The LaunchPad

Enjoying Or Enduring?

Every life has its ups and downs, times and seasons.  Sometimes you feel like you are just ENDURING.  Maybe its a busy season?  or a long-moment of pain or pressure?  During those phases of life, we have to persevere.

As a contrast to those moments of ENDURANCE, there are seasons where everything just seems right with the world.  Maybe were on vacation?  or we just got a promotion?  or its just that everyone in our world is doing well, is healthy, and getting along.  Moments like this are marked by ENJOYMENT.

It is possible that after a long season of ENDURANCE, that our spirit can get STUCK in press-through mode.  It's almost like we forget how to choose joy, live in the moment, and savor the best parts of life.  That's why it is necessary every so often to check your JOY FACTOR.

Ask yourself today...AM I ENJOYING THE BEST THINGS IN MY LIFE? 

• Have I paused long enough to smell the aromas, drink in the beauty, and savor the special little pleasures of my life today?
• Have I taken time to welcome the Holy Spirit's presence into my day?
• Have I slowed myself down enough to taste the good things that God has currently and righteously provided for me.

It's ok to ENDURE for a season.  But we have to learn to ENJOY (choose JOY) even in the midst of those seasons of perseverance.  The psalmist said it like this, 'Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.'

You Have To Wonder What He Was Chasing?

Dave Santistevan emailed me this.  I have heard of sleep walking...but SLEEP RUNNING?

It All About Perspective

The American Creed

Charles Colson provides some thought provoking thoughts on the CREED upon which our nation's government is built.  As we celebrate July 4th, these are good ideas to remember:

The great British intellectual G. K. Chesterton wrote that “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on [a] creed.”

Think about that for a moment. Other nations were founded on the basis of race, or by the power of kings or emperors who accumulated lands and the peasants who inhabited those lands.

But America was—and is to this day—different. It was founded on a shared belief. Or, as Chesterton said, on a creed.

And what is that creed that sets us apart? It is the eloquent, profound, and simple statement penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

I’ll never forget when I graduated from Brown University during the Korean War. I couldn’t wait to become a Marine officer, to give my life if necessary, to defend that creed. To defend the idea that our rights come from God Himself and are not subject to whims of governments or tyrants. That humans ought to be free to pursue their most treasured hopes and aspirations.

Perhaps some 230 years later, we take these words for granted. But in 1776, they were earth-shaking—indeed, revolutionary.

Yet today, they are in danger of being forgotten altogether. According to Gallup, 66 percent of American adults have no idea that the words, “We hold these truths . . .” come from the Declaration of Independence. Even worse, only 45 percent of college seniors know that the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are proclaimed in the Declaration.

As America grows more and more diverse culturally, religiously, ethnically, it is critical that we re-embrace the American creed.

FINISH THE ARTICLE HERE.

Confrontational Preaching

As I was preparing for the message this weekend, I was envisioning a whole new set of 'toes' that I would potentially be stepping on with this message.  The ELEPHANT SERIES is designed to address ISSUES that are often hidden for a reason...they are uncomfortable topics!

To be honest, I had the feeling today...'what have I done?  Why did I decide to speak on these confrontational topics?...maybe the Holy Spirit could lead me to something else?' :}

One of the roles of a pastor/shepherd to protect from danger.  A shepherd carries the rod and staff for a reason.  There are predators out there that want to consume and destroy the sheep.  Another role that a pastor/shepherd has is to provoke toward action.  A shepherd has to motivate sheep from a barren field and into eventual greener pastures.

So how does one do this well?

1.  Be Biblical - these are not the moments to express personal convictions, opinions, or project personal pet peeves on others.  That causes more confusion than anything.  People need to be able to draw their life decisions out of the scripture.

2.  Be Grace-Oriented - tough talks must be coated with grace.  The spirit of confrontation has to be about the desire for protection and redemption. People need hope.  Especially when they are confronted with an area of failure or error.  We confront so that the Holy Spirit can convict, forgive, heal, and restore.

3.  Be Direct - if something has to be said, then say it.  If we try to 'beat around the bush' and soften the blow...people might miss the hard part of the message, which may be the most important part.  Bill Hybels talks about 'telling the last 10%'.  When confronting we often want to stop at telling 90% of the problem (the easier issues) and we avoid saying the final 10% (the most important and yet most uncomfortable part).

4.  Be Clear - anytime I address something sensitive or controversial, I want to think it through to the point of extreme clarity.  This involves trying to be specific, memorable, and limited (meaning that there is not so much information so as to overwhelm).

5.  Be Aware - As I deliver a difficult message, I am trying to remain sensitive to several things.  I often ask several people for feedback:  Did I mis-peak?  Was I confusing?  Was anything I said insensitive to a particular group of people?  Could I improve this talk somehow?  Is there a way that I could be clearer or bolder or more grace-oriented?

Maybe an over-riding quality that ties all these things together is HUMILITY.  We have to be aware of that fact that we (as the speaker/pastor) are not perfect.  We need to remain teachable and stay open to constructive criticism.  It is so much easier to listen to a humble spirit.  It is very difficult to endure a 'know it all'.

Is It Me? Is It God?

Mike Santistevan wrote an excellent post on how we grow?  Or I guess, better stated, 'who is responsible for our growth spiritually.' 

It is important to note that true spiritual growth and transformation into the image of Christ from “glory to glory” is ultimately a work of God in our lives. This means that we cannot produce spiritual growth through human effort any more than we can make the leaves grow on a tree.

But this does not mean that we are to do nothing. In fact, Scripture is clear that we are to pursue Christlikeness and discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. While I can’t make the leaves grow, I can cultivate the soil around a plant, get it appropriate water and sunlight so that it can grow.

What Scripture calls for is a divine-human cooperation.

Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:1

Is spiritual growth produced by human effort? No

Is spiritual growth the result of a work of God in our heart? Yes

Does this mean we don’t do anything? No

If true spiritual growth and transformation is a work of God, then the spiritual disciplines are a means of positioning ourselves to receive God’s grace.

READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE.

Most Unique Mayor Ever!

This lady is amazing.  She is 88yrs old, 11 term mayor of a major city in Canada.  Her city is not only debt-free, they have 700 million in the bank! We need more leaders like her.

3 Reason To Attend Worship Nite

This Wednesday night we begin a series of weekly worship events.  We will meet in the APC Sanctuary for a time of praise and prayer.  Why is this important?

First, it can IGNITE my spiritual life.  Corporate worship experiences have the potential of sparking new passion for the presence of God.

Second, it can SHAKE my world through prayer.  Acts 4 records a moment of corporate prayer when the disciples all gathered and prayed aloud for God to move in their city.  As they prayed, the Bible says, 'the place where they were gathered was shaken...and they all went out and proclaimed the Word of God with boldness.

We are praying this summer for FAMILY MIRACLES and for HEALING MIRACLES.  How can we expect to see such things occur unless we spend some focused time in prayer and in worship.

Finally, it can STRETCH me and help me GROW in my walk with God.  We are going to design these services a little bit like 'worship workshops' where we teach you how to worship and then we all practice what we are learning together.

I hope you will take some time to join us on Wednesday nights as together we seek God.

Reactions To The 'Sexy Elephant'

I received note by email after the message this weekend.  The sentiments and experiences provided here are excellent real life responses to this very difficult area of life to navigate.

I also want to take this moment to say what a great message this past weekend.  It is a hard topic.  I have to confess that I fell in this area about a year ago.  When (my husband) and I separated and divorced, I promised God that IF I EVER dated again, it would be the “right way”.  Well, I met this fantastic guy and I am ashamed to say things happened. 

For 6 – 8 months I lived in turmoil over breaking my promise to God…and myself.  It got to the point where everything in my life was going wrong.  I was having problems at work, with my finances, with my kids…I couldn’t sleep…I felt the walls were caving in on me and the roof was about to fall.  I knew I didn’t have God’s blessing over my life because I had step out of the “circle” (of his protection). 

I wouldn’t go as far as to say I was “fake”…I really wanted to be godly but felt stuck.  I talked about this to an old youth group friend and the response I got from them was like the video clip you showed (on Saturday night).  “You were married before…it’s just sex…its ok”…but something in my spirit told me these were not the right answers.  I know God’s word is the same yesterday, today and forever.  When he said don’t have sex before marriage, he didn’t mean that for just the old or new testament people.  He meant that for ALL people.  He meant that for ME!  I repented and asked God to then give me the strength to have a very difficult conversation with my boyfriend.  I didn’t want to loose him but knew I couldn’t continue this way even more!

 Well…very shortly after I repented, I had that conversation with my boyfriend about my convictions and explained that if sex was the most important thing in a relationship to him, then I wasn’t the girl for him.  But if he wanted a wholesome, blessed by God relationship, then we needed to start over. 

I really didn’t think we’d be able to do that but it’s been about 4 months now and we are both happier in our relationship.  We are enjoying getting to know each other the way we should have from the start…and I feel free.  I’m sleeping much better.  The problems at work have resolved themselves.  My finances will get better now that I moved into a place I can afford instead of struggling to stay were I was.

 The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak…I know what pleases God but sometimes I fall and do what pleases Me.  Then I get so mad at myself because I hurt the heart of God.  And like Max Lucado says, “Casual sex is a diet of chocolate—it tastes good for a while, but the imbalance can ruin you.”   Powerful.

The 24 Hour Fast

 After dinner tonight, I and the pastoral team of Allison Park Church, will begin a 24 hour fast.  Every Wednesday, for the next month or so, we are declaring as a day of FASTING AND PRAYER.  Our focus is to pray for FAMILY MIRACLES and for PHYSICAL HEALINGS.

If you would like to participate, here are some basic guidelines:

• Eat a normal dinner.
• Begin the fast after your meal.  Drink liquids throughout the evening and during the next day.
• Take some moments before bed to read the Bible and/or pray.
• On Wednesday morning, set aside a little extra time to pray.  Especially focus your prayer time on these two needs...Family Issues and Physical Needs.
• At your lunch break (or normal lunch hour) get alone and take some time to read and pray.
• Spend a few minutes again in prayer prior to the evening meal.

On Wednesday nights throughout July we are hosting a WORSHIP NITE beginning at 7pm.  Personally, I am going to extend my fast through this evening of worship.  Then I will eat a small meal after the service that night.  During the service, we will worship and we will pray specifically for these two areas of focus.

Let's believe together for God to do the miraculous.

Sex Is Much More Than Physical

Someone forwarded me this entry written by Max Lucado.  It very much affirms the message from this past weekend...but probably even more articulately and succinctly.

“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). Paul wrote these words to counter the Corinthian sex obsession. “Run away from sexual sin!” reads the prior sentence. “No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” (v.18 NLT).

What a salmon scripture! No message swims more up-stream than this one. You know the sexual anthem of our day: “I’ll do what I want. It’s my body.” God’s firm response? “No, it’s not. It’s mine.”

Be quick to understand, God is not anti-sex. Dismiss any notion that God is anti-affection and anti-intercourse. After all, he developed the whole package. Sex was his idea. From his perspective, sex is nothing short of holy.

He views sexual intimacy the way I view our family Bible. Passed down from my father’s side, the volume is one hundred years old and twelve inches thick. Replete with lithographs, scribblings, and a family tree, it is, in my estimation, beyond value. Hence, I use it carefully.

When I need a stepstool, I don’t reach for the Bible. If the foot of my bed breaks, I don’t use the family Bible as a prop. When we need old paper for wrapping, we don’t rip a sheet out of this book. We reserve the heirloom for special times and keep it in a chosen place.

Regard sex the same way—as a holy gift to be opened in a special place at special times. The special place is marriage, and the time is with your spouse.

Casual sex, intimacy outside of marriage, pulls the Corinthian ploy. It pretends we can give the body and not affect the soul. We can’t. We humans are so intricately psychosomatic that whatever touches the soma impacts the phyche as well. The me-centered phrase “as long as no one gets hurt” sounds noble, but the truth is, we don’t know who gets hurt. God-centered thinking rescues us from the sex we thought would make us happy. You may think your dalliances are harmless, and years may pass before the x-rays reveal the internal damage, but don’t be fooled. Casual sex is a diet of chocolate—it tastes good for a while, but the imbalance can ruin you. Sex apart from God’s plan wounds the soul.

Your body, God’s temple. Respect it.

Seven Links This Week

Here are some interesting links that I want to recommend:

1. Babies hear music in the womb - Charles Colson shares some important research on what a fetus experiences when its mother sings.
2. Why I am not a true pacifist - Paul Grabill has a very interesting perspective on America, the war, and the disposition of a believer.
3. Ten Ways To Create Margin - Mark Batterson writes an excellent post on creating space for your life.  Best line in this post:  IF YOU DON'T CONTROL YOUR CALENDAR, YOUR CALENDAR WILL CONTROL YOU.
4. Don't Drive And Text - here are some interesting stats comparing driving while drunk and driving while texting.
5. Amazing Teenagers - Cullen Allen shares about APC Teens and what they did last week.
6. Following The Holy Spirit - Brad Leach shared the points of a message that Johannes Amritzer shared this weekend at his church in Detroit.
7. The First Christians - Johannes writes on his blog about things that were normal for the first Christians and challenged me to wonder, are they normal for me?

Thanks also to Tim Satryan, who sent me the above picture in response to my message:  THE SEXY ELEPHANT.  As Elephants go...I guess this one is as 'sexy' as they get???

Awkward Turtle Messages

This past weekend, I tackled our next ELEPHANT IN THE CHURCH with the topic of THE SEXY ELEPHANT.  Talking about this issue in church can often produce some 'awkward moments'.  Therefore, I took the time to introduce something that my teenagers have taught me.

It is the hand signal that they use when an awkward moment happens to try to lighten the mood and change the subject.  It is the infamous 'awkward turtle' hand motion.

I looked it up online today, and actually, this is a world-wide signal that the next generation uses.  And there are so many variations on it.

• Baby 'awkward' turtle' - with one hand you move pinky and thumb (for small moments of awkwardness)
• Turtle who died from awkwardness - hands flipped over and twitching.
• Someone taught me an Awkward Turtle Dance, an Awkward Robot, and more.

What made me happy is that I made it through the entire message and several young people encouraged me that I had avoided 'awkwardness' and talked straight about this important issue.  Thanks to all those who contributed to my new found knowledge of the 'turtle'.  I feel much more prepared for dealing with awkward moments in the future.

Difference-Makers

So what makes the biggest difference in your quality of life?  Outward circumstances?  Inward qualities?  Most often we buy into the myth that if our circumstances were better, then we would remain happy throughout life.  But contentment and peace of mind are not really tied to outward things.

Sure, having more money, pleasure, or leisure would bring temporary and immediate gratification in our life.  But lasting happiness and inner strength comes from something deeper. 

• A Clean Conscience - you can't be at peace with yourself when you are living with duplicity or guilt.
• A Soul Free Of Bitterness - choosing to forgive someone or something lifts an enormous weight.
• A Full Spirit - being connected with Christ and feeling in the flow of the Holy Spirit.
• A Good Attitude - yes, you can choose this.  And yes, your choice of attitude determines so much about your quality of life.
• Words Of Faith + Blessing - what you say makes a difference.  It reinforces your moment and others as well.

So look at the list.  Which one do you lack today, if any?  You will do so much for your quality of life if you deal with the one DIFFERENCE-MAKER DECISION that you can make today.  May God bless you with an abundant life!

Are We Really Listening?

One of the exercises that we did during the LEADERSHIP COACHING training I attended this past week, was a listening exercise.  They paired us up in the room and we were given an assignment.  One person was to talk and the other person was to listen for 3 minutes solid.

The listener was not aloud to ask questions, interrupt, or even say words like 'wow', 'oh', or 'umhm'.

It was an agonizing experience for both parties.  First of all, three minutes is a long time to talk without any positive verbal feedback (although a two of the ladies in the room loved it!)

Even more challenging was the discipline of what they call 'present focus' - staying in the moment and focused on the person.  It is hard to restrain the desire to interrupt, or share a thought or experience.  My biggest challenge was that I was thinking of what I wanted to say next, rather than really listening to the words, expressions, and emotions of the person talking.

This (and other) exercises made me aware of just how often I fail to in the art of 'active listening'.  We each tend to get so focused on ourselves, what we feel, what we think.

So let me challenge you to try this today:  Force yourself to exercise 'present focus'.  It's ok to nod your head, or give 'verbal encouragements (wow, hmm, ya).  But refrain from interrupting.  Don't interject.  Listen.  I mean really listen to someone for a few minutes.

And when you are done...reflect back, "sounds like you are feeling _______________.'  Watch to see the impact that 'active listening' makes on someone else.

Leadership Coaching

I spent the last two days getting some training on Leadership Coaching at the University of Purdue.  The moderators used an 'active learning' style, so we did a lot of practicing of what we were learning. The teaching time flew by because of the continual application and interaction.

So many things are floating through my mind, so I thought I would do a 'brain dump' of some of the primary things I learned during this initial training:

• There is a difference between Coaching and Mentoring.  Coaching is about listening, drawing out, and assisting in discovery.  Mentoring is about telling, teaching, and imparting expertise.
• A Coach is a lot like a taxi driver.  They allow their passenger to set the agenda for the destination and then they assist them to get there.  A Mentor is a lot like a tour guide.  They know the area, and the best spots to see, and so the Mentor sets the agenda and takes the person somewhere.
• There is a difference between Coaching and Counseling.  Counseling is about the past, helping people process, deal with, and be healed of past issues.  Counseling prepares people to begin to look forward again.
• Coaching is about the future.  It is forward looking.  It helps people discover what's next and then helps them build a solid strategy as to how to get there.

What I discovered about myself is that I tend toward Mentoring.  My default-mode is to focus on a problem and then tell what I know to help develop a solution.

What I am now challenged to develop is more of a Coaching mindset.  Why?  Coaching focuses more on the person and less on the problem.  It assist people to identify solutions for themselves. 

It fits the saying, 'you can either give someone a fish and feed them for a moment, or you can teach them to fish and feed them for a lifetime.'

Coaching 'teaches people how to fish' in that it helps people THINK...DIFFERENTLY.  Coaching is actually helping people learn the process of thinking through problems for themselves, developing solutions to those problems, and then designing action steps to get the ball rolling.

When a person is Coached, they own the solution and the actions they need to take.  When a person is Mentored, they are often just following direction from someone else.  My goal is to use what I am learning to teach the people that I lead how to THINK...DIFFERENTLY. 

To do this, I am going to need to slow down my own interactions, listen more to what is being said, and focus less on the problems being presented to me and more on the person in front of me.

Prayer Controversy In Pennsylvannia

Gerry Stoltzfoos is a great friend of mine, and the pastor at Gettysburg Freedom  Valley.  He was recently asked to pray in the Pennsylvania's State Legislator, but was asked to pray without mentioning the name of JESUS.  Gerry refused.  Below is part of the article in the Evening Sun.

Gerry Stoltzfoos is a man of faith - but not the type who preaches constantly with in-your-face theology. Even the Gettysburg church where he serves as lead pastor is designed more as a gathering hall than as a shrine full of religious imagery.

But when it comes to prayer, Stoltzfoos is steadfast in his approach of speaking directly to and addressing by name the Christian God he worships.

"I think prayer is talking to God, so when I pray, I try to talk to him," said the pastor of Freedom Valley Worship Center.

However, that principle clashed recently with a new policy of Pennsylvania's Speaker of the House, Keith McCall, D-Carbon County.

And two local legislators are speaking out against the policy - which requires the Legislature's guest chaplains to first submit their prayers in writing and then, if deemed necessary, agree to change their words to meet "non-denominational" guidelines established by McCall's staff.

That, Stoltzfoos said, was simply not something he was willing to do when instructed by a member of McCall's staff to remove the word "Jesus" from the prayer he submitted and had planned to recite at Tuesday's session.

"I feel very deeply offended by them asking me to pray but not allowing me to pray in the name of my God," Stoltzfoos said. "We seem to believe in individual freedoms, but then we cut off those freedoms when they become individual."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE.

5K - Run For The One

All the details are coming together for our first (hopefully annual) 5k run/walk.  We have set the date for Saturday, July 18th @ 8am.  We have reserved one of the trails in HARTWOOD ACRES for this walk/run.

There is a simple registration fee of $15 per person to participate in the run ($25 per family).  All proceeds will go to support the Foodbank that operates out of Allison Park Church.

The Network Of Hope helps to support the Foodbank that operates at APC.  Over 100 families receive grocery assistance every other week through this amazing ministry.  The big need that the Foodbank faces in the future is a box truck (the current one is on its last legs). 

We are calling this a walk/run which means that you can do either (for me it will probably be a little of both).  My personal goal is to be in good enough shape that I can run the entire 3K without stopping.  We'll see.

If you are interested, you can register online or get more information by visiting the APC website.

Leadership Coaching

Today and tomorrow I am getting some training on LEADERSHIP COACHING.  A major part of what I do involves coaching of my pastoral team and pastors in the MCM Network.  When I was invited to participate in some training, I jumped at the chance.

My goal is to complete the Associate Level that is offered by the International Coach Federation.  This will involve these 2 days of training (hosted by Purdue University), 40 additional hours through Webinars, and then 100 logged hours of coaching.

This morning, I got up at about 5:30am and jogged around the campus here at Purdue. When I visit another city, I often enjoy getting to see the surrounding area through an early morning run.  (the best run ever was when I was staying in downtown D.C. and I did my run from the Capitol to the the Lincoln Memorial and back).

Now, its time to get ready...I don't want to be late for class!

Family Miracle Theme

We have decided to dedicate the PRAYER MOMENTS in our weekend services to pray with special focus for FAMILY ISSUES.  To help us do that, we have placed tables on each side of the platform, in the front of the sanctuary, where people can place a picture, personal item, or prayer request for the family member they are praying for.

During each of the services we will gather around those tables and pray for God to intervene in our families.  We are believing for sons and daughters to be set free from addictions, for marriages to be reconciled, for those far from God to be brought near, and for many of our loved ones to experience Jesus as their savior.

Next Wednesday, July 1st, we will also kick off our weekly WORSHIP NITES.  Every Wednesday night at 7pm, in the APC Sanctuary, we will meet for worship and for prayer. 

I am personally going to make this a day of FASTING.  Every Tuesday night I will start a 24hr fast (from after dinner on Tuesday until after Worship Nite on Wednesday).  I invite you to join me as we pray for FAMILY MIRACLES this summer.