The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
Nahum 1:7
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
2 Chronicles 7:14
>
> If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
> themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
> wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive
> their sin and will heal their land.
>
> 2 Chronicles 7:14
Seems like pretty good advice for our world today...how would things
change if this actually happened? If we all humbled ourselves before
Almighty God and asked for His forgiveness of our sins? What if we all
started living our lives exclusively for God?
> If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
> themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
> wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive
> their sin and will heal their land.
>
> 2 Chronicles 7:14
Seems like pretty good advice for our world today...how would things
change if this actually happened? If we all humbled ourselves before
Almighty God and asked for His forgiveness of our sins? What if we all
started living our lives exclusively for God?
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
This encouraged me today...hopefully it'll do the same for you!
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you
don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up
under it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up
under it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Sunday, November 25, 2012
James 1:26-27
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep
a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his
religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts
as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and
widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world.
James 1:26-27
I feel like its becoming to common for us to see the "false religion" mentioned in the verses above. It seems to be all about appearance. People want to look good and religious around certain people at church on Sunday, but when they go home or interact with people during the week, you would never know God was a part of their lives. I'm guilty of this far more often than I'd like to admit and I pray for God to forgive me, and for Him to help me change. To keep a tighter reign on my tongue. To look after orphans, widows, the hurting and needy, and for me to not be polluted by the world I live in. I want to be more like my Savior, Jesus!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Jon Acuff: What new leaders know & old leaders fear.
(Re-posting this from Jon Acuff's blog. I thought it was interesting and I feel like I'm seeing the truth behind this in my life...both in wanting to be real and honest myself, and wanting other people to be real and honest about their struggles [and successes] in life.)
-------------------------------------------------
What New Leaders Know & Old Leaders Fear.
Old generation leaders think:
“If I share my weaknesses, my followers will never be able to trust my strengths.”
That thinking helped create leaders who, in meetings, and in speeches only share their successes or mistakes they made twenty years ago. The ridiculous assumption is if you don’t share your weaknesses, people won’t know you have any. Usually, the people you lead are already well aware of your weaknesses, even if you’ve been fronting like you’re perfect.
This next generation won’t stand for that line of thinking.
New generation leaders know:
“If I don’t trust my followers enough to share my weaknesses with them, they’ll never trust my strengths when I share those with them.”
The days of fake leaders are drawing to a close.
Don’t overshare as a weapon or a way to manipulate, but don’t think you can be an authentic leader without being an authentic human first.
Question:
How would you define “authenticity?”
-------------------------------------------------
What New Leaders Know & Old Leaders Fear.
Old generation leaders think:
“If I share my weaknesses, my followers will never be able to trust my strengths.”
That thinking helped create leaders who, in meetings, and in speeches only share their successes or mistakes they made twenty years ago. The ridiculous assumption is if you don’t share your weaknesses, people won’t know you have any. Usually, the people you lead are already well aware of your weaknesses, even if you’ve been fronting like you’re perfect.
This next generation won’t stand for that line of thinking.
New generation leaders know:
“If I don’t trust my followers enough to share my weaknesses with them, they’ll never trust my strengths when I share those with them.”
The days of fake leaders are drawing to a close.
Don’t overshare as a weapon or a way to manipulate, but don’t think you can be an authentic leader without being an authentic human first.
Question:
How would you define “authenticity?”
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Proof of Your (God's) Love
I've been really liking the song "Proof of Your Love" by For King & Country lately. I love the radio version where the artist reads from the 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 (MSG).
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
I love the words used here and the conviction behind them! Without love we are nothing! Without love we have nothing! If you continue into verses 4-8 of the same chapter we get a definition of what Godly love looks like. Love is kind, love is not proud, love is patient, love is not self-seeking, love does not boast or delight in evil. How many of us can truly say our love looks like this? Our culture doesn't promote this type of love. We have to strive to be different! To live and love like Jesus does! Let's stop trying to be better than the person next to us and start showing them how our God loves!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we
are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne
of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we
are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne
of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Friday, October 19, 2012
Matthew 16:1-12
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by
asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied,
"When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for
the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be
stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to
interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot
interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous
generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be
given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and
went away. When they went across the lake, the disciples
forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be
on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and said,
"It is because we didn't bring any bread." Aware of their
discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you
talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you
still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for
the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or
the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many
basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand
that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your
guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard
against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of
the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew 16:1-12
--
asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied,
"When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for
the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be
stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to
interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot
interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous
generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be
given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and
went away. When they went across the lake, the disciples
forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be
on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and
Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and said,
"It is because we didn't bring any bread." Aware of their
discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you
talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you
still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for
the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or
the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many
basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand
that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your
guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard
against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of
the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew 16:1-12
--
God Bless
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Romans 8:28
> And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who LOVE HIM, who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28
Monday, October 15, 2012
Tell The World - Lecrae
This is a devo by Christian rapper, Lecrae, found on YouVersion. The
verses mentioned below (Ephesians 1:17-18) really inspired me and have
become a specific prayer I've been praying over/for a family member of
mine. I also pray the same thing over myself and anyone who reads this
post...specifically that God will fill us with the wisdom and
understanding of who He is and how awesome it is to know and feel His
love! Hope you all enjoy!
>
> Tell The World - Lecrae
>
> When I was in school, my values were twisted. The only solution people
> offered me was a firm talk about changing my behavior. They told me my
> behavior would get me killed or in jail. They told me to stop doing
> what I was doing. They wanted me to modify my behavior. That was a
> pointless effort though, because my behavior was informed by my
> values. What I needed was new values. My behavior wouldn't change,
> unless my values changed, and my values wouldn't change unless I was
> somehow transformed into a new person.
>
> I desperately needed what's called a worldview transformation.
>
> See, worldviews are subtle and deep-seated, and they are usually taken
> for granted, since we can't see, hear, or touch them. Worldviews are
> our culturally structured assumptions, values, commitments, and
> allegiances that create our perception of reality. Basically, they
> explain are how and why you view the world the way you do, and then
> govern how you respond to the world.
>
> My worldview was not my behavior, but my behavior was conditioned by
> my worldview. The only way I could see things different is if God
> opened my spiritual eyes to a Biblical worldview. Anyone can read the
> Bible, but it takes the supernatural power of God to give someone a
> transformative understanding of it.
>
> In writing to the Ephesian churches, Paul prays this: "…that…God…may
> give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of
> him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
> what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of
> his glorious inheritance in the saints…" (1:17-18 ESV). Paul is
> praying that the Ephesian churches would be illuminated to the truth –
> truth which only the Holy Spirit can reveal to them. In order to hear
> from God through His word, we must be made alive; we must be born
> again.
>
> Second Corinthians 5:17 reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
> is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
> The Holy Spirit of God not only rebirths us, but continues to
> transform us and our worldview to His own.
verses mentioned below (Ephesians 1:17-18) really inspired me and have
become a specific prayer I've been praying over/for a family member of
mine. I also pray the same thing over myself and anyone who reads this
post...specifically that God will fill us with the wisdom and
understanding of who He is and how awesome it is to know and feel His
love! Hope you all enjoy!
>
> Tell The World - Lecrae
>
> When I was in school, my values were twisted. The only solution people
> offered me was a firm talk about changing my behavior. They told me my
> behavior would get me killed or in jail. They told me to stop doing
> what I was doing. They wanted me to modify my behavior. That was a
> pointless effort though, because my behavior was informed by my
> values. What I needed was new values. My behavior wouldn't change,
> unless my values changed, and my values wouldn't change unless I was
> somehow transformed into a new person.
>
> I desperately needed what's called a worldview transformation.
>
> See, worldviews are subtle and deep-seated, and they are usually taken
> for granted, since we can't see, hear, or touch them. Worldviews are
> our culturally structured assumptions, values, commitments, and
> allegiances that create our perception of reality. Basically, they
> explain are how and why you view the world the way you do, and then
> govern how you respond to the world.
>
> My worldview was not my behavior, but my behavior was conditioned by
> my worldview. The only way I could see things different is if God
> opened my spiritual eyes to a Biblical worldview. Anyone can read the
> Bible, but it takes the supernatural power of God to give someone a
> transformative understanding of it.
>
> In writing to the Ephesian churches, Paul prays this: "…that…God…may
> give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of
> him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
> what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of
> his glorious inheritance in the saints…" (1:17-18 ESV). Paul is
> praying that the Ephesian churches would be illuminated to the truth –
> truth which only the Holy Spirit can reveal to them. In order to hear
> from God through His word, we must be made alive; we must be born
> again.
>
> Second Corinthians 5:17 reads, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
> is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
> The Holy Spirit of God not only rebirths us, but continues to
> transform us and our worldview to His own.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Repost from the Jon Acuff - Blog...What Does Fear, Fear?
This is great stuff! Hope you enjoy!
Jon Acuff's Blog
Jon Acuff - Blog
Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:00 AM PDT
The other day someone asked me, "Where do you come up with all your ideas about fear?"
I told them, "I'm afraid, and then I write that down."
That's it. That's where my ideas about fear come from. And one that I've talked about before is the thing fear, fears.
Do you know what fear, fears?
Community.
Fear always tries to isolate you and put you on an island. Fear always wants you to think you're the only one that feels a certain way or has a certain doubt. Fear is terrified that you'll get plugged into a community of other people and learn the truth.
The truth that everyone gets afraid sometimes, the truth that chasing a dream isn't easy or instant, the truth that fear isn't all that big.
The challenge is that it's not always easy to get plugged into a community. You can't search "Quitters" on craigslist and then go grab coffee with whoever you find. That'd be weird.
So one of the things I'm trying to do is help build some community. The Quitter Conference is one way we do that. And today I get to announce an additional one.
My friends from Proof Branding are holding a Fall Retreat. It's designed to help you gain clarity on your dream, even if you're not 100% ready to make the leap from day job to dream job. It's full of tactical, practical steps on shaping and succeeding at developing the brand of your dream. I personally did a one-day version of this retreat and it was incredibly helpful. It's one of the best things I've ever done to figure out my dream. They seriously took years of jumbled "what if" ideas and helped me get down to the heart of what matters most.
There's only 10 spots for the retreat because sometimes the size of the community matters a whole lot. So if you're interested, sign up today.
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Friday, September 14, 2012
Worth Saving
My mom sent me the post below from Max Lucado's site this week and I thought it was very powerful. If you want to check out the original post on his website, here it is: Worth Saving.
Enjoy!
--------------------------------------
No one believed in people more than Jesus did. He saw something in Peter worth developing, in the adulterous woman worth forgiving, and in John worth harnessing.
He saw something in the thief on the cross, and what he saw was worth saving. And in the life of a wild-eyed, bloodthirsty extremist, He saw the apostle of grace. He believed in Saul.
Don’t give up on your Saul. When others write him off, give him another chance. Stay strong. Call him brother. Call her sister. It’s too soon to throw in the towel. Talk to your Saul about Jesus, and pray.
God is at work behind the scenes. And remember this: God never sends you where he hasn’t already been. By the time you reach your Saul, who knows what you’ll find.
God used Saul, who became Paul, to touch the world.
Has God given you a Saul?
From Cast of Characters
Enjoy!
--------------------------------------
Worth Saving
No one believed in people more than Jesus did. He saw something in Peter worth developing, in the adulterous woman worth forgiving, and in John worth harnessing.
He saw something in the thief on the cross, and what he saw was worth saving. And in the life of a wild-eyed, bloodthirsty extremist, He saw the apostle of grace. He believed in Saul.
Don’t give up on your Saul. When others write him off, give him another chance. Stay strong. Call him brother. Call her sister. It’s too soon to throw in the towel. Talk to your Saul about Jesus, and pray.
God is at work behind the scenes. And remember this: God never sends you where he hasn’t already been. By the time you reach your Saul, who knows what you’ll find.
God used Saul, who became Paul, to touch the world.
Has God given you a Saul?
From Cast of Characters
Friday, September 7, 2012
To Know the Heart of the Pilot by Max Lucado
Got this email as a forward from my mom today. I really like the last paragraph of it...I think far to often we only think of Jesus as an inspirational character in the Bible. When He is really the very picture of God. Through Him, we see what God is like. Hope you enjoy!
-------------------
To Know the Heart of the Pilot
-------------------
To Know the Heart of the Pilot
Three passengers share a row of seats in an airplane. As the plane is taxiing for takeoff, their conversation turns to the topic of the airplane pilot.
Stunningly, passenger "A" doesn't believe one exists. "No one flies the plane. We are guided by a computer system in the terminal. This plane is an occupied drone. Why should I believe otherwise? The cockpit door is closed. Who can know? There is no pilot."
Passenger "B" disagrees. "Oh, there is a pilot. Someone sits at the controls of the plane. But, once we take off, he takes a nap. He gets the plane in the air and then goes to sleep."
The third passenger is shocked by what she hears. "You don't know what you are talking about. First, there is a pilot. Second, the pilot is alert, competent and kind. I know; he is my husband. He is seasoned and sensitive and has every intention of a successful flight. We are in good hands."
Three passengers. Three opinions. A plane with no pilot. A plane with a disengaged pilot. A plane with a seasoned and concerned pilot. Fast forward a few minutes. Turbulence shakes the plane like popcorn in a paper bag. Will the three passengers experience the flight in the same way? Of the three travelers, which is most prone to stay calm?
Nothing is more important than the right view of God. Nothing. I've seen the wealthy and highly educated crumple like cowards at the face of death. I've seen the simple and humble take their final breath with a smile and a song. The difference? They knew the Pilot.
You need to know the heart of the pilot. That is why the story of Jesus is in the Bible. He is the only picture of God ever taken. To know Jesus, is to know God. To know God is to know: this flight gets bumpy, but the Pilot? He knows how to get us home.
Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com
--
God Bless
Monday, August 6, 2012
John Piper Devo...What to Do if You Wake Up Feeling Fragilej
Hello All...read this devo by John Piper today and really enjoyed
it...thought you might too! I love the imagery in the verses he
provides..."And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares
the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst." He doesn't say he
might be...he says "I WILL BE"....enjoy
WHAT TO DO IF YOU WAKE UP FEELING FRAGILE
There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It's
often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous
sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible.
It's usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have
deadlines and that seem too big and too many.
As I look back over about 50 years of such periodic mornings, I am
amazed how the Lord Jesus has preserved my life. And my ministry. The
temptation to run away from the stress has never won out — not yet
anyway. This is amazing. I worship him for it.
How has he done this? By desperate prayer and particular promises. I
agree with Spurgeon: I love the "I wills" and the "I shalls" of God.
Instead of letting me sink into a paralysis of fear, or run to a
mirage of greener grass, he has awakened a cry for help and then
answered with a concrete promise.
Here's an example. This is recent. I woke up feeling emotionally
fragile. Weak. Vulnerable. I prayed: "Lord help me. I'm not even sure
how to pray."
An hour later I was reading in Zechariah, seeking the help I had cried
out for. It came. The prophet heard great news from an angel about
Jerusalem:
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the
multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall
of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her
midst. (Zechariah 2:4–5)
There will be such prosperity and growth for the people of God that
Jerusalem will not be able to be walled in any more. "The multitude of
people and livestock" will be so many that Jerusalem will be like many
villages spreading out across the land without walls.
But walls are necessary! They are the security against lawless hordes
and enemy armies. Villages are fragile, weak, vulnerable. Prosperity
is nice, but what about protection?
To which God says in Zechariah 2:5, "I will be to her a wall of fire
all around, declares the Lord." Yes. That's it. That is the promise.
The "I will" of God. That is what I need. And if it is true for the
vulnerable villages of Jerusalem, it is true for me a child of God.
God will be a "wall of fire all around me." Yes. He will. He has been.
And he will be.
And it gets better. Inside that fiery wall of protection he says, "And
I will be the glory in her midst." God is never content to give us the
protection of his fire; he will give us pleasure of his presence.
This was sweet to me. This carried me for days. I took this with me to
the pulpit. I took it with me to family gatherings. I took it to staff
meetings. I took it to phone calls and emails.
This has been my deliverance every time since I was first marking my
King James Bible at age 15. God has rescued me with cries for help and
concrete promises. This time he said: "I will be to her a wall of fire
all around, and I will be the glory in her midst."
Cry out to Him. Then ransack the Bible for His appointed promise. We
are fragile but HE is not.
Zechariah 2:4-5
God Bless
Jon Abercrombie
http://holybloggers.blogspot.com
it...thought you might too! I love the imagery in the verses he
provides..."And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares
the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst." He doesn't say he
might be...he says "I WILL BE"....enjoy
WHAT TO DO IF YOU WAKE UP FEELING FRAGILE
There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It's
often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous
sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible.
It's usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have
deadlines and that seem too big and too many.
As I look back over about 50 years of such periodic mornings, I am
amazed how the Lord Jesus has preserved my life. And my ministry. The
temptation to run away from the stress has never won out — not yet
anyway. This is amazing. I worship him for it.
How has he done this? By desperate prayer and particular promises. I
agree with Spurgeon: I love the "I wills" and the "I shalls" of God.
Instead of letting me sink into a paralysis of fear, or run to a
mirage of greener grass, he has awakened a cry for help and then
answered with a concrete promise.
Here's an example. This is recent. I woke up feeling emotionally
fragile. Weak. Vulnerable. I prayed: "Lord help me. I'm not even sure
how to pray."
An hour later I was reading in Zechariah, seeking the help I had cried
out for. It came. The prophet heard great news from an angel about
Jerusalem:
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the
multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall
of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her
midst. (Zechariah 2:4–5)
There will be such prosperity and growth for the people of God that
Jerusalem will not be able to be walled in any more. "The multitude of
people and livestock" will be so many that Jerusalem will be like many
villages spreading out across the land without walls.
But walls are necessary! They are the security against lawless hordes
and enemy armies. Villages are fragile, weak, vulnerable. Prosperity
is nice, but what about protection?
To which God says in Zechariah 2:5, "I will be to her a wall of fire
all around, declares the Lord." Yes. That's it. That is the promise.
The "I will" of God. That is what I need. And if it is true for the
vulnerable villages of Jerusalem, it is true for me a child of God.
God will be a "wall of fire all around me." Yes. He will. He has been.
And he will be.
And it gets better. Inside that fiery wall of protection he says, "And
I will be the glory in her midst." God is never content to give us the
protection of his fire; he will give us pleasure of his presence.
This was sweet to me. This carried me for days. I took this with me to
the pulpit. I took it with me to family gatherings. I took it to staff
meetings. I took it to phone calls and emails.
This has been my deliverance every time since I was first marking my
King James Bible at age 15. God has rescued me with cries for help and
concrete promises. This time he said: "I will be to her a wall of fire
all around, and I will be the glory in her midst."
Cry out to Him. Then ransack the Bible for His appointed promise. We
are fragile but HE is not.
Zechariah 2:4-5
God Bless
Jon Abercrombie
http://holybloggers.blogspot.com
Monday, July 23, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus Chapter 6 Highlights
A few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here).
The following post is mostly everything that I stood out to me in the sixth chapter. You can see my notes from Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 here. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through
the book. I would love to hear what those of you reading this book
thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if
you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and
comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Create: The Activist
Create: The Activist
- The Creator as the ultimate act of creativity, has created you and me to be creative. (pg. 154)
- For them (artists) the boundaries are the parameters, not the limitations. (pg. 155)
- He (God) is the One who takes the zero and from it creates the infinite. And by the way, in case you've been wondering, you are incapable of this. That may be your primary source of frustration in your life. You're trying to create out of nothing. (pg. 156)
- ...our lives are to be more than cheap imitations of another's. That wouldn't even be living; that wouldn't even be existing--that would be torment. All of us long to find our own unique path. Even those who are deeply devoted to Jesus strive to imitate Christ without becoming an imitation. (pg. 157)
- The world, as Paul describes it, will rob you of your uniqueness. If you conform to it, you will lose your soul. You will lose yourself. To conform to Christ is to allow the One who created you to shape your character. It is here that God begins to reclaim, redirect, and unleash your creative potential. To conform to Christ is not to surrender your creative potential but to fully actualize it. (pg. 157)
- --if there is any creativity in us, it is because the creator God put it within us. We have been told that only God is creative, and all we are supposed to do is obey. No wonder people outside the faith see us as controlling and dogmatic. (pg. 157)
- You at your best are not in competition with God but in concert with God. (pg. 157-158)
- Every choice you make has momentum long past the action. Good choices create a better world and a better future. Destructive choices bring pain and tragedy. Either way, you are creating a future for yourself and the people affected by your life. (pg. 159)
- You are responsible for your actions and the consequences of your actions. (pg. 159)
- When Jesus gave us insight into the kingdom of God, he focused not so much on what God would do for us but instead on what he will expect from us. (pg. 160)
- We often convince ourselves that the fastest way to get somewhere in life is the shortest distance between two places. There are times and circumstances where what you did on the way to the destination is all that matters. (pg. 163)
- What Jesus is pressing us to acknowledge here is that some things are in our control. We are responsible to be prepared. We need to live our lives with the knowledge that one day Jesus will come back and evaluate our lives and take into measure the opportunities given to us. There are things that are not only in our control, but also for which we are responsible and will be held accountable. (pg. 163)
- "Life is short. Stay awake for it." (pg. 164)
- Often, the person who has the most luck is the person who won't quit. (pg. 164)
- When we fail, when we blow it, when we fall short because we were unprepared for an opportunity, we blow it off and say, "Well, that must have been the Lord's will." That's a Christianized way of blaming God for our own problems. (pg. 165)
- You Giving your best will honor God. (pg. 166)
- Do now whatever you must to be prepared for the future you desire. (pg. 166)
- You can't be a light if you don't have any oil for your lamp. (pg. 168) (referencing the parable of the ten virgins waiting to meet the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-12)
- ...what God has entrusted to us, he holds us accountable for. (pg. 170)
- You have no control over how you live, only how well you live. You alone are the steward of your life, and you must choose what you will do with the talent God has given you. (pg. 170)
- We may all be created equal, but we aren't created the same. There are people out there more talented that we are. And yes, it's irritating and at times discouraging. Yet someone less talented can accomplish more than a person with superior talent by working harder. On the other hand, a more talented person might give less effort and still succeed more than the rest of us. Life is anything but fair. (pg. 171)
- Talent you don't use is talent you have abused. To waste what God has put in you is a dishonor to God and a disservice to humanity. (pg. 172)
- God is the source of all creativity, of all beauty, of all that is good in the world. (pg. 172)
- If you don't believe that you're part of the creative process, then just sit at the table tonight and wait until God brings you dinner. (pg. 173)
- ...Your potential will only be fully expressed in relationship to the creative God who made you creative. (pg. 173)
- It would be tragic if only those with the worst of intentions believed they could affect the future of humanity. What would happen if those who believed in love, hope, peace, and the value of human spirit also believed they could effect change in the world? (pg. 173)
- ...you can actually do whatever you want with your life. You've been created by God to choose. I think a lot of us want to abdicate our life responsibility, even our free will. You get to decide what you do today and what you do tomorrow, but you will be accountable for your choices. (pg. 174)
- You may say, "I don't know what career God wants me to have." Do you know what a good starting point is? Quit blaming everything on God. Quit blaming your inability to make a decision. Quit blaming your indecisiveness on God. How about just owning up to the fact that you're afraid to make a choice. (pg. 174)
- We're absolutely afraid of God. We think if we risk and then fail, then God is going to punish us....God, though isn't looking at failure but faithfulness. He's not waiting for you to fail so he can punish you or succeed so he can pillage you. He wants to celebrate your life. (pg. 175)
- God finds no pleasure in the punishment of the wicked. He doesn't find any pleasure punishing the people many of us would love to punish. In the same way, he is not waiting for you to blow it so he can tell you how badly you have done. (pg. 175)
- God does not measure success the way we do. (pg. 175)
- Every time God created, it was good. (pg. 178)
- You want to know what your role is in the creative process? You are created by God to expand the good....Most of us understand that we're not created to be evil, but we act as if we were created to be neutral....God designed you to be an expression of his goodness. (pg. 178)
- God loves when his children reflect his character. (pg. 179)
- Jesus makes clear that the righteous people in his parable didn't help the poor try to earn God's love or earn a place in God's kingdom. Their service to others was a genuine reflection of their hearts. (pg. 179)
- This is your life and no one else's--so own it. It's your responsibility to maximize your capacity, to take an inventory of who you are and to understand how God has designed you, to harness all the talent and skills God has placed in you, and to recognize that you will not be measured against anyone else's life but your own. (pg. 179)
- You will only expand the good when your life is fueled by love and proved by action. It's not enough to feel empathy for others; you have to take some kind of action that reflects the heart of God as you serve the world. (pg. 180)
- Even while we are meeting the needs of others, God has a wonderful way of meeting our needs. When your dreams include the good of others, don't be surprised when God brings your dreams to pass. (pg. 181)
- God did not create you to be neutral; God did not create you to be a puppet; God did not create you to simply walk through life passively concluding, Whatever God's going to do, God's going to do. You can't create out of nothing, but don't underestimate the amazing potential that resides within you. (pg. 184)
- When you become an activist you become proactive. To create you must act. (pg. 185)
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus Chapter 5 Highlights
A few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here).
The following post is mostly everything that I stood out to me in the fifth chapter. You can see my notes from Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 here. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through
the book. I would love to hear what those of you reading this book
thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if
you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and
comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Focus: The Seer
Focus: The Seer
- For some of us, the problem isn't that we don't have any dreams; it's that we have way too many dreams or that all we have are dreams. We just live in our dreams rather than actually live out our dreams. (pg. 124)
- ...we simply find ourselves fickle in our passions, desires, and dreams. There's so much we want to do, so many possibilities, so many things that burn within us that we end up in danger of choosing a lesser life than the one God desires for us. We end up falling into the category of dreamer, which is often a polite way of saying "idealist who never actually does anything." (pg. 124-125)
- I don't know if you have people who know you and invest in your life and journey, but a roomful of people like that brings a lot of insight and clarity into your life. (pg. 126)
- We live in a world that tells us we should know something about everything. You should be a generalist, not a specialist....The Renaissance person knows about everything. The problem, of course, is you can't know everything, so you learn a little bit about a lot of things. (pg. 127)
- You've been trained to believe that lack of focus is the key to success. (pg. 128)
- ...the tough choices aren't between good and evil, but between all the equally good options out there that are simply not the right paths for you. You have to allow even beautiful dreams to die when they are not supposed to be yours. (pg. 128)
- The more you can lock in to who God has created you to be--your unique gifts, talents, passions, intelligence, all the stuff God has poured into you--the more you'll begin to understand your unique place in human history. (pg. 129)
- When you're about to drown in a storm, you're really open to God and to whatever he might want to say to you. (pg. 130)
- ...why we lose our focus in life. We get distracted by our surroundings and circumstances and everything happening around us, and they pull our attention away from where we are supposed to be going. The nemesis of focus is distraction. (pg. 131)
- He (Peter) still lost sight of where God was leading him and allowed his circumstances to pull him off course. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, his life potential was diminished, and he began drowning in his inadequacy. As talented as you may be, you cannot walk the road God has prepared for you without him. To follow him is to live in his strength. (pg. 132)
- When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he was overwhelmed not by the storm but by his fear. (pg. 133)
- We justify our loss of focus with the excuse that God is invisible. You can't see or hear him; it's easier to trust in the world you can see and feel. But Peter had God visible, physical, tangible, right in front of him, and even that didn't make the difference. Part of what costs us the life we are created to live is that we don't lock in. We lose focus because we become distracted by our circumstances. (pg. 133)
- If you resolve to live the life of your dreams, if you refuse to settle for a life other than the one God created you to live, you're going to see the waves and the wind. And it's going to terrify you and you're going to begin to sink. You have to decide to focus and lock in on the direction God has called you to live your life. This first step in getting focused could be described as concentration. Concentration is directing all of our energies and resources to a specific task, idea, and direction. So to focus, you have to make this adjustment--to concentrate all of your energy and resources on where you are going. Set your eyes on where God is calling you and don't look back (and certainly don't look around). (pg. 135-136)
- When Jesus calls us to come, he is calling us out into a future we cannot walk without him. (pg. 136)
- Somehow everything Jesus needed to do, he did. (pg. 138)
- If you don't have a purpose for your life, there are plenty of people who will be happy to give you theirs. (pg. 139)
- What sometimes is hard for us to accept is that Jesus Christ, when he came into the world, didn't come to do everything in that moment. He came to do the most important things. He came to do what no one else could do on our behalf. Jesus came into this world and offered his life as a sacrifice for us so that through his death on the cross, we enter into relationship with God himself. (pg. 140)
- The tragedy is if you try to be everything and do everything, you may so diffuse your effect that you will not optimize who God made you to be and what he created you to accomplish. (pg. 141)
- Self-awareness is one of the most critical characteristics of personal effectiveness and productivity. Do you know who you are? (pg. 141)
- What Jesus was doing at the age of twelve was becoming the person that could handle what he needed to do at the age of thirty-two--and especially at the age of thirty-three. (pg. 143)
- After learning the hard way, I keep reminding myself, if I have to make a decision before I'm ready, just say no. I've made my worst decisions when I was put on the spot. (pg. 144)
- Life comes at you fast and hard, with multiple options and opportunities and with endless variety and variations. If you do not know who you are and who you are becoming, if you do not have your hot center fueled by your core values, you will over and over again make wrong choices. Life rarely sends you a warning shot. (pg. 144-145)
- Clarity comes from knowing who you are and what really matters to you. (pg. 145)
- We often think of God's will more as a tightrope than a compass. (pg. 145)
- It's amazing how negative emotions and attitudes like bitterness, jealousy, hatred, unforgiveness, fear, or arrogance can skew your view of the world, blind you to the potential of your life, and turn your dreams into a nightmare. (pg. 148)
- Sin and guilt and shame are not where God wants you to focus your life. He wants you to focus on the unique nature of your creation--that you're created in the image and likeness of God, that you have infinite value to God, and were designed by God to live a life beyond your wildest imagination. (pg. 148)
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus: Chapter 4 Highlights
In case you don't remember, a few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here).
The following post is basically everything that I thought was
interesting in the third chapter. You can see my notes from Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 here. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through
the book. I would love to hear what those of you reading this book
thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if
you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and
comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Expect: The Believer
Expect: The Believer
- They have a leak when it comes to hope. They seem incapable of holding on to a positive view of life. (pg. 91)
- The optimistic never see failure as personal, permanent, or pervasive, but others are constricted, paralyzed, or controlled by failures. (pg. 92)
- One of the most important characteristics of people who achieve the extraordinary is they live a life of expectation--they expect the good to happen; they internalize optimism. (pg. 92)
- "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.' And, 'But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.'" (pg. 94)
- Of all the things that may change about you when you connect to God, here is one that should fill you with confidence--if you have lived your life running away, this is not who you are any longer. Where once we ran from problems, failures, hardship, danger, and challenges, we are now among those who thrive in the midst of them. (pg. 95)
- You recognize that the greatness within you can only emerge if you are willing to face your greatest challenges. (pg. 95)
- If you are in a relationship with the God who created you, no matter who you've been or what you've done or how many times you've messed up or failed or quit, you are no longer that person, no longer a part of the tribe that shrinks back. (pg. 95)
- What we really want God to do is be the calming presence in our life. We want God to bring some peace and stability. But soon you're saying, "Wait a minute, nobody told me that a relationship with God is like skiing downhill in the Swiss Alps as a beginner with no lessons!" (pg. 96)
- The way God changes your life is by changing you. (pg. 97)
- Wherever you made your mess, that's where you get to start cleaning it up. (pg. 97)
- "Transformation is the ability to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and like the person you are becoming." (pg. 98)
- Failure can become a state of being, as can despair. (pg. 99)
- We are called to emulate the lives of women and men who kept leaning into their future. (pg. 99)
- When you begin to live a life that integrates faith and hope, you begin to internalize optimism. (pg. 100)
- Faith is not the Christian version of a wish. It is not about speaking something into reality. Faith is different. Faith is about substance. It's about knowing what has not happened will certainly happen. Not because you will make it happen but because God has promised it will be so. (pg. 100)
- Faith is about conviction, while hope is about confidence. Faith grounds us in the certainty of God's faithfulness, and hope pulls us into the mystery of God's future. (pg. 100)
- People talk about faith as if it's a magical ingredient that impresses God and gives him a great idea of what he should do with our life. (pg.101)
- A lot of us think that faith is about impressing God with our ideas or coming up with these huge plans. (pg.102)
- God isn't lacking in vision. But there does seem to be a shortage of people willing to dream as big as God. Faith isn't about convincing God to go big but posturing ourselves to join God in a life bigger than we are and bigger than our dreams. (pg. 103)
- Faith is about confidence in God's character, that he is good and true and beautiful. (pg. 103)
- If nothing can stop God, then who can stop you when you are pursuing him and living for his purpose? (pg. 103)
- Faith pushes you to pursue a God-sized dream, and hope pulls and inspires you to never quit until it is a reality. (pg. 104)
- ...Abraham...had security and certainty, and God said, "I want you to give up everything you have, everything you know, and relinquish your security and certainty. I want you to expect more. And I want you to go with me on a journey to a place you have no idea where it is, no idea what it's going to be like, and I want you to move from being a settler to becoming a stranger and a wanderer." (pg. 105)
- I wonder if for many of us, the only thing stopping us from living the life God created us to live--the live of our dreams--is to let go of a life so good that it betrays the great. (pg. 106)
- We have confused comfort with peace, belief with faith, safety with wisdom, wealth with blessing, and existence with life. (pg. 106)
- The great challenge for many of us is that there will be times in our lives when God will say, "I have done all of this for you. i have provided for you tremendously, but I want you now to give that up for the life you were created to live. There's more than this." It is very likely that the life God has given you as a gift today is the very thing he will ask of you as a sacrifice tomorrow. (pg. 108)
- Sometimes God does so much in our lives that when he wants to work in a new way we resist, ironically, because we have become so attached to all he has brought to us. What can happen is that the things God has blessed us with become an anchor that keeps us grounded ashore rather than launching us out into his dream for us. (pg. 109-110)
- The unknown with God is always better than the known without him. (pg. 110)
- He (God) never intended all of our lives to be the same. God's promise is not that everything will go well for us but that our lives will be well lived. (pg. 112)
- A life of expectation sometimes brings great public success, but sometimes God glorifies himself and finds the greatest honor from our lives when we are willing to fail in the eyes of others simply by doing what is right even if it means losing our perceived value to the world. (pg. 112)
- God is not limited to your success and failure. God is glorified when you simply live your life for the right things, whether you succeed or fail. (pg. 113)
- Are you a prisoner to the opinion of others, or are you willing to allow God to create the life of your dreams? Would you choose success in the eyes of others or failure that brings your life its greatest meaning? (pg. 113)
- A life of expectation isn't so much about what you expect out of life but what you put into it. The former is about feeling entitled; the latter about living fully engaged. (pg. 113)
- ...how long you live does not reflect how well you live. The real question is, were you alive when you died? (pg. 114)
- Abel was murdered, but Cain could not kill his dreams. It was Cain who, though he remained alive, was trapped in a nightmare. (pg. 115)
- To live wide awake is not about finding a way around the suffering or difficulties of life. It is stepping into the life God has for you. (pg. 115)
- Some of us need to move past looking to God for only the forgiveness of our sins, and begin to live lives that pursue God and to live in his pleasure. (pg. 115-116)
- Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more. God took him away. Be careful getting too close to God; you may not be here tomorrow. (pg. 116)
- Your faith, your religion or spirituality, is not supposed to serve as a way to get God off your back. It's not supposed to be a way to leverage your bets so that maybe you can get to heaven when you die. It's not supposed to be just about some way to relieve your guilt and shame. Dreaming with your eyes open is about living life to the fullest and enjoying God and having him enjoy you. It's about getting God into your soul, your heart, and your head, and letting him show you the dreams and plans he has for your life. When an infinite God comes to dwell in a finite being, dangerously beautiful things begin to happen. It is here where you become indomitable. The fire within you becomes an eternal flame that cannot be put out. (pg. 116-117)
- ...what can you do when your life is filled with expectation and you are delusional enough to believe that you have the power to change things? (pg. 118)
- ...research reveals that the people most rooted or grounded in reality are those who could be considered depressed. Reality is really overrated; it makes you a pessimist. To be an optimist you must be a dreamer. You must awaken the hero within you that sees beyond the problem to the promise. I call this hero the Believer. (pg. 118-119)
- Maybe our marriages would get better if we kept pursuing our spouses. (pg. 119)
- Little by little we begin to live in fear. We begin to be haunted by doubt. We begin to settle for less. (pg. 119)
- Others need to see to believe. You see because you believe. (pg. 119)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Fwd: Jon Acuff - Blog
Reposting this from Jon Acuff's blog...hope you like...
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Jon Acuff's Blog" <jonacuff@gmail.com>
Date: July 9, 2012 6:07:01 PM EDT
To: jcrombie213@gmail.com
Subject: Jon Acuff - Blog
Jon Acuff's Blog
Jon Acuff - Blog
Posted: 09 Jul 2012 04:00 AM PDT
"Lucky breaks" are what people on the sidelines always accuse people in the game of catching.
Want to catch your own lucky break?
Suit up.
Get in the game.
Get your nose bloodied, your hands dirtied.
People on the sidelines never catch a lucky break. They catch foul balls.
Is it easier to yell about what you could do or could be or could accomplish someday from the sidelines?
Yes.
Will any of it happen if you stay there?
No.
Complain all you want about people who catch "lucky breaks," but the truth is painfully simple.
Every touchdown in history, every home run in the last 100 years, every goal scored in every single game of every single sport, happened on the field, not the sidelines.
So either play or don't, but don't for a second act like there's any confusion about where lucky breaks occur and who has access to them.
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Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus Chapter 3 Highlights
In case you don't remember, a few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here). The following post is basically everything that I thought was interesting in the third chapter. You can see my notes from the Introduction and the first chapter, and second chapter here. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through the book. I would love to hear what those of you reading this book thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Adapt: The Alchemist
- I used to ask people, "What do you do?" I don't do that as much anymore. I've discovered it's a sore spot for a lot of people. "I'm just sort of working," they'll say. I think a lot of us have temporary jobs as we search for the career we really want. (pg. 59)
- If your career path doesn't seem to match your heart's longing, it may be you have a skill that doesn't match your passion. You were good at something, so it seemed obvious that. Is what you should do. Or maybe it was a choice between career and family-- and you always put others above yourself. You have no regrets, but you do have unfulfilled dreams. (pg. 60)
- Life is not a stationary experience. (pg. 60)
- When it comes to the future, our lives are more discovered than determined. (pg. 61)
- For most of us, walking with God is a mysterious journey of faith and discovery. I wish that the moment we entered a relationship with Jesus, God would send us a memo that spelled out everything. (pg.61)
- Life is not a color-within-the-lines project; life is a work of art. You have to keep mixing the colors, creating new blends, and seeing things in fresh new ways. You must be willing to get paint all over you. Life is about growth. Growth demands change. Change requires humility. Sometimes you need to bring change. Sometimes you need to be changed. (pg. 61-62)
- The Scriptures tell us that God "is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8); yet he was willing to become a human for our sake. You can't model your life after Jesus and be unwilling to adapt. (pg.62)
- Many of us need reinvented lives. We are living a rerun, and we need fresh stories, maybe some new characters to enter our story. (pg.63)
- The stories of Daniel and Esther remind us that we do not get to choose the context from where we begin our story, where our lives begin. (pg. 66)
- Your circumstances do not determine your opportunities. Or if they do, it may well be quite the opposite than you expect. The more challenging your circumstances, the greater your opportunity to see God raise you to new levels of living. (pg.66)
- Some of us live in a context of comfort, and it has become easy for us to settle for safe rather than to disturb the status quo. (pg. 67)
- ...it's easy to blame everyone else for your condition. (pg. 67)
- Anyone who says that every follower of Jesus Christ is going to have health and wealth is terribly mistaken (or brain-dead). (pg. 67)
- Your circumstances do not equal your opportunity, because your opportunity is shaped not simply by your external factors but by the internal factors of who you choose to be and become. (pg. 68)
- Unless you learn how to adapt to your environment, to your circumstances, and to your challenges, you will continue to use them as an excuse, claiming they are obstacles that stop you from living the life of your dreams. (pg. 68)
- It was in the context of unimaginable difficulty that they (Daniel and Esther) were formed into extraordinary individuals. (pg. 69)
- Those who were motivated to learn and allowed themselves to continue to grow rose to the top. (pg. 69)
- There are times when the greatest act of courage and the best evidence of character is the willingness to change. (pg. 69)
- All of us must choose to reinvent ourselves to face whatever is waiting in front of us. Part of learning to reinvent yourself is learning how to be teachable, resourceful, and flexible. (pg. 70)
- They (Daniel and Esther) we learners who did not allow their adverse circumstances to limit their potential. They left no room for excuses. They assessed their circumstances, adapted to their environment, and rose to the challenge. Though they were at a deficit, they emerged as the elite. (pg. 71)
- Everyone who follows the course to which God has called then will have their mettle tested and will become moldable metal. (pg. 71)
- To adapt is not to surrender but to become unstoppable. It is the difference between being a boulder or a river. Many of us see virtue as being immovable. Yet in times of crisis, it is our willingness to be adaptable that distinguishes us. Conviction is a popular excuse for rigidity, but faith should actually make us more pliable, not less. (pg. 72)
- What we find in all these individuals through whom God has written biblical history is that faith gives you the confidence to adapt to your circumstance while never compromising your convictions. You either adapt when you face circumstances you cannot control, or you allow them to become the boundaries of your life. (pg. 72)
- You can't control the context from which your life story is being written, but you can control the content. Life is filled with unforeseen boulders, and you must become the river. The higher the water, the less the boulders can slow its progress. (pg. 72)
- Adaptability requires teachability. The ability to change comes from one core characteristic, and that is simply humility. Humility keeps us flexible. (pg. 72)
- If you are a sincere follower of Christ, then you are mandated by God to be a voracious, intentional learner. (pg. 73)
- You must always strive toward excellence in whatever you pursue. (pg.73)
- Rise to the top and see what God can do with our life. This doesn't always mean you will be the best in the world at what you do, but you are supposed to be the world's best you. (pg. 73)
- You have to have an open mind and an open heart to recognize that in every discipline and every field, there is something you can learn that will help you become a better person and advance God's purpose for your life. (pg. 75)
- They (Daniel and Esther) did not underestimate the gifts and talents and capacity God had placed within their very being. Daniel and Esther were flexible. Another good word-flexible means to bend without breaking. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you need to learn how to be flexible. You need to learn how to bend without breaking. (pg. 75-76)
- Part of the dilemma of believing in God is that you can actually begin to act like your are God. You're always right, never wrong. The way you do everything is the way everyone should do it. Many of us end up being convinced that when anybody does something different than we do it, says something differently than we do, when anyone approaches life in any way different than we do, then that person is absolutely in the wrong. And we are convinced that our perspective and God's perspective are exactly the same thing. (pg. 76)
- We become dogmatic as a result of fear, not faith. Faith keeps you flexible and postured for change. Faith ignites courage, not conformity. Fear seeks to control; faith seeks to create. (pg. 76)
- Some things are your core; everything else can change. (pg. 76)
- Improvisation is not the result of shooting from the hip but knowing where you're aiming. Spontaneity is rapid action in response to unforeseen circumstances informed by previously determined values. (pg. 77)
- If you don't know what your nonnegotiables are, you won't negotiate anything. You're afraid to let go of anything because later you might discover that was a nonnegotiable. When you don't know what's really important, you treat everything the same. (pg. 78)
- Daniel and Esther knew there was a difference between what it means to adopt and what it means to adapt. One is to surrender to overwhelming circumstances; the other is to rise above them. (pg. 78)
- Most developmental psychologists agree that what differentiates leaders is not so much their philosophy of leadership, their personality, or even their style of management; rather, it's their internal action logic, how they interpret their surroundings or react when their power or safety has been challenged. (pg. 82-83)
- For too long we have focused exclusively on being good rather than doing good. (pg. 83)
- You cannot help others change unless you are willing to change. (pg. 84)
- You must be willing to change, and the greater your ability to change, the greater your ability to bring change. (pg. 84)
- While our dreams may be different, and each of us has a unique path to walk, this I know is true for you if Jesus Christ guides your life-your life can never be simply about you. (pg. 85)
- For Paul, Jesus didn't come only to save him, but so that he could join with Jesus in saving others. (pg. 85)
- Once his (Paul's) life was fueled by religious arrogance and self-righteousness and now his life was reduced to one motive--love. (pg. 86)
- To adapt is not always an easy thing. Sometimes it takes all your strength and energy to do so. Often it will take great courage. It is simply easier to stay the same; to refuse to change and insist that the world adapt to you. (pg. 86)
- When you live a life of love, you are not bound to who you are but to who you will become. Love transforms. It leaves nothing it touches as it was before its caress. The only thing you need to change is love. (pg. 87)
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus: Chapter 2
In case you don't remember, a few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here).
The following post is basically everything that I thought was
interesting in the second chapter. You can see my notes from the Introduction and the first chapter here. I will continue
to make posts for each chapter as I read through the book. I would love
to hear what those of you reading this book thought after reading each
chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if you aren't reading through
the book, feel free to read the quotes and comment on any that might
strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Discover: The Explorer
Discover: The Explorer
- Even though it's harder to live without exploring, and you feel the life being sucked out of you by the mundane, you stop being curious simply because your life is manageable. So you give up your insatiable curiosity in exchange for comfort and security and predictability. (pg. 37)
- You have to start making yourself flexible and pliable again, because if you stop learning, you will stop growing and will never create a life beyond the one you have right now. (pg. 37)
- The longer we live, the less pliable our minds are to learning. (pg. 39)
- Unfortunately, we who build our lives on the Scriptures are at times most in danger when we conclude all we need to know is in one book so we can be ignorant of everything else. (pg. 39)
- A person of faith must never be afraid to explore. We above all others should be driven to question, to examine, to learn. Faith shouldn't make you less curious but insatiably curious. (pg.39)
- When you live in relationship to the God of all creation, learning is a given. You are now and forever on a journey involving mystery and discovery. This journey is as endless as God is infinite and eternal. (pg. 39)
- You have an unlimited learning capacity. (pg. 40)
- To live the life God created you to live, you must continue to explore. (pg. 42)
- As children, our drive to learn is simply an expression of being human; in our adulthood, learning is an expression of humility. And if you do not have the character to keep learning, you will limit your capacity to keep advancing. (pg. 42-43)
- Now I know some of us love spiritualizing things, as in, "Well, God will solve the problem." But God rarely solves the problem with people who just say, "If God wants it solved, he'll do it." Instead, he seems to solve the problem with people who don't give up. Have you ever noticed that? (pg. 46)
- God seems to free the oppressed, end injustice, feed the hungry, bring victory, and do every good work through the men and women who refuse to surrender to the problem. (pg. 46)
- So it seems like retirement happens right about the moment you die when it comes to God. There is never a point in your life where you lack value or significance. (pg. 47)
- I think a lot of us are where we are in our lives because this is just sort of where we got stuck. You didn't feel a God-inspired call to where you live; you just happened to be born there or transferred there. You are being manipulated by the circumstances of your life rather than being moved by a calling with purpose and mission. (pg. 47)
- [Ironically,] those who don't have the opportunity to live a life worth dreaming of need you to pursue great dreams for them. (pg. 48)
- Is it possible that to create the life of your dreams, you need to get up and leave what you know and relinquish the security of what you have in order to discover what you only see in your imagination? (pg. 48-49)
- [But] it is possible you'll never find greater contentment or joy or exhilaration until you're willing to give up what you know and what you have for what awaits and exists in the unknown. (pg. 49)
- Not everything you need to know is meant to be learned through experience. (pg. 50)
- Know what it's called when you think you have to experience everything before you can actually know better? It's called stupidity. (pg. 50)
- Some things you should learn through the wisdom of others who have failed, and some things you should learn by having confidence in God and building your life on his shared wisdom. (pg. 50-51)
- What we should learn from wisdom we insist on learning through the pain that comes from being unteachable (which is a nice way of saying we choose to be stupid). (pg. 51)
- Every act of greed, every act of violence, every act of corruption is preceded by an imagination that went there long before. The world we create in our heads is the world we will create through our actions. (pg. 53)
- ...when we dwell in dark places we eventually become consumed by the darkness. (pg. 53)
- And for us to grow and thrive we must be willing to fail. (pg. 53)
- Your curiosity is a fuel from God to keep you searching and asking until you find him, and then to keep you searching and asking so you can know him. (pg. 53)
- Eternity isn't the place where you get all the answers. Eternity is a place where you get all new questions, a place where you will always be learning. God is infinite. How long does it take to get to know everything about an infinite God? Oh, I'd say, about eternity. (pg. 55)
Friday, June 8, 2012
Live Intentionally (from Charles Stanley and InTouch Magazine)
Hello All...below is a short devotional I got from my mom off of the Intouch.org website by Charles Stanley. I like it and hope you will to :) Check it out...
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June 5, 2012
Live Intentionally
Read | 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Paul was a man who lived life to the full. His goals were to know Christ, abide in His power, fellowship in His suffering, and preach the gospel (Phil. 3:10; 1 Cor. 1:17). In doing so, he aligned his aspirations with the Lord's, diligently worked to fulfill his calling, and persevered through opposition, persecution, and suffering. He could face the end of his life with confidence since he'd "fought the good fight," "finished the course," and "kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).
We'd all like to be able to say the same at the end of our lives, but that means we have to follow Paul's example. How are you doing at setting goals for your life? Have you thought beyond the immediate and set some long-term objectives? Our culture is so fast-paced that few of us take the time to actually consider where we're going. But you don't want to finish your life and find out you were on a course other than God's, fighting the wrong fight, and struggling to keep the faith.
Why not set aside some time this week to get alone with the Lord. Then ask His help in setting goals that will take you where He wants you to go. Consider every area of your life--personal, relational, financial, and vocational--but make spiritual goals your primary emphasis. Then write them down.
If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting. Maybe it's time to get out of your rut and find a new path. God will help you change direction and accomplish new goals that align with His will. Don't settle for the mediocrity of an unplanned life. Start living intentionally.
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God Bless
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Daniel
Daniel 1
New International Version (NIV)
Daniel's Training in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king's service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility — 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.--------------------------------------------
I feel like the story of Daniel keeps coming up in my readings lately. I am inspired by Daniel's faithfulness to God during all the changes he had to endure. Daniel was stripped away from his home and everything he knew, but he didn't crumble under the pressures of his new circumstances. Daniel had to adapt to his new life, while at the same time he knew he had to remain faithful in his relationship with God. Daniel provides us with an outstanding example of how we should tackle change in our lives! I encourage you to read through the book of Daniel and note his openness to learn and grow while still staying committed to God and not compromising his beliefs or his relationship with God!
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God Bless
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wide Awake by Erwin McManus: Intro and Chapter 1
In case you don't remember, a few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here). The following post is basically everything that I thought was interesting in the introduction and the first chapter. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through the book. I would love to hear what those of you reading this book thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!
Awaken: The Hero (Introduction)
Awaken: The Hero (Introduction)
- David. (to Elijah) This morning was the first morning I can remember, that I didn't open my eyes and feel that sadness...I thought the person who wrote that note had an answer for me. Elijah. (to David) That little bit of sadness in the mornings you spoke of? I think I know what that is. Perhaps you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. M. Night Shyamalan's film Unbreakable. (pg. xi)
- There is nothing like feeling fully alive and dreaming wide awake. (pg. xi)
- (But) the process of finding the right dream and then moving it into life sometimes keeps them from making their dreams a reality. (pg. xii)
- (But) the devil, of course, is in the details--or in this case, in the process. (pg. xii)
- There is a hero within you waiting to be awakened. (pg. xiii)
- I have come to the place where I simply think of every human being as pre-great. (pg. xiii)
- People are the most underused and undervalued resource on the planet. (pg. xiii)
- Most of us don't choose the worst life; we just don't choose the best. (pg. xiii)
- We should never confuse fame with greatness. The former is about what you do for yourself; the latter is about what you do for others. (pg. xiv)
- (After all,) he placed us in paradise and expected us to take care of his creation--so much for a good start. (pg. xiv)
- Jesus came to bring out the best in us. (pg. xiv)
- Long before I was looking for God, he was looking out for me. (pg. 10)
- Sometimes the limitations you are willing to accept establish the boundaries of your existence. (pg. 10)
- Sometimes getting up and walking is more about your head than your legs. (pg. 10)
- How you imagine yourself and your future has a huge effect on what actually happens. (pg. 11)
- When you begin to understand that you are at the core a spiritual being, it begins to make sense why you need the Source of all creativity active in your life to fully live out your God-given potential. (pg. 12)
- They wanted power and prestige, but Jesus was offering servanthood and sacrifice. (pg. 14)
- God is not going to invest himself in a dream fueled by greed, arrogance, self-indulgence, and self-centeredness. (pg. 14)
- When God is at the core of our lives, he becomes the inspirer of our dreams. (pg. 15)
- If you had Jesus right in front of you and he asked you, "What do you want?" what would you say to him? (pg. 16)
- Is it possible that you are not living the life of your dreams because God has asked you what you want and you are asking for way too little? (pg. 16-17)
- I think a lot of our prayers make God wonder why we think so little of him. (pg. 18)
- God gives God-sized dreams to people with God-shaped hearts. (pg. 21)
- Even when you have the right dream, you can make the wrong choices. The way you begin to live out your God-given dreams is to become the person God desires you to be. (pg. 22)
- As soon as you begin to dream, all the things you're afraid of start haunting you. Doubts, insecurities, the secret things no one else knows start popping into your dreams and can turn them into nightmares in a moment. (pg. 28)
- God is waiting for you to recognize that you cannot control the four winds, but he can. If he commands you to act, and if you will trust him, you will see all of creation move in concert to accomplish in you what you were created to do. (pg. 31)
Friday, April 20, 2012
Folly...
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the
mouth of the fool gushes folly.
Proverbs 15:1-2
I find it interesting that I got these verses in my email this morning after the night I had with my wife. Without giving too much information, our communication wasn't the best. I've noticed a lot recently how much our words can affect other people. I'm not sure how much of a struggle this is for other people, but I have to consciously think about almost everything that comes out of my mouth. When I don't think before I speak, I say things that are mean or hurtful and that's not the way I want to communicate with other people.
anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the
mouth of the fool gushes folly.
Proverbs 15:1-2
I find it interesting that I got these verses in my email this morning after the night I had with my wife. Without giving too much information, our communication wasn't the best. I've noticed a lot recently how much our words can affect other people. I'm not sure how much of a struggle this is for other people, but I have to consciously think about almost everything that comes out of my mouth. When I don't think before I speak, I say things that are mean or hurtful and that's not the way I want to communicate with other people.
After reading the verses above, I decided to look up "folly" on dictionary.com and here are the definitions it gives:
fol·ly
1. the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
2. a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.
3. a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
4. Architecture . a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.
5. follies, a theatrical revue.
I feel almost like the first 3 definitions are like a process that we go through as people.
The first definition says "the state or quality of being foolish" which to me could mean we're in a foolish/uncontrolled/non-thinking state of mind...were kind of just there in the moment and unprepared for REAL conversation with another person.
The second definition says, "a foolish action, practice..." then the example sentence says "the folly of performing without a rehearsal." That basically says to me...speaking without thinking about what you're saying or how your saying it. Imagine going to a play that had never been rehearsed or practiced...the actors would be all over the place and the dialogue/theme probably wouldn't make much sense to the audience.
The third definition says, "a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure." To me that sounds like the result of someone not thinking before they speak. We don't think before we speak and we either say something stupid, insensitive, mean, or just simply sound hateful or not nice...and we hurt the feelings of our friends, spouses, co-workers, and we may never really mean to, but it happens.
So I've been thinking of ways to combat being the latter part of the Proverbs15:1-2 verses above...I don't want the "mouth of the fool gushes folly" part to describe me...I'm sure you don't either. I think we have to pray for God's help. I think we have to make smore of a concious effort to think before we speak. Ask ourselves where are words are coming from? Are we using words that are going to benefit the conversation we are in? Are our words going to build the person, or people, up we are conversing with, or are our words going to bring them down or belittle them or their points?
The following verses I think could be fresh reminders for those of us that struggle with communication...
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
I hope the above verses help and if you know of any more feel free to post them in the comments. I want to communicate well and in a loving way with everyone...especially my wife...so hopefully, with God's help and guidance, I'll be able to improve in this area! Let's start communicating better :)
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God Bless
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A Sacred Sorrow...
I was reading this article (out of the InTouch Magazine produced by Charles Stanley and his staff at InTouch.org) Sunday night before our night service at church and found it very interesting...then around 45mins later, our pastor actually spoke on how Mary stuck with Jesus throughout His crucifixion. Awesome how God confirms what He is teaching/trying to show us. Check out the article if you have time...hope you enjoy!
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A Sacred Sorrow
Bearing witness to the crucified life
By Ginger Garrett
My friend was dying. A young, vibrant believer with small children at home and a devoted husband, she was suffering intensely from the cancer. A small tribe of friends banded together, determined to remain by her side throughout the struggle. We couldn't stop her suffering, or prevent death, but we could offer ourselves as faithful companions on a dark and dreadful journey.
At times, all of us will be called to act as witnesses to the suffering of another. We will be unable to affect the outcome physically. Words will fail us. Prayer will seem futile. And yet, the act of bearing witness to someone else's trials is a sacred sorrow that offers an astounding glimpse of eternal joy.
Few events in the Bible teach us this lesson as well as the story of the women who followed Jesus to His death on the cross. The group included His mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and others—most likely widows, family, friends, and women who had been healed by the Lord. Though lacking the social and legal privileges of men, they were willing to do what many of the men were not. They were willing to stay with Jesus throughout His travail.
Before the crucifixion, the Lord prepared His disciples by using a distinctly feminine analogy: "Whenever a woman is in labor shehas pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you" (John 16:21-22). Jesus was promising an end to the suffering—pain and anguish followed by a joy so great it overwhelms the former sorrow. The women quite possibly heard Him teaching, too, and would have understood what their role was to be.
Just as Jesus predicted, the "birth pains" came in a cascade of terrible events. The women were helpless as the Master was arrested, put on trial, and publicly condemned. When the soldiers stripped, beat, and flogged Him, the women surely responded to every drop of His blood with a dozen tears of their own.
Yet they did not leave, even when the disciples began to fall away. Instead, as Jesus carried His cross through the streets, they followed Him still. Scripture tells us that "following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him" (Luke 23:27). To mourn was to beat the chest in a public display of grief. To lament was to wail loudly, or to sing a funeral song. The women following Jesus grieved in every way, yet He marched on, carrying His cross. The women had once lived without hope of ever being set free from their oppressive culture and personal sins. Now they howled in helpless protest that a fallen world might take away their one hope, their beloved Savior.
Then came the bitter disaster: the Savior who'd healed them, given them back their dead, fed them, and blessed their children so tenderly—this Lamb was crucified. Yet they did not leave. "And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things" (Luke 23:49).
As the hours stretched on, many deserted him, and the crowds thinned, yet some women chose to move even closer: "But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (John 19:25). Jesus' suffering was so extreme that most were repelled, yet a few chose to draw nearer still.
Perhaps Jesus was saddened to look down from the cross and note the few remaining friends. It's often said that you don't know who your friends are until trouble hits. Jesus experienced the reality of our earthly suffering: most friends and family will choose to run away. We can never predict who will choose to stay.
The women at the foot of the cross offer us a glimpse of the purpose, power, and promise of bearing witness. First, we are commanded to support those undergoing painful trials: "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). Like many acts of obedience, it won't always be easy. We may wrestle with pride, fear, and frustration over God's timing. We will also be repeatedly forced to confront the question of humanity throughout the ages: Can God be trusted, even when it hurts?
But if we are willing, bearing one another's burdens holds great power to win influence for the kingdom of God. In the book of Philippians, Paul wrote of the "surpassing value" of sharing in "the fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil. 3:8, 10). So often we think of fellowship as refreshing times spent with happy believers. But oh, the unbreakable bonds that are forged when we walk with the wounded. If we are unafraid to face the worst of earthly sorrows, our testimony will have credibility when we speak of a heavenly hope.
In this world full of false saviors, credibility among the suffering is precious. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Demonstrating the greatest love possible is one proof that we know the Source of this love. If you mirror Christ's actions, others may be more inclined to believe your claim to know Him personally. Behavior is modeled from what we know best, so when we behave as He did, we offer proof of our relationship with Him.
And just as Jesus predicted, the women who had experienced the worst of human sorrows would now have triumphant, eternal joy.
Earthly life may hold pain and anguish, abandonment and few faithful friends, but when it is over, joy will be ours—one so great that all sorrow is forgotten forever. Perhaps that is why we must get new bodies at the resurrection; our mortal bodies cannot contain such intense joy. As my friend lost her battle with cancer, those close to her were comforted to know that the best was yet to come for her, and for us all as believers.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus looked down from the cross to find that only a handful of friends remained. Today He is on His throne, faithful to watch over those who struggle. May we be faithful to walk with them as well.
Copyright 2012 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.
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God Bless
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