The Sound of Silence.... from the "Serenity in the Storm" series

So let’s take a day trip to Mount Horeb, the mount of God, where we find the prophet Elijah hiding in a cave in fear for his life. God tells him to stand at the mouth of the cave, for He was about to pass by. It’s at this point that we read a most beautiful and haunting passage.

1 Kings 19:11-12
“And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”

What we’re seeing in this passage is called a theophany, a visible manifestation of God to a human being. In the ancient Near East, theophanies were connected to battle. It was believed that the warrior gods would use thunderbolts (lightning or fire), the stormwind and the trembling earth to fight for their people, terrifying the enemy. Baal, in particular, is pictured as holding a handful of thunderbolts. So, it was believed in that culture that the gods operated and communicated by way of instilling terror into their enemies with violent natural elements.
Theologians suggest that Yahweh (God) is also viewed as a warrior in that He fights for His people. But as always Yahweh has His own counter-cultural way of communicating. Unlike the ancient Near East gods who never articulated a plan for their so-called cultural involvement,
Yahweh operated with a grand plan.

But the point in our discussion is not what God's plan was per se. Rather, it is how Yahweh communicated His plan to His people. This brings us to the mouth of the cave where Elijah stood. He stood there because God told him that He was about to pass by, He was going to reveal His plan to Elijah. God was going to communicate with Elijah. This awesome passing of God gives us insight into how God talks to us, right here and now.
When God passes by Elijah, three elements precede His actual passing: the stormwind, an earthquake and a fire. Sound familiar? These are the very elements through which the ancient Near East gods were supposed to speak.(the elements describing our lifestyles SoN) And God uses them, but He's not in any of it! Instead, a fourth element follows: "the sound of a low whisper." The Esv rendering here is strikingly close to the Hebrew meaning. This phrase is not describing the sound of God's voice, as if it was like a gentle whisper.
Elijah hears the sound of silence. The serenity w/in the storm.
The prophet encounters God's plan and direction not from the bombastic language of the ancient Near East gods, the language of culture, but from silence, literally.
There are two applications we can take from Elijah's brief encounter.
First, God does not work in the ways that make sense in our culture. In fact, they look—or in this case sound—completely different from what culture offers.
(how have you seen god working counter culture? He doesnt use the wise, the bible says, but what? What the world considers fools. He’s not into your amazing abilities but what? Youre availability.)
 Second, in order to hear God's direction in our lives we need to cultivate space so that we can linger in the silence of God.
 We may expect Him to communicate His plan amonst our common cultural mode, but this is not reality.
In the book of Matthew ch. 14 we see Jesus Himself, on multiple occasions, pursuing a quiet place to pray. We see Jesus experiencing a full day of teaching, feeding the five thousand and eventually walking on water in the middle of the night. But, wedged in between those events Matthew records that, “After he had taken leave of them [the disciples], he went up on the mountain to pray”.

The ultimate prayer scene with Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Think about the circumstances. Jesus leaves with His closest friends to a quiet place in the middle of the night. Jesus leaves His friends and goes further into the garden to pray in the quiet and the shadows. Once alone He pours out His supplication to His Father. He asks for another way out of this whole dying for sinners situation—He asks not to have to die.
Before the biggest day of His life, where do we find Jesus? On His knees, sweating blood in a quiet place, praying.
“It's in the silence that Jesus seeks Father God's face.

It's in the silence that Jesus approaches the biggest event of His life.

It's in the silence that Jesus gathers strength for the cross.
This is the silence He calls us to. This is the silence after the stormwind and the earthquake and the fire—the language of the culture. The Storm of the Norm that so many of us are living.
This is the context by which God reveals His direction for our lives. This is the context we see Jesus cultivating throughout His ministry. And this is the context from which Jesus gathered strength to face the insurmountable.
Our culture has a way of drawing us into its modus operandi. Almost without knowing it we expect God to work the way culture works—fast and obvious.   But if we carry this expectation, we show our hand and reveal our own shallow understanding of God and how He works and communicates. We get so entrenched in the cultural language and so dialed in to the speed and immediacy that our childlike faith disappears. Instead, we wield an adult religion that falls vacant on our hearts and has little impact on the lives around us.

What will it take to get to that place of silence where we can actually find direction from God? What will it take to shed the culture, the storm of the norm and begin a new way of living, one marked by silence, childlike and new every morning? Discovering serenity in the storm.


Last week in a video piece I shared one of my childhood memories. Did that ignite something in you? (watch: Remember When... video)
Remember when…. Remember when you were a young child and life was easy & carefree….
God wants us to get back to that place. We’ve left those childlike behaviors, yet God’s direction is to find him there.
Remember when… how does a child spend a day? What does a child believe? How do they respond to life and everything surrounding them? What about the trust they have? How do they see the world? And their incredible imagination… (watch this… Childlike Faith video)

Here’s what Jesus said about childlike faith, found in Mark 10
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 

And in Matthew 18:2-4 what does Jesus do?
“He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”

Do you want to enter into the rest God has for you? Remember when….. Remember when….
Go to that childlike faith and submit and trust, like a child. Cast the cares, the burdens, the weight of this world, the weight of your busy lifestyle upon the Lord….. Like a child drops their mess in front of their parent. And the parent cleans it up, lifts up the child, and loves on them. Loves them with a spectacular love. Do you want that?

Watch/Listen to entire message "The Sound of Silence"

A Prayer for Moore, OK. - Cathleen Parks

This is a prayer for all effected by the devastating tornado that ripped through Moore, Ok. from Cathleen Parks, pastoral staff at Focus Church.
Cathleen grew up in Oklahoma and has many family members in Moore, Midwest City, Oklahoma City, Enid and other cities....
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Okay everyone.........my cousin Brian is working search and rescue at the elementary school in Moore, Okla. as I type this message! PLEASE be praying for him and all the S&R teams that are working tonight.
"Father, you are in the God who directs our paths. You shine light into dark places. I ask you Lord to direct every individual who is searching for people in the path of destruction tonight. As the sun goes down and darkness descends, Father shine yourlight into dark places in the ruble. Reveal those that are trapped to the rescue workers and be with them as they pull them to safety. Be with all the families tonight who are still waiting to here about their children, fathers and daughters. You God are our source of hope and strength. Be with your people in Oklahoma tonight. In Jesus name I pray - AMEN (so be it!!!)" - Cathleen Parks

Mother's Day is a Big Deal, right?

  Mother's Day should be special shouldn't it?
I mean if we think about it, MOM's are pretty amazing!
If we were to stop, just for a minute or two and ponder all the ways she cares, provides, encourages and loves us unconditionally we should shower our Mother's with substantial praise!

When I stop and ponder about my mother.... I'm in awe actually. What a woman!
Growing up as the oldest of three boys and reflecting on those times... WOW.
All of the things she did as a mother is astounding. Awaking early in the morning before everybody, making sure us three boys were up and preparing for our school day, packing our lunches, helping us get dressed, seeing us out the door with a kiss and a smile  :)

While everybody is out for the day, tidying the home, with an occasional deep cleaning (recalling 3 boys & a husband can be very dirty).
Taking care of our needs at home... bumps and bruises and scraps getting tended to, wrapped in bandages or a good ol' fashioned band-aid, even when it wasn't necessary.
Carefully, lovingly taking us through the steps of pulling out baby teeth and we cried and cried the whole way through. But her love and patience, oh my the patience.
How incredibly patience is a mother?
There's so much more but I don't have that much patience.......

She taught us so much.
I remember as a young teenage boy in the kitchen one evening with my mother and she had just started washing the dishes from that night's dinner and she told me to help her because I needed to learn "how to do the dishes". I remember looking her right in the eyes and saying, "I don't need to learn how to do the dishes cuz my wife will do them".
She smiled and said, "Well, you may not get married right away and live on your own for a while so you'll need to know how."
Which speaks to the wisdom of a mother. And how to speak the right words that make sense to a child.... I learned how to do the dishes that night.

Then there's our Grand Mother's. Can it get any better than a Grandma?
Grandma's are the best! Talk about unconditional love. Grandma's are the happiest, most loving people in the world. So it would seem to me in my world.

That brings me to my wife, the mother of our two daughters.
Man, you talk about an amazing woman. My wife, my girls mother is absolutely incredible.
It's staggering to see her in action day in and day out.
I have learned so much about parenting my girls by just watching and seeing her love, take care of, and nurture our girls.
I can literally say I'm a better parent because of my wife, the mother of our children.

It takes me to Proverbs chapter 31, verses 10-31 where scripture describes "the godly woman". As I read through it, I see my mother, my grand-mother, and my wife.
verses 26-31 really hit home.....

"She speaks wise words

  and teaches others to be kind.

She watches over her family

    and never wastes her time.

Her children speak well of her.

    Her husband also praises her,

saying, “There are many fine women,

    but you are better than all of them.”

Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you,

    but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned;

    she should be praised in public for what she has done."

I couldn't have said it better myself, good job God.

That's how I feel about the women (Mothers) that have greatly influenced my life. 

How about you? 

Mother's Day is a BIG DEAL, right?

I'd encourage you to go "all out" this upcoming Mother's Day because Mom's are truly amazing  :)

additional amazement of Mother's: click here

The BEST Example Ever..... of finding Serenity in the Storm

Are you ready for a great example of what this looks like?

I’m talking about a great example. Check out Matthew 14 and we are going to walk with Jesus Christ through an incredibly busy, busy day. 

And let’s see, let us allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us individually….

 "At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Ok Herod is speaking about all the amazing things that Jesus Christ is doing and he says it’s John the Baptist working through Christ… Herod doesnt know Jesus the Messiah so he resorts to what he believes, he’s wrong, but he doesnt know. So Matthew now explains why Herod believes this.

Matthew walks us through what took place… he gives us the back story.

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. Ok so Matthew told us the story of the death of John the baptist to give us Herods reasoning of why he thought John was helping Jesus. OK? So now vs.12 takes us back to current time this was written. V.12 says, John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

So John the baptist was murdered and the next day some disciples go and tell Jesus what has happened.

Look at how Jesus responds to the death of His cousin, John the baptist.

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. 

What does He do? He breaks away, first thing in the morning to be alone with the Father in solitude.

What does that speak to you and me?

v. 13 continues… Hearing of this, the crowds followed him (Jesus) on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

At the end of His time away in solitude immediately His busy day begins. He spends hours, through the morning into the afternoon looking after the needs of the people. 

That’s draining folks. Hours of ministry will wipe you out. 

Hours of your work day will wipe you out.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

So wow! What just happened? After hours of tending to and miraculously healing the sick Jesus pulls off 1 of 2 amazing miracles of feeding thousands with just a tiny amount of food.

This is a very busy, very strenuous day right?

So what happens next?

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,

It’s into the evening now and Jesus sends His buddies off, why? So He could be alone.

In rest, quietness and trust you will be liberated and strengthened. (ref. "Are You Living in the 'Storm of the Norm"?)

Let’s keep reading...

24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

OK that was a lot that just happened… Jesus walks on water, (another miracle) tells Peter to join Him, rescues Peter due to Peters lack of faith, gets into boat and calms the storm that its waves had been crashing against the boat terrifying the disciples. And they are standing there in awe and wonder.

Because it’s here with Jesus, alone with Jesus in rest, quietness and trust that the storm of the norm can be calmed…. And we are delivered, liberated.

Guess what? His day is not finished.

Let’s keep reading...

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

They land on shore and again immediately people begin to bring their sick to Him…. Begging the scripture tells us to heal their sick.

How much longer into this already full day do you think Jesus ministered to those people?

Was He literally up, awake, working and ministering for 24hrs straight???

Hear me folks… please see the point… That was an incredibly busy busy day right? 

Actually it makes our days seem not so bad… especially when this day began with the news of the murder of your cousin. 

How productive are your days upon the news of someone close to you losing their lives? 

We recoil don’t we? We don’t want to do anything. However that’s not the point.

What’s the point? Please allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally.

Our days are so busy, our schedules are over-run with activity. Sometimes we find time just to veg-out but they are still so busy. 

And here is the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m talking about the Lord, the King of Kings, Creator of the universe walking in flesh, and in His flesh how many times did He break away to find solitude with Father God? How often did He (hear me) prioritize breaking away for a while to find rest, quietness and trust?

So what do we find here in scripture? The very busy lifestyle of Jesus Christ. 

We see that, plain as day… what we don’t find anywhere recorded in scripture is Jesus talking about His busy schedule and being worn out from it… what we do see is HOW He managed to live, deal with that crazy, crazy lifestyle…. Prioritizing solitude. Finding, making time in rest, quietness, and trust to be liberated, to be strengthened to continue on….

What is God’s Word saying to you and your schedule?

Are you living in the "Storm of the Norm"?

Our lives are busy. We are a “busy” society. We live in a society that applauds the busy lifestyle. Because if you’re life isn’t full of activity then your are not living, you are missing out, and quite frankly, you’re boring. You lead a boring life if it isn’t full of activity. It actually doesnt matter what the activities are, you just need to be busy. Therefore it has become the norm. We’ve been conditioned that it is the norm. This is just how it is. It’s a busy life. So get used to it buddy, put your ‘big boy’ pants on and get with the program.

So that’s how we live. This is the life we live. A busy life.

(let's see if you can read down to the dotted line at an increased speed for effect)

Get up in the morning, when does your alarm go off… 5am, 6am? Get yourself prepared for the day.

Do you exercise early in the morning, well get going. If you do or maybe not, then start getting ready for the day ahead. Shower, get dressed, brush your teeth (I hope) - do you have enough time to eat breakfast or do you grab something out of the pantry to eat along the morning commute, or do you stop somewhere to grab some coffee and something to eat along the commute? 

Oh wait… are you a parent? Do you need to wake the kids in the morning, get them up and prepared for their day. There’s quite a bit involved in that morning routine huh? 

Ofcourse all your children jump out of bed are so excited to get ready for their school day so there’s no stress involved with that, right?

Now you’re at work. Phone calls, emails, customers, your boss, meetings. Oh the meetings are so fun and productive. Now you’re a little behind, try to catch up, more phone calls, customers, what another meeting… really….. You drudge through the day...

You don’t seem to catch up but you know you’ll be back tomorrow. But you need to head home. Maybe stop to pick up a child or 2 from daycare or after school care. 

Cmon kids weve gotta get home, start dinner or call for pizza. Take care of the needs within the home. Maybe some cleaning, some laundry, maybe do some homework w/ the kids, help them study for a test. 

Oh we’ve gotta get lil Johnny to baseball practice. Drive him there, drop him off, stay there for practice or leave & come back 45min. later to pick him up and drive home.

  Pizza here, or get the dinner ready, lets eat. After dinner is clean up. Does everybody get in on the clean up or are you doing it alone? Now what. You try to get a few minutes of peace from your rushed day. You go sit on the couch or maybe lay in bed, just for a few minutes to veg out… but if you have children the minutes may be a little less. 

Like this video........

You look at he clock, Oh my, its bedtime. Get the kids ready for bed. And they are totally down with that. They love going to bed to night. No stress there. So everything that’s involved with getting everybody to bed. 

Now you get to get ready to go to bed. You finally lay down at what??? 9pm, 10pm? Later? Possibly watch the late news or some show you DVR’d….

You make sure the alarm is set before you doze off so you can do it all again tomorrow.

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It’s the norm. 

We didn’t discuss the weekends full of activity, kids games or practices or dance recitals nor any after school extra-curricular activities 

“Studies show that 79% of America's middle and high school students regularly participate in activities both after school and on weekends and 57% have some kind of non-school activity nearly every day.”

Last weekend, Get this, Cathleen and I triple booked our weekend…. It was partly foolishness on our part for not seeing it coming, it was partially due to the busy, busy lifestyles we live.

Allison is involved in club VB, their biggest tournament was last weekend in dallas, so Cathleen knew that months ago that it was last weekend (thur-sun in Dallas) we also promoted and led our growth group, “Cleansing Stream” - the highlight of that group study culminates with a weekend retreat… that retreat was last weekend in Ft. Worth. So while Cathleen & the girls were in Dallas Thursday, I traveled to Ft. Worth Fri, along with the rest of our group. She drove over to FW fri night to the hotel we were staying in & Jess drove back to Dallas that night to be with Allison and do the tourn w/ her Sat, while Cathleen and I were involved in the big CS retreat all day Sat.

After the CS event Sat. Night we met Jess n Alli for dinner in Dallas where Cathleen went back to their Dallas hotel for Sun games of tourn and I drove home Sat. Night to be here Sun morn for our guest speaker last sun Bess Blanco. Originally we planned on spending a portion of Sat. Together w/ Bess and her husband Juan, ofcourse not realizing we were gonna be in Dallas/FW on Sat. It’s crazy...

Listen folks, it’s tough right? It’s over-whelming, it fills our lives with stress, anxiety and we feel the heaviness, the weight of our schedules. That hear me now, can bring us to tears sometimes, can push us to the brink of throwing up our hands and screaming I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!

And it can, if it hasnt already, bring tension in the family and our lives personally.

So Here’s a question. Can you make any changes to your schedule that would make your life not as busy as it currently is? Most people (a very high %) would say NO they don’t see how they could.

There’s a very small % who’d say they’ve made some minor and fewer that would say major changes to slow the pace of life down.

So that being the case, I’m not gonna tell you that you should change your schedule. 

My schedule, my families schedule is very similar to that and yours. 

I would encourage you to do an evaluation of your schedule just for the sake of your family health, your own health and for that matter sanity. 

What I am going to talk about is that God’s Word tells us that’s how our lives would be and actually says that we’d choose to live this way. Plus it tells us how to find peace, how to find serenity within the storm. The storm of the norm. Because that’s where we are… we are living in the storm of the norm. 

So let's just look at God’s Word. Two passages in particular that have had a big influence in my life personally and we’re just going to read those and allow God through His Holy Spirit to reveal to each of us individually what  His Word is saying to us.

Along the way I’ll point out some facts, and some similarities to our lives and you can certainly jot down some notes - but more so… let’s all be aware of what God is saying to you personally.

Will you do that with me?

1^st passage - Isaiah 30 -  Beginning in vs. 15…

Are you ready? Listen to the Lord….

15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, - this word salvation, the hebrew meaning is to be delivered, to be liberated, to give victory. OK, so what is the Lord saying to us regarding our busy lifestyles?

In repentance and rest you’ll be liberated, you’ll find what? victory! Victory from the burdens, the weight of the busy lifestyle… how do we become liberated and find victory? ……

V.15 continues..    in quietness and trust is your strength, Stop. How do we find strength?…..

So repentance, rest, quietness, and trust (that’s a big word trust) we are liberated with victory and strength.

OK so what does the Lord say about our lifestyles and schedules? v 15 continues...
    but you would have none of it. Wow! So basically God knows how we’re livin’ 

He even gives us details  v.16 

You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!

17 

A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
    you will all flee away,
till you are left
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner on a hill.”

What is God’s Word telling us here? You don’t ever slow down… you just go go go. There’s no stop and we just keep adding and adding to our schedules and lives more and more and more and now here we are…. Feeling alone, over-whelmed, exhausted.

So the book of Isaiah was written aprox 2700 yrs ago yet God knew the busyness of our lives even then, well he knew it before then but it shows us how relevant scripture is to our lives today.

So God continues to speak to us v. 18 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

Wait a minute, in God’s great compassion towards us He says that those who wait upon Him are what? … blessed, happy. 

v.19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Do you want this blessed life? He hears us when we call on Him, He will answer. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. That’s Holy Spirit revelation folks. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”

That’s some harsh language to get His point across…. Those idols overlaid w/ gold and silver for us have a few meanings but w/in the context we’re talking about today it’s all about our busy lifestyles… that we worship. How? We give everything we’ve got to keeping our busy lifestyles afloat. It takes all that we have, all our energy and theyve become idols. It’s crazy folks but we’ve gotta call like it is in order to find freedom, to be delivered, liberated - to find victory in the Lord.

We must make time, find time… actually prioritizing our time to be with the Lord. Everyday. Not just Sunday. Everyday. 

How? Remember, we’ve already read it… in repentance, (I’m sorry Lord, I need You) rest, quietness, and trust. (we stop, everyday to sit before the Lord. It’s a good time to have scripture in front of you, but maybe you don’t everyday. The key is to stop in quietness and trust the Lord will allow you to complete the day. There you will be what? Liberated and strengthened.)

Look at this folks, please get this today… otherwise…. When we don’t do that, our schedules, our busy lives become our god, our idol. That’s what we bow down to day in and day out....... That's living in the Storm of the Norm.

But God wants to show compassion, He wants you to be liberated. 

Will you STOP?

"We are living in the "Storm of the Norm" video: https://www.sermonconnect.com/mediapreview.php?id=201304211004192E57B3

Four Myths Concerning Our Busy, Busy, Busy Lives

Do you ever feel over-run, over-whelmed, exhausted and just plain wiped out?
Guess what? So does everybody else....
Apparently it's the norm. Apparently this is the life we live. The society we live in mandates it.
Since everyone around us lives this way, if we don't, we scorned and mocked so we put on our "big boy" pants and we adhere... to the norm.
It's what I call, "The Storm of the Norm"

Did you know scripture actually points out that we (you and I) would choose to live this way? Unbelievable right? Stories and wisdom thousands of years old point out not only would we live like this but we'd choose to. How about that?

So I'd like to start this little series of writings with some myths.
Some myths we've all fallen into and all have believed.....

Myth #1: Busy equals important.- we think when you’re really busy it means you’re really living.- actually, being overly busy cuts us off from the time we need to spend cultivating the important relationships in our life: with our spouse, our kids, our friends, our God.

Myth #2: Someone wins the rat race.- this is a lie because the rat race is all about "what you do" and God is more interested in "who we are."- God will not ask at the judgment, "How busy were you?" Rather, He will ask, "Are you like Jesus?"

Myth #3: Hurrying will buy us more time.
- all this technology we now have was supposed to create tons of free time, but in fact it has increased the pace at which we have to work.- hurrying will buy more heart attacks, ulcers, stress, and headaches; but not more time.- our society is hurrying faster than it ever has, yet, ironically, we seem to have less time than ever before.- perhaps if we deliberately slowed down, taking that step back from our frenzied activity would give us the perspective to be able to see which things in our lives are worth doing.

Myth #4: "Down time" is wasted.- we are made to feel guilty if we aren’t constantly "doing something."- but God instituted the Sabbath into the system and the Scripture is filled with the idea of "God’s rest."

Read Luke 10:38-42
The ultimate tragedy of the busy life is the same as the tragedy that Martha faced - offered the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet, she (and we) are too busy to spare Jesus any time.
Is that your lifestyle?

Your Purpose and Place in this World

 "Some recent studies show that as many as 80% of people in the workforce don’t enjoy their work and nearly 75% don’t know their passion. This is not a coincidence." – TheOneQuestion.com

We have an identity crisis on our hands. 

While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens. One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.

"Still it has the heart of an eagle," replied the naturalist, "and can surely be taught to fly." He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, " You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle looked around, then up to the sky. And the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away.

For many people life is a lot like that story, only they never stretch out their wings and attempt to fly. 

They spend their lives living the life of chickens when they could be living the life of an eagle. That is what we are going to be talking about for the next few weeks in a new series called “Who am I?”

We all dream of that life up in the clouds, soaring with freedom and power, but all to often we stay in the barnyard picking at chicken feed. We all can relate to this and today we begin with the first key to unlocking the life we have always wanted, the fulfilled life like that of an eagle. 

The first thing we must find is who we are… Who am I? Where do I fit in life? Am I valuable? These are all identity questions that must be answered. 

The eagle from the story was not a common chicken, but he did not know this until someone came along and showed him who he really was. And that is my goal today, I want to be like that naturalist that came along and noticed that the eagle was unaware of his true identity. I want to show you your true identity, and help you unlock the first key to discovering “Who am I.” 

The search for ones identity is a task we all have gone through and for most of us are still going through.  It is tough to find out who the real me is?

“Today we see millions desperately searching for their own shadows, devouring movies, plays, novels, and self-help books… that promise to help them locate their missing identities. In the United States, the manifestations of personality crisis are bizarre. Its victims hurl themselves into group therapy, mysticism, or sexual games. They itch for change but are terrified by it. They urgently wish to leave their present existence and leap somehow to a new life – to become what they are not.” – Alvin Toffler (writer in NYC now 84 yrs. old & former editor of Fortune Mag)

We try to find our identity in many places, and many of those places are destructive. Some girls crave love and attention so much that they settle for anything that even resembles it, mainly from guys looking for only one thing. Some guys crave status and respect and when they cannot find it they are fooled by its illusion in pornography and casual sex. Lonely people longing for approval fall into the world of drugs and alcohol, And insecure people strive to get to the top, only to find their identity lost when they finished second. In each case, people are looking for the fulfilled life, that life like the eagle, and instead they wind up more confused as to who they are, and where they fit into the world. We have all felt the sting of insignificance, and left wondering if life is even worth it. So where can we find the answers to who am I, and where do I belong, and am I even important to anyone. You might be surprised at the answer… Jesus Christ made a statement once 2,000 years ago that might blow your idea of Christianity out of the water.

John 10:10 “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.” 

Most people have this idea in their head that Christianity is a bunch of rules and don’t do this, and don’t do that’s. But true followers of Christ know that this could not be further from the truth! Jesus said I came that they might ENJOY life, he is saying, “God, my Father has sent me to this earth to show you how to have a good time in life.” Not only does he say that he came so that we might enjoy life, but he came so that we could have it in abundance. 

The NIV version of the Bible says so that they might have life, and have it to the full. No matter how many people you sleep with, and no matter how many lines of cocaine you take, or any amount of trophies and fame you will obtain will ever give you the full life, life that is in abundance. I am talking about life that is fun, fulfilling, and free, and Jesus Christ came so that we can have that life. He is the key to not only finding my identity, but also to finding this “Abundant Life.” So what does Jesus Christ do for my identity? How does a guy who lived back in the first century help me find myself in the 21st century? That is what I would like to spend the rest of our time answering. 

Understand....

I am forgiven and free

 Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being like you and me, and did what no other human has done, he lived a perfect life, a life that allowed him the right to be with God. But instead look at what happened:

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin (Jesus) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” NRSV

Jesus switched roles with us, when he died on the cross he died that spiritual and physical death that we had coming to us. Now instead of a do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars go directly to jail card, we now have a get out of jail free card. We have been forgiven for our sins because of Jesus Christ! The Bible says “your sins are forgiven on account of his name.”

Colossians 2:13 – 14 “God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands.” NRSV

But it does not end there, for God did not leave Jesus dead, he raised him from the grave of our sins giving us FREEDOM from sin and FREEDOM from guilt, shame, and worthlessness. Because we are no longer held back by our sins we can dance in freedom, true freedom that can only come from God. We don’t have to stay bogged down in destructive things like drugs, and pornography all the while looking for our identity, We can hold our heads high and soak up the freedom that comes when we realize that our identity is in Jesus and his forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 3:17 “The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom.”

The next thing Jesus does for our identity is we can say:

I am valuable

There was a wealthy man and his son once who loved to collect rare art works. In their collection they had everything from Picasso to Raphael. They loved to sit and look at the paintings and talk. When the Vietnam conflict broke out the young man was drafted and went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle rescuing another solider. The father was notified and grieved deeply. About a month later, right before Christmas there was a knock on the door. A young man stood outside the door with a large package in his hands. He said to the father, “I am the man your son died to save, he saved many lives that day. He often talked about you though and how you and him loved fine art.” The father unwrapped the package and it was a painting of his son done by the man. “I am not a great artist, but I want you to have this.” The man said as he walked away. The father was amazed by the portrait of the son and hung it over his mantle and every time a person came to the house he showed them this painting first. The man died a few months later and a great action was organized to sell the fine works of art in the collection. Many influential people attended. On the platform on the day of the auction was the portrait of the son, and the auctioneer cried out, “Who will bid on the son?” The room was silent… no one wanted this picture and soon the people shouted for the famous pictures they came for. The auctioneer persisted though, “Who will bid on the son.” Finally a voice in the back spoke up and said, “I will give $10 for it.” It was the family gardener and he did not have much money. The auctioneer said, “I have 10 who will give me 20…” The people were furious by this point and shouted for the famous paintings. “Going once, going twice, sold to the man in the back for $10.” The auctioneer now placed down his gavel and stepped down saying the auction was over. The people shouted “What is the meaning of this?” The auctioneer stated that due to a secret stipulation in the will the person that bought the son was to receive the entire collection as well.

You see Jesus is a million times more precious to God than this man’s picture of his son, but he was willing to give it all away for you and me. He was willing to sacrifice his only son so that we might be forgiven and free. 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” NRSV

Imagine that… we were valuable enough to God for him to put his Son through humiliation, torment, pain, heartbreak and death for you and me. The God of the entire universe, the one who created the earth and the stars, loves us. We are like the same people surrounding the cross who spit in his face and rejected his kindness only to have him chase after us with a love that is so powerful you cannot chose to do anything but accept it when it hits you. So many times in our society we are told, especially when we are young that we are expendable, we are worthless and meaningless. But God says I love you enough to give up my only son for you. That makes us extremely valuable!!! 

I have to mention one last thing. Remember the story of the art collector and the gardener who bid on the son and got it all… this “Abundant Life” is kind of like that in this way. Whoever gets the Son gets it all, whoever gets Jesus, God’s Son, gets it all. 

“The pathway [to identity]  is to follow in the footsteps of the Master” - John Whelan

“When you know who you are, you 

know what you are to do,”

“When you know who you are, you 

know in what direction you walk; 

you know the mission God 

has called you to”

For more on this and others in the "Who Am I?" series go to:

http://focuschurch.com/social.php?item=item:2013010608015399487D

OR

http://www.sermonconnect.com/mediapreview.php?id=2013010608015399487D

The Manti T’eo Folk Tale and Your Integrity...

Okay this story is pretty bizarre right?
This story (tale) is still unravelling but what we do have in front of us is a "girlfriend" (Lennay Kekua) that doesn't exist whos story of battling Leukemia and eventually dying from the disease was inspirational to him (Manti T'eo) throughout this football season.

The craziness stems from the fact that it's all a big hoax.
The questions still being asked are many but derive from 2 angles:
Was Manti T'eo duped by this "person" and who knows why???
or
Was he actually a part of the concocted 'fib' to generate sympathy for a few different reasons?

And the media scrutiny is harsh to say the least...

How about we pull that "magnifying glass" off of Manti T'eo and those involved in this folk tale and spin it around onto ourselves.

....and ask...

Have I ever stretched the truth to gain some sort of personal interest?
Have I ever exaggerated a story or event to make it sound more appealing?
Have I ever played with the numbers in order to benefit myself?
Have I ever shared a story with others without knowing for certain if it was 'real' or if those were the 'actual' facts but told it anyway because it always gets a bunch of laughs?

I mean we could go and on and on with these type of questions couldn't we?

So let's pull back a minute from all the media frenzy of today and step outside this bizarre story and look at our own bizarre story.

We are all broken, we are all in need of saving and when left to operate in the ways of the world then we can answer YES to every one of those questions posed earlier and we can add many, many more.

Let's use a bizarre story like we have today
to be grateful for Amazing Grace
to be thankful for Unending Mercy
to be blessed with God's Abundant Love in Jesus Christ

that our past can be forgiven, we have a purpose in the present, and hope for the future spending an eternity with Creator God in heaven.

"He heals the broken, and bandages their wounds." Psalm 147:3

Who are you?

Now that we've closed out 2012 and we've launched into 2013 our minds are filled with these great expectations...... "I'm going to be better this New Year."

"You'll see... I've got BIG plans." "I'm gonna lose weight, I'm gonna exercise more... I'm gonna eat better, I'm gonna learn how to play that 'instrument' I've put away in my closet... I'm gonna get a better job, I'm gonna save more money, I'm gonna quit smoking or drinking" or whatever vice seems to have a handle on us.....

I'm gonna, I'm gonna....

Well, we are eleven days into the New Year... how's it going?

This is about the time (if it already hasn't happened) that we begin to slide, to put aside those grand ideas and expectations.

I'd like to encourage you to move forward with your plans and expectations with a simple question.... "Who are you?"

Can you answer that question?

It's really important. It's really important because if you can't answer that simple question then you'll never be able to succeed in all the areas of life that you want to.

Most folks answer that question with their name and career choice. 

"Well I'm Joe Parks and I work for Rex Supply in Outside Sales."

But that's not who you are... that's your name and a job description.

"Well I'm a husband and father" 

Sure those are roles you play in life, but without a spouse and children "Who are you?"

I mean just you.... just you.

Not your name or career or roles you have currently... who are you?

In his book "Victory Over Darkness" Neil T. Anderson asked that question, "Who are you?" and got similar results that I mentioned above. 

He concluded that none of those were sufficient and offered this... "You are a child of God"

That's who you are.

YOU are a child of God. That's a big deal folks. 

It really is.

For any of us to succeed and move forward in this New Year we must be able to answer the question, "Who we are". Only then will we completely understand our goals and mission that is for us... not just this year, 2013, but in life.

For more insight watch or listen to "Who am I?" part 1 at FocusChurch.com recorded on Jan. 6th 2013 and join us for the rest of the month as we dig deeper into that question.

Year End Reflection

Today is the last day of 2012 - it's quite cliche to say how fast a yr goes by. May be even more so with me since my oldest daughter is on the brink of leaving the house and headed off to college and that alone creates great change. Regardless of how fast the years seem to go by we all know they are each alike in their time, nothing is different from this past year as in years past in regards to their timing but what occurs in each year is often very, very different.

And we would be wise - very wise people to take a few moments, maybe hours, maybe days to STOP & reflect on the past year. To take the time to recognize ‘what is different’? from this year vs. years past. And when we do that, when we take the time, I mean really stop & ponder, it benefits us greatly.

This is something I do each and every year (I typically go away by myself for a day or so) and reflect and in that process allow God the Holy Spirit to speak to me. Which helps lead me into the upcoming year.

So this morning I wanted to share some of my questions I ask to help me along in the process and believe it will be helpful to you as well. If you take the time….

"My son, if you accept my words, and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom, and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just, and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." Proverbs 2: 1-11

All of us need Godly wisdom, and Proverbs chapter two gets you thinking on the right path. Wisdom is like silver and we are instructed to search for it like hidden treasure. With that kind of fervor, that kind of pursuit… And God grants favor for those who walk with Him, and protects the path of those who seek Him. 

We just completed the Christmas holidays. It's a busy time -- I know. So now with at behind us, I urge you to take a couple hours and think through these questions. As you do that, get out your laptop or tablet and jot down a few notes. I promise it will be worth it if you will act on the wisdom you gain. Here's a helpful hint. Don't try to write pages and pages. Write as concisely as you can, even bullet points are great. It’s the KISS technique - Keep it simple stupid. The purpose is to evaluate your life in 2012 so you experience an even greater 2013.

Ten Great Questions: 

1. What are several of your most meaningful achievements and success stories this year? 

This is a great way to start. Make a list of the things God helped you achieve this year that you're most enthusiastic about. Express your gratitude to God and write a few notes of thanks to those who helped you. Reflect on which of your successes were things you planned and which were things God seemed to surprise you with. 

2. What do you need to stop doing? 

This is one of my big questions every year. It's a tough one! And the truth is, if you're growing and taking new territory, you have to let go of some things in order to keep moving forward. It could be things like worry, or time in front of the TV or computer, or your work schedule or it could be your diet and specific food or drinks (I have already begun to drastically cut back on my diet soda intake and replaced that with water and tea)  - which of these would be wise to stop doing? Or at least do much less of?  And if you need some help accomplishing the items you want to stop doing, maybe you could employ this company (vid - http://www.bluefishtv.com/Store/Downloadable_Video_Illustrations/5379/SLAP)

3. What do you need to start doing?

You probably already know exactly what you need to start or restart in 2013. Perhaps you need to be consistent with exercise, or pray with your spouse, or be faithful to your day off, or study and read more scripture. Let me encourage you to list no more than three things. Any more may ensure that none of them happen. Keep your list short! 

4. What are two or three mistakes you made this year? 

If you made a mistake or two of consequence, take heart that means you are actually trying! The important thing is to know what you learned from that mistake. Listen folks, We can make mistakes, make lots of mistakes, even make a big mistake. but never make the same mistake twice! Why? Because if you do you are not learning! 

I can look back at 2012 and see a # of mistakes I’ve made… w/ my wife, my children, in leading this church. The important thing for me is that I learn from those and continue to move forward.

5. Is there any regret you need to tend to?

This usually boils down to people. In what condition are your primary relationships? Are there any misunderstandings that need to be corrected? Is there someone you need to forgive? Do you need to ask forgiveness? Perhaps your relationships are in great shape. Good! Was there a special project that you really need and want to finish but you didn't? The idea behind this question is to identify any regret that you can do something about, and do it soon in 2013. Watch this…. (vid - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIp_8RNNX4k)

Ofcourse Oskar Schindler accomplished a great deal… what I want you to see this morning is the ‘regret’ he felt. He wanted to accomplish more… is that kind of fire w/in you?

6. What is the last thing God said to you? 

This is huge folks. It’s of the upmost importance. How does God speak to you? When does He seem to speak to you most often? For me, God consistently speaks to me while I am out walking, I call them, “Walk n Talks”.  Or when I’m alone late at night in my backyard. What is God's fresh Word to you? Are you listening? Are you obeying? Are you enjoying your life with God? If you are more distant from God than you would like, how can you remedy that? Here's a helpful tip, don't make it complicated. Sometimes when I pray, and I don't know what to pray, or I don't feel connected, I just sit with God! I'm in my little prayer room, Bible open, with no pressure to perform. I'm simply in His presence. What is the last thing God said to you?

7. In what ways do you need to better love and care for your family? 

This is very personal and that's probably why it's so important. This is essential, but it never trumps your personal life. The character and quality of your personal life determines the character and quality of your professional & family life. It's never the other way around. I suggest you consider the little things. At work we often talk of the "big priorities" but at home, it's often the little things that make the big difference. How might you be more loving at home? How might you serve your family better? 

*Focus on what you give, not on what you don't get. You will never be unhappy with that choice. 

8. What one or two areas do you want to improve in personally in 2013? 

This is sometimes tough to see and measure. You may need to ask a trusted friend or two who knows you well. Candidly, if you haven't been working on something specific this year, it is unlikely you will notice any specific improvement. Get some wise counsel and focus in on a very short list of areas to improve this coming year.  

Hey if you’re married, ask your spouse, and if you have children, they’ll tell you where you can improve :)

9. What are the top five to seven things you hope to achieve in 2013? 

What would you like to accomplish? What does your boss want you to accomplish? What would your family like to experience from you? Dream big but don't get overwhelmed. It's easy to make a list of 29 things and we both know you won't do all that. Narrow it down, make the list count. Don't make the list in a vacuum, talk with the key people in your life. Be sure to have at least one thing that is personal. Maybe write a book, or knock five strokes off your golf game, or learn to play the piano! 

Make a list of a few items you want to achieve in this upcoming year and then put a plan in place to accomplish those.

10. How can you be a better leader in 2013?

This is a big one for me. I always want to be improving as a leader. So I read books, listen to podcasts, go to seminars. Here’s the deal folks… I believe everybody is a leader, the question is, Are you a good one? A husband to his wife, a parent to their children, an older child to their brother or sisters, to your workmates, classmates, friends, family, in ministry be it a church or another organiztion… are you a good leader in those arenas?

And… let me get spiritual here with you… every Christ follower is called to lead. 

Every believer. Called folks. Not just the clergy, not just the people you see working on stage or behind the scenes of the church. Every Christ follower. Called.

Look at what Peter says in his first letter...

 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pt. 2:9

Royal priesthood refers to our leadership in this world.

And Paul to the Corinthian believers...

“So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ…”

2 Cor. 5:20

You are an ambassador, you are Christ’s representative to everybody else surrounding you…

So How can you be a better leader in 2013? (vid)

there are many more questions you could ask yourself. But I promise that if you will answer these ten, the likelihood of your 2013 being significantly stronger just went up exponentially! 

Watch/Listen to this at: FocusChurch.com 

Where is God when Tragedy Strikes?

• I received this message (question) this morning and wanted to share it:
  

  
  

  Joe, How do YOU handle a situation like this? How do YOU explain it. I am having a very hard time trying to figure out where God was yesterday. You understand these things. I'm afraid that I don't.
• Today
• 

  12:53pm

  Joe Parks

  Hi,
  Well you are not in the minority. Many, many people ask that very question. They asked after yesterday's tragedy... it got asked in Colorado after the movie gunman tragedy.... it got asked after 9/11, it gets asked when a child dies, not necessarily through a traumatic event such as yesterday but just a child getting sick and not recovering then passes away. An infant dying of SIDS, any loved one that is taken away from us unexpectedly for any reason. It's hard for us to grasp, it's hard to get our mind wrapped around it.
  So you are not alone in your thoughts.
  What we have to understand is 1st of all God is not absent. Scripture tells us He is everywhere, all the time - "The eyes of the Lord are in every place..." Proverbs 15:3 - And God said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you" Hebrews 13:5.
  2nd, God does not 'cause' the evil in this world but He has allowed it.
  That actually goes all the way back to the first humans, Adam & Eve.
  You know Adam & Eve did live in a perfect world for a time (The Garden of Eden) While they lived there everything we spectacular, there was no pain, no suffering, not a single bad thing.
  That is until they 'chose' to sin. And that's where it all started.....
  

  God has given us free will to choose. We are not puppets on a string, we have free will. And the truth of the matter is our own flesh and desires are built in with evil, which is why we need God. For Him to help us live life to the fullest.
  Jesus said in John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

  So answering questions about tragedy or trying to wrap our brains around such things is very hard to do. We just don't understand it.
  We just have to accept that evil is in this world and us, our race, humans, opened the door for evil. God didn't, doesn't cause evil. He does however give us the right to choose.

  He has come that we may life. He has comfort for us and His Word tells us that He will turn the bad (harm) into good.
  Genesis 50:20 -
  "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

  Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God"

  On the other side of that question could be this question.... 'Why is God so good to us?'
  But that can be for another day 

  I hope this is helpful

  
  

  And I hope it is helpful to you as well.

Prayer & Hope

Praying for the victims of the senseless school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. These acts of sinister violence against innocent children and adults point to a giant spiritual vacuum in our world/nation! The Church has the only answer in the world of desperation people find themselves in; and his name is Yeshua! He provides healing, hope and help! - Glenn Burris

If You Look For Me at Christmas - A letter from Jesus

If you look for me at Christmas,

You won’t need a special star.

I’m no longer just in Bethlehem,

I’m right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me,

Amid the celebrations.

You’ll have to look beyond the stores,

And all the decorations.

But if you take a moment,

From your list of things to do,

And listen to your heart, you’ll find

I’m waiting there for you.

You’re the one I want to be with,

You’re the reason that I came.

And you’ll find Me in the stillness,

As I’m whispering your name.

Love, 

  Jesus

Surviving (Enjoying) The Holiday Season by Cathleen Parks

So.....today I thought I would talk about surviving the holidays. But then it occurred to me it should really be more than that - it should be enjoying the holidays! So  I thought we could process through together how to make the holiday season, which is really from the Thanksgiving week until the 1st week of January, really good. On Friday night I asked Jessica what she thought most people would need to do to most enjoy their holidays and she said AVOID FAMILY! hahaha!!!! 

The 1st thing that comes to MY mind it the issue of crazy holiday schedules. 

There are so many things that we want to do. We want to visit friends and family, we want to go to parties, we want to go shopping but right alongside of those wants are the things we don’t want to do - visit friends and family, go to parties, go shopping! It’s really all about balance. We have to prioritize and figure out what we should and shouldn’t do. Does everyone want you to come to their party? Sure they do - it wouldn’t be the same without YOU! But will they survive if you don’t come? mmmmmm....i say yes! Believe it or not the party really will go on without you and so if attending that particular event, whether it’s a party or luncheon or whatever, if attending is going to be one more thing in your overly crowded schedule or it’s going to take away from something else or it’s going to rob you of good family time then it’s okay to say no! 

You know it’s even okay to say no just because ‘you don’t wanna’. Your allowed to do that! (Unless your spouse overrules you - I can’t help you with that one!)

Don’t be afraid to get some rest during the holidays. Don’t we feel guilty if we take the day off when we feel like there is something still to do? Look, I know this, I know that the Bible tells me to take a sabbath. 

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

It’s important to take time to rest and refocus. 

Keeping your Sabbath holy - simply put that means that which is holy belongs to God. 

Why don’t we take some time and give it to God during the holidays. Not to our boss, our neighbors, the mall, whatever. But truly take some time that is ours and dedicate it to God - therefore making it his. Not sure what to do?  Open the Bible and read through the story of Jesus’s birth. Put on some worship or Christmas music and sit in front of a cozy fire with some hot chocolate and enjoy the peacefulness while the words wash over you. Not much can alter your mood and perspective faster than music. Music just connects to our hearts in a unique way.

Ok so just say no!

Next is know when to say yes! 

You gotta make memories - enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Go Christmas light looking and make it special. Put some hot chocolate in the car and take lots of blankets - then roll your windows down and snuggle in while you drive through a really festive neighborhood. One time when it wasn’t very cold Joe and I rode our bikes through the neighborhood with Jess strapped in the kid carrier and that was so fun! We really got to take our time looking at the decorations. Or you can go down to see the display at Moody gardens. 

Every year I like to grab a pillow and put it under the tree and just lay under it and watch the lights cycle. Alli does it with me now too! See.....memories. 

Roast marshmallows at your firepit or chiminea. 

Pull out some cards or a board game. Some of you just need to play......some of you don’t remember what it’s like to loose yourself in play then watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0_Sa-cw_Aw 

The final aspect to enjoying your holidays is the most important one, it’s Hebrews 12:2

"We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him." (GWV)

You know coming off Thanksgiving week and then into the Christmas month, we just have to realize we have so much to be thankful for and we can express our thanks for our families and our homes and the food on our tables and the pillows we get to rest our heads on each night but we can’t loose sight of the source of all of these blessings.  If there was EVER anything to be thankful for it’s Jesus. If fact, everything we can possibly be thankful for is a gift. We can’t take credit for our families, our jobs, our homes. We wouldn’t have our families if God hadn’t allowed us to be born into them or for us to cross paths with our spouses. We wouldn’t have our jobs or homes had God not given us the skills and abilities to work and earn them.....

James 1:16-17  "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

No matter what you do this season don’t lose sight of what we are ultimately celebrating and that is that we have a great God who’s blessed us amazingly -  who just over 2 thousand years ago gave up His position in heaven to be born in a barn so that He could restore us back into relationship with him. Don’t you dare get so pre-occupied in your turkey, your decorations, your shopping that you forget what this season is really all about. And don’t you dare miss the opportunity to impact your life and your children’s lives with these truths.   

Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (New International Version)

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates"

You know this really ties into the making memories and the holiness issue we talked about earlier......I love how this scripture puts such an emphasis on the importance of teaching our children. What better time is there to teach our kids about God than this season where they are saturated in Christmas music - which a lot if it is just worship music and nativities and crosses and everywhere they turn their attention is repeatedly drawn to something that reminds them of the birth of our savior, our messiah. When the girls were younger we use to some really cool activities out of a book called Family Tool-chest. Anyway, it was a rainy day and we wanted to have a little fun along with kind of a family devotion 

In that moment we did several things we’ve talked about today, we made memories, we taught our kids a fundamental Biblical lesson and we created a holy experience. Remember holy simply means being that which belongs to God. That afternoon in our garage belonged to God. You know this Deuteronomy scripture also says to fix God’s words on our hearts and minds. You know what that is ultimately? That’s giving your heart and mind to God. It’s the ultimate decision to live a holy life because it’s saying ‘I belong to God’. Ultimately, the best gift you can give this season is yourself to God. Make this year uniquely different that any other year by being purposeful about setting aside yourself and your moments to be holy - to belong to God.