My oldest son, Zachary, was married in Lancaster, CA on April 4^th. The wedding ceremony went perfectly. The church and the bride were both beautiful. I made it through the ceremony crying only twice. Once at the beginning and once at the end.

At the beginning it started as soon as I saw my daughter Heather walking down the aisle in her lovely bridesmaid’s dress. As soon as I saw her my eyes teared up and I was wondering if I was going to be able to conduct the ceremony without falling to pieces. As Natalie, the bride, entered on her father’s arm looking radiant the tears began to flow and my nose began to run. As tears fell on my glasses I realized this was going to be tougher than I thought.

The Happy Couple pose for pictures after the ceremony

After the opening comments and prayer, as Zack stepped down to receive Natalie from her father, Charlie, I took the opportunity to compose myself – and to blow my nose. I regained my composure and proceeded with the ceremony. I had to look at my notes a lot because whenever I looked at Zack or Natalie I got teary eyed again.

I made it all the way through the rest of the service until the very end when Charlie and I gave the couple our “father’s blessing.” I closed my part of the blessing with a quote from Numbers 6:24-26. This is the verse I always ended our family blessing time with each week for the past several years. It is a very special verse for us. As I said the first line, “May the Lord bless you and keep you…” I choked up. Tears began to flow down Zack’s cheek which didn’t make it any easier for me. I regrouped, started over and this time got all the way through the verse, albeit with a weak and quivering voice.

Ken and Zack await Natalie's entrance

After the closing prayer it was my pleasure to inform the audience that they were about to see Zack and Natalie’s very first kiss. It was their desire to honor God by remaining pure throughout their courtship displaying no physical form of affection beyond holding hands. So their first kiss at the ceremony was not just their first as husband and wife, it was their first kiss ever. After the kiss I beamed as I introduced the new couple as Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Lawrence.

The reception was a blur. There were over 200 people in attendance and I wanted to spend time with them all. It had been almost three years since we had moved away and we longed to get caught up with everyone. That, of course, was impossible to do. So if we missed you at the reception please accept our apologies. We tried to talk to as many of you as we could.

The wedding was fantastic. The rest of our trip, however, was like something out of a B-grade horror movie. Here is the rest of our “wedding vacation” story. The Saturday before we left for California Zack got sick with flu like symptoms. Sunday morning Heather fainted and began showing signs of the same “flu.” Zack called Chris and said he couldn’t get out of bed without feeling like he was going to pass out. So before church Chris went to check on Zack and told him to stay in bed. After church we went to check on Zack and Heather and assess whether it was possible to get on the road with two very sick kids on our hands.

Zack and Heather decided they could do it so we loaded up the van and Zack’s truck and headed out. I had to drive Zack’s truck and Chris drove our van. We did not leave Norwood until after 3 p.m. and we did not arrive in St. George, UT until midnight after driving through snowy, icy roads in UT.

That night (actually, early Monday morning) Thomas, our seven year old, got sick. This is where the horror flick comes in. We were dropping one by one, wondering who would be next. We pressed on and made it to Palmdale, picked up an RV from a friend and headed out to Leona Valley were we set up our MASH unit. We had sick people laid out on sleeping bags and medicine all over the place. It was a sight to see! Tuesday the next family member fell victim. It was Robert, our four year old. Chris and I were the only ones left to try to nurse the kids back to health.

Thursday Zack was feeling a little bit better just in time to go to Ontario airport to pick up Anthony, his best man. Chris, however, was the next to fall. She woke up Thursday morning feeling lousy. I knew my time was coming soon. It was a race to the finish. The wedding was just two days away. Would I make it or would I be the next to fall?

I rode with Zack just in case he couldn’t make it for the three hour round trip to the airport. He did fine. We picked up Anthony and on the way home got a call from the family Zack and Anthony were supposed to stay with asking us not to come over because one of their kids was sick and they didn’t want Zack to pick it up in his weakened condition. So we had to take Anthony to Leona Valley with us. We set Zack and Anthony up in the RV and the rest of us stayed in “the infirmary”

About this time (7 p.m.) it hit me. I was wiped out and had to lay down. Less than 24 hours before the rehearsal and 42 hours before the wedding and I was flat on my back. I was the pastor who was performing the ceremony. I had to find a way to get on my feet, at least for a few hours Friday night and a few hours Saturday.

Friday, Zack went to the doctor and got some meds. He was feeling better and so was Heather so we were pretty sure that they would be okay for the ceremony. Thomas, the ring bearer, was questionable but doing better. The odds were against Robert, Chris and I being able to make it. Thankfully, prayers on our behalf were being lifted up in California and back in Colorado. We would need divine intervention for sure.

Somehow we were able to tough it out and make it through the rehearsal. Chris and I didn’t eat much at the rehearsal dinner but we were there. That was a positive thing.

The day of the wedding we were feeling a bit better but operating mostly on adrenalin. We all loaded into the van to head to the church when to our horror the van would not start. The battery in the van was dead! Would the madness never end!?

Zack was gone by this point so we didn’t have his truck available to jump start the van. I had to unhook the RV and pull it as close as possible to the van and hope that the RV battery was on the side closest to the van. Thankfully it was. We got the van started and made it to the church only a half hour behind schedule. Thankfully there was plenty of buffer time for pre-wedding picture taking.

As I have already mentioned the wedding went off perfectly as did the reception. After Zack and Natalie left, my brother, Gary, had to give me a jump so we could get the van started again. We went out to eat with the Lawrence Clan and Chris’ parents. Robert got sick again so I spent most of my time running him to the bathroom. I didn’t get to spend much time with my brothers from Arizona.

Surprisingly the van started at the restaurant. We got back to Leona Valley not too late Saturday night and crashed. We were all exhausted. I had the opportunity to speak at Charlie’s church (Christ’s Church of the Valley in Palmdale) Sunday morning so I had to get up early, jump start the van with the RV again and get to the church by 8:30 a.m. I made it through both services and was actually feeling much better.

We jump started the van after church and headed off to Walmart for a new battery. Thankfully the battery was still under the full replacement warranty so they replaced it for free, including installation. One bright spot in an otherwise agonizing trip.

We finished up at Walmart just in time to take Anthony to the airport. I got back to the house around 7 p.m. Sunday night. Chris and the boys and I went out to eat dinner at Panera Bread where we are able to get on the internet for the first time in a week. As Chris scanned through hundreds of her emails one caught her eye. It was from the owner of our dairy back in Colorado. It seems we didn’t have the flu after all. Several customers had reported the same symptoms we had been experiencing. It turns out we got sick from drinking contaminated milk. The good news is that we didn’t infect anyone at the wedding with the flu since the bacterial infection is not contagious.

Our trip home was uneventful – except for the hour long delay on I-40 as we waited for an RV to burn to the ground (no, not our RV). Oh yeah, and the hotel in Flagstaff did not have our reservations even through I had a confirmation number. Other than that, we made it home safely.

So that’s our story. A wedding vacation to remember, that’s for sure. Thankfully Zack got better in time for his honeymoon and all seems to be going well for them. They will be back home in time for the reception we are giving them here in Norwood on the 18^th.

Serving Christ and His Family,

Pastor Ken

On April 4, just one month from today my first born son is getting married. He has been in a courtship relationship for over two years now. We have known Natalie’s parents since before either Zack or Natalie were born. Their’s is one of those homeschool courtship success stories.
I have been blessed to be actively involved in my son’s life. I will never forget the day he was born. I barely got Chris to the hospital in time. Just 20 minutes after we arrived Zack was born. I can still remember the feeling of holding him in my arms for the first time.
I also remember holding him in my arms again the day I had the privilege of baptizing him. The joy I felt as I lifted him up out of the water was second only to the joy I felt on the day he was born.
And now, on April 4th, I will be part of yet another milestone in Zack’s life. I will be the pastor who performs his marriage ceremony. I thank God for allowing me to be actively involved in my son’s birth, rebirth, and the birth of his marriage.

Zack and I have done a lot together as father and son. We enjoyed many summers at Angeles Crest Christian Camp’s Father-Son retreats. We worked together on the production of The Pastor’s House and Father Child Projects DVDs. In 2007 I encouraged him in his first solo production, the Courtship Formula, a documentary about courtship that was an official selection for the 2007 WYSIWYG Christian Film Festival.  It has been such a pleasure seeing this young man grow in maturity and in his walk with the Lord.
We’d love for you to share in this celebration of Zack and Natalie’s wedding with us. We can’t invite the whole world to the wedding so we’ve decided to do the next best thing. We are having a giant celebration sale of the three videos Zack and I have produced. Help us help him celebrate this special event in his life by generation some financial resources for his wedding. Check out the details at www.FamilyGravity.com.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Zack and Natalie as they start their new life together on April 4th.
Serving Christ and His Family,
Pastor Ken

I have been living in Colorado for about 2 1/2 years now. I have come to really appreciate the beauty of God’s creation here like never before.

One thing I really appreciate is the first sunny day after a snow fall. We just came out of a couple days of snow storms and today the sun is shining and everything looks so fresh, clean and beautiful. The snow capped mountains glisten against the sharp blue cloudless sky.

Sights like this help get me through the storms. When it is snowing I choose not to get frustrated with how the storm is interfering with my life today. Instead, I look forward to the first sunny day after the storm. The beauty of that first sunny day makes the storm worth it.

Life is kind of like that, too. We all face storms in our life, but all storms do pass. And when they pass they usually leave us with a new perspective, a new sense of the beauty God has placed all around us, the beauty that we typically take for granted.

So if you are facing a storm in your life right now try not to focus on the negatives of the storm at hand. Instead, try focusing on that first sunny day that is to come after the storm has passed.

Every cloud has a silver lining and every storm will pass, giving way to a beautiful sunny day.

Serving Christ and His Family,
Pastor Ken Lawrence

The year 2008 is one of those years that many people are glad to see end. With the economic melt down leading the news throughout the year, most people are ready for 2008 to be over with the hope that 2009 will be better.

In some respects I am one of them. I approach every New Year optimistically. I see it full of potential, like a blank canvas just waiting for a master piece to be painted on it. That is how I approached the start of 2008. I had big hopes and dreams for 2008.

It did not take very long for my plans, focus and perspective to change. I began 2008 fluctuating between 200 and 205 pounds and experiencing some annoying health symptoms that I could not explain. Two weeks into 2008 I discovered what was causing those symptoms. I was told I had heart disease.

With the New Year not even a month old all my plans and dreams for 2008 suddenly took a back seat to getting my health under control. I was able to accomplish some of what I had hoped, but my number one priority was my health.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and start exercising but seldom accomplish that goal. While I never made those part of my “official” New Year’s resolutions, I did have those as goals for several years. I wanted to lose a few pounds and get in better shape, but I never did anything to accomplish it.

But something happened in 2008 that finally made those goals come to pass. I am pleased to say that I am starting 2009 in much better physical shape than I did 2008. I’m down to 165 pounds and am much more health conscience than I ever have been in my life. So why was I able to accomplish this goal when I did not start out the year with that as part of my plans? My beliefs changed.

Once I found out that my eating habits and sedentary life style had led to my acquiring heart disease I believed that a proper diet and exercise was a necessary part of living a long, prosperous life. But the change did not come simply by my newly found belief. That belief needed to be accompanied by the corresponding action to bring about the real change I desired.

In other words, I needed to live what I believed. Many people believe that they need to eat better but few people live that belief. We would all do better if we would “just live it.” If we would just live what we say we believe we would accomplish so much more with our life.

This is true not only in our physical life but in our spiritual life as well. Most Christians know what the Bible says. Most Christians know the difference between right and wrong and how the Lord has called each of us to live the Christian life. We believe what God’s Word tells us but our actions do not always follow that belief. We need to “just live it!” Just live what we believe and our life, our community, and our world would be so much better.

Let me give you just one example of how to “just live it” in 2009 that can help you reach the full potential that lies ahead of you in this New Year.

Chances are that someone hurt you in 2008. Someone did something to cause you pain, to hurt your feelings, to cause you economic stress, or commit some offense against you. You have been carrying that hurt and animosity against the person who caused it with you through 2008.

As Christians we know what the Bible says about the need to forgive those who hurt us.

Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Luke 17:3 says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

And Colossians 3:13 tells us, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

To “just live it” in 2009 we need to lay the hurts from 2008 aside, forgive those who hurt us and start 2009 with a clean slate. Don’t let the hurts of the past continue to torment you and distract you from reaching your full God-given potential in 2009. 2009 is here! 2008 is behind us. It’s time to move forward.

There are many other ways we can “just live it” in 2009. As the New Year begins, full of potential let us take what we believe and put it into action in all areas of our life. In 2009 let’s just live it!

Serving Christ and His Family,

Pastor Ken

We had a wonderful time last night at our candlelight communion service. Most of our family was involved. Heather ran the sound board and projection system, Robert placed the baby Jesus in the manger while Thomas recited Isaiah 9:6. Zack played the piano for the Christmas Carols and for my special “Mary Did You Know.” I also sang “O Holy Night.”

I was blessed to be part of an ensemble from the community choir that performed a special number. Four of us from the group also did the scripture readings from Luke 2 and John 1.

The highlight was the candle lighting at the end of the service. Watching the light spread from the one Christ candle around the room until 73 people stood holding the light of Jesus was an awesome sight.

Several people commented on how special the service was. It was a real community gathering. We had 51 from our church, 19 from the community and 3 from out of town.

Watching the light of Jesus spread around the room reminds us of our mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our family, school, workplace, and our community. If we don’t do it, no one else will.

God has given us an awesome responsibility. He has called us to be the deliverers of His gift of love and forgiveness to a hurting world.
At Christmas we see that Jesus is the one Christmas gift that truly does keep on giving.

Keep the light spreading where God has placed you, not only at Christmas but all year round.

Merry Christmas and may God bless you and your family in 2009!

Pastor Ken Lawrence

When I stopped by the church Saturday I was surprised to find a very large Christmas package on the platform along with a note that read “to be opened by Pastor Ken during announcements.”

It never crossed my mind that it might be for me. I had the feeling that one of the elders, who just happened to be out of town this weekend, had left it as something special for the church family. I tried reaching him on his cell phone but he did not answer and did not return my call.

My next plan was to ask the chairman of the elders on Sunday if he knew anything about it. But it turned out that he was out of town as well.

Having been the brunt of many a practical joke in my life, I was a little hesitant to open an unknown package from an unknown source in front of my church family. But after being reassured by a few of the church members that it was alright I went ahead and opened the package.

As I began to open the package the praise team began singing a song about “pastor has a new chainsaw.” Only then did I realize that this package was for me. When I finally got the box opened I was surprised to find a brand new Stihl chainsaw. I was shocked and actually speechless (a rare state for me.)

The church family shouted “Merry Christmas, Ken!” What a terrific gift. I recently went out with a dear friend from church to get some firewood. We brought back two trailer loads of Aspen logs but I have not had the time to cut them up into firewood yet. I’ve needed a good chainsaw as mine is not in the best of shape. This Christmas surprise was the perfect gift.

Thank you to my church family at Norwood Christian Church. You will never know how much this gift means to me. It’s more than just a chainsaw. Your thoughtfulness in meeting my family’s needs at just the right time is incredibly generous. I can’t thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for me and my family.

Merry Christmas to you all!
Pastor Ken Lawrence

It’s been a while since I’ve posted so I wanted to get something out here just to let you know I’m still here. Last Sunday and Monday I had a great get away with my wife. We went to Ouray, Colorado -a little over an hour away from here (Norwood). We had a great, relaxing time together with just the two of us. We sure needed the time away.
While we were there we hiked to Box Canyon Falls. What a beautiful sight to see. We’re going to go back with the whole family when we can. It is definitely a must see.
That’s all for now. I’ll blog again soon.

Heavenly Father, we recognize that You are God, creator of the universe, all powerful, all knowing, all loving. We know our country is in Your hands. Your Word says “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.” (Daniel 2:21). Likewise, Your servant Paul wrote in Romans 9:17, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’”

Father we accept the results of this election trusting that You are in control and You know what is best for us. We trust that Your will is being carried out through all those who have been brought to power and that You will hold each one accountable for how they use the power that You have entrusted to them.

As Your church, we accept these results. If they are Your punishment for our failure to be Your salt and light in our community, for our allowing our society to turn from Your ways, we humbly accept Your punishment, knowing that You are just and we deserve much worse. Please forgive Your pastors who have been tickling the ears of congregations with flowery speech that is full of “feel good” messages but void of Your purifying truth. May Your Holy Spirit convict us to preach Your Word from now on.

If this be Your way of waking up Christ’s sleeping church and getting us actively involved in the political process again, as our founding fathers were, we heed Your call. May Your Holy Spirit stir the fires of revival in our hearts such that we can no longer sit idly by and watch our Christian nation turn away from You. Forgive us Father for tolerating the perversion of our country. Forgive us of our complacency. Revive us again as in the days of old. Make us soldiers again in Your mighty army.

If this be the sign of the beginning of the end times, we eagerly await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Give us strength to endure what we must endure, the courage to fight the good fight, and accept Your will for the church in America.

Father, it is our prayer, that though we may not like the results of this election, we accept them as Your will. Whether it be for our chastisement, our awakening, the first trumpet blast, or a combination, we trust You with our life, with our families, and with our nation. Because, in reality, they are not ours at all, they are Yours. We humbly yield to You and Your sovereign will in all things.

Father, we now move forward and offer a prayer of blessing on our newly elected officials.  May You watch over them, protect them, and guide them in the way You would have them lead us, Your nation.

We pray all this in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior,

Amen.

May this prayer bring you and your family comfort and courage in this post election time.

Serving Christ and His family,

Pastor Ken Lawrence

I felt very rustic this morning.  We woke up to a 19 degree morning here in beautiful Norwood, CO.  No snow yet even though it was predicted for Sunday.  I got up around 5:30 a.m. and lit a fire in the wood stove.  It didn’t take long to get the house nice and toasty.

The pinon pine trees have been bursting with cones loaded with pine nuts this year.  For the past few weeks we’ve been having fun collecting them by the cans full.  This morning, once I got the fire going in the wood stove, I decided to use the heat for more than just warmth.  I put some pine nuts on a cookie sheet and set it on the wood stove.  In about 10 minutes we had delicious roasted pine nuts.  They smelled so good roasting on the stove.  It reminded me of the Christmas song, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”

God has provided us with a free, healthy snack and we are stocking up for the winter.  Hopefully this time next week we’ll be stocking the freezer with fresh deer meat, enough to get us through another year.

God continues to provide for us at Norwood Christian Ranch (www.NorwoodChristianRanch.com) allowing us to provide a nice, quiet place for pastors, missionaries and their families to stay.  For the last three weeks we have had at least one family visiting with us.  A family of three just arrived this evening.  The are missionaries to France.

Just another rustic morning in beautiful Norwood, CO.

Serving Christ and His family,

Pastor Ken Lawrence

P.S.  October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  Check out www.NorwoodChristianRanch.com for a great gift idea for your pastor.

On Sunday a group from Norwood Christian Church went to Montrose to watch the movie Fireproof starring Kirk Cameron. It is an excellent move, a must see for all married couples regardless of how long you have been married or how good (or bad) your relationship is. Several key points are made in the movie that can help every marriage. I’ll touch on a couple of them here.

The first point has to do with the word “fireproof.” When something is fireproof that does not mean that a fire won’t come. It means when a fire does come the item can survive it. We strive to make our marriage fireproof so when the fires come – financial struggles, illness, bitterness, addictions – the marriage is strong enough to withstand it and not burn to the ground.

Is your marriage fireproof or is it flammable? Here are some signs of a flammable marriage:

· Either party cares more about themselves than their spouse.

· Either party sees winning an argument as more important than their spouse’s feelings.

· Arguments over little things escalate into a laundry list of past wrongs done by the other party with each one trying to outdo the other.

· Either party retains their own identity after marriage (signs that the two are not one flesh). Examples: separate bank accounts, referring to paychecks as “my money” and “your money”, wife keeps her last name or hyphenates her old name with his, cars or homes in separate names, secrecy over financial affairs, separate P.O. boxes, etc.

· Either party finds fulfillment in “stuff” rather than being content and fulfilled in the relationship with their spouse. When you see your spouse as a hindrance or obstacle keeping you from getting what you want: money, a boat, truck, clothes, furniture, or whatever “stuff” you think will make you happy.

· Either party does not have a true, loving relationship with Jesus.

What does it take to make a marriage fireproof? That is the next point.

The second and most important point I got out of the movie is that in order to make a marriage fireproof it must be built on the right foundation and the right attitude. Marriage must be built on a foundation of love, not lust, not emotions, not physical attraction, and not sex. Marriage must be built on a foundation of love. Now that may seem obvious, but bear with me.

The love I am talking about has nothing to do with the couple. The foundation of a fireproof marriage is not built on love between a man and a woman. The foundation of a fireproof marriage begins with having a love relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God is the source of all love. Jesus is the manifestation of God’s love to us. Jesus is God’s love gift to us.

We cannot truly love someone else unless we are tapped into the source of true love, God, through His Son, Jesus. Marriage is modeled after God. God is triune, that means there are three “persons” in the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three separate, yet all three one.

Marriage is meant to be triune as well. There are three “persons” involved in marriage. Most people, especially non-Christians, view marriage as involving only two people, a man and a woman. But true, godly marriage involves three: a man and a woman united in a covenant with God. A godly marriage is built on the man’s and woman’s mutual love relationship with God. It is the inclusion of God in the marriage that makes the man and woman one flesh. It is the power of God’s Holy Spirit that makes the marriage fireproof.

Think of the Holy Spirit as the “Super Glue” that holds a marriage together. Jesus, speaking about marriage in Matthew 19:4-6 said, “…Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

It is God who joins a man and a woman together in marriage. Love is the foundation upon which a fireproof marriage must be built, but it is not the love between the man and woman, it is the love that each of them has for God. You cannot give what you do not have. If you do not have true love in your life, you cannot give your spouse true love. True love is not found in the world. True love only comes from God.

Once you have experienced the love of God in your life, then and only then, can you love your spouse as yourself, and put their needs above your own needs and wants. That is the attitude of a fireproof marriage, loving your spouse as yourself, because you are one flesh, and looking out for their best interest ahead of yourself.

To make your marriage fireproof, you must have a relationship with God that is real and personal. That relationship only comes through giving your life over to the Lord, Jesus Christ. A marriage built on anything less is going to have a difficult time ahead.

Serving Christ and His loving family,

Pastor Ken