OUTSERVE

II Corinthians 8:8 "...I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others."

Thought for the day:

Servanthood is not all about how well you can serve or look at serving but more about how much you can OUTSERVE someone else. (It's not a competition but a heart thing)

South Dakota Drivers

Today's word indemnifies South Dakota drivers. (In my general opinion) I noticed moving from the east coast that everyone in South Dakota drives the speed limit! Now, being from the east coast you have to realize that there is a driving "buffer." You get at least five to ten miles per over the speed limit to be safe from the dreaded "pull over." Then, I moved here, where it is normal to drive the speed limit or under the speed limit. Needless, to say it has not helped my road rage issues! So, in honor of my pain here is the word of today.

Parade Maker: (n). A driver and/or car that goes consistently under the speed limit, causing a backup of 20+ cars, creating frustration and your ability to be where you want to be on time.

Random Word for the Season

Here is another one just because I couldn't resist to add one more. This is for all of you that are aware of the economic climate in our nation.

recessionitis

noun: the new disease. Much like chronic bronchitis that can take months, even years to go away.

The new excuse to not do anything. This is the act of excluding yourself from social activities because you simply just can't afford it.

New Theme - Random

I know I haven't blogged for awhile. It isn't due to not having anything on my mind. It may have to do more with the fact of so much on my mind and not enough time. Therefore, I have decided to lighten up the blog and the mood for the time being. I am going to do random "stuff." I tend to be a little random, as my wife would say. So, I am going to either do random facts, words, or interesting stories for a little while that may make you think or laugh. This will be my attempt to detach your brain from everyday life, which consumes us, to have a little fun. So enjoy, leave comments, and stop taking yourself so seriously!

This will be my first attempt to stay connected with my career... a random urban word:

twatted: The past tense of "tweeting" on Twitter.

This is for all my friends out there who have unlimited texting, of which I do not! I do not twitter because I don't need another thing that I can do on my phone! I may get into too much trouble with it. But anyway for all of you who just twittered you have now twatted. I LOVE IT!

Spiritual Water

Genesis 2:6 "... but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground."

Why is that water would be used so much in scripture? Why is it that our bodies can be OK without food for an extended period of time but can only last 3 days without water? When Moses struck the rock why did water come forth?

John 7:38 "Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from them."

I find that the simplicity of water, its ability to bring life and nourishment, intrigues me today. Its only a simple compound of one hydrogen and two oxygens. Even in this is abilities are enormous. Its simplicity nourishes the depths of the body and bring life. In Christ we find the simplicity of His heart that speaks to the depth of our souls. It runs into every part of our beings and is the only basis or foundation for our lives.

I find myself thinking about what it is that I am searching for from God? Why am I searching for that? Why is it that I would only search for God in the deep places when He desires to draw me in His simplicity? Is it because I feel that the deeper I am - the greater I am? What is the attitude of my heart? It always comes down to the attitude of my heart? I am asking myself these questions today as I search for the deep things of God in my life. I don't want to miss Him in His depths but I definitely don't want to miss Him in His simplicity. I need living water to flow from my life and that only comes for Christ.

New Jersey The Armpit of the Northeast

This is why I we folks from PA call New Jersey the armpit of the Northeast. This is an article from FoxNews posted this evening. Read it and laugh. Gotta love the judicial system!

Woman Sues Sports Bar After Getting Stuck in Toilet

Thursday, December 04, 2008

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A woman is suing a Pennsylvania sports bar and restaurant, saying she got stuck inside a toilet bowl for 20 minutes after the seat broke.

Kathleen Hewko of Delran Township, N.J., says she was in the bathroom at Starters Pub near Allentown when the handicapped toilet seat she was sitting on cracked and dumped her into the bowl.

Hewko says in her lawsuit filed in federal court in November that she had hip surgery prior to the Nov. 19, 2006, incident and was re-injured when the seat broke.

The lawsuit names Starters and Kohler Co., the company that made the toilet seat.

Representatives from both companies said they couldn't comment.

The Box

Have you ever felt like you were trapped inside a box that you couldnt get out of? I keep seeing a picture of a box where I feel as though I can't push down the walls. I want you to know this is nothing that others or anything has put on me its what I have put on myself. There is so many in our world who have new ideas and thoughts and grownings, but doesnt it feel like its the race to see who can have the most innovative ideas. We strive and we push to advance or be the first in line so that we can feel affirmed! We push to get the first gold star so we can feel as though we are important. Every person has the desire to be important and should feel important. I wonder how much of our culture though sets expectations on us that keep us from really moving and pushing outside our own box. It seems to me as if we create a box by trying to be the most successful at what we do or meet someones expectation on us. I sit here and think to myself you know better than to strive at things. Its not found in striving its found in resting. Freedom is found in rest. Its when we see the boxes WE have created for OURSELVES! Man have I forgotten about this. I wanted to call it a model but you can never fit rest into a model. There are anecdotes to finding innovation and being the best but when we look back to what we have created do we find rest and the heart of God or do we find burn out and lots of us?

Some of our leaders of the River came up with a theme for the River and it sticks in my heart. It is a Generation After the Heart of God. Imagine a generation who is willing only to find God and His heart. Not a generation who tries to find the box they are trying to get out of or blame those who have created a box but a generation or generations who seek the heart of God. . I am a huge propenent for people living in there personal destiny and not defining themselves by what others call them to be. Calling comes from God and is predestined for us by His hand. I pray that rest and freedom would fill our lives in a time of trial and tribulation. Its not about finding the answers its about finding the rest of a God who already has the answers.

JHOP San Fran and the Protest

Here is live response from Lou Engle and IHOP in KC. I thought this would be a good follow up to the heart of those that were involved in this. It may answers some questions that the media hyped up.

Proposition 8

The more I watch on this the more the scripture becomes apparent to me. It comes to me on two levels. First that of persecution. Are you noticing the level of persecution on the church as it begins to raise it voice and stand on its Word. The voice of the world stands in opposition of the things of God. The more that they try and state that it will be civil dispute the less I am seeing it. It is not because people don't desire to be civil its what stands behind there cause that drives them.

Luke 21:16-18
"You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish"

The second part that stand out fits right into the first part; The spiritual battle.

Ephesians 6:12
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"

Our physical nature stares at the response of what is coming against us and tries to react out of emotion but our spiritual man when it is aware responds out of the heart of God. The spirit calls up legions of angels at its beckoning. What I see in this article and video is the response of an enemy with an agenda that is immoral and against God. That is truth. I am sure some may see that as harsh but the scriptures have been more than clear about homosexuality being sin. God's motive for calling it sin is not to destroy us a human beings but to steer us to life and freedom that comes through purity.

Here is the article that brought forth this thought this morning.. i would love to hear your thoughts but please dont spew hate!

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=81310

Expansion

What is expansion? I always think about when I was a kid and we used to get those little dried up animals from the 25 cent machines. We would take them home put them in a large bowl of water and watch them grow to triple the size of what they were. In amazement we would wonder how in the world could a bowl of water make that little toy expand into this spongy, gross, wet, slimy dinosaur? The funny part is that this describes what God has been laying on my heart lately. How do we grow people to be a spongy, gross, wet, slimy dinosaur. Ok, not necessarily that wonder depiction of a dinosaur but how do we expand ourselves into the lives of others. In a world where we see more of a fatherless generation than we have ever seen how do we become fathers to the fatherless. How do we raise up people who lead along side of us? Not us being the ministry but all of us being ministry together. Its not about who's name is on the door of the ministry. Our culture is so good a defining anything by its leaders. Look at Apple, when there was rumor that Steve Jobs had a heart attack the stock of Apple actually fell because they thought they lost there leader. Read the gospels and see how many times Jesus told them not to put emphasis on him but on what God had done to them through healing, being set free or whatever it was. This to me isnt about another church model its about the heartbeat of spiritual leadership. Its about the impartation of the DNA that God has created in me to lead and about the DNA around me that have DNA to lead. It never is about me or you or anyone else its about the Jesus that lives and dwells among up that make many stronger then one by himself.

Ecclesiates 4:12
"Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken"

My heart is that we expand our life (the river of life) into those that surround us. That we intentionally reach the potential in us and draw it out in those around us.