Jack

Imagine if you would, waking up one day and saying to yourself, I think I will go out and purchase a 100lb, hair shedding, lawn chair destroying force of nature that systematically and without prejudice destroys everything of significant value that you own. If you are able to picture such a minion of nature, then let me introduce you to Jack. Jack is my two year old Yellow Lab.

Jack has been my faithful companion for the last 2 years, and we have enjoyed many days together at work and he is never short on enthusiasm when I ask him to get ready to go. In short, he loves going anywhere with me! As I write this, he is sitting at my feet, intently dismantling a Dr. Pepper bottle that he removed from the trash.

Yes, he LOVES the trash and the toilet. Between the many wondrous and mystical treasures he finds in our trash, and the cool, refreshing waters of the toilet, Jack has it made!

Not to diminish his masculinity too much, he makes his bed on a Pretty Pink Barbie Princess bed. I much prefer he ruin it as opposed to our couch! Some would say that Jack, is definitely this man's best friend. But I have to question the sanity of such a statement! I mean ... come on.... think about it..... who would put up with a friend such as this. Who would keep a friend that so carelessly disregards your possessions, or so selfishly demands his own way while waking up the whole house in the middle of the night because HE is afraid of the storm. Who would love the constant demands of a friend who never seems to get enough to eat.... always has to be reminded that the toilet seat is down to keep him OUT of the toilet... not to keep us off of it.

The truth is , many of us will extend 1 Corinthians 13 love to our pets.... while refusing to extend the same graces to our spouse, our children, our coworkers and our fellow church members. We will over and over allow our pets to destroy and demand, and devalue our lives.... and our possessions, and yet hold on to the most petty failures or mistakes of our fellow man.

Today, I have determined to be more like Jack. If you ignore me, I will still be glad to see you. If you walk all over me, I will still be faithfully waiting for you when you decide you want to spend time with me. While you run around to tend to your needs and ignore mine, I will be here, watching your back, guarding your home.... and defending your name.... for nothing more than an occasional pat on the head.... or scrap from your table.

In short... I want to become the man that my dog Jack thinks I am.

Love, honor and service

Pastor Eugene

Thunderstorms, Politicians, Pinkie Fingers

It is 2:41 a.m. and I am wide awake. As I sit here and ponder the series of possible reasons that I find myself in this sleepless plunder of sensibility, I have come to realize that the little things.... are important.

I have never been known as one who has a hard time sleeping! I do rise early, and I do work hard every day, so it is generally pretty easy for me to go to sleep. On an average it takes me anywhere from 2 to 10 min. and I am gone! But tonight.... .here I sit. I have been wrestling with the sand man now for almost 3 hours! So what is it?!

I suppose it could be the massive thunderstorm that just blew through here. The rain came in torrents and the rolling thunder rattled the windows of our little parsonage here. My dog Jack has been restless, but he is a big sissy and has never liked thunderstorms.

Perhaps it is just anticipation of my lunch meeting with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal tomorrow. I am joining a handful of other pastors tomorrow for lunch at the governor's mansion then an open discussion time followed by prayer. I have always followed politics closely, and to meet one of the possible future stars of the Republican party is an honor. But even THAT.... is not the reason for my slumber less existence.

The reason is much smaller than that. The reason is the pinkie finger on my right hand. Now I have never been much of one to complain or to give much notice to pain. Generally, if I can glue it back on, or duck tape it up... I can live with it. But tonight is different. For some reason, my little finger has decided to become infected and swell up. I have laid in bed now for 3 hours with an increasing pain and throbbing. I finally could take it no more... so I found the first aid kit, a needle, and and box knife. I will spare you the details.... but I successfully stopped the throbbing.

But as I sit here overcoming the nausea of self-inflicted surgery, I begin to think about the passage of scripture found in 1 Corinthians 12..... where Paul is discussing unity in the body. In a humorous way, Paul asks the question... is any part of the body less important? In regard to my pinkie fingers.... I like having them... but I have never considered them to be "crucial" to my survival.

But what I realized here this morning, is that when any part of the body is in pain..... the entirety of the body is affected. All around us, there are parts of the "body of Christ" that are hurting... that are struggling through disease, and suffering, and pain, and sickness. God has spoken to my heart here this morning of the importance of taking care of our members.... regardless of how small, or insignificant, or unimportant, or difficult to deal with they may be! Because in the end.... they may be just a pinkie.... but if they are hurting..... they need the same tender loving care that is extended to more "important" parts of the body.

Now.... if you will excuse me.... I have some sheep to chase around my bed and in my head!

Love Honor and Service
Pastor Eugene

Pictures of Honor

My father in law, never short on humor came up to me at church and was just beaming with excitement. I asked him what could possibly have made him so happy, and he informs me that the church has finally recognized his incredible abilities and had honored him with a picture of himself in the fellowship hall. Needless to say, I was not aware of any such honor, or picture in the fellowship hall. Well Joe insisted that I come see his new picture. When we got to the fellowship hall he proudly shows me the "picture" of himself... which turns out to be a mirror hanging on the wall! He thought it was hillarious... and I have to admit, I got a pretty good laugh out of it myself.

How often do we look in the mirror? I started considering my own daily routine and activities, and I came to the conclusion that I see myself in the mirrow approximately 7 times on any given day. By now you are probably thinking that I have lost my mind.... and that is probably true! But the point I want you to consider right now is this..... when you look in the mirrow...... do you judge yourself with the same criteria, filters, and standards.... as you look at others and judge them?

A good friend of mine posted on facebook today the thought that we spend so much time struggling to remove the spec in someone elses eye, and the reason we struggle is we cannot see around the redwood sized log in our own eye! According to the Word of God, the situation is much more severe than that.... Romans 2:1 puts it this way... "for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same thing-"

Wow, now those are stern words to be careful, lest we bring down condemnation on ourselves! I have come to believe that the best place for me to look.... when I get that urge to "righteously" judge my fellow man..... is to look in the mirror. Let me first judge the man in this "Picture of Honor"..... then there will not be enough time left for me to waste on judging others.
Thanks Vicki for the inspiration.

Living on Purpose!
Pastor Eugene

Infinitely Better

Wow! This day has flown by. It is 11:15 p.m. and I am sitting here in my little living room just catching my breath from an incredibly busy day! My faithful dog Jack sleeps at my feet and my youngest daughter Lizzie is sleeping on the couch.

I cannot help but be amazed at the simplicity of my life, and yet the utter joy that I find in that very fact. I do work at a physically demanding job, and at times I am so tired when I come home at night that I can barely get my shoes off! Yet I am reminded that even in the difficulty of the work that I do, God is with me. God has provided for me, sustained me, and as I look around.... even now... listening to a dog that snores and looking at the angelic look on my sleeping baby girls face, I cannot help but be humbled at the love of God.

As a man, as a father, as a husband, as a pastor... I do not deserve any of the things that now make up the diversity of this existence of joy that is my life! By all accounts, and even by the wishes of some, I should have been banished to the abyss of the fallen for those who have lost their way in life.... those with incomprehensible failures....and those who are the broken of society! And yet, God.... in all of his infinite love for me.... chose a life that is infinitely better.... than what I deserve... than what I have earned... than what I could even imagine!

Next time you are having one of those days that cause you to want to throw up your hands and just quit.... take a minute to look around. Look at the faithful things in your life. Look at the beautiful things in your world. Look at the priceless things... such as your family... and thank God that he has chosen to take the broken pieces of your life.... and make something infinitely better.

Living supernaturally......
Pastor Eugene

Living Large

If there is one thing we as Americans are good at.... it is living large! From our homes, to our cars, to our all you can eat buffets..... we know living large! I have been privledged to spend some time in Russia and Siberia. I am always amazed at how meager the existence is for the average person in other parts of the world.... and yet in so many ways..... their lives are so much more fulfilling than ours.

We as a society have become so self-indulgent as to believe we are OWED this right to living large. As a result, we spend money we do not have, to accumulate debt we cannot afford to buy the things we do not need to impress the friends we cannot keep. I know very well the endless spiral of want and greed. I too have wasted a major portion of my life in pursuit of "the best" of
everything... only to find it become obsolete and outdated.

Ezekial 33:31- So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words but they do not do them; for with their mouths they show much love, but with their hearts they pursue their own gain.


So why am I wasting blog space? Why am I ranting so? Because I now understand what truly living large should be..... It is not in the things we accumulate or accomplish.... it is not in the wealth we pretend to have or the possesions we have to impress others... living large is found in living out the Word of God. My love for HIS people must be true. All that is obtained for my personal gain will perish but what I do for the Kingdom will last for eternity.

Today, before God and man I proclaim to love with abandon, serve with determination, and live with passion for the things of my God!

Just by Chance

Today was an interesting day. Have you ever been out and about just going about your daily activities and you run into someone. Often we think... what a coincidence! More and more I am coming to believe that there is no such thing as coincidence. It would certainly be easier to attribute such randomness to fate.. or chance... but the truth is much bigger than the remote probability of such things being attributed to luck or otherwise.

Psalms 37:23 says that the steps of a good man are directed by the Lord. Proverbs 16:9 says that a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Today as I was in Home Depot like I am an average of 4 times a day, I ran into a devout, and passionate man of God. As much as I was happy to see him as a friend, I was more excited as he shared with me his heart and his passion for the Lord and to see HIS kingdom come in this city. I left Home Depot with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to complete the calling that God has placed on me here at New Life Center in Shreveport.

Next time someone crosses your mind... or you "by chance" run into an old friend. Give God the glory and recognize that you were put there in that instant to either encourage someone... or be encouraged!