Michael

After beginning college as a youth ministry major, I dropped out of school for financial reasons. Angry with God because I thought He had rejected me, I went my own way for several years. Thankfully, as God promises, even “if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” In His loving-kindness, He brought mature Christian men and women who spoke truth into my life, creating a hunger to know Jesus. Looking back, it is easy to see that in closing the door to “ministry school”, He opened a door to minister in the marketplace as an orthodontist and through The Cedar Shack. The lesson I learned was to never prejudge circumstances because we do not know how God is going to use them. I could have spared myself needless anxiety and disappointment if I had chosen to trust Him in spite of what I saw, “for we walk by faith, not by sight”. Although your life may not resemble what you thought it would, when we surrender to Jesus, our life is no longer our own. Initially this can be both scary and incredibly liberating at the same time.

Kelly and I were married in 2002, and we have eight children. Marriage and children have been beautiful and challenging gifts from God. I am in the process of learning to see them daily from His viewpoint. I have heard it said that our spouses hold a mirror for us to see what God sees in us, both our identity in Christ as well as the junk that needs to go. As humans, we have a tendency to “shoot the messenger” rather than dare to look in the mirror, which causes unwanted suffering, arguments, and broken relationships. I am humbled and encouraged as I consider my reflection. I am learning to receive what I see in the mirror more gracefully, understanding that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts me of things that need to change, not my wife. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must increase and I must decrease”. Our story is like John’s when we receive Jesus as our Lord; we must decrease as Jesus is allowed more and more access into our lives.

The Cedar Shack is an overflow of God’s goodness, mercy and loving-kindness. Because God is all and is in all, it is hard to separate ministry from business, yet ultimately I believe it brings Him the most glory when we give Him access to all aspects of our lives.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
~1 Corinthians 16:13-14