ARE YOU GROWING TODAY?

Have you read God’s Word today?  Did you read the “Daily Bread” today?

Have you read at least a few pages of a good book Today? Have you listened to a good sermon latley? Check out our Internet TV Channel at the left!

Happy Mother’s Day 2009

I want to wish every mother who reads this a “Happy Mother’s Day”. A mother is a special person! I am not referring to every woman who gives birth to a child. I am referring to all the women who provide a mothering presence in their child’s life. I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone because I know there are many extenuating circumstances that prevent many women the privilege to “be there” for their children. However I am referring to all the women who are able and do provide that presence.

I know many of you don’t feel like you are a “good Mom” but you are there aren’t you? You are giving your children the best you have to offer from the well of life you have been afforded are you not? Are you doing what you can, with what you have, where you are? Don’t focus on what you can’t do but focus on what you can do and “Do It”!!!!!!

I had the best mom in the world! She was a wonderful godly woman that loved her husband and us three kids with all her heart! She was awesome. Was she perfect? NO! Was she really the “best” mom in the world? Well probably not, however she was “MY Mom” and therefore she was the best mom in the whole world to me!!!!!

The greatest Mother’s Day gift you can give your mom is to say “Thank You”. Have you told her that lately? Don’t thank her for all the dumb things she may have done, she would really think you are insincere! However you can thank her for being there!

Just say thanks,

Pastor Alan

P.S. If she wasn’t there or was a really bad person, go ahead and forgive her any way! It will do you both a lot of good!

Good Friday Evening

We watched The Passion of The Christ this evening at church. Just a few of us showed up. However it was a great time. I have seen that movie at least 4 times now and every time I get something new out of it. Tonight I saw something amazing in the movie. Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Miracle Worker, Jesus the Son of God was now in a place where he needed someone to minister to him.

When we returned home for the evening I found myself facing some pain of my own. I won’t elaborate but suffice it to say it hurts to hurt no matter who you are. We all face pain and hurt in this life from many sources and situations. Many times the ones we love the most can hurt us the most.

I was checking my Facebook and Twitter when my good friend Allen Townsend from Hilo HI twittered about his new Blog entry. I read his Blog this evening and it was just what I needed. It is titled “When the Healer needs Healing”. I would encourage you to read the article. He says it so well.

The scene where the woman wipes Jesus’ face with a cloth in the movie was awesome. She tried to give Him a cup of water but was unsuccessful. However she tried! I am reminded where Jesus said in Matthew 10 if you receive a prophet you will receive a “prophet’s reward” or give a cup of cold water to the least of his servants you will be rewarded. I also remembered the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 where He said “as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me”

When was the last time you gave a prophet (servant of the Lord) a cup of cold water or something like that? When was the last time you did any unselfish “act of random kindness” to a stranger or anyone for that matter?

Just a thought,

Pastor Alan

In Anchorage Teaching Anger Management

I will be in Anchorage teaching Anger Management on April 20 and 21. If you are interested in attending please contact me. I would love to have you in class.

I will be teaching a condensed version of the class both nights. It will be the same class both nights in two different locations. I am working with the Anchorage Parenting Co-op. It’s a great group that brings great parenting teaching to residents through out the Anchorage area. I think one night will be in Eagle River as well.

I love teaching anger management. It has become a passion for me. I am very excited about Wednesday evening April 22 as well. I will be speaking to Faith Community Church youth group. I love speaking to high school and Jr high school groups.

I get the privilege of sharing a little of my life’s story with them. I am so grateful for the many opportunities given me to share here in Alaska. I really believe I have something to give to young people all across the state of Alaska. Anger is a huge problem in our state and it really does need to be addressed at the younger level. If it is not addressed it will continue to grow.

I have spoken in several Alaskan villages over the past years. It has been beneficial for many who have heard my story. I love my Alaska Native brothers and sisters all across this great state. I have spoken in Barrow, Kotzebue and Metlakatla in the SE. I have spoken all over the Kenai Peninsula as well.

I contracted to the state of Alaska DOC for about 7 years to teach Anger Management at Wildwood Correction Center. I have spoken to Faith based groups as well as secular settings as well. I have spoken many times in public schools around the state as well.

I have also been a Red Ribbon Week speaker in several schools as well. I love young people and have a passion to share my story with them. I don’t think it strange or weird because I love Anger Management. I am just so thankful that God has helped me find my own way through the maze called life. I enjoy shinning a small light for other travelers through the darkness.

Here to serve,

Pastor Alan

Jerry & Margaret Stroup Enjoying Some Needed Time Off!

I spoke with Jerry and Margaret Stroup today, several times. Margaret is doing well. She is enjoying some much needed time off. They have been in Florida for the past month and are now back in Virginia.

Margaret is doing quite well. She still gets very tired quickly and has a few bad days now and then. I am still amazed at how the Lord has worked in and through this lady. She is simply amazing, or maybe not so simply! I know the Lord has had His hand on her life and He has lots more for her and Jerry to do.

There is still so much about this whole ordeal that I don’t understand and probably never will. However I know that God is a great big God. He has promised He won’t allow us to go through more than we can handle. He has certainly allowed this family and so many others to go through soooooo much.

It is so easy for me to think I am having such a bad day when I go through some of the small things I go through in my life. When I look at the “larger” picture of life I often repent and ask God to forgive me for whining!!!! I think self-pity is a great big pit many of us get caught in. We must be on our guard all the time against this enemy.

I don’t think any of us deliberately want to be selfish. It is a natural, carnal part of our nature that raises its ugly head all too often. We must be constantly aware of this  part of our humanity. God will lead us and provide strength for us in every situation. It is up to us to follow Him with the light or knowledge we have from God’s Word today.

Not one of us at Central Peninsula Hospital would have ever thought such a tragedy would have or even could have taken place in our little town! However as we all know too well it did! It is up to us today, as we all are still working through our “stuff”, to remember that God is still there and He still loves us. In spite of the selfish acts of others God will give us the strength to keep getting up and making our own little contribution to the world we are in.

I have a little philosophy I live by that has been a real encouragement for me over the years. “If I will do what I can with what I have where I am, then and only then will what I have be increased”. That little thought has helped me keep on keeping on so many times.

Remember things may never get back to “normal”. However please don’t stop giving what you have to the rest of us. I for one can’t do it all by myself. I really need your help. I know I’m not alone in this. We all really do need each other. So get up, smile and put one foot in front of the other and “DO IT”. I know you can, God will help! Together we really are making a difference.

Thanks for being you,

Pastor Alan

Mt Redoubt may blow it’s top anytime!

I wrote the following paragraph on February 12, 2009

As many of you may know Mt Redoubt could blow at any moment. I mean it’s front page news in the Peninsula Clarion today!!!!!!! We are set to go, or not. It’s weird living just off Redoubt Ave in Soldotna, Alaska knowing at any moment we could be covered with ash or not.

March 23, 2009

Mt Redoubt blew it’s top last night, in fact it blew 5 times during the night and once this afternoon! We are so grateful that the ash didn’t come our way. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not happy for the few small villages and sparsely populated woods out west of us that got a good dusting. However we have so many more folks that live here on the Kenai Peninsula that much less damage is being done.

I had decided that Mt Redoubt had gone back to sleep for a while. The experts were saying that was a good possibility. It made sense to me for sure. However the Mountain had other plans!!!

Volcanoes have a mind of their own. I really don’t understand the whole lava, sulfur and toxic gases thing. I mean where does all those gases go and why don’t they eat a whole in the Ozone Layer? Why don’t they cause massive impact on “global warming”? I am so amazed at this Mountain.

It sent ash over 60,000 feet into the air six times in the last 24 hours. Can you imagine the pressure that must be built up inside that thing!!!!! Then there’s the heat factor!! Wow! That’s just unreal to my simple little mind.

It makes me wonder what is inside this old ball of dirt we call earth! There really must be some really “hot stuff” inside this planet.

More Later,

Pastor Alan

Global Warming!!!!!!

Now I will be the first to admit that I am no scientist. I am extremely limited in my scientific knowledge at best. However it sure seems a whole lot colder this “spring” than most of the ones I remember here in South Central Alaska. It was around -8 this morning and I don’t think we got up much above the low +20’s. Not bad for the first day of “Spring”.

I have only lived in Alaska for 22 years. Now for some people that seems like a long time but for many “old timers” I’m still a “Cheechako”. I have talked with many old timers and they all agree this has been one of the coldest winters in many years.

I understand that last October was the coldest on record for Barrow and much of the northern part of Alaska. We also had one of the top three longest running cold streaks of below zero weather on record this year! There are so many unanswered questions about this whole “global warming” thing. I don’t pretend to know all the answers. I’m not sure I understand all the questions!!!!

However it doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to know that the planet is getting warmer or something! This entire state and much of North America was at one time covered with glaciers. This planet has been warming for many years.

I wonder what started the warming trend way back when? It could have been the volcanoes that erupted all over the planet or may be the dinosaurs burping and stuff? Maybe it was the cave man’s fires all over the planet that started the whole thing melting?

I don’t have a clue but I do believe that God almighty, Creator of all that is, has a clue. In fact I am certain He knows every detail of the whole planet and solar system and universes etc. etc. etc. I believe that God, as I understand Him, created it all. I believe He has a Divine Plan and no matter how much money we spend on getting “greener” we won’t be able to slow down or speed up that plan! That’s what I believe!!

The Bible, hold on don’t tune me out yet, in Gen. 1:1 says “In the beginning God…” Now that may not be enough for you but it sure is for me. That is the greatest explanation of all this that is I have ever heard. “In the beginning God…” How much more profound do you need?

Now I know you and I can’t get our mind around that concept and for that reason many people reject the whole idea of a God creating everything. However can you really get your mind around “all this came from a cosmic EXPLOSION”? Hello!!!!! Can you get your mind around “all this just came out of nowhere, caused by nothing”?

No, and neither can I. I suggest to you, you consider your heart and your inner mind! When I say heart and inner mind I mean that deep part of you that you have tried to shut down or board up for all these years. I challenge you to look deep within and ask your self some of the tough questions about God!

I submit to you that He is real. He is there and if you will look and listen you will find he isn’t silent or hiding. If you will look and seek and ask, He will make Himself known to you. Please “Be Still” and listen. He is there! If you look you will find Him. Don’t let others answer the questions for you, read His Word for yourself. Check out the Bible at biblegateway.com. I like the New Living Version myself. I would recommend start reading in the book of John in the New Testament.

Yes the planet is warming however it will get a whole lot warmer before it ever gets cooler!!!!!!! Don’t wait! Start today!

Sincerely Yours,

Pastor Alan

Vision 2009 in Seattle WA

Miriam and I are in Seattle WA for Christian Faith Center’s Vision 2009 Leadership Conference. Casey Treat is the founder and pastor of CFC and has been a friend for almost 20 years. This is one conference that we haven’t missed since 1992. We attended in 1990 and missed 1991 and asked the Lord to help us to not miss again. So far we have been every year since.

We have developed some awesome relationships with friends all over the globe. The teaching and fellowship are some of the finest I have ever experienced. If you are a pastor or a church leader I would highly recommend attending this conference.

We missed Brian Houston last night but he was awesome this morning. He spoke on the importance for a love for the local church. It was a fantastic message. Casey also spoke this morning and he was tremendous as always. I don’t think I have ever heard Casey speak that I didn’t receive something to grow on. He is a great communicator.

Tonight Kong Hee spoke and again it was fantastic. He spoke on the three spaces in every believer’s life. The first space is the church, the second is the market place or our job and the world around us. The third place is the place of government, leadership and the entire influential world of media and entertainment in our society.

I can’t do his message justice by giving a synopsis here but it was powerful. He spoke of how so much of the church is comfortable in the first space but we spend most of our time in the second space but aren’t really comfortable or influential. He observed that very few of us ever get into the third space where the real influence or our culture takes place.

I would strongly recommend ordering the entire set of CD’s or DVD’s at CaseyTreat.org

I am so blessed. Miriam and I have had a great time of rest and refreshing in Hawaii and now a great time of refilling and inspiration here at Vision 09. We are very excited and can’t wait to get back to Alaska and get to work for the Lord in the harvest field where He has called us to labor.

If you are reading this and you are from another local church other than Soldotna Church of God I would highly recommend you send your pastor to at least one or two conferences per year. It will be a great investment of time and money for your church. I would also recommend at least several small vacations per year as well.

I heard a pastor say one time that “the devil never takes a vacation so why should we”. Another pastor also commented that the devil isn’t our example, Jesus is and He often got away in a solitary place for rest.

Praise God for a wonderful church in Soldotna. We are so blessed to be a part of what God is doing in this awesome community.

Pastor Alan

Miriam and I Celebrate our 35th tonight.

Miriam and I had a great evening at Hy’s Steak House in Waikiki. We listened to our good friend Audy Kimura sing and play. If you are ever in Honolulu Hy’s in one of the finest places to eat for fine dining you will find here. We met Bob the manager and several of the staff this evening. What a great time we had. Today was Audy’s Birthday, we had cake and all. What a great place for a birthday or anniversary celebration. I can’t recommend it too highly. This is not a paid advertisement; it’s just a great place with great people to enjoy a great meal together.

Check out our photos on our Facebook page. These were taken by the staff. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. I am so thankful for a wonderful awesome incredible wife for these 35 years.

Good night to all and to all a good night,

Pastor Alan

Celebrating 35 Years of Marriage!!!!

Miriam and I will be married 35 years this year!!!!!! Wow! It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true. I really think we are more in love today than we have ever been. She is the most wonderful woman in the world. I know Jerry loves Margaret and all of you love your wives as you should but I am so in love with my beautiful wife.

We are celebrating our 35th this week in Honolulu. It is awesome! I can’t imagine life with out her. God has blessed me soooooooo much in so many ways and Miriam is at the top of the list, second only to my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that our love has grown over the years beyond anything I could have ever imagined. When we spend time with a person and trust that person with all that we are and have we can grow closer as the years go by. I think trust and time are two of the most important keys to a long healthy happy marriage.

No, our marriage isn’t perfect. We still have our stuff and issues but we are in love for sure. I love her more than words can express. I could go on and on about all the feelings in my heart but I don’t have the space or the time. However I do have the desire and the passion to communicate to her all that I am for the rest of my days on this planet. I am hers until the Lord calls me home.

I am so thankful to all my family and friends at Soldotna Church of God. We have been so blessed to be their pastor’s for almost 22 years. It has been our privilege to serve in Soldotna for the past 22 years. It is so much easier to serve in a church where you are loved by so many wonderful people.

Thanks for listening,

Pastor Alan

Miriam & I are in Hilo Hawaii!!!!!

We arrived here in Hilo this afternoon. We are staying with our good friends Allen and Julie Townsend. They are the pastor’s of the Hilo Church of God. They are a great young couple that are doing a tremendous job building a Church here in Hilo HI.

We will be spending the week with them. I will be speaking next Sunday (3-1-09) at the Kona Church of God with Pastor Keith Elliott.

We will be staying in touch through this Blog and emails and our new medium “Face Book”. I am new to Face Book but Pastor Thad White is trying to get me up on the latest and greatest tools for Ministry. We have started a Soldotna Church of God Group on Face Book. Check it out and join if you would like.

Our Church Purpose Statement is “Changing our world, One life at a time!”  I would like to ask you a simple question, Have you made a difference in the life of at least one other person today? If not, why not?

Think about it,

Pastor Alan