Tony’s Blog

A friend of mine a few years ago got me hooked on having a word…or character trait that would be worked on throughout the year.  As usual I have tweaked the idea to have 1 or more words that would guide my year.  I needed to have more words because I have more stuff I need to work on that he does.  This year my words are Guard, Boldness (that’s his word), and Respect.  Guard has to do with my heart…proverbs 4:23 “guard your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life.”  Boldness was suggested by my friend and I have taken it as my own.  I need boldness to reach out to people that I don’t know.  To share truth, and demonstrate care for others.  Boldness is good.  My last word is Respect and it is a reminder that people matter. It is a great word for me to remember when I get focused on tasks of daily living.

SO, what is or are your words for the year to help you become more like Christ in all respects?

Because He is worth everything,

Tony

I want to be a fighter…not with other people per se.  But, I want to fight for truth in my OWN heart.  It is so easy to coast through life taking in the promises that are offered on every billboard and to believe them as if the best life is found in their offerings.  I want to fight to believe that there is nothing better than God in Christ Jesus every single moment of the day.  The fact is that if I don’t learn to fight this fight well then I will only have regrets at the end of my days.  Because at the end of the day there is GOD…not the promises of this world…only Him and His promises will remain.

SO, keeping a pulse on what is happening with the appetites of my heart is essential for a life with “less” regrets.  A great place to understand the pulse of our hearts is in the Book of Proverbs.  THis year my daughters and I are reading a chapter in proverbs and psalms  every day.  I am once again struck by the clarity that this brings.  I love the way the wisdom of Solomon is seeping into our everyday conversations.  I think one of the things that I love about proverbs and psalms is that they give you handles for the things you know in your heart but maybe haven’t been able to put into words.
We must learn to fight for what is best…not to settle for what is offered and coast.

So, go fight with yourself and if you aren’t using a plan already…jump into proverbs and psalms.  Your head and your heart will be nourished in the fight for what is best.
Because He is worth everything!

Tony

I love the new year, because it gives me another time to start over.  I love starting over with new goals, new dreams of what God may do.  I make new goals every year…and yes, some fall by the wayside very quickly but others endure and I am the better for it.  For example last year I set a goal of reading through the Bible in 90 days.  Well, when all was said and done I didn’t achieve my goal in the strict sense.  It took me about 100 days.  The key thing for me is that I would probably not have read the Bible through if I hadn’t set the outlandish goal of doing it in 90 days to begin with.

I tend to look at every goal that I make to enhance my spiritual life as a way of digging my well before I am thirsty.  The fact is that my soul is far more thirsty for the Great things of God than I am consciencely aware of.  SO, when  I read the Bible through last year there were parts of my soul that were being nourished that I had no idea were wasting away.  God was also showing me things about Himself that I needed to understand…not for that moment…but for this one that I’m in right now.  I’m thankful that I did some extra “well’ digging last year.

SO, what about this year?  I have a digging plan for this year as well.  I am reading through proverbs and psalms.  I am reading a chapter a day in both books and I will do this for the first 5 months of the year, which allows me to read proverbs 5 times and psalms once.  I am reading these chapters each day in 4 different versions…why?…you are wondering.  Because I know my soul is thirsty and I need to saturate my heart and mind with truth and longing for God.  I am also planning to read the Bible through again in 90 days…okay, probably 100 days, after I do the proverbs and psalms plan.

It isn’t much, but it keeps me focusing in the right direction.

Because there is nothing better than God in Christ.

Keep digging,

Tony

I am a sprinter…not a fast one, but a sprinter all the same.  I have over the years learned to develop the skill of plodding.  I have run two half marathons…does that mean I’ve run one full marathon?  Well, in the process of plodding through these races I have learned that very few people are concerned about your start as much as when and how you cross the finish line.  The first question people ask isn’t “How did your start go?”!  They are interested in your finish.

We are in the third day of the last month of the year…how are you going to finish 2007? The New Years resolutions of 2007 are in the distant past but how you finish this year is right before you in this precious month we call December.  Now is the time to step it up.  There are people you have wanted to encourage this year and now the year is almost over…go ahead and encourage them.  Finish Strong.

Don’t wait for January 1 to set your new goals.  Finish this year as if it were your last.  Don’t let this month be a coasting month.  Take a deep breath and start running toward the finish line and encourage some of the other runners who are short of breath right around you today.

Finishing Strong is a worthy goal…whatever it looks like in your world…make it your goal today to finish strong.
Because He is worth Everything!!

Tony

I am perplexed by the epidemic of weak leadership in churches.  It is not unique to the Church and the reason I am perplexed is because Christian leaders have Christ to be able to do hard things that non-Christian leaders do not have.  Okay, this is what I mean.  When a pastor of other church leader sees a problem within the church but is unwilling to do anything about it.  This happens all the time and it feels like the response is that of the “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil monkeys”.    My perplexation (new word) comes from the fact that there are always losses when moral and behavioral problems are ignored.  Hebrews 3:13 comes to mind “let us encourage one another while it is still called today, lest our hearts grow hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”  Many times people are doing things that they are deceived by…they just don’t see it.  What happens then?  This is where strong leadership enters in and loves the brother or sister in Christ enough to say something about the very thing that the person doing it may be blind to…i.e. deceived.  Strong leadership steps in because the heart of the one being deceived is growing hard toward God, which is the worst of all things.  The reality is that our hearts as well will grow hard when we do nothing.  “He who knows what is right and does not do it, sins.” James 4:17
There are so many losses when we do not encourage one another today.  Weak leadership becomes deaf, dumb, and blind.  But, when we encourage one another we move toward being the aroma of Christ in the world and with other believers.

So, go out and encourage someone.

Because He is worth everthing,

Tony

I have come up with two goals for November.  They are not massive goals, and yet the difference that comes from them may end up being more significant than I can imagine.

Goal One: To do one thing…at least…each day that will fuel my passion for the Greatness of God.

Goal Two: To do one thing…at least…each day that will fuel better health.

There you have it.  Nothing profound.  But, a call to consistency in two vital areas of my life.  An effort to enhance my spiritual and physical health.  All of the peeps in my world benefit if I am more healthy in these two areas.  My wife and daughters get a husband and father who is filled with the Spirit and produces the fruit of the Spirit.  And, perhaps they get to have me around a little longer if I work on my physical health.

What about you…do you have any goals for Noviembre?

Because He is worth everything,

Tony

This morning as I did my Dad car pool duty I asked one of my passengers what goals they had for November? None, came the response and so I decided to do what I often do, I challenged him to come up with 2…that’s right, just 2 goals for November that would not have happened unless he set them as goals. Tomorrow he will let me know on our morning commute what he came up with.

Well the challenge did not just affect my friend, it has affected me…as it often does when I challenge a friend…it has made me think about my own goals for November. Tomorrow my friend will return the favor and ask me what my goals are as well.

One of my goals is to do one thing different every day that I know will fuel my passion for God…like praying the Scripture for God to ignite my heart with passion for His Greatness.

What about you…do you have any goals or desires that if you set them as goals for November you could be entering December a different person. Give it a shot. Well I’ll be back tomorrow with my second goal.

Let me know what goals you are setting out in front of you to pull you through the best November you have ever had.

Because He is worth Everything.

Tony

Psalm 92:2 is a great passage to give direction to our days.  “It is good…to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.”  Starting your day with the proclamation that God loves you and is all over and in your world from the very beginning is very powerful.  Then to get to the end of the day look back over your shoulder and proclaim how He has been faithful to you during the day.

This is a great practice because of the magnificent way that it urges your heart to dependence and thankfulness with our heavenly father.

Practicing these two powerful bookends of Love and Faithfulness can transform our hearts.

May you see and savor the love and faithfulness of God in your life.

Tony

Making  assumptions is as natural as breathing but breathing doesn’t get you into nearly as much trouble…unless you stop.  Assumptions are entirely different.  You may know the story…I don’t want to assume you do…about what happens when we assume something.  And I quote: “It usually makes an #%*! out of u and me.”  Now remember…I was quoting.  As a leader of an organization that serves hundreds…to thousands of people, I have to be very careful about making decisions that I have pondered over for perhaps months in the cubicle of my office and assuming that everyone “out there” will understand perfectly concerning the why of my thoroughly pondered position.

Unfortunately, the people “out there” often don’t understand and look at me with that quisical look of “where did you come up with that”?   Of course I respond graciously with a quisical look of my own…thinking…didn’t I tell you about this?

It is easy for this type of thing to happen…if you don’t believe me ask my wife.  (big Smile)

SO, what is our take away point from my ponderings.  We must see information and decisions as two different things.  We can and should do the hard work of thinking through big issues for our families, Churches, and ministries in our cubicles.  But then we must do the hard work of thinking through how to help those who have not been in our cubicle understand the wisdom of the forthcoming decision…which often affects them.

All in favor of being blindsided by unknown assumptions…say Aye!

What is Truth?…Pilate asks. Well Focus on the Family has spent the big bucks putting together a great small group curriculum called the Truth Project. They only sell the course to people who have gone through their Training and typically you would have to travel to get training. But, they are bringing the training here to Chattanooga. On Sept. 22 they will be doing an abbreviated training for our region for only $79 at City Church (and this is the cost for the curriculum DVD’s, so essentially, the conference itself is free!). I have seen the first dvd and I was very impressed. This would be a valuable tool for youth pastors to use with juniors and seniors as well as in college ministries. To check out more on this, click here for Family Action Council of Tennessee’s website.

Hope to see you there.

Tony