It reminds me of this section from one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible – Romans 12

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  Romans 12

We each are giving different gifts, but we are all ask to use to with all of our heart.  That’s a good thing to have in common.

Be strong today, as you use  your gifts to impact others,

and

May the Fourth be with you!

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18New International Version (NIV)

 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV

And don’t forget the rewards from turning over things is praying.  The payback when we leave our anxieties with the Christ is tremendous.

 ^6-7Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 The Message (MSG)

I think today may be a good day to reap some of those, don’t you?

 ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 New International Version (NI

That reminds me of this quote I read on the Twitters last night:

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!” – Peter Senge

Don’t resist!

Well it seems that this is the convergence of two traditional unlucky things!

UNLUCKY FRIDAY + UNLUCKY 13 = UNLUCKIER FRIDAY

I guess we have always heard that 13 is an unlucky number for some reason.  But I didn’t realize Friday was given that same name.  But check out this story I discovered while doing a little bit of research

Legend has it: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Don’t start a trip on Friday or you will encounter misfortune. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck, as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday. One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell the longstanding superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned and given the name “H.M.S. Friday.” They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday, and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday — and was never seen or heard from again From : http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th_3.htm

So fun! ( well I guess not for those on the Friday!)

As I was reading some history, it seemed that a lot of this talk about Friday and 13 have a long history in humanity, and that when Christianity spread it change them even more.  It seems to me however, that the presence of the Christ would not have demonized these things, but set people free from the fear of them!

The LORD is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?  Ps 27:1

or what about this bit of truth

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8

Seriously, if God if for us, can a day of the week and a number conspire against us?

Enjoy the great day! ( and leave the salt at home!)

It’s starting to be one of those days when I can relate to Paul.  I am sure that lots of you feel this way as well

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Drives me NUTS.

And it drove Paul nuts

 ²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am!

I hate feeling like the wretched man.

Luckily, as like Paul, we all have one form of deliverance and hope.

Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7

Stay the course, and keep fighting the battle inside your mind today.  The victory is worth it.

What an incredible day.  So far this morning I have already read tons of reflections from people on Twitter and Facebook.  They range from my college buddy Willie posting

On this Good Friday, please pause for a moment and realize that seersucker suits may be worn in just three days!

to Max Lucado tweeting this gem

On this Good Friday, envision the Savior on the cross, bloodied and cast in shadows. Listen as heaven whispers: For you, my child. For you.

It’s a pretty awesome day historically, I mean, really, the son of God dying on a cross, with intent.  What better, is that he was buried and guarded by the Romans, and what is best is that he rose back to life, again with intent on the third day.  Of course, the intent being that he did he not for his own glory , but instead to restore us back in a relationship with the Creator of the Universe!

Enjoy the weekend!  And do spend some time on your own reflecting on this Good Friday and this best weekend!

 ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5 NIV

Even though the term has been around since the mid 90′s, I really don’t recall hearing it very much – or I really am out of touch with what is going on.  Anyway, for those of you in the same boat as me, a slacktivist is someone who does something in support of a cause that requires minimal personal effort.  For instance, give $5 dollars online, or post the topic to Facebook, but yet never take any other action.  As the article suggests, those people have been pretty powerful with messages such as SOPA, and even some of the Occupy stuff.

But, here is why I was so attuned to this.  This is how lots of us follow Christ.  We say yes, we post verses to Facebook, and we even give a few dollars – minimal personal effort.  Although, I like the concept ( a lot), I don’t think we are called to be that way when we follow the Way.

¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13 New International Version (NIV)

and

²⁷He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 New International Version (NIV)

God loved you so much that he gave his son. Do you think that slacktivism and following the Christ can go together?

But that was good.

And so it is for us.

˙ʎןʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp sbuıɥʇ ʇɐ ʞooן oʇ ǝnuıʇuoɔ oʇ sǝʌןǝsɹno ǝbuǝןןɐɥɔ oʇ pǝǝu ǝʍ

It’s through that challenge we are transformed and find growth.

I hope you find even the smallest way to challenge yourself to get out of your ǝuoz ʇɹoɟɯoɔ today.

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 NIV

Yes, that’s right Inconvenience Yourself Day.  I hope that you choose to participate by putting yourself second and others first as you go through the day today.  Take the path that is inconvenient for you, to make it convenient for others.  If you are looking for ideas, you can check some out here at the day’s spot on the interwebs.

Be inconvenient today and impact others.

 ¹ We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” Romans 15:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

Any of you who are parents have experienced those days when your children take you to the edge, either through behaviors, or ( in most cases) attitudes.  I have discovered it is in those times where once you regain you right mind great opportunities for growth are to be found.  In those instances we can understand so much about our relationship with God.  Try this on.

You as a parent tell your child to do X or probably Y will happen.  He doesn’t.  Tomorrow, you tell you child to do X and remind him about Y. He doesn’t.  And the next day and the next day and the next day.  And then finally Y occurs, and your child is absolutely stunned and upset. And blames you!

I hope that sounds familiar to two of your relationships.  ( in case that is confusing, I am talking about you as a parent and you as a child of God.)

But what happens next is the most confusing and where the lesson really is.

As a parent, you love them anyway.  You offer them grace and mercy, and forgiveness, because you want them to be successful.

Sound familiar?

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8

Hm.. That probably wasn’t worth that wait, but I hope you that are parents consider how your parental relationship can teach you about how God is and that you can use that to emulate both as a child and as a parent!