February « 2010 « Journeyman Journal

Olympic King/Queen for a Day…

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

With the Olympics in full swing I got to thinking about some of the ridiculous events that they include for some unknown reason. Which got me to thinking about what I would replace them with.

First, here’s my list of the top three (in order) events I would can…

Ice Dancing…no explanation needed.
Men’s Figure Skating…not even gonna go there.
Curling…looks like fun to play, but in the Olympics??

And here’s what I would replace them with…

Snowball Fighting…both individual and team.
Snow Angel Making…would give some creative outlets.
Downhill Tubing…would be some awesome wipe-outs here!

How about you? What would you get rid of and what you you replace it with??

(BTW, if you’re reading this as a note on Facebook, come check out the real thing here).

23.02.2010 Humor, Misc Ramblings, Soap Box 2 Comments

0.09 Seconds

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

I love watching the Olympics…especially the Winter Olympics.

I live vicariously through these athletes that have sacrificed so much and worked so hard for that one moment. I love the patriotism of it all…rooting for your country and against the French. :cool:

These guys (and gals) are so good that the difference between winning and losing is often measured in fractions of a second. That was the case yesterday with Bode Miller. He took the Bronze (in case you weren’t paying attention). What blows my mind is how far away he was from the Gold…0.09 seconds!

Think about that for a second. 9/100ths of a second difference over the span of a course that’s longer than a mile. NBC reported yesterday that that represented about 11 feet difference at the finish line…over the course of a mile! I think if you and I raced from one end of a room to another there would be a larger distance than 0.09 seconds. Incredible!

And it got me thinking about what it takes for the top athletes to get to the place where they are that close at the end. Dedication. Determination, Sacrifice. Discipline. Effort. Training.

And what if we put that much effort into our own spiritual race? Paul says we’re in a race…a race that actually matters…

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?
So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away,
but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
1 Corinthians 9:24-26, NLT

Are you running your race to win? Are you striving for the “eternal prize”? Are you running “with purpose”? Or are you just shadowboxing?

I’m racing toward the finish line…how close behind you will I be? 0.09 seconds?

16.02.2010 Spiritual Musings, Sports No Comments

A New Song

Monday, February 15th, 2010

I don’t sing.

OK, maybe when I’m alone in the car and some rockin’ tune comes on. And on Sunday mornings. But that’s pretty much it. It’s just not my “gift”.

But yesterday God took me to these two passages…

Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
Psalm 98:1, NLT

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Isaiah 42:10, NLT

What caught my attention in both of these verses is not that we’re commanded to sing to the Lord…but that we’re commanded to sing a new song. Not a song that we already know. A new song.

Hmm…

As I read it I started to wonder, “What’s the significance of the song being new?” I assumed there was something there or God wouldn’t have said it that way…twice (it actually occurs three more times in Psalms). Why a new song? What’s wrong with one that I already know (and that list is small…I can’t remember lyrics to save my own life).

So I started to pray and ask God to shed some light on this little nuance. If He caught my attention with it, then it must mean something (at least to me). And He came though (duh!). Here’s what I journaled…

I can’t just look to the past—what God has done in my life and other’s. I need to focus on what He’s doing right now. God’s story in my life now. I need to sing that new song—the ever evolving story God continues to tell in my life. I need to tell it. I need to sing this “new song”. It doesn’t belong to anyone else. It’s new. It’s the song God is writing in my life and I need to sing it!

For me, this “new song” is the story God is writing for me. He’s writing the song of my life and it’s always brand new. That may not be theologically accurate…but it speaks to my soul. It’s what I needed yesterday and today.

Now, I just need to start singing…

15.02.2010 Devotional, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

JFK Had It Right

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

I have been doing a lot of study think week on the topic of Spiritual Gifts. I’m writing a curriculum series for our LifeGroups based on the 8 Characteristics of a Growing Disciple. “Serving in Giftedness” is the fourth on the list, but I’m tackling it first because we have a LifeGroup going through this topic now (so I’m “piggybacking” on their series).

The more I study and read on the topic (more blogging to come on that) the more I realize how wrong we get it sometimes. Our focus is just off. We focus too much on our “gifting” and not enough on our “using”. As part of my study my entire paradigm regarding spiritual gifts has changed (more to come on that as well).

This morning I realized that our 35th President had it right in his Inaugural Speech on January 20, 1961. You’ve probably heard the part I’m referring to many times. You can see and hear it here…

In case you can’t read or listen, here’s what he said that’s so important…

“Ask not what your country can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your country.”

It’s the same in the church. He had it right. It applies to spiritual gifts. It applies to our motivation to be a part of a church in general. Let me “paraphrase” it this way…

“Ask not what your church can do for you.
Ask what you can do for your church.”

Or maybe even better yet…

“Ask not what the people in your church can do for you.
Ask what you can do for the people in your church.”

We’re supposed to be about serving and loving others. It’s what we’re supposed to do with our gifts, talents, and passions. It’s how the church works. It’s how we work.

Like I said, JFK had it right.

04.02.2010 Life Group, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

The Question for the Ages

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

You’ve probably asked this question yourself. I can almost guarantee you’ve heard someone ask it. I’ve done both…asked it and heard it just this week in fact. It’s one of those “questions for the ages”…it has been asked ever since mankind got thrown out of The Garden on our ear…

Why does God allow bad stuff to happen to people?

We know deep down that God could stop all of the bad stuff…the stuff happening in our lives, to the people we know, around the world. He has the power, but why doesn’t He do it?

People come to different conclusions. Some think it’s because He’s mean. Some say it’s because He doesn’t care. Some that He doesn’t even exist.

There are “deep” theological answers (think “free will”), but I’m not getting into that today. This whole topic came up while I was reading a passage out of Hebrews this morning. The answer given there is specifically for those who are following Him. Why does God allow stuff to happen to those who are trying there best to follow Him?

Why?

Because we’re His children, and that’s what a good Dad does…

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children.
Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children,
it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us,
shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
Hebrews 12:7-9, NLT

When I read that this morning I wanted to know more about the word “discipline” used here. It made me think of how I discipline my own children (a common occurrence…just ask Kyle), punishing them to change their behavior. And it’s close…but it goes beyond how I typically think of discipline. God is using what goes on in our daily lives…the good and the bad…to shape and mold us. He lets the stuff happen because He wants it to train us…to change us. The word is more akin to the idea of instruction and training—not just punishment.

And God’s does this all throw His perfect filter of love and grace. He isn’t allowing these things to happen because He’s mean or doesn’t care. Quite the opposite…He allows it because He knows it’s good for us…it will develop our character and draw us to Himself (if we let it). I don’t know about you, but I want to be a legitimate child of God. And He’s been using plenty of “stuff” in my life to discipline/train me. I just wish it wasn’t so painful sometimes (as does Kyle), and I wish I would realize what’s happening when I’m going through the battle.

02.02.2010 Devotional, God's Love, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment