Growing up in Rural Ohio was not much different than the place I’m at now.  I was smaller then than I am now (hence the “growing up” line), and so the world was a lot bigger, making me think that Fremont, Ohio was a metropolis in one of the top 10 populated states in America.  Certainly it was much bigger than Clyde or Green Springs!

It’s amazing how your perspective changes as you go through different stages of life.  The world is getting smaller, and I’m coming to realize more and more how important people are.  Not just people who look like me and act like me and are in my life circumstance, but everyone.

The best thing to me about this metamorphing of my perspective over the years is the way I read Scripture.  I know longer just read it (in the teaching sense) for what it says to my personal circumstance in Fremont, or in Pensacola, or only in Worcester, Massachusetts.  I’m coming to  understand that it is for the whole world.  For the Pygmy in Australia and the Tribal Leader in Africa to the police officer on the west coast and the Meter Maid in Saltillo, Mexico.

And I think that means something more than they all should have the haircut I have in this Fremont-born photo, don’t you?

Glued to my computer

so little time.

This is my thought for the day.  I don’t have time to write today, but I do need your help.  I’ve set aside today for a few meetings in the morning, then a full late morning and afternoon of working on the FC’s teaching calendar for 2009.  So because I’m glued to my computer in a mode of work today, please help me with this. (especially, though not limited to, if you attend Fellowship)

Is there a passage of Scripture or topic you are interested in that you’d like to hear taught in 2009?

Last week at Fellowship Church, we finished a series called “The Worst Story ever told” from Judges 19-21.   Last Sunday, we focused on standards and how we need self imposed boundaries of people, ideas, or organizations that restrict us with the purpose of personal growth or protection.

I thought I’d leave a thought from Scripture on martyholman.com as an addendum to the message on Sunday.

I said that we not only need boundaries in our lives for the aforementioned reasons, but we are the ones who decide either to impose boundaries on ourselves or to ignore the boundaries around us.  Ultimately we need boundaries and disciplines to be successful in this life (understanding that the word ‘successful’ is open for definition).

And the truth is, the higher our standaries or boundaries, the better we can become.  For instance, if I have standards in my eating habits, I have a better chance of staying healthy and feeling better than if I eat whatever I feel like eating, whether that is greasy fries (which I love) from McDonalds or a huge Homewrecker from Moes.

So what’s the top standard or measure I could subscribe to?  Perfection, I would guess.

I believe that the only perfect person that has ever walked the earth is Jesus.  So would we be successful if we followed Him and made Him our standard in deed and in motivation?  In deed, doing the things He asked us to do and did Himself, and in motivation, doing those things for the reasons He did them.

The author of the Biblical book of Hebrews seems to think so.  In chapter 11 they write about many of the great God followers in Old Testament times, a chapter which has been dubbed “the Hall of Faith.”  then in chapter 12, it’s followed up this way:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The writer uses an athletic analogy to call for raising the standard in our lives.  There are going to be so much stuff that comes in and out of our lives, but anything that hinders our calling, sin or otherwise, shed it!  Then keep going!  And my favorite part is this- all the while, keep your eyes on Jesus.

There are a lot of boundaries you could have, whether its food, material possessions, relationship boundaries or financial, but the one that is the highest standard is that of perfection-

Jesus Christ.

Today is my day off.  I sit here on the corner of my couch for about 2 hours every Monday morning,  pondering the previous week’s events, and reading through Scripture and/or whatever book I might be reading this week, and/or watching sportscenter if there’s anything big going on in my sports world.
I clear my head of distractions and try to slow down, preparing for the onslaught that is this week.
And I think.

Where do you think best?