Proper Posture

I remember being a kid and my mom telling me to stand and sit up straight or it would affect my spine for the rest of my life. This must be a standard principle from the Mother's Credo along with not sitting too close to the television or my eyes would be ruined, and the need to stop crying before she gave me something to cry about. In actuality, I'm sure it was something that she carried over from her mother and father-the importance of good posture.

It's obviously something that matters to God as well since He teaches on it often. We are counseled regularly in Scripture on the importance of bowing our heads, kneeling, and taking a reverential stance. It reflects our level of honor for God and our recognition of our position relative to Him. 

What spiritual posture are we maintaining in our prayer life or when we read the Bible? What position do we take when we are desperate for an answer from God? Do we come with a position of humility, honor & respect or do we show up with a sense of entitlement thinking that God owes us something? Maintaining a proper posture reveals our level of understanding of our position relative to God. It's a stance that is developed over time as we recognize our need to rely on His generous greatness.

Hard to See

I was driving home and listening to ESPN radio the other day and the talk show hosts were talking about a recent decision made by Mitch Kuptchak, the general manager of the LA Lakers. His choice was being over analyzed by countless outsiders as they debated his wisdom and ability to plan for the future. The best commentary was provided by a reporter calling in on one of the shows. He simply said, " It's easier to play Mitch Kupchak than it is to be Mitch Kupchak."

We often rush to make judgments on other people's decisions without understanding all of their reasoning. While it's true that people will sometimes make poor decisions (even with all the facts in hand) we still can't completely comprehend the weight of their thought process. I've discovered (especially in recent years) that leaders of healthy, successful organizations have to make difficult choices that may not be readily accepted or understood by everyone else.  Successfully leading an organization requires a great deal of vision and the ability to make tough decisions after weighing all the options. Leaders are willing to take a risk that will better their organization even if that isn't readily apparent to outsiders. We can choose to be overly critical of every move or show some grace to our leaders by trusting the careful thought & prayer they have invested in a difficult choice. It's a conscious choice to be an encouraging follower instead of a negative critic.

Thankful

Since it is Thanksgiving I thought I would fight my natural inclination to avoid what is typically being done and instead write about ten things I am thankful for.

1. Grace: I don't completely understand it (and probably never will) but I am grateful for the gifts & patient love that God gives me when I have done nothing to earn them.

2.  My wife: I out-kicked my coverage when I married my wife-there is absolutely no doubt about that. I am forever grateful for our lives converging at the point where & when they did because I wouldn't be the man I am today without her.

3. My children:  We have three beautiful, passionate, wonderful daughters who are highly intelligent and possess fantastic potential to do great things. I am nowhere near the perfect parent, but want to do the very best I can to help them see what God has in store for their future.

4. Calling: I may not have realized it early in my career, but I am grateful that I have discovered exactly what I am supposed to dedicate my life to doing. In retrospect, I can see how God was preparing me to be a pastor and I am thankful for His willingness to use me in spite of my many faults.

5. People: I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for the people I have walked this path of life with. I am grateful for those that I have known for over 25 years, former students, youth from the ministry, people that have ministered to me as I ministered to them, fellow pastors, and the people of Milledgeville that love us as family now. I couldn't begin to list them all, but I think of those that have impacted my life very often and can't believe how blessed I am.

6.  Future: God is giving me glimpses of what our future will look like and how He is continually guiding us there. How great is it to know a God that still looks for ways to bless His children and allow them to flourish?

7. Second chances: I have seen the damage that my choices have caused in relationships and in those around me. I don't deserve opportunities to make this right, but am thankful that over time I can choose to do things differently and see new results.

8. Contentment: I know that God is always shaping me into a better man, but I am grateful for the contentment with where I am right now. I'm not satisfied to the point of not wanting to change, but I can clearly see how He has molded me over the years and I am eager to take the next step on this journey.

9. Family: While I am obviously grateful for my wife & children, I am also thankful for the incredible influence & love of the rest of my family (both biological and through marriage.) They are all a key part of who I am and I don't go a day without thinking & praying for them all.

10. New Beginnings: It's not just the name of my blog, but it's a philosophy of life. I believe in God's ability (and desire) to make brand new things out of refuse and to turn the ugly into beautiful. It's why I invest in people and why I cling to my relationship with God so firmly. I've seen it in action and want others to experience that newness for themselves.

It's a brief (yet lengthy) list, but I couldn't let the day go by without pausing to be thankful. It's a poignant reminder of what matters most and a refocusing of my energies where they need to be invested.

Generous Spirit

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." Stephen Colbert



It seems to be natural inclination to look to be a benefit to people during the holidays. This isn't a negative thing, but I am certain we are called to be a blessing on a more consistent basis. It should be a reflection of our regular life mission to seek ways to share what we have with the people around us. I don't believe it's a burden-in fact, I haven't met anyone who regretted making this a regular practice. We simply choose to make a habit and then daily look for ways to make it a reality. It's the life of generosity that is capable of creating change in the community around us even if the scope of our impact doesn't seem that large.

Right There

As much as we are in contact with people via social media we are a society that has forgotten what it means to have true face-to-face interaction. I don't want to sound like an old man lamenting the loss of the personal touch, but I think it's a perspective worth viewing. It's not so much that we've neglected to develop interpersonal skills or that we have lost the ability to communicate in genuine sentences without slang abbreviations (even if we have.) I think the greatest loss is in our inability to see the humanity of the people around us. When our focus is on the tiny screen in our hand and not on the living people sitting, eating, walking, and breathing around us we've lost a part of us that is beautifully valuable. As much as I enjoy keeping up with people from a distance I thrive even more on the up close & personal investments we can make when we near and willing to engage each other in life.

Watch the video below to see this in a simple light and recognize the potential of embracing the friction of life-on-life around us.

No Consideration

Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. Look, O Lord, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed. 

Lamentations 1:9

I like to look ahead to the future and try to determine if my actions are leading me where I truly want to go. I will regrettably admit that this is not a consistent personal practice of mine-especially when I was younger. I would make foolish financial, emotional, and spiritual decisions based on the immediacy of the moment and neglect to think about the long-term implications of my choices. The fallout from this short-sighted decision making can be devastating on an individual level, but even more so for the people in our immediate circles of influence. 

What choices are we making today that will directly affect our future? Are we carefully considering the long-term benefits & consequences of those decisions? If we refuse to take the time to meditate on where we might end up we forfeit the right to be surprised/appalled when the results are less than satisfying. When we won't evaluate the potential results we're valuing the present moment much more than the coming future. I've seen too much damage in people's lives to believe this is the right way to go.

Three Voices, One Message

We had a three-headed message at Northridge today as our entire teaching team shared the Thanksgiving sermon. It was the first time all three of us had taught at the same time and it seemed to be well received by all. I enjoy it when we do things similar to this (Mike & I have taught this way several times over the last four years) as it presents a different challenge as a teacher, but also gives some insight into the relationship of the team. We get a chance to banter back & forth with some planned (and unplanned) conversational give and take while sharing Scriptural truth. It's also a way to break down some barriers between the congregation and our pastoral staff while stretching us as communicators. Hopefully this approach keeps people engaged at a deeper level as we keep the pace moving. It reflects one of our core values of teaching: to do whatever it takes short of sin to communicate the truth of Christ and see
transformed lives.