Category Archives: Happenings

Occurances in my life

Goals…

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I’ve been struggling with some goals that I have for this year.  Not so much resolutions.  More things that I would like to see done before the end of the year.  I realized quickly that the only way to have any level of accountability for these goals is to publish them.  It will enable me to look at them in writing on a daily basis but also inform those around me of the things that I really want to accomplish so they can be an encouragment. 

Lose 30lbs. 

Honestly I could stand to lose more than that but this is a start.  I’m already on my way to this one, but it is a daily struggle with understanding the difference between real physical hunger and mental hunger.  Knowing that while my mind may tell me I’m hungry, my body has all the nutrients and calories it needs to sustain is difficult.  Also I have a love obsession with food. 

Host a Secret Church event.

Secret Church is something I read about a long time ago.  I have some ideas about this and really feel like it could be very meaningful in the lives of Christians across denominations.  Whether it be a live simulcast or a reshowing of an old event, it is something I feel that needs to be done in our area.  If nothing more than to create an understanding that the “persecution” we think we feel living in a modern secular society is nothing compared to the rest of the world. 

Outline and launch a true Media Ministry.

We do a lot of media related stuff for our ministries at church.  However I want to truly hash out the ministry.  Complete with a robust video ministry and a consultation option for churches in our surrounding area that dont’t even know some of the cheap(or free) tools at their disposal to cast a larger net.  Help them to develop a better cohesiveness to their services through the effective use of technology and media.  We also need to do a better job of educating our own congregations of the tools at their disposal.  With technological advancements people can have a veritable library of biblical resources at their fingertips.  They just need to be shown what is out there.

The list isn’t incredibly long, but I need to leave room for anything new that might pop up, and the current obligations I have on my plate.

Our Church Prayer…

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Our church has adopted the communal prayer to be the church that is needed in our community. To be the refuge for the broken. To be the sanctuary for the outcast and downtrodden. It seems like a given that any church should seek this, but it is a conscientious prayer for us.

There is one problem with that though.

We pray to be the church that is needed in our community.

When we ask this, most of the time we expect that God will bring them to our church and we expect the sermon or the worship team or youth minister, or some other member of the ministry team to do the heavy lifting.

We have to realize that when we ask God to do something like that, we might have to be the people that bring God to them outside the doors of our church.

We might have to be the kind of people that don’t expect the pastor to do the heavy work.

We have to be prepared to share the message that God has shown us that is so important in our life.

We are responsible for the growth we expect to see in our church.

Hiatus…

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I took pretty much the whole month of January off as an unscheduled hiatus. I haven’t really felt “inspired” to write much of anything. I’ve also spent the time getting caught up on some tasks that had been put on the back burner for some time.

We are now 92.3% completed on our kitchen renovation. I am going to try to button most of those things up this Friday.

I enrolled in the biggest loser competition at work. There is money on the line and I have some plans for my fellow competitors that will remain hush hush until the last weeks of the competition.

It looks like I will be preaching again on February 19th. Both AM service and PM so if you have some time stop by and watch.

Saturday is Leah’s 1st birthday. It really doesn’t seem like that little girl should be one yet. The last year has been amazing and frustrating all at the same time. We are learning a lot as parents(mainly me learning how bad I am at it) and enjoying every moment.

Losing Interest…

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How many of you have started a new hobby that you were just absolutely certain was something you were going to love for a long time?

How many of you have given  up on a new hobby because you lost interest in it?

Everyone raise your hand.

Sometimes we start things with the best of intentions only to find later on that it is something that at it’s most base level does not interest us.  Is this a bad thing?  Both yes and no.  Yes it’s a bad thing if your new(soon to be forgotten) hobby is going to leave someone holding the bag.  You have to ask yourself if your retraction from that hobby is going to harm someone else.

Does that mean that you should hold on to hobbies simply to appease others?  No.

It simply means that if that hobby was a source of bonding with a loved one, it needs to be replaced with something else.  Maybe the time together is what that other person cherished, not the activity.  Sometimes our flippancy to a certain activity that we were once passionate about will create ill will among those around you.

What good can come of giving up a hobby?

Lots.

From that activity or hobby a new thing may be born.  A realization about who you are.  A revelation so to speak.  By not filling our time with things we are only half interested in, we free up time for things we are wholly interested in.

While we start things with gusto, it can flow out like low tide.  The thing to remember is that it’s just a few moments before the tide comes back in.

Sinner’s Anonymous Week 10

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Week 10
12 Christian Steps of Sinners Anonymous & Biblical References

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with GOD, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will, and the power to carry that out.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Col. 3:16)

Hopefully when we get to this point we have fully prepared our hearts for God’s presence. We have eliminated as much of the rocky soil as possible so God can sow seeds of great obedience in his honor. Continue reading →

Ability vs. Words

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Where few have ability many have words.

Much like a backseat driver or a armchair coach.  We really have the want to readily criticize someone for the job they are doing when often times we are not able to actually do the job ourself. 

There is a reason you don’t coach a multi-million dollar football team.

There is a reason you aren’t behind the wheel of a race car dancing on the edges of control. 

We all have a purpose.  Whatever that purpose is, it plays a role in the body of christ.  However it is not our purpose to spend our time in criticism of others and their accomplishments or lack thereof. 

There is nothing wrong with taking note of anothers failure to create a more efficient solution to your own problem, but useless criticism should have no part in your own day.  I know it has a large part in my day, but it shouldn’t.

I envy those with ability.  I often find myself critical of them from the role I play.  I am a “sound technician”.  It is my job at times to criticize someone with a musical gift that I have never had.  I just have to make sure my criticism is useful and productive to the continuance of what we are doing.  Not simply to make myself feel better about my own shortcomings.

Rituals…

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I know I’ve talked about this before, but I encountered it once again today and feel it bears repeating.

Why do we live a ritualistic life?  Why are we attached to tradition so much that it hinders the present?  Why we let the past dictate the future?

As a member of our worship team, it fell upon several of us to go to a church that we will be playing in in the next month to make sure we were prepared technologically for the location.  Checking for plugs, estimating spacing for musicians and getting a general idea of the setup was the purpose of the day.

While we were there we mentioned moving a table that is on the stage of the church we will be playing in.  The member that let us in made a comment referencing the displeasure it might cause by some church members.  Mind you these members will not be present during this performance. That however is not the point.  Why would a person be upset that a table was moved to enable a group of people to bring a message that God has laid upon their heart?  Because of tradition.

Tradition is a very dangerous thing.  It has been the reason for many unjust laws to stay on the books, it has been the limiting factor for growth in every facet of our existence and it is often the problem not the solution.  Tradition is a great thing for us to be able to look back upon and learn from.  But as I have said before if you aren’t growing you are dying.  If you want to grow you will have to modify and mold to your clientele.  If you want to keep the traditions alive you will maintain all the people that want tradition.

But why do they want the tradition?  What is the real reason for the tradition?  Is it a clear biblical principle or a distorted viewpoint of someone in the past?  If we don’t vet our actions properly we will be doomed to spin wheels in the name of tradition.  We will continue to die a slow and agonizing death.

The 10% Rule…

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Does is seem to anyone else that the last 10% of any project takes 90% of the time.

We started remodeling our kitchen last Thursday.  I made fantastic progress for three days.  Leaps and bounds ahead of what I had planned.

Then things stalled.  The little tweaks and changes seem to be taking more and more time.  I guess I could rush things, but we really want this remodel to look right.

I have to resist the urge to cut corners in the sake of efficiency.  The end product will look tenfold better if I take the inefficient route.

Ultimately the progress we have made is large compared to the beginning product.  We are quickly checking off items from the to do list, but the pace has slowed.  Maybe it’s because we have that pesky little thing called work getting in the way.

If only I didn’t have a job, this project would be finished.  But then again, how would we pay for it if I didn’t have a job?  That’s the catch.  Without one, the other need not exist.