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.

enlarge your heart...

Today was a great day at the Thompson house. We participated with our church today not in having a service but rather actually worshipping by serving. At True North Church today we called it "Enlarge Your Heart Sunday". Rather than meeting in the theater as normal we all gathered outside the theater for a brief moment of fellowship and encouragement... then we all received our challenges for the day. It was exciting for me to see the spirit and enthusiasm that so many had about daring to take risks and serve our community in some unique ways.

My family actually drew 4 challenges from the challenge box and decided to go for it on each one. Here were our challenges...

1. Buy a bag of non-perishable groceries and go to the exit ramp at South Saunders and I-40. Wait until you find someone there or near that area in need and give the groceries away.

2. Buy some donuts or make something at home. Deliver it to the fire station at 1695 Timber Drive. Thank them for the way the serve our community.

3. Pray at the flagpoles of these local schools... Aversboro Elementary, Timber Drive Elementary, and Vandora Springs Elementary. Write a letter to school administrators and let them know what you've done and that you appreciate their service.

4. Go to the grocery store. In an effort to spread some Christmas cheer take the cart of the person behind you in line and pay for their groceries as well.

We were encouraged on each challenge to pray for those we encountered to be touched by God and also be prepared to answer questions for anyone asking why we were doing these acts of kindness.

I had read a blog earlier in the week that reminded me of how narrow the way is that we have been called to follow. Being a Christ-follower comes with no promise of being easy. The challenges though to this life are rewarding beyond belief! Today I was thrilled to experience some of these challenges with my family and lead them by example in following Christ. I only wish I did this more in everyday living. As an overflow from my day's experience that has become my aim - to enlarge my heart in everyday living and set an example for my kids to follow!

We fulfilled each of the above challenges and even more. We were able to meet a man named Phillip to whom we gave the groceries we purchased. The kids saw him sitting alone in a parking lot near I-40. It was a bit intimidating to pull in and approach him, but the risk was well worth the reward. He was very much in need... didn't know what he would do with his day other than wait for the rescue mission to reopen at 6:00 so he'd have a place to sleep. He was very appreciative and asked for God to bless us. I think it was eye-opening for each of us. We also took the donuts to the fire station and they appreciated our thoughtfulness. We travelled to the schools in Garner and prayed for students, faculty and staff at each location. Hearing the prayers of my children really inspired me today. I also went back in and paid for the groceries of the person behind us in line. They were really taken back but deeply appreciative. It just felt like one of those God moments! The moment today when my heart was really hit hard was at dinner... just before eating Nate asked if he could pray... when he did he prayed for all the people (specifically Phillip) that we had met and prayed for earlier today. His little heart was really drawn to these acts of service.

This whole Sunday came as a result of concluding our series "How The Grinch Stole Christmas". If you recall in the end of this fun Christmas story the Grinch's heart grew three sizes. I'll end my thoughts from today with the Grinch's own words...
"maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store... maybe Christmas... means a little bit more!"