Out of My Mind

Last Sunday, Amber and I were sitting on the couch watching a professional football game. One of the commentators just went off on how much he loves Thanksgiving - really because of food and football.

He said, “I love Thanksgiving. You get to eat and watch football, and eat some more and watch football, and eat some more and take a nap. It’s like the greatest day ever. How could it get any better than that. Thanksgiving is like the greatest day ever!”

Amber was sitting there with me and laughed, “Oh that is such a man’s perspective.”

It is Thanksgiving morning as I write this, and she has gotten up, straightened up the house (I helped), prepared the turkey to roast. I prepared a smaller one to smoke on the grill. She has planned and strategically coordinated the cooking and eating schedule with her mom. It is a real science. She seems to be fine, but so far I don’ think it would be classified as the best day ever!

As for me, I am ready for a little food and football. Oh what a great day, at least from a man’s perspective. Oh ladies, don’t worry, I will help clean up the dishes.

God bless. Happy Thanksgiving!

I don’t really cry a lot, but yesterday I had tears in my eyes. On Monday, my family had some pictures taken by Tim Brown, a really good photographer and friend. So Friday morning, Amber and I sat down with Tim and Michelle (his wife) to view the pictures. He basically showed a slide show of our session from the beach complete with background music.

I can’t describe what happened as I viewed the images on the screen. It was like watching a movie starring my family. We had some of the nice posed portrait pictures, but then we had a lot of candid, fun, laughing pictures as well. It was so cool. The pictures seemed to tell a story of the life of my family, and I just began to cry. I am not quite sure why. Part of it was realizing how the time is passing by. Eli is now a teenager, growing up. Jonathan and Hannah are no longer babies. Another emotion was just gratitude - grateful for my family, grateful for life, grateful for every good thing God has allowed me to experience. Watching that slide show became a moment of worship to my God as I thanked Him with tears in my eyes.

I left that session with a full heart. I called a friend to tell him how much he meant. I wrote an email thanking someone I wanted to thank. I slowed down and enjoyed the day. I hugged my kids a little harder and let them know how much they meant to me. I watched a movie with my son Jonathan. I celebrated life and lived it as well as I could yesterday. It may all sound a little corny and emotional to you, but I find that the older I get - the more emotional I am becoming. My heart it a little softer, but it lets me appreciate life a little deeper.

How great are those moments when you really come in touch with the goodness of God, and the gift of life that he has given. Have you had any of those moments lately? Have you had any moments lately where life stood still, and you just soaked it in? If we let it, those moments can be an incredible occasion for worship! What ya think?

What are you hungry for? Last week, we had a day of prayer and fasting at our church. There was a good attendance for our 12 noon corporate prayer time. That time of prayer was more satisfying than any lunch I could have had. I realized how often I feed myself on the garbage this world offers and then I am no longer hungry for what God really has to give.

It is so important to maintain our spiritual appetite. Jesus called and said, “If anyone is thirty, let him come to me and drink…” (John 7:37-39). Isaiah says, “Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money come buy and eat!” (Isaiah 55:1)

When we hunger and thirst for Jesus, He promises to fill us. I think Jesus really loves a hungry heart that just wants more of Him. He makes many promises that those who really seek Him will find Him, and that He will fill those who hunger after Him.

If we belly up to the bar of all this world offers, we will find ourselves to stuffed to really care for and seek after God’s best. God says, “Listen, listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” (Isaiah 55:2).

Jesus Christ is the richest of fare. He is a feast for a hungry soul. He truly satisfies the longing of the human heart. He fills our deepest needs.

So what is it that you really hunger for? Is it more of Jesus…

This week, my son Eli had basketball tryouts for the Glynn Middle School team. He is in the 7th grade fighting for a position with 7th and 8th graders. There were over 30 kids trying out for around 15 positions. Eli felt like his tryouts were going pretty well, but he wasn’t positive if he was gong to make it. The coach was posting the final team this morning before school.

Eli called from school just a few minutes ago. He checked the list… and saw his name! He was picked for the team. Coach chose him. Now immediately my heart went out to all the young men who did not see their name on the list. It is hard to try out for something and find out that you did not make the cut.

At that same time, however, I felt great joy for my son. I know it must have felt good to see his name on the list. It took me back to my freshman year when I tried out for the baseball team at Glynn Academy. There were a lot of kids who tried out, and eventually our coach placed the final cuts up outside the weight room. I can remember feeling good about my chances, but there was nothing quite like seeing your name there on the list. I made it. I got picked by coach to be on the team. I am sure Eli felt good this morning to see his name on the list. It feels good to know that you have been chosen.

Have you ever felt like that you didn’t make the cut though? Have you ever felt that you were not good enough?

I want to remind you of Jesus’ words today. If we could let these words become more powerful to us than seeing our name on a list outside the gym, it would transform us:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” John 15:16 (Jesus)

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine!!!!” Isaiah 43:1 (Almighty God)

Can you just imagine walking up to God’s list, and checking to see if you made the final cut? You feel a little nervous. You don’t like your chances because you think He is only looking for superstars. You almost don’t even bother to check the list, because then you will have to deal with that pit in your stomach afterwards.

But something beckons you to look. You are drawn to see those names. But you look, and your name jumps off the page. It seems as if it is the only name there in that moment. God chose you. Jesus picked you. He wanted you on his team. He called you by your name. I want you! I choose you! You are mine! These are the words of God today.

Let’s live it out. Let’s live like the chosen people of God.

How does it feel to be so privileged? I would love to know what hearing this truth means to you?

(I had to come back and edit this one after some insight from Charity.  Thanks Charity!)

Hi, I am David, and I am a recovering people pleaser. Much of my life I have sought for the “praise of men.” I wanted to succeed because it felt good to have others praise me and complement me. It gave me an identity.

I live in the same small community I grew up in where I have pastored a church (www.sscommunitychurch.com)for the last 8 years. I know a lot of people in this area. God has blessed our ministry here and the church has grown. You can only imagine how that has fed the “people pleaser” in me. It has felt good to see this church grow - sometimes it has felt way too good. This is an area that God has been dealing with in a pretty big way over the last few years. I am seeking to care way more about what God thinks, and less about what others think.

God has his ways of making us deal with these issues, and boy he made me deal with it the other night. I heard a quote that said, “To inoculate me to the praise of man, God baptized me in the criticism of man so as to deliver me from the fear of man.” While it has been a joy seeing God at work at St. Simons Community Church over the last few years, my world has certainly shrunk. You can get to a place in a small town where everyone knows your business, or at least has an opinion of your business. As a pastor of a growing church, sometimes it feels like you have nowhere to run and hide. The more we have grown as a church, the harder it is to always please everyone. God has used this to strike at my people pleasing tendencies.

Then the other night, God used a circumstance in one of my children’s lives to make me and my wife deal further with our own junk. One of my children got a little aggressive in their athletic contest. I didn’t think it was over the line, but it was certainly pretty aggressive. Well the parents on the other team thought it was across the line and started calling out my child’s number telling him to reign it in. I could tell it hurt him. After the game, a mom from the other team came up to me and Amber. She goes to church with us and said she was defending our child. She said to the parents on her team, “That is my pastor’s child.” Well, they all wanted to know who her pastor was, and just what in the world kind of church was he running? (It wasn’t said quite like that, but you get the drift.)

How small do you think this little community felt all of a sudden? We weren’t just a nameless face seeking to make a difference for God. I am a pastor who is known by more people than I would care to be know by at times.   My call or mission from the Lord is no more important than every Christian out there who is seeking to serve the Lord.  As a pastor though sometimes, you feel like you are in the direct spotlight.  It is hard to feel like you can make a mistake or have a bad day without your spiritual commitment being called into question.  You can imagine the devil had a hey day with our emotions on the way home. We really felt our child had not acted maliciously. We talked with him about it, and he was frustrated that other parents felt he was playing unfair. He was upset they were calling his number out, and yelling at him. It was a tough night for all of us.

Amber and I talked about it though, and realized that our reputations are in the hands of God. We know we are not perfect parents, but we are very proactive. We teach, talk, encourage and discipline constantly. We do not dismiss wrong behavior, but our children are not perfect. They have struggles too.

The next morning, Amber and I decided not to listen to Satan’s taunts. Instead, we decided to turn it around and find the victory of God in that moment. We turned on a worship CD and praised God in the valley. We praised him for His work in our lives, and the lives of our children. We praised and worshiped Him, knowing that He is in control. It became a holy moment of sweet surrender and trust to our Lord Jesus. We praised Him from the valley and Jesus actually turned it into a mountain - a place of grace and joy. What started to feel like a defeat became a victory - a little more freedom from people pleasing. And that felt good! It still does!

Do you praise Him in the valley? Have you ever had a moment when God turned your valley into a mountain top? Be blessed,

DY