The next Oscar for best actress goes too…

Notice that she is the only one not needing to hold the script during this play. She went the entire time without needing to reference the notes!

I just hope being on the Internet doesn’t go to her head

If you ever doubted my intelligence

Just notice the intricacies of my son’s delivery. It will blow you mind!

I know, I know, you’re very impressed.

There’s singing…and then there’s singing!

I finally got to editing some of our kid’s Christmas program video. My daughter is the one truly “selling” the song:

Now that’s a Christmas song!

Are you dysfunctional? Of course you are!

You need to read this article I found today:

Tim and Susie are seeing a marriage counselor. You might assume it’s because they had big problems. But you’d be wrong.

Tim Martin says, “ Dysfunctional people go to a counselor, and everyone’s dysfunctional, none of us can get out of that one, none of us had perfect parents, perfect upbringings, or perfect lives now.”

Dr. Juli Slattery says, “ For our physical health most people are willing to go to their family doctor - get a checkup, just make sure everything’s going okay, it’s a sense of reassurance, it’s a sense of catching problems before you even knew they were there.” [read more of this article here]

No one is free from dysfunction…so embrace your’s and get help.

Anticipation into Action

As we approach yet another New Year, many of us are hoping for a fresh start and new things. Perhaps this is really the year for some of the changes you’ve been wanting to make. It may be finally losing weight or getting out of debt. Maybe it’s pursuing a new job or going back to school. Whatever it is, January 1st usually marks the day we begin again. And we’re looking forward to that new day with great anticipation.

I know for me, I always look to the New Year to do things better than the last. I make a lot of “decisions” to change my life in some way. But I realized today, that we can’t just focus on the anticipation of the things to come, but rather, we need to strive for the actuality of making the change. Does that make sense? I think sometimes we get excited for the things we want to do, but lose some of that excitement when it comes time to actually do them. Why can’t we hold onto that anticipation and just put it into action? Why? For several reasons. Because it is usually hard work, because we get distracted, because we get too busy, because those decisions lose their priority.

So, how do we transform anticipation into action? Well, I believe it requires a deeper relationship with God than we have ever had. If we spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word, we will be able to focus on His will for our lives. If we are following that will and if we truly turn our lives over to Him, He will guide us and help us take those decisions and make them a reality. I also believe it takes a greater discipline that we may have ever known. We need to stay focused on what we are trying to achieve and not lose hope when it gets a little difficult. I know this is often a large feat to accomplish, but I believe it can be done. Lastly, try to find a time in your life when you greatly anticipated something and then it became a reality. What a wonderful feeling!

I think anticipation is a great thing. But I think it’s even better when that which we most look forward to becomes true in our lives in the most beautiful way.

Have a joyous and prosperous 2008!

Dear friends, go easy.

I got quickly discouraged this morning as I searched for Rick Warren’s favorite bible verses via Google.  All I did was type in “Rick Warren” and “favorite verses”.  You might be asking yourself, “Why was he googling Warren’s favorite verses?”  Because I feel that it is healthy and wise to model the healthy and wise

I stumbled across this blog and found a great little article Rick had written on laughter.  It was actually very encouraging, since I too love to laugh and I hadn’t realized there were such great references to the benefits of laughter in the Bible.  Rick’s article was good, it was one of the comments that really got me frustrated:

Warren routinely misuses Scripture. The Bible is a tool that Warren manipulates to cover his own ideas with a veneer of divine authority. For example, in the Purpose Driven Life he quotes from 15 Bible versions and paraphrases, picking and choosing the one that fits his pragmatic need. This process often wrenches texts out of context as is the case here.

I have read the review of this story at Extreme Theology. It is well done, and I recommend it’s reading to all.

Shameless plug: I have done some work in several of the abuses of Rick Warren. Not just with his misuse of the Bible, but his extreme ecumenism and his redefining ministry in terms of social activism.

All I wanted to do was get some creative ideas for my devotional time this morning, but then this guy’s perspective slapped me in the face.  Now, out of sheer rebellion to this man I picked up my bible and did the one thing I knew would frustrate him to no end…I simply opened my bible up and let the Spirit move me to the page I should read for the morning.

You won’t believe what page I landed on! It was Ecclesiastes 12:9-14.  The very end of Ecclesiastes reads, and I’m quoting from The Message (probably another thing I do that would really irritate this guy):

The Final Word

Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth.

The words of the wise prod us to live well.
They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together.
They are given by God, the one Shepherd.

But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:

Fear God.
Do what he tells you.

And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read this passage.  One of the things I got from it was for this guy to relax, “But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else.”

Of course this is just my opinion on the matter…

The number one reason couples fight

Money. At least that is what most “experts” will tell you, however, most experts are often fooled by the surveys they pass out to couples. When you read somewhere that money is the biggest source of conflict for couples, writers and thinkers alike are misunderstanding the research.

Is it true that couples report having lots of conflict about money? Yes. The problem is that most couples don’t realize that money is not what they are fighting about but rather the emotional button hit while arguing about money.

Here’s the trick…any time you get upset about something (hurt, angry, depressed, confused, etc.) try asking yourself the simply question, “Why?”. “Why does this bother me so much?” Keep asking this question until you come to one of the key phrases like “I’m feeling rejected, like a failure, disconnected, ignored, misunderstood, controlled, and other (download the free list of core fears mentioned at the top of this page) great feeling words”.

The coolest Christmas services ever!

Skip Mozisek is our worship pastor at Parkway Church and I must say that his Christmas services idea was brilliant!  It’s been a dream of Skip’s to produce this kind of Christmas service, and I wanted to take time in my blog to thank him and the entire cast and crew for their incredible work on “It’s a Wonderful Life” - a radio broadcast.

That’s right, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, was originally done as a radio broadcast in the 1940’s.  Skip even worked it out to get KICKS 105 fm to carry the show several days in a row…live!  We were able to put the good news of the Gospel on live secular radio during the Christmas holidays.

Hospitals reluctant to receive altruistic donors

I ran across this article in the Wall Street Journal (online edition):

Each year, hundreds of people decide they want to donate a kidney, not because someone they know needs a transplant, but because they want to help and don’t care who benefits. But the desire to give can be hard to fulfill because many hospitals won’t accept altruistic donors, and there are few resources to help donors navigate their options.

The hospitals’ reluctance grows from concerns that these potential donors may be psychologically unstable, likely to change their minds and, perhaps, secretly paid for their kidneys. Given the risks of the surgery, which are small but real, some argue that it …

This report surprises me and I hope it is incorrect. I know, because I’ve donated a kidney, that each potential donor would be psychologically screened (and if you’re wondering, I passed, barely, but I passed ). You can read more about the article here.

Make an audio love letter to your spouse

One of our readers has done something really cool and I want to make sure all of you get a chance to read it:

I agree with you Michael. A love letter to my wife has made a transformation in our marriage.  But I went a step further.  I made an audio love letter to my wife along with “our song” and other love songs on a CD.  She plays the love note and songs every day. I guarantee it will make a difference in any marriage relationship!

Michael D. Lawton

Check out AudioJoy.net and see if you can’t come up with a little inspiration of your own.

Recognizing your blessings

The difference between a thankful heart and recognizing your blessings is that ‘blessings’ is a noun, so you are looking for specific things in your life that you can hold up as holy and blessed.

Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and to turn our own sinfulness and the sins against us into blessings! Listen to my latest sermon to hear what it takes to find a blessing in any situation.

Saving your life by serving someone else

When it comes to wanting the best life you can imagine, try starting with charity.  Learn why serving others and giving can be the best medicine for a hurting life.

Chuck Norris and Mike Huckabee

Another love letter from Virginia: ‘I have no regrets about kissing you’

My beautiful Kelly… I have no regrets about kissing you on Tracy’s couch. The world, MY world, is a much better place because you’re in it….and you brought our savior Jesus Christ into it with you.  I am here to tell you how much I love you, but that’s not possible.  How do you measure the immeasurable?  I will always be here for you, my love…..Jay

A love letter from Virginia: ‘His kisses still amaze me’

I love my husband Jay so very much for so many reasons. He makes me laugh like no one ever has. (We have the same “weird” sense of humor) I admire him for his bravery in facing things of the past, and for his quest for a better future. I know that God brought us together, and we are growing in our faith for the Lord as a couple and as individuals. Our first kiss changed my entire life. I will never forget it. His kisses still amaze me….every time.

Give one. Get one: One learning child. One connected child. One laptop at a time.

I was recently made aware of this really cool opportunity:

The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, we need people who believe in what we’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege.

Since November 12th, OLPC has been offering a limited-time Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. During Give One Get One, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. Thanks to a growing interest in the program, we are extending Give One Get One until the end of the year. You also may donate laptops via our Simply Give and Give Many options. Though the increasing public interest in OLPC, we hope to give many more children the opportunity to grow, explore, learn and express themselves.

Love letters: a powerful way to keep your marriage or relationship strong

My mother recently sent me a box of all my love letters I wrote to my various girlfriends through the years, and most importantly, the ones I wrote to my wife Amy.� I thought about posting them to the site (which I’m going to do), but then I realized what a cool thing this would be for everyone to be able to do on the site.

So I’m encouraging the world to submit their love letters to www.gosmalley.com.� Your love letters will not only encourage you, but they will inspire others in their own love journeys.

Attitude

This week’s message is all about attitude.  If you’re going to live a wonderful life, then it starts with the kind of attitude you have toward life.  Listen to last Sunday’s message to discover the three main things you can do to create a healthy attitude in your life.