My Commitments for 2010

Good morning, afternoon or evening!

I have realized this year, more than ever, that I serve a God who can handle all my needs. A God that I should turn to and have neglected at times. It has hurt both me physically, spiritually, and emotionally the amount of stress I have had to undertake. Some by choice and some by not.

It has caused me to reflect on what I want, need and am guided to do as Leader in my home, work, and ministry. Therefore, I am publicly making my commitment in hopes of encouraging people in leadership roles to improve their lifestyle and have healthy relationships. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Manage my marriage by having a monthly date night

For many of you in ministry, you may struggle with this. You want to serve others in the church so bad because you have a passion for God that it neglects this area. I have a wonderful relationship with my wife. She is loving, supporting and puts up with me. She deserves alot of applause for being married to me...you can only imagine some of the things she has to put with. But I must admit, that I need to pay more attention to her...by this I mean to love her more than when I met her. Sometimes....no most times....ministry hinders this area. I can't be a good leader if I don't lead in my marriage. So I am making marriage a priority and making sure I spend quality time with her which means...no text, Facebook, or email message during that time.

2. Stop procrastinating at work, home, school, church...and any other areas.

You can ask any of my children...I confess I am a procrastinator. Being a procrastinator is good in some respects. It puts you under stress and allows you to perform better because time is not on your side. However, it also allows me to push things aside that need my attention and this can be both dangerous and disastrous. I am ready to move forward in this area and also learn when I need to put my foot down or just need to make a decision to get me where I need to go. I am sure those of you in leadership have problems with this area. Please tell me I am not the only one?

3. Connect with my children regularly through cards letters and phones calls

When a man neglects his family, how can he manage God's church. My family has expanded over the years. I have two daughters and one son. One daughter moved to Texas with my two grandchildren and son-in-law. My son is in the military and has been away more from me this year than in his entire life. My other daughter, son-in-law, and grandson live nearby. But no matter where they are...far or near...I still need to communicate with them. I need to call, email, text, write a letter or spend time with them. I need to maintain my relationship with them and remind them that I continually love them even when it hurts. Children are a precious gift from God (grandchildren are too....you can always send them back to mom and dad) and I need to make sure that I connect regularly with them.

4. Develop my leadership team by challenging them even when it hurts.

Our church leadership struggled this year. We went through some serious spiritual battles. In some cases, this really hurt all of us. We struggled to work together on getting what was an important action to do. I am going to challenge them. I am going to follow up with them. I am going to ask them to make some changes. I am going to ask them to reevaluate themselves and then their ministry. A "gut check" is in order. I think evaluation is often neglected when it comes to ministry. I like to think that I regularly evaluate myself. I have to listen and learn from others and I expect my leaders to do the same and to be honest with themselves on what they did well and what can they improve in 2010. A good part of that means, I need to lead them. I need to take them to the place God wants them to be. They will be stretched this year...by that I don't meaning doing more with less...but I mean to stretch them where God wants to put them. Things that they thought were impossible, become possible. Maybe it is creativity, fundraising, partnering with others but they have to make changes. Don't worry guys...I will ask my leaders to read this. I love you Leadership Team!

5. Pray...pray...pray by praying every morning even when I don't feel like it.

My Senior Pastor told me that I need to be a man of prayer. It is where we go to God and communicate with Him and Him with us. It is an area that I struggle regularly to do. Doing it on a regular basis will challenge me to be more disciplined and focused. I pray randomly. I don't have a specific time. There is nothing wrong with this, but I think that this year I am going to get out of my box and step into an area that will make me feel uncomfortable. So God...ready or not...here I come!

6. Improve my health by eating right and exercising regularly.

I have had alot of unusual health problem in 2009. Hurt my back. Discovered I have acid reflux. Cholesterol and blood sugar is not where it should be. I am also overweight. I have less energy and do not have a desire to exercise. That has got to change. If I am to be fully functional and to be used by God, I need to be eating right and exercising more. This is something totally out of my element. I am an "office guy", I sit down all day on the computer. No exercise there. That is changing.

What commitments will you make this year? I hope mine are helpful and challenging to you!

Unexpected

Unexpected
The Christmas Story-Part 1
December 6, 2009
CornerStone Baptist Church
Pastor Waldo Barela

The Christmas Story is familiar to everyone. We can remember the final scene at the manger. But before we get to the final scene, we must remember the other events that took place. This wasn’t an ordinary child, this was God’s Child. He would enter the world God’s way.

For me, sometime life is routine. I get up, shower, get dressed, maybe eat breakfast and then head off to the train station. I wait for my train which is usually on time, sit in the same spot, reading the same book and then take a nap before I go to work.

But on this one particular occasion, I headed outside of my house to get into my car. As I began to leave, I noticed some yellow circles about 3 inches round. It looked a little splatter on our van. Then I notice another and then another. I noticed more on the second story window of my house and some of the yellow splatter marks on the garage door. We had been paint balled. My routine was over, because the unexpected happen.

When the unexpected happens, we get angry, hurt, and disappointed. We get into this rut of unbelief and a period of anger. Has something unexpected happen to your life? Perhaps the unexpected happen to you, when you lost a job or the house you lived in. Perhaps the unexpected happen to you, when you saw your child’s report card and saw the 4th and 6th letters of the alphabet on there. Perhaps the unexpected happen to you, when someone was struck with a severe illness or health problems. Perhaps the unexpected happens to you, as you find yourself struggling to meet your finances. Perhaps the unexpected has happened to you when you got up to go to work and you have a flat tire. We are not immune from unexpected events in our lives. They happen and we can all relate to some of the things I said. How are you going to respond to these events? Joy! Hurt! Disappointment! Struggle with your faith.

One of the Christmas Stories tells us of a man who would get the shock of his life. The woman he loved and was married to would give him news he didn’t expect. What news was it? How did he deal with the unexpected? Let’s find out in Matthew 1:18-24 and read a scene from the Christmas Story.

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, Let’s stop there. Joseph has an agreement a contract to get married to Mary. A young woman, possibly 14 or 15 years of age. It is Joseph who has fallen madly in love with this woman. He plans on spending every moment of his life with her. Joseph and Mary together forever. Indeed, Joseph was a proud husband to be with a skilled job as a carpenter. Perhaps Joseph imagined the many children they would have together and raise together. Oh….what a joyous marriage this would be. Let’s read on.

but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
In modern terms, we say OMG. Oh My Gosh! How could this be? My woman is having a baby. It is not mine. How can this be? Doesn’t she love me? Doesn’t she know what this will do to her? I never expected for this happen! It is not my fault. I am a righteous man, how can this happen. What am I going to do? Wait a minute, I have an idea. I can ask for a divorce. That’s it! I can get out of this agreement. But I want to do the right thing. I don’t want Mary and her family to be shamed. So here is what I will do.

19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Joseph was going to get out of this agreement somehow. He was going to do it in a way that would allow his reputation to continue and for Mary and him to separate quietly out of the public’s eye. He was working through the unexpected the way we handle these problems. We take the easy way out. We solve it the way any reasonable human being would solve it. It would be quick. I am going to divorce myself from the unexpected. I am not going to deal with it and watch it go away. The problem will take care of itself. I am going to remove this person out of my life even thought we have been friends from 15 years. I am just going to continue live my life in the same old way. I don’t’ need to make any changes. The wisdom that Joseph used was his way. But look at what happens next.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Joseph…here is the deal. This woman Mary who you are scheduled to be married with well you are going to marry her. Take her home to be your wife. Here is the reason Joseph, the Holy Spirit (God) has given Mary a son. Not only that his name is to be Jesus. God has sent Him to save His people from their sins.

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

God intended for His son to have a mother and father. To have that motherly influence, but also the fatherly influence. Joseph has an important role in the Christmas Story. He had faced a surprise that he would not expect. But God showed him what he was to do. Look at how Joseph responds.

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:18-24 (NIV)

The story of Joseph teaches us to Listen, Love and Learn when the unexpected happens. Joseph looked for the easy way out (divorce). We look for the easy way out as well. But Joseph listened to God’s messenger, the angel. He took in what he said. And he loved Mary and married her. He married the woman he loved. But he also learned something. He learned how important it was to follow the steps that God wanted in his life. He followed the path that was put in front of him. He never forgot that experience. Someone listened to Joseph tell his side of The Christmas Story. How can you listen, love and learn today?

What if as parents, we paid closer attention to the needs of our children. What could we listen, love and learn about them? What if as students, we began to listen, love and learn from our teachers. How much more can we become educated in class and in life? What if we as a church begin to listen, love and learn from our community? How much better can we serve them?