I'm the Woman at the Well...

Well not "literally", but in some aspects there are some similarities. Today is like no other day around here...handling the days responsibilities, doing business, ministry, etc., then out of the blue...God shows up... Wow! It's good to know in reality, that God does know my name. That sounds like a silly statement, but recently I've been thinking and living a little like He's not sitting there talking with me. Certainly not like Jesus does not exist at all...just "unaware" of the significance of each moment and breath. Maybe taking life for granted, or assuming that...my life...has lost the interest or attention of God himself. It's scary how easy is is for us as creation to slip into "spiritual obscurity"...like our very life has no meaning.


My guess is that's how the woman at the well felt. Life was just passing her by, maybe didn't turn out exactly like she had planned...and now her daily routine was interrupted with a significant conversation that challenged all she had ever heard about the Messiah.

What am I really thinking here? God loves me. He cares about my day and thoughts and actions. He cares for me...me. And certainly you too. If it's been awhile since God suddenly showed up at your well...go ahead and talk to Him now like He's actually there. Because the truth is...He hears every word.

New territory.

The house is different this September. First, the signs of stress from the summer are all around, not just the hottest & driest summers of memory and that the lawn and landscaping are thirsting for water and some cooler temps, but two children have left the house for college! Second, its the adjustment to our new reality of parenting a new generation junior higher, new school year, new ministry responsibilities and STILL sensing the winds of change blowing across my heart and mind. Typically...September is a new beginning...clean the office and dive into fall. But somehow this one is very different...more introspective, compemplative and unsatisfyingly curious and hungry for a new reality. In some cases I have been here before. 13 miles into a full marathon, knowing that the last half will determine the success of the ending. Knowing that the second half...is where it counts. I've cruised thru the first half of a 26 mile marathon before...only to discover the second half requires a different skill set for victory. It's strategically different. I think...that's where I am at in life, approaching the second half...at 45.

I HUNGER to walk/run in this new territory confidently with great faith knowing and as the songwriter put it..."everythings gonna be allright!" Interestingly...this week in actuality, will physically bring me to new territory in the Grand Canyon. A 46 mile journey covering an 11,000 foot elevation change from one rim to the other and back. I've never been at this point in life before, and I've never ran the Grand Canyon before. This guy from New Jersey is experiencing New Territory indeed.

Soaking Prayer

Today seems to be a day of "soaking"...if the bolt won't get unstuck, soak it in penetrating "oil"...if  grease seems stuck to the pan, soak it...if the ground is dry, place a soaking hose on it...if your heart seems confused, mind unsure, then laying out before the Lord and allowing His presence to penetrate deeply will certainly be the solution.

This is my prayer..."Lord I desperately need the fullness of your presence, fill me, flow thru me, envelope me today. Blow any chaff away, wash away any impurity, fill the cisterns of my heart and life with fresh living water. As the rain has been gently falling from heaven, so the rain of your spirit fall upon me bringing life and sustenance to my soul. God soak this home, this property with your presence may all that live here reflect your fullness."

"Back in the day"....David Ruis came out with a song "True Love", the Winds of Worship albums were in fill swing at that time, I'm listening to "True Love" now. A phrase speaks of coming before the King. Well "back in the day" there was preparation before coming before the King...some of it included "soaking" in various oils and perfumes.

Lord prepare me, fill me today and everyday for what you have for me. I love you....

Being FIT and Pisteuo...

80+ degrees today and bright sun...I'm in my glory...only to be eclipsed by 100 degrees and on an island, but we must be happy where we are. Day 2 of back to running. Already you can tell that it's warm, and for some working out in the heat is even harder. I happen to be one of those crazy...or stupid people...your call, but probably very close...that actually loves working out in the heat.

My quiet time with the Lord today had me in Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists..." That certainly does sound reasonable...pleasing God...and believing that He exists. What got me thinking was, as I ran huffing and puffing down the road running in the beautiful 80 degrees...my legs feeling like logs...my lungs feeling stretched...and my body feeling tired...could I realistically say..."yeah, I'm fit...or yeah, I work out..yeah, I'm healthy"...if I've ran 4 times since January? Well...no really. But don't we do that with a lot of things? What we do occasionally, do we sometimes pass off as a lifestyle that we own? I'm especially guilty of this when it comes to questions about my surfing...but more about that later. But wouldn't that be dangerous for your surgeon if asked has he done this before? And do we do that with our faith in Christ? We say "yeah....I'm a Christian" but actually do not practice regularly any of the basics of the faith. John 1:12 says "to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God". The "believed" word is actually a form of "pisteuo" which con-notates a active on going perseverance of faith and a putting into practice on a continual on basis. John 5:24 "whoever hears my word and believes (pisteuo) him who sent me has eternal life". Meaning...my ongoing, regular, faithful, continual reflecting of what I believe and even exercising and running puts me in the category of being fit...not that I ran one time awhile ago and each day since then ate brownies...so now I'm a athlete.

The thought seems silly really. Until I ask myself...what are my actions, lifestyle today reflecting? Athlete or lazy...believer or... once had a belief that God was real and now I think I'm part of the christian club?

I guess...I'd better keep running each day.

FAT or F.A.T.?

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things THRU Christ who gives me strength". Those words jumped off the page this morning directly into my heart. Of course, I have read them countless times before, but today...direction accompanied them. Since the beginning of the year I've endeavored to do four things...simplify, eradicate debt, prepare & friendship. Today...is a day of preparation...get ready as Joshua said, "For TOMARROW..." I know I am preparing on several levels...spiritually - my heart closer to Christ and in tune with His leading, theologically and leadership wise - to lead a people as lead pastor, relocation - preparing our house for sale, etc., and physically - getting ready to run the 2011 Boston Marathon...but first run the rim of the Grand Canyon...a 46 mile trail run in 2 days.

Today I go out to run in beautiful sun and a warm breeze. Mind you last fall I averaged @ 50+ miles a week clocking about 7:20 per mile in preparation for the Marine Corp Marathon. But today?  After 5 months of nothingness...3 miles in 24:50 huffing a puffing like a overweight three legged dog. During this jog...the Lord spoke...you're "FAT". Or the key to your preparation is FAT. Last year you were "fit" because of your "F.A.T.". WHAT??? Yes, "F"aithfulness...each day you arose @ 4:45am and ran...in the snow, rain, ice and blazing heat. Become faithful...."your faithfulness is what I desire". "A"ccountable...you ran with people, in relationship, they were waiting and depending on you each day. The course was laid out, improvement was expected. Some one said to me a long time ago..."without accountability there is no motivation to grow". "T"eachable...learn, apply wisdom...sometimes we need to stop doing some things and learn from others and the Lord. Are you applying what you are learning? If not...then you are not teachable.

As I ran...frustrated by my lack of present fitness I realized...."I CAN do ALL things...so Lord "What are you calling me to?"....because it's those things that the Lord PROMISES to give me STRENGTH...abundant STRENGTH...abundant VISION, abundant LEADERSHIP, abundant ENDURANCE for the race placed before me!

So...bring ON the 46 mile Grand Canyon rim trail run....bring ON the Boston Marathon...bring ON the leading/pastoring of a people......."thru Christ"...."who gives me strength".

Direction, Clarity & Confirmation...of Flight 212

Just two weeks ago I flew to Milwaukee to do some school assemblies with a very good friend of mine from Montana. When making flight arrangements I usually work at eliminating all delays, connections or flights not usually on-time. I'm really not a fan of waiting I guess...for Dr. appointments or anything else. But on occasion, despite my best of intentions or meticulous planning...delay's happen.

I guess the most annoying of delays is the ones in which you are not informed of. It's little bits of valuable info that I crave...how long...why...what are we doing in the meantime. When dealing with airlines it seems like Air Traffic Control is king. Sure you can ask other passengers on the journey with you, the stewardess, the captain...but it's only "the tower" that really knows what's going on.

I think I am definitely on a plane...waiting to land, for a year. Yes twelve months of being delayed or circling the runway in a holding pattern is enough! Let's land already! Well there are certainly several good reasons not to land yet, and we can imagine several that would have to do with safety and the right timing.

Well...today the tower called out of the blue...just for me. It was like the captain came up to me personally on the phone and said, "Sir, I know you have been thinking about CLARITY, DIRECTION, etc...just wanted you to know things will happen." There was more to this, but essentially it was someone I had never met, who had me on their heart specifically, to ask me some pointed questions that I had been thinking. For me it was a confirmation from the tower..."Flight 212...we have you in a holding pattern for a specific purpose, your direction and the location for your landing is coming." Wow...I'm not alone or forgotten in the air!

I think God is Air Traffic Control...sometimes we have no idea in the plane what's going on on the outside, and rarely we get a glimpse of the sophistication that the Lord is arranging for our safe landing in the location specifically prepared for us.

This may not make a lot of sense just yet...just wait...the story of destiny will be amazing when this plane finally does land...the runway is just not ready yet.

Lonely...but not really alone.

I wonder how many people among the over 8.5 million that call New Jersey their home, or for that fact the 6,807,900,000 people living in the world today that feel they are...lonely. The reason I think about this is because I do feel...lonely, even while being surrounded by family, wonderful friends that I do not see often enough or share deeply enough with. Truth be told... I long for friendship, love, passion even, support, encouragement...that "to be fully known, and fully know" type thing. I find it amazing that we can in fact be "lonely", and yet in fact be surrounded by so many.

This morning I sat contemplating in the form of a spiritual quiet time...life. My reading brought me to Matthew 1:23 "and they shall call His name Immanuel", which is translated "God with us". Max Lucado points out that the "Immanu" means "with us", and "El" refers to Elohim, or God. We understand that to be "God with us". You know what?,...I LOVE for someone to be "with me". When the kids were little it was easy to get them to go "with me" to Home Depot, always eager for a trip to anywhere. My youngest daughter when she was about 5 even went "with me" to a garden show at an expo center to look at flowers and landscape designs...a memory I still cherish.

"With us" and "with me". I think the truth is the solution to my "loneliness" is found in understanding and living by the truth that God...truly is "with me"...everywhere at all times in all places. Even in the midst of my temporary thoughts of loneliness I am truly not alone. So in light of this...I must seek Him out. The difference between God and a spouse or friend is that He is always available to respond to our need of championship. So Lord today I cry..."Come and dwell in the midst of us...me". Allow me to reflect to your creation your friendship, love and value of being "with us" to all who are seeking and need to know you are there and the answer to our...loneliness.

Investing A Life Talent...

A guy by the name of Lucado said..."Before "talent" meant skill, it meant money. It reperesented the largest unit of accounting in Greek currency-10,000 denarii", and just 1 denarius = a days wages. In Matthew 20 is recorded the parable of the talent and tells of the story where a Master gave his workers from 1-5 talents, or in otherwords, an amount that at 1 talent = 38 years of working or if at $30,000. a year salary = over 1.1 million dollars. In my world...1.1 million is bunch of money to be given at one time.

So...in my mind I'm thinking that my "life"...is valuable. My "life", and what I've been given can be, and must be effectively leveraged to be used wisely and to its fullest advantage. I'm asking myself intuitively in the recesses of my heart... is what I am living for now...is reaping the most reward?

I deeply desire to be a wise manager of the resources I've been given. And as any investor will tell you...time is your friend...but I see time slipping away.

Commended for Faith, yet none received what was promised.

After a long diatribe of extolling the virtues of many in the faith, that suffered and endured sometimes excruciating hardships...Hebrews 11:39-40 brings this cheery encouragement, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better...". I sit here now and ponder...what is better than receiving what God has promised? At this point of my life, my view of my mortality is only a short distance away. There are certain goals, "promises" that I believe to be from the Lord in my heart, things that I am presently living and some of them, living sacrificially for. Will I never see them? Just pie in the sky lofty goals?

I need to come to the place where I understand, or try to understand, the leading of the Lord in my life and to discern His divine direction. Hebrews 11 has many exciting facets to it like Jericho, Joseph, Moses...Noah building the boat that saved his life...but what about me? I'm living second to second, hour by hour, and many of them without the tingling of living out history.

Maybe...the answer is somewhere in 12:1-3? Maybe...I still WANT to receive God's promises...and maybe...in my lifetime. Either way, Hebrews 11 needs a name update to the "By faith" listing. Pat Beamer.

2009...the year of seeking the Lord and discovering direction.

It was, now a long time ago, January 7, 2009 that during my Quiet Time the Lord spoke to me...at least I thought...that this would be a year of  "Seeking the Lord" and "settling direction" for my, our, lives. Well, not until did April anything of real substance happen, that we received a "green light" from who we perceived to be God, to proceed fully and that the time was "now"...write a  resume for a church that we had a burden for it to become healthy...which we will affectionately call "rt". Finally...an answer for the future and the local. Weeks turned into months and we went to other locations in an attempt to determine the Lord's leading. Conversations turned into strategy meetings, Quiet Times turned into Visions, Books turned into training, and the time turned into an increased burden....all to bring us eight months down the road. Well finally 2 marathons later...literally, an oddly  cold phone interview,  led the way to a face to face that seemed like the beginning of an answer...which led the way to "silence". Silence when passion, destiny, continual vision burned deeply....till the end weeks later..."no". Odd...unrequited love. It's certainly not how I envisioned this romance taking place all along. I certainly envisioned a "match to dry kindling" or even "water to a thirsty soul", but in no fashion was there ever "indifference".

So...a region that seems to have destiny spoken over it...where does one see their place? When specific 2400 dpi vision is seen...is the picture to be printed to be enjoyed by all?? Or...is the picture just for the enjoyment or stretching of the viewer?

Admist all this allegory there are actual circumstances, lives actually with feelings, hopes and dreams. 2009?? Certainly a year of "seeking the Lord"...certainly a year of "finding direction"...will 2010 be a year of "fullfillment"?