Producing the Pearl

When I was dating my wife, pearl rings were given as a traditional "promise ring." My wife was three states away from where I was living at the time. I had no clue on the "tradition" where she was living. Thinking diamonds were more "valuable" than a pearl, I went with a diamond ring that had two interlocked hearts. It basically was diamond "pieces" in one heart and gold making up the other heart. I liked it; come to find out, she didn't. I should have listened to a she-friend that said, "not all girls like hearts."

The value of the pearl was off the radar for me. I thought it looked too much like costume jewelry. Diamonds were where you find the value. However, it is diamonds in a certain setting that is good. The pearl has a lot of value and it is quite pretty when looked at with the proper perspective. That brings us to this week's quote...

A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear [that results] from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl. ~ Stephan Hoeller

When a person lifts weights or participates in some other strenuous activity, the muscle fibers actually tear. This tearing will come in with additional muscle and will eventually become "bigger." Tearing has its advantages. Tearing in the oyster produces a beautiful pearl. A stone that many have several of in their jewelry collections. However, that beautiful stone comes as a result of a tear.

Life tears at different points and in different ways and to different degrees. But I think for all of us, we have tears in life. We use a phrase "tears my heart" or "tore my heart out" to indicate that we are hurt over a situation. Tearing has it's benefits. My question for you is, how has it benefited you?

I think I have grown by many tears in life. The "muscle fiber" that has come in and made me stronger was painful but that didn't mean I want it to happen anytime soon!

Encouragement

Everyone needs it. Some provide it. Rarely is it overused. I am talking about encouragement.

“Good job”, “Way to go”, “I’m proud of you”, and “You are good at that” are examples of encouragement one might use to make someone else feel good about themselves. After all, that is what encouragement is about.

Growing up, I was one who needed encouragement. I had areas that I wanted to be better at, but I wasn’t. Other areas I did do pretty well in. However, there was something about life that caused me to need encouragement. From this, I began to feel like I was probably the only one who needed the encouragement because most others seemed OK.

Then, I grew up. Still with the cloud of discouragement around me, though it was lifting a bit, I had a hard time encouraging others. I was a young adult and would see someone do a good job at something and it was like pulling my own teeth to get me to say “good job” to them. It felt forced and fake, even though deep down inside I was proud of them. I wanted to have someone say those kinds of things to me, but it wasn’t coming. However, I still felt the urge to say something to others.

I then met my wife, and she was a very positive and uplifting person. She was such an encouragement to me, both verbally and by example. She would pump me up and let my strengths be known. I don’t know what life would have ended up like if it hadn’t been for her. The only downside was, I still felt fake and forced to say something nice to others, but it wasn’t as much as it used to be.

Then, God put me on a path that had some definite out-of-my-element phases to it – ministry. For most, ministry probably seems like a Sunday and Wednesday job, keeping in mind those who call or come by to visit. However, I quickly realized the pains that people go through or are involved in. These pains happen at any given time to any given person. These pains will range from frustrations to interruptions to loss. No matter how painful life is, I quickly found out that people need encouragement.

People need to know that things are going to be OK in the end, even if, in the storm of stress, it doesn’t seem like that is ever going to be the case. They need to have regular “pick-me-ups” so when the storm does come, maybe they’ll remember those words of encouragement.

Even though I was not very comfortable with telling people they did a good job at something, when I myself was waiting for the “good job” but not receiving any encouragement, the job seemed to be tugging at me to do more for others along the framework of encouragement.

One thing I began to realize, very quickly, was no matter if you were the star of a sports program, Valedictorian of your class, or most popular. Somewhere, sometime, would be a time or times when you would need some encouragement.

That is when I began to think about what I could do to encourage others. I began to write a blog that is geared toward encouragement (www.jarrodspencer.info) and send out e-mails of encouragement. A few years ago, I thought about an idea to reach the “non-e-mailers” where I send free texts messages to over one-hundred forty different people, which is focused on encouragement.

I am always looking for new ways to encourage people, individually and as a group. Traditional ways still work well. I have yet to witness someone giving too much encouragement or refusing to accept it. If you have a difficult time giving it out, may you learn to give it out because you know how beneficial it is to others.

Who are you going to encourage next?

Getting Beyond the Pain

I can remember a time when I felt THE worst pain in my muscles I had ever felt.  Most of the time whenever I would exercise the pain would not show up until the following day – after that good night’s sleep.  This was the first and only time I had felt this type of pain only about an hour or two after the activity.  The cause…a piece of rehabilitation equipment called a Biodex.

For anyone who doesn’t know, the type of exercise that creates the soreness is called a negative contraction.  Most contractions in muscles cause the muscle to shorten. A negative contraction is where the muscle is contracted and is actually being forced to lengthen.

When I was being shown how this piece of rehabilitation equipment works, like a dummy, I climbed up on the chair.  The feature I was being shown was that I had to pull back when the device was in one position – then the machine would push out while I was trying to hold it.  Thus, elongating my hamstring muscle group, while contracted. Then, when the leg was straight, I had to kick out.  The machine, then, would pull my leg back.  Thus elongating my quadriceps muscle group.

Doing these about ten times created this unbelievable soreness.  I had a hard time walking up stairs that evening…it was almost unbearable!  That brings us to this week’s quote…

The man who can drive himself further, once the effort gets painful is the one who will win.  ~Roger Bannister

I have been in the midst of fighting through pain, even if I didn’t receive first place when it was all said and done.  However, this type of pain is not always about muscular pain, or the like.  Maybe it is pain to keep going with your job, with being a parent, with being a spouse, to keep going through high school, or to continue with any commitment.

A winner isn’t always defined as a person who comes in first.  A winner can be that in character.  They can be the hero that allows something great to happen.

Fight through the pains in life…and you’ll come out a winner!

Biggest Loser: Losing "Weight" for a Better Life

It is the end of 2009 and even if you haven't thought about a "resolution", per se, you have probably thought about things you'd like to do differently or goals you'd like to accomplish.  You may be one of millions that is going to work on your diet.  Another season of "The Biggest Loser" is coming out very soon.  It has transformed many lives, even if some have reverted back to their old way of life.  One thing that is vital in weight loss is to create a different lifestyle.  Enjoy some of the same foods, just in moderation.  Depending on the calorie content, it may be a once-a-week moderation.  Those that are trying to survive on carrots, who used to have a Value Meal are not going to be able to keep the weight off.  Plus, if you reduce your caloric intake too much you will reduce your metabolism so much that as soon as you eat items high in calories, you won't burn it off very quickly, thus resulting in added adipose tissue (fat).

In the religious world we are oftentimes lugging around a lot of weight that we don't need.  We lug around weight of the past, weight of fear, weight of legalism, weight of family issues, etc.  The more weight you carry around, the slower you are.  You cannot make the advancements if you are so loaded down with "weight".

As we begin 2010, I began a sermon series based off the TV show, The Biggest Loser.  However, in the series, we are going to focus on spiritual "weight" we may need to lose to make us a better, lighter person.  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Make a List ~ Ponder what things in your life are weighing you down, then prioritize them from greatest weight to least weight.
   
2. Pray about the List ~ After you have made the list, then offer it to God to help you to see how you can start losing that weight.  Then, adjust the list accordingly.
   
3. Trim Down on "World" Things ~ Taking the "L" out of world creates WORD.  Taking yourself out of a few "world" things can help you get into the "word" more (God's Word).
4. Be Honest With Yourself ~ As you go through this process, be honest to see what areas you need to eliminate in your life that is weighing you down.
5. Get a Partner ~ As the process is not easy, and there will be some challenging times, get someone who you can lean on during those tough times so that you will not quit or give up.
   

At the end of the season of The Biggest Loser there are some amazing changes that take place.  Over the course of the next several weeks, we'll see if you are able to have any of these amazing changes that take place in your life as you seek to eliminate a few things in your life that are weighing you down.

No pain, no gain!

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When Surrender is No Longer Surrender

To the competitive person the concept of surrender is about as comfortable to talk about as walking around with a jagged-edged marble-sized rock in your shoe. It just irritates with each movement of the lips in a conversation about surrender. Surrendering is "giving up" and what person with any competitive spirit wants to give up? This strikes our egos. This forces us to say "we were wrong" or "we didn't do it right".

However, there is another way of looking at surrender that doesn't have to fall into a category similar to the above mentioned aspect. Surrender can also include putting aside that pride and doing what is best for someone. It may mean simply being selfless. It could mean that you are willing to put control into the hands of someone else.

How do you view the concept of surrender? As you think about that, take a look at this week's quote...

Sometimes what seems like surrender isn't surrender at all. It's about what's going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it, whatever the pain, because the pain of not being true to it is far, far greater. ~ Nicholas Evans, "The Horse Whisperer"

Surrendering is a matter of choice. Even if you are mobbed and outnumbered, you still make the choice of when to stop fighting and surrendering. Sometimes it may appear painful, whereas other times it can be empowering, oddly enough.

The church has sang a song for a number of years..."I Surrender All". We are singing about how we are going to surrender our life to Jesus. How we are going to give up ourselves for the sake of serving Him. Is this a case of "surrender isn't surrender"?

Does someone who must give up their position to a new person surrender in a negative way or positive? It probably depends on how you look at it...whether you see it as "best for the company" or "I'm no good anymore".

As we think about surrendering, whether it is to Jesus or to self, it isn't always a bad thing or "actually surrender". We are giving up control so that we can give control over to someone or something else. It allows us to avoid the pains of life to be accepting as what is true.

The next time you are met with surrender...evaluate why you are surrendering and maybe, just maybe, it is something you need to do.

Learning to surrender, even when painful...

E-mail Encouragement: Be Brave!

One might be able to somewhat know what it is like to go through a situation you've never been through, but you never genuinely know until you have experienced it for yourself. How would you describe having a filling put in your tooth if you've never had it done? Sure, it is usually painful, but it is hard to describe what the actual feeling is like. Speaking of something that is painful, that brings us to today's quote...

"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." ~ Author Unknown

Even as I wrote about the dentist experience, I experience sensations in my mouth of "drilling anxiety". I've had it enough to know it is not a pleasant experience - especially if there is more than one filling that is needed. However, since I have experienced it before, I have a sense of courage for anytime in the future. Whether it is pain from a dentist or pain from another experience, this quote holds very true.

Heartaches, feelings hurt, skin lacerations, failed test, lost job, etc. All are things that allow you to be prepared if there is a next time. The same works in evangelism. I might describe bravery as "anxiousness going forward". You might be scared to go through a house with no lights on, but you still go forward to find the switch. You might be scared to go into the dentist office, but bravery keeps you from not quitting. You might be scared to share Jesus with someone, but bravery makes sure you do. You will experience pain in life. If you didn't you would be one of the biggest idealists because you'd always expect things to turn out a certain way. Our personal challenge is to be brave and go forward in, specifically, our sharing of Jesus. If it results in pain, that just "nourishes courage", which will result in an easier next time. So, be brave and share Jesus!

May God bless you with a great end of the week, and one that ends with no pain! However, if you did have a pain during the week, be brave and keep moving forward!

Sharing Jesus ~