Our 2011 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas from

Marcus and Jan Bigelow

Oh how a year changes things.  We are filled with thanksgiving for all of you, our friends and family.  

This year began with the discovery of a place in the country that allows four generations of our family to live together.  It hadn’t been lived in for over a year, but it had enough room for Jan’s folks, Fred and Carol, Jan and Marc, and Nathan, Amy, Zach, Luke and Josh Cherry to thrive.

So, on Feb 28, we moved to Penryn, CA (Our new address is 1490 Sisley Rd., Penryn, CA 95663.  Our new phone is 916-663-9141).  It’s only about 10 miles from our former residence, but it’s a world away.  

We now live on a “farm-ette” complete with snakes, deer, owls, Canada geese and ducks on our own pond on 2.5 acres.  You can see our place at http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Amy and Jan have become quite self-sufficient, making their own laundry soap, yogurt, English muffins and growing many of our vegetables.  The boys are in paradise with great places to roam. They have built a tree fort with their Dad--all in all a great place to live. 

In July, I left Stadia after 15 years to begin a ministry to Christian leaders in ministry and in business doing LifePlans (what does God want to do with my life) and Strategic Planning.  It’s still in the startup stages and we are learning to walk by faith—again.

In October, Jan’s folks finally moved in after we finished the renovations needed on their apartment.  Our girls and their families are all doing well.

Cara and Patrick and 3 of our grandchildren still live in Lincoln and we get to see them often. Evan, their oldest, entered high school this year. Samantha is in 6^th grade and Andy in 3^rd grade.  They attend a local charter school.

Zachary and Luke started school at Penryn School this year and are really enjoying 4^th grade and Kindergarten.  Penryn school is a K-8 and we really enjoy the small town atmosphere. Josh (3 in February) is still home and keeps us in stitches with his funny sayings. (Check out Jan and Amy’s Facebook pages for regular laughter.)

Anna and Jonathan are doing well in Chile and we are eagerly anticipating a winter visit with us in a few weeks.

We are thankful for God’s presence in our lives as never before.  We pray this year will bring you the joy and peace that only Christ can bring.

Marc and Jan Bigelow

Check out Michael Hyatt's blog on why you need to have a life plan and how to live your dream instead of someone elses.

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=52d5c7778a3adfda535c3b349&id=e1e945e48e&e=b5fc4a0be3

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

The Most Important Person to Lead is Yourself

Having been in church planting for 28 years I have not only shot myself in the foot numerous times, but also watched other perfectly competent leaders do the same. While I don’t know who came up with the title for today’s blog, I do know that it is true.

Here are four ways we can lead ourselves.

· Lead yourself in the ways of God. As one recent church planting leader said, “If I don’t have my relationship with God right, nothing else will be right.” You would think that we would learn this lesson early on, but the number of 50 year old pastors who are still struggling with this leads me to conclude that it is a lifelong battle to be fought.

o Make a leadership choice to connect more fully to Jesus today.

· Lead yourself in overcoming fears. When we get scared we have three typical responses—Fight, flight or freeze. It takes careful leadership to have a thoughtful, prayerful response to a frightening set of circumstances. Saying, “I will walk by faith in my God in this instance” requires a leadership choice.

o Make a leadership choice to confront that situation that is causing your fear this week.

· Lead yourself in breaking new ground. The default mode of human nature is to walk by sight- to return to the safe place. But just like the church that says, “We’ve never done it that way before” so a leader who always returns to what has worked in the past without considering the future has limited the reach of his leadership.

o Make a leadership choice to try one new thing in the next thirty days.

· Lead yourself into replenishment. Often as leaders we think that green pastures and still waters are for those we preach to, but they will never make it there if we don’t model what that looks like. If the leader sets the standard of workaholism—read skips her day off, the all who follow or report to that leader will do the same. Taking a Sabbath day, affirms our belief that God is in control of our church plant and that He is Lord.

o Make a leadership choice to take care of yourself better (rest, exercise, or vacation) this year.

Your spiritual, mental and physical health as a leader will determine your effectiveness. The better you lead yourself the more effective you will be in leading others God has placed in your sphere of influence. Go ahead, lead! Lead yourself, lead your family, lead your church plant. Lead, because God cares what you do.

Prawlking

Having renewed my life plan, I have committed myself to exercising and praying more. This morning I was able to prawlk (prayer walk) 2.7 miles. At first I could only walk and my only prayer was, Lord, help me get home. Now I am finding that I can seek God's face and favor while walking.

I'm finding that Paul Cardall on Pandora radio is really conducive to distraction free meditation. And being ADD ("Dear Lord, oh there goes a bird, hmm look at that flower, wonder what the 49ers are going to do") I need all the help I can get.

This morning I was actually able to jog about 1/3 of the way. Prayer during that time reduced to "Lord help me not to die here", but am looking forward to "Progging" (prayer/jogging) with more than a survival prayer.

I believe that exercise is part of God's plan for my life. It may not be the thing I look forward to the most, but I long to grasp His highest purpose for my life and I know I cannot do that without exercise. So, I obey trusting that God is doing His good work in my life.

United airlines ugh

Landed early couldn't get a gate.sprinted through lax to be treated rudely by gate agents.  No wonder SouthWest cleans up.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Early in the Morning I will praise Him

Ps 28:7

The Lord strengthens and protects me;

I trust in him with all my heart.

I am rescued and my heart is full of joy;

I will sing to him in gratitude.

Finding Clarity and Direction,

Marcus Bigelow

www.marcusbigelow.com/lifeplanning

Cell:  707-718-3730

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Untitled

Just listened to an incredible TED presentation of a 2000 voice virtual choir.  http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.html  The need for community is strong.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

I won something. That never happens.

I am so excited! I just found out that I won a free copy of @MWBuckingham’s new book, StandOut: http://mhyatt.us/pBBTIK

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

StandOut

Just read review of StandOut by "Strengths-Finder" Marcus Buckingham.  Looks like a good read. http://michaelhyatt.com/a-review-of-standout-by-marcus-buckingham.html#respond

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Blow Out!

Driving on a Blow out!

Yesterday, my son in law was driving to church in my Tahoe, when kerwhang thump,thump thump. Sure enough, a blown tire, on the freeway, next to a cement wall with no shoulder! He didn’t plan it, he wasn’t dressed for it, but it happened anyway. He limped along for a ½ mile until there was a place to pull out of traffic. Today we are tire shopping.

As I waited for the service provider (my jack was too short and my lug wrench didn’t fit—duh!) I thought about our lives. Almost everyone has had a blowout, both on the road and in life. We never plan for it, we hope it doesn’t happen, and most of the time in life our lug wrench doesn’t fit! So, what do we do.

So, here’s a couple of thoughts for when you have a blow out.

· Have a good tow service! In life that means first of all, having your relationship with God in order. I think we all experience temporary atheism at times when we worry that somehow God will not show up in our crisis—but He always does.

· Have someone you can call. The time to tend to our relationships of friendship and mentorship and counsel, we will be frantically searching for someone to fill that void when we are least prepared to do it.

· Don’t keep driving on the blowout. It’s dangerous and it will only cause more damage. We don’t know if the tire could have been saved before driving a ½ mile on the blow out, but if we had gone much farther we would have ruined the rim, the brakes, an axle and ???. I’m always amazed at how people try to brush their “life blowouts” under the rug and act as if nothing has happened.

Tomorrow I’ll talk a little more about this in my blog, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow—Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive!

Driving on a blowout!

Driving on a Blow out.docx Download this file

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Life Planning

If we would only give the same amount of reflection to what we want

out of life that we give to the question of what to do with two weeks’

vacation, we would be startled at our false standards and the aimless

procession of our busy days.”

— Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

When the passion is gone

On my way home from church last week, I said to my wife, “For the first time in over 25 years, I don’t have something I’m passionate about! I’m really scared!” For the next 25 minutes on our ride home, my godly wife helped me climb down off the ledge and consider some good things about this “tweener” time. I put these forward as hypotheses not fact. I’m still trying to figure it out.

Yeah though I walk through the valley of “passion” death,

1. I will fear no evil—for Thou art with me. My wife gently reminded me that God is still in control and still loves me and Phil. 1:6 still applies, God is not finished with me yet. Intellectually I know these things, but when I get scared, I sometimes get stupid. Many of us in church planting (and other leadership pursuits) are wired to lead with passion. The question rings, “What if I never regain passion?” For me the answer is, “I will probably regain passion, but even if I don’t, God is still with me.”

2. He makes me lie down in green pastures. My wife, four mentors, my accountability partner and several friends have said, “God is giving you a time of rest.” As church planters and leaders we have given the same advice to many others but it’s hard to take our own medicine. For 28 years I have led at full speed ahead. I have had victories and defeats. I am learning to lie down.

Last Sunday afternoon, I took my two year old grandson for a walk to pick Queen Anne’s lace for his Grandma. Two weeks ago I helped my 13 year old grandson learn to work hard at a physical task. Had I been rushing off to a meeting, I would have missed two delightful moments. My soul is being restored.

3. My cup over flows. In this time of change, I have been bombarded with calls, emails, and other expressions of love. I am reveling in the relationships that have been built over the past 30 years. I am learning to stop and appreciate how many wonderful relationships I have.

4. You guide me in paths of righteousness. Nature abhors a vacuum. I don’t like being passionless. My first response has been to fill my passion vacuum with the first thing that came along rather than wait for God to guide me in the right path. Several opportunites have come my way. My first tendency is to jump, but God is teaching me to wait patiently.

As I stated at the top, I’m still trying to figure it out, but these are the things that are helping me walk through this time.

Divine Encounters

It's been awhile since I have asked God for a divine encounter. Recently my heart has been stirred that I need to ask God for someone with which to share Jesus. I have gotten so "professional" in my Christianity, that I have forgotten its about being in relationship and abiding in the vine and seeking and saving the lost on a personal as well as professional level.

In study this morning for a Bible study I will lead on Sunday, I came across these words from Ray Stedman, "There is an excitement that comes into our lives when we really, genuinely put the affairs of God first, and do not even bother to think about the provision of our own needs. This is why God says, "Now is the accepted time. Today is the day."

I want that to be me today. I want to genuinely put the affairs of God first! So, God, I'm asking for a divine encounter, for eyes and a heart to see it, and for boldness to be available for that encounter.

I'll let you know what happens tomorrow!

How long has it been since you prayed for a divine encounter?

The World is Flat (and other myths)

I just found out today that the 110 year "fact" that the tongue has different areas for tasting sweet, sour, bitter, etc, is a myth.  It was first formulated in 1901 by a scientist who exaggerated his research and it become dogma for 100 years.  However, recent researchers (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/health/11real.html?_r=1) have proven the map is wrong.  The whole tongue tastes everything and there are not just four types of tastes but at least five and probably a sixth.

Everything people tell us is not always based upon fact.  A hundred thousand high school science teachers can be wrong.

The real point of my blog involves where I came across this shocking revelation.  It came in a video called "Read this before our Next meeting".  Many meetings are called for the wrong reasons and only frustrate the participants.  Check out this video  http://michaelhyatt.com/videos/read-this-before-our-next-meeting.  I'm going to read the book.

Finally,  take a candy cane, touch it to the right side of your tongue, then run it all around your tongue.  You won't find any great scientific fact, but it will taste a lot better than an onion.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

The importance of belonging

I used to read lots of Louis L'Amour westerns (if he was still alive and writing, I'd still be reading but I've read them all). The hero was always a tall, lean, strong-jawed loner who rode in off the range, saved the town, fell in love with the girl of his dreams, and then settled down.

Americans seem enthralled with the strong loner. The reality is that none of us do well in a vacuum and all of us need to belong. For the past 8 years, since Stadia was formed, I have had the privilege of working with a team that has made us all better. When things go well, you have people around to celebrate the victories. When things are tough, there is no place better to be than in the middle of people who love and care for you.

For me, being part of a team is a natural. I'm a relationship sponge and have rarely met someone I didn't like. For others, it takes a bit more work. But, it is worth it.

It's not rocket science, it just takes connecting with people, caring for them, and letting yourself be open, honest and vulnerable to them. Sometimes it will not be reciprocated, but most often, the rewards far outweigh the risk. If you don't have a family or team to which to belong, start now to build one. Take the initiative. You'll be glad you did!

Thanks, Stadia team, for being my family.

digital kisses

I just kissed my wife good morning on Skype.  It’s really not the same.  I miss you honey!

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

If Jesus comes

While I doubt seriously that Harold Camping is right about May 21 being the day Jesus will come (he's been wrong before), every time someone predicts Jesus coming I am forced to say, "He could be right", not because of their own ability to forsee the future,but because Jesus could come at any time.

Here is my prayer for every single person I know (and more abstractly for those I don't know),

1) I pray that you know Jesus as your friend, Savior and Lord. There is no way under heaven by which you can share eternity with God without knowing Jesus personally.

It's really pretty simple.

First, you must believe that Jesus is the God's solution for our lives and throw yourself on God's grace. I know I'm not good enough in myself to ever earn God's favor-- and in your heart of hearts you probably agree with that. (About yourself--if you know me I know you agree about me!)

Second, tell someone that you believe. It doesn't have to be a preacher or in church, just acknowledge to someone that you are going to trust Jesus. When we try to be secret Christians, Satan snatches it away from us by convincing us that our choice to follow Jesus wasn't really real.

Third, agree with God to go his way. Instead of always trying to do things your way, make an about face and agree to do it God's way.

Fourth, be baptized. Being immersed is a spiritual drama wherein we act out the saving event, Christ's death, burial and resurrection in our life. There is nothing magic about water baptism, but God has said he will meet us there.

So, if Jesus comes today or tomorrow, I pray we will spend eternity together basking in the glow of God's love and lving out an eternity of challenge and fulfillment.

I was going to say, thank you for being my friend. But, if Jesus comes tomorrow, I'll just tell you in heaven. See you there.

Hate

Hate is like a boomerang that misses the target and comes back and hits you in the head.

Louis Zamporini

Together we will

Marc Bigelow
Sent from my Android phone using TouchDown (www.nitrodesk.com)

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Good Grief it's raining

Here I sit, looking out the window on May 9, and it’s cold and rainy.  This is California, it’s supposed to be hot.

Marcus Bigelow

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Christmas Evans

Raised in an abusive family, illiterate at age 17, lost his eye in a knife fight while in a drunken brawl, became a preacher of the gospel whom God used to bring thousands to himself.  Wrote these words, “ Consider in the first place the great importance, to a preacher, of a blameless life.”  Such is grace that brings complete forgiveness.  “Remember this,  that you cannot commit some loved sin in private and perform the work of the ministry in public,  with facility and acceptance.”  I am challenged to personal purity in my life.

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

A great blog

I subscribe to Michael Hyatt’s blog on leadership and communication.  I find at least 3 or more times a week I say Wow!  Today’s blog on Playing Full Out was particularly touching to me.  Here’s the link. http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=52d5c7778a3adfda535c3b349&id=f09b4d9bdd&e=b5fc4a0be3

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Charles Simeon

In a conversation with Charles Wesley, Charles Simeon, who leaned towards Calvinism said,  “ . . . Therefore, if you please, instead of searching searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things in which we agree.”  The world is full of meany heads who want to create walls of divisive orthodoxy, so that they can have an exclusive club, but Jesus said in Mark 9:40-41,  “For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ's name will never lose his reward.” (NET)

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Charles Simeon

Reading biography of Charles Simeon 1759-1836. The members of the church locked the pews so people couldn’t hear him, locked the doors so sinners couldn’t come in, and he still preached faithfully for 54 years in the same place.  I’m a woos.  “My endeavor” he wrote, “ is to bring out of Scripture what is there and not to trust in what I think may be there.  Take the Word as little children without enquiring what human system it appears to favor.”   “ Be a Bible Christian not a system Christian.”  In a day when we like to create camps of thought, these are great words.  Think I heard Francis Chan say the same thing last week at Exponential.  Some things are timeless.

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Great Day

Today was a great day with the Stadia Spring Fling.  Great energy and excitement as we celebrated what God is doing.

Together we will,

Marcus Bigelow

President | Stadia: Together We Will…

333 Sunset Dr.  Rocklin, CA 95765 | 707-718-3730 cell
www.stadia.cc

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Be a lert-- America needs more lerts!

One of my favorite bumper stickers.  I’ve been reading some of the Holy Week scriptures.  This morning Matthew 24 was my choice.  Living in California, not too far away from the fellow who is predicting that Jesus will come on May 12, my thoughts were caught by Jesus words-- no one knows the day so stay alert!  Jesus could come in 23 days, 23 hours, or 23 years.  We live on a long driveway, so when we are expecting company we often look to see if they are coming.  I want to live my life with a sense of expectancy that Jesus is coming.

It is so easy to be lulled into complacency and figure that I’ll get around to sharing the good news with my neighbors, I’ll get around to reconciling with my enemy.  Jesus tells us that if we are hard at work when he comes, we will be among the blessed.  So, I’ll be alert, looking for the return of my Savior and I’ll stay busy, living out, though grace and the Spirit, God’s call on my life. 

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Insomniacs Anonymous

At 4am I founded a new organization, Insomniacs Anonymous.  We will only meet in the middle of the night.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

We need each other

Alexis De Tocqueville 

If each undertook himself to form all his opinions and to pursue the truth in isolation down paths cleared by him alone, it is not probable  that a great number of men would ever unite in any common belief. . . without common ideas there is no common action, and without common action men still exist but a social body does not.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

One of the best posts on being a leader

Just finished reading Michael Hyatt’s blog post on Advice to a new leader.  One of the best I’ve ever read.

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=52d5c7778a3adfda535c3b349&id=527ece7616&e=b5fc4a0be3

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Together We Can and We Will!

Just this morning I have had the incredible blessing of reading reports from several church planters who make Stadia what it is.

Scott Bloyer, in Aurora, CO, just spent a wonderful day at Children's Hospital with the leading MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and Grudge match fighters, praying with the children and their families and sharing Christ with the families and with the Grudge trainers (I'm not quite sure what Grudge trainers do-- I don't need anyone to help me hold a grudge-- but I think it has to do with professional fighting on TV). As you can tell by my comment, I could probably never touch a grudge fighter for Jesus, but Scott and his team of MMA fighters do it all the time. So, together we can and we will!

Scott Pugh and Velocity Christian Church in South Euclid, OH have served their community so well that not only have 42 people been baptized in the past 20 months, but one of the Cleveland Browns players has agreed to do a football camp for all the youth of S. Euclid. I don't know any Cleveland Browns players, but Scott does, so, Together we can and we will!

Recently Tom Jones and Brent Foulke came back from Ecuador where more than 14 of our church plants and church planting partners are transforming 4 villages where no church exists. By April, these four villages will have churches bringing the gospel as well as clean water and education to the citizens. I don't speak Spanish, but the four church planting couples who will lead these works do, so, together we can and we will!

It's all about synergy which is a fancy word for saying that together we are better and accomplish more than we can alone.

This gospel will be preached in the whole world.

It's been a long time since I posted. Blogging is not a natural activity for me. I have promised myself to do better in 2011. A friend of mine describes three kinds of people in the digital world, those over 55 are normally digital fugitives, those from 35 to 55 are digital immigrants, and those under 35 are digital natives. I'm almost 60!

Nevertheless, I am going to try to be more consistent in writing this year.

In my Bible reading today I came to this passage which inspired me.


Matt 24:12-14
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
NIV

It reminded me that God loves the Sudanese refugee as much as my neighbor across the street. He loves the villager in Manta, Ecuador who earns $1 per day as the "millionaire next door".

I saw a motorhome billboard driving down the street last week proclaiming that Jesus was coming on May 21, 2011. I doubt it, there are too many places in the world where the gospel is not yet preached. Part of me wants Jesus to come on that date, but part of me prays, "Lord tarry a little longer, there are so many who do not know you."

And while I'm quite sure that the guy who is predicting the end of the world is wrong (he also predicted 1988 and 1989--- OOPS!) I do know that the end of the world will come, with judgment day. I pray that many millions more will come to know Jesus as Savior before then.