Just Add Milk!

We want what we want and we want it now! 

I got to thinking last night and again this morning that my own personal key to being physically fit and eating a diet of healthy foods is not by avoiding exposure to the unhealthy but rather by looking at my choices as short-lived.  Twice in the last week I had a choice of giving in and eating pizza for a meal because that is what the plan was where I was at.  I decided in both cases to make a healthier meal choice and did so because I realized that whatever choice I would make was only going to be about 30-minutes in duration.  In essence my choice would 30-minutes later leave me with a feeling of guilt or of victory over temptation.  Either way-my choice was going to be but a memory.  My choice was whether or not temptation for instant gratification was going to be allowed to have long-lived consequences or be encouragement to press on and continue to make a wise choice.

My challenges have been foods.  For others, the need for instant gratification comes in the form of alcohol, drugs, pornography, rage, anger-you name it.  The thing is I believe we stand a fairly good chance of victory over these temptations if we look at them as temporary rather than something that can (or will) control our life.  I believe that part of a winning strategy over temptation is coming to grips with the fact that it can be short-lived.  If the temptation is food then have alternative healthy foods on hand.  If the temptation is more of a serious kind such as I mentioned, keep the phone close by with at least a few friends on speed-dial that you have confided in to expect your call in a moment’s notice-and why.    

Just add milk!  Oh-if only all of life was as instantly gratifying as a bowl of cereal…and as harmless.

Clutter

Where are my car keys? Where is my wallet? Where is my phone? UUuuuuugh!!!

Is your outer world a reflection of you inner world? I would have to say that's how it is with me.  Clutter in my life tends to reflect the pace of my life.  When the pace is fast you can pretty much tell by my physical surroundings.  If everywhere I look there is a mess it is usually the result of disorganization mentally, physically or both.  I think that's true of many of us.  We take on so much that we barely have time to think.  We can be plugged into so many things that before long we begin to short-circuit.  Clutter can be defined as anything that doesn't improve you or those around you.  Even our kids can become part of our clutter if we allow it.  We allow (or encourage even) their involvement in so many different activities that it reduces what little free time we have to being a taxi-service and forcing us to handle errands in drive-by shooting fashion.  What's worse is it fragments the family depending on its size.  We end up with family life that can't but rarely share an evening meal together and we wonder why our kids are disconnected from the reality of what OUR childhood was like while we push them into a reality of the here and now.  Clutter affects everyone that comes in contact with it regardless of who owns it.

We need to learn to remove clutter.  We need to unplug from excess.  If an activity is stressing you out to the point it does not bring value to your life in relationships, positively effect your attitude with a sense of well-being it may be time to unplug for a while. Take a look at everything you've been doing day in and day out and begin to rewire and bring order to your chaos.  Stop and smell the roses, take a day off work just because, read a book, take time for your soul.  Find a time of day to talk to God.  Make each day count so you don't spend so much time looking forward to the weekend.  If you consistently find yourself saying, "thank God it's Friday" chances are there is too much clutter in your life and it's time to rewire.  Better yet it might be time to just pull the plug on a few.

Happy Holidays!

I'm taking a few moments during my lunch break to comment on something that just rubs me the wrong way and that is this: Every year at this time the senseless debate over a mere gesture becomes a point of contention and downright (nasty at times) “Dudley Do-Right”-masked indignation.  Heaven forbid a Christian ever greet anyone by saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” lest the wrath of fellow believers descend on them with a correction of ensuing blows to the head or gut.  Good grief!  I’ve even seen checkout clerks who cheerfully wish someone “happy holidays” only to get a nasty response of “Merry Christmas” from someone with a scowl intent only to make a point.  I guarantee you that Jesus looked more favorably upon the clerk than the patron and how ironic.  The Christmas holiday should not be cause for debate and division but of inclusion, happiness and joy.  Rather than take up a self-righteous stance on something that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, instead donate some time at a homeless shelter or food pantry this season and help someone have a “happy holiday!”

The Dwelling Place

To encounter something, you have to go there.  There's no getting around it-you have to move.  


Last night in our Life group we discussed briefly the busyness of life.  In fact most of us were very tired.  I know that I was after having put in a full day of physical work (not my day job) following minimal sleep left me very fatigued. Fatigue was evident in the others as well.  I could see it in their eyes.  We talked about the Sabbath, sabbaticals...rest.  We talked about the things we should be doing and what we are called to do but our hands are so full of junk that to grasp the important things means to release the junk we cling to.  We can't hold everything in the palm of our hands and so choices have to be made in order to grab on to that which is good.


Our weariness isn't limited to our physical being but our inner-being, our spirituality in spite of the fact that God's dwelling place is with you and me.  This is His choice; it always has been His desire to dwell with man and yet we can't seem to hear Him.  


I look at my phone's calendar app and it's loaded with "do this and do thats."  I can schedule time for even the dumbest of things but where in November have I set aside time with God other than church; I mean real quality time?  Quality time-not the kind where I squeeze Him in but where I actually plan an encounter, a day where I decide the "to-do list" isn't going to make the cut...or anything else for that matter.


The scripture that is working on me this morning are these:


Revelation 21:3~"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.


Revelation 3:20~"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him and eat with Him, and he with me."


A true encounter happens when we leave our laundry list at home.  It happens when we set aside a time with God that has no agenda but to just be in His presence without one peep from a cell phone, the kids-from everything.  The encounter happens when nothing else in our life matters than being alone with Him and that is probably the highest form of worship we could ever give.  

The Simple Life

It's been a couple of weeks since I've slept at home.  Kristi and I have spent this whole time at our "weekend" retreat except for an occasional stop at the house for odds and ends.  Of course Kristi has other matters at the house that need her attention such as her critters. This Spring and Summer have shown us just how possible it is to live in minimal space and we actually prefer it. I can't say that this lifestyle is for everyone but it does make me think about how we have drifted from living within our means as a society. We have departed from the smaller home and fewer possessions to where we are today. Maybe the lessons of this economic mess will awaken our sensibilities. As beaten down as many of us have been, our decadent lifestyle hasn't really changed much has it?  Many of us while experiencing the loss of a home or struggling to make ends meet still are still willing to sacrifice a quarter of a week's grocery budget on one family meal at a fast food joint.  Are we learning anything?

It's really time to come to our senses isn't it? Don't these tough times require a change in habit and an "about-face" from the lifestyle and lack of discipline that got us here? Isn't it time to get honest with ourselves and get back to the basics of life? How much is enough?

Who's job is it anyway?

A recently released study that found 1 in 5 children in America live in poverty has Christian advocacy groups urging Congress to not cut financial safety net programs while attempting to reduce the national debt.~Christian Post

What should the proper Christian response be toward those that are in need?  We shouldn’t support government charity to solve poverty should we?  Should we support them by way of the church on the basis of mercy, grace and charity?  Isn't it sad that the only place to turn really is the government?

We have, over the years, let the government take our role in society of helping the less fortunate…the needy. The “War on Poverty” and social programs coming out of Washington have stripped away the church’s responsibility, yes-the church’s responsibility and we have let them take it from us.  It's a flawed idea that government-obligated redistribution of wealth is a good way to help the needy back onto their feet.  Quite the contrary, the result is entitlement programs and welfare that opposes a life-change in favor of a lifestyle of dependency; certainly no revelation there.

Only when the Christian community (with the help of secular charitable organizations for that matter) step up and live out the lessons of Jesus will we truly be in a position to help the poor, unemployed, widows, orphans, and anyone else in need.  That’s what needs to happen doesn’t it?  The church needs to step-in so that government is able to step out of the societal territory that belongs to the church. That can only happen when the church remembers the lessons of Jesus – that He wants our hearts.  That kind of change is going to require a huge leap of faith in the Christian community and church leadership must be willing to take huge risk to bring that about.  I would really like to believe that as Christians we can bring ourselves to sacrifice for the good of all.  The first century church gave of what they had so that no one was in need (Acts 2:44-45).  Today that kind of behavior at the community level is sadly defined as a cult and at the government level defined as socialism.  Call it what you like but I can’t help but wonder if that is where our societal solution lies.  If the Christian community (the church) cannot pull off caring for one another then why in the world should we expect the government to?  The fact is the government can’t and it shouldn’t.  I also understand that the times are different today than in the first century.  There are huge changes that would have to take place in the church today both logistically and administratively where her role changes from a worship-type of entity to that which resembles more the likes of a food bank and unemployment office.  I don’t know how such a shift in philosophy can be pulled off.  Maybe it can’t in these modern times.  I do know this though; the government can’t do much worse; and the church?  The church can and MUST do better.  When the church can only afford to exist, pay its bills and salaries at the cost of being charitable that is a problem especially when capacity is there to do so much more.  Only when the Christian community truly gives Jesus what he desires, their heart, will we be relevant in such a way that we care for one another and make a difference in the lifes of those in need.  No-Christian leadership should definitely NOT be calling on government to do what God has called us to do.  We don't need to delegate to "big brother" what our Father has called us to do.  This isn't a question of being hard, its a question of doing what is right.  If the local church exists with resources enough to only provide for it's own programs, members and paid staff then it's time to take a look at things.  It's interesting that the Christian Right Wing is so vocal about demanding less government and yet here are Christian advocacy groups calling for more government and entitlements at that!  Sorry pal.  As Christians we should be ashamed to demand that government TAKE from someone via taxes the resources to help the poor. This should come from us-what we should freely give.  Jesus never said it was going to be easy.

Has Your Time Come?

"But now, O Lord,
you are our Father;
we are the clay, and You our potter;
and all we are, the work of Your hand."
Isaiah 64:8


Out of dust comes clay; the raw unrefined material that God will shape and mold to His liking often times whether we like it or not.  


Thinking back on American history and how God used Abraham Lincoln I'm encouraged.  Abe was just a country boy like many of us.  He was a relatively "self-taught" man that by today's standards might not have gotten a second look to do much of anything that might make a difference in our world much less lead a nation.  The thing is, God doesn't work that way.  As with so many great leaders he starts the same way as He does with anyone of us and you can be assured He can create something from nothing.  Be confident that the same breath that breathed life through the nostrils of Adam can breathe life into your calling and mine.


The author of the book I'm currently reading "The Emotionally Healthy Church" mentions how a man's conviction to doing right can come at a huge cost-the magnitude of which you and I will probably never have to wiegh.  God chose Abe Lincoln to one day rise up and become a leader so convicted about the abomination of slavery that he would be willing to risk civil war to abolish it.  This is huge!  Imagine some leadership decisions you face.  You know they are right, just and they are necessary.  You know the cost of the decision may be high.  You also know that it is crucial to follow through because the time is at hand and by His hand.  For years some of us have let others fill in the blank that defines who we are and what we will do and they neither have the right or the foresight to do so. Perhaps it is time to bring glory through that which has been in the making your whole life because not all pottery ends up an ashtray; not the pottery of The Maker's hand.  


Danny Thomas said: "All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why."  Maybe it's time to fill in the blank for yourself.  "I was born for this, this is my time and I was created to _______________."