Sooooooo, I wanted to include a link to something Craig Ferguson rambled on about last night, but I couldn't find it... so... this is what you get instead: Nothing. Sorry.
Tonight my blog is going to touch on something that is extremely personal to me for more than one reason. I want to talk about smoking. Earlier today I posted a question to people on my FB page: How long have you smoked and how did you quit?
I knew the answer that I wanted to hear, but I rarely get the response I am expecting when I pose questions to the public. This time, however, was surprisingly different. Before I go into it all, lets look at some statistics:
*About 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily - or 10 million every minute. Cigarettes cause more than one in five American deaths. Smoking related-diseases kill one in 10 adults globally, or cause four million deaths. (1)
*If you smoke around you children they can inhale the equivalent of 102 packs of cigarettes by age 5.
You know, I have researched this for days and I think I am going to stop with the facts now. We all know what smoking does to a person. Lung, mouth, vocal, throat, stomach and many more cancers are developed from smoking. We know that COPD and pneumonia can be caused and irritated by smoking. We know all these things, yet people keep lighting up, every day.
It bothers me that they seem to want to kill themselves, but it really pisses me off that they don't seem to take into consideration the health of others. I think this stems from childhood. I was born with a severe congenital heart defect. Over the years I have had to see my cardiologist at least every six months for check ups and I have had open heart surgery. As a kid I remember my cardiologist (every six months) begging my dad to stop smoking. If not for himself, then for the sake of the (two) children he had whom had serious heart defects. My dad smoked for almost 20 years after that, in the house/car and with the windows closed and his children present. Every time I see someone light up a cigarette, I hear them "say", I don't care about my health and I certainly don't care about anyone around me.
There have been many serious health conditions linked to second hand smoke. Some studies have even said that second hand smoke may be more dangerous than actually smoking, because the smoker has a filter between him and the smoke that others are not privileged with.
I had a great friend die a tragic and uncomfortable death from lung cancer. He hadn't smoked a cigarette in his life, but he lived in a third world nation where everyone smokes because it is cool. He didn't have to die. Oh, by the way, he was 23. These are just a couple of reasons why this is a personal matter in my life. There are other reasons, but they are a bit more personal than I am willing to discuss at the moment.
I have to ask you, how can any person who has been raise in my generation or thereafter choose to smoke? You know the facts. Save your life and save a million others. Put the cigarettes down. I know its hard. I smoked myself as a (extremely stupid) teen. I know that every time you go to a gas station for the rest of your life, those stupid things will try to talk to you. I know. I also know that you can quit.
Remember the FB question I asked? I got a few replies. Do you know how they stopped smoking after all the other things they tried failed? Every single one of them quit cold turkey. And it worked. As Craig Ferguson says, "Smoking is an addiction. So, the first step is to quit putting the drug in your body. The second step is to deal with the addiction."
You can do it.
(1) www.readytoquit.com
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 20, 2011
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11: 6(NKJV)
Have you ever dared to question what is currently factual? For example, before Neil Armstrong, no one had ever walked on the moon. He had to question the facts surrounding him and he had to question what was. No one had ever walked on the moon. But could they? What about Harriet Tubman? People were stuck and things were not changing. But could they? No one was taking a step to act on behalf a people. But could they?
It is a great thing to look back over history and see where people have taken a look at their surroundings, didn't like what they saw, and dared to ask questions. However, to accomplish something great, they couldn't just sit around drawing question marks. They had to examine their surroundings, question them AND answer their questions with an act. A question unanswered will never change the world or make history. It is in the same way that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)
Faith is something people struggle with every single day. I know I have. Some people like to sweep hope or faith under the rug and say things like, "Well, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, its how you played the game". Ya, that saying is old and people are probably using it somewhere now, but I don't buy it. Try telling a mother who's baby is battling cancer that it doesn't matter whether she wins or loses. Try telling someone on the verge of suicide that it doesn't matter whether they win or lose. Winning does matter in life and anyone who thinks otherwise is allowing themselves to cop out.
Its time for people to find their passion, or rather, to look back into the secret places of their heart and rediscover the callings that they have hidden away because they are scared to actually accomplish them. Its time to stand up for what you are passionate about. Its time to stop asking questions on FaceBook, and to start asking questions of yourself. It is due time that we also require ourselves to answer our own questions.
You see, faith without works is dead. Therefore, faith is an act. You can believe all day that God has the power to help you walk on water, but until you take that first step out of the boat, you have shown no faith at all.
In the same way, you can believe that God has called you to do great things, but if you will never start walking toward that goal, it will always be a blurry bullseye in the distance. We MUST allow ourselves to let go of what others think, we must allow ourselves to hold onto God with all our might, and we must allow ourselves to have faith. Not just lip service, but earth shattering, nation rocking, world changing faith. Our faith should be so loud that people ask us why we are screaming even when we have not whispered a word.
I submit to you today, that if you get out of bed tomorrow determined to ask questions and give answers just in the small events of that day, you will already have begun to change the world.
Seek God in His Word. Seek His heart on faith.
Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak.
2 Corinthians 4: 13
Hebrews 11: 6(NKJV)
Have you ever dared to question what is currently factual? For example, before Neil Armstrong, no one had ever walked on the moon. He had to question the facts surrounding him and he had to question what was. No one had ever walked on the moon. But could they? What about Harriet Tubman? People were stuck and things were not changing. But could they? No one was taking a step to act on behalf a people. But could they?
It is a great thing to look back over history and see where people have taken a look at their surroundings, didn't like what they saw, and dared to ask questions. However, to accomplish something great, they couldn't just sit around drawing question marks. They had to examine their surroundings, question them AND answer their questions with an act. A question unanswered will never change the world or make history. It is in the same way that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)
Faith is something people struggle with every single day. I know I have. Some people like to sweep hope or faith under the rug and say things like, "Well, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, its how you played the game". Ya, that saying is old and people are probably using it somewhere now, but I don't buy it. Try telling a mother who's baby is battling cancer that it doesn't matter whether she wins or loses. Try telling someone on the verge of suicide that it doesn't matter whether they win or lose. Winning does matter in life and anyone who thinks otherwise is allowing themselves to cop out.
Its time for people to find their passion, or rather, to look back into the secret places of their heart and rediscover the callings that they have hidden away because they are scared to actually accomplish them. Its time to stand up for what you are passionate about. Its time to stop asking questions on FaceBook, and to start asking questions of yourself. It is due time that we also require ourselves to answer our own questions.
You see, faith without works is dead. Therefore, faith is an act. You can believe all day that God has the power to help you walk on water, but until you take that first step out of the boat, you have shown no faith at all.
In the same way, you can believe that God has called you to do great things, but if you will never start walking toward that goal, it will always be a blurry bullseye in the distance. We MUST allow ourselves to let go of what others think, we must allow ourselves to hold onto God with all our might, and we must allow ourselves to have faith. Not just lip service, but earth shattering, nation rocking, world changing faith. Our faith should be so loud that people ask us why we are screaming even when we have not whispered a word.
I submit to you today, that if you get out of bed tomorrow determined to ask questions and give answers just in the small events of that day, you will already have begun to change the world.
Seek God in His Word. Seek His heart on faith.
Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak.
2 Corinthians 4: 13
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
February 16, 2011
And when we think we lead, we are most led.
~Lord Byron
The best example of leadership is leadership by example.
~Jerry McClain
Having been in a few churches in my life, and in leadership in many of them, I would like to take a moment to share some observations. I apologize in in advance for the inevitable toes that will be stepped on.
It seems to me that, other than a selective few, churches across America are struggling to gain more than 100 or so members in an average Sunday morning service. A church may claim to have 250, 300 or even 500 members, but when you actually attend a Sunday service all you see is 100-150. This means that a LOT of people are coming through the church doors, and more than HALF of them are, for one reason or another, not staying. Why could this be?
Reason #1- It is impossible to please everyone.
Yes this is true, and if you try to please everyone you may end up doing more damage than good in the world, however it is also a dangerously fine line to walk when it comes to choosing to have that attitude in leadership. You see, it is a fact that you cannot please everyone, however that does not give us permission to treat people differently just because they may require more attention, or try to draw attention to themselves. You see, the thing is that if it weren't for people who were hurt and crying out for attention, then this ministry we live would not exist. As the church, we should treat all people equally, with love. If they decide to leave (and it will happen from time to time) then we can watch them leave out the back door knowing that we did eveything we could to show them the love of God.
Reason #2- We don't have the right programs for the people and their families.
This is also a true reason why people leave churches every single day. They feel like their kids might get better attention elsewhere. I have even heard leadership say, "Well, if we could just get some people to volunteer, then we could have a kids/youth program as good as ABC Church down the road then MAYBE we could keep some of these families we are losing!" Dear Pastor/Leader, there is a bigger reason why we are losing family after family and I will discuss it in a later point.
Reason #3- People are just too busy for church.
Wow, yet another extremely valid point. This is very true. Most people are so busy that they can't even tell you which way is up or down, and that's before they try to plan their religious activity. I do not deny the validity of this point, but I do have to ask one question of all my Pastor/Leader friends and family: Is it the people who are too busy? Or is it you? That leads me to my final point.
Reason #4- People do not form lasting relationships inside the walls of the church.
This is going to be a long point, so strap on your seat belt and hold on, we're in for a long haul. You see, of all the years I have been in church and, even more recently, directly involved in ministry, I have seen people try the same things over and over again and reap no lasting result. Often times as leaders we give our EVERYTHING every single day to make sure that things are absolutely perfect for that Sunday morning visitor.
For example, we want to make sure that the right music is chosen for praise and worship, and that it is preformed flawlessly, so that we don't look stupid. Something like bad music might make a visitor not want to come back to this church.
Then we want to make sure that we fit in all our announcements/offering/communion without anyone getting bent out of shape or bored with it, so we plan it to the "T" assuring that there is some sort of major multimedia involved, because a visitor who loses interest might not come back to this church.
After that we get our fearless leader on stage. We want to make sure he is dressed just right, not too dressy so as not to embarrass visitors who may have dressed more casually that morning, but also not TOO casual because we don't want to offend the older crowd. They are reliable tithers. All because if even ONE thing goes wrong, that visitor might not come back to this church.
Then we have the pastor escorted off by body guards, so that none of the visitors gets to talk to him. He is a busy man, and has things to do. Plus, that visitor who doesn't want to come back next week might want to talk to him and tell him why. We don't need our pastor to have to deal with their burden. After all they aren't coming back next week anyway, right?
Now I am going to ask a question that is going to make you all mad.
Why can't we do it differently?
Seriously. What would happen if we didn't bombard our guests with bulletins and fake smiles, but instead our members were trained to greet new people as they saw them sit down around them? What if they were trained this way, because this is what they have seen their leadership practice day in and day out? What if we planned events, not based on the newest video teaching that has come out, but based on hanging out and getting to know one another?
Then...
What would happen when members of our churches became friends with one another? What would happen if they were there for each other, even without having to be asked? What would happen if they showed up at each others doors, just because they knew they were welcome and wanted to drop in and say hi. What if they did this and it wasn't even Sunday?????
After that...
What would happen when they began to live life together, as a band of family. As people who deserve to be called Christians, not because they have done every little thing right, but because they individually have an unending relationship with God through Jesus Christ (even though they may fall at times) and because they cumulatively help each other out in difficult and even scandalous life affairs, all while leading by example.
What if the only judge we faced in Christianity was God?
What if we could try something different?
What if it worked?
What if we changed the world?
And on a rather touchy closing note, I would SERIOUSLY encourage you to RUN as fast as you can away from any church who's pastor does not take at least a minute to say hi to you.
I know I crunched some toes tonight, but I really have this on my heart and I have a passion to see passion for God spread like wildfire. The way we are going now, there will be less than four percent of high school graduates choosing to follow God in their life after high school. If we keep going the way we are, we will wipe out Christianity completely, maybe even as soon as the next generation to graduate high school. We need to do an abrupt about face, and it starts with you.
Christianity has never been about works. It is not about what you do. It is about relationship, that is, having an unfailing relationship with the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, who died to bridge the gap between God and man.
Take a moment to put that into practice into your church. It is not about works, but about relationships. REAL relationships. Lasting friendships. Genuine caring for one another.
You might even call it unconditional love.
That is how we will change the world.
Matthew 22:36-40 (New International Version, ©2010)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Disclaimer: I am not trying to say that structure and multimedia presentations are wrong, all I am trying to say is that we need to prioritize our time better. If the time we spend on the items is more than the quality time we spend developing actual relationships with people, then something is very wrong, and I even venture to say the church that chooses to do this will not succeed.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
February 13, 2011
What is love?
"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." - Erica Jong
"Where love is, no room is too small." - Talmud
"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." - Peter Ustinov
"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen
Here is a love story I once heard, and I haven't ever been able to forget it:
There once was a young couple who found out that they were expecting a baby. They weren't married and they were afraid what their families would think. When it was almost time for the baby to come, they took the road trip back to his hometown to see the family. On the way, they decided to stop for the night, since the expectant mother was getting tired. After trying a few different places, they realized they were not going to find a place to stay. There was some sort of convention in town that had drawn a lot of people. No hotel had an open room. Determined that they were too tired to go on, they found a little field behind the last hotel they visited, and decided to sleep under a pavilion, of sorts. Luckily, there was hay to sleep on, so the ground didn't seem so hard. It seemed like this place may have been used to house animals at some point in time, but they didn't care, they were tired and just needed a little sleep.
However, in the middle of the night, the expectant mother woke her boyfriend and told him it was time to have the baby. Before they knew it, they had a baby boy, right there in that field.
Years went by and that boy grew to be a confident young man, and was even quite outspoken at times. The mom was proud of her son, except for when he would get so involved in conversations with adults, that she didn't even realize he had stayed behind when she moved on.
This boy eventually grew into a great young adult. She even invited him to the marriage of some friends. He came, and brought some of his friends with him. Its a good thing he decided to show up, because the married couple actually ended up asking for his help with a little problem they had. He lent a helping hand, and everything went better than they could have imagined.
One day, a crowd came and blamed the son of things that he had not done. They accused him falsely, sentenced him with no trial, beat him, dragged him up a hill and hung him on a cross.
They broke his legs and pierced his side with a sword, although he forgave them because they didn't know what they were doing.
He breathed his last breath, letting go, dying, and releasing the salvation of God to every person on earth.
Which is the greatest love story: The one of young love in trouble, or the one of our God giving His everything? He went from that bastard child of Mary and Joseph, to Savior of the world. His death sent a physical shock wave through the earth. The veil in the temple was ripped from to to bottom as the Holy Spirit was released to enter the earth and be our Helper. All because a baby boy born to unmarried parents in an old dirty field used for animals raised Himself up to be a legacy.
So, what IS love?
John 15:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.
1 John 3:16 The Message (MSG)
This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.
"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it...It really is worth fighting for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." - Erica Jong
"Where love is, no room is too small." - Talmud
"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." - Peter Ustinov
"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." - Sam Keen
Here is a love story I once heard, and I haven't ever been able to forget it:
There once was a young couple who found out that they were expecting a baby. They weren't married and they were afraid what their families would think. When it was almost time for the baby to come, they took the road trip back to his hometown to see the family. On the way, they decided to stop for the night, since the expectant mother was getting tired. After trying a few different places, they realized they were not going to find a place to stay. There was some sort of convention in town that had drawn a lot of people. No hotel had an open room. Determined that they were too tired to go on, they found a little field behind the last hotel they visited, and decided to sleep under a pavilion, of sorts. Luckily, there was hay to sleep on, so the ground didn't seem so hard. It seemed like this place may have been used to house animals at some point in time, but they didn't care, they were tired and just needed a little sleep.
However, in the middle of the night, the expectant mother woke her boyfriend and told him it was time to have the baby. Before they knew it, they had a baby boy, right there in that field.
Years went by and that boy grew to be a confident young man, and was even quite outspoken at times. The mom was proud of her son, except for when he would get so involved in conversations with adults, that she didn't even realize he had stayed behind when she moved on.
This boy eventually grew into a great young adult. She even invited him to the marriage of some friends. He came, and brought some of his friends with him. Its a good thing he decided to show up, because the married couple actually ended up asking for his help with a little problem they had. He lent a helping hand, and everything went better than they could have imagined.
One day, a crowd came and blamed the son of things that he had not done. They accused him falsely, sentenced him with no trial, beat him, dragged him up a hill and hung him on a cross.
They broke his legs and pierced his side with a sword, although he forgave them because they didn't know what they were doing.
He breathed his last breath, letting go, dying, and releasing the salvation of God to every person on earth.
Which is the greatest love story: The one of young love in trouble, or the one of our God giving His everything? He went from that bastard child of Mary and Joseph, to Savior of the world. His death sent a physical shock wave through the earth. The veil in the temple was ripped from to to bottom as the Holy Spirit was released to enter the earth and be our Helper. All because a baby boy born to unmarried parents in an old dirty field used for animals raised Himself up to be a legacy.
So, what IS love?
John 15:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.
1 John 3:16 The Message (MSG)
This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.
Friday, February 11, 2011
February 11, 2011
"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."— John C. Maxwell
In the past seven days, I have lost my job and a part of what I imagined might be my future. Both have left me whirling to see where God's plan may take my life. I struggle to not be a little depressed. I know God has great things for me, and that I am leaving to live my dream out in just a few weeks. Therefore, I have to assume that these situations are an attack on this vision and calling being fulfilled. Nice try, but it ain't gonna happen. I'm going to Albania no matter what. I'm gonna preach to the nations, and shake the world for Jesus, and I'm not gonna stop. Ever.
Will I ever have a stable job again? Maybe not. Maybe I will eat honey and locusts like John the Baptist. To get Bible results you have to do what they did in Bible days. That could include sacrifice, and I'm down with that.
Will I ever get married? Maybe not. I am not even sure I want to. I mean who would sacrifice in the same way I do for these missions? Who loves youth with a passion that can't be explained like I do? God has given me something special, and would rather chase him than men who act like boys (which they all do).
Will I let the things, mountains, that face me stop this call? Never. Hospitalize me. You will still not be able to stop this hurricane of God in my soul. It will come out of me somewhere, and if my time is limited by medical conditions, then I better work harder and focus more now. That doesn't leave much time for 9-5 jobs and boys, does it? No. And I am ok with that.
You may not understand this, and that's also ok. You don't have the calling I have.
Ephesians 6:13 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet
This has also been quoted as saying, "Having done all to stand. Stand." Welcome to my life. My calling.
In the past seven days, I have lost my job and a part of what I imagined might be my future. Both have left me whirling to see where God's plan may take my life. I struggle to not be a little depressed. I know God has great things for me, and that I am leaving to live my dream out in just a few weeks. Therefore, I have to assume that these situations are an attack on this vision and calling being fulfilled. Nice try, but it ain't gonna happen. I'm going to Albania no matter what. I'm gonna preach to the nations, and shake the world for Jesus, and I'm not gonna stop. Ever.
Will I ever have a stable job again? Maybe not. Maybe I will eat honey and locusts like John the Baptist. To get Bible results you have to do what they did in Bible days. That could include sacrifice, and I'm down with that.
Will I ever get married? Maybe not. I am not even sure I want to. I mean who would sacrifice in the same way I do for these missions? Who loves youth with a passion that can't be explained like I do? God has given me something special, and would rather chase him than men who act like boys (which they all do).
Will I let the things, mountains, that face me stop this call? Never. Hospitalize me. You will still not be able to stop this hurricane of God in my soul. It will come out of me somewhere, and if my time is limited by medical conditions, then I better work harder and focus more now. That doesn't leave much time for 9-5 jobs and boys, does it? No. And I am ok with that.
You may not understand this, and that's also ok. You don't have the calling I have.
Ephesians 6:13 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet
This has also been quoted as saying, "Having done all to stand. Stand." Welcome to my life. My calling.
Monday, February 7, 2011
February 7, 2011
It may seem old school to some, but I still believe that prayer and fasting could prepare a voice that could turn a nation. ~(copied from a friends FB today)
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we were to really discover and live out our true callings? Would we change the world, cure cancer, create Jetson style flying cars? Could the world really be a different place? Or maybe that question is too big. Let's start with this:
Could my life really make a difference?
Today I want to tell you a well known Bible story in a different way.
We all know how it went down. First God came to Noah and told him He was going to wipe out the earth with a flood and that Noah should build a giant boat so that he could save his family. And all the animals. And basically the entire human race. No pressure right?
I like what the Bible says about Noah in Genesis 7:5:
"5 Noah did everything God commanded him."
That in itself took a courageous man. Think about it. It is recorded that in the time of Noah, the earth had never even seen rain before. The earth was watered and maintained by dew. How could he even know what rain was? He didn't, and he had to trust God. That takes more courage than we are willing to admit.
Imagine God showing up in your bedroom while you are busy doing your P90x before work and He says to you, "(Insert your name here), you MUST build a spaceship because I am going to destroy the earth. Oh, and make sure it is made of wood and is big enough to fit the entire residency of the Fort Worth zoo. Also, you will need to make sure it can fly, cause if it doesn't you will die, and so will all of mankind. So... ya... you better get going now."
No pressure right?
Often times thats what life feels like to the every day modern person, young or old. We see ourselves as nothing more than average and we expect that the callings that God has put on us will never come to pass. So, we put them to the side and call them "dreams", because dreams seem a little less real and, lets face it, we expect less of ourselves when we label things in this way.
So lets put ourselves in Noah's shoes. God has undoubtedly given you a vision for your life. Have you put His plan into action? No? Why not? Do we not expect consequences to go along with our non-actions just as much as our actions?
You may think that Noah is just a guy from a Bible story that we teach children, but Noah is a man who (because he lived blameless before God) saved the ENTIRE WORLD. Now how important does it seem for one man to live his calling? How important is a person's calling? Lets think about it. What would the world be like if Christopher Columbus never discovered America? What would the world be like if Alexander Graham Bell never created the telephone. What would the world be like if your parents never met each other? Lets take it back a little... What would the world be like if Mary hadn't followed God's call on her life? What would we be doing right now if Jesus Christ had decided it would just be too hard to die on the cross. What if He let disbelief enter His mind for JUST ONE SECOND. What if He let Himself become unsure in what God was telling Him to do? Just think about that. Now think about you. What is your calling. What is the importance of YOU? The same.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we were to really discover and live out our true callings? Would we change the world, cure cancer, create Jetson style flying cars? Could the world really be a different place? Or maybe that question is too big. Let's start with this:
Could my life really make a difference?
Today I want to tell you a well known Bible story in a different way.
We all know how it went down. First God came to Noah and told him He was going to wipe out the earth with a flood and that Noah should build a giant boat so that he could save his family. And all the animals. And basically the entire human race. No pressure right?
I like what the Bible says about Noah in Genesis 7:5:
"5 Noah did everything God commanded him."
That in itself took a courageous man. Think about it. It is recorded that in the time of Noah, the earth had never even seen rain before. The earth was watered and maintained by dew. How could he even know what rain was? He didn't, and he had to trust God. That takes more courage than we are willing to admit.
Imagine God showing up in your bedroom while you are busy doing your P90x before work and He says to you, "(Insert your name here), you MUST build a spaceship because I am going to destroy the earth. Oh, and make sure it is made of wood and is big enough to fit the entire residency of the Fort Worth zoo. Also, you will need to make sure it can fly, cause if it doesn't you will die, and so will all of mankind. So... ya... you better get going now."
No pressure right?
Often times thats what life feels like to the every day modern person, young or old. We see ourselves as nothing more than average and we expect that the callings that God has put on us will never come to pass. So, we put them to the side and call them "dreams", because dreams seem a little less real and, lets face it, we expect less of ourselves when we label things in this way.
So lets put ourselves in Noah's shoes. God has undoubtedly given you a vision for your life. Have you put His plan into action? No? Why not? Do we not expect consequences to go along with our non-actions just as much as our actions?
You may think that Noah is just a guy from a Bible story that we teach children, but Noah is a man who (because he lived blameless before God) saved the ENTIRE WORLD. Now how important does it seem for one man to live his calling? How important is a person's calling? Lets think about it. What would the world be like if Christopher Columbus never discovered America? What would the world be like if Alexander Graham Bell never created the telephone. What would the world be like if your parents never met each other? Lets take it back a little... What would the world be like if Mary hadn't followed God's call on her life? What would we be doing right now if Jesus Christ had decided it would just be too hard to die on the cross. What if He let disbelief enter His mind for JUST ONE SECOND. What if He let Himself become unsure in what God was telling Him to do? Just think about that. Now think about you. What is your calling. What is the importance of YOU? The same.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
2/2/2011
Wow, I haven't blogged in a long time, but then again its 4 degrees in Ft. Worth Texas, so I guess stranger things have happened...
So, I have a LOT on my mind these days what with work and struggles that no one even knows about, however, when I calm down, step back and really think, I can't help but be amazed at how awesome my God is.
In 53 days I board a plane headed towards my destiny. For years and years I have struggled and fought to find time and resources to do what God has put on my heart for the nation of Albania. Literally since the age of 8 years old I have felt this calling. For over eight years, I have taken little trips here and there as time and money allowed. Not one of those trips came without extreme struggle, and none of them even lasted more than a couple of weeks.
A few months ago, God gave me a plan. I had no idea how fail proof it actually was. Step by step I have followed the plan, even changing jobs as part of the process, all without a single bump in the road along the way. I am ecstatic to see how smoothly the rest of the plan plays out.
Today, as I was looking at pictures of previous trips, I realized something. I am a very blessed person. All I ever wanted in life has found me. In 53 days, I sacrifice a job, my friendships here in the states, a comfortable friendly and wonderful church that I am very much in love with, a vegetarian diet, a wonderful youth group (love your JG!) and who knows what else. I will trade it for a stay of three months (or more) in the ONLY athiest state in the WORLD, a house without heat in the winter or air in the summer, meat (YUCK!), taking on the venture of starting a youth group from scratch in a church that has never had one before and a seemingly growing feeling of political instability with the possibility of public violence looming.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
So, I have a LOT on my mind these days what with work and struggles that no one even knows about, however, when I calm down, step back and really think, I can't help but be amazed at how awesome my God is.
In 53 days I board a plane headed towards my destiny. For years and years I have struggled and fought to find time and resources to do what God has put on my heart for the nation of Albania. Literally since the age of 8 years old I have felt this calling. For over eight years, I have taken little trips here and there as time and money allowed. Not one of those trips came without extreme struggle, and none of them even lasted more than a couple of weeks.
A few months ago, God gave me a plan. I had no idea how fail proof it actually was. Step by step I have followed the plan, even changing jobs as part of the process, all without a single bump in the road along the way. I am ecstatic to see how smoothly the rest of the plan plays out.
Today, as I was looking at pictures of previous trips, I realized something. I am a very blessed person. All I ever wanted in life has found me. In 53 days, I sacrifice a job, my friendships here in the states, a comfortable friendly and wonderful church that I am very much in love with, a vegetarian diet, a wonderful youth group (love your JG!) and who knows what else. I will trade it for a stay of three months (or more) in the ONLY athiest state in the WORLD, a house without heat in the winter or air in the summer, meat (YUCK!), taking on the venture of starting a youth group from scratch in a church that has never had one before and a seemingly growing feeling of political instability with the possibility of public violence looming.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
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