This is a far side picture from my daily far side calendar. The highlight of my day is flipping the calendar to today's picture.
I guess today I'm feeling a little green (Wasn't there a Muppet's hit song about that?)
How about you?
e enjte, 27 shtator 2007
e premte, 21 shtator 2007
I Don't Fight Fairly!
Let me go on record by stating, unashamedly, "I Don't Fight Fairly".
Okay, I'm not talking about sucker punches, low blows, sand in the eye kind of fighting. I'm talking about fighting our adversary, Satan, and all his worldly power and deception.
2 Corr 10:4 says, "The Weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds!"
I'm fighting with superior weapons the enemy doesn't have. This really makes it an unfair fight! Chalk up one for the home team!
My sons and I often have one of those weird conversations when we are watching an action movie together where there is some big-time hero wielding a big-time weapon. It usually starts like this, "Man that dude is awesome... can you imagine having that machine gun during the civil war? If I had that machine gun could I single-handedly win a battle against 100 musketeers? I could win the entire war..." If you have kids you know what I'm talking about. Its just fun, crazy talk.
But this is exactly the situation God has put us in. We have weapons at our disposal to totally demolish the strongholds that Satan tries to place on us. He attacks our "flesh" but we can fight back with a divine, spiritual power that obliterates the competition.
The weapons are there. God has told us that. All we have to do is choose to use them.
So you can see, it really isn't fair... and I am really, really glad it isn't fair. Aren't you?
Okay, I'm not talking about sucker punches, low blows, sand in the eye kind of fighting. I'm talking about fighting our adversary, Satan, and all his worldly power and deception.
2 Corr 10:4 says, "The Weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds!"
I'm fighting with superior weapons the enemy doesn't have. This really makes it an unfair fight! Chalk up one for the home team!
My sons and I often have one of those weird conversations when we are watching an action movie together where there is some big-time hero wielding a big-time weapon. It usually starts like this, "Man that dude is awesome... can you imagine having that machine gun during the civil war? If I had that machine gun could I single-handedly win a battle against 100 musketeers? I could win the entire war..." If you have kids you know what I'm talking about. Its just fun, crazy talk.
But this is exactly the situation God has put us in. We have weapons at our disposal to totally demolish the strongholds that Satan tries to place on us. He attacks our "flesh" but we can fight back with a divine, spiritual power that obliterates the competition.
The weapons are there. God has told us that. All we have to do is choose to use them.
So you can see, it really isn't fair... and I am really, really glad it isn't fair. Aren't you?
e premte, 14 shtator 2007
This WHACKY Church World (continued...)
I have posted several of my thoughts on how different the church world and work environment are from the corporate world ( see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). Well I've been in my new role at the church for about 8 months and I'm starting to identify another one. "People within the church are not always healthy (mentally, emotionally, and spiritually)".
You might be thinking, duh Mike, of course they are not. That can be said for all people. However, my point is this. In the church, and especially at NewPointe, we promote a "family" atmosphere because as Christians we are indeed the family of God.
So what happens in family situations? People are free to act out on their hurts, feelings, emotions, etc. I know in my family I will say and do things that I would never dream of doing at work, at school, or in other social settings. I have unconditional love and acceptance in my family. So it is in the church family. I am seeing that there is a lot of hurt and pain that can come spewing out of people in many different formats.
As a staff person, you get hit with this stuff and it can be discouraging, demoralizing, and depressing. In the corporate world, people keep this stuff to themselves because it isn't safe to share it with strangers.
So I've been thinking a lot about this scenario (I like to think about things!). Here is my latest revelation about this "Whacky Church World". Disappointment and discouragement result from missing expectations. If I come to work every day thinking everyone in our church is happy and healthy, then I'm really going to be disappointed when an arrow of someone's hurt and misery gets shot in my direction, or a grenade of childhood abuse and dysfunction explodes in my lap.
Think of it this way. What if the doctors and nurses in the hospital said, "Oh I can't believe another sick person showed up today," or "I'm so tired of people with weak hearts needing surgery," or "If one more sick person comes through those doors I'm out of here!"
They don't say these things because their expectation is that they are there to help sick people.
My expectation needs to be that there will always be unhealthy people in our church family who do not always act in the right way. Therefore, my attitude can be one of help and encouragement!
God has given us his unending love, support, and strength. Satan tries to dismantle us with fear, doubt, deception, and discouragement! The battle is already won. We just need to stay focused on Jesus the victor!
Thanks for letting me share this with you! :)
You might be thinking, duh Mike, of course they are not. That can be said for all people. However, my point is this. In the church, and especially at NewPointe, we promote a "family" atmosphere because as Christians we are indeed the family of God.
So what happens in family situations? People are free to act out on their hurts, feelings, emotions, etc. I know in my family I will say and do things that I would never dream of doing at work, at school, or in other social settings. I have unconditional love and acceptance in my family. So it is in the church family. I am seeing that there is a lot of hurt and pain that can come spewing out of people in many different formats.
As a staff person, you get hit with this stuff and it can be discouraging, demoralizing, and depressing. In the corporate world, people keep this stuff to themselves because it isn't safe to share it with strangers.
So I've been thinking a lot about this scenario (I like to think about things!). Here is my latest revelation about this "Whacky Church World". Disappointment and discouragement result from missing expectations. If I come to work every day thinking everyone in our church is happy and healthy, then I'm really going to be disappointed when an arrow of someone's hurt and misery gets shot in my direction, or a grenade of childhood abuse and dysfunction explodes in my lap.
Think of it this way. What if the doctors and nurses in the hospital said, "Oh I can't believe another sick person showed up today," or "I'm so tired of people with weak hearts needing surgery," or "If one more sick person comes through those doors I'm out of here!"
They don't say these things because their expectation is that they are there to help sick people.
My expectation needs to be that there will always be unhealthy people in our church family who do not always act in the right way. Therefore, my attitude can be one of help and encouragement!
God has given us his unending love, support, and strength. Satan tries to dismantle us with fear, doubt, deception, and discouragement! The battle is already won. We just need to stay focused on Jesus the victor!
Thanks for letting me share this with you! :)
e mërkurë, 05 shtator 2007
I'm Ready to Breathe!
Lookout! I'm on a roll!
My last blog talked about not playing it safe. Now I want to challenge you to BREATHE!
I love worship and praise music. I love to crank-up my stereo and rock-out my car as I'm cruising down the road. It is no doubt one of the best ways to get yourself out of a funk. God really speaks to me during these times.
Today I was listening to one of my favorite CD's from Mark Harris called "The Line Between the Two". The first song ("For the First Time") is jammin and talks about being ready to throw away the caution and begin "breathing" the life God has for me. I've included the lyrics for you to read to help you understand my point:
I was waiting for a push, waiting for a sign
Waiting for the perfect moment to arrive
Steady as a clock, caught between the line
Living for myself until I realized
There’s too much life You’ve given me
To let it slip away
Chorus:
I’m ready to live, ready to breathe
Ready to take in everything
I’m ready to love, ready to shine
Ready to live this life of mine
I’m ready to jump, ready to fly for the first time
I want to take a dive, I want to take a chance
I want to make the most of every day I have
I want to be alive, I want to be a man
‘Cause being wild at heart is really who I am
You’ve put these dreams inside of me
So what can hold them back
Chorus:
I can feel it
Being pushed by Bigger Hands
You have saved me
You have made me who I am
Wow! "That's some good stuff there. I don't care who you are!"
Why do we wait for the perfect moment to arrive before we take the dive?
Why do we wait for a push or shove?
Why do we just go through the motions in life?
God has put dreams inside of us. He has filled us with passions, desires, and lots of potential. He just wants us to LIVE, to BREATHE. To stop messing around and be the man or woman He created us to be.
This is so huge! James tells us in 4:14, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Ouch! Like fog on a mirror, our time here on earth is so, so short.
If we truly grasp this concept wouldn't we want to get out and live, take chances, take the dive, "breathe"!
What things are you waiting on for the perfect moment to arrive:
My last blog talked about not playing it safe. Now I want to challenge you to BREATHE!
I love worship and praise music. I love to crank-up my stereo and rock-out my car as I'm cruising down the road. It is no doubt one of the best ways to get yourself out of a funk. God really speaks to me during these times.
Today I was listening to one of my favorite CD's from Mark Harris called "The Line Between the Two". The first song ("For the First Time") is jammin and talks about being ready to throw away the caution and begin "breathing" the life God has for me. I've included the lyrics for you to read to help you understand my point:
I was waiting for a push, waiting for a sign
Waiting for the perfect moment to arrive
Steady as a clock, caught between the line
Living for myself until I realized
There’s too much life You’ve given me
To let it slip away
Chorus:
I’m ready to live, ready to breathe
Ready to take in everything
I’m ready to love, ready to shine
Ready to live this life of mine
I’m ready to jump, ready to fly for the first time
I want to take a dive, I want to take a chance
I want to make the most of every day I have
I want to be alive, I want to be a man
‘Cause being wild at heart is really who I am
You’ve put these dreams inside of me
So what can hold them back
Chorus:
I can feel it
Being pushed by Bigger Hands
You have saved me
You have made me who I am
Wow! "That's some good stuff there. I don't care who you are!"
Why do we wait for the perfect moment to arrive before we take the dive?
Why do we wait for a push or shove?
Why do we just go through the motions in life?
God has put dreams inside of us. He has filled us with passions, desires, and lots of potential. He just wants us to LIVE, to BREATHE. To stop messing around and be the man or woman He created us to be.
This is so huge! James tells us in 4:14, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Ouch! Like fog on a mirror, our time here on earth is so, so short.
If we truly grasp this concept wouldn't we want to get out and live, take chances, take the dive, "breathe"!
What things are you waiting on for the perfect moment to arrive:
- Join a small group
- Serve/Volunteer
- Start your own business or ministry
- Stop settling for "average" in your church, your job, your relationships
- Discipline (devotions, exercise, reading, relationship-building)
- ???? (You fill in the blank!)
I can tell you when I quit my corporate job of 25 years and joined the staff here at NewPointe, THAT WAS A JUMP! But I'm loving it. God has put a dream inside of me that nothing on earth can hold back!!!
BREATHE!!!!!! (Click below to hear the song)
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