Taste of community

With the Christmas season in full bloom, it stands to reason that our Life Groups would be enjoying a bounty of sweet and savory.  Who am I to argue with that?  Pam and I were able to visit with two of the groups this past Sunday evening, and we had a great time.  What is really exciting, however, is to see people with varied past and interest come together not just for food, but for legitimate communion and fellowship.  

One of the groups that we visited last night put out a major spread, complete with a cupcake bar...  A what?  Yup, a cupcake bar.  The group laughed, ate, ate and laughed.  They truly enjoy being together.  Another group that we shared the evening with chose to go out for dinner.  Conversation was great, and the food superb.   The night held two very different venues, very different "feels," but with one huge commonality:  Christ followers and Christ seekers enjoying the evening and the season, and learning that we truly are created to do life together.  

I hope each of us can enjoy some time with those special people in our lives during this busy season.  

Good theology

I don't do this very often, but I want you need to take a look at another blog today.  Pat Hood is the Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church Smyrna.  I served with him for 4 years prior to coming to Ridgeview.  He is a self described, "dumb, old, country boy from East Tennessee," but God continues to bless his leadership, and he's written several really good blog postings back-to-back. Check it out, it's worth the read!

 

www.pathood.org

Christmas: from good to ....

Ok, we are almost through with the first week of December.  Everybody ok?  Everyone still breathing?  

It's almost funny (almost) how we simply get sucked in to this almost carnival craziness that our culture calls christmas.... yes, with a little "c" because it's not the way it should be.  

We've been decorating the house, doing some shopping, making plans for the rest of the month, and trying to keep "normal" life going.  Wow, I'm already exhausted.  

My friend, Kyle Goen, Exec. Pastor at FBC Smyrna, introduced a concept to me several years ago that has been so incredibly helpful since rocking my world originally.  This whole notion of good being the enemy of great can be applied to all areas of life.  I realize this is not really the place to discuss the philosophy of G2G, but I did want to comment on its application to Christmas.  

There are so many things that we can be involved in this time of the year.  And, most of them are good... few of them are great.  The challenge, both for me and for all of us, is to decide what is best.  What is best for us personally?  What is best for our family?  What is best the Kingdom purpose that we've all been called to?  We have to intentionally ask ourselves those questions or we will begin to spin out of control just adding "stuff" to our already busy schedule.  I talked with someone yesterday who sounded absolutely exasperated because of all that "they had to do."  Maybe one of the best things we can do is say "no."  It doesn't sound very "Christmasy"  but it might be best.  

So, I'm going to finish my Americano, take a final look at my "6 by 6" list for the next 10 days (we'll talk about that later), and get busy.  I'm going to say no today... maybe more than once.  I don't want just a good day.

Tell them... tell Him...

The drive to Knoxville yesterday was beautiful. Bright sunshine and a crisp blue sky provided the perfect backdrop for Pam and I to talk almost non-stop. In our crazy world, the opportunities to just talk come far too infrequently. As we talked and laughed and dreamed, it became increasingly clear to me how truly blessed I am. Today, make sure you actually tell someone how much they mean to you. Don't assume they know just because they are your spouse / child / parent / friend. Tell them. Then, tell the Father how thankful you are for His continued blessing. Tell Him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving thoughts - A Christ Follower in the US

The big day of gluttony is just around the corner!  Most of us are having our attention drawn to the blessings that have been showered with, and those thoughts will no doubt intensify as we get later in the week.  If you have time, take a look at the link below.  It's a long article, but one that every American needs to read.  We, as a nation, are so blessed.  

www.worldmag.com/articles/14714

(copy into your browser!)

Middle of the Night Thoughts

Maybe it was the late supper...

Maybe it was because I knew Ben had to be up at 5am...

Maybe it was medicine that I'm still taking for this cold that wont go away...

Or maybe it was something else...

Regardless, I've been up since just before 3 this morning.  It's funny what you think about in the predawn hours when you wish you could sleep, want to sleep, but just can't get there.  As I tried to slowly breathe in the still, cold, night air, I couldn't help but begin to think about how blessed I've been.  Now, before you move on to something else because you think this is going to be a boring Thanksgiving post, HOLD ON!

This season tends to make all of us reflect on how blessed we are because of the stuff we have.  And, it's somewhat typical to be thankful for our family and other significants in our life.  Interestingly enough, as I listened to the silence this morning, I've thought alot about the process of life that has shaped me.  Decisions made, churches served, family circumstances, etc.  

These are the things that have shaped me; the things that have hardened, softened, smoothed, and roughed.  Does that make sense.  Sometimes we think that life just rumbles along leaving us in it's wake.  I was reminded again this morning how God desires to use our circumstances to shape us in to the people he has called us to be.   Circumstances turn in to processes when we act on them, and more importantly, act on them through faith.  

I wont get into too many specifics, but most recently Pam's fight (our fight) with breast cancer and the decision to step into the life of a family in our church and walk with them on an extremely personal level are two examples of circumstances turning to processes that will forever shape me. 

 And I am thankful.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28 ESV

Motivation

So what motivates you?  That question has come up lately in our family as we really settle in to the school year and deal with homework on a daily basis.  For an HS junior, there has to be some self-motivation as the notion of freedom really takes hold... but this is not a post about parenting.

Really the question is, what motivates you in general, and more specifically, in your Christian walk?  Rarely do I talk to someone who says, "I'm really happy stuck in neutral in my faith journey."  Even someone far from God is likely to realize that "something" is "lacking."  However, it is a different story when you begin to talk about a plan for forward movement, and certainly, for most of us, the wheels really come off when we begin to execute that plan.

Which brings me back to the original question:  What motivates you?  You can talk about your drive and motivation all day long, but if you don't actually DO something, you really aren't motivated.  Why isn't there a greater desire to move forward... closer, in our faith walk.

If you... if I really want to grow closer in our walk with Christ, then we must evaluate why... When we realize how much He loves us and desires to dwell with us every second of every day, we may begin to unlock the keys to motivate us to give our selves over to him every day.  Motivation found...