christopherhildreth

New Mark Batterson Book

Posted August 1, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Books I'm Reading, Context, Creativity, Life

Got an email about a week ago asking for people to do a review of Mark’s new book due out August 19th, Wild Goose Chase. His last book, In a Pit, With a Lion on a Snowy Day, is one of those books that I find myself giving out to people constantly. Mark’s style, both in writing and in person is at once familiar and straightforward. He has the ability to immediately build a rapport with an audience so that the discussion can move deeper.

Hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll be able to review the book and let you guys know what it’s all about…Peace.

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Yesterday’s Post

Posted July 30, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

From what I’m hearing, the idea of helping is catching on. With the problems in the world all around us, maybe we can make a difference, maybe we can do something.

Stay tuned.

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Book – The Intention Experiment

Posted July 29, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Belief, Books I'm Reading, Context, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

I wrote about this book several months ago. It was the sort of book that I needed to read, then set aside and then read again. I finished the book during our vacation last week and had to comment on it.

Some of the subject matter is both intriguing and disturbing. The author posits some radical thoughts about the very act of thinking and the thoughts influence on the world around it.

Definitely for the brave of heart, I found myself at times putting the book down and verbally asking questions out loud…to no one in particular. This book provoked my thinking and stoked the intensity of my belief in the incredible possibilities in human development.

“The Intention Experiment” takes you through plausible, though detailed, studies and experiments on the power of the humnan mind and spirit. In the end you are invited to continue the “experiment” yourself and interact with an online community of people and experience the power of intention personally.

Though I do not hold to all the author describes and concludes, I do think the subject matter is of importance to those who desire to see the interconnectedness of the mind and the spirit.

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World Vision

Posted July 28, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Belief, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life, Vision

I’ve been having a thought lately about what the possibilities could be for people like you and me to have a large influence on the endeavor of both health, education and hunger relief in our world. World Vision is one of the most respected aid organizations in the world today. They utilize detailed accounting to express their importance in keeping track of donations from their side, and accountability from the donors side.

A “what if” question I have had is, “What if World Vision were able to reduce it’s expense in fund raising, how would that help the bottom line in terms of monies being spent to help people?” Last year World Vision spent 9%, or 88 million dollars on fund raising. If that number could be cut in half, a tremendous surge could begin toward even more of the incredible effort they pursue in global aid.

Think about the possibilities and remember that Jesus said – “everything is possible”.

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Box Top or Puzzle Piece?

Posted July 27, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Belief, Life, Message Series, religion

Today’s message was spot on about the need to look closely at where we are positioning ourselves in our spiritual walk. Some of the questions that were brought up were – “Are we to follow the picture we’ve been given in putting the pieces together?” or should we “let the pieces come together and follow where they are leading us?”

In the church world there is so much static in the airwaves, that to gain some understanding of what to do and where to go is virtually impossible. Everyone considers themselves an expert and wants you to follow “their way”.

When we stop and speak to God and listen and allow Him to work in us – however that may look or feel – we gain the authentic knowing that can only come from God. When we’ve heard what we should do, there is always a degree of question, but when we engage the spiritual and receive a response, our steadfastness becomes far more secure. Jesus was very truthful when He said, “Seek and you will find.” Our path will only reveal itself when we begin to walk it out…one step at a time.

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We’re Back!

Posted July 25, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Life, People

This past week we have been out on vacation to Panama City. I can’t tell you how much it meant for us to be away for a few days, just the two of us. We did the shops, the beach, the restaurants and the dog-track. The greatest part of getting away is that time around thirty hours after you arrive when you really arrive to vacation.

We didn’t watch television and only got on the Internet to pay a bill once – it was heaven. We didn’t hear about Obama this or McCain that; we didn’t know about the hurricane Dolly, and the only way we found out any good news in gas was by stopping in Donalsonville and paying $3.61 a gallon for gas!

We had a great time, and had some great experiences. It was good to see the kids and Zora and have the regular noises of family life take their places.

The important thing learned was that you have to plan these times – they do not simply happen. The hum and buzz of the world doesn’t want you to take a break, but when you do, the sense of reconnecting and really being has more benefits than all the buzz in the world.

However, it is good to be back!

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Love Remains the Same

Posted July 24, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

Heard a song recently by Gavin Rossdale called, Love Remains the Same. It is a great song that focuses on the reason why in the midst of any conversation/argument/debate about religious issues, the one topic or theme that it would all distill down to would be love. The great thing about love is that it really does remain the same.

When things all around us are changing at record speeds, there exists a comfort in knowing that one thing, love, will continue to remain.

I’ve written hardly a hundred words, but if we would focus on this one thing that we all need and all have to give, the world as we know it would change.

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The Joy of Silence

Posted July 23, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Kingdom of God, Life, religion

Silence is a subject that causes us to run. Some run toward it while others run away. In my younger years I would have ran from the silence. I would have needed noise to fill in gaps and keep me from gazing inside at my soul. Now, a little older, I’m finding that more and more I tend to run toward the quiet.

The soul is an amazing part of being human. The soul constantly shows us things and gives us insight, but most of the time we are to loud to hear it. We need television, radio, CD’s and podcasts to buffer us from ourselves. The astounding thing is that if we were to listen we would gain more direction in our lives without having to ask for it.

“The Kingdom of God is within”, is a phrase that haunts me because I think we leave untapped a great resource for living the life Christ told us we could live.

Take time, if only for a few minutes, and sit quietly. Become connected to your surroundings and yourself. In those few moments, a lot can be done in your life and in the world around you.

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Inspiration

Posted July 21, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Belief, Creativity, Goals, Influence, Life, Starting

There is only one thing I can say about inspiration – It is vital and powerful. OK two things, but the key is that a life lived without inspiration really can’t be classified as living. I am not talking about some things labeled inspirational today. Not talking about a feel good story or song here. The essence of inspiration is to live “in spirit”. When you open your eyes to visibly and spiritually see the world around you, your spirit takes note and responds.

Few of us listen to our own spirit, we are often too busy with the minutia of life. We have schedules and they need to be followed and so on. Inside each of us there is an answer to the question “What am I here for?” We go to others to ask their help, but we know the answer instinctively. Your inner spirit is constantly telling you to “do what you are here to do.”

Quit making excuses and begin with the first step. Today.

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Restoration

Posted July 20, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Belief, Context, Cultural Ideas, Life, religion

A key word in today’s message was the word “restoration”. In relation to the typical meaning of the Gospel, I love the way that “restoration” completes a largely incomplete thought which for years,the establishment church has asked us to accept.

Many people have gone to church this Sunday thinking that they have a “ticket to heaven” or a “get out of hell free card”. The problem with this mentality is that it negates the vastness of the purpose of Christ’s coming to Earth in the first place. To buy in to a quick fix religion may make you feel better, but it hardly exemplifies anything that would require giving my life for.

Let’s face it, most of what is served up as Christianity today is a mixture of some three or four word phrase taken out of context to drive home a point that is at best a diluted truth and at worst a man-made, man-created, man-centered doctrine. What are you willing to die for?

That is a question that ought to bring up family and proven core ideals. If your church or belief system isn’t among the list of “to die for” items, you need to reevaluate the substance of your beliefs. Only then will you be able to “know” what you believe.

Restoration is not just a onetime process either, if a home has survived hundreds of years, it has gone through many restorations. Time and use wear away and restoration lets us bring back the feeling of new while preserving the past. The same is true with the church and ourselves. Restoration continually brings back the “new” in our lives. Our appreciation and value of Christ increases and we again reconnect to the Source with renewed vigor, excitement and confidence.

This cycle of wear, restore, wear and restore brings us closer and closer to an unwavering realness in our journey with God. With each cycle His reality overtakes our notion of reality and He is made anew in our eyes.

Instead of struggling against this process, embrace it as a way to be drawn closer to a heart that is affectionate and fond of you.

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