As I said earlier, I am a conservative Christian, and Senator Obama’s radical position on abortion was a deal-breaker for me.  On many other issues, I differ with the Senator as well (taxes, Iraq, judges, etc.), but, for me, his failure to even oppose partial-birth abortion or favor parental notification was too much for me to swallow.  Even though I’m no huge fan of Senator McCain, my conscience would not allow me to cast a vote for abortion.  For other Christians, this was not a big factor, but each person has to answer to God for their vote, and I simply could not justify that vote.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

Does this mean that I do not still admire President-Elect Obama and some of what he stands for?  Of course not.  He ran a great campaign, worked tirelessly, and earned every vote he got.  I’m glad he took the time to meet, over and over, with pastors, and I believe that he genuinely loves America and wants her to succeed.

I am also genuinely happy for the African-American community.  This is a BIG DEAL for them, and I was moved to tears at their celebrations and joy on election night.  Just think, only 150 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that no person of African descent could ever be a full citizen of the United States!  And just 50 years ago, my dad remembers seeing separate water fountains and bathrooms for Blacks.  And now we have just elected an African-American President of the United States of America.  This is such a significant moment that it is almost impossible to fully absorb.  This is worth celebrating and appreciating as Americans.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Now that the election is over, Barack Obama is America’s President.  I will support him with my prayers, I will root for him to be a success, and he has my respect.

I will also continue to disagree with his policies when I believe that they are bad for the country, but I will always do so in a manner that respects and honors his office.

In my view, anyone who does not recognize Barack Obama as America’s President, and who does not wish him success as our leader and offer prayers on his behalf, is un-American.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Finally, I believe that the President of the United States has much less influence over the lives of individual Americans than we think.  Each of us should continue to focus on the Kingdom of God, our families and our jobs.  Let’s remind ourselves that we, ourselves, are most responsible for our successes and failures, and that there is only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He is not elected every four years.

May God bless my President-Elect, Barack Obama, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.

Sadly, we’ve all been there, seen that and gotten the t-shirt.

As I sat in the carport of Chase Bank, waiting for my deposit slip to come shooting out in an air tube, my Ford’s engine began to make chugging, gasping noises. “Oh no”, I thought, “I ran out of gas”. Sure enough, the gas guage read “E”; the car coughed twice, then was quiet.

I retrieved my deposit slip from the plastic tube, then realized that I didn’t have room enough to open my car door and get out.  After shifting the car into neutral, I contorted my body like a Cirque de Sole gymnast, forced my body across the front seat and tumbled out onto the pavement, looking like a crazed Norwegian clown on vacation.

I got behind my Ford and began pushing the car through the tunnel and out the other side of the drive-through banking station.  Soon the car began to pick up speed because it was headed slightly downhill.  I began frantically jogging alongside the car trying to figure out how to jump in the front seat without killing myself.  It looks so easy in James Bond movies, but James Bond is not an overweight, out-of-shape preacher wearing brown dress shoes trying to squeeze into a Ford Crown Victoria as it’s rolling down a hill.

Just as I gave up, I saw the Chase Bank sign right off the curb.  “Give me a break,” I breathed, just as the car jumped over the curb onto the grass and flattened the sign.

The security guards came running out of their lookout perch, laughing so hard they were snorting.  The shorter one arrived first and asked me, “What’s going on, chief?”  “Um”, I stammered, “I was pushing my car that was out of gas and it picked up speed and I couldn’t stop it….chief.”

Right at that moment, Esther called, and said she would bring our gas can to rescue me.  “Guys, I’m really embarrassed here, but it doesn’t look like much damage happened to your sign; the ground was so soft from the rain that it just fell over.”  “Well, we’ve got to fill out a police report anyway,” he said.

I took a bunch of photos in case they tried to make me pay hundreds of dollars for a silly scratch, then, after the guards took my information, Esther arrived.  When she heard the story, she burst out laughing as well.  “Do you have security camera footage of my husband running alongside his car?”, she asked.  “I would pay you for it.”

The three guards, still laughing, helped me push my car off the curb, then I poured the gas Esther had brought into the car.

As I started the car, one of the security guards said, “Take care, Bro.; you made my day.”  I smiled wanly and pulled away.

Ok, my daughter’s 4th birthday was celebrated last week, and, at a time when most kids are thinking about cake, presents and goody bags, Rachel took time out of her day to strike a blow at that most hideous of all of Calvin’s constructs, the wretched doctrine of limited atonement. 

The miracle is that I caught it all on video.  Enjoy…

If you’ve been around the charismatic movement, or even old-school Pentecostalism before, you are aware that a common feature of altar calls in some churches is the ritual falling of people “under the power” of the Holy Spirit.  The falling usually takes place after a minister lays his hand on the head of the seeker, however some preachers have been known to push hard and “help” the Holy Spirit knock folks to the ground.  In some churches, this practice is so common that “catchers” and “coverers” are trained to catch the seeker when he falls backward, and, in the case of women, “cover” their legs with a blanket.

But what happens when the catcher misses, and somebody bangs his head on the ground?  A 2.5 million dollar lawsuit, that’s what!

This last June, when Pastor Robert Lavala touched Matthew LIncoln’s forehead at the altar of a non-demonational church in Tenessee, Matthew fell backwards, striking his head against the “carpet-covered” cement floor.  Now Mr. LIncoln is suing the church for 2.5 million dollars for “severe and permanent injuries” as a result of his fall.  You can read all the details of the lawsuit here on the Smoking Gun’s website.

Over the years, I have prayed for lots of people at the altar, and I can almost always tell who is about to fall down.  When I see somebody ready to drop, I usually grab a chair and have them sit down.  They can be just as blessed in a chair as on the floor, in my view, and now it looks like I might have saved myself 2.5 million dollars.