Here We Go!

Well the word is out. The Boyers are headed to Abilene, TX for the Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy program. This is undoubtedly a big move for us and our family.

I came to Houston for the first time in the summer of 1998 for a youth ministry internship with Spring Woodlands Church of Christ. I went back to school my senior year knowing that I was different, but unaware of what God had in store for me. Fast forward to early spring of '99. and I received a phone call from Dave Gibbs and Travis Bryant asking if I would consider coming on full time. I fairly quickly said no, and then they called me back just a few weeks later and asked me to reconsider. I spent some time fasting and praying and God sent me to 1 Samuel. If you know the story of Eli and Samuel, you can imagine the story unfolding. God calls out to Samuel in his sleep, but Samuel did not yet know the voice of the Lord. After the third time of waking up Eli, Samuel was told by him to answer the call, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." I knew I needed to listen, and felt God tell me to answer his call to ministry. I began full time in the summer of '99.

Megan and I met in the fall, but she was dating someone at the time. We developed a friendship and after I ran off the other guy (really he ran himself off), we began dating a few months later. We married April 7th, 2001, and began a whirlwind life of ministry together. After a few more years of youth ministry, I transitioned out to another ministry position the summer of 2006. Claire was born about 9 months later and Eliam 21 month after that. It's hard to believe that they are now 9 years and 7 years old respectively.

Megan and I have dreamed many dreams over the years of where God might take us next. And a few times we considered chasing those dreams. But each time before we could take a move, God seemed to say wait. So we have waited, and we have been blessed. We have developed such sweet and deep friendships because we stayed. We have people in our lives that will forever be as close as family. We are deeply honored by our friendships and we wouldn't trade them for anything. But now the time has come, it is time that we must go.

A year and a half ago, I again felt the Lord calling saying that I needed to apply for the Marriage and Family Therapy program at ACU. On the one hand, Megan and I have done Marriage Mentoring for 8 plus years now using Prepare/Enrich, and we love doing this together. It has been great for our marriage and hopefully it has helped a few out along the way too. On the other hand, I started a Masters in Christian Ministry in 2012, the last thing I wanted to think about was another couple of years in school. We also had been dreaming about starting a ministry in Colorado, and we have been working on that for quite some time. All of our plans didn't come together as we hoped they would and then the summer hit. We were restless. Then thing got a little out of sorts at Grace Crossing (formerly Spring Woodlands where we still serve), and we didn't really feel comfortable leaving last summer to pursue the degree. So we stayed. God continued to bless us and grow us.

We are so thankful for our Grace Crossing family. They have been a huge blessing over the years. We are who we are because of the many lives that have influenced us and supported us. But now after 17 years, it's time for a change. God is taking us to Abilene where I can finish up one degree and begin the next. We don't have jobs yet, we don't have a home, but we know we are in God's hands. To complicate things just a bit, we'll be helping with some backpacking trips this summer in Colorado. So we'll be off grid, in and out of availability throughout the summer as we help some adults reconnect with God.

Life is an adventure. When you are chasing after God, you never know exactly where he will take you. Isn't that just His nature? When you think you're in control and have it all figured out, He reminds you that it is all in His hands, in his timing.

I ran across a quote this weekend that really reminded me of God's nature:

"The God who blesses and orders our lives is the God who disrupts it in order to make things new."

God is making things new for us...and we're holding on to Him as we go along for the ride.

Healthy Marriages

Here is a great post from Relevant Mag discussing things that healthy couples do not do. Very good for every married couple to remember:

8 things healthy couples don't do

I'd love to hear some feedback from you all on how this applies in your life and marriage. Ready go! 

10 Reasons

Every church leader has to spend time evaluating where you are as a church. For that matter every leader has to evaluate from time to time where their organization is and where it is not. I came across this article a couple of months ago. As usual it hit me pretty good then, but I didn't know what to do with it.

Now I have come back to it in order to evaluate where we are as a church body and how I am doing as a minister.  So here is an article that will challenge the status quo, and for better or worse we always must start by looking inward before we can look outward.

Is your church growing: 10 gut checks

Which one of these items hit you the hardest? Which one is your greatest challenge? How are you working through them as a leadership team? These are all "gut-checks" and questions we must regularly ask.

How are you growing?

Simplicity: Not So Simple

I'm preparing for my Bible class on Sunday. This week's topic is the Spiritual Discipline of Simplicity. Rather than get preachy or talk about why we need to live more simply, which I'm pretty sure from my life and those around me is obvious, let me share the 10 principles Foster describes in his book "Celebration of Discipline."

Ten controlling principles for the outward expression of simplicity:

1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.

2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.

3) Develop a habit of giving things away.

4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.

5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them.

6) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.

7) Look with a healthy skepticism at all "by now, pay later" schemes 

8) Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.

9) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.

10) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. 

 Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

The Physical/Spiritual Connection

The physical self is always in need of discipline.  I know the word discipline isn't a very happy word for most, but it is a fitting descriptor. Too often we equate discipline with punishment. Although they can go hand in hand they are not the same.

Discipline is the study or training of people to obey a code of conduct or behavior. Punishment is the infliction of a penalty for an offense to that code of behavior.  They are related but far from the same thing. If we discipline well then there is rarely need for punishment. It is only when we stray away from the training that we have received through discipline that there becomes a need for punishment. 

My posts the last couple of weeks have been on my physical training pertaining to my hike of Mt. Whitney. The discipline necessary to prepare me for my hike was grueling. There were many times I did not want to go to the gym, do P90x, or go for a long run. But I had created a regiment that I knew would provide success and make my experience on the mountain the most enjoyable. 

Spiritually it words the same way. When we create disciplines in our spiritual life it allows us to prepare for all that life has to throw at us. Yes there are times that they are inconvenient, difficult, or we feel we just don't have time for them. But when I put my spiritual life, my relationship with God, as top priority then my desire should be for Him. My desire should be to spend time with Him in as many different ways and as often as possible. 

Just like my schedule for physical training, my schedule for spiritual training has to be set as a priority. When I wake up, when I lie down and everything between. When I regularly connect myself back to God then my time with Him becomes even more fulfilling. There is a secondary effect here too, I feel His presence with me more regularly in the ordinary times of life.

As I discipline my life physically and spiritually it allows me to live with greater focus, capitalizing on every moment. For me, when I am physically disciplined it helps with my spiritual discipline. The disciplined life shines into most areas of our being. 

Do you find discipline in one area of life affects other areas?

From Sea Level to 14,508 ft: Part 2- Community

I have heard many people tell me that they have started training and after a week or two fail to follow through with their plans. So before I get into the specifics of my training, I'm going to let you in to my secret to training: Community.

You need friends. You can't do it alone.  You'll make it for a time, but without sharing in it with others you will fail most of the time. We need people, we need each other, we need accountability.

Megan (my wife) and I started P90x together last year about this time. Now I can be a bit of a gym rat, but not her.  She hates the gym.  So Megan really needed something at home, and wanted to do it with someone.  We had heard good things about P90x and she seemed excited about it. We found it from someone locally who bought it and said it "looked hard" so he never tried it.  Score- bought it for half price!

When I knew I needed to prepare for the Mt. Whitney trip I started asking my friends who would be willing to drive out there with me.  I had two friends commit to going (community) on the trip.  One is a firefighter and he started Crossfit. The other one has a desk job and knew he had work to do on the fitness level.  He and his wife started coming over to our house Sunday though Thursday nights at 8:30 for P90x.  This allowed Megan and I to put the kids to bed and then get ready to work out.  The bonus was, they knew we were expecting them. Our bonus was, we were expecting them.  So at least 4 nights of the week we were working out together in our living room (community).

Megan started running last year as well, and signed up for a half-marathon back in March.  Again she inspired me to join her in running (even duping me into running a 12 miler with her).  We ran the half-marathon together with a couple of other friends (community).

Are you getting the picture yet?  I would have been in OK shape doing my 3 days a week in the gym by my self.  But by adding P90x with friends, and running with my wife, it took my fitness to a whole new level.

We need people in our lives. We need close community. You can't do it without them. With whom are you sharing your workouts or runs? Do you realized your need for people in your life?  Who are you sharing life with today or this week?

I'm thankful for those who shared the journey with me!

Life an Adventure...

The year is now 2013. I have no idea what God has in store for me this year. I do know this however: this year will be unlike last year, or the year before. I think my word for the year is Adventure. I know that is the main theme of my life it seems, but this year more than others before. Here are a couple of reasons why. First, I have gone back to school. Grad School work is difficult and challenges me to think on a different level, from different angles, about different subjects than I would usually think of or study on my own. This is good: but it's hard. Secondly, I will be climbing a mountain (literally) that I have never been on before, with a group that I have never met, during a time of year that most would shy away. And I have to find time to train. This is good: but it's hard. Thirdly, my kids are growing up and changing right before my eyes. Claire is already reading (in Kindergarden) and Eliam is right behind her. Sometimes I'm thankful they are growing up, other times I want them to slow down. This is good: but it's hard. Finally, church life is unlike I have ever seen it before. People are unsettled, there is a desire for something different, something more. Change is tough. Discipleship is tough. This is good: but it's hard. Maybe my theme should be life is good, but it's hard... What part of life is good for you? What do you see as your upcoming challenges?

We'll it's been interesting...

To say that the last few month have been interesting would be an understatement. Life has moved at warped speed, with so much going on that I almost don't know where to start...but here we go.

1) We purchased season passes to Splashtown for the family- I never thought I would enjoy it so much! The kids have gained confidence in the water and are learning to swim. As a bonus I have the best tan I've had since High School Track...

2) I have lost two former students this summer. One to suicide and one to a car accident. It always hurts, but these two have been particularly tough to grasp and recover from.

3) I now have a number of friends that are homeless. Yes they were homeless before we were friends, and yes they are changing my out look on life. More on the ups and downs, triumphs and struggles later.

4) My wife is still awesome & my kids are getting big!

5) I have only been on one hiking trip this year (to Big Bend National Park). My friend Matthew and I did 12 miles in one day- yes it hurt.

6) Await The Day (the band I have been a part of for the last 5 yrs) is "officially" done. Amiable for sure, just too much going on in life & time to move on. More on this later too.

7) I have not been reading as much as I would like. I know everything goes in seasons, I'm ready for a new season.

8) Church is awesome. We have a tight community of friends. God is challenging us and growing us often.

9) I had someone hack my accounts & I lost all of my old posts to this blog. I don't even know the dates of my hiking trips that I had logged here. Oh well, there are more important things in life.

10) I'm back. It's time to start writing again.

So here is the question: What would you like me two write, blog, rant, or talk about? Let me know!