ash wednesday: commune

to be in intimate communication or rapport

commune

together…
…say nothing

together…
…sit

together…
….listen

repeat as necessary

thought4thursday

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.”
~Josh Billings

ways to play “your hand” well:

look forward toward the goal
think creatively
ask God to infuse your resources with supernatural power
dispel worry thru prayer & gratefulness
remind yourself that you are not alone

think about it: which one of these is most effective when you are facing a challenge? which one is hardest for you to practice?

leaders’ roundtable

speaker, Johannes Amritzer, pizza, wings, friendships, diet coke, worship, prayer… can you say, “Ahhhh?”

key points (Colossians 4:2-6):

• SALVATION IS a MIRACLE. it is the transformational power of God in action to change a person; it involves a decision, but if it stops at logic alone, it’s only intellect, not conversion.

• SPIRITUAL WARFARE without evangelism –> “spacey” kind of faith; disconnected from the people who need to be reached.

EVANGELISM without spiritual warfare –> intellectualism, dryness

SPIRITUAL WARFARE + EVANGELISM –> creates opportunity for God’s power to be activated in the lives of those whose eyes have been blinded to the the truth

• EXPECTING THE BEST creates HOPEFULNESS & changes how we enter circumstances

• God will open doors specifically for me; NO ONE CAN CLOSE A DOOR OPENED BY GOD

• stop using “church language;” SPEAK IN A WAY OTHERS RELATE TO

• be someone UNBELIEVERS WANT TO BE AROUND; HUMOR is a key

• BE ALERT; DON’T MISS OPPORTUNITIES the Holy Spirit is setting up; be ready for His “pass” to achieve the goal

• speak with BOTH GRACE & SALT; use relatable terms, yet present truth thru what you’re saying, no matter HOW you say it

which one of these “sticks” most for you?

thought4thursday

it’s 10:30pm & technically, it IS thursday, so this post is still legit & that means you have about 1.5 hours, so get busy!

i read today that we’re in the process of living history right now. history consists of the accounts about the lives we live today. have we forgotten that great figures & events of the past were embedded in & surrounded by the mundane of every day living by every day people?

being conscious of this fact adds value to my life. we’re all leaving a legacy. it is only the audience to whom it is left that differs-some more public than others, but all lasting.

think about it: knowing that your life now is the stuff of history, what would you do differently? what’s one thing you can begin today (ok, maybe tomorrow) to make that change?

rest

Mike Babcock, coach of the Detroit Redwings, referring to a 2-day break before game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, said “rest is a weapon.”

the coach for one of the most physically grueling sports, during the most important series of the season, when players must be at their prime, refers to rest as a weapon. cross-checking, skating, stick-handling, balance, passing and….rest.

hmmm

usually underestimate the value of rest & certainly have never called it a weapon. it’s time for a new perspective on the subject.

REST IS:

• purposeful, not wasteful
• active, not passive
• intentional, not accidental
• necessity, not luxury
• mindful, not thoughtless
• fulfilling, not lacking

REST PRODUCES:

• mental clarity
• a “full breath” of life
• peace
• thankfulness
• renewed outlook
• energy & endurance

life can feel like we’re in overtime or sudden death, like in tonight’s stanley cup game. how do we stay committed & face what comes? by keeping our arsenal full with the tools needed, including rest. after all, the greatest “coach” of all, God, gives us a mandate that He himself practiced: to keep the sabbath (rest). weapons are only effective when they are utilized. God saw the value of rest, how much more should we?

who knows? in those grueling 6th periods, with strength fading & time ticking down, we can rise up to win & in this series called life.

rest up & …..go PENS!

thought4thursday: voice

psalm 29:3-9

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

think about it: how would someone describe YOUR voice?