Yesterday our Pastoral staff got together as we do each week and watched the next video on Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell. John shared his reflections on leadership, the things he's learned over the years. The thing that 'struck' me was when he said to ask ourselves "Do I want to help people or make them happy?" Obviously these are sometimes mutually exclusive. As a leader we're called to have the backbone to make the tough choices. Sometimes it means having a difficult conversation with someone about their attitude or behavior or decisions. Sometimes it means asking someone to step down from a leadership position or out of ministry for a season.
Of course it must be said that our first response to anyone in a position to receive rebuke is to gently restore them. That should always be first and foremost in our mind and we should make every attempt to do so. Sometimes just having a conversation with someone and bringing up a situation can resolve the issue if their heart is open. They realize the problem, have been fretting about it, and the fact that you brought it out in the open is a genuine relief to them. It means that you're on their side, standing beside them and wanting to help them resolve the issue. They are willing to do whatever you ask because you've built a trust with them and they want to be on good terms with you.
Another kind of person you might encounter is one who appears to be agreeing with you and submitting to your leadership, but then they turn around when you're not looking and do the same thing again. After a second conversation and seeing a pattern of rebellious behavior, a line should be drawn. Here are the rules. Here are your choices. Can you follow these rules? Then the decision is theirs.
Then you have people with a more closed heart. They might refute the evidence against them and get very defensive. They might get offended at the offer to help them. This is the most dangerous person to have in a leadership position. They shouldn't have been asked into leadership in the first place but now that they're there, you'll probably have to h ave the most uncomfortable conversation you've every had with anyone. Again, you want to restore them. That might mean they go to counseling, it might mean you or someone else walking beside them on a weekly basis helping them chip away at their pride and replace it with more God. They might yell at you and tell you they don't ever want to see you again. Keep loving them as much as possible. If they see you being consistent and loving them no matter what, they will learn to trust you and then you can really start pouring yourself into them.
I've had the opportunity to have all three of these conversations with people. I've dreaded having them all but lived to tell about them. It actually gets easier. Being non-confrontational, God has helped to grow me in this area by putting these people and their situations in my path. It's given me more confidence when faced with these situations again. I know he's growing me as a leader in this area and it is actually fun being able to pour into people even when you have to face the tough times with them. It's so worth it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Gawking
I've wrestled whether to write this blog or not all day. It seems it wants to be written, so here goes.
For the past few days since our neighbor's house burned, I have seen many cars drive down our street, slow down as they searched for the house, then hit the brakes when they found it. They sit there for a good minute or so taking in the entirety of the damage. I've even seen some near accidents as a result of this rubber necking.
So my thought is this. Why don't people have more going on in their life than to search out and stare at the tragedy of a family that they don't even know? Where is the compassion, the respect for privacy, and the honor for a family of disaster? Thankfully the family has moved out temporarily until their house is restored so they don't have to witness these gawkers. Do they chase ambulances too? If this had happened to me, it would just add insult to injury. I've even entertained the thought of putting a sign up that read, "If you don't live on this street, take your shallow concern and leave." Or something to that effect. I'm not confrontational, but this bugs me.
That's my pet peeve for the day.
For the past few days since our neighbor's house burned, I have seen many cars drive down our street, slow down as they searched for the house, then hit the brakes when they found it. They sit there for a good minute or so taking in the entirety of the damage. I've even seen some near accidents as a result of this rubber necking.
So my thought is this. Why don't people have more going on in their life than to search out and stare at the tragedy of a family that they don't even know? Where is the compassion, the respect for privacy, and the honor for a family of disaster? Thankfully the family has moved out temporarily until their house is restored so they don't have to witness these gawkers. Do they chase ambulances too? If this had happened to me, it would just add insult to injury. I've even entertained the thought of putting a sign up that read, "If you don't live on this street, take your shallow concern and leave." Or something to that effect. I'm not confrontational, but this bugs me.
That's my pet peeve for the day.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Mysteries of Life
Yesterday our family attended the service of a classmate of Mark's killed in a car accident. The service was beautiful and moving. I left feeling like I knew who this boy was, though I had never spoken to him. I learned that he had rededicated his life to Christ just two weeks before the accident. He spent his time writing poetry about God, sharing his faith with others, and doing some crazy stunts. He rode a quad and a moped. He had a girlfriend. He loved his youth pastor, and showed his love in tangible ways. When his youth pastor had torn ligaments in his elbow, he went to his house and built a roof for his pigeon coup, as thieves had stolen over 200 birds. He was upset that 'bad guys' had stolen from his youth pastor. He wanted to be a chef. He wanted to be a prayer counselor at the upcoming Harvest Crusade. He had his whole life ahead of him and it was just taking off. His family made sure there was a gospel presentation and an opportunity to accept Christ in the service. At least 5 people gave their lives to the Lord as a result. So, the question is, why did God take him so soon? I have no idea. Here's a poem he wrote:
He died for us all.
In the end it's your call.
Where your soul will go.
You will reap what you sow.
He loves us all the same.
Life is more than just a game.
He cares about you and I.
So there is no reason to cry.
He will always be there.
And he will always care.
He hears you when you call.
And He will always break your fall.
My God is so good to me.
He can make the blind to see.
If you put your life in His hands,
You blessings will be like the stars and the sands.
Travis Wade Ingram
June 4, 1989 - July 20, 2007
He died for us all.
In the end it's your call.
Where your soul will go.
You will reap what you sow.
He loves us all the same.
Life is more than just a game.
He cares about you and I.
So there is no reason to cry.
He will always be there.
And he will always care.
He hears you when you call.
And He will always break your fall.
My God is so good to me.
He can make the blind to see.
If you put your life in His hands,
You blessings will be like the stars and the sands.
Travis Wade Ingram
June 4, 1989 - July 20, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Aftermath
As I went for my run this morning with my trusy companion Sascha (our 12 year-old German shepherd) I experienced the aftermath of last night's fire. The smell of smoke is still in the air, the gutters are lined with black ash and water, and our neighbor's driveway piled with fluffy white foam. He was loading a few file cabinets in the back of his truck while all the time on his cell phone. By 7:30 Farmer's Insurance had come to survey the damage. Now contractors are showing up to see what it will take to restore their home.
It reminds me of the verse Weeping may last through the night,but joy comes with the morning. Ps. 30:5 And the morning always comes. No matter what we go through, it always gets better. Tunnels always end and valleys are finite. Thank you Lord for the hope we have in you!
It reminds me of the verse Weeping may last through the night,but joy comes with the morning. Ps. 30:5 And the morning always comes. No matter what we go through, it always gets better. Tunnels always end and valleys are finite. Thank you Lord for the hope we have in you!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Fire
Thank you Lord for protecting our daughter, our home, and our animals.
We had quite an evening. While Greg, our son Mark, and I were at church at the 3rd Impact training, our daughter Kristen called. She said a house was on fire two doors down from us. There were fire trucks and gobs of people. I told her to go outside and keep away from the fire. I told Greg and he left immediately. As he came down Tegner, he saw the light and huge cloud of smoke from the fire. As he got closer to our street, he noticed many more people than usually turning down the road that leads to our house. This made it difficult for him to get home. When he got here, someone else was parked in our driveway, so he parked in the middle of the street. His first concern was Kristen, his second, our home.
They did the usual smart things, like put the dogs in the garage to protect them from the smoke. There were 5 fire trucks lined up in front of the house. When I came home an hour later, all roads leading to our house were blocked off. The fire trucks were still there and the firefighters were still pulling items out of the house. Greg was able to put the dogs in the backyard and park in the garage. There is still a PG&E truck blocking our driveway.
Here's the cool part. No one was injured and they just lost part of the roof. Apparently a lady in the house had accidentally started a kitchen fire earlier in the day and the fire dept came out. Then another started tonight. She had had a stroke some time before. I don't know if this played into it or not. She didn't speak English but had told our next door neighbor she didn't know where her kids were. Our neighbor went to Greg and Greg told the firefighters. As they were about to rush into the house, other firefighters came but found out and said no one was inside. Thankfully it didn't spread to any other houses.
I've got to say I was very proud of Kristen. She handled being home alone with all this commotion very well. She wasn't stressed at all. Well, enough excitement for one night. God is so good.
We had quite an evening. While Greg, our son Mark, and I were at church at the 3rd Impact training, our daughter Kristen called. She said a house was on fire two doors down from us. There were fire trucks and gobs of people. I told her to go outside and keep away from the fire. I told Greg and he left immediately. As he came down Tegner, he saw the light and huge cloud of smoke from the fire. As he got closer to our street, he noticed many more people than usually turning down the road that leads to our house. This made it difficult for him to get home. When he got here, someone else was parked in our driveway, so he parked in the middle of the street. His first concern was Kristen, his second, our home.
They did the usual smart things, like put the dogs in the garage to protect them from the smoke. There were 5 fire trucks lined up in front of the house. When I came home an hour later, all roads leading to our house were blocked off. The fire trucks were still there and the firefighters were still pulling items out of the house. Greg was able to put the dogs in the backyard and park in the garage. There is still a PG&E truck blocking our driveway.
Here's the cool part. No one was injured and they just lost part of the roof. Apparently a lady in the house had accidentally started a kitchen fire earlier in the day and the fire dept came out. Then another started tonight. She had had a stroke some time before. I don't know if this played into it or not. She didn't speak English but had told our next door neighbor she didn't know where her kids were. Our neighbor went to Greg and Greg told the firefighters. As they were about to rush into the house, other firefighters came but found out and said no one was inside. Thankfully it didn't spread to any other houses.
I've got to say I was very proud of Kristen. She handled being home alone with all this commotion very well. She wasn't stressed at all. Well, enough excitement for one night. God is so good.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Remember The Waltons?
We just got our DVD in the mail from Netflix. It's the 4th season of The Waltons. This episode was called The Sermon. The town teacher and the town preacher decided to get married. The teacher asked Olivia (the mom) to take over her one room schoolhouse for the week they were on their honeymoon. The preacher asked John Boy to give the sermon. John Boy stressed all week about what to preach about. He checked out huge books from the library, got unsolicited advice from his grandmother, and overheard discouraging comments from the town gossips. He was confused and didn't think he had anything to give. He was looking for the answers in all the wrong places.
Then one night while he was pouring over books, his dad came in and told him he should put all the books away and spend some quiet time with God and he would know what to preach on. He spoke that Sunday about how everyone approached God in their own way. They spent time with Him and worshipped him in their own unique way, just as God had made them all uniquely. His grandfather sang hymns on Walton's mountain, his grandmother read the Bible and knew the shalts and shalt nots like the back of her hand, and his dad, though he rarely graced the steps of a church, spent time with God and had answers for anyone who asked him.
This reminded me of the Spiritual Pathways to God. Author Gary Thomas came up with 9 or so ways people connect with God. How do you connect best? By being in nature? By being alone? By fighting for a cause? By serving others? There are many ways. You can find your way by going to our website.
It doesn't matter how you connect, it just matters that you do.
Then one night while he was pouring over books, his dad came in and told him he should put all the books away and spend some quiet time with God and he would know what to preach on. He spoke that Sunday about how everyone approached God in their own way. They spent time with Him and worshipped him in their own unique way, just as God had made them all uniquely. His grandfather sang hymns on Walton's mountain, his grandmother read the Bible and knew the shalts and shalt nots like the back of her hand, and his dad, though he rarely graced the steps of a church, spent time with God and had answers for anyone who asked him.
This reminded me of the Spiritual Pathways to God. Author Gary Thomas came up with 9 or so ways people connect with God. How do you connect best? By being in nature? By being alone? By fighting for a cause? By serving others? There are many ways. You can find your way by going to our website.
It doesn't matter how you connect, it just matters that you do.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Hope for Healing
As I prayed about what to write today, I kept being reminded of times when God has answered my prayers for healing. I don't claim to have the gift of healing, but there have been instances when He has healed me or answered my prayers for someone else. My prayer is that someone reading this will be encouraged by my experiences.
The first two came when my kids were small. Kids under 5 seem to throw up a lot when they're sick. I remember praying that my son wouldn't throw up any more during the night, and he didn't. Another time he asked me to pray that he wouldn't throw up anymore that night, and he didn't.
The next time came when one of the moms in my single moms ministry had to go in for a needle biopsy, as they found a few lumps in her breast. She asked for prayer for strength and courage and that it wouldn't hurt. I felt God wanted me to 'dial it up a notch' so I prayed that when the radiologist went in to find them, that he wouldn't be able to, because they were gone. She called me that afternoon, just as I was about to call her, and that's exactly what she said. He couldn't find them because they were gone.
The next time I experienced God's healing, was about 4 years ago. I had been doing sit ups on the floor and heard this pop sound in the back of my neck. I stopped mid-sit up. I wiggled my fingers and toes and everything worked, but for the next year and a half, I had constant, horrible neck and shoulder pain. I went to the doctor repeatedly and asked for an x-ray to see what the problem was. He wouldn't let me. Being the resourceful woman I am, I made an appointment with another doctor in the office when my doctor was out and he offered me an x-ray. It showed I had degenerative disk disease and he sent me for an MRI. It showed I had a vertebrae out of place. I was told not to lift anything over 50 lbs., because I might herniate it. That was hard because as a single mom, homeowner, I did a lot of heavy lifting around the house. One night as I was having my quiet time, I had told God that I wanted to serve Him my whole life, but didn't know how effective I would be with this huge pain in my neck. He asked me if I had ever asked him to heal it. It occurred to me I hadn't, so that night I prayed for healing. During the night I had a dream. I was in an operating room, on my stomach, with my hair pulled up off my neck. The room was slightly lit, doctors and nurses were conversing a short distance from me. I remember thinking in my dream, "I can't believe I had the nerve to go through with this." The though of surgery on my neck made me fearful of a bad move from a doctor leaving me a quadriplegic. As I layed there, I saw a white pearl handled knife float through the air towards me. It caught the light and glistened. As if I was looking down on myself, I saw the knife cut a one inch incision in the place where the pain was. I saw my skin split open. That was all I remembered. The next morning I woke up and headed for the bathroom. Usually in 3 steps I felt the pain in my neck. I started getting ready for work and realized, "Hey, where's that pain in my neck?" I decided to wait 3 days to see if they pain returned before telling anyone. It's never returned.
The last time happened about 2 years ago. I saw what looked like a mole appear on my arm and over the next two or three weeks, it grew in diameter and height. It turned dark and bubbly looking. A coworker told me I should have it looked at. I made an appointment. The next day in the shower I prayed that God would shrink it in size, lighten it, and just dry it up so that it would appear as it had before. I believed that he had healed it and thanked him for it. Within 24 hours it started shrinking in diameter and lightening. It continued to do this each day. When I went for my appointment I told the doctor God was healing it. It completely went away and has not returned.
God is SO good and prayer does work.
The first two came when my kids were small. Kids under 5 seem to throw up a lot when they're sick. I remember praying that my son wouldn't throw up any more during the night, and he didn't. Another time he asked me to pray that he wouldn't throw up anymore that night, and he didn't.
The next time came when one of the moms in my single moms ministry had to go in for a needle biopsy, as they found a few lumps in her breast. She asked for prayer for strength and courage and that it wouldn't hurt. I felt God wanted me to 'dial it up a notch' so I prayed that when the radiologist went in to find them, that he wouldn't be able to, because they were gone. She called me that afternoon, just as I was about to call her, and that's exactly what she said. He couldn't find them because they were gone.
The next time I experienced God's healing, was about 4 years ago. I had been doing sit ups on the floor and heard this pop sound in the back of my neck. I stopped mid-sit up. I wiggled my fingers and toes and everything worked, but for the next year and a half, I had constant, horrible neck and shoulder pain. I went to the doctor repeatedly and asked for an x-ray to see what the problem was. He wouldn't let me. Being the resourceful woman I am, I made an appointment with another doctor in the office when my doctor was out and he offered me an x-ray. It showed I had degenerative disk disease and he sent me for an MRI. It showed I had a vertebrae out of place. I was told not to lift anything over 50 lbs., because I might herniate it. That was hard because as a single mom, homeowner, I did a lot of heavy lifting around the house. One night as I was having my quiet time, I had told God that I wanted to serve Him my whole life, but didn't know how effective I would be with this huge pain in my neck. He asked me if I had ever asked him to heal it. It occurred to me I hadn't, so that night I prayed for healing. During the night I had a dream. I was in an operating room, on my stomach, with my hair pulled up off my neck. The room was slightly lit, doctors and nurses were conversing a short distance from me. I remember thinking in my dream, "I can't believe I had the nerve to go through with this." The though of surgery on my neck made me fearful of a bad move from a doctor leaving me a quadriplegic. As I layed there, I saw a white pearl handled knife float through the air towards me. It caught the light and glistened. As if I was looking down on myself, I saw the knife cut a one inch incision in the place where the pain was. I saw my skin split open. That was all I remembered. The next morning I woke up and headed for the bathroom. Usually in 3 steps I felt the pain in my neck. I started getting ready for work and realized, "Hey, where's that pain in my neck?" I decided to wait 3 days to see if they pain returned before telling anyone. It's never returned.
The last time happened about 2 years ago. I saw what looked like a mole appear on my arm and over the next two or three weeks, it grew in diameter and height. It turned dark and bubbly looking. A coworker told me I should have it looked at. I made an appointment. The next day in the shower I prayed that God would shrink it in size, lighten it, and just dry it up so that it would appear as it had before. I believed that he had healed it and thanked him for it. Within 24 hours it started shrinking in diameter and lightening. It continued to do this each day. When I went for my appointment I told the doctor God was healing it. It completely went away and has not returned.
God is SO good and prayer does work.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Discovering the Will of God
Today I spent some time reviewing a DVD and study guide by Andy Stanley called Discovering the Will of God. I just love the way Andy Stanley writes and teaches. He's so down to earth, wise, and funny. There are 8 sessions of 20-30 minutes each and group discussion questions afterwards.
The first session was on decisions. How do we know what God's will is when we have a decision to make? The more familiar we become with the providential will of God (the way God works, the things he's going to do anyway, the way he's already working in the world), and the more surrendered we become to the moral will of God (the thou shalts and thou shalt nots), the easier it will be to determine the personal will of God for your life.
The second session was on one of the ways God speaks to us . . . through the wise counsel of others. Andy talked of the importance of carefully choosing who you ask for advice. Choose older, wise people who are already where you want to be. He gave the example of Rehoboam who was about to be king (1 Kings chapter 12). The people who were about to make him king asked if he would go a little easier on them than his father, the previous king. He sought the wise counsel of the elders who had advised his father. They told him yes, give them a break. Then he sought the counsel of his friends who said, no, be harder on the subjects. He sided with his friends over the elders. As a result, Israel rebelled against him.
Another part of this session was that God does not give us information for consideration, but for participation. God's will is not given to us to keep in our bag of options until we decide which option sounds best to us. His will is ALWAYS best for us because he loves us that much. We also find that in the process of discovering God's will, we discover God.
I think of the times I've sought God's will over mine and the outcome was always better than anything I could have orchestrated. We should all strive to get our hearts to the place where we move over and let God do what He wants.
Stick this on your mirror or dashboard: Can you trust God with the consequences of your obedience?
The first session was on decisions. How do we know what God's will is when we have a decision to make? The more familiar we become with the providential will of God (the way God works, the things he's going to do anyway, the way he's already working in the world), and the more surrendered we become to the moral will of God (the thou shalts and thou shalt nots), the easier it will be to determine the personal will of God for your life.
The second session was on one of the ways God speaks to us . . . through the wise counsel of others. Andy talked of the importance of carefully choosing who you ask for advice. Choose older, wise people who are already where you want to be. He gave the example of Rehoboam who was about to be king (1 Kings chapter 12). The people who were about to make him king asked if he would go a little easier on them than his father, the previous king. He sought the wise counsel of the elders who had advised his father. They told him yes, give them a break. Then he sought the counsel of his friends who said, no, be harder on the subjects. He sided with his friends over the elders. As a result, Israel rebelled against him.
Another part of this session was that God does not give us information for consideration, but for participation. God's will is not given to us to keep in our bag of options until we decide which option sounds best to us. His will is ALWAYS best for us because he loves us that much. We also find that in the process of discovering God's will, we discover God.
I think of the times I've sought God's will over mine and the outcome was always better than anything I could have orchestrated. We should all strive to get our hearts to the place where we move over and let God do what He wants.
Stick this on your mirror or dashboard: Can you trust God with the consequences of your obedience?
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Out With the Old . . .
We just finished having our nearly annual yard sale. We had been storing this stuff for a year or more and it was so good to see it go. Most of it was in pretty good condition and I'm glad all the large ticket items sold, except for our small truck tool box. Boy, would I like to get rid of that. It's heavy, scratched, big, and is of absolutely no use to us.
As I was coming up with the title to today's blog, God reminded me of how he is in the process of getting rid of our old nature and replacing it with the new. I'm so thankful for that! I'm so glad I'm not who I used to be and I shudder to think of who I would be after these last 20 years that he has been working on me, had he not come into my heart.
I couldn't title today's blog Out With the Old and In With the New because we're not in a place to do "new" right now. We're in the process of dreaming and saving and praying for tile floors, paint, furniture, cabinets, and more square footage. I don't know yet if that's what God wants for us, but we're saving towards it in the meantime. If he has somewhere else for the money to go after a few years, that's fine, at least we'll be ready.
In the meantime, we wait, and live with scratches, dents, stains, and cramped quarters, but I'm thankful we have a home. So many don't. Please pray for the homeless and pray for wisdom for those who are working on starting the Turlock Gospel Mission. It's a large undertaking and the enemy would like nothing better than to secularize it or thwart it entirely.
As I was coming up with the title to today's blog, God reminded me of how he is in the process of getting rid of our old nature and replacing it with the new. I'm so thankful for that! I'm so glad I'm not who I used to be and I shudder to think of who I would be after these last 20 years that he has been working on me, had he not come into my heart.
I couldn't title today's blog Out With the Old and In With the New because we're not in a place to do "new" right now. We're in the process of dreaming and saving and praying for tile floors, paint, furniture, cabinets, and more square footage. I don't know yet if that's what God wants for us, but we're saving towards it in the meantime. If he has somewhere else for the money to go after a few years, that's fine, at least we'll be ready.
In the meantime, we wait, and live with scratches, dents, stains, and cramped quarters, but I'm thankful we have a home. So many don't. Please pray for the homeless and pray for wisdom for those who are working on starting the Turlock Gospel Mission. It's a large undertaking and the enemy would like nothing better than to secularize it or thwart it entirely.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Attributes
After I wrote of my fears about having my shot the other day, a close friend emailed me and wrote "From one chicken to another . . . I will be praying for you." I can't tell you how unalone I felt when I read that. From one chicken to another. I don't mind having that attribute when there is someone to share it with me. Funny how a few simmple words can go such a long way in touching someone's heart.
Speaking of attributes, I decided last week to do a study on the attributes of God. Not that I know anything about doing a study like this, but I thought I would give it a try. I'm just going to start with Genesis and go verse by verse writing down all the attributes as I go along. My goal is to make it through Revelation. It might take a year or two, but I thought it would be a fun long study. As my list gets lengthy and hard to manage, as I start having trouble seeing if I'm repeating attributes, I'll transfer it to Word or Excel and do Edit, Finds to make sure I'm not duplicating myself. When I'm done, I'll alphabetize it. If you know of another way to study the attributes of God, other than purchasing a study guide, please let me know.
You might be thinking, boy, does that sound tedious and monotonous! I admit, God has crafted me to be a little cerebral. I love to read and study and dig and debate information. The process may get a little tedious, but I'm looking forward to when I finish, or maybe even during the process, as I look over the words and start to meditate on what God is like. I look forward to knowing Him better, to make correlations between his characteristics and mine, and to see where I need to improve. I am made in His image, but I have in no way "arrived".
Speaking of attributes, I decided last week to do a study on the attributes of God. Not that I know anything about doing a study like this, but I thought I would give it a try. I'm just going to start with Genesis and go verse by verse writing down all the attributes as I go along. My goal is to make it through Revelation. It might take a year or two, but I thought it would be a fun long study. As my list gets lengthy and hard to manage, as I start having trouble seeing if I'm repeating attributes, I'll transfer it to Word or Excel and do Edit, Finds to make sure I'm not duplicating myself. When I'm done, I'll alphabetize it. If you know of another way to study the attributes of God, other than purchasing a study guide, please let me know.
You might be thinking, boy, does that sound tedious and monotonous! I admit, God has crafted me to be a little cerebral. I love to read and study and dig and debate information. The process may get a little tedious, but I'm looking forward to when I finish, or maybe even during the process, as I look over the words and start to meditate on what God is like. I look forward to knowing Him better, to make correlations between his characteristics and mine, and to see where I need to improve. I am made in His image, but I have in no way "arrived".
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Next Generation Leader
I've just finished Next Generation Leader. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. Here's what "struck" me.
The first section was on competence. Andy wrote about how we sometimes think we have to be the jack of all trades and end up the masters of none. We should delegate the things we don't do well and don't enjoy doing to those who are gifted in those areas and "let go". We should concentrate on what God has gifted us to do and excel in that.
The next section was on courage. He wrote "A leader is someone who has the courage to say publicly what everybody else is whispering privately. It is not his insight that sets the leader apart from the crowd. It is his courage to act on what he sees, to speak up when everyone else is silent." I could use that. "Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the willingness to strap on your fear and move ahead." "Unbridled fear results in missed opportunities." Sometimes I feel like though I'm scared to do something, I have to do it anyway, not even so much for the result but for the growth that comes from overcoming the fear.
The next section was on clarity. Andy talked about what to do when you're uncertain where you're going. We all need to seek the counsel of others. It's just plain wise. It's also okay to say, "I don't know." But as leaders we need to be clear in our direction and display confidence. The worst thing we can do as a leader is to pretend that we have all the answers. People will figure out that we don't, then our integrity in in question.
The next section was on coaching. I didn't agree totally with Andy's descriptions of coaching and mentoring, etc. I've done some reading on discipleship, which is the spiritual term for coaching and mentoring. He did give good examples of people in his life who have invested themselves in him. I think the most important part is that almost everyone should have a "coach" in some regard, at least in some part of their life, who can shore up those loose, unsure areas and give advice and wisdom. I also believe everyone should be investing their time in someone else. A church body will become much stronger when these relationships are in place.
The next section was on character. I think every leader and potential leader should read this section at least. Character is doing what's right even when it's hard. The important thing to keep in mind is that we need to make up our mind now how we will be, what our beliefs are, and how we will respond in certain situations, so that when the situations arrive in the heat of the moment, our decision is clear and we won't waver. "Doing the right thing when it costs something is the essece of true heroism. It is also the mark of a great leader. When you find a man or woman who will do what's right regardless of what it costs personally, you have discovered a leader worth following. When you choose to take a stand for what is right at the risk of losing what is precious to you, then you too have become a leader worth following." Another quote I liked was "There is never a reason to violate the principles of God in order to maintain the blessings of God." Here's another. "To become a leader worth following, you must be intentional about developing the inner man. You must invest in the health of your soul. ...to ignore the condition of your soul is the equivalent of planning to fail."
There is so much good stuff in this book. If you are a leader or have a heart that burns to lead this is a must read.
The first section was on competence. Andy wrote about how we sometimes think we have to be the jack of all trades and end up the masters of none. We should delegate the things we don't do well and don't enjoy doing to those who are gifted in those areas and "let go". We should concentrate on what God has gifted us to do and excel in that.
The next section was on courage. He wrote "A leader is someone who has the courage to say publicly what everybody else is whispering privately. It is not his insight that sets the leader apart from the crowd. It is his courage to act on what he sees, to speak up when everyone else is silent." I could use that. "Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the willingness to strap on your fear and move ahead." "Unbridled fear results in missed opportunities." Sometimes I feel like though I'm scared to do something, I have to do it anyway, not even so much for the result but for the growth that comes from overcoming the fear.
The next section was on clarity. Andy talked about what to do when you're uncertain where you're going. We all need to seek the counsel of others. It's just plain wise. It's also okay to say, "I don't know." But as leaders we need to be clear in our direction and display confidence. The worst thing we can do as a leader is to pretend that we have all the answers. People will figure out that we don't, then our integrity in in question.
The next section was on coaching. I didn't agree totally with Andy's descriptions of coaching and mentoring, etc. I've done some reading on discipleship, which is the spiritual term for coaching and mentoring. He did give good examples of people in his life who have invested themselves in him. I think the most important part is that almost everyone should have a "coach" in some regard, at least in some part of their life, who can shore up those loose, unsure areas and give advice and wisdom. I also believe everyone should be investing their time in someone else. A church body will become much stronger when these relationships are in place.
The next section was on character. I think every leader and potential leader should read this section at least. Character is doing what's right even when it's hard. The important thing to keep in mind is that we need to make up our mind now how we will be, what our beliefs are, and how we will respond in certain situations, so that when the situations arrive in the heat of the moment, our decision is clear and we won't waver. "Doing the right thing when it costs something is the essece of true heroism. It is also the mark of a great leader. When you find a man or woman who will do what's right regardless of what it costs personally, you have discovered a leader worth following. When you choose to take a stand for what is right at the risk of losing what is precious to you, then you too have become a leader worth following." Another quote I liked was "There is never a reason to violate the principles of God in order to maintain the blessings of God." Here's another. "To become a leader worth following, you must be intentional about developing the inner man. You must invest in the health of your soul. ...to ignore the condition of your soul is the equivalent of planning to fail."
There is so much good stuff in this book. If you are a leader or have a heart that burns to lead this is a must read.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
And Rain It Did
Well, I got back from the doctor a little while ago. It didn't go as planned. It was supposed to be a quick shot, like all shots. Ha, ha, ha.
I thank God I have a wonderful doctor. He was so thoughtful. He came in with the shot behind his back, purposefully hiding it from my sight. Greg was with me and when he saw it he exclaimed. Oh, great. It was about 4" long and all of it went in my shoulder. Thankfully the doctor froze the injection site and it didn't hurt at all. The bad part was that as he stuck it in, he hit something, he tried again and hit something else. Because of damage or inflammation or both, he had trouble finding a spot to squirt the stuff. After what seemed like a minute or two, he started asking how my color was and how I was doing. I was fine until then. I started to think, oh, I could faint from this. So I went from A to Z and started feeling panicky and woozy. I asked him to please hurry, and he finished, and I layed down and fanned my face for 5-10 minutes as we talked.
Unfortunately I had lost some strength and motion from last Friday and after the medicine took effect, I had a little more strength but still didn't have much better range of motion. Now I have to have an MRI to see what is really going on. Surgery is a maybe at this point. He said cancer would have shown up on the x-ray and since I have no other systemic symptoms, he's pretty sure it's not that.
So, I'll find out in a couple of weeks what the damage is and what we're going to do about it.
Thank you for your prayers. I wasn't nervous all day and only slightly an hour before. My blood pressure wasn't even as high as it normally is when I go to the doctor, yeah!
Enough about my shoulder. I spent the day resting and reading a fabulous book, or at least about 90 pages of it, almost half. It's Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. My Sr. Pastor is reading it and it is so insightful and so dead-on. I can't put it down. Next, I'll read Spiritual Leadership, which was highly recommended by a dear friend.
The plan for tonight is swimming, so I'm off to the backyard.
I thank God I have a wonderful doctor. He was so thoughtful. He came in with the shot behind his back, purposefully hiding it from my sight. Greg was with me and when he saw it he exclaimed. Oh, great. It was about 4" long and all of it went in my shoulder. Thankfully the doctor froze the injection site and it didn't hurt at all. The bad part was that as he stuck it in, he hit something, he tried again and hit something else. Because of damage or inflammation or both, he had trouble finding a spot to squirt the stuff. After what seemed like a minute or two, he started asking how my color was and how I was doing. I was fine until then. I started to think, oh, I could faint from this. So I went from A to Z and started feeling panicky and woozy. I asked him to please hurry, and he finished, and I layed down and fanned my face for 5-10 minutes as we talked.
Unfortunately I had lost some strength and motion from last Friday and after the medicine took effect, I had a little more strength but still didn't have much better range of motion. Now I have to have an MRI to see what is really going on. Surgery is a maybe at this point. He said cancer would have shown up on the x-ray and since I have no other systemic symptoms, he's pretty sure it's not that.
So, I'll find out in a couple of weeks what the damage is and what we're going to do about it.
Thank you for your prayers. I wasn't nervous all day and only slightly an hour before. My blood pressure wasn't even as high as it normally is when I go to the doctor, yeah!
Enough about my shoulder. I spent the day resting and reading a fabulous book, or at least about 90 pages of it, almost half. It's Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. My Sr. Pastor is reading it and it is so insightful and so dead-on. I can't put it down. Next, I'll read Spiritual Leadership, which was highly recommended by a dear friend.
The plan for tonight is swimming, so I'm off to the backyard.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Bring the Rain
I can't tell you how much this song has ministered to me this week. I keep hearing it on the radio. This song helps me put in perspective those trials we go through, and we all go through them. What's a big thing to me might be tiny to someone else and vice versa. I guess it just depends on what your own individual giants are. If it will bring you praise, bring the rain. Whew.
About 6 months ago I injured my shoulder (I think). I've had physical therapy and done exercises. At first it felt like my arm was loose in the socket, now it feels like something is stuck. I don't have a full range of motion. The doctor gave me the option of having a lidocaine/cortisone shot into the shoulder or being on Naproxin for 2 weeks. I had to take a few days to consider which was better for me. Neither sounded that great but I've opted for the shot, tomorrow. This will let him know if I can't move it because of inflamation/pain or because there is an impingement like torn cartilage. An impingement would indicate an MRI as the next step, which can mean surgery. I've become a big chicken when it comes to medical things. I was very brave after giving birth, twice. I felt I could have brain surgery with no drugs after having gone through that. But over the years, I've gotten very protective of my body and get very concerned at the slightest things. I don't want to be like this.
I told my friend I'm discipling about my predicatment. She was familiar with cortozone shots. She said she had had one in her back. She said I was being chicken. She told me I'm wasting time, that I should have the shot, that I'd feel so much better. That helped bring me back to reality and a better perspective. I'm so thankful for people who speak into my life frankly.
So, even though this is probably not a big deal to anyone reading this, please pray for me to be brave tomorrow. I go back and forth between courage and chicken. Thank you.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Progressions
Don't you just love dinnertime conversations when the whole family gets involved? We had an interesting conversation today. I don't know how it started buy my 17 year-old son looked at me and said, "You know how aging works?" I thought, this can't be good, I don't think I want to hear this. He said, "You're on a highway, going in a straight line, and every birthday is another city. You don't go from city to city, you're on this straight road with cities as markers." I thought, that wasn't too painful. Each of us got into the act, giving our own opinion of what aging is. I gave what I remember thinking when I was a child. "You're born, you drive, you vote, you drink, you get married and have kids, you have grand kids, and you die." Pretty sad, one more milestone and I'm gone! I saw each milestone a little more difficult than the last, making them easier to handle than just jumping to one later when we hadn't gone through the former.
I'm glad God stretches us in the same way. When I think of the difficulties I've gone through, they've progressed. Each one a little more challenging than the last. When I see the difficulty before me, I try and look back and see the things I've already gone through and how they've prepared me for what I'm about to face. The current trial is still kind of scary but I see how God has seen me through the previous trials and I have confidence that he'll see me through this one and others as well, because he is so faithful and never changing. I grow stronger through each one. One of my all time favorite verses is James 1:1-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." This verse reminds me of Paul, who suffered so much to spread the gospel. What I go through is dwarfed in comparison.
Thank you Paul for your great example, and thank you Father, for never giving me more than I can bear.
I'm glad God stretches us in the same way. When I think of the difficulties I've gone through, they've progressed. Each one a little more challenging than the last. When I see the difficulty before me, I try and look back and see the things I've already gone through and how they've prepared me for what I'm about to face. The current trial is still kind of scary but I see how God has seen me through the previous trials and I have confidence that he'll see me through this one and others as well, because he is so faithful and never changing. I grow stronger through each one. One of my all time favorite verses is James 1:1-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." This verse reminds me of Paul, who suffered so much to spread the gospel. What I go through is dwarfed in comparison.
Thank you Paul for your great example, and thank you Father, for never giving me more than I can bear.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
God's Faithfulness Part II
As promised, here's my story of how God was faithful in providing my wonderful husband Greg.
After being legally separated for 9 years and divorced for 1 1/2, I started to feel that maybe I could look ahead to marriage with hope, instead of dread. I felt a hunger to read books on Christian courting instead of American dating. I read books by Christian authors about waiting, doing it right, being the right person instead of finding the right person. I began to pray "God, don't bring anyone into my life unless it is the person you have for me. I don't want any false starts. I don't want my kids to become attached to someone only to lose them and have their hearts broken. I will wait for your choice, no matter who it is, no matter how long it takes." Sometimes my prayers were, "Okay, where's mine?" Impatience crept in from time to time but I held fast to waiting.
About a year after I started reading books and praying about this, God spoke to Greg. He was also praying for a spouse but held fast to "You make the decision, Lord." As Greg looked around the sanctuary one Sunday morning and his eyes landed on me, God whispered "She's the one." Greg said, "Oh, no, Lord, not her. She's too good." God confirmed "She's the one."
Over the next six months, Greg tried to just say hi to me at church and have short conversations. He attended one of my classes. I attended one of his, not knowing God was being a matchmaker. I never considered Greg. He wasn't my type. Red headed missionary. Definitely not on my list of desired attributes, but God knew my heart better than I did.
We attended a small group leader's retreat, and he asked what me and my friend were doing for dinner that night. I said I would talk to her and get back to him. Over the next few hours, God stirred my heart. I had an overwhelming desire to have dinner with him that night. On the way home my friend asked me what I thought of Greg. I was honest and said that I hoped my next husband would be able to help provide a 2-story house and a new car and I didn't think this ex-missionary had any means to do so. She said, "I'd rather live in a grass hut with a leaky roof with a man who adored me than in a mansion with a man who didn't even care." Boy was that what I needed to hear. That put everything into perspective for me. I never thought of myself as materialistic, but that showed me I had a major case of white picket fence syndrome and needed to concentrate on what really mattered in a marriage. God looks at the heart, and so should we.
Over the next few months, his chivalry swept me off my feet. The opened doors, letting me enter rooms first, he made me feel like a princess. I don't think I've ever been treated so well and he still treats me this way. There are a lot of details I have left out, but if you are interested, let me know and I'll give them to you. We had a wonderful courtship, wedding, and have a wonderful marriage. We are both grateful to God and his wisdom for choosing us for each other. Left up to our own desires and decisions, we could have ended up making the wrong decision and been miserable. Marriage is way too important a decision to be made without giving total control to God. We're talking a life-long partner here, complete with a family tree. God knows best. Have the patience to trust Him and His timing.
After being legally separated for 9 years and divorced for 1 1/2, I started to feel that maybe I could look ahead to marriage with hope, instead of dread. I felt a hunger to read books on Christian courting instead of American dating. I read books by Christian authors about waiting, doing it right, being the right person instead of finding the right person. I began to pray "God, don't bring anyone into my life unless it is the person you have for me. I don't want any false starts. I don't want my kids to become attached to someone only to lose them and have their hearts broken. I will wait for your choice, no matter who it is, no matter how long it takes." Sometimes my prayers were, "Okay, where's mine?" Impatience crept in from time to time but I held fast to waiting.
About a year after I started reading books and praying about this, God spoke to Greg. He was also praying for a spouse but held fast to "You make the decision, Lord." As Greg looked around the sanctuary one Sunday morning and his eyes landed on me, God whispered "She's the one." Greg said, "Oh, no, Lord, not her. She's too good." God confirmed "She's the one."
Over the next six months, Greg tried to just say hi to me at church and have short conversations. He attended one of my classes. I attended one of his, not knowing God was being a matchmaker. I never considered Greg. He wasn't my type. Red headed missionary. Definitely not on my list of desired attributes, but God knew my heart better than I did.
We attended a small group leader's retreat, and he asked what me and my friend were doing for dinner that night. I said I would talk to her and get back to him. Over the next few hours, God stirred my heart. I had an overwhelming desire to have dinner with him that night. On the way home my friend asked me what I thought of Greg. I was honest and said that I hoped my next husband would be able to help provide a 2-story house and a new car and I didn't think this ex-missionary had any means to do so. She said, "I'd rather live in a grass hut with a leaky roof with a man who adored me than in a mansion with a man who didn't even care." Boy was that what I needed to hear. That put everything into perspective for me. I never thought of myself as materialistic, but that showed me I had a major case of white picket fence syndrome and needed to concentrate on what really mattered in a marriage. God looks at the heart, and so should we.
Over the next few months, his chivalry swept me off my feet. The opened doors, letting me enter rooms first, he made me feel like a princess. I don't think I've ever been treated so well and he still treats me this way. There are a lot of details I have left out, but if you are interested, let me know and I'll give them to you. We had a wonderful courtship, wedding, and have a wonderful marriage. We are both grateful to God and his wisdom for choosing us for each other. Left up to our own desires and decisions, we could have ended up making the wrong decision and been miserable. Marriage is way too important a decision to be made without giving total control to God. We're talking a life-long partner here, complete with a family tree. God knows best. Have the patience to trust Him and His timing.
Friday, July 13, 2007
God's Faithfulness
Last night I bumped into a friend who commented on my blog on Haggai. I started thinking about that book and the times when I've put got first and how he's come through.
In 1994 I was a single mom with a 4 year old and a 7 year old and my little Nissan 200SX just wasn't big enough in the back seat, what with backpacks and all the stuff kids bring along. I started looking for a minivan. In fact, you could say I had minivan envy. Every minivan I passed caught my eye and my heart yearned for space on wheels. I knew I wanted a Dodge or Plymouth, preferably a Plymouth, because Consumer Reports said they were the most reliable. I had hoped for teal green, blue, or white, it that order, and preferably a Grand version because it was longer.
I found one in the paper, it was white, a Dodge Grand Caravan. It was in my price range and was a few years old. It had gray interior and rear air conditioning. Great! I prayed that if this was God's will, that everything would fall into place and I would get it. If not, that he would put up walls to keep me from getting it.
I did the typical things to check it out, I had my brother look at it first. He said the engine was so clean you could eat your lunch off it! Great. I met the guy at my credit union and found out it didn't have clear title. It belonged to a different couple. He was told to go to DMV and change the title to his name, then we could proceed. I went with him. As we were standing in line, I felt God tell me that I had done all the usual things to check out the vehicle, but that I hadn't had a mechanic check it out. So I mentioned to him that it was the last thing I needed to do before I could buy it and he agreed. After he changed the title, we went to my mechanic. The guy had me drop him off at a restaurant within walking distance so my mechanic and I could have some privacy in case there was any bad news.
The mechanic said, "You don't want to buy this vehicle." My heart sank. "Why not?" "It has had been in a major front end collision." He showed me the bolts that held the engine in place. They were a little stripped. He said factory bolts are put on with no stripping taking place, and that's how you know the engine had been replaced. A car with a new engine could cause it to be out of alignment, causing the tires to wear unevenly, and a host of other problems.
I picked the guy up and gave him the bad news, which he already knew. I encouraged him that someone would want to buy it. God saved me from buying that vehicle. After that experience, I didn't have the confidence to try again for a year. This time when I prayed about it, I released my own desires even more. God new my heart about color, make, model, features, etc. but I was willing to let all that go for God to give me the vehicle He wanted me to have. I wasn't taking any chances this time.
I found another vehicle, a Plymouth Grand Voyager, teal green, rear air, captains seating, and it was a 10 year anniversary edition LX, with cruise control, and a sun roof. They guy selling it was a Christian, who's kids attended TC like mine. He had title to it. The mechanic gave the green light and it went through easily. God not only gave me a good minivan, he gave me more than the desires of my heart. It was a great vehicle for the 10 years I had it until the transmission started to go out. Side note, as my husband and I were driving the van to Modesto to trade it in 2 years ago, the check engine light came on. In God's perfect timing, he provided our next car, again, giving me the desire of my heart.
I can't imagine purchasing something or making any other major decisions without submitting total control to God. He knows the desires of my heart, and He has always exceeded my expectations when I put Him first and seek His will, not mine. He's free to move in our lives when we open our hands and release control to Him.
Tomorrow, I'll tell you how He picked out my husband!
In 1994 I was a single mom with a 4 year old and a 7 year old and my little Nissan 200SX just wasn't big enough in the back seat, what with backpacks and all the stuff kids bring along. I started looking for a minivan. In fact, you could say I had minivan envy. Every minivan I passed caught my eye and my heart yearned for space on wheels. I knew I wanted a Dodge or Plymouth, preferably a Plymouth, because Consumer Reports said they were the most reliable. I had hoped for teal green, blue, or white, it that order, and preferably a Grand version because it was longer.
I found one in the paper, it was white, a Dodge Grand Caravan. It was in my price range and was a few years old. It had gray interior and rear air conditioning. Great! I prayed that if this was God's will, that everything would fall into place and I would get it. If not, that he would put up walls to keep me from getting it.
I did the typical things to check it out, I had my brother look at it first. He said the engine was so clean you could eat your lunch off it! Great. I met the guy at my credit union and found out it didn't have clear title. It belonged to a different couple. He was told to go to DMV and change the title to his name, then we could proceed. I went with him. As we were standing in line, I felt God tell me that I had done all the usual things to check out the vehicle, but that I hadn't had a mechanic check it out. So I mentioned to him that it was the last thing I needed to do before I could buy it and he agreed. After he changed the title, we went to my mechanic. The guy had me drop him off at a restaurant within walking distance so my mechanic and I could have some privacy in case there was any bad news.
The mechanic said, "You don't want to buy this vehicle." My heart sank. "Why not?" "It has had been in a major front end collision." He showed me the bolts that held the engine in place. They were a little stripped. He said factory bolts are put on with no stripping taking place, and that's how you know the engine had been replaced. A car with a new engine could cause it to be out of alignment, causing the tires to wear unevenly, and a host of other problems.
I picked the guy up and gave him the bad news, which he already knew. I encouraged him that someone would want to buy it. God saved me from buying that vehicle. After that experience, I didn't have the confidence to try again for a year. This time when I prayed about it, I released my own desires even more. God new my heart about color, make, model, features, etc. but I was willing to let all that go for God to give me the vehicle He wanted me to have. I wasn't taking any chances this time.
I found another vehicle, a Plymouth Grand Voyager, teal green, rear air, captains seating, and it was a 10 year anniversary edition LX, with cruise control, and a sun roof. They guy selling it was a Christian, who's kids attended TC like mine. He had title to it. The mechanic gave the green light and it went through easily. God not only gave me a good minivan, he gave me more than the desires of my heart. It was a great vehicle for the 10 years I had it until the transmission started to go out. Side note, as my husband and I were driving the van to Modesto to trade it in 2 years ago, the check engine light came on. In God's perfect timing, he provided our next car, again, giving me the desire of my heart.
I can't imagine purchasing something or making any other major decisions without submitting total control to God. He knows the desires of my heart, and He has always exceeded my expectations when I put Him first and seek His will, not mine. He's free to move in our lives when we open our hands and release control to Him.
Tomorrow, I'll tell you how He picked out my husband!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Rabbit Trails
I just love rabbit trails. Do you ever clean house in a rabbit trail? You pick up one thing from one room, put it away in another, find something there, put it in another room, see something that needs to be cleaned so you go get the cleaning stuff, and your still not in the room that you had intended to clean? It's not the most efficient way to clean but it still gets done!
Greg and I had gone to S.F., Monterey, and Carmel for 2 days last month and on Saturday morning during our quiet time, God took me on a wonderful rabbit trail. I was in the middle of doing an IBS on 2 Timothy and was doing my homework. I wanted a little more information on a verse, so I read the note at the bottom, which referred me to another book of the Bible, which had a referral in it's comment to another verse, and so on. I got such a wealth of insight from this rabbit trail. I was engrossed for an hour and a half and could have kept going, if my stomach hadn't started growling for lunch.
I had the same experience today. I'm reviewing a Bible study for a friend, and it told me to read Psalm 119. Wow! I can use this in discipling another friend. This is great! I just had to stop and blog before finishing it. I guess God created me to be part detective. I love searching and digging to find truth. What a wealth at our fingertips!
I love the verse that says, "Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life--guard it well!" Pr. 4:13 (GN).
Dig!
Greg and I had gone to S.F., Monterey, and Carmel for 2 days last month and on Saturday morning during our quiet time, God took me on a wonderful rabbit trail. I was in the middle of doing an IBS on 2 Timothy and was doing my homework. I wanted a little more information on a verse, so I read the note at the bottom, which referred me to another book of the Bible, which had a referral in it's comment to another verse, and so on. I got such a wealth of insight from this rabbit trail. I was engrossed for an hour and a half and could have kept going, if my stomach hadn't started growling for lunch.
I had the same experience today. I'm reviewing a Bible study for a friend, and it told me to read Psalm 119. Wow! I can use this in discipling another friend. This is great! I just had to stop and blog before finishing it. I guess God created me to be part detective. I love searching and digging to find truth. What a wealth at our fingertips!
I love the verse that says, "Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life--guard it well!" Pr. 4:13 (GN).
Dig!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Who's On First?
It just occurred to me that I should have named my blog A Week in the Life, since I don't seem to be able to write every day. The business of life seems to order my day, unfortunately. I wonder just how much of my day is orchestrated by me and how much by God. I'd say the scales are pretty heavily weighted towards me most of the time.
I'm discipling a dear friend and the last couple of weeks we've been doing an Inductive Bible Study on Haggai chapter 1. Haggai isn't one of those books I turn to often and when I started looking for an appropriate book to study, I didn't remember anything significant about it. But as I looked through my new handy, dandy Bible reference book, The Compact Guide to the Christian Life, looking for a good book to study, it became clear this would be a great book. BTW, you can download the manuscript version off our church website.
We began a journey to discover why sometimes we are on a treadmill, putting one foot in front of the other, thinking we're making progress, but we really don't get anywhere. We're working, getting a house, fixing up the house, planting seeds in different fields but our yield is half of what it should be. We're working, but not prospering. Why is that? In Haggai the people were preoccupied with their life and the things of this world as God called them to work on His temple. As they ignored the call, God sent drought and other difficulties. Once they saw the importance of putting God first and repented, God stirred their hearts and said He would be with them.
I've personally experienced a Christian life when God wasn't first and when He was. What a difference! Barely getting by vs. a cup that overflows and great joy. He's first if we're obeying him and blesings come as a result.
I'm discipling a dear friend and the last couple of weeks we've been doing an Inductive Bible Study on Haggai chapter 1. Haggai isn't one of those books I turn to often and when I started looking for an appropriate book to study, I didn't remember anything significant about it. But as I looked through my new handy, dandy Bible reference book, The Compact Guide to the Christian Life, looking for a good book to study, it became clear this would be a great book. BTW, you can download the manuscript version off our church website.
We began a journey to discover why sometimes we are on a treadmill, putting one foot in front of the other, thinking we're making progress, but we really don't get anywhere. We're working, getting a house, fixing up the house, planting seeds in different fields but our yield is half of what it should be. We're working, but not prospering. Why is that? In Haggai the people were preoccupied with their life and the things of this world as God called them to work on His temple. As they ignored the call, God sent drought and other difficulties. Once they saw the importance of putting God first and repented, God stirred their hearts and said He would be with them.
I've personally experienced a Christian life when God wasn't first and when He was. What a difference! Barely getting by vs. a cup that overflows and great joy. He's first if we're obeying him and blesings come as a result.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Being Struck
One of my favorite questions to ask or be asked is, "What struck you about that passage/sermon/conversation" etc. This last Tuesday we (our Pastoral staff) watched a John Maxwell tape on Developing the Leader Within You. We were all asked, "What was your takeaway?" What struck us most about what we just heard? For me it was that if you're not growing, your standing still. Water that stands still becomes stagnant. I don't ever want my walk with God or my ministry to others to become stagnant. I love to grow, I love to read both the Bible and spiritual books. I love having conversations and debates about ministry and the Word of God. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Pr 27:17. I love sharing my opinion and hearing others' opinions about anything!
I just finished watching Bill Hybels give a talk called Holy Discontent at the WillowCreek Leadership Summit. He talked about feeding our burning desire that breaks our hearts. He was followed by Rick Warren, who give a talk called Wholly Surrendered. I was particularly struck by one part of Rick's message, though the whole thing made me laugh and hurt at the same time. He started by talking about when we get to Heaven and God asks us two questions, "What did you do with my Son?" and "What did you do with what I gave you?", meaning our resources, like our time, money, etc. Rick referred to Exodus 4 when God tells him to throw down his staff. Rick said that the throwing down of his staff, since he was a shepherd, symbolized three things. 1. He was letting go of his identity. Sheperds used staffs, when you saw someone with one, you recognized them as a shepherd. God said, let it go. 2. He was letting go of his income. God was saying follow me in what I want you to do and you won't be a shepherd anymore. 3. He was letting go of his influence. A saff has a hook and a point. You either pull or poke the sheep to get them to follow you. God said, let it go. God was asking Moses, who had had a burning heart for the oppression of his people (remember he killed an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrew slaves in chapter 2) to lay everything in his hands down (his staff sybolizing his identity, income, and influence) and follow God wholeheartedly. God took Moses' passion to bring about amazing reults.
Rick said the most dangerous prayer we can pray is "Use me." That made me remember an interview I saw on TV with Oprah. She was asked how she got started with her TV show. She said she prayed a simple prayer one night. "Use me." I knew then how powerful those two words were.
I know when Moses was willing to open his hands and let go of what he had, God did great things through him. I was challenged by both Moses and Oprah. Odd combination, I know. I had to ask myself two questions: Am I willing to open my hands and let go of whatever I have as well? and what's the burning passion that breaks my heart?
I just finished watching Bill Hybels give a talk called Holy Discontent at the WillowCreek Leadership Summit. He talked about feeding our burning desire that breaks our hearts. He was followed by Rick Warren, who give a talk called Wholly Surrendered. I was particularly struck by one part of Rick's message, though the whole thing made me laugh and hurt at the same time. He started by talking about when we get to Heaven and God asks us two questions, "What did you do with my Son?" and "What did you do with what I gave you?", meaning our resources, like our time, money, etc. Rick referred to Exodus 4 when God tells him to throw down his staff. Rick said that the throwing down of his staff, since he was a shepherd, symbolized three things. 1. He was letting go of his identity. Sheperds used staffs, when you saw someone with one, you recognized them as a shepherd. God said, let it go. 2. He was letting go of his income. God was saying follow me in what I want you to do and you won't be a shepherd anymore. 3. He was letting go of his influence. A saff has a hook and a point. You either pull or poke the sheep to get them to follow you. God said, let it go. God was asking Moses, who had had a burning heart for the oppression of his people (remember he killed an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrew slaves in chapter 2) to lay everything in his hands down (his staff sybolizing his identity, income, and influence) and follow God wholeheartedly. God took Moses' passion to bring about amazing reults.
Rick said the most dangerous prayer we can pray is "Use me." That made me remember an interview I saw on TV with Oprah. She was asked how she got started with her TV show. She said she prayed a simple prayer one night. "Use me." I knew then how powerful those two words were.
I know when Moses was willing to open his hands and let go of what he had, God did great things through him. I was challenged by both Moses and Oprah. Odd combination, I know. I had to ask myself two questions: Am I willing to open my hands and let go of whatever I have as well? and what's the burning passion that breaks my heart?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
