Taking it all in...

Do you ever concerned or worried that you are missing something? I can remember in college (which was not too long ago) there would be a point in the lecture specifically Dr. Dippolds that I would look up form my lap-top and say "what, wait! where's he going with this?". I had somehow or another completely missed the progression of thought! (I am sure it did not have anything to do with me trying to learn all the cool new features of my MacBook Pro, while I was in class!)

Sad part is that, even though I am out of college and in a PT youth ministry position I still feel like I am missing things! Like just this past wednesday when I knew something felt "off" but could not pin-point what it was! So, 15 minutes later I arrive at the church and begin gettting ready; only to discover I had forgot my sermon notes, lyric hand outs and order of services papers at home!

Even though those are common examples of "missing something" and it seems to happen to many people I am afraid there are times in my life where I "really miss something"; it is not something small or trite like lecture notes (even though there was an exam) or sermon notes! Sometimes I feel like I am missing life!

I ask myself...when was the last time I stopped and just "took it all in"? Whether it is a beautiful city sky line (not sure i will be doing that any time soon, especially seeing that I am out in the woods!) or new growth represented by the changing of the trees from barren brown to luscious green.

Natures important sure, and it certaintly is beautiful, but what about the more important things...like friends? When was the last time I enjoyed the company of great friends? Even more important than friends is family! When was the last time I looked into my wifes eyes and just smiled like a little school boy? (yes, that still happens), when was the last time we really enjoyed each others presence besides sitting in front of the TV (exercising our gluts) or getting some good old fashioned cardiovascular in the...(wait a minute! what is this blog rated?).

More than all of that when was the last time I spent time in the presence of God? I am a Pastor, I am at the church almost every time the doors are open, but at times it can still feel like I am missing something! I think it has a lot to do with my neglect of the Spiritual principles of meditating in the presence of God, allowing His Spirit to interact and rejuvenate my mind, my Spirit, and my body!

Out of the all the little moments that make up a day how many of them am i missing: with my friends, with my family, and with God?

The main catalyst for this blog is the most recent sermon i preached about "this moment" respectively borrowed from Steven Curtis Chapman new album. In one of his songs he talks about the moments we miss with our kids...a few months after the release of his new album one of his little adopted girls (who just happened to be the inspiration for one of his songs) was killed in a tragic car accident.

I have included a link so that you can listen to the song...I encourage you as this song encouraged and reminded me: take it all in: each moment, each minute, each second...for the time is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

"No Time"

It has been a little while since I have posted anything, and a familiar voice by the Guess Who comes to mind: "No Time"! "I've got, got, got, got, got no time!"

It really is not as bad as it sounds. I certainly have time I have just not adjusted my events and activities enough to allow for posting!

Now that the introduction is over I wanted to jump right in with what I would like to call a reminder of the priorities! These are the things that I know that I should be meditating on, thinking about, and putting into practice...but for some reason or another (time) have gotten distracted! Let's face it, it happens to most of us most of the time. The trick is to recognize its presence and then reorient or re prioritize our priorities!

I want to point out some life lessons I recently read from Ron Luce's "The Power of One" devotional...stand up...be counted...make a difference! How many of us have at the center of our being the desire to make a difference? some of us even go to great strides just to make a difference by being different!

With that in mind i have to wonder if our focus gets out of place at times? I mean are we really supposed to be different in order to make a difference? I would answer the rhetorical questions: "not if we are being different for the sake of being different!".

I am reminded of the words of Jesus who, just before he catches the "heavenly escalator" ascends into the clouds, leaves us with this message: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2003, S. Mt 28:18-20

Right from the start three concepts stick out to me: 1) we are to go out and train. 2) we are to distinguish or (mark out) Christ followers through their baptism. 3) we are to instruct them in the ways of Jesus!

I read a quot today by Mark Batterson in his book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snow Day", it said How you think about God will determine who you become.

We have many opportunities in life...with each opportunity we have a choice to accept the challenges associated with those opportunities. I want to challenge you to think about the opportunities that God has placed before you, and calculate the risk of taking the challenge to become a world changer...to stand up...be counted...to make a difference! Our decisions will define who we become; and they stem from how we think about God!

One final thing that jumped out to me from Jesus last words on earth: "I am with you always"! He knew there would be challenges...but He is there in the midst!

"That should be simple enough!"

Have you ever felt that it would have been better off if you decided to stay in bed?  Cozy, warm, comfortable...you could just sleep all day!  That is exactly how i felt this morning...I just wanted to stay in bed!  But, for responsibilities sake I decided (against my better) judgment that I should get up.

Thus began the long, headache ridden day that will just not end.

Instead of going in to all the things that should have worked better or turned out different I will just highlight those events that could be considered funny...

so there i am...i have one task (actually i have like 100) but anyway there i am ready to end the conversation i was having on the phone and check out job opportunities at the job service center (this is something that I have been trying to do for about 5 days now).  But without realizing what I am doing I begin to take a shortcut to church (the opposite direction of job center!)  Funny thing is...I didn't even realize that I did not want to go where I was going!  So about 15 minutes later I arrive at the church to begin a few of the 100 things that I have to do.  First i needed to hook up my wireless keyboard and mouse!  Simple enough; just grab some batteries (which i am grateful i remembered to do before I left the house) inset them in their respective places and plug in the wireless transmitter to my computer!  30 minutes later the mouse is broken and I am ready to scrap the whole idea of me using my old wireless keyboard and mouse...just to avoid the frustration I would rather spend $50-$70 just to make it easier! 

"Okay so maybe I'm not supposed to use the mouse and keyboard!" On to the next task...download a music video from the Internet (should be simple enough); all I have to do is search for it and download it!  "Found it", now I need to download it!  "What do you mean I need a wm plug-in; I have a Mac I should be able to do anything!"  I said to myself; "okay install the plug-in and download the video....should be simple enough!"  Fortunately the Internet connection was just fast enough to allow me to live two life times...right there in the church office!  Needless to say I quit the download and decided to finish the work at home...only one more stop..."I need to get gas for the weed-eater while I'm out; should be simple enough!"

Went the opposite direction of the gas station, turned around after finally realizing there was not gas the way i was going...got stuck in rush-hour traffic of Oakland, MD (okay so it wasn't too bad but nevertheless frustrating)! "Finally, the gas station!" I pull in and low and behold I see cute little bags on every pump handle informing me that the pumps are out of order!  Not a big deal I will just go to the other station 3 minutes away!  Ironically, every pump is taken and the only one left (that I just happened to get to first was broken)! 

 

So that was my day! I hope yours was better!  Hopefully this one will end soon and I can start fresh tomorrow! 

These Ordinary Days:

Not sure about the title of this blog, if any thing it is more of a quip than a title...reason being; there is nothing ordinary about any of these days!  These are the days and now is the time that, years from now, we will look back on and have som many feelings at once! "Wow, that was crazy", do you remember when, and the move, and not being able to find a house, and how expensive the apartments were!  Remember when we thought that there was no way that it would work...we would never find a place to move all of our stuff into, especially with only three days left!  Ha, yeah those were the days!"

Here we are on this journey of faith...sometimes I wonder if we are the ones even exploring...are we even holding the flashlight?  Or are we just standing here while life passes us by?  These are great questions but in the end it comes down to both!  Really, on a theological level how much are we in control?  "100%!"  How much is God in control?  "100%!"  Wow that a conundrum!?  This is one of those things that I am going to request a little more information about when the time comes!!!

 

blessing and God bless in the crazy times of life! 

The Light is far away...but Visible!

It is difficult to admit that you are scared about something, or worried about a current situation, or even anxious about the impending future. Being a male in American culture makes it even more difficult to express these types of feelings, but sometimes our despair, dread, and concern is too much to bear alone.

I am reminded about the John, a seventeen year old straight "A" student, star of the foot ball team, and all around good kid! He had big hopes and big dreams...he was going off to college...someday he would have a great job...someday he would marry the girl of his dreams...someday he would hold his child close to his body and praise God for his blessings...someday never came. John was killed in an automobile accident. Only 17, with his whole life ahead of him; he left behind his 14 year old sister and 10 year old brother...he left behind a mom and a dad...he left behind a grandma and a grandpa...a church...a youth group...a graduating class that would never get to walk with their friend.

When I reflect on the despair of his mother and father, and the regret of his brother and sister for the fight they got into the night before about what to watch...he didn't even get to watch his favorite show...and now...now he's gone. I think about his girlfriend who had plans to follow him off to college. I can hear her thoughts: "why, God why?", I think of the mom and dad: "we gave our hearts and life to you and you take our son; why, God why?". I think of his school mates: "will I be next?".

Who can answer the questions of the broken hearted? Who can make sense of injustice, unfairness, and evil? Is there anything to explain such pain and evil? I am always the first to ask such questions...but I have found, along with those who have walked through tough times that sometimes there are no answers...only silence.

But I know God hears our cries, our worries, our concerns, our anxieties, our pain, our anger, our confusion...God hears, and although you might not feel it right now He is there with, beside, and all around you. Even when we let go from weariness, fatigue, and pain...He never does!

This song reminds me of that incredible truth:

My life as a song...

I often joke that I have a difficult time keeping on beat with music! If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times...I'm that guy who watches the other guy, watch the other guy, and all three of us end up clapping off beat!

But whats the big deal? Who cares? So what I can't keep a beat? It's not like it really matters?

Or, Does it? There have been many times that I have been guilty of not doing my best, or having an attitude that emitted noxious poison; infecting everyone around; but usually when someone cares enough to point it out to me I automatically respond with the above questions. "So what I have an infectious attitude? Who cares?

I think this is the question that is often overlooked! Who does it matter too? When we step back and take a look at our own junk...it becomes very clear?

If your life was a song what would it sound like? Would it be incomplete, off key, two beats two slow; would you be playing with a broken instrument?

I encourage you to listen to the song I have linked too, and hopefully you will be challenged as I have: to live my life as a song worth listening too...and there is only One critic!