a question for you...

is God calling you to action or just asking you for a favor?

summer's almost gone...

Well... here I sit late on a Saturday night and I'm thinking where has the summer gone...? Three of my kids have already started back to school due to the year-round calendar. My kids are growing up fast... but I'm extremely proud of them!

Luke will be a sophomore at Garner High School this year. When I say he's growing up ... it is both physically and spiritually. He's within less than an inch of my height now and looks as if he'll keep on growing. He's turning into a pretty good basketball player... he's working really hard on his skills...it's kind of fun to watch him work for his dream! He just recently finished driver's ed and is now driving whenever Angela and I have the courage to get out on the road with him. He's also working this summer... just a few days a week... learning some responsibility and making a little money! Watching him grow spiritually though is what I'm most proud of... he's reading his Bible, writing some good thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, asking good questions. I think God is going to do something special with him... I am excited just to be a part of it!

Hope is in the 8th grade now... she's one of the big girls on campus. She's growing up too quick for Daddy! She is becoming a really, really pretty young lady. I'm nervous about all the boys that will soon coming knocking on the door for her... know what I mean? Hey... she's doing some pretty intense and impressive math too... algebra I think they call it. Her math book has way more words than numbers...lots of word problems... and they're not easy... trust me! I'm having to help her work through creating equations to work from... really having to dust off the old math skills! She's working hard though... and I'm really proud of her.

Noah is in middle school now... 6th grade... I can't believe my little Noah-boy is growing up so quick. His personality is really starting to come out ...and he's not near as quite as he has been. He's off to a good start... now getting ready for fall baseball season. He reminds me a lot of myself in so many ways!

Nate is the lone Thompson kid left at Timber Drive Elementary... I'm sure the teachers there wonder if this kid is really from the same family. He's so different than all three of the others were at his age. He's very outgoing... not afraid of anything! He too is getting ready for the fall baseball season... it's the sport he loves most! He's a really special kid... can't wait to see what he becomes!

Well... as summer comes quickly to another end... I'm thinking about how fast my kids are growning up... and I am very thankful. Thank you Lord for making them into what you want them to be... it is going to be fun to watch!

surrender...

As I continue to read "The Me I Want To Be"...

I find myself challenged to surrender. The writer says, "There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender." Surrender doesn't mean to be passive... it doesn't mean you just accept circumstances... it doesn't mean you stop thinking, asking questions, using your mind. Surrender is not just an easy way for weak people. What surrender is... is an exciting acknowledgment that there is a God and I'm not him. He has bigger purpose and he is wiser.

"Jesus does not come to rearrange the outside of our life the way we want. He comes to rearrange the inside of our life the way God wants."

"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39

I need to surrender... I need to yield... I need to obey... I need to do what he says... I need to go where he leads!

the me I want to be...

"The Me I Want To Be... Becoming God's Best Version of You" is the book I have read and almost completed while on vacation. Great book ... I would recommend the read!

One of the sections has me doing some thinking... so I thought I'd offer you the points from the book pertaining to adversity and let you ponder them as well... thoughts about embracing adversity...

John Ortberg writes... "God isn't at work producing the circumstances you want; God is at work in bad circumstances producing the you He wants."

...rising to a challenge reveals abilities otherwise hidden within you (and beyond you!) that would have remained dormant...

...adversity can deepen relationships...

...adversity can change your priorities about what really matters...

...adversity points us to hope beyond ourselves...

The chance to trust God when trusting isn't easy is wide open. There are some certain truths that remain unchanged: God remains sovereign, grace beats sin, prayers get heard, the Bible endures, heaven's mercies spring up new every morning, the cross still testifies to the power of sacrificial love, the tomb is still empty, and the kingdom that Jesus announced is still expanding without needing to be bailed out by human efforts.

God is still in the business of redemption... specializing in producing something very, very good at out something that may not look or feel so good...

...maybe we should embrace adversity a bit more...

other stand-out provebs...

Prov 21:21 ... "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor."

Prov 24:3-4 ... "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Prov 15:6 ... "In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble."

Prov 4:20-27 ... "My son, give attention to my word; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."

Prov 10:22 ... "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow to it."

a good name...

Proverbs 22:1... "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches; loving favor rather than silver and gold."

While sitting on the beach under the big tent I set up I have been doing a little reading. One of my goals while on vacation as to reread the book of Proverbs and make some mental notes. This verse is one that for some reason really stood out to me. The verse is indicative of our lives being mostly about decision making... and this decision being one of great importance.

So imagine your own a game show and your given the option to receive something from behind door 1 or door 2... you know that "a good name" is behind door 1 but you have the choice to give it up for the potential behind door 2... what choice do you make?

I'm sure that at many times I have forfeited door 1 for the gamble of door 2, but after living life and experiencing so many joys and sorrows, accomplishments and failures... I think a good name and loving favor sound pretty good!

another school year...

I had the joy of sitting in on an awards ceremony today at North Garner Middle School. Hope received awards today for year-long honor roll. I'm so proud of her!

It's hard to believe another school year has come to an end. Noah is actually graduating tomorrow from elementary school and will be moving up to middle school. I can't believe how fast they grow up. Nate will be the only one remaining in elementary school. Although he'll be the only one I can assure you they will know he is there!

Luke had a great year for his freshman year at Garner High School. He's a great student and is becoming a great young man! I'm so proud of him too!

I've got to say... being a dad is one of the greatest things in the world! I love my kids!

thoughts from books I've been reading...

Proverbs 29:18 ... "where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law."

"The Me I Want To Be" by John Ortberg ...
Spiritual growth is hand-crafted, no mass-produced... God does not do one-size-fits-all.
The main measure of your devotion to God is not your devotional life. It is simply your life.

"Primal" by Mark Batterson...
The heart of Christianity is primal compassion.
The soul of Christianity is primal wonder.
The mind of Christianity is primal curiosity.
The strength of Christianity is primal energy.

honor your mother...

Just pausing each of you as I am myself to honor your mother...

I took time to send some flowers today to my mom and my mother-in-law. I am so thankful for their influence in my life and in my family. Both ladies love the Lord and it is evident in how they care for and pray for their families. Love both of you!

And my wife... I really admire her and I really love her. I'm so amazed at the mother she has become. Her kids love her and respect her... and even though it may sometimes seem otherwise they actually listen to her wisdom. Love you lots honey!

so...Happy Mother's Day!

the final three laws of stratospheric success...

I wrapped up the book I've been reading this week... actually last Monday I took a day off with Angela and we sat by the ocean at Wrightsville Beach... sat on the sand in the quiet only hearing the crashing waves and swirls of wind... reread the entire book again along with some other reading... what a great refreshing morning! I blogged a few weeks ago about the first two laws... the law of value and the law of compensation.

Here's the final three laws -

the law of influence: "your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first." Here's a question... what creates influence? Most responders would say money, position, accomplishments... but that's backwards... those things don't create influence - influence creates them. So the way to influence is not to keep score, but rather place other people's interest first... then your interests will always be taken care of.

the law of authenticity: "the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself." No matter what your training, no matter what your skills, no matter what area you're in, you are your most important commodity. This is one for you to think about it... what of yourself do you have to offer?

the law of receptivity: "the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving." So the secrets to success... to gaining, to having, is to give and give and give. the secret to getting is giving... and the secret to giving is making yourself open to receive.

AAU STATE POOL PLAY

Good times today down in Charlotte... played first game of pool play today which determines our bracket seeding next weekend... so the goal is to win your pool and set your team up with a high seed in the brackets... Team came out really strong and had the team from Charlotte on their heels... the Charlotte team fought back hard - they were pretty scrappy... they eventually cut the lead down to 4 but Luke came off the bench and hit a timely 3-pointer to push the lead back out and we never looked back...
Great job team!

big shots tournament in Clemson SC

I'm excited about leaving tomorrow morning and taking 14 young men down to Clemson University to play ball in front of some talent evaluators and potentially recruiters. It's exciting because it is a step toward the dreams of some of these young men. Every weekend we go away I have a theme for the entire weekend... this weekend it will be "GO FOR IT!" Pray for these young men with me as they pursue some of their dream...

Here's part of what I'll share with them on the weekend...

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

My challenge to them will be this: If your life is worth living, then it's worth living all the way. A partial commitment is no commitment at all. There is no better life to live, there's no better journey to take, there's no better dream to chase than the one God has designed for you - if you just give it your all - GO FOR IT! Not a half effort or partial effort... not making Him a part of your life... but allowing Him to be your life!

I'm looking forward to a great weekend!

the law of compensation...

So I'm still reading this small book... slowly intentionally to really soak it all in. The book is called the "The Go-Giver". I recently blogged briefly about the the law of value (the book calls it the first law). The first law determines how valuable you are... in other words it determines your potential success, how much you could earn. The second law (the law of compensation) determines how much you actually will earn.

The Law of Compensation: "Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them."

To put it another way... your compensation (reward) is directly proportional to how many lives you touch. Interesting thought!

So the measure of success is not just about value... it's also about impact!

the law of value...

I've been reading the book "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann. The intent of the book is to teach you how to achieve stratospheric success... but not by focusing on the success but rather on the process to obtain it. The book brings relevance to the idea of "give and you shall receive".

Most people just laugh when they hear that secret to success is giving... then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were.

A couple of thoughts from the book...

"All things being equal - people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust."

The Law of Value... "Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment."

it's Easter... we should celebrate!

Just thinking today about how beautiful it is outdoors and how much I'd rather be out there than here in my office... so I thought I'd pause for a moment and just talk about some of the things that are important to me about Easter...

Easter is the Super Bowl of the Christian faith (I heard someone say that this morning... or something like that)... It is tremendous reason for celebration ... that is for sure... that we have a Savior who conquered everything we would ever fear and now reigns! Easter is always significant for me because it was just prior to Easter (and I'm reminded every year) in the year 1979 that I made a real decision to follow Christ with my life. Wow... that was 31 years ago... what a journey to where I am today... and I'm learning more everyday what it means to enjoy that journey!

Here's what is important to me... I'm so thankful that Jesus allows me to walk with Him everyday in a sometimes challenged pursuit... but nevertheless following Him - I'm so thankful that God has given me a wonderful wife and children to enjoy this journey with - I'm so thankful that I have family members that pray for me and love me along this journey - and I'm grateful for the friends that God is trusting me with that we might share our lives together as we follow Him...

This is all possible because He rose and defeated sin and death - I'm forever grateful(anyone remember that song?)

happy birthday to me!

It was a full and eventful birthday weekend... very challenging considering the commitment I've made to some decisions to be more healthy... but 41 is not so bad...

I was able to enjoy a lunch of Friday with my dad... always great to hang with him for a bit and just talk... love you so much Dad! You're one of a few heroes in my life!

I had a great day Saturday until its end... full day with the family... baseball tryouts with Noah and Nate... It was a beautiful day outside and I love watching them grow and have fun doing things they love to do and excel at... both of them also had afternoon basketball games... Nate's team won and he dropped in a few points (30 to be exact!)... Noah's team also won (he had 4 points, 5 assists, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks... that's pretty remarkable for a rec league game with no fast breaks allowed)... like I already said - enjoy watching those two little guys!

hey... somewhere in there NC State actually won a basketball game... great birthday gift!

I spent the evening with my Wake Tech team at a home game vs. Patrick Henry Comm College (a really good team!)... we were fortunate and in the end really played hard and played together as a team and pulled out a 77-71 victory... the win puts us stand-alone in third place in our conference... not bad considering the top 2 teams are both ranked in the top 10 nationally in our division! I have enjoyed this season... especially the personal relationships built with players and seeing some small and some great life-change... that's the whole reason I'm there!

Following our post-game remarks in the locker room we were given some bad news... another player from Vance-Granville Comm College (the top scorer in the conference with several universities scouting him for future play)had collapsed in a game against Guilford College and had to be rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Our entire team and I took this news hard. It's hard to wrap your mind around a young man losing his life with such a seemingly bright future awaiting him. Our head coach turned to me and said Coach Thompson you need to lead us in prayer... though challenging - what a great opportunity to share such a moment with my team... the room was filled with quietness and tears as we put things in perspective and remembered this fallen athlete... This has led to some great conversations via texting with some of my players today... please pray for the Vance-Granville team and the families impacted by the loss and also pray for our team as we respond to real-life challenge!

I spent the day today in Winston-Salem with Angela's family... her dad turned 70 this past week and we all surprised him and showed up at their church today... Just great to spend the day celebrating the life of another hero... Don Brendle... one of God's finest men!... so glad to be a part of two great families!

in the midst of all of the events, gifts, and time with family I received many birthday wishes from so many of you... just want to say how much I love all of my friends both near and far... and really love my True North Church family and the partnership we share in ministry and following Jesus!

happy birthday to me!

Questioning Jesus...

That's the title of the series we started today at True North Church... great start to a new series. The series is being built around some of the life-changing questions Jesus asked in some of his encounters. So many questions we are asked don't even need to be answered... and even if they do they really don't matter that much... but some questions like "will you marry me?" are significant questions and the answer can change your life forever.

Today's question came from John 5:6 where Jesus asked sick man "do you want to be made well?" ... Could Jesus actually have been asking if the man wanted to be whole?
After listening to the man's excuses about why he could not get well ... then dismissing those excuses Jesus healed him... he said "rise, take up your bed and walk..." Jesus' healing had nothing to do with the man's obedience or even his faith... it was simply Jesus and His ability and His willingness to heal.

I was convicted today about some of my physical issues and the excuses I make about not being able to lose weight. I felt like Jesus was saying to me... "get up son and be healthy..." Everything I need Christ has provided for me. I am making some hard choices this evening to walk in the wholeness that he has provided. Pray for me!

As we sang today at church I want to confess now to Jesus...
"I believe You're my healer, I believe You are all I need. I believe You're my portion, I believe You're more than enough for me. Jesus, You're all I need."

So now as strive harder to make some good choices I'm trusting in His ability and willingness to heal ... and the verse in Deut 7:15 ... "and the Lord will take away from you all sickness..."

If you don't have a church this series would be a great time to come and visit True North. I have a feeling every Sunday is going be filled with great challenge that can produce life-change!

Valentine's Day...

While sitting down to blog for a bit I just began to think about the time I have spent with my beautiful wife, Angela. Watching Luke go through this learning period of having his first girlfriend has made me think back to many of things I used to do with Angela. We've been together on Valentine's Day now for 21 years... whew! She's as amazing to me as she was the first time I saw her. She brings sunshine when life seems dreary and she brings spice when life taste bland. She's my best friend and I love her!

Luke is so fun to watch... he brought his girlfriend to church for the first time today, they went out to lunch with us, and now he is gone to his first movie with her. They exchanged small Valentine's gifts with each other and he was so excited that Blair had made him a cake in the shape of a heart! I guess this had to happen at some point!

I love gift-giving... it's one of my favorite things to do. With Angela it is easy... when I get her something nice she loses it and asks me to get it for her again... I can't tell you how many times that has happened... so for Valentine's Day I replaced her lost ipod. Last night though I gave her a date night and we went out alone for Japanese food and then went and sat for a while at a coffee shop... lots of fun... love hanging out with just her!

anyway... Happy Valentine's Day!

parenting is filled with challenges...

so we've hit the time where Luke, my oldest son, has his first girlfriend... or at least first serious girlfriend...

it's his first year of high school, he's on the JV basketball team, she's a cheerleader... you know the drill... he's lovestruck!

the challenge... trying to figure out how to set appropriate boundaries and expectations for him... where he feels free to be himself and doesn't feel like we're against him... at least he is talking to me about it!

well... parenting always brings new challenges... guess this is just another one of them!

a big question...?

I'm having a catch-up session this morning on some of my blogging since the weather conditions did not allow us to have church this morning. I thought it would be a good time for me to sort of think through and write about some of the things I've been reading...

One of the books I've just finished is called "Under The Overpass." It is the story of two friends taking a challenge to spend some time living on the streets... to experience what is it like to live the life on those in need that we so easily neglect. The stories of their experiences are a light that leads to great challenges for us... making the needs of others personal at some level...

In the end the book boils things down to this big question for us... a reality-ratlling question...

"What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn't concerned with what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep, what I own, what people think of me, or what discomforts I face?"

speechless? amazed? humbled?

still thinking about what it means to walk humbly with my God...

R.C. Sproul wrote, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their significance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

sales and marathons are aerobic...

You and your customers are in a marathon...

Marathon runners steadily burn a supply of oxygen and energy - it is an aerobic sport. Sprinting is different - it is anaerobic. Sprinters don't use oxygen... but they stop after 100 meters.

In sales ... take care to undercommit and overdeliver as much as possible. In striving to meet customer expectations be diligent in setting expectations that you can consistently exceed. Be willing to share some of the risk with your customers.

You're in a marathon if you're in sales - so work hard, but don't expect yourself to perform unnatural acts or miracles. Instead of relying on extraordinary effort - rely on extraordinary planning and discipline - your marathon style training leads to extraordinary execution - and lots of profit.

how many loaves do you have?

Another book I have been reading is "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns. It was suggested by our pastor Jon McClarnon. The entire book has been gripping but Chapter 24 has renewed something in me. It is entitled "How Many Loaves Do You Have?" It obviously leads you through the story of Jesus and the disciples together feeding a large crowd with just a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread.

Jesus used this event to change the way we think about underwhelming resources in the face of overwhelming challenges. The disciples (as we often do) saw a large problem, yet Christ looked at the exact same situation and saw an opportunity and had compassion. The disciples (as we often do) saw only an overwhelming predicament ... a problem to big... almost impossible to solve. Here's the shift in mindset... Jesus did not withdraw due to the size of the problem. He didn't ask about the magnitude or strategy or even feasibility. He didn't ask what it would take to solve the problem, but rather how much they had to offer.

The challenge... in the face of overwhelming problems Christ does not ask us to do the impossible.. He simply asks us to bring Him what we have. There is great joy when we see our little bit become a lot in His hands...

so... how many loaves do you have?

losing my religion...

At True North Church we have been going through a series entitled "Losing My Religion"... I have enjoyed the challenges that I've encountered and have been inspired to follow Christ more passionately...

The foundation of the series has been this verse from Micah 6:8... "He has shown you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

The first couple of weeks concentrated on acting justly and loving mercy. Jon shared the first two weeks and then left for several days in Kenya. While he was gone we had a special guest, Greg Flowers, from With Love From Jesus. Greg was a perfect person to talk about loving mercy because that is how he lives his life and how he ministers and reaches out to our community. I was motivated even more to see the hopeless and needy in our community and find a way to make it personal. We will usually respond when things become personal. How can you make the needs, the emptiness, the loneliness of others personal to you?

I'm looking forward to the last portion of the verse... to walk humbly with our God. As simple as acting justly and loving mercy sounds it can be a bit challenging and complicated. I think it all comes together when we learn to walk humbly with our God... when we lose our religion and become dependent and recognizing of our relationship with Christ.

A book(Every Man, God's Man) I've read in the past and have recently pulled back out says it this way...

"At its very core, humility is found in men who recognize the gap between us and God. No matter how smart we are, He is smarter - infinitely smarter. No matter how many accomplishments we have to our credit, He created the universe. No matter how forgiving, generous, or loving we can be to others, He possesses all of those qualities in endless measures. Coming face to face with God should lead a man into the only appropriate attitude: humility.

One of my prayers this cold Sunday morning... God, teach me even more to walk humbly before You and before others... Make my attitude one of constant humility.

nate the great...

Around our home we affectionately call our youngest son "Nate-dog"... but today we have to call him Nate-the-great...

Yesterday he played his first basketball game of the season. He is only 8 years old but in his game was unstoppable. He finished with 32 points! Can you believe it? Let's see if he can keep it up.

Great job Nate!

looking forward to 2010...

I feel this great excitement about what the new year 2010 will hold for me. I really appreciated the message I heard this morning at True North Church... "Seasons of the Soul"...

Ecclesiates 3:1 ... "To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven." It was suggested this morning that often times our spiritual lives can be described as the physical seasons of the year. Fall - a season of transition ... maybe some things coming to an end. Winter - a season of death - you want to be alone, but there is probably no other time when you have a greater need to experience community. Spring - a season of hope, renewal - you see a light at the end of your experience, hope is produced. Summer - a season of harvest, a season of abundance - may be the easiest season to miss because we feel so self-sufficient... really need to find ways to be thankful for His abundance blessing.

These were great thoughts for me to consider as I prepare for so many things in the new year 2010. I'm thinking we'll probably experience elements of every season as we follow Christ in this new year. I look at Angela and my kids and can recognize the seasons they are experiencing. The acknowledgment of the cycles of the season gave me great hope this morning for 2010 for myself, for Angela, and for my kids. I am looking forward to experiencing this hope that leads to abundance in this new year no matter what seasons we have to go through to discover it.

I am praying for my family and for each of you that we will recognize the love of Christ in each season we experience ... his love through comfort, peace, provision, hope and blessing. I am expecting 2010 to be a great year for my health, my business, my church, and my effort to follow Jesus passionately.