A Month in the Life

There is a side of each mountain in which we live, move, and breath – it is the side where we live amongst the challenges of life. When we are faced with uncertain situations, without knowing how we might be able to overcome the circumstance. When we are left feeling vulnerable, alone, and sometimes discouraged. It is in the middle of these types of times in my life that I must seek to recall that there is another side of the mountain. A place where life isn’t as difficult as the present situation I am encountering at the moment. A place where God is hearing and visibly manifesting a supernatural wonder on my behalf. A place where He is able to accomplish something with my minuscule gifts and talents, thereby demonstrating His ability and greatness in and through me.

I know that we all have these moments – when we realize there is another side of the difficulty we are encountering, realizing that joy does come in the morning, appreciating that the sun can shine after the rain. This is the land that I wish to live in today, as I journey to continually renew my sense of how great God is in my life, while simultaneously embracing all that He has for me.

The other side of the mountain awaits all who dare to believe that God is with them, in the middle of their most difficult calamity, and this awareness can bring restoration and healing to our weary soul….

Since we have this forum, with countless, likely MILLIONS of readers :O), I’ll selfishly use tonight’s blog for prayer requests. As we mentioned a few blogs ago, we’re in the negotiation process on property for our church. We’ve had a breakthrough of sorts this week, and things are looking much more favorable that we’ll be able to come together on a deal. So, with that good news in mind, tonight we’re working on a “money begging campaign”, as we’ve affectionately deemed it. When we sign the contract, we’ll have 90 days to raise $50,000. Of course, this is nothing for God, but we’re working hard to do everything we can to help make this happen. We really have to trust God since most of our new converts don’t really have a handle on tithing yet. :O) Please keep our negotiations and fundraising in your prayers over the next few weeks.

Another point of prayer....my dad is having surgery tomorrow, so please pray for his surgery and speedy recovery.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail!

So, the other day, Starbucks announced that they would be closing 600 locations across the nation due to the lack of revenue and forecasted growth for the first time since the inception of the company. As such, it’s interesting to note the article I read shared that they would also introduce loyalty programs for existing customers (I have to assume a “buy 9 lattes and get the 10th free”), as well as are considering adding a “value menu” to the existing product mix sold – kinda like the dollar menu at MickeyDees or something, I suppose. Could this be the end of the over-priced, double shot, venti, white-chocolate mocha that I have grown to love? (It is a purchase that I make on rare occasion anyhow-only when someone has been nice enough to give me a gift card.)

With the high price of gas, the cost to of simple goods like popcorn and pretzels going up, and the lack of an increase in our paychecks – are we living in a post-Starbucks time? Will we see the end of over priced espressos, replaced by driving to our local gas station to buy a “simple” cup of joe? If so, that will be a sad day for the whimsical side of me – an avid connoisseur of the coffee bean. The practical me will be shouting, “Finally, people are getting some common sense! No more $4 coffee!” At any rate, both sides of me are pretty shocked to see that even the mighty Starbucks has chinks in its armor during an economic down-turn.

mr

One of the fancy buzz words surfacing in discussion during our chaplain group over the past few weeks is the term “compassion fatigue”. This term refers to a serious condition experienced by caregivers, resulting from the effects of continually offering care to others. What is interesting to me is that this isn’t just limited to those in the health care field, but spans across disciplines, to every walk of life. It is particularly challenging and difficult if compassion fatigue sets in while one is actively engaged in some form of ministry. If it is left unchecked, it can cause burnout – and possibly lead one to become so frustrated with his or her own personal relationship with God that the individual, in turns, begins to hurt himself or herself spiritually, or even worse, hurt others.

The way in which folks overcome compassion fatigue is by finding ways to recharge themselves in God and in life – discovering peace and joy, a sense of renewal through relaxation or actually taking some form of Sabbath rest. The Lord did say some things about that – early on in the creation story of Genesis, and also incorporated in the Ten Commandments (#4 in case you don’t have it memorized). As such, taking time for yourself, finding alone time with God in personal devotion, and mediation on His Word allow you to combat the effects of compassion fatigue.

So, who can become fatigued in this manner? Anyone who feels that he or she does not need to take care of self as the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we overlook these crucial areas of self-care, we don’t allow Him to be in control of all things. This can occur if anyone feels the need to rely simply on their own talents and abilities and not fully trust or lean on the Lord for renewal of strength. I encourage all of us—and yes, even me (especially me—the hypocrite in this area!), to find times to rest and recharge in His Spirit – take time to go for a walk, or read a book, or even better still, just sit by a lake and thank the Lord for the amazing gift of life we experience. Until we can learn to take care of ourselves, will we be doing what God calls us to do? He has called us to take care of what we have been given—the gift of life.

If I or someone were to write a book about my life, several years from now – what would I hope be written about me? Would it be that I had accomplished great things in this life? Did I successfully climb the corporate ladder of life? Such things would be considered vanity of all vanity (Ecclesiastes), or meaningless of all meaninglessness. The question remains -- what is of temporary or eternal value – does that inspire me to strive toward Him actively on a daily basis?

I posed this question to our small group last night, and they shared the hope to be remembered as someone who loved God and others with every fiber of their being. One person shared that she wished to have the tapestry of her life, from all the low and high times along the journey, to bring glory to her Creator. Another shared that they hoped that they would be a person who made a difference in the lives and the hearts of people around them.

Each of us have a message being communicated through our lives and our actions each and every moment of the day. My hope is that my message is a direct reflection of Christ – my thoughts, my actions, my hopes, my ambitions, and my dreams. An organic faith that propels me to live my life in a tangible manner to all those around me.

Can I fulfill such a commission to have my entire life - from the moment that I walk out from my house, while I am driving on the freeway toward work, to the countless people I am in contact with during my visits in the hospital, to my other chaplain co-workers? My hope that is that I can truly let my life be a light in the darkness – to inspire others along their journey toward Christ. May the Lord mold me into the man of God that He calls me to be each and every day. My hope is that my life’s message is one that may be pleasing to the one who deserves all the glory – for His light inspires me to reach after Him.

mr

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail!

My mom and I took a short trip to Waco today and something caught my eye just as we were coming into town. A church located on I-35, Victorious Life Church, had a huge banner on front advertising 30 minute worship. (For more info, the church has created a separate site for this worship experience: http://www.30minuteworship.com/.) The website even details what to expect during that 30 minutes:

Worship (10 minutes)Each service will have praise and worship lasting 8-10 minutes to connect you with God, lead by our full worship band;
Word (12-15 minutes)The most important part of the worship gathering is God's Word;
Response (5 minutes)Every service gives you an opportunity to respond to God through prayer and giving. We know prayer is essential for life!

I’m all for letting folks know what to expect when they come to your service. I’m also a big supporter of structure (those who know me well KNOW how much I love structure) and organization. What I’m struggling with is…what’s next? Don’t bother getting dressed and coming to church—we’ll come to you at your convenience, with a worship band in tow, and God will be given precisely 45 seconds to work your miracle!

What if I need more than a 5 minute response of prayer and giving to live a “Victorious Life”? God, please never let my structures and methods limit You!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail!

So this year I received a “promotion” of sorts. But not the kind you would necessarily be excited to receive. You know, more responsibilities, more work, but no additional pay. J I now serve as the district’s Lead Dyslexia Specialist, which is more of an administrative position: training & mentoring new hires, facilitating difficult meetings with parents, etc. Most days, I love my job. I travel a lot, so I regularly meet new faces, and I appreciate the fact that my work has the potential to positively impact a larger number of students than ever before. My supervisor is an amazing woman whose husband is a youth pastor, so working with someone who shares similar values is a refreshing change of pace.

With all that said, there are still days that I’m not so fond of my job. With the added responsibilities comes even more difficulty attaining a healthy work-life balance. I know what you’re thinking—wait a minute, it’s summer time! Teachers don’t work during the summer time, right? Well, this teacher does!

Summer work wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, except for the kind of work I’ve been doing lately—interviewing & hiring. We thought most of our positions filled, but now we’re falling apart. One of our specialists is moving with her husband’s job, two potential new hires we expected to gain have declined the position due to gas prices, another lady who interviewed well had horrible references (don’t burn any bridges!) so we can’t hire her, and the list goes on. The short of it means I may potentially be mentoring up to 5 new dyslexia “specialists” who have no specialty in reading at all, with little or no relevant training prior to coming to us. This is scary and frustrating…and gives me a wonderful opportunity to turn it over to God!

So, for the past week and a half, I’ve been on the phone, on emails, calling, begging, looking for qualified folks….and praying! I can’t describe to you the burden I have for our kids. While the thought of preparing up to 5 inexperienced teachers to be “specialists” is overwhelming, what’s more concerning for me is the impact of their lack of experience on the kids. I don’t want folks to be experimenting with our kids—a quite vulnerable population. So, when fear or anxiety start to get the best of me, I stop and pray for our kids, that God would send us teachers who will love, nurture and respect them, and help them become all they can be in Him.

At the end of the day, I have to trust that He loves those kids more than I do, and it will all work out. And I’m finding each day that my ministry in the public school setting isn’t much different from my ministry at The Sanctuary of Cedar Park: it’s all about depending on God to use your life to make an eternal difference in someone else’s life. Isn’t that why all of life is worship, and any service to another is ministry to God?