MoMentum

Why Is There An R?

2012-02-07T12:45:00.002-05:00

Formany years of my life I had trouble with this month we’re in. You know,the month that starts with an F. I just couldn’t figure out how to spellit, as it just didn’t make sense to me since no matter who I heard say the nameof it, they never pronounced it how it’s spelled. If that is the case,why is it spelled with that stupid R in it? Who says Feb-R-uary? Iknow I don’t, yet it still has the R there and I just have to deal with it….andat some point in my life I finally gave in and started to spell it likeeveryone else.

Whydo I mention something stupid like the R in February? Am I that short onmaterial to write about, or is this some kind of joke? (I know, eithercould be the answer with me!) Frankly, I think it’s a simple comparisonto some of the lost people in the world. Many are out there and they justcan’t wrap their heads around the idea of Jesus and/or God. They hearabout the miracles that were performed and they just can’t find a logicalreason for why they happened. They try and try to rationalize if therereally is even a need for God in their lives (like I did if there is a need forthat R in February), and they think that if their way is good enough, there isno need to change.

Whatif we could go out there and provide them with the answer for why God is neededin their lives? What if you and I could show them that not only is Heneeded, but He should be the focal part in their lives? Like the Rin February that to me at one point in my life made no sense, God is the sameto many in the world. He’s there as a part of the whole, and they thinkthey can do without Him. Yet, in order for their lives to be whole theyneed Him more than they’ll ever know.

Whowill you help show them the reason for God in their lives?

Resolve

2012-01-31T13:52:00.000-05:00

So,it’s the 31^st of January….Just how many of those new year’sresolutions have you broken? Yes, I’m calling you out right here, rightnow. There is probably at least one of them that you started that you’vealready given up on. You did know that you aren’t in the minority,right? Every year they give us the stats for percentages of people who‘ve already given them up on certain days.

Ipersonally am not a resolution person. Instead of giving myself someunrealistic list of things that I’m going to do this year, I’ve instead givenmyself one goal a year to try to reach. Threeyears ago I wanted to become more physically fit. Two years ago Iwanted to be more spiritually fit. Last year I wanted to be more familyfocused. This year I decided to be more active.

Nowbeing more active can mean a lot of different things, and I think that isexactly why God has given me this goal. This is the year that He wants meto put it all together from the past.

PhysicallyI have gone downhill since I worked hard a few years back at getting back inshape. This year I’ve felt that it’s time for me not to be lazy when Ihave free time, but instead it’s time to get active again. I’ve started doing a few things that arealready helping with that. I hope to ramp it up even more in the future.

SpirituallyI’m feeling led to get more involved in His Word. It’s not good enough tojust show up to church and listen to a sermon. It’s not good enough tojust read the Bible, but instead I need to study it. I also need to dostudies with my wife and make sure we’re both on the same page. Oh, andnot to just pray for the basics, but instead pray that God moves in my life andthose I feel led to pray for.

Inthe area of family focus last year I worked hard on really engaging more andmore with my whole family. My kids are getting older all the time comma andI want to make sure that not only do they know me, but that I know them aswell. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but I want them to usetheir talents to the best of their abilities. I want them to focustheir lives on God, and to trust in Him to help them in their lives as He hasmine. I also am continuing to make sure that Traci and I are invested ineach other and don’t drift off from one another. We pray together andwork on our finances together to stay closer to each other, and hence closer toGod.

Iguess that my point in telling you all of this is to give each of you adifferent perspective on resolutions. They are so easily broken becausethey are so easily made. It’s time to focus all of our lives on God andwhat changes He wants to make in our lives. I’ve felt for years now thatHe puts the “resolutions” in my life for each day, week, month, andyear. If we follow Him and what He wants for our lives, then how could we ever failto meet a resolution again?

Nail Clipping

2012-01-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

Haveyou ever clipped your nails? I’m guessing if you are old enough to readthis you’ve done it once or twice in your life. (Or should I say, I hopeyou have!) Why do you clip your nails? I think it’s obvious. Youclip them in order to get rid of something you don’t need or that gets in yourway. They get to a point that you just can’t handle them the way they areand so you have to do something about them.

Thefunny thing about your nails is that they all seem to grow at different speeds,right? One won’t need clipped when you clip the others, and then a weeklater it’ll need clipped when the others do not. It’s an endless cycle ofclipping and possibly even filing them down. Yet, you continue to do themaintenance on your nails because it’s needed.

Sinis a lot like your nails. Different sins can creep up in different areasof your life and you need to keep doing the maintenance in order to not to allow themto interrupt your life. The problem is that we don’t often see sinthis way. We let one sin creep in, and instead of taking care of itwhen it becomes a problem, we let it linger. As it lingers there, thesin keeps growing, taking up more and more space. If you allow it to stayin your life long enough it may even become a permanent fixture and can lead toother sin finding a way in.

Whatif we started looking at the sin in our lives like a finger nail. As soonas you notice it, you should take care of it and keep it in control. Don’t let it grow like crazy and make things difficult in your life. It’stime to deal with these intrusions as soon as you see them and clip them in thebud.

Lesson from Sports

2012-01-17T12:07:00.001-05:00

Asyou’ve read on here from time to time, I like to play sports. I enjoy thecompetition, the fellowship with the other people playing, and the exercise Iget from playing. Well, one thing that I’ve relearned lately comes frommy exploits in softball.

Dueto the constant rain all summer and fall, the softball seasons this year were acomplete mess. Makeups of makeups of makeups were scheduled. We’d get to play every 2-3 weeks in both seasons. There really was no wayof getting any consistent at bats all season, and so you couldn’t get a rhythmin fielding or batting.

Ireally started to feel that lack of rhythm in the fall. My batting wasn’ttoo bad (actually better than the summer), but my fielding was very hit andmiss. So we finally get the last two games of the season in on a Mondaynight. It’s pretty cold (I’ve never played softball in November before)and it was hard to keep my hands warm. I have two balls hit to me atsecond base from back to back batters from the opposing team. One hits myglove hard and my hand went numb instantly. So, I missed that out. Then the next one gets hit to me and because I still had numbness in my hand Icouldn’t field that cleanly either and they get another runner on base. So, what does the next batter do, he tries to hit it to me as well, as hefigures that they’ve found a weak spot. Well, all of a sudden I find myinner Roberto Alomar and make a very difficult play that ends the inning. Then the next two times the ball comes my way I easily make outs that I’d beenmissing before.

So,the next game comes, and a ball is hit to my right and I dive to get it, but I don’tcome up with it cleanly. I quickly get it and throw the ball to the shortstopcovering second base to try and force out the runner coming from first base. Of course, I didn’t make the play in time and he’s safe, and they end upgetting a few runs out of it. Then an inning later a ball is hit to mejust out of my reach. But, at the end of the game I make the final out ona ball that if I don’t get it not only gives up the hit, but would cost us thegame. Instead we preserve the one-run lead, and finish the season at 9-3.

Whatdid I learn from this? Well, first off I’m not perfect. It’s veryhumbling to have a ball come to you that you know you should make the play on,only to goof it up. God seems to really enjoy reminding me of thislesson. Secondly, I learned that although I may not be perfect and havemessed up before, there is always a chance at redemption. I messed upnumerous times in those games or just didn’t make the play that wasneeded. Yet, in the long run everything worked out for the best,according to His plan.

Theselessons are the same in the rest of my life. I’m not perfect andeverything isn’t always going to work out perfectly. Instead, at times therewill be rocks in the road, but eventually we’ll hit some smooth sailing again.

Protection From The Big, Bad Wolf

2012-01-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

Everyoneremembers the story about the three little pigs, right? They each build ahouse with a different type of material and in the end only one isprotected from the big bad wolf.

Haveyou ever applied this thinking to your spiritual life? You can buildyourself a spiritual life that is pretty shoddy and the big bad wolf known asthe devil will easily be able to take it down. If you build one that isonly partially stable, then it may take a little longer, but the big bad wolfwill still find a way in.

Whatif you were to build that spiritual life out of the best materials youcan? Do you think that it could withstand the hardest and longest huffsand puffs from the wolf? Do you think that any weak spots could easily bebuilt back up and only make it stronger and stronger?

Thenext time you are under attack spiritually from the big bad wolf, I want you tothink about the structure that your spiritual life is made from. If itlooks like it may be weak, it just may be time to rebuild that structure, onlythis time stronger than ever. Having aprayer partner, joining a small group, reading His word, and individual prayer areall examples of ways to rebuild that structure and gain the protection youseek. Yes it’s not always easy to fitthat into a schedule, but it is better than letting the big bad wolf knock yourhouse down, isn’t it?

Unread

2012-01-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

Recently I was going through the stats fromthis blog that I started back in 2009. I like to review the posts to makesure that I haven’t written about the same topic too often. When I was looking through those stats Ifound something that was rather humbling. There have been multiple poststhat I’ve written that haven’t been read…by anyone. Does that mean thatthe topic on which they were written wasn’t worthy of people’s attention? Does it mean that I should have given up a long time ago?

As I began to reflect on this fact I cameupon a realization: That it’s very possible that those posts will neverbe read by anyone…ever. When I came to grips with that fact I made adecision: that I’m ok with that fact. You see I write this blogevery week for a couple reasons. I hope to help others that want/need astronger relationship with Jesus. I also hope to use these writings tohelp me to develop my own relationship with Jesus. Lastly, I write theblog because I enjoy writing and I enjoy this outlet – even when it isburdensome as it’s just another thing I have to get done in a week.

So, I will continue to write this blog forthe near future. I’ll write it if it is read by others or not. I’vefelt since I began this blog that God had a purpose for me doing this blog, andwho am I to question what He has in store for me? So, in this newyear I’ll continue to write on a variety of things that God brings to myattention in my walk with Him. Whether you read it or not (and I hope youdo) isn’t going to be my concern. Instead I’ll continue to wrestle withwhat He has put before me, and if you want to come along for the ride you aremore than welcome.

Happy New Year!

Time To Relax

2011-12-27T14:41:00.002-05:00

Thatis right, this week I’m going to relax. In fact, I’m so determined to doso that I’ve taken the week off from work to spend more time withthe family. Now, that isn’t to say that I’m not going to be doing anywork during this week around the house. But, what I’m trying to say isthat I’m not going to be at work, and my focus isn’t going to be doing stuff –but instead it's going to be hanging out with the kids and doing thingswith them.

Whyam I doing this? Because frankly, we all need a break. We allneed time to let ourselves take a break from day-to-day grind and recharge ourbatteries. Last year I took the week off between Christmas and New Yearsas well and I found it really helped me start the new year out right. So,why not do it again.

Sotoday’s lesson is that we all need to go ahead and take a break from time totime. If we truly want to be on the top of our game, then a break from time totime is required. And so, if you aren’t taking a break this week, Isuggest maybe you think about doing so soon. Recharge those batteries,you’ll be stronger in the long run.

It’s Almost Time For A Party

2011-12-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

That is right, we’re less than a week awayfrom the holiday that celebrates Jesus’ birth! How exciting is this day?!

That’s right, it’s not about the presents weget, the lights we put up, Santa, Rudolph, or even spending time with ourfamilies. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all of those things. But,the most important thing – the thing we should be focused on…is the birth ofour Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He was sent to the earth to not only to show youhow to have a relationship with God the Father, but to die to make sure weshould get to Heaven! How selfless is that?

So, this week I just want to make surewe retain our focus this holiday season. It’s almost Christmastime. Let’s celebrate the Baby Boy who came here to save us all!

Merry Christmas!

Lights!

2011-12-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

Years ago when my kids were first old enoughto do it, our family started playing a game we call lights. What itrequires is family members to be in the car, and for Christmas lights to be onat people’s houses as we pass by. The first person to spot the lights anddeclare that they’ve seen them gets a point. Now, frankly we don’t keepscore, instead it’s just something fun to do. It’s something we do as afamily, and other than the gas – it costs us nothing. The thing is, wedon’t go out just to play, we play everywhere and anywhere we go when thelights are up this time of year.

Why do I mention this? It’s because oneof my focuses in this blog is helping people with their family lives. This is something you can do as a family that is cheap and just adds tosomething you’d already be doing. The goal should be to keep growingtogether as a family.

Oh, and I forgot to mention thisearlier….once you do this a few times, you don’t need to remember to doit. The kids will remember. In fact, not only will they rememberthe next car ride, but they’ll also remember the next year when the lights comeon again. Kids love this kind of thing, and the fact that you do ittogether will build a lasting memory that they’ll enjoy for the rest of theirlives. It may even create a family tradition, as it has in myfamily.

So what are you waiting for? It’s timeto play LIGHTS!

Giving Like No One Else

2011-12-06T12:04:00.001-05:00

I’m pretty sure that every time I writeabout money on here I mention the name Dave Ramsey. He’s a financialcounselor whom I listen to almost daily on his nationally syndicated radioprogram and whose teachings I subscribe to in my financial life. Thetitle of today’s Momentum comes from a promotion that Dave is running on hisweb site: www.daveramsey.com.

Dave and his team are giving away all kindsof different items to people who enter each and every day of thepromotion. This promotion is something that I enter every day, eventhough I’ve never won anything from all of my entries.

I mention this promotion for tworeasons. #1 is that I want to share the opportunity with all of you, evenif it hurts my chances. The more of you that enter, the harder it isfor me to win, right? Still, I try to be selfless, lol. #2 is thatI want to be giving like this someday. Now I don’t think that I’ll everhave my own program and be giving out all of this stuff, but it’s the idea thatI really like. I would love to someday have the ability to bless otherswith things that they want or need. I long for the day when I can givethe waitress/waiter a $100 bill as a tip just because they provided goodservice at the restaurant. Or to see someone who has a need and make apayment for them, etc.

My question today is, shouldn't these bethe goals of all of us? Shouldn’t we all want to get out of debt and thenbe able to bless others who are less fortunate than we? Wouldn’t it becool if all we asked in return from those whom we bless is that theysomeday pay it forward (great movie btw) and bless someone else when they arein the position to do so as well? What kind of world would we live in if God'speople were all blessing each other, and all working our way out of the bondageknown as debt?

As this holiday season kicks into full gearI’d like to encourage all of you to give if you can this holiday season. There are numerous people who need coats, food, and shelter in your area. Find ways to donate items, food, or money to organizations like a food bank orSalvation Army that help those who are less fortunate. It’s timethat we all grasp the holiday spirit with both hands and open our hearts tothose in need, just like Dave is doing – to bless one another.

Yep, I was there!

2011-11-29T11:48:00.001-05:00

On Thursday and Friday I was one ofthe crazy people who were out shopping the Black Friday deals. I’dresearched the deals for at least a month and had a full game plan in hand whenwe went to do our shopping. I didn’t feel that we had to wait in line forhours before a store opened for anything we wanted to get. We just wentfor some good deals and fun with one another.

Forthe most part our experience was very positive. Other than the guy Noahis calling Godzilla who knocked him over at Wal-Mart by diving at the videogame display, everyone else was really nice. The workers weren’t all thatstressed overall and were friendly. Welasted over 7 hours out shopping before we called it a day. That is 7hours without sleep in fact – when we normally would have been sleeping. Yes, crazy – I know!

Ibring all of this up because I wanted to point out that there is a good way anda bad way to do things like Black Friday shopping. We went preparedknowing what was on sale and even used store maps when available to know wherethe deals would be before we stepped into the stores. We’d also scoutedout some of the stuff the weekend prior so we knew sizes to buy, etc. Wewere prepared, we knew what we wanted, and we went out and got it. Sure,there were some changes to the plan due to circumstances, but being preparedthe way we were allowed us to adjust on the fly without any major issues indoing so

Howoften do you have a game plan when it comes to your spiritual life? Doyou have a plan on what you’d like to study in His word? Do you plan outthat you’ll pray every morning while at breakfast or at the coffee shop? Do you make Jesus a priority and make sure you get the time with Him that youreally desire? Sure things will happen to get in the way or change yourplans, but when you have a plan of attack you’ll get what you want in this areaas well.

Ifyou truly desire a life with God that has Him at the center and not you, thenyou have to be prepared. You have to have a game plan and executeit. If you are prepared for studying the Bible, prayer, fellowship withothers, etc. etc., then you’ll be able to easily handle bumps that come in yourspiritual path and still get the most out of your spiritual walk with Jesus.

Are You Chicken, or Just a Big Turkey?

2011-11-22T11:53:00.001-05:00

Sowhy is it that we often have problems witnessing to those in our own extendedfamilies? Why is it that we have a loved one who needs Jesus in their life, and instead of talking tothem about that we talk about everything else when we see them? Why canwe go up to a neighbor or a complete stranger and discuss God but not a familymember?

Ithink a lot of it has to do with the fact that we’ll be seeing those familymembers time and time again and we are afraid of rejection. Yes, we’rejust big turkeys! Instead of insuring those that we love are with us inHeaven, we talk about the weather and our kids. We havea problem fulfilling our calling from God because we don’t want them to rejectour ways, or look down on us the next time we see them.

Hereis the biggest question this week: What if God wants you to be the closeron this job. Maybe He has you set up to be the one who seals thedeal. Then again, maybe you are the spark that lights the fire in theirheart for God! How can you not talk to that family member when you seethem over the upcoming holidays? It’s much better to eat a turkey thisThanksgiving than be one yourself!

Havea blessed time with your families this Thanksgiving, everyone!

Gift Giving Time

2011-11-15T12:21:00.001-05:00

Well,it’s that time of year again. The Christmas music has already begun insome stores, and they are lining up to take our money for the many gifts we’reall going to be buying this year. Now I’m a shopper, so I enjoy this timeof year. I enjoy searching for deals and getting my family gifts thatthey’ll enjoy at lower prices so that I can buy them more gifts. I likemeeting people while I’m shopping…the general good mood that most people are in(there are exceptions).

Withall of that said, I would like to point out one thing. As much as I loveto give gifts to my family, the best gift I can give them is my showing themhow to have God as a part of their lives and discipling them through thatrelationship. I know that often I write about reaching others for Christ,and most of the time that focuses on those in the community, at work,etc. Well, your most attentive audience is probably in your own home, andoften we do a horrible job at discipling them because we think they are justgoing to do what we do.

Thisweek, I just want to remind everyone to be intentional as you go through thisholiday season. Make sure that your family knows not just that you are aChristian, but also WHY you are a Christian and how you live that life everyday. Don’t just assume that they know. It takes practice for all ofus to grow as Christians, but it also takes instruction for us to show othersthe right way to live their lives.

Thisis one gift you can give this Christmas that will keep ongiving.

I Have A Cold

2011-11-08T14:58:00.002-05:00

For the last few days I've had a cold. It hasn't stopped me from doing anything, but it just has lingered and has me really run down. I've got the classic sore throat, congestion, cough, etc.

Obviously, the way to get rid of a cold is to take some medicine to assist your immune system with fighting off the symptoms. That is exactly what I'm doing, and I know that eventually this cold will go away. I also realize that I'll probably get another cold at some point this winter as well.

I mention the cold that I have because it reminded me of something from my spiritual life. There are times when I get run down when it comes to doing the things I should be doing for God. I just don't feel like reading the Bible, praying, witnesing, etc. I know the symptoms and I know how to fix the problem. Yet, just like when I get a cold, sometimes it takes me a few days before I wake up to the problem and start to apply the solution.

Do you ever get that way in your spiritual life? Do you go through times when you aren't your normal self and realize that fact, and still take some time to fix it?

Today I'd just like to leave you with this: when you know the problem, the quicker you apply the solution the quicker the problem will go away. It's just like this cold I have. I didn't start taking medicine the first day I noticed the cold, but instead waited a few days. Now, it's been awhile and I still have the cold. Would I have started the meds earlier then maybe I'd be done with this all, but instead am still fighting off the cold. Be smarter than me with this cold....apply the solutions and get yourself back to full strength right away!

A Halloween Review

2011-11-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

7 Billion Dollars

Thatis how much money is estimated to be spent by Americans for Halloween THISyear.

Thatis how much money was spent THIS year with huge unemployment numbers in thiscountry.

Thatis how much money was spent THIS year with tons of people in personalbankruptcy, in foreclosure, etc.

NowI’m never going to be the person to tell you how to spend your money. I don’tknow your personal budget after all. Yet I find it hard to believe thatthe cities, schools, and churches are cutting budgets all over the place inthis economy, and yet everyone will have candy, decorations, etc. thisyear. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Ifwe’re really going to live the way God wants us to live our lives, we need tobe smart with our money. We need to prioritize with our money better thanthis! We’re putting ourselves before God, and then we wonder why we’renot blessed.

Iknow that normally I try to put a pretty little bow on these blogs, butthis week I just can’t do it. We need to be smarter with our money, andthis Halloween is just another example of where the priorities of the majorityof Americans really are. We may be keeping America’s economy alivewith all the spending, but God’s economy is left behind. If we truly want tolive the life that God has for us, maybe we need to examine our finances andsee who we’re really serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-25T13:01:00.000-04:00

Lastweek my wife Traci made homemade chocolate chip cookies. I’m sureeveryone remembers the smell coming from the oven, and the great taste theyhave just out of the oven. If they are made correctly the chips melt evendays later when you eat one. They are just a wonderful thing tohave, even if they aren’t too wonderful for you.

As I was eating one of the chocolate chipcookies the other day I thought about how much I enjoyed that cookie. Theflavor was just perfect, they were not burnt at all, and the chips were meltingjust perfectly . Then I related this to my Christian walk. How attimes I just have it perfect. I’m fully experiencing the love of myHeavenly Father, and it melts in my mouth. I experience it like thecookie, almost like it’s a little hug from the person who made it.

The other thought about that cookie and itsrelationship to my Christian walk is that oftentimes I enjoy it so muchthat I don’t want to share. Yet, when I do share, I get to pass on thelove to others who will enjoy it as much as I do. Why wouldn’t I want toshare that cookie, or God’s love, with others? Why wouldn’t you?

Rate It!

2011-10-18T14:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever looked something up on the internet before you purchased it to see what others who own that same thing think about it? Have you ever noticed that the majority of the time there are more negative comments than there are positive? Why is that?
I’d say that there are more negative comments because oftentimes the unhappy people are the ones who make the biggest fuss. Instead of us celebrating something we really like and enjoy, we keep that happiness to ourselves, while those who are unhappy rant and rave and make everyone know they are unhappy.

The point I’m trying to make this week is that maybe we need to start showing joy a lot more than we do. If we’re truly happy with the Christian lives we’re living, why don’t we show that in everything we do? Why can’t others see it in us all the time?

It’s time to start drowning out the negative and expressing our happiness with God and our relationships with Him. If we do that, just maybe others will want to be a part of this life as well.

Determination

2011-10-11T14:08:00.000-04:00

Thispast weekend as I stood on top of my roof I had one thought going through myhead, I gotta get this work done so I can get off of here! That is right,at that point I was determined to get the work done. What got me there,let me explain.

Soat least two months ago I decided that I was tired of paying Time WarnerCable for TV channels. I was looking for ways to cut some costs and I foundalternatives to allow our family to still see some TV shows we enjoyed. The only thing we were really going to misswas sports. Then a little over a week ago, after weeks of research, Ipurchased a TV antenna for my house that would hopefully get us at least themain 4-5 local channels I wanted, which would allow us some footballgames, etc.

Soon Thursday I had a friend come over and we worked on putting the antenna inthe attic. We got everything hooked up just fine, but the results werebad. We didn’t get much of anything receptionwise, and after a few hoursof work we gave up for the night. I then went and continued researchingwhat to do, and finally resolved that I’d have to put the antenna outside onthe roof. I’d avoided that because I’m not a lover of heights, and Ididn’t know what I was doing. Well, after much research Saturday came alongand I had everything I needed to get the job done. A different friend wasthere to hand me whatever I needed, but I was going to be the one on the roofdoing the job. I had two choices, either not do it that day, or doit myself. Well, I was determined to get the work done as I didn’tthink we’d get another nice day like that when I had the time, so I took thesteps up the ladder and got up on the roof. Long story short, I now havean antenna up on my roof that is properly wired and securely attached and it’ssomething I accomplished even though I’m not all that handy overall.

Uponreflecting on this adventure I was able to get a perspective that I didn’texpect at the time but have come to appreciate since. When we’redetermined to do something, we can accomplish our goals even if we didn’t know howto accomplish that goal prior to doing the work. I was determined to geta clear signal for my house. I was determined to do it right the firsttime. I was also determined not to be rushed to the ER from falling offthe roof!

Howoften are we as Christians determined to accomplish a goal? How often arewe determined to reach someone for His kingdom? How often are wedetermined to do that one thing that we feel He’s asking us to do in order forothers to do their part for the kingdom of God? This weekend I wasdetermined, God gave me the great conditions to work in, and not only did Iaccomplish my goal, but we also receive a number of other channels I had nevereven hoped to receive. You see that my determination to complete the goalnot only allowed me to reach the finish line, but I received more than I couldhave imagined before. What if we actually completed all the goals thatGod gave us to achieve?! Do you think we’d all be even more blessed thanwe hope? Do you think the kingdom would be blessed? Are you willingto be determined for God and achieve His goals?

Joy

2011-10-04T15:08:00.000-04:00

I know that I’vebeen talking about my kids a lot lately on here, but what can I say? Ireally enjoy them and my daily dealings with them give me some ideas for theblog, so here I am writing about them again.

This weekend Ireally got to experience joy. I had all three kids in action at theirsports. I got to watch them all play well and do well for theirteams. Abby played soccer Saturday morning in the rain and mud, and althoughshe didn’t score any goals, she braved the elements and ran all over the field,only days after having a cold that she was still trying to get over. Sunday Andrew’s U9 B division soccer team finished up an undefeated season withhim as the starting goalie for the team. Andrew played very well allseason and really has improved throughout the year. After that game I wasable to watch Noah and his 6^th grade football team win their firstgame of the season. He couldn’t be stopped by the opposing team andreally led the charge for the defense and played very well on offense as well.

Why do I mentionthis? Is it just to brag on my children? (Which I’m very happy todo btw!) Because of that joy I was able to experience. As I waslooking back at the day that was, I started to reflect about what kind of joywe give God daily. Does my working hard at my job give Him that kind ofjoy? When I spend time with my kids does that give Him joy? Whatabout when I do well playing a sport, leading a Bible study, praying withothers, spending time with my wife, etc.? The answer – YES!

How great it must beto experience as much joy as God does, eh? I only got a glimmer of thatjoy this weekend, and He has billions of people He gets joy from! Yet,when I experienced the joy that I did, I had a hint of what it’s like to beHim.

What have you gottenjoy from lately?

Everything I know on parenting, I learned from Bill Cosby

2011-09-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

A coupleweeks ago we cancelled our cable at home. We decided that we could livewatching shows on Hulu, Netflix, etc. and cut a ton of our costs. One ofthe shows that our kids have been watching through each and every episode ofevery season is The Cosby Show. I remember when this show was first on and watching it with my parents. I’ve constantly referenced it since then when I’ve been raising the kids, andso they wanted to watch the episodes.

Well,almost every episode one of my kids will turn to me and say that I’ve eithersaid or done the same thing that they just watched on TV. It cracks me upas they are so right…I really did take a lot more away from that show than Iever thought. I often treat my kids the same way, and I can’t really saythat my doing that is bad at all. The funniest part is that the kids arenoticing me doing the same things.

This factdoes have me thinking about the other shows that people watch and how much theycould be emulating them as well. Would I be happy if my kids saw me doingthings from The Simpsons? Howabout Married with Children? It’s very true that the things that we put into our heads is the same stuffthat comes out. My parenting style has been shaped from my parents, alongwith stuff I’ve seen on TV from The CosbyShow, Home Improvement,etc. Yet, most of all it’s been shaped by God through my reading from theBible and doing many different parenting studies. I’ve spent time withother people going through the same things that I am going through and have gainedfrom their experiences to figure out how to handle situations.

Today thethought I want to leave you with is just to examine the things that haveinfluence on your life. Be it parenting, marriage, money, etc., theinformation that comes into your life are the same things that will show toothers. We all spend years gathering information and eventually most ofthat is going to come out one way or another. I’d like to encourage youto look for positive influences in people, from media, etc. Thosepositive influences just might be seen by others some day, and like my familyand The Cosby Show, I’m sure you’d rather it be positive than negative.

Goal!

2011-09-20T16:13:00.001-04:00

My son Andrew plays on a local travel soccer team. Over the course of two seasons he has become the team’s starting goalie and is thriving in that position. He is becoming very vocal in positioning his teammates and is really learning how to anticipate where a shot will come from, etc. He’s learned how to be aggressive and cut down a shooter's angle to the goal, etc. Yet, he still gives up a goal from time to time and gets frustrated. No matter how hard he works there is always a possibility that the other team will get a good shot off that he just can’t stop. There is also a possibility of a communication break down or lazy teammate who doesn’t do their part, which can result in a goal for the opponent as well.

As I’ve been teaching Andrew about playing goal, one thing we’ve really worked hard on is knowing that he isn’t going to be perfect in goal all the time. There will be times when a ball gets through even in near-perfect circumstances. The hardest part is making sure when this happens he doesn’t become frustrated. He has to accept this possibility and do what he can to keep that from happening, but know in the back of his head that it’s always possible.

This has me thinking about my own Christian walk. What a lesson to learn, eh? No matter how good our defenses are, there is always a possibility that the enemy will get through our defenses. We can stop attempt after attempt, but there is always the possibility that something will go wrong and something bad will happen, even in the best of circumstances. The key is not to get overly frustrated when it happens. We have to figure out how they “scored” and take steps to not allow it to happen again. Just like Andrew, we have to continually practice to make ourselves better. In order for our defenses to be at full strength we always have to be on alert. Sometimes the enemy will come with only one attempt. Other times they’ll take multiple shots. Some times, they’ll even “score”.

Do you work on your “game” every day? Have you learned from the various attempts to “score” on you and worked to get better at keeping those advances away? If you want to continue to thrive in your Christian walk you have to keep working to make your “team” stronger. The more defenders you have in the way, the easier it’s going to be to be great at defending your goal.

10 Years Later

2011-09-13T15:30:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday I had the honor of being Elder of the Day at church on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I really wrestled with that responsibility as it is a day of many memories for people and can be difficult for some people to remember. I spent some time reviewing various videos on 9/11 and looking up other sources of online information as well. Yet, after doing that and praying about what to do, I was still at a loss.

Then it hit me! Instead of really focusing on the past, instead it’s time to focus on now and the future. Although the events of 9/11 were tragic and will never be forgotten by many, the real thing that I saw come out of that day was the unity of Americans. For those days, and even the months that followed, people really seemed to look out for one another. We didn’t stress over all the little things that often divided us, but instead most houses had a flag up in one form or another. People often saluted the men and women of our armed forces and safety services as they went by. Most important to me, people were praying to God more than I’d seen in a long time.

In the ten years that have followed the number of flags we’ve seen has diminished. People don’t often publicly appreciate our police officers, firemen, etc. as much as they did back then. Heaven forbid if you prayed in public, unless you were at a church.

If we are truly going to learn lessons from 9/11/01 and the ten years that have followed is that we have to continue to be united. We need to put our trust in God instead of the Government. We need to truly support and appreciate those that keep us safe every day both here at home and across the globe. We need to support the people who are out trying to reach the hard-to-reach people in the world to show them how great a God we truly have.

What have you learned from 9/11 and the years that have followed?

First Encounters

2011-09-07T10:12:00.001-04:00

Sorry this is a day late - holiday weekend messed me up!

I remember the first time I went into Sherri’s Coffeehouse. I had been told about the place by a friend who told me I had to get a certain drink. So, eventually I made my way there and went to purchase the drink that I’d been told about. The problem was that the drink wasn’t on the menu. In fact, many of the drinks I’d heard about weren’t on the menu. I’d never been a “coffee house” kinda guy so I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t realize that the menu was only the tip of the iceberg and if you could dream it, they could make just about anything you want there. Instead I was searching for something that I couldn’t find, and I didn’t know what to do. I let other people go ahead of me in line stating that I was still trying to make up my mind. Eventually I got up to the register and asked about the drink I’d heard about and the person working acted like it wasn’t a big deal at all. All the anxiety I had about asking for a drink that I couldn’t find was relieved, and in only a minute I was going to be able to try it for myself. Since that first day I’ve been back many, many more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve sampled many different drinks there, both hot and cold. I’ve taken my wife and kids, friends, and other family members there. I’ve attended meetings, or just hung out.

I mention that first experience at Sherri’s today because I wouldn’t have a love for Sherri’s without first experiencing Sheri’s for myself. I think that same thing can be said for Christianity. You can hear all about it from other people. You can think about going for awhile, and then finally give it a shot. You search for that thing you are looking for and maybe, just maybe you’ll find it easily….or maybe you won’t find it on the menu and won’t know what to do. Yet, when you first encounter Christianity, you may just get what you were looking for all along and eventually find a home.

You see, when we talk to others about God, this is what we’re showing them. We’re giving them a glimmer of what it will be like, but they may not be to find what they are looking for on the menu. We have to remember as we lead others to Christ that they will be a bit anxious with their first encounter. They have a preconceived idea of what it’s going to be like and it may not be what they expected, like when I couldn’t find the drink on the menu. Some people will be able to adapt and search for what they want, as I did with the drink. Others will turn and leave because they aren’t fully prepared for the first encounter. They won’t be able to adapt and instead, they will retreat.

Our goal as Christians should always be to lead others to Christ. It’s His word of mouth marketing campaign. He wants us to give others a first encounter with Him, just as Sheri’s wanted me to come in and try out a drink. God knows that it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea (or in this case maybe coffee) right away. Yet, getting others to give it a shot is what we’re called to do. My prayer this week is that you are doing your part in that marketing campaign. That you are trying to get others to have a first encounter with Christ as well…and preparing them for what they’ll find when they get to His store.

Get The Message

2011-08-30T16:32:00.002-04:00

For some odd reason lately I’ve started to receive a lot of spam in my work e-mail account. I’ve gotten all kinds of things from messages from AARP, information on car stereo systems, free coupons for groceries online, to many other things. They come all day long, some days more than others, but they have become fairly regular.

My #1 question is how they got to me in the first place. Our e-mail server has a spam filter that is supposed to keep this stuff from coming to me. We also are supposed to be monitored by the service provider and the e-mail software. Yet, with all of that protection, many of the messages are still getting through. There has to be a reason, right?

Obviously, the reason has to be that a weakness has been found in my defenses, at least when it comes to e-mail. The spammers have found something and have exploited it. Now that they have a way in they use it over and over again, they will continue to do so until another way to close that gap is found.

The same thing can happen in our spiritual lives. As a believer you have to have some barriers up that will keep the enemy away. Yet, he’s always searching for ways to get through those defenses, and when he finds that weakness he’ll exploit it until he either takes the defense down completely or you close it up again. You can put a quick patch on the problem, but it’s best to put in a long term fix that is stronger than putting your finger in the hole in the wall.

So what weakness in your spiritual life is being exploited right now? Has your time to pray been lessened for one reason or another? Is there some web site that has drawn your attention away from things that really matter? Does a new gadget take up all your time when you should be spending it with God? Is there another weakness being exploited, or maybe more than one at a time?

It’s time to shore up those defenses again. Time to get back to basics and make sure that your defenses are strong. Now that you are aware of the ways that the spam is getting through, it’s time to block it all once again. There is no need to waste your time on that which doesn’t matter. Instead, shore up the defense and get back on track with God.

And So It Begins...

2011-08-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

Sunday at Norwalk Alliance Church we had the privilege of having an installation ceremony during the service. We officially installed Michael Bochman as our new pastor of family ministries, his wife Amy as worship leader, and Wayne & Christa Mushett as pastor (and wife) of the Sandusky initiative. It is an exciting time for the church as we really get to focus on what God is doing in our church and the communities in which we serve. Yet, with all the excitement and pageantry we have to remember that we’re just getting started here. We have only a glimmer of God’s plan, and so we have to enjoy this time but realize that this is only the tip of the iceberg. There will be times of joy and times of struggle along the way. Still, getting to start on this new part of the road that He has forged for us is a great feeling for everyone involved, and I pray that you will walk the road with us as we continue to push forward with the plan we feel God has for our church.

Speaking of roads, there is something else starting today in Norwalk. That is right, school has started back again! The day that many children dread, and parents that have been dealing with their kids all summer see as a national holiday! With this I wanted to note something that I feel is very important. Although we are sending our children to school to get their education, still our job is not done. Some of the most important learning kids will do is taught at home and at church. If you are limiting the teaching of your children to what they are learning at school then you are doing them a disservice. Remember that people in this country have been pushing God out of school, so these kids aren’t going to learn about Him there! The learning about God has to come from home and church. Children will learn not only from your teaching them directly, but they’ll also learn from watching you. Trust me, I know! I kept telling my kids not to crack their knuckles and that it was bad for them. So, of course they do….as I kept doing it in front of them. Same thing can happen when teaching about God. If you have them read the Bible, do devotions, etc., but you are swearing all the time, have adult magazines around the house, or are watching shows you shouldn’t be, etc., then your kids aren’t going to see God in your life. You have to set the example, be the example, and teach how to be an example.

Speaking of examples, the last thing I wanted to discuss today is Back to Church Sunday. September 18^th our church will be partnering with many other churches in Norwalk in an effort to reach those that haven't been going to any church in the area. We’re opening our arms and just asking people to come back to church and see if we’re the church for them. No, we don’t care which church you attend, just go ahead and try one out. Think of Norwalk as your church dressing room. Go ahead and try on a pair and if it doesn’t fit, see if you can find another that does fit. In order for any of us to say that God is important to us then I think that spending time with other believers should be very important. To me going through life without other believers is like practicing to play basketball without ever practicing on a hoop. Sure you can do some of the drills correctly, but there will be weaknesses in your game. Your spiritual life can be the same way, there will be weakness – and those are what the enemy looks to expose. It’s my prayer that we can reach people for Christ. You can help, just reach out to someone you know and invite them to your church, or any church for that matter. They might not attend, but your goal should be to make the effort to ask, and let God work to get them through the door. (Though it’s ok if you give them a ride if they need it! J)

As I said in the title, and so it begins. These are exciting times for everyone. We’re not just opening up doors to churches, we’re knocking down walls to the community and the world. Schools are starting, and although most kids won’t admit it, they are probably thrilled to see friends they have lost contact with over the summer. Churches are changing and evolving to do more of God’s work. So, what is new in your life? What exciting things are happening with you now? What new things have happened with you lately that you are excited about? So it begins….

Unedited

2011-08-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

So normally when I write my weekly Momentum I have a very good friend/fellow NAC elder and ex English teacher Larry Lepard read through and correct all my errors. I know that I’m not the best grammatically and spelling also gets messed up from time to time. Well, this week I decided to do something different, I’m going to be unedited. The sentence structure may be a bit off, and my punctuation is probably going to be horrible, but at the same time I don’t care, at least not this week.

I wanted to do this week unedited for one important reason. I wanted to show that we don’t have to be perfect to present the Gospel of Christ to the world. You don’t have to cross every I and dot every t. (Yes, I did that on purpose) There are times that I feel that we get so caught up in how perfect everything has to be that we miss out on an opportunity. We can also turn off someone because we’re trying to be too perfect and the person we’re trying to reach isn’t a perfect type of person.

So, to keep this short and limit my mistakes I’ll end with this thought: Although doing things as close to perfect is an admirable goal, don’t let that search for perfection become THE goal. The goal should always be going out and reaching the lost for Christ. We are called to do this and nothing should stand in our way of communicating His love for the world, to the world…not even how we communicate.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

2011-08-09T14:41:00.002-04:00

For the last few weeks I’ve been helping coach my son Andrew’s soccer team. I’ve taken a lot of interest in helping with the goalies, mostly because that is Andrew’s position. The other reason, above getting to spend time with him, is because I used to play sweeper/stopper in HS and college and had previously worked a lot with the goalies so I know the position pretty well.

One thing that we’ve really been working on with the goalies is knowing when it’s a good time to attack the ball coming at them, and when it’s a good time to sit and wait to see the play develop. There is a really fine line for them to walk between being aggressive and being overly aggressive. They have to develop their instincts and know their own abilities, know their teammates, etc.

This has me thinking about my responsibility as a Christian in disciplemaking. I think when talking with “the lost” there is also a fine line we have to walk. I want to go out there and reach all that I can, but sometimes it’s easy to be overly aggressive and therefore turn the target off of Christ altogether. Some people need a hard push, some just need a gentle nudge, and it’s my responsibility to figure out the situation and make the decision that is best for my “team”. I also have to attempt to know the efforts others are making to speak into the life of said target and make sure we’re not being overly aggressive as a whole as well. There is a lot to think of, but if it was easy anyone could do it, right?

So, my question for you this week is if you know when you should stay or when you should go? Do you know when to really push His word, and when to just give a gentle nudge? Just like Andrew and his goal-keeping abilities, there is a fine line that has to be walked. Yet, when the goal is just and your intentions are pure, then the actions put forth can be the difference between victory and defeat. Go team God!

Be Careful What You Ask/Pray For

2011-08-02T14:51:00.001-04:00

The other night I was on Youtube checking out a few live concert clips from some of my favorite bands. It got me to thinking about how much the people in those groups must have really wanted to play their instruments or sing in front of people. I thought about the journey they must have taken to get there, all the work they had put in, etc. Then I started to wonder how many of the people I was watching were bored. I mean, how much fun can it be to play the same songs, in the same order night after night at concert after concert? Do they still enjoy what they are doing? Is the dream that they achieved all that they thought it would be?

The reason I bring this up is because I think very often we as Christians pray for something, not totally prepared for the results. We do the Prayer of Jabez study and pray for God to enlarge our territories and then have no idea what to do when He give us what we asked to have. We then get overwhelmed, and instead of using that opportunity to further grow with Christ we instead shrink back to something that we never wanted to be. Instead of going out there and being bold for Christ some go back to what they were before they had a relationship with Him.

Today I want to encourage you to prepare for what you ask or pray to have. Just like the bands that I’ve discussed above, I’m sure that there is joy in getting what you are asking to have. God wants to keep you advancing in the Kingdom and for the Kingdom. You should pray expecting to get what you have asked for! If you are going to get it, God knows that you can handle it. Yet, too often our human minds get the best of us and tell us we can’t handle it! Know that He is ready to expand your territory. Know that He wants to answer your prayers. Now you need to be careful what you ask for, and be prepared to take what you’re given and run with it for Him! Those bands I was watching are leading worship for millions of believers all the time. Talk about running with what God has provided! Now it’s your turn. Go out and pray, expecting God to answer those prayers….Oftentimes He’s just waiting for you to ask!

Responsibility

2011-07-26T14:46:00.002-04:00

A strange thing has happened to me this summer. You see, my son Noah has been asked by a number of people to help with some yard work for times that they would be away from home. This really took me by surprise. In many ways I continue to see Noah as not old enough to really help other people. Yet not only is he physically big enough but he has really learned how to take the responsibility and run with it.

So he has accepted the jobs that others have “hired” him for and done the work. Not only has he accepted them, but it’s really brought out something I wasn’t expecting, a sense of ownership in the jobs. He remembered before Traci and I did that he had the work to be done. He asks me if the lawn needs mowed yet. He tells us that he has to go down and water the flowers. He wakes up early to make sure it gets done, is willing to work out in the heat, etc.

This situation has had me thinking this week about how God uses us to reach His people. At one point or another we’re all just sitting around. We’ve grown some but aren’t always the most active. Then He tasks us with a job and expects us to get it done. He knows that we’re mature enough to handle the job, even if people around us don’t see it in us yet. Then we run with the task. We go out into the world and reach others for His cause. We take ownership of the task and make sure it gets done.

As Noah’s dad I have really enjoyed watching him take on these jobs this summer. I’ve always enjoyed watching him grow and mature, but by others asking him to do the work it really brought out even more in him. I think God enjoys the same things when He watches us mature and take on the responsibilities that He gives us.

This week, when you are given responsibilities, are you going to accept them and step up to the plate? God wants to use you to reach others in the world and He knows what you can take on, even if you or others around you don’t know if you are ready yet. Will you take on the tasks like Noah has and take full ownership?

Solving Disputes - Who is In Control?

2011-07-19T13:47:00.003-04:00

Currently in Norwalk there is a bit of a battle brewing that I’d like to discuss some today. Although I don’t know all of the circumstances on how everything came about, I can tell you some of the facts of the debate:

Fact 1: The VFW owns a bunch of land.

Fact 2: That land has been used by Lefty Grove Baseball for years.

Fact 3: A piece of that land has been offered to Norwalk Jr. Truckers Football.

Fact 4: Norwalk Jr. Truckers Football is a quality organization that has been helping youth for years.

Fact 5: Lefty Grove baseball is a quality organization that has been helping youth for years.

Now those are the facts as I know them. I haven’t had many dealings with the VFW here in Norwalk personally so I don’t have expertise on how it is run, its leadership, etc. However, I like to assume that it’s a quality organization as well.

The problem is that there is a dispute going on that is going to cause damage to all three organizations. My personal problem is that I can see all three sides of the argument. I can see why the VFW should be able to repurpose their land as they see fit. I see why Lefty Grove wouldn’t want to lose the space. I also see why Norwalk Jr. Truckers would want the space.

Now I’m not going to spend my time here today discussing what I think should be done, as frankly that doesn’t matter at all. Sure I have an opinion, and I’m on the fence right now as I support all of the sides of the argument one way or another. Instead, today I’d like to focus on one thing: God has already decided how this will work out and for the glory of His kingdom this will all get worked out in the long run.

Saying that doesn’t easily make the sides of the argument agree. Saying that doesn’t make it easy for anyone either. Yet, it’s not the saying it that helps at all. It’s believing those words that allows us all to start to find an answer to situations like these. When we believe that we’re not in control and that He is in control instead allows us to keep a level head in these types of debates. That allows situations like this to not boil over and spill into other areas that have collateral damage. This knowledge will allow all three organizations to reach a compromise that not only helps all involved, but continues to advance His kingdom. It will allow the children of Norwalk to be served by these quality organizations today and for years to come.

It’s my sincere hope that those involved in this will work daily to glorify Christ in all the decisions they make. I know as a parent I’m extremely thankful for all that each of these organizations have done for our youth, and I look forward to years of their continued service to the community. It’s my sincere belief that this will be solved without anyone getting a black eye and that the Glory of God will be evident in the resolution.

Maybe It Doesn’t Matter After All

2011-07-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

So over the past few weeks I’ve gone over a variety of different topics and hopefully you’ve found them helpful in one way or another in your personal walk with Jesus. Yet I’m sure there are some who have read some, or even all, of the blog posts and still don’t think that any of this matters. There are some that will scoff at the notion that parenting, budgeting, or maybe even church doesn’t matter for one reason or another. They have had bad experiences in the past in one of these areas and so they don’t feel that it really matters for them. Then there are others who have read all of my postings and have absorbed the information, but their life hasn’t changed at all. Many of those same people believe in God, but they don’t have a personal relationship with Him at all. Instead they keep living their lives and don’t think He really matters because nothing has changed in their lives.

Today I’m here to tell everyone that all that I’ve previously written here does matter. The problem is that oftentimes people read blogs like this, daily devotionals, or even their Bible and don’t make changes in their lives. Instead they expect things to change for them, even if they don’t make the effort. Today is a wake up call to each and every one of you. It’s time to start taking action and being responsible for your life. It’s time to take control of your spiritual walk and make a change. Make a budget, start working on being a better parent, look at church differently, etc. If you just keep sitting there “like a bump on a log”, as my Grandma has said to me in the past, then nothing is going to change in your life.

Up to this point many people have just read this blog week after week and said it was a nice little diversion in their life. Some people read it and forget it a couple minutes later. Still others read this information and never think about anything written here again. To each and every person who reads this I say that it’s time to take action. It’s time to realize that your spiritual life does matter to you. It’s time to show the enemy that he doesn’t have a hold on you and that you dare him to attack you because you have God on your side and you’re not hiding that relationship any more.

Don’t let the words here go in one eye and out the other. Read the words, absorb their meaning, and take action. You’ll find your life stronger, and you’ll show the world that God does matter in your life, and He can matter in theirs as well.

Church Matters

2011-07-05T13:52:00.002-04:00

So, I’m sure what a lot of you are asking is that if faith matters…and I talked about that last week…why go on and talk about how church matters as well? Well, because there are lots of people who attend a church who don’t have genuine faith. They sit in their normal seat week after week and go through the motions of being there, yet they don’t have a clue of what God and having faith in Him are all about. So, they have to be separate, right? But does that make it sound like I’m saying you should make sure you are at your church every week? I know it does, but you’ll have to let me explain further in the next couple paragraphs. I think you’ll figure out the differences from there.

First off, you need to stop viewing church as something you HAVE to do every week. In fact, church is something you GET to do every week! You get to be with a group of other believers and spend time worshiping God. You get to sit near people who cover you in prayer. You get to pray in a large group of people. You get to hear God’s word together, and so much more.

Second, church isn’t about rituals. I’d encourage you to change where you sit every week instead of having a “regular seat”. There are more than enough people with regular seats at the church. What happens when you move? Well, you get to meet new people. You hear other people pray, worship, etc. So this can change your experience every week. Now, I should also mention in this section that I realize that church needs to have some structure. We have to do worship songs at a certain time in the service, or do communion when you do, etc. I’m not saying those things shouldn’t be done. In fact, I’m very much in favor of that structure. Yet, if that structure is rigid, then you don’t allow space for God to work, and that is a mistake because it’s supposed to be all about Him. Right?

Third, I think church matters because of all of the people you get to come in contact with while you are there. Just hearing other people pray can change your prayer life. Having people pray for you in the aisles can make a huge difference. Maybe when worshipping you get just a glimmer of God working in your life or those around you. But most of all I think the people matter because when you are there you have the support of others. You don’t have to fight the world as much when you are there at church with others who have the same mindset. You get strength from those gatherings, which can fuel another week of your striving to be a light for Him out in the world the following week.

So, does church matter? In short, yes it does. Does it have to be a small church or a mega church? No way. Church can be you and 3 other people in a living room, or in a building as big as Madison Square Garden in New York City. What I do know for certain is that being around other believers is always a good thing, and I’d encourage you to make church matter in your life as well.

Next Week: Maybe It Doesn’t Matter After All

Faith Matters

2011-06-28T21:29:00.001-04:00

What does it really mean for someone to have faith? I’ve heard many describe faith as believing in something that you can’t see, something you can’t touch, etc. Dictonary.com describes faith as confidence or faith in someone or something. Yet, how others think or describe faith really doesn’t matter. What does matter is how YOU would describe faith and how having that faith has affected your life.

How does faith matter in your everyday life? Do you really believe that God can do things for you? Do you really believe that He wants the best for you and will work with you to make your life the best that you will let Him? That’s right, that you’ll let Him. I say that because since He allowed free will… well to put it shortly, He has allowed us to get in the way. Yet through that He still has the ability and desire to make your life better, but do you have faith that this is the truth?

Faith for me took a while to develop. As a child I went to a Catholic church and I received a lot of knowledge about God. I memorized verses, I took steps to move forward in the church, etc. Yet, I didn’t have a full relationship with Jesus that allowed me to fully understand what faith is. I then slipped away from church and tried doing everything on my own. I eventually hit bottom and was working my way back up life-wise when I met my future wife wife Traci. She had a strong Baptist church background and we went to church together a few times while dating. Her faith showed and allowed me to get a glimpse of who God really is, which was something I desired. So I started back on the journey to learning more about God. We eventually found a church and were married there. It’s while at that church that I got a full understanding of what it is like to have real faith in something other than myself.

Yet, it wasn’t until this English pastor guy came to visit us after we visited Norwalk Alliance Church that my life was changed for good. I accepted Jesus into my life and started to experience real faith. Oh, and that faith was tested pretty quickly. I lost my job and Traci was a stay-at-home mom. We had mouths to feed, were trying to get out of debt, and it was through our combined faith in God that we were able to get through that time. We continually prayed in faith for God to work, and although it wasn’t an instant answer, He did answer eventually. Our faith in God gave us food when we had no money. That faith paid our bills when we couldn’t. And that faith allowed us to really see God work in our lives, and made us desire even more to walk with Him daily.

What has your faith done? Has your faith been tested? Did you have enough faith to stick with Him while He was sticking with you? What stories do you have where your faith in God has done incredible things in your life? How has your faith changed over the years? These are all stories I’d love to hear, and I hope you do share them with me.

Next Week: Church Matters

Money Matters

2011-06-21T14:17:00.002-04:00

Every once in awhile I allude in this space to some of the money problems we’ve had in the past and how we’ve dealt with them. I don’t know how often I’ve told the complete story, so I’d like to go over it a bit here, hoping that it helps you as well.

In college Traci and I both used credit cards to finance things that we wanted or needed. Once we were married we combined our debt and worked on getting rid of some of it while still using credit. Eventually we got to a point where we had the cards all paid off and were working on paying off student loans. Then a career change came along and we started using credit regularly again. We got into some debt but were able to pay it off once again, only to go through another career change. That career change came with us having 2 kids, a stay-at-home wife, and no job for me. The debt kept growing as we were using the cards just to keep our heads above water.

Luckily, a job for me came along right as we were about to really start to sink in the debt that we were treading in. We started to reposition ourselves financially and eventually found the water not as deep. We decided that we didn’t want to get into debt any more. Since that day we’ve been working towards getting out of debt, a process that isn’t easy at all.

We started out by writing out all of our debts from largest to smallest (leaving our the student loans that we still owe, but we concentrated on the consumer debt first). We’ve worked through all of our credit cards, paying off thousands of dollars on them. We’ve paid off both of our cars. We’ve worked on our medical debt and paid it off (minus the newer expenses when they’ve come up) and we’ve worked on our student loans and mortgage debt. Now some expenses have been added along the way due to changes in circumstances, but for the most part we’re out of the credit debt that plagued us most of our married lives. Sure we’re still working on this process and will continue to do so for some time to come.

Below I’d like to address the process for you so maybe you can follow it as well (This is from Dave Ramsey’s book The Total Money Makeover – only paraphrased with Ericisms included):

-List out your debts from smallest to largest. Work through the smallest debts first. If you have a $500 debt you pay on every month, put every extra penny you can towards that debt, while continuing to, pay the other debts down the list as you have been. All of a sudden that monthly debt will be gone, and you can put the payment you were making towards the $500 debt, plus the payment you’d been making on the next one down the list together, and you’ll see that next debt go away as well. Then when you get to the biggest one on the list you are putting the payments from all of those above it together and making huge payments on the big debt. It’s amazing how fast you can chip away at a boulder when you stop using the mini hammer and get our a sledge instead.

-Create an emergency fund. You need to start out and put at least $1000 aside in a separate account that you promise yourselves that you won’t touch without it being a huge emergency. Now that emergency isn’t running out of TP for the house; we’re talking about things like needing a new water heater, car repairs, etc. Then, when you can, you need to build that emergency fund to at least 3-4 months worth of expenses. You never know when you might lose a job, have a major medical problem, etc. It’s better to be prepared for such things.

-Pay With Cash (Or at least a debit/check card from your bank account). It’s time to get rid of the credit cards, people. Sure you just bought all that clothing for 20% off on sale at Aeropostale, but if you end up paying 15% interest on that purchase for the next year you don’t make out in the long run. Here is a rule to follow: If you don’t have the cash to buy it, then you don’t need it. It’s extremely hard, especially when all of your friends and neighbors are buying all kinds of new things all the time. Yet, if you really need it, you’ll find a way to have the cash to buy it, right? Oh, and this goes for Christmas and birthdays as well. We’ve been doing Christmas for years now totally in cash, no credit. It’s easy to do when you plan ahead. That brings up the next point:

-Budgeting. In order to really understand what you are spending money on, you need to start a budget and stick to it. In order to really know what you are spending, go ahead and spend a month or two writing down everything you spend money on (keep your receipts in a shoebox for a month or two if you have to!). Then throw it into a spreadsheet and see what kind of things you spent your money on. Then try to budget based on what you’d spent. Did you spend more than what you made last month? If you did, then you have to find places to cut. Sure it’s hard to do when gas prices change every day, but you can estimate it. The key is to make sure you don’t spend more than you make. Then you can start using cash for everything, as mentioned above. This will allow you to cut out the debt.

-Tithing. Tithing is more than giving to the church what change you have in your pocket. Tithing is giving to God what was His to begin with. If you truly trust Him, then not only will you give to God, but you’ll give to Him before you pay any other bill every month. You’ll make Him the priority and all that He is doing. When you do this not only will you be blessed for this decision, but you’ll be challenged as well. Before you started this, the enemy had control of your spending. He’s not going to like the fact that you changed the plan and gave to God. So, he’ll allow good old Murphy to come over and move into your home. You’ll have a flat tire, the washer will need a new motor, or the kids will break a window when throwing the ball in the back yard. (No experience with that one! J) Yet, if you trust God, then He'll not only fix those issues, but you’ll have money to make your budget as well. We’ve seen it time and time again in our lives, and trust me it works. God will take care of you. You just have to trust Him to do so in this area, as well as every other area of your life.

-Prayer. If you truly have given everything to God, then you have to allow Him to control your money as well, as I noted above. You have to pray about the financial decisions you are going to make. You have to pray that He controls them and that you will have the money there for whatever He wants to be doing in your life. Do you pray about your finances, thanking Him for the money you do have, and praying that He increases your territory here as well?

Those are just a few of the things that can help you with that really matters in terms of money and finances. There is so much more to discuss, but I’ve gone on enough here this week. I would encourage you to talk to me about this more, as this is probably one of my favorite areas to teach on, as you can now probably tell. I will be happy to go over budgets with you, walking alongside you on this journey if it’s something you want to start to do. Feel free to contact me any time.

Next Week: Faith Matters

Friends Matter

2011-06-14T12:19:00.001-04:00

So for the past month we’ve been delving into a variety of topics that I feel really matter in our Christian walks, and that often don’t get talked about enough on Sundays. Today I wanted to go over friendships.

You see, strong friendships really do matter in your life, oftentimes more than we realize. First off I think that your spouse should be your best friend. If you can’t share everything in your life with that person, then you really need to work on some of the other areas we’ve already discussed. That being said, I think that a few other strong friendships in your life are equally important.

As important as your spouse is, he or she can’t always relate to everything that you have going on in your life. I know that I’ll never know what it’s like to go through childbirth, menstrual cycles, husband problems, etc. (That last one alone would be enough to drive a person completely crazy!) So having someone you can talk to about those issues who has gone through the same kind of things really does matter. They can listen to what you have to say, and possibly even give advice or at least easily relate. Talking with others who go through the same things can make it easier to go through those problems, along with many others.

Another positive of friendships are having someone else to bounce ideas off of. Be they ideas on what to buy your kids or spouse for a birthday, to thoughts on a new ministry idea, those friends can give you another point of view that can really help to developing the ideas that you have. Sometimes they’ll even come up with problems that you never saw because they can fully look at things that you might not be able to, due to the rose colored glasses you are wearing.

Another advantage of positive friendships, at least for me, is that sometimes I need adult contact that isn’t my spouse. I love Traci dearly, but I need to hang out with other guys from time to time and do guy things. Traci will watch sports with me, but it’s different going with a group of guys to a game and hashing out the latest moves the team made. Or playing a sport together with other guys and being able to compete with and against them, etc. Those are outlets for me which I need ,and I'm sure many other guys, as well as women, need them.

My last point on friendship is that you need to have friends that keep you spiritually in check. You need to have an accountability partner who isn’t your spouse that will keep you spiritually strong. They will check in with you regularly and make sure you continue to progress in your spiritual walk. They will pray with you and for you regularly. Here is the kicker, you’ll do the same for them as well. This relationship will keep your friendship strong, but also keep the relationship you have with Jesus strong, allowing you to continually model that relationship in the world.

As you can see, friendships do matter. There are a lot of things that I wasn’t able to cover here because I don’t want you to fall asleep reading this. If you want to discuss this further please contact me any time.

Next Week: Money Matters

Family Matters

2011-06-08T00:15:00.001-04:00

So we’ve talked about marriage and how it matters. We’ve talked about parenting and how it matters. Now let’s discuss how those two things come together. To be a good, cohesive unit you have to find a way to meld your marriage to your spouse and to your parenting of your children. They aren’t separate at all in fact. Once you have kids and become parents, your marriage takes on a new form. You now have a family, and that family unit that you’ve created also needs to stay strong.

In order to have a strong family you have to spend time together. Now it’s not easy, as we’ve found out with our family. Our kids are always having practices for sports, games, or other activities they are involved with. We’re always running around, and quite often one half of the family is at one thing while the other half is at another. Because of that, we’ve found that these things matter:

Support Each Other – In order for the family to be strong, it really does matter for the family as a whole to invest time in one another. If one person has a game, for instance, the rest of the family should be there to root them on if they can be. They should do it because then when the shoe is on the other foot, it’ll be their turn to root you on. I know this doesn’t always work, but whenever it can for us it does.

Time Together – We attempt every week to spend some time together as a family. We try to play a game, watch a movie, or even go out and do something together. In the summer time we take walks or ride bikes, etc. During spring break we took mini trips to places the kids wanted to go. Those investments in the family as a whole build memories and keep the unit as a whole strong, and that really does matter.

Prayer – (Have you seen a pattern here yet?) Prayer for and with the family is important. It’s not just something you do at dinner. Pray for your family as a whole. Pray that they stay strong through the hard times, and enjoy the good times together.

Once again, there is a lot more that matters family-wise, but I’ll stop here. As always, if you’d like to discuss this more, contact me. If your family really does matter to you, then I hope I’ve helped at the least to reinforce ways to keep that family unit strong.

Next Week: Friends Matter

Parenting Matters

2011-05-31T15:43:00.000-04:00

Last week I spent time in this blog writing about marriage and how the little things matter. This week I’d like to take some time to look at parenting. So far in the eleven years that I’ve been a parent of at least one child (we have 3 – ages 11, 8, 4) I can definitely say that parenting is one of the most frustrating, and yet most rewarding things I will ever do in my life.

I remember the day that Noah was born like it was just yesterday. We went from a party of two at a restaurant to a party of three. It had just been the two of us and we had the freedom to do just about anything we wanted whenever we wanted to do it, at least within the law. We took walks every day after work, we hung out with our friends, we went to all the church events we desired, etc. Then all of a sudden this little guy came along and those things became more difficult. Then, when we finally got used to that then Andrew came along. So we took some time and got used to playing the man man-to-man defense, and then Abby came along and we had to go to zone defense!

So, what have I learned from parenting? Well, some of that answer you can find below:

A Child’s Love Is Contagious – The first time that I saw Noah I was hooked. At that moment I learned what it was like to love my very own child. I remember as each child has grown and developed their own ways for showing me that they love me. Yes, it changes throughout their lives, as I’ve found. Still, if they love you, they’ll still show it. I do know this for sure – the more love I give them, and the more they give back, the more I want to show it and have it shown to me. I mean, the other day I had to leave for work early and I had to leave before Abby was up. Because of that I missed my "have a good day, Dad " hug from her. Yes, it’s a little thing, but I missed it. I still hug my kids every day. I make it a point that I show them love every day, and in turn they do the same. The more I get, the more I want….it’s that contagious.

Discipline The Action, Not The Child – This one I learned very early. I’ve learned to make sure when I yell at the kids on the big things that it’s very important that they know that I still love them. I make sure that they know that I’m not happy about the action they took, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love them. Now, I’m a yeller when I get upset or frustrated with the kids. (I think it’s because they drive me crazy – which also helps you understand my mental state) I’ll always point out the little things that didn’t get done or how an action wasn’t thought out well. Yet, I’ve found that the kids learn better from the mistakes if they know that it’s not that I hate them or anything like that. Instead I don’t like the action that they took that got them into trouble. This has helped us all bond closely, and has worked very well thus far in our lives together.

Kids and Parents Aren’t Perfect – As hard as it is to admit, I make mistakes just like my kids do. I mean, it’s not like they give us a manual when we get the kids at the hospital, right? If we expect our kids to admit and pay for their mistakes, then we as parents should do the same thing. I’ve admitted to my kids many times when I’ve messed up. And in turn they have done the same thing to me as well. I think that if we show to our kids that we’re not perfect as well, it allows them to love us even with our imperfections, just as we love them with the same.

Prayer – As I mentioned last week, we pray every week for our family. We pray for their events, schooling, sports, etc. If you are a believer in Christ and a parents and don’t pray for you kids, why not? Do they not deserve to be prayed for? You have to pray that they become the best persons that they can be. Pray for them to know Jesus and have a relationship and that it grows daily. Pray for them to be safe. Pray for them to love you, as you love them. Oh, and another thing when it comes to prayer – you have to pray with your kids. I’ve been convicted on this one lately. I spend a lot of time praying with others, but not enough with my own kids – even though I have more access to them than anyone else. How can our kids develop a stronger prayer life if they don’t have a solid model to pattern their prayer lives after?

Now I’ve learned a lot more, and I could go on forever discussing it. Instead, if you have questions about anything, I’d love to help. Contact me any time. There are many other little things that really do matter, but today as I wrote this I felt these were important. What do you think? What matters to you as a parent?

Next Week: Family Matters

Marriage Matters

2011-05-24T18:02:00.002-04:00

So in less than a month (6/12 – yes, I remember) I’ll have been married to my wonderful wife Traci for 12 years! Can you believe that she’s been able to put up with me for that long? I’m sure many wonder how she’s been able to stand me for that long, not including the engagement time and dating, etc.

The keys to our marriage, in my mind, are a couple of things that we find very important. Let me list them below:

Communication – Like many parents these days we run our kids from one thing to another all week long. We also both have multiple jobs and other commitments as well. Then there is all the homework to help with or check. Then add in all the house work, yard work, and you’d think we never saw each other. A lot of the time that is almost the truth. Yet through it all our marriage stays strong. We work hard on being able to communicate with one another openly and honestly as much as possible. Each week we talk about the week coming up, we talk about finances, our kids, our events, etc. We also bounce ideas off of one another and make sure that everything that needs to be covered does get covered. Sure, it’s not easy for us – but how hard would it be if we didn’t talk about these things?

Date Nights – That is right, date nights. Now we’d love to have these every week (ok, every day) but for us that isn’t going to happen. Instead we attempt to get out at least once a month without our kids. We have to have some time that allows us to focus all of our energy on one another. Does this mean that we have to go to dinner and a movie every time? No. Does it mean we go on an overnight vacation every time? No. Sure, those things are needed as well, but we just can’t do that financially. Now, we do try to eat out on our date nights, as that is part of the fun for us. It’s usually thrown in amongst the grocery shopping, and what has become our norm on a date night – a trip to Menards! Sometimes our date nights are picking up some Subway and going home to watch a movie on Netflix. Yet, it’s when we get to spend time just the two of us, and that is extremely important in a marriage. You can easily get lost in the day to day, and you both become people who kinda know each other instead of people who really know each other. I’d encourage everyone to make sure that you get some kind of regular date night in.

Prayer – This has become increasingly important to us. In the past we’d tried to do a study together, and we’d like to get back into that some day. However, right now at the very least, we spend our Sunday evenings with one another for awhile. We communicate by looking over our finances, our schedule, then praying. We pray for our family, our finances, the events of the week, and for each other. This has become very important to both of us. When was the last time you prayed for your spouse on a regular basis in front of your spouse? When was the last time they did the same for you? How could your love for one another get stronger if you had some regular basis for doing this with one another?

As I said last week, the little things matter. Maybe you take these things for granted right now. I’d like to suggest that you don’t do that any more. In order for your marriage to be strong and withstand the barrage that the world will throw at you I’d suggest you do these things, and probably a few other things. If you’d like to discuss this more feel free to contact me any time. I love to talk about these kind of things, and I really love to help others get closer to God, and in this instance, their spouse!

Next Week: Parenting Matters

It All Really Does Matter

2011-05-17T22:25:00.001-04:00

As most of you know my day-to-day job is being an Office Manager for a medical practice. Among the million things I have to do there is watching the little things. I must keep an eye on payroll, keep an eye on supply usage, and various things like that. That attention to detail can make a big difference to our practice

You see, everything really does matter. Every minute of overtime a person is paid goes against the bottom line. Keeping a close eye on our supplies allows us to keep a good hold on overhead. Making sure the doctor’s schedules are full can help to best utilize the staff.

In our lives the little things matter as well. It’s easy to get stuck on the big things going on in our lives while letting the little things slip. The problem with that is that all the little things add up to a big thing down the way.

An example of that would be my helping to coach my son’s baseball team. At every practice we work on learning how to hit the ball, how to catch it, etc. Yet, if we don’t take the time to also teach them where to go after they hit the ball, what to do when others players hit the ball when they are already on base, or where to throw the ball when they catch it, then we’re not really doing our job as coaches. Instead we would have focused on the big things, but given no instruction on the little things that could be the deciding factor in our winning or losing a game. Also we are trying to help the kids to enjoy the game throughout their lives not just hot to hit a ball or catch it.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to take a look at how much some things that we can easily take for granted really do matter. The key to all of this is realizing that they matter and making them a priority. I hope you take the time to come back here over the next few weeks and read some of what God has been talking to me about. My hope is that you’ll use some of the tidbits in your lives as well.

Next Week: Marriage Matters

What To Do On A Rainy Day

2011-05-10T14:26:00.002-04:00

So lately we’ve had a few days when it’s rained. Ok, actually we’ve had a few days when there was sun. I can count on one hand the number of times we had sun in April for more than 3 hours each day!

It was all that rain that started me thinking about a different type of rainy day. You see, we can have rainy days emotionally in our lives as well as the wet weather type. These days affect us in a variety of ways and can mess with just about every part of us. They mess with us mentally, emotionally, and physically. Sometimes it’s just a quick rain storm in our lives. Other times it’s a weather front that is going to be with us for awhile.

So, what do we do on a rainy day? Today I’m going to suggest that you curl up with a good book and wait for the Son! That is right, read your Bible. That is a great start. I’d also suggest doing some praying. Then, wait for Jesus to help you move that storm front in your life onward. If you truly trust Him, then you have to expect that that is exactly what He will do for you.

As the song says, “The Son will come out tomorrow, it’s just a day away…” Maybe if we trusted and expected Him to do just that, we’ll get to more sunny days.

Not Exactly The Plan

2011-05-03T15:31:00.001-04:00

So I help out with one of my son’s baseball teams. I enjoy helping teach the kids the basics of the game and watching them develop throughout the season.

The other day we had practice on a cool, windy, and (go figure) rainy evening. We had plans on what to do with the kids but the outfield grass wasn’t in the best shape. So, now we have 10 kids and we’re trying to figure out how to keep all of their interest in a smaller amount of space. All of a sudden it hit me. We could split them up into two teams and play 5 on 5. This would give all the kids an opportunity to play in a game situation while only using the infield.

After splitting up the teams quickly we got to work with the kids. Now this is practice number 7 or 8 with this team and we’d done bits and pieces, but many hadn’t seen how it could all work together yet, as they all come from different playing abilities, backgrounds, etc. Well, it turned out to be the exact thing that all of these kids needed. They all really got involved with the practice. All of a sudden it wasn’t just doing drills, but instead it was game time. All of the kids had their chance to hit and field and all did really well. Sure there were teaching points that needed to be hit upon, but the overall response was incredibly positive.

The reason I bring this up is because there will be times in your life when things just don’t go according to plan. You’ll want to spend time doing a Bible study or at an event that you can’t attend. You’ll instead be interrupted, and that thing will eat up all the time you had originally set aside to do what you had planned.

I want you to know that God knows what your intentions were and He will definitely honor those intentions. It’s possible that He’ll find you in a different way that day that may be even more powerful than what you’d had planned. That distraction could lead to an encounter with a person who doesn’t know Him, and you could help them start their journey to a relationship with Him. Maybe it’s a child that needs your attention and that time spent with your child will be a chance for both of you to be closer to God, or a way that He’ll show you His grace in another way.

Whatever the reason that the plan didn’t go as planned, do not fret. It’s very possible that God had other plans for you at that time. Just like at our practice the other day, sometimes even though a plan changes, it doesn’t mean that something even greater won’t come out of it.

Play Ball

2011-04-26T16:34:00.001-04:00

So baseball season is now in full swing. It’s my favorite season as it means warmer weather is coming. It means time at the ballpark with my family is coming. It also means that I get to spend time with the other guys on the church softball team, which I really enjoy.

What during the year gives you that same feeling in a spiritual way? When do you get a feeling of renewal like the start of baseball season does for me? What gets you excited to get going and get renewed?

If you don’t have something like this in your life, I pray that you find something soon. Maybe a men’s or women’s retreat, a Bible study, or something else can do that for you. The reason I think it’s important is to keep things from becoming stale. Sometimes you need to hear the words "Play Ball!!!" in your life for renewal.

Making Time

2011-04-19T22:21:00.000-04:00

Lately God has been impressing upon me that there is a big difference between making time for God, and making Him first in my life. I’d been trying to find time to take part in other activities and then find time for Him, instead of vice versa.

As simple as that concept is, I still fall into this trap time and time again. I’ll say yes to playing on a sports team, helping with my kids' events, doing a church ministry, etc. which then doesn’t allow me to do the reading and praying that I need to do.

So the question is, how do I overcome this? How do I put God first and everything else in its place? It’s actually an easier answer than you’d think. By having God first in my life everything else will fall into place, making it all easier to accomplish. I can fit that stuff in, learn to say no when I need to do so, and still do other stuff because I have the daily focus that He desires me to have.

Today I ask. what things are you putting before God? What do you need to do to place things in the right order again? How much more can you do with a change in your priorities? Those are the differences when you go from making time for God instead of doing what you should, making Him first!

Listen To The Message

2011-04-12T14:36:00.001-04:00

As an office manager of a medical office I can tell you that I make a lot of phone calls. Sometimes I get ahold of my contact, but oftentimes I don’t. When I don’t reach that person I often get the opportunity to leave them a message.

Over the past 2-3 years I’ve seen some big changes in the people who are getting my messages. It's becoming the norm to call back the number seen on the caller ID without ever listening to the message. They do that because they think they know who is calling and why they called.

Now, I have a problem with people doing this. First off, we have 16 people who work in my office who could have called that person. If they don’t listen to the message then they don’t know who called them or why they were calling. When they call back, it becomes very difficult to route them to the correct person who called. Secondly, if we take the time to leave a message, why not take the time to listen to it before you respond?

I’ve found that this policy of not listening to messages isn’t only happening with phone messages, but with God’s messages as well. People often think that they know what He’s going to tell them and act upon that notion before they really get the message that He has for them. They don’t take the time to REALLY hear from God.

So today I’d like to impress upon you the need to listen to the messages that you are given. Listen to what God is saying to you and then act. Don’t assume that you know what He’s going to tell you. Don’t assume that you should act upon those ideas. Your spiritual life will be stronger if you take the time and hear the message.

Word Of Mouth

2011-04-05T16:30:00.002-04:00

One of the cheapest and yet most important forms of advertising for a business is word of mouth. This is mostly previous customers discussing with potential customers their experiences with the before-mentioned business. It can be both positive and negative. Yet, the negative is understandably the hardest to overcome. If you make one person unhappy as a business owner it could cause up to 54 people not to come to your business on average. (That is a stat thing, not something I made up.) So, businesses work hard to make sure that each and every customer is happy with the service and products they receive during their visits.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a part of God’s business? Well, in at least one way you are. If you are a Christian and profess that with your mouth, then you are a walking and talking representative for God and all for which He stands. Everything you do and say is an advertisement for Him. The way you treat others, the way you act even when you don’t think others are watching is being evaluated by someone. Those who see and hear what you are doing use that to decide on whether or not they want to be a Christian as well. If they don’t like what they see, not only could they not want to have a relationship with Christ, but it may cause those they come in contact with to choose the same. Each and every day you could be influencing the decisions of hundreds of people for or against God with just what you do and say.

Talk about a burden you have to deal with, right? Is it worth it? How about for the businesses you come in contact with every day? Is it worth it for them? If you like a store you often go back there time and time again and spend your money, right? You might even make it your "go to" location for certain goods or services. Yet, if you don’t like it, then you might never step back in that place again. So, for the long term survival of any business it’s vital for them to make you happy when you are in contact with them. Do you think it’s any less important to do that when someone could be going to Hell instead of Heaven?

The word of mouth advertising that each of us does every day is important for the Kingdom of God. Have you been spreading a positive or negative campaign lately?

Something Is Not Going To Get Done

2011-03-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

Have you ever realized that when you go to bed at night…every night, in fact… that you leave something to be done the next day? I’m sure that you don’t have all the laundry done, all the dishes put away, the house completely cleaned, yard work completed, etc., every night when you go to bed, right? In fact it’s become so commonplace to all of us that we’ve pretty much accepted this as fact.

So, why is it that oftentimes we put off spending time with God because we’re too busy, have too much stuff to do, etc.? Why do we make excuses for all of that other stuff not being done in our lives, but not for the one thing that matters the most?

It’s all about priorities. When God is the focus of our lives we’ll make him first, over all of the other items we need to do in a day. We take time to pray, read the Bible or a devotional, go to church, etc. When God isn’t the focus, we continually find other things that are more important. We watch our favorite TV shows, play around on Facebook, talk with people on the phone, etc., and put off God until we have time.

Now I’m not going to condemn all of us for not having the proper focus. Instead I wanted to bring up the fact that this is exactly what we’re all doing on a daily basis when we don’t make time for God. Instead of making Him second, we all need to make Him the priority and know ahead that because of our willingness to put things in the right order, some of the to-do list items just won’t be completed today. We need to start being ok with that, because those items that don’t get done aren’t the priority, God is!

Viruses

2011-03-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

It seems that a lot of my time at work in 2011 has been spent fighting viruses on the office computers. No matter the security measures taken viruses always seem to creep onto the computers. Often times they go undetected for weeks or months before they have finally created enough havoc to be a real problem.

You do realize that this is the same thing that the devil is doing to each and every one of us daily, right? Every day he has these little attacks on us, many of which we don’t even realize are happening. It could be a TV commercial that puts something in your head. It could be a negative comment someone you work with says that gets you thinking the wrong way. It could even come in an e-mail or an advertisement on your favorite web sites.

No matter how much defense you have, at some point you are going to get infected. The key to making sure viruses don’t become major problems is to instead have good protection on the back end. You have to be able to take out the infections by the root and destroy them before they take over. This can be done in a number of ways, and only you can know what process is going to work best for you.

My point today is to realize that you are under attack at all times. Be ready to fight, as you are a part of the battle. Don’t become a casualty.

Just Ask

2011-03-15T15:59:00.001-04:00

You know, one thing that is wonderful about kids is the fact that they aren’t afraid to ask for just about anything. They ask to stay up later than their bed time almost every night. When they get older they ask to borrow the car, to take your money, etc. They ask and ask and ask, knowing that at some point they will probably get what they want.

Contrast that with an adult. I think that years of being told no by others causes people to stop asking for things. The hopefulness of asking as a child has turned into a reality that more than likely we’re not going to get what we are asking for, so we stop asking.

Why do I bring this up? I do so because prayer is often about us asking for one thing or another from God. I think that often we don’t pray because we are afraid that we are not going to get what we are praying for. Instead of expecting to get what we are asking as a child would do, we expect to be let down and get to the point that we don’t even ask.

I’m writing this today to encourage you to just ask! God WANTS to answer your prayers. God wants you to expect to get an answer from Him. He wants to build you up so you can build Him up! It’s time that we all get over the let-down of the world and start expecting Him to take hold of our lives and give us the health, abilities, etc. that He is so willing to give.

Go ahead, I dare you to pray. I dare you to ask Him for those things. Let’s see what happens….together.

Lifesavers

2011-03-08T16:28:00.001-05:00

The other day a strange thought came into my head. Somehow I started to think of people “of the world” as Lifesavers candies. They look sweet on the outside, are often different colors and flavors, but all have a hole in the middle. They are missing that something that would completely round them out. They are missing that relationship with Jesus in their lives.

So this week it’s simple: It’s time to help find the lifesavers and help them get filled. Who knew that lifesavers needed saving?

Repairs

2011-03-02T08:42:00.001-05:00

Like many of you who read this, I own my own home. (Ok, the bank does, but I’m working on it!) With owning anything comes the inevitable: repairs. No matter how much you do to avoid them, at some point something is going to need fixing.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet this week and cut to the chase. If you truly own your relationship with God you’ll come to realize that at times there will be fixes that need to be made. You’ll work to maintain it, but as you put time and effort into one area there is bound to be something that happens in another. This doesn’t mean that you are failing, but instead you are experiencing reality.

There are too many outside forces for you and me to keep our relationship with God perfect. You’ll have stress in your life. You’ll get too busy and forget to pray or read your Bible for a few days. Remember that He is always there and is happy that you are doing all that you do to keep up the relationship. Without your efforts the whole thing could fall apart. Don’t be dismayed if a repair is needed from time to time. Instead glorify Him in all that you do, and keep up the maintenance and continue to work on any repairs that are needed when they arise. I’m sure He understands!

A Glimmer

2011-02-22T08:53:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful weather we’re having. No, I didn’t write this last week when the weather was nice, but I’m writing this on the 21^st, during yet another snow storm. I mentioned last week for a reason though, as I wanted to point out what that was to everyone.

Last week was a glimmer of hope for everyone. God knew that winter had been rough on all of us and He gave us a few days to break up the storms to give us all some hope of what is to come again in the spring. He allowed us to get outside of the house a little and enjoy some decent weather. He got rid of all the snow piles that were on the roofs of our houses, along the side of the driveways, etc. He did all of that as a glimmer.

Have you had other glimmers in your life before? Have you ever coached a sports team and found that a player or two finally got what you’ve been trying to teach them? Are you a teacher, and finally at least one of the students understand the lesson you’ve been teaching? Is your family budget tight, and all of a sudden you had a little extra income to get those couple things you’ve been putting off, or gotten a bill paid you thought never would be paid, etc.?

In God we have hope in the darkness. These glimmers of what is to come help us get through the tough times. You can be physically in winter in Ohio, or in the winter of something else you are going through in your life, and God will give you the hope in for which you are searching. In Him you’ll be able to get through anything, and He’ll give you those glimmers from time to time to prove it to you.

I pray you enjoyed the glimmer last week and are staying safe through the rest of this winter we’re going through. Remember, He will get us all through the rest of the winter and give us spring soon.

The Cheap Seats

2011-02-15T21:13:00.002-05:00

Lately I’ve spent a few nights watching some high school basketball. I really enjoy the game as it’s, at least to me, very pure at the HS level. The kids are taught to play the right way and they work together as a team. What I like about it best is you really get a good look from the stands at a team’s strengths and weaknesses, at least if you know what you are looking at.

That leads me to today’s point: Often a weakness can easily be seen from the cheap seats.

Let me explain. As I watch the game I often find players on a team that seem a tad weak at one kind of defense or another. What I really love is when the coach for one of the teams sees the same thing and starts to exploit that weakness. The coach will direct his/her team to do things that will take full advantage of that weakness. They’ll keep attacking it until the other team makes an adjustment. In fact, to me that is the true beauty of the game, the chess match the coaches play in trying to gain their team an advantage, causing a disadvantage to the other team.

I mention all of this because many of us have weaknesses that are continually being exploited in our Christian walk. The devil attacks us over and over again the same way, and we fail to make the adjustment. Then, when we finally do adjust, the devil looks for another weakness to exploit. This is part of the day-to-day battle that we must fight, continually adjusting our weaknesses in order to keep the devil out of our lives.

How is your ability at making adjustments? Do you allow a weakness to continually be attacked, or do you work to keep that from happening? Do you even know what your weaknesses are, or do you need someone else sitting in the cheap seats to help you see what you are missing? If you know the weaknesses and keep adjusting, good for you! If you need help seeing what is happening, then find a friend, prayer partner, spouse, and pray about it. Find the weaknesses and adjust. Your spiritual life will be stronger because of it.

Homework

2011-02-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

When I finished college I thought that my days of doing homework and studying were over. Well, God seems to really like practical jokes, and one that He got me with was that with kids comes homework once again. On average every week my wife and I spend at least 2-3 hours per week helping the kids with homework by reviewing their answers, having them read things to us, helping to study for tests, etc. How funny our God can be, eh?

As I think about it more though, we all should be doing our own homework as well. There is saying that goes something to the effect that the minute you stop learning, the minute you start losing. It takes into the thought that others will continue to advance their knowledge, and that if you don’t do the same then you will eventually lose to others.

This thought process definitely works into our spiritual lives. If we as Christians aren’t always advancing by doing our homework then we give the devil a foothold. We must continually be reading the Bible, praying, etc.

Now, I think I write this to slap myself on the wrist as much as anyone else. I know that I don’t do as much as I should in these areas. Yes, I read spiritual sites, blogs, and devotionals sent to me every day. I also pray alone and with my wife on a regular basis. I am a part of a group that meets together on a semi-regular basis. Yet, is that enough? No. If I’m not regularly reading His word, I fail just like anyone else who doesn’t do the same thing.

So, this week I, along with many readers, am getting a bit of a wake-up call. It’s time to put the focus where it should be. I have to get back to doing homework. Instead of just settling for a C maybe I need to strive to get an A again. How about you?

Icicles

2011-02-01T14:43:00.002-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I have quite a few icicles hanging from my house. The combo of the snow, rain, ice, etc. has pretty much filled my gutters and they’ve frozen. Although it slowly melts, the rest of the stuff from the roof is melting too, and it’s all trying to find somewhere to go.

I find icicles interesting. They start out as just a small drip, then they freeze a bit and continue to build and build and build. They get longer and longer, until at some point they break off and fall to the ground. We have one on the side of our house that we noticed last night that was almost as tall as the side of my house. I have no idea how it hasn’t broken yet, but I’ll be very interested to see if it’s there when I get home.

Icicles can be used as an example to represent stress and anger in our lives. They also start out small, and if not dealt with right away they can continue to build until at some point we just break. Do you have any icicles of stress or anger in your life right now?

The key to not getting to that breaking point is by taking care of them early. There are things you can do to relieve stress, decrease anger, and keep from getting more icicles as well. Just like with the gutters of the house where you can put heated coils or do other various things, you have to find ways to keep these things from becoming a giant problem. If we allow the icicles to keep growing we could have major problems with the house, as it could even drag down the gutter. What are you doing to keep that from happening with the icicles in your life?

My suggestion this week is to find ways to take care of the issues before they start. Prayer in my mind should be first and foremost. Then, have a good support system. Your spouse, friends, church body, etc. are there to help, so use them. Be willing to express your feelings to others to help you vent and get rid of some of the pressure. Also, be willing to take a time out. Get away from the issues even if it’s just 20 minutes sitting at McD’s in the morning one day a week, walk around the reservoir, etc. Find something that you like to do and do it.

Icicles are just a part of winter, and a part of your life. Finding ways to prevent and deal with them when they develop is the key. I pray that you’ll find ways that work for you, and that from this point forward you’ll be stronger in your walk with Him because of it. God bless.

Toothpaste

2011-01-25T13:06:00.001-05:00

Have you ever looked at a mostly used toothpaste tube? It started out completely full and easily allowed you to get the toothpaste out. Then it began to empty and it gets a little harder, and then at the end you have this mostly used tube just sitting before you. It is almost out of its contents and you could probably squeeze out more if you wanted, or you could just replace it.

How many of you will do whatever you can to get the most out of that tube? How many of you will discard it in favor of the new tube?

Now look at that tube in your mind and change it to your spiritual life. When you start out it’s easy to get the most out of it and spread it wherever you want the contents. As you move on, it is still partially full but could use some refilling, and it’s not as easy to pass on the contents to others. Then, as you continue to move on and don’t refill it, you end up with hardly anything left to give. You could easily discard your spiritual walk in favor of other things (the world) or work to push out that last little bit.

My point this week is that if you aren’t looking to refill your spiritual life, you will eventually end up at the end of the tube. You’ll either choose to go back to your old ways, keep pushing out the little bits you can get, or get a refill. Yet, if you keep refilling it throughout the entire time you are using it, you’ll always have a fresh tube. Now, you can’t do that with an actual toothpaste tube (not without messy results at least), but you can do it with your spiritual life. Refill your tube by spending time in His word, spending time with other believers, praying, listening to Christian teachings, etc. Don’t ignore the need for refills, or you’ll end up with an empty tube of toothpaste on your hands.

Teamwork

2011-01-18T19:27:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know, I play basketball in the Norwalk city league with a group of guys from Calvary Baptist church. I only knew two of the guys on the team before the one practice we had prior to the start of the season, and it took a bit for us to build any chemistry. The first few games saw us winning thanks to whoever taking over that particular game. In fact, up to last night we had lost only one game and had won 5.

So last night we went into the game, and due to some injuries and other commitments, we had only five of us at the game. To add onto that, the game was at the old rec (Monroe St. Gym) that is still under construction. They are putting windows in, which right now are covered by plywood. So, the effect is that it’s freezing in the main entry area, and it's overcompensated with the heaters running very hot – making the court almost a sauna. Oh, and did I mention the other team had 9 guys present?

So we play the game and work very hard to keep it close or take the lead whenever we can. We get through by using our time-outs and working together as a team. By this point in the season we all know our roles on the team and run the defense very well to the point where we all can communicate very well and let each other know where the offensive players are. The other team, though, didn’t have that same chemistry. From the outset of the game they were complaining to one another and definitely didn’t trust each other at all. If one guy got beat no one came to help.

So we come down to about 5 minutes left to go in the game. They had been trying to run on us to make us tired and it had been pretty effective, although we were tied at this point. That is when our teamwork took over the game. Our team fought through the tiredness and minor pains from the game and worked hard on offense. We looked for one another, and if someone was making shots they he got the ball until he stopped making it. Defense was also very tough, and we managed a good number of steals. The opposing team, on the other hand, fell apart. Their nagging at each other came to a boiling point. Guys on their team were yelling at each other on the bench, and puling themselves out of the game because they didn’t want to play with one guy, etc. They ended up all trying to win the game themselves, and that ended any chance they had. We won the game by 8 points, a well-fought victory for our team.

I mention this because as Christians we’re all a team. One person may take the lead from time to time to get the team over a hurdle, but everyone is important. We all have a role in order for the team to be successful. It doesn’t matter if the odds are stacked against us, the team as a whole – when working together – can overcome any obstacle. My question for you is, which team would you rather play on? The team that has everyone working together towards a common goal, or one where everyone is playing his own game? This is the game that we’re all playing every day, the game of life. What is your role? What team are you on? How hard are you willing to work? If you haven’t’ already, join the team! Ask me any time, I’ll help you find what you need to do to get on the Christian team.

I've Got Nothing...

2011-01-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

Years ago a great TV show was on NBC called “Seinfeld”. The producers and actors promoted the show as being about nothing at all. Yet, week after week it was the #1 show on TV in its time slot, and more often than not the #1 show on TV overall.

The reason I mention the show is because I know there are people out there who say that you have nothing to offer others in your spiritual walks. If that is truly the case, why are you here? Why does God have you right here, right now? You must have something to offer someone, or else you have no reason to be here.

Think about that the next time you think you have nothing. I mean, I thought that I had nothing to write about this week, and look what I came up with! See, there is always something, even if it’s about nothing.

I Am...

2011-01-05T15:45:00.004-05:00

I am a man.

I am a husband to a beautiful wife.

I am a father of 3 great kids.

I am the main provider for my family.

I am the spiritual leader of my household.

I am an elder at my church.

I am an office manager at my job.

The reason I bring this up is because of a song I heard during the Christmas season. I’m sure you probably heard it as well. The version of “Mary Did You Know” by Casting Crowns is a favorite of mine. I feel it to be extremely powerful the way that they emphasize certain parts of the song.

The one part of the song that really hit me this year is when they ask Mary if she had any idea that the child she was carrying would be known as the Great I Am. Those two words, I Am, are very powerful in so many ways. Think about the fact that Jesus was born into the world to be more than any of us could ever imagine ourselves to be. He came into the world to encompass it all, and eventually die on the cross for every one of us! And kids today think they have pressure!

Anyway, this got me to thinking more about who I am, and how it could even start to compare. I started to think about who I think I am versus who the world thinks I am. Is the “I am” that I think I am the same as the “I am" that the world sees me as? How do I come across to others, and where on the list above does everything rank on someone else’s list? Am I truly doing my job as a follower of Christ if other people in the world see me as something not on the list way before any of the things I’ve listed above?

These are the things that I’ve been thinking about for the last month. My question to you this week: What is your “I am”, and how does it compare to the “I am” that you show the world each and every day?

Clear The Board

2010-12-28T15:18:00.001-05:00

It is almost New Year's Eve already! The last day of the year, the last day we have until we clear the board off, so to speak. A new year brings to many the ability to start over with a clean slate.

You do realize that this isn't real, right? The only way you can really clear the board is to start a relationship with Jesus who loves you more than you'll ever know.

Do you have a relationship with God yet? Do you know others who need a relationship with Him? If anyone truly wants to clear the board, then I pray that in this upcoming new year you are able to start a relationship with Him.

The Final Preparations

2010-12-21T16:07:00.001-05:00

So, we have less than a week before Christmas comes. Are you ready? Have you wrapped all the presents, made all the food, traveled all over to events, etc.?

This week I won't take up too much of your time. Instead I just want to remind you to also prepare your heart. Prepare for Him to continue to use you for His glory. Prepare for Him to reach others for His kingdom. Trust me, this final preparation will be worth it!

God bless you all, and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music Part 2

2010-12-14T12:28:00.001-05:00

Christmas Music Part 2 - December 15th

So, has God put a smile on your face through any Christmas music this last week? He has done that to me many times. I don't know about you, but I have some real favorites when it comes to Christmas music, and all of them I love for different reasons. Here are three of my favorites, in no particular order:

A) “Wonderful Christmas Time”

I've always loved this song. I like the upbeat melody and the words that speak of simplifying this time of year. Isn't that a goal we should all have this season? Simply enjoy the season and everything about it! We often complicate the season, and this song reminds me to sit back and enjoy.

B) “Feliz Navidad”

This song is in some of my earliest Christmas memories. My parents use to play 94.5 (a station out of Port Clinton at the time) on the radio every Christmas morning. It never failed that this song would come on while I was opening my presents. This song is always positive and reminds me of all the other people in the world celebrating the birth of Jesus at the same time.

C) “The Little Drummer Boy”

I've loved this since I developed a bass voice. I have always enjoyed singing this song more than any others because of all the bass notes. Yet, more than that, I enjoy this song as it reminds me that often times the best gifts that can be given are often those that are the simplest. Using the gifts that God gives us is one of the best gifts we could ever give Him.

So, what does God lay on your heart this time of year? What songs do you keep encountering when He wants to put a smile on your face? No matter the song, or the meaning to you I pray that you are touched by Him this season and that He touches others through you as well.

Christmas Music Part 1

2010-12-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is about Christmas music, but hearing it almost always puts a smile on my face. In fact, if it wasn't for the snow, I think I'd have a smile on my face 24/7 through New Year’s Day. I love the time with family, time off work, various gatherings, giving gifts, etc.

To many, Christmas music resembles something else. They see crowds at stores, more work they have to get done, places they have to be, and money to be spent.

What does Christmas music mean to you? Do you hear it and envision all the positives of the season or the negatives? Do you remember the true meaning of the season?

I hope that you remember this quick devotional every time you hear any Christmas music this season. If you feel yourself focusing on the more difficult things this season, try to think about God instead. I know that He'll make the negatives go away and put a smile on your face as well.

The Plan

2010-11-30T18:00:00.001-05:00

This time of year it is very easy to make plans for almost every day of the month of December. Most of us have family events, sporting events, kid's school events, church events, etc. It get to be the busiest time of the year in fact. Day after day we run from one item on the to-do list to another.

In the busyness it will be very easy to forget the real meaning of Christmas. We plan for all of the events, we plan all of the meals, we plan the presents, but do we plan to make sure God is at the center of everything we, especially this time of year?

As all of us plan our ways through this advent season, I wanted to just throw out a reminder to make sure you plan time for God in your day-to-day events. Without Him at the center of all you do, you'd easily get the plan wrong and forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Crossed Signals

2010-11-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m really confused. As far as I can remember the TV companies have been telling us how much better our lives will be with bigger and bigger TV screens. They’ve made them thinner, wall mountable, and even 3D in today’s market. Then, all of a sudden these same companies start to try and sell us on these hand-held TVs! Is anyone else confused?

This is a lot like what many Christians do in the world. They go to church and say and do all the right things. Then, they go to work, ball games, and other events and act like Christ isn’t a part of their lives at all. There is no wonder non-believers don’t have a clear understanding of God. He isn’t shown in people’s day-to-day lives!

I understand that there may be reasons why a smaller hand-held TV may be nice to have, but I can’t understand why a true believer can’t live the life that they say they believe. Are you crossing the signals you give out to others in the world?

Leadership

2010-11-16T14:39:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago Americans went to vote, and although I’ve already covered that topic a bit, it did get me to thinking about a movie that I’ve enjoyed for years, "The American President". Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd and Michael J. Fox as one of his staff people named Lewis Rothchild. They are in a limo on the way to an event discussing the President’s re-election campaign and the character attacks that the President is under from his challenger. The following statement is made by Lewis:

Lewis Rothschild: You have a deeper love of this country than any man I've ever known. And I want to know what it says to you that in the past seven weeks, 59% of Americans have begun to question your patriotism.
President Andrew Shepherd: Look, if the people want to listen to-...
Lewis Rothschild: They don't have a choice! Bob Rumson is the only one doing the talking! People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.
President Andrew Shepherd: Lewis, we've had presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

I think the biggest part of that exchange is what I’ve highlighted above in italics. Think about this in the context of Christianity and the world today. Why is the world in the state that it’s in? Why are the children of today becoming more and more lost? I say that a lot of it is because we as Christians are not giving them a choice. The people of the world are seeking leadership. Yet, those speaking the loudest to them are the evil forces of the world instead of us Christians! We’re not speaking loudly enough for the lost to hear!

How do we fix that? As we’ve been saying at church, it’s not going to be through programs. It’s not going to happen in the building that we have either. It happens where the people are each and every day. You have to not just be Christians on Sundays but all week long, in every dealing you have. It doesn’t matter if the person you are talking with is a Christian or not, you shouldn’t change. You have to be a Christian every moment of every day and demonstrate that to the world. You have to go out and make an effort and step up to that microphone and declare to the world that He is the Way, He is the Truth, and He is the Life.

My question today: Are you willing to lead?

The Team, The Team, The Team!

2010-11-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, I’m a big University of Michigan fan. As a big fan, I subscribe to many e-mails from the school. One of those e-mails comes right after every home football game and contains the intro video used by the team as they run onto the field during introductions. The big theme of this year’s intro videos is a very well-known pregame speech called "The Team". Every game they show video of players, coaches, fans, etc. doing parts of that speech along with team video from previous games. It’s this video that gave me the idea for this week’s Mo-Mentum.

Quite often we think that the Christian life is all about what we are doing ourselves. Yet, it’s the entire body (team) that is most important. It’s about every one of us doing our part for the team to function completely and for that team to accomplish the victory. A sports saying is that a team is only as strong as its weakest links, and so none of us should be that weak link.

My question today: Are you a weak link? Do you know your part, and are you doing your best to help the team? When you aren’t doing what you can for Christ, you are letting down your teammates and making it harder for all of us to win. It’s about the team, the team, the team. Every one of us are players in the game of life doing our part for the head coach Jesus. We should be striving every day to make the team stronger by growing in our abilities and recruiting others to the team. Are you on the field, or are you a bench warmer? Get in the game today. It’s about the team.

Choice

2010-11-02T08:39:00.000-04:00

Every day we are faced with choices that we all have to make. The first one every day is whether or not we get up when the alarm sounds. We then continue on through the day with hundreds of choices, often about very trivial things such as how much cream and sugar to put in out coffee, which pen to use, etc. Yet, there are also larger choices that we have to make. When driving we have to decide whether to turn in front of a car coming down the street, or maybe we should wait and let it go by first.

Even larger choices come in the area of faith. Do you decide to be a part of the Kingdom? Do you talk to that neighbor and lead them into a personal relationship with Christ? Do you trust God enough to answer your prayers, or do you think that you know better than He does?

On this Election Day, I’m not going to tell you which choices to make. You know better than anyone else where you stand on all of the issues. You know who you think are the best persons for all the jobs, and I’m not going to sway you in those matters. Instead, all I ask that when it comes to the election, you pray before you vote, and trust that God knows which choices are best. Of all the choices you make every day, the most important choice you have is to follow Him, and making sure that God is a part of all of the choices you make, even on Election Day.

Step Over the Line of the Box

2010-10-26T14:45:00.000-04:00

Over the years one of the biggest buzz words in the business world has had to do with a box. People are now supposed to think “outside the box”, however not too much or you’ll be called crazy. Have you ever wondered what “the box” really is?

I think that “the box” is that comfort zone that we all live in that we’re all familiar with and can easily move around in on a day to day basis. We have certain people we can talk to without any problems, certain places we can go and know them well, etc.

Today I’d like to challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and get out of “the box”. We often get so darn comfortable that we miss opportunities to witness to others in the world because we don’t think or look outside of that box. Now I’m not going to tell you how to do this, but instead just ask you to look for opportunities. There is a whole big world out there and God didn’t just ask us to only evangelize those in the box with us. He wants everyone reached with the gospel, and in order for that to happen we have to step over the imaginary lines we put in our lives and reach for those in the world who do not know Him yet.

Temperature Settings

2010-10-19T16:19:00.001-04:00

Does anyone really understand the weather? Let’s just examine the last few weeks. The first week of October was rainy and cold, and we all started to prepare ourselves for the upcoming winter. Then, the next week it was warm and almost like spring was coming once again. Last week it wasn’t overly warm, but it wasn’t cold. In fact, it was actually fall for a change.

So what does any of this have to do with anything? Well, I think it’s very easy to relate this to our own lives. Have you ever found yourself on fire for Jesus, only a day or two later to be cold again? Then you get warm for a few days, only to cool off again?

Unfortunately, I think this is entirely normal. Life throws us curve balls and finds all kinds of ways to distract us. Yet, you do have to find a way to keep that core temperature rising and keep it warm in your spiritual life as much as possible.

Much like turning on the furnace keeps your house warm in the winter, you need to have the same kind of set-up for your spiritual life. Find a way to keep the fire burning. If the one source of heat isn’t burning as much as it did before, find another source. The goal is still the same. Maybe last week listening to a certain CD got you going, but this week it doesn’t. Instead you start reading a certain area of the Bible that keeps the fire burning. As long as the focus is on God, you will be rewarded.

So, enjoy the temperature changes outside, as before long it’s going to be cold, the snow will be falling, etc. Just don’t let those changes affect your spiritual life. Find new ways to keep the fire burning, and keep that spiritual thermostat set high – it’ll cost you a lot less than those gas company bills will!

A Confession

2010-10-12T15:28:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make to all of my readers. You see, for quite some time I’ve been very addicted to something that I just can’t shake. This is an addiction that I can’t just go to meetings for and get all better. It’s one of those things that has been a part of my life for quite some time, and there are still times that I don’t know how to deal with it because it can really control me. It often impairs me from seeing everything that is in front of me and instead only focuses me on the addiction.

You see, I’m addicted to being a follower of Christ. I’m addicted to living my life the way He wants me to and showing others in the world what it’s like to be a part of His Kingdom. The relationship (or addiction) I have with Him is always on my mind and controls all of what I do every day.

Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful thing to be addicted to? Have you ever thought of your relationship with God as an addiction? At least this isn’t an addiction you’d want to get rid of, right? This is an addiction that instead you wish would grow more and more every day.

I dare you to confess to the world your addiction to Christ. Show everyone what it’s like and how powerful the relationship you have can be. Take a stand and declare it from the mountain tops so that all may hear. The world needs more people brave enough to confess their love of the Lord. Can you get addicted and hook others as well?

All Show, No Go

2010-10-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

The other day I was following behind a car for awhile on my way to one place or another. As I was following it, I had opportunity to look at the car and one thing stuck out at me. They had a Jesus fish on the back of the car. I first thought it was cool, although uncommon around Norwalk. Then, as I looked further at the car, the owner had a bumper sticker that I found a tad bit offensive, though I’m not going to say more about it in order to not incriminate someone who just may be reading this.

At this point I was wondering who this person really is. Are they a Christian, as they tried to show they were, or are they more in line with the bumper sticker? Although I may never know who the car’s owner is, or what he really stands for, I did start to examine my own life and get something to take away from this event.

First off, it’s very easy to wear a garment, put up a sign, quote the bible on Facebook, or even have something on your car that expresses your faith to the world. However, it’s entirely different to live the life that you are professing to have. Remember that the world will see that quick glimpse of who you profess to be, but the long lasting impression will be from the way you actually live your life. the way you actually live your life.

Next time you do any of the above things to show the world what you believe, make sure that you are living that way too. The truth is out there for all to see, and you don’t want to be a “generic Christian”, which Pastor Bruce described very well this past Sunday. God bless.

Attention

2010-09-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

As most of us already realize, the kids in school who get the most attention are either the kids with the very good grades, or those who get in trouble a lot. No matter how good the teacher is, that scenario plays out the majority of the time, especially with younger and younger kids. So, while those kids are getting the majority of the teacher's attention, what happens with the other children who are in the middle? They can feel left out, not loved, or not good enough, etc.

Thankfully God isn’t that way with us when it comes to our relationship with Him. You can be the most spirit filled pray-er, the person who falls back into old ways only to ask God for forgiveness time and time again, or the person who most of the time does their devotions, prayers, etc. Any and all of those people are not only loved by God, but constantly the focus of His love.

So, don’t worry about not being the best Christian that you know. Don’t worry also if you slip from time to time, as He still loves you as well. Instead, know that God loves you for who you are and is happy that you have a relationship with Him. Like any good relationship it takes work, and you should always be doing that. Know that He will love you the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and that He will always be there to give you all the attention that you desire.

The Cream Always Rises

2010-09-21T12:07:00.001-04:00

I don’t know about you, but I watch a few reality TV shows. I watch America’s Got Talent, Top Chef, The Apprentice, Survivor, MasterChef, and Hell’s Kitchen, to name a few. The one thing I’ve noticed with a lot of these kinds of shows is the variety of different kinds of people on each show.

Last week America’s Got Talent had its finale. We watch this show as a family and we really enjoy it, so we’d watched this whole season and we really were excited for the finals. Yet, it’s what got the show to that point that was the most interesting to me. During the auditions you see tons of different acts; most of them are just horrible. Yet, there is always some outstanding undiscovered talent out there, and of course the act that somehow gets through to the next round. The judges see some acts and for some reason just push through some bad ones, probably to give them someone to make fun of later, right?

Well, as it always happens, by the time they got down to 20 or so acts, the cream had risen to the top. Sure, you still had your singers, magicians, dancers, and other variety acts. Still, by far they were the best in the competition, even though they were so different. They were all worthy of their place, and worked their way into these positions. No matter who won, it was going to be one of the best people from the auditions, be it the child opera singer, the too cool Mr. Grimm (who won it all), the Prince who supposedly is the next Lady GaGa, or one of the others who remained.

My question today is this: If God had a reality show and you were auditioning, would you rise to the top? Are you striving to make yourself better every week in order to remain in the running for the top prize? In shows like AGT the cream always rises to the top. Those people work hard every week in order to get better and better and seek out the votes of others. Are you worthy of other people’s votes? Are you improving yourself in order to get better as a Christian, or are you just coasting along hoping that you won’t be the one voted off?

I pray that you strive to make yourself a better Christian every day/week. Constant progress in your walk will allow you to stay in the competition and allow you to be the star that God has envisioned you to be.

Uncontrollable

2010-09-14T23:36:00.001-04:00

In service on Sunday Pastor Bruce talked about men proposing to their girlfriends. I thought back to when I was going to propose, and man, was I nervous! Let me tell you our story.

I set up asking Traci for a few months. We were going to Europe as chaperones, as my dad (a French teacher in Port Clinton) takes a group over every other year. Before we left I had asked Traci’s dad for his approval. I had bought the ring and had arranged for my mom to hold it during the trip so I wouldn't lose it, and it wouldn't be seen if my bags were checked by security. I had even circled the date on the itinerary and arranged with my parents for pretty much everything I could plan ahead of time.

So, through all of that planning, there were still things I couldn’t control. First off, I couldn’t be 100% sure she’d say yes! I mean, I was aiming for the sky in asking such a wonderful woman to marry a guy like me. I also couldn’t control the environment we’d be in. 1998 was the year that France hosted the World Cup and there were crazy drunk people from tons of nationalities all over the place. Oh, and the weather. For some reason I can’t control the weather either.

Now it’s the day I had planned to ask Traci to marry me. We were in Paris (gotta go with the romantic city, right?) and it’s raining at the time we’re suppose to go up the Eiffel Tower. My dad knew what lengths I’d gone through to set this up, and as the group decided to go to the Eiffel Tower another day, he worked it so they would go up the tower with us, giving some crazy excuse to Traci which she said she believed. We arrived at the observation deck and my parents went to another area, leaving us alone. I took Traci over to look out the window , and as I pointed something out to her, I got the ring out and asked her then and there (still reminded that I didn’t kneel down – in my nervousness I forgot!) asked her to marry me. Now the moment of truth came, the biggest variable, if she’d say yes. Thanks to God’s grace, she said yes!!!

So, what did I get out of this other than getting to spend the rest of my life with this great woman? That day it really hit me that I couldn’t be in control of everything. I had planned out just about everything I could, yet not everything went as planned. I didn’t plan for it to rain that day. I didn’t plan for the group not to go up the tower that day. I also couldn’t control what her answer would be. I had no back up plan if she said no, though I’m sure it would have put quite a damper on the rest of the trip. Yet, God worked out the details for everything to work out. We were still able to go up on the tower, and although the view wasn’t as great as normal, there were a lot less people around and we were able to just enjoy the moment. My parents could also be there and just enjoy the moment without having to worry about the students on the trip at that time. (Don’t worry, they were in good hands.)

In our lives, there will always be things we can’t control. Yet, through it all, God has a pretty good grasp on things. The problem is that sometimes we try to get in the way. We try to handle it all ourselves and keep Him out of it.

The next time you have something big to plan, pray for God to be in control and allow Him to manage it all for you. Sure, you’ll have work to do to prepare – but allowing Him to be in control will make it all run better than your control could ever do.

Health Inspection

2010-09-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

The other day, as I was reading the paper, I came across the section recent health inspections of local establishments. There are schools, restaurants, gas stations, and many other places listed there. I’m always surprised with the number of times these places can be listed week after week. Then again, as I think about it, I realize that these are surprise inspections, and many times things can get easily missed in the day to day operation of such establishments.

Of course, this got me thinking about my life. What if God sent an angel down to do a surprise inspection of my life? What kind of stuff have I just kind of put to the side and let linger there because I just don’t have time to deal with it in the daily busyness that I call my life? Have I checked lately the amount of heat I put on my family in regard to the tasks that they need to complete daily? Is the cooler in my life the right temperature? Have I left something out too long that should have been thrown away a long time ago?

This week look at your life and start to prepare for an inspection. You never know when it’ll come and who will be doing it. Remember that our lives are on display for the whole world to see and examine. If we want to truly shine into the world for Jesus, we have to show to everyone that we’re ready for these inspections. Sure, we may have a dirty counter from time to time, but if we put in the work to keep up the maintenance and cleaning projects we’ll easily allow others to see Jesus in us.

Writing Again About The Church

2010-08-31T12:40:00.001-04:00

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes up the church. I know that I’ve said it quite a few times up front when I've been Elder Of the Day at church. I also blogged about this in May, but yet god keeps talking to me about this subject. The church isn’t a building. The church isn’t the songs that are sung on Sunday morning, or programs run throughout the week. The church isn’t just the staff that makes the building run.

Instead, the church is all of the people that are a part of it. You are a part of the church, I am part of the church. Our sharing of our lives and experiences with one another is what makes us stronger as a unit. If you don’t get something out of the sermon or other teaching this week, does that mean that the church has nothing to offer you?

What if instead of trying to get something from the teachings you instead go and try to invest in the lives of those around you. Start with just one person you know on Sunday and just spend some time getting to know them better. Then week after week try that with another person, then another, etc. At that point you’ll be invested and truly working to make the church stronger. Through that you will probably find yourself being enriched as well.

So, as I say quite often, the church is more than just a building, programs, teachings, etc. We’re all a part of the church, and when we work on building a stronger foundation we’re able to grow and show the rest of the world how great it is to be a part of His church. If you want to expand the kingdom, work on the relationships you have with others around you at home, at work, at school, etc. You’ll find that you’re helping spread God’s love to everyone around you.

Start or End?

2010-08-24T13:38:00.001-04:00

Well, it’s that time of year for just about everyone now. At least, everyone who has kids, or is a teacher. It’s school time again. As I’ve been thinking and planning for the school year to start I began to look at it two different ways. Let me explain.

First off, I saw the negative. I will miss the freedom that the summer gives for family time. There really isn’t much of a problem having the kids stay up late because they can sleep in the next day during the summer. We can throw the ball around all night after I get home from work and not worry about homework, or anything else for that matter. I also saw the money that it costs to get all the supplies, and all the time that it was going to take to make sure we were organized and ready to go. Then add onto that the school calendar of events, sports, etc. Wow, that is a lot of negatives!

Then I saw the positives. We get the family back onto a routine. I’m more of an organized person, so having a routine suits me better than not having one. I also enjoy some of the school events and watching my kids participate in them. It also means that my wife gets some sanity back, which is a bonus – added onto the fact that she’s teaching preschool this year and bringing in some extra cash, which can’t hurt! Oh, and there is my favorite – the house will not be a wreck every day when I get home! Yeah baby!

So, what kind of lesson can someone get out of school starting up? How about the fact that there are two sides to a coin, as they say. When any event happens, the majority of the time it will be an ending point of one thing, and the starting point of another. Sure, we’ll miss the last “season” of our life, but the new one brings a lot of positives as well. It’s all in the way that we approach these starting points that really shapes how we deal with them.

This week, since school starting effects everyone, even if you don’t have kids of your own in school, try to take a positive approach to the start of the school year. Yes, there will be adjustments that need to be made. Yes, it’ll be a roller coaster for awhile as we get adjusted. Yet, through it all this, like all things, happens for a reason. Embrace the change and make the best of it. Look to the positives and know that through the good and the bad, God will be with you as we enter another start of the school year.

Planting

2010-08-17T14:09:00.003-04:00

So, all last week I had thoughts on weeding out the garden and not only used that here on the blog, but also discussed it during Unscripted at church on Sunday. So, wouldn't you know it - God had me working on landscaping with Traci Sunday afternoon.

We were working on the driveway side of our house where a weed had taken over in the past month. We haven't planted anything there since we bought the house so the area was pretty rough. We found that previous owners had pretty much just used stone in the area, and that someone eventually put some dirt over it.

So, what are we to do? We've found that the flower bed needed some work in order for the transplants to have solid ground to work on. Yes, we could have planted them there in the dirt and stone, but more than likely the roots wouldn't have found anything to work with and the plant would have died.

Instead of trying with what was there, I ran off to the store to get the topsoil we'd need. The new soil worked to fortify what was already there, in addition is builds up the area making it look better over all. The transplants now have a place with rich new soil that is free of weeds and that can give those transplants the best opportunity to grow and flourish in the future.

This reminds me again of our spiritual walks. There are times in people's lives that it's best to refortify the ground in order for the flowers to grow. I think that is what we do by getting into the Word of God. Every time we learn scripture we're building up the area around the items we plant in order to allow them to grow. We grow stronger plants in the flower beds of our lives that will help the light of God shining upon them.

I don't know about you, but I often take a second look at a house that has a lot of flowers growing in their flower beds. I enjoy the many different colors and admire the homeowner's willingness to work hard for such beauty. Think of yourself now as the flower bed showing off the many different flowers that God has gifted you with to the entire world. Do you think that others will take a second glance? Do you think that makes others want what you have in your life? Take some time this week to work on your flower bed, and allow all that you are planting to blossom through all of your hard work, it'll be worth it!

Weeds

2010-08-10T12:26:00.002-04:00

One of the things I really dislike about owning a home is the yard work. I don’t mind doing some good hard work, but it never seems to last very long, which is the very annoying part for me. Weeds just seem to take over the yard if you don’t watch things for even a day. Check your flower beds at home and I bet you’ll find something there as well. Then there are also the weeds in the grass, and anything along the edges of your house, garage, kid's equipment, etc. No matter how much you work on them, the weeds are fighting to find a way to make their way further and further into the yard.

I realized as I was outside this weekend that once again this is just like our lives. We are a freshly planted flower bed when we’re born. We’ve got new dirt and have just been planted with something nice. As the days go on eventually weeds start to invade. They start out small and are often taken care of quickly at first. Then, as time goes on there are times when the a weed finds its way into a more permanent position. It not only gets a good hold in the flower bed, but then the weed starts to spread to other areas. If that isn’t kept in check, eventually that one weed can take over the entire flower bed.

Have you ever had that happen in your life? Where a weed (sin) came into your life and you didn’t get rid of it right away? Then that one weed spread and took over? This week I’d like to challenge my readers to check over your flower bed and see what weeds are there and start to get rid of them. Take out a few and see if you can clean up the entire thing. After that you just have to maintain it….which will be a lot easier than the initial cleaning of the flower bed. If you can clean your flower bed and keep it clean of weeds, the more Sun (or should I say the Son) the flower bed can get – and the more you can grow!

Positive Power

2010-08-03T14:12:00.005-04:00

They say that people who put on a happy face get more positive reactions when out in public. Happy smiling sales people are also said to get more sales than those that aren't so happy. Happy spouses seem to like us much more than when we aren't smiling. We know all of these things, and yet we still have problems being positive. Why is that?

Let's not look at the negative today, but instead let us focus on the positive. You can exude happiness to everyone around just by smiling here and there. That positive power that you have inside of you has a way of attracting other positive power. You end up lighting up the area around you thanks to something as simple as a smile.

So, this week let's work on showing off that smile a bit more. If we progress on that a little bit every week, we'll get to a point where it shows off more often than not. Try it with me, let's try to make the world a happier place - we have to be here for awhile anyway!

Good Intentions

2010-07-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

How many times in your life, when you have seen a new invention, have you said to yourself that you had that same idea years ago? Or even better, you wish that you’d have had that idea and made the money for something so simple? How about this? How many times have you wanted to help with something at church? How often have you seen a need and thought you could be the person that who could fill that spot? Need another? How many times have you thought about talking to a loved one or neighbor or friend about Christ?

The next question, how many times have you actually taken action on those ideas? IF you had actually done something with the idea you had, what would have that invention been like, and how rich could you be? What if you stepped up and helped with the youth, teen group, or started a ministry of your own that you see a need for in the church? What would that other person’s life be like if you took action and talked to them and attempted to lead them to Christ?

You see, it’s all about that word there isn’t it? Action. We’re all full of good intentions and have great ideas. The problem is that very few of us take action. Very few of us see an idea through, even if it fails. We all do it all the time, especially with spreading God’s love for others. Why is it so hard to take action?

I’m not here this week with all of the answers. In fact, I think that this week the answers will be different for every one of us. We all have our own reasons, although probably few are really any good. What I’d like you to get out of this week’s message is that the next time you see an opportunity to do anything, at least start to think about taking action. You have to first ackowledge that the possibility is there and that action can be taken before you can react. After you do that, pray. If God wants you to move further with it, then you’ll know – he’ll make sure you get hit over the head with it. The question is, will you be willing to act?

The Decision

2010-07-20T15:12:00.004-04:00

So, it has been a week since "the king" has announced "the decision". Have you been able to get over the way it was done yet? Are you still hurt by his leaving?

As I started to evaluate the whole situation a thought came to me - What if #6 did all of this to announce a different kind of decision? What if he went on ESPN to announce that he's finally figured out that God should be the one calling the shots in his life, and not LBJ himself. Would people in Miami be so happy? Would people in Cleveland be so hurt? Would 9 million people have watched it on TV? Would all of the sponsors have paid money to be a part of that show, one that ESPN might not have even shown?

It's funny to me the things that we find important. Now, I'm a huge sports fan too, but I don't let it run my life (at least after a day or two...After all ... I AM a Cleveland fan!) Yes, I watched the show since Noah wanted to and sat there stunned like everyone else in Cleveland, even though I expected it to be bad news for us. Yes, I was critical on Facebook to a point. However, I wasn't throwing rocks at a sign on a building, burning jerseys, etc. I've let it go, as frankly he had every right to go. No, I don't like the way he did it, on national TV and all without really thanking the fans, but he did have the right to leave.

So, today, more than a week later, what is important in your life now? Are you still a Cavaliers fan even if the name on the back of the jersey is changing? Better yet, what does it really matter in the larger scope of things? Will this hurt your advancement of the Kingdom of the one true King because Lebron left? In fact, it may just help the advancement instead of hurt it. Now you'll have nights free that you use to sit by the TV and watch the games. Now you may have more money as the tickets will get cheaper to games.

In the end his "decision" doesn't mean anything to God. It's not the decision that he really needs to make in his life. Don't waste your time on wondering what could have been, but instead focus on those things in the world that you have some control over. Use the time that James' flight to Miami will give you to advance the Kingdom of God and watch how it advances. It's a much better show anyway.

Into Muddy Waters

2010-07-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

On Saturday Traci and I took the kids to Huron Beach for a fun day of swimming and family togetherness. Now, this wasn’t the easiest thing for me to do since I’m not huge on the lake any more as I really prefer swimming in a pool, etc. However we have no pool, so I thought that the idea was a very good one as it was something different that we don’t normally do and it’s cheap.

So, we arrive at the beach and a few things become apparent to me right away. 1) It’s as rocky as Traci said it would be (I’d never been there, while she had) and 2) The water is quite nasty.

That is when it hit me. This is a small comparison of what Jesus headed into when he came to the world to save each and every one of us from our sins. Here I am looking at all the different reasons why this could be a “not so much fun” experience like the nasty water with the dead fish floating in it (we found that after an hour or so in the water), the crowd that kept building at the beach, the rocky beach itself, etc. It would have been so easy to look at all of that and just want to turn around and say that the family time is off and we were going home. Jesus could have done the same thing as well. He could have just seen how nasty the world was at that time and tell his Father that He didn’t have the heart to go through with it. Instead, He stayed, knowing the outcome of His time on earth and still willing to follow through with all that was planned for His life.

Now, I’m not comparing myself to Jesus, but instead, noticing how little outside things can easily keep us from the things that God has planned for our lives. That family time we spent on Saturday could become a memory that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. It could easily be my last weekend event with my whole family, not hoping that I’d die – but instead just pointing that out. If we all don’t take the opportunities that are presented, we never know when the next one will come. I pray that the next time you are presented with an opportunity that you fully embrace it, just as Jesus did when He came to earth for all of us.

Video Games

2010-07-06T13:18:00.001-04:00

You know one of the great things about a video game? You have control over the character in the game and get to make all the decisions. You can make him/her go left, right, up, or down. You can make them stop and go on demand, jump, fly, whatever else the game allows. You get to determine the course of the character’s life in the game. You get to say how much the outside forces of the game can control the character, which is another plus!

Now look at your life. How much in control are you? How easy is it to keep those outside influences from making you do what you want? Why is it that in real life those influences seem to be so much stronger and have more weight in our decision making than in the game we were just discussing? Why is it that we so often find ourselves doing things that we don’t want to be doing?

Maybe, just maybe, the answer is in who has their hands on the controller. You are trying to control everything that goes on with the “you” character, instead of allowing the person running the game to do their part. Can you imagine playing Super Mario Brothers and fighting with the game to control Mario? How many levels of that game would you complete at that rate? Yet, every day all of us try to keep control of our lives away from the one who has the best ability to make sure we win the game: God.

This next week, start to loosen your grip on the controller of the game of life. Let’s see what He can do when you aren’t fighting Him to run the course of the main character’s life in the game – it just may help you win every day.

Broken?

2010-06-29T13:22:00.003-04:00

I think we are all well aware of the term “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” My question today is what do you do when that something is actually broke? When it comes to your spiritual life, I think you have at least these 2 options:

1) Just let it be – Yep, you are disconnected from God, and instead of doing anything about it you just let it be what it is. You don’t work to fix it and instead you just stay in the dark not caring about being in the light any more. This is too often what people do because they don’t see a value of the relationship they had with God in the past. The relationship they had in the past was fun while it lasted and now that they feel that they have worn out their welcome they leave and don't worry about what they've left behind.

2) You work to get it fixed – This is the one that takes a lot of time and effort some times. Your relationship with God might be totally blocked by the many obstacles you have allowed to come into your life and it’s going to take awhile to work through all of them. You've let TV, friends, sports, sex, work, and many other things come between you and God. Yet, you find it worth fixing the problems and making that relationship whole again. As you work towards repairing the brokenness of your heart you will find that the best glue you can get to put all of the pieces together again is to trust Him completely again. When you give the repair job in God's hands it will amaze you how the pieces of your life will come back together again.

Which option are you taking right now? Take the time to examine your options and where you are today and get back to putting the puzzle of your life back together today, trusting God to fill in the gaps and fix all of the brokenness in your life..

Flamingos

2010-06-22T15:45:00.002-04:00

As most of my readers already know, Norwalk Alliance Church does a fundraiser for the youth that, quickly summed up, is a flock of flamingos showing up overnight in someone’s yard. You can buy insurance so if it happens the youth will pick them up, or you can put a hit out on someone else, or pay to have them removed if you didn’t want to do it yourself. It all started back when Andrew Berry was Pastor and, long story short, it’s come back a few times as a fundraiser.

This past weekend our house got hit with a flock for the second time. The first time I quickly had them fly off to another house; however this time they came too late at night and we didn’t find them until morning. Now, true to myself, I was bound and determined to make sure they found another place to play that evening. I planned out my hit and waited all day to finally send them off to their new location. That was the easy part, though, as when I got to the place I was going to leave them, I encountered a few issues.

Issue number one was that the lights were on at the house and it looked like people were moving around. Second was that the garage door was open and it was probable that someone would be leaving at some point and spot the flock. Though, despite all of that, decided to go on with the hit. I was walking towards the house to guide the flock to their home for the evening when I spotted a neighbor who had probably seen me way before that. Instead of turning and calling it all off, I instead went and talked to the neighbor, told them what I was up to and why, and everything was good with them. After that I finally was able to get the flock into location and then got out of there myself.

Now, why do I bring up this fundraiser on my blog this week? It’s because of a lesson that I learned while doing this, or should I say was reinforced. It’s always easy to find a reason to quit and not continue on with something. No matter the preparations that were put in place, there was probably going to be something that I didn’t think of, and it could have easily been the thing that threw off the entire event.

The same thing goes for the work that we are to do for God. The devil is out there trying to throw up road blocks for us that will cause us to turn away from God’s plan and give up. If you give up enough times you’ll be defeated as most don’t continue to try. Yet, if it’s really worth doing, you can find a way around the issues that come up and still complete your mission.

No, the task of placing the flamingos in someone’s yard isn’t a vital task for God, but it does have a part. Yes, I could have easily turned around after seeing the obstacles and gone to someone else’s house and gotten them instead. Yet – I found solutions for the issues I was presented with and completed the task. When I focused on the mission at hand instead of the problems I was presented with, the solutions became easy to find.

The next time that a road block is presented when you are trying to do God’s work, change your focus. Focus on the mission and the value that He places on you completing your tasks. The results of that completed task will be great, although you may never see them in your lifetime. The Kingdom will advance….and it’ll be because you did your part – despite the obstacles that presented themselves.

Born Again

2010-06-15T12:14:00.002-04:00

This week I wanted to turn once again to the music industry for my inspiration for this blog. It’s easy for me to do as I listen to Christian radio almost all day during the work day, and songs often hit me over and over again while I’m listening. Today the song that has been hitting me is “Born Again” by the recently revamped Newsboys.

Here are the lyrics to the chorus of the song, which is on a soon-to-be-released CD of the same name:

This is what it is

This is who I am
This is where I finally take my stand
I didn’t want to fall
But I don't have to crawl
I met the One with two scarred hands
Giving him the best of everything that’s left of
The life inside this man
I've been Born Again

To me this is extremely powerful wording. To me they are describing that time in all of our lives when we finally come to an understanding of what it is to follow such a wonderful God. A God who doesn’t judge you for what you have been before you found Him, but instead wants to have a relationship with you. How many people in this world won’t hold anything against you from your past but instead see you for the person that you are now and is willing to take that? Our Heavenly Father not only sees you for who you are but loves you despite all that you’ve done in the past, and all the scars you have because of it. He knows you better than you know yourself and still is willing to accept you and make you a new person in Him.

To be “Born Again”, as the Newsboys put it, is very powerful stuff. They are not only willing to write this lyric about it, but scream across the world as they tour that not only are the members of the band Christians and new in Him, but that all those in the sound of their voices can be as well.

When was the last time you and I were so proud of our faith that we screamed from the mountain tops that God saved us and made new beings?

If you get a chance check the video below on YouTube and get a sense of what it feels like to really be Born Again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuaavycxU1Q

2 Hands Can Get You To The End Zone

2010-06-08T14:29:00.001-04:00

Currently there is a very popular song out by the group Jars of Clay called “Two Hands”. The message that I get from this song is that the song writer struggles with giving only a part of himself to God while other parts of him are not, in this instance represented by his two hands. He wonders what work he could do for God if both of his hands were actually working together. As I was listening to the song today I really started to think about it more closely.

Are we all as Christians in that same predicament? How many of us hold something back from God when in fact if we would give it all to Him he’d make our lives so much better? How often do we say, "Here, God, please help me with this, but well, let me keep this away from you as I don’t need you there." How about when working for God, how often do we all go forth completely and give all that we have?

I want to give another illustration to this as I think it’s very pertinent to the discussion. Last week our family had a movie night and the kids picked out the movie Facing The Giants. Now, I love that movie anyway, but one part really hit me watching it for the 3^rd or 4^th time, as we were. That part is when the football coach picks his best player out from the team and has him carry another player on his back while that star players is on all 4’s and blindfolded. The coach asks the player how far he’ll make it and he said the 30 yard line (starting from the end zone). The coach asks him to give a little more, and that player then says the 50, he thinks he can make the 50. Well, long story short, when that player gave everything he had to his coach, and when he kept going even when he thought he couldn’t go so far, it was amazing what he was able to do. That star player, the player that the coach wanted to be the leader of his teammates, made it to the other end zone. He went a full 100 yards!

These are powerful examples of what we can all do with God urging us on and our not just being willing to give up when we think we’ve done enough. What will you do the next time God asks you to put your two hands together and do more for His kingdom than you have before? Will you get to that point where you think you did enough and stop there? Will you push yourself to go a little further so you can feel really good about yourself? Better yet, will you pray for Him to come along side you and push you to the goal that He’s set for you in the first place?

Everything is Spiritual

2010-06-01T11:08:00.002-04:00

What a simple phrase, right at the top there: Everything is spiritual. Have you ever stopped to consider that before? Let's look at it a little closer:

Losing Weight - spiritual by far. Ask God in prayer to help you feast His Word instead of that bag of chips or carton of ice cream.

Budgeting - spiritual again. Put God first and ask Him how to control your finances. You'll see Him at work in that area of your life in no time, and your debt will start to shrink because you put Him in control of it instead of you.

Parenting - You have a father in heaven who sets the example of how to love, so why wouldn't you take advantage of that? It's not easy, but when you allow God to control it, this is more manageable as well.

Your Job(s) - Working can be spiritual, even when you are at a place that isn't so "religion friendly". If you want to be the best worker you can be, then you can't do it alone. You may be asked to do things that you aren't qualified to do and with His guidance you can get through anything at work, when you allow Him into this area of your life as well.

I've just listed a few different examples above, and I've done that to remind you that no matter what area of your life you are thinking about right now with God in control you can do great things. We often allow God into one area or another of our life but keep Him out of others thinking we've given enough to Him as it is. If you want the life that He's set out for you why don't you go ahead and lay it all down at His feet - your life will only get better and better from that point.

What Is Your Channel?

2010-05-25T09:21:00.003-04:00

So I was sitting in front of the TV the other day watching two different channels at the same time. That is right, as a guy I have a need to watch two sporting events at once here and there, and this night was just one of those evenings. I was able to keep up with both games very well and picked which one had the most of my attention (and the screen) based on the events in the games and commercials, etc. I was definitely in my element.

Of course, this gets me to thinking.... thinking about all of the different choices we have when it comes to the channels we tune in to. With Time Warner in Norwalk we have the local channels, the news channels, the sports channels, the music channels, movie channels, and they go on and on. That is a lot of channels to choose from, and 80-90% of the time there is nothing on at all on any of those channels. Yet, we stare at the TV anyway, making do with whatever we find that can keep our attention at the moment.

Is your spiritual walk that way? In the midst of the many different channels that your mind can be tuned to, do you find yourself choosing alternative channels that just occupy your time when you could turn off the channels and tune into something more meaningful in your life? The world is like a TV with so many different options for each of us to choose. There are good and bad things that can occupy our time in it, but they all seem to distract us from a higher calling.

I challenge everyone who reads this to get out the old "rabbit ears" and make sure you don't lose that reception with God, who is just waiting to give you His attention. I think you'll find that this channel will be the most rewarding thing you will tune into this week, and the most meaningful to your life as a whole.

The Church

2010-05-18T11:58:00.000-04:00

How many of you, when you think of church, think of a building? If I asked for a show of hands I’m sure most of you would raise yours, right? We’ve been conditioned over time to think that way by the world. Yet, this isn’t what the church is at all!

You see, the building at NAC is just that...a building. God’s church expands way past those walls. Yes, we are Norwalk Alliance Church and we’re living the call together as we say weekly. That is very true. However we’re a part of something bigger. No, not the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination (although it is bigger, so you’d be right there as well) but instead we’re a part of a world full of believers. That group is gigantic, isn’t it? Here is the very daunting part of that: each one of us is important in that group!

As a part of the church you are asked to go out and teach others about Jesus. Have you been doing your part? Without you, how will the church become stronger? You see, your efforts affect everyone else in the church. If you are to make contact with someone for God, He wants you to do that because He has a plan. Maybe your efforts this time will get them to that relationship. Maybe it won’t today, and instead, someone else’s efforts will accomplish it tomorrow or 20 years down the road. Yet, without you making the efforts as a part of the church we could all fail.

So, as you start to see yourself as a part of something bigger than just our building, I hope that you’ll start to realize your place in the church as a whole. Every contact you make, every ministry you take part in, or every conference you attend means something to all of us. You are not just a low level employee in a huge corporation but instead a part of something bigger than any of us can ever imagine. We will all do great things because you are working for Him. Keep up the good work and continue to strengthen your relationship with Him, and we’ll all grow stronger because of it.

Welcome to the Masquerade

2010-05-11T11:09:00.005-04:00

I’ve been pondering that sentence ever since I first heard the new CD from Thousand Foot Krutch. TFK is a Christian rock band that recently came out with this CD. The cover shows a person’s face covered by a mask. The song with the same title talks about how we all have a fire for God, yet we live in this grand ball room called the world where many Christians find themselves hiding instead of stepping out for God. They encourage us all to take off our masks and show the world what lies underneath. These thoughts have haunted me since I first heard them.

Have you ever seen your life this way? Have you ever thought that you were mask-less at home and church, yet when you were faced with opposition in the outside world, instead of standing and fighting it off, you ran away to put your mask back on? Well, I have to tell you that is what many of us do on a day-to-day basis.

Each one of us has the power to fight off this opposition and yet we cower away. I’d like to encourage you this week to stop wearing your mask. In order to “Live the Call Together” each of us has to be willing to put that mask aside and use His word as our protection. We have to be willing to be there and be the fire that He wants us all to be.

Can you do this? Can you live up to this expectation and stop acting like every day is Halloween with that mask on? You can still go to the ball and dance, but stop hiding out amongst the rest of the crowd. It’s time to show the world who you really are and who you trust with your life.

Prank You Very Much

2010-05-04T10:55:00.000-04:00

I recently heard about a group of kids who were prank-calling random people, and how frustrated those receiving the calls would get as they couldn’t understand what the caller was trying to tell them. Now don’t ask me to explain why, but it made me think about those who are lost and their encounters with God. Let me explain:

Let’s say that the prank callers are God, and the recipients are the lost. The lost people pick up the phone thinking they are going to hear from someone they know or at least can understand.However, what they hear is often like a foreign language to them. They can’t make out what is being told to them, they become frustrated, and eventually hang up. This is often the response we get from people we witness to. They just can’t grasp what is being told to them, and instead of trying harder to understand, they take the easy way out and deny Him all together.

So, what can we do to reach these people? Why not try to speak their language? That is what we are trying to do at NAC through outreaches like Food Bank, our sports ministries, Tag Clubs, and Apprentice House. We try to go to where these people are and try to get to know the language they speak. Then, we attempt to reach them through something that we have in common. Once that relationship is formed we can start to speak the same language. Does it always work? No.Does it eventually work? Maybe. Yet we MUST keep trying. If these people are never contacted, what good are we doing for Him?

We as Christians are called to reach into the world and get as many people to a relationship with God as we can. Think of yourself as that stupid crane game (I always lose at this) they have at arcades. The grasping hand is at the top of the machine (that would be you and me) and the prizes at the bottom of the machine are the lost. God is the one at the controls of the crane. He has us dipping into the world and trying to gain a prize that will be sent out of the machine to His kingdom. We don’t always grasp something, and sometimes it takes multiple attempts before we get the prize that we wanted. Yet, every effort gets you closer to gaining it eventually through more experience, etc. Also, some machines turn out more prizes than others. Yet, every machine that is working towards gaining prizes allows more and more prizes to be won through all of the combined efforts.

So, in summary we have to try time and time again to gain more people to His kingdom. We have to try over and over again to learn what will work in order to penetrate their world and get them to know Him. This is why I advocate all genres of Christian music and the artists that go “main stream” with their music. Music is yet another language that is spoken worldwide, and be it rap, rock, country, or anything else it’s yet another way that Christians are trying to speak a language that others in the world will understand and get them interested in God.

Are you willing to do what it takes in order go get the prizes that God covets? Allow him to take control of your efforts and you might find yourself speaking a different language and plucking up more and more prizes for His kingdom.

Get Over It - You're Not Perfect

2010-04-27T12:18:00.001-04:00

You do know that you are a sinner, right? I mean, c'mon…. About 90% of you reading this have already sinned at least once today. Want me to prove it?

-Maybe you checked out that person of the opposite sex walking by you with that second glance.

-Maybe you lied to someone, even a little white lie. Maybe you even lied to yourself, such as speeding on the way to work is just fine because it’s only a couple MPH and they’ll never pull you over for that.

-Maybe you cursed today

-Maybe you were jealous of someone else as the drove by you in a better car, or had better clothing, or even what looks on the outside to be a better life.

-Maybe I could name about 30 other things, but I think that is enough to get us started, don’t you?

So, now that you realize that you are more of a sinner than we seem to think that we are at times, what can you do about it? First off, stop lying to yourself that it doesn’t matter. It does matter. Secondly, stop telling yourself that since they aren’t big things like killing someone that it’s not that big of a deal. It is a big deal.

Sin is sin, no matter how big or small. The biggest problem with sin is that we often do it and don’t even see it as sinning. Yet, here we all are sinning every day. Yes, I included myself there,didn’t I? I’m no better than any of the rest of you – I’m not perfect. There has only been one perfect person on this Earth, Jesus.

Now that you fall short of being Jesus and are getting over your God complex, seeing your life for what it is, now what? I think now you need to start realizing when you actually do sin. That is half of the battle, knowing that you did it. It’s kind of like being an addict – you have to admit that you have a problem before you can take care of it. So, knowing that you sin and when you do it will allow you to find a way to stop doing it. Find a way to change and stop doing that sin.One by one you’ll eventually be able to get rid of at least the big ones.

Now, you’ll never get rid of them all, as we were made in the image of God – we weren’t made to BE God. You’ll always be a sinner in one way or another. Yet, if you are continually working to remove sin from your life you’ll not allow the devil to have a foothold in your life. Our goal as Christians should be to improve ourselves daily and work towards a closer relationship with He who forgives our sins – Jesus Christ. I pray that this week you’ll start to take a closer look at your life and start to take out the weeds from the garden called your life.

The Second Meal

2010-04-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

I’m sure each and every one of you have made a meal in the past that has in which you have made a little bit too much food. Of course, you didn’t want to waste that food, so you put it in the fridge in order to have a second meal at some point later in the day or week. Yes, those seconds are called leftovers. We all have had leftovers at some point in our lives and I don’t know about you guys, but unless it’s something I really love, leftovers are not something I really want to be having. Those leftovers just never seem to taste the same reheated, and most of the time at least some of them get thrown away because we’re never going to finish them all before they go bad.

So, we’re all so against having leftovers, then why are we so quick to serve them to God? What do I mean, you ask. Well, how many of us put God off to the side while we work towards the many ambitions that we have of our own? You know, you have someone in your life who does not know about God, but today you can’t go talk with them about it because you have to get your hair cut, stop at the store, etc. Or, maybe you put off reading the Bible or doing your devotions until after the game is over on TV, or you mow the lawn first, etc. Did you even realize that when you did that, you put God second, and in the feast of your attention you now forced God to have the leftovers? The left over minutes of the day that you have left.

I’m guessing that if any of us had God over for dinner, the first things we’d do is look in the fridge for leftovers to warm up, right? No, you wouldn’t? Oh, so you’d be willing to cook Him a brand new meal and put all of your attention to making that meal just perfect for Him? Then why don’t we do that every day? Why do we not start our days focused on Him? Why don’t we prioritize reading the Bible and doing things for His kingdom first before all the other little things? Why do we let the world get in the way of God?

We talk a lot at church about prayer and being closer to God, but I don’t know if we always put it in such plain terms for people. If you truly want to be closer to God you’ll start making Him a priority and stop serving him what ever is leftover.

Get The Message

2010-04-12T10:18:00.001-04:00

So, on Sunday I was the "elder of the day" at Norwalk Alliance Church. I expounded upon a message that I have felt God screaming at me to talk about during my time in front of the congregation. I feel so strongly about this right now that I am going to include a written version of this in today's blog....I hope you don't mind.

First off I'd like you to take out your cell phone. I'd like you to put that in your right hand, and get our your Bible and put that in your left hand. I want you to look at your hands right now, as we compare these two items.

Both the Bible and the cell phone both have messages for you. On the cell phone you have voice mail messages, text messages, and most even can get e-mail messages these days. Some people even have a Bible application on their cell. Now, I want you to look at your Bible. This book also has a message for you. It's a message of hope, peace, and your salvation. It's all about how you should live your lives, bringing others along the journey.

My question for you today is, why do we all spend so much time with the messages on the cell phone? Why is it that we'll drop everything else we're doing in order to check out the message that is on that cell phone, but we're not willing to do the same with the guidebook for each and every one of our lives? I've seen people check out their cell because it sounded or vibrated everywhere from a concert, a sporting event, a restroom, to even in church. Why do we continue to allow these distractions into our lives when we aren't so quick to answer His call? His message is just waiting to be read every day, and yet we aren't nearly as fast to check out the Bible as we are our cell phones.

When we start to make Him a priority in our lives, maybe then we'll start to see a change in our focus. Maybe then we'll allow God to work more and more in our lives. I'm not saying that the messages on the phone aren't important, but I am saying that they need to be prioritized correctly. When we get that under control and allow God into our lives more and more, then we'll feel His presence more and more each and every day.

I Want A Second Try!

2010-04-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

I don’t know about you guys, but man I’ve really messed things up in my life. I mean, I’ve done some really stupid things that I’d really like to go back and correct. You know, kind of like getting a mulligan while golfing. That is right, I want another try,God… Do you think he’d give me one?

Everyone once in awhile I look back at my life and think about all the stupid things I’ve done. I’m sure everyone has similar stories like when I was jealous of another guy for talking to a girl I liked and hit him at a football game. Oh, and there was the time I was sucker punched on the playground because of a really stupid argument with another guy in junior high. And then there was the flowers I sent a girl and didn’t put my name on them….how stupid is that? Yes, those are only a few of the stupid things I’ve done, and yet every here and there they come back into my head for some reason. I wouldn’t mind a do-over on most of those.

Then I start to think about that a little more. What good would a do-over do me? If I got a second try at any of those what would I be like now? You see, for each of us, every one of those blunders we’ve made, as well as the positive experiences, have helped shape who we are today. We go through the good and the bad of the earlier parts of our lives in order to prepare ourselves for who we are today. God had us in those situations then in order to allow us to have experienced things that we may not have any other way.

Try thinking of that the next time you are in a hard spot in your life. Maybe you will see your experience in a different light. Maybe you’ll be able to get out of a situation because you got through something similar in your past. Then again, maybe He’s building up for something that will happen later on instead.

So, although it sounds great to look back at our past and think about all the things differently, in retrospect that may not be the wise thing to do. Those experiences made us who we are. It’s easy to be a “Monday Morning Quarterback” and know what should have been done differently. But, God made us who we all are today because of the things we have gone through in the past. If it’s not to help us, it may be to help someone else. Maybe you can help your kids out with something they are going through because you have gone through it as well. Maybe the person you mentor needs help with something, and you just happen to have lots of experience in that area. Whatever the reason, God crafted every part of our lives, including every good and bad experience. You have trust Him and not ask for a do-over, but instead embrace who you are and what He has made you to be. When you do that, His kingdom will be even stronger because you now are even more accepting of who you are and your role in His world!

Are you willing to get hit?

2010-03-30T12:53:00.001-04:00

I was recently asked by someone how to not focus on the bad things in a person’s life.

Now, after some quick consideration, I came up with this idea – one that I thought might benefit others.

Think of yourself as standing in the middle of a long road. There isn’t much on that road that keeps you from seeing into the distance. A bad thing in your life is an incoming car. That car is coming straight at you, at a speed that really doesn’t matter at this moment. Now, you think that you can distract yourself from that bad thing (car) and so you put up some sort of barrier – we’ll go with a brick wall – between you and the car (bad thing) in order to keep it from getting to you. The problem is, you are only fooling yourself. That little brick wall isn’t going to keep that car from getting to you. It’s only a temporary barrier with no support structure and when that car hits it, well the car will just get through it and get to you. All you did was fool yourself that you could actually keep away from that bad thing in your life.

Now, instead let's look at that car coming at you again on that same road. This time you see that car coming and decide to trust God. Now, trusting in God doesn’t mean you stand there waiting for the car (bad thing) to hit you! Instead, you change your focus from the car that is coming your way to the fire hydrant on the side of the road directly to your side. You take a step of faith and step towards the object that God placed there for you instead. And, now because you stepped towards the item that God had you change your focus towards, you barely even notice when the car goes whizzing past you on the road.

Now, that probably dog-pee-stained fire hydrant isn’t really a hydrant. It’s something good that God has placed in your life. It may be a ministry that you are a part of, a loved one, or possibly Him in another form such as a good Christian book, song, or even the Bible. He placed that there in your life because he knew that if you walked towards it that your life would be spared from the bad things in it - and that your ultimate goal of focusing on Him would be achieved.

Wouldn’t you like to change your focus and stop looking at the bad things that can mess up your life? Wouldn’t you rather have more of Him in your life instead? If so, stop focusing on the things that aren’t any good in your life. Change your focus to the things that He has given you to make your life better. When you change your perspective and focus on the good things, you may not even notice the bad things in your life any more – and you’ll have more of Him in your life instead.

We'll Leave The Light On For You - Conculsion

2010-03-23T10:59:00.002-04:00

As most of you know, Motel 6 is famous for the slogan “We’ll Leave The Light On For You.” It was a huge advertising campaign and still sticks in the heads of many of us today. So, why do I use this saying at the conclusion of this series today?

Well, if you are plugged in, as we talked about the first week, and if you have found the light and are living in it, you are then living the life that God has set for you. But, what happens when someone falls away from God? What happens if your family member decides to walk out of the light and back into the darkness?

First off, that light has dimmed – but most of the time it hasn’t been extinguished. The information is there in his or her head, but they are choosing to leave the light. The world that we live in is so tempting that many will choose it over God for so many reasons.

These people are temporarily lost, but they are not forgotten. God will not forget them, and He won’t let you either. They will continue to be on your heart and you will continue to be given opportunities to shine back into their lives. This is a trial in this person’s life that will hopefully allow them to speak into the lives of others later on in life. We’ve all been lost at one point and have found our way to Him.

Continue to pray for those who are in the darkness. Continue to shine your light into their lives. Let them know that God wants to renew the relationship with them and that they are special to Him. Let the know that the light can be plugged back in and start shining again.

We'll Leave The Light On For You - Living In The Light

2010-03-16T11:50:00.004-04:00

There it is people, our lives in a picture. If you are plugged in and your light is shining, then there you are in the chair. You are in the hot seat, which is in the spotlight. The darkness -- that is the world around you. In that darkness are millions of other people in chairs that could be in a spotlight as well, but instead they are just sitting there going about their day-to-day lives.

So, how do you get others into the spotlight as well? How about moving the chair and bringing others into the light with you? That is what evangelism really is. You are moving around the stage (world) with a spotlight on you bringing people into the light from the darkness. You do this by becoming a part of their lives. You take an interest in others and become a part of their lives. Then, through all of that, you eventually get into discussions about life and faith and let him or her know that you have a personal relationship with a God who wants to know him or her as well.

That effort that you take as you are plugged in and shining your light for God in the world could eventually cause a stage (world) full of spotlights shining for God, working on getting more and more lights onto the stage. What a great place we’ll live in once this occurs! Live in the light, people, and bring others along with you. Let’s light up this place!