It's Not Us and Them

One that thing that always bugs me about some “Christians” is the whole us versus them mentality that some people get.  That because they go to a building every Sunday and hear about God that they are somehow so much better than those that don’t go to a building of their own.  Then those same building-goers act like the non-building-goers the rest of the week. 

Why is it that some people find themselves better than others in the world?  The same world that they are told in the Bible by God to go out and reach!  Isn’t it more important to live your life for God each and every day in every way that you possibly can than it is to attend a service one day a week for 1-2 hours?  Does cursing all week long and not caring about others get erased just because you went to church on Sunday?

It’s way past time for Christians to stop being hypocrites.  If we attend church on Sunday and then live our lives like God doesn’t matter, then we are totally missing the point.  God wants to be involved in everything that each of us does all week long.  He wants us to go out and show the world that our life with Him is the best thing that the world has to offer.  It’s when we’re genuine with every aspect of our lives that the world will take notice.  That is when the world will change.  

It’s not us and them people….and it’s all about Him, each and every day.

You Aren't Needed, but You Are Wanted

One thing about parenting that is always extremely difficult is explaining to children the difference between a want and a need.  Kids (and let’s be honest, most adults) always want things.  We want to sleep in, we want to play with our friends, we want to watch our favorite shows, and we want all kinds of stuff.  Yet most of the time those wants aren’t in line with the things that we need.  We need food, exercise, and love to mention a few.

Recently I was listening to a sermon online.  The pastor was discussing the fact that God doesn’t need us to fish in order for us to have food.  He doesn’t need us to go out and reach everyone in the world for Him.  Knowing that God is all powerful, you’ve realized those things, right? 

So why then does He want us to do these things in order to advance His kingdom?  I honestly think that He wants us to have a part in all of it all.  God uses all of us who believe in Him to advance the Kingdom.  It goes along with the saying that “anything worth having is worth working for.”  I truly believe that is the case when it comes to our faith.  God could have everyone be a Christian if He wanted.  But, He instead allows us to truly appreciate the gift that we’re given by allowing us to be actively involved in the process.  We’re able to reach others for Him.  We’re able to appreciate what a great life we have as Christians because we’ve seen what it’s like to not have God in our lives. 

You see, we’re all wanted by God.  He wants us to join Him in His work.  He wants to walk hand in hand with us every day in our lives.  And He wants us all to know that this is where we belong without any doubt.

Permission Slip

Recently my family made a Sunday visit at the Elevation Church Norwalk extension.  The church was started two years ago, mostly by people who had been attending Norwalk Alliance Church.  Because of that, we’ve wanted to go for a visit for a while now, and finally found the time to do so.

The week we went was week #2 of the series called “This is your permission slip”.  The premise is that the Bible is more than just a book of rules but instead it is a way to free you to live the life that God has for you .  The sermon series really hit me because oftentimes that is exactly how the outside world sees the Bible.  It’s all about the “Thou Shall Canot’s” instead of the “Thou Shall’s”.

What an idea, and something that I think we as Christians often get wrong.  We go around telling non-Christians all the things they are doing wrong instead of showing them how their lives could be as a part of God’s kingdom!

So, instead of stealing from Pastor Steven Furtick I’m going to point you to the sermon series and let you hear/watch his sermons:

http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/this-is-your-permission-slip

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

So this past weekend I, along with many others, helped a friend and his family move.  Although the work was hard, it really wasn’t the hardest part of the day for me.  It was the reality that although our friendship will not end, it also will never be the same again.

I’ve been friends with Wayne pretty much ever since I came to Norwalk.  His return to Norwalk Alliance Church was, I think, the week before we first went to the church.  We hit it off as friends right from the start, although honestly most people do with Wayne.  We grew closer and closer throughout the years of playing softball, basketball, and even football together.  We went from people who were at the same event to casual friends, to close friends.  We’d often go a month without really talking and then when we did it was like it was just yesterday.  We could talk to each other about anything from family stuff, to raising kids, to spiritual battles.  Wayne is like a brother to me, a brother whom I will always be close to, even if he is far away.

As Wayne and the family were deciding what to do, he took the time to discuss the idea with me.  I have to be honest (and I told him this) that I wanted to be selfish.  I didn’t want him and his family to leave because I didn’t want him to move that far away.  But, I also realized that God set this whole move up perfectly for Wayne and the family.  How it all unfolded over the last couple years was all God’s plan, and as we looked back on it together I kept seeing how God moved in the various struggles that the family had.  Through the various jobs Wayne had in and outside of ministry God’s plan was being revealed. 

If this move by the Mushett family isn’t a sign of God working in people’s lives I really don’t know what is.  God had a plan all along and not even Wayne knew what it was.  The family struggled with his job situation, but it was just God preparing them for what was to come.  God’s plan was always for Wayne to become to pastor at this new location.  But Wayne and the family had to take about ten other steps over the last three to four years before God placed them there.  They had to be prepared to do the work that God had intended them to do in Montana. 

Although it’s extremely hard for me to say goodbye to Wayne and his family (evidenced by the fact that I was there for over an hour longer Friday night than I needed to be before I finally said goodbye and walked out the door for the last time) I do know that it is for the best.  I know for certain that God has great things in store for their family and that church.  The church is extremely blessed to get one of the most caring people and best friends I have ever had in my life.  He will be missed, but sometimes you have to let go and let God.

Just Keep Swimming

Does anyone remember the movie “Finding Nemo”?  There is a character named Dory, who has one of the best lines of the movie, and it can really relate to our lives.  I can write it all down, but why when you can see it for yourself here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WVoC_CJbow

Sorry for sticking that song in your head.  Lol. 

But, maybe I’m not, as the point that Dory makes there is great, and it’s exactly the message that God has for us.  When life has you down you have to just keep swimming.  Think about it for a minute.  Life isn’t easy, and God never said it was going to be.  However, He did say that we should just keep going.  There will be roadblocks, but He’ll get us through it.  Faith in God is the light in the dark tunnel of life.  He will not only show you the way, but He IS the way, the truth, and the life. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded of these simple things….even if it’s in a kids' movie!

On The Wall

Did you know that people often get awards for doing things?  Kids get awards for getting straight A’s or perfect attendance.  People who work can win the employee of the month awards.  And of course you can win awards like actors and athletes do that are given to them at huge award shows.

Yet, these awards don’t show you exactly who the person is as a whole.  These awards are just a symbol of an accomplishment that the person has reached.  The awards get hung on the wall or put on a shelf and are often forgotten about after a while, just collecting dust.

You see, the actual symbol for what you are as a whole isn’t something that you can put on a wall or shelf, but instead it is the compilation of the sum of your parts.  It’s the life that you lead each and every day.  It’s the light that you shine in the world for God.  It’s not the person you try to be on Sunday at church, but instead it's who you are each and every moment of every day that you are on this planet.

All too often we get that wrong as Christians.  We try to show off like the awards we’ve won by putting it all out there for the world to see.  All too often that quick show is forgotten, only collecting dust.  God doesn’t want your life with Him to collect dust.  He wants you to show up and live for Him each and every day.  He wants you to do not just one thing for His Kingdom but instead to work harder and harder every day to be the light in the world that He expects you to be.

My question today is this:  Are you hanging your accomplishments for His kingdom up on the wall and just happy that you earned that one, or are you striving to earn more and more every day?

Back In Time: What Are You Chasing?

Again this week I decided to go back in time a bit and re-post an older Momentum for everyone to read again.  I think the lesson here is solid and so I wanted to share it again.  This was originally posted on 4/24/09.  Don't worry, I've got new stuff in the works for the next few weeks.

We make fun of animals that chase their tales. We enjoy infants who chase after their older siblings. We chase after the next promotion or pay raise at work. The question is, are you chasing the most important thing of all: Jesus!

Of the things that we follow in life, I know that I personally am more than willing to check in on my favorite sports teams and see how the game is going or what the score was if I missed it. I read the paper to make sure I'm following what is going on locally inpolitics, sales at the local stores, and local sports teams. Yet, I'm not quite as good at keeping up with the one thing that is most important, I'm not the best at daily reading the Bible. 

A lot of people don't think that it's important, and I was one of those people for a long time. Yet, here I sit thinking that I need to do something in the word every day. Yes, I read a few devotions every day, and I try (and I mean try, as I hate reading more than you'll ever understand) reading a book focusing on him. Yet, I realize more and more every day that I don't know the Bible the way I should. How can I keep the enemy from getting a foot hold in my life without having the proper weapons to fight him off? The answer is, I cannot. 

So, overall, what am I saying here? I'm saying that although I'm an Elder at the church I'm not perfect and don't do everything I should do every day. I will say this, the first step to taking care of that is figuring that out. I'm striving to get better and chase HIM on a daily basis. Yes, doing a devotion is a good start, and doing my book reading is good as well...but if I'm not fully involved in the word then I'm just taking the easy way out. So, are you chasing Him, or being like I was and not fulling preparing for today's battles? Let's work together in strengthening God's army by making ourselves better prepared warriors: Let's chase Him every day.

Garage Sale

This past weekend we had a garage sale at our house.  As we were conducting the sale one thing really hit me over and over again.  The fact that a garage sale isn’t just for one type of person.  Anyone can have a garage or yard sale.  And anyone can go to a sale and at a minimum look over the people’s offerings.  A garage sale doesn’t say you have to be a certain height, a certain gender, a certain race, rich, poor, or anything like that.  It’s an all-inclusive thing.  It’s for anyone who puts forth the effort. 

Why do I mention this in my blog this week?  Because in this regard a garage sale is like God.  He lets all who want to come to Him and have Him a part of their lives that same access.  There are no height, gender, race, or fiscal requirements.  God wants to be a part of everyone’s lives. 

Isn’t it amazing how little things, even a garage sale, can remind someone of God and His love for us?  What has reminded you of God lately?

Everything I Do

I was trying to think of a topic for this week’s blog when God hit me with something:  I can’t do anything in my life without Him.  This thought wasn’t anything new, but I think that from time to time we have to be reminded of this exact point.  Let me give you a few examples.

I am currently working on getting myself into better shape.  I can try all I want until I die, but without God as a part of the process it’s not going to happen.  He gives me time in my day to get it done.  He shows me ways to not eat certain foods and provides other foods that are better for me.  He gives me the will power to pass up some of those sweets.  He gives me a loving wife who is there working on the same thing at the same time, who wants to go on walks and eat better, etc.

As a couple we’re also working on getting out of debt.  Yes, we’ve been doing this for a long time, and it’s a long process when you don’t have huge things to sell off.  Yet, no matter how much money we make ourselves we realize that to truly get out of debt God is the answer, not money.  He will provide for our family.  He will show us the light at the end of the debt tunnel and make sure that we’re focused in that direction.  Without God our finances would be a disaster for the rest of our lives.

My last example this week if our family.  We’re really working hard as parents to raise our children right.  We know that it’s not going to be easy and there are always going to be challenges.  Kids today go through so much more than we ever did growing up.  And we know that without God as the true head of the family there is no chance that we’d get the jobs done on our own.  Yet, we give up our parenting to God and allow Him to guide our decisions, and although we aren’t promised a smooth ride, He does work through everything going on in our family's lives.

So, as you can see, there isn’t an aspect of any of our lives that God isn’t a part of when you invite Him in.  Don’t be afraid to lose control.  Instead, allow God to take the leadership role in everything you do!

Back In Time: Learnings At The Grill

This week I decided to go back in time a bit and re-post an older Momentum for everyone to read again.  I think the lesson here is solid and so I wanted to share it again.  This was originally posted on 6/30/09.  Hard to believe I've been doing this blog that long!  I hope you enjoy - some of you for a 2nd time..

I, like many males this time of year, love to grill out meals for my family. I enjoy the time spent in the back yard cooking up these manly meat concoctions for the families enjoyment. The reason I bring that up isn't to brag about the fact that I bought a new grill the other day (notice I did mention it though!) but for the fact that I learned two things the other day when I used it the first few times.

#1 - If you are unsure of how something is going to work, don't walk away from it! Yep - the first time we used it I was getting phone calls about softball, etc. and I ended up leaving the brats for a little too long. Par for the course, 5 of the 10 were burnt to a crisp in the process. I had a good flame going and the brats were cooking up well. Yet, I walked away from it and what happened? I now had crispy brats! I should have stayed there and watched them cook, and made sure they were cooked evenly, etc.

This should be done with your spiritual life as well. I've seen a number of people get almost too turned on for God at times. (Ok, not really possible, but follow me here) These people jump right in with both feet and really seem to have the fire burning to a full blaze. They are eating up every book they can find and learning so much, so fast. (almost like a baby when they are learning to walk who takes one step, and think they can run.) What happens next, they fall flat on their face, at least spiritually. Make sure you "cook" your spiritual life on all sides. You're probably not going to be able to stop everything from your previous life right away and be happy. It has to be gradual, and watched....don't let it burn to a crisp!

#2 - You have to try again and again. It's true, I didn't let the burnt brats get the best of me. The next day not only did I grill again, but I grilled something different, trying a new technique. Much like changing your life, you may have to change a lot of things in your life. You may have to even adjust the process in order to get the changes to work. It may take many times before you get it right. My point here is that you have to keep trying as it's worth it in the end. Not only were the pork chops I made good, but the Dr. Pepper mixture that I basted on it made for some good eats. I'd gone back and tried it again, and it was well worth it.

Anyway, I'll let you know if I have any more adventures to learn from this weekend as we host the family for a cookout on Saturday.

All-Star Break

Yesterday officially started the Major League Baseball all-star break.  It’s a four-day window in the baseball season for all teams to catch their collective breaths.  Yes, there is an all-star game tonight and some festivities last night, but 90+% of the players that play in the league get some much needed rest.

I bring this up not to promote the sport, particular players, or even tonight’s game.  Instead, I like the idea of taking such a break.  I think all too often in our day-to-day lives we don’t take the time to really take a break from the mundane.  We just go from event to event without even pausing.  Our kids and their events take over our lives, and when we finally get any time we fill that time up as well instead of taking the time to relax. 

So, today it’s a simple lesson:  learn to take a break.  All of the major sports take a break in their seasons in order to relax, and all of us “regular people” should do the same thing.  It’s hard to stay sharp year round if you don’t give yourself a break here and there!

God bless.

Bump In The Road

A married couple who are friends of ours are adopting children from overseas.  They have been working on this process for quite some time now, and just the other week they were told to come and pick the kids up.  They were overjoyed that it was time to finally get them, so they made arrangements and eventually left.  They were reunited with the kids recently and everything was going well.  However, they have hit a speed bump.  Not all of the paperwork has been processed in a timely manner and so arrangements are having to be shuffled.  The family is weary, things are costing more than they were supposed to, and the bumps in the road seem to keep coming every day.   

This couple knows for certain that this is something God has wanted them to do.  He spoke to them separately and led both of their hearts to know for certain that this is His will for their family.  They already have two kids of their own, and yet God called them to adopt two more kids, and from overseas!  Yet, through all the happiness they have hit a bump in the road that seems to have derailed the progress indefinitely.

So, the non-believer has to be asking the following:  If this is truly something God wants them to do, why then isn’t it going smoothly?  This couple knew that God called them to add to their family with these two kids.  They have jumped over quite a number of hurdles before they even left to pick up the kids, and yet they are still having to encounter more hurdles? 

The answer to me is simple.  God never said following Him was going to be easy.  Yet nothing worth doing ever really is easy.  When this couple gets over all the bumps in this road and get the kids back to their new home they are going to be so grateful.  They will appreciate and cherish the kids even more due to all they have had to go through to be together.  Someday they will tell the kids these stories and the kids themselves will see just how much their parents love them, and how much their Heavenly Father loves them as well.  And those on the sidelines who have watched the entire process unfold will get to see the light of God in this family.

You see, this is what God does.  Often we as followers have to struggle to follow Him.  Yet, those struggles make us stronger.  They make our love for Him stronger, and it allows our light to shine even brighter to the onlookers.  It’s often the bumps in the road that truly show God working in our lives, not only to us but to the entire world.  This family will be united and back in the States in the near future.  Yes, they are going to struggle, but overall God will work this all out.  And the stories that will be told for years to come will proclaim again and again God’s great working in their lives.

Decaf

Honestly I have no idea how anyone can drink decaf coffee…at least in the morning.  I see the commercials and I always get a good laugh from them.  It’s early morning and one person is getting the other that much-needed cup of coffee.  Then the product shot comes up and it’s Folgers!  How does that help anyone in the morning?  No caffeine?  It’s decaf coffee instead of regular coffee.  To me it has to be like drinking it just because you like the taste, like the nonalcoholic beers, right?

I only bring this up today because we can deceive ourselves the same way in our spiritual walk.  We’ll act as if reading a devotional or blog like this is enough to get us going like that Folgers coffee instead of getting the real thing, the Bible.  I’ve done this myself many times.  Yet, when I take the time to actually read the Bible along with the blogs and devotionals, then I get the full picture.  Only when you read directly from the source can you get the full look at everything God has in store for your life.

So, in other words, I’m not saying that your decaf coffee is bad for you, but if you are expecting it to wake you up in the AM you are fooling yourself.  The same for blogs and devotionals.  They are good in their own right, but when combined with reading the Bible you are expanding the possibility of getting all from God that He wants you to have.

Parenting Fail

As the involved parent that I try to be,  I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time around my kids and their friends.  Now I can honestly say that I don’t know all of them, and I’m not writing this to call anyone out directly.  However, one thing that I’ve noticed a lot in the last year or so is how many parents fail in one area:  monitoring their kids  kids' online lives.

I should note that we have failed in his area of parenting many times as well.  Technology just keeps changing so fast and you think that you’ve trained your kids appropriately, only to find that you didn’t.  It’s amazing how much influence the kid’s friends, media, and technology have on kids these days.

Today, though, I’d like to discuss what I’m finding with many local kids.  Frankly, the majority just have no filter in what they think, say, or write and have no filtering at home.  I can almost guarantee that at least 70% of their parents have no real idea what their kids are up to.  The things that kids post on their own Facebook pages is ridiculous.  I remember when we were kids that even if you cursed you’d never do it around your parents.  Now kids not only talk like that to their friends but post it on FB all the time and text it to one another.  Then you can add all the kids'  phones and iPods and iPhones and the abilities that these devices have.  Most people know that Skype and Facetime have been used by people of all ages for sexual experiences, but did you know people do the same with Snapchat? 

These are just a few of the avenues that kids have these days to do things we would have never thought of when we were children.  I read an article the other day that even FB games that have social aspects have been used for sexting for kids that have parents who monitor their kids!  What about all the kids not being monitored?

It’s a crazy world we live in today, and frankly extremely hard to be a parent today.  Monitoring our children is almost a full-time job.  It used to be that you didn’t have to worry about the kids when they were at your house.  Now you have to worry all the time about what they are doing and what they are getting into, and it’s not easy.  As parents we have to keep up with what's going on with our kids.  We have to lock down their phones and mobile devices and keep an eye on what they're doing.  And even at that it isn’t enough.  Their friends have these devices as well, and most probably aren’t monitored at all by their parents. 

So how do we as parents avoid the fail? 

-First and foremost ,we have to pray.  Pray that God will keep the kids safe and that He’ll guide our kids to become the people He wants them to be.  Pray that our children have a Godly heart and are willing to follow Him instead of the world.  Pray that the kids will be the positive influences that their friends need instead of the other way around.  And pray that they have other positive influences in their lives that will help us filter through all the garbage in the world.

-Secondly, we have to be vigilant with filtering the world’s influence in our children’s lives.  Set up web filters on the computer, check through their texts and social media pages.  Don’t ever allow your kids to have passwords that you don’t know.  Don’t allow them to add apps to their devices without asking you first.  Don’t allow them to take their devices to bed with them.  Make them leave them on the dinner table at bed time.  Oh, and we have to keep up with the newest and popular things that the kids are getting into. 

-It takes a village to raise a child.  That saying has never been more realized than in today’s world.  If you are married, then both of you need to be involved in keeping up with what the kids are doing.  And even that might not be enough.  Find others with kids around the same age that you can compare notes with.  Make it a regular discussion, as other parents might know about something you don’t, and vice-versa.

I’m not going to say that I have all the answers in this area…in fact, we’ve failed numerous times already.  That is why I wanted to bring this up in the blog as it’s just about as practical as you can get for any and all parents these days.  And with the kids having even more free time during the summer break….well, let’s just say that they have more opportunity to try things than during the school year.  Problems can happen for any and all of us as parents, and we all need to be aware of what is going on out there in the world.  God will help us in the endeavor, but if we’re not giving it up to Him and try instead to handle it only ourselves, then we’re just opening up our kids for the worst.

Quiet

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t do very well with quiet.  I constantly need to have noise going on around me in order to keep focus.  I know that sounds strange, but it’s the truth.  The more that I have going on around me, the better I’ve always been at focusing on the task at hand.  I almost always have music or a TV show going when I’m working at home, and music or talk radio on at work in order to keep myself going.  If I don’t have that going I can easily lose focus, or even fall asleep.

I don’t know exactly why I’m wired this way, but as far as I can trace it back is to my days playing sports.  You are told by your coaches to tune out everything else and focus on your job.  An athlete is told from an early age to focus on their teammates, the other team, and the coach.  They are to block out everything else.  I think that in order for me to do anything now I’m doing the same thing.

So, how does this issue relate to my Christian walk?  First off, I can’t just sit and read a devotional or the Bible.  I do better when I have music blaring from the speakers which I’m almost completely ignoring.  Instead I’m focused on the book that I’m reading.  I also find myself more focused on God than ever in my life when there is a lot going on in my life.  I tend to make sure there is time for Him, even if it may not seem like it to the rest of the world.

My point this week is that we all have different ways of gaining the focus we want to have on God.  If one method doesn’t work for you, then try something else.  Mine is to have things try to steal my attention, which then keeps me focused.  Maybe for you it’s being in complete silence.  Maybe it’s something in between.  It doesn’t matter how you get focused on God, what matters is that you do find a way.  So look for the method that works best for you.  God bless!

The Good Old Days

Quite often I hear people talking about the good old days.  There are songs and poems written about when life was easier and the times were simpler.

If you ever spend time around people who are old (like Larry Lepard)  you’ll hear them talk about the past very fondly.  They describe all of their accomplishments and how difficult it was to walk to school uphill both ways.  What you don’t often hear is all of the day-to-day struggles that they had in their lives.  You don’t hear about the muscle cramps, roads closed due to construction, and little annoyances that kept them from getting the job done easily.

Why is it that when we look back at the “good old days” we gloss over all the little things that made us struggle?  I think that this is because time gives us perspective.  Sure those little things are a major pain in the butt today, but when we look back at them five years from now we’ll barely even remember them.  Instead we’ll remember the big things that happened.  We’ll remember the first car we owned, not all the money we put into keeping the thing running.  We’ll remember the first person of the opposite sex we kissed, not all those that thought we had cooties. 

The question this week is how often you’ve looked back at the past and found all the ways that God worked in your life.  You’ll easily remember when He put your spouse into your life, when the kids or grandkids were born, etc.  But when you look closely at any specific day, do you see all the small things He's done each and every day?  The friend who called right when you needed someone?  The person who opened the door when your hands were full?  How about the neighbor who put your paper on the step to keep it from getting wet in the thunderstorm?

God shows up each and every day in our lives, and often it’s easy to overlook all the encounters we’ve had.  Now I don’t think God expects us to see every little thing that He does in our lives, and I really don’t think He expects us to remember them ten years from now.  My suggestion to you today is to enjoy the encounters when you do see Him in your life.  Remember that He is always there and always has been before.  

Flossing

I have never been a real lover of flossing.  The traditional rolls of floss were always a pain in the rear and didn’t do the job that well because they required me to put my fat fingers into my mouth and get between all the teeth.  I always felt like it took forever and I never did a great job.  So, I was never much of a remember-to-floss-daily kind of guy. 

That is until the advent of the new floss pick kind of devices.  They are so easy to use, the floss there is strong, and it doesn’t seem to take forever.  Now, I’d never say that flossing was exciting, but these make it easier to do and has made me a regular flosser, as Dr. Colahan says I should be.

I mention flossing because the other day when I was flossing God hit me with a thought.  Anybody can floss when they feel something between their teeth.  However, the regular flossing keeps a person’s teeth clear of the little bits of buildup that their tooth brush can leave behind. 

When I relate that to my spiritual life, the tooth brush is prayer.  I do that daily in order to clean away the garbage from my life.  However, if I want a better cleaning of the sin that can build up in my life, then I have to study God’s word, get into devotionals, and actually live for Him.  Anyone can pray, but a true follower of Christ will do the things every day that are needed to make sure the buildup never happens in the first place.

So, my question for you this week:  Have you flossed lately?

Memorial Day

I have to admit to you, I love Memorial Day weekend.  It’s not just for the day off work, though it does help!  When I was growing up this was always the start of summer in my mind.  In my hometown of  Port Clinton this is the weekend of the annual Walleye Festival.  That meant a parade, and just lots of stuff going on in town.

Now as I’ve grown up the Walleye Festival has become less important to me.  In fact, if I don’t go there at all I’m fine with it.  Yet, we always end up going back to spend time with my parents and enjoy the parade (aka enjoying the kids who enjoy the parade).  It brings back memories and is always an enjoyable family time.

I mention all of this because  in reliving my memories we’re hopefully also creating memories for our kids.  We’re trying to pass on the good times and have things that we do that are traditions.  These kinds of things will hopefully be things that our kids will remember when they have kids of their own.  It’s those lasting memories that we feel are important for a family and that bind all the generations together.

What kind of memories have you created for your family, or do you want to create when you have a family?  If you truly want a loving family atmosphere with kids that love God as much as you do, then you have to spend time together.  So, why not spend time creating memories/traditions that will have a lasting impression.  Grow close to your kids, and hopefully they’ll be able to pass that on to their families as well.

Lastly, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all of those who have spent time in the armed forces and local support services or had loved ones who have done so.  I thank you for protecting our freedoms.  God bless you all.

Different Is Good

A month ago, as we were traveling for a basketball tournament, I discovered a radio station in the Toledo area.   It’s a Christian station that plays  a lot of the Christian alternative music that I enjoy.    Red, Skillet, Toby Mac, Lecrae, Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson, Capital Kings, and Owl City are in regular rotation on this station.  They also play a number of different shows that are informative.  The best part for me is that I can stream it online. 

Now this station may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am really enjoying it right now.  I often listen to 97.7 out of Castalia, 95.5 The Fish from Cleveland, and the national Air1 streams.  But having more variety in my listening is making me happy.  Depending on my mood comma  I now have even more options for good, quality Christian music to listen to during my days. 

As I stress over and over again, it’s all about putting God first.  Part of that for me is putting God in my mind first and foremost, and I do that by listening to quality radio stations that remind me all day long of His love for me.  Maybe this station isn’t the one for you, but then again maybe it is.  Check it out if it may be:

http://www.yeshome.com

Lose The Weight

I’ve decided that losing weight is just too hard for me.  As I noted last week, our schedule is too rough and we end up eating at strange times, and often we don’t have time to make a good-for-us kind of meal.  But to me that isn’t even my biggest problem.  That would be the fact that I love all the things that just aren’t good for me.  I love chocolate.  I like pop.  I LOVE bread.  I am not a big fruit eater, though there are a few that I do like.  When I am hungry between meals, peeling a banana or orange is just too much work when you compare that to putting my hand in a bag of chips and getting some out. 

Yet, with all of that said I’m not happy with where I am.  I know a lot of that is just an excuse.  If I truly wanted to lose the weight I could, right?  It would be much easier if I talked to God about it and let Him lead my weight loss, right?  So the only way it’s going to change is if I make a step in the correct direction.

This is almost parallel to people and their relationship with God.  There are many people in the world who think that having a relationship with God could be a good thing for them, but they aren’t willing to give up the things in their lives that they like.  They like going out drinking and partying all the time.  Their favorite rock band or singer curses all the time and they couldn’t see giving that up.  Maybe they love porn or cursing themselves and couldn’t see giving that up.  It’s also easier just to stay where they are than to make the move into the unknown.

Just like with weight loss, it’s easier to give excuses and not make a change.  It’s easy to see the benefits but hard to make the change.  The incentive seems so far away, quite often to the point that it’s too far away.  Yet, just like weight loss, when you start to see little progresses in your life they become addictive in their own right.  When you lose five pounds you think that maybe the end goal might be attainable.  Same with your life changing when you get a relationship with God.  He will take your life and change it little by little until it’s so much better. 

Can you do it?  Yes, 100% yes.  Don’t give up, go towards the goal, and enjoy the small victories that are leading toward the bigger ones.  You are worth it, and a life with God is worth it as well.

It's Not Easy

When I first started to think about having kids I knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy thing.  I knew that diapers weren’t going to be my friend.  I knew that there was going to be the birds and the bees talks as well.  Yet one thing that I didn’t think about was all the time I was going to be investing.  I knew there would be helping with homework and sports (ok I was hoping there, and thankfully it has been realized!). 

My weeks are almost completely run by my children’s schedules.  With three kids and their various events it’s all that Traci and I can do to keep our heads from spinning off.  Almost every night we have at least one kid with a practice or game.  Then you add on their homework and other school events and that is a busy schedule.  Then, as a Christian family we also have church events that we add in there.  Oh, and Traci sells Pampered Chef, I move tables and chairs at our church, and we both try (she more than I) to get workouts in, have meals to make, laundry and housekeeping stuff to do, etc.

That is a pretty busy schedule, one that I never had dreamed of when I first thought about having kids.  People often ask me how we do it all, and I’m extremely honest with everyone.  If it wasn’t for us not only having God in our lives, but having Him first in our lives, none of this could be accomplished.  We might not always make it to church on Sundays but we live the Christian life every day.  To me that is the key.  God has to be #1 for us.  Then my family comes second, then everything else. 

God never promised any of us that life was going to be easy.  He never promised that raising kids was going to be easy.  (Especially in this day of social networks, the internet, cell phones, video games, and the list goes on.)  Yet, through it all I love this task that God has given me.  I can’t predict how my kids will end up as adults.  However, I know that God has His hands all over the three of them, and that with His guidance we’ll get them to where He wants them all to be.  It’s not going to be easy, but living our lives with God is worth it.

Tragedies = Heroes

I have been reflecting on the Boston marathon bombing over the last few days. I have been thinking about how horrific that had to be for anyone who was there. I have also thought about how messed up someone has to be in order to even plan out and execute something like that.

However, the thing that is really getting my attention is the fact that so many heroes come out of events like this. How people stop all that they are doing and are willing to do anything they can to help others.  Some do this by responding with their physical abilities right when they are needed. Others do this by donating time and/or money after the events.

Yet the biggest lesson that I get out of events like the Boston bombing, the recent hurricanes, and even 9/11 is how we as a people come together when we stop dividing ourselves. The people who responded didn't look at someone needing assistance and ask them if they were a Republican or Democrat before responding. They didn't ask people what religion they were. They certainty didn't go help someone else instead of the one person in front of them just because they were a different skin color.

God doesn't want us to be divided in this world. He wants us to be united as one people, His people. He wants to bring us all together to win over the hearts of non-believers for Him. It doesn't matter your political affiliation. It doesn't matter if you are poor or rich. You can be white, black, or green behind the ears. None of that matters.  When we stop dividing ourselves and instead work for a common goal we can truly be a force in this world.

As you reflect on the recent tragedies in the world I hope you see all of the heroes out there and how they all banded together to improve the world around them. When you see this unitedness I hope you get a glimpse of God in everyone working together. And I pray that this will help to energize you further to get out God's message as well as have tolerance toward those around you.

God bless America.

Bungee

Have any of you ever wanted to bungee jump?  I can honestly say that it’s not really something I’m ever going to be interested in.  I’ve seen it done a number of times on TV, and that is more than enough for me personally.

The other weekend I heard a reference to bungee jumping that got my attention, and I thought it might interest you as well:

Quite often as Christians we go about our lives as if we are at the edge of a bridge and about to jump.  But instead of the strong relationship with Christ that we could have that is like a bungee cord, we instead jump into every day with just a piece of string.  Not fully willing to trust in God, we instead act like what we have is strong enough, and when the string breaks we often wonder why.  God then lowers the bungee cord to save us, the cord that was always available if we had just trusted Him.

So this week’s lesson is this:  The stronger your relationship with Christ is, the easier the bounce back will be when we fall.  Let’s be honest, we are all going to fall at some point.  We are all sinners so let’s not act like we’re not.  We need huge amounts of God in our lives that make the bounce back from those sins smaller.  With only a little bit of God in our lives the string will break, and we will fall hard.  I don’t know about you, but I prefer a stronger cord than to fall on my face when I do fall.

Resilient

This weekend I was reminded of a lesson I’d learned years ago that is worth repeating.

You see, this weekend I was at a AAU basketball tournament with my family watching Noah’s 7^th grade team play their games.  On Saturday they went 1-1, playing well in the first game and they laying a complete egg in the second game.  In fact, it was probably the worst they’d played together as a team in two seasons.  On Sunday we had our first game against a team with a pretty good group of kids that were a little taller than us at some positions.  The previous game’s results had no effect on our kids as they came out firing on all cylinders and quickly took the lead that they never relinquished. 

The boys did have to fight in that game, as everything was going against them.  The one ref called everything on our kids, the other team had a ton of fans in the stands, and it was our boys against the world.  Yet they continued to battle, even as the game got close at the end.  They were resilient and withstood everything going against them to pull out the victory.

How often in our lives do we have everything going against us and we just give up?  It seems to me that today’s society sees giving up as an easy alternative to fighting through things.  Couples divorce when life gets rough all the time.  People often quit a job when it gets hard, and students drop out of school or drop classes all the time.  It doesn’t seem like anyone is willing to go the extra mile when the going gets tough, as they get going – in the opposite direction.

This week I want to remind you to be resilient.  Your relationship with Christ will be tested over and over again.  The enemy will continually search out a weakness, and once it’s found he will attack.  It could be your relationships or job.  Instead of just giving up, fight back.  Pray, read your Bible, seek counsel from a pastor or friend.  But, never give up.  Be resilient like this AAU basketball team was this weekend.  A life with Christ is 100% better than one without Him, and it’s worth the fight!

The Underdog

During the NCAA tournament this year I’ve been a fan of the underdog teams.  Sure they killed off a number of my predictions for the tournament, but overall the underdog teams are what make the tournament as much fun as it is to watch. 

Have you ever been considered an underdog in your life?  Maybe you played a sport and your team was an underdog.  Maybe you wouldn't consider yourself the best candidate for a job but somehow got it?  Maybe you beat a disease like cancer where the chances you were given by the doctor were less than on your side?

God loves the underdog.  Take the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel.  David was a small teenage boy when he took on the nine-foot giant Goliath.  Goliath wasn’t afraid of David or his slingshot, but he found a way to beat the giant and took full advantage.  David’s faith in God allowed him to look at Goliath in a way others had not.  To David, Goliath was just another person who had a weakness to be found.

My point today is that if we look at our problems and impossible situations from God's perspective, we realize that God will fight for us and with us. When we put things into proper perspective, we see more clearly and we can fight more effectively.  We can beat things like cancer, or a team that has been overlooked can take out a favored team. When you have faith in God, all things are possible.

Saying Isn't Believing

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

This is one of those sayings that is brought up every Easter in churches, on Facebook, and among family and friends.  It’s a great saying and is very powerful. 

Yet with most things repeated by people I often wonder if those saying the lines really know what the saying means in their lives.  I often feel that people just know the line but don’t feel the story behind it when they speak it. 

He is Risen!  - Jesus rose from the grave not because He had nothing better to do.  No, He did this for each and every one of us.  He knew that we’d all need a way to be with God and He provided the way.   This wasn’t something He had to do, but just like His dying on the cross it’s something Jesus was willing to do for you and me.

He is Risen Indeed! – Not only did Jesus ascend to Heaven for all of us, but He did so in such a way that no one could say that He wasn’t God’s son.  How else can you explain the fact that the tomb was empty without anyone moving the boulder at the entrance?  Only God could make such a thing happen.  This allows all of us to know that belief in Him is true and the only way to Heaven. 

My point today is that reciting such things is great, but truly believing in the words that we speak is the key.  I believe with 100% of my soul that Jesus is the way to Heaven, and I hope you do as well.

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

Nick Hall's Winter Jam Message

This past Friday marked the return of the Winter Jam tour to the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.  This is a yearly concert that travels starting in January and goes through March, doing concerts every Thursday through Sunday all over the country.  The cost is $10 per person, paid at the door, and all seats are first come, first served.  There are usually around 10 performers/groups slated at each location and the audience is given 5-5 ½ hours of entertainment during the evening. 

This has become a yearly outing for my family, this year including my six-year-old daughter as well.  It’s not very often that you can get that much value for the price.  Our family loves the music and really enjoys the variety of artists that are included, which often allows us to see acts that we’ve never seen before.

Every year one of the added elements is a special guest speaker who talks during some of the stage changeovers. This year Nick Hall was the speaker, and he made a huge point.  So, instead of repeating all that he said, I thought I’d suggest you go to this video and watch it yourself on YouTube.  I really think it’s worth watching, even if you have been to Winter Jam this year and heard the message.  This really does affect all of us, and it can be applied to all of our lives.

I hope you enjoy the message and learn from it just as I did at the concert (10 minutes – and the video is NOT from the Cleveland show, but it’s one of the best sound and video wise I could find on YouTube.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26UXt_Pu9Rs

Making Time

This last weekend was a trying one at the Mozina house.  Late Saturday morning we found a ton of water in our basement.  This is water that hadn’t been there only an hour earlier and we instantly thought that the water heater had died.  After cleaning up the water and moving all the wet “stuff” out of the way, all of a sudden we find a bunch more water coming our way.  And it kept coming over and over again.  We couldn’t really stay ahead of the water coming into the house.

After fighting a losing battle we decided to call the city and see if there was some kind of water issue on their end.  Within thirty minutes a worker came to the house and checked everything out.  He didn’t see any problems on the city’s end so we kept fighting, thinking that it might be an issue with a change in the water table around the house.  We’d been told by the company that waterproofed our house almost two years ago that this was possible.  Yet, over an hour later we still had water coming in.

It was then that things changed.  The water turned from just water to something else.  We felt there was a bit of a smell, but we didn’t know for sure where it was coming from.  It was then we decided to call a plumber.  Thankfully a friend of ours was available and he came, used his machine to snake the sewer line, and all our water problems went away.  There is still a good amount to clean up, but thankfully the lasting damage was avoided. 

I mentioned all of the weekend’s events because of a lesson I learned through all of this.  I’ve been wanting to clean up this area of the basement for a couple months now.  Yet, so many other things have taken my time and haven't allowed me to do the work.  Now all of a sudden I was forced to get the job done.  Yes, we had to miss oldest son’s basketball games, but fixing this problem had to be the priority.  He was still able to play thanks to our friends taking him. 

The lesson I learned is that if something is worth getting done, and God wants it to get done, then He’ll find a way to give you the time to do it.  In this instance it was just some cleaning in the basement in the long run.  Yet, I can say that if God wants me to spend more time reading my Bible, then He will find a way to make that happen.  If I need to spend more time with my family, then He will make that happen.  All too often I put off one thing in favor of another, and this weekend God reminded me that He will find the time if I don’t. 

So, my suggestion for everyone reading this today:  Make time for God, and if you don’t do it on your own He will give you a wake-up call as well. 

The picture is from my friend and editor Larry Lepard....why he had it in his collection I'll never know!

The Man and the Flood

A Christian man lived in a town not that far away.

One  day he heard a report on the radio warning everyone in the town to leave their houses right away due to the fact that a flood was coming.

The guy told himself that he wasn’t going to leave because he was a praying man and God wasn’t going to let him die. 

So, he stayed in the house, and the flood waters came.

A while later a officer in a rowboat was looking for people who hadn’t evacuated and found the Christian man.

The officer told the man to come into the boat so he could take the man to safety.

The Christian man said that he was a praying man and God wasn’t going to let him die, so he refused the officer's  help and the officer went in search of others.

Later a helicopter was flying overhead and saw the Christian man.

The person in the helicopter yelled down to the Christian man that he would help him evacuate the area.

The Christian man refused, saying that he was a praying man and that God wasn’t going to let him die.

So the people in the helicopter went on to search for others.

And the flood waters continued to rush in, and eventually the Christian man died.

So as the Christian man reached the pearly gates and demanded an audience with God.

When they met, the Christian man talked to God.  He told Him that he was a praying man and always did what he could for others. 

If he was this way, then why did God let him die.

God replied to the Christian man:  "What do you want from me?  I put out a radio report, I sent an officer in a row boat, and I sent a helicopter to help you.”

So what is the moral to this story?  Often we pray for things and God answers our prayers, and we don’t even realize what He has done because it wasn’t answered exactly the way we thought it would be answered.  The man obviously expected God to just spare him and his house from the incoming flood waters.  Instead of stopping the water God instead sent him a warning about the flood and two rescuers.  All of those were ignored by the man because that wasn’t what he wanted.

How often are we like the Christian man in the story?  I know that there have been many times in my life that I’ve expected God to answer a prayer one way, only to see it answered another.  I think it’s time that we start to pray and expect an answer from God, but know that the answer we will get might not be what we were expecting.  I hope you remember this story as you pray, and don’t be like the Christian man.  Accept His answers to that prayer, however they come.