1) An impossible goal can be achieved with long-range planning and short, consistent steps made in faith.  Think of the most impossible thing you think God would want you to do. Pray about it. Organize life in a simple manner to make small steps in that direction and soon your perspective changes. What seemed impossible can even become inevitable.

2) The word “need” has been misused long enough in my daily language (as is other extreme language – “I’m starving?”. I have more stuff than any one person should be allowed to have.

3) I love my job. If something can be too good to be true. This place is definitely a lie.

4) God can change you from the inside out, if you will only slow down, make time and ask Him to come clean house.

5) Read the Bible. Not just to dissect, analyze, and synthesize, but to let IT read you!

6) If your family thinks you are too busy (because they miss having you around), YOU ARE TOO BUSY!  Stop it. That time will be gone before you know it!

7) No one can make you take better care of yourself, but you. Start doing it in small steps today and don’t stop doing it, until don’t want to stop doing it. It is true. The best thing you can gift to a loved one is to create a better you. I always thought this sounded selfish. Taken at face value, it is, but deep down it is possibly the most selfless thing one could do.

If you feel God calling you to do something “crazy,” talk about it regularly with those who are the closest to you and if the feeling keeps nagging you, do something to make it happen.

9) It is relatively easy to take in 500 extra calories and not even realize it, but if you want to burn off 500 calories, I guarantee you will have to realize it before it will happen.

10) It is possible to STOP eating before you feel full. It’s not that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, so much, but that it takes a few minutes for our food to reach our stomach. Here: Look at the food. Decide how much a “normal, healthy” human should consume. Eat only that much. If you still feel hungry, box it up and sit for 10 minutes. Hunger will go away. Plus, now you have lunch for tomorrow.

11) Music is an incredible (and very biblical) medium through which we can worship. But it IS the medium and not ALWAYS necessary for our worship to be acceptable. I’ve always known this, but I realized that some people really want to know how to make this transition from singing to a way of life. And the true worship leader’s life needs to lead the way.

12) My daughters are AMAZING and they get it all from their mother!

13) I am growing to believe that everything considered, a person’s positive spiritual growth (read: transformation into Christ’s character) is more important than a person’s leadership gifts and abilities. In other words, “Discipleship > Leadership.”

14) I read a large number of words regularly on a variety of subjects (personal, professional and spiritual growth primarily). If I am completely honest, my mind is way ahead of my actual behavior on all of these.

That is quite a bit of what been going on in me the last 18 months or so. I know it’s late in coming, but a simple life leaves little desire to visit this virtual place…i may be back someday…we’ll see…

all thanks to wordle.net

what key words jump out at you?

“…however, if what we have we believe we have gotten [earned], and if we believe what we have we must hold onto [control], and if what we have is not available to others, then we will live in anxiety. Such persons will never know simplicity regardless of the outward contortions they may put themselves through in order to live “the simple life.”

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

“Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety. This is the inward reality of simplicity.”

Richard Foster – Celebration of Discipline

no wonder this is so hard!

I’ll take either one right now…
tho i am sure it’s pretty darn cold in Minnesota tonight (1˚ in a tent – Brrrrrrr!)

••••••••••••••••••••

what if the Church needs a hardware upgrade?

take a walk with me here…

the argument has been made that the Church has generally strayed from its mission and purpose – now, not every fragment of the Church, but in many areas and forms – specifically the western or american expression of church. but its said that we’ve become business minded, consumeristic and too “seeker sensitive” (a friend of mine once said you can even take seeker out of that phrase – we’ve just become sensitive). we are driven by two things: 1)the need to draw people (believers and non-believers) into the gathering so we can “see” how successful we are, and 2) we believers need the emotional and intellectual high of the sunday morning gathering to “charge our spiritual batteries,” so to speak. this creates a hungry monster, such that everything we say, do, and pursue has to support the sunday morning gathering and its growth (numerically, financially, and registering an appropropriate amount of conversions for the effort – mostly signified by raised hands or secret prayers).

think about this. let’s say some people decide they want to plant a church (for whatever reason). one of the first things they try to do is secure a space in which to “worship” (ASAP they seek their own land and/or building, etc). then they form the structure of their local expression of church (staff/elders, etc), and seek the best ways to teach people to live the commands of Scripture (i am making a very generous assumption here).

now, i know this is a huge generalization, but for arguments sake, stick with me.

so typically we build a building to support a service on sunday (and maybe even another night or so of the week) for teaching and celebration. then we decide how best to use the building the rest of the week, maybe. it may just sit vacant for the rest of the week. we proceed by hiring a lead pastor, administrator and if the budget (read people in seats of the “church” giving money) allows, we hire additional staff for our unique expression of church, usually to support additional programs, because we feel people “need” them. you name the program – kids ministry, youth ministry, bible studies, counseling, addictions, single mothers, poetry support groups – all very important in their own right – well, most of them…as we become aware of a new need, we begin a new program. before you know it we need additional staff to support the growing number of needs in our community (and church). this is not so much a generalization. pick your favorite church and this is probably where they are.

chew on this:

alan hirsch suggests that one reason apple computers (yeah, yeah, yeah) is so successful is that it views development from three levels – 1) programs/software, 2) operating systems, and 3) hardware. apple is constantly developing at each of these levels, but unlike some lesser companies, it has been extremely innovative at the ground level – hardware. it is constantly looking at how it can improve the machine from the bottom up. all along the way it continues to develop a system that runs efficiently on the new hardware and programs that take advantage of both the hardware and operating system. what can the church learn from this concept. if nothing else, she should consider the possibility that the hardware may be outdated! she should then possibly return to the source (Jesus) and begin to “think differently” – or start with determining what Jesus wants to accomplish through her.

as i see it, Jesus lived out the commands of Scripture from the very beginning. He grabbed some guys “along the way,” served and taught them (i am being overly simplistic here for times sake) and sent them out to do the same (make disciples). we’ve called it the great commission. Jesus interacted with the people He met “along the way” and served and taught them where they were, whether on the road, by a well, in a home, in a synagogue, by the shore…

hirsch says it this way:

our Christology (what we know about Christ) determines our missiology (our call or purpose) which designates our ecclesiology (how we do church). then to complete the circle, our ecclesiology should constantly be re-evaluated in light of our Christology.

makes sense to me…

in what ways does the current hardware of the church help and/or hinder people from living out the mission to which Jesus calls us?

or better yet, shouldn’t we first be concerned with what Jesus wants to accomplish, then use that to develop our mission, and only then develop the structure that would best facilitate that?

craig

ok, so i’ve begun the difficult stage of packing up items that did not make the 100 list:

Hynix DDR iMac RAM Memory 512MB x 1, 256MB x 1
Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB – $5
Sandisk Cruzer – SD Card (128MB incl.) – $5
Canon i70 Portable Color Printer – $100
Apple Mac G4 Tower – $150
Airport Card (original) w/iMac Adapter – $50
Lacie 80GB Firewire Hard Drive – $50
Seagate 160GB Free Agent USB Portable Hard Drive – $50
Iomega 20GB USB Portable Hard Drive – $50
RAD BT500 BlueTake Bluetooth Cordless Optical Mini Mouse – $50
Binoculars – $25
SONY 16x DVD-RW Drive Firewire
Que 8x DVD-RW Drive Firewire

Various Backpacks and Messenger Bags
EyeTV Hybrid 2007 Edition w/TERK HDTV indoor antenna – $99
SlingBox Pro – $200
Various DVDs
Many CDs
Snore Stopper – $30

Palm Zire 72s – $75

Taylor 810CE Custom Acoustic Guitar (Cocobolo/Sitka Spruce) – $2800
Tom Anderson Crowdster Acoustic Guitar (Maple on Alder Natural) – $2000
Parker PM-20 Electric Guitar – $500
GuitarRig 2.0 (Software and Pedal Board) – $250
New 5 String Banjo (Instructional Material, Case, Tuner and finger picks) – $200

HP Laptop Computer

Model Name: HP TX1320 US
Processor: AMD Turion 64 x2 Mobile Technology (2.0 Ghz)
12.1″ WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen Display
120 GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
2048MB DDR2 SDRAM
8x DVD-RW Drive
5-in-1 Digital Media Reader
nVidia GeForce Go 6150 video graphics
Windows Vista Home Premium
Webcam
FingerPrint Reader
$700 inc 3 yr total coverage inc tablet display  (from 3/2011)

This is just the beginning, but it’s what I was able to pack up tonight. A few people have asked me about some of these things already, so they may not be available if you or someone you know is interested.

The prices listed are what I think they are worth. However, I will entertain any reasonable offer.

I am working on prices for the rest of the items. I will soon be listing these for sale on Ebay, unless anyone in the area is interested in owning any of it. I guarantee the final prices will be VERY reasonable.

I will also consider trades.

NOT for more stuff, but for services (giving of your time and talent) toward the less fortunate/needy or donations directly to people in need or to organizations that support people in need.

Here are a few:

http://www.thelovealliance.net/

http://www.heartsupport.com/

http://www.LoveOverHate.com

http://onemillionwitnesses.com/

http://www.mercyministries.org/

http://www.savedarfur.org

http://thereclamationproject.org/

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.bloodwatermission.com/

http://www.invisiblechildren.com

http://www.twloha.com/

and there are SO MANY MORE…

so, save me some Ebay hours. Buy something with cash – or with time, talent or a monetary donation to someone who needs a gift more than i.

when i chose to step into this challenge i knew i was going to have to make some very difficult decisions.

so, i wanted to define a few things up front:

1) this challenge is meant to help me reduce and simplify. i reserve the right to add, delete, alter or make new rules as i go…

2) some items on the list are counted in groups. for example, underwear, socks, work out shirts/shorts are worn every day. thus to keep just one or two would place undo stress on my washer and dryer (let alone my wife and i). so these items are counted as 1. Believe me i have downsized these groups considerably.

3) i live in indiana, the 4 season state. some items i won’t use, but for a few months of the year (shorts, sweaters, etc.). those items are also grouped as 1.

NOTE: my ultimate goal will be to break these up to be counted individually, but i feel it is better to start in a manageable form than to be completely overwhelmed.

4) my list contains “personal” items, which means things that i own personally. family items (couch, washer/dryer, etc) are not counted in this. my wife, kids and i have discussed the challenge, but they are not quite ready to embark on the journey yet and are satisfied right now just to support me and be entertained as i wrestle with it all. we have discussed possibly doing a family version some day (100 personal items each, 100 family items).

5) i am not sure i am ready to tackle the garage this time around. it will be included at some point, however. see note under #3.

6) finally, as new items come my way, either via gifts or personal purchases, they must replace items already in the list or be passed on so that i remain at or below 100 items.

you may think this is cheating. that’s ok. it’s my game and like i stated in an earlier post, i won’t let legalism kill the pursuit of a simpler life.

so, here is my first attempt at a list. i know i’ve forgotten some things, hence i haven’t filled filled every blank.

Craig’s List – December 9, 2008

1.    Eyeglasses
2.    Wedding Ring
3.    Mechanical Pencil/Pen
4.    Sharpie Extra Fine Black
5.    Bible NIV Portable
6.    Study Bible
7.    Moleskin (Journal)
8.    Library (Limit of 25 personal books)
9.    Relevant Magazine
10.    Coffee Grinder
11.    16 oz. French Press
12.    MacBook Pro Laptop
13.    Laptop Cooling Pad
14.    500GB Back up Drive
15.    Multi-Media Speakers
16.    Backpack
17.    iPhone
18.    Wechter Travel Guitar
19.    Larrivee Acoustic Guitar
20.    Parker PM-20 Electric Guitar
21.    Portable Laptop Stand
22.    Guitar Stand
23.    Monster XLR Cable
24.    Monster ¼” Instrument Cable
25.    Rocktron Guitar Tuner
26.    Guitar Tool Kit
27.    Sunglasses (Prescription)
28.    Sunglasses (Non-Prescription)
29.    Wallet
30.    Keys
31.    Car
32.    Scooter
33.    Helmet
34.    Denali Fleece Jacket
35.    Ear Warmers
36.    Sock Hat
37.    Gloves
38.    Mittens
39.    Scarf/Hoodie
40.    Redpoint Jacket
41.    Fleece ¼ zip
42.    Apex Jacket
43.    Snow Boots
44.    Black Dress Shoes
45.    Black Crocs
46.    Running Shoes
47.    Tennis Shoes
48.    Brown Shoes
49.    Sandals
50.    Bike shoes
51.    Slippers
52.    Underwear
53.    Socks
54.    Long Sleeve T-shirts
55.    Short Sleeve T-shirts
56.    Button down shirts Long-Sleeve
57.    Button down shirts Short-Sleeve
58.    Tie
59.    Belt
60.    PJ Pants
61.    Shorts
62.    Jeans
63.    Pants
64.    Sweatshirt
65.    Sweater
66.    Ski Suit
67.    Combination Lock
68.    Sport Bag
69.    Workout Shirts
70.    Workout Caps
71.    Workout Pants
72.    Workout Shorts
73.    Adidas Jacket
74.    Invisible Children Bracelet
75.    Camping Gear
76.    Rain Jacket
77.    Rain Pants
78.    Sleeping Bag
79.    Heart Rate Monitor
80.    iPod classic
81.    iPod shuffle
82.    iPod A/V kit
83.    Headphones
84.    CPAP Machine
85.    Digital Camera
86.    Bicycle
87.    Toiletries

The rabbis of old put it this way: “To be fully human in the best sense of that word, each of us should walk around with two pockets. In each of those pockets is a slip of paper. One of the slips of paper says, “For my sake this whole magnificent, amazing universe was created.” The other slip of paper says, “I am but dust and ashes.”

now i don’t want to get into the technicalities of this statement too much, but i have to say i understand that “my” is a collective term for all of humans (of which i am a part). not a selfish “my” as to say that if i were the only person, he would have created it all for me. i don’t even want to get started on that one.

ok, so i think we can put the two thoughts on a continuum.

historically, i have tended to drift too closely to the each extreme. i work really hard to do the right things and then get a bit prideful that God loves me so much and must love me more because of all that am doing for Him.

OR

i mess up, slip or fall and wonder how in the world God would want anything to do with me – my efforts are worthless.

today, i believe i am understanding it a bit more like this:

this continuum is more like a rubber band (i know. i am an excellent drawer. thank you.)

i am tied in the center.

content to just be suspended by His great plan.

as i realize that i am working hard to earn what i’ve been freely given or start to think more of myself than i should, i simply “let go” and snap back to the center.

as i realize that i am beating myself up for failures or beginning to think less of myself than i should, i “let go” and snap back to the center.

i don’t exert tremendous amounts of effort to prove to God that i am worth the effort He has exerted to create all this for me, nor do i beat myself up to prove that i am not worth God’s time or effort.

i “let go,” and accept the gift.

my heart? my mind? my soul? my money? my things? my time? they all belong to God.

my heart and efforts is well placed when they are seeking to discover His heart and, again, “letting go” of selfish motivations – just seeking to obey when He teaches and prompts.

are you working to prove your worth to God? to yourself? to your parents? to your kids? to your spouse?

Psalm 119:45 “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”

2Corinthians 3.17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Galatians 5.1,6   “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. “

just let go? humble yourself and let go…

i got to about 40 and thought, “this is going to be easy”

then as i headed towards 80 i started sweating…

then i stepped into the garage…ouch

then i stepped into the closet…ouch again

then my mind started considering all the gadgets i own…ouch again

i don’t know which is which is going to be harder – narrowing the list or actually attempting to sell/auction/give/trash all the excess…

but i am getting excited at the same time…

can’t explain it…

i do know that this challenge like so much else in life could become a legalistic nightmare that can kill hope…so, i reserve the right to bend, adjust, delete, alter, stretch the “rules” while keeping at the center the principal of simplifying, reducing, and uncluttering my life…

i am working on a set of “rules” for my adaptation of the game and will post that and maybe even my list when i am comfortable with it…my goal, by the way, is to have a workable list by January 17, 2009…gotta decide how to handle incoming Christmas gifts into the mix…if you are reading this, please do not buy me anything…=)

go here:

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/videos/

or here:

http://www.needmagazine.com/Issue04/generosity02.html

or here: