Thursday, July 2

Joanne Widener! What is going on? Let's see if I can give you a quick idea.

Yes, she is in rehab and she did walk some a couple of days ago. But...

They are currently trying to get her digestive system functioning and balance. There has been some success but in doing so they have taken her off of some of her meds. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) has been a pretty constant companion for the last 2 days. This means she is very uncomfortable and cannot sleep well. Hopefully, today will see a change in that as she has access to the med the is effective. She is getting rehab in her room.

Their goal is that she will come home on July 11. The consensus of doctors and therapists is that you heal quicker and better at home. 

She sounds in relatively good spirits if you don't count the issues with the restless leg. The surgeries are healing. She as a big incision in her abdomen where they put the bone wedges in and the one in the back (which I have not seen) is probably longer.

Thanks for your prayers and we ask you to keep praying for her. We know that God has her in his hands and is using this to His glory.

Brief update

Joanne had the breakthrough she needed .Today she stood. Great day. Rachel is visiting. Thank you for continued prayers.

June 26, Friday

Joanne is finally in the rehab center! It was questionable yesterday because she needed to get some relief in her gastrointestinal system before she could go. She did. Thank you for all of you who prayed for this. NOW she needs to get that system balanced out.

We are not sure what rehab will look like, other than a lot of work - 3 hours per day. We have no idea how long it will go. Continue to pray for the pain to be in control so that she can get the full benefit of rehab. Pray for her therapists that they have the wisdom to get her where she needs to be. And always, pray that God intervenes.

Rachel will be in town this week to see her mom and to help me prepare our bedroom for new carpet in the next week or two and to help with some cleaning. I am sure she will be MIA in the cleaning area during visiting hours - and I wouldn't have it any other way.

As always, we are so grateful for each of you and what you add to our life in the Lord. 

Great News

Joanne, is supposed to be transferred to the Cleveland Clinic Rehab Center in Avon, OH today. We still don't know the time, and there is always a chance it won't happen. She was on her feet for a moment yesterday. All is moving forward, but not without some concerns.

First, she is still confused about things and is not clearly aware of everything. This has been improving but please keep this in prayer. The meds have been hard on her.

Second, they found that her adrenal glands were not doing well which means many blood work numbers were in the negative range. She has had this before when we were in Brazil. They are treating her and the numbers are rising. Please pray that this gets where it should be. It could also help with the clarity.

All things considered, we praise God for his great hand being on Joanne through this time and we thank you for all of your prayers.

June 22, 2020

Not a lot to report other than she is able to sit straight in a chair. The plan is she will go to rehab later this week. Seems like the pain is being managed. A doctor was in and said the confusion and memory issues were pretty normal for this kind of surgery. I would not suggest calls yet, as she does tire easily and needs her energy for physical therapy. She does sound better on the phone. More alert and her speech is clearer.

We both thank you all for your great prayers and hope you will continue as she goes through the healing process.

I will be seeing my orthopedic surgeon, tomorrow, about my knee that is in need of replacement. The hope is that another shot will give me a couple of months with less pain until Joanne is back in the house and getting around well.

I am receiving the rest that God promises and it is pleasant.

Saturday, June 20.

So here is the latest on Joanne.

As I was going into her room the doctor was coming out. He proceeded to show me the actual exrays that he had on his phone. These included before and after shots. Her back is now, in the back and forth motion, curved as it should be - head above the pelvis. He also straightened her left and right position so it is straight also. It was amazing to see the images.

Joanne is still pretty caught up in the pain meds and not thinking quite as clearly. They had her on the edge of the bed today. The indication is that she will need to go to rehab after her stay in the hospital to build up her strength. She sleeps a lot and is in pain - which the doctor and physical therapist told her to expect. She could still use prayer, especially for the pain. She is eating and getting great care at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus.

I spent 2-3 hours with her today. Because of the Covid virus, I will not be able to see her again until the day she is discharged - hopefully, later this week. The hospital has a no visitor policy except in special circumstances. It is a strange season we are in. Joanne has her phone but I would suggest no one call for a couple of days. With the meds, she is on she is not very clear when she speaks.

I am doing well, though, I do miss Joanne. Knowing that she is in good hands and not dependent on me for her safety has been an interesting realization. The stress in caring for her and being concerned for her well-being was more than I thought. As I walked this morning, I realized that I didn't have to worry about whether she had fallen or been unable to get up from the chair, or bed, commode. The house is completely quiet without our normal bantering. Strange. Sure do love her and look forward to her return to the home.

We both want to thank all of you for your prayers for us during this time. Without that, we would not be who we are and where we are. May God return that blessing to each of you.

Surgery is over!

As I write, Joanne is in recovery. I will not be able to see her until she gets in her room. Talked to the doctor and he was very pleased with how the surgery came out. It was quite a bit quicker than he anticipated because she came together well. They are managing her pain and she is awake. All good news. More later.

June 2020 Newsletter

June! Warmer weather. Greener Trees. Growing Grass. Life is in full bloom around our home as we come to the half-way point of 2020 – Yes, that is hard to believe.

---

Rick writes:

I had to fill the van’s gas tank, again! Once-a-month has its plusses unless you love to drive and travel. Not seeing everyone, face-to-face, has been difficult. I remember, many years ago, as we thought of increasing our presence in Ghana, we had to consider the import, and cost, of sitting down with a beverage and being pastoral. There are so many options today. But Zoom, Teams, or whatever other virtual meetings you can have isn’t quite the same. May God continue to help us build our relationships in these unique times.

Joanne and I are going to keep this a short newsletter. Perhaps you can use the time you save reading a short newsletter praying for Joanne. Let me explain.

After many years of struggling with spine issues, the last couple of months have seen an exponential increase in pain for Joanne. Walking has become very painful and difficult – even with the rollator (wheeled walker). She had not seen a spinal doctor in many years. This year she found a great doctor who proceeded to send her to a surgeon who specializes in special cases (that almost defines Joanne’s many issues 😊). The surgeon has seen her and thinks he can help her stand straight again and perhaps walk without the walker – maybe. This surgery is Friday, June 19, this week.

We are asking you to pray for Joanne, that the surgeon and the caregivers would have the skill and wisdom to do more than they, on their own, could do for Joanne. She will be in the hospital for 5-7 days and perhaps rehab after that.

I will post updates on her condition on an infrequently use blog that I have had for years. If you want the latest on Joanne, please point your browser to https://ricklw.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your faithful support for, now, 17 years. This has been an amazing journey and you have made it more than just possible. You have made it a pleasure. Thank you.

We love you! Because of Him, we are, Rick and Joanne Widener

God's Love

I came to a saving knowledge of the Lord in 1969. Before that, I was “God-fearing” and loved Him more as one acquainted with a person and their biography. In October of 1969, I met, person to person, the one I had only known through someone else. It was a day that would change my life.During that period there were many struggles in the Christian religious world. One that raised its ugly head was the “battle” between those who believed in the baptism of the Holy Spirit (yes, with all the gifts) and those who said the gifts were for a different age (or some other argument). We weren’t always very kind to each other – God have mercy on us. 

Today, as we pass through this pandemic there is a danger, that once again, as has happened many times in the past, Christian will abuse Christian. We read various articles that explain, what we can and cannot do, when and how to “re-open” of our buildings, directions from this group or that group, and we begin to make our decisions, we do need a new revival. Brett McCracken, in a Gospel Coalition article, Church, Don’t Let Coronavirus Divide You (https://tinyurl.com/y7hyswbx), discusses this very real threat to the unity of the body of Christ spoken of in Psalm 133 and John 17. 

There are reasons for legitimate divisions. But, here, I am talking about Bible-believing, knowing Jesus as a personal savior, knowing the church as His living body – Christian men and women. The arguments are over suggestions, recommendations, and rules that are being set up by “someone.” “I think this whole pandemic is a conspiracy.” comes from one side, and, “I think if we do not follow every detail of every rule we are going to die.” comes from the other side. “The government is attacking the church!” to “We must obey Romans 13 and obey the government.” Everything in-between these statements is also being proclaimed.
 
Brett McCracken has us refer to Romans 14: “Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” Again, in 1 Corinthians 8:9, we are told, “Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” This is not saying that one view is the weak view and the other is the strong one. The fact is we are to care for each other, not berate each other. Eternity will reveal the truth. Am I willing to lay down my life for you? If you believe that it is necessary to wear a mask, I will not violate you, but, honor you and encourage you to continue to walk in faith. I will accept you and love you – you are my brother, my sister. Having had the privilege to travel the world, I learned very early how important it is to honor my brothers and sisters and their unique way of doing or not doing things. I would never think of forcing my ways on them. May we be as kind, considerate, and giving to each other during this and every season of life on earth. 

Some believe God is at work to bring about a “new thing.” Perhaps even, another “Great Awakening.” In my understanding, God is always at work in this fallen world. It would not surprise me if this pandemic is the result of our fall from grace in Eden, and the new thing might be a church that is so loving and caring of each other, and of their neighbor, that we rise to defend each other, regardless of the position we hold. It seems to me that man is always quick to tell each other what God is doing. Yes, He does speak to his people, and there are prophets today. BUT, in all of this, we need humility to acknowledge that He is God and that we are his imperfect vessels. “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1–3).
 

A Mended and Broken Heart

An old friend of mine passed on a book by Wendy Murray titled A Mended and Broken Heart, the life and love of Francis of Assisi. Why he did this is unknown, though, Francis has always been a favorite topic. Early in the history of Harvest Christian Church (then it was called Christians In Growth) the film Brother Sun and Sister Moon (directed by Franco Zeffirelli) was "required" watching.

Reading the book, especially, the earlier part, it felt like I was watching the movie. From what was remembered of the movie (it's been a few years since I've watched it) this book seems to have affirmed a great portion of the film as accurate. Certainly, the director, Franco Zeffirelli, caught the heart of Francis and, who he was in the film. Reading Murray's book brought back many memories.

The book, in my estimation was well written. The research (a portion of which is included in the appendix) was thorough and, at times, difficult to read.

I want to thank my friend, Mike, for passing this book along to me. I enjoyed it. I was challenged by it. Francis has always challenged me in his whole-hearted devotion to Christ, and his complete abandonment of "stuff" to follow Jesus. His courage and "guts" often make him seem "strange" and yet, he tried to faithfully walk out his faith as he understood it.

Yes, in my opinion, it is worth a read.

You can find it in many forms. Just search for the book by title. Click Here

Benedictions

1 Timothy 1:17 (HCSB)
¹⁷  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

How our lives would change if this was the way we lived.
God fill you day.

Benedictions

From 2 Thessalonians 3:5, 16, 18

May the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance. 
May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you. 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

For you and for me.

A Benediction

Often the final blessing in a service or meeting is called "the benediction." At times, this little proclamation seems out of place. In appropriate. Weird. However, this man likes them. There are times when I have been asked to "give the benediction" and I look to the Scriptures for my thoughts. In my daily devotion, just now, I came across a 2 verse benediction.

"May the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word." (2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17) HCSB

My prayer for us today

Beginning to Administrate

This is a little off track, but not too far out there. I have been thinking about what happens when I "administrate" something. What happens, practically? Whether you are in a position that requires overall responsibility or just responsible for a small part, I think there are a couple of key things we need to do.

We need to think! Seems obvious. Not so. We need to take some time and think through all of the things that need to happen for a successful "event." Let's use a Sunday service as an example. You are the pastor (theoretically) so you have the overall responsibility for the service. You may delegate parts of it but they still have a strings attached to you. If you have been at this for awhile some of this may seem unimportant or unnecessary. OK for you, but perhaps, not for some one else.

There is no way I am suggesting that the pastor do all of this or even have his fingers in it other than as an overall leader (administrator).

Who does the bulletins? It's in good hands and I've given all of my announcements to the person.
Who handles worship? Ah, yes, the worship leader. Is he aware of any special things (music, drama) that I want to use because of my message that day? Do I communicate enough with the worship leader?

Do the ushers/greeters know their job? Do they have the handouts that they need? Are the baskets in the right place - if there is an offering? Is my message ready or being worked on faithfully? Did I get my PowerPoint to the sound people? And the list could go on.

Understand, again, most of these things are in other peoples hands as delegated responsibilities. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be aware of them. If we are unaware of these things we cannot appreciate the work that others are doing and good communication breaks down. Nothing will disgruntle your workers more than lack of acknowledgement and encouragement and training.

So as you sit in your chair or stand at your desk (recommended these days) on the day you work on this - THINK. Think of what could go wrong or right. Pray and ask God to make you aware of needs for the Sunday service.

As you journey through your service, notice what is going on. Look at the congregation, workers and see  what is working and what is not. I think a big part of administration is having eyes that see.

As always, throw in your comments. That's how we all learn.

We will try again

I just looked at this blog and realize the last post was in 2012! Wow, so much has happened since then. I hope to begin again to more faithfully post here. Sometimes I think of blogging as keeping a public diary and it sounds a little dangerous. Other times, I think blogging is just putting your wild thoughts "out there." Finally, I think of blogging as someone who knows something and is trying to share it with those who are interested. Probably, I will touch on all three ideas.

This is Sunday. Sunday will, 99% of the time find me attending a service. Today I will be at Harvest Christian Church in Elyria, OH. Is that unusual you may ask. Sometimes it is because of the work God has me doing at this time of my life.

This is a beginning.

The Options

For many years I was a faithful "Day-timer" person. The system served me well. Day-timer is one of many systems that you can use to keep track of your life and administrative duties. It is a paper system. I, and many of you, have moved to a digital system. The basic rule remains the same! USE IT!

There are many options out there for keeping track of contacts, lists, projects, etc. The important thing is to find one that you can and will use. Currently, I am committed to Google Email, Contacts and Calendar. These I use all of the time, often on my phone. It works pretty well for me - WHEN I REMEMBER THE BASIC RULE - USE IT!.

When you are using a system you need to make it your own. I cannot create labels or tags for you. I cannot sort the various items for you. You have to create that part of your system. I know artist-type people whose system looks like they used a 64 crayon box of Crayola Crayons. Others are strictly black and white. Some of the things you need to do follows.

1. Have a way to sort and store your email. You might use names or projects dates (pretty difficult over a long time). Learn to create rules in you digital system and these things can be done automatically.
2. Have a way to prioritize your to do list. Again, you can color code or letter code the list. Sometimes by altering an item simply you get a better list. For example, I will add a "0" (zero) to an item if I want it at the top of my list (in a digital system). Numbers always come before letters in sorting in ascending order.
3. Use your calendar to help with you list. Put a list item in the day you need to be working on it or the name of someone you want to contact at a later date in that day.

The bottom line for all of this info is,

Have a system and use it.

There is too much to do!!!

In either a Twitter post or a Facebook post someone commented with "Wow" after my last entry. Having just re-read that post I concur, WOW! That is a lot of stuff. Fortunately we don't usually think of all the things that need to be done at the same time. There are a few that get our attention and we focus on those, many times forgetting - or letting them "fall through the cracks" as the saying goes - the rest of the things we need to do. That makes it easier for us to deal with everything BUT, it also will get us in trouble when we forget to call ????? who has been waiting to hear from us. This explains the need for a CALENDAR and a LIST.

Your calendar should always be handy and you should NEVER make and appointment or a promise without looking at it first - from personal experience. (It is not good to double book appointments.) When you make appointments don't forget to factor in travel time. You can't finish and appointment at 1:00pm on one side of town and start the next at 1:00pm. on the other side. You need travel time. As long as you have your calendar out you ought to schedule two things right now. Schedule your teaching prep time (if you have these responsibilities) and your date night (if you are married).

Your LIST should be with you also. Anything that comes to mind that you need to do (hence the term TO DO LIST) should go on the list. Many of you may think your memory is sufficient - "I won't forget" you say. I have had many people schedule appointments with me only to find they aren't there for the appointment because, "I forgot." Get in the habit of writing it down. It will only serve you in the long run. Oh yeah, don't forget you have to look at both your calendar and your list.

Now you have a CALENDAR, a LIST, and if you did the suggested "assignment" from the last post, a list of what you have to do in your ministry. This is a great start. We will continue with the next post.

Don't forget to add your insights, thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the COMMENTS.

Administration for the Pastor

As always, your current position or responsibility is unknown to me. Many time the suggestions that are given can be adapted to your particular situation. If you find that you can't do that feel free to ask a question in the COMMENTS section and we will see what we can do.

Today let's be a pastor. It is your first workday after the weekend - for some that is Monday and for others it might be Tuesday. We will pass on the "at home stuff" for now. You arrive at your office or the place you do your "pastor" work. What has to happen between now and the next weekend?

Let's try and create a list. This is a one pastor office.

• teaching preparation (study, writing, thinking, praying)
• financial review (How is the income vs. expenses going? Do we need to cut some expenses?)
• pastoral meetings (marriage counseling, mentoring, discipling, meetings with various leaders)
• elders' meeting planning (agenda, resources)
• Christmas Service planning (children's program, choir, musicians, gifts, etc)
• Emails (reading and answering)
• Facebook (reading and responding where appropriate - some use Facebook instead of email)
• Write missionaries (often this is overlooked)
• review curriculum (Sunday school at all levels)
• Find a new usher (John just quit. Can I ask Luke?)
• Answer phone calls (listen to answering machine and return necessary calls)
• Visit hospital (hopefully this isn't necessary but...)
• Developmental reading (your own development as a pastor and leader needs to be nourished)
• Men's Bible Study (this is a group you lead on a weekly basis)
• Prayer (start you day in the office with this and take some prayer breaks through the day)
• Review various ministries of the church (What do they need? Where are the strengths and weaknesses? Are they doing OK?)
• Update Blog (only if you started one - should be done regularly to be effective)
• Follow-up on past meetings - do my action list from those meetings (What was it I had to do after the last elders' meeting? Leaders' team meeting?...more later)

This only a small part of what you need to do in your ministry but it is enough to get us panicked and/or overwhelmed. How do I begin?

This is the first day of your week. Pray first. Take several minutes just to lift up the planning you need to do. 

You should have a CALENDAR and LIST with you. Whether the CALENDAR is paper or digital makes no difference - IT DOES NEED TO BE THE SAME CALENDAR EACH TIME. The LIST may be considered a TO DO LIST or not. I like to call it MY LIST. It can be on paper or on a computer BUT as with the CALENDAR it is the same LIST you used last time and will use next time.

Enough for today. If you want an assignment, make up your own list of what you need to do in your ministry similar to the one I just listed. That is a key important part of administration - know what you have to do. 

Be sure to add any thoughts to the COMMENTS.

Confused?

The last post may have left you in some confusion. We are talking about ADMINISTRATION and yet I shared a method of establishing priorities in your life. Does that affect you skills in ADMINISTRATION? For sure.

If you can't administer you own life how can we begin to do it on a community level. We need to understand the need to begin with small things (our lives) before we can move on the bigger things (the church). As pastors/leaders we need to have our lives in order; not only have our lives in order but to know how to help others move into a life of order.

The chart I gave you last time is not difficult. You may have to adjust it depending on your life situation. If you are bi-vocational, the separation of WORK AND CHURCH makes some sense. If you are full-time in ministry your work and church columns may become one. Then there is A,B, and C, the Priority Rows. Row A would be those things that have to be done. They are critical to that column topic. They are not optional. Row B are those things that should be done. We need to schedule them in our calendar and soon. Row C are the things we would like to do and if there is any extra time we want to do them. In my experience Row A is easier than Rows B and C.

In doing this exercise you will have to move some things from the Priority A row to some other row. This can be difficult because we are placing a less important label on some things we have always done. Have fun working through this. Remember you can only have a limited number of items in Row A.

Once you have filled-in all 15 or so blocks take some time to review and be sure each item is placed in the block it belongs.

Why is this important? One of the lessons we need to learn is the one word answer, "No." If we understand our priorities we give ourselves one more tool to allow us to say "No." to the many requests that come our way.

If you are married, be sure to go over you priority list with your spouse - they have valuable insight into our lives. If you are single, be sure to go over the sheet with that person who would serve as your pastor, overseer, or accountability partner - they may be able to add some thoughts to yours.

Using this form with others can be very helpful in helping them to understand what they should be doing. You could also modify the column list and use it with your church. One option would be using one column - CHURCH - and then filling in the Priorities Rows. Another would be to make each column one of the major ministries of your church and having their respective leaders fill-in the priority rows. This would create a good place for discussions among your team.

Please add your comments and suggestions. One of the keys to leadership is to never stop learning.

Manage What!?

Relationships
Stuff

And now TIME, the third in our list of things we need to "manage." What do I mean by "managing time?" We each have exactly the same number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds available to us - acknowledging that we all die after some unknown number of years. We can't add more time but we can use (manage) the time in a way that makes us more effective, more rested, and more fun to be with.

The management of time affects both relationships and stuff. It is concerned with how much time I devote to each them. Remember I mentioned it didn't matter so much which system you used but that you were consistent with the system you choose to us? This really starts with time. How much time to I give to my relationships and to my stuff? This then overlaps into what are my priorities. What has God called me to focus my life on in this season - seasons will change. "Young and single" is a season. "Married without children" is a season. "Married with grown children and grandchildren" is a season. There are others - you get the idea.

So where do we begin?

How about reviewing our priorities for this season? How? You need two things:

• something that can capture your thoughts - paper or computer, usually
• something to use to record your thoughts - pencil/pen/marker or keyboard

Make three (3) horizontal lines across your "paper" (spreadsheet works well)
Now make five (5) evenly spaced vertical lines down your "paper" (spreadsheet works well)

Label the 5 columns, God, Family, Church, Work, and Personal
Label the 3 Rows -top to bottom, Priority A, Priority B, and Priority C
(You can download this form by clicking HERE)

Now what!!? Next episode.

Be sure to comment and enter into this process.