Vision living

I was reading Proverbs 29 and came upon that familiar verse (18) to many of us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Here it is in a few different translations:

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law." NIV

"If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed." The Message

"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." ESV

"When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful." NLT

For some reason, I was intrigued by the fact that even though I've read and said this verse many times over the years, it was impressed on me more clearly this time that vision living comes about when we keep the law...obey the law...God's Word. We tend to emphasize the vision piece and talk about what happens if we don't have one.

But where does it come from in the first place? Scripture...God's written communication to us. And not only that, but God's divine direction to us that he speaks so clearly as we read the Scriptures.

Over the years, I've seen both leaders and individuals who "run wild...cast off restraint...stumble over themselves" because they don't stay on course with the vision God has given them...personally, professionally, and corporately. And sometimes it even feels like we're doing good and meaningful things...but for some reason it feels busy, disjointed, crazy. Could it be that in doing the good things we lose sight of the God things we should be doing?

I have to admit, I've found myself in that place.

So my challenge for us is to live out Proverbs 29:18 by following what it says:
1. Get back to or discover the vision God has revealed to you,
2. Stay with it,
3. Stay in or get back into God's Word on a consistent basis, and
4. Be blessed...be happy...be joyful because you know you're in the middle of God's vision for you.

It's better to live with a God vision than a good vision.

Transformation Church

It's been awhile...a long while, since I wrote my last entry...a lot has happened. It's amazing to see how God moves in our lives and directs us on this journey here on earth.

I'm reminded of a statement I've said to hundreds of folks..."God never wastes an experience" and I have to say that it's such a blessing to know that if we allow Him, He totally uses our life experiences to bring glory to Him!

So, I'm going to try and be a bit more faithful on my blog posts...

A few months ago...God once again surprised me and Sandy and we joined with Pastor Derwin and Vicki Gray and a wonderful team of folks and we planted a new church called, Transformation Church (www.tc521.org).

In the last eight weeks we've averaged over 700 folks a week and had over 800 this past weekend...very humbling to say the least for our team...but validating that what we're doing is so right on...

More later...

How may I serve you?

Wow, we (www.southbrookchurch.com) closed our UNITED series today by sending our folks out to serve at seven different locations. I had the privilege to serve at Plaza Baptist Church (www.plazabaptistchurch.org) with about 85 Brookies and about 25 folks from Plaza.

I was humbled, impressed, and amazed...these folks joined together to paint the hallways and classrooms in a two-story education building at the church and handed out light bulbs and picked up trash in several neighborhoods. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of other folks at other locations throughout the area doing the same thing.

We were being the church, and it reminded me again, that serving shouldn't only be a special time or place where we do something for others, but it should be a way of life...our lifestyle...our mission...our command...it should be something in our blood...our spirit...just sayin'.

So, for anyone reading this...are you a servant? a servant leader? a servant follower? how 'bout a good ol' servant? Ask yourself, "how may I serve the people around me?"

Courteously revere one another...

"Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another." Eph. 5:21

I've thought about this verse all day....Paul is talking to the Ephesian church and he's transitioning to a conversation with them about how they should live as family.

I just can't get out of my head how life would change...sometimes drastically...if we considered to courteously revere people as we interact with them...everyone.

Think about it....courteously revere. I grew up in the baptist camp in the south and we were taught to respect folk but I have to defer to those of you who understand what it means to revere someone....one friend said "it's a step above respect."

Wow, what if we courteously (that needs no definition) revered (honored someone a step above respect) everyone we come in contact with on a daily basis...no matter who they are...what they do...what we think?

It means we totally die to self, not just talk about it...and we honor them one step above respect. How would that change the way we interact with folks?

Just a thought...

32 years....and more to come

Last week my lovely bride and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary. Amazing...it's hard to conceive that we've been married for 32 years. More alarming, our oldest son will be turning 30 in August. What's up with that? I look in the mirror and can't believe I'm old enough to have a son that age...must less four adult children.

We spent our anniversary on the beach (Belleair beach in Florida) with our daughter and Sandy's brother and sister (who by the way celebrated their 29th anniversary last week as well).

During that time, I actually spent some quiet time walking on the beach and looking back at all the activities of those years--having four great kids, staying married to the same woman (or should I say she stayed with me in spite of me), taking several occupational journeys (teacher, interior designer, principal, tractor trailer relocater, editor, writer, pastor), my wife's second bout with cancer, my myasthenia gravis, various moves (Florida, Virginia, Hawaii, Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina), parents aging and the passing away of my mom and father-in-law, kids discovering life (both joyous and prayerful moments), and the list goes on...and on...

It's hard to believe. I think I've forgotten more things than I remember, and I realize that there's still more to come. And in the midst of it all...one thing I know, God has been a constant throughout it all and will continue to be so.

That is comforting to know.

Lifelong learner

The more I travel along this journey called life, the more I realize I know less than I thought. It seems the more I read, experience, absorb, or accidentally acquire it only confirms my lack of knowing...

However, instead of giving up and forgetting about it, I'm learning how important it is to continue learning in order to live life to the fullest...knowing that God wants to take what I read, experience, absorb, or accidentally acquire and allow it to help someone else in life...He never wastes an experience...so why should I?

Resolve to get involved

In my 54 years of living, I've never been one to make new year's resolutions. Basically, I don't want to hold myself to that kind of personal accountability...

However, I've made an exception this year-perhaps because of age, place in life, or maybe the stars are aligned-just kidding. I've resolved, and challenged others to do so, to be involved. Involved in what? In the lives of others...not just involved, but present, available.

I don't want to be someone who is thinking about what I'm going to say next, or what's next on my agenda, or the things I need to complete, or the list goes on...I want to be giving them my full attention.

What was I saying? Just kidding. May your new year be meaningful.