Archive for August, 2010

Build the Muscle

Posted in Life and Ministry on August 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Wow, it has been a whirlwind of activity since leaving the Lewis House.  What an awesome month of service and blessing.  When we serve the Lord it opens the way for blessings to flow.  It is amazing how He stretches us and strengthens us and then provides the opportunities for us to utilize that newly developed spiritual muscle.  Then He stretches us and strengthens us and provides the opportunities for us to use the new ….well you get the idea.  In just the same way if you sit back and admire what strong arms you have but do nothing, that muscle will atrophy away.  The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14) ends with a pretty stern warning:

29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Use it or lose it.  If you you use it, God is faithful and there will be increase.  The it is an important factor.  When you use “it”, “it” must be from God.  When I have tried to do out of my own talents, my own abilities and my own resources things did not go so well.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  II Corinthians 10:4

It is important to be sure that the muscles that we are exercising are spiritual muscles supplied and powered by God.  This does not mean that we do not utilize our God given talents and skills but that they empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit.  When you try to build muscle on your own it is much like athletes that use steroids.  Performance and growth appear to be enhanced but in the end the results are destructive, both to the athlete and to those around.  The achievements attained by that athlete are forever tainted.  It is only when we submit  to God’s training program that we see the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

So I started this blog on August 13.  The whirlwind got  faster and a little rougher from then until now, but what an amazing experience.  So many opportunities for ministry in so many different forms.  So many opportunities for fellowship with awesome brothers and sisters in Christ.  So many opportunities to worship and glorify God.  It is now the Thirtieth and I am sitting enjoying the hospitality of Pastor and Debbie Bosworth in Indianapolis IN.  Tomorrow we make the relatively short trek home to Adrian filled with blessings and memories that will inspire us for a lifetime.  As I look to the end of one adventure several others begin.  I look forward to what God has in store for the Guidry family in September!

Read Full Post »

Posted in I'm Just Sayin', Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Wow, here we are in Colorado.  Three weeks into our trip I am amazed at the hand of God in our lives.  He has provided ministry opportunities at every step, both opportunities to minister to people and opportunities to be ministered to.  I have been so touched by so many people already I am excited by what God is going to do over the next 17 days. 

Our time in Minneapolis was awesome.  Beth, Bruce, Grant and Luke were a blessing to us while we enjoyed their hospitality.  It was also great to be able to spend time with my son John and the most recent addition to our family his wife Julie.  We are so blessed and excited that God has provided teaching positions for both of them.  We know that they are going to be a blessing to their schools and to the children they teach.  Those of you that follow us on Facebook know of the great time that we had at Healing House.  Our time with the residents was such a blessing as well as the opportunity to contribute in some small way to the facility.  Highlights with the Olson’s included tubing on the Mississippi River, a visit to Big Lake, Great food, Neat fellowship and conversation for all; as well as an awesome day of playing Airsoft with the boys. We enjoyed our visit to Twin Cities Bible Church and it is always a treat to hear Julie play her violin no matter what the setting.  We are also thankful that God prompted Bruce and Beth to highly encourage us to take the time to travel through South Dakota and stop at Mt. Rushmore.  It was such a blessing to see so many facets of God’s creation.  It was also the beginning of the chain of events that led us to Mule Creek Junction and a visit with Velcro, head of  www.freeicewaterservices.com and of a Wyoming Biker Church (www.churchwithanattitude.com).  We enjoyed the free ice water, the kids enjoyed the free sugar-free cookies (yes they had sugar-free cookies!) and we were all blessed when Velcro prayed over our family.  The kids got a quick lesson in biker prayers and we were all touched by the Heart of this big burly biker, his wife and Coaster his associate from biker church.  We look forward to many more God-Appointments on this trip.  Be sure that God’s outlook calendar is full of appointments for all of His children.

So here we are in Westminster Colorado, enjoying the awesome hospitality of my other sister Lisa, her husband John and their kids Micaiah, Hannah, and J. Samuel (ok Joshua).  After one day of much needed rest I joined John, his father, Micaiah and Robert on a trip to the summit of Mt. Evans, 14,210 feet above sea level.  Fortunately there is a road almost all the way to the summit.  Unfortunately we parked about 1500 feet below the summit.  Fortunately the trail to the top is only 1.7 miles from where we parked.  Unfortunately this trail is UP the side of the mountain.  Fortunately I am not in horrible shape.  Unfortunately there is NO OXYGEN TO BREATHE…ok maybe a slight exaggeration.  Still I made it up…and back down so qualify as a hiker that has conquered a 14er as they call them.  There are over 50 of them in Colorado.  Robert has now climbed 3.  The view was incredible.  Again those of you who follow me on Facebook may have seen some of the pictures.  I may post some here but have not transferred them to my computer yet.  I am glad that I did not know exactly what I was getting into when I decided that this 1.7 mile hike couldn’t be so bad (Lisa did try to warn me!).  I might have decided it was too hard, that I did not have what it takes to succeed.  I would have missed the incredible Spiritual experience that it became for me.  I would have missed a view of God’s world that is breathtaking. If God has placed a mountain in your path, keep climbing.  I know that every joint in your life aches and that you feel like you can’t breathe, but the view at the top is awesome and God would not have you there if he did not KNOW that empowered by HIM you can do it. (Philippians 4:13)

We have another week of experiencing God’s blessings here in Colorado and then we head to Kansas City and Independence MO.  We are looking forward to visiting EPIC Church and Pastor Bobby Hawk (along with his lovely wife Vanessa and their new baby), as well as seeing Derek and Becca friends from the Lewis House!

Read Full Post »

Ministry Is…..

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , on August 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

So if there is one thing that God has been teaching this summer it is about what Ministry is…

We often have a very narrow view of what ministry is. As the lovely pictures of me that my wife recently posted on Facebook demonstrate, sometimes ministry is getting beat at basketball by an 11 year old on an elementary basketball hoop. Ministry is demonstrating God’s love in an authentic way 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. It is an expression of the relationship that we have with God and flows exclusively from the renewed mind and spirit of the born again believer. (Colossians 3:1-17, Romans 12:2).  As Paul shared with Philemon (verse 6), it is also the way that we can appreciate and experience all the best that Jesus has for us!  Share your faith.  Share God’s love.  Minister and know the best that Jesus has for you, whether it is playing basketball, saying hello, smiling, crying, sharing, be the pipeline to the world of God’s kingdom of power and love!

Read Full Post »