Meditation…

The title of my blog is obviously “stop and smoke a cigarette.” If you are confused or even turned off by that, just check out the reasoning for the title under the “about” tab and prayerfully this will bring about some sort of rest to your angst. The blog title is really another way of saying “Be Still.” This has been a major theme in my life over the past year. In a culture that is highly administrative because of the size and scope, I have to be intentional like never before and be responsible like never before for my spiritual growth. If I do not go deeper in my relationship with the Lord, I can’t expect the weekend nor the week to assist in this….I must become a self-feeder. 

But what about the tension between being still and becoming a self-feeder…spiritually? There is obvious tension and will forever be present just as the tension the exists between “already” and “not yet.” I am already a child of God and have experienced his salvation, but I have not yet fully experienced these things because I am still in the context of a fallen state. 

Meditation is that time when we don’t “empty” our mind in order to achieve “nirvana” but rather “fill” our minds with the things of God. There is a big difference here. Meditation is a way of being still before the Lord, listening to Him as much as we speak to Him, and speak back to Him His own words. 

My encouragement to you today is to begin meditating for the next 7 days. I would encourage you to do this (this is my personal outline):

1. pray that God would show me my condition (emotionally, spiritually, physically)
2. pray that God would  cleanse me
3. pray that God would speak to me
4. read a verse of passage and meditate (for at least 20 minutes- be silent)
5. record what God said to you (not an audible voice..but if so…please let me know)
6. continue on throughout the day in that spirit

God’s best to us as we are on this journey of life together!

 

Piper on Driscoll

I must admit that I am a Piper follower. I would even be categorized as “reformed” by many but non-divisive by most. This should be a great talk and hopefully it will end up on YouTube, Dailymotion, UStream or something in cyberspace. I love that fact that today’s greatest pastor/theologian gives mad props to Driscoll. Mark Driscoll is theologically sound, doesn’t just on trendy bandwagons, doesn’t back down from controversy, and did I say…theologically sound. 

“Daddy, Are you trying to be more like Jesus?”

Our second daughter, Karis, has a wonderful heart. She is acting out a little these days but still has these moments of incredible insight, warmth, and care. I was having a time the Lord at the dinner table (not as we were eating- that would be odd, but just at the actual table) when she came up to me asking me what I was doing. She has seen me read, pray, etc., etc., but this time I had a workbook out and it just looked different to her. I told Karis that daddy was trying to be more like Jesus. She looked at me and walked off kind-of talking under her breath and skipping to her own beat. This morning when she saw me in the same posture, she said, “Daddy, you trying to be more like Jesus?” I responded, “Yes Karis….trying…but I am not doing that great of a job.” She said “Oh,” and walked off. 

I few minutes later I passed by her room and there she was, in a similar posture, “reading” a little book (she can’t read yet) and saying “Jesus…I love you…you love me…thank you….help me be like you” I walked in and sat down and asked her about Jesus and what He was like. We talked about His love for us and our love for Him. I walked away with a greater understanding of just how much I model for my children. You have heard that things are more easily “caught” than “taught” and boy….that is the truth. 

Forgiveness and healing

I was studying for a talk that I gave on Saturday night to a group of single adults. The talk was titled “awkward-free dating.” As I have been a singles pastor, one thing has become really clear…a lot of single adults love talking about and hearing talks on dating. So I began what has really turned into a book called “to date or not to date”…that is the question. I never had any intention on speaking so much on a topic but God led me to the place of understanding that God loves to be glorified in all relationships…God IS relationships…..and this means that God desires to be glorified in DATING…but first DATING had to be defined…so I defined it….

A point in my talk was “to DEAL before the DATE.” The point was that the date was not the place where people need to “relationally or emotionally DUMP” on the other person. As I was studying, I came across a passage that I had read and memorized many many years ago. In 2 Chronicles we read, “If my people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, will pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, then will I hear from heaven and heal their land.” 

God is so ready to heal our hurts, bad habits, and destructive hangups. But we have to come before him and ask for forgiveness so that He can heal us. The same is true in many many relationships. We have to come to a place of forgiving past hurts before we will ever find healing from those past hurts. 

I don’t know too many people that don’t desire healing…but the desire is not enough. We have to first ask for forgiveness or we have to forgive….don’t forget Jesus’ model prayer. “….forgive us our debts just as we forgive those who have debts towards us…..

Saddleback Refinery

Saddleback Refinery
Video sent by pastorclayton

Saddleback Church, under the dreaming of Doug Fields and Jana Sarti, has completed the new Refinery which will be used 7 days a week for the church and community. It is probably the most incredible facility of its kind that these eyes have ever seen….WOW!

Test- Crazy Stories

more about "Test- Crazy Stories", posted with vodpod

Dipping Video Blog

Reaction Video I filmed

I get two questions asked of me and the answer to both lies in the same place. The two questions are

 

1. Does God have 1 person for me to marry?
2. I think I may have married the wrong person, what do I do? (you have to watch the video as this question is the one that makes my heart rate go up because of anger) – I don’t show the anger but it really does make me angry.

 

See if this video makes it more clear. 

Blogroll is finally populated

So I began to track hits to my blog and from where they were referred. I finally populated my blogroll with these sites and others that I find very useful. Take a look and tell them that Clayton sent you! 

It is Father’s day today and I plan on getting  out my new “flip cam” and making a video on our mac with the girls! 

Father’s Day Vol.2 should be out shortly

Eearly Father’s Day (Vol. 1)