John and Kathy Deisher

One Call, One Harvest, 50 Teams

God

New Roles, New Goals

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We’ve been asked by staff and students here, staff on other campuses, supporters, pastors—and honestly, sometimes even by ourselves—about our new role at Sam Houston State. I had a lot of conversations with Kathy and with trusted friends, asking, “What does it really mean to provide pastoral care and staff development?”

As I prayed over those conversations, the Lord reminded me that my calling here really comes down to a few simple things. These five things pretty well capture our role as part of Chi Alpha at Sam Houston State:

Prayer

Prayer is where it all begins for us. It’s not just part of our role—it’s the heartbeat of everything we do. When we pray, we’re reminded that God is the One who moves hearts and changes lives, not us. Our role is to stand in the gap, to lift up staff and students, situations, and needs before Him, and to believe He is at work even when we can’t see it.

Listening

We’ve come to realize that one of the greatest gifts we can give is our attention. When we slow down to really listen—to someone’s story, their struggles, their questions—we make space for God’s Spirit to move. Often people don’t need an answer as much as they need to know they’ve been heard and loved.

Guiding

We don’t see ourselves as the ones with all the answers, but as people who get to point others back to Jesus. It’s not about fixing problems; it’s about reminding everyone where true life and holiness are found—in Him. Our prayer is always that our words and actions gently guide people closer to the heart of God.

Caring for Souls

So much of ministry happens in the unseen, and we’ve learned to embrace that. The hidden prayers, the quiet conversations, the unnoticed acts of love—all of it matters. This “soul work” may not draw attention, but it creates an environment where people can encounter God’s love and discover His purpose for their lives.

Teaching and Preaching

Finally, we count it a privilege to open God’s Word with both staff and students. Whether in a large group setting (often me, though Kathy is an excellent teacher), over coffee or hot chocolate, or in a small Bible study, we love those moments when Scripture comes alive and someone sees God more clearly. Teaching and preaching aren’t just responsibilities—they’re opportunities to watch the Holy Spirit open eyes and hearts.

At the end of the day, our role here is simple: to be faithful in prayer, to be present, and to point people to Jesus. In doing that, we live out both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Everything else flows from there.

A Book of Remembrance

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“They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His plan.” (Psalm 106:13 NASB)

Before everything went digital, I kept a file folder in my desk drawer labeled, “Before You Quit.” Inside was every note of thanks, every card of blessing, every letter of encouragement I’d ever received in ministry. And tucked in the very back was my resume.

Whenever life felt like it was unraveling and nothing seemed to go the way I thought it should, I’d pull out that folder. I’d read through every single note, every reminder of God’s faithfulness. And if, after reading, I still couldn’t see His hand at work, that was my cue—I’d start sending out resumes.

But here’s the thing: I never did. I never made it to that point. Every time I read through that folder, discouragement would lift. I might not have liked my situation, but I could see God working. I knew He had a plan, and I just needed to wait.

Patience may be called a virtue, but let’s be honest—it often feels like a test by fire. Waiting on God’s plan can be hard. That’s why having a “Book of Remembrance,” some tangible way to record how God has moved in your life, is so valuable. Because in those silent seasons when His plan feels hidden, when nothing seems to be happening, those reminders whisper, “He’s still working.”

So here’s an invitation: find your own way to remember. Write it down. Keep the notes. Create a folder. And when life feels stuck, open it up. See how faithful God has been—and trust that He’s still writing your story.

A Wrath Full of Compassion

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“[God’s] wrath is a wrath of compassion.” (Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, 13:86).

“For we have been consumed by Your anger, and we have been terrified by Your wrath. You have placed our guilty deeds before You, our hidden sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have dwindled away in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy; for it quickly passes, and we disappear. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:7-12)

Psalm 90 isn’t the kind of passage we usually print on a coffee mug or hang on the wall. In fact, it is probably a Psalm we would rather skip over (you would be in good company; the Reformer Martin Luther was not a fan of this chapter).

My devotional reading this week took me to a Psalm where Moses (yes, that Moses) writes with raw honesty about God’s anger—how it consumes, how even our secret sins are fully exposed in His presence. It can feel weighty, especially in the middle of a busy ministry season, when we’re already carrying a lot.

But then there’s this quote from Martin Luther in his writings on Psalm 90: “[God’s] wrath is a wrath of compassion.”

Luther may not have liked the chapter, but he recognized its truth, and that truth stops you in your tracks.

God’s wrath isn’t like human anger. He’s not explosive or distant. His wrath comes from love. It’s His fierce resistance to what breaks us, wounds us, and distorts the truth. In that light, His discipline isn’t something we need to run from—it’s something we can actually lean into.

Moses does just that. He turns from lament to prayer: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Our days are full, and yet, they’re also limited. Short. Sacred.

God’s wrath here isn’t rejection—it’s a holy wake-up call. It’s compassion that calls us to live intentionally, humbly, wisely, so that we make the most of our days.

And don’t miss how the psalm starts: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place through all generations.”

Even in His correction, He remains our refuge. Even in His holiness, He is still our home.

“In the Presence of My Enemies”

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Photo by Anna Keibalo on Unsplash

In my devotional reading this week, I came across this passage from Psalm 105:16-22:

“And [God] called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They forced his feet into shackles, he was put in irons; until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord refined him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler over all his possessions, to imprison his high officials at will, that he might teach his elders wisdom.

You know, sometimes I forget a simple but powerful truth: God is already in my future. He’s not just with me now—He’s ahead of me, preparing the way.

I remember hearing a pastor talk about Psalm 23 and the line, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” He pointed out something I’d never thought about before: enemies and God’s table seem to show up together. When trouble comes, we usually notice the enemies first. But what if, instead, we remembered that a table of God’s provision must also be nearby?

Think about it—since God is already in the future, He knows exactly what we’ll face. That table of provision is already set. Joseph’s story is a perfect example. God prepared him in Egypt so that Israel could one day be saved. Joseph’s entire life was turned upside down, but it was all part of God’s plan to bring provision to His people.

The truth is, we shouldn’t be shocked when enemies or hard times come. Instead, we can look for how God is going to surprise us with His goodness in the middle of it all.

So let me ask you: are you facing some enemies right now? If so, don’t just focus on them. Lift your eyes. There must be a table of God’s provision nearby. He’s already there, working in ways we can’t always see—His wonders to perform.

Springtime

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Tree budding in the spring

Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15:1-8)

It may be Spring on the calendar, but no one told the weather. The last few days have been sunny, which gives you the illusion of warmth until you go outside and face the cold and wind.

I have been through seasons of life that felt the same. There was nothing outwardly that seemed to be wrong. There was no crisis, no gloomy clouds of doubt. But inwardly, I felt cold and blown by winds that I could not shake. In those times, it becomes easy to give in to introspection that questions everything. Just as you might question your plans on a cold, windy day, you find yourself searching for meaning in those seasons of spiritual winter. It is not despair, for we know that just as the cold of winter will pass into the new life of spring, our spiritual winter will birth a season of new life. But we struggle to make sense of such seasons.

I have learned to accept those seasons as a time for rumination and germination. It is a time to ask questions, but instead of forcing answers I allow those questions time to see what begins to grow and what withers away. Just as a gardener takes a seed and plants it in good soil, I plant my questions in the soil of a life having served a very faithful God. He knows His plans and purposes for me, and while I might feel like I am ready to take charge and be productive for the Kingdom, the Master Gardener knows that there are seasons of being hidden and germinating, becoming strong so that we can bear the pruning necessary to be productive in the next season.

The sun will shine, and the air will be warm and the winds refreshing, and what we have allowed God to do in our lives in those winter seasons will be rewarded with abundant fruit.

God Forms Us

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Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash

Sabbath is not primarily about us or how it benefits us. It is about God and how God forms us. It is not, in the first place, about what we do or don’t do. It’s about God completing and resting and blessing and sanctifying.

Eugene Peterson, “Living the resurrection”

Confronted by the Living God

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I read “The Way of the Pilgrim” this past fall and it really helped me see the importance of prayer as more than simply sending my requests to God. R.M. French, through his praying pilgrim, taught me how to pray always. Well, I still don’t pray always, but I pray more as I have developed the habit of having conversations with God. It is an act of faith, but one that reaps incredible rewards as you encounter the personal and living God. I highly recommend you read this book.

Graduation 2021

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Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

This past weekend I attended four different graduation ceremonies at Oklahoma State. Considering they had five ceremonies, I was at a pretty good percentage of them. Some of the staff and students joined me at different ceremonies so we could celebrate the accomplishments of our friends.


I have attended graduation ceremonies for years. At Texas A&M, I had a certain section and a certain row I sat in. Students knew where to find me. There were years when I would only attend one ceremony, and other years when I would attend as many as six ceremonies. It makes for long days, but the accomplishments of the students that have been a part of my life while in college deserve to be honored.


The ceremonies are all different. Some have no commencement speaker. Some have the students walk in, while others already have them in their seats. Some receive their degrees in alphabetical order, while in other ceremonies the students are seated in random order by the college. Bagpipes and drums, bands, pre-recorded and live state songs, and the national anthem are also varied.


But the common denominator is that families come to see their student receive their degrees. Mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all make the trip and sit in uncomfortable chairs in crowded arenas for two hours just to be able to cheer for two seconds for their graduate. Often I get a chance to meet them, and many times it is the first time I have met the family. I get to meet the people I know only by name for a brief moment before graduate and family head home.

I come away from the weekend exhausted many times. But it is worth the effort. It is worth being a part of what is probably our last shared experience. It is seeing the full cycle of wide-eyed freshman to hopefully wisdom-filled graduate. We will have shared many moments. I am glad I am here to share the final one.