I check my Facebook account a few times a day as I do my email and a thought came to mind, “when was the last time any of these folks gave a status update to God.” Yes we check FB to see what is going on in people’s lives it makes us feel connected to people we haven’t seen in ages doesn’t it? Yet many of us ignore God and haven’t given him a status update on our lives in days, months or even years. God wants us to stay connected and many times our theological mindset is that we need to close ourselves off from the world, kneel down and pray in order to give God a worthy status update.

HOWEVER, I believe that God would love status updates just like we give status updates to our Facebook friends…

“Hey God was on my mind today and I thought he’s been so good to me, Thank you Daddy God.

“Wow, God you just blew my mind with that miracle of a bonus at my job. I love you”

“I need you right now. I don’t think I can make it out of this one without your help God. I need you to protect me from my enemies and let your justice roll Lord.”

I am not saying that you have to close down your account on Facebook but I do think you need to reflect if you need to open up a line of communication with your Maker. God is way better than the creator of Facebook, He can give you way better advice than an FB friend can and He surely will be your best cheerleader. So tell me when was your last status update to God…if its been a while, he wants to know “what’s on your mind?” just like the little Facebook box does.

As we are about to close the book on 2009, many people including myself go into reflection mode. We think of how we used the past year…did we do what God wanted us to do? Did i do what my doctor wanted me to do? Did I become a better mom, dad, sister, brother, friend? Many times we come up short with the answer.

I know for myself 2009 was the year I DID NOT…

1. Finish my book
2. Lose 30 pds

These were the two primary goals that I went into 2009 with and well, I failed again. So I ask myself what kept me from achieivng my dream in 2009?

1. The tyranny of the urgent - as a wife, mom, Executive Pastor, nonprofit consultant, founder of a women’s organization with a new digital magazine to publish and caregiver to my special needs child there is always something to keep me from what is most important. I am going to use this week to think how I am going to change that. I have to change because obviously I am not reaching what I believe is also in my destiny–the book that I believe will help many women get a new attitude about all the lemons of their life.

2. Non-belief - perhaps what has also kept me from achieving my dream is my lack of belief in me. Many people think I have super confidence but honestly there are days after I preach or teach that I tell my husband “oh boy I think I sucked” or when I see a lack of presence from people I expect to be at an event be it my church or my women’s organization and I say “why am I doing this again?” because I feel that the absence is a sign of not caring and perhaps even non-interest. With so many great people out there in the world doing some awesome things for others, I do think what does my pebble contribute. However, for many years I have kept going in spite of that because I just think God prefers that I trust Him more than I trust my own flakly feelings.

In 2010, I am starting my year with prayer and fasting to hear from God. This year I won’t approach him with MY list but I will take a pen and paper and listen to Him and MAYBE He will give me HIS list for me!

In 2010, I am going to have to make hard decisions - saying NO to somethings I really LOVE but are not within my destiny cone. If it doesn’t fit, I’ve got’ta quit. That means if I can find a way that what I am doing is in line with what my overall God-given purpose is then I will have to give it up.

In 2010, I have to schedule book writing time in PEN and CIRCLED. No more excuses. Rachelle is going to get something from me so help me God. I have to step out of my comfort zone as she has written and make a decision to finally do what needs to be done if I want someone to actually take a look at my writing. God provided Rachelle to me purely through circumstances only He can orchestrate and I have been a lump on a log not finishing what she’s requested of me. Yeah, yeah, all legitimate excuses in my head but really not really! Nothing will be accomplished unless I get to it so this year I gotta get to it in a big way.

So what about you? What keeps you from achieving your dream and how will 2010 be different?

 Now as a new chapter begins in nine days I dare say…

Our generation needs a reformation.
But a single person won’t lead it.
A single event won’t define it.
Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living creatively, compassionately, courageously for the cause of Christ.
 
This reformation will not be born of a new discovery.  It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient. 
 
Something primal.
 
—Mark Batterson, Primal

Have you ever read a book that just makes you stop? Stop the madness of church activity, leading, planning, etc. The book I’ve been reading the last few days named Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson made me do just that. That alone is an accomplishment because not many books have that effect on me. I need books that either wow me or slap me because of the reality of what I need to be thinking/acting/doing. This book kind of did both to me. For that I give Mark a high five!

What makes this even more interesting to me was that I was featured with Mark in Rev. Magazine a few years ago as pastors who “blog” when we both kind of started out in pastoring. Since then I’ve always tracked him to see what he is up to and obviously Mark has “blown up” so to speak and has gone on to be a noted figure in the faith-based world especially in church planting. Bottomline, I was honored to be in his company even if it was only in print media!

I have also read one of his other books “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” so I was happy to read that he was working on Primal and after reading it I have to say I like this guy even more, I would love to meet him one day!

Now to get to the book…

1. I liked the title of the book and made me pause because I do feel that something has been lost in Christianity. Some people think it is the “spiritiual gifts”, others believe its the way “we do church” but Mark suggests in his book that its the fact that Christians have lost their way and have lost their first love. I love the way he put what our primal problem is “It goes without saying that Christianity has a perception problem. At the heart of the problem is the simple fact that Christians are more known for what we’re against that what we’re for.”

2. I liked the way it flows. Reading Primal is like having Mark over for coffee and he’s just sharing his heart and his travel adventures and how they related to his spiritual walk.

3.  It’s just the right amount of pages. With only 167 pages you could read it in a week.  Faster if you have uninterrupted time on your hands.

4. Format of book: The book is divided into four parts: 1) The Heart of Christianity; 2) The Soul of Christianity; 3) The Mind of Christianity; 4) The Strength of Christianity.

5. My reaction to some key highlights of the book:When I began reading the book I was afraid I was not going to like it. Mark takes us back to early Christianity and the catacombs (I never was a big history buff) but he then reminds us that there was a time where serving and worshipping God was not so complicated, I mean when we knuckleheaded Christians didn’t complicate things so much. Mark reminds us that for God its really as simple as this one commandment: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.Mark shares (on pg 7) how 20-somethings who grew up in the church are leaving the church and how our first thought would probably be “what is wrong with this generation?” but he goes on to say that that is the wrong question, the right question is “what’s wrong with the church?” And his answer? “We’re not great at the Great Commandment. In too many instances, we’re not even good at it.” Ouch! [First slap to Liz]

• One of the key themes throughout the book was  Re.

Mark challenges us that the quest for the lost soul of Christianity involves us1.      Rediscovering “what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength”2.      Returning “to the primal place where God loved you and you loved God”3.      Reacting right because “it’s much easier to ‘act’ like a Christian than it is to ‘react’ like one” [Second slap to Liz]

In the first part of the book, there is a chapter called “Tribe of the Transplanted” a reference to the new heart “we are supposed” to get one made of flesh versus stone when we come to KNOW God, Mark reminds us that one act of compassion can change history…not just our history, world history. He retells the story of Joseph and how his simple act of compassion while in prison got him noticed by a cupbearer who NOW knew Joseph could interpret dreams and that simple relational link connected him to the Pharaoh later on and the rest is well…history. So this part of the book challenges us to keep in mind that every little thing we do yes, whatever we view as little could have major impact to someone but that someone could know someone who knows someone that could be the anchor to YOUR destiny fulfillment.

I could go on and on about the fantastic illustrations Mark used in his book to bring a message home for us. My personal favorites were his 93 year old friend who made God his “senior partner” (p. 33) making a reference to how when we make God the first priority he blesses our efforts, the island of the colorblind (p.58) making a tie between colorblind people who live on an island with amazing color filled life and the travesty that they could not enjoy it while living there and how that could be us Christians how we can take everything we have available to us for granted or even worse, that we could be just as blind to the wonder and miracles around us all the time. [slap, slap]

I think Primal is a great book to get even before the year is up so you can reflect on how your new year is going to be different and it’s a must read to begin in 2010. Everyone needs to read this book but I especially encourage  leaders/pastors to read it because if we are honest-we are the first ones to be about Kingdom business and forget the awe of the King.  We need to go back. We need to re-mind ourselves of that PRIMAL encounter with the King of King and Lord of Lords.

This book provided for review by Random House. Buy it here. 

I think about the seasons that are coming upon us. This is my favorite time of year. Thanksgiving and Christmas displays are everywhere you turn these days. I really like holidays. They are times when people share conversation, laughter, dinners, and gifts.Although I look forward to my time with family and friends, there are some concerns. What if someone doesn’t like what they get as a gift? What if the dinner I prepare is not to everyone’s liking? What will I do in these situations? The thought came to me that it really is a matter of the heart, so I guess we all need to check our “Tudes” (that’s slang for attitude).

I remember a song we used to sing in my home church in NYC years ago, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.” In this song it says, “Give thanks unto the Holy One for He’s given Jesus Christ His Son.” If we are grateful to God for what He has done for us, and given us, then everything else shouldn’t really matter. We can enjoy one another’s company and thank God for family and friends, no matter how big or small our gatherings are or the contents of a gift.

Jesus is the best gift we could ever receive or give. When we bow our heads to give thanks over a big fat turkey, a juicy ham, or a small chicken, pernil (pork for us Puerto Ricans) or when we open a gift, we need to have our hearts right with God and be grateful.

There will be so many people this year facing an empty place at their tables some may not even be able to afford a Christmas tree. We need to pray for those families and then our wants won’t be such a big concern. There are people fighting for their lives and praying for protection over in the Middle East and at home.

Every year most of us say we will have a change of heart and be more loving and giving. NOW IT’S TIME! I recently went to see a Christmas Carol in the movies and I cried. I love all that stuff. Afterward my son said to me, why did you cry? I said because I love it when people remember to be kind, get in the Spirit of Christmas and show love toward one another. He said “Yeah, but that shouldn’t be once a year!”. My son the philosopher! I wholeheartedly agree. That is what I hear the Lord say in my spirit as I pray for others near and far. It’s time to be concerned for others. We should reach out in any way we can. It isn’t that any of us want to be selfish or into ourselves, but we have to try harder so that the world sees the compassion, the mercy, and the love of God. This is how they can get the best gift from us, “Jesus.”

He can be found wrapped up in a smile, an encouraging word, or a baked apple pie (ok for some a pie picked up from Publix, A&P or Fine Fare) for your neighbor. That will do wonders for you and them. I am going to work on an attitude adjustment and be more grateful. Will you join me? The season of giving is just around the corner.

But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God (2 Corinthians 2:14, 15 NLT).

Youth all over NYC. Wearing God belongs in my city tshirts made a statement. They didn’t even give people months and months of notice yet everyone who wanted to make a statement, everyone who knew God could work with anything but silence, got involved with this and their voices were heard.

My friend Jeremy Del Rio did a great job sharing what happened, my job is to let my readers know about it because it was just awesome and when I saw the video I was moved to tears. So here it is folks a play by play on what happened in NYC that made this Latina proud.

I refuse to be discouraged, to be sad or to cry.

I refuse to be downhearted and here’s the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty; who is sovereign and supreme;

I have a God who loves me, and I am on his team.

He is all wise and powerful; Jesus is His Name; though everything else is Changeable, My God remains the same.

I refuse to be defeated.

My eyes are on my GOD.

He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.

I am looking past my circumstances, to heaven’s throne above.

My prayers have reached the heart of God.

I am resting in His love.

I give thanks to Him in everything.

My eyes are on His face.

The battle is His; the victory is mine; He will help me win the race.

I repeat, “I’M TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!”

~ Author Unknown

I was talking with a dear friend of mine the other day and we got to talking about our lives without sharing too much of our private conversations we basically came down to this theory. In almost every other arena in life, people are ok with leaders saying I’m done, I’m out, I want to do something else with my life. But when it comes to ministry, it isn’t that easy.  We talked about how maybe that is what happened to many people we saw growing up and then they vanished from the faith-based scene. Maybe they said enough. Made me ponder….

Then on our way back from a business seminar this weekend in Orlando, my husband shares with me that the next 10-15 years of his life has to count for something. I feel the same.

I found this post on why pastors may want to quit, how musicians dream of quitting, how this guy started a teaching series on the entire foundation of people who are leading when they want to quit. But I found this guy who reminds me to ask a good question, not why should I quit but why am I doing this?

For some reason, many people think a leader doesn’t hurt, doesn’t feel the sting of betrayal or the passive-aggressive person’s silent whip. Most of my life I’ve been a rebounder. Yes it gets tiring but still I rise. Proverbs 24:16 reminds me that the “Godly may trip seven times but they will get up again…” So to help my soul sort out things I’d like to share what makes me want to quit and why I still do what I do…

What Makes Me What To Quit

1. People who use me but don’t care to know me (yet think they do!)

2. People who say they are with you but when push comes to shove -they shove the knife in real good

3. People who don’t dare tell you the things that I did to hurt them unintentionally but freely share with others

4. People who think running a church/ministry is only about time and talent

5. People who think I don’t want to enjoy my life but want me to spend 24/7 only on their needs/wants when they don’t even spend 1 hour with God to cry out for HIM to help them or to address their own continual dysfunctions

6. People who smile in my face but don’t realize I know what they really feel about me cause I heard it through the grapevine LOL

and there’s more but hey none of us have all day to read that list…

Why I Continue To Do What I Do?

1. There are people who do care (even if that is a minority) and are changed by the programs, sermons, events that God inspires me to do for THEM

2. I know God purposed in me to be an encourager, equipper and educator of people and by some of the testimonies I have heard throughout the years, I’ve made a difference blessed be the name of the Lord

3. I love building things from nothing to something or from something to something greater

4. I know I would not be content doing anything else–worshipping God by utilizing the gifts He has given me brings life to me.

5. I honor God with my life when I work with the Trinity to bring another soul to the Kingdom or re-connect with their Abba

Earlier today I was sharing with a little sister in the faith how important thick skin is in the ministry business. Another fact I’ve learned throughout my years in ministry in various environments is simply choose your friends slowly and carefully and do the same for your leaders. Proverbs 25:19 states “putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.”

I think what keeps me from altogether walking away from everything is my support team. Bill George in the book True North shares the following:

“Leaders do not succeed on their own. The loneliness of leadership has been well documented, but the remedies have not. Everyone has insecurities; some are just more open about them than others. Even the most outwardly assured executives need support and appreciation. Authentic leaders build support teams that will counsel them in times of uncertainty, be there in times of difficulty, and celebrate with them in times of success. Strong support teams provide affirmation, advice, perspective, calls for course corrections when needed, and, above all, love. After their hardest days, leaders find comfort in being with people on whom they can rely so they can be open and vulnerable. During the low points, they cherish the friends who appreciate them for WHO they are, not WHAT they are.”

So that’s it my friends, when I want to quit because I feel nobody cares (ala the movie Bronx Tale), I don’t because aside from my GOD who always has my back, I have a great support team who is around me holding me up singing the song to me that I have forgotten to sing and bottomline I’ve seen the hand of the Lord at work in the things I’ve done and it blesses my heart when someone “gets it” with the Lord.

Tip: Encourage a leader you know in your circles. They need to know that want they are doing, the time they are sacrificing doing the things that you don’t even know is being done so things look so great you think it “just happened” –was appreciated. They already know it was “worth it” for the Father. But its nice once in a blue moon, hell freezes over world, that someone, somewhere noticed. Will you be a noticer? It’s important because somewhere someone in leadership wants to quit.

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by Erma Bombeck - (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it .. live it .and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.

Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let’s think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Believe it or not, I still don’t feel like I’ve achieved a lot in life. Don’t get me wrong I am grateful for what I have done, what I have and what my life looks like right now but as I look back I realize many times in my life I had to tune ‘em out.  Not feeling like I have ‘arrived’ keeps me from getting comfortable. Not feeling like I’ve reached the pinnacle of my life keeps me focused on the many  dreams still inside me and able to tune ‘em out.

Right now I have a few dreams still left in me and since I am still breathing I guess God wants me around. However just like Joseph had his brothers trying to kill him and his dreams, we have a lot of people in our lives whether they are close or close enough that want to be dream killers as well.

These people can be found everywhere. At your job, at school, in your dance class, at the gym, in your family and in your church. It reminds me of a story I read about Martin Luther King Jr. once that stated that when he was at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA one of his “speech” professors marked up one of his speeches with a note, it said “Martin, if you continue to use such lofty words and flamboyant language, you will never be very effective in public speaking.” Ha! I wonder where that professor was when MLK Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. Martin had learned a lesson from all the naysayers in his life, he learned to tune ‘em out.

There are people right now you need to tune out. Now don’t get me wrong. Not every dream is a God dream. It could be a good dream but not a God dream. And not every dream is achievable because you are doing absolutely NOTHING to change your circumstances. You are still doing the same thing (s) day after day, you are still failing your classes, you have been in “school” for like 10 years and still don’t even have that AA to show for your time there, you still carry that muffin top everywhere you go (this is for me J) yet somehow you expect things to be “different” and your dream to come to pass.

Honey, it don’t work that way. You have to put sweat equity into ANY dream. Things will not fall on your lap. But rest assured as soon as you make up your mind to work hard on any dream there “they” come, the ones who say you will never be able to do it, the ones who say they care about you and even love you but won’t even help you make it in your new business by becoming a customer and trying out whatever it is that you are offering. They exist everywhere and yes they even come with a God bless you tag line. Tune ‘em out!

I don’t care if you have been trying to lose weight for years now (again talking to myself), I don’t care if you thought you could never ever go back to school and get that degree, I don’t care if you tell me that no one in your family has EVER amounted to much, tomorrow can be a new day, you don’t have to listen to the biggest enemy of our souls and dream stealer Satan and you most certainly don’t have to listen to other people who are in just as big of a mess as you are. Why is it that we so quickly accept the negative and listen to the advice of people who have never achieved anything in life, yet never look to someone who has made it despite great obstacles and pain. Whether they have the material wealth to show for it or the spiritual health to show for their journey in success, wouldn’t you rather hear the advice of people who have gone before you and made it. I’m tellin’ you, all those naysayers and dream killers around you need to be tuned out!

And don’t go feeling sorry for anyone you’ve tuned out either. Don’t go getting all Christianese on me saying that a “good Christian” doesn’t tune people out. You have to tune people out if you expect to make it as a Christian, as a good wife or husband, as a good businessman/woman, anything. I don’t know who this is for, maybe its just for me since as a pastor I often have to tune ‘em out so I don’t get discouraged on the journey. The ‘em will stay nameless to protect the very guilty J. Sister, brother, go after your dreams-if you are still breathing…there is still time. Try again tomorrow and when those ill-speaking, dream killing, busy bodies enter your dream/faith zone, politely excuse yourself and tune ‘em out.