43 hits last week

So I noticed that I had received 43 hits last week on my blog even though I haven't posted anything since March.

So should I keep this updated more?

Developing their own faith!

Over the past couple months I have been helping out with the Junior High at Crossroads. If anyone knows anything about where my nitch is, it is with Jr High students. I mean where else can you have a conversation about farting, circumcision, and Jesus all in one sentence? And that was them leading the discussion. I asked them a question in our POD group this past Sunday and today is Monday and I am still thinking about it.

I asked them, "If you parents woke you up Sunday morning to tell you they were done going to church and you don't have to go anymore...would you still go?" Pretty simple question right? As most of them stated the great lengths they would go to make sure they were at church every Sunday there were a few that had no response. The point I was trying to make was the issue of making your relationship with Christ your own.

When I was in Ministry one of my values was that I had a short while to impact the rest of a students life. I just had a few years and then they were going to pack up, move out of their parents house, and venture out into what we called "the real world". I could never prepare them more than to show them that they needed to develop their own relationship with Christ.

There are 2 kids of students at church:Those that want to be there, and those that don't want to be there. The students that don't want to be there are in essence experiencing God through their parents, so of course when they move out of their parents place then they feel they don't need to take that relationship with them.

Of course the student that wants to be at church are not any different if they don't experience Christ on their own. If they just believe b/c their parents believe and never seek out their own relationship then once they get out into the "real world" they will more than likely fall away.

I guess what I have been pondering is-I am a parent now and what would I do when Olivia gets older and she decides that she just doesn't want to go to church anymore. Would I force her to go to church? I honestly don't know how I would ever answer that, but I can tell you this. I am allowing her...even though she is only 5...I am allowing her to already start to develop her own relationship with Christ. Of course I am not alone in this as dozens of people around here are doing the same thing. I want my daughter to question her faith, I want her to ask the Why's? And the What For's?

I don't want any of my children to worship God just b/c I worship God. I want my Children to worship God b/c they realize that He loves them more than their father ever could.

The diagram above is simple. The first represents all of those students that I know that are living their Christian life (if that is what you want to call it) through their parents or guardian. So pretty much they don't know God without their Parents, when they see God they see their Parents. The second, or bottom represents those that are actively seeking more and more in their relationship with Christ. Those are the students/individuals that are making a difference not only in their own lives, but in the lives around you.

One thing I have always done was not tell students exactly what they have to believe...b/c I wanted them to find it on their own. The last thing a teenager wants to hear is a bunch of rules...rules suck. God's love is not about rules and regulations, its about a relationship.

Is MOREfromtheHART.com done?

A question I have been pondering over the last month. Am I done with this blogging realm? With more and more friends connecting through the likes of Facebook it does seem irrelevant to blog! I mean it sure is a lot quicker to hop on facebook and say "Michael is-feeling like he wants a Snuggie" than to get on here and go into great detail as to why I think the Snuggie is one of the funniest things ever created. Especially in the Infomercial where the phone rings and the lady gets pissed and has to remove part of her blanket to answer the phone. That takes a lot of effort and a lot of body heat is lossed in that transition. But anyway...

Previously I would have time during my day to sit down for 15 minutes and post something witty or spiritual for my 3 readers but lately I just haven't had the time. They have tightened down at work and the last thing I wanted was for one of my many bosses to walk buy and see me on blogger rather than on the phone trying to sell the latest. Plus it was always easier to post first thing in the morning at the Coffeeshop in between customers. Now that I don't work there anymore I don't have that luxury.

I probably will never get rid of the domain name b/c if I ever wanted it again I would have to probably buy it from one of those companies that buy domain names that don't get renewed in hopes that they will buy it from them at a higher price. Wow, that was a long sentence! You get the idea.

As for posting, it has taken a backseat. I have broken off into sales and trying to generate business while being apart of the Economic Crisis. It has required me to arrive early to work, work through lunch sometimes, and to stay a little later in hopes of getting that customer that is looking to save in this recession. Percistance does pay off, so they say!

I'm still around and if you are reading this and not my friend on facebook, it would be wise to add me as I will be updating that more often.

My Passion is still there

This past Sunday at CSM(Crossroads Student Movement) I got to do what I love doing best...Teaching students. Mainly teaching students life lessons. It was great to connect with them again. Now I have been volunteering for about a year now but a lot of my time has been invested in meetings for an upcoming gathering, or just behind the scenes making sure everything goes as planned.

It was so awesome to just sit down with a group of 7th grades and read the book of James and to hear them actually tell me what they think James meant when he wrote:

"Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in the distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I think a lot of adults don't give 7th graders enough credit and ability to think on their own, but their answers were terrific.

So what do you think he meant?

2008 Rewind

Thought I would share with you some of my favorite posts of 2008 here at morefromthehart.com

• We Moved! But it looks like we might be moving again b/c we are on the house search!!!
• I break down Prayer.
• I turned $1 into $100.
• I posted my book I wrote in 5th grade. Still researching on the possibilities of getting it published!
• My little buddy turned 1, and Olivia Graduated School.
  
• I quit my job at the Coffee Shop!

Of course I didn't do anything extraordinarily amazing this year but I did have fun, and I am looking forward to 2009. More so than 2008. I also noticed that my 2008 blog count was about 50 posts lighter than previous years. My Bad!

Develop the Discipline

Every year I come up with crazy resolutions that I break on a regular basis. In 2008 I wanted to lose weight, read 12 books, read through the Bible again, etc. Well lets just say I really didn't hold true to my 2008 resolutions.

So around Christmas I started praying that God reveal to me where I need work and boy was I shocked.

Discipline, I lack discipline...in my physical life, in my spiritual life...discipline is something I have never been strong with. God showed me the reason that I am not losing weight, the reason I am not stretching myself in the word, and the reason that our family is just freaking crazy sometimes is b/c of lack of Discipline.

My theme for 2009 is for me to Develop the Discipline in my life. Everything I study and read throughout this year will be to better my discipline in my life!

A passion!

THIS is why we are doing THIS.

More on this later!

Keep at it or you lose it

Normally the worst round of golf I play is my first round of the year. I am rusty and it takes a couple rounds to get my swing back. Why is that? Mainly b/c I haven't swung a club in 3-4 months so I need to get back into the "swing" of things.

At work they have come to realize that if I am not constantly learning or training that I lose information. That is why we have small product trainings 1-2 times a week. They know that if the product stays fresh in my mind that I will relay that to my customers. So if I keep learning about it over and over again, I am less likely to forget!

Now the same is with picking up the Word of God, better known as The Bible, The Good Book, The Message...whatever you want to call it. I have realized lately that I am not as sharp with the scriptures as I use to be. There are some small OT stories that I am a little shakey on now just b/c of the fact that I am not constantly training. Yes training!

The minister of our church said a few months ago that he gets up at 6am every morning to read his bible b/c "I" (the congregation) is worth it. Now he wasn't gloating or bragging but he was merely pointing out that he needs to stay fresh in the Word b/c we are counting on him to direct us.

Get in the word b/c your Wife is counting on you to lead this family
Get in the word b/c your kids are looking up to you
Get in the word b/c people at work are asking you questions and your not as sharp as you use to me
Get int he word b/c HE is worth it & HE is amazing

Family Man

I am a family man, but I still have so much to learn. I love being a family man. It's one of the best titles I have ever been given!



"Family Man" from Trevor Little on Vimeo.