This should be the prayer of every Christian...

"Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."

~Jim Elliot

Turning Negative to Positive

Occasionally we may look at the state of the world and begin to think that the vast majority of what transpires is negative.  We see the state of our economy or our foreign policy or a church scandal and we could easily become discouraged.  Our society loves to tell bad news, and sadly, often so do many Christians.  What can be done to combat this barrage of negativity?

Scripture provides several solutions to negative thoughts.  First, spend time in the Word of God.  The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.”  When we focus on the timeless promises of God, negative news seems passing and temporary.

In addition to study, prayer is a key factor in staying positive.  It is amazing to write down a prayer or prayer list and then to see in a few months how the situations have either resolved or now seem unimportant.  Praying can focus the mind and crowd out the drama of negative thoughts.

Finally, meditation is an essential part of spiritual discipline.  Meditation doesn’t have to be a strange concept to us.  It is simply thinking about certain things and allowing the mind to focus around positive energy and thoughts.  If we would just spend some time thinking about all the good things in the world, we would soon run out of time to be caught up in the negative.  

Putting these three practices to use in our live will have us feeling better about the world and our place in it.  As we grow more positive in our approach to life we by necessity will leave off our negative thinking.  As I have said, enjoyment in life is largely found not in what happens to us but the attitude we have in dealing with what happens.

"When the world pushes you to your knees, you are then in the perfect position to pray."

~Rumi

Sometimes...

Often times we can be guilty of having a smug sense of spiritual superiority.  This is common on all points along the theological spectrum.  The conservative often finds his superiority in observing all the rules and right procedures and readily condemning those who are less perfect than he.  Quite often the more liberal thinker takes great comfort in the fact that he is not so old-fashioned and uptight as his more conservative counterpart.  The liberal thanks the LORD that he is liberated and has gotten past being such a legalist and found the "real" message of the Gospel.  Many people in the theological middle are just thankful they are not caught up in the agendas of either extreme and pride themselves on "balance."

The problem in these situations is often not so much the doctrine as the attitude.  The focus has shifted off of Who God is and onto what I am doing or how I am feeling.  The most appropriate response, regardless of which source the pride comes from, is prayer.  Praying to guard against our own tendencies to glorify ourselves is essential.  Praying that God would work in our lives both through us and in spite of us will foster an attitude of humility.  When we look to exalt God and His will for our lives we cannot help but to realize how small and dependent we truly are.

May God help us to remember that in the upside-down Kingdom the last will be first and the first last.

May God help us to check our personalities and assume His priorities.

May God help His people to be both a reflection of His truth and His humility to the world.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

-St. Paul to the church at Ephesus

"Oh God, be truly present in our lives and allow us to be truly present in the lives of others."

“When you pray, move your feet.” 

-An African proverb

A Christmas Prayer

May God grant you peace in the knowledge

that the past is over, that now is now,

and the future will arrive soon enough.

May we learn to live with the blessing of memory

without the curse of regret.

May we be present in the present aware that

every day is a gift that we may only open once.

May we look to the future with an informed optimism

and always seek to find the good regardless of the situation.

Merry Christmas and blessings for a Happy 2012!

Death of Virginia Holiday

Brandon and I in 2001 at Sardis Lake Christian Camp

I learned a few moments ago of the death of the mother of my dear friend, Brandon Holiday.  Brandon and I were roommates for three years at Freed-Hardeman University and friends from church camp.  Please keep Brandon, his father Wayne and sister Jasmine in your thoughts and prayers.

When I am doing well, let me thank God.

When I am living in doubt, let me ask God.

When I am confident, let me find humility before God.

When I make a mistake, let me trust God.

When I am in need of love, let me turn to God.

When I am lonely, let me know the presence of God.

When I want to give up, let me remember God.

When I think it will never get better, let me choose God.

In all things let me simply know God.

Prayers for Pat

As someone who has met Coach Summitt on a couple of occassions and who shares mutual friends, I was upset to hear of Pat's illness.  She says it plainly and honestly like she always has.  Our prayers are with Pat, her family, her friends and Volunteer Nation.

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/6888321/tennessee-lady-vols-pat-summitt-early-onset-dementia

Pray for study

This Thursday, Lord willing, I will be meeting with some Mormons to talk about the Scriptures.  This is my fourth or fifth meeting with LDS missionaries, but only my second with these two guys.  Our first meeting lasted over an hour and they seemed open to discussing some deeper issues.  Most of my encounters with LDS members in the past have led to mutual respect but no lasting results.  For some reason I feel that at least one of these young men may be different.

Please pray that I will have God's Spirit and God's words as I speak to these young men.  Imagine what great missionaries converted LDS members would make?!  We are slowly building up to some important questions and I hope that we will find common ground in the truth of God's word.

Thanks for all you do.

Reflections on Sunday

We had an excellent service this morning in Dresden with several guests in attendance.  It was sad to have some of our members away, but the overall feel of the service today was very positive.  Due to the recent storms and trials that many in our number are going through, I chose to speak on prayer in the worship hour.  Using Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount, I taught about the need for sincere, simple, personal prayer.  While standing before the congregation, my words struck a chord in my own soul.  How often I seem to try to work through problems before praying through them.  Many times I feel too sinful to pray and, while I realize intellectually that prayer is a means of the forgiveness of sin, I often let my guilt hinder my prayer life.  Perhaps you have felt the same, dear reader.

As I sit here in the quiet of my own house, I think of all the prayers I have prayed.  For a long time, I prayed to have friends (not realizing that I already had many people that considered me a friend).  Once upon a time, I prayed for a partner to share my life with.  I am slowly realizing that God has given me a different kind of life.  Not weird or bad, just different.  As a lady told me recently at Bible Study, "It's ok to be you."  I have often prayed to be something or someone else, but I am beginning to see that as messed up and confused as I often am, God can use me even in that.  I am terribly flawed, but I am learning to see that sometimes it is our flaws that make us individuals.  I hope that someday I will be able to use my adversity to help others and I know in some ways I already have.

God bless you and have a great week.

"Lord, teach us to pray..."

• For humility
• For unity
• For mercy
• For a change in priorities if need
• To look around as well as up
• To put You above everything, everyone and every other distraction
• To remember it is not about what we think, feel or believe, but rather what You desire of us
• For the knowledge that You are the Essence and Author of Love
• For grace for this moment...no more for that would be selfish and no less for that would be not enough.

Feel free to add what you need to better learn to pray for...Comments welcome...love you guys!
blessings,
-Will

Recovering at home

Hey guys!  Thanks for all the prayers during my procedure this morning.  Got a fairly good report.  In fact, we really didn't learn anything new except that I am still having ulcers and a hard time swallowing/keeping food down.  I appreciate your kindness in praying for me and my family during this health challenge.

I am about to do some serious napping as the anesthesia doesn't wear off completely for about 24 hours and it is dangerous to TUI (Type Under the Influence).   :)

Hope you have a blessed day,
-Will