There is something I have been thinking about lately.   An opportunity that I don’t want to miss.  An epic “Carpe

Diem” if you will.  If I want to spiritualize it…maybe it’s a door that God has opened for me.   As I read this morning in James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above…”   There have been a few times in my life where anopportunity has presented itself to me that I have choice to jump and see where it has wings or don’t and wonder what could have happened.

Last week we took the kids to Heber Springs, AR.    Not really knowing what to expect until we got there…it turned out to be a fairly interesting area.   After browsing the town, checking out a ‘trickling’ waterfall, and trout hatchery we decided to head over to the lake and find a place to swim.    At the ‘beach’ there were rock formations over the water, which were all perfect for cliff jumping into the water.  From 3’ to 30’ kids and adults were jumping into the perfect temperature of water.    Mylissa’s first reaction, as well as mine,  was to say ‘no cliff diving for the kids!”  Its too dangerous…something might happen…you could get hurt…were the thoughts running through our head.    After watching many little kiddos jump in, I decided to jump in and let the kids decide if they wanted to try it.

As you can see… they had a blast.  There was this moment though… the moment of should I jump or should I not?  I told them they had to jump out away from the rock.  They couldn’t just hop in.   The risks and benefits were weighed.   He backed up…took a look and boldly and courageously took the 6’ plunge into the water.

There is an old song by Townes Van Zandt  called to “To live is to fly”…that I just love lyrics…

We all got holes to fill
Them holes are all that’s real
Some fall on you like a storm
Sometimes you dig your own
But choice is yours to make
And time is yours to take
Some dive into the sea
Some toil upon the stone
To live is to fly

So shake the dust off of your wings
And a sleep out of your eyes

What opportunities have you let pass by that you wish you seized the moment?  Do you wonder what if ____________?  What is holding you back?   If fear of the unknown is your main reason for not doing it …maybe its time to take 3 steps back…run…and jump.

It made me think about my life.  What am I teaching those around me?  What am I or what will I be teaching my children that they will take with them for the rest of their life.  There are many things that my father showed me by life example that I have developed me into the person I am today.
As a father of 3 children…how am doing this?   I began to think about this process.
Measure. Get Supplies. Sand(prep). Stain. Measure. Cut. Build. Sand. Stain.

In context to my children…How can I MEASURE where they are at? (in Christ, maturity, humility, obedience, disciplines).   How can I SUPPLY them? What tools and material do they need?  How can I begin to PREP them? Round off the rough edges?  How can I show them that their life was bought with a STAIN? That their sins are covered?  Then as they go through life…teach them to Measure their own life, assess where things are at?   Then CUT off what is not needed… Cut off the excess? Then BUILD your life on what is TRUE, what is HOLY, what is PURE.  Then let the Lord begin to SAND away the rough edges and help form them.   Repent of the sin and ugliness. Then always come back to Christ and let his STAIN cover them.  The blood that was shed for them and has covered their sins.

The hands of the craftsman always get dirty and banged up as he forms his masterpiece.   I have peace knowing that my master craftsman is willing to get dirty and banged up.  It lets me know that I am His and He is mine and that He cares about me deeply.

One night we went out to the up and coming West Asheville area for dinner at a place called Universal Joint.  We noticed some drummers setting up outside the restaurant.  After a very lengthy view at their huge microbrew menu, (Liquids) I succumbed to a local stout.   Then I glanced at the food menu, described as “SOLIDS”, I saw 2 words. Fish Tacos.  And they were DELISH fish tacos.  As we waited for our ‘liquids‘ and ‘solids‘ the drummers began to play, our boys began run and play in small green space with other kiddos.  These guys were tight.  Inviting people to come up and dance, Mylissa joined in and her old African Dance Class moves kicked in.  Talking to them afterwards, one of them was from Guinea and we may have convinced them to come to LUVMUD this year.  (note: follow up on that!)

Everyone (ok…I’m sure not everyone) but everyone…seems to be who they are here.  Nothing to hide.  People there talk to one another without knowing who the other person is.  People there tend to be transparent and willing openly share feelings.  Over our month there, I began to get comfortable in my skin again, something that has become stifled over the years.  I know I created my own world in which I feel stifled, but its been fun to tear down some of those walls.  I even went out dancing with Mylissa and some old friends one night and completely loved it. (note: watch Hitch again)

A great author once said “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind won’t matter and those who matter won’t mind.” -Theodore Geisel aka Dr. Seuss.

Wouldn’t that be an emotionally freeing world!

I am looking forward to this year, as God peels back the shell in which I hold myself back.  I am looking forward to sharing life more intimately and vulnerably with those close around me.   I am looking forward to dancing with my bride.  I am looking forward to doing things differently, taking some leaps of faith, and understanding more of who God created me to be.  God created each of uniquely for His purposes.   I wonder if we all stretched ourselves, be who we really are… what might happen.

Do something different.

We just got back from a one month sabbatical.    It was four weeks of being unplugged from our ‘normal’ life of the Horrocks family.    For those of you who know our ‘normal’ life, you understand why this was a necessary trip to take after 5 years of living in community with families that have critically ill children.  It was very hard for me to say yes to this, because of how self serving it is.   So where did we go?

We went to Black Mountain, NC.

As some of you know Mylissa and I were married at the age of 20 and moved to the mountains of North Carolina to attend Montreat College.  Our daughter Bella was born here  it this area has a very special place in our hearts.    The picture you see here is looking over Lake Tomahawk  at the Seven Sister Range.  This range over looks the town of Montreat and Black Mountain, this image is forever engrained (someday I’ll share more).   We also spent a good deal of our time over in Asheville which has more arts and culture then many large cities.

We had a tremendous time of just being a family with no interruptions, no schedules, no chaos and living in a home just to ourselves for one month.   We are incredibly blessed by those who supported us in prayer and financial support to make this happen.   We had some sweet time with our kiddos sharing memories of our past, riding bikes, reconnecting with old friends, walking around Lake Tomohawk (lake above), getting ice cream in the village and primarily reconnecting as a family.

We were also able to fellowship at a great little church that friends of our started, which I would like share from a couple of the messages that I heard.  God really showed up and spoke to my heart, I plan on going back and listening to these messages this week.

Overall God blessed us greatly, peeled back my blinders that have built up over the years, opened my heart to see His goodness and how He uniquely created me for His glory and His purposes.

There is always more to the story.

Are You Exhausted Spiritually?

“ The outbreak of World War II found him senior minister at Westminster Central Hall, the “cathedral” of Methodism. The sanctuary, seating 3000, was full morning and evening for the next 16 years as Sangster customarily preached 30 to 45 minutes. As deep and sturdy below ground as Central Hall was capacious above, its basement became an air-raid shelter as soon as the German assault began. The first night was indescribable as thousands squeezed in, high-born and low, adult and infant, sober and drunk, clean and lousy. Equally adept at administration and preaching, Sangster quickly laid out the cavernous cellar in sandbagged “streets” so as to afford minimal privacy to those who particularly needed it. Sunday services continued upstairs in the sanctuary. A red light in the pulpit warned that an air-raid was imminent. Usually he chose to ignore it. If it were drawn to his attention he would pause and say quietly, “Those of a nervous disposition may leave now” — and resume the service. While his wife sought to feed the hordes who appeared nightly, he assisted and comforted them until midnight, then “retired” to work until 2:00 a.m. on his Ph.D thesis for London University. (The degree was awarded in 1943.) As space in the below-ground shelter was scarce, he and his family lived at great risk — a Times reporter interviewed him for his obituary! — for five years on the hazardous ground floor. They slept nightly in the men’s washroom amidst the sound of incessant drips and the malodorous smells. By war’s end 450,000 people had found refuge in the church-basement”.

I’m inspired and convicted.  You?

For many of us who lead in business/ministry or run your own business, I think you will agree with me it is a love hate relationship.  Ok…maybe not hate.    But you understand the weight, the pressure, the burden you feel to get things done.   Ultimately if you don’t do it, delegate it or dictate it, it doesn’t get done.    For those of the faith, we know that in Colossians  that it says  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  So what we do, we do it in the name of Christ.  WE don’t do it half-____.  A while back I was writing Mylissa an email before I went on an overnight silent retreat.  In writing to her I used the analogy of climbing K2.  I had been reading “Three Cups of Tea” and I think mountains were on my mind.

It was a point of time in my life when I needed some direction, a confirmation of my calling.   I think we all come to a point in life in our profession or calling that we wonder if we are cut out for it.  We wonder if we can really pull this thing off.   There comes a point where we have to realize that that is not by our strength, but it is by God working through us that is how things get done.

The reality is this… I know what God has called me to do.  Unless God BLATANTLY shows me this is NOT what he has for my family…then I need to figure out how to climb K2. I need to map a course, get a good team, get resources, get training (physical, emotional and spiritual) and train hard, I need to set my mind to it, I need to believe in myself,  I need prepare for stormy weather,  I need follow a path, I need to have wisdom when to change the course if needed, I need to communicate with my team, I need to exert effort, and constantly refer back to my training,  I need to tie myself to other people (be vulnerable) so if I fall or slip, they are there to catch me, to motivate me, to help us stay the course.

And when we get to the top we will get to taste something and achieve something that so few do.

Bella Rose

9/11 is obviously an infamous day in America.    It also holds on to a moment that marked my life forever.  It was the day my daughter Bella was diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer.

It is now a day that we celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness to our family.   To this day, I stand in awe as what God is done in the life of my family, my relationship with Him and the healing of my baby girl.

Psalm 34 says :

^{1 [a]} I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

God is good!

Below is the original email I sent out when Bella was diagnosed on 9/11/03

Well, I’m not going to candy coat it.  Today is a sad day. I have never  cried like I have today, with my eyes dried up I’m going to squeeze out this
email. We received a call from Dr. Reingten in Lakeland (the oncology  surgeon); they have reviewed the lymph nodes   that were removed and tumors were present.  Bella is being diagnosed with  Malignant Melanoma Cancer. At this point we are looking at her third surgery  on Sept 22nd, they will remove (Bloc dissection) her entire lymph node from  the groin in which it was  present.  The surgery will be done by the same surgeon, and at Lakeland again.  She’ll more than likely be in the hospital a couple days this time.

The entire lymph node will be biopsied at that point to see if it has spread  into the entire lymph node. Once she is recovered from surgery, about a week later or first week of Oct, she will begin therapy.  This therapy will be a  biological treatment using Interferon. As we understand it at this point she  will have to have 5 injections a week for a month and 3 injections a week  for 11 months.  Forgive me for going into a little detail, but everyone will  have questions, and it’s easier to spell it out here. On a positive note,  the larger excision on her knee proved successful and they are comfortable that they have removed all the lesion from that area. Bella is recovering
from her last surgery quite well now and is up and running around again.

Another good thing is that she thinks hospitals are fun, I believe that God has shown mercy and softened a fear she might have of   hospitals.   Once  again, being honest, we are not doing well, only the Lord can give us the comfort and direction that we need right now. Our prayer requests are: that  God would heal Bella!!! For us; strength, wisdom, guidance, peace: to keep  our eyes and hearts focused on God & to not blame or question God for this.

God has a plan, He is sovereign.  We thank you for your thoughts & prayers.

Please continue to lift Bella up in prayer.

In Christ,

Mark

Psalm 42

1 [1] As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for

You, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I

come and appear before God?[2] 3My tears have been my food day and

night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” 4When I

remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with
the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With

a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.[3]
O my God,[4] my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You
from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill
Mizar. 7Deep calls unto deep at the

noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone

over me. 8The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime,And in
the night His

song shall be with me– A prayer to the God of my life. 9I will say to God

my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? “Why do I go mourning because of the

oppression of the enemy?”         10As with a breaking of my bones, My

enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long,        ”Where is
your

God?” 11Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within
me?

Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my
God.

I’d like sign out with a quote that I put on my facebook.  It is just SO TRUE.

“In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there’s no danger that we will confuse God’s work with our own, or God’s glory with our own.”— Madeleine L’Engle