Month: August 2011

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Who Do You Fear

Why is it that we use the excuse of fear so many times when we are trying to do something?  We say “I am afraid of their response” or “I am afraid of how they will react”  or “I am afraid of failure”.   Yesterday I mentioned some words from the Christ in Luke 12.  Today, I wanted to back up just a little in that same section of this book from the great doctor and see what else the Christ is saying.

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-7 New International Version (NIV)

and here is the same thing from The Message

4-5″I’m speaking to you as dear friends. Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

6-7″What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries. Luke 12:4-7 The Message (MSG)

So why did I want to repeat the same thing two days in a row. Well I think it’s this thought that has been with me for several weeks, or maybe months. I was in a discussion with some people and one of the ladies said “It really comes down this. Do you fear God more than your fears?”. Hm. I think that is a tough thought. We are paralyzed by fear, yet the Son of God tells us that we should not be afraid of those on this world, but only be afraid of the creator of the world.
I find that when I live with this bold thought it becomes so freeing. It removes so many of the worries of life. Are you flying on a airplane? – no fear! teaching a kid to drive?, no fear! Talking to a new person – no fear!  Stepping out on faith – No Fear!  It allows me to life the radical risk filled life that continues to make me grow ( and avoid ruts).
But when I am fearful, oh, then I am full of the most creative kinds of anxiety that a person could ever imagine. And I a paralyzed into inactivity and non action, and I find comfort in the ruts of life.

I bet it is the same for you!

So, consider those words in Luke and the words of my friend as well – Do you fear God more than your fears?

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Quotable Art

Early this morning I found this set of quite inspiring posters that I just had to share with all you you.  Take a look at this group of thought provoking quotes and the accompany art that I think will help to move you out of your comfort zone and into a place of riskiness.  Since this whole concept of transforming and leaving our comfort zone is what I write about a lot, it just seem good to share these.

 

And then remember what your Creator has said to you:

7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  Luke 12:7 NIV

Oh and let me know your favorite. Mine happens to be  “You’ll have an entire eternity to think inside the box!”

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Ode To Busyness

I feel like my life has been shot out of a cannon since school has started.  Over the last two weeks it’s been a combination of new practices, new routines, school meetings, and over various events that eat up the calendar from sun up until sun down.  The lazy days of summer ended in such incredible fashion that the memory of those days in only re-callable with pictures!  And it seems to be set to continue like this for some time.

This weekend I have been thinking about these weeks ahead and the ‘business’ that they are filled with and have decided to not be stressed by it.  There are so many positive things about to happen as our children discover their own strengths and weaknesses.  I can’t imagine the amount of memories that I will gather as a parent observing and challenging those guys. Maybe I am a little crazy, but I have decided that this busyness is life. Oh, sure some of it can be reduced, and lots of it can be managed.  But instead of ‘just getting through it’ or trying to find another way, I am going to try to embrace it head on.  (This may be the biggest mistake of my life!).

I am starting to think that the things we do each day are not barriers to us living life, but actually are us living life.  So today, on this Monday morning the beginning of a week with a schedule that is quite full, I am rejoicing.  Not because I am ‘busy’, for there is not doubt I would rather be laying on beach somewhere, but because I am starting a a day that is a gift from the Lord and the number of opportunities that lay ahead of me in this busyness are enormous.

So off I go, rejoicing ( I hope I can make it past 10am!!!)

 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 New International Version (NIV)

 

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Friday Funday

 w00t woot!  it’s Friday and it’s the start of football!!!!  (oh did you know that woot is a now an official word?  yep it is now in the Oxford Dictionary)

Well since it is Friday, here is just a simple thought to consider. (plus I am already jammed up with 7 and 8 am appointments)

Did you know you can’t create darkness?  It just exists.  But you can create light, and so here are some random Friday thoughts about creating light:

First an ancient chinese proverb (or so I am told, it’s still pretty cool):

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

And then this thought which I always find encouraging:

Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky  NIV Philippians 2:15

And finally just a little bit more:

 14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing. Philippians 2:15 The Message (MSG)

Shine your light today! ( and forget about all that cursing!)

 

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He’s Back…

Yesterday, I was in a conference call in the morning that got a little tense.  It was really no big deal in the scheme of things, and for the most part was just a misunderstanding of who was going to do what part of this project that we are all working together on.  I felt good about the meeting, and I knew that this topic would come up.  During the first minutes of the meeting I proclaimed to a coworker via instant message  that I was going “to take a new tact”.

Then it got tense, and there we some mild disagreements and debates and I felt him coming back.  Who do you ask?  Me!  The selfish, short tempered, brash me.  And I could sense that others where seeing, or I guess in this case hearing him as well.  ARGH!  Now, I had a platform to stand on that was well positioned.  More than likely I may have even been in the “right”.  But really, it’s not about me, and the tone that was coming across the phone was changing the tone of the meeting in the negative in a hurry. ARGH!

Later in the day I watch a video clip about how we live lives behind veneers.  The talk presented two views the human view and the God view.  Interestingly enough the human view was about well, the human itself, and the God view was about all the other humans on this earth.  It all ended with a fantastic summation and a challenge – are we exposing the human like veneer or the God like veneer?  Is it about me, or is it about everyone else.

It seems to me that life actually works out better when we take the God like approach and focus on others.  Somehow in some way, that way always seems to have some way of making it better in the end for us!  Yet, we still want to put ourselves in the lead.  It’s quite a paradox!

Well, I hope I was able to push myself back into the background as the meeting went on.  What I do know is that the rest of the day, I felt like a black cloud of frustration was hanging over my head, since I know I let him back!  The great thing is that I have a new day to start over and let God shine in my interactions.

How about you?  Are you choosing the human like thing or the God like thing?

 

 1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:1-5 New International Version (NIV)