Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | April 17, 2016

Fear Creates Distance

As I prepared to leave for the Amazon, I fielded several questions about this latest adventure to take the gospel to a hard place. The majority of the questions were fueled by some kind of fear. People asked me about snakes, piranha, spiders, mosquitos, and, of course, the Zika virus. It’s amazing how just the mention of the word Amazon itself can trigger trepidation.

Into the Amazon
When you think about it, fear creates distance. That’s what fear does best. Most folks generally try to keep a safe distance away from the things that frighten them. Distancing ourselves from things that frighten or can harm us is not all bad. Parents teach their kids to not play with fire and to stay away from strangers. That’s good advice!

Novo OLinda do Norte
If we are not careful, however, we can allow fear to distance us from fulfilling the purposes of God. Fear can keep us anchored in the relative safety of familiar harbors while those in need of rescue face their own fearful reality of drowning in threatening waters. Unless we are willing to weigh anchor and set a course that will take us beyond our fears, then those in danger will continue to suffer great loss.

Into the Storm
Every advance that has been made for the kingdom of God has been made by those who had the courage to press on in spite of their fears. Rather than allowing their fears to paralyze them, these intrepid souls closed the distance that separated them from people in need. And that changed everything for the people in need. When making decisions, we must consider the welfare of those who live on the other side of our fears.

River Boats
Years ago while on a rail journey in Ukraine with the late Dr. Rudy Hernandez, one of my mentors, I learned a valuable lesson about fear. I asked Dr. Rudy if he had ever been afraid on any of his travels. Of course he had. But, he added that he never allowed fear to keep him from fulfilling God’s purposes. “I am immortal,” he explained, “until God is through with me.” Because Dr. Rudy understood that his fate was in God’s hands, he was unwilling to allow fear to win the day.

Texas Boys to Amazon
One thing is certain, the most amazing adventures await those who move in the direction of their fears. Peter understood that when he left the safety of a perfectly good boat to take a walk on a stormy sea. Paul experienced that when he left the shores of Troas at the urging of a Macedonian man who had appeared to him in a dream. We too can embrace kingdom adventures to hard places if we will walk with God in the direction of our fears. Only then will we close the distance that separates us from those who live on the other side of our fears.

1 Comment

Posted in Brazil

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | April 7, 2016

Farewell To My Fifties

I am seldom at a loss for words. However, as I look back on the last ten years of my life, I find it difficult to express what I feel. Today, I say farewell to my fifties. Never again will I do anything as a fifty-something year old man. Those days are now behind me — and, fortunately, each page of those years bears the indelible signature of God’s kindness.

The last ten years of my life have been the most adventurous of my now sixty years on the planet. I led volunteers around the world 74 times and watched God do amazing things in more than 30 countries. The world is a better place because of these selfless servants who were willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

The worst day of the past ten years was the day my beautiful mother died. I think about her every day and still miss the sound of her voice. I also experienced my darkest season in ministry but held tightly to God’s hand. Fortunately for me, God can see in the dark. He faithfully guided me back into the light.

I also experienced more fun and laughter than should be legally allowed. I have always preferred to hang out with friends who eat more ice cream than beans — and that has served me well. Life is hard enough and certainly harder without laughter. I love laughter and the joy of fellowship with family and good friends.

Family Fun
If there is anything I am most grateful for it is the kindness of God. He has blessed me with an amazing wife, three kids that are patiently teaching me to let go and dance, a wonderful new daughter-in-law and son-in-law, my cool Dad, and a funny-looking dog named Biscuit. They are my greatest adventure.

And now — the sixties! I have no intentions of slowing down, burning out, giving up, or falling apart. As I often told a dear friend, I can’t afford to kill time because time is killing me. I will continue to love God, care for my family, embrace life, serve others, seek adventure, and go beyond. Life is too precious to do anything less.

I am grateful to those of you who faithfully follow my blog and offer encouragement. God has used each of you to enrich my journey. Thank you for your kindness. Tomorrow, I head for the Amazon — the first big adventure of my sixties.

And, one more thing. Happy Birthday to my sister Bonnie who is celebrating her 59th birthday today. Love you, Bonnie.

26 Comments

Posted in Home and Family

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 30, 2016

The Music That Words Make

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed introducing words to blank paper. Writing is a creative process, much like an artist transferring color to canvas. If you asked me to choose between public speaking or writing, I would choose writing every time. Perhaps that’s because once written words find a home on paper, you can stop by for a visit again and again.

When I was a kid I would make my own journals to chronicle my Scouting adventures. Nothing fancy. I would cut sheets of notebook paper into small rectangular pieces and then saddle-stitch them with safety pins. These homemade journals fit nicely into my pocket or pack along with a stubby Number 2 pencil. I later graduated to spiral notebooks to record my thoughts, poems, and miscellaneous ramblings.

omars-journals
When I started traveling I fell in love with journals. Finding just the right journal for a trip became an adventure of its own. Over the years I amassed quite a collection of journals and filled the pages with my handwritten reflections and an occasional map or illustration. Reading these old journals is like visiting with old friends. Each page stirs my memories and makes me thankful that I took the time to chronicle my global adventures.

Journal in Gobi Desert
I recently found a couple of pics of me writing in a journal. In one pic I am seated in my berth aboard the Trans-Mongolian Railway. I was traveling from Ulan Bator, Mongolia across the Gobi Desert to Beijing — a journey of about 26 hours. It was an amazing experience, especially when we crossed the border from Mongolia into China. The gauge of the rail changes at the border, so the undercarriage of each train car must be changed before the journey can continue.

Journal in Beijing
The other pic was taken in Beijing. There I am seated at a table, writing something in my journal after finishing a meal. In those days before smart phones, my journal was my constant companion. If I wanted to record a thought or some experience, then I had to take the time to write it down or risk forgetting whatever it was that might have made an impression on me that day.

Finding these old pics reminds me of how much I have enjoyed journaling through the years and that writing is indeed a pleasure. And although I now use a keyboard more than a pen, I continue to enjoy the discipline of writing. I confess that I like the ease of writing on my computer, but I still love a good fine-tipped pen and a journal filled with blank pages.

Like many writers, American novelist Truman Capote understood the pleasure of writing. “To me,” Capote said, “the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner music that words make.” It’s hard to explain, but Capote is right. To those who love to write, the words on a page are like notes on a score. I love the music that words make. Perhaps that is why I can’t stop strumming and will always love the pleasure of writing.

7 Comments

Posted in Miscellaneous | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 23, 2016

Islam’s Bloody Narrative

This week’s terrorist attacks in Brussels are yet one more chapter in the bloody narrative of what the world can expect from radical Islam. Tuesday’s violence came days after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, Europe’s most wanted man, who was hiding in a Brussels suburb. Abdeslam played a key role in the terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed the lives of 130 people last November.

Brussels Explosion
Yesterday, terrorists set off bombs at Brussels’ international airport. The explosion was so violent that it brought down the ceiling. An hour later, another bomb ripped through train cars packed with commuters at the Maelbeek metro station. In total, these two explosions claimed the lives of 31 and injured 260 others.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for these attacks, noting that Belgium is one of the nations “participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State.” Following the explosions, a widely circulated Twitter post by prominent ISIS backers warned, “what will be coming is worse.” No big surprise! Worse is the best that ISIS and other radical Islamic groups have to offer the world.

Ultimately, every act of violence by radical Muslims can be traced back to their own scriptures. The Qu’ran contains 109 verses written to incite Muslims to commit violence against non-Muslims. Islam, in practice, does not distinguish between those who physically oppose Islam and those who philosophically oppose Islam.

Ironically, on Tuesday morning I received an email from a friend in Bangladesh. His email contained a graphic photo of a slain Christian man lying in a pool of his own blood. He was killed by his Muslim neighbors. He had done nothing to physically harm anyone. He was killed because he was a follower of Christ.

As I have previously written, I applaud those in the Islamic world who protest acts of violence committed by fellow Muslims. However, my Muslim friends are going to have to do more than just protest. They must ultimately address the troubling exegesis of their own scriptures — those passages that sanction violence against non-Muslims.

The Twitter post is all too true, “what will be coming is worse.” When Islamic terrorists feel justified in creating hell on earth because of how they interpret their own holy writings, then no one is safe. What will be coming will indeed be worse. As for me, I will forever prefer Christ who never took the life of another and who never sanctioned the taking of innocent life. He offers the world a better narrative — one of love, life, and hope.

5 Comments

Posted in Current Events, Persecution of Christians | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 14, 2016

CFK 2016 Video

On Sunday, March 6, we closed the doors to the church and went into our community to be the church — our 9th Annual Caring for Katy day of service. Words can’t express how cool it was to see the people of Kingsland serving throughout our community. Our teams cared for widows and single moms, ministered to families who have suffered great loss, assisted local ministries and churches, and more. We demonstrated the love of God in practical, measurable, and meaningful ways.

Sean Cunningham has again produced our Caring for Katy video. I hope you enjoy this look at what happened when the church left the building.

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Caring for Katy, Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 6, 2016

Caring for Katy 2016

Moving in the direction of people in need. At its core, that’s what our annual Caring for Katy initiative is all about. Jesus showed the world what it means to intentionally move in the direction of people in need. He never shied away from messy and painful situations. Instead, Jesus moved toward people tangled up in webs of sin, imprisoned behind bars of hopelessness, and those struggling beneath the weight of heavy burdens.

CFK B Home
As Christ-followers, we have a responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to offer those in need practical and meaningful demonstrations of God’s love. Mother Teresa often reminded her Missionaries of Charity to always look for Jesus in the distressing disguise of those in need. And then, to move in their direction and do for them what Jesus would do.

CFK Flowers
In order to follow the example of Jesus, we must first carefully look around us in order to identify needs. We must continually ask God to help us see our community with deeper insight and greater clarity. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Thoreau was absolutely right. It all begins with what we see.

CFK Rice and Beans
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite both “saw” the poor fellow that had been beaten and left for dead. However, when the good Samaritan “saw him, he felt compassion” (Lk. 10:33) — and that made all the difference. Seeing precedes compassion.

Pastor Ryan and Walker Family
I am grateful for the people of Kingsland. Over the past several weeks, our small groups have identified needs in our community and discussed practical ways to meet those needs. Every year for the past nine years, we have closed the doors to the church on the Sunday before Spring Break in order to move in the direction of people in need. Instead of coming to church we go into the community to be the church.

CFK Unidos
Today, our people met a variety of needs throughout our community. I was especially moved as I watched one of our groups care for the practical needs of a family that had recently lost a child to cancer. This hurting family received some much-needed love and encouragement. And that is just one of many stories that unfolded as we moved in the direction of people in need.

CFK at H Home
What a huge blessing it was to see the people of Kingsland serving throughout our community today. Our folks served in more than forty initiatives, sowed seeds of love and encouragement, affirmed and prayed with hurting neighbors, and covered Katy with the soothing balm of God’s love. We look forward to how God will continue to work in the lives of those we served. And, we are committed to continuing to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Katy.

CFK at Y
I am grateful to our army of volunteers for covering Katy with God’s love. This is our community. We live in this geographical context. We are responsible for caring for those around us. We embrace the privilege of following the example of Jesus and moving in the direction of those in need. Thanks once again, Kingsland family, for compassionately Caring for Katy.

2 Comments

Posted in Caring for Katy, Local Missions Initiatives

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | March 5, 2016

At the Top of My List

Forgetting stuff happens. That’s why there is wisdom in making and keeping lists. I am a list keeper. I keep a task list on my iPad and iPhone so iRemember to do stuff. I even scribble lists on sticky notes that I stick on my desk at work and in my truck.

Even with all my lists, I have the additional safety net of having Amy, my assistant, who is one-hundred times more reliable than Siri. Amy also keeps lists of things I need to do and is very good about reminding me.

The busier and older I get the more I depend on lists to help me stay on track. However, even with all of my lists, something occasionally falls through the cracks. It happens to all of us. That’s why I keep lists. Hopefully my lists will continue to get me where I need to be with what I need to have. And, hopefully my lists will make it harder for things to fall through the cracks.

CFK Shopping at Lowes
For the past three days, my friend Chris Schooler and I have worked hard to help small groups at Kingsland to prepare for our 9th Annual Caring for Katy on Sunday, March 6. This is the day we close the doors to the church on Sunday and instead go out into our community to be the church. Every small group is charged with finding a need in our community and filling it.

That’s where lists come in. Our groups will do more than forty service initiatives around town. Preparation for each initiative eventually comes down to very specific lists of items that need to be purchased and tasks that need to be assigned and completed in order for our day of service to be a success.

Wendy and Amy
Most of our groups shop for supplies at our local Lowe’s and Home Depot stores. Every group comes in with a list. As you might imagine, serving in a church with lots of engineers means some pretty amazing lists — specific in every way. Some come in with lists scribbled on paper and others with spreadsheets and diagrams.

Chris and Keisha
Yesterday morning, Chris and I met for breakfast before heading off to Lowe’s. We looked over some of the lists submitted by our small groups in order to make our own lists of things to get from our storage area and things we still needed to purchase.

Lowe's Guys
The beauty of it all was that every nail and screw, every piece of lumber, every bag of mulch and flat of flowers, every single item on each list will become a part of a beautiful and practical expression of God’s love to people in need in our community. Each list we looked at will ultimately lead to bringing glory to God as we love and serve others throughout our community.

Monte at Lowe's
As we looked at our stack of lists, it struck me that those whose aim is to destroy and kill also make and keep lists. Terrorists keep lists. ISIS keeps lists. Can you imagine the stuff on their lists — items that will ultimately result in the loss of life, in the destruction of families, in spreading hate and sowing fear.

Parents for Christ
The lists we make are an expression of our respective worldviews. As Christ-followers determined to love others and to be the hands and feet of Jesus, our lists should contribute to making our community a better place. Unlike those who keep lists that lead to death and destruction, selflessly loving and compassionately serving others will remain at the top of my list.

——-

• Special thanks to Kingsland members Amy Causey, Monte Vincent, and Christian Contreras for their help at Lowe’s this week.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Caring for Katy, Local Missions Initiatives, Sanctity of Human Life

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | February 25, 2016

The Sheer Joy of Adventure

As human beings, we possess an undeniable urge to seek adventure — to put ourselves in a context where we feel the tension between comfort and uncertainty. Venturing to the edge of everything familiar and then taking one more step in the direction of a distant horizon changes everything.

Adventure is not for the timid but instead reserved for those willing to begin a story without knowing how it’s going to end. In 1923, a New York Times reporter asked British climber George Mallory why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. “Because it’s there,” replied Mallory. The following year Mallory disappeared on the world’s highest mountain in his bid for the summit.

A year before Mallory’s oft-quoted quip about climbing Everest, the intrepid British climber said, “…there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it.” In the end, noted Mallory, “What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life.”

Jim Olson Bike Ride
What started me reflecting on all this is a 1961 newspaper article from the Newark Star Ledger that my friend Peggy Loch shared with me. The article is entitled “‘Nothing to Do,’ 2 Teen Pals Take 3,300-mile Bike Ride.” It’s a fascinating story about two California teens who decided to bike from their home all the way to the East coast. Jim Olson, one of those teens, is Peggy’s dad.

I was five years old when Jim and his friend Richard Malmgren embarked on their great cycling adventure. These two guys set a three-dollar-per-day budget, loaded their gear onto their ten-speed bikes, and set off on their epic adventure. Even though they had no guarantee how their story would end, they nevertheless set off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Jim Olson Topeka News
The friends covered about 120 miles a day. Jim said that crossing the Rockies and the Appalachians proved to be “pretty tough.” They encountered all sorts of challenging weather conditions but never stopped. And, because they could not afford to stay in motels, the guys camped along the way. They slept in cornfields, ballparks, and once in a county courthouse.

Mile by mile they pressed on, determined to reach their distant goal. Six weeks later they arrived at the home of family friends in New Jersey. Other than being mentioned in some newspapers along the way, the teens did not receive any reward or recognition for their accomplishment. But that’s ok because that is not why they rode their bikes across the country. In the words of Mallory, what they did get was “just sheer joy” — the particular kind of joy reserved for those who do hard things.

Jim Olson and Tex
Today, Jim remains active and still rides his bike. He’s never quite lost his thirst for adventure. Jim’s grandson Tex, an Eagle Scout, shares his grandfather’s yen for doing hard things in the great outdoors. How cool for Jim to ride with his grandson — something he could not have envisioned when his legs were burning and his heart was pumping hard as he crossed over the Rockies.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Endurance Challenges | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | February 22, 2016

Becoming Better Dads

In the closing sequence of “The Wizard of Oz,” young Dorothy, who is longing to return to her home in Kansas, speaks one of the most memorable lines in the story — “There’s no place like home!” Dorothy’s words are true. There is no place like home. Just the mention of home can excite our hearts, especially when we have been away from our homes for any period of time.

Dorothy Wizard of Oz
The folks at Habitat for Humanity understand the importance of home. This Christian housing ministry envisions a world where everyone has a decent, safe, and affordable place to live. Their mission is simple — to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. The word amazing falls short of what Habitat is able to do by mobilizing armies of volunteers to build homes.

IMG_5921
Last September, our missions ministry partnered with Compassion Katy to help build a Habitat home for a single mother named Susan. Like others selected to buy a Habitat home, Susan met some tough requirements and must put in 200 hours of sweat-equity into local Habitat projects, including the construction of her own home. Susan considers two-hundred hours of sweat-equity a small price for pay for the privilege of finally owning her own home.

Habitat Sod Team A
This past Saturday, my Band of Fathers core group volunteered to start the landscaping at Susan’s nearly completed new home in Cypress, Texas. Our fathers and sons enjoyed a memorable day of service together. Everyone had an opportunity to meet Susan and to learn about her journey toward owning her own home. We laid six pallets of sod in her yard, completed the construction of her fence, and prepared her beds for flowers and shrubs.

Habitat Sod Team B
My Band of Fathers core group is built around three important values — shared study, shared mission, and shared adventure. We want to do more than consume Bible calories — we want to burn off those calories in a world that needs to see the transforming power of God’s love in action. That’s why we engage in local initiatives that bless others and allow fathers and sons to make memories of serving together.

BOF Ride at Hershey Park
On Sunday afternoon, a few of us in my core group got together to ride the trails at Terry Hershey Park. These are some of the best single track mountain bike trails in the greater Houston area. What made the afternoon even more enjoyable was sharing the adventure with some of the guys in our group. We definitely love studying the Scriptures together, but we also enjoy serving and playing together outside of our study time.

Habitat Sod Team C
I am grateful for the guys in my core group. We are all committed to studying the Scriptures as we strive to become better dads. And we and our sons are also determined to serve others and to share adventures together. Our prayer is that we will not only become better dads, but that we will raise stronger sons.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Home and Family | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Omar C. Garcia | February 14, 2016

Godspeed, Brian Stone

When Brian Stone came to Kingsland seven years ago, I could never have imagined what this young man would come to mean to me. He had an authenticity about him — a refreshing lack of pretense. Brian had survived a tough prodigal journey that ultimately led him to the end of himself and to the foot of the cross. So, the only thing Brian really had to boast about was the grace that had pulled him out of the mire created by his own bad choices.

Brian at Pyramids
Those who are forgiven much have a tendency to love much (Luke 7:47). When Brian finally embraced Christ he did so with a heart full of gratitude. Soon, Brian pursued a call to ministry that led him to serve as a chaplain for the Union Gospel Mission. This was the perfect place for him to start his journey into ministry. Brian could relate to guys whose lives were broken — and his own story resonated with theirs.

Omar and Stone
Brian and I soon developed a strong friendship. I was drawn to him in part because my own son had a similar story. I saw a lot of my son in Brian and a lot of Brian in my son. Our friendship developed into a two-way mentoring relationship. Brian and I had a lot of deep spiritual conversations and talked often about ministry. I enjoyed sharing whatever wisdom I have gleaned over the years and also learned a lot from my younger friend.

On Mount Arbel
Brian and I also held each other accountable in many areas of life. Whenever we saw each other one of us would ask, “Are you thinking deeply?” The reply was always the same, “Yes, so that I can live wisely.” As I often told Brian, I have reached the age where I can no longer afford to kill time because time is killing me. I must live wisely.

Brian and Julia
Brian and I shared many good times as we served the people of our community. He intentionally set a good example for his family of what it means to love God and love people. Brian and his kids made good memories by serving others together. Brian and I also made some good memories together as we served among the nations — telling the story of Jesus and His love for all peoples.

Stone Parying for TeamI especially appreciate Brian’s presence when Doyle and I did the Texas Water Safari in 2013. He drove all the way to San Marcos to pray with us before the start of this grueling 260-mile ultramarathon canoe race. And, he met us at several checkpoints along the route. I will never forget seeing Brian on the bank of the Guadalupe River as we approached the final checkpoint before the finish line. Once again, Brian encouraged us and prayed for us before our final push to the finish.

Brian Bayou Trail 2
And now, God has opened a wonderful door of opportunity for Brian to serve as the senior pastor of Valley View Church in Louisville, Kentucky. This is a match made in heaven. Like Brian, Valley View has a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people that are hurting and in need of a savior. I expect that God will use Brian and his passion for the gospel to lead Valley View to advance the interests of the kingdom in Louisville and beyond.

Brian in Egypt
I am a better person because of Brian. I am grateful that we always shared mutual encouragement and spurred one another to love and serve God passionately. I will miss him deeply — our conversations, his laughter, trying to keep up with him on mountain bike trails, and his encouragement. Godspeed, Brian Stone. Thanks for being more than a friend and closer than a brother.

12 Comments

Posted in Miscellaneous

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories