Author: sethandbeth
Proud husband to Beth, father to Brianna, Rylee and Madison. I don't have it all figured out, but I know The One who does!
“Great Parenting”
What does this mean to you??
Webster’s dictionary defines it like this,
GREAT: wonderful; first-rate; very good:
PARENTING: the methods, techniques, etc., used or required in the rearing of children:
What is the most greatest method of technique for reading children??
Many first time parents diligently research and study for the best organic, homemade baby food and snacks; classical music at bedtime; flash cards at 9 months; making sure to document every new month with updates on “firsts” and faithfully updating all social media with these milestones and privately hoping that your child walks before any of your other friends kids. We have car seats that are safer than NASCAR harnesses and “screen time” limits to hopefully not have “one of those spoiled kids”! I am applauding your efforts and encourage you to treasure these moments of your child’s lives!
For parents who have multiple children or older elementary aged kids, life has begun to get slightly overwhelming and the precious little bundle of joy that used to always smile and coo at you is now laying in the middle of Target, having a complete meltdown, because they wanted a shirt with Elsa or Paw Patrol on it! All eyes are on you, security has been alerted, and you just know that someone is reporting you for child abuse any minute. No cute pics for Instagram on this day!! You either buy the shirt or manage to divert your child’s attention toward something else and hurry out of the store. These are the days that you sit alone at night wondering if you have scarred your child for life and question your fitness as a “great parent”.
Once your child becomes a teenager, HANG ON! You have somehow become out of touch and any experience you may have as a teenager is ancient history and completely irrelevant. I mean, you didn’t even have cell phones way back then! Moms and daughters begin to clash, Dads and sons start to butt heads too. It’s not easy when your 13 year old lectures you on fashion and gives you a look like, “Are you seriously wearing that?” Or when your 15 year old gets hair under his arms and now he thinks he can take you! What do you do now? Is it too late to make a difference in their life?
I’ve got good news….God is in control. He trusted you with the greatest gift, besides salvation, when He gave you your children. He never expected for us to be perfect or even “great” all the time. He does expect us to be faithful and to be good examples of His Grace and Love. I also feel the need to give you this reminder, your kids are His kids. He has a plan for them that included you, but isn’t solely dependent on you. (Eph 2:10)
We have been working on a puzzle at our house this winter. We got the toughest one, 2000 pieces, a Thomas Kinkade landscape. It has been challenging to say the least! There are days that I can’t find one piece that fits and then other days, I’m a puzzle master! That’s kinda like being a “Great Parent”. You will have days that you question how you even function on the planet and then you will have days that take you back to the pride and anticipation you felt as a new parent.
Some days, I like to work on the puzzle by myself. I have total control of every piece and can work on every side if I want to. Other days though, I need help! Fresh eyes, new perspectives and a team effort really makes for progress that isn’t possible on my own. That is where I believe student ministry is so beneficial. Our kids need multiple perspectives and they often hear the same things that we as parents have been saying from others as if it’s the first time they’ve ever heard it. Maddening, I know, but isn’t it only just about making sure they get what they need. In the end, the satisfaction is ultimately about the puzzle being finished and we celebrate with everyone who had a hand in putting the pieces in place. To me, that is the definition of a great parent! Watching our babies become functioning adults who love God and love others.
Beth and I are far from perfect parents, just ask our kids! But we are available to anyone that may need a hand putting some pieces together. Love always and enjoy the journey!!
Seth
Sojourner Thoughts
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
I am reminded today that the purpose and goal of this life is to know God and to glorify Him through our lives for as long as we have breath.
My heart breaks that a 14 year old young man would see no other option in this life than to end his life. The unanswerable questions begin for this family today. What could I have done? How could this happen? Didn’t he know we loved him? What do we do now? I am struck with the thought that this young man came to me and prayed just a few weeks ago at church. Full of life, very humble and willing to receive all God had for him and yet he still ended his life. Why? What more could I have done to help him? What do I do with this today?
The truth is that ALL of us will come to the end of our life at some point. Death is as much a part of life as birth, but so rarely do I consider the reality of the end of my time on the earth. But today I find myself wondering, How do I proceed with a “normal life” when I carry the HOPE of the world around with me? I know and understand the goodness and graciousness of God because of the access granted through Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. I have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation between God and man, with the mandate to be His ambassador to everyone that He wants to be their friend so much that Jesus died to make it available.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 MSG. All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
From this day FORWARD, I am abandoning any desire to be “normal” and moving into the peculiar position of a representative of the radical goodness, love and grace of God to EVERYONE! I am fully launching into the deep waters of MEGA-GRACE. As I was praying about this MEGA-GRACE word that is being released right now, I heard the Holy Spirit say that (1) The Law was Grace, (2) Jesus came to bring Grace upon Grace (John 1:16 NASB – For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace), (3) The baptism of the Holy Spirit is Grace upon Grace upon Grace. The law shows us our need for Grace, Jesus death on the cross covers us in Grace and the Holy Spirit empowers us to receive and OFFER Grace to others! Thank you God for your Grace!!
Finally, I want to encourage everyone who believes and follows Christ to remember the words of Peter in 1 Peter 2:11-12 – Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. How we live does matter! What we value does matter! How we treat others does matter! Let us live in such a way that people see that we are different and be quick to offer an explanation of how Christ changes our desires in this world!!
Much Love,
Seth
FORWARD MARCH!
Every year for the past few years, I have chosen one word for that year. This years word is FORWARD! Our lives are changing rapidly lately as we transition from being parents of kids to being parents of adults. In November 2016, I was approached about becoming the Pastor to Students at Abba’s House in Hixson, TN, which when accepted would begin a list of changes for our entire family. This opportunity at Abba’s House was the culmination of a year of restoration of forgotten promises from the Lord many years ago. We are filled with anticipation and expectation as we follow His lead and make the move to the Chattanooga area.
Forward is defined as 😦1) Moving ahead; onward: (2) Being in a condition of advancement: (3) Ready, prompt, eager or bold: (4) Situated in the front: (5) of or relating to the future: (6) Radical or extreme: (7) Standing out from others
As I looked back over the definition of the word Forward, I was overwhelmed at how God has been preparing my heart for our new season of life and ministry at Abba’s House and the Chattanooga area. Every definition is right in line with my life at this time. We are moving ahead and onward from the comfort and security of a government job and stepping into a position of advancement in The Kingdom, that we are ready and eager to begin. Walking in boldness of authority as the front man for Abba’s House Student Ministries and leading the students and leaders into the bright future that God has planned for us. Living a life of faith, filled with love and grace and proclaiming freedom and power through Jesus’ blood and the power of the Holy Spirit is by definition, Radical and Extreme! But we are strengthened by His promises as we stand boldly on His truth and shine bright as the light and hope of the world!
No better month to begin the Forward journey than MARCH!! Let’s do this and MARCH FORWARD into His purpose and destiny for our lives!
We would love for you to join us in this journey! It’s gonna be fun
Seth and Beth
MY OWN PERSONAL BIAS EXPOSED!
Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and now even, Clown Lives Matter!
This is just too much to handle for my tiny brain. Beth and I attended Catalyst Conference in Atlanta this past week. The theme this year was, Uncommon Fellowship. I knew that we would be challenged to “lean in” to the tension of racial reconciliation, illegal immigrants, refugees and other differences that exist in our world and how to LEAD in Jesus name with a heart toward love, grace and acceptance for everyone. And it happened, over and over again.
I have never felt like I had a problem with those of a different color than myself. I was recording mixtapes in my bedroom in 1984 of 5 Minutes of Funk by Whodini, In 1987, I saw Run DMC and LL Cool J perform at the Omni in Atlanta with my best friend, David Martin and his dad, Bob Martin. We even had one of my black friends, Paul Johnson live with us for a while in high school (taught me how to iron correctly)! I played basketball at Gadsden State and had many friends from the team. I would hang out with these guys on Tuscaloosa Avenue in Gadsden in 1990. It was scary and a culture shock, but I was never as conscious and keenly aware of the tension of race as I do today! Something has fundamentally changed and I desperately would like to be an agent of change, not just discussion. I am saddened that a group of Americans feel that they need to remind everyone that they MATTER? I truly believe that ALL LIVES MATTER and as a follower of Christ try to live my life according to Philippians 2:3-5. I think we talk about our differences far too often and too loudly. If we could simply focus on Christ and see everyone as someone that God loves and Jesus died for then there would be no need for “individual movements”. Is that too naive?
A conversation that has shook me from last week was a round table discussion about race at Catalyst-Atlanta. Scott Sauls was moderator of the group including Propaganda, Soong-Chan Rah, Mark DeYmaz and Jenny Yang. So much talk about acceptance and our openness toward people that look different than us. There was a ting of white guilt that I felt was an unspoken undercurrent in the discussion. Was it an actual thing or was I feeling it? What I was listening for and hoping for was an action plan or some action points that have been tried and effectively applied to create uncommon fellowship. I did not here any actionable “plans or programs”. What I heard was, in my opinion, explanations for the tensions that have been rising to the surface. I went away unsatisfied and truthfully upset because as I’ve said earlier, too much talk and not enough action.
As I drove home, the Holy Spirit began to work with the words that Soong-Chan Rah had said! “There has never been a time when ALL LIVES MATTER has been up for debate, but there has been almost 500 years in our country where black people were subjugated and considered as less than human. This hit me deep in my heart and while I don’t have a clear direction or plan on how I can bring about racial reconciliation, I do believe that I have taken a very important step towards it. UNDERSTANDING! I’m now aware of why Black Lives Matters, matters. I don’t condone the violence, rhetoric or riots, but I do understand why All Lives Matters is seen to diminish the real cry of the Black Lives Matter movement.
One other statistic that was used to dig out my undiagnosed bias towards those different than myself. One of the speakers shared that by the year 2042 over half of the people in the United States would be other than white. Something in me bristled at this and BOOM, there it was…..BIAS! My mind immediately considered what a mess we would be in if that were the case. Basically, if people that are different than me are the majority then I may lose my comfort zone. I was saddened by the truth of this, but I’m so glad that it happened. This was a revelation from God and I have prayed and asked Him to enable me to be a voice of revelation for so many others like myself that have a heart for EVERYONE, but can’t fully understand how to even discuss the issues with any intelligence and perspective without the revelation from the Lord.
Jesus came to put on display Gods love for others. He embraced them, included them, listened to them and taught them. He had fellowship with them in spite of the accepted standards of the religious leaders of the day. He did not come to exclude Pharisees and Saducees, He simply came to include everyone else. He had a perspective that we desperately need to share as well. GOD, HOW DO YOU SEE THIS PERSON? His response….I LOVE THEM! Let’s stop worrying about being so politically and theologically correct and simply love everyone!! God is big enough to deal with their issues, just as He did with my own.
Much Love,
Seth
Joy and Pain like Sunshine and Rain
“Joy and Pain like Sunshine and Rain” Rob Base
My daughter, Madison has been asking for a Pygmy goat for years and years. Sending us fun FB videos and cute goat pictures throughout the year. This year for her 17th birthday, Beth and I debated about finally getting her a goat. I won and we went this past Wednesday and I bought my pride and joy, a beautiful baby boy Pygmy goat. We decided to name him Buddy. We knew absolutely nothing about raising goats. All we knew was that Madison loved him and she was happy! That made me happy!
Fast forward 3 days to this morning. Buddy had become lethargic and listless. He was struggling to stand up on his own and his breathing had become labored. We searched the Internet, joined goat forums and tried all we knew until we finally went to see Chuck Gill at Morgan Animal Hospital. He took a blood sample and as feared, our precious Buddy was overcome by parasites. We made the decision to end Buddy’s life and with Madison watching, eyes full of tears, mercy was delivered to our sick little goat. I looked at my precious child that I have spent 17 years protecting from harm, pain, disappointment and loss to see HUGE tears fall from her eyes. I lost it. I was crying over a goat. A goat I only knew for 3 days. I was quick to clarify that my emotion was simply due to Madison’s tears, but as this day has progressed I realize that much more was happening inside of me.
I was watching my daughter in pain. Pain that my “gift of joy” had brought into her life. “Joy and pain like sunshine and rain”. It was part of her life, not because of the goat, but because she is a human being. A child of God. He is in control. Could it be that God allowed her to experience those emotions in my presence so that I could share in her suffering? Could it be that God allowed this goat to be a sacrifice for my child and myself so that we could experience those emotions together?
“He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike” Matthew 5:45
As a follower of Christ, I believe in the Sovereignty of God. I believe that God has a purpose and a plan for my life. I believe God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I believe that God is a loving and compassionate Father. I believe that He uses ALL of my life experiences to prepare me for all the good works that He has planned for me.
I believe that He loves my daughter more than I ever could and He is her protector, provider and source of joy and peace during pain and sunshine in the rain.
Thank you Buddy for being a part of God’s plan for our lives. “Joy and Pain like Sunshine and Rain”
Much Love,
Seth
MASTERPIECE in the making!
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” Ephesians 2:10 NLT
As I have meditated on this verse, I have heard this question over and over…”At what point is a masterpiece actually considered a masterpiece?” In my experience with the Lord, I have had many questions pop into my head and I have learned that my pursuit of the answer always leads me back to the One who originally asked the question in the first place. In this way, the Lord is very similar to my wife, Beth. She only asks me questions that she already knows the answer. But I digress!
My search for the answer began very simply…”At what point does a masterpiece become a masterpiece?” I began to break down Ephesians 2:10. We are God’s masterpiece! He is the Master and we are His masterpiece. Created anew in Christ Jesus! Colossians 3:3 says, For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Our REAL lives are MADE NEW/REVEALED in Christ. So we can do the good things he planned for us long ago! How refreshing to know that we were a part of God’s plan long ago. Psalm 139:16 says, You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. This verse actually tells us that our lives were laid out at the foundation of the beginning of time! AWESOME!!
I have come to the conclusion that upon the first stroke of the brush of THE MASTER is when a MASTERPIECE becomes a MASTERPIECE! As long as the MASTER is still working on me, I can claim this verse as I realize that in Christ, not only has my relationship with the Father been restored, but my original design as a MASTERPIECE has been reinstated and I can begin the good works that were previously planned for me.
Do I feel like a MASTERPIECE? Not at all, but the truth is that God’s word doesn’t depend on how I feel to be TRUTH! I am all that He says that I am! So I will present myself to Him as His MASTERPIECE and in doing so, I can begin to do the GOOD WORK that He planned for me to accomplish in Christ! If you are reading this, I want to encourage you to embrace your real lives in Christ and present yourself as God’s MASTERPIECE and let’s watch the good works He planned for us begin to change our world!
Much Love,
Seth
Perspective Change
Today was our first day of the #30daysofawesome campaign started by our home church, Word Alive International Outreach in Oxford, AL. The point is to focus each day on God and look for something awesome to capture or chronicle with a picture and then share it on social media. The quote for this campaign is from Pastor Kent Mattox. “Change the way you are looking at things and things you are looking at will change!”
In other words, Begin to ask God for a perspective change! Ask Him for eyes to see what He sees and how he views things. John 3:3 says, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” The truth in this verse is that as a born again follower of Christ, we have received access to the perspective of The Father through Jesus Christ. It is through this new perspective that we should pray as Jesus taught us. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
When we begin to live our lives through this perspective, everything we do becomes more intentional and more keenly focused on His will. We can face adversity and trials with assurance that His will is accomplishing perfect faith in us and creating in us a heart to serve others that may be facing similar trials. It is with this mindset that we can truly embrace Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
I know that God has called me to follow Him and commit my life to His purpose for me. I don’t see this as a sacrifice, but rather as an honor to allow Christ to accomplish His will on this earth through me. He has called me to love ALL HIS PEOPLE! Not just the ones that love me back or “deserve” it. When I see as He sees, I begin to see everyone as someone special, created for a purpose and as a masterpiece waiting to be revealed in Christ. Ephesians 2:10
I can’t wait to SEE how these next 29 days will continue to bring about a PERSPECTIVE CHANGE!
Much Love,
Seth
Simple Man, Simple Thoughts
Welcome to my first “blog”! I am inspired to use this space to share my simple thoughts, God whispers and personal opinions, insights into scripture and revelations from the Holy Spirit!
Beth and I spent the first two days of this week in a “primitive” cabin in Ft. Payne, Alabama. The setting was perfect for a time of rest and reconnection for us. We were celebrating!! (1) Celebrating her birthday, (2) celebrating her healing from interstitial cystitis and (3) celebrating God’s goodness and our renewed passion for the rest of our lives together!
God was with us in our little cabin. He was with us as we relaxed in the hot tub and stared at the sky for what seemed like hours, listening to nature and our favorite worship playlist. He was with us as we talked about our future and reminisced about the past year and a half of hospital visits, pain and hopelessness. He allowed us to spend precious time together in the prime of our life when so many couples begin to drift apart. It was not always pleasant, but as we look back, we see that He was with us through the toughest stretches. As we step into our future there is one thing that I am sure of…HE IS WITH US!
Thank you to everyone who has prayed fervently for Beth and for our family. We share the joy of the journey with you and thank God for all of you.
Simply put, God is faithful – God is sovereign – God is our Healer – God loves us and God loves you too!
Much Love,
Seth
sethandbeth 