What Difference Does Perspective Make?

This morning I was smacked in the face with a fistful of PERSPECTIVE.

Millions of dollars in damage spread across the east coast.
Thousands of people are without power.
Thousands of people are without their home.
Thousands of people have lost everything.
Some have died.

And this morning I woke up frustrated that I’ve been without an Internet connection for a little over 2 days.

Really?

God, help me centered my focus on You, giving thanks for all You’ve done, all You’ve given, all You’ve blessed me with. God, help restore HOPE to the people affected by Sandy. God, help us, Your church, be Your hands and feet. Amen.

How’s your GRATITUDE this morning?
How’s your PERSPECTIVE on life?
Need a change?

A Letter to Celebrate Recovery

Hello, I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who’s celebrating recovery from pride and co-dependency, my name is Nick.

LAST WEEK:
Wow! Last week was intense! There was something stirring in the room, like a massive release of pain, anxiety, and fear. You could feel it during the worship and you could definitely feel it carry over through the testimony. Anne did a FANTASTIC job of sharing her story; trusting God and her family at Celebrate Recovery enough to get real, to get vulnerable. It takes a crazy amount of courage to do it, but how about the song at the end? Didn’t that just blow your mind? Whatever tears were held back during her sharing definitely found their way out during her song! You go girl! Keep GROWING! Keep SHINING! Moments like last week give true meaning to the phrase, “Glory to God.”

THIS WEEK:
This week we discuss GRATITUDE. And I must say this is the PERFECT lesson to teach after last week’s testimony and this week’s storm. We all have so much to be GRATEFUL for and until we start recognizing the LITTLE things, we’ll miss out on all the BIG things. Huh? I say that, because as long as we fail to give thanks for all the little things, the ordinary things, the things we take for granted, we’ll fail to get passed it and we’ll remain stuck. GRATITUDE is essential to our recovery. If we don’t learn to focus our attention on the GOOD, on the POSITIVE, our attitudes will be drastically affected.

Instead of seeing progress, we’ll see our past.
Instead of seeing what we have, we’ll see what we lack.

It never ends. Start your GRATITUDE list today in preparation for Friday night.

NEWS & UPDATES:
With November 1st just a few days away, we are now 2 months away from launching Celebration Station and The Landing. I’m SUPER EXCITED for these programs! FINALLY our kids and students will have an outlet to share their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. They’ll learn how to develop healthy coping mechanisms; hopefully eliminating the need for Celebrate Recovery as adults…well, you know what I mean. They’ll learn how develop open and honest relationships. They’ll learn how to trust one another and build healthy relationships. I can’t wait!

And guess what, we’re still in need of a few more leaders for both Celebration Station and The Landing. I’d LOVE to see each program launch with 10-12 leaders, a core team of people who are passionate about seeing our kids and our students find HOPE and HEALING. If you’re interested in receiving more information on either program or signing up to help lead, call 304.262.6522 or email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org

STEP STUDIES:
The heart of the Celebrate Recovery program. It’s within the Step Studies that we move beyond the symptom and get to the root of the problem. For nearly half my life I struggled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography, but it wasn’t until I went through a Step Study that I was able to finally understand WHY. And once I understood WHY, I was able to figure out HOW to overcome each one! Groups are still OPEN. Let me say that again…groups are still OPEN! They meet every Tuesday night from 7-9p at New Life. These groups utilize the Participant’s Guides ($5 per book or $17 for the 4-pack) and the Celebrate Recovery Bible (optional).

THE END:
Celebrate Recovery is where I learned who I REALLY am. Celebrate Recover is where I learned what it means to be a husband, a father, and a friend. Celebrate Recovery has been the GREATEST resource available to learn what it means to start a relationship with Jesus and then FOLLOW Him. Celebrate Recovery isn’t for THOSE people, it’s for you. I CAN’T WAIT to see you this Friday…CR BBQ at 6p; Large Group at 7p; Open-Share Discussion Groups at 8p; Crosstalk Café at 9p.

Set List 10.26/28.12

TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Sing Sing Sing – Chris Tomlin
Open the Eyes Of My Heart – Sonicflood
You Are So Good To Me – Third Day
How He Loves – David Crowder*Band

STAND-ALONE
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Dry Bones – Gungor
Beautiful Things – Gungor
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship
Nothing But The Blood – Jesus Culture

Do Miracles Exist Today?

We’ve all hurt someone.
We’ve all been hurt by someone or something.

We’re all in need of recovery from SOMETHING!

What’s your thing?
What was it?
What happened?
What have you yet to let go of?
What still haunts you from your past?
Could it be a who?
What did they say?
What did they do?

Recovery isn’t about drugs and alcohol, sure, it INCLUDES it, but there’s SO MUCH MORE!

I would like to suggest to you, that if everyone you know, everyone you see, everyone you call family, everyone you call friend, everyone you call coworker…EVERYONE, went through 1 year of Celebrate Recovery, actively pursuing the 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles, engaging others in a Step Study, writing and sharing a testimony… truly working the program, we’d experience a WAVE of HEALING like we’ve never seen before.

Don’t believe in miracles? Attend Celebrate Recovery.

Sometimes It's Best To Just Ignore

Man, I think I need to drive more often. It seems God speaks to me a lot while driving. I think it’s because He finally has me seated in one place, unable to move, lacking the ability to get up and run…and, seeing the opportunity, He takes it. It’s one of the only times during my day when my mind isn’t running in a million different directions and my body isn’t rushing from one thing to the next; so I think it’s during these moments that I’m able to HEAR Him because I’m not completely distracted by life. I need to drive more…either that or allow myself to settle down a bit more.

Anyways, as I was driving this morning I started to notice all the people looking down while driving. Let’s face it; you can’t hide this. When you’re driving, when your vehicle is coming towards me and your eyes aren’t looking in the same direction as your vehicle…you can’t hide that.

I shrugged off the first person. Who knows? Maybe he dropped something. Maybe there’s a lit cigarette rolling somewhere around his feet or legs. Maybe he was looking for a place to get rid of whatever he pulled out of his nose. I don’t know. My brain is weird. I thought of a lot more scenarios, but I think you get the picture. But, then there was another driver…and another…and another, until it seemed like 1 out of every 5 people were looking down. THEY CAN’T ALL BE PICKING THEIR NOSES! I thought (Yes, I screamed it out, in my head, hence the caps). Really?

What can possibly be so urgent that we gotta take our eyes off the road, off the cars around us, off the people around us, simply to look at a phone? What is so urgent that it CAN’T wait?

Right as I was on the cusp of judging them, I really felt God tell me, “I know a GREATER urgency.” BAM! Just like that. He flipped my perspective. As I’m about to point a finger, He shows me a mirror.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV

There’s a GREATER urgency. Those of us who call ourselves “followers of Christ” have a hope unlike any other. It’s the hope of a BETTER tomorrow. It’s the hope of CHANGE. It’s the hope of FULLNESS. It’s the hope of BLESSINGS. It’s the hope of FREEDOM. It’s the hope of ETERNITY. This world is full of people WHO DO NOT KNOW THIS HOPE! That’s the urgency! That’s REAL urgency!

Put your phone down. Put it away. Talk to the person sitting next to you. Take a trip to that one person you know you’re supposed to reach out to. Keep your eyes on the road. Pay attention. Hope is better communicated through what God’s doing in your life than you losing your life.

He knows a GREATER urgency.

Set List 10.19/21.12

STAND-ALONE: GENEROSITY LADDER

Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Courageous—Casting Crowns
God is Able—Hillsong Live
Revelation Song—Kari Jobe
Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone—Chris Tomlin

Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
One Thing Remains—Bethel Live
Alive In Us—Hillsong Live
I’m A Lover Of Your Presence—Bryan & Katie Torwalt

There's More To Proximity Than Just Blowing Up

It’s all about PROXIMITY.

As a teenager I spent numerous hours, and by numerous I mean too many to count, playing one of the GREATEST games ever made…GoldenEye (Nintendo 64). The game was based on the movie…GoldenEye…a Bond movie. The movie was good; the game was AMAZING! I’d even be willing to suggest the game was inspired, but that’s another story altogether…let me get back to this idea, this concept of PROXIMITY.

In this game you ran around shooting people, blowing people up, shooting people, shooting people, and blowing people up…sounds good, eh? Well, one of the weapons available in the vast arsenal of the game were these little tiny explosive devices called PROXIMITY mines. I’d run around throwing them in odd places, hoping my buddy Nick Miller wouldn’t see them, and BOOM! Blow up.

For years, when I thought of PROXIMITY, I thought of blowing up, dying, losing, game over. And you woulda thought I applied this idea to the way I related to people. I kept people at a distant. I wouldn’t let people in. I didn’t trust them. I wouldn’t allow them to really get to know me (looking back, I’m not sure I even knew who I was).

I chose to isolate, separate, go my own way on my own, by myself. After all, I could TRUST myself. I wouldn’t let myself down. Right?

Wrong.

I’ve spent the last 3 years in the program known as Celebrate Recovery. It was here that I was introduced to the 12 Steps. I was introduced to the 8 Principles of Recovery. I was introduced to…well…myself! I’ve learned who I am. I’ve learned to step out of DENIAL, acknowledging my shortcomings, my faults, my struggles AND how to overcome them! And it’s in this program I’ve learned how to build healthy relationships.

I remember the first time I attended an Open-Share Small Group Discussion. I sat there bewildered by the honesty, the openness, the rawness of the sharing. Guys were talking about stuff that society says keep secret. Guys were sharing their struggles. These men were crying, allowing themselves to be vulnerable. It freakin’ blew my mind! Let me tell you something, once you share your “darkest” secrets with a group of people, you discover what it means to TRUST someone and build true FRIENDSHIPS.

My perspective on PROXIMITY, at least as it pertains to PEOPLE, has completely changed. Here are just a few of the words I think of now when I hear the word PROXIMITY:

Closeness.
Togetherness.
Community.
Partnership.
Family.
Friendship.
Accountability.
Nearness.

We NEED each other. We cannot do life alone. We definitely cannot do recovery alone.

Excuse Me; I Don’t Mean To _________, But…

Excuse me; I don’t mean to _________, but…

LIAR!

Why do we say things like this? Why do we do things like this? Have you ever said this? Heard this? Hold on…let’s try a few more and see if it jogs your memory.

Excuse me; I don’t mean to INTERRUPT, but…

Yes you do! If you didn’t want to INTERRUPT, you wouldn’t have!

Excuse me; I don’t mean to GOSSIP, but…

Right. Sure. Does this one even need explanation? I don’t mean to GOSSIP, I just want to talk about someone behind their back, sharing THEIR story, not mine. I don’t want to GOSSIP; I just want to keep you informed about what’s going on…that’s all…

Excuse me; I don’t mean to PRY, but…

Uh-huh. You don’t mean to PRY? Then why are you asking? Are you asking because you care and want to help or because you’d like to control the situation or because you find amusement and some twisted sense of satisfaction in someone else’s struggles?

Excuse me; I don’t mean to JUDGE, but…

…I’m going to!

Excuse me; I don’t mean to be a JERK, but…
 
This one cracks me up! You know what you’re about to say is the opposite of nice, in fact, you know it’s going to hurt someone’s feelings (and not in a good way), but you’re going to say it anyways! JERK! Own it! You’re a JERK! If you weren’t you’d keep your mouth shut.

Why do we do it? Why can’t we just be HONEST? Why can’t we just say things as they are? People laugh when I say, “Excuse me; I mean to interrupt…” They laugh, but I seriously mean to invade your conversation. Honest wins and if we can’t be honest with the small things, the insignificant things, how can we EVER learn to be honest and real with the big things?

Start with the small. Work towards the big.

I'm Not Selfish, I Just Want It My Way

You’re selfish. It’s true. Don’t fight it. If you just thought or said, “I am not!” you’re also in DENIAL. And if you just said (again) “I am not!” you’re also a liar.

You can either face the truth and deal with the problem or live in denial, lying to yourself and others, and ultimately have to a face a LOT MORE problems. Just sayin’.

You’re selfish. It’s ok, you’re not alone, so am I. I am selfish. Like, I sometimes disgust myself with how selfish I am. As a matter of fact, I pretty much disgust myself every day, typically once every hour or so.

I want it my way.
I want it right now.
I want it first.
I want it fast.
I want…
I want…
I want…

This attitude makes leadership difficult. Because I’m selfish I often believe I have the best idea and when you don’t agree with me, you’re automatically wrong. Your idea sucks. Your idea is going to fail. Isn’t that attitude just disgusting? But that’s what goes through my head and I’d like to suggest that it probably goes through yours as well…you just probably don’t want to admit it.

When I behave this way, when I make the choice to allow my inner child to emerge (yes, I admit I sometimes act like a child…simply ask my wife), when I close my eyes, my ears, my heart, and my mind to your ideas, your agenda, your plans, your WHATEVER…I’m not acting like Jesus, I’m just being a jerk. I’d actually use another word, but I’m aiming for age-appropriateness here. My selfish attitude is the antithesis of being like Christ and it hurts my ability to lead because it damages the relationships I have with those around me.

Sometimes you just gotta wake up and shout, “IT’S NOT ABOUT ME! IT’S NOT ABOUT ME! IT’S NOT ABOUT ME!” If you want to be biblical shout it 3 times or maybe 7; I chose 3 (or just shout it once, but do it really REALLY loud!).

Who’s dreams have you crushed?
Who’s spirit have you dampened?
Who’s light have you extinguished?
Who’s world have you broken?

I’m selfish. That’s not an excuse, that’s a confession.

He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Proverbs 28:13 NKJV

I want to prosper. I want mercy. I don’t want to be stuck. I don’t want to remain in denial. I want to stop lying. I want to lead. I want to make a difference. I want to be an encouragement. I want to be like Jesus.

It might not be ABOUT me, but I know change starts WITH me.

How about you?

Will You Be Overwhelmed Or Will You Overcome?

Ever feel as if the odds are stacked against you? And, as if things weren’t bad enough, the odds continued to pile up higher and higher? It’s almost as if whatever you do, whatever you say, nothing works, nothing falls in place, nothing goes your way. Instead of making PROGRESS, whatever that may be, you find yourself moving backwards or simply not moving at all.

When moments like this happen (and don't fool yourself…you’re either in a crisis, just found your way out of one, or are about to enter into one) it’s easy to become distraught, frustrated, anxious, and depressed. Hope becomes more of an ideal than a reality.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

Jesus knew we’d encounter moments, days, weeks, possibly even years like this. He knew we were going to get smacked in the face by the daily struggles of life. He knew. And because he knew he offered an answer…himself. Instead of focusing the crap, turn your attention to the CROSS. Let me say that again, instead of focusing on the crap, turn your attention to the CROSS.

He is the antidote. He is the remedy. He is the solution.

Don’t choose to be overwhelmed by today’s struggles, instead find REST in Jesus for he has already overcome. That means you can kick defeat in the face and stand in VICTORY!

Set List for 10.14.12

Week 5: Move

Like A Lion—David Crowder*Band
I’m A Lover Of Your Presence—Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Fire Fall Down—Hillsong United
How He Loves—John Mark McMillan (12:45p only)
Came To My Rescue—Hillsong United (12:45p only)
The Stand—Hillsong United (12:45p only)
Holy Spirit—Bryan & Katie Torwalt (12:45p only)

Assumptions Will Murder Your Momentum

Don’t assume anything.

Nobody knows what you’re thinking.
Nobody knows what you’ve been doing.
Nobody knows what you want to do.
Nobody knows where you’re headed.

Don’t assume anything.

As I was driving to the car dealership this morning, watching people drive, trying my best not to judge, I was reminded of the dangers of making assumptions as people changed lanes and cut people off without any warning, no blinker, no signal, no attempt to communicate with the other drivers on the road that change was coming.

Don’t assume anything. Don’t assume the people around you know what you’re doing or what you’re thinking or what you’re planning. Imagine, if you will, that the people around you only know as much as you’ve shared with them. Let me say that again, the people around you only know as much as you’ve shared with them.

Change isn’t an easy process, but it’s often a necessary one. And communicating change is coming provides a buffer, creates room to breathe, to prepare for what’s coming. When you see someone’s blinker, your mind processes all sorts of scenarios and options and ultimately leads to you making a choice…slow down and let them in…speed up and be a jerk…either way, you’ve been given a choice, the opportunity to play an active role in the process of change, not merely a subject of change.

So, what’s going on right now in your organization? What are you doing or planning or wanting to do that, as of right now, you’ve yet to communicate with anyone else? Kill the assumptions before the assumptions kill your momentum. Nobody knows what’s going on. Inform them. Get them involved.

Don’t assume anything.

Change Is Coming...Maybe...Possibly...

No one is exempt from making the TOUGH decision. And sometimes the TOUGH decision is actually the EASIEST, most OBVIOUS decision available. The problem that keeps us from taking that necessary step towards progress, moving forward in the right direction, is simply CHANGE. Tough decision are TOUGH because they require CHANGE and most of us don’t want and don’t like change.

What decisions are you facing today?
What changes need to be made in your life?
Are you ready to make a difference and finally experience the life you’ve always wanted or will you continue to settle for blah?

Sons And Daughters

So, this morning I was engaging in some verbal banter with my 6 year old; the kind of talk that carries no real meaning or purpose other than to replace quiet with noise. I informed him that if we were Vikings his name would be Isaiah Nickson. His response?

“Nick’s son?” he asked.
“Yes, Nickson.” I answered.

I could see his mind wrapping around that one. I could was literally able to see his brain working, scrambling to comprehend the magnitude of what he just heard. I wanted nothing more than to climb in his head and watch it all unfolding. He was processing.

He got it.

Later, as we were getting dressed for the bus, I once more called him Isaiah Nickson, to which he responded, “Don’t call me Isaiah Nickson, call her (pointing to his sister) Alayna Nicksdaughter.”

BAM! He smacked that ball clear out of the park. Not only did he UNDERSTAND it, he APPLIED it, and RAN FROM it.

You and I aren’t much different. Isaiah pointed at his sister and said, “Let her do it!” God calls us His children, His sons and daughters, yet we scurry and hide at the thought of bearing His name. We look for someone else to do it, someone else to share the Good News, someone else to serve, someone else…someone else…

Don’t run. Don’t hide. Don’t fear. You are His daughter. You are His son. It has nothing to do with how good you are and everything to do with who He is.

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV

God Wants To Change Me; He Can Get To You Later

God wants to change me.
God wants to change you.

99.999% of me wants Him to change you first. This, of course, is because I do not necessarily want the focus to be on me and my junk. I’d much rather deflect the attention your way so I can continue going about my way.

I WANT God to change me, but I’ll let you go first.

That’s right, I’ll let Him help you first. I’m generous. I’m a giving person. I’m not selfish. I will sacrifice my place in line for you. Go ahead. Cut in front of me. And as you step in front of me I will instantaneously feel a sense of relief knowing I have THAT MUCH LONGER to wait before I gotta deal with my crap.

I’m not generous; I’m scared.
I’m not selfish; I’m in denial.

Here’s the deal; God doesn’t need to change you first before He can change me and vice versa. He is a GREAT and MIGHTY God who can part seas and make water flow from a rock and bring down fortified cities and walk on water and raise the dead. He is here. He is there. He is with you and with me at the same time. There’s no line. There’s no wait. There’s no take a number, have a seat, and wait to be called.

He wants to change US.
He wants to do it RIGHT NOW.

The only thing that gets in the way of life change and transformation is FEAR.

Fear of CHANGE.
Fear of SURRENDER.
Fear of ACCOUNTABILITY.
Fear of BEING KNOWN.

God wants to change me and I don’t have to wait for Him to change you first, in fact, it’s detrimental to MY health and MY well-being and MY spiritual walk if I even remotely try to wait for you. I’m going to let Him change me. I will wait for you, but I’m going to let Him change me.

Are you still waiting for SOMEONE ELSE to change? Change starts with YOU.

Set List for 10.7.12

Week 4: Move

Not Ashamed (feat. Kristian Stanfill)—Passion: White Flag
God is Able—Hillsong Live: God is Able
One Thing Remains (feat. Brian Johnson)—Bethel Live: Be Lifted High
Alive in Us—Hillsong Live: God is Able

Who Has The Better Plan?

What is something you know you SHOULD be doing, but continue to choose NOT to do? We all have one. Some have more than one, but I’m not judging. Seriously, what is that one thing you should be doing, but for whatever reason you just won’t do it?

As I sat down for my quiet time this morning, and by “quiet” I mean kids running around singing, playing, screaming, banging dishes in the sink, laughing…you get the picture. So, as I sat down for my quiet time this morning I opened up to the book of Ezekiel (day 295 of 365 of the Canonical reading plan on YouVersion) and started reading.

The Old Testament is an interesting read. As I pray for God to reveal areas of my life through His word, I’m always a little hesitant because in the OT there’s lots of death and sacrifice and fighting and just nasty stuff, but I pray it anyways.

Take a few moments of your day and read Ezekiel chapter 20. Just do it. Read it. Before you do ask God to breathe understanding into your soul, to make it relevant to your current situation.

Now, I want to ask again…what is that one thing you SHOULD be doing, but for whatever reason you WON’T do it?

Reading through Ezekiel God describes how time and time again His people, His CHOSEN people, over and over and over again chose to walk AWAY FROM God instead of LEAN INTO God. They walked away. They chose to worship man-made gods instead of CREATOR God. They had a better plan. They knew best.

Maybe God didn’t move fast enough.
Maybe God didn’t give enough.
Maybe God didn’t quiet get it right.

Either way, God continued to show grace and mercy and love and forgiveness and welcomed His people, His children back time and time again. They knew what they were SUPPOSED to do; they simply chose NOT to do it. And because they did their own thing they missed out on God’s blessing.

Are you missing out on God’s blessing?

Will you make a change?

Will you admit it’s not about you?

Will you finally do that one thing?

Will you learn from your past, from their past, and follow God in your present?

Let’s hold each other accountable. Let’s do this together. Let’s be a people of change.

What Is A Step Study?

Step Study.

It’s referred to as the HEART of the Celebrate Recovery program. That means it’s a catalyst. In simpler terms, it generates activity; it’s the cause (not the effect), it creates, sustains, motivates, inspires, and precipitates LIFE! Step Studies are the catalyst for discovering and obtaining a FULL and HEALTHY life.

I’m serious. There’s nothing better. Step Studies help guide us beyond the surface level, to go deeper, to get passed the symptoms and get to the root. We discover who we are by changing our perspective. We discover who are we, not based on what we’ve DONE, not based on what we’ve been CALLED…we discover who are we in Christ.

Step Studies are, without a doubt in my mind, one of the most intense discipleship groups available to the community at large, not just the Church. What is discipleship? Discipleship is change and THAT’S what the Step Study is about…CHANGE. I’m not talking about something cosmetic, I’m not referring to something temporary, I’m not talking about replacing one mask with another; I’m talking about PERMANENT, LASTING CHANGE (in Christ, let’s not forget He is the author of change).

So, please, understand my excitement as I concluded another Step Study Leader Training last night. Like, I’m EXCITED! 15 people have been trained this past month. 15! I’m praying that as we train and equip NEW leaders, God brings the people. As a matter of fact, I’m thanking Him right now for what He’s GOING TO DO!

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Luke 16:10 NIV84

In this verse Jesus is referring to stuff, material things, the sociocultural definition of wealth…how much more does He consider the value of PEOPLE?

I’m believing God to transform our community. The streets are full of hurting people. Our homes are falling apart. We can’t escape it anymore. Something has to change. Let it be me. Let it be you. Let’s do it TOGETHER.

If you’re interested in experiencing LIFE CHANGE, if you’re interested in DISCOVERING WHO YOU ARE, I invite you to join a Step Study.

If you want a better LATER, you gotta start working on your right NOW.

Facing The Uncomfortable Truth

I love to be ungrateful.
I love to hurt myself.
I love to cry myself to sleep.
I love to make bad decisions.
I love to have secrets.
I love to wear a mask.
I love to give up.
I love to relapse.

Most of us won’t admit it…we don’t exactly SAY all that, but we LIVE like we believe it. We have a tendency to weave our lives around these lies instead of the freedom found in the work of Christ on the cross.

Do you remember those commercials in the 80s, the ones with the guy running down the street in slow motion, sweat flying off his face, sweat seeping through his shirt? For a second you think he’s an athlete. For a moment you think this is a commercial about Wheaties or the Olympics. But then the camera pans back and we discover he’s being chased down by a police officer. Then, I don’t remember if it was words you read or a voice similar to the movie guy said, “Nobody says, ‘When I grow up I want to be a junkie.’”

The end.

I didn’t quite get it as a kid. I remember thinking OF COURSE NOT! I thought the commercial was stupid, not thought out at all. Way to state the obvious! Idiots. Fast-forward 20 years and this commercial kinda blows my mind. There’s so much wrapped up in those few seconds of sweaty slow motion running, so much TRUTH and I’m talking about the kinda truth nobody wants to talk about…UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH.

Paul, a dude in the Bible I draw lots of inspiration from because he was WAY more jacked up than I was, spoke of this UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH as well…

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:15,18-19 NIV84

We…wait, let me state this in a better way…I have a tendency to do the things I DON’T want to do. I KNOW what I should be doing, I KNOW the right thing to do, but I choose to do what I shouldn’t. I look for shortcuts. I cut corners. I lay down. I grow complacent. I stop chasing after Jesus and settle for the comfort of my couch. That’s me.  I’m the sweaty guy running away from the police officer. I’m the guy who didn’t say, “I want to be a junkie,” but did it anyways.

That's the UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH we must all face.

What am I doing that I know I shouldn’t be?
What I am not doing that I know I should be?

Then, once you answer those questions, what will be your next move?

Isn't There More To Marriage?

I love my wife. I’m grateful for the life we share. There’s a stirring of happiness within me simply when I’m in her presence. I know earthly joy, that horizontal emotional state we all strive to experience, because we occupy the same space. We are one. Jesus is changing me, but she inspires me to change.

Husbands, how’s your marriage?

I ask this because yesterday I experienced something new, something different, something awesome as my wife and I shared our story, our couple’s testimony, as husband and wife, father and mother, followers of Christ in recovery TOGETHER.

We wrote it together.
We edited it together.
And edited it again together.
And edited once more…together.
We laughed together.
We cried together.
We argued…well, I think she tried to argue, but I’m not judging.

Husbands, I’m asking about the status of your marriage because I’m interested to know what you and your wife are doing TOGETHER.

Marriage is MORE than coexisting. Marriage is MORE than toleration. Marriage is MORE than getting by.

It’s through the program of Celebrate Recovery my wife and I have learned to accept one another, not FIX one another. We’ve learned what it means to have an open and honest relationship (the truth hurts, but lies kill). We’ve learned how to listen to one another. We’ve learned how to face life’s struggles together. We’ve experienced that MORE and are unwilling to go back…because we know there’s yet still MORE.

So again I ask, husbands, how’s your marriage?

Would you like to experience MORE?