Things You Should Know.

What you do matters !!!

Your job is important, your life's undertakings are improtant and when you spend time with people that is important !!!
People on church staffs do not tell the people of the church this enough.
The paid staff all to often, wether implicitly or explicitly, tell the congregation that only "ministry" is important. By ministry they mean things done in the institution of the church or with the institutional church. Serving, missions, whatever is the latest need or program that is what makes you important and valuable in Gods kingdom.... This is not true, you are more important than the church could ever make you feel.

We are called to live a life with God and when we remember that we find that God uses us and makes even the seemingly un wholly and mundane realities of life wholly.

Is evangelism just something we do ?

Do you have the right to speak?

This may seem like an odd question to ask, some would say that the mere fact that I know somthing to be true means that I have the right to share that information regardless. With evangelism Christians often apply this attitude to those that we know to be not followers of Jesus, mostly other people from other religions or obvious sinners. I do not think that just because you know something to be true does not me nessicarly that you should feel obligated to share always all the time. My wife can tell me that I I smell she feels no hesitation to relay that truth to me at any moment that it becomes evedent. She can do this because I kow that it comes out of a place of love. She has yearned the right to tell me things of this nature, sometimes I think as Christians we need to care enough to yearn the right to speak. I do think we should do so with some urgency as well.

What do you think ?

Saying No.

I am currently enjoying some skittles. I do not usually eat candy like this, mostly cause it has so much bad processed whatever in it, but I do enjoy candy. I have found that the other reason I need to not have this candy even though I enjoy it is because I largely eat candy out of impulsiveness, and when I say yes to my a impulse like candy even when I know it is bad for me and I may feel less than awesome after, I am even more likely to act on other unhealthy impulses in my life and even temptations. so while candy is not the most evil of all evils I find that I need to say no. (well maybe next time anyway : )

Wanting More

It is frustrating to live in a world that needs you to want more. I feel like I have been so trained to want more that even when I find myself in a place of contentment I have to create a reason to have a need for more; I seek out a new hobby or a new vision for my life that would necessitate some more things. It is most entertaining and sad to me when i realize that my new vision is that of "trying to lead a more simple life" but in order to get there i have to get some things to facilitate that, I would get rid of some things of coarse but the new stuff is more characteristic of the new simple me...
It is frustrating and it seems unescapable. This is one of those areas that the realization of my need for Jesus is most clear. A transformation that goes against everything else being communicated to me surly cannot be done without Gods restoring work. I guess we can just be grateful that God cares enough to enter our world and begin the work in our lives.

Seasons

This is a time of year when change is felt. The seasonal change is matched by the change of music and decorations leading into the holidays. People have to plan, prepare and get ready for the holidays; change is in the air...

Living in California we do not experience much change as far as the weather goes, most of the year you could wear shorts if you wanted, as well you could wear jeans all year if you so desired, you may want a jacket on some nights in the winter but mostly it is preference. Living in a moderate climate as I do the weather is rarely if ever a sole determinate in how I spend my time; I may opt to let the weather inform my decisions but it is more often related to a feeling than of actual confrontation with the elements.

Change is a natural part life; however most people seem to resist change. I think this is especially true for people that live in mild climates, and even more so for people that live in wealthy areas with mild climates such as Orange County. With a mild climate and money one can pretty well insulate themselves from change and create an illusion of control over the change that is experienced.

It saddens me when I see Christians being the people that are most resistant to change. As a group of people who knows the creator of the world we should know that change is natural; And even more we should be a people that long for change because we see a world that we know is as it should not be. Christians should move towards the change that God is doing in all placeless; We are a people that are defined by what God has done, is doing and are the constant anticipation of the change that Christ is going to bring. In a way to resist change is to deny Gods work, even when change is confusing Christians should have a great peace because of their knowledge of and relationship with the one that created it all.

"To know God is to change

letting go of stuff

Stuff is dangerous.
Here is a question, is it wrong to want stuff? Jesus us promises the desires
of our hearts, Jesus wants to bless his children, I have excepted Jesus and
therefore am a child of God, God must want to bless me and give me stuff...
Right? Here is the thing the stuff I want is most often filling a space, whether it
is a type of success at my job or a stand up paddle board, the reality is,
whether I admit it or not,
I am trying to fill a void

I am seeking definition I am seeking a remedy for a longing or I am trying
to prove worth and achieve status.

These things become solutions and answers, they become Gods...
God does not want us to replace him. God wants us to be be made whole. God
wants us to be set free, and holding on to position and stuff only enslave
us to other Gods that are not good or loving. That sounds dramatic I know
but I think this is a question that matters to my heart and soul.

a particular kind of community

As I was preparing to enter into discussion with a group of leaders about energy and excitement for our regular gathering, I found myself needing to talk about more than just specifics and best practices, probably for my own soul more than anything, I wanted need to create a discussion that would remind us about what we are about. A large value for us is community; this is expressed in our program and budget as we seek to create a space for people to spend time around food and fun to connect. This value is true for most organizations that are geared around college students, so what is the difference between them and us? Does their need to be a difference? Clearly I think that there should be a difference but it is more than that we don't drink or swear, it has to be... we are a community that is being transformed by the creator of all things we are a community that believes this and seeks to celebrate it every week. Yet it has to be more than that as well, we cannot just gather and talk about how God is changing us or wants to change us, we have to be changed. This means that our community is one that has been transformed and is being transformed a community that has engaged something larger than themselves and is apart of a work in the world around them that is to big to go it alone. Because what God is up to is more than I or you can handle we go as a community, a particular kind of community that has encountered something more and engages the rest of the world in new ways as a result.