Hang On To It

Do you ever wonder why negative things tend to stick in our memories easier than positive events? It might have been a harsh comment from someone we can't let go of, a relationship that fell apart, or a distant, tragic event that still seems fresh. Regardless of the source of this discomfort, it becomes a memory we struggle to move away from.

Recent brain research has actually revealed that negative occurrences function like Velcro in our brains while positive ones are like Teflon. It only very few seconds and no effort on our part for negative experiences to become imprinted into our memories. For something positive and encouraging to become part of our lasting memory however, we have to focus on it for about 15 seconds to make it last.

What positive thing will you intentionally focus on today? What moment of simple beauty will you capture by hanging on to it for a few seconds? Are we able to see a positive comment, a loving look, or a small step towards a goal and recognize it's worth keeping?

Look for something positive today and spend 15 seconds making sure it stays.

Currently on Repeat

In the past few weeks I have found myself meditating on the phrase, "Guide me, O great Jehovah." It keeps showing up in my journaling, my prayers and in my meditative thoughts. I shared this with my wife this weekend and she quickly identified it as my present liturgy. It's the powerfully repetitive phrase I need to continue to focus on as God guides me through what it means. There is tremendous impact in regular rhythm of pondering these five simple words.

I am still sorting out where that guidance will take me, but I can think of several current pressing areas I need that wisdom from Jehovah:

My family's future
The conversations I have with people
My daily schedule
Meetings I participate in
Preparation of messages, teaching, and ministry direction
To interact with people my life intersects with
My thinking and how my mind shapes all I say and do

I don't believe this is supposed to be a short-term practice, but something I am called to slowly wade through in the days ahead. This spiritual mantra can be affirming even as it challenges me to look at my life with new vision and obedient perspective.

Growing Older

Growing older each year isn't an event that has usually affected me emotionally. I haven't been too caught up in the "number" of my age, but have felt fairly content with each phase of life and the idea of getting older. For some reason, however, turning 45 this year has caused me to be more contemplative than usual. I don't know if it's the realization of being halfway through my 40's or checking off a different age bracket (no longer marking the "36-44" box) that has me thinking more about getting older, but this birthday is one that has been looming on the horizon of my mind for several months.

In spite of my thoughts about my age, I've never felt better physically and am in the best shape of my life. Our girls are maturing with one entering college this year and the other two to follow right behind as we enjoy this season of life with them. My wife and I are in our 22nd year of marriage (25th year of being a couple) and are still madly in love. I believe in the calling God has on my life and look forward to these next steps as He continues to guide us forward. With all of those positive things, I still find myself pausing to think more about aging this year than most.

I suppose it is because I am beginning to comprehend the overall brevity of time and windows of opportunity in front of me. Even though those may be open for another 30-45 years, it still is focusing me on the value of each day and how I choose to spend it. I don't want to waste moments I've been given and yet don't want to rush through anything either. This one life is a gift I have been given and I have a deep desire to use it wisely. This is a truth that hasn't changed since I was a teenager, but I am starting to grasp the tremendous value of it as I move farther along my own timeline.

It's been a relatively good ride so far and I'm ready to do what I can to make sure the next part of the journey is just as enjoyable.

Seeking Serenity

We have recently started a program called Celebrate Recovery which is a Christ-based recovery program aimed at helping people find healing from life's hurts, hang-ups, and habits. There are repeated elements of the weekly service which help as we all search for positive routines in our life. One of those practices involves reading the serenity prayer aloud collectively before dismissing to our groups. While the repetition can potentially lead to numb recitation it can also become more powerful as it embeds itself in our spirit. The words are powerful if we focus on the intent behind them and hopefully learn to make it a vital part of how we push forward in recovery each day.


God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Still Processing

This past week, my family was part of a team serving in Arizona on the Apache reservation. This is a family tradition of serving that my wife and I have passed down to our daughters and hope has become part of their spiritual DNA. Each trip carries its own challenges and rewards and this week was no different. We had to overcome physical obstacles including tiredness, high elevation, and illness while also juggling the inherent challenges of sharing a small living space with 17 people for a week.

I can look back over our trip with fondness, but I still haven't completely thought through all we experienced. Each trip is packed with so many emotions and memories and it takes some time to meditate carefully on what has happened and what I want to take away from it. This is a process I want to walk through slowly while trying to understand more clearly what we experienced and how I want to use that to help me grow. I don't know yet how all of this meditation will play out, but I feel it's an important personal part of the journey we take through life. To make sure we don't miss out on a vital portion of the trip, we need to carve out time to meditate on our experiences and cling to the pieces we don't want to forget.

I Don't Know

Our staff meets daily to have a brief devotional thought and pray together as we get the day started. I shared something this morning that has been rolling around in my mind for a while. I had to admit it wasn't a complete and neatly summed up thought however. It really centered around a couple of questions and concepts I had been pondering, but didn't have complete answers to. Even though I didn't supply any valid solutions, it led to a great discussion as we each contributed without ever landing on one perfect answer.

Not everything can be answered quickly and easily and I'm learning to be okay with that. I tend to think by asking questions, but I'm also learning the value of meditating on those questions without coming to an immediate resolution. It requires patience and a willingness to wrestle with thoughts even if the pace is slower and more difficult than I might hope. For someone who likes to accomplish things this isn't an easy process, but I'm discovering great growth in the journey even if it takes me longer to get to my destination than I might desire.

Practice Thinking

"Thinking always ahead, thinking of always trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing seems impossible." Henry Ford



What are you consistently thinking about? How is your thought life pushing you to new things in your personal and professional life? Stretch your mind to imagine new possibilities and strengthen your creative muscles. You'll find new horizons and be challenged by exciting potential opportunities.

I've Got a Plan

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine...

Isaiah‬ ‭30‬:‭1‬

I like to have a plan. It can be a detailed plan for a particular day or for a bigger event. There is just something settling about having an idea of what you want to happen and how it should take place. The problems set in when we fail to seek God's wisdom in our planning. 

Far too often I am guilty of forging ahead with my own ideas and best practices and fail to bring God into the equation until the end. Asking God to bless what I have planned without any input from Him isn't really what He has in mind. How much better off would I be if I took the time to seek His counsel through prayer, meditation, and study of His Word? God would be deeply involved in the process then and not just sought out for His rubber stamp of holy approval.

Consider It

A few weeks ago one of our teaching pastors shared a message that issued a challenge to "consider your ways." It's a provocation to think carefully about the path we are on in life and to make sure we are headed in the right direction. It sets us up for a regular time of introspection that is necessary to keep us focused on the right way. If we don't occasionally pause to measure our motivation and get our bearings, we can find ourselves off track. It's hard to implement course corrections if you don't recognize that you've strayed from your intended path.

Taking measure of our actions and motivations isn't always easy. If we want to find success, however, it's important to periodically ask three questions: 

• Where are you going?
• What are you doing?
• Why are you doing it?

Stop and think about these answers now and then or you'll end up far from your intended destination.

Pause

When you've been part of events with a significant impact you don't always know what your next steps should be. It's important to take the time to meditate on what you've gone through, but you also don't want to allow too much time to build up or you'll never take action on what has inspired you. The immediate emotions of monumental events will eventually fade and without a plan for follow up action nothing will ever change.

I've found it's best to pause long enough to gain perspective, but then prepare to intentionally do something about it or no change will take place.

Think It Through

My wife and I are at the Exponential conference in Orlando this week receiving a lot of great information & spiritual stimulus. Both of us are motivated to do something what what our eyes have been opened to here. I recognize that we need to prayerfully process things so that we don't jump into areas without measuring the cost. I also know that we need to continue to pray with urgency. Too much time passing tends to lessen excitement and allows us to step back into old patterns of well-learned habits without taking action on the Holy Spirit's prompting. 

Not Yet

I've done a lot of reading and thinking today. I've been challenged to process my steps toward the future and to determine the next best steps to get there. I can honestly say that while this has been stimulating (and mostly positive) I still don't have completely concrete answers. I would love to write a blog about the process of thinking and how I was able to turn this into positive action steps. The truth is that I'm not there yet. I am still working my way through things and I am comfortable enough with this part of my growth process to be patient.

Some days can still be called productive even if the only thing that really happened was a slight adjustment. Much like me, it's still a work in progress and I'm very good with that.

Mind Games

I believe in the positive impact of conversation. I find that I am sharpened in the interaction with

other like-minded (and not like-minded) people and the differing viewpoints we all bring. I am also challenged by the things that I read whether it be in books, blogs, or articles. New ideas and interesting glances of old standards cause me to reevaluate the way that I look at things. I also expand my horizons through my own writing whether in blog or journal form. All of these are good ways to change my mindset and steer me in new directions.

These other principles are key for mental development yet the discipline that we often forget to emphasize is the practice of thinking. I don't mean using our thoughts as we run through our day, but focused time that is set aside to meditate and cognitively create. It's a directed, intentional process of meditation that allows our creative juices to flow and stretch the boundaries of what we normally think on. An effective leader will carve out quiet moments to reflect on the past, evaluate the present, and imagine the future. It's this time of thinking that inspires us and gives us glimpses of a potential preferred future. For success in our thoughts that results in productivity we will need to intentionally schedule "think sessions" and use our mental capabilities more effectively.

More Than Words

There are times when words are difficult to form and cohesive thoughts run apart instead of together. It doesn't always indicate a lack of focus, but often a need for a time of meditation and personal processing. We have the option of pausing to listen to what our King has to say or turning the volume up on life to drown His voice out. God is actively working to stimulate our minds and spirits and if we don't pause to take notice of it, we will eventually condition ourselves to shut Him out.



Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Shut off the technology that captures our every waking moment, put aside the anxieties of tomorrow (and the day after) and turn away from the mindless droning of our entertainment world. Find peace, comfort, and direction in what God is trying to share with you. We will find incredible fulfillment and healing when we can simply be still and know that He is God.

Careful Consideration

Our staff is at the Drive conference at NorthPoint Community Church this week. It's a phenomenal organization that obviously follows God's leading and functions by staying strategically focused on the same vision through all levels of what they do.

The standard line when you are attending these conferences is that you need to focus on the one thing you will take away since there is obviously no way to implement everything you learn. I know some people who stop paying attention once they hear their "one big thing" and others who can't seem to narrow it down. I remember when I first started attending conferences (in my previous life as an athletic trainer) and how flooded with ideas I would feel over the course of 2-3 days. I've learned to soak it all in and take copious notes that allow me to go back later and work on what's most important. I guess that's probably a pretty decent idea for life in general--don't go running out and making major changes without some time to carefully consider the implications of your choices.

In Control

I love how God will create a spark in your spirit when reading the Bible. I was in 1 Peter 4 this morning and read this verse: "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." I had to stop at this point because I knew that this was a verse that I needed to meditate on. The actions of being clear-minded and self-controlled are game changers--big time disciplines that influence every part of our day-to-day life and help determine our future.

What does it mean to be clear minded and self-controlled?

Clear minded: singular in purpose, allowing no distractions to take you away from your goals, focused on what God desires for you, acting in compassion, patient, productive, goal-oriented instead of task driven, able to see paths that God is opening up for you, having awareness of people around you & their life journey, accepting of criticism as an opportunity to grow, resolute in your pursuit of godly vision.

Self-controlled: not allowing emotions to drive your reactions, avoiding temptations that threaten to overwhelm you, choosing the right thing even when it's a difficult decision, maintaining spiritual & physical discipline when you don't feel like it, acting calmly with patient wisdom in difficult times, recognizing potential distractions and choosing to avoid them, proactive and not reactive to situations.

This is by no means comprehensive, but it is the beginning of what this looks like for my own intimacy with God to increase. 

Spilling Out

My wife and I are fans of the show "Friends." We laugh and quote lines from it and do the same with other fans of the show. It's the same thing another friend of mine does with movies--always ready with a quote or famous line.

As I am reading my Bible this morning (and as a follow up to Friday's blog) I was convicted by the thought that famous quotes, movie & TV lines come to mind more frequently than Scripture does. I don't like to admit this, but my hesitancy doesn't negate that truth. 

My interaction with family, friends, and community would be richer if my mind immediately went to Scripture. Difficulties would be handled with peace and wisdom if God's Word flowed out of my mind and mouth. My vision would become more clear and sharply focused if Biblical truth was the true meditation of my heart and mind. Opportunities to serve God would increase as I become more attuned to the rhythm of His Spirit.

It's a challenge for me to accept--the willingness to engage God's Word so deeply that it is the source of the spring of words that flow out of my own life.

The Tuck Rule

Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." It is a reference to diligently studying God's Word so that it becomes implanted in us. It transfers Biblical truth from written words on a page to something that is applicable and real.

We will face temptations and trials and from my own experience I can assure you, faithful reader, that we will not have the strength on our own to endure. Our willpower will fail and our resolve will weaken when we rely purely upon our human capabilities. We gain strength from ingesting and meditating on Scripture so that it becomes the key foundation of our response system. When we are able to read and apply Biblical truth we change its impact from a concept to reality. 

If we aren't tucking God's Word away for future use, we will most certainly not be prepared when the time comes.

Thinkerly

It has been a stimulus filled week. God has been communicating to me in so many different ways and the truth is that I need some time to decompress. I feel the stirrings in my heart of the things that He is telling me through His Holy Spirit and I am excited (and a little anxious) about what they mean. I am still actively listening to Him and know that He will let me know when it is time to take action. For now, I simply list the blessings of this week:

• Good friends who blessed my wife and I with tickets to the Hillsong United worship event
• Good friends who watched our girls overnight so that we could go
• The power of worshiping with thousands of people and hearing voices throughout the arena
• How God spoke to my soul in the middle of that arena as if it were just the two of us there
• Lyrics from the Aftermath album that are more powerful every time I listen to them
• The enrichment from reading His Word and the way it ministers to me
• Lists of thoughts from books, blogs, worship and prayer that I am still working through
• Financial blessings from God due to our trust in Him
• Another adopted child from Compassion-a sweet girl from Kenya named Fiona
• A packed house on Wednesday night for The Next Level-God is using that to grow us all
• Being challenged in worship & teaching at Newspring Church and the Unleash conference
• Unexpectedly seeing old friends from Florida at Unleash
• The camaraderie of staff traveling to and from the conference
• A lead pastor that I am proud to follow and serve alongside
• Springtime weather that has enabled our family to spend time outside together
• Family meals and hugs and love from my girls
• A wife that is more beautiful and loving than I deserve
• Holy Spirit filled worship this morning that is stretching and growing us all
• A Savior that loves me in spite of my many failings and still allows me to serve Him as a pastor.