faithrunner

Last night, at John Reeder's invitation, Kevin Krantz and I joined John at a gathering at Collin College called " The Face of Homelessness: Finding Solutions for Collin County. " The panel presentations and Q&A that followed were hosted by the college's Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement . While most of those who attended were students getting credit for classes, the Conference Center on campus was crowded with people of all ages, races, and involvement in the problem of homelessness in our county. Everyone agreed that homelessness and cities like Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen are not usually linked in our thinking, but the need is real . You can download a pdf of the latest report, 2009 Collin County Point in Time Homeless Count , here . I was most pleased that Legacy Church has partnered with at least four of the nine agencies and non-profits represented at the gathering. They are: Samaritan Inn Hopes Door CITY House Plano ISD We learned of othe...

Sometimes I am invited to speak about the things I write about . I enjoy seeing how God works in different groups, churches, and organizations who follow his lead into the mission field . (The pictures are from my LifeGroup's service at last month's Student Age Parent Program monthly meeting, an example I tell others about.) Recently, I spent the day with the deacon leadership of Sunset Canyon Baptist Church in Dripping Springs, TX, the site of my LiveStrong ride last October . Dripping Springs is growing like northwest Plano was when we moved out on our current property. I was able to tell them of our early, easy growth but how transfer growth was not what ultimately counted in being the people of God is one's mission field. We wrestled with questions like "Where do you spend most of your time and energy as a staff and leadership? Internally, on running the organization, or, externally, meeting the needs of your community in the name of Jesus?" I shared Legacy...

i have been running off and on in my five fingers for about 3 months now. i find myself mostly on concrete and grass paths beside hike and bike trails. it's been too cold and wet for true trails. my most nagging injury was a calf pull that is now healed. they said go slow and stretch to overcome 50+ years of wearing and running in 2-inch heels off the ground. i didn't listen to them. go slow and ease into the distance. they know what they are talking about. yesterday, i came home and decided to run in shoes since i had been experiencing pain in the ball of my foot and hip. i set out on an 8-mile run , which is a normal distance for me, and i was walking by the middle of mile 7 . the pain slowed me to a walk, and i really wondered if i had ruined myself for running any length farther than a mile. this afternoon at my daughter's encouragement to join her on a 4-mile run , i put on my five fingers thinking, "what could it hurt?" by the middle of mile 3 i was crui...

I have not written about the earthquake and devastation in Haiti because I know my words will get lost in the deluge of rhetoric and genuine feelings of others. The same may be true now, but I have been living with this horror as you have through the lens of news sources and want to make a couple of comments. First, as I mentioned at Legacy Church, my prayers are first for the Christ-followers there . Some lost loved ones, homes, and friends. Others missed the crumbling effect of the earthquake but know many who did not. How they respond to this event and how it affected them will be their witness to Jesus . I pray that in this time of trial they will be bold in their witness to the love of Christ in both their actions and words. Secondly, I pray for the Church in Haiti . I pray the church will be the ekklesia Jesus called them out to be in times like this. This is an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus in tangible ways to a hurting world. Jay Abernathy, friend and Pastor, gu...

I am home today because Legacy Church observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with our nation. I always pause to reflect on the power of Dr. King's influence at least once on this day to remember the freedom that can come through the Good News of Jesus. I grew up in Southeast Texas in a predominately white neighborhood, and the events of the civil rights movement flew past me on the evening news--if I watched the news. It was not until I got into seminary and began to study the art and history of preaching did I realize the significance of Dr. King's impact on our nation as a Baptist preacher . We herald Dr. King as a leader of social justice these days, but we have forgotten he was first and foremost one who proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus and who challenged the status quo through non-violent resistance because of that Gospel. Dr. Mervyn A. Warren of Oakwood University began his book, King Came Preaching , by quoting King. He identified himself as, "...the son of a Bap...

I think the better title for the biblical collection of songs, or, psalms, should be "Songs in the Key of Life," the title of Stevie Wonder's 1976 album. But who am I to suggest something like that? The Book of Psalms earns that title for me because it reflects every human emotion--in the presence of God! Real people in real time express their fears, hopes, joys, worship and anger at God. No matter what I face or fear a song in Psalms expresses my heart to God. Last month, we offered a lunch at Legacy to encourage some of those who were entering the Christmas season without a job. Randy Youngling shared Psalm 27 with the group as a word of hope for all of us. Since that lunch, I have been living with that song in the key of life. I read and meditate on it almost every day, and since it is on my heart and mind I share it with people when they need a song of hope. Friday night, I went with some guys from the Friday morning men's group to lead worship with Victor Ga...

Four vital signs tell us if we are healthy or not. Our blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and body temperature make up the baseline of our health. If one of them is out of normal, something is wrong. Many New Year's resolutions usually have something to do with bettering our vital signs. Last year when I was teaching through 2 Peter I came across Peter's instructions to his readers to supply their faith with certain aspects of their life with Christ . (Check out 2 Peter 1:5-7 for his teaching.) What caught my eye was not the list of characteristics--there are plenty of those in the New Testament--but his promise that if these "qualities" were present "in ever increasing measure," we would be effective and productive in our relationship with Jesus . ( 2 Peter 1:8, 9 ) When I start a new season of growth I want to know about those things in my relationship with God that will make me effective and productive; that is, spiritually healthy. So, fo...