“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 

~Dr.Seuss

Guest blogger` Evan Sharpley, CCM Youth Director http://www.ccmonline.org/evan_sharpley, http://www.facebook.com/Mr.Sharpley

But by the grace of God I am what I am…(1st Cor. 15:10 Midday Prayers below). We are only on this Earth for a short period of time. Each person strives to leave his/her mark in his/her own way. Everyone wants to get the perfect job, attain wealth, and be successful, but what I have learned in the short time I have lived is that it is not so much what we DO but WHO we are. I use the word “DO” in terms of accomplishments that the world sees as successful. Not everyone is going to become the president, hit the homerun in the world series to win the game, or discovery the cure to a disease. Those people might DO more than you in terms of worldly accomplishments, but WHO are they really? Are they good people? Do they have values? Morals? Character? Do their ACTIONS (not their accomplishments) match up with who they are? So next time you look at yourself in the mirror, ask yourself, “WHO AM I? WHAT WILL MY LEGACY BE BASED ON? WHO I AM AS A PERSON, NOT WHAT I HAVE DONE ACCORDING TO SOCIETY’S STANDARDS?” Take some time to ask yourself what makes you who you are. Appreciate God’s resurrecting power in your life and utilize it to become who He wants you to be because he “has put everything under his feet.” 1st. Cor 15:27 (click on Midday Prayers below)

Give In- to God’s resurrecting power

Give Up- “worldly” ideas of success

Give Out- God’s grace

Midday prayers click below

Today’s guest blogger:  Charles Theodorovich, Compassions Pastor  http://www.ccmonline.org/charles_theodorovich

“There is no such thing as public opinion, there is only published opinion.”  Winston Churchill

“If the freedom of religion, guaranteed to us by law in theory, can ever rise in practice under the overbearing inquisition of public opinion, then and only then will truth prevail over fanaticism.”   Thomas Jefferson

Trying to balance all of the elements of ‘doing life’ can at times be overwhelming. How many times have we thought “where is the answer to all of this?”  Matt.11:18 ( From Midday Prayers below) tells us when John the Baptist came on the scene preparing the arrival of Jesus people thought he was demon “possessed”- a radical, outspoken and crude. When Jesus came people found fault with him being too social; friendly with sinners.

In our quest for peace, love and a sound mind how do we find it? Do we listen to the voices of public opinion to find balance in our lives or do we listen to that still small voice within us-God our creator drawing us to the truth, to Jesus Christ, to a new way of life giving us what we need to face the challenges of each day? Jesus said it this way, “Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” (Matt 11:19 Msg).

Give up- listening to public opinion, going along with the crowd, emotional contagion

Give in- to what your heart and spirit may be speaking to you.

Give out- as Jesus did, love, grace and mercy to others and see the results…”try the pudding!”

mdp-monday-w5

We’ve invited a few of the staff at CCM to write on our blog.  You will be hearing from some of our best, brightest and dearest friends who are co-laboring with us in the work of God’s Kingdom.  Enjoy!   Today’s guest blogger:  Silvia Blossom – CCM Director of Human Resources, Pastoral Staff http://www.ccmonline.org/silvia_blossom

“We are not happy because we are unforgiving, and unforgiving because we feel superior to others.” -Carlo Carretto

Is there a situation of unforgiveness in your life (thus in your heart) that you just can’t go there? I have had several of those instances and wasted way too much time not wanting to go “there”.  In one of those scenarios I sought counsel from my mom…(My mom whom is just about to spend her first year in heaven) listened carefully as I crafted  my side of the story.  She sat listening intently,  patiently as my list of complaints and justifications grew longer, her eyes fixed on me and then she just smiled at me and said  in Spanish…”entregate a Dios y El te lo paga por bien”…(give yourself and it over to God and He will set you/it right).   She didn’t have to tell me I was walking in pride or that I was wrong…she directed me to open myself up more to the new life Christ had already given me.  ”Set your minds on things above, not earthly things…put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature…put on the new self.  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another…forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3: 1-17, from Midday Prayers below)

I am sure glad I listened to my mom and then went on to listen to my Father!

Lenten practices for today:
Give in – to the loving counsel of a spiritual friend
Give up – your ego
Give out – forgiveness

Midday Prayers click below

mdp friday wk 4

“Take your risks now, as you grow older you become more fearful and less flexible. And I mean that literally. I hurt my knee this week on the treadmill, and it wasn’t even on.” — Amy Poehler SNL

So when?  When is the right time?  Do you know what you want to do but don’t have a plan to do it?  Do you have a spiritual practice for discerning the right time to go out on a limb?  Seriously, none of us are getting any younger!  In today’s scripture reading (Midday Prayers below), Paul is asking his friend Philemon to take a risk with his other friend Onesimus. It appears that Onesimus had been disloyal to Philemon in serious ways… possibly even stolen from him.   Paul is trying to help his friend in discerning that the time is now to take a risk on forgiving… even “welcoming” the person who hurt him. How about you, do you have any risky relationships that God is talking to you about?  Do you have the spiritual viscera (that means guts!) to explore  the risk?  Amy Poehler is right… “as you grow older you become more fearful and less flexible.” 

For Lent-

Give up – excuses for why you can’t do what God has put in your heart to do.

Give in- to the process of discernment, Give in- to a wise persons counsel

Give out- wise and risky forgiveness to the one who has hurt you.

Midday prayers click below

mdp thursday wk4

Today’s guest blogger:  Kathleen Loughrige, CCM Connections Pastor, Life Coach -Purpose Filled Coaching

Give me the Beat Boys to free my soul I wanna get lost in your rock ‘n roll and drift away
Yeah!..Give me the Beat Boys to free my soul. 

Do you allow yourself to get “lost” in something so you can drift away from what is true?  Does it free your soul?  In our world of technology it’s easy to get lost and drift away into another world.  In today’s scripture (see mid-day prayer below) the writer of Hebrews reminds us to pay attention to the truth of what we have learned so we won’t drift away into false teachings.   Pay attention to the truth that frees your soul…..

A practice for Lent

Give up – an activity that takes you away from the truth of what you have learned

Give in – pay attention to what brings peace to your soul

Give out – time to teach what you have learned to others who have drifted away

Midday Prayers click below

MDP wednesday WK4

Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, a master craftsman of idols.   - John Calvin.

ABC’s Nightline interviewed Pastor Mark Driscoll about commandment #1 “Have no other gods (idols) before me”. The following is Pastor Marks description of what an idol is;  “having anyone or anything as the center of your existence, the sum of your identity, the essence of who you are, what you live for, what’s most important to you, what if taken from you brings you the most grief, tragedy, and sadness.”  That being said, that makes us all “master craftsman of idols”.  Joshua tells us (see Midday prayers below) “reverence the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”  Every day is full of choosing… choose what will be the center of your life, choose Life Himself and live.

Practice for Lent

Give up – anything that is more important than God.

Give in – and invite God to be your Center… again… and again… and again…

Give out – any money, time or talent to God’s will that has been given to the idols in your life.

Midday Prayers click below

mdp tuesday w4

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”  - Dr. Suess

Our wise friend Charles always says “you are where you want to be”.  Now of course life can choose moments for you that you would never choose for yourself but you can still “choose life”…wherever you are, whatever you are living through.  God tells us through Moses (midday prayer below) to “choose life… the Lord your God is life”.  When we choose the Lord our God as our life, where you should go and where you want to be becomes quite clear.

Give up – fearful, fatalistic, negative, self defeating, dangerous choices.

Give in – and choose to let God love you… lead you… let God be your Life … right here and now.

Give out – a direction of Life that leads others to Jesus.

Midday Prayers Below

MDP MONDAY WK4

“I’m not interested in being Wonder Woman in the delivery room.  Give me drugs.”   - Madonna

I (Scott) didn’t use any drugs for the birth of our four children. I (Clare) thought he was a very brave birth coach! What a great day we live in.  Because of medical advancements we are able to endure and overcome threats generations before us could not.  But what have we lost with our numbing solutions.  What have we missed with our ease?  Some pain has value that we shouldn’t medicate or eliminate.  Paul tells us (midday prayers below) that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time….groaning inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  The groaning we feel is for God and God alone.  Lets stay with the pain as we wait in joyful hope of the coming of our savior.  Don’t use quick fixes or avoidance … feel the depth of your groaning for what only God can give.

Practice for Lent

Give up – Quick fixes and find your satisfaction in a close relationship with God.

Give in – find spiritual practices that connect your groanings to God.

Give out – your time to coach someone who doesn’t know what the groaning they are feeling means.

Please pray for Dick Loughrige today (Scott’s dad).  He is undergoing serious surgery.  Pray for nothing less than God’s very best for this precious man… he is dearly loved by all who know him.

Midday Prayers click below

mdp friday wk3

“How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?”
  - Julia Child

Thursday John 6:22 – 40

Some people have said that I (clare) am a coffee snob… and it wasn’t me (scott). It’s just that I (clare) know what I like in a cup of coffee and I (scott) like to make sure she has it!  When we were in Haiti we didn’t have Starbucks French Roast but the quality of the people made the coffee SPECTACULAR… even with goat’s milk instead of half and half.  It’s amazing how when you’re living in a moment that is in the center of God’s will for your life, everything tastes better! Jesus said He is the Bread of Life (see midday prayers below) stay in His company, let Jesus be your bread and you’ll never be hungry or complain about what you’re eating again.

 Practice for Lent today…

Give up – food that doesn’t satisfy

Give in – your time to sharing a meal with someone who shares your faith… feeds your soul

Give out – words that feed another’s soul with words of life and eternity

Midday Prayers click below

MDP THURSDAY WK3

“Ever wonder about those people who spend $2 a piece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backward.”  

-George Carlin

What are you willing to pay to get your spiritual thirst quenched?  Have you ever been naïve in your choice of thirst quenchers? It’s been said that by the time you’re actually thirsty, your body is already dehydrating.  Can the same be true about your spirituality?  Once you finally realize it’s been a long time since your thirst was quenched you may have a serious condition going on.  Jesus promises us (see Midday prayers below) that those who come to him to quench their thirst, that rivers of Living Water will flow from them.  Take the thirst challenge…

A practice for Lent today…

Give up – naïve forms of hydration.

Give In – each time you feel thirsty, take a drink of water and pray or read scripture.

Give out – money to organizations who bring both spiritual and physical water to those dying of thirst.

Midday Prayers click below

MDP WEDNESDAY WK3