How to be a Grandpa

I have great news that came my way when I was in Costa Rica. I became a grandpa! Jewyl Grace Dreier was born Monday, June 14th. The proud parents are my son, Jeremy, and his wife, Issy.

My question is what is a grandpa? I looked it up in the Webster dictionary. A grandpa is defined as "the father of one’s father or mother." People tell me how exciting it is to be a grandpa. When I look at the definition of a grandpa in the Webster dictionary that does not excite me.

What is exciting about being a grandpa? Does it simply mean that I am an old geezer? I do not feel any older but I do need glasses now to read. Am I living in denial? I certainly do not need anymore children to parent.

What does a grandpa do? How should a grandpa act? Is it supposed to be fun? Do I start acting like a kid again? Do I pull out my wallet every time I see the grandbaby and give it anything it wants? Does a grandpa have rules? Can a grandpa get into trouble? I mean what kind of trouble could a grandpa get into?!

Is there anyone out there who can give me advice or counsel me? I welcome your comments.

Costa Rica

I just returned from a short term missions trip in Costa Rica where 20 members from Zion Chapel, made up of youth and adults, got a glimpse of how people in Costa Rica live.

One of the highlights was getting to know people from another part of the world who love God and are content despite not having many material possessions. The team served in a village called Marlavilla, a village in the mountains north of San Vito. It is the rainy season with rain coming 2-3 times a day. When it was not raining, the conditions were hot and humid with little bugs that like to bite. The team worked together digging in clay dirt as we prepared to pour concrete sidewalks around the newly constructed church. We sweat a lot! I did not know how much I was out of shape! Members of the Costa Rican church would often help us. They could easily out work me.

What I discovered is while our team went to serve in this village, the churches in Costa Rica gave to us as well. The hospitality of the Costa Rican people was tremendous. We were fed very well and provided a safe place to sleep. The people that we related with were very friendly and they work hard getting up early in the morning working in the fields to make a living. Harvesting coffee beans, rice, pineapple and bananas are just a few items that they produce.

I loved eating the fruit. The pineapple and bananas were my favorites. The mango and papaya were good too. I got a little tired of rice and beans every meal but that is part of learning their culture.

Our team was involved in three evening services in the village. We gave testimonies and provided ministry through puppets and music. I enjoyed the opportunity to share messages at two of the services although it was different working through an interpreter.

It was great to spend time with long term Costa Rica missionaries, Jorge and Anita Borbon. They have been involved in church planting for the last 30 years and have started over 40 churches. Their heart for people is evident and many people know Jorge and Anita and have been blessed by their ministry.

If you ever get a chance to travel to Costa Rica, go and see how people in their culture serve and love God. You will not want to miss it.

Alpha update

Alpha is a great way for people to understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Over the 10-week class, people really start to understand the purpose for living life.

This last weekend we finished our Alpha Holy Spirit session which consists of a day-long session where the baptism of the Holy Spirit is offered. It was so powerful to see lives touched as the prophetic team spoke words of encouragement to the participants. Lies were broken as the truth was revealed. I love to see people's faces change as God's words set them free! What an encouragement for the body of Christ!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! As the Associate Pastor for Zion Chapel, I am starting this blog so I can share with the people of ZC and the community how lives are being touched and changed by God through life-transforming ministries. This is my first shot at a blog so bear with me. I would love to hear your feedback. My email address is jim@zionchapel.org. Stay tuned for updates and great stories of real people encountering God in real ways!