In the Biblical days of Solomon, bird hunters would spread a net on the ground, baited with food for the birds. As the birds would fly down for dinner, the hunters would pull up the nest quickly, capturing many of the birds. Birds are smarter than one might think, though. If they saw the hunters laying down the nets, they wouldn’t land and so they wouldn’t be caught by the trap.
Recovering after a mistake or a fall is what keeps a lot of people from ever accomplishing much in life. Failure does not have to stop you from achieving your dreams and goals. A lot of bouncing back depends on your response to the fall.
By all practical standards if I live a normal life, at the current age of 45 years, I’m at or past middle age. Maybe it doesn’t happen to everyone like this, but my middle age crisis has caused me to reflect on life thus far… (Certainly better than some crises I have heard)
I keep a notepad handy to write down thoughts and questions I have about life. Sometimes they become Twitters…sometimes they get expanded and made into blog posts…and sometimes they sit in my notepad waiting for attention. Here’s a collection of the latter.
This is a powerful video in terms of the impact of social media in our society. Thanks to my friend Scott Williams for sharing it with me first.
We have had a busy season at Grace Community Church. Fall is the time of year when most churches ramp up their ministries, which tracks with back-to-school schedules and the change to cooler weather. Our church has been in a fast growth mode since day one, but we seem to be in a unique place of extraordinary growth right now. In addition to this growth we are launching new small groups, a college ministry, gearing up for our annual community outreach ministry, and adding a third service, along with numerous other changes occurring this fall, some that we are not ready to talk about yet. Some days it seems we have just enough energy to get through another week and all our time is focused on the next Sunday.
When I meet with people who have made mistakes in life in my role as a pastor, I am always less concerned with where they have been or what they have done wrong. I am always more concerned with where they want to go in life and how dedicated they are to get there. My dad is an example of someone that wants to end well. I believe his legacy will prove he achieved his goal.
Grace Community Church was four years old yesterday. Happy Birthday! We will celebrate it tomorrow by asking our people to sacrifice more and serve the city of Clarksville by offering a third service for the first time. If you do not have a church home join us at 8:30, 10:00 or 11:30 AM at Rossview High School. You can find directions HERE.
One of the toughest jobs in the church must be the role of pastor or minister’s spouse. Recently Cheryl (my spouse) completed a Bible study on her own that she felt was very helpful to her. She believes it will be helpful for other ministry spouses. If her schedule will ever allow it she would love to lead a group of area wives through this study. I decided since it was valuable enough for my wife that I would like to interview one of the authors.
Today, maybe even for just a couple moments, I am reminded that I can take God all my burdens…He can handle them without fret, with complete patience, and without getting angry at my insufficiencies.
