Limited Edition Masterpiece

As a parent with two kids, I fight the urge.  It’s the urge that any parent reading this has probably had to face.  And, most likely, whether you’re a parent or not, you’ve had to deal with it personally.  What is it?  Comparison!  As a parent, I have to guard against the urge to compare other kids to my kids, or even more so, my kids against each other. You as a parent probably have had the same struggle.  But even if you are not a parent, you have most likely been caught in the fight of comparisons at some point or another.  I not only have to fight against the tendency to compare my kids, but I have to guard against comparing myself to people around me…other husbands, other dads, or even other youth pastors. 

Right now, we are gripped by the holiday season, and if we are not careful, we will catch ourselves missing the beauty of the season because we are caught up in comparisons.  We compare the trees, the decorations, even the quality/quantity of gifts. 

A couple of weeks ago, Amy and I went to a toy store to look for presents for our kids.  As we were looking for a particular item, I noticed something.  The item we bought for our son, Cole, was not the only one of its kind on the shelf.  There were several of those identical items lined up behind it.  (I know that sounds crazy to think that a store would mass-produce something in an effort to turn a profit.)  In that moment, I had this thought:  How many of us think we are mass-produced?  It’s easy for me to compare myself to the next 28-year-old male if I believe that we are all from the same mold.   It’s easy to compare ourselves to one another when we think, “I’m just 1 of 7 billion.”  In reality, you are not.  You are 1 of 1.  God created you as a Limited Edition Masterpiece.  In that light, there is no room for comparisons, because every time God created one of us, He broke the mold!  Take a look…

Ephesians 2.10a (NLT) - For we are God’s masterpiece.  

Furthermore, in Psalm 139.14, David proclaims, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made...” 

Translation: I am Unique.  

You are a unique masterpiece God created.

God placed in you the exact, unique gifts and talents you need for today.  

This holiday season, when we are choosing among all the mass-produced gifts, let us remember that each of us is uniquely created. 

    

So please repeat this after me: I am a limited edition masterpiece created by God.  My challenge to you is that each day for the remainder of 2012, you would repeat that statement to yourself...Until you are convinced it is true!

_____________________
Tim   

Say No to the Slump

Well, here we are... the holidays are here!  You won't find a person more excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas than I am!  I love getting together with family, I love the chaos that ensues from too many people stuffed in too small of a dining room (ok, well, I love it for the first half-hour or so anyway).  And I'm not gonna lie... I love the food.  I love the Christmas decorations, buying gifts... the whole shabang! 

But do you know what my least favorite part of the holidays is?  Having been through a few now as an adult, I've noticed a pattern, not only with my life but with others around me, especially my church family.  There is a huge tendency in this season to fall into a spiritual "slump."  We become so consumed with everything going on for the holidays--which again, I love being part of--that we kind of "check out" and stick the God/church thing on cruise control.  We stop pressing to get anything new from God; for some, we stop worrying about getting to church regularly, if at all, during this time.  For others, we hurry in to service and hurry out, because we our heads just aren't really "there" right now.  Too much else is going on. 

Kids are off school, adults take off work... Why not take a break from church and our spiritual pursuits, too?  You know, just for a few weeks until we get the New Year rolling and everything settles down?

Let's take a minute and think this through...

1.  Let's not lie to ourselves.  Things never really settle down, do they?  (To explore further, you may find this previous post about busyness intriguing).  Let's face it:  Nothing magical is going to happen on January 2 to kick our rears back in gear and simultaneously calm our schedules down.  I'm sure many of you can relate... By the time we realize the holidays are over and pull ourselves out of our slump, we're halfway through February and headlong into our busy schedules! 

Consider this:  How you exit one season of life is how you enter the next. If we slump for these last few weeks of this year, then we will launch our New Year in a slump. Think about it... Many of us consider the start of a New Year as a fresh opportunity, a chance to forget about the last 12 months with all of its challenges and failures, and a chance to start new. Why would we want to start that new chance in a slump?

Ephesians 5:15-16 says:
Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Think about this... Every day you live and breathe is a new opportunity for you to either make the most of it or slump through it.

2.  We don't take a six-week break from our marriages or our families because of the holidays, do we? So why should we take a break from God and our church families? Our life is all about relationships.  The Bible even says so...

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

Everything in our lives comes back to relationships.  Our relationship with God is the first and foremost priority, then our relationships with one another come next.  But if we neglect either one, it throws our lives out of balance.  That's why at our church, our vision is captured by the simple phrase: "Loving God... Loving People."  If what we are doing doesn't start and end there, then we're out of balance. 

On to the next thought...


3.  Consider the cost of the slump.

Referencing back to the thought about opportunities, if every day is a new opportunity, can we really afford to slump for six weeks...42 days... 42 opportunities from God to live and breathe to our fullest potential? 

Are you really so spiritually strong and superior that you don't need to continue cultivating your relationship with God for these six weeks?  You don't need the life and support that comes from gathering with your church family through worship services and small group meetings, so you can afford to take this time off? 

Hebrews 10:25 answers this question for us:  
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another...

Let's ask ourselves this in another way:  Can you afford to stop eating for the next 42 days?  Can you afford to stop drinking all fluids for the next 42 days?  If we can't afford to let our physical bodies go for six weeks, then why do we think we can afford to let our spiritual health go?

Now let's take it beyond ourselves...

Can the people around us afford for us to slump spiritually for six weeks?  Do people's problems just go away because it's the holiday season?  As I'm sure you know, of course they don't!  In fact, for many people, their problems and their pain intensify in this season, and they feel greater senses of loss and failure in the middle of the celebration.

If we are the people of God, the ones He chose to live out His love to each other, then is it ok for us to "clock out" from our spiritual lives during this time of year--to go into hibernation-- when people are still hurting around us?

Even as I write this, a family near here just buried their 17-year-old teenage son yesterday, 3 days before Thanksgiving.  Two other families in the same community will be burying their teenage daughters in the coming week or so.  The whole community is reeling from the sudden and tragic loss of these young people.  Their pain isn't going to be able to clock out for the holiday season.  All 42 days of the next six weeks, they are going to be hurting deeply, and all 42 days, they are going to be in desperate need of the love and peace of God to minister to them intensely.  What if the people called to minister God's love to them are unavailable because they've checked into their spiritual holiday hibernation?


Perhaps ask yourself this question:  Who around me is hurting and needs me to be God's love to them this holiday season? 

It may hit a lot closer to home than you think.  It may be your teenage son or daughter who needs to find God for themselves, and your commitment to God may be the catalyst for them.  It may be your spouse that is hurting and needs your love and attention more than ever.  It may even be you that is hurting, and you need daily interaction with God more intensely than ever.


Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
--2 Timothy 4:2


Let's not just float through these holidays.  Let's recognize that these days are just important as any other day, and let's set our minds on making a way to celebrate and enjoy the holidays without pushing our spiritual lives to the back burner.

Let's say no to the holiday slump, and instead choose to be spiritually energized and alert, so that even in the midst of all of the hubbub and celebration, we are ready, willing, and available to detect and meet the need for God's love and peace on a moment's notice.

Then, on January 2, we can wake up with no remorse, but instead be full of passion and focus for continuing in the same momentum with which we ended this year!

Happy Opportunities!!


____________________
Amy

Change

How do you handle change? 

To most of us, change is not something we welcome and embrace.  To prove my point, just ask yourself these questions:

            Do I tend to order the same things at the restaurants I go to?

            Do I park in the same spot at work every day?

            Do I sit in the same seat at church each week?

            Do I drive the same way to and from my house?

Are you convinced yet?  We are creatures of habit.  

So how do you handle change? What do you do when your favorite menu item is discontinued?  What do you do when a visitor at church takes your seat before you get there? 

If change was easy, everybody would do it.  But we tend to get stuck in the rut of life.  We just do the same things over and over, and life begins looking the same, day-in and day-out.  I contend, however, that change is not only beneficial, but it is critically necessary to keep us moving along in life.  Let's take a look...

Psalm 46.10a – Be still and know that I am God…

In today's culture we are constantly on the move.  We have conditioned ourselves to feed on the adrenaline of busyness and routine.  But what if we occasionally forced ourselves to change?  What if we threw a wrench in our busy schedules and forced a shift in our perspective, off of our busy (and often mundane) routine, and onto our great God? 

Pastor Mark Batterson gives this formula: change of place + change of pace = change of perspective.  

There is a highway here that runs through the middle of our city, and everything basically funnels off that highway.  Every once in awhile, I will go to the top of a mountain and overlook my city.  I can see that same highway that I drive on almost daily, but I get a bigger picture that I cannot see while in my car on the highway.  It gives me a change of perspective.  Driving on the highway, I see only the mundane -- scenery I've grown accustomed to and traffic I've learned to deal with (and of course, the occasional frustration toward other drivers--you know who you are). But when I go to the top of the mountain, I see from a whole new place of awe and wonder, and I get a new perspective of my city and all that it has to offer. 

Change is not easy, but what if change is the catalyst to your new perspective?  You'll realize that God really does have the whole world in His hand. 

Here are just some ideas of ways to shake things up a little for a new perspective in life...

What if you changed what translation of the Bible you read?

What if you changed your workout routine?

What if you changed the seat you sat in at church?

What if you changed your work schedule? 

What if you changed your busy schedule and made some time just to be still and know?

I want to grow each day in my knowledge of God in my life, and sometimes the small changes give me a greater perspective of my greater God... 

____________

Tim

I Like My Life the Way I Like My Coffee

I'm a fairly avid coffee drinker, but I'm not gonna lie: I like my coffee to look much more like milk than coffee.  I'm one of those... "Would you like more coffee with your creamer, ma'am?"  Yep, that's me.  But I don't love when there's so much creamer that I can't taste the coffee anymore. I love to strike that perfect balance... When there's just enough creamer to soften the bitter edge of the coffee, but not so much that it overshadows the coffee.  Throw in a little sweetener, and they are all perfect complements to one another. 

As simplistic as this may be, just as I like my coffee to look more like milk than coffee, I like to look more like God than me!  

     He must increase, but I must decrease.  John 3:30 (NASB)

I'm happiest when I have been in His Presence.  I'm the most satisfied when I know that I'm close to Him.  His Presence takes that bitter edge off of life.  When I skip that quiet time in the morning, because I overslept or am overwhelmed by the list of things to get done that day... Those are the days I become restless inside.  Those are the days I feel edgy and don't like who I am.  Those days, I feel less palatable to myself and to those around me.  I've found that if I can force even 15 minutes into my morning and go ahead and spend some time with God when I'm starting out, the rest of the day goes much smoother, and we strike that perfect balance... God and me, all mixed up together.  It makes for a much more pleasant day!

While this all sounds great, I've also become aware that sometimes some of us struggle with God's increasing and our decreasing, because we're afraid of completely losing who we are... like God wants to make us some Spirit-led robot with no personality and no foot in reality.  We have this notion that God's goal is to have a bunch of hyper-spiritual alien-like humans who all look and sound and act alike.  So we nurture this fear inside that doesn't allow us to completely surrender to God, because we're afraid of what He'll take away or what He'll change about us. 

We mistakenly think that in order for God to take over and really be Lord in our lives, He wants us just to diminish into the background.  God does want 100% surrender, and He wants 100% of you.  But it's not because He wants to smash away everything about you and clone you into somebody else.

Get this... The great thing about locking arms with God is that He already likes you.  Even with all of your flaws, all of your problems, even all of your sins... He still likes you. (No, He doesn't like the sin, but He's wild about the person -- you!)  Remember, He created you.  Every time we see God create in Genesis, we see Him sit back, review His work, and like what He just made!

     God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  Genesis 1:31 (NIV)

When God made you, He liked you, and He still likes you.  He created your personality, and He likes it, so He's not trying to get rid of the you He created! 

Remember, the purpose of the creamer is to complement the coffee, to make it more palatable, not to mask it altogether.  So while God does require 100% surrender of ourselves, we need to realize that He respects our intricacies and our personalities, because He's the one who put them there.  He's not asking you to become a clone of whoever you think is this year's World's Greatest Christian.  He's asking you for all of you, so He can make you look more like Him.  But you'll still taste a lot like you.

That's why you can see so many different, powerful, anointed ministers who have very different styles but are equally as effective in the Kingdom of God.  One person may pray with you in the altar with tears and wailing and strong emotion, and another person may pray very calmly, systematically, and logically, and both people can be equally as used by God to minister to you.  Their "secret formula" is not the method; it's simply a life of being 100% surrendered to God and led by His Spirit.  Once we surrender, He works through our personalities - who He made us to be - to minister to those around us in our own flavor.

One more thought...  This doesn't mean we have an excuse to refuse change in parts of our personalities that don't line up with who God is.  For example, if I don't guard myself, I can tend to snap at people around me, responding sharply and insensitively to them, especially when I'm feeling pressured or stressed.  This may be a tendency of my personality, but it doen't give me excuse to say, "Well, that's just my personality; I'm just a direct, abrupt person, so people need to get over it."  I still have to surrender 100% of my personality to my Creator, so He can continue to refine me... so His purifying fire can burn away all of the distasteful elements that have become intertwined in my personality by living in a world where the fleshly nature runs rampant.  The great thing is, though, that the nature of a Creator is to continue creating.  As long as I stay 100% surrendered, He will continue creating in me, making me look a lot more like Him.  How exciting is that?!

So, (coffee mugs raised)...

May the surrendering on my end never stop, and may the creating on His end never stop...

Cheers!


___________________________
Amy

More Lessons from the Mouse House

You may have read about our experiences in what I fondly refer to as the "Mouse House" (see Of Mice & Men & Skunks & Such), the rodent-infested house that we used to live in.  I thank God almost daily (sometimes many times a day) for delivering us out of what I refer to as our own, personal Egypt (not as in the modern-day country, but as in the Israelites' period of slavery).  

There is great freedom in not having to live with a feeling of dread every time I open a kitchen drawer... no longer fearing finding remnants that mice have left behind... no longer opening my front door and getting smacked in the face with a lingering skunk smell... no longer having my heart sink every time we discovered a new burrow entrance under our deck... no longer having to inspect every potato in the pantry to be sure it hasn't been snacked on... no longer having chills go up my spine from hearing noises in the walls in the wee hours of the night (shudder)...

Freedom is good.

Once you've been enslaved by something, you appreciate every facet of life that freedom touches.  And it is good to appreciate.  It is good to give thanks.  It is good to reflect for the purposes of praising God and moving forward.  

But we must beware... We must be cautious not to allow one level of freedom to keep us from greater levels of freedom.

Our family now lives in a brand new townhouse in exactly the part of town we had wanted to live in.  We love this place.  However, I find myself sometimes having to remind myself that even though this home is worlds away from the horror we lived in before, this is not our final destination.  My dream home is not a 1400-square-foot townhouse with no front yard and a small back patio.  It would be easy for us to sigh a breath of relief, cling to this place with all our might, and say, "At least it's not the Mouse House..."  

We've had a problem this summer with tiny black ants in the kitchen.  I've caught myself thinking at times, "Well, at least it's not mice!" (Can I get an "Amen!").  But tiny black ants on our counters and food are still not acceptable. No, it is not the degree of problem (or yuck factor) that mice and rats were, but we cannot let the "at least" mindset cause us to lull into mediocrity and refuse to deal with a "minor" issue.  

Beware:  We must not allow our past obstacles or victories to create complacency in our hearts toward our present and future issues. 

The Israelites had been enslaved for so long by Pharaoh and his slave drivers that the wilderness itself offered much freedom.  No more beatings.  No more oppression.  No more unfair, inhumane rulers.  But it was still the wilderness!  While we often criticize the Israelites for how much they complained (Didn't God deliver you from the Egyptians? Why are you complaining about manna?!) I think we overlook an equally as dangerous position of their hearts... Not only were they complaining non-stop, but they became content to the point of complacency.  You don't believe me?  How could I accuse them of complacency when they were constantly complaining?  Don't be fooled.  Just because someone complains constantly doesn't mean they aren't complacent.  Answer this for me:  Just how long did they hang out in the wilderness, knowing God had given them a promise of their dream home?  That's right: 40 years.  Forty years.  Four. Full. Decades.  

The Israelites had a promise of their dream land, but many of them never even got to enter the Promised Land.  They got hung up in the wilderness.  Hey, but at least it was better than Egypt, right?

"At least" can and will keep you from God's best for your life.

Have you seen a woman dating a total loser of a guy?  Sure, he's a dead-beat and does nothing to support or affirm her.  But "at least he doesn't beat me."  "At least he's not like my ex-husband."  "At least he doesn't cheat on me."  At least will keep her from God's best.  God has so much better for her than any of those men who devalue her.

Have you seen a once-ambitious man settle into a boring, unfulfilling job and lose all motivation for advancing his career?  "At least it pays the bills."  "At least nobody bothers me on the job anymore."  "At least I don't have the stress of competing for any promotions."  What about those dreams and career goals he used to have? At least will keep him in "good" and keep him from "great." 

Have you seen a teenager who wants nothing to do with God, but their parents don't want to push them too much, because at least they're not getting in trouble with the law?  At least they're not into any of the really hard drugs?  At least they use protection?  At least just isn't good enough.  That's not God's best.  He loves them more than that.

God loves you more than that.  He loves you too much to leave you in your at least.

I wonder if God's heart grieves over our "at least?"  I wonder if subconsciously, our hearts mourn over what is lost because of our "at least?"  What dreams have we let go of, because it was just easier to settle into where we are now?  What desires have we buried, because we just didn't see how they would ever be fulfilled?


God didn't call us to settle.  He didn't put you on this earth and give you desires so He could withhold them from you.  

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NLT)


Dear Child of God, if you desire a godly spouse, then that desire was put in you by God.  He gave you that desire, and He will give you (fulfill) that desire.  Please don't settle for "at least," just because what is in front of you is better than what you dated in the past!  

If you desire a successful career, God knows your heart, and if those desires are pure inside of you, then they are from Him.  I challenge you not to become complacent in your pursuit of life.  Look to your source - God alone - to stir up your ambition, your dreams, your desires... and let Him help you chart the course to achieve all that is in your heart to do to advance His Kingdom in whatever field of work He is leading you toward.



What is your at least?  Maybe for you, it's not ants compared to mice, but what are you are currently tolerating because at least it's better than it used to be?


My challenge to myself - and to you - is to get on our faces before God and seek His heart. Seek His desire.  Pray for His desires to replace our own.  Pray that every level of freedom we have experienced will drive us to further levels of freedom, as opposed to lulling us into complacency. 

Our challenge is to step out of where we are and pursue something greater.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."  Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)


____________________________
Amy

It's as Easy as P-I-E

I know it’s simple, but how do you spell “pie?” 

I have a sweet tooth.  One of my favorite desserts is apple pie and ice cream.  There is not much better than a slab of creamy ice cream on top of some hot apple pie.  There is just something about that combination of hot and cold that makes my taste buds jump up and down just thinking about it.  When it comes to apple pie, my favorite is Dutch apple pie.  It makes for one amazing bite when the hot pie melts the ice cream onto the crumbly topping...  Excuse me while I wipe my mouth. 

Chances are, if you saw me with a piece of apple pie and ice cream, you would want to try some, based on how much I have talked it up and shared my experiences with pie and ice cream. 

When something means a lot to us, we are likely to share our experience with that thing with those around us.  We interact based on experience.  Maybe it’s not a dessert; maybe it’s a band, or a TV show, or a ___ (fill in the blank).  For me, I can tell you about ice cream and apple pie because of my experience. 

I used to be intimidated when I thought about the concept of “evangelism.”  But when we think about it, isn’t the recipe for evangelism simply to share your experience?  God means something to me, so I want to share this wonderful experience with others around me.  Evangelism, simply put, is sharing your experience with God with somebody else. When I think of it in these terms, it makes it so much simpler and less threatening. 

Acts 1.8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

I’m not a criminal expert, but I know that a witness in a trial is somebody who can give a first-hand account of what happened.  You are a witness to those around you, just by giving a first-hand account of the power and grace of Jesus in your life.  You don’t have to know all of the deep, doctrinal and theological answers to any and every question that may get thrown your way.  You only have to know your experience with God.  It’s been said, “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.” 

So congratulations… You are now an evangelist!  The next time you are feeling a little overwhelmed or scared to evangelize, just remember, it’s as easy as spelling P-I-E.  

_____________

Tim