"On Hold"

We live in a world where we have to be "on hold." I have been trying to work out some tax details with the government and have never gotten a real person but have only ever been on hold. I recently have been helping a person switch their SSI information to Minnesota along with applying for medical assistance. I have been on hold in every situation for, "like ever." You know the business because we have all been on hold more than we would like. Well, have you ever felt like you have been on hold with God? If your honest, like me (maybe a little lie there), you have.

There has been many times in my life when I have felt like God has put me on hold. There I wait to get through in hopes of any kind of response. I was talking with a friend earlier and he said it seems God likes to wait till the last moment before our request gets through and he comes through. Is God a procrastinator? If so I could relate a lot better to Him but I don't think procrastination is in His character. What is in His character is a desire for me to be more like Him; patient, calm, trusting and still. I have a long way to go but this is an area of my life I want to see God transform and never "put on hold." With God this life is always a great adventure, without him it's just one big Advil.

What a Day of Transformation

Tomorrow is a day of new birth and transformation for our family. We are adding another girl to the mix and it isn't by natural birth but through adoption. Adoption means, "To take up and make ones own." After tomorrow we will officially have taken up and made our own another girl; her name Katelyn. It is a day we have been waiting for since last November. It's a day when she will use her full name with "Berg" at the end. It will be a day when she is truly one of us.

As Christ-followers we all have a day like this as well. It was the day we decided to allow ourselves to be adopted into God's family through a relationship with God's Son, Jesus. We were on that day "taken up and made God's own." Tomorrow Katelyn will receive all the privileges of being a "Berg." On the day we were adopted by God we received as well all the privileges of God's family. Each of these adoptions brings transformation to individuals and families, whether our physical family or spiritual family. What a day and what a great adventure!

The Difference Two Minutes Makes

We all know how our work days can become so hectic and full. Not only do we have the planned routine meetings but we end up juggling the unexpected situations that need troubleshooting. I have plenty of days like this and the other day was one of them. My schedule was tight all day and my goal was to leave the office in plenty of time to drive an hour away to see my daughter swim in St. Michael-Albertville. Well, I had more hiccups in my day than I planned or imagined and I was already late leaving town. The swim meet was at 6 p.m. and I was leaving town at rush hour which meant even the country side roads would be busier with traffic. To be late to a swim meet could mean missing one of my daughters events. This particular meet was all relays and she was swimming two events. Each event is no longer than a few minutes.

I raced (literally, I'll admit it) out of the office, through the never ending Main Street construction and toward St. Michael-Albertville when I realized I had the wrong directions. I had mapquested directions to the high school and remembered (of course while driving) my wife telling me it was at the middle school. I called home, had them mapquest it and pulled over twice while writing down the new directions. I felt like a good citizen because I actually pulled over to write down the new directions but it did nothing in saving me time. I got of town late, rush hour, construction, bad directions and completely frustrated.

Everything in me wanted to bag the swim meet and turn around and just go home. I was driving one hour to the meet, one hour back for what, to watch my daughter swim for two minutes! Two minutes! All the stress of getting out the office, construction, rush hour and directions almost made me miss an important part of my daughter's life. I pushed through the temptation to meet my own whiny needs and kept driving. To my surprise I arrived on time; (let me remind you again that I was racing).

I settled in my seat, took a big breath and tried to calm down. When my daughter climbed the swim block, scanned the audience and found me she waved with a huge smile. I waved and smiled back. Right then and there all the stress of the day spilled out of my body as I realized how important it was for a daughter to see her Dad in the stands, even for only two minutes of participation in a meet. She got the message that she was valued, that I loved her and am a big fan of hers, that I would drive a total of two hours for two minutes. After the meet there was great satisfaction for both of us as we embraced to celebrate her accomplishments.

As children of God, aren't we fortunate that we have a Father in the stands always cheering for us, available and our biggest fan? No matter what is happening in His world (a lot) He is always mindful of our world for he states in Joshua 1:9, "I will be with you wherever you go." When it comes to living this great adventure called 'life" it is valuable to realize the investment we make in our children and a reminder of the investment our Father in Heaven makes in us.

"A Good Cup of Grace"

How often do we get together with a friend for a "good cup of coffee?" Today in America quite often. We take our coffee seriously and daily! Try to change the coffee intake of a person who's car doesn't need a Tom, Tom or Garman to get to the local coffee shop. It's tires are worn in that direction and it naturally goes there. Wouldn't it be great if our non-apologetic, natural enjoyment for coffee paralleled our non-apologetic, natural enjoyment for God's grace? God loves us so much that he gave his greatest, top shelf gift to us. He wanted us to know without a doubt that his love is to the greatest extreme, it can't go any greater or get any less.

I remember when I was in Junior High and was "sorta dating" because that's what you did at that age. I was at the county fair with my "sorta date" and she wanted me to win a prize for her at one of the games. This was my opportunity to prove I was a man at age 13 but what I realized was it would only prove how much I cared for her! I was on the spot! Was I going to pay big bucks (were talking JH here) to win her a stuffed animal off the top shelf or would I go with the middle shelf or low end? I was stuck and of course to prove my manhood and feelings for her I had to go top shelf. I didn't come through, I burned my cash flow and we spent the rest of the day drinking water and just watching others have fun on the rides. Point is, God went top shelf for us not because he had to but because he wanted to reveal to us how extreme his love is. By sending Jesus to pay for our sins he not only went top shelf, he had the means to provide us the prize. It cost him dearly and this is all the more reason why he desires us to enjoy the grace he provides.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, "His grace is sufficient for us." This means that in every circumstance of life from sin to situations God's grace is going to do the job. It always delivers like a good cup of coffee or winning the stuffed animal on the top shelf.

Lamentations 3:22-23 states a beautiful truth, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness." I am learning this truth in a fresh way these days and realizing regardless of life stuff God is a big fan of Bill Berg. He always looks forward to coffee with me and going top shelf.

LEADER------SHIP

Leadership is a hard concept to get your hands around. I know I am a leader, I am viewed as a leader, yet at times I feel I have no clue on leadership. I have read all kinds of books on leadership, articles, been to the "leadership summit" conference year after year, but there are days, even weeks when I am unsure of my leadership. In my title I intentionally divided out the word "leader" and "ship." If we take the word "leader" alone we get the idea of "one who gives direction, hope and clarity of future to those around them." The word "ship" is "a vessel that sails the open waters." When we bring these two words together we get a picture of a leadership that moves toward the future even through tough and dry seasons. Yes, ships sit still at times due to harbor needs or lack of wind but they are designed to sail forward. Those of us who are leaders are designed the same way, to move forward toward a determined direction.

As I have looked back over a tough leadership season this past year I have recognized three essential aspects of leadership every leader in the church needs in order to push through tough and dry leadership seasons. The first is to stay connected to Jesus the Vine. In John 15 Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branch, apart from me you can do nothing. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." Even in tough dry times of leadership, staying connected to Jesus is a guarantee to produce fruit, to keep the leader--ship sailing. The second essential aspect of leadership is to draw other strong leaders around you. During a tough time in leadership David had his "mighty men" around him. These men put their life on the line for David, broke through enemy lines just to capture a cup of water to quench his thirst. They kept his leader--ship sailing forward. The third essential aspect of leadership is to keep moving. As Erwin McManus says, "Don't be paralyzed by the need of a perfect opportunity." In leader--ship we are designed to keep sailing forward even though at times it may not appear flashy or fast. Slow and steady defines movement just as much as flashy and fast does. Paul stated often that his goal was to maintain what God had called him to and "to run with perseverance the race set before him."

As I reflect on the great adventure of leadership within the church I know there are times when I question the tar out of my leadership, yet at the end of the day resolve to wake up the next as a leader. At times my leadership may look flashy and fast or slow and steady butI am confident for I am connected to Jesus my vine, have great leaders around me, and am still a "leader" with his "ship" running forward to the glory of God.

The Right Part, Wrong Way

Last year the steering cable on our old jet ski broke and we ordered a part through e-bay. In the meantime the jet ski was taken apart and by the time the new part came I was scratching my head in how to get it back together. I had help from a friend and between the two of us our shared knowledge didn't add up to much. Neither one of us would be classified as mechanically inclined. After many attempts the part was not fitting. Anyway, after much time and frustration I woke up one morning with the thought that the part could be in backwards. Why, I didn't have this thought right away befuddles me, but maybe God had a lesson for me in patience yet knew I would never pass so gave up and finally gave me the answer to the problem. I think in reality it was an answer to my kids prayers to please let my Dad get the jet ski going before November! Anyway, the part was in backwards and the jet ski is in the water and being used by many people. It feels good to have figured it out.

I relate this story to the big adventure called life. God has purposed each one of us specifically to glorify him with our life. In Jeremiah 1:5 it speaks of how God knew Jeremiah before he formed him in his mother's womb and that he set him apart to be a prophet to the nations. In Acts 17:26 Paul speaks of how God ordained when we would live and where! Our life is made for the right fit and at the right time in God's kingdom history, but at times I feel like I am in backwards. Things don't seem to be working right and I need to make sure my heart, soul, mind and strength are turned in the right direction toward God. I am the right part but can be in the wrong way which hinders my performance, pleasure and peace in life. The only way I can get myself in the right direction (God's direction) is to apply Psalm 139: 23-24, "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." God made me to be the right part in his creation and he has designed me for a relationship with him. The more I maintain my relationship with him the better I fit and keep from getting turned backwards in life. A jet ski part backwards is harmless, my life backwards can become hopeless. I thank God that he as the master mechanic can always figure me out.

The Second Half

Years ago I read a book about planning for the second half of your life. A lot of people tend to work towards moving their life toward idle during this time but the book challenges the status quo. Statistics show that most people by age 30 have stopped growing in all areas of life except their waistline. I am hoping to to go against the status quo as well. When you get to the back half of your life time becomes more valuable and you lose the idea that your present life is an eternity. You want to make the days, weeks, years count and not just count the days, weeks and years.

Over the last few months I have been doing a lot of study of myself. I have invited a variety of people to evaluate how I do life and to give me honest feedback of what they see. Why would I do this? I want to continue the transformation process God began in me years ago when I decided to follow him as Savior and Lord (Phil. 1:6). Matter of fact I invite God to reveal whatever in my life needs to change. Psalm 139:23-24 provides a great prayer for this, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thougths. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Self evaluation is not easy but it is rewarding. If we fail to do this we miss out on a big part of the this great adventure called life. Don't limit yourself, leap forward in who you can become. Don't doubt yourself, but double the view of yourself. Don't coast into the second half of your life but carve into it with welcomed change. May our second half of life trump the first in living large and not just around the waistline!