Tag Archive - time

Time Series Recap, Creating Margin in Your Life

February 8, 2011 in Church with 0 Comments

We just finished a series at Cornerstone a couple of weeks ago called “TIME”. We basically tried to recapture the value of this precious and fleeting gift. One of sermons was about something very few of us understand it’s called – “margin” (week 4 podcast available here).

This is an article that has a lot to say about building “margin” into our lives, Margin: Space Between Ourselves and Our Limits, and I would highly recommend reading it when you get a chance.

I’m convinced that margin is something that could add so much to our connection with God. Because of our mostly unhealthy schedules we are people who live jammed lives. There is no margin or down time where we just relax and listen to God. There is no space for God to do His renewing work in our souls. It’s like we’re outpacing God’s desire to catch up with us. Here’s a reality check for you – margin is NOT simple. It requires us to be intentional about how we spend resources like time and money. It means adjusting our priorities and possibly doing away with some things. Man, that’s the tough part. Saying “no” to the good, so we can say “yes” to the best.

We cannot create more time, but we can create margin. So, I dare you to do it! Here’s a truth: even when you think you can’t, life goes on.

Vacation, fish hooks and Quality time

June 30, 2009 in Me with 1 Comment

Well…I’m back from vacation. It was a good one! Every year I take off two straight weeks to just be with my family. Every other year we go to some destination like Colorado or North Carolina, somewhere farther away. Other years we just go to the farm down in south Alabama or to the beach. This summer we went to the beach (Panama City) for the first week. It was a lot of fun! We sat on the beach while the boys skimboarded (btw- skimboarding is not recommended for adults who have never done it before-trust me), we fished, we ate and ate, we went over to Destin and ate at Fudpuckers (see picture), we watched the sunset (couldn’t quite make the sunrise), I got a treble hook caught in my hand and had to have a doctor remove it, I swam with a shark one morning, the boys rode the “slingshot”, Becky and I relaxed. It was good.

The next week we just stayed around Auburn while some much needed work was done on our house. But, it was good too. I am grateful to God and our church for allowing me to spend this important time with my family each Summer. From September to May I am so busy with Pastor/church stuff in the evenings and on weekends, that this time is valuable for Becky and the boys (in terms of both quality and quantity).

God gave us rest to combat things like stress, fatigue and emotional exhaustion. It needs to be a part of our overall health. I know I function so much better after just taking a break. God did it…so there you go!

Leading the Man2Man Group Today

January 20, 2009 in Faith with 2 Comments

I had the great opportunity of leading the guys at our Man2Man gathering this morning. I love sharing with these men who are seeking the Lord with their whole heart. I am blessed by them. Anyway, I talked about something that I have previously blogged about. It’s a principle that John Ortberg brings to light in his book “Overcoming Your Shadow Mission”.  Our shadow mission is “a pattern of thought and action based on temptations and our own selfishness that lead us to betray our deepest values. The result: regret and guilt.”

Man2Man

Often it’s not something that’s 180 degrees from who we are and what we’re pursuing, it’s more like 5 or 10 degrees of the mark. It’s pursuing religion instead of Jesus, spending all our time with hobbies in the name of “stress relief” knowing it takes time away from family or serving God, seeking approval from people, seeking fame and recognition, etc. etc. Everybody has one – what’s yours?

To pursue this shadow mission is to waste precious time. You and I were created for something far greater, bigger and more important than some unimportant selfish quest. It’s like when Mordecai tells Esther “who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”. What about you and me? Who knows that who we are, what we do, our passions and gifts and resources were given to us for such a time as this. God needs us for this time in which we live.

Just a thought.