I want to thank all of you for continuing to visit the blog and make comments, especially for being gracious about my recent half marathon results. Thank you!
The truth is that my faith has taken a beating over the last few weeks and my doubts (not about God's existence) have escalated. Mostly this deals with our detailer and trying to get the right orders. The bottom line is that the Navy wants us in a place that is significantly further from a treatment center for my daughter than we want to be. I say it like that because the Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program doesn't really tell us how far we can be stationed from a treatment facility, so it's basically our opinion against the detailer's opinion. That would explain the current empasse.
I tried very hard to pray for a particular set of orders. I read scripture about faith, prayed, and talked to others who were stronger in faith than I was. Yet the answer was no. We did not get the set of orders we wanted. In fact, as of right now, I still don't have orders at all. We'll try again in February.
My faith is pathetically weak anyway, but since I prayed very hard with what I felt were the correct motives, and God still said no, I felt let down. It became hard to read scripture for several days and praying anything other than "I don't get it" or "Why?" was more than I could bear.
I've started coming out of this mess; this quagmire of emotions. I still don't get it. I know what the Bible says in Romans 8:28, but it's difficult to accept that right now.
So I'll be spotty for a few weeks until I work this out with God, my family, and the Navy. I'm sure I'll get back to more regular posting once this is settled.
Carlsbad Half Marathon Race Report
Hey everyone! Thank you for bearing with me while I went silent this week to get ready for my first ever Half Marathon! It was a great time! Since I ran it on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which supports finding a cure for the disease that infects my daughter, I posted my race report under my other blog.
Please click here to read it!
Thank you again for your patience, regular posting will begin again soon!
Please click here to read it!
Thank you again for your patience, regular posting will begin again soon!
National Mentoring Month
You should have a mentor. You should be a mentor. To think otherwise is to settle for less than what you are capable of.
I’m so happy to have found out that a month exists to bring mentoring to the forefront! I’ve been writing periodically about mentoring in the last six months because I realized long ago how important it is to have and to be a mentor. I can’t believe this program isn’t mentioned more or talked about in greater detail. Here we have an entire month with which to push the importance of mentoring, and yet people still aren’t on board.
Really, there’s no excuse.
I’ve written about this before, but I’m convinced that we wouldn’t need men’s groups, women’s groups, or youth groups in church if we just had good mentoring. In fact, I’ll say that I can guarantee that we wouldn’t need it.
My life has been filled to the brim with good mentors and good protégés (and of course there were some of each that weren’t so good). I’ve learned from every one of them.
So this is National Mentoring Month. Find a protégé (or mentee as they are sometimes called) and get involved! And if you’re a younger person, find a mentor! Do it now!
Here are some basic resources to get you started:
National Mentoring Month
Mentor
Different Frequencies Mentoring Label (My writing on the topic)
So, do you have a mentor? Are you a mentor?
Biggest Loser Thoughts and What a Motivator!
Ok, so I watched Biggest Loser tonight. I've never gotten into that show, mostly because I have always been in denial about my weight problem and my struggle with eating (which is usually not a struggle if you know what I mean). Anyway, that show was so amazing tonight. I'm on duty, so it meant that I needed to do a treadmill workout. With the half marathon coming up this weekend, I didn't want to do too much, but I did need to get off my lazy butt.
Watching those weigh-ins made me realize I had to do something. So I changed, went to the treadmill, and clocked my fastest 3 mile and 5K times since starting my workouts!
3 mile: 26:43
5 K: 27:33
Yes, I know, it's on a treadmill. I don't expect to do that same time on a real track. The point is that this show really motivated me tonight, and that my body can respond to stimuli. It was amazing.
What is your motivation?
Watching those weigh-ins made me realize I had to do something. So I changed, went to the treadmill, and clocked my fastest 3 mile and 5K times since starting my workouts!
3 mile: 26:43
5 K: 27:33
Yes, I know, it's on a treadmill. I don't expect to do that same time on a real track. The point is that this show really motivated me tonight, and that my body can respond to stimuli. It was amazing.
What is your motivation?
Final Call for Carlsbad Half Marathon!
It's been a long time since I've updated my running status here on Different Frequencies. I didn't want to draw a lot of undo attention to the fact that I'm running the half marathon this weekend because I didn't want to fail and I didn't want to be prideful.
Yet I am confident. I have a great running partner in Chris G who has been faithful to help me on my long runs so far (our longest was officially 11.7 miles). I have no doubt that, barring injury, I will finish the 13.1 miles required of me on Sunday. Still, I didn't want to turn this blog into a vehicle for my accomplishments.
However, the real reason for bringing this up is to talk about my daughter's cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is nasty, and my family has dealt with it too much lately. My daughter had all of her labs a few weeks ago and liver function came back high, which could mean that the CF is affecting her liver as well. After some follow-on tests, we have found that the labs must have been a fluke because the liver is running well. Praise God! But it brings to mind yet again the reason why I chose the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as my charity of choice for the half marathon.
And it's why I ask you once again, one last time, to consider donating to my Half Marathon fundraising. I am $105 from my goal of $300 and I hope to be there by the end of the week. If you have have even just some spare change lying around, I can guarantee that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation can put it to good use! Thanks!
You can click HERE to go to my fundraising page.
Thank you again and I'll update the race results on Monday of next week!
Yet I am confident. I have a great running partner in Chris G who has been faithful to help me on my long runs so far (our longest was officially 11.7 miles). I have no doubt that, barring injury, I will finish the 13.1 miles required of me on Sunday. Still, I didn't want to turn this blog into a vehicle for my accomplishments.
However, the real reason for bringing this up is to talk about my daughter's cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is nasty, and my family has dealt with it too much lately. My daughter had all of her labs a few weeks ago and liver function came back high, which could mean that the CF is affecting her liver as well. After some follow-on tests, we have found that the labs must have been a fluke because the liver is running well. Praise God! But it brings to mind yet again the reason why I chose the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as my charity of choice for the half marathon.
And it's why I ask you once again, one last time, to consider donating to my Half Marathon fundraising. I am $105 from my goal of $300 and I hope to be there by the end of the week. If you have have even just some spare change lying around, I can guarantee that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation can put it to good use! Thanks!
You can click HERE to go to my fundraising page.
Thank you again and I'll update the race results on Monday of next week!
Spot Mentoring
It's been a while since I've discussed mentoring. I love the topic, so it certainly isn't because I haven't had anything to write about or the desire, but rather my schedule, other writing topics I needed to clear up, and life in general. I return to the subject of mentoring today with a post on spot mentoring.
Essentially, spot mentoring is mentoring on the fly. Let me give you a scenario. Imagine that you are sitting at your desk at work, or whatever your workstation is, and a younger colleague comes up to you and asks for a seat. You offer, he sits, and explains a situation at home/work/school/etc. Here is your opportunity! Even if this young man isn't your official protégés, he is still a potential spot mentoring project, and so you must answer your best.
The fact is, mentoring will require you to think on your feet whether you are talking to one of your official protégés or a potential protégé. I can't count the number of times where one of my guys have come to me with a problem that I had to think on my feet to find an answer for. It is a fact of life for a mentor.
But spot mentoring provides a unique situation and opportunity. It could be that the young colleague needs a mentor, but doesn't know it, or doesn't even know what mentoring is. Your advice to his problem or question is the jumping off point to a future relationship that could grow in leaps and bounds. Because you could end up saving not just this young man's situation, but also end up guiding him well into his future, I want to suggest three things to keep in mind when you get your next chance to do some spot mentoring.
1. Ask questions, listen carefully, and give a good, quick response. As I said, you will have to think on your feet when given a chance for spot mentoring. Do yourself a HUGE favor and ask questions and listen carefully to the responses. Asking questions buys you precious time. It also gives you a window into the heart of the individual asking for your help. But don't waste time. Once you have enough information to offer advice, do it.
2. Follow up. I can't stress this enough! It is simply vital that you follow up within an acceptable amount of time. What is an acceptable amount of time? You have to give the young man time to either put your advice into action or reject it, but once that has occurred, follow up with it. Ask for results, even if they are different than you had planned or if he rejected your advice. In the end, it is his decision to either accept or reject your advice. Your job is to guide a younger colleague. You can't do that unless you follow up.
3. Ask for another opportunity to meet. This is how you change a spot mentoring opportunity into a true mentoring relationship between a mentor and a protégé. Now, don't do this unless you can afford to take on another protégé. However, assuming you are able and willing, ask for another opportunity to meet while you're following up.
That is the power of these spot mentoring opportunities. If you have conducted your business of mentoring in a successful manner (regardless of the results of his issue) then you may be placing yourself in a position to continue mentoring him in the future. And that's what we're here for as mentors, right? Helping people for an extended period of time? So be mindful of the next time someone surprises you with a request for advice. It could be the first time in a long and fruitful mentoring relationship.
Essentially, spot mentoring is mentoring on the fly. Let me give you a scenario. Imagine that you are sitting at your desk at work, or whatever your workstation is, and a younger colleague comes up to you and asks for a seat. You offer, he sits, and explains a situation at home/work/school/etc. Here is your opportunity! Even if this young man isn't your official protégés, he is still a potential spot mentoring project, and so you must answer your best.
The fact is, mentoring will require you to think on your feet whether you are talking to one of your official protégés or a potential protégé. I can't count the number of times where one of my guys have come to me with a problem that I had to think on my feet to find an answer for. It is a fact of life for a mentor.
But spot mentoring provides a unique situation and opportunity. It could be that the young colleague needs a mentor, but doesn't know it, or doesn't even know what mentoring is. Your advice to his problem or question is the jumping off point to a future relationship that could grow in leaps and bounds. Because you could end up saving not just this young man's situation, but also end up guiding him well into his future, I want to suggest three things to keep in mind when you get your next chance to do some spot mentoring.
1. Ask questions, listen carefully, and give a good, quick response. As I said, you will have to think on your feet when given a chance for spot mentoring. Do yourself a HUGE favor and ask questions and listen carefully to the responses. Asking questions buys you precious time. It also gives you a window into the heart of the individual asking for your help. But don't waste time. Once you have enough information to offer advice, do it.
2. Follow up. I can't stress this enough! It is simply vital that you follow up within an acceptable amount of time. What is an acceptable amount of time? You have to give the young man time to either put your advice into action or reject it, but once that has occurred, follow up with it. Ask for results, even if they are different than you had planned or if he rejected your advice. In the end, it is his decision to either accept or reject your advice. Your job is to guide a younger colleague. You can't do that unless you follow up.
3. Ask for another opportunity to meet. This is how you change a spot mentoring opportunity into a true mentoring relationship between a mentor and a protégé. Now, don't do this unless you can afford to take on another protégé. However, assuming you are able and willing, ask for another opportunity to meet while you're following up.
That is the power of these spot mentoring opportunities. If you have conducted your business of mentoring in a successful manner (regardless of the results of his issue) then you may be placing yourself in a position to continue mentoring him in the future. And that's what we're here for as mentors, right? Helping people for an extended period of time? So be mindful of the next time someone surprises you with a request for advice. It could be the first time in a long and fruitful mentoring relationship.
Sermon on Psalm 54
For this week, I want to visit the Psalms. This was a project I started a long time ago and will be working on it for years to come. Basically, I want to have a series of sermons on the Psalms. Pretty much every time I get a chance to preach, I choose to go through one of the Psalms. Here's my sermon on Psalm 54. Enjoy and be blessed!
Click this link to listen!
Don't forget to leave comments if you have some feedback for me!
Click this link to listen!
Don't forget to leave comments if you have some feedback for me!
San Francisco, continued
To understand what Mike (pictured in the middle of our group at the left) and Ann Moberg do in San Francisco through the San Francisco Missions Outpost, you have to first decide that you really care about the inner city. Until you do that, it won't really make sense. And you'll get a better feel for it if you do one of two things:1: Go visit them. I did. I was changed. I would recommend you go to the San Francisco Missions Outpost website and start a line of communication between yourself and them. As many churches begin to consider summer missions trips, this is definitely one to ponder.
2: Buy Mike's book: The Road to Naum. My wife got it for me for Christmas and I read it in three days. I already knew a lot about the mission, but even still my eyes were opened wide after reading this very down-to-earth and yet very spiritual book. Seriously, get this book.
The definition of outpost, which is found in Mike's book, is this: A security detachment placed by a halted command to protect against enemy enterprises." If you read this book, you will understand the meaning of a Calvary Detachment to protect the harried and helpless in San Francisco from the enemy.
Please support Mike and Ann. They are warriors for the cause of Christ.
Places I've been: San Francisco
Not all of the places I've been to are exotic or even outside of America. In fact, one of my favorite cities in the world is San Francisco. Now, I don't live there and probably couldn't afford to, but as for being a visiting sailor, it's tops!
It was a very cold day when we pulled into San Francisco. We just about froze to death manning the rails in our dress whites (it was mid-May). By the time I got off the ship later that day, I was able to feel comfortable in a sweatshirt, and the next day was even warm enough to go in a tee-shirt. Here are some views from the pier:
It was a very cold day when we pulled into San Francisco. We just about froze to death manning the rails in our dress whites (it was mid-May). By the time I got off the ship later that day, I was able to feel comfortable in a sweatshirt, and the next day was even warm enough to go in a tee-shirt. Here are some views from the pier:
I didn't do too many things on this trip. My goal was to really spend time reflecting on my spiritual life and walk, and this is something I did a great deal of. My spiritual guide that weekend was Mike Moberg of the San Francisco Missions Outpost (SFMO). Mike and his wife Ann are simply wonderful. I'm sure they didn't intend to, but they essentially ended up adopting me for a few days while my ship was in port.
As with most ports I visit, one of my primary goals was to go to church. Three good friends of mine joined me at the SFMO. The SFMO isn't exactly in a great area of town, which is how it's designed. Mike and Ann are passionate about saving souls in the lesser-enjoyed areas of the city, and they prove it.
Yes, those are bars on the front door to the church...
I was completely and utterly amazed by these folks. Mike was awesome. He introduced my friends and I as conquering heroes and his congregation treated us as such. I shy away from that, because I go to church to learn from the various pastors and missionaries, not to be celebrated. Unfortunately, I didn't get to tell Mike that before the service began.
Cameron, Mike's youngest son, led music with power and passion I have rarely seen. I've got a copy of his CD and I wish he was making more. Hopefully there will be more out soon. This guy is awesome! And that's not the only thing he's awesome for. Take a look at the artwork behind me and the guys:
Here are some more examples of his work and the work of those he has helped pull from the streets:
This is sanctioned art, by the way...not graffiti.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my time with Mike, Ann, and their children (all of them grown or mostly grown). It was refreshing to be with them. They supported me in ways I will never forget. I love them dearly.
Life is War
The above drawing is from a novel I wrote many years ago. The novel, while published, didn't do anything at all, but it was a great test of my faith and got me deeper into writing. At any rate, the book is about warfare. it was a fantasy book that took spiritual warfare concepts and put them in a Roman warfare context. I was using Ephesians chapter 6 as my guide.
Even though the book didn't do well at all, the fact is that the concepts in my book are real. We really are in a spiritual battle every day. Alicia have been reminded constantly about how foreign a territory we're in right now spiritually. We are hopeful for orders that will place us near a cystic fibrosis care center for our daughter and honestly, my faith is wavering a little.
So it was really nice of God to run me past this little drawing I put together over 7 years ago. I love how he reminds me that he is in charge, and yet that I am in a war zone. I pray that you all will remember that we are in a war zone now. If you don't believe that you are in spiritual warfare, then you're just losing, because we're all in it whether we want to be or not.
Gluttony Part II
Proverbs 28:7- He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
I'm already a day off on my gluttony posts. I guess that shows how much I really don't like thinking about the sin that I continually take part in. It is unfortunate, but over time, I hope to rectify it. At any rate, there are a few things in this verse that I want to look at and share with you.
Not every verse we will discuss talks directly about the sin. While I believe this verse does suggest that gluttony is a sin, it won't tell you much about it. Instead, it is a verse about choosing your friends and being a wise follower of the law.
Matthew Poole said of the last part of this verse, "He shameth his father, because he is a foolish son." I don't mean the teenager who plays football or is overly active and who is eating that much because his body needs the fuel. In fact, we're not even talking about the child being the overeater. It's the fact that he cannot choose his friends. He is not the glutton, but picking friends that cannot control themselves is a disgraceful act. As demeaning as the picture is, this is the shame Poole speaks of.
This is not to say that we should look down on someone who struggles with eating. His friends have a problem with control, but that makes me one of those friends. If I were to attack them, it would be akin to me making fun of my own kind. And this is a serious matter. Someone who cannot control their appetite needs help controlling, not ridicule. Notice here that the writer does not say that he shames himself, or even that his friends shame themselves, but rather that the son disgraces his father. He disgraces his father because he chooses friends who cannot control themselves. This is what makes this verse more about choosing friends than about the sin of gluttony proper.
On that note, I believe we can learn a second thing from the verse. The fact that in the first line we see what a wise (discerning) son is like, in that he obeys the law, we can make a claim that this verse suggests evidence that gluttony is indeed a sin. I am a Baptist, which means that I don't ascribe to the 7 Deadly Sins of Catholicism. However, this doesn't mean that I don't see sin when I read it in scripture. The fact that a wise son follows the law, and a disgraceful one is around gluttons suggests that gluttony is a sin.
However, this verse is not about the result of the sin of gluttony. While it is a sin, it is not the sin being committed here. The simple fact is that the son disgraces his father by picking uncontrolled friends. There are other verses that state more explicitly how much of a sin that gluttony is, which we will investigate in future posts.
Stand by for more study! Oh, and please visit the poll on the far right!
I'm already a day off on my gluttony posts. I guess that shows how much I really don't like thinking about the sin that I continually take part in. It is unfortunate, but over time, I hope to rectify it. At any rate, there are a few things in this verse that I want to look at and share with you.
Not every verse we will discuss talks directly about the sin. While I believe this verse does suggest that gluttony is a sin, it won't tell you much about it. Instead, it is a verse about choosing your friends and being a wise follower of the law.
Matthew Poole said of the last part of this verse, "He shameth his father, because he is a foolish son." I don't mean the teenager who plays football or is overly active and who is eating that much because his body needs the fuel. In fact, we're not even talking about the child being the overeater. It's the fact that he cannot choose his friends. He is not the glutton, but picking friends that cannot control themselves is a disgraceful act. As demeaning as the picture is, this is the shame Poole speaks of.
This is not to say that we should look down on someone who struggles with eating. His friends have a problem with control, but that makes me one of those friends. If I were to attack them, it would be akin to me making fun of my own kind. And this is a serious matter. Someone who cannot control their appetite needs help controlling, not ridicule. Notice here that the writer does not say that he shames himself, or even that his friends shame themselves, but rather that the son disgraces his father. He disgraces his father because he chooses friends who cannot control themselves. This is what makes this verse more about choosing friends than about the sin of gluttony proper.
On that note, I believe we can learn a second thing from the verse. The fact that in the first line we see what a wise (discerning) son is like, in that he obeys the law, we can make a claim that this verse suggests evidence that gluttony is indeed a sin. I am a Baptist, which means that I don't ascribe to the 7 Deadly Sins of Catholicism. However, this doesn't mean that I don't see sin when I read it in scripture. The fact that a wise son follows the law, and a disgraceful one is around gluttons suggests that gluttony is a sin.
However, this verse is not about the result of the sin of gluttony. While it is a sin, it is not the sin being committed here. The simple fact is that the son disgraces his father by picking uncontrolled friends. There are other verses that state more explicitly how much of a sin that gluttony is, which we will investigate in future posts.
Stand by for more study! Oh, and please visit the poll on the far right!
Sermon on Thanksgiving
As a future preacher, my goal is to hone my preaching skills over time so that I can be ready to assume the pulpit full time someday. It is a goal that I take seriously, knowing that God called me to that work a long time ago. This Navy career is but a step in the process.
I would love it very much if you would consider listening to this sermon and commenting below. I need to know what to do to fix, modify, or otherwise improve my sermons before I do this full time. Your help and advice, both from preachers and from lay Christians is greatly appreciated. If nothing else, please let me know if I should keep this sermon in my file, or take it out of my filing cabinet and work on other sermons instead.
This sermon was preached at Tierrasanta Baptist Church in late 2006, just before my 2007 deployment. Please enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!
I would love it very much if you would consider listening to this sermon and commenting below. I need to know what to do to fix, modify, or otherwise improve my sermons before I do this full time. Your help and advice, both from preachers and from lay Christians is greatly appreciated. If nothing else, please let me know if I should keep this sermon in my file, or take it out of my filing cabinet and work on other sermons instead.
This sermon was preached at Tierrasanta Baptist Church in late 2006, just before my 2007 deployment. Please enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!
Potential Orders
Since I don't know anything yet, I'll keep this very short. Please be in prayer for my family as we negotiate orders this week. The process is made trickier because of the fact that my daughter is a Category 4 Exceptional Family Member (EFM). That reduces our options quite a bit.
Let me just say without giving away more than I should, that there is one, and only one, set of orders that would work for my family given my skill set and our EFM. God has shown me how personal he is by allowing these orders onto the list. For that, I'm grateful.
My faith says that these are already our orders, I just have to claim them. My doubt says that it looks too good to be true. Please pray for us as we negotiate. It is one of the toughest decisions we've made so far in our career as it's the first time we've had to deal with EFM. Thank you so much and I promise I'll keep everyone informed of our decision!
Let me just say without giving away more than I should, that there is one, and only one, set of orders that would work for my family given my skill set and our EFM. God has shown me how personal he is by allowing these orders onto the list. For that, I'm grateful.
My faith says that these are already our orders, I just have to claim them. My doubt says that it looks too good to be true. Please pray for us as we negotiate. It is one of the toughest decisions we've made so far in our career as it's the first time we've had to deal with EFM. Thank you so much and I promise I'll keep everyone informed of our decision!
Gluttony Part I
I plan on making this year a year to break the stronghold of gluttony on my life. I hate that word with a passion, but unless I’m willing to face it, I’ll never see victory. So, in order to attempt purity in the area of food, I am going to tackle the gluttony issue over a series of posts…probably not more than one per week.
So why study gluttony? Well, the obvious reason is because I’m overweight and I want to lose weight this year. It’s not an official New Year’s Resolution or anything, but it’s definitely necessary. My health, my life, my career, my family, and my spiritual well-being depend on it. This isn’t just wanting to look better for the beach this summer. This is wanting a change of life.
If my problem was stealing, I would be well-served by learning how much emphasis God puts on theft and thieves in the Bible. Many of us (at least us men) know verses on sexual lust and temptation in order to combat our wondering eyes. Matthew 5:28 anyone? Anyway, as my current stronghold is gluttony, or the extensive power food has over my life, I have decided to go through some verses on the subject and see what the Bible has to say on the subject.
The actual word “gluttony” only appears once in the NIV. Other versions use different words to describe the act of gluttony, as you can see in the KJV below:
Proverbs 23:2 "And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite."
Here is the verse in NIV: And put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.
On the surface, this verse seems to suggest that gluttony is akin to the unpardonable sin. However, context is king, so let’s look at the rest of the section, verses 1-3:
1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.
In this passage, gluttony is not described as an outright sin, but something that can and will lead to falling into a trap. This does not mean that gluttony isn’t a sin (we'll discover that definitively in another passage); it just means that this section discusses something a little deeper.
As with so many sins, one builds upon another. A man who initially only looks at pornography or other women moves on to affairs. Someone who starts with shoplifting ends up breaking and entering and assaulting. There are many examples, but the fact remains the same: Sin builds upon sin. In our passage here, the sin of gluttony, or the lust of the eyes toward food, leads to some unnamed pitfall. Unrighteous loyalties? I don’t know, but something is there. Food is powerful. It is comforting and yet deceptive, much like alcohol. This passage suggests that food, in the wrong context, is deceptive and powerful.
These verses also suggest the way out. Metaphorically speaking, taking a knife to one’s throat means to restrain one’s self. Let’s face it; not much eating will take place if my throat is cut from end to end. Matthew Henry said, “Restrain thyself, as it were with a sword hanging over thy head, from all excess.” Gluttony is an ugly word, especially for those who struggle with it. We would prefer to use the term heavy eater, overeater, or something else…indeed anything else, but it is what it is. Our fight is against a strong enemy. Satan has us in a trap and it can defeat just about any New Year’s Resolution.
Which brings me back to the beginning. My hopes this year aren’t to lose “x” number of pounds, but to save my life, both spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I can run a hundred miles a week, but if I continue to fall to gluttony, it will be wasted effort. So I learn. Will you join me on this journey to freedom from this sin?
Don’t feel bad about it. As with any sin, some amount of sadness over lack of control is important, else we’d never come to God for repentance. However, Satan would have you shamed into believing you cannot overcome this. Of course he’s right. But God can overcome this, so don’t let shame keep you from the throne!
I will put a comment down below which will be my prayer for the day against gluttony. Please feel free to add your own prayer as well or make any other comments. Until you are prepared to meet gluttony head on, you will continue to make, and fail, New Year’s Resolutions. This is about success. It’s about victory!
Running Update
I was sick last week, so I did what every "mostly-motivated" aspiring half-marathoner would do...I took the week off! I know, it was pathetic. This is actually something that tends to happen. I will work out hard for a few months and then workouts will start to slide. During this time I will also begin to remember how much I really don't care for running or working out. It will become a waste of time in a busy day. And then the workout stops.
Being sick is the perfect catalyst for my workout stoppage. I had a perfect excuse not to run. It looked bleak. On top of that, our daughter is sick now, and was up all night Sunday night with an ear infection, so I was too tired to run on Monday morning.
Last night I knew I had to break out of that slump. I put on my running gear, kissed my wife, and took off. I ran a local road route (3.2 miles) TWICE. It felt so good! Psychologically, I broke the quitter inside of me. Physically, I jump-started my body's muscles again and we're back on track for my half-marathon, which is now less than 3 weeks away. We're on the home stretch!
Being sick is the perfect catalyst for my workout stoppage. I had a perfect excuse not to run. It looked bleak. On top of that, our daughter is sick now, and was up all night Sunday night with an ear infection, so I was too tired to run on Monday morning.
Last night I knew I had to break out of that slump. I put on my running gear, kissed my wife, and took off. I ran a local road route (3.2 miles) TWICE. It felt so good! Psychologically, I broke the quitter inside of me. Physically, I jump-started my body's muscles again and we're back on track for my half-marathon, which is now less than 3 weeks away. We're on the home stretch!
A Thought for Preaching
Someday, I hope to be a preacher for real, but until then, all I can really do is just practice when I have the opportunity and learn from others. I’m doing whatever I can to learn what it takes to be a pastor, especially since I’ll be in my late 30’s or early 40’s when I join the pastorate.
Because of that, I will periodically suggest some ideas for your feedback. Now is the time to be brutally honest so that I don’t make crazy mistakes when the time comes. The next six years present an opportunity for me to learn now so I don’t have to learn later. And yes, I know…I’ll still make mistakes and nothing replaces real experience. Having said that, I was thinking about something…
I have preached both topical and expository messages in various opportunities that I’ve been given. I have read that expository preaching is great for edification, but not really good for evangelism when the unbeliever may not believe in the validity of the Scripture. In those cases, it is better to preach topically as a way of introducing the Bible to the unbeliever. I think I agree with that, based on my experience on the ship.
However, I think that edification is vital and someday, these unbelievers (assuming that at least some of them have become believers) will need to grow and accept the truth of all Scripture. Therefore, I would like to incorporate expository preaching often. So here is my thought:
Why not have one Sunday per month (or per quarter, depending) where I preach a message that introduces unbelievers to the Gospel. All sermons will be in some way applicable to the life of an unbeliever or young believer, but once a month, my congregation knows they can bring anyone…ANYONE…into service and that person will hear the Gospel. Naturally, the date would be announced well before hand, or even become a scheduled event so that the congregation knows when to bring their unsaved friends.
So what do you think? Good idea? Or stick to some other method of planning sermons? I need the thoughts of both preachers and folks in the pew on this so that I can start refining my thoughts on this issue. Thanks!
Please Subscribe to Different Frequencies...
I am so excited about what this year will bring! I'm really settling in as a future pastor whose future church just doesn't know it yet and I hope it shows on the blog. I will of course cover everything from mentoring to seminary to my family and much more (hence the "Different Frequencies"), but with a more directed purpose this year.
That's why I want you to subscribe to Different Frequencies.
As Different Frequencies catches more and more eyes, more and more folks leave comments. I've seen some outstanding conversations start up here and I want you to be a part of the next one! I value all comments and questions, including the ones that stump me. I love how DF is starting to enjoy the thoughts of a small family of commenters...many of whom of course have been blogging way longer than I have. I'm so grateful for them.
I have a spot for you...at the end of every single blog post...or at the beginning of some of them if you'd like to guest post. Either way, that really starts with a subscription, which is why we turn now to that:
How do I subscribe?
If you look to the right, you'll see an RSS button (the orange box). Click on that and it will allow you to set up a subscription. You can choose anything from Google to Yahoo or request new posts be sent to your email. Then you never miss one of our conversations and you'll always be on target to make a potent comment. Give it a shot and see if you like it!
Please join me in making these conversations potent discussions for the Kingdom. Thanks for your time!
Happy New Year poll!
I have great hopes for the year 2010. I believe that God has great hopes and plans for this year as well. Yet as a future pastor, I’m in a weird position. I’m working on my 7th seminary class at Liberty Theological Seminary (via distance learning), I’m a lay leader at my church (military ministry) and my ship, and accepting any preaching opportunity I can, mostly through my ship.
This is a game of patience. I assume that I will not be a pastor until at least the year 2016. This is a blessing, however, as it will be nearly that long until I get my Mdiv since I’m a part time student. I should add that I get frustrated by patience-requiring evolutions. In the Navy, we don’t have much of that. When the drill starts, someone shoots at us pretty quickly and before you know it, you’re popping off missiles at the bad guys like a Roman candle on the 4th of July. Christianity isn’t like that. God has been around for eternity and the church for 2000 years. This is a giant waiting game…I’m not good at waiting. I’ll try to get better.
I have ideas…many ideas…some of them crazy, some kind of cool, and others that I think might help Christianity as a whole move forward. I don’t know if anyone will ever want to use some of these ideas, but I want to try them out so I will write about them. This blog is a blessing because I get to write about whatever I want to. From the abortion debate to my latest twist in theology to my son’s karate tournament, I can say what I want and let you, the reader, sort it out. I think my head would explode if I didn’t have these opportunities to clear my head through my blog. God has been good to me to allow me to live during a great era of technological advancement.
While I think that this year holds some amazing things, I have no idea what those things are, and I’m honestly a little anxious about them. I hate to say it, but I just “feel” something big will happen. But my personal goal is simply to grow. However I have to grow, I will do it. No resolutions, no promises…I just want to grow closer to my Lord, my King. I believe it is possible.
I hope you all have a great day. Enjoy some football and family! I’m on the ship, but hopefully it will be a relaxed day and I can take it easy. Before you do that though, do you have any wild dreams and hopes for this year? If so, please let me know! And I'd love for you to take a quick look at the poll to the right! Thanks! Happy New Year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)