A Change is Gonna Come…

Posted May 12, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

Lately, things are happening all over the world. One day there is a typhoon then next storms, and then earthquakes. All of this taking place in a heated election year. It is during times such as these that many can become paralyzed by the magnitude of change happening around them. What we know deep in our spirit is that the pendulum of change has swung and will swing again bringing both pain and pleasure. To be human is to experience both emotions.

The real test is our response to the unsettling events and our seeming inability to control anything. The first response should be to breathe. Breathe in all of the events as they happen – experience the moment, but realize that as soon as it has occurred for you in the present, with the ticking of the clock the event moves to it’s permanent residence in the past. You, however, are still here…in the present.

Be true to your feelings, be they grief or joy. Simply understand they are just feelings and can change based on our future recollections. What may seem horrible now, may have peace or joy attached to it later. In the meantime, accept that the changing nature of life won’t stop.

This observation will bring hope to some and none to others, our perception shades every experience of our lives. We get to choose how we respond to situations in our lives. And with those choices a road is paved before us.

I, like you, look at the global news and hear the troubling reports, but in the shock we can see that the undulating ribbons of God’s love has never stopped.

Though we question and do not understand fully the “Why?” and the “How?”, we can be grateful of an opportunity to see greater and larger view of God as we hear the stories of those who…”if it had not been for my neighbor waking up and telling me to move, I would be dead.” or “if we had not moved to another part of the house when we did, we wouldn’t have survived.” This is what I choose to do, and I hope you will join me in purposing to hear the good in a time when we will be hearing so much bad.

This Hurts

Posted May 11, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Life

Academy Sports Macon

One of my favorite places to “get away” is Academy Sports. After the storms last night and this morning, the store suffered some damage. Prayers to all those in business who experienced damage and loss.

 

The Mother of all Storms

Posted May 11, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Lifepoint

Thompson Road, Centerville

Well, maybe not the “Mother of all Storms”, but it certainly will be a Mother’s Day that many people remember. Storms swept through the Middle Georgia landscape early Sunday morning and wreaked havoc on many in Bibb and the surrounding counties.

If you went by Lifepoint, you saw the sign that proclaimed “no power no service”. It was certainly interesting to be standing outside as cars drove up and then drove away. We had spent most of the past week getting ready for this Sunday. The back “natural” parking area had had a road put in, and the lights in both Adventures Theater and the auditorium were all on the ready. This had been done in response to the great effort by Lifepoint in giving. You guys did great!

It is truly an honor to be able to look at you guys each Sunday and know how much you care and really where your heart is.

We were planning to have a baby dedication complete with Baby Bibles and a video, but what did happen were that some of us faired OK during the storm with minor or no damage, while others of us sustained great damage. One of those I know about now was the Gill family. Half of their house and a majority of their vehicles are gone. This is especially hard to hear when you factor in that the home had recently been purchased and remodeled. It was the home of Rob’s childhood, where he grew up. Our prayers are with them and I know their Lifepoint family will be there for them.

An event like this allows us to look at things in an entirely different light. It shows us the importance of having a consistent rhythm in our lives, so that when we face difficult times our resilience and strength remain strong and available.

One thing is on my mind right now – I’m thankful that the damages weren’t worse and that the health of those in the Lifepoint family that I care for are OK.

Now it’s cleanup time.

Do Something Amazing Each Day

Posted May 6, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Context, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Life

I can’t remember where I saw this in the past few days. I hate not knowing because I’m usually a stickler for keeping track of those things. Be that as it may, this phrase, “Do something amazing each day”, has decided to take up dwelling in my mind-space.

The only thing I do recall is that the quote was by someone who was an amputee. He resolved that after his amputation he would “do something amazing each day”. I don’t know about you but most of my days really aren’t that amazing. I’ve had good days, really, really good days, but “amazing”?

I started to think and have been thinking of what would constitute an amazing day. What would have to have happened, been felt, said, etc. for a day to qualify as amazing?

One thing I think would have to be evident: that an action I either did, or was instrumental in having done, effected a real positive change in either my life or the ones I wanted affected.

One more quote that’s been lurking since I read it is that the only real eternal life there is is the present. The present does not have a past or future, it is timeless. Therefore, the present is the only time that is “out of time”. To truly embrace the eternal life we’ve been given is to live in the Now, the present.

Combine those two thoughts together and you have a pretty ambitious approach to living. Seriously though, think, just for a moment, what your life would look like if you introduced each of these contexts into your daily rhythm of living. Then imagine if we all took these two items to heart.

Naive? Maybe, but out of naivete can come some of the most profound and illuminating propositions for life.

Santina’s Italian Restaurant

Posted May 5, 2008 by Chris
Categories: People, Starting

At Lifepoint we have many people who are involved in a lot of different business endeavors. One of those people is Greg Phillips. Greg is going to be starting a men’s discussion group centered around the theme od Wild at Heart, a great book by John Eldridge.

Greg helps run Santina’s.If you were at Lifepoint this past Sunday, the videos were shot in the restaurant. When you go, try to talk to Santina herself and listen to the remarkable story of determination and survival from cancer. O yeah, check out the mural on the back wall and see if you can spot some “local influences”.

Seriously,Santina’s is located down Russell in the Kroger shopping center. When you step through the doors you would swear you were somewhere else – I’m not over-romanticizing, it’s true. You’ll just have to check it out for yourself. Go by and say “Hi” to Greg, Rick and Santina, and prepare to sink your teeth into true Italian cuisine.

For more on the full story behind the restaurant check this out.

To Tip or Not to Tip

Posted May 4, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Cultural Ideas, Influence, Message Series

I think today’s message had more to do with “God and Your Bod” than we first thought. The idea of taking care of you body has to lead into thinking about more than just maintaining or “watching out for” your body. To see success in any area, especially issues about our bodies, we have to have both a plan of application and a plan of execution. If we fail in either of these we will not see the level of success we are capable of.

I’ve started “diets” many times. I had an “eating plan” or an “exercise plan”, but I failed to have a plan of execution. Without execution, no plan will succeed. In our church we have plans, but if we cannot execute them because of lack of interest or funds we won’t see the success we know we are capable of.

I know that talking about money can effect people differently. The greatest effect of today’s message would be to catalyze us to action and movement. When we use the resources God has entrusted us with and freely use them to accomplish things larger than ourselves, we become a part of a cumulative wave enacting and accomplishing God’s purposes for us.

Many good organizations “talk” about doing things, but ultimately the result is just talk. The greatest thing we can take away from today is that we have an opportunity to be a major voice in our community and “do” things. It will take time, effort and money, but the lasting impact will continue far longer than we can even begin to think.

One Prayer

Posted May 3, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Creativity, Lifepoint, Message Series

We have a series coming up in the month of June that will be more unique than any we’ve done before. I can’t tell you everything about it, but I will whet your appetite by asking you this question. If you had the opportunity to say what your one prayer for the church (the big “c” Church at large global community) would be, what would you say?

Would your one prayer be that we be united or that we think of the less fortunate more? Comment and let me know what is on your mind as you think about the question of, “what is your one prayer for the Church?”

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Posted May 1, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Uncategorized

A while ago I posted that I wanted to review some CD’s. One of those is the new release, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.  I have to be honest, I like the vibe of Nick Cave.

He assumes the role of an ajitated evangelist. His storytelling is a trip into unknown lands. The questions he poses to God are our own and it is more obvious than ever that in a grittier, snarling way, like Lazarus, Nick Cave is back.

Life Questions

Posted April 30, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Me

Occasionally I like to think in abstract, incongruent, counterintuitive ways. OK, more than occasionally, but the point is that I like asking myself questions no one else will ask me. Provacative questions that confront me and compel me to evaluate and investigate my life and how I am relating to myself. Once that is known I can better relate properly to others.

Stay with me now. What follows are a few questions to pose to yourself and think about. Remeber that the most significant parts of a musical piece are the spaces between the notes. As you ask yourself the questions pay attention not only to the questions and answers that come up, but also to the quiet spaces between the questions and answers.

Who are you? not as self, but as Self

Why are you here? not your work, but your Work

How are you unique? gathering all the stuff that makes up you

How can you make a dramatic difference? your best contribution to humanity

Who cares about this?

Do you care about this?

You are what you think

Posted April 26, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Belief, Context, Creativity, Lifepoint

We’ve begun a series called “God and Your Bod” at Lifepoint. At the conclusion of the first week we challenged people to choose a goal and complete it by the time the series (6 weeks) is over. My challenge is to lose 12 pounds. So far I’ve lost a couple, but I’m stepping up my efforts.

With this in mind, I’ve been reading several books about the mind and it’s influence on our actions. This challenge has caused some people to put into action activities that they wouldn’t have if those activities had not been put in front of their mind. Everyone “heard” the challenge but only a few (a wonderful few!) have embarked on the journey. They heard and then allowed the idea to stay in their mind and it moved them to action.

Prayer is something that many people discuss and talk about and want to do more, but often don’t, or at least don’t “do prayer” the way they suppose prayer is to be “done”. This can cause conflicts and internal guilt, so I want to alleviate some of that.

I think many people are active in the spiritual discipline of prayer – without calling it or even perceiving it to be prayer. Spiritual disciplines are a subject that conjures up negative feelings. Feeling like we have to “buckle down” and work on these things. We think, “it will be hard, but it will be worth it in the long run”. In my experience a discipline ultimately becomes a part of the rhythm of life. The discipline has become a habit that is done without thinking about it – like breathing. I know that I breathe because I’m alive, but I don’t go around all day and “think hard” about breathing. It (breathing) has become an unconscious part of who I am.

Communication with God, or prayer is the same thing. There is an internal dialogue going on all the time within you because you are a spiritual being. You can no more undo that fact than turn back time. The key to feeling successful with prayer is to become conscious of that dialogue – to take control and direct the dialogue.

Too often we focus on the creating of the dialogue, but the conversation is already there. It is extremely difficult to create something that is already in existence and perceive it as new. Instead, focus on the directing of the conversation within and you will see a direct change in the way you feel about the topic of prayer.

Often times our definitions of spiritual things are simply passed down from someone else. We need to look at the words that define spiritual expirations and find out what they mean to “us”, only then can we truly have the foundation of faith we think we already have.