Ferris Bueller famously said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Sometimes we choose to stop and look around. Other times, life makes that choice for us.
Today has been the latter for me.
For the last five hours, I have been sitting with my dad at the hospital. We finally have a room and thankfully he is resting.
It's in moments like these that you think about things you often forget about.
I've been remembering so many times that my dad was there for me. Videotaping marching band performances. Lunches at Markley's. Sitting with him as he did his work with many area attorneys. Supporting Michelle and me when we went to Harding for my Bible degree. And so many more fond memories.
There's something about seeing your parent laying in a hospital bed that makes you more appreciative, more nostalgic. We often forget about the simple but meaningful things our parents have done for us. We often fail to remember the numerous small sacrifices they made to help us get where we are. We can get so wrapped in our own lives that we neglect to be thankful for the lives that shaped and supported our growth and development.
I know not everyone has pleasant memories of their parents, but we all have had a "parent" in our lives.
Take time today to say thank you. Tell them what you appreciate and what they have done that has been a blessing to you. I have done that with my dad, but not enough.
As I sit here in this hospital room, I know that God is using this experience to remind me that I need to take more time to show my dad how much I appreciate him. I hope these thoughts will cause you to stop and take a moment to do the the same for someone who has helped you along the way. Don't wait for a moment like this where life makes the choice for you.
Like Ferris said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Don't miss it.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
It's not what you do...
It's not what you do, it's what you do with what you do.
It's been eight months since I wrote on this blog. Since then I have changed careers, moved back to a new state, sold a house, and experienced a host of other changes along the way.
I remember the Sunday I stood before my church family in Rochester to annouce that we were leaving to move back home. As I shared with them that I would also be making a career move, one of the thoughts I shared was that you don't have to get a paycheck from a church to be a minister.
It had been over fifteen years since I had either been in school for a Bible degree or working full-time for a church. What would it look like to not be working at a church? I had not been a Christian that long before going into full-time ministry, so I did not have a lot of experience in this realm. For years I had taught and preached about making your faith a part of your every day life. I had encouraged students and adults alike to live out their faith at their schools, their jobs, and other places they go. Now it was my turn to "practice what I preach."
The last eight months have been filled with opportunities to minister. Have I taken advantage of every opportunity? No. But, I witnessed God placing so many opportunities before me to impact others and spread the Kingdom and I have strived to be faithful to my calling.
Whether it's been praying with someone who lost a family member, serving the middle schoolers at our church, providing groceries for those in need, serving family, or simply spending time listening to someone who needed to talk, God has given me so many chances to make a difference.
And this takes me back to where I started this post: It's not what you do, it's what you do with what you do.
God will call some people into full-time ministry, some for a lifetime and others for a season. But all of us, every person who is a Christian is called to be a minister. Regardless of where you get your paycheck from, your purpose comes from God.
Do you get paid to run a company? If so, treat your employees with grace, compassion, and mercy.
Do you get paid to be secretary? Make sure that every person you talk to leaves your desk knowing that at least one person will treat them with honor.
Do you get paid to be a cashier at a department store? Find a way to compliment each customer and go the extra mile to serve them.
I could go on and on, but the point is this. God has called every believer to be a minister. Regardless of what you do, find ways to be an ambassador for the Kingdom in every circumstance.
shine!
Jason
It's been eight months since I wrote on this blog. Since then I have changed careers, moved back to a new state, sold a house, and experienced a host of other changes along the way.
I remember the Sunday I stood before my church family in Rochester to annouce that we were leaving to move back home. As I shared with them that I would also be making a career move, one of the thoughts I shared was that you don't have to get a paycheck from a church to be a minister.
It had been over fifteen years since I had either been in school for a Bible degree or working full-time for a church. What would it look like to not be working at a church? I had not been a Christian that long before going into full-time ministry, so I did not have a lot of experience in this realm. For years I had taught and preached about making your faith a part of your every day life. I had encouraged students and adults alike to live out their faith at their schools, their jobs, and other places they go. Now it was my turn to "practice what I preach."
The last eight months have been filled with opportunities to minister. Have I taken advantage of every opportunity? No. But, I witnessed God placing so many opportunities before me to impact others and spread the Kingdom and I have strived to be faithful to my calling.
Whether it's been praying with someone who lost a family member, serving the middle schoolers at our church, providing groceries for those in need, serving family, or simply spending time listening to someone who needed to talk, God has given me so many chances to make a difference.
And this takes me back to where I started this post: It's not what you do, it's what you do with what you do.
God will call some people into full-time ministry, some for a lifetime and others for a season. But all of us, every person who is a Christian is called to be a minister. Regardless of where you get your paycheck from, your purpose comes from God.
Do you get paid to run a company? If so, treat your employees with grace, compassion, and mercy.
Do you get paid to be secretary? Make sure that every person you talk to leaves your desk knowing that at least one person will treat them with honor.
Do you get paid to be a cashier at a department store? Find a way to compliment each customer and go the extra mile to serve them.
I could go on and on, but the point is this. God has called every believer to be a minister. Regardless of what you do, find ways to be an ambassador for the Kingdom in every circumstance.
shine!
Jason
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