Reluctant Traveler

I am thinking about trying to get ready for a trip I'm taking this weekend to Hong Kong. I have mentioned this to a few people and they all say something like, "How exciting!" or "That is so cool!"

Well, to be honest with you, I am not excited about it. I am going because I believe that God wants me to go. I know I should probably be pumped about it, but that is not the case.

I am attending the international congress for Call2All which is a movement to network, train and focus the body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission, which is very exciting.

So, why am I not excited? I have been wrestling with that question myself. Perhaps it is because I am concerned about my comfort (over 20 hours of flying plus jet lag). Or is it because I have a lot of stuff going on here that I want to take care of? Maybe it's because I don't truly know my role in Call2All and this is taking me way outside my comfort zone. It could be that I don't feel worthy to participate. It's possible it is all of the above! In any event, I'm not fired up at the moment.

However, one thing I can say is that I'm expecting great things from God during our time in Hong Kong. So, can you do me a favor? Can you pray for me and the other attendees (representatives from over 100 countries) for safe travel, for protection for our families at home and that God would show up in a big way and guide each of us exactly where He wants us? Thanks!

Two Things

At our church last night, Jason Vanbinsbergen, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, spoke to us. He brought up some statistics that were somewhat startling.

He said that in a George Barna study, it was revealed that the following were the top three ways that Christians were viewed in this country by non-believers:
1. Anti-homo-sexual
2. Judgmental
3. Hypocritical

He also mentioned a quote which has been attributed to Ghandi: "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians."

Jesus told us, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34a-35)

It is really too bad that we as Christians are known more for what we are against than what we are for.

Jason told us a story about his 7 year-old son's hockey team which he helped to coach. He said that they would rotate goalies each game so every kid had a chance to play in front of the net. Jason was a goalie growing up so he helped to teach the kids what was necessary. He said he struggled with this at first because there is so much to know. He then boiled it down to two basic principles. He told the kids to 1. keep your stick on the ice (kids that age can't lift the puck, so if your stick is down you will stop a lot of pucks) and 2. after the puck hits your stick, fall on it immediately (on the rebound is when most goals are scored, especially at that age). He would tell the goalie, "If you can do those two things you will do great!"

We are told the same thing all throughout the Bible. "I'm going to boil this down to two things for you. One, love God and two, love people."

Pretty simple, eh?

Houston We Have A Problem

A good friend of mine, Brian Keel, who is CFO at the Toledo YMCAs wrote this recently:

I’ve been reading the book Failure is Not an Option by Eugene Kranz, Toledo native and legendary NASA flight director. While a relatively small part of the book deals directly with the story of Apollo 13 it could be said that the entire book and the entire history of NASA is related to that mission. For all the intelligence possessed by the engineers in Mission Control, for all the technology (advanced for its time) that was at their disposal, for all the courage shown by the crew, it was the training and experience of the people that made the difference between success and failure of Apollo 13.

A pastor friend likened our individual reaction to a crisis or pressure to that of a sponge. What comes out of us when we’re squeezed depends on what we have been soaking in! The Mission Control team soaked itself in training and simulation to be ready for almost any situation. What are we soaking in?

Some of the key components like prayer, corporate worship and Bible study are obvious. But so many of the choices we make every day also contribute to our environment. Do we spend more time with our negative friends or the positive ones? Do we watch TV shows where spouses and children treat each other with respect or do they yell and put each other down?

Soak in the good stuff…. And success will be our only option!

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.” James 1:2

Pigeon Holed

My son is almost 13 and is going through some difficult things at school, including bullying. As a result, his confidence has been on the decline which concerns my wife and me. We have been doing a lot of praying and we have also been looking for things that can help him.

My son has a tendency to not want to get out of his comfort zone. This includes getting together with new potential friends or trying a new activity. Although, in almost all cases, he ends up having a lot of fun, he continues to struggle with this. Because of this I sometimes tend to "pigeon hole" him, or pre-suppose how he is...that he would prefer to be by himself or that he is just lazy. I then try to steer him accordingly into where I think God is taking him. However, if I am honest, I am probably steering him toward where I want him to go. I may do this more often than I care to admit with others as well.

Over the weekend I was reading Max Lucado's book, Cure for the Common Life, Living in Your Sweet Spot. In the book, Lucado said something that really got me thinking about this:

Pine trees need different soil than oak trees. A cactus thrives in different conditions than a rosebush. What about the soil and the environment of your child? Some kids love to be noticed. Others prefer to hide in the crowd. Some relish deadlines. Others need ample preparation and help. Some do well taking tests. Others excel with the subject, but stumble through the exam.

Rush Limbaugh made a D in public speaking, but today he relishes speaking into a radio microphone. The West Point algebra entrance exam nearly excluded Omar Bradley from military life. He squeaked into the academy in the next-to-lowest group, but he went on to earn the rank of a five-star general and oversee thousands of troops and millions of dollars in World War II. We each have different optimal conditions. What are your children's?

Pretty good stuff! This showed me that I need to not try to figure this out, especially with my kids. I need to be supportive and help my children to discover their gifts and their purpose. I guess I sometimes try to be God and steer my kids (and others) to where I want them to go. I must trust Him, that He has their best interests at heart and will guide them accordingly.

This also encouraged me that I don't have to "fix" the situations in others, that God is in control and He can use these in the lives of others. Now, it's my job to internalize it and live it out.

In God We Still Trust

Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy this awesome video!

Think About Such Things

In my men's group this morning, we studied Philippians 4:4-9 and had an awesome discussion on the peace that God can bring to each of us if we do what He instructs us in those verses. In verse 8 of that passage we are told:

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

I thought about how appropriate that is coming in to this Memorial Day weekend. I think many of us (me included) think of this weekend as a great three-day weekend without really thinking about the meaning behind it. What a shame. We live in an incredible country which provides us so much freedom and I believe we as a society take that for granted. Most countries do not have the freedoms we do. And one of the main reasons we have this is because of the brave men and women who have sacrificed their blood, sweat, tears, and even their lives to protect our freedoms.

Now that truly is something that is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy! So let's think about that and remember!

In God I Trust?

On Tuesday night of this week, I went to bed sometime around 10 and found myself running through a checklist of things I needed to have ready for our Truth At Work roundtable meeting (a monthly meeting of Christian leaders which helps them to grow their organizations in a God-honoring way while at the same time helping them to grow personally and spiritually). Normally, I wouldn’t be doing this but on Wednesday we were starting our 3rd group in NW Ohio and things run a little differently in our kickoff meetings. Plus, I wanted everything to go great for our new members.

While running through my inventory of tasks, I realized that I had forgotten to check to see if our host site had wireless internet access which we would need in this meeting. I then thought of a couple of other minor things I had forgotten. I began to worry and be anxious about this. I was in “I hope things work out OK” mode. As a result, though I knew that God is in control, I struggled to get to sleep. I must not have truly trusted Him to take care of things.

God had a message for me yesterday morning when I woke up. I was greeted to a devotional from my friend, Os Hillman, which had this to say:

Seeing God's Power in the Clothing Industry

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman

Wednesday, May 20 2009

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Cor 2:3-5).

I learned a principle years ago of withholding our natural gifting to insure that God is in whatever we are doing.

Crystal is a businesswoman involved in the manufacture of designer clothing. Her designs are known for their elaborate detail and accessories sewn into the clothing. She had a contract with a major retail chain that agreed to carry her clothing. A call came from the retailer requesting that four designs be sent to them for consideration for the next season's clothing line. She had known that meeting this particular deadline was going to be very difficult due to other circumstances that were going on in her life.

Finally the deadline came and she had not completed the two of the pieces of clothing she wanted them to consider. The elaborate detail and finish work she was known for had not been completed on two of the four pieces they were asking for. She called the retailer and said she had two pieces ready to ship but the other two still needed to be completed. The retailer argued with her and said, "Send the others to us anyway."

Crystal is a perfectionist and the idea of sending her designs to the retailer without the finished detail, creativity, and quality made her very uncomfortable. Then, she recalled my teaching on this principle. She decided to do something in total opposition to her natural inclinations. She sent the two pieces of clothing to the retailer along with the other two "finished" pieces. To her shock and amazement the retailer chose the two pieces of clothing that had not been "finished" and declined the other two.

Crystal realized that God was demonstrating His power through this principle of withholding her natural gifting to show her that it was by His hand that she was being successful in her business. This did not take away her need to be creative or skillful, but there was now a new understanding to move in a dimension that placed greater dependence upon obedience rather than just her natural skill.

On the surface, this might not seem like it relates to my situation, but I know that God was using this to speak to me. It was if He was saying, “Jim, when are you going to learn that you can totally trust in Me? When are you going to get that no matter what you do, you can’t control this stuff? When will you understand that worrying won’t do anything but cause you grief?”

I love when God does stuff like this. I am not where I need to be, but I’m so glad I’m not where I used to be!

The Patience of Love

I was reading William Barclay's commentary on the letters to the Corinthians last night. He shared a story that really got me. It involved Abraham Lincoln:

The American Baptist Harry Emerson Fosdick points out that no one treated President Abraham Lincoln, with more contempt than did his secretary for war, Edwin Stanton. He called him a "low cunning clown", he nicknamed him "the original gorilla" and said that the traveller and explorer Paul Du Chaillu was a fool to wander about Africa trying to capture a gorilla when he could have found one so easily in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln said nothing. He made Stanton his war minister because he was the best man for the job, and he treated him with every courtesy. The years wore on. The night came when the assassin's bullet murdered Lincoln in the theater. In the little room to which the President's body was taken stood that same Stanton, and, looking down on Lincoln's silent face, he said through tears: "There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen." The patience of love had conquered in the end.

Love is patient...

1 Corinthians 13:4a

And He Will Give You Rest

A friend of mine, Brian Keel, is the CFO for the Toledo Area YMCAs. He also is quite a writer. He sends out a weekly email devotional that is very thought provoking. This week's is no exception. Because we live in such a fast-paced world, I wanted to share his words from this week here:

As I’m writing this I am wishing that my three-year-old would take her nap. She has had a busy morning and hasn’t taken a nap for several days. The house is nice and quiet….she had a snack and a drink….she’s weary and needs the rest…I’ve provided seemingly everything that she needs…but no luck. What is she waiting for?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus

It’s not just the little ones that forget to take their rest. I think it’s all of us! Perhaps we are still struggling under the burden of trying to earn our favor with God; to justify a spot in heaven through our good works. Perhaps we are confident in our faith but have our foot on the “godly gas pedal” trying to serve others 24/7. Or perhaps we are just plain tired, with the energy needed to sustain work, family and marriages gone.

The verse above from Matthew applies to all those situations and more. One nap refreshes the body for a time, but doesn’t help us a week from now. Sunday morning church time can refresh the soul for a time, but what about the rest of the week? A daily dose of God’s rest is what we really need. It might be prayer, or music or devotional time or maybe even getting more sleep. Whatever it is for you, what are you waiting for?

(shhh… I think she finally went to sleep!)

A Mist

I got this neat tool sent to me in an email that calculates your life expectancy based on a set of health and lifestyle related questions (click here to access it). It is pretty neat from the standpoint that you can see what types of things in your life have the ability to make you more or less healthy and how that can relate to your life expectancy.

Looking at this stuff is great; however, we are not even promised our next breath let alone X number of years. James tells us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

How true. Regardless of how long our life is, it is so short when viewed from eternity. I have heard it said time and time again that a person on their deathbed will not say, “I wish I had closed one more sale” or “I wish I had spent more time at work.” No, if they have regrets, those regrets will more than likely be centered on their relationships. They will have wanted to spend more time with those they love.

Relationships are what truly matter. So since our life is but a mist, let’s make the most of our time here and sow into the lives of others!

Success

On Monday I posted about some nuggets John Maxwell shared with us last week while he was in Toledo. One of them was his definition of success. He said that, to him, success was "that those who know me the best, respect me the most."

I thought that was very good. In today's day and age, success is typically defined by the house you live, the car you drive or how much money you make. What Maxwell is saying is that you might have all these things, but if your family and close friends don't respect you or even know you, are you really a success? I think not.

Although I agree with this, why is it that I often find myself striving for the world's definition of success? Why do I not simply abide in Christ and step off the treadmill for a little while? Thankfully, this is something God is really working on in me. I'm not where I want to be but I am so thankful I am not where I used to be!

If you want to see a neat 3 minute video on success, click here and then click on the link that says, "Watch the DVD movie."

Maxwellisms

As I mentioned on Friday, John Maxwell spoke at Toledo's National Day of Prayer Breakfast and at a three hour leadership seminar last Thursday. While reviewing my notes, I came across quite a few "nuggets" that I wanted to share:

• John mentioned that a great influence on his life was his father. He said he was the greatest leader he ever knew. He also shared that his dad refused to pay allowance to he and his siblings for doing chores. Instead he paid them an allowance if they read certain books. As a result of this, John said he developed a desire to continually learn and grow which continues to this day.
• When you have a dream, the day you really buy-in to the dream (in other words, the day you sell-out and go for it), you will be in way over your head. You will be in a place which will require God's help.
• He said motivation doesn't work in the long term. He said it is much better to hire motivated people.
• The most important thing a parent can do is help their child determine their areas of giftedness.
• Definition of "success": That those who know me the best, respect me the most.
• The secret of your success is determined in your daily agenda.
• Leadership is influence. So how can one gain influence? Simply by adding value to others.

Serving Others

Yesterday in Toledo, we had our Community Leaders Prayer Breakfast which we hold annually on the National Day of Prayer. This was our 20th year so we decided to ask John Maxwell come to share with us. He also conducted a three hour leadership session. Both events really helped a lot of people.

Because I was on the committee that put this on, I had the privilege of spending some time with John at dinner the night before. Bob, who was the chairman of this year's event, was asking John at dinner how he wanted things to go on Thursday and John replied, "Bob, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just here to serve you." Here is maybe the world's top leadership expert who has written 50 or so books and speaks all over the world telling Bob that he was simply here to serve him. Very cool.

During his seminar, John shared that leadership is simply influence and that if you want to increase your leadership capabilities, you must increase your influence. So you may say, how can I increase my influence? John said that the way to increase influence is simply to add value to others. In fact, he says he gets up every morning and asks, "Lord, who can I add value to today?" Then before going to sleep he asks, "Who did I add value to today?"

John was constantly looking for ways to add value to all of us. He came to serve us. Now that's a leader!

“Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:26b-28

Patience

I have to admit it. I lack patience at times. I am pretty good when I am behind a slow truck or I'm stuck in the slowest line in the grocery store...well most of the time. Where I really struggle is waiting on God.

I have felt lately like I have been stuck in neutral and that nothing is happening. I know in my head this is not true as much is happening...good stuff is happening. However, I have this tremendous desire to see tangible progress every day. When I don't, this frustrates me. I feel like I am not doing all I can to "move the ball down the field." As if it were all up to me!

I read something last night that really rocked my world. It was in Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God:

How long was it from the time that He spoke to Abram (later named Abraham) that Isaac, the child of promise, was born? Twenty-five years. Why did God wait twenty-five years? Because it took God twenty-five years? Because it took God twenty-five years to make a father suitable for Isaac. God was concerned, not so much about Abram, but about a nation. The quality of the father will affect the quality of all the generations that follow. As goes the father, so goes the next several generations. God took time to build Abram into a man of character. Abram had to begin to adjust his life to God's ways immediately. He could not wait until Isaac was born and then try to become the father God wanted him to be.

God speaks when He has purpose in mind for your life. We are so oriented to quick response that we abandon the word from God before He has a chance to develop our character.

I have to say that this passage hit me square between the eyes and the timing of it was perfect for me. I hope it is for you too.

TGIM

I love to be around people with a positive attitude. I'll bet you do too.

I am blessed to know many who help to pick me up when I'm feeling down. One of those is Pastor Larry. He is the pastor of First Congregational Church in Toledo. He's the type of guy who makes you feel better just being with him.

He sends out a weekly email and I received this from him last week:

I love Mondays and I’ll tell you why…Monday is an opportunity for a fresh start. In my case I dust my desk off…open the blinds and let the sunshine in…and I realize that I have an opportunity for a new beginning. Oh yes, I carry over some of the stuff from last week…but now that I have had a couple days to refresh myself…to worship an awesome God…I’ve gained new strength for a new week.

Can you imagine how hopeless life would be if Jesus had simply said, In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart? No, Jesus said, In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world!

That really fires me up for a new week. As 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." This means, as a follower of Christ, you have victory over death, yes, but it also means so much more than that. It means you can have victory over anything that goes on in this life as well.

I realize that as I say this today, I know that some of you feel like your back is against the wall. You are wondering whether you will ever be able to let go of the fear in your heart. I have wonderful news for you today. It may not happen today…it may not happen next month even…but through the power of Jesus Christ working in your heart and life, you can let go of your fear. Perhaps your prayer should be something like this…I’ll take heart because Jesus has overcome my ______________________________________.

Being a follower of Christ means you can have victory over your fears…your failures…and your future…EVERYTHING!

I love a fresh start!

Larry

It was too good for me not to share. TGIM!