STIR......What do you think about when you hear the word stir?
The first thing that comes to mind for me is cake batter or something that has to be done to make oreo snowballs (a favorite at Christmas time around my house!!)
Another wordplay that comes to mind is the phrase "someone who likes to "stir the pot." We often use the word stir here in a negative form. A person who stirs is probably not the best of influences.
Or are they?
The theme of the Strength to Stand Conference I am helping out with is called "STIR." The preface behind the theme is this: In our lives right now, do we and our spirit need to be stirred? Are we living a life that is numb and stagnant? If that is the case, we need the Lord to come "stir" in us. We should not blend in with the world around us. We should take Christ in us and we should be stirring things up for the cause of Christ.
One of my many favorite moments of the conference so far was last night when Audio Unplugged (Audio Adrenaline) was playing in concert. They have a newer song out called "Jealous God" Here are the lyrics below. I will also attach a youtube link so you can see and hear the song, although it is not mine and not filmed from my perspective at our conference.
Now I know that You would stop at nothing
To pull me close and steal my heart away
So here I am broken and listening
Held captive here and I just want to say
You're a jealous God.......for me
And nothing else has ever felt this real to me
You're a jealous God
Through this life everyday You've chased me
Like a treasure underneath the sea
When hope was gone, Jesus you came running
To the ends of the earth for me
You're a jealous God.....for me
And nothing else has every felt this real to me
You're beautiful and furious
I tremble at the thought of this
That you would go to Calvary
How deep your love must be for me
You're a jealous God..........for me
And nothing else has ever felt this real to me
You're a jealous God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRDPPwcy6c0
What an awesome song, yet what's even more awesome is how true this song is about God. He is jealous for us. He loves the time we come and spend with Him, yet I can only imagine the hurt when we run and ignore Him. My favorite part of the song talks about how everyday He is chasing us. He created us to love Him, to love others, to fellowship with Him, to grow closer to Him. How deep His love is that He would come down to earth and go to Calvary for us. I thank the Lord that I have a God and Savior who chases after me. He never leaves me in the dark. Although I may make some goofy decisions and attempt to run and hide away, He is always right there chasing and calling me back with open arms.
I have needed a "stirring" in my life here recently. And how wonderful it is when it's the Lord's hand who is the one stirring. Continue in prayer for the conference and the kids/adults present. May the Lord continue to show up and show off during the remaining time. God bless.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
ON THE ROAD ....WITH DAVID
Have you ever bought or listened to an audiobook? I had my first experience today. I left this morning on a long drive to Gatlinburg to help out with the Strength to Stand Conference.
Before I tell my story, I would like you to first pray for all of the folks traveling up here and also pray that the Lord will move over the next three days in the lives of those who attend this conference, youth and adults.
Back to my story. As I traveled, I bought the audiobook "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado. Very good book. I would suggest it to all. I did not finish it on the drive, but many different things stick out. One big thing was a major comparison of David and his life to the life that most of us live today. David was labeled "a man after God's own heart." Yet take a look at his life and he was far from perfect. How many times in our lives do we take an inner look at ourselves and want to throw up. That might be very graphic, but many times for me it is so true. We harbor things in our lives that we hate. We are dominated and sometimes taken over by ugly sins that we just don't want to face. We run, thinking if we run far enough away, that these things will go away. Yet they do not. I loved the part in the book where it describes David facing Goliath (his giant) and facing him head on, not retreating but moving forward. How many times in our lives do we face our "Goliaths" head on. For me, very rarely. I am a big fan of hiding them and pretending that they don't exist, or at least they don't exist outside in public.
I want to take a page out of David's book over the next three days here in Gatlinburg and face some of my "Goliaths" head on. Everyone has different "Goliaths" in their lives. We sometimes try to talk ourselves into thinking that ours is not as big and bad as someone else's. The truth is, if their is sin in our life that dominates us, it is separating us from a closer walk with Jesus and it's time to deal with it.
A common verse that has repeatedly shown up in the past couples of days for me is Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
The Lord's plan is there for all of us. His plan involves a closer walk with Him in order to follow the right path. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. I pray for a renewing spirit over the next three days. I pray that I regain a deeper hunger for wanting to walk closer with My Savior. A five hour drive by yourself is not always the most fun thing in the world. But a five hour drive with a beginning of refocus was wonderful! I thank the Lord for safe travels here. I pray for movement during the conference. And I say thank you that I was able to learn some things from "a man after God's own heart."
Before I tell my story, I would like you to first pray for all of the folks traveling up here and also pray that the Lord will move over the next three days in the lives of those who attend this conference, youth and adults.
Back to my story. As I traveled, I bought the audiobook "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado. Very good book. I would suggest it to all. I did not finish it on the drive, but many different things stick out. One big thing was a major comparison of David and his life to the life that most of us live today. David was labeled "a man after God's own heart." Yet take a look at his life and he was far from perfect. How many times in our lives do we take an inner look at ourselves and want to throw up. That might be very graphic, but many times for me it is so true. We harbor things in our lives that we hate. We are dominated and sometimes taken over by ugly sins that we just don't want to face. We run, thinking if we run far enough away, that these things will go away. Yet they do not. I loved the part in the book where it describes David facing Goliath (his giant) and facing him head on, not retreating but moving forward. How many times in our lives do we face our "Goliaths" head on. For me, very rarely. I am a big fan of hiding them and pretending that they don't exist, or at least they don't exist outside in public.
I want to take a page out of David's book over the next three days here in Gatlinburg and face some of my "Goliaths" head on. Everyone has different "Goliaths" in their lives. We sometimes try to talk ourselves into thinking that ours is not as big and bad as someone else's. The truth is, if their is sin in our life that dominates us, it is separating us from a closer walk with Jesus and it's time to deal with it.
A common verse that has repeatedly shown up in the past couples of days for me is Jeremiah 29:11:
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
The Lord's plan is there for all of us. His plan involves a closer walk with Him in order to follow the right path. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing. I pray for a renewing spirit over the next three days. I pray that I regain a deeper hunger for wanting to walk closer with My Savior. A five hour drive by yourself is not always the most fun thing in the world. But a five hour drive with a beginning of refocus was wonderful! I thank the Lord for safe travels here. I pray for movement during the conference. And I say thank you that I was able to learn some things from "a man after God's own heart."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
YOU
"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7
As I read this passage and my devotion this morning, one of the biggest things that stuck out to me was the following phrase: "If we don't teach them, someone else will." As I grew up and in my mind today, that phrase was a little bit different. Many would say that if you don't teach them, then nobody will. The world our youth live in today is so much more different than the world I grew up in. They are constantly bombarded with temptations and lies that come at all angles in all types of disguises. Things will be taught, good and bad, through many different venues....church, school, television, radio, friends, and the scariest of all to me is the internet.
Psalms 4:10-19 talks about 2 different paths and ways of life. We will all walk a path. Which path we choose is often influenced by others. But the main influence of our path should be our Heavenly Father. The end of verse 11 says "I am guiding you on straight paths." Guiding meaning present tense. He will never leave or forsake us. He is always right beside us, whether we want to recognize and acknowledge that or not. He is there.
May we continue to daily grow closer and walk with our Savior.
Psalm 4:13 "Hold on to instruction; don't let go. Guard it, for it is your life."
As we guard the instruction given to us daily from the Lord, may we also remember this.....
As believers, we have all been commissioned!
"If we don't teach them, someone else will"
As I read this passage and my devotion this morning, one of the biggest things that stuck out to me was the following phrase: "If we don't teach them, someone else will." As I grew up and in my mind today, that phrase was a little bit different. Many would say that if you don't teach them, then nobody will. The world our youth live in today is so much more different than the world I grew up in. They are constantly bombarded with temptations and lies that come at all angles in all types of disguises. Things will be taught, good and bad, through many different venues....church, school, television, radio, friends, and the scariest of all to me is the internet.
Psalms 4:10-19 talks about 2 different paths and ways of life. We will all walk a path. Which path we choose is often influenced by others. But the main influence of our path should be our Heavenly Father. The end of verse 11 says "I am guiding you on straight paths." Guiding meaning present tense. He will never leave or forsake us. He is always right beside us, whether we want to recognize and acknowledge that or not. He is there.
May we continue to daily grow closer and walk with our Savior.
Psalm 4:13 "Hold on to instruction; don't let go. Guard it, for it is your life."
As we guard the instruction given to us daily from the Lord, may we also remember this.....
As believers, we have all been commissioned!
"If we don't teach them, someone else will"
Friday, December 25, 2009
cRaZy CHRisTmAS!!
I hope the title is indicative of what kind of day/Christmas week it has been around our house. My wife is without a doubt the most supermomish of all supermoms!! But when mom goes down, you know the saying, we ALL GO DOWN!! What started out as a cold/maybe I should go to the doctor, maybe I will be ok, turned into a massive battle of walking pneumonia with 5 million other side effects wanting to jump in and take part as well. As we speak, she is on the couch with a rag over her eyeballs because they are about to pop out of her head (or she at least wishes they would do such a thing). If you truly know us, you know how in control and on top of things both my wife and I try to be. We are neat freaks, gotta be on top of it freaks, gotta be done our way freaks, don't have time to slow down because we are sick freaks. :) So sickness does not sit well around our house at all.
I will go ahead and lay claim to the fact that God created moms for a reason and dads for a reason, and both are wired so differently that it's not even funny. I realized and learned a very important lesson this week, and that is that God is a creator of balance. Not only does it surround us in the world we live in, it should also be very evident in a marriage. I am very blessed to have a wife who is an awesome caretaker. There are many a days where I know that I have not said thank you enough for the clothes that are clean, the food on the table, the snacks in the pantry, the children still alive and well. As this week progressed and I tried to somewhat play the mom role, the Lord continued to press on my heart how blessed I am with the gift of a wife He has given me. I will say that there were a few moments where I thought that my children would not make it to see today, but we did. So this Christmas season, the lesson learned was to be thankful. Thankful for the loving wife who always gives us her all. I love you and thank you for everything you do for our family!! Thankful for two kids who bless me everyday with their smiling faces, giggles, and imaginations that run wild!! Thankful that life may be in a rough patch right now because of a sickness, but we have more than we could ever ask for.
And thankful most of all that we serve a risen Savior, who was sent to this earth as a gift for us. May we always remember what the Christmas season is truly about.
Luke 2:9-11
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the City of David."
Why Blog?
With a life that is surrounded by young people, and having 2 little ones of my own, I many times find myself wishing that I had recorded all of the wonderful, crazy, emotional, life changing moments that have occurred in the short teaching/parenting timespan the Lord has provided. I hope that this blogsite will allow me the opportunity to share, vent, remember, and reflect daily on things going on in my life. I have always said that "teaching is an adventure everyday." I have learned that it's not only an adventure within a school classroom, but it is also an adventure within the walls of my own home. As adults and for those of us who are parents, the Lord has called each of us to lead and teach by example.
Proverbs 22:6 says: Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
I will say that I fall down daily, but give thanks to the Lord for his grace and forgiveness. I do not know what the days ahead contain or how many days ahead the Lord will bless me with. But I hope that I continue to get the opportunity to share daily occurrences of my life that may somehow affect your life as well.
As we teach.............so shall we learn.
Proverbs 22:6 says: Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
I will say that I fall down daily, but give thanks to the Lord for his grace and forgiveness. I do not know what the days ahead contain or how many days ahead the Lord will bless me with. But I hope that I continue to get the opportunity to share daily occurrences of my life that may somehow affect your life as well.
As we teach.............so shall we learn.
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