Merry Christmas!

I want to thank all of my viewers of my blog! May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy, blessed, and beneficial 2013!

Ministry: Long hours, little pay, great retirement

People will sometimes ask me what made me choose to begin a career in ministry. I think I may disappoint some when I don’t have this eureka-like experience of when I felt “called” to this lifestyle.

I didn’t have ministry on my radar at all in my growing up. I fell in love with the work of the manager/trainer in high school. I started out as the “water boy” type of person. Just your typical freshman who was the errand boy and carried the equipment out to practice and games, along with making sure there was water for the players. I was pretty much the bottom of the barrel in the way of popularity and respect. However, there was something about it that I greatly enjoyed. My pursuit of this career took me through college and two years as a professional trainer at a community college.

Somewhere during my last year and a half of college and my two years in the profession of being an athletic trainer and instructor, my focus started to shift toward ministry. It piqued my interest and started to gather some advice. I decided to go into something I never thought I would be even remotely interested in pursuing. It didn’t take long to realize that I love ministry. As a person who has several talents, ministry has seemed to have allowed me to use those talents to touch the lives of many people.

As you can see, there really was no “Aha!” moment, but rather the idea of ministry came through influence and something inside of me that seemed to click with the profession. One thing that I have always had a difficult time doing in ministry was fitting into a “box” when it came to ministry. I did not want to have the stigma that was attached to ministers. I have always liked to be “real” and approachable. I want people to still be themselves even when a “preacher” is around. I love the opportunities that have come about through being in ministry to help or minister to people. That is some of the priceless moments.

As the chairman of the Thomas County Ministerial Association, I have had opportunities to be around and minister to other ministers and pastors. We love our jobs and care deeply for the people who we are privileged to speak to and serve. We feel blessed to be in the positions we are in.

A few years back, a church was looking for a minster and they put some of the following phrases in their job opening: “long hours, little pay, great retirement benefits.” They were being lighthearted in the way that they were advertising, but for most of us who work in ministry, this holds true.

Until a few years ago, I never realized how busy an insurance office and agent can be. I pay my premiums automatically so I hardly ever set foot in the office of my insurance agent’s office. Since moving here, four years ago, I think I have went to see their office about six or seven times; first few times to set up my new residence and the rest to get my free yearly calendar. I say that because for most I don’t think they realize how much goes on in a minister’s life. It is generally not a physical laborious position but there is a lot that goes into the mental side of things.

We are always “on” in the eye of the public. We must be wary of the way we conduct ourselves for threat of rumor that can dampen our influence. We do not get to be “done” at 5:00 PM, for someone can call us at a moment’s notice. We try to please everyone. Whether it is sermon delivery style, teaching, how often we visit or call, how much or little we are in the office, people have their opinions about us. Some even think we work for them instead of Him.

Each minister or pastor has their various passions. Each has their own delivery styles. Each one is simply different. However, this is important; each minister has feelings and runs out of steam once in a while.

This month has been set up as “Pastor Appreciation Month” and I challenge you, if you haven’t already done so, to appreciate your minister or pastor. You will likely never know what it is like to be in their shoes. They are concerned about your spiritual well-being and will do whatever they can to help you with your walk in Christ.

Maybe it is something tangible that you can do for them to show your appreciation or maybe it is simply a nice comment or text. There are various things you can do to show how much you appreciate them. Maybe you can surprise them and “appreciate them” during other months in the year, as well.

Let’s appreciate those who serve us!

I want to thank all those who work tirelessly to serve Him!

The Goodness of Where We Are

What is a better time to celebrate than the present? When you start to add up all the blessings you have, you tend to appreciate life more and more.

The past has already happened, so to bring it to the future is only carrying unneeded baggage. This is usually easier said than done, especially when some of the past baggage is emotionally attached. I have negative memories of my childhood that I can remember pretty vividly. What I have found is that those memories may come with me, but how it affects my future depends on me. I can decide if it will permeate into other areas of my life or try to release it and go on with life.

This has been a struggle at times, but it helps to leave the baggage in the past and move on with the future, appreciating the present. That brings us to this week's quote...

Life is indeed grander than ever, when we take the time to understand every bit of the goodness that exists right where we are. ~ Gigi Galluzzo

Have you ever been in search of something and it be right in front of you, literally? I have and it kind of makes you feel like a fool, momentarily.

That is similar to how we should react to life when we are caught looking backward and forward and not appreciating the present. Time is something you cannot take back. It is here for the moment but then it is gone. Moments add up to be minutes which add up to be hours. Hours add up to be days which add up to be weeks. Weeks add up to months which add up to years. To drift from one to the next can create losses in life.

May you take the time to enjoy the present. This made me think of losing a friend recently to a fatal motorcycle crash. He and his wife (or anyone) did not have the opportunity to have "final words" together. They didn't know that hours after they said goodbye that he would be gone.

Appreciate the present, you never know how much future you will have in this world and/or with someone!

Now it's your turn...What do you most appreciate about the present?

Gratitude in Life

Appreciation, gratitude, and thankfulness are often things we think about when it comes to Thanksgiving. That is a time of the year when those words are very present in society. Now that we are a few months past November, maybe it is a good time for review. Reviewing will help remind us to be thankful more often.

As we think about having more gratitude or being more thankful, here is this week's quote...

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

When you appreciate life more the problems of life seem to dissipate some. I went through a time when I didn't like my name, but then something clicked and I liked being different. It made the past much better. It brought peace to my present. It also allowed me to greatly appreciate the future. It caused me to look at myself a bit differently and to appreciate that difference.

I know we all go through situations in life where we are challenged to see ourselves as thankful for what has happened. It may not make much sense or bring peace. On top of that, there is not room for a vision.

If you are in that position, I hope there is a time when you can see the quote come to life for you. Even if it is not in the area you are stuck on but in an area in which you are not so stuck. An area that causes you to see a silver lining, which may encourage you to keep going in life.

Now it's your turn...What positives from your life do you see in the quote? Or what challenges?

You Have Value

Criticizing oneself is a habit that most everyone is guilty of. "I don't look good in ____" or "I'm no good at ____" or "I stunk at ____" are something people have said of themselves at one one point or another, in one form or another.

It is easy to look at yourself and see all the flaws. You know yourself better than just about anyone. You know what you're not good at, as well as, what you are good at. However, living in a society of achievement, we don't want to just be better than the worst. We want to be higher than that, but we rarely see ourselves as that high aspect. That brings us to this week's quote...

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. ~ Malcom Forbes

We must understand that we are of great value, practically priceless. It doesn't matter how old you are or how many "bad" things you've done in life, you are of great value. Embrace that! Enjoy that!

Don't put the value in what you are NOT, value what you are and go with that...let it take you places!

Now it's your turn, what is one of your best features? Personality or physical or ____...

Fall: Fall With Thanksgiving

What are some things you are thankful for this year? Some would say family, faith, job, friends, health and home. What else are you thankful that you have? What about eyesight, sanity, knowledge, any material blessings, experience, life-lessons, etc.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the things we have and this time of year seems to bring about the thankfulness in all of us.

I just sold something on eBay and checked to see if I had feedback yet. I did. It was nice to see the appreciation coming through in the feedback. If the customer had not ever left feedback, I'd begin to wonder if they'd received the package and if they liked their purchase. Since they had left feedback, I now know.

That brings me to the point of thinking that God, as much as He loves us, must really enjoy hearing our "thanks" expressed to Him. What do you think?

Sunday we looked at Psalm 95 as our inspiration for the last in the "Fall" series as we "fall with thanksgiving." Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Fall ~ This week would be a good time to do something out of the ordinary and take time to pray on your knees. Don't forget to thank God a lot before you ask for things!
• With ~ Don't do it alone. As you are praising God, whether it is in your prayers or singing a song, have someone join in with you - family, spouse, friends, etc. Do it with someone!
• Thanksgiving ~ There are simply a lot of things to be thankful for. Maybe your life is going downhill or is "in the toilet." Those are difficult times to see the good. Regardless, challenge yourself to try to find at least 10 positive things in your life to appreciate or be thankful for this week!

One of my favorite things is to sit down at Thanksgiving with my family and to say the things that we are thankful for. It is neat to hear everyone's responses.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Now it's your turn...what is something you are thankful for? Even something "unusual"...

Appreciative

"I'm bored!" was a phrase that I can remember saying as a kid. It happened more than once in my life. This comment would draw a comment from my parents to say "You have too many toys to be bored." Though there was truth found in that statement, to me it was not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear something that showed they were going to do something about my boredom.

I have a cousin that seemed to have "everything" as a child. I loved going to his house, which was seldom, as we lived far apart. He had all the "Hot Wheels" cars, along with all the Star Wars action figures and vehicles/spaceships, plus a pinball machine. Later on he had all the cassette tapes a person could want and a two-seater go cart. Do you see why I liked to go to his house?

I wanted things that he had in a bad way. I was like a slobbering dog as I saw all the things he had each time I saw him (which was maybe twice a year). I bet he never was bored, right? With all these things he had, how could he become bored? I bet he did, though. My desire to have what he had brings us to this week's quote...

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. ~ Oprah Winfrey

It seems that time does help in creating appreciation for what you already possess. However, as new things come about, there will always be something you want.

I know that there was a time which I started to appreciate what I already had, so much that what others had was not as appealing. It is such a good feeling to appreciate what you have.

Look around and do some inventory on what you have and start to appreciate it!

Now it's your turn, what have you had to appreciate more due to overlooking its value?

Tell 'Em "Good Job!"

Teachers are usually one of the best at making kids feel important. That child-aimed praise is needed for kids in their development. For some unfortunate kids, they will not receive the needed praise at home - maybe even none.

In addition, peers can be very mean so an acknowledgment of praise is needed to counter the negative messages from the schoolyard. We have all been there to one extent or another.

Also, society can bring about negative messages, so we need to hear some positive, encouraging messages from time to time. That brings us to this week's quote...

No matter how small, acknowledge the achievement. ~ Greg Henry Quinn

One of my personal ministries has evolved into encouragement. I wouldn't have dreamed that I could have been one to have that desire if you asked me years before this, as a youth. I can remember, even as a young adult, having a difficult time saying "good job" to someone and it being genuine. That was all before ministry.

Ministry and becoming a minister changed a lot of perspectives. I saw how many people need encouragement and acknowledgment for their achievements. I learned how you cannot be "over encouraged."

The question is, whose achievement do you need to acknowledge? If you can't think of any, just keep it tucked away for the next time.

Thanks for all you do, in whatever capacity!

See Reason to Give Thanks?

Growing up, one of the biggest deficits I saw in prayers from people was the lack of being thankful.  There was plenty of asking for God to be with situations that people were going through.  Asking God to be with the preacher and/or the others in the roles of the assembly. But there just wasn’t a lot of being thankful.

Maybe I am on an extreme, but somewhere during preaching school I started being more thankful in my prayers. I like to start out with that to show how grateful to God I am for the various things in my life.  I have also started my son, now 2 1/2, with prayers that are almost entirely thanksgiving.

With those thoughts, that brings us to this week’s quote…

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength.  Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living.  If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.  ~ Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief

I firmly believe that being thankful changes our perspective on God and our life.  Without much expectation mentioned in prayers we can focus on being appreciative of what He has given us.  This is another reason that I have initiated having a “praise prayer” at the beginning of our assembly times.  Some follow it a bit better than others, but the intention is to simply praise God for some things He’s done…with us, as a church and as individuals.

Take some time to have regular “praise prayers” in your life or start out with being more thankful.  Bottom line is that we need to find a reason to give thanks!

Enjoying Your Color

Most of you have probably heard for the song "Jesus Loves the Little Children". It is a song that I have sung for as long as I can remember. The main verse that is sung mentions that whether you are "red, or yellow, black or white, [children] are precious in His sight". We normally associate this with the color of one's skin, to which it doesn't matter, Jesus loves all.

I want to take the concept of color into a little bit different direction. We all are a different color and together we make an awesome looking rainbow array of colors in this world.

We all have different skills, talents, favorites, desires, passions, education background, family background, and the list could go on. This brings us to this week's quote...

The white light streams down to be broken up by those human prisms into all the colors of the rainbow. Take your own color in the pattern and be just that. - Charles R. Brown

If you've never had the chance to 'break light' with a prism, it is really a pretty cool thing to see. What seems like just 'light' becomes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Plus, there are variations of each one. There are more intense colors within a color and more dull colors within a color.

Our world is much the same way. The light will come down and be broken up into all of us. People made up of all types of talents, passions, desires, goals, etc.

We are not all administratively minded.
We are not all passive.
We are not all OCD.
We are not all parents.
We are not all CEOs.
We are not all miners.
We are not all artists.
We are not all musicians.
...get the point?

You are a person of color. Not pertaining to the color of your skin, but to what you are 'composed' of, inside. Sometimes you've been molded to become a certain color, people may have encouraged you to pursue something that you wouldn't have tried, so they helped you become the color you are.

Appreciate whatever color you are...whether you are red, or yellow, black or white, you are still "precious in His sight" and your color is who you are and who you are is awesome!

Enjoying my 'color'!

Praying With Thanks - Daniel 6:10-11

What were some of the basic phrases in the last prayer you said? "Be with me..." "Guide, guard, and direct us...", "Give him (the minister) a ready recollection of the things he's studied...", "Forgive us of our sins...", "Heal those on the prayer list...", "May we take this in a manner pleasing to you/thee..."??? Any of those phrases did you say or hear at your church assembly on Sunday? Did you hear many "thanks" in the prayers? How often were the "thanks" phrases outnumbered by the "help us" phrases?

The story of Daniel in the Lion's Den has an important part that I usually looked past this part of the text from verse 10..."Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God,... (NIV). Daniel was praying with thanksgiving. Daniel didn't ask for God to rescue, but to be appreciative! As we think about that concept from the lesson, here are some applications to choose from to use...

1. Thanksgiving traditions tend to be very deep. We tend to make the same foods and eat with the same people each year. Our family has a tradition of saying something that we appreciate about each other...try saying something you appreciate about each other and making that a new tradition. If your family meal is really big, have each person say something about someone else not in their own household.
   
2. Take time this week to say a prayer of thanks...just of thanks...nothing else. Say it, no matter how short or long. Focusing on "thanks" takes our mind off of other things.
3. Tell someone "thanks" for something they have done to make an impact in your life.
4. Use Thanksgiving to be thankful for the things you have in Christ!

May we never forget the fact that we are able to have our sins forgiven, which should make us eternally thankful!

What are some of your family's traditions...I'd love to hear them.

Grateful to God...