It's the same way with life. We live life in a process of learning and creating. We all get caught up in the responsibilities of life, and that is ok, in fact, it is great. Responsibilities can shape us and set up a foundation for improving our character. But what about dreams and excitment? What about creating a Highlight Reel for our lives?
Here is what you need to do...
Activate Your Faith
Do something that activates your Faith. Go on a Mission trip, hang out with kids at a Children's Hospital, start exercising, create a new project, feed the hungry, go play checkers with the elderly at a retirement home, write a book, sponsor a child, learn to play an instrument, take up a foreign language, chase a lion....the point is to do something that is bigger than your self that causes you to lean on God and to trust Him more that ever....
From Mark Batterson's "Lion Chaser Manifesto," you need to set a goal that is destined to fail with out God's Intervention...that my friends will activate your faith!
Ephesians 5 tells us to "Wake Up From Our Sleep." Verses 5.8-10 from The MSG paraphrase says it like this...
You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.
Bored? Or Are You Boring?
"There is no such thing as boredom, only boring people."
Erwin McManus has a 'philosophical' statement:
"There is no such thing as boredom, only boring people."
That is a challenging statement to us all. It's very true though because life is what we make of it. If you say, "I am bored," well that is frankly no one's fault but your own. You have created that boredom. It's time for you to go create something to add to your "Highlight Reel!"
MasterCard Moments
We have all seen the commercials, no need to go into detail, but what I love about them is that they are moments of Highlights. We went on a Mission trip to Peru in 2006, and Christian used this idea for our motivation to serve during the week. He made it a point for us to focus on creating and looking for "MasterCard Moments." We even made personalized 'credit cards' for everyone so that this idea would enter in to their Reticular Activating System in order to creat a mental category for these moments! It was so awesome to gather back together at night and listen to everyone give their "MasterCard Moments" from the day!
MasterCard Moments
We have all seen the commercials, no need to go into detail, but what I love about them is that they are moments of Highlights. We went on a Mission trip to Peru in 2006, and Christian used this idea for our motivation to serve during the week. He made it a point for us to focus on creating and looking for "MasterCard Moments." We even made personalized 'credit cards' for everyone so that this idea would enter in to their Reticular Activating System in order to creat a mental category for these moments! It was so awesome to gather back together at night and listen to everyone give their "MasterCard Moments" from the day!
The Plan
I want you to create what is known in the athletic world as Micro and Macro Cycles. A Micro Cycle is a day, a week, a month etc that makes up a Macro Cycle, which can be monthly, quarterly, or half a year, a year, etc...Create these cycles and set goals and develop projects, trips, learning, etc to establish your "MasterCard Moments" for your "Highlight Reel."
Start small and build your way up. Set a goal to create a moment once-a-month, then move up to once-a-week, then once-a-day. Review your "Highlight Reel" every week or month depending on your goals and Celebrate! You could even "Tithe" your time. Tithe one Sunday a month to go volunteer or serve! Eventually build up so many moments that your yearly "Highlight Reel" blows you away!
Generosity
Focus your moments on others as well as your self. Personal goals are amazing, but ask yourself how they can be fit into benefiting others. The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 11 has three amazing Scriptures that show us how important Generosity is...
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
So live it up today! Please post your "Highlights" and "MasterCard" moments as a comment to this blog, we would love to hear about them!
I will close with the ending Scripture from Ephesians 5.11-16...
I want you to create what is known in the athletic world as Micro and Macro Cycles. A Micro Cycle is a day, a week, a month etc that makes up a Macro Cycle, which can be monthly, quarterly, or half a year, a year, etc...Create these cycles and set goals and develop projects, trips, learning, etc to establish your "MasterCard Moments" for your "Highlight Reel."
Start small and build your way up. Set a goal to create a moment once-a-month, then move up to once-a-week, then once-a-day. Review your "Highlight Reel" every week or month depending on your goals and Celebrate! You could even "Tithe" your time. Tithe one Sunday a month to go volunteer or serve! Eventually build up so many moments that your yearly "Highlight Reel" blows you away!
Generosity
Focus your moments on others as well as your self. Personal goals are amazing, but ask yourself how they can be fit into benefiting others. The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 11 has three amazing Scriptures that show us how important Generosity is...
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
So live it up today! Please post your "Highlights" and "MasterCard" moments as a comment to this blog, we would love to hear about them!
I will close with the ending Scripture from Ephesians 5.11-16...
Make the most of every chance you get.
