Yes!! Stink!!

I already have the results of my blood test from this morning...the good news is that my cholesterol is DOWN! WAY DOWN! I have NEVER had my cholesterol under 200...today it was 153! WHOO-HOO! My bad cholesterol was down about 70 points! YES! YES! YES!

My reward?! MORE MEDS! Yep you got it...trouble is...my good cholesterol also went down! So it is 39 and should be 40+...so for that I get more meds.

BUT FOR ME...I'm celebrating the fact that for the first time in my adult (and high school) life I have my cholesterol under 200!!!! YES! YES! YES!

Some stuff...

-I MISS THIS! Being in the office 1st thing in the morning...something relaxing about it...
-I just love starting my day this way.
-Looking forward to the summer and being able to be here more in the a.m.
-Got a blood test today (one of the reasons I'm off from teaching)
-Doing a funeral here in a bit...(the other reason I'm not teaching)
-I LOVE being there for families during this time...being able to share Jesus' peace with them...it's just good

-My heart aches for those that pass into eternity without Jesus...it just hurts!

-Drove to the office this morning praying for people that passed by me...longing to see them spend eternity with Jesus
-Today is interesting...God spared my life 2 months ago...and now I'm doing a funeral...Life is precious.

-MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY!

-6 salvations and 5 baptisms since I've been back to work...THAT IS VERY COOL!
-Went 3.3 miles 2 days ago in 35 minutes...Kels went 3.5 in 35...yep, she can beat me (RIGHT NOW!)
-Hit my goal of losing 25 lbs...now comes the real work...keeping it off for the rest of my life!
-Hit a wall yesterday and had to stop exercising...it is important to listen to your body

-I ALREADY want to say AMEN 100x's to Jim's message this coming Sunday and I haven't even seen it yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (It's on our health!)

Out Of Hiding

Sunday the worship band Out of Hiding led us...There music was good...really good...BUT it was their hearts that grabbed me. This group gets "it!" They aren't just about being fantastic musicians and entertaining people...they are about LEADING people to the throne room of THE Almighty...All Powerful God! They are simply about JESUS! Their lead singer Justin has a depth to him...a spiritual sensitivity that is energizing...contagious...challenging...AMAZING to rub shoulders with the whole group! I'm a better person because I got to rub shoulders with them...

If you're looking for a band to lead a youth event...lead your adults...GET THEM! Glad to know them...glad that they are out representing Jesus!

Website: http://www.outofhidingmusic.com/

"Today is the Day!"

I love the lyrics to that song...STRAIGHT from scripture..."Today is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Thank God TODAY for another day of life...another day to love on your kids...your wife...your family...another day to share Jesus' love with people around you. DON'T TAKE YOUR LIFE FOR GRANTED! LIVE!

Took my breath away...

Our communion service last night took my breath away. My desire last night was for people to have a chance to encounter God and to catch a deep breath. You know how good it feels on a warm day...to step outside and take a good........long.....inhale...then you hold it for just a second longer..........and let it go. "Ahhhhhhhh"

THAT is what I was looking for lasting night for people...and it happened...watching parents go around with their children...seeing people praying for 20-30 minutes...silently before God...resting...longing...pleading...it was good.

Then to experience the bread and the cup...to reflect on all that Jesus did...how thankful I am...

To eat together...share life together...I looked around at one point and saw conversations happening all over the room...

Then to end the night with people sharing their hearts...to see people sharing who haven't ever spoken up before...PRICELESS moments of sharing and then praying...

Last night was good. Very good. Last night was a breath of fresh air.

Monday Reflections

"The person you are being today is the person you will become tomorrow."

DONE! THAT summed up my struggles for more than a week...I have been working hard at changing myself...patterns...schedules...habits...and it has been unbelievably frustrating the past couple of weeks. THEN Jim said, "The person you are being today is the person you will become tomorrow" in the message yesterday. NAILED IT! If I allow myself to fall back into old habits, then no matter how much I talk about change IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

BUT!

If I begin to work through the frustration of life change...if I'm willing to struggle through...then tomorrow will be different...the change will begin to happen!

I remember a few years back Tiger Woods was changing his golf swing...he struggled for a couple of months and people wondered if he would ever return to greatness. (The same questions are being asked now after his personal issues...) He continued to work through the struggle and ignored his critics and got himself right back to where he needed to be...on top.

THAT is how we need to view our lives...to see the person God longs for us to be...then BEGIN to make the changes TODAY...then over time...with patience...with perseverance we will live the change.

Encouragement

I like fresh starts...everyday is a fresh start...the sun comes up and there is new hope. I thank God for each morning...for the sunrise and another day. These verses have gripped my heart...

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." (Isaiah 43: 1b-3a)

POWERFUL...encouraging...having a hard time holding on? Are you wanting to quit...to give up?! REMEMBER THIS: "FEAR NOT, for I (the Lord) have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He has summoned us BY NAME AND WE ARE HIS! Rest in that today...I am.

Struggling with these verses

I have not been able to clearly write what I'm feeling this week...(you'll notice that I haven't posted much)...here are some verses that I am really wrestling with...

"...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil 4: 12b-13)

I've said those words many times...and meant them...I believe them...but true belief is when your actions match up to what you say you believe...

I get to run!

A battle has been happening at the Boucher house. For a little more than a week, Kels and I have been "discussing" my exercise plan. ("Discussing" sounds sooooo good doesn't it!) Being a good doctor like myself, I gave myself the "all clear" last week to run. It had been 6 weeks since my heart attack and it takes the heart 6 weeks to heal. SO IT WAS TIME! Kels kept telling me though..."you may be adding to much stress to your heart, you need to confirm this with the doctor!"

I have been feeling good with my "running" or actually slow jogging...BUT I figured there was wisdom in calling to confirm. (You like that don't you..."I figured"...That is a guys' way of admitting that his wife was right...) Talked to the nurse today and she said that my exercise plan sounded good!! YES! She also said she would double check that and call if she was wrong. I've decided to turn off my cell phone for rest of the day and delete all voicemail!! (Kidding!!!! No really...I'm kidding!!)

No calls yet...SO...I'm cleared to RUN! Or at least slightly jog...

5K here I COME!

Monday Reflections

What a BLAST! Sunday was fun, exciting, HIGH ENERGY, passionate...we ended our parenting series with having children and their parents in the service together. IT WAS GREAT! We had balloons...painting...corn hole...basketball...Chloe brought in her rabbits...it was very cool. We did fun kids songs...time for quiet...a chance to SING SOME MORE (GREAT JOB MIKE AND NATE!) and then a challenge from the Word.

My favorite part of the service is when we read scripture...instead of having everyone read together we had families read together. It was fun to look around and see parents and their kids reading God's Word to each other! LOVED IT!

I talked about being thankful...we looked at Luke 17: 11-...Jesus heals 10 men with leprosy (or as I called them "leopards!" Oops!!) and only 1...ONLY 1 came back to thank him. Jesus gave these men new life, but they didn't say thank you. Our challenge is to be the most THANKFUL church in this region. That we would be known for how grateful we are. So we put that into practice and had families tell each other what they were thankful for.

It was a very awesome sight...to look over the auditorium and see people telling each other why they are thankful!

I did get confronted though...I used an illustration of filling a cup with water...that if we are not thankful people we have just a little water in our cup. BUT if we are thankful our cup will overflow...SOOOOOOO I let water overflow out of the cup and spill all over the floor!! (It really grabbed me on how far the water splashed...if we are THAT thankful...it will just POUR OUT onto other people!!) SOOOOOO...Don our cleaning guy grabbed the mop and started mopping up! IT WAS GREAT! His grandson though came up to me and said "Why did you make grandpa clean that up...YOU should have done that! It was your mess!" He was protecting his gpa! (for the record, I didn't ask him to clean it! That is just how much of a servant Don is!!)

GREAT morning!

Been down this road before...

I heard today that there is a possibility that my teaching job won't exist next year. They are rearranging the Intermediate Center schedules (5th-8th grade) and it may cut me out. We'll see...This is always the interesting part to me...parents and teachers fight and fight to save programs and to not consolidate schools...but the result is eliminating teachers and staff. I have said for a long time...we complain that our taxes are too high, so they get cut...THEN we complain that our schools have to make cuts...seems to be a never-ending cycle!

As for me...been here before...If my job is cut it will be the 3rd time in 6 years of teaching in South Bend that I have been laid off. (The trouble is...when you stop teaching in the school corporation, they start your senority years IN South Bend over...so I am listed as 0 years in SB...9 other years.) Funny thing is...THIS is where I sense God wants me. SO...if he wants us in South Bend he will provide a job again. My first year I got hired 7 days before school and placed the day before school started. Then I got laid off after 12 1/2 music teacing positions were cut...That year I started to apply to other schools, but stopped the process after realizing that God wanted me here...so he would come through. He did...he just waiting until the summer was over!! THEN...I got laid off again after that year. ONLY...I ended up at one of the best schools in South Bend after that!

So does it get tiring...yes. Am I confident that God will come through...yes. Do I believe that he has a plan in this...absolutely. Would I like to know what it is today...SURE!

A day I will NEVER forget

Luke came home with Kelsey before lunch...he walked in the door and Kels said..."Tell dad...tell him what you want to do." He was acting pretty shy about whatever it was...I had no idea that in just a couple of minutes his life would be changed FOREVER!

He finally said: "I want Jesus to be my Savior. Jesus died for me so I don't have to go to hell. I want to go to heaven." Then he prayed...all on his own...for Jesus to be his Savior...he prayed about wanting to go to heaven and not having to go to hell...It was INCREDIBLE...Right there on our kitchen floor...my son went from darkness to light...he walked into ETERNAL SALVATION. The angels in heaven got to throw a party for MY SON!!! MY SON! YES! YES! YES!

He called both sets of grandparents...He kept telling them..."I prayed about Jesus dieing on the cross for us so we don't have to go to hell. So we get to go to heaven."

BUT HE WASN'T DONE!!!! He said "Dad...I want to go build." (which means we grab some scrap wood...some nails...and put random pieces together) ONLY THIS TIME he said..."Dad...Let's make a cross!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME! He designed it himself...I didn't lay out one piece...I would start the nails and he would use the "big hammer" and finish.

THIS is a day I will NEVER forget!

My personal Biggest Loser Moment

Since Chloe and I are sitting here watching the Biggest Loser...I thought I'd give a health update on me...6 weeks since my heart attack! And now 2 days of being back to Full-time...

-I was TIRED after school yesterday!
-BUT...I bounced back in the afternoon and it felt great.
(It was sooooooo good to see my students and staff members!)
-Walked 2 miles yesterday
-Walked 56.31 miles since my heart attack. (not that I'm counting! ;)
-Went for a record 2.89 miles today!!
-Walked 836 1/2 minutes since my heart attack
-WHICH is about 14 HOURS of walking
-Jogged 15 minutes of my 35 minute exercise today
-Got up at 5:40 a.m. yesterday and 5:50 a.m. today
-THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY that I could have gotten up that early before my heart attack
-I used to wake up in the morning and feel like something was pushing me down into the bed...I remember praying at night "God PLEASE get me motivated to get up earlier in the morning." Then morning would come and I'd couldn't do it...
NOW I realized that was issues with my heart...
-Started coaching Jaden's team last night...love watching that boy play!
-Today was GREAT...I honestly can't believe how good I feel tonight
-Reminding myself OFTEN of these words:

"PACE YOURSELF BOUCHER!"

Not something I do very well...but working hard to do it now!!

AND since it is the BIGGEST LOSER here are my stats for 2010:

Starting Weight in January: 203
Weight at Heart Attack: 186
Weight TODAY: 180!!
23 lbs of weight loss
11.33% of my original body weight

Only 3-5 lbs. more and I'll get to my target!

Very good.

The service this morning was planned out...Colin and I had talked earlier in the week...went through the direction we sensed God was taking us...several times while we talked we turned in different directions...we didn't settle for the first "yes" we kept working to make it better. So I felt VERY confident and excited about this Sunday. Looked forward to seeing God move...

THEN...the service began and it was AMAZING! Colin led better than he EVER has...God spoke through him...he shared his heart...Pastor Jim and his family came...it was GREAT to see them too...I hadn't seen Jim for over a month with my health stuff. (BTW...when you asked Jim to come up during announcements and say something BE READY! He turned the questions back on me and asked some GOOD ONES!!)

THEN the message started...THERE I SAT...right in the front like I usually do...READY for the message...CONFIDENT of how the message was going to end...Confident of how we were going to close the service.

THEN Jim started speaking...His first point grabbed me..."Help build a relationship rich life instead of an experience rich life." The Spirit was really prodding my heart..."Tim if the people here don't know me, they will NEVER give their children a relationship rich life." I felt deep conviction that we had to change the end of the service...We don't change things too often, but when the Spirit is prompting and we are prayed up and prepared up...you gotta change! So I prayed..."God, I'll my part, please do yours." (more on that prayer in another post someday!)

THEN...at the end of the service I went up and simply asked people to keep their eyes closed and gave people the opportunity to give their life to Jesus...to establish the MOST IMPORTANT relationship they could ever have...at least 4 people prayed! It was AMAZING...it wasn't the plan to give people the opportunity to come to Jesus, BUT it was God's plan!

I've said for a long time...seek God's heart and PLAN like crazy...AND if you sense the Spirit telling you to change the plan...DO IT! I'm so glad that we did...

Coulda...Shoulda...Woulda

WHOA...reading in 1Samuel 13 today...Samuel the prophet has come to challenge King Saul. (He was king of Israel.) Saul hadn't been seeking what God wanted from him...he was making decisions and plans and not consulting with God. In verse 13-14 Samuel says something that convicted me...he was speaking to Saul...

"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now you're kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people..."

Did you catch the result of Saul not seeking God? Not following what God wanted? HE WOULD LOSE HIS KINGDOM! And more than that...God WOULD HAVE established Saul's kingdom "FOR ALL TIME!"

Do you get it? When we disobey God...when we go our own path...when we ignore HIS truth and direction...we will lose things that are important to us AND we miss out of HIS blessing! WHOA...these verses DRIVE ME TO MY KNEES to better understand what GOD wants with me and HIS church and to pray for the courage to take the faith steps to see it through!

Back to it...

Monday is the big day...I will be going back to teaching...Full time work! Teaching...pastoring and I'm taking a couple of classes to get my teaching certification back. I'm feeling the best that I've felt...I walked over 13 miles this week!! My body is feeling better...getting stronger. I am looking forward to seeing my students...it's been over 5 weeks since I've seen them. And yes, I have A LOT of questions...We'll see how it goes!!

This week has been good...good to be back...connecting with people...continuing our plans for the future. I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through our church in the next months...years...LIVING the church is a marathon not a sprint! We don't "arrive" until we die and meet him face to face. There are ALWAYS people to love...people to share Jesus with...people who are hurting...ways that we can be growing. There is a deep longing in me...a longing for more of what HE wants...

Thoughts

Doing some reading in Exodus today and studying the Hebrew word: "Kunl" The word is translated with 108 different words or phrases in the Old Testament. For about 3 or 4 weeks I have been intrigued by the word "direct" in the Bible...seeing how God used that word in His Word.

In Exodus 15 Moses is writing a song...a song about the power of God and how God moved for the Israelites as they left Egypt. AMAZING song! There is a point in verse 17 where he says God will "plant them (the Israelites) on the mountain of your (God's) inheritance" - The Lord's dwelling...the Lord ESTABLISHED (DIRECTED) this spot for them...he ALREADY SET IT in place...it was there for the taking. They just needed to claim it...

It made me think...what does God have established for us...what does he have right there in front of us that he wants us to claim? What does he want us to have to go through the desert to get? Imagine...the Israelites struggling through the desert, and coming in front of them was going to be the mountain that God established ahead of time to be their inheritance! POWERFUL! AMAZING!

More than anything it gives me hope...hope that if I seek God...and plead with him to reveal what HE is doing and what HE wants me to do...he will show me. WHY? Because it is already established...already set and waiting for me...I just have to seek him out!

Whoo-Hoo!!

Yeah Baby! Boucher ran...for 5 MINUTES yesterday!! Yep! 5 WHOLE minutes of my 30 minute walk were RUNNING! OK...let me be a little clearer on that...I "jogged" (if that is what you call it!!) at 5 mph on the treadmill for 5 minutes! BUT it wasn't just a walking speed...5k here I come!

Books I'm Reading

I have 2 books that I'm starting to read this week...The Unity Factor by Larry Osborne and the 7 Principles of an Evangelistic Life by Douglas Cecil. I respect Larry Osborne A LOT...I went to a conference on multisite church before we launched our church...I had the opporunity to hang out at his church in CA. God has done amazing things through him and his church...reaching people in VERY creative ways. The book is a little older, and is in its 4th edition. The 2nd book by Cecil is on envangelism and I'm looking for something to add fuel to my fire! Coming off of Easter, I'm really stirred up on prayer and reaching people who don't know Jesus...I'm looking forward to this book.

Back at the office

It is hard to believe that I have not worked in the office for a month...last week was a full week, but I spent most of my time studying up in Kidzone. It was good today...talked with a few people...put my new weekly To Do list into action. The list is made up of things that I have to get done every week. SOmethings things get pushed back or not done that REALLY need to happen each week. So, I created a list of things for each day I'm in the office...I also worked on making a block schedule while I was off. It gives me time to get admin stuff done...studying... relationships...pouring into leaders...We'll see how it works.

I was back in the hospital today...only this time it was to visit someone...strange walking back into the ER...glad that God brought me through that...lots of lessons learned.

Monday Reflections

So good to be back yesterday! Great celebration of Jesus' resurrection!! We had testimonies during the service...never done that on Easter...some powerful things were shared! Amazing to see how God is working in people's lives and WHAT BETTER day to talk about that!! I have not been so impacted by a message like this one. We talked about our payment options for eternity...talked about how life is a mist...we are only here for a moment...a brief moment in time. That at ANY TIME we could die...and what then? Will we have chosen the best payment option for our sin?

Many "seeds" were planted in people's hearts on Sunday...we didn't have anyone come to Jesus, but we did our part! We gave the message and gave people the opportunity and time to respond. My heart aches for those who left on Sunday who haven't put Jesus in charge of their lives yet...I spent time this morning sitting on stage...praying for them...begging God to open their eyes before it's to late. This is something that bothers me after any invitation we give...who are the people that hear this message, yet don't come to Jesus...I pray that they do before it is to late.

Our Egg Dash went very well too...a GREAT time with the kids!! OUTSTANDING JOB to all of our people who made that happen!!

Ready

I'm ready for tomorrow...ready for God to show up...ready to have speak through my weakness...I've done what I can do...others have prepped the building and prepared for the service. Now it is God's time...his time to show what he is up to...It feels good to have the pre-Sunday jitters back!! The anticipation of what God is going to do in people's lives...longing to see him SHOW UP!

"Now to him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY more than all we could ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us, to him be flory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout ALL generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

(Ephesians 3: 20-21)

Tough Day

Imagine yourself right now being a follower of Jesus the day after he died...you heard him teach...saw his miracles...but now you have questions. HE IS DEAD?!?! How do you handle this? What would you have done? Would your faith be rattled? Shaken? Doubt had to begin to crowd into their minds...today would have been a TOUGH DAY...yesterday, watching him die would have been painful. Today would be when the doubts came on you...

How do you respond when God hasn't answered your prayers the way you want? When you have begged him to move and he hasn't come through...at least not yet? Does doubt about his power come on you? Do you doubt that he will answer? When these times come on you go back to those first Christians, the first Christ followers...and remember HE DID RESPOND! He did come through!! Trust him...continue to pray to him...continue to ask...AND BELIEVE! The God who raised Jesus from the dead is STILL ALIVE and working TODAY!

Payment Options!

Easter Sunday...WOW...I have a lot of emotions going into this Sunday. A lot of things going on inside of me. I look forward to "being back" and preaching. And how exciting is it that it gets to happen on the day we celebrate OUR SAVIOR's VICTORY over sin and death!

So...come...Payment Options is the message title...which option will you take?!?!

Good Friday

Thank you Jesus for what you went through on the Friday before Easter...if it wasn't for Friday, we would have NOTHING...NOTHING AT ALL to celebrate on Sunday. We would have no hope...because you would not have been willing to suffer for us. So, thank you...not just that you were so POWERFUL to conquer death on Sunday, but that you were willing to be beating...spit on...whipped...and crucified so that we could have the opportunity to experience heaven when we die.

Thanks.

Thoughts from Ugly Mugs

I'm sitting here at Mugs...prepping my message for Sunday and taking a break from it for a couple minutes...

Things in my head for Sunday:

-WOW...Jesus did all that...what a payment he made for me
-God PLEASE work on people's hearts so they respond to YOUR message and don't risk eternity away from you
-Thanks for life
-Looking forward to really being back!!
-Jesus did that, yet I complain about so much!
-Revelation ends with "Come..." oh that many would come THROUGHOUT THE WORLD and respond to messages of hope


Other stuff as I take a break:
-I LOVE Ugly Mugs...what a great place to hang out and study
-That bball hoop we got Jaden was PERFECT!
-He made a shot from 20 ft. away!
-CHLOE is exercising like crazy...cool to see her develop!
-I RAN (well...sort-of jogged) across the street 2x's yesterday...and yes Kelsey was standing right there! COMING BACK!
-My heart hurts for people...people who are dealing with deep pain right now
-What will happen when the church CONTINUES to learn how to love each other and the community as Jesus would?
-I think I might pull for Butler to win it all now...not sure after the "sympathy" card I received from a friend who is a Bulter fan...Maybe I just won't tell her!
-Off to lunch with Tim Welling...great friend...