Goin' Mercer…ramblings and rants!

Tomorrow Leah and I take off for Ft. Worth. Then on Sunday we attend Highland and I begin my new job. Not everything has gone as smoothly as we would have liked, but God will work out the details. We look forward to a long and successful ministry with the church there. We pack it up and travel tomorrow and I can honestly say I am not prepared. So, hopefully we will get everything packed and ready to go tomorrow.

-Michael

This is the first time I have ever responded to being tagged. So here is the one time you will see me respond.
My instructions are to answer the following questions with lists of 7:

List 7 things to do before I die:
1. Have Children
2. Get my MDIV
3. Take a Vacation to Australia
4. Own a Porche
5. Be Dr. Mercer (Not MD)
6. Be a Little League coach
7. Take a Mission Trip to Africa

List 7 things I cannot (or will not) do:
1. Dance
2. Look at Chewed up gum
3. Enjoy Figure Skating
4. Be a vegetarian
5. Clap on Beat
6. Have my head under water (I am getting better though)
7. Get a manicure

List 7 things that attract me to my spouse:
1. She’s Stunning
2. Her Smile
3. Her Laugh
4. How she takes up for the underdog
5. The way she takes control of 5 year olds
6. Her sincere spirit
7. Seriously, She puts up with me

List 7 things I say most often:
1. Good luck on that
2. Off! Off! (to Zeke my dog)
3. Love ya bro
4. Just let me know!
5. How close are you to being ready? (to my wife)
6. Large Dr. Pepper, please
7. What do I say most often?

List 7 books or series that I love:
1. Bleachers
2. Paul, The Spirit, and the People of God
3. My First two years in Ministry
4. Anything Dr. Suess
5. The Summons
6. The Greatest Salesman
7. The Bible

List 7 movies I would watch over and over again:
1. Star Wars
2. Tombstone
3. We Were Soldiers
4. Toy Story
5. X-Men
6. Bourne Identity
7. Whatever my wife makes me watch

List seven people I would love to join in:
1. Leah
2. Analee
3. Mom (You can put it in the comments section)
4. Sean Palmer (Just to see him blog)
5. Ryan Porche
6. Space Left Blank for New Reader
7. Space Left Blank for New Reader

Thanks Cory!

I wasn’t dragged kicking and screaming to the theater, but was at least somewhat hesitant. I have never been a Johnny Cash fan, unlike my brother. However, I am a Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon fan. Leah’s parents took us to dinner and this movie. What a treat it was! I never expected the movie to be so good, but it was. The story flowed well and I understood and respected more the plight of artists and their families. One of my favorite parts was when Johnny Cash let all of his inhibitions go and scored his first record by singing from his heart. How powerful we as Christians could be if we let go of inhibitions and truly used to gifts God gave us. I wouldn’t say that the movie made me a Johnny cash fan, but I can’t get the song, “Walk the Line” out of my head. Of course, its one of those that I only remember about one line of the whole song. So, I just keep repeating it over and over in that deep baritone Johnny Cash-like voice. I try not to annoy Leah too much.

We have both been home this week and it has been great. We are trying to store up as much time together as possible for when we are apart come January. This is such a cherished time to be with my wife during the holiday season. Life is good!

Today Leah’s sister and brother-in-law come into town from Seattle. I look forward to seeing them both. Christmas is four days away and I am almost ready. A gift or two to go for Leah and of course the inevitable last minute stocking stuffers. I like to think of those as a tradition so I don’t get too stressed.

-Michael

This is where we live! No, not the Mercers, but Christians. We live in the fact that we have already been promised everlasting life and salvation, but we have not yet seen God’s full glory by Jesus’ second coming. As I read in Gordon Fee’s book “Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God”, he consistently brought this thought about. High School students who have been accepted to college but still wait to finish high school and then enter college understand the already/not yet. They understand on the physical level, but the true already/not yet comes in our spiritual lives. We live with the knowledge that we have grace and are saved in Jesus Christ. While we live in that knowledge (The Already) we also understand that the eschaton has not yet come and God’s full glory through Jesus’ coming has not been fulfilled (The Not Yet). Fee would say that Paul’s understanding of the Holy Spirit and a view we should share with Paul is that the Holy Spirit is the renewed presence of God taking us through the already/not yet journey. For good reason, when I read that today I was given great comfort. I hope it can do the same for you!

-Michael

Soon I will be traveling to Abilene. I am going to take my office stuff from here to my new office there. Also I plan to look at a couple of houses and an apartment for temporary housing. Also, I get a chance to talk with my new co-workers. This will be a good trip, but a fast one. Soon it will be home, not a place I visit.

-Michael

Last night the church here at Clear Lake gave us a going away party! Since the holidays are approaching this past Sunday evening was the best choice. I have to admit that going into it I was a little nervous. I knew students and adults both would be sharing with the congregation reflections of my time there and my ministry there. When I reflected on my ministry there all I could think about were the mistakes and foolish things I had done or didn’t do. However, I was blown away last night. Things were said last night that made me weep later and I am still tearing up today. There were things said that I had forgotten I was a part of. They talked about my single life, my married life, my ministry, and my love for God. I was so encouraged and humbled at the same time. I was gifted with a beautiful glass clock that has my name inscribed on a silver plate attached to the clock. It is gorgeous! I will be putting it in my next office. I was able to laugh at the silly things I did while there. I was able to cry in front of my students and church family that I will miss dearly. And I was able to give my rebuttal as one of our members called it. I finally had my chance to say thank you and how much I love them. I was convicted last night as Leah and I reflected on the party that no matter how faulted I am, God is bigger than that and will use me for His Glory! Praise God for that! My prayer is that He will use me just as much and more at Highland.

-Michael

Today I chose to work on my final exam for a graduate class. I have a week to take it and the 10 page paper that goes with it. Everything went great and I remembered more than I thought I would. However, it was all day in front of the computer. I finished the final portion, but I still need to do the paper.

Studying Revelation has taught me that I need to read things more carefully. Too many times Revelation is misread and wrong assumptions are made. I also learned that I need to have a more healthy outlook of the end of time. In the church of Christ I am not sure we talk much about the end. And even if we do, we don’t start there and let it guide how we see Christ and our faith.

Revelation has a lot to say about our commitment to faith and we can glean much from those that have been martyred for the cause of Christ. We can be encouraged in the fact that we win through the conquering savior Jesus Christ!

-Michael