"One day you will be called to answer to what you do with the gifts you've been given." Nancy Beach. What are your gifts, and what are you doing with them?
It's not a risk if we're using the gifts God gave us.
We are sometimes the people that stand in our own way.
If you are a leader, it should be because of your character, not your title.
Just some random thoughts that come from a day of opportunities.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Portability
What does the word "portable" mean to you? Remember the boom box? It was large and ran on "D" cell batteries, but you could take your radio anywhere (if you could muscle it up on your shoulder)! Then, in 1982 the Sony Discman was introduced and the bulky boom box was quickly replaced. Here we are in the 21st century and we have portable music players that hold thousands upon thousands of songs and fit in the palm of our hands. Who knew how quickly our entire world would become portable?
I am part of a "portable" church campus. Every week we unload 2 semi trailers full of equipment at an elementary school in Owasso, Oklahoma and set up an "experience room" (auditorium), 4 children's rooms and a large lobby. We transform the elementary school into a sleek, modern, technologically-advanced church...and then pack it all up to do it again the next week.
Besides the obvious challenges of set up and tear down, we face other "opportunities" like - How do we keep the atmosphere fresh and inviting when everything is locked up in trailers during the week? Where do we hold campus-wide events? How do we successfully launch children and youth programs during the week without a facility?
I call these challenges "opportunities" because that's what they are - opportunities for us to come up with alternative solutions. Opportunities for us to reach people outside of the traditional church building. Opportunities to stretch ourselves (and our volunteers) into areas that we never thought we could go. But above all else - Opportunities to truly rely on God's direction, because our minds are so small and so brainwashed to think that a church has to be filled with pews, red carpet and a steeple that without HIM we could never have even considered a portable church!
Portable Church - who'd have thought? God...of course!
I am part of a "portable" church campus. Every week we unload 2 semi trailers full of equipment at an elementary school in Owasso, Oklahoma and set up an "experience room" (auditorium), 4 children's rooms and a large lobby. We transform the elementary school into a sleek, modern, technologically-advanced church...and then pack it all up to do it again the next week.
Besides the obvious challenges of set up and tear down, we face other "opportunities" like - How do we keep the atmosphere fresh and inviting when everything is locked up in trailers during the week? Where do we hold campus-wide events? How do we successfully launch children and youth programs during the week without a facility?
I call these challenges "opportunities" because that's what they are - opportunities for us to come up with alternative solutions. Opportunities for us to reach people outside of the traditional church building. Opportunities to stretch ourselves (and our volunteers) into areas that we never thought we could go. But above all else - Opportunities to truly rely on God's direction, because our minds are so small and so brainwashed to think that a church has to be filled with pews, red carpet and a steeple that without HIM we could never have even considered a portable church!
Portable Church - who'd have thought? God...of course!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Reconnecting
Do you have friends that you haven't connected with in awhile? Do you ever say "I wonder what happened to..."? Recently I was thinking about my best friend from high school. Just as I was thinking of her, I received a Friend Request from her on Facebook. Obviously not a coincidence (especially since I don't believe in coincidences). I was so excited! We had been the best of friends, but with us both getting married, and then my move to Oklahoma, we lost contact.
As we began reconnecting, it was pretty uncanny how our lives seemed to compliment each other. She had planned to be a youth pastor, and while I spent many years "running" from the church, I wound up entering into ministry. We were both outdoors people, she much more athletic and coordinated than I, but our interests are quite similar.
I can't help but wonder what God is showing me through our reconnection. Obviously, I am thrilled to pick up our friendship where it left off - that goes without saying! But it wouldn't be like me to just leave it at that. Everyone who knows me recognizes that I have to evaluate the situation to look for God's hand. And true to form, He is revealing things to me through my friend - two things really: perseverance and steadfastness. My friend has persevered through some difficult times. And she has remained steadfast in her commitment to herself and to her family. Details aren't appropriate or even necessary - just know she is a Proverbs 31 woman.
"She sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for their tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." Prov 31:17-18
I am pleased to get to know my friend again and can't wait to see what else God is going to reveal through her. Is there someone in your life that you've been thinking about? Why not search for them on Facebook...or better yet, pick up the phone?
As we began reconnecting, it was pretty uncanny how our lives seemed to compliment each other. She had planned to be a youth pastor, and while I spent many years "running" from the church, I wound up entering into ministry. We were both outdoors people, she much more athletic and coordinated than I, but our interests are quite similar.
I can't help but wonder what God is showing me through our reconnection. Obviously, I am thrilled to pick up our friendship where it left off - that goes without saying! But it wouldn't be like me to just leave it at that. Everyone who knows me recognizes that I have to evaluate the situation to look for God's hand. And true to form, He is revealing things to me through my friend - two things really: perseverance and steadfastness. My friend has persevered through some difficult times. And she has remained steadfast in her commitment to herself and to her family. Details aren't appropriate or even necessary - just know she is a Proverbs 31 woman.
"She sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for their tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night." Prov 31:17-18
I am pleased to get to know my friend again and can't wait to see what else God is going to reveal through her. Is there someone in your life that you've been thinking about? Why not search for them on Facebook...or better yet, pick up the phone?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sickness
My son came down with a fever last night. Not earth shattering. Not new to me as a mom. But, last night was different. At 16 yrs old, being sick is much different than at 6 yrs old. I'm not sure if I'm ready.
Six year old boys want attention - he would curl up in my lap while his daddy told him to "suck it up, son." He wanted someone to sit with him and watch cartoons, serve him juice and make all the sickness go away. He wanted to know that he was loved.
Sixteen year old boys want nothing to do with mom or anyone else. He knows mom can't make the sickness go away, but he also knows that mom will pray for healing. He still wants mom to serve him, but he's capable of getting it for himself in the middle of the night so as to allow mom to sleep. He watches Discovery or MTV, and certainly doesn't want mom watching it with him. He knows he is loved, and therefore, he is independent.
Sixteen years behind us and still a lifetime ahead. While I miss the lap-curling moments, I look forward to the milestones to come. Hard to let go of the 6 yr old, but I welcome the 16 yr old just the same.
Six year old boys want attention - he would curl up in my lap while his daddy told him to "suck it up, son." He wanted someone to sit with him and watch cartoons, serve him juice and make all the sickness go away. He wanted to know that he was loved.
Sixteen year old boys want nothing to do with mom or anyone else. He knows mom can't make the sickness go away, but he also knows that mom will pray for healing. He still wants mom to serve him, but he's capable of getting it for himself in the middle of the night so as to allow mom to sleep. He watches Discovery or MTV, and certainly doesn't want mom watching it with him. He knows he is loved, and therefore, he is independent.
Sixteen years behind us and still a lifetime ahead. While I miss the lap-curling moments, I look forward to the milestones to come. Hard to let go of the 6 yr old, but I welcome the 16 yr old just the same.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Repentance, An Escape?
To become a true Christ follower, we must first start with recognizing and confessing our sins, making the conscious decision to turn away from them, and turn to the God of redemption through Jesus Christ our savior. In ministry life, these words flow off of the tongue quickly and easily, and often we walk away brushing our hands together knowing the angels rejoice because of another one saved. Well - the angels do rejoice, but is our job done?
In the 21st Century, churches are springing up all over the place for people who are disillusioned by their salvation experience, feeling they've been let down by their church. After all, once a person has gone through the above process, truly believing in Christ, isn't life supposed to be all glory and no pain? If our job in the ministry is to only preach the salvation message, then that's what people will believe. We absolutely must tell the rest of the story - and be prepared to support people through it all.
We must tell them that just because we turn away from our past, it doesn't mean that there is no remnant, no memory of it still remaining. As a parent we forgive our child who has disobeyed, once they say they are sorry and truly show remorse (sometimes combined with tear-filled puppy dog eyes), but there must still be consequences. And depending on the disobedient act, a painful memory may remain for the child as well as the parent. Repentance does not mean we escape our past, but it does give us permission to move forward.
Paul is a great example of someone who had to live with the consequences of his past. He spent a large part of his life persecuting Jesus and all those who believed in him. His salvation experience was remarkable and afterwards he pursued converting others to Christ with more zeal than he did persecuting Jesus. But Paul did not go without residue, without a constant reminder of his past - a thorn that taunted him day and night. He was continually reminded of what he had done against Jesus. God forgave Paul in the same way He forgives us.
I want to be clear - even though we cannot escape our past completely, the life we live as true followers of Jesus Christ is far better than our life before Him. With Jesus, there is hope, love and grace like we have never experienced before. And if that's not enough, then there is the knowledge that we will spend eternal life with Him in Heaven.
As Easter approaches and we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, remember we owe it to those who choose Christ to support their entire life, not just their salvation experience.
Repentance does not mean we escape our past, but it does give us permission to move forward.
In the 21st Century, churches are springing up all over the place for people who are disillusioned by their salvation experience, feeling they've been let down by their church. After all, once a person has gone through the above process, truly believing in Christ, isn't life supposed to be all glory and no pain? If our job in the ministry is to only preach the salvation message, then that's what people will believe. We absolutely must tell the rest of the story - and be prepared to support people through it all.
We must tell them that just because we turn away from our past, it doesn't mean that there is no remnant, no memory of it still remaining. As a parent we forgive our child who has disobeyed, once they say they are sorry and truly show remorse (sometimes combined with tear-filled puppy dog eyes), but there must still be consequences. And depending on the disobedient act, a painful memory may remain for the child as well as the parent. Repentance does not mean we escape our past, but it does give us permission to move forward.
Paul is a great example of someone who had to live with the consequences of his past. He spent a large part of his life persecuting Jesus and all those who believed in him. His salvation experience was remarkable and afterwards he pursued converting others to Christ with more zeal than he did persecuting Jesus. But Paul did not go without residue, without a constant reminder of his past - a thorn that taunted him day and night. He was continually reminded of what he had done against Jesus. God forgave Paul in the same way He forgives us.
I want to be clear - even though we cannot escape our past completely, the life we live as true followers of Jesus Christ is far better than our life before Him. With Jesus, there is hope, love and grace like we have never experienced before. And if that's not enough, then there is the knowledge that we will spend eternal life with Him in Heaven.
As Easter approaches and we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, remember we owe it to those who choose Christ to support their entire life, not just their salvation experience.
Repentance does not mean we escape our past, but it does give us permission to move forward.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Calamity
Heard something on Grey's Anatomy quite awhile back that's been rattling in my brain - "Smooth rides are boring. Calamity, now that's worth talking about." I'm not asking for calamity by any stretch (and don't watch Grey's Anatomy for its life lessons), but on the other side of calamity, if we look really hard, we see God's grace.
Our lives are full of some level of calamity - if not, then are we truly living? It's funny how we can talk about all of the problems in our lives...the "calamity," but how many of us find it interesting to talk about God's grace once the darkness has ended? I'm not saying don't share with your friends and family when you are facing difficult times...I'm just saying be sure to share how God's grace filled your life as the darkness dissipated. Why not add a little more passion to God's deliverance and a little less drama to the calamity? To coin a common phrase lately: "just sayin'."
Our lives are full of some level of calamity - if not, then are we truly living? It's funny how we can talk about all of the problems in our lives...the "calamity," but how many of us find it interesting to talk about God's grace once the darkness has ended? I'm not saying don't share with your friends and family when you are facing difficult times...I'm just saying be sure to share how God's grace filled your life as the darkness dissipated. Why not add a little more passion to God's deliverance and a little less drama to the calamity? To coin a common phrase lately: "just sayin'."
Sunday, March 8, 2009
"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old and he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
A familiar verse, especially to those in children's ministry. As parents, it's a verse that we hope to witness in action as our children grow. Recently my son got his first job at a new "quick service" restaurant. The training offered by the restaurant was impressive - perfect for a first real job. He has worked on my stepdad's "farm" on weekends for about a year, but it's family, so the job, while excellent experience, has different expectations.
I visited the restaurant on its opening night. I was a bit nervous - would my son treat this job the same way he handles taking out the trash? Would he have the lackadaisacle attitude that he gets when asked to clean his room? Or...would he fall back on the training that he has received to be a self-starter and have a strong work ethic?
I was honored and humbled as I witnessed my son in action. He never stopped moving - not even to chat with me at my table. He gave a nonchalant "hi Mom," and then asked if he could fill our drinks. He visited every table, filling drinks, removing empty plates, checking with patrons to see if there's anything they need. He filled the condiment station with speed and precision. I was impressed.
Victory! Just one. Hopefully there will be many more to come. Of course, I know that there will be failures - which terrifies me beyond belief. But with each small victory, it gives me hope that he will always revert back to his training...the most important of which is the truth about his savior and redeemer Jesus Christ.
I will never stop praying. I will continue to build on the foundation that has been laid. And I will call on God's promise that Josh will not turn from the truth that he has been taught.
A familiar verse, especially to those in children's ministry. As parents, it's a verse that we hope to witness in action as our children grow. Recently my son got his first job at a new "quick service" restaurant. The training offered by the restaurant was impressive - perfect for a first real job. He has worked on my stepdad's "farm" on weekends for about a year, but it's family, so the job, while excellent experience, has different expectations.
I visited the restaurant on its opening night. I was a bit nervous - would my son treat this job the same way he handles taking out the trash? Would he have the lackadaisacle attitude that he gets when asked to clean his room? Or...would he fall back on the training that he has received to be a self-starter and have a strong work ethic?
I was honored and humbled as I witnessed my son in action. He never stopped moving - not even to chat with me at my table. He gave a nonchalant "hi Mom," and then asked if he could fill our drinks. He visited every table, filling drinks, removing empty plates, checking with patrons to see if there's anything they need. He filled the condiment station with speed and precision. I was impressed.
Victory! Just one. Hopefully there will be many more to come. Of course, I know that there will be failures - which terrifies me beyond belief. But with each small victory, it gives me hope that he will always revert back to his training...the most important of which is the truth about his savior and redeemer Jesus Christ.
I will never stop praying. I will continue to build on the foundation that has been laid. And I will call on God's promise that Josh will not turn from the truth that he has been taught.
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