Estes Park, Colorado

Think about it… we start off life in the meadows. Fields of green grass that are pristine, with Bighorn Sheep grazing in the park. These “parks” in the Rockies are meadows or mountain valleys.  My image is of Estes Park, Colorado, the headquarters for the Rocky Mountain National Park. This land was once referred to as “The Circle” by the Arapaho Indians. A special place with many named trails, this land was frequented by these Indians in summertime. They always found their way back…

The seasons come and go in Estes Park. While we may define the start of each season on a certain day each year, there is some variability. This summer has been a special one for me as I’ve spent a lot of time with Julia and my family. Not perfect, but very peaceful and meaningful to me, much like the feeling of being in a meadow.

I’ve taken a huge break from writing this summer. It has left me excited about the fall and getting back into the groove with a new game plan. Stepping back from writing I’ve realized that blogging is a strange phenomena. I will at times read another person’s work and think they surely have written this directly to me. Of course, that’s silly. At other times I can say that I’ve read some posts and can only hope that they may have been inspired by something that I’ve contributed to humanity. That’s a good feeling. Here are a few other good tidbits from my field of vision for this summer:

• Love it when I hear that pastors are teaching in the book of Revelation.

• Love it when I hear that churches are supporting local ministries as well as sending tons of missionaries abroad.

• Love to hear how 2,000 years after Jesus lived we’re still learning and growing as disciples.

It’s exciting to see churches and their learning groups looking more and more like our communities. Maybe it all started a really long time ago, like “The Circle” that the Arapaho returned to every summer. Summertime is more relaxed than the rest of the year. We need that. A good time to step back and take a look from a different perspective.

What has your summer been like? Have you enjoyed this season of “life in the meadows”?

photo courtesy of The_Real_Birdcatcher @tripadvisor.com

The post Life In The Meadows first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

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Keep Stretching…

I’m on the road today, back to Pennsylvania, the state where I was born… in a manner of speaking, since I’m writing at Jon Stolpe’s “Stretched” blog! Of course, rubber bands came to mind, as did being stretched for sharing the Gospel, all about Jesus with everyone who will listen.

If you’re not staying stretched to transparency, you’re not living. (Click To Tweet)

I’ll share with you a cool Bible verse, Jesus speaking about how you can live your life now to the fullest AND be with Him for eternity, too! Not possible, you say? Check it out by following this link over to Jon Stolpe’s Stretched Blog.

Jon is an interesting guy, a Christ-follower, husband, dad, son, uncle, engineer, runner, chicken farmer, gardener, saxophone player, operations manager, adventurer, and the list goes on…. please visit his place often!

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Sticking with the plan!

I was working on a project site recently and asked one of the guys working on the construction side of the project how the building was progressing. This major project consists of rebuilding an airport terminal. Part new construction, and part reworking an existing structure. He indicated it was going ok, new construction like a dream, but they were having issues with renovations to the old building. Something like a nightmare, the reconstruction part, that is.

If you’ve ever tried to remodel in the home you have probably had a similar experience… sometimes it goes as planned, and other times you find yourself facing unexpected delays, or hidden conditions. The old wallpaper doesn’t come off the wall you’re trying to repaint, or you can’t access to replace all of the old plumbing pipe as it’s now below the slab. Whatever the case, a small snowstorm has welled up and created a huge drift. That half-day home improvement project is now going to consume your entire weekend. Or you have to tell the airport authority their new facility will be delayed, opening after the snowdrift melts… next spring.

Nothing could be more true in the world today than the power of patience and perseverance, and the love of Jesus. (Click To Tweet)

Life is sort of like the rewiring project. Finding peace sometimes takes lots of patience. Consider the story of the Israelites wandering through the desert. They messed up in following God’s will and way, over and over and over again. It’s hard to imagine that God has that much patience with us, to be able to accept us even when we’re at our worst. I’m thankful that He does, that He’s rewired me through so many of these remodeling projects. He makes us whole and complete. That’s a huge part of this journey.

Truth and grace…

There’s an interesting story in Joshua, it’s Chapter 22, verses 11-34. A rather large and imposing altar was constructed by some of the tribes at the Jordan River. Why? Assumption said it was to worship a false god. Then, along came truth and grace… instead of assuming the worst about the altar, intentions were investigated and a way cool purpose discovered: the altar was constructed as a memorial. The conflict was averted and peace, harmony and unity restored.

The rewiring project is sort of like being a teenager again… pretty cool when our heart is filled with the innocence of being in love, not so attractive when it’s a chess match resembling high school drama.

Saying or doing a bunch of stupid stuff to other people does very little to draw anyone in closer to God. Quite the opposite, when we behave like a gaggle of wild animals and can’t treat each other with dignity and respect. How could we possibly reach out to have influence, touching the lives of people who are hopelessly lost? Or, maybe that’s just the point of planet earth… it’s just as important for those who “believe” to try to stay on the straight and narrow trail as it is for those who are a “lost cause.”

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3

Being at peace with learn-as-you-go-mode…

• Recognize that you’re going to run into obstacles. Consider these snowdrifts to be opportunities.
• Don’t be afraid of taking a risk… ask questions… listen for the truth… and offer grace.
• Savor wisdom… both the easy lessons and the difficult ones.

The rewiring project..

Learn-as-you-go mode.

In many ways, I’m still there.

Maybe you are too?

Can we be at peace with that thought?

I’m going to focus thought on the season of joy and to make Jesus love now… sticking with the plan!

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Discovery… and Indiana Jones. Love Indy. He was the adventuring archaeology professor that “lived” on the big screen… so I like this adventure tale. I also love 00 Smooth… Bond… James Bond. Both dudes were suave… debonair… (neither quite crunchy sexual though… ha!). Oh well, close enough… I guess I could write this “discovery”pitch… it would be fun… and would certainly lead us to an image of Jesus if posed here… but I’m bringing something even lovelier today… yep, and it likewise leads to Jesus…

Discovery to me brings to mind something new… or growing… like a bank of knowledge… or love. Picture with me the cute old couple sitting on the park bench… smiling… in love… STILL in love… it’s been a good life they’ve shared… oh so many memories… children… their children’s children… and so on…

Wondering why I would use an image of a very old couple on a park bench while trying to convey the concept of something new? Or growing? Discovery?

The answer may just surprise you… and totally transform your perspective of the meaning of love… and discovery.

I wonder how many people are genuinely excited about growing old? I don’t know as I’m necessarily excited about this growing old concept… the aches and pains… loosing my memory and eyesight… hearing?? … cant’ run fast anymore… but I am excited about eternity. And I am excited about these two old people we’ve envisioned growing old together. Why?

“Growing old together” … what exactly does that  suggest? Well, to me it suggests that we’re going to continue on a journey to discovery… one that is enduring, like we say about true love… love endures. To me, if “growing old together” means we’re experiencing something that builds formidable mountains in terms of intimacy, I want to know more!

“Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:8

Wouldn’t it be awesome to think that our love could grow continuously through time? I kind of think of that as a goal. At church we say our goal is to be in a growing relationship with Jesus. That’s what I’m referring to here… for Jesus, and for other people.

How do we foster this growth, of our love for others?

The reason that true, unconditional love grows is discovery. (Click to Tweet)

Remember, unconditional love is accepting you exactly as you are. Whatever your imperfections are today… and whatever comes up tomorrow… this love endures. It is unchanging. It’s like the invitation from God…

“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

When we’re in a relationship that clicks right, there is growth. It could be in your marriage, with your other loved ones, and also with Jesus. Especially with Him. That’s exciting! It may not happen every single day, and certainly we’ll go through seasons, just the same as in every other aspect of life, but hopefully there is growth in a positive direction.

How do we stay is discovery mode?

There is one enduring truth: When all else fails, the truth of God will still be standing.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Jesus speaking, as documented in Luke 21:33

Growing love and discovery… it’s not a gimme… we have to have a healthy heart to be in this arena.

The thought driving this through me doesn’t dive into the physical side of a healthy heart. While that’s important to our vitality, and it’s something that I prioritize in my personal life, this effort is focused on the emotional health of our heart.

A good, warm and inviting fire… fueled with the deep, enduring love of Jesus, fanned by the breath of the Holy Spirit, and ignited by the crisp spark of God’s word on the tip of our tongue.

That’s how we get to the proverbial park bench from here…

Discovery is simply having a positive attitude, initiative and a healthy heart. (Click to Tweet)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. Ecclesiastes 3:11-12

Christian Writers Blog Chain

The post Living A Life Of Discovery first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

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A wedge of key lime pie is tangy and tart… coming full circle is a reason to celebrate!

Coming full circle… I don’t know about you, but in life whenever there is a loose end it tends to make me wonder. I guess I shouldn’t let this bother me, because I do know that there is a reason and a time for everything, right…

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

I’ve also found, in life, there are experiences that occurred that I can’t really “tie back” to anything definite until years later… then, when the “ahhh haaa” moment shows up, I can put the pieces of the puzzle together and everything fits together just right.

My family made me think of this today… we have some stories in our tribe, for sure. My daughter Rachael handed me a Father’s Day card that had mention of an evil twin… the cover… “Dad, I know it seems like I was a lot of trouble growing up,  but it was actually my evil twin”… and inside… “by the way, my evil twin is very sorry.” This really busted me up in laughter as I really had a time of it with her during her teenage years.

We struggled in our relationship for a really long time… but when it finally came together… when everything went full circle… it was good… and I mean really good! The same has been true in every aspect of my life… when I believe and trust in God.

Through all of that Rachael and I found the meaning of free will… true, unconditional love… and mutual respect. I know, I’ve written about this before… but I have a little different angle this time, so please bear with me…

Today, this thought has taken me back to an Andy Stanley sermon that is one of my all-time favs… it has to do with, among other things, having a right standing (or righteousness) with our Heavenly Father… and how when we mess up we come back to Him with our head hung low… apologizing and seeking to make things right… when, in reality, we’ll never be able to earn our right standing, which is why God gave us an out in Jesus, so we can be in His glory.

My point with Rachael is this… she couldn’t mess up her right standing with me or keep me from loving her no matter what she did. She messed up but she can always have a right standing with me… just as we all do with God knowing that Jesus died for our sins so we don’t owe God any more… it feels weird and makes us feel shameful and guilty whenever we make mistakes… but we can’t mess that up because Jesus has taken sin out of the equation… that’s the beauty and majesty of the Gospel!

Coming full circle… the pieces in the pie with Rachael and me fit together easily… it’s pretty easy to see how we gained love and respect directly through a cause and effect relationship between the two of us. Other times in life, the cause may actually have very little to do with the ultimate effect… the outcome. I can see that at work (through God, of course!) in my life today… in a variety of places (yep, including the HB!).

Remember, nothing worthwhile comes easy… a worthy pursuit, for the right reasons, is more precious than gold!

In case you missed it.. the pieces of the pie.. B-I-N-G-O… there’s the wedge!

Coming full circle… yep, there’s reason to celebrate… today and every day… no need to worry or feel uneasy anymore… because when everything comes together in God’s perfect time and way… all is good… and I mean really good  🙂

Note to evil twin: Apology accepted!

Do you have an experience where coming full circle gave you reason to celebrate?

Christian Writers Blog Chain

The post The Celebration Of Coming Full Circle first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post The Celebration Of Coming Full Circle appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

I can think of the following 3 groups of people who I should be investing in:

• The people who are within my circle of influence. These are generally those folks who are within the outer 3 circles in  The 4 Circles And The Great Beyond . I may at times be more intentional about some of these investments than others. One of my personal goals is to invite more new people to check out our church. Another is my deep commitment to spending time with my family.
• The people who lie outside my circle of influence. Influence on this group of people is extremely subtle and at the same time may be considered the most important. I can run across these opportunities to invest in people virtually anywhere. If I’m focused on this group I can even bring some of these people into my circle of influence. These are also the people who make casual observations about my walk and me in general. These observations and/or our casual direct interactions can have an impact on the impressions people will make on Christians in general… so I have to keep working on me to make sure that I am going to make a good impression and one that honors God.
• Me – I need to take the lead in this investment and make sure that I am focused on staying in a growing relationship with Jesus. I also need to stay connected with a solid group of believers as they will be investing in me (and visa versa).

In Whom Are You Investing?

How do you let the people who are most important in your life know it?

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Sweet little Emma is a tremendous blessing to our family and a luminary for life.

The very first thing Emma learned was to breathe deeply.

Next up was a new way of eating.

There will be many more baby steps to her journey.

I am inspired by children in a special way. I absolutely adore little ones. I’ve written about kids plenty here at I’m Just Thinkin’.

Today Little Emma has me thinking about how we learn and grow every day…

she’s a beacon or luminary for life…

she’s already learned and grown so much in just one short week…

it makes life seem so brief in comparison to eternity.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 14-16

Nolan, Emma and Jesus are a light to me… they inspire me.

That’s something to get really, awesomesauce excited about!!

It puts a smile on my face and a pep in my step!!!

It’s the excitement of new life beaming with God’s glory every moment of the day.

What’s happening in your world today that inspires you in a positive way?

The post A Luminary For Life first appeared on I'm Just Thinkin'.

The post A Luminary For Life appeared first on I'm Just Thinkin'.

quantum mechanics ... Ugh!!!

Sometimes life seems to get stressful and we need to simplify. Too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. I am feeling this way right now as I have been overwhelmed with commitments. The ole To-Do / Priority list helps… but whenever it gets busy life can tend to sway out of balance and the really important stuff can get pushed aside. When this happens I need to try to remember to simplify: Strive to do less by focusing on what matters most.

In school we were taught to write mathematical expressions in their simplest form. Remember simplify? I really enjoyed math in school, and always like to help my daughters with their math homework. They say that I missed my calling, that I should have been a math teacher.

Here are 6 fun mathematical expressions on how to simplify when you’re overloaded:

• Regroup – Yep, Regroup comes first. It can help you identify the most essential tasks. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of resisting the temptation to blow off that which is of eternal significance… if you happen to be busy and stressed you may need God more now than ever!
• Add – Add a layer of organization to your world. This may be necessary to efficiently complete the tasks at hand once they are identified. Joshua Leatherman provided an excellent writeup as a guest on Michael Hyatt’s blog about the Pomodoro Technique , a tool to use for becoming more efficient. Adding a to-do item like this one may make the rest of your today and tomorrow flow better.
• Subtract – Reduce or try to eliminate unnecessary distractions. “… and that’s all I’ve got to say about that” – oh how I love my Gump-isms!
• Multiply – When I think of multiply, multi-task comes to mind… how to take the use of my time to a new level… if you’re good at tapping your head and rubbing your belly at the same time now is the occasion to make good use of the gifts He has given you 🙂
• Divide – Divy up tasks among people who are in your support group (i.e., don’t hesitate to ask your spouse, family, small group or other supportive friends for assistance in your time of need… and be sure to help them when they need it too!).
• Regroup – you are absolutely correct… Regroup was first… and it’s last too. Don’t forget to Regroup… again! Make every effort to keep God at the center of your every endeavor.

I want my life to have impact in a positive way. To do that I need to…

keep it simple with Him in the middle…

pray about everything…

be thankful, and let the joy and peace of Jesus rule in my heart.

Can you think of any more mathematical expressions to help simplify life?

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