Last night, I had the privilege to share with a Spanish congregation in Rogers.  Pastor Armando is a new friend and he invited me to share what Thanksgiving means to me.  I had a wonderful time last night in the service and during the fellowship dinner that followed.

It was my first time to preach with an interpreter and I never knew it could be so tough.  When I preach my brain moves as fast as I speak.  Those of you that know me understand that my lips move fast and that means my brain moves fast.  Now, I have preached where my lips moved faster than my brain and I got in trouble:)  So, as I would share a line of my message, Pastor Armando would interpret.  It was tough to keep my train of thought.  The people were responsive, however, and they all made me feel welcome.

It was interesting as an American going through a whole service that was primarily Spanish speaking.  I was trying to remember my two years of Spanish class to pick up tidbits of what was being said.  The fact of the matter was that whether I understood Spanish or not, we are of one body, the body of Christ.  Just being among the brethren was awesome.  Regardless of language barriers, we are born of the same Spirit and you could sense the presence of God in the service, even if I couldn’t understand everything being said.

Last night, challenged me to be more mindful of the opportunity for missions here at home.  Represented in Pastor Armando’s congregation are people from Mexico, Central and South America.  He is a missionary in his own right to a dozen nations right here in Rogers.  God is tremendously blessing this ministry and you can tell He is at work.

We had a great time at our church thanksgiving dinner last night.  I would estimate close to 100 people were there and we enjoyed a good time of fellowship.  The fried turkey was the best I have ever eaten (props to Stan and Jimmy).  All of the sides and desserts were delicious.  I was impressed with the large turnout we had for the meal.

Tonight, I will be sharing thanksgiving dinner with the local Spanish Assembly of God church.  Josh and I will be joining them for their service and dinner.  I look forward to spending time with Pastor Armando and his congregation.  They have been a blessing to our church in the recent months and God is tremendously blessing their ministry.

I had lunch today with one of the Chi Alpha missionaries at the University of Arkansas.  Tim was a sharp guy that has a passion for college students.  He is responsible for taking care of the international students at U of A.  It is amazing the opportunity for ministry on a college campus.  On any college campus there are around 100 nations represented.  These are students who will take their education back to their home country and become that nation’s leaders.  What an opportunity to shape the nations by reaching them on an American University Campus.

Tim shared with me a strategy that is used on the campus that I think can be used by any believer no matter where they are.  It is perfect for the marketplace as well as our neighborhoods.  Tim shared with me the four B’s:

1.  Befriend – Befriend someone and spend time with them.  Just be friends.  Not just be there to preach to them but first let them know you genuinely care about them personally.

2.  Belong – Invite them to belong to you and your life.  This is a good place to invite them to a church function or to be with a small group of like-minded believers.  Also to see how you live life.

3.  Behavior – This is where they begin to see the difference in your life and notice something that they might want.  It is the place where you have consistently lived a Christ-like life and they know you strive to be different in a good way.

4.  Believe – After you befriend them and invite them to belong, they have had time to witness your behavior.  Now that they see a difference, they are ready to know what you believe.  The door begins to open to share Christ and His grace for your new friend.

Look into your life and see where you can use the 4 B’s.  Too many people begin by trying to make people believe before they are willing to befriend them.  Befriend with the purpose to get them to believe.

I shared about my unwritten dreams but there are also dreams I have for others. 

1.  I have a dream for Sonya to one day be able to record a CD.

2.  I have a dream for Sonya to flourish in a ministry that complements her giftings more than just what I have needed her for.  She has always filled in wherever needed but I dream of the day that she is able to do what burns in her heart.  I will not say what that is, but you can ask her:)

3.  I have a dream for Joshua to grow up and be a man of God and to serve Jesus with all of His heart.  I dream of the day that he can work with me in ministry but only if he is called by God.

4.  I have a dream that our church will record a live worship CD one day.

5.  I have a dream that we will one day write our own worship songs.

6.  I have a dream that my brother will surrender his life to Christ as well as his household.

7.  I have a dream that one day I will be able to buy my in-laws a home near ours. (and yes if I had the money, I would buy my parents one too:))

Everybody has dreams in life and some of those dreams we carry secretly for many years.  There are some dreams that I have had for many years that very few people know.  In fact, most of these things only Sonya knows.  Recently I was reading about our dreams in life and the author stated that in order to see our dreams fulfilled we must learn to vocalize them.  The author’s premise was to share our dreams in case someone wants to partner with you in those dreams.

Here are several of the dreams that I have carried for many years:

1.  To publish a book through a good book publisher.  (I have held this dream since I was a child). 

2.  To have a radio program.  Not just a preaching program but also a morning drive devotional.  A two minute devotional that inspires others for the day.  It will be called “Thoughts For The Journey”.

3.  To begin a network of churches.  To be a mother church and send out church planters in the surrounding communities to plant a church.

4.  To preach a major conference and share things that God has laid on my heart for His church.

5.  To raise up young people to mentor them into full-time ministry.

These are some of my unwritten dreams that one day I pray will come to pass.

“The person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life.”

      — Robert Louis Stevenson–

On Sunday mornings, I am excited to go to God’s house.  It is not just to be among God’s people but also in anticipation of what God might do.  I always look forward to see if we have new faces, lives changed and salvation.  My hope every Sunday is that God will be glorified and people will be touched by the worship and the Word.

It is our awesome privilege to worship God freely in America.  It is our privilege to hear the Word of God preached and to allow God to change our lives through that Word.  When we go to church we ought to be thankful but also come with an excitement of what He will do.  Do you have an anticipation from Sunday to Sunday or do you just go to church expecting to see the same ol’ thing?

God’s House ought to be an exciting place.  A place we love to Go.  Chili’s slogan is “No Place Else”.  That should be the slogan of God’s House, “No Place Else Like Church”.  On Sunday mornings, can you say with the Psalmist, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’?

Next week is Thanksgiving.  Time for the annual Thanksgiving meal with family.  Thanksgiving dinner is more than just food.  It is more than turkey and dressing, ham and mash potatoes.  It is more than candied yams and cranberry sauce.  Thanksgiving is about family, friends and conversation. 

When the holidays come we are often reminded of the diversity of our families.  Sitting at the table are Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Non-Christians, Introverts and Extroverts.  There are alot of different personalities gathered around the table: good and bad.  It is the reality of family.  As I have always said, “You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family.” 

So in light of all these things I have developed some ground rules for a successful holiday dinner.  There are Good Topics and Topics to be avoided at all costs. (Warning: Some of these discussions are tongue in cheek:) )

Good Topics (Neutrality is always grand):

1.  Black Friday shopping.  While waiting for dinner, break out the ads and discuss what you will buy the day after Thanksgiving.  Create a competition between the different family members to see who can go into the most debt before Christmas.

2.  Football -Whether it is College Football or Pro, makes little difference.  We should just be thankful that God created football.  Eat and then sit around and watch the game.  If you want to make peace with the family, always make sure you root against the Dallas Cowboys (right Judy?). 

3.  Food – A good subject while eating is what we will eat for the next meal.  I have always found it relaxing, while eating Turkey and dressing, to discuss another type of food; such as Mexican.  As Americans it is our right to be thinking about the next meal. 

4.  Exercise – Discuss your weight loss plan and compare notes with the others.  It is a good time to learn what works and what doesn’t work.  It is also a good time to evaluate the plans that do work.  If someone suggests a good diet or exercise program but they have gained weight since last Thanksgiving, simply smile and agree, but find someone else’s plan.

Topics Not To Discuss (Mood Killers)

1.  Politics – We are only weeks after the election, there are some at the table who would love to gloat. Others who are still depressed.  It is not the occasion to bring up your political persuasion.  This is the quickest way for the dinner to end in a family feud.  If you are Republican and would like to get one over on the family, quietly get up from the table, non-chalantly switch the channel from ESPN to Fox News and be re-seated.  If you are a Democrat, simply switch to any of the other 86 news stations.

2.  Religion – Most religion is okay to discuss, just do not discuss Christianity.  It is never a good idea to bring your Bible to the dinner.  Most families have a wide array of opinions that will create a certain dispute.  But if you are a fun-loving person, simply bring your Bible and discuss what Presidential Candidate was the right one biblically. (See #1)

3.  Kids – Always choose to stay away from the subject of kids.  No matter how good your kids are, everyone else’s are better at sports, school or church. 

I hope this helps.  These are lessons that you can apply to any dinner with the family.  Just to remind you, alot of this was written as satire. But if you would like to send it to Dear Abby for her to use, feel free.  Just sign my name, Family Figured Out, Rogers Arkansas.