Word of the Week: Integrity!

I have been wrestling this school year with how to best influence my students...I realize the fact that the majority of my students will not be playing the instrument they play right now when they are my age. So yes...OF COURSE I long to see them be the best musicians they can EVER be! And MORE THAN THAT...I long for them to be the BEST PERSON they can possibly be. THE VERY BEST!

SO this week I started a word of the week...we take some time to discuss the word...and my hope is as we do this week after week...these life skills...maybe a story that is shared will help to shape my student's minds, hearts and lives.

This week...it is all about integrity...all about doing the right thing when people are and are not watching. Being the very most trustworthy people...people that their parents, teachers, peers can trust...

This made me think about my life too...how am I doing with protecting and guarding my integrity? I have LONG had the desire to be the same man at work as I am at home...to be the same at church as I am at home...

If you are reading this...that is my prayer for you...my prayer is that you will walk through this life with integrity...that you will hold your head high, knowing that you are trustworthy...that you do the right thing even when people aren't watching you. AND I pray...that if there is something...something that you are holding back...something that you think no one else can see...something that holds you back from living with integrity...that you will deal with it through the forgiveness of our God AND through walking with others in accountability!

If this couch could speak...

15 years ago my brother and sister in-law gave this couch to us...before that it belonged to my grandma...I remember when it was moved into her new apartment when I was in 5th grade after my grandpa had passed away.

Whoa...lots of memories...think of all the things that this couch has seen...think of the moments...the memories...sad stories...heart breaking stories...AMAZING joys...tears of joy and broken moments...prayers...teaching moments...wrestling...couch-covers...TONS of desserts...movie nights...FUN memories!!

A couple of moments for me...

My favorite of all would have been sitting on that couch interviewing my grandma...I had to interview someone and then write a paper on them in high school. I will never forget (I just got CHILLS thinking about it!) that time with grandma...it was sooooooo priceless...hearing about her growing up years...her life with grandpa...how she missed him. (Over 50 years of marriage! Cool story there...Kelsey's wedding ring has gma's diamond in it...so it is rounding 70 year of marriage in that diamond!!) Priceless times.

I also remember watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with Gma...THEN YEARS LATER...I got to sit on that couch and watching the same show with MY KIDS!

That couch has a lot of memories...it was beat-up...torn-up...but it was still hard for me to send it to the curb...LOTS of memories!

Reflections

Used to "reflect" every Sunday night or Monday morning...thought I'd bring that back for at least 1 week!

My thoughts from church this morning and more...
-LOVE being at Living Stones and the people we are reaching
-Message touched the people around us...could see it in their body language...lots of tears
-This series is PURE POWER! EVERYONE has been Sucker Punched...that out of the blue thing that happens to you and just feels like a punch out of no where...the sickness...a family member's addiction...an affair...hearing about cancer...a heart attack...you get the idea...something that just comes out of no where.
-When I heard a few of the stories...stories from people here at Stones...how they are hurting...what they have or are going through...this is home.
-When I heard a few of the stories...it brought tears to my eyes...that people live with such pain
-When I heard a few of the stories...it made me praise God that I have never had to walk alone
-Sam...i.e. Pastor Sam...gave people permission to ask God questions when they get sucker punched...YES! Job sure did!
-By the way...STOP AND THINK FOR A MOMENT about Job...how his life was turned UPSIDE DOWN in a matter of moments...loss of family...job...health...yet he worshipped God...whoa.
-ALSO...glad Job asked some tough questions...I know I do...at times I feel guilty for asking.
-BEST QUOTE OF THE MORNING: "If I can't get an answer from God, where will I get an answer?" Think about this...when we question God...we are telling him that we have no where else to go...no one else to turn too...that if he doesn't have the answer...no one will
-BUT...know this..."the key to healing is not getting the why questions answered...it is focusing on HIM." True healing happens when we get our eyes, heart and mind focused on Jesus Christ!
-As you work through your pain...focus on how to serve others.

More Stuff...
-I used to love every Sunday morning...seeing Aaron Tuttle...he has the very best smile that I have ever seen...it was SO GOOD to see that smile this morning!
-Living Stones is a very friendly place...especially for a church its size...impressive!
-Wondering how to get involved...feel lost in that area--want to...not sure where/what
-Chloe went to the opening Kickoff for the youth tonight...SHE LOVED IT! JUST LOVED IT! Had a blast...GREAT JOB STONES!!
-Been spending time on the Cost of following Jesus...been spending time asking God to break my heart for struggling people and people that need him
-Kelsey is amazing...the way she takes care of our family...me...the way she raises our kids...the woman of God she is...I'm blessed.

How much is it?

How much does it cost? This is something that I have been thinking about a lot this week...NO...not because we just had to redo our family room, have furnace issues AND have things we need to fix in our van. (Although it sure could be those!!)

I have been reading in the Gospels...Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...been reading about what it costs to follow Jesus...Also...been thinking and reflecting A LOT on what it cost Jesus to come down here. I feel overwhelmed and convicted when I think of this...Jesus gave up the "best seat in the house" to come down here...he was sitting right beside God the Father...sitting in perfection...enjoy the PERFECT company of his Father, yet...because he LONGS to give us the chance to have that same company with God, he gave that up...and he came down here to live.

This convicts me...because I like to feel sorry for myself sometimes...convicted because when I compare ANYTHING that I have EVER lost in my life it simply doesn't come CLOSE to what God gave up for me...for you.

So, how much is it? Salvation is free...It's free...there is NO COST to accepting God's love...none! After we have taken that step, then we must live in obedience and THAT is costly AND worth it!! Doesn't mean that we don't enjoy life, but our focus shifts...shifts from focusing on our happiness to focusing on how do we please God and encourage others.

Take the plunge...stop waiting around for tomorrow to come...stop hesitating and give your life to Jesus AND take the plunge to live as HE wants you to live...how he wants you to live!!

DO IT! You'll be glad you did...

Where you are...Make the most of it!

Where do you find yourself right now? Are you doing what you dreamed that you would be doing 5...10...50 years ago? Are you living the way you longed to live? Have the job that you want? Family? Money? How about a passion for God? A relationship with him? Are you closer or farther from him?

Where are you right now? AND better than that...are you ok where you are? AND even more than that...are you making the most of where you are?

Life is such a journey...lots of paths...detours...and the key is to make the most of each moment. God knows where you are...he knows your dreams...but more than anything else...he simply wants your heart...he wants YOU...He loves you...NOW GO! Go make the most of your life RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!

The search is over

It has been 3 very interesting months...emotional times...relaxing times...restless times. When we closed our church 3 months ago, we had no idea what we were going to do. Frankly we are still figuring it all out! But we finally came together as a family on where we are plugging into a church body.

We have weighed A LOT of factors...and it has been very difficult for all of us...Kelsey...me...and our kids. We have visited some INCREDIBLE places...places where God is really working...and places where good friends are pastoring...frankly...that has made this very hard for me...knowing some of the pastors--we haven't wanted to jump too soon. And it has been hard because WE LOVE GRACE COMMUNITY!

Here is the thing...it is time to move forward...and I have been UNBELIEVABLY wrestless...frustrated...urgh inside! Just restless to get back to serving...to be more than just a Sunday attender...SURE I have liked sleeping in...liked not having Saturday night stress about Sunday...but I'm sooooo ready to get involved HOWEVER! Whatever...

The cool part is...the kids are excited too...excited to be settling in to the church where God wants us...

Looking forward to what God has in store for us at Living Stones Church...Why Living Stones? GLAD YOU ASKED!

THEY LOVE JESUS!
They share A LOT of Grace DNA...LOVE outreach...LOVE serving people...
THEY REACH OUR neighborhood...YEP...MINE! They want to touch the 46614 &46613 zip codes...AND THAT IS WHERE WE LIVE! I simply love the southside of South Bend and look forward to jumping in and expanding our influence here in SB.
We wanted to LIVE church where we are and Living Stones is just that...real people...they even say in their bulletin that they are a "come as you are church!" NICE!
I could go on and on, but Pastor Sam is a friend of mine and might get a little bigger head...so I'll stop now!

Where do we go from here?? GREAT question? No idea how we will plug in...no idea what ministries we'll connect with, but I know where we are going..how we are moving forward and I cannot tell you what a relief that is for me AND my family! (My kid's faces LIT UP when we said we were going there...Chloe asked to go to youth group this coming Sunday!)

Been a journey so far and looking forward to beginning to write the next chapter of what God wants to do with the Bouchers'...

The Night Before School

Our house is BUZZING tonight...the anticipation of a new school year...Chloe moving up to 6th grade...J in 3rd and LUKE ENTERING KINDERGARTEN!! Plus I am starting tomorrow!

A LOT of energy tonight...boys that had trouble falling asleep...Chloe is bouncing around...it is sooo cute and fun!! And Sadie is baby-talking like crazy...I think she is excited too...(I wonder what she will think tomorrow when she goes from having 6 of us to just her and mom!!)

The first days of school have so much anticipation...so much hope...kids and teachers are full of dreams for the year--I have been prayer walking the hallways and praying for my students, teacher, admin and staff at our school. EXCITING!!

ALRIGHT...back to getting a few last minute things done!!

From the mouth of kids and other thoughts...

Tucking the boys in tonight I told them how much I have enjoyed being around more this summer...how grateful I am to Grace Community Church Goshen's leadership for paying me through the summer so I could be with my family...and have time to reflect and restore. We always pray before bed and Luke prayed this tonight...

"God...'at (at means "that" to Luke...)help us to move on from Grace Community Church so 'at we can really like our new church..."

Whoa...the prayer of a 5 year old! He really touched me with that prayer...my kids LOVED Grace...they were more than just "the pastor's kids" there...they enjoyed their friends...enjoyed the people...their teachers...and what AMAZING perspective for Luke...He loved Grace, but he already sees the importance of moving on! I believe that God will honor my little man's prayer...God will lead us to just the right church and he will have us fall deeply in love with the church!


Other things...
Today was the end of my summer...I have meetings tomorrow at Jackson...more on Wednesday and then students on Thursday. It is strange to think that after 7 years I will be back teaching full time...been part time for a lot of that, but this is different. A bit strange feeling...I am looking forward to the adventure of the school year...seeing what opportunities there are.

Feeling grateful tonight...grateful to be a child of God...grateful for my family...grateful for my friends...for how blessed my life is and has been...

"What If..."

School is about to start and "What if..." is a question that students LOVE to ask...last night Kels, Chloe and I watched "Soul Surfer" If you haven't seen it...it is a MUST SEE! Powerful true story...and just as good as the movie was the documentary of the actual person...

What if...is a question that has wondered through my head a few times in the past months...I learned A LONG TIME AGO to shut out that question...at least when it is coming in a negative way...Between that movie and my class reunion last weekend...I have thought about some what ifs...

-What if I hadn't blown out my knee my junior year...that changed the direction of my life...at the time it was DEVASTATING...now I see a clear detour in my life...a detour that led me to Grace College to study music...a detour that led me to my AMAZING wife and 4 kids...a detour that gave me the opportunity to fall in love with a city I hadn't heard of and see many lives changed for eternity...Sure college soccer would have been great...but I wouldn't trade the last 20+ years for that!

-What if...what if I hadn't stepped out and spoken up and wanted to plant a church? What if I would have sat on the sidelines...truth?? I would have missed out on meeting some amazing people...missed out on watching people walk into the arms of Jesus for the first time...met people that have shaped my life forever...people that I dearly love...

-What if...I had been more strict with myself and not had a heart attack...(ooooo...this is a big one!) the answer I keep telling myself is the same one from the movie last night: "God works all things out for the good of those that love him." And I'm holding on to that to be honest...I could go on and on about how this has changed me...and changed me for the good (and it really has!)...but truthfully...I have to get back to you in 10 yrs or so and give you God's big picture on that one...from my earthly standpoint...I believe that if I had not had that heart attack I would still be the pastor of Grace Community Church South Bend...but clearly God had other plans...and I plan to find it out!

-What if...what if...instead of looking for God...looking to fall more in love with HIM...we keep feeling sorry for ourselves? What if...WHAT IF...we keep looking so hard for that next opportunity that we miss HIM...that we miss the opportunity to fall in love with JESUS...this is where I'm at tonight...

What if...can be a good question if it is used right...that movie last night moved me...challenged me..."What if..."

"God...move EVERYONE who reads this post to fall more deeply in love with you...to stop worrying about the 'What ifs' and to focus on you...oh...you really do love us...for all of our questions...our struggles...our victories...thanks. In Jesus Name..."

"Doing Great!"

I remember hearing a story about a pastor of a large church who was attending a conference and eating with some other pastors...they had gone around the table and asked how each one was doing...they all spoke of how GREAT everything was going in their personal lives and their ministries...when it got around to this pastor he said that it was time for him to go...because "we really don't need each other anyway since everything is so perfect."

See that pastor knew some of what was happening in the other pastor's lives...he knew that one of them had a marriage that was in trouble...another pastor's ministry was falling apart...yet they all had to much pride to admit what was happening and ask for help...so that pastor removed himself from the conversation...

How often do you do this? This isn't about spilling every struggle to every person you know...but do you have people that can share your struggles...that you are willing to be honest with? If not...I encourage you to pray for that person to come into your life...OR maybe they are there and you are not willing to open up...DO IT! Be willing to be honest and share the struggles of your heart...that life just isn't as perfect as put it out to be...THEN you will find true encouragement to walk through this life!