Tag: transformation

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Living with Passion

Several times over this past weekend I heard individuals suggest or encourage the idea of living with passion.  It was such a recurring theme that is seemed liked maybe I should consider it for a while.  The idea expressed in multiple ways to me this weekend was one of living life to the fullest, being excited, having enthusiasm and really staying engaged in your life.  There was also an element of purpose and intent mixed in the messages as well.

I have been considering these thoughts all weekend and what it means to live with passion.  I am still not exactly sure, but I do think that you can’t do it if you don’t get up each and every day and approach the day as a gift from God.  My thoughts led me this morning in Philippians, first the fourth chapter and then back into the third right to these words:

Philippians 3:12-14

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

12-14I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (MSG)

I certainly have not mastered passionate living, but I will continue to consider it.  However, one thing I know,  I am putting my eye on the goal and I am not turning back.  Maybe thats the starting line?

Runners Set….

Go,  get off the line and live! Give it your all, focus on the prize and live for him.

And if you have any ideas on passionate living, share them!

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Immutable

As you know I work in the world of geekdom.  This week I was on a call where the attendees keep using the word “immutable” over and over again.. Its almost as fun as idempotent.  So I decided to instant message my neighbor and said:

Butcher, Jason T [11:46 AM]:I’m Immutable

But then, I started thinking about that word and what it means.

not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature

For lots of things in life immutability is a great thing, but for a follower of Christ this good be a bad thing. Do I really want to be immutable?  Do I want to not be subject to change in nature?  Do I want to be unalterable?  This is an interesting thought, because for many things in life, yes you do want to be constant, fixed and enduring.  Like this:

24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. (1 John 2:24-25)

But in other situations being immovable, unalterable, unchangeable and changeless is a terrible place to be.   I think as followers of the Christ, we also need to be looking for places that we are not immutable, because God’s promise is immutable.  I want to be able to say I “used to walk in these ways, in the life I once lived”, but I have changed because of the unchanging, unwavering, immutable love of God!

3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

9-11Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Colossians 3:3-10 (The Message)

I think today I will tell him

Butcher, Jason T [11:46 AM]:I’m Immutable because I have changed

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The Caleb Factor

My friend Joel heads to Aruba this weekend, and I am jealous.  Yes, jealous.  Not really because of his destination, I am jealous of his preparation.  For the last 3 months, despite our constant barrage of heckling, he has been working each day to prepare his body for this trip.  Now, some of you may say – how vain, and as a matter of fact that is what most of the heckling was about.  But today I say how marvelous.  I am not sure if he hit all of his goals or not, but at least he was forcing himself everyday to work and strive for his goal.

Last night I was with a group of men who have been studying the book of Joshua.  Right there in Joshua 14 is the ultimate daily buffeter.

7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’

10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Caleb had a promise from Moses and God, and waited 45 years to receive it.  But he says he was as fit as the day he recieved the promise.  Don’t you think that he must have woke up everyday and thought about the gift he was to receive.  I want to believe that he worked everyday to keep himself ready to take the land and receive his gift.

What so awesome is we have a gift like that waiting for us.  A promise of eternal life if we  fix our eyes on Jesus.  Of course that’s one of the reasons I write this blog; to help each of you work each day to attain your spiritual goals and to stay focused on our promise.

Caleb was fit spiritually, he was fit physically, he “followed the LORD [his] God wholeheartedly”.

I have a trip like Joel’s coming up this summer, and he and Caleb have inspired me.  I want to follow the Lord God wholeheartedly every day, even though I fail most days.  So today I am going to publicly introduce  a small addition to this blog that I will call the Caleb Factor.  To help force me to keep in shape, not so I can take the land, but so I can always be ready to serve.  I will be sharing a little number from time to time to show my progress and my goal.  I am not turning this into a fitness blog, however, I hope you this will continue to motivate you to buffet each aspect of your body each day.

So the starting number is today’s; 184 and the idea is that in June it will be 174.

How will you let the Caleb Factor inspire you?

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Full Moon Fever

Its a full moon, and I think I have full moon fever!  Or maybe its just that spring is in the air ( and the Mountaineers are in the Final Four!!! ( did I mention that already?).  But whatever it is it I am pumped and ready to tackle the days ahead.

Its Monday in the week leading up to Easter.  Today was the day Jesus cleared out the temple and cursed a unproductive fig tree.  Some may think that he was a little crazy for doing that, and it seems a little odd, however this was a symbolic action tied directly to his acceptance in Jerusalem.  Anyway what is even more interesting is what he says when his followers stand in amazement of the withered tree. ( I mean really, when is the last time you saw someone tell a tree to wither and poof, it withers away?)

21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 (New International Version)

Right, he says if you have faith and don’t doubt you can tell the mountain to jump into the sea?  Ok,talk about full moon fever.  He also says if you believe it will happen and if you forgive it will be forgiven.  This is a challenging set of statements all the way around.  I often wonder what it takes to have a faith that has no doubt.  I really wonder what that person looks like.  Do you think that we might find that person a little odd – someone with full moon fever?  I dunno, but I really wish I could be that type of person.  And I think that you get there one day at a time.

This was the second time Jesus told his followers about the power of a small amount of faith.  In Matthew 17, he tells them that all you need is faith like a itty bitty little mustand seed and nothing will be impossible for you.   So today I will think about how much he loves us and the events of the coming weekend and mustard seeds, and moving mountains and becoming a mountaineer, and catching full moon fever!  What do you think?

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Cha Cha Cha

There is only one of these reality shows that I get sucked into.  No, its not American Idol, or Biggest Loser, or Jersey Shore ( surprising I know) – Its Dancing With The Stars.  Yes, I can’t explain it.  I don’t even really want to watch.  I just keep getting sucked into the room where it is playing like the TV like I have some sort of fatal attraction.  If may also help that two of my most favorite people in the world are usually lying in the bed watching it- and sometimes a third one joins them.

Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa dance the Cha-cha-cha. (ABC)

Anyway, last night it kicked off for the tenth season, and it was a good and welcome relief from the events and the seriousness of the day.  With all the twisting and turning going on, the thing that impressed me the most was the one dude who could barely dance.  It was 80 year old Buzz Aldrin.  Yes the dude who walked on the moon in the sixties. Its amazing that his body can actually still get out on the dance floor at his age and that he actually had a few moves.  Now, its obvious that he probably will not last many weeks on the show this year with his dancing skills – but what an inspiration.

When his dancing partner asked him if he had any dancing experience he replied – sure, we had hops back at West Point.  Think about how long ago he was in West Point!  Essentially he had no dancing experience, and yet there he is out on National TV taking a major risk and stepping out. What an example of transformation and continual change!   This is the stuff that I spend a lot of time thinking about.  How to continually take risks and step out in our spiritual lives.  Continue to find ways to get out of your comfort zone and transform yourself.

What can you do today?  Whats holding you back.? If Buzz Lightyear can fly, and Buzz Aldrin can dance, what is it again that you are saying you can’t do?

Transform yourself, take a risk – one day at a time and watch what happens.

15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 (New International Version)