Which Defines You: Past or Future?

As much as people aspire to win championships, the thrill is short-lived.  The memory to few will be there for a much longer period of time, but to the overwhelming majority, it will dissipate.  I am a fan of particular teams. However, I do not remember everything about each team, each year. Even when a sportscaster will talk about previous seasons, I will think "oh, yeah" as I recall the memory.  However, I didn't remember it up to that point all on my own.

My past has some spots in it that I'd like to forget.  Growing up can be hard.  However, if I left it up to my past, I'd probably be still at the same place I was then.  However, the past is the past and the future lies ahead.  That brings us to this week's quote...

Your past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.  ~ Marilyn Ferguson

I am glad that I had some life-changing moments where the past could be left there, for the most part.  I am thankful that my future is what I make it. Having a liberated future allows me to look forward to the future and to live each day with a fervor because I am not bound by the past but liberated by what the future holds.

Join in with me in looking forward to what the future holds!

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Coldness of Not Being Cared About

During the holidays a popular song that is sung is "Baby, It's Cold Outside".  And, lately it has been that, throughout most of the US.  People are trying to stay warm. Schools started late; churches canceled gatherings.  If I had to choose between cold and hot, even though I prefer about 75-80 degrees, I would choose cold.  At least you can put on more layers, but you can only take off so much to be cooler.  But sometimes, when in the cold, you can only put on so many layers.  The worst is when you feel cold on the inside, and "once you're cold, you're cold".  At this point it makes it very difficult to be warm again while in the cold.

However, if you were speaking in the realm of relationships, I would much rather be warmer than cooler.  Relationships are made to be warm to be positive.  Cold relationships are not a draw. 

With the weather being cooler this time of year, people aren't out as much. They naturally want to stay in, where it is warm.  Those same people have no warmth in their life, other than from a heater.  They are in need of a relationship.  Do you know people like that?  Are there people in your neighborhood like that?  Why not invite them over to a gathering at your house?  Maybe send them a card with a packet of hot chocolate in the envelope?

When people feel they're not cared about, they feel cold.  Let's be the type of Christians that can warm people up...as a song goes I sang years ago in my youth..."it only takes a spark to get a fire going"!

Let's warm people up!





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Biggest Loser: Unpriority Priorities

We're all probably guilty of allowing something small become big enough to get in our way by ruining our mood/day or causing us to put other things to the back burner.  Waking up late isn't that big of a deal but we may allow it to have some major impacts on the day.  We could deal with it and understand that this is the situation and not allow things to be affected by it.  I could write several examples of areas where we allow the little things to grow to sizes they shouldn't become close to growing.

Life tends to be filled up with lots of little things: daily duties, new duties, unexpected twists.  With those little things that fill us up we may lose focus on the "one thing" that Jesus spoke of when He was in a teachable moment with Martha and Mary.

As life hands us things that "pack on the weight", we need to think about how we can shed some of that extra poundage so that we will live a healthier life for Him.  One way to think about that is to understand that we tend to prioritize things that are not much of a priority.  Therefore, we need to unprioritize the priorities.  Yesterday, we discussed that, leaping off from Habakkuk 3:17-18.  Here are some applications you can choose to use this week...

1. Make a List (literally or figuratively) ~ Over the next week you may want to make a list of the different areas in which you tend to give your attention to.  Think about those areas and see if they are important - really important.  Are some of them taking you or your attention away from the things that are actual priorities?  If so, put your priorities first and the one of less priority after.
2. Accountability ~ Grab someone to be your partner to make sure that you are following up on your newly found habit.
3. Rejoice in the Lord ~ Take time to count your blessings.  This is helpful all the time, but when life doesn't seem to be going well for you, realizing your blessings can make a big difference.
4. Praise God ~ Thank Him for the things you like in your life.  However, do not limit it to that.  You may want to praise Him for the areas you don't realize are worth praising about.  Praise Him for all the little things - name some of them.  Praise Him for bigger things by naming some of them, too.  Praising Him humbles us and encourages us.
5. Don't Worry...Be Happy ~ Easier said than done, that's for sure. If you're like me you worry or analyze things that shouldn't.  Those habits weigh you down.  I can't even think to imagine how many things I have forgotten to do because I was worrying about something else.  It is really frustrating, which doesn't make one happy.  So, try to reduce your "caloric intake" of worry, so that you will have room to concentrate.

As the week progresses keep in mind the little things that are collecting on your plate.  Are they beginning to weigh you down?  There may be nothing wrong with these things.  You don't necessarily have to avoid them, just be disciplined enough to put them to the bottom of your list, so they do not cloud with the most important.  Some of these "least important" may be what you are carrying around with you continually, just like fat on a body.  Do you put more emphasis on your job or your friends than you do your family?  Do you rush to the phone the moment a text message comes in, even if it is conflicting with other events going on at that time (time with family, school, job, etc.), not realizing that the message isn't that urgent, generally.

Have a great week shedding the calories of "unpriority priorities" and "ME" (from last week).

 

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Pulling Your Foot Off of First Base

At a previous ministry position there was a couple who had been the "gate" for ideas, prior to me coming.  People had brought up ideas to them and many were met with something like "That won't work here".  It had come to the point that people's fires were quenched.  They no longer had drive they lived under duress.  They stopped having any ideas.  I like to be the "cheerleader" the "let's see if that will work" kind of person.  So, when I arrived, people came to me with ideas, and I opened the gate to the new ideas.  Some people reopened their mind and started having a vision.  They started seeing their faith play out on more than one day (or two) a week.  Some, who had lived under that for so long had, unfortunately, lost their vision or still lived in fear of being told "no" as those people still lived there.


There are too numerous of events in the past that have occurred because of someone going out of a limb and trying something.  Those types of situations can be risky, but you never know what the outcome will be if you don't try.  That brings us to this week's quote...

Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.  ~ Frederick Wilcox

This quote really rings true in many areas.  By now, most of you have seen "The Blind Side".  Imagine where Michael Oher would be if Mrs. Tuohy wouldn't have had her husband stop to pick him up that winter night.  She went through risks. 

In the movie "Rudy" what would have been the outcome if Rudy wouldn't have tried to sneak in to the custodian room to sleep?  Or if he wouldn't have just kept going?

Are you preventing yourself from taking yourself off of "first base"?  Are you thinking 90 feet (distance between bases) is too far to run?  Are you thinking "What if I get tagged out?"  If so, maybe you could be thinking, "How fast can I get there?" 

Try turning the negative questions into positive ones.  Try taking the step off of first..see what happens.  Maybe you'll make it to second...maybe even third, or home.  Or maybe you'll get out.  The great thing is, you took the risk.  The risk may pay off to teach you how to "steal" better the next time. 

Take the risk...take your foot off of first...make that attempt...try something new...talk to someone...launch an idea...the risks are there, but you may never know what the reality is till you pull your foot off.  Otherwise, you'll just remain "on first".





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Biggest Loser: Losing "ME"

We live in a world full of "ME"s.  I was looking at someone's Facebook page yesterday and they had a cartoon on their "links" page that was supposed to say "America" at the top, but all the letters were on the bottom of the cartoon except for M & E.  I thought that it hit the nail about yesterday's message regarding the need to lose the "ME" weight.

As this series is about "losing 'weight' for a better life", to lose the "ME" weight is vital to having a healthier life.  "ME" tends to get in our way or weigh us down in several areas.  Some of these areas will be expanded on in later sermons.  However, if "ME" is in your way, you are probably being prevented from doing some really amazing things!

As we used Matthew 19:16-24, about the Rich Young Ruler, as a springboard, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Examine where the "ME"s are the biggest ~ You are going to have areas in your life that "ME" will be more prominent.  What may be in the way for you, may not be for someone else.  So, don't compare your life to someone else.  See where the "ME"s are in your life that you must work on getting rid of them to have a better life.
2. Refrain from "I can't" ~ Obviously the negative points back to the subject.  One author once said that he never wrote a book, he just wrote chapters.  Looking at something that is "mountain" in comparison, can be overwhelming and cause us to quit.  However, achieving small goals will help us attain the larger goals.
3. Take a step ~ Staying put gets us nowhere.  Taking a step allows us to move forward.  Is someone asking to do something that may seem uncomfortable?  Take a step and go forward - you may find it fulfilling.  Is there something that you could use your talents in, but aren't sure how?  Take a step and see how God uses the opportunity.  Have you been wanting to meet that neighbor that you continually drive by?  Take a step and go out the door to shake hands and simply say "Welcome to the neighborhood!"
4. Look Up/Forward ~ Studies say that a person who consistently looks downward when they walk shows a lack of self-esteem.  If you are looking up and forward, you may see the potentials that are around you and you may develop a greater self-esteem in the process.

Your "ME" may not be allowing you to see what you can do with life or it may be weighing on you, preventing you from making the progress you could be making.  It won't be an easy process, but what "weight" loss ever is?

Life has too much baggage...let's get rid of the "ME" so we can be more healthy!




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