Reflections on 2008...

Kaylee and I would like to wish a Happy New Year to all our friends and family. 2008 has been a year of trials and victories. I have never taken the time to write such a reflection piece, but I was sitting here at my desk this morning thinking about all the things that transpired and wishing I could go back and relive some moments and take others back. Pardon me if this doesn't get too spiritual, I am sure there will be those parts woven throughout this. January kicked off my new career in sales. I started at Lighting Group Northwest in Seattle. This was a big change for me since I had spent all of my career in the construction industry. I also would now be commuting to Seattle daily. However, the world of outside sales would free up my time and not lock me in an office eight hours a day. It has been an interesting year to say the least. I have learned a lot and am waiting to see what happens. Kaylee remained employed as the High School supervisor at South Sound Christian Academy. She had a wonderful spring semester, and a much enjoyed summer vacation. Her fall has been very eventful and she continues to give herself 110% into helping kids excel in education. January was pretty much un-eventful as the year began, but that would soon change. February kicked off with our final semester of Purpose Institute. I taught a half class as a substitute teacher. I did not have the time this year to devote to teaching a full class. March brought was WA District Youth Convention. Both Kaylee and I were involved with the music. Kaylee did a fabulous job organizing all of that and we got home absolutely exhausted as always. Bishop Schoonover celebrated his 50th Birthday on the exact same day as my mother, I was in Los Angeles, CA and was not in Attendance for Bishop's party, but did make the 3 hour drive to surprise my Mom on her 50th. It was a fabulous occasion. The end of March was marked by a visit to our city by the Tim Downs Family. Their ministry of reaching out blessed our church and after 3 days of passing out invitations at 1:00 a.m. we were wore out. April brought more fun events with Kaylee and I celebrating our third wedding anniversary. We didn't do a whole lot and you will find out why when I get to June. The NLPC choir sang the last night of Spring Conference and that was the only big event that April brought. I started off the first weeknd of May at a Men's camping trip in Yakima, WA. We had a great time on the first day, then the secnd day it rained like there was no tomorrow. I preached the second weekend of the month at a youth rally hosted by our daughter congregation in Wapato, WA. The fourth weekend of May brought Manna-Fest to Wapato, WA. This again proved to be a life changing experience for me. We kicked off June by taking an Anniversary trip to Cancun, Mexico. Kaylee and I traveled with Laurin and Caleb and we spent five days relaxing and having a great time. I preached the last weekend of the month in Ellensburg, Wa and we took the entire youth group to that event, then stayed the night at my parents house with some kids. We had a great time. We spent the Fourth of July with my family. We drove around and saw Fireworks lat that night and just kicked it the rest of the weekend. Rob Greene, Kaylee, Laurin, Caleb, Tara and myself did music for the last night of Summer conference. This was a ton of fun, and we had a hoe down during altar call. August began with a visit from the Garcias! It was a busy weekend, as we were also involved in a muli-congregation service in Yakima that same weekend. Eli ministered both on Saturday in that meeting and also on Sunday back in Puyallup. We had a very enjoyable weekend and were sad to see them go. Kaylee was again gone for two straight weeks to Youth Camp and Women's Conference. I got to spend a day or two with her at Youth Camp. I preached during the day on Wednesday and drove back Thursday night to be with her. We ended the month with the SFC Softball tournament. It was a short day as we won a game and lost two! September started with a adventure into the wilderness and a 4 day preaching engagement in Stehekin, WA. My Dad, Bishop Schoonver and Kaylee were all together on this trip. This was a really cool experience as we had never all been in the same meeting together. The Garcias came back for a visit in September and we all trudged in the rain down to the Puyallup Fair to hear Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith in concert. We all got the H.G. and really wet from all the rain fall. the next weekend we traveled to Spokane to hear the experience the ministry of Sam Emory. We took the entire youth group and this was the road trip of the year. October was birthday month for me and also marked the starting point for Kaylee and I in our process of becoming home owners. Bishop Schoonover took and extended vacation through October and so I was given over-sight of the congregation through most of October into November. We began moving Friday afternoon on October 31, we finished about 2:00 a.m. November 1. November started crazy for me. I had one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. We were scheduled to preach a revival Nov 1-2 in Ellensburg, WA. Long story short, after moving all day and night Friday, I barely crawled out of bed on Saturday. At 2:00 we were leaving Puyallup when the pastor's wife called and said, "Are you still coming?" I responded joyfully that I was on my way. It went down hill from there. She said, "service starts at 2:00p.m." My heart sank. I was still nearly two hours away. They waited we got their late and God moved. What a way to end a week and start a month. The second weekend was Youth Emphasis weekend. This was hosted in Wapato, WA. Third weekend I traveled to Minnestoa and Nebraska for work, upon returning we joined the Garcias in Lincoln City, OR for a small vacation. I preached the fourth weekend in Spokane at Youth Summitt. By the time Thanksgiving came around I was ready to relax. We spent the Holiday in Yakima, WA with my family. December was alomost quiet compared to the rest of the year. We enoyed Christmas at the Schoonover's and Kaylee and I settled into our new home nicely. Hopefully at some point I can post some pics of this years events.

Blessings and Love to all.

Nick and Kaylee

2008

I don't know why, but I am posting my one and only post for 2008. This has been a great year of growth for Kaylee and myself. We are looking forward to all that God has in store for us in 2009. I will attempt to update this more often in the days to come.

Happy Holidays to all!

Love Nick and Kaylee

Past Few Weeks Events

Did I tell you that summer is nearly half-over in the NW and it really just began? Oh I know summer begins in June, but out here "summer weather doesn't usually arrive until sometime after the 4th of July. At that time the rain finally stops for a month or two and we get to enjoy some of the greatest weather known to man!

I am one of those people who has all these great aspirations coming into summer. All the things that i want to do. I usually make a list of cool things that I want to do and then about October realize I did none of them. Well, this summer is a little different. For those of who who don't know back on May 23, 2007 I was diagnosed by Dr. Logerfo with Melanoma. This is a very serious form of skin cancer. It is diagnosed with many different stages, types and levels. I was told my skin spot was cancerous and that a specialist (Dr. Fuecht) would be calling me shortly. Dr. Fuecht's nurse called me shorty to schedule a consultation that would cover what type of melanoma I had and at what stage it was. Needless to say the next few days were some of those most interesting of my life. You won't believe the thought processes that run through your mind. Through it all God granted me the grace to endure up until the day I went in for my consult. Dr. Kenneth Fuecht is probably in the top two or three of the most intelligent people I have met in my life. He and his team of surgeons have been credited with many discoveries in the field of skin cancer. The walls of his office are lines with recognitions from medical universities all over the globe. This made me feel a little more comfortable as I settle into a plush chair on this dreaded Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Fuecht soon arrived and the first words out of his mouth were, "you didn't Google this did you?" Of course I said "yes" to which he replied, "Oh God!" He proceeded to tell me how the majority of those folks have no clue and they throw out blanket statements concerning these diseases that don't apply to every diagnosis. He then went on to tell me of a situation previous to me that week where a woman came in very emotional sure that she was dying because of what she had read online, only to find out that the test he held in his hands showed no real danger concerning her diagnosis. I started to feel good at this point. I even remember thinking to myself...maybe that is me! God just took me through this time to make sure I still trusted him. Unfortunately that was not the case. He proceeded to break the news to me that I had the most deadly type of melanoma. He explained that the severity of melanoma is not determined by its diameter...many types of melanoma will grow on the skin and may require skin removals and grafts but never be a threat to ones health. The severity of melanoma is determined by its depth and infiltration of surrounding skin cells and glands. An undetected melanoma that attacks the cells and glands will take a life in less than six months. This is the type of melanoma that I had just been diagnosed with.

A million thoughts began to race through my mind. You would have to know my situation. I hate doctors and have maybe gone twice in the last 20 years. This past winter I contracted a cold and after a three month infinity cough my wife finally convinced me to go to the doctor. Dr. Peter Logerfo who serves as are family physician wanted to listen to my lungs. while he listened he notices this tiny little speck on my back that showed some discoloration. He expressed his concern about this spot and asked me to just be safe and schedule an appointment to have it removed in about a week. Life is busy in the Johnstone house and the appointment that I made came and went with little or no thought from me. That is until Dr. Logerfo personally called me to beat me over the head about not coming in. his exact words were, "Nick this is serious, don't play around get this taken care of." I scheduled an appointment for the following day and started to wonder what had made him call me back. When I arrived he looked at it again and made statements like, ""you know it is probably nothing, it will probably just go away over time." Me being the "physicians office hater" that I am thought, well then lets just leave it alone. I hate needles and pain so why torture myself. After about a short 30 minute surgery I left his office with a small incision in my back and thought that was the end of it. And it was until I went back 10 days later (May 23) to have the stitches removed. The nurse came in and told me that the doctor was out today but he would be calling me because my biopsy came back positive for melanoma. This news came only hours before I had to leave town for 3 days of preaching engagements in two separate cities. Talk about distraction.

All of this came flooding back the moment that Dr. Fuecht spoke the words "un-detected spots." I began to wonder, had God given me an everlasting cold? Did he know that in my male ego and stubbornness I would not have ever gone into a doctors office for a simple checkup. The good news was that they had caught this particular spot at a very early stage. However, the area removed contained "bad cells" which basically meant that the risk of a quick return was very high. After further review of my back Dr Fuecht spotted four other areas that were of concern to him. At this point i didn't care if he was concerned or not...just get them off me! I am not taking any more chances. We scheduled a surgery for June 28, 2007. We are seven days removed from the surgery and my life is starting to return to normal. My back looks as though I was attacked by a shark and is healing slowly. I am not out of the woods yet. In about three days I will find out about the cells and their depth around the melanoma and I will also find out if the other locations were clean.

Both Kaylee and I are very appreciative of all your prayers and support. We are trusting in the Lord and covet his grace daily.

With that being said, this has changed my life! I am doing exactly what I want this summer. I have canceled engagements and cleared my schedule. Life is too short to not spend time with family and friends. My list is growing quickly...I have to get over to Yakima to play Apple Tree golf course, take my quads to Moses Lake and spend time with my wife and family. Sounds like more bbq's and pool parties to me!

I am still working on the Survivor mentality blog...I will be posting it shortly.

Nick

Posts in Process

I am currently working on two different post that I have felt inspiration concerning. The first will be entitlted "Generational Gap" and the second "Survivor Mentality!" These both have come to me over the past couple of months while traveling and taking in different things that are transpiring in different places.
Some of the things that I have writtenin these post have been rather harsh and I have sought the Lord for better means of gently sharing them.

Pray for me

Nick

Generational Gap

Have you ever stopped into one of those old time drive-in joints that serve greasy burgers, thick fries and old time milk shakes? There is usually some oldies music playing on the jukebox and 10 or 12 middle age or older couples sitting around really enjoying themselves. I walk in at 26 years old take one look around, laugh and remind myself that I am only here because the food taste good. I tend to lean more towards the Applebees and Red Robins of the world. In fact you wouldn't find many teens now days hanging out at the old time drive-in joints. It isn't that I dis-like the drive-in atmosphere or even the company that frequents such a place it just isn't my era. You don't find Applebees playing the music they play at Johnny Rockets. Okay now that I have rambled allow me to help you understand where I am coming from. I love both Applebees and Johnny Rockets...both have their time and place.

I was recently in attendance at a sectional church meeting. I was the youngest preacher there and one of the five young people in the building since there were only three youth in attendance. It was here I was reminded once again of the great "generational gap" we have in Pentecost. Allow me to compare this church meeting to Johnny Rockets. Usually the folks who frequent Johnny Rockets are very sentimental about those types of places. They are sitting in the booth sipping their old fashion milkshake with two straws remembering of a Friday night in 1965 when they were driving a 1957 Chevy two door Bel-Air wearing a letter-mans jacket after a homecoming drubbing of the football rival 20 miles down the road. As I sat in this meeting listening to a 60 year old 4th generation pentecostal singing a song her mother must have sung at a fellowship meeting when this sister was my age I had to stop and look around at the young people sitting around me and wondered to myself if they thought the same way about this meeting as I do at Johnny Rockets. Oh, and the reason there are only three youth in attendance...they have been to these meetings before and refuse to come back because of this very atmosphere.

Think about this for a moment why do we have children's church during our traditional Sunday morning worship service? Because for the most part young children cannot relate to what is transpiring in that particular form of church. Why is it that when kids get older and become young adults we suddenly feel the need to subject them to grandma pastor's wife singing "On the Wings of a Snow White Dove" to some really bad piano playing. I know that I am about to get blasted out of the water here by some of my more traditional peers but I have kept my peace for 10 years and I am more concerned for the present generation of youth and my own generation than I have ever been. I know, we have youth rallies and youth camp and youth convention (hold on to your bladder) but some of those meetings are not any different than what I have described above. Youth Camps and Conventions are great and they hold some of the most memorable experiences of my young life but why am I subjecting the current generation to participate in the same activities at youth camp that I participated in. It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to understand that no generation has the same interest.

I am in no way implying that standards of holiness need to be let down to appease a generation of vipers. In fact, I believe we need to hold the line as strong as ever in this generation. I am not talking about holiness, I am talking about methods. I can already here the screams of traditional Pentecostals, "REMOVE NOT THE OLD LANDMARKS!" Consider this for a moments. When Moses was faced with a water crossing at the Red Sea, the LORD told him to lift his staff. When the next generation was faced with a water crossing the LORD instructed Joshua (the new leader) to have the men carry the ark of the covenant and step into the Jordan. Both men received the same result, but two separate methods were used under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Imagine for a moment if Joshua had walked to the Jordan and lifted up his staff waiting for the waters to part. That generation would have never walked in the promise that God intended for that hour! The problem is too many generations of Pentecostals are standing at the edge of Jordan with the same method that the previous generation used. To break it down even further...trying to build churches and see a harvest in their cities with the same methods that the previous generation used. We need more Joshua's that in lieu of just walking to Jordan and lifting a stick because that is what Dad or Grandpa did, they wait upon the Lord for his inspiration and then act on it in their hour.

I am not sure what happened to the interim generation in Pentecost. I appears to me as though we have a whole slough of Azusa Street folks and a whole bunch of North American Youth Congress folks but not a lot in the middle. Those that are in the middle seem to lean towards the Auzsa Street folks, because they are the generation that passed the mantle to them. Now here comes the North American Youth Congress group whose parents are leaning towards the Azusa street group but they are seeking a new method and the Azusa Street folks can't figure out why we don't want to be just like them. I hear questions from the Azusa Street group like, "Why do you guys want to sing all that new music?" "What is wrong with the hymns?"

There has got to be a coming together in the day and hour that we live in. We have to close the generational gap! The present generation has to embrace the former and their methods and the elder generation must embrace the younger and their passion to be on the cutting edge of what God desires in this hour. Until the generational gap is closed we will continue to have empty sectional meetings and minor interest from each generation in what the other is doing

Grace

Too many "church" people over the years have confused grace with mercy and used them as though they were synonymous terms. Consider this for a moment. Mercy - compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence (Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) ). Grace - the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them - the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God (same as above).
In my short 10 years of ministry I have numerous times been confronted with a faithful saint of God who in a time of affliction or infirmity solicited the prayer of an elder in accordance with the word of God. I have always prayed the prayer of faith believeing that God was able to deliver from any circumstance and heal all manner of disease. I have many times witnessed the working of miracles as Paul described to the chruch in Corinth regarding the spiritual gifts imparted by God, and have at other times witnessed the impartaion of the gift of healing as was described by Paul in this same setting. Allow me to share my thoughts regarding this passage and how it plays into the thought of Grace. If I were to give you a gift wrapped in beautiful paper and stuffed in a box you would not have actually received the "gift" or the object that I had given you until you had taken the time to un-wrap the gift. If you don't have the faith to belive that the box with fancy wrapping that I gave you contains an actual "gift" then you will miss out on the contents of the gift. For some folks un-wrapping a gift is a five minute ordeal. For others like myself I un-wrap it in a hurry because I want what is inside. I know that there have been times through the years that I have prayed for folks with different ailments and because the Lord chose not to operate through the working of miracles but rather through the gift of healing they walked away from their encounter unchanged and within a few hours began speaking things like" Well I guess God chose not to heal me this time." Quickly the faith with which they approached me is now fading. In other words, they place the "gift" back on the altar because they didn't see instant results.
Now that you think I am absolutely crazy, allow me to explain how this ties into grace. Paul in his writing to the church in Corinth makes this statement in 2 Corithians 11.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Paul writes to the church regarding all of the circumstances he has encountered in his walk with God. Being a man of God myself I can't help but believe that Paul did not talk to God about any of these issues. I am sure there were a few prayers that went up in the midst of these beating. There had to have been a few cries for help amidst the ship wrecks but yet seemingly God chose to allow Paul to continue through each of these trials. Did Paul do something wrong? Did Paul not have enough faith in the midst of his situation to belive that God was able to deliver him? I believe Paul begins to shine more light on this subject in 2 Corinthians 12.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Because I pray for a healing from my presesnt infirmity or I ask for deliverance from my present situation and God chooses not to heal me or deliver me doesn't mean that God doesn't heal anymore or that God doesn't deliver. It doesn't even mean that I have any less faith than the last time that I prayed for healing and received. It simply means that this time God has chosen to simply give me the grace to endure whatever it is that I am going through. As christians when we pray we are immediately looking for the instant deliverance or healing. I can only imagine how Paul and Silas felt that night in prison after a beating was received for preaching the gospel. In Acts 5 when the apostles were put into prison for preaching the Gospel the angel of the Lord was sent and delivered them out of their present situation. However, when Paul and Silas were captured and beaten then thrown in prison the angel of the Lord did not appear this time, but rather God gave them the grace to pray and sing praises to God and that brought them through and out of their situtation.
I have often had folks tell me, "I am praying for direction but the Lord just hasn't answered me". The God I serve is always faithful to answer those that wait upon him. However, I don't always like the answer that he gives and so I catch myself continueing to wait upon him hoping that he will somehow change his direction. Could it be that the answer to my prayer is, "My grace is suffucient for you?"
Won't you boldly approach the throne of grace for help in time of need?

Sabattical

As most of you know I haven't blogged for nearly 4 months. This has been due in part to a very busy schedule and also some other issues that arose out of blogging.
Still desiring to log in some sort of format each and every thing we encounter, understanding that this is a process and I am growing everyday and every single thing that I encounter helps me to understand how I got where I am and refocus on where I am going.
This isn't a place to begin debates or even push my viewpoints on any given subject.
So, please just enjoy what ends up on here and I will do my best to keep up with this thing at least weekly!

A lot has transpired in the last four months. I will probably share more as I feel led in each post. I don't desire just to post for something to do but rather to post as I am led of the spirit. Who knows all of whta will end up here but I hope that who ever stumbles across it will enjoy some part of it.

Nick