October 7th - Engage in life an be

The story...

The movie Top Gun asked the lead character "Maverick" to engage in life for the benefit of himself, his team, the Navy, and for his country too.  The circumstances of life were changing around him as he lost his best friend and co-pilot who trusted him.  He even rejected the woman who risked loving him the best she could.

He even says "Jesus Christ," albeit flippantly, in dismay as he faces the enemy, failures, and community rejection.  He reengages, drops his stinking thinking, and defeats the enemy using his God-given talents.  He becomes the man he could be - victory won.

Movie - Top Gun - "Engage Maverick!"

There'll be many reasons to disengage from the imperfect only church in town.  Stay engaged!  If self is relentlessly holding you back from loving yourself, loving other people, and loving the Lord your God with all your heart mind and soul then act on the gospel - the good news.  Engage in the life you were Willed to live already.

Just for today...

"The invitation to live life fully is offered to me each day. I can accept the pace of change today, knowing it will bring both times of active involvement and periods of quiet waiting. I will let surprises of the day open up before me."  Courage to Change (p. 281)

May 14th - Step-Function Improvement

The story...

To forecasting what might happen in the future, we may look at recent past, expected events, seasonality, changes in the environment etc.  We might even create a mathematical forecasting model that'd be validated by inputting data from the past and checking how it'd have predicted what actually occurred.  We all forecast what we expect to happen in the future - some people tend to see the future as rosier than it likely will be and some overemphasis the negative possibilities.  Forecasting models help us better understand our bias.

A leader gets her group together to set a percent improvement goal for next year.  Say, the individual team members are willing to commit to a 5%, 10%, !0%, and 15% improvement.  The group might therefore decide on a 10% improvement goal - it's the average and most people believe it's doable.  The leader knows that the customers and owners want a 40% improvement.  So, she let's the group know that the goal will be a 40% improvement - a goal that's too big to make enhancements to the current way of doing things.  They need a step-function "big" improvement - significant change.  Management will give them the processes, time, resources, and support to make it happen.

Balance beam w/spring on the end - "it worked!"

The group puts their faith in the leader's commitment to change, the change process, promises of resources, and the principles that go along with it.  The principles include: always meeting customer needs, never rushing, and not staying busy all the time -  there must be time available to fulfill peak demands and to work improvement activities etc.  They PLAN the changes, DO the changes, CHECK to make sure the actual change meets their expectations, and ACT to make the changes permanent - life's better.

The only church in town will tell people that a step-function improvement in their lives can be worked out in reality.  Within the church, there are real-life examples of spiritual maturity with "skin on them."  They might witness relationships worked according to God's revealed plan for the "good life."  Each person grows at their own pace and the group grows too.  Step-function change happening when people fully trusted God - it's the power of God.

Just for today...

"First I dream. Then I do. Then I detach and let God determine the outcome."  Hope for Today (p. 135)

"Just when we reach the end of our patience, a doorway seems to open and we take a huge leap forward."  Courage to Change (p. 135)

May 13th - With Him or Without Him?

The story...

I was once the guy from out of town that comes into a manufacturing organizations to work out the change needed to meet their business plan.  One organization leader reassuringly told me: "You have the easiest job.  You can't fail.  All you have to do is find the solution that our organization believes will work.  You bring the resource requests and roadblocks to me.  I'll either accept or reject the path you're considering.  I do the heavy lifting.  We'll win because I'm behind you and I've got the power.  Keep me informed on where you're going."

A 5-lb. hammer changes things... "My Persuader"

Similarly, yet very differently, God's got the Power to work out His will either with me or without me.  Like the leader, keep Him informed and listen to His business plan.  Rest assured that He'll use you, likely in unexpected ways, according to His will and power.  Scripture says that He often chooses the weak to both work out His will while illuminating His power and glory.  Trusting God is a grand adventure that continues throughout eternity - that's truly awesome.

The only church in town would be power-filled and truly awesome.

Just for today...

"... I make my choices more conscientiously.  I do whatever footwork seems appropriate and then turn the results over to God . . .  Today I know that choosing not to decide is to decide."  Courage to Change (p. 134)

"I pray, 'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...'  Sometimes it's my viewpoint of the situation, and my course of action changes accordingly.  Sometimes the situation resolves itself with no effort on my part."  Hope for Today (p. 134)

April 3rd - Power and Momentum

The story...

We moved to a home in the woods - lots of trees.  I worked a desk job so the strenuous physical activity felt good.  The lumberjack cycle includes tree felling, sawing, hauling, splitting, stacking, stump removal, and wood burning.  One of the transferrable skills was wood splitting.  You need to swing the 8-lb maul with momentum to split.  If you miss the mark, or swing with less than 100%, then ya got ta do it again - fatiguing and slow.  So, I became proficient with the splitting maul.  

We have a county fair site near our home.  One day my family and a few friends were strolling through the fair midway.  There they were!

One swing and I rang the bell. The strike felt natural, rather easy, and the sound of the bell ringing gave me a feeling of joy.  Oh, the sound of cheers from those I love.

Similarly, I hope that feelings of joy would occur frequently within the only church in town.  The cheers would be a witness to the power of God worked out through His people - the power of a new nature worked out in actualities.

Just for today...

"Who I am, not what I do, makes me worthwhile."  Hope for Today (p. 94)

March 31st - Quit stalling - trash it already

The story...

It's 1981 and I'm living in Knoxville, TN.  My new best friend's fiancé is visiting next weekend.  He's hanging out in my apartment and says to me:  "I might as well do it now rather than wait until she does it."  He walks over to my record collection and tosses five or six of them in a pile in the middle of the floor - I groaned with the potential loss of each of them.  Yet, my most pain was felt with the AC/DC album Back in Black.  My soul resonated with those three chords in...  Yes, I agreed that he was right and I later took the long-hard walk to the dumpster and threw them away.  His fiancé did visit that weekend, yes I loved her too, and yes she definitely would've thrown those albums away.  I would've been powerless to stop her. Yet, I'm glad that my good friend left the trashing process to me.

I still think that that AC/DC album was the best rock and roll album ever written.  Just three guitar chords?  Does my soul resonate with those songs?  Yes!  Are, they good for my right and humble walk with God in Christ?  No!  Have I been tempted to listen to that music since?  Yes!  Have I always resisted the urge?  Mostly...  My old-nature is still there, it's been redeemed by the blood of Christ yet still wants to be in control and run apart from the will of God - that's just the way I am.

Record demolition in Comiskey Park on July 12, 1979

How and when might we best perform our spiritual and life inventory?   We know how hard it is to sort, trash and rearrange stuff that fills up our garages, basements and attics.  For me, the deleting of some of the "trash" that my soul likes, wants, and longs for has been an important part of my personal growth and faith walk.  The "itches" seem to linger if I routinely scratch them.  We take out the regular trash each day but the stuff we've hung onto for too long, that do bring us some kind of comfort, requires something more - surgery.  My current "condition" is vastly superior to my old man's natural "condition."  I ain't going back and will not bring that crap with me any further.

My friend and his wife are wonderful people who've continued a faithful walk within the good state of Ohio.  Ohio is a better place with their family as a part.  I hope that visitors to the only church in town will find families like theirs to walk alongside with.

Just for today...

"We learn to face the world as it really is and to take responsibility for our actions. We deal with our feelings and share honestly about our experiences. We learn about ourselves and nurture our spiritual growth and our physical and metal well-being.  We become responsible adults."  Courage to Change (p. 91)

"Be good to yourself."  One Day at a Time (p. 91)