don't neglect the signs of burnout...

Just being alive in today's society and functioning with some level of effectiveness at home, work and church creates an all too familiar vacuum that before long will leave you breathless at times. Burnout is all too common today. The symptoms of burnout vary, but the outcome is always the same. The breakdown of the family, lack of concentration, physical illness and fatigue, spiritual emptiness, etc. I believe today busyness and the lack of skills to organize and order our private and public world are prominent portals of destruction of all that God originally intended for His people. Since the very beginning of time, rest and peace have always had a special significance to God and His plan for mankind. Although this rest and peace is not always easily attained, it is a huge necessary element to truly being alive. Even the fact of a spiritual rest that exists within a genuine follower of Jesus, the stress and pace of life today outweighs all to often the believers actual position in Christ. This is simply a reality that we need to no longer neglect.

God's calling in our lives does not eliminate stress and burnout automatically. No where does the Bible promise to ease all the stress in our lives. It does promise God's peace when we allow Him to control our lives and shape our decisions. For instance, true and consistent obedience to God will birth a peace in someones heart, but it can also bring about stress and strife in finances, persecution, etc. God gives us in His Word practical ways to to limit stress and avoid burnout in the framework of obedience and His design for our lives. H.B. London points these out in a recent article. They are tried and true throughout the history of mankind:

1. Accept Responsibility = We should be active in self-examining and adjusting our personal schedules and daily demands. Make the needed changes as Wisdom speaks.
2. Acknowledge Limitations = Don't apologize for scheduling and getting a good nights sleep or a day off. There are times to not answer business calls or setting aside the "To Do" list. Only you can plan and practice the balance of time with your family, time involved in your own spiritual growth and development, time involved serving in ministry needs, etc.
3. Consciously Slow Your Pace of Life = In the world, the pace of life has literally become deadly. You cannot permit each year to bring an increase in speed and frenzy. Only you can control that pace.
4. Define and Defend Personal Boundaries = Jesus himself did not meet every need. Remember that is not important, nor a part of God's plan for your life, for you to have more compassion than our Savior.
5. Learn to Say No = Most of us have serious problems saying no to things that are interesting and enjoyable. People who don't learn to say no will become overwhelmed and overloaded.
6. Get Less Done, but Do the Right Things = Prioritize your life. What should really matter most in your life? Efficiency in areas that matter most is direct result of cooperating with the Holy Spirit. How much of your daily routine has the Spirit of God actually asked you to do? Jesus only did and said what the Father told him to. Imagine if we all prioritized and planned accordingly.

If you are currently burned out, overwhelmed and caught up in the frenzy, take a moment right now, meditate on the six principles listed above, pray and for the sake of yourself and all those around you who love you, make the needed adjustments. Only you can truly organize your private and public life. The result will be a greater, more effective and efficient You.

not another fish story...

I've been spending time in the evenings fishing exploring Silver Lake, Amber Lake (fly fishing only lake) and Fish Lake... these pics are from last night at fish lake.  I about baptized my blackberry trying to get these photos with one hand and bring this bad boy in with the other.  Let's just say, the blackberry got a bit wet and didn't work for about two hours. But the silence was magnificent.  

a disciples reality...

In Matthew 10:38 following, I find straight forward wisdom as to how one is to respond, live and minister as a follower of Jesus. It's not easy and its not just some words of advice, it's laid out extremely clear and strong from Jesus, "...he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me." First of all, no one is worthy in themselves of the company, leadership and Lordship of Jesus Christ. There is a personal crucifixion that real followers of Jesus need to experience daily, a total inhalation of my personal kingdom, so His can be supreme. I must confess that I tire of this often. But it is required of any true follower of Jesus. Jesus himself modeled this self-denial throughout his time here on earth. His prayer life emulated such commitment and death to his own will and ideals. His sweet surrender daily to His Heavenly Father's plan was more than just a personal discipline, it was a real example for us to follow.

Then, in the next chapter, Matthew 11:28 and following, we find Jesus proclaim wisdom in a commanding tone, remember, this too is not just advice, this is what we are to do.... "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.... For my yoke is easy and My burden is light." I'm a firm believer that God's Word is authored by the Holy Spirit, inspired and without error in its original form. So as I read this I can see that Christ himself offers the needed rest from the laborious process of attempting to attain peace in this life through the heaviness of self-centered paths of self-righteousness. Verse 28 is not for hard working believers in the ministry who are tired, it is for those who are tired trying other means of happiness outside of Christ. When we die to these things (give them up), we can come to Christ where we will find rest for your soul and a shared load of responsibility's in His Kingdom, that's what a yoke is, meant to team up and partner one with the other to accomplish twice as much work more easily. This is why Jesus' yoke is said to be easy and the burden is light, because the load is not meant to be carried alone, but shared.

Combining the two passages helps me have a more clear understanding of a true disciple's reality. True rest and effectiveness while advancing the Kingdom of God comes from being personally a genuine citizen of God's Kingdom by giving up our own selfish ways. Self-denial and self-discipline is the air and water in God's Kingdom. Without them, one will burn out and run out on all that is true and holy, left only to serve and continually feed the self, which let's be honest, is never satisfied.

Prayer: "Father, I pray today for your grace as self-denial and self-discipline continue to be formed into my person by the work of your Spirit. May your Kingdom come and your will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. And may all other Kingdoms, including mine, crumble and come to nothing. In the name of Jesus, Amen."

sounds and sights of freedom...

The news lately from Iran has reminded me of how far we have come as a nation.  It wasn't too long ago that we had similar riots in the streets and government issued beat downs all in the name of crowd control.  The civil war between the north and the south is still something that most Americans are not proud of, except for the monumental obliteration of slavery that ensued.  Once a year, on the 4th of July, most Americans take a moment to consider the blessing of living in a nation with so much freedom.  That freedom has come at a very high cost of the loss of many of our men, women and children over the centuries.  The red in the flag represents the plethora of blood that was shed on many battle fields.  How should someone respond to such an ongoing high price for freedom?  The price for our freedom should be met with respect and a commitment to not squander such a gift.  What kind of steward am I being with the gift that so many men and women in uniform have given me with the help and protection of God?  Just a few questions to ponder as we all strike up the bar-b-cues and watch some fireworks go off.  

I know as a pastor, I appreciate the freedom to preach the Word of God.  Having traveled to other parts of the world, I know that this is something we take for granted.  I am a direct descendant of a man by the name of Henry Wood who helped establish the first Plymouth Congregational Church at Plymouth Rock in the early 1600's.  Prior to his experience in Plymouth Rock, he and his family made the voyage from England, where Henry was an Administrator in Canterbury.  He and many others were labeled in England, "New Thinkers" because of their political views and strong desire to separate from the Anglican Church of England.  At the time, the Church of England controlled everything in a ministers life, down to what a pastor would preach from the pulpits.  Henry and other New Thinkers left England, risking their families lives to begin a new home and a new way of doing church and government at Plymouth Rock.  I think of Henry Wood each 4th of July and each Thanksgiving meal.  I think of his two sons, Jonathon Scott Wood and Daniel Bailey Wood (whom by the way my Son Daniel is named after, a name my Grandfather also had).  These people were radical and risked it all so that people like me can preach what I prayerfully sense God wants to say, free from Government control.  

I'm proud to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  I'm also proud to be an American.  Both of which took a lot of Blood to be shed to make them a reality in me and my families lives and for this I will forever be grateful.

real love can handle honesty...

This blog entry is dedicated to a dear friend who has a lot on her heart and mind that she needs to communicate to someone she genuinely loves. How do you go about telling someone your real honest feelings when you are convinced that they are not going to like what you have to say? How do you deal with the continual day in and day out pressure you feel that is best to say nothing at all, yet your true feelings don't go away? What if this daily battle is taking its toll on your body, mind and heart? What if its began to rob you of a quality relationship with God that you once had and the outcome is confusion and a lack of joy? What if the pain that you feel has now outweighed any signs of hope? All of these questions are worthy of real answers.

The truth is, we only hold back our true feelings from the one's we love because of a fear of the outcome. Silence is a form of control, or at least an attempt to control the situation. Both fear and control are not a part of God's plan for our lives or any way to attempt to maintain a quality relationship with another human being. There is only one way to get rid of the fear of the outcome and that is to give up control (or the belief that we have control). Giving up control freed so many people in Scripture. Let's face it, most of life is completely out of our control other than our own personal choices and decisions. We cannot control the choices other people make, but we can control the choices we make. When you give up control and the fear of the outcome, honesty becomes the only road to inner peace and contentment. Fear and control are signs that we are not being honest with ourselves. It is impossible to be honest with others if we are not being honest with ourselves.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths." His ways are not our ways! Our way is usually always motivated by fear and control, and then everyone gets hurt in the end. God's way begins with trust, our trust in Him!

Think about it with me. Real love can handle honesty. We know this to be true in our relationship with God. Most of us will have conversations, blow ups and tantrums with God that we would never have with someone else that we love. Why is that? Our relationships here on earth are meant to reflect a good healthy relationship with God. When God speaks to us by His Spirit and in and through his Word, He doesn't tell us what we want to hear, He tells us what we need to hear. Isn't that how real loving relationships should be?

What have you been holding back, maintaining silence, in a relationship with someone you love? Let go of your fear of the outcome and your attempt to control the outcome through silence and love this person enough to be honest with yourself and them! If their love for you and your love for them is real, the honest truth will be received. It may not be liked, and perhaps at first rejected, but in the end, your relationship will be stronger.

Here's some practical advice.....
1. Make sure the timing and setting is right.
2. Write down your thoughts ahead of time in a letter format and read it to your loved one if need be, but at least have it on you for reference as you share openly and honestly.
3. Be ready for acceptance or rejection of what you've shared, but let your loved one respond without you interrupting, realizing that the outcome is out of your control and in the hands of God.
4. Love your loved one no matter how they respond or react.
5. Don't waste any more energy or time worrying about it.
6. Wait on the Lord as your loved one process' the truth.