"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." -Prov 17:22 (NASB)
Ok, so I'm finally in the category of parents who actually use the phrase, "when I was a kid..."! I'm serious , though. When I was growing up, Atari and eventually Nintendo were JUST coming out, we still had a monster satellite dish in the back yard (which you needed about seven descrambler boxes just to watch), and we recorded songs and audio clips on cassette tapes and filmed videos on VHS with a camera big enough for the networks to use! So what did we do with all of this stuff? We got creative. Yes, there were days of lying around and watching movies and playing video games- but they were few and far between. I remember when I was growing up, my best friend Jeff Collins and I would make all sorts of funny videos, record songs on my tape recorder, and shovel off the snow in the driveway so we could shoot hoops. We would play games of HORSE, have home run derbies with wiffle balls, and make our best attempts at learning how to skateboard. Yes, I may have broken a few bones and once even plummeted 15 feet out of a tree into a swamp, but we were having FUN!
So where am I going with all of this, other than down nostalgia lane? Here's my point: I recently read an article explaining how our children's play time is currently under attack. In the last decade or two, children have lost approximately 12 hours a week of unsupervised recreational play time! I'm not talking about school sports, intramural leagues, and camps of all sorts. No, I am talking about letting them go outside and explore the world like we used to do (even if it means eating a worm or two). Before I go any further, I will agree with many of you on one thing: the world definitely IS a different place than when we were growing up. It's rare to think of our kids playing out in the woods until dark nowadays, walking down the street alone, or letting them go over to other kid's house where we may or may not know the parents that well. The world has changed, and often not for the better- I get that. Believe me when I say that I would NEVER substitute my daughter's safety for a little extra "fun" on her behalf. What I'm saying is that we need to let our kids be kids, and possibly even reintroduce them to some of the things we did at their age. Turn the TV off more often, set time frames on things like Facebook, phone usage, and video games. Challenge your kids to get up and go explore the huge world of opportunities that God has laid out before them! Yes, I'm sure you may have resistance on their part, but in some ways, it's not their fault. Our kids often do not know about such great adventures and times that are available for them, because WE (our generation, that is) have created a virtual world for them that requires very little face to face contact with each other. Kids don't have to be themselves when they're online, plus they can play football (on an Xbox or PS3) all day long and not even break a sweat. It is reasons such as these, combined with countless more that limit our children on their cognitive and creativity skills, physical strength and health, confidence, and so on.
I'm not trying to be a downer here. In fact, I actually hope that I stirred up some great old memories for you! As I mentioned above, we may even have to introduce them to some of these activities. I have taught my daughter the art of diving in a pile of leaves, we have had water fights with the hose, and of course- I am her favorite tackling dummy. As parents, we need to "let go of the reigns" as it be, but naturally still keep our children's safety at priority number one. Yes, it may be hard for us to break our molds as well. I'm sure many of you (myself included) have gotten very comfortable in our nice and cozy little world we've created. We surely wouldn't want to drag mud on the new tile in the hallway, would we? Hmmm... Maybe that's EXACTLY what we DO need! Come on, dad...let's go for it. Make the most of these precious times with your kids, no matter what their age. Hey, the bigger they are, the more competitive the games will be, right? I challenge you to take advantage of these times for every one's sake. One day our kids will be grown and gone, and we will have missed out on some of the greatest times God has ever blessed us with. Plus, our kids will grow into more confident adults and leaders, and I'm sure we will flourish as well. As always, seek guidance through God's Word and prayer for opportunities to grow yourself as a father, and be sure to glorify Him at the end of the night for such a great day of play! (I would suggest, however, keeping the worms out of every one's diet as much as possible.) Have fun!!!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Calling All Christians! -Pt 5
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26 (NASB)
Well, we've covered a lot in these past several blogs. We discovered how as Christians we are held to higher standards in reference to our words, our judgment (or lack of) of others, and how we steward our bodies and flesh. We challenged ourselves (and possibly others?) to go out and serve God by taking an active role in ministry as well. Today we will cover the final piece to working all of these points together- our Source when it comes to all of this. Jesus MUST be our source of strength, renewal, and protection when it comes to living out the manner to which we've been called. Anything less, and we are bound to fall. When I first started the single dad ministry, I was pumped up! I had just given my life to the Lord a little over one year earlier, and definitely had no idea the work that lie ahead. Within about a year and a half, I became totally fried in the whole matter, and had to shut the group down for a while. What happened? Although I do believe that I was following God's will for my life, I also allowed many of the guys to dump all of their problems on me, and it drained me in every imaginable way. I tried to do too much, and got burned out. Now, don't get me wrong, ministry is a high calling and we are bound to put in some serious leg work sometimes, but the victory is through Christ, and it is He we must seek through it all.
The Bible tells us in Psalms 73:28, "But it is good for me to draw near to God..." (KJV) and in James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (NKJV). Although this can be exercised in a variety of ways, I have two key words for you: "quiet time". I've said it a thousand times, add once more here. Nothing in the world can quite match up to true, uninterrupted, one on one personal time between you and God. Now, this doesn't always have to be in a prayer position on your bedroom floor. No, your drive into work everyday or a walk through the countryside can be just effective. The main point is that there are zero (or minimal) distractions where you can talk and listen to Him as He speaks into your life. The writer of Hebrews instructs us to "come boldly to the throne of grace..." (Heb 4:12), which means to draw near with confidence. God loves us, just as we are- you know that. He desires that personal relationship with us, for us to reach new heights that only He can bring us to. Our key to unlocking that potential is by dying to self and becoming obedient children, and giving our Father the love and time that He truly deserves. When we do, Jesus will become the only source of strength and refreshment we truly will ever need. Isn't it time you went and connected with Him today?
Well, we've covered a lot in these past several blogs. We discovered how as Christians we are held to higher standards in reference to our words, our judgment (or lack of) of others, and how we steward our bodies and flesh. We challenged ourselves (and possibly others?) to go out and serve God by taking an active role in ministry as well. Today we will cover the final piece to working all of these points together- our Source when it comes to all of this. Jesus MUST be our source of strength, renewal, and protection when it comes to living out the manner to which we've been called. Anything less, and we are bound to fall. When I first started the single dad ministry, I was pumped up! I had just given my life to the Lord a little over one year earlier, and definitely had no idea the work that lie ahead. Within about a year and a half, I became totally fried in the whole matter, and had to shut the group down for a while. What happened? Although I do believe that I was following God's will for my life, I also allowed many of the guys to dump all of their problems on me, and it drained me in every imaginable way. I tried to do too much, and got burned out. Now, don't get me wrong, ministry is a high calling and we are bound to put in some serious leg work sometimes, but the victory is through Christ, and it is He we must seek through it all.
The Bible tells us in Psalms 73:28, "But it is good for me to draw near to God..." (KJV) and in James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." (NKJV). Although this can be exercised in a variety of ways, I have two key words for you: "quiet time". I've said it a thousand times, add once more here. Nothing in the world can quite match up to true, uninterrupted, one on one personal time between you and God. Now, this doesn't always have to be in a prayer position on your bedroom floor. No, your drive into work everyday or a walk through the countryside can be just effective. The main point is that there are zero (or minimal) distractions where you can talk and listen to Him as He speaks into your life. The writer of Hebrews instructs us to "come boldly to the throne of grace..." (Heb 4:12), which means to draw near with confidence. God loves us, just as we are- you know that. He desires that personal relationship with us, for us to reach new heights that only He can bring us to. Our key to unlocking that potential is by dying to self and becoming obedient children, and giving our Father the love and time that He truly deserves. When we do, Jesus will become the only source of strength and refreshment we truly will ever need. Isn't it time you went and connected with Him today?
Friday, November 11, 2011
11/11/11
Hi everyone,
Today I'm am going to take a break from our final section of "Calling All Christians" and focus on today in particular. What's so significant about today, you ask? Well, not only is it a once in a century date and really easy to write or type, it is an anniversary date in my life. Below is a text message I sent out to my friends and family this morning:
"As we enter into this time of Thanksgiving, I pray each one of us would truly humble ourselves for the countless undeserved blessings we receive each and every day. For me personally, today is nine years to the day since I was nearly killed in my car accident. I don't deserve to be alive, but I am. And not only am I alive in a physical sense, but I am living in Jesus Christ, whom traded His life for mine. Words can not describe my thankfulness, but He knows. Seek Him today and let our Savior know how much you love Him and be thankful for everything. Live it, don't just say it! Be blessed."
Needless to say my prayer time included plenty of praise, tears, and joy this morning! Let's focus on what really matters every day. God; our salvation; our families; the fact that we live in the greatest nation in the world (let's also remember to thank a veteran today as well); and everything else we have, but almost never deserve. Start your Thanksgiving today, and praise the One who gave it all to you in the first place- each and every day.
Today I'm am going to take a break from our final section of "Calling All Christians" and focus on today in particular. What's so significant about today, you ask? Well, not only is it a once in a century date and really easy to write or type, it is an anniversary date in my life. Below is a text message I sent out to my friends and family this morning:
"As we enter into this time of Thanksgiving, I pray each one of us would truly humble ourselves for the countless undeserved blessings we receive each and every day. For me personally, today is nine years to the day since I was nearly killed in my car accident. I don't deserve to be alive, but I am. And not only am I alive in a physical sense, but I am living in Jesus Christ, whom traded His life for mine. Words can not describe my thankfulness, but He knows. Seek Him today and let our Savior know how much you love Him and be thankful for everything. Live it, don't just say it! Be blessed."
Needless to say my prayer time included plenty of praise, tears, and joy this morning! Let's focus on what really matters every day. God; our salvation; our families; the fact that we live in the greatest nation in the world (let's also remember to thank a veteran today as well); and everything else we have, but almost never deserve. Start your Thanksgiving today, and praise the One who gave it all to you in the first place- each and every day.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Calling All Christians! -Pt 4
"But you, be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." -2Tim4:5 NASB)
In our previous three discussions, I have focused mainly on us working on ourselves- discovering what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, to set ourselves apart from the world, to be pure and holy for His purposes. Today I'm going to switch gears a bit and challenge each one of you (if you haven't already) to step out of the box and get involved in ministry. I spoke on this topic at a fundraiser last year, and one of my main points was not only to get my audience to donate financially to the ministry I was representing, but to get involved DIRECTLY in one form or another. You see, our greatest calling by Jesus is to "go and make disciples", a verse most Christians know, but only some follow. I don't care what denomination you are from (we're all one Body, by the way), whether or not your church is very evangelistic or not, and if you've ever had any experience in doing any outreach. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL called to ministry, be it great or small.
"Freely you received, freely give." -Matt 10:8 (NASB)
I don't need to spell it out for you how desperately our world needs Jesus. Kids are literally dying each and every day, hope is being lost through a major campaign to push God out of our nation, and in so many cases, nothing is being done to help. It's one thing for us to pray for the lost and struggling (a must), and to preach it from the pulpit, but my challenge to you today is, what are you doing to advance God's Kingdom? Before I go any further, please do not think I am putting myself above any one, that I am implying that we all need to become Billy Graham's, or whatnot. All I am saying is that EVERY SINGLE member of the Body of Christ should be serving in one form or another. Our pastor spoke on this the other day and challenged the congregation to get involved, be it big or small. What does something like this look like? Well, God gave you a special talent (works) that only you can accomplish for his purposes. (Eph 2:10) Maybe you are a great singer, well why not try out for the choir? Or perhaps you can make a mean apple pie; hey, I don't know a single church in the world that would pass up some good home cooking! I'm sure a bake sale, position in the cafeteria, or food pantry ministry would love a "piece of your pie"! Whatever you know you are good at: greeting, ushering, working the cameras, evangelism, missions, etc... do it with all your heart. God gave us His absolute best, and expects the same in return.
My advice would be to begin to seek the Lord in this, especially if He has been tugging on your heart lately. Ask Him, "God, you have created me for Your purposes and to go into the field to reap the harvest. Lord, I am asking humbly, what is Your will for me today in ministry? My heart is open and faithful, God, and even though it may be a bit scary- I trust You completely." When we first came to Christ we gave our lives to Jesus because we couldn't do it ourselves. We trust God with our resources, our children, and everything else; so why wouldn't we seek Him with passion in fulfilling our God-given destiny?!? Start today. He will lead you faithfully, and as my friend says, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." In other words, if He brings you to a particular ministry, He will most definitely arm you for the work ahead. Now, go and serve your King!
In our previous three discussions, I have focused mainly on us working on ourselves- discovering what it takes to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, to set ourselves apart from the world, to be pure and holy for His purposes. Today I'm going to switch gears a bit and challenge each one of you (if you haven't already) to step out of the box and get involved in ministry. I spoke on this topic at a fundraiser last year, and one of my main points was not only to get my audience to donate financially to the ministry I was representing, but to get involved DIRECTLY in one form or another. You see, our greatest calling by Jesus is to "go and make disciples", a verse most Christians know, but only some follow. I don't care what denomination you are from (we're all one Body, by the way), whether or not your church is very evangelistic or not, and if you've ever had any experience in doing any outreach. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL called to ministry, be it great or small.
"Freely you received, freely give." -Matt 10:8 (NASB)
I don't need to spell it out for you how desperately our world needs Jesus. Kids are literally dying each and every day, hope is being lost through a major campaign to push God out of our nation, and in so many cases, nothing is being done to help. It's one thing for us to pray for the lost and struggling (a must), and to preach it from the pulpit, but my challenge to you today is, what are you doing to advance God's Kingdom? Before I go any further, please do not think I am putting myself above any one, that I am implying that we all need to become Billy Graham's, or whatnot. All I am saying is that EVERY SINGLE member of the Body of Christ should be serving in one form or another. Our pastor spoke on this the other day and challenged the congregation to get involved, be it big or small. What does something like this look like? Well, God gave you a special talent (works) that only you can accomplish for his purposes. (Eph 2:10) Maybe you are a great singer, well why not try out for the choir? Or perhaps you can make a mean apple pie; hey, I don't know a single church in the world that would pass up some good home cooking! I'm sure a bake sale, position in the cafeteria, or food pantry ministry would love a "piece of your pie"! Whatever you know you are good at: greeting, ushering, working the cameras, evangelism, missions, etc... do it with all your heart. God gave us His absolute best, and expects the same in return.
My advice would be to begin to seek the Lord in this, especially if He has been tugging on your heart lately. Ask Him, "God, you have created me for Your purposes and to go into the field to reap the harvest. Lord, I am asking humbly, what is Your will for me today in ministry? My heart is open and faithful, God, and even though it may be a bit scary- I trust You completely." When we first came to Christ we gave our lives to Jesus because we couldn't do it ourselves. We trust God with our resources, our children, and everything else; so why wouldn't we seek Him with passion in fulfilling our God-given destiny?!? Start today. He will lead you faithfully, and as my friend says, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." In other words, if He brings you to a particular ministry, He will most definitely arm you for the work ahead. Now, go and serve your King!
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