This year Kyle and I get to celebrate communion with our two oldest kids.   It’s an exciting event.  We’ll break bread, share wine (aka grape juice), read from scripture and enjoy a special moment as Christ-followers on Good Friday.  What a cool moment this will be.

Things I’m remembering today…

• I (self) was crucified with Christ on the cross
• I (self) no longer live, but Christ lives through me
• When God sees me, He sees Christ… not my mistakes
• The gratefulness and humility that comes when I acknowledge the sacrifice Christ made for me

why? is a common question.

i’m conducting a funeral Monday for a little girl that died suddenly on Thursday.

the question why? is on everyone’s tongue.

but there is no answer

Thought I dump some stuff in my brain today.  Maybe it will help me work through some stuff.

• Want to redefine our vision for our LifeKIDS volunteer team.   Focus more on the fact that they’re part of something bigger than themselves.
• Connecting the dots of ministry.  What is our missions ministry doing that our youth ministry needs to be intimately involved with?  What is youth doing that kids could significantly contribute to?  Breaking the silos down needs constant attention and communication.
• What does my communication look like to a parent from Child Dedication (infant) to 2 years old (when curriculum begins for a LifeKID)?   What can I build into these parents in the interim?  What suggested tools can I put in front of them to establish habits in their home?
• How can I make Thursday mornings less stressful on my kids? 

Nothing bugs me more than the art of  positioning oneself.

It’s annoying.

There is no greater irritation than listening to someone talk about where they would rather be as opposed to where they are… especially when it comes to ministry.  Ministry roles are not rungs on a ladder.  Although I could write for a long time on the value of various ministry roles, I don’t think I need to.

Here’s the deal… If  I’m looking ahead for what God has next, I’m not focused on what He’s placed in front of me.  I can’t lead effectively that way.

Bloom where you’re planted.  Quit looking ahead at where God ‘might’ be leading you and make it happen where He has you today.  Let the next step take you by surprise.

That’s all I’m shoutin’.

if we serve a God that exists outside of time then the death of Christ is not necessarily something of His past.  but in some twisted way is still part of His present.

i don’t understand that.

does Jesus still hear the hammer pounding the nail?  does He still taste the gall on His tongue?  is God still watching every drop of blood trickle down the post?

and yet He looks at me and says I am worth it.

sobering

…when ordering a cup of straight, black joe from starbucks is unusual
…when customer service at the local tag agency is worse than wal-mart
…you laugh more at your jokes than your kids
…you spend an hour making dinner… 30 minutes listening to your kids complain with every bite… and the next 2 hours listening to them whine about being hungry

i’m just sayin’.

We all want to pray effectively.  What’s the point if we don’t?

Yet I listen to people pray for things that are already promised to us.

“Lord, please be with me during this time in my life.”  “Father, just give this family peace as they walk through this trial.”

As well intentioned as they are… these prayers are redundant.  God has already promised His presence.  He’s already committed to never leave you or forsake you.  He’s promised His peace is everpresent in our time of need.  So, it seems like praying for those things aren’t necessary.

I don’t need to ask God to be with me… I need to ask Him to help me turn my face toward Him.

I don’t need to ask Him to give me peace… I need to ask for His help to rest in that peace.

If I don’t know His promises to me, then I won’t know what to ask Him to help me cling to in my trials.

Oh… and another one… my friend reminded me of this…

“Lord, keep me safe.”

Since when did my own safety take precedence over His Glory in my life?  How about praying for His Glory to take precedence in my life in the midst of whatever path He leads me down?

That’s an effective prayer.

Ingrained… Instinctive… Elemental

These words describe the things that come most natural to us. That which is in our DNA.

I laugh at how quickly my mind jumps to sins? My noggin is swarmed with the sins I have the greatest tendency toward?

Man, I give my sin nature too much credit!

Ingrained, Instinctive and Elemental reflect design… not tendency.

Though sin entangles me… I was never designed to be entrapped by it.

Though sin comes so easily… I was not designed to live in it.

I was designed to…

Serve

I can serve God or I can serve things.

Worship

I can worship God or I can worship things.

Glorify

I can glorify God or I can glorify things.

The choice is always mine to make. Do I go against design or go with it? Though the actions take on many different faces, the root remains the same.

Service, Worship & Glory are the ingrained, instinctive, elemental actions of the created toward its Creator.

I know in kids ministry our competition is Nickelodeon, Disney, Hannah Montana, etc. But I think its a constant struggle to ensure that our goal for mimicking these entities is not for the sake of gaining a kids attention alone… but to gain the opportunity to share a deeper message resulting in life-change.

I have to ask myself as I walk the campus throughout weekend experiences…

Once we gain their attention, does the message capture their heart?

Or are we simply entertaining them for an hour?

The latter is never the intention. But can potentially be the result if we lose focus.

Entertainment is only the entry point. It is necessary. But should never by the end goal.

Entertainment should lead to engagement.

Engagement to investment.

Investment to life-change.

Growing up, I always wanted a tree house.

There was something about having my own domain.

My secret patch of heaven where I make the rules. I call the shots.

As if the laws that rule normal society don’t pertain to this backyard domain.

Rustic on the outside, yet tricked out on the inside with secret passage ways and a sophisticated communication system involving tennis balls and an air cannon. (to communicate with the other treehouses, of course.)

This was my retreat. Though the look and location varied. The goal was the same.

Escape.

Did you have an escape as a kid?

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