Chet McDoniel - Inspirational Speaker

Or…more to the point…what will Heaven be like?  That’s the question I’ve pondered for a long time.  Will I have a whole body?  Will I finally be able to throw off this un-whole body for a complete one?  Sure, I’ve asked those questions many times before.  I’ve finally come to an answer within the last few years.  Ready…here is the answer:

It doesn’t matter.

Really.  Whether or not I have a whole body means nothing to me.  Yes, I’ll admit that right now, my preference would be to have a whole body in Heaven.  But, I guarantee you that when I reach Heaven, my body’s physical status will be very low on my list of priorities.  I’ll be in Heaven…how could Heaven disappoint?

Beyond that, though, I believe the main idea of Heaven is to be in the physical presence of God.  Many of our songs focus on the wrong image of Heaven.  We sing about having a mansion and walking on streets of gold.  Those are all concepts we can understand as tangible…but the are also very worldly in terms of possesions.  The true value of Heaven is to be with God.  Check out this passage from Genesis 3:8 (NASB):

They [Adam and Eve] heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Now, they hid because they had just done something the Lord had told them not to, but catch this phrase “the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.“  Wow.  That doesn’t say “God called to them from a cloud” or “God, who was not physically with them”…it says He was WALKING in the garden.  I believe that Heaven will be an amazing sight for us, as we get to see God walking in our midst.  Yes, He is God, and yes, we will still worship Him…but not like ever before as He will be in our presence. 

That is what Heaven is all about.  I do not worry about what my body will look like in Heaven.  Instead, I dream of a day when I will be with God, the maker of the Universe, and my heavenly Father.  I think the old hymn puts it best:

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

“In the Garden” - Words & Music: C. Aus­tin Miles, March 1912

Yesterday, my dad and I were invited to speak to a group of over 600 school teachers and administrators who were gathered at a Special Education conference in Decatur, TX. Now, the conference mainly focused on new laws and policies for special education, but our job was to put a face on special education and to inspire teachers going into the new school year.

We told many stories of my educational background including how my parents were able to get me “mainstreamed” (I understand the term now is “inclusion.”), and how special adaptations in the classroom helped me to become the educated person I am today. Most of all, though, the positive attitude of the teachers and school administrators throughout my life really allowed me to flourish. My dad mentioned that he heard of people wanting to “take on the school system”…we never had to…the school systems I was involved in always bent over backwards to help me accomplish my goals.

These teachers were a great crowd, and many visited with me afterwards about how much our presentation helped them going into this new school year. We hope to have many more occasions to speak to both students and teachers in the future. Inspiring teachers allows us to inspire the thousands of students they inspire every day!

Jim and Chet McDoniel are inspirational speakers and are available to present to your school’s faculty and/or students. Chet’s unique view of life without arms allows him to inspire students in ways no one else can. Click here to request more information.

This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to lead worship for several hundred teenagers at the Teenage Christian Conference in Albuquerque, NM.  First off, leading worship for teenagers is just about the best experience one can have, IMO.  Teens are uninhibited, and on fire for the Lord.  We have much to learn from them, as all weekend, they praised with their entire heart and soul.  And, when you consider that we were without A/C for part of the weekend (hence the fan next to me in the picture), worshipping with conviction did not come without challenges. 

Leading worship for Jeff Walling is always a treat, and he and I got to spend some time together catching up.  Jeff has a powerful way of speaking God’s word.  He can have the room rocking with laughter, and then, within seconds, have the entire group in tears with the way our lives need to change.  Jeff interviewed me during one of the sessions in order to teach how we should see Jesus when we see people who look different than we do.  God used Jeff this weekend to bring many back into a relationship with God, and several teens were baptised as well. 

Joni and I also got to meet Rusty Tugman from Norman, OK.  Rusty concluded our weekend with 2 very powerful messages with calls to evangelise.  Rusty and I hit it off very well, and we found out that he and his family will be in Walt Disney World at the same time as Joni, Hannah and I will be.  We already have plans to meet up so that we can meet the rest of his family and share some time together.

Lance and Tim at the Montgomery Church of Christ in Albuquerque, NM are to be praised for their hard work in setting up and running this wonderful weekend.  Lance’s passion for teens could really be seen this weekend as he poured himself out for these kids.  I really enjoyed working with Montgomery’s praise team, and they were a joy to get to know as well.

This weekend was an absolute joy…well…except for the looooong car ride.  Oh well, if you ask me, the car ride, lack of A/C, and constantly being on the go this weekend were all worth it to see those teens praise, and to witness 10+ teens put on Christ in baptism.  I pray that the Lord continue to use TCC in a powerful way!

Yesterday was a first for All He Needs Ministries.  My dad and I spoke at two different churches on the same day, and I led worship both times.  Our first stop was at the Altamesa Church of Christ.  We have spoken here before on a Wednesday night, and were asked to return and give our presentation for the entire church on a Sunday morning.  We really enjoyed being back, and I greatly enjoyed leading worship with their praise team.  My sister and her family attend here, and we loved getting to be with them as well.

Our evening presentation was at the Burleson Church of Christ.  Their auditorium reminded us very much of a church we had previously attended, so we felt right at home.  The presentation went well, and the teenagers sang enthusiastically, which makes leading worship a true joy.

Speaking of teenagers, I have been invited to lead worship for over 700 teenagers this weekend at the Teenage Christian Conference in Albuquerque, NM.  We are driving over and visiting some grandparents on the way.  I will be leading worship, and Jeff Walling will be speaking.  Now, I love getting to lead worship, but when you throw in lots of teens and Jeff Walling…well, let’s just say I’m super excited about this weekend.  I’ll post plenty of pics and a report when we return next week.  I’ll also be updating the All He Needs site in the next few weeks and blogging about a new campaign called “Contagious Smile.”  Until then…

This past Wednesday, my dad and I presented our story at the Airline Drive Church of Christ in Bossier City, LA.  What was special about this presentation was the fact that my dad preached at this congregation for almost 20 years, and so we had many friends there.  Airline has always been a “singing church,” and the 200 people in attendance proved that very thing.  We had a wonderful time seeing old friends and meeting new faces.  While the drive (4 hrs each way) was a bit much all in one day, the reunion with our family at Airline was well worth the trip, and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to have a blast from the past!

Jim and Chet McDoniel are touring churches telling their story, and a few dates are still left in 2008.  For more information, click here or click Booking Information, above.

I was recently approached a reporter from “The Plain Dealer” by the name of John Campanelli regarding how I handle a situation when a child says something inappropriate about me or to me.  He quoted me as saying:

“I often try to go directly to the child and open up a conversation with them,” he said via e-mail (he types with his feet). “It may be that they have never seen someone like me, and often times, I am able to show them that I am a person, too, and that they do not have to be afraid of me just because I look different.”  (pg. 3, Advice for handling kids’ embarrassing comments)

I would like to take a moment to write even more about this topic as it is very important to me.  Quite frequently, when I am in public, kids stare, laugh, point, or yell out things like, “Hey, what happened to your arms.”  
 
The worst way, in my opinion, for a parent to react is to ignore the child, or to rebuke the child openly/loudly for their behavior.  I have even seen parents hit or spank their children for the outburst.  I can only assume that the parent is embarassed, and yes, outbursts like that need to be corrected, however, I believe that type of correction only serves the purpose of furthering the child’s fear of people who look different than they do. 

If the parent has the opportunity, I recommend for them to stop what they are doing, get eye-to-eye with the child, and explain that some people look different, but that does not mean they aren’t people, too.  Many times, with this reaction, I’m able to speak to both the parent and child, which reinforces what I am saying because mom or dad can interject when needed.  Even better, when the parent involves me in the conversation, I get a golden opportunity to share God’s love with both the parent and the child.  Even though I may look different, God still loves me in every way that He loves you.  This message so important, and every child needs to hear it (and every parent, too).
 
I welcome the opportunity for a child to have questions.  The sooner I can teach them not to fear, the better off we are as a country with one more child growing up without a fear of others.

My dad and I had the wonderful opportunity to share our story at the New Life Church in Odessa, TX this past Sunday.  My brother and his family attend here, and I got to lead their praise team which my brother and niece both sing on.  We had a great weekend watching my niece graduate from High School and spending time with family.  The weekend was capped off by a powerful worship service.  In the picture above, I am leading with Ben Wall (far left) and my niece and brother (on the right).

The New Life Church is full of life and energy and their excitement could easily be seen in their passionate worship. One special moment of the service that morning was when my whole family was able to gather around a small communion table and share communion together. What a powerful experience!

After Sunday morning, Joni, Hannah and I drove to Lubbock to visit with relatives on Joni’s side of the family.  We even got a 5 generation picture from Hannah all the way up to Hannah’s Great-Great Grandmother.  Truly a “once-in-a-lifetime” picture that will be a wonderful keepsake.  After stopping in Abilene on the way home to visit more relatives, we finally made it back to DFW Tuesday morning.  You can see more pictures of that portion of the trip on our family blog, McDoniel Family.

We’re all still tired, but we had a wonderful weekend, and we were given yet another chance to tell our story. 

Want Jim and Chet McDoniel to come to your church?  Click “Booking Information” above to get learn more. 

Over the past few months, Joni and I have felt the Lord’s calling to tell my story to any and all who will listen. In order to do that best, I have resigned my position as worship minister from Plymouth Park Church of Christ. We feel that this ministry is so important, we must pursue it at all costs…even giving up something we love. We’ll be back to Plymouth Park whenever we can, and whenever asked to come back as a guest worship leader. We love our Plymouth Park family, and thank them for the kindness they’ve shown to us during this transition.

We’ll be in Odessa, TX this weekend for my niece’s HS graduation and to give our “All He Needs” presentation on Sunday morning at the New Life Church. It will be a busy weekend as we’ll then head on to Lubbock to visit Joni’s family. We are excited about this weekend, and every opportunity the Lord gives us to tell our story!

About a week and a half ago, my dad and I got a chance to present our story to the Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, TX.  I had heard of this church and the rumor was that they are a “singing church.”  I can completely confirm the rumor.  I got a chance to lead the congregation in worship, and they truly sing with all of their hearts.  I have never seen so many smiling faces during worship.  Saturn Road is to be commended for their love of praise, and I would be glad to lead them in worship any time!

Would you like Chet and Jim McDoniel to present their story at your church?  Click here to request more information!

This past Friday, I was given the opportunity to speak to WorkReady, Inc. WorkReady helps people with special needs find jobs that would not only be suitable for them, but where the company doing the hiring is also willing to make adaptations as needed.  As I learned more about them, I became very impressed with them and their mission.  I applaud there efforts and told them so on Friday.

A part of me felt like I was “preaching to the choir,” so to speak.  These employees work day in and day out helping people to use what they have instead of wishing their situation to be different.  That’s one of my points when I speak.  We can all sit around and wait for our circumstances to get better, or we can choose to use what we have to live life to the fullest.  No reason or circumstance can keep me from living a full and happy life…not even a lack of arms.

I appreciate WorkReady, Inc. and other companies who are helping people to live better lives.