Why I am Quitting Facebook

This week I decided to quit Facebook.  So, on Friday sometime, I will be deactivating my account, hoping to never reactivate it. Here are 3 reasons I am quitting Facebook:

1. It's too distracting.  With all the status updates, applications, marketing ideas, changes in privacy policy, I almost need an administrative assistant to keep me up-to-date on what is happening with all my 500+ friends (most of whom I haven't seen in years).  I think I could literally spend my whole day tracking what others do, what promotions are being offered and what So and So needs for his FarmTown.  I'm sorry, but I have a wife and 4 young daughters, not to mention a full-time job, a mortgage and hopefully a social life.  Facebook is too distracting for what I need to focus on, yet it is one of the 1st things I do when I wake up.  I don't need any more distractions for my life.
2. I only use it for ministry.  Actually, that is a really good reason to keep it.  But, it is also the reason to delete it.  With Facebook you can easily keep tabs on people without really being with and really knowing people.  In youth ministry we strive to model Christ who came to Earth, met us where we were and then build a relationships that led us to God.  Well, with Facebook, I'm developing relationships with people by basically seeing what they are doing and making a comment about it.  I can "know" someone without really "knowing" someone.  Facebook takes away actually physical time that I should be having with someone else. 
3. I'm not that important.  Who really cares what I am up to?  Who cares that I am making brownies while playing with the kids?  Actually, if I have time to write that then I am not really making brownies or playing with my kids.  I am typing on Facebook (which is another reason to delete it).  If my friends want to know what I am up to, then they should be able to call me and chat with me about it.  They don't need to read what I am doing on some status update.  

So, if you are really curious as  to what I am doing, you can track me down a few different ways:

• Email me - my friends know what that is
• Call me - again, my friends know the number
• Follow my Personal Blog (http://tompounder.blogspot.com)
• Follow my Youth Ministry Blog (www.notamegachurch.com)
• Follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/tapounder)

May God bless you and hopefully I will never be on Facebook again, not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not for me :)

Running to Stand Still

U2 has a great song from their Joshua Tree album called "Running to Stand Still".  It was written about a heroin-addicted couple in Ireland.  I love this song so much as it focuses on the struggle of this addiction.  In many ways, she is running to stand still.  She cannot get herself out of the muck and the mire.

As I have begun to run on a regular basis, this song sticks in my head because I do not want to be a person who is running to stand still.  I want to be running with a purpose and making myself a better person.  Before I started running I was overweight (203 pounds for a 5'10 body), had high cholesterol and I was never exercising.  If I continued this pattern, it would not take too much longer before I would be experiencing some serious health related issues.

Since I have started running I have lost 18 pounds and am now feeling more fit than I have in years.  I have also used my running as an opportunity to connect with God in a whole new, fresh level.  I spend time worshiping to praise music and also spend time talking and listening to him.  It has been a great connect for me with Him.  I no longer feel that I am running to stand still.

So what about you?  What or who are you running towards?  How is it impacting your life (good or bad)?

The inspiration I have for running towards Christ is found in Matthew 6:33 where Christ says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Christ was referring to his provision if we seek Him.  What a great thing to run towards.  When we run towards Christ He will provide and take care of us!  It may not be the way we think He "should" provide for us, but He will definitely provide.

So today and the rest of this week, DON'T run to stand still.  RUN towards Christ and see how He ministers to you!

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

True Protection

Psalm 40:11 says, "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me."

I read this last week and I used it as my prayer for that day and the days following.  Here is what I got out of what David was saying:

• He asked God to "not withhold your mercy from me".  Basically he is saying that he knows he is a sinful guy and that he has messed up a bunch.  So as he is trying to do what is right he is asking for God to be merciful and gracious to him.
• He says, "may your love...always protect me."  I believe love is personal.  Relationships in general are messed up as they can be very self-centered and conditional; a sort of a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.  But God gives unconditional love and it will always cover and protect us no matter what situation we are in.  His love is greater than all things and it will protect us through the great times and the bad as long as we allow ourselves to feel the love.
• Finally he says, "may your truth always protect me."  The fact is people will always have their own version of the truth as truth can sometimes be how we perceive things to be (whether we are right or wrong).  But REAL truth rests in the Lord.  After all He did say, "I am the way, the TRUTH and the life".  He is the ultimate truth and understanding.

We all make mistakes and we try to learn from them.  It is when we rest in the Lord and trust His will and His control, then we know that His love and Truth will come out on top.  We must become less (and do less) so that God can become greater and shine through it all.

May you all be encouraged by this as much as I was.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

I went for a run today

My life has never really been normal.  It has always had it's ups and downs.  Well, of late, that sense of normalcy has been in real peril as things have been far from it.  I have had to juggle so much each day.

As I was telling a friend of mine about my recent juggling act, he suggested that I stop and focus on getting healthy myself.  He challenged me that the only way I can make it through this recent juggling act is if I was taking care of myself - physically, spiritually and emotionally.

One of his suggestions was that I run every day.

So, this morning I went on my 2nd consecutive day of running.  It wasn't long, but I ran for 30 minutes today.  In that running, I put on some awesome music (some secular and some Christian) on my iPod.  But, it was funny, when I ran to the secular music, I was mad and angry at life.  I got all worked up over the smallest things.

But then, when I ran to Christian music, my shift focused from anger to God.  It was as if God was ministering to me and nurturing me as I ran. As I ran and lifted my eyes up to the heavens, I cried, I praised Him, I allowed him to rest over me.  I ran with a higher purpose in mind.

As I ran and focused on Christ, my mindset focused on trusting God's will and allowing Him to take care of me - where ever He leads me.  I will be at peace about it because I know that God is going to take care of me.

I don't know what you are going through in life but I can attest that God wants to minister to you and He wants you healthy - no matter where you are at.

So my encouragement is to go out for a run.  Put some Christian tunes that rock in your iPod and allow God to minister to you.

By the way, if you are interested, the 3 songs I ran to the most were:

• "O Praise Him" by David Crowder Band
• "Speaking Louder than Before" by Jeremy Camp
• "Until the Whole World hears" by Casting Crowns.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

Choosing today to fight for Christ

Are you choosing today to fight for Christ?.  You do not need to worry about living a lifetime of what Christ calls you to.  Sure, that is the hope, but that can be overwhelming sometimes.  So choosing to follow Christ means that each day you wake up, you will follow him with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).  Are you choosing today to fight for Christ?

This mindset can be particularly helpful for teenagers who have been in the party scene or who have been living active sex lives.  For them, when you choose to follow Christ, that means you are "throwing away" that lifestyle - a lifestyle that has tremendous temporal pleasures.  So, if someone commits their life to Christ, it may be hard to give up that next party or hook-up.  But, if that person chooses to follow Christ each day, it is much more manageable and can even have some tremendous rewards with it.

So today, choose to follow Christ.  Choose to live your life with integrity.  Choose to say no to that party because you know the ramifications that can have on you and others.  Choose to open your Bible to discover the truth and promises God has for you.  Choose to pray more today.  Choose to share about Christ to others today.  Choose to listen to God today.  Choose Christ today!

These are all manageable and beneficial things for you to do today that will help you grow closer to Christ.

May God bless you as you choose to follow Him today!


http://tompounder.blogspot.com