Little Choo Choo's

You know you're a dad when you are well on your way home from work or school and turn around and drive all the way back because you suddenly realize you've dropped your son's prized choo-choo in the parking lot. When you return, you are anxious with anticipation: Is it still there? Did it get run over? Then comes the cathartic "Heck Yeah!" when you find it unharmed. It's amazing the scope of emotions we can go through over a ten cent toy. Why? It doesn't mean much to me. BUT ... it does to someone we love. Some of the greatest feelings of accomplishment and failure I have ever experienced have come over how I have handled the little, seemingly insignificant things in life, work, relationships, etc. Attention to detail doesn't just show you are a "detail-oriented" person but that you are a "person-oriented" person. Where's that in our society today?

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

My son, Bishop is almost 18 months old. We just returned from seeing family in Tampa. Bishop got to play with his cousin, Micah - just a couple months younger than Bishop. It was a blessing to see those two interact. They gave kisses & hugs, danced, played toys, threw balls ... Seeing life through their eyes is refreshing. We adults grow rigid and boring. We get set in our ways and lack joy. Our schedules rule our lives and we hold on to financial worries and the toils of life ... but not these little guys. They live for RIGHT NOW! Period. Bishop has about 50 words in his speaking vocabulary. It grows larger every day. He's thrilled that he can sit in big people chairs and eat big people food, but I think us adults should also try to emulate their joy of life and lack of worry. God tells us to. Science tells us to. We do not have to lose our childhood joy as adults ... but it's a "use it or lose it" type thing. You better work your joy muscles.

A Study of My Ugly

It's not fun taking an honest look at my own shortcomings. Remembering major screw ups, uncovering personality flaws, and digging up shameful behavior - not the best weekend party plans. But you know what? That's the only way to make real change.

I'd rather ignore it and think it really doesn't matter ... But it does. It does when my wife feels unimportant because I'm awful at special occasions. It does when I waste days off and family time. It does when my bad habits catch up to me and effect everyone I love.

Time for some dirty work. Time to study my ugly.

Stuff You Know But Great To Hear Again

Wake early. Seek God. Work hard. Allocate time to the most important matters. Build lasting relationships. Invest in others. Write (not type) letters and mail (not email) them. Encourage. Avoid gossip. Meditate on Beauty. Put on an attitude of Gratitude. Smile.

Wilderness Rocks

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"Organized" Religion

As of late, I've been reading A.W. Tozer. There are several short sermon/chapters - so poignant and relative. The one I read today was about organized religion.

One of my biggest peeves in the world is the "I don't believe in organized religion" statement. Don't get me wrong ... I understand where it comes from. Much horror has been committed in the name of religion. In fact, the ones in my life who have caused me the most harm and had the worst intentions for me were very "religious" people. But shunning all organized religion in response to crimes against humanity performed under the flag of religion is a dangerous overreaction.

Nevermind Red Cross and over 95% of all worldwide poverty relief. Forget the clear historical roots of women's liberation and the anti-slavery movement. Forget the very foundation of the United States of America. Let's just blame all our ailments on "organized" religion. Murder, war, discrimination ... what do they all have in common? Religion of course! NO!!! What do they truly have in common? HUMANS!

People will use whatever excuse they can find and will fly whatever banner they need to in order to steal, kill, claim, and destroy. Doing away with organized religion will NEVER do away with our global, national, and community ailments (* please see history: Soviet Union, China, and every other state that banned organized religions). You think the U.S. is bad? Please note the violence, rape, murder, degrading women and children, sex trafficking, and government corruption of atheist countries. Removing organized religion only removes a key adversary of ORGANIZED human corruption.

Anyways (post rant), Tozer has a way of dissecting issues and bringing them in plain sight:

"A certain amount of organization is necessary everywhere throughout the created universe and in all human society. Life requires organization. Life ... cannot exist as a thing in itself independent of any organized body. Where there is body and form there is organization. When, for any cause, the parts become disorganized life departs and the man dies.

"The man who would oppose all organization in the church must be ignorant of the facts of life. Art is organized beauty; music is organized sound; philosophy is organized thought; science is organized knowledge; government is merely society organized. And what is the true church of Christ but organized mystery?

"Without substance, form and order this divine life would have no dwelling place, and no way to express itself to the community."

God's Work Begins Where Our Ability Ends

God created each and every one of us for a distinct purpose. Many of us have several purposes. He plants these in our souls and lives, but it seems that few people find their true, specific purpose. Why? Distractions. The 'volume' of the world around them. Fear. Cynicism. The "I'm a realist" viewpoint. Pride. Over confidence in their own abilities.

How sad. Our creator infused us with specific passion, launches us with a distinct purpose, and opened the possibility of communicating with Him through His own personal sacrifice ... AND WE MISS IT!

So how do you find it? It's not as hard as you think to find it, but it takes faith, guts, and relentless persistence to follow through. You have to fight back naysayers, the cultural norm, pressure from family and friends, and sometimes what seem like impossible circumstances. But here's a dose of reality. God's work begins where our ability ends.

I'll say it again: GOD'S WORK BEGINS WHERE OUR ABILITY ENDS.

So if you are not willing to believe enough to have the faith to step past your barriers of logic ... if your faith isn't strong enough to take a risk and to step out where God has called you ... then you will never see an ounce of your purpose. If you don't truly believe in the power of the Creator of the universe, then you will complain, moan, grow bitter, fall into depression, get hooked on meds or drugs ... but you will not live a fulfilling life. You will wallow in your mediocre existence ... accomplishing next to nothing for the Kingdom of God. And you call yourself a Christian?

So where do we begin? Self Dissection. What makes you tick? You've probably heard people say that your area of genius in life is something that you would be willing to do for free. God has planted passion in you. Seek it out.

Here's the deal: Take a notebook and write on it "Study of Andy Shivers" (of course use your own name). Start with areas of life and then fill in the blanks. What subjects are you passionate about? What things on earth would you change if you could? What do you love to teach or share with others? What motivates you? I could list these forever, so I'm just going to open up my life and show you mine:

Spiritual
Daily Time with God
Spiritual Authority - The True Church
Grace (Power)
Worship and Praise
Serving
Health and Wellness Ministry
Ichthys
The Science of Creation
FAMILY
Role of the Husband-Father
Solutions for the Homeless
Racial & Cultural Reconciliation

The Science & Benefits of:
Hiking
Martial Arts
Nutrition
Exercise
Genetic Testing
Specific Diet
Fasting

Finance & Business
FairTax
Financial Responsibility
"Buzzworthy" Business
Networking w/ Give First approach
Pleasantly Persistent Sales


The list grows. This was step #1. Next? PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. SET GOALS. WRITE THEM DOWN. GET TO WORK.
In other words, what you do DAILY is who you are. Once you have dedicated daily/weekly/monthly time to your specific goals ... LET NOTHING STOP YOU!

WARNING: Once you step out on faith, spend daily power time with God and begin actively pursuing His purpose in your life, the enemy will attack ... full force. It's what Satan is scared of the most.

NOW DO IT!