Woodbine FWB Church is now Cane Ridge FWB Church. The building we once met in is now the property of a Spanish FWB church. Cane Ridge FWB Church meets each Sunday in the cafeteria and gymnasium at A.Z. Kelly Elementary School. Each Sunday morning the set-up team meets an hour or so before services and sets up the chairs, mics, keyboards, etc. to enable us to meet for worship. The different Sunday School classes gather in groups in corners, behind the drapes on stage, or anywhere that is possible. Sometimes a group will have a loud outburst but usually there is just a quiet hum as the groups discuss the day’s lesson within their own group.
The same thing takes place for the evening services with one difference. After that service is over, everything has to be dismantled, stacked together, and carried out to vans, trunks, and trailers to be stored so we can meet in seven more days and do it all over again.
Is it tiring? Of course it is. Can it be exasperating? Absolutely, if you let it. Do people’s tempers get short? They could, but I’ve not heard that yet. You see, Cane Ridge folks are on a mission; they have set a course toward a goal and have no plans of looking back with regrets, backing up, or sitting down.
Sunday, April 5, 2009, Cane Ridge FWB Church will break ground on the property where we will build the first building of the new Cane Ridge FWB Church! What an exciting time that will be. Scores of us will ride by the property as the building begins to take place just to see how much progress has been made. As the the building takes shape the excitement will mount until one day we drive by and it is almost complete. Just a few more finishing touches and then we can move in. On that day, the glory of the Lord will fall and just as the Children of Israel stepped up the bank of the Jordan River to take possession of Canaan, Cane Ridge Church will take possession of the land and building God has given us with the task of conquering new territory for Him.
Are we up to the challenge? We’d better be. God does not do things halfway and He doesn’t expect His children, His warriors, to fall victim to that attitude either. So, we march on; we work; we give; we pray; we encourage; we remain faithful and the God of heaven and earth has promised never to leave us. He will finish the work He has begun.
Come see what God is doing at, and with, Cane Ridge FWB Church!
Grams
When I first started working for Randall House, other than trying to get a production schedule in place that would work more efficiently, nothing much changed. We were just trying to maintain the status quo. Now, that was twelve years ago, or close to that. I look back on those days and then take stock of where we are today, and I shake my head almost in unbelief.
What was once a couple of in-house editors, a typesetter, and one graphic designer has grown to include an editorial director, a managing editor, 2 senior editors, 3 associate editors, 1 editorial assistant, and 1 editorial intern. Then across the hall, the graphic design department sports a design manager, 3 designers, 1 typesetter, and a design intern. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention our book acquisitions editor who heads up our book division. Obviously, the number of products has increased as well.
In the world of publishing, the staff I just referred to is quite small. Even with all the increase we have had, we have room to substantially increase product and thereby personnel. When someone says, the sky’s the limit, I sometimes wonder if that person really understands what he has alluded to. But that sentiment definitely holds true for Randall House today. With all that has been, considering where we began and where we’re going, those of us who are looking from the inside out know that today we can say, “The sky’s the limit.”
In the spring quarter of 2009 Fusion will replace CLEAR Living as the new adult devotional magazine. After many hours of researching, talking, thinking, and praying for God’s guidance, we believe this product will more closely meet the needs of today’s adults facing life in our anti-Christian culture. The aim is once again to help families connect together around the Word of God. Fusion is a positive step in that direction.
More new products and product lines are coming in 2009. The fall quarter will see the first issue of The Brink, a young adult curriculum line designed to target young adults age 18-30. The content remains biblical, but the approach to application will cause those in this age group to look at how that biblical content impacts where they live. It will be different, but it will also be a mighty tool to reach one of the most neglected groups of adults in our culture. We are all very excited. What else is coming remains to be seen, but I’d keep my eyes open and my ears peeled if I were you.
This incredible journey I’ve been on for the past 12 years has really been a joy in my life. Has it all been easy? Well, no! But, things that come easy usually do not last nor do they have the eternal impact struggles do. It has been, and is, a trip worth taking.
Grams
I have two boys. They are very different in personality and interests, yet they both have become very successful in their pursuit of God’s plan for their lives. Now, from the world’s viewpoint of success, I don’t suppose they are, not if making a lot of money and having a lot of “stuff” is the measuring criteria. But, thankfully God does not measure success by that standard.
I write often of the antics of Brian when he was just a boy. He was very active with an imagination that never ceased to amaze me. One of the things he did most was take things apart. He always wanted to know what made it work. Those who know him appreciate his musical talent and ability. Never would I have dreamed God would call him into the Army and then to the Chaplain’s Corp, but He did.
Chris was not very healthy as a child and so the time when he would have been involved in activities similar to those of his brother was spent in doors. It was not until he was in college that Chris’ health improved. Thanks be to God, for he is now a healthy young man. Maybe all those years of forced inactivity is what produced such a scholar. At any rate, the child I never thought would live to become a man is now pastoring in Georgia and holds a position as a mental health counselor.
Why am I writing along these lines? All parents know that none of their children are identical in personality, interests, goals, ambitions, etc. The job of a conscientious parent can be very difficult for you must understand the needs of each child, as different as they may be. The goal is to help each child become the person God intends for him or her to be. This can be an awesome task.
There are many times when I could have used help from people I trusted. There were people I could talk to. God was always gracious in that regard, but there were times I wondered how these two would ever turn out.
Unknowingly, I plugged into what is now called D6. All I knew to do was use the Bible as my source book; my guide book. Every chance I had, I engaged the boys, either together or separately, in discussion about their life and lined the topic or problem up with the Word of God. I made sure they knew they could talk to me about anything, anytime. Miraculously, it worked!
Are they perfect? Have you read my blog at all? No, they are not perfect, but they are godly men who love God, their wife and children, their families and friends, and are committed to following His will for their lives. I am very pleased with what God has done and is continuing to do in both their lives.
D6 is a phenomenal program. If you want help in parenting your children to become committed followers of Christ, plug your family into D6. It works and there’s plenty of help available. Ask about it at Randall House. Tell ‘em Grams sent you.
Grams
The Foot Log
The gray sky hung low and heavy, almost touching the ground. A mist rose to mingle with the rain, soaking and chilling as it fell. No wind. All was quiet and just plain cold. No birds, no sounds, nothing. I wondered if this was the way it felt when the earth was young.
I wasn’t the only one feeling like we’d made a big mistake in coming on this camping trip. I could tell from their faces that others shared my sentiments also. There was no way it had been this cold and wet when we left the comfort of our beds to spend a day “roughing” it in the woods. Maybe it’s colder and wetter in the woods. I don’t know, but that sounded logical to me.
Daddy had agreed to take the boys from the church on a hunting/camping trip and, of course, we girls wanted to come along too. So, in trying to be fair to all the youth in the church, he had agreed to take anyone who wanted to go. That was his first mistake. His second? Going camping in the fall after the winter rains had set in. In all fairness to him, he had planned the trip for just the guys and it was to be a serious hunting trip, not a social for the young people at church. His third mistake was failing to understand the reason girls would want to go on a hunting/camping trip in the first place.
We had ridden into the wilderness (that’s what it seemed like to me) a long way over bumpy, potholed, dirt roads. Finally it was time to park the vehicles and walk to the campsite. That meant all the gear had to be carried and everybody had to do their part. I didn’t remember this being part of the deal. But, not to be outdone, we all grabbed a pack and started for the campsite.
Before we could set up camp we had to cross this creek. Now the problem was that the rains had caused the creek to be higher than it was supposed to be. Someone had this “great” idea of a foot log, which lay perfectly across the creek and offered convenient access to the campsite. So, across the foot log we would go.
Daddy went first. Now in an effort once again to be fair, my daddy was a woodsman. He hunted and fished and knew a lot about survival, long before all the survival shows we have today. I never doubted his ability to take care of us while in the woods. He had the heaviest pack and carried his shotgun. He told us he was going to clear the leaves off the log so our footing would be sure. The rest of the group waited as he started across. He walked carefully, kicking the leaves off the log before each step. He was walking in rhythm, swinging his leg and kicking the leaves. Then the inevitable happened. For some reason, still unknown, daddy lost his rhythm and instead of kicking leaves, his right foot kicked his left ankle and there was this big splash. Daddy had kicked his feet out from under him and gone feet first into the creek. Remember the rains? He went all the way under. Only his shotgun could be seen; he had managed to hold it above his head and avoided getting it wet.
While daddy was scrambling up the bank, the rest of us hurried on across. The next thing on our agenda was to build a fire. Daddy needed to get dry and warm as fast as he could. He was our guide, caretaker, provider, and anything else we needed. We had to take care of him. So, as only young people can do, we immediately set up camp; one of the other men built a fire and looked after the preacher. Before long we had a semblance of a meal ready and daddy was in some dry clothes; well, they were almost dry. We sat around the fire, talking about what had happened, and laughing at the preacher who had been the only one to fall into the creek. Somewhere along the way we had forgotten the rain, the cold, and the discomfort. We were actually enjoying ourselves.
There are several lessons one can learn from a day like I’ve just described: don’t be over confident; plan carefully, considering any and all possibilities; be prepared for emergencies; make the most of a bad situation; even cancel plans when conditions warrant it. But the one thing that has come to my mind down through the years when I recall that day has been people’s ability to laugh at bad situations; to turn a bad day into an enjoyable outing. And that’s what it was–a good day.
Grams
You’ve just received word that the company is downsizing and your job has been eliminated. Fear, anxiety, anger, even a sense of hopelessness flood your mind. What will you do? Where will you go? In the back of your mind you know that you may have to relocate. Change.
The last few months you have spent hours going over brochures of colleges, trying to decide which one is the right choice to make. You want your son or daughter, as the case may be, to be satisfied with the decision, but finances play a major role in the choice that is made. Finally the day arrives when that one who has been a major part of your life for 18 years is leaving home, going off to college. Your stomach knots up as you struggle to hold back the tears. It won’t be the same, ever again. Change.
The church’s facilities are old and in need of major repair. The demographics of the city have shifted and to be affective, the church must consider its future role in its present community. Avenues for outreach have almost come to a standstill due to language and custom barriers. In the back of everyone’s mind is the nagging question of what to do. If we move, where to, when, and who will lead? Whatever the church decides to do everyone knows that things will never be the same again. Change.
People fear change. It is an unknown and in that quality resides the fear that both causes change and hinders it. Today it’s called stepping out of your comfort zone and I guess that’s a good name for it. Still it means you have to do something you’ve never done before; embrace another man’s vision and decide whether or not you can trust him. That’s what it comes down to in the long run. Trust, pure and simple. But have you noticed just how hard that can be, to place total trust in someone, regardless of who he or she may be?
Have you ever considered why God placed men over His flock; why He gave mortal men the responsibility of looking after His children while in this life? Give that some thought, I mean beyond the textbook answer. Maybe, just maybe, God knew us well enough to realize that if anything substantial was ever to be accomplished on planet earth, we needed someone to follow; someone we could see, talk to, build a relationship with; someone physical with the same sinful tendencies we all have, yet able to live a life that inspires us to walk closer to our God. I know we have God’s Word and I believe it is the infallible, inerrant Word of almighty God, but at times I still need that human interaction, that human example of faith, of depending on God, of standing for what’s right.
Look at the apostle Paul. He’s the one who said, “Follow me as I follow the Lord” (paraphrase). The prophets of old admonished the people under their hearing to listen and do as they said. Then of course there’s Moses, possibly the greatest leader of all time. He returned to a people, who had sought his life, with the command of God to lead those same people out of Egypt to a land “flowing with milk and honey”–the Promised Land. Now that was change, and the people followed, complaining and griping all the way.
If God has placed you in a position of leadership over a group of people much like the Israelites headed for Canaan or even 1st century Christians, take heart. You stand in the gap; you are the one most will look to, not the Lord. Most of your people will follow the Lord only as you do. And in that you will be able to inspire some to train their eye on Christ and not on you. And when that happens you will have instigated change. You will have forced people out of their comfort zone. Where once your people looked only to you for how to live, what to believe, how to trust, and how to serve, as time goes by they will keep their eyes on Christ and follow where He leads; live as He teaches; believe what He says, and serve where He leads.
The neat thing about the entire process is that it never stops. There will always be others to take the place of those who have matured to the point that they will follow Christ, even if, God forbid, you don’t. They will have changed–stepped out of their comfort zone–and the church takes another step forward. And that’s a good thing.
Whether your voice speaks from time past; whether you walk out of the desert or come down from the hills, God has called you to be a catalyst for change. And that will impact people’s hearts, minds, and emotions. In order for you to accomplish what God has for you, you too may have to step out of your comfort zone. You up to it? I sure hope so.
Grams