Life can be hard.
People can hurt you.
The holidays are not easy for everyone. For some...it's a reminder of those that are no longer here.
You might not be happy with the person you have become.
Maybe you feel like a failure.
You feel like you are just spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere.
You want to LIVE!
I want you to know I have those same feelings too sometimes.
What can you do today to begin living the life God intends for you to live?
Who do you need to talk to?
Who do you need to forgive?
How can we help each other?
Today can be the first step in moving forward.
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23
Do you know that God wants to know you personally?
As someone who has spent a large portion of their adult life serving in full-time ministry, I am surprised by how much I told other people that and how inconsistent I was about applying that to my own life.
I talked the talk without always walking the walk.
Since August I have been looking for what's next for me in ministry. It's been exciting and very refreshing for me. One of the things I have learned during this transition time is that I have made a lot of rookie mistakes in ministry!
I began to realize how often I would read the Bible and look to apply it to the people I was given the opportunity to lead.
I realized that I spent much more time praying for others and very little praying and talking to God about myself.
I discovered that when I would read books I would look to find ways to apply the information to others and rarely to myself.
I found that on Sunday mornings I was much more concerned with processing the service than I was with my own personal development.
If you were to ask me now what's been the best part of this time away from ministry for myself I could honestly say it's been getting my relationship with God back on track.
God wants to know me. He wants to have a relationship with me. Through that relationship, He wants to work through me to encourage and impact the lives of others.
I know for the 2-3 people that read my blog that this is something that you already knew. Nothing mind blowing for you hear.
Or is it?
Do you spend consistent time talking to God about what's going on with you?
Are you allowing God to work on you before He works through you?
If you serve in any position of leadership in a church I would say that before you are given an opportunity to tell THEM anything, let God tell YOU something.
A friend of mine from college, Adam Couturier, responded to my recent post titled, "Top 5 Places to Start Reading in Your Bible...". It was a link to a post by Kem Meyer that I liked for people that are wanting to read the bible, but not sure where to start. He did not agree with Kem's opinion on where to start and I appreciated his take on the post so I am sharing it with all of you.
Another perspective to think about.
I am not a fan of these recommendations (granted this is her opinion, and stated as such - which she is entitled to have). I understand what the author was going for, but don't you think such a plan divorces the bible from any narrative theme or context? What sense does a savior make, if there is no notion of a fall? What are people saved from? If there is no Abrahamic covenant, where does the Seed come from? How can we really understand the wisdom literature (Proverbs or Ecc.) without a strong understanding of natural theology grounded in creation? I think this reading list misses the greater context of scripture (which a top 5 list will naturally do), but there is no attempt to find a greater meta-narrative, and that seems like a shame for a starting point.
just my $.02
Adam Couturier
Adam has a great blog that you can check out at www.parkersmood.wordpress.com
I remember waking up in my apartment in Springfield, Missouri, turning on the television and watching the 2nd tower get hit live. I sat there for the rest of the day, in total shock, watching the events unfold.
Music has a way of bringing me back to specific moments in my life. I remember watching the tribute special a couple of weeks later that raised money for the families of the victims and watching Bruce Springsteen sing, "My City of Ruins".
This is one of those songs that brings back all of the emotions I was feeling during that very tragic time.
May we never forget the lives that were lost on this day.
There is a great post o Kem Meyer's Blog on how to start reading the bible. I thought it was excellent and wanted to share it.
So click here to read it now! Top 5 places to start reading in the Bible...
While we were sitting there a mom came in with her two children and sat in a booth close to us. They were all enjoying their ice cream, not as much as Abby and I, when the mother received a phone call. Now I don't know who called her and I wasn't trying to be nosey, but I could tell by her tears and by what she was saying that she just found out someone very dear to her had just passed away.
I just couldn't take my mind off of this family for the rest of the time we were there. I wanted to get up and give them a hug. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for them. I wanted them to know that, in some ways, I knew what they are going through. But what I did do was enjoy the rest of the time I had with my daughter eating ice cream, go to the car, and I quietly prayed for the family as we pulled away.
Losing those we love and care for is such a difficult part of this life. We will always have the memories to cherish and remind us of how much those that we care for have meant to us. We also have the hope of everlasting life and the opportunity to see them again when they are in heaven.
Sometimes it's important that we are reminded that this life we live is only temporary. As I sat there sharing a special moment with my daughter last night, a family was grieving over their loss and beginning the process of saying goodbye.
I don't know the name of the family and I didn't feel like it would be appropriate to speak with them last night, but I would pray that during this time they would have peace. I pray that they would hold on to the hope that someday soon they will be together again. The peace that comes from knowing that can make a world of difference. It doesn't have to be goodbye forever...my prayer would be it's only goodbye for now.
"I will turn their mourning into gladness.
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."
Jeremiah 31:13
The Nines is put together by LeadNet.Org with the concept of giving over 60 church leaders 9 minutes to share a thought and then offer these mini-leadership lesson online for free.
Honestly, if it wasn't free I probably wouldn't have been a part of the conference. After listening to the first 6 or 7 speakers though, I had over 5 pages of notes and was already busy trying to find a way to apply what I had heard to my life and ministry. What started as a free conference has now caused information overload for me. It has also offered some great insight into leadership and ministry that I now have a responsibility to do something with. I appreciate the way people are leveraging technology to equip others.
If you didn't have a chance to be a part of The Nines you can go to the link below and watch the videos online in a couple of days. I would recommend a few to watch...but there really hasn't been a bad one yet.
Today is an opportunity.
Today isn't yesterday. Today is a new day for you to make the most of.
Today is going to happen whether you are ready or not.
Today is a day that cannot be wasted or looked past.
Today you have a chance to try again.
Today could change your life....Today YOU have the opportunity to change someone else's life.
Today is an opportunity.
Be intentional and make the most of Today