Revitalize Your Church

It was dinner time, and the crowd of 5000 who came  to  hear Jesus was getting hungry and cranky.    Jesus turned  to  Philip, one of his disciples, and asked, "Where will we find food for all these people?"  There was certainly no McDonald's within sight and no pizza delivery.   Philip froze, like a deer in the headlights.  "Uh, I don't have a clue.  Feeding this crowd would cost more than I make in a whole year!"  Andrew, another disciple, found a little boy who had a small lunch:  five loaves and two fish.  He brought the meager morsels  to  Jesus, and said, "This is all we've got."  When he gave the lunch Jesus, a great miracle occurred!    Jesus took the lunch, blessed it, broke it, multiplied it and gave it  to  the people.  It was absolutely unbelievable!  Everybody ate and there were 12 baskets of leftovers!  I can relate  to  t...

I saw an interesting sign on a box a while back-- "Warning, contents may explode under stress!" Don't you wish volatile people had labels like that? "Warning -- This person is stressed out and ready to explode!" Then, we'd all know when to steer clear. Of course, from time to time, we all need a label like that, because stress is common to everyone. Life is stressful. The day you're free from stress is the day they carry you away in a coffin. We can't expect to be stress-free this side of heaven. Businessman, Malcolm Forbes recognized this when he said, "If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job." We can learn to deal with our situations, however, so the stress won't get the best of us! Here are a few thoughts on beating stress in your daily life: 1. Try to take life one day at a time. Poet Robert Frost said, "Just take things as they come, and handle them the best you can." 2. Remember tha...

When you are under tremendous stress, and life feels like a pressure cooker, then it's time to stop and evaluate what's happening inside of you.  Stress is like the red lights on the automobile dashboard.  It indicates a warning that something under the hood needs attention.  Here are a few questions to consider when you feel the tension rising: 1)  What symptoms indicate that I am stressed out?   2)  What are the immediate and underlying causes of my tension?  Often, the thing that is "stressing us out", is just a symptom and not the cause.  Look beneath the immediate situation. 3)  Am I living at a sustainable pace?  Look back at your schedule over the past two weeks and ask yourself, "Is this sane?" 4)  Do I have enough breathing room between events and responsibilities?  If not, what can I eliminate from my life? 5)  Is this temporary or permanent?  Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or...

We live in an anxious age where stress is epidemic.  It is impossible to live a stress free life, but there is a healthy way to navigate.  Allow me to suggest seven healthy ways to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. 1.  Embrace the demands. I have discovered that it takes much more emotional energy to dread and avoid difficult situations than it does to just dive in and accept them.  At least half of the emotional drain comes from worrying ahead of time. 2.  Ask, "Why am I doing this?" Busy activity tends to accumulate, especially for people who have trouble saying "no."  Review your commitments regularly, looking for unnecessary burdens.  Is this a part of your mission in life?  Does your schedule reflect your priorities and purpose?   What activities bring delight?  Which ones drain you?  It is ok to drop unmeaningful duties that drain you. 3.  Build breathing space into your schedule. Busy peop...

On a remote Alaskan island about 1000 miles from Anchorage , the Cleveland Volcano has been steaming lately. Pundits wonder when a full eruption will occur. That reminds me of some human relationships -- steam, steam, steam -- and "Thar She Blows!" Some people have a low frustration tolerance. At the slightest annoyance, they over-react with tantrums. A sticker on a box I saw a while back made me smile. It said, "Warning: contents may explode under pressure." Wouldn't it be great if people wore stickers like that? "Warning: if you bother me right now, I'm going to snap your head off!" Sometimes, we're tempted to stuff our stress and pressures down into our souls. Instead of resolving issues, we shove them down and try to ignore them. Unfortunately, an unresolved issue is like a dead skunk. You won't get rid of it by shoving it under the bed. Ignoring it just makes everything smell worse! For the times you are all...

Just in case you're in the "pressure cooker", here are a few stress busters. Take one or two as needed. 1) You can accomplish big things only when you can say "no" to little things. 2) When you've done all you can -- let it go. 3) Not much is worth worrying about. Worry selectively. 4) It’s not what you do, but what doesn’t get done that drains you. 5) An ounce of action is worth a ton of worry. 6) Most of the things we worry about never come true. 7) Live on purpose! Set priorities and use them to chart your course. 8) God is bigger than any problem you have. 9) It's not the big job, but the little worries that drain our energy. 10) Refuse to allow fear to direct your life. 11) Relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. 12) Problems will come. You can't avoid them. The real you "shows through" when the pressure is on. 13) Life goes on. 14) Look for the joyful surprises -- the postcards from heaven -- in every day. They are there...

An inspiring site based on the Don't Quit Poem

I always get a headache when I try to fight today's battles with tomorrow's strength. -- Johnny Hunt (via Steven Furtick )

Time is God's way of keeping everything from happening at once!

The centipede was happy quite until a toad in fun Said, "Please tell me which leg goes after which?" That worked her mind in such a pitch, She lay distracted in the ditch, Considering how to run. -- Anonymous

I saw an interesting sign on a box a while back-- "Warning, contents may explode under stress!" Don't you wish volatile people had labels like that? "Warning -- This person is stressed out and ready to explode!" Then, we'd all know when to steer clear! Of course -- from time to time, we'd all have to wear a label like that -- because stress is common to everyone. Life is stressful. The day you're free from stress is the day they carry you away in a coffin. We can't expect to be stress-free this side of heaven. Businessman, Malcolm Forbes recognized this when he said, "If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job." We can learn to deal with our situations, however, so the stress won't get the best of us! Here are a few thoughts on beating stress in your daily life: 1. Try to take life one day at a time. Poet Robert Frost said, "Just take things as they come, and handle them the best you can." 2. Remember...

Are you burned out?? Here's a little test to let you know. (via Monday Morning Insight , via Cory Miller )

One Third of Americans Under Extreme Stress I wonder what the stats are for church goers? For pastors? Could the programs and various ministries we offer at the church ADD to the stress level? Reminds me of the bulletin blooper: "Don't let worry kill you. Let the church help!"