"Before" Still Gives You a Choice

If you are like me, you've probably had many moments where you either knew or felt that you shouldn't have said something, could have said something differently, or wonder if someone took it wrong what you said. These are not fun moments. They can aggravate you like a rock in your shoe. You think about it, worry about it, and want to fix the situation.

Though easier said than done, there are some ways we can prevent that feeling. It comes in this week's quote, from a poem titled "Before You", by William Arthur Ward...

Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.

Not all of these are situations where you make a mistake and have to go back to correct it. However, they are some simple, everyday, applicable phrases to help us through some situations in life. Some of them may impact you more than others. Some may make you really look within. Some might be what you wish someone else would keep in mind.

"Before" is a powerful word that says things are at the fork in the road. "After" is when you chose to take a path. "After" is no turning back; "before" is when the option of taking another route is possible.

Try to put the "Before you" tool in your pocket to pull out at the many opportune times that will come about in your lifetime.

Always trying to sharpen the "Before you" tool...

Being Different But Being Similar

It is common knowledge that everyone has a different set of fingerprints. From what I found there are about seven different styles of fingerprints: arch, tentarch, loop, double loop, packed loop, whorl, and mixed. It still amazes me that God enables this uniqueness to happen. When I design things, I can come up with a certain amount of different designs, but after billions of people are created, it would seem difficult to come up with some design that makes each fingerprint different, but they are. What an amazing God!

Though our fingerprints may be different, many of us have similarities. Hair color, eye color, interest in movies, favorite color, gender, and the list could go on and on. I am reading this awesome book, geared toward business that is focused on the principle that though we may be similar, something needs to differentiate us to cause us to be “attractive”. I am not speaking of physical attraction, but, in this case, spiritual attraction.

What makes you, a consumer, go to Burger King over McDonald’s, or J & B Meat over the other two? They are both serving some type of beef sandwich and a fried potato side. One has a king, the other a clown, and the third has no mascot. Something makes them different to cause one to visit them at different times and at different rates.

The book is titled “Collapse of Distinction”, authored by Scott McKain. I have only experienced the first few pages of the book, but I eat up so much of it. I want to highlight so many lines. Though it is a business book, there is so much application to the church. There are so many churches in town that, to many, we all probably look the same. When a business takes its customers for granted that they will always come in, and never try to improve something to meet their customers demands, they will eventually go under. Their failure to be distinct will cause them to collapse (hence the name of the book). Thus, if we are so similar, then what are we doing to not take the “consumer” for granted and try to attract their “business”? Unfortunately, in most cases, it is nothing.

I don’t know where I will integrate this knowledge, but I will find a way!

Though we may be similar, we must find ways to be different!

Givin' a Shout Out

Watch any football or baseball game and you may see some individual player holding up a hand signal, probably a #1, while saying "hi" to someone. They are proud of what they have just been involved in, be it a touchdown run/catch or hitting a homerun, for example. They are giving a "shout out" to their friends/family.

Shout outs are a classic case of being so proud you want to tell others and to take advantage of the opportunities to be in the spotlight to say something to someone. Pride causes us to project with confidence. As a Christian, are you proud of your salvation and your Savior? If so, you will project that, if not you won't. You won't show pride when you're sleeping, it is a conscious action. Hence, if you are spiritually sleeping, you're not going to show your pride to others. You will simply show no emotion.

To be alive in Christ, we envision, we have confidence, and we focus. With all of those things you will naturally not be able to keep it in, you feel you must give a "shout out". Who all will you be giving a "shout out" to this week? Here are some applications to choose from to use...

1. Give a shout out, passively - Post something like "God is good, all the time...and all the time, God is good" or "Givin' a shout out because GIGATTAATTGIG" (which the letters are the first letters of that phrase) on your Facebook or MySpace page, send a text to a few friends, post it on your blog, write it on a piece of paper and put at your workplace, put it in a card, etc. and see what responses you get to start the ball rolling on a spiritual conversation. Or you can come up with your own phrase.
2. Give a shout out, actively - Tell someone a phrase like the one above or come up with your own. See what happens.
3. Memorial Day - Ask someone who they think about the most on Memorial Day, then share with them that the most important person in your life that has gone on before you, who fought the toughest war, was Jesus. See how God handles it.
4. Pray for Camera Spots - By this I mean to be praying for God to open doors for you to have the camera put on you so that you can put your figurative #1 finger up to show how important your faith is to you.
5. Live Out Your Shout Out - Your actions may be the loudest voice you have, regarding your faith. You may not always have to say anything. How you handle yourself throughout life is going to speak volumes. Where you put God on your priority list, over family, job, sports, recreation, etc. may show others how valuable your faith is to your life.

I will be excited to hear, if you care to share, how God surprises you by using you in unexpected, surprising ways as you sow seed this week. For those of you who live where I do, I may give you the opportunity to tell others how surprising your shout outs went this week!

It is such a wonderful experience to go about each day looking for ways for God to be using you to influence others' lives. These experiences come all the time, you just have to be "awake" to see them. Don't expect them to be something so vivid...look for them around each corner!

Givin' Shout Outs to My Peeps...

Summer: A Great Time to Soak Up the Son

School is out, Memorial Day is past, ball games are about to begin, the pool will soon be opening, and grills are being fired up regularly. All are signs that summer is upon us. Most look forward to the warmer temperatures because they can do more things outside. The sun stays out later enabling us to enjoy daylight and being outside that much longer. Kids love it too, as they usually do not have to go to bed as early.

As outdoor activities increases, so does the wearing of less clothing. This will bring about the tan, the Caucasian-craved skin color. Regardless of the warnings, this desired shade is still sought after throughout the summer time. People like to not look “white” but have a bit of a tan shade to their body.

Spring, though technically still here for about another calendar month, has basically dissipated from the lips of people. Spring brought about green grass, leaves on trees, flowers in bloom, and many other wonderful colors to our area. Each time between the end of March and May, God brings on His paintbrush and paints a gorgeous picture. It happens every year and it is something I look forward to seeing.

Since spring has passed and summer is here, why not take some time, as an individual or as a family, to soak up some Son? The wonderful thing about soaking up all the Son you can, is that it never makes your skin look leathery or has even the slightest potential of making you have cancer. Here are some ways you might go about soaking up more Son this summer. One, go grab some ice cream, refreshing drink, or some other summer treat, and sit outside and look at what God has created this spring. If doing it as a family, talk to your kids about God’s creation. Ask whoever you are with what is their favorite creation. Two, spend time outside with your family or with someone else, either just chillin’ out, playing games, washing the car, or doing yard work. During this time you can be playing Christian music. Three, watch movies outdoor. A multimedia projector makes for great drive-ins. If you have one, use it outdoor and invite your neighbors. There are tons of great movies out that have a very good message to display. Finally, don’t forget the formal ways, that is getting you and your family involved in church-related activities this summer. Watch for them in the paper. There will be Vacation Bible School events going on throughout the summer. Plus, our own church is planning on having some different activities for families and dads throughout the summer.

Soaking up the Son doesn’t only have to be when the sun is out. You can soak up the Son any time of the day, inside or out. Just take this summer as a common time to soak up more sun to not neglect soaking up more of the Son that we all need!

Power Just Waiting to Astonish

What are you capable of doing? How high are you capable of going? Do you think of those questions very often? If you are like most that drift from day to day going through the motions of life, you probably don't think of them too much. Usually we have to be prompted to think of the possibilities.

I am a softy for seeing people accomplish something. I can't help shed a tear on most situations where people have shown their potential to reach goals they never knew they could reach. These situations could be in real life or movies. It makes me want to go out and do things. When I watch a movie like this before I preach the next day, I am on fire. I am so pumped. I am more antsy to get to preach/teach than normal. It just does wonders for me. It makes me imagine what God could do with me if I put myself out there.

You may have heard that we do not use very much of our mind's potential, I think the same could be said of our talents. We probably do not use much of the potential that our body possesses throughout our lifetime. There is something inside each of us that if used to its potential, would do amazing things and the powers would be astonishing. That brings us to this week's quote...

Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action. ~Orison Swett Marden

As created beings, God gave us "powers" to serve Him. By serving, I don't simply mean actions like bringing Him breakfast in bed, if there were such a thing. I mean doing what we can to repay Him for what He's done for us. Paul, the apostle, writes "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9). He is describing the grace that comes from God is perfect in our weak human bodies. Paul also wrote this, "...[he] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). Both indicate that we have a certain amount of "power" given to us, as Christians, that can do more than we can even fathom. Though we are human beings, which mess up, God can do great things with mess ups.

You have dreams, ideas, and potential inside of you. Make a list of how you are going to let your weak body be great for God. How are you going to serve Him by using your talents to impact those around you for His Glory?

We all are a volcano with some type of lava just waiting to erupt!

Enjoying Erupting...

Just When You Thought You Were Done

Just When You Thought You Were Done

Planning big events takes a lot of extra time and effort, and it feels so good to be finished. Maybe it is a campaign, a workshop, a dinner, or a trip. All of these would probably hold true to the opening sentence. When it is completed you think that it is all over. All that preparation and planning has come to an end. Now you can rest and move on…so you think.

This weekend is a great weekend. One filled with bittersweet feelings. For the graduates, twelve years (plus Kindergarten and/or preschool) of education comes to an end. All the hard work, socializing, playing sports, frustration, procrastination, school lunches, and routine, as you they know it, comes to an end. You will most likely miss high school, as it starts out slow your freshman year, but by the time your senior year comes around, it seems to end very quickly. You are probably a bit sad, though you are glad to be done. Parents reminisce of memories when these graduates were too small to go to school. They now have to let their “birds” start to fly a bit. Even if they are staying close to home, there is a sense of flight that comes with the territory.

I still remember what it was like to walk across the stage and feel that awesome “completion” sensation! It seemed like so much had passed in my life, but that was simply the beginning. I am sure that most of you who have completed various levels of education have felt similar feelings and can remember those moments of relief when you were finished. However, you also know that much more came after the diploma. Your learning and life-tests never stopped, though you were out of the formal classroom.

Regardless of whether you are an Eagle alum, a Viking alum, a Plainsmen alum, or a Trojan alum, you may think you are finished because you walked across a stage, but you are just getting started with the future. The future is much of what you make of it, determined by the choices you make. However, regardless of how many years of formal education you may have under your belt, the classroom whose teacher is Experience, never holds a graduation ceremony. So, just when you thought you were done, there is much more to look forward to in the future!

Go get ‘em, graduates!

Be a Hero

We all have heroes. Could be a parent, a friend, just someone you admire who you don't really know, or a fantasy super hero. Heroes of the movies are written. Whether they can defy gravity or say the most romantic words, they are generally not realistic.

It doesn't take flying or romance to indicate a hero. A hero is someone who does something heroic (pretty profound, huh?). Seriously, a hero does things that we haven't tried or even thought of. With any sort of trying there is the chance of failing, which usually happens. However, getting to the end is like maneuvering through a maze. There will be some dead ends, but you can simply back up and learn from that. When you make it to the end, you've accomplished your goal. This accomplishment may be the defining factor to what makes you a hero to some.

Moses was a hero. Moses did things that others wouldn't do. He stuck up for the Israelites, he spoke to the Pharaoh, he rescued the people from slavery, and he dealt with all the griping and murmuring of the people during the exodus.

Yesterday, we looked at Moses and the idea that he was a hero. Here are some applications to choose from this week to use...

1. Understand Where You Are - Moses heard the voice coming from the inconsumable burning bush. God spoke to him and Moses replied, "Here I am". Moses was just out tending to his father-in-law's flock. Not doing anything wrong or out of the ordinary. So, where are you or what are you doing? God will speak to you, and maybe has been trying, while you are where you are at for the sake of being used by Him...Listen for Him!
2. Lots of Crying People - God's people had been crying out while in slavery. There are lots and lots of people out there that are crying out to be released from some type of slavery (probably figurative). Do what you can to rescue them and to be their hero!
3. Excuses Don't Excuse - Moses made excuses as to why he didn't want to do what God was telling him to do. However, the excuses didn't allow for Moses to be excused from his task. God is calling all of us to do things and all the excuses we come up with are not going to excuse us from the responsibility of accomplishing the task.
4. Be Heroic - Do something to make a difference in people's lives, in your community (maybe by joining a community group), in your family (parents can be wonderful heroes), in your church, or in some other area that needs your talents and passions!
   

God does amazing things with people. Just this weekend was an example of God placing me in different places. Throughout graduation weekend, I was involved with lots of people and it was awesome to team up with God to sow seed for His kingdom!

The neat thing about most heroes is they do not know they are heroes. They may have smiled at someone one day and that prevented them from ruining their day or it could have even saved their life, literally. Or, they could have sent a card at just the right time when they needed it most, and didn't even know that was the "right time".

Do something that makes a difference...Be a Hero!