SERVING STRONG

And They Walked

They stepped out into the cool, night air. Headed toward the park and strode down the pathway lined with night lights. They talked about the events of the day. Nothing terribly profound. Just moments of triumph, moments of embarrassment.  

 

And they walked a while in silence.

 

The silence was broken by a comment about how a discussion at the water cooler earlier that day got them all fired up about a current news story. Then they belly laughed at a silly joke one of them had remembered.

 

And they walked a while in silence.

 

They discussed an emotional situation they were facing; still facing after so many years. One of them burst into an angry rant about how unfair life is. There were tears shed.

 

Then they walked some more in silence.

 

After rounding the corner, they entered a small coffee shop and ordered two tall decaf coffees (with room). Sitting at a small, round table by the window they sipped their drinks slowly. Time passed gently as they simply enjoyed being together, watching people walk by outside. Diana Krall sang a sweet, smooth jazz melody through the weathered speakers in the corners of the room.

 

And they sat a while in silence.

 

After a short time, they got up, headed outside, and turned back toward home, strolling again down the pathway lined with night lights. And they walked some more in silence...

 

...simply being together.

 

IS THIS A METAPHOR that describes your walk with God - simply forgiven, simply accepted?

 

...or are you still trying to earn this kind of relationship through your works?

...you do know He died for this kind of relationship, don't you?

 

 

photo by www.pictureapromise.com

You Are Here

It’s true. It’s always true. You will perpetually be here.

Not there.

Not anywhere else… but here.

 

We each own a “here”. We got it the moment we were conceived. We carry it everywhere we go. When we go there, we take our “here” and when we are there, we’re here. Truth is, we ARE here. It defines us. It’s all we ever have… here. 

 

Get it?

 

Some people don’t treat their “here” very well. They shun their “here”. They ignore their “here” and think of things like

…Future worries

…Past mistakes

…Trinkets, trials and troubles

 

But our “here” needs attention. We must feed it to be successful and fulfilled.  As life coaches, we know it as being “present in the moment”.  A couple examples:

…On the carpet putting legos together with your 8 year old son

…Gazing into your spouse’s eyes across the dinner table

…Lost in the wonder of a phrase that jumped out from scripture

 

Start paying attention to your “here” and you notice something wonderful happens. Life will come alive. Life will deepen. Life will make more sense. Life will fulfill. All because you will find God in your “here”.

 

How do you treat your “here”?

 

End Note: Thanks to http://www.chrisbrogan.com for inspiration on this post.

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Corrective Lenses

We will face difficulty on our journey. No doubt about it.

Many people see these difficulties as nuisances - things to simply be tolerated until the moment passes. Others see them as opportunities - times to be alert for what God is really doing in them and through them.

What makes the difference?

Corrective lenses. The people who see difficulty as a nuisance are like people without corrective lenses. Their "vision" is blurred and they can't see what God is up to. Therefore, they go around in a fog of discouragement, loss of hope, depression.

But the people who see difficulty as opportunity are like people with well-fitted corrective lenses. Their "vision" is 20/20. They can see God in action. They can see what He's doing in the lives of those around them. They can see the growth He's causing in them personally. Therefore, they go around in an air of clarity, expectation, and excitement.

Who are you?

Are you the person with blurred vision, living a boring existence, tolerating life until God returns?

Or are you the person wearing corrective lenses, living an exciting existence before an God of adventure?

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O Magnum Mysterium

I'm smitten by this incredible song. It evokes such beauty in my thoughts and emotions. I find myself simply speechless before the God who created me and has the power to destroy me, but chooses to love me.

I share it with you:

 

 

What causes you to stop in your tracks and worship God?

Asleep During Board Meeting

Funny thing happened to me the other day. I was in a board meeting for our church. We were meeting at our Pastor's house. They have a 3 month old infant. I asked to hold her while we conducted our business.

The meeting began. We started to discuss budget line items, salaries, strategy, vision....  I looked down at the infant in my arms. She had fallen asleep. A picture of complete peace and rest.

Then I went back to the discussion about income levels, expansion ideas, and ministries. Then looked down again at the little angel in my arms.

Then it hit me!  In the midst of all this strategy, planning, and church-board'ing, here was a little child of God who didn't have a care in the world. Her world of peace and our world of planning collided.

There is a place for planning and discerning God's will in matters of business behind the ministry. But I think we all need to be reminded by a 3-month old that in the middle of the planning, we must remain completely dependent and at peace before God.

What about you?

In your ministry planning, do you remain at peace before the God you serve?

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Ten Questions Of Strength

[the following is an update of a Feb 28, 2010 post]

So you lead others, huh? How's that working out for you? Are you sure about how your leadership is going? When we are weak, our leadership is weak. When we are strong our leadership is strong.

Here are 10 questions you can ask yourself to do a quick check (the more "yes" answers, the better):

1. Am I free from any unresolved conflict with others?
2. Do I take care of my physical well-being (remembering doctor's recommendations)?
3. Am I eating a well balanced, healthy diet including fruits and vegetables?
4. Do I spend a good amount of time each week sitting quietly, listening to the heartbeat of God for my life?
5. Do I stop at least once per week and review my priorities and goals; celebrate wins; and strategize next steps?
6. Am I working at quality connections with my spouse and children?
7. Am I actively pursuing meaningful relationships with friends and family members?
8. Do I have a plan to get, any remain, out of debt?
9. Do I know what my passion, personality, and proficiencies are (any am I engaged most of my waking hours honoring these?
10. Would God be pleased with the internet history file on my computer?

My prayer is for strong leadership on your behalf. Don't neglect who you are as you serve others.

What other questions have you used to ensure your inner strength?

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Remote Down

Most days we wake up, get ready, head out the door, and pursue the purpose to which God has called us. We do our thing the best we know how. We look to God for guidance. We pray in the hard times; rejoice in the good times; and help others along the way.

But there are moments when God breaks in and captures our attention. Almost like the blinding light that gripped the heart and soul of Saul on the road to Damascus, these are "Divine Appointments".

It's in these moments we need to stop and listen. We need to "remote down". In other words, we need to stop "flipping channels" and put down the remote and tune in for the teaching of our Rabbi. Have you had a "remote down" moment lately? If so,

What did you learn from God?

What did you learn about yourself?

How are you applying the learning to your mission?

Loneliness

Ever stop and think about loneliness? I mean really pause and think about it? Here are a couple thoughts:

First, loneliness is DANGEROUS. As experts point out, we are in danger of acts that lead to moral failure or relapse into addiction when we are hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Click here for a brief explanation of HALT.

But loneliness is also POSITIVE. Think back to a lonely time in your life. What did it look like? Well, for starters, you were probably alone, most likely with nothing to do. Joy in normal activities was low. There was a general sense of sadness.

Now, I can almost hear you: "But how can all this low joy and increased sadness be positive?"

All of these descriptions paint a picture of a person about to enter into a deeper walk with Christ. After all, isn't it the lowly and contrite heart God is after (check out Psalm 51.17)? Doesn't His power display itself in our weakness (check out 2 Corinthians 12.9)? When everything is going our way and we're the life of the party, how many of us depend on God with complete desperation, really?

The next time we are lonely (and we will get lonely), we have a choice. We can be dangerous or we can be dependent; driven to addiction or driven to God.

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WhadaYOUthink?

Why do we get lonely even when we are surrounded by people?

I'm Not Comfortable Around Jesus

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for my name's sake."

This was not spoken by a man who looked like a Hollywood star with great skin and long, flowing hair with a cool looking beard. Nor was it likely to get retweeted if Twitter was on the scene.

No, these were the words of a master leader; a savior; a man who knew the true meaning of sacrifice because He embodied it; the Son of God.

Not sure about you but I am uncomfortable when I read about Christ. He challenges me. He causes me to re-examine my complaints and my whining.

Philip Yancey in his work, "Unwrapping Jesus", says this: "Few people felt comfortable around Jesus; those who did were the type no one else felt comfortable around. The Jesus I met in the Gospels was anything but tame."

When we serve as missionaries in this barren land, we must maintain this sense of discomfort. Why? We remain dependent on Him. We stay desparate for Him. And that's the essence of serving strong - following the untame God who calls us and who is our strength.

Are you uncomfortable around Jesus?

3 Steps To A Fantastic Day

Having a fantastic day in ministry service means walking with God. Fantastic doesn't always mean everything goes our way and is easy. In fact, some the most fantastic days I've every had have been through a struggle. After all, isn't that what James wrote about?

Here, then, are 3 steps to having your fantastic day:

STEP ONE: Start the day in prayer. Actually, by prayer I mean listening only. Turn off your tendency to pray for others or yourself. Just sit quietly in a comfortable chair (not too comfortable). Breathe deeply and slowly a few times. Close your eyes. Think of one thought such as "love". Allow God to simply speak into your life. If a distracting thought pops into your mind, slowly allow it to leave your mind again. You want to strive for 100% listening.

STEP TWO: Pray throughout the day. My friend on Twitter, www.twitter.com/brandonacox, pointed me to this link by Greg Qualls entitled, "6 Tips For Talking To God". Tip #1 highlighted setting up prayer "triggers". Here's an excerpt:

"Take things that you do every day and make them triggers for you to pray. Here are some ideas to help you get started: taking a shower, using the bathroom, getting in your car, making coffee, getting in bed, getting ready to read your Bible, finishing reading your Bible, driving to work, driving home, finishing lunch, eating eggs, sailing on a boat, scratching your nose, and buying a tambourine. You get the idea. Take things that you do every day and use them as a trigger to pray."

STEP THREE: End the day in prayer. Again, close your eyes. Breathe a few, slow breaths. Sit comfortably in a chair. Allow the events of the day to pass by you like a slide show as you listen to God speak into your life again. Strive again for 100% listening.

I try to do this every day. Some days I'm successful. Other days I'm not. I'm finding when I get serious about staying connected to God, the enemy doesn't like it and tries everything in his power to distract me. But stick with it. Your best days are ahead!

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Question:

What triggers keep you in prayer all day?

Ministry Then Family? (update #1)

On January 24, 2010 I posed a question to you: "Which comes first, ministry or family?" (Click to read the original post)

Many of you commented - directly on this blog, in Twitter replies, Facebook comments and direct email messages to me (any thank you so much for providing such incredible insight!) There was an interesting result as comments began to accumulate. Two overarching themes began to surface:

Theme One: Linear Progression. Family first, then ministry. After all, we are setting an example for the span of care God gave us, right? "A healthy ministry is largely built upon the foundation of a healthy pastoral family", one person commented. "Ministry begins at home," wrote another.

A variation on this theme was to put GOD first, then family, then ministry. One comment said, "It depends, do what is pleasing to God in the moment." This places God above both family and ministry.

Theme Two: Mixture. God AND family as two elements cohabiting the same "space".  Kinda like gasoline and air mixing in a carburetor to propel a vehicle forward. "Prioritizing things 'first' and 'second'...pits kingdom versus family. The work of the kingdom (whether that's 'ministry' or 'family') belongs to Him," said one.

Same variation on this theme as Theme One above: God is at the head. Then, based on His desires and our obedience, we will fulfill ministry needs or family needs. We get our direction from Him. But sometimes the distinction between when it's appropriate to attend to family and when to attend to ministry gets blurred. Just ask Abraham what it was like to raise the knife above his son.

Regardless of the themes, one common element stands out: Family is vital to ministry. Family provides stability. It provides a sort of protection from the demands of ministry. It saves from the sin of adultery. Additionally, the family helps in leadership. The folks at the Francis Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development conducted a poll in 2005 of 2,245+ pastors and concluded, among other things, that many pastors, "...have not learned to balance family and ministry or adequately deal with the immense struggles of the job. This, many are not able to lead their church where it needs to go..." (Click here for the entire report)

I'm interested in your thoughts as we delve further into this "Ministry / Family" topic.

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QUESTION:

What habits do you employ to keep your family strong as you pursue kingdom ministry?

You're An Idiot

"You're an idiot!"

Imagine hearing that from someone you know. What is your reaction? What do you automatically think? After your initial human reaction, the long term  impact on you depends a lot on how you see yourself.

Someone once said, "I died to Christ and you can't hurt a dead person." I'm not sure I totally agree with that, but I think I understand the underlying principle of the statement. If I hide myself in Christ and surrender my need for approval, at the very least I can put a disparaging "idiot" comment into perspective. If it hurts me, I can bring that hurt to Christ and wrestle through it with Him. In this way, I have deepened my walk with Christ (the "idiot" comment helps me grow my spiritual dimension.) Who knows, maybe Christ wants you to see how you HAVE been an idiot and He gives you the strength to admit a shortcoming with genuine humility - and grow!

How do you see yourself? Are you hidden in Christ? Are you able to put "idiot"-type comments in perspective?

What do YOU think?

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The Big Guy

One of our family's favorite traditions at Christmas time is to watch A Christmas Story. It's a tale of a little boy named Ralphie on one particular Christmas when all he wanted was a Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle - only to be told by the adults, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

There is one particular scene when Ralphie waits in line forever at a department store followed by a long climb up a steep set of stairs. Finally reaching the top, he is hoisted by an elf onto Santa's lap. "And what do YOU want, little booooyyyy?", said Santa in a deep, low voice.

Ralphie froze. He was blowing it, blowing it! All that time in line he knew exactly what he wanted from Santa. Now he was nose to nose with the Big Kahuna and he couldn't think straight...

Face to face with The Big Guy. Ever been there with God? Ever wait and wait and wait, climb a steep set of circumstances and find yourself so incredibly close to God Himself ---- then go speechless? We all have things we want from God. But there are moments when God seems so near and so big, all our prayer requests seem to give way to insignificance. Then God seems sufficient all by Himself. God, himself, is all we need. 

May that be your experience this Christmas. I pray your waiting ends. I pray your climbing ceases and you sit upon the lap of The Big Kahuna and just be WITH Him; be in awe OF Him.

He's all you need to Serve Strong.

Merry Christmas!

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All In Our Perspective

A former coaching client of mine recently resigned his post as senior pastor of a church in Ohio and now serves on the mission field. We keep in touch occasionally and here is an excerpt from an email I recently received from him and his family:

"God has really changed my heart as far as what I see as "needs" or "wants."  Before coming here I admit I was a little concerned about our housing arrangements with no bathroom in the house...So I had a conversation with God about how I didn't know if I could handle that for 2 years.  That same day I learned that the District Superintendent's family has lived and served here for 20 years and only in the past 5 years had the luxury of water and electricity in their house... 

"Our group also went out that day and saw thousands of houses close to where we live without electricity, running water, beds etc.  So now I am overwhelmingly grateful for the luxuries that we have here.  God is so faithful to continue to help us grow, learn and change.  I am so blessed that He never allows us to continue in our ways and thoughts that aren't pleasing to Him as long as we are listening to Him."

First, I would like to ask you to be praying for them. They are sacrificing many of the comforts of the typical American lifestyle to minister abroad.

Second, as you continue to serve people, remember how important your perspective is. No matter how difficult things may be, God is still in control. It may not feel that way sometimes but He is. With God, we are always in a position to be grateful - if only for the grace He extends to us, even when we do not deserve it.

May God bless you in this Christmas season! Serve Strong!

You And God

Here are three resources to check out as you have time. They are designed to help you augment your efforts at staying close and intimate with the God who called you into the people helping field:

Sacred Space
Take a journey through the Bible

Bible Gateway
The Bible and more online

Blackaby Ministries International
Practically walking in a real and personal
relationship with God

You may find a list of free downloads and other links on the Serving Strong resource page.

NOTE:  Although Serving Strong provides these resources, it may not condone or agree with
everything contained therein.

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What Is The Source Of Burnout?

I recently posted the following question on my Facebook status:

"Could it be the reason there is an abundance of burnout in ministry is because there is a scarcity of trust in God?"

Here are the responses I've received so far:

__ Even trusting God for others. (NE)

__ More likely a loss of focus on Jesus by all... (AR)

__ My experience with many who have suffered what you may call "burnout" was not a lack of trust in God, but was found to be a lack of watchfulness of those around them, who were to protect and guard their lives. (DP)

__ Burnout comes from having to do it all when those who should be doing it won't and it has to be done. (DA)

__ Maybe we take ourselves too serious. The world was spinning before we were born and it will be spinning when we die. How much do we really give ourselves credit for? I don't think it is how much we get done, but what jewels we find in the process. Remember, the JOY of the Lord is our Strength. If you aren't experiencing JOY, you might not have any strength. (MT)

__ 100% (JC)

__ I think we try to hard to GOD's job. We can't change people. We can only love them. Only God can change them and when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job, which is NOT our job, we get tired and worn out. (CS)

__ Agree with all of the above. We have let God be God. We need to do exactly as He tells us and then...sit back and watch Him do His "thing'. He is so amazing. (SE)

I am interested in what YOU think too. Add your insight. The more we understand where burnout is coming from, the sooner we will be able to eliminate it and Serve Strong!

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Start Pumping Gas

John Trent, Ph.D. and president of The Center for Strong Families, wrote an interesting article in the Christian Counseling Connection (a publication of the American Association of Christian Counselors) entitled, "Why We 'Put Off' Being Positive". Here's an excerpt:

"In the state of New Jersey, like everywhere else across the country, the cost of gasoline has gone up and up. It seems that in 2006, in the face of soaring prices, the governor tried to implement a policy that experts calculated would drop the price of gasoline five to 10 cent per gallon immediately. There could be huge savings statewide if they would just make that small change, but even the suggestion brought a huge outcry. In fact, the governor's office retreated on making this change after being swamped with more than 1,400 e-mails and calls that poured in from an outraged public! (That was five times the "outrage e-mails" they received regarding anything else the governor had proposed.)

"What fired up the people so much that they shouted down making such a small change? The governor had suggested that people be allowed to pump their own gas! But in New Jersey, motorists haven't pumped their own gas for 57 years. Cries came that people would put the gas in the wrong hole...that the elderly couldn't do it and would harm themselves... and that gas stations would be blowing up all over the state from smokers filling their tanks!"

John Trent goes on with this question:

"Have your fears in these difficult times cause you to slow down, stopped you from moving forward, or caused you to question your faith no just in a positive future, but in the God of the future?"

I ask that same question of you. Are you living in such fear you are unable to continue learning and growing in your ministry and in your own personal faith in God? Have you stopped reading books on how to serve people better? Have you stopped seeking for God to grow your faith?

Step over your fear. Lock eyes with God. Resolve to start "pumping your own gas" and continue Serving Strong!

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Be Desperate And Carry A Big Faith

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Biblical account when the paths of Jesus and a hemorrhaging woman cross (Mark 5.21-34). For twelve years the woman suffered in two ways: physical pain and the pain of being an outcast of society, thanks to the religious leaders of the day. Twelve years. Can you imagine? Not twelve minutes. Not twelve hours.  Not twelve weeks or twelve months… she had suffered for twelve years! She was broken. She was desperate. She was needy.

She heard about some man who was healing others. “There’s hope!” she thought (after twelve years, she probably thought this man was her ONLY hope.) So she made her way into the crowd which was crowding in on Jesus on all sides. She thought (and this is key), “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Are you kidding me? Touch is clothes?! What sort of nonsense is that? Sounds like a prayer cloth sold by a TV evangelist to support the ministry. She has no desire for relationship with Jesus. In her desperation all she wanted was to touch his clothes. Interesting...in her desperation.

You read the story before. She touches Jesus clothes. Jesus feels power release from him. He wants to know who touched him. His disciples laughed at him saying, “Everyone is crowding against you.”

But then Jesus’ eyes and the eyes of the newly-healed woman lock onto each other. Jesus then says something so incredibly profound I can’t seem to get it out of my mind. He said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Her faith healed her. Wow!

Here are two observations from this passage and why I feel it is so vital to our serving strong:

First: Out of all the people crowding in on Jesus at that moment, this woman was the only one healed. It's because everyone else was curious. She was committed. Everyone else was looking for a photo-op. She was looking for freedom. Everyone else wanted a new thing. She wanted a new life. Her desperation was the key to her intimate moment with Christ.

How desperate are you, really? How long has it been since you felt so needy you dismissed conventional wisdom and "pressed in against the crowd to simply touch Jesus’ clothes"? How long have you been relying on strategy or visioning or marketing or programs that you’ve lost what it means to be utterly dependent on God?

In order to continue serving strong, I firmly believe we must maintain a perpetual brokenness before the feet of Jesus. He is our ONLY source of strength. Without this posture of desperation, we will (not might, but will) hit the wall. It’s just a matter of time.

Second: Jesus said to her, “…your faith has healed you.” Isn’t it amazing He didn’t say, “I healed you because of your faith”?  Jesus doesn’t take the credit for the healing. He relinquishes the credit to her faith. Some kind of faith, huh? The kind of faith that takes center stage. The kind of faith that literally interrupts Jesus day.

What kind of faith do you have? Is it big? Does it border on the absurd? When was the last time you woke up excited that no matter what the day was going to throw at you God was bigger and able to do amazing things? When did you last look at someone so lost in their sin yet still possess audacious faith that they were entirely reachable?  How’s your hope for your future?

In order to continue serving strong, I firmly believe we must possess an unshakable faith in God. We must look at our current circumstance with such a belief in Him that we march right through as though the victory has already been won (actually, it has. Jesus said in John 16.33, “…take heart. I have overcome the world”.)

Be desperate and carry a big faith. It’s all part of Serving Strong!

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Attractive But Poisonous

Found an interesting story about plants on www.webecoist.com entitled "Gorgeous But Deadly". It describes 13 plants that are incredibly beautiful to look at but unbelievably deadly if touched. Here's an excerpt of the story:

"Doll’s Eyes, Fairy Bells, Miracle Leaf – how can plants with names like these be dangerous? Eat them, and you’ll be sorry you fell for their deceptive names and unassuming appearances. From a tree that can make you go blind to flowers that even kill unsuspecting honeybees, these 13poisonous plants are anything but innocent...some species, such as Ligustrum ovalifolium,  contain toxic Glycosides which cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, weakness, cold and clammy skin."

Likewise, ministry leaders are tempted by any number of seemingly "good" opportunities that come their way. It may be a speaking engagement to an influential crowd; a community leadership position; a chance to write for a blog or take a bigger church position - the list is endless.

Just as the beautiful plants are deadly, these opportunities feed the ego but leave the curious leader burned out. Why? Because they aren't handled with prayer.  They are rushed into with a resounding "yes" and no one has ever counted the cost.

So the next time you are face to face with a great opportunity, ask yourself: How does this fit with what I'm called to do? Where is the time going to come from? What will I have to say "no" to in order to take on this new thing?

Count the cost and you'll be Serving Strong!

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Six Degrees Of Non-Separation

Facebook has a very large group called "Six Degrees of Separation. The theory contained on the page of that group explains the theory this way:

"There are an estimated 6.667 Billion people who live on this planet. The Theory states that any 2 people can be directly connected to each other through no more then 6 people. It sounds crazy i know...But when you think about the number of people the average person comes in contact with in their lifetime-- it doesn't seem so strange."

I would like to propose another perspective. It deals with our relationship with God. I call it the "Six Degrees of NON-Separation". As we travel our journey we are surrounded by God's presence, if we are willing to notice Him in this way.

Here's how the Six Degrees looks:

Above. God is over us in all aspects of life. This not to scare us. It's to give us comfort knowing He sees the big picture 100% of the time every day.

Beneath. God is our support. He is our foundation. His unconditional love and acceptance of us is the basis upon which we serve Him, rather than serving Him out of duty of fear that His love for us must be somehow earned.

Beside (left). He walks beside us as our companion. He listens to us and our needs. We talk to Him and give Him all our good, bad, and ugly thoughts and feelings.

Beside (right). He walks beside us as our source of wisdom and correction. He talks to us and helps us see the error in our thinking. He tells us when we are about to enter a dangerous situation. He corrects us. He lovingly rebukes us, as a loving Father to a child.

Ahead. He goes ahead of us and knows what we will face in the day. He prepares the hearts of those with whom we will come in contact.

Behind. He follows behind, giving us confirmation of our worth in Him. He teaches us after the good or bad decisions we make. He never gives up on us.

Is God surrounding you? Do you have six degrees of non-separation with Him? I'm finding it the best way to run the race I've been given. Not only am I renewed as a result, I have a much greater chance of growing, maturing and being a fruitful servant. Those who Serve Strong have this sort of surround-sound relationship with God.

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Confident Humility

Leadership Network and Catalyst produced an event on September 9, 2009 called "The Nines". Each presenter shared 9 minutes of thought. One such speaker was Dr. Leonard Sweet. His talk addressed the problem of a big head in ministry. He discussed the mixture of confidence AND humility.

As a people helper (a ministry leader) we must constantly deal with the temptation to get a big head. Here are a few concepts Dr.Sweet highlights:

"I can do all things - THROUGH CHRIST'

"I empty myself - TO BE FILLED BY CHRIST"

"To deal with a big head - I MUST HAVE A BIG HEART"

Click on the link and spend 9 minutes in meditation on who Jesus is and who you are

The habit of centering (closing out everything but your attention on God) produces confident humility: a characteristic found in those who Serve Strong!

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Like Milk To An Oreo

First, watch this short 30-second video:

 

 

Aside from the obvious humor this provides for your day, I want to draw out a point for your consideration:

What grabs YOUR attention?  Really, I mean if God were to come close to you and want your attention, would you give it to Him? Would you even notice Him there? Or are you so distracted by your busy-ness and importance?

I want to encourage you to structure your daily life so you remain attracted to the divine interruptions by God - like milk to an Oreo. Try starting out with this prayer: "God, please put me in your pocket. When you need me today pull me out and use me. I'm here for you."

Be attracted to God and you'll be utterly (sorry for the pun) Serving Strong!

Horizontal Or Vertical Importance

We can adopt one of 2 methods to gauge our importance: Horizontally or Vertically.

HORIZONTAL IMPORTANCE

Adopt this method and you sound like this: "I'm not as important as Dr. Leonard Sweet because he has over 7,000 Twitter followers and I only have 1,000. But he's not as important as Mark Batterson who has over 11,000 Twitter followers. And I'm more important than ___ because they only have 350 Twitter followers."

Horizontal importance is just that - horizontal. It's based on comparison. We look at our sphere of influence in terms of size and look outward, horizontally, at others' spheres around us and find our place in some sort of graded scale.

VERTICAL IMPORTANCE

Adopt this method and you sound like this: "I am important because God is important and He has adopted me." That's it. Simple, huh?

Vertical importance is based on individualized attention by a God who has the power to turn His back on us but chooses to love us with such an intense love we will never fully grasp it this side of eternity. There is no comparison to others. We look upward to our gauge of importance and we hear a consistent message; a message of unconditional love and acceptance by the Father, Himself.

So, which method have you been using lately? Depends on the direction of your view - horizontally or vertically. Choose vertically and you'll be Serving Strong!

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The Source Of Strength

I am currently memorizing a small, but powerful passage of scripture found in Hebrews. Let me share it with you:

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4.14-16 MSG)

Don't allow this incredible help slip through your fingers. It's (He's) THE source for Serving Strong!

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Blog Tour: Prayer Power by Peter Lundell

Publisher: Revell (1/1/09)   Language:English   ISBN-10: 0800732634 ISBN-13: 978-0800732639 240 pages Retail: $12.99    9 Ways to Improve Your Prayer Life 1. Establish a designated place to pray. 2. Set a designated time of day to pray. 3. Use written prayers or music to help get started. 4. Repent of the things that hinder your prayer. 5. Pray out loud--this clarifies thoughts. 6. Personalize Bible verses when you pray. 7. Let yourself get in a situation where you have to trust God. 8. Seek the Holy Spirit's leading--and listen. 9. Be bold and persistent.

For Immediate Release Kathy Carlton Willis Communications WillisWay@aol.com or kcwcomm@rgv.rr.com Powerful Prayer Principles A blog tour to help strengthen your prayer-life   About the Book: In the crazy world around us, our prayers may too often seem ineffective. Do you want to connect with God when you pray and receive more direct answers? PRAYER POWER is the tool you need to build a more powerful and dynamic life of prayer. Intensely practical and straightforward, PRAYER POWER helps you improve on thirty essential facets of prayer such as passion, routine, fasting, praying with others, listening to God, handling distractions, and spiritual warfare. In each brief chapter you'll be inspired by stories of people whose lives of prayer give us powerful examples. PRAYER POWER can be used as a month-long devotional, a prayer guide, or a reference for help in specific areas. Whether you're a new believer or think you've heard it all, this book's refreshing and honest insight will guide you to a deeper connection with God. About the Author: Peter Lundell, a former missionary to Japan, is a pastor at Walnut Blessing Church in Walnut, California. He has an MDiv and DMiss from Fuller Theological Seminary and is the founder of the Walnut Valley Pastors' Prayer Network. Lundell is the author of two books, and his articles have appeared in magazines such as Guideposts and Pray!

Interview Questions 1. Many Christians don't talk about hardships with prayer. Why do you open up about the struggles you have had drawing close to God in prayer?  My first draft of the book read like an instruction manual of all the things you ought to do to be spiritual like me. I realized that the more spiritual I tried to sound, the less honest I was being. I was hiding behind my words. No reader should have to put up with all that. And besides, it was boring. So I determined to be totally honest. I rewrote the book and openly shared my doubts, struggles, and failures, because everybody goes through the same things. And if I’m not honest with readers, how can I expect readers to be honest with others or even themselves? I take sort of an “I mess up and you mess up, but God loves us anyway, so let’s connect with him” approach. Readers often tell me how much they identify with that. And when they read about how God still worked amazing things in my life and in others’, it gives them hope.     I’ve discovered two things: First, honesty is liberating, and I don’t want to live any other way. Second, when we stick with prayer and don’t give up, answers and victories rise from our struggles. Answers and victory never rise from pretending.     I hope to connect with readers so that they’ll in turn connect with me and the victories I’ve experienced—so that they will experience their own victories. 2. What are some of the things God has taught you about prayer over the years - especially from the perspective of your leadership roles?      It’s good to listen before I talk. If I always dive into prayer and never spend time listening, I only dump my own “give-me list” on God. But his word says in 1 John 5:14–15 that when I seek and pray according to his will, my prayer will be answered. So the key is to first get in sync with God.     We’ve got to have a hunger, or thirst, for God. Without hunger, no program or technique or anything we learn will go anywhere. But with hunger for God, we could know almost nothing and still have a great prayer life. Hunger is singularly important—which is why it’s the first chapter.     When I pray with faith and don’t get what I ask for, God will soon show me why. There is always something to learn in unanswered prayer. 3. What do you mean by "praying boldly" and how can Christians learn to do that?     Praying boldly is the opposite of excessively polite prayer and of—I’ll just say it—wimpy prayer. Praying boldly is praying without intimidation, not caring what other people think, expressing ourselves to God without concern for being appropriate or religiously correct but rather with a passion from our guts that pours out, unashamedly. Bold prayer is not arrogant. It’s humble and faithful, because of its self-abandoned focus on God and expectation of what God will do.     People often assume they must be polite or solemn before God. Nowhere does the Bible teach this. Two thirds of the Psalms are complaints, and they are not polite. Most prayers in both Old and New Testaments are bold, expectant, and to the point. When Jesus teaches on prayer in Luke 11:5–10, he talks about an obnoxious guy who bangs on his friend’s door at midnight. Then he says we should bug him the same way by continually asking, seeking, and knocking. I often wonder if God gets tired of diplomatic prayers. Why else would he actually tell us to be bold and persistent—and use examples that, if we were on the receiving end, most of us would say are obnoxious.     There’s no real method to doing this. It’s a mindset that chooses to free itself from previous assumptions and uses the Bible as a model of how to pray. 4. How can we practice the presence of God and include him in everyday tasks?      Practicing the presence of God primarily has to do with developing an attitude, a continual awareness that God is always with us, and that in turn, we always incline our attention toward him.     The first thing most of us need to do is to slow down or cut unnecessary activities from our calendar. Busyness is an enemy to practicing the presence of God. Jesus repeatedly blew off other people’s agendas for him and continually focused on his purpose for being here. Pastors who do the same are always happier, closer to God, and more effective. And when we practice the presence of God, we increase our ability to be intimate with him when times do get busy.     Here are some practices that may help develop that attitude: My last thought before I sleep and my first thought when I wake up is centered on God. When I get mad or stressed, I try to see things from God’s perspective. When I am waiting for someone, I use that time to pray. I do menial tasks with an awareness and love of God. I often have a praise song on my mind as I go through the day. 5. You're a proponent for creating a place of prayer and establishing a time of prayer. Why are these important elements for prayer? These two disciplines are the most important external helps for maintaining a strong prayer life. Without them, our good intentions eventually drown under the assaults of busyness and distractions.     A place of prayer helps us concentrate in the face of distractions. That place could be the church sanctuary, an empty room in the house, a spot in the back yard, or even a rug laid out on the floor, on which the only thing we do is pray. The physical surroundings of a location devoted to prayer tell our brains, “Focus on God.” And if we ever feel bored or in a rut of over-familiarity with a place, a change of location can be stimulating.     Establishing a set prayer time engrains a habit of prayer into our minds, such that if we miss it, we feel anxious because something is missing or wrong—and it is! A set prayer time is not to force ourselves to pray as much as to create a boundary of protection from busyness. That boundary of time is like a protective fence around a garden, where we give ourselves freedom from intrusions to spend unhindered time with God. Preferably we’ll do this as early as possible in the morning, so we can lay the whole day before the Lord. And unlike a prayer place, I have never found benefit in changing my prayer time, so I highly recommend keeping it sacred, especially if we’re travelling or really busy. Whether short or long, this protective fence of a set time must be intentional, because no one else can do it for us. 6. What advice would you give to people who struggle with God when they pray?     True men and women of prayer will sometimes struggle in prayer, as did many figures in the Bible, like Jacob’s symbolic wrestling with the angel and Jesus’ wrestling over his fate in Gethsemane. Like anyone else, I struggle with unanswered prayer or major decisions to do something by faith, when tragedy strikes, problems of injustice, and healings that take a lot longer than I’d like. The key is to keep struggling—don’t give up and too quickly assume something is God’s will before you know for sure. The angel commended Jacob for not giving up until he got a blessing. God the Father actually sent an angel to help Jesus wrestle in Gethsemane. Sometimes wrestling in prayer is God’s will for us.     Wrestling in prayer is actually a good thing. It draws us closer to God. And it changes us in the process. And that’s what most of us hope for!

Author Peter Lundell Bonus Material  Top Ten Reasons Prayer Doesn't Get Answered Lack of faith   --A much-abused idea, but essentially still true. Effects of sin separating us from God   --The Bible says that God sometimes won't listen when we wallow in sin. Unforgiveness / Emotional wounds /  Self-pity  --A weird dynamic, but scary in how powerful these emotions are. Unhealthy lifestyle in disagreement with prayer   --Don't pray to lose weight, then eat donuts. Demonic affliction   --Satan and his demons are deceptive and merciless. Strongholds in the mind   --People allow attitudes and beliefs to block out the truth. God's working behind the scenes   --Sometimes God is in a process of answering before we can see it. God's chastisement   --Sometimes people bring punishment upon themselves, and it's for their ultimate good. God's classroom of testing and faith building   --The way God answers prayer may test you and build your faith. Old age or time to die   --Sometimes it's our time to go!

GRAND PRIZE BUNDLE INCLUDES: (leave a comment for an opportunity to win this great package) Prayer Power by Peter Lundell  When God Turned off the Lights by Cecil Murphey (Cec is one of Peter's mentors) Committed but Flawed by Cecil Murphey Also includes: Prayer Journal, Pen, and Candle

Weak Tips

From observations, reading, coaching client interactions, I've compiled a list of surefire ways to maintain weakness in service to others:

1. Stay In Debt. Use credit cards like they are going out of style. Then justify your expenditures with a phrase like, "I've got to build up my credit score."
2. Serve Alone. This will take a little more work for the outgoing, people-oriented. But do your best to engage in ministry without any regard for leaning on the strength, perspective, and assistance of others. You are all you need.
3. Serve Exclusively. Even though you have a number of plates (marriage, parenting, fitness, spiritual growth) forget all that. Your work in helping OTHERS is paramount. If that means neglecting your spouse, kids, health, or walk with God - so be it. The work must be done. Give, give, and give some more. It's the only way.
4. Stop Learning. That's right. You know just enough to be dangerous. Get out there and do the work of a servant. Experience is all you need. Some people believe in 10 years of learning. Not you, 1 year of learning 10 times is good enough. Plus, when you invest in yourself, that's that much more time you could be out there doing the work.

There. That should help get you started. I'm sure there are other tips you can add to the list. Perhaps you may even take the time from your busy schedule to comment on the post (but not if it means helping someone else out - that would mean they would learn. And we don't want that!)

This un-message brought to you by Serving Strong (and, no, the picture is not of me - although I would probably look worse!)

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Watch Your Speed

My wife recently purchased Donald Miller's book, Through Painted Deserts. It's a road-trip memoir about three months spent crossing the country in a Volkswagen camping van. I'm finding the detail and rich metaphors a very pleasing and inspiring experience as I leaf through each page.

A couple pages, in particular, caught my attention. If you have the book, I encourage you to leaf over to the bottom of page 59, all of page 60, and the top of page 61. Donald shares insight into God, light, travel, and speed. Here's an excerpt:

"God, if like light, travels at the speed of light, and because space and time are mingled with speed, the speed of light is the magic, exact number that allows a kind of escape from time. Scientists have played with atomic clocks, matched exactly, setting one in a plane to fly around the world, and another motionless, waiting for the return of its partner. When they reunite, the one that traveled rests milliseconds behind the one fixed. The faster you move, physicists have found, the less you experience time."

The faster you move, the less you experience time. Interesting. Here I sit on my deck reading this chapter. Inside of 30 minutes I have witnessed a mother and father bird tag team the feeding of their newly hatched who sit completely helpless and dependent on the bugs, worms or whatnot. Silence for 3 or 4 minutes. Then a crescendo of squeaky, little chirping followed by a decrescendo to silence until the next delivery. On goes the rhythm.

I would not have witnessed such an unbelievable display set in motion by our Creator unless I was still long enough to notice what was going on. If my mind was busy, busy, busy working out some problem or worrying about one of life's incessant issues, the little nest-dwellers would still have their rhythm - only unnoticed by me. I'm richer for the experience. The spiritual plate of my life just got a fresh spin.

At what speed are you traveling these days? Are you attempting the impossible task of molecular transformation, going in 15 directions at the same time? I urge you to slow down. After all, as Donald points out, "the faster you move the less you experience time."

Watch your speed and you'll be Serving Strong!

Related post: Increase Speed, Decrease Reaction Time

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Thick As Thieves

I did an internet search to find the origin of the phrase, "thick as thieves." Here's what I found:

Dating back to the early 1800's, the term uses the word, "thick" in the sense of "intimate," a usage that is obsolete except in this simile: Intimate, closely allies, as in The men are thick as thieves.

In scripture, we find Jesus telling us in John 15 that our relationship with Him is to be "intimate and organic." In other words, he wants to be thick as thieves with us. Those who are thick as thieves look out for each other; know all about each other; to life together.

Are you thick as thieves with Jesus? Is your relationship with Him intimate and organic? I can tell you, there is no stronger way to serve others. When we are thick with Jesus, we are Serving Strong!

What A Waste!

I live with my family outside the confines of any one town. In other words, we live amid farm fields. This is a beautiful thing... most of the time. There are, however, seasons in the year when things don't smell so beautiful. The reason: farmers in the area are, what we affectionately term, "haulin' poop."  Here's the organic cycle:

The cows come into the barn. They eat. They have their milk extracted. They relieve themselves. The farmer collects the waste in large, underground tanks. The waste is pumped into large trucks. These trucks take the waste to the fields and spread it. Up and down the road they go, leaving a wake of aroma that stiffens the spine.

"Why, why, why," we ask ourselves, "must they share the waste?"

Beneath the question we know the answer: It's the poop that feeds the field. A field covered in poop is a field soon to have nutrients. Don't ask me why or how it works this way, but it does.

Ever complain to God about the "poop" in your life? Ever wish He would just take it all away? Not so fast, cowboy. Poop is what makes for greater patience. Poop builds character. Poop strengthens resolve and resilience. I know what you're thinking:

"#*^&! builds character, give me a break!" (or maybe your still hung up on the fact that I'm even using the word poop !?)

But think about it, really. When was the last time you REALLY grew as a person? When things were going your way? Or when circumstances drove you to your knees?

Learn the art of embracing your poop.... okay, let me say it a better way: Learn the art of appreciating the difficult times. They remind you of your need for God. They help you Serve Strong!

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Instinct

My dog, Emma, loves the great outdoors. It's a blast to watch as she runs and snags a frisbee out of the air just at the right time. But there's something I don't understand about her. If there is a dead rodent on the ground anywhere near her, she'll find it. But not only does she sniff it out, she will decide to roll in it. For some odd reason, she considers it attractive perfume. (the picture is of Emma trying to "communicate" with a squirrel hiding in a drain pipe.)

All this makes we wonder about the word INSTINCT. Emma instinctively does this rolling around in smelly dead rodent carcass. If she could talk with me in English, I would ask her why she does that. Most likely, she would answer, "I have no idea. I just do."

Answers.com defines INSTINCT as an inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species; a powerful motivation or impulse; an innate capability or aptitude: (as in an instinct for tact and diplomacy.)

From the Etymology Dictionary, we find the sense of "innate tendency" is first recorded 1568, from notion of "natural prompting."

As you serve people, I challenge you to ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my trust in God a powerful impulse?
2. Do I look to God innately?
3. Is my reliance on His power a natural prompting?

I once heard someone say our trust in God (using a football metaphor) must be "first and ten", not "fourth and punt." Make trust in God the FIRST thing you do. Make it your INSTINCT. Avoid becoming EXTINCT. And you'll be Serving Strong!

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Today is a special day for Americans. Freedom is celebrated all across the country. The staple of the celebration: Fireworks.

It's a beautiful thing to behold fireworks when they burst from the earth and explode in the sky with an array of colors and sound. They have evoked "Ohhh"s and "Awww"s from children and adults for years.

It's also a dangerous thing when fireworks go wrong. The picture in this post apparently is what happens when a homemade firework meets the human hand.

Fireworks: A paradox of beauty and danger.

Working with people: A paradox of a satisfying career and burnout.

You are a people helpers. You labor in the craft of others' burdens. You are problem solvers. You feel others' pain. How do you keep this tremendous callling from eroding into burnout? I suggest 4 habits:

1) Spin. Be sure your plates (Christ follower, spouse, parent, financial, relational, physical, etc.) are spinning with approriate speed and attention.

2) Swing. Be sure to go full out in your work AND go full in to rest and recreate. Remember, it's not so much that you rest from your work as it is you work from your rest.

3) Align. Be sure to spend most of your waking hours engaged in where your passion lies and where your skills are used.

4) Center. Start each day in a posture of brokenness before the God who calls you and stay in that posture the remainder of the day.

Spin, Swing, Align, and Center. These are the habits which help you keep your profession beautiful without burning out.  Serve Strong!

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The Lawn And The Ladder

I come in contact with people who struggle with the way things are. They worry about job security, the economy, the cost of living. They are concerned about the Middle East, threats of nuclear war... the list goes on and on.

Here's a two-step action plan that may help you get a better handle on everything. Take 3 slow, deep breaths and let's get started:

THE LAWN

   Step One: Get it all out on paper. Like cleaning out your garage or house, pull everything out of your mind and on to paper like pulling everything out onto the lawn. There is something therapeutic about this exercise. Many times, people find the volume of concerns is not nearly as big as they were thinking. But that's not it. Merely listing every concern on paper doesn't complete the loop. You must get perspective.

THE LADDER

  Step Two: After everything is out on your "lawn", climb a ladder and survey the landscape. Look at every concern one by one. Consider any trends or ways similar concerns can be grouped together. Then pray over them. Tell God about your anxiety. Tell Him what your concern "hot spots" are (those concerns that are head & shoulders above the rest.) Ask Him for wisdom. Ask Him for a renewed sense of peace. (Remember the "Big Five": God Will Always Come Through.)

Being anxious (whether it's about one thing or multiple things) saps us of energy we need to devote to the people helping profession to which we were called. Absent anxiety, we are Serving Strong!

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Does God Really Miss Us?

I was driving in the car today with my son. We drove by one of those billboards. You know, the big black signs with white lettering as though they are phrases from God? This one said,

"I've Missed You."  - God

It reminded me of other ones I've seen like "Let's get together this weekend" or "Don't make me come down there", which seem to indicate our time with God is fixed on specific moments and that God exists largely separated from us - like that great aunt who lives across the country who we only see during rare family reunions.

I don't know about you, but the "I've Missed You" sign really got me thinking. Does God really miss us? I mean, if He is always with us how can me miss us? Shouldn't it read something like, "I long for your companionship"?

I hold an alternate perspective. I believe our walk with God (which is to be intimate and organic, according to John 15) is 24-7-365. It's just that PART of our walk happens to be with other people engaged in corporate worship. But that's only a small part of our journey. And "I've Missed You" indicates that God and I are somehow separated. I understand the concept of being separated by God because of sin. But I'm coming to also understand that God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He still loves us IN SPITE of our sin. In fact, if I'm not where I need to be, God is constantly pursuing ME. The real truth is I must come to recognize His presence in my life - the presence that is always there already.

So, does God ever miss us? I don't think He does. Does He long for our attention? You bet!

As you serve your span of care this week, live each moment in full recognition of God and His presence in your life and you'll be Serving Strong!

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Living In the WOW

The following statement pairings come from a banquet presentation I shared with the National Association of Church Facility Managers (NACFM) in Portland Oregon recently.

The first statement (unbolded) is a picture of dependency (to which we respond "WO", as in "whoa"). The second statement (bolded) is a picture of God's strength through our dependency (to which we respond "WOW", as in "Wow!")

WO - A seed smaller than a flake of oatmeal secreted in a cone the size of a chicken’s egg. The cone may lie on the forest floor for 50 years before it releases its seed. During a forest fire the cone opens up and gives up its seed so it can take root

WOW - The result is the mighty sequoia tree, taller than the Statue of Liberty and living nearly 40 centuries. The massive beast of wood requires 20 adults, holding hands with outstretched arms, to circle its base.¹

WO - Cow manure travels down our road with a trail of odor that seduces the sense of smell

WOW - The taste of sweet, salty & juicy corn as it travels thru the lips & mouth

WO - Giving up control of my health to a stranger in another room preparing my meal

WOW - Good friends, good conversation, great food and nourishment

WO - Solid and liquid human waste traveling through dark, cylindrical tubes

WOW - The lobby atrium of the new, green building, filled with leafy plants and trees growing in waste collected from the building’s toilets.  The Port of Portland is integrating waste management into the lobby of its new headquarters under construction. Wastewater from the entire building flows into a holding tank where solids settle, like in a septic tank. The reclaimed liquid up top gets pumped to the lobby. Garden-like “wetland cells” layered with plants, soil, and rocks collect the water and capture biological compounds and pathogens. On its way out of the garden, the water is further sterilized by ultraviolet light in the pipes. Then it’s recycled back into the plumbing system -- AND the process takes the strain off the pipes and municipal wastewater facilities on the “sewage grid” much like photovoltaics can help take a building off the power grid. Brown and yellow is the new green!²

WO - Giving up control of my personal safety to mechanics, pilots, and air traffic controllers

WOW - Being able to sip coffee (w cream) legs crossed & ponder creatively at an altitude/speed literally crush lungs AND traveling over 2100 miles in 8 hours (263 mph ; a mile every .07 seconds – INCLUDING layover time!)

WO - Publishers and author advocates have generally refused to put books online for fear the content will be Napsterized. And you can understand their terror because the publishing industry is in big financial trouble, rife with layoffs and restructurings. Literary pundits are fretting; Can books survive in this Facebooked, ADD, multichannel universe?

WOW - The technology is here. Book nerds are now working on XML-like markup languages that would allow for really terrific linking and mashups. Imagine a world where there’s a URL for every chapter and paragraph in a book – every sentence, even. Readers could point to their favorite sections in a MySpace update or instant message or respond to an argument by copiously linking to the smartest passages in a recent best seller. This would massively improve what bibliophiles call book discovery. You’re far more likely to hear about a book if a friend has highlighted a couple brilliant sentences in a Facebook update – and if you hear about it, you’re far more likely to buy it in print. Yes, in print: The few authors who have experimented with giving away digital copies (mostly in sci-fi) have found that they end up selling more print copies because their books are discovered by more people.³

WO - Deal falls through on what was thought by a young couple to be the perfect dream house

WOW - Hand shake on the sale of a much BETTER house than ever dreamed possible

WO - Young, just married, $400 doctor bill, no money

WOW - Sold car the day before bill was due FOR $400, strong marriage built on faith

WO - A mustard seed: less than ½ the size of a poppy seed

WOW - Metaphor for the species of faith that moves mountains

WO - Diagnosed with Hotchkins Disease – a form of cancer, facing 6 months of chemotherapy

WOW - Survivor, speaking to families in similar situations with unprecedented opportunities to share the love of Christ

WO - A budding young life coach with a company named Progressmax. Losing the joy of coaching. Hitting his head against a brick wall trying to determine his target market and niche.

WOW - Gives up trying and surrenders the business to God who in turn changes the business name to Serving Strong and opens doors of opportunity beyond the life coaches dreams.

WO - Hearing “You got 2 weeks to get the F*** out of my home” ; sexually abuses ; feeling like an object

WOW - Receiving an oil change ; prayer ; respect ; and a clean car from blue collar men who said “yes” to being used by God to create a ministry to people who need dependable transportation.

 

WO - Activities once fun for him are now no longer fun; his wife is worried sick for him; he stares at the phone while a mental mixed martial arts match takes place between A call to the doctor admitting need and The preservation of a male ego

WOW - 6 doctor visits, 6 weeks of Zoloft, replenished serotonin; life is back

WO - 3 armies already on their way to destroy a kingdom that is helpless

WOW - A battle, which was God’s battle along, ensues leaving 3 armies destroying themselves and leaving such a wake of plunder it takes 3 whole days to drag home (2 Chron 20)

WO - Born in a cave; pushed out of the womb of a teenage girl; no fanfare; First announced to the lowest class of society herding sheep; Selected unschooled, ordinary men as companions; Spent time in the homes of outcast, unloved, unappreciated, messy people; Was misunderstood for unconditionally appreciating tax collectors, thieves and prostitutes just for who they were; Rode a donkey on Palm Sunday; Washed his friends dirty, smelly feet; Praised the one who broke open expensive perfume on his feet when others condemned; Forsaken by his Father; Died the most humiliating form of death of the time

WOW - Became the scapegoat, the lightning rod for our sins; Glorified by the Father; Sits at the right hand of God

WO - Crucified in weakness

WOW - Lives forever in power

WO - Our brokenness, humility, contrition, weakness, desperate need

WOW - His spendor, His will, His purpose playing out thru us in ways that make us want to say "WOW"

WO - 2 Cor 12.7 – "So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that"

WOW - "And then he told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your WEAKNESS. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my WEAKNESS. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the WEAKER I get, the stronger I become"

Are you living in the mindset of "WO" or "WOW"? Do you realize "WO" is 2/3 of the way toward "WOW"? Do you realize "WO" has the seeds of "WOW"? You're so close to WOW when you are living in the WO. Choose to live in the "WOW" and you'll be Serving Strong!

 

 

 

¹ From The Sequoia Seed, by Karen Wright (http://www.wrightminded.com/TheSequoiaSeed.pdf)

² Southwest Airline Magazine June2009, page 32

³ Clive Thompson “The Future of Reading” article in Southwest Airline Magazine June2009, page 50

Roots, Footers, And Apple Cores

What do tree roots, building footers, and apple cores have in common? They are the foundation of that particular object. For the tree to exist and survive, it needs a healthy root structure. For the building to stand against the elements, it must have a strong foundation. For the apple to be as nourishing as it can be, it must have a strong core.

Trees, building, apples. They are just metaphors. They are each inconsequential compared to the impact our lives can have on the world. So what is YOUR foundation? How are YOU able to be the best impact in your profession of people helping?

Our foundation (our root system, footer, or core) must be grounded in brokenness before a loving God. When we acknowledge our dependence on Him, harmoniously with the words found in the book of John chapter 5, we are on the right path. All of this foundation talk is found in a relationship with Christ which is intimate and organic. As long as we are depending on our own strength, we weaken the root structure, we crack the foundation, we sever the core of who we were meant to be.

To be the best, we need to start with God (and we're not Him!)

Examine your root structure, your foundation, your core. What do you see? If you find a living, active relationship with Christ based on voluntary brokenness, you are Serving Strong!

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Accountability 101

Pastors set their own hours. The profession offers a lot of time alone for planning and thought. Although this sounds like a dream job, temptations run rampant.

Are you serious about remaining morally strong? Have you considered setting up your own personal accountability system but don't know where to start? Perhaps you are doing fine right now but you lack a "fence" of consistency to stay the course and finish strong. If that describes your situation, you are invited to join a phone presentation to gain ideas on how to begin the process. You will hear from Scott Couchenour, Certified Life Coach, who will share concepts and practical ideas to help increase your chances for sustainable success over temptation. Time permitting, he will take a couple of your questions.

The call is free*. It's simple (you can call from the convenience of your own home or office). Your name will not be shared.

Date:      Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Time:      1:00 pm (EDT)
Duration: 30-60 minutes

If you are interested, email coach@progressmax.com and put "accountability" in the subject line to receive the dial-in number and conference code.

Space is limited so act today to reserve your seat.

* Your only cost is any long distance charge

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Top Of The Ninth, But...

Been reading a little pamphlet by John A. Huffman, Jr., minister of St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California. It's entitled, "For Those Who Serve and Need To Be Served" and is based on the scriptures from Mark 5.21-43.

Huffman finishes the little pamphlet with a story about a time with he and his daughter were together during a baseball game:

"Let me conclude with a homey little incident that happened with my daughter Janet and me when she was much younger. She was growing up, so she was my little buddy and, on occasion, would go with me to an Angel game. One night, the Angels were being badly beaten. At the bottom of the eighth inning, they were trailing 12-5. At that point, the majority of the spectators rushed from the stadium, trying to get to their cars to beat the traffic. Janet looked at me, and I looked at her, and I said, "Don't you think we should go?" In my cynicism, I thought it was all over. She looked up at me, and she said, "But Daddy, the Angels could yet win!" So we stayed. The Angels retired the team in the top of the ninth inning with no additional runs. Then in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Angels came to bat; and did we witness one of the greatest innings of baseball I've ever seen. Hit after hit after hit. By the time the inning was over, the Angels had won 13-12. I wonder what all those people listening to their radios on the freeways or stuck in their cards in the parking lot were thinking. They'd given up after eight innings and missed the very best."

And then Huffman ends with this:

"I've got to learn to trust God's victory already won on the cross to be applied to my life in every area, in His time, in His way."

What "top of the ninth" issues are you struggling with right now? Is it impossible finances? A difficult person you are dealing with? Are you struggling with the changes to the economy?....

Whatever your struggle, trust God's victory already won on the cross. Apply that to your situation right now as you read this. Bring it under the sovereignty of God and you'll be Serving Strong!

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Your Soular Panel

People helping is a profession worth pursuing. There are a lot of avenues within which to serve: ministry, healthcare, social service, caregiving... the list goes on and on. People are in need all around us. Some need a home. Others need to eat. There are those with mental disabilities, physical disabilities; those who need justice; some with dimentia; some with criminal records; others in accidents; broken homes; broken relationships.....

How are you pointing your span of care to God through your service? Of course, I'm not implying we USE our service to get people in front of God. But God is working through us for a higher purpose. Food, shelter, justice, etc. - these are all necessities. They are also temporary. What will last is a personal journey with God.

So, I challenge you to add something to your thinking/planning alone time (you DO have that periodically, don't you???). Call it your SOULAR PANEL. Periodically ask yourself how your acts of mercy are producing movement in the lives of your span of care back toward a relationship with the Christ who loves them and died for them.

Add a Soular Panel to your planning time and you'll be Serving Strong!

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Saying No

The other day, Seth Godin posted a thought on saying "no". He urges that if you have talent and people ask you for this or that, you have a choice. You can either "dissipate your gift by making the people with the loudest requests temporarily happy" or you can "change the world by saying 'no' often." Godin goes on to say...

"You can say no with respect, you can say no promptly and you can say no with a lead to someone who might say yes. But just saying yes because you can't bear the short-term pain of saying no is not going to help you do the work."

Think about your service to other people. We all know pleasing everyone is impossible. We also know just because we say "yes" to a request, the day doesn't magically grow by one hour. If our time, resources and energy are limited, we have to be discerning in how we answer others' requests for them. This demands a close walk with God to hear His heartbeat.

How are you learning to say "no"? The fine art of "no" and "yes" has a direct impact to your ability to Serve Strong!

Relating Well - To Others, To God

This morning I read an eNewsletter produced from one of my clients. It had a real impact on me regarding how I relate to others as well as to God. I gained his permission to share it with you. Here it is in its original form:

Yesterday as I was cycling along the canal path deep in thought, I suddenly heard a slap-splashing sound off to my left. I turned and caught sight of one of those really fascinating sights one is afforded occasionally in nature. A column of fish was erupting out of the otherwise glassy surface of the canal. They were small fish, maybe 6 inches long and about half that wide. For the second or two that I could see them before going past, there was a steady and very defined- about two feet in diameter - column of these fish leaping straight up and falling back into the water. It was one of those situations where you would love to hear someone say: "...and now for the rest of the story!" I would guess that there was something threatening the fish from below, and they were simply trying to escape by the shortest route possible. Sadly for them, they still ended up exactly back where they started from since none of them were flying fish!
 
As I cycled on along the path my thoughts stayed on the scenario I had just witnessed. It reminded me of a session we do on loving listening in our Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills workshops. In this session we talk about watching for "bubbles" from those we seek to minister to by listening well. These "bubbles" indicate that there is something hidden deeper within the person that could be very helpful to talk through. When we show loving interest and carefully draw them out, we can live out what is taught in the Bible about ministering to one another. This is a skill that all of us as followers of Christ should seek to sharpen and use on a consistent basis since almost everyone we know needs someone to talk to occasionally.
 
Another thought came to mind. Those poor fish were not escaping by jumping straight up out of the water. In fact they were ending up exactly where they started, having expended a great deal of energy and having accomplished nothing. In our lives, we too can make a poor choice and react in exactly the wrong way when we are faced with a problem or threat - or even an opportunity. How often do we burn up a lot of energy - emotional, physical, mental or even spiritual energy - doing something that accomplishes absolutely nothing. In some cases we are simply following those around us. "Hey everyone else is jumping, must be the thing to do!" And in some cases, we actually can end up in worse problems. (What if there had been sea-gulls around?)
 
I am reminded over and over how easy it is for us to think that the Christian life is  all about expending energy for God and hoping that we are doing the right thing and that we will get some kind of results.  Is that what our Lord Jesus Christ taught us while He was here on earth? I don't think so. But we have to do something don't we? And it is sometimes impossible to tell what is the best thing to do... so as long as we are doing our best, God will bless our efforts right? Again, I wonder if we have missed the center of the mark if this is what we think and live out.  Jesus' discourse on the night He was betrayed would seem to be one passage of scripture among many which indicates that rather than jumping around like fish in a canal, we are to remain connected to Christ, empowered and guided by His Holy Spirit and in close communion and fellowship with our fellow believers. Then there will be fruit produced that will last. Not because of what we are doing, but because of what He is doing through us.
 
Putting it another way, our Christian life is more about properly responding to the Spirit's work in our lives than it is about reacting to the opportunities and threats that surround us. It is more about relationship with Him than it is about responsibility to Him. We may not be able to address all the opportunities that surround us, and we may not be able to avoid all the threats that lurk waiting to harm us, but with the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in Jesus' name, we can know what we need to know and be who we need to be. And He will help us remember the words Jesus left us with "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

Our ability to relate to others and to God has a direct impact on our ability to Serve Strong!

This was written by Vic Flaming. The Flamings serve with the International Training Partners (a global network of facilitators, and trainers from more than eighty organizations. They serve together in an informal partnership to provide practical, interactive, biblical training in interpersonal relationships for Christian workers.) The Flamings are currently serving in Singapore.

Life Fitness

Recumbant bikes, treadmills, stair-steppers. These are all the tools of the physical fitness world. People join YMCAs and other fitness companies all across the world to stay fit.

But have you ever considered fitness in other areas of your life? Consider the following areas and ask youself how fit you are? What tools do you need to stay fit in each area? What is your "exercise routine" for each area?

Spiritual Fitness

Marital Fitness

Parental Fitness

Financial Fitness

Interpersonal Fitness

Mental Fitness

Vocational Fitness

Work on the fitness in all of your life's areas and you''ll be Serving Strong!

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Susan, Jesus, And You

 At the writing of this Note, she’s got 1.6 million Facebook fans in a very short time. She entered her first status update yesterday. The morning she posted it I watched as hundreds of people clicked on “like” each second. That single status update is now at 108,000+ “likes” and over 20,000 comments. Who is she? None other than Susan Boyle, the overnight success story on the stage of a British talent show, Britain’s Got Talent.

Notice the uproar regarding her stunning voice and plain appearance in one package. This intrigues me. There are those who are pushing for her to get “a makeover.” There are others who like her just the way she is. Yet her popularity worldwide is phenomenal.

In our society, we have put such a premium on good looks with talent. You see it in Hollywood all the time. We have even done this in our churches. Think of all the “Jesus” pictures and movies you’ve seen. They portray Jesus as this handsome, strapping man with nice, long, flowing hair, 0% body fat and perfect teeth. Yet scripture indicates He was not much to look at (“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53.2 NIV). Still He cast out demons, brought back the dead to life, and started a revolution of love exceeding 2,000 years AFTER he walked the earth… not to mention His resurrection from His own death.

Susan Boyle embodies a principle we have long forgotten about Christ: He was ordinary in looks, but He is the essence of love, freedom, and eternal life. Susan Boyle is a reminder to us that Christ was an everyday ordinary human. This makes Him able to identify with us like no other god can claim PLUS He was the Creator of the universe.

As people helpers, we need to remember the God who sustains us. If we think He cannot relate to us, how can we expect Him to be our strength? The case of Susan Boyle is a tremendous reminder to us that Christ was like every one of us. AND He was God.

So the next time you check Susan’s status or read about her in the news, think Christ.
He’s more than a perfect god to be feared.
He’s a personal God to be followed.

Follow the God who understands you and you'll be Serving Strong!

Mel Gibson's Left Hand... And Ours

A while back, the movie "The Passion of the Christ" came out.  Directed by Mel Gibson, it was a portrayal of the intense agony Christ experienced on our behalf.  It was a deeply spiritual experience for most of those who went to see it in the theaters.

There is one very significant point in the movie which I think is incredibly applicable to us today.  According to Pastor David J. Meyer of Last Trumpet Ministries, Mel Gibson was interviewed by Diane Sawyer.  Sawyer asked him, "It's your hand in the film holding the nail?" He answered, "It is, yeah, my left hand."

Why the left hand?  In the occult, the left hand indicates "the force", and the Latin for left is sinister.  Apparently, there is a high order in esoteric Illuminism called Ordo Sinistra Vivendi or "Order of the Left Hand Path."  Its purpose is to destroy Christianity by deception.

What's this have to do with people-helpers?

This Holy Week, as you reflect on where your strength comes from, consider this:  As long as YOUR hand (your "left hand") is holding on to the reigns, you are deceiving yourself.  Your strength in helping people comes from letting go and allowing HIS hand to hold the reigns.  It's a paradox.  When we let go, we gain His control.

How are you reflecting on Christ this week leading up to Easter?  Is your strength coming from your own efforts?  Or is it coming from the only one true Source?  Let go.  It's the only way to Serve Strong!

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Stay Morally Healthy - 3 Examples

Todd Rhoades posted a VERY important post on his blog, Monday Morning Insights that ALL PASTORS MUST READ.

We all know that pastors need to avoid moral failure at all costs. We have all seen on TV the evangelists who are publicly disgraced. We may even know someone personally who has had to surrender credentials because of an indiscretion.

But we need more than a "you ought not do it."  WE NEED EXAMPLES:

Here are 3 leading pastors in today's culture and what they are doing to remain pure:

Read Shaun King's example

Read Craig Groeschel's example

Read Perry Noble's example

In addition, Serving Strong is affiliated with Covenant Eyes, an online filtering and accountability solution.  If you use ServingStrong as the promo code with you sign up, your first month is free.

Sign up for Covenant Eyes here

Staying morally fit is a definite part of Serving Strong!

How Centered Are You?

Someone shared the following with me. I think it's a beautiful illustration of how we were wired to serve out of the intimate relationship with Christ:

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117
What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119
What is the center chapter in the Bible? Psalm 118
There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118
There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118
That's a total of 1188 chapters.
What's the center verse in the center chapter of the Bible? Pslam 118:8

"Better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."

What better way to live (especially when you're a people helper) than to put your trust in God?  It's the only way to Serve Strong!

 

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What Lies Beyond?

I was eating dinner with a couple friends the other night.  Part of our discussion centered around what sacred space is.  Does it mean the area surrounding a seat in a pew at a church?  Is it in a living room?

I know a man who gave up his ambitions and started following Christ while at a picnic table at a rest area.  He now serves as a pastor.

I know another man who was moved to tears as he envisioned what heaven was like while listening to a blues song through his earbuds as he neared the end of a long run on a treadmill at a local YMCA.

People are finding God in all sorts of strange places.  What I think is common among all the spaces, as diverse as they are, is an attitude of brokenness.  I tend to believe that it is not about the perfect acoustics or spatial area that makes the difference (although I believe attention should be given to those in order to remove barriers.)  It's more about the sense of "coming to one's end" that matters.

Are you broken?  Are you at the end of yourself?  It's really no end at all.  It's actually the beginning.  What do you suppose lies beyond your "end"; your brokenness?  Dare to find out?

Coming to the end of ourselves is the first step to Serving Strong!

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Accountability In Action

It's Tuesday morning and I just read a Covenant Eyes accountability report on a friend.  I was asked to be his accountability partner and glad to do it.  I receive his reports on a weekly basis.  As I read down through the report, I am pleased to see,

"no unusual activity this reporting period"

"no high scoring web searches"

"no web sites blocked by the Covenant Eyes Filter"

"no high scoring sites visited during the reporting period"

These are the things I like to see from those who ask me to hold them accountable.  PLUS, I have my own report going to my own accountability partner and I'm glad they too are seeing the same phrases in my accountability report.

Are you using Covenant Eyes yet?  If you aren't, you need to be.  The internet is an incredibly wonderful and devastating thing.  If used right, it can bring a lot of helpful information as you pursue your people helping.  If used wrong, it can destroy all you've worked to achieve.

Serving Strong is an affiliate of Covenant Eyes.  If you sign up using PromoCode: ServingStrong, your first month is free.  But the great thing is, it's not that expensive anyway.  If you want to start surfing safely, here's the link to get started:

GET COVENANT EYES

Safe surfing is part of Serving Strong in your peopl-helping profession!

Up, Down, Up, Down...

You know the story.  Exodus 14.  The Israelites were delivered out of the hands of Pharaoh.  Then led by Moses, they saw the Egyptians bearing down on them.  Nowhere to go because they were boarded by the Red Sea, here is their reaction:

"They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt—we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness."

Then God delivered them by parting the Red Sea, allowing them safe passage.  Then, as Pharaoh's army is crossing, the sea closed up.  After realizing their deliverance, here's their reaction:

"Sing to God— what a victory!  He pitched horse and rider into the sea!"

Then they got hungry and thirsty.  With no sign of food or water, here's their reaction:

"They got to Marah, but they couldn't drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That's why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, "So what are we supposed to drink?"

They couldn't see God.  They complained.  They saw God at work.  They praised.  They didn't see God.  They complained.  Up, down, up down.  The "Israeli roller coaster."

Are you riding your own roller coaster?  Take a snapshot of where you are right now.  Are you complaining to God?  Are you praising?  Has it ever occurred to you that God was always there to help the Israelites in their time of need?  He's was always there for them.  He's always here for you.

Your faith is central to your ability to Serve Strong!

A God Thing

My friend, Dave Ferguson, Lead Pastor of Community Christian Church, a nondenominational congregation of about 7,000 in Chicago, wrote on his blog the other day about the new Facebook group, 365 CLUB.  It's entitled "I've Never Got So Much Credit For Doing So Little!"  The CLUB began after a Facebook status Dave submitted about giving away coffee to a few Kinko's employees.  Dave couldn't have said it better in his post: "It's a God-thing.  Only God can take three cups of coffee and turn it into 3 million acts of kindness."

Here are a couple thoughts for people helpers:

1. First, if you are serving others (in ministry, healthcare, social service, or caregiving) and you are questioning if God really does care about what you're doing, take heart.  God still moves in the hearts of people.  And He's bigger and more capable than we could ever imagine.
2. Kindness is a character trait among people who remain strong in the winds of hurt and struggle.  Kindness fuels passion.  It gives perspective.  It provides strength.  Build kindness into your journey and you'll see what I mean.

Follow a God who is bigger than you.  Serve with kindness.  And you will be Serving Strong!

The 365 CLUB: What an amazing group of people world-wide.  In just two & a half weeks, the group has grown to over 9,100 members committing to over 3,500,000 kindnesses in 2009.  By the way, are YOU going to join and be an active member?  If so, all you have to do is join Facebook then join the group.  Here's a link:

JOIN 365 CLUB

Like A Child

It was weird.  We were all together during family night (my family, Mom & Dad, brothers and their families, my sister and her family all get together every Monday night for dinner - whoever can come is there).  We were sitting at the table and one of the kids mentioned this ring tone that can only be heard by people under age 30 or so.  We didn't believe her.

So she pulled out her cellphone.  She went to her ring tones and started the ring.  Sure enough, all the other school-aged kids claimed they could hear it.  None of the adults could.  It was a trick, right?  So one of the adults took the phone.  They started and stopped the ring tone without telling the kids when they were doing it.  Each time the adult started the ring tone, the kids said, "there it is."  When the adult stopped the ring tone, the kids said, "it stopped."

But none of the adults around the table could hear it.  In fact, I put it right up to my ear and couldn't hear it.  The kids couldn't believe I couldn't hear it when it was right up against my ear.

Now, that was weird.  I felt old.  Perhaps some part of the ear develops (or deteriorates) as we age, making us incapable of hearing certain sounds.  Of course, kids can have all kinds of fun with this in school, I understand.

Doesn't this make you think of what Jesus said about being like little children who believe in Him with abandon?  As we age, we are in danger of losing our wonder of who God is and what He's capable of doing.

Don't age as you get older.  Stay like a child.  Stay close to God.  Learn to be like a child and retain the wonder of who He is and what He can do through you.  This is a great way to continue Serving Strong!

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