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Life is exciting when there are things to anticipate.
I remember being young and knowing I was going skiing with my dad at Chrystal Mountain on a Saturday. The night before was FULL of anticipation. I was so excited about what the next day would hold for me! I loved spending that time with my dad...and both of us loved going skiing. I found it weird that I could wake up early - no problem jumping out of bed, ready to go by 5:30 or 6 AM. He would often ask me why I could do that for skiing and not for school or work. I would pretend like I didn't know what he was talking about.
The difference was simple: anticipation. Expectancy for what was ahead. I was excited. I was thinking about how awesome and amazing the time was going to be on the slopes. It is interesting how quickly each of us can lose that sense of anticipation in life. Often anticipation gets replaced with routine. Expectancy is overshadowed by monotony.
Live life with anticipation. Believe that great things are ahead, and pursue them with that same excitement that got me up out of bed to go skiing. What we choose to believe about life effects how we approach it. Choose to live with expectancy!
This past week a friend of our church, Pastor Aaron Haskins, passed away. He was a pastor at The City Church and a man who lived his life networking churches to come together for the casuse of Christ. Though I only met him a few times, and had limited conversations with him, it was amazing to see the impact and influence that his life had on so many. As I sat at his memorial service on Thursday I had to reflect on what it is to live life well. Aaron figured it out. Here are some thoughts that were shared about how he lived his life. Let it challenge each of us to strive to live a life well lived.
Be authentic
Your best days are ahead of you
Genuinely care for people
Take time to have conversations
Be the best you you can be
Let your life be a bridge for others
Live life to the full and live it well!
Today I was reminded how thankful I am for The Church. It was God's idea (see the book of Acts) - and it was a good one! Many people have misconceptions of what The Church is all about, but there is nothing like seeing it in action!
Today we had a little scare with Judah (our soon to be 3 year old son). When we woke him up he was totally unresponsive to us. He was awake, his eyes were open, he was breathing, but he would not look at us or speak. For parents, this is a very unnerving feeling. All I could do is pray. After calling 911, we ended up at the urgent care in Issaquah. Not too long after, Pastor Steve (our senior pastor) and Pastor Josh (our jr. high pastor) showed up. What an amazing feeling to not just "know" that people are praying - but to see The Church in action...its awesome.
So many people sent emails, texts, and calls to let us know they were praying. All through this network of people with a common denominator - Jesus. His Church, in action, can accomplish great things.
Be thankful for The Church, the body of Christ. It is awesome to know that there are people who love you and will stand with you, through the good and the tough times of life.
As I write this Judah is asleep on the couch. He is doing great. I am thankful for the power of praying people and thankful for The Church - that we can stand together!
I believe that reaching out shouldnt be something we just do, but rather I believe it is something that we should be.
All too often we view reaching out as an event...something that we do. It needs to move beyond something we do, and saturate every part of who we are as Christians. I think a great example of reaching out is seen in the story of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:30-37. He had every reason to not help, not reach out, and not be inconvenienced. But he does the unexpected. And I believe Jesus, through this story, is teaching us that in order to act with a helping hand when the opportunities arise, it has to be a part of who we are. It cant be limited to an event.
If our view of "reaching out" is limited to an event, I think we face some dangers:
1. We miss developing the heart behind it
2. We miss great opportunities
3. We can choose to turn it on or off
4. We can assume the responsibility is not ours
5. We fail to use all that God has made us to be
I am challenged to BE. I don't want to settle to reach out just when an event, missions trip or something else comes up to them reach out a helping, loving hand. I want it to be so much a part of me, that I don't miss the opportunities that are right in front of me every single day. I love events, missions trips, etc...absolutely love it! But if our ability to reach out is dependent on that, we are missing it. Let it BE a part of who you ARE.
Tonight I was praying and reflecting on the fact that God can do the supernatural. He can do what we cannot do. But that doesn't excuse us from doing what we can and need to do.God can do the supernatural. Are we willing to do the natural?There have been many times in my life where I want God to step in and do something totally amazing. Something that only He can do. Yet I know that part of the reason that needed to happen was because I was unwilling to do what I could do. Maybe you have felt that before. It becomes easy for us to pray about God doing amazing things. But what does it say about our faith if we simply pray and don't get up and act on what it is that we have in our heart.Yes, God is a supernatural God. He can heal. He can transform lives. He can bring unexpected blessing. He does miracles. He provides signs to draw people to Him. With all this being true, as God does the supernatural, are we willing to do the natural?
A few years back I led a small group for 6th grade boys. I remember when we would come to a time of prayer and I would ask them what I could pray with them about there was a common answer: "I want God to help me read my bible." or "I want God to help me pray." Now I totally understood where they were coming from...I too was once a 6th grade boy in a youth ministry. I get it. But I would always share a simple illustration that I want to share here. I could sit in a room and pray with all my hear and passion "God help me to get up and turn on the light switch on the wall. Lord, I know you can do all things...just please help me to have the passion and drive to get up and flip that light switch on the wall." I am sure that all of us would think it is crazy to pray that way. But the truth be told, we often do. Most of us, if we want the light switch on or off, we simply get up and turn it on or off. But we also pray about a lot of things that we could simply just get up and do out of a heart of obedience.
Lets be people who are willing to do what we can do, as God is always faithful to do what we cannot.
Today I came across two great questions that made me think for a bit, and I thought they would be worth sharing. Here they are:
1. Do you believe that?
2. Do you live like you believe that?
There have been so many times in my life where I know that I "believe" something. I have convictions, I have firm beliefs that are founded on truth. But if those beliefs don't lead to action, what does that really say about these things that we "believe"?
Think about all of the things we easily say we believe in life. As Christians we embrace that God's Word is Truth and Life. Most of us would say we "believe" in what they bible calls us to do...do we Believe it? Do we LIVE like we believe it?
Today I was challenged by the thought that there may be areas in my life that even though "I Believe", I might not always live like I believe. I believe that love should be patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13), but I don't always live that belief out.
God, help us to be people who LIVE what we BELIEVE.
This past week we started a new series in our student ministry entitled "iLIVE". It is all about the qualities and characteristics that we should live out as followers of Jesus. In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul encourages believers with the following:15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (nlt)
We should pay attention to the way that we live life. We kicked it all of with the quality of FAITHFULNESS. This is something that we see a lack of all around us in the world in which we live. What is it to live faithful, in a world where commitment and faithfulness is lacking?In 2 Timothy 2:22 we are challenged to "pursue faithfulness" (nlt). All throughout scripture we see examples of people who lives lives that expressed faithfulness. Noah, Esther, Nehemiah, and Job all give us great examples of faithfulness: people who lived out commitment and loyality.
In 1 Samuel 24:1-13 we read a story about David and King Saul, and how David exemplified faithfulness through his actions and choices. Even when it would have been convenient, David remained faithful to what God had set before him. David had been on the run for his life, hiding out. Day after day he wondered about in the wilderness with his band of men. And then an opportunity arises...Saul walks by himself into the very cave that David and his men were hiding out in. David had a great opportunity to make life easier for himself. He had a chance to end life on the run. Yet he remained faithful.
Here are a few thoughts about a faithful life:
A faithful life moves beyond difficulties.
Difficult times come and go in life. But faithfulness finds a way to move beyond the hardships.
A faithful life overcomes opposition.
David had a lot stacked against him. There was a lot of opposition from King Saul, who just happened to be his father-in-law as well. Imagine how awkward holidays must have been! Yet through it all, David remained faithful.
A faithful life remains selfless.
To live faithful requires an attitude that will set its own needs and desires aside in order to remain faithful.
A faithful life pursues integrity and honesty.
If no one would ever find out, would we remain faithful? To live a life of faithfulness, we must be people who are on a pursuit of integrity and honesty.
A faithful life finishes what it starts.
We need to be people who finish. You can talk about faithfulness, but if you don't carry it through to completion, it is just words.
I believe that we are called to stand out in our generation. In a world where faithfulness and commitment mean nothing, what is it to live faithful? Lets be people who live faithful!
Over the past month I have been playing phone tag with someone that I consider to be a valuable friendship. The other night, we finally connected. We have recently been unable to connect with the exception of a few voice mails, text messages and notes sent through facebook. Yet even though there has been some time since we have been able to actually "connect", the moment we talked reminded me how important true friends are in life, and how valuable those friendships are to us.
There are few things in life that are more valuable than true friendship. Don't settle for living a life that lacks it - because we need it.
We need it to lift us up and to keep us grounded.
We need it for encouragement and growth - valuable friendships will bring encouragement we need, but also a push every now and then to keep us growing and developing who we are.
We need it to remind us that we are not alone.
We need it to remind us that we are not invincible.
We need it to share life's good times and hard times.
We need it. We need it. We need it.
We all have friendships. But do you have some valuable friendships? If not, seek them out. Because there is someone who needs yours...and you need theirs.
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