Andy's Blog
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Saturday, March 1, 2008
Long time no blog.
Nothing major tonight. I'm finally slowing down as the kids are in bed...or at least on the way. I spent the day catching up on my list of stuff to get done at home. I finally put up the slide for Drew, gathered branches all over my yard from the recent storms, I cleaned up my garage, went for a run (ugh!), later went on a walk with the family, played a bunch with the boys and I'm thoroughly beat! As I reflect on the day I am reminded at how good it feels to do what I'd been neglecting. I believe this works in our spiritual lives as well. We ought not go too far without taking the opportunity to slow down and stop neglecting our spiritual lives.
I'm no stranger to the ups and downs of faithfulness. I often feel discouraged at my lack of focus and discipline. When I reach that point I don't have many options - either get back up or accept defeat. I hate defeat. God is invisible and without even knowing at times we can neglect His presence and ultimately His influence. I pray that today - as I have so many times - becomes a new day to do what I've been neglecting...to pray, to fast, to encourage, to read, to not check email, to be courageous, to be optimistic, to run, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind & strength and love my neighbor as myself. AS
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Wednesday, January 2, 2008
It's a new year and last night we had a little family down time and watched the first episode of the new season of the Biggest Loser. If you haven't seen it, The Biggest Loser is a show where overweight men and women spend about 3 months in a special program designed to help them lose weight. There re a number of competitions involved but in the end you seen people weighing over 400lbs become fit, trim and healthy. Through this show they find the strength and discipline they would have never found alone. I am so attracted to shows like this. The other is Extreme Home Makeover...i love it. I sit there and cry like a baby when they reveal this brand new home for a family in extreme crisis. I love it that the whole community gathers around and supports. This is truly inspiring TV.
Why would i take time to write about "reality TV?" When I watch these shows I have 2 overwhelming emotions...
1) Compassion - I feel for the people and want so badly to see them make it. There's a soft part of me that really believes in people - I want to see people make it! 2) Anger - Honestly, I wasn't sure why at first - but then it hit me, "Why is this happening on TV and not among Christians?" It disturbs me that we as Christ followers have the only true Hope in life and only real reason for compassion yet we can't begin to compete with shows like this. Now don't get me wrong - i know that churches and ministries are making a difference. I see life change every week at Highpoint Church. ultimately I really wish it was me that was making that kind of difference. Maybe I'm angry at my small dreams, maybe I'm frustrated because I settle for less than great results, maybe I'm angry because it seems that the world has found a way to express compassion better than the church.
Those who know me know my heart for failures & underdogs. This year I am most excited about launching a new ministry though Highpoint directed at meeting practical needs in the lives of single parents. I have that same feeling of compassion for their place in life and the desire to help. I have that same anger that not enough is being done and a relentless passion to be the one to do it. It's time us Christians to look around us and learn from our unbelieving friends and get our tails in gear and give this world "the reason for the hope we have." AS
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Monday, December 31, 2007
Today is the last day of the year. I'm always excited about the new year. I just can't help thinking of what i want to do and changes i want to make. Maybe the New Year is a generous gift of God where virtually everything in our world is focused on what could be. Today, we are all given the opportunity to consider "what could be." My general belief is that we rarely accomplish our greatest dreams because we fail to consider the work it takes to make something that could be into something that would be. I have great dreams of what could be in 2008. See you there. AS
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Friday, November 30, 2007
Today I was riding an ATV around our neighborhood - we live in an area with lots of wooded areas and open fields. In a grassy area just a few feet from my backyard I noticed the remaining carcass of what appears to be from a deer. Not to be too morbid but it caught me by surprise. I'm getting used to all the wildlife we see around here but this was kind of creepy. I guess this deer was attacked by some other animal and the remains were left. I was curious enough to look and even make a couple of passes to see it from a few different angles...then drove away.
Here's the point...how often do we treat our own sin the same way. We find ourselves in some sort of sin...we know its wrong, we even look at it from a few different angles but somehow we find a way to turn and walk away. Why do we allow our sin to remain and cause decay of our faith? Why do we simply walk away? Why are we not more proactive to remove the decay from our lives? It is possible that we have overlooked sin so much in our lives that seeing something new simply isn't a big deal?
I wonder what our lives would look like if we took our sin more seriously? I constantly hear people talk about how they want to hear form God and experience His blessing, could it be our sin is distracting us from all that God wants to bring to our lives? Here's the challenge - take sin seriously. God promises that he is our loving Father and that the death of Jesus has provided the grace and forgiveness we need to deal without sin without shame. I hope we all will be a little more willing to face our sin and find the freedom Christ died to provide. AS
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