One of my Twitter Friends @ChristieSays sent this to me today via Twitter:
"@MarketerMikeE: Your stressing putting focus on others instead of self on twitter. But your own blog is about you."
Wow! That knocked me out! At first I thought, "She has no idea what she is talking about!" Then I realized that she had stormed into the truth.
@ChristieSays was right and made an extremely terrific point. Even when I am sharing, telling, tweeting, preaching, harping, bitching and or complaining to others to spend more time focusing on others and less on self, I can actually be focusing on me. How? Because when I am doing this I can actually be thinking in my Messed Up mind, "Wow, the people who are listening to me must think I am really cool because of what I am saying!"
So before I tweet, speak or preach I am going to try to remember to stop for a minute and think about this: Is the next thing to come out of my mouth really and truly about helping others or is it just about me? Thank you God for @ChristieSays and other people you have brought into my life. Thank you for using these people to knock me into reality and to remind me that my biggest and worst addiction is: SELF.
Help me if you can, I'm feeling down And I do appreciate you being round. Help me, get my feet back on the ground, Won't you please, please help me? --The Beatles
Be careful when you ask someone this question: "How are you doing?" It's potentially dangerous. Why? They might need your help.
Today was day 4 of my new job as the Community Relationship Manager at my company. I'm very important. I'm extremely busy. I'm making things happen. Then I screwed up. I asked a co-worker how they were doing? She said, "Mike, this has to be one of the worst weeks of my life. Can you lend an ear?" Crap. She wants me to listen. She wants me to stop for a moment and listen. What could be more important than day 4 of my new gig? I put the extremely selfish, self centered Mike Ellis aside and said, "Sure, I've got time to listen." Then she poured her heart out and began to cry.
Helping her was that last thing I wanted to do. Helping her was the most important thing I did today.
Help isn't always complicated. There are moments when helping is simply listening.
How dare you? Who in the Hell do you think you are? Abusing a woman. Neglecting a woman. Being a coward. A fool. Who do you think you are? You're not God. You're just a man. You're not an impressive man. You're not a responsible man. You're not a noble man. You're not a respectable man. There is no excuse for any man who claims the name of Christ to treat a woman in a dishonorable, disrespectful way. --Pastor Mark Driscoll
Men, watch the complete clip below. Does he have a point? Is Mark right or wrong? I watched it and was convicted. After watching this clip, will you treat your wife differently?
When Christ followers act like complete jerks, ass___, dorks, or $%!@!@^% by eating their own or judging and hurting other believers we have "given the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel", and I am sorry.
Even the grandson of Billy Graham is taking some heat at a church he pastors in Florida. It reminds me of what happened to my friend Dr. David Cox while he was the pastor of a church here in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sounds like some of the same nutty stuff that happened to David Cox is happening again at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in South Florida. The pastor, Tullian Tchividjian, wrote the words below and it was published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
"Six members of our church recently circulated unsolicited letters and a petition voicing their opposition to my leadership and requesting a congregational meeting to vote on whether to keep me as their pastor.
The Bible says God wants the church to be a visual model of the gospel. He wants us, in other words, to live our lives together in such a way that we demonstrate the good news of reconciliation before the watching world.
The late Francis Schaeffer once noted that bitter divisions among Christians give the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel. But when reconciliation, peacemaking, and unity are on display inside the church, that becomes a powerful witness to this fractured world. "Just as I have loved you," Jesus commanded, "you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).
Whenever you see any of us who claim to be "Christ followers" behaving in a manner that is unlike Jesus, please forgive us. And please let that be a reflection on us, and not on Him. As imperfect people, we will continue to let you down and disappoint you, but Jesus will never let you down--he will never disappoint you."
--- Tullian Tchividjian, the pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
My Best Friend, Russell Holloway wrote this amazing post. I didn't ask him for permission to post this. Don't tell him. Thanks.
"God created us to be relational beings. When we are at our best we are conduits of God’s love.
Three years ago I walked into the Port Orange YMCA and saw a man sitting in the lobby by himself, sipping coffee out of a Styrofoam cup, who at first glace reminded me of Liberace and Mr. T’s love child.
Harvey had all kinds of rings on his fingers and jewelry hanging from his ears. He seemed a little sad, but Harvey told stories, one after the other, in his loud and aggressive New York City accent. When he made an important point he waved his fingers in the air like a piano player hitting a keyboard. Interesting guy. Because we both like to tell stories, we became instant friends.
Most of the last year Harvey has been up in Queens taking care of his 94-year-old mother. We sat in the backyard this afternoon with our other friend, Mike Ellis, and talked about musicians like, Johnny Hartman, Keely Smith, and Louis Prima. Later we got on the computer and listened to them sing, amazing. Harvey produced two Grammy winning albums for Eddie Palmarie back in the day. He knows more than most on the subject of music. (See CD cover above featuring a much younger Harvey)
When we were alone Harvey looked me in the eye and told me that the people in Port Orange saved his life three years ago. Fame for Harvey had come and gone . . . it was love and kindness . . . God’s love, moving through the people Harvey met, who changed his life.
You have the power to change someone’s life, even if with nothing more than a smile.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).
Jesus was talking about these things in the context of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. Harvey’s life has been changed because a group of strangers reached out to him, unconditionally, in love . . . in our Savior’s name.
. . . Father, thank you for Harvey and thank You for being a God who loves us. Father command our spirits to be open to opportunities to change people's lives just by using kindness. When Your love flows through us it is an amazing thing. We praise You and pray to You in Jesus name . . . "
You can follow my fellow messed-up Christ Follower Russell Holloway on Twitter. His Twitter Nick is @LuvStomp. He has a blog too. His blog is much better than mine. My blog is really messed-up and so am I.
Watch the YouTube Clip below and read my "messed" up thoughts.
So many things come to mind as I watch this over and over again. The world says, "Little Girl, you are so stupid. Don't you know that throwing that ball back is wrong?" God says, "Little Girl, I love you whether you throw away the ball or keep it!" The world says, "Keep that ball Little Girl, don't you know how valuable that ball is?" God says, "Little Girl, your true treasure is in me and not in things!" The world says, "Little Girl, we won't love and accept you because of the mistakes you have made!" God says, "I love you and accept you no matter what kind of choices you have made." Satan looks back and sees our mistakes, God looks back and sees the Cross. He doesn't calculate what you did in the past. It's not even on the record.
God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.
He loves you when you don’t feel lovely.
He loves you when no one else loves you. Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you, but God will love you. Always. No matter what.
“I’ll call the nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved” (Rom. 9:25 MSG).
Jesus loves us even at our worst, demonstrating “his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NIV)
Take a moment and watch the YouTube clip again. My favorite part is when the dad realizes that his daughter might be feeling bad due to the choice that she has made. Do you see what the Dad does? He reaches out without hesitation. He hugs and comforts his daughter. Even though she threw the ball back she received a loving bear hug from her dad. Kinda like what God wants to do to us……even when we mess up!
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
We have a Heavenly Father who wants to do that for you and for me.
How many times have we thrown away the ball that God gave us? He takes us back and loves us anyway. Hit any foul balls into the stands lately? God is waiting to catch us. He'll run to us with open arms. He wants to hug us and welcome us home. =====================================================================================
It's been surprising to me to see how few churches are on twitter. In my opinion," if a church is NOT on twitter, they should have their heads examined". If churches (yes, there are exceptions) are on twitter, they are typically doing it wrong. What do I mean? Some churches and pastors believe that Twitter is a broadcast medium or a bullhorn. It's called "Social Media" not "ME, ME, ME media". When a church or pastor is on Twitter, it should be a conversation. My friend and pastor Steve Shears is on Twitter. In addition to using Twitter to listen and watch, Steve is doing some absolutely amazing things through live chats he is promoting through twitter. Within the past several days, through one my twitter accounts @HeRockzDotCom, I made contact with a lady who is from Oklahoma or @OkieGray on Twitter. It didn't take long for me to see that she was going through a rough time. See actual tweets from twitter below.
Me:@OkieGray How are you doing today?
Her: @HeRockzDotCom thanks for asking... feeling a bit sad today. You know you can't keep giving without getting "hurt." If that makes sense? :(
Me:@OkieGray I pray in the name of Jesus for healing in your heart and your mind and that He gives you a peace and calm that comes from Him.
Her:@HeRockzDotCom thanks for the prayer... we have got to find a nice church home here in Yukon, OK! Too much twitter time. I need peace & calm!
Her: @HeRockzDotCom I really need a spiritual advisor and the sooner the better. Got to get my head cleared up on some issues which make me sad!
After the tweet above, I asked her if it would be alright for me to send some people I trust her way. She said yes. At this point I asked pastors I know from twitter to connect with her through twitter
Me: Dear @johndobbs , @treymorgan , @steveshears , @rachelshears would you mind reaching out to @OkieGray ? She is lady in OK who could use an ear.
Right away, within moments, the pastor who is constantly watching and listening to Twitter responded. My good friend Steve Shears.
Pastor Steve Shears:@steveshears : @HeRockzDotCom cool Mike i'll follow @OkieGray
Pastor Steve Shears makes first contact with @OkieGray: @steveshears : Hello @OkieGray Good to meet ya Okie..
Not one of these tweets from a church leader or pastor were about their new I-Phone, their new building, their new carpet, the church bulletins, the capital campaign or the pastor's new "life-changing" podcast. Each of these tweets were directed at reaching out to someone who was hurting and then finding someone that they could connect with. There are so many lonely, broken, hurting people on Twitter just waiting for someone real, caring and authentic to reach out to them. Every church needs to be doing this. Are you?
