Take a moment and think about it, and then read this!

Hilary and I had had a hard week. Nothing major. Just the underlying feeling that stuff wasn’t right. Little wounds festered and became irritated. Irritations became infections, and next thing you know, you’re in need of a doctor. If only we had dealt with things in the beginning, then the healing process could have begun, and recovery would have been swift.

We are both attempting to follow Jesus as individuals and as a couple. But what does that look like when you’re hurt? The Way to follow Jesus (according to Jesus, who is a pretty good source btw) is to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD and His right ways, and He will work things out. What if that’s actually true? Even in pain and hurt.

I am convinced that if you have two people who are both seeking Jesus first and His Kingship/Lordship on their own, then, as a couple, they are unstoppable. But every time our kingdoms/queendoms get in the way/offended/hurt (which leads to anger and resentment), we’re in trouble.

Think about it: in your relationships, when was the last time you were offended or hurt? Whose kingdom/queendom was offended? MINE...Yours. I’m not saying that it’s right for others to do these things to us or even saying not to acknowledge the hurt, but I’m so quick to be offended that I exclude Jesus in the process.

Where is the Kingdom of God? Everywhere The King is King, There Is The Kingdom of God.

Next time you’re offended...Repent (re-think your thinking about it). Let Jesus be the King in the situation and follow His lead! Try it with us this week~ Then report back!

T’was was the night before my happy birthday, when all through my heart,

Were visions of happiness and expectations all met.

My children would all run to me with affirmations of plenty,

And my wife would make out with me from dusk til we’re merry.

Yup, this past Friday night, after I finished speaking and singing for a bunch of awesome worship leaders, I went to bed with great excitement for the next day. I decided to get up at 4am on my birthday and drive home so that I could be there for my son’s soccer game. Dad of the year medals were obviously made for men like me. I could just see the scene play out in my head:

“Dad, you really just got up at 4am and drove all the way home so that I would know that I was loved? And on your birthday? What? How can I count the ways...dad, thank you!”

Then all the other kids and Hilary would begin to shower me with letters, gifts, affirmations, and a no-fighting truce that would save the day.

Well, as you can imagine, my expectations were not only not met, but smashed at every turn. I even know better than to let this kind of stuff take me out, but as I was so focused on how terrible the day was going, I lost sight of struggling WITH Jesus. I forgot to co-parent WITH Him. I forgot to bring Jesus into my marriage, disappointments, frustrations, expectations, and troubles, and this was the outcome.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

The quicker I become at remembering and living aware of this reality, the quicker I move towards peace. Jesus, open our eyes/hearts to see, with a broader view, the things that rattle us to our core. Help us see where the battle is really fought, and trust You in it.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Once again, practice this WITH us:)

10000 MINUTES Practice:

Ask Jesus to open your eyes to see where the true battle is being fought. When we get frustrated by people or circumstances, what if there is a battle for our souls going on? It’s really a war for our alignment. Who are we going to align WITH today? In this moment?

Align and Re-align WITH Jesus today

As I travel all over the country, I observe how vigorously we the Church sing “Worship songs,” praising God for His goodness, grace, mercy, kindness, and daily generosity. And yet I observe the same Church putting American politics above the Kingdom of God, neglecting our main vocation to aid the marginalized, shelter the hurting, and stand with the desperate. Sure, we can discuss the best ways to do these things and even differ on them, but let’s DO SOMETHING.

That’s not even the hot take yet.

God doesn’t want Christians to sing more worship songs. He wants Christians to embody them all week long.

I don’t think God cares about or delights in our worship gatherings as much as we think He does. Frankly, I think He is turned off by many of our awesome 80-minute services, and is inviting us back to being His actual Re-Presenters in this world. Worship as an action, instead of just words.

If we look at the actual translation of “Worship” in the Bible, often a more fitting description might be “social justice.” Check it out for yourself, it’s striking how consistently worship shows up in Scripture as the dispensing of God’s goodness in the world, especially to the marginalized and broken. And yet those seem to be the very people the American Church is turning its back on. We support overseas missions (of which I am a huge fan and want to champion), yet we scoff at the people right within our own city walls. We can disagree with how some people got here or their beliefs, but does that give us the right to dismiss and condemn them? That’s surely not how I read the heart of God.

Jesus was not the moral police, nor the finger-pointing shamer of sinners (well, except toward the religious elite). He never used politics to gain power over others or to shrug off His Kingdom responsibility to bless all people; quite the opposite, by my reading.

When we ask our neighbors what they think of when they hear “Christian,” and love isn’t part of their answer…friends, we have lost the lead. STARTING WITH ME.

I’m not just throwing theological bombs and running away. I am part of the problem. I have been so wrapped up in putting on an incredibly profound worship service that I lost the very essence of worship in the process. I have sung the fire out of songs in the 80-minute gathering and then been annoyed at the guy asking for money on the street corner (probably because his presence made me feel guilty). I have sung of the immeasurable grace of Jesus and then, that same day, thought I was better than someone in Walmart who clearly wasn’t as cool as me. I have cried as I proclaimed “…with every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God…“ and then ignored the needs of people around me because it would bump against my comfort, or better yet, my financial security. I have led songs affirming the uncountable cost Jesus endured on the cross, then turned and walked away from someone in need because of what it would cost me.

As I read the Scriptures, and I could be wrong, I think God is saying:

“I don’t need your awesome worship services. In fact, I reject them until y’all can be found loving the poor, feeding the hungry nearby, extending the same grace you’ve received toward your neighbors and enemies, placing no allegiances above me, blessing those who oppose you. When those things are your worship, then it’s time to sing.”

I’m sure many of you will push back, and that’s welcome. But before you offer a political diatribe or challenge my understanding of love and grace, sit with it for a moment. Ask Jesus if there’s anything true here worth considering. Then ask: if a neighbor were observing your life, would they see the heart and fruit of Jesus? Or would they see your stances?

Oh Jesus, help us look like you.

People will know that we are in Jesus and that He is in us by the fruit from our lives. No one really cares about what you call yourself or what religion you defend on Facebook; they want to see it lived out. This is exactly what Jesus addressed the Pharisees and religious people about.

Matthew 7 is an incredible chapter with back to back invitations and warnings from Jesus about this very subject. He starts with a warning against judging others with the log and speck illustration, then moves into the kind-love of the Father. Then He talks about the Golden Rule, how to treat others as you’d want to be treated. Next, He warns against religious people and says that you will recognize them by their fruit or lack of it. Then, because of that, He throws the bomb out there that not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into His Kingdom rest.

FRUIT MATTERS.

Finally, Jesus finishes with, “everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice (all week long) is wise, building their house on Him the solid Rock of Love.

People will know if we are truly rooted in Jesus’ heart or not, by the fruit that comes out of our lives. As hard as we may try, we cannot make lasting fruit through our will power, but we can practice walking WITH Jesus and watching His heart reshape ours!

(side note, isn’t it interesting that in John 15, Jesus says, that when we stay aligned / attached to Him, that He will bear “lasting” fruit out of us:)

• Who in your life has shown this beautiful & powerful fruit from the SPIRIT OF GOD? (thank them, if their alive, and if not, then affirm them to their loved ones:)

• Does my LOVE mainly benefit me? Or does my love mostly help others? Not a shaming question, but a revealing one that can lead to beauty. Aaaaand I understand that our love benefits us, but see the bigger picture:)

• Do you have conditions to your love?

Practice:

All-day long, we run into hard situations that challenge our ability to love well. Embrace your weakness! With a grateful heart, align with and draw from the Spirit of LOVE:

Breathe IN:

As I’ve Been Loved

Breathe OUT:

Help Me Love

Breathe this prayer all week long!

I don’t initially think of myself as a super judgy person, but as I dig a little deeper, I find myself evaluating people all day long.

Do I trust you

Do I like you

Do I agree with how you parent, eat, dress, talk, look, drive?

All day long I am judging you...sorry!? Anyone with me?

Much of how we see God dictates how we live our lives. So when we judge others, what does that say about our view of God? Well, ultimately this is one of the most dangerous of all sins, contempt. I love Dallas Willard’s definition: Contempt is thinking that you’re better than someone else. I do this all the time. I’ve mentioned it many times before, but when I get cut off on the road, I don’t give people the bird and honk, I smile with contempt :) I drive by with a “hey, no problem” kind of smirk, but in my heart, I think that I am better than that person. I do this with how others dress, look, smell, act, parent, etc.

In my judgement, I play the role of God, assigning identity statements for everyone else. I become judge, jury, and executioner in my heart. It reveals how I truly sees God, others and myself.

By judging others with contempt, I am saying that I don’t trust God. By judging others, I am saying that I am not secure in my own identity in Him. Judgment is control. Judging others with contempt reveals deep unresolved fear. Judging others is finding safety in the classification and boxing in of my neighbors. Judging with contempt makes me feel better about me by putting others down.

What would that look like this week for us to practice seeing those around us through Jesus’ heart? To quiet the constant contemptuous evaluation of others and replace it with wonder. What if we practiced FREE-VALUATION, as one of my best friends and heroes Ryan Callaghan puts it.

Practice:

This week, let’s suspend judgement of others, being free of contempt and evaluation, and instead practice curiosity and wonder. Let’s ask Jesus to give us His eyes and heart for others:

If the Kingdom Of God is the main context that Jesus speaks through (which it is), then the Kingdom Of God is what we need to focus on! After all, it’s the only thing that Jesus says is the GOOD NEWS!

Every Kingdom has a currency. Every Kingdom is set up with guiding values and laws that uphold those values. So what core values would be written on a Kingdom Of God coin?

One side of the coin would say LOVE GOD and the other side of the coin would say LOVE OTHERS. Throughout the written Word of God, this is a congruent, guiding principle. Or another way to say it is, The Law in the Kingdom of God is LOVE.

About half of our these blogs are written for us to practice loving God and being loved by Him. And the other half is on loving others and being loved by them.

So far, I can find 59 times in the New Testament where we are invited to love / bear with / forgive / encourage / kiss / serve... one another. Remember, Jesus said, “If you hear my words and put them into action (all week long), then you’re wise...and if not, you live like a fool.” So we are going to practice loving one another!

This week:

Breathe In: I Love You God

Breathe Out: Help Me Love Others

Or even simpler:

Breathe In: Love God

Breathe Out: Love Others

PS. What could you use this week or during this next season to remind yourself to practice this awareness prayer? I still use a sharpie everyday and draw an “X” on my wrist as a reminder. What would help you? Ring, bracelet, sticky note in your car or on your mirror…

This little microcosmic incident got me thinking bigger about a theme I’ve been inviting us all to wrestle with lately: love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and the world will know Jesus by the way we love each other; first as fellow Christians, then by the way we love everyone else.

I’ve talked a lot about how we respond to those who wrong us, and the blessing we’re called to extend to them. But there’s another side to this practice: what happens when WE are the ones who mess up? What happens when WE are the ones who, intentionally or unintentionally, hurt the people around us?

Whenever anyone asks me for marriage or parenting advice, this is one of the first things I say. And before I offer anything, I remind them (and myself) that I’m in the same process — I don’t have this figured out either. The one thing I keep relearning is this: own it, and repair. Own it, and repair. Own it, and repair.

Whether it’s with Hilary, my kids, my friends, or a guy I cut off on the road — my goal is to own and repair. Paul, writing to the Romans, invites them into a life of embodied humility. Yes, most of the New Testament’s encouragements here are aimed at fellow Christians, but I think the principle holds for how we treat everyone:

ROMANS 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

If “seek first the kingdom of God” is a real aim for us, then our little kingdoms/queendoms, our need to look good, be right, stay in control, don’t need to be protected and polished. When I hurt someone, I want to be the first to stop, set my own image aside, own my failure, and apologize. When I’m sober enough not to defend my feeble kingdom, I can actually own my part and move toward repair.

Cheat code: if you want a genuinely healthy relationship, find someone who can both receive this kind of humility from you and offer it back.

“But Tim, my part in this was so small. The other person needs to own their stuff first!” I get it, and yes, mutual ownership is the healthiest outcome. But I don’t think it’s a prerequisite. I can own my part without owning the whole thing. As far as it depends on me, I want to pursue peace. If the other person can’t own their side, that’s between them and God. And if this is an ongoing relationship, go get into counseling together. We all need help.

So: who do you need to ask forgiveness from? Who have you hurt, who needs to hear you own it and watch you work toward repair?

And here’s the BEST part… you don’t have to do this alone. Join Jesus in those conversations. Invite Him into the room to heal what’s broken, bring dead things back to life, and give you the courage to actually live this out.

Jesus, lead on…

There are two different meanings to the Greek word Ana-chomai (bear with), which is used fifteen times in the New Testament.

Ana= Up

Echomai= to hold or lift

Because you are an image bearer of God, you bear (hold up) his image whether you acknowledge it or not!

And, because of the fall, you and I don’t look like Him in other ways. And may we just shout out together that GOD IS NOT DONE WITH US YET!!! He is making us look more and more like Him all the time, especially through trials (Rom 8).

When I affirm you, I am affirming the Image of God that you bear. How cool is that! So as a foundation for us to know how to bear with one another, we need to see one another and ourselves with different eyes.

You bear the image of GOD. Let that sink in. Your neighbor is an image bearer of GOD. Let THAT sink in!

One of my friends and heroes, Doug Webster, has challenged the way I see Jesus and His Kingdom simply through the way that he lives. We were at a restaurant, and we watched this waitress serve the table next to us with so much grace, kindness and truth. Let me just say that I would’ve fought these people. I was getting all up in arms over how lame these people were to her; yet, she radiated through it. After they had left (thank you Jesus, cuz I was gonna lose it), my friend Doug affirmed her in the most beautiful way. He said, “I am trying to learn how to practice the principles and teachings of Jesus, and you just showed me a part of what He looks like today! Thank you!”

Now, who knows what her Jesus background was, but regardless, Doug called out who she was made in the image of. I’m not saying we all need to do this, but what if we were more aware of how we ourselves, and the people around us bear the image of God. Let’s not get stuck this week on how we and others do NOT bear the image of God, but on the beautiful images.

This weeks 10000minutes Practice is:

Be aware of God’s image in yourself & practice affirming where you see it in one another!

Affirm God’s image in others!

Try it with your kids, co-workers, close relationships, grocery clerk,... You don’t need to be as blatant as Doug (although it might be a great stretch for you), but ask Jesus to show you how and when you should love well this week! Affirm God’s image in others!

Bible References for IMAGE BEARING: Genesis 1:26, 27; 5:1, 2, and 9:6

Thanks for trusting me with your pushback and comments on some of my recent posts. Do I claim to be totally right and correct on all things God and theology…NO! But, I am constantly and curiously chasing after the heart of God. So join me…

Friends, we could debate theology and the context of Scripture all day, and that could be a decent use of our time, yet my point here is even more foundational in practice.

When I say, “Let’s join Jesus and lead with Love,” what a bunch of you seem to hear is, “There are no guidelines for the flourishing life. Everything goes. Just love, and let everyone do whatever they feel is right in their own eyes.”

This is not what I’m saying, nor, more importantly, what I believe to be the heart of God. And just for clarification, there are two different groups represented here: Jesus followers and non-Jesus followers. Jesus never told us to be the moral police for the non-Jesus-following community. Not our job. Nor did Jesus tell us to police our fellow Jesus followers, but to walk with each other, encouraging one another and loving each other into our Jesus-centered future. Sure there are times that we are to walk with each other and question the direction of our actions, but this is not the starting place. Even when that may be the necessary path, love is still the answer, message and delivery mechanism. Here’s the point: without love (1 Corinthians 13), we can’t even begin the conversation, with each other or with our friends outside our walls.

Do we have to agree with each other to love each other? Can you love someone you disagree with? Are you more interested in being right than in being loving, generous, or even helpful—the very evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit of God?

“Tim, loving people means telling them the truth.” Well, IMHO, the exhortations of the New Testament are aimed at Christians, not at non-Christians. In fact, “they [non-followers of the Way] will know that you [followers of the Way] are my [Jesus’] disciples by the way you love each other [fellow followers of the Way]” is a foundational text for us to live by. This is our evangelism: LOVE. We can try to convince people on the street that they’re sinners going to hell, or we can practice loving one another and watch what doors Jesus opens through that. He has already said that He is the One drawing people to Himself, and that our job is to join Him in loving, neighbor and enemy alike.

All I’m asking is this: if your first response to all of this is still, “Yes, Tim, but we need to love them by speaking the truth in love,” I’d invite you to consider a few things.

1. “Speaking” isn’t in the original language of that text. TRUTHING is the actual verb. Nerd alert :), but it really matters. Truthing in Love is an embodied way of loving one another. Sure, speaking is an act of love, but it’s not the only way. Living out the Truth, goodness, grace, and ultimate Way of God in our lives is what truthing seems to mean.

2. LOG & SPECK. Friends, before we run to correct everyone else’s failures, inadequacies, sins, and poor theology, let’s take some time looking at, being honest about, and working through our own. Let’s not be the ones Jesus rebuked all day long. He never rebuked the “sinners,” but the accusers. Jesus, help me/us with this! Open our eyes to see your heart.

3. “Lead with Love” means leading with compassion and empathy—yeah, I said the E word! I often hear that we need to deliver the harsh truth, yet Paul invites us to restore each other gently, and God’s heart is to always chase after the one. Let’s join Jesus in His work and love well!

In both the Old Testament and the New, we were and are to be the BLESSERS of the land we live in. We are not residents of this place, but exiles who BLESS, BLESS, BLESS! Our Home is not under threat, because the Kingdom of God cannot be taken down. So in the laws of the Kingdom of God, Love is the way. We get to love one another into our futures. If someone doesn’t want to live in and be part of the Kingdom of God (starting today), that’s their choice. And what do they see of Christians today? Moral policing, political posturing, being the only ones who are right about everything while everyone else is delusionally wrong, loud opposition toward anyone who doesn’t agree with all of our tenets of faith. Does that sound inviting, like something the rest of the world would want to be part of?

Who needs your love instead of your approval or your shame?

Jesus, help us know your heart!!!!!

P.S. I get that this may still land as a trigger, heretic, progressive, pick your label. But before we throw a single stone, let’s do the harder thing: sit with Jesus and ask Him to reveal His heart in it. He’s the One who knelt in the dirt while everyone else was reaching for rocks. He’s the One still drawing people to Himself. So instead of asking who’s in and who’s out, let’s ask Him, what does it look like to love like You, and with You, today? Jesus, lead us…

I want to practice considerate and fervent prayer for those around me! We’re called to that. Not out of obligation but because we are all a part of the body.

Even in the midst of my own intense struggles, me being called into prayer for another and following through, directly involves me into God’s big picture and that is always a plus.

This week we are going to practice praying for others. For some of us this is going to be really difficult because talking or hanging with Jesus during your day is not a regular practice.

Praying for ourselves and our needs is such an amazing invitation from Jesus, but this week we are going to focus on praying for others. Whether for friends or foes, let’s practice praying for others in our path.

Jesus give us a different set of lenses this week to see people like you see them.

Prayer changes us and our surroundings!

Ok People, Go Practice!

The conversations were all over the map. I met drunk high school students defending their faith while railing against hypocrites in the same breath. I had emotionally charged interactions with people genuinely wounded by Christians. I met a group of honest moms from Dallas who wondered whether the Christians they knew actually looked like Jesus. Nearly everyone agreed the world is getting less loving and more divided. But the moment I aimed the question specifically at Christians, something shifted. Many of them perked up immediately: “Of course, Christians are known for their love.” And when I tried to ask how others might experience that love differently, they didn’t want to hear it. Some doubled down, “Those people are just mad because we’re calling out their sin.” I posted a video from these interactions on my socials, and a wave of Christians came back not curious but defensive, certain that anyone with a complaint or some form of hurt must be the problem.

Here’s what I keep coming back to. The role of Jesus people is to be the blessers of the world, not the moral police, not the damners or cursers. When the world is asked what Christians are known for, the answers are rarely flattering. But Jesus made the vision unmistakable: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples — if you love one another” (John 13:35). This is not a theological debate nor about political positions. This is not how loudly we oppose what we oppose. Love is the point. Love is our one vocation. We’re called Christians — little Christs — to re-present the love of Jesus, not the damning spirit of the Pharisees. We can agree and disagree on many things theologically and even politically, but the second we lay down our crosses and pick up judgment, we’re treading on dangerous ground. As followers of Jesus, we have one political allegiance — to the politic of the Kingdom of God.

So here’s the invitation: let’s actually show it. Let it mark our homes with patience, our enemies with blessing, our workplaces with grace, our feeds with something that looks more like Jesus and less like pharisaical noise. This is what I wrote The Way We Love about — and it’s less a song than a divine invitation. The world is watching to see if we mean it.

I wrote this song with Matt Hammitt and Micah Kuiper as a plea for the Church to unite, not under the politics of the world, but under the politics of the Kingdom of God, where the Laws are LOVE, GRACE, and BLESSING!

The Way We Love

Boxes and bubbles

And broad strokes and boundary lines

Hold us back from seeing each other

As God’s great design

When we stop believing the lies that we’re told

Will we stop repeating the same old, same old

That keeps us from seeing

Each other through Jesus’ eyes

The world will know

The One we love

By the way, we love

By the way, we love

The world will know

The One we love

What if we lay down

These stones we’re so ready to throw

And we pick up the broken pieces

offer ‘em back to Jesus

Our vision, our only hope

Love wash over us

Hands lifted up

Lord help us

Love like the way

That you love

So that we can be one

The Way We Love now streaming: HERE

Like I said in last week’s post, Horse was a man of few words, but when he spoke, we all listened. Over the 45 years of our friendship, he was given hundreds of opportunities to sit with me in my grief or hardship. From the early days of girlfriend breakups to my numerous hospital beds, from relationship drama to listening to my parenting woes, Horse simply sat with me and uttered this simple phrase: “I’m so sorry, Timmy” (Very few can get away with calling me Timmy, but he has the years and the miles logged to do so)!

“Why is this so profound?” you ask? Because our communities are not good at grieving. We want to fix each other by throwing platitudes and Bible verses. Sure, there’s a time and place for more words, but Horse’s gift was in the sitting. It was in his ability to hold my grief with me.

I will dive into the rich Jewish custom of Sitting Shiva another time, but this idea of “grieving well” with others is not a new psychology trend, but an ancient, time-tested gift for our flourishing. Sitting Shiva was the practice of sitting in service to those grieving. If the griever wanted to talk about stuff, the sitters would talk. If the griever wanted to get up and walk, then the sitters would get up and walk. If the griever wanted to cry, then the community would cry with them. This is just the tip of the iceberg with this tradition, but all to say:

When someone is carrying something heavy and just needs to know they’re loved, seen, and not a project to be solved — sit with them. And when you don’t know what to say — For love’s sake, no more platitudes.

Say what Horse would say.

‘I’m so sorry, Timmy.’

Honest. Sincere. Most often enough.

Love Well… Grieve Well

As cliche as it sounds, and yet as true as it could ever be, this past weekend was Horse’s Celebration of Life service/party. As Horse had time to think through what that memorial gathering would look like, he curated a set list of songs for his wife Bethany, his daughter PJ (14 yrs old, on drums), and all of his musician friends to sing and lead. He had a few of us share stories that would tell of the goodness of God through our friendships. It was compelling, tragically sad, and beautiful all at the same time.

There are so many lessons to learn from this sobering experience. Far too many to write about in one single post, but here are a few that stood out to me.

• Friends, tomorrow is not promised.

It’s worth being reminded of over and over again. TODAY IS OUR GIFT. This GIFT is two-fold. Yes, we get another day to live, but are we really living? And who are we living it for and with? The GIFT of today is mostly for us to pass on. Our one goal, as long as we are alive today, is to stay connected to the heart and way of Jesus. And in doing so, we will undoubtedly become a true GIFT to everyone around us. My friend Horse lived this in spades.

• Horse was rarely verbose, but always intentional.

He was a man of few words, but the words he shared were either the ending joke that took us all down, or words wrought with wisdom and encouragement. One of the GIFTS that Horse brought to the world and to me was breathing courage into us. Who needs that from you today?

• Do the people around you know how much you love them?

Thank the people who have shaped you into who you are today! Ask Jesus to put these names on your hearts and minds.

Let’s let Jesus lead us, as He makes the world better through us!

• God-Given Restraint: In other words, patience is not man-made, but God-breathed. It is God-given restraint that holds us back from taking someone’s words too personally (ie. last night’s convo with my wife:). It is God-given restraint that invites us to stop, take a second and see the situation from a different point of view. It takes God-given power to suspend judgment, hold your tongue, love your enemy, etc…

• In the face of opposition or oppression: Without opposition and oppression, there is no need for Patience. Reality is, some form of opposition and oppression are as constant as gravity.

Who or what situations trigger your impatience (aka your crazy place)? Thankfully, I was presented with an opportunity for growth today. Not a shocker, but it happened (once again) in the parking lot. No need for details, because you all know how this played out...enemies were made. My invitation from God! This is either an opportunity or a hassle.

I knew that “Patience with others” was this week’s practice, yet I still tried to produce patience on my own. Just like every other attempt to manufacture the fruit of the Spirit...failed mission. I was surely not driving WITH Jesus at that point. Needless to say, the rest of the day, as I drove WITH Jesus, patience with other drivers was abundant!

What situations this week do you need to be doing WITH Jesus?

10000 MINUTES Practice:

Practice PATIENCE with others by aligning your heart WITH the heart/presence of God.

A few times last week, I practiced kindness and failed miserably when things weren’t going my way. NO SHAME, but it’s worth identifying it, learning and moving forward WITH Jesus in.

The middle 3 “Fruits of the Spirit” identified in Galatians 5 are Patience, Kindness, and Goodness. These seem to specifically be aimed at OTHERS. Kindness and Goodness seem like the same words, and they are definitely similar, but there are a few distinctions. I love this quote from an unknown reference:

Patience is suffering love; kindness is compassionate love; and goodness is ministering love.

They all play together in the same sandbox, but goodness has a boldness to do what is right and to invite others into it as well. Goodness is seeing what is right in a circumstance and then acting on it.

Goodness takes a ton of patience and kindness, and puts it into action for the greater GOOD of self and especially others. As you look back on your story, when was a time when someone did the right thing even when it was hard? Or when do you wish someone, or even you, would have done the Good and right thing?

I love the question that my friend Kyle Zimmerman would always ask me: So, what’s the next right thing to do? This is a multifaceted question, but when applied to GOODNESS, it seems to fit.

What situation in your life right now might be ripe for goodness to prevail? Doing the right thing even when it’s hard? And since GOODNESS is a fruit from our alignment WITH Jesus and His Spirit, what would it look like to walk WITH Him in it and seek to do good.

10000 MINUTES Practice:

JOIN JESUS today in doing good (to others) WITH Him today.

• What is the next right thing to do, and practice it WITH Jesus!

• Remember, when alignment WITH the heart of God is our aim, then the fruit of the Spirit is the result!

A powerful book from some of my friends and heroes Alan & Gem Fadling called, “What Does Your Soul Love” said this:

When it comes to Jesus’ strategy for changing the world, he began with a simple focus on the human heart. He did not set out primarily to change the way people behave. He knew that without a change in the heart producing those behaviors, any outward change would be short-lived.

How true is that?! How many times have we just sought after changing our behaviors and failed in the long term? Or, how many times have we tried to change other’s behaviors without really tending to their hearts (ie, kids, parents, spouses, ex’s, relationships, etc)?

SIMPLY PUT...it rarely works.

Who doesn’t want more Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Self Control, Generosity, etc in their lives?

Somewhere along the way, at least for me, these characteristics became something to attain by grit and sheer will power. Which translates into a form of behavior modification instead of true heart change. They would last for a short time but, when I got negatively triggered, I would quickly resort back to what my sinful nature, flesh, ego have always done and then shame would come in for the steal.

This is NOT Jesus’ invitation. It’s a form of hell on earth. It’s a Godless existence. I know it well.

Let’s practice being aware of when and where in our lives we are stuck? Personal struggle or a relationship? Spend a few minutes if possible and journal.

10000 MINUTES Practice:

Whose power are you using today? Practice curiosity & awareness, not shame! Are you coping using the fruit of your labor or from the Spirit of GOD?

Simply practice awareness this week!

Really think about it. When are you most aware, connected, present WITH Jesus in your day? What’s your heart’s posture in those moments? Many of our answers are going to be, when we’re praying, reading, singing, etc, and these are amazing times, but I’d love for you to think about your daily life. When are you most present WITH Jesus?

For me, I’d say that I’m most present WITH Jesus when I realize that I can’t do whatever I am doing and He can. I am so dang self reliant that this becomes the battle ground for my present-ness.

Follow-up question: When are you most distracted and not present WITH Jesus? Now, we all know that we can be with someone but surely not be present, right?! I’ve been at big and important events where it was a real practice to stay present in each conversation. Situations where everyone is eager to talk to each other but unable to keep eye contact, etc. In those situations, it becomes my literal practice to keep my eyes focused on the other person’s eyes, at all cost..

This week, keep a journal at the end of your day and track when you were most distracted and when you were most present. Stay aware of these questions this week.These are also pretty amazing conversation starters with friends!

10000 MINUTES practice: Be present

Put something in your life to disrupt the natural flow/rhythm of your day, that would remind you to be present WITH Jesus and to walk WITH Him all day long!

That was essentially Jesus’ question to Peter and His disciples in Mark 8:29, Matthew 16:15. Are you asking Jesus to see people through His eyes?

There’s a prayer I’ve prayed for most of my life.

“Jesus, would you be with me today…?”

Something changed once I heard my daughter Malia pray it. It startled me. If she continued with this way of thinking, she would grow up pleading for Jesus to be with her as if He was distant, absent and with-holding. His nearness was contingent upon her asking and potentially upon her actions. Ultimately, trusting God’s heart and nearness was a gamble with 50/50 odds at best.

What if He is always near? How different would our day be if we asked Jesus to show us where He is working and join Him there?

This is an invitation to look inside our own hearts. If this is a common prayer of yours, then with NO SHAME added, I have a question. What does this prayer say about what you believe to be true about God? And for some of us who have removed this prayer from our prayer vocabulary, has it snuck into the posture of our hearts even though we aren’t saying “the phrase”?

When our lips or our hearts use this prayer, “Jesus be with me/her/him/us/them today”, we are essentially answering Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” Think about it...in a shame-free zone:

• When you relate to God, how far off is He?

• How consistent is He?

Is His nearness contingent upon anything?

10000 MINUTES Practice:

JOIN JESUS IN WHAT HE’S DOING TODAY!

Ask Him to open your eyes this week to see where and what He’s doing and join Him in it!

Sometimes it feels like these are the sentiments that we offer people in sorrow. Just pull up your boot straps, suck it up, and don’t be afraid.

Well, thankfully that is not what God offers us. On our own, it is impossible, but WITH God ALL things are possible. Mark 10:27

The key word here is WITH. The only way that we can walk through hell is when we are WITH God.

OUR PRAYER

Everywhere we go on this road high or low

Where we go we go WITH You!

SO we don’t have to be afraid because Jesus you are our hope.

So come what may. Everywhere we go, we go WITH You!

Memorize this amazing invitation from God with me this week!

Joshua 1:9

Write it out and put it in your car… have it on repeat on the bible app on your phone? Let’s do this!

Kids happened! Need I say more? Every mess, spill, fight, hurt feeling, complaint about the food that I had just spent an hour on...yup, even the Ikea chair that I assembled as a gift for Hilary sat crooked after an hour of putting it together then taking it apart then putting it back together again. OK, OK first world problems. I totally agree and now, with a little space from the night, I can kind of laugh about it. :)

What went wrong? Well besides everything, nothing. What went wrong was that my soul forgot about JOY. Not my happiness but my joy.

Happiness is as fleeting as an open bag of peanut M&M’s in my house, here for a second then gone. But this gift of Joy that Jesus has invited all of us into can be a permanent state of being. And I have experienced it more and more these past few years as I’ve been trying to simply hang out with Jesus all day long. Because He has been my constant companion (practicing the presence of Jesus), I have known a joy that is beyond anything that I’ve ever experienced.

Not tonight. Tonight I gave Jesus the night off! “I got this Jesus.” Those are dangerous words. I’m reminded of that verse I use in most of my concerts: With man it is impossible, but not with God. For with God, all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

My kingdom was threatened all night and king Tim was not happy about it. Lesson learned. So tomorrow I will wake up, write an X on my wrist that will remind me to seek first the Kingdom of God all day long.

Jesus, where are you at work today in the things that go my way and in the things that don’t? I want to join you today, Jesus.

This is a daily, if not a minute by minute decision. Will we be found living as followers of Jesus tomorrow? JESUS LEAD ON!