Michael Hindes

This week’s podcast from The Gathering - “What it...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:33:00 -0500

This week’s podcast from The Gathering - “What it Means to Live Exposed”

Battle Fatigue

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:06:00 -0500

Woke up this morning and haven’t moved far from my chair. Just plain fatigued…

I spent the last three days in beautiful Arizona, the sun was gorgeous and the temperature was amazing. I was there with a close friend. He’s getting some treatments, so I decided to fly out with him.

I spent a lot of time waiting as he had tests, scans, appointments, and procedures. I spent a lot of time praying, really interceding, because I was in the atmosphere of my friend’s battle. I spent a lot of time with his wife. She’s a rock star. I mean she is steady and supportive with just enough “boot up the ass” mentality to keep him going.

He’s been in the fight of his life, actually for his life, for more than 15 months. A fight that was originally predicted to last about 3-6 months. But the people who make those kind of predictions don’t know my friend, his wife, our spiritual family, or our incredible Heavenly Father. So we all fight on together.

He and I have been friends for nearly 20 years. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve seen our friendship and faith create some incredible miracles. And we’ve also tasted some hellish setbacks - cancer being one…

I read a quote the other day that got my attention - “Religion is populated by people who fear hell, but true Spirituality begins when you’ve been through hell”. And my friend has been through some hell. Not only this horrendous physical attack, but like all idea men, he’s been attacked for doing good and making changes. I’ll never understand why people are so resistant to change and so opposed to change agents?

Anyway, we spent three days together waiting, talking, catching up, laughing, waiting a little more, and shedding a tear or two.

I left him and his wife in the hospital parking lot yesterday. We sat in the car while I prayed and encouraged them to keep fighting the good fight. Then came the time to leave…

We hugged longer than either of us would have been comfortable with two decades ago. Many men may have been embarrassed, but neither of us cared. I kissed him for the third time in as many days, again, I don’t care. I whispered in his ear that “I was crazy about him”. Then, I kissed him for the fourth time and walked away.

I drove out of the parking lot quickly, found a private place and just burst. I noticed him in the mirror as I drove away wiping his eyes as well. We both relish the friendship and I for one am not ready for it to end just yet.

There he was in the parking lot with his bald head, his slender frame, and his precious wife. I knew that between her and God he was in good hands.

So I believe we’re going to keep fighting. This morning I looked for tickets to fly out again in four weeks.

Please keep praying for JT and Michelle…

Last night’s message from The Gathering - Me and My Big...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:31:00 -0500

Last night’s message from The Gathering - Me and My Big Mouth. You should come out next week to Sidebar 120 for church.

Mature for My Age

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:03:00 -0500

Today my oldest son, Nicholas, is guest posting. Real as always, Nicholas shares openly about his struggle to reach acceptance, maturation, and sonship.

I’ve shared my story. Or really, a few chapters of my story. The quest for sonship/adoption from the Father was a fight. It was a struggle to move past individuals who, at various intervals, succeeded in impeding my attempts to achieve adoption. It sounds harsh. Well, it was harsh. I cannot apologize for the tone used here. This is my story. I am sticking to it.

This quest for sonship and adoption caused me to grow up. That is such a generality. I have felt so often that I was robbed of my youth. I lost my innocence. I lost all hope at being average, of this sense of normalcy. It crumbled into dust at my feet. At twelve, I had an effervescent spotlight cast upon me highlighting every single movement and action I took. I stood out on the front stage, alone and watched by the glistening eyes of the masses.

I became a pastor’s son. Stamped and labeled. Wearing the “Hello, my name is…” nametag perpetually. Their vigilant eyes were always watching. Always waiting. Never blinking.

I now had to fit someone’s expectations.

I wanted to be normal. Average. Regular. Plain. I wanted out from the limelight. I felt bombarded with questions. Why did I have to be held to higher standards? Why couldn’t I hangout with this group of friends? Why did I have to be active in serving the church? Why did I have to be the first to participate? Why couldn’t I say these phrases? Why couldn’t I talk about these books I read, or movies I’ve watched? Why was everyone so uptight when I was around? Did I do something wrong? Why was there a look of disgust when I made a mistake? Was I a failure? Did I screw up so badly? Was I beyond forgiveness?

It always intrigued me how grace was extended to every other person and yet I seemed to be without. I would curse, get into a scuffle, or worse, I had my ears pierced. One single step out of line and everyone knew. I was a poor example. Worse, my parents were seen as terrible role models. All because I had my ears pierced. What a joke! Or the time I obtained a Blink 182 album (I believe it was Enema of the State). Such uproar of disgust and horror was never heard before. By their standards, it was appalling. I was subsequently labeled, a bad seed. Whatever that means. Words.

I didn’t fit the model. I was different. I never seemed to fulfill any of their expectations. I just seemed to fail. Came up short. Time and time again. Cyclical. You get the picture?

I tried to measure up, but always came up short. Why was I different? I always wanted to know why.

The answers are never what you expect and subsequently, never what you want to hear. God has a knack for those sorts of answers. Simply stated, I was set apart. Beyond simplicity, I was being trained to pastor. I was being taught through situation and circumstance, how to extend grace to people who would much rather see me punished, than to be let off the hook. I learned how to love people despite their overbearing opinions and criticisms of what they thought about me. I learned how to be Christ in the midst of seekers.

I didn’t fit the model. Neither did he. I failed people’s expectation. So did he. His story and mine intersect quite a lot.

Being a pastor’s son, taught me how to be more like Him than I would have ever believed.

Who would have thought? I know I didn’t.

Sitting on the Porch

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:32:00 -0500

Sitting in the family room of Rusty and Ericka Jackson’s home in Alabama. I’m watching it rain, not just rain, actually pour. It looks like it will be one of those all day rains. You can smell it in the air and see it in the sky.

Last night Rusty and I sat on the deck and talked about the past 4 years of our friendship - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the ridiculous. But it doesn’t look like that’ll happen today - too bad, I love being outside on a porch.

That brings me to today’s blog. I know it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted - we moved, I’m old, so give me a break.

Back to the the porch…

I woke up this morning thinking about all the houses I’ve lived in over my life. And without exception, my favorite spot in each of those houses has been the porches, decks, or patios just outside the backdoor. In fact the last two houses we had in Michigan had almost as much outside square footage as inside footage.

To me, there’s just something about being home, but not being inside. Sitting close enough to see all the activity, but being able to see it from an outside perspective.

If someone slides open a glass door and invites me in, my first response is normally to invite them out. See its not that I don’t enjoy being around people, I’d just rather be with them outside…

And that’s the source of most major tensions in my life - I like being involved, I like feeling at home, I like the familiar relationships, but I also really like being outside.

I have great friends and I adore my family, but for some strange reason, I think differently than they do about most things. And if I don’t naturally think differently, I’ll move on purpose to the porch to get a different perspective.

I think I’ve always been concerned about having too much of an “inside the house” perspective. You know what I mean, right? I don’t want to draw the same conclusions that everyone has just because it’s easier. I want to look at things from the outside perspective where the air is fresh and the boundaries are fewer.

This attitude and way of thinking has gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years. Friends, family, and even employers have often believed me to be a contrarian or considered me to be just obstinate.

But I swear, that’s not my heart. I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m aware that I am, but I’m not trying to be. I really just prefer the porch, that’s all.

I’m sure I’m not that unique, there have to be a bunch of us outsiders out there…

Rest - Learning to Rest in Him (Caroline Crawford). Caroline is...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:22:00 -0500

Rest - Learning to Rest in Him (Caroline Crawford). Caroline is my new favorite teacher…

Living With Side Effects

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:25:00 -0500

I went on antibiotics this past weekend for an ear infection. I seem to get the same infection every year at this time. A friend, who’s a PA, visited and prescribed some antibiotics. It appears to be helping, but yuck…

My stomach is really funky – nausea ;(

Of course that’s part of taking medications, right? All medicines have side effects. I once got a script for sinus headaches that listed “headaches” as a side effect, wth?

The pills they advertise on TV are loaded with side effects. Rather than just ignoring or muting, actually listen to one of them next time– its unbelievable.

There’s a fat blocker pill that lowers cholesterol but causes “anal leaking” – I’m pretty sure I’d rather be fat, just saying. That side effect isn’t worth the benefit.

One of my closest friends is battling cancer right now. He’s on chemo twice a month - it’s decreasing the size of his tumor and lessening the cancer markers. Which is great news! But he’s nauseated all of the time and has lost most of his hair. He told me the other day over the phone that he looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. But if he’s winning, the side effects are definitely worth it.

Pretty much everything has side effects. And a not just medication, anything beneficial usually has some sort of one off challenge or struggle.

Maturity requires us to stop being selfish and blaming others

Loving requires us to put others’ needs ahead of your own

Physical Health requires restraint and discipline

Building requires plans, preparation, implementation, and work

Budgeting requires impulse control

Living requires dying

Leading requires following

Service requires serving

You get the point, right? Everything has a side effect - a price of admission so to speak.

The question is, “are we willing to live with the side effects required to improve our health”?

The message from the last Gathering (Jan 9th) - Coming to the...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:28:00 -0500

The message from the last Gathering (Jan 9th) - Coming to the Truth

Dreams...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:04:00 -0500

God still speaks to His people through dreams.

Acts 2:17 quotes Joel 2:28 (NKJV) “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.”

I believe that day is today. I believe we are in a prophetic day. I believe we are His prophetic people. I believe He is speaking to us…

Amos 3:7 (Message) “The fact is, God, the Master, does nothing without first telling his prophets the whole story.”

And much to my dismay, it is the truth, visions are mostly for the young and dreams are mostly for the not. I used to have open visions all the time, but not so much any more.

God has always used vivid dreams to prepare me for, encourage me about, even warned me regarding my future. Every major ministry move Kathy and I have made has been preceded by a very descriptive dream.

Scientists tell us we dream all the time; in fact we have several dreams per night. Because they are so commonplace, we are often dismissive of them. Yes, not every dream is significant, but many that we may easily brush off are. Remember, it is just like God to make that, which is common, holy.

I’m hearing from many recently who are having what they believe to be significant prophetic dreams. But how do we differentiate between that which is significant and that which maybe caused by eating pizza too late?

If it wakes you up

If it continues in your consciousness after you’re awake

If you dream the same dream repeatedly

If it was vivid and in color

If you sense it significant

Then it probably isn’t just a pizza dream, but something meaningful.

I have two close friends that have incredible talents and great outside resources for interpreting dreams – Gary McGinnis and Mike Paschall. They could be helpful getting to the meaning of your dreams.

Also, each month The Gathering will be taking one Monday night off from the Sidebar 120 and holding a topic based small group. January 30^th the small group will be on Prophetic Dream Interpretation, taught by Gary McGinnis. Please check our website for time and location.

In the meantime keep dreaming…

20 Years

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 -0500

This was one my favorite blog posts from 2011, it was written by Tina Essmaker. Tina and Ryan are part of our spiritual family back in Michigan. I’ll warn you it’s real, honest, and a tear jerker. I pray it speaks to the deepest part of you about love and family…

Today marks 20 years without Mom.

I remember the day she left, the day I stood
on our porch  in a pink nightshirt,
tears rolling down, down, down into
a small circle on the fabric below my chin.

I remember waking up that morning with a
feeling of dread,  I remember the way Dad’s
face looked and the fear  and uncertainty
that formed into the pit in my stomach.

I remember waiting for the ambulance on
the front steps  of our mobile home,
I remember the  long, drawn out breaths that
filled my lungs, then left.

I remember Mom and Dad driving away in the
ambulance  without me, without my brother.
I remember waiting  with a hope that makes
the heart sick.

And I don’t want to,  but I remember when 
he came back without her.

I don’t remember: 
how I was told. 
the days following. 
feeling anything.
the faces, both familiar and strange, offering condolences.
I couldn’t remember her favorite color to pick an  outfit
for the showing so my aunt suggested blue.

I don’t remember how I was able to cry so much in the 
quiet hours of the night without waking my dad; maybe
he couldn’t hear because he was crying too.

I don’t remember how time 
kept going, how people kept living.

I don’t remember burying the  anger so deep
that I couldn’t  feel it or find it, and through 
the years I forgot where I put it. After a while,
I didn’t remember  how to be a good daughter,
I didn’t remember how to care.

I don’t remember laughing with Mom about cute
boys,  crying on her shoulder after my first break-up,
or asking  her for advice after a fight with a friend,
so I drank until I  couldn’t stand up, until I didn’t
remember that I didn’t  remember.

I don’t remember Mom being there to soothe my
growing  pains, to comfort me, to guide me gently
through the hard  and awkward life of a teenager
because I guided myself.

I don’t remember the feelings of inadequacy, the
jealousy  of friend’s moms who were so endearing
because I chose  to forget those glaring reminders
of my motherless years.

I don’t remember Mom being there when I graduated
from  her alma mater, I don’t recall her proud smile,
the sound of  her hands clapping when my name was called.

I don’t remember her affirming words and the confidence 
they instilled in me when I got my first real job, when I 
started college, when I began to make the difficult choices
that would shape the rest of my life.

I don’t remember her helping me as I prepared to move 
out on my own, as I sorted though my belongings alone,
and  packed my life into boxes not knowing what I’d need.

I don’t remember the words of wisdom she shared with
me  on my wedding day when I married my best friend
just like  she had done 33 years earlier.

Now I’m a wife, and I don’t remember being taught my 
way around a kitchen, how to patch up an old shirt, or
how to keep plants alive.

I don’t remember what it feels like to be her daughter, 
I don’t remember the convenience of calling her when 
I’m having a bad day or need a recipe for dinner.
I don’t remember how our relationship turned to
friendship over  the years as I grew older and left my
adolescence behind.

I don’t remember how the last 20 years passed so
quickly  or how I grew up so fast, because some days
I still feel like  that 10 year old girl who just lost her
mother.

Here’s more of Ryan and Tina’s creative work - TGD

How much is too much?

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:01:00 -0500

This weekend’s blog is written by my oldest son, Nicholas. He’s a warrior for grace, actually at times a bit of a grace vigilanty. He’s always had a difficult time tolerating what Phil Yancey calls “ungrace”.

______________________________

When I lived in Spain, I had this heated conversation with a friend’s dad about the use and misuse of grace. In his humble opinion, there needed to be more fear of hell and eternal separation in order to turn people’s heart toward the Father. He felt grace couldn’t do that and that people would just end up abusing God’s love. We both left the debate with sweat dripping off our faces and blood vessels bulging on our foreheads. I could not believe how obstinate he was, or for that fact how obstinate I was. He ended the conversation with a statement I’ve yet to shake, “This grace thing you talk about maybe great, but there’s just too much of it.”

“There’s just too much grace?” When did this happen? Who decided how much is enough? Is there such a thing as too much grace? When is it enough to say (in a perfect “Soup Nazi” accent), No more for you?

I think it’s safe to assert that this sentiment of “too much grace” is due to all the grace abuse. You know what I’m talking about. We extend grace (“getting what you don’t deserve”) to people who will ultimately abuse it. I mean they’ll shit right on top of the grace offered, as if it meant nothing. The fear is legitimate. I know there’s been times when I’ve taken advantage of the grace extended to me. You’ve done it too, we all have. We’ve all at some point abused the grace He’s offered us.

I am not saying that I advocate abusing grace. Yet, I don’t think that because some abuse it we should say - “screw you grace-abuser, you’ve used up all your grace, no more for you”.

I could sit enthroned upon my position and make the proclamation that unlimited grace be extended to all. Yet, what would be the response to my extreme grace? Some would love it, some would receive it, some would abuse it, and still some would resent my carte blanche offer. It’s all kind of a cyclical argument, isn’t it?

The point I’m trying to make is this - I don’t want to live in a world that has limited portions of grace. I will probably always be at odds with any position that states there’s just too much of it.

Maybe I’m rambling and perhaps incoherently. You may think me naïve, believing I don’t see “how the world really is.” Whatever!

But here’s a question I want us all to answer: Who empowered you to decide how much grace is too much?

The Torment of Fear

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:06:00 -0500

Here are the notes from a message I shared back in July at The Gathering.

Fear Defined - a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain; fear isn’t necessarily dependent upon reality

Top 10 Fears - flying, heights, clowns, intimacy, death, people, snakes, success, driving, public speaking

Top Relational Fears:
Being Wrong
Failure
Rejection

Usual Outcome of Our Fears:
Job 3:25-26 “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.”

We normally manifest our fear… if faith is substance of things hoped for, fear must be the substance of things dreaded.

Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible) “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]”.

Let’s substitute Fear for Faith and see how it reads: “Now fear is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] dread, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [fear perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]”.

Physical Responses to Fear (adrenal responses):
Fight (combative)
Flight (flee, withdraw)
Freeze (paralyzed, indecisive)

Control of Fear (when in fear, we lose control):
So, fear manifests in control to keep us safe
Plus, fear makes us susceptible to the control of others
Remember this, controlling people and controllable people are fearful people

Torment and Thievery of Fear:
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…”

II Timothy 1:6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (an actual presence, or being of fear)

What Fear Steals (from II Timothy 1:7):
our “power”, so we become weak and impotent
our “love”, so we become rejected and controlling
our “soundness of mind”, so we become confused and panicked

Some Fear Antidotes:
Remember your faith -
Don’t be afraid just (continue to) believe (Mark 5:36). Faith is our shield Ephesians 6:16

Remember the calling -
Stir up the Gift (II Tim 1:6)

Remember to reach out -
To Those Stronger (I John 4:18) “but perfect love casts out fear”. Here’s my transliteration of that portion of this verse - “mature, tested by fire and circumstance, greying around the temples, adult, unconditional love casts away or throws off the fear that tries to take us down”. In short, we need each other and each other’s experiences…

Matt is working on the audio link so come back later and listen to it.

Church at a Bar Both Kathy and I had hair appointments today on...

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:01:00 -0500

Church at a Bar

Both Kathy and I had hair appointments today on the Square. We were getting what Miss Patti calls, “our hair did”. I’ve been going to the same guy for the past 15 months. He’s a good ole Georgia boy who’s always pleasant and interested in what’s going on in my life.

He asked what I was working on for the New Year? I told him about The Gathering that Kathy and I were doing with Mike and Patti Paschall. I told him we’d been meeting 1-2 times per month in my family room. I told him how excited we were to be meeting weekly starting January 9th at the Sidebar 120 on Monday nights…

He asked, “why a bar”?

My immediate response was, “why not a bar”?

He asked me to explain, so I did. Here’s my explanation:

The Sidebar is on the Square in Gainesville, which is where the people are. So shouldn’t we do church where the people are? Isn’t it smarter to bring church to the people rather than bring people to church?

We wanted to keep the vision of reaching the community in front of all of us. We actually feel called to the people who wouldn’t normally go to church or don’t like normal church. We are after all called to the “unchurched, tired of church, and forgotten by the church”.

We were looking to add value to the people and businesses of the area, so rather than taking people out of the bars and restaurants, we decided to meet them there. The owner of the Sidebar 120 loves the idea. Our first meeting brought increased people, thus increased receipts to his establishment and staff.

Then my barber asked me if it was “just temporary”? “You’re going to eventually get your own building right?” He was surprised by my answer, “nope, we aren’t planning on a building”.

“See, buildings cost money to maintain. I’ve done that before, worked to maintain a building, and it’s not much fun”.

Our focus is discipleship and spiritual development. Most of that can be done in other restaurants and coffee shops. Break out sessions and small groups can meet in our homes. So why have a building?

Here’s his last question, “but how can a church be a church without a building”? “Isn’t that, after all, what church is”?

I guess I’d define church as “a gathering of ordinary people called to bring Kingdom to their community”.

How do you define it?

So why not a bar?

What I'm Learning

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:00:05 -0500

I’ve had one consistent goal every year since my late twenties, to be a lifelong learner. I try my best to read everyday for a couple of hours. I also try to write down my observations about life, people, relationships, influence, church, and politics a few times a week. And I’m actually holding myself accountable again to blog about those observations at least three times/week.

On top of that, I love to meet with people and challenge them to grow as well. In my spare time I watch the videos on TED and occasionally audit classes on Academic Earth.

Those around me know that I’m extremely concerned about what Jim Rohn called “rickets of the mind”. A condition caused by poor or nonexistent intellectual nutrition.

So, here’s my reading and studying list for this past year, I hope you enjoy it. Really, I hope it stirs you to engage in some ongoing academic endeavor.

Feel free to share your lists in the comment section provided below.

______________________________

2011 List:

Greatest Revelation:

The Kingdom is about the exchange of breath between God and I. Therefore, Kingdom living is as simple as breathing - He expires and I get inspired

Top Ten Favorite Books (actually top 11):

The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

I am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The Lords of Discipline - Pat Conroy

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

Falling Upward: Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life - Richard Rohr

Love Wins - Rob Bell

Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand

The Post American World - Fareed Zakaria

Lincoln Letters - Abraham Lincoln

Five Least Favorite:

The Goal - Eliyhahu M. Goldratt (read for the second time, yuch)

Erasing Hell - Francis Chan (I really don’t understand the infatuation with him)

The Blind Assassin - Margret Atwood (Sorry to my sons N,J,&W)

Believe in America: Mitt Romney’s Plan… - Mitt Romney

Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview - James Moreland

Books I’d Like to be My Favorites, but…

The Einstein Theory of Relativity - HA Lorentz

Six Easy Pieces - Fundamentals of Physics Explained - Richard Feynman (I still don’t understand it, I really want to)

______________________________

Favorite Lesson:

God is a faithful master recycler of the junk in life

Least Favorite Lesson:

People are consistently creating junk that God has to recycle

______________________________

Favorite TED Talk:

How to Live Before You Die – Steve Jobs (Stanford University)

Favorite Online Class That I Audited (even though I Only Understood about 15-20%):

Physics: Course Introduction and Newtonian Mechanics - Professor Ramamurti Shanker (Yale)

______________________________

2012 Plan:

To work hard at finishing my degree - Masters in Pastoral Leadership

To write my manifesto – actually, a book of questions

To read the 30+ books in the queue - #1 on the list: The Afghan Campaign – Steven Pressfield

Just like Vodka

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:17:00 -0500

I woke up this morning with vodka on my mind – don’t ask!

I was thinking about how much our lives are like vodka, at least mine is…

Vodka Facts:

Vodka can be made out of pretty much anything, just like us. People come from all walks of life with differing kinds of heritage both natural and spiritual.

And just like vodka we are put through a rigorous process of filtration. The only difference between cheap and expensive vodka is the number of times it’s been filtered, or purified. Really expensive stuff, Grey Goose – again, don’t ask – is purified at least five times.

I guess if I was vodka, I’d be pretty expensive because I’m in a constant process of filtration and purification. God, through circumstances and relationships, is always at work in my life filtering out impurities.

The really good stuff is supposed to just taste pure, refreshing, actually. I think our lives should be like that as well. People should be able to taste our lives and be refreshed by our un-polluted flavor.

More Vodka Facts:

Did you know that vodka could be made from cucumber, potato, tomato, corn, sorghum, rice, beets, grapes, again pretty much anything? And the goal of the distillation process is to filter out as much of its original taste as possible in order to reduce it down to its the purest state – alcohol.

But no matter how many times you filter it, you can never get what or where it comes from out of the flavor. There is a distinction of flavors based on the original crop and where the original crop was grown. For instance, there’s a difference in the flavor of vodka made from potatoes and that made from grapes, and there’s a difference in the flavor of sorghum vodka made in the United States and that, which is bottled in the Netherlands – one more time, just stop asking how I know this stuff…

Isn’t this kind of the way we are as well? We get purified again and again, but we are always flavored with where we come from. That’s what makes our lives distinct and our own brands unique. No matter how much we pride ourselves in our purity, we remain with just a little of our original residue. This reminds of the disciples who stood in the courtyard warming themselves at the fire as Jesus was being interrogated. The people around them knew they too were from Nazareth because “their speech betrayed them” (Matt 26:73).

One last interesting Vodka fact:

Many mixed drinks have vodka as their base because it blends so well with everything, though vodka can certainly be enjoyed on it’s own. In our lives, God should be able to add us to any group of people in order enhance their flavor, but we should also be fully content to be on our own, enjoying the freshness of the purification that’s been done in our lives.

O.K. - if you don’t like my analogy, what do you think we taste like? And don’t say Jesus, that’s too easy…

Being at Home

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:06:00 -0500

Everyone needs a place where they can just be themselves – preferably that place is home. A place where you can talk, laugh, debate, unplug, unwind, even just sit back in quiet and read. To me home isn’t so much about location, it’s about whom you do “home” with…

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines home as: one’s place of residence or the social unit formed by a family living (being) together. It further defines the term at home as being: relaxed, comfortable, at ease, in harmony with surroundings, on familiar ground.

That defines exactly how I feel when all five of us, actually now six of us, are together. I’m at ease; nothing deep or profound is expected of me. I’m allowed to sit in comfortable clothes and surroundings, enjoy the conversation, and just be.

Christmas was wonderful yesterday, not because of any special traditions but because we were all together simply being ourselves. There’s something powerful about being given the permission to be you – to know that you are fully accepted and loved without any pretense or pressure.

When I’m with my family in these moments, I can almost hear my soul exhale a sigh of relief, because my soul knows I’m at home regardless of the address.

As I sat on the couch last night I wondered how many people actually felt at home yesterday? I wondered what the trick was, to get people to feel at ease? I’m not sure Kathy and I have any magic formula or any incredible insight, but people do feel very comfortable in whatever home we reside…

Then this morning I woke up thinking abut the church, wondering if it could create an environment where people could be at home, be comfortable, be at ease? Can we create a place where people don’t have to feel like guests, a place where they don’t have to pretend to be someone or something else?

Can you imagine a church where your soul exhales a sigh of relief because it knows it’s home?

Stop Hoarding God's Love

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:00:05 -0500

Today’s guest post is by Matthew Snyder. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter @matthewlasnyder. As always, leave your comments below.

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“Half-assed Christianity just isn’t my thing,” he said.

Every couple of nights in college, one of my closest friends and I would walk. We had no destination in mind because where we were headed was irrelevant to us – it was more about the journey we had in getting there. Sometimes we walked the train tracks and other times we’d walk the river, but we always had the best conversations. That was the journey for me.

I don’t remember what we were talking about the night that he made this snide remark about living the Christian life, but it’s stuck with me ever since. I’m constantly asking myself if I’m half-ass-ing my walk with God.

I mean… it’s more than just being fully devoted to Him in my “quiet time”, right? It’s also about loving like Him, about being Jesus with skin on, and stewarding the love He’s put in my own life into a hurting world around me.

I can’t help but think about all of the times that I passed the homeless guy on the corner who wanted nothing more than food to eat, the lady crying on the park bench who just wanted a shoulder to cry on, or the friend who told me their most painful secrets while I browsed Facebook on my phone.

Those are real stories and that was really how I “loved”.

I know I’m not the only Christian who turns a blind eye to a hurting world. You do it too.

Sometimes love requires more effort than I’m willing to put forth. Jesus never said it would be easy! But when I don’t love, I’m polluting the love that God’s given me and I’m robbing others of an encounter with a loving Father.

I’m tired of being that guy. I’m tired of starving the hungry, denying the depressed of their joy, and the hurt of their healing. I’m tired of seeing the Church do the very thing that I do.

What if we got our act together and stopped being hoarders of God’s love?

I’ve been one and I’m over it… because half-assed Christianity just isn’t my thing.

Through Thick and Thin

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:09:00 -0500

I had a friend tell me once, that if you get into the second half of life with a few close friends you’re really doing well. When you’re young, you’re convinced that you’ll keep your friends through the entirety of life. Remember the promises made to your high school friends, how you were going to be best friends forever. Read the back pages and margins of your High School yearbook. How many of those people are involved in your life today, I mean really involved?

Each season requires, then, actually provides the close companions needed. You look back fondly to the friends of grade school, high school, and college. There are the couples you hung out with when you were first married, or the people in your small group or church. Perhaps even parents of your children’s friends become friends for a season.

Kathy and I had this group of parents we traveled with for several years because our kids played soccer together. We had incredible fun trekking from tournament to tournament together. The memories of those friendships will last a lifetime, even though the friendships didn’t.

As a child, my mother taught me this little poem:

“make new friends, keep the old; one is silver, and the other’s gold”

Our lives are full of “silver friends”, a valuable commodity to say the least. But “gold friends” are more of a rarity, they take longer to mine, longer to polish, longer to purify. They’re able to take more heat and more pressure, therefore, they’re more valuable to us. We love all of our friends, but there’s something about the friendships that are built over the years, sometimes built through adversity…

So Kathy and I want to recognize some of our golden friends. They’ve stayed with us through thick and thin. Actually seems strange to call them friends, because they’re more like family.

Joey and Gary – friends and partners in life and ministry for nearly two decades; we’ve seen a lot of life together; we’ve traveled, golfed, laughed, loved, and even cried together.

Mark and Tracee – we first met them in their early twenties; it’s been a pleasure doing life with them; our families are forever intertwined; our favorite memories are getting together over the holidays in our sweats and just hanging out.

Mike and Patti – they are the newest of our life time friends, just three years, but our time together has been awe-inspiring and life giving; can’t imagine ever doing life with out them.

Tam and Kym – friends, family, and co-workers in health care, coaching, and life; they’re a consistent soft place for us to land.

Walt and Wanda – as our boys were growing up, we did all of our family fishing trips together, we have such wonderful memories; we reconnected at Nicholas and Kayla’s wedding; it creates a real sense of security to have consistent multi-season friendships.

Bob and Laura – through thick and thin, they’ve been awesome resources for our life and family; when the chips are down, or I’m just plain stressed, the first thing I think of is to call Bob.

JT and Michelle – again, friends for nearly two decades, they’ve partnered in supporting our ministry and calling; right now we’re partnering to battle for health and life

Then there’s all the staff, leaders, friends, and spiritual family that have followed us as we we’ve migrated through life; I’ll have more to say about them later…

Can you think of some “golden friends”, friends that have been with you through think and thin? Do have friendships that, like fine wine, have gotten better with age? Maybe, it’s time to write them and tell them thank you…

Starting With a 10

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:34:00 -0500

I heard John Maxwell teach that it’s important to start with a “10” over everyone’s head. Too often we meet people and want them to prove themselves or measure up before we start valuing them. Because of our cynical nature and the fact that we’ve been hurt so many times, it’s just easier to lower our expectations and wait people out.

Maxwell’s statement flies in the face of our natural tendencies. Because he’s asking us to look for the best in and believe the best of, before we even know people.

But why? Isn’t it wiser to have lower expectations, to be surprised if people end up having character and integrity? Wouldn’t it be smarter to start with a one or a two, maybe even a zero, and let people earn their 10?

Does the Bible have anything to say about this?

I Corinthians 13:7 Love… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. The footnote in my Spirit Filled Life Bible states the following – “Love bears all things, defending and holding other people up. Love believes the best about others, credits them with good intentions, and is not suspicious. Love hopes all things, never giving up on people, but always affirming their future. Love endures all things, persevering and remaining loyal to the end.”

But again, why? Why “believe the best”?

Could it be that if we believe the best, people have a chance to become the best? Or conversely, if we believe the worst, people have a chance to become the worst? Can our expectations of others actually affect the outcome of their character?

Here’s an excellent principle to use in dealing with people:

What we believe about a person, determines how we will treat them

How we treat a person, determines how they will react, respond, or become to us

How they react, respond, or become to us, determines the validity of our primary assessment

What a vicious cycle!

We actually create the environment for what people become to us…

Do you believe this? Can you think of a time where you’ve seen this principle at work? Can you identify a relationship where your predisposition towards another actually created a reality (positive or negative)?

So why not start out with a 10?

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8 (Message)

Trust in the Lord - The Gathering

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:01:00 -0500

Trust in the Lord - The Gathering