YOUR PASTOR

Today... 

I just got home from a week long series of meetings. Many of those in attendance were in the full time ministry. Some, like me, were travelling (AKA itinerant) preachers/teachers. Many were pastors.

This was not my first rodeo, as my husband, the amazing Mr. Brintnall would say. I’ve been to dozens, maybe close to a hundred meetings like the ones I attended this week. 

            

I heard a lot of great music, many tremendous sermons, and even shared several meals that fed both body and soul. 

But let me tell you what I came away with this time. I can’t seem to get it off my mind; it has to do with your pastor.

            

Here is the truth—your pastor is a rock star.

            Seriously. A ROCK STAR.

            

I speak from a unique perspective.

            

I co-pastored a start up church for about a year. I preached most of the time. Like a lot of churches, we had services Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Every week I needed to spend hours in prayer, study, and preparation so I could present a fresh, powerful, memorable, life-changing message, and I had to do it three times every week.

            

I like to preach. No, I love to preach; I think God made me to preach. I began public speaking in the second grade. I’ve never suffered from the commonly held world’s greatest fear of public speaking. I love to hear from God. I love the Scriptures. I love the Holy Spirit. I love leading people to the Lord. I love operating in the anointing. I love seeing people’s lives changed as a result of the Word of God.

Even with my tremendous love and zeal for preaching, I have to admit that the demands of presenting a powerful, life-changing Word three times each week got…tough...

Okay. I know that those of you who aren’t in full-time ministry are thinking, “Hey, I get tired at my job too. Deal with it, pastor!” It’s not fair to compare a secular job with what your pastor does week after week after week…

Let’s do a little comparison of a secular employee with your pastor.

1.  As an employee in the secular world, you need to meet the expectations of your boss and those above you on the corporate ladder. For example, if you are an administrative assistant, you don’t need the approval of the janitor to keep your position. Your pastor, on the other hand, needs to meet the expectations of everyone in the congregation—the janitor, the administrative assistant, the CEO, and everyone in between.
2.  When you go to work on Monday, you know who will be there. Of course, there may be an occasional employee out on a sick day or vacation, but put yourself in your pastor’s place. He/she sees every person who calls that church “home” an average of once (out of an average of 8 possible services) a month. What would happen if the employees at your job showed up only about 13 percent of the time? How would things run? How would the customers get proper attention? Would the companies’ bills get paid?
3. If you make a mistake at your job, it can likely be remedied with a little effort. The widget may need to be retooled; the schedule may need to be changed; the document may need to be rewritten. If your pastor gives the wrong advice in a counseling session, or if something is misunderstood from his/her sermon, someone’s entire life and eternity could be at stake.
4. You can complain to your fellow workers about being tired, overworked, and undervalued (although I don’t recommend it---you know it happens!) and it is accepted as normal behavior. Your pastor is expected to be energetic, engaging, encouraging, powerful, and….well, perfect... all the time.
5. Your private life is your private life. Your boss can be in for a HUGE lawsuit if he/she tries to control your personal choices. As much as I hate cliché’s, it’s the truth--your pastor lives in a fishbowl, and not only the pastor... but the pastor’s entire family...                                 

So as I was driving home today, exhausted, from the conference, I thought about the pastors that were there.

They will go home, unpack, and do laundry just like I did. Since I'm not scheduled to preach anywhere tomorrow, I will have dinner and a sorely needed early bedtime. The pastors won't have the same luxury. They will likely go to their home office, fall on their knees, and pray for tomorrow’s services. 

They will write their messages, or put final touches on it. They will make sure that there are enough volunteers to cover the nursery, children’s church, ushers, parking lot, and the deacon room. They will probably get a few calls from congregants who need prayer or who say, at the last minute, “Oh Pastor, I know I was scheduled to lead the kid’s church service tomorrow, but I decided to visit my relatives on the other side of the state. Sorry.” Still... your pastor will get up early tomorrow to pray some more, eat a light breakfast, and get to church to turn on the Air Conditioning and the lights before anyone else arrives.

Your pastor will be in the pulpit tomorrow fired up with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. I know your pastor will likely be tired, maybe even a bit weary, but your pastor will be there. Will you?

I will blog you later...in the meantime, appreciate your pastor...He/she is a ROCK STAR!

And...do something today to fulfill your purpose...it may start by getting to church in the morning!

A Person with Fire in His Belly will do more than One with only Facts in His Brain!

Decades ago…(OMG…I feel SO OLD!) I was in a singing group that did motivational entertainment for business meetings. We sang songs like, I’m so Excited, When You Walk Through a Storm, and Made it Through the Rain. Our job was to fire up the crowd, get them to believe in great possibilities, to move forward, and take decisive action. We called ourselves, “Boiling Point.” I came up with that name because it occurred to me that one degree makes a huge difference. 

At 211 degrees Fahrenheit, water is hot. At 212, it boils, and it can move a two-ton steam engine! 

A person with fire in his belly will do more than a person with only facts in his brain!

Are you cold, warm, hot, or boiling? I can hear you thinking, “Well, I’m just not that way. I’m more laid back. Everyone expresses him or herself differently.”

True, true... I, the Music Theater major, am much more vocal than my husband, the Engineer. But he can get pretty fired up about some things... mention the United States Marine Corps and watch what happens!

I can almost guarantee you that you weren’t always so...lackadaisical. 

You were created to be FIRED UP ABOUT SOMETHING! 

Have you even seen a two or three-year-old that didn’t get fired up about life? The wonder of the puppy incites giggles and a dash around the room. The bright balloon taking flight into the clouds astounds and amazes the toddler.

When the three-year-old engages herself with play dough for the first time, she will work and work and work with it. My youngest granddaughter is so enthralled with those colorful blobs that she dreams of “Going to Disneyland and playing with play dough.” She will sit for extended periods (that alone is nearly a miracle) and work to create something of beauty….well... it’s beautiful to her…and of course, her GG, who thinks everything she does is genius!

God created you to be fired up. It shouldn't be "weird." It should be normal!

Unfortunately, hurtful experiences and years of disappointment act as a “wet blanket” on most people’s fire, and they become lukewarm, insipid, dull, and unproductive!

What FIRES YOU UP? What are you willing to commit time and energy to in the pursuit of something magnificent?

One degree makes such a difference! You can turn up the heat and go from 211 to 212. When you do, you will see that steam engine chugging down the track of your life toward your goals.

Focus. Believe. Speak. Think. Take action. Build a fire in your belly that pushes you to pursue!!!

…to be continued…

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” ~ The Words of Jesus in Revelation 3:15-16

 I'm not too old to be fired up....and neither are you! 

I'll blog you later. In the meantime do something today.... with zeal!

You will grieve....

Last week we broached the topic of grief....

One of the difficulties of facing this subject head-on is that no one, particularly people of faith, wants to admit that bad things might happen. There is no "if" "and" or "but" about it. Bad things will happen on this earth.

I can hear some of my faith friends gasping in shock! Jesus said it Himself. John 16:33 quotes Jesus as saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To be clear, I am not contending that you should expect bad things to happen. Nor am I teaching that God wants or causes hurtful or painful circumstances in your life.

We can pray, believe, and speak the Word of God so that no weapon formed against us will prosper. However, there are still weapons that are formed against us.

God has commanded His angels to guard us in all of our ways. There must be something from which those angels need to guard us. Here's the truth: Satan is on this earth to steal, kill, and destroy. Sometimes he gets the upper hand. (There are lots of reasons for that, but that will have to wait for another time!)

For those whose faith is in Jesus Christ, there will come a day when there will be no more tears, sadness, or pain. 

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

However, we are not yet in that day.

Jesus told His disciples,

You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

Imagine how they felt.

Jesus' followers expected Him to rise up and lead Israel to freedom from the tyranny of Rome. They saw him raise Lazarus from the dead. They forfeited their businesses to follow Him. They loved him dearly, and there, at Calvary, they saw the One they honored, the One they followed, the One they called, "Rabbi" scourged, beaten, crowned with thorns. They saw the nails be driven in His hands. They watched as He agonizingly cried out to the Father, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani."

The word "watch" is hardly an accurate description of what you do when someone you love is suffering. 

I've cried many, many more tears over my loved ones' pain than I have over my own. 

The disciples mourned for Jesus. I believe they weren't just sad over their loss; they were hurting over their Loved One's pain. 

The disciples' sadness caused a significant memory lapse....they forgot that Jesus said their mourning would be turned into joy.

In Matthew 28:8 we read that on the morning of the resurrection, the women ran from the sepulcher with great joy. It happened-just as Jesus had said! 

They wept for a time.
They mourned their loss and grieved over Jesus' suffering.
However, just as Jesus told them, their mourning was turned to joy!

You may be surrounded by the darkness of grief today, but if you keep moving forward, you will encounter the light of joy!

Today's message is this-

• Stuff happens in this world.
• When your loved ones are hurting, it is normal to hurt for them.
• Sorrow can cloud your mind. You had a past that had love, joy, and positive experiences.
• You also have a future that has love, joy, and positive experiences.
• In the midst of sorrow, continue to believe that your sorrow will be turned to joy, even though you may not feel like it at all!
• There is a future. There is a hope. 
• Everything won't always be like it is today.

You may be asking, "How am I supposed to do that? If you only knew what I was going through." 

I don't know exactly what you're going through today, but I do know that God's Word is true. 

Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)

We'll talk more about exactly HOW to go from mourning to joy in the next few blogs.
God loves you and has a hope and a future for you!!
I'll blog you next week.....In the meantime, do something today to fulfill your purpose.

Let’s talk about what most people rarely talk about.

My mother is 91 years old. She has been confined to bed for over a year. The day is approaching when her spirit will peacefully slip out of her body and walk through a door that some refer to as “the pearly gates.” What those who remain call, “death” is just “walking through a door” for the one experiencing it. It’s a part of life. In Disney’s “Lion King” movie, it became known as “The circle of life.”

If “death” (I much prefer the term “passing” because that’s really what it is) is such a part of life, why is it so rarely discussed? People talk about getting married, having babies, career challenges, raising children, retirement, but this part of life is rarely dealt with until it slaps one in the face with the sting of grief.

If you live long enough, you will experience a genuine life crisis that causes grief. Grief is keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow, painful regret. It can hit in several ways.

I don’t mean to be a “negative Nellie” today. My intention is to give you hope to help you through those periods of loss. It affects people at different times in different ways. It might be

·      A doctor’s diagnosis that includes the word, “terminal”

·      A meeting that results in your removal from a job or position in ministry

·      A discovery that your spouse or child is addicted to drugs or pornography

·      A confession that your spouse has been unfaithful

·      A knock on the door or an emergency phone call that begins, “There’s been an accident….”

·      A final moment near the bedside of a spouse, a child, or a parent

You may be going through something like this today; you may have gone through it, but you’re not sure you’re completely whole, or you may one day go through something that causes grief. It happens.

Everything is moving along nicely in your life, and then suddenly-everything changes!

Suddenlies in life can be positive. I often preach a message on “Preparing for Your Suddenlies.” ”Prepare for God to do something wonderful in your life; it will happen suddenly. God operates suddenly, but not unexpectedly. You must expect Him to move…. God will do it, but you must believe and prepare!”  That’s the good stuff.

But “suddenlies” can also be negative, and you should be prepared to handle those as well!

This is so close to my heart, so important, and there is so much to share that we will be looking at this topic over several posts. This is the first of a blog series that I am calling, “Mourning at Night-Joy in the Morning-How to Stay Spiritually Strong through Personal Crisis or Loss.”

Let’s be honest. Let’s talk about the hard stuff. Let’s deal with and prepare so that when those negative “suddenlies” happen, our faith is not destroyed.

The honest truth is this- Grief can affect belief.

Look at Mark 16:10-11…. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

On “Easter” morning (the morning of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead) Mary ran to tell the disciples, “Jesus is risen,” but they were so overwhelmed with grief that they couldn’t believe!

Jesus told the disciples that in this life we would have troubles, but to be of good cheer for He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) Still, their grief kept them from experiencing the joy of that resurrection morning!

Let’s talk about how you can go from mourning at night to joy in the morning. Trust me-it IS possible-even in the most difficult circumstances.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Share this blog. Get people connected. I know it will help them get through difficult times. Stay tuned for part 2 of this series. Until next time-do something today to fulfill your purpose.

Your future and Newton's first law of motion

Whether you know it or not.....Your life, your future, and your dreams are being controlled by Newton's first law of motion....


Do you even know what that is? Maybe you're like me.....

I am not a scientist or physicist by any stretch of the imagination.....

The Catholic schools that I attended were strong in letters and arts and terribly weak in math and science. I barely made it through Chemistry....dear old Sister Maria.... she and I spoke different languages.....Everything she said was all Greek to me.....When my academic counselor suggested I take physics....I declined and added a public speaking class....(surprise, surprise!).....

But somewhere along the line I learned about the law of inertia. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that it is key to.....just about EVERYTHING in life....

The law of inertia (AKA Newton's first law of motion) states, "An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."

Inertia is the roadblock that must be obliterated in order to move forward on the path of a fulfilling life.

• Inertia keeps you on the sofa when you should go to the gym.
• Inertia keeps you in bed when you should get up and go to church.
• Inertia keeps you in a dead end job when you know there are better opportunities.
• Inertia keeps you in that relationship that is easy and predictable, yet stressful and joyless.

Inertia keeps you right where you are......doing just what you're doing....the common vernacular for it is, "Same old, same old." 

Some people say, "Go with the flow..." But a dead fish can "Go with the flow" of the current. Is that what you want to be....a dead fish?

No one moves forward without some kind of "unbalanced force." There are times when the force is forced upon you....you get fired or laid off from your job....your significant other decides to leave you...the doctor tells you that if you don't get some exercise you will be dead in a few short years.....

The most positive thing about negative situations is that they can actually FORCE you to move forward, however....it's always better to be proactive than to be reactive!

You should be the source of the force for your own life!

Christians may think that I should have said, "God is the source of your force." However, God will never MAKE you get off the couch, go to the gym, go to church, or get a new job! He will let you hear things and read things (like this blog) to inspire you and direct you, but the choice is ALWAYS YOURS!

Here are a few things you can do to obliterate the roadblock of inertia in your life:

1.  Read....biographies, motivational books...news articles...increase your view     
     of the world...increase your knowledge of possibilities....

2.  Associate ....with people who aren't frozen by inertia...Honestly assess your
     relationships. Do you have friends/family/pastors/employers/co-workers who are 
     moving forward and encouraging you to do the same?

3.  Take one step today....get off the couch and do 10 push ups....go to church this
     Sunday....arrange to have lunch with a new acquaintance this week....get out
     of your cocoon at least once a day by having a real life conversation with
     someone.....

4.  Dream....what would you do if you knew it was impossible for you to fail? Write it down.

Remember, it takes a strong, determined salmon to swim upstream, but any dead goldfish can float with the current. 

Live life in a strong and determined way! Don't just float with the current! Overcome inertia; be the source of the force in your life that will move you to higher levels! You can do it!

Now....I'm getting up out of this chair...and going to the track...I am the source of the force to overcome inertia in my life.....how about you?

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and I learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like and armed man. ~ Proverbs 24:30-34

Please share this blog with someone who will swim upstream with you!

I'll blog you later...in the meantime....do something today to fulfill your purpose!

The news about Jared Fogle and Josh Duggar has hit me hard.....

America, wake up! There is an attack against you, your career, your family, your future, and it usually starts online. The availability of sexual material coming from the privacy of one’s desktop, laptop, notebook, or smartphone is destroying marriages, careers, and entire lives.  STOP IT. STOP NOW.

I know, you think it doesn’t hurt anyone. “What’s the problem with viewing a little porn,” you say.  

“It’s just soft porn anyway.”

“ I don’t look at the hard stuff.”

            “Everybody does it.”

            “It’s normal.”

            “I can satisfy myself and not involve my spouse.”

            “My sexual enjoyment is my business. I’ll do whatever pleases me.”

            “Nobody will ever know.”

            “Nobody will get hurt.”

“Nobody will get hurt?” Ask the families of Jared Fogle and Josh Duggar about that.

           

Sexual sin and abhorrent behavior has filled my newsfeed this week, and it has hit me in the gut. Facebook is filled with memes ridiculing Jared Fogle and lengthy posts from Christian sites decrying the hypocrisy of Joshua Duggar.

Fogle engaged in child porn and is accused of paying for sex with underage girls. He will likely spend at least five years in prison. At this point, Duggar has not been charged with any illegal activity, although he was accused of molesting five girls when he was a teenager. Had it come to light sooner or had it been handled differently, he would likely be looking at prison time as well.

Both of these men had wives and children. They had good careers. They had some fame. Their lives have now been destroyed. Jared, in particular, will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. It is likely that his wife, who filed for divorce on Wednesday, will end up with all their assets. He will go to prison for at least 5 years, probably more. When he is finally released, He will have nothing. The label on him will make it difficult for him to find work, housing, and even attend a church. No one wants a registered sex offender in his neighborhood, office, or church.

Why did he risk LOSING EVERYTHING? EVERYTHING……

The answer is, of course, because he was addicted. Addiction (to anything) includes compulsive, dangerous behavior. The addict will risk anything and everything for the next “fix,” whether it is alcohol, drugs, or sex. That’s what happened to Jared Fogle and Joshua Duggar, and the man I was married to for thirty years.

            “That’s not me,” you say.

            Okay then. STOP. NOW.

Whether you want to admit it or not, viewing porn online is too easy, terribly common, and it is a gateway to sexual addiction.

 “Not everyone who looks at a nude image is going to become a sex addict. But the constant exposure is going to trigger people who are susceptible,” says Dr. David Sack, chief executive of Los Angeles’s Promises Treatment Centers. (“The Sex Addiction Epidemic” Newsweek Magazine, November 25, 2011)

It’s time for the church to get its head out of the sand and deal with this issue.

A survey done by ChristiaNet gives these statistics:

• 50% of Christian men are addicted to pornography
• 20% of Christian women are addicted to pornography
• 60% of Christian women admitted to having a significant struggles with lust

I get it. Who wants to preach about this? It makes people squirm. It makes me squirm! I don’t want to talk about it or write about it, but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

I can understand that pastors don’t want to preach about pornography in the main pulpit, but how about dealing with it at the men’s meetings and the women’s meetings? What about the youth?

•          The average age someone begins viewing porn is 11 years old!
•           A study in the southeastern U.S. found that 53 percent of boys and 28 percent of girls (ages 12-15) reported use of sexually explicit media online.

Too many lives have been completely destroyed by sexual addiction. Stop it before it starts! Sexual addiction is not just about sex, and it may have its origin in other behaviors such as abuse, but the much larger and more common risk factor is pornography. (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy)

I am no expert on sexual addiction, but I have lived with the consequences of it. Here are some things I hope you will do to protect your family and your future:

1. Be honest with yourself.

2. Be honest with someone else. If you are married, that should be your spouse.

3. Talk about this. Explain to the teenagers how viewing porn will affect their marriage and how it can open the door to addiction.

4. Don’t live isolated. Get involved in a church community. That doesn’t mean just show up for services. Men need male friends. Women need female friends.

5. Keep the computer in a public space in your house. Every adult should have access to all computers, tablets, and smart phones.

6. Check the viewing history daily.

7. Keep your eyes on your future. The full gratification of a sexual experience (I’m trying to be delicate in my use of words here) lasts less than a minute. Decide to not let that minute destroy the rest of your life.

I pray that this post will make a difference in someone's life. I'll blog you later, and it will probably be more positive and joy-filled! Until then....do something today to fulfill your purpose!

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Your love, O Lord endures forever. Do not abandon the work of Your hands. (Psalm 138:8)