A Gift

Photo Courtesy of the NEA

I recently received a gift. Not the kind you unwrap. Not the kind given by God, as in, a talent. Even still, it meant a lot to me. One evening, on a whim, I decided to look up the name “Fahlbusch” on YouTube. Much to my surprise, I begin to watch a video of my grandfather, Albert Fahlbusch, playing the hammered dulcimer. The year was 1981. He was 56.

I’ve done internet searches on my grandfather before. He had received the National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award in 1984.  He was renowned in our part of the country and was known as “The Dulcimer Man.”  However, this had caught me off guard. This was the first time I had seen actual footage of him playing. This particular video was from the 1981 Dulcimer Expo in Clarkston, MI. It had only been uploaded 9 months prior by a man name Paul Goelz from Rochester Hills, MI.

I had a new mission; to find Mr. Goelz. I did a quick search on YouTube and discovered he had a website. I then sent him an e-mail describing how the video he uploaded was of my grandfather. Through the course of events, we were able to communicate through e-mail. I think he was just as excited as I was in that he was happy to know that some of his work had been found by family and he was more than eager to share. He then advised that he had a surprise...more video, this time from a wedding here in Scottsbluff. It had been shot on VHS broadcast equipment at the VFW in 1984. He volunteered to convert all of this to DVD and make copies for me! I advised that I would like to make arrangements to cover all of his expenses and he told me that no arrangements were necessary. He was glad that they were “coming home.” Another gift.

There was another reason that the finding of this video was so special. You see, I was the recipient of an earlier gift, several years ago. My grandfather passed away in 2005. At the time, my grandmother asked me which dulcimer I would like to have. I’m the oldest grandchild. However, I knew that there were only three and they had three children. In the midst of the trauma, she had not realized this. I knew she wanted to bless me with such an incredible gift but it would not have been rightfully mine.

A year or two later, I got a call from her. She wanted me to come over right away. I heard a story. A story about a time when my grandfather had traveled to California for an event where he played. A woman approached him and wanted to buy his dulcimer. He politely declined but told her that he would make her one. She would have nothing of that and persisted in purchasing the one that he had. The problem for him was, this particular dulcimer that he had with him was his favorite and he had no intentions of selling it. I guess she wore him down and he sold it to her. But, that’s not the end of story. She ended up with cancer and didn’t have much time left. One of her desires was to ensure that grandpa’s dulcimer returned to the family. Through the course of events, she sold it to my grandmother for $1.00 who in turn gave it to me.

The dulcimer he’s playing in the video? Yeah, that would be the one.

My grandfather came to faith much later in life. I wondered at times how strong his faith was. After he died, we found a journal of sorts. Most of the days simply said this; “Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.” “Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.”

I’ve come to understand just how much I learned from him. Hard work, dedication, commitment, passion and faith, just to name a few. In the end, there was no denying what his passions were. Faith, music and family.

These gifts have meant so much to me and yet there’s an even greater gift. The gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. I need to be constantly reminded of this, as do you. It’s easy to get excited and emotional with the gifts of the world, even ones as personal as the one I’ve shared. But, in the end, none of them can come close to comparing to the gift of God’s Son. I need to be responsible with sharing that gift with others as it’s the most important gift one can receive.

In the end, what will be written in your journal when your time draws to a close?

“Read a little Bible....Played a little dulcimer.”

Faith 101

Faith is a funny thing. Often, I think I have it figured out until something apparently tragic happens and I realize fairly quickly that I don’t. In fact, I’m not sure it’s something that we can figure out at all. My family has been through several trials in the last few weeks. We’ve had a death in the family, a break-in and theft, a lot of sickness, and the list goes on. I can’t say that my faith has been shaken by all of it but I found myself questioning why.

I think faith is hard for me because I’ve had to learn and continue to learn that I’m not in control. For someone like me, that’s not necessarily easy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a control freak or anything but I like a certain amount of structure and predictability. The manager in me knows that’s not always the best ideals to hold because change brings about growth and blah, blah, blah. But, you get the picture. I like organization. I like things in their tidy little boxes. I like to be in control.

Hall Photography

The reality is this; I’m not in control. He is. And in the midst of my doubt, He is still faithful. I’ve been through tough times before and I’ve learned these lessons before. I guess sometimes we can see clearly and other times it’s like we’re looking through the clouds to try and find the answers.

I continue to learn that God works in mysterious ways. Sometimes He makes it known to us; other times He doesn’t. In retrospect, these particular events have spurred some much needed growth in my life. I’m spending more time in prayer seeking His direction for my life. My wife and I are both praying and working through how best to be used by Him and in what capacity and ministries. Introspection and refinement are in place. I may have questioned why, but in many ways, I’ve received more blessings as a result. That is very humbling to me.

Our pastor posed this question last Sunday; “Are you involved in doing the will of God for your life?” I know I’m working toward that goal. That is my heart’s desire. I know it will take work. I know it will require faith and dependence in Him.

Are you striving to get there? Are you letting Him lead? Or, are you still trying to do it on your own?

Influence

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about my influence. Specifically, the influence I have on others. Even more specifically, how am I influencing others for the Kingdom? It's been an interesting few weeks as Nancy and have have been praying about and taking an introspective look at what God desires for our lives in the way of service. Obviously, we are called to serve others around us each and every day, but we've been looking at different things we could do in a ministry related setting.

I've often been interested in Leadership. It was one of the main reasons I went back to college in 2005 to get my Bachelor's degree. It was then that I read a book (for class) entitled "Developing the Leader Within You" by John C. Maxwell. One thing in particular stood out to me. He states: "Leadership is influence. That's it. Nothing more; nothing less." This has stuck with me the last several years as I've been in different jobs and served in different roles. It all comes back to influence. 

I've come to understand that influence doesn't require a degree, a position, or a title. It does require a willingness to be used. And that's my prayer. That I'd be willing to be used in whatever situation He places me in. And, to be more aware of those opportunities and act on them. I desire to be that Godly influence to my family, friends, co-workers and fellow members of the Body of Christ. I pray that I can be an effective servant in this area.

In what ways are you a Kingdom influencer?

YouVersion

If you're like me and are looking to start a one year Bible reading plan, check out www.youversion.com. They have some great reading plans to choose from and a ton of Bible versions. You can also access them from your Android, iPhone or Blackberry smartphones for extra convenience. Our small group is looking to do this together and hold each other accountable for the next year in this effort. Go ahead and join us if you like. Looking forward to what God will do in 2011.

Family

Nancy, my wonderful wife,  is my special guest blogger. Please see her offering below. Have a Merry Christmas!

Family

As we have faced the passing of Rodd’s grandfather this week I’ve thought a lot about what family really is.  Is a family formed when two individuals become the parents of a tiny precious life and are given a legal document stating such?  Is it when a child is brought into the folds of a group of people through adoption?  What is a family?

As Rodd and I have been faced with many challenges through the years we’ve questioned this often times.  Watching him come to grips with the lost relationship of his birth father and then his adopted father I’ve been blessed to see him build and nurture a relationship with my own father. 

I’ve come to realize through my thoughts this week that true family supports and encourages you through it all and loves you through it all.  Sometimes it is a blood connection, sometimes it is a legal connection but there is always a heart connection.

Rodd and I are blessed with a large family and with the loss of that heart connection with some we at times have struggled with how we fit into it all.  We are also blessed with a group of friends we are honored to call family.  We’ve created memories and built heart connections that are strong and run deep.  They challenge us, support and love us through it all sometimes despite of it all.

As I write these thoughts it is poignant that we celebrate the birth of Christ tomorrow.  Christ was born on this earth to a young couple that would have never received a legal document stating that they were his legal parents.  Joseph knew he was the equivalent of what in modern times we call a step-father but yet he supported, encouraged and loved the young Jesus just the same; he allowed a heart connection to form.  Christ came to this earth to become life to us all.  He desires a heart connection with each of us so much so that he shed his blood and lay down his life on the cross.

Who is your family?  Who have you built a heart connection with?

Merry Christmas!
Nancy

Staff In Hand

I’ve been thinking a lot about the phrase “Staff in Hand.” Let me explain. Our pastor recently spoke about a conversation between God and Moses. God was encouraging Moses to be the leader He had intended him to be. Moses wasn’t really interested. God asked Moses what was in his hand. It was Moses’ staff. God was trying to get Moses to understand how to use it and use it for His glory. Moses didn’t always get it right but the point was to take what God has given and use it for His glory. Fast forward a couple thousand years and I’m asking myself; what is my staff? What has God placed in my hands that I should be using to further the Kingdom?

I began to think about what my passions are and how I could use those for Kingdom work. I admit, I’m a self-proclaimed techie nerd, but hey, this is what interests me. My desire is to take what interests me, things I’m passionate about, and use them as a witness. For me, this includes photography, social media, web based content and about anything Apple related!

Back up a year and a half. This is when I went to my first Catalyst West Coast Conference. Catalyst is a conference for leaders. Really, it’s a conference for those who desire to be obedient to Christ’s calling. The intent is to encourage others in their pursuit of Christ and in their desire to lead others to Christ through fresh perspective and new ideas. It’s new; it’s modern; it’s a cultural shift from Nebraska; it’s a techie nerd’s dream come true. Here is where I really began to think about how I could take my interests and use them in ministry. For me, this translated into my desire to work on a new website for our church. Could there be a much better way to combine photography, computers, social media, etc.? I believe that this can be an effective tool for ministry. The need was definitely there, and, I was willing.

Honestly, like Moses, I lost interest. I was gung-ho for a while. Then I came down from the mountain top known as Catalyst and got back to “normal’ life. The problem is, we’re not called to be “normal.” I’ve often asked myself why this is so seemingly hard for me. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 when he writes about doing the things he doesn’t want to do and not doing the things he wants to do. Why is obedience to the One who saves so difficult? Why is it so easy to skip out on our calling?

This idea of taking tech oriented interests in a ministry direction have lingered and I’ve felt a need to act on them but really haven’t, at least not yet. I have been involved in other ministry opportunities, but none of them have excited me as much as this. Just a couple weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about the “Staff in Hand” thought process. I talked to him about photography and how I could incorporate that into a new website. We talked about the need for a new space, one that would relate to a new generation and possibly get them interested in joining the body of Christ. A couple hours later, one of our pastors contacted me and stated that he and one of the elders had been talking about the need for a new website and asked if I was still interested. A day after that, I learned of an upcoming class entitled; “Creative Use of the Computer in Ministry.”

Let’s just say that God has my attention again. What is your “Staff in Hand?”

Unpacking

Just finished Catalyst West Coast Conference 2010 - Unusual Tomorrow out in Irvine, CA. Was so blessed to have this opportunity with some of my closest friends whom I call my tribe. These are my brothers and sisters whom I do life with and I'm eager to see where we will go from here. It's time to unpack. Not so much physically but emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks as we unpack and process what we have seen, heard, felt and experienced. I know God was there because I felt His very real presence. Maybe it's because I finally allowed Him to enter in. Maybe it was the genre, the setting, the atmosphere or whatever you want to call it. Or Maybe, just maybe, He's wanting to do a new work through me, through us, through our tribe, individually and collectively. I believe He has our attention and I'm excited to see how we put these things into action into our community and our relationships. So, bring on the unpacking church! Bring on the processing tribe. Let's get to work! Love you guys!