2018 Year In Review

2018 was by far the most interesting and fulfilling year I have had in a long time. What started out in complete and total surrender to the LORD, giving over my job to seek Him full-time, has been a wild ride. Evan though every day is an adventure, and unknown in what His plans are for me, I am continuing to live by faith in what He has for me each day.

Mid January I gave up my job with a well known cash register company. I was tired of putting God last in my life, and I heeded His call to a life of ministry. Two of my goals this year was to love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength; to love my neighbor as myself. Though I don't know if it is truly possible to do that, I gave it my focus.  I was tired of always putting God behind my job, career, and other men who frankly couldn't care less about me, or the LORD. So I set out to do just that. I wouldn't turn down any ministry opportunities, and if the LORD wanted me to do it, He would see it through. So in great faith I set out to do this. What I saw looking back was a total miracle and a work of God that couldn't be possible if I had stayed in my career. Here is a list of what got done:

Ministry

1. St. Patrick's Day Parade Evangelism Outreach, Des Moines, IA
2. Pella, IA Tulip Time Evangelism Outreach
3. Manti, UT Mormon Miracle Pageant Evangelism Outreach. 
4. Gideon's International Des Moines, IA Bible Blitz and Evangelism Outreach. 
5. Working Gideon's Booth at the Iowa State Fair giving away bibles and doing evangelism. 
6. Answers In Genesis Evangelism Training. 
7. Evantell Evangelism Training in all certifications. 
8. Working Answers In Genesis booth at the Iowa State Fair. 
9. Helped Tony (mentor) while in hospital after he broke his hip. 
10. Took over Tony's inductive bible study while in hospital and rehab. 
11. Helped Tony while in hospital, rehab, and after return to his home. 
12. Traveled to Arizona to help mother-in-law in March with her home, remodeling, and repairing things around house. 
13. Helped Mother-in-law getting around after surgery in early December. 
14. Attended the Harvest Pastor and Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL
15. Published article called, Love In Action, in the Gideon Magazine. 

Other Things Accomplished

1. Fixed leak in kitchen ceiling. 
2. Repaired kitchen wall and cabinets. 
3. Painted kitchen.
4. Dad visited IA
5. Tom, a friend, visited IA twice. 
6. Visited wife's family in Indianapolis, IN area for Uncle's 80th birthday. 
7. Visited my family in NJ for 3 weeks. 
8. Downsizing and selling Ebay. 
9. Fixed and painted shed in back yard. 
10. Read 34 books. 
11. Continued focused work on writing my books on evangelism. 

Looking back, I am pretty encouraged and confident that I have achieved my goal of loving God, and loving my neighbor. All these things could not have been done if I had stayed at my job. My hope for 2019 is that I can continue to do this, with an increased focus on daily and event evangelism; spending more time with my family, and renewed love and commitment to my wife.

Goals For 2019

1. Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant Outreach. This will be the last year for this event. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is discontinuing the event after 52 years. 
2. Many Des Moines, IA events like St. Paddy's Day Parade, Ankeny Summerfest, and art festival to do one-on-one evangelism. 
3. Visit family again for parents 50th wedding anniversary. 
4. Iowa State Fair with Answers In Genesis and Gideon's International. 
5. Painting the garage and shed when weather permits. 
6. First draft in some of my evangelism books I am writing. 

Pray that the LORD will continue to lead and guide me in what He wants me to accomplish for 2019, and that it would be even more fruitful than this past year. 

You're A Loser!

I remember being called that a few times while sharing the gospel.  Most of the time it was while I was open-air-preaching downtown at the Des Moines Farmers Market.  I can still hear the disdain in the young man's voice and the laughter of his friends around him.  There was even those moments when I actually believed what they were yelling and said to myself, "What am I doing?  Is this even making any difference?"   The other day I saw this quote by Martin Luther and it really struck me. 

 "The righteous man always resembles more a loser than a victor, for the Lord lets him be tested and assailed to his utmost limits as gold is tested in a furnace."  

Martin Luther. 

I think about some of the conversations I have with friends in the mission field and how they feel like losers. Many of them gave up good paying jobs.  Some move thousands of miles away to live in third-world countries to minister to people who are eating dirt on the bottom of the totem pole.  Or those who have jobs in ministry, serving local ministries to teach other welfare cases like themselves about Christ.  Others who don't have hobbies or play sports but thrive on studying and teaching God's word and serving others who can't give back, and those who do give back, give them grief, steal from them, and stab them in the back. Or those who instead of baiting a hook and fishing for actual fish, fish for men with gospel tracts out on the street and look like fools in the eyes of the world.  Talking with these men and how disheartening it must be to give all you can and then at the end of the day, month, year look back and see what looks like a "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" with not one piece of fruit on it.    

But giving up is not an option.  For to them and to me the bible is full of those who by quick glance are perceived as losers, but are actually winners. Men like John the Baptist, who lived in a tent eating bugs and whose only comfort was itchy clothes of camel skin coat (Matthew 3:4), but to God there was no greater prophet than him (Luke 7:28). Or Moses, who was abandoned by his mother (Exodus 2:1-4) and stuttered (Exodus 4:10), only to answer the call of God lead His people out of the bondage of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-10) (Exodus 14:30-31).  Or Paul [Saul], who had everything going for him as a Pharisee in training (Philippians 3:4-6) only to give it all up for Christ who is way better (Philippians 3:7-11).  Or Jesus, who was born among dirty animals in less than a barn(Luke 2:6-7).  Yet, He was God in the flesh and savior of the world. 

No one wants to be called a loser.  No one strives to become one.  It's not the end game for any of us.  It's not part of our plan.  The plan though is that if you are a Christian, a child of God, God will use all things together for good to those who love Him  and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  He uses the weak, the dumb, and not so talented (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).  God puts the last first, and the first last (Matthew 20:16).

This gives me great comfort knowing that no matter what I do, or who I am, it will not be in vain.  Not only that, but why do those go to great lengths to help others?  Because of their love for God, and their love for man.  It's the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.