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Faith in Real Life

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In Faith in Real Life

What will it take…

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Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at people.  People are just downright funny… sometimes.  I think people are funny when they aren’t even trying to be funny. Like here is this guy… I couldn’t help but laugh about this guy…

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Yeah, he’s relaxed alright.  You know his wife is perusing the racks in J.C. Penny or something and I can only imagine that his dollar got spent a long time ago.  Conked out on the massage chairs…  CLASSIC!  I was walking through the mall with Tiffany when I spotted him.  I started laughing immediately. I couldn’t help but covertly take a picture of this dude… You know how it goes.

Like I said… People are funny.  I was reading this morning from Acts 12 and I got to laughing again.  Believe me, I think that the Apostles were some pretty intense people… but man sometimes those guys just didn’t get it.  I’m reading in Acts 12 and I come to verse 11 and it says this…  “When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

DUH!  I MEAN SERIOUSLY!  WHAT ELSE WOULD IT TAKE TO HELP YOU REALIZE THIS ONE!

Let’s have a simple review…  So Peter is arrested after James the brother of John has been executed.  Likely Pete’s fate is the same as James’.  I don’t think that King Herod was arranging some bonding time.  He was serious.  So Peter is in jail chained to two guards, waiting for the big moment.

Hmm… Now I know for sure?  Here’s the progression as I see it…

You couldn’t tell that God was involved here from any of these steps?

  1. An angel appears… (I’d love to have an angel appear to me… that would be proof in the pudding for me…)
  2. The angel pokes Peter in the side waking him up… (This has happened to me… I must admit.  Except my angel’s name isn’t Gabriel, or Michael, it’s Tiffany…)
  3. The Angel says put your shoes on… (implying, YOU’RE GONNA NEED THEM)
  4. Oh yeah, and when your done with your shoes, put your cloak on… (It’s cold outside fool!  Don’t catch a cold…)
  5. The chains fell off his hands… (Seriously, that would be something that would be a good addition to David Blane’s stunts.)
  6. Leaving the two guards who you were just chained to… 
  7. Leaving the guarded cell that you were just occupying
  8. Seeing the cities iron gates open up for you
  9. Walking through an empty street with an angel

At what step do you think it would be pretty obvious that this was a God thing…  Don’t you just want to laugh at Pete when he comes up with a statement like, “Hmm… Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent me His angel and rescued me.”  Oh yeah… Good work Pete!  Way to be super discerning.  (Sarcastic overtones implied)

We can laugh at this, and Luke may have even included it because he knew that it was funny.  However, does this look like your life even a little bit?  How obvious does God need to be before we acknowledge His divine, loving, crazy, abnormal, from time to time covert, sometimes overt, intense, life changing work in our lives.  Seriously though…  I’m that guy.  I am that guy in Acts who goes, duh… I just got out of the King’s severely guarded jail.  It must have been a God thing.  

Can you recall moments in life like this? 

The birth of my children were both like this.  The very first time I held my children in my arms I said, “God you have made this.  How amazing you are!  I am humbled and dumbstruck that you would choose me to be the earthly daddy to this precious little life.” This was clearly a God moment.  

I can recall times of God moving me so that I would be spared pain, rejection, anger, disappointment, and many other things.  In the moment I questioned if God was in it, and months later looking back I saw that God was not only in it, but He was weaving all the situations together to protect me, shield me, love me, lead me, use me, and be honored through me.  

Can you recall moments in life like this?  Or are we so deaf and dumb, visionless and senseless that we can’t embrace what God is doing in our lives?

Tune in… Investigate… Explore… Probe…  Chase after the God who is Chasing after YOU!

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Me Interrupted

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I’ll tell you what, I’m not good with interruptions.  Interruptions bother me.  It goes against protocol.  It goes against productivity.  It slows down results.  When I’m in a train of thought, or if I’m focused on a project and I’ve got my mind wrapped diligently around something, interruptions are not the thing that I am looking forward to!  

There are few times when I love to be interrupted.  #1.  I love when my wife comes through my office door.   It is always good to see her.  #2.  I love when my kids barge through the door dragging their cups/blankies/stuffed animals/etc. Those are interruptions that make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  

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So, here’s another Thanksgiving picture.  This one is classic.  Tiffany and I were trying to get a picture of Noah and Grace on this bench and it just wasn’t working.  Their minds were tracking after a bird flying around.  For the life of us, they were unable to sit still; focus/smile/say CHEESE, and take a perfect picture.  They were distracted, I was interrupted.  What was going on in that given situation was being interrupted.  

Life is like that, isn’t it?  All kinds of interruptions come our way.  Have you learned to discern interruptions from God given opportunities?  Here’s what I mean.  Sometimes we can be working away at whatever it is that we are giving ourselves too, and God brings along someone that really needs us.  This person has a real need.  Maybe it’s food, maybe it’s emotional, maybe it’s physical of some sort.  How do we respond?  What is your first response?  

Tough isn’t it?  It’s about setting ourselves aside, and putting others in place of us!  Whew… That is not easy!  

We have been going through a teaching series lately in our Youth Ministry called, It’s not about YOU!  We are learning together how to live life with it being more about other people and less about ME.  

Can you say that you welcome the interruptions?  Do you have any examples?  

Take time today to look around, pause for a while, and listen.  Let God “ruin” your day with interruptions.  If we practiced this we may find out that we get more done.  At least things that actually matter.  

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Turkey, Stuffing, Potato’s, topped off with family and giving thanks

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Yesterday was a day spent giving thanks by many around our nation.  We gathered around tables, booths, or bars, and spent time with others consuming near fatal amounts of turkey, and trimmings.  Yesterday was a day set aside by our forefathers as a time to look back and remember all that God has done for us.  

The other night I was sitting at our church’s thanksgiving eve service by myself all alone in the back row, feeling bad for myself.  I was listening to person after person share how God had healed them and helped them in the last year, and I was having a hard time just thinking about how God chose to take my Dad home and not heal him.  I’ll be honest, it was hard.  Really hard.  

But in the midst of it all, I started to tune out those who were speaking and I began a list in my journal of the things I’m thankful for.  Here’s what I am thankful for in 2008…

  1. My wife
  2. My wife
  3. My wife
  4. My Kids
  5. My Family
  6. God providing for all of our needs
  7. For God clearly moving us when we need to be moved, and settling us when we need to settle
  8. For my friends
  9. For God chasing me
  10. For the trials 
  11. For my Dad’s Legacy
  12. For my Mom
  13. For my WIFE
  14. For God teaching me and changing me
  15. For Tears
  16. For a great group of people that I get to serve alongside of
  17. For my life

There is so much to be thankful for.  It is really easy to be negative though isn’t it?  Just to look at the downside… But I’m grateful for so much!  What about you?  What are you thankful for?  

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Fridge Classes

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So, as we have previously discussed here at the saltlick not only are there classes of people (blue collar, white collar, no collar…) there are also classes of fridges…  We are going to base this study upon the cheese drawer.  I have pictorial evidence of our dear friends fridge with an upper crust, or rind if you will.  They are several grates above the rest of our cheese.  (pardon the terrible puns… I couldn’t help it.)  Check out this post I wrote about it.

Recently our fridge has moved up a couple class levels.  We have some really close friends who live down at the Jersey shore.  We love spending time with them.  Every chance we get we make sure to stop in and see them.  While we were there last time we had some cheese and crackers, and we met this cheese that was absolutely unbelievable.  It was called Havarti!  Doesn’t it even sound delicious?  Say it with me now… Ha-var-ti.  Well Tiffany was at Trader Joe’s the other day and found it, bought it, and brought it home.  We dropped that baby in the cheese drawer, and as soon as the door was closed I’m sure it went all toy story in that drawer.  The string cheese and the shredded Mozzarella ganged up on the poor halivarti.  Well, all this to say, we’ve moved up a fridge class. Here’s pictorial proof.

img_07591~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Filthy Filth…

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Ever caught yourself saying something like this, “A person like that could never come to know and have a relationship with Jesus”?  Maybe we wouldn’t say that, but what about think it?  I know that I have.  I have let those words formulate and begin to posture themselves for vocal utterance.  What do you think, do you think that there is anyone who is too far, too full of sin, too rebellious, too hard hearted, too difficult?  

Check out Acts 8 & 9. 

What do you think?  Is there a co-worker, peer, classmate, relative, or spouse that is too “far gone” for the life changing, love giving, rebellious, authentic Jesus?  Is it possible to be too filthy to ever be clean again?

Let’s talk…

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Significant relationships=Significant time

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Relationships

How many good friends do you really have?  How many friends do you have that you would share anything with?  Do you have a friend that you can bare your soul to, and feel like you are going to be sincerely understood and accepted?  

It’s time for another salt lick round table discussion…  Let’s get our thinking caps on… time to think on these things… 

Lately I have been thinking about my friends, about the pace of my life, and if you’ve read anything around here, the state of my soul.  I have also been reading a book by Doug Fields, “What matters most, when no is better than yes”.  The combination of this short book and the other influences in my life have left me wondering about my relationships.   So, I wondered if maybe you would want to think about them too!  Your relationships that is…

Do you ever have a problem with the pace of your life?  Have you found yourself out to many nights a week, leaving yourself no time for the things that matter most?  

Fields makes a great point in this statement, “It takes time to go deep with others; but if you’re too busy, you won’t make the time for significant relationships.”  He continues… “Many ministry people are busy because they’re trying to become everything to everyone; instead they become nothing to no one.”  

One of my favorite quotes right now is from this guy over here at Stuff Christians Like… He wrote it in a very funny piece about blended worship services.  He said something to the extent of this, “Yeah, Let’s compromise, that way we both loose!”  

I feel like that applies to so many situations.  I have found myself saying that to myself over and over again in these past few weeks.  “Hmm… (sarcastic undertone included) Yeah let’s compromise Gowesky, that way you loose both things!”  

When it comes to relationships, the question is, are you slowing down long enough to make friends, to deepen the relationships that you already have, and to sincerely care for those who you have the privilage of calling your best friend?

I know that there is one friend that I have just pushed out of my schedule, simply because I haven’t kept my schedule in check.  It’s entirely my fault!  I feel bad!  In fact, I know that I owe him a huge apology!  

Is there anyone like that in your life?  

“When you don’t go deep with others, you’ll live in a very shallow place and ultimately become a shallow person.  I’ve watched busy people become so shallow that they don’t even understand how their busyness is impacting them.” -Doug Fields

WOW!!!  Am I the only crazy one here?  It’s an all Skate… Join in the conversation.  What do you think?

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Crazy!

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So as promised, I have gotten the video up from our trip to the zoo the other day.  Check this guy out! This squirrel is amazing.  His little cage is tucked so far away in the trees, I wondered why they even had a squirrel in a cage, and then I saw it… I figured out why… He literally is the star of the zoo.  He officially should take the place of the “Big Cats” exhibit.  Anyhow, we had a great time as a family, just romping through the zoo.  Check this out…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbY3PpjA1zU]

What have you done for fun lately?

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

What do you want?

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So many times I’ve asked the question, what?  What do you want?  I’ve asked my parents, I’ve asked friends, I’ve asked my wife… I’ve asked my kids… Sometimes with more patience than others…  But I’ve been down that road before.  WHAT DO YOU WANT?

This morning I have the opportunity to lead our devotional time in our staff meeting.  I am going to ask one question…  “What does God want to do with you here at this church?”

Check out the disciples story… What did God want to do with those knuckleheads?  So, here’s my question for you this morning, What does God want to do with you in your church?

As this guy would say, it’s an all skate.  Come on, jump in and leave a comment… what do you think?

~Peter

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In Faith in Real Life

Whispers of God

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When you sit still, assuming you do sit still, what does God say to you?  What are the heartstrings that are being tugged on and pulled at by God?  

Yesterday was Monday.  AH!!!  Glorious monday.  Let me tell you… Monday’s are great.  See, I know that I am probably the only person alive in the world who enjoys mondays.  Monday is my day off.  Yesterday we filled it with family fun!  We used our membership to the zoo, and went and spent several hours meandering around the Philadelphia Zoo.  This was great fun.  I have some funny video that I took which I will post up here later.  Make sure you come back and check that out.  So, Noah was waving to the monkeys, saying, “Hi monkeys…  See my cool hat?  See my cool hat?”  Then we went into the reptile room and noah was running from display to display looking at all the animals…  loving each one… “WOW!!!  Oh WOW!!!”  We went to one particular display and it was for some snake… I hardly paid attention to what kind it was, but that’s not the point.  THe point is I was trying to point out to Noah the different animals and show him how God created each one differently. So, we pull up to this display and it is probably no bigger than 2 feet by 4 and 5 feet tall.  It simply had stone in it…  There was not many places for this baby to hide.  So, when we didn’t see the snake in the display I thought for sure it wasn’t there.  

I was trying to rush Noah along in order to see more, and get more in during our short stay at the zoo.  I quickly scanned the tank and realized there was nothing to see here, so… let’s move along.  As I’m trying to coerce Noah to move to the next spot, He says, “Daddy No!  He’s here.”  “Look, here… under the rock.”  Sure enough, when I got down on my knees and adjusted myself to the right posture, I could see the snake that we had come to see.  Noah was in the right position and was not in a rush.  He found what he came for.  

I know this is more of this.  However, I can’t quite it.  I can’t stop thinking about this.  What do you hear from God?  What is God showing you?  Let me rephrase that question.  What is God trying to show you?  See some of us need to change our posture.  We need to change our position.  We need to take our feet out of the starting blocks, set aside the track spikes for a pair of slippers, or sandals.  Put those hiking boots on and slow down.  

I think it’s time to get back on our knees and be quiet before the God of the universe.  To be still and go to a lonely place, just to be.  Just to hear from God.  Take time today to savor the precious love of Jesus.  

~Peter

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