The Other Side

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Last weekend I was blessed to attend author Jennifer Rothschild’s Fresh Grounded Faith Conference with 70 women from our church. Jennifer used Mark 4:35-41 as her focal text. In this passage Jesus gets in the boat with his disciples at the Sea of Galilee and tells them, “Let us go over to the other side.”

As she shared the account of Jesus calming the waters during the storm, I recalled my visit to the Sea of Galilee. The beautiful blue water lies against the green background of the mountains. From any point along the rocky shoreline, I could see across the sea to other shores. Surprisingly, the sea is only eight miles wide at its widest point, and only twelve miles long from north to south. I visualized Jesus and his disciples crossing that sea to new adventures on new shores.

In crossing to the other side, the disciples were moving into a new territory and facing a new era of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus asked them to leave the crowd behind and trust him in their journey.

Jennifer reminded us that there are times when we need to cross over to the other side – the other side of our issues and barriers. We are to leave the crowd behind, those who try to prevent us from moving away from our issues. Is there a Bonnie Bitter, Connie Control, Freida Fearful, Suzy Shallow, or Vicky Victim that is holding you back from becoming all that God wants you to be? Let’s learn to leave their negative influence behind and move forward.

We do not go on this journey alone. Just as Jesus travelled with the disciples, he will be with us. They were all in the boat together. Who do you want to be in your boat with you? Who are the trusted followers of Jesus that you want to go alongside you to encourage you?

It’s worthy to note that even though Jesus invited the disciples on this journey, it wasn’t a storm-free trip. Just because we follow Christ doesn’t mean we won’t face the trials of life. But Jesus will be in the storm with us. His hope is the anchor that sustains us.

Let’s go with him to the other side and see what great adventures await.

35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and]it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:35-41

Proactive Happiness

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Author Tommy Newberry describes joy as “proactive happiness.” When we’re proactive about anything we become intentional, so we could say that joy is an intentional response. The act of being joyful is a learned behavior. It is actually a display of faith because we called to be joyful in all circumstances even when we’re uncertain of the outcome.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1:2 (NIV)

When we look at our circumstances through the eyes of faith, we see what can be if we would allow God to work in the situation. Newberry encourages us to act with joy right now – to choose joy in our circumstances. Newberry poses the question: “How would I act if I were bubbling with joy?”

Last week I gave my mom one of our “Think on These Things” bracelets. She readily embraced the concept. It had been a very challenging month as my parents had to leave their home while repairs were being made from tornado damage. We moved them back home last weekend. As anyone who has moved knows, moving is one of the great stressors of life! As Mom and I headed back to their home, I was dreading the ordeal. But Mom, demonstrating the 4:8 Principle, began to cheerily proclaim, “Oh, isn’t it wonderful to be going home! Oh, I’m so looking forward to digging in those boxes. I can’t wait to begin cleaning up the mess. What a wonderful opportunity awaits us!” Now much of the monologue was filled with exaggeration, but we used the opportunity to laugh about the upcoming situation instead of grumble about it. It set a joyful tone for the busy afternoon. Her positive and humorous attitude encouraged me
She acted as if she were bubbling with joy!

We think in primarily two ways: reactive and proactive. We can constantly play defense with our thoughts by reacting negatively to our circumstances. Or we can play offense and be intentional with our thoughts. These are proactive thoughts. Becoming aware of the triggers for our negative thinking is the first step. Next we can be prepared to starve negative thoughts and replace them with something positive and productive. Remember: we can only do away with a negative thought by replacing it with a positive one.

We want to become proactive so that when we face potentially negative situations, we will intentionally guide our thoughts toward the positive. These steps will move us toward our goal of a joy-filled life.

Think on These Things Bracelet

Thursday, June 23, 2011

I have a favorite pair of pants with the manufacturer’s logo sewn into the leg in the shape of a sticker. Every time I wear the pants, someone tells me my sticker is showing and tries to pull it off. Each time I explain that the sticker is really the logo of the pants and then I mention the brand. It’s a great marketing strategy! Along the same lines, have you ever forgotten to clip the tag from your clothes and displayed to the world the price of your new garment? I know I have! Displaying the price tag of clothing can be embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as displaying an ugly attitude. Ugly thoughts lead to an ugly attitude.

Our thoughts either move us toward our God-given potential or away from it. In either case you can rest assured your thoughts are showing. Our thoughts lead to emotions, physical feelings, and physical actions. What we think will eventually show up! If our thoughts eventually show up in our words and actions, then the first step toward changing our circumstances is to change our thoughts. If ugly thoughts show up as ugly actions, it makes sense that joy-filled thoughts will show up as a joy-filled life.

How then can we turn our thoughts toward God? Right thinking is a choice. We have control over our thoughts. It usually take 21 days to switch a bad habit. This week I’m providing you a strategy to get rid of your negative thinking in 21 days!
Think on These Things Bracelet

The Think on These Things bracelet is a tool that
...monitors how often you think negatively
...helps you track your progress toward becoming negative free.

Use the Philippians 4:8 thinking model to help you think positively and live a joy-filled life.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Simply put the bracelet on either wrist and every time you think a negative thought, switch the bracelet to the other wrist. The goal is to go 21 consecutive days without negativity or switching the bracelet.

When the bad thought enters your mind, replace it by following these steps.
1. Rename it – Tell yourself this thought is a negative, bad, ungodly, unkind, etc. thought
2. Re-frame it – Focus on a positive or distracting thought
3. Redirect your actions to something uplifting, fun, or engaging.

Contact me at education@christplace.org, and I’ll be happy to send you a bracelet and instruction card.

Your thoughts are showing! Do you need to switch them? Switch your thoughts not your bracelet!

EQ vs IQ

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Neuroscientists now believe that every thought sends electrical and chemical signals throughout your brain, ultimately affecting each cell in your body. Consider then the effects of the thoughts that travel through your mind. The average person thinks approximately 50,000 thoughts per day. But according to some research, as many as 98 percent of them are exactly the same as the thoughts we had the day before. Even more significant, 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. What kind of signals does that negativity send through your body?

Just a little bit of change in our thinking patterns will go a long way.
To illustrate…

Hold up your thumb and forefinger about 2-1/2 inches apart. It takes Olympian runners just 1/100th of a second to run that distance in the 100-meter race. That brief distance and brief time is the difference between winning and losing. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the gold medal was won by an American female runner who crossed the finish line only 2-1/2 inches in front of her closest opponent.

Research says that a positive attitude is the little bit of difference that makes all the difference in both personal and professional success. In fact, research shows that a good positive attitude is more important than any other element when it comes to ensuring success. EQ (Emotional Quotient) trumps IQ (Intelligence Quotient) when it comes to success.

Most of us put our thought process on cruise control. We react to every situation we face based on our past experiences or our knowledge. Very few people are intentional with their thoughts. For example, most people automatically associate moving to a new community or starting a new job with events that will be stressful. We become anxious about the change and sometimes people become sick or anxious just thinking about the prospects of a move. However, we can begin to take our minds off of “cruise control,” and become intentional about our thinking.

Recently I watched a video featuring Christian inspirational writer and speaker Graham Cooke. He shares the power of controlling our thoughts in this six-minute video clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8FFx7smJ0w&feature=related

Think about changing your thinking! A little bit will go a long way!

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light." Matthew 6:22

Let your thoughts provide the light for your whole being!

Upgrade!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I’m in the middle of building a new home and love the process. I’m working hard to stay in the budget and fortunately my builder includes a high quality of materials as his standard. Even so, with every decision there is an opportunity for an upgrade. I’ve resisted those options so that I can stay in the budget.

The good news for us is that Christ constantly wants to give us upgrades! I recently watched a video of Christian author and speaker Graham Cooke on the theme The Art of Thinking Brilliantly. He posed the question, “What if every situation had an upgrade to it?” Let’s think about that possibility. God wants to use all of our circumstances to advance us. When we are living in Christ, every issue we face is in Christ. Every conflict, every concern, every problem comes to the Jesus in us. He wants to take our circumstances and work them for good. He wants us to experience his abundant blessings even through our conflicts. How do we get from the burden to the blessing? The way we start our situation determines how we end it, so we want to connect to Jesus at the beginning of the issue. For each issue, let’s ask God, “What outcome have you assigned to me in this situation?” Then we should give him complete control of our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions.

Our challenge is to find the connecting point to Jesus within every situation. In the beginning of our messes, not in the middle, our task is to find Christ. Often we engage in the circumstance instead of engaging in Christ. What if we go to Christ first? How might the outcome of our circumstances change? We’re bound to get upgrades! Upgrades in peace, upgrades in joy, upgrades in blessings!

Upgrades are like having a first class ticket but travelling coach. We don’t always take advantage of our upgrades. Let’s learn to become intrigued and joyful in every situation as we realize God is going to advance us!

Upgrade please!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:2-5

Capture or Kill?

Monday, May 9, 2011

One week after the raid on the compound of terrorist and master-mind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden, some are questioning whether he should have been killed or captured. I’ve read with special interest these debates in light of the Bible study I taught this week about another terrorist.

The account of Sisera appears in Judges 4 when Deborah was a judge of Israel. Deborah was a prophetess and judge who ruled during the reign of Jabin, king of Canaan. Jabin had ruled Canaan for twenty years and made life miserable for the Israelites. Sisera was the commander of his army that claimed 900 iron chariots and thousands of trained soldiers. The Israelites called out to God for help from their oppression. The Lord spoke to Deborah and commanded her to gather troops and promised that He would defeat the evil commander, Sisera. The prophecy states, “The LORD’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman”

Deborah’s brave army, led by Barak, assembled at Mount Tabor and faced Sisera with his terrifying force of soldiers and iron chariots. Imagine the deadly force that would be against Deborah’s rag-tag band of soldiers. Deborah roused the troops with her call for victory and declaration that God was marching ahead of them.

Sisera’s forces were pushed back, troops were slaughtered, and the Israelites were victorious. Their faith in their God was strengthened.

In fear for his life, Sisera fled from the battlefield towards the encampment of Jael the Kenite woman. When Sisera arrived at the encampment in the last stages of exhaustion and terror, Jael saw him and called him to her tent. Jael covered him with a rug suggesting that Sisera was afraid and wanted to hide. She gave him goat’s milk and Sisera fell asleep exhausted from battle and running.

Then occurred one of the most graphically described murders in the Hebrew Scriptures:

21 Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died. 22 When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple. Judges 4:21-22

Clearly the prophecy was fulfilled. God heard the cries of the Israelites. He ended twenty years of oppression that had been led by Sisera’s army, and the commander fell at the hands of a woman.

This intriguing story raises many questions.
Is Jael seen as a cold-blooded murderer or heroine?
Should Jael have captured or killed Sisera?
What connections do you see between Sisera and Usama Bin Laden?

Perhaps the Psalmist sums it up best –
Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God. Psalm 7:9 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Rooted in the Storm

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Amid the stories of heartache from the tremendous storms that plagued the southeast last week, I’ve also heard many stories of near misses and miracles. Drew McCallie, our new assistant youth director, shared a tornado miracle with the congregation this morning. In his words…

“Last night, my family while celebrating a good job interview for my sister, a panicked a determined voice bellowed from my mother’s voice: "GO"

My sister, father, mother, a dog, cat, and I scurried into the centralized bathtub in the house. In seconds, the feeling of being near a God-sized vacuum cleaner consumed us. Through the sounds of roaring winds, weeping, and cries out to our Lord Jesus, the storm passed with only a small 8x8 square hole torn out of the roof above our heads. When we opened the door however, the roof had been completely lifted off of the house and slammed 20' away from the house. To our amazement, the sky was now the roof over our heads and a great sense of uncertainty but most of all thankfulness to God flowed through us all.

We all survived a lethal dose of wind, but the house and some of our vehicles are demolished or in need of repair. This message is perhaps more thanksgiving and praise to God than anything. I ask for your prayers over my family as we go through the process of resolving this situation.”

God’s hand of protection was on Drew’s family. Drew’s testimony was one of thanksgiving for God’s providential hand.

Many have shared stories of “near misses.” Houses left unscathed where the storm wreaked havoc all around the property. People able to dash into safe quarters when the storm was seconds away. I too experienced one of those “near misses.” Twenty minutes after I left for work on Wednesday morning, a large tree fell on the spot where my car was parked. That tree caused quite a bit of damage to my parents’ home but, praise God, no one was hurt. The trees lost in our yard had 8 – 15 fee-wide root systems that were totally uprooted and caused havoc on the homes and property nearby. Compared to the tragedies all around, my family is fortunate only to deal with a damaged home and the continued loss of power four days later. Others, like Drew’s family are dealing with a loss of all their worldly goods. Still others have lost loved ones or have personal injuries.

No matter what loss we’ve experienced, we’re all still faced with the same question. In times of storms, where are you rooted? Worldly roots, like those on the old, old oak trees, can be uprooted from their source. When we’re deeply rooted in our faith, we have a root system that will never be displaced.

As Paul told the church at Colosse, we are to let our “roots go down into him.” When we follow him and build our lives on him, our faith will grow. Like Drew, we will overflow with thankfulness even in our darkest times.

6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2: 6-7

Thank you, God, for a hand of protection. Even in the darkest storms, you are in control.