SERVING STRONG

Are You Listening?

You want to be a strong people helper.  You understand strength comes from being weak.  You acknowledge strength comes from dependence on God.  You consider an intimate relationship with God the highest priority.  Your attitude comes from what Jesus said in John 15 ("Apart from me you can do nothing.")

But how do we know we are cultivating an intimate and organic walk with God?  How do we know from day to day if we are really following Him and not fooling ourselves?  Listen daily.  Here are four questions you can begin to ask yourself at the end of your day:

1. What has God said to me directly thru the events of today?
2. What have I told God today?
3. What have I discovered God has already said to me from His written Word?
4. What have I discovered about God's character as a result of today's events?

End your day asking yourself these questions.  It's a way of listening to what's going on between you and God.  Take stock of your relationship with God.  Are you intimate with Him? Is your relationship with Him the sole source of your strength?  When it is, you are Serving Strong!

A Skater, Cancer, and Contentment

The Tennessean.com website has a great article about Scott Hamilton.  Despite all he's been through, he's found happiness and contentment with life.  How?

His perspective.  He says, "Life presents a lot of things, and it's how we respond to them that defines who we are.  The idea of being happy is a subjective thing and what makes one person happy won't make someone else happy."

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

How are you approaching your life this year?  If the bottom fell out and everything went down the drain what would your initial response be?  Would you run and hide?  Try to fix it on your own?  Throw it all at the feet of Christ and trust?

Before you answer, let me remind you that scripture tells us God has already overcome the world (John 16.33).  Your attitude and outlook are vital.  Trusting in the God who created you is vital.  It's what it means to Serve Strong!

How To Make A Good Decision

Each day we wake to a new set of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of choices.  Since our time, energy, and resources are limited, we must make the best choices at each fork in the road.  This is the essence of pursuing excellence.  It's also a key to living in balance.  Choices impact our role as people helper, spouse, parent, and so on.  Choices impact our life areas such as our career, finances, physical health, spiritual health, and so on.

But how do I know I'm making the right decisions each time?

For example, if I'm on the floor at home playing with my two young children in the evening and I get a call on my work phone, how do I know if I should take the call?  The answer is partly based on your objectives; your masterplan.  Let me explain...

Choices Based On Objectives

Consider the evening call as an example.  But this time, instead of simply being on the floor playing with your children, you have determined what the kids really need is a relationship with you.  You understand a relationship with them now will help when they reach the turbulent teen years.  So instead of just killing time with the kids, you are intentionally developing this relationship with them via, say, a lego building exercise.  Now you get that call on your work phone.  A choice must still be made.  Do you pause your relationship-building time to take a work-related call?  Or do you let the call go to voicemail and check it after the kids go to bed?  The choice is still yours.  But a good choice will be made when it's based upon your objectives.

We make choices on a whim when there are no objectives or masterplan to guide us.  We are swayed by the winds of "I ought to do this" or "I ought to do that."  And many people end up imbalanced in their work and life.

Start designing your objectives; your masterplan.  It's the the key to Serving Strong!

Note:  Email me ([email protected]) for your free coaching session.  If you're serious about making the best decisions this new year, experience how life coaching can benefit you as you design your own personal masterplan.

photo credit

Surfing Your Values (part 3)

Check out Part 1
Check out Part 2

I am linking to a series of posts on the Breaking Free Blog put out by the folks at Covenant Eyes.  They are highlighting Daniel Lohrmann's "Seven Habits of Online Integrity," from his book, Virtual Integrity: Faithfully Navigating the Brave New Web.

Here are the rest of the 7 Habits:

Habit #4: Apply Helpful Technology

Lohrman identifies three broad categories of current technology:  Computer security, Web filtering software, and Accountability software.  All three of these types of software promote a safe online experience.  Some websites are ideal places for you to learn about the different technology options.

Habit #5: Balance Online and Offline Life

Because we live in this Internet age, there is always the risk of spending too much time online in a way that hinders our growth mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. Taking a brief look around youth culture, for example, one can see a host of time-consuming, compulsive, and unbalanced uses of technology.

Habit #6: Practice Humble Authenticity

Lohrman suggests three ways to practice humble authenticity as we work to surf our values: Conduct honest self-examination, stay away from the "virtual cliffs" in cyberspace, and surft your true identity.

Habit #7: Become a cyber ambassador for good

We belong to another coming kingdom.  That kingdom's values are very different from this world's.  Our power, recognition, status, pleasure, and wealth are totally redefined by our relationship to the King, Jesus Christ.

This post is just the beginning.  To read the entire post on Covenant Eyes' blog, CLICK HERE.

Note: I have tagged this post in many of the Serving Strong blog categories intentionally.  Because internet integrity touches so many of our facets of life.  When we are surfing with integrity we are Serving Strong!

CLICK HERE

to get your first month free with Covenant Eyes' accountability software

(Promo Code: Serving Strong)

Surfing Your Values (part 2)

I posted a comment on November 19, 2008.  This is a follow up to that post.

I am linking to a series of posts on the Breaking Free Blog put out by the folks at Covenant Eyes.  They are highlighting Daniel Lohrmann's "Seven Habits of Online Integrity," from his book, Virtual Integrity: Faithfully Navigating the Brave New Web.

Habit #1:  Refresh Your Values in Cyberspace

The first step to surfing our values is remembering what our values are and realizing that they should apply to the Internet as well.  So what are your offline values? What would you label a “good” character quality?  How do your online behaviors match up?

Habit #2:  Pledge Personal Online Integrity

Creating a pledge for Internet use is not something just for protecting children: it is something every adult ought to do.  This personal pledge doesn’t need to be complicated or overly detailed.  One of the best ways to guard children from Internet pitfalls is by setting a standard for them by the way WE live as adults.

Habit #3:  Seek Trusted Accountability

Once we’ve committed to online integrity, it only makes sense that we set up some system of accountability.  Share the details of our pledge with trusted friends or family members, giving them permission to ask you to give an account of your commitment.  Whatever you do, involve someone else in the process who will show you tough love and always challenge you to the standards you have set.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST FROM BREAKING FREE BLOG

Note: I have tagged this post in many of the Serving Strong blog categories intentionally.  Because internet integrity touches so many of our facets of life.  When we are surfing with integrity we are Serving Strong!

Surfing Your Values

I subscribe to Covenant Eyes.  It's an online accountability software program that monitors all my online activity.  I have an accountability partner who review an activity report on a weekly basis.  I do not intend to surf the internet for sites that are questionable.  But I want to be extremely cautious as I do my work of blogging, internet research, and website maintenance.  Having that element of accountability honors our God-given design to serve in community rather than as an island.

I HIGHLY recommend that you make the same investment.  Here where you do that.

Covenant Eyes has a companion blog called Breaking Free.  I have found the posts to be very informative and helpful as I navigate this online world of ours.  One recent post discusses part of Daniel Lohrmann’s book, Virtual Integrity, called Seven Habits of Online Integrity.

Here's a quote from Lohrmann:

“I’d like to offer you seven habits to faithfully navigate the brave new Web, which will hopefully become regular practices in your life. One goal of this list is to establish a basic framework for individuals to surf their values. . . . These are action-oriented disciplines that strive to be “non-techie,” easy to understand, and flexible to implement based upon need.”

Watch this video:

I will be following this list of posts as they come out.  I suggest you follow along as well.

Incidentally, I have tagged this post in many of the Serving Strong blog categories intentionally.  Because internet integrity touches so many of our facets of life.  When we are surfing with integrity we are Serving Strong!

Prayer Anytime Anywhere

While watching the news this morning, I saw a story about prayer booths being placed around New York City.  You don't have to go very far online to see the blogs talking about it.  Most likely an art exhibit of some sort.

But it can be a great way to remind ourselves of the accessibility of God.  Wherever we are, whenever, whoever we are... we can communicate with God.  He has made himself available to everyone, anytime.

We don't need a prayer booth.  We can approach the throne and talk with God about anything.  So take this cute little piece of American news and make it a confirmation that God is always accessible anywhere, anytime.

Keep your walk with God up to date and you'll be Serving Strong!

pic credit

Is God on Twitter?

Wikipedia defines Twitter as...

"...a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.  Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them."

As I understand it, if you want to follow where a person is on a frequent basis, you create a twitter account and "subscribe" to that person.  Then he or she updates their whereabouts by texting "tweets" to their profile and you see where they are and what they are doing.

What if God has a Twitter account?  Would you subscribe to Him?  Truth is, God IS on Twitter.  And He CAN be followed.  He WANTS to be followed.

Rob Bell has produced a number of teaching videos.  One such video, entitled "Dust", talks about following the Rabbi so closely that you gather the duct from your Rabbi.  Gathering dust from our Rabbi, Jesus Christ, is central to Serving Strong!

Me And Michael Jordan

First, I must say I can't take credit for the following story.  I read it today on LeadershipJournal.net in an article by Dave Stone.  Check out the link below for the entire article by Stone.

The story is told about a time when Michael Jordan scored 69 points. The Chicago Bulls' lead was so big that in the final minute Coach Phil Jackson put in Stacey King—a seldom used rookie substitute. King scored two meaningless free throws. Some years later he was asked by a reporter, "What's been the highlight of your career?" King glibly replied, "It would have to be the night Michael Jordan and I combined to score 71 points!"

Attitude...

...it's vital to how we approach our calling.  We can see ourselves as insignificant or we can see ourselves as a player.  Who are you?  God chooses to work through you.  You are his hands and feet.  Yes, you are a jar of clay - but you're a jar of clay under the direction of the very Creator, Himself.  Your attitude is key to Serving Strong!

Read the Leadership Journal article.

pic link

4 Ways To Knowing God

I have been following, and participated in comments to, a post by Alan Hirsch entitled, "Worshiping An Idea of God?"

One participant is questioning the existence of God.  Here's an excerpt:

"How do I know there is something or someone out there? How do I know He cares/is a personal Being? How do I worship something if I don’t know how? What do I do? Do I get on my knees and say ‘n few nice thingies, or do I sing or is God a thought in my head? How would anybody know if it is me creating something, or talking to something that I fabricated, or Someone out there? What will happen to me if I cannot connect with it? Would I die and burn in hell, or would I still be able to see my budhist buddies?"

Alan Hirsch's response lists 4 ways (or paths) to knowing more of God in our lives.  I want to highlight them here (as taken from Alan's comment) because they can equally apply to the person who has been follow God for 2 minutes or 2 decades.  Perhaps it will help you in your intimacy with God.

1. Via Negativa (the Way of Negation and Unknowing).  This approach or perspective says that God is way beyond human knowing and therefore all attempts to frame our understandings in human terms can (and do) become impediments to the actual knowledge of God. One of the most consistent and beautiful expressions of Via Negativa spirituality is in St. John of the Cross’ famous "Dark Night of The Soul". The process by which everything is stripped away and the soul is left naked before God.
2. The Positive Way (the search for active knowledge and understanding).  This is also necessary and here I would recommend you read C.S. Lewis as a great example of a spiritual adventurer (Surprised by Joy, Pilgrims Regress, Mere Christianity, etc.)
3. The Via Creativa (the Way of Creation).  This means that being creative and finding God in creation gives one insights into the nature and being of God.
4. Via Transformata (the Way of Activism).  This means actually getting involved in transforming the world.  You can meet God there because that is what God is doing.

In doing all these you will see God in many different Ways.  Add to your profession a vigorous pursuit of God and you'll be Serving Strong!

Anger At God

Let's face it.  We get angry.  It's a legitimate emotion.  It's real.  In fact, Jesus is quoted as saying "In your anger do not sin."  He didn't say, "Don't be angry."

But what if we're angry at God?  Heaven forbid!  Can we really be angry at God?  Isn't that sacrilegious or something?  Should we feel guilty for being angry at the God who created us?

James Higginbotham, author of one of the blogs I follow, Agile Ministry, points to a post on this very topic.  The post is by Rindy Walton on his blog, Experiencing the Journey.

"Life isn’t fair. It wasn’t fair before I knew Jesus, and it’s still not fair now. That didn’t change. Yet, things have changed.

"Then one line, just 10 words, jumped off the page. Psalm 77:11 “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord”. That prompted me to pull out an old journal and this is what I read..."

Read the full post...

The quality of our relationship with God is central to our life.  Develop a healthy understanding of anger (particularly toward God) and you'll remain Serving Strong!

Solivitur Ambulando

"Solivitur Ambulando" is Latin for "walking solves it." 

As noted by Jean Sonnenberg (author of Prayer for a Labyrinth Walk found in the Washington National Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage), we have grown up being told that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  The problem with this is that it contributes to the growing impatience in our culture when trying to get to that quiet place before God where we can openly and honestly let Him deal with our hearts.

Sonnenberg's prayer goes as follows:

"O God of many paths, I stand before this labyrinth today, metaphor of my journey to you. In the Western world I have been taught that "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line," and being an impatient person, I am uncomfortable with waiting. I have often modeled my journey to you on the straight line. But you, God of infinite patience, have shown me that there is another path, a curved path. On this path, my anticipation is heightened as I approach the center, only to be let out again to the periphery. But this path more closely resembles life itself. On this path, if I just put one foot in front of the other, it may seem at times as if I am not approaching my goal, while in fact, I am drawing closer all the time. But you are a God of surprises and mystery, and I don't control the path. The labyrinth is a symbol of my surrender to mystery, trusting, not knowing for certain, that the path which curves in an out, again ultimately leads to the Center, which is You."

His prayer is to accompany a spiritual prayer walk known as the Labyrinth.  As noted in Soulfoodministry.org, "Labyrinths are a cherished form of walking meditation. At first glance, it might look like a maze, but without dead-ends, barriers or tricks. There is only one path and one way into the labyrinth center. That same path leads each seeker back into their daily lives. Found in many countries, the oldest documented labyrinth is estimated to be more than 3000 years old! Labyrinths have enduring power throughout the centuries and are enjoying a worldwide renewal movement. They offer something for everyone, crossing all cultural boundaries and religious differences."

Soul Food Ministry goes on to say that, "Humankind shares a sacred path in life. The labyrinth offers a common metaphor for life's twists and turns, using a meandering single pathway based on sacred geometry, without tricks or obstacles. If you trust the path, you find the center of enlightenment, a place of sanctuary and meditation. After reaching the center, pilgrims simply retrace their steps along the winding path of wisdom and clarity."

Accompanying this post is a picture of such a Labyrinth.  Perhaps we each need a Labyrinth to help us enter the presence of God in our prayer life.  Without a vibrant relationship with Him, it is impossible to Serve Strong!

Here is a sample of the many links to sites regarding Labyrinths:

• http://www.clarityconceptsinc.com/labyrinth.htm
• http://www.gracecathedral.org/church/overview/labyrinths/
• http://www.labyrinth.org.uk/

CAUTION:  Be aware that Labyrinths have been used as a sort of new age, mystical way of centering to your inner self.  I'm highlighting the use of Labyrinths for the purpose of connecting with God in a fast-paced, over busy culture.

The Discipline Of Joy

Richard Foster is the author of the book, The Celebration of Discipline.  He was recently interviewed for an article in the September 2008 issue of Christianity Today magazine.  During that interview, he was asked,

"How do you hope spiritual disciplines will shape you in the next 10 years?"

To which Foster replied,

"To learn more about joy in the midst of suffering.  I don't mean necessarily my suffering.  I mean the kind of suffering that does on when you're with people, because you take on their burdens and carry that, but carry it in such a way that it doesn't destroy you, so you can have joy in it."

What spiritual disciplines are keeping the joy for you as you help people?  Spiritual disciplines are a very real part of Serving Strong!

Pic from www.harpercollins.com

The One Thing That Hinders Effective Service

Scott Hughes talks about 3 common unhealthy activities - one of which I'd like to highlight in this post.

The Television.

Scott Hughes considers it possibly the "worst addiction in society" because it engulfs so many people so much of the time.  Hours and hours of time are wasted while we sit idly in front of the TV as our minds stew aimlessly and our bodies increasingly get weak and fat.  I agree (although I'm talking to myself here as much as to you, since I've been known to waste a few hours here and there watching mindless drivel :))

So, what is YOUR television viewing habit?  How much time do YOU spend watching?  Perhaps there's an acceptable amount of TV for the TV to briefly "escape" from the pressures of people helping.  But just imagine how much more time we can devote to the other areas of our life if we get up, turn it off, and walk out of the TV room (quality time with our spouse, time with kids, yard work, calling a good friend, encouraging a neighbor, studying God's Word, reading a book on our particular calling, exercising....)?

Regulate the amount of TV time for maximum impact and you'll be Serving Strong!

Note:  image from www.gadgetaddict.com

Women In Ministry - Where's Your Identity?

Dr. Linda Mintle has a great article on Christianity Today's Singles Page.  She says,

"Interestingly, in a day when diversity is celebrated, the cultural prescription for beauty is a narrow, one-size-fits-all mentality. And that one size is a skinny size few women ever achieve..."

Her article digs into 3 main thoughts:

1. Measuring Up to Our Culture
2. Taking Control of Our Thoughts
3. Covering Up Our Struggles

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

If you are a people helper and you are currently struggling with your weight and how you think you appear to others, this post will be very helpful.  Dr. Mintle shares from God's view of us and she suggests some very practical thoughts and ideas about mindset, diets versus lifestyles, and more.

Having a healthy view of ourselves is key to Serving Strong!

Read It For Yourself

A deep, strong relationship with God is central to our well-being and effectiveness in the people-helping profession.  You know it takes time to cultivate this relationship.  But do you struggle spending time with Him in scripture because you keep thinking, "This would be great for ___ situation or for ___ person"?

I've talked to pastors who seem to struggle with this a lot.  They sit down to spend time with God in scripture and end up thinking of all the ideas for sermon prep or that next Bible study they have to lead.

How do you simply read the scripture for yourself?  I'm no expert, but here are some ideas to consider:

1. First, Pray.  Ask God to create just the right hedge around you as you delve into the Word.  Ask Him to free you from unnecessary distractions.
2. Second, Do A Self Assessment.  Do a quick inventory of where you are spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally with your wife, kids, and others whom you serve.  Where are you "on the map"?  What are the big concerns on your heart.  What are you excited about these days.  Basically, do a self inventory.
3. Third, pray again.  Now that you have asked God to put a hedge of protection against distraction around you and you have done a self assessment, ask God to quicken your mind about how exactly God could be speaking to you in your unique context.  With these three steps of personal preparation, continue on to steps 4 & 5...
4. Pause.  After reading a while, force yourself to stop and reflect.  Don't read as though you were going for an Olympic speed reading gold metal.  Stop and think about what you're reading.
5. Prayerfully Consider.  During your personal time with God in scripture there may still be distractions that come to your mind.  Or are they distractions?  Could there be an issue He is presenting that looks like a distraction but is really for you and your growth?  The next time an apparent distraction shows up, prayerfully consider it.  Ask God if it's meant for you.  If you really don't think it is, jot it down on a notepad for reflection at a later time.  If you were wrong, God will bring it up again and again and then you'll know for sure.

Sinking ourselves into scripture is vital to our spiritual well-being.  The enemy would like nothing more than to pull you away from this Source of strength and get you focused on the "strength that lies within you" alone.  But the when we lean on our own strength we are inevitably headed for burnout.

Read God's Word for yourself and you'll be Serving Strong!

What's Your IMPACT?

A subscriber from Arizona recently sent me a cool way to do a quick self assessment of the impact we are having on our span of care.  The assessment forms the word IMPACT.  Check it out:

I - INVOLVEMENT (what I'm involved in - is it helping people?)

M - MINISTRY (what am I doing to minister to those coming and going?)

P - PRAY (number 1 thing to do each day)

A - ACTION (are my actions enhancing my walk as well as others?)

C - CULTURE (what kind of culture am I creating?)

T - TOUCH (everyday touch someone with the love of Christ)

Whether you use the IMPACT system or another, it's vital to do a self assessment along the journey.  It's a great way to see whether or not you're on the right track and Serving Strong!

Who Benefits From Your Growth?

Each August, Shaker Woods is an event which takes place near where I live.  It's a collection of craft booths, primitive entertainment, and food.  It all takes place in a wooded area.  We've gone to walk along the pebble stone pathways and look at various crafts, eat some kettle corn, etc.

Interesting are the various garage sales and craft tents that line the roads leading to the location of the Shaker Woods.  These are ordinary people trying to sell their wares to the masses who travel the the Woods.  In essence they are riding on the popularity of the Shaker Woods event, trying to benefit from it.

You are growing at some rate in your personal life (I hope).  Do you realize the impact you are having on those in your span of care?  Do you understand how your personal growth indirectly (or often directly) impact the personal growth of someone close to you?  For example, say you are truly learning the keys to being more patient.  Imagine what you are doing to model patience to your kids as they learn how to deal with their friends.

We are always being watched.  Influence is inevitable.  That means when we grow personally, we are "raising the water in the harbor for all the ships."  Kind of creates a greater sense of urgency to our personal growth, doesn't it?

Keep growing personally and you'll be Serving Strong!

You've Got A Friend

Would the lyrics to this famous James Taylor hit be a good example of who God is to you as you serve Him?

When you've got a friend in Christ, you are Serving Strong!

A Small Group, White Gloves, And A Black Light

For those who are struggling with the load of ministry at the moment, here's an inspiring video of a group of people, some white gloves, a black light, and a beautiful song to remind us who we are and (more importantly) who GOD is...

Remember who you ultimately serve and you'll be Serving Strong!

Worshipping The Self-Care god

There are times when I see things completely the opposite of the conventional way I see something.  It comes from an architect friend of mine.  He, when he's stumped on a particular drawing, will make a transparency of that particular section of the drawing and flip it upside down to try and jump start his creative juices.

Looking at something completely contrary to what's normal can create a break in the flow of thought and possibly produce some interesting growth.

"Is it possible to worship self care for self care's sake alone?"

I was thinking about that question today.  I believe in the power of self care for the person engaged in the calling to help other people.  But can I take my self care too far?  When do I begin to desire more self care than service?  When does self care become hedonistic?  Is there such a thing as narcissistic self care?

No answers in this post.  Just thinking out loud.  I'm interested in your thoughts.

God Doesn't Care, Does He?

I am on a journey.  My journey is enjoyable most of the time.  Other moments aren't so great.  But it's still a journey.  And I'm grateful to be alive.

Although I've not arrived at my destination, I have arrived at various conclusions along the path.  One such conclusion was so obscure I almost missed it.  Yet it has had a profound impact on my walk with God lately.  It's this:

The minute I start thinking God doesn't care about some "insignificant" part of my life, my entire faith in Him is shaken.

Here's why that is so profound to me:

I know God cares about the big stuff (Cancer.  Murder.  Homelessness.  Hunger.  Hypocrisy.)  I can get my mind around that.  He's a big God.  These are big issues.  But does He really care that my car needs oil?  Does He care that I was able to fix the washing machine for less than $10?  Does He care that someone just flipped me "the bird" because I apparently did something wrong while driving?

If my answer to those questions is "no", then my faith is begins to unravel.  You see, the minute I start picking and choosing what God cares about, I play around with the definition of size (What's too small to bother Him versus what's big enough to warrant His attention).  Where does God's interest stop and where does it begin?  This is dangerous to my relationship with Him.

On the other hand, if I believe God cares about everything (which, it turns out, He does) then there is no crack in the foundation of my faith in Him.  He DOES care that my car needs oil.  He DOES care that I was able to fix the washing machine for less than $10.  He DOES care I was flipped "the bird".

If God selectively cared about me based on the size of what I was facing, it would be like trying to walk together on this journey and Him disappearing now and then with no rhyme or reason.  I would never be able to depend on Him.  I'd always be wondering what was big enough to get His attention.

I'm grateful for a God who cares about it all, regardless of how big or small.  In fact, I am able to depend on him to help me recognize my car needs oil.  I am able to rejoice with Him that I saved a ton of money fixing the washing machine on my own.  I am able to maintain my self esteem through His unconditional love for me when someone flips me "the bird".

God cares for me 24-7-365.  That's because the journey is 24-7-365.

How is YOUR faith today?  Are you on a continual journey with God?  Remember, your relationship with God is the ultimate in life balance, in self care... in Serving Strong!

Got Courage?

"Where do you find the daily courage you need to do your job?"

This is asked by Todd Rhoades on his blog, Monday Morning Insight. Todd quotes Steve McCoy as Steve expresses his experience during a change in church direction that resulted in a mountain of work and stress in his life. He grew gun-shy of checking email or answering his cell phone. That was until he read Joshua 1.

Check out the site. Contribute your thoughts.

Receiving the kind of courage that comes from the true Source of courage is the only way to Serve Strong!

The Triangle Of Intimacy

The accompanying diagram illustrates a concept that impacts both the spiritual and marital dimensions of the people-helper. In order to understand the concept, let's look at the various parts of the diagram:

First, notice the 3 points: You, Your Spouse, and God. For the purpose of this illustration, these are the basic components of a Christian marriage.

Second, notice the line between You and God, as well as the line between Your Spouse and God. This signifies the journey You (and Your Spouse) travel as you get closer and closer in (or farther away from) intimacy with God.

Lastly, notice the two lines entitled "A" and "B". These represent the closeness between you and your spouse.

The concept is simple - Notice that line "B" is shorter than line "A". As You and Your Spouse grow in intimacy with God on a personal level, the distance between the two of you becomes smaller. In essence...

Growing intimacy with God promotes growing intimacy in your marriage.

We can allow the distractions of life to keep us from growing in God. But the effort we invest on our relationship with Him not only impacts us personally, but our marriage as well. What are you doing to invest in your relationship with God these days?

People-helpers who are married must make their marriage a priority in order to Serve Strong!

My Dog Is Helping Me Follow Christ

I was putting on my running shoes the other day to go out and work on the yard. There was Emma, my dog, at my feet. The look on her face was priceless. She was staring into my eyes. She was looking for any indication that I was putting on my shoes to go out and throw the frisbee with her.

Emma loves to play frisbee. She lives for it. It's her passion in life. I think it's the main thing she lives for, given the abundance of energy she devotes to getting out the door when she hears the word "FRISBEE".

So, there I am putting on my shoes. Emma is watching for something (anything) from me to indicate even the slightest sign it's "frisbee time."

My thoughts turned to my journey with God.

How much do I look expectantly into God's eyes, looking for any indication He can use me in his grand scheme to reach other people or to meet others' needs? What if I were as interested in doing His Will as Emma is to "frisbee time"? I want to be so closely connected to God that I am ready at a moment's notice to be used by Him. I want it to be what I live for. I want it to be my passion in life.

So thanks, Emma, for reminding me what passion is all about. And thanks, God, for helping me keep my priorities straight about what I'm passionate for.

Renew your passion for being all God wants you to be and you'll be Serving Strong!

Death By Message

According to the Non-Profit Times,

"The typical American is exposed to more than 1,000 messages each day. If the averages person gets seven hours of sleep at night, that's nearly 60 messages every hour."

That's a ton of messages. And I would bet not all messages are supportive to what you're focused on at the time. This leads me to two questions:

1. "How do we maintain focus on our priorities?"
2. "How do we know when one of those 1,000 messages is a "divine interruption" by God?"

First, how do we maintain focus on our priorities?

I Googled "managing interruptions" and I got 32,600 hits in .19 seconds. The resources are out there. One of them was an article by Paulette Ensign, on Daytimer.com. It lists 11 tips for managing interruptions. Click here to the entire list.

Second, how do we know when one of those 1,000 message is a "divine interruption" by God?

This requires a sort of closeness to the heartbeat of God on a moment-by-moment basis.

In the words of Jack Hayford, "Become disarmed with a sense of your own perpetual vulnerability to evil and capacity for self-deception, and awaken to your need for regular breaking before the altar of private worship." We must never presume to know anything. Instead, learn to exercise your people-helping in dependency upon the grace and wisdom of God day-by-day, moment-by-moment.

Learning the art of managing the messages we receive each day leads to Serving Strong!

Deeper Roots

Paul Dazet just posted an incredible illustration of how we can serve strong. It comes from a Starbuck's, of all places. It shows a picture of a tree with a caption, "The Deeper The Roots, The Higher The Reach."

The message for us: The deeper we are with God, the higher (more significant) our reach to those in our Span Of Care. That's cool!

Check it out.

Carve Out Space For Beauty

"He emerged from the Metro at the L'Enfant Plaza Station and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap.  From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play."

This is a quote from Gene Weingarten in a story on Washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post had conducted an experiment in which world famous violinist, Joshua Bell, entered a busy Washington, D.C. metro station at 7:51 am on a Friday. In the middle of morning rush hour.  Joshua Bell played six classical pieces in 43 minutes as 1,097 people passed by. He had earned a total of $32.17 (not including $20 from one person who did recognize who he was.)

Weingarten goes on to say,

"A onetime child prodigy, at 39 Joshua Bell has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100.  Two weeks later, at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, he would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements."

Weingarten echoed Kant's words:

"Conditions must be optimal for the recognition of beauty. It is not that Americans are unable to appreciate beauty per se, just that appreciating art while on the way to a busy day is extremely difficult. In a concert hall, space has been carved out for appreciation: the audience is attentive because they have nowhere else to go."

"Space as been carved out for appreciation."

Wow! Do we have to carve out space to appreciate beauty? What if we were to make room for appreciating beauty everyday, everywhere we go? No matter what we're doing, we can appreciate God and His beauty and wonder. We don't have to wait until we go to church where, historically, space has been carved out for appreciation. The people in the Metro station that morning were too focused on their agendas to recognize a virtuoso playing on a violin worth over $3.5 million.

It's up to you. Do you want to limit your recognition and appreciate for the wonder and awesomeness of God to an hour at church each Sunday morning? Or how about living a life of wonder and appreciation 24/7/365?

Let's journey with the wonder of God every moment, everyday and we'll be Serving Strong!

Check out Weingarten's article, complete with video of the experiment.

Waiting On God

I'm re-reading the book by Andrew Murray titled, "The Believer's Secret of Waiting On God." Chapter 4 is titled "For Supplies." Check out this quote from that chapter:

"If an army has been sent out to march into an enemy's country, and news is received that it is not advancing, the question is at once asked, what may be the cause of the delay. The answer will very often be: 'Waiting for supplies.' If the stores of provision or clothing or ammunition have not arrived, they dare not proceed. It is no different in the Christian life: day by day, for every step, we need our supplies from above. And there is nothing so necessary as to cultivate that spirit of dependence on God and of confidence in Him which refuses to go on without the needed supply of grace and strength."

As you pursue God's call on your life to engage in the needs of others, are you advancing without your necessary supplies? If so, you're likely headed for a very difficult mission.

What are the supplies we receive from God? Here are just a few...

• Grace
• Patience
• Endurance
• Strength
• Perspective
• Wisdom/Insight

Would you try to serve without supplies like these? If your answer is "yes," you're Serving Strong!

Is Self Care The Opposite Of Sacrifice?

I want to address a misconception about self care. Some may think that self care is the opposite of sacrifice. Below is a post which appeared on this blog in October 2007.  I want to resurrect it again because I don't want those in ministry to neglect their own self care because of a misunderstanding of what it means.

------- October 15, 2007 post -------

For some, the concept of self care may come across as selfish and humanistic. Aren't we suppose to be LIVING SACRIFICES?

I would suggest that self care is quite the opposite of selfishness. In fact, to NOT take care of ourselves [especially as people helpers] is a sure sign we think we know better about ourselves than God.

Bill Hybels, in his book, "The Volunteer Revolution", makes a distinction between self-denial and self-destruction:

"Self-denial is about denying sin, self-deception, and selfishness. It's about denying whatever God asks us to deny, either through commands in the Bible or through the more personalized direction of the Holy Spirit.

Self-destruction, on the other hand, is about denying authentic feelings, legitimate needs, healthy activities, and life-giving relationships that God never asked us to give up."

Without a plan to take care of ourselves, we run the risk of succumbing to the pressures of what we do as people helpers (such as burnout, depression, overeating, stress, anger, etc.).

Here are (5) ideas to add to your own personalized self care plan:

• Get good sleep
• Take periodic sabbath times away from work
• If you counsel, be realistic about back to back sessions with people
• Delegate more
• Create "margin time" (don't pack so much into your waking hours that you are dangerously vulnerable to the slightest unpredictable interruption)

Learn to take better care of yourself and you'll be serving strong!

Balanced or Centered?

I'm working on a complete definition of Life Balance. I think it's more than the typical concept known as "work/life balance." I think it's multi-dimensional. One dimension is what I'm calling "Centered."

By being centered I mean centered in Christ. Not a humanistic centering toward the universe or the "real you" deep inside. Centered in Christ.

Most life coach training will address what is called The Life Balance Wheel. This is a circle with pie slices. It looks like a round pizza with triangle pieces. The idea is for you to signify each pizza slice as an area of your life. Rate each area from 0 to 10 (0 being at the center and 10 being at the outer edge.) Then connect the dots and the closer your wheel represents a large, smooth circle, the better balanced you are.

But I'm working on a couple other diagrams. First, instead of the spiritual area of life being one slice of pizza like the others, I am thinking it as the center circle in the middle. That way, every life area touches on the spiritual. The stronger my relationship with Christ, the stronger all the other areas of my life will be - the more balanced I will be. I'm centered.

Another idea is that the spiritual area of life is the foundation on which all the other life areas are constructed.

The main point is centering. If, at the core of my being, I am at the top of my game with God - all other areas of life will be in balance. The areas won't always be perfect (life's not perfect because we live in a fallen world). But I will be balanced. I will be Serving Strong!

I wonder what you think...

If you read the comment by Fritz on this post, you'll read how he points out that each area of our lives doesn't occur in a vaccuum.  For example, my eating habits can effect my emotions.  So, I went online and found an image of an atom.  Perhaps our center relationship with God is like bubbles in the center and the areas of life revolve around it, intersecting from time to time...

Jim's comment below talks about God being the container which holds all of the areas of life together. It's another great way of looking at being centered.

What's on your ipod?

ipods provide a great way to listen to music, books, podcasts, etc. It's a way to close out the world and relax, run, exercise, or study without interruption.

But there's an interesting truth about ipods. You can only listen to what you've transferred to it. If you transfer a James Taylor CD to it, you'll be able to listen to James Taylor. It's that simple.

So what does that have to do with serving strong?

Our minds are vital to serving strong. We are on the top of our game when our minds are sharp and alert. The mind is impacted by what it's fed. If it's given a steady diet of negative input and stimuli, it will begin to develop a negative world view. On the other hand, if it's fed a steady diet of positive and possibility thinking it will develop a "can do" world view. It's that simple.

At this close of the year and opening of a new year, now is a super time to take stock of what's on your "ipod". Make it a priority to clean out any "can't do" thoughts this new year and transfer a constant diet of "can do" thoughts and you'll be Serving Strong!

Are you learning but never seem to get any smarter?

Ken Blanchard, Paul J. Meyer and Dick Ruhe have published the book, Know Can Do! in which they highlight the obstacles that prevent people from implementing what they learn. These obstacles include:

• Information Overload (too much learning in too little time)
• Negative Filtering (holding onto negative thought processes which prevent an open mind)
• Lack Of Follow-Up (not having a plan to put the new knowledge into action)

I have indicated in previous posts that there are two well-documented realities:

1. First Reality: There is overwhelming evidence that pastors are struggling with burnout, depression, stress, low self-esteem, loneliness, and obesity. Some say is is a result of the very profession pastors are in. They are expected to be all things to all people. Plus they are dealing with people and their struggles.
2. Second Reality: There is an over-abundance of information that addresses burnout, depression, stress, low self-esteem, loneliness, and obesity. I Google'd "stress" the other day resulting in over 285,000,000 hits in 0.5 seconds. The first page of results gave me enough information to learn what good stress is, what bad stress is, what its effect is on my life, and steps I can take to reduce the bad stress from my life.

There is a gap between the struggle pastors face and the resources that sit in bookshelves and websites across the world. The problem is in what the autuhors highlight in Know Can do!

Coaching is the key to filling this gap. With a personal coach, a pastor overcomes the obstacles mentioned above:

• The learning is in smaller bits of information more frequently
• The pastor and coach discover a positive perspective for longer-lasting impact
• The pastor and coach design a follow up plan of action that is do-able

Check out more about what coaching is.

Contact me if you're interested in exploring a coaching benefit for yourself. Learn the art of weaving balance and self-care into the fabric of your ministry.

24.7.365

When I was growing up, it was common to think of my spiritual life as merely an accumulation of daily devotions and attendance at church functions. There's nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But what I've been discovering in recent months and years is the powerful concept of a journey approach to my relationship with God.

When I look at my relationship with God from a journey perspective (a 24-7-365 view), I see so many more possibilities in addition to my personal quiet time and church attendance. This helps me serve better because I'm not confined to one or two activities that keep my relationship with God strong. I can communicate with Him all through the day.

Here are a few of the tips I found on www.wordlibrary.co.uk today that can help us all think outside the box when it comes to a journey with God:

• Read God's Word while traveling on the bus or train to work
• Pray while you walk
• Pray while you go about your chores around the house
• Keep a notebook around for insights you receive from God

Read the entire list.

Keep your spiritual life as strong as you can possibly make it. It is the core of your Serving Strong!

Continual Connection

In discussing work-life balance, a lot of time is spend talking about technology and how it's a love/hate relationship. Check this post out, for example.  Technology can save us time, but it can also promote workaholism. Look at the mobile phone - it allows anyone to reach you virtually anywhere you go these days.

"Pray Continually"

But I want to offer an additional perspective on being constantly connected. We talk about how desperately important a vibrant relationship with Christ is for effective balance and self care. Check out 1 Thessalonian 5:17 - a short, but powerful scripture verse which exhorts us to "pray continually".

What if we treated our connection to God throughout the entire day like we do the cell phone on our hip? Our antenna would always be up and our signal would always be in receiving mode. That way, when God wants to communicate with us, we're ready. As ministry servants, we risk missing out on "divine appointments" if we don't have this constant communication line open. And He can be the one to help us understand when to say "no" to a potentially-draining addition to an already-overloaded schedule...if we're listening.

So the next time you read anything about constant connectivity - think about your relationship with God. Are YOU in constant connection to His Spirit?

Stay constantly connected to God and you'll be Serving Strong!

By the way, the analogy breaks down because occasionally cell phone signals go down. But as far as God is concerned, there is never a "lost signal."

Follow up to the blog post about palm trees

Another thought on a growing relationship with God...

God's power in us will strengthen us so we can endure life's hardships joyfully (it makes us resilient.) See Colossians 1:11.

God's power helps us SERVE STRONG!

Are you like a palm tree?

I've been re-reading the book titled, "Before Burnout - Balanced Living for Busy People." The authors, Frank Minirth, Don Hawkins, Paul Meier, and Chris Thurman, address the inner life as part of the chapter entitled "Human Ability and Divine Enablement."

They draw a distinct similarity between a strong inner life and a palm tree. The palm tree is one of the most resourceful and durable of all plants. While other trees have dead centers and thinning roots, the palm depends on a thick, strong root and living heart rather than on the condition of its leaves and bark.

The palm endures through violent storms which are common in the environment. It does this by bending its resilient trunk until the rain and wind passes.  Then the palm springs back. The palm's root (which is the same size as the trunk) is able to store a great surplus of water and in time, the palm is able to produce fruit which becomes sweeter as the tree ages.

The authors point to Psalm 1:2-4 ("Blessed in the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law...day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."

Here's the main point:  "We will bear fruit, all kinds of good deeds, and will grow spiritually as we get to know God better and better."

Get to know God better and better and you'll be serving strong!

Is Self Care The Opposite Of Sacrifice?

I want to address a misconception about self care. Some may think that self care is the opposite of sacrifice. Below is a post which appeared on this blog in October 2007.  I want to resurrect it again because I don't want those in ministry to neglect their own self care because of a misunderstanding of what it means.

------- October 15, 2007 post -------

For some, the concept of self care may come across as selfish and humanistic. Aren't we suppose to be LIVING SACRIFICES?

I would suggest that self care is quite the opposite of selfishness. In fact, to NOT take care of ourselves [especially as people helpers] is a sure sign we think we know better about ourselves than God.

Bill Hybels, in his book, "The Volunteer Revolution", makes a distinction between self-denial and self-destruction:

"Self-denial is about denying sin, self-deception, and selfishness. It's about denying whatever God asks us to deny, either through commands in the Bible or through the more personalized direction of the Holy Spirit.

Self-destruction, on the other hand, is about denying authentic feelings, legitimate needs, healthy activities, and life-giving relationships that God never asked us to give up."

Without a plan to take care of ourselves, we run the risk of succumbing to the pressures of what we do as people helpers (such as burnout, depression, overeating, stress, anger, etc.).

Here are (5) ideas to add to your own personalized self care plan:

• Get good sleep
• Take periodic sabbath times away from work
• If you counsel, be realistic about back to back sessions with people
• Delegate more
• Create "margin time" (don't pack so much into your waking hours that you are dangerously vulnerable to the slightest unpredictable interruption)

Learn to take better care of yourself and you'll be serving strong!

Go on and fall...

I was on my way back to the office from lunch.  I was listening to a country station on the radio.  A song came on called Fall, by Clay Walker.  I don't know a lot about Clay Walker.  I assume the song means something other than what I was thinking.

But what if the lyrics of the first verse and chorus match you today as a person who helps other people?  What if it was God singing to you? Check out the lyrics and take heart that God wants to be the center of your life balance and self care.

"Hold up.  There you go again.  Puttin' on that smile again.  Even though I know you've had a bad day.  Doin' this and doin' that.  Always puttin' yourself last.  A whole lotta give and not enough take.

"So fall.  Go on and fall apart.  Fall into these arms of mine.  I'll catch you every time you fall.  Go on and lose it all.  Every doubt, every fear.  Every worry, every tear.  I'm right here.  Baby fall."

A strong relationship with your heavenly Father is the ultimate in serving strong!

Spiritual Resources

I've found the following sites to be helpful for maintaining a strong spiritual journey with God:

• Daily Devotional (http://sacredspace.ie)
• Scriptures (www.biblegateway.com)

I believe a strong relationship with God is the ultimate center of life balance and self care - no greater way to be serving strong!

What keeps you strong?

Serving from the inside out.  It's the best way I know how to describe what it means to serve strong.  What's on the inside of your heart?  Better yet, who's on the throne of the center of your heart?

One of the first posts of Serving Strong was called "Step 1 to Effective Ministry."  Check it out.

I recently read an article in the latest Rev! magazine about people in ministry and their struggle to keep from falling.  Here's a short quote:

"While we need to maintain adequate levels of external accountability, if we hope to survive in the long run we can't neglect the "old fashion" means of soul growth - practicing the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, solitude, and fasting.  No silver bullets, easy answers, or slam-dunks exist." (I would add to those disciplines, compassionate ministry)

When all the layers of the onion are peeled away, it really comes down to our daily walk, the relationship we maintain with our Creator, and the disciplines that help keep that relationship strong.

Why all this talk about life balance and self care?  Because those in the business of helping people are vulnerable to living out of balance and neglecting their own care.  It's why ministers fall.  It's why spiritual leaders resign.  Don't you want to serve for the length of God's call on your life?  Don't you want to be effective in your ministry?  Don't you want to serve strong?

Serving strong means serving from the inside out.  There may just be no other way.

Pastors: Difficult to study the Bible for yourself?

This post is particularly for the person who leads a flock of church members.  1 Corinthians 9.26-27 says:

"I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself." (MSG)

The Apostle Paul, writer of Corinthians says that while he's telling everyone else about Christ he doesn't want to get caught napping and missing out himself.  I've spend time with pastors who have told me how difficult it is to be in the Word on a personal basis and not keep seeing truths or concepts that they could preach about to their congregations.  They really want to get deep with God personally, but they keep seeing the faces of their congregation.

How does a pastor keep his own personal relationship with God healthy, alive, and vibrant?  I'm sure there are a ton of 12-step, 7-step, 3-point, and 8-step processes that answer this question.  You could also probably find a small library of books on the subject.

But I wonder if the entire "personal devotions" concept has gone a little off course.  Don't get me wrong.  I believe in the power of closing off the world and getting quiet before a holy God.  But maybe we've begun to think that's the sum total of our relationship with God (kind of like the way some people view tithe - as long as they give their 10% to God, the rest is theirs.)

I offer an additional perspective:  What if personal alone time with God was only one of many facets that make up our spiritual relationship with God?  Why not be praying and listening to what God is saying to us as we serve our people?  What can God tell you when you're on a hospital call, preparing for a wedding, putting last minute touches on this Sunday's sermon, making coffee for the staff?

Think of your relationship more in terms of a journey rather than a compartmentalized personal retreat time.

On a more practical basis, consider these ideas:

• Start a personal journal with random thoughts (no effort spent on grammar or punctuation - just free flowing mind dumps.)  Review your entries every other month and see if any themes stick out;
• When in personal prayer time, keep a note pad and pen handy.  When an idea about a parishioner pops into your head, jot it down and get back to your own personal time.
• Keep a pad of paper & pen with you all the time.  When you sense God is talking to you personally as you are going about your daily routine, jot down the thought(s) and review them during your next personal alone time with Him.

Keep your spiritual life alive and vibrant and you'll be serving strong!

P.S.  If you're a pastor and you've found a great way to maintain your personal spiritual life, feel free to comment on this post. 

Who are you pleasing?

Steven Curtis Chapman is, in my opinion, one of the most gifted song writer/artist I've ever known.  I've been listening to some of my old CDs lately, and the lyrics are still so compelling and encouraging.  One such song is "Please Only You".

These lyrics are a reminder to us all that, at the center of our efforts to help people, our journey with God is paramount.  It's the ultimate in life balance & self care & serving strong.

Check out Steven Curtis Chapman's website for more great songs and info.

Verse 1:
So here I go again, again
I've let myself get spread so thin
I can see right through my skin
And I don't like what I'm finding in my heart

So many different voices call
And I try hard to please them all
I run in circles til I fall
So I'm falling on my knees and praying

Chorus:
Please, please, please only You, only You
Please, please, please take my heart and make it true
Let everything I say and everything I do
Please, please only You
Please only You

Verse 2:
For every moment of my time
For every thought that fills my mind
For every melody and rhyme
This is the prayer that I'll be praying

Chorus again

This is what it means to be
The reason why I live and breathe
To know that I am totally existing for Your pleasure

I'm still learning but I know
As this becomes my only goal
The more I find my heart and soul is filled up with joy
When I, I please only You
I please only You
Please only You

Marathons and 100 Meter Dashes

What are your expectations for results in the area you serve?  What about your expectations for your own self care, balance, or spiritual journey?  If you ever get impatient about your progress or the progress of those you serve, remember the difference between a 100 meter dash and a marathon.

100 meter dashes are short, quick spurts of energy.  Then the race is over.  This is a kind of philosophy intertwined in our American culture.  We want things now.  We want to accomplish tasks fast and get them over with.  We see this in fad diets, fast food, instant messaging, and instant potatoes.

Marathons are a process - a journey.  Some training runs are long.  Shoes, eating right, stretching, and adequate sleep are vital to a successful marathon finish.  This kind of philosophy is rare in our American culture.  It means we have to wait longer for results.  It means hard work.  It means taking our time.

The 100 meter dash approach will not ultimately lead to long term success in ministry.  The marathon approach will.  Add these words to your vocabulary:  Endurance.  Patience.  Perseverance.  Strength of service.  Waiting... and serve strong over the long haul!

Uh oh! The lights went out!

As the entire Couchenour household was getting ready for work & school this morning, the lights went out.  "That's interesting," commented my wife.  Instantly our minds raced with all the things that would have to change if we didn't have electricity this early in the morning: no dry hair, no hot coffee, no morning news, eventually no hot water, cold pop tarts, wash the dishes by hand, have to open the garage doors by hand, and so on.

Our "fears" melted when the lights came back on (30 seconds later).  But it did make me pause and think.  One thing came to mind:

WE ARE DEPENDENT CREATURES.  We have so much dependence wrapped up in electrical power.  Perhaps it's a result of our culture of computers, blow dryers, washers, hot water heaters, TV, mobile phones, blackberrys,...  I wonder what would happen if we had that same sense of dependence on God's leadership and wisdom for our daily lives.  For many people, losing electricity would literally bring them to a halt.  I'd love to be at the place where I came to a halt the minute I sensed I was not "up to date" with my relationship with God.

I heard Mike Slaughter (lead pastor of the Ginghamsburg Church near Dayton, Ohio) speak several weeks ago.  In the context of self care, he was sharing how important his early morning time with God was.  He said something to the effect that, "it takes 24 hours for me to stray from the presence of God that I need that regular time just between the two of us."

How are you maintaining your dependence on the leadership God so richly provides to those who hunger and thirst for it?  Stay utterly dependent on Him and serve strong!

Keep the fire hot

Over the holiday weekend I was burning some twigs and branches that had fallen in my yard over the past winter and spring.  As I was doing that I was reminded of the need to keep the fire going in my heart and ministry.  Here are a couple things that went through my mind:

1. Fires need the certain elements to stay hot.  They need wind, oxygen, and something to burn.  This is true of our "ministry fire" as well.  Among other things, we need the influence of God's Holy Spirit, wisdom of others, and even adversity to help us remain hot in pursuit of all God asks of us.  What are the right elements that keep YOUR ministry fire hot?
2. Fires need to be stoked periodically.  We, too, need to stoke the flames of our ministry as well.  Sometimes the ministry gets old. The needs of people overwhelm us.  But we can keep the flames hot by by reading a book, going on a personal spiritual retreat, fasting, and so on.  It's what keeps our ministry from becoming just another job.  What do YOU do to keep your ministry fire stoked?

Keep the fire hot and serve strong!

Are you plugged in?

I have a laptop.  It's over 2 years old.  Still has the original battery.  It doesn't hold more than an hour of charge anymore.  I think about replacing it now & then.  Most of the time I just don't want to part with the money.  I ask myself, "Will a new battery really help?  Won't I still go into a coffee shop looking first at the possible outlets before I check out the types of coffee being served that day?"

The reality is, I will always feel more secure if I'm near an outlet even if I did get a battery that was newer (what if I'm with someone and our conversation extends beyond the length of my battery and I still need the laptop?)

I wonder if that's the kind of attitude needed for serving strong (I know this may be a stretch.  But stay with me on this...)

What if every day I went into every situation looking for the "outlet" (the real Source of strength - God)?  I believe a key to being a strong servant is to stay connected to the Source of our energy.

So, ask Him to show you what He wants to teach you - even if the situation is the mundane, routine, daily stuff of common life.  Look to Him for the strength.  Look to Him for the wisdom.  If we rely on our own strength and wisdom, we may be found wanting.

What color is your dashboard?

What color is your dashboard?  What was the eye color of the person you last spoke to?  Why ask these questions?  Because it gets to the heart of how so many of us live our lives: mind-in-future.

How much of the day do you spend living in the future?  Do you operate with that next task, future appointment, or upcoming stressful situation in your mind?  Worse yet, have you ever arrived at your destination and can't remember the road or events while driving because you were preoccupied thinking all the way there?  I have.  I wonder who I cut off.

Preoccupation with the future robs us of the richness of the "now".  Let me introduce an old concept called Mindfulness.

Mindfulness.  What is it?  There are a lot of humanistic definitions and uses for it.  But for the purposes of Serving Strong, it means being more aware of your surroundings; being in the moment; noticing what's going on; and practicing the presence of God.

But how?

Here's a little guide I am using recently to help me stay more in the moment and live 24-7-365 as a dependent follower of Christ:

As often as possible throughout the day, pause and go through the following:

• BREATHE.  Take 3 deep breaths.
• OBJECTS.  What are the objects around me?
• MOOD.  What is my current mood? (don't judge, just observe)
• PEOPLE.  Who am I talking/working with right now? (Pray for their wellbeing)
• THANKS.  What can I be thankful for in this moment?
• WORRIES.  What am I worried about right now? (give it back to God)
• PRAYER.  Pray to God: "I am your servant.  I, again, lay my life before you to do what you wish."

Live in the moment.  Play full out.  Give it your all.  Serve strong!

Tony Snow & Your Ministry

Cal Thomas' article in our local newspaper last night was about Tony Snow.  Tony is the White House press secretary whose colon cancer recently returned.  While reading the article, one paragraph stood out to me.

"So, how do you approach God, he (Tony) wondered? Do you ask for favors, or do you do something that is very hard in the modern era, 'which is learn how to give yourself to God, to surrender.  It's not just saying, 'God, it's in your hands,' but understanding whatever may come afterwards is a matter of not trying to get God to do stuff for you, except maybe to mow down some of the barriers that separate you from God, because for all of us, our vanities get in the way.'"

"It's not a matter of trying to get God to do stuff for you."  Henry Blackaby's book, Experiencing God, was an eye opener for me.  I discovered it wasn't a matter of doing my planning and asking God to bless it.  It's about saying to God in the morning, "God, I'm available.  If, in your process of dealing with people, you want to pull me out of your pocket and use me, go right ahead.  I want to follow where you're going today.

As you serve people today, are you asking God to "do stuff for you", asking God to bless your plans?  Or are you "giving yourself to God"?  Is your service today "in His hands" and surrendered to His will?

I guarantee, when a person puts their ministry under the direction of God's leading, they're ALWAYS serving strong!

Your temple is scheduled for demolition

There is a little church in western Pennsylvania.  At least there was.  The doors and windows are boarded up now.  The church is no longer in use (in fact, I believe the church has been demolished since the taking of this picture where an empty lot now sits.)

Interesting thing about this church building.  It was the space my father's father accepted Christ as his personal forgiver and leader.  That event changed the course of my family forever.  I honestly do not know where I'd be if it weren't for that commitment he made that day, in that building.

Of course, it's not the building that matters for eternity.  It's what takes place THROUGH the building that matters.  The longer the building is open, the more people who have a chance to get to know Christ.

In the same way, you only have so much time.  Your body, the temple, will one day be "boarded up" and laid to rest.  When you're gone, all you will have is the influence you left on other people.

Implications on serving strong:

• Take care of your temple through diet and exercise
• Develop a love of continual development
• Respect the concept of sabbath rest
• Continually Hone the strengths God has given you
• Seize the Moments God give you to serve well