Dream Big

Hi friends,

Today I completed a couple challenges from a few days ago.  The September 28th challenge was to find a way to serve one person who would be among the forgotten in my town.  I really didn't have to look any further than an elderly lady next door.  I've never met her before, but seen her go in and out of her garage with her car.  I don't see any family or anyone come over, except her son every once in a while to mow the yard or fix something.  Our elderly neighbor lady appears to be forgotten.  So...I decided to go over to her house with Janna and bring her a gift basket and say hello.  Here's what the gift basket looked like:

So we took the gift basket over to our neighbor's house, but she wasn't home so we left a note with the basket saying hello.  I'm hoping we can say hello in person sometime soon. 

Yesterday...I mentioned that my challenge was to restore something.  I chose to restore a corner of a wall in my house that had been damaged when I moved the couch a while ago.  But...I got out the spackling to repair the wall and it was hard and moldy.  So...today I got some new spackling at the store to tackle this challenge.  Here is what the wall looked like before:

It was a pretty nice hole in the wall.  So tonight I attempted to restore and here's what it looked like when I was done:

It looks much, much better.  It was a kind of messy job with the spackling and paint.  Restoring this wall got me thinking about how God restores us.  Jesus Christ came to the earth and got "messy" and lived among us, died for our sins and rose to new life.  I'm always amazed how much God loves us and all of His creation.  I'm so glad Jesus Christ fills all the holes in my life as I'm in a relationship with him.  What hole are you experiencing that the Lord could fill?

Finally, today's challenge is the last challenge of the month.  All month the theme of each challenge has been centered around discovering "restoration" that God brings through various daily tasks and challenges.  The final challenge today was to think about how I could bring restoration to my neighborhood, my school and even the world.  Then to think about who could help me make these dreams a reality.

This is a challenging subject...even daunting at times.  I guess a simple answer to bringing restoration to any of these areas for me is to open my eyes to people around me.  One thing that the Credo Challenge has helped me to do this month is open my eyes to small, ordinary ways I can "be the change."  The challenge has also helped me create space in my life to "be the change."  Often times I'm so busy running from here to there that I miss the small ways I can "be the change."  Creating space to "be the change" has been a very restorative thing in my life this month.  It's given me more time to reflect on my relationship with the Lord and I've had to pray about some of these challenges because...they were tough at times and I knew I couldn't do it in my own strength. 

I also realized that the people who could help me bring restoration to the world in Jesus Christ are...

...the people around me.

Tomorrow is October...but this past month of September has been a special time growing in small ways spiritually taking the Credo challenge.  Tomorrow I'd like to share a few ways it's helped me grow spiritually.

Till Tomorrow...Tom

Restore Something

Hi friends,

Today's challenge was to look for an area of my house or garage that needs restoration and restore it.  I've chosen to restore a corner portion of a wall in my house.  Janna and I were moving our couch one day into another room in our house and we hit the wall and put a dent into it.  It needs restored.

So tonight I set out to restore the corner of the wall and opened the spackling to patch the hole and it was all dried up and moldy.  Who knew spackling spoiled? LOL!  Also, I left my camera at church tonight so I couldn't take a before or after picture. 

So tomorrow I'll be working on restoring the corner of the wall after I get some new spackling and pick up my camera.  Looks like tomorrow I'll be working on a few Credo challenges.

Hope tomorrows more promising than today for these Credo challenges.  The last couple of days have been difficult. 

Till Tomorrow...Tom

The Forgotten

Hi friends,

Today was a super stressful day with a lot of meetings beginning at 7 a.m. today and finishing tonight at about 9 p.m.  Today's challenge was to find a way to serve one person who would be among the forgotten by sitting and listening to them or bringing them a meal.  Needless to say I didn't accomplish this today, but have my eye open for a person God puts in my path that would be considered forgotten.  I'm hoping to do this tomorrow or Thursday.  

Any ideas for forgotten people that I might serve in general?  Thanks for your thoughts!

Till Tomorrow...Tom

Send a Letter to Your School Principal

Hi friends,

Today's challenge was to send a letter to the school principal.  Now the important thing to know here is that I don't have a principal anymore.  So what could I do?

I decided to ask the guys in the accountability group I lead on Monday night to write a letter to their principal to encourage and provide ideas for making their school a better place.  One of the ideas was to have an "appreciate janitors week" to thank janitors for all the hard work they do to keep the school clean.    

We took some time tonight at the end of our accountability group to put together a letter to give to their principal.  One of the guys is going to get some more ideas for making his school a better place from his band members at school. 

I'm hoping the principal feels appreciated and loved...I'll let you know next week how it turns out.

Till Tomorrow...Tom

He's Coming Back

Hi friends,

Today's challenge was to think about the new creation story that is possible in Jesus Christ and read Revelation 21 and reflect on how the Lord will restore things one day. 

As I was reading Revelation 21 verse 3 stuck out to me, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."  

From the beginning of time this is the way God created us to live.  How beautiful this verse is and the description of God's kingdom that follows.  Check it out when you get a chance...it's worth the time to reflect on. 

Till Tomorrow...Tom

Creation

Hi friends,

Today's challenge to live out my faith was to read the creation story in Genesis 1 & 2.  These two chapters are action packed with characteristics about the God we serve.  I read these two chapters twice and here are a few that stood out to me as I read:

• God is creative (Gen. 1:1)...every time you use your creativity you are using something that originates in God
• God speaks and things come to life (Gen. 1:3ff).  God longs to speak things into your life too, if you allow him access you your heart.  In this instance God speaks light into darkness.  Is there something dark in your life God could speak light into?
•  God is a God of order.  God creates things to work together in harmony.  The Hebrew word for this is Shalom meaning peace.  When God brings peace into our lives, He puts things in right order.  
• God values things he creates as good.  Know in your heart today that God created you and that no matter who says what, God created something good when he created you.  Your value in life doesn't come from what you do, but who's you are.  True value and meaning only come from God.
• Humanity has a special relationship with God...we are created in His image (Gen. 1:26).  God created you in His image...you are valued...Christ died and rose to new life for you...you are loved by the creator of all things!  Rest in that truth.
• God rested.  Surely God could have kept going and creating and doing godly things but...God chose to rest.  Are you choosing to rest?  Are you resting one day a week like God planned for your life?  How could that practice restore you? 

I was so encouraged by reading Genesis 1 & 2 today.  I hope you will take time and read it today as well.  God wants to speak to you today through his word.  If you have a minute write a comment about what you found in Genesis 1 & 2 today.

Till Tomorrow...Tom

Give Credo Magazine To Someone

Hi friends,

Today's challenge was to give my Credo magazine to someone I know and ask them to finish some of the pages I haven't.  So...I gave my Credo magazine to Janna today to do a page.  That's about it today...pretty easy.  Let you know more about it tomorrow.

Who could you share your Credo or an idea to live out your faith in Credo with?

Till Tomorrow...Tom