my day off - the fast

Our ministry is doing 21 days of prayer and fasting beginning today.

As I prayed for the Lord to reveal to me what He needs me to give up it's been interesting to look at.

What I realized is for me it's more about adding not removing.  It's about practicing disciplines that I've heard about all my life but only dabbled in off and on.  My life often swallows me in it's options and opportunities and I move forward into them without regard to the deepness in Christ I may be sacrificing.

My intent is large but my focus is small.  So I quickly try things and then go on my merry way onto whatever the day holds.

So this morning I'm confessing this to the Lord and entering a time of dedicated focus, eliminating a few distractions for 21 days, reorganizing my eating which includes some elimination, but mostly entering a time I pray is rich in community with Him, and dedicated to Him and focused on Him.

I think this is a brilliant way for Pastor Dave to ask us to start a new chapter at Crossroads together as the body of Christ.  Will you join us?

the middle of writing

In the middle of writing - I write.

I was working on a writing yesterday when I had another concept - so I left what I was writing to write something else.

I have many ideas. I feel everyday that I don't have time to write about everything that I want to, to try the new things that interest me or experiment with possible new projects.

Too many things to learn, to try, to experience.

So how should we manage our precious God given days - producing what needs to be created? Discipline. The thing that encourages my creative writing the most is discipline. Seriously.

When I am disciplined my mind is programmed to create -to be aware -to notice what is happening around me - to remember a deadline is coming. Without discipline I drift - dream too much and accomplish little. To write in the middle of writing is the highest point of my creativity. Ideas on top of one another. Words coming quickly, endlessly begging to be written.

All of us have triggers that cause us to produce at our highest levels. What do you require to be most productive? Please share so we can all learn!

what I learned today...continued...

I love this verse...I Corinthians 9:27 "..but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified."

We have great freedom in Christ. We are free from the law that used to be followed long ago, the law that was nearly impossible to follow! Thank goodness.

Yet even in this freedom are you willing to give up things if they are stumbling blocks to others? Are you willing to give up freedoms and even adopt disciplines that will allow you influence in other people's lives like Paul did in this chapter? People are definitely looking for someone who is different. They are surrounded by people that look just like they do! Does your life produce something that others want?

In verse 19 Paul says, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more."

I suspect we would be a lot more successful bringing people to our church and ultimately playing a role in their conversion to Christ, if we lived this way. A slave to all...

Sometimes our personal freedom really just isn't that important...