Break Out the Stamps: The Result

A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled Break Out the Stamps.  It was about sending words of encouragement to someone you know the way John did to Gaius in the Bible.  At the end of it, I said I would let you know how this went for me.  The answer to that: great and enriching.  We have such a wonderful gift God gives us in the ability to encourage others.  Do you realize people pay for encouragement?  There’s a whole market for inspiration, and that isn’t bad at all, but we get to personally communicate encouragement to people and use it to strengthen our relationships at nothing more than the cost of a stamp.  Amazing.  Don’t neglect being the blessing you can be to someone.

Now is a great time to write out some words of encouragement like those found in 3 John.  It’s Christmastime, and cards are going out left and right.  Who will you send Christmas cards to?  What will the say?  Who are the one or two people on your list who you can really pour into by loving them in the truth?  Don’t pass this up. 

I hope you’ll be able to write a result before this season’s over.

Is That All You Got?

Prayer.  This one simple word can change one complicated world.  It is you communicating with God.  Try to the grasp the bigness of that for just a moment.  Wrap your thoughts around the fact that when you pray, you are talking to the Almighty Creator who made the very ground your feet are placed on.  The One who is the reason why you’re here.  The One who gives meaning and purpose to the life it’s easy to wonder what’s the meaning of. 

With communication with a God who is powerful enough for anything, what will you ask of Him?

I believe it’s a sad thing when we let our prayers fizzle down to these minimal requests.  I’m not saying to not pray for the small things.  I’m talking about how when we’re sick, for example, we often ask for God to “help” us feel better when, in fact, He is the Healer and can completely rid us of our illness.  If your faith in God were to be measured by what you asked Him to do for you, how are you doing?

Is that all you got?  Pray as big as God is.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Crowder

Saw the David Crowder*Band in Columbia this past Thursday night.  Epic, as always.

Thoughts:

• Amazing show.
• Innovative.
• Rescue is coming.
• Sixth or seventh time seeing them live.
• Still haven’t disappointed or gotten old.
• Jesus loves us.
• A lot more focus on the One who is to come in worship music these days.
• Ready to do it again.

Hi

So I haven’t been stopping in as much as I would like to write a thing or two about a thing or two.  It’s funny: between busyness and forgetfulness, I am bound to never blog again.  However, God’s timing is great.  Here I am, waiting for my camera to charge in preparation to see this guy . . .

David Crowder

. . . in Columbia tonight, and it gives me time to say “hi” to all of you.

As far as busyness is concerned, this is simultaneously the most wonderful and most busy time of year.  It can really blow by or be full of getting caught up in the wrong things.  Engagements, events and errands are often the three e’s that define the holiday season best.  A full social calendar with programs and to-do’s mixed in can leave someone ready for it to be over.  I haven’t found the recipe to simplify  the months of November and December yet, but I do hope to find myself enjoying the true moments of this time as they occur.  Maybe that will even be before Christmas Day, when I usually can finally breathe and be thankful that it’s all over. 

Forgetfulness is another thing that’s kept me away from the keyboard.  This past Sunday, I had a topic in mind to write about, but it escaped by the time I logged in to put my thoughts into words.  It really is a shame when this happens.   Makes me think of all the great songs we’ll never hear, or the new ways to sell pre-chopped lettuce that won’t hit the market.  I’m pretty sure my mind has maxed out on its absences.

Hopefully I’ll have thoughts on the Crowder show up in the next couple of days, and also a follow-up to this.  I’m also working on a series idea that I hope to unbox one of these days.  Oh, and maybe even a new My Journey addition.  Who knows?  Now, if I can only remember what it was I was charging . . .

Christians, Ever Wish it were This Easy?

We’re All in This Together

What happened in theaters across the US and Canada last night was nothing short of God at work.  What is happening to me today is a continuation of that.  If you saw I Heart Revolution: We’re All in This Together last night, you may be feeling the same way.  I can’t shake these two and a half hours from me, nor do I want to.  What I saw keeps coming to mind with a world of thoughts rushing in with it.  What I saw was what God sees every day.

I think of the times I’ve prayed for God to give me His eyes and the many times I’ve sung to Him, “break my heart for what breaks yours.”  This film is having a part in doing both of these things.

My mind can’t process the words to a generate description for it at the moment. 

See the link above, and when the DVD comes out, watch for yourself.

Update: See where to go from here at http://www.i-heart.org.

Stay for the Marriage

I recently watched a sitcom that I normally flip right past.  It wasn’t because there was nothing else on, but because this particular episode was about a wedding between two of the main characters.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a 30-minute TV comedy, a movie or even a pro wrestling event, if you want people to tune in, you can’t go wrong with a wedding. 

There is something that fascinates us about two people getting married.  When news of an engagement breaks, we share in the excitement of the happy couple.  It’s contagious.  We can’t wait for them to march down the aisle and make it official.  There is real emotion there for these people, and it’s not just over the heave hors d’oeuvres that await us at the reception.  However, our involvement often ends around the time the food runs out.

Just like on TV, when two people we know are just married, they can become just married to us.  We love them, but somehow our excitement dies down.  We showed our support with toasters and waffle irons, but are now back to business as usual.  Why aren’t we more involved?

One of the things I did last Christmas when I sent out cards was give a little something extra to two couples I know who had gotten married earlier that year.  It was their first Christmases together as husband and wife, and I wanted them to have a small token to use for a date night or however they wished.  I share that only to truly share it.  Maybe that’s a way you can show you’re there for the married people in your lives.

Why don’t we do more with the covenants we are a part of, such as marriage; or when someone in our congregation gives his/her life to Christ?  We all have a part in encouraging those around us to continue down the right path.  What are we doing with this?  Are we just checking in for the wedding and reception, and then checking out for the thing these commemorate?  Maybe the next engagement we get news of should bring forth a little bit of the feeling of, Where am I going to find the time?  And with that, feelings of responsibility.  We’re in this together.  Remember that with the newlyweds and the new-in-Christ you know.  Don’t just eat a piece of chicken and leave: stay for the marriage.

Uncomfortable with Being Comfortable

Do you know what disturbs me?  We have the ability to customize our lives to meet our every satisfaction.  Provided I have the money to buy a car, I can get a green Honda Accord with leather interior seating.  When I go to McDonald’s, I can get a Big Mac without pickles, even though they’re mentioned in the jingle.  I have over a hundred television channels to choose something to watch from and over a hundred different churches in my area I can choose to worship at.  Of all the options at our disposal at any given time, it’s natural for us to select the things that fit us best.  It’s what we do with that power with the bigger things in life (such as said church selecting) that I cannot rest with seeking my own comfort.  When it comes to God, no matter how crazy it may be, my desire is to dwell in the things He wants for me, no matter how discomforting they are.  And, even though I let it win a lot, I am uncomfortable with being comfortable.

I love the church I’m a member of.  I’m attracted to it because of the casual environment, the contemporary music, the practical message, and the lack of having to change the way I dress and conduct myself for a fraction of one day each week.  That’s why I’m attracted to it, but that’s not why I love it.  I love it because I’m challenged to be something more than a country club member.  By that, I mean I am engaging in authentic relationships and fellowship with other believers and non-believers alike who are on a journey together to be transformed by the Almighty God.  I’m inspired to grow, stretched to serve, and called to love.   

I have a few questions for you.  If you go to church, are you happy with where you go?  Do you love it?  Finally, what do you love about it?  You may not be able to say about your church what I can say about mine.  That doesn’t mean anything is wrong with where you go, but your intentions may be off.  Maybe you’re content with the comfort you experience at your church.  Maybe you’ve selected a place to worship, or have grown up in a place to worship, that you can tolerate long enough to meet your “needs,” but does not affect the way you live your life.  You are comfortable with the way you are, and you have found a church custom fit with where you are, and being there is in your comfort zone.  For you, that may work.  For me, I just can’t settle for that.

I’ve stuck with the example of selecting a church here, but I hope if you have read this and that example does not apply to you, you replaced it with what did.  If not, give it a try.  It’s great that we can make customizations with certain things in our lives.  However, I challenge you not to settle for anything less than discomfort in the things that matter most.  You don’t grow when you’re comfortable, only when you’re stretching.  Our goal should be Christ-likeness, and none of us this side of Heaven have accomplished that.  There is room to grow, so get uncomfortable.

New Leader? Prepare to Screw Up

Last Thursday night’s episode of The Office where Jim began his position as co-manager was brilliant to the point of personal.  It hit home to me because I saw a lot of what happened to him as a reminder of my year in a position of leadership in college.  For those who missed it, Jim went from being a favored colleague to the sales staff to a manager struggling between direction and maintaining good morale overnight.  If you’ve recently become a leader, prepare for this to happen to you, and prepare to screw up.

I often think of my year as a student leader of a campus ministry as one of the most difficult, most challenging, and most beneficial years of my life.  The year leading up to my presidency in this ministry was totally awesome.  I got along great with just about everyone who came through the doors.  I took on a position as Communications Leader and continued to grow into that role really well, having fun doing it.  I was also drastically maturing as a disciple, and life was just good.  The year ended with me answering God’s call to become President the following year.  That’s when things began to change.

I was excited about what the next school year would bring.  I have a visionary mind, and there were a lot of ideas floating around in it; a lot of things I knew would work because, after all, they’re visions.  Right?  This was about to the best year ever.  Right?  Well, it would’ve been had I done more letting go and worked with the team of awesome people God had given me.  Instead, my downfall as President was that I always wanted the final say to be MY final say.  Not healthy at all!  In retrospect, the previous year sure would’ve been horrible had I not gotten to pitch in ideas to the President at the time.  Yikes!

I can’t pinpoint one thing about that year and call it the root of all my screw-ups.  However, a main factor was the self-induced pressure I was putting on myself to be the best leader possible.  I wanted to stay on top and sound like I knew the best way to go at all times.  When I became President, I didn’t remain a member of the team . . . I somehow became a guy who felt he had to prove something, and someone whose ideas should take precedence always.  At the risk of sounding corny here, I will say that “president” does not equal “precedence.”  We’re all in this together.

Hopefully Jim will find his way in upcoming episodes of The Office.  More importantly than a written TV show, hopefully you will find yours with those you are leading.  Yes, prepare to screw up, but don’t give up examining yourself and growing from your mistakes.  God is there with you every step of the way.

A Conseqence of Getting It

As we follow Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit, one of the greatest things that happens in our journeys is when we “get” something.  This “something” could be an insight to start doing things differently.  When it’s different from unbelievers, we may be encouraged in our convictions by our believing friends.  When we start doing things differently from our fellow believers, though, praise isn’t as easy to come by.

Have you ever found yourself with a fresh perspective after studying the Bible, listening to a song or sermon, or spending time in prayer, that no longer looks like what the believers in your life are doing?  We’ve all been there, and it’s tough to move foward after that.  You may become so excited about a vision you have on how to apply God’s truth to your life, and you can’t wait to share it with others in hopes they will be on board, too.  But, you may often find that God has not brought them to where you are yet.

Before I go on, it’s important to know we are all created equal, and the Holy Spirit–who dwells in every follower of Jesus Christ–works in each of us differently.  His counselling and direction does not halt our equality.  However, He may bring you to a higher place in some areas for your life before He brings those around you there. 

I find this is a hard place to be; especially when I am desiring to have community with other believers, and want all of us to grow together.  What seems to happen, though, is God has brought me to a place where I am separated from anyone else and looking back at those I was walking beside, flagging them to catch up. 

It can also be hard to watch a truth unfold in your life in such an incredible and transforming way and see your friends still caught in the same dead end patterns that aren’t getting them any further.  This is a consequence of getting it.

So, then, how do you have community with other believers when you feel like you’re ahead of the game?  Well, for one, you’re not ahead, but something has changed in your life for purposes God has for you.  The best way to cast that vision to others is to continue to live in communion with God and light the path for others to follow.  This also means not to quench the Holy Spirit and go back to the same place you were for the sake of conformity.

Also, realize the believing people in your life are being transformed in other areas.  Try to find the path they are lighting for you … you’re going to need it.

When we are alone, may we not give up on others, but continue to show them the way by living out what we were meant to do.