My father, and My Father

Tomorrow, May 11th, would have been my Dad's 60th birthday. Sadly he died 12/07/1991 at the very young age of 40.

I have so many awesome memories of my Dad. I will take a few minutes to name a few.

1. No matter where, when, who, what, or why. My Dad could put a smile on anybodys face. (As seen in the picture to the left)

2. I remember one time, it was snowing really bad outside, and my Dad had two brown paper bags FULL of groceries, and my cousin Randy threw a snowball at him and it hit him right smack dab in the middle of his big belly and in the middle of the front yard his pants fell down around his ankles! LOL

3. When I was 12 we went to Disney on vacation. He was scared to ride Space Mountain, and so was I. Neither of us like heights. Although, now I love roller coasters.

4. I remember going to Taco Bell on time by the Dayton Mall with Mike Simmons, my friend Larry, and my Dad. It was the absolute WORST food EVER!!!! Mike and I still to this day refer to that place as the kitty litter Taco Bell.

5. This is my favorite. I got my driving permit on his birthday in 1990. We lived like 4 blocks from the High School. He let me drive to the High School. I turned into the school parking lot nearly missing a tree, he told me to put it in park, and get out. His next words "your mother is going to teach you how to drive". LOL

So many great memories. If I wanted to list them all I would be here for awhile.

Most of all I miss getting to spend time with him!

That brings me to the reason I am writing this blog tonight. Yea part of it was to commemorate my Dad, but it is also to express how important it is to spend time with my heavenly Father.

My Dad died when I was 17 years old. I was in the middle of my Senior year at Wilmington High School, and it totally devastated me. At first I was just in shock. I mean, I am not even sure it really sank in for a couple of months. Then after a few months went by, I started rebelling in a BIG WAY!!! I was rebellious to my Mother, my Youth Pastor, Elders in my church and worst of all to God!!

After he died I started down a path that was just a downward spiral for me for many, many years! I did some pretty awful things, things I am still not proud of to this day! I totally blamed God for everything! By everything, I mean things like, my Dad's death, the crud I was into in my life, the way people were treating me, pretty much everything that you could think of. If it was in my life and it wasn't what I thought it was supposed to be I BLAMED GOD!

Here is the thing not everyone knows about God. Even if you are blaming Him, even if you are rejecting him 1000 times over, even if you HATE His guts. He is by your side, He loves you, He accepts you...... JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!

For 10+ years that was my attitude towards God. One day He grabbed me by my heart and said "Listen, you have tried this on your own for a very long time, and look where you are. How about letting me lead you from now on" (paraphrasing), but that is basically what it felt like!

So for 10+ years I was upset that I didn't have a father, but I did have a Father. Funny thing is and I honestly hadn't even seen this until a few weeks ago. God protected me every single day EVEN when I wasn't worshipping Him, reading my Bible, or even attempting to confess Him. He had His protective hands all around me.

After knowing all that I know now about how God has been there for me, it makes me wish I could turn back time and be there for Him more. In serving, worshipping, witnessing, loving, and many many other ways.

God is so good!! So as I celebrate my Dad's 20th year with God, and remember his birthday today! I am also celebrating my time I get to spend serving my Father, loving my Father, and worshipping my Father!

I hope this blog blesses you as much as it blessed me by writing it. Sometime writing these is more of a release of emotion, and love than it is anything else!

God Bless, and thank you for your support!

Catalyst/Small Group

Tonight was the beginning of an awesome group! Diana and I had so much fun tonight. Got to know a little bit about everyone there, Austin got involved. Julie has a new BFFL (Whatever that means).

It felt so amazing to have this new beginning that Diana and I have so longed for. If you have not joined a Small Group, come check us out next week. You do not know what you are missing until you come check it out!

Great job leading tonight Phil! A special thanks to the Kings (Joel & Rebecca) for hosting the group as well.

I can tell already that this is going to be a fun and entertaining group as we all get more comfortable with each other.

Afterwards, Diana and I were discussing how much Elevation has the right things going in the right direction. We are so pleased to be a part of the growth of this church in our own community and we are both eagerly anticipating serving in more areas! Come check out the group, SERIOUSLY you will not regret it!

CPR

CardioPulmonary Resuscitation

Used alone, CPR will result in few complete recoveries, and those who do survive often develop serious complications. Estimates vary, but many organizations stress that CPR does not "bring anyone back," it simply preserves the body for defibrillation and advanced life support.

Just about anyone who is in the business of "saving" lives, policemen, emt's, firefighter's, doctor's, nurses, and many other professionals need to know CPR. It is a mainstay in many fields of a way to preserve someones life until they can get treatment at a medical facility.

I want to talk more about a different type of CPR. Christ's Perfect Redemption. This CPR was developed for one purpose and that was to save the lives of everyone it touches. It is given to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and to those who believe that Jesus died for their sins. It is a beautiful redemption.

The thing is there are people who are all around us that are dying! People who are laying lifeless on the sidewalk of their own lives. People who are empty inside, and searching for something to fill that void, whether it be a needle, or a bottle, or a woman/man. People who just want to feel loved. People who are hungry, not for food, but for spiritual sustance and may not know how to get or even what it really is until it is on the tablein front of them. People who are crying out to you, your spouse, your sibling, your parents, or your, co-workers. People who are in your circle of friends whom need Jesus and may never have had the chance to experience what He truly is, which is the God of Love, Peace, Compassion, Forgiveness, Joy, Redemption and so, so much more.

One of the greatest things you can do for someone you love is give them the chance to have this version of CPR!

The Mendenhall/Church view on Osama's Death!

Well today at church Pastor Craig kind of beat me to the punch on my next blog topic!! Addressing the death of Osama Bin Laden and the effect it has on the church and Christians in general. BTW, I though Craig did an outstanding job of spelling out what God has to say on this matter, and I loved the reference to King David on this subject.

I was going to take a different route with it in my blog, so I will attempt to do so today without discrediting anything that Craig said today as well.

Last week after the killing of OBL (Osama) I had heard all kinds of stirring over some comments made on Twitter by Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall whom I am not a big fan of as a player mostly because he is from Illinois, and he ran all over my Buckeyes a few years ago to nearly knock us out of the National Championship scene.

Here is one of the articles from Sports Illustrated's website here.

After reading what Rashard had said, it made a lot of sense in some aspects. Should we be celebrating in the streets over a man's death? I really agree with Craig over being excited that good has conquered evil. I dig that! I also agree with the fact that we should not be doing somersaults and backflips in celebration of a man's death which to me is exactly what Rashard was saying in his Tweets.

I for one am glad that OBL is dead, because it sends a strong message to other terrorists organizations in the world that if you mess with the USA, we will send our best to hunt you down and eliminate you! Hopefully it will be the beginning of more of our troops coming home. Sadly I have a close friend (Danny V) who will be going to Afghanistan in January. Breaks my heart that his 5 year old daughter and his lovely wife are going to be Dad/Fatherless for about a year or so. My wife and I just visited with them on Friday for the first time in several months, and got the news. On the way home we were discussing how we can step up to be there for Danielle, and Bre. I hope that they know we will do everything we can to help them through this time. They are our closest Christian friends and we want to be there for them when they need us the most! Pray for them and for us over the next year and a half as they go through this transition time, and that God will grant us wisdom in how to be there for them!


The other thing that Pastor Craig mentioned is the destruction of Alabama due to the tornados. He mentioned Matthew 25 Ministries and praying for the people who are homeless and that have lost loved ones in this disaster. THEY NEED OUR PRAYER FIRST AND FOREMOST. They also could use our financial support. If you weren't sure on how to get to the webpage to do so before, be not afraid I got your hookup right here.

One last thing Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful ladies, my Mother Bonnie Smith, and my wife Diana Smith, and my terriffic Mother-in-Law! You are all so amazing and I love you all very much! Cannot wait until next Sunday! My mother in law Lynn is getting baptized!

Oh and a special thanks to the lady who came up to me while I was greeting (sorry I didn't catch your name) for saying you enjoyed my blog! I really do enjoy all the positive feedback, and any other constructive criticism is welcome as well! Please feel free to comment on my Blogs! It is open for discussions/debates as well!

Handling Rejection

The Bible says that we are made in God's image. If that is so, does he have the same characteristics that we do? Things like a good sense of humor, or not handling rejection well, things like that...

I mean, I really wonder how God handles His people, the ones He created to love Him unconditionally? I can only imagine the heartbreak He must feel every time someone turns from Him or just flat out doesn't even acknowledge Him.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

My friend Kristi Jones had this quote posted on her Facebook this week:

...is going to trust that rejection--in any form, from anyone--is simply God's way of saying "Careful, kiddo. You were going the wrong way."

I love this quote. So many times we get upset when something doesn't work out the way WE want it to, without even considering if it is God's will for us or not.

Funny this week I was reading that book of mine 100 Versus Every Dad Needs To Know and came across this verse again.

Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

If we follow this simple procedure everyday in our lives wouldn't we all handle rejection a little bit better?

I mean if we are asking for what we NEED, seeking for Him, and knocking on the door (for it to be opened)..... everything we will ever need or really could want will come to us.

Need a spouse/partner in your life?.....ask God for it!
Need a better paying job?.... Look for one, then knock on their door of opportunity.

If you don't get it, SO WHAT, that just means God has something better planned for you anyways!

What do you see?

Without you I am nothing more than a cadaver

Moving about feeling like nothing matters

Useless flesh waiting to decay

Running a race and waiting for my day

Then one day I awaken from my death

Come to life and breathe you in with a sudden breath

Feeling at first like a newborn child

Taking baby steps hoping to see you smile

Still running that same race

Waiting for glimpses to see Your face

Bowing down to Your throne

Do I do it cheerfully or with a slight groan?

Very much time has passed me by

Still not sure how I look through Your eyes

Living my life in a grim disguise

If I am not living my life for You, I'm living a lie

Then one day a beautiful change

I found out who I am in You, and why I was made

To bring Glory to Your Great Name

and do it with an obedient heart that has no shame

Giving thanks for this new me

hoping when your eyes gaze upon me

it is You that You see

by:

Scott Smith

Being a Witness

I am not sure how many people know, but I know most of my Facebook friends know that I am coaching Semi-Pro Football for the Goshen Rampage.

What many people may not know, is why I decided to do that??

I had been contemplating playing again this year, and my back (a pinched nerve, and a aggravated disc) were not going to cooperate with me to allow me to play. So I was asked if I would like to coach. I thought to myself "Coach Smith, hmmmm that sounds pretty good, and it gives me a chance to boss people around too" lol. Not to mention that I LOVE FOOTBALL!


Well after posting it on Facebook that I was considering accepting one position, I had a friend mention the opportunity for another coaching position that was, yes, closer to home. I called the Rampage the next day, met with them on that following Friday, and have been coaching for them since.


I had decided that I was going to use this coaching opportunity to be a light for Jesus, to show people that God is a God of love.


A few weeks ago, at one of our scrimmages my lovely wife had to remind me of why I was out here and what my goals were for being out there. Imagine that, she was right! She is right a lot, just not all the time, despite what she thinks.

So since she reminded me of that again, I have made more of an effort to share my faith with the players on my team. To profess it more with my mouth out on the field, in the huddles, or on the sidelines.

Last Saturday, we had a tough scrimmage. We drove all the way over to Middletown, Ohio to play in the wonderful Thunderstorms, and got poured on the entire game, only to lose 7-0. Our guys play with such heart and emotion though, it didn't seem like it was as long as it was. It was cold, windy, rainy, and to top it off it there was lightning every where but right over us! That is God protecting His children.

After that game, we endured a bit of a hardship. We had a couple of key players that were getting discouraged because of our losses and quite frankly our lack of offensive production and they had all but quit the team, and had explained that they were done and couldn't do it anymore.

That evening, Easter eve/Easter morning, I spent 2 hours on the phone with one of these guys talking to him about the team, the offense (even though I am the defensive guy), and most importantly his character, and if that was the impression he wanted to leave on 40 other guys. He certainly didn't want to let down those who had become his "family" now did he? After talking to him, and then the other coaches talking to him, they all finally came to an understanding with each other.

This Saturday, he came up to thank me for talking to him about his character and convincing him to stay with the team.

Also this Saturday, I was helping out one of the players get a bandage over his newly inked tattoo of "The Grim Reaper". While doing so, I asked him why he would want the grim reaper on his body. He simple said that is who comes to get you when die. I said "well not if you are a Christian"! To which his response was "Not to be rude, but I don't necessarily believe that", then I responded with "Man, it is ok if you don't believe right now, but someday you will." The next words out of his mouth just blew me away. He responded by thanking me for not jumping on him for not believing. It is sad when so many unsaved people see Christians as threats because they are so quick to forget the Grace that Jesus had once gave to them. This guy had obviously been pushed towards Christianity so much that he now is on the defense against any and all believers. This is so common that it makes me sick. We as Christians are called by Jesus to simply LOVE!! The greatest commandment is to LOVE God, the next is to LOVE your neighbor as YOURSELF.

Are we loving them, buy ridiculing them for not believing as we do?

Are we loving them by not showing them the EXACT same Grace that Jesus shows to us for our mistakes. No one, not one is born a believer of Jesus. Each of us has to find it in our own way, our own time, in our own love!

Everyone that is a Christian has experienced the love of Jesus or else you would not have asked Him to come into your hearts. Take time and just share that LOVE with those around you in your daily walk, because that is the truest meaning of being a witness!!