Blessed
“Count your blessings!” You know why people use that expression? Counting our blessings forces us to realize that we are better off than we think. We tend to get bogged down in the struggle that is right in front of us and lose sight of all the things that are going right for us.
I started this blog listing all of the ways that I feel blessed. Fewer things are more annoying than the people who brag about their blessings when you don’t feel personally blessed. So if you are frustrated take account of the things that are going right for you.
Are you breathing?
Do you have the ability to laugh?
Do you have the ability to enjoy a good meal?
Do you have a favorite song?
Do you have a family (biological or otherwise) that loves you?
Do you have a job (even if you hate it)?
Count your blessings, I was reflecting on some of mine today and I feel very blessed. Happy Thursday everyone!
My Story
As a part of the Spiritual Growth journey that I am on I am being asked to write my narrative. I’m writing this post because I’m not really looking forward to writing out my story.
I’m blessed to have grown up in a family where I felt loved and supported. I’m blessed to have a brother and sister who I get a long with and enjoy hanging out with. I love my wife and kids. I’ve been blessed to go to college and get an education. I’m blessed to have a job where I am working in the field that I studied.
My pains and struggles are a blessing as well. I’m blessed to have felt like a dork in high school. I was blessed to never have a girlfriend throughout Jr. High and High School. I was blessed to have some really horrible jobs and really horrible bosses. I was blessed to dislocate my shoulder in football practice. I was blessed to be in a drama team. I was blessed to be in a band.
I am looking at my narrative. With the benefit of hindsight I really do feel like I have been blessed tremendously. My gratitude is increasing the more I think about the things that were very difficult for me. I think the biggest deal for me is choosing to be greatful that those things are behind me. Before me I can expect more blessings as well as more painful instances. But I know that both can be used for blessing.
Just thinking . . .
Shut Your Freakin’ Mouth
Why? Why? Why? Why do prominent religious leaders continually feel that it is their duty to place the blame for national tragedies on people’s sins? What deal did this child make?
I don’t know if Religious TV Guy realizes that all of Creation is cursed because of Adam and Eve’s sin, which we all share in. Any sins that the nation of Haiti would be guilty of, I’m guilty of. Religious TV Guy, guess what, you’re guilty too. Creation is broken because of sin.
What we need now is not pompous statements from religious figures trying to blame the Haiti’s earthquake on their “deal with the devil.” Haiti needs compassion and mercy. They need help not condemnation.
So can I prescribe this . . . Religious TV Guy, why don’t you mobilize people to do good works, to give to the organizations that can get aid to where it’s needed quickly. Even if you have the relief agency phone # on the bottom of your screen, blaming Haiti for this earthquake is completely shameless. Don’t try to make some explanaiton for the earthquake, don’t focus on a spiritual battle and placing blame on the people of Haiti. Shut your freakin’ mouth about that stuff. We need to earn the right to be heard.
You made a deal with the devil to Religious TV guy, it’s called sin. And instead of God the Father telling you that your brokeness is all your fault, he sent Jesus, who died on the Cross for you. The God-head earned the right to be heard, and because of what Jesus did you have grace from your deal with the Devil.
Please, Religious TV Guy, will you start using your platform to mobilize what’s right with Christianity instead of making us all look like fools?
Let’s go to John 9?
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
The disicples are asking about sin because then they can blame a parent for the misfortune of the child. What does Jesus say? Neither sinned. Well that’s not true, everyone except Jesus has sinned. What Jesus is saying is that his parents sin isn’t the issue. Instead of focusing on the sin that could have resulted in this man’s blindness, Jesus used the opportunity to do good.
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
So Religious TV Guy, why don’t you use your platform to stoop down make some mud and bring sight to blind eyes. Help people to see the light of Jesus. It’s what I think all Christians should do in these times.
Primal by Mark Batterson
In Primal, Mark Batterson attempts to get back to the foundations of true Christianity. To do this Mark goes to what Jesus says is the greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” So what does that look like?
Mark is the rare combination of theologian/scientist. As a voracious reader and learner Batterson has gaine a great deal of knowledge about the human body, math, science, and in all of them he sees the handiwork of God, the Creator. So in the section on the mind of Christianity, Batterson takes the time to actually explain imaginations, the Reticular Activation System, and prayer and how all of these are connected in the life of faith.
Even the title of this book, Primal, is a reference to prime numbers, the numbers that cannot be divided by anything other than themselves and the number 1 (ex. 1, 2, 5, 7) The four prime elements of the Christian faith are Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength, or as Batterson calls them, compassion, wonder, curiosity and energy. If we can devote our whole selves to finding God in these four things, then we will be truly Primal christians.
Batterson has great skill for taking complex topics and making them very accessible. I would recommend this book for all christians, especially if you have found your faith to be stagnant. Primal is a text that can shoot some caffeine into your faith and challenge you to dream bigger, love deeper and work harder for God’s Kingdom.
You can buy the book at local bookstores or directly from Random House.
disclosure: I did receive a review copy of this book from random house publishers, but if it wasn’t good I would have told you that anyway.
Matt Chandler – Faith and Boldness
I know everyone in the young pastor blog-o-twitter-sphere has already posted this video. But I had some things to say too so I’m joining the party.
Matt Chandler is the teaching pastor at Village Church in Dallas Texas. As the video explains he had a brain tumor, we don’t know if it’s caner or not, and his surgery successfully removed the tumor and he’s alive and doing well. Watch this video and I want you to hear two things. 1) His faith that Christ is good even in the face of a surgery that could take his life, even in the possibility of cancer. Matt’s faith is not shaken. 2) Listen for Matt’s boldness. He’s not trying to be a jerk or to take this whole situation lightly. Matt’s faith in the goodness of Christ is what leads to this boldness and confidence.
So what’s your problem? What are you struggling with? I’m willing to bet that most of us are not facing down a brain tumor, and yet we have the audacity to not believe that the goodness of Christ is bigger than the problems we are facing.
Matt is one of the pastors that I have learned a lot from. I’ve never been to his church, I’ve never even met him, but he’s been a great example to me.
Here are some more video’s that I thought I would share with you.
Here’s some audio from a sermon that was put to graphics.
Here’s a sermon from the Desiring God Conference where he is encouraging all preaching to be Christ focused.
advice for young preachers
I hope Matt recovers quickly and if you are reading this please pray for his family and for a speedy recovery.
Learning = Life
I go through seasons where I feel more alive than others. When I feel most alive is when I am learning. I believe that humans are designed to be learners. If we are learning that is a key indicator that we are living. When we stop learning I think we begin the dying process. If I were to claim that I don’t need to learn anymore, that I have arrived, I am already dead.
What I’m learning though is that there are many different kinds and styles of learning. I need very intense and intentional learning. Being in school is one of my favorite things. Mainly because I know how lazy I am and I need the accountability to learn on purpose. Some people take the time to learn one thing everyday. Some people devote their learning to sports, news, entertainment, etc.
The important thing is that you are learning. I believe the desire to know and to learn is a part of the way we are made. My wife learns very differently than I do, but the things she learns about are important to her, and make her life richer. Her primary subject is people. When she learns about some tragedy or hardship, she wants to learn about it, because she cares about people very deeply. Her learning is empathetic. I’ve been greatly moved by her empathy for families that have experienced loss or who are facing big fears and uncertainties.
I believe that we have the desire to learn and to know, because we want to know and be known. And I believe that God put that desire in us, because as we seek truth and knowledge, we are seeking the ultimate truth and knowledge, which I believe can only be found in God. God is not afraid of our learning. I think what makes God sad is when we stop learning.
Learning shows life. God loves life. God gives life.
And I don’t just mean some cosmic sky hippie idea of God. I mean the God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit, The Trinity God. Which if you try to learn about you will have no end to your learning.
painful
found this at MMI
best of Christing Television
I caught myself watchng the praise-a-thon last night on TBN. Wow!
Stand-Up Comedy
I did it. But really we did it.
I used Michael Hertzog and his pending performance as an excuse to get out there and try to do open mic comedy. I’ve always wanted to try it, and I was prepared to suck, and it went way better than I thought it would. I was nervous about this all week. I don’t really ever get nervous, but this was something totally different. I had nothing to hide behind except the microphone.
I am so glad that I had a ton of friends in the audience. Thanks to everyone who came out. It was fun and terrifying, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my friends. Chris recorded this for me.
I’ll let you know if I ever do this again.
