Many of you know of my uncle's situation and have continued to pray and ask about how he is doing. I invite you to continue in the journey with him. Here's a great video his church, Salem Alliance has posted:
http://www.salemalliance.org/home/stumbo.php
I have also been greatly encouraged by the words he is sharing regularly on his blog. God speaks through him during this season of recovery. Perhaps it will bring that same courage to you:
http://www.salemalliance.org/serendipity/
God is present, and He is good.
Journey on,
Nick
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Don't Forget to Dream...
The other day, I was getting ready to come to work, making my morning latte. My 4-year old was awake, and as usual was very chipper and chatty. She bounced into the kitchen and spouted, "Dad, when I grow up, I'm going to be a baker or an art student. Which do you think I should be?" I couldn't help but chuckle inside because I knew she was dead serious. So I asked her back, "So, you'd either like to make cookies for a living or learn to draw really pretty pictures, right? Maybe you could do both." My daughter's response was typical Alyssa- "yeah, but I'm kinda scared because I've never taken an art class before." After that, she bounced away, end of conversation.
My 4-year old daughter dreams a lot. She has new ideas of what she will be and do on a regular, almost daily, basis. I will bet that as a kid, most all of us were the same. Shoot, even a few years ago I had more dreams. But somehow, in the grind of doing life, I dream less and I just go through my days. Now, don't get me wrong- I love my job and I love what I do. But I go back and read my journal or ideas I had from 5 years ago. I find bigger ideas and more God-sized plans than I'm working on now. Somehow I dream less and just live more.
While some might argue that this is a positive step of maturing and "getting your head out of the clouds", I can't help but feel today like I am poorer for this loss. And that the people I interact with get less of the real me.
I want to dream more. Dream about what God could do, and what I could do. Maybe you do, too. How do we do this? Some ideas from me...
We hang around other people who like to dream and ask crazy questions. We need people in our lives that say the words "what if..." more often.
We hang around God more, and ask Him to define who we are and what we do, rather than letting the routine of our life, or the world around us, define who we are.
And if we are real brave, we take steps towards actually living out the dreams. We take an art class. We bake cookies for a living. We invest time in non-sensical ventures just to see what happens. And if God should show up...just watch out.
What do you think? Are you still dreaming big dreams? How do you keep that alive?
My your journey be more thrilling adventure than predictable plod today,
Nick
PS- This past week, the number of followers to this blog doubled. Woo-hoo! Okay, it only went from one to two. "Following" a blog is a good way to get updates on when new posts hit. If you like reading this blog and interacting with me here, sign up. Join the community.
My 4-year old daughter dreams a lot. She has new ideas of what she will be and do on a regular, almost daily, basis. I will bet that as a kid, most all of us were the same. Shoot, even a few years ago I had more dreams. But somehow, in the grind of doing life, I dream less and I just go through my days. Now, don't get me wrong- I love my job and I love what I do. But I go back and read my journal or ideas I had from 5 years ago. I find bigger ideas and more God-sized plans than I'm working on now. Somehow I dream less and just live more.
While some might argue that this is a positive step of maturing and "getting your head out of the clouds", I can't help but feel today like I am poorer for this loss. And that the people I interact with get less of the real me.
I want to dream more. Dream about what God could do, and what I could do. Maybe you do, too. How do we do this? Some ideas from me...
We hang around other people who like to dream and ask crazy questions. We need people in our lives that say the words "what if..." more often.
We hang around God more, and ask Him to define who we are and what we do, rather than letting the routine of our life, or the world around us, define who we are.
And if we are real brave, we take steps towards actually living out the dreams. We take an art class. We bake cookies for a living. We invest time in non-sensical ventures just to see what happens. And if God should show up...just watch out.
What do you think? Are you still dreaming big dreams? How do you keep that alive?
My your journey be more thrilling adventure than predictable plod today,
Nick
PS- This past week, the number of followers to this blog doubled. Woo-hoo! Okay, it only went from one to two. "Following" a blog is a good way to get updates on when new posts hit. If you like reading this blog and interacting with me here, sign up. Join the community.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Credit Cards with Hooks
You never realize how attached you are to something until you try to quit.
So the other day I called to cancel one of my credit cards, per the advice of Dave Ramsey. When I finally got connected to a "retention specialist", I explained that I was using less credit and wanted to cancel. I literally repeated this line 6 more times over the course of our conversation, during which the representative basically offered to make me a Vice-President in the company if I would remain a loyal customer. Breaking this attachment was as difficult as removing the plastic box that most kid's toys come fused inside these days. Finally, I got my account closed. And as I hung up the phone, I felt something unexpected: Freedom. One less company that I owed. One less business relationship to maintain.
I have become more aware of my attachment lately...
I don't realize how attached I am to coffee until I try and go without. Yesterday I didn't have coffee until after lunch and the headache almost killed me.
I don't realize how attached I am to professional baseball until I try and ignore it, and the desire to look at box scores becomes constant. (Yes, I am that pathetic)
I don't realize how attached I am to my credit card company until I try to cancel.
This has made me think about our attachments to this world. What we let get our hooks into us really does pull us in that direction. As I think of Jesus, I am aware that his one attachment was to the Father. He only said what the Father told him to say. He only did what the Father told him to do. And He was FREE. More free than anyone ever has been.
I am thinking today about how nice this freedom would be. What would life look like if this was MY only attachment?
Journey free today-
Nick
So the other day I called to cancel one of my credit cards, per the advice of Dave Ramsey. When I finally got connected to a "retention specialist", I explained that I was using less credit and wanted to cancel. I literally repeated this line 6 more times over the course of our conversation, during which the representative basically offered to make me a Vice-President in the company if I would remain a loyal customer. Breaking this attachment was as difficult as removing the plastic box that most kid's toys come fused inside these days. Finally, I got my account closed. And as I hung up the phone, I felt something unexpected: Freedom. One less company that I owed. One less business relationship to maintain.
I have become more aware of my attachment lately...
I don't realize how attached I am to coffee until I try and go without. Yesterday I didn't have coffee until after lunch and the headache almost killed me.
I don't realize how attached I am to professional baseball until I try and ignore it, and the desire to look at box scores becomes constant. (Yes, I am that pathetic)
I don't realize how attached I am to my credit card company until I try to cancel.
This has made me think about our attachments to this world. What we let get our hooks into us really does pull us in that direction. As I think of Jesus, I am aware that his one attachment was to the Father. He only said what the Father told him to say. He only did what the Father told him to do. And He was FREE. More free than anyone ever has been.
I am thinking today about how nice this freedom would be. What would life look like if this was MY only attachment?
Journey free today-
Nick
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Jesus: Not a Motivational Speaker
Have you ever thought about what a poor motivational speaker Jesus would be? In a world that wants to feel good and get pumped up, Jesus would get booed out of many auditoriums.
Consider the evidence of John 15. Jesus is mere moments away from being arrested and later killed on a cross. He has a few hours left with his followers to prepare them for this coming trial. Maybe these guys were expecting some encouraging words (you can do it!), but Jesus takes a different approach. Instead of feeding them sugar candy, he goes for some meaty stuff:
-"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first."
-"Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you."
-"If they had listened to me, they would listen to you." (Implied: but they didn't and they won't)
-"You will be expelled from synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God."
If I'm in this crowd, I'm thinking to myself, "Thanks Jesus- those are just the words of hope I need right now!"
Yet Jesus had a very specific purpose in bringing up these dire warnings: "I'm telling you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember my warning." In other words, Jesus tells them about all of this ahead of time, so that when it happens, they won't be surprised. They will understand this is part of the cost. They will know that this is all part of the deal. Jesus wanted them to accept that being a partner with him in testifying to the world meant they would also be partners with him in suffering.
I have been pondering lately how little I suffer for my faith. Jesus seems to say in this passage that pain and hurt WILL BE directed from the world towards those who follow him- towards those who understand his radical call to not be of this world. I know we live in a much friendlier and "politically correct" society than these disciples, but I can't help but think that my complete lack of suffering MAY have something to do with me, and not just my culture. I'm wondering if I take seriously enough Jesus' call to join him in proclaiming the truth and actually living like I'm from another world. I'm not saying I want to become a crazy person, but I do want to be more like Jesus. And being more like Jesus just might mean that my actions result in hate and rejection from the world, because that's exactly what happened to Jesus.
"The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of this world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you."
On your journey, may you be okay with a world that hates you if it means being more like Jesus-
Nick
Consider the evidence of John 15. Jesus is mere moments away from being arrested and later killed on a cross. He has a few hours left with his followers to prepare them for this coming trial. Maybe these guys were expecting some encouraging words (you can do it!), but Jesus takes a different approach. Instead of feeding them sugar candy, he goes for some meaty stuff:
-"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first."
-"Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you."
-"If they had listened to me, they would listen to you." (Implied: but they didn't and they won't)
-"You will be expelled from synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God."
If I'm in this crowd, I'm thinking to myself, "Thanks Jesus- those are just the words of hope I need right now!"
Yet Jesus had a very specific purpose in bringing up these dire warnings: "I'm telling you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember my warning." In other words, Jesus tells them about all of this ahead of time, so that when it happens, they won't be surprised. They will understand this is part of the cost. They will know that this is all part of the deal. Jesus wanted them to accept that being a partner with him in testifying to the world meant they would also be partners with him in suffering.
I have been pondering lately how little I suffer for my faith. Jesus seems to say in this passage that pain and hurt WILL BE directed from the world towards those who follow him- towards those who understand his radical call to not be of this world. I know we live in a much friendlier and "politically correct" society than these disciples, but I can't help but think that my complete lack of suffering MAY have something to do with me, and not just my culture. I'm wondering if I take seriously enough Jesus' call to join him in proclaiming the truth and actually living like I'm from another world. I'm not saying I want to become a crazy person, but I do want to be more like Jesus. And being more like Jesus just might mean that my actions result in hate and rejection from the world, because that's exactly what happened to Jesus.
"The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of this world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you."
On your journey, may you be okay with a world that hates you if it means being more like Jesus-
Nick
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Does This Make Sense?
I have been pondering lately if my faith can be logical to those who don't share it.
In our local area, we have a weekly feature in the newspaper called "Ask a Professional." Various business leaders write answers to people's burning questions as a way to promote their business. One of these articles is always written by a local pastor, who attempts to take a major issue of faith and simplify it into three short paragraphs. I think he does a great job overall, but I am wondering if this approach really makes any sense.
Recently, I read a book called Resident Aliens, in which the authors bring up the point that Jesus wasn't crucified for talking about things that made sense to everyone. He was crucified because he so radically challenged people's way of thinking that they just couldn't handle him anymore. When Jesus preached, he didn't appeal to people's common sense and he didn't believe that if they just understood him they would want to accept his teaching. Jesus called people to become citizens of a kingdom where the values were completely upside down from what people knew. This kind of decision required repentance, conversion, and faith.
How often do I try to talk about my faith so it will make sense to other people? Do I really believe that if they "get it", then they will feel compelled to believe because it just makes sense? The letter of Paul to a church in Corinth reminds us that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." The Bible seems to tell us that faith doesn't make sense- our spirits must be made alive and awakened by God. When we are drawn to Him, we must make decision along the way that don't workout logically in our brain, but somehow in hearts we know them to be true.
So, perhaps when we talk about our faith, we should not look for "understanding" as a good sign on the part of the listener. When our message is confusing, troublesome, and rejected frequently, then we'll know we're sharing the gospel in its truest form- the gospel of king a who died in shame as ultimate victory.
Journey on!
Nick
In our local area, we have a weekly feature in the newspaper called "Ask a Professional." Various business leaders write answers to people's burning questions as a way to promote their business. One of these articles is always written by a local pastor, who attempts to take a major issue of faith and simplify it into three short paragraphs. I think he does a great job overall, but I am wondering if this approach really makes any sense.
Recently, I read a book called Resident Aliens, in which the authors bring up the point that Jesus wasn't crucified for talking about things that made sense to everyone. He was crucified because he so radically challenged people's way of thinking that they just couldn't handle him anymore. When Jesus preached, he didn't appeal to people's common sense and he didn't believe that if they just understood him they would want to accept his teaching. Jesus called people to become citizens of a kingdom where the values were completely upside down from what people knew. This kind of decision required repentance, conversion, and faith.
How often do I try to talk about my faith so it will make sense to other people? Do I really believe that if they "get it", then they will feel compelled to believe because it just makes sense? The letter of Paul to a church in Corinth reminds us that "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." The Bible seems to tell us that faith doesn't make sense- our spirits must be made alive and awakened by God. When we are drawn to Him, we must make decision along the way that don't workout logically in our brain, but somehow in hearts we know them to be true.
So, perhaps when we talk about our faith, we should not look for "understanding" as a good sign on the part of the listener. When our message is confusing, troublesome, and rejected frequently, then we'll know we're sharing the gospel in its truest form- the gospel of king a who died in shame as ultimate victory.
Journey on!
Nick
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