A Flash from the Past

I guess any time a person has surgery they are forced to do a little self-inspection.  After sleeping most of the afternoon thanks to the wonderful pain medicine I was sent home with I decided to check my social networks and see what had happened while I was away.  I found this picture from thirty-two years ago.  We were actually studying (sort of) for Bible Bowl with our youth ministry intern David Mabon.  I know how old I am, so he must be really old since he was already in college.  Those were such great times at Southern Acres!  Growing up with great youth ministers like Larry Green and Russell Johnson and several fun interns like David and Mark Snavely and others.   Today as I reflect on life I sure am thankful for this part of my heritage!

Thankful for Friends

It's been quite a week.  The long awaited knee surgery is over and now the recovery process begins.  I have been blessed with great friends throughout this ordeal as well as the doctors and nurses who have been so caring.  Of course, the best nurse is the one I have had with me for 25 years now.  I can't wait to see what I can do when everything is healed.  I had really hoped to be able to write a lot during this time, but focusing is a little hard right now.  I have learned so much already just going through the journey.  I know every time we find ourselves in difficult situations we want to say the right thing and often don't know what that thing is.  Let me make a suggestion while it is fresh on my mind that I am going to try to live by.  When someone is facing surgery, let's not wish them good luck, because as a believer I don't want to count on luck I want to count on God.  Let me suggest that we encourage people to "be blessed", instead of wishing them good luck.  I know everyone has the best of intentions when they say good luck, but "be blessed" seems more in line with what I believe is the desire of Christians.

The other lesson that I continue to learn is honesty.  I make so many mistakes on a daily basis with the things I mis-state and with the some choices I make.  I want to be the kind of friend that always comes clean with those things and makes things right with my friends.  If we could all learn to be honest in everything we say we would never have to cover our tracks, remember what we told someone else, because it would always be the truth.  The best kind of friend you can have is that one that will always be straight with you.  If you have someone like that in your life thank God for them, if you don't you start the process by being like that with someone else.  Friends are a beautiful thing!  I thank God for mine!

It's Coming - Are You Ready

Our physical DNA defines who we are as an individual.  We believe that there are several markers for those that are truly striving to follow Christ that make up their spiritual DNA.  Who are you? What do you look like?  Can people see Christ living in you? How are you going to live?

I have become so convinced that there are certain markers in our spiritual DNA that define what we look like as a Christian as much as our physical DNA defines us in our physical appearance.  We are working hard to define and package these in such a way that they can help those who call themselves Christians to evaluate if they are really "All In" for Christ.  If they are these markers will stand out so that the world can see a difference.  Not a bizarre weirdness, but an inexplicably peace that passes all human worldly understanding.

We are going to start unpacking this on February 26 at Shelby Christian Church.  Mark your calendar and join us Feb 26 at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m.

What Are You Reading?

I am always trying to read more and more and never seem to have enough time.  How about we share things we are learning through our individual reading and maximize our efforts.  I am currently reading two books. The first is You Lost Me by David Kinnaman.  It describes research about the generation of young adults that find themselves wandering and the church at large not knowing how to find them or in many cases not even willing to look.  Kinnaman divides those young adults in the Mosaic or Millennial generation who have lost touch with the local church into three categories.  Nomads who think of themselves as Christians but who have drifted away from the church of their parents. Prodigals are those who have given up on the faith of their childhood. Exiles feel stuck between the idealistic world of church and the real world they find themselves living and trying to survive in.  I am finding the facts recorded from surveys amazingly on track with what I am experiencing with the high school football players I work with on Friday night and the thoughts of my own children.  I hope that I can lead our church to finding these valuable young adults.

The second book that I am reading is actually a reread of Timothy Keller's book Prodigal God.  I use that in our leadership training group every year to set the tone for a church that cares about those that may have lost their way.  Keller has such a wonderful view of the church's role as the older brother who needs to be out looking for the lost brother rather than relishing in staying home and then complaining when the lost one finds his way.  Much to think about in that concept.

So what are you reading and what is that book causing you to think about?

New Year, New Thoughts

I am so excited about what God has in store for this new year!  2011 was a great year for learning about God.   He proved himself faithful to my physical family with healing and restoration.  He proved himself faithful to our spiritual family on the hill with new excitement, new energy, changed lives and financial blessings in the last three months.  What does He have in store for this year.

We had a great time of worship and teaching on "contentment" on Sunday.  Contentment is such a great concept and yet it may be one of the most difficult things to achieve in our current climate and culture.  God proves Himself so faithful and what do we seem to need ... "Just a Little Bit More".  I wonder why?  I have known the words of Phillipians 4:8-13 for a long time, but still struggle living it out.  Read these words from Paul as translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message,
^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. ^10-14I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

I have a lot of hopes and dreams for myself, my family and my church ... but my biggest goal for right now is to be content with what God has in store for me and not to run ahead of the one who created and me and let His Son die for me.  What I deserved was hell, but God stepped in!  So my prayer for you is that you will dream big dreams, lift them up to God in prayer and then be content with His response.