Pick Up Your Sword

The large majority of Americans are incredibly spoiled. This shows in every aspect of our existence, and especially in our faith.

The simple truth is that many believers just take their faith for granted. What we believe, why we believe, and what we ultimately must do about it seems to get lost somewhere--buried by the blistering pace of a life lived for self.

This is often taken so far that we all-together ignore some of the most basic tenets of Christian discipline. One of these that is so often neglected is the reading of the Bible.

Every year my pastor initiates what he calls Bible Sunday, if memory serves me correctly it should be just around the corner. This Sunday morning service is a public challenge to our entire congregation to read the entire Bible in a year. For the last several years I've accepted this challenge, and completed it.

I've been reading the Bible for most of my life. I started reading it regularly around the age of twelve. I started studying it as well in my teens. But for these last few years, challenging myself to read and study it with such an enthusiastic goal in mind has propelled my faith into brand new territory.

My passion for the Word is higher than ever. My devotion to sharing the eternal truths contained within is stronger than ever. My hunger for understanding is more heart-felt than ever. My capacity for Christian love and the fruits of the Spirit is more authentic than ever. My faith is better than ever.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. - Romans 10:17

To be the kind of creature God created us to be; we must pick up our Sword. We must learn it. We must love it. We must live it.

Holidays

Here we go again.  The holiday season.  I love it.  I love absolutely every second of it.  I love being with my family, all of them.  I love all that it entails.  I love the religious observances we attach to this time of year.  This is a very special and sacred time of year for me.

The following is a question posed to me by a dear friend online and my response.  Enjoy.

"I'm already sick and hurt of the politically correct "holiday cheer". Seriously people, if you're not into Christ, the Saviour of the world (you) then why celebrate "Christ"mas??? --(just an after thought)-- I wanted to add to afore statement by saying, "you don't see Christians taking over other religions holidays and degrading their meaning." But then an ironic thought hit me,.... Halloween was the Druid Festival of the Dead. Unfortunately, I know alot of Christians who play along w/that satanic religious rite by diluting it and making it "ok", just like other religions do when observing CHRISTmas. hummm.....i think i may have a thought for you to follow through... i wonder how many false religion holidays christians observe vice versa...."  *edited for readability, not content

You might not like my answer, but here goes.  Please, anyone who reads this, understand that I'm talking about the observance of holidays in a historical sense, and not strictly from what I believe or practice myself.  I just felt that this approach best answers the question.  Holidays are tricky when it comes to study and trying to define the narrow lines of what is a Christian or secular observance is not as easy as most of us would like to think.  The big two for Christianity would definitely be Christmas and Easter; but even those are congruent with ancient pagan rites. People get in a big huff about recognizing Christ at Christmas, and for those of us who are believers, it is a season for exactly that; but the historical facts are plain.  Holidays happen across all cultures, each one has their own tradition, belief, history, and values they associate with those days. Concerning Christmas, we don't know the actual date that Jesus was born--through careful study we arrive at a time somewhere between late September and the beginning of November.  I just don't have time to recount all the historical data to back this up; but the gist is that early Christians (most likely 2nd to 3rd century A.D.) took the pagan holidays they observed prior to their conversion and shoe-horned their new found Christian faith onto those holiday.

As a believer, missionary, and family man I observe all of our traditional American holidays with the people I love.  I do it according what I believe, and what those holidays mean to me.  The truth is that there are few, if any, traditional holidays which don't have some kind of origins not associated with Christianity.  Does that mean we should stop observing them?  No! It means we should practice healthy communication about what these holidays mean to us and why we observe them.  A healthy understanding of the history associated with them would go a long way too in educating future generations.

We (the Church) are the worst about sending mixed signals at the holidays.  We don't want anyone to hijack Christmas and so we get in a huff when we hear "happy holidays."  Yet, we bring in all this superstition about a mythical fat man traveling around the world delivering toys.  We want to make sure that Easter is reserved for acknowledging the resurrection of Christ; but we buy our kids baskets, hide eggs, and talk about Easter Bunnies.  Most of this is done innocently enough, and I'm not writing this out of contempt, condemnation, or carelessness.  However, we need to appropriate a better understanding of our holidays.

Why would people who don't recognize the lordship of Christ in the most essential parts of their lives acknowledge or celebrate His birth or resurrection?  We don't own dates on a calendar and even if we tried to; we wouldn't really know which dates to own.  Perhaps, the Church instead should cease to regulate observance of such monumental events to such a specific window of time. Instead we should teach and disciple people to acknowledge these holy moments through a regular practice of a life displaying the fruit of one who celebrates the birth, death, and resurrection of the Incarnate One.  I wonder, is God more pleased with our militant defense of the calendar--or with our passionate pursuit of Him?

Merry Christmas.

ABC's of God

I wrote this some years ago and shared it tonight during my message.  Some folks asked me to post it, so here it is.  I hope it encourages you.

God is the

Absolutely Astounding Almighty Architect,

Beautifully Benevolent,

Creatively Compassionate,

Delightfully Divine,

Eternally Empathetic,

Forever Forgiving Friendly Father of Fate

Gracious Giver of Grace.

Holy Healer of Hope and Hope for Healing.

Infinitely Indescribable and Infallible Intercessor,

Jubilantly Joyful Justification,

King of Kindness,

The Lone, Lamp, Light, Life, and Lord,

Mighty, Miraculous, and Moving Mediator.

Never leaving, Never forsaking,

The Only Outstanding, Otherworldly, Omnipresent, Omnipotent One

Powerful, Practical, and Priceless Prince of Passion,

of an Unquantifiable Quality.

Remarkably Righteous Ruler,

Supernatural Sole Source of Soul Saving Sanctification,

Truly Triumphant Terrific & Trustworthy.

Upright Utterly Unending and Unique Utterance of Unity,

Vivacious and Victorious,

Wondrous and Willful

eXalted eXcellence.

Yearning with a

Zeal for Zion.

Stories

I've always loved stories. Once I start a good story it's really tough for me to put it down until I'm finished. Clever plot points, character development, and intriguing situations keep me glued to the story.

The best authors always make you fall in love with their characters basically by tormenting them.  I read Amazing Spider-Man for years and even though the book switched scribes numerous times, the one thing that remained constant was each writer's willingness to subject the web-head to tragedy after tragedy, heaped on happenstance after catastrophe. Most modern fiction is much the same, be it TV, novel, or blockbuster.

If you ever sat through an English or Literature class then you probably learned some of the basic elements of a story.  Notably the concept of building (or rising) action and the climax.  The most talented authors weave all of these different elements, not only into the larger story itself, but also into the individual chapters or segments of their tale.

From a theological perspective, I am so glad to know that what holds true in the realm of fiction couldn't be further from the truth in terms of our relationship with God...or more accurately, His relationship to us.  He is above and beyond sovereign.

We can not altogether understand all of the good things He has lined out for His kids.  We just can't.  And God certainly has good stuff planned for us.

I'm not the kind of preacher that will stand in front of an audience and proclaim that just because we're Christians that God will shower us in fancy cars, fine homes, and fat wallets.  I believe that is a dangerous sort of dialogue that leads to disappointment.

However, I absolutely believe in the principles passed down through Jeremiah 29:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:9.  God has great things in store for His people.

At the end of the day, every day, I rest well; knowing that my destiny is penned by the Creator of the cosmos, the Savior of the world, the author and finisher of my faith.

Excruciating

ex·cru·ci·at·ing

[ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting]
adjective - extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing:

We have a penchant for embellishing things. Exaggeration is just kind of in-grained into the way we talk, the way we tell stories, and our humor.  It goes pretty well with it's cousin sarcasm.  So, we say things like; "I'm starving to death," when we're barely even hungry and probably just finished a snack sometime in the last couple of hours.

One word that is definitely no exaggeration is the word excruciating.  Excruciating is quite the loaded word. In fact, it was coined to describe a type of execution so horrendously painful that an appropriate description had yet to be invented. The Greek version of excruciating literally means, "out of the cross".

That's the kind of experience Christ went through for you and I.  Something so terrible that when it was first dreamt up in the 6th century B.C. they needed to contrive a new word for just how bad it was.

Even so, the word might have come from the cross; but I'm not entirely convinced that it can altogether describe just how bad it might have been.

*For a better understanding of the agony Christ endured on the cross I suggest Lee Strobel's "The Case for the Real Jesus".  There is a chapter on forensics that specifically addresses the physiological torment Christ suffered in scientific detail.

BaRgAINS

A pseudo-theological blog might not be the best place to out myself in this respect; but I like zombie stories. I mostly blame George Romero. His "_______ of the Dead" series was already incredibly well established by the time I was old enough to know what it was really about.

BaRgAINS

It seems in recent years that zombies have finally usurped nazis as the most common cannon fodder in video-gamedom. Regardless of the media, nearly one thing is always constant where zombie literature is concerned...their insatiable desire for brains.

Yes, I know, this is disgusting and by now you're hoping I reach a point soon.

Anyways, in the movies, games, tv shows, or comics--zombies are always looking for their next meal. They are inexplicably drawn to any collection of people; regardless of shape, size, or sex by their compulsion to feed.

On our way home from my grandparent's Thanksgiving dinner we passed a local Walmart; and the sight before my eyes was much too similar to some old Romeroan film for me to be comfortable with. At 8 p.m. people were already flocking to a store that wouldn't open for quite some time. And for what? "Bargains"

Like the denizens of some subpar zombie fiction, people all across our country are pressing into the mob, chasing the elusive sales whose demands always outlast and exhaust the supply. It's true, they're not out for flesh and brains, but I can almost here the groaning sounds of, "bargains....bargains" ripple through the atmosphere.

Meaty

I like meat. Actually that is a grievous understatement. I LOVE meat. It has just always been a staple of my life. Even the prospect of not eating meat just sounds alien and untrustworthy. Yeah, I just said that I find something about vegetarians and vegans to be abnormal.

I eat pretty healthy for the most part. My wife and I try to make fairly responsible dietary decisions, and more often than not, our meals include meat of some kind. Even my salad, which I also really love, generally includes some type of meat. I like a lot of protein in my diet.

Last night I enjoyed a scrumptious t-bone prepared by my mom. Even right now as I write this I'm sitting in my tree stand, waiting for a legal deer to harvest. And, In just a few hours people all over will start celebrating Thanksgiving by diving into all kinds of meaty dishes.

We love our meat. It is sustaining, it is filling, it is wonderful.

But you don't give a infants a slab of roast when they're hungry. You offer them something more in line with what their small developing body can consume, digest, and use.

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2 ESV)

Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth, gave them what spiritual food he knew they needed, not necessarily what they wanted. He was discerning and wise, understanding that with spiritual maturity comes a greater level of understanding and revelation.

I see a lot of people these days with dangerously unhealthy perspectives concerning their spiritual health. Many think they are prepared for the meat of the Word, yet what they really are still in desperate need of is the milk. They have no spiritual discipline. Still, I've known many others, entire congregations even, that have contented themselves on the milk for so long that the things of greater substance found within the word shocks them and scares them nearly to the point of unbelief.

So, my question to you this cloudy Thanksgiving mornings is, what would best sate your spiritual palette. Are you still content to lap the milk of the Gospel, or are you ready to take on something solid? Are you meaty?

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank Him

Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise.  Thank Him. Worship Him. – Psalm 100:4 (The Message)

Worship is a powerful thing.  It is a deeply spiritual thing.  It is the act of connecting you to that which you adore and revere through unequivocal soul-baring intimacy. 

These days people worship a lot of things.  More often than not, however, I see people worshipping themselves.  As if we ever really did anything good for ourselves.

No, the Scriptures are pretty clear.  There is nothing about worship of self that ever can or will truly satisfy any of the deep longings of our soul.  We were made to worship Him. 

Worship is so much bigger than the box we hide it in too.  It’s more than a series of songs that comes at the beginning of your Sunday service.  Truth be told, it has little to do with music at all; but music can and often is a great facilitator of worship.

The simplest acts of worship are those that involve you baring your heart and soul to Him; not because He doesn’t already know or understand what resides there, but because He enjoys the effort it takes on the part of us inherently selfish creatures to such a thing.  The phrase “sacrifice of praise” is right on target.  What could be harder for a creature that has put themselves on the throne of their life, than to step down from that throne and offer it to the only One deserving of said seat.  Doing so is an act of worship.  It takes us to what the Psalmist often called the Secret Place.

I like this secret place we find in Him.  The only way to get there is by thanking Him.  We find ourselves at Home in worship of the One is wholy and truly deserving of all adoration, reverence, and immeasurable uplifting.  Thank Him.

Thankful One

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. - Colossians 3:15


I'm thankful for a lot of things.  Today I am especially thankful that we're part of a glorious Bride, the Church.  We are colorful and varied; and even though our diversity sometimes leads to immature squabbling; as Christians we are all ultimately bound for the same destination.

Whatever place you find yourself in as a part of the Body of Christ, I encourage you today to be thankful for that fellowship.  Not all of my friends are believers, but all of my closest friends are and I am so incredibly blessed by those connections.

Having those close relationships, being able to depend on others, rejoicing together, worshiping together, ministering together, praying, crying, laughing, working . . . all of these things add up to the beautiful togetherness of the Body.  The Church.  That is indeed something each of us can be thankful for.  It is not the only cause for peace, but it is none-the-less, but these connections go a long way in helping each of us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.

I know I'm not the only one thankful today, but for oh so many things I am a thankful one.

Author

Image by the pink sip via Flickr

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:2


I've been thinking a lot about this verse lately.  There are so many great theological implications caught up in it.   However, rather than diving off into some kind of theological discourse or discussion here, I want to share a song I wrote from it yesterday afternoon.


Author

Verse 1

Oh turn the page, a quiet place, write my life

Close the book the Lamb was slain

Words of grace, chapters of faith, all my days

Bought in blood, Oh empty grave

Chorus

Author of the Life I lead

You’re better than the breath I breathe

Higher than the peaks I reach

Brighter than the Lights I see

You’re bigger than the help I need

Stronger than the strength in me

Calmer than calmest peace

You’re louder than the songs I sing

Verse 2

You hold the pen, Oh ink sink in, seal my heart

Write words of light to break my dark

Create in me, the Bride You see, let Love be

A story told for all eternity

Bridge

You wrote me, You made me

I left You, You saved me

God's Kid

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16,17

It’s good being God’s kid.  I’m not really one that gets extremely wrapped up in the emotional side of my faith too much; but it’s hard to avoid some pretty strong emotion when I start thinking about the idea of God looking down at us and being pleased.  Of course, sometimes we fall really short of pleasing Him.  But it’s a great feeling knowing that because I have given my life and my heart to His service that He sees my life and is pleased.

If you’ve given your life to Christ He sees you and feels the same way.  You’re His son or His daughter and He looks on and says, “I love you, I am well pleased.”

Just a thought to think on next time you’re feeling unloved or underappreciated.

Hope

People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. – Hebrews 6:16-20

Bad things are going to happen in this life.  That’s just the way it is.  There’s no way around them.  You can’t close your eyes and pretend they don’t happen, and there’s no pretending that being a Christian helps you go unscathed through this existence.

However…

The weight of serious tragedy and trial can be endured and in some cases lifted all together by the hope of the Gospel at work in our lives.  Sometimes life will sink us, or drown us, or toss us upon against the rocks in some unfair storm; but there is always a light to shine through the night; there is always an anchor of hope that holds us when we can’t hold on ourselves.

Forever

Image via WikipediaYesterday I was discussing the various aspects of eternity with a group of students I meet with regularly.  We talked for a good long while and one of the things we lingered on for a bit is the notion of "forever" in relation to us and eternity.

If I'm being completely transparent here I have to admit that eternity in terms of forever-forward is a hard thing for me to comprehend, or even contemplate for that matter.  The idea of endlessness or everlastingness as concerns our existence is just incredibly difficult to absorb.  That is not to say that I don't believe in the eternal here-after.  Rather, it is my acknowledgement that when dealing with this particular line of thought my intellectual reasoning is simply not up to the task.  It is purely a faith issue for me.

My pea-brain understands that biologically there is an end to how long it can exist.  My thirty-one year old body bares witness with this in that I can't quite do some things as well or as quickly as I used to.  Forever, rings to me as something akin to infinite, at least in terms of time, and what are we as mortal human beings if not finite.  In the seas of time and foreverness we exist as but a vapor and a mist caught up in this mortal coil, and yet we are offered eternity.


Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:13,14

 In times when I begin to seriously consider the nature of forever and eternity my humanity has great difficulty.  Rarely is there a greater opportunity for my faith step up.

Blogs by others

• Thirsty (countingmyblessings.typepad.com)
• The G.O.S.P.E.L. Truth (boundlessblog.wordpress.com)
• Soaked (refusingtotiptoe.com)

Today

Image via CrunchBaseWhat does your day look like today?  Mine is busy.  Reeeeaaaally busy.  It's that good kind of busy that I often look forward to it, but that doesn't make for any easier of a day, just one that I will most likely enjoy more.

I couldn't even begin to tell you how often I open Twitter on my iPhone to see people railing about how terrible their day is.  It's no different on facebook either.  Some people are just always endlessly whining about something that has ruined their day.

Lately I've just started removing those people from my news feed.  I'll either unsubscribe, unfollow, or just block someone that is always whining.... always.  There are a few people I went to high school with that are especially like this, and it sort of serves to remind me why I didn't really care to be around them way back then.  Of course, there are several newer acquaintances that get the sharp side of the unfollow-axe too.

My days are usually fairly busy and even though I know I'm probably not always Captain Happy (Jamie would probably be quick to agree) I don't have time today to sort through all the incessant moaning and complaining.

Today is too short to fill it up with ill-influencers, negative news, and rotten-egg attitudes; plus, today is probably better than you think it is.

Beauty Happens

Image via WikipediaI've been laying here tonight trying to wind down from an incredibly packed day. Campus Church was great tonight. We had a wonderful turnout and I was just replaying all the awesome God-things that took place in my life over the last twenty-four hours.

As I was reading though 1 Chronicles 10 Jamie snuggled up to me in her sleep. She was already at that point in her rest where she didn't even really realize what she was doing. Something in her just knew its warmer, safer . . . better, in togetherness.

I was nearing the end of the chapter and glanced over...and just looked at her. My beautiful, tired, sleeping, wonderful wife. It was enough to just make me want to write.

(Pardon my mixed tenses. The writer in me says, "don't do it," but the storyteller says, "go on," and it seems he has the stronger voice at 12:45 a.m..)

It has nothing all to do with what I've been blogging lately, but it has everything to do with this crazy lens through which I see God. Remember? I'm the guy that gets convinced of the awesomeness of the Almighty by the poetic yumminess of a grilled-cheese sandwich.

Paul often wrote of God revealing Himself through the wondrous beauty of creation. David and the other Psalmists couldn't get enough of it. Neither can I.

Be it a snowy Rocky Mountain summit, an Arkansas Fall, an East Coast dawn, or my Enchanting Bride, God's Beauty is everywhere. I see these things He created and I see His creativity lovingly lavishing His goodness upon my senses and soul.

He doesn't have to bottle it or manufacture it. Neither does God must need give forth great effort or expense to craft all these things of beauty. Beauty itself, and the ability to recognize it, like Him, simply is.

Because He is. Because He is Good. Beauty Happens.

Yesterday

This weekend I started a line of thought and was planning to conclude it over the weekend.  After thinking on it quite a bit more I've decided to expand the idea and spread it out over a few more days.

How often have you gotten bent out of shape about something that happened yesterday?  Yeah, I know.  What people say and do sometimes can crush us.  What we say or do has just as much power to devastate as well, others or ourselves.  Are you still paying for past mistakes?  Does someone you know regularly throw those mistakes in your face?

Yesterdays are incredibly important, but maybe not for the reasons some of us would like to think.  Mistakes we make can serve a purpose by offering opportunities to learn more about ourselves.  If we have been wronged that becomes a teaching tool for us to become wise and wary, not weary, but we must take great care not to cross over into bitterness or wholesale skepticism in regards to others.  The past can be something for us to draw inspiration from because of the good things that happened as well.

 

Triumph is a catalyst for encouragement. 

 

What could be more triumphant than rescue by a loving God that can be neither touched by mortality, influenced by space, nor swallowed by eternity... but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Change

Sit incredibly still for the next 4.3 seconds. Try it. Do your dead-level-best to stay exactly the same as you are for the next week. Impossible. You can't even stay just as you are or even where you are for the next 0.0001 second.

Our bodies are finite physical beings. We exist within the confines of this physical space around us.

Try as we might to sit still, the reality is that our bodies are resting upon a planet that is in constant motion traveling through a solar system and galaxy that are in continual state of flux. We are not still.

We may persist in our foolish stubbornness trying to remain the same for months, days, or moments; but our flesh is dying, building, producing, and processing. It is changing...always.

We throw ourselves into so many things out of a vain sense of legacy, wishing to be remembered for some daring deed as a lofty legend of some sort. But as concerns this mortal coil there is an end. There can be no mortality without end.

I'll conclude this line of thought tommorrow.

Politicians and Providence

Have you ever griped about a politician?  I know have.  Often.  It’s hard not to when things seem to be going haywire on a regular basis.  Griping and complaining about the things we don’t like or agree with is a healthy part of our American political process, but it shouldn’t end there.  If all we ever do is bicker about it, then we aren’t actually engaging in the process, we are only highlighting the problems… or adding to them.

As responsible citizens we should engage in the solution process by carrying out our civic duty and voting.  Communicating our frustrations and desires to our elected officials through healthy channels is key.  However, as believers we should take it a step further and actually lift our leaders up in prayer on a regular basis.

For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. – Romans 13:6

God is sovereign.  If a ruler is in power it is for a reason.  We may not agree with their decision making process, and it might be contrary to everything we believe in; but we must continue to hold to the truth that God is sovereign.

Yes, I will probably continue to grumble and complain when I see elected officials do something ridiculous.  I will also do my part by pointing those complaints to politically receptive parties, and I will continue to vote; but I will also lift up those leaders in prayer, even as I disagree with them.

*For a great study on the sovereignty of God check out the Book of Daniel.

Need?

During my study time yesterday I was reading Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. In one of the chapters he talks a bit about the dangers of the secularization of the Church due to people's changing perceptions of God. The following are some thoughts I typed up on my phone while mulling it all over.

As our perception of self increased, our perception of God decreased. Where once men worshipped , wept, and trembled before the Awesomeness of The Almighty they now malign and mock the mere mention of His name. And the Church? We, His bride, purchased with the immeasurable bride-price of sacrificed Deity...we beg and plead people to take Him and accept Him, as if He is the one in need of us.

God needs none of us. Indeed, even, God does not need. As Tozer puts it, "need is a creature word" and can never describe the Creator.

However, we often vex ourselves, most unnecessarily, by thinking we're doing God some great favor by begging people to "accept" Him. The plain truth is that we are the ones in desperate need of acceptance. We need His sovereign love and grace to repair the damage our sin caused to the God-man-relationship.

Lord, help us not to think You need us. Help us to show others how desperately we all need You.

Text It

Matt Kennon is a terrible singer. He sings with that kind of phony country twang that is worse than irritating, but his song The Call hits on a truth that is absolutely exceptional. The song tells several stories about people poised to make some life altering, or ending, decisions whose situations are drastically changed by the influence of a friendly phone call.

There is a great truth to be discerned from this simple idea; honest encouragement is powerful.

In the past when I would send out my monthly newsletter I would attach small post-it notes to a number of the outgoing letters. It was never anything overly profound or lengthy. Usually it was more along the lines of "I just wanted to say thanks" or "thinking about you today." Even so, I heard back from several people about how those little personal notes brightened their day.

Fast forward about eight years and here we all are in a world where world wide communication borders on instantaneous and the socialization of media and information is the norm. How might that former snippet of encouragement look in a world where a phone is barely used for talking and paper mail is old-hat? Text messages.

Several times lately I've had stray thoughts of dear friends cross my mind, seemingly out of the blue. It had become my regular practice to lift them up in prayer when this happens, but also, to text them, let them know they're on my mind, and try to offer some sincere encouragement.

I like how Hebrews 3:13 puts it, "but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today..."

Encouragement is powerful, and in this modern age of communication it is just a few key stokes away.

Greatest Expectations

Just nine short weeks ago I had a birthday.  It was a fun day spent with people I love doing some of the things that I really enjoy.  This morning I was thinking about how much my life has changed in these last two months.

When September began I was firmly entrenched in all the awesomeness that goes with the hectic activity of fall semester startup as a campus missionary.  I was building great relationships, meeting awesome people, planning exciting activities, and awash in all the social buzz surrounding each of these things.  I had just returned to school to continue my education by pursuing a master’s degree in multi-media journalism.  In the realm of entertaining hobbies, things were looking more than chipper as several of my favorite stories were due to make big screen appearances or hit DVD; and the holiday season for video game enthusiasts was poised to blow the mind of every digital junky that owns a controller.

And then…

Three days after my birthday Jamie walked into the room with a little white bag and handed it to me.  Inside was a pregnancy test.  Results? Positive. 

In the days since she handed me that little bag a lot of stuff has gone through my mind.  This morning as I was reflecting on these things I was drawn continually to just how my expectations for this next year, and life in general, were forever changed by a simple little white bag.  It reminded me of the verse I put in my block in our high school annual my senior year.

However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" – 1 Corinthians 2:9

When September began my mind, my heart, and my soul were engaged in all the great things that I have come to treasure, love, and expect about my blessed life.  As November dawns I see that my expectations were great, but God’s expectations are the greatest.

Everyone. Everywhere. Everyday.

I once heard a pastor that I have a tremendous amount of respect for give a lecture on his thoughts concerning evangelism. If you read the title of this entry, then you already have the gist of what the pastor I speak of had to say that day.

Everyone. Everywhere. Everyday. This means that anyone you cross paths with, at any location, or at any moment, could be depending on you to share the Gospel with them.

I do a lot of teaching about how to talk to people about Christ. Not all people you share the Gospel with will require, or need, to hear words from you. In fact, some will be impacted much more if you just live it out authentically in front of them. There are, however, those that need to hear someone put into words their reasons and results from living a life with Christ. Because of this, we need to be willing to share the Gospel with everyone, everywhere, everyday.