Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter

I recently finished reading the book Our Favorite Sins: The Sins We Commit & How You Can Quit by Todd Hunter. It's a book about dealing with Temptation. More specifically, it's a book about dealing with Desires. A lot of people (myself included prior to this book) have tried to deal with Temptation by treating it as a problem. Most of the time that fails because Temptation isn't a problem, it's a symptom. It's like trying to heal a broken arm by taking Tylenol for the pain. The underlying problem we need to deal with is what Todd refers to as 'disordered desires.'

He makes a good point that the desires we have are God-given, but they have been tainted by the effects of Sin. Through the power of Christ, those disordered desires can become organized once again, and we won't be as likely to suffer from the symptoms of Temptation any longer. "The goal of Our Favorite Sins is to cause you to want a real experience of the real God so much that your other disordered desires and wants are put in second place."

I really liked this book. It was written using words which were very easy to understand and in a format which made me want to keep reading it. As he poured personal stories, statistics, and Biblical insight into this well-written book, I felt like I was sitting across a table from Todd and we were having an in-depth conversation about this struggle. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like they are fighting a losing battle with Temptation.

I received a copy of this book from the publishing company and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Room to Maneuver

The drive into work this morning was pretty horrible due to the snowy and icy conditions. I saw a car in the lane next to me slide into the back of another car at a stoplight, and as I later turned left thru an intersection, I was almost t-boned by a car that couldn't stop for the red light. Thank God for 4-wheel drive. Had I not had that enabled, I would have been unable to avoid that collision.

This got me thinking again about Margin in our lives. On a slippery road, you need to give yourself extra maneuvering space to avoid accidents. In the same way, the busyness of our lives creates a slipper surface on which we need to allow space to maneuver. This extra space is Margin. It's choosing to say 'No' to every activity that comes your way. It's choosing to intentionally take a break and Rest.

There is a great book on this topic entitled Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D. I read this book a few years back, and the principles and ideas presented in the book have stuck with me. I also have had the opportunity to hear Richard speak, and he made a strong point of intentionally taking advantage of 'Three Free Gifts of God to Man:'

• Nature
• Even if you live in a city, take advantage of the parks that exist. Get outside, breathe some fresh(ish) air, and absorb the nature God has blessed us with. Finding even a moment of escape from the man-made world we are surrounded by and placing yourself in the God-made world of nature is healing. In the Spring and Summer, close your eyes and listen to the movement of the animals, the chirping of the birds, the wind through the leaves. In the Fall, listen to the crunch of leaves underfoot and relish the cool crisp air of autumn. During Winter, bundle up and appreciate the silence the snow creates. Snow naturally absorbs sound, and it is relieving to be able to not hear the hustle and bustle of the busyness around us.
• Music
•  There is something about music that stirs the soul. I recently heard someone read a passage of Scripture then read it again with music playing in the background. The words were the same, but when he read it with music playing, the strings of my heart were stirred. Turn the radio on, pull out your mp3 player, or better yet, make your own music. If you're like me and are somewhat embarrassed by the music you create, do it alone. =D
• Laughter
• "A joyful heart is good medicine." (Proverbs 17:22). I find few things more emotionally satisfying  than throwing my head back and laughing heartily. And those that know me know what I mean. So much in life can cause laughter, and while I don't always know why something strikes me as funny, I decide to let it out rather than stifling it. The beautiful thing about laughter is that it's contagious. Those who watch movies with me probably laugh more because I'm laughing than because of the movie itself.

Make a point of enjoying one of these Free Three this week. Trust me, you won't regret it!

A Gift from God

So I have been spending some time lately thinking about the concept of Rest. After recognizing that it is one of the Ten Commandments, I figured I needed to start being more intentional about resting.

To begin, here are a couple of brief Scriptural references to rest that kind of set the stage for my thoughts:
Genesis 2:1-3
Exodus 20:8-11
Mark 2:27

If you apply what Jesus said in Mark, you will realize that when God rested on the seventh day, he was giving mankind an incredible gift - the gift of Rest. Often times when I think about taking a Sabbath Rest, it feels more like a burden - just one more thing to beat myself over not doing.

But if you look at how our bodies are made, study the rhythms of life, and even examine the life of Christ, it becomes very apparent that we need rest. God meets our needs, right? He met our need for Rest in giving us the Sabbath. (Personally, I think he made it a commandment because the people of that age weren't resting.)

So what does taking a Sabbath Rest look like? I don't think we necessarily need to go to the extent that the Israelites went to in the Bible, but we do need to protect one day each week and devote it to resting. During that day, we need to:

1. let our bodies rest
• Physically stop moving. Sit or lie down. Kick up your feet and just stop moving.
2. let our minds rest
• Unplug! Take a break from the information overload we call the American Dream. Surround yourself with quiet and stillness.
3. let our spirits rest
•  Get alone. Withdraw from society, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Concentrate on your emotions and force them to relax.
4. let our souls rest
• Plug in! Connect with Jesus. Talk to him, listen to him, simply be with him.

Taking (and making) time to Rest not only heals our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits, but it also prepares us to deal with life. Love your neighbor as yourself - you seek to meet the needs of your 'neighbor,' but you must also seek to meet your own needs too, and you need Rest.

Perspective

These past few weeks have been very rough on me emotionally in relation to our finances, and yesterday's sermon on being generous didn't help much, but I read something this morning that seems to have brought things back into proper perspective:

This is a response from someone in Mexico who listened to a one of our partner's radio broadcast:

“A few weeks ago I was getting ready to commit suicide. I had the noose prepared and was about to hang myself. I had no hope or motivation to continue living. Then I had a tremendous urge to turn on the radio—a rare thing for me. At that precise moment someone was speaking about the hope we have in Jesus. This message touched my heart, and I didn’t follow through with my plans to kill myself. Instead, I picked up the phone and called you. Now I listen to your station every day because all the programming inspires me to live and to have hope.”

The work that I am doing is having an impact on people's lives. I may not have been the person speaking over the radio waves, but I play a role in that radio station airing that message of hope. A friend spoke to me after yesterday's sermon and basically said, "You are being incredibly generous by not getting a big paycheck. In a sense, you are donating all that potential money into building God's kingdom." It didn't help me feel much better at the time, but the truth of that statement has been slowly sinking in.

Anyway, I am amazed how changing one's perspective can have such a dramatic emotional affect. Hopefully this discouragement will remain squashed for a LONG time! : )

Frustrated with frustration

Have you ever felt frustrated about something? Then felt frustrated about feeling frustrated? Then felt frustrated about feeling frustrated about whatever's causing your frustration? Then feel frustrated........it ends up feeling like a huge tangled up knot of messiness in the pit of your stomach!

These past few weeks, that knot has been slowly growing bigger for me, and it doesn't seem to be going away. And what's most frustrating about all of it is that just a few weeks ago, I was perfectly content in this area, and wasn't struggling with it at all!

I'm referring to our finances. Usually I am perfectly content with how much what we make, but I had a conversation with someone recently that pointed out how little income we have compared to what we could have. Ever since that conversation it seems like that comparison keeps getting shoved in my face by all sorts of circumstances and situations, and I am really frustrated with it! Why can't I just be content like I was before that conversation?

Then this morning my coworker shared about his recent trip to Africa, and how the average annual income was only $900. It was like a slap in the face for me. I really have no business griping and complaining about my income. So what if I have to wait a long time to buy something? So what if I have to drive a 'beater?' So what if we can't eat out all the time? So what if I have to shop at Goodwill or Salvation Army? I don't have to walk through ditches full of garbage to buy groceries from a street-side vendor, wondering if I'll have enough cash. I don't have to deal with malnutrition - this knot of frustration I feel could be feelings of hunger.


When you look at others with their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.


Chorus:
Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your blessings, see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

A Father's Hands

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, when I was a wee little tyke.....ok, who am I kidding? I know 20 years is a long time, especially to one who isn't much older than that, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much time. Anyway, this may sound a bit weird, but I have very fond childhood memories of my father's hands. I remember the feel of them, the texture, even the smell of them, but most vividly, I remember feelings of love, comfort, and safety associated with them. They were strong hands, and every time I held my father's hand I felt invincible and incredibly secure. I was also spanked with those hands, but I knew even then that it was because I was loved.

I got to thinking about that as I was studying my own hands the other day. The thought dawned on me that soon, my hands would be Father Hands. I don't know why exactly, but I was completely floored by the thought. Suddenly the world felt too big, and I too small. Would my hands provide the same sense of love and security that I received from my father? Would the discipline I give out be just? Will I be willing to let go when the time comes?

Then my mind jumped another direction, and I thought about my Heavenly Father and His hands.

1. His hands bled for me
1. First and foremost, he hung from his hands on a cross because of His incredible love for me. He sacrificed his very life so we could be together.
2. His hands are completely secure
1. He has promised me that nothing can snatch me out of His hand. There is no power, force, or reason that will cause Him to let go of me. I get to hold His hand for the rest of eternity! Talk about being secure!
3. His hands discipline for my benefit
1. Just like a father disciplines the son whom he loves, so God also disciplines me. He does it for my good, that I may share in His holiness!

As I prepare to have 'Father Hands' I am striving to follow both my earthly and heavenly fathers' examples. I trust it will be enough to raise a son who honors both his earthly and heavenly fathers.