Jeff Noble's Blog, page 32

Merry Christmas 2016

Each year, I post our Christmas card and its text to share our joy in Christmas wishes with the blogosphere. Here’s our 2016 card.

This morning as I post it, I’ve eaten breakfast, had a shower and the kids are still not up. You know your children have grown up when they no longer beat you to the living room on Christmas morning. So here we sit, waiting on our kids for the first time in our lives for Christmas. Carolyn wrote this year’s card, so enjoy and…

Merry Christmas!

Jeff is officially a runner. Although he says he is not a runner, he runs every other day, rain or shine. The fall colors held on longer than usual this year. So running on his favorite Huckleberry Trail was the place to be. You can also find him at the movie theater on Sunday or Tuesday evenings with his promotional popcorn bucket he can fill up for $5.00. He still enjoys reading, video games, Settlers of Catan, ping pong and corn hole. He and the church staff take breaks

often to challenge each other in corn hole. This is all a great diversion for the responsibilities

of leading Northstar Church. Northstar is such a blessing to Jeff and our family. The staff is incredible and have become close friends. We still meet at Blacksburg Middle School with two morning services where college students, families, graduate and professionals come to worship.

It is an honor to be part of such a group. Northstar plans to build on our purchased land soon. The projected date to be in the new building is December 2018. Send prayers and money this way!

Carolyn is still working in the Guidance Department at BHS. She is trying not to focus on this being her last year of having a kid there. She keeps busy with projects she finds at the new house. We were able to buy a different house in Blacksburg in April. It was a whirlwind of events. We sold and bought a house in less than 48 hours. God once again showed us how He loves us and is in control. Carolyn says she would hug her house if she could. It has been such a blessing, fun to decorate, great for entertaining and hosting friends and family from afar. Come see us! It sits out on the edge of Blacksburg on the side of a hill. So the view is incredible. In the summer, the fireflies were amazing. This fall the colors on the view of the Appalachian Mountains were breathtaking. We are looking forward to our first snow knowing that the view will be beautiful as well. She continues to have good check ups and feels great, except for the aches, wrinkles and gray hairs of getting older.

Sam is a sophomore in Charlotte, NC. He took classes at the community college in Charlotte this fall in order to begin gaining residency in North Carolina. He works part time at Sun and Ski. He lives in an apartment on the edge of UNC Charlotte with his friends. He has proudly named his place “Brotel”. Not to be mistaken as brothel. He and his roommates have a ping pong table as their dining room table. Which is good because Sam can practice for when he comes home to play Jeff and Adelyn. The competition is fierce. He is now a leader in Young Life. He has dreamed of this for a long time. He leads at Butler High School in Charlotte and loves every minute of it! He worked at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys in Asheville, NC, this summer. His nickname Bear, and his manbun fit in nicely. He spent the summer with a cabin of 10th grade boys. He had a new crew every two weeks. He also was a lifeguard there and taught different classes like guitar and hiking. The focus was discipleship and growing your relationship with Christ. His devotion and service to the Lord is infectious. We are proud of his commitment to Jesus and sharing His love with others.

Adelyn is a senior at BHS. She has evolved into quite the leader this year. She is president of

National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. So that keeps her busy with service activities and meetings. She also has the privilege of leading worship at Northstar several times a month. We are so proud of her dedication to all she has committed to. Speaking of committed, she has  applied Early Decision to Christopher Newport University in their Leadership and Honors Programs. She is patiently (sort of) waiting for December 15 when she will hear from CNU. She continues to maintain her diabetes. She handles it like a pro and her A1C continues to be great because of her determination and lifestyle. She worked as a lifeguard again this summer. She also helped with an elderly down syndrome lady a couple times of week this fall. She loves spending

time with the girls in the Northstar youth group. Our new house is a great spot for sleep overs. We now have a ping pong table.  Every night you can find her there beating Jeff in a match.

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Lunch convos, Part 4

One lunch conversation this past August. Multiple blog entries. Now I’m beginning to wonder what they put in the food. And why I took notes.

If you’ve been following the series, you know by now that I’ve blogged about a few randomly hilarious comments over Mexican food from this past fall. The players/lunchers: Alex, our youth minister; Aaron, our swiss army knife minister (because his title has a lot of slashes in it), and Jess, a former intern who was back in town for a wedding.

Check out the links at the bottom of this entry for previous entries to this nail biting series. You can also click away quickly if you want to preserve brain cells.

The Bachelor

I’ve been known to unfollow people on Twitter and Facebook if they even mention the TV show The Bachelor. I just don’t want to know. Anything. At all. About this show. It’s not that we can’t be friends if you watch it. We just can’t be friends when you watch it. And especially if you fill my social feeds with what I’m sure for you is tantalizing tidbits of insight commentary. For me, it’s drivel.

I get it. I know people unfollow me around election times. It’s understandable.

Somehow the topic came up at the lunch in August. Aaron channeled my thoughts exactly when he offered up this observation about whether he would ever watch the show:

You could not pay me to stick one toe in that hot tub. There’s not enough Purel in the world.

His comments were met with just a fraction of silence while we processed what he said. Then we all burst out laughing. Amazing. You have to respect a random, well-timed, descriptive comment like that.

Kudos, Aaron. Stay clean, my friend.

Also in Lunch Convos


Lunch convos, Part 1


Lunch convos, Part 2


Lunch convos, Part 3


Lunch convos, Part 4

View the entire series

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Slow down, Christmas

Three years ago I wrote a post on Christmas Eve, and I shared then:

Ever since December 1, I’ve tried desperately to slow down the Christmas season internally. I’ve done all I can to dig my heels in and halt the holidays so that I could enjoy them more deeply.

They’ve refused to cooperate.

It’s a holiday hope that I have each year immediately after Thanksgiving. I LOVE Christmas time. I love the lights, the tree, the food, the spirit, the weather, and especially the real meaning. Christmas is a world-wide celebration of a God that gives.

And so I begin each new December with a renewed determination to slow down Christmas. To drink deeply of each new day in during this month. I want to pause each hour, to notice things and people. I want to embrace and reveal the love of Jesus. Throughout the day.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs us to “pray without ceasing.” During December, I want to celebrate without ceasing.

Three years ago, I got to Christmas Eve before I sat down to reflect and blog. This year, I’m pressing the pause button today, December 17 – a little more than a week before Christmas Day.

I clicked on my own blog archives to peruse the posts I’ve made each December. One thing I noticed – I’ve been trying to slow down Christmas for as long as I’ve been blogging. Some years are more successful than others.

You see, it’s not really about adding more time to the Christmas holidays. It’s about truly enjoying the time I’ve been given. I can’t declare victory yet in 2016. But so far… it’s been a wonderful Christmas season.

It’s all about the things I remember, the spiritual significance I’ve stumbled upon in small moments, ordinary conversations that suddenly birth vulnerable thoughts. It’s about resolving conflict with determined grace. It’s about choosing joy. I consider Christmas seasons meaningful when I look upon people and situations with eyes of faith, seeing possibilities and beauty.

Next week, I will take some intentional downtime, and I plan to blog, drink coffee, enjoy our fireplace and wrestle my heart into even more slowness. That’s the plan, anyway. In the meantime, let me share one of the best Christmas videos I’ve seen so far this year. I hope it brings a smile to your face.. and that you slow down long enough to watch it.

 

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A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 3

This is the third post in this special blog series by Phillip Slaughter. I’m deeply thankful for his humility and transparency as a minister, sharing his faith journey. It’s not easy to be so self-revelatory when you are caught in the “in-between” of ministry.

November 22, 2016

I know Jeff Noble is probably thinking I should just start a blog already.)

If you are unaware of our current situation (job hunt) please read my post from 8/4/16. If you want the very short version of the following post… God is good, and we still do not know where/when we are moving. If you want details…

Some people prefer to only reveal the positive side of life, and others only reveal the negative. My life has always been an unbalanced mix of both. I would like to share an honest evaluation of the past three months. How can I describe our sojourning? We have constantly experienced simultaneous feelings of hope and doubt, joy and depression, relaxation and impatience, time needed and unwanted, faithfulness and faithlessness, deep maturity and brokenness, confidence and fear.

I will try to avoid hyperbole, but it is difficult to overstate the significance of how God has grown/changed us during this time (especially the past few weeks). I do not feel like the same person who began this pursuit a few months ago.

What has been good?

God continues to provide for us financially. Rosie and I have tried to live frugal lives over the past several years. Living below our means prepared us for this season. In addition, ABSC’s generosity over the past few years allowed us to save for this season. Rose continues to earn her normal income, and I regularly earn some income through preaching/teaching. We rarely spend a penny on anything we do not need. Also, God has provided generously in unexpected ways. Health insurance has been the only difficult expense, but we all know about that.
Time with family. For over five years it was common for me to run from the moment I woke up until very late at night. At the beginning of this year I spent 30 of the first 90 nights away from Rose and the kids (out of town and even the country). Imagine going from that pace to home almost every day and night. It took some adjusting, but it has been incredible.
Time to reflect. I’m weird. I can sit in silence for hours just thinking about life, God, the Bible, science… pretty much anything I find interesting. I have studied more during this season than any other season in my life. I have questioned the validity of assumptions in my worldview that I now believe were misguided. In all this my faith and love for God has increased exponentially. I believe intellectually wrestling with these concepts will help me to actively be more like Jesus. Time will tell.
Rooting myself in God. Sometimes our identity gets wrapped up in our jobs, family, church, denomination, politics, etc. We forget who we are (if we ever knew) and become mirrors of the aforementioned units rather than being the individuals whom God created us to be. This looks healthy when we reflect their strengths, but ugly when we reflect their weaknesses. Thankfully, God has surrounded me with some incredible people to emulate. However, sometimes the beliefs and actions of those people do not reflect Jesus. God has challenged me to question every inherited/learned belief and characteristic to make sure it completely aligns with Him.
Meeting new churches (or at least their pastor search committees). We have met many wonderful people over the past few months. We have talked to many churches and connected with some more than others. We thought more than once that we knew where we would move. Once, the church decided to go with someone else, and a couple of times God would not give Rose and I a peace about proceeding. I think I would have enjoyed being at most of the places we have encountered.
Support from family/friends. We have been overwhelmed by the number of people praying for us and recommending churches to us. People contact us regularly and tell us they are praying. Last week, on a particularly difficult day, I contacted Brandon C. Massey, Austin West, and Michael Pettiette to ask for prayer. They had all three already prayed for me that day. We have probably received 25 phone calls from churches we have never heard of because a friend gave them our information (Ryan Scantling gave it to 23 of those churches… that last number might have been an exaggeration). Many people have given me a listening ear and wise advice (Michael Clayton, Brett Lee and Jared Farley). I could tag many more who have supported us in some way… like Ben Coulter who constantly checks in on me.

What has been difficult?

Waiting! Every day that passes I go through the internal struggle of wondering why the wait, when will we know, and where will we go.
Vanity. I deeply care about what others think (whether I should or not). Every time a church says no thank you or we say no thank you I almost immediately think about what other people will think.
Pride. I loathe when people pity me. My pride wants everyone to see how great my life is (even if it is in shambles at that moment).
Stuck in the middle. Rose and I feel we cannot commit to many things/people right now because we assume we do not have much more time where we are.
Unrealized hopes. There have been a few times when we thought it would work out. When plans changed (whether the church’s decision or ours) it hurt. Against all advice and wisdom we started investing our hearts in a place before we arrived. Recently, we felt convicted to stop talking to a church that had almost everything we wanted in a church. It was heartbreaking even though we knew it was right.
Loneliness. Most of my daily/regular encounters of my adult life (apart from Rose and the kids) have been tied in some way to my job. When I left the job those encounters stopped.
Obsessiveness. My analytical nature can be incredibly helpful and enjoyable at times. It can also eat at me like a cancer.
Faith. No doubt I love God more than I ever have. No doubt I am more mature than I have ever been. No doubt I still waver every day of my life. Trusting and obeying God can be hard.
I’m weird. I don’t think I am like most ministers. Finding a church as weird as me has proven difficult.
Irrational fears. For example, I see the respect and love in Rose and the kids’ eyes every day, but there is still some crazy part of me that wonders if this season of wandering makes them feel differently.

I thank God for this season, but there are also times when I question him. I love my life, but there are moments of despair. I truly want to be a great man of faith, but most of the time I will settle for faith the size of a mustard seed. I am truly trying to be content where I am. Even if that means I keep sojourning… But I really hope that is not the case. 

A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 2

This is the second entry of Phillip Slaughter’s guest series about his faith journey this year. He originally wrote it to family and friends on his Facebook page, and he gave me permission to share it. Anytime I see friends on a faith journey, I am both intrigued and inspired. I think you will be too, as he shares. I invite you to pray with me for Phillip and Rosie, as they are still on their journey.

August 4, 2016

A pic from when I was campus minister at UAM. That’s Phillip looking adoringly at me…

Many of you have been asking about where we are in the process of finding a church for me to pastor. The search continues. In May, God gave me two strong desires:

To pastor a church again
To spend more time with my family.

Rosie and I knew at that point that the right thing for us to do was to step out in faith and announce my resignation (effective 8/31) so ABSC could find my replacement for the upcoming school year. We knew this decision meant sacrificing our income and it would probably mean uprooting our family shortly after John Michael starts kindergarten (8/15). Nevertheless, we want to be people who live out our faith and not just people who talk/preach about faith. Most importantly we wanted to obey God’s call to obedience because of our love for him. Therefore, we took the leap.

This summer has been incredible. I have worked many hours preparing the BCM for the next campus minister. I have also spent lots of time with my family. It has been one of the best summers of my life. We have experienced the presence of God many times. We have prayed for seemingly impossible (very specific) things only to have those prayers answered within 24 hours. We have talked to many incredible churches. A few churches felt that we might not be the best fit, we felt the same about other churches, and we are still in communication with other churches.

It has been humbling that so many great churches have shown interest in us, but the most humbling thing has been all my friends from many different states asking for my résumé in order to submit it to churches. I cannot express the joy that has come from this display of respect and affection.

However, we still do not know our next destination. It seems every time we determine to stop considering a church or a church stops considering us we receive two more calls from other churches. We are trying not to be impatient, but we have moments of weakness. God will make his will clear enough for us to pursue it one day, but for now obedience means remaining faithful where we are. Please, pray for us in this process. I want to find a place that excites us to go there as much as Jennie Baptist Church and ABSC/BCM excited us. God is good. We will follow him wherever he wants.

Also in Friends’ Faith Journeys


A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 1


A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 2

View the entire series

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A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 1

I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine briefly and then invite you into his faith journey. Phillip Slaughter is not only a friend, but he’s a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. That’s where I met him. He grew up at Lake Village Baptist Church, and I met him when I was serving on the UAM campus as the Baptist Collegiate Ministry director. His gentle spirit, fun-loving nature, and sports fanaticism quickly endeared him to me. He was also one of the chief architects behind many of the best pranks on me during his tenure there.

I had the great privilege of discipling him and then watching God use him to disciple other young men in our campus ministry. And then he just didn’t stop discipling. He served with me on staff at Journey Church in Monticello for a while as well. It was with incredible joy that I learned in 2011 that Phillip would step into the role of campus minister at UAM.

For the next five years, he served faithfully, reaching and discipling a new generation of Boll Weevils (yes, that’s our mascot!) for Jesus. I was surprised and yet not surprised to learn this past May that Phillip had announced his resignation, effective this August. When I read his Facebook post about the announcement, I began praying for him. You see, Phillip resigned without having a clear “next step.”

I contacted him a few weeks ago and asked his permission to share a series of posts that he has written to update family and friends about his faith journey. He graciously agreed to allow me to share it here:

May 28

Rosie, Emma, Phillip and John Michael

After much prayer Rosie and I have decided for me to resign from ABSC/BCM (effective 8/31) in order to pursue being a pastor again. The last five years have been amazing! I cannot express our gratitude toward Arkansas Baptists and UAM BCM enough. These are relationships that will continue long into the future.

This decision ultimately stems from the following desires:

We want to follow God wherever he might lead, and we believe this is a step of obedience for us.
Preaching roughly 50 sermons in 25 different churches each of the past five years has been fun and incredible. I have loved helping so many churches and making so many friends, but I desire to be with my family at the same church each week.

I have loved convention work and campus ministry, but since the day I left Jennie Baptist Church five years ago, I have missed being a pastor. We are beyond excited to pursue a pastorate again. It thrills me every time I think about pouring my focus and energy into a local church.

We do not know where we will go yet. We are open to anywhere in the world, but we hope we get to stay in AR. We plan to continue praying and researching possibilities over the next few days (as we have been for a couple of weeks). Then, we will probably send my résumé to several churches and see what happens. If God calls us somewhere outside of SE Ark it will be difficult to leave behind so many great relationships, but we will do it with joy.

We wanted to give this much notice so ABSC could begin finding a replacement for me. I look forward to working hard this summer to prepare the BCM and its students for next year. We cannot wait to see what God has in store for all of us.

If you want to read more by Phillip, check out his guest post back in 2014, Colic and Humility.

Also in Friends’ Faith Journeys


A friend’s faith journey: Phillip Slaughter, Part 1

View the entire series

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Choosing Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. A national holiday. A mindset. A lean of the spirit into the eternal.

I love this Thursday stillness. Coffee. Macy’s Parade on the TV. A house full of family.

This has been a wild ride of a year. Who knew in January that this Thanksgiving we’d be in a new house, that Virginia Tech would have a new football coach after 28 years and that Donald Trump would be elected President?

Our house. We had been wanting to find a new home for over a year. We thought we’d found one, but we just couldn’t quite afford it. The home we were living in would have to sell for just the right amount. We realized that realtor fees would limit what we’d make on the sale of our home, so we finally listed it as a FSBO. That’s not something that’s smiled upon in Blacksburg. We showed it quite a bit, and after almost nine months, we had a seller. That’s when we realized the house we had wanted was no longer on the market!

Through a surreal series of events, we sold our home and bought a new one in two days! We are thankful for Steve Bodtke and his help in our home transition. Our new home is not only better than the one we had wanted, but it’s been a perfect home for hosting our small group, the kids’ friends and for simply resting. The views out the back of the house are stupendous. We are thankful.

Our church. We are so stinking blessed. Northstar Church has been our church home for over seven years as of July. We have experienced growth in every way imaginable, but the most significant, blessed gift that God has given through our church is the great privilege of hearing people’s stories. It’s been our theme at Northstar this year, and one thing we’ve learned is that everyone has a story.

Helping people tell their story and also to see how Jesus has framed their story has been a joyful celebration. Two of the ones that particularly impacted me were Katelin Petrusky’s and Lori Miller’s. I encourage you to watch them both, but I’ve embedded Lori’s below:

The election is over! With Donald Trump in the mix, the last 18 months has been a circus. It truly has been a reality TV show as he beat every Republican contender and then the Democratic heavyweight Hillary Clinton. I’ll refrain from offering political thoughts for another post, but I suspect that thankfulness is not what 50% of America feels for the election results this year.

It’s difficult to be thank-full sometimes, isn’t it? However, if we wait until we feel thankful, we may not actually ever be thankful. The challenge of Thanksgiving is to choose thankfulness. Even for things that you may not be thankful for.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Embracing gratitude, even in circumstances you’re not pleased with, is a journey to maturity. Choosing thanksgiving shows that you see a bigger picture and believe a bigger reality. For people of faith, we see through and beyond instead of looking steadily at circumstances.

So we do not lose heart… as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Family pictures. At some point today, we will be taking the annual Noble Family Photo. With Carolyn being a photographer, you’d think these experiences would be moments of flawless precision. You don’t know the Nobles. The final photo is always amazing, but what it takes to get there should be a sitcom. Though we look like we’re smiling and loving one another in those Christmas card shots, the kids and I are terrified. At that point, we’ve usually pushed Carolyn over the edge and have been threatened. Prior to that, there are rolling and crossed eyes, tongues, rabbit ears, blinking, odors, and physical violence to one another. Here’s one of my favorites from 2006.

Family pictures can’t capture family, can they? They display the people, but they can’t display the relationships, the dynamics, the home. I’m grateful for my family. So much. Each of them has given me more than I could ever give them. Carolyn, Sam and Adelyn make every place we live a home that resonates with laughter, joy and refuge.

What else?

I’m simply thankful for fireplaces (We finally have one! First time in our married life!), candy corn and peanuts, Diet Cream Soda, corn hole, a college son at home, football, my parents from Little Rock, movies, books, coffee, the internet, emojis (

A personal retreat

The following entry was written Thursday, November 17, 2016:

I’m sitting on the dock of Smith Mountain Lake.

The chill in the evening air set in abruptly. The waves from a passing boat rocked the dock slightly. A dog barked in the distance. I am conditioned – like one of Pavlov’s dogs – to pick up my iPhone minutes after I just put it down. I “need” to check Instagram or the news or… something. A digital glance turns into several minutes wasted, every time. So I decided to be quiet. To be still. To just look at the pinkening sky and the hypnotic rippling. In the distance, a boat’s motor is heard before the boat itself becomes visible. The mechanical sound is an interruption to the quietness of Smith Mountain Lake here in Virginia.

I’m on my second full day of a personal retreat. It’s taken me this long to “create.” After arriving on Tuesday about noon, I’ve spent the last two days reading.

This morning I recorded Psalm 47.4 in my journaling Bible:

“He chose our heritage for us..”

And then I wrote:

“God picked you ‘for such a time as this.’ You did not choose when/where to be born. These are the days He purposed to give you to the world and to reveal Himself to the world through you.”

I asked God for creativity today. And I don’t “feel” it. But today has still been amazingly relaxing. I called Carolyn and asked her if I could stay one more day. She said I could. What a gift. She is so sweetly in tune to my needs and knows to give me space. I then contacted the cabin owner to make sure it was ok with him, and he replied:

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing!  You should stay!  What nice weather you will have tomorrow!  … and the “supermoon” as it is now closest to the earth than it has been since January 26, 1948!”

Amazing grace.

I’ve moved back into the cabin now. All is dark outside, and I’ve kindled a fire. It’s popping and the low growling is a comfort. The timer on the stove shows that my pot pie will be ready in 10 more minutes. As I reflect over the day, I grin in nerdy confusion about why the blue bags have won two games of corn hole in a row. And that I have played a few games of corn hole.. by myself.

Why Take a Personal Retreat

I had never heard of the concept of a personal retreat until 1996. I had served as a campus minister in Arkansas for about a year when my boss encouraged me to take one. When I asked what he meant, he described it as simply a few days to be quiet, to rest, to pray, read and enjoy my relationship with God. I remember distinctly his encouragement to not get frustrated if I fell asleep on the first day and felt like I’d “wasted” a day. He said that sleep may be the most spiritual thing I do initially on a retreat.

Since then, I’ve prioritized personal retreats for myself. They are not for everyone, but anyone who is a contemplative and receives renewal from being alone could benefit from such a time. I’ve taken one-day retreats and multi-day retreats. This is one of the longest I’ve taken (three full days, two half-days, four nights).

What to bring and do

I’m a disciplined person that embraces routine and regularity. So my personal retreats are a shift for me. I genuinely just try to do what I want, rather than what I’d normally do. (I’m pretty driven by responsibility most times.) If I want to sleep in, I sleep in. This time around, I brought corn hole boards with me to break up my day. I always have books. Sometimes they are nourishing to my spiritual life. Other times, they are for equipping me in skills or leadership development. I also bring books for sheer enjoyment – fiction or nonfiction.

Since learning to play the guitar when I planted a church after my campus ministry days, I have often brought one with me. It’s a refreshing opportunity for personal worship.

Where to go

I’m always on the lookout for places to retreat. This cabin at the lake was offered last year by the owner for free, and I had a significant encounter with the Lord here last year. So I have been wanting to come back. Some retreat places became “sacred spaces” for me. As soon as I began driving down the road within two miles of the cabin, I felt like I was going to experience God’s grace in new ways in these days.

I’ve also gone to “retreat centers.” The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina has been another spot for me since we’ve been in Virginia. One of the attractions about it is the fantastic food and getting to visit with believers from all over the world over supper. Some are there for scheduled speakers/programs, while others are there taking personal retreats as well.

Other times, I’ve simply found a hotel near place I wanted to visit. The important thing about place is to simply get away and get out of pocket. It’s important to set up email autoresponders, to notify people that you’ll be gone and out of the productivity loop.

The timing of a retreat

The last two years have been exceptionally full for me, with ministry and life. I’ve not taken retreats regularly as I should. Last year when I arrived here, I was spent. Other times when I take retreats, I sometimes wonder in the days preceding if I really need one at all. However, I’ve never regretted a retreat.

I try to take two a year – one in the spring and one in the fall, after seasons of busy ministry activity.

Here are elements of my retreat that I’d suggest for anyone:

Incorporate lots of scripture reading. Adopt a plan for what you’ll read before you arrive. Don’t just have one time during the day that you read. Come back to God’s Word as you feel directed.
Bring a notebook or journal to record your honest thoughts. Throughout the day, as you sense God whispering, write down ideas, brainstorms, convictions, or encouragements that lodge in your heart and mind. Review what you’ve written before you go to bed.
Exercise. I began running two years ago, and I generally run every other day. I continue this routine while I’m on retreat. Too much sitting/reflecting can make the hours slow down. Go for a walk or whatever you might enjoy. Or bring corn hole boards.
Breathe prayer. What I mean is that my retreats are not me retreating from life. I am retreating into solitude and stillness so that I can listen better to God. I have “times of prayer,” but I also seek to remain in a “spirit of prayer” throughout my time. It’s what I believe the apostle Paul meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5.17.
Preach the gospel to yourself. This year, I read the pamphlet What is the Gospel? by Bryan Chappel. It was a joyful reminder of the indescribable good news that in Jesus, I am not only saved, but made righteous. I am forgiven, made whole and sent out. Whether you read Ephesians 2 or bring along other material, make sure you refresh yourself in the basics of faith, salvation and the accompanying joy of knowing Jesus. It’s foundational to gratitude to refresh your heart in the gospel.

I spent Saturday morning on the dock, watching the sun rise and the fog whispering across the surface of the lake one more time. After downing a couple of cups of coffee in the chill morning air, I began the process of cleaning up the cabin.

Leaving a retreat is always bittersweet. When I’ve really retreated, I have this sense that I’m forgetting something. That I’m leaving something behind. It’s always better to leave wanting more than to stay too long on a retreat. A retreat is not your life, after all. It only helps you live it better.

Related:

Recommended: The Cove (2014)
The Cove and personal spiritual retreats (2013)
Bookstore melancholy (2010)
Absolutely loving life… (2005)

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Honoring God-fearers

A year ago today, I wrote a post in which I thanked those who had been used by God in my life to point me to Him in deeper ways. It popped up on my TimeHop app, and after re-reading it, I was freshly grateful for all those I mentioned.

It’s based on Psalm 15, and since today is the 15th, I had read it again for my devotional time this morning.

“.. honor the faithful followers of the Lord..” (Psalm 15:4, NLT)

I want to mention, for the past year, some of those whom I have seen “fear the Lord” and whose faithful walks with Jesus have encouraged me to follow Him with more joy.

While some below made the list last year, most are new. All are beloved.

Neal Nelson. Neal is our associate pastor at Northstar Church, and he is unashamedly my “right hand man.” He is a relational guru. The running joke in our staff meetings is how he meets men at the park. Yep. It’s because he has six kids, and so he takes the kids to the park often to give Teresa a break. Because Neal is always looking for good conversation – and because any time he gets into conversation with someone, he will talk to them about faith and Jesus, he often has conversations with other dads… at the park. He is fervently intentional about sharing His faith with confidence and joy.
Ben Brooks. Carolyn’s grandfather passed away in February of this year. By his own admission, he was not a “good man” for many years of his life. God captured his heart, and he became a Christ follower in his 70s. He wrote in his Bible that on January 16, 2001 at 7:57 p.m., he gave his life to Jesus. He was baptized five days later. It is one of the most amazing stories of transformation. I was honored to preach his funeral and to be able to share the gospel of Jesus clearly at it, as he wished.
Erin Petersen. She stepped up and expressed interest after our former college minister resigned. She was quickly moved from interim to permanent after she demonstrated competence, calling and chemistry with our team. I’ve learned about depth in suffering all over again by watching her present her struggle and pain to the Lord as she battles complications from Lyme’s Disease. Anyone who praises God amidst pain and heartache is worthy of emulation.
Northstar Staff. I mentioned Neal and Erin already, but truth be known, it’s an amazing privilege to work with the people I do: Alex, Megan, Julie, Aaron, Brooke, Matt, Jessica, Joe, Evin, and Lindsay. Some are paid; others volunteer. All of them encourage me by how they follow Jesus, make faithful decisions and serve in joy! In a church like ours, heads have to be on swivel. Change seems to be the rule of the day. Yet, they are each steadfast in their witness and love for God’s people.
Corie Carr. Corie is the wife of one of our Leadership Board members at our church. She has inspired me with her faith through her own health uncertainties this past year. She and Chris are consistently cheerful, always uplifting and intent on encouraging others.
Viktor Orekhov. He will probably be surprised to be included on this list since he’s moved away from Blacksburg and we actually have infrequent contact. However, we’ve seen each other at weddings and have exchanged emails. In every context, I find out he pursues Jesus deeply. He loves the church. He wants God’s glory. I can echo Paul in Philippians 1:3 about Viktor, for “I thank my God in all my remembrance of [him].”
Jamie Sanchez. Jamie moved to California this year to begin teaching at Biola University. She was a dear friend of our entire family, and she laughed at all my jokes. More importantly, she is in love with Jesus, and she esteems His Word. She inspires me with her relational intentionality.

Three men who are linked through faith as a result of campus ministry:

Ben Coulter. Ben was a college student at UAM when I first met him. I had the privilege of being an influence in his life, and as God directs it so often, Ben has had a profound influence on me. He served with me at Journey Church in Monticello as a co-pastor and worship leader. He has been one of my greatest encouragements and supporters. He still thinks my book Super Center Savior is better than Harry Potter. (Don’t tell him otherwise.) Ben has labored hard this year as a pastor to proclaim the transforming power of Jesus over racial differences in a small town in Arkansas amid unsettling opposition. I respect and esteem him.
Jeremy Woodall. Jeremy was also a former student. He also served with me at Journey Church. And he also has been an incredible encourager. Jeremy didn’t learn enough hard lessons through our launch of Journey Church and proceeded to help plant another church in southeast Arkansas. This year, he became the third of my relational circle to serve in my old role as the campus minister at UAM. He models a tenacious commitment to sharing the love of Christ with men boldly.
Phillip Slaughter. Phillip preceded Jeremy as campus minister at UAM. This year, in faith, he stepped down from that role, sensing that God was calling him into a new adventure. He has always listened to the Father’s whispers well. I appreciate his sensitive heart and gracious spirit.

My family… they each continue to follow Jesus with all their hearts. It’s humbling as a preacher to be preached to with such loving grace at home through their lives. I could copy and paste what I wrote last year about them because it is all still true, but here’s some fresh gratitude:

Carolyn. We moved this year. It was a major feat. Knowing that I don’t do well in upheaval, she worked tirelessly to turn a new house into an intimate home. She still thinks I preach great sermons (mainly because she would rather listen to This American Life podcasts than preacher podcasts and doesn’t know any better). She prays for me daily. She continues to model a servant heart (even helping to redecorate and re-floor our church’s office this summer). She disciples ladies. Simply put, she loves Jesus.
Sam. He’s begun his sophomore year of college, and he relentlessly seeks Jesus. He embraces truth and speaks truth (sometimes brashly, but always with the goal of encouraging someone to follow Jesus). He is bold. He is full of laughter. He’s exploring what a call to ministry looks like even as he serves with YoungLife in Charlotte. I’ve learned recently that he is retelling all my jokes to his friends there, and that they think he’s funny.
Adelyn. She’s a senior at Blacksburg High this year, and she’s witnessed some amazing moments of transformation in her friends. She has kept Jesus central. She continues to grow as a worship leader, and not only that, she has embraced opportunities to lead. She still loves office supplies (it’s a genetic thing), and she’s begun to develop her voice as a writer that I believe will inspire others in the future.

There are so many others who belong here. So let me close with the same words from last year’s post:

I challenge you to try to come up with your own list and honor those who fear the Lord. For those of you who know you were left off, my heart friends and soul mates, my prayer support and my encouragers, those who might have expected to see themselves here, please know it was not intentional. It’s a result of my own time-pressed-ness and mental shortcomings. It’s certainly not a result of my lack of wanting to honor you.

May our great God continue to be praised and honored by those who fear Him. My life has been nudged closer to His heart because of all of you.

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Nuff Said: Tech companies trumping Trump, Helping authors, Pastors who ignore phone calls, ways for busy moms to be in the Bible, Frankfurter Sandwiches and more

“Nuff said” is a collection of saved entries from across the interwebs. Here are some interesting, provocative and fun things for your reading and viewing.

Tech Companies Apple, Twitter, Google and Instagram collude to defeat Trump

On the night of the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, any observer must admit that they can’t believe Trump is where he is. He has defeated. all. odds. He conquered a loaded Republican primary (16 other candidates!), and he has had to run against a media intent on skewering him and skewing every single word he says. In addition, Trump hasn’t helped himself with his bombastic, in-your-face social media posts and quips.

But this article is downright disturbing.

Could the tech companies and internet providers we use the most actually be working diligently to cloud our perspective of Trump? Almost all of what we know about him is filtered to us through streams that may be actively seeking to influence us away from Trump.

3 Ways to Support an Author You Like

So once upon a time, I wrote a book. It didn’t do great. But it felt good to have completed a writing project. (you can read about it here) I’m much more sensitive to authors now, and that was a profound learning experience. Barnabas Piper offers these three things you can do for authors. And he’s right:

Buy their books
Write reviews and rate the books
Talk about it

Why most pastors aren’t answering your phone calls

This is not a defensive link. However, I admit that I often get chided for not responding to text messages and for not answering my phone. This article offers 9 reasons. And yes, one of them is: some pastors are lazy and rude. The other eight are worth digesting for anyone who gets frustrated with their pastor’s supposed unresponsiveness. I appreciated this closing comment:

All legitimate calls deserve a response. Either from us, or a surrogate. People need to know they’re not being ignored.

Then when we’ve done what we can, we need to lay down the phone – and the guilt. Stop checking our email. Know that we did what we could. And leave the rest in God’s hands.

Seven ways for busy moms to be “in the Bible” daily

Here’s a practical article about how on-the-go moms can continue to make scripture a priority in their lives even with a non-stop, on-demand life schedule.

Frankfurter Sandwiches

Many of you know I love hot dogs. This should be my theme song. Give it a listen. I promise you’ll relish it.

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View the entire series

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