Autolust...

Sometimes it stinks to be a grown up. There are so many responsibilities now. I have a hoppin' 1998 Honda Civic EX with 132,000 miles on it. This car was my wife, Stephanie's, graduation present from High School. It has been a great car and has never let us down, until recently.

It was a blistering hot day in July and I got into my little black beauty to go somewhere. When I started the car I turned the A/C up on high. The air was forcefully blowing out, but there was a problem. The air that was coming out was REALLY HOT! Now, I know that sometimes when a car has been sitting in the heat it takes a moment for the A/C to cool down. Fine. However, as I started driving, nothing changed. I was pretty mad...

Then not too long ago I was driving and the car started to show signs that the transmission wasn't doing so well. Do I know for a fact that it is the transmission? No, but I do know that out of no where the car would jump up in RPMs and go "VROOM". This happened for no apparent reason. So, either I have a problem with the transmission, or the pistons, or other thinga-ma-bobs.

So, here I sit. It will cost around $1,000 to fix the A/C and who knows how much for the transmission. The question I am sitting with right now is, "Do I pay the money to get the car fixed?" or "Do I sell the car, get the money I can out of it, and then save up for another used vehicle?" The answer is, "I don't know."

We strive to live a modest life, but we already have one car payment and a mortgage payment, and we really do not like to have debt. Therefore, it appears that I will drive my black beauty until she won't dance any longer.

If any of you out in Cyberspace have a car that is reliable and has A/C and would be willing to sell it for CHEAP, then let me know...

It is funny. When I was a kid my fantasy car was a Lamborghini, but now my fantasy car is a car with A/C... My how age and circumstance changes us. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Christ Church Brenham - Launches Sept. 9th!

As many of you know, Stephanie, Braelyn, and I relocated to Brenham, TX to be a part of a church plant. The church is called Christ Church and I am one of the Elders. We began having a small group meeting each Sunday evening in February and over the past few months we have been blessed to have several folks join us.

Well, the time has now come for us to begin our public worship gatherings. So, if you are in or around Brenham and would like to join us, you are welcome! Here's the info:

Pastor Dean Meade and the community of Calvary Baptist Church in Brenham have generously offered Christ Church the use of their facilities at 1100 Niebuhr Street (across from Brenham Junior High). We will start meeting there on Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 5PM. Please join us for our inaugural service.

For more information you can check us out on the web by clicking here!

We welcome your prayers!

Thoughts on Psalm 62:1

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. (Psalm 62:1)
God is our only hope, yet we wait not, and surely we wait not in silence. When life gets hard, we stir about, grasping for hope in creation rather than the creator. It is like our faith flies out of the window and our hope becomes based on our own ability to create a solution. Why don’t we wait, and why don’t we wait in silence?

What if we became a people who not only waited on God, but waited in silence, patiently trusting that He is able and willing to preserve His own? First, we are afraid of silence, because we are then haunted with our great unbelief, “What if God doesn’t speak or act?” Our unbelief is one of the primary cores of our sinful behavior. Our unbelief causes us to ask the questions like, “Why would God…?” Rather than proclaiming, “…from him comes my salvation.”

Second, the People of God today have bought into the lie that, “…from me comes my salvation.” We buy into false clichés such as, “God helps those who help themselves,” and “God blesses those who name it and claim it.” We must return to a God-centered hope. Only God can bring our salvation. Only God is the One who will faithfully keep His promises.

When will we quit acting like our God is a liar? When will we be a people who silently wait for our God, and act in obedience, rather than acting to grasp our salvation, and give God credit later? When will I wait silently for the only One who can save me? When will you?

Living with an Eternal Perspective

This life does not last forever. We all will come to our last day. Some sooner than others, but the reality remains, our life on this planet is limited. Embracing this truth will lead us to the point of asking important questions, “What is this all for?” “Why do I exist?” “Does any of this really matter?”

These questions are very important in order for individuals to delve deeper into their souls and discover what it is that they really believe. If one believes that there is no god, and that there is only this life, then the way that they conduct their life will reflect that. However, if an individual believes in something greater than them and believes that there is something more than this life, their life, too, will reflect this. Whether a person is an atheist or a follower of Jesus, everyone lives with an eternal perspective.

An eternal perspective is the lens by which we view the world and approach life. If a person is convinced that this life is all that we have, they will often conduct themselves to the end of getting the most out of this life and striving to avoid death. That is, unless they become nihilistic, this may lead them to suicide. Or, if a person believes that there is an afterlife, but their behavior must be ‘good enough’ in order to enjoy the benefits of this afterlife, then they will strive to morally train themselves accordingly. However, for people who believe the Gospel, if they understand it according to what the Bible teaches, then there is an immense freedom that is experienced in their lives.

Living in view of eternity, from a biblical Christian perspective provides great hope for this life. When a follower of Jesus realizes that this is not their home, that they have been bought at a price, that this life is not all that there is, that their reward is in Heaven, and that they will never die a horrid spiritual death, then they can begin to embrace the freedom purchased for them on the cross. Realizing that our time here on Earth is limited, and that there are so many people around us who do not know Jesus, we must then be intentional about engaging those around us intentionally with the truth about Jesus Christ.

Our eternal perspective, as followers of Jesus, gives us not only the promise of eternal life, but also the power and authority to share this truth with those around us. We must never forget that we, too, were headed straight towards eternal destruction prior to God revealing Himself to us through Jesus Christ. Therefore, our motivation to share the Gospel should not be merely one of obligation, rather one of gratitude. If we have received new life through Jesus Christ, if we are born again, if we have been given the spirit of courage, then our RESPONSE ought to be declaration. To declare that God became flesh and dwelt amongst His people, living a perfect life in obedience to the Law, dying a death that we all deserve, then rising again to defeat sin and death, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father waiting for the command to come back and make all things new, should be all the motivation necessary for us to live, share, teach, and preach the Gospel.

Our response to the reception, implantation, and consequential transformation of the Gospel in our lives ought to invoke a response of thanksgiving in our hearts. This response will ultimately breathe life into our souls and begin a drastic paradigm shift of how we view this life and understand our purpose. We are created in the image of God to bring glory to Him by enjoying Him forever. If God is really this enjoyable, if we really live in view of our secured eternity, if we truly understand and embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then why is the church in drastic decline? Why are we embracing heresy in an increasing measure? Why do we run to the preacher who preaches ‘self-worth’ rather than God’s worth?

Once we come to the realization that we cannot please God on our own, rather that God is pleased in us through Jesus Christ, and then we can begin to live a life fulfilling the great commandment. This command is to love God with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves. To love our neighbors as ourselves is evidence of an eternal perspective. Think about it. We are by nature extremely selfish. Even the most ‘selfless’ person that you know, outside of Christ, acts this way for personal gratification or later manipulation for personal gain. However, when we become drastically aware of the radical love of God expressed towards us in and through Jesus Christ, we then have the ability to be freed from our self-absorption. This freedom then enables us to ‘do for others as we would have them do for us,’ thus loving them as we love ourselves.

To grow in humility is a miracle. This miracle occurs when our mind’s eye is shifted from ‘self’ towards God. We never lose sight of ourselves, but our pursuit and satisfaction switches sources. To think less ABOUT not OF ourselves is the chief-end of a God-centered existence. Through this miracle, God then enables us by His Spirit to begin living missional lives that is living with the specific purpose of being Kingdom builders. We no longer view the waitress, mechanic, doctor, or family member as a human being who can provide service, take from us, or be used by us. Rather, we begin to view all humans as living souls who need to know God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:16).

When all of our life’s pursuits are viewed through these lenses, then we are able to truly live as a new creation, free from being bondservants to sin and death, and can begin to live expressly as bondservants of righteousness. This freedom, purchased on the Cross, ensured by the resurrection, is the evidence of the promises and their faithful fulfillment by God. Therefore, with the eternal perspective implanted in us through being born again, nourished through the consumption of the Word, and stirred and flamed to the boiling point of overflowing, we are able to live according to the Great Commission.

Time...

There is a vast conundrum in our culture today regarding the view and use of time. Phrases like, "there is not enough time in a day," "I need to 'make' time for my family," and the like bring about this false view that time is variable and can be added to or subtracted from. It is true that our measure of time is man-made in that we have created ways to tell time, and keep track of dates, but there is a natural progression of time that cannot be captured, slowed down, or stirred up.

With the event of anti-aging creams, injections, supplements, and surgeries, we believe that we are able to slow time. However, time was never intended to be an adversary to be challenged, rather a sovereign design to progress us through our created purpose.

As the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it:

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NAS95S)

Our time here on Earth is limited. We must embrace this and understand that no matter how hard we might try, we will one day cease to exist. However, many of us live in constant denial of this fact. Think about it... We are setting ourselves up for disappointment. I would hate to get to the end of my life having always lived focusing on the past or the hypothetical future, and never enjoying the present season. We must embrace the truth that time is created to foster and carry the creation. Time isn't something that can be saved, stored, made, but rather is something that we must learn to steward.

As we see in the passage above, that our lives are full of different seasons. It is a part of life, created and intended by God. We fight so hard to move through the hard seasons, and strive to settle in the good. What if each season, both enjoyable, and tough are gifts. Yes. Even the bad seasons. There is much to be learned in all seasons of life. However, we very rarely seek to rest in all seasons, rather we press on for the next 'good' season, and ignore the many lessons that can be learned in our times of trial.

I am the first to admit that I struggle being in the present moment. I'm always looking towards what's next. There are times I am tempted to dwell on the past, both seasons of horror and seasons of great joy. However, either perspective is a dangerous trap as it keeps us from experiencing the God who is alive and active today.

Time seems to go by so much faster as we age. I remember when I was a kid in elementary school and I thought I would die if the days went any slower. However, now I look back and realize that it has been over 11 years since I graduated high school and almost 5 years since I graduated college. I have been married 6 1/2 years and my daughter is now 1 years old. Where has time gone? What have I learned? Have I enjoyed the good times and embraced the ordained hard-times? Have I let myself be trapped by memories of the past or the hopes of the future?

Will we be a people who follow Jesus in such a way that we enjoy the good seasons, and faithfully abide in the hard seasons? Or, will we be like everyone else (both Christian and non-Christian), who remember 'the good 'ol days' or ignore the present to dream of the 'better' future?

Time is passing us by... Will we seek God today with humble hearts, or miss today altogether...?

What will you do with your time?

The Glory of God in the Covenant of Marriage

This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating a wedding of my friends Ben Pun and Rachel Gor. I had met Ben last fall as he and I had mutual friends and he was looking for someone to preach at the winter retreat for his youth. We hit it off immediately and really enjoyed one anothers company. I had asked him in our meetings if he had a girlfriend and if he thought marriage was in sight. He told me that he did, but he wasn't sure yet about marriage. However, I have a high view of the covenant of marriage and think that it is good for a man to have a wife (see Proverbs 18:22).

I met his bride at the winter retreat and got to know her a bit. Immediately I realized what a gem she was, so I sat down to have an intentional conversation with Ben about it. I don't rememer the exact wording of the conversation, but here was the gist. I told him that if there is a beautiful woman who loves God, and by some miracle, loves him then he should marry her. He'd be a fool not to.

Apparently, God used that as one of the main encouragements for Him to take the leap of faith into marriage. So, they invited me to be the pastor who officiated the wedding and I was honored to do so. What a blessing!

As Ben's brother and I prayed for Ben before the ceremony, there was a sacred moment of overwhelming graditude that Ben had towards God for His kindness in blessing Him with Rachel. The ceremony was beautiful, and the love of the families and friends were evident. It is true, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5 that marriage, when entered into with a biblical view, is a living testimony and illiustration of Christ's faithfulness to His Bride, the Church.

We celebrate with the Pun's and wish them the best! Marriage is truly a blessing and is a great opportunity for two of God's children, who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ to become one and live as an example of His unending grace... Our prayers are with Ben and Rachel as they begin their life together on mission!

She's already 1!!!

I can't believe that Braelyn is already 1 years old! I caught an early flight the morning of her birthday party in order to be home on time. The summer travel schedule is hectic, but it was a joy to celebrate Braelyn's birthday with some close friends.

God is faithful and continues to reveal this truth to Steph and I as we stumble forward in this thing called parenthood. Thanks for stopping by! I'll post more soon!

Going, Going, Going....

First, and this is exciting, Blake Quimby's new CD can be downloaded on iTunes by clicking here:



This summer has been an amazing time of ministry. I am currently at my fourth camp in Disney, Oklahoma and so far it has been going very well. My friend Angelo Gonzalez is traveling with me this summer and it has been a blast... Angelo is a 200lb Mexican dude who loves God and has a great wife named Sarah. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of having the 200lb Mexican fall on me when I flipped the golf cart at camp. Now, this is interesting, because I flipped a golf cart last year at the same camp, on the same night... This has actually been my 3rd flipped golf cart incidence in the last ten years...


We were heading down a hill in the parking lot at ETBU and we were going pretty fast. Up ahead of us was a 'T' in the parking lot and as we approached the 'T' Angelo dropped the clip to his Airsoft™ gun. So, I looked down to see where it went, looked up and noticed that I needed make a quick decision, and then I made the decision to turn right. Wrong decision... We were going 15-20 mph (estimate) and the golf cart came slamming over on my side, so as gravity would have it, so did the 200 lb Mexican... We both were banged up, I got some pretty cool scrapes:



So, that hurt... Then, that same week we were tipped off that the camp staff was going to ambush my good friend John Sherrill from the John Sherrill Band and his guys with Airsoft™ guns, so we had to make a plan. We made secret locations on the campus and took them on with gorilla warfare. We were proof that gorilla warfare works. However, as we were making our last attack, I yelled for us to run back to our dorms, but Zack (bass player, JSB) stopped and went, "Huh???" and I ran into him and scraped my knees...



That was fun!... Steph and Braelyn were able to travel to two camps so far, and it was great to have them along with me. God has been so gracious to us as we travel proclaiming His truth and seeking to honor Jesus with our lives and ministry. We still have several weeks of camp left before we get a small vacation to San Antonio.

I'll blog again soon...

The Barista Prophet Iris...

Steph and I were sitting in the Starbucks (Yes! There is one here in Brenham!!!) and have made some friends who work there. There is this one lady, Iris, who is in a supervisor position (not sure if she's the manager). We love her, she is honest and tells it like it is. Well, as we were sitting at a table with Braelyn, on the side that is close to the drink pick-up counter, we started to hear Iris go at it with a younger looking guy on the otherside of the counter. She was telling him truth!

At first we thought this guy was a customer, which made me like her EVEN more! However, it turned out that this 23 year old guy worked at the Starbucks, but still, she still rocks. Anyway, he was telling her that he stays with his grandma and that his mom pays all his bills, etc. Iris just went off on this guy (who was on the otherside of the bar!). She said stuff like, "Until you start taking responsibility for yourself, your actions, and your finances your mama is going to continue to treat you like a little boy. You need to stop acting like a boy and begin acting like a man!"

By this time Steph's eyes were big, in like an "OH MY GOSH" sort of manner. I, on the other hand, started saying, "AMEN!", "TELL THE TRUTH!", etc. Steph then was trying to shush me, but I was leaning back in my chair with my arms crossed having a big smile on my face. I was loving every minute of it! I looked at Steph and said, "If I had a hundred bucks with me right now I'd give it to that lady!"

The guy looked over at me, almost looking like he was pleading for help, but I just nodded my head and kept on smiling. He eventually left and I spoke to Iris (loudly according to Steph) and told her that she rocked and I liked having a prophet behind the bar at Starbucks. She smiled and said that this guy worked there and she had been encouraging him to become a man, but he was still making boyish decisions... Amen... I love Iris... Thank the Lord for truth tellers...

Those of you who know me, know that I have a deep passion for men being trained up into God fearing, fearsome, yet compassionate, biblical men. So, to hear this truth being spoken from an older woman to this dude who needed it, was a blessing. Lord willing, in the generations to come, there will be more men speaking into other men's lives about becoming God fearing men... We can only pray and hope that God will be merciful and do so...

New House Tour - Part 3 - Still More to come

Spring Cleaning & New Beginnings

This is an actual blog post and not just a video of the new house. I hope you've been enjoying them, I enjoyed making them. Our house now looks tons better, and we are settling in nicely. I will continue to post videos as a few of you have indicated that you enjoyed viewing them.

We continue to thank God for allowing us this new adventure here in Brenham. Several of you who live in the area have contacted us, and we are grateful for your friendship and hospitality.

Looking toward Easter Sunday, I am reminded of God's grace given to us through the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you are not convinced about the claims of Jesus, I'd love to chat with you about it... It would be my joy...

Until next time...

Casey

Cease New Home Tour - Part Deux

New Home in Brenham Tour - Pt. 1

Now in Brenham...

Well, we have moved. We are now Brenhaminians, or Brenhamonians, or Brenhamists, or Brenhamspensationalists... Whatever, we now are citizens of Brenham...

It's pretty funny, but when I began telling people that we were moving to Brenham, their first response was, "Will you be working for Blue Bell Ice Cream?" I didn't want to be rude, but what do you say to that? "Yes. I am going to be the Blue Bell Creamery Chaplain..." I dunno, but I thought that was funny...

We have been working on the house since we bought it last Wednesday. It has been a long road, and we still have much to do. We bought an old 1936 house, yes that is 1936... 71 years old... It has a garage apartment where Blake Quimby will be living. We live right down the road from downtown and not far from Blinn College...

I'll be blogging quite a bit, I think, in the coming weeks, sharing pictures, etc. Please be praying for us, Transform Ministries, and our new little church, Christ Church.

I'll be back soon...

We're Moving to Brenham!

We're moving to Brenham, TX!!!
The rumors are true... We are moving to Brenham, TX! Steph Braelyn and I will be closing on our house there in March and hope to be moved in completely before April 1st!!!

Why are we moving to Brenham? So glad you asked! We are moving to Brenham to be a part of a new church plant called Christ Church Brenham. I will be one of the Pastor/Elders, BUT I will continue to travel on a full-time basis with Transform Ministries. It has been amazing how God has revealed His will to us and how things have fallen into place.

I know some of my online friends live in Brenham, so I hope to see you there sometime!

Here's the answer to some FAQ's:

1. Will you still be traveling with Transform Ministries?
ANSWER: Yes. It's funny, I tell people that I will be still traveling when I first tell them about the church, but they don't seem to hear me. So, just to be clear, Transform Ministries will still be my primary 'job'/ministry. I have a full summer schedule and am already scheduling for the Fall.

2. "How can me and my family help?"ANSWER: Prayer, Prayer, and more Prayer. We are currently asking God to raise up a few more Christian couples to join us in this exciting time to partner with us in planting this new church and as with any church, finances are a necessity.

3. "Why Brenham?"
ANSWER: Great question! That was my first question when my friend Justin was telling me about the vision God had given he and his family for the area. However, not only is it a great town, but there are also 2,500 students at Blinn College and few are connected anywhere locally. We are not going with the intention on being a 'college church', but we hope that we will be able to provide a place for college students to connect. Also, there are quite a few folks ages 18-36 who aren't currently connected to any churches in the area, so we thought that the harvest is plentiful...

4. "Doesn't Brenham already have a lot of churches?"
ANSWER: There are quite a few great churches already in the Brenham and surrounding area, however, most of the church leaders express their excitement about us coming to be a part of what God is doing there.

Well, I'm sure there are a lot of other questions, but this should do for now. Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

Peace,
Casey

On Being a Father... Pt. 1

As Braelyn lays there screaming and with nothing that we try helping, we just sit with her praying for peace. She winces in pain and screams finding no peace in her 'paci'... It is tortuous for us to just sit there, unable to help, while she screams in great agony.

To be a father is a call to suffer... It is a call to sacrifice... A call to joy and a call to fear...

Stephanie and I ponder what might be wrong with the baby. We feel so helpless and wonder what we should do. Should we take her to the emergency room? Should we wake our parents to see if they have any idea? Should we call the pediatrician's after hours hotline?

She screams. Steph cries. I feel helpless.

It turns out, she was just constipated, and after some apple juice and a good 'poopie' she was fine. Smiling, laughing, and wondering why we were so stressed out. I have never been so happy to see a poopie diaper. Seriously... Who would of thought that I would be praying for poopie? But, there I was, rejoicing over the stream of farts, the wincing of my babies face, and the abundance that followed.

Having now worked with students in some capacity for 10 years it was always easy to judge their parents. However, now that I am a father, I realize the complexities of the day in and day out of parenting. There aren't just simple answers and nothing ever happens the way you plan.

To be a father brings great pride and great humility. I don't deserve such a wonderful wife nor an amazing little daughter. However, I suppose this is grace. Grace is receiving something we do not deserve. So, rather than sit here pondering on my worthlessness, I will rejoice in the worth I now have in Jesus Christ. For while I deserved eternal death, He purchased and applied to me by grace through faith eternal life. I didn't deserve it, and I still do not, but I am grateful.

To be a father is a call to be a man. So many 'dads' more often than not act like another kid. This makes it very difficult for the wife to respect him and causes great strife in the family. It also diminishes the beauty in the distinct and unique differences between men and women. For, to be a father is a call to be a man. Not a chauvinist nor a pansy, but a man who is firm, fierce, compassionate, and loving. A man who does not fear death, nor fears living. But a man who fears God and leads his family to do likewise.

To be a father is a privilege. Sure, any guy can contribute to a new life, but not every guy who does serves as a father. It is a joy to have the responsibility of loving and leading a family towards love and good deeds.

I'm grateful to be a daddy... Please pray that I will love God, my wife, and my daughter as Christ loved His church, and gave His life up for her...

Lucid is Live! Here's to New Beginnings!

Anytime I sit down to a meal with my long-time friend, mentor, and calling-coach, Rod Brace, I am simultaneously prepared and unprepared for what is about to hit me. Inevitably, our meetings challenge, change and bless me. However, this particular early-morning breakfast caught me off guard in a way that only happens when God is involved.

Before I dive into the ham and cheese omelet conversation, let me give you a few details about who I am and the circumstances surrounding my life at the time. My name is Casey Cease. I am the founder and Executive Director of Transform Ministries, a non-profit organization through which I travel across the United States speaking to students about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Transform is a faith-based organization, which means that I do not fund-raise, but rather trust that the Lord will provide all that I need to support the ministry and my family. This past summer, the Lord graciously gave way for my faith to increase, as our first daughter arrived and my wife Stephanie decided to say goodbye to teaching along with a steady $38,000 a year. Our safety net was gone, but our prayer closets were occupied, and Rod Brace continually pushed us towards faithful action. I would be lying if I said that we were never worried about how the money would come in, but at the same time we were excited to see the imagination of God at work. And indeed we did.

So over our first round of coffee, Rod was explaining to me his new idea for an online magazine and a print-on-demand publishing company. His plan really peaked my interest and I was looking forward to contributing to the magazine. I thought maybe I’d write and article every now and again and perhaps be on my way to my first book. He continued to share with me his passion for the concept and the direction his prayers were taking as he researched the ins and outs of the business. Questions like “Why am I so passionate about Lucid?” and “Why is this happening now?” filled his prayer journal.

As our breakfast was being served Rod explained how God had answered his questions. He said, “Casey, the more I poured my time, energy and passion into Lucid, the more I began to realize that this concept is for you and Steph. It is a gift, and Diana and I would like to help you get it off the ground. Needless to say, I was speechless, and humbled, and in awe of the creativity of God.

So here we begin. Transform Media Group (Lucid Magazine and Lucid Books) shows its face for the first time. It was born because the Lord gave Rod Brace a vision to provide an outlet for regular people to share what they have learned and created and heard and seen and lived. We invite you to join our online community in the expression of our discoveries and the pursuit of truth. We encourage you to not just read, but to participate in the exchange of thoughts. From thoughts to articles, from articles to books, from books to who knows where. We follow the example of our Father. He is the Creator, Artist, Poet. Let us reflect His character.

Life is happening all around us, join us in saying something about it. Perhaps something new will begin for you.

Casey & Steph Cease
www.lucidmagazine.com

Lois McAllister Roch (Mema)

These past few weeks have been horrificly beautiful. My grandmother, Lois McAllister Roch, passed away early Sunday, November 26th. She was 81 years old and she was our Mema.

Steph, Braelyn and I went to visit her at her new apartment on November 10th. We had an awesome time with her and she absolutely loved Braelyn. However, while we were visiting her we knew that she wasn't feeling well as she was on an oxygen machine to help her breathe. She was diagnosed in 2001 with kidney cancer and had her kidney removed at that time. Following the surgery she began various treatments until 2003 when she decided that she didn't like the way the treatments were making her feel and since there was not a noticable difference she stopped receiving treatments.
The doctor had also told us that the type of cancer she had could stay dormant for some time, but when it began to spread, it would be quick. And it was.

On November 11th she was admitted into the hospital where her condition continued to worsen. She always had a great sense of humor and she and I were close, so we had some great conversations and some funny times. One time, I went into her hospital room and she was talking about 'going home.' Being a minister, I thought perhaps she was speaking metaphorically of her being ready to be with Jesus. So I asked her, "Mema, are you ready to go home?" and she looked at me with these big eyes and said, "Will you take me!?!?!" Apparently she was willing to take the chance of me being incarcerated so that she could go home. :-)

Her condition continued to worsen and she was quickly tiring of being in the hospital having nurses poke her with their needles, so my mother and aunt decided to contact Houston Hospice when they were informed that my grandmother was terminal. This occurred on Wednesday morning, November 22. While my mom and aunt were meeting with the nurse from Houston Hospice my Mema and I had a great conversation. We talked about Jesus, we talked about family, and she shared her desire for her girls to be okay and for all of us to stick together as a family. I ensured her that we would and that we love her, but it is okay for her to go when the time came. We prayed together, laughed together, and enjoyed our time.

Wednesday evening we were able to transport her to my parents house. My mom, dad, and aunt were amazing at making things happen so that Mema wasn't alone for Thanksgiving and could be surrounded by family for the rest of her life. On Thanksgiving evening my grandmother really began to struggle breathing, so she called us all in to her room and told us how much she loved us, how proud of us she is, and that she desires that we stay together. We expressed our love to her and stayed with her as she slipped to sleep.

The next few days she only woke a few times and by Saturday she was really struggling to breathe. At 12:32 am her heart stopped and she went to be with Jesus. The nurses with Houston Hospice were amazing and my grandmother did not feel any pain.

For the following days we spent mourning (when we had time!) and preparing for the funeral. Tuesday night was the visitation and on Wednesday I performed the funeral service, which was tough, but amazing at the same time.
My family and I thank all of you who have extended your love. We are doing okay and God has been extremely merciful and gracious throughout this time. I'm sure I'll have more to write soon...

So Long Training Wheels...

I remember like it was yesterday, my dad running behind me yelling encouraging words, "Keep your back straight, pedal, there ya go!!!" There was such confidence with those two extra wheels on the back. I could even ride one handed with my training wheels, but the time had come where I would have to learn to ride my 'big boy' bike. So, my dad, who was (still is) one of my biggest heroes would run behind me holding onto the seat of my 'big boy' 2-wheel bike encouraging me and holding me steady as I learned to ride without the training wheels. Fortunately, he was still in the Army Reserves, so he was in good shape. I felt very confident, because I knew that even when he would let go to let me ride a ways, I could still hear his shoes hitting the ground behind me.

One day I went inside and asked my dad to take me riding (or him running) and he told me that I would have to wait because he was busy. He then said, "Why don't you go out there and give it a try yourself." So... I did... I got onto the bike and began riding BY MYSELF! It was an amazing feeling of independence and a sudden feeling of terror! I'm sure I fell a few times in the grass that day, and since that time I have had many injuries on my various bikes, predominantly due to user end stupidity.

For the last few years I have been living by faith, but with training wheels. When Steph and I launched full-time into this ministry in 2004 we resolved to depend on God completely for our financial dependence and He has every step of the way! However, at the time, Steph had just been hired as a teacher, so we had a bit of a buffer in case the ministry had a rough month financially. So we have been riding along, but with training wheels.

However, since the birth of Braelyn, Steph and I are both committed to her staying home to be a full-time mom and wife. We have sought counsel and prayed about this and know this is what the Lord is calling us to. This will not only afford Steph the opportunity to focus on the family, but will also give them greater flexibility to travel with me. We know this is what the Lord wants, but I would be lying to you if I didn't say that I had moments feeling the amazing feeling of freedom of being solely dependent on God, and moments again of sheer terror.

Jesus encourages His disciples in Matthew 6:33 in this way, "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things will be added to you as well" (NIV). So, the training wheels have come off, and while we feel a bit like the 6-year old who is set loose for the first time without his training wheels, wobbly handlebars and all, we still hear the voice of our Father behind us yelling, "Keep your back straight, pedal, there ya go!!!"

We share this as an invitation for you to embark on this excitingly terrifying adventure with us, that all of our faith might be increased as God continues to meet all of our needs. God is very evident in our midst right now and by His grace all of our needs are met. Fortunately, a friend of mine shared with me the autobiography of a guy named George Mueller a while back, who trusted in God for all of his needs to be met. God met ALL of this man's needs, beyond anything he could imagine. I'd encourage you to pick up his book!

So, we're off on our 'big boy' bike, trusting our Father, and enjoying the ride! We look forward to sharing with you amazing stories of God's provision!

Don't Waste Your Summer Vacation

18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. - Mark 4:18-19 (ESV)

Throughout the year I have the privilege of meeting people from many different places at varying stages of their spiritual journey. During many conversations there is a recurring theme of the individual not having enough time to engage in their relationship with God. This often results in frustration that leads to inactivity. This leaves the individual feeling (rightly so) inactive in the life of the Kingdom.

Jesus addresses this in His parable about the farmer sowing seeds. In the verses above Jesus is explaining the meaning of the seed thrown among the thorns. This metaphor is explained as being the persons initial excitement about God that is quickly snuffed out by life. Unfortunately, this adequately describes many of the individuals I counsel. They want God, but only in a proportionate way. They want a God who fits into their schedule rather than a God who is worthy of us falling into His schedule. Instead of bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, they often find themselves unfruitful all together.

Therefore, it is my desire to offer a new perspective on summer vacation for students and adults a like. I have spoken with or read about how bored students are during the summer. These are the very same students who are complaining that they feel far from God and dont have time for Him during the school year!!! Perhaps, we can begin to view our down time a bit differently? Rather than sitting all day playing video games, talking on the phone, going to the mall, watching TV, Myspace-ing, Xanga-ing, LiveJournal-ing, FaceBook-ing, IM-ing, etc. maybe we can invest our time and energy into a growing relationship with Jesus?

What if you begin to view your summer vacation as a gift? What if you no longer view your relationship with God as a job? What if you begin to truly value Jesus as our prize? How would that change the way we live our lives and order our days during the summer?

I have received several E-mails and messages from students who went to camp this summer who just a few weeks later are complaining that they cannot feel God. When I ask them what they have been doing to grow in their relationship with Jesus they usually respond, I go to church, or Nothing. You may be reading this right now and feeling the same way. Let me encourage you!

Here are a few simple ways for you to not waste the summer:

1. Grab a Few Friends and Spend the Next 5 Weeks Studying 1 John. This book of the Bible is 5 chapters in length and you can study 1 chapter a week together. Meet together at Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Sonic, or someones house and learn with each other.

2. Read a Proverb a Day. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs and 30 to 31 days per month. So, for instance, today is June 30th, so you would read Proverb 30 and on July 1st you would read Proverb 1. Easy, but a great way to grow in Gods wisdom!

3. Get a Group of Friends Together to Serve Others. This can be random acts of kindness, caring for the poor or elderly, or volunteering somewhere. Putting our faith into action is a great way to grow! (See James 1:27)

4. Have a day of Alone Time. That is a simple way of saying a day of solitude. Turn off the computer, the cell phone, and all other distracting electronic devices and grab your Bible and a journal. You can either go outside (if you wont completely fry yourself) or stay inside. Take a day to be alone with Jesus, listening to Him, and talking with Him. An old dead guy said, A person who has no solitude, cannot truly experience community, and a person who has no community cannot have fruitful solitude (Paraphrased from Making All Things New, Henri Nouwen).

5. Read a Smaller Book of the Bible in One Sitting. There are times when sitting down and ingesting a larger amount of Scripture is healthy for our soul. Perhaps you could sit down and read Galatians or Ephesians in one sitting. It shouldnt take more than 30 minutes, but will be very beneficial. You can ask some simple questions of the Text:

a. What does it say?
b. What does it mean?
c. How does it apply?

These are only a few suggestions of how you can view your summer as a gift to grow closer to Jesus. Developing some spiritual disciplines when you have the time will make it far more likely for you to continue them when school or work starts up again. Dont waste your summer vacation on things that are temporary. If you find yourself bored or even if youre not, use this time to grow closer to Jesus. That is where you will find the most satisfaction!

Let me know how I might encourage you in this!