No Thanks

In 2006, National Public Radio stated that writing a handwritten note is still the best way to send a thank you. But do this "Thankless Generation" people do it? Sandra E. Lamb writes in her book "How to Write It", “We write 75 to 80 percent fewer thank you notes, appreciation notes, congratulation notes, thinking-about-you notes, and just-a-note notes than our grandmothers did.” Often, the problem is not the ability to send a thank you message, but our own sense of duty to be thankful. Thankfulness is not cultivated in our society. Professors and pastors who open new vistas of thought and imagination to us, who inspire us with their passion, are too often overlooked except for the occasional moment where we feel compelled to say something. Friends share time and effort, lend money and rides, yet are often overlooked.

When you see the progression of what occurs when you are unthankful, you would think people would begin countering it, yet we always hear how busy everyone is instead, or “I meant to.” You can divide thankfulness into three levels:

Level One—Appreciation

This is usually a feeling that spurs some type of positive action.

John 6:11 tells us, “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” Here Jesus is modeling that we should be thankful for the food that we partake of—it isn’t just a given that we will have food, or shelter, or clothes, or a church family, or friends . . .

Level Two—Gratitude

This is generally something nice you do for someone who may not specifically deserve it, but the overall situation is such that it’s still deserved.

II Samuel 9:7 tells us, “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land.” Saul, David’s worst enemy in the world, was also the father of Jonathan, his best friend in the world. As a show of gratitude for this friendship, David found Jonathan’s son, who had been hidden away, and brought him to the palace and gave him special treatment. David looked past what Saul had done to him and allowed a relative, a man who could start a rebellion by claiming that he deserved to be king, to live. By this gesture he knew there was nothing that the house of Saul could do to repay him.

Level Three—Thanksgiving

This is a spiritual condition that is exemplified as a form of worship, acknowledging divine blessing no matter your condition.

Genesis 8:20-21 tells us, “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake.” God had just wiped out mankind in a flood. Only Noah and his family survived. Upon leaving the ark, Noah built an altar and gave offerings to the Lord. As a result, God made an eternal promise to mankind for him that the rainbow would remain a promise that the earth would never be flooded again. God finds favor in those who show their thanks as a form of worship. This thanks that Noah offered up went beyond a mere gesture, it was an all-consuming heartfelt acknowledgment of who provided everything for him and his family. If Noah represented the attitude many have today, he would have gotten off the ark a little upset with God, asking, “Why did you leave us in there for that long?” “Why did you make me work so hard on the ark with all those stinking animals?” “Whatever happens now isn’t my fault, it’s yours because you did all this!” Instead, Noah had a heart of worship that acknowledged God’s being as everything to him—and God relished this spirit of worship.

Your thankfulness as worship bypasses the current situation, what the situation looks like, and it bypasses your current feelings—your thankfulness as worship is consistent.

Living in our society today makes it hard to be thankful. You are consistently encouraged to fight for yourself, promote yourself, and exalt your accomplishments. This type of attitude can permeate your very being, yet as a Spirit-filled Christian you can overcome this attitude with thankfulness.

The more you develop a spirit of thanksgiving, the more you realize that thankfulness is an attitude that must be cultivated every day.

2010 TOP Christmas Toy Drive Kick-off

"Giving, with no strings attached, to those that are truly in need".
Nov. 21- Dec. 15, 2010

Courage

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you"!

A quick search of the Bible and we will see over and over where the people of God were told to “Be strong and courageous!” Courage has been defined by many notable men and women throughout history as the principle quality that we build the rest of our lives on. Courage is the kindling for the fire of faith to ignite upon.

“Courage is the first of the human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others”. -Winston Churchill

We live in a time when the voice of courage in many are being magnified, and amplified, only to be dismantled and cast away. To say that this has no effect on the voices of us all would be errant. Knowing that we have a responsibility to a loving God we must not let our voices or our actions become small in our own minds. It is up to us to create moments of courage in our life. These big moments are so important because they fuel commitment.

My company was recently making some changes in the areas in which we worked. I knew then that I had an opportunity, a chance to be courageous. I really enjoyed a particular part of town that I worked in and I really didn’t want to be moved out of there. The moment was up to me, I had to go in to the head managers’ office and make my demands. Not really. I did realize however, at this moment, the only one who was going to speak for me, was me. So, after a quick prayer asking for favor from God, I made my first step. It was not that my boss was unapproachable or unfriendly; it was just uncomfortable to think I was going to go confront him. I sat down and told him my request, that I wanted these two areas of town to work in, his reply, “I don’t see a problem with that.” So simple, and so relieving. I got what I wanted, unselfishly and courageously. This small situation gives me confidence when I know I need to be courageous in other situations, asking to pray for someone, or telling them about the power of God. I don’t want my heart to be silent, or my voice. If the fire will ever keep burning in our lives, we must continually add to it with acts of courage. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear”. -Ambrose Redmoon

By: Patrick Woodrum

Keeping up with the "Phoneses"

My name is _________ and I’m a phone-aholic.
It all started so innocently. I had to go into the cell phone store to fix a problem. They took my name and said they would be with me in a few moments, so I spent my time checking out the new phones. I thought they looked cool and I was amazed at how much they had changed since I had gotten mine the year before. A few days later I was out to lunch with some friends and one of my friends pulled out her new phone (complete with PDA) and put in an upcoming appointment. She showed me how it worked and I suddenly became very intrigued. I started thinking about how much longer I had on my contract before I could upgrade my phone, how much better a new model would make my life, how I could maximize the internet with a new model, and how it wouldn’t cost that much more to multiply my features into eternal happiness. Soon enough, I just happened to be going past that phone store, and I just happened to go in to get my phone checked and soon enough I had that brand new Super Phone that has all the latest internet tools, a camera phone better than most cameras and for only $10.99 more per month, it offers Martian decoder software just in case aliens ever land on Earth. I mean, how can you pass that up?
Yes, my name is _________ and I’m a phone-aholic.

What is it in us that causes us to act this way? This Gotta-Have-The-Latest, Gotta-Own-Stuff-That-Will-Impress-Strangers-I-Don’t-Care-About disease. Sure, we can blame advertising and peer pressure, but those factors wouldn’t work if there wasn’t something inside us that allowed advertising and peer pressure to keep us in a state of eternal anxiety over stuff.

1. Now Is the Winter of our Discontent
Learning to be content is difficult in the world we live in and sometimes it seems impossible. The seeds of discontentment are subtle. Often, we don’t even realize what’s happening to us until we get the itch, that restless feeling to obtain something new.

Maybe it’s because of:

a. Unthankfulness

b. Who You’re Around

c. Seeking the Wrong Things

2. Solid Signs of Discontentment
We’re all susceptible to undervaluing contentment. Here are some solid warning signs that you might not be as spiritually content as you think.

a. Constant Upgrades

b. Lack of Accountability

c. Debt

3. Attributes of Contentment
Paul has a brilliant way of bringing home the way a Christian should live by writing, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Philippians 4:11). Learned to be content is how the greatest missionary in history put it. That’s reassuring isn’t it? It doesn’t come easy for any of us. Were human. Still, it’s essential we notice what guides us toward contentment. Humility doesn’t get much play in our society, but it’s the state we seek as Christians. So implementing these points into our lives can only make us more effective for Him.

a. Clear Priorities

b. Giving Rather Than Receiving

c. Praising God Rather than Petitioning God

Everyone is different. There are some people who could live their entire life contently within the walls of one room as long as they enjoyed the basics of life. Yet most of us in this society of overabundance find it difficult to stay content. Yet spiritually, it is to our benefit to acknowledge these weaknesses, because through our weaknesses we can allow Gods power to shine, we can maintain a reliance on him, and consistently work toward developing a lifestyle that is pleasing to Him.

A Servants Attitude

People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them.
Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Regrets?

Obviously there’s no such thing as “no regrets” in a life. We may regret that decision about our summer job, the lemon we purchased that we thought was a reliable vehicle, or the cool roommate that turned into a terror.
All of us do or say things that we wish we hadn’t afterwards. Sometimes, immediately afterwards we apologize or blush at our stupidity, yet even when the offended party forgives us, we mentally kick ourselves for our mistakes. Sometimes we don’t realize our mistake until weeks, months, or even years later, then burn in frustration or personal disappointment at ourselves. Other times we hesitate to speak up to defend someone or something valuable. Other times we’re too insensitive to the depressed friend needing compassion or too self-absorbed to realize we’re ruining our Christian witness. Be it via commission or omission, we can all list those regrets, though most often we try to forget them as quickly as possible.
Understand that it’s impossible not to have regrets. Yet it is possible to live without regrets that cripple you psychologically or spiritually.
We all warm to the great American success stories of heroic people who never give up and someway, somehow overcome impossible obstacles to become Olympic champions, business tycoons, or even presidents of the United States. Yet, the reality is more often than not; our choices won’t lead to headlines and media interviews, but simply a life worth living.

Here are four points to learn how to live without regrets:

1. It’s vanity to think you won’t experience heartaches in life—Just because the American media insists everyone should remain happy, scripture tells us it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). The sooner you recognize that fact, the sooner you can move on with life.
2. Forgiveness means forgiving yourself and others— Forgiveness is a continual choice you must make daily. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it isn’t realistic. But it’s always the best choice forward.
3. Remind yourself that your Life is in God’s Hands—Sometimes we forget we are not our own. Paul wrote, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19). By choosing to follow Christ, we must trust that He has our best interests in mind for the long term.
4. Continue to Set Goals to Achieve Excellence for the Kingdom of God.

It’s impossible not to make mistakes and create regrets. It is possible to live a life with no regrets—you just must choose to deny the natural guilt and bitterness that setbacks can create in everyone. We must refuse pity; we must constantly seek to place our lives in God’s hands—no matter how it looks to us in the short term.

Your Safety Net in Transition

Mastering a tough transition in your life is as important as knowing where your life is heading. But, don't forget about your Safety Net.....

Esther ended up queen of the empire, yet never stopped communicating with her uncle and spiritual guide Mordecai. Ruth and Naomi were constant helps to each other once they chose to return to Israel together—Ruth provided the daily needs, while Naomi directed the social opportunities (and eventual courtship) of her daughter-in-law. Paul was shepherded by Ananias and Barnabas throughout his early ministry. After Christ returned to heaven, Peter paired up with John, each relying on the other throughout their ministry.

Often the stress of a major transition makes us isolate ourselves from others. And while you certainly don’t want advice from every well-meaning person who offers it, maintaining a strong network of local friends and family will only strengthen your chances of success. A long-distance friend you text and talk with daily probably isn’t going to be strong enough to prevent the inevitable panic attacks at being overwhelmed by unfamiliar circumstances. Allowing the strain to build up without a healthy outlet will only create an opportunity for a meltdown, perhaps even sin, that a long-distance friend will be helpless to prevent. A local friend can be your protector.

The key is to cling to the best friends and/or advisors. They needn’t be your best friend, but someone—perhaps your class coordinator, a student pastor, a fellow believer in your group—who understands you and your situation well. A coach, who can watch from the sideline of your life and give you context, advice, and insight as you attempt to master your transition game. By the way, that's what friends are for. Your Safety Net!

Walnut Terrace Block Party - May 1, 2010

Turning Frowns Upside Down

Acts 13:52

“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.”

“Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” a great salesmen named Og Mandino once said.

In the days of the gloom and doom in the news it can become very easy to get discouraged and unhappy. While we all grow frustrated about uncontrollable things, we shouldn’t let that frustration spill over into our interactions with others. It is always a joy when someone walks into a room and it seems like the lights come on. People need to be encouraged.

When was the last time you complimented someone? Or asked someone about something that they are interested in? The key to being the light bulb, always glowing, is to be an interested person, not an interesting person. People seem to work pretty hard at making themselves unhappy these days, even though their lives are filled with so many wonderful blessings. Why not take a moment and share some happiness?

Psalm 30:11

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;”

By: Patrick Woodrum

got zipped lips?

According to recent research, most Americans regularly strive to be connected to a substantial number of other people and yet possess a sense of loneliness, isolation, and restlessness. The involvement with social networking via the Internet, text messaging, etc, are manifestations of investment in relationships and connections that are important but somehow not as fulfilling as desired. A recent poll says that "Half (50%) of all unchurched and non-Christian adults admit that they are seeking meaning and purpose in their life - providing a meaningful entry point for evangelizers."(Barna Research)

People are confused...lonely...bound...searching!

In Mark, Jesus said to his soon-to-be disciples "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." In parables, He taught us to "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." After He healed the man called legion, He told him to "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." His great commission to us was, "and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." In the New Testament, it states that Paul taught "...publicly, and from house to house."Are we Christians? Christ-Like? Are your lips zipped?

The Church is for Lovers

Here it is, the month of February, in which falls the lovers holiday, Valentines Day. I guess we could declare it the "Love Month". I'm sure that you have seen the T-shirt or the bumper sticker that says "Virginia is for Lovers". Well, I don't know.....what I do know is that "The Church is for Lovers". Our goal is to love God more than we ever have and to love people more than we ever have. Are you surprised that the two are related? In fact they are inseparably connected. The more we love God the more we love people. The higher our temperature of our love for God rises, the higher our temperature for the love of people rises. And by the way, God didn't pick and choose, He loves them all. That has to be true with us also. Is loving people that important? Jesus was asked in the book of Luke a values question. Out of all the commandments, which is the most important? What is the greatest commandment? Listen to what Jesus said and He responded without hesitation. 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. Think of all the commands in the Bible. And Jesus narrows it down to two commands. Love God with your heart, mind and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you want to know what God values most, its love. It is the greatest thing that we can do. We should love our God, family, friends, neighbors, new converts, bible-study students, people you don't like, and yes, even our enemy with no strings attached!

Our first blog!

Hello everyone, I'm excited about our new blogspot. This blog will be a source that we the staff of MISSION14:23 will use for event info and news, as well as event pictures and videos. Anyone, however, can blog on this page, just know that your comments are made public and will be deleted if not appropriate. Stay tuned for event schedules to come soon!!!

-Jeff Cecil