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

Feeling Burnt Out - Read this!

Christ says in Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Ok!  I'm going before the Lord because right now I am so emotionally and mentally drained, there is no one else who can promise me this!  Sure, it may be easier to turn to other things that make it seem like they are giving you rest.  But in reality it is only delaying the draining that I am currently feeling.

So I don't know about you, but I'm going before the Lord.  AND, if you are feeling the same way I am, then I suggest you do the same.

May God be with you and give you the rest you need!

tompounder.blogspot.com

Need a Kick in the Pants - read this!

I read this today - Ephesians 4:17-32.  Take a minute and read through it.

I think I might be a little bit more direct today - what separates believers from non-believers is that we know the truth and it has set us free.  I cannot recall of any time where I have heard a Christian state that "my life went to hell because I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior".  But, on the other hand, I have heard many times how life is tough but they do not know the Lord.  As Paul points out in v. 17 and 18, non-believers have futile thinking and have given themselves over to every kind of impurity because of the hardening of their hearts and their continual lust for more impurity.  It is almost like their futile and perverted (not in a sexual way perverted) thinking has made them too drunk to think rationally.

Believers came to know Christ, however, because "you were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (v. 22-24).  Believers were able to separate themselves from the lusts of this world and see through to a better, stronger option - CHRIST!

Therefore, as Paul points out in verse 25-32, let's step up our game!  Seriously, let's:

• put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body (v.25)
• do not let the sun go down on your anger so that you give Satan a foothold in your life (v.26)
• do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (v.29)
• get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  (v. 31)
• be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (v. 32)

It time folks for all of us to get off our butts and start taking our life with Christ seriously.  Let's not half-butt our life with Christ anymore.  You believed in Him for a reason - let's reaffirm that faith and strive towards him all the more!

Take a least 1 of the points Paul outlines above and strive to work on that today and the rest of the week.  Then, may the Lord move in your heart and your life as well as the lives you come into contact with.

Thanks for reading and allowing me to be a little bit honest here.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

www.notamegachurch.com

Being Effective and Productive for Christ

2 Peter 1:3-10 says, "3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,"

I love 2 things about this passage:

1. If we possess these things:

• goodness
• knowledge
• self-control
• perseverance
• godliness
• brotherly kindness
• love

we will be productive and effective in our knowledge of Christ.  Therefore, I believe this translate into that we can be effective and productive as followers of Christ and evangelists for Christ.

2. In verse 10 that is says, "if you do these things, you will never fail".  Life can be hard an challenging at times but Peter is saying that if we add to our faith the qualities outlined in verses 5-7, we will never fail.  That doesn't mean that we will never experience hardship or tough times.  Rather, we will never fail and over the long term, that will make us extremely productive for Christ.

These are just 2 thoughts that stuck out to me as I read this scripture.

As you look at it, what quality outlined in verses 5-7 do you struggle with?  Pick at least 1 you can work on today and this week so that you can add to your faith and be effective and productive for Christ.

tompounder.blogspot.com

Some Scripture I read today - 3/19

Continuing to read through 1 Peter, I read these in chapter 2 and was encouraged/challenged.

v. 11-12 - "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

• We get trapped into living our lives the way the rest of the world does.  But, ultimately, when we do that, there is a battle going on between our faith and the worldly desires.  We need to live our lives pleasing to the Lord so that we can bring glory to Him.

v. 16 - "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."

v. 23 - "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."

• It can be so easy for us, when we are persecuted or made fun of because of our beliefs, to retaliate and say things back to defend ourselves.  But, if Christ, hanging on the cross did not, then maybe we should take a step back and allow the Lord to justly judge and we, as v. 11-12 state, live our lives to glorify Him.

Take a Minute and ponder these verses.  Pray and meditate on them before the Lord and see what HE puts on your heart today because of them.

May God bless you all today and do a great work!

tompounder.blogspot.com

Some Scripture I read today

Today I started reading through 1 Peter.  Here are some verses that stuck out to me:

v. 7 - "These [Trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (emphasis mine)

v. 15-16 - "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

v. 24-25 - "For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you." (emphasis mine)

Take a minute and ponder these verses and see what the Lord puts on your heart today because of them.

May God bless you all today and do a great work!

tompounder.blogspot.com

What am I suppose to learn from this?

Throughout our lives we go through "seasons".  I don't know whoever coined this term but if he/she would have trademarked this bad boy, they would be filthy rich right now as it is a very popular word.  Well, right now I am going through a season and to be honest, I'm over it.  I'm ready to move on as I've been in this season for too long. 

As I have had a wide range of emotions during this season in my life, I realize that God is not done with me yet.  He has me here for a reason and although I may be done, the reality is that I may not have even begun to experience what God wants to teach me throughout this season.

The passage I look towards a lot during this time in my life is Romans 5:1-5.  Take a minute and read it.

In this passage Paul says that we need to rejoice in our sufferings because it produces perseverance, character and hope.  Now, don't get me wrong, all seasons in our lives ARE NOT ALWAYS sufferings.  But if we look at this passage that in everything, even our sufferings, God can continue to build into us, He will make us better through any experience or season in our lives.  The question I need to keep asking is, "Lord, what do you want to teach me through this?"  Why am I going through this time in my life.  It is not all "whoa is me", but an earnest desire to learn from the Lord during this time.

Regardless of what the Lord is trying to teach me, I know 2 things:

1. I have to continue to seek Him (Matthew 6:33)
2. He will use this for His glory.  It's not all about me - never has been and never will be.  So, I need to stop looking at this from a "me" perspective and more at how can I use this for His Glory?

Just like me, you may be going through a season in your life where you may not be understanding that God is trying to teach you.  My encouragement to you is to continue to pursue the Lord.  He has you where you are for a reason and if it is through sufferings, He is there with us and will build into us more Christlike qualities to make us more effective for the Kingdom of heaven.

As Paul says, "hope does not disappoint us" (v. 5).  Rest in God's hope and trust that He will not only bring you through all seasons but you will be better off because of it.

Take some time to pray and pursue the Lord.  Whether this season is a tough time for you or not, ask Him what He wants you to learn from this season in your life.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

4:30 am, really?

If you know me, you know that I am an early riser.  I love to get up in the morning when it is just me.  After all, with 4 young children under the age of 8 running around, it is hard to get that alone time.  My routine usually involves:

• praying
• reading some scripture
• dosing off
• checking facebook, twitter and some youth ministry blogs
• working on Cedar Run stuff like lesson prep or emails

The reason why I get up early in the morning is because it is time when I can just have as "Tom" time.  All the girls are asleep and I can really focus in on some things.

The question I have for you all is - do you get that time alone to contemplate, to spend time with the Lord in prayer and search the scripture, to plan ahead for future goals and ideas.  Do you make it a priority or is it just one of the many "to-dos" you try to fit into your day?  When you make it a priority, you choose to do these things regardless of time and structure of your day.

I know I get up insanely early (4:30 am most days), but I cherish these times.  This time where I can do these things are a priority for me.  But, in order to get this time alone, I have to wake up early or stay up late - I choose early.

What do you like to do when you wake up?  Do you get up early enough to have that alone time so where you are not rushed in the morning?  Aren't we rushed enough throughout the day not to be rushed in the morning as well?

This week, spend some time getting up earlier in the morning and:

• find a good place in your house to claim as your morning time
• grab a cup of coffee, soda, juice, whatever
• grab your Bible and prayer journal and, as Samuel did, say to the Lord, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3)
• ask the Lord to not just speak to you now, but to start preparing you for what lies ahead.

God has some great plans for our lives.  It would just be a shame to never make time to find out what those plans really are.

Examining Your Walls

As I continue to read through Nehemiah, a ton of things are coming out of it.

Take a minute and read Nehemiah 2:11-20

Some questions to process:

1. What sticks out to you in these verses?
2. What was the first thing Nehemiah did with the Jerusalem wall?
3. What was his assessment of the wall?
4. How did the workers respond to Nehemiah's challenge?

Before Nehemiah got into actually rebuilding the Jerusalem wall, he had to do an assessment of the wall.  He had to find out where the weak points were so he could hit those rough spots first.  Once those weak areas were rebuilt and strengthened, the city of Jerusalem would be strong and better equipped to defend her city.

As I was reading through this I thought of how often I assess my life.  How often do I look for weak areas or things that need improving?

I know it is not easy to look for weak or struggling areas in our lives.  It can be a very humbling experience.  But, as Paul points out in 1 Peter 5:5-6, when we humble ourselves, he will lift us up - "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

This week, do an assessment of your life.  What are some strong areas and weak areas in your life?  Of the weak areas, what steps can you take this week to improve?

After Nehemiah examined the walls, he devised a plan to strengthen them.  The walls improved slowly, but eventually were rebuilt.  In the same way, we can not expect God to repair those weak areas in our lives overnight.  But if we come up with a plan and stick to it, we will be successful in rebuilding our walls as well.

Pray that God would allow you to see the walls in your life that you can begin to repair and strengthen them so you can glorify Him with who you are in all that you do.

http://tompounder.blogspot.com

So your saying there's a chance?

In my personal devotion time, I am going through Nehemiah. I just started but what made me fascinated with reading through Nehemiah was the fact that he was chiefly responsible for organizing the effort to rebuild the Jerusalem wall. So, I began to read through and was struck by a few things. As I read and process, I will continue to write about them and I hope you are challenged/encouraged by them as well.

Read Nehemiah 1-2:10

Some questions to answer:

1. Who was Nehemiah?
2. What was on his heart to do?
3. How was God instrumental in allowing him to go on his mission?

Nehemiah was just a simple cupbearer. He didn't have real power or authority to do anything. But, his heart was to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall that was destroyed when they were taken over.

He knew that Israel messed up big time when they disobeyed the Lord (1:5-9). None-the-less, he went before God and prayed for a chance, just an opportunity to go before the King and make his petition. Then, in 2:1-4a, the King asked him for what he wanted. How crazy is that? That had God written all over that as how many times do you think a high King would take an interest in such a lowly cupbearer?

What is on your heart? How is God moving within it?

If God is pressing something on your heart, go before the Lord and pray for a chance to do something with it. Then, when he provides you with an opportunity, Carpe Diem - SEIZE THE DAY! God is giving you a chance, now do something with it.

Just because God gives you a chance to do something, big or small, doesn't mean it will be easy for you to do it. In 2:2, Nehemiah says that he was afraid. But, ultimately, he spoke up and got what he wanted. Do not let fear or uncertainty of the unknown effect your decision to go for it or not. Seize the day and be thankful to God that he has given you this great opportunity.

So again, is God pressing something on your heart to do? Go before him to verify if it is from the Lord or not. Then, if it is something He wants you to take action on, pray for an opportunity and then make the most out of the opportunity you have. Nehemiah did and you can too.

Genesis 4 Devotional

This was the devotional that we gave out to the Cedar Run youth for this past week.

Read Genesis 4

1. Cain and Able were brothers. What did each of them do for a living?

2. Cain and Able brought an offering to the Lord. What was the difference between the two offerings and which one was view upon as better?

3. Because of the difference, Cain did what? Why do you think Cain did this? DIG DEEPER – Read 1 John 3:12.

4. What happened to Cain because of his actions?

5. This is yet another example of the consequences of sin. Review Genesis 3:1-19 to see past examples of the consequences of sin. We suffer these consequences when we fall away from the Lord’s provisions in our lives. This week, what is one thing you could do that will help you resist temptation to fall away from God and his provisions for you? (One suggestion is to read Ephesians 6:10-18)

The choices we make

Last Sunday, we talked about Genesis 3 - the Fall of man. In case you don't know what happens in Genesis 3, allow me to sum up.

• God told Adam and Eve that they could eat from whatever tree they wanted, except for one specific tree.
• Satan came alone (in the form of a snake) and caused Eve to 2nd guess what God had commanded.
• Through Satan's temptation, Eve gave in and ate of the fruit that God told her not to.
• After Eve ate it, she gave some to Adam, who was there with her, and he ate the fruit as well
• After they ate of the fruit, the Lord found out and gave consequences to the snake, Eve and Adam (Genesis 3:14-19)

Now, Adam and Eve didn't have to eat that fruit. They had plenty of other food provided for them by God. Plus, they didn't have to listen to the snake. After all, who actually talks to a snake unless you live in Disney World?

But the fact is they choose to eat the fruit. They choose to listen to the snake. Therefore, the consequences they suffered were a direct result of their choices.

In the same way, the choices we make are going to either push us closer to Christ or further away. There is no way we can expect ourselves to "live it up" according to a worldly perspective and still expect to grow closer to Christ.

My encouragement to you today is to closely examine all the choices you make. As you are making decisions ask yourself, "Will ____________ draw me closer to Christ or further away?". It's a simple question but the rewards or consequences may not be very simple (see Adam, Eve and the Snake for reference).

May God impact you in a mighty way today!

Getting rid of your idols

Read Judges 10:6-16

I help teach our Middle School "Grounded" class. Grounded is a walk through the Bible and some important Church doctrine.

Currently, we are going over the Judges and Kings of Israel. With the Judges a pattern that is often repeated goes something like this:

1. Israel sins and worship other gods and idols
2. God allows Israel and their faithlessness to be overtaken by an enemy
3. Israel learns their lesson, gets rid of the idols and cries out to the Lord for help
4. God hears their cry and helps them by sending a Judge to defeat their enemies
5. After victory, they live in peace for X amount of years until that Judge dies
6. Repeat steps 1-5

The reading in Judges 10:6-16 is very similar to this pattern.

The key point that I would like to discuss is pattern #3 where Israel learns their lesson, gets rid of the idols and cries to God for help. Obviously today we do not have idols or false gods such as Baal or whatever else the Israelites worshiped back then. But, we do have idols that take our focus off of Christ and onto something else.

Some current day idols could be our friends, alcohol, drugs, money, fame, a TV show, facebook or other social media outlets, or even our iPhones. Again, an idol is whatever takes our focus off of Christ. Do you have an idol?

Well, if you do, I want to encourage you to take the next step, as Israel did - get rid of your idols. See, they worshipped other idols and it didn't quite work out for them. So, they had to get right with the Lord again. In order to do that, they had to first get rid of the idols. I'm not saying that a requirement for God to help you means you have to get rid of your idols, but that is what is constantly demonstrated with the Israelites. Plus, how can we completely turn our focus on the Lord if we have our idols still with us? Get rid of your idols whatever they may be.

We have to get rid of the idols that hinder our relationship with Christ. Christ said that he has come to give us life to the full (John 10:10). How can he possibly do that if we are turning to other things as well?

My encouragement for you all today is:

• examine your life. Do you have idols that are hindering what God wants to do in your life? If so,
• Get rid of all the idols that are doing that. Throw them out or do whatever you have to do get into a position where God can minister to you and provide a life that is full (please note - I said full which does not necessarily mean fun or prosperous).

God will always provide, but not necessarily in the ways we think he "should" or will. Throw out your idols and turn your focus on Christ. Then, see how he provides.

Dance Party Options

As you know we are going to have another Dance Party on Jan. 22nd. Well, we need your help in deciding the theme. Click the one theme you would prefer you do.

You have until Jan. 13th to decide. Results will be posted here!

New Years and New Beginnings

It's the new year and as it is all the time when January rolls around, people try to make the most out of it by striving to make bold new starts. Whether it is giving up a bad habit or trying to lose weight, people see January 1 as the time to get serious.

Did you know that the most popular new years resolutions are:

• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Save Money
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Get a Better Education
• Drink Less Alcohol
• Quit Smoking Now
• Reduce Stress Overall
• Reduce Stress at Work
• Take a Trip

Those are all great resolutions, but where are doing resolutions to be more like Christ fall in? It would be a shame to do some of these most popular resolutions but fail to grow closer to Christ in any way.

Mark 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." If we seek him and strive for him first and foremost, all these other things we strive for or need will fall into place.

Therefore, my personal goal for 2010 is to never miss a day without spending time in Scripture and Prayer. It may be generic or common, but I am striving for it and hope not to fall short so that I can benefit and those around me can as well.

So what are you striving for this year? How can you draw closer to Christ this year? Make a goal and strive towards Him.

Source:

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml

We are all Misfits

As I wrote in my last post, I love Christmas and all that there is about Christmas. I especially love all the Christmas specials. ABC Family has a ton of them every year in the 25 Days of Christmas so I record most of them and watch them over and over again my daughters.

One of my favorite Christmas specials is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Not only is it a classic Christmas special, but it has a great message as well.

Check out this clip and see what I'm talking about.

These "misfit" toys were stranded on the island with no hopes of ever being loved and cared for by someone else. That was until Santa came for them and delivered them on Christmas to the little boys and girls around the world.

In many ways, we are misfits too. We all have things about ourselves that we do not like or are proud of. We feel like misfits that no one could possibly love us for this or that.

BUT, the great news for us is that Christ was born, lived and died for all of us misfits.

John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

He saw our deficiencies and still came and died for us all. How great is that!?! Today and the rest of this holiday season, rejoice in the fact that we have a savior that loved us so much that despite our "misfit" qualities, he came down for us and offered us such hope.

If you have never taken a minute to accept the grace and hope of Christ, all you have to do is:

• Admit you have fallen short (Romans 3:23)
• Believe that Christ died for you (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 5:8 and Romans 6:23)
• Commit to following after Him (Romans 10:9-10)

Christ loves all of us no matter how much we feel like misfits. This Christmas season, rest in the hope and grace of Christ and let his love reign in your life.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!