Tag: transformation

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Treadmills

As I slide the key into the door this morning, I reached up to my arm and press the start button.

Well I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind
I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time
But I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah  – 3 Doors Down Krytonite

I walked across the room, hopped up on the treadmill and pushed the start button.

And if I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?
If I’m alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?
I’ll keep you by my side with my superhuman might
Kryptonite

And I was off, running hard, working hard, sweating up a storm, but going nowhere – just looking at the handsome man in the mirror. ( no that was not the person on the machine beside me!).   I so dislike running on treadmills, but sometimes when I travel I will do it.  It feels to0 monotonousness.  It feels so binding, and so mechanical.  I like the variety, the wind in your face, the change in terrain, and challenge of getting out there and being a apart of it.

Wow!  sounds like our lives sometimes doesn’t it?  Running hard, sweating up a storm, but going nowhere.  Feeling mechanical, bound – going through the motions.  Afraid to engage, staying safe in the exercise room called ourselves.

It reminds me of a Matthew West song  “Motions”

No regrets no this time

Just ok is not enough

I don’t want to go through the motions,  I don’t want to live one more day.  without your all consuming passion inside of me.

What if you had given everything..

Today, lets get off the treadmill of life.  Work to get out of your place of safety, use the bold spirit you have been blessed with and fully engage. 

13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

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Snowboarding for Jesus

Yesterday while I was trapped in the imaginary world of all day conference calls, I found a little relief from the drumming sound in my ear to surf the web and check out a few searches.  While doing that I stumbled upon a story about a Kelly Clark, an Olympic snowboarder, and how she stumbled into God one day on the half pipe, and how that has completely changed her life.

(watch the video here.)

In this story she tells of how finding out about the Christ has changed her perspective on life and she says this:

But I’ll tell you, I’ve never had more fun snowboarding, and I’ve never been more free.

What a incredible story of a changed life – changed by the power of Christ to free us up and provide us with forgiveness and purpose.  And check out her snowboard:

Nice!

So, I checked out this entire site called Beyond the Ultimate.  Today or this weekend, take a little time and check it out.  It has  great stories about the lives  -the changed lives -of many Olympic Athletes.  Seeing these high performance athletes confirming where their strength comes from is really amazing.

So, take some motivation not only from their exceptional athletic abilities, but also from their personal stories. And be free – even in the imaginary land of conference calls.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. –Colossians 3:15-17 (New International Version)

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Supershooter Champion

Yes, yes I am.  I am the 1983 Supershooters Champion.

That’s me on the right hand side of the picture. Yes sir! 42 points – Winner!  Not only did I win my age group, but I would have won the whole “shooting match”  is that cheater in the 16-18 age group wasn’t there.  Look at him!  He looks like we was in college.  Next time you see me, bow before the Supershooter!

Yes, that is an accomplishment for a lifetime.  Something that I should be able to hang my hat on, and just kick back and rest of my laurels the rest of my days!

Do you think so?

Well probably not.  But I think sometimes we get to that place in life, where for some reason we become content with what we’ve done and who we are.  We left go of training and discipline and a desire to grow and change.

But you know, I am no longer a sharpshooter. When I get to the gym, I send up more air balls and bricks then hitting “nothing but net”.   I also used to be able to run 5 miles in under 27 minutes and 5K around 16 minutes.  I can’t do that now either.  Although age has some impact on these things, the reason I can’t do either of those things now has more to do with my dedication and the choices I have made.  If I shot the round ball everyday, or if I trained aggressively everyday, I would stand a good chance at still be able to do some of those things.

That dedication to our spiritual growth is exactly why I write everyday.   Although our works do not save us, God expects us to do something.  He expects that we will react to his free gift and will work and do and dedicate ourselves to his service.  We can’t find ourselves content to say, I used to be a good servant, or a used to count it joy when I was in trials, or I used to be humble, etc.   Each day, we strive and grow and buffet our bodies  – our spiritual bodies.

I am going to try my hand at a 5K this weekend I think.  It will not be anywhere near 16 minutes.  But its a start at physical training again.  You see its not too late to train – physically or spiritually.  So, lets remember the championship accomplishments of yesteryear, but lets keep moving towards more growth and more service to our master!  Keep training.  Keep loving, keep glorifying your Lord with your service

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

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Busy Busy Busy

When the alarm sounded at 6am this morning, I was immediately filled with dread.  I had already peeked at my schedule for the day, and I knew what lie in front of me, and the how long the day would be.   It’s not just that a day of work was on the horizon, but a day of rushing.  From the moment I opened my eyes, until I lay in the bed tonight, even as I write this post, its rush.  Its hurry, its multitask, its push as much into each moment as possible. And that stinks.  I am not talking living and getting as much out of each moment in life, I am talking about getting through it as fast as you can so you can get to something else.  Thats just not right.   Then there’s two sad things to be said about this, first tomorrow will be the same and second my life is probably not much different from yours.  My days call to my attention the sower and the seed

…but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Matt 13:22

So the challenge today is this – and its more of question to you then an answer – how do we deal with this crazy life.  It seems we have to either radically change our  lives or figure out how to maintain this riducilous lifestyle and not be choked.   So yesterday I heard someone mentioned 2 Peter 1. So in the midst of this busy pushed composition, a took a look over there. Somehow we have to continue to add to our life these elements:

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

And look just above this in 2 Peter.  He tells us that to get out of the trappings of the world, those are the things that you need.

3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

and then after that list of traits he tells us this

8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

So today, I am going to try to not focus on the busyness of the day, and somehow try to “make every effort to add” the things that Peter listed to my life.    I hope that bring some calmness and control to a schedule that feels insane.  What do you think?

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Ashes, Weight, and Forgiveness

Its Ash Wednesday, a day that starts the traditional period of fasting called Lent that leads up to one of my favorites days  – Easter Sunday.  ( its not just Sunday, on which we remember Christ, but its the actual time of the year – around Passover that the event took place – bonus).

Anyway, I am not a big fan of some of these more traditional “Christian” observances, as to me it can complicate the true simplicity of the message.  However, this day has to do with repentance, and repentance leads to transformation and change – which I am a BIG fan of.

So, today as you “buffet your spiritual body”, maybe its time to repent, or to be broken by some of your deeds or thoughts, and then use today as a marker day to move forward, a new.  All of this things can be forgiven and you can be made new – the power of the sacrifice of Christ.

I love the song Forgiven by Sanctus Real,  in it says

I don’t have to carry the weight of who I’ve been, ’cause I’m forgiven.

Maybe today is that day for you.  The day to let go of the weight that holds you back, that holds you down, repent and move forward.  Its amazing how much better it is.

Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
—Genesis 3:19
Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
—Mark 1:15
Repent, and hear the good news.
—Mark 1:15