That's right! It's almost NAMI Walk time.
September 25th to be exact.
What does that mean?
Well, it means that there will be a link up on the sidebar, and updates as well until walk time.
My Walk Page
Team Page
Friday, July 30, 2010
Just One Opportunity..."Adopt a Student"
Click the following link:
Adopt a Student
- "By adopting a student you will provide a child with a new backpack and school supplies needed..."
If you would like to fill a back pack and donate, send me an email @ justoneministries@hotmail.com and I will help arrange a pick-up/drop off if you aren't able to drop them off yourself.
Adopt a Student
- "By adopting a student you will provide a child with a new backpack and school supplies needed..."
If you would like to fill a back pack and donate, send me an email @ justoneministries@hotmail.com and I will help arrange a pick-up/drop off if you aren't able to drop them off yourself.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Perhaps God's toughest Commandment...
Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God..."
Be still.
One of the hardest commandments to follow is to do nothing?!
Yet, on some level, it makes all the sense in the world.
In time of trouble, chaos, crisis - especially of our own doing - the one thing we tend not to do and to be is "still."
Heck, at any given time I have a hard time sitting still, something is shaking or moving.
We are reactionary. Something happens, we respond. Something happens again, we respond again - or we change our response, but we still respond.
We take things personal.
See things in a skewed way, through hurt or angry eyes.
We become paranoid.
Distrusting.
We feel and act like a cat in a corner or we feel like we're trying to catch a million marbles at once.
We make rash decisions.
Talk to the wrong people.
Outrageous things begin to look attractive to us. Like running away to join the circus. (or for those of you who work in the circus) Running away to join the corporate world.
In a time of crisis, when we are at our wits end, when we are barely hanging on by a thread...what does God want us to do?
Be still.
Take a deep breath.
Be still.
Be still and KNOW that God is there.
Does that mean he'll solve our problem?
No.
It means that if we are still and trust God we will get through the crisis and be where we should be on the other side. And our faith and trust in God will grow.
It means God knows the outcome of our crisis. In fact he knows TWO outcomes. 1) if we are still and trust him. 2) if we try to make it, fix it, get through it on our own.
If we follow path #2 and we aren't still we'll miss God's voice. His voice of encouragement, his voice of comfort, his voice of peace, and (what we are looking for) his voice of guidance and direction.
When we miss and don't hear his voice we begin to feel that God is not present with us in our time of need. He is, he is always with us -especially when we don't "feel" him. We can't feel him if we aren't being still.
We get too distracted in what is going on - which the devil is more than willing to help us out with. Distraction is one of his best weapons, tools, he uses to drive a wedge between us and God - crisis brings on the best distractions sometimes.
Hence: be still.
Don't get distracted.
Don't give the devil anything he can use against you, because he will. Or as Paul put it: don't give the devil a foothold.
Okay I'm still, you say, now what?
Listen...wait...continue to be still.
Which, if you notice (by how hard it is to do) being still IS doing something.
It's being open and connected to God.
In my line of work I was trained in how to handled certain situation with consumers who become physically aggressive toward people or others.
One of the first rules: do nothing.
Why?
Because while someone MAY look like they are about to hit you they might not. They might just swear at you and storm off. Yet, if I were to react right away - I might have made the situation worse.
(obviously, this does NOT apply to all situations.)
Being still is for the crisis when the answers aren't so clear.
We ask for direction. Sometimes we get it, as a "yes" or a "no" or a feeling to do something.
Sometimes we get the answer that feels like an unanswered prayer: be still.
Be still, it's almost over.
Be still, the light in the tunnel is ahead.
Be still, the sun will shine upon you tomorrow.
Be still, I am with you always.
Be still, you will be okay.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still.
One of the hardest commandments to follow is to do nothing?!
Yet, on some level, it makes all the sense in the world.
In time of trouble, chaos, crisis - especially of our own doing - the one thing we tend not to do and to be is "still."
Heck, at any given time I have a hard time sitting still, something is shaking or moving.
We are reactionary. Something happens, we respond. Something happens again, we respond again - or we change our response, but we still respond.
We take things personal.
See things in a skewed way, through hurt or angry eyes.
We become paranoid.
Distrusting.
We feel and act like a cat in a corner or we feel like we're trying to catch a million marbles at once.
We make rash decisions.
Talk to the wrong people.
Outrageous things begin to look attractive to us. Like running away to join the circus. (or for those of you who work in the circus) Running away to join the corporate world.
In a time of crisis, when we are at our wits end, when we are barely hanging on by a thread...what does God want us to do?
Be still.
Take a deep breath.
Be still.
Be still and KNOW that God is there.
Does that mean he'll solve our problem?
No.
It means that if we are still and trust God we will get through the crisis and be where we should be on the other side. And our faith and trust in God will grow.
It means God knows the outcome of our crisis. In fact he knows TWO outcomes. 1) if we are still and trust him. 2) if we try to make it, fix it, get through it on our own.
If we follow path #2 and we aren't still we'll miss God's voice. His voice of encouragement, his voice of comfort, his voice of peace, and (what we are looking for) his voice of guidance and direction.
When we miss and don't hear his voice we begin to feel that God is not present with us in our time of need. He is, he is always with us -especially when we don't "feel" him. We can't feel him if we aren't being still.
We get too distracted in what is going on - which the devil is more than willing to help us out with. Distraction is one of his best weapons, tools, he uses to drive a wedge between us and God - crisis brings on the best distractions sometimes.
Hence: be still.
Don't get distracted.
Don't give the devil anything he can use against you, because he will. Or as Paul put it: don't give the devil a foothold.
Okay I'm still, you say, now what?
Listen...wait...continue to be still.
Which, if you notice (by how hard it is to do) being still IS doing something.
It's being open and connected to God.
In my line of work I was trained in how to handled certain situation with consumers who become physically aggressive toward people or others.
One of the first rules: do nothing.
Why?
Because while someone MAY look like they are about to hit you they might not. They might just swear at you and storm off. Yet, if I were to react right away - I might have made the situation worse.
(obviously, this does NOT apply to all situations.)
Being still is for the crisis when the answers aren't so clear.
We ask for direction. Sometimes we get it, as a "yes" or a "no" or a feeling to do something.
Sometimes we get the answer that feels like an unanswered prayer: be still.
Be still, it's almost over.
Be still, the light in the tunnel is ahead.
Be still, the sun will shine upon you tomorrow.
Be still, I am with you always.
Be still, you will be okay.
Be still and know that I am God.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be - Max Lucado (Review)
“Perfect Gift For the Graduate.”So says the circular sticker on the cover Max Lucado’s You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be. A book to inspire our youth as they enter the “real world.”
What, at first, reads as another trite, sugary, book with pretty and uplifting words grows into an insightful, yes inspiring, and even challenging book that would be a great gift “for all.”
As the titled hints at, this book isn’t about striving and achieving all your hopes and dreams. Rather, it goes one better. Max reminds us that God has “packed us” with a specific set of skills for a “specific purpose.”
While many of us may say that we believe that, so few of us actually put in the time and make the effort to discover what that purpose is. Therein lies the challenge.
Don’t let the size of the book fool you. Unlike other self-help, motivational type books, Max cuts the fat and other fluffy extras and gets to the meat of the matter quickly.
God designed each and every one of us specifically and uniquely - as Max puts it, “You-nique.” We are not mass produced. No one has our complete set of skills, likes, and passions. Those are our and ours alone.
But what to do with these gifts?
Ah, another challenge set forth by God that Max reminds us.
In short: change the world.
How?
By being the best “us” we can be.
By sowing a seed and trusting God.
As Max puts it, “God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed.”
So, no Suzie, no Billy you can’t be ANYTHING you want to be, but you can be EVERYTHING God wants you to be.
Max Lucado reminds us how.
(as always, I have received a free copy of this book for review through Booksneeze.com. This review is honest and my own, and was in no way influenced by anyone for any reason)
Monday, July 19, 2010
What Would Jesus Do? Don't ask me...
It was a catchy phrase, and it did get you to think...but that's the extent of the phrases usefulness. I wasn't much of a fan of it from the start, because I didn't know the answer.
What would Jesus do...when?
In what circumstance?
Is there only one answer? Is there just a set of stuff that Jesus would, will, only do?
Why not: "What wouldn't Jesus Do?"
Do you know?
Not me. And I don't dare guess.
All I know is what He DID, for others, for me...beyond that...well...
Sure, it's a catchy phrase and it gets us to think and discuss...but there's a danger in thinking that there ONLY one answer to any given situation.
Perhaps the question is better asked: What would Jesus want YOU to do?
Now THAT makes it personal and on my shoulders...and if you're like me, I really don't want that...yet, that is what's expected...
I am to take on some of those responsibilities that I don't want to...I want my comfort, I want my predictable, I want my safe!
But that's not where Jesus went.
Don't get me wrong, safe isn't bad...but to grow in faith, in life, we need to get uncomfortable sometimes, we need to trust Jesus more. Being safe...doesn't require much faith and trust in Jesus.
God called people out of their comfort zones throughout all the pages of the Bible...and the people we read about in the Bible are the ones that took those steps, stretched and even challenged their faith.
Each day I ask to have courage to do more and more of that...somedays I feel on fire like I would do ANYTHING God asked of me....other days, most days, including today...I want to be safe, stay safe and wish God would find someone else.
So What Would Jesus Do?
I don't know, but if you ask him...you might not be a huge fan of his answer, yet again, it might be just what you need to hear.
What would Jesus do...when?
In what circumstance?
Is there only one answer? Is there just a set of stuff that Jesus would, will, only do?
Why not: "What wouldn't Jesus Do?"
Do you know?
Not me. And I don't dare guess.
All I know is what He DID, for others, for me...beyond that...well...
Sure, it's a catchy phrase and it gets us to think and discuss...but there's a danger in thinking that there ONLY one answer to any given situation.
Perhaps the question is better asked: What would Jesus want YOU to do?
Now THAT makes it personal and on my shoulders...and if you're like me, I really don't want that...yet, that is what's expected...
I am to take on some of those responsibilities that I don't want to...I want my comfort, I want my predictable, I want my safe!
But that's not where Jesus went.
Don't get me wrong, safe isn't bad...but to grow in faith, in life, we need to get uncomfortable sometimes, we need to trust Jesus more. Being safe...doesn't require much faith and trust in Jesus.
God called people out of their comfort zones throughout all the pages of the Bible...and the people we read about in the Bible are the ones that took those steps, stretched and even challenged their faith.
Each day I ask to have courage to do more and more of that...somedays I feel on fire like I would do ANYTHING God asked of me....other days, most days, including today...I want to be safe, stay safe and wish God would find someone else.
So What Would Jesus Do?
I don't know, but if you ask him...you might not be a huge fan of his answer, yet again, it might be just what you need to hear.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Just One Opportunity..."Clean Start!"
Clean Start
Aeon, a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high-quality affordable homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, is looking for donations of toiletries.
This runs similar to the Food and Fun Drives of Second Harvest.
You could set one up at work, at your church, anywhere you know of caring folks!
If you don't live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area check around your city for the local homeless shelter/organization - perhaps you could start your own drive and support them!
Aeon, a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of high-quality affordable homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, is looking for donations of toiletries.
This runs similar to the Food and Fun Drives of Second Harvest.
You could set one up at work, at your church, anywhere you know of caring folks!
If you don't live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area check around your city for the local homeless shelter/organization - perhaps you could start your own drive and support them!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Can't Hear God's Music...
I know a fellow who used to be a recording engineer for 20-plus years. His job was very technical, so technical in fact that it has ruined music for him.
Due to his critical ear for finding the right sound, pitch, mix, etc. he no longer can just "listen" to music and enjoy it. That critical ear takes over, finding flaws, errors, corrections that should be made...is less music than it is just imperfect sound to him.
I think we are always in danger to falling into the same pit when it comes to God.
We search for finding the right pitch or sound in God's symphony. We pull tid bits out of the Bible and see if it "fits". We make the worship and following of Christ so technical, it becomes...anything but enjoyable.
Following Christ was never meant to be gruelling work. There are going to be hard times, but there will be hard times if we don't follow him too - hard times will come either way.
But let's not make it so technical.
Some of the best music comes out of a few people just getting together and playing.
Can't we do the same?
Let's cut the crap and get back to basics...Christ, God, and the music we can enjoy with them, in them, and in others. If someone plays a wrong note, who cares? If God doesn't, why should we?
"I played for you, but you didn't dance."
I strongly believe there's a spiritual connection to God in music. Music. Not JUST Christian music, but music. Not lyrics (though they help) but M-U-S-I-C.
So, go turn off the computer, play your favorite song (any song that you truly enjoy - doesn't have to be a hymn, but if it is so be it!) and see if your soul isn't stirred even slightly.
Due to his critical ear for finding the right sound, pitch, mix, etc. he no longer can just "listen" to music and enjoy it. That critical ear takes over, finding flaws, errors, corrections that should be made...is less music than it is just imperfect sound to him.
I think we are always in danger to falling into the same pit when it comes to God.
We search for finding the right pitch or sound in God's symphony. We pull tid bits out of the Bible and see if it "fits". We make the worship and following of Christ so technical, it becomes...anything but enjoyable.
Following Christ was never meant to be gruelling work. There are going to be hard times, but there will be hard times if we don't follow him too - hard times will come either way.
But let's not make it so technical.
Some of the best music comes out of a few people just getting together and playing.
Can't we do the same?
Let's cut the crap and get back to basics...Christ, God, and the music we can enjoy with them, in them, and in others. If someone plays a wrong note, who cares? If God doesn't, why should we?
"I played for you, but you didn't dance."
I strongly believe there's a spiritual connection to God in music. Music. Not JUST Christian music, but music. Not lyrics (though they help) but M-U-S-I-C.
So, go turn off the computer, play your favorite song (any song that you truly enjoy - doesn't have to be a hymn, but if it is so be it!) and see if your soul isn't stirred even slightly.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Just One Focus...
After a great discussion with my folks, JOM has rediscovered it's focus.
In our culture especially, we believe that simple is good...at the start, but that over time things MUST get more complicated.
But that isn't what JOM set out to do.
The vision has always been that each of us, all of us can do something, anything, just ONE thing that can help someone, make a difference, start a change.
Something small, something simple, something meaningful...
For whatever reason, I was beginning to think that JOM needed to be more...complicated.
But it doesn't.
Hopefully, it won't have to either.
In our culture especially, we believe that simple is good...at the start, but that over time things MUST get more complicated.
But that isn't what JOM set out to do.
The vision has always been that each of us, all of us can do something, anything, just ONE thing that can help someone, make a difference, start a change.
Something small, something simple, something meaningful...
For whatever reason, I was beginning to think that JOM needed to be more...complicated.
But it doesn't.
Hopefully, it won't have to either.
I am Just One!
"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I should do and, with the help of God, I will do." Edward Everett Hale
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