wolbcmike's Xanga

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:43:15 GMT

I do most of my communication on facebook but I know that many of you only use Xanga so I am back.

Irony

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:22:37 GMT

Life is an irony. We are complex creatures capable of fluid feelings. We can be happy and then sad within just a matter of seconds. We can feel content and then have cravings that seem to possess us just because our eyes see something we desire. One minute we are focused and the next we are daydreaming.

How do we stay on track? How do we make everyday of our lives count for eternity?

We have to come to the reality that the only way our lives can have meaning or explanation is to find it in something or should I say, someone bigger than us. With God this life can be confusing but without Him it is a nightmare. I have to constantly remind myself to keep my eyes on Jesus. I have to bring every thought unto the obedience of Christ. This is all well and good but some days it is more difficult than others. Can you relate?

Consistency

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:51:37 GMT

Consistency is one of those challenges of life that just cannot be overrated. The possession of it or lack of it provides a panoramic view of character at the core. There is no way to hide it or fake it...either you are or you aren't. I can usually deceive myself but I doubt that others who are observing my life are fooled by my charade.

I like to be around people who are consistent. I don't mean to the point of being boring. I am not looking to hang out with "in the box" people but I do want to know that the friends I choose are the same person every time we talk and are not schizophrenics. There ought to be some things you can count on in a friendship that just do not vacillate. People can be consistent and creative, impulsive and fun.

Consistency is something that communicates values based on a principled life not circumstances or feelings. People who are consistent usually have time for others, care about people and encourage others to be better by their example. They do not have to go around announcing that they are consistent, godly or wonderful, it is very obvious just as the contrary is.

These are just some musing that I have for today. Any thoughts?

Time Passes Quickly

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:06:45 GMT

Obviouesly it has been a long time since my last post. I could go on and on about my schedule but itstead, I am going to pretent that I never missed a faithful entry and move on.

I just finished teaching the book of 1 Thessalonians at Word Of Life Island last week and had a great time with all the students and campers.I titled the study, "Real Faith in a Virtual Reality". We have a need for people who can live a real faith in a world that is consumed with virtual reality. People who are willing to be different and make a difference. I don't think that "Teen Second Life" or "Gaia" are the only virtual worlds that have been created. I believe that we as believers can fall into the same trap of living out our Christianity in a virtual Christian world.

I trust you are begining each day in the Word of God making contact with a Real God who has a Real Plan for your life. Let's pray for each other to be faithful to the things that matter and not those that are simply an illusion.

BTW...I keep my facebook updated consistently so you can visit me there also.

Focus

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:17:40 GMT

Systematically, I try to review my life in line with my Biblical Core Values to make sure I am still on target. But about every 5 years I fine myself at a place of evaluation of my focus. One of my problems is that I love what I am doing and I love doing everything. But when these inventory assessment periods arrive, I have to stop, step back and ask myself some hard questions.

Questions like; what am I doing that someone else can do? What am I doing that I need to stop doing? What am I missing that needs to be added? What activities and ministries will have the greatest impact for the cause of Christ? What am I doing to facilitate those God has placed under my supervision? In short, it is a dismantling of all that I do, a time of inspection and critique.

Life is too short and mine is getting shorter to spend our few days doing good things that are not the best things. The Apostle Paul referred to this in 1 Corinthians 9:26 when he says, "thus I fight: not as one who beats the air." I think he is saying,I want to make every blow count! And so do I, so as much as I have a distaste for these times of review, they are necessary...no they are critical.

Light and Darkness

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 19:04:29 GMT

So I was eating at the BI the other night with some of the students and had a great conversation with Samantha V. about how God works in our lives. Life can be exceptionally confusing especially when pain or crisis enters as uninvited guests.It is just so difficult to make sense of it all with our limited perspective.

As we talked I compared life to watching a drama on a stage. The stage is dark and then the spotlight shines on one particular point illuminating only a portion of the entire story, then the light fades to black. In time the light shines again on another location or incident and then once again fades to black. This happens multiple times and our understanding of the story line is limited by just what we can see at the moment of illumination.

Then it happens, instead of a spotlight, a floodlight reveals the connectivity of the individual components and that ah-ha moment dawns upon us and some of the fog clears away as we see more of the "why" rather than just the "what". The events begin to intersect and the deeper purpose becomes more obvious.It does not necessarily diminish the pain but it does add dignity and meaning.

I don't really expect to fully comprehend how all the illuminated moments of my life fit together in the storyline of my life until I see Christ. I do not say that in a defeatist attitude or super spiritual spirit, I just know that until Jesus who is "THE LIGHT" shines on the panorama of my life, that all the dark places will not disappear revealing His overriding plan.

Got any light or dark places in your life that don't seem to fit? The question for me is, "do I want my understanding to increase my faith or my faith to increase my understanding"? Can you relate?

Choices and Changes

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:01:45 GMT

Life is a series of choices and changes, some we control and others take us by surprise. I have made many good choices in my life and an equal amount (if not more) bad choices. I have experienced changes that I count as blessings and some that were brought my way by crisis or tragedy.

I wish I could get a "do over" for all of my bad choices but I can't, it just does not work that way. Interestingly enough, many of the changes that I would make in my life are connected to back choices I made, not to something that someone else did to me.

Everyday I become more aware of how important every choice is in my life. Every decisions influences the next and before long you have a pattern, habit, dicipline or sin.I am trying to evaluate my choices based on the principles of the Word of God rather than my own selfesh desires but too often self wins over God.

Another thing that becomes more evident everyday is how my choices influence or impact others. I cannot live for myself.

A Grateful Spirit

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:26:22 GMT

There are some core character traits that define who we are and how we live. I think a grateful spirit would be in that category. People who have this quality are refreshing and those who lack it tend to be draining.

A person with a grateful spirit is not a raving optimist but they do see the positive when others miss it. They usually have a grasp on reality and that reality helps them look beyond themselves. Their world is bigger than just the space they personally occupy and they do not tend to be self-centered. People without this quality often believe the world revolves around them and so they see everything through a spirit of entitlement.

I have been thinking lately about things that really matter in my life. I have been thinking about character and how to develop it. I don't want to reach the end of my life and discover I have "spent" my life rather than "investing" it. I want my life to count and I guess this desire can only come to pass one godly decision at a time. So right now I am contemplating how I will have to change in order to manifest a grateful spirit as a natural response.

What area of character development is on your mind?

This is Amazing

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:51:47 GMT

I cannot believe I get to do what I do. Tonight I preached at my second Superbowl activity and we had tons of kids responding to receive Christ. Last week I spoke in Orlando and tonight in Kalamazoo and it is just amazing. There is no reason humanly speaking why this should work.In between the NBA or Hockey game and the rally, pizza, and activities, we present the Gospel and I am always amazed that they listen and respond.

When I see kids streaming down an aisle it erases the negative aspects of ministry and life. It reminds me of what is important and priority. Tonight there were probably 20,000 students who heard the message of Jesus across the Nation and many of them said said to Jesus...how cool is that? Now we need to pray for the churches as they do follow up and discipleship.

We have eight more Superbowls this month so keep praying, next week I am in Cleveland.

It's Here!

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 17:37:27 GMT

Okay, I am ex cited to let you know that Thomas Nelson Publishers have just released my first book. This has been a dream for many years and now it is a reality.You will see from the cover that the title is "Pushing the Limits: Unleashing the Potential of Student Ministry". This book is an anthology of 15 writers who are some of the key leaders of youth ministry in this country. I along with Mel Walker (Vision For Youth) served as the general editors for the project and I believe it is a unique book for youth ministry.

Every writer has been successful in reaching and discipling youth in a variety of venues. You will find writers from Word of Life (including Ric Garland, Tom Phillips and me), Southern Baptist, GARBC, IFCA youth pastors and teachers from Liberty, BBC, Christian Heritage, Cedarville,Southern Evangelical and Boyce. You can order the book from Word of Life, Thomas Nelson and by the end of the week, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

So pray that God will use the book to help challenge youth leaders to "Push the Limits" on youth ministry!

http://shop.gospelcom.net/epages/wol.storefront/EN/product/RLMC1

http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/SearchResults.asp?SearchType=Title&SearchText=pushing+the+limits