I had completely forgotten that I had a blog. I was told my account would be deleted and maybe it needs to be. But I will keep it open a little longer just to see if I one day have time to put my thoughts down and be a bit more creative. Watch this space! (But don't hold your breath, as it may take a while.)

October Book Giveaway from Crossway Books!

The Bountiful Vision of God

The Bountiful Vision of God

"Beauty stirs up in us an insatiable desire to see, to stare, to behold and be held. For in some deep corner of ourselves we know that we become what we see, what we gaze upon--and so, our hearts hunger for nothing less than the bountiful vision of God." Nathan D. Mitchell, "The Amen Corner: Being Good and Being Beautiful," Worship 74:6 [November 2000]: 552).

Denise Attended SSD Class 38!

I hope that all goes well with each of you. There isn't a day that passes by without my thoughts and memories going back to my time with you all last October. The SSD was a milestone in my spiritual journey. 

My wife Denise was able to attend the School of Spiritual Direction at the Cove in Asheville, NC. She returned to Omaha a week ago. Although our experiences of the SSD were different, Denise came away wonderfully enriched in so many ways. We spent several days talking about all that transpired. Her time at the Cove reaffirmed some things that the Lord has put upon her heart over the past several years. 

Pray for us. The Lord has been nudging our hearts concerning starting a ministry of soul care for pastors and missionaries. All things in His timing of course.

BTW:I have been accepted into Next Step in April 2011. And Denise might join me!  

What "Lingers"?

Believe it or not, six months have passed since we all attended the SSD. This week I have purposed to write Larry a letter. I want to share with him "what lingers." Have any of y'all thought about writing Larry?

To use old school lingo, I believe that I experienced a "personal revival" at the SSD--a personal revival which seems to be having a lasting impact. Time will tell. To date, attending the SSD has been the most profound spiritual event in my journey with Jesus.

Definition of Feminity and Masculinity

A Deeply feminine woman is so at rest in God’s delight in her undamageable beauty that she invites others to enjoy the beauty of God’s holy invitational nature by relating:
1) invitationally, not controllingly;
2) engagingly, not instructionally;
3) openly, not guardedly; and
4) courageously, not defensively.

A Deeply masculine man moves into his relationships and responsibilities (in that order) with no controlling fear of how others might respond or of what life might throw at him with one ruling passion: to identify, awaken and restore the desire for God in others with holy confidence that he has been given the weight of impact no matter how inadequate he feels, or confused, weak or frightened he may be and no matter how little impact he feels (stay faithful to pleasing the Lord).

Thank you Dawn Hartel for contributing these notes!

The news I thought I would never hear

I Thought I would let you all know that my wife had decided to end our 27 year marriage. Must have been my Elvis impersonation that was the last straw for her ….. How can I joke around at a time like this? Anyway, turns out she had made her decision several weeks before SSD 33, so it could not have been that.

Red Dot Time.

I began to feel an extreme sense of release \ relief wash over me as she explained why she was leaving the marriage. She did a good job of describing the ugly \ the Edom in me. Even though much of her perception of who I am and what I have done has some truth …. Ok, a lot of truth to it …. Or is it just lies \ exaggerations about me that Satan has convinced her of and wants me to believe as well? Scott said in the Relational Sin part of this blog “Wow, there are parts of me that are ugly. However, they do not define me!” As I penned a response to Scott, God gave me this verse:

(Zec 3:1-4)
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."

I was a burning stick snatched from the fire, I was standing in filthy clothes before God and Jesus said to me: Ron, look! I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you!

I am asking that all of you please pray for my wife, that God would break her so that she would find her security and significance from God. Please pray for me that God would continue to break me.

I will not believe Satan's lies!
God is still Good!
God is still on His Throne!