Tag: Christian living

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When God is Silent

When God is silent I go crazy. I’m like an ADD super-charged squirrel in my natural environment going from one thing to another and even in my sedentary state I have the turkey brain. I have a feeling that may describe you too. The world is full of us. Ritalin dependent squirrels, am I right? Anyway back to my story with a lesson.

I have been about two years out of being bi-vocational. For those that don’t know I have owned Figaro’s Pizza for 18 years and for five of those years I also was also a Spiritual Development Pastor. I resigned from the pastorate around two Easters ago and have been awaiting what is next. God has been pretty silent on the subject which I’m not thrilled about. Actually I’ve had a beef with the big guy about it. Operating one store is not enough of a challenge for this squirrel man. He has more for me than I am doing and I know it. You know the feeling, you aren’t doing what you are capable of doing but no doors have been opened. It’s frustrating and it ticks me off. I have prayed that God would just show me and there have been crickets.

What do we do in those moments where God is silent on what to do next?

As you can guess this squirrel guy just does a bunch of stuff and looks more like a squirrel dodging tires than someone called by God. Pro tip: Don’t do that.

Visionary

You and I are vision casting leaders and vison casting leaders can get stuck dreaming about the future. Vision is how businesses are started, churches planted, and movements created. God gifted us with vision and that is a good thing. However, when we get caught up in the questions about the future we are not living out a life that honors God rather we are in squirrel mode.

Called for this Moment

God is calling us to this very moment. Dream about the future but come back to today. God has stuff for us to do now. I know that isn’t earth shattering but I realized recently that most of my prayers are about the future and not about this moment. When we seek future answers I have found that most of the time God is silent, however, when I ask Him current questions He has quite a bit to show me.

When God is Silent Who Should I Love?

One of the questions I have been asking that you may want to consider is; “God who do you want me to love well today?” When we ask a question that is in the character of God, He will show us someone. God is love. God will show His followers who to love. The question is, will we listen? God will show you who HE wants you to love if you are courageous enough to ask.

God gave us the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives. He will show us who and how to love. He will show us when we should shut up and listen. Ask Him to be in your day and be active. Then trust Him with your day. It’s easy to pray for help and divine appointments and then be ticked when the day doesn’t go according to our infinite wisdom (sarcasm is intended). Ask God to direct your steps and trust that He does.

Speaking of trusting God, lets trust Him with our future. As we love well and are guided by the Holy Sprit we are going to go on the coolest adventure. However, when we are constantly obsessing over when, where, and what in the future we are squirreling it. The problem with this other than our lack of faith is that it’s fruitless.

When God is Silent Let the Ground Rest

Obsessing over the future is like a farmer who plows a field to plant seeds and then tomorrow plows the field again and again continually. Then stands there and wonders why his seeds didn’t come up. We are called to plant seeds and let the ground rest. In these moments where it looks barren God is working. He brings the seeds to harvest when we are faithful with today. Move forward in love, do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, and let the ground rest. A harvest is coming, I can see it.

Present Day

This was written over a year ago. I’m happy to report that after letting the ground rest God is speaking more and I’m getting doors opened for me that needed time. That is the great part of our journey. We never outgrow our need to trust God with the unknown as we step down a foggy path. Through loving others and living our best in the moment He will reveal in His time. Be blessed on your journey.

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4 Obstructions to Vision

Obstructions to vision can be invisible killers to our leadership. This summer I had the opportunity to go fishing in Alaska for a week in the great open tundra. It was a trip I had looked forward to for a few years. My dad, brother, and brother in law all got to go on this epic guys trip. We took a float plane into a lake where we were going to camp for a few nights. I was so excited for this once in a lifetime experience. That afternoon we hiked a few miles to a beautiful stream that we were going to fish all day. Breathtaking is an understatement; it was an unexplored fishing paradise.

I was taking in the moment, looking all around me and it was more beautiful than I could imagine.

The only thing that made this day a challenge was the strong wind. As I was taking in the beauty around me I looked upstream. My perfect moment started to shift as I saw something curious, a family member that will remain nameless, get his bear spray out. He proceeded to take the safety off of the spray can and pointed it down at the water.

He better not, I thought.

I watched as he pulled the trigger.

The spray shot out.

The wind was headed toward me.

Before I knew it I was coughing up a lung and my eyes were watering.

Beauty and vision changed rapidly to crying and coughing, as manly as possible of course. Something invisible changed everything in that moment. I could think of nothing, I could see nothing.

It reminded me of times in my life where I lost vision as a leader. Beauty of a vision obstructed seemingly from nowhere.

When you are leading, the biggest obstruction to your vision are things that are seemingly small. There are 4 obstructions to vision that you must overcome as a leader.

Failure

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Church Hill

What a great quote, thanks Church Hill. Is that all!? In reality failure hurts really bad. At least is does for me. Maybe you just bounce up and move on; if you do I’m jealous. I struggle and wallow in my failure. Sometimes I get way too familiar with my failure as I play it over and over in my brain, especially in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. Often when failure happens all we can see is the failure and if we aren’t careful it can become part of our identity. Blinded to the vision that we had we can sit in our misery.

Moving Through Failure

At times I have become an expert at failure and so I have a couple tips to move through these moments in time. The first thing that I need when I fail is to get out and workout my body. A run can help me return my setback into its actual size. The world seems a little brighter and possibilities a little more exciting when we workout. Failure wants us to be still and to relive it. Working out is the first act of returning our enthusiasm.

Community is the next thing that helps me to regain vison after I fall on my face. The more spectacular the failure, the more we need to be reminded that is a moment and not our identity. People that surround us in our moment of need is not something that happens overnight. We need to actively build in community if we hope to accomplish any vision.

Busyness is one of the Obstructions to Vision

I love to be moving all the time. Sometimes it looks like a beautiful dance, other times I look like a squirrel dodging tires so I don’t become a pancake. Pancake dodging Zech is more often the case and when we are in this mode we will lose our vision every time. That’s why busyness is one of the sneakiest obstructions to vision because we feel like we are going somewhere. We get more focused on the car coming at us than where we are going. What is interesting is that a squirrel just has to pick a direction and it would be fine, but instead it tries to out juke the oncoming pain. The outsmarting ends in a death of a vison for us as well. Busyness has only one solution.

Quitting Busyness

When I feel an overwhelming since of busyness a lot of times I push harder. Somehow the belief is that more of the same will fix my life. The lie is that if we work a little harder we can work our way out of the busy state we are in. The key is to see the forest through the trees.

One way that helps me to regain vision is to make a list of all the things that I “have” to do. Once I have the list I look at it and see what things I can delegate, what I can procrastinate, and what really needs to get done. This little exercise frees my brain and eyes to be able to see the vision again. At that point you can see your list with new eyes and pick through the things that don’t even align with your vision and eliminate what doesn’t belong. To get vision back it often is what we don’t do more than what we do.

Offense is one of the Obstructions to Vision

Offense is an obstruction to vision. For example, someone spraying you with bear spray can get you offended, hypothetically of course. When we get consumed with what someone has done to us sometimes that is all we can see. We reduce them down to a moment in time or moments in time. All the while wasting energy and focus in a fruitless endeavor. What often adds to offense is usually we don’t just keep the offense in our brain, now we have to talk about it to others wasting even more of our precious focus and energy.

Breaking Loose From Offense

We need to rid ourselves of the chains of offense. For me this is done through prayer and alone time with God. I need God’s help to move past my offense and help me to forgive my offender. Sometimes a follow up conversation with the person that offended me is needed but honestly for me I can’t make that conditional of my forgiveness. When we make our forgiveness conditional on the actions of another we give them all the power. Choosing to forgive does not mean that trust is given back. It means that I’m no longer holding onto what was done. For me I can tell when I really have forgiven someone when I can think about what happened without getting worked up. Forgive so you can see again instead of hacking on bear spray and unforgiveness.

Lack of Sleep is one of the Obstructions to Vision

Sleep is so important to the way we view life. I confess that sometimes my sleep is an after thought but when I do this it doesn’t take long before I start complaining and problems become bigger then they really are. I’m in a season right now that sleep has been a little more challenging. Sick kids have woken my wife and I up and I have been less patient and excited about my business. My vision is suffocated by a wet blanket of lack of sleep.

Resting

When we struggle to sleep there are often many reasons. Sometimes it can be circumstances that are temporary, like sick kids or worry and fear waking you up with a racing mind. We need sleep and in the hustle culture other leaders often brag about their lack of sleep and long work hours. There are different solutions for this lack of sleep. Overall, if you have trouble wanting to go after a vision you may just need a nap. Jesus took naps and you should too.

Lack of sleep, offenses, busyness, and failure are all obstructions to vision and spin us up in a cycle of anxiety or depression. Take some time away to recalibrate what you are doing and why you are doing it. Pray to God for guidance, get some outside perspective, go for a walk, or take a nap. The chocking on bear spray will fade and the beautiful scenery of your vision will return. Be blessed on your journey.

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5 Principles to Becoming More Present

We often struggle with being present with our families and in our businesses or work. We move through life lost to what is right in front of us.

My family and I have been experimenting the last few years with producing more and more of our own food. It is a fun and rewarding thing for me to do, but it can also be frustrating and time consuming. The last few years we have tried our hands at raising Bourbon Red turkeys. We have raised these turkeys from eggs to table. In peak season at our place last summer, I was caring for over a hundred birds with one hundred meat chickens and a dozen turkeys. My patience was thin and turkeys tested that patience.

One of our fiesty turkeys would spend all day pacing the fence trying to get out. It was like watching a fowl’s version of Shawshank Redemption; anything to get out of turkey jail. This little guy would find new ways to get out. It was so annoying. When this turkey would reach its jail break heaven and get out, it would spend the rest of the day trying to get back in. Back and forth, constantly pacing. It would be funny if I didn’t have to play “Catch the Turkey.”

Slap to the Back of the Head

One morning as I was going out to feed the turkeys, there was little Tom trying to get back in. I muttered under my breath, “Stupid turkey.” In that moment I felt God whispering, “You are just like that turkey.” Stupid? I pondered. I don’t think that’s what God was saying; at least I haven’t been called stupid by God yet. When I’m at work I think about being with my family and when I am with my family I think about work. Presence is missing and I’m just a gobbling fence runner, back and forth in my discontented little state. I have noticed that most people struggle with presence, maybe you struggle with presence too.

I wish that presence was as easy as “just do better,” but I have found it’s not. Like each time my mind wanders I could just stop. Stop it, done. No more running fence lines to get out or back in. A constant state of anxiety and pushing to get somewhere else to something else. This is not the life we are meant to live and there are some ways to be more present. Not perfect, however, not like Tom.

5 Keys to Becoming More Present

I’m Going to Remember This

I struggle to be present even in wonderful moments. My active mind won’t shut off from trying to solve problems. Goals are always out in front of this dream chaser and so I think about what I will do instead of being mentally at a birthday party or watching a movie. I go into full Tom mode. By the way, my neighbor’s name is Tom and he’s great, not at all like Tom the non present ignoramus turkey. Anyway, back to the dumb Tom turkey move that we all do. Missing milestones is a thing I know we all don’t want to do and there is a simple hack I learned that has brought me back to the beautiful now.

I simply say under my breath in moments, “I’m going to remember this.” This marker reminds myself that this is a big moment and I need to remember this. I need to be here to remember this. Let me repeat that, we need to be here to remember this. Multi-tasking is a Tom myth. Multi-tasking is for fence running gobblers, not powerful dream chasing men and women of God. Everyone in your circle needs the full version of you, not a mindless lump. Remember this by saying, “I will remember this.”

Technology Free Time Helps to be Present

I love technology, heck the only reason you are reading this is because of technology. Technology is awesome until it’s not. One of the reasons we struggle with presence is the go-go nature of technology. A lot of things that we want are at our fingertips in a moment. You can even get movies that are in the theater in the comfort of your own home the same day. No commercials and no waiting. It’s great and it’s a problem.

Boredom has been removed from our lives and so we are conditioned to move onto the next thing in our minds. That part is not great. We need to be okay with non activity in the brain to be able to be still in the moment. One way to work on this is to have parts of every day that has zero technology in them. I have found putting my phone away at certain points in the day and waiting a while to take my phone out has helped me to be okay with nothingness. It has become something I look forward to now even though the urge to entertain is still there. What are moments that you can be bored on purpose to have presence?

Accountability Helps Us To Be Present

I need help! Well maybe some mental help, but more than that I need people to walk alongside with. I need people to ask me how I’ve been doing with my practice of presence. It takes time to get better at being where our feet are. We will need others to encourage us and correct us when we spend a weekend at work and when we are physically with our families. Accountability helps in any area of our lives that is hard to change.

Community is always needed, especially when we fall down a lot. The practice of presence is an area that many of us will fail at several times; I know it doesn’t sound encouraging, but there is hope if we don’t give up. People are there to remind us when we fall down to press in and when we succeed give us an atta boy. In fact, the best gift is when we can be that encouragement and accountability for someone else as well.

Practice to Be More Present

We need to practice presence on a daily basis. Practice! Sometimes we try to go from a non present lump in full Tom mode, to full on in every moment and that won’t happen.

In time we can change our state to a more present one, however, some of us need more practice than others. I have found as I sit in silence for a few days looking at what is around me, I have been able to grow that time. Start at a managable time period and practice presence. Grow slowly and you will stop pacing the fence line as much.

Be Kind to Yourself

You will have ups and downs on this journey of life when you are trying to change. It’s why community and practice are so important. One area of change that we need to remember is to be kind to ourselves. We often show kindness to others a lot easier than we do to ourselves. Hold yourself in kindness as you try and change an ingrained habit for what is unnatural in our current world.

Mark victories and learn from mistakes. Perfection has never been the goal. Why do we shoot for stupid perfection; it’s another form of being a Tom. We pace the fence of regret instead of the fence of future. Hold yourself with an open hand. Our job is to not sit in judge and jury, but to focus on our part of the change process and allow God, the true change agent, to move in our lives.

What Now?

In every change we need to remember that we partner with God. He is the one that actually changes us. We can live out this list perfectly and be exhuasted, or we can do our part of the process and get a little less Tommy every day. Move with improvement as the goal as you cling to the Creator of the world to do the heavy lifting. Say you’re going to remember moments you want to remember, remove technology for moments, add accountability, practice, and be kind to yourself. You will be more present with time. Be blessed on your journey.

What helps you to be more present?

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5 Keys to Overcoming Rejection to Reach Your Dreams

Rejection feels like the end of a dream. It feels like someone’s disapproval of our art is everyone’s disapproval. I feel foolish when I am rejected. I wonder why I am not enough in the moment. It feels isolating even though all of us have come face to face with rejection. We are all at one time or another not chosen or told what we love doesn’t matter. In those moments when you feel rejection deep in your soul I don’t want you to quit, heck I don’t want to quit. I want you to overcome rejection.

When rejection comes everything in you is going to scream that the pain is not worth continuing. It feels personal, I know it does, but rejection says more about the rejector than you. Man that’s a lot easier to type than believe. It sounds like a famous break up line, “It’s not you, it’s me.” It sounds cheesy, but it is true.

Life is a mix of art and science. There is rock solid truth and a bunch of art. Art is in the eye of the beholder. I love the country. It’s why I live in a town of under 1,000 people. You may live and love the city. Two different points of view. I mean I’m right and your wrong. 😉

Rise and fight for your dreams by doing these five things.

Identity in Christ Helps us Overcome Rejection

Our identity comes from God, the one who created us. He names us and the name He stamped us with is Royalty. When we surrendered our lives to Him, we were given His identity. We can take rejection as who we are, however, we are royal priests and not less than in some way. When you are feeling the pain of rejection remember whose you are to rise from the ashes.

Stillness

I tend to try to prove people wrong when I get rejected. This is terrible fuel. I want to move on quick, but we need to still our hearts so we don’t run on that junk fuel. Sitting with Jesus in silence helps me to hear Him. In our sitting with the Spirit of God, we can hear Him whisper to us our true identity. We can feel His love towards us and He will cause us to dream dreams again. Sit with Jesus and rise in His strength to overcome rejection.

Worship

Sometimes, when I’m rejected I get a little ticked at God. I know I’m a smart guy. I don’t know if you do that, however, I do it because I’m ticked that He made me in a certain way. Not logical, but it’s where I go. When we worship God at points when everything in us doesn’t want to, our hearts turn to Him in adoration. When I worship God I stop looking at my circumstances and I’m reminded of why I run after dreams. I run after dreams because I’m running after HIM. Worship Jesus and get the power to run again.

Dust Off

I was reading in the gospel of Luke and was reminded of when Jesus sent out the disciples to heal and cast out demons. Jesus gave them instructions and told them if they are rejected to dust themselves off and go to the next town. You aren’t going to be received by everyone. You aren’t going to be understood by most. We should dust ourselves off and move forward. If we don’t we end up sitting in our state and miss out on what God has for us ahead in the next “town.” Dust off and serve the next one.

Focus on Legacy to Overcome Rejection

I have three wonderful kids, okay they are wonderful most of the time. I want them to shoot for the stars and they are bound to have some pain leaving the atmosphere for those stars. One thing that gets me to grind toward dreams is that I’m not doing it for me. I’m sowing seeds into the next generation. Your kids watch you. They are little sponges soaking up what we do more than what we say we will do. We want to raise kids that are overcomers and fighters, not ones that bend to someone’s opinion of something they have done.

Rejection especially in the early stages of chasing after a dream feels bigger than it really is. I know it hurts and honestly rejection I faced in my childhood still hurts when I think about it today. Rejection only defines you when you allow it to. Remember whose you are and rise from rejection to work towards those dreams. Rise and get a reward from it instead of wallowing in it. Rise and move forward into the brighter future stronger for it.

What helps you rise from rejection?

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Having Joy While Chasing a Dream

I’m a serial dreamer. I always have something cooking in my mind and I’m pretty sure that’s the case for every entrepreneur. It’s a blessing often to be a dreamer, but it has some challenges as well. When you are a dreamer you live in a constant state of reality, not matching the dream. Always improving and tinkering, wavering back and forth between being in a state of feeling overwhelmed or bored. It’s a big reason why I wrote Chasing Dreams in a Minivan. Early on I was failing at bringing joy along while chasing a dream.

Joy is not based on circumstances, but man it’s a lot easier when circumstances are “right.” For example,  when I reach the summit of a mountain, joy is a lot easier than when I’m struggling up a shale rock path taking two steps forward and sliding back three steps. The problem is that hiking up the mountain takes up the majority of time. So please don’t be like Eeyore, it’s kind of sad. When you need joy in the journey I’ve got a few tips that should work for you, so give them a shot.

4 Ways to Have Joy While Chasing a Dream.

Kingdom Perspective Brings Joy While Chasing a Dream

God gives us many of the dreams in our hearts and we chase after them for His glory and in His name. I have noticed though that slowly I take the dreams that He has given me and make them an idol. An idol is when we take a good thing and make it the main thing. I think in our in-between state it’s easy to obsess over a dream that has not been realized. When we notice our joy leaving us we need to remember that the dream is great when God is chased above all. In a kingdom perspective we pursue God and the dream below that. Then we have the fruit of the spirit which one of them is joy. It is really that simple, however, I must confess it’s not easy. I often need help getting there and so I added some tips below.

Stepping Away Brings Joy While Chasing a Dream

Even as adults we need a timeout. Some of us more than others. One of the things that happens in a timeout is that blood pressure lowers and perspective returns. The bigger the loss or heartache, we need to step away a little longer. Take some time in nature; go for a walk or even get away out of town and out of cell phone reception. When we get away from it all we can hear God’s voice whisper to our hearts and fan the flame of passion for a dream. In those moments we can be drawn back to a Kingdom viewpoint and have joy in the journey.

Exercise to Hear

I have been working out a few days a week and it helps my joy level. My mind is so active and sometimes I act like I can worry and stress my way out of the depression. That maybe if I think about it long enough, bam! It’s suddenly okay. When we exercise there is a certain point when oxygen is hard to come by that stress and pressure dissipate. A bonus of exercise is that creative ideas happen when our body is moving. Connect with God by exercise and watch joy make an appearance.

Surround Yourself with Your Tribe

Sometimes I just need a hug and told it’s going to be okay and I’m not a failure. In our chase to reach our dreams we can take on the identity of the dream and forget that our identity is in Christ. In these moments we need people that we trust that can speak the truth of our identity in Christ over us. When we can’t see who we are we need them to remind us of who we are. Surround yourself with people that love you and love Jesus to remind you of who and whose you are to have joy return.

We will have moments on the journey that just plan suck. Other points will make you cry and question why. The key is not to get so frustrated that you don’t see Jesus in the moment because He is there with you. Take a moment and step away, exercise to get out of your mind, and get encouragement from your tribe. God wants to do something through you but more than anything He wants to do something in you. When we commit our lives to God and focus on Him and in the end TRUST Him and His plans we will be filled with joy.

How do you bring joy to the journey?

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4 Tips to Figure out Which Dream to Follow

Often we wait for answers that we won’t ever get. We wait for one hundred percent clarity. I was reminded of this today as the fog was thick on my way to work. I could sit there, but the reality is that I won’t have any better vision of what’s ahead by sitting still. The same is true for our dreams; clarity on the direction we should go happens when we move. We will not find out which dream to follow sitting still.

The uncomfortable truth is that direction is usually better seen looking back rather than forward. It’s uncomfortable because people crave certainty and the life of a dreamer chasing God’s direction is that faith is not certainty. Actually faith requires doubt otherwise it is certain.  

For many the roadblock to chasing dreams is two good paths. The options can be overwhelming and freeze our motion and send us into a spiral downward in the mind. It’s easy to get stuck in a back and forth battle one day choosing one option and the next a different. Multiple good options can lead to decision overload.

In Acts 15:28 it states, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements.” These early leaders were building foundation to modern day Christianity and they were deciding major doctrine. Their response is that they went with, “seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us.” Seemed good! If it would have been me, I would have waited until they knew it was good.

 In our search for direction, we want a path with no failure and zero setbacks. Sign me up for that one! However, the path looks a little scarier with lots of setbacks and failure. That’s a lot of why we don’t get shown the whole picture because we never would do it! Too many creepy mice and other scary things on that path. I’ll stay right here and wait on God.

When paths become available we need to do a few things to choose the “right” one.

There is NO Right Dream to Follow

The first rule is there is no RIGHT one. When we make a decision that isn’t a sin issue or an all-encompassing one, we give too much weight to the decision. Yes, I’m sure that it is important, but I don’t think that if you choose the wrong good option your world is over. If you go and it turns out to be “wrong” you can pick a new path. Maybe God wanted to teach you something on that path for a while. Most decisions are not final or fatal. Finally, if you go down the way a little bit and realize it’s not the dream you thought it was, just make a new decision. Shrink the size of the mountain to actually choose.

Ask God

Pray about it and seek God. The writer of Acts said that it seemed right to the Holy Spirit and to them. They were talking with God and did what they thought God was telling them to do. Listen more than you speak when you ask. Sometimes we ask and plead instead of asking Him and waiting for Him to speak. Asking God and doing what you think He is telling you is the only way to have joy and peace on your journey.

Get Council

There are people that have struggled with decisions and know you well. Ask them what they think and what they notice. It could be that you are actually excited about one career, but you’re scared. Your family or friends will be able to pick up on things like that. They can also tell you their stories about why they chose different jobs and what the messy middle was like before it worked out. Glean from experience and wisdom to help you make the decision.

With council, make sure that you don’t abdicate the decision to them and that you listen to God above all else.

Get Away to Figure Out What Dream to Follow

When making decisions I need time away by myself. This world is really noisy and it’s hard to get silence and solitude. However, it is super important to remove yourself from your environment to get a clear view and listening ears to hear God. The bigger the decision, the more time away from the noise I recommend. Get out of town, go for a hike, take long walks in the morning or evening, sit next to a river. There are many ways to get away; we just have to make time and space to do it. Get out of the noise to have clarity on the dream.

Shrink the size of the decision to get you moving, pray to God, ask wise people, and get alone with God. In the end, know when you are searching for certainty and when you’re using wisdom. Chase after God and you will be able to figure out what dream to follow in time. If you need more help reaching your dreams, my book goes into further detail and you can get that here.

What helps you figure out what dream to follow?

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Jesus Is The Hero Not Us

I love a good western movie. The stranger rides into town unknown to everyone and after some time the town villain usually wants him to join his gang but he refuses. Most often on some moral high ground he fights the villain and his men. Against all odds he wins the day, the girl, and then rides off into the sunset.

I use to mock my wife for watching the Hallmark channel because it’s the same plot over and over. Then I looked at my action movies I like to watch and realized they are just as predictable as a girl dumping the business man and falling for the dude that wears flannel and works with his hands in every Hallmark movie. That stings a little.

I like those movies because something in me wants to be the hero.

Writing a sentence that changes someone’s life. I want to be remembered. To be significant.

In the same breath I like to blame. If only I would have a shot, I can be just like Uncle Rico in Napoléon Dynamite, “If coach would have put me in fourth quarter things would be different.” If I would have less demands from others life would be easier. If I was made differently I would be better off. I’m an expert excuse maker if I try, it’s a super power.

I believe we all love to play hero and then are tempted to be a victim.

 There is a problem when any of us try and be the hero because it’s a role we aren’t designed to play. The real hero was a carpenter that lived a couple thousand years ago. Jesus became a better hero than any of us could ever be.

God designed things for us to do and we get to play an awesome part of living that out. Heck people will even remember your name if you are faithful to the call, but I hope and pray in what they say about us is, “Man, they really loved like Jesus.”

Jesus should be the hero of our story.

When we try and be the hero we will fail. When we fail, we blame. It’s a terrible cycle in case you’re wondering. I know this and yet I’m still tempted and try and put on my ten-gallon hat and six shooters riding that pale horse.

When we try and be a hero we overextend ourselves consciously or unconsciously because we are the answer! Life moves from the wonderful rhythm God intended to stress, pressure, and overwhelming feelings. If you feel stress, pressure, and are overwhelmed, stop and ask yourself, “Am I trying to play a part I was never meant to play?”

The Mundane Matters

The next area that hero playing can be dangerous is in the mundane. Often when I’m trying to be the hero I think that I need to do some grandiose vision. Something that would knock the socks off people, and I miss the chance to reflect on the King. I miss the very things that God may be calling me to. Often listening to someone, like really listening to their heart is a way to make Jesus the hero. Listening to my wife instead of telling her about my things that I care about. Playing catch with my son. Moments of mundane like these we could miss if we are looking to copy the Lone Ranger.

Make Jesus the hero of your story and simply model love. No one wants you to be the hero, however, everyone could use some more love. Love well in the simple things, love well when it’s inconvenient . Look for areas to pour out love to those you come in contact with by seeing them the way Jesus does and that would make a truly epic story. We live in an amazing beautiful story that began in the beginning of time and the hero is God. He lets you and I play a part of that story. The world doesn’t need another John Wayne, they need love from Jesus through you. Love consistently, love extravagantly, love graciously, and love sacrificially.

What helps you love others like Jesus?

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The Struggle to Have Joy

My definition of exhausted has reached a new all-time high. I’m experiencing a level of weariness that is new for myself.  Like the soul crushing, mentally, physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually exhausting. As a result I’m not experiencing much joy. You know the exhaustion we are all living right now. It makes the best in us come out doesn’t it? (insert sarcasm emoji here).

We are walking around easily triggered. Because there are real concerns and not a lot of middle ground. For example, some are worried about health, others that personal freedoms are being stripped away. One side calls the other uncaring, the other sheep. Americans are a divided people, and we are having such a hard time listening to each other. Having empathy and understanding seems to be the last thing on our minds and if you would just agree with me, we can be mad together.

I’m writing these words staring at a sign in our house.

JOY to the world.

It’s what the world needed 2,000 years ago. It’s what the world needs today.

Speaking of the world that’s easy to say. The world needs the joy of Jesus. Others need this joy. This kind of thinking only keeps the magnifying glass off of me.

I need Joy

I struggle with depression and disillusionment. Often I think life would be different, and easier. I’m upset at the world but in all reality, I’m upset at myself.

Joy, I need it.

Peace, I need it.

Hope, I need it.

I search out there for it, and it eludes me like the setting sun.

I have searched for joy in my environment and my soul is hurt by the sin out there and the sin in me. My soul is torn and soiled by what I and others have done.

I’m restless and sleepless when I search for something that has been given. I search too often. I try to earn identity, peace, hope, and joy. Those things have been given and are not things to obtain but walk in.

Jesus has been given. The One who holds it all together. The One that hung the stars in the sky holds everything together. I remember the designer of everything and everyone in the universe. I remember He sees it all I’m reminded that He made me and sees me.

Emanuel

God with us. He came. God came in human form. He felt what you feel. He sees US. All of us. He does not just see the parts of us that we pretend/hope are enough. Jesus brought Joy, but I fear our fear and busyness blocks out His voice all too often. He is as close as a whisper. Do you hear Him?

Joy unbridled. Joy and peace unspeakable is only found when we stop searching and start sitting with Him. Jesus came to be WITH YOU. He is as near as your Spirit surrenders and allows Him to be. We may not have answers, and when we get those answers, we may not like them. But the fruit that He offers is not from self-effort but from surrender. I surrender my plans, wishes, and dreams. I surrender my expectations, hopes, and fears. Often striving adds to the despondent feelings that are unquenchable but when I surrender, Joy, peace, and hope return to my mind and soul. This Christmas season I surrender, and I will choose to pick up JOY. Will you join me?

Choose Joy!

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How to go from Stress to Peace

“Breathe. Calm down and unclench your jaw,” I talk to myself trying to slow my racing heart and tightness of my entire being. I feel like I may be trying to solve the whole world’s problems by grinding and pressing my molars together as hard as I can. A great way to unwind after a long day. So far it hasn’t done much other than the gift of a giant headache. I don’t know about you but more often than I would like to admit, I’m winning the game of high blood pressure more than peace. I wish high blood pressure was rewarded. Alas I only get a bunch of vitamins and fish oil.

This year has been a fun time to lead. Yes, sarcasm is highly intended with that statement. Every decision is unpopular. Every person is triggered, and I don’t know about you but I need one day without a new “gift” to drop this year. No corona, no murder hornets, no elections, no bubonic plague found in squirrels. I’m quite done with 2020 surprises and I’m sure you are too.

If you are struggling with peace during this time, try these 3 things.

Examine the Fruit

A lack of peace is fruit. Just like peace is fruit (Gal 5:22-23), meaning it’s a byproduct of following and relying on God or not. Often when we lose our peace we focus on our circumstances around us. For example my rant against 2020 surprises above. However, if peace is a byproduct of surrender to the Spirit of God in us then it has little to do with the rona, hornets, and even the plague. Instead of looking at what is going on around us we should examine what we are believing that is causing our responses. Take some time and pray about what you are believing that is causing you stress.

Give God Control and Gain Peace

I have really good ideas about the way things should go. In fact they are so good that I want God to follow my lead. Pretty ridiculous when I write it down, however, it’s kind of true. I like to try and control a lot of things that are beyond my control and put off doing the things that I can control.

I have found that I’m not alone in trying to control the world. Stop by any social media for two seconds and it’s filled with right people tearing down the wrong group. We do a poor imitation of an all knowing all seeing God. When I lose my peace I notice that a lot of time I’m playing a part I was never meant to play. Though possibly well meaning are you trying to play a part you aren’t designed to play? Most often the answer for me is yes. There is very little that I actually control and acknowledging it helps me to have peace because God’s got a lot more than I do, so I can breathe easy when my hands are off the wheel.

Presence

I don’t like the present very often. I kind of live with a third of my mind on the past, a third on the future, and a third on the present. It is a terrible cocktail. I can’t figure out my future, but man I want to know. I can’t redo the past. Maybe it can explain why I am the way I am though. Visiting the past to get healing is great. Casting a vision of the future is awesome. However, when we stay in either of those places we lose the beauty God wants to do in the now. When you lose your peace ask yourself what time period am I thinking about? Usually for me it’s not now. If you are wandering off of the moment, take some time and look at the beauty God has made around you. Slow down and soak in this very moment.

Looking at the root, controlling what you can control, and living in the present with God is a recipe for peace. It’s easy to slip in any of these areas. Be kind to yourself as you learn to trust God more with the parts of your life that don’t make sense. I often pray, “Lord I believe, help me to believe.”

What returns peace to your soul?