Tag Archives: questions

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You Walked Away? Good…I Would Have Too.

Walking Away From The Wrong god.

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I wish this title were actually click bait… but it’s true. There are many who have walked away from God, and after talking with them or hearing their stories – I don’t blame them, I would have walked away from “that god” too.

The truth is when I hear a “deconversion” story, (a story of someone abandoning their faith) one of the first things I do is try to figure out what “god” they claimed to believe in. One or two common ones usually show up, but very rarely do I hear of people who walk away from the God that I have put my hope and trust in. It’s usually some version of Him that has been twisted, altered, and changed to the degree that it’s no longer the fullness of God… but a version of a god who they thought was real.

Several months ago, a well-known pastor in Atlanta (Andy Stanley) was catching some serious controversy over a series he did called “Who Needs God.” He was getting a lot of flack from “churched” people, so obviously I was very interested in what he was doing. (I know it’s strange, but whenever today’s Pharisees get angry about something, it usually means that it’s something Jesus might have done!)

In one of his messages, he shared a list of “gods” that people have walked away from and I recognized several of the ones I have also seen in my life.

Here was his list: The God’s of the No Testament
Bodyguard God – he’s here to keep anything bad from happening to you
On-demand God – he’s here to grant our requests (like a genie)
Boyfriend God – you feel him constantly, he’s always with you, and you never fight
Guilt God – he motivates you by condemnation, guilt, and fear.
Anit-Science God – check your brains at the door, God doesn’t want you to understand anything
Gap God – when we can’t explain it, we shove this God in the gap and call it faith

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MY ONE WORD for 2016

The "What If" Question I Never Planned on Asking

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For those that know me well or follow me on this blog, you probably remember me proclaiming my word for the year at the beginning of 2016. “What if?” I know that’s technically 2 words, but when you hashtag it – it works. #whatif.

I’m a dreamer and a doer. I love to have my head in the clouds, but there are also times when I just put my head down and get stuff done. It’s a unique tension in my life that I’ve learned to embrace. There have been so many wonderful “What if…” moments this year that I could fill all of 2017 with blogs to inspire what if’s in your own life. However, this is NOT that kind of POST.

This post is not about all the “what ifs” that got me pumped up, it’s about the ONE “what if” that had me jacked up for almost 10 months of this year.

What if…my heart never recovers?

I almost wish I was speaking emotionally or metaphorically about lost love or dreams that were crushed because of circumstances (almost – because I do understand that this has happened for people who struggle with this question and I don’t want to minimize their experience nor would I wish that on anyone). No, I’m speaking about the very real, odd shaped, irreplaceable muscle that pumps the life-blood through our bodies. MY HEART!

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Surprising Story with Amazing Message

Can Hector find happiness?

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jak-dogonic-szczescieSo, I don’t usually make it a habit of recommending movies, but every once in a while one just has to be talked about. Especially one I’ve never heard of.

One night while glancing through the “Recently Added” on Netflix, I came across Hector and the Search for Happiness. I really only stopped on it because I am a fan of Simon Pegg and after recently watching the last Mission Impossible – I’ve been on a spree of watching his old movies I enjoy (Hot Fuzz, How to Loose Friends and Influence People, The World’s End).

This movie is based on a book with the same title by Francois Lelord and is all about a psychiatrist named Hector who takes an epic journey while trying to discover what makes people happy! It’s a more serious film for actor Simon Pegg, and I really enjoyed him in it. His girlfriend Clara, played by Rosamund Pike, is also quite good in her role and I could have used more interaction with her in the movie. A relationship stunted by emotional barriers is the 3rd primary character of this story.

However, the BIG reason I think everyone should now see this movie is because of the questions that are asked 100x in the film.

“What makes you happy? Would you consider yourself a happy person? Where does happiness come from?”

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Why EVERYTHING Looks Better in the Store

My Heart & Mind Are Always Looking to Resolve my Tension

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tv in storeI LOVE shopping for TVs. The newest “4K Ultra HD Awesome Sauce TV” in the showroom get’s my heart pounding and I can see my life being better with it in my living room. This is going to solve ALL my problems… right here!

Of course, it won’t solve all my problems. The good feelings of “wow” wear off quickly with me and gadgets pretty quickly – within just a couple of weeks, the TV would just be another thing in my house that I enjoy, but no nearly as much as I thought I would.

This happens to me all the time. Not always when I’m shopping for stuff – but in other areas of life too.

Haven’t you ever heard something and thought it was the answer to all your questions… only to try and reflect on it later and it really didn’t answer all of your questions, as a matter of fact it answered none of them. It was SO INSPIRATIONAL in the moment… but failed to hold that same power after a short period of time.

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Why EVERYONE should watch “Mom’s Night Out”

Great illustration of the TENSION that cannot be Resolved

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momsnightoutOkay, I know what you’re thinking… “Seriously, a chick movie…” “WAIT, a Christian chick movie!!!”.

YES!

I won’t recommend many things like this, but occasionally I will notice a movie or a book that I think needs a shout out. Please note, this movie is not a chart topper, it won’t win any awards, and there’s plenty of Christian velveeta at times – but it is a FANTASTIC picture of TENSION in one woman’s life that simply is too good to ignored.

Many of us live what I would call “normal” lives. There’s nothing super exciting about them. We work, we take care of our homes, we have friends, we have family that’s messed up, and we don’t have any “major” problems… this should cause us to be fairly content with life.

However, even in those quiet times, many of us go through seasons of wondering, purposelessness, and searching for “something” that will resolve the TENSION we still feel in our hearts. The questions that nag us “Am I doing this right?, Is there more?, What if I’m on the wrong path?”

I am a strong proponent of asking those questions. Even taking steps to test the boundaries of what is around you to see if they are real or just ones we’ve placed on ourselves. I’m NEVER a proponent of huge, reactionary, impulsive acts of desperation (buy a corvette, leave your spouse, sell everything and move to Zimbabwe). This leads to nothing but personal heartache and usually family devastation in the wake of your decisions.

However, this movie portrays the perfect (albeit exaggerated) “Night Out” in which 3 moms simply looking for a night out of the routine get caught up in an adventure that reveals many of those questions that are longing to be answered and tensions resolved.

It’s a typical modern movie, the wives/moms are OCD and the husbands/dads are useless when it comes to the kids and how to help their wives. I’m not a huge fan of this constant agenda to portray women as neurotic freaks and men as idiots, but that’s hollywoods MO right now – so I live with it in movies.

Sean Astin (RUDY!) does a great job in this movie and Sarah Drew also delivers a convincing wife/mom filled with a TENSION that simply cannot be resolved.

Conclusion – “Mom’s Night Out” is a great illustration, a fun movie night in, and if you’re paying attention – you will see the incredible POWER in the TENSION that simply cannot be resolved in our lives. It starts out in the movie as the THING that must be solved in order to have happiness and peace, but ends with understanding that this TENSION (these questions of life) when redirected give purpose and meaning to our lives and actions.  

So go ahead, watch it.  Let me know if you agree.

Available in DVD and Amazon Instant Video.

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What the church can learn from the Atheist Hotline

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The group called “Recovering from Religion” has set up a hotline for people who struggle with doubts about God and religion in general. Read full article in Huffington Post.

So, I’m convinced they got it right on this one. SURE, they’ve embraced it from a completely wrong motive – but they don’t care… there is no God to answer to so there is no ultimate accountability.

While the church is busy ignoring REAL questions about faith…the atheists have set up a hotline.

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One of the quotes from the groups executive Director Sarah Moorehead that got my attention was powerful.

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Pastor Gives in to Unbelief after 30 years of Ministry…

"He Tried his Damnedest to Believe and Now Wants Out"

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clergymanRecently, an Atheist blog called “Rational Doubt” came across my FlipBoard newsfeed and I was intrigued by the headline so I decided to read the story. By the end of the article, I was just pissed off! I will always link to articles I reference, so feel free to read it yourself here, but I didn’t turn out well for me.

Why? Because this particular story (the blog has many) is one I’ve heard a hundred times and for some reason I am continually shocked and amazed at how many people blame the “church” or their “religious system” for their lack of faith or belief in Jesus Christ! It drive me nuts!

LISTEN: Someone struggling with belief in the “church” or the “system of religion” they have and making it synonymous with their belief or trust in God is a connection that was NEVER supported by Jesus Christ.

Making Religious Belief synonymous with Trust in God is a connection that was never supported by Jesus Christ!

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After 30 years of loyalty and service to his RELIGION, this clergyman was tired, sick, and could no longer continue on his current path. So he gave up his faith in God – because he could not reconcile the religious system he was stuck in.

Notice, the article is pretty clear to articulate that he had massive issues with the religious system and the stuff he was preaching. Yet because the religious system and faith in God were tied together… He felt he had to turn from God in order to be set free.

Sir… I’d like to re-introduce you to Jesus! He knew you’d feel this was – but you’ve made the wrong choice if FREEDOM and REST is what you are looking for!

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Faith and Science…

They were made for each other!

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When the doctrines of faith and science meet, many view it as a collision of opposite ideals and extremes – I see it as a beautiful waltz of 2 distinct ideals with more in common than people realize. Many don’t think they can co-exist! I happen to believe they don’t simply co-exist – they were “made for each other”.

Dr. Ben Carson was once drilled in an interview on NBC about his faith with the assumption that it was a direct conflict with science. He laughed mostly, but the words he did say that caught my attention were these. “I find a very good measure of correlation between my religious beliefs and my scientific beliefs… for those that struggle with this, I’m more than to discuss with them why they believe what they believe, and why I believe what I believe.”.

I love his willingness to discuss why he can be a scientist and a man of faith. I know people struggle with this and if you’re not a fan of Dr. BC and hate that I started with a quote from him… chill out. This post is not about Ben Carson.

popcorn-tradition The fact is Faith and Science go together like Garrett’s specialty popcorn in Chicagoland. A unique mix of caramel & cheese popcorn! It shouldn’t go together… but THEY JUST DO! (If you haven’t experienced this awesomeness – you can order some online today).

Here are just a few reasons why I believe that Faith and Science were made for each other.

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The Lies We Tell

#1 Lie We Tell in Christianity Today

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We all have questions – there is no doubt. It does’t matter if those questions surround our parenting, our ability to manage at work, or the faith that we have in God. Questions are inevitable.

There was article several months back in Christianity Today titled, “Seven Lies Christians Tell”. As with most articles like this – I am immediately intrigued and hardly ever surprised when I read the content. If you’re curious – please feel free to read the article here.  I’m just going to focus on ONE of the lies we tell.

#1 on the list. “We lie when we claim to be more confident than we really are.”

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There’s No Such Thing as a Stupid Question…

So why do people have so many unasked questions?

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“Now remember class, there’s no such thing as a stupid question”. I can remember my 2nd grade teacher saying this to us often after she’d had just given us a list of instruction to follow. She wanted to make sure we all felt like we knew what we were doing and why… and I guess she thought this would calm some of our insecurities if we DID have a questions but were too afraid to ask it in class. However most of us still remained quiet with the look of “I’m good” on our face – even if there was a question inside of us.

womanmorningI’ve actually said this to my children as well. Come to think of it – I’ve said this to rooms of adults when hosting a Q&A about issue with life & faith. It’s interesting how we feel like this simple phrase has the power to break down walls of fear, anxiety and insecurity that lies beneath the surface of our “I’m good” exterior.

WHY? If we’ve been given permission to ask ANY questions and that there really is NO STUPID QUESTIONS…why do so many of us walk around each day filled with questions about life and faith and we don’t feel like we can ask them or share them with anyone.