New Year’s Resolutions…love em’ or hate em’???

I have to admit it, I’m a cynic when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. I’ve made them, broken them, and other years I have purposely gone out of my way to avoid them. So what is your take on New Year’s resolutions? Love em or Hate em? Please leave me some comments and tell me why you make New year’s Resolutions or why you don’t make New Year’s resolutions…and perhaps some stories of resolutions gone by!

Via Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_resolution)

New Year’s resolution

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A New Year’s resolution is a secular tradition, most common in the West but found around the world, in which a person makes a promise to do an act of self-improvement starting on New Year’s Day.^[1]

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Religious origins[edit]

The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.^[2]

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.^[3]

In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.^[2]

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.^[4]

There are other religious parallels to this tradition. During Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may act similarly during the Catholic fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility, in fact the practice of New Year’s resolutions partially came from the Lenten sacrifices.^[4] The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvementannually.

Participation[edit]

At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year’s resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.^{[citation needed]}

Popular goals[edit]

Early 20th-century New Year’s resolution postcards

Some examples include resolutions to donate to the poor more often, to become more assertive, or to become moreenvironmentally responsible.

Popular goals include resolutions to:^[5]^[6]

Improve physical well-being: eat healthy food, lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, stopbiting nails, get rid of old bad habits
Improve mental well-being; think positive, laugh more often, enjoy life
Improve finances: get out of debt, save money, make small investments
Improve career: perform better at current job, get a better job, establish own business
Improve education: improve grades, get a better education, learn something new (such as a foreign language or music), study often, read more books, improve talents
Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent, perhaps watch less television, play fewer sitting-down video games
Take a trip
Volunteer to help others, practice life skills, use civic virtue, give to charity, volunteer to work part-time in a charity organization (NGO)
Get along better with people, improve social skills, enhance social intelligence
Make new friends
Spend quality time with family members
Settle down, get engaged/get married, have kids
Try foreign foods, discovering new cultures
Pray more, be closer to God, be more spiritual

December 30, 2013 1

Fragile Gift (a poem)

Life is candy glass
In the hands of children
Imperfecta to a dreamer.
Why is it bestowed upon
we, the undeserved,
The frivolous, the vain?
It is un-recycled, unrepentant
Far more than we can preserve.

These tears are not my own
I am but a poor reflection
A shadow of the genuine
Only less refined, impure.
Why waste His time on this
If not for pure love?
A creature as I am – dirt and mud…
Yes, granted the greatest gift,
This inhalation, this pulse,
This and every other new beginning…
I am candy glass
Yet built to endure eternity.

December 30, 2013 0

A Cerulean Bike and a Christmas tree.

I remember a shimmering cerulean bicycle with a crimson bow on the handle sitting under the Christmas tree. The Christmas lights were blinking and twinkling casting reflections on the brand new shiny chrome frame. My eyes tried yet failed to take in the whole spectacle before me. They were as wide as saucers, yet still my brain couldn’t process the scene.

I remember my parents, both younger than they are now, with smiles of satisfaction on their faces. This had been no easy feat. A bicycle, let alone a new bicycle had taken months to arrive. We lived on a small island with no airport or major shopping centers. This Christmas gift had been planned well in advance.

I remember attempting to hold both handles within my child-hands clutching them tightly, white knuckled as I tried to ride with my Father at my side as he held on, as he was my balance. He wasn’t going to let me fall. “All you have to do is pump your legs and keep the front wheel straight” He would say; “You can do this!” I knew I could…and I did. But not without help.

Yet standing in front of that Christmas tree, cerulean bike shimmering in the twinkling Christmas lights, I caught a glimpse. It was a glimpse not of a bike, or presents under some tree, but rather as a young child, the love that parents have (or should have) for their children. It wasn’t about spending money, or giving gifts, but rather it was about being together. It was about soaking in the presence of each other and caring for one another. I caught a glimpse of the future too. It is a future that is before me now, and on Wednesday will join a slew of other Christmas’ soon to be filed away into the ever increasing recesses of my memory, and that of the memories of my children. I am blessed. Do my children see this love in me? Am I beside them? Am I their balance in a world so often out of it?

This Christmas, there won’t be a cerulean bicycle beneath our tree…but I will be watching the faces of my children. I will be soaking up their presence – Ah yes, this is the best gift that money could never buy…which reminds me of another more everlasting gift that we have all been given.

December 21, 2013 0

Deserters and Grumblers

John 6:61-69 (NIV)
“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus’ words are stuck in my head, “You do not want to leave too, do you?“. I envision Jesus looking at Simon Peter with drawn face of sadness and a heavy heart as the dust cloud of the deserters slowly cleared the air. People Jesus had spent time with, people with whom He had invested Himself in, they were gone and would never return to the fold. They were AWOL and some where in the minds of the disciples perhaps there was this lingering decision whether or not to follow them. Many who had heard Jesus teach that day had trouble swallowing the teaching. They wrestled over His words, which led to the dispersal of some.

Still today, there are those in our churches who come listening for the sweetness of the Word, but run quickly away when its truth finally sinks in. Pastors are also included in this group. Every person who encounters the truth of Jesus must face this, and He looks at each of us as the dust is slowly clearing and says, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Some of us hesitate, many wishing to walk away also. Dare I say that there have been days, in which I’m ashamed to admit that I have wrestled over His truths also. But read again the words of Simon Peter and imagine yourself saying these words to Jesus as well, “”Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Can such certainty come from your heart today? Do you have this assurance in your walk with Him? It doesn’t matter if you are preaching to a congregation of 5 or 500, is His truth still on your lips, in your words and in your heart today?

Some will walk away from your church because they simply cannot fully commit to Him. It is just as tragic as the day it happened to Jesus so long ago. Some, who have been in the pews for years, may one day come to this conclusion as well. Others, perhaps the light will come on and they will experience a deeper sense of Christ as they take such steps to a deeper faith in Him. But it matters little whether people hate you and the consistency of Christ in you, remember what Jesus Himself said to his disciples; “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18) Be consistent in your faith! Be persistent in the need for others to receive this faith as well! Be unrelenting in this love of Christ, even when it comes at the cost of friendships, loved ones, and even fellow pew dwellers. Don’t be haughty or prideful either with His truths. Don’t lord it over anyone or feel as if you are better than anyone either. Remember Christ wants servants to love and to shine, not tyrants and judgmental hypocrites.

Desertions will take place, grumblers will come and go, but remain faithful to Him and declare as Simon Peter once did, “”Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

-Just an encouraging thought for you today…keep on fighting the good fight!

December 9, 2013 0

Just how important is Intercessory Prayer?

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” -Romans 8:26

Just how important is praying for one another? It is vital! Each of us have needs that must to be brought into the very throne room of heaven and placed at Jesus’ feet. Sometimes though we have difficulty in articulating these concerns. Have you ever been to the place of sheer and utter weakness? Have you been to that dark place of loneliness and fear? Brothers and sisters in Christ, our love and care for one another isn’t solely meant for Sundays in the pews alone! No! We have been given this vital task of praying for each other daily. We, are to exercise these prayers of intercession for one another daily!

Perhaps you may say to yourself, “Well I’m not much of a pray-er, there are much better Christians out there who could do a better job!” This may be true, but God has called YOU to pray today for someone in need. You don’t have to be “good” at it. You just have to be diligent and faithful. We are all called to this task and we need to be in prayer for the body of Christ. There will be times when you need prayer and others will surround you. It will be in those moments when this vital intercessory prayer circle will make complete sense to a doubting heart of the vitality and power of such a discipline.

Brothers and sisters, say a prayer for each other today. The Holy Spirit can help you articulate it for you. He guides us in our prayer discoveries and in those dry moments when nothing comes forth. You don’t have to have all the elegant and “right” words, you just have to show up. Say to the Lord, “Here I am, send me!” in an attitude of prayer and He will allow your mind to be “sent” upon those people and situations in which need crucial intercessors.

Commit to it today. Prayer for one another, give thanks for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray through intercessory prayer.

-Just a thought for today.

November 26, 2013 6

“Catching Fire”…at Pentecost

“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” -Acts 2:3

The sequel to “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins hits theaters this weekend. Some, who have already seen it, call it epic and amazing. I’ve read the books and the tension and suspense within this story is truly heart pounding. Without including any spoilers for movie goers, just know that Katnis Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are once again thrust into the famous, yet brutal “hunger games” because President Snow fears that a revolution is at hand if these two champions continue to live.

Readers of the trilogy and critics alike have proclaimed this to be the new standard of fiction literature for young readers. Though the themes are dark there is an underlying message of hope, resurrection and love.

The first to catch fire:

The disciples were unsure of what to do next, and so they prayed. They prayed for the Lord to guide them. They had witnessed His brutal death on the cross. They had witnessed his marvelous resurrection and frequent appearances after his return. But they had also been heart broken when they had witnessed his ascension into heaven. He was no longer physically with them. At times they felt alone and unsure of what to do next…and so they prayed. They prayed in earnest. They prayed out of desperation and uncertainty. But they also prayed with sincere and utter faith.

Then, something remarkable took place. On the day of Pentecost, a religious holiday which invited religious travelers from all over the world to Jerusalem, fire broke out. Not a literal fire with flame and smoke and destruction, but an unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had prayed to God for what would happen next and when it came, it changed the world.

Those who gathered to witness this amazing event were awe struck that simple fishermen and blue collared workers could speak foreign languages that they neither knew or had the resources to learn before. But the most astounding thing wasn’t the languages but the message that was being preached. It was a simulcast message declaring this good news of Messiah!

The disciples may have witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon them like tongues of fire upon their heads, but it hadn’t stopped just at their heads, but it penetrated the very fibers of their hearts and minds! God was speaking to the world so that the world would finally hear the truth and the life! Simple men were chosen to be His conduit, his chosen prophets of a new age. Fire spread that day…and people were catching it! Jesus may have left them physically, but within their hearts God’s very breath by way of the Holy Spirit, ignited a revolution unparalleled by any other revolution know to humankind.

We can also catch fire:

This flame has not died. This fire of the Holy Spirit will not be quenched. But God is still seeking Soldiers of His army who are willing to step up and fight in this spiritual battle! Isaiah 54:17 say, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…” Our God will show up to those who are earnestly seeking! He will bring the fire to engulf us, purify us and prepare us to declare His divine and holy message! Are you ready to catch fire?

November 22, 2013 1

Creative Arts Competition – Last Reminder

Here’s just another reminder about a fun competition that I would like to begin here on my blog. This is our first annual (with more to come I hope) creative arts competition.

Criteria is listed below:

Hey fellow writers and avid readers! I would like to announce a writing competition that I would like to conduct right here on this blog site: http://www.scottstrissel.wordpress.com
I am looking for your entry submissions for the following categories:

Photographs:
Submissions to this category MUST be your own work and not cut and pasted from someone else! These photographs should represent elements of “Thanksgiving” not just the holiday but the emotion, family, Christ, Salvation, our spiritual journey. Please limit your photo entries to five photos.

Poetry
Submissions to this category MUST be your own work and not cut and pasted from someone else!
Again the topic is Thanksgiving and as mentioned above should include some of these thematic elements. Please utilize a total of 750 words, less is fine , but no more that 750 words.

Prose (Story form or article format):
Submissions to this category MUST be your own work and not cut and pasted from someone else!
Again the topic is Thanksgiving and as mentioned above should include some of these thematic elements. Please utilize a total of 800 words, less is fine but more will be rejected.

Winners:
Of each category will be announced on November 29th (the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, AKA Black Friday)
The winners will be post here on this blog site and will receive a bag of Starbucks Coffee (hey I wish I had cash prizes to give you but I’m a broke Pastor with four kids to feed).
I will accept international submissions and if chosen I will post your submission here, but I WILL NOT be able to mail you coffee (sorry).

DUE DATE OF SUBMISSIONS:
November 23rd, 2013 by NOON CST (US central standard time)

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:
Please submit your entry to: scottstrissel@yahoo.com
Please, also label it on your e-mail “Thanksgiving Writing Competition”

November 16, 2013 0

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

This passage of scripture is written by a prisoner and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul had learned a secret that each and every Christian ought to grasp; the secret of being content in any and every situation of life. Consider being in a cold dark prison cell for a moment. The comforts of home are not provided nor are the home cooked meals, nor the nice cozy bed that you used to sleep in…it’s all gone. You are locked in a cell of stone and metal where rats are constantly running over you and the floor is your only resting place. This image of being in prison isn’t a glorious one. It is stark, threatening and claustrophobic…how can Paul even proclaim to being content while locked away in a prison cell?

Contentment ultimately isn’t found in our surroundings or comforts. Sure at times we sit back and sigh and take in the moments of relaxation or familial enjoyments but eventually our contentment will evaporate. True lasting contentment isn’t found in things, people or places. We may experience momentary contentment but eventually our hearts, minds and bodies require more.

So how do we find, as Paul once did in a prison cell, this “secret of being content in any and every situation“? How does that happen? Is there a secret phrase we have to utter and then “poof” we are content? Is there some formula by which we consume in order to find contentment? The answer to both of those questions is “no”. There is nothing physical that we can do in order to achieve a lasting presence of contentment within us. You see, all of our efforts, which are man made, come from our own human portions of strength and wisdom. Our attempts to remain content are of our own making. These are external by design. For example, if we grow tired of our morning routine we might shake things up a little bit by taking a different route to work or formulate a different pattern of getting our children ready for school…these are externally our choices and strengths at play. We make the notion and we follow through with it in our own strength, thereby finding a jolt of contentment within old boring routines of life.

But there is another, better way to find complete and lasting contentment that I believe the Apostle Paul is talking about in this portion of Philippians. The secret to lasting contentment isn’t found in the external designs which are propelled by our own power and fortitude, the lasting contentment is found internally. Let me clarify though because this internal contentment isn’t an original part of our human DNA (that is post-fall of man). At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. He prompts us, strengths us, gives us this hunger to learn more about Him. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to become Holy people of God. Without this internal indwelling we cannot hold onto this grace that has been given to us through Jesus Christ.

Finding contentment is found in finding our source and hope of salvation. Once found, we feast on Him, we savor His fellowship, we thrive on His unending love and mercy and it becomes our focal point instead of the current location of our earthly bodies. This doesn’t mean that we neglect our earthly responsibilities or ignore our bodies but it does mean that our priorities and our perception of life becomes broader as the Holy Spirit stretches and renew us daily in our fellowship with Him. I believe Paul found this to be true. I believe that as His relationship with the Holy Spirit grew and he understood that it didn’t matter any longer if he had all of the comforts of life or none of them. It didn’t matter any longer if he achieved a certain portion of status in life. Those human achievements became an after thought as God’s Holy mission on his life took over and propelled to share and further Christ’s story. Paul understood that no matter where people placed him or where he was imprisoned God would use Him to share this vital message to the world!

Are you in a place right now that feels like a prison? Are you finding that your human contentment has run thin or has now completely evaporated? We can run from one thing to another chasing these fickle moments of contentment through job titles and achievements, but eventually we will find that none of it makes us happy any longer. We could keep running from place to place, from job to job, or we could allow the Holy Spirit to administer within us His Holy presence of contentment. By doing so we shift our focal point from human achievements and prestige to God’s perspectives which are always fulfilling. The journey to Holy contentment begins through discipline of the body soul and mind. This isn’t some kind of new age mumbo-jumbo, but rather a better way, a holy way that will lead us to contentment no matter where we are placed or end up.

Are you in need of contentment? Ask the Lord, begin there…feast on Him daily and slowly you will begin to find His perspectives and vision bringing a contentment like you’ve never experienced before.

I’m reminded of a chorus in closing:

Where He leads me, I will follow
Where He leads me, I will follow
Where He leads me, I will follow
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way

Find real lasting contentment today!

November 12, 2013 4

A “Knock-off” or the Real Deal?

A few years ago I purchased an electronic device that I thought was comparable to the electronic standard held by another brand. It was cheaper and I admit that this was my original motivation in purchasing the device. I thought I had made a good deal by going cheaper…but I was sorely wrong. It looked quite similar to the more expensive quite famous counterpart…but upon studying the “specs” which were the inner workings or the hardware, I discovered that though it looked the part it was just a cheap “knock-off” that barely performed the way that I expected it to. I was thoroughly disappointed and eventually I discarded my “knock-off” and spent a little more for the real deal.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Few sentences in all the world strike at our hearts like this sentence from 1 John. Mimicking Jesus’ own “new” commandment (John 13:34-35), John reminds us all that we are called to this holy purpose here on earth. Dare I say that this world is already full of hell and pain, hatred and heartache…how better to display the Light of Christ to a darkened world than to love. But John doesn’t merely remind us to love with our words and with how we speak to people around us. That would be far too easy and a shallow, cheapened “knock-off” of Christ-likeness.

Phony Christians:

No one likes cheap stuff if they can afford the real deal. If we had the resources to have the original in our hands, to own it and enjoy it, we would never settle for a cheap “knock-off” copy! The world knows a thing or two about phoniness. There are far too many people in our world today who have experienced deceit and cons of every kind. They can spot the phony Christian a mile away. The kind of “Christian” who only pretends to love but is just as absorbed in their own little world as a non-Christian person. The pretend Christian won’t fool anyone for too long, because when it comes time for the rubber to meet the road, for faith to be put into action, the phonies will scatter and disappear at the moment of greatest need. The world does not need any more phonies, let alone phony Christians who are just artificial, cheap “knock-offs” of the real deal.

Newly Minted Originals:

This is not meant to discourage you dear fellow Christ-follower, this is just a warning to both you and me. Without real tangible evidence of love bedded deep within our actions towards others, we run the risk of becoming just another cheap “Knock-off”. Don’t let your faith become jaded. Don’t allow skepticism and judgement to taint your walk with the Lord. There is a very real spiritual war going on; we know the final outcome, yet Satan and his minions would like nothing more than to dissuade you as a Christ-follower and discourage you in your faith so that you only resemble what you once were. Don’t be swayed but how others treat you. Don’t become discouraged when you feel as if you’re the only Christian left standing. We are newly minted originals if we allow Christ’s love to permeate our faith in action. It does nothing to simply say the right things or speak these solid truths unless it is backed up by our actions as well. Those who are still lost cannot simply to Christ by sweet words and kind thoughts…they need real hands to show them the way. They need real feet to walk beside them. They need a shoulder to cry on when life has stripped them of their pride and possessions. They need you and me to go to them and not to wait in our halls or churches for them to come to us (which will never happen).

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let your love be seen from your heart to your hands! Let your faith propel you into action. Be bold, take risks, and discard the temptation to become just another cheap “knock-off” for Christ.