Genesis Fourteen

"He (Abram) recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with women and the other people."
-----Genesis 14:16

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

I found it interesting in verse 10 as it talked about the men of Sodom and Gomorrah fleeing, that some fell into tar pits. These weren't just little puddles of tar. Men were falling in entire pits. The leader in me wonders what happened here? Who led these men into pits of tar? My guess is that no one did. And there in lies the problem. These men found themselves in a leadership depression. In the hysteria of retreat bad things happen. A good leader will always look out for the well being of those that are following him. A great one will lead them to safety (even in retreat). If he fails to do that then sooner than later he will stop leading and be the weird guy walking by himself shooting orders.

Abram displays his leadership skills here. He assembles men for a cause (318 men). Had the vision to divide them to make more progress. Verse 16 states he gets back all of Lot's wealth.
When great leaders lead, progress is made.
When leaders stop leading, there becomes a
confusion of vision. (And men get stuck in tar pits.)

One more note before I go:
Abram followed behind the lead of the King Eternal.
Lot followed the lead of the king of Sodom.
One led men into tar pits, the other leads us back to His heart.
Which will you and I follow today?

"King, I pray that You will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path today. Help me not fall in pits that will hinder my pursuit of You."

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Genesis Thirteen

So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers."

---Genesis 13:8

I am reminded this morning that there are always options before conflict turns into a war between people. Much of the time we choose to skip diplomatic matters in order to get straight to fighting and bickering. Conflict is inevitable in some cases. Sometimes relationships will end because of conflict. That is a fact of living.

Abram here, serves as the voice of reasoning. Do you find when you are in an argument with another, that many times the voice of reasoning shows up after the fact? James speaks about the power of our words many times, in his letter to the Christians scattered among the nations. Bottom line is this: we do not have to go from situation to fighting in 2.4 seconds. Strive to find ways to resolve conflict, before one of the parties involved says something they didn't mean. But more importantly, before it kills the relationship.

"Father, help me guard my words carefully today.
Allow me to pursue peace where it is necessary.
Help me have the strength to stand firm where You are calling me to do so."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis Twelve

"Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram and his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had."

---Genesis 12:20

It doesn't take very long for Abram to prove that he is human. It takes a total of about 11 verses, to see him attempt to rely on his own abilities, rather than God's.
(I wonder what it would say about me. I would just hope to get one verse in before I mess things up.)
God sent Abram and his family toward Negev.
My strong assumption is that God may have known where He was sending them (being that God is God).

In verse 11 we see him concoct a plan. In verse 20 we see him back on the road with much more than he had before he arrived in Egypt. More sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Most can look at verse 11 and go to verse 20, and view Abram as a man with insight, or at least the luckiest man in town.

However, in verse 17 we find the reason Pharaoh wanted Abram out of town. Abram's deceit brought serious diseases on the Pharaoh and his household.

There is danger in deceit for everyone involved. We think that as long as we don't feel the effects or suffer the consequences, then the means match the end. This is not true. Think about what happened in verse 17. SERIOUS DISEASES. Let's make this modern day diseases: cancer, aids, cerebral palsy, insanity.

All for stuff.

Not relying on God appears to get overlooked here.

Abram lost faith in God's protection, even after God had promised him.
Because of this, people suffered and possibly died.

"Father, help me walk in step with your song. Let me lean not on my own understanding but stand firm on Your word."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis Eleven

Two things stuck out today about Genesis chapter 11.

1) vs. 4 Then they said, "come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, SO THAT WE MAY MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

One of the beautiful things about God is that He will not play second fiddle in any situation. To some, this could be interpreted as egotistical. However, when you are perfect like He is, your ego doesn't come into play because you have no fault. God has said time and again that He is everything we need to survive, and allows us ways to experience Him daily.

2) vs. 10-25.
Did you notice the decline in man's years? We go from man living 500 years to 119 years. I think this has a lot to do with the re-population of man-kind. God speaks in chpt. 6 about man's days being numbered to 120 years. I wonder what that has in common.

"Dad, please open my eyes to joy today as I experience Your creation. Let me focus on making You more known than myself."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Genesis Ten

"Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord, that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."

---Genesis 10:8-9

I am unsure when the name Nimrod took a turn and went from a name of honor to being the phrase we use as slang to describe an idiot and a jerk. It is difficult to imagine a world where people called each other a Nimrod and that bringing up pride in one's heart.

Nimrod is brought up in the genealogy of Noah's sons. I think God puts characters like this in His word to make sure we aren't skimming these sections. I imagine a tough looking man's man kind of hunter, capable of wrestling bears and fighting lions. (the closest I can get to describing this kind of guy, would to just send you a picture of the time I wrestled a bear and fought a lion--- I will check to see if I still have those pictures though).

I am reminded this morning that words can take many forms. Just like the meaning of Nimrod's name has changed over time. We have a tendency towards abusing words in order to prove our point. How we pick our words has a dramatic effect in the direction of the conversation.

Today, I wish to choose words that will inspire the heart of those I come in contact with.

"Father, thank You for the gift you gave us in how we speak. Help me today to process each sentence through my heart before it goes out my mouth.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Genesis Nine

"And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting."
--- Genesis 9:5

Three things happen in this chapter. God's judgment upon mans accountability, God's new covenant with His creation and Noah drinking in excess. I was drawn to God telling Noah that He will demand an account for our lifeblood. Simply meaning God will require all of us to account for his or her actions. God places Himself as the ultimate judge over all creation.

A few thoughts I have about this...
1) People will tend to ask, "Who made Him, God?" Actually He was always God. I would think the Creator of everything may have the knowledge and the right to oversee our actions.

2) We tend to want others to make an account of something they have done to us, but usually hide when we need to make an account for something we did.

3) God is setting up some new guidelines. Not to be unjust, but to regulate justice over all the land. This does not make Him cruel, He is simply stating that there is a price for everything we do.

4) Though, He does require us to make an account for our actions. We are allowed the ultimate substitution in Jesus. We are allowed to use His righteousness to make a case for relationship with God. (This is often overlooked by people that think that God is invading their personal life-- which leads to number 5).

5) God is involved in our personal lives because He is a 'personal' God. He loves you and me too much to allow us to hurt ourselves.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Good night kiss

Barak teaches me so much about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I have this book idea about some to the different aspects of the first year of his life I am considering putting into my laptop.

Tonight was something special...
Tuesday, I had to discipline him for something he did at preschool. He clearly knew what he did was wrong and knew of my disapproval. All week he seems to have been a little distant with me. I think Misty thinks I am looking to much into it but I really think he has been a bit mad at me. The fact that he is 1 1/2 years old may play a factor into this, but this is my feelings and my blog so lay off.

I was putting him in bed tonight. As soon as we walk into his room, he placed his head on my shoulder. I am loving the moment, standing there rocking my boy on my shoulder. I am not the manliest of all men nor am I a sissy boy. But, this moment will bring any man to at least a lump in his throat.

Then it happened...
Barak lifts his head from my shoulder, kisses me on the lips and goes back down to the shoulder. In a moment of no verbal communication, I think we had a beautiful conversation. It was as if Barak forgave me for needing to discipline him and we are now on good terms.

God disciplines out of necessity not spitefulness. Just like there is no part of me that wishes to hurt Barak in any way, however, I realize that in order for him to be all that he can be, I must instill certain values in him and let them run free. I think this is a lot the same with God. He never just decides to pick on us to be mean. He never disciplines without reason.

I love Him because He desires the best out of me.
This means at times course corrections.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Eight

"The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma
and said in His heart:..."
-----Genesis 8:21

After being on a boat for anywhere between
150-200 days, we find Noah building again.
Instead of preparing for water, he builds for fire.
Noah builds an altar, a place where we dedicate to or commemorate the greatness of our Heavenly Father.

This is a weird thing to me in this chapter.
Noah is placed in a world where the population consists of his family reunion. I would think that there could be some fears that may come up.

None the less, Noah dedicates the first part of the new chapter in his life to God. It says that the Lord smelled the PLEASING AROMA.
I wonder if the act of the heart is what made the aroma sweet.

I am reminded today that God will bring us to the end of a chapter leading to the next chapter. The attitude I take into the next chapter is important to the direction in the end of the new chapter (if that makes sense). Noah dedicated the first part of this new chapter to God. As I am opened up to new chapters, I long to do the same.


ALSO...
Did you catch in v.13 that God starts Noah over
on the first day of the first month.
(Talk about a New Year's Resolution!)

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Seven

"The Lord then said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.'"
----Genesis 7:1

Every generation is looking for spiritual leaders. If these men and women do not accept the call to lead then entire generations and generations to come suffer. We see this recurring theme many times in the Old Testament.

When spiritual leaders don't lead the 'Word of the Lord' is scarce in the land. The result is a society where people do not have relationship with our Heavenly Father. We are living in the time when a hero of the faith (Billy Graham) is nearing the end of this leg of his journey. He has lived both an interesting and rewarding life. He will be sorely missed on this side of eternity.

However, heroes of faith are not limited to world-wide crusades. The people that will make the most difference in my opinion (which doesn't amount to much-- I have had the Mavs winning the championship every year since 94) is the local body of believers in Anytown, USA.

These are the ones that assure that the next generation hears of the redemptive story of Jesus and the adventurous epic of God. And this is done mostly by doing very little. Not necessarily a public altar call, but an act of kindness. Not by revealing sin, but by showing love.

What would happen is a local body of believers committed and displayed the qualities of Jesus and not of churches past?

I am reminded this morning that every generation is looking for leaders.
I am challenged today to pick up the ball and go forward.

"Dad, help me today to see where You are calling me to make a difference."

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Six

I have always thought about the logistical challenges Noah may have faced with the ark: the animals, the people looking at him as if he were "Old Man Noah,"
The crazy guy that is building an ark. Noah was already different than the others. In fact God considered him "blameless among the people of his time."

I am reminded this morning that at times, following God may not make much sense to others. As he is opening your eyes to opportunities, you may field questions or feel a judgmental attitude from people in your sphere of influence.

Seek counsel from the wise and follow God.
He tends to know a bit more than us.

"Father, give me the wisdom to know what is right, the courage to do what is right, even when it is hard."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Genesis Five

"Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."

---Genesis 5:24

I love the story of Enoch. In the middle of how long people lived and who had what kid, God decides to let us learn about Enoch. There are few words said about him, but the ones that are used, speak volumes about his character.

What if it was said on your epitaph that you lived _________ years, had _________ kids and you walked with God. What a beautiful picture of God's compassionate heart.

I found it interesting that he lived 365 years. There just so happens to be 365 days in a year. I wonder if God was teaching us something about our walk with Him. That maybe, it is an everyday kind of thing. It can be so easy to lose focus in the middle of a week. God desires us to walk with Him daily.

Then again, I could be over thinking it.

"Father, help me today to walk with you
in every step I take."

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Four

"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor."

---Genesis 4:3-5

What is the issue here? Both brought offerings. Both were fruits of their labors. Both were designated to God.

The issue here is not the fact that they gave an offering, the issue is that Abel brought the best and Cain appears to have given leftovers. This is an important principle to understand as we desire to please God with our lives.

Because God wants to be first in our lives, we must treat Him as such. We must not give Him leftovers as we tell Him that He is Holy. This applies in all areas of our lives. Not just finances (though living in financial obedience is very important), but in our efforts in family, work and service.

What if each day, the first hour you worked you dedicated it as an offering to God. I would imagine that if this happened, you would find the first hour of each day to be the most productive of all your hours.

"Father, help us give you our very best today."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

My Son is Awesome

This morning Barak decided to wake up about 7 o'clock in the morning. This is not what makes him so cool. Every once in a while when he wakes up around this time we bring him into our bed for some cuddle/"dear God give me 15 more minutes of sleep" time.

I carried him into bed and laid him on my chest (I love this so much). He lays there for every bit of half a second when he sees his mom laying next to me. Barak crawled off my chest into what may have been the most comfortable place in the entire bed right next to Misty. I am going through two different emotions: 1) I would have liked to cuddle a bit with him. And, 2) I wouldn't mind having that spot where he is so I could cuddle with Misty.

Then as my eyes are closed and I am drifting back to sleep I feel his little hand on my face. He pulls himself closer to me using my nose as an anchor. Grabs my cheeks and gives me a kiss right on the lips.

God is good and I am blessed!

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Three

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
---Genesis 3:5

It doesn't take very long for The Enemy to be introduced into our story. Taking the form of a serpent, Satan attacks man- kind. What I find interesting is that he chooses to attack Eve. I grew up thinking Satan chose Eve because she may have been the weaker of the two people in the garden. Disregarding the sentence where Adam was next to her (literally).

Awhile back, I was introduced to a thought of why Satan chose to attack Eve. I will paraphrase this from the book "Captivating" by Staci and John Eldredge.

Eve as a woman, was the image of beauty for mankind. Bottom line-- Adam liked what he saw. Before Satan's attempt to gain control of Heaven, he served as the Guardian of Light. The most beautiful of all angels (not the scrawny guy with horns and a pitch fork). He was the second most beautiful being around (first is the Glory of God).
Eve comes along and takes the championship belt away and we find Satan attacking beauty as soon as he can.

AND BEAUTY HAS BEEN
ATTACKED EVER SINCE!!!

I wish Adam would have fought for her the way we see in the movies. That he would have protected her above all things. It was not his finest moment.

Then I am reminded that at times, I have allowed beauty in my life to be attacked and I have done little to stop it. So maybe I shouldn't jump on the 'Adam is an idiot' bandwagon so quickly.

We live in a society where beauty is being attacked everyday. We accept perversions of beauty which alters our awareness of the real thing.

"God open our eyes to seeing and
protecting the beauty of Your creation today."



Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis Two

"...But for Adam no suitable helper was found"
--- Genesis 2 :20

God always knows what He is doing. Even when I tend to be confused by how things are playing out. I am reminded of this today in the creation of Eve. In verse 18 God said that it is not good for Adam to be alone and that He would make a helper for him. What I love here is that before God makes a helper He spends time showing Adam every animal in ALL OF CREATION. Adam was allowed to name all the animals.

Then at the end of verse 20 we find Adam still alone. I think God knew He was going to make Eve (Gen. 1:26) but desired Adam to know there would be no one more suited and captivating as woman. And so Adam has the perfect partner. This required sacrifice on his part. I am thinking the "I will not take that which has cost me nothing" principle plays a significant role here.

So there was God, Adam, Eve, Creation... Let the adventure begin!!!

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Genesis One

I love the story of how God created this world. Rather you believe in Evolution, Creationism or the newly adapted concept of Intelligent Design, there is enough intrigue to fund coffee shops across America.

I believe this only leads to more of the mystery of God and I firmly believe He chose this path just to keep people guessing. In our pursuit of knowledge God is found. Then we are drawn closer to Him because of His majesty and His Holiness.

As I was reading today the first chapter of Genesis my heart beat stronger after
encountering verse 3.

God said "LET THEIR BE LIGHT." On the first day God decides to reveal what may be the greatest attribute of His character. He introduces light, illumination, a way to navigate through darkness.

He establishes Himself as the hero of His story, He declares that apart from His ability we would be wandering in the darkness.

What an amazing God.

Another thought stuck out but that won't be able to be expressed until tomorrow and the creation of Adam and Eve.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Proverbs 16

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth."
---Proverbs 16:13

Random Thoughts After Reading This Verse:
Honesty is an incredibly valuable tool in gaining influence with others.

In order to have influence I must first earn the right to be heard.

This process is often thwarted if I choose deception over honest community.

Today, I will commit to honesty and value it like an asset.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Proverbs 15

"A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,
but a patient man calms a quarrel."
----Proverbs. 15:18

I am not a fan of the U.F.C. (a form of fighting that is just a step above street fighting). I have always been this way. In school I never wanted to see two people take swings at one another, in order to cause pain on the other. I don't like seeing people get hurt. Much less, getting hurt over what is too often, a meaningless issue.

Most all fights (both physical and verbal) become escalated, when one person says something that serves as a tipping point for the conflict. the discouraging issue, is that many times, what was said was not meant. There is a danger when we allow anger to lead the conversation.

Today, I am going to do whatever possible to pursue peace with the people that God allows me to interact with today. I hope that you would do the same. I wonder what this world would look like if we chose to settle conflict in a manner, where we didn't have to say we were sorry for something we didn't mean to say?

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

True story of tonight's adventure

There I was staring into the fierce eyes of the beast as it started feasting on my fingers. With my son on my lap I thought only of keeping him safe. I was not sure how this was going to play out. Would my hand be crippled forever? Do fingers grow back? How is this going to effect my golf game? As I stared into the eyes of the beast I decided, this is not the end for me. I will not be beaten. I struggled to break free of the beast's fierce grip and was triumphant.

On my way home I played back the horrific experience and decided maybe those thoughts arose a bit prematurely. However, your mind goes a bit crazy as you are being bit by a duck at the pond.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Proverbs 14

"All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty."
----- Proverbs 14:23

Over the last few years I have become a student of leadership. Both leadership in action and leadership theory. I have a few leadership podcasts, watch what is going on with leaders in the business and political realms. In fact, the other day I came across an article about Luke Ravenstahl the new 26 year old mayor of Pittsburgh, PA.

I read about leadership all the time. Tim Sanders in his book "Love is the Killer App." stated: "Reading is a source of potency, so manage it like an asset." This has not always been my desire. When I first started attending The Ridge, Pastor Jess opened me up to the world of John Maxwell and Stephen Covey. These men are two giants in the fields of leadership.

What separates employees from leaders is personal work ethic.
Talent can only take you so far, responsibility, dedication, agility, desire to learn and direction, have the possibility to take you further than your talent could even begin. (Of course, if you are my height and want to play center for the Mavs you may have logistical issues).

TAKING THE TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO WORK HARD WILL ALWAYS BRING PROFIT. Sometimes in the form of bonuses, praises from co-workers, the corner office. Some- times there will not be tangible return for your efforts. Know this: each day you commit to becoming better, you make yourself more valuable to your area, your business, your field.
The accumulation of working hard everyday will eventually take you somewhere you have never imagined possible.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:20
"He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm."

"We are all sheep!" A friend of mine once stated about our subconscious navigation toward doing unwise things. There is strength in numbers or so it seems. As a teen when I found myself in trouble, it usually involved me and a group of people. The weird part is, when I was getting punished it all of a sudden became a solo mission.

Solomon hits on something here: If you want to make wise decisions. If you are serious about shining your 'light' brightly. If you have a desire to not be the same person tomorrow as you are today. Then making wise decisions is paramount to the process. Walking with wise people serves as a vital part of this equation.

I believe WE ARE a lot like sheep.
The question now becomes, where is the herd you are in headed?

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Seasons

I just got finished running. Have you noticed the coolness of the evening? It is refreshing and very pleasant. As I was basking in the coolness I was reminded of something my good friend and mentor Pastor Jess speaks of quite frequently. LIFE HAS SEASONS. I pray that as the weather changes to an even more pleasant season that you will be refreshed in not only the weather, but that you will find refreshment in God.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Proverbs 12

I love the wisdom of Solomon. He seems to be my kind of guy. Straight to the point, doesn't mind how random the thought. God gave him so much wisdom and insight into so many things.

Today as reading the 12th chapter of the book of Proverbs this stuck out to me:
"The way to a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice." (v.15)

Solomon answers the age old question: "Why people to foolish things."
THEY ARE FOOLS AND KNOW NO BETTER!!!
The good news is... "Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" and even more pertinent "while we are all fools Christ does not give up on us."

Some steps in not being a fool are pretty simple:
1. Walk in the wisdom of God's word
2. Learn from your mis-steps
3. Listen to "wise" counsel
4. Commit to taking the next right step


As we grow from life experiences we have the opportunity to become wiser.
The trick is, making the choice towards wisdom and away from foolishness.

Heart and Soul,
BAG
<><

Discovery

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen
and thinking what nobody has thought."
---Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

Genesis One

I love the story of how God created this world. Rather you believe in Evolution, Creationism or the newly adapted concept of Intelligent Design, there is enough intrigue to fund coffee shops across America.

I believe this only leads to more of the mystery of God and I firmly believe He chose this path just to keep people guessing. In our pursuit of knowledge God is found. Then we are drawn closer to Him because of His majesty and His Holiness.

As I was reading today the first chapter of Genesis my heart beat stronger after
encountering verse 3.

God said "LET THEIR BE LIGHT." On the first day God decides to reveal what may be the greatest attribute of His character. He introduces light, illumination, a way to navigate through darkness.

He establishes Himself as the hero of His story, He declares that apart from His ability we would be wandering in the darkness.

What an amazing God.

Another thought stuck out but that won't be able to be expressed until tomorrow and the creation of Adam and Eve.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Vision Night

Vision Night is tomorrow night.
I am so excited about what Jess is going to be sharing with The Ridge family.
Be sure you make it a point to attend.
God is doing some great things in the life of our church.
This year is going to be an Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12-14) for many years to come.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Authentic living

A few weeks ago I introduced a thought that God has introduced into my heart. It geared around a process that one takes to experience a culture where life change happens, while understanding that being flawed is o.k. as long as there is a pursuit to bettering yourself.

The thought was this...

Once we are truly authentic with ourselves, the way we see others changes. We become more accepting of flawed people. Then our hearts strive to help them find the same hope we have. As they experience an environment where they are free from the illusion to be perfect, they can begin to experience the transformation that only God offers.

The process starts off with an individual understanding that how they see and treat others will much of the time have a direct effect on how others see and treat that person's God.

I try to live with a "what you see is what you get" mentality. I do not enjoy much the world of hidden agendas. Because of this I long to live an authentic life which reflects the love of my Savior.

Here are a few thoughts on being Authentic...

Being Authentic…

Begins with losing my need to pretend
There is no need to pretend to be something you are not.
Acting as if you have it all together is a façade that will never hold up.

We all have doubts… we tend to think that doubt is the arch nemesis of Faith in God. If we have a doubt then we must not love God. You should check out the stories of Thomas, Paul, John the Baptist, Abraham, Peter as just a few people that doubted at times.
Doubt is not the enemy here.

If you choose to live authentically and lose your need to pretend you will not hold yourself to an unrealistic standard and in return will stop holding others to it as well.

Begins with me before it can begin with we
Before any church can develop the reputation of having a ‘come as you are’ culture, the process has to begin with the people of that body of Christ.

You have to develop a mentality that other people matter to God.
That other people are looking for answers to their hearts questions.
And we are called to link them with God who has those answers.

Publicly leads to influence privately
Being Authentic with your life will open the doors for you to help people for God. When people see you understanding that you are not perfect and that you are inviting to those that are not perfect, opportunities to have influence will present themselves.

"Influence can do what command can never do; it can win the hearts of people. You can pay people to do a job, but you can’t pay them to change their minds or, more accurately, to change their hearts. External power has the limitation of bringing external change. Influence is the material of internal power. Again, influence is not about position or delegated authority or endless forms of power… Real influence goes deep. It changes how a person feels about something. It has direct impact not only on how a person acts, but also on what he believes and what he is committed to."
---Seizing your Divine Moment
---- Erwin McMannus p. 119-120

And that is what we are looking for as we experience people in our world.
We want to earn the right to speak truth into their hearts and the only way for that to happen is to show them a DIFFERENT KIND OF CHRISTIAN.

Heart and Soul
BAG
<><

Snotty noses, labor day naps, life is good

Monday's are my day off. Usually it's spent doing just about whatever. Sometimes I get a little work done, sometimes I go golfing, sometimes I do nothing. With Labor Day being today I have found myself with an intentional need to do absolutely nothing.

Here is my day so far:
8:40 wake up with Barak and get him breakfast

9:10 watch Barak try to tackle his aunt Kirbi's dogs

9:30 lay on couch and mess with Barak

10:00 consider my morning useful and justify
a need for a nap

12:00 wake up from a nap intended to only last 1 hour

1:00 go get lunch for Misty and me

1:35 Barak is waking from his nap, I go get him,
he places his head on my shoulder,
I realize he may want to sleep a bit more on
this rainy day, I carry him into my bed and
we continue the nap time experience.

3:00 He gets up leaving what I believe may be the
largest collection of snot all over my shirt.
Looks at me, stretches out and smiles.

Life sure can be difficult sometimes.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Don't throw things away before their time

Titus 3:5
"He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of HIS MERCY. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit."

I can be incredibly wasteful. I tend to discard things well before they should be tossed out. I do this with food, things, papers, and to be honest I tend to do this with people. I have a tendency to discard relationships that are no longer convenient for me. I wonder how many relationships in my past have I thrown out before they could have made a dramatic difference in God's family? Not just for me, but for others as well. (I believe there is great value in groups of people committed to a single goal.)

I read this verse in Titus and am reminded of just how amazing my Savior really is. Though He could have tossed me out a long time ago. He not only allowed me into His life, He washed me and gave me a new life. New opportunities to soar higher, love deeper, fight fiercer. And the beauty of this is that He knows where I started and is committed to seeing the journey with me complete.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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