5 Things I’ve Learned About God Since Becoming a Dad

27 Feb ’10 By 12 Comments

boy-1

In the months and years since the birth of my kids, I have been inspired by a few truths about fatherhood that all have one thing in common – they are all attributes of MY father in HEAVEN. I’m sure there are many more than these, but for now, I’d like to list just 5 things that I have learned about God since becoming a dad.5

  1. 1. God Really, Really Loves Us!

The only words I can use to compare my life before and after the birth of my first child are these: “Drastically different!” From the moment my little girl was born, everything changed. I’m not talking about the physical changes or the late nights or the non-stop supply of spit rags & dirty clothes…I’m talking about inside me. Everything within me had changed. I was a different person. I was given a new identity. I was a father and I knew only one thing: I LOVE MY DAUGHTER! If I, a broken, damaged, forgetful and insensitive guy could love something as much as I love my little girl, HOW MUCH MORE would God, our own Father in Heaven, love us?!

  1. 2. God Really, Really Loves Us!

I’m sorry, did I just repeat myself? Looks like I did. Don’t skip over this! You think this is not important? I’ll say it another way. If you get this point wrong, you will misinterpret everything else that God does in your life! What’s worse, if we don’t understand how great our heavenly father’s love for us is, not only will we will misinterpret Him, but we will misrepresent him to everyone we meet!

  1. 3. God Loves To See Us Smile

When I said that I changed when I became a dad, I wasn’t kidding. I started acting weird. I started making strange noises. I started spending my hard-earned cash on the craziest things. Why? Because I found an addiction. I was addicted to the happiness of my kids! I would do anything (and I mean ANYTHING!) to make them smile and my wife was no better. We would buy them gifts for no reason, clothes they wouldn’t fit into for another 6 months, flowers that would create an endless trail of petals around the house and more for no other reason than to see that smile! I discovered the source of God’s need for extravagance.

  1. 4. God Wants To Include Us In His Lifestyle

Something my wife and I agreed on when she became pregnant was that we did not want our lifestyle to finish. Adapt and change, yes. End, no! So we modified our hobbies to include our kids. We were, and still are, avid hikers, so we donned our child-carrying backpacks and chose some easier trails but all so we could include them in our passions. Ever joined someone on something they are passionate about? Pretty soon, you become passionate about it. It’s the same with our kids and it’s the same with God. When we join God in His passions, his heart becomes our heart and what is important to him, becomes important to us

  1. 5. God Protects His Kids!

If my first thought when I saw my daughter on as she was born was, “I’m in love!” my second thought was this: “Touch her, and you’re dead!”

I once heard a story from some old friends of mine (now married) of the first time ‘the girl’ brought ‘the boy’ home to meet ‘the parents’. The boyfriend was met at the door by her dad. As he looked at him, my friend saw that he was holding bullet in his hand and was slowly tossing it up in the air and catching it again. This went on for an eternity before finally the father tossed it over to the boy and said these words: “If you mess with my daughter and the next one is coming a whole lot quicker!”

If I am sure of nothing else in my life right now, I know this…I will defend my kids to the death. I will hurt, crush, kill and destroy anything that comes against them and I won’t feel bad doing it. I think when God said, “Vengeance is mine…” he had just that in mind.

I know we can easily look around you and find ways to convince ourselves that some of these points aren’t true. Usually, that starts when we haven’t gotten the first two points down deep. If that’s the case, I’d like to encourage you to start a conversation with your Father in heaven, wipe the slate clean if you need to, and start from the beginning. Jesus said of Himself, “My Father and I are one.” Notice that He didn’t say, “I only represent my Father’s ‘good’ side.” How often do we view the Father as a vengeful judge just waiting to unleash fury all the while we have poor Jesus is standing in front of us pleading him His Father to stop? That’s simply not what Jesus said.

So find the points that affect you the most and ask Him what He thinks about them. Then, ask Him what he thinks about you. Trust me, if you’re listening to the Father (and not something else), it’ll line up.

__________________

About the Author

Brad Crabtree is an executive pastor at DaySpring Church, Sydney, Australia. He is married to Amber and is father of 3 awesome kids. The best way to his heart is through an excellent cup of coffee or a solid trek through a jungle somewhere…preferably, both at the same time!

twitter.com/bcrab)

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

The Storms of Life

25 Feb ’10 By 3 Comments

Screen shot 2010-02-19 at 9.48.08 AM

There are a lot of things going on in the United States today, politically speaking (bear with me a minute, this is not a political rant).  It isn’t hard at all to see that our country is at a fork in the road and the vehicle is stalled until we decide on a direction.

In times like these, the opinions on what the problems and solutions are vary, and some who carry them speak louder of it than others.  I have heard that the Obama administration is taking the country to a socialist, Marxist, communist direction, and I have heard many solutions varying from impeachment, to voting out all incumbents in 2010, to outright revolution.

Now, others feel this is a great direction.  There are millions of individuals who need the health care programs being proposed, the programs afforded by the stimulus to help with heating bills and home renovations, and the incentive at a corporate level to be more environmentally responsible.

Regardless of which camp you are in, I offer the following:

There was a man named Jonah, you’ve probably heard of him.  God speaks to the prophet that he is to go to Nineveh, and we know his reaction.   He gets on a boat and heads the opposite direction.  In response, God sends a violent storm and everyone on the ship is afraid that the storm will sink the ship.

Here is the how the rest goes down (Jonah 1).

All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.   But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.   So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)”

Doesn’t this sound familiar? Let’s bring it into today’s world.

The ship (country) is in troubled water, and people (especially conservatives) are running around screaming, “The sky is falling!”  They are crying out to their gods (representatives, radio talk shows, and the like) “What do we do? Why is this happening?”  all to no avail.  They think they are being punished for some wrong doing of theirs, or those around them, but this is not the case at all.

See, the story is not about them, and it is not about the storm: It is about the saving of a people.

The entire time this storm is going on, where is the prophet?  He is in the bottom of the ship, hiding.

And there it is.  Jonah finally faces the truth that all of this is happening solely because he is not doing what God commissioned him to do.  See, the answer for the men of that ship (and our country) was not to throw the captain (president), crew (congress), or cargo (legislation) overboard.  None of these would stop the storm, and did not cause it.  The only thing that can stop it is the obedience of God’s people. Our problem is, we’re running and hiding in the bottom of the ship still and not recognizing our wrong.

Jonah had to realize his disobedience was the problem, own up to it, and then obey.  Once he decided that he was responsible for the calamity around him, he jumped overboard (died to himself and his own ideals).  Instantly, the storm was gone, and I love this part, “God provided…”  We need to get to that place as believers where we say, “It is our fault that this storm is on you.”

So what is the believer to do in the current political climate?  Obey God’s commissions.  If we simply lived (and I am including myself in all this) as Christ taught, none of these actions the administration is purposing would even be necessary.  God told us to take care of the fatherless and the widows.  He calls the believer to give all to those in need and not to worry about himself.  He calls us to be good stewards of the earth.

As for the health care bit?  Where is the believer in this?  See Matthew 4:23-24 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”

If we as Christians would stand up and pray for our leaders first, without prejudice, malice, or selfish motivation, that in itself would be a milestone.  Let’s take care of what Jesus called us to do FIRST, and he will calm the storm around us.  The revolution that needs to happen needs to be in the hearts and actions of God’s people.

_________________

Mooney is an aspiring author.  He lives with his wife Bethany and five children in Depauville, NY.  You can visit his blog at www.crmooney.com or follow him on Twitter @baddogmooney www.twitter.com/baddogmooney

The image is Copyright Eric Morris 2006

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

Worship Mythbusters II

23 Feb ’10 By 1 Comment

rkportrait_JAN08_web

Worship Mythbusters: Ten things that damage a worship ministry and hamper worship in a church.

Church politics: not everyone can or will be “pleased” by the style of worship at a church, no matter how many services, styles, video venues or times for worship. Pleasing people in general is a bad idea, right?

Biblical illiteracy: a worship ministry that does not commit to biblically presenting a complete Jesus or filter song choice or content biblically will risk teaching the congregation a lessor picture of Jesus.

Utility over Artistry: a demand to see music, and other expressions of worship as utility and not understand art hurts the ability to actually authentically express. It makes worship a means to something rather than the end.

Church politics: not everyone has gifts to lead or can be in front all the time. The goal in worship leadership is to serve the church, not your own desire to be leading upfront or showcasing talent. When personalities clamor for the stage, it hurts our worship expression.

Not letting the kids take over: keeping worship for my generation and not giving the younger mentorship, exposure and leadership opportunities in worship means the church loses the future. Remember, they are not the church of the future, they are the church.

Worshiping excellence: pushing the worship team to be so non-inclusive that only a small elite become the musicians, singers and tech might hurt the church since losing one of these individuals means a huge hole and loss of excellence.

Lack of Excellence: if music, lighting, speaking and whatever is available is not done well, the church loses gifted people who would rather not subjugate their gifting to poor planning, execution or leadership. (So, with 6 & 7 there is a sweet spot each church has to find–value doing your best, while not making it a club!)

Christian subculture: when music selection is limited to only a small group of writers from a couple publishers and there is one radio station in town your veteran church members listen to, we live in a ghetto. The goal is not to keep our worship expression in a bubble but to reach the world. Make worship style indigenous to reach and reflect your community, not the choice of Christian publishers marketing to veteran Christians.

Church politics: song selection, use of drums, volume, personalities, who gets to play, friends, complaint cards…

Me, myself and I: the trinity of selfishness perhaps is the root cause of all of these. Worship in a local church is “us” worshiping our God. Even when we feel our personal need to worship is important, gathering with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of worshipers is something special and not about me or you in that moment.

Which of these is the worst offender, you think?

______________________

Written by: Rich Kirkpatrick www.rkweblog.com

Filed Under: culture, music Tagged With: , , ,

Last Seat in Lifeboat

19 Feb ’10 By 9 Comments

1001650971


Last seat on the lifeboat…Who wants in?
If someone asked you this question, what would you say? What could you say about yourself in 30 seconds that would convince them to give YOU the coveted seat?

I recently attended a writer’s workshop at Blissdom, a women’s blogging conference here in Nashville where the instructor asked us that very question. It didn’t sound as scary at first. She originally asked what our elevator pitch was. I had perked up when she said that. I knew how to do that, I was a publicist. I could do this right? Some of the women didn’t know what an elevator pitch was so I explained, “Pretend you only have an elevator ride, the time it takes to get from one floor to another to make your case for your product, service, etc. What would you say?”

The women still looked a bit like deer in headlights.

“Think about it this way,” the instructor explained, “If we were all on a boat that was sinking and there was one seat left on the lifeboat, what would you say about yourself to convince the captain that you are the one who needs to be spared?”

OK, maybe I couldn’t handle this. I come up with pitches all the time for our authors and our books, but for myself. I sat there in silence as the women, all older than me and most of them moms, said things like they needed to live for their kids or for their husbands. I don’t have any kids. I’m not married. What could I say that would convince someone that I needed that seat? In the brief 5 minutes I was thinking about my life in a way I never had before I went through all the things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to meet, and the person I want to be. I’ve always been a person with a plan, seeking to live a life full of purpose and passion, so why didn’t I have any good reason why I should be on that boat?! Then it came to me.

I’m not done yet.

That moment was like a kick in the butt. I’m not done yet. I have so much I want to do. I shared my realization with the room and the women began to echo the same feelings. No one is done; we haven’t crossed that finish line yet. We have so much to explore, learn and give. No matter where you are in life, what you’ve accomplished or what you have left to accomplish, now’s the time to do it. Now’s the time to fight for that last seat in the lifeboat.

I think I get so caught up in the daily routine of busyness that I forget to really live and live with purpose. We all have things we want to do in our lives, big goals and huge dreams.  Are we living that way? I wasn’t. I was complacent. Daily now I remind myself, I have so much more to do, I’m not done yet.

What would your elevator pitch be? How do you remind yourself each day that you aren’t done yet?

____________________
By day Jacklyn Johnston is a publicist for Tommy Nelson, Thomas Nelson’s children’s division, a dream job for any self-proclaimed bookavore. By night her routine has recently consisted of eat, run, sleep repeat as she is training for her first marathon in May. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, after a detour in Atlanta, she finds herself living in Nashville, Tennessee. Stop by her new blog at www.jayewalking.com and find her tweeting like a bird at www.twitter.com/jayemarie

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

Waiting

16 Feb ’10 By 6 Comments

47222904_026e55368f_o

I started waiting at 16 years old.  I wanted to have a life in ministry but had NO idea how to make it happen. So I waited. I waited to grow up.

At 18, I finished high school and went to the School of Ministry in Toronto and felt like the waiting was over. At SoM, I got to taste what a life of ministry was like and I KNEW that was where God wanted me. Leading.

But it’s scary. People count on you; trust in you to help guide them. You could make a mistake or say something that they disagree with. You could be loved . . .or hated. I struggle with being a people-pleaser so the prospect of being hated freaked me right out! After I finished the school, I interned at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship for a year and I got to work in ministry but I wasn’t at the forefront, which suited my fear perfectly but this quiet voice inside me kept saying ‘You know administration is not what you’re here (on earth) for.’ I felt a bit unsettled, I wanted more but my fear held me fast.

While at TACF, I met Lee Houghton, my husband. We got engaged while I was interning and in September 2005, we got married and felt God calling us to move to North Wales (which is where Lee’s from). I was 20. We really weren’t sure why God wanted us in Wales, but we moved all the same.

After a few months, things started falling into place and it became clear that God had put us here to help plant a church. Lee was excited; it had always been his dream to plant a church! i61 (from Isaiah 61) was taking shape and as the plans developed, Lee and I were given the roles of Worship Pastors. Outwardly, I tried to be as enthusiastic as I could, I mean I WAS excited but . . . inwardly, I was frozen with terror. Hadn’t this been what I was waiting for? I WANTED to be a leader, I WANTED to step into the plans that God had for my life, but I was too scared. So I started waiting again, waiting for the fear to pass, waiting until I felt ‘qualified’ to be in a position of leadership. I was given the title of Worship Pastor but unconsciously shied away from leading, leaving Lee to make the majority of the decisions. He would try to get me to step up, but every time, I would pull back, and Lee would have to carry the load. A few years passed and I noticed that people didn’t seem to look at me like a leader the way they looked at Lee. I started to get frustrated and upset. I wanted to lead but I didn’t know what was going wrong? I told Lee I felt like people didn’t look at me like a leader because of my age and lack of experience. Lee would gently point out that I tended to lean on him to lead, that sometimes I hid from my responsibility and in those moments I saw the truth in his words and vowed to make an effort to embrace the role God had given me. I’d pray and ask for courage and the boldness I needed, then the time would come to do so and again, I’d bolt.

At Christmas time, my aunt told me she thought 2010 was going to be a big year in my life. That something would click and I would finally step into a plan that God had for me for a long time but that I had been resisting (she didn’t say the ‘resisting’ part but I knew that was what had been happening) and I knew what she was talking about. It was time for me to stop shying away for the position of leadership that I’ve been in for the past 4 years. It was time to stop waiting around for my fear to disappear and realize that God had chosen me for this job. And if God thought I was ready, who was I to say I wasn’t?

It’s been a couple of months but I’m FINALLY embracing the position God has put me in. I’m starting to understand just how much this job is MEANT for me! God took my passion for worship and loving people and turned it into something I get to do on a daily basis!

So my question to you is, are you waiting? And if so, what are you waiting for? When God has something for you, grab it with both hands and run with it! After all, if our fantastic, incredible God chose YOU, how can we possibly say no?

________________

Bio: Jesus following, tea-drinking, paint splattered, pink-loving, creative story teller from Canada, married to Lee Houghton, mom to my 2 girls and worship pastor of i61. I tweet! Say hi :O)

Filed Under: culture, leadership Tagged With: , , ,

Spare Tire “Jesus”

13 Feb ’10 By 3 Comments

spare tire jesus
I am the king of flat tires.  No, make that the Joker, because the number of them I get is truly comical.  I have yet to rotate the tires on my Caravan as every few months, a tire is being replaced.  The circumstances are different, and the names are changed to protect the innocent, but each time I am forced to take my nemesis head on: The Spare Tire, aka. The Donut.
Regardless of the number of times I have subdued this beast, each time is an epic battle.  It seems simple enough, a half twist counter-clockwise, then crank the nut clockwise until you can get the tire out.  I am sure that every night, the engineer of the release mechanism under my van lets out a haughty laugh, admiring his brilliance.  It never works the first time.  It hardly works the fiftieth time.
After the beast has been unleashed, and properly mounted, there is still the matter of driving.  It’s embarrassing.  About the only thing it’s good for is, well, nothing.  It impedes my speed and handcuffs my handling.  The only thing on my mind is how fast can this be fixed, so I can put it back where it belongs; out of sight – out of mind.
It hurts to say, but sometimes this is how I treat my Jesus, as a “Spare Tire Jesus.”
My life is on cruise control, situation normal, and bam! Something goes wrong.  Uh-oh, life can’t go on like this.  I’m forced to get dirty now, to get on my knees and pray for help.  It should be easy to do.  Speaking with Jesus should be an every day event, not just a call I make when I need roadside assistance.
So I get my “Spare Tire Jesus” out, and install him in my life for a time.  And sometimes it’s embarrassing to put Him on display for the world to see. What if people were to know that Jesus was a part of my life? Not just that, “I’m saved,” but that I truly put my trust in Him, that He is as integral to my life as having a fourth tire.
My “Spare Tire Jesus” alters the way I drive my life.  He changes the direction I want to go, and how fast I can get there. This is a good thing.  Jesus is meant to be more than a pull in a certain direction that hampers me getting to my destination.  He is meant to be the navigator and driver.  If he holds the plan for my life, it only makes sense that He knows how to get there better than I.
Well, the situation clears, now what? With my van, I put a new tire on, and pray it doesn’t happen again anytime soon.  But this cannot be allowed to happen with my Jesus.  Instead of being my safety net in case of emergencies, He needs to be my life.  Those times when life gets a flat tire are generally the result of me not following Christ’s examples for living (Matthew 5-7) and are simply His way of saying, “Chris, you’re on the wrong path. It’s time to get it straight.”
Is Jesus your spare tire? Is He only for use in emergencies, hard to get out, and embarrassing to display as you live life?  I encourage you to get out of the drives seat, climb into the trunk, hand Jesus the keys, and say, “Where you lead, I will follow.” He will take you on unbelievable adventures, and there will be no need to worry about getting a flat tire when He takes the wheel.

________________
Chris Mooney is an aspiring author.  He lives with his wife Bethany and five children in Depauville, NY.  You can visit his blog at www.crmoomey.com

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

Leadership is Messy

11 Feb ’10 By 4 Comments

crayons_grey

I find myself saying this phrase often.  I think one of the most challenging things about leadership is that most times things are not clearly black and white… answers are not always obvious… making decisions is not easy.  If they were, leadership would be easy and, dare I say, perhaps not even necessary.

Leadership is grey… sometimes many shades of grey.

As a leader at a very fast growing church I have experienced some very grey seasons.  I don’t mean grey as in gloomy, dreary or sad.  I mean grey as in complex, unclear, layered, not black and white.  I’ve spent the last year trying to help our team turn the corner from being a church with another campus to truly being a multi-campus church.  This has required a significant shift in our mindset, our structure, our communication, our strategy and more.  Many times of late, one of our ministry leaders will come to me with a question about how to handle a decision that affects all of our campuses and it will cause me to pause and sort through the layers of grey.  Some of these decisions are immediately clear.  Most times they are complicated and require the work of leading through the layers of grey.

All of this greyness has caused me to ponder this element of leadership that I refer to as “leading in shades of grey”.

Good leaders lead through the grey. They don’t get lost in it.  They don’t get bogged down by it.  They push through it to find clarity.

Good leaders give hope to a grey existence. They offer hope through grey circumstances.  They are aware of how unsettling greyness is to the team and they continue to motivate and encourage them through the process.

Deciphering the grey is not an exact science.  It’s as easy to get wrong as it is to get right… and you’re not always going to get it right.  It takes guts, courage, intuition, discernment, and prayer.  It takes energy, patience, hope and determination.  Leaders step up to help make decisions and to guide the way, especially when things are messy…

…and grey.

Are you facing some grey areas in your leadership?  What can you do to push through the grey?

_____________

Jenni Catron serves as the Executive Director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN where she leads a staff of 30 at three campuses.  She loves a fabulous cup of tea, great books, learning the game of tennis and hanging out with her husband and border collie.  She’s passionate about leadership and equipping others to lead well.

Jenni Catron
Executive Director
Cross Point Church
www.crosspoint.tv

Email: jenni@crosspoint.tv
Blog: jennicatron.tv
Twitter: twitter.com/jennicatron

Filed Under: leadership Tagged With: , , ,

Four Seasons!

11 Feb ’10 By 1 Comment

four-seasons-claude-noel
No I’m not talking about the four seasons hotel, although it sounds nice right about now. For those of you who are involved in ministry, you know that the holidays tend to pile a lot on your plate.  I’m not talking about turkey and pumpkin pie, but work!  I don’t think we have yet recuperated from all the time and effort we put into the last two months of the year. So far January has been slow paced, but as soon as I say that, I take a deep breath and BAM there is something big waiting around the corner!
I’ve been ask so many times, “Jerah, how do you balance marriage, kids and ministry?”  First I kind of chuckle because I immediately think about the times my kids are screaming because they have to wake up at the crack of dawn so that mommy and daddy can get to church for sound check or when my husband and I are talking more on twitter than in real life because of the demands of life pulling us in other directions. After those flash backs, I simply answer, “There is no balance”. I would drive myself insane if I were constantly making sure everything was getting the same and fair amount of attention. The bottom line is that ministry is unpredictable and so is life. We can’t put those things in a box. I think of it as putting God in a box and we all know we should never do that. Just go with the flow.
The best way for me to describe it would be in seasons. Spring tends to be at a medium pace for me. I love planting flowers and getting my house reorganized, deep cleaning and the subsiding of ministry demands.  Summer is kind of a lazy time with vacationing, laying around the pool and longer days. I call this the” resting period”. Then fall comes along bringing the excitement of pumpkins, candy, good food, church festivals and being with family. It seems you start to get the taste of what’s to come. I call this the “get your rear in gear” season. Before you know it, it’s the season to be jolly which is ironic considering you are running around like a crazy person trying to buy gifts, going to Christmas production rehearsals and Christmas party after Christmas party. I call this the “does anybody recognize me?” season. Now I know there is a lot more of life involved than what I listed but I was just scratching the surface. I’m sure for some of you these seasons even mix together. I know at times mine do.
What ever season you find yourself in, welcome it with open arms. For instance, the next time spring comes chirping in, get excited about things that are to come and don’t be afraid to “spring clean” your life a little.  In those summer seasons learn to rest in the Lord and be ok with your empty plate. Or when the fall season starts off taunting you with a huge to do list, look to Jesus and remember this is all for His glory. As for the season to be jolly? Well, do just that; find the joy of the Lord in all the craziness and business of your life and always remember that God will never give you more than you can bare.

______________________

Christ follower, wife to an incredible worship leader Brandon Divine, mother to 3 crazy but sweet boys and worship leader/songwritter.  I love people, talking, playing games of any kind and sushi is something I could eat everyday. My husband says I talk to much but I have a lot to share.

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Altar

9 Feb ’10 By 6 Comments

3734950049_e17fcfede5

Actually that title is a bit misleading.  I don’t know actually how it happened, but at some point (or possibly over the process of reaching many points) I learned that the scripture is as true for me as it has been throughout history…

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

It shouldn’t surprise me that He’s right.  The more I lay down my life and submit it to God’s authority, the more I can truly live.  There’s an amazing freedom to be found in submission to the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.

If I were to be totally honest with myself, I’d have to admit what others could see from a distance…that I have a natural tendency to want to defend myself, and my position.  This tendency has gotten me into more hot water over the years than I care to recall.  Needless to say, I sometimes find it difficult to follow Jesus’ example and keep silent in the face of accusation.  But sometimes that is exactly the remedy for me.  Maybe it doesn’t cause my own kind of justice to be served…but it definitely causes my flesh to die and welcomes the Holy Spirit to reign in me.  Which is what I asked for in the first place, come to think of it.

Don’t get me wrong – there is a time to speak up and speak out, but we often get mixed up about which times are appropriate for such a voice.  Instead of defending ourselves, and our own positions, we should be contending for the gospel.  Instead of screaming, “I’m right, and you know it!” we need to be seeking out, uncovering and promulgating Truth.  Instead of holding up right and wrong as proof of our own justification, we ought to be using Love as a canvas and grace as our medium, that the world might see the beauty of Jesus.

One day I just stopped fretting about how much it hurts to be cut open with all my faults laid bare before God without the comfort of anesthetic.  I began to welcome the process, because what was taken out was ugly and weighty, and what He replaced it with was beautiful and easy to bear.

_____________
Tami Hoban is a singer, songwriter, worship leader and far-too-occasional blogger.  She and her husband planted Church in the Word in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where they reside with their three (and one-on-the-way) spudlings.  She’s also the creator and co-author of WorshipChicks.com.  Find her on Twitter: twitter.com/tamipants, and at WorshipChicks.com

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

Backbone vs. Wishbone

8 Feb ’10 By 4 Comments

mknisely_1-2

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.”
-  Socrates

William Becker said, “The individual activity of one man with backbone will do more than a thousand men with a mere wishbone.”  All of us have a wishbone that functions very well.  I think we would all agree that a backbone is more important.

But, why is it that some people just naturally seem to have more backbone than others?  My theory is that courage is a direct result of confidence.  Confident people seem to accept major challenges.  How do we develop confidence?  I believe the gaining of knowledge leads to confidence.  That’s just one of the reasons that it is important to continue to learn and grow, don’t you think?

_________________

Matt Knisely (www.mattknisely.com) is a multi Emmy® award-winning Photojournalist and Storyteller focusing on social-awareness campaigns with non-profits around the globe, having traveled into 35+ countries.  Additionally, he is a media/broadcast consultant, innovator, thinker and cultural architect. He serves as the director of communications and innovation at Lawton First  (www.lawtonfirst.org) in Oklahoma where he develops creative solutions for communications, media, technology and the Web.  You can follow him on Twitter @mattknisely (www.twitter.com/mattknisely).

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,

Break Free of Your Comfort Zone

6 Feb ’10 By 3 Comments

ColoredRubberBands
One of the biggest challenges of a leader is not only making sure you are progressing forward but to make sure the people you lead are progressing forward as well.  We all have a comfort zone where we work best.  In fact, we are wired to crave the norm of the comfort zone.  But, if left alone, people will remain in the predictable patterns that keep them in a zone of the norm.

That’s why as a leader your job is to push people to continue to break out of their comfort zone.  It is to help them demolish walls so that they will continue to progress forward in their life as well as the life of the organization you lead.

If you aren’t growing…you’re sitting still.  Anything sitting still long enough ultimately dies.  Therefore an organization that is not pushing through the patterns of the status quo will only reach a point of paralyzing progress.

Something New – Have your people attempt something that you know will stretch them.  Something they may have never done before.  Challenge your whole team to a project that will draw them together push them.

Stretch – No matter what, the challenge should always be out to your leaders and teams to do thinks out of their comfort zone so that the uncomfortable become comfortable.

Small Wins – Start with some small achievable goals your leaders or team could get some quick success in.  As they gain confidence in the wins you will see that E-X-P-A-N-S-I-O-N of their comfort zone continue to break into bigger wins.

If you want different results you’ve got to be willing to try something you’ve never tried before.  As a leader it is your role to continue to push people out of their comfort zones so they will continue to see progress in all they do.

What is one thing you need to break your team or yourself out of?

_____________

– @JasonCurlee blogs at JasonCurlee.com and is all about influencing and developing others to make a difference in their world. He is currently a Campus Pastor for Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas. His blogs are about creating content that ministry leaders can find practical and inspirational as well as sharing the ministry principles and experiences accumulated since 1995. It’s about being innovative, unique, and creating content that can help you make a difference.

Filed Under: news Tagged With: , ,

Living with Intention

4 Feb ’10 By 11 Comments

Blueprint600

I feel like I have changed pretty dramatically in the last couple years. I am not quite sure what the catalyst was? Maybe there were several? A new job, a new town, a new circle of friends, a new church?

I lived my 20s recklessly. I lived my days as if I was just passing time. I had fun. I enjoyed my circumstances, most of the time. I lived life. But I didn’t feel like I had any power. I waited for things to happen, for needs to be met, for relationships to blossom, for God to show up.

But somewhere along the way, that shifted.

Now, in my 30s, I find myself wanting to live intentionally. I want to wake up each morning more thankful for another day. I want to make the most of every opportunity, of every interaction, of every moment. I want to draft plans. I want to dream big. I want to conquer my fear. I want to be more focused on the process than the outcome. I want to love in a way that moves others. I want to be conscious that my actions measure up with how I want to be remembered. I want to live with intention.  Is this living with intention important to you? If so, how do you stay focused on living intentionally?

_______________

Lindsey Nobles is Thomas Nelson’s Director of Corporate Communications. She’s a native Texan living in Tennessee who love books, movies, music, food, and blogging. I blog at www.lindseynobles.com and I tweet at www.twitter.com/lnobles. I hope you’ll stop by and say “hi.”

Filed Under: culture Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts