Afterglow!

Well, it’s a couple of days since Marilyn Hickey was with us at CLC, and I’m still enjoying the afterglow! She was everything her website says about her: encouraging, optimistic, upbeat & energetic….at 79 years old! I kept checking on her between services, etc., asking if she wanted to rest a bit, have some refreshments….but honestly, I think she had more energy than I did!

I’ve been thinking about some of her quotes:

“God thinks you can do anything”

“You give people flowers, they wilt; give ‘em chocolate, make ‘em fat; give ‘em the Word, change their life!”

“I’ve been married for 54 and a half years, and I can still fit into my wedding dress!”

“I just tell the devil, it’s not over until I win!”

She must have told me a dozen times, “I’m a pastor’s wife“. In fact, she told me at lunch that she had never been ordained; she just holds a license with the AoG.  I mean, here’s a lady after my own heart: she hasn’t worried about titles or positions all these years because she’s been too busy teaching the Word and doing the stuff!

I loved how she illustrated the 3 Greek concepts of ‘wisdom’ by showing each one in the lives of Joseph, David & Esther – and she actually taught those principles in about 20 minutes per service!  (I’m trying to make my sermons shorter, I really am – but wow, what an example!)

For me personally, the biggest takeaway was just the simple truth of holding onto the Word during the process. We all know it, but it seems we often struggle during the process and sometimes doubt the Word we received, or (oh me) complain about our circumstances, instead of just standing in faith & holding onto the Word.

I want to change.  I want to be a better example of staying positive, remaining optimistic and just holding on to the Promise! I want to be more intentional about making friendships for the purpose of reaching people with the Gospel.  I want to make a difference, like Marilyn has for the last 50+ years.  And I think I want to invite her back to CLC, to do it all again!

How ’bout you?

A mosque near the World Trade Center?

I’ve been asked to weigh-in on this controversy that you’ve no doubt heard about by now.  As a pastor, I normally steer clear of political issues, since there’s usually little to gain and a lot to lose in doing so.

But because of our missions heart at CLC, I’ve decided to comment:

• Please understand that Islam is, in the words of George Otis, Jr., “The Last of the Giants” that the Church faces in fulfilling the Great Commission.  If you look at the areas of the world that are still unreached with the Gospel, for the most part they are Islamic-dominated societies.

• We are called to reach Muslims with the only Gospel that saves.  At CLC, we are investing our missions dollars heavily in Muslim nations such as Senegal, Turkey and Iraq – knowing that Islam must eventually yield to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• From my understanding of the world, this determination on the part of the Church to reach Muslims is matched by Islam’s determination to dominate the world.  If you’ve read the statements from the leaders of Muslim nations in the Arab world as I have, then you know that the religion of Islam is really not seeking to live in peaceful co-existence with other religions; Islam seeks to dominate, and it’s adherents are convinced that one day Islam will rule the world.

• Part of that mentality throughout history has been for Muslims to build a mosque in places they have conquered for Islam.  That’s why the holiest site of Judaism (and Christianity, for that matter), the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is also home to the Dome of the Rock, the oldest Islamic shrine in the world – for when Muslims conquered that area in the Middle Ages, they built a mosque to show the world they had conquered.  There are numerous other examples of this mentality, including some that I’ve visited personally, such as Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, which was the largest Christian cathedral in the world for a thousand years, before it was taken over by the Muslim Turks and turned into a mosque.

• For that reason alone, I personally feel that building a mosque so near the World Trade Center sends a message to Muslims in the Arab World that we don’t want to send: namely, that they were successful on 9/11/2001, and that they have prevailed in America!  Not all Muslims will see it that way, for sure, and particularly moderate Muslims here in the USA – but in the nations of the world that I often visit on missions assignments, trust me, that IS the message they will receive.

• In addition, even moderate Muslims have spoken out as to how inappropriate this mosque would be, in light of the emotions of so many Americans who lost loved ones at 9/11 – and even in the interest of advancing their religion, they feel it would be wise not to provoke Americans by building at this site.

Of course, I understand that political leaders, including our own President, often times say things to be “politically correct”, whereas you and I still have the freedom to speak from our heart.  My heart hurts at the thought of a mosque being erected just 600 feet from Ground Zero.  But the bigger concern I have is that we (The Church) continue to reach out in love to Muslim nations with the Good News that can set them free – just as is happening in various nations all around the world, as Jesus is appearing to sincere Muslim believers in dreams and visions, and thousands are coming to faith in Christ.  May the name of Jesus be lifted higher, not only in lower Manhattan, but in ALL the nations of the earth!

Alaska, Day 13

Well, in just a little while we’ll board our flight home (can’t wait to see all of you at CLC tomorrow!), but here’s part 2 of  our memory highlights from this incredible vacation:

• Guess you had to have been there: how funny I thought it was at the beginning of the theatre comedy show when they read the usual announcements (“no smoking, no flash photography, no videotaping, etc, etc.) in English, French, Spanish, German, Filipino and Pig Latin! (still cracks me up thinking about it)

• Speechless: sailing through Glacier Bay on Chris’ birthday, completely surrounded by glaciers on both sides of the ship all day long!

• The food: I’d always heard that about cruises, but it really was incredible (must have gained at least 10 pounds this week) and the birthday meal at Bayou Café has to be one of the best meals we’ve EVER enjoyed!

• Simple pleasures: seeing the look on Chris’ face about getting “all dressed up” on the two formal nights. (I love seeing her smile – see today’s only pic below)

• Switcheroo: having a seal in Juneau watching us as we walked across ‘his’ pier!

• Knowing your gift: the joy of watching the sled dogs barking & jumping with excitement because they wanted to run…..reminded me of that ‘sweet spot’ we all experience when we’re doing what we know we’re gifted & created to do!

• No comparison: we’ve been privileged to see some incredible sights in the past – Taj Mahal…Great Wall of China…Blue Mosque in Istanbul…Eiffel Tower – but nothing compared to the unblemished, unique creation of God as seen from the floatplane over Misty Fjords!

• Brought a tear to my eye: hearing & reading the story of Granite, the lead dog who overcame all the odds to help Susan Butcher win the Iditarod (Alaska’s Super Bowl!) not once, but four times! (hope I don’t lose my man-card over this)

• Loved & affirmed: at several times throughout this adventure, while enjoying some spectacular moment, I’d recall that all of this was happening because the people I serve as pastor had given generously to surprise us with this trip during the 20^th anniversary of CLC….and it made me feel so loved.  I hope you’ve enjoyed a bit of it all on this blog & I just want to say, “we love you, too”!

Alaska, Day 12

Well, today is our final day of the cruise, and since we’re at sea all day and it’s foggy and gray skies as far as the eye can see (meaning no pics today), I thought I’d close this vacation blog with “highlights” from our memory.

Since I couldn’t settle on a ‘top 10 list’, I’m breaking it into 2 posts, one today and one tomorrow before we disembark in Vancouver, British Columbia & catch our return flight to O’Hare.  Here’s the first:

• God is good: on our 3 port days in Skagway, Juneau & Ketchikan, we had sunny skies & warm temps to enjoy the sights, while nearly everyday of the trip was the weather Alaskans take for granted: cold, rainy & gray!

• Funniest quote of the trip: the cute 75-year-old widow who served as hostess on the train from Anchorage to our ship, telling us that she invited her sister-in-law to join her in working in Alaska by telling her there were 9 men for every 1 woman.  But she said after she arrived she learned that while “the odds were really, really good, the goods were also really, really odd!”

• In spite of: how much we enjoyed walking around the wilderness lake in Fairbanks on our first day in Alaska, while laughing & slapping at GIANT mosquitoes on each other the whole time!

• Unbelievable peace: reading our Bibles while sitting on the balcony of our stateroom, surrounded by glaciers.

• Unexpected joy: stumbling into a little lounge with a ‘crooner’ who entertained (and moved us!) with his songs of the past.

• Big surprise: being drenched by 38-degree glacier water while whitewater rafting (and laughing about it)

• Pure love: the only way I know to describe how I feel whenever I see Chris smile like she did while loving on the dogs after our glacier sled-dog adventure!

• Unbelievable: seeing a killer whale rise up out of the water & flip on its side!

• El Shaddai: the God who is “more than enough” is the only way to describe the eye-popping beauty that surrounded us everywhere you looked! I mean, any one of these sights would have been spectacular, but HE wants us to experience abundant life!

oops – I just found a way to upload 3 pics taken on my iPhone during the floatplane trip….enjoy!

Alaska, Day 11

Last night we celebrated Chris’ birthday (again) at the great Italian restaurant on board ship, Sabatini’s. Although their staff knew it was a birthday celebration, they forgot the cake & later had it delivered to our stateroom:

Today we docked at Ketchikan, Alaska – the 4th wettest spot on the planet, with 13 feet of precipitation annually! Part of the big attraction here is the “Misty Fjords” (pronounced Fee-yords), which is the result from glaciers carving out valleys as they move across the mountains, and then ocean water filling it in. There are no words to describe how beautiful it is – in fact, I told Chris this afternoon that I’m on “sensory overload” – we’ve seen SO much beauty in the last 10 days that it’s hard to take in more! (reminds me that HE is a God of “more than enough”!)

The highlight of our day was taking a high-speed catamaran a couple of hours’ deep into the fjords (seeing a killer whale breech along the way!) and then boarding a little 6-passenger floatplane for the return to Ketchikan (I got to be co-pilot!)

Unfortunately, our camera battery was exhausted about 10 minutes into the flight, but here’s a few pics from the day for those of you following us on this vacation:

Tomorrow we’ll be at sea all day, making our way to Vancouver, British Columbia and the end of our cruise. I’ll try to post one more time before our return flight to Chicago – can’t wait to see all of you on Sunday and thank you in person for making this vacation of a lifetime possible for us!

Alaska, Day 10

I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much.

Our ship docked this morning in Juneau, the capital of Alaska, and shortly thereafter, Chris & I took a helicopter to the nearby Norris Glacier and a dogsled camp, where we had the opportunity to drive a 10-dog dogsled.

Honestly, it was more fun than anyone should be allowed to have! We laughed like giddy school kids. Then we gave a little loving attention to each of the dogs. Then we helicoptered (is that a word?) back to Juneau while enjoying some of the most spectacular scenery of the entire trip.

The pics below don’t do it justice – but hope you enjoy it a bit with us.

Tonight we’re celebrating her birthday (again) at Sabatini’s, an exclusive Italian restaurant onboard ship.  Then tomorrow it’s our last stop of the trip – Ketchikan.  Thanks again, CLC, for honoring us with this incredible trip – we love you & look forward to being back in service with you this Sunday!

Alaska, Day 9

Last night we celebrated my wife’s birthday at one of the exclusive restaurants on board, a Cajun Steakhouse – and it was one of the best meals we’ve EVER enjoyed together!

Then today we docked at the little town of Skagway, Alaska, which was a boom-town in the Gold Rush of 1898, with a population of 20,000!  (Today only about 1,000 people live here, but they’ve maintained the Wild West look of the downtown area).  Chris & I took the Eagle River Adventure Cruise, a jet boat excursion deep into the wilderness of a Bald Eagle Preserve.  We didn’t see the moose or bear we were hoping for, but we sure weren’t disappointed with the eagles!  A little shopping for some “birthday jewelry” completed our day.  Hope you enjoy the pics to keep up with us on this vacation-

Thanks again, CLCers, for your kind generosity to make this possible!

Alaska, Day 8

My sweetheart turned 56 today, and this is one birthday she’ll never forget.  Our ship entered the famous “Glacier Bay” for which these cruises are known, and one of the park rangers said for only the 3rd time in the last year, the sun was shining brilliantly, which made the views simply spectacular!  Here’s a sample of what we’ve looked at all day:

I assure you, the pics don’t do it justice……and again I’m reminded that ONLY a good God could have created all of this beauty!  Aren’t you glad you know Him?

Thanks, CLCers – you have given us the vacation of a lifetime!  Now I’m going to take the birthday girl to a special steak dinner-

Alaska, Day 7 / Sunday reflections

Gotta be honest: it felt strange to not be in church anywhere today!  (I think that’s probably a good thing)

We spent most all day getting acclimated to the ship, figuring out where things are & how life works on a cruise ship, so I didn’t get a chance to take many pictures (and couldn’t get internet access until a few minutes ago) – but just a short while ago we sailed into a bay that gave us a look at Hubbard Glacier, which I think is one of the largest we’ll see up here.

I’ve tried for the past 15 minutes to upload a few pics for you, but the internet access here is NOT what we’re accustomed to at home, and it’s just not cooperating – sorry.

What I’m NOT sorry about is the WONDERFUL reports I received from 3 campuses today:

• Pastor Doug says the whole service in South Bend was incredible, with a strong attendance and one person baptized in the Holy Spirit at the close of their service (and plans for at least 3 water baptisms next week!)

• At the Tinley Park campus, Pastor Jim reports wonderful worship & response to the preaching, with at least 5 people who committed their lives to Christ today!  (That not only NEVER gets old, but I especially love that it happens when I’m away!)

• AND our Lisle Campus set a new attendance record of 122 today, six weeks before our official launch there…..I’d say they’re building momentum at just the right time!

I didn’t hear from Pastor Dan or Pastor Jaime today (and I have no cell service presently to contact them), so if you attended the services at Shorewood or at Centro da Vida Christiana, please let us know how things were by commenting below.  Thanks!

Hopefully I’ll be able to upload more pics tomorrow. Thanks again, CLC, for making this vacation possible!

Alaska, Day 6

Saturday was mainly spent hanging out in the lodge & then traveling from Mt. McKinley to our ship, as the tragic military plane crash last week forced us to use buses to Anchorage rather than the train as planned (the plane crash damaged the railroad tracks). It was still enjoyable, since the scenery is absolutely incredible (I know I’m a pastor, but I just can’t imagine anyone really thinking that all this beauty just happened by a chance ‘big bang’ instead of an awesome Creator). Here’s a few pics so you can keep up with our vacation:

Gotta tell ya: Chris & I were both as giddy as a couple of little kids as we boarded the ship last night – THANK YOU, CLCers for your love & generosity – this has already been the trip of lifetime!

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