How's your "Swine Moment" coming along?

A-Ha!!!!

OK, I am SO tired of the "aha" moment stuff that has been going around through the past years on commercials and a major talk show. The moment that an idea came to you or when you recognized certain realities.

I liken it to a "swine moment".

Are you who you envisioned you would be when you were growing up? Many of us are thinking in terms of career or money. Did we become the fireman or the astronaut that we hoped? Are our retirement accounts where they are supposed to be at this point in our lives?

I can tell you that on both accounts, I am NOT THERE!!! I never became the accountant that I wanted to be. My social life took precedence when it cam to my studies to become a petroleum engineer. (Yes, I worked off-shore for Chevron Oil in college and considered attending Nicholls State in PE. Amazing, huh)

But rather, I am actually referring to the character that we had dreamed of.

I was reading in Daniel the other night of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their character and integrity, even to the point of death. Daniel 3:11,12 describe the time that their disobedience of the religious rules set by King Nebuchadnezzer in not bowing to the gold statue that he had set up.

They didn't bow. They didn't back down when confronted. They stood firm. They made a testimony of, and through, faith. They were thrown into the firey furnace. They survived through God's power. They left a lasting impression...the king ordered all to worship the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and had his own "leaders" thrown into the furnace.

Is our character what we had dreamed?

Life has a wonderful way of beating us down and making us think that we have to "adjust" to make it. As with The Prodigal Son, what is your "swine moment"? When have you realized that you have not become the man or woman with the morals or integrity or character that you had dreamt.

Book Review of FEARLESS by Max Lucado

Once again, Max Lucado masters at the art of storytelling in his book FEARLESS (Thomas Nelson, 2009). Lucado's fluid writing can carry a reader through the in to his thoughts and bring that reader out on the other side feeling inspired and encouraged, ready to face the next chapter.

Lucado's topic in this book is facing our fears and becoming fearless through the hope that is found in God. It is truly amazing that as you read the words, it is as if your father (Father) is sitting there sharing his heart, wanting, demanding the best for you, His Child.

The best part is the great cover...a young boy truly leaping fearlessly into the calm waters of a lake on a hot summer day. It was very reminiscent of my early days doing the very same, back when there were no fears, when Mom and Dad were there to protect and guide.

We should remember and remain in that state...exactly like the photo from the cover, ever suspended in the constant of God. Boy, that's huge...suspended in the constant of God!

If you have never had the pleasure of reading Max Lucado, FEARLESS would be a great introduction to his thinking and writing style.

Book Review of Dawn Hall's Book

Ok, it's my first book to review and...it's a cook book. I know. What were you thinking, Kerry?

Well, it was an early Christmas gift to my cookbook collector (but never a user) wife. But she WILL LOVE this cookbook! Dawn Hall's Busy People's Fast and Frugal Cookbook is excellent!

Let's start at the beginning...cookbooks need to be organized and categorized. DONE!
They need to be diverse in the menu offerings. DONE!
They need to be simple that a man can do it. DONE!

Hall goes a bit further for this caveman. On a side column of each menu states the pots or pans required, a departmentalized grocery list, time to cook, and, to keep my great manly figure, a full listing of health information including carbs and calories.

And the food's great! Alright, it's more than meat and potatoes...it's refined...and it took no more than 30 minutes, period!

Great menus. Great information. Great cookbook.

The 4 P's of Ministry

I'm a proud graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi...THAT'S RIGHT, the same place that passed Brett Favre. What an awesome school!

It was an enlightening time and a great time to be alive. I was involved with Temple Baptist Church, the Revelation Ensemble, worked at the best restaurant in Hattiesburg (at the time), Chesterfield's, and was a Marketing Major.

One of the few things that I remember from my Marketing classes was The 4 P's of Marketing...Product, Place, Promotion, and Price...what you sold, where you sold it, how you advertised it, and how much it was. There are very few things that are THIS simple, but it worked then and is continuing to work.

In our Christian walk, we have a few of these as well. Such as ACTS for the steps of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication) or FAITH evangelism (primarily, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Impossible, Turn, and Heaven).

My prayer time this morning gave me another. The 4 P's of Ministry...Pray, Prepare, Praise, and Present.

Prayer...it should be a daily pleasure of relating with our Lord...a time to converse. If you don't know how to pray or journal, that's OK. In Luke 11 it is recorded that the Disciples didn't know either. Dig this, they asked Jesus to teach them. Imagine learning from the MAN! Remember, if Jesus did it, it's probably worth doing.

Prepare...we study for tests, take work home to ready ourselves for a sales presentation. As a worship leader, I must prepare for our times of worship. In this preparation, journaling is essential. It keeps your mind focused on conversing with God and HIS preparation of you for the day and upcoming ministry opportunity.

Praise...how else can we praise God if we hadn't prayed and prepared our hearts, minds, teams for the ultimate Love Feast! Isaiah 42:14 (MSG) says "I've been quiet long enough. I've held back, biting my tongue. But now I'm letting loose, letting go..." Lift It Up!

Present...it doesn't stop at the exit doors of church. "Go Ye therefore..." Why do we keep what we have to ourselves? Sorry, but doesn't the Bylaws state that we can't fellowship with sinners? Not Hardly!

Share your joy from when you Pray to God, Prepare for God, Praise of God, and Present our God.

Come on folks...(looking in the mirror again here)...What are your 4P's of Ministry.

Is Being "Obsessive Compulsive" a Good Thing?

There he was. Sitting in my office. He was probably one of the most talented ministers I've ever known. He had the abilities to make a powerful impact for the work of God and for the church. However, he had a problem...and I couldn't share it with him...and he would never see it.

He was obsessive compulsive.

Because of this, he was hindering his every efforts in making the impact. BUT, God created him and I should accept him and help direct and train him in finding HOW God can use his talents. And when the opportunity came, WOW!

This minister had a special talent of immediately seeing the sequence of events that have to take place for something to happen. I mean, he was a walking flow chart, a running Meta Model! Really...Totally annoying, maybe, but totally awesome

Yes, well I think it...I think being obsessive compulsive can be a good thing when an opportunity came that utilized these unique gifts.

If God gives us a vision of what we need to do, I'd bring him in and share with him what needed to be done and what the desired outcome should look like, and within a very few minutes he had in his head the steps needed to take, resources required, which ministry teams needed to be involved and time necessary to get it done. Even when and how it needed to be presented and promoted in the church. Astonishing! (And I could have been jealous)

@stevenfurtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, said recently in his blog that if he were to start/plant a church again, his first hire would be a Pastor of GCD, Getting Crap Done. Well, the title is a big shocking for me, but that's what is. One that can see a picture of the what, how, why, and when things need to get done.

I'm glad we have someone like that.

Each of us have specific talents, yet God allows us to get frustrated by their talents.

But can't we be frustrated by our own talents? Yes, you get frustrated by your weaknesses, but by your talents? If we have a special talent but nobody sees it...nobody recognizes it.

As Pastors and Ministers, we must find the talents that God has given us within our midst. They are SO diverse, yet perfect for God's work and ministry.

Have you met someone like this? Try looking in the mirror...it's amazing what you can see when you begin. Being Obsessive Compulsive is a good thing!

Small Group Time?

I am thankful for my Small Group, or as we call it, Sunday School Class. They are the best group of folks and encouraging of each other.

For the longest, I haven't been able to make it to a Bible Study/Small Group time. I've always been involved in making last minute presentation changes, sound checks or musical tweaks in my full-time role as Worship Leader. Some of this activity is inevitable, but some is how we plan and work it. What a shame!

Creating Community by Andy Stanley and Bill Willits has been a great read and a reminder of why I enjoyed coming to church many years ago...it was relational. I needed friends to get me through the events of life and folks to "hang" with. I became focused on "my vocation" rather than my "job" which is to bring people to Christ...through relationships.

North Point's focus is similar to my own, but their concept is written down..."intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders." How can I develop the relationships that can bring a difference if I don't have a relationship outside of the 11:00 AM Sunday worship service? Can't do it!

I'm glad that I am making a commitment to be with my small group, whenever they meet.

Are you interested in joining a small group? Send a comment...

What Am I Reading?

Wow! I can do it!
Read?
No. Well, yes, read, but I've been doing that for quite a while.

I'm discovering that I can read a number of books at the same time. I have a book on my nightstand, one on my iphone, one on the kitchen table, and some at my office.

Can you say A.D.D.?

So, what am I reading?

FEARLESS by Max Lucado

CREATING COMMUNITY by Andy Stanley and Bill Willits

ANCIENT FUTURE WORSHIP by Robert Webber

HURT: INSIDE THE WORLD OF TODAY'S TEENAGERS by Chap Clark

THE HEART OF THE ARTIST by Rory Noland

What are you reading?