Last week I had a quick getaway to read, write, and just be with God for a while.  I was thinking through Psalm 23 and praying for God to be my shepherd… and then this happened.  Where have you been lately, or how has God brought you to that place that restores your soul?

~Peter

The post Led to Quiet Waters appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

Ever scrolled through your news feed and felt like you were the worst mom of the year because you aren’t soaking in the early morning rays of sunshine with your 2-year-old in the park like every other mom is?

Have you ever felt like a failure because your coworker has finished 4.25 miles of his morning trail run all before you got up and wiped the sleep from your eyes?

Have you ever felt like everyone else’s kitchen comes straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine while yours looks a bit more like a kitchen found in a frat house?

What about your kids… ever feel like they are NEVER as well-behaved or athletic, or as honor rolled, or as perfect and put together as all those other kids that pop up on your Facebook wall?

Have you ever felt bad about your life after looking at everyone else’s?

You aren’t alone.

The truth is, none of us are really as good as our Facebook wall and profile let on.  That is probably the one area of our life that is totally within our control… (except for those random high school photos that I keep getting tagged in.  Oh Marching Band… Glad we spent 4 years together…)  But let’s be honest, we only post the things that show off our good sides.  We are able to upload a picture, write a cute caption, publicly praise our spouses, and flaunt our victories to make us look amazing.

You know… There’s that awkward post of, “Hey babe, can’t wait for you to get home tonight…  wink wink.”  Right, we get it… you guys have a ‘healthy marriage’.  Or, “Check out my kid… I love the way his mind works…”  Yeah, your kid is super special.  Or, “My hubby just did all the dishes, and cleaned the whole kitchen.  He’s the best.”  Right.  Why aren’t we seeing that post every night?

Come on people. We live in the real world.  The problem is that many of us are working overtime cultivating our digital worlds at the expense of those who are around us each and everyday.  We don’t live in the world of 1′s and 0′s.  This is not the matrix.  If we buy the Facebook lie we run the risk of anesthetizing ourselves to our own life and we face the possibility of drowning in our own jealousy and frustration.

Stop buying the lie.

Next time you see that beautiful family photo, know that there were hundreds of others that didn’t make the cut.  Know that the precious outfit that little kid is wearing got jelly all over it minutes after that was Instagramed.  What you didn’t read about the guy doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, was that the only reason he was doing it was because they just got in a huge fight the day before.

Recently, my wife came home from her women’s Life Group, and a couple of the mom’s have decided to make May the month of digital reality.  They have decided to post real life pictures in order to ditch the pressure to be like every other ‘perfect’ person out there who has it ‘perfectly together’.  It all clicked with me when I saw Tiffany’s Instagram the other day.

I loved it.  Because this is my life.

She is equal parts crazy and equal parts cute.  But that is life.  And I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What do you love about your life?  Let’s hear it.

~Peter

The post Facebook Is Lying To You appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

First off let’s talk about how amazing moms are.  A few weeks ago it was take your kid to work day.  This was us three, headed out for a productive day in the work world.  I think what they really meant to call it was “Make your dad work really really extra hard day”, but anyway, I’m convinced that it is a holiday created by teachers and mothers.  They all got together at a Parent Teacher Association meeting and declared that on one day in the spring they would ship the kids off to work with dad.  Let’s just say this… I never thought Tiffany had it easy as a mom.  I’m not one of those guys who is waiting for his wife to get a real job.  Tiffany has more on her plate than I can dream of.  But… after the old take ‘em to work excursion… WHEW… I have a new-found respect for what moms do on a daily basis.  Mission accomplished ladies.

So, back to the Mother’s Day event.  We have great reason to celebrate our own mom’s and the mom’s that take such great care of our kids.

Here’s 10 things you can do to make sure you don’t screw it up.

1. Have the kids make her a card.  It’s true.  Nothing warms a mom’s heart quite like a scribbly card that says “I wuv yo”  Besides, your fridge needs a new look.  
2. Send her for a Pedicure.  Her feet are tired and worn out.  They are throbbing.  They’ve been chasing your children around all day.  Pamper them.
3. Do something without being asked.  Okay, it’s true… You should be doing this anyhow… But on the weekend of the big event you need to be doing this all the more.  This could be taking the trash out, cleaning the nastiness in the kitchen sink strainer, or putting the dishes away.
4. Turn her alarm off and let her sleep.  Come on.  This woman hasn’t slept more than 4 straight hours at a time since the day that kid was born.  Let her sleep at least 4.5!
5. Take the kids out for breakfast.  This way you won’t ruin step 4 by having one of the kids, let’s be honest, all the kids… make a huge racket thus waking her up.  Plus, your kids will love it!
6. Write her a love note.  Remind her why she married you and why she desperately loves you.  Tell her all of the reasons why you think that she is the best mom for her kids.
7. Put your phone away.  Be in the moment.  Set your phone down so you can be available to your whole family.  Remember, these are the good old days.  This day will never come back.
8. Make memories.  Do something fun that day.  It doesn’t matter what it is, but make it something that you look back on and say, “remember when…”
9. Don’t buy her anything with a plug.  You know how for the last two months she’s been complaining about how heavy that vacuum is and how the iron really doesn’t get hot enough?  Well, now is not the time to bless her with the gift of new appliances.  How do you like getting a tie?  Lot’s of fun, right?
10. Encourage her.  Make her feel like she is the only one in the world you could see being partnered up with in this crazy thing called parenting.  It’s like the dodgeball team, you’d pick her first every time.  She needs to know that.

You’ve been warned.  Now go make this mother’s day one that she will never forget.  Which one’s are you going to try this year?  What am I missing?  Let’s pull together a list of ideas.  Come on men.  We need to stick together.  Or, mom’s what would you add to the list?

~Peter

The post How Not To Screw Up Mother’s Day appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

When was the last time that you said the four words, I could be wrong?  What a powerful statement.  Admitting there is a chance that you aren’t right is amazing.  Pride is one of the nasty things that springs up in our life like weeds in a garden.  At first those weeds are just a little extra greenery.  Not much that you need to worry about.  Then if left to grow, they begin to really set roots.  After those roots are established the push up a huge blossom and they set out and ruin your once beautiful garden.  Pride is like that.

Look at what the book of Proverbs has to say about pride:

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor

Proverbs 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty

Pride is a ruthless killer.  It leads you to believe that you are always right, and in fact it’s impossible for you to be wrong.  Ever met anyone like that?  They are incredibly hard to be around.  It reminds me of the character on SNL, Penelope, played by Kristin Wig.  This character was a One-Upper.  She always had to be better than everyone else.  Check out this montage…

Pride looks bad on everyone but ourselves.  Shane Hipps says, “Certainty can be a great friend of arrogance.”  He goes on to say, “It’s not that we can’t know anything, just that we can’t know everything.”  We must stop with the incessant need to be right, most important, or most recognized.  Maybe we need to practice saying, “I could be wrong.”  Try it.  Say it right now… I could be wrong.  There, see, it didn’t hurt that bad.  Now put it into practice in the real world.  But go one step further and actually mean it when you say it.  It will make you feel so much better.  But, hey, I could be wrong.

~Peter

The post Pride- The Not So Silent Killer appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

I was sitting on the edge of the dock when I took this picture the other night.  This is the Barnegat Bay, with the sun setting somewhere over West Creek NJ.  Long Beach Island has to be one of my favorite places to be.  I have so many great memories from being here.  I couldn’t help but think about how many times the sun has set over this bay, and how many times it has done so unnoticed.  That night, for whatever reason, I stopped and took notice.  I watched as the sun, slowly melted away over the horizon.  I snapped pictures, and thought about how beautiful it was and what that sun set meant to me.  Here are two thoughts that I had from that sunset.

1. I need to pause and reflect in life more often

It is so easy to rush through life moving from one event or activity to another.  We can become easily distracted by the mundane details of everyday life; Bills, Chores, Work, Responsibilities, Stress, Problems, Car Repairs, etc.  You know what they are, you probably could list off 3 or 4 things right now that fall into that category.  Those things often times act as a mask.  They cover up all of the really good things that are happening.  Since our minds tend to focus on what hurts most these are the things that get our attention.  These things can prevent us from seeing how great God is.  Stop, pause, reflect, think about all of the really good things that God has going on in your life right now.  I bet you could list a lot of those things out too!  Do it today.

2. God is incredibly faithful

As I was watching the sun roll across the sky being buried into the distant marsh, it occurred to me that God has been doing this for a very long time.  In fact, the sun came up this morning and it is going to go down later tonight as well.  I can’t help but be reminded of how great God is and how faithful He is in my life.  I think about this passage from Lamentations…

This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.  The Lord’s loving-kindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:21-23

God never stops.  God never gives up.  God never fails to provide.  God never stops being faithful.  And it is not only in the sunsets and sunrises that God is faithful.  He is faithful to me in so many other ways.  And I’m sure He is faithful to you in all of those ways as well.  Praise God for His incredible faithfulness.  Can you write down 3 or 4 ways that God has been faithful to you today, this past week, or even this past year?

Don’t let another sunset go by without thanking God for His faithfulness.  Don’t let the problems of your day/s keep you from seeing how great God is.  What is one thing that you are thankful for right now?  I’d love to hear it.

~Peter

The post Here’s why you probably aren’t seeing God appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

This past week I’ve had several conversations with people who felt like they were failures.  It broke my heart.  I listened as they told stories of how their lives got wildly out of control and how other people made horrible decisions that affected them terribly.  Tears welled up in their eyes as they poured out their heart.  I’ve been asked, “Can God do anything with me?  Especially the way that I am?”

I just listened.  But inside my heart was breaking for them.

I couldn’t help but think about my garden in the backyard.  Specifically my most recent potted project.  I had found an old metal gas can that looked pretty cool.  It was covered in rust but I knew that there was some really great potential in it.  After a little work, I was able to make it into something that would be useful.  I decided to make it into a flower-pot.  It’s a little different from your normal terra-cotta pot, but that’s why I like it.

In Isaiah 61, the prophet talks about the favor of the Lord.  Isaiah says that the prophet has been sent, “to grant those who mourn in Zion, to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes”  To my friends who are suffering with the feeling of inadequacy, or feeling like they are too far gone, or too broken, or too old and rusty…  You’re not.

God can turn any situation around.  God can use you no matter what has gone on in your life.  I keep thinking of the idea that there is beauty that rises up from the ashes.  God is the God of redemption.  Recently Tom Kang said, “If you’re not dead, then God’s not done with you.”

Don’t give up.  Don’t throw in the towel.  God isn’t done with you.  He may do something incredible through your life, Pintrest worthy even!  He may use you to bring something to life, or to display His beauty in and through you.

~Peter

The post Beautiful Rust, God’s redeeming story appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

This is one of my favorite descriptions that Jesus uses- the parable of the mustard seed.  I don’t think that I have seen very many mustard plants in my day.  But I do know that I have seen tons and tons of dandelions.  In fact, my backyard is riddled with dandelions right now.  They are popping up all over the place.  This past Saturday all three of my kids were picking them and collecting the ‘pretty’ flowers in buckets.  Who knows where they come from, they are an unstoppable force in the overall landscape of my backyard.

I think that if Jesus were with us today, if he was hanging out in my neck of New Jersey, he would say, “The Kingdom of God is like a dandelion.”

What an exciting thought.

Jesus alludes to the fact that the Kingdom of God is going to be popping up uncontrollably all over the place.  There is nothing that you can do to stop it.  What does He tell Peter?  ”You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it.”  I’ve lost the battle with the dandelions.  The best I can do is try to contain them.  Satan has lost the battle with the Kingdom of God.  The best he can do is try to distract people from realizing it.

I love the book of Acts.  It is a story of Dandelions sprouting.  They are popping up all over the place.  Imagine the disciples, now the apostles in the book of Acts getting together and just reminiscing… “Remember when Jesus told us the parable of the mustard seed?  I get it now. Look how this Jesus movement, the Church, is growing!  It’s out of control…”

I hope that the next time you look at a dandelion you can’t help but think about Jesus, and the Kingdom of God.  It is exciting to be apart of and experience what God is doing in this world!  I see the Kingdom of God popping up right here in NJ.  It’s happening all around us.  I am excited about seeing more dandelions come up around me in my town, Scotch Plains, and in Mountainside.  Where have you seen the Kingdom of God popping up?  

~Peter

(click here to download the Dandelion Themed Desktop Background for Free!)

The post The Kingdom of God is like a Dandelion appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

Andy points out that these 5 catalysts for growth take place at different times and throughout different seasons of people’s lives.  They may not all be taking place at the same time, but a vibrant growing faith shows evidence of these 5 faith catalysts.  Andy says,

“We’re convinced that God uses these dynamics to grow our faith.  We’re convinced, as well, that these dynamics are at work in the lives of every individual at every church, whether they are aware of them or not”

5 Faith Catalysts

1. Practical Teaching

This is that one time when everything clicked for you.  You were listening to a sermon and it made sense.  You finally saw what God was saying about who you are and how much He loves you.  This is the idea that you actually know what to do with what you are being taught.  Andy says, “People are far more interested in what works than what’s true.”  That’s why practical Bible teaching gives people both what’s true, and what works.

2. Private Disciplines

Are you simply a religious person, or are you actually a follower of Jesus.  We put it this way recently at my church, are you a fan or a follower?  Private disciplines are one of the things that helps move people from being merely a fan of Christ to an actual follower.  Andy says, “There is a direct correlation between a person’s private devotional life and his or her personal faith.”  If you want a good book on personal disciplines check out Richard Foster’s book “The Celebration of Discipline“.  This is hands down the best book I have ever read on spiritual disciplines.

3.  Personal Ministry

“The Bible is full of illustrations of God calling and prodding people into service in spite of their overwhelming sense of inadequacy.  And in every instance their faith in God got bigger.”  When you get out of your comfort zone and start to serve others, something changes deep inside of you.  When you can take your eyes off of yourself and develop eyes to see the needs of others, you will watch your faith develop as well.

4.  Providential Relationships

I was reading through my journal the other day and I looked at a page that I have simply titled ‘important people to me’.   These are the people who have entered my life that have made a significant change in my life.  They have shaped me into who I am today.  The list has about 15 people on it, not a lot, but these people are incredibly important to me.  Andy says, “Two things make a relationship providential: when we hear from God through someone and when we see God in someone.  When either of those things happens, our faith gets bigger.”

5. Pivotal Circumstances

These are the moments that we will never forget.  These tend to be defining moments.  We find out who we are and what we are made of.  Or we find out just how deep our emotions really are.  Andy says, “As you know, when it comes to faith, circumstances cut both ways.  A positive event can adversely affect faith or strengthen it.  Adverse circumstances can damage an individual’s faith or deepen it.  People lose faith when life gets too easy, but people lose faith in the face of tragedy as well.”

Which one of the five has God used in your life recently?  How has it impacted your faith in Him?

~Peter

The post 5 Faith Catalysts for Spiritual Growth appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

Spring is in the air!  Which means that wedding season is upon us.  Check out this great shot my good friend, Dave Adamson, took at a wedding ceremony he performed the other day!  Cool angle huh?  Single people know that nothing reminds them more of their singleness than the wedding season and Valentines day.  So to all you single people out there, here are three questions you need to consider before you say ‘I do’.

1. Can I see myself marrying this person?

What a crucial question. If you can’t see yourself marrying the person that you’re thinking about dating or are dating, what in the world are you doing? Yeah I get it, you’re ‘gaining experience’, ‘having a good time’, yada yada yada. I just don’t buy. Can you see yourself marrying this person?  If the answer is yes pursue it. You aren’t committing yourself for the rest of your life.  You are just saying, I could see myself being willing to commit myself to this person for the rest of my life.  When I first met my wife Tiffany, I knew right from the first time that we hung out that this was a person that I could see myself marrying. I’ll never forget the conversation we had on a bench in the Oxford Valley Mall.  The more that we hung out the more certain I was that I could marry this person.

2. Can I see myself marrying anyone else?

There comes a point in time when all of the other options begin to fade away.  It becomes harder and harder to imagine yourself marrying anyone but this person. I don’t think that this is a matter of just refinement, I think that this is more a matter of coming to that place in your mind where no one else will do.  Tiffany likes to make fun of me because I’m not a big fan of leftovers. She’s totally right.  I don’t like leftovers. The reason I don’t like leftovers is because I know how good the meal was the very first day.  Reheated pasta just doesn’t compare to the first night!  I know that when it is freshest it tastes amazing.  Have you gotten to the place in your relationship where nothing else will do because it all looks like reheated pasta?

3. Will I do whatever it takes to make sure that person doesn’t marry anyone else?

Here’s the deal… If you can’t imagine yourself marrying anyone else, and you are certain that this is the person for you… WHAT IS STOPPING YOU FROM PUTTING A RING ON THAT FINGER?  Come on.  Beyoncé had it right when she said, “If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it.”  What are you willing to do to ensure that they don’t end up on someone else’s arm?  I’m telling you that this is one of the places where it may just be time to grow up and put your big boy pants on.  If you really love that person and are serious about marrying them, get that second job, sacrifice your guilty pleasure, save your money and buy that ring.  Maybe finances have nothing to do with it.  Maybe you got cash, but you are immature.  It’s time to grow up.  High School was a while ago, it’s time to be the type of person someone would want to marry.

What do you think?  What other questions should single people be asking before they say ‘I do’?

~Peter

Also, if you’re in the NJ area, you should come check out Liquid Church’s new series on relationships called ‘Love Doctor‘ on Sunday’s in May.

The post 3 Things You Should Ask Yourself Before You Say ‘I Do’ appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.

Obedience can be one of the most frustrating things ever.  There, I said it.  I struggled with it as a child, and I struggle with it as an adult.  I am told that when I was a kid one of my favorite things to do was to park my cars in the garage.  Oh, you don’t know what that is?  That means stuffing your matchbox cars in the VCR slot.  (for those of you who don’t know what that is, check out this explanation.)  I was told time and time again that I was not allowed to do that, but time and time again I returned to doing it.

Obedience means that sometimes you have to stop doing what you want to do and start doing what is asked of you.

I recently read this quote in Andy Stanley’s book ‘Deep and Wide‘.  I loved it.

Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

God asks for us to be obedient to Him.  And sometimes obedience to God requires more than what we bargained for.  God asked many people throughout the Bible to do some really incredible things.  Some things that may not feel right.

• God asked Noah to build a freight liner that would save humanity and all of the animals with it.
• God asked Abraham to leave his family and go where He would show him.
• God asked Moses to become a lead political figure to challenge the greatest authority in the world and lead a nation of slaves into freedom.
• God asked Gideon to fight a battle with fewer soldiers than any army commander would be comfortable with.
• God asked Jonah to go to a land that he despised to a people who cursed the name of God so that he could share a message of God’s forgiveness and redemption.
• God asked the prophets to share a message of impending doom that was widely unaccepted at the risk of being stoned for the message they shared.
• God asked a young girl named Mary to carry a child to term in the face of public scrutiny and shame.
• God asked Joseph to support and take that young girl Mary as his wife despite the shame and public gossip.
• God asked a few fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor, and a handful of other men to leave their employment and follow His son Jesus.
• God asked His one and only Son to willingly die a criminal’s death on the most torturous killing machine of the time so that all of humanity could be made right with Him.

In each and every one of those situations God controlled the outcome.  God was in control of the circumstances.  God took care of each individual.  They needed to be obedient to Him.  They needed to take the next step and be willing to follow the instructions that God had given.

What has God been asking you to do?  Are you wiling to be obedient and take the next step?  After all, as Andy Stanley says, “Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him!”

~Peter

The post The Frustrating Road of Obedience appeared first on TheSaltlick.tv.