I may take some heat for this post, but that is the way it goes, right. There has been a lot of hype about this movie, and the fact that we as Christians should not go see this movie, and tell our non Christan friends not to see it as well. I felt the need to see the move to educate myself and if the opportunity presented its self, and I was able to encounter a person that was not a Christ follower we might have some common ground to work on. I believe that is what we are called to do, build relationships and allow God and the spirit to do the rest.
I went to see this movie for the same reason that I went to see the Da Vinci Code. To get more knowledge. I am not going to go into whether or not I liked it, or whether of not you should allow your children to go see it. You need to make that call. I am responsible for 10 children and felt the need to preview the movie for myself. Am I going to allow my children to go see the movie, most likely not. I have children that that rage from 5 to 16 1/2. The older children that are more grounded in their faith I might, but for the most part, I am going to say no.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Time To Breath
This week was one of the most relaxing times in my life yet. Christie and I were given two extra days off this week. We are in the line of work that comes home with you. We work and live at the same place 24/7. After a while that can take it's toll. So when we get the chance to get away we try our best to do it right. That was until we started the dreaded BUDGET. This thing is 2 letters away from being a bad word. It is good to have one of these things (BUDGET) , but it can can take some getting use to. So we start this BUDGET 2 months ago and on our last break we did not give ourselves enough money to enjoy ourselves, so I began hating this thing. You know, the BUDGET. After talking with my bride, who by the way felt the same way, we decided to move some money around and grow that fund that allows us to have fun and still keep us in the red.
IT WORKED! ! We had a great time this time, and still used the BUDGET. There is a passage in the bible that is misquoted a bit more than I would like to mention. It is quoted often as saying,"money is the root of all evil." In 1 Tim 6:10 it states, " For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
Money is not evil, it is not alive. Our love for money is A root. I capitalize the a because it is one way that our eyes can be taken off the real prize, and that is time with God through our Christ Jesus. All joking aside, a budget is a way to tell your money where you would like it to go. Money cares not were you put it. It is very obedient when you tell it where to go. It is when you allow it to go where your emotions want it to go instead of using you wisdom and discernment from God that you get into to trouble.
IT WORKED! ! We had a great time this time, and still used the BUDGET. There is a passage in the bible that is misquoted a bit more than I would like to mention. It is quoted often as saying,"money is the root of all evil." In 1 Tim 6:10 it states, " For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
Money is not evil, it is not alive. Our love for money is A root. I capitalize the a because it is one way that our eyes can be taken off the real prize, and that is time with God through our Christ Jesus. All joking aside, a budget is a way to tell your money where you would like it to go. Money cares not were you put it. It is very obedient when you tell it where to go. It is when you allow it to go where your emotions want it to go instead of using you wisdom and discernment from God that you get into to trouble.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Titus 1: 1-9
A couple of weeks ago, we as a community started on the book of Titus. Our leader, Josh, spent a great amount of time with his explanation of woman in leadership. That is not what this blog is going to be about. Josh said a quote that resonated with me for a good period of time after that sermon. So I asked him for the quote, and here it is:
"We tend to assess leadership with a corporate mentality. Eldership can be thus seen as an achievement, as a reward, or as an opportunity for advancement. It is all too easy to assume that the elder's duties are parallel to those of board membership in a corporation. This can lead to a perception of elders' meetings basically as a time for decision - making, with the executive (the CEO, as the pastor may be conceived) carrying out the directives of the board. In this scenario, it is possible for elders to consider pastoral concern and care to be outside of their sphere of responsibility and to belong instead to that of the pastor. That is a common and serious misconception. It is corrected by Paul's instructions to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 'to be shepherds' and Peter's to elders in 1 Peter 5:2 to 'be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care.' The examples of shepherding: the good shepherd in Psalm 23 and John 10 and our 'Chief Shepherd' in 1 Peter 5:4 also serve as correctives." (From Walter Liefeld in the NIV commentary)
I am on the elder board for our community and took this statement to heart. I sat and thought about it for some time and came to the conclusion that this statement is a confirmation. I view my duties in our community different than that of a removed board member. I see everyone that comes into the door as someone that matters and to get to know that individual. Maybe not as deep as someone else can, but maybe get them connected to another person who can love on them like I can't. If our entire leadership team felt this way, I wonder what we would look like in the future.
For a while now I have told my friends that I love their company, but I can call on them during the week for help or to socialize. My duties are to the new people that are there for the first, second, or maybe even the third time. My friends are totally cool with that and have started to do the same thing. I love it. What a great community we have.
"We tend to assess leadership with a corporate mentality. Eldership can be thus seen as an achievement, as a reward, or as an opportunity for advancement. It is all too easy to assume that the elder's duties are parallel to those of board membership in a corporation. This can lead to a perception of elders' meetings basically as a time for decision - making, with the executive (the CEO, as the pastor may be conceived) carrying out the directives of the board. In this scenario, it is possible for elders to consider pastoral concern and care to be outside of their sphere of responsibility and to belong instead to that of the pastor. That is a common and serious misconception. It is corrected by Paul's instructions to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 'to be shepherds' and Peter's to elders in 1 Peter 5:2 to 'be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care.' The examples of shepherding: the good shepherd in Psalm 23 and John 10 and our 'Chief Shepherd' in 1 Peter 5:4 also serve as correctives." (From Walter Liefeld in the NIV commentary)
I am on the elder board for our community and took this statement to heart. I sat and thought about it for some time and came to the conclusion that this statement is a confirmation. I view my duties in our community different than that of a removed board member. I see everyone that comes into the door as someone that matters and to get to know that individual. Maybe not as deep as someone else can, but maybe get them connected to another person who can love on them like I can't. If our entire leadership team felt this way, I wonder what we would look like in the future.
For a while now I have told my friends that I love their company, but I can call on them during the week for help or to socialize. My duties are to the new people that are there for the first, second, or maybe even the third time. My friends are totally cool with that and have started to do the same thing. I love it. What a great community we have.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Do It Again?
I was asked to speak again in our community. We are going to be going through the book of Titus in the upcoming weeks. I'm going to be going over Titus chapter 3. I thought I did really good when speaking on Transformers, but could have used some work with Shrek. Now I am being asked to speak on the the bible. This will be my first time talking twice in the same day. We moved to 2 gatherings in one day at the start of the fall and my friend said that it takes some getting use to. I'm excited.
I have been needing to get back into reading the bible on a more regular basis and so this is a great opportunity. My life has been turned upside down in the past month, and so I have been escaping through movies and video games. Not that movies and video games don't have there entertainment place, but the amount that I have been using them in, is excessive.
Well I'm off to go resonate in the word of my father. If you want, please read through Titus with us/me and give me some feed back. I love feedback.
I have been needing to get back into reading the bible on a more regular basis and so this is a great opportunity. My life has been turned upside down in the past month, and so I have been escaping through movies and video games. Not that movies and video games don't have there entertainment place, but the amount that I have been using them in, is excessive.
Well I'm off to go resonate in the word of my father. If you want, please read through Titus with us/me and give me some feed back. I love feedback.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Good Eats
I don't like to just post a depressing Blog and that is what it seems like I've been doing for the past month. So I wanted to say that I have discovered Cinnamon LIFE cereal. This is some good eats. What are your favorite cereals?
WOW
The rain continues to poor here at the Hart house hold. My bride successfully made it out of surgery Friday. She had a disk removed from her spine. She was was crazy scared, for good reason. She was putting up an EZ-UP at one of our son's swim meet last summer and heard a pop and her arm went limp. She thought that she hurry her shoulder, but in reality she cracked a disk and sent it into her spinal cord.
She lived with the pain for about a year until this last summer when she started loosing feeling in her hand then her arm. At this time she started to take this seriously. The MRI showed a piece of the disk jabbing into the cord.
The surgery went great and she was only in the hospital for 24 hours and now is at the house resting well. I am excited to have my lovely bride healthy again.
She lived with the pain for about a year until this last summer when she started loosing feeling in her hand then her arm. At this time she started to take this seriously. The MRI showed a piece of the disk jabbing into the cord.
The surgery went great and she was only in the hospital for 24 hours and now is at the house resting well. I am excited to have my lovely bride healthy again.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Tough Decisions
My friend Josh was speaking at a conference this past Friday. He personally invited me to this conference, but I was unable to attend. Josh just currently did a blog post on a book that he read about choosing to cheat. Josh describes this book as at first it seemed to be "very far fetched." The concept I got from the book review is that in our lives we have only 24 hours in a day. 8 is usually taken up by sleeping. Some people less some people more, but for ease we'll say 8 hours. Now the other 16 are yours to do with it what you want. Most people do 8 at work and 8 with family. But that does not leave travel time to and from work, shopping time, hobbies time,etc... You are in charge of what you fill those other 16 hours with.
If you are married, I feel that you are obligated to share as much of those 8 family/not at work hours to your wife and children if you have them. This is what I was face with this past week. I know that Josh has confidence in me, and I am honored to know and feel that, but at the same time, the death of my father-in-law is a higher priority. When I look back at it, it is a no brainer, but when you are making the decision it is tough.
If you are married, I feel that you are obligated to share as much of those 8 family/not at work hours to your wife and children if you have them. This is what I was face with this past week. I know that Josh has confidence in me, and I am honored to know and feel that, but at the same time, the death of my father-in-law is a higher priority. When I look back at it, it is a no brainer, but when you are making the decision it is tough.
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