22 years ago today, I was reborn.

I don’t know what your journey looks like, but mine has been a beautiful and messy mosaic. Virtually every part tells its own story, some of them tragic and unsettling, until you step back to see the whole.

Some people seem to have clean stories. ‘I was lost. Jesus found me. My life has never been the same. My struggle was over.‘

That’s a wonderful story. It’s just not my story.

While my life was certainly never the same, over these 22 years I have found myself in some precarious situations. My journey has been one of wrestling, running, and resisting God.

It wasn’t clean and neat. In the contest of wills, mine seemed to be winning most of the time. There were some times in that journey I didn’t look very much like Jesus. I spent more than a decade running from God’s calling to pastor. I was saved. I was disobedient. I was miserable – all the while trying to convince myself that I wasn’t.

Even after God had finally chiseled away enough of me to make room for Him and I let go of the reigns, I had a mountain of guilt to deal with for even being in that position.

Here’s the takeaway.

It’s through the wrestling that God brought me ultimate peace and is shaping me into who He desires me to be.

It’s the running that finally brought me full circle back to a Father who loves me.

It’s through my own resistance God forged my spirit into willing obedience because I know His ways are best.

And guess what? It’s not over.

I still find myself wrestling over issues that should be settled in my heart. And so I will. And my Daddy, with all His might and power and strength, gently and lovingly allows me to punch myself out. Then in my fatigue and defeat quietly picks me up, dusts me off, and teaches me!

He speaks life into me and says ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you‘, ‘My ways are higher than your ways‘, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you‘. And I find comfort. And hope. And the strength to take another step.

And so today, I say ‘happy birthday to me. Thank you Jesus for redeeming me, calling me, and never giving up on me!‘

How about you? What has your journey been like?

Shaky Beginnings

This is Topher in a hospital bed at MUSC as he recovers from open heart surgery. This was our life in 2001. We spent a good portion of Topher’s first year in hospitals. Many of the people we met during those early months did not offer an encouraging prognosis. We were told (by others Down’s parents and some medical professionals) to expect this as the normal routine.

Now to be fair, we’ve had our share of scares…from pneumonia to staff infection to several choking episodes. His 1st grade teacher actually saved his life by performing the Heimlich when his airway was completely blocked by a Chick-fil-a biscuit (thank you Casey!)

For the first couple of years, we experienced a ton of medical concerns we haven’t had to walk through with our other 2 children.

When you’re a new parent, you really don’t know what the future will hold for your child. This is true for any child – and especially true when there is a disability with wide-ranging level of severity involved.

Thankful Hearts

The first year was really the only ‘abnormal’ year we encountered with Topher. Seriously.

By God’s grace, he is tremendously healthy! On top of that, he functions at a very high level for kids with his particular disability. We have met a multitude of families that face much greater challenges than we do with our son. And for that we are immeasurably grateful to God.

People laugh (or look at us strangely) when we say this: there are literally days that go by that we never even consider the fact that Topher has a disability. Seriously! We ‘know’ he does, but it just isn’t the ‘thing’ we think of when we look at him.

Only God Knows the Future

We don’t know what we’re facing in the future with Topher. Will he graduate high school on his own? Will he go on to college? Will he be able to perform adequately at a job? Is he going to be able to live on his own?

We see potential in him that he has yet to meet. He has so much more room to grow. Who knows what the picture will look like when he fully spreads his wings?

When we look at him today, it certainly looks like he has the potential and capacity to do even greater things than we could ever imagine! We know that God certainly can! Eph 3:20 says that God is ‘able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think‘! That’s a lot!

Whatever Topher may go on to achieve, we only want him to reach his fullest potential in Christ.

Can any of us hope for more than that?

What is special anyway?

We have three children. They’re all special. We have an analytical personality, a strong willed child, and a child who needs more affirmation than others. They are creative, sassy, colorful, and very headstrong. Those are just our girls!

The point is, every child is unique. Every life is precious and special in that they were created by God for His purpose.

Just like Topher.

People balk when they hear Tabitha and I say this, but it’s true. We have, at times, had to remind ourselves that Topher has Down syndrome.

It’s not that he isn’t developmentally delayed. He is.

It’s not that we are in denial. We’re not.

And it’s not like we aren’t facing the challenge head on. We are.

It’s that we don’t treat or view him any differently than we do our other 2 children. He’s not ‘our son with Down syndrome‘ – he’s just…”Our Son“!

We motivate, teach, and discipline him like we do our other kids – in the way they learn and receive correction best.

The Unparalleled Beauty of Unique

We don’t think of Topher as special. We see him as unique. One of a kind. No other like him.

Each life is created by God and for God. I believe John Piper said ‘God is most satisfied in us when we are most satisfied in Him’ (or something like that). We do our best to teach our kids that their intrinsic value is not based on ability or talent. They possess the Imago Dei – they are the image bearers of God.

Not only are they created in the image of God, but He has a specific plan for each one of them…a plan already prepared that He has specifically equipped them to pursue.

‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.‘ – Eph 2:10

When we embrace that truth, and release it through responding to the gospel, we find that we are all unique. We do our best to lead all of our children to pursue and fulfill that calling, based on their unique identity in Christ – not in an ability or a disability.

Topher is no exception.

Ok…so maybe he steals his sisters’ hearts…

But can you blame them?

Not a Special Club

The first thing Tabitha and I began to notice as we began our lives with Topher was this very interesting sub-culture that exists for children with any kind of disability. There are support groups, play groups, focus groups, groups for dads, groups for moms, groups for people with multiple disabilities, and so on…and so on. Basically, if you can think up a name for a special needs support group – there probably is one.

Now don’t get me wrong, we needed someone to help educate us about Down’s and walk us through the process of acclimation for therapies and early intervention and that kind of stuff.

What we didn’t need was to immerse ourselves in this sub-culture where people seemed to find their identity in their child’s disability.

Eat the Fish, Spit Out the Bones

We determined to apply the principle of ‘eat the fish, spit out the bones‘. Essentially, we took the good and learned all we could, but refused to become ‘The family with the Down syndrome child‘.

We didn’t want to be a part of a clique. We weren’t looking to make a bunch of new friends we only had a ‘special’ child in common with.

Listen, I’m supremely proud of who my child is and I want him to achieve his full potential in life. We just never wanted him to grow up in a vacuum – some sort of Down syndrome bubble – devoid of the social structure and interaction he will need to learn to navigate if he was ever going to live independently.

We have also made some amazing connections with some wonderful people who happen to share some of our story. But these relationships are the fruit of simply doing life and not because of some choreographed group exercise.

Some of the people we met did not know life outside of their diagnosis.

Their disability defined them.

Topher’s True Identity

Topher’s true identity is not found in his disability.

And to be fair, it is a very real disability. Nothing has demonstrated this more clearly than watching his 17 month younger sister catch up and then blow by him developmentally.

Topher finds his identity the only place any of us truly can.

In Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jer 1:5) and “you formed my inner parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).

Topher is exactly who God designed him to be – quite literally down to the very last chromosome. I mean at the genetic level!

He is God’s masterpiece (Eph 2:10). And guess what?

You are too.

Topher has everything he needs to become ALL that God has purposed for him to be and do.

I have already said, I want Topher to achieve his full potential in life – and I do! The only way that doesn’t get perverted is by equipping him to pursue God’s plan in life and seeking to find his identity in Jesus and not his disability.

We would all do well to practice some of this. We teach our children ‘you can be anything you want to be‘ – and that’s simply not true. But you can be everything God designed you to be…

…and that’s SO much better!

I’d like you to meet the Lewis family. There is me, Tabitha, Marybeth (15), Topher (10), and Gracie (9).

We are a normal family.

Well…

Sort of…

As normal as any family of 5 I suppose.

The Birth

Our story goes like this. We were a family of 3 when Topher came along. Topher’s older sister (Marybeth) was 4 when he was born. Tabitha and I wanted to have kids closer together, but we were coming off of 2 miscarriages.

Tab’s pregnancy was very normal and otherwise uneventful. None of our tests showed any abnormalities. Topher’s femur measured a little shorter than normal, but hey, it’s not like his Dad has been dunking any basketballs lately! We, like most parents, were expecting a happy, healthy baby.

When the day arrived, we went to the hospital and started our pre-game routine for all Lewis baby deliveries: the whole family gathering, Tab on a Pitocin drip, me downing an entire Pepperoni Lover’s Pizza from Pizza Hut. I feel for women who struggle with labor. My wife has never gone through a “hard” labor (easy for me to say, right?) She was made for birthing babies. 3 children and she has pushed a total of 9 or 10 times – total! We breezed through the delivery.

He was here!

1st night, no issues.

2nd  day, no issues.

We would have gone home on day 2, but we were allowed to stay an extra day because Topher was having a little difficulty breast feeding and the lactation specialist couldn’t make it by the room. That would turn out to be a very good thing!

During the 2nd night after he was born, Topher entered into heavy breathing distress in our room and his 02 saturation dropped dangerously low. The nurses at first brought him oxygen, then ultimately took him to the nurses station to keep a closer eye on him. It seemed like time stopped.

Our Diagnosis

The next morning, red eyed and weary, my wife and I waited nervously for Topher’s pediatrician to make his way to us. When he proceeded to tell us that some of the hospital staff (though he did not agree) had noticed some subtle features of Down syndrome, my wife and I just stared blankly. We then informed him that our son was not the Down syndrome child, but the one with the breathing difficulty.

That’s when he told us about Topher’s heart condition.

I don’t remember many of the details over the next few days. I do remember that because of the questionable and half hearted way his doctor approached the diagnosis, we were dealing with a situation where we thought there was a 60% chance our son did not have Down’s. We were in some kind of limbo with our son in the NICU for a week.

That is, until we met with his cardiologist. Dr. Ben Horne was going over the details of Topher’s heart defect and made some kind of comment about kids with Down’s. I was quick to point out that we didn’t know for sure that was his diagnosis – we were waiting on his genetic testing to come back. Dr. Horne looked me squarely in the eyes, put his hand on my shoulder, and said ‘Your son has Down syndrome. You need to accept that so we can focus on his heart condition.’

Bam!

There it was. Like a hand grenade dropped in my soul!

Different Struggles

My wife and I had very different struggles in those early days. She had a harder time with his heart condition but accepted his genetic diagnosis almost immediately. I was less concerned about his heart because they knew how to fix that and even said if you had to pick a heart defect, this would be the one you would want to have.

But I was devastated about his Down’s.

I am embarrassed and angered by some of the thoughts I had during that time…but I had them. I mourned the death of an idea I had – a dream for what my son would grow up to be and do.

On top of that, I knew absolutely nothing about Down’s. The total sum of my knowledge on the subject wouldn’t have filled a thimble.

Man, were we in for some surprises!

Heart Surgery

At 4 month old, Topher had a procedure at MUSC to repair an atrial ventricular canal defect in his heart. Instead of 4 separate chambers in his heart, he essentially had one. This caused fluid to back up in his lungs and cause congestive heart failure.

In the months leading up to this, we spent another 30 days in the hospital when Topher contracted pneumonia. OK, that was pretty scary – heart and lung issue complicated by an illness that attacks the lungs?? The nurses and hospital staff were AMAZING during this time! We actually moved into the hospital into one of the NICU hotel rooms they have in limited supply. What a blessing!

When we went down to Charleston for the heart surgery, we were told to prepare for 4-6 weeks. This was the first time we caught a glimpse of what life with Topher was going to be like.

The entire round trip, surgery, and recovery – driveway to driveway – took 6 days! The top pediatric cardiologist in the nation at the time said he had never seen a recovery like that!

As surgeons and physicians were performing heart surgery on my son, the Great Physician was doing some work of His own in our hearts.

The Classroom of the Divine

There is really nothing that can prepare you to see your 16 week old child with tubes protruding everywhere, breathing on a respirator, bloated from surgical anesthesia.

What I know is this. Just as Topher learned the comfort of his Daddy’s grip in the recovery room, I was learning to trust and cling tightly to my heavenly Dad.

You see, Tabitha and I have learned many, many things over the course of our journey with Topher – our whole family has!

What’s our greatest takeaway? It would have to be that God meant it in His word when He said that ALL THINGS (good things, bad things, in-between things, things we don’t understand) work together FOR GOOD (the best possible outcome for His glory and our ultimate benefit) for His children (Romans 8:28).

Even when we can’t see what He’s doing. In the times we don’t know how it will end up. Especially when it seems like chaos is winning. He’s still in control! We need only look to the cross to know that God reigns even when it seems like darkness abounds.

Some of the deepest, purest theology is contained in the words of the little children’s prayer many of us recited when we were young: God is great. God is good. (Borrowed from a book titled Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick).

He is great. All-powerful. All-knowing. Sovereign. Reigning. At all times. In all places. In every situation. There is no time ever that what is taking place is not under His purview and oversight.

He is so good. Holy. Righteous. Loving. Compassionate. Just. Perfectly complete in all of these attributes. Not defined by my definition of these words but defining Himself the meaning of perfect love and righteousness.

This is true for me. This is true for my family. This is true for you.

I hope this brings you some comfort in whatever situation you are facing today. If you belong to Him, all things are ultimately working together for good.

If you don’t belong to Him, perhaps today is the day to surrender your life, receive His grace, and become a fully committed follower of Jesus Christ.

Our Journey

I have been a father to Christopher (Topher) Michael Lewis for over 10 years. December 9, 2000 we had a beautiful baby boy. December 11, 2000 we learned that Topher had a heart condition that was only found in Down syndrome children.

Our lives were forever changed.

Recently, I ran across a new blog from Rick and Abbie Smith who are walking through some of the same things we did over a decade ago. Noah’s Dad dot com has been a huge inspiration to many people and as I read their story of Noah’s birth (it’s worth you time, but grab some Kleenex), it forced me to ask a question.

Why have I had so little to say about our journey with Topher?

I did a search on my blog and you can see that in 4 years of blogging there are only 2 posts that say anything about Down syndrome. One for Topher’s 7th and 8th birthdays respectively.

What’s up with that?

Support Systems

First, let me say that I am a huge fan of sites like Noah’s dad that offer insight into the experience. I wish there was that kind of availability when Tabitha and I were beginning our journey. For one thing, blogging was not a word in 2000. It would have resulted in one of those red, squiggly underlines from your spell check.

Secondly, every single situation, every child, and each disability is unique. No two are the same.

There is no such thing as normal. What is normal for us may be highly unusual for another family.

That’s why these kinds of sites and support systems are desperately needed. When we left the hospital with Topher, we left with the hospital with far more questions than answers and, quite frankly, the standard line people recited, ‘God only gives special kids to special people‘ was wearing thin by day 2! (I almost punched a well meaning deacon’s wife in the throat. If you’re reading this…I’m sorry.)

Thankfully, we did talk to A LOT to people who could relate and that was remarkably helpful. Even more so if we had been able to gain online access to share stories with other families.

Our Outlook

I have a son with Down syndrome. Even so, there are days that go by that the fact of Topher’s diagnosis NEVER crosses my mind. Seriously!

So, in one sense, I am not surprised that I have had little to say about our journey with Down syndrome.

But, we have an experience and a platform to share what God has shown, taught, and done through our walk with Topher. To keep it to ourselves would be selfish in some sense. Many of the people in our lives never get to see the beautiful, tiny ways God demonstrates his nature through our miracle son. So, Tabitha and I are going to begin to share more, to write more about this topic.

Why so little?

On the other hand, I think a lot can be learned from some of the reasons we probably haven’t written more before now. As I have wrestled with the question of why we haven’t had more to say, I have boiled it down to a few thoughts.

Here are some reasons we haven’t been more vocal about Down syndrome or our journey:

1) Our lives have not been defined by Down syndrome

2) We don’t treat Topher differently

3) We are blessed with a high functioning child

4) Early intervention works

I will be writing a follow up post on each of these areas over the next couple of weeks. If you are a family walking through this journey I hope they are helpful to you. If you know someone that is experiencing the unfolding of this kind of news, I hope it will give you some insight.

Above all, I hope we can see the glory of God revealed in the most surprising ways. I hope we can learn together that God really doesn’t make mistakes. I hope we can see that even when things seem dark and answers distant, the God of this universe is holding you in the palm of His hands. I hope it stirs your soul to know that Jesus knows what it is to walk where you are walking.

The verdict is in. God is good.

Even when we can’t see how.

He’s still good.

Time.

Limited. Finite. Precious.

We all struggle with making the decisions on what we try to cram into the 86,400 seconds we get each day. About 25,000 of those fly by while you sleep. Another 28,000 go to your job, if you work. My wife and I average 10,000 seconds dropping off and picking up the kids! You’ll spend about 120 seconds reading this post.

So, if I began to itemize my to do list and tell you all the reasons why my blogging has decreased, one of two things would happen. One, it may immediately remind you of how busy you are and prompt comparative, or maybe even resentful, thoughts about your’s being bigger than mine (your list).  Or, on the off chance my words found a sympathetic ear with you, it would immediately beg the question: so why are you doing it?

I’m so glad you asked!

I need to write. Probably more than I need to do a lot of other things and definitely more than you need to read what I write. Nonetheless, it’s an exercise that I miss and I have purposed to make it a priority again.

I am going to take a different approach to blogging than I have in the past. I am becoming more intentional with the content that I post.

Here’s my commitment: ONE post per week. Specifically, one ‘devotional-type‘ post every week – usually on Thursdays. Additionally, I am planning on sharing periodic thoughts on my journey with church planting, family stuff, and the occasional message specifically for Revolution Church.

Bottom line: I want this blog to become an extension of me. What is God revealing to me in His Word? What is He teaching me along the way? How do I glimpse God in and through my family?

I promise to be transparent and real. Some of the stuff on here may be pretty raw. I do not promise to have all my thoughts flushed out before posting. That’s what editors are for and I don’t have one.

It’s sure to be good for me and my hope is that there will be some nuggets of value for you to walk away with too.

Thanks for investing your 120 seconds. I’ll do my best not to waste them!

“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” – James 4:14

My nephew had been over and he had this really, really, really cool Lego model of an X-Wing fighter from Star Wars.

I made a big deal out of it with my nephew, and Gracie couldn’t wait to show me what she could do with the toys she got from her Zaxby’s kids meal. She didn’t have the same tools to work with as my nephew, so she couldn’t duplicate his creation.

What she ended up with was several objects randomly clipped together (that were originally intended to build a bicycle) in an effort to form this spaceship with lasers that would shoot in every direction at the same time, with sensors to pick up any enemy ships approaching.

It was AWESOME! As her dad, I was proud of her effort. As an intergalactic spacecraft inspector…well…it left a little to be desired.

I was so proud of her efforts and made a big show of it. She beamed…and then…I showed her how to use the materials she had to build what they were intended to be. She was able to make a bicycle AND a person to ride it. They looked natural and all the pieces fit together – like they were meant to. She lit up when she saw the pieces fit together as they were designed to do.

That’s when it hit me.

God brought this verse to my mind from Eph 2:10 “For we are his workmanship (masterpiece in NLT), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.“

We spend so much time as believers, trying to build or create our own masterpieces, all the while overlooking the fact that we are already his masterpiece! We waste resources and gifts in an effort to duplicate someone else’s work or mimic an individual we admire, rather than realizing God has declared YOU his handiwork (NIV).

Is he finished yet? I hope not. But if we are his, then we are his to build.

He planned you and what you would become beforehand and just like my daughter learned, when we try to be something other than we were designed to be, we end up looking awkward and out of place.

As our Father, God may smile at our efforts, but I’m certain the desire of his heart is that we embrace who he created us to be – and walk in that!

Who has God created you to be?

…”a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” - Gen 2:24

15 years ago today I said, “I do” to Tabitha Yvonne Carlton and she became Mrs. Christopher Michael Lewis.

I thought I “did”.

And I guess I did…as well as I knew how to at the time.

Fine wines aren’t the only thing that get better with age. Marriage can be a living, breathing, growing entity that – if nurtured properly – will grow and mature into a healthy experience of what we say to each other on that day.

I loved Tabitha on that day. But it was only a miniature deposit on the love God had for us in the years to come. Love that would grow as we wrestled through the tensions that come with better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health. Love that more times than not was patient and kind…didn’t envy or boast…was humble in most of its ways…made compromises when the situation called for it…erased the record of past wrongs…rejoiced in truth (1 Cor 13:4-6).

I have made many mistakes in this journey – and I will make more to be sure. But I am so thankful to God for blessing me with the wife he chose for me. My prayer is that I would be the husband and shepherd I am called to be to my wife before anyone else.

For those of you reading who have already reached your dairy quota, you will definitely want to tune out for this next part.

Tabitha,

You have given me so much these past 15 years together. You are the most godly person I know and I am inspired by your walk with Jesus. You are my chief helper. My biggest encourager. My most honest and trusted critic. You are my best friend. Thank you for loving me well.

With everything I have I promise to always give you the best of me. Until the day I take my last breath, I will remain…

…forever yours.

I love you with my soul.

Chris

I can’t wait for the next 15!

I am finding myself in one of those times right now and it is altogether beautiful and entirely terrifying at the same time. God is stretching me in areas of faith and stirring my spirit to seek Him for a fresh experience.

Paul compares the life of the believer to an athlete (1 Cor 9:24-26 and 2 Tim 2:4-6). Just like an athlete experiences the pain of training as muscles are stretched to new boundaries, so the believer encounters similar discomfort as the spiritual muscles are taken beyond the last point they were tested. Without this component, there is no growth.

You can maintain. But you cannot grow.

Growth requires stretching. It demands it.

So stop resisting. Lean into the new challenge in front of you. Engage the contest before you knowing it is the very doorway to your growth.

Henry Blackaby said it is impossible for your faith to grow unless God takes you beyond the point your faith was last tested (paraphrase). We so often pray for God to get us through something when what we ought to pray is God grow me through this.

“Don’t criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.” - That’s the anonymous quote many of us have heard pretty much all of our lives.

A couple of weeks ago, my oldest daughter made an observation about me before she had an opportunity to consider the weight of her statement. In a moment of heated debate, she chose to describe me in a terribly unflattering manner. She called me “LAZY“!!!

Now, truth be told, we probably all have our special moments of laziness…that downtime when nothing “has” to be done and no one is “dominating” our time. These are the times when we steal away to that quiet place and relax without any intention of doing ANYTHING for the rest of the evening.

It was during one of these times that my daughter happened to stumble into the room and within 12 seconds, determine that I was “LAZY“.

Needless to say, I struggled with this a little!

Now…I love my little girl and want only the best for her. In almost every case, I give her the benefit of the doubt.

However, this was clearly a case where she needed a little “education“!

So……

………Tomorrow, Greenville County Schools are out – but guess who’s coming to work with Dad??? That’s right! My oldest daughter, Mary Beth, will be joining me for a day “in my shoes“! She will come to work with me and walk through the various “tasks” that have to be done during a typical day.

It’s going to be AWESOME!

She may not think so…but that is another story. For now, let’s let her enjoy a day of walking in someone else’s shoes! Maybe we all could benefit from that on occasion??

First, let me offer a word of explanation. I blog when I have things interesting and (hopefully) uplifting to write about. Lately, I have not felt the urge or ability to report what is going on in my spirit. Church planting is hard! It is without a doubt the most difficult thing I have ever attempted. It’s even harder than having a strong marriage. I covet your prayers and support as my family and I eagerly and joyfully embrace the path God has us on.

I do have something interesting to report…and also something that should keep me blogging a lot more regularly. I committed myself to something the other day in an effort to engage a particular family and get them plugged in at Revolution. I have agreed to compete in a sprint triathlon in August of this year! In case you missed that last part…yes. I am suspending the baseline response I give to everyone that, should they see me running, please stop because that means someone is undoubtedly chasing me with malevolent intentions.

If you see me over the next 7 months, I will no doubt be whipping this almost 37 year old body into the shape required to attempt this challenging feat! So, with that said, I will regularly be updating the blog with my status and thoughts on what will be the most difficult endurance exercise I have ever attempted.

Through this process, I will also be sharing some things that are going on at Revolution as well as insights gleaned from this physical challenge. Thanks for reading and for your patience during this new phase of my family’s life!

From Matt’s own comments, you can see the grace with which he is facing this. In one of his Twitters yesterday he said “Path report is 2ndary at best…good report doesn’t mean much, bad report doesn’t mean anything…my days r numbered and n0t by ths report”. The video he posted prior to surgery is amazing! You can view it on the church’s blog here.

I do not know Matt personally, but I consider him to be a hero of my faith. I have only heard him live twice, yet because of technology, he serves in a pastoral role to me. As a 36 year old husband, father of three, and pastor of a church plant, I feel connected as many of you who read this will feel connected to Matt and his family.

With everything within me, my heart’s desire is that God would heal Matt of this horrid malady called cancer and that the world will have the treasure of trustworthy dispensation of the Word Matt so faithfully offers.

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health,
as it goes well with your soul.” – 3 John 2

My comfort and joy comes in knowing that whatever course this journey takes, God will be glorified and the gospel will be declared. That is already happening!

I was sick yesterday as I learned the results from the doctors and deeply saddened by the news. Today I reflect on the goodness of God and the beauty of His ways. Ways I do not understand. Ways I cannot understand. Yet ways I know to be best – even and especially when they don’t seem so.

“This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” – Psalm 18:30

Special Prayer

On Sunday, December 27, Revolution Church will devote a segment of time to pray specifically for Matt’s healing. We confess that Jesus is eternally the same (Heb 13:8) and with only a word he still heals today (Matt 8:8). I am inviting other pastors, church leaders, teachers, and volunteers to join us in prayer that morning at your places of worship. We have seen remarkable displays of God’s power when the Church agrees and comes together in unity and we expect nothing less here.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him” – James 5:14a

This has been one of the best summers I have ever had! There are a couple of things that were unique about it:

First, I was a “stay at home Dad” this summer!  Our oldest daughter is old enough to watch her younger siblings for short time spans, but young enough that the daily responsibility of caring for them is unfair to her and steals her youth. So, we decided that I would become “Daddy Mama“!  I am planning on saying a lot more about that in a subsequent post…probably forever risking my masculinity…but pretty dang funny nonetheless! Stay tuned for that!

Second, this will be a season of life I will remember forever.  This will be eternally etched in my memory and the pages of eternity as the launch of Revolution Church!  I have known for several years what my ultimate purpose and calling from the Lord was.  I have prayed, hoped, planned, fretted, celebrated, and anticipated this day for a LONG time!!!  Now that it is finally here, I am blessed to walk in the plan God has purposed for me.  I hope over the next several months to share some of the pieces of that journey…and who knows…it may serve as an encouragement to some of you to take whatever step in obedience to Jesus you need to take.

My family and I have entered the most difficult phase of our schedule in our nearly 14 years together.  I love this blog as an outlet to share my thoughts and encourage others.  For this season though, I must intentionally keep my wife, my children, Revolution Church, and my job in their proper alignment. This means I will most likely continue on a reduced blogging schedule as long as I am bi-vocational.

When I do post something…it means I definitely have something to say.

Thanks for reading!

Sexual sin, and particularly adultery, have derailed some pretty incredible ministries. I do not believe for a moment that the vast majority of those involved would have consciously chosen their actions over avoiding the consequences in all of the lives that were ultimately impacted. So why did they fail?

I am a simple man – just a fallible and sinful as the next guy.  I believe Sun Tzu (The Art of War) wrote that one of the biggest mistakes in war is underestimating your enemy.  Our enemy “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

This holds true for all believer, but I believe leaders are particularly prone to attack.

Guard yourselves.

Set boundaries.

Here are mine:

#1 – Honor our date night. – One of the fastest ways for a marriage to fall out of synchronization is neglect. We have found that the most rewarding times for us as a couple are the most difficult times to fit it in the schedule (or the budget). Date nights are for courting. I want my wife to feel as pursued today as she did when we were dating.

#2 – Never be alone with a member of the opposite sex. – This may seem extreme to some, but this is probably the most practical boundary we share. You avoid a host of potentially inappropriate situations when you eliminate even the innocuous ones. This includes counseling sessions as well. You can always include a third party in the discussion.

#3 – Never travel alone. – This may not be practical for everyone. I used to travel alone a lot in my business travels. The mind is a favorite target of the devil. I am susceptible to loneliness and depression when I am alone. A few years ago, Tabitha and I decided that this was a wise boundary to establish for us. I will not take trips where I will spend extended periods of time in isolation.

#4 – Be overly cautious with personal assistants. Spouse has final word. – Many if not most affairs occur with people who work closely together. I am more concerned with my wife being comfortable with a professional relationship than potentially offending someone else. She has the final say in those situations.

#5 – Practice and maintain a healthy biblical sex life. – Sex is not a weapon to be used as punishment or currency to persuade. Biblically speaking, it is a gift intended to be used within the confines of marriage to compliment the intimacy that exists in other areas. If you can’t be intimate about personal feelings, you probably can’t maintain healthy sexual intimacy in the relationship.

#6 – Practice “safe” personal touch. – This is a tricky one for me…mainly because I’m a hugger. I have grown more sensitive to this in recent years. Side hugs and appropriate handshakes can help avoid unintentionally sending a wrong signal.

I hope you have your own boundaries. I would love to hear your thoughts on these, or for you to share your own “personal” boundaries.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of some great friends, I was able to fly down to join my family in an already-in-progress vacation in Ponce Inlet, FL.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, I couldn’t come for the whole week, so it looked like this was going to be one vacation we spent apart.

We always make memories when we’re away like this, but I think these will be especially precious.

This follows a Twitter I got during church yesterday. That one let me know some good friends of ours were at the hospital delivering their twin girls. They entered this world safely wrapped in all the innocence that comes with a newborn.  Sadly, it won’t be long before the reality of a fallen world and our own sinful condition impacts the lives of these precious girls.

The Twitter I just received was from another friend sharing with us that their two sons had just invited Jesus into their hearts!  These parents are experiencing the miraculous rebirth that all believers pray for their children.  These boys still live in the same fallen world and sinful condition, but now they possess a new nature to combat the old.

I am already praying for these new parents to experience the joy that our other friends experienced tonight.  Having experienced both, I have to say that as awesome as the experience was bringing each of my children into this world, nothing compares to the exuberant celebration of knowing they are secure for all eternity with Jesus!

I am thankful for good friends to share life with.  I am honored to be able to celebrate their joys and comfort them in times of need. Friends are a treasure from the Lord and I am blessed by those close to me who consider me their friend.  Thanks for sharing your life with me!

Proverbs 27:10 (NIV) – “Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.”

Change rarely comes without some measure of heartache, mainly because we are all creatures of habit and grow attached and cling to the familiar.  Change is often complex and very difficult (I did a series on “Change” last year).

With that in mind, I need to inform you that I have resigned from my role as Executive & Worship Pastor at Washington Avenue Church.  My prayer is that Washington Avenue Church would continue pursuing the plan God has purposed and designed them to be.  We leave behind many wonderful friends and some of the best ministry experiences of my life.

I would like to thank the people of Washington Avenue and specifically Chuck Bridges for the time we shared together.  Though we will be laboring in different works, we share a common goal.  That goal is that Heaven would be more crowded because of our faithfulness.  I encourage you to pray for WAC and its leadership.  Great things are ahead!

I would also like to share what’s going on with us right now and how you can pray for us.  Tabitha and I are in the middle of an intense season of prayer and refining the next steps God has for us.  As most of you know, we have accepted a call to plant a new church and went on a scouting trip to Boston, MA last October.  Upon our return, God confirmed that Boston was not our destination.

We do have a very clear sense of what God intends our specific next steps to be and are seeking confirmation of this.  Over the next several weeks, I will be posting more updates about what is coming up in our exciting journey.  Thank you so much for your prayers and I can’t wait to share these exciting things with you!

I will resume posting this week and have some exciting things to share!  See you soon.

Bearing all of that in mind, I am taking a brief, but intentional respite from blogging…maybe for a week…maybe a month.  I recently experienced some pretty major life changes and need to focus intently on refining and gaining clarity for the next chapter of our journey.

In many ways, God’s plan and purpose for my life has never been more clear.  At the same time, human fears abound that confound sound judgment.

Though there is uncertainty, I am so excited about the process!  I believe the best days are ahead for anyone who is willing to say “Yes” to new steps God is calling them toward.

I ask for your prayers during this time and always.  May we never forget: hell is hot, people are dying, Jesus is the only answer, and the world is watching.  At the end of the day, nothing else really matters!

Thanks for reading!

I find it encouraging to note the times in scripture when Jesus pulled away and sought solitude.  Obviously Jesus wasn’t anti-social…BUT he did live in an entirely human body like me (he was probably a little thinner)…AND our bodies and our minds need rest!  If Jesus (who is God) took time to refresh, how can we think we require any less??

To be at the top of our game, we need times of refreshing.  For me, it’s a few days hiking and camping.  What is it for you?

The kids call me “Daddy Mama”!

This is a glimpse of one Wednesday afternoon for the Lewis clan!

If you would like to help in this ministry, you can give securely online by clicking here or below:

If you prefer to pay by check, you may mail payments to:

Chris Lewis c/o Washington Avenue Church
Dept: Romania Trip
200 N Washington Avenue
Greenville, SC 29611

February 15 was my 36th birthday and some wonderful people (my parents and in-laws) paid to send me to THR3E! That’s awesome!!!

Basically, this event is the behind the scenes story of the now THR3E year old Elevation Church (Charlotte, NC) and their under 30 Senior Pastor, Steven Furtick (Monks Corner, SC & North Greenville graduate).

I am pumped about getting to go to this “non-conference” conference. You can read more about the purpose behind the conference from Steven Furtick on his blog.