Don't Give Up!

Right now I have several friends who for a variety of reasons are running on empty. They have run out of gas or are on fumes. If you're feeling this way too, let me share with you the words I shared with a classmate this week...

You're running of of gas my friend because you are not a parked car! You're working hard following the vision or dream you believe God has laid on your heart. Vision is a good thing, but when it it truly a vision from the Lord, then the very maker of heaven and earth is with you!

Galatians 6:9 (NIV) is a promise from God you can take to the bank! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  The word for weary (ekkakeo) means "to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted" - i.e. out of gas. 'not give up' (ekluo / loosened) is "to be enfeebled through exhaustion, to grow weak, grow weary, be tired out" it's actually not a wimping out or being a quitter or poor attitude (as I had previously imagined) but a physical "I can't take another step forward". I point that out just because Type-A's (which I'm guessing you're one) may have an attitude of rather-die-than-quit, but are sorely tempted in the process to "just try harder" and push until poof there's just nothing left. Cars that run out of gas have no 'choice', they don't 'choose' to quit, they simply konk out. If you're running out of gas, consider whether you are simply taking on more than God has ever asked you to do, or if you are on the edge of wanting to give up on something God has truly laid on your heart. If the latter... do not give up!!

Be Courageous

I recently saw the movie Courageous and was just blown away with a powerful sense that God is calling me, calling us, to step it up in our walk with Him and not shy away from doing the right thing - even when it's hard. He's calling each one of us to be courageous in serving and protecting those we love. Last Sunday the Calvary family received some news that was tough, and we face some uncertainty that may tempt us to fear, to doubt, to wonder about our future. I want to encourage each one of us to be courageous in facing the future. In II Tim 1:7 Paul tells us that God did not gives us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and self-control. Or to paraphrase, God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of courage, and love, and of duty - to do what is right. Cowardice is not fear, but failing to move forward because of fear. Courage is not an absence of fear, but a determination to do what is right, even when there is fear or doubt or uncertainty. We need that spirit of courage in this season at Calvary. After seeing the movie Courageous I wrote down the following prayer - will you make this your prayer too?

Lord - help me be courageous. In little things and in big things. Help me courageous to always choose the right action, the action that honors you, serves others, and draws me closer to your Son.

My words and my actions matter. Not because of who I am or anything special about me, but because of what God is doing through me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of the Father, in the name of the Son. My actions matter because every act comes either from believing the truth leading to obedience and growth in Christlikeness, or from believing a lie, leading to sin, and grieving somebody. Every opportunity. Every act. It draws us to the Father, or pulls us away. Surrender is key. Not partial surrender. Not giving up one thing while holding back another. Total surrender. God is holy. He is holy. He IS Holy. He and He alone is utterly worthy of our whole life, and nothing less.

My words and my actions matter, because so many eyes, including four very, very special ones, are on me, wondering if the Christ I preach is real, if the Bible I teach I follow, if the Spirit I say lives in me, works through me. Does He matter? Do they matter? My actions and words can encourage, they can build up, or my words or actions can wound. Wound horribly. Wound in ways I cannot heal. May it never be - Lord, help me be courageous.

Made to Be Courageous

I recently watched the movie "Courageous" with my family. Wow! Courageous is a powerful movie inspired by everyday heroes who long to the be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children - by being the type of Christian men desires us to be. I was deeply moved by watching this, and here is a part of a prayer I wrote that evening...

Lord - help me be courageous. In little things and in big things. Help me courageous to always  choose the right action, the action that honors you, serves others, and draws me closer to your Son. My words and my actions matter. Not because of who I am or anything special about me, but because of what God is doing through me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of the Father, in the name of the Son. My actions matter because every act comes either from believing the truth leading to obedience and growth in Christlikeness, or from believing a lie, leading to sin, and grieving somebody. Every opportunity. Every act. It draws us to the Father, or pulls us away. Surrender is key. Not partial surrender. Not giving up one thing while holding back another. Total surrender. God is holy. He and He alone is utterly worthy of our whole life, and nothing less. 

My words and my actions matter, because so many eyes, including four very, very special ones, are on me, wondering if the Christ I preach is real, if the Bible I teach is one I follow, if the Spirit I say lives in me, works through me. Does God really matter in my life? Do they matter? My actions and words can encourage, they can build up, or my words or actions can wound. Wound horribly. May it never be so - Lord, help me be courageous. 

Afterwards I was wondering what the Bible had to say about being courageous, and I remembered II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (NIV84)  As I looked more closely at the words translated timidity and self-discipline, I noticed something pretty cool. Timidity could well be translated cowardice. Cowardice (deilos) is not simply fear (phobos), it is allowing fear to stop you from taking an action you know is right. Self-control is more than just willpower or an aptitude for self-discipline beyond our control, but it is a sound mind and sober thought that allows us to take the tough action we know is right. In this context, it could be considered as a call to be courageous. To be courageous is not to be fear-less, but to choose to act according to what is right or called for rather than to give in to that fear.

Will you ask God today to help you live a courageous life?

Review - The Walk - Appalachian Trail

One of the fun things about being a book lover and blogger is occasionally I'll get a chance to read an inspiring book that was completely off my radar. This week I got to do that as I read "The Walk - Reflections on Life and Faith from the Appalachian Trail," by Randy Motz and Georgia Harris. Randy ran across several of my reviews on Amazon and asked if he could send me a review copy of this book, which he described as "stories from our six months on the trail, scripture passages, inspirational quotations, prayers and devotionals to draw the many parallels between walking the trail and a walk of faith." I'm glad I took at look at it...

Randy "Windtalker" Motz and his wife and hiking partner Georgia "Mom" Harris love hiking, music, telling stories, and sharing their faith. The subtitle describes the book well - a reflection on life and faith. Across eight chapters they share a number of great things they learned as they saw parallels between their spectacular 2,175 mile journey and the walk of faith as a Christian - insights on prayer, perseverance, community, praise and worship, materialism and simplicity, pride and humility, and service.

Some distinctive features of the book: a warm conversational tone, always reflecting awe and wonder for God's creation and never condescending, blocks quotes sharing some words of Native American Wisdom, several prayers and devotional thoughts, and some keen insights on the Christian walk. I like how they found, as introverts expect to marvel most at scenery, just how more impactful were the people they met along the way, discovering that "The people ARE the trail. When you do life with people, it changes you." (great words for every small group leader to hear!)  Their prayer: "Lord, give me the compassion to love those around me as you would love them. Help me be an encourager to everyone I meet on the path."

The Walk: Reflections on Life and Faith from the Appalachian Trail can be ordered along with other resources at QualtechResourceGroup.com or from Amazon.

Review - Sun Stand Still

I'm a fan of Pastor Steven Furtick, and was very excited to get an advance review copy of his new book "Sun Stand Still" from the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Pastor Steven is the lead pastor and founder of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC (6000 strong and growing). He's a very talented young man, a passionate and biblical preacher, and someone who demonstrates audacious faith.

The full title of the book is "Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible." This comes from a passage in the Old Testament describing a highly unusual event. Joshua prayed and God caused the sun to stand still for a full extra day (!)  The theme of the book can be summed up in two words: audacious faith. In his own words...

"This book is not a Snuggie. I’m not writing to calm or coddle you. With God’s help, I intend to incite a riot in your mind. Trip your breakers and turn out the lights in your favorite hiding places of insecurity and fear. Then flip the switch back on so that God’s truth can illuminate the divine destiny that may have been lying dormant inside you for years. In short, I’m out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential."

I found this book to be simultaneously very easy to read, and very hard to read. It was inspiring, but at times discouraging. It was easy to read because Furtick writes heart-to-heart, in plain terms. It was hard because it's so darn challenging! He succeeds at encouraging the reader to consider a faith and a life far beyond what we can do in our own strength, and for this he is to be commended.

The difficult part for me, and perhaps for several other readers, is that much of what he talks about assumes the reader has a clear dream or vision from God, a definite purpose that perhaps seems too big to tackle. He says "Before you can pray a Sun Stand Still prayer, asking God to do the impossible you've got to set your sights on the specific impossible thing God wants you to trust him for in your life... When I use the word 'vision' I mean a "clear sense of purpose regarding what God wants to do through your life." Some people would refer to it as a calling or life mission."  Therein lies the trouble. For myself, and for many friends I talk to, there is but a faint sense of a calling or "life purpose." It's a huge great big fog cloud for many believers. I don't really have trouble believing God can and wants to do great things, and wants to act powerfully in my life, but have much less understanding about what it is He wants to do through me :)

In any case, there were a number of powerful insights I took away from the book.
- The key to being a disciple is being completely available to Jesus, i.e. unconditional obedience.
- Whatever you're good at, that's your calling. Wherever and wherever it may lead you, is holy ground.
- Every member of the body of Christ is a link in the life-change process of other people
- Furtick also hates the phrases "just a volunteer" and "full-time Christian ministry"
- The scope and impact of your vision will be determined by who you believe God is.

Probably the biggest takeaway on the nature of trying hard and/versus trusting fully in God was described in the story of Joshua in noting that in addition to this audacious prayer, he staged an all-night forced march of his army. That's a grueling task! And it led to this insight by Furtick:

If you're going to pray for God to make the sun stand still, you'd better be ready to march all night!

In other words, it calls both for giving it absolutely all we've got, but also trusting in God to do things absolutely beyond our ability in our own strength. If you've got a dream but are lacking the faith to see it come to pass, or if you just find yourself too stuck in comfort and safe prayers, this is definitely a book worth checking out.

Sun Stand Still releases TODAY, Sept. 21, 2010, and is available now at Amazon and other retailers.

(Disclaimer per FTC guidelines: as with other books I receive from publishers, the review copy is free but I'm completely free to post whatever honest opinion I have about the book, good or bad. I always call 'em like I see 'em!)

For You Who are Hurting

I prayed for you this morning. I don't know or understand the pain that's going on in your life right now. But I want you to know that you're loved. We're friends, not close enough that you can share all that's going on, but enough to care, to feel sorry that you're hurting. I don't have much to offer you, except a word of hope. There is one who does understand your heart, your pain, and who knows your future. He loves you deeply, even though you may not feel that much right now. It may seem like He is distant, or does not care. It may seem like this pain will never stop. He does. And it will.

What I don't have hope in, I'm sad to say, is that people will stop being such jerks to you. Little hope that family members or once close friends won't continue to disappoint. Not much hope that everything will instantly be better tomorrow. Little hope that the craziness and bs you face will stop once and for all. I don't have hope you'll forget the pain that seems like got you into this season of despair.

What I do have absolute hope in is that the God who made you and loves you will be there for you when no one else is, wants to help you through this rough time, and will one day bring a time of peace and restoration of joy (yes, deep joy) in your heart that will pass all understanding. I have this firm hope because the One who loves you is faithful and He will do it. In Hebrews 10:22-24 we're asked "Let us draw near to God, with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith... let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Until that day comes when you find lasting peace and and end to suffering, I hope that I and others can continue what is commanded next in verse 25: "Let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching."

He loves you... more than you can imagine.

Well that was cool timing

I had a wonderful little surprise last night. If you saw my post yesterday on discouragement, Kem Meyer was giving away a free copy of Mark Buchanan's new book "Spiritual Rhythm" which talks about drawing near to Christ in every season of your soul. That means the dark times in winter as well as the vibrant days of spring.

I got home and had a package from Zondervan on my desk. That's odd, I didn't order anything. Open it up and guess what it was?  Mark had sent me a (surprise) copy of his new book Spiritual Rhythm (!??)  How cool is that? Free books are one thing, but the timing of this one and the fact I had only heard of the book that very morning to encourage me, now that's a God thing. Spiritual Rhythm indeed. I can't wait to read it :)   Look back here for the review.
Or check out on the Engaging Church blog an interview with Mark, part one and part two. Here's one quote I found quote interesting:

The idea that Christ forms us through seasons is, I believe, a more biblical and a more practical way to understand and steward our spiritual formation. Most models of Christian spirituality measure progress by the depths and strength of our commitments. Busyness is equal to maturity. The model of seasons – that our souls pass through winter, summer, spring, fall, often in no particular order, and that Christ meets us in all these places - measures maturity by how well we steward each season. Winter, for example, is about pruning our activities, not adding more. It’s about becoming unbusy.

So if you're in the Winter right now... it's ok. God is still with you.

Discouragement is for a season

A timely and helpful post by Kem Meyer this morning, "Don't let discouragement pile up. Guard your heart..."  It was a short message I really needed to hear. I love to encourage people. I love to see the bright side of things. But from time to time, even for no good reason, I can find myself sucked into a negative vortex of thought and feelings. (BTW, one sure way you know you've gone past simple discouragement into a 'negative vortex' is when you start crying for no reason sitting at the breakfast table. Seriously, my man card is going to get revoked!)

Kem points out that noticing and admitting that stress and discouragement are overwhelming you is a needed first step, and that you can't stop there. Choose not to get so absorbed you lose your bearings. Some other tips she gives: taking care of yourself physically (sleep and exercise), making time for family, getting some focused time on top priorities, taking the needed margin for reading/learning, talking with friends, and fueling your faith. Kem is the author of "Less Clutter, Less Noise." Do yourself a favor and check out her blog for yourself.

June 2010 Roundup

Here are several excellent posts by other bloggers in May 2010 that I thought were especially good...

If you want to make God mad... by Steven Furtick
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Well, apparently, if you want to make God mad, tell Him your limitations.

Thinkholes: 6 Common Hazards that Inhibit Thoughtful Leadership by Will Mancini.
The ways we neglect uniqueness and miss what God is doing.

One Statement and One Question that Impacted My Life by Ron Edmondson
At our age, we can't afford to waste a moment of our time...

What is the Purpose for Small Groups, by David Rudd.
The importance of a shared mission and dedication to growing as disciples.

The Power of Encouragement by Mac Lake
What exactly does encouragement do for those we lead? 7 ideas...

Bad call, great apology - Matt at 37signals
Umpire completely misses a call that cost a pitcher a perfect game, but the story doesn't end there.

My own posts I enjoyed writing the most were Life Doesn't Get Easier and What is Mentoring.

Review - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One

I've finished reading my first full Kindle book on iPad. It was a pretty pleasant experience, thanks to a large degree to the compelling quality of this unusually titled book. It's "200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Lief of Meaning and Influence" by Shawn Wood via Abingdon Press.

200 What? Yes, that's the same reaction I had. The book explores a story from the Bible which many of us have missed or glossed over. It's the story of Huram of Tyre, a craftsman and artist. Huram was a bronzeworker helping construct the temple in Jerusalem. The way he went about his craft is an inspiration for all of us. Through the book we start to see that being an artist, doing things for an audience of one, is for all of us. The premise of the book is straightforward, explained in these "five components of life-artistry":

• Get great at something
• Do something with that talent
• Invest yourself in things that will last and that others will benefit from
• Work for an audience of one, because sometimes our best work is seen only by God
• Finish what you start

"In order to get great at something, it seems that God intends for us to build upon the foundation of skills and wisdom that He has given us, and not just daydream of skills and talents that we wish we had. He intends for us to use the greatness that he has given us to serve others... Choosing to be great at something will mean choosing not to be as good at many other things."

Shawn is an excellent storyteller, and the book is only 144 pages, which made for a very quick and enjoyable read. The chapter on "Do Something" was very convicting, as it put the bane of perfectionism in the crosshairs. There's a tremendous difference between perfectionism that keeps your from starting until the conditions are perfect or you know all the answers, and doing something you were designed to do with excellence. Another challenge that hit me hard -- "There comes a point in your life where you have to decide if you will continue to live a life centered on yourself or if you will make the difficult choice of investing in things that will last." You are an artist. Your grandest work is life itself. What are you creating?

"As a follower of Jesus, it is my goal to get great at something, and then do something with my gifts and skills by investing in things that will last and that will benefit others. In living this lifestyle I will work for an audience of one, because I understand that sometimes only God will see my best work."

Summer Sabbath

Some days I'm just overwhelmed with thankfulness for all the good people and good things in my life. Here is how my Sunday played out today...

A good night's sleep, eager to get to church where I got to serve as greeter. I've come to love seeing friendly faces and trying to make new friends with those I don't know. Our children sang two songs from VBS Summer Camp - they were adorable! After much thought this week one child chose to be baptized. The worship time and the sermon were excellent, with a great challenge to keep God in first place - and that when we do He will order the rest in a way that works out great both for us and for other people.

Afterwards, over to a friends house to share a feast. Ribs, cooked to perfection, glazed in honey chipotle BBQ sauce. After lunch, no one was in a rush to be anywhere so we just hung out. I got the comfy couch and almost fell asleep. It's nice to just enjoy good company. Then I went home and read a very good book (Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell). This evening, off to another good friend's house for another cookout. Dogs n burgers n sausage. I had a great time - talking half the time to people's kids and getting the inside scoop on family life, and the other half learning more about the background and life experiences of some other friends. Home again to continue reading, spend some time in prayer and the Word, and just listening to music.

I did absolutely nothing 'productive', and wouldn't change a single minute of my day. A quote from Velvet Elvis about the Sabbath:

"The real issue behind the Sabbath isn't which day of the week it is but how we live all the time... Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts. Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and to those I love most... Jesus wants to heal our souls, wants to give us the shalom of God. And so we have to stop. We have to slow down. We have to sit still and stare out the window and let the engine come to an idle. We have to listen to what our inner voice is saying."

Review - In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

I'm rereading with a friend an excellent book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. He unpacks a very small passage in 2 Samuel 23:20-21, the story of Benaiah, future bodyguard of King David. Benaiah chases a lion into a pit (on a snowy day of course) and kills it. Not a very safe (or smart?) thing to do, but Benaiah was no ordinary warrior.

The book starts with a gripping retelling of this story, and from the starts challenges the reader to not back down from fears, but to face them. Did David the shepherd like the fact that bears and lions attacked his sheep? No, he probably prayed for the safety of his sheep. But what he didn't know at the time was that this target practice in life-or-death situations was the pre-game warm-up for one of the most amazing upsets in sports history -- facing Goliath.  "It's our past problems that prepare us for future opportunities." What we don't see when we pray for safety or comfort is that sometimes if God answered our prayer, it would rob us of a great opportunity, and short-circuit His plan/purpose for our lives.

The book focuses on seven skills useful for those who would chase lions:
- Overcoming bad odds and adversity
- Unlearning fears
- Reframing our perspective on risk
- Guaranteed uncertainty
- The risk of playing it safe
- Seizing opportunities
- The importance of looking foolish

Each chapter has an excellent summary review - this is very helpful as it lets the bulk of the chapter focus on story and inspiration, while making clear takeaway point in the summary. The only difficulty I had with the book was that the challenge the author makes to live life on the edge is such a powerful and engrained part of his own personality. It's much harder for those of us made more like beavers to rise to the challenge! Some other favorite quotes:

"God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time."

"Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities."

"Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don't know. The other half is unlearning what we do know."

"The cure for fear of failure is not success. It's failure." (we overcome our fears by facing them)

"We should stop asking God to get us out of difficult circumstances and start asking Him what He wants us to get out of those difficult circumstances."

"God is in the business of recycling our pain and using it for someone else's gain."

"You have to be willing to look foolish in the world's eyes. If you aren't willing to look foolish, you're foolish."

Batterson wrote some other excellent books "Wild Goose Chase" and "Primal". Wild Goose Chase centers on relying on the Holy Spirit wherever He leads you rather than being stuck in a cage of routine, guilt, failure or fear. Primal is a cry inviting us to return to a more basic Christianity, something more ancient and primal, that centers around loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is my favorite of the three. All of these books are excellent reads, highly challenging and encouraging.

May Roundup

Here are several excellent posts by other bloggers in May 2010 that I thought were especially good...

Emotional Whiplash by Pete Wilson, author of the excellent new book, Plan B

Poisoned by Perfectionism by Hannah at The Gypsy Road

Strategy, Systems, People, Buildings or Vision by Tony Morgan

Train the Called - Do Not Call the Trained by Mark Driscoll at The Resurgence

Pastors and Time by Thom Rainer

The Power of Informality in Leadership Development by Mac Lake

Every Conversation Matters by Tim Stevens at LeadingSmart

Google Wave Now Open to Everyone reported by LifeHacker

And I'm biased on this one... my post over at Going To Seminary -- Maximize Your Learning Experience :)

Also, today is the last day to download the free audiobooks "The Hole in Our Gospel" and "E.M. Bounds: Man of Prayer" at ChristianAudio.com

Happy Memorial Day!

Review - 66 Love Letters

A wonderful work of literature. The story of creation, fall and redemption. The Word of God. Life's Handbook. The Bible has been called many things by many people. In his latest book Dr. Larry Crabb paints a powerful picture of the Bible as "66 Love Letters." I received a review copy from Thomas Nelson Publishers and have been working my way slowly through this book. It's not a short read, but it's a good one!

In "66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story" Crabb takes the approach of a dialogue, a very honest and open conversation, between himself and God, in which they discuss each of the 66 books of the Bible. Larry Crabb shares a number of questions, and sometimes frustrations about each book, and insights are presented from God's perspective. At times I couldn't believe how frank Dr. Crabb was with his questions and doubts. The book itself had its origins in a nearly sleepless night that began with whining at 2:00 a.m. Soon feeling an unexpected sense God was trying to speak to him, whining was replaced by pious demanding, then wonder, and a flood of questions in which the author kept asking "What are you trying to tell me in this book?" Crabb wanted more than a verse, or a single answer, he wanted to understand God's story to us. His prayer became "God, will You tell me what You want me to hear in each of these chapters? I want to know Your story." Don't get freaked out - he's not hearing audibly from God, and Crabb does not claim to have any kind of unique or mystical new revelation from God, but he does share in a fascinating way the insights he did get in this fresh adventure in reading through the Bible.

The best way to describe it might be by an example. A common theme throughout the book is that God is far more concerned with building our character than in increasing our comfort, with our holiness more than our happiness. In the chapter on I Kings, the author tells God that he's getting bogged down and losing interest in reading the love letters. He is trying to face huge challenges in live and is seeing friends go through horrible ordeals, only to find the Bible feeding him large doses of what seem to be history lessons.

"God, I need to know how to manage my life better so I can deal with headaches and hurting friends and disappointing pastors in ways that please You and keep me sane." 

"That was Solomon's mistake." 

"What?! You just lost me." 

"Your desire to be effective, to depend on biblical principles for success in your family, church, career, and friendships is legitimately strong. But when that desire is stronger than your desire to be holy and to depend on My power for becoming more like My Son, whether you succeed or fail in other ways, then you will not advance My plan, no matter how carefully you follow my principles or how much apparent success you enjoy."

66 Love Letters is a gem of book. It's not something to read through in one sitting (or even a dozen, at nearly 400 pages). It's not a set of commentaries, or expository preaching. You probably won't agree with everything he says. But it will help you marvel again at God's word, understand better what His love letters are saying to you, and show you that you're not alone in your doubts and confusion in your walk with the Lord.

There's a preview available at Thomas Nelson, and the book may be ordered from Amazon or other retailers.Check it out!

Plan B in Nashville

Unnerving irony in that on the eve of the launch of the book "Plan B" by Pete Wilson, a major flood hits the Nashville area, home to Pete and Cross Point Church. Heartbreaking news and reports, and videos, of devastation. Many on the staff of his church have lots their homes (!)  Other Christian leaders and organizations and churches are being hammered by the floods. It was not Plan A to be wiped out by a flood. How are they responding? Here's a sample of the news, help, and praise, I've been seeing on twitter:

@pwilson - This is crazy (chill bumps)!! ive nevr seen so many volunteers who keep pouring in. luv being the hands & feet of Jesus in Nashville 2day.

@pwilson - There's a dude I've never even met sleeping on my couch. #floodsbringpeopletogether

Want to help Nashville Flood victims? Here's how... http://bit.ly/c1NN5P

If you're headed to @crosspoint_tv Bellevue bring hammers, trashbags and brooms. Thanks!!

Flood relief has started. We've sent sevrl teams out w/ water & supplies. Now going by boat 2 help sum families. http://bit.ly/c1NN5P

 @MichaelHyatt (CEO of publisher Thomas Nelson) RT @GailHyatt: Great info: So My House Is Flooded, Now What? http://is.gd/bSlrk

@MichaelHyatt Here’s a video of what we dealt with yesterday in Franklin, all around my house: http://vimeo.com/11405686

And I'm so impressed by the attitude displayed by Thom Rainer (of Lifeway) --
@ThomRainer - Turning back from FL to get back to Nash. Just learned that the Harpeth River has reached our home in the flood. Please pray.
@ThomRainer - Flood waters rising in our home. We are 4 hours south of Nash. Doesn't look good for the house. I will praise Him in all things.
@ThomRainer - Just spoke to insurance company. Confirmed no flood insurance, no coverage. God is good.
@ThomRainer - Main floor of our house spared! Significant damage to lower level but could be worse. PTL. Photo of back yard http://yfrog.com/jdr36j 

These guys aren't just praising God in the midst of the storm, they're getting out and helping others. I pray for these families, for all those hit hard by the floods in/near Nashville, and I pray that the church of Jesus Christ could be a beacon of hope and light - and helping hands.

Review - Plan B by Pete Wilson

I was excited to get an advance look at a soon-to-be-released book via Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program for bloggers. The book is "Plan B:What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?" by Pete Wilson, and it is available for sale starting today.The extended title of the book pretty much sums up what the book is about...

Learn how God often does His best work in our most hopeless situations.
What do you do with a shattered dream? Or an unmet expectation? What do you do when your life isn't turning out the way you thought it would? What do you do when you have to turn to Plan B?

Pete Wilson is the lead Pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, a seven-year old church about to launch its fourth campus this Spring. He is an excellent writer with a very conversational style, who tackles a very difficult subject with a wonderful balance of compassion and truth. It's so easy to err in discussing the intersection of pain, evil and the will of God. Pete has helped so many people in his church through terrible 'Plan B' tragedies and circumstances. Yet he doesn't water down what Scripture has to say about how God works in our lives, and how His priorities are so different from ours. Pete shares many touching stories in the book, and weaves these into his overall theme, and ties them into God's perspective. The book also includes a study guide in the back - this is a great idea as those facing Plan B scenarios definitely will want to discuss these issues and find the support that a small group can provide.

In Plan B, there are no simple answers, no silver bullet, nor does he try to tie a 'bow' to wrap things up in a neat package. Readers will still have questions, some they may never seen answered on this side of eternity, but they will find comfort, a fresh perspective, and be given about a good a chance as possible to see transformation in their lives through tragedy. Wilson does not shy away from saying difficult things, but always in a very compassionate way. He doesn't blame God for bringing tragedy, but promises that God is present and longs to help us through our most difficult seasons. He talks in depth about the cross as the ultimate example of something that at the time seemed like a Plan B tragedy.

A few quotes that I thought were particularly powerful:
"In the midst of a Plan B, you really have only one task, one calling. And that is to do what you would do if you were confident God was with you." (p.82)
"Is it possible you don't really want God? Is it possible you just want what you think God can give you?" (p.143)
I lost it and sobbed in reading the story of one young couple, when the wife broke down and cried "No mother should have to walk around and look at tombstones for her baby while that baby hiccups and shifts within her." (p.183)
I was shocked by what he called me in Chapter 10 - I can't repeat it here without it sounding harsh and out of context (but check out p.153 if you're curious!) - but he was right. For me the Chapter on Waiting on God was perhaps the most useful part of the book.

I've been through a big Plan B tragedy in my life, 18 years ago, and found myself identifying strongly with both the pain described and the hope felt in ultimately feeling again the presence of God. If you haven't been there yet, get this perspective before you face a dark night of the soul. I can't say for sure how this book would be received by someone in the midst of such pain, but I'm thinking they would find it extremely useful, possibly a lifesaver. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who has ever asked the question "Where are you God?!" or "Why me?"

For more resources on Plan B and a lot of powerful stories, check out planbbook.com. "Plan B" is available at Amazon and other retailers.

     

Missing Florida Girl Found Alive

Nadia Bloom, an 11-year old Florida girl with Asperger's Syndrome, was found alive after missing for five days in the woods near her house. She is doing well, with a lot of mosquito bites and some dehydration. Details on the good news are now showing up in the media. (Asperger's is related to autism, awkward in interacting with others but not usually as detached.)  I heard of her story on K-Love radio where they talked about the prayer and persistence of members of her church in searching for Nadia. The one who found her had been praying for wisdom and insight on finding her, and a specific swampy area of the woods came to mind. They got up in the morning, went there, and found the girl!  God does work in mysterious ways! :)  He does, after all, specialize in finding the lost and bringing them home.

Review - Take Your Best Shot

What can a nine-year old boy do to fight AIDS and help orphans in Africa? What can he do by shooting hoops? FAR more than you might think. Take Your Best Shot is the story of Austin Gutwein, founder of Hoops of Hope. The book tells a wonderful story, from the perspective of this very young but very passionate and wise young man. Touched by a 4-minute video about AIDS orphans, he could not shake a desire to do something to help. In Sunday School he was taught "God wants to use you for something special" - but the difference between him and other folks... he actually believed it!

The back cover describes it well: "Take Your Best Shot captures' Austin's amazing adventure and challenges readers that no matter where you are, no matter what your skills are, no matter what your age, you can make a difference." What impressed me about that book that it wasn't just trying to tell a story but Austin really wants to encourage us that we can make a difference, one person at a time. It's also inspiring that he did this doing something he loves, shooting hoops.

The book is super easy to read, and has questions for individual or small group use, as well as suggestions for activities to consider. I would recommend it for readers of all ages. Check out Take Your Best Shot, from Thomas Nelson Publishers, at Amazon or other retailers.

Praise God - Rescued from a Ditch!

I'm very excited and thankful to be home typing this... I had to be rescued from a ditch in the big snowstorm this evening. This is in the category of "could have been much worse!" I was in the middle of nowhere, heading towards a friend's house, in the freezing cold. Someone was racing up behind me and I knew I would need to slow down and start looking for the house number before long. I pulled over to let this guy pass, to the shoulder of the road. Um, there was no shoulder. It was a ditch, a large ditch, filled with 4-5 feet of snow. The minivan ended up at about a 40 degree angle, and there was no getting out. My first thought, to be honest, was "Oh crap!! This is not good!"  The driver who passed just kept on going.

My second thought surprised me. The first is was my natural reaction. The second was not. It was "This is not a random accident, so Lord, what are you looking to teach me here?" (Again, this is not the normal response for me!)  I look up, and it turns out I'm directly across the street from my friends house. Immediately, a pick-up truck pulls up, a guy makes a cell phone call, then hops out and puts on a yellow vest. He introduced himself as Taylor, and emergency responder and volunteer firefighter. He took a good luck at the situation and says "You're never going to get that out by pushing, would you like me to call a wrecker for you?"  Um... yeah! He does that, lets them know where I'm at and says he'll call it in to the sheriff/police as well - told me to put on the hazards and go ahead inside to my friend's house, as it will be an hour before they get there.

I go inside, shaken but glad to be warm, and am greeted by friends, hot pizza, and warm brownies. We had our meeting, which went about two hours. A police car came by and sat there quite a while with lights on to make sure nothing hit the van; he was quite friendly. A random person driving by, who didn't know me or the homeowners, came up to the door and asked if we needed any help (!). The tow truck came, and they worked on it. The first tow truck wasn't able to get it out, they called in a second, and worked on it for over and hour and a half. The very minute we finished and got up from the table, there was a knock on the door. The van was safely extracted and my friend's wife got it turned around in the driveway and handed me the keys with a smile. The charge for this was far less than I expected. (When's the last time you felt like you underpaid for car troubles??)

So I'm very thankful to have gotten off so easy! Slightly different timing or location, or turning about five more degrees, and that could have been a horrible nightmare. What makes me even more thankful? The tie-in to my 'second' response (Lord, what are you trying to teach me here?) Why was I at his house, and what were we doing? Talking/dreaming about a building project despite one of the worst recessions in our lifetime, praying about what God wanted to do in our city to share His love with people who don't yet know Him, and had some concerns about if we had the resources for it. Driving home I had an answer to my question that was crystal clear: "Hard times and tough circumstances don't surprise me. I can and do use rough times to bring about good. You do exactly what you did tonight - trust in me, go about doing the things I want you to do and focus on the things I want you to focus on, count the cost, but I will handle all the rest. I have resources beyond your imagination or your need, and I arrange circumstances in ways far beyond your comprehension. I've shown you in a very small way tonight that you can trust Me even when things don't look good. Trust Me in bigger things, as long as you're looking to do them for My glory and to serve those I love - and I will be with you always!"

Review - Primal

A new book is coming out next week - "Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity" by Mark Batterson. Mark is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, a highly innovative church that now has multiple sites including movie theatres and a coffeehouse. He's also written "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God." I'm part of a blogger's "book tour" with publisher WaterBrook Multnomah, reviewing the book right before it's released on Dec 22nd.

"Primal" a heartfelt cry that invites us to return to a more basic Christianity, something more ancient and primal, that centers around loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The call is not just personal, it's for a reformation - not in creeds but in loving deeds. The book centers around exploration of four key elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiousity and power. The goal is to help us live in light of what matters most and (re)discover what it means to love God; to reignite a primal faith.

Primal is a seriously challenging book! Despite being a very smart guy, Mark is extremely down-to-earth and passionate. You feel like he's sitting down at Ebeneezer's coffeehouse talking to you. But it's not a dry casual talk, it's an engaging plea to see your life transformed, and to return to your first love. He recognizes the fact that God has made us differently and we each have a unique love language, but that we must cultivate the other expressions of love to more fully live out the life God has called us to.

The main strength and main drawback to the book are flip sides of the very same coin - the intenstity and passion of Batterson's style and his plea for the reader to join him in a new reformation as we experience this wild adventure called life. If you liked his other books, if you're a fan of authors like John Eldredge (Wild at Heart), or feel like you're missing out on the warmth of your initial walk with God, you will very much like Primal. If you're looking for something more informative, something of a how-to on spiritual growth, then you may not enjoy it as much as other readers.

The publisher's website has a link to read the first chapter of the book if you would like to check it out. Primal can be ordered at Amazon or other retailers. It's definitely a fine choice to be the first (primal) book you read in the New Year.