Margin

Yesterday I had to make a tough decision about doing too much...or, rather, not doing too much. That's difficult for me. I'm a person who likes control. Other people might say "control freak" but I don't have to because I'm typing...I'm in control...and I can call it whatever I want.

I'm realizing more and more that I need margin in my life. I don't always allow for it. In fact, in the few posts I've put on here this year you can probably see that as a theme if you look hard enough. But it isn't about my time management. It's about my relationship with God.

As a Christ-follower I talk about Jesus being lord of my life, the one who is in control. But while I acknowledge that in my cranium I'm pretty sure it isn't in my character and actions. Margin is less about my time management and more about Who I allow to manage my time. And contrary to popular business books, the correct answer shouldn't be "me".

So I made a tough choice yesterday to not do something. It was hard. But it was growth. If nothing else, it was growth in my image-consciousness (another achilles heel) by having to acknowledge that what "they" think or say isn't the issue. Obedience and margin...now those are issues.

Disciples Who Make Disciples

If there is one thing that is different so far this year within our ministry staff at Parkside, it is our focus and intensity in discussing how we make disciples who make disciples. We've long recognized (or, at least, questioned) how well we've truly been engaged in making disciples. But lately we've been challenged with an addendum to the question: how do we make disciples who make disciples.

I am convinced by looking at Jesus' model that making a disciple wasn't His ultimate objective. The role of Jesus' disciples was to go and make other disciples...not simply to become a disciple of Jesus unto themselves. It's a small shift in language but a huge shift in impact.

Jesus made disciples who made disciples and so on through one simple method embodied in lots of different ways: relationships. Jesus said that the most important commandment had two parts: love God and love others (in Matthew 22). We must be in a relationship with God and we must be in relationship with others. Not just any relationship, mind you. An intentional relationship with others that helps us grow in our life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our Reset Group has been an amazing experience so far. We collect as a group of people who are broad in age, life experiences, and places on our Journey. We range from not having a relationship with Jesus at all to having walked with Him for years. But it is awesome to continue to be on the Journey together.

In relationship.

Intentional relationships that are helping us become disciples...who make disciples.

Idaho Time

Andy, George, and I are in Idaho right now. We're here for a boot camp that will help us in the new campus in Columbia Tusculum and also stretch our thinking about the Kingdom. It's been a good day...the first of an extended stay here. Right now I'm really feeling the time difference. I've been awake about 20 hours and it's only 8:55 p.m. Rest is coming soon, though. In fact, I pretty sure I'm sleeping with my eyes open right now.

Happy Snow Day

For most of you reading this post you're surrounded by at least 8 inches of snow (with some ice layered in the middle). It's a level 3 snow emergency so you can't do much...few errands, few meetings, few schedules. Just unplanned, unanticipated (seriously, it was unanticipated...when do you ever believe the forecasts on TV?) time off.

When God prescribed time off each week he knew what He was doing...imagine that. And I don't believe that the New Testament trumps the responsibility we have to practice a Sabbath. Arguably Sunday isn't the Sabbath...I'll give you that. But I believe completely that God wants each of us to take some time to rest and relax. Days like today just remind me of that. As I look ahead and feel the pressure of our Ministers/Elders Retreat this weekend and 11-day trip to Idaho after that, it reminds me that time off and Sabbath rest is a test of whether or not I truly trust that God can take care of things without my help and my time. Pretty sure He can. But I need to be reminded.

So we'll see what gets finished...and what doesn't. But when the girls get up from their nap I'm going to enjoy them playing outside in their first real snow. Do the same. Rest. That's an order...well, a command(ment) anyway.

Happy New Year

Now that the holiday season has passed I find myself looking down the barrel of 2009. I get very excited as I look ahead at the opportunities God is putting in front of us this next year. From launching a new campus to taking further strategic steps with our adopted people group, 2009 seems to be shaping up for a great adventure.

So what about you? Does any part of 2009 especially scare or excite you? It doesn't have to be anything necessarily related to Parkside. Are you anxious or eager about this upcoming year?