Exploring Faith and Spirituality

Faith can provide strength and comfort during difficult times. It can help people find hope and meaning in their struggles, and give them the courage to keep moving forward.

Longevity can be its own reward! I have been in the ministry now since I moved to L.A. from San Diego after graduating High School in 1973! I became the Youth Pastor, a new occupation in America, at Tri City Assembly of God church. Lots of lessons learned during that time to be sure! I had 6 people in my youth group who were older than me! I had just turned 18 years old a few week earlier. I learned the lesson of hard work, focus and family dynamics. I went to my first year of college at Azusa Pacific College. I unleaded focus there and hard work and just had a really good time! I had a wrestling and track scholarship  there and again I had fun! For the next 24 years, just shy of a quarter of a century I learned again to work hard and focus on God's best for me and my family. It was an amazing period of time with incredible learning and awesome experiences. I traveled the US and the World in mission trips and honed the craft of Youth Ministries with all of my heart. Southern California was a great place to live and minister and I have encountered the most incredible people in my life. In 1992 we heard God say, "Overland Park Kansas,' and after prayer and a promise of a pony to the kids, we moved there. I continued in my Youth Ministry finding great success and fulfilment here! With no pony insight God allowed us all each of us to continue  our education with Bachelors and Masters and even Doctoral degrees! After four years of being the Youth Pastor I was elected to the Senior Pastor position at Faith Chapel where we continue to minister aster almost 33 years. 

All of that to say that longevity is its own reward. The longer I have been serving God the more I learn about what is important. We have facilitated four campuses of our church and I oversee their growth and development. Each week I have the privilege of pouring into 40 year old Pastors of like minded faith and it is the joy of my life! These men and women teach me, and encourage me and challenge me and inspire me. In the literature I have studied the idea of Cathedral Thinking. It is the belief that we build for longevity and the future. This has been the biggest shift in my thinking most recently. Pouring life into the next gen and watching God pour into the next generation. This next generation will build a similar but distinct church as God leads them. Pouring into others is again, its own reward. May God encourage and bless Faith Chapel and His Kingdom through investing in His ministers. 

Rituals and ceremonies can be a powerful way to connect with our spirituality and deepen our sense of meaning and purpose. They can help us mark important milestones, honor our ancestors, and connect with the divine.

While science and spirituality may seem like opposing concepts, they can actually complement each other. Many scientists and spiritual leaders believe that science can help us understand the physical world, while spirituality can help us understand the deeper meaning and purpose of life.

Mindfulness is a practice that involves being present in the moment, without judgment or distraction. It can help us reduce stress, increase focus, and connect with our inner selves.

Compassion and service are at the heart of many spiritual traditions. By helping others and practicing empathy, we can deepen our own spiritual practice and make a positive impact in the world.