2023....A YEAR OF CHANGE FOR ME

 

     Well, here it is!! The end of yet another year. Wow, time sure does fly by fast! I probably have said that my whole life but it really is true! Time sure flies by! I look back on 2022 with many fond memories, many challenges, many victories and yes even some defeats. All in all it has been a good year because God is good all the time! 

     I think about where I was on January 1, 2022. I was working one job with Chick Fil-A and I had just gotten over having Covid 19. Let's just say I kind of limped into that New Year not only with Covid but also with the beginnings of back problems. I know you all know the story how I got involved with my church etc. etc. so I won't go into all that. September 4, 2022 was a special day for me as I was installed as the Pastor of Outreach  and Children's Ministry at Lift Jesus Higher Fellowship in Rocky Point, NY. Lately however, I have seen many changes happening in my life. To start with, my landlady Jane went home to be with her Lord on Saturday, November 12. I was there with the family to say "Goodbye" to her. Jane was a second Mom to me and she will be missed. What I did not know was the financial troubles Jane faced. She was always very private about her life, her health and any challenges she was facing. Due to her financial difficulties, her house would be going into foreclosure which meant I had to begin looking for a new place to live. Let's just say Jane gave me a very sweet deal living upstairs in her home. I knew it would have to be a miracle from God to have that same sweet deal. I also continued to struggle with my back. Working at Chick Fil-A at 6 a.m. getting the restaurant ready was not helping me. I pleaded with God to help me either find a new job or help me find another part time job that was not physical. God provided for me a second part time job in a lawyers office as a Customer Service Rep! I will be working there Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Before anyone says "Your leaving Chick Fil-A???? NO!!!!! YOU CAN'T!!! Don't worry, I'm not. I'm working at Chick Fil-A Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. This all begins Tuesday, January 3rd! 

     Now, for the other change. God blessed me with a new place to live. I prayed, many family members prayed and many friends prayed! God answered our prayers on my behalf as I found an amazing place to live! And it's close to my new job! Change is good but to be brutally honest I was never good with change as a kid. I never liked it when my Mom changed the living room around or when the teacher in elementary school moved our desks. I was one of those kids who wanted everything to be the same. That's probably why I had a tough time moving from New Jersey to New York when I was 9 years old. As an adult I embrace change because I know God is at work! This leads me to say one last thing. There is one thing that never changes and that's Jesus. It says in Hebrews 13:8 - He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He will never ever ever change. Thank God for that!! 

     So I enter into 2023 expecting challenges, victories, defeats and more reasons to trust in God 24/7. I hope you all do as well! It's yet another year of writing more blogs for you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD'S BLESSINGS!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!

 

     Imagine July 4th without fireworks? Or how about Valentine's Day with no hearts? How about Halloween with no candy or Christmas with no decorations, trees, ornaments or lights? Or how about your birthday with no presents, no cake and not one person says to you "Happy Birthday?" Well, in my opinion this happens every December 25th! Before you get mad and say, "Yo, what are you talking about? Did you just say that on Christmas Day we are missing something?" Yes, as a matter of fact I am! On December 25th every year, we fail to celebrate the Birthday of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! Now I can probably hear you say, "Sure we do! We have a nativity scene set up in our yards and we sing Christmas Carols about the birth of Jesus. Isn't that enough? In my humble opinion? NO! Please don't  get me wrong. I am not saying that we should not have decorations, trees, presents and lights. Of course we know all of that is a lot off fun. But is that what Christmas is about? 

     I often tell the story in many of my Christmas sermons about my Aunt Bea. She went home to be with Jesus on December 14th. My Aunt lost her sight when she was 23 years old. I will blog about her in January! Aunt Bea raised 6 kids, cooked, cleaned her house and wrote a book called " I walk by faith, not by sight." When one of my cousins was in Elementary school, they were in the chorus. Their school did a Christmas concert. Remember my Aunt is blind and could only hear the concert. The chorus sang songs about Rudolph, Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman. After the concert my Aunt asked her husband my Uncle Jim to take her to the front so she could speak to the chorus director. My Aunt politely spoke to the chorus director and said,"You had these kids sing songs about Rudolph, Santa and Frosty. How come you never honored the honored guest? Jesus?" I don't know what the chorus directors response was but I do know my Aunt was right. We have forgotten to give honor where honor is due. While many celebrate Christmas and ignore the true reason why we celebrate it, how about this year we change that? Let's remember what the real reason of the season is! The Birthday of Jesus Christ!! Happy Birthday Jesus!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!!! 

         

HERE'S ANOTHER REASON TO TRUST IN THE LORD!

 

     

     On November 12th my world changed.... well somewhat. I got a text from my landladies daughter inviting me to come to Stony Brook Hospital. My landlady and dear friend Jane was given a brief time to live. They believed her heart would stop very soon. I informed my Chick Fil-A leaders that I needed to go there to say goodbye to her. I got to the hospital at around 12:15 that afternoon and was able to be alone with Jane to thank her for how she has always blessed me and for providing me a place to live. I know one day I will see her in heaven! Her two kids and her daughter in law and I spent the next hour and 15 minutes with Jane telling her we love her as well as reminiscing about her. At 1:40 p.m. Jane went home to be with Jesus, her Lord and savior. One day soon I will write a blog in honor of her. Maybe after Christmas! 

     A few days after her death I realized I would need to find a new place to live. What I thought would be a few months became much sooner. I won't get into details about how or why but I learned that Jane and her kids would be losing her house. My first reaction was panic, fear and worry but I remembered the scriptures that say "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths!" - Proverbs 3:5,6. To sum it all up, I realized this was another reason to trust in the Lord!

     Many of you know I have been suffering through chronic back pain. It doesn't help that I work in a very physical job at a restaurant opening the restaurant 5 days a week, setting up an ice cream machine, lifting heavy boxes, lifting heavy tea buckets. Running around serving guests their food, making drinks, working a register...it's non stop. Many times I pleaded with God to help me find another job that is not stressful where I can sit and not run around like a crazy person. Another reason to trust in the Lord! God heard my prayer! Someone from my church let me know her job was looking for Customer Service Reps! It's a lawyers office and ...I GOT THE JOB!! I begin January 3, 2023. Another reason to trust in the Lord! I did trust and he answered me! 

     Last week I received a dreaded letter in the mail from the IRS. Again, I won't get into detail and please don't worry, I am NOT going to jail! My brother the CPA was there to help me out. Another reason to trust in the Lord! 

     I have never ever met anyone who has ever said, "You know, my life is so perfect and I have it all together. I am healthy, wealthy, wise and I have no problems whatsoever. Life is beautiful all the time and I have no reason to worry, fear or become upset because my life is so perfect!! Anyone who says this to me I always know they are living a lie! I know in my 58 plus years on this planet that life can be tough. Some days you might feel like you won the Lombardi Trophy and you are on top of the world. There are other days you might feel like you are running in the New York City Marathon and you are "that guy" who is finishing the race a day late. In reality you are in last place! I do appreciate when I get to have another reason to trust God. I know that probably sounds crazy to most people. I have always known that God will supply my every need. Notice I didn't say he will supply my wants. My Needs!! As we enter 2023, let's all continue to trust God when things are rough as well as when things get tough. It's worth it!!

SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!     

CHAPEL

 

     On Wednesday, November 30th I had the wonderful privilege of sharing at the West Sayville Christian School Chapel. If there is one thing I have always loved to do, it is definitely speaking at any Christian school chapel service. I have been speaking at West Sayville Christian School since the spring of 1994! West Sayville is a small school but recently it has grown considerably. A few years ago it was in danger of closing it's doors but a generous donor gave the school a considerable amount of money to not only keep the school doors open, but also allow the school to expand to 12th grade! I was very happy to hear that news because it meant I would be able to continue speaking in their chapel! 

     My Chapel Speaking career began back in 1991 at Smithtown Christian School. I was only the Children's Pastor at Smithtown Gospel for about a month and I had been praying for the Lord to open a door for me to connect with our Christian School students. Low and behold the Principal at the time, Mr. Ed Parker came into my office and asked if I would be willing to speak at their schools chapel service. I said yes of course and we agreed on my first ever chapel speaking engagement to be on April 10, 1991. How do I remember that? That's easy to answer. I have kept a log book of every chapel I have ever shared on for the past 31 years! I'll even prove it by telling you what I spoke on!! "What is a Christian?" It went so well that day that I was invited back the following month. Speaking at the school helped me connect with the students of SCS! The following fall, Mr. Parker came in my office once again and this time he gave me a whole sheet to fill out with dates on it. "The kids love it when you speak, Pastor Dave. I think you should speak once a month!!" And that's what I did. Not just in the 1991-1992 school year but every school year up until 2013. The best part about these opportunities was that I had freedom to share on whatever I felt was on my heart. It gave me an opportunity to "test drive" different methods of children's ministry and teaching. You name it and I've tried it! Ventriloquism, puppetry, gospel illusions, costume characters. storytelling...the list goes on! This experience led me to share at other Christian Schools such as Copiague Christian Academy, Emanuel Lutheran School, North Shore Christian School and West Sayville Christian School. West Sayville is where I got the name "The Puppet Guy" which is what the kids still call me.

     I used to love at SCS when I would visit the kids in the cafeteria and they would ask me when I was speaking again. It felt good to know God was using me to touch their hearts. I would joke with them and ask them when they were going to speak in chapel! It also blessed me when some of the parents and my Children's Ministry Workers would visit chapel at SCS to hear me share. Whenever I shared I knew I was in my "element." I knew God was using me. I used to get ideas for my messages in the craziest places...the shower, walking home from church, driving in my car, in the middle of the night and cleaning out my garage. There was only one time that I got an idea in "the eleventh hour." I had no idea what I was going to share and prayed for an idea when all of a sudden "BEFORE BEDTIME God gave me a message. Another time I did get a call the night before from the Principal if I could share the next morning! I always appreciated the 3 Principals at SCS I worked with. Mr. Parker, Mr. Pedersen and Mrs. Golden. All 3 were so supportive of me. At West Sayville and at Emanuel Lutheran School they always gave me a specific theme and scripture verse to share on which I didn't mind. After I left SGT I continued to get calls from Emanuel and West Sayville. Emanuel closed it's doors unfortunately a few years ago. 

     On May 1, 2013 I did my final Chapel at SCS. It was in the sanctuary not in the school auditorium I was accustomed to. It was Grandparents Day in the school so there were many people there. Without going into detail of that horrible season in my life and prolonging it, I was not allowed to share that it was my last Chapel. I used Grandpa Lou and before that I did a Fun song "God is Working on me" by Christian Artist Rob Biagi. I had the motions to that song on the video screen and I will have to admit I got very teary eyed. I knew it would be my final SCS Chapel. Walking out of the sanctuary for the last time was difficult. In fact it was the last time I would ever minister in that sanctuary. 

     Sharing at West Sayville has always been the highlight of my year especially after I left SGT. I never had a problem taking a day off from work knowing I get to share and bear my heart to each student. It always brings me great joy to share the gospel and get to use my talents for the Lord. I am always asked to make sure I bring Grandpa Lou to chapel. One time I decided not to and boy I thought the kids were going to attack me! I certainly hope in 2023 and beyond I get more opportunities to share not only in school chapel services but at other churches. I am excited to see what God has in store for me!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!