It was in the midst of premarital counseling with my pastor here at Fellowship Church (Andy Eiss) many years ago where we created a great friendship. It stemmed from our common love of the Red Sox and the Cowboys at the time. (As a current die hard Patriot fan, Andy may never confess to the previous Dallas Cowboy bandwagon riding but I remember it all too well) 

The closer I got to Andy the more he challenged me....as a friend and as my pastor. There were times it would stress me out when he asked me to get involved in something. I would go home and figure out a way that I can decline the offer in the best way. But as I look back now I am forever thankful. I see today that God intentionally put him (Andy) in my life to make me more valuable and available to Him (God). It was in these many moments of uncomfortableness that I grew more closer to God than ever before. "Hey Rich, what do you think about leading a Growth Group?" or "How about I have you speak in front of all these people on a Sunday?" Are you kidding me? Do you know who I am? Lead? Speak? I don't know about that. Back then (and even today) I felt like Moses in Exodus 4:10-11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?

We are all created in the image of God. We are children of the living God. We have divine potential.  The world will tell us we can't or we shouldn't but God will tell us we can and we should. 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Today, following what Pastor Andy did for me, I do for others. I am trying to constantly challenge others and put them in uncomfortable areas where I think they'd shine. And I know some of them would wish that I'd leave them alone. I'm sure some of them see a text or phone call from me and wonder, "Oh great! Now what does he want from me?" I would answer I just want the best for you which, in turn, will be the best for those around them as well. 

God has got huge things for you and I. What's getting in the way of being a bit uncomfortable and coming out of it better than ever before? 

Look for my phone call.....I'll be in touch soon

I have been friends with the men in the above picture for over 35 years. That states, first of all, that I'm old and secondly, that they are all great guys. It takes a lot to stay friends for that long. It takes effort. In the busyness and transitions of life (moving, having children, etc.), we need to be intentional in reaching out and staying in touch. 

In the last couple of years I've learned a lot about friendships. First of all, we need them. In the words of the great singer of the 70's and 80's Bob Seger (dating myself), "See some old friends, good for the soul." They are, in fact, good for the soul. We need certain friends who listen, encourage, and call without agenda. They're the ones who can get you through anything. They're the ones who can change your day, your week or even your month. Quality time + Quality People = Change of demeanor. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." 

The other thing I learned (or re-learned) is that sadly, we lose friends. Even more as we grow older.  In the last 2 years I cannot tell you how many losses my friends and I have experienced due to cancer, tragedy, and even suicide. 

From these sad circumstances I realized how important it is that we do not wait for one's death to eulogize them, we should do this every time we see them. They should know how important they are in your life, how they make you better and how you look forward to seeing them each time. Why wait to tell everyone how great they are, when they are not here to hear it? 

What friend do you need to reach out to today? Who can you encourage or even eulogize today? 

GUEST BLOGGER: RICHARD NASON:

Did you ever think your life would end up where it did? Did you ever think that things would get harder and not easier? Do you ever feel like life owes you an easier time? I never signed up for this. This was not how life as a Christian was supposed to be. Every thing was supposed to be unicorns and roses. After all I am now a child of the Most High God and I am supposed to have an easier and better life. Ever have those thoughts? You are definitely not alone.

My life has not worked out the way I would have foreseen but then again God is in control and it all works out the way He feels it is best. It is not always easy to accept that fact but if during this time you can sit back and reflect on everything that has occurred you can see what God has done for you. The key is to really look deep and see the changes that have taken place. This is not a surface reflection!

I have been in a major, and I do mean major, detour in my journey of life. When Pastor Andy talked of the scenic route, I don't think he included the path through the barren desert. But sometimes God needs you to walk where few others will to teach you what He is made of and how He will help you. I believe He wants you to really know that He is there for you no matter what you are going through.

Learned I have! Love for God and Christ above all others has been the first and foremost lesson. I have had to lean on Him for all things for there are times when other brothers and sisters cannot help me and when only He can. He has been there every minute, through every heartache, financial pressure , emotional state of mind. You name it and He has been there and is still. "Be still and know that I am with you." Psalms 46:10

During those times when it all seems waaaayyyy more than I can handle I recall to mind my favorite saying. I have given a new definition to a popular saying that perhaps you may have never thought about.   Put up or shut up.  I have learned that if I truly believe that Christ is the real answer in my life then I need to put up my faith as a testament to what God can truly do and believe that He will help me or else I need to shut up about my faith. If I falter and lack faith that God will help me then how can I possibly expect Him to!!!

I have often asked, why can I not have the faith of the men of old. Faith like that of Abraham, Noah, Daniel, Joshua, Moses. What stops me from having that kind of faith? And that is a rhetorical question my friends, because the only person stopping me from developing that kind of faith is myself. I just heard this today and I absolutely love this. "We have as much of God as we actually want" A.W.Tozer   I do not want to limit Him in my life in any way. I need Him more than you can possibly know.

There are days I wonder if things will ever get better and there are days where I get tired of battling. But then there are days when I feel that things will turn out ok, days when I can handle the battle because I know He Is with me. My faith is still not where I wish it to be but it is increasing day by day. I keep my nose in His word every day and my prayer time has increased more than all other aspects of my journey; except the love that has grown in my heart for my Father and His Son.

I have been on a detour and though the scenery has not been pleasant I have been able to learn more and more how to rely on my God. I have learned to strengthen my faith, how to pray even more, how to love Him ever deeper. This is the road that has made it easier for me to firmly believe that I am a child of the most high God. He is with me and my hope is that you too experience this feeling even during your most trying times!

2018.....wow, that's crazy! It seemed like yesterday we were counting down 3...2..1.. as we entered the 2000's. 

Many of you had a very difficult 2017. Many dealt with a loss of a family member, loss of a job, divorce, health problems, among other things. You're so glad it's over. 

As we start the new year, many of us will start some resolutions in hopes of bettering ourselves. Losing weight, getting fit, dieting, exercising, and eating better are the more popular but I want to challenge all of you with something better, something that will help in every resolution and every decision you make in 2018. Last year I challenged our church to read through the Bible in a Year. 37 people took on the challenge. It was difficult at times, easy to fall behind but so beneficial. We are in a time where there is such an easy access to reading God's Word. We used the YouVersion app this year and did the Bible in One Year. My challenge this year is the 2018 rendition of it found here. Here is some of these responses I received from those who took on this challenge: 

• Janet Gentle: "From someone who has never read their Bible cover to cover this has been a great accomplishment and challenge for me! I have gotten so much closer to God because I have really come to know him on a much more personal level. Reading about all He has done for his people, how He loves us and is always with us. I heard the words before but thought maybe it was just something people said. Reading God's words in black and white have changed everything!!! It was like receiving a letter from a father I have never known and realizing that he has been there and loved me all along!! The peace that it has brought to my life is the best gift I have ever received! I don’t worry about things like I used to. I pray about everything, and trust God. Have I got it all figured out?? No, but I am forever a work in progress trying to keep in the front of my mind that I am His masterpiece and that He loves me so much that He gave His only Son so He could have a relationship with me. It puts me in awe every day!!!! I can’t wait to do it again!

• Richard Nason: "I make it a point to start my day with the Bible reading because my Lord sets the tone for the whole day. We become so busy yet if we can't afford even a few minutes for the Lord what does that really say about our priorities. Even if it only takes 15 minutes and that is all we gave Him during our busy day, at the very least it is something. We acknowledge His prescense in our life and that is tge most important thing. I owe the Lord at least this and so much more. The Bible reading helps me to focus on the fact that He is ever present and that He is there throughout my day. So many times I call on Him and I feel confident because I started my day reading His word and He will be with me because He knows I am trying to be with Him. The biggest take I get from all of this is what kind of Christian are we truly if we cannot even give God a few minutes from our day. We owe Him ever so much more but if we can't even find a little time to spend with Him, how can we expect Him to help us? A real Christian does not profess to being a foxhole soldier.

• Katie Jacobs: Despite the fact that I've fallen behind in the past month or so, I absolutely loved this Bible in One Year reading plan.  It has made my faith so much stronger.  I read parts of the Bible that I had never studied before and it increased my knowledge and understanding so much.  For example, I am so thankful for the fact that we have direct access to God through prayer after reading the Old testament and learning about all the sacrifices that were required. I also feel like my trust in God has grown so much through reading this plan.  I've gone through a couple of tense and stressful situations this year and had such peace throughout.  I know that came from growing in my relationship with Christ.  I was able to bring some Bible passages to mind at these moments.Finally, I loved the motivation. It was great having a little devotional and set readings planned out for me everyday. It took the guess work out of my Bible time and made it easier to spend time with Christ. Doing this plan was a great experience and I look forward to doing something similar in 2018.

Here's what this will look like: If you decide to take on this challenge click here. Starting Monday January 1st, I will send a daily email with my thoughts on that day's reading. You do not need to reply. I will check in to see how you are all doing sporadically. 

Advice: Schedule this time, don't try to find the time. (We schedule what's important) This plan has audio so you can listen on the way to work as well! Lastly, if you fall behind, don't give up! I guarantee you will be different at the end of the year! 

My children are no longer at the age where I can tell them their behavior during the year has everything to do with the gifts (or coal) they receive on Christmas. With the holiday so close, children naturally get more excited about the gifts and cookies and, in turn, lose focus on what we feel is the most important. And for all of us, what's most important is different. Today, what's most important to my wife and I is to genuinely celebrate Jesus Christ. For some of you reading this, it's something different....and that's ok. I get it. It hasn't always been this way for us either.  Right now, we're in the thick of it all - Christmas shopping, work parties, and bearing down at our jobs so we can actually enjoy our time off. It's an ongoing tension coming to a head on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, I'm not really good at handling this tension. I tend to overreact. Other 'less important things' can tend to take place of what's the most important. The peace that should come in the season doesn't necessarily show on my face. 

I wonder how I would've done over 2000 years ago as Joseph. How would I have reacted if my girlfriend (Mary) had become pregnant (not by me) and having the whole town question the both of us. Then, in our search for a place to give birth to the Messiah, there's no room at the Inn. We have to go into this smelly barn with the animals. I imagine my complaints would be heard. I imagine I would say plenty of things I would regret. I imagine my wife (pregnant and certainly uncomfortable in every way) would look at me in disbelief as if to say, "You're kidding right? I'M PREGNANT not you.!" The circumstances were not ideal. But are they ever?

The great thing about following Christ (or, at least should be) is that perfect peace is not dependent on our circumstances, it is dependent on trusting God.

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

The more we pursue Christ, the more peace we have. Ask those around you that do this. I'm not the same person I was many holidays ago and I'm so thankful. He has given me more peace in my life than ever before. In the times where I've lost loved ones, had financial burdens, or was unsure of my career, I had peace. I have Christ. 

What if this was the first holiday you truly leaned into Christ? Sometimes the chaos in our lives stem from our push for independence. We convince ourselves that "we got this!" when all along He's ready to intervene and give you some much needed peace. Instead of going to Him as a last resort, how about going to Him first? Trust in Him and see. Your holiday will be different. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

My prayer is that you will not go blindly into this holiday. I'm praying that this is the year where relationships are appreciated more than ever before and God is put in His right place. #thereasonfortheseason

I wrote this blog a while back but wanted to repost it based on the people around me who have had a horrible year, losing significant people in their lives and who will never to be the same. 

This holiday is different. There's an empty chair. It's not the same. 

Tradition constantly changes through death and birth. Each Christmas Eve we would go to my mom's after church service. When we had children, the stay wasn't as long. Then my mom died and Christmas Eve was never the same. New locations, new traditions, new people (babies), less people (death)...the cycle of life.

My heart truly goes out to all of you that have lost a loved one and have to go through these holidays without them. So many of you have lost grandparents, parents, children and friends recently. Many of you are still in a fog. The memories of the lost person multiply based on the shared memories of this season. It's extremely difficult to process this throughout the year, let alone the holidays! 

Some of you know of someone who is dealing with this right now. I want to encourage you to do all you can for those grieving this year. Reach out to them. Pray for them. Be there for them. Talk about their loss - the good memories you have or open the door for them to talk about it. Let's not tip toe around someone who is grieving. Let's love them. We cannot fathom what they are feeling. even if we also lost someone. Every hurt feels different. 

Most people (not all) want to talk about their loved one they lost. Most, based on my experience, do not want to go about their lives as if nothing happened. For us on the outside, that's the easy way. We can just "sweep it under the rug" and avoid a possibly emotional conversation. But that's not beneficial.  You can be different. You can help them in this process. Maybe you've been through this already-if that's the case, you're the perfect person to help them here. 

Before I lost my parents, I was not someone who helped others grieve. Some of it was because I didn't know what it felt like. I never experienced this type of loss before. Some of it, quite frankly, was selfishness. It didn't affect me so I didn't have to deal with it. Sorry, but that's who I was before Christ. 

So I leave you with this list of asks:

• Remember those who have lost loved ones
• Reach out to them
• Encourage them
• Be there for them
• Talk to them about their loss
• LOVE them

This will be a very difficult holiday season for too many. Let's do what we can to help them.

Most people are in need of a Christmas presence, not so much the Christmas presents.

It's the age old question for all of us. What if it's true? By it, I mean the Bible. What if everything it said was true? What would that look like to those of us that are Christians? Would we, ourselves, live differently? I imagine the hypocrisy meter would lessen. We'd have to rid of worry in our life. (that alone worries me) (Matthew 6:31 and Philippians 4:6) We'd have to trust God fully (Proverbs 3:5-6, John 14:1 and Romans 9:32), not periodically or only on Sundays at church. 24/7. We'd have to make disciples which means we'd have to talk to others about Christ (awkward!) (Matthew 28:19). Most importantly, we'd have to actually love people. (Matthew 22:36-40, 1 John 4:20, and 1 Thessalonians 3:12) I mean, really love them where it showed and it was clear. Actions not just words. (Psalm 119:5, Proverbs 16:3, and James 2:14). It would mean that when some tragedy happened in this world (and there's been plenty of this!) our first reaction would be LOVE, compassion, empathy and a "how can I help?" attitude. Not a need to state our opinion on why the tragedy happened, just sympathy and this unusual amount of grace that this Jesus we're following would have shown in the midst of all this. You see, based on my reading of this Book, isn't He the one we should be emulating?

How about for those of us that are not Christians? If you were told that this book was 100% accurate, what would tomorrow look like for you? To know that God loved you so much that He sent His son to die on a cross for you. (John 3:16) To know that this life is so short but has eternal ramifications. To know that all of these hectic, chaotic and stressful times are temporary. To know that someday, upon us coming to accept Christ into our heart, all of the pain, all of the tragedy, and all of the sadness will soon be gone forever. What would it be like for you to know of the HOPE that comes from Him.  

I truly believe the Word of God. Once I read of all the evidence in Christ rising from the dead, the rest of the stories (the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah being swallowed by a fish, Noah's ark, Samson, the fiery furnace and the lion's den) all of these seemed easier to believe.

Whether you're a believer or not, what if you commit to reading the Bible for 15 minutes a day? What if you take this chance, and see if it makes any difference in your life.  I believe with my whole heart that it will change your life.  It is the Book that can save you from an eternity apart from God and apart from everyone you've ever known.  

15 minutes a day can have eternal ramifications.

First impressions. They're so important. I remember going to a restaurant years ago with about eight of my friends. Eight! That's a big check! All the restaurant's staff continued to walk by us without a greeting or even eye contact. It went on for a rather long time so we decided to try elsewhere. For the record, that restaurant has since gone out of business. Not much of a surprise.  

We always remember our first impression of any place. Isn't that why Walmart decided to hire the front door greeter? It's those first impressions that are often remembered the most. Whether it's a Walmart, a restaurant or even a church, we are generally full of assumptions based on that initial interaction. 

I remember a long time ago coming here to Fellowship Church. A gentleman named Rich Hall greeted me enthusiastically at the front door with a smile, his wife Barbara introduced herself, then Ben Lord, who worked the coffee bar offered me a cup of coffee and snack. I then walked into the Auditorium and Pastor Andy came up to my wife and I and introduced himself. None of this was overwhelming. It was all heartfelt and sincere. FC, in the words of the movie Jerry Maguire, 'had me at hello'....... Sorry, I had to. 

I recently went to a nice restaurant with my wife....so nice that they had one of those Crumb Scrapers/ Sweepers. I joked to my wife in front of the waiter that we should get one of those to impress the family at Thanksgiving. The waiter ended up coming back and gave us one! That is next level customer service! This is what I want at our church. I want us to go to beyond expectations.

We don't point to a bathroom, we lead them there. We don't say hi, we introduce ourselves and get to know them. We remember their name next week (even if we have to cheat and write it down somewhere). We do our best to develop a relationship with them ourselves, then we introduce them down the road to others we feel they would get along with nicely. We encourage them (comfortably) to get involved, whether it's serving or in a group. We know it's the best way they will get to know others. We do all we can to make their Fellowship Church experience the best it can be. Because if we get it right and they continue coming, the chances of them being introduced to Jesus Christ get better and better. And once that happens everyone celebrates! Life change- up and to the right. It all matters! 

So let me ask all of you: Where do you think we can go as a church to do even better? What have you seen somewhere else that you think would work nicely here? Who among your fellow FCers should be on our Greeting Team? How about you, would you like to get more involved? 

It starts with us but can end with eternal ramifications!