Tag: transformation

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It’s the crazy full moon

It’s that crazy full moon again, and the kids are letting all the teachers know that with their subtle behavior changes.

Now back to our blog…

I am not sure what the moon stage has to do with anything, but I think they beginning of this entry today demonstrates the scattered interior of my brain today.  I have several half baked ideas, but nothing that is worthy of even a bad post ( which may be where this is heading anyway).

But here is one thing that I think is interesting.  Sunday, I was teaching a class of junior high children about Acts 9 and Saul the Christian Killer’s radical transformation on the way to Damascus.  Towards the end of class I also talked about Brian Welch, the former lead singer of a heavy metal rock band called Korn.  I don’t know Mr Welch, but I read about his testimony on iamsecond.com – a very encouraging web site by the way.  Anywho, Mr. Welch tells a tale that you can watch below, or read about here (by clicking the more content button), in which he had completely lost control to drugs and gets turned around by some words his real estate agent said to him.  His real estate agent walked up to this drug addicted rock star and shared the words of Jesus from Matthew 11:28

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (New International Version, ©2010)

And those words seemed to lead him to Christ.  He quit Korn, he quit drugs, and he was transformed by the power of the Christ.  Wow.

I am sure his Real Estate agent felt a little weird, and a little crazy, but maybe its ok to be crazy with the full moon.  Maybe it ok to be crazy no matter what the moon phase is.

What will your words do for someone today.

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Being Prepared

What a difference being prepared makes.
On Monday Chattanooga received 7-10 inches of snow, the largest snowfall since 1993. It’s has been crazy, and the schools are closed until NEXT Tuesday. The city has been paralyzed for days, and some people still have not gotten out of their houses.

Yesterday, Portland Maine received 16 inches of snow, as seen in the picture. I checked the school closings this morning in Maine – no, only 1 to 2 hour delays, although the Casco Bay Quilters in Scarborough did cancel their Thursday meeting.

What a difference being prepared makes. You see Chattanooga has no provisions to remove that much snow from such a large area. The real problem has been that fact that most streets where not plowed and definitely not sidewalks and parking lots. So then when the weather took a dip south of the freezing mark, all that slushy stuff turned to the harder to remove ice.

In Portland on the other hand, everyone knows to remove the snow from the roadways, walkways and drive as fast as possible. They are prepared and equipped to react to this type of winter event.

So, it can be in our lives. For instance yesterday morning, I went into the office expecting 2 back to back short discussion and then off into the day of higher intensity meetings. What I got instead was contacts text messages and phone calls starting the before I even showered, (thus the most horrific post yesterday – sorry Joel H.) and when I got to the office and booted up the window to my electronic world, I was blasted with an hours worth of instant messages, urgent emails and questions from more directions then a compass rose can describe. And I could feel the tension and stress building up inside – I was not all prepared!

And that’s when bad things can start. (Sorry Joel A)

So, as we transform ourselves, we have to have some awareness of the “snow storms” that are coming our way and prepare ourselves. The book of Ephesians tell us “to put on the whole armor of God ,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Spend a little time today thinking about how prepared you are and what steps you need to take to sure up your armor, and find courage and strength from these words from Paul as you increase your readiness.

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

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Back to Work!

Today is my first day back to work since… well sometime last year, no sometime last decade? Anyway it’s time to get the body up and and going and get working on the new year. And I am ready for it!

Over the break, Amy pointed out a story to me about a suicidal heroin addict named Shane Niemeyer, who turned himself into an Iron-man Triathlete.   When Shane was asked about his change he said that the triathlons gave him what he needed – a purpose.  Man, isn’t that great!

But here is what is greater.  Check this out from Ephesians 2.

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God has given us not only a purpose – to do good, but he also has provided us with forgiveness, and a reward.  If Shane can go from the depths of despair to becoming a triathlete, just think what you can do!

I can now leave behind what was in 2010 and start fresh and new as I approach the problems and situations at work with a new view and a renewed vigor that only comes from some time away and with a newly rediscovered purpose!

Let the year begin!

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Second Chances

Oh I feel so bad for the Tennessee Volunteers – the purveyor of second chances. If you did not know, twice this year, it appeared the Volunteers had victory in its hand as the clock expired, and twice, the officials gave the opposing team one second and a second chance to beat the Volunteers.

So here we sit at the end of 2010, the relative last seconds of the game called 2010. How did you match up against your goals? Did you achieve your resolutions from last year – or did you fail short? If you did, you will get a second chance to beat those resolutions, as the new year is upon us. Even though it feels like the end of the game, a new year provides a second chance towards victory. So even though its really just another day, use this ending of the year as a ‘life marker’- a line in the sand – and be transformed.

Look at these words of encouragement from Isaiah, which are actually the biblegateway.com’s verse of the day:

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 New International Version, ©2010.

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Are You Still That Person?

In John Ortberg’s book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, he tells the story of a young man who was, well grumpy.  As the years went on, his grumpiness didn’t change and people just got used to it, and would say “Thats old Frank, he’s just grumpy.”

How sad is that?  I know of people like this,for some reason the transformation of their lives stops. At some point, they just stop, if it ever started, transforming.  That doesn’t seem like a good approach to life.

It seems to be that each day we should continue to be transformed and to leave the old ways.  We should never give up on become more like our Savior.

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version, ©2010)

Are you still that same old guy?