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Meet The Author: Mike Dellosso

I love reading. I’m a bookaholic.

It’s even better when I know the author, have met the author, or have just heard them speak. I love hearing their voice while I read.

So, let me introduce you to Mike Dellosso. Here’s a wonderful interview done by The Darlington Society.

I’ve had the privilege of connecting with Mike and participating in The Darlington Society–what an amazing, encouraging, and enthusiastic group of people.

Now that you have “met” Mike, I hope you will consider reading his books. The most recent being Centralia. It’s an action-packed thriller that had me guessing the whole way.

Book Review/Recommendation: Intentional Fitness

Today I would like to recommend a book and an author to you. I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Mary Scro for three years. In that time I have caught a glimpse of her passion for communicating the message of Christ. She is a dynamic communicator, who doesn’t back away from speaking Truth.

About the book:

We live in a world that desperately needs Jesus, but can’t find Him.

Why? Because many who bear His name (Christians) are not spiritually fit enough to walk in His ways. And how do you know what “fit” is in a world that is increasingly void of any mention of the name of Jesus? How do you hear His voice to know His ways with so much godless static assaulting you every day, from all directions?

“Therefore, my dear friends . . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling . . .” Philippians 2:12 (NIV).

Intentional Fitness compares physical fitness to spiritual fitness and discusses similarities. Only by being intentional about your own spiritual health can you live life to the full as Jesus created you to live and died to make possible for you. And only then can you bring the Kingdom of God and His love to a world in desperate need.

I located Intentional Fitness on Amazon. It’s available in ebook and paperback.

About Mary:

Mary Graziano Scro is an inspirational and lively author and speaker who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. A graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, Mary’s mission is to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for them, if only they are willing to choose wisely in their everyday lives (John 8:31-32). Mary and her husband Don live in Marshall, Va.

Reaching Mary:

You can connect with Mary on her website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Curing A Quickaholic

I’m an ESFP with ADD. I like things to move along at a pretty swift pace. I don’t like glitches in my plans. I am not a fan of detours. I loathe meetings that drag on unnecessarily.

In the terminology of Sue Monk Kidd, I’m a textbook “Quickaholic.”

I recently purchased Ms. Kidd’s book When the Heart Waits from our local library book sale. When I read a non-fiction book, I am an underliner and write-in-the-margins kind of reader. I’m only about twenty pages in and I think I’m going to need a new pen.

The author describes a time of retreat at an Abby. She took a walk and saw a monk sitting very still under a tree, the picture of tranquility. She approached him later and asked how he could sit there and do nothing. Here was his response: “Well, there’s the problem right there…You’ve bought into the cultural myth that when you’re waiting you’re doing nothing…When you’re waiting, you’re not doing nothing. You’re allowing your soul to grow up. If you can’t be still and wait, you can’t become what God created you to be.” (When the Heart Waits, page 22)

I couldn’t read any further. For one, my eyes were full of tears. It was one of those revelatory moments that hits you simultaneously in your gut and brain, taking your breath away.

I get it God.

Those five years I spent out on the farm, caring for a woman who never spoke my name, who never wanted me there, were your plan. It was no different than when you planted your people in a hostile foreign land and told them to put down roots–literally plant and make babies. In that same chapter (Jeremiah 29) you assured them that even though it made no sense, you had a plan.

No sooner had I regained my composure but my cell phone chimed, notifying me of an incoming email. It was from a writer friend. A friend who has been through a painful ministry journey of his own. A friend I contacted recently about a book I thought we could write together. A book about calling, healing, and hope. He wants to do it, is excited about it.

But you knew that God.

When I thought you were doing nothing, that I was doing nothing, you were weaving your plan together.

And none of it happened quickly.

You are never in a hurry.

Loving and long-suffering God, continue to heal me of my tendency to short-cut and short-circuit your plans. Thank you. Keep teaching me and using me. Amen.

Sermon Seeds: Get A Grip

This week we add self-control.

When I think of self-control I hear my dad’s voice telling me to get a grip. I keep this broken handle to remind me I really do have a grip.

Self-control follows knowledge in our list of things we must add to our faith. So it would seem, self-control involves putting into practice what is learned of God.

A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. Proverbs 25:28, The Message.

When we lack self-control or are lazy about engaging it, we set ourselves up as easy prey for the enemy.

The self-control spoken of in the Bible is a gift from God through the Spirit. The Spirit “teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:12)

So I we need a grip on the Spirit to get a grip in life.

Sermon Seeds: Adding Knowledge Without Being A Know-it-all

Last week we considered what it means to add goodness to our faith. This week’s “add” is knowledge.

One of the things I’ve learned in my study of the Word, is order is not an accident. Peter doesn’t instruct his readers to add knowledge before they add goodness.

The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians: We know that we all possess knowledge…but knowledge puffs up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

Knowledge is desirable, but alone: it’s dangerous!!

Without goodness knowledge is often wielded to humiliate, intimidate, or alienate others, not for what God intended it to be: a tool to build and bless and serve others.

Goodness renders knowledge beneficial rather than impressive.

Peter also is clear that we are are to add knowledge, not opinion. We have to know the truth, and be sure truth is what we’re standing on and for.

As I was thinking about how knowledge can puff up and the importance of truth over opinion, I began thinking about my marriage. After 36 years my husband and I know the pain that comes from acting like we “know it all.” We have learned the value of a heartfelt apology and staying open to learning.

I love when I can learn something new about my husband. It keeps our relationship fresh and growing.

God wants us to have that same attitude in our relationship with him. We can never learn it all, but we can commit our entire lives to trying.

What are you doing to add knowledge to your faith?

(Thanks to Mark Buchannon and his book “Hidden in Plain Sight” for these concepts about knowledge.)

Sermon Seeds: Faith and Foundation

I’ve been meditating all week on Bible verses about faith. Here are a few:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb. 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb. 11:6

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Ro. 10:17

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Lk 17:5

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17 NLT

What I’m about to tell you is true. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, it is enough. Matthew 17:20

So, how is your faith today? Growing? Fading? Active? Passive?

Today as I was reflecting and preparing for Sunday’s message, I realized I’ve been pretty comfortable with where my faith has been. You can translate that as stagnant. I don’t feel good about either of those words. I went to front of our sanctuary and knelt in prayer. And wept.

I talk about the great things God wants to do in this church, in the lives of this body of believers, in this community…in me. But am I willing to step into that growth, willing to take on the changes for me? That’s scarey…and it’s all good. God’s promise and plan shouldn’t be a fearful thing.

So this revelation is going to cost me. Bonhoeffer wrote that there is no cheap grace…the same is true of faith.

This thing we call faith is the foundation for everything we build your spiritual life upon. We need to make sure it’s rock steady.

Bumper Snicker Revelation

Driving around town, admiring the greening of the world around me reminded me of another trip around town and the lesson I learned

That day, as I started to pull away from work, I was enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and blue sky. My regular road home wound over rolling hills with forests on each side. Each season brought its own brand of beauty. Today it was the green of spring. I smiled and breathed deeply of growth and change.

Not long down the road my smile faded as I pulled up to a long line of cars barely crawling at about 25mph (on a 55mph state route). As the road dipped, I saw the reason for our slowing: a huge piece of farm equipment lumbered down the road. I was going nowhere fast.

It’s not uncommon to come upon machinery on this road, and the sizes and speeds all vary. Sometimes the slowdown could also be a horse and buggy, in no hurry to get anywhere. I love where I live, so I see the buggies and machinery as a normal part of the journey..

Another part of the delay, other than just snailing behind the bouncy mammoth on wheels, is the road. There’s limited opportunity to pass on this stretch of road. The traffic is constant, with few sections where a brave soul can pass.

This afternoon there was no passing. The guy in the car ahead of me didn’t hesitate to express his frustration about the situation. His arms flailed, and he jerked across the center line checking on whether he could pass. This behavior was interspersed with long periods of laying on his horn. I must confess, the longer I followed him, the more I found myself snickering at his exasperation.

I kept my distance from the erratic driver. Then I noticed a green oval sticker on his bumper. I eased a little closer to be sure I read it correctly. Sure enough. The sticker contained one word: Pray. It hit me so funny at first I burst into laughter. Really? “Hey buddy, did you forget your faith? Your fickleness is showing, and it’s not becoming of your witness.”

Then I got one of those nudges from the Spirit. You know the kind. It sounds like your mother, or teacher. It starts simply with a throat clearing—just enough to get your attention, if you’re paying attention. The throat clearing is then followed by The Look. Now, I’m not sure how the Spirit manages to give a look, but the feeling is just the same. I was caught and I knew it.

So I did the one thing I probably should have started with, the one thing I was being silently asked to do all along: I prayed. I prayed the driver would be safe. I prayed other drivers would drive safely and intelligently. Then I asked for forgiveness. How dare I question this guy’s faith? In my attitude I threw a stone when I had no right. My fickleness hangs out way more than I care to admit.

I guess that’s why I never put any Christian symbols or stickers on my car. Maybe that’s why I laughed so hard and quick. Mr. Impatient’s behavior was too familiar. Oh sure, with nowhere to be, I was cruising that afternoon, peaceful and unruffled. But what if I had been late for something very important? I imagine it would look quite different and definitely not flattering to my faith.

A “pray” sticker on my car, needs to be on the dashboard, not the bumper. I wonder if I can find one that says, “Pray first. Laugh later.” I’ll be looking!

Sermon Seeds: Everything We Need

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

This afternoon my grandson stopped by the office for a few minutes. There was about a twenty minute lag between when his mom needed to drop him off and his grandpa (my hub) got off work. We played a few points of air hockey and then went to my office where I was working on the sermon.

He asked what I was doing and when I told him his eyes lit up and he begged to help. Since I have taken this interim position, he has developed a new outlook on church. On Sunday he told his Sunday School teacher his favorite part of church was the preaching. (Go ahead, picture me grinning quite hugely.)

This afternoon, I told him I would love his help. I showed him the text (see above) and asked him to look at it and tell me what he thought the most important parts were. Let’s see if they match up with what you think stands out.

First he pointed out how cool it is that God has given us everything we need to follow him. Next he liked the part that God chose us. And finally, he felt it was pretty amazing that we get to share in the God’s nature…and we need to be sharing that.

Seems to me that preaches pretty well. Not bad for a nine year old.

Prayerful Thoughts: With All My Heart

¹¹Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
¹²With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
¹³for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death. (Psalm 86:11-13)

I love finding something cool and unexpected when I’m looking for something else.

The scripture I quoted above is one of my favorites…and an often prayed prayer. I know the disastrous consequences of a divided heart.

So in my search I came across the pic above. I didn’t get it at first. I never was very good with fractions. (Picture me laughing at myself here.)

Heart divided by nothing.

I love it. I would almost tattoo that one! (Don’t tell my daughters.) Why? Because that is the prayer of my heart.

And the really good news is found in Ezekiel 19:11: And I will give them singleness of heart (aka: undivided) and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart. (NLT)

And with a heart like that, we can live ever, only, all for Him.

Sermon Seeds: It’s All About The Fruit

⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

It seems so obvious. We wouldn’t argue the point if we were discussing grapes, or squash, or pumpkins. The only way to produce fruit is for the branch to be connected to the vine.

In this section of the gospel (John 15), Jesus identifies himself as the true vine–the genuine item, the real deal. He would only make that point if there were false, fake, or dead vines people were trying to attach themselves to.

The way to know who or what we’re attached to is to examine the fruit. Good fruit comes from abiding in the true vine.

So, how’s your fruit?

If we are going to produce fruit for the Kingdom, fruit that brings glory to God, then we need to be a people of the vine.

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