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Thought provoking questions by Bill Hybels, that we need ask ourselves.

1. Is my calling sure?
2. Is my vision clear?
3. Is my passion burning hot?
4. Is my character fully submitted to Christ?
5. Is my pride subdued or is my ego messing with it?
6. Are my fears at bay? Or do I have anxiety?
7. Is my psychological baggage affecting the way I make decisions?
8. Are my ears open to the voice of God?
9. Is my pace sustainable?
10. Is my heart for God increasing or decreasing?

How are you leading self these days?

A few months ago I did a talk, where I talked about how precious life is…how fragile it can be.  How important it is to savor every moment, especially the time you have with your kids.

A woman named Mary Jean Arian wrote a little piece called “Gift From a Hair Dryer–Reflections of a Mom as She Combs Her Seven-Year-Old Daughter’s Hair After a Bath.” And somehow, it kind of captures what a precious thing life it.

“Comb and dry. Comb and dry. ‘Soon, I won’t be able to do this anymore,’ you say to yourself knowing that the little straight bob must inevitably yield to grown up coiffures and ugly curlers. What will she be like at 14? Where will her hair be blowing then–at 16 and 18? Do you suppose boys will love to watch her hair blow as you do now? And some of them will feel it on their faces. And one of them will marry her and her hair will be spread under the veil, and then, spread out on his pillow.

“And oh, you hate him a little and wonder where he is at this moment, whether he’ll be good to her. They will grow old together. And the gold-brown hair will be gray. And you will be gone. And then, she will be gone–this very hair, that now, your fingers smooth. And all the tears of the world swim for a second in your eyes as you snatch the plug out of the socket suddenly, and gather her into your arms, burying your face in the warm hair, as if you could seal this moment against all time.”

Forgiveness at times can be difficult, can’t it?

I was talking today about the burdensome weight that not forgiving can bring.  Not forgiving can cause one to lurk in the murkiness of resentment.

One of my favorite quotes by Fredrick Buechner:

“Of all the deadly sins, resentment appears to be the most fun.  To lick your wounds and savor the pain you will give back is in many ways a feast fit for a king.  But then it turns out that what you are eating at the banquet of bitterness is your own heart.  The skeleton at the feast is you.  You start out holding a grudge, but in the end the grudge holds you.”

Who do you need forgive?

Yesterday marked our 7 year wedding anniversary!

We went to the Melting Pot for dinner and enjoyed a couple hours together celebrating, laughing, and enjoying each other’s presence.

Kathryn knows that I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to gifts, that is to say, “keep it simple.”  Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things and a surprising gift here or there is okay…but all-in-all I enjoy “meaningful” gifts…I REALLY like cards!

My wife made me a card from scratch, which was nicely done, and she received an A+ for creativity and surprise!

One of the things she had in the card was, “14 Reasons Why I Love You.” (2 reasons for every year we have been married…for those of you math challenged, that is 7 x 2 =14.)

Very creative!

I thought I would post my “14 Reasons Why I Love You” so every can see for themselves:

1.)  Your selfless acts of kindness to others

2.) The little things that you remember about others that make them feel special

3.)  The confidence you exude in a myriad of circumstances

4.) Your love for good food and creative passion to cook tantalizing dishes!

5.) Your love for God (BTW: if some of you get all tangled up in God being number 5…they aren’t ranked, so get over it :-))

6.) The time, love, and focus on being the BEST mom in the world

7.) Being an inspiration to me and a role model for other wives

8.) Your desire and effort to help grow in our relationship

9.) Patience

10.) Not only a mom, but a women who is a measuring stick for our son to identify a great wife and loving mom

11.) Your drive to “get things done” and not make excuses

12.) Your humor…even if it does take someone to get hurt in the process to get you to laugh (btw: inside joke)

13.) You have such an indescribable beauty that words can’t fully express

14.) Fourteen reasons aren’t enough…volumes of novels that would fill time and space could not be etched to depict how much I love you!

Today the whole (all three of us) family went to Lake Geneva to relax…

get away…

decompress…

let the stress go…

divorce busy-ness…

and ENJOY life!

What are the things you are doing to STOP and enjoy those with whom you love?  Where do you like to go to relax?  What is your favorite vacation spot?

Maybe it’s time for you to divorce busy-ness and choose to live!

Kathryn (my wife) and I were talking about forgiveness this morning.

Do you ever find it difficult to forgive someone else?
•    Maybe someone who is close to you has been less than honest with you
•    Maybe you have been cheated
•    Maybe you have been let go from your job
•    Maybe you have been neglected or abandoned

At the end of the day, all of us, in some way(s) have been given the opportunity to forgive.  The truth of the matter, it’s isn’t always easy to forgive.

Forgiveness, I believe, must be a way of life!

This is what I believe:

1.) When I forgive someone else I give up the right to hurt them back

I choose to stop trying to get even for what someone else did wrong to me.

I remember someone once saying, about this notion of “getting even,” they said: “Even though you may hurt me deliberately, personally, and deeply, I suspend the law of vengeance.  I refrain from the instinctive response of retaliation.  I don’t act on or indulge my desire to see you squirm.  When I forgive you, I set you free from the little prison I have placed in my mind for holding you captive.  I seek to stop entertaining fantasies of vengeance in which you are tortured or fired from you job or suddenly gain fifty pounds.”

2.) Forgiving is a new way of seeing and feeling

Someone once told me “people do what they do because of who they are, not because of who you are.”  Sometimes we have to come to the realization that someone who has hurt us may be dealing with some deep seeded stuff…downright junk – and you became the brunt of that hurt!  Right, wrong, or indifferent…we have to begin seeing the situation differently.

When we hold fast to unforgiveness toward another person, we tend to believe only bad things about them.
•    When we forgive each other, we begin to see more clearly.  We do not ignore the hurts, but we see beyond them.
•    We rediscover the humanity of the one who hurt us.

3.) Forgiveness is when I began to wish others well

The truth is…we can forgive others, because The Great Forgiver has forgiven us!

So, maybe a question for you is this: Do you wish the person who has hurt you well?  Regardless of what they did?  Don’t get me wrong…I imagine you will have moments, backsliding moments, where you struggle with what someone else did to you.

Forgiveness is the revitalization of relationships!  It is a practice as frequent, sometimes, as breathing.

TRUE forgiveness isn’t cheap.  Sometimes your hurt runs deep.  Sometimes you want to hurt someone back.  BUT the alternative of NOT forgiving is that it will cost you your heart.

Fredrick Buechner who was a Presbyterian minister during WW2, said about not forgiving and holding on to resentment:
“Of all the deadly sins, resentment appears to be the most fun.  To lick your wounds and savor the pain you will give back is in many ways a feast fit for a king.  But then it turns out that what you are eating at the banquet of bitterness is your own heart.  The skeleton at the feast is you.  You start out holding a grudge, but in the end the grudge holds you.”

When we begin to let go of unforgiveness we allow the grace and peace of God to reign in our hearts and minds.  It isn’t easy, but the alternative of not forgiving is the imprisonment of your heart.

• What if…this week you made that call to the one who hurt you?
• What if…this week you decided to look beyond the anger and allow God’s grace to reign in your heart?
• What if…you modeled the way for your kids, so they can see a parent who exemplifies forgiveness?

How would life look different?  How would your world look different?

I DARE you to forgive…it may be the narrow path, but that path is liberating!

Tonight was an exceptional night, as The Orchard held its annual BBQ and Baptism.

One word describes the event for me: UNBELIEVABLE.

Here are just a few reasons why it was unbelievable:

• I remember 6 years ago how many we baptized (18 people) and was overwhelmed several times this evening watching as the waterpark was filled with families (many of which I have never met), and realizing that following Jesus is the best decision anyone can make.
• Being able to celebrate with those who are taking that next step in their spiritual journey
• Watching the tears of joy streaming down the faces of parents, as their kids get baptized
• Hearing the life stories of many who were impacted by The Orchard (directly or indirectly)
• Being able to baptize next to my wife
• Still taking this journey together with our dear friends, Scott and Amanda Hodge

Here are some pictures from the event.

Scott instructing a room full of people ready to be baptized

Prayer right before we head to the park for baptism (these are all the people getting baptized!)

Friends who got baptized

The Jones family

Scott with the team that captured it all on video

Stay tuned to more pictures here or here.

Enjoy!