Every Man's Battle...

In the golden ages of time men would prove their manhood by sparring in friendly competitions of strength and endurance. Knights would joust in order to resolve issues the king wished no part of or perhaps it was the boredom of having nothing to do all day which caused to men to look at their joust and horses and say "why not?" Either way men knew how to draw a line in the sand and with a look say "come get some". In this 21st century jousting is no more instead, the battle field has been drawn in a different way....lawn maintenance. Yes, Saturday mornings are the equivalent to the knights taking to the king's festival and showing their wares to the king and his lovely bride. A testament to manhood and their abilities to conquer and humiliate the competition. And just like the knights of old we wake up on Saturday morning and put on our lawn clothing (armor), fill up the lawn mower (feed the horse), walk up and down the lawn (jousting), weed wack (swinging our blade), and look to the deck for our wifes approval. I often tell my wife about the tales of my life as a knight. Fighting off bugs and waving off a passing neighbor who tries to distract me in conversation. My goal is simple, to win the heart of the queen and to let the other knights in my neighborhood know that MY lawn is better. Yes, the battle cries from taking care of my lawn are laced with sweat and tears. Sadly I cannot type anymore for I must take my leave for it is time to winterize my lawn....

The Hispanic Crusader

Words From a Wise 7 Year Old....

Time is the enemy I fight against on a constant basis. i try to maintain a balance between the many things in my life and the balance is not easy to maintain. A few week ago Connor, my 7 year old, went down to the backyard to have some mommy time on the hammock. While they were both relaxing he told her how he missed hanging out with me. The discussion lead to my son crying and pouring out his unhappiness with my schedule. I knew something had to change. Connor is such an easy going child that he's easy to forget about. He does what he's told and puts himself to bed. After his talk with my wife we sat down with him and I promised him I would never let this happen again and for the past few weeks we've been having a blast. Connor and I have always enjoyed playing "tough guy" and for the past few weeks that's what we do before bed time.

For the past few weeks I've been trying to change a great deal in my life. Though I have a great deal of obligations my family needs me the most. I take so much joy when one of the children steps away from the dinner table to entertain the rest of the family with singing or dancing. I continue to pray for a better balance despite my oligations.

I'll finish with a quote from Connor. I asked him what he enjoyed the most out of our play time together. He said, "Im learning." I replied back "learning what?" He replied back, "I'm learning how to be a great dad...what else?"

....In the End....

If you're reading this and you haven't seen the last part of Lost please don't read any further. The last episode of Lost has echoed in my mind since it went off the air. In particular the last moments of the show. This post isn't about the rights/wrongs of Losts interpretation of theology or philosophy but in particular the last scene of the show. By this time Jack finds out that he has died and is on his way to meet all of his friends who have since past and are congregating in the church to "move on" together. I guess it was the visual..the visual of friends and family ready to meet you as your prepare to enter the the gates of heaven. It was a beautiful scene. And even if you haven't seen the show...I can't help but think how touching this moment would be for you as well. I think of past family and friends who I know were passionate Christ followers and much like this short scene I look forward to seeing them again.

Living Out A Crazy Love Kinda Life....

A few weeks ago I had the chance to read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. During my quiet time I started to wonder if I was leading a crazy love kind of life. The conviction this book brought about in my life was enough to change the way I approach my life and the lives of everyone around me. During the past few weeks I started to ask myself...."Am I truly crazy in love with God? Am I doing enough to reflect the goodness he has to offer? It was during this down time that Elaine (my wife) and I started to talk about "Crazy Love". She gave me some much needed encouragement. She reminded me that I'm a husband, father, son, employee, elder, and youth pastor. She encouraged me that not only was I leading a crazy love kind life but i was nuts to do it :) This is a journey we're taking in my small group. And while talking about crazy love we're also touching on another great book called "Jesus Freaks" by DC Talk. If you havent read them please...give it a read..if you have...please post what your thoughts were on the books.

Bill Avila

...Love Your Neighbor......

What does it mean to "love your neighbor?" This past week I was approached by a man and his wife. The man, a total stranger, said he and his wife didn't have any money for gas and wanted to know if I could help. A lot of things went through my mind. What if this guy was scamming me? How is it my fault that this guy maxed out his credit cards? I don't have the time for this. But as suddenly as those thoughts went through my head some other thoughts pushed through. What does it mean to "Love your neighbor?" What if this man is truly in need? Does God call me to "serve" only when it's convenient to me? I ended up asking this man if he could drive to the gas station. Upon arriving i pumped some gas for him and we ended up talking. He was a genuine man and his wife was a sweet woman. I was reminded of the good Samaritan. And in my reminder I couldnt help but think of the people Christ had healed in his ministry. Some turned to Christ because of his miracles, other may have turned away in spite of it. In the end, Christ did what was right. Not because it was convenient but because the right thing is what we're called to do regardless of what who we "think" is worthy of it.

Well...It was a matter of time...

So, my daughter gives me the heads up that a young boy is interested in taking her out on a date. Being the good daughter she is she informs the young lad that he needs to come to my home and chat with me. So..he does. The talk went well but here are some highlights of the conversation. If anyone has any questions or comments please let me know.

* The Treasure Chest - I used this example when talking to the young man. If you had a treasure chest worth million of dollars inside would you let just "anyone" hold it or keep it? Of course not. I explained to him that Vanessa is a treasure chest and it's my job to protect that treasure until she gets married.

* Are you a Godly man...or a man who believes in God? - Last year Vanessa wrote a top ten list for the things she is looking for in a husband. Her #1 thing listed was a Godly man. So as I spoke to him I let him know believing in God isn't enough...even the demons believe in God. That he had to be a believer and follow of Christ. That all the items on the list wouldnt matter if #1 wasnt met. Furthermore, the person who would be in Vanessa's life needed to be a person who treated her with a level of respect that God would be proud of and also expect from a young man.

* We're not the average family - I don't accept what "everybody" else does...nor do I really care. My standards are high and I let him know that. In fact I told him that my rules are different than anyone else he has probably dated....he agreed :)

• First, my wife and I need to know him before she goes out on a "date". So we invited him to come over..visit with the family..and get to know us. This process could take however long we deem it to be. My wife and I don't see dating as something that should be taken so casually. When emotions become invested into someone else then the whole famly becomes involved.
• When the day comes when he's allowed to go out with her it won't be one on one. It'll be in a group setting with other friends. (He has a look of bewilderment during this time but oh well LOL)
• The one on one date.

* Sex is.. - I'm sure I'll have a bunch of people who may disagree with me on this but...I dont care :) I let the young lad know that no matter what...sex is left for marriage. If this wasnt acceptable to him then he should find another hen house. Period.

* Honor and Respect - I made it clear. Honor my wife and treat her well when you visit. Respect me by obeying my rules.

So....school is in session....

Call Mr. Bill!!!!

Sometime back one of the families in our church had an interesting situation happen which gave me some time for pause. This couple's son was learning how to use the potty. During the pee-pee process the lid came crashing down on him...the rest you can imagine on your own. As he yelled and screamed he was bleeding a bit. So they took him to the hospital to be checked out. That following Sunday the family came up to me and let me in on what had happened. Mom followed up by saying "He really wanted you to know about this. As soon as the injury occurred he said, we need to call Mr. Bill!" So here I sit..humbled..that the children in our church would think to call Mr. Bill when suffering from the war wounds of potty training....

-The Hispanic Crusader

So, How's the Cow?

My grandfather is a man of tremendous patience and understanding. Some years back my father was sharing a story with me which has become part of Avila folklore. My aunt, while driving in the backwoods of Mexico, had hit a cow. The car was the only car my grandfather had and the only car shared amongst most of my aunts. My aunt calls my grandfather who ends up borrowing a car to get to this remote location which apparently takes hours to get to. During this time she's was dreading the lecture she was about to receive. Like any one of us she played the situation over and over in her head. When my grandfather arrived he walked up to the car, which was demolished, and slowly approached my aunt. She remained quiet and my grandfather simply asked, "So, how's the cow?" Now..that's the kind of understanding dad I would like to be....



Bill

Can You Hear Me Now????

While at Disney I had a moment to "people" watch. Lauren and I were having breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We had a good time, we joked about all sorts of things and the breakfast was rather pleasant. But something struck me as I watched all these people from different parts of the country and all parts of the world...they had something in common....something that made the place noticeably more silent...most everyone kept checking their phones for text messages or emails. The situation was almost saddening. Whole families were seated together with very little to any conversations going on. Heads were down in the prayer position but instead of praying their thumbs were typing away on the phone. Some children, who didn't have phones, were playing away on the DS. Perhaps an attempt by Mom an Dad to keep the child quiet. Who knows. What I do know is despite our advances we've taken so many steps backwards. Phone's once brought people together. Relatives and friends who were 100's or 1000's of miles a part were able to speak to each other more frequently. However, now the phone serves as a distraction to keep us from the very basics of communication. Friendly hand shakes are replaced with a "poke" on Facebook. The once elegant art of letter writing is lost to an email language obscured by LOL's and BRB's. Families no longer talk at the dinner table but instead meet in some fantasy land chat room. Make it your goal to talk...not on the phone...but eye to eye. And here's a crazy idea...write a letter....using a pen and paper..no keyboard allowed.

Bill

What's Your Mark?

My daughter and I had the opportunity to go to Disney for the weekend. It was a blessed weekend and we had a wonderful time. During the visit we stopped into one of the museums that focused on the life and times of Walt Disney. We walked around the museum in awe of the creation he built. One particular display caught my attention. During a trip back to his old school he saw an old desk which he had carved his initials into. He purchased the desk and it is now on display in his museum.

What's your mark? What have you done that will leave an impression for people in this lifetime? Walt Disney said "it was all started by a mouse." The first step was a vision..the next step was making that vision a reality. What's your vision...? Make a difference...make your mark...

Bill Avila

....His Last Words...Part II

My father finished his life on his terms. He left this life making a choice to leave. The week before he died he told me "I'm ready to go home." And it was on this note that I remember his strength. We didn't neccesarily get along but I never questioned his love. Perhaps the moment I remember most is when my father told me he was ready to go home and I told him how everything I had done in my career was to make him proud...to hear him say "I know...and I guess I wasn't very good at saying anything about it" was enough for me to know...he knew...and he was proud.

Are You Jiggly?

Megan has started a habit of going up to random people and shaking the bottom side of their arm. Once she does it she looks at the person and says "you have jiggly!" Not exactly the type of thing anyone wants to hear. Especially when Megan follows it up by saying "You have jiggly because you eat lots of jell-o!" When my cousin and her husband, who is a Marine, came down for a visit. Megan politely told him "put your arm up...I need to see if you have jiggly." As he flexed his muscle Megan couldn't shake anything...it was strong and firm. Megan, being surprised, looks back at me and says "Daddy! JD does NOT have jiggly...he does not eat jello!!! But daddy, you do." Good grief...I have jiggly....I feel like dancing to some Will Smith....and maybe getting Jiggly Wit It....

Bill Avila

....His Last Words....Part I

I remember when my father called me to speak to me about his sickness. At the time he called he was already in the hospital for a number of months and was very ill. I knew that he wasn't going to get any better but knowing my father as the strong person he was I always assumed he would fight through it. A few days before he passed he called me on the phone. He was always to the point so he didn't waste any time to let me know that he was tired and ready to go home (heaven). I remember weeping on the phone and he counsoled me that everything was alright. As i wept I remember he made a joke concerning the White Socks. He said "I waited all these years to see them win the World Series and now they have." It was his way of saying..he had no regrets concerning his decision.

In the days leading up to his death some amazing things happened. He came to know the Lord while in the hospital. He attitude changed and he was excited in a way i had never seen before. He INISISTED that we baptize him and we tried to accomidate his wishes in everyway. So I called the pastor who frequently visited with my parents to let him know of my father's wishes. He went out to the hospital right away. This part of the story is what was told to me by the minister.

Minister: (Voice Mail Message) Hey Bill, we went over to the hospital to baptize your father and this has to be the hardest baptism Ive ever performed! (laughing) Since your father can't leave the bed and he has so many tubes and devices hooked up to him we could barely move him. So we borrowed some buckets and we poured a little water to the back of his head and the water ran into a bucket. I told your father - Guillermo, I don't want to get you so wet that you go home to the Lord sooner then you have to! Your father laughed...and we got through it OK.

....To be continued.....

I was setup...

So there I was sitting on the couch taking in the day. Connor, my 7 year old son, notices me and sits down next to me.

Connor: "Daddy, are you having a bad day?"

Me: "Yeah, it hasnt been easy for sure"

Connor: "I bet all the kids drive you crazy sometimes huh"

Me: "Sometimes"

Connor: "Yeah, sometimes the other kids drive me crazy when I'm playing spiderman in my room"

Then Connor puts his hand on my shoulder...

Connor: "Everything will be good...oh yeah...so NOW can I play the Wii?"

Homeless Hero..Left To Die....

As a woman was being attacked a Guatemalan man came to her rescue. During the scuffle he is stabbed by the assailant and falls to the ground. He is left there...to die. People continue to walk by...he is clearly bleeding...yet no one calls for help or comes to his aid. This is the civilized western culture in which we live. As I listened to this report I am saddened. At what point did we give up on each other? People are trampled to death at Christmas time for the best deal at the local Walmart....funerals of fallen soldiers are protested by Christian radicals....and fallen hero's are left to die on the sidewalk as passer's by simply don't want to get involved.

I'm reminded of the parable of the "Good Samaritan". A Jewish travelor is beaten and left half dead off the side of the road. He is passed by two men...and is finally taken care of by a Samaritan man.

Is kindness forgotten? I hope not...

Exercising the body...to understand the spiritual...

It's been about 9 months since i started this crossfit journey. Since that time I'm down almost 6 pants sizes. I wake up every morning and hit the gym at 5:00 am. I'm met by a group of people..all of them there for different reason..all of them there for different results. I know my reason and I know what I want the result to be. What I want to share with you are just a few moments where the physical journey met the spiritual......

* In week 2 my trainer advised me that my soda days were over. He told me to cut back...actually..he said "quit". I really didn't want to. I enjoy soda...I enjoy how cool it is and how refreshing it feels. I enjoy the taste....plainly...I like soda! But I heeded his advice and quit cold turkey. It's been 9 months since I've had a soda. I don't miss it and I feel 100% better. I almost exclusively drink water. Can you imagine how incredible your spiritual life would be if you quit "soda"? Quitting the things that make you spiritually overweight? Eating the things neccessary to keep our spiritual life healthy and most importantly exercising in such a way that we're exercising the spiritual muscles in your body.....Just some things to think about...

*On one run I ran behind the pack. The pack finished a full 1/2 mile before me. I kept trotting along and hoped I would not pass out...oh yeah...I was carrying a punching bag over my shoulder while I was doing this! As I continued on I heard these steps behind me. I turned around to see that it was one of my friends who had just finished the run. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Don't ever leave someone behind" she replied with a smile. And so she finished the 1/2 mile with me...together. How often do we carry something like a punching bag on our shoulder wishing we had someone come along side with us? I know I do! Being part of the body of Christ means we're each responsible to "run" along the side of someone who simply needs us there. I could preach a sermon here...but I'll spare you :)

Why Jesus?

Last week we had what was perhaps the best youth group session we've had yet. As we broke up into groups of two we started to examine what is the "true" church? What an awesome time! And as we start this new series with David Nassar I wanted all of you to see a sample of what we're about to explore....Enjoy..!

Shoot'em....after all...they're illegal!

Driving into the office this week I turned on the local talk radio program. Usually this is a big mistake since I'm easily agitated by the two hosts of the morning show. The topic this time around was illegal immigration and the two hosts were talking about the various way's to keep illegals out of the state and out of our country. To my surprise, and really why am I surprised, callers would discuss how we should protect our country from the illegals coming in. One caller mentioned, "Get your guns!" Get your guns? Am I to understand that killing people crossing the border is an acceptable act? Am I to understand that the very same people who are disgusted by abortion would easily dismiss the life of an illegal because their life is so much less of value? Am I of the understanding that any person crossing the border suddenly deserves a bullet in between their eyes?






Let me clarify some points in order to make my position clear. I am against illegal immigration. However, let's be clear, I am against illegal immigration for some very specific reasons.

• As a person with a rich history rooted in Mexico and crossing into Spain I know what Latino's are capable of. We are a people that do NOT deserve the crumbs of what society has to offer. When i hear and see Latino's working jobs for very little pay I see a culture that has singled out the Hispanic as a "below pay grade" culture. I know we're capable of great and wonderful things.
  


• Tougher laws and military presence at the border. Latino's are a hard working group of people. If brought in legally we can change the perception that people have of us.

• Tougher laws against those hiring illegals. Remove the element that equip illegals from crossing the border. Stiffin penalties and shut down businesses that do not comply. Here's the deal. We are not a culture that deserves the scraps laid before us by employers. We are a culture of hard working people who deserve the opportunities that this country has to offer..but..we need to change the perception and get to this country legally.

My disgust, as of late, has been the attitude that people hold toward illegals. As a Christian I am asked to love my neighbor....the Bible doesnt say love your "legal" neighbor but to simply love..your..neighbor. A lesson learned from our ole Sunay School days...

Adam never stood a chance....

For some reason we got into a water cooler discussion, at work, about the fall of Adam and Eve. We had all sorts of opinions and theories. My boss walked in, overhearing the discussion, and said "Adam never had a chance!" We all queried..."what?" He replied back, "He never had a chance because he had two things going against him." My curiosity got the best of me..."why so" I asked. He replied "because there was a naked woman in front of him and food."You know....somehow...that makes sense.....

Bill - The Hispanic Crusader

Is this your car?

Some time back some friends and I went out for lunch. The food and fellowship were great but it was time to get back to our respective jobs. On the way back to the parking lot we noticed a car that had a SC license plate with a header that read "Normandy". There were three of us at the time looking at the license plate. We were unaware of the older couple walking toward us leaving the same restaurant. We were standing behind the car while they made their way to the car. I asked, "were you at Normandy?" The wife proudly said, "Yes, he sure was." At the time I asked the question several other people were walking from their cars to the restaurant and overheard the conversation. They stopped and stood with us...I would say there were about 7-8 people standing by their car. From a distance I'm sure it looked like we were about to jump this poor couple but that was far from what was happening. It was a pretty cool moment, I stepped forward and shook his hand thanking him for his service to our country. The other men behind me either shook his hand or saluted him. One person, stepping forward, saluted saying "welcome home soldier." To my friends and family in the military I thank you more then the words on this page could ever express.

I once had a dream...

Soon after my sister and father died Elaine and I started the process of adopting my two nieces. We used up most of our savings and investments in order to pay for the travel, adoption expenses, funerals, etc., I remember the feeling of stress come over me...wondering..can I do this? It was during this time that I had a very vivid dream.

My Dream

I was standing at the base of a bridge and my father was standing next to me. We started walking up this very sturdy looking bridge. The bridge was empty but as I started to walk up the bridge I would notice more and more abandoned cars. As we continued our walk the bridge was starting to look old and worn. At one point the side walls of the bridge were gone and I panicked, as I am afraid of heights. As we continued our walk I would look down and notice that I could see through the bridge and that there were holes everywhere. I remember stopping and looking across the bridge as it would become more and more difficult to walk. I recall starting to walk back and my father calling out to me. He said to me "I need you to walk over this bridge and I need you to be careful and mindful so you don't fall through the cracks and holes." I remember having a feeling of despair - since I'm terrified of heights - this walk was not going to be easy. And lastly I remember him saying "I can't go with you, but i know you can make it".

Since then I've tried to look to this dream for inspiration. My wife and i went from 4 children to 6...overnight. I had lost 2 family members within 6 months. But like my father advised...I've been mindful of the potholes and cracks and I watch my every step.

Funny Moments....

I always believed that God has a sense of humor. I know this because I'm usually put into situations that are so weird and odd it could only from God. So...I begin.


I had just finished working one of the longest shifts of my life. I can't recall the exact amount of time but i know it was over 22hours. One of the servers had crashed and I was having trouble getting the server up and running before the next business day. After getting the server up and running I got into my car and put on the local Christian radio station. I drove home, which at this time took over an hour. I fought sleep and was extremely tired. An advertisement came on the radio for a local Chinese church. The pastor spoke about the times of the service and location. Before finishing the advert he started speaking in Chinese. I was so tired i remember looking at the radio thinking to myself..."Oh no..I've forgotten how to speak english!" I recall listening to the 20 seconds of chinese thinking..."is it possible to forget my native tongue....am i thinking in english right now?" Oh, the things we do when we're tired....

What are you "duh" moments?