Speaking Tonight!

Haha...We will see how I do.
I guess, I am not really nervous. Excited, but not nervous.
I have not spoken to a big group in about 10 years. I am not giving my original message....I scrapped it. I think that this new one is more in line with the ideas that P. Erik has been talking about. At least some of the concepts. My videos are ready and so is my pps.
w00t!

Be Patient

Please be patient with blogger. I think that they are updating some of the features that I have been testing...causing the sidebar to display incorrectly

Losing a Part of Yourself

If you had to give a part of you away in order to be accepted, what would it be?
Would it be a hand? A foot?
Jesus loves us no matter what. This we know. Or should.
But sometimes, in order for us to make room for God, we need to get rid of things.
Spring Cleaning if you will. There are parts of us, as humans that hold us back from God. Ill will towards others. Lies. Vices.
What holds you back? In truth, most of the time, it is ourselves.
You see, even though God is always there, sometimes we hold ourselves back from God. Maybe it is the fear of being ostracized at work or school...or even our own family or church.
Sometimes, the hardest thing in life is facing our own fears. Taking a step forward instead of back. Maybe it is being unsure of ourselves. Sometimes it is hard for us to comprehend God's love. The fact that there are no consequences to it. he loves us. No hooks, snags or hidden agendas. Jesus accepts us, as broken as we are.

So, back to the question:
What would you give up to be accepted? Did you answer with a body part? Thankfully, Jesus doesn't require us to amputate anything. In fact He only asks that we love Him. Getting rid of the stuff in between Him and us is up to us. Yes He helps, but we need to get rid of the junk in order to make room for Him.
What things do you need to throw out?
BRING IT.

What is he singing?

So..take a guess to yourself before the halfway point. I thought this was kinda of a neat way to emphasize the importance of actually listening. A lot of times, we are going through life so fast that although we "hear" somebody, we aren't actually listening. (What did he just say?).

To actually listen someone it takes effort, and concentration. Think about that the next time you have a conversation with someone, or moreover an arguement. (Side note: about 75% of all arguments come from miscommunication, rather than a difference of opinion).

BTW, it is possible to get the song before halfway through, if you concentrate hard enough, the tune will come to you.

One Thing

If you had one chance to give a piece of advise to someone what would it be? What one single thing in your life that has the most impact? I know that most people have a lot that could go here, but if you had to pick one...what would it be? What one piece of information has helped to shape you the most? It is easy to make a list of "things that I have learned in this life", but much harder to narrow it down to a single thing.
For me, it would be that you can't do this on your own. Life is much too hard to struggle through, day by day to make it without some help. I am a stubborn person by nature. I was always that kid that said "I got it. I can do this. I don't need any help!" When I finally realized that I couldn't, it was quite humbling.
Whether it is a helping hand from a friend or a loved one...or more importantly from God...we all need a little stepping stone from time to time.

So...You have one chance to impart some wisdom to the world...
BRING IT.