Washington it is not about you. Nor is it about me.

Our society stands in the wake of another senseless tragedy scrambling to place blame after innocent lives have been taken at the hands of another. News media have jumped on the chance to increase the attention for their views on the pain of others. Churches and church leaders have exploited the deaths of individuals to bring about a new sense of “awareness” of the dangers of division of opinions. Law enforcement officers, whose job is to be objective and gather only the facts, have held news conference to ignite our society by merely presenting opinions and philosophies in place of facts. Political leaders have rallied around the tragedy to push their own agendas and to place blame on their opponents. The President and wife hold a moment of silence and ask for prayers for the families, even when religion is not an important facet of their lives.


Can we blame them really? When I look at the tragedies in my life, when I relive the pain, I am thankful it was not exploited by others. While it is our human nature when something happens in our lives that invokes without warning a hurricane of emotions, shock, and confusion we all search for blame. Our conscious needs a place to put what has just happened to us in order to compartmentalize our need for understanding and to begin our mode of survival. We search our conscious to see if in any way we are to blame for what has just happened to us. We begin the “what if” game that helps us get through the horrible event that has just happened to us. This is usually done in private on an individual scale but when it happens in the context of a multimedia two second sound bit world it magnifies it for a grander audience. And whenever we are presented with a grander audience, our tendency is to express more than necessary, express what is important to us, and hopefully increase the volume of our message. While this is true, it does not necessarily mean it is bad but ineffective. When we are dealing with confusion, pain, and senselessness we are not open for new ideas, reasoning, or understanding. Simply put we tend to hold tighter our preconceived values, opinions, and prejudices when tragedy knocks us down.

My only option is to look and deal with the facts. The common ground we all can agree upon and begin my journey from there. A disturbed angry ill person shot and killed six innocent individuals of diverse ages and backgrounds, and 14 more were injured at a public event. The person who caused this catastrophe brought about immeasurable pain to many families, a community, and a whole nation. It is not about one political party or the other, a defeated Vice Presidential candidate’s remarks, talk show hosts, one sheriff’s biases, or sadly enough one crucially injured public servant. It’s not about strengthening our base, or rallying our cause, even if we are a political organization or a church. It is about many different people lives. The focus is about real individual’s lives which were uprooted and will never be the same and were permanently altered from that moment on. I can not imagine the guilt the family of the shooter must feel, I can not imagine the pain of the family members who tried to prevent their loved one from getting shot but were unsuccessful. I can live with the fact that I will never know the sincerity or what is in the heart of the President and his family, other elected leaders, or others who have an audience. I am saddened as I have seen this same tragedy played out before in High Schools, on college campuses, in workplaces, and even on an army base. I have come to realize that understanding, blame or reasoning may never be part of totality of the events. So I turn for me to the one place I find comfort. I turn to God not for understanding or where I should place blame but for healing. I pray for comfort to the family of Christina Taylor Green who was born on September 11, 2001, when we where faced with another senseless tragedy. As she was called the child of hope, I pray her family may find hope in the time ahead. I pray for the family of U.S. District Court judge, John M Roll, his wife, Maureen; three sons; and five grandchildren. I pray for the brother and fiancé of Gabe Zimmerman. I pray for the family of Phyllis Schneck, her three children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I honor, respect and pray for Dorwin Stoddard as he died as he tried to protect his wife, Mavy, when the shooting started. Mavy Stoddard was shot in the leg three times. I pray for Dorothy Morris a retired homemaker and secretary who died in the shooting; her husband, George, a retired airline pilot, was hospitalized. I also pray for healing for all those who are recovering from life altering injuries both physical and mental. I also pray for the family of the one solely responsible for this tragedy. I can never imagine if my child was responsible for such a horrible senseless act. I can not imagine the guilt and pain they must feel so I lift them up as well. I turn to my Creator for not for understanding or a platform to move my agenda ahead but for healing. For those families involved and the society in which I live, I lift up my prayers of hope that we never have to experience this again.
Shalom,
Tommy

"What Are We Looking For?"

I am wondering if you have ever experienced the same strange phenomenon I have. You walk to the refrigerator, open the door, and stare endless into the selection of food items. Your mind and time seem to come to a complete stop. Food items you know that are in there because you put them in there are the object of your undivided attention. Nothing really is being processed through your conscious you just freeze looking confused. Sometimes this occurs when I am famished. Hungry, I need to eat, I want to eat, but I can’t seem to make up my mind. Other times this occurs when I’m not hungry, I just felt this strange urge to the refrigerator and hope a desire hits me. Again out of habit, I find myself with the door open, the light and cold air blowing in my face, looking like a zombie staring at food products. When I seem to be locked in time, someone will ask the question to bring me back to reality, “What are you looking for?”

When we open up the door of our lives, of our relationships, of our spiritual connectedness do we ask ourselves, “What are we looking for?” or do we wait for others to ask us, "what are we looking for?"
"What are you looking for?" Jesus asks the two disciples in the first chapter of the gospel of John. Now, "What are you looking for?" is a fairly strange question when you think about it. The logical question would be, "What do you want?" Maybe this isn't a story about what people want. The word for staying and for remaining in Greek is the same word-meno-and it's used in this story five times in very quick succession. Twice John says the Spirit came to Jesus and remained. The two disciples asked, "Where are you staying?" They go and see "where he was staying and they stayed with him that day."
Remain. Remain. Stay. Stay. Stay.
Could this story be telling us something the disciples don't know yet themselves? What people are looking for is not information, answers to questions such as "Who is Jesus?" or "Is this the one?" Or "Am I right about this church business?" Not even the answer to the question of why stories of meeting this man have captured the human heart for generations.
What we are all looking for without even knowing it is a place to stay, a place to remain always. Jesus is that place, a person who is himself a home, a place to belong, and a whole way of life. Jesus knows that what the disciples really want is a place to belong. Whatever he sees on the faces of these two men panting in front of him after running down the street, whatever he sees, what he says to them is just right and wonderfully inviting: "Come and see." They do go with him. They end up staying, and his story becomes their way of life. Maybe to find what we are looking for we need to some movement. We need movement in our attitudes, our prejudices, and our preconceived attitudes about people or outcomes. We might need to get our heads out of the refrigerator, close the door, and witness what God is doing around us. When we witness God’s activity, the moment we share what God has done in our lives with others, we become part of God’s story. Being part of Christ’s story may just be what we are looking for, and what satisfies our hunger.
See ya in church but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Shalom,
Tommy

"The Things You Quickly Forget"

 By the time you read this a new year is underway. 2010 is behind us, some of us have made new resolutions for the year ahead, and for the next several months I will still be writing 2010 whenever I put down the date. Coming off the high of the celebration of Christmas, we are filled with mixed emotions as we look at the year past while eyeing the possibilities of the year ahead. Many times while we move from season to season living our life at a hectic pace, we often miss the incredible accomplishments God has provided for us as a faith community as we lived out our vision and mission. As I look back on the last year, I have had the opportunity to be apart of some of God's greatest achievements. Listed is not about what I can do as a minister, but the awesome opportunity I have to get a front row seat to God's transformation. It is not about on person, one's career, or what I can get done but about the power of God. I have experienced many personal area's of growth, spent time in prayer, and tried to address the broken piece of me. Through it all I have experienced joy and pain, frustration and contentment, betrayal and love. I have realized life is not what I can accomplish but what God allows me to witness and be apart of is what truly matter the most. Here are a few things God has done at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Centralia were I serve.
In 2010 we:
• Restructured our governing system to encourage ministry. Our new system places more emphasis on individuals and less on the administrated task of the church as an organization. This created Ministry Teams which empowers all members of FCC to take the initiative to get involve, create, and explore new ways to connect people to the love of Jesus Christ.
• We sent one of our own youth, Abby Henegar, to represent us in Honduras on a mission trip as she ministered in the name of Jesus Christ and First Christian Church.
• We created and implemented the Elder Shepherding program which allows the Elders to minister in a more concise, personal, and effective way. Each Elder can spend more time and attention to those they serve creating deeper meaningful relationships.
• We have provided 12 free Friendship Meals at Calumet Christian Church. Volunteers have feed and formed relationships with those in our community who are hungry physically and spiritually.
• We made Centralia Group Workcamp a reality. We hosted 408 people from all over the nation and three countries, which provided free home repair for 56 Centralia residents. The relationships that were formed, the hope that was instilled, and the love of God that was displayed in one week has changed our community forever.
• We provided over 500 pillows as a symbol of gratitude, blessing and remembrance to those who participated in Centralia Group Workcamp.
• We provided Christmas gifts for children and special needs adults. Through your generosity we provided hope, love, grace, and joy to those in our community who would go without.
• Through two massive food drives as well as contributions throughout the year, we have feed countless number of families in connection with the Food Bank.
• We created Fusion Worship an unprecedented accomplishment in any church. When churches routinely divide so they can offer two separate styles of worship, FCC consciously, prayerfully, and faithfully came together in unity. It was not about preference in worship styles but the different generations compromising, being flexible and unselfish for the greater good of the gospel and the future.
• As the vision grew, we created Kidz Zone. A place where younger children can grow in their faith during worship with an age appropriate ministry. A place they can feel loved and welcomed, and begin their relationship with Christ.
These are just a few accomplishments of 2010 we did as we lived out our vision of connecting people to the love of Jesus Christ. This does NOT account for the thousand of quiet individual ways in which you prayed, cared for, and reached out to others in the anonymity of you living out your faith. God has done some amazing awesome things through our faith community in the last year. We have been blessed to be ever growing, changing, and responding to God’s call in all we are and all we do. However, 2011 is upon us. I am thankful for what we have accomplished as Christ’s church but God’s has even more for us in the year to come. We all need to resolve to continue to give God our best, continue to grow in our relationship with Christ and one another, and open our selves to God’s possibilities as each of us are a blessing to others.
I hope to see you soon but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Shalom,
Tommy

Unwrapping the Gift

Calvin Coolidge once said that: Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. I could not agree with him more. Christmas time is a time of preparation. To clean out the clutter of our lives, our souls, and the unresolved issues that has prevented us from truly allowing Christ into our lives. Christmas is a time of reflection of Christmases past, present, and future. We reminisce about Christmases of our youth, when loved ones we lost were still with us. We recall Christmases that hold both good and bad memories and realize they shape who we are. We prepare, shop, and decorate for this year, and we also dream of the Christmases to come. It is easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm of Christmas only to be let down later if we let it.


Advent is two fold. It is a celebration of the historic event when the great distance between heaven and earth was closed by the birth of a child. Advent is a remembrance of a single event when Jesus Christ was born into our world. Advent is also the acknowledgement of the gifts our Savior brings. The Christ child brings the gift of hope which enables us to navigate through the hardships, the pain, and the fears of this life. When we unwrap this gift of hope we realize God is with us through all the ups and downs of our life. When we unwrap the gift of peace, we realize at that exact moment, it is through Christ we find that inner peace we all long for. In the deepest depths of our soul, we all desire that inner peace. A confidence that no matter what happens to us, through Christ everything will turn out all right. When we unwrap Christ’s gift of joy for us, we find that elation in the simple blessing in life. With the joy we find in Christ we are able to not always focus on the negative, the bad, or the ugly but see not only the goodness in our lives but the best in all humanity. Through this gift we find life is a joy and full of God’s simple blessings. Last but not least, Christ brings for us the gift of love. Love is the most powerful gift we receive. Love allows us to begin to mold our own life after that of Christ. The moment we recognize Christ’s unconditional love we too being to love others the same way. We are able to look past the outside and accept people as they are. We are able to build them up instead of tearing them down, we are able to understand their frustrations instead of being critical, and we are able to offer them grace or a soft place to land instead of judgment.

These gift that Christ has for us are not gifts we play with until the newness wears off or the batteries go dead. They are not presents that quickly loose their glitter or glory but they transform who we are. They are intended to remold our character, recalibrate our moral compass, and strengthen us for whatever lies ahead. God sent us the most precious gift of all, a child, to enrich and transform our lives. Advent is not a time or a season but an opportunity to truly appreciate, cherish, and use God’s gifts to us. Because the best gift I can give others this Christmas, is a better me.
May God bless you and touch your hart like never before..

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas..
Hope, Peace, Joy and Love,
Tommy, Kellie, Abby & Will Henegar

“Sleep Well, Dream Big, Love Bigger”

What have you been dreaming about lately? Christmas time is a time to dream. Some of us are dreaming about wonderful possibilities. We're dreaming of pearl necklaces and sugar plum fairies and new bicycles. I hope all those dreams come true!

Some time ago, Time magazine published an intriguing cover article during the Advent season. The article that struck my attention was about sleep as I am one who struggles with sleep. For all that we know about the human body these days, scientists do not know the exact reason why we need sleep. We know why we need food, shelter, and clothing; but we do not know the reason why we need sleep.

And what is the reason for dreams, those strange images that bounce along our brain waves? We wake suddenly, and reality itself seems like a different world. Why do we need sleep? I believe the answer is this: We need sleep because we need to dream.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent is about a dream, the dream of Joseph. Not Mary's dream, but Joseph's dream. In fact, the story of the angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary appears in only one gospel, the gospel of Luke. In two other gospels, Mark and John, there is no account whatsoever of the physical birth of Jesus. We have four gospels, and they differ dramatically in how they tell the story of the birth of Jesus. In Matthew's gospel, the angel appears not to Mary at all, but to Joseph.

And it is Matthew's gospel that we read this year (Matthew 1:18-25). It is Joseph we hear and consider his point of view. Joseph dreamed something wonderful. It was astounding. God would enter the world. God would be born to his wife, as crazy as that was to understand. Joseph had some serious trusting in God to do! But Joseph had to trust someone else, too. Joseph had to trust Mary. I know Mary was his wife, and surely Joseph must have loved Mary. But, still, this took a lot of trust! And this is why Joseph's dream is so important. Joseph dreamed of the salvation of the world.

And for Joseph, the way of salvation meant trusting someone else. It may well be that true salvation comes through someone else. That is the lesson for us, too. Like Joseph, sometimes, we are supposed to trust God and then get out of the way. Trust that God is working through our wife, and then get out of the way. Trust that God is working in our children, and then get out of the way.

What are you giving for Christmas this year? I do not mean what are you getting. We all want something wonderful, I am sure. But what are you giving for Christmas? The greatest gift you can give this year is to believe in someone's dreams. The greatest gift you can give is to have faith in someone else; believe in their dreams. Believe in the dreams of the person you love. Believe in the dream of your husband. Believe in the dream of your wife. Believe in the dreams of your children. Believe in the dream of your hero, your leader, your friend. Believe in their dreams!

And sleep comfortably this season. I know some folks do not sleep well because of too much worry. The reason we sleep is to dream.The reason we have relationships is so that we will have someone who will believe in our dreams. God works through those relationships. God works through both Mary and Joseph. God needs both Luke's story of the annunciation to Mary and Matthew's story of Joseph's dream. They are miracle stories. God works through a young and wonderful woman, and her husband believes in her. That miracle can occur again and again. Believe in the dreams of the person you love. Believe in dreams this Christmas, and Jesus will be born again. Believe in dreams this Christmas, and yes, God will appear.

Sleep well, dream big and take care of yourself and one another..
Hope, Peace, Joy & Love,
Tommy

Confessions of a Sports Dad

For me there is no other joy or honor than being a father. I have always tried to improve on my fathering skills by loving my children, accepting them as God created them, and supporting them in all their endeavors. I do my best to be there for them anytime. I have sat in bleachers in rusty molded gyms, cold soccer fields and blazing hot football fields watching my children compete. I have yelled, tried not to embarrass, (which is very hard to do) and felt a true inner sense of pride witnessing my children excel. I have refrained at times of pushing them too hard or reliving my youth through them. I believe I have kept a good balance between praise and constructive helpful criticism. At times I will admit I have gotten carried away, caught up in the moment, and even lost it a time or two. When an opposing coach intentionally had their player injury Abby, I was almost became the CNN news footage we have all seen before. But by the grace of God and some parent s, I managed to calm down and take a time out. I probably was wrong but no one likes to see their children hurt. I have always tried to allow their respective coaches coach and me just be supportive from the stands. I believe that is my role as their father.


I recently learned a deeper joy and pride as a sports father. Will and Abby both have excelled in every sport they have attempted. I am not bragging or boasting they just have. Both have always made any team they have tried out for. I am proud for the fact that what they lack in natural ability they make up for in work ethic. That would be enough but that is not what causes the pride to swell up in my soul.

The last few days I have witnessed in both Abby & Will excel in athletics in a different way. It just recently became cognizant to me. It has been there all along but I just now somehow seemed to notice it. It began with Will. Will has more than excelled in any sport he has ever attempted. His true passion is football. If anyone could watch him play or practice you can see the elation he has. The rougher and harder it is, the more his love for the game grows. This season he played every down both sides of the ball and made spectacular plays. He was a team leader on and off the field. He was first in line on every drill. Not bragging, but to watch him play he really does have a natural gift. You can see it in his walk and his demeanor. It is a since of self-esteem and pride for him. Every game he made a game changing play and just has a gift well beyond the other boys his age.

I noticed my pride and joy in a different way in which he shined. Will is now in the middle of basketball season. The other night in the game, Will never got in the game. Will rode the bench the entire game for the first time in his whole life in any sport. While the coach’s son kept making a million mistakes, and of course would not take his own son out of the game, Will sat the bench. I’m not saying if Will was in the game they would have won. But Will has never, ever been on a team where he did not play. Instead of the game, I focused on my son. I watched attentively as the minutes ticked by and the game was moving to a close. He shouted words of encouragement to his teammates. He was the first on to jump off the bench and give high fives as the boys came off the court. He never asked or begged to go in. After the game he padded each of his teammates on the back. The team lost. The coach was pissed. But Will was the only one giving everyone words and signs of encouragement. Will’s only statement after the game, “I wished I could have played but oh well.” He wasn’t mad, or upset; just disappointed he didn’t get to play. I was more disappointed than he was.

His maturity was amazing for an eleven year old athlete. Will demonstrated how to give his best to the team from the bench. He didn’t have to be on the court to shine. I felt as much pride for him that day as if he had scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. It is a joy to witness God using him to encourage others, to put others before his own desires to play, and to give his all on or off the bench. I have witnessed Abby awake before dawn to go to practice while her parents are still in bed sound asleep. To give her all, to listen and learn any sport she attempts. She recently said, “Dad you don’t have to come to the game. It’s varsity. I won’t get to play.” Yes Abby I do have to be there, see it gives me a since of joy and pride. You don’t have to get in the game to make me proud I’m proud already. The athlete you are off the court is more important than the one on the court.

So I’ll always been in the stands, yelling at the ref’s, eating nasty salty popcorn, beaming with pride of the true athletes my children have become on the court or on the bench. Sometimes God opens our eyes to the true character that He is transforming you into. To catch a glimpse of it from the bleachers is good enough for me. It gives me an inner joy and pride, to know I haven’t mess you up to much…
One proud Father..
Tommy

“Warning: Christmas is Coming”

 Advent is an expedition. It is preparing for Christ, a time to de-cluttering our lives, and make room in our souls for something new. It is a time we focus on the romantic story of a child, the Messiah, born in a stable. Advent is filled with awe, wonder, tradition, and expectations. During the time of Advent, begins a debate or division between the Happy Holidays people and the Merry Christmas people. (Note: That is another topic for another article, but my belief in Christ is not offended if someone tells me Happy Holidays, although I’m a Merry Christmas guy.)


Advent is the time to get out of our heads and let go of our notions about "What Jesus Would Do?" in this great debate and look at what Jesus is doing. If we do not, we will simply miss the true essences of Advent. Advent is the time to let go of those preconceptions of who the Messiah should be and enter the deep dark cold of winter. It is also time we should focus on exactly who Christ was. Advent is the beginning of the church year because we start all over. We leave our scripts of every thing we know; the pain of our past mistakes, the joys and accomplishments of last year, and begin the new journey toward Bethlehem. Like Mary and Joseph, we stop thinking about some ideal life and look instead at where we are.

• No, I didn't expect to be unmarried and pregnant.

• No, I didn't expect to be have all those people whisper behind my back.

• But here I am, God's servant; show me the way.

Like Mary and Joseph, now is the time to leave the familiar country of the old and begin the journey into the dark of newness. We leave our assumptions behind; we leave behind the ways we have put God in a box. We look for God in new ways - not the idea of God, but the experience of God. Remember what Jesus says to John's disciples: "Go and tell John what you hear and see: The blind receive their sight; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; and the poor have good news brought to them."

In other words: Wake UP. Instead of thinking about our idea of the perfect Messiah, look and see what the Messiah is doing all around you and in your life. Stop thinking of God outside yourself - outside your life; look for the Divine Presence right where you are.

One day we must realize that Jesus is not a concept or a theory to be confirmed or disproved during Christmas. Jesus is the bringer of life -abundant life - eternal life - and He is bringing life to us right now. So often we think of Christmas as a religious history lesson. We are interested in how the world worked 2000 years ago. What exactly was the census, and what were the marriage customs? And who were the magi? Where their really cows at there?

All of that is interesting, but none of it gets to the real point which is: Do you experience God being born in your life? Do you recall how God has answered your prayers? Have you forgotten the excitement of Christmas from your childhood? The birth of Christ is now and here. Jesus is always being born and because of that people we know - people like us - are being transformed.

That's how they know Jesus is the One. And that's how we know Christ is the Messiah. Advent is the stirring of the divine in our life and in our world. Advent is the time for us to leave our safe houses and experience that stirring first hand. Like Mary and Joseph we too begin a journey that can change or life forever, if we dare.

See ya in church, Merry Christmas, and until then take care of yourself and one another.

Hope, Peace, & Joy,

Tommy