I'm Just Thinkin'

Breathtaking views... a big cup of joe... and scrambled oatmeal = inspired!!

Today I wanted to say thank you…

It was two years ago this month that I started this gig… so I wanted to say thank you in appreciation to everyone who has followed my journey and offered endless encouragement and support. It has been an interesting and exciting time in my life… and I know that the best is yet to come

I’m in the midst of “learning the process” on putting together my first book… (you can read more about this book here). Not completely sure that my books are going to be published but really enjoy writing. This is very exciting… the feedback that I’ve received is very encouraging… I’m a little behind my self-imposed schedule (and very much at peace with this)… and at the same time I’ve realized that this writing gig is way more complicated that I thought it would be. I’m not really sure what most others think about authors… my perception was a little off before I dove into this venture… I guess I though of it a little like hanging out all day writing… I am pretty verbose at times so that part is easy (not quite like Tolstoy )… then I found out that, as a new author, I have to bring part of the audience with me… to run with the big boys… and that I’ll be using many other business and life skills that I’ve picked up along the way.

Hanging out writing… I mean, why can’t I just take a weekend off from life and shack up in tranquility… On Golden Pond with a big cup of joe and some scrambled oatmeal (my own personal recipe) and hammer out a book or two? Surely that’s what Lucado does, since he is publishing a book a week (or so it seems to me anyway).

There is way too much information on the internet and elsewhere to read and absorb. What makes mine stand out? Why should anyone stop by to read I’m Just Thinkin’? There are lots of folks working the internet right now… my presence, while I am on “learn as you go” mode, is pretty well defined… you can read more about my why here.

I wanted to share with you some of the most important resources / thoughts that I’m picking up on along the way…

This blog thing is sort of the proving ground… where I find out what ideas are going to fly… where I can hone in on them… where I am building an audience… where I’m making important connections… networking…

Two of the most significant resources that I have run across are Michael Hyatt’s blog and Christian Writers. I’m also involved in a new community group, it’s called “My Killer Tribe” … looking very fruitful!! If you are a writer, these are worth checking out.

I’m finding there is a limit to my creativity… that I can keep coming up with new goodness… only because I find material to write about through my daily walk… but there is a limit… when my creative energy is scattered into other areas of my life, my writing here at I’m Just Thinkin’ is scaled back.

If you’re a writer, what are some of the most helpful resources that you have identified on the internet?

What writing projects are you working on at this time?

It was one year ago today that the door was opened…

I learned a lot about people…

I learned a lot about life…

I learned a lot about God…

I learned a lot about a lot of stuff that at times I wish I never learned a lot about…

and yet, when it’s all said and done, it was just another experience…

Just another experience?

Yep…

I don’t say that with the intention of belittling what happened…

I accepted responsibility (you can read a little more about that here…)

I really wasn’t there all that long… and re-entered our world with a positive attitude and humbled spirit.

The most resounding points that I will share at this time about this experience are:

• To God’s glory, I was able to lead 4 men to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
• I gained a tremendous respect for the law enforcement officers who serve our communities.
• God continues to work wonders in bringing unity to our community.

These three mountainous peaks resonate through me to this day from this experience.

This is a joyous tune that one can only know through the experience of God’s love.

But, as I was saying…

it was just another experience…

you’ll have to understand my story to be able to put that statement into context…

Yes, this experience is worthy of a chapter…

an important chapter…

but only a chapter…

and I keep moving forward…

knowing that God is good, all the time.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Have you experienced a significant, life-changing event that you can look back on and say that’s what Romans 8:28 is all about?

A warm, cuddly Lion (:

I watched The Chronicles Of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe for the first time last week.

… it inspired me to write about how Jesus was both the Lion and the Lamb.

Narnia portrayed Jesus as the Lion. Strong and bold. Jesus gave it all for us. We needed that. We still do.

… we need the Lamb too. Soft and Gentle. Caring. Forgiving.

I want to grow to be like Jesus.

We often think of the Lion as masculine and the Lamb as feminine…

this seems natural… just consider the characteristics listed above…

the tendency has been to gravitate the church toward the Lamb…

the tendency has been to gravitate the church toward a warm, fuzzy and lovely place…

I personally love this place…

however, that tends to drive a lot of guys away from the church…

they seem to struggle with their masculinity in this setting…

if you read through the Gospel, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you’ll find Jesus was actually portrayed more as a Lion than a Lamb…

I love that dude.

I don’t really have to be androgynous to be the lion and the lamb…

or maybe that’s just the point, that being the Lion and the Lamb is OK…

Androgynous… having an ambiguous sexual identity…

just OK?

Maybe that’s what we’re striving for…

After all, He is both the Lion…

and the Lamb…

and growing to be more like Jesus is why we’re all here anyway…

Right On Dude?

Who is He? Another face in the crowd... or on the main stage?

One of my goals for this year is to learn more about the word “believe” …

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

“But what about you,” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”  Luke 9:18-20

To me, “believing” in Jesus means that He is front and center on the main stage… that my life is focused on Him above all else. That, to me, says who Jesus is.

Who do you say Jesus is?

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" 1 John 3:1

This is big boy church lingo that many people have never heard. I hadn’t, and as someone who is not a theologian I’m not sure I ever would have except for reading it in Chan’s Forgotten God.

It’s the two ways or schools of thought on applying material from the Bible…

Exegesis – Seek first the true meaning of the text and then figuring out how to apply it in our daily life.

Eisegesis – The subjective “drawing in,” or reading into the text our own ideas. Chan describes this as “you start with an idea or conviction, and search for Bible verses to prove your point.”

There is so much information in the Bible, and in many circumstances we can find verses that even seem to conflict. I have to make sure to keep the information within its proper context.

How?

• Do I go there seeking wisdom? I have questions and need to find answers. This can be trouble if we are looking to make a point… I need to be mindful of trying to improve me when seeking wisdom, and by using wisdom to help others in a positive way. Continually seeking wisdom is a good thing… I need to keep learning.
• Do I go there seeking enrichment? This reminds me of an organized reading plan, like reading through the Bible in a year. “Living By The Book,” by Dr. Howard G. and William D. Hendricks is an excellent resource to find out more about reading and learning from the Bible.

I think we do both… seek wisdom and enrichment… when we are healthy believers looking to grow in our faith.

How do you read the Bible?

Do you have a specific study guide that you use to help you learn His Word?