Steve Alessi: Author of Alessi’s Angle, Pastor of Metro Life Church in Miami, Husband of World Renown Worship Leader Mary Alessi and Father of Four. 
Talk about feeling my age, the other day I did something that made me look and feel like a 51 year old guy, and I'm almost embarrassed to write about it. But that hasn't stopped me before, so here I go. Usually I'm pretty aware of my surroundings and the fact that I'm a "thinker" keeps me thinking through everything I do, but on Saturday in the attic above the garage I wasn't as I was in a hurry to quiet my wife and put away the Christmas decorations as fast as I could.
Christopher and I were in the attic. All I heard all morning was about how heavy these boxes were and how hard it was to put them away. I'm thinking to myself, "come on, it's not that hard. I've been doing it all these years by myself, you can handle it." Finally, Mary asks for my help. So I finished what I was doing, headed up the steps of the ladder and started grabbing boxes and straightening out the mess. "Who needs them anyway," I thought. "I should have handled this from the beginning and it would already be done."
As my son was handing me a box, I knew exactly where I was going to store it between the ceiling studs, so I grabbed it out of his hands, turned, took a step and boom, I did the unthinkable...I stepped right through the ceiling. With my leg dangling, Christopher runs to grab me and keep me from falling completely through, while Mary yells from the garage, "Wait, don't move." Like, where am I going to go. I'm stuck here. She then comes running back in with all three girls and what do they do? Laugh. And why did Mary want me to wait? She needed to get her phone so she could get the picture above. I guess you could say I really stepped in it that day.
I read this great story the other day from Mary's Uncle, Pastor David Arnold (www.davidarnoldonline.org).
Dallas Seminary was founded in 1924, and shortly afterwards, due to financial lack, it almost folded. It was nearing bankruptcy. The creditors were prepared to foreclose at 12:00 noon on a particular day. That morning, the founders of the school gathered in the president’s office to pray for God’s provision. During the prayer meeting, Harry Ironside prayed boldly, “Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.” (Psalm 50:10)
About that same time, a tall Texan, with his large boots and hat, walked into the business office. “Howdy!” he expressed to the secretary. “I just sold two carloads of cattle over in Fort Worth. I’ve been trying to make a business deal go through, but it just won’t work. I feel God wants me to give this money to the seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check,” handing it to her.
The secretary took the check, and, aware of the critical hour, went to the door of the prayer meeting and softly tapped. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder and president of the school, answered the door, and took the check from her. When he looked at the amount, it was for the exact amount of the debt. Then he recognized the name on the check as that of a cattleman. Turning to Dr. Ironside, he said, “Harry, God sold the cattle!”
Next time you come into a situation that causes you frustration, fear or confusion, the best and most safe step to take is in the direction toward God. It will keep you from pain, embarrassment and possibly even from having to clean up a mess your wrong step could have caused.
I've shared with you my wrong step, but tell me what steps you have taken to start this New Year off on the right foot?
Hahaha! I'm sorry to laugh but it is kind of funny :) Thank you Pastor Mary for the photo!
Hm... this new year I've made it a point to thank God for the little things each time. For example... I say..
Thank you God for the having a bed...when I lay on my bed
Thank you God for the ability to walk.........when I have to go up stairs
Thank you God for the ability to eat when I'm hungry....after I eat.
THank you God for having warm clothes to wear.........when it's cold.
and so forth....
I'm using this as a way to remind myself of how truly blessed I am and spend less time complaining about the things I don't have.
Great blog, Pastor Steve! You made me laugh. And Pastor Mary did exactly what I would have too. You know if the shoe was on the other foot, you wouldn't have missed the opportunity to catch her stepping in to it! LOL...
And thank you for those encouraging words. That's an amazing testimony! Why is it so hard for us to believe for ourselves, when He comes through everytime? What, like God runs out of "coming throughs for us"? Crazy. He is F A I T H F U L, inspite of ourselves! See you tonight Pastor!
Hey Pastor,I wish you would of given us fare warning about stepping in it. The media team would of loved to set up some cameras and sound to captured the action, this is what makes great reality TV. But I admire you for writing about it. Just like you preached the other day , that we need to learn to laugh it off and not be so hard on ourselves. Knowing that GOD gives us a clean slate every morning is a true blessing and if he forgives us then who are we not to forgive ourselves.
You're not the only one that has "put his foot down" in the wrong manner, Pastor. One time during the heyday of figure skating in the 90's, my siblings and I were doing our best impressions of triple axels in the hallway. Guess whose heel left a more permanent impression in the hallway wall.
But your point that we should be stepping back toward God reminds me that even our missteps, by His divine ability, can somehow be used to direct us back to Him. If the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, then the condition of our heart can then be used to reorient the direction of our feet, even when we step the wrong way, as you did despite your best intentions and my so-called leaping ability. My efforts this year have been to concentrate on my heart direction, rather than beating myself up on my missteps, so that He can keep working on correcting my footwork.
Thanks for being able to laugh at yourself and share your faith and follies at the same time. It's one of the things that makes you a great leader. - Allen
Chandler just called me laughing hysterically (it's so good to hear him laugh). I asked "what's so funny?" His response, Isa have you read Pastor Steve's blog... it's hysterical. My initial thoughts "oh no, what's our Pastor up to now?" LOL (love you Pastor Steve). I open up the link to find your leg. Chandler was right, "hysterical"...(thank you Pastor Mary for thinking of us and capturing the moment) then as usual, an inspiring thought to carry me through the rest of the day! God has come through for us in more ways than I can count. He is good and he is faithful and I am so happy to know him. See you tonight!
This is classic! I have to hand it to Pastor Mary for coming through and capturing the moment and not forgetting to include the kids They will be talking about this for the rest of their lives.
Stepping in the right direction… starting the year off fasting with my Metro Life family. God’s ”coming through” just as promised.
XoXo
Funny I was reading this in class and laughed out loud! We all take steps in the wrong direction, especially when we are in a hurry, or feeling like we know the way. We kinda take things for granted and then God hit's us with the cosmic 2X4 (foot through ceiling or financial distress) to wake us up and remind us to think about where our faith is. It always reminds me to remember where my faith is... is it in my problem or in the Solution.
Great blog today, Pastor!
Pastor, thanks for being who you are. You are not afraid of sharing your mistakes and struggles. I agree with Allen on that it makes you a "REAL"great leader. These blogs either leave me speechless, crying, or laughing but they most importantly always make me think on God's ways. His ways are better than ours and the ways of others.
One thing I am personally doing this year is to look to Him for direction and not around. When you are trying to get through stuff that is pulling you down the only way to stay at it is looking up because it is the only way out. Thanks again for blessing my Wednesday.
By the Way, WWF is also a great Wednesday blessing!
Barbie Barrientos
Thank you for your blog Pastor and for being so real!!!
The story of the Texan who sold his cattle almost broke me into tears... God's Faithfulness is truly amazing every time!!!
As for steps I must take to straighten my walk, I believe that in this season, the Lord is telling that I cannot assume that people around me know or understand things as I do. To me this means: Ask and Share (which to me is stepping out of my comfort zone)...
See you tonight Pastor! Time to share with Friends! ;)
It's a good thing we are fasting, otherwise the weight may have caused the whole thing to cave in. Ahhhhh, God's timing is always perfect.
I have a similar story that makes me CRACK UP everytime I think about it,
My sweet 70 year old granny called me last week telling me about how she had been standing on Lamentations 4:21 for her family and her country. She told me how she'd been telling everyone from neighbors, fellow church members and even a kindly Jehovah's witness couple that had helped her with her groceries to also stand on it in for their families. And now she wanted me to agree with her in prayer about it, I opened up my Bible and said, Uh grandma are you SURE you mean lamentations FOUR 21? I could hear over the phone the sound of her feverishly turning pages and she abruptly corrected FIVE 21... five!!!!
Lam. 4:21...
"21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
you who live in the land of Uz.
But to you also the cup will be passed;
you will be drunk and stripped naked."
In conclusion, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU STAND ON :P
Oh thank God you are ok. But while my friend and co-worker who also attends MLC, were having lunch and read this, we could not stop laughing. Pastor Steve, it is like you see in the movies. Thanks for sharing. Good idea to take a pic. Quick thinking Pastor Mary. Lol.
God bless
Iliana Ponce
Pastor, notice how many comments you're getting on this one? I am so glad Pastor Mary is a "chronicler". I would've liked to have seen the extraction process myself!
I have "stepped" into "it" so many times I've lost count. Trying to climb out one step at a time! Having gone through the CR 12 Step Program I continue to "check" myself to help me rid myself of my character flaws and step out of denial so that my walk is free of the burdens that have plagued me for so long. I am more free than ever before, but working on complete freedom. While rereading through the steps I had an epiphany last night and came out of denial of a major character flaw-gives me a goal to work on this coming year. Falling down doesn't make me a failure; staying down does!
Thank you Pastor for being so real and transparent , your blog remember me that our God is a God of miracles. Even when sometimes we make mistakes, he is always there to clean up or mess and to turn it for our own good.Thank you for your words Pastor.
Great Blog today. Looks like that "breakthrough" showed you were not to step in the future. Thanks for the encouragment!
Pastor, at first I laughed and after really looking at that picture I felt guilty, because it looks like there's blood there and this could have been a lot worse..pobrecito. I couldn't help but think of Psalm 91, where God gives us the promise of protection, when we dwell in his presence.
Psalm 91:11-12.."For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (or the concrete floor of your garage).
2012 will be a year where everything I do whether secular or spiritual will be done with PURPOSE. Wasting time with meaningless endeavors will not be an option.
Hilarious! Along with everyone else thank you Pastor Mary for catching that blooper moment! Pastor Steve you always seem to surprise us! Anywho Boy Oh Boy there have been many of times that I've stepped IN IT (my mistakes) they've been messy messy messy, but God is such a sovereign God comes in and cleans it up, dusts you off, lifts you up and tells you ok now FOLLOW ME! So this year I"m determined to TRUST AND FOLLOW HIM Charlie's Angel's Full Throttle Style! No buts, no excuses and learn how to be silent and just FOLLOW, step into the destiny He's prepared for me and not the one I THINK is the right one. Fasting for 21 dys with MLC Family is my way of stepping into it the RIGHT WAY!
Nice...
Let me know when you want me to coordinate some guys to fix your ceiling!!
2012 - A lot more "DO" and a lot less "SAY" !!
if I explain it I feel like I would be violating it already...
Much Love... Mando
You need some plywood betwn those stud, stud muffin. Your just too much man for that ceiling..
OMG!! As I began to read the blog I thought the picture was a stock photo. In 2012 I'm stepping into organization!! There it is for all to see! Good blog Pastor.
Thanks Pastor for sharing your own expirencies with us in a very unique way. You and your family are a truly blessing!
Rut Bográn :)
I can't see through the tears of laughter in my eyes to comment....ha ha ha
Is that your sock dangling? What a great story!
Awesome Blog. I could just picture gaby's face when she saw that. Lol. Oh, & by the way, I never knew you were such a great writer.
We do serve a HOLY God! Thanks so much for greeting our girls with such Love. Diane
Metro Bound.....