Jerry and Margaret Came to Church!

It was so awesome to see Jerry and Margaret in church last Sunday.

It was a special day for us at Soldotna Church of God. It was Youth Pastor Appreciation Day. However it was also a banner day for me and so many more. Margaret and Jerry were in attendance at our 9:00 am service. It was also a very special day for me because Valerie Webb was in the 9:00 service as well. It was a service with lots of emotions for me.
I am so very delighted to appreciate our Youth Pastors Thad and Mykal White. They have been with us for over three years. They are such a blessing to our entire church body. I could spend the next hour telling you all the wonderful things they are doing and have done in our church. I think one of the greatest things about them is they fit so well into our ministry team here at Soldotna Church of God. It seems that God has brought us together to accomplish His Vision for Soldotna. It’s awesome!

It was also a wonderful day because we were able to bless them with a good Love Offering to help them on their trip to Hawaii. They are celebrating their 10^th Wedding Anniversary. They are leaving today for what we hope will be a wonderfully relaxing vacation in Paradise.  

I was also very excited to have Margaret and Jerry there as well. It has been approximately eight weeks since the shooting. Jerry and I talked about this day many times in Anchorage and in Seattle. There were several times we weren’t sure we would ever live to see it but we never lost hope. It was like a long anticipated reunion of loved ones finally coming to reality. It was simply fantastic.

Jerry got up in church and shared his heart and his appreciation for Thad and the church going on while allowing me to be able to minister to them. I agree with Jerry wholeheartedly. We truly have a wonderful church body here in Soldotna. It was so neat for me to see all those prayers and hard work come to reality. Jerry and Margaret are starting a new leg of the journey. We all know none of us will ever be the same in so many ways.
It was also Valerie Webb’s last Sunday in Soldotna. She will be closing a chapter in her life this Thursday as she flies down to Oregon to start a new life. I have been so blessed to have her in church with us for the past three weeks. I really didn’t know her before this incident brought us all together. Miriam and I have so enjoyed getting to know her just a little bit. I trust we will be able to stay in contact with her as she continues on her new journey as well. There are so many questions and thoughts we will never know the answers to but we keep on trusting in our Heavenly Father. I know He will keep His hand on her life as well.

 
I had three very different scenarios in one church service all running around in my mind while I attempted to “preach”, Wow!!!!! It still amazes me that God can sort it all out and make sense of it all. I have cried and prayed and thought about all this “stuff”until I can’t continue on my own. This is truly bigger than I can handle. Therefore I cast it all on Him because I know He cares for me and you. I really do think that sometimes there just are no answers that God is willing to share with me at this point. I don’t think God minds us asking why! But when He chooses not to give us any answers we need to accept that and move on with our life. Some things are just “none of my business”. We don’t always like that and perhaps you aren’t satisfied with that over simplistic approach but that’s all I can wrap my little mind around at this point.

I remember preaching a message months ago on “Every Ending is Followed by a New Beginning”. This is so very true in all three of these families. It is also true in my life and yours!

So, I will wake up tomorrow and get up and get about the business of living. I will get about the business of giving what little I can give to God and my fellow man. My “primary concern” is to love God with all my heart, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as my self. Now that is a full time job!

How about you? What is your “primary concern” today?

Pastor Alan  

Margaret’s Homecoming Thoughts

Margaret and Jerry have had a great day today. Yes she still has a long way to go. She has come so far in such a short time. You know I was thinking, yesterday was Wednesday. She came home 8 weeks to the day from when she left!!!!!! I don’t know if that means anything but it sure is interesting to me. I know God has had His hand on her life and has brought her home for such a time as this.

I don’t think things like this tragedy happen to teach us anything at all. In fact I personally have a bit of a problem with the theology that says God allows things like this to “teach us” anything. I could be wrong but I just can’t see it. I think things like this happen because God gave each of us human beings a “free will”. Joseph chose to use his free will and it has impacted all of us that are connected to this situation negatively. I mean there have been so many tears and so much pain and loss that have been inflicted on so many innocent people.

The Webb family will never be the same. I, like many of us, have prayed so many prayers and shed so many tears with and for Valerie and her family it is amazing. The question I ask myself is “Was God any less with the Webb family than He was with the Stroup family?” The answer for me is absolutely not. He loves Valerie just as much as He does Jerry!!! Then the question comes to mind then, “Why?” NOW, that is a question for which I have no clue as to an answer!!!!!!!

You may think that is a copout but I don’t. I simply don’t know and neither do you! However I do find it very interesting that the two families that were impacted the most in this tragedy are both very strong Christian families. Again I don’t have any answers as to why or what for that matter but it has caused me to reflect deeply. This is part of the problem with too much deep thinking. There are so many things about this situation and so many others that we have and will continue to encounter that we will never know all the answers.

Now, back to my earlier thought about God teaching us lessons, no I don’t believe God allowed this or caused this to happen to teach us any lessons at all. What I do believe is that there are many lessons that we can and will learn from this tragedy if we will open our eyes and “stop, look and listen”. Jesus often used a statement that has caused some people great problems. He often said “he that has ears to hear let him hear”. Now that sounds really dumb unless you really listen and think. We all have ears but we don’t all hear, we all have eyes but we don’t all see!!!!!!

I believe there will be many of us that will learn many things from this tragedy. I could list many of them here but I will leave that up to you. However I also believe there will be many people that will shake their head in disbelief and go on in life, what I call, “fat, dumb and happy”, but not really, and never learn a thing. Their life will not be impacted for the better. They may even become bitter instead.

I think, for many of us, the lessons we learn will be up to us. I was reminded recently by a friend of a quote I have used many times from a college professor, Dr Raymond Thornton. “We live and learn, but mostly we live”.

The choice is ours,

Pastor Alan

 

Margaret’s Homecoming

Well it’s hard to imagine but Margaret and Jerry are coming home at 10:40 am tomorrow!!!!!!

Here is the plan for her welcome home gatherings. We are asking everyone that can make a sign of any size comfortable for you. It can say whatever you would like; Welcome Home Margaret, We Love You Margaret, etc., etc… Bring the signs to whatever location you choose to come to and be ready to wave them and cheer. Balloons, posters, banners and other forms of welcome home ideas are all welcome.

There will be a group meeting her at the Kenai Airport to welcome them home there. There is going to be a group meeting at Crane and Associates Real estate on the Spur Hwy in Soldotna. There will be a group on the sidewalk in front of the Hospital and a group on the corner of Marydale and Kobuk. Feel free to gather anywhere along the way between Kenai and Soldotna. We will be coming down the Spur Hwy to Marydale then to Kobuk to their home.

Here is some very IMPORTANT information!!!!!! Please do not attempt to hug Margaret at all! Please don’t shake her hand or touch her at all. I am sorry to have to ask this of you all. I know many of you are so very excited to see her and can’t wait to give her a hug and all, but please not now!!!! There will be plenty of time for that later.

Remember Margaret is far from well! She still has bandages on her incisions and she is still very sore and sensitive. We don’t want her to catch any bugs or be impeded in any way toward her healing journey. We have come so far in such a short time it is awesome! She loves us all and would love to hug and personally greet us all but that isn’t possible at this time.

Some have asked about food and doing things around the house. Jerry said they are looking forward to going shopping for the first time in a long time. They have their own unique eating habits and are looking forward to getting settled into their own home again. Besides Jerry will be totally bored and will need something to do. We don’t want to rob him of the privilege of preparing the meals and taking care of the house for Margaret. They are both so very excited to say the least!!!!!!!!

Their flight leaves at 6:00 am and they don’t arrive in Kenai until 10:40. She will be completely exhausted when they arrive. They aren’t planning on stopping at all. They are going straight home and she is going to bed. We will keep you all posted on the status site for a while then we will use the Blog for updates as we go along.

Thanks so very much for your understanding of her need for rest and recuperation. I want to again remind us all, she has been released from the hospital but she still has a ways to go for complete healing. If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 907-252—1803 or email at alan@ahopeforthefuture.org.

Looking forward to tomorrow,

Pastor Alan

 

Update on Margaret Stroup 1-20-2009

We are all getting very excited about Margaret and Jerry returning to Soldotna. We are going to get the news in the morning (1-21-2009) as to whether the doctors are going to let her come home this week or later! I will be posting the results of the doctor’s visit in the morning on the status site. I will also be giving more details on the Blog as they are made.

This waiting business is so frustrating! I think most of us get very frustrated when we have to “wait”! I just hate it! However its called LIFE! We all have to do it and quite often for some of us. You would think we would learn to get control of our emotions at some point. Well some of us do, at least some of the time! I have found for me if I get focused on the things at hand and let the “waiting” go from my little brain I get a lot more accomplished. I know this is simple and most of you have mastered this years ago.

However if we aren’t careful we can find ourselves as we get older, physically and spiritually, putting things off while we are “waiting for the end”. What ever the “end”  may mean for you! I think many Christians forget about “working” for the Lord while they are “waiting” for the Lord to return! I’ve met some older folks that forget about helping others while they wait for someone to help them!

Just a thought,

Pastor Alan

It’s NOT Cold Outside!

This is crazy!!!!!

A week ago we were close to setting record cold temps her in Alaska. I think we broke several longstanding cold temp records or came real close for sure. This week however we have set new high temp records. Today in Anchorage it reached 50 degrees. That’s crazy for sure!!!!

Tonight on the TV our local programming was interrupted with a National Weather Service Warning. This is mid January and we are having flooding, that’s right flooding here in Alaska. Two weeks ago we had around two feet of snow and today there is grass showing in many yards. It is hard to believe we could have over an 80 degree turnaround in temperature in a little over a week!! IT MUST BE THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!

Just kidding, don’t get upset. I mean it’s just the weather being crazy, I think!!!!!!! No I don’t believe it’s the “end of the world” just because there is a temperature swing, however there is something going on in this world we live in. They say our planet is getting warmer and things are changing on our planet. Well my problem is I haven’t been around long enough to say yea or nay!

The Bible does say that Jesus is coming back and there will be a great battle to end all battles. The Bible describes the heat from His army so great that the earth will melt and stuff. So if that is true, and I believe it is, then we should expect some “warming” of things around here!!!

So, what should we do? Well for me it’s quite simple. I love God with all my heart and loving my fellow man as I love myself! That is my “primary purpose” here on earth! Let the changes come and go. God will still be there tomorrow and He has promised He will never leave me or forsake me. Too simple, I don’t think so.

Get ready change is coming,

Pastor Alan

 

Working for Tips!

I remember one of my first flights on a commercial airline when Miriam and I first got married back in the last century. I think we were flying through Atlanta. We had 5 very large suit cases and we had a skycap take them from the baggage claim terminal out to a street level bus stop. I didn’t know what the protocol was for tips; I didn’t even know there was one. I was a broke college kid newly married and from the country.

I never will forget the look on the skycaps face when I gave him a one dollar bill. I was so proud to give him what I thought was a decent tip! Little did I know I had insulted him! He walked away obviously upset. I didn’t have a clue what I had done wrong, I really was ignorant. As he walked away he turned and said, “The normal tip is one dollar per bag” and kept walking! I was saddened by his disappointment because the dollar was all I had. Later when I thought about it I was very sad for my ignorance.

One of the lessons I am learning in life is that many times we offend people not out of meanness or greed but out of ignorance. I have found myself several times through out my life offending others without a clue! I’m sure there are some folks that are still upset at me because I did something they thought offensive. I may have committed the act intentionally as I did the “one dollar tip” but I certainly had no intention of insulting or offending them.

I have no clue if that skycap is still angry or if he forgot it that instance. However I certainly never forgot. I have flown many flights since that incident and thanks to a rude but honest individual I always tip well. I will never see that gentleman again to thank him but I am grateful for the lesson I learned. I can’t go back and fix it with him but I didn’t make that mistake again. I have, on the other hand, made many other dumb mistakes throughout my life here on this earth. I’m sure I have offended and perhaps insulted others by my ignorance. No matter how hard we all try we will never learn all the protocol for every situation we find ourselves in. We must keep learning and growing through out our life here on this earth.

Now back to the skycap that I insulted. He now has some choices to make in his journey of life as well. If he is going to continue to work in a profession that is based on tips he must learn to keep a good attitude regardless of the magnitude of ignorance he faces daily. It is imperative that he learn this lesson if he wants to be successful in that line of work. If he allowed my ignorance to ruin his attitude for the day do you think he will get very many tips for the rest of the day?

How many times have you and I been offended or insulted by others and allowed it to ruin our day or week or life for that matter. I mean lets face it we’ve all been offended many times. Many of us have even been insulted. The question I want to ask is “are we going to let that other person’s IGNORANCE or rude behavior control our life and attitude?” We will never know their heart, just as that skycap never knew my heart. If we allow the offense to fester in our heart it will destroy our life while the offender is going on in life “fat, dumb and happy”.

Two Things:

Let’s choose to be life long learners. Let’s commit to reading and listening and growing in our personal, professional and spiritual lives as long as we have breath. Someone has so well said “when we stop learning we stop living!”

Let’s also choose to consider the possible ignorance or brokenness of the people in our life that offend or insult us. Let’s choose to forgive them regardless of their intent. Remember forgiveness only takes one person. Someone also said “we are most like God when we forgive others”.

Let’s Do It,

Pastor Alan

Margaret Stroup Update 1-14-2009

Well if you checked the status site you know by now Margaret is out of the hospital and resting well in the apartment. Margaret and Jerry are both holding up well considering all they have been through over the past six weeks or so. I know words can’t express the pain they both have been through during this ordeal. I have walked with them through so much of it and it has been unreal. I was with them for about 20 days total and I have spoken to Jerry several times almost every day. I feel I have gotten to know them pretty well.

They have faced each day with the most amazing courage imaginable. The strength and peace they both possess is phenomenal. I have been in the ministry full time for over 30 years and the love and joy of the two of them is impressive to say the least. I have known many very religious people over the years . When a situation of this magnitude comes along it’s enough to rock anyone’s world. However their faith has remained in tack and their determination undaunted. Jerry’s incredible sense of humor and love for people has never ceased.

I think the reason for their strength and hope is without question their faith, I mean total faith and trust in Almighty God. One of the very first things Jerry said to me was he wanted God to get all the Glory out of this situation. In case you aren’t familiar with the word “glory”, I think a good definition as used here is “the credit or the honor”. It has to do with the reputation of a person, in this case God. One of Jerry’s first statements was to recognize that God was responsible for any good thing that comes out of this chaos.

Now the physical side of faith has some amazing side affects. A positive outlook really does impact the physical healing process. Laughter and joy are real medicine for the whole body. Forgiveness and trust allows the inner person to be at rest and lets the healing process flow unchecked. God created the human body to heal itself when it is kept from impurities. I think this goes for the body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and the spirit.

The doctors and nurses work to keep the body clean with meds and clean dressings. However Margaret and Jerry are responsible to keep their soul and spirit clean with the help of God’s grace and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ.

As I understand it, Jesus Christ paid the price for a clean soul and spirit by giving His life for us on the cross. He suffered physically so we wouldn’t have to suffer spiritually. However just like we must go to the doctor and submit to his authority in order for the healing to take place, we must also submit to God and His authority in order for the spiritual healing to take place as well. If we don’t have faith in our doctor we won’t do what he says! If we don’t have faith in God we won’t do what He says either.

Faith is really quite simple. It’s obeying a suggestion or command or a doctor’s orders because we BELIEVE it is the best thing for us. Jesus said if you love me you will obey my commands. So it’s that simple.

So for Margaret the doctors and nurses have done their best and it’s working. Margaret has done her part and God is doing His part. Now you and I get to watch it all come together. Wow what a process!!!!!!

You can too,

Pastor Alan

Did you say, Thank You?

When was the last time you said Thank You to someone and really meant it? Now I don’t mean just as a habitual response because it’s the right thing to do. I mean looking them in the eye and say “Thank You”. Those are some really powerful words when shared from the heart.

The events of November 26, 2008 here in Soldotna have impacted our community in a way I don’t think any of us could have imagined. It has caused many of us to think a little deeper than we would have before that day. I mean who would have ever imagined an event like this would have happened here in our “little town”. Yet here we are in January 2009 thinking like perhaps many of us have never thought. I understand that we have all been impacted significantly different and no two of us are the same. I still think we are all to one degree or another moved to reflect on life a little deeper.

How we allow those thoughts and the impact they have on us is to a great degree our own decision. We will make that decision consciously or subconsciously. We can choose to use them for the positive side and begin to work on becoming a more loving and caring person or we can allow them to cause us to turn inward to self pity and despondency. The choice is ours.

The first choice must be made consciously. If we want to allow these events to help us become a better person we must make some very conscious choices. Choices like talking about our feelings even if we don’t feel like it, telling those we care about that we love them and yes saying Thank You to those we love and even those we don’t. I know it may seem unimportant but I beg to differ. I want to challenge you to “think” about your life and the choices you make through out the next few months.

The second choice will be made unconsciously if you don’t make the first one. Remember water flows down hill, it must be “pumped” up hill. If you just let it all go and try to forget about it, you won’t. It will grow and fester down underneath the skin of your heart and eventually you will have heart trouble! Instead of becoming a better person by choice you will become a bitter person by no choice. Think about it, please!

I know this whole Thank You idea may be no big deal but we have to start somewhere, don’t we? I challenge you to start with you spouse, if you have one, and then to your children, if you have any. Let it spread to the grocery store, the coffee shop and the bank teller. Here’s a thought, take it to work with you. Thank your boss or your employees. Have you ever thought how we would ever get all the work done with out each other? We really do need each other!

I know it may be a little tough on some of us but why not give it a try? What could it hurt? Who knows you might like it and they might even like you a little better. It might feel so good you may start to use the other magic word, Please!!!!!!!

Just a thought,

Pastor Alan

 

Living is Giving

This past Sunday I spoke on the topic of Living is Giving! You can see the message at www.ahopeforthefuture.orgI really believe that with all my heart. I, like many of us here in Alaska haven’t known Jerry and Margaret Stroup for what some would consider a long time. However I have come to appreciate their commitment to Jesus Christ. They certainly appear to love God and they have a very obvious love for each other. I have spent much of the last month or so with them. I have also come to know them as their pastor over the last year. I am convinced they have a strange and wonderful relationship. Jerry is strange and Margaret is wonderful!!!!!! Just kidding Jerry! They have a deep love for each other that comes from the heart it seems to me.

As I have visited with Jerry over the last weeks I have learned to really appreciate them both very much. Now this isn’t a brag about Jerry and Margaret post. They are human and have their issues like we all do, however they have really enjoyed their life together these past 25 years. They have been and done and seen so much of our world its amazing. Yet they have learned a secret that I feel is the key to their fulfilled life. They are Givers!

Jerry gives so much to Margaret. I wish you could see him at her side. Ladies he is the husband many women would dream of. However he is already taken! Margaret is an awesome giver as well. I mean look at her status page. Just go and read all the post by her employees and coworkers. She already has over 23,000 hits on that site. That’s incredible! She is a professional and does command respect from her peers and coworkers yet she is so loved by all who know her.

They have a deep love for each other that is based on unselfish giving. They don’t have the perfect marriage (like mine and Miriam’s) because they are imperfect humans like you and I. They do however have a great marriage based on Christ’s love for them. When we know God loves us then we have the capacity to “give” love to others. There are many people that I have known over the years who are blessed with great marriages because they are givers, not takers.

I want to challenge each of us to “give” our lives to God by surrendering our will to the authority of Jesus Christ and His Word. Then believe and receive that love personally in the forgiveness of all our sins. Contrary to what many people may believe God really does love you and He has an awesome future planned for your life. Trust Him and receive His forgiveness and then start forgiving others. In order to forgive you must “give” for God really has forgiven you!

There are so many great resources available on forgiveness and loving one another out there. If you need some direction please feel free to email me at alan@ahopeforthefuture.org I would be happy to share those with you. If you have any questions about God’s Word or any thoughts please email me as well.

Thanks for listening,

Pastor Alan

 

It’s Cold Outside!

This post is dedicated to all my “Global Warming” friends and all the rest of us Alaskans as well.

Friends it’s COLD here in Soldotna and most of Alaska!!!!! That is probably an understatement for sure. We are now in our 7th day of a “cold spell” that hasn’t left the negative degree mark, which is below ZERO!!!!! I think it is around -20 or so right now. I know this sounds crazy to many of you but zero sure sounds warm right now!

I don’t claim to understand this whole global warming thing. I mean I know it’s true considering the whole state of Alaska and much of the lower 48 were at one time covered with ice! I’m not sure about the lower 48 but there are very clear signs here in our area of glaciers and frozen barren tundra. Therefore it seems the earth is getting warmer. It seems it has been getting warmer for a very long time, long before cars and factories and coal fired energy plants were around. Actually I think the glaciers should be growing this past week for sure!

For those of us who are blessed to live here in Alaska the freeze and thaw process has become normal. However I am still amazed at how the trees and plants and so many animals and bugs, yes bugs, can survive these cold winters. While we do live in a Winter Wonderland, all life outdoors seems to be dead! The good news is “spring is coming”. Now today that really sounds dumb. You’ve got to be crazy to be talking or even thinking about spring at -20 in early January. However I know for sure that spring is coming. Just hang on it will be here before you know it. We know that since time began on this planet spring is followed by summer. Oh yea, summer; warm sunny days, the great fishing in the Kenai and the salt, green grass and flowers, bugs yes bugs and so much more that summer will bring. Wow, I think I can even smell summer right now!!!!!

Now you may be thinking I’m crazy but “tell me it ain’t true”? Sure it is and I can hardly wait. But I’ll have to, because summer won’t be here until spring comes and goes. Spring won’t come until winter is over. But I know its coming!!!!! Please don’t get frustrated or depressed because its cold, just hang on, summer is coming! We can wish for summer, we can pray for summer, we can curse the darkness and the cold and guess what, it’s still there. Just hang on Summers coming I promise.

One of the keys I’ve found after living here for 22 years is we must do what we know we need to do and not what we feel like doing. We must make ourselves get out of bed and go to work. There are sometimes I send my spirit up first and he grabs by body and drags it out of bed. I don’t always feel like doing so many things that I know I need to do but I do them. Winter can be tough, but “Just do it”!!!! Here’s a thought, believe you can, act on that belief and DO IT! Remember Summer Is Coming!

It kind of reminds me of Christianity! Sometimes it doesn’t look like there is any ”life” on this planet. Things seem to be so dead spiritually speaking. People can be so cold and heartless, cruel and mean. Death and pain seem to be the order of the day almost every day. Where are the Love and Joy and Peace this Jesus talked about? Where is God when I need him most? It’s so easy to feel abandoned and lost down here on this cold dark planet! You may be thinking you just can’t go on another day.

Once again I remind you Summer (Jesus Christ) is coming! Once again you may think I’m crazy but I don’t think so! I base my belief on the Holy Bible, God’s Word to mankind. Think about this, the Bible is the most accurate and the oldest history book in the world. It is the most accurate and oldest archeological record in the world. Check it out for yourself and see. Now I submit to you if the Bible is historically and archeologically accurate why would it not be spiritually accurate as well?

The Bible talks a lot about life and death, pain and suffering and so many more of the things we face every day. The Bible is also very clear that there is Life after death. That God will send His Son Jesus Christ back to this earth one day to take us to Heaven, yes Heaven. I do believe! I believe, therefore I act on that belief. I get up every day and go to work and live my life to the fullest. Once again I don’t always feel like doing what I know is “right” but I do it because I believe!   

Let me close with this thought, “As sure as there is winter and summer, seed time and harvest there will be a resurrection from the dead for us human beings”. Will you be ready?

Waiting for Summer,

Pastor Alan