http://www.cornerstonelodi.com Pastor Ron's blog of thoughts and ideas. Pastor Ron is currently the Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Lodi, California. 60 en-us Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:03:48 -0800 http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/ ℗ & © 2012 Cornerstone Church
It was a beautiful day with no wind or fog. It was all sunshine and clear skies with about 60+ degrees and this was on Jan. 25th in the middle of winter. Hard to believe for the coast.

Also surprizing was our first glimpse of these giants of the sea. The largest bulls can weighin at 5000 pounds!! And yes the nose looks just like an elephants nose only not quite as long. When you see them however they can measure about 2 feet in length. The females like the bulls with the longest protuberance as possible.

Our docent told us that day we would see about 2000 animals on the beach. And yes we saw lots of bulls with their harems and the babies called pups.

Funniest thing these seals reminded me of people.

They were over populated, living on top of each other, all crowded together in one area, just like people. They were also rude, crude, noisy, aggressive, and strutting around like they were important, just like people. The bulls were oh so ready to fight for their territory, just like people.

It was not windy that day but we were told that they smelled to high heaven and you wouldn't want to be down wind of them, just like some people.

We saw plenty of "seal people" on the beach that day, especially the ones that couldn't keep their nose out of others business. Some were proud of their proboscus and didn't mind showing it off and shoving it wherever they went, just like some people.

Now I don't believe in evolution but these elephant seals made me wonder.

We also took note that it was important to stay out of their way or get run over or trampled-- hmm--- just like some people.

After that day I'm really trying to keep my nose clean and out of the way.]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/165/THE-BIGGEST-EVER/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/165/THE-BIGGEST-EVER/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800
It happened not long ago! I was opening the church mail addressed to me. WOW! What a great surprize. There it was staring me in the face. Two very large checks from two anonymous and hugely generous donors.

I could hardly believe my eyes. Especially since Cornerstone was down to its very last 247.00 dollars in the general fund. Now I'm holding a check for 5000.00 dollars for our empty checkbook. This was a huge blessing at just the right time. (How did God know about our empty bank account?) STUPID ME !

But the other check also came at just the right time too. It was for our youth program and WOW! We needed that money too. Pastor Mark takes our kids on their annual houseboat trip to Shasta Lake in June. Funniest thing the huge deposit must be paid in January (or no trip) for our most important ministry of the year. The second check more than covered all that was needed. (How did God know our youth budget was also empty?) STUPID ME!

So while I am holding these two enormous checks in hand the phone rings and it is bad news. Extra bad news. It was not a death but it felt like it for some important people in our church family. On one hand I am jumping for the celestial ceiling and on the other hand I am scraping myself off the floor.

BLESSINGS and BURDENS BLESSINGS and BURDENS

They often go hand in hand. They keep us in balance. They keep us focused on the Lord. One great need solved and another great need realized. What should we do?

Rejoice with those who can rejoice and grieve with those who must grieve. The Lord gives and the lord takes away. So we bless God no matter what and thank Him no matter what.

Perhaps you know what I mean because you are now facing both the blessings and burdens at the same time. It is so humbling to be in that spot. Right?

How does God know we need those things hitting us at the same time? STUPID ME!]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/164/BLESSINGS-BURDENS/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/164/BLESSINGS-BURDENS/ Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800
I was busy talking and looking off into the field when I drifted off into the double yellow line. Suddenly I found myself heading over the line into on coming traffic, lots of it!!!

I awoke from my A.D.D. just in time to swerve back into my own proper lane to avoid a "HEAD ON" collison.

HEAD ON---BRAIN OFF

I always thought I was a good driver but now I'm not so sure. It is easy to drift, lapse off, day dream, lose concentration when we get too comfortable.

A.D.D. happens to everyone at some point or time in the day. It is especially dangerous on the highway.

I'm thinking that there is also a kind of spiritual A.D.D. that happens causing us to drift off course from God. There are great dangers for bad spiritual drivers not paying attention to where they are going.

The New Year 2012 is already here and life's problems have a way of leading into on coming traffic with deadly consequences.

Make sure God is driving and not you as you travel down HIGHWAY 2012 this year. He never has a HEAD ON ---BRAIN OFF day.

When you let Him do the driving you can be certain of your destination and you're not too tired to enjoy the scenery along the way. That way you will never get lost.

Have a successful trip through the highways in the New Year.]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/163/HEAD-ON-BRAIN-OFF/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/163/HEAD-ON-BRAIN-OFF/ Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Everyone can get all pushed out of shape by the sales and lists and parties at home and the office. So be proactive and get your focus right before you get sucked into the stress of the season.

Here are a few suggestions to win the battle over stress.

First: Choose to "do all to the glory of God". Whatever is on your list do it for HIM!

Second: Plan your giving without any regard to receiving in return. Lower your expectations and don't expect others to give back to you.

Third: Focus on the purpose of Christmas and remember that it is HIS BIRTHDAY and not yours.

Fourth: Prioritize your list so that God is put on top as the first of importance. This means putting God first in giving and going to worship HIM.

Fifth: Pray about everything as it says in 1Thes.5:1. Prayer is great at relieving stress every time. IF you are still stressed then PRAY all over again and again until you finally turn it over to GOD.

Sixth: Complaining is a terrible thing and it adds so much stress to our lives. Above all else stop it and go back to praying again. Replace grumbling with prayer. It really works so go ahead and do it.

Finally: Just relax and rest in God. He invites you to come to HIM and receive His peace. Remember at Christmas He is the Prince of Peace. So let HIM be your Prince.

OK there is my Christmas list of suggestions for you. If this doesn't work then the Bible isn't true, but you know it is, so go on and do what you know will be a great blessing for you.

MERRY CHIRSTMAS]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/162/CHRISTMAS-STRESS-TEST/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/162/CHRISTMAS-STRESS-TEST/ Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800
So did you survive the rush? the traffic? pushing through the sales? the exhaustion of early shopping?

Well as you know some people did not fare so well! We all read that in one well known store people got maced for crowding a certain lady who was really upset. So that is one way to repel the crowd.

I wonder if Jesus carried a can of mace when the crowd got rough? Do you suppose He was up early at the" Palestinian Holy Wailing Wallmart"? No doubt He was searching for "matso ball soup " on sale just in case He needed to feed some extra people that stayed around too long after the message.

Well now we are in the rush of the season and everyone is ready to panic because they have so much anxiety and a long list of work and shopping before the big day arrives. Can't you already feel the sweat glands bursting out in the holy holiday season?

I have some good news for you. IT'S NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY! IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! IT'S NOT ABOUT PRESENTS! IT'S NOT FOR YOU!

Christmas is for JESUS! Remember? It is the Messiah's coming into the world. We honor Him! Not the kids or grandkids or mom and pop or old Saint Nick. Get it?


Now since it is not about you and not your birthday then change your focus now and do it quickly before you get all stressed out about presents, food, decorations, outside lights around the scrubby bushes in the front yard.

What if believers really turned this holy day into His Birthday Celebration and not the party for everyone else. Wow, I think Jesus would really be happy on His birthday instead being left out some where in the stable unrecognized like in Bethlehem.

What a novel idea to CELEBRATE JESUS this year. Do you think that could possible really happen with a few of us believers? After all you already had your birthday this past year. Right? So now it is time to give Him the honor He deserves.

Join me this year in focusing on him and giving presents to Him for a change. Go ahead surprize Jesus and honor Him this year.

I will do my best. Will you join me?]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/161/CHRISTMAS-IS-COMING/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/161/CHRISTMAS-IS-COMING/ Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Heaven on earth!! Watch out!! I could eat the entire batch without even stopping to drink my extra large glass of milk.

Now that is a snack to fill my stomach after I have watched a few teaching episodes of my favorite communicator, Andy Stanley.

However these tasty little morsels don't just suddenly appear on the table for anyone to enjoy. They are hand made with love and attention. That love and attention comes from only one person.

I think you already know that person is my best friend, wonderful cook, beautiful lover and dedicated servant of the Lord, and to me also.

These tasty treats and my terrific mate remind me of that special verse penned by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12. This is what he wrote: "Honor one another above yourselves."

I enjoy not only the caramelized delicacies, but so much more love and tender kindness because Pam practices putting me first in our marriage.

Her special affection makes my role such a great delight and I want to be a better mate to her because of all I experience from her fantastic spirit of giving.

I think the apostle Paul had much more in mind than marriage. His words extend to every relationship. They model the very essence of Jesus' life and ministry.

Make the investment yourself and like me you will discover the dividends are so much greater. What if every believer practiced this principle. I think our churches would be overflowing with people wanting to know the very secret of personal success.

Oh yes, don't forget, the caramelized nuts. They are fantastic and yummy delicious!]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/160/CARAMELIZED-WALNUTS/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/160/CARAMELIZED-WALNUTS/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800
1) Effective evangelism at each one of our three outreaches.

2) Distribution of hundreds of pounds of clothing, 100 plus bags of rice and beans, plus toys for kids, 100 backpacks for school children and they were filled with school supplies, flashlights galore, plus more and more stuff!

3) Safety crossing of border, safety in 1600 miles of travel, good health for all team members all week long.

4) Personal spiritual growth for our team members, especially the teens and children with us who were being discipled by the adults.

5) Rewarding door to door visitation in the Triqui Village, including praying for very very sick people who had no access to a doctor.

6) We also accomplished painting a building, re-roofing a bathhouse, day care ministry to kids, and a senior ministry at the "Good Samaritan Retirement Home".


Thank you very much for your prayers! It was truly a successful ministry. Next year it is your turn to get involved and make the trip to Baja. It is a very awesome experience to be used by God to reach other people who have so very little.]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/159/THANK-YOU-FOR-PRAYING-FOR-BAJA/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/159/THANK-YOU-FOR-PRAYING-FOR-BAJA/ Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700
I'm not saying that it is easy........OH NO------- But in the many difficulties the "FUN" is seeing God at work.

Soon our missionary team will depart for Baja on Oct. 1st. From our many previous trips we have discovered the results you get when you do the right thing.

YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON!

YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON!

For missionaries there is really no option because the struggles and challenges make it obvious that "I must focus on God"

Isn't that true in your life too?

FOCUS ON GOD AND YOU ALWAYS GET GOD

However there are many times when I forget or neglect or just don't want to do that.................then the results are quite disastrous.

Remember when you focused on fear??? What were the results? Yes, you got worry...anxiety...doubt...and lots of trouble and grief.

Remember when you focused on yourself, your strength, your pride? Yes I do and the results were very bad.

Please pray for our team of 20 members that we will stay focused on God.

We will encounter many blessings and burdens with challenges and victories.

We plan to share them with you when we return So please stay tuned.]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/158/IT-IS-FUN/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/158/IT-IS-FUN/ Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700
This was my first real surgery and I am so pleased with the results. A two hour surgery resulted in about 5 hours in the hospital with no overnight required. I received great care, lots of personal attention (doting over me every minute) and the wonderful loving service of my beautiful wife.

I look back at the surprising blessings which came from my first time ever surgery. I started out with a cold sneaking up on me and the instruction manual read "you will be canceled if you have a cold." Thankfully I was not cancelled and in fact my cold ended on Tuesday (I had surgery on Monday).

All my symptoms ended in the hospital, no more sneezing, coughing, stuffy nose, or sore throat. They were all gone. It was miraculous! (Unfortunately, Pam got my cold, and worse than I when I came home from surgery Monday night).

The doctor gave me the latest procedure which reduced any major bleeding to a very little loss of blood. Thank God once more for healing.

Another special blessing was the moments of personal sharing together with Pam that made our marriage even more stronger than it was before. Going under anesthesia always makes you aware of being totally out of control. This procedure of unconsciousness was the catalyst that drew Pam and I even closer together. That was an unexpected blessing for which we thank God.

Another great blessing was the little "codeine" version for my pain relief. I really only needed a few tablets but what a joy it produced every time I took one of those cute little euphoria pills. Yes I really had the"joy of the codeine" to fill my cup to overflowing. I joked to my friends that when I was finished I would start a new Codeine Recovery 12 Step Program.

I waited so long for this procedure. I am now asking myself WHY? Why wait five years to struggle and groan when I could have done this so much earlier?

I think God asks us the very same question. Why wait? "Come to me all you who are weary, heavy burdened, struggling with life's problems....I will give you rest." Why wait?]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/157/RECENT-SURGERY/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/157/RECENT-SURGERY/ Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Our youngest son, Brantley, called it "What Kind of Idiot Dies in Paradise?" That was the name of his recent blog on facebook. He told the near fatal account of being caught in a riptide on the beautiful island of Kauai.

Our 14 member family was on a wonderful vacation having lots of fun together. Brantley went out for a quick swim without knowing the riptide was just offshore. That was the problem, an undertoe that kept him from swimming free.

He told about all that flashed through his mind, his attempt to powerswim out of the current, the whitecaps slapping him in the face, the salt water in his mouth stealing his breath away, and then finally the panic in the pit of his stomach.

He said he pictured his family, his beautiful wife, his precious three year old son, and baby daughter. Then he saw the safety buoy hanging on a post a few yards on shore and wished he could reach it, but of course that was not possible. He thought of the rest of his family members in the beach house, and in the hot tub only 100 yards away and wished he was there too.

He also saw a couple on a blanket just getting ready to leave. They were his last chance and they were his only chance so he whistled to the man. It was a whistle that I had taught him when he was just a boy. He learned it well and desperately needed to use it in his crisis. He used up his last precious breath to whistle as loud as he could for help.

To summarize the story, the man heard his whistle and came swimming out to rescue him. This man was a spear fisherman and had been at this spot many times before. He knew the waters were bad and the current was strong. Out of experience he yelled, "stop fighting the current, stop fighting it". So our son took a deep breath, rested on his back and began to sing an old church hymn.

As if a miracle happened he immediately drifted to a coral reef and stood up safely away from the treacherous currents. One minute he was about to drown, and moments later he landed safely on a shallow reef.

There is so much more to the story, but tragedy was quickly averted and Brantley walked away from there without a scratch. We can only say in utter amazement "Thank you dear Lord for sparing our son!"

Everybody has a wake up call or a reality check that God uses to shock us and get our attention to come home, change directions, stop the madness or the rebellion, or whatever needs correcting.

Our entire family, all of us, learned two things from our son's ultimate experience. "Whistle for help" and "Stop fighting". That means call on God our helper in time of need and stop fighting life's problems. It means surrendering to God 100% and He will deliver you from the treacherous currents of life.

Perhaps you are reading this and God is trying to capture your attention. If God is giving you a wake up call, then by all means wake up. Don't delay or deny or deceive yourself to think it is unnecessary. Some people who do not heed the wake up call suffer tragic consequences.

In the words of our son Brantley, "What kind of idiot dies in Paradise?" And God doesn't want you to die either. Whistle for help and stop fighting. Let God be your lifeguard. You can do what Brantley did and safely return home.]]> http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/156/OUR-FAMILY-ALMOST-HAD-A-TERRIBLE-TRAGEDY/ http://www.cornerstonelodi.com/rons/156/OUR-FAMILY-ALMOST-HAD-A-TERRIBLE-TRAGEDY/ Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700