GaryMo Monday - How I Handle Negative People

How do I handle negative people? The short answer is...not well.

The truth about me is that deep down...really deep down...I am a negative person. I don't think most people would say that about me, but I believe that those closest to me would say that I can definitely be negative at times. A grouch.

I hate that about me.

I've worked really hard to change that...to be more positive. To look on the bright side. To take pleasure in the little things. To not sweat the small stuff.

And to remember to turn things over to God because as Paul says in Philippians 4:7, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I know that peace. I've felt that peace.


It's glorious.

Our pastor at The Crossing has been doing a series on Philippians since January. Last weekend his message hit me right between the eyes. It was about anxiety...worry. One of my biggest weaknesses. I sometimes worry to the point of paralysis. I let myself get so overwhelmed with anxiety that I don't know what to do next.

So...I often do nothing.


Except worry.

Paul tells us that we should not be anxious...we should pray...giving thanks to God and turn over our requests to Him. I realized last weekend that I haven't been doing that. Sure, I've been praying, but not the real, raw, from-the-gut prayers where I tell God what's really weighing on me...what I need help with.

Those are the prayers that bring wisdom, discernment, comfort...peace.

When I'm in that place of peace with God, I'm not negative...I'm not worried. I know God's got my back. I know He'll lead me and use me.

When I'm in that place, I handle negative people well. I don't let them pull me down into the hole...I instead lift them up out of it. I'm a light in a dark place.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Paul's reminding us to be positive...to think excellent thoughts. To find joy in every situation...'cause it's there. Always.

Our attitude is a choice that we make. We can choose to see the crap in the world and let it pull us down or we can choose to see the glory of God in everything and allow Him to raise us up above the crap.

Which will you choose today? I'm going to choose to pray hard, think excellent thoughts and let the peace of God guard my heart and mind.


I hope you do too.

This is the 7th of 20 posts that I'm calling GaryMo Mondays.

For more background on this series, read this post.

GaryMo Monday - What the Kingdom of God Really Looks Like

I took a couple of weeks off from GaryMo Mondays. I'm not sure why, but the words just wouldn't come.

February has been weird in the Lou'. There was the Snowmaggedon that wasn't, but it was COLD...really cold on Groundhog Day 'cause we spent the day with no heat in the house. It's fixed now. And now we don't need it because we're having unseasonably warm temperatures.

Oh...and my mother passed away on Groundhog Day too.

I don't mean to be flippant about it, but that's just kinda how it happened.

It just...happened.

I knew she had been sick. I knew it could be serious. But...I haven't spoken to my mother in over 4 years. And I just didn't know what to do. I was paralyzed. Numb.

Then I got word that she died.

I'm still generally numb.

I've been struggling with feelings of guilt and regret for the last two weeks. Some might think "Good...you should feel that way." But hold on...I'm not feeling guilty for the reasons you might think. I feel guilty because I don't feel...ANYTHING.

NUMB!

Maybe it's because we hadn't spoken in so long. Maybe it's because there were also 2000 miles that separated us. Maybe it's because my relationship with my mother changed dramatically over 10 years ago and I've dealt with the loss already.

I don't know.

Why am I writing all this under the heading "What does the Kingdom of God really look like?" Because while I've been dealing with this, my friend Katie posted her take on that question. As I read it, this quote struck me:

Quite simply: the Kingdom of God is His presence. It is a Holy God choosing to dwell in the hearts and lives of unholy people. It is love. It is grace. It is relationship.

She's right. I am surrounded by unholy people with the God of the universe dwelling in their hearts. And they have loved on me so well...and shown me the Kingdom of God.

In all my brokenness, with all my faults, whether they agree with how I've handled my relationship with my mother or not...they still love me. They still accept me. They've reminded me that guilt and regret are not from God. They've spoken truth to me about what I need to do now and how I stay true to the person that God has called me to be.

THIS is love. THIS is grace. THIS is relationship.

THIS is the Kingdom of God.

And I'm so thankful to be a small part of it.

GaryMo Monday - Let Me Introduce You to My Hero

he·ro

 noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\

plural he·roes

Definition of HERO

1

a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or abilityb : an illustrious warriorc : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualitiesd : one who shows great courage

2

a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic workb : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

3

plural usually he·ros : submarine 2

4

: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

It's week #4 of GaryMo Monday's and I've been thinking about this topic ever since Gary posted his list. I actually started writing this post about 3 weeks ago and have really been struggling with what I think a hero is...to me.

Then this morning as I was reading through my Facebook news feed, I saw this:

"Heroes don't leap tall buildings or run around in capes. They bleed, they bruise, they listen, they love, they reach out their hand. Heroes are ordinary people who even if their own lives are impossibly knotted, take the time and care enough to help untangle yours."

Wow! That's it.

COMMUNITY!

Last week, I wrote that church = community.

I guess this week what I'm saying is community = heroes.

There are so many different people that I could single out that have been personal heroes to me...people who have picked me up when I was down or celebrated with me when things were good or cried with me when I was suffering. My heroes.

But these heroes don't do what they do to be singled out. They do it to be part of the community and to build and preserve relationship. They do it because they just can't NOT do it.

I only pray that I can be a hero to someone in my community...daily. Not because I want someone to think of me as a hero, but because I just can't NOT step into that story and have a positive impact. Because the Spirit won't let me not be a hero.

Who are your heroes? Who are you a hero to?

GaryMo Monday - My Prayer for My Daughter

This is #2 in my series of GaryMo Mondays, writing on the 20 topics that Gary would like us to write about. So, here goes...

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the big questions that my daughter had about God. Our time together exploring those questions and reading the bible together has been heavy on my heart since that day. I've been praying for all sorts of things with regards to my daughter.

I pray that she keeps asking questions.
I pray that she gets the answers she needs.
I pray that she always knows that it's okay to have those questions.


But mostly...

I pray that she knows the love that God has for her no matter what questions or doubts she may have.

And I pray that she gets a little taste of that love and how BIG it is...from me.

I didn't have a very close relationship with my dad growing up. It wasn't entirely his fault. He worked in the construction industry and was up before dawn and usually home after dark. I really only saw him on weekends and like most boys, I had stuff to do on weekends. Baseball, skateboarding...girls. The usual.

So, we didn't spend a lot of time together. We didn't talk about things other than sports or cars. Girls...not so much. Certainly never God. I don't even know if my dad believed in God. I'm pretty sure he wasn't a follower of Jesus.

I talk about my dad in the past tense because I haven't seen or heard from him in about 20 years. He and my mom divorced when I was 27 and he pretty much divorced me, too. I have no idea where he lives or if he is even alive. He has never met my wife and I'm quite sure he doesn't know he has a granddaughter.

I could look for him, I suppose. But, I won't.

I just don't want to be like him.

I want to be the father to my daughter that is ALWAYS there for her. That will talk with her about anything she wants to talk about...dolls,video games, fairies, boys (as my stomach churns)... and God. I want to sing songs with her and dance with her and go to all her talent shows and, and, and...

So, I guess my prayer for my daughter is that she has the father that I feel like I never had. And by the grace of God, I pray that I can be that father. And I hope that by being that kind of father, my little girl will get just a small sense of the love that our Eternal Father has for her.

Are you convinced of the Father's love for you? What shows you the love of the Father?

Child-like Faith

This morning I was greeted by my daughter (who will be 6 years old in five days) with this question:


"Daddy, how was God born and if He is our ultimate Father, who is our mother?"


We spent the next 45 minutes reading and discussing the creation story in Genesis 1-3. It was a holy moment. One I won't soon forget. She asked some really tough questions and some of the answers led to more questions. I praised her for asking and told her to never stop asking. God can take it.


I don't know if I can, but God can.


He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:2-4

I used to read that verse and think that my faith was something that I should just accept. Without question. I always thought that little children listen and obey their parents. They do what they're told. They don't question authority. They submit.

They certainly don't ask "Why?"

Then I became a parent and now I realize that little children constantly test their boundaries. They ask questions...A LOT! And start almost every sentence with "Why?" And it's okay. If she wasn't constantly asking me questions...I would worry.

Another question my daughter asked was "Why did Eve listen to the snake?"


I thought about it awhile and then said, "I guess she didn't trust God enough to go back and ask Him if the snake was telling the truth."


And suddenly, I realized that God expects us to ask questions, too. Tough questions. A LOT of questions. If we didn't...I think He's concerned. Like a Father would be.

What do you do when you have questions about God? When you have questions for God? Do you seek the answers? Do you dig deep? Do you trust that you can ask? Or do you just accept what you been told or taught?

Obsession Confession

Sometimes I feel I am just a statistic...


Via: www.onlineschools.org

I am truly bothered by the one that says: "57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life."

Are you taking the online off-line? I pray that you are.