Perseverance
Sep/083
I know that the NFL season is here, and that means that no one in Cincinnati cares about the Reds anymore. Although if the first game was any indication, it might not be long until no one cares about the Bengals, either. Yikes.
Even though the Reds have had yet another abysmal season, this caught my attention. Last night, the Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers in 11 innings. Big deal, right? Well, how they won the game is a big deal.
Brandon Phillips, who has been struggling, delivered the game winning hit. But not before he broke his finger earlier in that at-bat. He attempted to bunt his way on, breaking his right index finger. But he stayed at the plate, battled through the pain, and hit a rocket that won the game.
He could have walked away from the plate after that failed bunt attempt. It had been a long night. This was the 11th inning. His finger was throbbing. This game was meaningless. The Reds' hopes of postseason play faded back in May. It was a painful at-bat in a useless game…and he kept battling anyway.
Afterward, his finger was examined and the doctors concluded that his season is over.
Sometimes you've got to play hurt. Not just in sports, but in your day-to-day life. Somebody is going to read this who is hurting right now. You've been dealt a tough hand. You're going through pain you don't deserve. You feel like laying down your bat and walking away from the plate. It all seems useless anyway.
Can I give some spiritual advice that will probably sound very unspiritual?
Keep swinging.
I really hate how we sometimes define what is spiritual. Praying is spiritual. Reading the Bible is spiritual. Singing worship songs is spiritual.
Granted, those are all spiritual experiences. But dang it…sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is keep going! Keep playing through the pain. Don't give up.
If that doesn't sound spiritual enough, then slap a Bible word on it: perseverance. This is a character trait that is highly valued by God.
"…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4, NIV, bold mine)
Sometimes the most God-honoring, spiritual thing you can do is just keep swinging for another day.
Amelia Kidzone Online
Sep/081
Our new children's ministry website is now live!
This is a great addition to ACC's presence on the web. Other sites to visit regularly are…
ameliachurchofchrist.com - our main website
ameliastudents.com – our student ministry's website
Lord of the Wings
Sep/080
Our student ministry has just completed its own feature length film.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Blogus Interruptus
Sep/082
Took an unusual and unexpected blogging break for a few days. The reason…I've been very sick. Haven't felt this bad in a long time.
I'm pleased to say that, at least for now, I'm starting to feel better. Praying that the upward trend continues.
In the meantime, everything here on ye olde blog should be up and kicking again very shortly.
Stillness vs. Storms
Sep/082
On Labor Day, I was watching the news with my family as Hurricane Gustav slammed into the Gulf Coast. As always, there were crazy reporters standing in the middle of the storm, getting beaten and battered by the wind and rain.
And then, I took a look out our window. The weather was as peaceful and serene as possible. Sunshine. Just a whisper of a breezing moving the tree branches about.
It was quite a contrast. On TV…a hurricane that displaced nearly two million people. In our backyard…tranquility that allowed us to grill up burgers and dogs.
It was a pretty good reminder that when things are peaceful in your life, someone else is going through a storm.
That's something I keep in mind every week at ACC. Things might be going great in my life, but somebody else is going to walk in who is being beaten and battered by a storm. They have been through a horrible week. They are feeling disappointed and disillusioned. Discouraged and depressed.
They need hope. They need encouragement. They need the strength that comes from God's Word and God's Spirit.
These are some of the things that I constantly think about before I set foot on stage.
Gee, Wally…
Sep/085
Sunday marks the start of a new, three-week series of messages called, "Gee, Wally…"
Life in the '50s seemed so much simpler than life today.
Through the gift of reruns, we are able to remember the uncomplicated, seemingly trouble-free life of Leave It to Beaver. The world of the Cleavers in 1958 was definitely different than our world in 2008.
Even though there are a lot of people in the church who don't want to admit it…it's not 1958 anymore. Things have changed…a lot. That means that the church can't operate the way it did in the '50s. We've got to address contemporary topics. We've got to engage our culture as it is, not as we'd like it to be.
But here's the great news…the Bible didn't cease to be relevant in the '50s. It is still as relevant today as the day it was written. In this series, we’re going to run to God's Word as we explore three main aspects of the prototypical American worldview in 2008.
Is it going to be hard-hitting? Yes.
Is it going to be offensive? To some, probably.
Is it going to be spoken in love? Without a doubt.
The Bible is all of those things. It hits hard. It offends. But it was written by the hand of God who loves us too much to avoid telling us the truth.
Picnic Reflections
Sep/082
Our annual church picnic was this past Sunday. Some reflections…
All in all, it was a stellar day. Huge props to Jackie Jump for organizing the event! Great job!
Spiritual Soreness
Sep/083
Wow, I am stiff and sore this morning! After helping Brian move on Saturday and then playing softball at the church picnic on Sunday…my body is voicing some serious objections.
I had a heating pad on my back for a long time last night. And I'm popping Advil like they're candy.
But this soreness I'm experiencing is avoidable. If I would be more active more often, I probably wouldn't be moaning and groaning this morning. The more you use your muscles, the less soreness you experience. You train and tone your muscles, and they respond by being able to handle more activity with less pain.
That same truth that applies to our physical bodies is also true of our spiritual nature. The more you train and tone yourself spiritually, the more you can handle.
A lot of us experience spiritual soreness when the unexpected comes because we haven't been training ourselves for it. Our spiritual muscle remains underdeveloped and unready to deal with the inevitable problems and pain and crises that await us.
