Friday, April 15, 2011
Running past 30
So today was our school track meet. It was a great day to be outside and see the students bustling with activity and energy. I ran the 800 a 4X100 and 4X400 relay with the teachers. I also signed up for my first official track meet in 12 years on May 8th. I have yet to give myself an honest answer to why I am doing this. I think a lot of it has to do with always wondering how fast I could have run had I not been injured after high school. In some ways I feel like Uncle Rico, sad but true. As if I have enough time to train thoroughly with a full time job, young family, and a dozen other pursuits racking my mind. Perhaps part of me refuses to accept reality. Perhaps its pride. Or maybe I just need to prove to myself that I can "hit" a certain time. But why? Why do I have this need? Is it childish or honorable? When I accomplish it, what's next? a faster time to achieve? Or can I finally hang up the spikes and just run for spirit, sweat, and stress sake. I'm hoping for the later as this mentality can be exhausting.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Encouraging
I recently had a friend whose dad considers himself to be prophetic. He told her that something bad was going to happen soon. This of course caused some alarm and anxiety. I Cor 14:3 says "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their encouraging, strengthening and comfort." I think many so called prophets that spout doom and gloom have missed the boat about what prophesy is designed to do under the new covenant of grace. Also the more charasmatic christian can get so hung up on trying to get a "word" from God that they also miss out on being a blessing. I was once told by an experienced brother in the Lord that prophecy is reaching past the dirt to pull out the gold in someone's life. A divinely given word is always wonderful, but how many times have you and I missed out on pulling out the gold in someone's life from what we know of them naturally.
An encouraging thing happened a few nights ago as I was with a small fellowship. A woman in the group that is in transition with her career path was there. The entire night I saw in my mind's eye the word counselor over her. So at the end of our discussion told her and how I thought God wanted to use this skill to draw the potential out of others. She mentioned that she had wanted to be a counselor since she was 9 and had just reignited a spark to pursue it within the last few months. It was a great confirmation for her and for me as I stepped out a bit in giving it. You can check out the group at www.mountaintopgroup.com
An encouraging thing happened a few nights ago as I was with a small fellowship. A woman in the group that is in transition with her career path was there. The entire night I saw in my mind's eye the word counselor over her. So at the end of our discussion told her and how I thought God wanted to use this skill to draw the potential out of others. She mentioned that she had wanted to be a counselor since she was 9 and had just reignited a spark to pursue it within the last few months. It was a great confirmation for her and for me as I stepped out a bit in giving it. You can check out the group at www.mountaintopgroup.com
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Questions
This post will be continually added to as I have lots of questions. Some of these I know the answers to some I do not. Some of the ones I know the answers to I don't act on its reality in my life. My hope is that I will eventually be putting the answers to these into action.
1)What makes a person rich?
Is it the amount of zeros in their bank account
The number of places they have visited
The accolades they have received from music, sports, or work
Perhaps it is the amount of joy deposited into another's soul
Or the number of smiles to the power of hugs given
It could be the extent to which they feel freedom from life's toils
Maybe it is the amount of wisdom born from true experience.
Or the unfailing and unending love that one gives from being in Christ.
2)What are your first thoughts when you wake up?
Are they filled with drudgery and apathy?
Or are they expectant, excited, and eternal?
3)What circumstances and situations make you uncomfortable? Why? Should you be?
Do they pluck on a chord of fear that you don't want to face?
Does the Christian have the right to fear?
If so, what are legitimate fears?
If not, what is keeping you from moving past those obstacles?
Where did those obstacles come from anyway? tradition? family? friends? lies from the evil one?
What would your life be like fear free?
4) Do you open your facebook/email more than you open your heart to the King of Kings?
Why do you care what other people think of you? Should you? If so, to what extent?
Do you spend meaningless hours wandering through the web getting ensnared in deadend pursuits?
5) Are you ever bored?
Should you ever be bored?
6)Do you know your calling?
If so, are you walking in it?
If not, are you seeking out what it may be?
7)Where do you find your significance as a person?
Is it in your friends?
Your job?
your accomplishments?
your skills?
your status as a son/daughter of Father God?
Think about what you have pursued thus far in your life and you'll find your answer.
Whether you like it or not this is the foundation for your life.
Up to this point you have built your life with sand or stone or perhaps a mixture.
Can an earthquake demolish your foundation?
Do you need some create some reinforcements or do a complete overhaul?
8)In the last year do you have any regrets?
If so, what have you learned?
What can you do this year to have fewer regrets?
9)What activities in your day are void of meaning?
10)When you do not need to have immediate concentrated attention of thoughts for a person or task, where do your thoughts lead you? Are these thoughts productive, beneficial, and glorifying?
11)What does it mean to be dead to myself and alive to Christ?
12)It was never God's intention to take us out of the world we live in. Why have we decided that it's ok to take ourselves out of the world?
13)Is retirement Biblical? If Jesus' lived out a full life on earth would he have stopped his work to relax at 55 or 65?
14)When you are squeezed what comes out?
15)What does it mean to be radical? Dictionary definition:a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.
The key word here is uncompromising. The simple reason Christians are not change agents is because they have compromised their lives with the gospel. What does it mean to compromise? Again, dictionary definition: an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims. The world's standard for fashion, music, sport, relationships, entertainment, etc become the more of the guidelines for how we talk, spend our money, our time and relate to others.
16) Do you see yourself as someone who attends church or a person the IS the church?
17) What is required of you in regards to the poor?
18) When you look at people do you see their problems or their potential?
19) Have you created for yourself a bubble either by default or by fault?
20) How tightly do you hold on to your life? the lives of your children, family, etc.?
21) What parts of your life are driven by fear versus love? These two ideas are polar opposites. I remember standing on a cliff of the Yuba River in the Sierra Nevadas. With a pounding waterfall to my left and ice melt water swirling beneath me I was in the balance of fear and love. Fear, because I dislike heights and had very little meat on my bones to insulate me from the piercing cold waters. My brothers who were far more brave than I had already jumped so there I was standing. waiting. still waiting. Those that have cliff jumped know that the longer you wait the harder it is to jump. My feet began to become cemented to the rocks as my ears fell deaf to my brothers cajoling me to get on with it. Then I tricked myself into imagining that I had to jump for Christine (my girlfriend and later wife) to save her. And with that single thought the power of love catapulted me off the rocks as I did an amazing rendition of the running man before I crashed into the water gasping for air from the shock. Exhilarated, exhausted and triumphant I climbed back up the rock face to the ledge. Although this story is a somewhat fictional in the way I brought in a fake scenario to jump, the point is that love conquers fear. Most of us are familiar with the romantic love, but what the Bible requires of us is to love our neighbor, the outcast, those who can not give anything in return. Fear says "They're going to think you're nuts", love says "They need to know how amazing they are in God's eyes!". Fear says "there won't be enough if we give ________", love says "there will always be enough". Fear says "know you can't", love says "Imagine the possibilities".
22) When was the last time you exercised your faith? (real faith, faith is required when a problem arises and you hold onto the promises of God.)
23) What motivates you? Should it motivate you?
24) In what ways have you put God in a box? (healing, traditions, figured God out, can't, mr. nice guy)
25) How do you view wealth?
When Rockafeller, the richest man of all time, died the reporters were curious how much money he had left. The response from his staff was curt and humbling. "Everything" they said. You can take nothing with you. In Asia ancestor worship is very important to the Chinese and they believe that whatever you burn at the gravesite the dead will receive. With the surge in technology demand for paper iphones and ipads to burn and "give" to the dead is rising. Some descendents are wary though, stating that their ancestors would not know how to use the devices. Quite comical, in some respects, but it also shows part of our human nature to want to continue living beyond this life. This desire is a reality, but not the transferrence of the "things" of this world.
1)What makes a person rich?
Is it the amount of zeros in their bank account
The number of places they have visited
The accolades they have received from music, sports, or work
Perhaps it is the amount of joy deposited into another's soul
Or the number of smiles to the power of hugs given
It could be the extent to which they feel freedom from life's toils
Maybe it is the amount of wisdom born from true experience.
Or the unfailing and unending love that one gives from being in Christ.
2)What are your first thoughts when you wake up?
Are they filled with drudgery and apathy?
Or are they expectant, excited, and eternal?
3)What circumstances and situations make you uncomfortable? Why? Should you be?
Do they pluck on a chord of fear that you don't want to face?
Does the Christian have the right to fear?
If so, what are legitimate fears?
If not, what is keeping you from moving past those obstacles?
Where did those obstacles come from anyway? tradition? family? friends? lies from the evil one?
What would your life be like fear free?
4) Do you open your facebook/email more than you open your heart to the King of Kings?
Why do you care what other people think of you? Should you? If so, to what extent?
Do you spend meaningless hours wandering through the web getting ensnared in deadend pursuits?
5) Are you ever bored?
Should you ever be bored?
6)Do you know your calling?
If so, are you walking in it?
If not, are you seeking out what it may be?
7)Where do you find your significance as a person?
Is it in your friends?
Your job?
your accomplishments?
your skills?
your status as a son/daughter of Father God?
Think about what you have pursued thus far in your life and you'll find your answer.
Whether you like it or not this is the foundation for your life.
Up to this point you have built your life with sand or stone or perhaps a mixture.
Can an earthquake demolish your foundation?
Do you need some create some reinforcements or do a complete overhaul?
8)In the last year do you have any regrets?
If so, what have you learned?
What can you do this year to have fewer regrets?
9)What activities in your day are void of meaning?
10)When you do not need to have immediate concentrated attention of thoughts for a person or task, where do your thoughts lead you? Are these thoughts productive, beneficial, and glorifying?
11)What does it mean to be dead to myself and alive to Christ?
12)It was never God's intention to take us out of the world we live in. Why have we decided that it's ok to take ourselves out of the world?
13)Is retirement Biblical? If Jesus' lived out a full life on earth would he have stopped his work to relax at 55 or 65?
14)When you are squeezed what comes out?
15)What does it mean to be radical? Dictionary definition:a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.
The key word here is uncompromising. The simple reason Christians are not change agents is because they have compromised their lives with the gospel. What does it mean to compromise? Again, dictionary definition: an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims. The world's standard for fashion, music, sport, relationships, entertainment, etc become the more of the guidelines for how we talk, spend our money, our time and relate to others.
16) Do you see yourself as someone who attends church or a person the IS the church?
17) What is required of you in regards to the poor?
18) When you look at people do you see their problems or their potential?
19) Have you created for yourself a bubble either by default or by fault?
20) How tightly do you hold on to your life? the lives of your children, family, etc.?
21) What parts of your life are driven by fear versus love? These two ideas are polar opposites. I remember standing on a cliff of the Yuba River in the Sierra Nevadas. With a pounding waterfall to my left and ice melt water swirling beneath me I was in the balance of fear and love. Fear, because I dislike heights and had very little meat on my bones to insulate me from the piercing cold waters. My brothers who were far more brave than I had already jumped so there I was standing. waiting. still waiting. Those that have cliff jumped know that the longer you wait the harder it is to jump. My feet began to become cemented to the rocks as my ears fell deaf to my brothers cajoling me to get on with it. Then I tricked myself into imagining that I had to jump for Christine (my girlfriend and later wife) to save her. And with that single thought the power of love catapulted me off the rocks as I did an amazing rendition of the running man before I crashed into the water gasping for air from the shock. Exhilarated, exhausted and triumphant I climbed back up the rock face to the ledge. Although this story is a somewhat fictional in the way I brought in a fake scenario to jump, the point is that love conquers fear. Most of us are familiar with the romantic love, but what the Bible requires of us is to love our neighbor, the outcast, those who can not give anything in return. Fear says "They're going to think you're nuts", love says "They need to know how amazing they are in God's eyes!". Fear says "there won't be enough if we give ________", love says "there will always be enough". Fear says "know you can't", love says "Imagine the possibilities".
22) When was the last time you exercised your faith? (real faith, faith is required when a problem arises and you hold onto the promises of God.)
23) What motivates you? Should it motivate you?
24) In what ways have you put God in a box? (healing, traditions, figured God out, can't, mr. nice guy)
25) How do you view wealth?
When Rockafeller, the richest man of all time, died the reporters were curious how much money he had left. The response from his staff was curt and humbling. "Everything" they said. You can take nothing with you. In Asia ancestor worship is very important to the Chinese and they believe that whatever you burn at the gravesite the dead will receive. With the surge in technology demand for paper iphones and ipads to burn and "give" to the dead is rising. Some descendents are wary though, stating that their ancestors would not know how to use the devices. Quite comical, in some respects, but it also shows part of our human nature to want to continue living beyond this life. This desire is a reality, but not the transferrence of the "things" of this world.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Purpose and Vision
I have decided to start this blog as a way to keep me focused, challenge myself and perhaps others as well as charting my spiritual growth. I will be posting thoughts on my experiences, scriptures read, and new revelations I have received from fellow Christians, books, sermons, etc. To anybody that ends up reading this I hope it will be encouraging and challenging.
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