Got a spoon in your pocket?

I used to long to 'stir the pot' with people all the time. I grew up with the mind-set to intentionally say things and get people to react in such a way that I was the focus of the attention. One primary example has to do with how I grew up in Nebraska. I purposely cheered on for the arch-nemesis of the Huskers, the Oklahoma Sooners. I intentionally would 'stir the pot' with classmates, friends and even unknown people around me and push their buttons. Sadly, this way of live bled into the other areas of my life. It made me a very angry and mean person to just about anyone who crossed my path, especially in the discussions regarding football. To this day, I still find myself doing it.

Instead of choosing to follow my old self, I am working on becoming more like Christ. This is one area which I still have much trouble changing being that I am still a big fan of college football and I honestly can admit that I still hate the Huskers. Then I find myself asking why I have such a bitter taste in my mouth. Why do I really find myself feeling this way? Why do I treat God's children (even if they are Husker fans) that way? A big realization was that I was so starved for attention of any type, I would act this way for people to notice me and I'd be the center of attention.

It's been a long haul and I still am convicted every day in my maturation process with Christ in the center of all of it. Therefore, the next time you find yourself intentionally saying things that might be sarcastic, hurtful or otherwise to get a reaction - I challenge you to ask yourself this question. Are you carrying a spoon in your pocket? Are you intentionally stirring the pot for things to happen? Is this your own self doing it or are you being attacked by satan in this world? More specifically, when you are with family or loved ones, do you find yourself 'shooting off at the mouth' with hurtful and even spiteful comments that really do injure those around you?

If this posting has brought you to a crossroads, Praise Christ for it. Then I ask you to pray for His strength to fight another day without doing the 'normal' comfortable ways of living. It's going to be tough to fight the old ways of doing it, but God will reward you in unfathomable ways.

Christian Bookstores......excellent source or blocking the faith?

In October this year, I visited my sister's place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and had a great time with her family. On my final day in Tulsa, I went out to the local Mardel Christian Bookstore to get another copy of Oswald Chambers' devotional "My Utmost for His Highest." Sadly, I lost my copy somehow and I was borrowing a buddy's copy and my heart longed to get my own copy again.

As we entered the bookstore, it was insane. There were so many choices of Christian-themed items from Bibles, journals, fictional stories, non-fiction stories, autobiographies, self-help books and the list goes on, on and on and on. I felt overjoyed too, oddly enough. What better way for a Christ-seeking man to get into a store like this and have any option at the grip of my hands right then and there, right?!?! Well, maybe.......

Once I plowed through all of the first wave of displays and so forth, I tried to peek around to see if I could even get lucky finding Chambers' devotional. I ended up getting help to find the book but again had to go through a bunch of other types of books and displays to get to the one I wanted. Then more choices.......new versions, big type, etc. All I wanted was my old-fashioned book! Then it was there.......for only $3.99. :)

I chose to keep looking around the store while my brother-in-law did the same and I went to the discounted book area to see what interesting spirit-filled books I could find. Before I knew it, I had at least 5 titles in my mind I wanted to purchase and it suddenly hit me when I sent a text to my buddy back home about them........"When do we really get filled with too much 'information' and items even at a Christian bookstore?" Don't get me wrong, I think there are some great sources of faith-driven books and everything at Lifeway, Mardel and other types of Christian bookstores. However, I noticed myself even getting caught up in the 'stuff' that can fill our lives. Another question for all of us - "Do we even know if this author or person is truly a follower of Christ?" One key example is Olsteen. He preaches/motivates about half-truths. Only the great parts of the Bible are taught in his sermons and books. Are we truly discerning of the items we consider buying at the bookstore or are we caught up in the flare and glamour of the place?

The big 'gut check' of it all is this: What if we all stopped worrying about these self-help type of books and focused on Christ's real Truth in the Bible? What would things look like?

Not only this question is posed for other readers here, but myself too. It's a challenge to focus only on God's Word and not folks' opinions of it. What will you choose differently going forward? How will it affect you when you go to a Christian bookstore or online site?

Is it time to take off your 'mask?'

This past weekend (Oct. 29-30), I had the pleasure of attending an incredible men's retreat weekend with my church called "Unmasked." It had to do with how often people, especially guys, tend to hide behind a type of mask in their lives. These types of masks could be a multitude of things to include past hurt, guilt, divorce, childhood pain, eating disorder, fatherlessness, alcoholism, pride and any other thing we want to hide behind.

Just think about it - how often are we personally willing to 'step outside the box' and extend ourselves where we are uncomfortable? This is a mask in itself. Our comfort zone is really a mask where we think we have this control of life and everything feels fine. Ultimately it is the mask that suffocates us and makes us feel horrible and traps us by the evil one to think we have control in our lives.

I personally didn't want to attend this retreat. I actually 'loathed' going. However, my great friend who is also my amazing accountability partner challenged me to attend with him. I even had other plans to go do something else but chose otherwise since the pieces fell together for me to attend the retreat. The one key thing my friend had to share with me was that he felt that God was going to show up and meet me here during the retreat. He felt personally that God was going to work in me and share something with me over the next two days.

He was right. No matter how horrible it was, my friend was correct. God met me.....with bells on. Jesus saw behind my masks over the next two days. He came to me in my hurt, pain and suffering and drew those things out of me in the things I experienced with other guys. Jesus showed me in one way that all men struggle with similar issues and also their own separate insecurities which help 'mask' their identities.

Hearing other men talk about how they feel and so on made me realize a lot of these issues come from our worldly views today. Men are told they have to be strong, non-emotional, fierce creatures but not too strong and not too dirty because that's not the image of a 'nice guy' they want to see. Really.....I have to ask......what do people want to see in a man? No wonder we wear so many layers of masks to hide. We have been truly told so many things that contradict one another that we see it's easier not to show anything at all but this half-cocked person who doesn't even know who he is himself.

Therefore, as I said before, Jesus met me here. Right here. All of my masks I had been wearing, and He peeled them back to see His son. Wow..........I wanted to hide. Instead, I chose to write Jesus a real letter. No nonsense - the real deal of what was on my heart and where I needed to come to Him in my healing. It was incredible. I was able to see what masks I had been wearing a long time and the new ones I had put on in my life. The letter was very easy to ask for Jesus to help me peel them off and be real in my life. Then came the most humbling, horrible, painful and bone crushing thing I've done as a man since choosing Jesus as my Savior.......

I volunteered to read my letter to Jesus Christ - in front of the whole room of guys who attended the retreat. Immediately it was easy to volunteer since that's something built inside of me since I was young - to be willing to do about anything. As soon as I made my way up to the front with the microphone, it was ON. I started to tremble as I reviewed my letter and thought to myself, "my God, these guys are going to see the 'real' me." The shaking became even worse as they quieted and I started to read the letter to Jesus and poured out my faults, problems and worst nightmares in my life. I began to convulse into weeping and trembling to the point where I had to pause multiple times knowing my heart was known and my masks were being peeled off. Once I had finished, my face was red and heart was pounding from the humiliating feeling I felt from reading my letter to my Jesus. However, I looked up to see a room of fellow men standing, clapping and coming around a fellow broken man of Christ who had Jesus come to him that weekend.

It's a daily choice......no actually it is an hourly choice for me if not even more. Do we continue each day playing the routine conversation of "how are you; oh I'm fine" and so forth.....or do we get real with one another and stop faking it behind masks? This won't be easy and already has been a fight since God met me in the moment 4 days ago. The best part is that I have championed a group of men to help me stay accountable with the fight and I am in their fight with them against putting the mask back on. However, I'm tired of the man I think the world needs me to be and I want to become the man Jesus sees in me. I know that Jesus loves me for who I am now and who He plans on me to become.

Fantasy Sports Knowledge.......how much do we really need?

I have to admit - I love sports, especially football. I love my Oklahoma State Cowboys, Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys. It's amazing how much information I have inside my brain of past players, records and any other types of information regarding those teams. That doesn't include the days of playing junior high and high school football either. Just for kicks, I'll never forget 1985 where Oklahoma defeated Nebraska where the Huskers spouted off they were going to beat them when they came to visit. The paper the Sunday after the game said "Huskers manfully, quietly eat crow." Now that's just intense fan frenzy!

I've come to realize that so many people are really involved in fantasy sports (football, baseball, basketball, etc) and "live" to collect more information about their favorite players, teams and whatnot that it's incredible. I have heard friends tell me often how they have to get online throughout the week to check up on their players on their fantasy teams and players to be sure they're in a good 'position' going into the coming week for the best chance to score points.

My whole point being in this discussion is to bring a key fact that has been discussed in my church and with other Christ followers recently. What if we all chose to get deeper in the Bible and God's teaching to 'rattle off' the scripture or past history of Christ like we do often when it comes to our favorite players or teams? Personally, this is a 'gut check' for myself as well. Instead of taking the time to read up on player updates, biographies, team reports throughout the week and I would choose to get into God's Word more often, what would that look like for me? What would my relationships look like? What would my daily actions and choices become like? What would my Saturdays and Sundays look like where I could do something more Christ-honoring instead of sitting in front of a TV shouting for my favorite teams?

Personally, I noticed this past weekend I was yelling at the TV and becoming more frustrated that I had been in a few years - and for what really? It is only a game. My mom actually always said it but I really see it now. I allowed an inanimate object to control and bring much emotion to my state for quite some time. Passion for something is alright, yes, but to have rage like I felt inside and so forth, that's not good. Therefore, I really had another gut check of reality from God and how I can attack these opportunities as they arise in the future.

How have you thought of this concept of 'cramming our heads full of sports knowledge' and mindlessly watching ESPN until we're like zombies? Ever thought that the devil could be working in our lives to keep us from joy, contentment, peace in Christ? What if we all joined together on Christ's team and cheered on others to join the fight? What would it look like? If you are interested in knowing more, email me or comment here. The more, the merrier, because we need to come together as a body to encourage and uplift one another.

"Get in the Ring"

This morning, I got the wonderful blessing to lead the young men again for the 'bacon Bible breakfast.' We dug into "Wild at Heart" and discussed some key points which hold true for guys all around the world in the past and well into today. Think about your favorite 'guy' movie.....

The movie that we discussed was Gladiator. Specifically we talked about how Maximus was seen as the leader without even being called by name. He delegated but also worked together with his den of men and they accomplished amazing feats in the ring.

One key point was made about being in the ring. Maximus and other warriors were in the ring fighting for their lives while spectators jeered and wanted to choose the fate of the lives of the men who were left standing in the ring. Which are you in today's world? Are you jeering at those around you and making the 'easy call' with a thumb up or down? Or are you a person willing to stand with your shields locked together in a band of heroes fighting through this world? If you haven't ever thought of doing things this way, why not try it now? There might be many reasons why when we try to do it all ourselves and we miserably go through the attempt or even fail.

Many of us hear the call to fight but seldom listen and choose to follow God's will. When will it be your time to make that choice? Will it be too late when you think you should? What kind of fight today do you need to gather those around you and build up your shields to protect yourselves?

It isn't too late. Today can be that change made within you - just call on others and Jesus to support you.

"Entitlement"

It completely amazes me how people in today's world feel they are 'entitled' to so much in their daily lives. Often I hear folks say to others, "it's alright, I deserve it so I'll do this or that." Having that mentality truly undermines a Christ-follower's way of doing things. We, as human beings, do not really have anything we deserve except for our Lord and Savior's eternal judgment and punishment. There isn't anything that states anywhere in the Bible that we are entitled to eternal happiness either. Most folks misunderstand and misrepresent that 'joy' in the Bible means 'happiness.' This is duly incorrect.

It might not be 100% accurate but I've heard it from other places that the 'feeling of happy' is specific to a situation and is very limited. Joy, on the other hand, is the contentment of whatever situation happens within your own life and knowing Christ is in it. Again, I know I might not be 100% accurate but it's something similar to this thought process on joy vs. happy.

Humility is part of this issue of human 'entitlement.' We human beings feel we do deserve things in today's world and pride and selfishness get into the way. If we all were less selfish and self-serving, what would today's world look like? Jesus gave us the perfect example when he continually put his own life behind others. The ultimate example was the Cross. What if we all settled for less and realized that the only thing we are entitled to is eternal judgment from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? One word.....humility toward Him.

Bottom line specifically though - wouldn't you rather be humble and joyful in all situations and feel the peace and contentment that Christ is inside us in all of those moments? It's incredible when there's a tough time in someone's life and typically they will move toward faith but then fall away when things are going well. Why not follow Christ in all circumstances?

J-O-Y

While listening to K-Love on the radio in getting ready for work and my morning 'ritual' of devotion time and so forth, someone came on the radio and mentioned how things could really change if people really understood the importance of JOY in 2010. They went deeper explaining that not only joy is not the same as happiness but they gave a great acronym for the word.

J - Jesus is first
O - Others next
Y - Yourself

If we all thought of J-O-Y in this manner for 2010, how much could really change in the world around us? God Bless K-Love and its ministry and those who they reach each day.