Month: October 2010

Categories
Daily Post

Cool Dark Morning

I love autumn mornings.  It’s so cool outside, and its dark again, and all I want to do is sleep. Add Friday on top of that and you have a snooze button sort of morning.

However, a day of work was beckoning and so sometimes you have to discard rest and and push forward.  That’s how it is in our lives as Christ followers as well.  Sometimes it’s work.  All you want to do is fall into the comfort of being self absorbed, but we have to discard that and continue to push forward.

So today is Friday, stay strong and stay persistent of your service!

7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  Romans 2:7 (New International Version)

Categories
Daily Post

Are You Listening?

There was a preacher I remember from my youth ( not that I am old now or anything), that used to always say in the middle of his sermons “Are you Listening?”.  It was sort of weird that he would get to the end of a sentence and just add in “Are you Listening”, “Are you Listening”?

As a young man, I thought maybe he had spotted a napping listener, or had looked over at the teenagers, but I soon realized he was saying “Do you hear what I am telling you.”

This is great advice and something to ponder today.  “Are you Listening”, or just reading, or hearing and changing nothing?

22-24Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

25But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. (James 1:22-25, The Message)

Categories
Daily Post

F-A-N-A-T-I-C

As you know I am always looking around for different types of music for motivation.  So a few weeks ago I was reminded of Lecrae, a Christian rapper.  I had heard some of his stuff, but never went to check it closer.  Then I went out to spend the weekend with a bunch of middle school kids.  After that, I decided I needed to check out Lecrae.

I am not much of a Hip Hop sort of guy.  Usually the most hip hop I listen to is before football games when its blasting in the stadium, but I like this guy’s words and his message

I’m a F-A-N-A-T-I-C, Fanatic
I rep Christ till I D-I-E, Fanatic
I’m not extreme, I’m redeemed with faith
To serve a God whose extremely great
I’m a Fanatic – Lecrae

He and several of his co-rappers have just started on a tour this week called Unashamed.  I am pretty impressed with their message.  I think there something there to listen to.  Here is what Trip Lee (I think) says in the below clip “We are to serve our brother, serve our sisters , serve the Lord and humble ourselves and do whats necessary for the Lord to get the glory.”  That’s good stuff.  Take a listen:

It’s interesting that they have used Romans one one six (1:16) as a theme verse.  That seems like a pretty appropriate challenge for today

16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (New International Version)

Are you ready to join the one one six clique and live a life where you are unashamed? It’s the Power!

Running with us or you can hate me, but it will be hard to shut us down…. (Shut Us Down)

Categories
Daily Post

360 Degrees

This is something I should probably not write about in public.  Yesterday I had to do the 360 reviews for my peers.  For the most part those were really easy.  Identifying the good in those people I work with and lovingly showing them where they could improve.

But then it was time to do my managers.  The software we use puts a little timer up in the corner that starts at 20 minutes and count down the amount of time that you have had the review open.  I found myself just staring at the questions, watching the timer go down.  The hard part of this evaluation was not trying to figure out what my manager was doing right or wrong but how much of what I thought he was doing right or wrong was because of me and my attitude.

Is he really not listening, or am I not expressing myself well enough?
Does he really not think my ideas are not important, or do I not provide him with the information he needs to see the value?

Is this why they call them 360’s and not 180’s?  By evaluating someone else, am I really just evaluating myself?

 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (New International Version)

So the timer ticked down to 2 minutes, and the screen was virtually empty.  Which direction should I go?  I proceeded with some honest answers, cleansed from my personal concerns and bias, but at the same time I mentally evaluated by own approach to work and the relationships make up those days.

That’s an interesting exercise, one that I still despise, but at least one that I found value in this year. So as you go about 360’s yourself  think about how you interact with these people and how that relationship brings glory to God. If your job doesn’t require them, spend a few moments thinking about those relationships.

Categories
Daily Post

He had three ships and left from Spain

One friend of mine told me a few weeks ago he could not wait for the Columbus Day post, so I had to make sure this is a good one! Post some comments and let me know!

So today is Columbus Day! Seems appropriate to start with a little poem.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Yep, I guess there were lots of questions? Was the world really flat? Was there a shorter way to India? Fountain of youth? Gold? All sorts of great explorer-type questions. And off he went on 3 ships to see what he could find. And what he found was the Bahamas.

So I guess its only obvious to honor an explorer with some thoughts about exploration from our Leader. Of course, I am not talking about geographical exploration, but spiritual exploration and discovery. And what we find are two very interesting thoughts to consider today.

First from Matthew, where the Christ himself explains how to gain spiritual understanding.

7″Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9″Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

And later James writes this about asking and seeking

4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:4-6 (New International Version)

So today, get out and discover something. Learn something new, explore some new path, take a new way home after work and remember that if you need a spiritual lift, believe and ask, the Father is waiting to give!