Recent Life Lessons

The lessons I have learned in recent days:
- God is always in control – even when we try to do it our way.
- I want to be a Christ-follower even more than ever.
- There is a difference between a Christ-follower and a God worshiper.
- God’s kingdom is bigger than me, WRC, Woodlake…and I was called to help further God’s kingdom.
- I am called to live my life so that others see Christ thru me – that is my goal each day – to end the day by saying “What did I do today that showed someone else Christ”
- At the end of life I want to have as few regrets as possible – that means I apologize even when I don’t feel like I have done anything to apologize for (very hard for me) – and I forgive even when forgiveness has not been asked of me (even harder for me)

- He wants our surrender to Him – and sometimes it takes us being in places where we have no other choice but to let God handle it.

Give 1 Get 1 - Laptops

Man, you have to check this out....what a way to give to global education
It can even be hand or foot powered....
www.xogiving.org
Check out the entire site, and read all about this next generation laptop with next generation goals...

Excerpt from the website:
Our mission is to provide a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. While children are by nature eager for knowledge, many countries have insufficient resources to devote to education—sometimes less than $20 a year per child. Imagine the potential that could be unlocked by giving every child in the world the tools they need to learn, no matter who they are, no matter where they live, no matter how little they may have.

Starting November 12, One Laptop Per Child will be offering a Give 1 Get 1 Program for a brief window of time in North America. For $399, you will be purchasing two XO laptops—one that will be sent to empower a child to learn in a developing nation, and one that will be sent to your child at home.

New Product Just for "Leader Types"

I am thinking about buying this....NOW....
Let me know what you think.....



PS - Trying to embed this video has been tough...if it doesn't work click on this URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPsUmhqncAg&eurl=http://www.terrystorch.com/

Rethinking our Questions

When there are bad things happening, we often find ourselves or others asking "How could God let this happen?"

I challenge you to look at those situations from a different perspective...and change your question to "God, what are you up to here?" Not to belittle the situation, but to change our perspective of it, and look at a means of finding hope and evidence of His presence, even in tragedy.

As Jay Hardwick a pastor/church planter in Greenville, SC has said, "There is much to grieve in this tragedy - lives lost, futures lost, friends lost, and sons and daughters lost. But maybe, just maybe, many will find rescue in Jesus. I don't even pretend to have answers for why God allows these things to happen. But, I know He allowed His Son to be beaten beyond the point of recognition, to be nailed to a cross where His blood poured profusely, and to die a criminal's death in spite of His absolute innocence.
But out of that tragedy, God brought about the greatest victory ever recorded. The same One who was beaten, nailed, and dead came ALIVE! And because of His death and resurrection, rescue is available to you and me. The Old Testament says, "Rescue is coming!" The gospels and the rest of the New Testament say, "Rescue is here and His name is Jesus!"

Scary Associations

My eyes have been opened to the way the world views "Christians" as I am reading the book UnChristian. Just today on the national news there is a story of an "ant-gay" church that is being sued.

I can't believe how far we Christians have gone...
http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/national/2007/10/31/Funeral.Protests/?cvqh=itn_antigaychurch

The statements made like "Thank God for dead soldiers" just shocks me...but then the real kicker is this church decided to stage this "demonstration" at a young soldiers funeral. A private ceremony funeral...
Why would anyone want to be a "Christian" with this type of thing going on???

I am speechless......

Reveal

I have purchased a new book that includes Barna research that has "reveal"ed quite a bit. This was research done to reveal what programs and activities of the church (Willow Creek) were actually helping people mature spiritually and which were not.

It is causing Willow Creek to rethink the way they do church.

Bill Hybels confesses:
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.

In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage.

Check out more on this at http://willowcreek.com/product.asp?invtid=PR30332

Read it. Post it. Live it.

Mark Batterson's book Chasing the Lion contains this manifesto for life. It is incredible and speaks volumes to me.
He reposted it today on his blog and I thought it was time for me to look at it again! Enjoy.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.