I may be the only parent who deals with this and if I am please don't tell me. I don't want to hear that I'm alone.

My kids step over things without picking them up. They leave things sitting on the table that don't belong there. And they say that they don't even see them.

What I want is for them to pick up the stuff, even if it isn't theirs. I want them to do the dishes without being told too. I want them to know that we do these things because we are Kelley's and that is what we do and who we are. I want them to know what my heart is and then do it without being told.

Part of it is the training that I have to give them since none of them were just born this way. As their father, I have to instruct them and let them know what I expect. I have to let them know what my heart is. Then the other portion of this equation is that they need to learn who I am, what I want and what I believe the Kelley family is about. They need to learn my heart.

The same is true in our being the Church. We are to know the heart of God and then act on it. As the perfect Father, His instruction to us has already been made known. He has already made known to us His heart, His desires and His plans. And, we are to be the kids who study the heart of the Father, get to know Him, then, without having to ask or be told, do what is in front of us.

Just as my kids love to receive my blessing (praise, free time, money) we love the blessing of the Father. However, we are not to be seeking the blessing, but rather seek the heart of the Blessing Giver. The blessings are just extra. If my kid's desire is to only have free time and therefore do what I ask, that is not the right motive and they won't receive my blessing. But if they do what is right because it is right, then the blessing comes.

Is our desire the blessing of God or the heart of God? Are we doing what is right because we want the goodies, or are we doing what is right simply because it is right?

For my kids to get to know and understand my heart more, they need to study me, get to know me and spend time with me. Then they need to act on what they see, learn and experience. They have to act on that revealed truth.

God has given us such great ways of getting to know and understand His heart better. We have His written word, the great spoken word of God and opportunities to talk to Him.

I challenge you this next year; get to know the heart of God. Read the Bible, go be a part of the church on a regular basis and spend lots of time talking to Him. Act on the revealed truth.

I have been challenged with this myself. At least for the month of January, I will be reading through the entire Bible. I don't know if I will do it for more months than just the one or not. God has laid on my heart that if I want to do what is right because it is right, then I need to know His heart more. So, I'm gonna read up on Him. See what He has to say and be radically changed by it. If you want to join me in this endeavor, that would be great. (Let me know if you decide to do this and I can tell you how I mapped it out.) Whether you do or not, I would encourage you to…

Learn His heart. Understand His heart. Then do what is right because it is right.

As I sat holding my devastated 11 year old daughter on my lap in the middle of the floor, I had a glimpse at the Father's heart.

It started at a basketball game only a few hours earlier. We got word that my oldest was making choices that went against our family standards. Choices that will cost him dearly if there is no change. Choices that have been made by him in the past, and have been dealt with by us as parents. Choices that separate him from me as his father. Not because I love him less, but because when he makes those choices we can't have a close relationship.

My frustration with him did not come so much from what he did as it was related to how he broke my heart through our loss of relationship. I got angry, I cried because it hurt me, I tried to explain once again what the ultimate outcome of these choices would do to him and I was silent because I didn't know what to say. Not that all of these were godly reactions by any means.

As we were in the middle of this, my daughter's cat that she has had for 8 years, walked out into the living room and laid down and died right in front of us. As my Babydoll was crying and asking for God to not let her Colorful die, all I could do was hold her and cry with her.

At this point, God opened my eyes. He gave me a glimpse of His heart. The frustration and hurt He experiences every time I decide to walk away from His perfect standard, as well as the times He just holds me and lets me cry in my hurt. My heart broke. In the center of my time of being dad, I saw in such a small way the Father's heart for me. His fierce righteousness as well as His tender mercies. How terrific my situation felt, but how small it was in comparison.

Even in comparison to how His heart felt toward His own Son. The perfect Lamb of God…beaten, crushed, abused, rejected and killed. The pain the Father must have felt as He watched this happen. The heaviness of the Father's heart as the sins of the world were cast upon His perfect Son. The fact that God had to turn His face because He couldn't look on that sin. How must His heart have felt that day? How must His heart feel toward us from time to time?

My prayer has become one of repentance, change and thanksgiving since that time. Repentance for the hurt that I cause His heart. Repentance for the ways my reactions as a father aren't godly. Change because that is what happens with repentance. As I experienced the heaviness of a father's heart, I don't want to be the cause of that in His heart. Thanksgiving for a God who has continually held me in my time of need. Who, without judgment or even word, has been with me through my sufferings.

I caught a glimpse of the Father's heart that night and because of that, I will never be the same. Have you caught a glimpse of His heart? What have you done with that experience?

I have always wondered what would happen if a professional basketball team just went back to the basics. If they paired up against another talented team, but instead of all the show and glitter that you see now, they just played it straight by the fundamentals. I really believe that that team would surprise and astonish the other team so much that it would be a landslide. The fundamental team would walk away with a victory.

In short, I believe that is what Mark Batterson is saying throughout his new book Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. He is taking us back to our roots, back to what matters most, back to what will help us win the game. He takes us back to the basis of who we are to be and what we are to do as Christians. We are to love the LORD our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength (Mark 12:30).

As he breaks down this verse bit by bit, I continued to see the importance of stripping off everything I have learned, and re-explore what my faith is founded on. One of the hardest things in my Christian walk has been the fact of growing up in church. Not that I would trade that for anything, but it has been hard to strip off the stuff that I have learned that has truly covered up the fundamental relationship I am to have with my God.

All throughout his book, Mark continually draws from scripture, thoughts from people throughout history as well as insightful stories from his own life. The use of these means to help draw a conclusion is not new, but the fresh thinking that Mark puts to these means certainly is. His continual re-thinking thinking, his desire to understand ways of doing church that have never been thought of, his pursuit of a real, personal and working relationship with God (not just one of static) and his way of seeing scripture in a much deeper multi-faceted way is felt on each page.

If your desire is to come back to the basics of living in a new and active relationship with God, this has got to be the book you start 2010 with! I believe it is time for us to strip off the layers of stuff that we have piled up on our life with Him, come back to the fundamentals of the game, and truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. I believe that Primal is the book to help us do that.

Order a book today at www.randomhouse.com. You will be glad you did.

It amazed me on Saturday night, the talent that was displayed. We had our first Christmas Music Extravaganza led by our Worship Pastor, Angie. There was a huge array of styles of music, ages of musicians and singers and yet no lack in talent. She had the vision to pull off a "White Christmas" or "Holiday Inn" kind of evening. Let's just say that old Bing had nothing better than what I saw Saturday.

What I really took away from that night is the fact that just because we are a small church in a small town in an ungodly state doesn't mean that is what has to dictate us. The talent that was experienced on Saturday could easily have come from professionals in a much bigger venue.

Don't let your location, size, age or assumed talent level dictate or limit what you do for God. Just like Paul told Timothy, "Don't let them look down on you because you are young." Then he goes on to say (in my own words) "Just wow them with what the Holy Spirit has blessed you with."

Well, I was wowed and I was challenged to not be limited for what I do for Jesus' sake.

Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him (Jesus) about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. Mark 1:30, 31

Jesus has such compassion on this woman. He doesn't ask about her past or what she had been doing to become ill, he just reached out, lifted her up and healed her. What love!

Have you ever had that? Maybe it was a miraculous physical healing that Jesus did so that he would be glorified. For me it was lifting me out of the pit of mud that I had spiritually sunk into. Ok, I made my own choices to get there, but Jesus didn't ask, he just saved me. How grateful I am!

All of that is good, but did we catch the last part of those verses… "and she began to serve them." How crazy! She didn't sit and rest, she just got up and served. I don't know for sure, but I think she was probably so overcome with gratitude that she just couldn't help herself. She was grateful for a wonderful son-in-law that cared for her enough to mention her to Jesus, and she was grateful enough to a Savior that would heal her…no questions asked. What a woman!

When we were healed or rescued by our Savior, what was our first response? "Well, I have to rest awhile. You know, it has been a long time of sickness and I'm still kinda weak." When all along, our response needs to be like hers… "Jesus, I'm not even gonna ask if I can serve you, I'm just gonna do it because I know it's the right thing to do."

This Christmas season, we need to do something different. Recognize that we have been healed and/or rescued and then "begin to serve them." Find someone to have over for dinner and just bless them with the night of their life. Send a card or email to someone that you have been thinking of. Donate to a food bank or charity. Do extra chores around the house without drawing attention to it. Donate some time at your church. Plan for a missions trip this summer. Go tell someone about your being rescued!

Watched the cat today do something that I do way too often. The cat jumped up on the back of the couch and wiggled its head around on the curtain until it was able to move the curtain and peek outside. I don't know what it was looking at, but I'm assuming it was dreaming of freedom.

No, I don't jump on the couch to look out the window, but what I do is just peek through another curtain and not go experience what I see on the other side.

When Jesus died, the giant curtain in the temple, separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn in half. This curtain was to keep the common folk out from where the presence of God rested. When Jesus died separation was destroyed. We were given free access to the presence of God.

Too often I just sit on the outside looking in. Wondering what it would be like to be there. Well, all I have to do is go! The Bible says that we can come confidently into the throne room of God. We don't have to sit on the outside just peering through the curtain. We can go to where God is!

Well, I'm done looking…I'm going! Wanna come with me?

Our attitude is directly affected by our latitude. I came to realize this after my trips to Kenya and India this year. I have come to realize this in moving to Northport.

My attitude has been changed drastically after my latitude changed. Things just don't bother me the way they used to. So what that Wal-Mart doesn't have that certain Christmas present on sale anymore, when so many go without just the basics of life. So what that the Starbucks girl didn't make the coffee the right way, when entire villages don't have safe drinking water. So what that I'm a little hungry, when 25,000 people die every day from starvation. But big deal that people are dying without Jesus around me. Big deal that my selfishness has gotten in the way of my loving others the way I should. Once my latitude changed for a while, my attitude couldn't stay the same.

Too often we miss so much in this life because we haven't moved. Our attitude can become stinky because we haven't changed our latitude for too long.

The apostle Paul said that he knew what contentment was. It was his trust in Jesus, yes, but I also believe that he knew what contentment was because his latitude changed. His first change of latitude came on the road to Damascus. He fell to his knees before Jesus. That is the first latitude change we must experience as well, falling on our knees in recognition of who Jesus is. Second, Paul didn't sit still. He got out of his comfort zone and saw how the other half lived. He started locally and then went from there. That is what we must do as well. Go down the street. Go across town. Go to a neighboring town. Go somewhere. And as you go, pray to see through Jesus' eyes.

You won't need to ask to have your attitude changed, it just happens as you change your latitude.

Ok, I know that many of you are not even wanting to think about Christmas yet since Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived, but, if it is good for Wal-Mart, then it works for me.

I remember, as a kid, sitting on the lap of a fat guy in a red suit, AKA Santa, around December and hearing him belt out in some "I'm trying to sound jolly to the 3,000^th kid I've seen today" voice…"What do you want for Christmas little boy?" Well, if I was able to sit on his lap now I would say "I want a Red Rider BB gun…" just to be smart with him. Of course, we all know what his response would be…Come on, say it with me… "You'll shoot your eye out." As adults, we don't have that privilege to sit on his lap anymore and tell him what we want. I guess, as a grown man, it would be a little creepy for me to sit there and talk to a guy in a beard made of cotton balls and tell him what I want. Of course, if I thought that he would have any sway toward me getting what I want for Christmas this year, I might just risk the embarrassment and climb aboard.

See, this year I actually know what I want. And so I am putting out my request to you nice and early so you can help me get it. You may be thinking a few things right now… "Is he nuts? Like I'm gonna get him a present." Or, "This is a little bold, publishing a wish list for all to see." Or (my personal favorite), "Shoot, I forgot to put him on my list. I'm so glad that he reminded me. I'm all ears, Eldon, to hear what I can buy for you!" Yeah, I like that last one. I digress. I have put a lot of thought, time, energy and distance into this present that I desire. Are you ready?

What I want for Christmas is… A WELL FOR THIRSTY AND STARVING KIDS IN OLOPOROLI, KENYA!

That's it. No iPhone (although very cool), no ties (don't wear the ones I have), no TV (nothing good to watch anyhow) and no new cars (even that Ferrari that I have been eyeing). Nope. Just a well with fresh water being pumped out to some kids that I fell in love with back in September. These kiddos are dying at an alarming rate and yet it is so easy to put the brakes on that statistic. Fresh, clean water is part of the answer.

In this village, Oloporoli, all I saw was sick kids. The doctor that was with us said that the least of their health problems was pneumonia. The least! The villagers had to walk for about 20 kilometers just to find some water to drink and cook with. If you help me with my Christmas present, they would only have to walk about 100 yards.

There are two little ones that stand out the most to me on that day we were there. One is 7-year-old Naserian. You may remember the story I shared before about the girl who had been circumcised. That is Naserian. But the other one that stands out to me is one that I don't have a name for. I'm assuming she had a name, but I don't know.

My encounter with her was very brief. In fact I didn't talk to her more than trying to say hello to her before she ducked behind her mom and hid in her shuka (wrap type clothing). All I remember was a cute, dirty, deathly skinny and so sick little girl. As I stood up, our interpreter, Too Tepeny, was talking with the mom. I stood there for a moment before Too (pronounced Toe) began telling me what the mother was saying. As I heard him speak, my heart crushed under the pressure and my eyes tried to hold back the tears. He told me that the mom wanted me to take her daughter with me! Now, this wasn't just in playful banter because the kid had been naughty, nor was it just some half-hearted idea. I know this because I asked. He talked again to her and she said, "No, I want him to take my daughter.' I could hear the child making noises and crying behind the mother as this conversation was going on. I don't know if the little girl understood what was being said or not, but I can't imagine what she would be thinking if she did. Through my own pain and tears I asked Too, "Why?" He said that the mom wanted a better life for her daughter than what she was going to have living where she was. My heart had been broken just one too many times this day. The crushing pain of hearing story after story of suffering, the visual reminder that these people are dying, and the smell that wouldn't let me forget that I wasn't just checking out National Geographic photos online. I couldn't hold back my tears, as I can't now, any longer. I replied to Too, "You realize I can't take her, right?" You may never know the agony of those words, or the agony of the reply, "Yes. I know." I would have taken her home at that moment without any hesitation if I could have. Every part of me wanted to scoop her up and love her. To give her a home. To give her a future. To give her hope. I came to a great realization that day, that I'm not the supplier of any of that. Maybe a home someday, even if it is not to her specifically, but the rest of it I couldn't. I knew then, that there is only One who can supply that future and that hope that she needs and that is Jesus Christ. More desperately than the physical water they were longing for, they were in need of Spiritual water. We offered that to them that day, and many made the choice to follow Jesus and receive that hope that comes through him!

Just as they were able to drink of Living Water that day, my desire is that they would also be able to drink of physical water that helps them live. So, that is what I want for Christmas this year. Even if you don't "buy" me a Christmas present, maybe you could "buy" a family member or friend this present. We are only about $10,000 short from making this well happen. If 100 of you (ok, that's bold thinking that 100 people are actually going to read this, which means it puts a little more weight on those of you who do) would "buy" me a $10 gift toward this well, that's $1,000! I've never gotten a $1,000 Christmas present before. And this would be the perfect one.

If you want to help "buy" this gift for me, you can send a check to Rick Willison, the leader of the X Treme Team. Any gift that is given is tax deductible! Just make your check out to TJMI (Team Jesus Ministries Inc.), write on the memo part "Eldon's Christmas Present", and then send it to:

TJMI

1523 Scarlett Drive

Anderson, IN 46013

Or you can use PayPal. Go to "send money" and then use the email tjmi@radicallysaved.com.

So, I sit upon your lap (eww) as a child would sit upon Santa's lap, and ask but one thing for Christmas…a well for my kiddos in Oloporoli!

Bearing His torch

Eldon

The kids asked a good question this morning during our Bible reading, "how do you get something out of a story that you have read so many times."

We were reading Genesis 7 today. The story of Noah collecting all the animals and getting them stored away on the ark. The ark being sealed and rains coming down and the floods coming up. The complete destruction of everything except that which was on the ark. If you have spent any time at all in church you have heard this story.

So, what do you get out of a story you have heard so many times. Well, verse 1. That's right, I didn't even have to go very far to find some meaningful morsel of truth. Verse 1 says, Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation." God used Noah because he was righteous before Him in that generation.

Noah was used to do something amazing because he was seen as righteous. Noah didn't go into this thinking, "I am going to be famous. Someone is going to write all this down, compile it into the world's bestselling book, people are going to preach about me and use me for children's stories. I can't wait to see what people will say about me!" No, he did what was right because of a fear of God. Because of his right-standing before God in his generation, he was used to restart the population of the earth. But it wasn't because of what he wanted out of it.

You can't be seen as righteous when you are doing what you are doing for the wrong motives. You are only seen as righteous when you are obeying God because that is what is right. Can you imagine what God could do with a bunch of Noah's in this generation? How he could "restart" the earth with a generation of people who were righteous before Him.

Are you doing anything? Are you in a place to be used by God to affect this generation and those to come? With what motive are you doing what you are doing? Let's be known as a people who were "seen that are righteous before God in this generation," and let's see what God does with that.

Relationship. That word. So powerful. So meaningful. Relationship. If it wasn't for my relationship with my wife I don't believe that I would fully understand what earthly love is about. She has truly loved me. Not selfishly, but totally unselfishly. She has taught me what it is like to love someone here on earth in a manner that is Godly. I cherish that relationship!

This word continues to find me everywhere I go lately. Every devotion, every teaching, every conversation, everywhere. God is truly showing me that the thing He desires most with me is a relationship. Of course, that relationship with a holy God is made possible only through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. Talk about a selfless act! It wasn't about Him. He did it for two reasons. 1) Out of love for His Father. He did everything so that God the Father would be given glory. 2) For me and you. He died for us while we were still in sin. While we still hated Jesus. Jesus died so that we could be in right relationship with God the Father. Amazing!

I continue to see that this is what is important. I have been looking to see what God wants me to do, and He keeps bringing it back to relationship. In my relationship with Him all will work out. I don't need to focus on what He wants me to do, or be, or where to go. When my relationship is right it all works out.

So, I'm simplifying. No more wondering what God has planned for me. No more trying to figure out His will. I'm walking in obedience to the revealed Word of God…I'm pursuing and deepening my relationship with the One who created relationships. Please pray for me during this. I struggle sometimes. I need His power to do what is right.

Well, now you know what I will be up to for awhile.

Interesting how it all works together. What I mean is how all the things that God is speaking to me all work together. In my devotions, in my family life, in other people's lives…God keeps speaking the same thing to me over and over. Maybe, just maybe, I should pay attention.

I notice in scripture how when God speaks people should pay attention. And then sometimes He repeats Himself a second time. That's when you just kinda drop what you are doing and focus in. Then, on a few occasions, God speaks a third time. I don't even begin to know what to think about that. It's too simple to say then we must really, really pay attention. The third time is beyond any description of what we should do except for the fact of dropping on our knees and bowing our hearts in fear. Well, I'm beyond the third time. And I am paying attention. I just think He really wants me to understand the importance of what He is saying.

What is God speaking to you? Through scripture, through other people's lives, through the spoken word of God or whatever other means. What does He want you to hear? Mine is this…don't focus on anything else but my relationship with Him. Everything else will come together. I have to trust Him that He can do it without my help. When my focus is on Him, He will use me the way that He needs to use me. Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things will be added to you." Perspective. Priorities. Position.

Last night it rained. Not just this little Western WA drizzle, but the good old Eastern WA monsoon. Since I am still suffering from jet lag (in bed at 10pm after a 3 hour nap, then awake by 2am) I heard it all coming down. We have a metal roof (no, I don't live in a trailer!) so the sound was even louder than normal. It made me think that there were thousands of elves hammering their little hammers all over my roof. At first that was an exciting thought. I figured they must be fixing my roof for me. But, sadly, no. Then I laid there and started thinking about all the stuff that was laying outside without the shelter that it needed. (Ok, I wish that I was thinking of people and puppies here, but I didn't.) I started thinking about my boat that didn't have a cover over it yet and all the stuff in it that was getting soaked. Then I thought of the chainsaw that I saw had been left out (thank you son). Then I thought about the boxes that I hadn't put in the shed yet. Then about the…well, you get the picture. I laid there and started to worry about all the stuff that was getting wet. Then it struck me, I couldn't really do anything about it right then anyhow. I would have to wait until I could do something about it.

I don't know about you, but I worry about the dumbest things. And this little middle of the night episode made me understand what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 6. He tells me not to be anxious about anything. He uses food and clothes as examples, but the word anything means just that…anything. Worrying won't help us, in fact it harms us. It takes our attention off the important stuff. Satan loves to use worry. It doesn't seem all that sinful to worry, until we realize what it is doing to us. See, verse 33 says, "but seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness. Then all these things will be added unto you." Worry pulls our eyes off the importance of seeking His Kingdom, what it is that He wants you to be doing. Maybe it's the worry about money…so you don't tithe or give to missions like you should. Maybe the worry is about food…so you don't give to the food banks or invite people over for dinner. Maybe the worry is about your children…so you give up and let them take the path of least resistance. Maybe the worry comes from not sharing what Jesus has done for you in your life…so you allow your friends and family to slip quietly into hell. Maybe the worry is about the state of our nation…so you talk about it, but don't do anything to change it. All of this worry pulls our minds from the Kingdom we are to be advancing.

What is your worry? What will you do when you are faced with it the next time? Try this on for size…Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before u, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." When faced with worry (read sin), cast it aside and turn your focus on Jesus.

Then let's see what 1 Peter 5:6-7 says. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." Humble yourself...realizing that we aren't going to fix things. He is God and we are not.

I still have things outside that need my attention (I don't think God is just going to take care of that for me…bummer) but I will use this lesson when I am faced with worry once again. I will realize, and act upon, the fact that I don't need to worry…I need to turn it over to God. He has it covered.