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I thought I’d wrap up the year with some of the best posts from 2011…

WE ADD, NOT SUBTRACT (May 20, 2011)

Giving honor adds value.

Dishonor devalues.

The Bible says God has crowned mankind with “glory and honor” (Psalm 8.5).

Our job isn’t to chip away at the honor/worth/value/significance of others.

Our job is to restore and build-up—to give value and honor.

We’re the building team, not the demolition crew.

We’re value adders, not a value diminishers.

We add, not subtract.

We give value.

We build.

We bless.

We honor…

And we do it up big.

I thought I’d wrap up the year with some of the best posts from 2011…

YOUR BUTTER-FLY-NESS (March 25, 2011)

So you’re a butterfly now…

Ya got all that butter-fly-ness going on.

You’ve been made new—the old you is gone and the new you is vibrant and has wings.

The Bible says, “If anyone belongs to Christ, they are a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!” (2 Corinthians 5.17 NCV)

You’re no longer a caterpillar.

You’re a new creation.

Some practical points about butter-fly-ness…

1. Your butter-fly-ness comes from God. It’s his work, his gift to you. You got nothing to be proud of or to brag about… except in God who made you new.

2. Butterflies come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Don’t assume because someone doesn’t look, sound, talk, or act like you that they’re a caterpillar. Appreciate and honor the beautiful diversity present in God’s kingdom.

3. Never forget where you came from. You used to be a caterpillar. Heck, you used to be a pupa. If not for God’s grace, you still would be a pupa.

4. Rather than seeing caterpillars as pests, we must see them as future butterflies. They might destroy a few plants but they don’t destroy butterflies—so quit worrying about their current state of caterpillar-ness.

5. Encourage caterpillars who are cocooning. There’s no reason to be dogging-on, criticizing or complaining about those who are works-in-progress. Be gracious, patient and kind. Speak positively about them and to them.

6. Speaking of cocoons—the church is a cocoon factory, not a butterfly exhibit. It is impossible to be “too good” to hang out with certain people (think about Jesus—he was perfect and he was known as “a friend of sinners”). How we welcome caterpillars and how we treat those who are cocooning is the real test of our butter-fly-ness.

7. We’re not a butterfly gang. Our group isn’t exclusive—we don’t exclude butterflies because of their characteristics, we include them. We’re a butterfly family—a growing family, a family that can’t stop adopting.

I thought I’d wrap up the year with some of the best posts from 2011…

GET YOUR SWAGGER BACK (February 3, 2011)

Swagger:

To move with confidence.

How one presents him or herself.

Swagger is shown in how a person handles situations—it is also shown in the person’s walk.

Too many Christians have lost their swagger.

I’m not talking about arrogance, pride or even self-confidence.

I’m talking about faith.

Confidence in God.

Assurance.

Boldness.

Shining, not hiding.

Advancing, not  retreating.

On the offense, not defense.

Playing to win, rather than not to lose.

Saying things like…

“If God is for us, who can ever stand against us?”

“Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loves us.”

“Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”

That’s the kind of swagger I’m talking about.

Christians lose their swagger because of various things…

Some—because of challenges, difficulties and hurts.

Others—because they’ve gotten lazy and quit growing.

The reasons don’t matter. What matters is that you get your swagger back.

When the 12 spies came back, only 2 had their swagger.

Joshua and Caleb said, “Let’s go—we can do this!”

They moved with confidence.

They presented themselves as ready for the challenge.

They trusted God—and they walked with a swagger.

Here’s what God said about Caleb:

“He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I’ll bring him into the land and his children will inherit it.” (Numbers 14.24 MSG)

My interpretation of that verse: “He walks with a swagger because of his confidence in God.”

How about you?

Is it time to get your swagger back?

I thought I’d wrap up the year with some of the best posts from 2011…

HOW I BECAME A POTHEAD (August 4, 2011)

I went from attending a private Christian school to a public middle school in the 8th grade.

Suddenly I was the “new kid” at school.

I didn’t already have friends at my new school—I didn’t know people there (yet).

Soon, some pot-smoking skateboarders welcomed me, included me, and wanted me to be part of their group.

I wasn’t a big pot-smoker at that time.

I did have a skateboard, but I wasn’t very good…

I couldn’t even ollie (a fundamental trick in skateboarding).

They welcomed me anyway.

And since I wasn’t being welcomed by other groups, these guys became my friends.

Yup, that’s the simple explanation of how I became a pothead.

I was welcomed.

Being welcomed has a powerful impact on us.

So does being rejected.

The church was never meant to be an exclusive club—keeping insiders in and outsiders out.

The church is to be a hospital for sinners, a place where prodigals are welcomed home with open arms.

Here’s what Jesus said: “Whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.” (Matthew 18.5 AMP).

In this regard, I hope the church is more like the pot-smoking skateboarders at my middle school than some of the other groups.

What I’m about to tell you makes the title of this post obviously true…

I have a cat.

Her name is Mango. She’s bright orange. And she lives in our house.

Also, my favorite color is black.

See what I’m saying?

The work of my lint roller is never done.

It will be needed again and again and again and again…

This kinda reminds me of the work of God’s grace in our lives.

Grace isn’t a one-time deal. We walk in grace, grow in grace, and we live in grace.

We need grace every day. I need grace every day.

Just like I shouldn’t leave the house without the lint roller’s work on my exterior, I shouldn’t leave the house without grace’s work on my interior.

In the book of Acts, the Apostles urged the church to stick with what they’d started, “this living in and by God’s grace.” (Acts 13.43 MSG)

I love that…

We LIVE IN and BY God’s GRACE.

Let the work of God’s grace continue in you today, tomorrow, and every day following.

Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story called ”The Capital of the World.” In it, he told the story of a father and his teenage son who were estranged from one another. The son’s name was Paco—he had wronged his father. As a result, in his shame, he had run away from home.

In the story, the father searched all over Spain for Paco, but still he could not find the boy. Finally, in the city of Madrid, in a last desperate attempt to find his son, the father placed an ad in the daily newspaper. The ad read:

“PACO, MEET ME AT THE HOTEL MONTANA. NOON TUESDAY. ALL IS FORGIVEN. PAPA.”

The father in Hemingway’s story prayed that the boy would see the ad; and then maybe, just maybe, he would come to the Hotel Montana. On Tuesday, at noon, the father arrived at the hotel. When he did, he could not believe his eyes.

An entire squadron of police officers had been called out in an attempt to keep order among eight hundred young men. It turned out that each one of them was named Paco. And each one of them had come to meet his respective father to find forgiveness in front of the Hotel Montana.

Eight hundred boys named Paco read the ad in the newspaper and hoped it was for them. Eight hundred Pacos had come to receive the forgiveness they so desperately desired.

This story is a great reminder…

Our world is full of “Pacos.”

These Pacos are hurting and wandering—yet they hope to be wanted, loved, accepted, welcomed, forgiven, and received home again.

They long to hear the words, “ALL IS FORGIVEN.”

Question…

How many Pacos do you know?

Is there someone who needs to hear “ALL IS FORGIVEN” from you?

Are there Pacos you can help? Pacos you can welcome, love, accept, and give a sense of belonging to?

I bet there are—even more than you think.

Full disclosure: I’m not an expert on this subject.

In fact, I’ve only done this once and I plan on keeping it that way.

Even though I’m not an expert, I do have a winning record—I’m 1-0.

So, let me get right to the point. Here’s HOW NOT to ask someone to marry you:

“You wouldn’t want to get married, would you?”

“I was kinda-sorta thinking about getting married—but only if you want. Either way is fine. Just wondering.”

“Maybe someday we could, like, share a residence or get married or something?”

Now, for the HOW TO ask:

“Will you marry me?”

Do you see the difference? This version is direct, uncluttered, clear, simple… it gets right to the point and it demands an answer.

We refer to it as, “Popping THE question.”

I think there’s a good lesson here about communication…

When asking for something, get right to it. Pop the question. Ask. Be direct, uncluttered, clear, and simple. Leave no doubt in their mind what you’re asking for.

Similarly, when making a statement, MAKE IT. Say what you’re needing to say. Don’t let it get all muddy. Don’t send too many messages or mixed messages. Just get to the point. Say it!

I recently saw a sign for “Store Hours” that said:

Open most days about 9 or 10. Occasionally as early as 7, but somedays as late or 12 or 1.

We close about 5:30 or 6, occasionally about 4 or 5 but sometimes as late as 11 or 12.

Somedays or afternoons we aren’t here at all and lately I’ve been here just about all the time except when I’m someplace else.

I’m sure it was a joke.

It’s certainly no way to communicate!

Too many messages. Mixed messages. Muddy. Not clear. Confusing. Frustrating.

Don’t let your communication be a joke. Don’t sound like that sign.

Instead, be clear. Pop the question. Make that statement.

Get to the point as quickly as possible.

Say it!

I meet with a group of guys each week.

We’re reading John Maxwell’s book—The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.

Recently, we discussed a chapter that dealt with a leader’s need for people skills.

Here are a few of the points…

UNDERSTAND PEOPLE
Leaders must be able to understand how people feel and think. As you work with others, recognize that all people, whether leaders or followers, have some things in common:

They like to feel special, so sincerely compliment them.
They want a better tomorrow, so show them hope.
They desire direction, so navigate for them.
They are selfish, so speak to their needs first.
They get low emotionally, so encourage them.
They want success, so help them win.

LOVE PEOPLE
Being a leader is more than just wanting to lead. Leaders have empathy for others and a keen ability to find the best in people… not the worst… by truly caring for others.

HELP PEOPLE
People can respect a leader who keeps their interests and needs in mind. If your focus is on what you can put into people rather than what you can get out of them, they’ll love and respect you.

I was asked to contribute a story for a friend’s book, Bible Lessons From Our Pets (which you can pre-order on amazon.com). Here’s my story…

When I was a kid, I bought a puppy—a little white and orange Brittney Spaniel. I named her “Gretchen.”

Brittney Spaniels are bird dogs. They are bred to hunt.

I wasn’t a hunter, but she was. She loved to run. She “pointed” when birds flew by. She chased any animal that was smaller than her. She dug into mole hills, caught and ate moles (truly disgusting to watch).

Gretchen tried to tolerate the leash but she loved to be free. I would often find her running around chasing various wildlife in the horse pasture behind our house.

Jesus Christ purchased our freedom. He has given us a new nature: one that loves to walk in freedom.

John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 reminds us, “Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

We have a new nature—one that has been recreated in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

This new nature is free. Free from condemnation. Free from the past. Free from destructive habits that chain and contain us. Free to be joyful. Free to live and enjoy this life that God has given us!

We have been unleashed.

In other words, if you are a Christian, it’s your nature to be free just like it was Gretchen’s nature to chase birds.

Unfortunately, we sometimes get chained up, hindered, or put back on a leash. We allow hurts, regrets, old habits, fears, insecurities, greed, selfishness, and other negative forces to attach like a choke-collar around our necks.

I remember a time when we couldn’t find Gretchen’s six-foot long leather leash. It was a rather expensive leash—one that the dog obedience school had recommended. Everyone in my family got blamed for misplacing it. No one confessed, and it was still missing.

A few days later, evidence appeared—proving that Gretchen was the culprit in the case of the missing leash. She had eaten it. The leash didn’t digest well… so there were many little chunks of leather in Gretchen’s dog piles around our lawn.

Gretchen showed us what she thought of the leash we used to hold her back. She chewed it up and expelled it. She left it in piles around the yard.

Jesus paid a high price for our freedom.

We are meant to be free.

Don’t go digging through piles of poo looking for a leash that has already been destroyed.

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again…” (Galatians 5.1 NLT)

When I was a kid, we played King of the Mountain.

Actually, it was King of the Tractor Tire.

The playground didn’t have any mountains—but it did have some big tractor tires stuffed in the ground for us to play on.

The goal of the game: become “King” by shoving everyone else off the tire.

When you knocked all your competitors down, you became King of the Tractor Tire.

One day, Jesus’ disciples were playing King of the Tractor Tire…

“His disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest.” (Luke 9.46 NLT)

When you’re arguing that you are the greatest, you “win” the argument by shoving others down.

Just as one of the disciples was about to shove his last competitor off the tire, Jesus interrupts.

“He brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.’” (Luke 9.47, 48 NLT)

What was Jesus saying?

—You don’t become great by exerting strength over people; you become great by humbling yourself and building others up.

—Instead of trying to be the best shover of people, be the best lifter of people.

—Don’t knock people down. Give them a hand and lift them up.

—Get down off your tractor tire superiority complex.

—Welcome and help the “little” guy.