The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

I fired up my computer this morning only to find that the Internet was down; not globally, just here at the church. It was kind of like when the electricity is off: everything I think to do because I can’t do what I’m trying to do also requires electricity. Having lived most of my life in a non-Internet world it amazed me just how dependent I’ve become on it. Nevertheless, I was able to text all of our board members to let them know our meeting was cancelled due to an ice storm. Twenty years ago I wouldn’t have thought to contact most of them at work; it just wasn’t done. Now even while we’re at work all our social contacts have access to us & whenever we’re supposedly on our free time all our work associates, customers, etc. have access to us. Are we becoming more relaxed in our business world or is our business taking over our lives?

Maybe we were better off when we could go to work & only think about work. Just how many fish can we fry at the same time? We need a break; we need some rest. We need exactly what Hebrews 4 promises: a rest for the people of God! That’s what we’ll be talking about this morning.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Today we’re 26 days into our 40 days of Fasting & Prayer. One thing I’ve learned about fasting is that the battleground isn’t my stomach — it’s my mind. My body responds well if my mind is right, but I struggle terribly if I allow the wrong thoughts to dominate my brain. It’s funny how many people think it’s their job to fill my head with lies.

You’ve noticed this if you’ve ever been on a diet: someone will do everything they can to get you to eat whatever it is they’re eating. They’ll tell you how delicious it is, they’ll lie about it being good for you, they’ll even compliment you on your progress & suggest you deserve a treat for having done so well! If all else fails they’ll feign concern that you’ve lost too much weight & are in danger. And it’s not only with food. This happens whenever you try to make any changes for the better.

Why are they so motivated? People doing what is right are very convicting to people who are not. We feel better about ourselves when everyone else is making the same mistakes we are. Don’t be dissuaded from seeking God just because you often feel alone in your search or the enemy is trying to discourage you with lies. Press in, press on, & finish strong!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

I did it again: I had a great illustration for this article but failed to write it down. Once again, I said to myself, Oh, you’ll remember that one! You don’t need to write it down. Idiot that I am I fell for that old line.

I’m a fairly optimistic person. I’m always thinking things are going to get better; that I’ll overcome past weaknesses & failures, & that everyone else has good intentions even if their actions or words are hurtful. I’m often wrong.

Not everything has worked out the way I’d hoped; not everything is as I planned, but soon it will all be better than I ever dreamed! Until then we have Jesus as our traveling companion – Hallelujah! I’m pretty sure He’s the one nudging me to write things down.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

My battle to control my appetite for food comes in stages. When I’m out of control I eat almost constantly whenever I’m at home. Every time I walk through the kitchen I grab something to eat; I’ll carry a bag of pretzels or whatever along to the couch & munch or maybe I’ll raid the fridge for some leftover dessert. While I’m eating one thing I’m thinking about what I’ll eat next. I don’t eat until I’m full, I eat until I’m stuffed then can’t wait for the bloating to subside so I can eat some more. In this state I crave sweets, especially chocolate. Hunger pangs feel like an emergency — I’m starving to death!

When I’m on the right track, I eat three small meals a day & have a bowl of cereal in the evening. I’m free from the lust to munch — my sweet tooth is in remission. I feel better physically & sleep better at night. The food I eat tastes better. I’m happy to step on the scale & look in the mirror. Hunger pangs remind me that my body is eating away at my fat & I’m winning.

That’s usually when I begin to DRIFT. “A little won’t hurt…” DRIFT NOT!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

You’ve heard me talk about my habit of running for a long time now; in fact, I’ve been running for over 30 years. However, I ran in my first race this last summer. Knowing I was going to be in a competition changed how I ran. I lost some weight & started training two months before the event. I won my age class by one second. If I had not gotten serious about running – even though I’ve run for over three decades – I would have lost. If you don’t know you’re in a race how can you win? If you don’t know what to look for how can you win the scavenger hunt?

If you don’t know where to go how can you get there? As you struggle through life, work to attain those things worth having. Stop wasting your time on foolish pursuits & invest it in seeking to know & please God. This is your journey, our purpose, our event, make the most of it.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Usually I’m not a fan of following a school bus but the other morning one stopped in front of me to take on a load of kids that warmed my heart. A young father stepped out of his pickup followed by three boys. The two older boys each gave him a hug then ran onto the bus. The younger boy stood with his dad waving at his brothers. The father & son didn’t jump right back into their truck … they stood there waving. The man looked relaxed with his boys; they appeared appreciative of his attentiveness. That guy wasn’t too busy or in a hurry: it looked like he was taking care of the most important item on his agenda for the day.

Much of what we do we do just to get something done, cross it off our list, put in our time, etc. But there are some things in life that should be treated with special care. There are some things we need to do with the right mindset or we shouldn’t do them at all. Fasting is on that list. Fast with the right motives & the right goals or please don’t bother. We’ll be talking about that this morning.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

For a while I worked as a janitor for Gospel Publishing House in Springfield, MO. I had already graduated from college but was awaiting my first pastorate. I cleaned workspaces, restrooms, waxed & buffed floors, disposed of the trash, etc. One of the workers’ favorite pastimes in my section was to throw used milk cartons & empty pop cans up on top of the fluorescent lights. Getting them down required requisitioning a ladder, then moving it from area to area to retrieve that day’s catch. The janitorial staff was forbidden to leave notes for the workers … our job was to clean; not to question why.

Ever since those days I’ve been cognizant of the fact that someone has to clean up whatever mess I leave behind. As a janitor I learned to take all such indignities in stride: there’s no use fuming over what I cannot control. But as a consumer I try to cut down on the mess I leave behind in deference to the person coming behind me with a broom or mop. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” James 4:6

– Pastor Joel Everhart

My daughter called to say her family was coming for a visit from New York so we purchased a new blow up mattress for one of the boys to use. Barb filled it several times with a pump but it kept deflating. She asked me to give it a try & I discovered that the valve was loose. I tightened the valve, filled it once again & we were good to go. Don’t you just love to fix things? It sort of makes you feel like a hero.

God has the same passion for repair. Many people look at how wicked our society has become & are ready to be done with it; they’re waiting for God’s judgment to fall & fall hard. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved,” John 3:17. Until judgment falls, Jesus is ever working to restore what is broken, right up to the final moment.

We need to get out of the stands where those hoping to see fireworks are sitting & do what we can to further God’s agenda of repair & renewal. May God find us working the fields of harvest not condemning our neighbors or writing obituaries.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

I was on my way to the office on a Monday morning; I was in the third car back from a school bus, which had stopped to take on a student then started moving. The car behind the bus moved forward; the SUV in front of me continued to sit there. I was about to beep the horn when he slowly started to roll forward. Unfortunately, as he rolled he also drifted into the wrong lane. His vehicle was 25% into the oncoming lane when a car coming the other direction crested the hill just 20 yards ahead of us. I laid on the horn & he jerked his car back into our lane just as the oncoming car shot past us.

My heart was pounding; only moments before I had felt inconvenienced by a distracted driver but now I felt fortunate to be alive & that no one was injured. Using our lips is a little like beeping our horn: it’s usually better not to but when necessary use them to help someone else rather than promote your own agenda.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

It was early November & I really didn’t want to take the time but my dog insisted on an early morning walk. Callie pulled me in the direction of a nearby park, so, even though it was a longer route I followed. As it turns out, it was a wonderful morning with pleasant temperatures & many of the fallen leaves boasted vibrant colors.

I started collecting some of the more interesting leaves to take home to my wife & mother in law. Half of me was greatly enjoying the walk & the other half was reminding me of everything I was hoping to accomplish that day. A longer walk & collecting leaves wasn’t on the list, but maybe it should have been. Those leaves weren’t gorgeous for long; those temperatures weren’t going to be comfortable forever.

Having a basic list of priorities is necessary if we hope to have a productive, meaningful life. But that doesn’t mean we always have to be pushing to live within the top three items on that list. Somewhere there has to be room for a little “rose smelling” else life is reduced to being a rat racer.

– Pastor Joel Everhart