Category Archives: Personal Growth

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The Benefit Of Short Term Mission Trips

You may recall that our church went on a mission trip to Arizona a few weeks ago. It was an incredible trip, and our group was able to accomplish a lot while we were there. But what did we learn?

CCC AICM Group Photo

Near the end of July, we loaded up and headed to American Indian Christian Mission, near Show Low, AZ, to work with them on the reservation of the White Mountain Apache tribe. Our trip was incredible. It was one of the highlights of ministry for me for the past several years.

While we were there, we operated in two different ways. First, we spent the mornings on the AICM campus, doing work projects. We helped remodel several school classrooms, getting them ready for the school year. And we also stained several of the staff homes, which were log cabins, and in need of some treatment. As far as work projects go, these were fairly easy to do and we accomplished quite a bit of work for the ministry.

After lunch, we loaded up and headed onto the reservation, where we gathered the kids from two small communities, Turkey Creek and Corn on the Cobb (yes, those are the real names of these communities). Once gathered, we had Vacation Bible School activities; we taught a lesson, sang some songs, created some different crafts, and then played a lot of games with those kids. It was very incredible.

But, really, this is a very common approach for mission teams who come to AICM. And, as the week progressed, I began to wonder just how effective we were being, and how that was affecting and changing us.

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Taking The Time To Refuel (ESD)

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How many times have you taken the time to refuel and recharge your spiritual batteries?

I don’t mean taking time on a daily basis and spending time with God. That is necessary, certainly, but I’m referring to something other than that. Something big.

This week, I am attending the North American Christian Convention. This is my first time to attend this conference, and I am looking forward to what this will bring to my spiritual life.

Worship

I am completely committed to the idea of taking a week, at least once a year, and attending some sort of conference or spiritual retreat in order to renew yourself, to refuel your spiritual life.

For the past half a dozen years, I attended Wilderness, a program of Christ In Youth, and went to Colorado each October to reconnect my spiritual life with God. That event was designed primarily for youth ministers, and I enjoyed it while I was in that role, and even for a couple of years afterwards. But this year, I decided to try something different, partly because I am in the lead role at our church now, and need to recharge myself in different ways.

And so, I chose to attend the biggest conference put on by the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in the United States. The NACC has all the earmarks of being a phenomenal spring board for refueling my spiritual life. I’m looking forward to the week. Plus, I am alone, in a hotel room, in Cincinnati. Last night, I spent several hours going over my Life Plan and spent some significant time in God’s Word, all without distraction. That was incredible.

But why am I so sold on the idea of taking in a conference each year, or even more often if possible? Here are three reasons.

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A Matter Of The Heart

Life can throw you a curve ball occasionally.

Several days ago, I shared some ideas on how to rejuvenate yourself when you’re tired. Not just physically tired, but when you are spiritually tired and worn out.

Heart Exam

I shared that because that’s where I am in my own life right now.

But there’s more.

Over the past several months, my wife has been watching me and keeping copious amounts of notes and observations. I’ve been dealing with several small issues, from depression to stress to headaches and high blood pressure. I’ve had aches and pains, and have been overly tired to the point where I felt like I needed a nap several times a day.

Each of these things, by themselves, don’t seem like that much. But when you add them all together….

My wife sat me down, and presented her observations and research. To the best of our own self-diagnosing abilities, and with the help of Dr. Google, she determined that I may be dealing with some heart issues.

Wait… What?

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Responding To Criticism

I have always been told that there is an element of truth in any and every criticism. And while that may be true some of the time, I do not believe that this is true in every case. Sometimes, criticism has no basis in truth at all.

Man Standing On A Dock

I experienced some pretty severe criticism recently. This was a critical statement that came across very hateful. It hurt. And it came from someone that I counted as a friend, making it feel all the more personal.

This criticism struck me deeply, and hurt. But at the same time, it has no truth to it at all.

The statement was made that I am a poor father, a lazy father, and that I do nothing to help my wife with the kids.

If there is one area of my life where I sense my priorities need to be strong, it is in my role in the home. I give serious effort to being the best father and husband I can be. My relationship with my wife and my relationships with my kids are at the top of my list, surpassed only by my relationship with God. These relationships are crucial to me, and I make every effort to be the best that I can be in each.

In fact, I view my role as a father as so important that I created a website with encouragement and resources for dads to be the best dads that they can be. You can check it out at DeliberateDads.com.

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Thankfulness And A Broken Ankle

The past week has been pretty quiet around here, and I apologize for that. Sunday morning, my wife fell and suffered a broken ankle. You may know that she is pregnant, and that has been a concern in this situation. I am relieved to say that the baby is fine (it’s a girl, by the way), but her ankle is not so good.

Ankle

The orthopedic doctor has instructed her to stay off of it for the next month. That has definitely changed our daily routines. As a result, the past few days have been less focused on writing and more on shuttling her to the doctor, and the kids to various activities. We are very thankful for those friends and family members who have helped us, and continue to do so. You are loved!

Needless to say, my writing schedule has taken a back seat to these family needs this week. I hope to resume a more normal schedule in the next few days. It will be nice to resume a normal routine as much as possible until Heather gets back on her feet.

Even in the midst of a minor crisis, there is much to be thankful for. The baby is fine. The injury could have been worse, or could have happened to one of the kids. The outpouring of love and support from friends and family has been tremendous, and our church family has been right there every moment we’ve needed someone.

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5 Benefits Of Reading Quality Books (ESD)

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Developing solid spiritual disciplines takes a lot of work and a lot of time. But it is well worth the effort. Many of the disciplines that we need to develop in our lives require a lot of patience and a lot of practice to build into a solid habit. Others are much easier; as easy as simply choosing the right thing.

That’s the case when it comes to reading quality books, besides the Bible reading that we need to maintain. There are a lot of books out there. But not everything in print is worth reading. And much that is okay to read shouldn’t be too high on the priority list.

Quality Books

This is a case where you may have to sacrifice the good for the best. While there is much to read that is good, and books that we like to read, there are other things that are the best things to read. Seeking these out and spending time with them is a habit that is worth developing.

Here are five major benefits that come with choosing the best books to read.

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Making A Covenant With My Eyes

It’s no secret that many men struggle with sexual temptation. That can range across a wide variety of struggles, from outright infidelity and adultery, to pornography, to simple lust (which isn’t really that simple).

Studies show that men tend to be more visual than women, and just adds to the problem. So how do we combat it?

Apple

Sexual purity is a critical pursuit for men in this day and age, when all too many men see nothing wrong with it. The same struggle exists for women, too, but from what I’ve read, it’s not yet as prevalent as it is with men. Finding a solution that works is essential. In order to be the men that God called us to be, and the husbands and fathers our wives and children need us to be, we must find a way to resist this temptation.

In the book of Job, from the Old Testament, we can catch a glimpse of just how ancient this struggle really is, and we can gather some insights into how we can stand firm, resisting the temptations of sexual impurity.

In chapter 31, Job makes a very bold statement: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”

I believe that this is a brief peek into the heart of what God wants for each one of us. I see three things that we can do to help us to stand strong in this area, based upon Job’s experience and commitment.