A Season to Face Your Fear

Have you ever experienced paralyzing fear? A fear that immobilizes you and keeps you from moving forward oftentimes goes unaddressed. Therese Borchard says, “Fears are like annoying relatives. You can’t avoid them forever, and ignoring them won’t make them go away.” It is just as important to know when it is time to face these fears.

On a recent trip to Chick-fil-a my daughter showed some signs of being afraid of the person dressed up as the cow. Even though she was only one and a half, I thought it would be better to show her that the cow was nothing to be afraid of. Dr. Phil has his own take on facing fears (and I certainly don’t agree with all of it), but he recommends differentiating between rational and irrational fear. Most of our fears are irrational, but there are others that are for survival and are instinctive.

I would never advocate as fear as our guide, rather I believe we should be kept in perfect peace while navigating through discernment. We should discern our season and know if God is leading us to face our fear at this time. Earlier this week I was talking to a volunteer about visiting our kids in Walter P. Taylor Homes. He said, “That’s a scary place, isn’t?” To natural eye, I guess it could be thought as such, but when God has called you who really can be against you. I am not talking about being foolish, presumptuous, or cocky. Rather, through faithfulness and love watching God’s favor grow in a community, and over the past 16 years that is what has happened in Walter P.

Remember, fear fights faith and neglects the love of God. The love of God, however, drives out those fears (deem them rational or irrational). Join me in striving to enter Christ’s rest, keeping our minds on Him in perfect peace, and allowing the love of God to drive our all fear!

Experiment or Commitment

Recently, I have been challenged with commitment. While lack of commitment is a huge epidemic in our society, the kids I work with see it more than most. Starting in their family unit to being misunderstood and passed off in the school system, lack of commitment runs rampant. Unfortunately, churches and organizations have approached them with the same level of faithfulness. If the ‘program’ doesn’t work bags are packed, the group never seen or heard from again, and (worse of all) those they were ‘reaching out’ to left feeling like an experiment.

Why isn’t our ‘Yes,’ yes? Instead, in the name of flexibility we have forfeited faithfulness. We see it in our most meaningful relationships, as well as in our social service. Today, my dad was telling me why he is not a big fan of ‘Events’. He said events a.) don’t change people, relationships do and b.) they only set the stage for a one hit wonder approach in service.

Think about the most meaningful people in your life. There is no one who you have only seen once on this list. Let’s decide to give ourselves to community transformation more than just one day a year, but make it a lifestyle, imitating the faithfulness God has shown us.

Don’t Underestimate the Nap

When I picked up Ellie from daycare yesterday her sitter ‘warned’ me that she hadn’t taken a single nap! “No!,” I thought to myself. We had too many plans for her to have missed her nap. She was a little fussy, but it all worked out. Those naps are important though.

Rest and reflection should be priority in our daily/weekly schedule. Remember hearing about Sabbath rest? For us, that rest isn’t limited to a day, but is found in a person-the person of Christ.

Join me in making each moment count, taking time to ‘smell the roses’, and remembering the importance of rest. Let us make every effort to enter His rest.

So Much yet So Little

We each have so many things to be grateful for, but so easily are we distracted by negativity that the plethora of blessings end up overshadowed. Would you join me in a pause to contemplate the many good things God has blessed us with?

Comment and share those with me!

Surrounded by Opportunity

While walking through the various KCDC housing developments yesterday, I was overwhelmed with the unmined opportunities. I could have filled up a bus then and there with middle and high school age kids wanting relationship. Yes, a few of the kids were excited about the fun things I might have planned for them, but many of the olders teens expressed how they want to be challenged and grow. I saw high schoolers I hadn’t in years, some graduating this year others next.

How could I mine these communities, these teenagers lives, and make a lasting difference? I am challenged with this thought, this task. And, frankly, I can’t do it alone.

Didn’t Jesus say the harvest is plentiful? I couldn’t agree more. Pray that others will come alongside me and help in this daunting task, and look for where God is asking you to do the same.

Graduations and Growing Up

Do you remember as a kid when someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Now, we would do most anything to not be grown up.

The answers haven’t changed all that much since you and I were kids. When I ask this question to some of the boys and girls coming to Sonday School I still hear, “Fireman, Pro-Football/Basketball player, Singer, Actor, Astronaut.”

Among our older Junior Staff we have those thinking more seriously about what they “want to be when they grow up”. We will be attending graduations this year for Fulton, Central, and Austin East High Schools. Jamarcus is graduating from Fulton, and plans to enlist in the military. Xavier has been filling out job applications, while Dennisha looks for ways to use her tremendous artistic gift.

My little girl will be 2 this August,  and nothing would please me more than if she decided she wanted to be like her Daddy when she grew up. In only a matter of words that is what one of our Junior Staff has decided. He will graduate next year, and is working toward attending a local discipleship and training program while working with KICKO.

Equipping, empowering, and giving them ownership must be intentional in our efforts, and nothing pleases us more than seeing them “get it”. During this season of graduations and growing up, I am reminded of my spiritual desire for these young men and women. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,” (Gal 4:19). Seeing Christ formed in each of our youth is why I do what I do.

Every 1st Friday we have The Journey where our more serious youth come to my house for discipleship. We have been discussing the spiritual disciplines, and every time I am impressed with their genuine interest and desire to know God and make Him known. What we have each learned during our Fridays together is that we get to choose who we become and if we will allow Christ to be formed in us. These teenagers have chosen to take responsibility for their lives and future by maturing in their faith.
Join me in celebrating those who are growing up and graduating both from High School and in their spiritual lives.

How He Loves

Happy Resurrection!

Are Choices Opportunities?

Everyday you and I face many choices. Are these same choices opportunities? I recently heard the founder of a non profit organizations describe how the people that he is reaching out to oftentimes have nothing but bad choices to choose from.

If we don’t make choices when we have the chance to make them we will be in a place where there is nothing but bad to worse as our selection. I have a close relative this is in a very sticky situation. But if he doesn’t make a choice soon he too will have nothing but bad choices to choose from.

I remember hearing “the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.” That opportunity will not be there forever, but it too has a season. Sometimes our best choices can be prevented measures.

Today is the day. Now is the time. Choices can no longer pend. We cannot continue to put them off. Seize the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity.

Many Hats, Muti-Faceted

Hard to believe it has only been a few weeks working full-time with KICKO (www.kicko.org) again, and if you have every worked for a non-profit or a start-up of any type then you realize the many hats and responsibilities you bear. You do it all from start to finish, from cleanup to pickup. But these are the joys of paving the way, being the tool to carve carefully what others will enjoy.

Our God has so many traits; He wears so many hats; He is muti-faceted. He is my Father, Savior, Lord, Best Friend, and yet He is Loving, Just, Holy, Compassionate, Jealous, the list goes on.

Take some time with me and reflect on His involvement in your life and communicate your gratitude and heart to Him.

Of the Essence

Each first friday of the month I have the more serious youth over to the house for what we have called The Journey. I started walking them through various Spiritual Disciplines as found in Richard Foster’s book Celebration of Discipline. If you haven’t read it I highly encourage you to grab a copy (it has become a classic).

So, think about this…I am talking about disciplines in Twenty-Eleven to a group of inner-city youth. This topic would be hard enough to keep the attention of adults, but this group has surprised me. They have enjoyed Lectio Divina (Divine Reading), and opened up and shared each week. We have covered Meditation, How to Study God’s Word, and hit on a few others. This week, though, I am especially stoked. I am talking about Prayer.

Richard Foster says (33):

Of all the Spiritual Disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father. Meditation introduces us to the inner life, fasting is an accompanying means, study transforms our minds, but it is the Discipline of prayer that brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit.

There is nothing more central to our spiritual life than the communication we have with our Creator. I hope, like the youth I meet with tonight, that you will endeavor on this journey to have a life more fulfilling by making prayer more important. The conversations we have with God are just that, conversations. While I will discuss various types of prayer (i.e. adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication, and intercession), what it boils down to is a life led by the Spirit in constant communication with God. Join us on The Journey!