Souljourn

communication integrity

Here are two questions I'm considering about communication.  I thought I would share them with you as food for thought.

1. What would it look like if we asked the same communication questions about all the methods of communication we use?  Keeping a tight rein on our physical tongue can be difficult but do we ever stop and consider our facebook tongue or our twitter tongue (blogging tongue)? 

2. We have probably all faced situations that we knew going into them were going to be a little difficult. That advanced notice gives us the prep time to ensure we can be gracious and gentle in the interaction.  But what about those unexpected encounters, when we have had no time to prepare?

When we stop to consider the various communication settings, and methods we all contend with how does our communication look?  Is there a growing integrity in our communication?  

Is how I communicate to your face, how I communicate on facebook?  Is how I communicate when prepared, how I communicate in the unexpected?

I'll answer for me and you answer for you and we'll both grow together :)

Isn't that a little early?

I walked in the door of our house on Sunday night to the sounds of Christmas music.  It was September 26th! The Ginger Bread and Cinnamon Dolce syrups have been brought out of the cupboard and I am half suspecting to be asked at any minute to go into the attic and bring down the 14 plus containers of Christmas decorations.  I wonder if this will be the year that we skip right over the fall scarecrow decoration and go directly to Frosty?

Are you aware of any decorating, or holiday music, rules that could possibly slow this process down a bit?

 I must admit however, I am looking forward to pickled herring and smoked oysters!  

Maybe I should just show more pictures?

Psalm 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

 I hesitated to even write anything about this for a couple of reasons.  First, I am well aware that I have lots of growing to do in this area and don't presume for a second to have arrived.  Secondly, in the leadership role that I serve in I talk a lot (I can hear the 'amens' and see the rolled eyes).  From weekend sermons to coffee appointments, leadership meetings and various decision making settings, at the end of the day I definitely feel I have used up my quota of words.  This means that not only am I aware of my short comings in this area, but so are many others (but thankfully I don't think anyone actually reads this blog).  That being said, I think this is an area that we need to give others more grace and ourselves not quite as much.  Here are some questions I'm keeping in front of me to help me in this area. (if you answer them for yourself I'll answer them for myself)

1. When I am confronted with conflict do I respond gently? Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath

2. Is my speech always gracious? Colossians 4:6 Let your conversations always be full of grace   

3. Do I actually consider unkind speech to be an evil behaviour ? 1 Peter 2:1 So get rid of all evil behaviour.  Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

4. Do I base my what I say on the needs of others and what will help them or must I get my point across?  Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

5.  Does my communication tend to be sarcastic and cutting instead of encouraging? 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

6. Do I evaluate my speech by the worlds standards or God's? Psalm 19:14 – May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you oh God.

7. Would others say I exhibit self control in my speech?   James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

Really!?!

 I never thought I would read a sentence like this:

"...Mazlan Othman, the head of the UN's little-known Office for Outer Space Affairs (Unoosa)..."(read full article).  It makes sense to me that this is a 'little known office', because the more people that knew, the more people there would be scratching their heads with incredulity.  I mean really!?! Aren't there enough situations in the world needing the UN's attention (the necessity of the UN is an entirely different issue) that they might be able to limit their focus to planet earth? 

I'd love to find out what the annual operating budget for the Office for Outer Space Affairs is.  I bet it would put a lot of textbooks in schools, food in pantries, and probably alleviate some hospital wait times.

Sunday round-up

Here are a few tweets and a blog post I've read this week:

Tweet from Rick Warren: Loved this bumper sticker: "If you love Jesus, tithe! Any fool can honk."

Tweet from Andy Stanley: Adversity introduces a man to himself. --Unknown

Tweet from Shawn Vandop: When we receive grace it's refreshing. When its required of us, its disturbing. When correctly applied, it solves everything

Tweet from Craig Groeschel: As parents, we're called to unleash single-minded, Christ-centered, biblically anchored, world changers.

10 Personal Growth questions from Perry Noble:

#1 – Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation?  (James 1:22-25)

#2 – Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me?  (John 10:10)

#3 – Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore?  (Ezekiel 14:1-5)

#4 – Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church?  (II Corinthians 5:16-21)

#5 – Is there anyone I need to apologize to?  (Ephesians 4:25:27)

#6 – Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)

#7 – Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)

#8 – Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with…or am I simply choosing to waste my life?  (I Peter 4:10)

#9 – Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verse from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)

#10 – Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)

Here we go again

I have this nagging suspicion that the Chubby Little Hunchback (CLH) has been swallowed by a short person in their second trimester carrying twins (go ahead, take a second and visualize that).  So it is definitely time to head back to the gym.  I found some helpful running tips online that I'm planning to implement immediately, but since we've been in this spot before I thought I would ask you for some helpful, and kind, (eat less! might be true but it is a little mean) suggestions.  Any ideas?

If you start with a long sleeve shirt, end with a long sleeve shirt. Nothing is worse than taking off your long sleeve shirt mid-run, tying it around your waist, and continuing your run with a butt cape. Nothing. You’d look less foolish wearing a football helmet and an inner tube.

Don’t run in place while waiting to cross the road. Besides looking ridiculous, you’re wasting a precious gift. The stars have aligned to give you a couple much-needed seconds to suck wind and talk yourself out of continuing. Take full advantage of this.

Don’t listen to audiobooks; do listen to music. Listening to music while running has catapulted my pace from “quite embarrassing” to “mildly embarrassing”. With audiobooks, I spend the entire time looking for sticks I can use to stab myself. With music, I spend my time pretending I’m part of a training montage in a Mark Wahlberg movie. It’s a no-brainer.

Wait until the coast is clear to stop your jog. If there’s one thing in life that I don’t want, it’s for the people in that random ’98 Acura Integra driving by to think I’m a quitter. Make sure there’s no one around when clocking out for the day. You want to be able to look yourself in the mirror, don’t you?

Run with someone slower than you. If you’re anything like me, this might be a difficult task. You know when a fast walk turns into a quasi-jog? Yeah, that’s my pace. But you’re better off running alone than running with someone the slightest bit faster than you. Your entire run will be about trying to keep up with his pace, while he’s six steps ahead of you, running backwards, telling you that you can do it in the most patronizing way possible.

Now that is passion!

Forgotten post...

I was looking through some old posts I'd written and found this one from St. Patricks day that I mustn't have posted.  St. Patrick's day is probably the last thing on our minds, but his example of forgiveness sure is powerful.

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When St. Patrick was growing up in Scotland he was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates from Ireland where he was taken and sold into slavery.  During his six years of slavery St. Patrick says that, 'God planted a deep love in his heart for the Irish'. He was able to escape from slavery after six years and he returned to his family in Scotland.  Upon his return to Scotland he prepared for priestly ministry and later returned to Ireland as an ordained Bishop and missionary.

St. Patrick is credited with with leading 1000's of Irishmen out of the dark practices of paganism and druidism into the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus.  He was also instrumental in starting churches and transforming society in Ireland.

Just think what would might have happened if St. Patrick had been unforgiving to his captors?  If his hardened heart had not been open to God's love for the people who had wronged him?

The entire account of his life would have been different if he had not forgiven.

A double baptism?

I just came back from a baptism at the Puntledge river and with the rain falling on the windshield it looked like it was setting up to be a baptism by immersion and sprinkling.   In the end, the rain stopped while the river flowed and we had the privilege of not only baptizing one of our church family members, but also hearing her story of the power of Jesus in her life  (you'll see the video on the weekend).  Hearing about the amazing grace of Jesus in people's lives and how He has ransomed them from sin and death never grows old.  

There were a few brave trail walkers out at the park this morning and as they looked quizzically on at what we were doing I couldn't help but think of Paul's words in Romans 1:16 " I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..."  We have a few more baptisms scheduled for this weekend (one more at the river on Sunday morning) so there will be more stories told celebrating the great work of Jesus in our lives. 

This weekend is really shaping up well!

I just might watch this season...